BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 years ago this week:
State lawmakers were still debating whether to allow medicinal marijuana, let alone its recreational use.
Approval was given for Buffalo's first hookah lounge.
We were getting the first reports that Bon Jovi was interested in buying the Bills, and the team had a pre draft visit with LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The bills would take WR Sammy Watkins fourth overall, while Beckham, who became the fastest NFL player to obtain 4,000 career receiving yards, was selected 8 picks later by the New York Giants
A disturbing trend among vandals involved the flipping of so called smart cars, and in a blow to preservationists, a judge said a developer could move forward with plans to transform the entrance to the Elmwood village near Forest.
The plan called for demolishing several structures along the east side of Elmwood that housed a variety of eclectic shops and replace them with a mixed use building containing retail space and upscale condominiums.
Opponents had argued that a law was passed in 1892 that only houses could be zoned there, but the judge noted that for years, what were homes back then had been used for decades to house businesses.
Eleven Eleven Elmwood sits on the site today.
20 years ago this week:
Just two and a half years removed from the 9-11 terrorist attacks the FBI was alerting local and state police that trains, including subways, and busses could be the next terror targets.
To combat the dominance of conservative talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, the other side came up with Air America whose slate of hosts included comedian and future US Senator Al Franken. Air America would go bankrupt not even three years after its launch.
30 years ago this week:
Airlines were looking for workers with starting pay at $5.25 per hour.
Then, just like now, the Israelis and Palestinians were still fighting and then just like now there was concern about about violence among young people. At a youth violence summit held in Buffalo one young person recommended that, "if the parents get a control of their child and teach them what's right and wrong from the beginning that's what really counts."
National news was still dominated by coverage of the Clintons and their potential involvement in the Whitewater scandal.
40 years ago this week:
Buffalo fight fans still stinging from the loss of bout two years prior featuring Sugar Ray Leonard, who bowed out of a scheduled title defense at the Aud due to an eye injury, were thrilled when it was announced another top prize fighter would put his title on the line in Buffalo.
"This was the American home of my grandfather when he came to this country from Sicily," said the boxer, in discussing his Buffalo roots with reporters. This pugilist is also the subject of this week's News 2 you Pop Quiz. (For the answer, watch the conclusion of the video attached to this story.)
The final rails were being installed above ground along lower main street, and below ground we were getting our first glimpses of the subway stations that would eventually serve the yet to be opened NFTA metro rail which would begin service 6 months later in October 1984.
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