All names have been highlighted in bold type even though they did not appear that way in the original article. Also, the pictures printed in the PennySaver in conjuction with article are being presented on a separate page.
2002 - The year in review
By Mary Pankow
It's that time of year again, when we retrain ourselves to drop the comfortable habit of writing the old year - in this case 2002 - and get used to the new. For a while, we'll all be guilty of crossouts, scribbles and creatively altering twos into threes. But, before taking that leap into the date change, let's take a brief look back at the last 12 months.
Homeland security and the slumping economy grab the most headlines out the year. As the fear of more terrorists' attacks hovers, the government explains the color-coded system used to alert citizens of the varying degrees of risk. With interest rates at their lowest in decades, 2002 is also the year Enron, WorldCom and Rigas family scandals.
Not all is doom and gloom, however. Children's Hospital will stay on Bryant Street and the Buffalo Bills are much improved under quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
Winning the Oscar for best picture is A Beautiful Mind, Shrek is voted the best-animated picture. Oscar-winning actor and actress are Denzel Washington for Training Day and Halle Berry for Monster's Ball. In sports, the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl 20-17 over the St. Louis Rams, and the Angels take the World Series 4-3 over the Giants.
Focusing locally, and somewhat chronologically, a small crowd gathers to watch the razing of the former Bowen Hardware store and residence on Buffalo Street in Gowanda, to make way for a Family Dollar store. Mel LeBar is sworn in as new Town of Persia supervisor, replacing retiring Tom Thrasher, who served the town for 30 years. Firefighter John Palen is presented with a commendation at a village board meeting acknowledging his many years of service to the Gowanda Fire Department. (He joined the department in 1945.)
Strong man Don Reinhoudt amazes students at St. Joseph School. Gowanda Central School Superintendent William Berg and Cattaraugus Indian Reservation Health Center employee Virginia Cooper are recognized at a Healthy Community Alliance luncheon. Berg accepts the community service award while Cooper receives the human services award.
TLC Health Network is launched, the merger of Tri-County Memorial Hospital and Lake Shore Health Care Center. Spirit of Gowanda Award winners this year are Ed Palen, Tarbox, Inc. (business); Barbara Nephew (community service), and Ryan Miller (excellence in youth). The All-Sports Awards Banquet honorees include Robert Kilcoyne Jr. (martial arts), Dale Johnson (auto racing), Brian Schulz (bowling), Keith Chamberlain (archery), Jim Vogtli (softball), Jim Eddy (motorcycling), Marie Horth (bowling), Jack Wilson (softball), Keegan Novack (George Dispenza Memorial Award for Outstanding High School Male Student/Athlete), Jodi-Sue Williams (Chuck Korbar Memorial Award for Outstanding High School Female Student/Athlete), Gary Denea (Howard Hillis Memorial Award), and Dave Steves, Gerry D'Amaro, Ross John Sr. and Dick Gernatt (Henry Huff Jr. Memorial Award).
An unprecedented event, the first Village of Gowanda Board meeting is videotaped. That meeting, and all subsequent meetings, are televised on the cable access channel. The Gowanda Area Chamber of Commerce elects new officers. Barry Hager is president, James Musacchio is vice president, Diane Gebauer is secretary and John Davis is treasurer. After 20 years as parish priest of St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Fr. Lawrence Milby is transferred and Fr. Dan Walsh is welcomed to St. Joe's.
Radio personality Clay Moden (WYRK- 106.5 FM) travels to K&L Lanes, enters the Third Annual Chow Down Burger-Eating Contest on Fat Tuesday, but loses to seven-burger super-eater Tim Taber.
Schools Superintendent William Berg resigns, Larry Zacker is named interim superintendent and Charles Rinaldi is then named to the position. The Town of Persia adds a third voting district to balance the number of registered voters. Fred Haier is named Fireman of the Year of the Langford-New Oregon Fire Company. The GES chorus performs the final musical 'theatre presentation in the Center Street School - Fiddler on the Roof Jr.
Cattaraugus Pack 688 Pinewood Derby winners are Darren Benz, first; Kyle Pritchard, second; and Cody Wright, third. In area elections, Christine Duffy is Cherry Creek mayor and Kirk Hoth and Shane Condon are trustees. Ed Austin and John Dedloff are Village of Gowanda trustees. Tom Mudra and Dolores Rinaldi are trustees in North Collins, and Mike Cooper is Village of Perrysburg trustee.
Norm and Viola White are crowned king and queen of the South Dayton Daffodil Festival. Festival dessert contest winners are Betty Crowell, first; Kristin Sion, second; Carol Howard, third; and Nancy Howard, fourth, in the adult category. Kaitlin Utley wins first place, and Brittany Utley and Travis Utley take second place in the kids' category.
Belle Wallace celebrates her 100th birthday. John Spina marks his 50th year of teaching people to drive. Gowanda sixth-grader Steven Spicola wins a bicycle through the Fitness Bucks Auction. The Gowanda Police Station is given a facelift and made more efficient. GCS welcomes five AFS students: Helena Mikalova, Anette Koligyer, Maria Lucia Rosales Bolado, Ben Rossner and Philipp Leupi. Gordon Ackler and Dave Wall are named Gowanda Fire Department Firemen of the Year. The Friends of the Collins Public Library is formed.
The Gowanda Phoenix Lodge #262, F&AM, celebrates its 150th anniversary; Shrine Club No. 1 celebrates its 90th. Selected for Girls' State are Ashley Farner and Lindsey Seneca. James Riehle, Adam Moen, Justin Bobsein, Jay Frantz, Brandon Davis, Lawrence Kiener and alternates John Bouquin and Michael Giesler are chosen for Boys' State. The Scott Dieter family is presented with the keys to the Habitat for Humanity House in Gowanda.
Hidi residents, and others in the area, protest the New York State Office of Mental Hygiene's proposal to relocate a Pathways house to Beech Street. By a slim margin, the Senecas vote in favor of Class III gaming. Heather Poch of East Otto is crowned 2002-03 Cattaraugus County Dairy Princess; Denise DeGolier of Otto is first alternate.
Stella Schlegel of Gowanda wins a new Ford Ranger Pickup in the Super Cash Jackpot promotion at Gowanda Jubilee Foods. The new Gowanda Police Department arm patch is unveiled at Community Appreciation Day. Elliott Wakelam and Timothy Maude win new bicycles at the 11th annual Bike Rodeo in Gowanda. The bell rings 175 times signaling the First Presbyterian Church in Gowanda's 175th anniversary.
Butterflies are released during the Operation Dignity ceremony held at the Wheater Road Cemetery. The Gernatt Gravel Little League Baseball team wins the championship as does the Gowanda Harley-Davidson team. A bear strolls through yards in Perrysburg. Old-timers gather to play baseball at Hillis Field. Despite construction, the Magic of Orlando, an award-winning drum and bugle corps, are housed at GCS. Robert Watson of Cattaraugus competes in the US Transplant Games at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Weston Rogers is named Gowanda Lion of the Year.
Volunteers renovate the play structure at St. John Park. A number of demonstrations and informative displays are featured at Gowanda's Night Out Against Crime. The Versailles Fire Company celebrates its 65th anniversary. An alligator is caught in a North Collins pond. North Collins celebrates its sesquicentennial. The announcement comes that there will be no Pathways facility on Beech Street. The Town of Collins Fire Department celebrates its 110th anniversary while the Collins Library celebrates 100 years. Bill Watkins of Perrysburg wins the Versailles/Perrysburg Fire Company's ATV drawing.
Five AFS students arrive for the 2002 - 03 school year: Bea Lottermoser, Jonathan Kopf, Viivi Rahkonen, Jana Debrouwere and David Guarderas. Connie Gabel and Josh Wiedeman are big winners at the New York State Special Olympics Equestrian Competition held at North Haven Therapeutic Riding Center. Marge North and Karen Byrne are named Gowanda BPW Women of the Year. Bud and Patricia Kenny of Arkansas, and their mule, Della, stop in Gowanda during their walking tour of the world. Preliminary plans are under way to convert the Center Street School into a wellness center/business center/senior housing unit.
Gowanda's first Heritage Tree is the Northern Red Oak in front of the village hall parking lot. Stefanena Kysor of Gowanda and Chuck Senn of Cattaraugus are inducted into the Cattaraugus County Sports Hall of Fame. Gowanda loses a faithful and dedicated member of its police force when Zeus, the specially trained K-9 passes away. Sadly missed, he is eventually replaced by Kilo.
Gowanda and North Collins bands team up for a fall concert. The Gowanda Pee-Wee Jets win the Class B Super Bowl. The Gowanda Midget Jets and Pee-Wee Jets cheerleading squads take first place in the CCMFL competition. Lucy Hunt celebrates her 100th birthday.
The Gowanda Panthers Football team win the Section VI Class C championship at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Collins residents request a curfew. Gowanda's second Heritage Tree is a Black Walnut at 64 Chestnut St. Jack Frost Sr. and Scott Workoff bowl perfect games at K&L Lanes. Hannah Sisti and Justin Grimm win the Christmas Coloring Contest. Santa and Dancer visit Gowanda Nursing Home residents. Persia Highway Superintendent Richard Studley announces his retirement. Living Nativity is on display in Chang-Hu Park.
This is just a sampling of all that has taken place in 2002. Unfortunately space constraints make it impossible to list everything. Hopefully this brief account has sparked good memories of the year gone by with anticipation for an eventful 2003.
Check out the pictures