Step Back in Time

June 23, 2009 04:00 am

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Step Back in Time features community news items from The Daily Star 25 and 50 years ago.

{"HeadlineLight14"/}{"HeadlineLight 14 Italic"/}25 years ago

June 23, 1984

It was a romantic fantasy of the first order when Sean McIntyre of Milford surprised his prom date, Mary Solano of Oneonta, with dinner for two in the gondola of a hot air balloon. A third addition to the company was balloon pilot Bill Coyne. The couple floated aloft in Worcester and touched down in Charlotteville an hour later.

Their picnic hamper was filled with delicacies: shrimp cocktail, lobster, marinated mushrooms and artichokes, and blueberries in cream.

Sean, a sophomore, worked to earn the money to make it a special evening for Mary, who will graduate this year.

{"HeadlineLight14"/}{"HeadlineLight 14 Italic"/}50 years ago

June 23, 1959

Mortgage-burning ceremonies were held Saturday night at Temple Beth El, just a little more than three years after the members of the Oneonta Jewish Community purchased the property where the Temple is located.

Services Saturday night included a religious service by Gabriel Harris, and mortgage burning ceremonies by Sidney Kleinman, president of the Oneonta Jewish Community, assisted by Dr. Sanford Gordon, who was president of the group when the Temple was purchased in 1956.

Principal address was by Supreme Court Justice Joseph P. Molinari.