Carnegie speaks, basketball team of brothers wins: This week in Mohawk Valley history

Frank Tomaino
·4 min read

1937, 86 years ago

Public speaking

Dale Carnegie, a pioneer in public speaking, speaks to a large crowd in the auditorium at Utica Free Academy in a program sponsored by the Utica Teachers' Association. His book published last year has become a best seller -- "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

The former Royal Bowling Center on the northeast corner of South Street and Seymour Avenue, was the scene of the 1953 Utica City Bowling Association Tournament championships and the winning team was Phil’s Tydol gas station with a 3120 score, including a 278 handicap. The bowlers and their scores, from the left: Tony Grieco 580, Art Springer 522, Bernie Malozzi 543, Mario Convertino 630 (with a 254 game) and Nick Abdou 567.

To those planning a talk, Carnegie says, "Keep the program short. Don't get a humorist unless he (or she) really is one. So many people try to be funny when they are only funny to themselves. Pick a person who has earned the right to speak on a subject. You would not ask a college president to speak on the manufacture of pickles."

1923, 100 years ago

Five brothers

Central New York's only amateur basketball team made up entirely of brothers is winning more than its share of games this season. The Doyle brothers are from Clayville -- Martin, center; George and Garrett, forwards, and Walter and James, guards.

1948, 75 years ago

Village gym

New York Mills High School gets a modern gymnasium when the U.S. War Assets Administration gives the school the former Rhoads Army Hospital gym off Burrstone Road and 10 acres nearby. The army gym was active from 1943 to 1946 when the hospital was open during World War II. For a token payment of $1, the school gets buildings and grounds valued at $250,000, says J. William Quinn, supervising principal.

1973, 50 years ago

Doctor elected

Dr. Francis Chanatry is elected president of the medical staff at St. Luke's-Memorial Hospital Center.

Albert A. Alteri, of Utica, is elected department judge advocate for the state Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) at its convention in Buffalo. Alteri later is guest of honor at a dinner-dance sponsored by VFW Post 9591 in Clinton. It is attended by Wolfgang J. Nauke, commander of the state VFW.

George Enos is elected president of the Oriskany Fire Department.

1998, 25 years ago

Russell Sage

Three area students at Russell Sage College in Troy receive the prestigious Student Sage Award given to juniors who exhibit academic excellence and leadership in their school and communty." They are: Joanne H. Campbell, of Waterville, ,and Uticans Jessica Fairhurst and Laura Baye.

In high school basketball, Tim Riesel scores 29 points to lead Poland over Old Forge, 88 to 54. Scott Cookinham adds 16 and Rob Duprau and Mike Bilodeau each score 12. Olin Eddy leads Old Forge with 14 points.

The Landmarks Society of Greater Utica honors three local persons "for their outstanding work in preserving and enhancing Utica's historic environment." They are: Jim Ellis of Jim Ellis Interiors; Michael Rizzo, of the John Street Collaborative Architectural Firm, and Rick Talbot, a landscape architect.

In high school wrestling, Whitesboro wins the third annual Ed Wadas Dual Meet Wrestling Tournament. Five of its wrestlers make the All-Tournamnt Team -- Ryan Roser (103 pounds), Justin Knapp (112), Grant Roser (119) Bill Guerra (175) and Jim Pennise (215). Three wrestlers from Rome Free Academy also make All-Tournament -- Jody Curtiss (119), Craig Valente (145) and Anthony Stasio (152) , and three from Adirondack -- Josh Spahn (119), Mark Ludwikowski(160) and Jacob Platt (215).

2013, 10 years ago

New troopers

The New York State Police Academy in Albany graduates area troopers. Assigned to Troop D in Oneida are Jeremy Nash of Marcy, Steven Fountain of Durhamville, Brett Humphreys of Utica, Noah Lange of Whitesboro, Nicholas Leone of Deerfield, Thomas Malone of Frankfort, Sean McVicar of Rome, Jessica Poole of Oriskany Falls, Ryan Putrello of Clinton, Chad Salls of Little Falls and Abigail Viens of Camden.

Assigned to Troop B at Ray Brook are Robert Girard and Joseph Lomonica of Utica; to Troop E at Canandaigua is Richard Rivenburgh Jr.of Mohawk; to Troop G at Latham is Justin Dibble of Old Forge. Rivenburgh receives the Academic Performance Award with an average of 97.71 in the training program.

Trivia quiz

Who was the first person born a citizen of the United States to become president of the United States? (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answers to last week's question: Presidents say the darnest things. (1) After it rained for nine straight days in Washington, a congressman asked President Calvin Coolidge if he thought the rain would ever stop. Coolidge paused for a moment and then replied, "Well, it always has." (2) President Ulysses S. Grant said he knew only two tunes. "One is 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' and the other ain't." (3) President Theodore Roosevelt declined an invitation to watch a baseball game. "I will not sit for three hours and watch someone else do something." (4) President Abraham Lincoln once said about a political opponent, "His problem is when he talks he cannot think and when he thinks he cannot talk."

This Week in History is researched and written by Frank Tomaino. E-mail him at ftomaino221@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Taking a look back this week in Mohawk Valley history