25 Years Ago

by- Beverly A. Brown

It's September 1974. An Air Force SR-71 spy plane flies from New York to London in just 1 hour, 56 minutes, setting a record for the 3,490 mile crossing. The previous record was 4 hours, 46 minutes.

The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises more than $16,000,000 dollars.

The Census Bureau reports that the average income of the nation's households rose to $10,500 in 1973, an increase of 8% from 1972. But, inflation ate up most of that gain.

Friends of Richard Nixon say he is "terribly depressed." The former President is secluded at his residence in San Clemente, California.

In order to "firmly shut and seal this book" for the country and for Nixon, President Gerald Ford grants Nixon a "full, free, and absolute pardon" for all federal crimes he "committed or may have committed."

Reaction to the pardon is mixed. Many are surprised, shocked, and outraged that Nixon escapes punishment while those who acted on his behalf are in prison or face prosecution. Others praise Ford's actions as courageous. Some people feel that a deal had been struck between Ford and Nixon. Ford's popularity falls.

Evel Knievel fails to jump the 600' Snake River Canyon gorge on his Skycycle X2. He survives the attempt with minor injuries.

Richard Nixon decides to resign from the California State Bar Association, thus ending the bar's investigation into any criminal acts by Nixon.

In a press conference, President Ford says there was "very persuasive evidence" that Nixon was guilty of an impeachable offense and that there was "no deal between me and the former President . . . none whatsoever." He pardoned Nixon to reconcile the nation and heal the wounds that had festered far too long.

President Ford signs the order of conditional amnesty for Vietnam draft evaders and military deserters. The amnesty is granted in exchange for up to 24 months of public services and reaffirmation of allegiance to the United States. The draft evaders call the conditional amnesty absurd and unjust.

Jacqueline Susan, author of Valley of the Dolls and Once is Not Enough, dies of cancer at age 53.

Walter Brennan, 80, best known for his role on The Real McCoys, dies.

Nixon is hospitalized for phlebitis.

Harvard scientists warn that the use of freon gases in aerosol cans is destroying the ozone layer.

Senator Edward Kennedy, 42, announces that he will not run for the presidency in 1976 because his responsibilities are at home right now.

First Lady Betty Ford undergoes surgery for the removal of her cancerous right breast.

Family operated Riegel Drugstore at the corner of Main Street and North Avenue in Owego closes after 25 years. Its business and stock are purchased by Lynn's Drugstore.

The Owego-Apalachin Board of Education approves a new one-year contract which gives teachers an average pay increase of 9.8%. Starting salary for beginning teachers with no graduate work is now $8,125.

The Motor Vehicle Office in Owego moves from the basement of the county clerk's office to the County Office Building at Main and Academy Streets. The new office is twice as large as the old one and will include the first drive-in auto registration window in the state.

An official of the New York State Department of Transportation says that daily round-trip passenger rail service between Binghamton and New York City should start next month. The fare will be $12 (one way) and will take 5 ½ hours with stops in Deposit, Hancock, Callicoon, Narrowsburg, Port Jervis, and Hoboken.

The Miss World-USA pageant is held at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena for the second year in a row. Bob Hope, 72, is unable to attend the pageant and crown the winner. Comedian Marty Allen crowns the winner, Terry Ann Browning of Florida. The pageant, which was hosted by Dick Clark, is not well attended - only 3,800 of the 5,000 seats are filled.

First City Bank in Owego moves into their new building at the corner of Front and Lake Streets. Their old building next door is demolished. A portion of the old wall falls into the new building during the demolition, breaking a section of a glass door and knocking loose several upper rows of the brick facade.

Autumn arrives with unseasonably cool temperatures and frosts which damage many local crops.

Salt Spring Nature Area opens in Susquehanna County. The 450-acre site has a 100-acre glen, 400-year-old hemlock trees, a waterfall, and a salt spring.

On Monday night we're watching Born Free; Rhoda, a new show spun-off from the Mary Tyler Moore Show; Gunsmoke; The Rookies; Maude; and Medical Center.

If you go to the movies, you can see The Groove Tube, Doctor Zhivago, The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews, The Tamarind Seed with Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif, Juggernaut with Omar Sharif and Richard Harris; Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson or The Great Gatsby, The Parallax View with Warren Beatty; or Yog, Monster from Space.

And Janet Clymer of Smithboro marries Fred Brown Jr., of Apalachin.

Hapy 25th Anniversary!