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 27, 1984
WALTON _ Vernie Puffer of Walton, who is 68 years old, may have a right to relax and enjoy his retirement. But three weeks ago bored by leisure, Puffer and partner Lindell Shoemaker launched a new business _ The Walton Taxi.
"We didn't have anything to do," said Puffer, "so we decided to start something up ourselves. I figured what the hell, I'm in pretty good health."
Puffer said his cab can be summoned from his home, 7 Bruce St., day or night. The clientele, he said, so far has been a mixture of the elderly en route to the store and young adults who feel they may be unfit to drive home after a night out at one of several rural taverns.
In addition, Puffer often carries riders to Binghamton, Oneonta and Sidney. He draws the line short of New York City, though he once shuttled passengers there as a cabbie in the early 1960s.
{"HeadlineLight14"/}{"HeadlineLight 14 Italic"/}50 years ago
June 27, 1959
Gray Ladies met at the home of Mr. W. L. Stapleton, 5 West End Ave., to commemorate the completion of five years of service at Fox Hospital.
Two of the original 17 members, Mrs. Lester Townsend and Mrs. W. L. Stapleton, receive five-year chevrons. Newspaper clippings and pictures were passed to review some of the activities of the group during the past five years.
Mrs. George Engelman, coordinator of Volunteer Services at Fox Hospital, spoke to the group in appreciation of their work; and also concerning future plans for volunteers in the hospital. Mrs. Floyd Briscoll, new full-time executive secretary of the Red Cross, was introduced. Mrs. Herbert More and Mrs. Charles Beach received arm bars for their fourth year as Gray Ladies.
Gray Ladies present were: Mrs. Lester Townsend, Mrs. Herbert More, Mrs. Robert Henderson, Mrs. Joseph Ramp, Mrs. Tauvel Nichols, Mrs. Frederick Norton, Mrs. John Genberg, Mrs. Herman Hoffman, Mrs. Duncan Briggs.
