Monday, March 09, 2009
Looking back: March 9
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The Roanoke Times l File
This photo of Hotel Roanoke, taken about 1930, shows the new Norfolk and Western office building in the background.
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More history stories
- Looking back: Nov. 23
- Looking back: Nov. 16
- Looking Back
- Looking back: Nov. 2, 2009
- Looking Back: Oct. 26, 2009
Archive
1999 (10 years ago)
n "Virginia Tech has received its official invitation to women's college basketball heaven. ... As a gift for their school-best 26-2 record, the 12th-ranked Hokies were rewarded Sunday with a No. 4 seed in the East Regional and a host's role for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament."
n "Virginia Wimmer may not have been the best singer in the world, but her daughters said she sure knew how to entertain. Wimmer performed the Roanoke Valley's first singing telegram more than 50 years ago. She died Saturday of leukemia at 91."
n "Optical Cable Corp., a Roanoke maker of fiber optic communications cable, told shareholders Tuesday it has begun to sell its product online."
n "Hoping to tap into the public's continued fascination with the Civil War, Virginia Tech plans to raise $3 million privately to create a new academic center to study the conflict. The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies will build upon Tech's extensive collection of Civil War books and on the national reputation of history professor James 'Bud' Robertson, who will be the center's first director, university officials said."
1984 (25 years ago)
n "For the first time in more than a decade, there will be a full-scale partisan fight for seats on Roanoke City Council in the May 1 election."
n "The Northside girls' basketball team will remember its victory last Saturday over Albemarle as the one that gave the Roanoke Valley District its first Northwestern Region champion."
n "When the break dance craze came to Western Virginia, Carole Riggs Harris was ready. ... Recently, she began to advertise instruction in break dancing at her Carole Riggs Dance Studios in Roanoke and Lynchburg."
1959 (50 years ago)
n "The beautiful blonde from Roanoke didn't say much to FBI agents at Las Vegas, Nev., yesterday as they questioned her about a bank holdup there Friday."
n "A well-preserved Windsor writing chair used by Roanoke County's first delegate to the General Assembly of Virginia well over a century ago has been bequeathed to Roanoke Public Library."
n "Four men sat upon the stage of the Hollins Little Theater last night playing four different instruments, but the effect was like one man playing a single instrument. This remarkable ensemble coordination was produced by The Paganini Quartet."
n "Roanoke junior grade scientists were having a ball today. Out under Victory Stadium's west stands they were staging the fourth annual city science fair."
n "This week more than 3,000 Girl Scouts in the Roanoke area are celebrating Girl Scout week. In 1924 Roanoke had only 59 scouts to honor the occasion."
n "William Fleming High School's 90-piece marching band has been invited to represent the state of Virginia in the Cherry Blossom parade in Washington, D.C., April 1. There's just one hitch. The band is broke."
n "A superhighway into downtown Roanoke has been approved by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. The 1.1-mile road will cost more than $13 million and will extend from Orange avenue NE, to Elm avenue, SE."
1934 (75 years ago)
n "Chief of Police W.A. Vest is giving warning to all persons operating motor vehicles in Salem that no leniency will be extended traffic violators of any type."
n "Negroes who seek mail ballots to vote in the councilmanic primary here on April 3 will not be refused ballots."
n "Council would like the City of Roanoke to own Mill Mountain and seems ready to move for its acquisition with only one hitch standing in the way -- where is the money to be procured?"
n "For the first time in several years, the automotive equipment of the police department has been brought up to the requirements of the department, although one more car should be available for emergency purposes."
n "It didn't feel like March here early this morning. The low temperature was 13, accompanied by a heavy frost."
n "Texas Gladden, of Bent Mountain, who sang before Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, at White Top, will be featured in the fiddlers' contest to be held in the new high school building at Salem on March 23."
1909 (100 years ago)
n "The city council met in regular monthly session last night and transacted a docket of very important business. ... The ordinance in regard to junk dealers was amended, preventing them from buying junk from minors. No license was placed on co-cola [Coca-Cola]."
n "There were only three lawbreakers up yesterday morning. One of these had concluded that the sidewalk was the best place to ride, and was fined $1 for the experiment."
n "Beginning with next Sunday's issue The Times will run every Sunday what is commonly called a 'query column.' The fans and those interested in various sports may send to the Sporting Editor of The Times any communications or questions which will be published and answered through the 'query column' every Sunday."
n "One of the largest cock fights pulled off around these parts was pulled off yesterday."
n "A long-distance telephone message to The Times yesterday from Blacksburg stated that a disastrous fire had visited Price's Fork, a small place about three miles from Blacksburg."
n "The school at Boone's Mill closed on Friday for the session of 1908-09."
n "Manager Shaughnessy received a letter from Ed. Painter yesterday in which Ed. stated that he felt like he would lead the league in hitting this season."
