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The Roanoke Times

File 1963 The Roanoke County Library dedicated its new headquarters on April 11, 1959. It was housed in part of the former Comas Cigarette Machine Co. on College Street in Salem.

1999 (10 years ago)

"Frank and Gordon Ewald sold their photography business, Ewald-Clark, to Ritz Camera Centers, Inc. Ewald-Clark was founded in 1949 by Francis 'Tink' Ewald."

"Southwest Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank is becoming its own nonprofit agency, breaking free from the agency that founded it two decades ago, Total Action Against Poverty."

"There's an old sheriff on City Council who rustled up a bunch of parking meters and ran them out of town. On Friday, Alvin Hudson dealt final justice. Hudson, who was city sheriff for 20 years before retiring and being elected to council in 1998, personally removed the last downtown coin-operated meter at a scheduled news event."

1984 (25 years ago)

"Brian Wishneff, Roanoke's chief of economic development, told the Roanoke Valley Arts Council Wednesday that it must make sure the community knows the important role art plays in the economic development of the Roanoke Valley."

"Amid cheering, hugging, and horn-blowing, union employees of Hotel Roanoke ended their 6 ¹₂-month strike Friday with an almost unanimous vote for a one-year contract."

"The humanizing of John McEnroe took an unexpected turn Saturday night -- a rare defeat for the world's best tennis player. McEnroe's Tennis Over America tour made a highly successful stop in Roanoke, with a crowd of 6,420 on hand at the civic center."

"At Maher Field Saturday afternoon, there were scrums, rucks, mauls, line-outs, trys, and rain, and more rain, as the Roanoke Rugby Football club played host to the Askeans Football Club of London."

"Frank Roy Brown, retired Hotel Roanoke chef and creator of the hotel's famous peanut soup, died at a Roanoke hospital Friday. He was 76."

"Worried property owners at Smith Mountain Lake told the Franklin County Board of Supervisors Monday that unregulated building is ruining the lake's quiet beauty."

1959 (50 years ago)

"The new Roanoke County Library Building -- the culmination of 28 years of effort by scores of individuals --was dedicated yesterday afternoon at 526 College street in Salem."

"Krispy-Kreme Doughnut Co. will build a $100,000 plant at 4135 Melrose Ave., N.W., between now and September."

"This is the story behind the reporting of the attempt on the life of Gov. J. Lindsay Almond Jr. which broke first in The World-New Saturday afternoon: Frank Hancock broke the story."

"Spring continued to fight for her life today as winter made another attempt to muscle in on her act and there were signs spring may be winning out."

"Measles are still number one on the Roanoke misery parade."

"Roanoke Memorial has been officially recognized as the safest hospital in the country. It was announced toady as grand award winner of the 1958 hospital safety contest."

"Finding 776 teachers for Roanoke schools in 1959-60 is hard work but no particular problem. The only exception maybe the first grade situation."

"Williamson Road, north of Orange Ave., holds the honor of Roanoke's busiest thoroughfare."

"Roanoke and Salem had a Dutch treat last night. Fifteen Netherlands Caravan Club members, on a swing around America, parked their nine trailers here overnight."

1934 (75 years ago)

"Norwood G. Carper, Jr. ... a sophomore at Roanoke College and vice-president of the college aeronautics club, is the only licensed glider in the state."

"Friday the thirteenth came to the Magic City with a temperature below freezing, a heavy frost, and snow flurries."

Norfolk and Western finished destroying 175 wooden coaches. The railroad changed to all-steel cars over the entire system.

"Little dogs, big dogs, barking dogs, silent dogs, red-eyed dogs, sleek dogs, shedding dogs, toy dogs, working dogs, hunting dogs, all dogs, 43 breeds of them, more than 300 people saw this morning at the Roanoke auditorium at the first show of the Roanoke Kennel club."

"Concerts to be given in Roanoke parks during the summer are being planned by the Roanoke Community Band, the latest addition to the city's musical organization."

"Stockholders at a special meeting yesterday voted to change the name of the Shenandoah Brewing Company here to the Virginia Brewing Company."

1909 (100 years ago)

"A great forest fire has been raging in Roanoke and Botetourt counties."

"New fire station, No. 3, corner of Rorer avenue and Sixth street, s.w., was finished yesterday. The building is a fine structure of its kind."

"For the first time in the history of Roanoke, the saloons and whiskey houses of this city will close at 10 o'clock tonight."

"As a result of the heavy freeze of last Saturday night, not a single peach is believed to have been left in Botetourt and Roanoke counties."

"A bold attempt was made early yesterday morning to rob the Roanoke postoffice, and the failure was undoubtedly due to the vigilance of the authorities."

"The curtain fell yesterday upon the last act of the saddest tragedy that was ever enacted in this city, when the body of Luther Dent was taken from the waters of the Roanoke river ... the scene of the sad drowning on New Year's day."

"It is expected that the proposed surgical hospital building, which is to be erected soon by Drs. Gale and Lewis, will cost in the neighborhood of $28,000."

"People of Roanoke will learn with regret that the West End furnace is to close down."

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