Monday, July 27, 2009
Looking back: July 27
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The Roanoke Times
File April 1984 This photo shows the city of Roanoke's transportation center on Campbell Avenue under construction. Three of the facades collapsed July 26, 1984, injuring three workers.
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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 "Nearly 60 people have applied for the job of director of the proposed Blue Ridge Technical Academy, a charter school that would provide technical training for high school students."
n "The Xtreme Football League had some franchises, but no game. Arena Football 2 had a game, but not many franchises. The two leagues have merged, bringing 'credibility' to the minor-league indoor football venture that the Roanoke Express hockey team plans to bring to Roanoke next summer, according to Express general manager Tommy Benizio."
1984 (25 years ago)
n "All of the businesses that were forced to move because of the expansion of the Wometco Coca-Cola Bottling Co. will stay in Roanoke ..."
n "There was no indication three facades on the city's downtown transportation center were unsafe before they collapsed Thursday morning ..."
n "A 3 12-month Teamsters union strike against Mason & Dixon Lines has been settled and operations have resumed at terminals in Roanoke and a dozen other cities."
n "The Appalachian Trail slowly -- but certainly -- is being returned to Catawba Mountain, where it will offer exquisite views from McAfee Knob, a scenic, rock-crowned landmark that has been off limits to public hiking since the late '70s."
n "The problem of junk cars in residential areas in Roanoke is worse than officials expected when a city inspector began door-to-door inspections two months ago."
1959 (50 years ago)
n "John Drew Barrymore, son and nephew of one of the first families of the American stage, will star in 'Look Homeward, Angel' in Roanoke during the 1959-60 season of the Roanoke Broadway Theater League."
n "Connie Gorsuch will be 20 in September. ... But teen-ager or not, this 5-6 blond bids well to become the first topflight woman golfer in Roanoke history."
n "More sticky weather and showers were forecast today as the Roanoke area began drying out from a violent storm yesterday. An inch of rain fell between 7 and 8 p.m. as lighting flashed a spectacular pattern through the skies."
n "Roanoke City and County will be saluted Saturday during a broadcast of the baseball game between the Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox."
n "More than 100 street signs have been put up in residential areas throughout Roanoke county in the last several months. And the work is still going on."
n "More than 300 spectators and 20 contestants had to give way to the rain last night at the Mill Mountain Music Festival."
n "The Roanoke Valley has almost completely recovered from the drought which gripped it for most of June and the first two weeks of July."
1934 (75 years ago)
n "Several Roanoke speakeasies are now purchasing ABC liquor and are selling it by the drink to their customers, according to reports."
n "Be sure you have the correct number, remove the receiver carefully from the hook, dial your number in sequence and give the party being called ample time to answer before hanging up, and you will have no difficulty in operating dial telephones, which are to be put into service here next month."
n "Damage estimated at from $125,000 to $150,000 was wrought by the flood that descended on Roanoke early Friday evening following the heavy rain, and poured into stores, basements and other establishments in the business section."
n "The demise of the slot machine became a fact here this morning as their removal started after the federal court had refused to uphold a writ enjoining the city from interfering with the dropping of the coins, the pulling of the handles and the spin of the wheels."
n "Acting to further reduce municipal expenditures, Roy P. Bishop, town manager of Salem, yesterday announced the abolition of the office of chief of police, effective tomorrow."
n "Employees of the Norfolk and Western Railway company were notified by President A. C. Needles yesterday that beginning today, two per cent will be deducted from their wages toward setting up the pension fund as provided for by the railroad retirement act, approved by the last Congress."
1909 (100 years ago)
n "The latest improved moving picture machine invented by Thomas Alva Edison, the wizard of the electrical world, arrived here yesterday, being consigned to the Mountain Park Casino."
n "Quite a number of persons visited the county almshouse Sunday for the purpose of holding religious services with the inmates there, which number about fifteen."
n "Over-confidence in the ability of Roanoke to win from Richmond caused Howard Jessler to become so excited when one of the visiting players hit a three-bagger that he got nervous and fell off one of the bleecher seats and sustained a broken arm."
n "Yesterday's game between Richmond and Roanoke, which was won by Richmond by the score of six to five, had for its chief features a good deal of hard slugging and an immense lot of roasting for Umpire Pender."
n "A consignment of fireworks for use at the big free display to be given in Mountain Park tomorrow night, arrived yesterday. The lot includes a number of pieces of novel design."
n "Acting under an ordinance recently adopted by Council, the police have prohibited the Citizens League from stringing a banner across the junction of Campbell avenue and Jefferson street, from its headquarters in the Terry building to the building opposite."
n "It will be but a short time before the Ide Lumber company will have its lumber yard established in Norwich and will be after some big contracts in the lumber line."
n "It has been semi-officially but authoritatively announced that the old Roanoke and Southern depot will at once be brought into needed use by the Norfolk and Western."
n "One of the newest industries in Roanoke is a large hair tonic factory. The Peerless Manufacturing Company, makers of Simpkins Peerless Hair and Scalp Tonic, recently incorporated, has established a plant in this city."
