www.roanoke.com

The Roanoke Times

File 1960 "Elvis Presley was greeted by a screaming crowd of about 250 yesterday as he stopped briefly in Roanoke on his way to his home in Memphis. Presley, minus sideburns, was wearing his armored division sergeant's uniform. He was discharged from the army at Fort Dix, N. J., Saturday." He was interviewed by Ed Thomas of WSLS (Channel 10).

2000 (10 years ago)

n "After being out of the college basketball tournament business since 1991, the Roanoke Civic Center once again will set up a hardwood floor and hang nets for somebody to cut down. The Big South Conference has awarded the civic center and host Radford University the men's and women's tournaments in 2001 and 2002."

n "What promised to be a lackluster Roanoke municipal election has turned into a political free-for-all, full of interesting twists that offer voters choices galore."

1985 (25 years ago)

n "The screaming teen-age girls may not have realized it, but they were actually hearing not one, but two bands on the coliseum stage. Chicago skillfully melded its past and present Wednesday night at the Roanoke Civic Center."

n "Two comedians who appeared on the syndicated TV series 'Star Search' are performing at the Roanoke comedy Club this month." They are Rosie O'Donnell and Ken Ober."

n "Slowly but surely computers are making an impact on Western Virginia churches."

n "Roanoke City Council will appoint a seven-member committee to help develop plans for saving the old Jefferson High School building, which has been vacant for almost a decade."

1960 (50 years ago)

n "Shovels are [the] hottest thing in the hardware business this snowy winter. Not far behind are sleds, boots, tire chains and rock salt."

n "The Norfolk & Western Railway has made it even more attractive for the city to build a civic auditorium on the site of the old American Legion Auditorium. The N&W has already offered the city the site free. Now, the railroad has said it will sell the city steam to heat the building."

n "Roanoke's series of snows has not dimmed the enthusiasm of the Jaycees as they prepare for their first annual Boat and Sports Show next week at Victory Stadium."

n "Ho, hum, it snowed Saturday. Didn't amount to much. Only three or four inches. Weather man says it won't snow over the weekend, but might snow Monday. But then you never know about the weatherman."

1935 (75 years ago)

n "The new Jefferson Theater opened."

n "The Magicians of Jefferson High School today grace the throne among Virginia Class A schools in basketball."

n "Burglaries in the homes of Roanoke citizens had been absent from the files of police reports here for several weeks, but two were reported this morning ..."

n "The city council at its regular session yesterday awarded to the General Electric Company on a bid of $4,883.94 the contract for Roanoke's short wave police radio system, to begin operations around July 1."

n "The Virginian Theatre Holding Corporation was granted a permit today to construct a theatre at No. 38 Center avenue, N.W. The theatre, for colored, will seat 700 persons."

n "A Roanoke lawyer, Thomas J. Surface, has suggested to President Roosevelt government subsidies for industries which cooperate in absorbing the unemployed."

n "With the announcement that the need exists for a private golf club in Roanoke, a sort of middle ground between a social organization and a public course, the Monterey Golf Club plans to provide such accommodations."

n "Forty persons, including one girl, compose the list of entries for the city-county ping pong tournament..."

1910 (100 years ago)

n "Common council last night placed itself squarely on record as favoring the 10 o'clock saloon closing law by adopting an ordinance closing the saloons at 10 o'clock ..."

n "Hampton Wells ... was arrested Saturday by [Salem] Policeman Webber, charged with fast riding and drunkenness."

n "The Mill Mountain Incline Company yesterday afternoon awarded a contract to the Lidgerwood Manufacturing company of New York for the equipment of an incline on the side of Mill mountain, as part of a plan to restore the mountain as a pleasure and home resort."

n "Several inquiries have been made about the movements of Halley's comet which will soon become visible to the unaided eye."

n "With the issue of two chauffeur licenses yesterday the Roanoke police record of authorized drivers of automobiles reached 222."