The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Dec. 30, 2013

Pinckney D. Bowles

SIX YEARS AGO

JAN. 3, 2008

Local weather reporter Harry Ellis reported .15 inches of rain on Dec. 25, .92 inches on Dec. 28, 3.30 inches on Dec. 29 and .62 inches on Dec. 30. He reported a high temperature of 73 degrees on Dec. 28 and a low of 33 on Dec. 24.

“The Citizens for a Clean Southwest Alabama (CCSA) plan to hold a one-year anniversary celebration on Saturday to mark the group’s first year of work against a proposed landfill in Conecuh County.”

“County Emergency Management Director Heather Walton received a public pat on the back during a Dec. 21 meeting of the Conecuh County Commission for her department’s performance in a recent grant program review.

“County Administrator Judy Covan told the county commission that she received a letter from Jim Walker, Director of the Alabama Department of Homeland Security, who applauded the county’s performance during a recent review of its County Homeland Security Grant Program.”

“Rotary Club member Mike Hess of Evergreen spoke to the club last Thursday about his hobby as a radio-controlled airplane enthusiast.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lee Raines celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 26, 2007.”

21 YEARS AGO

JAN. 7, 1993

Local weather reporter Harry Ellis reported 5.08 inches of rain during the month of December 1992 with total rainfall for 1992 totaling 70.08 inches. He reported a high temperature of 71 on Jan. 3 and a low of 41 on Jan. 2.

“Members of the City of Evergreen Fire Department battle heat and smoke from a blaze that erupted Tuesday afternoon at Silk International Floral Imports. Business owner Bill Durant said he was cleaning the windows on the exterior of the building when the blaze apparently began. When he entered the front of the building, hot air rushed by him and he saw flames shooting up the back wall. Mr. Durant called the fire department. He credited the fire department officials with averting what could have been a disastrous situation and containing the fire in a storage room of his building. Smoke and water damage was reported throughout the building. Smoke also filled neighboring buildings. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.”

“The Evergreen-Conecuh County Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual banquet next Thursday night, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Quality Inn. This year’s banquet features Dr. Malcolm Portera as the guest speaker.

“Dr. Portera is Vice Chancellor of External Affairs for the University of Alabama System. Dr. Portera also directs the University Center for Economic Development of the University of Alabama.

“Approximately 290 invitations have been sent by the chamber. Tickets for the banquet will be $15 each.”

36 YEARS AGO

JAN. 5, 1978

“1977 was a ‘dry’ year: The year just ended was another ‘dry’ one compared to recent years, although total rainfall for the year was only slightly less than for 1976. According to Earl Windham, total rainfall for 1977 was 55.12 inches, compared to 56.29 inches in 1976, both years being dry ones when compared to 1975 when approximately 111 inches of rain fell.

“Both the 1977 and 1976 totals were close to the normal rainfall for this area.

“Windham reports .75 of an inch of rain on Dec. 29.”

Windham also reported a high temperature of 59 degrees on Dec. 26 and a low of 20 on Dec. 26.

“Private First Class Ronnie M. Byrd, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Byrd, Rt. 1, Evergreen, Ala., recently was assigned as a Hawk missile repairman with the 30th Ordnance Co. in Korea.

“Pvt. Byrd entered the Army in September 1975. He is a 1976 graduate of Evergreen High School.”

“The Huntingdon Singers from Huntingdon College, Montgomery, will appear in concert at the Evergreen United Methodist Church Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. The Huntingdon Singers are under the direction of Dr. Jeanne E. Shaffer and the group is composed of some 14 college youths.”

“The Red Cross Bloodmobile of the Mobile Red Cross Blood Bank will be here next Thursday, Jan. 12, at Ed E. Reid State Technical College from 12 noon until six for its first of three scheduled visits this year.”

51 YEARS AGO

JAN. 3, 1963

“These real daughters of the Confederacy whose fathers fought for the South in the War Between the States were honored recently by the Pinckney D. Bowles Chapter of the U.D.C. The ladies and their fathers are: Mrs. Emma Graves Russell Salter, Charles Graves Russell; Mrs. Dolly S. Mills, Mitchell B. Salter; Mrs. Josie Jones Brooks, Milton B. Jones; Miss Elizabeth Riley, William George Riley; and Mrs. Jessie Cleere Page, George DeWitt Cleere.”

“Cadet Sara Ann McLendon holds the John David Smith Trophy which was presented to her at the annual Christmas party of the Evergreen Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol. State Representative Wiley Salter made the presentation. The award is given annually by Major Lee F. Smith for the cadet chosen most outstanding for the year in the local squadron. This is the fourth time the award has been presented.”

“Evergreen will get dial phones in ’64: Evergreen’s telephone system is to be converted to dial operation. Announcement of the conversion is made today by J.D. Kaylor, Brewton group manager of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co.

“Evergreen is one of the last cities of its size in the state to go to dials and one of the last exchanges of its size in the country to still be operated manually.

“The local exchange will continue to use the present building with the addition being made to it. The exchange is located next to the post office on Rural Street. Miss Elsie Couey is chief operator.”

66 YEARS AGO

JAN. 1, 1948

“Geneva High School Building Dynamited: GENEVA, Ala., Dec. 29 – Sheriff W.P. Register reported today that the 20-room Geneva High School building had been dynamited Christmas Eve and that he was investigating the possibility that ‘a bunch of boys’ set off the blast as a ‘prank.’

“Register said a deputy state fire marshall was coming here today to assist him in the case.

“The officer said all windows in the building were shattered and that ‘considerable repairs’ would have to be made before the school could be reopened after the Christmas holidays.

“’I haven’t found any evidence yet to indicate who did the work, but my own idea is that a bunch of boys did the thing as a sort of a prank,’ he said.

“Register said the explosion was set off about 10 p.m. and that there was no one in the building at the time.”

“Following, an illness of more than eight months, George Mott Jones, age 67, passed away at the family residence on Belleview Ave. at 12 noon Wednesday. He had been critically ill for more than two months.

“Mr. Jones was a native of Evergreen and lived here all of his life except for some 15 years when he lived in Covington County near Brooklyn.”

“Dr. John M. Gallalee, for 35 years a member of the University engineering faculty, becomes the 18th president of the University of Alabama, Jan. 1

“Dr. Gallalee, who for the past two years has been technical director of the State Building Commission, was elected to the presidency to succeed Dr. R.R. Paty, whose resignation was effective Jan. 1 to become chancellor of the University of Georgia System.”