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Tuesday, June 24, 1975

Band festival officers elected

Co-Chairman for the Second Annual Peach State Marching Festival were named recently.

Jim Burnes will represent East Rome High School, and Mrs. Carolyn Maxwell will represent West Rome High School. Other officers, Honorary Chairman, and Committee Chairman will be announced later.

The Second Annual Peach State Marching Festival will be held on Saturday, October 11, in Barron Stadium in Rome. Junior and High School Marching bands will be invited to participate.

The Festival is co-sponsored by East and West Rome High School Bands, with Johnny Shook and John Carruth as respective directors.

The 100 Years Ago items were compiled from past editions of the Rome News-Tribune

Plans were completed, the News-Tribune reported on Sunday, June 28 of 1925, for a gala July Fourth celebration at the American LegionÐÔÊӽ紫ý Memorial Park on Shorter Avenue.

“Everything has been arranged,� the account said, “to provide enjoyment and pleasure, but there will be no Fourth of July orations. … The La Mance Carnival Shows will offer rides including the whip, swings and merry-go-round, but there will be no special midway.

“The Saturday program will be in three parts: pony and doll parades during the morning, with valuable prizes for the best dressed doll, most beautifully decorated pony and cart and saddle pony. … To enter competition, see Post 5 Adjutant Joe Carr at once.�

After the parades, a “unique contest� was planned to discover the best hog caller in Floyd County.

“Contestants will stand on the racetrack before the grandstand,� the Tribune noted, “while judges will be stationed down on the riverbank.�

Judges named were John W. Bale, Solicitor Fred Kelly and the Rev. H. F. Joyner.

“W. B. Mebane was considered as a judge,� the Tribune said, “but after hearing him hold forth a while, his friends prevailed on him to enter the competition instead.

“Two other Romans enlisted to defend the cityÐÔÊӽ紫ý colors against invaders from county precincts are T. B. Owens, who some say is a professional, since he has had 21 years of practice, and Chaplain-at-large John Horgan of the Salvation Army has attracted a large following since it was learned that the government had put him off GovernorÐÔÊӽ紫ý Island in New York for making too much noise at baseball games.â€�

On the afternoon of the Fourth the Lindale Band under Director Paul Nixon was to perform in the grandstand just before race time. Local “road races� were to feature some of the finest horses in the county.

“Then will come many thrills from racing automobiles, and the worldÐÔÊӽ紫ý record for the half-mile track may be in danger. … In practice rounds some drivers came within two seconds of that time, and next Saturday may break the record.â€�

Sunday, June 22, 1975

New Armuchee school recommended

A new high school building, or major renovation of the present facility is badly needed in the Armuchee community, according to a report of the visiting committee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The 12-man committee, chaired by Dr. Milton S. McDonald, vice president of Berry College, cited “the addition of classrooms and equipment to meet immediate needs, the provision of an improved lunch schedule, the increase of budget allocations for materials, equipment and textbooks, the improvement of the physical education program, and the expansion of the fine arts areas of the curriculum as high on the must-be-done list for the school.�

“It is further agreed that, as soon as financially possible, the Floyd County Board of Education should plan positively for a new high school facility for the Armuchee community or for a major renovation in the existing plant,� the report said.

The report was made in connection with a 10-year accreditation study of the Floyd County High Schools during the last week in April. The Floyd County Elementary Schools underwent an interim accreditation study at the same time.

Harold Linsey, superintendent of the Floyd County School System, said the Armuchee situation is up in the air, and that the Board of Education will wait a couple of years to decide whether to renovate or to build a new facility.

“Well, we have 10 years to correct this, and to tell you the truth, with this economic situation, it is impossible to know what to do at the moment,� Lindsey said.

“If there is steady growth in the Armuchee community in the next four or five years, then we’ll probably have to build another school, but if the growth rate declines, then renovation might be the answer,� Lindsey said.

He added that it is impossible to know at the moment whether a bond issue will be necessary to either build a new facility or renovate the old. “We just might have some federal money coming in to the local school system for construction costs,� Lindsey said. “Jack Nix, (state superintendent of public schools) has already applied for federal funds for that purpose,� he added.

Federal funds for public education construction projects have not been generally available since the depression years of the 1930s.

The visiting committee, however, also cited major strengths at Armuchee such as a hard-working faculty, an alert student body, a supportive school community and an adequate, essentially sound comprehensive high school curriculum.

Monday, June 23, 1975

Royalty arrives

Princess Anne of Britain and her husband Capt. Mark Phillips have arrived for a weeklong visit and an international horse competition.

The royal couple, and all other riders in the 1975 U. S. Open Championship Horse trials, will stay in private homes in the Hamilton area, officials said.

The trials, three days of competition, will be held at Ledyard Farm in Hamilton, about 20 miles north of Boston, beginning Friday. Practice sessions were to begin today.

Thursday, June 26, 1975

Favorites hold line in tennis tourney; third round on tap

There were some upsets, but generally the favorites got past early action Wednesday in the opening rounds of the Rome Tennis ClubÐÔÊӽ紫ý championships which continue through Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center.

Most of yesterdayÐÔÊӽ紫ý action was devoted to menÐÔÊӽ紫ý singles. There was limited action in the menÐÔÊӽ紫ý 35 and womenÐÔÊӽ紫ý singles and also doubles’ play scheduled to get underway today.

Top-seeded in menÐÔÊӽ紫ý singles is Mark Papas of California and he easily passed his first test Wednesday. In fact, he disposed of Cave SpringÐÔÊӽ紫ý Ed Nagy in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.

Second seeded among the men is John Hammett of Maryland and he had an even easier time of it. He won by default to become one of 16 players still alive in singles play. Third-seed Robert Hubbard of Maryland also won by default and four-seed John Torrence of Illinois had an easy time of it with Bryan Hall of Rome, winning 6-0, 6-2.

Only one matches was played in the menÐÔÊӽ紫ý 35 singles and this saw Al Wilkes beat Herb Blumberg of Rome 6-2, 6-1. In womenÐÔÊӽ紫ý singles Carol Claton of Dalton defeated Melinda Callan of Rome 6-2, 7-5. Also Mindi Carver of Rome and Donna Wallace of Cleveland advance with defaults.

Turning again to menÐÔÊӽ紫ý singles, all third round matches will be played today, narrowing the field to just eight of the best for FridayÐÔÊӽ紫ý quarterfinals.

The 100 Years Ago items were compiled from past editions of the Rome News-Tribune

“Later in the afternoon the LegionÐÔÊӽ紫ý Palm Room will be opened for a dance, with a fine orchestra playing. … In the evening a fireworks display will be given from the infield of the racetrack, with many novelties secured by the Legionnaires. … There will be a bid dance Saturday and at 1 p.m. that afternoon the Eastern Star will begin selling barbecue, in itself a considerable attraction. …

Six automobiles were scheduled to race on the Saturday afternoon of July 4; a Henry Darling Special driven by Duvall Harris; Daniell ChevroletÐÔÊӽ紫ý entry, with Pete Daniell driving; a “Lil Joeâ€� Chevrolet with Joe Porter at the wheel; a Ford by MendelsohnÐÔÊӽ紫ý U-Drive-It Company, driver not named; and two Gadsden entries — a Chevrolet driven by Charles Daniel and a Ford belonging to the Albutton Company.

“There will be standing starts for the two elimination races,� the news item noted, “and a running start for the final five-mile race. … All garages will be closed that day, and it is hoped that other merchants will close also, since it will be a national holiday.�

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A “motor party� on Tuesday was given by Mrs. Max Kuttnerto the Cloudland club, with an afternoon bridge luncheon honoring Mrs. Simpson Penney of Orlando, Florida. Luncheon in four courses was served, followed by bridge played at five tables. Ms. Ed Strickland took top score and received a Venetian glass perfume bottle. Visitors included Mrs. Earl Wester of Memphis; Mrs. Ed Dean of Atlanta; Mrs. Richard DeSaussure of Washington and Miss Margaret Rogers, Duluth, Minnesota.

Wright Willingham had begun a compilation of biographies of Rome attorneys; those with information on RomeÐÔÊӽ紫ý early day lawyers were invited to see in at his office in the Masonic annex.

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Rome attorney Barry Wright was named head of a permanent commission to promote the paving of the Dixie Highway.

State Legislator Harper Hamilton, the News-Tribune reported, was ready to introduce a bill into the Legislature requiring the payment of some $4 million still owing to Confederate veterans.

The Scopes “monkey trial� at Dayton, Tennessee, was building gradually toward a historic climax, the inevitable battle between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan already beginning to take shape.

When a News-Tribune reporter asked RomeÐÔÊӽ紫ý Rev. H. F. Joyner his opinion on the theory of evolution, the “Parsonâ€� said tersely, and characteristically:

“I’m not as much concerned with where I came from as I am with where I’m going.�

The temperature for July 2 and 3 stood at 104 degrees, promising a torrid July 4. Well-remembered Andy Gump of the comics found his beside electric fan commandeered by Min for her visiting mother, leaving him to swelter without relieve in a day when air conditioning was not dreamed of.