Ten years ago:
April 9-15, 2014
Record & Landmark
MOORESVILLE — Mooresville will welcome a new college wooden bat baseball team this summer. Town commissioners approved a short-term lease of the Moor Park baseball field for Spinners Baseball LLC. John Wilcox, part owner of the Class-A South Atlantic League West Virginia Power, will invest $75,000 into the Moor Park field, making improvements to the infield, dugouts, warning track and fencing during the short-term lease. (4/9)
Obituary — Frank Long Early Jr., “Buck,” 91, of Statesville went to be with the Lord, Wednesday, April 9, 2014. In high school, Buck played baseball and basketball for the Greyhounds and played the sousaphone in the marching band, stemming a lifelong love for big band music. He earned his Eagle Scout award in 1939. Buck was a proud veteran of World War II. During the war, Buck primarily served in the South Pacific, where his squadron was involved in four major campaigns. (4/10)
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Scott Reid said he can’t pinpoint an exact reason for leaving his post as chief at Ebenezer Volunteer Fire Department. “It’s time,” Reid said after telling the board of directors of his decision to leave the chief’s position after 20 years. “It’s just time for new blood.” That new blood, at least in the chief’s position, is a veteran firefighter — Marty Liles. Liles has been with the department for more than two decades and has served as assistant chief for the past eight years. (4/11)
Folks in Statesville Friday night could have watched a retelling of the famous Tom Dula/Dooley story, bumped into a company of Big Apple ballet performers and enjoyed the creative or genre-jumping music of Sarah Clanton Schaffer. And that’s before they even got to the hundreds of pieces of work by nearly 80 different artists in three dozen different venues at the spring installment of Statesville’s semiannual Downtown Art Crawl. (4/12)
Iredell County’s March of Dimes’ March for Babies drew a crowd of several hundred to Mitchell Community College’s circle on Saturday for a refreshing walk in the sun that culminated in more than $100,000 worth of fundraising. More than 500 people on 79 teams throughout the county have spent the last couple of months raising as much money as possible for the March of Dimes Foundation, which funds research aimed at improving the health of babies and pregnant mothers. (4/13)
Evan Farr needed only one word to describe the feeling after he and his three teammates won the 20th annual Fire and Life Safety Quiz Bowl on Friday at Mitchell Community College’s Continuing Education Center. “Awesome,” Evan said as he and his teammates Christian Nicholson, Josh Brown and AJ Abruzzo celebrated their 13-9 victory at the quiz bowl, which tests the knowledge of fourth- and fifth-graders on fire and life safety matters. (4/14)
Sixteen teams competed to win the 15th annual Kim Gallyon Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday — but the ultimate winners were the citizens of Iredell County, who will benefit with two parks. The proceeds, which have yet to be tallied, will benefit the Iredell Parks Project, which includes Stumpy Creek Park and plans to build a park in northern Iredell County. The tournament, which began in 2000 in honor of Gallyon, who died the previous July. Gallyon was the county’s recreation director and one of the driving forces behind the effort to establish Stumpy Creek Park, which is off Perth Road between Troutman and Mooresville. (4/15)
Twenty-five years ago:
April 9-15, 1999
Record & Landmark
For Austin Love, Thursday night was about more than winning or losing. He wanted to make a statement. The Statesville pitcher/centerfielder helped deliver the message by fending off West Iredell’s late charge in the Greyhounds’ 4-3 Statesville Record & Landmark/West Iredell Easter Baseball Tournament championship win. Love, who was named the Tournament MVP, picked up the save by facing the last seven batters and striking out three. (4/9)
Photo — The Statesville Middle School Band recently received a superior rating at the Northwest District Band Contest/Festival in Lenoir. Superior is the highest rate a band can achieve. On the front row from left are: Katie Ballard, Heath Friend, Kim Cole, Leigh Ann Lapish, Maddie Barber, Laycee Green, Heather Dattilo, Kerry Wilson, Sarah Dailey and Joanna Watson; second row, Brittnay Main, Maggie Wells, Ashley Hart, Chanelle Dalton, Crystal Cole, Courtney Kilpatrick, Robbie Milam, Trevor Slaven, Tyler Hughes and Ryan Pettit; third row, Adam Haag, Todd Morrison, Michael Messick, Douglas Marion, David Roche, William Yopp, Cassie Smith and Jason Lloyd; back row, Dawn Jines, Steven Talley, Cynthia Miller, Eben Coarsey, Don Bell, Jacob Farmer, Mark Tomlin, Zach Dearman, Matt Naykor, Leslie Tucker, Eric Luther and Jamaal Moore. Absent were Betsy Wells, Cameron Jordan, Justin Long, Whitney Speaks and Zoe McMillan Pam Helms is the band director. (4/10)
Gene Krider column: My last column was written after I had been six days in Russia. This column is being started after I have been back in Statesville for six days. I think I should explain that I went to Russia at the invitation of Artyom Gololobov’s family. Artyom was the Russian foreign exchange who stayed with me last year. The invitation was important because it was the only way I could get a visa to travel all over Russia. (4/11)
For Hubert Murdock, picking up trash from the streets of Troutman is, if not quite an obsession, at least a passion. He’s been doing it since September of last year, when he moved from the lake to an apartment in Troutman and began taking long walks around town. “I saw all that mess,” he said. And he resolved to so something about it. He started carrying trash bags along his walks, filling them with other people’s litter as he went along. (4/12)
Principals at three Iredell-Statesville schools got the go ahead from the school board Monday to establish a uniform policy at their schools. The three schools — Pressly Elementary, East Elementary and East Middle — had been studying the issue since last June, when the combined Parent Council came up with the idea as a way to promote unity and school pride. (4/13)
Photo — Students earning recognition in the Fort Dobbs Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution competition are (front row, from left) Michelle Cella, Margaret Seyller, Darrin Snow, Christy Mann, Katie Ellis and Katy Pelchat; (back row) Mandy Bowers, Jessica Troutman, Candyce Bentley, Mathew Huntley, Candace Sailstad, Bonnie Sheridan and Chelsea Brooks. (4/14)
The 31st annual Carolina Dogwood Festival parade will be held Saturday, April 17, beginning at 11 a.m. in downtown Statesville. The parade route will be from South Center Street to Statesville High School. Mitch Marrow, a defensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers football team, will serve as the grand marshal for the parade. The parade will also feature the current Carolina Dogwood queens, Sarah Stringer, junior dogwood queen; Christina Casstevens, teen dogwood princess; and Nancy Jarrell, Carolina Dogwood queen. (4/15)
Fifty years ago:
April 9-15, 1974
Record & Landmark
The Statesville Board of Education last night approved the replacement of the gym floor at D. Matt Thompson Junior High School, upon recommendation of Cecil Barger and J. Edwin Hunter, board members. The floor was damaged last summer, during heavy rainstorms which caused the gym to flood. It was repaired, but was again damaged by heavy rains. The board felt that as the repair work had not been sufficient, the floor should be replaced completely. (4/9)
Photo: EXHIBIT TO OPEN — Bob Plyler, left, well-known Statesville photographer, and Ed Bundy, public relations representative of Inform and Signal Hill Mall, discuss photographs which will be displayed Thursday through next Wednesday at the mall. Plyler, a former staff photographer for the Record & Landmark, has a studio on Shelton Avenue and has made all local telephone covers. Various photographs will be exhibited in the display. (4/10)
The Law Enforcement Command Post at Union Grove reports a crowd is developing at Union Grove for the fiddlers’ convention tonight and Saturday. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Department has called out all available forces and has canceled regular shifts, with all personnel now working 12-hour shifts. A Law Enforcement Command Post has been established at Union Grove, with radio communications, the Police Information Network, agents of the State Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Motor Vehicles License and Theft Division, and a full slate from the highway patrol, plus 20 extra sheriff’s deputies. (4/11)
Statesville Civitans, meeting last night at the Ramada Inn, received an insight on the precision marching band involved by band members in halftime shows. Lee Fincannon, president-elect, conducted the meeting and Ken Rudd, director of the Statesville High School Grenadier Band, was the program chairman. Rudd introduced Tim Ferron, drum major; Jan Hager and Sheryl Adams, head bagpipers, and Laura Elliott, head majorette of the Grenadiers, who recently received runner-up honors in the DeSoto Festival in Bradenton, Fla. (4/12)
UNION GROVE — An early morning rainfall today did little or nothing to dampen the spirits or diminish the crowd at the 50th annual Fiddlers’ Convention here, where unofficial counts estimate the population at J. Pierce VanHoy’s 300-acre farm at about 60,000. VanHoy kicked off the second evening of festivities by reminding the audience, “This is the anniversary of Christ’s birth,” and urging them to follow the Golden Rule. (4/13)
Photo: SOUTH AMERICA BOUND — A group of Spanish students from Statesville Senior High School left Sunday morning for a week’s trip to Colombia, South America. They will take underprivileged children a large supply of clothing donated through Statesville churches. They will visit Santa Maria, a beach resort in Colombia; then fly to Bogota, where they will be assisted by Dr. and Mrs. Raymond DeHainaut, Methodist ministers there, who will distribute the used clothing. Mrs. Glenn Johnson, their teacher, will accompany them. They are shown at Travel Associates office packing some of the donated clothes. From left are Norma Holloway, Linda Howard, Mrs. Johnson, Becky Park, Shelton Armour, William Barnard, Bobby Kutteh, Mike Braun and Jack King. (4/15)
Seventy-five years ago:
April 9-15, 1949
Daily Record
Down In Iredell: EASTER FUN — The Statesville Recreation department and the Playhouse Kiddie club are entertaining Statesville’s children next Saturday morning with an Easter egg hunt at Caldwell park on East Broad street. The fun starts at 10 a.m. and prizes will be awarded the best egg-finders. The hunt is for children under sixth grade in school. Prizes will be movie passes, and first prize is a pass for a month. Second price is a two-weeks pass and third prize is a pass for one week. All children will be given pictures of movie stars. The Kiddie club will be held as usual Saturday afternoon. (4/9)
Contracts for the construction of a new high school physical education building on North Center street were awarded Saturday to Statesville firms for an approximate total of $241,000. The general contract went to G.L. Wilson Building company for $201,000. Other contracts went to Statesville Heating and Plumbing company for the heating, to R.S. Barkley for plumbing and Modern Electric company for electrical work. (4/11)
By playing “Spirit of Youth” Overture the Morningside band received the coveted rating of 1, the highest rating obtainable, at the Salisbury district musical festival Friday, April 8. On Wednesday, April 13, at 8:15 p.m. this group will present a public concert in the Morningside auditorium (elementary building) consisting of Energy Overture; Activity March; Little Grey Church Serenade; Normal March; Idle Fancy Serenade; Military Escort March; Zenith Overture; Rifle Rangers March; Dawn Reverie; Spirit of Youth Overture; My Happiness; Now is the Hour; Chaser March. (4/12)
Blackwelder Furniture company will have a formal opening of its new store on the Turnersburg road beginning Thursday, Norris Blackwelder, the owner, announced today. The new store replaces one which was destroyed by fire last summer. It has been erected for some time but Mr. Blackwelder postponed the formal opening until he had a full line of merchandise. A feature will be the giving away of $2,000 in door prizes. The new building is of brick and concrete construction with a modernistic front. (4/13)
Photo: INFIELD STARS — Coach Dave Diamont of the Statesville High School Greyhounds gives his infielders some words of advice about fielding and hitting. The Statesville team has won one and lost two during the early part of the season. The Greyhounds are idle until next Tuesday night when they go to Kannapolis. Their next home game is with Spencer here the Friday following. The infielders are, left to right, front row, Deaton, third; Privette, first; Nash, third; Brittain, third; Aiken, first, and Coach Diamont. Back row, Allie, short; Ivey, short; Robinson, first; Webb, second; and Gray, second. (4/14)
A new traffic light unit was installed yesterday at the Hickory and Taylorsville highways in West Statesville. The installation is another step by city authorities in making Statesville streets safer for drivers and pedestrians. The new unit is somewhat similar to the unit at the Shelton Avenue, Garfield street-South Center street intersection, except that it is less complicated to control. (4/15)
One hundred years ago:
April 10-14, 1924
The Landmark
The J.C. Penny Company, which operates a large number of department stores throughout the country, with headquarters in New York city, will open a store in Statesville, it is understood, in the near future. The company has rented from Mr. T.D. Miller the store room now occupied by the Bunch Furniture Company. When the latter company moves into its new quarters, within the next thirty days, their present quarters will be remodeled for the new tenants. (4/10)
The following bills were ordered paid by the board of county commissioners at its regular monthly meeting: W.W. Woodward, destroying still, $5; O.G. Sills, destroying three stills, $15; A.H. Altachul, supplies for the county home, $27.13; W.C. Perry, superintendent county home, $80; Mrs. W.C. Perry, matron county home, $20; Lettie Dry, nurse at county home, $30; J.L. Sherrill, labor at county home, $30; Bunch Furniture Company supplies for jail, $32.50; Statesville Oil Company, supplies for county home, $42.29. (4/10)
Three miles of hard-surface road, beginning at the city limit and extending three miles along the Wilkesboro road, was ordered built as soon as practicable by the board of county commissioners at their regular monthly meeting. Mr. J.T. Smith was appointed tax supervisor for 1924, the compensation to be $5 per day while he is in performance of his duties but not more than $5 per day for 60 days. Tax listers are to be paid seven cents a name for regular returns and four cents a name for crop reports. (4/10)
As a tribute to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Slane, Mr. Oscar W. Slane is presenting a set of tower chimes, representing a gift of approximately $10,000, to the First Presbyterian church of Statesville. These Deagan Tower Chimes, with a distance range of about a two-mile radius, should be heard, when played, in practically every part of the city. They will be placed in the new first Presbyterian church building. (4/10)
Harmony won the field meet of the county High schools Saturday at the Front Street grounds with a score of 52 points. Statesville took second place with 48 points and Scotts third place with 29. Statesville had no entrants in the events for girls, but in the events open to boys led by nine points, Harmony scoring 13 points in the events for girls. (4/14)
The homes of Mr. A.E. Howard and Mr. Claude Mayes, of Chambersburg township were entered yesterday afternoon and ransacked for valuables. A gold watch and a suit of clothes were taken from the Howard home. Several dollars in silver and a number of rings and trinkets were taken from the Mayes home. (4/14)
With the addition of the Diamond Hill Mission, the number of church schools in this city contesting for weekly attendance honors now totals twelve. The mission school has an enrollment of 73 members, Mr. E.A. Cash, superintendent. In the per centage standing for Sunday, April 6, the table shows the First Baptist Sunday school in the leader with an average of 89 per-cent. It will be seen that Front Street Presbyterian church is beginning a new year and with a new school roll. (4/14)
Work of improvement of the First Baptist church building has been completed with the placing, recently, of a handsome new carpet in the main auditorium. This has added materially to the attractive appearance of the church’s interior. (4/14)
Mr. Oscar G. Turbeville, a prominent citizen of the Harmony community, was found dead Sunday afternoon at 1 o’clock in his pasture. Mr. Turbeville was not present for dinner and a search of the farm revealed his body in the pasture, which is situated some distance from the residence. Shortly after breakfast, he had gone there with the cows. (4/14)
One hundred twenty-five years ago:
April 11-14, 1899
The Landmark
The barn of Mr. M.D.L. Allred, who lives near Buck Shoal, was burned Wednesday night, April 5th. The roof was falling in when Mr. Allred discovered the fire. While he was getting his wagon from the barn his mule, which he had almost given up as lost, broke out of the stable and was saved. But the barn, containing nearly all his feed, a sack of fertilizer, plow gear, bridles and his wagon bows and sheet, was destroyed. (4/11)
The county commissioners will have no trouble to borrow the money to build the new court house. Offers have already been made and it is now known that all the money needed can be obtained from home people. (4/11)
First Lieutenant W.G. Karcher, of the Statesville company, First North Carolina Regiment, came home from Savannah Saturday on sick leave. He expects to rejoin his command on the 20th. Lieut. Kareher says the regiment will be mustered out on the 22d and the boys will reach home on the 23d or 24th. (4/11)
THE LANDMARK learns that private subscriptions amounting to $10,000 can be secured to macadamize the Turnersburg road from Statesville to the north Iredell line. Two or three persons have offered to give $1,000 each. If this amount of subscriptions is raised, of which there seems to be now doubt, the matter will probably be laid before the county commissioners to see what aid the county can give. (4/11)
Olin had a fire on Thursday, 6th inst. The academy building, erected here only a few years since, was totally destroyed. The stove and one-third of the desks were also burnt or ruined. A defective flue was responsible for the fire. No insurance. Miss Sallie Tatum was teaching a school in the building at the time the fire broke out. The school will continue in Olin in some other building. (4/14)
The Mexican bull fighters and the Boston Bloomers, a female baseball club, gave exhibitions in Statesville Wednesday afternoon and evening. The ball game took place in the afternoon, a local nine playing against the Bloomers. Mr. W.W. Nattress was the manager of the home team, which was composed of Messrs. Isidore Stephany, C.W. Connor, John Spencer, Baxter Cochrane, R.O. Harbin, Henry Miller, Arthur Corpening and — Sharpe. (4/14)
A memorial tablet which will be placed in the Catholic chapel which Mrs. P.B. Key is having erected to the memory of her late husband, Philip Barton Key, has been finished and is on exhibition at Webb’s marble yard. The tablet is of pure white marble and contains the following inscription in bronze letters: “Key memorial, 1808 St. Philip’s chapel. Dedicated to the worship and glory of God. In loving memory of Philip Barton Key, from his wife, kindred and friends.” (4/14)
THE LANDMARK has mentioned that at the recent meeting of the county commissioners, N.T. Summers, Esq., of Union Grove, was appointed county inspector of bridges and highways. He is to hold office for one year from April 10, 1899, unless removed from the board. He is to superintend and construct all county bridges or repair them, as the commissioners may direct. (4/14)
Yesterday, the 13th, was the 34th anniversary of Gen. Stoneman’s entrance into Statesville. Older residents will recall that it was quite a “hot time in the old town” that night. (4/14)