Editor’s note — We’re continuing our tradition of taking a look back each Saturday at some of the important, interesting or even odd events as they were reported during the same week throughout the years, along with interesting advertising features from years gone by.
This week in 1937, The Greenfield Daily Times reported that Clarence Narcross, a 1937 McClain High School graduate, was the winner of the first Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award, awarded to a student for the “greatest progress in three years of scientific studies.”
Coach Gerald “Red” Armstrong said that instead of awarding letters to the varsity baseball team, he decided to give each player an “M” belt buckle, with the belt buckles plated with New Gold, the year written on them in natural gold and the letter “M” and “baseball” written in purple.
An art exhibit was planned for the Greenfield school system, with C.E. Booher and Roderick Thomas in charge of the science section and Elizabeth Irvine and Laura Beckett helming the style show from the home economics department.
George Waddell, a McClain High School graduate, was named as president of the Student Association of Rollin’s College in Winter Parks, Florida, having also been elected vice president of the Florida Student Government Association.
In sports, the McClain baseball team defeated Miamisburg, 4-2, in the lower bracket semifinal game of the district baseball tournament thanks to the pitching performance of Johnny Miller, setting up a finals matchup against Piqua High School.
The Fayette Theatre, located in Washington C.H., advertised multiple showings including “Sea Devils” starring Vic McLaglen and Preston Foster and “Guns of the Pecos” starring Anne Nagel and Dick Foran.
Preston’s Grocery Store, located at South Washington and West Jefferson streets in Greenfield, advertised multiple products, including 5 pounds of bananas for 25 cents, 10 pounds of potatoes for 23 cents and 2 pounds of green beans for 15 cents.
This week in 1962, The Greenfield Daily Times reported that lightning struck and caused damage to transmissions facilities at the Dayton Power and Light Co., as the city of Greenfield was “completely blacked out” for an hour and 50 minutes.
Greenfield City Council discussed the topic of City Hall and Forrest Roberts, a Leesburg contractor, was in attendance and said that the building’s tower “should be completely rebuilt” because it was “structurally decrepit.”
Greenfield Mayor Conrad Curren appointed J. Willis Jones, building inspector, as well as two other members to a three-member Board of Building Examiners and Appeals, with Jones to receive a salary of $900.
Greenfield city officials and the board of education formally made an agreement to turn off half of the boulevard lights “in the near future” by blacking them out due to the need to cut down on costs, cutting the light count from 29 to 15.
The Greenfield Board of Education approved the hiring of William Furnish to become the teacher of commercial subjects at McClain High School, leaving Sinking Spring High School to come to Greenfield.
The Ranch Theatre advertised “Sergeants 3,” saying it was a “top-notch comedy” written by W.R. Burnett, directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop
Eavey’s Super Valu advertised multiple products, including a pound of tomatoes for 29 cents, a gallon of ice cream for 98 cents and a jar Kraft Miracle Whip salad dressing for 39 cents.
This week in 1987, The Press-Gazette reported that the Highland County Board of Commissioners held a discussion on the lack of adequate coverage due to staffing of the sheriff’s department, as only one person was reported to be watching roads at a single time.
A drug raid in Greenfield executed at a residence on McClain Avenue found more than 600 marijuana plants, multiple bags of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a bag of unknown substances, with Greenfield Police Chief Greg Barr and Highland County Prosecutor Rocky Coss present.
Marc Blankenship, a resident of East North Street in Hillsboro, was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point after he was nominated by Congressman Bob McEwan. He also planned to play golf at the academy.
Oak Leaf Woodshop reported on its significant growth and success, with Gordon Yuellig, the shop’s manager, saying that it had doubled its sales compared to the prior year and its staff grown from six people in 1983 to 42 in 1987.
In sports, the Hillsboro American Legion Post 129 season was previewed. The team’s strengths were described as a deep pitching squad and a strong defense, with Jason Smith the team’s pitching ace, having struck out 53 batters the year before.
Chakere’s Colony Theatre, located in Hillsboro, billed as “comfortably cool,” advertised “Beverly Hills Cop II” written by Larry Ferguson and Warren Skaaren, directed by Tony Scott and starring Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold.
Great Scot Thrifty Supermarkets, located at 245 Main St. in Hillsboro, advertised multiple products, including one roll of Mardi Gras towels for 69 cents, a 20-pound bag of Kingsford charcoal for $4.99 and a pound of sweet onions for 69 cents.
This week in 2012, The Times-Gazette reported that the Hillsboro City Council Finance Committee recommended the rejection of a contract offer by the townships for fire and EMS coverage, which would reportedly allow Mayor Drew Hastings to continue negotiating.
Six local fire departments were called in for a house fire on Willettsville Pike with a lightning strike possibly the cause, with heavy smoke and flames showing from the back of the house when firefighters got to the scene.
Fort Hill Christian Youth Camp was set to begin its 63rd camping season since beginning in the late 1940s, with a new addition to the 105-acre camping lot being a 540-foot zip line including a tower that was 29 feet tall.
The first stop of the 24th tour of the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure was planned to be in Greenfield from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and multiple events were scheduled at different historical locations around town.
Multiple members of the Highland County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) met with the board of commissioners to report that they wanted to get the EMA re-established and draft an agreement that would work for all.
In sports, Reese Leibreich was able to move on and become the first Hillsboro tennis player to qualify for the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state tennis tournament following his defeat of Danny Nelson of West Holmes in the regional championship round.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
