A piece of history donated to Cultural Arts Center

February 19, 2020

BY MARY LOU BUSH

APPALACHIA NEWS • 565-1386

Saturday night, the Cultural Arts Building was all aglow with the UVA-Wise Jazz Ensemble music consisting of the theme “An Evening of Romance.”

‘Angel Eyes’ and ‘When I Fall in Love’ were just two of the great tunes played and enjoyed by an audience of 75 people or more. Donnie so graciously had the musicians to play a special song for his good friend JoElla DeHart in the audience. Bob Hartley and Jane Tate enjoyed the music so much they danced to a few tunes. Our hometown boy Ron Flanary was great on the trumpet but he was also a treat singing ‘My Funny Valentine.” Richie Kennedy told us he could not leave the building without another chance to play the old baby grand piano and so he played ‘Last Date’ and it was really great to hear the music coming from the 1924 piano. This piano was purchased by the good citizens of Appalachia and placed in the old school at the red light until the new high school was completed in 1960 and remained there until the school closed. Now the ACAC is the place this piano is housed.

We greatly appreciate all our former Appalachia residents for coming to the concert. Mr. and Mrs. Mike Barnett, Chris Williams, Sam and Charlotte Green and Bob Hartley and of course our Andover friends and Louise and Bud Sampson were first but not last. We hope they will return for future programs.

All the ladies were given a long stem rose in honor of Valentine’s Day when they entered the door for the concert and this was a great crowd pleaser for sure.

Much to everyone’s surprise, a big piece of history was returned to Appalachia and it is on display at the Cultural Arts Building. Bruce Large donated back the original soda, ice, and fountain display where so many people purchased a milkshake, cone of ice cream, cherry coke, and sat at the little round tables and enjoyed it very much. It is a big asset to the center. We hope to have it all set up in the very near future.

It is a picture to see, in fact the college students sat on the stools at the counter and had pictures made of their self and friends. Everyone was happy to see an artifact from the past in such great shape and so many people commented about when they worked at the Mutual, Macks, Old Dominion, drug stores and used the exact type of stainless steel equipment. We all can enjoy looking back in our past sometime.

BIRTHDAYS

We have a lot of friends celebrating their birthday Thursday, February 20. Our old buddy Fred Clark and our young friend Melia Elam Chandler. Both these birthday people were graduates of AHS, of course different years. Happy birthday to you both.

Bruce Robinette, our friend for many years who has helped our area in more ways than we will ever know and worked at Lenowisco in Duffield until he retired and now resides in Tennessee, will celebrate his birthday on Friday, February 21. Happy birthday Bruce with many more to come.

Our Appalachia mayor Ted Collins will celebrate a birthday February 24. You still have time to send Ted a card. Happy birthday Ted.

ANNIVERSARY

We have a couple former AHS students who still call Appalachia, celebrating a 55 year wedding anniversary. Norma Boatright and Larry Munsey were married in 1965, the same year Gary and I were married. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Munsey in Kingsport, TN.

SPRING FLOWERS

Have you noticed the spring flowers are blooming. I guess the rain helped and these nice days. We can truly say we have not had very much snow this winter. What if snow comes this spring? I remember in April 1987 we had a snow and it was 26 inches. We made a picture on top of an awning over our basement door and it was a deep snow but it did not last the day since it was so warm. So anything can happen. I know last month we saw so many robins in our yard and this too was a sign of spring. Oh well, keep the snow shovel handy and the umbrella close as we don’t know what is coming.