Look Back ... to the fate of Johnston Elementary, 1997
Dec. 17—Dec. 17, 1947, in The Star: This coming Saturday morning at 10 the 17th annual "Toy Brings Joy" cinematic matinee will be held at the Ritz Theater. Lloyd's Bakery Kiddie Club will be the host of this event, which is under the sponsorship of The Star and the Ritz. Cost of admission is the presentation of a new toy or a used toy in good condition; also acceptable is clothing or canned food suitable for distribution by the Salvation Army on Christmas Day. "A Christmas Carol" is the film to be shown — the version that stars Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart and Terry Kilburn. The fun feature on the program will be a Tom and Jerry color cartoon, "Solid Serenade." Also this date: C. Logan Taylor of First National Bank was elected president of the Anniston Junior Chamber of Commerce at an exceptionally well-attended annual meeting of the organization held last night at the Jefferson Davis Hotel.
Dec. 17, 1997, in The Star: The Anniston school board yesterday evening authorized signing of a long-awaited consent order that would close Johnston Elementary School next year if approved by a federal judge. The proposal essentially adopts the recommendations made by consultants hired by the school board. Specifically, the proposed order would close Johnston at the end of the current school year and redraw the attendance lines for the remaining elementary schools. Those schools would be renovated using the proceeds of a $3.7 million bond issue. Also this date: A Weaver inventor is suing computer giant Hewlett-Packard, claiming it has usurped his patent on a device that would allow internet users to leave their laptops at home and instead use a walk-up computer station to check their email and surf the web. Richard Mettke, 39, a former master sergeant at Fort McClellan, filed the suit on a recent Monday in Birmingham U.S. District Court. The kiosks could be placed in airports, libraries and museums, available for travelers to research the locations of restaurants, rental cars and local attractions without having to worry about a laptop. The kiosk's computer system links users to the internet, providing access to online services on a pay-per-use basis that uses credit cards. Mettke, who lives in Weaver, is an avid technical researcher who used the internet to find lawyers for his suit. Additionally: Funeral services will be this afternoon at 2 at First United Methodist Church in Roanoke for John Bluford Stevenson, 82, publisher and editor of The Randolph Leader newspaper. He died two days ago at Randolph County Hospital in Wedowee — taking with him 60 years of journalistic leadership and experience. Stevenson, known also for his singing voice and his irrepressible energy, was very much a part of life for most folks in Randolph County.
Assistant Metro Editor Bill Edwards: 256-236-1551. On Twitter @bedwards_star.
