Feb. 16 through the years

By Holly Kozelsky and Pat Pion

1924

Red Cross Report for January 2024 by School Nurse Freda W. Drewry:

·        Home Visits (There also was a report for School Visits, separate)

·        Infants under 1 year, 5

·        Children from 1-6 years, 12

·        School children, 29

·        Adults, 11

·        Tubercular patients, 2

·        Hours spent in infant welfare work, 30

·        Committee meetings, 1

·        Approximate number of miles traveled during the month, 434

·        Approximate number of hours in office, 62

·        Office interviews, 13

·        Letters written, 64

·        Toothbrushes distributed, 157

·        Business visits, 4

1949

Eighteen children were winners of the Build-A-Bank contest during Thrift Week observances conducted by the Recreation Commission, of which Miss Ellen Wood was the director. They won cash savings awards by the banks of Martinsville, Fieldale and Bassett, and also honorable mentions, for building home savings banks. Winners were: Bonnie Jefferson, 11 ($12 prize from First National Bank); Harry Robertson, 10; Barbara Gay Short, 11; and Bobby Pegram, 9; Francis Mariels, Lowell Haynes, Ken Mason, Jim Smith, Jean Patterson, Roger Harrison, William Hodge, Donald Scofield, Herman Young, Edward Hung ($10 prize from the Bank of Fieldale), Wayne Turner ($4 from First National Bank of Fieldale), Billy Bassett, Palmer Agnew and Nancy Greer.

On Feb. 16, 1949, a salesman demonstrated two-way radios to Chief H.W. Stultz. The radios would allow officers as far away as 25 miles to talk with each other. Prosecutor Cary Randolph approved the proposal to install them on county cars, and the matter next would go to the Board of Supervisors.

1960

The weekday Martinsville Bulletin cost 45 cents. The Sunday edition cost 10 cents.

Cooper and Ratcliff Grocery Stores offered Cut-up Pan-Ready Fryers for 59 cents EACH. Ground beef was 49 cents a pound and Gold Medal Macaroni cost 10 cents for a 7-ounce box.

Miss Betty Lee Mason of Bassett was crowned Queen of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority.

The first public objections to the Sewer Bond financing came at a meeting at Chatham Heights Baptist Church, sponsored by City Manager Julian F. Hirst.

The first mass administration of Oral Polio Vaccine took place Miami, Fla.

Fire destroyed a chicken house west of Fieldale yesterday. Fieldale Fire Department responded to the call and said that the structure and most of its chickens were destroyed by the time they had covered the 15 miles to the scene. Snow-clogged roads caused major delays in the trip.

1974

Tommy’s Sportswear Outlet in the Martinsville Plaza Shopping Center had these for sale: all fall and winter slacks, $6 (regular $10 and $12); men’s 100% polyester slacks, $5 to $10; children’s nylon and polyester slacks and sweaters, $1; ladies 3-piece pant suit with blazer, slacks and sweater for $18; polyester and nylon shells for $3; long sleeve polyester nylon sweaters $3 to $6; matching polyester vests ($4) and skirts (6).

Mrs. Irma Eastland of 906 Hazelwood was the winner of a Portable T.V. given away during the special customer night sale at the House of Furniture, of which Joe McCullough was the manager.

1999

School bus routes for the Bassett area were changed on this day, as the County moved to computer-designed routes. That made new pickup and drop-off patterns for students of Campbell Court, Sanville and Stanleytown elementary schools, Bassett Middle School and Bassett High School. Velera Gammons was the director of transportation.

The Senate Finance Committee killed a bill that included $9 million for a new building for the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

— Information from museum records and the Henry Bulletin and the Martinsville Bulletin accessed on microfilm at the Martinsville Branch Library.