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This Day in History - July 1-4


July 1, 1977

National Headlines:

  • The last operational Railway Post Office made its final run today between Washington DC and New York City.  This railroad post office made its initial run on October 15, 1864.
  • FYI—the current rate for a 1st class stamp is $.13.  Expect a rate increase to $.15 or even $.16 next year!
  • In tennis, veteran Jimmy Connors defeated 18 year old John McEnroe in semi-final match at Wimbledon.  This was McEnroe’s first appearance at Wimbledon.  Connors will play Bjorn Borg for the title.

State Headlines:

  • Today is opening day for South Dakota’s newest state park located at Lake Louise northwest of Miller.  This may be the last new park developed through current park user fees as legislators passed a law stating user fees were to be used only on park maintenance from now on.

Local/Area Headlines:

  • Today is the first round of play in the annual C.C. Lee tennis tournament.  Over 200 junior division players will play in 181 matches on Aberdeen’s 32 tennis courts—that translates to over 12 hours of tennis play in Aberdeen today.
  • Area 4-H families are playing host to 12 4-H members from Appomattox County Virginia who are spending time in Brown County as part of the 4-H Interstate Exchange program.
  • Leigh Dunker of Warner, the all-time South Dakota state horseshoe pitching champion, won a title in North Dakota with an average of 72 per cent ringers for the day.
  • The Brown County Raceway is hosting the Firecracker Invitational on July 4 with many out of state cars already registered. 
  • Dennis Hall will take a leave of absence from his job as Northern’s director of public relations to head State Senator LeRoy Hoffman’s campaign to become the Republican nominee for governor.
  • Dr. James Olson has joined Dr. Paul Bell and Dr. Gordon Bell in their practice of optometry.
  • US Representative Larry Pressler will be in Aberdeen on July 5 to meet with interested citizens prior to returning to Washington DC for the remainder of the legislature’s summer session.
  • Volunteers in Brown County’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program shared 48,883 hours of their time with various agencies in the county during the past 12 months. 
  • The Board of Regents is currently interviewing 5 candidates for the job of president of Northern State College.
  • At the Movies:  “Star Wars” at the Capitol, “For the Love of Benji” at the Orpheum, “A Bridge too Far” and “Tentacles” at the Cinema Twins.

 

July 2, 1964

National Headlines:

  • There is a birthday party at the White House today. President Lyndon Johnson’s daughter Luci turns 17.  The White House kitchen is baking a lemon cake, Luci’s favorite, for the occasion.
  • Members of the Screen Actors Guild are threatening to strike if producers fail to substantially increase the share actors receive for reruns and films sold to foreign countries.

State Headlines:

  • There has been a rash of burglaries throughout small towns in the state.  Losses include a roll of pennies from the Farmers Cooperative at Pukwana, a film projector, a vacuum cleaner, a record player, a gold cross and one-half gallon of wine from a church in Alexandria, $8 in bills and some change from a pop machine at the elevator in Reliance, and a money bag containing $322 in cash from a tavern in Deadwood.

Local/Area Headlines:

  • Boys Scouts from troops 114, 54, and 51 released 50 mallard ducklings at Wylie Lake after caring for them for three weeks after they hatched.  The Groton Scouts will release the ducklings they raised at Sand Lake next week.  It is hoped these ducks will return to the lakes next year to nest.
  • Numbers released as part of the 1964 census indicate there are 158 more school age children in Brown County this year over last year. 
  • Auto-Dine, a new restaurant at the Super City Mall, will be open by August 1 according to its owner.  Auto-Dine will be a round building with 2 customer entrances.  There will be no car hops to serve menu items including sandwiches, “Dog on a Stick” ice cream treats and soft drinks.
  • P&H Bootery at 205 S Main in Aberdeen is preparing for its huge sale that will offer over 5000 pairs of shoes for the whole family.
  • This week’s top records include; “A World Without Love” by Peter & Gordon, “Chapel of Love” by the Dixie Cups, “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys, “People” by Barbara Streisand, and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” by Gerry and the Pacemakers.
  • Bittner Pharmacy has a limited supply of the new Wilkenson stainless steel razor blades.  Get 5 blades for only $.79.
  • The Dixie Cream Donut Shop has old fashioned cinnamon rolls for $.29 each today only.
  • Opening soon—Fairway Foods at the Super City Mall.
  • Entertainment opportunities for July 4 include:  dances at Chelsea Hall, Tacoma Park Ballroom, Richmond Ballroom, and Craven Corner. 
  • Scotty’s Drive In on North Main and the Cree Mee Drive In on East Highway 12 will both be open on July 4th
  • Fireworks immediately following the Pheasants Baseball game—see the show from inside the stadium.  Viewers can purchase a ticket for only $.25 and enter the stadium after the 7th inning.

 

July 3, 1982

National Headlines:

  • Officials at Cape Canaveral, Florida, are planning for a huge July 4th celebration to welcome the Columbia astronauts back to Earth after their holiday landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.  The astronauts circled Earth 100 times and traveled 2 ¼ million miles.  During one of the last passes over the United States the crew played “America the Beautiful” and dedicated it to all the citizens of the United States.
  • Singer Kate Smith, who made “God Bless America” one of the US’s best known songs during WW II, will receive the country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in a July 4th ceremony in her honor.

State Headlines:

  • Vice President George Bush and Interior Secretary James Watt have already been in South Dakota campaigning for Republican Clint Roberts who is hoping to unseat two-term incumbent Tom Daschle in a battle for the state’s only congressional seat.  It is expected that President Ronald Reagan will come to the state on Roberts’ behalf sometime before the fall election.

Local/Area Headlines:

  • Groton will host its 31st annual Summer Festival this weekend and offer a variety of activities at locations throughout the city.
  • The weather station in Aberdeen will reopen on August 9.  The station was closed last year for lack of funds.
  • The Clark baseball diamond will be rededicated on July 5.  A triple header baseball marathon will be the highlight of the event.
  • Frederick and Doland will celebrate centennials this weekend.
  • Residents of Waubay are hosting Fund Days this weekend with a variety of activities designed to raise money for a new school to replace the one destroyed by fire last January.
  • Members of the Aberdeen’s ACT II theater group are in rehearsal for the July 22 opening of “Paint Your Wagon”  Dave Nickolas has the starring role.
  • Don’t forget the Buffalo Stampede at Aberdeen’s Buffalo Family Restaurant on July 5.  There will be a kid’s coloring contest, free movies passes and a 10% discount on any meal for seniors.
  • Northern will be hosting summer music camps for pianists, vocalists and organists next week.  Instructors are Alyce Berggren and Dr. John Fisher piano, Dr. John Berggren and Janis Pearson voice, and Leonard Palmquist organ.
  • At the movies:  “The Blade Runner” at the Capitol, “Poltergeist” at the Orpheum and “E.T.” and “Rocky III” at the Cinema Twins.

 

July 4, 1967

National Headlines:

  • President Lyndon Johnson and family are enjoying a quiet holiday at the LBJ Ranch in Texas.
  • Dean Martin signed a three-year $34 million contract with NBC for the Dean Martin Show.  Martin is the highest paid entertainer in America with earnings at $5 million annually.

State Headlines:

  • Weather across the state will be warmer for today’s holiday.  Yesterday Huron registered an early morning low of 41 degrees.  Highs are predicted between 60 and 70 for the region.

Local/Area Headlines:

  • Tempo is open today and is hosting “Operation Bounce”.  At 10am and 4pm 1000 balls will be dropped on the Tempo Parking lot by airplane.  All balls will be numbered for free prizes including a $39.88 bike, a $19.88 barbeque grill, a $14.88 box fans, lawn chairs, picnic coolers, beach towels and much more.
  • The Eureka High School class of 1955 will be celebrating today with a family picnic at Lake Eureka.
  • Summer construction projects will take a holiday today but progress continues on the new addition to Simmons Junior High, Bostwicks department store at the corner of 4th Ave and South Main, Jerde Hall dormitory on Northern’s campus, and the new Dakota Midland Hospital north of Aberdeen.
  • Marilyn Reidel will be teaching horseback riding lessons beginning tomorrow.
  • The Aberdeen Smittys baseball team traveled to Billings, Montana for a four-team round robin holiday tournament.  Their first game is against a team from Aurora, Colorado.  Dave Sletting is expected to pitch in the first match up.
  • The Aberdeen Teeners are playing the Frederick Legion team today.
  • The Aberdeen Pheasants host St Cloud tonight.  All balls hit into the grandstand or bleachers during tonight’s game may be kept.
  • Top Records for the week are:  “Chapel in the Moonlight” by Dean Martin, “There Goes my Everything” by Engle Bert Humperdinck, “Carrie Anne” by the Hollies, “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” by the Fifth Estate, “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” by Petula Clark, and “Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum
  • At the movies:  “You Only Live Twice” at the Orpheum, a Walt Disney double feature of “The Shaggy Dog” and “The Absent Minded Professor” at the Capitol, and a dawn to dusk marathon at the Star Lite.  There will also be a fireworks show between movies at the Star Lite.
  • On TV tonight:   “The Girl from UNCLE”, “Petticoat Junction” and “The Fugitive”