July 1941. Local Boy Scout Anderson Grimes in front of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., holding a copy of a WPA poster designed for the city’s landmark water conservation program. Shortly after this photo was taken, he was to present the poster to local congressman Harford Collins in a brief ceremony. Tragically,...
In a press conference this morning in the ornate lobby of the Chandler Building, actor William Atherton (Ghostbusters, The Sugarland Express) announced that he will be running as a democratic party candidate for mayor in May’s primary. The announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as there had been no rumors about his entry...
:: Flavor of potato chips being eaten by Mayor Wilders in a photo on the front page of the News the day he unveiled the Mayoral Citywide Nutrition and Fitness Initiative: Utz Carolina BBQ :: A correction- in last week’s Friday Facts, we incorrectly listed a 6-month subscription to The Evening Press as one...
:: Clarence ‘Big Stan’ Stanton is the only mayor to be recalled (1910) in the city’s history, though it is widely believed that Mordecai M. Miller resigned (1877) to avoid the same fate. His successor, M. Seymour Haley, faced recall in 1879, but retained his office by a single vote. Both Haley and Miller...
:: Five of the seven warmest temperatures ever recorded in the city occurred in the current millennium. The other two were in 1988 and 1889. :: If there is a dearth of hot-weather favorite Fla-Vor-Ice at your local Northside market this weekend, blame erstwhile machine operator Kevin Sturgiss. A Jel-Sert delivery truck carrying over...
:: Munson’s Drugs on the corner of 33rd and Arlington has been in a long-standing dispute with the city concerning signage used each March and 2007 looks to be no exception. The Munson’s March Madness event advertising features a cartoon of Charles Manson standing atop a stack of dead and mutilated bodies, declaring “You’d...
:: On this date in 1981, near the end of his third term, City Councilman John Rondo tearfully admitted at a press conference that he was illiterate. This came as quite a shock to most people, particularly his constituents. He revealed how he had faked it for much of his life and had relied...
Hello, everyone. Due to the upcoming holiday week, posting will be rather light. So, we leave you with a holiday-oriented Friday Facts and hope that all of you have a relaxing and happy holiday, with your friends and family. :: The most recent volume of the city’s telephone directory features a Santos Klaussen, a...
:: The city’s first legal execution was in 1843. The last was in 1922. :: For a few years, after the West Side Prison was decommissioned in 1953 and turned into a community center, the old electric chair was used as Santa’s throne for the annual Police Athletic League Annual Children’s Christmas Jubilee. It...
When state Rep. Walker Burke announced his candidacy for mayor this week, many pundits here in the city were confused. Burke’s in the middle of his fourth term and with the turnover in the recent elections, his seniority position’s been bumped up quite a bit and he’s been made the chairman of a very...
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