This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
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Forty-eight years ago this week, the Marion Jaycees held the first Media Appreciation Day and presented certificates to representatives of local news media. In the photo (from left) are David Ricketts of the Marion Jaycees, Gary McMahan of WBRM Radio, Chuck Finley of WBRM Radio, David Wright of WBRM Radio, Annette Bryant of WBRM Radio, Shirley Hawkins of The McDowell News and Ann Vess of The McDowell News.
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During the week of Feb. 4, 1977, Marion Fire Chief Arthur Edwards (left) presented a plaque to Police Chief John Beck for his 27 years of service as a Marion firefighter. Beck was honored at a dinner by active and retired firefighters. He was first a paid firefighter and then became a volunteer when he joined the Marion Police Department.
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The Catawba Valley Cloggers were getting ready to break a world record for marathon clog dancing. They were a group of junior high and senior high students from Marion and their attempt to break the record was to be held at the Marion Community Building. The members of the team included (left to right, front row) Jeff Jimeson, Joey Street, Jerry Jimeson, Ronald Burgin, Tommy Vaughn, Jeff Fender, Mark Shuford, Scott Covert and Evan Buchanan and (left to right, second row) Cindy Hughes, Brona Brooks, Celia Devinney, Lora Cline, Luanne Parks, Sherri Morgan, Sandi Wise, Jo Ward, Jill Horn and Virginia Brookshire. Unavailable for photo was Tim Creasman.
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The House Theatre presented this cult classic about the Bigfoot phenomenon more than 40 years before Marion hosted the WNC Bigfoot Festival.
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Listing taxes was an annual chore for residents of McDowell County, some of whom were pictured inside the County Administration Building. But the deadline that year was extended to Feb. 11 because of severe winter weather. County tax officials urged residents to list their taxes in their local communities by the deadline.
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Marion Mayor James Segars (center) opened the first bid for the construction of the city’s new sewer treatment plant as City Manager Earl Daniels (left) studies the figures and engineer Sid Reddick (right) looks on. The opening of these bids came after 10 years of struggles with engineers, bureaucrats and irate residents. The sewer treatment plant would be a $3.8 million project and it would treat 3 million gallons of sewer a day. The apparent low bidder was Lee Construction Co. of Charlotte, which turned in the $3.8 million bid.
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The Catawba Valley Cloggers successfully broke the world record for marathon clogging at the Marion Community Building. The McDowell youth set a new record of 12 hours, 12 minutes and 12 seconds. Although some of the cloggers wanted to keep dancing, they agreed with their parents and their instructors Floyd and Eloise Brooks to call it off after topping the previous record of nearly five hours. Hundreds of local residents crowded into the Community Building to cheer them on and gave a standing ovation when it was announced they had broken the previous record, which had been set by a team from Houston, Texas.
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Both firefighters and city workers had the job of washing the streets of Marion following a big snowstorm.
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Nine East McDowell Junior High band members participated in the Western N.C. Honors Band Clinic in Asheville. They were (from left) Terri Haynes, Carole Wacaster, Jack Ellis, Scarlett Smith, Robert LaChance, Naomi Craig, Bill Church, Ginger Burley and Debbie Roberts.
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Workers used a huge crane to demolish the old Marion High School, located at the intersection of West Court and Academy streets. The school building was cleared away to make room for new recreational facilities. Only the gym would be left following the demolition.
See stories on what trails are open in McDowell County, and an update on a 644 acre wildfire.
