By Staff
50 Years Ago,
The Atmore Chamber of Commerce was trying a new election procedure this year, which allowed the members only to elect the board of directors. The board planned to meet early in January to elect the officers for 1952 from board members. The nominating committee met early this week and submitted for voting the 30 candidates.
The Atmore Garden Club announced the rules and classes of entries for the 1951 Christmas home decorating contest. All entries must be in full view of the street from where the judging will take place. The judges will be impartial and from out of town. There will be first and second prizes awarded in each class. Prizes are being made possible through the Atmore Chamber of Commerce and from a number of civic clubs in Atmore.
A Christmas play, "The Shepherd of Bethlehem" was presented at the Atmore Methodist Church, Sunday evening at 7 o'clock. A cast of a large group of youth and adults worked for several weeks to make this one of the outstanding events of the church year. The pastor, Rev. W. Earl Dubois said the Christmas story and spirit was well depicted in this moving drama.
The local Legion post appropriated a special fund which will be used for the purchase of Christmas food baskets for approximately 20 families in the Atmore area. It was the desire of the post to cooperate with other organizations in doing this fine work. These baskets were delivered in person by groups of Legionaires from the local post.
Gov. Gordon Persons this week ordered the daytime speed limit of 60 miles per hour and a night limit of 50 miles per hour extended to 6 state highways effective December 15. The new speed limits of 60 and 50 miles per hour came in the governor's drive to cut down on Alabama's traffic fatality rate.
The largest number of contributions and the largest budget in the city's history were reported this week as W. Marshall Patterson, chairman for the drive, announced results of the 1952 Community Chest Drive.
Patterson said in his praise for the workers who contacted every store and business in this area that over 1,000 people had contributed to the fund this year. This compares to approximately 250 who contributed last year. The Atmore Community is not a member of the nation group and the money collected will be used entirely for the needy in the Atmore area.
South Alabama's fourteenth OPS Volunteer Committee was appointed at Atmore, Mayor H.H. Dees announced this week. Minor Corman was selected chairman of the six-man committee the mayor said.
The purpose of the committee was to provide general information about the price stabilization program to the public and business people.
The dedicatorial service for the recently constructed Mt. Gilead Baptist Church at Freemanville, Ala., will be held on Sunday, December 16, at 2 p.m. A cordial invitation to attend the services was extended to the citizens of the Atmore and Freemanville vicinity. Some of the leading citizens of Atmore were slated to appear as guest speakers on this program.