75 years ago

(1929)

Capitalization of the net profits of the municipal electric light plant of Conway over a period of years in the form of a bond issue to raise approximately $200,000 for meeting the conditions of the location of the merged Methodist college here and relief of Central College, State Teachers College and St. Joseph parochial school, was recommended to and adopted by citizens of Conway at a meeting in the Chamber of Commerce rooms last night. Chamber of Commerce President Jo Frauenthal spoke before the vote was taken. He said, "The progress of our city, the future, its very life blood depends upon your action." He explained the committee had explored all possible ways to raise money. The committee members who had worked out the plan had signed the resolution. The members signing were V.D. Hill, H.D. Russell, J.J. Hiegel, J. Frank Jones, W.D. Cole, Fred Gordy and Frank E. Robins. The vote to approve the resolution and appoint a committee to put it into effect was then taken. A unanimous standing vote was recorded.

50 years ago

(1954)

Conway's annual community-wide Easter sunrise service, sponsored by the Conway Kiwanis Club, with the active participation of the Conway Ministerial Alliance and the Conway Young People's Council, was held on Grandview Heights at 6 a.m. Sunday. Dr. Matt L. Ellis, president of Hendrix College, was the speaker. Organ music was played by Milton S. Trusler and a choir was directed by J. Grant Hazelwood. A cross on Grandview Heights had been erected and illuminated each night during Easter week. Chimes atop the First Church of the Nazarene began playing at 5:15 a.m. to awaken the populace and call attention to the service. The largest crowd in the 6-year history of the event at Grandview Heights attended the early service.

Wednesday was Straw Hat Day in Conway. Conway retailers planned the day for special emphasis on the sale of hats, and Mayor M.M.. Satterfield proclaimed the day officially as "Straw Hat Day." The C.R. Anthony Co. announced it would place a hat in a 300-pound cake of ice on the sidewalk in front of the store and the person guessing the time required for the ice to melt would be given a new hat.

25 years ago

(1979)

Members of the cast for the Community Arts Association of Conway's spring musical, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," were announced. Leading roles would be played by Mark Andrews and Jann DuVall. Other members of the cast were Jimmie Lee Williams, Mike Stout, Travis Walls, Charles Faulk, Ray Nielsen, Alana Walls, Cabot Parsons, Nelle Henderson, J.B. Robertson, Garry Robinson, Karen Nebel, Susan White, Joy Hendrickson, Ben Schumacher, Julia Bass and M.F. Olsen. Also to appear in the production were Marilyn Dickerson, Becky Carter, Virgil Boling, Judy Terry, Pat New, Bobbie Horton, Linda Dunlap, Judie Burney, Elizabeth Larson, Shane Shoemake, Lee Cobgurn, Yancey Prosser, Judy Jones, Jane Turner and Philip White.

10 years ago

(1994)

A four-member panel discussed gang violence at a meeting in the Conway Public Schools Auditorium. The panel included Lt. Charles Speer of the Little Rock Police SWAT Unit, Sheriff Bob Blankenship, Police Chief Tim Dailey and Conway Adult Probation officer Ed Franklin. Dailey said the city had about seven identified gangs and about 80 gang members in the city and county. Only two gangs were posting a threat to other people. He added that the department was taking a pro-active approach to the problem by handling as many minor calls as possible to keep areas of Conway from deteriorating.

Kelly W. Shipp of Conway was one of the several artists with artwork at the Mother Earth Gallery open-house in Little Rock. Mr. Shipp entered color photography from area state parks