In 1977, 40 years ago, East Brewton announced that bids had been let on a new city hall to be built on Forrest Ave. The city council said that construction should be completed within 310 days and it would cost $342,850 to be paid with 100 percent federal funding.

There was a photograph on the front page of The Brewton Standard that was taken on April Fool’s Day with Ben Kelly Strain catching a red snapper fish in the fountain in City Park. Not only could it be highly unusual but also nigh on to impossible to catch a salt water fish in the fountain fed by city water.

The annual senior class play, “L’il Abner,” was to be presented at T.R. Miller High School.

First Baptist Church of Brewton presented its Easter Cantata and dramatization. This all was going on during the Easter season and special singings and speaking was taking place at many of the churches.

Hundreds of Boy Scouts showed up at Camp McMillan for a camporee. Camp McMillan is located north of Brewton.

First National Bank opened its newest facility on St. Nicholas Ave. This furnished a drive-through and night deposit.

Phillip Ellis was announced to be the new teacher at W.S. Neal High School. He was to teach agribusiness. Of course we are all familiar with Phillip Ellis. He would advance to eventually become principal of the school. At his death several years ago after a long battle with cancer, many students came to pay their respect to the man they had loved for so long.

Brewton Council of the Arts and Brewton Elementary School teamed up to bring the Children’s Musical Theater to Brewton to perform “Sleeping Beauty.”

I did not know that this type of the arts were being brought to Brewton back that far. Of course time seems to get by rather quickly.

T.R. Miller Junior-Senior Prom was held  with the theme of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” Some of the art displayed was very good and was done by the students.

Dedication services were held for the new elementary school. It had 480 students enrolled but it could accommodate up to 600.

I remember when that school opened. It certainly didn’t look like other school buildings. The rooms were wide open instead of separated as they are today. I also remember the students had a pull-out case that held their books. Those cases were pulled out and carried home with the students.

I don’t know just how long this continued, but is quite different today.