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This is the 1937 Roaring Spring Baseball Team which participated in the Blair County Baseball League. The squad had the league's best regular season record, but unfortunately didn't win either half of the season's schedule. First half champion Martinsburg defeated second half champion Hollidaysburg for the league championship. Shown are (from left): kneeling -- Bob Leonard, Earl Bumgarner, Earle Hite, Jr., Wilbert Heuston, Jim Young, Raymond Bowers and Clair Hoffman; standing -- George Gill, Chester Querry, Russell Barley, Don Butler, Harold Bush, Umpire Spaulding, Ted Bolger, Manager Charles Butler, Wib Treese, "Zip" Croft and Ralph Over. This photo is from the Elmer Burket collection which is currently being preserved at the Blair County Genealogical Society. It was submitted by Victor Curfman of Altoona, formerly of Roaring Spring.
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Local news on this date
Aug. 29, 1951
The Altoona Chamber of Commerce, Myer Klevan chairman of the retail division, was to hold a four-day fashion show at the State Theater with special guest Mimi Aleinlkoff, fashion editor of Today's Woman magazine in New York City. Altoona Mirror columnist Betsy Orr was to write the script for the show.
Aug. 29, 1976
The Altoona Redevelopment Authority sold two parcels of land in the city, one to the Juniata Locomotive Shop Federal Credit Union and one to Allegheny Glass & Mirror Co. Both were to build new buildings on the sites, 10th Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets.
Aug. 29, 2001
PPG Industries in Tipton, an automotive glass division, was named a supplier of the year by General Motors for performance, quality, technology and price.
Aug. 29, 2016
Verdin Bells and Clocks of Cincinnati was repairing the bells at St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Tyrone with money raised by Matt Beam for his Eagle Scout Project.
Aug. 30, 1951
When the 27th polio patient this year was admitted to Altoona Hospital, Dr. Ben Hull, the hospital's polio expert, and Robert L. Gill, hospital superintendent, met with Altoona Mayor Roy F. Thompson and declared the local polio situation "critical." A delay in opening the city's schools was discussed.
The Blair County Garden Club, Mrs. J.F. Dolheimer chairwoman, was to hold a fall flower and agricultural show in September at the Dolheimer Motor Co. showroom at Union Avenue and 19th Street, with both junior and senior sections. Admission was free.
Aug. 30, 1976
Evelyn Kough, who had worked as a secretary at Altoona City Hall for mayors J. Lester Laughlin, Walter A. Grove, Robert W. Anthony, Roy Thompson, William H. Prosser, Andronic Pappas and William C. Stouffer, was retiring.
The GTE Sylvania Electric Plant on Pleasant Valley Boulevard, maker of vacuum tubes for radio, television and other electronics, William B. Bowes manager, announced a wage increase over three years of 50 cents an hour for all employees and $1 an hour for those with special skills. The plant had 575 employees.
Aug. 30, 2001
In a practice called "looping," students at McAuliffe Heights at Irving Elementary School were being taught by the same teacher two years in a row, resulting in more trust, confidence, routine, less problems and broader perspective.
An act called the Russian American Kids Circus was to kick off the Blair County Arts Foundation Family Theatre season Sept. 9 at the Mishler Theatre. Executive director Kate Shaffer said that act would be followed by a puppet show called "The Potato People." These were two of the six acts planned for the season.
Aug. 30, 2016
Penelec, Diane Francis customer communications manager, said that First Energy Corp. would begin installing smart meters in the Altoona Area which would monitor electric usage. The project was to take about nine months.
The Altoona Curve Baseball team held a special Vietnam Veterans Day at Peoples Natural Gas Field with almost 2,400 Vietnam veterans attending. Veteran Victor Ballash of Altoona represented the U.S. Army and threw out the first pitch.
National, world news on this date
Aug. 29
In 1958, the U.S. Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
In 2004, marathoner Vanderlei de Lima was attacked by a spectator during the Olympic marathon in Athens; de Lima, who was leading the race at the time, eventually finished third and received the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship in addition to his bronze medal.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring floods that devastated New Orleans. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage.
In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Sarah Palin, a maverick conservative who had been governor of Alaska for less than two years, to be his running mate.
In 2021, Hurricane Ida blasted ashore in Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and briefly reversing the flow of the Mississippi River.
Aug. 30
In 1916, on his fourth attempt, British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton rescued all 22 remaining crew members stranded for more than four months on Elephant Island in Antarctica after the sinking of their ship, the Endurance.
In 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan to set up Allied occupation headquarters.
In 1963, the "Hot Line" communications link between Washington and Moscow went into operation.
In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first Black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2005, a day after Hurricane Katrina hit, floods covered 80% of New Orleans, looting continued to spread and rescuers in helicopters and boats picked up hundreds of stranded people.
In 2021, the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America's longest war with the Taliban back in power as Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport. After watching the last U.S. planes disappear into the sky over Afghanistan, Taliban fighters fired their guns into the air, celebrating victory after a 20-year insurgency.
Local news compiled by Tim Doyle. National, world news from The Associated Press.