Published: June 06, 2008 08:31 pm      

Close, but no lemonade as early June heat wave bares down

BLUEFIELD — The Scott & Stringfellow thermometer on Leatherwood Lane that almost straddles the state line that separates the two Bluefields reached the 94 degree Fahrenheit mark by 3 p.m., Friday afternoon, but the official reading at the Mercer County Airport only reached the 88 degree mark, two degrees short of the mark that triggers the flow of free lemonade in Bluefield.

“George McGonagle called this morning and told us to start squeezing lemons,” Debbie Maynard, executive vice president of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce said. The Bluefield Chamber has distributed free lemonade to Bluefielders and visitors alike on each day that local temperatures reached or exceeded the 90 degree F., mark. The Chamber has served lemonade 197 times since the first serving in 1941, with last year’s 18 servings setting a new record for days 90 degrees or above.

“I moved back to Bluefield from Washington, D.C., to get away from the summer heat,” Suzanne Compton said as she sat in the Chicory Square shade Friday afternoon enjoying some cool jazz music from the Bluefield High School Jazz Band performing at the Bluefield Daily Telegraph Concert Series. “My son lives in Tucson, Ariz. He wanted me to come out there with him, but it was 107 out there earlier this week. I’ll stay right where I’m at.”

Nobody seemed to mind the noon-day heat as the young musicians smoothed their way through jazz classics like “Masquerade,” “Birth of the Blues,” the “Jersey Bounce” and so much more as Bobby Jenks, the BHS band director led the ensemble and played along on his trumpet.

“Today is the last day of exams, but these students weren’t required to take exams — their grades are that good and most of them were exempt from taking exams,” Jenks said. “They didn’t have to be here, but they came out to play for you.” Jenks pointed out that two students in the ensemble — Emily Nestor who plays lead alto saxophone and Gray Forlines who plays jazz guitar, have already graduated.

“Gray was the class valedictorian,” Susan Allen, who was sitting in the audience said. “All of these kids are good students and they’ve won more competitions than any other year.”

When Frances Wayland, concert coordinator asked if anyone was attending their first concert, a young man wearing a blue Duke Blue Devil t-shirt raised his hand. “I think this kind of event really helps the community,” Kyle Gibson, the first-time visitor said. Gibson is a rising junior at BHS who came out to show his support for the members of the jazz band.

Deborah Weitzel was soaking up some sun. “When it’s really hot, you need to make sure you drink plenty of fluids and find some shade,” she said.

Bonnie Sowder, a Bluefield resident who is “39 years old and holding” said she can’t remember it being as hot as it is now in June. “Boy, it’s hot!” she said.

The Chamber has never served lemonade in the spring, and the earliest date it has reached 90 degrees in the summer was on June 23, 1988.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com