Connected Magazine, May/June 2012

end of a meeting, ‘We’re all together, a day after Gov. Wallace was present liams, Morton Word, Howard Wilks, right?’” for the dedication. The country music Terry Mitchell, Rudolph Skaggs, A.R. There was very little tax base in group Alabama came in 1982, as did Young, Pete Mitchell, Ray Williams, Rainsville in those days, remembers Edmond Burke, Cecil Shirey, Billy Poe, the Harlem Globetrotters. Country Baker. “There was no Hardee’s, no music legend George Jones held four J.V. Mince and Ann Everett.

McDonald’s, no Sonic or anything like concerts through the years. There were that,” he says. “There wasn’t enough Unsung heroes also a number of televised championrevenue to amortize any kind of loan.”

The first event at the new civic cenship wrestling matches, home and Baker says there were two keys to ter was held in February 1981. It was garden shows, and numerous cooperamaking the coliseum at least more than a basketball game between Plainview tive meetings held there. a dream. First, he said the city limits and rival Sylvania. The Bears pulled The largest event, Mitchell rememneed to be expanded. “A committee off a win on their new home court. bers, was the night Travis Tritt came went door-to-door asking permission “It was the most stressful game I to town — drawing a crowd of more to bring them into the city limits,” he ever coached,” says Mitchell, who than 3,000. says. “It didn’t take anybody against also served as the facility’s director for The biggest stars, however, have their will.” more than 18 years. been the boys and girls basketball The second key was players. Through the a new one-cent sales years, the civic center tax, with one-half cent hosted many Sand earmarked for the civic Mountain and DeKalb center project.

County tournaments.

Sanderson says another major key Changes was that it was a time The Rainsville Civic of less partisan poliCenter has seen many tics. “People worked changes. Long-time together for the benefit director Mitchell left of the town, politics his position in 1999. “I didn’t matter,” Sander- Repairs will soon be complete on the DeKalb County Schools Coliseum. had plans to serve as son says. director of the building “You couldn’t get a one-cent sales Behind the success of the buildfor one year,” he says. “That one year tax passed today,” adds Baker. ing, from planning to construction to turned into 18.” operations, there are many unsung In his office, Barron has a photoIn 2001, the DeKalb County Board of heroes.

Education purchased the facility from graph from May 30, 1975, of the late Baker remembers that, during the the City of Rainsville and renamed it Gov. George Wallace in Rainsville. site preparation phase, county equipthe DeKalb County Schools Coliseum.

“We picked him up in Boaz,” Barron The greatest change, however, came ment would just “magically” be remembers. “He pledged $250,000 the evening of April 27, 2011. An EF-5 parked in the area on Friday aftertoward the coliseum that day.” tornado slammed into the building, The citizens group managed to raise noons. “County employees would tearing it apart. “I thought it was de$400,000 through a grant, then the city come out on weekends and work on molished,” says Baker. “It just shows received an $800,000 loan from the their own time,” he says. that the structural design of the buildOf course, one facility director with Farmers Home Administration (FHA). ing was excellent.” a full-time coaching and teaching job “Without FHA, it wouldn’t have Work has been ongoing to repair the could not possibly operate such a been possible,” says Baker. “How it came to be, really, is kind of a miracle.” venue by himself. “I can’t tell you how building. Mitchell says he believes the building will be much better now, in many people worked for free,” says For Baker, he remembers at times it Mitchell. From cleaning to concessions the aftermath of the tornado. Planned looking hopeless. “I just couldn’t see improvements include the addition of to maintenance, there was always where the money was coming from.” a cooling system and features to imFor Sanderson, who would later someone there to help keep the Rainsprove the building’s energy efficiency. ville Civic Center going. serve 16 years as Rainsville mayor, he Through it all, for the group who got Mitchell says countless Plainview never had a doubt. “It took some sellstudents gave of their time to keep the it started and the small town that has ing people on the idea,” he says. grown into city status, the building facility clean and in good shape for After a few years of hard work and remains a source of pride. basketball games and public events. sacrifice by people throughout town, “It’s had a tremendous impact on the Rainsville Civic Center was comThe stars our town,” says Barron. “It’s the house pleted in 1981. The community had Country singer T.G. Sheppard holds that the people of Rainsville built.” successfully built a $1.6 million facility. the honor of being the first performer And for DeKalb County’s secondThe first Rainsville Civic Center in concert at the Rainsville Civic Cenlargest city, it always will be. n Board included Roy Sanderson, John Baker, Katherine Hendrix, Dewey Wil- ter. The event was held Oct. 25, 1981, Connected - May/June 2012 11