Around Town: Dillard's Music Park, A Bluegrass Landmark, Is Sold. Debate Is A Brawl For It All

A big piece of local history changed hands last week as the Salmon brothers, David and Ramey, completed the purchase of Dillard’s Music Park off Calhoun Road.

Once known as the North 53 Drive-in, Ben and Morrean Dillard bought it at auction in 1983, quickly taking down the screen and adding a 10,000-square-foot auditorium.

It soon became home of a bluegrass music haven and has seen other uses over the years, including recent wrestling bouts.

Spread across 14 acres and zoned for heavy commercial, the site at 2701 Calhoun Road sold for $750,000 in a deal worked by Larry Cagle of Hardy Realty.

Many have memories of the bluegrass get-togethers, staged by the Dillards for 15 years. Sometimes they’d host as many as five per year, according to Ben’s obituary.

The music park even served as the site for Ben’s celebration of life in 2021, a testament to a self-made business and family man.

Cagle says Morrean Dillard concluded it was time for new owners and the Salmons — via S & S Properties — added it to their holdings.

A lot of plans are being kicked around, says Cagle, who adds that the property adjoins one of the brothers’ farms.

Business, Inc.

Going up: This is the latest big sale for Cagle on the eastern side of Floyd County. In late December, he handled the transaction that is bringing a Dollar General Market to Kingston Highway.

The site is near the Rock Store and Mathis Trailers and Equipment Sales. Look for a summer opening of the 12,480-square-foot store.

Negotiations also continue to bring two other Dollar General Markets to the county, Cagle adds.

DiPrima’s Shoes opens in Cartersville: In recent years, the store near Mount Berry Mall has expanded into new quarters. Now comes a Cartersville location at 735 Joe Frank Harris Parkway.

It is DiPrima’s third area site, joining the Calhoun store on W.C. Bryant Parkway. DiPrima’s was founded in 1959.

Popcorn & Politics

Brawl for it all: Two races on the Republican primary ballot on May 21 are winner-takes-all: The sheriff’s race and clerk of court.

This Thursday’s meeting of the Floyd County Republican Party features the candidates: Clerk of Superior Court incumbent Barbara Penson vs. Mary Hardin Thornton and incumbent Sheriff Dave Roberson and Robbie Whitfield.

At this point it sounds like Penson won’t be able to attend. Reached Monday, she said she’s attending clerk’s training out of town this week but will have a representative.

With no Democratic opposition in November, the winner of the primary basically gets the next four-year term.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. at John Henry’s Grill, 233 Broad St. The meeting is free but those dining on the buffet are asked to pay $15 (service begins at 5:15 p.m.).

Calendar:

April 29: First day of advance voting♦ for the primary.

Peaks & Valleys

The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Peak to the appointment of Harry Pierce to Georgia’s Department of Economic Development board of directors: Talk about resume. Since retiring from a stellar Home Depot career, the Rome businessman has founded and sold Big Time Products, and most recently launched Hard Time Products, selling products to prisons and jails. Plus dabbled in downtown redevelopment. And brought a successful indoor football team to town. As a colleague once said of him, “Harry has that golden touch.”

Valley to outside donations to “our” congressional race: In 2022, nearly $30 million flooded the campaigns of congressional opponents Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene and Democratic challenger Marcus Flowers. Much of it was from outside the state, and a majority went to Flowers. This election, through March 31, $5.2 million has been sent to Greene and her four Democratic opponents — nearly $5 million to the incumbent alone. Her Federal Election Commission report shows repeated fund transfers from WinRed, where “donors from across the country can easily connect with causes and candidates that they support.” ActBlue is a Democratic counterpart that has contributed to the overall $302,000 given to Democrat Shawn Harris this year. So much for “local” races.