Walnut surprise will leave you rubbing your eyes

By Annabel Girard
Staff Writer

There's been a cosmetic change or two to the Centre College campus since last year's band festival.

Your eyes don't deceive you if you rubbed them when you looked down Walnut Street, which is to the right when facing the stage. You don't need new glasses; there are a few extra curves and it is narrower.

There also is a new fountain by the Norton Center for the Arts, made possible by a donation in memory of a Centre alumnus and his father, who wrote the lyrics to some old classics.

The new look of Walnut Street means handicap access has been moved. Parking spaces have been removed as part of redoing the street. During the festival, parking lots on campus are reserved for handicapped parking (see map on pages 16-17) and a shuttle service will run to Centre's campus.

Not having cars parked on the street will make it possible to enlarge the festival area. As attendance has increased, more and more people are sitting across Walnut Street, said Jerry Boyd, who is in charge of logistics. Cars and recreational vehicles, in some cases, have blocked the view.

Walnut Street is left free for pedestrians, except when buses are dropping off or picking up bands.

The change to Walnut Street is part of long-term plans at Centre to improve the campus appearance. Originally, the college proposed removing the street, putting up a bell tower and adding a lake in front of Old Centre.

Plans to close the street didn't sit too well with local residents, since Walnut Street provides an alternate route headed west. Last fall, Centre came in with an alternate plan which the Danville City Commission did approve. Parking was removed from Walnut Street from Fifth to Harding Street (which is by the railroad tracks), and the two-lane street given a curve to break the lines as it runs through the campus.

The fountain, dedicated in April, honors James Haven Gillespie and his son Haven Lamont Gillespie. Haven Lamont Gillespie graduated from Centre in 1933. A donation from his widow, Audrey R. Gillespie, made the fountain possible.

The elder Gillespie, James Haven, is probably best known for the childhood favorite ``Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.'' However, he also wrote the words to ``Breezing Along with the Breeze'' and ``You Go to My Head,'' along with more than 200 published songs.

The finale of the jazz concert held at the Norton Center after the fountain dedication ended with ``Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town,'' complete with artificial snow, Santa and reindeer on the backdrop and musicians, featuring among others Vince DiMartino, wearing Santa hats.