Ask the News - Sept. 29

Sep. 28—I haven't been inside the Mesa theater in downtown Clovis for years. Is the gold chain curtain still there?

The gold metal drape still hangs at the Mesa theater, 206 N. Main St., in Clovis.

"The drape is still on the stage, although I understand that it might have been modified a little bit from the original installation," Bob Dart said. Dart is vice president of Internet Technology & Operations at Clovis Community College, which owns the theater.

Members of the rock 'n' roll band The Fireballs helped remodel Norman Petty's theater in 1962-63, according to Fireballs guitarist George Tomsco.

Tomsco and rhythm guitarist Danny Trammell are the last surviving members of the original group.

"I wasn't there. I was in the National Guard and I had to go to active training. But Jimmy Gilmer and Stan Lark helped Norman Petty upgrade the theater and they told me all about it," Tomsco said Wednesday.

Clovis businessman Randy Petty, no relation to Norman, said it was his father, David Petty, who led the crew "making the changes Norman wanted."

Tomsco, who now lives in Raton, said the chain used for the drape "wasn't actual gold or gold plated, it was a light gauge metal the color of gold."

"Rumor has it there was three miles worth of chain used to make the theater curtain," Tomsco said.

Tomsco said Norman Petty had an architect help with the interior design. Randy Petty identified the architect as Harry Barton Jr.

"Barton did the redesign of the theater. He also designed my dad's house. He designed Sandzen, the development on North Norris Street.

"His parents had a turkey farm there before it was Sandzen," Randy Petty said.

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