The Limestone County Career Technical Center is celebrating 40 years of preparing Limestone County students such as Ardmore High 12th-grader Garett Thomas for the world of work. The center will host a public open house from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

The year 1971 was a happenin’ year.

Gasoline cost 40 cents a gallon.

Charles Manson and three of his murdering followers received the death penalty.

The voting age was lowered to 18.

Singer Jim Morrison was found dead in his Paris bathtub.

Prisoners took hostages at Attica.

“All In the Family” ranked No. 1 among television viewers.

And — what is today the Limestone County Career Technical Center — began its 40-year history of training students for all kinds of careers.

Since ’71, hundreds of well-prepared students have passed through its doors ready for the world of work. 

To mark its history and many success stories, the Career Tech Center will host an open house for the public from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the center at 505 E. Sanderfer Road in Athens.

The Tech Center is not just a vocational school or a tech school, said Design Drafting Instructor Brian Terry.

“It is a school that enhances our community, job markets and industrial development opportunities,” the longtime teacher said Thursday. “It is a school that trains craftsmen, laborers, technicians and a wide-variety of professional careers. It is truly a ‘high-tech’ Career Technical Center that uses specific training areas to enhance the academic studies of each student that attends the center.”

Each day in Athens and Limestone County, students from high schools in Ardmore, Athens, Athens Bible School, Clements, East Limestone, Elkmont, Tanner and West Limestone board buses or cars and travel to the Tech Center to receive instruction they cannot receive elsewhere.

The school is instrumental to the community.

“There are a wide variety of subjects,” Terry said. “Some subjects or careers do not really require additional training beyond high school. But, several areas require classroom instruction and training as well as additional industry certifications in order to gain employment or to remain employed. Some subjects require students to go to the next level of college. Several of the students who currently attend the Tech Center are college bound and will receive two-year, four-year and six-year degrees in their respective professions.”

Among the offerings requiring additional study are Design Drafting (architecture, engineering, tool design and video game design, among others); Health Science (including but not limited to nursing, various medical related technicians, therapist, doctors and veterinarian; and Cosmetology (students must maintain a specific number of training hours and earn certification from the state board of cosmetology).