KRBE’s own Ghostbusters, a hospital closes and more from June 1989

I thought I had seen it all, but then came June 8, 1989.

The KRBE crew, including disc jockey Glenn Beck (before he became a conservative commentator), donned Ghostbusters gear and posed for photos around an Ecto-1 outside the old Chronicle Building at 801 Texas

The station purchased the tricked out Cadillac and planned to give it away the following month, according to an article published the following day. This all came about as “Ghostbusters II” hit theaters.

Dr. Red Duke, a tribute to a longtime Astros fan, famed police artist Lois Gibson, Jolanda Jones, the gay pride parade and Fame City Waterworks are just some of the events and newsmakers appearing in this month’s roundup of photos from 30 years ago this month.

Weekends in June 1989 were pretty much spent at the multiplex. You’ll recall that month saw the release of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “Karate Kid III,” “Star Trek V,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” and, of course, “Batman.”

Perhaps the most bizarre attempt at promoting a summer film came toward the end of the month, when Bernie, from “Weekend at Bernie’s,” appeared at Le Peep. No this wasn’t actor Terry Kiser, who plays Bernie in the film, but a life-size dummy. You can see Bernie give Le Peep waitress Kim Dutton the silent treatment in the photos above.

Over on Allen Parkway, Jeff Davis Hospital closed for good and was replaced by LBJ Hospital on the northeast side.

In the days before it closed, Harris County Hospital District employees moved dozens of patients from the 1930s-era hospital to the new building. A Chronicle article from the time said that after the hospital failed to meet city fire codes, it was decided that it would be cheaper to build a new hospital than renovate old JD.

Reporter Jo Ann Zuniga wrote:

“The 10-story structure, rated as one of the nation’s most prolific birth centers, has seen the delivery of 286,430 babies since 1966.”

The hospital building would be torn down in 1999.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.