Fifty Years Ago This Week - 9/16/63 to 9/22/63

The Coosa Valley Fair kicked off a week-long run on Monday, September 16th. The West Rome Band presented a concert at the fairgrounds on Thursday, September 19th. Other fair events included a judo show every afternoon, a newspaperboy tossing contest on Friday, September 20th (I presume that newspaperboys were tossing papers, rather than people tossing newspaperboys), a skydiving exhibition on Friday, September 20th, and an amateur talent contest on Saturday, September 21st. The big event, of course, was the Miss Coosa Valley Fair Contest, which had semifinals on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with the winner announced on Thursday, September 19th; alas, the winner was Linda Shipp from Paulding County rather than a West Rome chieftain.

The Chieftains headed to Chattanooga to confront McCallie High on Friday, September 20th. West Rome held a morning pep rally at 10:30 AM Friday, but the exuberance of the student body wasn't enough to inspire the team to victory. Alas, West Rome lost the game 7-0, although Coach Paul Kennedy said that Chris Warren "played the best game of his career."

The West Rome Student Council elected its officers in mid-September. Homeroom representatives included Marion Edge, Dennis Greer, and Beverly Pegg (seniors); Glenda Carlson, Jack Gibson, Chris Lawler, Dick Sapp, and Judy Whitaker (juniors); Phil Jenkins, Jane Cox, Ricky House, Cindy Lattimer, Ronnie Parker, & Becky Wood (sophomores); Allen Brigham, Tom Hill, Donna mayne, Tommy Sappe, and Susan Sprayberry (freshmen); and Gail Cole, Lee Davenport, Vickie Horton, Carol Halloway, and Pam Williams (eighth grade). Tim Key was elected as president of the group; other officers included Zeke Dawson, vice-president; Jerry Coalson, secretary; and Len Willingham, treasurer.

The Future Teachers of America also elected their officers. Jackie Lupo was chosen as president of the group; other officers included Judi Burns (vice-president), Tina Edge & Barbara Keith (secretaries), Alfred Fletcher (parliamentarian), and Donna Brock (historian).

Shorter Avenue's long-awaited expansion and resurfacing was finally on the calendar, according to a mid-September announcement. This included the addition of curbs and gutters and four lanes for traffic from Burnett Ferry Road to Huffacre road and slightly beyond. The article pointed out that, because of West Rome's rapid growth, Shorter Avenue had become the heaviest traveled street in Rome, with traffic doubling between 1955 and 1963.

Piggly Wiggly had a giant-size box of Tide detergent for 49¢, bananas for 9¢ a pound, and smoked ham for 39¢ a pound. Kroger offered canned biscuits for a nickel a can, Spotlight coffee for 49¢ a pound, and a six-ounce package of luncheon meat for a quarter. A&P had Cap'n John's frozen fish sticks for 49¢ for a one-pound box, Armour chili with beans for a quarter, and Allgood bacon for 49¢ a pound. Couch's had Bama apple jelly (still a favorite of mine after all these years!) for a quarter for a 16 ounce jar that could be used as a drinking glass once you'd eaten all the jelly! Other Couch's offerings included ground beef for 39¢ a pound and roasting chickens for 29¢ a pound.

Women looking for a fur coat could get one for $16.88 at Penney's if they weren't too particular about the type of fur. Penney's was offering a mid-length raccoon coat for that price. Sears, meanwhile, brought back their popular British Enfield Mark IV Rifles for only $17.88 each, in case you felt like hunting your own raccoon instead...

Moviegoers looking for something to watch in the first half of the week could choose from Donovan's Reef (with John Wayne) at the DeSoto, Hootenanny Hoot (with Johnny Cash and other performers) at the First Avenue, and Love Come Back (with Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend brought Spencer's Mountain to the DeSoto, while Irma La Douce returned to the First Avenue (you'd think that, with so few screens and so many movies, the theaters wouldn't have brought back so many old movies that had already run repeatedly). The Lonely and the Brave (with Kirk Douglas) and The Gentle Touch (with Brenda Lee) were showing at the West Rome Drive-In.

The number one song this week in 1963 was "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton. Other top ten hits included "Sally Go 'Round the roses" by the Jaynetts (#2); "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes (#3); "Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas (#4); "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels (#5); "Then He Kissed Me" by the Crystals (#6); "Wonderful! Wonderful" by the Tymes (#7); "Mickey's Monkey" by Major Lance (#8); "Cry Baby" by Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters (#9); and "If I Had a Hammer" by Trini Lopez (#10).