Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/26/1964 to 11/1/1964

Southern Bell announced a major half-million-dollar improvement plan designed to upgrade telephone facilities in the Rome area. Strong growth in West Rome in particular was cited as one of the reasons that the expansion was needed; over half of the total expenditure was devoted to running new conduits along Shorter Avenue to serve the many businesses and residences being built there "We have to work far ahead to prepare for the continuing rapid growth in this area," Southern Bell Rome manager A.M. Bennett said.

West Rome's football team enjoyed a rare week off during the season, with no game scheduled for the weekend of Halloween.

The West Rome Junior High Library Club was created under the leadership of Edwin Dodd, president; Tommy Horton, vice-president; and Robert Smiderski, secretary/treasurer.

The National Honor Society kicked off their candy sale fundraiser with a selection of candy priced from 25¢ to $2.

The Future Teachers of America Club started a membership driving, hoping to recruit students in the 10th through the 12th grades who were interested in a teaching career.

Coosa Valley Tech proves so popular that the school was operating at 100% capacity and was having to turn away applicants--and that mean that it was the best-performing technical school in Georgia (some schools, such as the ones in Valdosta, Columbus, Augusta, and DeKalb were operating at less than half capacity). Jack, Nix, Georgia direct of vocational education, said that Coosa Valley had 187 full-time pupils (2 more than its originally planned 185 capacity) and 442 part-time (again, 2 more than its planned capacity).

Georgia Power Company was pushing their "flameless electric dryers" this week in 1964; for only $3.09 a month added to their electric bill, customers could have a new Westinghouse or Maytag dryer delivered to their home--and while the payments ran for 5 years (making the total cost of the dryer $185.40), Georgia Power pointed out that this was the list price of the dryer, that no interest was being added to the dryer, and that Georgia Power offered a full five-year warranty on the dryer if you purchased it from them. "If we can't fix it first time, we give you a new one!" they emphasized. How many appliance dealers today offer no-interest 5 year financing and a full repair-or-replacement 5 year warranty? It's no wonder that so many homes switched to electric appliances in the 1960s!

Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 69¢ a pound, a four-pound bag of Jonathan apples for 33¢, and a pound of Brach's Pic-a-Mix candy for 45¢. Kroger had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, yellow squash for 15¢ a pound, and a 24-bottle case of Coca-Cola or Tab for 79¢ plus deposit.Big Apple had spare ribs for 39¢ a pound, Hormel bacon for 57¢ a pound, and a five-pound bag of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢. A&P had cubed steak for 89¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and 4 rolls of Northern bathroom tissue for 39¢.  Couch's had fresh whole fryers for 23¢ a pound, banana for a dime a pound, and a one-pound can of JFG coffee for 79¢.

The first half of the week offered moviegoers a choice of Where Has Love Gone (with Susan Hayward & Bette Davis) at the DeSoto Theater and Fate Is the Hunter (with Glenn Ford and Rod Taylor) at the First Avenue. For the last half to the week, the choices included Rio Conchos (with Stuart Whitman and Richard Bone) at the DeSoto and a double feature of Horror at Party Beach and The Curse of the Living Corpse at the First Avenue (hey, it was Halloween week, after all!). On the weekend, the West Rome Drive-In was showing a double feature of Hey Geisha and Hell Is For Heroes, reminding us once again that very few people ever went to the drive-in to see the movie.

The Supremes held the number position this week in 1964 with "Baby Love." Other songs in the top ten included "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#2); "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#3); "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las (#4); "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#5); "Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs (#6); "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay & the Americans (#7); "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" by Dean Martin (#8); "Chug-a-Lug" by Roger Miller (#9); and "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#10).