Saturday, November 01, 2014

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/2/1964 to 11/8/1964

Celanese announced a major two-year expansion of the Rome plant to increase its acetate filament production by 25%; Celanese fibers were used in clothes, automotive upholstery, carpet, furniture coverings, and much more. Of course, a major expansion meant more manufacturing jobs for Rome, which pumped even more money into the area's fast-growing economy.

Don Biggers of the Rome News-Tribune talked to West Rome Coach Paul Kennedy and East Rome Coach Larry Muschamp about the East Rome-West Rome game, the final game of the regular season for both teams. Both coaches came to the same conclusion: the school whose played made the fewest mistakes was going to win that game. Turned out that West Rome was that school as the Chieftains came back from being down 10-9 at halftime to end the game with a 23-10 victory thanks to two touchdown runs by Dickie Sapp, who carried the ball 20 times during the game, accounting for 129 net yards for the Chiefs. 6500 people packed Barron Stadium to watch the game, which by 1964 had become the biggest sports event of the year in Rome.

While the real election was going on across the nation (Goldwater took Georgia, but Johnson carried the nation by a landslide) West Rome's civics classes participated in a mock election. West Rome's Presidential voting mirrored the national results.

Those who missed the first picture day at West Rome--or those who, like me, always held out the vague hope that the next picture might look a little less goofy--could try again on Wednesday, November 4th, when picture retake day was held.

This was also the first week of West Rome Watanyah sales for the 1965 yearbook.

A&P had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, winesap apples for a dime a pound, and Marvel ice milk for 39¢. PigglyWiggly had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound, Swift's bacon for 33¢ a pound, and avocados for 19¢ each. Kroger had smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, bananas for a dime pa pound, and a 3-pound can of Crisco for 69¢. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 23¢ a pound, Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and Libby's infamous potted meat for a dime a can.  Couch's had Fleetwood coffee for 59¢ a pound, Duffey's red hot franks for a quarter a pound, and a box of Nabisco Saltines for 29¢.

During the first half of the week, moviegoers had a choice between Rio Conchos at the DeSoto Theater and a double feature of Hootenanny Hoot and Elvis Presley's Kissin' Cousins at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The Young Lovers (with Peter Fonda, Nick Adams, and Sharon Hugueny) to the First Avenue and Station Six Sahara (with Carroll Baker) at the DeSoto. The West Rome Drive-In's weekend feature was Who's Got the Action? (with Dean Martin & Lana Turner) and The Boy Who Stole a Million (such a grade B film they didn't even list a cast member).

The Supremes' "Baby Love" held the number one position this week in 1964. Other top ten hits included "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las (#2); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#3); "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay & the Americans (#4); "Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs (#5); "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" by Dean Martin (#6); "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#7); "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#8); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#9); and that unforgettable Western ballad "Ringo" by Bonanza patriarch Lorne Greene (#10).

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