Saturday, November 08, 2014

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/9/1964 to 11/15/1964

West Rome High School class favorites were announced on Thursday, November 12th. Judy Wessinger and Dickie Sapp were chosen from the senior class; Ann Perry and Mike Murphy from the junior class; Sylvia Brumbelow and Tommy Sapp from the sophomore class; Penny Andrews and John Berry from the freshman class; Debbie Joyner and Matt Oldham from the eighth grade class; and Vickie Duffey and Larry Thomas from the seventh grade class.

The West Rome National Junior Honor Society, under the direction of faculty sponsor Mrs. Jean Smiderski, began collecting old books to distribute to various organizations throughout Rome and Floyd County.

West Rome football star Dickie Sapp was chosen as one of the two captains of the All-Star Football Team. The only other Chieftain who made the list was Gerry Law (all-area end).

Celestine Sibley made an appearance in Rome on Thursday, November 12th, signing copies of her book Christmas in Georgia, which was of course available for sale through Wyatt's at $2.50 per copy for the hardcover.

The Etowah Indian Mounds in Bartow County were designated a national historic landmark this week in 1964. How many of my fellow Chieftains were lucky enough to make a field trip to the Indian Mounds? It was one of the first field trips I remember that took us not only off campus but out of town, and I still remember it as being one of the most amazing school days of my elementary school years.

Georgia's proposed state budget for 2015 was the first ever to top $1 billion, but the governor and the House Speaker said that it could be done without a tax increase. (And it turned out they were correct!)

The Milwaukee Braves made it official on November 10th, signing a 25-year contract with the city of Atlanta. "Tell them they just made the best trade they've ever made," Mayor Ivan Allen told Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium chairman Arthur Montgomery. Milwaukee continued to grumble about the deal, making threats of lawsuits and against the Braves and the city of Atlanta and anti-trust action against the National League.

Sterchi's had a dining table and six chars in the trendy-in-the-sixties White Danish Modern for only $99 delivered. A more traditional maple table with six chairs cost $129.

Showing that meanings of words change with time, the headline announcing the beginning of the Christmas Seals campaign was "Gay Christmas Seals Aid War Against TB."

Sears was ready for the Christmas season with a 10% off sale on all bicycles; for only $29.66, parents could get a boys or girls bike to go under the tree--and that was the "fully assembled" price, so no time was wasted trying to figure out where those five leftover parts were supposed to go.

Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, Stokely's cream corn for 16¢ a can, and 2 pounds of JFG coffee for $1.19. Kroger had ground beef for 33¢ a pound, tomatoes for a dime a pound, and Kroger or Country Club ice cream for 19¢ a half-gallon. Big App[le had pork steak for 39¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and tall cans of Double Q salmon for 49¢.  A&P had sliced bacon or 39¢ a pound, Fireside brand saltines for 19¢ a box, and ten pound of red delicious apples for 59¢. Couch's had center cut pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Lay's potato chips for 59¢ for a twin-pack bag, and Morton's chicken pot pies for 19¢ each.

The cinematic week began with Woman of Straw (with Gina Lollobrigida & Sean Connery) at the DeSoto and The Seventh Dawn (with William Holden & Susannah York) at the First Avenue. The midweek change up brought the Hank Williams bio-pic Your Cheatin' Heart (with George Hamilton and Red Buttons) to the DeSoto and the all-star film spectacular It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In brought back The Bridge On the River Kwai, pairing it up with the forgettable Johnny Cool ("the international murder machine they couldn't turn off!").

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Baby Love" by the Supremes. Other top ten hits included "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las (#2); "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay & the Americans (#3); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#4); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#5); "Ringo" by Lorne Greene (#6); "Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs (#7); "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks (#8) "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart" by Dean Martin (#9); and "Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#10).

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