Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/28/1964 to 1/3/1965

The US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare gave Rome a very clear ultimatum this week in 1964: either end all forms of school segregation, or lose access to all forms of federal funding. The Rome City School System was slated to lose $74,400 in annual funding if segregation was not immediately discontinued, according to Superintendent Milton S. McDonald. The Board of Education was set to make this their first order of business at their January meeting.

West Rome's boys basketball team may have been eliminated from competition early in the Rome News-Tribune Winter tournament, but West Rome's girls advanced in the Fifth Annual Cave Spring Basketball Tournament, defeating East Rome 41-22. Alas, they had to settle for second place after they were defeated 24-20 by Cave Spring in the final round of the tournament.

Rome still had a train station with passenger service in late 1964, but no one was taking any of the four Southern Railway daily passenger trains at the end of the year due to a Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Engineers strike. Freight service continued on a limited basis, but passenger service was shut down, so riding the rails was not an option for a couple of days, until a federal judge ordered the striking workers back on the job on December 31st.

What we would give for interest rates like this today: The Rome Bank & Trust was offering 4.75% interest on a one-year savings certificate (the 1964 version of a certificate of deposit) this week in 1964.

Piggly Wiggly had cabbage for a dime a pound, sweet potatoes for 9¢ a pound, and fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound. Kroger had the mandatory New Year's Day hog jowl for 15¢ a pound, smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, and blackeyed peas for 9¢ a pound. Big Apple had cabbage for 8¢ a pound, smoked hog jowl for 17¢ a pound, and pork roast for 29¢ a pound.  A&P had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound, turnip greens for 15¢ a pound, and grapefruit for a dime each. Couch's had blackeyed peas for a dime a pound, stew beef for 35¢ a pound, and JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound.

The cinematic week began with Topkapi (with Melina Mercouri & Peter Ustinov) at the DeSoto and Pajama Party (with Tommy Kirk & Annette Funicello) at the First Avenue. The midweek switchout brought The Disorderly Orderly (with Jerry Lewis) to the DeSoto, Goldfinger (with Sean Connery) to the First Avenue--what a way to end the year!), and a double feature of Send Me No Flowers (with Rock Hudson & Doris Day) and Move Over, Darling (with Doris Day & James Garner) to the West Rome Drive-In.

The number one song this week in 1964-65 was "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles. Other top ten hits included "Come See About Me" by the Supremes (#2); "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#3); "Love Potion Number Nine" by the Searchers (#4); "Downtown" by Petula Clark (#5); "Goin' Out of My Head" by Little Anthony & the Imperials (#6); "Amen" by the Impressions (#7); "The Jerk" by the Larks (#8); "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers (#9); and "The Wedding" by Julie Rogers (#10).

And that's how 1964 ended and 1965 began. We all said farewell to an auspicious year as we looked forward to more good things in 1965. For me and my classmates, 1965 would be the year that we moved from elementary school to West Rome Junior High--and for America, it would be a year unlike any other! But we had no idea what the next 12 months would hold...

Just My Type

The very first time I saw an IBM Selectric typewriter was in the front office of West Rome High School in late 1965. I had grown up around typewriters, both manual and electric, since Dad was a newspaperman, so I knew what typewriters sounded like. I had gone to the office for some routine errand (I was at West Rome Junior High that year, which was located on the south end of the same building that housed the high school), and while I was waiting, I heard an unfamiliar machine-gun sound. I thought that it might be the sound of the fastest typist in the world, so I looked in the direction of the sound and saw something I'd never seen before. The office clerk was typing, but nothing on the typewriter appeared to be moving--the carriage didn't even appear to be movable at all. I stepped closer, ignoring the fact that I was no treading into territory that should have been off limits to lowly seventh graders, and I saw the most amazing thing: a tiny ball, whirling and twirling at phenomenal speeds as it moved across the page, leaving typed letters in its wake.  I was in awe; I must have watched the typist for three or four minutes before she noticed that she had an audience. "What kind of typewriter is that?" I asked.

"Selectric," she said.

And I knew then and there that someday I would have to own a Selectric. That stationary carriage, that spinning typeball (yes, it was officially known as a type element, but I never heard anyone call it anything other than a typeball), that sleek futuristic-by-1960s-standards boat-anchor metal body, and that wonderful sound that made any typist sound ultra-proficient--if anyone could fall in love with a typewriter, then I had discovered typographic love at first sight.

The problem was, the Selectric was an incredible investment--over $500 in 1965 dollars, and holding that $500 to $600 price through most of the 1970s. My parents rarely paid much more than $500 for a used car at that time, so they certainly weren't going to spring for the cost of a Selectric.

But Gary Steele's parents... now that was a different story.

I've mentioned Gary before; he was my best friend through high school, and both he and I got into fandom at about the same time. In 1968, Gary and I both joined a couple of amateur press alliances (the most important of which, in our eyes, was Myriad, an apa begun by Stven Carlberg, of which we were both charter members), and while I was producing my apazines on a portable manual Remington or Dad's Rome News-Tribune Royal or Underwood typewriters, Gary somehow got a Selectric.

To be honest, I know how. Gary's mother was particularly doting on her only child, and she was more than willing to spoil him, even if that meant giving in to his entreaties and spending a small fortune of $500+ for a new Selectric. Emphasis on the "plus"—while old IBM pricelists show $520 or so as the price for a new Selectric at that time, Mrs. Steele repeatedly cited $700 as the price that they paid, and I believe her. It wouldn't be unusual for Riddle Office Supply, the only source for Selectrics in Rome in 1968, to have added dealer mark-up on the machine--and it's possible she bought a couple of extra typeballs at the same time. Any time the subject of the Selectric came up, though, she always referred to it as "that $700 typewriter," so I'm convinced that is indeed how much they paid. And this was a the same time that Mr. Steele was still driving a 1956 Chevrolet he had bought new!

My parents, however, were far less willing to give in to my whining, so no Selectric for me. From time to time, I used Gary's Selectric—we each had our own specific typeball to identify our fanzines (I believe that mine was Letter Gothic, although it may have been Prestige Elite while Gary used Letter Gothic).

It would be 1973 before Susan and I owned a Selectric. More specifically, we became the owners of a used Selectric II, which we bought  (along with four typeballs) from the now-defunct House of Typewriters in Marietta for $375. Bear in mind that I was in college in 1973, working part-time while Susan worked full-time, and together we earned about $9500 a year before taxes. Nevertheless, we managed to scrape together $375 in cash for a wide-carriage Selectric II, and we produced hundreds (maybe even thousands) of fanzine and apazine pages on that typewriter.

I got rid of that Selectric in the mid-1980s, selling it cheaply to a friend who needed it to do his apazines. I had a new Macintosh and was convinced that a computer eliminated my need for a Selectric. And for the most part, I was right. But need and want are different things.

In recent years, I've repeatedly thought how handy it would be to have a typewriter to do checks, envelopes, note cards, and other related items that don't print quickly and/or well on a ColorQube 8570 printer. There's a certain convenience to just rolling a piece of paper into a typewriter, turning it on, hitting a few keys, and being done.

I bought a Brother daisywheel typewriter while it was on sale, but it just wasn't the same. There's this aggravating lag—you hit a key, and there's a fraction of a second delay before the key strikes the paper. Type several letters quickly, and three or four keystrikes occur after you've finished typing. It's positively off-putting, and I frequently find myself worrying if I've mistyped something. Even worse, this lag actually encourages typos—apparently I rely on auditory feedback more than I realized!

Then today, this Selectric II came my way as a Christmas gift. It's used, of course, but in remarkably good shape for a forty-year-old machine—and its provenance includes an unusual link to my and Susan's past, as it turns out. (I've been asked by the seller not to go into too much detail in print, so I'll respect his wishes.)  I've tested it, putting it through its motions, and everything seems to be working fine. So now I once again own the world's best typewriter--and this time, I'm not letting it get away, computer technology notwithstanding!

And  today, when I watched that Selectric typeball in action, I remembered that day in the West Rome High School office when I was awestruck by my first vision of a Selectric... and it still seems just as incredible today as it was then!

Fifty Years Ago This Week - 12/21/1964 to 12/27/1964

After a cold snap dropped temperatures into the teens the in the final week of autumn, Rome warmed up for the beginning of winter, with temperatures rising into the 50s for highs and dropping into the 40s for lows during Christmas week. All those dreams of white Christmases melted away with the warmer weather—but at least it was great weather for testing out new Christmas bicycles!

Since the Chieftains lost in the early rounds of the Rome News Tribune Winter Basketball Tournament, it was a week off for all West Romans, including our high school athletes.

The Rome City School System offered a little glimpse into its costs of operation, and what probably seemed pretty steep in 1964 seems amazingly inexpensive by today's standards. For example, the total cost to operate the Rome City Schools (including West Rome High) for one year was $1.63 million, or a total amortized cost of  $243.73 per student per year just for salaries and instructional costs. Even allowing for the $7.54 inflation multiplier, I suspect that we're spending a lot more than that in 2014... and getting much less impressive results!

Belk-Rhodes was touting what they claimed would be the Christmas gift of 1964: the Insta-Brewer coffee maker, with a special pressure plunger that forces all the coffee through all the water all at once, thereby making an entire pot of real coffee (not instant) in thirty seconds. Since I don't recall too many people making coffee in this $9.95 wonder back in the 1960s, my guess is that Belk was slightly overestimating the impressiveness of this half-minute marvel...

Piggly Wiggly had tom turkeys for 35¢ a pound, a 24-bottle case of Coca-Cola or Tab for 89¢ plus deposit, and Mrs. Filbert's mayonnaise for 59¢ a quart. Kroger has smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, Country Club ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Chase & Sanborn coffee for 69¢ a pound. A&P had pork roast for 49¢ a pound, raisins for a quarter a pound, and bananas for a dime a pound. Big Apple had hen turkeys for 37¢ a pound, already-cooked fruit pies for 59¢ each, and oranges for 15¢ a pound. Couch's had pork sausage for 29¢ a pound, Campbell's tomato soup for a dime a can, and Aristocrat ice cream for 39¢ a half-gallon.

As was normal for the time, Rome pretty much shut down on Christmas Day, with even the Rome News-Tribune taking the day off. The post office went one step further, taking off both Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th, leaving Romans without mail for three days in a row.

The cinematic week began with a double feature of Flipper (starring a dolphin) and Gold For the Caesars (a year old grade B film starring Jeffrey Hunter) at the Desoto and a double feature of  What a Way to Go (with Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, & Robert Mitchum) and Move Over, Darling (with Doris Day & James Garner) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Topkapi (with Melina Mercouri & Peter Ustinov) to the DeSoto and Pajama Party (with Tommy Kirk & Annette Funicello) to the First Avenue, while the West Rome Drive-In's weekend films were 1001 Arabian Nights  (with Mister Magoo) and Barabbas (with Anthony Quinn) at the First Avenue--and that just may be the strangest double-feature in Rome cinematic history!

The Beatles held the number one and number four positions on the top ten charts this week in 1964 with "I Feel Fine" and "She's a Woman" respectively. Other top ten hits included "Come See About Me" by the Supremes (#2); "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#3); "Love Potion Number Nine" by the Searchers (#5); "Goin' Out of My Head" by Little Anthony & the Imperials (#6); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#7); "Amen" by the Impressions (#8); "The Jerk" by the Impressions (#9); and "The Wedding" by Julie Rogers (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/14/1964 to 12/20/1964

This was the final week of school before the Christmas Holidays for all of us Chieftains--and the vacation was slated to continue until students returned to school on January 4th, 1965! In the 1960s and early 1970s, students didn't always get two full weeks off, so when we did, it was a cause for extra celebration!

West Rome's wrestlers defeated Rockmart 35-17, winning a total of nine matches--and four of them were won with pins, thanks to the athletic prowess of Mike Murphy, Anthony Salfta, and Greg Ray.

West Rome's basketball team fell to Berry Academy 56-48 in the 11th annual Northwest Georgia Invitational Basketball Tournament.

Chieftain halfback Dickie Sapp was named to the 22-player Class AA all-state team picked by the Associated Press, the only Chieftain named to the team and one of two Romans.

The West Rome Junior Tri-Hi-Y, under the leadership of Regina Swinford, was chosen November club of the month, earning a whopping 190 total points--almost twice times the number of points earned by the second-place East Rome club.

Len Willingham of the West Rome Hi-Y presented principal Dick McPhree with a handsome Bible that was to be designated as the official Bible of West Rome High School. (No one protested, no one sued... yes, the 1960s were a very different time indeed!)

The West Rome National Junior Honor Society inducted seven members to the club. The new members included Matt Oldham, Mike Witte, Patricia Dawson, Myra Beth Boggus, Pat Finley, Teresa Deleski, and Linda West. Debbie Cook was chosen as the first honorary member of the group; she met all the requirements for membership, but because she was unable to attend school, she was taught at home, making her ineligible for full membership.

A cold front moved into Rome on Friday, dropping temperatures to the low teens, with daytime highs in the mid thirties. I'm sure I wasn't the only kid in West Rome hoping for a little bit of snow to go with all that cold weather!...

The holiday season continued strong in Rome Department stores, with a 20% sales increase over year-to-date 1963 and a 16% decline in charge account balances--proof positive that Romans were buying more and paying for it sooner. For the Rome economy, Christmas 1964 was proving to be a boom period indeed!

Doc Elliott's Discount House broke out appliances and electronics for Christmas 1964, offering a ten-cup percolator (remember when that was the standard way of making coffee at home?) for $9.95, a 40-cup percolator for $14.95, a battery-powered tape recorder for $12.95, an eight inch portable TV for $60.00 (although why anyone in Rome would want one, I don't know, since we were too far from Atlanta or Chattanooga for any portable TV to pick up a signal without a very large outdoor antenna), and a transistor radio for $9.99. As was all too common in 1960s ads, no brand names were mentioned.

Piggly Wiggly had Fleetwood coffee for 59¢ a pound, tom turkeys for 35¢ a pound, and chocolate covered cherries (a luxurious Christmas favorite in my house, to be rationed and savored into early January if at all possible) for 89¢ a pound. Kroger had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, fruit cocktail for 18¢ a 16-ounce can, and tangerines for 35¢ a dozen. Big Apple had baking hens for 39¢ a pound, a five-pound bag of Ballard flour for 49¢, and king size cooked fruit pies for 59¢ a pound. A&P had sirloin steak for 89¢ a puns, Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon, and red delicious apples for a nickel each. Couch's had smoked cured picnic hams for 27¢ a pound, a five-pound bag of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢, and Saltines for 19¢ a box (I don't think that's what they mean when they talk about the British tradition of Christmas crackers...).

The first half of the week offered moviegoers the choice of The Fall of the Roman Empire (with Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, and James Mason) at the DeSoto Theater and a very forgettable double feature of Guns at Batasi and Apache Rifles at the First Avenue (with only two indoor theaters in Rome and oodles of major studio films being released, they still dredged up these throwaway B-movies from time to time). The midweek switch out brought two "rerun movies" to the DeSoto—McLintock (with John Wayne) and A Hard Day's Night (with the Beatles). The First Avenue was showing The Lively Set (with James Darren), while the West Rome Drive-In was screening a forgettable double feature of Street of Mystery and 13 West Street on the weekend. Of course, as cold as it was that weekend, most people going to the drive-in saw nothing more than a fogged-up windshield...

The Beatles returned to the top of the charts with "I Feel Fine" this week in 1964. Other top ten hits included "Come See About Me" by the Supremes (#2); "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#3); "She's a Woman" by the Beatles (#4); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#5); "Goin' Out of My Head" by Little Anthony & the Imperials (#6); "Ringo" by Lorne Greene (#7); "Dance, Dance, Dance" by the Beach Boys (#8); "The Jerk" by the Larks (#9); and ""Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/7/1964 to 12/13/1964

Apparently there were lots of ambitious plans in the 1960s that never came to fruition: A Georgia state legislative committee talked about launching a study of the possibility of developing Rome into a major inland port. They committee was confident that the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Alabama Power Company, and the US government were going to expand the Coosa-Alabama River system into a fully navigable waterway capable of bringing cargo barges to Rome. The committee recommended that $12 million be budgeted to develop plans for Rome's ports as well as a railway expansion to move shipments from the ports to other cities across the Southeast. The committee proposal indicated that the port and docks should be up and running by 1971.  Alas, this was yet another governmental pipe dream, as neither the waterway expansion or the port development ever came to be... I guess the Shrimp Boat restaurant in Central Plaza was as close as we ever came...

More segments of I-75 opened this week in 1964, including a 16-mile section between Calhoun and Dalton and a 19 mile section from the Tennessee Chattanooga state line to a location just north of Dalton. And showing that hope springs eternal, Rome and Floyd County civic leaders were optimistic that a direct link from Rome to I-75 would be completed by 1972.

On December 10th, WROM was granted a permit to construct and operate its very own FM station  at 97.7 megacycles. WROM president Charles Doss said construction of the Dempsey-Covington Building studios and broadcast center and the Mount Alto Road tower would take just over two months, and the station would be on the air by February 1965. (Can anyone build anything on this scale in two months today?)

While West Rome's girls had a good weekend, defeating East Rome 27-23, the boys basketball team didn't fare as well, falling to the Gladiators 43-37. Diane Bell was top scorer for the girls with 13 points, while Rusty Oxford was tops for the Chiefs with 10 points.

The American Cancer Society sponsored an anti-smoking chapel program on Thursday, December 10th, in the West Rome auditorium.

The West Rome Tri-Hi-Y and Hi-Y clubs placed decorated goodwill boxes in each homeroom this week in 1964; the students filled the boxes with canned goods and other food items to be given to needy families to make their Christmas holidays a little brighter.

The Rome News-Tribune and the Associated Press made it easy to remember the historic events of 1964: they began taking orders for 1964: The World As We Lived It, a handsome $3 hardcover that offered a month-by-month view of the most important news stories, complete with hundreds of black & white and color photos. The Rome News-Tribune offered gift cards for those who wanted to give the book as a Christmas present, since the book wouldn't actually be available until late January or early February 1965. I fell in love with these books as soon as I saw the first volume, and still have a set of all the volumes published until the series was discontinued in 1977.

National City Bank increased its savings certificate interest rate to 4.5% this week in 1964 (if only we could earn that interest rate today!). Rome Bank & Trust was advertising an interest rate of 4.375%.

Just how expensive was a color television back in 1964? Well, B&L Appliance Center had a 21" Westinghouse console with VHF and UHF tuners, complete with an all-wood cabinet in maple or  oak, for only $18.95 a month... for 36 months! That's $682.20 total--and when you allow for the inflation multiplier of 7.54, that makes the total cost equal to $5,143.00 in today's dollars. Meanwhile, Rome Radio had a 21" RCA color console in a similar all-wood cabinet for $19.25 a month for the same 36 months; that's a total of $693.00 in 1964 dollars and the equivalent of $5225.00 today. The bargain color TV of the season was the Zenith Clayton model, a contemporary console priced at $498 or $15.60 a month for 36 months--that's $561.60 total, which equals a mere $4234.00 in today's dollars. If you think a 65" 4K UHD television costs a lot today, just imagine how much better it looks than this 1964 21" set.

Piggly Wiggly had Wilson pork sausage for 33¢ a pound, oranges for a dime a pound, and eggs for 45¢ a dozen. Kroger had center-cut pork chops for 49¢ a pound, pork & beans for a dime a can, and a 14-ounce bottle of Heinz ketchup for 15¢. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 87¢ a pound, five pounds of Domino sugar for 39¢, and tangerine for 25¢ a dozen. A&P had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, five pounds of Gold Medal flour for 49¢, and Sealtest ice cream for 69¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had cured ham for 35¢ a pound, Double Cola for 89¢ a case plus deposit, and the always-popular-in-my-home Campbell's Tomato Soup for 9¢ a can.

And just in time for sandwiches made out of upcoming Christmas leftovers, Merita began promoting their "ultra-long giant loaf" of white bread, which had 30 slices plus the two end pieces, for only 29¢.

The first half of the week offered moviegoers a choice of Fail Safe at the DeSoto Theater and Take Her, She's Mine (with Jimmy Stewart & Sandra Dee) at the First Avenue. The mid-week switch out brought The Fall of the Roman Empire (with Sophia Loren & Alec Guinness) to the DeSoto, Connie (with Connie Francis & Jim Hutton) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of Blood on the Arrow and The Thin Red Line to the West Rome Drive-In (which has still showing films on weekends only).

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Come See About Me" by the Supremes. Other top ten hits included "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles (#2); "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#3); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#4); "Ringo" by Lorne Greene (#5); "Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "Going Out of My Head" by Little Anthony & the Imperials (#7); "Dance, Dance, Dance" by the Beach Boys (#8); "I'm Gonna Be Strong" by Gene Pitney (#9); and "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/30/1964 to 12/6/1964

Rome officially began the Christmas season with the Monday evening arrival of Santa, who landed at Barron Stadium via helicopter before joining the 28-unit Christmas parade up Broad Street to the Rome City Auditorium, where he officiated the lighting of the Christmas Tree and all the Christmas lights along Broad Street. The West Rome Junior High Band and the West Rome High Marching Band, as well as the homecoming queen, were a part of the parade.

The weather was perfect for a Christmas event: it was dry and clear, but very, very cold, with highs in the upper thirties and low forties during the day on Monday and Tuesday and lows in the upper teens.

Christmas season also saw the premiere of the three-day Christmas show sponsored by the Floyd County Home Demonstration Clubs. The event, held at the Rome Civic Center, was developed around the theme "An Old Fashioned Christmas at Home," with participants from around the area, including West Rome.

The holiday sales season got off with a rip-roaring start, with Rome and Floyd County merchants reporting record sales for the first week of the Christmas season. Of course, there was good reason: Rome was also reporting an all-time record high payroll in 1964, banks were reporting record savings account balances, and more Romans participated in Christmas Club savings accounts than ever before. Estimates indicated that spending for the early part of the Christmas season was running 20% to 30% higher than the year before, which had set its own records.

And here's a real season opener: NBC presented the television premiere of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Sunday, December 6th. The show became an annual tradition on NBC, appearing there every year until it moved to CBS in 1972.

In honor of the holidays, Redford's 5¢ and 10¢ on Broad Street "Christmased up" its menu, adding cranberry sauce to its 50¢ fried chicken dinner that included two pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll. None of that stuff with berries in it, either: this was the 1960s "real deal" jellied cranberry sauce that still carried the shape of the can! (No, they don't say that in the ad, but I remember it well... at the time, I had no idea there was any other type of cranberry sauce, in fact!)

The West Rome Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y clubs took part in a countywide "Operation Goodwill" program to collect food and toys for Christmas; the toys would go to the Marines Toys for Tots program, while the food would go to the Salvation Army for distribution to needy families. Homerooms were urged to begin collecting food and toys in preparation for "Goodwill Week" on December 7th-11th.

It was a good week for Chieftain athletes: West Rome's wrestlers defeated East Rome 29-26 on Thursday, December 3rd. Then West Rome opened its basketball season on Friday, December 4th, with a game against Chattooga—a game that the Chieftains won 49-30, led by the outstanding performances of Donnie Hill and Stan Dawson. Perhaps they were spurred to victory by the pep rally that preceded the season opener...


Changes were proposed for Battey Hospital: a state commission studying mental health problems in Georgia recommended that Battey be used for overflow from the Milledgeville State Psychiatric Hospital.

Eastern Airlines was eager to get rid of its Rome flight service, and Southern Airlines was willing to take the routes, if the Civil Aeronautics Board approved the transfer. They listened to both airlines present their requests, then postponed any decision until they could hold public hearings on March 16, 1965.

Nelson Brothers Service Station at 618 Shorter Avenue suffered a break-in on Monday night; the thieves gained access to the service station through an unsecured garage door at Pettyjohn's Body Shop at the rear of the service station. The thieves made off with $230, two retread tires, and three inner tubes (they might have taken more, but they got tired...).

The Imperial Service Station at 2205 Shorter Avenue celebrated the holidays with a special "buy eight gallons or more of gasoline and get two extra gallons for free" promotion. With 94 octane regular at 29.9¢ and 100-octane ethyl at 31.9¢, the price was already pretty cheap, but this made it as much as 20% cheaper! And if that wasn't enough, they gave you a one copper penny bonus refund for each gallon purchased!

Piggly Wiggly had Swift's premium bacon for 49¢ a pound, eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and fully baked fruit pies for 59¢. Kroger had an eight-ounce can of tuna for 27¢, Maxwell House coffee for 59¢ a pound, and pit-cooked barbecue sandwiches for a dime each. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, Bailey's Supreme coffee for 55¢ a pound, and tangerines for 15¢ a pound. A&P had pork loin for 49¢ a pound, a five-pound Jane Parker fruitcake for $3.99, and an 18-ounce can of fruit cocktail for 27¢. Couch's had 18 ounce jars of Blue Plate jelly in assorted flavors for 39¢, veal chops for 59¢ a pound, and the never-popular Libby's potted meat for a dime a can.

The cinematic week began with Elvis Presley's Roustabout at the DeSoto and Bikini Beach at the First Avenue. The midweek change-up brought Fail Safe to the DeSoto and a double feature of Witchcraft and The Horror of It All to the First Avenue, while West Rome Drive-In offered a weekend double feature of Pepe and Zotz.

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton. Other top ten hits included "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#2); "Ringo" by Lorne Greene (#3); "Come See About Me" by the Supremes (#4); "I Feel Fine" by the Beatles, making their return to the charts after a record-setting summer (#5); "Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks (#7); "Baby Love" by the Supremes (#8); "I'm Gonna Be Strong" by Gene Pitney (#9); and "Dance, Dance, Dance" by the Beach Boys (#10). Four British Invasion groups on the Top Ten charts was quite impressive, but the fact that the Supremes had two of the Top Ten was even more outstanding!

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/23/1964 to 11/29/1964

it was a short school week for Rome City Schools students: students attended school on Monday, November 23rd, then took the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving. Teachers weren't quite as fortunate--they had to endure all-day teachers meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, which undoubtedly made them particularly thankful once Thanksgiving day arrived!

The West Rome Junior High Student Council, under the guidance of sponsor Miss Kitty Alford, decorated the West Rome cafeteria on Monday. The annual Thanksgiving meal was served in the lunchroom after a blessing was given over the intercom at the beginning of each lunch period.

The day after Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in 1964 just as it does today. The term "Black Friday" wasn't used back then, however; instead, Rome marked the beginning of the shopping season with a two-day "Rome Days" event in which almost every merchant offered sales to launch the holiday season. 23" black and white console TVs for $218.88 at Western Auto, a seven-piece living room suite for $149.95 at Harper Nichols, an electric hand mixer for $9.88 at Enloe's Rexall Drugs, a Philco stereo radio-phono for $99 at Economy Auto, all-wool sport coats for $19.97 at Wyatt's, women's high heeled shoes for $5.99 at Higgins, a 45-piece Melmac dinnerware set for $15.84 at Murphy's, a box of 25 shotgun shells for $1.59 at Doc Elliott's Discount House... all this and so much more!

Talk of Floyd Junior College began anew this week in 1964, although some civic leaders said it was premature to discuss too many specifics. "The Board of Regents is moving as rapidly as possible to provide colleges in every community where the population economically justifies it," Dr. Harry Downs of the Board of Regents said.  He assured Romans, however, that Rome was in the running for a new junior college, and decisions would be made "very soon."

Kroger had Swift's butterball hen turkeys for 39¢ a pound, canned biscuits for a nickel a can, and coconuts for 15¢ each. Big Apple had tom turkeys for 33¢ a pound, celery for a dime a bunch, and fully cooked cherry pies for 39¢ each. A&P had rib roast for 69¢ a pound, apples for 6¢ a pound, and 3 pounds of JFG coffee for $1. Piggly Wiggly had whole hams for 39¢ a pound, Coca Cola or Tab for 89¢ a case plus deposit, and pumpkin pies for 33¢ each. Couch's had smoked hams for 49¢ a pound, sweet potatoes for 12¢ a pound, and Ocean Spray cranberry sauce for 19¢ a can.

The cinematic week began with Send Me No Flowers (with Rock Hudson & Doris Day) at the DeSoto and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Roustabout (with Elvis Presley) and Bikini Beach (with Frankie Avalon & Annette Funicello) to both the First Avenue Theater and the West Rome Drive-In. Apparently theater owner had low expectations for Thanksgiving weekend...

Bonanza star Lorne Green took the number one slot this week in 1964 with his Western ballad "Ringo." Other top ten hits included "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#2); "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las (#3); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#4); "Baby Love" by the Supremes (#5); "Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks (#7); Come See About Me" by the Supremes (#8); "Mountain of Love" by Johnny Rivers (#9); and "I'm Gonna Be Strong" by Gene Pitney (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/16/1964 to 11/22/1964

Economic good times continued in Rome in the last quarter of 1964: all of Rome's department stores posted an increase of 4%+ above sales levels for the same period in 1963, while charge account balances dropped by 3% or more. That meant that Romans were spending more money, but were able to pay for their purchases in cash rather than financing them--two signs of a growing economy. And even those who charged purchases were paying their bills off more quickly--in an average of 62 days, which was 4 days shorter than the average finance period in 1963.

The West Rome Junior High Library Club was organized under the direction of Mrs. Martha Hurst, school librarian; the club members, who called themselves the Book Worms, were involved in several service projects to benefit the library. Club officers included Edwin Dodd, president; Tommy Horton, vice-president; Robert Smiderski, secretary-treasurer; and Celeste Green, reporter.

This was the final week that students could place orders for their very own copy of the 1965 Watanyah, the West Rome yearbook. (Wish I could find a record of how much a yearbook cost in 1965... my guess, trying to retro-calculate from today's prices, would be $10, but I'm just not sure.)

Meteorological history repeats itself: on November 20th, a strong cold front moved through Rome, dropping temperatures from lows in the mid-40s to lows in the low 20s.

Did you remember that I-75 was far from complete back in 1964? This week in '64, the state announced that three more sections of I-75 were slated to open before the end of the year: 10 miles from the Tennessee line to Ringgold, 16 miles between Dalton and Georgia 53, and 9 miles from US 41 above Tunnel Hill to US 41 north of Dalton. From there, travelers were routed back onto US 41, which remained a major north-south route in Georgia through the 1970s. (Anyone remember the Christmas season backups from Cartersville to Marietta during the Christmas season? Hundreds of cars would make a rest stop at Stuckey's in Acworth every day, just to get a break from the traffic.)

Piggly Wiggly had 10-14 pound turkeys for 35¢ a pound, 5 pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢, and a quart of JFG mayonnaise for 39¢. Kroger has Wishbone turkeys for 38¢ a pound, pumpkin pies for 33¢ each, and bananas for a dime a pound. Big Apple had Butterball hens for 39¢ a pound, grade A large eggs for 47¢ a dozen, and ice  milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. A&P had pork loin for 43¢ a pound, five pounds of grapefruit for 33¢, and a one-pound box of saltines for 31¢. Couch's had whole or half hams for 33¢ a pound, JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, and Double Cola for 89¢ a case plus deposit.

The cinematic week began with the Hank Williams Sr. biography Your Cheating Heart (with George Hamilton) at the DeSoto and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (with a true all-star cast) at the First Avenue. The midweek movie switch-out brought Send Me No Flowers (with Rock Hudson, Doris Day, & Tony Randall) to the DeSoto and The Notorious Landlady (with Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, & Fred Astaire) to the West Rome Drive-In, while It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World continued at the First Avenue for another week.

The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" took first place this week in 1964, bouncing the Supremes "Baby Love" down to the number two position. Other top ten hits included "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay & the Americans (#3); "She's Not There" by the Zombies (#4); "Ringo" by Lorne Greene (#5); "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (#6); "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks (#7); "Time Is On My Side" by the Rolling Stones (#8); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#9); and "Mountain of Love" by Johnny Rivers (#10).

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).

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).

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).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/19/1964 to 10/25/1964

Former President Herbert Hoover passed away on October 20th. Nowadays, we think of the Hoover era as a  part of distant American history, but he had been out of office for only 32 years in 1964--less time that has passed since the end of the Jimmy Carter presidency. Somehow, the gap between the Depression era US and the 1960s seems enormous, however, while the gap between the late 1970s to today seems much less (at least for those of us who lived it, I guess).

Dickie Sapp was once again chosen as the Rome News-Tribune's back of the week in recognition of his outstanding performance in the prior Friday's game against Cedartown, in which Sapp not only scored the second and deciding touchdown, but also gained 91 net yards (more than half of West Rome's rushing total) and intercepted a pass that stopped Cedartown from tying the game.

Coach Kennedy told the Rome News-Tribune that West Rome was scheduled to face its toughest foe of the year on October 23rd when the Rossville Bulldogs made the trip down to Barron Stadium to face the Chiefs on a Saturday night in a game that also marked West Rome's homecoming. "They probably have the best passing attack of any team we play," Coach Kennedy said. "We've got to eliminate a few more of our mistakes, and we certainly have to improve on our pass defense if we hope to stop them." Alas, Coach Kennedy's evaluation of the team turned out be correct, as West Rome fell to Rossville 32-14.

Esther Ransom was crowned as Homecoming Queen; other members of the homecoming court included Sondra Adams, Sara Coffey, Jane Hairston, Carole Sewell, and Judy Wessinger.

A disagreement over zoning of Shorter Avenue between Hughes and Sycamore Streets led to the Rome City Commission spending almost four hours listening to arguments from both sides. The proposed zoning change would have designated the segment of Shorter Avenue as R-2 (which would allow for the construction of motels, hotels, offices, and nursing homes), while a counter-proposal would have rezoned it as C-1, which would allow for commercial development for stores and other businesses; prior to the change, it was zoned for evidential use only. The board finally decided to go for the C-1 classification, opening more of the Shorter Avenue corridor for business, shopping, and restaurant development.

Coosa Valley Tech was proving so successful that the school began a study of expansion options this week in 1964. Plans called for the addition of a 15,000 square foot building to house additional classrooms for drafting, radio/tv repair, welding, data processing, and textile production.

Freezing temperatures came early to West Rome, with the thermometer dropping to 28 degrees on Wednesday morning, October 20th, marking the first freezing temperature of the autumn.

The Milwaukee Braves began a legal fight to clear the way for their move to Atlanta this week in 1964, hoping to overturn a restraining order designed to block them from asking for League permission to make the move. Henry Aaron spoke out against the move, saying "I just won't step out on the field" in Atlanta; apparently he changed his mind as time passed.

Piggly Wiggly had Lady Alice ice milk for 29¢ a half-gallon, Sunset Gold potato chips for 49¢ for a twin-pack (2 8 ounce bags), and pig liver for 19¢ a pound (and that's one meat I've never tried, thank you very much--we ate a lot of beef liver and chicken livers, but no pig liver). Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, lettuce for 15¢ a head, and 11 ounces of perch, haddock, or flounder for 49¢. Big Apple had center cut ham slices for 79¢ a pound, a 12 ounce bag of tater tots for a quarter, and 25 pounds of White Lily flour for $1.99 (did anyone really use 25 pound bags of flour?). A&P had whole young ducklings for 39¢ a pound (another meat we never ate), Virginia apples for a dime a pound, and a box of Post Toasties cereal for 21¢. Couch's had chuck roast for 37¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and Del Monte catsup for 19¢ for a 24-ounce bottle.

The cinematic week began with The World of Henry Orient (with Peter Sellers) arriving for a short two-day run at the DeSoto and Quo Vadis continuing at the First Avenue. The weekend brought Where Has Love Gone? (with Susan Hayward & Bette Davis) to the DeSoto; Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (with Sophia Loren & Marcello Mastroianni) to the First Avenue, and a weekend double feature of That Kind of Woman (with Sophia Loren & Tab Hunter) and Thunder in the Sun (with Susan Hayward & Jeff Chandler) to the open-on-weekends-only-for-the-fall West Rome Drive-In.

The Supremes took the top chart position tis week in 1964 with "Baby Love." Other top ten hits included "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#2); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#3); "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#4); "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#5); "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#6); "Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs (#7); "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (#8); "Little Honda" by the Hondells (#9); and "Chug-a-Lug" by Roger Miler (#10).

And on Sunday, October 25th, the next wave of the British Invasion began when the Rolling Stones made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, performing two songs from their 12 X 5 album: "Around and Around" in the first half of the show and "Time Is On My Side" as the closing act. The day after the performance, Sullivan said that he'll never invite them to return... but he obviously changed his mind, since they returned in the spring of 1965 and many times thereafter.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/12/1964 to 10/18/1964

The West Rome Chieftain Club sponsored Back to School Night beginning at 7:30 Monday evening, October 12th, to acquaint parents with the faculty, curriculum, and school activities. Students could breathe easy, though--individual grades and behavior were not on the schedule for discussion this night!

West Rome began experiments with a "cycle" program that offered seventh graders a chance to take nine week courses in art (taught by Mrs. Melvin Hill), music (taught by Miss Kitty Alford), drama (taught by Mrs. Sandra Allan), or guidance (taught by Mrs. Betty Deadwyler). The purpose of the mini-course program was to orient students toward high school while assisting them in discovering their interests and abilities.

For the first time in West Rome history, the Chiefs defeated the Cedartown Bulldogs 14-7, ending a lengthy losing streak for West Rome. The tide turned late in the third quarter when quarterback Ronnie Kennedy's pass to end Gerry Law led to the first touchdown. Soon after that, Dickie Sapp ran the ball into the end zone for a second touchdown, locking in the win.

Savage TV and Electronics rolled out the new line of Zenith color televisions this week in 1964. The line included a 21" color console TV for $529.95, a Zenith 23" black-and-white console TV for $339.95, and a Zenith 23" table model television for $229.95. For the music aficionado, they had the new Zenith hi-fi console stereo system, a 12-watt-per-channel system with turntable and AM/FM radio, for only $368.00.

To combat McDonald's, Hardee's introduced  their new big burger, the Hardee Huskee. For 35¢, you got a "giant charco-broiled hamburger" with cheese (and by "giant," they meant 3 ounces of meat), a sesame seed bun, shredded lettuce, and a special Hardee-Huskee sauce (probably the usual blend of catsup, mayonnaise, and thousand island dressing...).

Kroger had chuck roast for 49¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and salmon for 49¢ a tall can. Big Apple had whole fryers for a quarter a pound, five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢, and Campbell's tomato soup for a dime a can. A&P had boneless stew meat for 59¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and a one-pound box of Zesta saltines for 29¢. Couch's had smoked hams for 33¢ a pound, 8 ounces of White House applesauce for a dime, and Jay-Bird vienna sausages for a dime a can. Piggly Wiggly had Delmonico steaks for 99¢ a pound, collards for 19¢ a buch, and Coca Cola or Tab for 19¢ plus deposit per six-bottle carton.

And for the reader who asked what "plus deposit" means, here's the explanation: since bottlers preferred to sterilize and re-use the glass bottles rather than making new ones, they charged a deposit of 2¢ or 3¢ per bottle; the deposit was returned when you brought the empty bottles back to the store. If you didn't want to pay deposit, you could just bring in six empty bottles with you when you picked up your carton of drinks. Many of us who were kids at the time would make extra cash by looking for empty bottles in trash cans, along roadsides, etc., and gathering them up for the deposit. I recall making almost a dollar in two days doing this, in fact--it was good for the environment and good for my budget!

If you wanted to catch a movie during the first half of the week, your choices were pretty limited: Of Human Bondage (with Kim Novak & Laurence Harvey) at the DeSoto or Honeymoon Hotel (with Robert Goulet, Nancy Kwan, Robert Morse, & Jill St. John) at the First Avenue. The midweek change up included The Bridge On the River Kwai (with William Holden & Alec Guinness) at the DeSoto and Quo Vadis (with Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, & Peter Ustinov) at the First Avenue. The weekend brought a double feature of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (with James Stewart & John Wayne) and Savage Innocents (with Anthony Quinn) to the West Rome Drive-In.

The number one song this week in 1964, for the second week in a row, was "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann. Other top ten hits included "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#2); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#3); "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#4); "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (#5); "Baby Love" by the Supremes (#6); "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy (#7); "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#8); "When I Grow Up to Be a Man" by the Beach Boys (#9); and "Have I the Right?" by the Honeycombs (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/5/1964 to 10/11/1964

Hurricane Hilda dumped more than four inches of rain on Rome on Sunday night and Monday morning, leading to a number of accidents resulting in almost two dozen injuries. The situation was made worse by strong winds that topped out at forty miles per hour. Even though the creek behind Conn Street was dredged earlier in the summer, it was unable to handle the heavy rain in such a short period of time, and once again homes along Conn Street, Paris Drive, and Williamson Street had to deal with flooded yards and closed roads.

Judge J.D. Maddox, president of the Rome/Floyd County Chamber of Commerce, said that he had met with the Georgia Board of Regents and was confident that, if Rome approved a bond issue for road improvements, a Floyd County junior college would be approved in 1965. As we know, his confidence was justified—Rome did pass that bond issue, and Floyd Junior College was approved.

The Chieftains travelled to Kingsport, Tennessee, to take on one of the toughest teams in all of Tennessee—a team that racked up an 89-0 win in its previous week's game!  While West Rome performed much better in their game, they still lost to Kingsport 20-6.

Someone stole almost 1500 pounds of dynamite from a storage building off Horseleg Creek Road on Monday, October 5th. Within 48 hours, Bill Hart and other Rome detectives had tracked 250 pounds of the dynamite to a Cartersville location. Police continued to look for the remainder of the explosives.

Two West Rome boys (their names withheld because they were minors) were arrested after engaging in a high-speed race down Shorter Avenue to Division Street on Sunday evening, October 11th. The vehicles were clocked at more than 115 miles per hour; one was caught fairly quickly, but the other vehicle with two youths in it attempted to flee the scene. The boys were caught after police shot out the tires on the car.

This was the week when Standard Oil stations in Rome and across the country began the transition to Chevron gasoline... a name change that would eventually see the stations also renamed from Standard Oil to Chevron. To celebrate the name change, Rome's Standard Oil stations offered gasoline for 29.9¢ per gallon.

As Rome and Floyd County continued to grow, Floyd Hospital took initial steps for yet another addition—this one adding sixty beds to the 250-bed hospital.

The push was on for color television, but Rome's electronics dealers weren't willing to give up on black-and-white quite yet. B&L Appliance & TV Center ran a World Series special: a 23" Westinghouse contemporary console black-and-white TV for $259.95 or an 23" Westinghouse Early American black-and-white console for $339.95—and the price on both televisions would be reduced by a dollar for every run scored in the third game of the World Series. Sears countered with their own Silvertone 23" console black-and-white TV for $198 during World Series week, or a 21" color console for $398.

Americans had a chance to watch the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Oympics on October 10th, thanks to the newly launched Syncom 3 geosynchronous broadcast satellite. This was the first time in history that Olympic ceremonies were broadcast live around the world.

Piggly Wiggly had center cut pork chops for 59¢ a pound, Swift's premium wieners for 39¢ a pound, and Blue Plate mayonnaise for 39¢ for a one-quart jar. Kroger had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, Rath bacon for 63¢ a pound, and red grapes for 13¢ a pound. Big Apple had red delicious apples for 12¢ a pound, T-bone steaks for 79¢ a pound, and chicken livers for a quarter a pound. A&P had beef liver for 29¢ a pound, large eggs for 43¢ a dozen, and canned biscuits for 9¢ a can. Couch's had pork roast for 39¢ a pound,  Duncan Hines cake mix for 33¢ a box, and yellow onions for a nickel a pound.

The cinematic week began with I'd Rather Be Right (with Sandra Dee, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams) at the DeSoto and A Shot in the Dark (with Peter Sellers and Elke Summer) at the First Avenue.  The mid-week movie change-up brought The Secret Invasion (with Stewart Granger & Mickey Rooney) to the First Avenue, Of Human Bondage (with Kim Novak & Laurence Harvey) to the DeSoto, and Too Late Blues (with Bobby Darin & Stella Stevens) at the West Rome Drive-In (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday only, since the drive-in was closed from Sunday through Wednesday nights).

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann. Other top ten hits included "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas; "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (#3); "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#4); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#5); "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#6); "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy (#7); "It Hurts to Be In Love" by Gene Pitney (#8); "When I Grow Up to Be a Man" by the Beach Boys (#9); and "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett & Jerry Butler (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/28/1964 to 10/4/1964

All Rome City Schools, including West Rome, held meetings to explain the new city-wide grading system that was going into effect beginning with the 1964-65 school year. The old number grade system, with 93-100 equalling an A, etc., was replaced with an A-B-C-D-U-I system (U for unsatisfactory and I for incomplete due to unavoidable reasons). "No numbers will be used," a Rome City Schools spokesperson said. "A student will fail or pass not on a numerical average of 69 or 70, but in terms of the overall quality of his work." (I presume this refers to report card grades only, since I never remember a time when we didn't get numerical grades on tests and other in-class work. I'm also not sure how long this system stayed in place; does anyone remember a period of time when we got letter grades only?)

West Rome faced off against Calhoun on October 2nd in a crucial sub-region contest. Alas, Calhoun came from behind in the second half, scoring two touchdowns to defeat the Chieftains 14-3.

The West Rome Honor Society held its induction ceremony on September 30th, welcoming twelve new members to their ranks. The roster of inductees included Jan Ross, Dan Schweitzer, Esther Ransom, Carolle Sewell, Barbara Belswinger, Phyllis McGhee, Anna Payne, Nancy Childers, Jack Column, Pat Barns, Stan Dawson, and Muriel McAbee.

Junior class officer elections were held, with Pat Barns being elected as class president; Ronnie Parker, vice-president; Stan Dawson, secretary; and Ann Peery, treasurer.

The West Rome Library Club elected Sara Whitworth as club president; Cathy Atkins, vice-president; Marilyn Moon, secretary; Sanda Addington, treasurer, and Marilyn Allen, reporter.

Romans were very excited to learn the art of hooking this week in 1964. Rug hooking, that is... (What did you think they were teaching at the YMCA?) The class actually filled up so quickly that the YMCA was evaluating whether they should offer a second session.

The new TV season also brought a renewed push to get color televisions into more homes. RCA Victor had a 21" color console for only $599.95 with trade-in, while RCA offered a 21" tabletop color set for only $399.95 with trade. (When you factor in the inflation multiplier of 7.51, however, that would be be the equivalent of paying just over $4500 for a 21" console set or just under $3000 for a 21" tabletop TV--almost the same price we'd pay for a large-screen 4K UHD set today!)

Sears was a major player in the auto repair business in the 1960s, offering everything from tires and tuneups to complete engine replacements. With automobile dealers on the verge of unveiling new models in late 1964, Sears was urging customers to put some money into a remanufactured engine instead. A V-6 engine could be had for as little as $159, while a V-8 started at $179--and you could get the installation done by Sears the same day you bought the engine.

And speaking of cars, Rome Automobile Company began showing off the new 1965 Volkswagen Beetle this week in 1964, complete with 15% more window area, larger and more comfortable front seats, a back seat that folded almost flat (and the manufacturer touted that the large flat open area could be used as "a large luggage space or a playpen for children." Apparently we worried much less about car seats and buckled-in children fifty years ago!)

Piggly Wiggly had center-cut pork chops for 59¢ a pound, turn it greens for a dime a pound, and a 24-bottle case of Coca Cola or Tab for 99¢ plus deposit. Kroger has bananas for a dime a pound, whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, and graham cracked for 33¢ a box. A&P had smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢, and Bartlett pears for 12¢ a pound. Big Apple had winesap apples for a dime a pound, jiffy steak for 99¢ a pound, and a half-gallon of Sealtest ice milk for 39¢, Couch's had T-bone steak for 69¢ a pound, lab shoulder roast for 19¢ a pound, and lettuce for 15¢ a head.

The movie week began with Kisses for My President (with Fred MacMurray & Polly Bergen) at the DeSoto and Night Must Fall (with Albert Finney) at the First Avenue. The mid-week switch out switch-out brought I'd Rather Be Rich (with Sandra Dee & Robert Goulet) to the DeSoto, A Shot in the Dark (the second Pink Panther film, with Peter Sellers & Elke Summer) to the First Avenue, and an Alfred Hitchcock double feature of Vertigo and To Catch a Thief to the West Rome Drive-In (which was on its weekends-only schedule).

There's no need to fear!... Underdog was here as of October 3rd, when the cartoon made its NBC debut as a part of the Saturday morning lineup. Those of us who grew up in the 1960s may remember that he got his abilities after taking his Super Energy Pill; younger viewers who saw the series in syndication may have never heard of the Super Energy Pill, however, since all references to it were edited out of the cartoon beginning in the mid-1970s, presumably out of fear that it would be seen as some sort of a pro-drug statement.

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison. Other top ten hits included "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#2); "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#3); "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#4); "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#5); "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#6); "It Hurts to Be In Love" by Gene Pitney (#7); "GTO" by Ronny & the Daytonas (#8); "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers (#9); and "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/21/1964 to 9/27/1964

The Coosa Valley Fair opened on September 21st, with Kunz Century-21 shows supplying the world's largest motorized midway, which included an expanded ("faster and wilder!") Tilt-a-Whirl. Carole Sewell represented West Rome in the Miss Floyd County contest.

West Rome went into their game against LaFayette with high hopes, but those hopes were dashed when LaFayette won the game 13-7; Dickie Sapp scored the only touchdown, but was stopped short on a second touchdown run.

BF Goodrich celebrated Coosa Valley Fair Week with a special on retreads for $9 each (do they even offer retreads nowadays? I haven't heard mention of them in years...), while Sears offered new tires for $9.88 to $15.88 each and Goodyear offered tires from $9.99 to $17.99 each. I'm still not sure how tires came to be associated with Fair Week...

Walter R. Thomas Jewelers closed its Broad Street location in September 1964—or more specifically, they sold their stock to Kay Jewelers, who took their place. Even so, they advertised a big store closing sale as they liquidated what inventory they could prior to the sale--so if you got any sort of jewelry as a Christmas gift in 1964, this might be the source!

Rome City Schools superintendent M.S. McDonald met with the Georgia Board of Education on Wednesday, September 23rd, to request $130,000 in building construction funds. Some of those funds were to be used construct an industrial arts workshop at West Rome High School. His pitch must have been most persuasive, because he came back with a $127,637 check, and planning of West Rome's industrial arts workshop was officially on the drawing board.

Piggly Wiggly had boneless Hotel Special steaks for 89¢ a pound, Mann's Golden Harvest wieners for 49¢ a pound, and turnip greens for a dime a pound. Kroger had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, grapes for 12¢ a pound, and five pounds of Colonial sugar for 39¢. Big Apple had Hormel sliced bacon for 57¢ a pound, Cornish game hens for 69¢ each, and red delicious apples for 12¢ a pound. A&P had bone-in rib steak for 89¢ a pound, Banquet 8-ounce frozen pot pies for 12¢ each, and frozen flounder fillets for 49¢ a pound. Couch's had sirloin steaks for 89¢ a pound, Pet-Ritz frozen cream pies for 29¢ each, and a one-pound box of Nabisco Saltines for 31¢.

The fall season television show rollout continued, with several great series debuting this week in 1964, including The Man from UNCLE (September 22nd), Daniel Boone (September 24th), The Munsters (September 24th), Gomer Pyle USMC (September 25th), and Gilligan's Island (September 26th). And yes, that means that Gilligan's Island debuted on a Saturday night! Back in 1964, entertainment choices were fewer, and networks offered a full line of original programming, including Flipper, Gilligan's Island, Gunsmoke, The Outer Limits, Mr. Magoo, Jackie Gleason, Lawrence Welk, and Saturday Night at the Movies, which featured television film premieres of major motion pictures.

The movie week began with The Chalk Garden at the DeSoto; Act One (with George Hamilton & Jason Robards) at the First Avenue; and nothing at the West Rome Drive-In (since it had begun closing except for weekends). The mid-week switch up brought Hamlet (starring Richard Burton, and shown "thru the miracle of ElectronoVision," according to the ad), to the DeSoto, Love With the Proper Stranger at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Heller in Pink Tights (with Sophia Loren & Anthony Quinn) and Ring of Treason (with no one worth remembering) at the West Rome Drive-In.

Roy Orbison took the number one spot this week in 1964 with "Pretty Woman." Other top ten hits included "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#2); "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#3); "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#4); "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#5); "GTO" by Ronny & the Daytonas (#6); "It Hurts to Be in Love" by Gene Pitney (#7); "The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals (#8); "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" by Gale Garnett (#9); and "Save It For Me" by the Four Seasons (#10).

In a surprising show of schedule coordination, Gold Key Comics published the first issue of their Voyage to The Bottom of the Sea comic this week in 1964, meaning that the comic debuted at almost exactly the same time as the TV series that starred Richard Basehart and David Hedison. Of course, the comic book publisher had plenty of time to prepare, since both the show and the comic were actually based on the 1961 Irwin Allen film of the same name.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/14/1964 to 9/20/1964

The on-again, off-again US 27-US 411 interchange was off again this week in 1964 once someone noticed that eight abandoned houses and an empty store were still standing where the road was supposed to be. The state said that Ledbetter-Johnson Construction were supposed to remove them, but the construction company said that was the state's responsibility. While both sides argued, work ground to a halt.

West Rome's JV team defeated Trion 33-7 on Thursday, while the varsity defeated McCallie 26-7. Ronnie Kennedy threw two touchdown passes in the first five minutes of the game, while Dickie Sapp scored a TD on a 62-yard return and Richard Camp ran seven yards to score West Rome's fourth touchdown.

Technologist David Kuhns presented "The Wonders of Liquid Air" at a West Rome High School assembly on September 17th; his presentation involved (among other things) liquid oxygen, solid mercury, and pressured oxygen. Mr. Kuhns was assisted by students Jimmy Cowart, Jack Collum, and Nelson Payne.

The chorus selected its officers for the 1964-65 school year. Barbara Heile was elected president; Janet Scherer, vice president; Billy Avery, secretary-treasurer; and Jacky Lupo & Judy Lloyd, librarians.

The Future Homemakers of America elected their 1964-65 club officers, with Jane Casey being tapped as president; Carole Sewell, vice president; Elmira Hardin, secretary; and Sally Sanford, treasurer.

West Rome's senior class began its magazine sale this week in 1964; the class set a goal of $3500 worth of subscriptions, with all profits slated to go towards the seniors' end-of-the-year gift to the school.

The new television season began this week in 1964--and what a memorable season it was! Several now-classic programs debuted in 1964, including Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (debuted on September 14th), Peyton Place (September 15th), Shindig! (September 16th), Bewitched (September 17th), The Addams Family (September 18th), Jonny Quest (September 19th--and it was the first prime-time animated adventure series), and Flipper (September 19th). And that's not it for the season--there are some more memorable debuts coming up in next week's list... including a few of my all-time television favorites.

The Imperial Service Station at 2205 Shorter Avenue (one of Rome's first 24 hour service stations) celebrated its grand opening this week in 1964 with 94 octane regular for 29.9¢ per gallon and 100+ octane ethyl for 31.9¢--and if that wasn't cheap enough, they offered a penny back for every gallon purchased (not a discount--they just gave you pennies).

Piggly Wiggly had lettuce for 19¢ a head, beef liver for 19¢ a pound, and red grapes for 15¢ a pound. Kroger had picnic hams for 29¢ a pound, Uncle Tom's Brunswick stew for 39¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound. A&P had fatback for a dime a pound, JFG coffee for 79¢ a pound, and 5 pounds of white potatoes for 19¢. Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Showboat salmon for a quarter per flat can, and a two pound jar of Blue Plate apple jelly for 29¢ (that's a lot of jelly!). Couch's had Black Hawk sliced bacon for 59¢ a pound, eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and a large roll of Northern paper towels for 29¢.

Moviegoers looking to catch a film during the first half of the week could choose from Robin and the Seven Hoods at the DeSoto and Lady in a Cage at the First Avenue; the West Rome Drive-In resumed its off-season schedule, which meant they were closed only Wednesday through Sunday nights. The mid-week movie switch out brought The Chalk Garden (with Deborah Kerr and Hayley Mills) to the DeSoto, Seven Days in May (with Burt Lancaster & Kirk Douglas) to the First Avenue, and The Moonspinners to the West Rome Drive-In.

Roy Orbison took the number one slot this week in 1964 with "Pretty Woman." Other top ten hits included "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#2); "The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals (#3); "GTO" by Ronny & the Daytonas (#4); "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#5); "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#6); "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes (#7); "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#8); "It Hurts to Be in Love" by Gene Pitney (#9); and "Save It For Me" by the Four Seasons (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/7/1964 to 9/13/1964

At long last, the city took action to minimize the flooding problems that had plagued houses along Conn Street in West Rome. City officials purchased a machine they referred to as the "Hopto," a dredging machine that could clear out the creek bed (I guess whatever the dredging job was, it could hop to it!...). The entire creek bed from Burnett Ferry Road to Williamson Road was cleared out in the first week; eventually, the city planned to clear the entire creek bed all the way to Horseleg Creek Road. Not only were the Evans, the Hatches, the Skeltons, and everyone else who lived along Conn Street and Paris Drive happy with the news, but those of us who were frequently cut off from most of West Rome due to flooded roads were pretty darned pleased, too! (Even better, it made it easier for us to wade the creek without getting stuck in the muck; now, if they only could have done something about the ever-present leeches in that creek...)

West Rome's third football game of the season took them up to Summerville to take on the Chattooga County Indians. The JV team did their part, defeating Chattooga 40-6 on Thursday, September 10th. The varsity team did even better, trouncing Chattooga 41-0 on the Indians' home turf. As a result of his outstanding performance in the game, Richard Camp was named the Rome area's back of the week after an outstanding performance that saw him score two touchdowns, one of them on a 67-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

Krystal celebrated their 32nd anniversary with a half-price special over the weekend, offering five Krystal hamburgers for a quarter. (Yes, you could actually get a hamburger for a nickel!)

Economy Auto Stores announced a shipment of new 82-channel 19" televisions for only $148. Of course, the addition of a UHF dial didn't do much for us in Rome, since it would be a few years since anyone in our broadcast area began offering UHF channels; wonder how many people bought a new TV figuring they'd have more channels to choose from?

Piggly Wiggly had first cut pork chops for 49¢ a pound, New Plymouth ice cream for 39¢ a half-gallon, and fresh turnip greens for a dime a pound. Kroger had baking hens for 29¢ a pound, peaches for 15¢ a pound, and Maxwell House coffee for 58¢ a pound. Big Apple had five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢, veal chops for 69¢ a pound, and beef liver for 19¢ a pound. A&P had rib steaks for 89¢ a pound, lettuce for 19¢ a head, and grapes for 17¢ a pound. Couch's had chuck steak for 59¢ a pound, Bama Jelly in a reusable glass for 33¢, and ocean perch for 29¢ a pound.

The cinematic week began with Marnie (with Tippi Hedren & Sean Connery) at the DeSoto, South Pacific at the First Avenue, and Lawrence of Arabia at the West Rome Drive-In. The mid-week switch brought Robin & the Seven Hoods (with the Rat Pack— Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.), Lady In a Cage (with OIlivia de Havilland) at the First Avenue, and a forgettable double feature of The Jayhawkers and Walk a Tightrope at the West Rome Drive-In.

The Animals landed their first number one song this week in 1964 with "House of the Rising Sun." Other top ten hits included "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#2); "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes (#3); "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (#4); "GTO" by Ronny & the Daytonas (#5); "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin (#6); "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#7); "Because" by the Dave Clark Five (#8); "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann (#9); and "Dancing in the Street" by Martha & the Vandellas (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/31/1964 to 9/6/1964

At long last, a work order was issued for the East Rome US 411/US 27 interchange at the site then known as "Goat Hill." This was the first three-level traffic interchange in Georgia; it was planned so ambitiously because the state was confident that a direct connection from Rome to I-75 was forthcoming in the near future (little did they know that the Rollins family would devote a half-century to blocking that vital link).

State Revenue Agents destroyed another large still in the Texas Valley area, confiscating and then dumping more than 3000 gallons of moonshine. (No wonder that the Snuffy Smith comic strip, with it frequent jokes about "revenooers," was a popular part of the Rome News-Tribune's comic strip page!)

School registration numbers were tallied, and West Rome High School added almost fifty students, pushing enrollment up to 966 students for the 1964-1965 school year.  As a result, 11 teachers were added to the West Rome faculty, including Mrs. Robert Greene (English); Mrs. Elsie Washington (math); Mr. Jack Wiggins (drafting and math); Mr. Robert Greene (science); Ms. Carlee McCarter (typing); Mrs. Janice Vick (English); Mr. Novis Van Johnson (math and history); Mr. Bob Jones (chorus), Mr. Charles Anderson (math); Ms. Sandra Allen (reading) and Mrs. Betty Deadwyler, typing. (This includes 7th grade teachers, who were listed because the 7th grade was housed in the West Rome High School building at this time.)

Senior class officers were elected for the 1964-1965 school year; the new officers include Chris Lawler, president; Ken Payne, vice president; Carole Sewell, secretary; Gerry Law, treasurer, and Judy Wessenger, chaplain.

Mrs. Mann, sponsor of the West Rome yearbook The Watanyah, announced that Judi Burns had been chosen as senior editor and Muriel McAbee would serve as junior editor.

The West Rome Pep Club elected its officers for the school year: Janice Scherer, president; Ken Payne, vice president; Judy Wessenger, secretary; and Lynn Moore, treasurer.

Dalton surprised everyone by pulling off a 25-14 upset win over the Chieftains in West Rome's second football game of the season. Thankfully, this wasn't a region game, so it didn't hurt West Rome's hopes for a region championship.

Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 45¢ a pound; Wellesley Farms ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon; and turnip greens for a dime a pound. Kroger had Toppy brand bacon for 39¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 26¢ each, and hen turkeys for 49¢ a pound. Big Apple had chuck roast for 37¢ a pound, large cans of pork and beans for a quarter, and a 32-ounce jar of peanut butter for 69¢. A&P had ground beef for 37¢ a pound, tomatoes for 15¢ a pound, and 20 ounces of Surf detergent for 28¢. Couch's had sliced bologna for 39¢ a pound, a 14-ounce bottle of Hunt's catsup for 15¢, and lemons for 4¢ each.

The cinematic week began with The Night of the Iguana at the DeSoto, The Killers at the First Avenue, and All the Way Home at the West Rome Drive-In. The mid-week change up brought Marnie to the DeSoto, Ride the Wild Surf to First Avenue, and Tom Jones (the movie, not the singer) to the West Rome Drive-In.

The Animals held on to the number one slot with "The House of The Rising Sun." Other top ten hits included "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes (#2); "Because" by the Dave Clark Five (#3); "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin (#4); "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#5); "C'Mon and Swim" by Bobby Freeman (#6); "GTO" by Ronny & The Daytonas (#7); "A Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles (#8); "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" by the Shangri-Las (#9); and "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison (#10). The number one album this week in 1964? Dean Martin's Everybody Loves Somebody, which was also the best-selling album of Martin's career.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/24/1964 to 8/30/1964

Summer came to an end this week in 1964 as school registration took place on Wednesday, August 26th, with students returning to school on Thursday, August 27th.

Coach Kennedy told the Rome News-Tribune that he was "anxiously awaiting to see what this year's football team can do against the competition" after a week of intensive training at Berry College. The season began on Saturday night at Barron Stadium with the Chieftains facing off against the Coosa Eagles; West Rome won the game 14-0, with Dickie Sapp being selected as the Rome News-Tribune's lineman of the week for a 73-yard run that set up the first West Rome touchdown, followed later in the game by a 3-yard sweep to score the second touchdown.

Rome's McDonald's, less than a year old, experienced its first armed robbery on August 24th, 1964, when a gunman entered the store after closing, held up the staff at gunpoint, and made off with $875 in cash. By the end of the week, a Rome man and a Marietta man were arrested for the holdup.

The Rome/Floyd County economy continued to generate more good news: area banks reported that area economic activity increased by 7% over the same months in 1963, showing that both businesses and people were spending more money... and that they had more money to spend!

With Georgia law requiring that all cars pass a safety inspection before new tags could be issued beginning in 1965, Rome entrepreneurs were actively setting up inspection stations, with almost four dozen sites in Rome begin licensed to perform the inspections. All inspections had be performed between January 1st and March 31st, 1965; there was a maximum $5 fee per vehicle for the inspection.

Piggly Wiggly had Maxwell House Instant Coffee for $1.19 a jar (the 1960s and the 1970s were a boom period for instant coffee sales), shank portion ham for 35¢ a pound, and Coca-Cola or Tab for 99¢ plus deposit for a 24-bottle case. Kroger had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Kroger's ice milk for 29¢ a half-gallon. A&P had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, Campbell's tomato soup for a dime a can, and ten pounds of potatoes for 49¢. Big Apple had snapper filets for 59¢ a pound, Big Apple bread for 19¢ a loaf, and Banquet frozen cream pies for 27¢ each. Couch's had baking hens for 29¢ each, five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢, and yellow corn for 6¢ an ear.

In the first half of the week, moviegoers could choose from What a Way to Go at the DeSoto, 633 Squadron at the First Avenue, and Who's Minding the Store? at the West Rome Drive-In. The last half of the week brought The Night of the Iguana to the DeSoto, The Killers to the First Avenue (perhaps the best film adaptation of any Ernest Hemingway novel!), and Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? (with the unusual pairing of Dean Martin and Elizabeth Montgomery) to the West Rome Drive-In.

The Animals took number one this week in 1964 with "House of the Rising Sun." Other top ten hits included "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes (#2); "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin (#3); "Because" by the Dave Clark Five (#4); "C'Mon and Swim" by Bobby Freeman (#5); "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#6); "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters (#7); "A Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles (#8); "How Do You Do It?" by Gerry & the Pacemakers (#9--and a song that the Beatles previously recorded but chose not to release); and "GTO" by Ronny & the Daytonas (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/17/1964 to 8/23/1964

Rome was particularly quiet in mid-August 1964.  School was just a week away, and students were already being bombarded with the usual pre-school advice: start going to bed earlier so you'll be ready for the first day, bring pencils and pens and paper and notebooks to school on the first day to take notes, make sure you know the bus schedule if you're riding the bus, etc.

Rome was still looking for teachers to fill last-minute vacancies; West Rome High School had only one remaining faculty vacancy as of August 19th, and the superintendent was confident that the system would find a qualified teacher by the time classes started.

Rome's economic engine continued to rev up: the Rome-Floyd County Chamber of Commerce reported that almost two dozen businesses were engaged in new construction or major expansion in Rome, including General Electric, the Fairbanks Co., Kay Townes Antenna, Integrated Products, Anderson Manufacturing, Fox Manufacturing, Parrish Bakeries, Rome Frozen Foods, and Rome Casket Company.

And if that won't enough good news, Rome and Floyd County also posted an unemployment rate of only 3.7%, with an annual payroll of $49.6 million, a 12" increase over the year before.

Most of us take the US 411/US 27 interchange for granted—after all, it's been there almost as long as most of us can remember—but in 1964, it wasn't there in its current state, and Rome business leaders and politicians were getting pretty darn frustrated. On August 20th, they voted to request the State Highway Department issue a conditional work order to let Ledbetter Brothers begin site prep while the final details were being negotiated.

Floyd County got its first automatic voting machines this week in 1964, just in time for the upcoming November Presidential elections. The machines were on display at the courthouse so that interested parties could come by and check them out to learn how the newfangled devices actually tabulated your votes.

Piggly Wiggly had Delmonico steaks for 99¢ a pound, white corn for a nickel an ear, and a 24-bottle case of Coke or Tab for 99¢ (and so the price creep began... that's a dime per case higher than they were charging in 1962 and early 1963, the first years I covered in this weekly nostalgic interlude). A&P had Libby's potted meat for a dime a can, half or whole hams for 49¢ a pound, and bananas for a dime a pound. Kroger had cubed steak for 79¢ a pound, Swift's bologna for 29¢ a pound, and a two-pound jar of Blue Plate apple jelly for 29¢. Big Apple had five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 39¢, lamb shoulder roast for 19¢ a pound, and Swift's premium bacon for 49¢ a pound. Couch's had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, pink salmon for 29¢ a can, and a three-pound can of Snowdrift shortening for 59¢.

If you wanted to catch a movie the first half of the week, your choices were McHale's Navy (with Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, and the rest of the TV series cast) at the DeSoto, Paris When It Sizzles (with William Holden and Audrey Hepburn) at the First Avenue, and The Running Man (not the Stephen King film, the movie with Laurence Harvey and Lee Remick) at the West Rome Drive-In. The mid-week change up brought Robinson Crusoe on Mars (with Paul Mantee) to the First Avenue, What a Way to Go! to the DeSoto, and Walt Disney's Merlin Jones to the West Rome Drive-In.

The number one song this week in 1964 was "Where Did Our Love Go?" by the Supremes. Other top ten hits included "The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals (#2); "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin (#3); "A Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles (#4); "C'Mon and Swim" by Bobby Freeman (#5); "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters (#6); "Because" by the Dave Clark Five (#7); "Walk—Don't Run '64" by the Ventures (#8); "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats (#9); and "How Do You Do It?" by Gerry & the Pacemakers (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/10/1964 to 8/16/1964

On August 10th, the Rome News-Tribune shared the news that most students were just as happy not knowing: the final two weeks of summer vacation had arrived! School was scheduled to start back on August 27th, beginning the 1964-65 school year that would continue through June 1st. And yes, that meant that back in the mid-1960s, we did get almost three full months off for the summer... and we didn't back to class during what is traditionally the hottest part of the summer.

West Rome High School was allocated $65,000 for the construction of an industrial arts shop, contingent on the the school system receiving the scheduled funding from the Georgia Department of Education. Plans called for the shop to be up and running by the 1965-1966 school year.

Coach Paul Kennedy talked with the Rome News-Tribune about his prospects for the 1964 football season, and he was (as usual) cautious in his comments. "We think we're going to have a pretty good team, but you can never really tell," Coach Kennedy said. "Right now all we're concerned about is Coosa," the team that West Rome was set to play in their season opener on August 29th. "We certainly don't want to go into that game over-confident. We realize that Coosa is going to be a strong club, and against us, we expect them to become super-human." Coach Kennedy had good things to say about quarterbacks Ronnie Kennedy and Ronnie Parker, along with returning players Jerry Coalson, Gordon Walden, Ken Payne, Dickie Sapp, Donnie Hill, and Richard Camp.

Low unemployment and a strong emphasis on education (complete with lower class sizes) left many school systems—including Rome's—with a teacher shortage as the school year began. The state estimated they would have 1,000 unfilled positions at the start of school, while the Rome school system had eight unfilled positions, including one at West Rome. School superintendent M.S. McDonald said that the shortage "won't prevent the opening of any schools, but we may have to double up in some classes."

The start of a news school year meant back to school shopping, and Miller's Department Store cashed in on new clothes shopping with a Seventeen Fashion Show on Wednesday, August 12th, hosted by Pat Sadowsky, editor of Seventeen Magazine. Door prizes included a Magnavox stereo system, a Bulova Caravelle watch, and (of course) clothes from Bobbie Brooks and other manufacturers. More than 300 teenage girls showed up for the event. Meanwhile, Sears announced extended hours, staying open until 9pm for the two weeks leading up to school's start. And everyone got in on the act for the weekend as Rome merchants celebrated "August Dollar Days" on Friday and Saturday with their biggest bargains of the season on clothes, school supplies, and more.

Merchants had every reason to be excited about the sales season: the Federal Reserve released June's department store sales numbers in mid-August, and it showed that Rome sales were up 15% over the same month in 1964, while furniture stores reported a 2% growth. Charge account balances were 12% higher, but Romans were paying off those accounts in an average of 68 days, compared to 77 days in 1963.

After two weeks of extremely hot weather with temperatures reaching the mid and upper 90s, Rome got a break in mid-August when a cool front dropped highs to the low 80s and lows to the mid-50s. Considering how few homes had central air conditioning in 1964, this was undoubtedly appreciated by many of us in West Rome!

Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 39¢ a pound, Plymouth coffee for 69¢ a pound, and ten pounds of potatoes for 49¢. Kroger had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and (no, I'm not making this up) Cantaloupe a la Mode for 25¢ each—and yes, that was a half a cantaloupe with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center of it!  (I'll wait while you make the appropriate ewww sounds...) Big Apple had baking hens for 29¢ a pound, JFG coffee for 59¢, and Georgia peaches for 19¢ a pound. A&P had cubed steak for 89¢ a pound, canned biscuits for 8¢ a can, and corn for a nickel an ear. Couch's had Oscar Mayer hot dogs for 49¢ a pound, Blue Plate jelly for 33¢ a jar, and fresh okra for 15¢ a pound (and I can almost smell Mom's fried okra...).

The cinematic week began with the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night at the DeSoto, The Carpetbaggers at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Come Blow Your Horn (with Frank Sinatra) and Hud (with Paul Newman) at the West Rome Drive-In. McHale's Navy set sail from television to the big screen at the DeSoto for the last half of the week, while The New Interns (with Dean Jones, Telly Savalas, Barbara Eden, and Stefanie Powers) made its Rome premiere at both the First Avenue and the West Rome Drive-In.

The Supremes took the number one position this week in 1964 with "Where Did Our Love Go?" Other top ten hits included "Everybody Loves Somebody" by Dean Martin (#2); "A Hard Day's Night" by the Beatles (#3); "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters (#4); "The House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals (#5); "C'mon and Swim" by Bobby Freeman (#6); "Because" by the Dave Clark Five (#7); "Walk—Don't Run '64" by the Ventures (#8); "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Dusty Springfield (#9); and ""How Do You Do It?" by Gerry & the Pacemakers (#10).