Friday, March 11, 2016

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/14/1966 to 3/20/1966

The big crime fifty years ago this week was stealing building supplies from the many homes under construction in Rome. The police reported burglaries of water heaters, ovens, ranges, light fixtures, bathroom cabinets, toilets, and various tools from sites on Burnett Ferry Road near Fellowship Baptist Church as well as on Black’s Bluff Road, Horseleg Creek Road, and in Garden Lakes.

The draft continued to call up more and more of Rome’s young men. Mrs. Virginia Turpin, director of the Floyd Selective Service office, said that the draft board would begin calling up childless married men for the draft at the end of March; until this time, married men were given an exemption from being drafted. Mrs. Turpin said there were no plans to draft married men with children in 1966, but did not rule out a change in that policy for 1967 or beyond.

Students got a day off from school on Friday, March 18th, so that teachers could attend the Georgia Education Association meeting in Atlanta. Of course, the reason why was unimportant to students—the only important thing was a Friday off!

West Rome got a new TV and radio repair shop this week in 1966 with the opening of Carnes Radio & TV at 615 Shorter Avenue. Of course, fifty years ago entertainment electronics were designed to be repaired… something all too rare today!

H&R Block was advertising their tax service with an illustration of an elephant and the caption “Even Elephants Can’t Remember All the Changes in the Income Tax Code!” So what was the going rate for having Block do you taxes? A whopping $5 for both federal and state forms!

Home Federal raised the bar on interests-bearing accounts by offering 4.5% interest on all accounts—savings or checking! Oh, if only we could find a bank that offered 4.5% interest today!…

BF Goodrich held the grand opening for their new store at 711 Broad Street. While we think of Goodrich as a tire store, back then they were a full service home electronics and appliance store, offering refrigerators, stoves, TVs, radios, stereos, small appliances, power tools, and much more.

Piggly Wiggly had cut up fryers for 33¢ a pound, russet potatoes for 8¢ a pound, and Lady Allen ice milk for 33¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had rump roast for 99¢ a pound, collard greens for 29¢ a bunch, and Gebhardt chili for 25¢ a can. A&P had Allgood bacon for 75¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 33¢ each, and Jane Parker fresh-baked apple pies for 39¢. Big Apple had tom turkey for 39¢ a pound, JFG coffee for 59¢ a pound and Heinz baked beans for a dime a can. Couch’s had smoked picnic ham for 49¢ a pound, Heinz ketchup for a quarter a bottle, and JFG peanut butter for 35¢ a jar.

The cinematic week began with Made in Paris (with Ann-Margret) at the Desoto Theater and The Great Race (with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Natalie Wood) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The Chase (with Marlon Brando) to the DeSoto and Ten Little Indians (with Hugh O’Brian, Shirley Eaton, and Fabian) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In’s weekend offerings included Young Fury (with Rory Calhoun & Virginia Mayo) and The Man Who Could Cheat Death (a 1959 oldie with Christopher Lee and no one else you ever heard of).

Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler maintained his iron grip on number one in the Billboard charts with “The Ballad of the Green Berets.” Other top ten hits included “Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown” by the Rolling Stones (#2); “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles (#3); “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra (#4); “Homeward Bound” by Simon & Garfunkel (#5); “Daydream” by the Lovin’ Spoonful (#6); “California Dreaming” by the Mamas & the Papas (#7); “You’re My Soul and Inspiration” by the Righteous Brothers (#8); “Elusive Butterfly” by Bob Lind (#9); and “Listen People” by Herman’s Hermits (#10).

Barry Sadler also had the number one album this week in 1966 with The Ballad of the Green Berets. In other album news, Waylon Jenning released his first major-label album, Folk-Country, this week; the album marked his first collaboration with producer Chet Atkins.

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