Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 4/7/1969 to 4/13/1969

Showtime '69, which was subtitled "A Chieftainacts Presentation," drew audiences to the Rome City Auditorium on Friday, April 11th and Saturday, April 12th. The show, whose theme was "America the Beautiful," was produced and directed by Clara Ellison. All proceeds from the event were used to sponsor activities of the academic, athletic, and music departments at West Rome. Mr. and Miss West Rome High School and West Rome Junior High School were announced at the event: Mike Johnson and Janice Lee were chosen Mr. & Miss West Rome High School, while Mike Tolbert and Toni Freeman were chosen Mr. & Miss West Rome Junior High.

Martin Rollinson won the Zone 1 Optimist International Oratorical Contest on April 7th; his speech focused on "Respect for the Law—Cornerstone for Citizenship." Rollinson was invited to take part in the oratorical contest after winning a local competition in March that was sponsored by the Rome Breakfast Optimist Club. As a result of his win, Rollinson was invited to take part in statewide competition in Atlanta on May 15th.

The Chieftains defeated Darlington and Calhoun in a three-way track meet on April 9th, led by Charles Smith, who posted an amazing triple jump of 44 feet 7.5 inches, giving him the first of three first-place finishes during the track meet. West Rome ended the competition with 63.5 points to Darlington's 55 points and Calhoun's 51.5 points.

Leland Veal of the Highway Department Planning Division said that plans had been finalized and approved for construction of a four-lane road from Shorter Avenue along Lavender Drive and Redmond Circle to the Alabama Road in front of West Rome High School. Veal said that the project had been moved to a  top priority for the state because of the rapid growth in West Rome.

Floyd Junior College plans were coming together, with designs and plans finalized and construction set to begin in May or June. The Board of Regents was confident that construction could be finished in time for classes to begin in the fall of 1970. (Considering how long it takes to finish any sort of construction project nowadays, it's amazing that they could go from blueprints to finished construction of a major junior college facility in a year--but that's just what they did!)

The Rome News-Tribune announced that the cost of a Sunday paper was increasing from 15¢ to 20¢ beginning Sunday, April 13th. The increase was necessitated by rising paper costs, distribution expenses, and the larger paper size due to the growing number of ads in each Sunday paper. The cost for a weekday paper was unchanged at 10¢.

Rome announced the expansion of the surplus food distribution program, with every resident of Floyd County eligible to receive at least nineteen items every month, including lard, peanut butter, cheese, and two cans of evaporated milk per person. There were no income requirements or prequalifications necessary to to receive a surplus food distribution allotment--residents simply had to show up at the distribution center on the appropriate day.

Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 45¢ a pound, pole beans for 19¢ a pound, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had pork chops for 65¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 33¢ each, and Ann Page donuts for 25¢ a dozen. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, grapefruit for 7¢ each, and RC or Diet-Rite cola for 28¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had T-bone steak for $1.08 a pound, corn for 7¢ an ear, and Kroger frozen pot pies for 12¢ each. Couch's had fresh-sliced bacon for 69¢ a pound, Van Camp's chili for 33¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.

The cinematic week began with Support Your Local Sheriff (starring James Garner) at the DeSoto Theatre, Where Eagles Dare (starring Clint Eastwood) at the First Avenue, and Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (starring Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switchout brought Charro (starring Elvis Presley) to the DeSoto and Planet of the Apes (starring Charlton Heston) to the West Rome Drive-In, while those eagles dared to stay at the First Avenue for another week.

The 5th Dimension held on to the number one slot with "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#2); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#3); "Only the Strong Survive" by Jerry Butler (#4); "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe (#5); "Galveston" by Glen Campbell (#6); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#7); "Twenty-Five Miles" by Edwin Starr (#8); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#9); and "Rock Me" by Steppenwolf (#10).

Bob Dylan totally changed is sound for the album Nashville Skyline, released this week in 1969. Not only was the album's country-influenced tone a departure for Dylan, but his throaty, more glottal vocal on songs like "Lay Lady Lay" was unlike anything Dylan had recorded previously.  One of the highlights was "Girl from the North Country," a duet with Johnny Cash.

Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore united for a one-hour CBS Special, Dick Van Dyke & The Other Woman, on Sunday, April 13th. This was the first time the two had appeared on television together since their series ended in May of 1966. The program included the two actors in a previously unseen alternate take from an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/31/1969 to 4/6/1969

Nick Hyder may have been West Rome's football coach, but he was willing to host a public forum t East Rome High School if the cutes was right. In this case, the cause was a discussion of alcohol problems--particularly problems involving teenagers. Hyder was involved as the president of the Concerned Citizens of Rome & Floyd County Opposed to the Alcohol Referendum.

West Rome's baseball team defeated Model 11-2 on April 3rd, thanks in large part to a strong pitching performance by Steve Harrell and Mike Ashworth, who held Model to only four hits for the game.

A lack of sate matching funds forced the Rome City School Board to delay a bond referendum to raise funds for a system-wide building program. The state had initially committed $2 million to Rome's building program, but no money was included in the state's budget due to all the attention focused on Governor Maddox's push for a sales tax increase. "It looks like we are out of the construction business," Superintendent Dr. M.S. McDonald said. Other problems were likely to result from this, since part of the building program was designed to comply with desegregation requirements established in conjunction with the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

After several years of effort, Eastern Airlines finally got permission to subcontract its Rome air service to another carrier. The new startup air service, Georgia Air Inc., Eastern agreed to cover some of Georgia Air's startup costs. The Rome Chamber of Commerce and the Rome Aviation Committee were unhappy with the change, pointing out that Georgia Air could only operate in Georgia, so that meant that the city's daily flights to Chattanooga would be discontinued; that left Rome with only one scheduled flight to Atlanta every morning and one scheduled flight from Atlanta back to Rome every afternoon.

And the bad news continued for Russell Field: a delegation of Romans who travelled to Washington in an effort to convince the US Weather Bureau to maintain its manned weather station at Russell Field came back with no commitment at all. Rome's weather station was one of thirteen around the country scheduled for closing, and the Rome Chamber of Commerce was having trouble getting enough local financial support to cover the estimated $25,000 a year that it would cost to keep the station open and to pay weather observer Juanita Lester's annual salary.

The Girl Scout annual cookie sale began on Friday, April 4th. Cookies were priced at 50¢ per box, and buyers could choose from chocolate mint (not yet known as thin mint), butter shortie, peanut butter, and assorted sandwich cookies. The sale would continue through April 20th.

Easter fell on Sunday, April 6th; as a result, almost every Rome area business was closed. Even Big K, who had led the push to extend local retail business hours and phase out the last remnants of local "blue laws," locked its doors on Easter Day.

Citizens Federal increased their interest rate for savings certificates (the precursor to certificates of deposit) to 5.25% compounded quarterly, the highest rate in Rome and Floyd County. Rome Bank & Trust responded by offering 5% on ALL savings accounts with at least $25 in deposits, while National City Bank raised their savings certificates rates to 5.127% compounded daily and Home Federal scrambled to match the Citizens Federal rate for deposits of $200 or more.

Piggly Wiggly had chicken livers for 39¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound. Big Apple had ham for 49¢ a pound, Maxwell House coffee for 59¢ a pound, and RC or Diet-Rite Cola for 35¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had chuck roast for 69¢ a pound, grapefruit for a dime each, and a dozen golden delicious apples for 49¢. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Blue Bonnet margarine for 29¢ a box, and Mueller's spaghetti for a dime a box. Couch's had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound,  Poss's Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can, and sweet potatoes for a dime a pound.

The cinematic week began with the documentary African Safari at the DeSoto Theatre, Where Eagles Dare (starring Clint Eastwood) at the First Avenue, and The Party (starring Peter Sellers) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek brought Support Your Local Sheriff (starring James Garner) to the DeSoto Theatre and Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (starring Peter Noone and the rest of Herman's Hermits) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Where Eagles Dare nested for another week at the First Avenue.

The 5th Dimension had the number one song this week in 1969 with "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#2); "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe" (#3); "Galveston" by Glen Campbell (#4); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#5); "Only the Strong Survive" by Jerry Butler (#6); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#7); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#8); "Run Away Child, Running Wild" by the Temptations (#9); and "Twenty-Five Miles" by Edwin Starr (#10).

This week in 1969, CBS cancelled The Smothers Brothers due to the inclusion of political commentary  that CBS censors had failed to approve. The variety show would be replaced with Hee Haw, effective immediately--but because it would take two months to produce episodes of the bucolic comedy sketch show, CBS would have to run specials for eight weeks to fill the air time left empty by the Smothers Brothers' abrupt dismissal.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/24/1969 to 3/30/1969

The city was ready to go on a four-lane highway from Shorter Avenue along Lavender Drive and Redmond Circle all the way to Alabama Road (a route that passed right in front of West Rome High School). but the project was on hold as they waited for the state to come through with its end of the deal. "The money is ready, Rome City Manager Bruce Hamler said, "but we are still waiting for the deeds from the State Highway Department. Without them, we are not able to obtain the rights-of-way and therefore are unable to start construction." While the four-lane road would offer alternative access to West Rome High School and West Rome Junior High when traffic was heavy on Shorter Avenue, the primary reason for the four-lane was to offer easier access to three industrial parks as well as General Electric, Trend Mills, and Rome Frozen Foods.

The Chieftains Club set the date for Showtime '69 (the replacements for Chieftain Acts): April 11th and 12th at the Rome City Auditorium. The theme for the year was "America, The Beautiful," produced by Clara Ellison and emceed by Lee Mowrey. The proceeds from the show would be used to help sponsor the activities of the academic, athletic, and music departments.

The city announced plans for a new housing project in West Rome, in an area bounded by Fortune Street, Georgia Avenue, and Battey State Hospital (an area known as "the shale pits"). The project, which would cost more than $3 million, would create 200 row houses in West Rome for low-income families.

A popup spring storm brought more than an inch of rain in less than an hour in the wee hours of Monday morning, accompanied by winds of 40 to 60 miles per hour While the bad weather knocked out power along Burnett Ferry Road near the Shorter Avenue intersection, there was no major damage.

Lester Maddox's proposed big budget, which was to have been financed with a sales tax increase, went down in flames when the state legislature refused to go along with the tax hike. Instead, the legislature refused to even vote on his proposal and chose to adjourn nine hours before their midnight deadline. "This is the first time I ever remember us wrapping up early and getting home in time for dinner on the final day," one representative remarked.

Piggly Wiggly had pork chops for 68¢ a pound, tomatoes for 28¢ a pound, and a giant-sized box of Fab or Cheer for 59¢. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Van Camp's potted meat for 20¢ a can, and Campbell's pork & beans for 15¢ a can. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, duck eggs (yes, I said "duck eggs") for 19¢ a half-dozen, and cantaloupes for 49¢ each. A&P had Swiss steak for 69¢ a pound, Jane Parker bread for 23¢ a loaf, and Lachoy chicken chow mein for 63¢ a can. Couch's had Oscar Mayer bacon for 69¢ a pound, Maxwell House coffee for 69¢ a pound, and bell peppers for a dime each.

The cinematic week began with Bueno Sera, Mrs. Campbell (starring Gina Lollobrigida) at the DeSoto Theatre, Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) at the First Avenue, and Angel in My Pocket (starring Andy Griffith) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought the documentary African Safari to the DeSoto Theatre, Where Eagles Dare (starring Clint Eastwood & Richard Burton) to the First Avenue, and The Party (starring Peter Sellers) to the West Rome Drive-In.

Tommy Roe held on to the number one slot for the fourth week with "Dizzy." Other top ten hits included "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#2); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#3); "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#4); "Galveston" by Glen Campbell (#5); "Run Away Child, Running Wild" by the Temptations (#6); "Only the Strong Survive" by Jerry Butler (#7); "Traces" by the Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost (#8); "My Whole World Ended" by David Ruffin (#9); and "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#10).











46¢

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/17/1969 to 3/23/1969

Alas, this is a particularly skimpy Fifty Years Ago... column for reasons beyond my control: the Rome News-Tribune is apparently missing file copies of four of the six weekly papers for this week i 1969, and the Rome library informed me that they had no copies, either. As a result, I have access to only the most limited news for the week. Let's make the best of it, though, shall we?

The West Rome Chieftain Club held their March meeting on Monday, March 17th, at the West Rome High School auditorium to finalize plans for Showtime '69, the student variety show that was salted to replace Chieftain Acts for 1969. . 

Three Chieftains were named as finalists in the Governor's Honors Program, which meant that they were eligible to attend Wesleyan College for eight weeks during the summer to study in their chosen fields. The three honorees were Charles Wester (11th grade), who qualified in science; Marilyn Little (11th grade), who qualified in social science;  and Janet Webb (11th grade), who qualified in English. In addition, Tommy Roberson (11th grade) qualified as an alternate in Music.

Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 46¢ a pound, Fab detergent for 39¢ a box, and lettuce for 15¢ a head. A&P had chuck roast for 89¢ a pound, bakery-fresh apple pies for 39¢ each, and vine ripe tomatoes for 29¢ a pound. Big Apple had ham for 39¢ a pound, Irvindale ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, grapes for 19¢ a pound, and Bama jelly for 33¢ a jar. Couch's had fresh in-store-ground sausage for 59¢ a pound, Poss Brunswick stew for 59¢ a can, and Maxwell House coffee for 69¢ a pound.

The cinematic week began with Play Dirty (starring Michael Caine) at the DeSoto Theatre, Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) at the First Avenue, and The Split (starring Julie Harris) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (starring Gina Lollobrigida) to the DeSoto and Angel in My Pocket (starring Andy Griffith) to the West Rome Drive-In, while three remained in the attic for another week at the First Avenue.

"Dizzy" by Tommy Roe held on to the number slot for a third week this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Traces" by the Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost (#2); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#3); "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#4); "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#5); "Run Away Child, Running Wild" by the Temptations (#6); "Indian Giver" by the 1910  Fruitgum Co. (#7); "Galveston" by Glen Campbell (#8); "My Whole World Ended" by David Ruffin (#9); and "Only the Strong Survive" by Jerry Butler (#10). 

John Lennon married Yoko Ono this week in 1969 in Gibraltar (they could have gotten married in Gibraltar or Spain). 

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/10/1969 to 3/16/1969

Cold snaps in March are nothing new: on March 10th, 1969, Rome set a low temperature record when the mercury fell to 21 degrees. The cold snap was short-lived, though, as temperatures climbed back into the upper sixties by the end of the week. (Doesn't sound that much different than this year, does it?)

It may seem like a technicality, but it was a pretty big technicality: the Regents of the University System officially approved funds for the construction of Floyd Junior College this week in 1969. The total approved amount was $2.8 million, about $200,000 more than initially anticipated, largely due to increases in estimated construction costs.

Berry College announced that construction of its new student activity center was nearing completion, with just a few final touches needed before the new Krannert Center officially opened for business. The new building would have space for a ballroom, student government offices, student publication offices, a spacious snack bar, and a full bookstore, as well as student mailboxes and small meeting rooms. (It would be two more years before I would pay frequent visits to Krannert Center as a student at Berry--and I certainly remember buying a number of books and record albums at the bookstore during my four years at Berry!)

West Rome principal Dick McPhee was selected to serve as the president of the Georgia Secondary School Principals Association during the annual meeting of the Georgia Education Association; this was the third time that McPhee was tapped to serve as president of this group, which recommended policies and practices for high school principals across the state.

Citizens Federal increased the interest rate for its savings certificates (now known as certificates of deposit) to 5.25%, which inspired Rome Bank and Trust to top them 3 days later with an interest rate of 5.3%. While no other bank topped those rates this week in 1969, every major Rome bank was advertising savings certificates interest rates above 5%. National City Bank was even paying 4% on its savings accounts, so long as the account holder maintained a minimum balance of $500 or more.

While plans for a 4% state sales tax were tabled for the legislative session, the Georgia House of Representatives dud pass a surprise approval of a 1% local option sales tax, allowing counties and cities the option of increasing their sales tax for specific project. No one was sure if the bill would clear the Georgia Senate, but it looked quite possible.

Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 38¢ a pound, Bama catsup for 29¢ a bottle, and tomatoes for 29¢ a pound. A&P had swiss steak for 69¢ a pound, grapefruit for 9¢ each, and Marvel ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had pork chops for 79¢  pound, Merita bread for 25¢ a loaf, and Blue Bonnet margarine for 31¢ a pound. Big Apple had corned beef brisket for 89¢ a pound, Double Cola or Diet-Rite Cola for 39¢ a carton plus deposit, and Van Camp pork & beans for 20¢ a can. Couch's had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, JFG mayonnaise for  49¢ a quart, and bananas for a dime a pound.

The cinematic week began with The Night They Raided Minsky's (starring Jason Robards) at the DeSoto Theatre, 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood) at the First Avenue, and Yellow Submarine (starring animated versions of the Beatles) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Play Dirty (starring Michael Caine) to the DeSoto Theatre, Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) to the First Avenue, and The Secret Ceremony (starring Elizabeth Taylor) to the West Rome Drive-In.

Tommy Roe held on to the number one slot for another week with "Dizzy." Other top ten hits included "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2); "Traces" by the Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost (#3); "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations (#4); "Indian Giver" by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (#5); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#6); "This Girl's in Love with You" by Dionne Warwick (#7); "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone (#8); "Crimson & Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells (#9); and "Run Away Child, Running Wild" by the Temptations (#10)

Neal Adams made his artistic debut on Marvel's mutant superteam in X-Men #56, written by Roy Thomas. While fans were extremely excited to see the superstar artist joining the X-Men creative team, it would turn out to be too little too late; even a team of this caliber couldn't sufficiently boost the X-Men's sales sufficiently to save them from cancellation less than a year later. Over at DC, the sword-and-sorcery boom that was so popular in paperback fiction made the jump to comics with the release of Showcase #82 featuring Nightmaster, cover-blurbed as "a great new sword and sorcery saga." (Apparently not so great, since the series would never earn its way out of the pages of Showcase, DC's try-out title.)

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 3/3/1969 to 3/9/1969

West Rome High School's marching band received a superior rating in Class B concert and sight reading at the Seventh District Music Festival; no other Rome schools received a superior rating in both categories. The junior high band received an excellent rating.

Convinced that approval of the upcoming referendum was likely, the Rome City Commission began drawing up regulations to control the sale of liquor in the city limits. The city determined that, should the referendum pass, any store wishing to sell liquor would have to pay $5000 for a license, and that the city would levy an 80¢ per gallon tax on all alcohol sold.

Apparently Rome and Floyd County weren't willing to let the local weather station go without a fight: the city commission, the county commission, and the Chamber of Commerce announce a joint effort to keep the local weather station open--and if necessary, they intended to raise local funds to pay for it.

After a quiet, relatively crime-free week, the weekend went downhill as Rome was plagued with multiple burglaries on Saturday night. The Central Plaza Super Discount was broken into and most than $300 was stolen from cash registers and a cash box hidden in a file cabinet. Rome Automobile on Martha Berry Boulevard was broken into, and the thieves made off with tools and equipment valued at over $400. HD Morgan Oil Company was burglarized; thieves made off with cigarettes and cash from the vending machines. and George's Marine was hit by thieves who made off with three motorcycle helmets, a motorcycle jacket, and one headlight.

Last-minute negotiations proved fruitless as the governor reluctantly accepted the fact that his intensely-promoted sales tax increase didn't appear destined to pass. Governor Maddox said that he and key party leaders would fine-tune the plan and possibly call the legislators back into session in the summer to reconsider the tax increase, which would raise state sales tax by 33% from 3% to 4%.

Microwaves came to Rome this week in 1969 as Adams Refrigeration and Air Conditioning announced that they would be the first store in Rome to sell the Amana Radarange microwave oven. "Cook a five pound roast in 37 minutes," their ad touted. "Hamburger in the bun in 1 minute. No heat, no pots, no pans! The microwave offered 135 watts of power (about 15% what most of today's microwaves offer) and was available for only $599.99.

Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for $1.08 a pound (apparently 1969 was the year that steak routinely topped the $1 a pound mark), grapefruit for 7¢ each, and a two-pound bag of Ore-Ida tater tots for 38¢. Big Apple had Double Cola for a nickel a bottle, Crisco oil for 39¢ a quart, and Irvindale ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. A&P had pork roast for 59¢ a pound, glazed doughnuts for 39¢ a dozen, and a two-pound jar of Ann Page peanut butter for 75¢.  Kroger had fresh fryer breast for 49¢ a pound, perch filet for 45¢ a pound, and pole beans for 19¢ a pound. Couch's had their own in-store-made sausage for 59¢ a pound, Bama jelly for 29¢ a jar, and cabbage for 5¢ a pound.

The cinematic week began with Lady in Cement (starring Frank Sinatra) at the DeSoto Theatre, 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood) at the First Avenue, and Yellow Submarine (starring animated versions of the Beatles, along with a brief clip of the real Fab Four at the very end) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Night They Raided Minsky's (starring Jason Robards) to the DeSoto, while the First Avenue and the West Rome Drive-In flipped films, with 2001 moving to the drive-in while Yellow Submarine moved to the First Avenue.

Tommy Roe soar3ed to number one this week in 1969 with "Dizzy." Other top ten hits included "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2); "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone (#3); "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations (#4); "Traces" by the Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost (#5); "Crimson & Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells (#6); "This Girl's In Love With You" by Dionne Warwick (#7); "Indian Giver" by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (#8); "Time of the Season" by the Zombies (#9); and "This Magic Moment" by Jay & the Americans (#10).

Little did we know how big they would eventually become: Genesis released its debut album, From Genesis to Revelation, this week in 1969. The original group consisted of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Anthony Phillips, and Chris Stewart; it would be many more years before Phil Collins became a part of the band.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/24/1969 to 3/2/1969

 West Rome's Mike Jenkins and Billy Houston both won division championships in the Class AA Wrestling Tournament; Jenkins took the top spot in the 95-pound class, while Houston won in the unlimited division. Henry Studyvent took second place in the 180-pound class and Jeff Rogers took third in the 138-pound division.

West Rome's girls came from behind to defeat Cedartown 42-38 in the Region 7-AA semifinals on Tuesday night. Both Debbie Poarch and Phyllis Jarrard scored 19 points in the game. On Wednesday night, they defeated Cartersville 42-35 in a home game at the West Rome gym to win the Region 7-AA South championship. Jarrard was the top scorer with 20 points.

West Rome's band received a superior rating in Class B concert and sight reading at the Seventh District Music Festival, held on March 1st in Marietta. The Junior High honor band received an excellent rating.

The JA Industrials was named the Outstanding Junior Achievement company in Rome for January. West Rome's own Mike Shannon, VP of sales for the group, accepted the award for the Industrials, who were sponsored by General Electric's Medium Transformer Department.

West Rome Science Fair Winners included Debbye Morris and Steve Blad (botany); Marilynn Little (mathematics); Sam Hancock & Ida Hutchings (physics), and Billy Candler (psychology). Others who placed in the science fair included Jolynne Rice (second place, bacteriology); Ken Whittenberg (third place, botany); David Gardner (second place, chemistry); Debbie Holder (honorable mention, chemistry); Tom Blad & Mike Blanton (second place, engineering); Billy Houston (third place, engineering); Lon Rollinson (third place, physics); Dawn Scarbrough, Terry Owens, & Martha Riley (second place, psychology); David Hood (second place, zoology); Bill Doster, Jimmy Tolbert, Teresa Jackson, & Ellen Jackson (third place, zoology); and Dana Nichols & Dianne Hall (honorable mention, zoology).

Federal budget cuts cost Rome its US Weather Bureau station at Russell Field. The government announced that the station, which was open for almost a quarter of a century, would be closed by June 30th; it was one of 13 weather stations across the country that was shut down in a cost-cutting move.

Rome's burglars continued their crime spree this week in 1969. In the early hours of Monday morning, they tor ea piece of metal off the end of the Rome Tobacco Company building on Redmond Road, then entered the business and stole five cases of cigarettes and some cash from a deposit bag in the office. That same morning, burglars broke into Coosa High School and ransacked five vending machines, stealing cash and a variety of snacks. And if that wasn't enough, Kelly Springfield Automotive Center was also hit, with $220 in cash and hundreds of dollars worth of tired taken.

 Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 78¢ a pound, Double Q salmon for 69¢ a an, and Sealtest ice cream for 48¢ a half-gallon. A&P had Delmonico steaks for $1.89¢ a pound, Maxwell House coffee for 65¢ a pound, and grapefruit for a dime each. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, large eggs for 47¢ a dozen, and Heinz ketchup for 19¢ a bottle. Big Apple had spare ribs for 59¢ a pound, Ore Ida tater tots for 29¢ a bag, and assorted flavors of Bama jelly for 33¢ a jar. Couch's had country ham for $1.19 a pound, Chef Boy-R-Di spaghetti & meatballs for 39¢ a can, and yellow corn for 8¢ an ear.

The cinematic week began with Stalking Moon (starring Gregory Peck) at the DeSoto Theatre, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (starring Alan Arkin) at the First Avenue Theatre, and Candy (starring Richard Burton) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switchout brought Lady in Cement (starring Frank Sinatra) to the DeSoto Theatre, 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Gary Lockwood) to the First Avenue Theatre, and House of Cards (starring George Peppard) to the West Rome Drive-In.

Jim Morrison of the Doors was arrested in Miami this week in 1978 for allegedly exposing himself during the show. The official charge was "lewd and lascivious behavior," which was enough to permanently mark Morrison as one of rock's "bad boys"--a reputation that he relished for the all-too-brief remainder of his life.

Sly & the Family Stone held on to number one for a fourth week with "Everyday People." Other top ten hits included "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2); "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations (#3); "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe (#4); "Crimson & Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells (#5); "This Magic Moment" by Jay & the Americans (#6); "This Girl's In Love With You" by Dionne Warwick (#7); "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (#8); "Touch Me" by the Doors (#9): and "Indian Giver" by 1910 Fruitgum Company (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/17/1969 to 2/23/1969

The snow and ice that kept Romans indoors on Saturday and Sunday miraculously cleared by Monday morning, which meant a normal school and work day (much to the dismay of students who were undoubtedly certain that the ice would linger long enough to give them a snow day to start the week). Floyd County representative John Adams said that the bill would "open the door to an 18% interest rate, like they charge in Brazil." Apparently he underestimated the greed of credit card companies, who shot way past 18% as soon as usury laws were abandoned...

West Rome's own Sycondia Gammon was chosen as Miss Valentine by the Rome Teen Club Valentine's dance; the dance was postponed until Friday, February 21st, because of the icy weather that moved in on Valentine's evening. DW Bowman was chosen Mr. Valentine.

West Rome swept past Cedartown 65-52 on Tuesday night in the Region 7-AA Boys Tournament; Mike Day was the leading scorer with 19 points. The victory advanced the Chieftains to the Wednesday night semifinals, where they faced off against East Rome. Alas, things didn't go as well for the Chieftains in that game, as they fell to East Rome 65-43; Kenny Stephens scored 18 of West Rome's 43 points.

Burglars broke into the Shorter Heights Drive-In at 414 Shorter Avenue in the early hours of Monday morning, whereupon they ransacked two vending machines and stole a penny jar. The owners said that the thieves made off with approximately $50 from the vending machines and about $1 from the penny jar.

A fire broke out in the back room of the Ideal Service Station on Shorter Avenue on Thursday afternoon; considerable damage was done to the building, but firefighters were able to stop the flames from reaching the gas tanks, which could have been catastrophic. Two cars parked behind the building were totally destroyed.

Anyone who pays exorbitant credit card interest rates might be surprised to hear that the maximum legally allowed rate in Georgia was 8% in 1969--although a bill proposed in the state senate would allow that rate to climb all the way to 9%.

Piggly Wiggly had Oscar Mayer bologna for 39¢ a pound,  Atlanta Dairies ice milk for 19¢ a half-gallon (the lowest price I've seen for ice milk in the 7 years I've been doing this column!), and bananas for a dime a pound. Big Apple had 3 pound Armour canned hams for $2.49, Luzianne coffee for 49¢ a pound, and RC or Diet-Rite Cola for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had chuck roast for 69¢ a pound, Alcoa Wrap for 69¢ a 200-foot box, and large temple oranges for 59¢ a dozen. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Fab detergent for 30¢ a box, and a 16-ounce jar of Miracle Whip for 19¢. Couch's had Hormel Little Sizzlers for 49¢ a pound, Gorton's fish sticks for 29¢ a box, and sweet potatoes for a dime a pound.

The cinematic week began with Angel in My Pocket (starring Andy Griffith) at the DeSoto Theatre, Candy (starring Richard Burton) at the First Avenue Theater, and Prudence and the Pill (starring David Niven) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switchout brought Stalking Moon (starring Gregory Peck) to the DeSoto and Berserk (starring Joan Crawford) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Candy hung around for another week at the First Avenue. (Astute readers may note that I said "weekend switchout" rather than "midweek switchout": beginning this week in 1969, Rome's theaters changed new movie day at the theaters from Wednesday to Friday.)

Sly & the Family Stone held on to the number spot for another week with "Everyday People." Other top ten hits included "Crimson & Clover" by Tommy James & The Shondells (#2); "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations (#3); "Touch Me" by the Doors (#4); "Proud May" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#5); "You Showed Me" by the Turtles (#6); "This Magic Moment" by Jay & the Americans (#7); "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (#8); "Worst That Could Happen" by Brooklyn Bridge (#9); and "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe (#10).

The Beatles held both the number one and the number two positions on the album charts this week in 1969 with The Beatles (aka The White Album) at number one and Yellow Submarine at number two. Of course, Yellow Submarine wasn't a true Beatles album per se, but a soundtrack to the animated film that consisted of mostly previously-released tracks with a couple of new songs for contractual reasons. Another group had two albums in the top ten this week in 1969: Iron Butterfly, whose new album Ball climbed to number seven, while their history-making In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida fell to number ten on the charts (the 33rd week the album had charted!). Ball would be the final studio album with this group lineup; young guitarist Erik Brann would leave the group soon after the album's release, and would be replaced by two guitarists for the group's next album. Alas, the magic sound was gone, and the group's brief shot at rock super-stardom came to an end (although In-A-Gadda-da-Vida would remain one of rock music's best-selling albums).

This week in 1969, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan recorded together in Nashville, Tennessee. Alas, only one song from those sessions--"Girl from the North Country"--would be released.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/10/1969 to 2/16/1969

After a warm beginning to the week, a sudden cold snap brought freezing rain, ice, and snow to Rome on Saturday evening, causing hazardous driving conditions and the closing of numerous churches on Sunday morning. Students were undoubtedly frustrated, however, with the news that the ice should be gone by Monday morning, so all schools were open for class come Monday morning. (Is there anything more sad for a student than a snow-day wasted on a weekend?)

Governor Lester Maddox discovered how difficult it was to shoehorn a tax increase into the state legislative agenda when House Speaker George L. Smith buried his first proposal in committee and then ruled that the only way that the  legislature could consider the increase was if Governor Maddox could manage to get an all-new bill passed--a virtual impossibility, since the speaker would control whether that bill made it out of committee or not. The end result: plans to increase the state sales tax from 3% to 4% were dead for the 1969 legislative session, apparently.

Two Rome schools were hit by burglars in the wee hours of Monday morning. Both East Rome Junior High and Eighth Ward School were broken into and vending machines were ransacked, along with office desks. In addition, the thieves did thousands of dollars of vandalism damage at Eighth Ward School. Two days later, burglars broke into Midway School and stole a television set, a copying machine, and cash from the vending machines.

Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 68¢ a pound, Coca-Cola for 33¢ a carton (plus deposit), and a ten-pound bag of potatoes for 19¢. Kroger had pork chops for 79¢ a pound, large eggs for 49¢ a dozen, and bananas for 11¢ a pound. A&P had smoked ham for 39¢ a pound, Chase & Sanborn coffee for 79¢ a pound, and lettuce for 19¢ a head. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, Spic 'n' Span cleanser for 25¢ a canister, and five pounds of Pillsbury flour for 49¢. Couch's had Armour's all-meat wieners for 39¢ a pound, Aristocrat ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon, and fresh corn for 8¢ an ear.

Sly & the Family Stone took the number one slot this week in 1969 with "Everyday People." Other top ten hits included "Crimson & Clover" by Tommy James & the Shondells ( #2): "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations (#3); "Touch Me" by the Doors (#4); "Can I Change My Mind" by Tyrone Davis (#5); "Worst That Could Happen"  by Brooklyn Bridge (#6); "You Showed Me" by the Turtles (#7); "This Magic Moment" by Jay & the Americans (#8); "Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#9); and "I'm Livin' in Shame" by Diana Ross & the Supremes (#10).

The cinematic week began with Angel in My Pocket (starring Andy Griffith) at the DeSoto Theatre, The Parent Trap (starring Hayley Mills) at the First Avenue, and Hawaii (starring Julie Andrews) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Candy (starring Richard Burton) to the First Avenue and Impasse (starring Burt Reynolds) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Angel in My Pocket hung around at the DeSoto for  second week.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/3/1969 to 2/9/1969

What started off as a cold rain turned into an icy mess Monday night and Tuesday morning as temperatures dropped below freezing, causing rainy roads to become slick with black ice. Kingston Road was the site of the most accidents, but slip-and-slide collisions were also reported on Turner McCall, Shorter Avenue, Alabama Road, Redmond Circle, and Martha Berry Boulevard.  Temperatures rose above freezing by mid-morning, however, and the ice was pretty much gone by lunchtime. Problems were considered too isolated for the school systems to close, although they told parents to exercise caution and good judgment in deciding whether it was safe for their kids to go to school.

The official desegregation plan under which Rome City Schools had been operating ever since the 1968-1969 school year began won belated approval from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, which meant that the city school system was cleared to receive all federal funds for which it qualified. Rome was one of only 46 systems in the state that was judged fully compliant.

The Rome City Commission was on board with Governor Lester Maddox's proposed 1% sales tax increase, since the extra tax would bring the city $833,261 in the first year, and more than $146,600 would go to the school system.

Rome Police Chief Nelson Camp skipped right over the rash of Rome burglaries and robberies to focus on the real crime wave threatening the city: double-parking in downtown Rome. The chief warned people that the city would no longer allow double-parkers to pay their fines and be done with the matter; instead, they were going to require all recipients of double-parking citations to appear in court.

And speaking of burglars, safecrackers hit Westdale Hardware, peeling the safe open and stealing more than $100 in cash and several hundred dollars worth of tools. Burglars attempted the same sort of crime at Saunders Supply, but they were unable to open the safe. Burglars also entered East Rome Junior High School, breaking into the principal's office and ransacking it; school employees were unable to immediately determine what, if anything, was missing.

Three Armuchee men were arrested for counterfeiting after it was determining that they were passing bogus $10 bills to city and county businesses. Unfortunately for them, they chose to pass some of the bills at businesses where the owners knew them by name...

The Coosa Valley Fair received top honors for fairs during the annual meeting of the Georgia Association of Agricultural Fairs in Atlanta. Wesley Johnson, Coosa Valley Fair Association president, accepted the award. 1968 Fair Queen Diane Weeks was awarded second runner-up in the "Fairest of the Fairs" contest.

What we would give for these interest rates today: National City Bank was paying 5.12711% interest on one year savings certificates (the equivalent of certificates of deposit) this week in 1969, with Rome Bank and Trust and First National Bank following close behind at 5.05%.

Piggly Wiggly had beef liver for 38¢ a pound, Tide detergent for 49¢ a box, and cabbage for 8¢ a head. A&P had veal steaks for 89¢ a pound, bakery-fresh sweet potato pies for 45¢ each, and vine ripe tomatoes for 29¢ a pound. Big Apple had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, strawberries for 33¢ a pint, and Crest toothpaste for 33¢ a tube. Couch's had Armour Mira-Cure bacon for 59¢ a pound, Blue Plate apple jelly for 15¢ a jar, and JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound.

The cinematic week began with The Secret Ceremony (starring Elizabeth Taylor) at the DeSoto Theatre, If He Hollers, Let Him Go (starring Dana Wynter) at the First Avenue, and The Paper Lion (starring Alan Alda) at the West Rome Drive-In.  The midweek switchout brought Angel in My Pocket (starring Andy Griffith) to the DeSoto, The Parent Trap (starring Hayley Mills) to the First Avenue and Who's Minding the Mint? (starring Jim Hutton) to the West Rome Drive-In.

Trying to ride the coattails of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In's success, ABC unveiled its sketch comedy series Turn-On on February 5th. While viewers loved Laugh-In, Turn-On was quite the turn-off, though: it became one of the very few TV series to be cancelled after only one episode!

Marvel Comics' short-lived attempt to poke fun at themselves and their comics competition came to an end with the release of Not Brand Echo #13, the final issue of the series. While Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and other big-name talents were on hand to launch the series, by the time it came to an end, the book had been turned over to less high-profile (but still very skilled) creators like Roy Thomas, Arnold Drake, Marie Severin, and Bill Dubay.