Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/26/1968 to 3/3/1968

Rome City Schools failed its initial state accreditation inspection—a relative rarity for a system the size of Rome. The problem, according to the inspectors, was with the facilities (elementary schools in particular), which were undersized, poorly maintained, and in substandard condition. The visiting committee that handled the inspection also found that most schools had inadequate counseling staff, and that more than half the schools had inadequate physical education programs and facilities. Thankfully, West Rome was not named in either of those areas, although our competitors on the east side of town were. “we knew we had a few minor weaknesses we knew we could correct,” superintendent MS McDonald said. “The study did not point out any major weaknesses except in space and sites. These must be corrected by the community by providing funds for the replacement of obsolete, overcrowded facilities and by providing for projected building plans. If Rome really wants to have top quality schools, the the must community must make a serious effort to reorganize school facilities, particularly on the elementary level.” (I was lucky enough to spend the first three years of elementary school at Garden Lakes Elementary, a relatively new and well-maintained county school. I spent the fourth grade at Elm Street, and can attest that everything the visiting committee said was true: it was too small, poorly maintained, and shoehorned into an absurdly small site. My fifth grade year was spent at the building that we later knew as West Rome Junior High, and my sixth grade year was at West End Elemetary—a new, more spacious, and well maintained site. So I know first-hand the discrepancies and inadequacies the committee criticized, as did many of us who grew up in West Rome in the 1960s.)

David Baxter Joy was named West Rome High School’s STAR Student; he selected Mrs. Elliott Evans as his STAR teacher. 

The Atlanta Chiefs came to Barron Stadium on Friday, March 2nd, in an effort to build interest in soccer, which got very little respect from US sports fans in the 1970s. Tickets were available for $2 each, with all proceeds going to the Rome Cerebral Palsy School.

Rome experienced a surprise five inch snowfall on Wednesday night, February 28th, into the morning hours of Thursday, February 29th. Schools were closed, as were most businesses, although the State Patrol said that all major roads were passable by mid-day. Power problems were reported all over the Rome area, but most power outages were restored within two hours. The Redmond Road-Shorter Avenue-Alabama Road intersection (right in front of West Rome) was a particular problem spot, with three snow-related accidents reported during the day. 75 telephone poles were brought down by snow and ice, knocking 750 lines out of commission for most of the day Thursday and part of Friday.  The snow hung around for two days, with schools closed both Thursday and Friday as a result. 

Rome and Floyd County reached an agreement to maintain a “no man’s land” road in West Rome. North Division Street, between the underpass and Redmond Road, was the subject of a dispute, since one side of the road was in the city limits and the other side was in the county. As a result, neither was willing to spend any money repairing potholes or repaving the road, making it one of the worst paved stretches of road in the area. After years of arguing, the city and the county agreed to split the cost of maintenance—a decision that was applauded by all who had to travel that stretch of road.

Piggly Wiggly had sirloin tip roast for 99¢ a pound, sauerkraut for 15¢ a can, and Lady Alice ice milk for a record low price of 29¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Starkist tuna for 30¢ a can, and Libby fruit cocktail for 23¢ a can. Big Apple had Butterball turkeys for 35¢ a pound, pizza rolls for 59¢ a box, and Pillsbury canned biscuits for a nickel a can. A&P had pork roast for 69¢ a pound, tomatoes for 29¢ a pound, and Duncan Hines cake mix for a quarter a box. Couch’s had leg o’ lamb for 89¢ a pound, Van Camp’s chili for 33¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound. 

The cinematic week began with The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (starring Clint Eastwood) at the DeSoto Theatre, Bonnie & Clyde (starring Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Born Losers (starring Tom Laughlin as the half-Indian Green Beret Vietnam vet Billy Jack) and the marijuana shocksploitation film Mary Jane (starring Fabian) at the West Rome Drive-In. Both The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly  and Bonnie & Clyde hung around for the last half of the week, while the West Rome Drive-in brought in The Biggest Bundle of Them All (starring Raquel Welch and Robert Wagner).

Paul Mauriat’s Orchestra held on to the number one slot for a second week with “Love Is Blue (L’Amous Est Bleu).” Other top ten hits included “(Theme from) The Valley of the Dolls” by Dionne Warwick (#2); “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding (#3); “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations (#4); “Simon Says” by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. (#5); “ Spooky” by the Classics IV (#6); “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” by the First Edition--the first top ten hit for Kenny Rogers, who was the lead vocalist for the First Edition (#7); “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart (#8); “Bottle of Wine” by the Fireballs (#9); and “Everything That Touches You” by the Association (#10). 

The musical news this week in 1968 was mixed. Frankie Lymon, lead singer of the doo-wop group Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, died from a heroine overdose on February 27th, while Johnny Cash and June Carter tied the knot in Franklin, Kentucky on March 1st. 

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/19/1968 to 2/25/1968

Rome’s burglars were back in action in the early morning hours of February 19th, breaking into four businesses, including Floyd County Lanes on North Elm Street, Mobley Furniture Store, North Rome Methodist Church, and Gresham Auto Parts. In every case, burglars broke into vending machines and ransacked offices looking for cash. The total amount of cash stolen exceeded $350; damage to the various locations pushed losses above the $2000 mark.

Two days later, a mysterious fire caused extensive damage to the Coosa Valley Furniture Company at 632 Shorter Avenue. Investigators found three milk bottles filled with a flammable liquid at the place where the fire began, leading them to conclude that the fire was arson. Police and fire authorities said that they had no immediate suspects, but investigations would continue. 

West Rome’s girls basketball team defeated Cedartown 41-37 in the first game of the region 6-AA tournament on Tuesday night, but the Chieftains' joy was short-lived, as the the boys lost their game 54-39 against East Rome on the same night, knocking them out of the single-elimination tournament.  Debbie Poarch was the high scorer for the girls, while Mike Day was the high scorer for the boys with 12 pints. 

A surprise cold snap brought lows of 14 degrees to Rome on Thursday morning, with Thursday afternoon highs never making it above freezing. Thankfully, there was no snow in Rome to accompany tdhe very cold weather, but areas in Central Georgia weren’t so lucky. Rome got its blast of frozen precipitation two days later as the front moved back north, bringing a mixture of sleet and snow Friday night and Saturday morning. Lows fell into the 20s over the weekend, with highs barely topping the freezing mark. 

The cinematic week began with Cool Hand Luke (starring Paul Newman) at the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and Billion Dollar Brain (starring Michael Caine) at the First Avenue Theatre. The midweek switchout brought The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (starring Clint Eastwood) to the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and Bonnie & Clyde (starring Warren Beatty & Faye Dunaway) to the First Avenue. 

Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, ten-pound bags of potatoes for 39¢, and three pounds of Swift’s shortening for 64¢. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 87¢ a pound, Campbell’s tomato soup for 13£ a can, and 2 pounds of Kraft’s Velveeta cheese for 95¢. A&P had shank portion hams for 29¢ a pound, Eight O’Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Poss Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can. Kroger had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Kroger white bread for 18¢ a loaf, and bananas for a dime a pound. Couch’s had T-bone steak for $1.08 a pound, Morton’s pot pies for 18¢ each, and large brown eggs for 39¢ a dozen. 

“Love Is Blue (L’Amous Est Bleu) by Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra took the number one position this week in 1968. Other top ten hits included “(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls” by Dionne Warwick (#2); “Spooky” by the Classics IV (#3); “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations (#4); “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding (#5); “Simon Says” by the 1910 Fruitgum Company (#6); “Green Tambourine” by the Lemon Pipers (#7); “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart (#8); “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by the Lettermen (#9); and “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz (#10). 

Fleetwood Mac released their first album this week in 1966, but it was a blues-based album very different from the 1970s vocal-driven sound that most associate with the group. The week also saw the release fo The Beat Goes On by Vanilla Fudge, the group’s most ambitious album; and the Mason Williams Phonograph Record, which featured the mega-hit song “Classical Gas.”

Fred Rogers put on his red sweater on NET Television (the precursor to PBS) for the first time on February 19th for the premiere of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. 

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West rome - 2/12/1968 to 2/18/1968

The Rome News-Tribune unveiled its “new look” this week in 1968 complete with a more modular layout, sans serif headline fonts, an eight-column layout, and more. The use of higher-quality offset printing (which came about due to a multi-million dollar investment in an all-new printing facility on East Sixth Avenue, which in turn required the Rome News-Tribune’s relocation from its venerable location on Tribune Street, just behind Murphy’s Department Store) resulted in sharper, clearer photos and more vivid graphics and artwork. It’s the sort of thing that people don’t usually notice, but it was such a change from the prior old-style-newspaper look of the Rome News-Tribune that even casual readers were writing in to comment on how the paper was much easier to read in its new format. (I still remember how proud Dad was of the look of the paper; the staff had put in a lot of extra time to prepare the newspaper each day for the month prior while also approving layouts, designs, and other new look elements so that they could roll out the redesign, and he was happy that so many of our West Rome neighbors told him how good it looked.)

"Showtime 68,” a West Rome talent show jointly presented by the Chieftains Club and the Student Council, took place on Friday, February 16th, and Saturday, February 17th.  The production, directed by Mrs. Clara Ellison, featured students, teachers, and former students performing skits, comedy routines, songs,and more. Surprisingly, the first ticket sold was purchased by East Rome Gladiator Club president Gene Stewart, who bought the ticket from Chieftains Club president Dolph Kennedy to show that parents on both sides of town could appreciate student talent. 

At long last, a date for the end of Rome’s segregated school system was set. The 1968-1969 school year would be the final year in which a dual school system based on race could continue to operate for any grade level, according to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. If the The Rome school system had until the summer of 1968 to submit a plan for total school integration; if they missed the deadline for submitting the plan or the deadline for implementing the plan, they would lose all federal education funds. 

Piggly Wiggly had JFG instant coffee for 99¢ a jar, chuck steak for 49¢ a pound, and cabbage for 9¢ a head. Kroger had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, carrots for 15¢ a bunch, and large eggs for 37¢ a dozen. Big Apple had spare ribs for 59¢ a pound, Bailey’s Supreme coffee for 57¢ a pound, and bananas for a dime a pound. A&P had Oscar Mayer bacon fore 59¢ a pound, grapefruit for a dime each, and Jane Parker bread for a quarter a loaf. Couch’s had store-made sausage for 59¢ a pound, Showboat chili for 29¢ a can, and Zesta saltine crackers for 25¢ a box.

The cinematic week began with Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book at the DeSoto Theatre, The Penthouse (starring Suzy Kendall) at the First Avenue, and Counterpoint (starring Charlton Heston) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Cool Hand Luke (starring Paul Newman) to the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and The Billion Dollar Brain (starring Michael Caine) to the First Avenue.

The number one song this week in 1968 wsa “Love Is Blue (L’Amour Est Bleu)” by Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra. Other top ten hits included “Green Tambourine” by the Lemon Pipers (#2); “Spooky” by the Classic IV (#3) “I Wish It Would Rain”  by the Temptations (#4); “(Theme From) The Valley of the Dolls” by Dionne Warwick (#5); “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding (#6); “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” by the Lettermen (#7); “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz (#8); “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)” by John Fred & the Playboys (#9); and “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, who also wrote some of the Monkees’ most successful songs (#10). 

The Beatles, Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Mia Farrow, and others headed to Rishikesh, India to join the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his transcendental mediation retreat this week in 1968. The influence of the Maharishi influenced popular music for several years, even though after the Beatles became disillusioned with him (even going so far as to write the song “Fool on the Hill” as a criticism of the Maharishi).

Enemy Ace, a WWI aviation comic book series inspired by Baron Von Richtofen, took over Star Spangled War Stores beginning with #138, on sale this week in 1968. The moody drama that explored nobility and honor in time of war, written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Joe Kubert, began in the pages of Our Army At War, then ran for two issues in the test-market book Showcase before becoming the lead feature in Star Spangled War Stories.

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 2/5/1968 to 2/11/1968

The Rome City Commission clarified and revised ordinances involving mobile homes within the city limits. The commission had considered a proposal to ban mobile homes within the city except for those owned by the resident or a relative of the resident and located on private property. The public outcry against this, both from those who already owned and rented mobile homes and those who rented and lived in them, convinced the city to reconsider. Under the new rules, the city would allow the rental of mobile homes to third parties once an application was filed with the city and a fee was paid; this ordinance would also allow all existing trailer parks and existing rental trailers to continue operation as usual, including a few that were within the West Rome School district. 

Rome got a dusting of snow on Wednesday night as temperatures fell to the low 20s. The snow wasn’t enough to close schools, although areas south of us got much more snow, with school closings reported from metro Atlanta all the way to Savannah.

Marc Maslanka was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout this week in 1968. Maslanka, a freshman at West Rome High School, became a tenderfoot scout in 1965; he went on to serve in various leadership capacities within the troop, including patrol leader and instructor of new scouts. Maslanka’s Eagle Scout badge was presented to him by his mother at a meeting of Scout Troop 55; his father, grandparents, friends, and fellow scouts were also present for the award. Other scouts presented with  a variety of achievement badges at the ceremony included Chieftains Ivan Rutherford, Brad Durham, Bob Washington, Robert Ayers, Alan Ware, David Payne, Mike Tolbert, Dennis Conway, David Johnson, Chuck McKinney, John Furr, Rip Prater, Mike Littlejohn, Doug Carver, Ronnie Hart, Kent McKee, David Whitworth, Ronnie Hart, John Christenberry, Glen Henderson, Wynn Henderson, Darrell Coleman, Dennis Jones, Andy Smith, Sandy O’Neal, Mike Smith, and Marc Weaver. (Some of these badge recipients might not be Chieftains, but I decided it would be better to list non-Chieftain badge recipients than to accidentally omit one of our own!)

Piggly Wiggly had Oscar Mayer bacon for 49¢ a pound, eggs for 37¢ a dozen, and canned biscuits for a dime a can. Kroger had turkeys for 27¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound. A&P had cubed steak for 89¢ a pound, grapefruit for a dime each, and Pet Ritz frozen cream pies for 25¢ each. Big Apple had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Stokely catsup for 33¢ a bottle, and celery for 19¢ a bunch. Couch’s had smoked ham for 39¢ a pound, Libby’s spaghetti and meatballs for 39¢ a can, and Castleberry’s chili for 19¢ a can. 

The cinematic week began with Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book at the DeSoto Theatre, The Robbery (starring Stanley Baker) at the First Avenue, and The President’s Analyst (starring James Coburn) at the  West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought The Penthouse (“The film you will never see on television,” they advertised, starring Susy Kendall) to the First Avenue and the West Rome Drive-In, while The Jungle Book hung around for another week at the DeSoto. (Thinking back on it, it’s surprising that the West Rome Drive-In showed so many “mature-viewer” films like this, since the screen was clearly visible to almost anyone driving past on Shorter Avenue. Apparently, no one considered it an issue—surprising, considering this is the same era when ministers were still trying to block the sale of Playboy Magazine within the Rome city limits!)

Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra took the number one slot this week with “Love Is Blue (L’Amour Est Bleu).” Other top ten hits included “Green Tambourine” by the Lemon Pipers (#2); “Spooky” by the Classics IV (#3); “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)” by John Fred & the Playboys (#4); “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin (#5); “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations (#6); Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” by the Lettermen (#7); “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz (#8); “Woman, Woman” by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (#9); and “Bend Me, Shape Me” by the American Breed (#10). 

The Bee Gees made their American television debut on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour this week in 1968 in advance of the release of their second album, Horizontal. They would quickly become the most most successful Australian musical act in the United States, with album sales that rivaled the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

The tenth Olympic Winter Games in Grenoble, France became the first Olympics to be fully broadcast in color. ABC heavily promoted the color broadcast, airing many of the events in prime time (almost unheard for the less-popular Winter Olympics). 

Captain Marvel #1 and Sub-Mariner #1 both premiered this week in 1968. In publishing the former, Marvel took advantage of DC’s failure to maintain the trademark on the Golden Age Captain Marvel, a character that they had acquired as the eventual result of legal actions against Fawcett Publishing. A few years later, they would regret not protecting that trademark, as they had to relaunch the Billy Batson Captain Marvel in a comic book entitled Shazam! since Marvel now had the trademark on the Captain Marvel name. Sub-Mariner had starred in his own series in the Golden Age, but had shared Tales to Astonish with the Hulk in the mid-1960s before finally getting his own series once again, courtesy of Roy Thomas and John Buscema.

A Life in Four Colors - Preface

My love affair with comic books began relatively early. And I owe it all to my parents, who decided that a few comic books would be the perfect distraction for a child about to undergo surgery.

I was a few months more than five years old when my pediatrician decided that the only feasible way to deal with my persistent throat and ear problems was a tonsillectomy. I didn't really know or understand the details of this procedure, but I did understand that I was going to be in the hospital for a couple of days, that my throat would hurt for a while but it would get better quickly, and that I wouldn't be able to eat much of anything but ice cream. The first worried me, the second part scared me, but that third part sounded pretty good.

(Yes, in early 1959, a tonsillectomy required a few days' stay in the hospital. It was a different time.)

I wasn't happy about the upcoming surgery--a word neither my parents nor my doctor used in explaining all of this to me, as far as I can recall--so my parents decided I needed something to distract me. So they stopped at Garden Lakes Grocery, which had a comics rack, and told me that I could pick out four comics--one for each day of my hospital stay and one more for the night before.

It seemed like a spent hours looking over that rack for just the right comics, although I'm sure that it was actually less time than that. When you're a five-year-old kid, time seems to go by more slowly. I pulled out comic after comic, looking for the perfect comics.

Finally, I made my decision. I handed my four comics to Mom, and she and Dad took them to the clerk and paid for them, along with a few others items--including, I believe, some vanilla ice cream that would be waiting for me when I got home.

The fateful four comics? Dennis the Menace Giant #6, Little Archie #10, Spooky #30, and Superman #127. It's slightly surprising that only one of those four books was a superhero comic, but I guess it makes sense when seen through the eyes of a child. I knew Dennis the Menace from the newspaper, and I loved the strip, since Dennis was a kid just like me. That same logic probably extended to Little Archie: he, too, was a kid not much older than me, and his life looked pretty exciting when I flipped through the book. (Thanks, Bob Bolling!) Spooky was a ghost, but he looked to be a likable ghost. And Superman--well, he was Superman! And even better, the issue had him fighting a King Kong-esque giant gorilla!

 My choice was made. I took the comics home that evening, and just as my parents had promised me, I got to read one of the books that night before we went to the hospital the next day. The first comic I read? Superman, of course. I could read at the age of five, but my reading vocabulary was limited enough that there were some words here I didn't know. It didn't matter, though: the art made it clear what was going on.

The next morning, my parents took me to the hospital very, very early. I slept through most of the trip and the hospital admission in that way that only young children can--that "carry me like a sack of potatoes" sleep that seems almost unbelievable to anyone who hasn't witnessed just what a child can sleep through. (Of course, the whole admission process was much simpler way back then...) I woke up at the hospital, just in time for them to "put me to sleep" for the surgery, leaving me to wonder why they woke me up at all, since I was already asleep.

The surgery went well enough, I suppose, but just as my parents had warned me, my throat was really sore when I woke up. After a few hours, the nurse came in and asked if I wanted to eat anything. My mom knew what my answer would be, so she replied for me. "Ice cream."

A while later, I got strawberry jello.

Mom saw my disappointment, and she told the nurse that I had wanted ice cream. The nurse said she would check into it, but she left the jello so that I would have something to eat. Reluctantly, I ate the jello. Mom figured the best way to keep my mind off the ice cream, so she offered me the next comic in the stack--the Dennis the Menace. It took a long time to read it--I had wisely chosen a 100-page comic for one of my books--but when I finished going through it, with Mom reading some of it aloud to me, I wanted more comics. "We said one each day," she told me. Ah, but even at five years old, I was looking for loopholes. "Can I read the Superman again?"

Mom couldn't think of any rule that would prohibit me reading the book I had read the previous night, so she agreed, and once again, I thrilled to the adventures of Superman vs. Titano, asking Mom to help me with all the words I didn't know.

The second day at the hospital, I had sufficient voice to ask for my own ice cream.  I think I even asked for two bowls of ice cream to make up for the one I missed the day before.

When they brought me lunch, I had a bowl of chicken noodle soup and another bowl of jello. Something was going horribly wrong here.

And once again, Mom took my mind off my ice cream deprivation with another comic book. This time, it was the Little Archie. It, too, was a giant 25¢ issue, so there was a lot to read.  And Mom, have that prescience that mothers often have, also let me have the two books I had already read--Dennis the Menace and Superman. They sustained me through an ice-cream-less dinner as well.

The third day, the nurse told me that the doctor was going to let me go home if everything looked good. "I want some ice cream," I  asserted, determined to get my promised ice cream before we left the hospital. As it turned out, I got nothing at all, because the doctor come by before lunch was served. He looked at my throat, talked grown-up stuff to Mom, and soon after, we were on our way home.

Where the first thing I got was vanilla ice cream. And the second thing I got was that issue of Spooky that I hadn't read yet. It seemed like I spent all afternoon eating ice cream and reading that comic--and as you might expect, the comic book did not remain ice-cream-free. (Now, I look back on that as a portent of things to come, when many of my comics would be marred by drips of melted ice cream from a Candler's ice cream cone held in one hand while I read the folded-back comic that I held in the other hand. We knew nothing of mint condition comics back then...) And of course, I also got to re-read the three comics I had already read.

For two more days at home, I ate soup and ice cream and jello and oatmeal--and I re-read the same four comics, over and over again. Thanks to Mom, I even knew all of the words! Finally, the ice cream ran out.

"I'll get you Dad to stop by the store on the way home and pick some up," Mom said. "What do you want?" Of course, she meant "what flavor of ice cream do you want?" But my answer wasn't an ice cream flavor.

"More comic books."

So a lifelong love of comics began--and a lifelong mistrust of the medical community, who still owes me some ice cream.