Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 7/29/1968 to 8/4/1968

West Rome junior Steve Blad won first place in the Georgie State Science Fair for his project on isolating molds from soil samples to test for antibiotic qualities. As a result, Steve won a trip to the 10th National Youth Conference on the Atom, to be held in Chicago in November. Steve credited the encouragement of his science teacher, Graham Stevens, with motivating him to enter the science fair to begin with. 

Chieftains Theresa Deleski, Katherine Edwards, April Garrison, and Dorothy Flowers were chosen as winners of State Teacher Scholarships, which were awarded to outstanding Georgia high school students who planned to go into teaching after college; scholarships ranged from $300 to $1000 for an academic year (and this was at a time when Berry College's quarterly tuition was only $380, which made this a pretty substantial scholarship). 

We're so accustomed to calling anywhere in the country for no extra charge that most of us forget that we used to have to pay long distance rates for almost any call that crossed the Floyd County line--and those rates were pretty darn expensive! They got a little bit cheaper this week in 1968, though, when Southern Bell announced a 5 to ten cent reduction in cost for the first three minutes of long distance. 

For instance, Romans could call the West Coast for $1.70 for the first three minutes; prior to this reduction, the cost was $1.75 for the first three minutes. (Remember, with an inflation multiplier of 7.24, that's the equivalent of spending $12.31 in today's dollars to talk to your California friends for three minutes!)

Georgia's tax surplus continued to climb: new figures revealed this week in 1968 showed an $86 million surplus, up $16 million above the previous surplus estimates. "I'm confident hat we'll be able to go with expanded educational programs without a tax increase," House Speaker George L. Smith said. Senate Appropriations Chairman Lamar Plunkett said that there was a chance that the surplus might top $100 million by year's end (and remember that 7.24 inflation multiplier--it would make that surplus almost three quarters of a billion dollars in today's dollars). 

Georgia Kraft Company unveiled plans for a multi-million dollar addition to their Rome facility. PF Holt, chairman of the Kraft Board of Directors, said that this was a further example of the company's commitment to its Rome facility. 

Rome continued its practice of distributing surplus food to any Rome residents. This week in 1968, the list of available food included corn meal, dry beans, flour, dry milk, butter, rolled oats, chopped meat, cheese, scrambled eggs mix, grist, dehydrated potatoes, split peas, fruit juice, and canned green beans. Residents whose last named began with A-H could pick up food on Tuesday; I-P on Wednesday, and Q-Z on Thursday. They urged residents to bring containers for bulk food items and boxes/bags for canned and packaged goods.

Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 59¢ a pound, pineapple for 25¢ a can, and seedless white grapes for 33¢ a pound. Big Apple had rib steaks for 99¢ a pound, Armour Vienna sausage for 20¢ a can, and RC or Diet Rite Cola for 29¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had corned beef for 59¢ a pound, lemons for 49¢ a dozen, and cantaloupes for 33¢ each. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Fleetwood coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Kroger white bread for 20¢ a loaf.  Couch's had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Armour pickle & pimento loaf for 29¢ a package, and Aristocrat ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. 

The cinematic week began with The Green Berets (starring John Wayne) at the DeSoto Theatre, Bandolero (starring Dean Martin) at the First Avenue Theatre, and Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Boom (with Elizabeth Taylor) to the First Avenue and Caprice (starring Doris Day) to the West Rome Drive-In, while The Green Berets held their territory at the DeSoto for another week.

Jeff Beck released his album Truth this week in 1968. The album united the former Yardbird with two musicians making their record debuts: guitarist Ronnie Wood and vocalist Rod Stewart. Stewart had actually been invited to join Jimmy Page's new group Led Zeppelin, but he had already signed on with Beck by that time, so Led Zeppelin approached Terry Reid, who also turned them down. It was Reid who would recommend the relatively unknown Robert Plant as Jimmy Pages's vocalist, and rock history would be made...

This was also he week when Buffalo Springfield released their final album, Last Time around.  By the time the album was released, the group was functionally disbanded; the five original members only appeared together on a single track, "On the Way Home."

Steve Ditko's enigmatic, faceless hero the Question starred in his own full-length comic, Mysterious Suspense #1, released by Charlton Comics this week in 1968. The Question would return a month later in Blue Beetle #5, which would mark his last appearance for a decade (and when he did return, it would be without the involvement of Ditko).  

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 7/22/1968 to 7/28/1968

Former Chieftain football player Larry Parker joined the West Rome coaching staff this week in 1968. Head Coach Nick Hyder said that Parker had been hired to serve as the varsity backfield football coach, as well as the wrestling and tennis coach. He would also serve as West Rome's physical education instructor. "Larry is a product of the West Rome system, and his loyalty has always been in evidence after he finished," Hyder said. "Coach Parker will not be a complete stranger to our system." Coach Hyder said that Parker would complete the Chieftain coaching staff. He joined Robert Green, head defensive football coach and track coach; Randall Kent, football-scouting coach and boys basketball coach; Charles Tarpley, end coach and baseball scouting coach; Brenda Cox, junior varsity football scouting and assistant basketball; and June Hyder, girls basketball, softball, track, and volleyball coach.

Summer heat made itself known this week in 1968 with temperatures in the mid-90s for the first half of the week and nary a drop of rain to be found. By Thursday, temperatures soared into the upper 90s, with lows in the mid-70s, which made for muggy nights. When you consider how few of us had central air conditioning in the 1960s, you can bet that there were a lot of people (like me) who were sleeping with their fans on high all night long.

Another week of burglaries began on Monday night with a  break-in at East Rome High School, where vending machines were ransacked and an undetermined amount of change was stolen. The next night, burglars broke into the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company and stole cash from vending machines there. On the night of the 23rd, burglars broke into the Highway 53 Tavern and stole some beer; on that same night, burglars also broke into Russell's Automotive on Highway 27 north of Rome, stealing a motorcycle. On the night of the 24th, armed gunmen held up the 101 Service Station on Rockmart Road, stealing a substantial sum of money and pistol-whipping the service station attendant. On the night of the 25th, burglars broke into Jimmy Johnson's Service Station and Ashmore Service Station, both on Shorter Avenue, where they broke into cigarette machines and stole cigarettes and cash. Afterwards, they apparently headed across town where they broke into Gene Wingate Service Station and Mack's Service Station in East Rome, once again stealing cigarettes and cash.

Oh, what might have been... The State Highway Department opened bids this week in 1968 for an I-75 link through Bartow County that would have established a direct link from Rome to the interstate. As Romans know, the Rollins family spent most of the past fifty years thwarting every plan to build that Rome-to-I75 link, and right now they're saying that if all goes well, it'll be completed in the next few years... which is exactly what they said fifty years ago!

Coosa Valley Tech announced the addition of an engineering technology course of study to their training programs beginning in the fall of 1968. Interested students were encouraged to sign up right away, since openings would be limited.

Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 79¢ a pound, okra for 19¢ a pound, and milk for $1.09 a gallon. Kroger had split chicken breasts for 59¢ a pound, cream pies for 25¢ each, and five pounds of Robin Hood flour for 39¢. Big Apple had streak-o-lean for 39¢ a pound, Libby's vienna sausage for 20¢ a can, and JFG coffee for 55¢ a pound. A&P had Allgood bacon for 59¢ a pound, tomatoes for 25¢ a pound, and a bakery-fresh cherry pie for 53¢. Couch's had chicken livers for 49¢ a pound, Del Monte fruit cocktail for 29¢ a can, and Aristocrat ice milk for 39¢ a half gallon.

The cinematic week began with Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow) at the DeSoto Theatre, How Sweet It Is (starring James Garner) at the First Avenue, and Million Eyes of Sumulu (starring Frankie Avalon) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought The Green Berets (starring John Wayne) to the DeSoto, Bandolero (starring James Stewart, Dean Martin, & Raquel Welch) to the First Avenue, and Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow) to the West Rome Drive-In.

Hugh Masekela held on to number one for another week with "Grazing in the Grass." Other top ten hits included "Lady Willpower" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (#2); "Stoned Soul Picnic" by the 5th Dimension (#3); "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones (#4); "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles & Company (#5); "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan (#6); "This Guy's In Love With You" by Herb Alpert (#7); "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams (#8); "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors (#9); and "Indian Lake" by the Cowsills (#10).

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 7/15/1968 to 7/21/1968

In the aftermath of the prior week's drag race in Summerville Park that resulted in an accident that took out power to a portion of West Rome, the Rome City Commission voted unanimously to impose stiffer fines on speeders and drag racers, and the order officers to increase patrols on Oakwood, Charlton, Elm, and the portions of Redmond Circle located within the city limits.

Three Garden Lakes boys found an unexplored hand grenade in a wooded area near their homes on Wednesday, July 17th. The police were called, who took possession of the grenade and then drove to the Coosa River, where they pulled the pin and threw the grenade into the water; it failed to explode, presumably due to age and condition. (It's interesting that this was how the police dealt with unexploded weapons war in 1968--just chuck 'em into the river and see if they blow up or not!)

This week in 1968, the US government increased the Savings Bonds interest rate to 4.5%. Not to be outdone, Citizen's Federal Savings & Loan increased their interest rate on passbook savings to 4.75%, while Rome Bank & Trust raised the rate on 12-month certificates of deposit to 5.25%. (And today, most banks pay much less than 1% interest for savings accounts and less than 2% interest on CD's...)

Rome's burglars were back in action this week in 1968, hitting Waddell's Service Station on Broad street, where the broke into vending machines; Scott's Service station, here they stole money from the register; Hall's Cleaners, where they s stole an undetermined amount of cash; and Coosa High School, where equipment was stolen and offices were vandalized.

Rome postal officials warned residents that federal postal service budget cutback would impact Rome residents. Unless Congress came up with more funding, the Rome post office would not be able to offer home mail delivery service to any new subdivisions (which would most definitely impact West Rome, the fastest-growing area in the county). The cutbacks, if not reversed, would also require the main post office and the West Rome post office to close on Saturdays. If budget cutbacks increased any more, postal deliveries would have to be cut back to four days a week and residents who were currently receiving at-the-door delivery (common in some of West Rome's older subdivisions) would be required to put up a roadside mailbox instead.

This was a particularly hot week in 1968, which may be why Kay's Kastles decided to cut the prices of their ice cream sundaes to 37¢ each, their pints of sherbet to $19¢ each, and their half gallons of ice cream to 89¢ each. (I must have eaten about a hundred pints of Kay's Kastles sherbet over the years--their sherbet was a bit smoother and less grainy than other brands, and I particularly loved their pineapple and strawberry sherbets. Makes me wish that there were still Kay's Kastles around right now!...)

Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 79¢ a pound, Fab detergent for 59¢ a box, and grapes for 33¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef  for 49¢ a pound, watermelons for 79¢ each, and a nine ounce can of Planter's peanuts for 63¢. A&P had chuck roast for 37¢ a pound, Eight O'Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and cantaloupes for 29¢ each. Big Apple had Hormel franks for 49¢ a pound, Chicken of the Sea tuna for 29¢ a can, and strawberries for 25¢ a pint. Couch's had Swift's premium bacon for 69∞ a pound, home-grown squash for a dime a pound, and Showboat pork & beans for 21¢ a can.

The cinematic week began with Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow) at the DeSoto Theatre, A Man and a Woman (starring Anouk Aimee) at the First Avenue, and Texas Across the River (starring Dean Martin) at the West Rome Drive-In.  The midweek switchout brought How Sweet It Is (starring James Garner) to the First Avenue and The Savage Seven (starring Robert Walker) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Rosemary's Baby hung around for another week at the DeSoto.

Hugh Masekela  took number one this week in 1968 with "Grazin' in the Grass," a cowbell-driven masterpiece. Other top ten hits included "Lady Willpower" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (#2); "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones (#3); "This Guy's In Love With You" by Herb Alpert (#4); "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles & Co. (#5); "Stoned Soul Picnic" by the 5th Dimension, which posed the musical question "can you surry?" (#6); "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan (#7); "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams (#8); "Hello, I Love  You" by the Doors (#9); and "Indian Lake" by the Cowsills (#10).

The soap opera One Life to Live made its debut on ABC TV on July 15, 1968. The soap opera would run for more than four decades; it was also one of the first series to jump from network TV to online/streaming television when it left ABC and moved to Hulu for almost a half a year in 2013 before finally being cancelled in August of that year.

DC Comics did something almost unheard of this week in 1968 when they  had Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani kill the Doom Patrol in the pages of Doom Patrol #121. This is the first time that a comics publisher ended a series in sales decline by killing the book's stars. Of course, death in comics is no more permanent than death in soap operas, and the Doom Patrol would eventually return...

Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 7/8/1968 to 7/14/1968

Two young men drag racing on Oakwood Road took out power for several hundred West Rome homes when they lost control, hit a tree, then slammed into a power pole, pulling down lines and destroying a transformer.  One teenage driver was injured in the crash (not seriously, thankfully). Georgia Power was able to restore electricity in less than two hours, so the inconvenience was short-lived, at least!

The Rome Board of Education announced the selection of Johnny Shook to serve as the West Rome High School band director at their July 12th meeting. They also announced the appointment of Mrs. Pauline L. Holstun to the position of guidance counselor at West Rome High School and Junior High School, where she would assist Owen Blanton in the counseling department. The board also approved  a $12,000 expenditure to draw up blueprints for a new high school to replace East and West Rome High, should Rome residents vote to combine the two schools into one. (That's right, they spent the money on designs for a school they weren't sure they were going to build...)

The State Board of Corrections ordered the removal of a supervisor at the Floyd County Public Works Camp after the arrest of an escapee who had not even been discovered missing from the works facility. The prisoner walked away from the works camp on June 29th and was arrested on June 30th; when he was returned to the camp, they were surprised to learn that he had left the facility. Inspector Jake Moon said that the warden allowed the escapee (and other prisoners) "to come and go just about as he pleased. This isn't the first 'warden's boy' that has left the camp," Moon said, referring to prisoners who were allowed to leave the camp at will to do work at the warden's home.

The Governor's Tax Revision Study Commission recommended increasing the state sales tax from 3% to 4%; the commission proposed to use the extra tax to pay for all the costs of public education, eliminating the need for any school system ad valorum or property taxes for education. As we know, the state did increase the sales tax... but they didn't pony up the full cost of public education, requiring cities and counties to continue their education property taxes. (Wait... you mean that a government agency passed a tax increase without delivering all the benefits they promised would accompany it? How can it be?!)

The Rome Selective Service Board called up forty young men from Rome and Floyd County for their pre-induction examinations, the first step to possible drafting into military service.  Mrs. Virginia Turpin, clerk of the Rome Selective Service office, reminded Romans of one big change: graduate students would no longer be exempted from the draft beginning in the fall of 1968 unless they were studying medicine, denstistry, veterinary, or optometry.

Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 37¢ a pound, Chicken of the Sea tuna for 33¢ a can, and okra for 19¢ a pound. A&P had country ham for 79¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 29¢ each, and a large box of Tide detergent for 83¢. Kroger had Kelly's bacon for 49¢ a pound, a one-pound package of Parkay margarine for 25¢, and Velveeta cheese for 49¢ a pound. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, Chase and Sanborn coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Pine Mountain grits for a dime a pound. Couch's had Armour all meat wieners for 39¢ a pound, Del Monte fruit cocktail for 29¢ a can, and squash for a dime a pound.

The cinematic week began with The Odd Couple (starring Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau) at the DeSoto Theatre, Custer of the West (starring Robert Shaw) at the First Avenue, and For a Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) at the West Rome Drive-In.  The midweek switchout brought Rosemary's Baby (starring Mia Farrow) to the DeSoto, A Man and a Woman (starring Anouk Time) to the First Avenue, and The Odd Couple (starring Lemmon and Matthau) the West Rome Drive-In.

Herb Alpert took number one this week in 1968 with "This Guy's In Love With You."  Other top ten hits included "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles & 'Co. (#2); "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones (#3); "Lady Willpower" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap (#4); "Grazing in the Grass" by Hugh Masekela (#5); "The Look of Love" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (#6); "Angel of the Morning" by Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts (#7); "Stoned Soul Picnic" by the 5th Dimension (#8); "Here Comes the Judge" by Shorty Long (#9); and "Indian Lake" by the Cowsills (#10).