Coach Paul Kennedy was named State Coach of the Year for 1965 by the Atlanta Touchdown Club in an public announcement made on January 9th. Kennedy said the honor “came as a complete surprise. I received a letter early last week from the Touchdown Club inviting me to attend the meeting. The letter congratulated me on winning the state championship and on being selected as coach of the year. I didn’t realize what it meant for a while… It is an undeserving award made possible by fine assistant coaches, a fine group of boys, and the tremendous school spirit we had out there this past season. No one man does the job.”
West Rome’s basketball teams scored two wins over Dalton on Tuesday, January 4th. The Boys won 57-56 in overtime in a game the Coach Randall Kent described as “our poorest game of the season,” although he did have good things to say about guard David Garrett, who scored 13 key points; Stan Dawson, who scored 16 points; and Rusty Oxford, who scored 14. The girls had an easier time of it, winning 36-29. Ann Peery led the Chiefs with 10 points.
On January 9th, the Chiefs again racked up dual wins, with the boys winning 72-42 over Chattooga, while the girls won 52-14. Coach Kent praised his boys’ performance. Rusty Oxford led the boys with 25 points, while Stan Dawson scored 15 points. Both Diane Bell and Ann Peery scored 17 points for the girls team.
Nelson McGee of Ledbetter-Johnson Company announced that the East Rome Interchange was more than 60% complete, and the whole interchange would be open in the summer of 1966. The East 12th Street bridge was almost totally complete, and was slated to open later in January, offering Romans a faster way to get to Roy’s Little Garden and other Dean Street businesses.
The draft board confirmed that, as of January 1966, childless married men would still face draft exams and could possibly be drafted, ending the married exemption. 118 Floyd County men, including 60 married men without children, were scheduled to report for their pre-induction exam on January 12th (an increase of 43 men over the December numbers). Mrs. Virginia Turpin of the Floyd Selective Service System said that they had to begin drafting childless married men because they had pretty much run out single 19 year olds to call up. She also explained that they would now reconsider men who had been exempted because of minor physical defects or health issues. If the call-up of childless married men between the ages of 19 and 25 didn’t yield enough draftees, the next step would be to call up all eligible men between the ages of 26 and 35, both single and childless married, as well as college students who were in the bottom 25% of their class. Suddenly, those who had presume the draft wouldn’t touch them because of marriage or college had to face the fact that they, too, could become soldiers in Vietnam…
Roman Donald Eugene Kell, who robbed the West Rome Super-Discount Store on Shorter Avenue in mid-December, waived extradition and was returned to Rome from Rhode Island, where he had fled following the robbery. He was held on a bond of $25,000—about 20 times the amount of money he took in the armed robbery. Thankfully, money was all he took—no one was killed or seriously injured.
Piggly Wiggly had eggs for 49¢ a dozen, Swift’s bacon for 69¢, and orange juice for 49¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had ocean perch for 33¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and a two-pound jar of Lenox Park peanut butter for 69¢. Kroger had Royal Crown or Diet-RC Cola for a quarter a carton plus deposit, chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, and a 20-pound bag of Idaho potatoes for 99¢. A&P had whole flyers for 27¢ a pound, five pounds of Ballard flour for 55¢, and A&P chunk light tuna for 27¢ a can. Couch’s had Southern Maid all-meat wieners for 43¢ a pound, Van Camp’s chili with beans for 29¢ a pound, and vine ripened tomatoes (back when that actually meant something) for 19¢ a pound.
The Rome cinematic week began with Do Not Disturb (with Doris Day & Rod Taylor) at the DeSoto and The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought That Darn Cat (with Hayley Mills and Dean Jones) to the DeSoto and Revenge of the Gladiators (with Roger Browne) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In’s weekend screenings included Bullet for a Bad Man and Under the Yum Yum Tree.
The Beatles took two slots on the top ten this week in 1966: number one with “We Can Work It Out” and number six with “Day Tripper.” Other top ten hits included “Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel (#2); “She’s Just My Style” by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#3); “Five O’Clock World” by the Vogues (#4); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#5); “Flowers on the Wall” by the Statler Brothers (#7); “The Men in My Little Girl’s Life” by Mike Douglas (#8); “As Tears Go By” by the Rolling Stones (#9); and “No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In)” by the T-Bones (#10). The last song began as a musical jingle for an Alka-Seltzer song, and the artists who recorded it weren’t really a group per se—they were Los Angeles session musicians no known as The Wrecking Crew, including Hal Blaine, Carol Caye, and Tommy Tedesco.
The Beatles also claimed the number one album slot with Rubber Soul, giving the Fab Four a very strong start for 1966.
It was the best of times and the worst of times for teen-focused music shows on TV. Hullabaloo was having a banner year, airing promo videos for “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out” on January 3rd. However, Shindig aired its final episode on January 8th after dwindling ratings made it unprofitable; both the Kinks and the Who performed on the finale.
Dell continued to publish its line of TV-based comics, with the first issues of both Get Smart and Hogan’s Heroes debuting this week in 1966.
Saturday, January 02, 2016
Friday, December 25, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/26/1965 to 1/1/1966
The old year ended and the new year began with very little fanfare fifty years ago. Kids were out of school, the weather was seasonably cold but still pleasant, nothing major was happening in Rome… it was a quiet ending to a very good year.
The Rome City School System received a $167,000 grant for the purchase of material to develop “the most complete reading program in Georgia.” Superintendent McDonald said that there were “no strings attached” to the grant, which would enable the school system to purchase two mobile reading laboratories that could serve approximately twenty-five students; the labs would contain the latest in reading materials, electronic gear, special testing equipment, and more. In addition, the school system would have funds left over to purchase projectors, tape recorders, overhead projectors, and more for in-class reading programs, as well as extra funds for after-school study programs.
Rome merchants found a solution to the problem regarding pinball machines being seized as gambling equipment: they agreed to quit giving free games to high-scoring players. City police chief Nelson Camp said that as long as merchants let people “pay for play,” the police would have no problems with pinball machines.
GE announced plans for an $11 million expansion of the Rome plant, located just a mile away from West Rome High School on Redmond Circle. The new expansion would add 200 jobs to the Medium Transformer Department.
How great is this? Rome banks increased their interest rates on savings certificates to 4.5%, while the interest rates on regular savings accounts rose to 4%.
Piggly Wiggly had whole fryers for a quarter a pound, two pound bags of dried black-eyed peas for 29¢, and fresh collards for 19¢ a pound. Big Apple had Morrell bacon for 69¢ a pound, Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Maxwell House coffee for 79¢ a pound. Kroger had four-pound Wilson’s Corn King canned hams for $3.89, bananas for 9¢ a pound, and applesauce for a dime a can. A&P had sirloin tip roast for 99¢ a pound, tomatoes for a quarter a pound, and a one-pound can of Nestle’s Quik for 41¢. Couch’s had pork steak for 59¢ a pound, Nabisco saltines for 33¢ a box, and ten pounds of potatoes for 49¢.
Rome’s cinematic week began with Boeing Boeing (with Tony Curtis & Jerry Lewis) at the DeSoto Theater and Pinocchio in Outer Space at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Do Not Disturb (with Doris Day & Rod Taylor) to the DeSoto and the James Bond spoof The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (with Tom Adams) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In offered a double feature of McLintock (with John Wayne) and Jason & The Argonauts (with Todd Armstrong and Honor Blackman, as well as special effects by Ray Harryhausen) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The number one song on New Years Day 1966 was Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence" (amazing what a difference it makes when some talented session musicians add an electric guitar and drums to a song originally released about a year earlier!). Other top ten hits included “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#8); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#9); and “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#10).
The Dating Game debuted fifty years ago this week on ABC TV, allowing single people to embarrass themselves on national television as they engaged in a search for a suitable date.
This was also the week that ABC began running commercials for a new show that was destined to become a major television success in 1966—a show starring Adam West as a guy named Bruce Wayne…
Jim Warren’s Creepy magazine was so successful in recreating the vitality of EC’s horror comics that he launched his companion magazine, Eerie, this week in 1965. The magazine actually began with its second issue—the first was a 200-copy ashcan produced just to lock in the title when they heard that someone else was considering a competing magazine with the same name. Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Gene Colan, Jonny Craig, Reed Crandall, Gray Morrow, John Severin, Angelo Torres, and Alex Toth contributed to Eerie #2, making it one of Warren’s finest showpieces.
The Rome City School System received a $167,000 grant for the purchase of material to develop “the most complete reading program in Georgia.” Superintendent McDonald said that there were “no strings attached” to the grant, which would enable the school system to purchase two mobile reading laboratories that could serve approximately twenty-five students; the labs would contain the latest in reading materials, electronic gear, special testing equipment, and more. In addition, the school system would have funds left over to purchase projectors, tape recorders, overhead projectors, and more for in-class reading programs, as well as extra funds for after-school study programs.
Rome merchants found a solution to the problem regarding pinball machines being seized as gambling equipment: they agreed to quit giving free games to high-scoring players. City police chief Nelson Camp said that as long as merchants let people “pay for play,” the police would have no problems with pinball machines.
GE announced plans for an $11 million expansion of the Rome plant, located just a mile away from West Rome High School on Redmond Circle. The new expansion would add 200 jobs to the Medium Transformer Department.
How great is this? Rome banks increased their interest rates on savings certificates to 4.5%, while the interest rates on regular savings accounts rose to 4%.
Piggly Wiggly had whole fryers for a quarter a pound, two pound bags of dried black-eyed peas for 29¢, and fresh collards for 19¢ a pound. Big Apple had Morrell bacon for 69¢ a pound, Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Maxwell House coffee for 79¢ a pound. Kroger had four-pound Wilson’s Corn King canned hams for $3.89, bananas for 9¢ a pound, and applesauce for a dime a can. A&P had sirloin tip roast for 99¢ a pound, tomatoes for a quarter a pound, and a one-pound can of Nestle’s Quik for 41¢. Couch’s had pork steak for 59¢ a pound, Nabisco saltines for 33¢ a box, and ten pounds of potatoes for 49¢.
Rome’s cinematic week began with Boeing Boeing (with Tony Curtis & Jerry Lewis) at the DeSoto Theater and Pinocchio in Outer Space at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Do Not Disturb (with Doris Day & Rod Taylor) to the DeSoto and the James Bond spoof The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (with Tom Adams) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In offered a double feature of McLintock (with John Wayne) and Jason & The Argonauts (with Todd Armstrong and Honor Blackman, as well as special effects by Ray Harryhausen) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The number one song on New Years Day 1966 was Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence" (amazing what a difference it makes when some talented session musicians add an electric guitar and drums to a song originally released about a year earlier!). Other top ten hits included “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#8); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#9); and “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#10).
The Dating Game debuted fifty years ago this week on ABC TV, allowing single people to embarrass themselves on national television as they engaged in a search for a suitable date.
This was also the week that ABC began running commercials for a new show that was destined to become a major television success in 1966—a show starring Adam West as a guy named Bruce Wayne…
Jim Warren’s Creepy magazine was so successful in recreating the vitality of EC’s horror comics that he launched his companion magazine, Eerie, this week in 1965. The magazine actually began with its second issue—the first was a 200-copy ashcan produced just to lock in the title when they heard that someone else was considering a competing magazine with the same name. Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Gene Colan, Jonny Craig, Reed Crandall, Gray Morrow, John Severin, Angelo Torres, and Alex Toth contributed to Eerie #2, making it one of Warren’s finest showpieces.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/20/1965 to 12/26/1965
On December 21st, the school system announced that Jean Jackson (clarinet), Sue Pilgrim (French horn), and Matt Oldham (baritone horn) were chosen to perform in the University of Georgia Honor Band on January. The honor band consisted of 140 student representatives from 160 Georgia high schools (so the fact that West Rome had 3 students in the honor band was quite an honor indeed!).
The Chieftains defeated Model 65-46 on December 20th in the first round of the Rome News-Tribune Holiday Festival; Rusty Oxford, Stan Dawson, and Benny Padgett were the top scorers for West Rome, contributing 3/4 of West Rome’s point total.
West Rome went on to beat Fairmount 82-80 in the second round of play on December 21st, advancing to the semifinals. Rusty Oxford was responsible for 50% of those points by himself making him the star of the game.
Alas, West Rome’s winning streak ended on December 22nd with a 76-57 loss to Calhoun, taking them out of the running for the championship. Stan Dawson was the Chieftains’ high scorer with 22 points.
An armed gunman stole $1200.00 from the cash register of West Rome’s Super Discount Store on Shorter Avenue on December 23rd, holding up the store even though it was filled with almost 50 shoppers. The robber, driving a car with Rhode Island plates, brandished a pistol, but thankfully left without firing a shot once he got all the cash from the register. Police quickly identified the robber as Rome resident Horace Eugene Kell, issuing an all points bulletin for his arrest.
Parents looking for a last-minute gift could pick up a 20” sport bike at Firestone… but they’d better be prepared to pay a pretty penny for it, since the bike cost $39.99 (the equivalent of $300 today, adjusted for inflation). No wonder Firestone was offering a $5 per month payment plan! Or you could go for the educational gift and pick up a complete set of the Illustrated World Encyclopedia for $39.95 at the Fahy Store (a $70 discount off last price)—and it also included ten years of annual supplements. If that price was too high for you, the Fahy store also had troll dolls for $1 each. Sears took a different route, offering a Christmas special of Allstate Motor Oil for 22¢ a quart. Nothing says Christmas like an impromptu oil change…
Piggly Wiggly had turkeys for 39¢ a pound, pecans for 33¢ a pound, and five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 9¢ with the purchase of a four-pack of Plymouth light bulbs. Kroger had Morton’s TV dinners for 33¢ each, Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit, and Cornish hens for 69¢ each. A&P had turkey breast quarters for 59¢ a pound, apples for a dime a pound, and JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound. Big Apple had Sealtest ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, Southern Maid sausage for 75¢ a pound, and fresh coconuts for 19¢ each. Couch’s had a five-pound boneless Wilson’s Corn King ham for $4.79, Old Favorite band ice milk for 33¢ a half-gallon, and a 10-ounce jar of Maxwell House instant coffee for $1.19.
The cinematic week began with When the Boys Meet the Girls (with Connie Francis & Harve Presell) at the Desoto Theater and the “shocksploitation” documentary Ecco at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Boing Boing (with Tony Curtis & Jerry Lewis) to the DeSoto and Pinocchio in Outer Space (with the choice of Arnold Stang) to the First Avenue. With school out for the holidays, the West Rome Drive-In expanded its schedule to add Wednesday and Thursday nights to its weekend schedule, offering a double feature of Straitjacket (with Joan Crawford) and Ride the Wild Surf (with Fabian and Shelley Fabares).
Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel scored their first number one hit with “Sounds of Silence” this week in 1965. Other Top Ten hits included “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#8); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#9); and “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#10).
The number one album this week in 1965 was Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s Whipped Cream and Other Delights, an album that immediately attracted the attention of many of us with its sultry image of an unclothed woman strategically covered with whipped cream, leaving those “other delights” to our imagination. Turn out the music was pretty good, although I’m not sure how many copies actually got played; to this day, I still find this album in flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales on a regular basis, and many of the albums are in remarkably good shape, although the covers are sometimes the worse for wear…
For me, Christmas of 1965 was memorable for the remarkable book The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer. This book, which went on my Christmas list as soon as I saw a copy at Wyatt’s, offered a paean to comics by Feiffer along with a heaping helping of classic Golden Age comic book reprints featuring Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Hawkman, The Spirit, Captain America, the Blackhawks, the Sub-Mariner, the Flash, Green Lantern, the Human Torch, and many others. I don’t think I ever re-read a book as many times as this one; I think I pretty much had every word balloon memorized after the first few months!
This was also the year that my parents gave me a complete set of James Bond paperbacks. They were going to a Christmas Eve party at a neighbor’s house for an hour or two, while I stayed at home to keep an eye on my sister Kim. As they were getting ready to leave, Dad gave me a hefty, carefully wrapped cube and told me to go ahead and open it early. As soon as I tore the corner of the paper away, I recognized the distinctive Signet paperback cover design of Live and Let Die; beneath it were the rest of the Signet editions of the James Bond novels in their matching cover designs. "We've decided that you're old enough to read these," Dad said. "And we thought you might want to start reading one of them tonight." I was doubly thrilled—not only because of all those novels I looked forward to reading, but also because Mom and Dad had enough faith in me to give me these books in spite of their concerns. I have subsequently upgraded my James Bond novels to hardcover editions, but I still have those Signet paperbacks, well worn and slightly yellowed with age. At Christmastime, I often take a look at those covers once again and smile, remembering how I was so excited and eager to read these books that, once my parents had come home and everyone had gone to bed, I turned on a small light and read for another hour or two that night. Thanks again, Mom & Dad…
The Chieftains defeated Model 65-46 on December 20th in the first round of the Rome News-Tribune Holiday Festival; Rusty Oxford, Stan Dawson, and Benny Padgett were the top scorers for West Rome, contributing 3/4 of West Rome’s point total.
West Rome went on to beat Fairmount 82-80 in the second round of play on December 21st, advancing to the semifinals. Rusty Oxford was responsible for 50% of those points by himself making him the star of the game.
Alas, West Rome’s winning streak ended on December 22nd with a 76-57 loss to Calhoun, taking them out of the running for the championship. Stan Dawson was the Chieftains’ high scorer with 22 points.
An armed gunman stole $1200.00 from the cash register of West Rome’s Super Discount Store on Shorter Avenue on December 23rd, holding up the store even though it was filled with almost 50 shoppers. The robber, driving a car with Rhode Island plates, brandished a pistol, but thankfully left without firing a shot once he got all the cash from the register. Police quickly identified the robber as Rome resident Horace Eugene Kell, issuing an all points bulletin for his arrest.
Parents looking for a last-minute gift could pick up a 20” sport bike at Firestone… but they’d better be prepared to pay a pretty penny for it, since the bike cost $39.99 (the equivalent of $300 today, adjusted for inflation). No wonder Firestone was offering a $5 per month payment plan! Or you could go for the educational gift and pick up a complete set of the Illustrated World Encyclopedia for $39.95 at the Fahy Store (a $70 discount off last price)—and it also included ten years of annual supplements. If that price was too high for you, the Fahy store also had troll dolls for $1 each. Sears took a different route, offering a Christmas special of Allstate Motor Oil for 22¢ a quart. Nothing says Christmas like an impromptu oil change…
Piggly Wiggly had turkeys for 39¢ a pound, pecans for 33¢ a pound, and five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 9¢ with the purchase of a four-pack of Plymouth light bulbs. Kroger had Morton’s TV dinners for 33¢ each, Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit, and Cornish hens for 69¢ each. A&P had turkey breast quarters for 59¢ a pound, apples for a dime a pound, and JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound. Big Apple had Sealtest ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, Southern Maid sausage for 75¢ a pound, and fresh coconuts for 19¢ each. Couch’s had a five-pound boneless Wilson’s Corn King ham for $4.79, Old Favorite band ice milk for 33¢ a half-gallon, and a 10-ounce jar of Maxwell House instant coffee for $1.19.
The cinematic week began with When the Boys Meet the Girls (with Connie Francis & Harve Presell) at the Desoto Theater and the “shocksploitation” documentary Ecco at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Boing Boing (with Tony Curtis & Jerry Lewis) to the DeSoto and Pinocchio in Outer Space (with the choice of Arnold Stang) to the First Avenue. With school out for the holidays, the West Rome Drive-In expanded its schedule to add Wednesday and Thursday nights to its weekend schedule, offering a double feature of Straitjacket (with Joan Crawford) and Ride the Wild Surf (with Fabian and Shelley Fabares).
Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel scored their first number one hit with “Sounds of Silence” this week in 1965. Other Top Ten hits included “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#8); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#9); and “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#10).
The number one album this week in 1965 was Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s Whipped Cream and Other Delights, an album that immediately attracted the attention of many of us with its sultry image of an unclothed woman strategically covered with whipped cream, leaving those “other delights” to our imagination. Turn out the music was pretty good, although I’m not sure how many copies actually got played; to this day, I still find this album in flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales on a regular basis, and many of the albums are in remarkably good shape, although the covers are sometimes the worse for wear…
For me, Christmas of 1965 was memorable for the remarkable book The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer. This book, which went on my Christmas list as soon as I saw a copy at Wyatt’s, offered a paean to comics by Feiffer along with a heaping helping of classic Golden Age comic book reprints featuring Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Hawkman, The Spirit, Captain America, the Blackhawks, the Sub-Mariner, the Flash, Green Lantern, the Human Torch, and many others. I don’t think I ever re-read a book as many times as this one; I think I pretty much had every word balloon memorized after the first few months!
This was also the year that my parents gave me a complete set of James Bond paperbacks. They were going to a Christmas Eve party at a neighbor’s house for an hour or two, while I stayed at home to keep an eye on my sister Kim. As they were getting ready to leave, Dad gave me a hefty, carefully wrapped cube and told me to go ahead and open it early. As soon as I tore the corner of the paper away, I recognized the distinctive Signet paperback cover design of Live and Let Die; beneath it were the rest of the Signet editions of the James Bond novels in their matching cover designs. "We've decided that you're old enough to read these," Dad said. "And we thought you might want to start reading one of them tonight." I was doubly thrilled—not only because of all those novels I looked forward to reading, but also because Mom and Dad had enough faith in me to give me these books in spite of their concerns. I have subsequently upgraded my James Bond novels to hardcover editions, but I still have those Signet paperbacks, well worn and slightly yellowed with age. At Christmastime, I often take a look at those covers once again and smile, remembering how I was so excited and eager to read these books that, once my parents had come home and everyone had gone to bed, I turned on a small light and read for another hour or two that night. Thanks again, Mom & Dad…
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/13/1965 to 12/19/1965
The Rome Boys Club Choir—which included a number of Chieftains—held a concert at the Boys Club on the evening of December 13th to raise money for the Cheerful Givers, which used its funds to aid needy families at Christmas. The organization hoped to aid 950 families during the Christmas 1965 season.
West Rome’s basketball teams defeated Cave Spring in both games on Friday, December 17th. The girls won 34-32 in an upset, with Anne Peery scoring 20 points. The boys then posted a 59-35 romp over Cave Spring, with Stan Dawson scoring 15 of those points and Rusty Oxford scoring 11.
Friday, December 17th, marked the last day of school before the holiday break; students were scheduled to be off until January 3rd.
Did you know that any and all pinball machines were considered to be “gambling devices” in 1965? Well, the city and county police departments knew, because they embarked on a push to confiscate machines all over the county, based on a then-recent Georgia Supreme Court decision that the free games that players could win constituted “a thing of value,” and that made pinball machines illegal gambling devices. The city seized more than two dozen machines, while the county confiscated at least thirty more.
The proposal that wouldn’t die returned yet again: Rome and Floyd County Boards of Education announced plans to meet in order to discuss a merger of the city and county school systems. (This is the third time this proposal surfaced since I began doing these “Fifty Years Ago This Week” pieces in 1962, which makes you wonder just how much money was wasted on unnecessary studies, meetings, and negotiations that went nowhere and accomplished nothing.)
And while we’re talking about fruitless studies and proposals, here’s another one that made a return this week in 1965: a House study committee once again proposed that Rome be turned into an inland port with the construction of a system of locks and dams that would allow barge and boat traffic to move up from the Gulf of Mexico to Rome’s proposed docks. If you don’t remember Rome’s docks, it’s because this proposal was just as DOA as the school merger…
Coach Paul Kennedy had high hopes for West Rome’s wrestlers in the 1965-1966 season, but he was forced into rebuilding mode instead when some of the members of his squad didn’t return to the mat. “We have enough boys out, but they don’t have the necessary experience,” Coach Kennedy said. “Five or six boys decided not to participate this year, including three first-string boys.” Veteran wrestlers who did return included Mike Murphy, Bobby Kerce, Gary Fuller, Richard Marable, Greg Quinton, Jeff Anderson, Greg Gray, and Anthony Slafta. Coach Kennedy and the boys were struggling to prepare for their first match on January 7th at LaGrange.
Piggly Wiggly had a three-pound Merita fruitcake for $1.39, Fleetwood coffee for 69¢ a pound, and tom turkeys for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had sirloin steaks for 87¢ a pound, Banquet cream pies for 41¢, and yams for 12¢ a pound. Kroger had round steak for 79¢ a pound, eggs for 53¢ a dozen, and Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (the jellied kind, of course) for 19¢ a can. A&P had shank portion hams for 53¢ a pound, oranges for 13¢ a pound, and a 12-ounce cans of mixed nuts (with no peanuts!) for 95¢ a pound. Couch’s had Swift’s premium bacon for 79¢ a pound, Nabisco Saltine crackers for 33¢ a box, and Angel Flake coconut for 27¢ a can (I tried on many occasions to convince Mom to just buy a can of coconut and let me eat it rather than using it on a cake or in a pie, but she wasn’t buying it… literally!)
The cinematic week began with Return from the Ashes (with Herbert Lom & Maximillian Schell) at the DeSoto Theater and Old Yeller (with Dorothy McGuire & Fess Parker) at the First Avenue (not what I’d consider an upbeat Christmas film!). The midweek switch out brought When the Boys Meet the Girls (with Connie Francis & Harve Presnell) to the Desoto and the “shocking” documentary Ecco (promoted with the slogan “an incredible orgy of sights and sounds”) to the First Avenue, with the warning that “If this film frightens you, it’s because the world is frightening!” The theaters obviously were pinning high hopes on the audience interest in Ecco, because they also showed the film over the weekend at the West Rome Drive-In. Apparently they thought a lot of people were willing to pay 75¢ each to see such noteworthy clips as “a tour of the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, a man who sticks long needles through his body, footage of reindeer being castrated, and film of lesbians and strippers,” according to IMDB. Boy, if those who considered this content shocking could only spend an hour or two looking at the internet today!…
The Dave Clark Five pushed the Byrds out of the number one slot this week in 1965 with “Over and Over.” The Byrds held on to the second-place position with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel (#5); “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#8); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#9); and “I Can Never Go Home Again Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#10).
And an oversight from last week: On December 9th, 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas made its television premiere. This was the first animated Charlie Brown feature, and it cemented the role of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip in American popular culture. It also made humble, spindly Christmas trees a bit more popular…
West Rome’s basketball teams defeated Cave Spring in both games on Friday, December 17th. The girls won 34-32 in an upset, with Anne Peery scoring 20 points. The boys then posted a 59-35 romp over Cave Spring, with Stan Dawson scoring 15 of those points and Rusty Oxford scoring 11.
Friday, December 17th, marked the last day of school before the holiday break; students were scheduled to be off until January 3rd.
Did you know that any and all pinball machines were considered to be “gambling devices” in 1965? Well, the city and county police departments knew, because they embarked on a push to confiscate machines all over the county, based on a then-recent Georgia Supreme Court decision that the free games that players could win constituted “a thing of value,” and that made pinball machines illegal gambling devices. The city seized more than two dozen machines, while the county confiscated at least thirty more.
The proposal that wouldn’t die returned yet again: Rome and Floyd County Boards of Education announced plans to meet in order to discuss a merger of the city and county school systems. (This is the third time this proposal surfaced since I began doing these “Fifty Years Ago This Week” pieces in 1962, which makes you wonder just how much money was wasted on unnecessary studies, meetings, and negotiations that went nowhere and accomplished nothing.)
And while we’re talking about fruitless studies and proposals, here’s another one that made a return this week in 1965: a House study committee once again proposed that Rome be turned into an inland port with the construction of a system of locks and dams that would allow barge and boat traffic to move up from the Gulf of Mexico to Rome’s proposed docks. If you don’t remember Rome’s docks, it’s because this proposal was just as DOA as the school merger…
Coach Paul Kennedy had high hopes for West Rome’s wrestlers in the 1965-1966 season, but he was forced into rebuilding mode instead when some of the members of his squad didn’t return to the mat. “We have enough boys out, but they don’t have the necessary experience,” Coach Kennedy said. “Five or six boys decided not to participate this year, including three first-string boys.” Veteran wrestlers who did return included Mike Murphy, Bobby Kerce, Gary Fuller, Richard Marable, Greg Quinton, Jeff Anderson, Greg Gray, and Anthony Slafta. Coach Kennedy and the boys were struggling to prepare for their first match on January 7th at LaGrange.
Piggly Wiggly had a three-pound Merita fruitcake for $1.39, Fleetwood coffee for 69¢ a pound, and tom turkeys for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had sirloin steaks for 87¢ a pound, Banquet cream pies for 41¢, and yams for 12¢ a pound. Kroger had round steak for 79¢ a pound, eggs for 53¢ a dozen, and Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (the jellied kind, of course) for 19¢ a can. A&P had shank portion hams for 53¢ a pound, oranges for 13¢ a pound, and a 12-ounce cans of mixed nuts (with no peanuts!) for 95¢ a pound. Couch’s had Swift’s premium bacon for 79¢ a pound, Nabisco Saltine crackers for 33¢ a box, and Angel Flake coconut for 27¢ a can (I tried on many occasions to convince Mom to just buy a can of coconut and let me eat it rather than using it on a cake or in a pie, but she wasn’t buying it… literally!)
The cinematic week began with Return from the Ashes (with Herbert Lom & Maximillian Schell) at the DeSoto Theater and Old Yeller (with Dorothy McGuire & Fess Parker) at the First Avenue (not what I’d consider an upbeat Christmas film!). The midweek switch out brought When the Boys Meet the Girls (with Connie Francis & Harve Presnell) to the Desoto and the “shocking” documentary Ecco (promoted with the slogan “an incredible orgy of sights and sounds”) to the First Avenue, with the warning that “If this film frightens you, it’s because the world is frightening!” The theaters obviously were pinning high hopes on the audience interest in Ecco, because they also showed the film over the weekend at the West Rome Drive-In. Apparently they thought a lot of people were willing to pay 75¢ each to see such noteworthy clips as “a tour of the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, a man who sticks long needles through his body, footage of reindeer being castrated, and film of lesbians and strippers,” according to IMDB. Boy, if those who considered this content shocking could only spend an hour or two looking at the internet today!…
The Dave Clark Five pushed the Byrds out of the number one slot this week in 1965 with “Over and Over.” The Byrds held on to the second-place position with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel (#5); “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#6); “Fever” by the McCoys (#7); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#8); “Ebb Tide” by the Righteous Brothers (#9); and “I Can Never Go Home Again Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#10).
And an oversight from last week: On December 9th, 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas made its television premiere. This was the first animated Charlie Brown feature, and it cemented the role of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip in American popular culture. It also made humble, spindly Christmas trees a bit more popular…
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 12/6/1965 to 12/12/1965
Before we go on to our coverage, I must remedy a major omission: Somehow, I failed to report on a a big Rome event that occurred back on November 8th, 1965 (due in part to the fact that the Rome News-Tribune didn’t run a story on the event at all, even though they did run ads for it beginning in the late summer). That was the day that Rome hosted a concert as a part of Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars…. and what an impressive concert lineup it was! The Byrds, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Bo Diddley, We Five, The Duchess, Dale Wright and the Wright Guys, Men of Action, and The Results all performed. Most of the groups came to Rome on one tour bus, but the Byrds insisted on driving their own RV to town, and they almost got lost on their way here from Nashville (where they played the night before). The concerts were more of a variety act than a concert as we think of it: the two lead bands (the Byrds and the Raiders) were given 15 or 20 minutes to perform, while all the other acts got 10 to 15 minutes each. None of the acts brought in their own sound equipment (although the Byrds did bring their own guitars), so the sound was less than perfect, to say the least—-but that didn’t matter to the sold-out crowd who loved a chance to hear nationally-known top ten acts perform in beautiful downtown Rome!
And now, back to our regularly scheduled fifty-years-ago retrospective.
The Chieftains took on the Gladiators on Friday, December 10th—and the crosstown rivalry was almost as heated on the basketball court as it was on the football field! Alas, it was not a good night for West Rome: even though the Chieftains were picked to win the game, East Rome’s boys posted a 48-35 victory, while East Rome’s girls won 35-33. The Chieftains found some consolation in a Saturday night 65-56 victory over Lafayette; Stan Dawson scored 28 points, while both Rusty Oxford and Mike Souder scored 10 points each. Alas, the girls lost 34-33 after missing a foul shot with 15 seconds left on the clock.
City revenues were so good that the Rome City Commission increased its budget by $195,000 for the last part of 1965, an increase of almost 10%. The biggest part of the increase was a 5% pay increase for all city employees that was implemented in July. City Manager Bruce Hamler credited “above normal tax collections” for the increase in revenues, but an $87,000 grant from the state as reimbursement for street improvements also helped a great deal. (When was the last time we heard talk of a city government having a 10% increase in tax revenues above expectations?)
Sales tax was also a big part of that, and great retail sales were responsible for higher sales taxes revenues. Rome and Floyd County saw a $3.7 million jump in retail sales in the third quarter of 1965 over the previous year. This reflected an 8% growth in retail spending in one year… a pretty amazing accomplishment!
Remember Christmas Club accounts? Those non-interest-bearing holiday savings accounts were quite popular in 1965: Rome banks disbursed almost a $1 million in Christmas Club funds to almost 5300 Romans in November, setting an all-time record. An unnamed Broad Street business owner enthused, “I think the people have got the money to spend and they’re going to spend it. This year is going to be the best ever, and I think next year will be even better.” Oh, for such fiscal optimism nowadays!…
The Elm Street PTA held their December 9th meeting at the West Rome Baptist Church. the West Rome Baptist Youth Choir, directed by Fred Barr, supplied the Christmas music for the meeting.
Work continued on the US 411-Hwy 27 interchange, with the first section (including the 12th street bridge) scheduled for completion by December 31st. The entire interchange was on schedule for a mid-1966 release, which was welcome news to any Romans who had to make the drive from Rome to Cartersville, Marietta, Atlanta, or Cedartown.
“Solid State” was the electronics phrase of the year for RCA, who was advertising both solid state stereo systems (a home console complete with two 15” woofers, two 7” midrange speakers, and four 3.5” tweeters… a pretty impressive array, even by today’s standards!). The 56-watt combination AM-FM radio and turntable also had jacks for an optional tape recorder. This impressive system was priced at $439.95, which would be the equivalent of $3200 adjusted for inflation—more than most people would ever pay for a stereo system today! Meanwhile, a solid state 23” console color TV could be yours for only $595—the equivalent of more than $4000 after adjusting for inflation.
Piggly Wiggly had whole fryers for 27¢ a pound, Mann’s Golden Harvest sausage for 59¢ a pound, and large tangerines for 49¢ a dozen. Kroger had pork steaks for 59¢ a pound, Kraft’s mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and Campbell’s tomato soup for a dime a can. Big Apple had a four-pound Cudahy Bar-S canned ham for $3.99, Happy Valley ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Luzianne coffee for 59¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound,Super-Right chili for 29¢ a can, and an 8-ounce box of Cheez-It crackers for 23¢. Couch’s had Peach brand sliced bacon for 69¢ a pound, a one-pound bag of chocolate drops for 29¢, and Showboat pork & beans for 19¢ a can. (One of the fun parts of reviewing grocery store ads from fifty years ago is noting all the brands that we rarely or never hear about today. I can still find Cudahy Bar-S meats at a few stores, but I’ve never hear of Happy Valley, Super-Right, or Peach brand bacon nowadays.)
The cinematic week began with The War Lord (wth Charlton Heston & Richard Boone) at the DeSoto Theater and a double feature of Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (with James Karen & Marilyn Harold) and Curse of the Voodoo (starring—if that’ the right word for a low-budget film like this— Bryant Haliday & Dennis Price) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Return from the Ashes (with Herbert Lom & Maximillian Schell) to the DeSoto and Old Yeller (with Dorothy McGuire & Fess Parker) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In’s weekend feature was The Hallelujah Trail (with Burt Lancaster & Lee Remick).
The Byrds held on to number one with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “I Hear a Symphony” by the Supremes (#5); “I Can Never go Home Again Any More” by the Shangri-las (#6); “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#7); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#8); “Fever” by the McCoys (#9); and “I Will” by Dean Martin (#10).
And now, back to our regularly scheduled fifty-years-ago retrospective.
The Chieftains took on the Gladiators on Friday, December 10th—and the crosstown rivalry was almost as heated on the basketball court as it was on the football field! Alas, it was not a good night for West Rome: even though the Chieftains were picked to win the game, East Rome’s boys posted a 48-35 victory, while East Rome’s girls won 35-33. The Chieftains found some consolation in a Saturday night 65-56 victory over Lafayette; Stan Dawson scored 28 points, while both Rusty Oxford and Mike Souder scored 10 points each. Alas, the girls lost 34-33 after missing a foul shot with 15 seconds left on the clock.
City revenues were so good that the Rome City Commission increased its budget by $195,000 for the last part of 1965, an increase of almost 10%. The biggest part of the increase was a 5% pay increase for all city employees that was implemented in July. City Manager Bruce Hamler credited “above normal tax collections” for the increase in revenues, but an $87,000 grant from the state as reimbursement for street improvements also helped a great deal. (When was the last time we heard talk of a city government having a 10% increase in tax revenues above expectations?)
Sales tax was also a big part of that, and great retail sales were responsible for higher sales taxes revenues. Rome and Floyd County saw a $3.7 million jump in retail sales in the third quarter of 1965 over the previous year. This reflected an 8% growth in retail spending in one year… a pretty amazing accomplishment!
Remember Christmas Club accounts? Those non-interest-bearing holiday savings accounts were quite popular in 1965: Rome banks disbursed almost a $1 million in Christmas Club funds to almost 5300 Romans in November, setting an all-time record. An unnamed Broad Street business owner enthused, “I think the people have got the money to spend and they’re going to spend it. This year is going to be the best ever, and I think next year will be even better.” Oh, for such fiscal optimism nowadays!…
The Elm Street PTA held their December 9th meeting at the West Rome Baptist Church. the West Rome Baptist Youth Choir, directed by Fred Barr, supplied the Christmas music for the meeting.
Work continued on the US 411-Hwy 27 interchange, with the first section (including the 12th street bridge) scheduled for completion by December 31st. The entire interchange was on schedule for a mid-1966 release, which was welcome news to any Romans who had to make the drive from Rome to Cartersville, Marietta, Atlanta, or Cedartown.
“Solid State” was the electronics phrase of the year for RCA, who was advertising both solid state stereo systems (a home console complete with two 15” woofers, two 7” midrange speakers, and four 3.5” tweeters… a pretty impressive array, even by today’s standards!). The 56-watt combination AM-FM radio and turntable also had jacks for an optional tape recorder. This impressive system was priced at $439.95, which would be the equivalent of $3200 adjusted for inflation—more than most people would ever pay for a stereo system today! Meanwhile, a solid state 23” console color TV could be yours for only $595—the equivalent of more than $4000 after adjusting for inflation.
Piggly Wiggly had whole fryers for 27¢ a pound, Mann’s Golden Harvest sausage for 59¢ a pound, and large tangerines for 49¢ a dozen. Kroger had pork steaks for 59¢ a pound, Kraft’s mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and Campbell’s tomato soup for a dime a can. Big Apple had a four-pound Cudahy Bar-S canned ham for $3.99, Happy Valley ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Luzianne coffee for 59¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 35¢ a pound,Super-Right chili for 29¢ a can, and an 8-ounce box of Cheez-It crackers for 23¢. Couch’s had Peach brand sliced bacon for 69¢ a pound, a one-pound bag of chocolate drops for 29¢, and Showboat pork & beans for 19¢ a can. (One of the fun parts of reviewing grocery store ads from fifty years ago is noting all the brands that we rarely or never hear about today. I can still find Cudahy Bar-S meats at a few stores, but I’ve never hear of Happy Valley, Super-Right, or Peach brand bacon nowadays.)
The cinematic week began with The War Lord (wth Charlton Heston & Richard Boone) at the DeSoto Theater and a double feature of Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (with James Karen & Marilyn Harold) and Curse of the Voodoo (starring—if that’ the right word for a low-budget film like this— Bryant Haliday & Dennis Price) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Return from the Ashes (with Herbert Lom & Maximillian Schell) to the DeSoto and Old Yeller (with Dorothy McGuire & Fess Parker) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In’s weekend feature was The Hallelujah Trail (with Burt Lancaster & Lee Remick).
The Byrds held on to number one with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#2); “I Got You (I Feel Good) by James Brown (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “I Hear a Symphony” by the Supremes (#5); “I Can Never go Home Again Any More” by the Shangri-las (#6); “Make the World Go Away” by Eddy Arnold (#7); “England Swings” by Roger Miller (#8); “Fever” by the McCoys (#9); and “I Will” by Dean Martin (#10).
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/29/1965 to 12/5/1965
Interest was so high in the Georgia Class AA football championship game slated for Saturday night in Atlanta that West Rome officials announced that they were selling tickets for a bus for adults who wanted to see the game but weren’t keen on making the drive. (This was in the years before I-75 was opened, so the preferred route from Rome to Atlanta involved a long drive down US 41 through Marietta.)
Ultimately, almost 3500 Romans made the trek to Grady Stadium in Atlanta to watch the Chiefs defeat St. Pius 6-0. West Rome’s touchdown came in the second quarter when quarterback Mike Souder threw a 34-yard bomb to Arbie Lovell for the game's only scoring play.
Sandy McPhee of East Rome High School walked away with top honors in the baton competition at the National Baton Twirling Association meet in Columbus. So why am I reporting it here? Well, because Sandy’s dad was West Rome principal Dick McPhee, and as her father he was undoubtedly quite proud of her accomplishment, even if she did attend school on the other side of the river!
The Chieftains also launched their basketball season with a 56-43 victory over Chattooga in a Region 3-AA game. “We accomplished what we set out to do,” Coach Randall Kent said. “We played the game only to give our boys some experience before they meet East Rome next week, and we accomplished that aim. The fact that West Rome won was icing on the cake.”
The West Rome Seventh Grade Tri-Hi-Y sponsored a rummage sale on Saturday in front of the old depot building on Broad Street.
The city of Rome began discussion to annex the Old Airport Community near GE in West Rome in order to correct “unhealthy conditions” caused by old, improperly installed, overflowing septic tanks. The city hoped to complete annexation by the middle of 1966.
Governor Carl Sanders visited Rome on November 30th to announce major construction and development plans in the works involving Fox Manufacturing and Trend Mills. Trend confirmed plans to double the size of its carpet manufacturing facility, while Fox was expanding its furniture processing facility. “Since January of 1963, Rome and Floyd County have witnessed nine new planet developments,” Governor Sanders said, “in addition to nineteen major expansions of existing industries. By their decision to locate here, the officials of these firms have sown tangible confidence in the economy and in the people of Rome and Floyd County… In ten years’ time, the total payroll for Floyd County has doubled.” (It’s perfectly understandable why so many of us felt like we were living in the glory days of the Rome-Floyd County area back in the 1960s—because we were!)
Belk-Rhodes received a big shipment of go-go boots for $5.99 to $9.99 a pair… which may be official proof that the go-go craze was coming to an end.
Beginning December 1st, Sears extended its hours until 9pm every night until Christmas (except for Sunday, of course!). “Shop at your one-stop Christmas store,” Sears touted—and back in the 1960s, it pretty much seemed to be true!
Most sheriffs devote a lot of time to trying to keep the jail’s occupants safely locked away, but Sheriff Joe Adams spent two days trying to evict a dog who slipped into the jail to spend time with its owner. A lot of Romans were outspoken in their belief that the dog should be allowed to stay, but the sheriff ultimately took the dog to a kennel to be held until its owner was released.
The Floyd County Home Demonstration Club kicked off their annual three-day Christmas Show beginning Thursday, December 2nd. The show at the Civic Center drew almost 6000 attendees who came to see its displays showing how Christmas was celebrated around the world, with a holiday craft bazaar offering attendees a chance to buy handmade gifts, toys, decorations, and more.
Piggly Wiggly had JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, and pecans for 99¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 43¢ a pound, Mel-O-Soft bread for 20¢ a loaf, and Scott bathroom tissue for a dime a roll. Big Apple had smoked picnic hams for 39¢ a pound, Bartlett pears for 19¢ a pound, and Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. A&P had whole fryers for a quarter a pound, tangerines for 39¢ a dozen, and a five-pound bag of Irish potatoes for 33¢. Couch’s had Oscar Mayer bacon for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp’s chili for 29¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Harum Scarum (with Elvis Presley) at the DeSoto Theatre and Agent 8 3/4 (with Dirk Bogarde & Robert Morley) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The War Lord (with Charlton Heston & Richard Boone) to the DeSoto, while the First Avenue went for a low-budget horror film schlockfest with Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (with an “I’ve-never-heard-of-them” cast that included James Karen & Marilyn Hanold) and Curse of the Voodoo (starring the equally-unknown Bryant Haliday & Dennis Price) at the First Avenue. Apparently The War Lord was a pretty big deal, because it also played on the big screen at the West Rome Drive-In over the weekend.
The Byrds took first place this week in 1965 with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Hear a Sympony” by the Supremes (#2); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#3); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “I Can Never Go Home Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#6); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#7); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#8); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#9); and “I Will” by Dean Martin (#10).
This was a big week for album release, with The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, the Rolling Stones' December’s Children (And Everybody’s), and The Who’s debut release, My Generation, all reaching record shops this week in 1965. The Beatles also released their double A-sided single “Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out” to accompany the album’s release.
Marvel Comics became famous for their super-heroes, but Fantasy Masterpieces #1—released this week in 1965—celebrated their pre-hero science fiction, monster, and weird fiction comics from the 1950s and early 1960s, reprinting stories by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, and Joe Sinnott. The oldest story in the comic was published in 1959, while the most recent was a scant three years old when this comic was published!
Ultimately, almost 3500 Romans made the trek to Grady Stadium in Atlanta to watch the Chiefs defeat St. Pius 6-0. West Rome’s touchdown came in the second quarter when quarterback Mike Souder threw a 34-yard bomb to Arbie Lovell for the game's only scoring play.
Sandy McPhee of East Rome High School walked away with top honors in the baton competition at the National Baton Twirling Association meet in Columbus. So why am I reporting it here? Well, because Sandy’s dad was West Rome principal Dick McPhee, and as her father he was undoubtedly quite proud of her accomplishment, even if she did attend school on the other side of the river!
The Chieftains also launched their basketball season with a 56-43 victory over Chattooga in a Region 3-AA game. “We accomplished what we set out to do,” Coach Randall Kent said. “We played the game only to give our boys some experience before they meet East Rome next week, and we accomplished that aim. The fact that West Rome won was icing on the cake.”
The West Rome Seventh Grade Tri-Hi-Y sponsored a rummage sale on Saturday in front of the old depot building on Broad Street.
The city of Rome began discussion to annex the Old Airport Community near GE in West Rome in order to correct “unhealthy conditions” caused by old, improperly installed, overflowing septic tanks. The city hoped to complete annexation by the middle of 1966.
Governor Carl Sanders visited Rome on November 30th to announce major construction and development plans in the works involving Fox Manufacturing and Trend Mills. Trend confirmed plans to double the size of its carpet manufacturing facility, while Fox was expanding its furniture processing facility. “Since January of 1963, Rome and Floyd County have witnessed nine new planet developments,” Governor Sanders said, “in addition to nineteen major expansions of existing industries. By their decision to locate here, the officials of these firms have sown tangible confidence in the economy and in the people of Rome and Floyd County… In ten years’ time, the total payroll for Floyd County has doubled.” (It’s perfectly understandable why so many of us felt like we were living in the glory days of the Rome-Floyd County area back in the 1960s—because we were!)
Belk-Rhodes received a big shipment of go-go boots for $5.99 to $9.99 a pair… which may be official proof that the go-go craze was coming to an end.
Beginning December 1st, Sears extended its hours until 9pm every night until Christmas (except for Sunday, of course!). “Shop at your one-stop Christmas store,” Sears touted—and back in the 1960s, it pretty much seemed to be true!
Most sheriffs devote a lot of time to trying to keep the jail’s occupants safely locked away, but Sheriff Joe Adams spent two days trying to evict a dog who slipped into the jail to spend time with its owner. A lot of Romans were outspoken in their belief that the dog should be allowed to stay, but the sheriff ultimately took the dog to a kennel to be held until its owner was released.
The Floyd County Home Demonstration Club kicked off their annual three-day Christmas Show beginning Thursday, December 2nd. The show at the Civic Center drew almost 6000 attendees who came to see its displays showing how Christmas was celebrated around the world, with a holiday craft bazaar offering attendees a chance to buy handmade gifts, toys, decorations, and more.
Piggly Wiggly had JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, and pecans for 99¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 43¢ a pound, Mel-O-Soft bread for 20¢ a loaf, and Scott bathroom tissue for a dime a roll. Big Apple had smoked picnic hams for 39¢ a pound, Bartlett pears for 19¢ a pound, and Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. A&P had whole fryers for a quarter a pound, tangerines for 39¢ a dozen, and a five-pound bag of Irish potatoes for 33¢. Couch’s had Oscar Mayer bacon for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp’s chili for 29¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Harum Scarum (with Elvis Presley) at the DeSoto Theatre and Agent 8 3/4 (with Dirk Bogarde & Robert Morley) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The War Lord (with Charlton Heston & Richard Boone) to the DeSoto, while the First Avenue went for a low-budget horror film schlockfest with Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (with an “I’ve-never-heard-of-them” cast that included James Karen & Marilyn Hanold) and Curse of the Voodoo (starring the equally-unknown Bryant Haliday & Dennis Price) at the First Avenue. Apparently The War Lord was a pretty big deal, because it also played on the big screen at the West Rome Drive-In over the weekend.
The Byrds took first place this week in 1965 with “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Hear a Sympony” by the Supremes (#2); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#3); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#4); “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#5); “I Can Never Go Home Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#6); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#7); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#8); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#9); and “I Will” by Dean Martin (#10).
This was a big week for album release, with The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, the Rolling Stones' December’s Children (And Everybody’s), and The Who’s debut release, My Generation, all reaching record shops this week in 1965. The Beatles also released their double A-sided single “Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out” to accompany the album’s release.
Marvel Comics became famous for their super-heroes, but Fantasy Masterpieces #1—released this week in 1965—celebrated their pre-hero science fiction, monster, and weird fiction comics from the 1950s and early 1960s, reprinting stories by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, and Joe Sinnott. The oldest story in the comic was published in 1959, while the most recent was a scant three years old when this comic was published!
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/22/1965 to 11/28/1965
Preface
“Why do you spend so much time writing this every week?” The young woman asking me the question wasn’t being rude—just curious. It didn’t make sense to her, I guess. With all the time I spend at the keyboard writing Comic Shop News every week as well as writing fiction, why devote a few hours every week writing about unimportant things that happened a half-century ago in the west side of a small northwest Georgia town with city-sized ambitions?
Because we were different. Different, just like millions of other kids who grew up in the US in the 1960s. We lived in a time that we assumed was the most technologically advanced in history (and it was!). We never imagined that the children and grandchildren of our generation would spend every day surrounded by technological advancements that we’d never even heard of back then. We didn’t know that our lives would scatter us across the country and around the world… and that all too many of us wouldn’t be here a half-century later to reminisce with us.
And we took for granted the people in our lives back then, and the places, and the little things that amused us and entertained us and frustrated us. We didn’t really appreciate how much they shaped us, and how long they would stay with us.
Preparing this column every week makes me remember not only the events that I chronicle here, but also the dreams and hopes and sorrows and joys and disappointments and surprises that were a part of our lives in the 1960s. We’re not the people that we were then… but we couldn’t be the people that we are now without going through what we went through then. It helped us, it shaped us, it made us… for better or worse.
Every week, I find little shards of memories scattered in the events that I retell here. The retelling polishes them a little bit, preserves them, makes them sparkle again for a moment or two, at least. The glint of the past reminds me that this is the way we were fifty years ago, and this was the place where we lived, and these were the things that we did.
***
The Chieftains faced off against Chamblee on Friday night for the North Georgia championship…and the Chiefs walked away with a 13-7 victory. “You know, it’s the first time a Rome school has won the championship since 1948,” a very proud Coach Paul Kennedy said after the victory. David Garrett scored the first touchdown for West Rome, while Mike Souder threw a touchdown pass to David Garrett in a play that pushed West Rome to victory.
More than 800 officers, members, and advisors of 39 Y clubs from 11 area schools (including our own West Rome, of course!) participated in the Rome-Floyd county Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y induction service at the Berry College chapel. West Rome Principal Dick McPhee, chairman of the Adult Hi-Y Committee, presided over the event. West Rome’s Becky Wood was installed as first vice president, while Jane Cox was selected teen editor; other committee members from West Rome included Lee Willingham, Jamie Cook, Tom Williams, Henry Kennedy, Diane Smith, Cynthia Morgan, Linda Morgan, Lee Davenport, Diane Massey, and Becky Wood.
Moses Construction Company of Rome was the low bidder for four school construction projects, including four classrooms at West End Elementary School, a library at Elm Street Elementary School, and four classrooms at West Rome High School. (The fourth construction project was on the east side of town.) All of this was necessary because of the continued rapid growth of the West Rome area—growth that was running about 6% per year ahead of predictions made when West Rome High School and West End Elementary were constructed.
Oh, the times, they were a’changing: Floyd Hospital warned residents that anesthesia rates were likely to go up because all three staff anesthesiologists had resigned as of November 24th and were going into private practice. This meant that the hospital would no longer have a staff anesthesiologist whose fees were built into the cost of various hospital procedures; instead, the hospital administrators warned Romans that those without insurance could expect to pay as much as $50 per procedure more for anesthesia because of the change, since the private anesthesiologists would be setting their own rates.
The draft was calling more Romans: the Selective Service office announced that 75 young men from Rome and Floyd County would have to report for pre-induction examinations on December 15th. The notices went out this week so that those expected to report could make necessary plans to be there. Mrs.. Virginia Turpin of the Selective Service Office said that they expected that about 40% of those tested would be drafted within a month of their examinations. Suddenly, the draft and the war and Vietnam were becoming much more of a local worry for Rome teens…
Rome bank activity indicated that the community’s economy was growing at about a 5% annual rate—not quite as strong as the two years prior, but still enough to pump an extra $5 million a month into the local community.
Thanksgiving's aftermath included the post-Thanksgiving-Day Rome Days sales event. Almost every store in town was running special sales on Friday and Saturday, including $39.98 Murray bicycles at Sterchi’s; a $12.99 Electrovoice tape recorder at Enloe’s; an all-wool sport coast for $12.00 at Wheeler’s; a 6-piece French provincial maple living room suite for $399 at Rhodes Furniture; leather handbags for $7.95 at Esserman’s; an Admiral table radio for $15.88 at Buy-Wise; a 23” Zenith console color TV for $589 at Rome Radio Company; an electric Pro Football game (you remember, the thing with the buzzing, vibrating field and the little plastic players with felt bottoms that wobbled around, bumping into one another?) for $19.88 at Murphy’s. And then there was my personal favorite: The VacuForm for $16.88 at Sears! (After all, what better gift for a kid at Christmas than a toy that heated up metal plates to the pound that they melted plastic sheets so that you could shape them into crude toys using a vacuum pump? What possible harm could befall a child with a toy like that?! And yes, I really had one of these… and yes, I must have burned my fingers about fifty times while using it…)
Piggly Wiggly had sweet potatoes for a dime a pound, pecans for 33¢ a pound, and fresh hens for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had Tom Turkeys for 33¢ a pound, fresh coconuts for 19¢ each, and celery for 19¢ a bunch. Kroger and turkeys for 31¢ a pound, fresh cranberries for a quarter a pound, and a case of Coca-Cola for 99¢ plus deposit. A&P had turkeys for 37¢ a pound, potatoes for a nickel a pound, and cranberry sauce for 22¢ a can. Couch’s had Puritan fully-cooked hams for 79¢ a pound, English peas for 19¢ a can, and roasting chickens for 29¢ a pound.
The cinematic week began with Sands of Kalahari (with Stuart Whitman) at the DeSoto and The Outlaws Is Coming (with the Three Stooges) at the First Avenue. The midweek switchout brought Harum Scarum (with Elvis Presley) to the Desoto and Forty Acre Feud (with Ferlin Husky, Minnie Pearl, George Jones, & Loretta Lynn) at the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday week to add a special Wednesday night showing of Mary Poppins (with Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke) to its otherwise-weekends-only schedule.
The Byrds took number one this week with their biblical “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Hear a Symphony” by the Supremes (#2); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#5); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#6); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “I Can Never Go Home Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#9); and “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#10).
The big album release this week in 1965 was Do You Believe in Magic? by the Lovin’ Spoonful, which delivered not only the title song but also the destined-for-hit-status song “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” Both songs were written by the group’s lead singer and autoharpist John Sebastian (were the Lovin’ Spoonful the only 1960s rock group to use the autoharp in their music?).
This was also the week when Arlo Guthrie was arrested on Thanksgiving Day in Massachusetts for littering; the resulting events would ultimately be preserved forever in Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” but it would be two more years before we would hear that little ditty.
The cosmic spirit of the DC Universe made his first Silver Age appearance in Showcase #60, on sale this week in 1965. The Spectre was resurrected in a tale by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in an atypical tale that pitted a superhero against the demon Azmodus. Also on the stands this week: Teen Titans #1, featuring Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, fresh from their final trial-run appearance in September’s Showcase #59.
“Why do you spend so much time writing this every week?” The young woman asking me the question wasn’t being rude—just curious. It didn’t make sense to her, I guess. With all the time I spend at the keyboard writing Comic Shop News every week as well as writing fiction, why devote a few hours every week writing about unimportant things that happened a half-century ago in the west side of a small northwest Georgia town with city-sized ambitions?
Because we were different. Different, just like millions of other kids who grew up in the US in the 1960s. We lived in a time that we assumed was the most technologically advanced in history (and it was!). We never imagined that the children and grandchildren of our generation would spend every day surrounded by technological advancements that we’d never even heard of back then. We didn’t know that our lives would scatter us across the country and around the world… and that all too many of us wouldn’t be here a half-century later to reminisce with us.
And we took for granted the people in our lives back then, and the places, and the little things that amused us and entertained us and frustrated us. We didn’t really appreciate how much they shaped us, and how long they would stay with us.
Preparing this column every week makes me remember not only the events that I chronicle here, but also the dreams and hopes and sorrows and joys and disappointments and surprises that were a part of our lives in the 1960s. We’re not the people that we were then… but we couldn’t be the people that we are now without going through what we went through then. It helped us, it shaped us, it made us… for better or worse.
Every week, I find little shards of memories scattered in the events that I retell here. The retelling polishes them a little bit, preserves them, makes them sparkle again for a moment or two, at least. The glint of the past reminds me that this is the way we were fifty years ago, and this was the place where we lived, and these were the things that we did.
***
The Chieftains faced off against Chamblee on Friday night for the North Georgia championship…and the Chiefs walked away with a 13-7 victory. “You know, it’s the first time a Rome school has won the championship since 1948,” a very proud Coach Paul Kennedy said after the victory. David Garrett scored the first touchdown for West Rome, while Mike Souder threw a touchdown pass to David Garrett in a play that pushed West Rome to victory.
More than 800 officers, members, and advisors of 39 Y clubs from 11 area schools (including our own West Rome, of course!) participated in the Rome-Floyd county Hi-Y and Tri-Hi-Y induction service at the Berry College chapel. West Rome Principal Dick McPhee, chairman of the Adult Hi-Y Committee, presided over the event. West Rome’s Becky Wood was installed as first vice president, while Jane Cox was selected teen editor; other committee members from West Rome included Lee Willingham, Jamie Cook, Tom Williams, Henry Kennedy, Diane Smith, Cynthia Morgan, Linda Morgan, Lee Davenport, Diane Massey, and Becky Wood.
Moses Construction Company of Rome was the low bidder for four school construction projects, including four classrooms at West End Elementary School, a library at Elm Street Elementary School, and four classrooms at West Rome High School. (The fourth construction project was on the east side of town.) All of this was necessary because of the continued rapid growth of the West Rome area—growth that was running about 6% per year ahead of predictions made when West Rome High School and West End Elementary were constructed.
Oh, the times, they were a’changing: Floyd Hospital warned residents that anesthesia rates were likely to go up because all three staff anesthesiologists had resigned as of November 24th and were going into private practice. This meant that the hospital would no longer have a staff anesthesiologist whose fees were built into the cost of various hospital procedures; instead, the hospital administrators warned Romans that those without insurance could expect to pay as much as $50 per procedure more for anesthesia because of the change, since the private anesthesiologists would be setting their own rates.
The draft was calling more Romans: the Selective Service office announced that 75 young men from Rome and Floyd County would have to report for pre-induction examinations on December 15th. The notices went out this week so that those expected to report could make necessary plans to be there. Mrs.. Virginia Turpin of the Selective Service Office said that they expected that about 40% of those tested would be drafted within a month of their examinations. Suddenly, the draft and the war and Vietnam were becoming much more of a local worry for Rome teens…
Rome bank activity indicated that the community’s economy was growing at about a 5% annual rate—not quite as strong as the two years prior, but still enough to pump an extra $5 million a month into the local community.
Thanksgiving's aftermath included the post-Thanksgiving-Day Rome Days sales event. Almost every store in town was running special sales on Friday and Saturday, including $39.98 Murray bicycles at Sterchi’s; a $12.99 Electrovoice tape recorder at Enloe’s; an all-wool sport coast for $12.00 at Wheeler’s; a 6-piece French provincial maple living room suite for $399 at Rhodes Furniture; leather handbags for $7.95 at Esserman’s; an Admiral table radio for $15.88 at Buy-Wise; a 23” Zenith console color TV for $589 at Rome Radio Company; an electric Pro Football game (you remember, the thing with the buzzing, vibrating field and the little plastic players with felt bottoms that wobbled around, bumping into one another?) for $19.88 at Murphy’s. And then there was my personal favorite: The VacuForm for $16.88 at Sears! (After all, what better gift for a kid at Christmas than a toy that heated up metal plates to the pound that they melted plastic sheets so that you could shape them into crude toys using a vacuum pump? What possible harm could befall a child with a toy like that?! And yes, I really had one of these… and yes, I must have burned my fingers about fifty times while using it…)
Piggly Wiggly had sweet potatoes for a dime a pound, pecans for 33¢ a pound, and fresh hens for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had Tom Turkeys for 33¢ a pound, fresh coconuts for 19¢ each, and celery for 19¢ a bunch. Kroger and turkeys for 31¢ a pound, fresh cranberries for a quarter a pound, and a case of Coca-Cola for 99¢ plus deposit. A&P had turkeys for 37¢ a pound, potatoes for a nickel a pound, and cranberry sauce for 22¢ a can. Couch’s had Puritan fully-cooked hams for 79¢ a pound, English peas for 19¢ a can, and roasting chickens for 29¢ a pound.
The cinematic week began with Sands of Kalahari (with Stuart Whitman) at the DeSoto and The Outlaws Is Coming (with the Three Stooges) at the First Avenue. The midweek switchout brought Harum Scarum (with Elvis Presley) to the Desoto and Forty Acre Feud (with Ferlin Husky, Minnie Pearl, George Jones, & Loretta Lynn) at the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday week to add a special Wednesday night showing of Mary Poppins (with Julie Andrews & Dick Van Dyke) to its otherwise-weekends-only schedule.
The Byrds took number one this week with their biblical “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Other top ten hits included “I Hear a Symphony” by the Supremes (#2); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#5); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#6); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “I Can Never Go Home Any More” by the Shangri-Las (#9); and “Over and Over” by the Dave Clark Five (#10).
The big album release this week in 1965 was Do You Believe in Magic? by the Lovin’ Spoonful, which delivered not only the title song but also the destined-for-hit-status song “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” Both songs were written by the group’s lead singer and autoharpist John Sebastian (were the Lovin’ Spoonful the only 1960s rock group to use the autoharp in their music?).
This was also the week when Arlo Guthrie was arrested on Thanksgiving Day in Massachusetts for littering; the resulting events would ultimately be preserved forever in Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant,” but it would be two more years before we would hear that little ditty.
The cosmic spirit of the DC Universe made his first Silver Age appearance in Showcase #60, on sale this week in 1965. The Spectre was resurrected in a tale by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson in an atypical tale that pitted a superhero against the demon Azmodus. Also on the stands this week: Teen Titans #1, featuring Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, fresh from their final trial-run appearance in September’s Showcase #59.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/15/1965 to 11/21/1965
The final equipment for West Rome’s new state-of-the-art industrial arts shop arrived and the program shifted into high gear this week in 1965. Thanks to a $90,000 investment by taxpayers and the Rome City School System, West Rome’s newly constructed brick industrial arts building had a modern drafting department at one end of the structure and an electronics lab, a metalworking shop, and a woodworking shop at the other end. Thomas Couey and R.L. Matthews shared instructional duties in the expanded industrial arts department, and both had a full roster of students for their expanded course offerings.
Dickie, Tommy, Johnny, and David Sapp were spotlighted in the Rome News-Tribune on November 17th. The article focused on the family’s football skills (Dickie was a halfback for the Darlington Tigers, Tommy was a junior halfback for the Chieftains, Johnny was a part of the Rome junior midgets team, and David was involved with the mite leaguers. “I’ve never pushed them to play football,” their father, Fred Sapp, said. “However, the fact that they were interested really pleased us. The game has meant a lot to them.”
With a Region 3-AA title game against Dalton on the schedule for Friday, November 19th, Coach Paul Kennedy was justifiably concerned when center Doug Meadows suffered an jury in the East Rome game that took him out of the Dalton game. Coach Kennedy moved Benny Padgett to center, while Lane Warner took Padgett’s offensive guard position. Jim Ryan was also out with a broken nose, Jerry Wiseman missed two days of practice with a shoulder injury, Richard Camp had an injured foot that impacted his kicking game, and Lane Brewer was playing with a knee injury that had slowed him down. “Our boys’ spirits are high and we’ve had really good practice sessions,” Coach Kennedy said, “but we’ve got to be ready to play our finest ball game against a tough club. In fact, I think we’ll have to play as good as, if not better than, we did against Kingsport and Rossville.”
In spite of all the injuries, though, the Chieftains managed to defeat Dalton in a 14-7 game, thanks to quarterback Mike Souder, who threw both of West Rome’s touchdown passes—one to Arbie Lovell and one to David Garrett. This advanced West Rome to the next level of the playoffs, setting them up to take on Chamblee.
Piggly Wiggly had baking hens for 35¢ a pound, bacon for 69¢ a pound, and lettuce for 15¢ a head. A&P had hen turkeys for 37¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and all butter pound cakes for 69¢ each. Kroger and five pounds of Colonial sugar for 38¢, large eggs for 49¢ a dozen, and Tom Turkeys for 31¢ a pound. Big Apple had hams for 59¢ a pound, celery for 19¢ a bunch, and yams for 12¢ a pound. Couch’s had fruit cake mix for 33¢ a pound, pork roast for 59¢ a pound, and ten pounds of potatoes for 45¢.
The cinematic week began with Casanova ’70 (with Marcelo Mastroianni & Virna Lisi) to the DeSotoTheater and Red Line 7000 (with James Caan) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Sands of the Kalahari (with Stuart Whitman & Susannah York) to the DeSoto and The Hill (with Sean Connery) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In had a weekend double feature of The Ballad of Cat Ballou (with Jane Fonda & Lee Marvin) and Fate Is the Hunter (with Gelnn Ford and Rod Taylor).
The Supremes held on to the number one slot this week in 1965 with “I Hear a Symphony.” Other top ten hits included “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#2); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “Get Off My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones (#5); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#6); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#9); and “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” by Silkie (#10).
The Yardbirds released their second album, Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds, this week in 1965. The album featured the guitar skills of both Eric Clapton (who performed on four songs) and Jeff Beck (who played on the remaining six songs).
This was also the week when NBC introduced the first full-color national news broadcast. The Huntley-Brinkley Report became the first newscast to use color for both the studio presentation and the news stories filed from locations around the world.
Dickie, Tommy, Johnny, and David Sapp were spotlighted in the Rome News-Tribune on November 17th. The article focused on the family’s football skills (Dickie was a halfback for the Darlington Tigers, Tommy was a junior halfback for the Chieftains, Johnny was a part of the Rome junior midgets team, and David was involved with the mite leaguers. “I’ve never pushed them to play football,” their father, Fred Sapp, said. “However, the fact that they were interested really pleased us. The game has meant a lot to them.”
With a Region 3-AA title game against Dalton on the schedule for Friday, November 19th, Coach Paul Kennedy was justifiably concerned when center Doug Meadows suffered an jury in the East Rome game that took him out of the Dalton game. Coach Kennedy moved Benny Padgett to center, while Lane Warner took Padgett’s offensive guard position. Jim Ryan was also out with a broken nose, Jerry Wiseman missed two days of practice with a shoulder injury, Richard Camp had an injured foot that impacted his kicking game, and Lane Brewer was playing with a knee injury that had slowed him down. “Our boys’ spirits are high and we’ve had really good practice sessions,” Coach Kennedy said, “but we’ve got to be ready to play our finest ball game against a tough club. In fact, I think we’ll have to play as good as, if not better than, we did against Kingsport and Rossville.”
In spite of all the injuries, though, the Chieftains managed to defeat Dalton in a 14-7 game, thanks to quarterback Mike Souder, who threw both of West Rome’s touchdown passes—one to Arbie Lovell and one to David Garrett. This advanced West Rome to the next level of the playoffs, setting them up to take on Chamblee.
Piggly Wiggly had baking hens for 35¢ a pound, bacon for 69¢ a pound, and lettuce for 15¢ a head. A&P had hen turkeys for 37¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and all butter pound cakes for 69¢ each. Kroger and five pounds of Colonial sugar for 38¢, large eggs for 49¢ a dozen, and Tom Turkeys for 31¢ a pound. Big Apple had hams for 59¢ a pound, celery for 19¢ a bunch, and yams for 12¢ a pound. Couch’s had fruit cake mix for 33¢ a pound, pork roast for 59¢ a pound, and ten pounds of potatoes for 45¢.
The cinematic week began with Casanova ’70 (with Marcelo Mastroianni & Virna Lisi) to the DeSotoTheater and Red Line 7000 (with James Caan) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Sands of the Kalahari (with Stuart Whitman & Susannah York) to the DeSoto and The Hill (with Sean Connery) to the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In had a weekend double feature of The Ballad of Cat Ballou (with Jane Fonda & Lee Marvin) and Fate Is the Hunter (with Gelnn Ford and Rod Taylor).
The Supremes held on to the number one slot this week in 1965 with “I Hear a Symphony.” Other top ten hits included “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#2); “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#3); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#4); “Get Off My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones (#5); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#6); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown (#9); and “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” by Silkie (#10).
The Yardbirds released their second album, Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds, this week in 1965. The album featured the guitar skills of both Eric Clapton (who performed on four songs) and Jeff Beck (who played on the remaining six songs).
This was also the week when NBC introduced the first full-color national news broadcast. The Huntley-Brinkley Report became the first newscast to use color for both the studio presentation and the news stories filed from locations around the world.
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 11/8/1965 to 11/14/1965
Back in 1965, almost all phone calls between Rome and Atlanta were carried on a single phone cable—so when a construction company cut that cable on Monday afternoon, November the 8th, it also cut off all phone communication between Rome and Atlanta. Southern Bell was able to reroute some of the calls by late Monday evening, and the phone line was repaired by 5:30 am on Tuesday. (It’s hard to envision a scenario in which one cable cut could shut down all phone communication for more than twelve hours… But it could be worse. This was also the week that New York City had a total blackout after a power grid failure, so there’s that…)
West Rome growth was so strong that the city was looking to expand West End Elementary with four new classrooms, as well as a new library at Elm Street. The Rome School Board began taking bids for the construction this week in 1965, with construction set to take place over the summer.
The Rome News-Tribune named West Rome’s David Garrett as the Back of the Week because of his outstanding performance in the November 5th East Rome game. And it was no surprise that Paul Kennedy was named Coach of the Week after leading a team from two scoreless games at the beginning of the season to a Region 3-AA South Championship with their victory over East Rome.
West Rome’s Future Business Leaders of America selected its club officers this week in 1965. The roster included Pat Richardson, president; Ellen Sosbee, vice-president; Diane Wade, secretary; Jennie Pittman, treasurer; and Pat Hicks, reporter. The club was sponsored by Miss Charles McCarter and Mr. Bill Finley.
Piggly Wiggly had eggs for 45¢ a dozen, T-bone steak for 99¢ a pound, and fresh baked apple pies for 59¢ each. Kroger and the ever-popular streak-o-lean for 49¢ a pound (was it really that expensive?), Spam for 49¢ a can, and Country Club ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, five pounds of Dixie Crystal sugar for 39¢, and a 32-ounce jar of Jif peanut butter for 95¢. A&P had ground beef for 38¢ a pound, Poss chili for 39¢ a can, and emperor grapes for 13¢ a pound. Couch’s had pork steak for 59¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Bama jelly (in an 18-ounce jar that could be used as a drinking glass) for 25¢ a jar.
The cinematic week began with The Cincinnati Kid (with Steve McQueen & Ann-Margret) at the DeSoto Theater and Love & Kisses (with Rick Nelson) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Casanova ’70 (with Marcelo Mastroianni & Virna Lisi) to the DeSoto and Red Line 7000 (with James Caan) at the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In had a weekend double feature of Red Line 7000 (yes, a second-rate racing movie was screening simultaneously at two Rome theaters!) and The Family Jewels (with Jerry Lewis).
The Supremes clinched the top spot this week in 1965 with “I Hear a Symphony.” Other top ten hits included “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#2); “Get Off of My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones (#3); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#4); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#5); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#6); “A Lover’s Concerto” by the Toys (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#9); and “You’re the One” by the Vogues (#10).
The week’s big album releases included Beach Boys’ Party! by the Beach Boys and Four Tops’ Second Album by the Four Tops. But the number one selling album this week was The Sound of Music, which bounced the Beatles Help! off the top of the LP charts.
The problems of Salem and its residents came to television for the first time on November 8th, 1965, with the premiere of Days of Our Lives. The soap opera originally began as a half-hour show; it wouldn’t expand to an hour long until 1975.
West Rome growth was so strong that the city was looking to expand West End Elementary with four new classrooms, as well as a new library at Elm Street. The Rome School Board began taking bids for the construction this week in 1965, with construction set to take place over the summer.
The Rome News-Tribune named West Rome’s David Garrett as the Back of the Week because of his outstanding performance in the November 5th East Rome game. And it was no surprise that Paul Kennedy was named Coach of the Week after leading a team from two scoreless games at the beginning of the season to a Region 3-AA South Championship with their victory over East Rome.
West Rome’s Future Business Leaders of America selected its club officers this week in 1965. The roster included Pat Richardson, president; Ellen Sosbee, vice-president; Diane Wade, secretary; Jennie Pittman, treasurer; and Pat Hicks, reporter. The club was sponsored by Miss Charles McCarter and Mr. Bill Finley.
Piggly Wiggly had eggs for 45¢ a dozen, T-bone steak for 99¢ a pound, and fresh baked apple pies for 59¢ each. Kroger and the ever-popular streak-o-lean for 49¢ a pound (was it really that expensive?), Spam for 49¢ a can, and Country Club ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, five pounds of Dixie Crystal sugar for 39¢, and a 32-ounce jar of Jif peanut butter for 95¢. A&P had ground beef for 38¢ a pound, Poss chili for 39¢ a can, and emperor grapes for 13¢ a pound. Couch’s had pork steak for 59¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Bama jelly (in an 18-ounce jar that could be used as a drinking glass) for 25¢ a jar.
The cinematic week began with The Cincinnati Kid (with Steve McQueen & Ann-Margret) at the DeSoto Theater and Love & Kisses (with Rick Nelson) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Casanova ’70 (with Marcelo Mastroianni & Virna Lisi) to the DeSoto and Red Line 7000 (with James Caan) at the First Avenue. The West Rome Drive-In had a weekend double feature of Red Line 7000 (yes, a second-rate racing movie was screening simultaneously at two Rome theaters!) and The Family Jewels (with Jerry Lewis).
The Supremes clinched the top spot this week in 1965 with “I Hear a Symphony.” Other top ten hits included “1-2-3” by Len Barry (#2); “Get Off of My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones (#3); “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass (#4); “Let’s Hang On” by the Four Seasons (#5); “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (#6); “A Lover’s Concerto” by the Toys (#7); “Ain’t That Peculiar” by Marvin Gaye (#8); “A Taste of Honey” by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#9); and “You’re the One” by the Vogues (#10).
The week’s big album releases included Beach Boys’ Party! by the Beach Boys and Four Tops’ Second Album by the Four Tops. But the number one selling album this week was The Sound of Music, which bounced the Beatles Help! off the top of the LP charts.
The problems of Salem and its residents came to television for the first time on November 8th, 1965, with the premiere of Days of Our Lives. The soap opera originally began as a half-hour show; it wouldn’t expand to an hour long until 1975.
Monday, November 02, 2015
The Passing of a Friend
I wasn't a close friend to Mark. Still, he was my friend, and he was a good man with a kind heart and a generous spirit, and he shouldn't be dead... but death doesn't pay much attention to shoulds and shouldn'ts.
Mark was a handyman, a repairman, and a contractor. And he was exceptional at what he did. So exceptional, in fact, that he did almost all of his work in our neighborhood, because so many people admired him and his work that they kept him as busy as he wanted to be. I first hired Mark about five years ago for a few little jobs; when we acquired our second house, we used him and his team for a number of repairs there.
In general, contractors will disappoint you... the questions are when and how. But not Mark. He did what he said--and if he couldn't do it, he said so up front, and pointed you to someone who could.
After the first few jobs, I quit asking Mark for an estimate, because I realized it was unnecessary. Mark's charges were always fair, and if he said the job needed to be done, then it needed to be done. He was absolutely trustworthy, and honorable to a degree unheard of among repairmen and contractors.
But I was glad to get to know Mark as more than a handyman and a contractor. He was in the neighborhood all the time, traveling from one job to another--and I walk a lot. Inevitably, our paths would cross--sometimes more than once a day, in fact. So we would talk. He would pull his Ford Explorer over to the side of the road, and we'd talk about all sorts of things. We talked about music and TV and books. Mark and I liked a lot of the same music, which led to numerous conversations. And sometimes we would just talk about nothing in particular.
Mark knew I had some health issues; so did he. You'd never know it from looking at him, though. But he and I had talked about them over the years, so I knew that he had problems with pains in his legs related to an auto accident a few years earlier. He had high blood pressure, and was trying to deal with it. Like me, he exercised a lot. We often talked about our exercise routines; his was much more demanding than mine, but his busy schedule made it impossible for him to exercise with the frequency that I did. He always wished that he could, he said. "Maybe next year."
Last week, Mark's days ran out. I don't know the details; they really don't matter, I guess. But it seems wrong that he's dead. He was always cognizant of his health, and he was trying to do what he could to improve it. He didn't live to excess, and he didn't take chances.
And he died. I saw him on Monday. Tuesday, I got the news that he had passed away a few hours after I saw him.
Mark was a good man. He deserved more than the 55 years that life gave him.
Mark was a handyman, a repairman, and a contractor. And he was exceptional at what he did. So exceptional, in fact, that he did almost all of his work in our neighborhood, because so many people admired him and his work that they kept him as busy as he wanted to be. I first hired Mark about five years ago for a few little jobs; when we acquired our second house, we used him and his team for a number of repairs there.
In general, contractors will disappoint you... the questions are when and how. But not Mark. He did what he said--and if he couldn't do it, he said so up front, and pointed you to someone who could.
After the first few jobs, I quit asking Mark for an estimate, because I realized it was unnecessary. Mark's charges were always fair, and if he said the job needed to be done, then it needed to be done. He was absolutely trustworthy, and honorable to a degree unheard of among repairmen and contractors.
But I was glad to get to know Mark as more than a handyman and a contractor. He was in the neighborhood all the time, traveling from one job to another--and I walk a lot. Inevitably, our paths would cross--sometimes more than once a day, in fact. So we would talk. He would pull his Ford Explorer over to the side of the road, and we'd talk about all sorts of things. We talked about music and TV and books. Mark and I liked a lot of the same music, which led to numerous conversations. And sometimes we would just talk about nothing in particular.
Mark knew I had some health issues; so did he. You'd never know it from looking at him, though. But he and I had talked about them over the years, so I knew that he had problems with pains in his legs related to an auto accident a few years earlier. He had high blood pressure, and was trying to deal with it. Like me, he exercised a lot. We often talked about our exercise routines; his was much more demanding than mine, but his busy schedule made it impossible for him to exercise with the frequency that I did. He always wished that he could, he said. "Maybe next year."
Last week, Mark's days ran out. I don't know the details; they really don't matter, I guess. But it seems wrong that he's dead. He was always cognizant of his health, and he was trying to do what he could to improve it. He didn't live to excess, and he didn't take chances.
And he died. I saw him on Monday. Tuesday, I got the news that he had passed away a few hours after I saw him.
Mark was a good man. He deserved more than the 55 years that life gave him.
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