West Rome ventured to Calhoun on Friday, October 1st, to take on the Jackets in a region game. Once again, Richard Camp had a great game, scoring one touchdown and two extra points. The real star player of the evening, however, was David Garrett, who scored three touchdowns. The end result was a 38-0 victory for West Rome, their second sub-region win. While the season started off with losses, those were not sub-region games, so West Rome's chances of advancing to a championship still remained strong.
And speaking of Richard Camp: he was chosen lineman of the week by the Rome News-Tribune in recognition of his outstanding performance in the West Rome-Lafayette game, in which he scored three touchdowns and five extra points.
Twelve new members were inducted into the West Rome Honor Society. The new inductees included Linda Camp, Carol Culp, Patty Dobbins, Elaine Freeman, David Garrett, Wanda Grantham, Jean Jackson, Dianne Massey, Joey McGee, Ann Peery, Dennis Souder, and Regina Swinford.
Senior magazine sales wrapped up this week in 1965; the top five salespeople were Rusty Oxford, Donita Womack, Regina Swinford, Ann Finley, and Ann Peery.
The junior class elected its officers, choosing Benny Padgett as president, Susan Sprayberry as vice-president, Dianne Massey as secretary, and Tommy Sapp as treasurer.
The new officers of the West Rome FHA included Carol Culp, president; Pat Hicks, vice-president; Dianne Chambers, secretary; Linda Hilley, treasurer; Linda Camp, chaplain; and Mary Ann White and Layne Lucas, projects chairs.
Ah, gender stereotyping! A half-century ago, the YMCA chose to offer a course called "The Feminine Mechanic," intended to teach ladies on "the mysteries of the auto," including such mysterious rituals as changing a tire, filling a gas tank, or checking the oil. The course was taught by Jack Hudson, district manager for Northwest Georgia Chevrolet. The course was open to any female with a driver's license, so it's possible that a few Chieftains signed up!
The YMCA also enlisted West Rome teacher Ronald Midkiff to offer a linguistics mini-course to inform parents on current educational techniques. "Linguistics emphasizes how words actually generate in the brain and form a complete sentence," Midkiff explained. "Previously, the older method of diagramming sentences placed the emphasis on each separate word, and no thought was given as to how words or sentences first originated." The course also offered an overview of phonetics, which was being taught in elementary schools.
Piggly Wiggly had five pounds of Domino Sugar for 37¢, Castleberry's chili for 33¢ a can, and chuck roast for 69¢ a pound. Big Apple had Diet-Rite or RC Cola for 29¢ a six-pack plus deposit, sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, and red grapes for 15¢ a pound. Kroger had whole chicken breasts for 45¢ a pound, sliced pineapple for 14¢ a can, and Star-Kist tuna for a quarter a can. A&P had smoked picnic ham for 38¢ a pound, Miracle Whip for 49¢ a jar, and sweet potatoes for a dime a pound. Couch's had ground beef for 33¢ a pound, lettuce for 15¢ a head, and Betty Crocker cake mix for 33¢ a box.
The cinematic week began with The Great Spy Mission (with Sophia Loren & George Peppard) at the DeSoto Theater and the Beatles' Help! at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought Marriage on the Rocks (with Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, & Dean Martin) to the DeSoto, while the First Avenue got a real oddity: The Legend of Blood Mountain (with Erin Fleming & Glenda Brunson). it's not the film that was the oddity, however: it was the fact that the film was show in the theater complete with bonus material starring Bestoink Dooley, the horror-host of WAGA-Channel 5's Big Movie Shocker every Friday Night. Dooley (played by Atlantan George Ellis) filmed his clever monologues and segues, which were inserted into the film at the appropriate places. So in effect, we were paying to go to the theater and watch a late-night horror TV program! Help! didn't go away entirely, however: it just moved from the First Avenue to the West Rome Drive-In, where it was part of a double feature with Ferry Cross the Mersey (starring Gerry & the Pacemakers).
Paul McCartney's acoustic ballad "Yesterday" took the Beatles back to the number one position on the charts this week in 1965. Other top ten hits included "Hang on Sloopy" by the McCoys (#2); "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head (#3); "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#4); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#5); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#6); "You've Got Your Troubles" by the Fortunes (#7); "Baby Don't Go" by Sonny & Cher (#8); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#9); and "Do You Believe in Magic?" by the Lovin' Spoonful (#10).
Meanwhile, British folk musician Donovan Leitch, best known simply as Donovan, made his American premiere on Shindig on Thursday night, performing his version of Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier." Donovan's folk music never caught on here in the US, but his move into pop with a psychedelic edge would eventually make him a superstar.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/20/1965 to 9/26/1965
Five games into the season, the Chieftains finally got a victory—and what a victory it was! West Rome trampled the Lafayette Ramblers 35-0 in a Friday night home game. "It was a real fine team effort, and I can't say enough about my boys after that performance," Coach Paul Kennedy said. "We fumbled a couple of times, but other than that the boys played a near perfect ball game. We knew that it was going to happen sooner or later... we'd been expecting it." The Chiefs scored four touchdowns in the first quarter, then scored their fifth TD in the fourth quarter. Richard Camp scored three of the touchdowns and kicked all five extra points, accounting for 23 of West Rome's 35 points.
The Coosa Valley Fair kicked off on Monday, September 20th, offering a mix of amusement park rides, arcade activities, contests, displays, and much more. In the 1960s, the fair was such a Big Thing that the school system dismissed students early on Tuesday of Fair Week so that they could enjoy Kids Day at the fair, taking advantage of the reduced prices. The West Rome Band performed at the fair in the special events arena on Tuesday afternoon at 6:30. By the time the fair was over, attendance had topped 100,000! In the days before Six Flags and other regional amusement parks, the fair was a major event.
Apparently the fair filled everyone's schedule, because there was nothing else going on in Rome this week. No school events (other than the football game), no big sales... apparently everyone was too busy on the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Ferris Wheel to do anything else!
Piggly Wiggly had Swift's Premium bacon for 59¢ a pound, Tokay grapes for 15¢ a pound, and Coke or Sprite or Tab for 99¢ a case (plus deposit). Big Apple had round steak for 69¢ a pound, Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and five pounds of Gold Medal flour for 49¢. Kroger and sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Kroger mayonnaise for 39¢ a quart, and a four-pound bag of red delicious apples for 33¢. A&P had fryer breasts for 49¢ a pound, Eight O'Clock Coffee for 69¢ a pound, and bananas for 15¢ a pound. Couch's had cabbage for a nickel a pound, JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, and eggs for 33¢ a dozen.
The cinematic week began with I Saw What You Did (with Joan Crawford) at the DeSoto Theater and Walt Disney's Cinderella at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The Great Spy Mission (with Sophia Loren & George Peppard) to the DeSoto, the Beatles' Help! to the First Avenue, and a weekend double feature of The Seventh Dawn (with William Holden & Susannah York) and Walt Disney's The Monkey's Uncle at the West Rome Drive-In.
The McCoys took number one this week in 1965 with "Hang on Sloopy." Other top ten hits included "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#2); "Yesterday" by the Beatles (#3); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#4); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#6); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head (#7); "You've Got Your Troubles" by the Fortunes (#8); "Baby Don't Go" by Sonny & Cher (#9); and "Laugh at Me" by Sonny (#10). And would you ever have thought that Sonny Bono would have two songs in the top ten the same week... and one of them would be a solo hit?
War comics weren't generally as popular as super-hero comics, but DC tried to bring a little action-hero attitude to their war line with the introduction of Lt. Steve Savage, the Balloon Buster, in All-American Men of War #112, on sale this week in 1965. Robert Kanigher & Russ Heath presented the story of a young United States Air Corpsman whose specialty was taking out German attack balloons in WWI.
The Coosa Valley Fair kicked off on Monday, September 20th, offering a mix of amusement park rides, arcade activities, contests, displays, and much more. In the 1960s, the fair was such a Big Thing that the school system dismissed students early on Tuesday of Fair Week so that they could enjoy Kids Day at the fair, taking advantage of the reduced prices. The West Rome Band performed at the fair in the special events arena on Tuesday afternoon at 6:30. By the time the fair was over, attendance had topped 100,000! In the days before Six Flags and other regional amusement parks, the fair was a major event.
Apparently the fair filled everyone's schedule, because there was nothing else going on in Rome this week. No school events (other than the football game), no big sales... apparently everyone was too busy on the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Ferris Wheel to do anything else!
Piggly Wiggly had Swift's Premium bacon for 59¢ a pound, Tokay grapes for 15¢ a pound, and Coke or Sprite or Tab for 99¢ a case (plus deposit). Big Apple had round steak for 69¢ a pound, Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and five pounds of Gold Medal flour for 49¢. Kroger and sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Kroger mayonnaise for 39¢ a quart, and a four-pound bag of red delicious apples for 33¢. A&P had fryer breasts for 49¢ a pound, Eight O'Clock Coffee for 69¢ a pound, and bananas for 15¢ a pound. Couch's had cabbage for a nickel a pound, JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, and eggs for 33¢ a dozen.
The cinematic week began with I Saw What You Did (with Joan Crawford) at the DeSoto Theater and Walt Disney's Cinderella at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought The Great Spy Mission (with Sophia Loren & George Peppard) to the DeSoto, the Beatles' Help! to the First Avenue, and a weekend double feature of The Seventh Dawn (with William Holden & Susannah York) and Walt Disney's The Monkey's Uncle at the West Rome Drive-In.
The McCoys took number one this week in 1965 with "Hang on Sloopy." Other top ten hits included "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#2); "Yesterday" by the Beatles (#3); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#4); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#6); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head (#7); "You've Got Your Troubles" by the Fortunes (#8); "Baby Don't Go" by Sonny & Cher (#9); and "Laugh at Me" by Sonny (#10). And would you ever have thought that Sonny Bono would have two songs in the top ten the same week... and one of them would be a solo hit?
War comics weren't generally as popular as super-hero comics, but DC tried to bring a little action-hero attitude to their war line with the introduction of Lt. Steve Savage, the Balloon Buster, in All-American Men of War #112, on sale this week in 1965. Robert Kanigher & Russ Heath presented the story of a young United States Air Corpsman whose specialty was taking out German attack balloons in WWI.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/13/1965 to 9/19/1965
After a summer of back-and-forth negotiations, the Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare finally signed off on Rome City Schools'
desegregation plans on September 15th. This marked the formal end of
segregation in Rome City Schools, although it would be another year
before all grades were desegregated.
Chieftain Charlene Lamb represented West Rome in the Miss Floyd Contest, slated to be held at the Coosa Valley Fair during the week of 9/20 through 9/25.
West Rome's football team continued to struggle as they suffered their third defeat in a row, falling to the McCallie Tornadoes of Chattanooga in a 21-6 game. West Rome's only touchdown was scored in the first quarter; from that point on, it was McCallie's game all the way.
Back in 1965, Romans could choose from two daily flights between Rome in Atlanta. Eastern Airlines added a flight leaving Rome at 1:29 each day, arriving in Atlanta at 2pm. Romans hoping to return could depart Atlanta at 6:15pm and arrive in Rome at 6:50 pm; the plane would then continue on to Chattanooga. Talk of turning Russell Field into a regional airport never materialized, though, so the talk of flights to Jacksonville, New Orleans, and Memphis never went any further than talk. Still, the idea that Rome had any commercial flights in the 1960s is still pretty surprising!
Would-be skateboarders could save money at Murphy's: the bargain department store had a 24" anodized aluminum skateboard for only $1.75, a 22" oak board with a lacquered surface for only $1.17, and a 23" anodized aluminum board for only 88¢. Today's skateboarders would undoubtedly laugh at the heavy, clunky-looking boards of 1965, but these store-bought boards were certainly better than the homemade boards (pieces of plywood with skate wheels on the bottom) that some of us used!
Now here's the special that no one I knew ever wanted: Kentucky Fried Chicken was running a special on their gizzard dinner—six fried gizzards, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a biscuit, for only 49¢. (That's about 50¢ more than I'd pay for chicken gizzards!)
Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 69¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Oreos for 45¢ a box. Big Apple had five pounds of Dixie Crystal sugar for 39¢, lamb shoulder roast for 49¢ a pound, and cabbage for 6¢ a pound. Kroger had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Maxwell House Coffee for 59¢ a pound, and a quart of Miracle Whip for 49¢. A&P had red grapes for 15¢ a pound, baking hens for 39¢ a pound, and Ann Page tomato rice soup for 13¢ a can. Couch's had stew beef for 29¢ a pound, sweet potatoes for 7¢ a pound, and Campbell's tomato soup for a dime a can.
The cinematic week began with Sergeant Deadhead (with Frankie Avalon) at the DeSoto and Island of the Blue Dolphins (with Celia Milius) at the First Avenue. With school back in session, the West Rome Drive-In returned to its weekends-only schedule. The midweek switch out brought I Saw What You Did (with Joan Crawford) to the DeSoto and Walt Disney's Cinderella to the First Avenue, while the West Rome Drive-In went wild over the weekend with Elvis Presley's Wild in the Country, along with Wild on the Beach (with Frankie Randall).
All three television networks began rolling out their new shows this week in 1965. The series that premiered in the fall of '65 included:
Monday, September 13th:
•A Man Called Shenandoah (ABC)
•The John Forsythe Show (NBC, Color)
•The Legend of Jesse James (ABC)
•Run for Your Life (NBC, Color)
•The Steve Lawrence Show (CBS)
Tuesday, September 14th
•F Troop (ABC)
•My Mother, The Car (NBC, Color)
•Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (NBC, Color)
Wednesday, September 15th
•The Big Valley (ABC, Color)
•Gidget (ABC, Color)
•Green Acres (CBS, Color)
•I Spy (NBC, Color)
•Lost in Space (CBS)
Thursday, September 16th
•The CBS Thursday Night Movies (CBS, Mostly Color)
•The Dean Martin Show (NBC, Color)
•Laredo (NBC,, Color)
•The Long, Hot Summer (ABC)
•Mona McCluskey (NBC, Color)
•O.K. Crackerby! (ABC, Color)
Friday, September 17th
•Camp Runamuck (NBC, Color)
•Convoy (NBC)
•Hank (NBC, Color)
•Hogan’s Heroes (CBS, Color)
•Honey West (ABC)
•Mr. Roberts (NBC, Color)
•The Smothers Brothers Show (CBS)
•Tammy (ABC, Color)
•The Wild, Wild West (CBS)
Saturday, September 18th
•Get Smart! (NBC Color)
•I Dream of Jeannie (NBC)
•The Loner (CBS)
•Trials of O’Brien (CBS)
Sunday, September 19th
•The FBI (ABC, Color)
•The Wackiest Ship in the Army (NBC, Color)
Several interesting observations: first, it's surprising how many new shows were still offered only in black and white, even though the networks were majority color broadcast at this time. Secondly, it's interesting to see how many syndicated-show mainstays of the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s (Green Acres, Get Smart!, I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan's Heroes, The Wild Wild West, F Troop, I Spy, Lost in Space) premiered this week fifty years ago; and third, it's informative to see that the networks have pretty much always had more misses than hits (look at that list of shows—how many of them do you not remember at all, or how many of them lasted only one season?).
And finally, I still remember getting the special Fall Preview issue of TV Guide in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday before the new week began, and going through the listing and schedules, marking shows I wanted to watch in pencil to make sure that I didn't miss them. Since we had no DVRs or VCRs or any other means of saving or time-delaying programming in 1965, advance planning was crucial. That's the main reason I don't recognize so many of these shows, I'm sure: they were up against shows that I considered must-see, so my channel selections were pre-determined!
Barry McGuire's apocalyptic "Eve of Destruction" rocketed to the number one slot this week in 1965. Other top ten hits included "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys (#2); "You Were on My Mind" by We Five (#3); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#4); "Help!" by the Beatles (#5); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#7); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#8); "Heart Full of Soul" by the Yardbirds (#9); and "Laugh at Me" by Sonny (#10--Sonny Bono's only top ten solo hit).
The week's big album release was Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul by... well, the name says it all, doesn't it?
Chieftain Charlene Lamb represented West Rome in the Miss Floyd Contest, slated to be held at the Coosa Valley Fair during the week of 9/20 through 9/25.
West Rome's football team continued to struggle as they suffered their third defeat in a row, falling to the McCallie Tornadoes of Chattanooga in a 21-6 game. West Rome's only touchdown was scored in the first quarter; from that point on, it was McCallie's game all the way.
Back in 1965, Romans could choose from two daily flights between Rome in Atlanta. Eastern Airlines added a flight leaving Rome at 1:29 each day, arriving in Atlanta at 2pm. Romans hoping to return could depart Atlanta at 6:15pm and arrive in Rome at 6:50 pm; the plane would then continue on to Chattanooga. Talk of turning Russell Field into a regional airport never materialized, though, so the talk of flights to Jacksonville, New Orleans, and Memphis never went any further than talk. Still, the idea that Rome had any commercial flights in the 1960s is still pretty surprising!
Would-be skateboarders could save money at Murphy's: the bargain department store had a 24" anodized aluminum skateboard for only $1.75, a 22" oak board with a lacquered surface for only $1.17, and a 23" anodized aluminum board for only 88¢. Today's skateboarders would undoubtedly laugh at the heavy, clunky-looking boards of 1965, but these store-bought boards were certainly better than the homemade boards (pieces of plywood with skate wheels on the bottom) that some of us used!
Now here's the special that no one I knew ever wanted: Kentucky Fried Chicken was running a special on their gizzard dinner—six fried gizzards, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a biscuit, for only 49¢. (That's about 50¢ more than I'd pay for chicken gizzards!)
Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 69¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Oreos for 45¢ a box. Big Apple had five pounds of Dixie Crystal sugar for 39¢, lamb shoulder roast for 49¢ a pound, and cabbage for 6¢ a pound. Kroger had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Maxwell House Coffee for 59¢ a pound, and a quart of Miracle Whip for 49¢. A&P had red grapes for 15¢ a pound, baking hens for 39¢ a pound, and Ann Page tomato rice soup for 13¢ a can. Couch's had stew beef for 29¢ a pound, sweet potatoes for 7¢ a pound, and Campbell's tomato soup for a dime a can.
The cinematic week began with Sergeant Deadhead (with Frankie Avalon) at the DeSoto and Island of the Blue Dolphins (with Celia Milius) at the First Avenue. With school back in session, the West Rome Drive-In returned to its weekends-only schedule. The midweek switch out brought I Saw What You Did (with Joan Crawford) to the DeSoto and Walt Disney's Cinderella to the First Avenue, while the West Rome Drive-In went wild over the weekend with Elvis Presley's Wild in the Country, along with Wild on the Beach (with Frankie Randall).
All three television networks began rolling out their new shows this week in 1965. The series that premiered in the fall of '65 included:
Monday, September 13th:
•A Man Called Shenandoah (ABC)
•The John Forsythe Show (NBC, Color)
•The Legend of Jesse James (ABC)
•Run for Your Life (NBC, Color)
•The Steve Lawrence Show (CBS)
Tuesday, September 14th
•F Troop (ABC)
•My Mother, The Car (NBC, Color)
•Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (NBC, Color)
Wednesday, September 15th
•The Big Valley (ABC, Color)
•Gidget (ABC, Color)
•Green Acres (CBS, Color)
•I Spy (NBC, Color)
•Lost in Space (CBS)
Thursday, September 16th
•The CBS Thursday Night Movies (CBS, Mostly Color)
•The Dean Martin Show (NBC, Color)
•Laredo (NBC,, Color)
•The Long, Hot Summer (ABC)
•Mona McCluskey (NBC, Color)
•O.K. Crackerby! (ABC, Color)
Friday, September 17th
•Camp Runamuck (NBC, Color)
•Convoy (NBC)
•Hank (NBC, Color)
•Hogan’s Heroes (CBS, Color)
•Honey West (ABC)
•Mr. Roberts (NBC, Color)
•The Smothers Brothers Show (CBS)
•Tammy (ABC, Color)
•The Wild, Wild West (CBS)
Saturday, September 18th
•Get Smart! (NBC Color)
•I Dream of Jeannie (NBC)
•The Loner (CBS)
•Trials of O’Brien (CBS)
Sunday, September 19th
•The FBI (ABC, Color)
•The Wackiest Ship in the Army (NBC, Color)
Several interesting observations: first, it's surprising how many new shows were still offered only in black and white, even though the networks were majority color broadcast at this time. Secondly, it's interesting to see how many syndicated-show mainstays of the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s (Green Acres, Get Smart!, I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan's Heroes, The Wild Wild West, F Troop, I Spy, Lost in Space) premiered this week fifty years ago; and third, it's informative to see that the networks have pretty much always had more misses than hits (look at that list of shows—how many of them do you not remember at all, or how many of them lasted only one season?).
And finally, I still remember getting the special Fall Preview issue of TV Guide in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday before the new week began, and going through the listing and schedules, marking shows I wanted to watch in pencil to make sure that I didn't miss them. Since we had no DVRs or VCRs or any other means of saving or time-delaying programming in 1965, advance planning was crucial. That's the main reason I don't recognize so many of these shows, I'm sure: they were up against shows that I considered must-see, so my channel selections were pre-determined!
Barry McGuire's apocalyptic "Eve of Destruction" rocketed to the number one slot this week in 1965. Other top ten hits included "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys (#2); "You Were on My Mind" by We Five (#3); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#4); "Help!" by the Beatles (#5); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#7); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#8); "Heart Full of Soul" by the Yardbirds (#9); and "Laugh at Me" by Sonny (#10--Sonny Bono's only top ten solo hit).
The week's big album release was Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul by... well, the name says it all, doesn't it?
Friday, September 04, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/6/1965 to 9/12/1965
West Rome began the school year without an industrial arts building, but the folks in charge of Rome City Schools construction were doing everything they could to get the building open in September. Building construction wrapped up this week in 1965, but Superintendent M.S. McDonald said that it would take a week or two to move the industrial arts equipment into the new shop and get it set up.
The Rome City School system also announced the development of a kindergarten program for students who were gauged to be unprepared to enter the first grade. Plans called for the program to be developed during the 1965-1966 school year and actually launched in the 1966-1967 school year. The kindergarten program was not for all students; instead, it was only for those who were not ready to go into the first grade. The program would be coordinated with Operation Head Start, but it would not be free to participating parents; instead, they would have to bear some of the cost of kindergarten for their children unless their incomes were so low that they qualified for local assistance.
West Rome's first home game of the season pitted the Chiefs against the Chattooga Indians—but the home advantage apparently wasn't enough, as Chattooga won 13-12.
As the Coosa Valley Fair opening day neared, fair officials announced a major improvement: pavement! In years past, the fairgrounds were packed dirt with straw and/or gravel in some of the more heavily travelled areas, and CVF president Dean Morgan said that they had dealt with many complaints over the years regarding the dust and (when it rained) mud. To alleviate the problem, fair officials paved the paths near the concession booths, the exhibits building, the offices, and many of the rides. (I guess we take things like paved walkways for granted; I had forgotten that the fairground were unpaved dirt during much of my childhood! I guess I was too busy looking at the Tilt-A-Whirl and other rides to notice the ground I was walking on.)
And speaking of the fair, officials also announced an actual Mercury spacecraft would be on display at the fair. The hatch would be removed and the opening enlarged slightly to make it easier for Romans to get into the capsule and experience first-hand the not-so-luxurious accommodations that John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and others enjoyed as they orbited the Earth.
McDonald's rolled out its new McDouble Cheeseburger this week in 1965. For only 38¢, you could get the burger by itself—or for 69¢, you could get it with an order of fries and a shake.
Nowadays, gyms and exercise facilities are ubiquitous, but they were far less common in 1965, which is why it was such big news that Rome Health Studios was opening a facility at 623 Shorter Avenue. For only $7 a month, members could use their exercise equipment, steam baths, and sun lamps.
Color television prices began to drop a bit in 1965 as stronger sales led to higher volume. Sears was offering a 21" Silvertone tabletop unit for only $326, while a 21" color console TV in a maple cabinet could be had for only $396. Rome Radio & TV had a 23" GE color television for only $399 or a 21" RCA for only $349; those with bigger budgets could spring for a "giant-sized 25" RCA color console TV with Mediterranean styling for only $750. With a new television season set to begin in a couple of weeks, viewers were undoubtedly looking into color televisions, since more than 80% of the networks' offerings would be in full color. (Yes, there were still a few shows produced in black and white in 1965!)
Piggly Wiggly had Fig Newtons for 33¢ a box, Maxwell House Instant Coffee for 79¢ a jar, and white grapes for 15¢ a pound. Kroger had rib roast for 79¢ a pound, honeydew melons for 45¢ each, and a five-pound bag of Colonial sugar for 39¢. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Bailey's Supreme Coffee for 59¢ a pound, and Showboat pork & beans for a dime a can. A&P had cubed steak for 89¢ a pound, Bartlett pears for 25¢ a pound, and a one-pound bag of Jane Parker potato chips for 49¢. Couch's had smoked cured picnic hams for 35¢ a pound, white corn for a nickel an ear, and Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart.
The cinematic week began with The Sons of Katie Elder (with John Wayne & Dean Martin) at the DeSoto, Lord Jim (with Peter O'Toole) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Mister Hobbs (with Robert Mitchum & Carroll Baker) and The Satan Bug (with George Maharis, Richard Basehart, & Anne Francis) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Sergeant Deadhead (with Frankie Avalon) to the DeSoto, Genghis Khan (with Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, & James Mason) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of Red River (with John Wayne) and The Glory Guys (with Tom Tryon & Senta Berger) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles held on to the number one slot for a third week with "Help!" Other top ten hits included "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#2); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#3); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#4); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#6); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys (#7); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#8); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#9); and "Heart Full of Soul" by the Yardbirds (#10).
One of the best Spider-Man two-part stories in history began this week with the release of Amazing Spider-Man #31. The story, "If This Be My Destiny," kicked off the two part Master Planner/Doctor Octopus story arc that features one of Spidey's most iconic scenes as he struggles to free himself from beneath tons of destroyed machinery.
The Rome City School system also announced the development of a kindergarten program for students who were gauged to be unprepared to enter the first grade. Plans called for the program to be developed during the 1965-1966 school year and actually launched in the 1966-1967 school year. The kindergarten program was not for all students; instead, it was only for those who were not ready to go into the first grade. The program would be coordinated with Operation Head Start, but it would not be free to participating parents; instead, they would have to bear some of the cost of kindergarten for their children unless their incomes were so low that they qualified for local assistance.
West Rome's first home game of the season pitted the Chiefs against the Chattooga Indians—but the home advantage apparently wasn't enough, as Chattooga won 13-12.
As the Coosa Valley Fair opening day neared, fair officials announced a major improvement: pavement! In years past, the fairgrounds were packed dirt with straw and/or gravel in some of the more heavily travelled areas, and CVF president Dean Morgan said that they had dealt with many complaints over the years regarding the dust and (when it rained) mud. To alleviate the problem, fair officials paved the paths near the concession booths, the exhibits building, the offices, and many of the rides. (I guess we take things like paved walkways for granted; I had forgotten that the fairground were unpaved dirt during much of my childhood! I guess I was too busy looking at the Tilt-A-Whirl and other rides to notice the ground I was walking on.)
And speaking of the fair, officials also announced an actual Mercury spacecraft would be on display at the fair. The hatch would be removed and the opening enlarged slightly to make it easier for Romans to get into the capsule and experience first-hand the not-so-luxurious accommodations that John Glenn, Wally Schirra, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, and others enjoyed as they orbited the Earth.
McDonald's rolled out its new McDouble Cheeseburger this week in 1965. For only 38¢, you could get the burger by itself—or for 69¢, you could get it with an order of fries and a shake.
Nowadays, gyms and exercise facilities are ubiquitous, but they were far less common in 1965, which is why it was such big news that Rome Health Studios was opening a facility at 623 Shorter Avenue. For only $7 a month, members could use their exercise equipment, steam baths, and sun lamps.
Color television prices began to drop a bit in 1965 as stronger sales led to higher volume. Sears was offering a 21" Silvertone tabletop unit for only $326, while a 21" color console TV in a maple cabinet could be had for only $396. Rome Radio & TV had a 23" GE color television for only $399 or a 21" RCA for only $349; those with bigger budgets could spring for a "giant-sized 25" RCA color console TV with Mediterranean styling for only $750. With a new television season set to begin in a couple of weeks, viewers were undoubtedly looking into color televisions, since more than 80% of the networks' offerings would be in full color. (Yes, there were still a few shows produced in black and white in 1965!)
Piggly Wiggly had Fig Newtons for 33¢ a box, Maxwell House Instant Coffee for 79¢ a jar, and white grapes for 15¢ a pound. Kroger had rib roast for 79¢ a pound, honeydew melons for 45¢ each, and a five-pound bag of Colonial sugar for 39¢. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Bailey's Supreme Coffee for 59¢ a pound, and Showboat pork & beans for a dime a can. A&P had cubed steak for 89¢ a pound, Bartlett pears for 25¢ a pound, and a one-pound bag of Jane Parker potato chips for 49¢. Couch's had smoked cured picnic hams for 35¢ a pound, white corn for a nickel an ear, and Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart.
The cinematic week began with The Sons of Katie Elder (with John Wayne & Dean Martin) at the DeSoto, Lord Jim (with Peter O'Toole) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Mister Hobbs (with Robert Mitchum & Carroll Baker) and The Satan Bug (with George Maharis, Richard Basehart, & Anne Francis) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Sergeant Deadhead (with Frankie Avalon) to the DeSoto, Genghis Khan (with Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, & James Mason) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of Red River (with John Wayne) and The Glory Guys (with Tom Tryon & Senta Berger) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles held on to the number one slot for a third week with "Help!" Other top ten hits included "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#2); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#3); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#4); "Catch Us If You Can" by the Dave Clark Five (#6); "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#6); "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys (#7); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#8); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#9); and "Heart Full of Soul" by the Yardbirds (#10).
One of the best Spider-Man two-part stories in history began this week with the release of Amazing Spider-Man #31. The story, "If This Be My Destiny," kicked off the two part Master Planner/Doctor Octopus story arc that features one of Spidey's most iconic scenes as he struggles to free himself from beneath tons of destroyed machinery.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/30/1965 to 9/5/1965
The school year started without a hitch on Monday, August 30th, and there were no problems with the first day of integrated schools. A total of 59 black students enrolled in Rome City Schools, including seven at West Rome High and two at Elm Street Elementary. Superintendent M.S. McDonald said that late enrollment was continuing throughout the week, and it was likely that more students would be integrated into city schools as the week progressed. Rome's total enrollment at all schools was approximately 7500 students, an increase of more than 200 students over the previous school year.
Chieftain Benny Padgett was named the Rome News-Tribune's Lineman of the Week for his outstanding performance in the season opener against Coosa. Padgett was credited with 11 individual tackles and recovered a key fumble to stop Coosa from scoring.
This week's football game pitted the Chieftains against the Dalton Catamounts. West Rome Coach Paul Kennedy downplayed West Rome's chances, saying that "Dalton will undoubtedly win the region championship again this year," while Dalton Coach Bill Chappel said that "West Rome was the most likely contender to win the title." This is one time when we wish the other team's coach had been correct: unfortunately, West Rome lost to the Catamounts 21-0.
Nowadays we're accustomed to see blue lights on police cars, but red flashing lights were the norm until this week in 1965. This is the week that Floyd County began switching over to blue flashing lights to distinguish police cars from ambulances and other emergency vehicles. The Rome City Police Department confirmed plans to switch to blue lights as well, but they weren't sure when the transition would occur.
The Coosa Valley Fair began their pre-fair publicity push this week in 1965 with the announcement that a new Sky-Liner ride would join the list of Coosa Valley Fair attractions this year. The Sky-Liner was really nothing more than a chair life that ran on a five-hundred-foot-long steel cable above the fairgrounds.
The numbers were finally tallied, and it turned out the retail sales in Rome and Floyd County jumped more than $2 million in the second quarter of 1965 compared to the same quarter in 1964. Total retail sales were more than $32,697,000, putting Rome and Floyd County near the top of Georgia's retail growth curve.
We talk about Christmas season kicking off too early nowadays, but apparently the problem has existed for quite a while: The Discount House at 7 North Division Street in West Rome announced that Santa would be at the store on Labor Day, and parents could have their kids' photos taken with Santa. They were also kicking off a major toy sale over the weekend leading up to Labor Day.
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, baking potatoes for 6¢ a pound, and Snax brand potato chips for 39¢ a bag. Kroger had Wilson's four-pound canned hams for $2.99, fresh eggs for 37¢ a dozen, and Country Club ice cream for 45¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp's potted meat for 16¢ a can, and a carton of Pepsi-Cola for 29¢ plus deposit. A&P had hen turkeys for 39¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee ravioli for 39¢ a can. Couch's had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, Showboat pork & beans for 19¢ a can, and Double Cola for 69¢ a case plus deposit,.
The cinematic week began with A Very Special Favor (with Rock Hudson & Leslie Caron) at the DeSoto Theater; H. Rider Haggard's She (with Ursula Andress) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Thrill of It All (with Doris Day & James Garner) and Art of Love (with Dick Van Dyke & Elke Sommer) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Sons of Katie Elder (with John Wayne & Dean Martin) to the DeSoto; Lord Jim (with Peter O'Toole) to the First Avenue; and Shenandoah (with James Stewart) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles held on to first place in the Billboard charts with "Help." Other top ten hits included "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#2); "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#3); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#4); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#5); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#6); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#7); "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#8); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#9); and "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#10).
The Beatles also reclaimed the number one album slot with Help! this week in 1965. knocking the Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads off its three-week stint in first place. (The Stones, in turn, had knocked off the prior Beatles album, Beatles VI, which held the number one slot for six weeks.)
Superhero fans had a new comic book choice this week in 1965: THUNDER Agents #1, the premiere offering from Tower comics. A striking Wally Wood cover graced the first issue of this 64-page 25¢ comic that introduce Dynamo, No-Man, and Menthor to the comic-book-reading world.
Chieftain Benny Padgett was named the Rome News-Tribune's Lineman of the Week for his outstanding performance in the season opener against Coosa. Padgett was credited with 11 individual tackles and recovered a key fumble to stop Coosa from scoring.
This week's football game pitted the Chieftains against the Dalton Catamounts. West Rome Coach Paul Kennedy downplayed West Rome's chances, saying that "Dalton will undoubtedly win the region championship again this year," while Dalton Coach Bill Chappel said that "West Rome was the most likely contender to win the title." This is one time when we wish the other team's coach had been correct: unfortunately, West Rome lost to the Catamounts 21-0.
Nowadays we're accustomed to see blue lights on police cars, but red flashing lights were the norm until this week in 1965. This is the week that Floyd County began switching over to blue flashing lights to distinguish police cars from ambulances and other emergency vehicles. The Rome City Police Department confirmed plans to switch to blue lights as well, but they weren't sure when the transition would occur.
The Coosa Valley Fair began their pre-fair publicity push this week in 1965 with the announcement that a new Sky-Liner ride would join the list of Coosa Valley Fair attractions this year. The Sky-Liner was really nothing more than a chair life that ran on a five-hundred-foot-long steel cable above the fairgrounds.
The numbers were finally tallied, and it turned out the retail sales in Rome and Floyd County jumped more than $2 million in the second quarter of 1965 compared to the same quarter in 1964. Total retail sales were more than $32,697,000, putting Rome and Floyd County near the top of Georgia's retail growth curve.
We talk about Christmas season kicking off too early nowadays, but apparently the problem has existed for quite a while: The Discount House at 7 North Division Street in West Rome announced that Santa would be at the store on Labor Day, and parents could have their kids' photos taken with Santa. They were also kicking off a major toy sale over the weekend leading up to Labor Day.
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, baking potatoes for 6¢ a pound, and Snax brand potato chips for 39¢ a bag. Kroger had Wilson's four-pound canned hams for $2.99, fresh eggs for 37¢ a dozen, and Country Club ice cream for 45¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp's potted meat for 16¢ a can, and a carton of Pepsi-Cola for 29¢ plus deposit. A&P had hen turkeys for 39¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee ravioli for 39¢ a can. Couch's had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, Showboat pork & beans for 19¢ a can, and Double Cola for 69¢ a case plus deposit,.
The cinematic week began with A Very Special Favor (with Rock Hudson & Leslie Caron) at the DeSoto Theater; H. Rider Haggard's She (with Ursula Andress) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Thrill of It All (with Doris Day & James Garner) and Art of Love (with Dick Van Dyke & Elke Sommer) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Sons of Katie Elder (with John Wayne & Dean Martin) to the DeSoto; Lord Jim (with Peter O'Toole) to the First Avenue; and Shenandoah (with James Stewart) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles held on to first place in the Billboard charts with "Help." Other top ten hits included "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#2); "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#3); "You Were On My Mind" by We Five (#4); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#5); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#6); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#7); "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#8); "It Ain't Me Babe" by the Turtles (#9); and "The 'In' Crowd" by the Ramsey Lewis Trio (#10).
The Beatles also reclaimed the number one album slot with Help! this week in 1965. knocking the Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads off its three-week stint in first place. (The Stones, in turn, had knocked off the prior Beatles album, Beatles VI, which held the number one slot for six weeks.)
Superhero fans had a new comic book choice this week in 1965: THUNDER Agents #1, the premiere offering from Tower comics. A striking Wally Wood cover graced the first issue of this 64-page 25¢ comic that introduce Dynamo, No-Man, and Menthor to the comic-book-reading world.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/23/1965 to 8/29/1965
The West Rome Marching Band was having to deal with extreme heat and high humidity during its band practices, leading the Rome News-Tribune to speculate that band practice might actually be tougher than football drills in terms of the toll it took on the participating students. The article went on to explain that Rome never had a marching band prior to the fall of 1938, when Rome High band director AW Derrick organized Rome's first marching band for the 1938 football season. Band director Clyde Roberson said that the band began marching practice on August 16th; prior to that date, they had played inside for two weeks. All 110 members of the band were on the field from 9am until noon every weekday. The good news? They weren't practicing in full uniforms—because the new uniforms that had been ordered for the 1965 football season hadn't come in yet (they weren't due to arrive until mid-September).
Registration took place without incident on August 26th, marking the end to summer vacation. The only glitch that occurred was caused by unexpectedly high freshman and sophomore registrants; West Rome had more than two dozen new Chieftains show up, pushing registration times back slightly as the counselors scrambled to find classes for the new arrivals. Students had August 27th off to buy school supplies and otherwise prepare for the start of the school year bright and early on Monday, August 30th.
School wasn't even scheduled to start until August 30th, but West Rome had their first football game of the season on August 27th, taking on Coosa at Barron Stadium. The game ended with a rare 0-0 standoff, as both teams' outstanding defense stopped their opponents from scoring (even though West Rome came close when Richard Camp's 29-yard field goal attempt with 36 seconds left in the game was partially blocked by a Coosa defender).
The Chieftain cheerleaders made page three of the Rome News-Tribune, with a photo showing Janet Amspoker, Cheryl Lanier, Elaine Freeman, Sylvia Brumbelow, Susan Sprayberry, Susan Wade, Charline Lamb, Debbie Shannon, and Dixie Moore showing off their school spirit as they prepared for the first game of the year.
The federal government just couldn't make up their bureaucratic minds regarding Rome and Floyd County's desegregation plans... but in this case, the change came about because they hadn't been careful enough in scrutinizing the county's earlier plan. After telling the two school systems that their plans were approved a week earlier, the government changed their minds and said that the plans were not "fully accepted" after all. The federal government mandated a change whereby any black students living outside of the city limits (but within Floyd County) could attend a Rome City School during the 1965-1966 school year without paying any out-of-system tuition; instead, Floyd County would reimburse the city for the proportionate costs of those students. The reason for this change? The federal government had overlooked the fact that Floyd County had never had any school facilities for black students (except for one small school in Cave Spring); instead, they had always transported those students to Rome's schools. The federal plan approved a week earlier had specified that those students would now attend county schools—but there were insufficient county classrooms for those students. This change allowed the county one year to prepare extra classroom facilities for these students in the next school year. (It's hard to believe that, until 1966-1967, the county offered absolutely no educational opportunities for black students in any of its schools, but that's the case: they contracted with Rome City Schools instead. It's hard to imagine how much time those students had to spend on school buses getting back and forth to school every day.)
Rome received bad news regarding I-75: representatives of Bartow County's government and Chamber of Commerce asked the US Bureau of Roads to choose the eastern path for I-75 (that's the path that was ultimately built, lying to the east of US 41). Rome had pushed for a western path instead, taking the interstate to the west of 41, where it would intersect with US 411 between Rome and Cartersville.
Piggly Wiggly had turkeys for 43¢ a pound, Fox frozen pizza for 79¢, and red delicious apples for 12¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, Diet-Rite cola for 19¢ a carton (plus deposit), and Sealtest ice milk for 35¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had prime rib roast for 79¢ a pound, Round the Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and the ever-popular Van Camp vienna sausages for 20¢ a can. A&P had Cap'n John's perch fillets for 39¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 29¢ each, and Poss's Brunswick Stew for 49¢. Couch's had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, JFG mayonnaise for 25¢ a pint, and fresh okra for 15¢ a pound.
The cinematic weekend began with Shenandoah (with James Stewart) at the DeSoto, Ensign Pulver (with Robert Walker & Burl Ives) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Joy House (with Jane Fonda) and The Yellow Rolls Royce (with Rex Harrison) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought A Very Special Favor (with Rock Hudson & Leslie Caron) to the DeSoto, H. Rider Haggard's She (with Ursula Andress as She Who Must Be Obeyed) to the First Avenue, and Von Ryan's Express (with Frank Sinatra) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles returned to the top slot this week in 1967 with "Help." Other top ten hits included "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#2); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#3); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#4); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#5); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#6); "You Were on My Mind" by We Five (#7); "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#8); "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#9); and "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Mel Carter (#10).
Those of us who read comics had no idea how important Green Lantern #40 would become insofar as DC Comics history was concerned: this is the issue that introduced the villainous Krona, whose actions gave birth to the DC Multiverse. Of course, the multiverse would become a vital part of DC continuity in years to come, elevating Krona to a position of prominence that creators John Broome, Gil Kane, and Sid Greene most likely never envisioned.
Registration took place without incident on August 26th, marking the end to summer vacation. The only glitch that occurred was caused by unexpectedly high freshman and sophomore registrants; West Rome had more than two dozen new Chieftains show up, pushing registration times back slightly as the counselors scrambled to find classes for the new arrivals. Students had August 27th off to buy school supplies and otherwise prepare for the start of the school year bright and early on Monday, August 30th.
School wasn't even scheduled to start until August 30th, but West Rome had their first football game of the season on August 27th, taking on Coosa at Barron Stadium. The game ended with a rare 0-0 standoff, as both teams' outstanding defense stopped their opponents from scoring (even though West Rome came close when Richard Camp's 29-yard field goal attempt with 36 seconds left in the game was partially blocked by a Coosa defender).
The Chieftain cheerleaders made page three of the Rome News-Tribune, with a photo showing Janet Amspoker, Cheryl Lanier, Elaine Freeman, Sylvia Brumbelow, Susan Sprayberry, Susan Wade, Charline Lamb, Debbie Shannon, and Dixie Moore showing off their school spirit as they prepared for the first game of the year.
The federal government just couldn't make up their bureaucratic minds regarding Rome and Floyd County's desegregation plans... but in this case, the change came about because they hadn't been careful enough in scrutinizing the county's earlier plan. After telling the two school systems that their plans were approved a week earlier, the government changed their minds and said that the plans were not "fully accepted" after all. The federal government mandated a change whereby any black students living outside of the city limits (but within Floyd County) could attend a Rome City School during the 1965-1966 school year without paying any out-of-system tuition; instead, Floyd County would reimburse the city for the proportionate costs of those students. The reason for this change? The federal government had overlooked the fact that Floyd County had never had any school facilities for black students (except for one small school in Cave Spring); instead, they had always transported those students to Rome's schools. The federal plan approved a week earlier had specified that those students would now attend county schools—but there were insufficient county classrooms for those students. This change allowed the county one year to prepare extra classroom facilities for these students in the next school year. (It's hard to believe that, until 1966-1967, the county offered absolutely no educational opportunities for black students in any of its schools, but that's the case: they contracted with Rome City Schools instead. It's hard to imagine how much time those students had to spend on school buses getting back and forth to school every day.)
Rome received bad news regarding I-75: representatives of Bartow County's government and Chamber of Commerce asked the US Bureau of Roads to choose the eastern path for I-75 (that's the path that was ultimately built, lying to the east of US 41). Rome had pushed for a western path instead, taking the interstate to the west of 41, where it would intersect with US 411 between Rome and Cartersville.
Piggly Wiggly had turkeys for 43¢ a pound, Fox frozen pizza for 79¢, and red delicious apples for 12¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, Diet-Rite cola for 19¢ a carton (plus deposit), and Sealtest ice milk for 35¢ a half-gallon. Big Apple had prime rib roast for 79¢ a pound, Round the Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and the ever-popular Van Camp vienna sausages for 20¢ a can. A&P had Cap'n John's perch fillets for 39¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 29¢ each, and Poss's Brunswick Stew for 49¢. Couch's had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, JFG mayonnaise for 25¢ a pint, and fresh okra for 15¢ a pound.
The cinematic weekend began with Shenandoah (with James Stewart) at the DeSoto, Ensign Pulver (with Robert Walker & Burl Ives) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of Joy House (with Jane Fonda) and The Yellow Rolls Royce (with Rex Harrison) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought A Very Special Favor (with Rock Hudson & Leslie Caron) to the DeSoto, H. Rider Haggard's She (with Ursula Andress as She Who Must Be Obeyed) to the First Avenue, and Von Ryan's Express (with Frank Sinatra) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles returned to the top slot this week in 1967 with "Help." Other top ten hits included "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#2); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#3); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#4); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#5); "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#6); "You Were on My Mind" by We Five (#7); "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#8); "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire (#9); and "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Mel Carter (#10).
Those of us who read comics had no idea how important Green Lantern #40 would become insofar as DC Comics history was concerned: this is the issue that introduced the villainous Krona, whose actions gave birth to the DC Multiverse. Of course, the multiverse would become a vital part of DC continuity in years to come, elevating Krona to a position of prominence that creators John Broome, Gil Kane, and Sid Greene most likely never envisioned.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/16/1965 to 8/22/1965
Rome City Schools publicized their final desegregation plans this week in 1965. Under the revised plans (which had been approved by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare), grades 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, & 12 were slated to be desegregated during the 1965-1966 school year, with all grades to be desegregated during the 1966-1967 school year. Students who wished to attend schools outside of their local area would be offered free transportation to their school of choice. Not only were students to be desegregated, but so were faculties, with teachers to be considered for their preferred schools based entirely on seniority.
Coach Paul Kennedy was probably dealing with some sleepless nights in August of 1965: not only did star halfback Richard Camp suffer a head injury that made it doubtful that he would play in the season opener against Coosa on August 30th, but sixteen of his players were stricken with a severe stomach virus. As a result, the Chieftains had so few healthy players that there weren't enough for a full scrimmage, so Coach Kennedy had to bring the team home early from their two-a-day practices at Lookout Mountain Camp for Boys. "I'm just hoping we have enough healthy players to take on Coosa," Coach Kennedy said. "Coosa has everything to gain by beating us, and I hope our players realize that."
Coach Kennedy said that West Rome would still attempt to field their twilight scrimmage during Parents' Night at West Rome High School on Monday, August 23rd. Even if the scrimmage had to be cancelled due to illness, Coach Kennedy said that he would still offer parents of varsity players a tour of the gymnasium and dressing rooms, along with a display of the football uniforms and protective padding and a discussion of the rules.
Rome's economy continued to shine, with retail sales soaring, paychecks increasing, and unemployment plummeting. Retail sales in Rome and Floyd County rose to $28,338,000 in the first quarter of 1965 (in the pre-computer days, it took several months to compile quarterly data), an increase of more than $1.25 million over the same quarter a year earlier. Building permits showed that new construction had increased by more than $1 million over the same period a year earlier, while unemployment fell to 3.9%. Banks said that deposit had increased more than 7% over the same period a year earlier. "Business seems to look good, sales seem to be flourishing, and plants seem to be operating at capacity," Rome Bank & Trust President J.B. Dodd said. "All in all, I would say things look good for Rome!"
Rome was in a mid-August heat wave in 1965, with temperatures hitting the mid-90s for most of the week. Juanita Lester of the US Weather Bureau at Russell Field reminded people that this was normal for the region, however, and that we were not setting records, even though the 96 degree reading recorded on August 16th was Rome's hottest day of 1965 thus far.
Kids were starting to think about school: registration was finalized for August 26th for Rome City Schools, with elementary school students registering between 9am and noon, junior high and freshmen at 9am, sophomores at 10:30 am, juniors at 1pm, and seniors at 2:30 pm. The first full day of school was slated for August 30th. Students new to the Rome school system had to take placement tests beginning at 9am on August 23rd to determine their best class options.
Slot cars were big in 1965, which meant that there was an eager customer base to support Rome Raceways when they opened their 24 slot car tracks at 119 Broad Street. Their grand opening included free Cokes for all and thirty minutes of free track time with the purchase of any slot car kit.
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, cantaloupes for a quarter each, and ten pounds of Rome Beauty flour for 89¢. Big Apple had a three-pound can of Crisco for 69¢, a 32-ounce jar of Mrs. Bell's peanut butter for 69¢, and cut-up fryers for 39¢ a pound. Kroger had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, eggs for 39¢ a dozen, and Kroger ice milk for 35¢ a half-gallon. A&P had turkeys for 49¢ a pound (yes, they sold turkeys in August!), seedless grapes for 19¢ s pound, and StarKist tuna for 31¢ a can. Couch's had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Coke or Tab for 99¢ a case plus deposit, and ten pounds of potatoes for 39¢.
The cinematic week began with Shenandoah (with James Stewart) at the DeSoto Theater; The Glory Guys (with Tom Tryon) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Wheeler Dealers (with Lee Remick & James Garner) and Joy in the Morning (with Richard Chamberlain & Yvette Mimieux) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Morituri (with Marlon Brando & Yul Brynner) to the First Avenue and Girl Happy (with Elvis Presley) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Shenandoah hung around at the DeSoto for another week.
Sonny & Cher held on to the number one spot for the third week in a row with "I Got You Babe." Other top ten hits included "Help" by the Beatles (#2); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#3); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#4); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#5); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#6); "Save Your heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#7); "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Mel Carter (#8); "Down in the Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal (#9); and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#10). Boy, that's one impressive talent roster, isn't it?...
And the Rolling Stones earned the number one slot on the album charts with Out of Our Heads, their fourth US album, which included the hits "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Play With Fire," and "The Last Time" on the American release (the UK version had a totally different track lineup).
Coach Paul Kennedy was probably dealing with some sleepless nights in August of 1965: not only did star halfback Richard Camp suffer a head injury that made it doubtful that he would play in the season opener against Coosa on August 30th, but sixteen of his players were stricken with a severe stomach virus. As a result, the Chieftains had so few healthy players that there weren't enough for a full scrimmage, so Coach Kennedy had to bring the team home early from their two-a-day practices at Lookout Mountain Camp for Boys. "I'm just hoping we have enough healthy players to take on Coosa," Coach Kennedy said. "Coosa has everything to gain by beating us, and I hope our players realize that."
Coach Kennedy said that West Rome would still attempt to field their twilight scrimmage during Parents' Night at West Rome High School on Monday, August 23rd. Even if the scrimmage had to be cancelled due to illness, Coach Kennedy said that he would still offer parents of varsity players a tour of the gymnasium and dressing rooms, along with a display of the football uniforms and protective padding and a discussion of the rules.
Rome's economy continued to shine, with retail sales soaring, paychecks increasing, and unemployment plummeting. Retail sales in Rome and Floyd County rose to $28,338,000 in the first quarter of 1965 (in the pre-computer days, it took several months to compile quarterly data), an increase of more than $1.25 million over the same quarter a year earlier. Building permits showed that new construction had increased by more than $1 million over the same period a year earlier, while unemployment fell to 3.9%. Banks said that deposit had increased more than 7% over the same period a year earlier. "Business seems to look good, sales seem to be flourishing, and plants seem to be operating at capacity," Rome Bank & Trust President J.B. Dodd said. "All in all, I would say things look good for Rome!"
Rome was in a mid-August heat wave in 1965, with temperatures hitting the mid-90s for most of the week. Juanita Lester of the US Weather Bureau at Russell Field reminded people that this was normal for the region, however, and that we were not setting records, even though the 96 degree reading recorded on August 16th was Rome's hottest day of 1965 thus far.
Kids were starting to think about school: registration was finalized for August 26th for Rome City Schools, with elementary school students registering between 9am and noon, junior high and freshmen at 9am, sophomores at 10:30 am, juniors at 1pm, and seniors at 2:30 pm. The first full day of school was slated for August 30th. Students new to the Rome school system had to take placement tests beginning at 9am on August 23rd to determine their best class options.
Slot cars were big in 1965, which meant that there was an eager customer base to support Rome Raceways when they opened their 24 slot car tracks at 119 Broad Street. Their grand opening included free Cokes for all and thirty minutes of free track time with the purchase of any slot car kit.
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, cantaloupes for a quarter each, and ten pounds of Rome Beauty flour for 89¢. Big Apple had a three-pound can of Crisco for 69¢, a 32-ounce jar of Mrs. Bell's peanut butter for 69¢, and cut-up fryers for 39¢ a pound. Kroger had pork chops for 59¢ a pound, eggs for 39¢ a dozen, and Kroger ice milk for 35¢ a half-gallon. A&P had turkeys for 49¢ a pound (yes, they sold turkeys in August!), seedless grapes for 19¢ s pound, and StarKist tuna for 31¢ a can. Couch's had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Coke or Tab for 99¢ a case plus deposit, and ten pounds of potatoes for 39¢.
The cinematic week began with Shenandoah (with James Stewart) at the DeSoto Theater; The Glory Guys (with Tom Tryon) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Wheeler Dealers (with Lee Remick & James Garner) and Joy in the Morning (with Richard Chamberlain & Yvette Mimieux) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Morituri (with Marlon Brando & Yul Brynner) to the First Avenue and Girl Happy (with Elvis Presley) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Shenandoah hung around at the DeSoto for another week.
Sonny & Cher held on to the number one spot for the third week in a row with "I Got You Babe." Other top ten hits included "Help" by the Beatles (#2); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#3); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#4); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#5); "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan (#6); "Save Your heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#7); "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" by Mel Carter (#8); "Down in the Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal (#9); and "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" by James Brown (#10). Boy, that's one impressive talent roster, isn't it?...
And the Rolling Stones earned the number one slot on the album charts with Out of Our Heads, their fourth US album, which included the hits "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Play With Fire," and "The Last Time" on the American release (the UK version had a totally different track lineup).
Saturday, August 08, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/9/1965 to 8/15/1965
Mid-August is usually a lazy time (or at least it was in the bygone days when school didn't actually start until the last week of the month), and August 1965 was no exception. Kids were enjoying their last couple of weeks of freedom from class, and there was very little happening in the local news.
Coach Kennedy talked with the Rome News-Tribune about the upcoming football season, saying "I don't want to be a pessimist, but I certainly can't see how I can be an optimist... We have a lot of work to do in a short time." The Chieftains lost twenty lettermen off the 1964-1965 team, leaving only nine returning players with any significant experience. Kennedy planned to take the team to the Lookout Mountain Camp For Boys near Mentone, Alabama, for pre-season practice to get them ready for their August 28th season opener against Coosa.
In hopes of getting desegregation plans approved before the 1965-1966 school year began, Rome and Floyd County officials met with representatives of the Health, Education, and Welfare Department on Wednesday, August 11th. The meeting went well, and both school systems worked out an agreement for HEW to approve the plans as submitted with only minor changes for the upcoming school year. However, HEW asked for additional changes for the 1966-1967 school year to speed up desegregation in all schools and all grades.
Rome photographers had a new shopping choice as Camera & Craft held its Broad Street grand opening on August 13th and 14th. The store offered photography classes, one-on-one photo instruction, and a huge selection of cameras, projectors, and accessories, all of which came with a one-year unconditional written guarantee. The shop also carried a selection of tape recorders and other small electronics.
Piggly Wiggly had Lady Alice ice milk for 33¢ a half-gallon, medium eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and chuck roast for 49¢ a pound. Big Apple had Swift Premium bacon for 79¢ a pound, Irvindale sherbet for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Bailey's Supreme coffee for 59¢ a pound. Kroger had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Wesson oil for 49¢ a quart. A&P had hen turkeys for 39¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and home-grown tomatoes for 13¢ a pound. Couch's had five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢, pork chops for 59¢ a pound, and Showboat pork & beans for a dime a can.
Rome commemorated the upcoming return to school with its annual Rome Days sales on Friday and Saturday. Almost every retailer in Rome offered specials for those two days, with a special emphasis on back-to-school supplies and clothing.
The cinematic week began with The Sandpiper (with Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton) at the DeSoto; How To Stuff a Wild Bikini (with Annette Funicello & Dwayne Hickman) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of Good Neighbor Sam (with Jack Lemmon) and The Family Jewels (with Jerry Lewis) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Shenandoah (with James Stewart) to the DeSoto; The Glory Guys (with James Caan & Tom Tryon) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Chapman Report (with Jane Fonda) and Sex & the Single Girl (with Tony Curtis & Natalie Wood) at the West Rome Drive-In.
Sonny & Cher held on to the number one spot for a second week with "I Got You Babe." Other top ten hits included "Save Your Heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#2); "Help" by the Beatles (#3); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#4); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#5); "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#7); "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke (#8); "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits (#9); and "Down in the Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal (#10).
The big album release this week in 1965 as Elvis For Everyone, an album consisting mostly of unused tracks recorded between the late 1950s and the mid-1960s. While it did make it into the Top Ten albums chart, it was the first Elvis Presley 1960s album to sell fewer than 300,000 copies.
Coach Kennedy talked with the Rome News-Tribune about the upcoming football season, saying "I don't want to be a pessimist, but I certainly can't see how I can be an optimist... We have a lot of work to do in a short time." The Chieftains lost twenty lettermen off the 1964-1965 team, leaving only nine returning players with any significant experience. Kennedy planned to take the team to the Lookout Mountain Camp For Boys near Mentone, Alabama, for pre-season practice to get them ready for their August 28th season opener against Coosa.
In hopes of getting desegregation plans approved before the 1965-1966 school year began, Rome and Floyd County officials met with representatives of the Health, Education, and Welfare Department on Wednesday, August 11th. The meeting went well, and both school systems worked out an agreement for HEW to approve the plans as submitted with only minor changes for the upcoming school year. However, HEW asked for additional changes for the 1966-1967 school year to speed up desegregation in all schools and all grades.
Rome photographers had a new shopping choice as Camera & Craft held its Broad Street grand opening on August 13th and 14th. The store offered photography classes, one-on-one photo instruction, and a huge selection of cameras, projectors, and accessories, all of which came with a one-year unconditional written guarantee. The shop also carried a selection of tape recorders and other small electronics.
Piggly Wiggly had Lady Alice ice milk for 33¢ a half-gallon, medium eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and chuck roast for 49¢ a pound. Big Apple had Swift Premium bacon for 79¢ a pound, Irvindale sherbet for 49¢ a half-gallon, and Bailey's Supreme coffee for 59¢ a pound. Kroger had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, bananas for a dime a pound, and Wesson oil for 49¢ a quart. A&P had hen turkeys for 39¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and home-grown tomatoes for 13¢ a pound. Couch's had five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢, pork chops for 59¢ a pound, and Showboat pork & beans for a dime a can.
Rome commemorated the upcoming return to school with its annual Rome Days sales on Friday and Saturday. Almost every retailer in Rome offered specials for those two days, with a special emphasis on back-to-school supplies and clothing.
The cinematic week began with The Sandpiper (with Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton) at the DeSoto; How To Stuff a Wild Bikini (with Annette Funicello & Dwayne Hickman) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of Good Neighbor Sam (with Jack Lemmon) and The Family Jewels (with Jerry Lewis) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Shenandoah (with James Stewart) to the DeSoto; The Glory Guys (with James Caan & Tom Tryon) at the First Avenue; and a double feature of The Chapman Report (with Jane Fonda) and Sex & the Single Girl (with Tony Curtis & Natalie Wood) at the West Rome Drive-In.
Sonny & Cher held on to the number one spot for a second week with "I Got You Babe." Other top ten hits included "Save Your Heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#2); "Help" by the Beatles (#3); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#4); "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers (#5); "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Four Tops (#7); "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke (#8); "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits (#9); and "Down in the Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal (#10).
The big album release this week in 1965 as Elvis For Everyone, an album consisting mostly of unused tracks recorded between the late 1950s and the mid-1960s. While it did make it into the Top Ten albums chart, it was the first Elvis Presley 1960s album to sell fewer than 300,000 copies.
Saturday, August 01, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/2/1965 to 8/8/1965
On August 4th, GL Sutton announced that West Rome was getting a major shopping center—and it was going in directly across the street from West Rome High School! Gala Shopping Center (so named because it served Georgia and Alabama—GA and ALA) was a go, with a 45,000 square foot Big K Department Store serving as the shopping center's anchor. "The Rome Big K store will be our first location in Georgia," Jack Kuhn, President of Big K's parent company, said. "We are extremely impressed with the progressive, dynamic atmosphere of Rome, and we look forward with keen anticipation to bringing this modern concept of mass retailing to the people of Rome." (And I still remember that Big K jingle that I must have heard a thousand times: "Let's shop Big K / The King of Values / It's Your One Stop Shopping Center / It's Big K!") Big K would employee 75 people at opening, with more staff possibly being added as the store grew. It was believed that the shopping center, when fully occupied, would feature approximately two dozen stores and would offer job opportunities for more than 300 people.... and it would offer Chieftains a tempting reason to cut class and head across Redmond Road for many years to come! Plans called for the shopping center to open in the fall of 1966. Before Rome ever got a Kmart or a Wal-Mart, Big K would be Rome's first bargain-priced chain department store.
A young burglar broke into West Rome High School on Saturday night; the burglar, who was believed to be a teenager, attempted to break into the Coke machines and the trophy cases, but got away with virtually nothing when the police showed up after noticing the broken window the burglar used as his entry point.
Rome and Floyd County got the news that their desegregation plans submitted in the spring didn't go far enough; the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare said that even the plan was virtually identical to the Fulton County plan that was accepted, US Education Commissioner Frances Keppel had decided to "make things tougher" and that they would need to see a new plan before they could approve anything. With registration and the start of school less than a month away, this left school officials scrambling.
The Rome City Commission announced plans to annex the Old Airport Road area and the Nanellen-Payne Road area of West Rome into the city. The city was concerned that the overflowing septic tanks and the prevalence of raw sewage in those areas was a health hazard; if they annexed the areas into West Rome, they could upgrade the homes to city sewage and clean the area up. Nearby city residents had complained about overflowing sewage running into their yards, which is what motivated the city to get involved.
McDonald's had a chili dog? Yes, they did! the new McDonald's Chili Dog (what a clever name!) was introduced this week in 1965 at a bargain price of 20¢—or you could upgrade to a chili dog, fries, and a milkshake for only 57¢.
Piggly Wiggly had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound (yes, people used to cut up their own chickens!), white corn for a nickel an ear, and Shurfine fruit cocktail for 20¢ a can. Kroger had ground beef for 43¢ a pound, Sealtest ice milk for 35¢ a half-gallon, and a quart of Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢. Big Apple had ten pounds of potatoes for 59¢, a six-bottle carton of Diet Rite or Royal Crown Cola for 29¢, and a three-pound bag of fish sticks for $1. A&P had chuck steak for 79¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 33¢ each, and a can of Ann Page tomato-rice soup for a dime. Couch's had T-bone steak for 99¢ a pound, Post Toastems (a precursor to the ever-popular Pop Tarts) for a dime a box, and a five-pound bag of Colonial sugar for 39¢.
The cinematic week began with What's New Pussycat? (with Peter Sellers & Peter O'Toole) at the DeSoto Theater; Joy in the Morning (with Richard Chamberlain & Yvette Mimieux) at the First Avenue Theater; and a double feature of Fluffy (with Tony Randall & Shirley Jones) and To Kill a Mockingbird (with Gregory Peck) at the West Rome Drive-In... and that may win an award for one of the most incongruous double features in history! The midweek switchout brought The Sandpiper (with Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton) to the DeSoto; How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (with Annette Funicello and Dwayne Hickman) to the First Avenue; and Harlow (with Carroll Baker) to the West Rome Drive-In.
Sonny & Cher scored their first number one this week in 1965 with "I Got You Babe." Other top ten hits included "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (#2); "Save Your Heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#3); "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits (#4); "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones (#5); "Unchained Melody" by Tom Jones (#6); "It's the Same Old Song" by the Temptations (#7); "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke (#8); "California Girls" by the Beach Boys (#9); and "Down in the Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal (#10).
The Beatles released Help!, the tie-in album for their second film, this week in 1965. This was their seventh Capitol album in a year and a half (and their ninth album in less than two years) for the US market—an incredible output, considering that one or two albums a year was considered the norm at the time!
Dell Comics made publishing history with the release of Don Arneson & Tony Tallarico's Lobo #1 this week in 1965. This Western series was the first mainstream comic to star an African-American hero as the title character; Lobo was described as "an honest man blamed for a crime he did not commit" and "a fugitive on the side of the law." His gimmick? On the forehead of the bad guys he brought to justice, he would leave a calling card of a gold coin with the image of a wolf and the letter L. Writer Arneson said that he got the idea for the book from the book The Negro Cowboys. Alas, the book only lasted for two issues...
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 7/26/1965 to 8/1/1965
This was news that no high school senior wanted to hear: President Lyndon Johnson announced that he would be doubling the military draft beginning in the fall of 1965, increasing the call-up from 17,500 to 35,000 draftees each month. (Those of us who lived through the draft can confirm just how much influence it had on the lives of all of us who weren't sure what the future would hold.)
There was also better news for students: summer would go on for a little bit longer! The Rome City School System reminded students that school wasn't scheduled to start back until August 30th, giving students another full month of summer vacation (and since school got out in early June, this was one of those years where students really did get almost three months off!).
The Rome-Floyd County Chamber of Commerce announced that Battey State Hospital land located between Division Street and Lavender Drive in West Rome would be repurposed into a juvenile detention home by July, 1966, pending approval from the Department of Family and Children's Services. Several West Rome residents expressed concern about having a juvenile detention center located so close to established residences, but the officials at the meeting were not inclined to consider another location. Residents said they would take their concerns to their representatives and to state officials.
The Rome Jaycees announced an air show, complete with skydivers, to be held on Sunday in a large area just off Highway 27 across from Berry College's Gate of Opportunity. Planes would take off from Russell Field and fly over the area so that skydivers could drop into the field, performing stunts during their fall. Almost 3500 people attended the air show; all proceeds were used for the purchase of a school bus for the Floyd County Cerebral Palsy School.
And speaking of planes, Russell Field announced that Eastern Airlines would resume daily flights from Rome to Chattanooga in August. This meant that Rome offered commercial air flights every day to Chattanooga and to Atlanta, where Romans could make connections for flights to other cities across the US. (Hard to imagine that Rome ever had any sort of commercial air travel, isn't it?)
The whole school system merger issue came to a head when both the Rome and Floyd County School Boards called for a referendum to determine if residents even wanted a merger of the two systems. The proposal asked that the systems conduct a referendum in February of March of 1967.
Piggly Wiggly had tomatoes for 15¢ a pound, eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and Chicken of the Sea tuna for 29¢ a can (in oil, of course—tuna in water was pretty much unheard of in the 1960s). Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 79¢ a pound, Round the Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Campbell's tomato soup for 12¢ a can. A&P had shrimp for 69¢ a pound, watermelons for 59¢ each, and lettuce for 19¢ a head. Kroger and sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, cantaloupes for a quarter each, and Country Club ice cream for 47¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had fryer breasts for 25¢ a pound, Armour's potted meat for a dime a can, and five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢.
The cinematic week began with Walt Disney's The Monkey's Uncle (with Tommy Kirk & Annette Funicello) at the DeSoto, Cat Ballou (with Jane Fonda & Lee Marvin) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of The Tomb of Ligeia (with Vincent Price) and The Terror (with Boris Karloff) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought What's New, Pussycat? (with Peter Sellers & Peter O'Toole) to the DeSoto, Joy in the Morning (with Richard Chamberlain & Yvette Mimieux) to the First Avenue, and an Elvis Presley double feature of Girls! Girls! Girls! and Fun in Acapulco to the West Rome Drive-In.
Herman's Hermits added another number one song to their list when "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" took the top slot this week in 1965. Other top ten songs included "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (#2); "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones (#3); "Save Your Heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#4); "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#5); "Yes, I'm Ready" by Barbara Mason (#6); "I Like It Like That" by the Dave Clark Five (#7); "Cara Mia" by Jay & the Americans (#8); "I Can't Help Myself" by the Four Tops (#9); and "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke (#10).
Not only did Sonny & Cher have a song in the top ten this week in 1965, but their first album, Look at Us, was also released. The non-mustached, furry-vest-wearing Sonny Bono is barely recognizable, but Cher was distinctively Cher from the very beginning of her musical career...
Animal Man, the Man with Animal Powers, made his first appearance in the pages of Strange Adventures #180 this week in 1965 in a story by Dave wood & Carmine Infantino. This was also the week that Warren Magazines ventured far afield from their normal horror comics fare with the release of Blazing Combat #1, featuring grim war tales from some of the same creators responsible for Creepy and Eerie, all packaged behind a Frank Frazetta cover.
There was also better news for students: summer would go on for a little bit longer! The Rome City School System reminded students that school wasn't scheduled to start back until August 30th, giving students another full month of summer vacation (and since school got out in early June, this was one of those years where students really did get almost three months off!).
The Rome-Floyd County Chamber of Commerce announced that Battey State Hospital land located between Division Street and Lavender Drive in West Rome would be repurposed into a juvenile detention home by July, 1966, pending approval from the Department of Family and Children's Services. Several West Rome residents expressed concern about having a juvenile detention center located so close to established residences, but the officials at the meeting were not inclined to consider another location. Residents said they would take their concerns to their representatives and to state officials.
The Rome Jaycees announced an air show, complete with skydivers, to be held on Sunday in a large area just off Highway 27 across from Berry College's Gate of Opportunity. Planes would take off from Russell Field and fly over the area so that skydivers could drop into the field, performing stunts during their fall. Almost 3500 people attended the air show; all proceeds were used for the purchase of a school bus for the Floyd County Cerebral Palsy School.
And speaking of planes, Russell Field announced that Eastern Airlines would resume daily flights from Rome to Chattanooga in August. This meant that Rome offered commercial air flights every day to Chattanooga and to Atlanta, where Romans could make connections for flights to other cities across the US. (Hard to imagine that Rome ever had any sort of commercial air travel, isn't it?)
The whole school system merger issue came to a head when both the Rome and Floyd County School Boards called for a referendum to determine if residents even wanted a merger of the two systems. The proposal asked that the systems conduct a referendum in February of March of 1967.
Piggly Wiggly had tomatoes for 15¢ a pound, eggs for 33¢ a dozen, and Chicken of the Sea tuna for 29¢ a can (in oil, of course—tuna in water was pretty much unheard of in the 1960s). Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 79¢ a pound, Round the Clock coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Campbell's tomato soup for 12¢ a can. A&P had shrimp for 69¢ a pound, watermelons for 59¢ each, and lettuce for 19¢ a head. Kroger and sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, cantaloupes for a quarter each, and Country Club ice cream for 47¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had fryer breasts for 25¢ a pound, Armour's potted meat for a dime a can, and five pounds of Dixie Crystals sugar for 29¢.
The cinematic week began with Walt Disney's The Monkey's Uncle (with Tommy Kirk & Annette Funicello) at the DeSoto, Cat Ballou (with Jane Fonda & Lee Marvin) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of The Tomb of Ligeia (with Vincent Price) and The Terror (with Boris Karloff) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought What's New, Pussycat? (with Peter Sellers & Peter O'Toole) to the DeSoto, Joy in the Morning (with Richard Chamberlain & Yvette Mimieux) to the First Avenue, and an Elvis Presley double feature of Girls! Girls! Girls! and Fun in Acapulco to the West Rome Drive-In.
Herman's Hermits added another number one song to their list when "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" took the top slot this week in 1965. Other top ten songs included "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones (#2); "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones (#3); "Save Your Heart for Me" by Gary Lewis & the Playboys (#4); "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher (#5); "Yes, I'm Ready" by Barbara Mason (#6); "I Like It Like That" by the Dave Clark Five (#7); "Cara Mia" by Jay & the Americans (#8); "I Can't Help Myself" by the Four Tops (#9); and "Don't Just Stand There" by Patty Duke (#10).
Not only did Sonny & Cher have a song in the top ten this week in 1965, but their first album, Look at Us, was also released. The non-mustached, furry-vest-wearing Sonny Bono is barely recognizable, but Cher was distinctively Cher from the very beginning of her musical career...
Animal Man, the Man with Animal Powers, made his first appearance in the pages of Strange Adventures #180 this week in 1965 in a story by Dave wood & Carmine Infantino. This was also the week that Warren Magazines ventured far afield from their normal horror comics fare with the release of Blazing Combat #1, featuring grim war tales from some of the same creators responsible for Creepy and Eerie, all packaged behind a Frank Frazetta cover.
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