Roger Weaver became the number one rusher for the 1966 football season in Region 6-AA as a result of his 190 yards against Calhoun the week before. This put Weaver over the 1000 yard mark for the season, Benny Padgett was the number one scorer in Region 6-AA with 64 points; Weaver took the second place scoring slot with 49 points.
The hottest ticket of the year was the West Rome-East Rome football game on November 4th. Chieftains fans certainly got their money’s worth: West Rome defeated the Gladiators 21-0, securing the Region 6-AA crown in the process. More than 6500 tickets were sold to the game, which meant that a standing room only crowd was on hand to watch the Chiefs march to victory. Roger Weaver rushed for 177 yards in the game, scoring two touchdowns.
The West End Mites took first place in Division 1 of Mite League play after beating Alto Park 6-0 on Tuesday afternoon, November 1st. Sammy Johnson scored the game’s only touchdown.
What a meteorological difference fifty years makes! Romans woke up on November 3rd to a 31 degree low and a light dusting of snow; accumulations of 1” were reported as close by as the top of Lavender Mountain.
After a lengthy study, the Civil Aeronautics Board recommended that Eastern Airlines continue its daily Rome flights to and from Atlanta and Chattanooga. While this wasn’tt a government mandate, the recommendation carried a lot of weight, making it much more difficult for Eastern to abandon its Rome routes entirely.
Piggly Wiggly had T-bone steak for 99¢ a pound, five pounds of grapefruit for 39¢,and Mama apple jelly for 20¢ a jar. Kroger had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, ten pounds of Domino sugar for 99¢, and baking potatoes for a dime a pound. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, black eye peas for a dime a pound, and Reynolds Wrap for 29¢ a roll. A&P had perch fillets for 35¢ a pound, red delicious apples for 9¢ a pound, and Poss’s Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can. Couch’s had chicken breast for 49¢ a pound, JFG Mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and Coca-Cola for 99¢ a case plus deposit.
The cinematic week began with Return of the Seven (with Yul Brynner) at both the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and Beau Geste (with Guy Stockwell) at the First Avenue Theatre. The midweek switch out brought Fantastic Voyage (with Raquel Welch and some other, less memorable people) at the DeSoto Theatre and The Swinger (with Ann-Margret & Tony Franciosa) at both the First Avenue Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In.
Johnny Rivers took the number one slot this week in 1966 with “Poor Side of Town.” Other top ten hits included “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#2); “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (#3); “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys (#4); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#5); “Winchester Cathedral” by the New Vaudeville Band (#6); “You Keep Me Hanging’ On” by the Supremes (#7); “If I Were a Carpenter” by Bobby Darin (#8); “Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly” by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels (#9); and “I’m Your Puppet” by James & Bobby Purify (#10).
The Monkees took the number one slot this week with their eponymous debut album. Other memorable albums in the top ten this week included The Mamas & the Papas, And Then… Along Comes the Association, Revolver, and The Kinks Greatest Hits.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Friday, October 21, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/24/1966 to 10/30/1966
On Tuesday, October 25th, the Rome News-Tribune recognized Benny Padgett as the number one scorer in Rome football. With seven touchdowns, ten points after, and one field goal, Padgett had racked up 55 points for the season thus far, was six points ahead of his nearest region competitor.
The Chieftains took on Calhoun in a non-region game on November 28th.
Coach Kennedy took the game as seriously as any other, however, as did the team, racking up a 39-6 victory.
West Rome’s Oaknoll Cemetery (located on Alabama Road just a bit past West Rome High School) had to deal with mercenary cemetery thieves this week in 1966. 78 bronze urns were stolen from the cemetery early Wednesday morning. “We want to find the kind of ghouls who go to a cemetery and rob the dead,” Officer Doyle Sutherland said. “This is one of the most macabre and morbid thefts I have ever seen.” Each urn weighed about five pounds, leading police to believe the thieves brought a pickup truck and loaded it up. (In the years since, urn thefts at Oaknoll have become far too common--and it's not just Oaknoll who has to deal with metal thieves, as cemeteries all over the country report the same sort of problems.)
The second phase of the East Rome Interchange was ahead of schedule this week in 1965. The first phase, which opened up in the fall of 1966, brought the road from Cartersville to Rome; phase two would take it from East Rome to US 27 near Six Mile (not too far from the eventual site of Floyd Junior College). Plans called for phase two to be completed by late 1967.
In an era of text messages and terse emails, the art of letter writing has largely fallen by the wayside, but the Rome Chamber of Commerce was doing its part to help people become better letter writers: they hosted a seminar on Writing Better Business Letters on Tuesday evening. More than a hundred people showed up at the Georgia Power Company Auditorium to learn how to write effective, precise letters.
McDonald’s began promoting its new “twice as hearty” doubles in 1966. “These man-sized hamburgers—with or without cheese” are double the size and satisfaction,” the ad touted, “made with double patties of ground chuck plus choice cuts of beef for flavor.”
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, Libby’s corn for 16¢ a can, and a one-pound jar of Shurfine peanut butter for 33¢ (which explains why I ate so many peanut butter sandwiches as a child!). Kroger had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, vine ripe tomatoes for 20¢ a pound, and a one-pound bag of Bailey’s Supreme coffee for 65¢. Big Apple had the never-popular Swift’s premium two-pound turkey roll for $3.49, eggs for 49¢ a dozen, and bananas for a dime a pound. (Put those bananas together with that Piggly Wiggly peanut butter and you have one of my favorite sandwiches.) A&P had beef liver for 35¢ a pound, red delicious apples for 15¢ a pound, and a five-pound Jane Parker fruitcake for $3.99. Couch’s had center cut pork chops for 65¢ a pound, Coca-Cola (or Tab or Sprite) for 99¢ a case plus depict, and a pound of Durkee’s flaked coconut for 49¢,
The cinematic week began with The Fighting Prince of Donegal (with Peter McEnery) at the DeSoto Theatre, Khartoum (with Charlton Heston & Laurence Olivier) at the First Avenue, and The Group (with Candice Bergen) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Return of the Seven (with Yul Brynner) to the DeSoto, Mister Buddwing (with James Garner & Suzanne Pleshette) to the First Avenue, and Don’t Give Up the Ship (with Jerry Lewis) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Monkees took the number one slot for the first time this week in 1966 with “Last Train to Clarksville.” Other top ten hits included “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (#2); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#3); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#4); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#5); “Hooray for Hazel” by Tommy Roe (#6); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin (#7); “If I Were a Carpenter” by Bobby Darin (#8); “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” by the Rolling Stones (#9); and “Walk Away Renee” by the Left Banke (#10).
A Halloween tradition was born on Thursday, October 27th, 1966, when CBS premiered It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The network called on Coca-Cola (who sponsored the Peanuts Christmas Special) to sponsor the Halloween special; when Coke passed on a solo sponsorship, CBS approached Dolly Madison to co-sponsor the show. Both Coke and Dolly Madison would become primary co-sponsors of many more Peanuts specials over the years. CBS aired the special every year from 1966 through 2000; ABC bought the rights and began airing it annually in 2001.
The Chieftains took on Calhoun in a non-region game on November 28th.
Coach Kennedy took the game as seriously as any other, however, as did the team, racking up a 39-6 victory.
West Rome’s Oaknoll Cemetery (located on Alabama Road just a bit past West Rome High School) had to deal with mercenary cemetery thieves this week in 1966. 78 bronze urns were stolen from the cemetery early Wednesday morning. “We want to find the kind of ghouls who go to a cemetery and rob the dead,” Officer Doyle Sutherland said. “This is one of the most macabre and morbid thefts I have ever seen.” Each urn weighed about five pounds, leading police to believe the thieves brought a pickup truck and loaded it up. (In the years since, urn thefts at Oaknoll have become far too common--and it's not just Oaknoll who has to deal with metal thieves, as cemeteries all over the country report the same sort of problems.)
The second phase of the East Rome Interchange was ahead of schedule this week in 1965. The first phase, which opened up in the fall of 1966, brought the road from Cartersville to Rome; phase two would take it from East Rome to US 27 near Six Mile (not too far from the eventual site of Floyd Junior College). Plans called for phase two to be completed by late 1967.
In an era of text messages and terse emails, the art of letter writing has largely fallen by the wayside, but the Rome Chamber of Commerce was doing its part to help people become better letter writers: they hosted a seminar on Writing Better Business Letters on Tuesday evening. More than a hundred people showed up at the Georgia Power Company Auditorium to learn how to write effective, precise letters.
McDonald’s began promoting its new “twice as hearty” doubles in 1966. “These man-sized hamburgers—with or without cheese” are double the size and satisfaction,” the ad touted, “made with double patties of ground chuck plus choice cuts of beef for flavor.”
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, Libby’s corn for 16¢ a can, and a one-pound jar of Shurfine peanut butter for 33¢ (which explains why I ate so many peanut butter sandwiches as a child!). Kroger had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, vine ripe tomatoes for 20¢ a pound, and a one-pound bag of Bailey’s Supreme coffee for 65¢. Big Apple had the never-popular Swift’s premium two-pound turkey roll for $3.49, eggs for 49¢ a dozen, and bananas for a dime a pound. (Put those bananas together with that Piggly Wiggly peanut butter and you have one of my favorite sandwiches.) A&P had beef liver for 35¢ a pound, red delicious apples for 15¢ a pound, and a five-pound Jane Parker fruitcake for $3.99. Couch’s had center cut pork chops for 65¢ a pound, Coca-Cola (or Tab or Sprite) for 99¢ a case plus depict, and a pound of Durkee’s flaked coconut for 49¢,
The cinematic week began with The Fighting Prince of Donegal (with Peter McEnery) at the DeSoto Theatre, Khartoum (with Charlton Heston & Laurence Olivier) at the First Avenue, and The Group (with Candice Bergen) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Return of the Seven (with Yul Brynner) to the DeSoto, Mister Buddwing (with James Garner & Suzanne Pleshette) to the First Avenue, and Don’t Give Up the Ship (with Jerry Lewis) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Monkees took the number one slot for the first time this week in 1966 with “Last Train to Clarksville.” Other top ten hits included “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (#2); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#3); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#4); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#5); “Hooray for Hazel” by Tommy Roe (#6); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin (#7); “If I Were a Carpenter” by Bobby Darin (#8); “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” by the Rolling Stones (#9); and “Walk Away Renee” by the Left Banke (#10).
A Halloween tradition was born on Thursday, October 27th, 1966, when CBS premiered It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The network called on Coca-Cola (who sponsored the Peanuts Christmas Special) to sponsor the Halloween special; when Coke passed on a solo sponsorship, CBS approached Dolly Madison to co-sponsor the show. Both Coke and Dolly Madison would become primary co-sponsors of many more Peanuts specials over the years. CBS aired the special every year from 1966 through 2000; ABC bought the rights and began airing it annually in 2001.
Friday, October 14, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/17/1966 to 10/23/1966
The state department of education met in Rome on Friday, October 21st, unveiling the proposed new pay scale for Georgia teachers. The new budget would take the pay for a beginning teacher all the way to $5000 a year. Other proposed improvements included the gradual rollout of a statewide kindergarten program and reduction of the student-to-teacher ratio to 25-to-1 from the then-current 28-to-1.
The Chieftains faced off against Cass Colonels on Thursday night, October 20th in a home game that would determine whether West Rome secured a spot in the Region 6-AA playoffs. Cass seemed to think they had a chance to rack up their first win of the season, but it wasn’t to be: West Rome trounced them 50-13--but at least it did mark the first time that Cass had managed to score all season. So how did they score? Well, by the end of the first half, when West Rome was winning 41-0, Coach Kennedy gave some of his second-stringers a chance to get in some game time. Jimmy Culberson, Jerry Hill, Benny Padgett, Roger Weaver, and Wayne Worsham all scored touchdowns during the game, while Jimmy Edwards was the only Chieftain to score two touchdowns. This put West Rome 6-0 in region play.
The Discount House on Division Street in West Rome (right behind the First National Bank’s West Rome Branch) had a special on “famous name” (which means no one you’ve heard of) 1967 home stereo systems for $49.99 each, which included a built-in turntable, radio, and two speakers. (I don’t remember the Discount House at all, even though I routinely walked to Henson’s Drugs at the Corner of Shorter and Division in my endless quest for comic books and even went a bit further to Super Discount from time to time; apparently I never knew that there was a discount store on Division Street.)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Lay’s potato chips for 39¢ a twin-pack bag, and a five-pound bag of seat potatoes for 39¢. Kroger had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, eggs for 39¢ a dozen, and a six-bottle carton of Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 29¢ plus deposit. Big Apple had beef liver for 25¢ a pound, turnip greens for 25¢ a pound, and a four-bag pack of Ivory soap for 25¢. A&P had smoke hams for 39¢ a pound, two pounds of Nutley margarine for 35¢, and a dozen glazed donuts for 39¢. Couch’s had stew beef for 89¢ a pound, Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with The Agony & the Ecstasy (with Charlton Heston & Rex Harrison) at the DeSoto, La Dolce Vita (with Marcello Mastroianni) at the First Avenue, and Modesty Blaise (with Monica Vitti—an espionage-adventure film based on the novels by Peter O’Donnell) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Fighting Prince of Donegal (with Peter McEnery) to the DeSoto, Khartoum (with Charlton Heston & Laurence Olivier) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of Quick Gun (with Audie Murphy) and Fail Safe (with Henry Fonda) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The number one song this week in 1966 was “96 Tears” by the enigmatic ? and the Mysterians. Other top ten hits included “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#2); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#3); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#4); “Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke (#5); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#6); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin (#7); “Hooray for Hazel” by Tommy Roe (#8); “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In the Shadow?” by the Rolling Stones (#9); and “See See Rider” by Eric Burdon & the Animals (#10).
This was also that The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators ws released. This debut album made musical history as the first album to use the word “psychedelic” to describe a style of music.
ABC became the first network to broadcast all of its national news programming in full color beginning this week in 1966.
The Chieftains faced off against Cass Colonels on Thursday night, October 20th in a home game that would determine whether West Rome secured a spot in the Region 6-AA playoffs. Cass seemed to think they had a chance to rack up their first win of the season, but it wasn’t to be: West Rome trounced them 50-13--but at least it did mark the first time that Cass had managed to score all season. So how did they score? Well, by the end of the first half, when West Rome was winning 41-0, Coach Kennedy gave some of his second-stringers a chance to get in some game time. Jimmy Culberson, Jerry Hill, Benny Padgett, Roger Weaver, and Wayne Worsham all scored touchdowns during the game, while Jimmy Edwards was the only Chieftain to score two touchdowns. This put West Rome 6-0 in region play.
The Discount House on Division Street in West Rome (right behind the First National Bank’s West Rome Branch) had a special on “famous name” (which means no one you’ve heard of) 1967 home stereo systems for $49.99 each, which included a built-in turntable, radio, and two speakers. (I don’t remember the Discount House at all, even though I routinely walked to Henson’s Drugs at the Corner of Shorter and Division in my endless quest for comic books and even went a bit further to Super Discount from time to time; apparently I never knew that there was a discount store on Division Street.)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Lay’s potato chips for 39¢ a twin-pack bag, and a five-pound bag of seat potatoes for 39¢. Kroger had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, eggs for 39¢ a dozen, and a six-bottle carton of Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 29¢ plus deposit. Big Apple had beef liver for 25¢ a pound, turnip greens for 25¢ a pound, and a four-bag pack of Ivory soap for 25¢. A&P had smoke hams for 39¢ a pound, two pounds of Nutley margarine for 35¢, and a dozen glazed donuts for 39¢. Couch’s had stew beef for 89¢ a pound, Sealtest ice milk for 39¢ a half gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with The Agony & the Ecstasy (with Charlton Heston & Rex Harrison) at the DeSoto, La Dolce Vita (with Marcello Mastroianni) at the First Avenue, and Modesty Blaise (with Monica Vitti—an espionage-adventure film based on the novels by Peter O’Donnell) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Fighting Prince of Donegal (with Peter McEnery) to the DeSoto, Khartoum (with Charlton Heston & Laurence Olivier) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of Quick Gun (with Audie Murphy) and Fail Safe (with Henry Fonda) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The number one song this week in 1966 was “96 Tears” by the enigmatic ? and the Mysterians. Other top ten hits included “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#2); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#3); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#4); “Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke (#5); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#6); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin (#7); “Hooray for Hazel” by Tommy Roe (#8); “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In the Shadow?” by the Rolling Stones (#9); and “See See Rider” by Eric Burdon & the Animals (#10).
This was also that The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators ws released. This debut album made musical history as the first album to use the word “psychedelic” to describe a style of music.
ABC became the first network to broadcast all of its national news programming in full color beginning this week in 1966.
Friday, October 07, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/10/1966 to 10/16/1966
Rome City Schools got $91,000 in federal funds to expand the language program at East Rome and West Rome high school. Plans called for creation of a junior high school feeder program for French and Spanish, the addition of one more full-time or two more part-time language teachers at both West Rome and East Rome, and technological upgrades to both language labs.
Sophomore Roger Weaver was the talk of the town after his performance in the prior week’s game against Coosa. Weaver may have only scored one of the Chieftains’ touchdown,s but he managed to rack up 142 yards in 24 carried, making him the Region 6-AA rushing leader. For the season, Weaver’s average to date was 130+ yards per game. “Roger is not a quick starter,” Coach Paul Kennedy said, “but once he picks up momentum he’s real hard to stop. He’s probably the hardest and toughest runner we’ve ever had a West Rome… The boy just doesn’t get tired.”
The Chieftains took on Cedartown’s Bulldogs on Friday, October 14th—and ironically, they had to do it without Roger Weaver, who had to sit out the game due to an injury. However, Chieftain Jerry Hill stepped in to pick up the slack, rushing for more than 80 yards and leading West Rome to a 7-6 victory over the Bulldogs. This put West Rome at the top of Region 6-AA with a 4-0 region record
“Father’s Night” took place at Elm Street Elementary at 7:30pm on Thursday, October 13th. West Rome coach Nick Hyder was the guest speaker at the event, focusing on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and its benefits.
After several years of almost uninterrupted good economic news, Romans awoke to an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday, October 11th, as Celanese Fibers announced plans to close its forty-year-old Rome rayon plant, eliminating a thousand jobs. Celanese said it would continue to run its acetate plant, keeping some 700 jobs active for the foreseeable future—but the loss of a thousand jobs would have a $5 million impact on Rome’s economy.
Piggly Wiggly had T-bone steaks for 79¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 79¢ a half-gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound. Kroger had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, five pounds of Pillsbury flour for 49¢, and grapefruit for a dime each. Big Apple had pork roast for 45¢ a pound, Chase & SanbOrn coffee for 59¢ a pound, and Van Camp beef stew for 49¢ a can. A&P had ocean perch filets for 35¢ a pound, Bama preserves for 33¢ a can, and Poss Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can. Couch’s had picnic hams for 39¢ a pound, Nabisco saltines for 29¢ a box, and Eatwell tuna for 23¢ a can. (man, we had some strange brands in the 1960s, didn't we?)
The cinematic week began with This Property Is Condemned (with Natalie Wood & Robert Redford) at the DeSoto Theatre, Assault on a Queen (with Frank Sinatra & Virna Lisi) at the First Avenue, and Smoky (with Fess Parker) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Agony & The Ecstasy (with Charlton Heston) to the DeSoto, La Dolce Vita (with Marcelo Mastroianni and Anita Eckberg) to the First Avenue, and Apache Woman (with Lloyd Bridges) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Four Tops took the number one slot this week in 1966 with “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other top ten songs included “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (#2); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#3); “Cherish” by the Association (#4); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#5); “Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke (#6); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#7); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?” by Jimmy Ruffin (#8); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#9); and “See See Rider” by Eric Burdon and the Animals (#10).
After several months at the top of the album charts, the Beatles’ Revolver was supplanted by The Supremes A’ Go-Go, which pushed the Beatles down to second place, while Ray Conniff was knocked out of fourth place by The Mamas & the Papas’ eponymous first album. The Doctor Zhivago soundtrack and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s What Now My Love held on to third and fifth place in the charts. (While we tend to think of the mid60s as a prime era for rock and soul, albums that we would now classify as Easy Listening or Adult Contemporary continued to chart through the 1960s.)
And speaking of albums, two 1960s classics were released this week fifty years ago: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel and The Monkees by… well, you can figure it out. This was the third studio album for the folk-rock Simon & Garfunkel, generating such hits as “Homeward Bound,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” and the title song, while the Monkees’ album was their first LP, featuring such songs as “The Monkees Theme,” “I Wanna Be Free,” and “The Last Train To Clarksville”—plus a personal favorite of mine, the zany “Gonna Buy Me a Dog.”
This was also the week that ABC unveiled an unusual television experiment: a made-for-TV version of Brigadoon that included several songs that were cut from the 1954 theatrical film. Robert Goblet, Peter Falk, & Sally Ann Howes starred in the special, which was both a popular and a critical success; however, it aired only one other time, in 1967, before disappearing completely, and no one subsequently has been able to locate a complete copy in the network’s vaults.
Sophomore Roger Weaver was the talk of the town after his performance in the prior week’s game against Coosa. Weaver may have only scored one of the Chieftains’ touchdown,s but he managed to rack up 142 yards in 24 carried, making him the Region 6-AA rushing leader. For the season, Weaver’s average to date was 130+ yards per game. “Roger is not a quick starter,” Coach Paul Kennedy said, “but once he picks up momentum he’s real hard to stop. He’s probably the hardest and toughest runner we’ve ever had a West Rome… The boy just doesn’t get tired.”
The Chieftains took on Cedartown’s Bulldogs on Friday, October 14th—and ironically, they had to do it without Roger Weaver, who had to sit out the game due to an injury. However, Chieftain Jerry Hill stepped in to pick up the slack, rushing for more than 80 yards and leading West Rome to a 7-6 victory over the Bulldogs. This put West Rome at the top of Region 6-AA with a 4-0 region record
“Father’s Night” took place at Elm Street Elementary at 7:30pm on Thursday, October 13th. West Rome coach Nick Hyder was the guest speaker at the event, focusing on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and its benefits.
After several years of almost uninterrupted good economic news, Romans awoke to an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday, October 11th, as Celanese Fibers announced plans to close its forty-year-old Rome rayon plant, eliminating a thousand jobs. Celanese said it would continue to run its acetate plant, keeping some 700 jobs active for the foreseeable future—but the loss of a thousand jobs would have a $5 million impact on Rome’s economy.
Piggly Wiggly had T-bone steaks for 79¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 79¢ a half-gallon, and bananas for a dime a pound. Kroger had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, five pounds of Pillsbury flour for 49¢, and grapefruit for a dime each. Big Apple had pork roast for 45¢ a pound, Chase & SanbOrn coffee for 59¢ a pound, and Van Camp beef stew for 49¢ a can. A&P had ocean perch filets for 35¢ a pound, Bama preserves for 33¢ a can, and Poss Brunswick stew for 49¢ a can. Couch’s had picnic hams for 39¢ a pound, Nabisco saltines for 29¢ a box, and Eatwell tuna for 23¢ a can. (man, we had some strange brands in the 1960s, didn't we?)
The cinematic week began with This Property Is Condemned (with Natalie Wood & Robert Redford) at the DeSoto Theatre, Assault on a Queen (with Frank Sinatra & Virna Lisi) at the First Avenue, and Smoky (with Fess Parker) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought The Agony & The Ecstasy (with Charlton Heston) to the DeSoto, La Dolce Vita (with Marcelo Mastroianni and Anita Eckberg) to the First Avenue, and Apache Woman (with Lloyd Bridges) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Four Tops took the number one slot this week in 1966 with “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Other top ten songs included “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (#2); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#3); “Cherish” by the Association (#4); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#5); “Walk Away Renee” by The Left Banke (#6); “Poor Side of Town” by Johnny Rivers (#7); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?” by Jimmy Ruffin (#8); “Dandy” by Herman’s Hermits (#9); and “See See Rider” by Eric Burdon and the Animals (#10).
After several months at the top of the album charts, the Beatles’ Revolver was supplanted by The Supremes A’ Go-Go, which pushed the Beatles down to second place, while Ray Conniff was knocked out of fourth place by The Mamas & the Papas’ eponymous first album. The Doctor Zhivago soundtrack and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass’s What Now My Love held on to third and fifth place in the charts. (While we tend to think of the mid60s as a prime era for rock and soul, albums that we would now classify as Easy Listening or Adult Contemporary continued to chart through the 1960s.)
And speaking of albums, two 1960s classics were released this week fifty years ago: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel and The Monkees by… well, you can figure it out. This was the third studio album for the folk-rock Simon & Garfunkel, generating such hits as “Homeward Bound,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” and the title song, while the Monkees’ album was their first LP, featuring such songs as “The Monkees Theme,” “I Wanna Be Free,” and “The Last Train To Clarksville”—plus a personal favorite of mine, the zany “Gonna Buy Me a Dog.”
This was also the week that ABC unveiled an unusual television experiment: a made-for-TV version of Brigadoon that included several songs that were cut from the 1954 theatrical film. Robert Goblet, Peter Falk, & Sally Ann Howes starred in the special, which was both a popular and a critical success; however, it aired only one other time, in 1967, before disappearing completely, and no one subsequently has been able to locate a complete copy in the network’s vaults.
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 10/3/1966 to 10/9/1966
West Rome took on further-west adversaries Coosa in their sixth game of the season—and they went into the game in a prime position, having not only posted an undefeated season thus far (two ties, three wins), but having left all five of their earlier adversaries scoreless! Coosa did prove tough enough to rack up a few points against the Chieftains, but it wasn’t enough, and West Rome won 40-6. Lane Brewer was chosen lineman of the week by the Rome News-Tribune for his performance in the game; Brewer was credited with 18 individual tackles; blocked an Eagles quick kick and ran it back to the one yard line, kicked two extra points and four fifty-plus yard kickoffs… quite an impressive evening for any player!
Floyd County Ordinary Harry Johnson had good things to say about Rome’s first voting machine election. Thanks to the ease of tabulation with machine-based elections, Rome’s first voting machine primary was totally tabulated by 9pm—just two hours after the polls closed. (Makes you wonder how it is that, with today’s super fast computers, it takes much longer for us to get the election returns…)
Beginning bridge, ballroom dancing, knitting, ceramics—these were just a few of the classes offered as a part of the YMCA’s “Learning for Living” program. Each class ran for eight weeks, meeting one evening a week for most classes (although the beginning bridge class met at 10am.)
The draft board announced implementation of a new Selective Service College Qualification Test to help determine whether draft registrants should be considered for educational draft deferments. Students could take the test only one time; anyone who scored below a predetermined level would not qualify for a college deferment. (Today, the draft seems like a custom from a different era, but it was just fifty years ago that many young men had to put their entire life plans on hold because of forced military service… and all too many young men never had the chance to resume those lives afterwards.)
Rome’s proposed $3.3 million dollar post office and federal building got approval from the Congressional Public Works, Buildings, and Ground Committees this week in 1966, which meant that it was one Congressional vote away from final approval. According to Seventh District Congressman John W. Davis, Congress almost always voted in favor of any proposals that cleared the committees, so the new facility was almost a done deal.
Rome set a record low temperature on the morning of October r3rd, coming in at 38 degrees. The cool weather continued for the remainder of the week, with highs and lows at least ten degrees below normal.
Piggly Wiggly had Wilson’s bacon for 69¢ a pound, lettuce for 19¢ a head, and Jello for a dime a pack. Kroger had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and tomatoes for 19¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, apples for 15¢ a pound, and peanuts for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, grapefruits for 13¢ each, and JFG coffee for 59¢ a pound. Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, corn for a dime an ear, and Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit.
The cinematic week began with a double feature of the James Bond films Dr. No and Goldfinger (starring Sean Connery) at both the DeSoto Theater and the West Rome Drive-In, and The Greatest Story Ever Told (with Max Von Sydow) at the First Avenue, The midweek switch out brought This Property Is Condemned (with Natalie Wood & Robert Redford) to the DeSoto Theatre, Lost Command (with Anthony Quinn) to the First Avenue, and That Tennessee Beat (with Minnie Pearl & Merle Travis) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Four Tops took number one this week in 1966 with “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Former number one “Cherish” by the Association dropped to second place. The other top ten songs for the week included “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#3); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkeys (#4); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#5); “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#6); “Walk Away Renee” by the Left Banke (#7); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?” by Jimmy Ruffin (#8); “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by the Four Seasons (#9); and “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#10).
The Tammy Grimes Show performed so badly that it was cancelled this week in 1966 after only four episodes; ABC filled the hole in their schedule with a prime-time version of The Dating Game, which earned more than ten times the number of viewers of the show it replaced.
THE Cat, the Robert Loggia TV series about a former cat burglar turned good guy who used his skills to assist those who needed more help than the law could offer, came to comics this week in 1966, thanks to the folks at Gold Key (Gold Key seemed to specialize in licensed property comics in the 1960s, bringing many films and television programs to the comics racks).
Floyd County Ordinary Harry Johnson had good things to say about Rome’s first voting machine election. Thanks to the ease of tabulation with machine-based elections, Rome’s first voting machine primary was totally tabulated by 9pm—just two hours after the polls closed. (Makes you wonder how it is that, with today’s super fast computers, it takes much longer for us to get the election returns…)
Beginning bridge, ballroom dancing, knitting, ceramics—these were just a few of the classes offered as a part of the YMCA’s “Learning for Living” program. Each class ran for eight weeks, meeting one evening a week for most classes (although the beginning bridge class met at 10am.)
The draft board announced implementation of a new Selective Service College Qualification Test to help determine whether draft registrants should be considered for educational draft deferments. Students could take the test only one time; anyone who scored below a predetermined level would not qualify for a college deferment. (Today, the draft seems like a custom from a different era, but it was just fifty years ago that many young men had to put their entire life plans on hold because of forced military service… and all too many young men never had the chance to resume those lives afterwards.)
Rome’s proposed $3.3 million dollar post office and federal building got approval from the Congressional Public Works, Buildings, and Ground Committees this week in 1966, which meant that it was one Congressional vote away from final approval. According to Seventh District Congressman John W. Davis, Congress almost always voted in favor of any proposals that cleared the committees, so the new facility was almost a done deal.
Rome set a record low temperature on the morning of October r3rd, coming in at 38 degrees. The cool weather continued for the remainder of the week, with highs and lows at least ten degrees below normal.
Piggly Wiggly had Wilson’s bacon for 69¢ a pound, lettuce for 19¢ a head, and Jello for a dime a pack. Kroger had round steak for 79¢ a pound, Blue Plate mayonnaise for 49¢ a quart, and tomatoes for 19¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, apples for 15¢ a pound, and peanuts for 39¢ a pound. Big Apple had smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, grapefruits for 13¢ each, and JFG coffee for 59¢ a pound. Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, corn for a dime an ear, and Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit.
The cinematic week began with a double feature of the James Bond films Dr. No and Goldfinger (starring Sean Connery) at both the DeSoto Theater and the West Rome Drive-In, and The Greatest Story Ever Told (with Max Von Sydow) at the First Avenue, The midweek switch out brought This Property Is Condemned (with Natalie Wood & Robert Redford) to the DeSoto Theatre, Lost Command (with Anthony Quinn) to the First Avenue, and That Tennessee Beat (with Minnie Pearl & Merle Travis) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Four Tops took number one this week in 1966 with “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” Former number one “Cherish” by the Association dropped to second place. The other top ten songs for the week included “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#3); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkeys (#4); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#5); “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#6); “Walk Away Renee” by the Left Banke (#7); “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?” by Jimmy Ruffin (#8); “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by the Four Seasons (#9); and “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#10).
The Tammy Grimes Show performed so badly that it was cancelled this week in 1966 after only four episodes; ABC filled the hole in their schedule with a prime-time version of The Dating Game, which earned more than ten times the number of viewers of the show it replaced.
THE Cat, the Robert Loggia TV series about a former cat burglar turned good guy who used his skills to assist those who needed more help than the law could offer, came to comics this week in 1966, thanks to the folks at Gold Key (Gold Key seemed to specialize in licensed property comics in the 1960s, bringing many films and television programs to the comics racks).
Friday, September 23, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/26/1966 to 10/2/1966
The Rome Downtown Development Authority unveiled its ambitious plans to renovate Rome’s downtown area—and we know now that not all of their proposals were implemented. Among other things, they wanted to widen East First Street (which parallels Broad Street), move through traffic in Rome to the newly widened street, and then restrict traffic on Broad Street to shopping traffic and pedestrian traffic only. Plans also called for more planters on Broad Street to beautify the area; the addition of more storefront awnings to make it easier for pedestrians to shop during rainy weather without getting soaked; and much stronger design guideline enforcement to maintain the appeal of the downtown area.
Darn those schools and their new-fangled ways!… Apparently “modern math” was so confounding to our parents back in the 1960s that the YMCA saw the need to add a class teaching parents what the heck this modern math was all about. Even more surprising--the class filled up and the Y had to look at offering a second session!
The Chieftains took on the Wills Tigers in a home game on Friday, September 30th. It’s hard to tell if the Tigers even showed up for the game, though, since West Rome won 49-0—one of the biggest routs in West Rome history. No Chieftains were named players of the week because no one had to play particularly well to beat the visiting team.
Bonnie Davis Chevrolet announced the Rome debut of Chevrolet’s new power car, the Camaro, this week in 1966. A 327 cu. in. 210 hp engine, dual brakes, hideaway headlights, a more luxurious interior with bucket seats and a console—Chevrolet was pushing the new Camaro as their “Mustang killer” with more comfort and features that Ford's pony car.
Piggly Wiggly had whole hams for 55¢ a pound, apples for 15¢ a pound, and Brachs’ chocolate covered cherries (a favorite at our house—especially the dark chocolate!) for 49¢ a box. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, Heinz pork & beans for 12¢ a can, and Georgia delicious apples for 15¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Wesson oil for 39¢ a 24-ounce bottle, and five pounds of Gold Medal flour for 59¢. Kroger had pork roast for 49¢ a pound, grapes for 13¢ a pound, and StarKist chunk tuna for 33¢ a can. Couch’s had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Coca-Cola for 99¢ a case (plus deposit), and lettuce for 19¢ a head.
The cinematic week began with How to Steal a Million (with Audrey Hepburn & Peter O’Toole) at both the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and Lord Love a Duck (with Roddy McDowell & Tuesday Weld) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought a double feature of Dr. No and Goldfinger (with the one and only true James Bond, Sean Connery) to both the DeSoto Theater and the West Rome Drive-In and The Greatest Story Ever Told (with Max Von Sydow) to the First Avenue. Apparently there were so few noteworthy new films that every screen was turned over to cinematic reruns!… Maybe the new 1966 TV season was even better than I remembered!
The Association held on to the number one position this week in 1966 with “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#2); “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#3); “Black Is Black” by Los Bravos (#4); “Beauty is Only Skin Deep” by the Temptations (#5); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#6); “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#7); “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#8); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#9); and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by the 4 Seasons (#10).
Jack Cole’s Golden Age elastic hero returned in DC Comics' Plastic Man #1, courtesy of Arnold Drake & Gil Kane. Kane’s fluid art style was a perfect fit for this light-hearted comic about a stretchable superhero. This was DC’s second whimsical superhero title, following up on the offbeat Inferior Five. Alas, neither was destined to last very long— Apparently readers weren't looking for super-silliness...
Darn those schools and their new-fangled ways!… Apparently “modern math” was so confounding to our parents back in the 1960s that the YMCA saw the need to add a class teaching parents what the heck this modern math was all about. Even more surprising--the class filled up and the Y had to look at offering a second session!
The Chieftains took on the Wills Tigers in a home game on Friday, September 30th. It’s hard to tell if the Tigers even showed up for the game, though, since West Rome won 49-0—one of the biggest routs in West Rome history. No Chieftains were named players of the week because no one had to play particularly well to beat the visiting team.
Bonnie Davis Chevrolet announced the Rome debut of Chevrolet’s new power car, the Camaro, this week in 1966. A 327 cu. in. 210 hp engine, dual brakes, hideaway headlights, a more luxurious interior with bucket seats and a console—Chevrolet was pushing the new Camaro as their “Mustang killer” with more comfort and features that Ford's pony car.
Piggly Wiggly had whole hams for 55¢ a pound, apples for 15¢ a pound, and Brachs’ chocolate covered cherries (a favorite at our house—especially the dark chocolate!) for 49¢ a box. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for a quarter a pound, Heinz pork & beans for 12¢ a can, and Georgia delicious apples for 15¢ a pound. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Wesson oil for 39¢ a 24-ounce bottle, and five pounds of Gold Medal flour for 59¢. Kroger had pork roast for 49¢ a pound, grapes for 13¢ a pound, and StarKist chunk tuna for 33¢ a can. Couch’s had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, Coca-Cola for 99¢ a case (plus deposit), and lettuce for 19¢ a head.
The cinematic week began with How to Steal a Million (with Audrey Hepburn & Peter O’Toole) at both the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In and Lord Love a Duck (with Roddy McDowell & Tuesday Weld) at the First Avenue. The midweek switch out brought a double feature of Dr. No and Goldfinger (with the one and only true James Bond, Sean Connery) to both the DeSoto Theater and the West Rome Drive-In and The Greatest Story Ever Told (with Max Von Sydow) to the First Avenue. Apparently there were so few noteworthy new films that every screen was turned over to cinematic reruns!… Maybe the new 1966 TV season was even better than I remembered!
The Association held on to the number one position this week in 1966 with “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#2); “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#3); “Black Is Black” by Los Bravos (#4); “Beauty is Only Skin Deep” by the Temptations (#5); “Last Train to Clarksville” by the Monkees (#6); “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#7); “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#8); “Psychotic Reaction” by Count Five (#9); and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” by the 4 Seasons (#10).
Jack Cole’s Golden Age elastic hero returned in DC Comics' Plastic Man #1, courtesy of Arnold Drake & Gil Kane. Kane’s fluid art style was a perfect fit for this light-hearted comic about a stretchable superhero. This was DC’s second whimsical superhero title, following up on the offbeat Inferior Five. Alas, neither was destined to last very long— Apparently readers weren't looking for super-silliness...
Friday, September 16, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/19/166 to 9/25/1966
This was Coosa Valley Fair week in 1966, with Tuesday being Children’s Day—which meant free admission for all kids and students. The fair was such a big thing in the 1960s that the Rome City School System gave students a half-day off (closing school after lunch) so that they could get to the fair early to take advantage of the reduced prices on all rides and shows before 6 pm. Atlanta Falcons Randy Johnson & Tommy Nobis were signing autographs at the fair on Monday; Officer Don made an appearance on Tuesday; the World’s Strongest Man Paul Anderson presented feats of strength on Wednesday; the Miss Coosa Valley Fair contest took place on Thursday; a fireworks display highlighted the Friday schedule; Bob Brandy did a special show from the fairgrounds on Saturday; and the West Rome Band ended the fair with a concert Saturday evening.
Growth in Rome—particularly in West Rome—was so strong that the Rome City School System was hurting for teachers, with almost two dozen positions unfilled as the first month of school came to an end. The school system was using substitute teachers, retired teachers, and temporary teachers to fill in until permanent staff could be found.
The Chieftains took on the LaFayette Ramblers on September 23rd; while LaFayette’s team was highly ranked, they proved no challenge for the Chiefs, who won the game 25-0. West Rome’s fullback Benny Padgett was chosen Back of the Week for his outstanding performance in the game; he ran the ball 18 times, was credited with 138 net yards, and scored one of West Rome’s touchdowns. As the Rome News-Tribune noted, “Padgett’s only competition for the Back of the Week was fellow Chieftain Roger Weaver, “who rushed for 196 yards and scored twice in the game,” the paper noted. “However, it was Padgett’s all-round play both on offense and defense that earned him the honor.”
An intrepid quartet of burglars broke into four locations on in the wee hours of Friday morning, September 23rd, including the Johnny Reb Food Store at 2209 Shorter Avenue. The burglars hammered their way through two different concrete block walls to break into Johnny Reb—a lot of work for about $50 worth of cigarettes! The four burglaries netted them less than $125 in cash, which seems like a pretty poor payoff for such ambitious criminals. By mid-day Friday, the police already had suspects in custody.
Piggly Wiggly had Coca-Cola, Tab, Sprite, or Fresca (their only four soft drinks fifty years ago!) for 99¢ a case plus deposit, chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, and four pounds of apples for 49¢. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, ten pounds of Domino sugar for 89¢, and cantaloupes for 33¢ each. Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Bailey’s Supreme coffee for 59¢ a pound, and bell peppers for a dime each. A&P had sirloin tip roast for 89¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 15¢ a pound, and a one-pound package of Oreos for 49¢. Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, 16 ounces of JFG peanut butter for 49¢, and Wesson Oil for 39¢ a half-gallon.
The cinematic week began with Butterfield 8 (with Elizabeth Taylor & Laurence Harvey) at the DeSoto Theater, The Oscar (with Steven Boyd, Elke Sommers, & Milton Berle) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of the Russ Meyer films Motor Psycho (with Haji) and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (with Tura Satana) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch-out brought How to Steal a Million (with Eli Wallach & Charles Boyer) to the DeSoto, The Man from UNCLE: One Spy Too Many (with Robert Vaughn & David McCallum) to the First Avenue, and How to Steal a Million (with Audrey Hepburn & Peter O’Toole) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Association held on to the number one slot for a second week with “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#2); “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” by The Temptations (#3); “Black is Black” by Los Bravos (#4); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#5); “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#6); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#7); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#8); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#9); and “Cherry Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#10).
Comics legend Jim Steranko made his Marvel Comics debut on the Nick Fury lead story in Strange Tales #151, on sale this week in 1966. While very little of the Steranko style was evident in that first issue, within a year he would become on of the most distinctive and influential artists in Marvel’s “second wave.” Meanwhile, in the pages of The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #97, the zany comedian met Batman, Robin, and the Joker in a silly tale by Arnold Drake and Bob Oskner.
Growth in Rome—particularly in West Rome—was so strong that the Rome City School System was hurting for teachers, with almost two dozen positions unfilled as the first month of school came to an end. The school system was using substitute teachers, retired teachers, and temporary teachers to fill in until permanent staff could be found.
The Chieftains took on the LaFayette Ramblers on September 23rd; while LaFayette’s team was highly ranked, they proved no challenge for the Chiefs, who won the game 25-0. West Rome’s fullback Benny Padgett was chosen Back of the Week for his outstanding performance in the game; he ran the ball 18 times, was credited with 138 net yards, and scored one of West Rome’s touchdowns. As the Rome News-Tribune noted, “Padgett’s only competition for the Back of the Week was fellow Chieftain Roger Weaver, “who rushed for 196 yards and scored twice in the game,” the paper noted. “However, it was Padgett’s all-round play both on offense and defense that earned him the honor.”
An intrepid quartet of burglars broke into four locations on in the wee hours of Friday morning, September 23rd, including the Johnny Reb Food Store at 2209 Shorter Avenue. The burglars hammered their way through two different concrete block walls to break into Johnny Reb—a lot of work for about $50 worth of cigarettes! The four burglaries netted them less than $125 in cash, which seems like a pretty poor payoff for such ambitious criminals. By mid-day Friday, the police already had suspects in custody.
Piggly Wiggly had Coca-Cola, Tab, Sprite, or Fresca (their only four soft drinks fifty years ago!) for 99¢ a case plus deposit, chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, and four pounds of apples for 49¢. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, ten pounds of Domino sugar for 89¢, and cantaloupes for 33¢ each. Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Bailey’s Supreme coffee for 59¢ a pound, and bell peppers for a dime each. A&P had sirloin tip roast for 89¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 15¢ a pound, and a one-pound package of Oreos for 49¢. Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, 16 ounces of JFG peanut butter for 49¢, and Wesson Oil for 39¢ a half-gallon.
The cinematic week began with Butterfield 8 (with Elizabeth Taylor & Laurence Harvey) at the DeSoto Theater, The Oscar (with Steven Boyd, Elke Sommers, & Milton Berle) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of the Russ Meyer films Motor Psycho (with Haji) and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (with Tura Satana) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch-out brought How to Steal a Million (with Eli Wallach & Charles Boyer) to the DeSoto, The Man from UNCLE: One Spy Too Many (with Robert Vaughn & David McCallum) to the First Avenue, and How to Steal a Million (with Audrey Hepburn & Peter O’Toole) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Association held on to the number one slot for a second week with “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#2); “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” by The Temptations (#3); “Black is Black” by Los Bravos (#4); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#5); “96 Tears” by ? & the Mysterians (#6); “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#7); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#8); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#9); and “Cherry Cherry” by Neil Diamond (#10).
Comics legend Jim Steranko made his Marvel Comics debut on the Nick Fury lead story in Strange Tales #151, on sale this week in 1966. While very little of the Steranko style was evident in that first issue, within a year he would become on of the most distinctive and influential artists in Marvel’s “second wave.” Meanwhile, in the pages of The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #97, the zany comedian met Batman, Robin, and the Joker in a silly tale by Arnold Drake and Bob Oskner.
Friday, September 09, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/12/1966 to 9/18/1966
Georgia primaries were held on Tuesday, September 13th, and the surprise winner in Rome and Floyd County was the relatively unknown Jimmy Carter from Plains, Georgia, who handily trounced former Governor Ellis Arnall, Atlanta businessman Lester Maddox, and Albany publisher James Gray in the local primary. (The election would go on to be a hard-fought one, with Arnall and Maddox the top two vote-getters statewide, thus making it to a runoff primary election which Maddox handily won.)
After a warm summer, the first signs of fall made their presence in Rome this week in 1966, as temperatures slipped to the mid-70s for highs and the mid and upper 50s for lows.
The management of the Coosa Valley Fair announced plans for a special amateur “hullabaloo and discotheque contest” slated for Monday, September 19th—but any interested local bands had to submit their applications this week in 1966. Rome’s fair-runners also announced a number of scheduled guests for the fair, including Atlanta Falcons Randy Johnson & Tommy Nobis, “the world’s strongest man” Paul Anderson, and WSB Popeye Club host Officer Don (Don Kennedy).
The Chieftains took on the Carrollton Trojans at home on Friday, September 16th—and for the second time in the season, they played to a scoreless tie. Because their one win for the season was against their only Region 6-AA opponent they had thus far played, they were still 1-0 in region play. Roger Weaver’s outstanding performance in the first three games made him the number two ranked rusher in the region.
Ready for a retro kitchen flashback? Ads in the Rome News-Tribune this week in 1966 promoted the two “exciting new kitchen colors” for appliances and decor: Harvest Gold and Avocado. These colors joined Coppertone, which was added a few years earlier, as the “in” colors for trendy kitchens.
Piggly Wiggly had t-bone steak for 89¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 39¢ each, and bananas for a dime a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 39¢ a pound; white seedless grapes for 15¢ a pound; and Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit. A&P had smoke ham for 49¢ a pound, potatoes for 12¢ a pound, and Eight O’Clock Coffee for 69¢ a pound. Big Apple had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, peaches for a 19¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Couch’s had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, Banquet ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and sweet potatoes for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Walk Don’t Run (with Cary Grant & Samantha Eggar) at the DeSoto Theatre, Once a Thief (with Alain Delon & Ann-Margret) at the First Avenue, and The Russians Are Coming (with Carl Reiner & Eva Marie Saint) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Butterfield 8 (with Elizabeth Taylor & Laurence Harvey) to the DeSoto, Marco the Magnificent (with Anthony Quinn) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of the Russ Meyer films Motor Psycho (with Haji—whoever he was) and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (with Tura Satana) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Association climbed to first place on the Top Ten this week in 1966 with their harmony-laden hit “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#2); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#3); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#4); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#5); “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” by The Temptations (#6); “Black Is Black” by Los Bravos” (#7); “96 Tears” by “? & the Mysterians (#8); “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” by the Beach Boys (#10); and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#10).
This was the week that The Monkees made its premiere on NBC; the half-hour musical comedy, inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Days Night, would propel the pre-fab four to musical stardom—and impressively, the four (Mike Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork) would go on to become significant musical talents in their own right. (And in case you missed it, they’re still recording: the Monkees released a superb new album, Good Times, earlier this year, featuring contributions from all four original Monkees, including a track by the late Davy Jones.)
Other shows that premiered this week in 1966 included Family Affair (September 12th on CBS), The Rat Patrol (ABC on September 12th); The Girl from UNCLE (NBC on September 13th), and Mission: Impossible (CBS on September 17th).
After a warm summer, the first signs of fall made their presence in Rome this week in 1966, as temperatures slipped to the mid-70s for highs and the mid and upper 50s for lows.
The management of the Coosa Valley Fair announced plans for a special amateur “hullabaloo and discotheque contest” slated for Monday, September 19th—but any interested local bands had to submit their applications this week in 1966. Rome’s fair-runners also announced a number of scheduled guests for the fair, including Atlanta Falcons Randy Johnson & Tommy Nobis, “the world’s strongest man” Paul Anderson, and WSB Popeye Club host Officer Don (Don Kennedy).
The Chieftains took on the Carrollton Trojans at home on Friday, September 16th—and for the second time in the season, they played to a scoreless tie. Because their one win for the season was against their only Region 6-AA opponent they had thus far played, they were still 1-0 in region play. Roger Weaver’s outstanding performance in the first three games made him the number two ranked rusher in the region.
Ready for a retro kitchen flashback? Ads in the Rome News-Tribune this week in 1966 promoted the two “exciting new kitchen colors” for appliances and decor: Harvest Gold and Avocado. These colors joined Coppertone, which was added a few years earlier, as the “in” colors for trendy kitchens.Piggly Wiggly had t-bone steak for 89¢ a pound, cantaloupes for 39¢ each, and bananas for a dime a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 39¢ a pound; white seedless grapes for 15¢ a pound; and Coca-Cola, Tab, or Sprite for 99¢ a case plus deposit. A&P had smoke ham for 49¢ a pound, potatoes for 12¢ a pound, and Eight O’Clock Coffee for 69¢ a pound. Big Apple had ground beef for 39¢ a pound, peaches for a 19¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Couch’s had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, Banquet ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and sweet potatoes for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Walk Don’t Run (with Cary Grant & Samantha Eggar) at the DeSoto Theatre, Once a Thief (with Alain Delon & Ann-Margret) at the First Avenue, and The Russians Are Coming (with Carl Reiner & Eva Marie Saint) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Butterfield 8 (with Elizabeth Taylor & Laurence Harvey) to the DeSoto, Marco the Magnificent (with Anthony Quinn) to the First Avenue, and a double feature of the Russ Meyer films Motor Psycho (with Haji—whoever he was) and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (with Tura Satana) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Association climbed to first place on the Top Ten this week in 1966 with their harmony-laden hit “Cherish.” Other top ten hits included “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes (#2); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#3); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#4); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#5); “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” by The Temptations (#6); “Black Is Black” by Los Bravos” (#7); “96 Tears” by “? & the Mysterians (#8); “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” by the Beach Boys (#10); and “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by the Four Tops (#10).
This was the week that The Monkees made its premiere on NBC; the half-hour musical comedy, inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Days Night, would propel the pre-fab four to musical stardom—and impressively, the four (Mike Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork) would go on to become significant musical talents in their own right. (And in case you missed it, they’re still recording: the Monkees released a superb new album, Good Times, earlier this year, featuring contributions from all four original Monkees, including a track by the late Davy Jones.)
Other shows that premiered this week in 1966 included Family Affair (September 12th on CBS), The Rat Patrol (ABC on September 12th); The Girl from UNCLE (NBC on September 13th), and Mission: Impossible (CBS on September 17th).
Friday, September 02, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/5/1966 to 9/11/1966
The statistics involving school integration were made public this week in 1966. One white teacher transferred to previously-all-black Main High School; two black teachers transferred to West Rome High School. Sixty black students transferred to West Rome High.(According to the paper, not a single student chose to transfer to Main High School.) The Rome City School System reported no problems related to integration.
West Rome trampled over Chattanooga, racking up a 26-0 win on Friday night, September 9th, led by the outstanding running of Roger Weaver, who gained 204 yards in 18 carries, including one 59-yard touchdown run; Weaver also set up another touchdown with a 46-yard run. “Roger did a great job, ran exactly the way a coach likes to see his boys run,” Coach Paul Kennedy said. “He had great second effort on a couple of runs, especially on the touchdown. Why, he was hit at the line of scrimmage, but came roaring back and the result was six points!”
Congress approved Rome’s proposed new federal building this week in 1966; the new 89,000 squad foot facility, a combination post office and federal building, was estimated at $3 million. Once constructed, all federal offices and the post office would move out of its location 4th Avenue/East First Street location (a block of Broad Street), where federal offices had been located since its construction in 1896.
At their September 6th meeting, the Rome City Commission received its first bids for a Rome cable TV system. Several local companies, led by Rome Antenna, attended the meeting to protest the plan, saying it put the city in direct competition with private enterprises that specialized in antenna sales, manufacturing, and installation, but the City Commission refused to respond to those concerns.
Piggly Wiggly had Maxwell House Coffee for 59¢ a pound, Blue Plate mayonnaise for 59¢ a quart, and ground beef for 49¢ a pound. Kroger had smoke picnic ham for 39¢ a pound, eggs for 45¢ a dozen, and Country Club ice cream for 47¢ a half-gallon. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and iceberg lettuce for a quarter a head. Big Apple had pork steak for 69¢ a pound, a two-pound jar of Lenox Park peanut butter for 79¢, and a two-pound package of the brand-new Blue Bonnet margarine (Their jingle is indelibly burned into my brain: “Everything’s better with Blue Bonnet on it…”) for 49¢. Couch’s had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Bama apple jelly for 19¢ a jar (and the jar could be used as a drinking glass after you had eaten all the jelly!), and Double Cola for 69¢ a case (plus deposit).
The cinematic week began with What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (with James Coburn & Dick Shawn) at the DeSoto Theater and Batman (with Adam West & Burt Ward) at both the First Avenue Theater and the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switch out brought Walk, Don’t Run (with Cary Grant & Samantha Eggar) to the Desoto Theater; The Tenth Victim (with Marcello Mastroianni & Ursula Andress) to the First Avenue; and a double feature of Situation Hopeless (with Alec Guiness in his pre-Star Wars days) and Slender Thread (with Sidney Poitier) at the West Rome Drive In.
The Supremes held on to the number one slot this week in 1966 with “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Other top ten hits included “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#2); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#3); “See You in September” by the Happenings (#4); “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful (#5); “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett (#6); “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb (#7); “Workin in the Coal Mine” by Lee Dorsey (#8); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#9); and “Guantanamera” by the Sandpipers (#10).
TV viewers boldly went where no viewer had gone before when Star Trek debuted on September 8th, 1966; other debuts for the week included That Girl (9/8/66), Tarzan (9/8/66), The Green Hornet (9/9/66), and The Time Tunnel (9/9/66). That’s quite a week for fans of superheroes and science fiction (and Marlo Thomas)! That Girl would ultimately run for five seasons on ABC, Star Trek would last for three seasons on NBC; Tarzan for two seasons on NBC, while both Green Hornet and The Time Tunnel hung around for only one season.
West Rome trampled over Chattanooga, racking up a 26-0 win on Friday night, September 9th, led by the outstanding running of Roger Weaver, who gained 204 yards in 18 carries, including one 59-yard touchdown run; Weaver also set up another touchdown with a 46-yard run. “Roger did a great job, ran exactly the way a coach likes to see his boys run,” Coach Paul Kennedy said. “He had great second effort on a couple of runs, especially on the touchdown. Why, he was hit at the line of scrimmage, but came roaring back and the result was six points!”
Congress approved Rome’s proposed new federal building this week in 1966; the new 89,000 squad foot facility, a combination post office and federal building, was estimated at $3 million. Once constructed, all federal offices and the post office would move out of its location 4th Avenue/East First Street location (a block of Broad Street), where federal offices had been located since its construction in 1896.
At their September 6th meeting, the Rome City Commission received its first bids for a Rome cable TV system. Several local companies, led by Rome Antenna, attended the meeting to protest the plan, saying it put the city in direct competition with private enterprises that specialized in antenna sales, manufacturing, and installation, but the City Commission refused to respond to those concerns.
Piggly Wiggly had Maxwell House Coffee for 59¢ a pound, Blue Plate mayonnaise for 59¢ a quart, and ground beef for 49¢ a pound. Kroger had smoke picnic ham for 39¢ a pound, eggs for 45¢ a dozen, and Country Club ice cream for 47¢ a half-gallon. A&P had chuck roast for 39¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and iceberg lettuce for a quarter a head. Big Apple had pork steak for 69¢ a pound, a two-pound jar of Lenox Park peanut butter for 79¢, and a two-pound package of the brand-new Blue Bonnet margarine (Their jingle is indelibly burned into my brain: “Everything’s better with Blue Bonnet on it…”) for 49¢. Couch’s had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Bama apple jelly for 19¢ a jar (and the jar could be used as a drinking glass after you had eaten all the jelly!), and Double Cola for 69¢ a case (plus deposit).
The Supremes held on to the number one slot this week in 1966 with “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Other top ten hits included “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#2); “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#3); “See You in September” by the Happenings (#4); “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful (#5); “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett (#6); “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb (#7); “Workin in the Coal Mine” by Lee Dorsey (#8); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#9); and “Guantanamera” by the Sandpipers (#10).
TV viewers boldly went where no viewer had gone before when Star Trek debuted on September 8th, 1966; other debuts for the week included That Girl (9/8/66), Tarzan (9/8/66), The Green Hornet (9/9/66), and The Time Tunnel (9/9/66). That’s quite a week for fans of superheroes and science fiction (and Marlo Thomas)! That Girl would ultimately run for five seasons on ABC, Star Trek would last for three seasons on NBC; Tarzan for two seasons on NBC, while both Green Hornet and The Time Tunnel hung around for only one season.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 8/29/1966 to 9/4/1966
Forget what the calendar said: West Rome students knew that summer was definitely over as of August 29th, because they were sitting in a desk inside a classroom at the old alma mater (along with almost 6400 hundred other students at various other schools in the Rome City system). And of course, right on schedule, the temperature climbed to almost 90 degrees for the first day of school—and as uncomfortable as 90 degrees is today, it was even moreso in 1966, since West Rome had no air conditioning.
Rome got its first voting machines this week in 1966, setting up a demonstration machine at the county courthouse and another at the municipal auditorium so that interested citizens could come by and familiarize themselves with the new machines prior to the November elections. These weren’t computerized machines; instead, they simply used an automated punch system to mark the ballot (which would eventually give birth to the “hanging chad” phenomenon of the 2000 election).
West Rome’s football season was already facing challenges this week in 1966. Even before the first game. Starting quarterback Jimmy Culberson, who was injured during drills, came off the injured list for one day, only to be put on the sick list the next day because of a severe respiratory infection. This forced Coach Paul Kennedy to move Greg Quinton (who was previously known for his performance as a corner linebacker) to the quarterback position. “We were trying to get two teams ready to play against Dalton,” Coach Kennedy said, “but we’ve thrown that plan out the window and now we hope to get one team ready.” Coach Kennedy had high hopes for Friday’s season opener against Dalton, mentioning the impressive running of Roger Weaver.
In spite of the team's challenges, West Rome managed to avoid a defeat—but they didn’t rack up a victory, either Instead, they played Dalton to a 0-0 tie on Friday Night, September 2nd. While the Chieftains didn’t manage to score, Coach Kennedy said that he was nevertheless quite impressed with the running of Roger Weaver and Johnny Rimes.
West Rome graduates looking for a job in Rome were undoubtedly happy to hear that United Parcel Service was hiring for their new operation in Georgia. UPS announced plans to open a Rome facility, and they were offering $2.50 per hour starting pay, with a raise to $2.70 an hour after 90 days, with no prior delivery experience needed. (Remember that the inflation multiplier is 7.43, so the starting salary that UPS was offering for new drivers would equal about $18.50 an hour today.) Oh, what a different a robust economy and very low unemployment made insofar as competitive wages were concerned!...
Underscoring how different things were a half-century ago: the first bale of cotton for the 1966 season arrived on the Rome market on Tuesday, August 30th, and it was such a big deal that it actually earned a story on the main local news page of the Rome News-Tribune. The bale was grown in Horton, Alabama, ginned in Centre Alabama, weighed 510 pounds, grown from Carolina Queen cotton seed, and was received at the Georgia Alabama Warehouse on East Fourth Street, where it went up for auction on Saturday morning, September 3rd. Can you imagine anyone today dedicating this level of attention to the arrival and sale of a bale of cotton?
Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 69¢ a pound, tomatoes for a quarter a pound, and Sealtest sherbet for 39¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had Butterball turkeys for 39¢ a pound, Chase & Sunburn coffee for 69¢ a pound, and bananas for a dime a pound. A&P had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and Poss’s beef stew for 53¢ a can. Big Apple had spare ribs for 39¢ a pound, corn for 6¢ an ear, and Coca-Cola or Tab or Sprite for 29¢ a six-pack (plus deposit). Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, squash for a dime a pound, and Double-Cola for 69¢ a case (plus deposit).
The cinematic week began with The Glass Bottom Boat (with Doris Day & Rod Taylor) at the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In, and Emil & the Detective (with Walter Slezak) at the First Avenue Theatre. The midweek switch out brought What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (with James Coburn & Dick Shawn) to the DeSoto Theatre, Born Free (the wonderful lion movie with Virginia McKenna & Bill Travers) to the First Avenue, and Sergeants Three (with Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Supremes took the number one slot this week in 1966 with “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Other top ten hits included “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#2); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#3); “See You in September” by the Happenings (#4); “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful (#5); “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett (#6); “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb (#7); “Workin in the Coal Mine” by Lee Dorsey (#8); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#9); and “Guantanamera” by the Sandpipers (#10). (I can never hear that song without remembering the musical spoof “One Ton Tomato.”)
Rock had yet to take control of the album charts, however: The Beatles’ Revolver was the best-selling album this week in 1966, but the next four slots were held by the Doctor Zhivago soundtrack (#2); What Now My Love by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#2); Somewhere My Love by Ray Conniff (#4); and The Sound of Music soundtrack (#5).
And on the other side of the country, The Beatles performed their last concert (unless you want to count a rooftop performance on the Apple building that was filmed for their Let It Be documentary) on August 29th, 1966, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Steve Ditko, who had left Amazing Spider-Man and Marvel Comics a few months earlier, introduced a new hero with some very Spidey-esque moves this week in 1966 in the pages of Captain Atom #83. Ditko’s Blue Beetle was nothing like the Blue Beetle who had appeared in years past; this character, clad in a distinctive costume redesigned by Ditko, was a successful inventor with all sorts of gadgets, including a high-tech flying Beetle aircraft that he referred to as “Bug.” While he wisecracked like Spider-Man, Ted Kord lacked the angst that defined Peter Parker.
Rome got its first voting machines this week in 1966, setting up a demonstration machine at the county courthouse and another at the municipal auditorium so that interested citizens could come by and familiarize themselves with the new machines prior to the November elections. These weren’t computerized machines; instead, they simply used an automated punch system to mark the ballot (which would eventually give birth to the “hanging chad” phenomenon of the 2000 election).
West Rome’s football season was already facing challenges this week in 1966. Even before the first game. Starting quarterback Jimmy Culberson, who was injured during drills, came off the injured list for one day, only to be put on the sick list the next day because of a severe respiratory infection. This forced Coach Paul Kennedy to move Greg Quinton (who was previously known for his performance as a corner linebacker) to the quarterback position. “We were trying to get two teams ready to play against Dalton,” Coach Kennedy said, “but we’ve thrown that plan out the window and now we hope to get one team ready.” Coach Kennedy had high hopes for Friday’s season opener against Dalton, mentioning the impressive running of Roger Weaver.
In spite of the team's challenges, West Rome managed to avoid a defeat—but they didn’t rack up a victory, either Instead, they played Dalton to a 0-0 tie on Friday Night, September 2nd. While the Chieftains didn’t manage to score, Coach Kennedy said that he was nevertheless quite impressed with the running of Roger Weaver and Johnny Rimes.
West Rome graduates looking for a job in Rome were undoubtedly happy to hear that United Parcel Service was hiring for their new operation in Georgia. UPS announced plans to open a Rome facility, and they were offering $2.50 per hour starting pay, with a raise to $2.70 an hour after 90 days, with no prior delivery experience needed. (Remember that the inflation multiplier is 7.43, so the starting salary that UPS was offering for new drivers would equal about $18.50 an hour today.) Oh, what a different a robust economy and very low unemployment made insofar as competitive wages were concerned!...
Underscoring how different things were a half-century ago: the first bale of cotton for the 1966 season arrived on the Rome market on Tuesday, August 30th, and it was such a big deal that it actually earned a story on the main local news page of the Rome News-Tribune. The bale was grown in Horton, Alabama, ginned in Centre Alabama, weighed 510 pounds, grown from Carolina Queen cotton seed, and was received at the Georgia Alabama Warehouse on East Fourth Street, where it went up for auction on Saturday morning, September 3rd. Can you imagine anyone today dedicating this level of attention to the arrival and sale of a bale of cotton?
Piggly Wiggly had ground chuck for 69¢ a pound, tomatoes for a quarter a pound, and Sealtest sherbet for 39¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had Butterball turkeys for 39¢ a pound, Chase & Sunburn coffee for 69¢ a pound, and bananas for a dime a pound. A&P had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, seedless grapes for 19¢ a pound, and Poss’s beef stew for 53¢ a can. Big Apple had spare ribs for 39¢ a pound, corn for 6¢ an ear, and Coca-Cola or Tab or Sprite for 29¢ a six-pack (plus deposit). Couch’s had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, squash for a dime a pound, and Double-Cola for 69¢ a case (plus deposit).
The cinematic week began with The Glass Bottom Boat (with Doris Day & Rod Taylor) at the DeSoto Theatre and the West Rome Drive-In, and Emil & the Detective (with Walter Slezak) at the First Avenue Theatre. The midweek switch out brought What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (with James Coburn & Dick Shawn) to the DeSoto Theatre, Born Free (the wonderful lion movie with Virginia McKenna & Bill Travers) to the First Avenue, and Sergeants Three (with Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin) at the West Rome Drive-In.
The Supremes took the number one slot this week in 1966 with “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Other top ten hits included “Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (#2); “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles (#3); “See You in September” by the Happenings (#4); “Summer in the City” by the Lovin’ Spoonful (#5); “Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett (#6); “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb (#7); “Workin in the Coal Mine” by Lee Dorsey (#8); “Bus Stop” by the Hollies (#9); and “Guantanamera” by the Sandpipers (#10). (I can never hear that song without remembering the musical spoof “One Ton Tomato.”)
Rock had yet to take control of the album charts, however: The Beatles’ Revolver was the best-selling album this week in 1966, but the next four slots were held by the Doctor Zhivago soundtrack (#2); What Now My Love by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (#2); Somewhere My Love by Ray Conniff (#4); and The Sound of Music soundtrack (#5).
And on the other side of the country, The Beatles performed their last concert (unless you want to count a rooftop performance on the Apple building that was filmed for their Let It Be documentary) on August 29th, 1966, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Steve Ditko, who had left Amazing Spider-Man and Marvel Comics a few months earlier, introduced a new hero with some very Spidey-esque moves this week in 1966 in the pages of Captain Atom #83. Ditko’s Blue Beetle was nothing like the Blue Beetle who had appeared in years past; this character, clad in a distinctive costume redesigned by Ditko, was a successful inventor with all sorts of gadgets, including a high-tech flying Beetle aircraft that he referred to as “Bug.” While he wisecracked like Spider-Man, Ted Kord lacked the angst that defined Peter Parker.
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