Rome City Schools Superintendent Milton S. McDonald confirmed that on Monday, September 22nd, he receive a phone call from a representative of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare confirming that Rome's 1969-1970 desegregation plan had been accepted and the system would get its full federal funding. McDonald pointed out, though, that this news was supposed to have been shared with the school system in late July or early August; when they heard nothing, they began implementing cuts to educational programs and staff due to the expected absence of federal funds. Now that the money was forthcoming (including retroactive funds for August and September), McDonald said that the system would look at the feasibility of restoring programs that had been cut, but he warned that some of the staff who had been let go had already found jobs in other systems, so it might not be possible to restart all cut programs. McDonald also said that the school system's 1970-1971 desegregation plans, which had previously been approved by HEW, were now being designated as problematic and there might be another federal funding issue for the next school year. The plans called for the total elimination of Main High by the 1970-1971 school year, with all students attending either West Rome or East Rome, along with the construction of two new junior high schools large enough to handle a fully desegregated student body. McDonald said that he had no idea what part of the previously-accepted proposal was now seen as problematic.
Georgia Kraft, Georgia Power, Celanese, and Klopman Mills stepped up to sponsor the four Junior Achievement companies set up to teach Rome and Floyd County students the ins and outs of the free enterprise system. Georgia Kraft's student-runs company planned to offer storage containers; Klopman's student-run company, peg games and fire accessories; Georgia Power's, coasters and magnetic bulletin boards; and Klopman's, novelty photograph holders. Student participants were expected to sell stock in their companies to raise operating capital, and then to sell the products once manufacturing was completed.
US Plywood acquired Trend Mills this week in 1969. Trend and US Plywood assured Romans that they had no plans to cut any jobs, and in fact were looking to expand operations in late 1969 and again in 1970.
West Rome's Chatman brothers--Fred, Jimmy, Joseph, and Dennis--were the focus of a feature article on September 24th. Fred and Jimmy played on the varsity football team, while Joseph and Dennis were members of the freshman team. "I don't think we've ever had this many brothers in our program at one time," head coach Nick Hyder said. "They're all really good boys and certainly will help us."
West Rome took on Chattooga in a region game on Friday, September 26th, at Barron Stadium. This would be West Rome's first home game of the season. The Chieftains thrilled the home fans with a 21-0 victory, giving the Chattooga Indians their first loss of the season for the second year in a row. John Sapp scored all three of West Rome's touchdowns, while Henry Studyvent was the Chieftains' top gainer, powering his way to 109 yards rushing. Mark Brewer added three of the team's twenty-one points with a fourth quarter field goal.
Dodge unveiled its 1970 Challenger this week in 1969, promoting it as "the only new entry in the spots compact field... designed to compete with the pony cars." Of course, by today's standard, it doesn't seem very compact at all, but the 60s were a different automotive time...
Piggly Wiggly had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound; four pounds of golden delicious apples for 49¢; and a six pack of Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite in new no-deposit cans for 59¢ (which was almost 20¢ more than the cost of the bottles, so even if you paid the deposit and never took the bottles back, you'd still save 15% over the cost of the cans!). A&P had beef loin for 89¢ a pound, Cool Whip for 59¢ a tub, and Bartlett pears for 19¢ a pound. Kroger had ground beef for 53¢ a pound in chub packs (even the name makes the product sound fatty, doesn't it?), Morton cream pies for 28¢, and bananas fr 15¢ a pound. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 89¢ a pound, Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon, and JFG coffee for 59¢ a pound. Couch's had young hen turkeys for 43¢ a pound, Bama peanut butter for 39¢ a jar, and sweet potatoes for 12¢ a pound.
The cinematic week began with The Maltese Bippy (starring Laugh-In's Dan Rowan and Dick Martin) at the DeSoto Theatre, Inga (an X-rated film with no recognizable stars) at the First Avenue, Young Billy Young (starring Robert Mitchum) at the Village Theatre, and Around the World in 80 Days (an oldie starring David Niven) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switch out brought The Italian Job (starring Michael Caine) to the DeSoto, Midnight Cowboy (another X-rated film, but this one a major Hollywood release starring John Voigt and Dustin Hoffman that would go on to win Academy Awards) to the First Avenue, Pop! (starring Alan Arkin) to the Village, and a double feature of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly and Hang 'Em High (a pair of spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Archies held on to number one for a third week with "Sugar, Sugar." Other top ten hits included "Jean" by Oliver (#2); "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman (#3); "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (#4); "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations (#5); "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones (#6); "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#7); "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson (#8); "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly & The Family Stone (#9); and "Oh, What a Night" by the Dells (#10).
The Beatles released their magnum opus, Abbey Road, this week in 1969. You have to feel a little sorry for the Guess Who, Al Stewart, Love, the Vanilla Fudge, Savoy Brown, and the Bob Seger System, all of whom also released albums this week only to be totally overshadowed by the most brilliant album of the Beatles' musical career.
The new TV season continued to roll out this week in 1969, with Marcus Welby MD, Medical Center, and The Brady Bunch all premiering (on ABC, CBS, and ABC respectively).
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome: 9/15/1969 to 9/21/1969
Debbie Beard represented West Rome High School at the Miss Floyd County contest held at the Coosa Valley Fair, which took place this week in 1969. In addition to its many rides and contests, the fair also hosted a concert by the Ink Spots on Tuesday, September 16th; a concert by Marty Robbins on Friday, September 19th; and an appearance by Quacky the Clown (no, I've never heard of him, either) n Thursday, September 18th.. The West Rome Band also performed a concert on Thursday, September 18th in the special events arena.
Paula Lane was chosen as West Rome's semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Lane actually finished high school in three years; while at the school, she was a member of the national Honor Society, the Tri Hi Y, the Drama Club, the Watanyah (yearbook) staff, and the newspaper staff.
West Rome lost to the Carrollton Trojans 14-7 on Friday night, September 19th. The Chieftains nearly tied the game when Henry Studyvent rand the ball to the one yard line as the clock ticked down; West Rome tried to quickly start the next play and throw an incomplete pass to stop the clock, but the official ruled that the clock had run out before the incomplete pass hit the ground.
After the Rome City School System drew up a contingency budget with teacher cuts to compensate for the loss of federal funding, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare reversed course and announced on September 17th that they would allocate funds for the school system after all, since they were convinced that the system was making all necessary progress towards total desegregation of the city schools. "It's just amazing," Superintendent Milton S McDonald said. "It's hard to believe that they could be so adamant, and then just turn everything around.
We think that stores rush the Christmas season nowadays, but this week in 1969 Kress Department Store opened their Christmas Toyland for early shopping and Christmas layaways. Meanwhile, Economy Auto announced that they had received their first shipments of the new 24" Philco color TV for $448 each; this was the largest TV made in the US, 1" larger diagonally than the previous largest TV.
Julian Harrison Ford held a special event on Thursday night, September 18th, to unveil the new 1970 Fords. (The cars must have looked pretty impressive, since Susan--who I had just begun dating in the fall of 1969--ended up ordering a 1970 Mustang Mach I as her first car. Appearances were deceiving, though, as it turned out to be the most unreliable car that either of us would ever own; she kept it until 1973, when she traded it in for a semi-automatic VW Beetle.)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 83¢ a pound, honeydew melons for 69¢ each, and Double Cola for 19¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had Swiss steak for 75¢ a pound, yellow corn for 8¢ an ear, and Eight O'Clock coffee for 59¢ a pound. Kroger had ground chuck for 53¢ a pound, tomatoes for 17¢ a pound, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 23¢ a carton plus deposit. Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 79¢ a pound, Dole pineapple for 25¢ a can, and Parkay margarine for 19¢ a pound. Couch's had lamb roast for 49¢ a pound, Bama peanut butter for 39¢ a jar, and Chef Boy-Ar-Di spaghetti & meatballs for 29¢ a can.
The cinematic week began with Chairman (starring Gregory Peck) at the DeSoto Theatre, McKenna's Gold (starring Omar Sharif) at the First Avenue, Shoes of the Fisherman (starring Anthony Quinn) at the Village, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought The Maltese Bippy (starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin) to the DeSoto Theatre, Inga (an X-rated film, believe it or not!) to the First Avenue, and Bridge at Remagen (starring William Holden) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Shoes of the Fisherman continued to hook theatre-goers at the Village.
The Archies (actually, Ron Dante, who was the voice of the Archies on their recordings) took number one for a second week with "Sugar, Sugar." Other top ten hits included "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2); "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones (#3); "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (#4); "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman (#5); "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations (#6); "Jean" by Oliver (#7); "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" by Tom Jones (#8); "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly & the Family Stone (#9); and "Oh, What a Night" by the Dells (#10).
A pair of fondly rememberedTV series debuted this week in 1969, including Room 222 (September 17th) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father (September 17th).
Paula Lane was chosen as West Rome's semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Lane actually finished high school in three years; while at the school, she was a member of the national Honor Society, the Tri Hi Y, the Drama Club, the Watanyah (yearbook) staff, and the newspaper staff.
West Rome lost to the Carrollton Trojans 14-7 on Friday night, September 19th. The Chieftains nearly tied the game when Henry Studyvent rand the ball to the one yard line as the clock ticked down; West Rome tried to quickly start the next play and throw an incomplete pass to stop the clock, but the official ruled that the clock had run out before the incomplete pass hit the ground.
After the Rome City School System drew up a contingency budget with teacher cuts to compensate for the loss of federal funding, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare reversed course and announced on September 17th that they would allocate funds for the school system after all, since they were convinced that the system was making all necessary progress towards total desegregation of the city schools. "It's just amazing," Superintendent Milton S McDonald said. "It's hard to believe that they could be so adamant, and then just turn everything around.
We think that stores rush the Christmas season nowadays, but this week in 1969 Kress Department Store opened their Christmas Toyland for early shopping and Christmas layaways. Meanwhile, Economy Auto announced that they had received their first shipments of the new 24" Philco color TV for $448 each; this was the largest TV made in the US, 1" larger diagonally than the previous largest TV.
Julian Harrison Ford held a special event on Thursday night, September 18th, to unveil the new 1970 Fords. (The cars must have looked pretty impressive, since Susan--who I had just begun dating in the fall of 1969--ended up ordering a 1970 Mustang Mach I as her first car. Appearances were deceiving, though, as it turned out to be the most unreliable car that either of us would ever own; she kept it until 1973, when she traded it in for a semi-automatic VW Beetle.)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 83¢ a pound, honeydew melons for 69¢ each, and Double Cola for 19¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had Swiss steak for 75¢ a pound, yellow corn for 8¢ an ear, and Eight O'Clock coffee for 59¢ a pound. Kroger had ground chuck for 53¢ a pound, tomatoes for 17¢ a pound, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 23¢ a carton plus deposit. Big Apple had center cut pork chops for 79¢ a pound, Dole pineapple for 25¢ a can, and Parkay margarine for 19¢ a pound. Couch's had lamb roast for 49¢ a pound, Bama peanut butter for 39¢ a jar, and Chef Boy-Ar-Di spaghetti & meatballs for 29¢ a can.
The cinematic week began with Chairman (starring Gregory Peck) at the DeSoto Theatre, McKenna's Gold (starring Omar Sharif) at the First Avenue, Shoes of the Fisherman (starring Anthony Quinn) at the Village, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought The Maltese Bippy (starring Dan Rowan and Dick Martin) to the DeSoto Theatre, Inga (an X-rated film, believe it or not!) to the First Avenue, and Bridge at Remagen (starring William Holden) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Shoes of the Fisherman continued to hook theatre-goers at the Village.
The Archies (actually, Ron Dante, who was the voice of the Archies on their recordings) took number one for a second week with "Sugar, Sugar." Other top ten hits included "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#2); "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones (#3); "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (#4); "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman (#5); "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations (#6); "Jean" by Oliver (#7); "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" by Tom Jones (#8); "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by Sly & the Family Stone (#9); and "Oh, What a Night" by the Dells (#10).
A pair of fondly rememberedTV series debuted this week in 1969, including Room 222 (September 17th) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father (September 17th).
Friday, September 06, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 9/8/1969 to 9/14/1969
(First, a personal note: I have been largely absent from this feature for more than three months due to the illness and subsequent death of my beloved wife Susan. In some ways, I regret not being able to write about the summer of 1969, because this was the summer when Susan and I truly fell in love after knowing each other for a year. By the end of the summer, we were already talking about getting married once I graduated from high school--and we stuck to that plan, marrying exactly seven days after my graduation in 1971. Susan was my best friend and lifelong companion; the stroke on May 20th left her home-bound and I was her only caregiver. Subsequent seizures and strokes stripped away her ability to communicate and devastated her cognitive ability; finally, on July 11th, she began to suffer significant losses of vital bodily functions, and she passed away on July 22nd in hospice, where I remained at her side. I have wonderful memories of that summer and of the time we spend together. Susan enjoyed hearing from me what was going on in 1969 as I wrote this column every Friday night, and it often spurred long conversations about our lives together, and how everything had turned out even better than we ever imagined. I hope to continue to write these columns each week because the period from September 1969 to July 1971 was quite possibly the most important in my life; Susan and I built a plan together during that time, and then we figured out how to make it a reality. I will from time to time add parenthetical comments at the end of each column mentioning what was happening in our lives at the time; Deb may not want to include them in the newsletter, which is fine, but you'll see them on my page each week.)
The Open Door Home held dedication ceremonies for a new dorm on Saturday, September 13th. The new fully air-conditioned wing, which had beds for 32 children, also included a housemother's suite, a library/reading room, a recreation room, and grooming room. This was the largest addition to the Open Door Home since it moved to 5 Leon Street in West Rome in 1936. The addition meant that the Open Door Home could offer shelter and support for up to 125 children.
Sgt. Charles L. Burnes Jr., son of Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Burnes of 103 Shorter Avenue, was awarded the Silver Star (the Army's third highest award for valor) in a ceremony at For Benning. Burns, who was a 1965 graduate from West Rome, received the award for heroic actions while serving in Vietnam.
Governor Lester Maddox named the West Rome High School Band, directed by Johnny Shook, as the official flag-bearers of the six flags which had flown over Georgia during the state's history. The band's flag-bearers included Jeanne Ellison, Deborah Helms, Marilynn Little, Pam Lundy, Linda Shaw, Jeanne Thompson, Kathy Tolbert, Jane Upshaw, and Mimi Upshaw.
Coach Nick Hyder spoke at the Breakfast Optimist Club of Rome during their Wednesday morning meeting on September 10th. Hyder offered some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the 1969-1970 football team.
Talking about the week's game against Coosa, Coach Hyder described the 1969 Eagles as "the finest Coosa team we've ever played, judging from what we saw in the spring and in their first game." No matter how good Coosa looked, though, West Rome apparently looked better: the Chieftains won the game 7-6. The Eagles had a shot at a win, but they blew it when the tried for a 2 point conversion after their touchdown; they failed, while Mark Brewer was right on target with his one-point kick after the James Blanton's touchdown.
The Rome City School Board trimmed the 1969-1970 school system budget by $110,000 in anticipation of curtailment of all funding from the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The reduction resulted in the loss of 17 instructors, including two music teachers, one drivers' training instructor, one reading specialist, and thirteen classroom teachers (6 elementary, 3 junior high school, and 4 high school).
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for $1.29 a pound, Royal Cup Coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Dempsey Dairies milk for $1.18 a gallon. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 48¢ a half-gallon, and Campbell soup for 11¢ a can. A&P had hickory smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, iceberg lettuce for 25¢ a head, and Van Camp's pork & beans for 29¢ a can. Big Apple had Cudahy bacon for 79¢ a pound, Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 33¢ a carton plus deposit, and a 20-ounce jar of Bama strawberry preserves for 49¢. Couch's had chicken breast for 59¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and Van Camp's chili for 33¢ a can.
The cinematic week began with Goodbye Columbus (starring Richard Benjamin) at the DeSoto Theatre, Smith (starring Glenn Ford) at the First Avenue, Ice Station Zebra (starring Rock Hudson) at the Village Theater (Rome's newest theater addition, which opened on Turner McCall on August 14th), and Gone With the Wind (starring Clark Gable) at the West Rome Drive-In. The end-of-the-week switchout brought Chairman (starring Gregory Peck) to the DeSoto, McKenna's Gold (starring Omar Sharif) to the First Avenue, Shoes of a Fisherman (starring Anthony Quinn) to the Village, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea) to the West Rome Drive-In.
This week in 1969, Janis Joplin released her first solo album (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!) after leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company. Also this week, John Lennon flew to Toronto to appear in concert without any of the other Beatles. This was also the week that the Rolling Stones released their best-selling Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits Volume 2), a great album visually distinguished by its octagonal record cover.
The Archies took number one this week with the song "Sugar, Sugar." This was the second number one hit of the year for singer Ron Dante, who was the lead singer and instrumentalist on this song as well as "Tracy," ostensibly recorded by the Cuff Links. Other top ten hits included "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones (#2); "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#3); "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash (#4); "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (#5); "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" by Tom Jones (#6); "Get Together" by the Youngbloods (#7); "Jean" by OIiver (#8); "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman (#9); and "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations (#10).
This was the week for cartoons: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? and The Archie Comedy Hour both joined the CBS Saturday morning line-up on September 13th.
The Open Door Home held dedication ceremonies for a new dorm on Saturday, September 13th. The new fully air-conditioned wing, which had beds for 32 children, also included a housemother's suite, a library/reading room, a recreation room, and grooming room. This was the largest addition to the Open Door Home since it moved to 5 Leon Street in West Rome in 1936. The addition meant that the Open Door Home could offer shelter and support for up to 125 children.
Sgt. Charles L. Burnes Jr., son of Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Burnes of 103 Shorter Avenue, was awarded the Silver Star (the Army's third highest award for valor) in a ceremony at For Benning. Burns, who was a 1965 graduate from West Rome, received the award for heroic actions while serving in Vietnam.
Governor Lester Maddox named the West Rome High School Band, directed by Johnny Shook, as the official flag-bearers of the six flags which had flown over Georgia during the state's history. The band's flag-bearers included Jeanne Ellison, Deborah Helms, Marilynn Little, Pam Lundy, Linda Shaw, Jeanne Thompson, Kathy Tolbert, Jane Upshaw, and Mimi Upshaw.
Coach Nick Hyder spoke at the Breakfast Optimist Club of Rome during their Wednesday morning meeting on September 10th. Hyder offered some insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the 1969-1970 football team.
Talking about the week's game against Coosa, Coach Hyder described the 1969 Eagles as "the finest Coosa team we've ever played, judging from what we saw in the spring and in their first game." No matter how good Coosa looked, though, West Rome apparently looked better: the Chieftains won the game 7-6. The Eagles had a shot at a win, but they blew it when the tried for a 2 point conversion after their touchdown; they failed, while Mark Brewer was right on target with his one-point kick after the James Blanton's touchdown.
The Rome City School Board trimmed the 1969-1970 school system budget by $110,000 in anticipation of curtailment of all funding from the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The reduction resulted in the loss of 17 instructors, including two music teachers, one drivers' training instructor, one reading specialist, and thirteen classroom teachers (6 elementary, 3 junior high school, and 4 high school).
Piggly Wiggly had sirloin steak for $1.29 a pound, Royal Cup Coffee for 49¢ a pound, and Dempsey Dairies milk for $1.18 a gallon. Kroger had fresh whole fryers for 29¢ a pound, Sealtest ice cream for 48¢ a half-gallon, and Campbell soup for 11¢ a can. A&P had hickory smoked hams for 39¢ a pound, iceberg lettuce for 25¢ a head, and Van Camp's pork & beans for 29¢ a can. Big Apple had Cudahy bacon for 79¢ a pound, Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 33¢ a carton plus deposit, and a 20-ounce jar of Bama strawberry preserves for 49¢. Couch's had chicken breast for 59¢ a pound, tomatoes for 19¢ a pound, and Van Camp's chili for 33¢ a can.
The cinematic week began with Goodbye Columbus (starring Richard Benjamin) at the DeSoto Theatre, Smith (starring Glenn Ford) at the First Avenue, Ice Station Zebra (starring Rock Hudson) at the Village Theater (Rome's newest theater addition, which opened on Turner McCall on August 14th), and Gone With the Wind (starring Clark Gable) at the West Rome Drive-In. The end-of-the-week switchout brought Chairman (starring Gregory Peck) to the DeSoto, McKenna's Gold (starring Omar Sharif) to the First Avenue, Shoes of a Fisherman (starring Anthony Quinn) to the Village, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (starring Keir Dullea) to the West Rome Drive-In.
This week in 1969, Janis Joplin released her first solo album (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!) after leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company. Also this week, John Lennon flew to Toronto to appear in concert without any of the other Beatles. This was also the week that the Rolling Stones released their best-selling Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits Volume 2), a great album visually distinguished by its octagonal record cover.
The Archies took number one this week with the song "Sugar, Sugar." This was the second number one hit of the year for singer Ron Dante, who was the lead singer and instrumentalist on this song as well as "Tracy," ostensibly recorded by the Cuff Links. Other top ten hits included "Honky Tonk Women" by the Rolling Stones (#2); "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#3); "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash (#4); "Easy to Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (#5); "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" by Tom Jones (#6); "Get Together" by the Youngbloods (#7); "Jean" by OIiver (#8); "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman (#9); and "I Can't Get Next To You" by the Temptations (#10).
This was the week for cartoons: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? and The Archie Comedy Hour both joined the CBS Saturday morning line-up on September 13th.
Saturday, July 06, 2019
Life Is What Happens To You...
Those of you who still try to keep up with my occasional writings may have noticed that I've been absent from these pages for many weeks now. I've posted nothing personal, and I haven't even kept up with my "Fifty Years Ago" columns.
Here's why.
Susan fell down a half a flight of stairs on May 19th, resulting in severe multiple fractures in her left leg necessitating surgery and an external fixation device (look it up on Google and you’ll see something that looks like a Clive Barker nightmare). During the surgery, she suffered a stroke that impacted her right side; thankfully, it’s not a major stroke, but within ten seconds of the time she woke up from anesthesia, I told them that something was wrong with her right hand and her right leg. CT scans confirmed my fears. This leaves her unable to use her left leg due to the fixation device, and limited on use of her right side due to the stroke.
The CT scan also gave us the news that she had suffered at least two other minor strokes that we had not known about prior to her coming to the hospital. The neurologist guessed that they were both at least a year old or more. He said that an MRI would give him more information about the strokes, but as long as she was wearing the metal fixator device on her leg, an MRI was impossible.
The facility was decorated in 1950s-Panama-City-Beach-hotel decor that may have been purchased that far back; the air conditioning in her room wasn't working on a 90 degree day; her dinner consisted of white rice with nine kidney beans and a single roll. Other patients wandered into her room at random (the facility is both a nursing home and a rehab facility), making me wish that the nursing staff could make as many unrequested appearances. After two days of this, I took her home “against medical advice.” As a final offense, the facility told the ambulance to be sure to charge me up front for the transport. (I have begun formal grievance processes regarding Signature Healthcare with both the state and my insurance company.)
Here's why.
Susan fell down a half a flight of stairs on May 19th, resulting in severe multiple fractures in her left leg necessitating surgery and an external fixation device (look it up on Google and you’ll see something that looks like a Clive Barker nightmare). During the surgery, she suffered a stroke that impacted her right side; thankfully, it’s not a major stroke, but within ten seconds of the time she woke up from anesthesia, I told them that something was wrong with her right hand and her right leg. CT scans confirmed my fears. This leaves her unable to use her left leg due to the fixation device, and limited on use of her right side due to the stroke.
The CT scan also gave us the news that she had suffered at least two other minor strokes that we had not known about prior to her coming to the hospital. The neurologist guessed that they were both at least a year old or more. He said that an MRI would give him more information about the strokes, but as long as she was wearing the metal fixator device on her leg, an MRI was impossible.
During the next five days, she suffered a potassium crash that required IV potassium (which is extremely painful--so much so that this is one of the drugs that the ACLU sometimes objects to in lethal injection cases as being "cruel and unusual punishment"); a blood sugar event that pushed her into diabetic range; and a cardiac issue that saw her heart function fall from 60% to 30%.
In spite of all this, the hospital deemed her medically ready for dismissal, so they sent her to Signature Healthcare of Marietta, a rehab facility that ignored her for almost two days—refusing to respond to her call button requests for help, serving her half meals, losing most of her prescriptions and not following her dosage schedule on the prescriptions they did have, and more. (The one time she saw a physical therapist, he seemed unaware and doubtful that she had a stroke, so he and his aide simply lifted her out of bed, put her in wheelchair... and then they went to lunch, leaving a bedpan dependent patient to fend for herself alone in her room. I got back to the facility to find her suffering an anxiety attack in the chair with no one offering her any help; once I found out what happened, I found the therapist and made him put his lunch aside and assist me in getting her back into bed.)
The facility was decorated in 1950s-Panama-City-Beach-hotel decor that may have been purchased that far back; the air conditioning in her room wasn't working on a 90 degree day; her dinner consisted of white rice with nine kidney beans and a single roll. Other patients wandered into her room at random (the facility is both a nursing home and a rehab facility), making me wish that the nursing staff could make as many unrequested appearances. After two days of this, I took her home “against medical advice.” As a final offense, the facility told the ambulance to be sure to charge me up front for the transport. (I have begun formal grievance processes regarding Signature Healthcare with both the state and my insurance company.)
I have been providing most of Susan’s health care since then, which leaves me with less time to write (or to work in the store, or to do anything else) than usual. I hope that things will stabilize in the not-too-distant future. It is a challenging time for us right now, and I’m still trying to find a new normal.
She did relatively well at home for the first two weeks, working with physical and occupational therapy and trying to get to the point where she could stand up. Then, on June 14th (the day before our 48th wedding anniversary and the 51st anniversary of our first meeting), she suffered what was initially diagnosed as a major stroke. Thankfully, that was wrong: she had suffered another minor stroke and a major seizure. No one had informed me that many stroke patients have seizures as a result. Tests revealed that Susan had suffered two more minor strokes since leaving the hospital, bringing her stroke count to five. Keppra, an anti-seizure medication, was added to her new daily assortment of fourteen pills.
The strokes and seizure caused a great deal of language issues; she could no longer find the right words to tell me what was wrong, what she needed, etc. The former English teacher in me led me to notice that she could not verbalize direct objects. For instance, she could say every word in the sentence, "Could you get me..." but the next word--the important word that told whether she needed the bedpan or a TV remote or a drink of water or something to eat or a pain pill--eluded her. Sometimes she latches onto a word or sound and just repeats it for a half-hour or more. Other times, everything she says sounds like syllable salad. I asked her if she knew the words were coming out wrong, and she said "yes." For her, this is one of the most frustrating effects of all. The stroke took away her beautiful handwriting (she can now crudely scrawl her signature and a few recognizable words) and her ability to type, and now it had hampered her ability to speak. She was being cut off from the world around her.
The new neurological issues have also caused physical setbacks. All the positive gains she had made in physical and occupational therapy have been negated; in fact, she may be even worse off now than she was in the week after the May 20th stroke. The accompanying confusion and lack of coordination has left her unable to use a phone or a TV remote.
Keppra, the anti-seizure medication, also comes with its own problems. For one thing, Keppra makes some people confused, anxious, angry, and hostile. Susan is one of those people. She would experience hours-long meltdowns that left her physically exhausted. The next day, she would not remember them at all. At one time, I showed her a few moments of our home security cam footage of one of those meltdowns; it was hard for Susan to believe this was really her.
The hospital neurologist finally got back to me with a plan to replace Keppra with Trileptal, another anti-seizure medication; he worked out a three-week schedule for the gradual transition, but a week into it, Susan became belligerent. She was not going to take Keppra again. She would spit that specific pill out, while taking her other medications. I told the visiting nurse, who asked Susan about it. "I won't take it," she declared. She understands that such a change might trigger more seizures, but as the nurse said, she has her faculties and is refusing that specific medication, and there is nothing else that we can do other than try to talk her into reconsidering.
This week brought new problems: an eye infection (blepharitis) and a urinary tract infection. The UTI began on July 4th, when most pharmacies were closed. Had my best friend Charles Rutledge not gone to the nearest open pharmacy some 10 miles away and picked up the prescription for me, I have no idea what we would have done.
Susan remains bed-bound and bedpan dependent. She still has trouble sitting up and cannot stand. She has little appetite, and has probably lost 25 pounds since this began. (I lost 25 pounds in the first six weeks after my heart attack, but neither is a diet plan I recommend.)
Yesterday, in a conversation with me, she said, "I think I might have to go to the hospital again soon." A minute later, she said, "I don't think I'll come back home." That was a conversation I never hoped to have; it still devastates me when I recall it. I can only hope that she is wrong.
Saturday, June 08, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 6/9/1969 to 6/15/1969
The Rome Boys Club Choir embarked on the first leg of their annual concert tour this week in 1969. Their first stop was Morristown, Tennessee; from there, they had five more concert stops before returning home on Sunday, June 15th.
Chieftain mom Mattie Cescutti suffered back injuries in an auto accident on Thursday, June 12th. She was admitted to Floyd Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition.
The Floyd County Surplus Food Distribution Center changed distribution schedules this week in 1969. Families with three or four members could pick up surplus food on Tuesdays; those with five or six members could pick up surplus food on Wednesdays; and those with seven or more members could pick up surplus food on Thursdays. Food choices included peanut butter, canned tomatoes, canned beans, rice, flour, powdered milk, cheese, and butter.
Governor Lester Maddox was in Rome on June 11th to take part in groundbreaking for the new Bekaert Steel Wire Corporation facility near Highway 27 South. Bekaert officials said that they planned to have the facility fully operational by Easter 1970.
A grim reminder of the dangers of buying moonshine: four Romans died over the weekend after they drank diluted shellac thinner that was being passed off as moonshine liquor.
Inflation began to take a toll on interest rates, with the National City Bank, First National Bank, and Rome Bank and Trust all announcing that they were raising their prime interest rate to 8 1/2% this week in 1969, and that they were raising home mortgage rates to 8%. The good news? Rome Bank & Trust began paying 5 1/2% interest on some of their savings certificates, with National City paying 5 3/8% and First National Bank paying 5 1/4%.
Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, medium eggs for 29¢ a dozen, and cantaloupes for 33¢ each. Kroger had ground beef for 49¢ a pound, Morton frozen cream pies for a quarter each, and Kroger white bread for 18¢ a loaf. A&P had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Cheez-Its for 37¢ a box, and blueberries for 33¢ a pint. Big Apple had pork loins for 69¢ a pound, tomatoes for 33¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had leg o' lamb for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 17¢ a can, and Georgia peaches for 15¢ a pound.
The cinematic week began with The Green Slime (starring Robert Horton) at the DeSoto Theatre, Guns of the Magnificent Seven (starring George Kennedy) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Hard Contract (starring James Coburn) to the DeSoto, How To Commit a Marriage (starring Bob Hope) to the First Avenue, and Eye of the Cat (starring Michael Sarrazen) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles "Get Back" held on to number one for a fifth week this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet" by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra (#2); "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#3); "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley (#4); "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" by Marvin Gaye (#5): "One" by Three Dog Night (#6); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#7); "Grazing in the Grass" by The Friends of Distinction (#8); "Good Morning Starshine" by Oliver (#9); and "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#10).
Three Dog Night released their second album, Suitable for Framing, this week in 1969. The album generated several hits, including "Easy to Be Hard," "Eli's Coming," and "Celebrate," which featured a brass section performed by members of the group Chicago. It also included a cover of the Elton John song "Lady Samantha," the first major cover of any Elton John song in the US (at this time, Elton John was virtually unknown on this side of the ocean).
Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones this week in 1969, although most people wouldn't be aware that he was tapped to replace Brian Jones until he appeared with them in a Hyde Park concert in early July 1969.
The legendary rural comedy variety show Hee Haw made its debut on Sunday, June 15th, replacing The Smothers Brothers; it proved so popular that the show, originally envisioned as a summer replacement, became a part of the CBS lineup.
The Falcon made his comics debut in Captain America #117 by Stan Lee, Gene Colan, & Joe Sinnott, on sale this week in 1969. Clad in an open-chest green and orange costume, he had little in common with his more modern version—but considering how few black heroes there were in comics in 1969, the addition of a major new black character was certainly noteworthy.
Chieftain mom Mattie Cescutti suffered back injuries in an auto accident on Thursday, June 12th. She was admitted to Floyd Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition.
The Floyd County Surplus Food Distribution Center changed distribution schedules this week in 1969. Families with three or four members could pick up surplus food on Tuesdays; those with five or six members could pick up surplus food on Wednesdays; and those with seven or more members could pick up surplus food on Thursdays. Food choices included peanut butter, canned tomatoes, canned beans, rice, flour, powdered milk, cheese, and butter.
Governor Lester Maddox was in Rome on June 11th to take part in groundbreaking for the new Bekaert Steel Wire Corporation facility near Highway 27 South. Bekaert officials said that they planned to have the facility fully operational by Easter 1970.
A grim reminder of the dangers of buying moonshine: four Romans died over the weekend after they drank diluted shellac thinner that was being passed off as moonshine liquor.
Inflation began to take a toll on interest rates, with the National City Bank, First National Bank, and Rome Bank and Trust all announcing that they were raising their prime interest rate to 8 1/2% this week in 1969, and that they were raising home mortgage rates to 8%. The good news? Rome Bank & Trust began paying 5 1/2% interest on some of their savings certificates, with National City paying 5 3/8% and First National Bank paying 5 1/4%.
Piggly Wiggly had chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, medium eggs for 29¢ a dozen, and cantaloupes for 33¢ each. Kroger had ground beef for 49¢ a pound, Morton frozen cream pies for a quarter each, and Kroger white bread for 18¢ a loaf. A&P had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, Cheez-Its for 37¢ a box, and blueberries for 33¢ a pint. Big Apple had pork loins for 69¢ a pound, tomatoes for 33¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice milk for 39¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had leg o' lamb for 79¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 17¢ a can, and Georgia peaches for 15¢ a pound.
The cinematic week began with The Green Slime (starring Robert Horton) at the DeSoto Theatre, Guns of the Magnificent Seven (starring George Kennedy) at the First Avenue, and a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Hard Contract (starring James Coburn) to the DeSoto, How To Commit a Marriage (starring Bob Hope) to the First Avenue, and Eye of the Cat (starring Michael Sarrazen) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles "Get Back" held on to number one for a fifth week this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet" by Henry Mancini & His Orchestra (#2); "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival (#3); "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley (#4); "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" by Marvin Gaye (#5): "One" by Three Dog Night (#6); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#7); "Grazing in the Grass" by The Friends of Distinction (#8); "Good Morning Starshine" by Oliver (#9); and "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#10).
Three Dog Night released their second album, Suitable for Framing, this week in 1969. The album generated several hits, including "Easy to Be Hard," "Eli's Coming," and "Celebrate," which featured a brass section performed by members of the group Chicago. It also included a cover of the Elton John song "Lady Samantha," the first major cover of any Elton John song in the US (at this time, Elton John was virtually unknown on this side of the ocean).
Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones this week in 1969, although most people wouldn't be aware that he was tapped to replace Brian Jones until he appeared with them in a Hyde Park concert in early July 1969.
The legendary rural comedy variety show Hee Haw made its debut on Sunday, June 15th, replacing The Smothers Brothers; it proved so popular that the show, originally envisioned as a summer replacement, became a part of the CBS lineup.
The Falcon made his comics debut in Captain America #117 by Stan Lee, Gene Colan, & Joe Sinnott, on sale this week in 1969. Clad in an open-chest green and orange costume, he had little in common with his more modern version—but considering how few black heroes there were in comics in 1969, the addition of a major new black character was certainly noteworthy.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 5/19/1969 to 5/25/1969
The West Rome elementary, junior high, and senior high concert bands held their spring concerts on Friday, May 23rd at 7:30 pm at the West Rome High School auditorium, performing a mix of classical selection and Broadway tunes. Two days later, they held a Sunday afternoon concert, performing popular music--including a medley of James Brown songs!
Martin Rollinson was second runner-up in the state boys oratorical contest sponsored by the Georgia District of Optimists International. Rollinson previously won the local and region competitions and represented Rome in the state contest.
The Rome School Board discussed their plans to reject changes in their desegregation program that were ordered by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Of course, this could have led to a total loss of federal funding for Rome schools. At the last minute, reason prevailed and the board decided to send a letter seeking a compromise with HEW, and asking the agency to accept the school system's interim desegregation plan until they could work out a resolution.
An armed robber held up the Donut Shack on North Broad Street on Tuesday morning. The robber waited until the owner was leaving the building to make a bank deposit and then pulled a gun on the owner, ordering him to drive to another location on North Broad, at which point the thief took the cash and ran away.
Krannert Center at Berry College officially opened this week in 1969. The new student center was more than three times the size of the old student center and included a bookstore, a restaurant/snack bar, function rooms, and other features designed to enhance student life at Berry.
Piggly Wiggly had beef liver for 39¢ a pound, corn for 8¢ an ear, and a giant size box of Cheer detergent for 49¢. Big Apple had sirloin steaks for 99¢ a pound, tomatoes for 15¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, large eggs for 38¢ a dozen, and watermelons for $1.19 each. A&P had fresh whole fryers for 33¢ around, Pepsi Cola for 28¢ a carton plus deposit, and bananas for a dime a pound. Couch's had Armour's country ham for $1.19 a pound, JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, and cabbage for a nickel a pound.
The cinematic week began with Charly (starring Cliff Robertson) at the DeSoto Theatre, Michael and Helga (starring Ruth Gassman) at the First Avenue, and Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switch out brought Hannibal Brooks (starring Oliver Reed) to the DeSoto, Night of the Following Day (starring Marlon Brando) to the First Avenue, and Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (starring Gina Lollobrigida) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles' "Get Back" held on to the number one spot for the second week in a row this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#2); "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#3); "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers (#4); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#5); "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#6); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#7); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#8); "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley (#9); and "Grazing in the Grass" by the Friends of Distinction (#10).
Martin Rollinson was second runner-up in the state boys oratorical contest sponsored by the Georgia District of Optimists International. Rollinson previously won the local and region competitions and represented Rome in the state contest.
The Rome School Board discussed their plans to reject changes in their desegregation program that were ordered by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Of course, this could have led to a total loss of federal funding for Rome schools. At the last minute, reason prevailed and the board decided to send a letter seeking a compromise with HEW, and asking the agency to accept the school system's interim desegregation plan until they could work out a resolution.
An armed robber held up the Donut Shack on North Broad Street on Tuesday morning. The robber waited until the owner was leaving the building to make a bank deposit and then pulled a gun on the owner, ordering him to drive to another location on North Broad, at which point the thief took the cash and ran away.
Krannert Center at Berry College officially opened this week in 1969. The new student center was more than three times the size of the old student center and included a bookstore, a restaurant/snack bar, function rooms, and other features designed to enhance student life at Berry.
Piggly Wiggly had beef liver for 39¢ a pound, corn for 8¢ an ear, and a giant size box of Cheer detergent for 49¢. Big Apple had sirloin steaks for 99¢ a pound, tomatoes for 15¢ a pound, and Irvindale ice cream for 49¢ a half-gallon. Kroger had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, large eggs for 38¢ a dozen, and watermelons for $1.19 each. A&P had fresh whole fryers for 33¢ around, Pepsi Cola for 28¢ a carton plus deposit, and bananas for a dime a pound. Couch's had Armour's country ham for $1.19 a pound, JFG coffee for 69¢ a pound, and cabbage for a nickel a pound.
The cinematic week began with Charly (starring Cliff Robertson) at the DeSoto Theatre, Michael and Helga (starring Ruth Gassman) at the First Avenue, and Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) at the West Rome Drive-In. The weekend switch out brought Hannibal Brooks (starring Oliver Reed) to the DeSoto, Night of the Following Day (starring Marlon Brando) to the First Avenue, and Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (starring Gina Lollobrigida) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The Beatles' "Get Back" held on to the number one spot for the second week in a row this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#2); "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#3); "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers (#4); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#5); "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#6); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#7); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#8); "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley (#9); and "Grazing in the Grass" by the Friends of Distinction (#10).
Friday, May 10, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 5/12/1969 to 5/18/1969
Heavy rains on Sunday, May 18th, caused flooding on Paris Drive and Conn Street; the rains also contributed to two accidents with minor injuries on Shorter Avenue--a two-car accident near Burnett Ferry and a three-car accident near Shorter College. Thankfully, neither accident resulted in serious injuries.
WRGA radio in Rome announced plans to hire Juanita Lester, formerly of Rome's official weather station at Russell Field, to do local weather. Considering all the attention that Lester's dismissal had gotten in the past few months, this was probably a great publicity move for the station.
Rome's safecracking burglars were back in action this week in 1969, "peeling" the safe at the RL Kimsey Cotton Brokerage Company on First Avenue. (In case you were interested in launching a safecracking career, here's how you "peel" a safe: you begin working on the corner near the door, prying up the outermost of the multiple layers of metal that comprised most safes manufactured prior to 1940, then pull the layer back; you repeat the process layer after layer until you've created an opening in the wall of the safe. This technique doesn't work on more modern unibody steel safes, so don't try this at home.) An undetermined amount of cash was taken. the same night, burglars also broke into the Double Cola Bottling Company on East Second Avenue, stealing an undetermined amount of change collected from area vending machines; Marshall Jackson Motor Company, stealing tools from the shop and approximately $100 in cash from the office; and Wicker's Electric Company on North Fourth Avenue, stealing about $50 in cash and a .38-caliber pistol. On Sunday night, May 18th, thieves broke into Fred Fowler's Cleaners on East Main Street and "punched' the safe (which is exactly what it sounds like: thieves use heavy-duty tools to punch through or punch out entirely the lock mechanism of the safe), stealing approximately $225 in cash and $900 in checks (although there's not much they can do with checks); the same night, thieves also broke into Steadman Service Station on Maple Street and stole almost $400 with of radios along with four pistols. (Apparently some folks just left pistols laying around at work!)
Piggly Wiggly had large eggs for 45¢ a dozen, chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, and Poss Brunswick Stew for 49¢ a can. Big Apple had sirloin steak for $1.09 a pound, lettuce for 13¢ a head, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 39¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had lamb chops for 89¢ a pound, grapefruit for 17¢ each, and Sealtest ice milk for 49¢ a half-gallon. A&P had chicken livers for 59¢ a pound, Blue Bonnet margarine for 39¢ a pound, and golden delicious apples for a dime each. Couch's had ground chuck for 59¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 20¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Charly (starring Cliff Robertson) at the DeSoto Theatre, a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) at the First Avenue theatre, and Twisted Nerve (starring Hayley Mills) at the West Rome Drive-In. The end-of-the-week switchout brought Michael & Helga (starring Ruth Gassman) to the First Avenue and Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Charly hung around at the DeSoto for another week.
The Beatles' "Get Back" soared to the top spot on the charts this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#2); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#3--and one of the songs that Susan and I included in our wedding); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#4); "Oh, Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers (#5); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#6); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#7); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#8); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#9); and "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#10).
WRGA radio in Rome announced plans to hire Juanita Lester, formerly of Rome's official weather station at Russell Field, to do local weather. Considering all the attention that Lester's dismissal had gotten in the past few months, this was probably a great publicity move for the station.
Rome's safecracking burglars were back in action this week in 1969, "peeling" the safe at the RL Kimsey Cotton Brokerage Company on First Avenue. (In case you were interested in launching a safecracking career, here's how you "peel" a safe: you begin working on the corner near the door, prying up the outermost of the multiple layers of metal that comprised most safes manufactured prior to 1940, then pull the layer back; you repeat the process layer after layer until you've created an opening in the wall of the safe. This technique doesn't work on more modern unibody steel safes, so don't try this at home.) An undetermined amount of cash was taken. the same night, burglars also broke into the Double Cola Bottling Company on East Second Avenue, stealing an undetermined amount of change collected from area vending machines; Marshall Jackson Motor Company, stealing tools from the shop and approximately $100 in cash from the office; and Wicker's Electric Company on North Fourth Avenue, stealing about $50 in cash and a .38-caliber pistol. On Sunday night, May 18th, thieves broke into Fred Fowler's Cleaners on East Main Street and "punched' the safe (which is exactly what it sounds like: thieves use heavy-duty tools to punch through or punch out entirely the lock mechanism of the safe), stealing approximately $225 in cash and $900 in checks (although there's not much they can do with checks); the same night, thieves also broke into Steadman Service Station on Maple Street and stole almost $400 with of radios along with four pistols. (Apparently some folks just left pistols laying around at work!)
Piggly Wiggly had large eggs for 45¢ a dozen, chicken breasts for 49¢ a pound, and Poss Brunswick Stew for 49¢ a can. Big Apple had sirloin steak for $1.09 a pound, lettuce for 13¢ a head, and Coca-Cola/Tab/Sprite for 39¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had lamb chops for 89¢ a pound, grapefruit for 17¢ each, and Sealtest ice milk for 49¢ a half-gallon. A&P had chicken livers for 59¢ a pound, Blue Bonnet margarine for 39¢ a pound, and golden delicious apples for a dime each. Couch's had ground chuck for 59¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 20¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Charly (starring Cliff Robertson) at the DeSoto Theatre, a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) at the First Avenue theatre, and Twisted Nerve (starring Hayley Mills) at the West Rome Drive-In. The end-of-the-week switchout brought Michael & Helga (starring Ruth Gassman) to the First Avenue and Three in the Attic (starring Yvette Mimieux) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Charly hung around at the DeSoto for another week.
The Beatles' "Get Back" soared to the top spot on the charts this week in 1969. Other top ten hits included "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by the 5th Dimension (#2); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#3--and one of the songs that Susan and I included in our wedding); "Hair" by the Cowsills (#4); "Oh, Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers (#5); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#6); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#7); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#8); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#9); and "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#10).
Friday, May 03, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 5/5/1969 to 5/11/1969
Senator Richard Russell, the man who did absolutely nothing to try to save Rome's weather station until the final day, told Romans that he had not given up hope that the manned weather station might be reinstated. However, when asked exactly how that might happen, Senator Russell was all bluster and no substance. The situation was complicated by the fact that Rome Congressman John Davis had his feelings hurt when the Rome Chamber of Commerce representatives talked with fifth district congressman Fletcher Thompson before they talked with him. As a result, Davis made no effort whatsoever to help Rome maintain a manned weather station. "The senator interceded to a small degree," Davis said, "but did make it a strong point [as opposed to Davis, who made it no point at all]. If he did make saving the station a strong point, it could be reinstated." Meanwhile, the Rome City Commission once again brainstormed over possible plans to join with the county in seeing if they could raise local funds to reopen the station. (And if the phrase "full of sound and fury but signifying nothing" comes to mind, there is good reason...)
The 12th Annual America's Junior Miss Pageant selected a new Junior Miss on Tuesday night--but alas, West Rome's Kippy Scarborough performed well but was not tapped as the winner. Instead, a California teen was chosen to receive the title.
West Rome's baseball team had a busy schedule this week in 1969, as the team had to make up rainouts from earlier in the season. As a result, the team played Darlington on Monday, winning 8-7; Cass on Tuesday, winning 6-1; Calhoun on Wednesday, losing 14-1; Model on Thursday, winning 7-1; and East Rome Friday, winning 6-4. As if that wasn't enough, the team had to travel to Legion Field as soon as their game against Model was over in order to once again place Darlington in an 8pm tournament game, which they won 7-2. A win in that game pitted them against Cedartown at 9pm on Saturday, which they lost 4-1. And if you're keeping count, that is indeed seven games in six days!
The Rome City Commission and City Manager Bruce Hamler announced that Bill Hart would assume the role of Rome's police chief effective June 1st. The city commission gave no reason for the changes, but they did say that Captain JL Couch would continue to receive full pay until January 1970, when he would have to retire anyway due to departmental age regulations.
The Rome City Schools' plans for elementary school desegregation failed to gain approval from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, since the plans would not have eliminated all-black student bodies at some elementary schools. This sent the school system back to the drawing board for a plan that truly desegregated Rome elementary schools. The board also voted to raise tuition for out-of-city students to $45 a month (up from $32.50 a month) and to end the practice of accepting new tuition students, which meant that only those already attending Rome schools on a tuition plan would be able to do so beginning in the 1969-1970 school year. The school system also voted to move ahead with plans to build a joint city-county vocational high school across Old Lindale Road from Coosa Valley Tech.
Piggly Wiggly had shank portion ham for 39¢ a pound, pecan pies for 68¢ each, and eggs for 33¢ a dozen. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, yellow corn for 6¢ an ear, and RC or Diet-Rite Cola for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had rib roast for 99¢ a pound, Ann Page peanut butter for 39¢ a jar, and a 32-ounce jar of Bama dill pickles for 35¢, Kroger had chuck roast for 49¢ a pound, Del Monte catsup for 33¢ a bottle, and Sealtest ice cream for 79¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 17¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Swiss Family Robinson (starring John Mills) at the DeSoto Theatre, Sinful Davey (starring John Hurt) at the First Avenue Theatre, and Submarine X-1 (starring James Caan) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Charley (starring Cliff Robertson) to the DeSoto Theatre, a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) to the First Avenue, and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (starring Christopher Lee) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The 5th Dimension held on to the number one slot for the sixth straight week with "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "Hair" by the Cowsills (#2); "Get Back" by the Beatles (#3); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#4); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#5); "Hawaii Five-0 by the Ventures (#6); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#7); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#8); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#9); and "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#10).
The 12th Annual America's Junior Miss Pageant selected a new Junior Miss on Tuesday night--but alas, West Rome's Kippy Scarborough performed well but was not tapped as the winner. Instead, a California teen was chosen to receive the title.
West Rome's baseball team had a busy schedule this week in 1969, as the team had to make up rainouts from earlier in the season. As a result, the team played Darlington on Monday, winning 8-7; Cass on Tuesday, winning 6-1; Calhoun on Wednesday, losing 14-1; Model on Thursday, winning 7-1; and East Rome Friday, winning 6-4. As if that wasn't enough, the team had to travel to Legion Field as soon as their game against Model was over in order to once again place Darlington in an 8pm tournament game, which they won 7-2. A win in that game pitted them against Cedartown at 9pm on Saturday, which they lost 4-1. And if you're keeping count, that is indeed seven games in six days!
The Rome City Commission and City Manager Bruce Hamler announced that Bill Hart would assume the role of Rome's police chief effective June 1st. The city commission gave no reason for the changes, but they did say that Captain JL Couch would continue to receive full pay until January 1970, when he would have to retire anyway due to departmental age regulations.
The Rome City Schools' plans for elementary school desegregation failed to gain approval from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, since the plans would not have eliminated all-black student bodies at some elementary schools. This sent the school system back to the drawing board for a plan that truly desegregated Rome elementary schools. The board also voted to raise tuition for out-of-city students to $45 a month (up from $32.50 a month) and to end the practice of accepting new tuition students, which meant that only those already attending Rome schools on a tuition plan would be able to do so beginning in the 1969-1970 school year. The school system also voted to move ahead with plans to build a joint city-county vocational high school across Old Lindale Road from Coosa Valley Tech.
Piggly Wiggly had shank portion ham for 39¢ a pound, pecan pies for 68¢ each, and eggs for 33¢ a dozen. Big Apple had fresh whole fryers for 25¢ a pound, yellow corn for 6¢ an ear, and RC or Diet-Rite Cola for 33¢ a carton plus deposit. A&P had rib roast for 99¢ a pound, Ann Page peanut butter for 39¢ a jar, and a 32-ounce jar of Bama dill pickles for 35¢, Kroger had chuck roast for 49¢ a pound, Del Monte catsup for 33¢ a bottle, and Sealtest ice cream for 79¢ a half-gallon. Couch's had pork chops for 49¢ a pound, Van Camp's pork & beans for 17¢ a can, and bananas for a dime a pound.
The cinematic week began with Swiss Family Robinson (starring John Mills) at the DeSoto Theatre, Sinful Davey (starring John Hurt) at the First Avenue Theatre, and Submarine X-1 (starring James Caan) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek switchout brought Charley (starring Cliff Robertson) to the DeSoto Theatre, a double feature of A Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More (starring Clint Eastwood) to the First Avenue, and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (starring Christopher Lee) to the West Rome Drive-In.
The 5th Dimension held on to the number one slot for the sixth straight week with "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "Hair" by the Cowsills (#2); "Get Back" by the Beatles (#3); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#4); "Love (Can Make You Happy)" by Mercy (#5); "Hawaii Five-0 by the Ventures (#6); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#7); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#8); "Gitarzan" by Ray Stevens (#9); and "These Eyes" by the Guess Who (#10).
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Fifty Years Ago This Week in West Rome - 4/28/1969 to 5/4/1969
West Rome's track team fell to South Cobb on April 29th in a 72-64 match; in spite of the loss, West Rome posted a new school record when Charles Smith covered 44 feet 8.75 inches in the triple jump. West Rome actually had more first places than South Cobb (nine firsts to seven for SC), but the difference came in depth, where the South Cobb thinclads had the edge.
West Rome's Beverly Hall was tapped as a National Merit Scholarship recipient. She was one of only 89 Georgia seniors to receive a scholarship and one of only 3000 recipients nationwide. Hall, a member of the Honor Society, the Quill and Scroll Staff, and president of the West Rome Drama Club, planned to attend Emory University after graduation.
The Stripe Discount Store, which offered discount and off-brand health and beauty aids, opened for business this week at 200 Broad Street in Rome, taking the spot formerly occupied by Enloe's Drugs.
The greater Rome area began to sound a little more like the Old West this week in 1969: a gun battle at a Kingston residence resulted in the death of a 51-year-old man. The deceased man apparently began firing a .22 at the resident, who returned fire with his own .22, fatally wounding the attacker.
Talk about putting things off until the last minute: just a scant two days before weather station operator Juanita Lester was scheduled to be laid off and the Russell Field weather station converted to an unstaffed facility, Senator Richard Russell said that he would "see what he could do" about convincing the Commerce Secretary to keep the station open. If that sounds like a "minimal effort" kind of statement, you're right: Russell never even got a meeting with the Commerce Secretary, and the staffed station closed for good on April 30th.
Southern Bell began pushing Romans to add an extension phone to their home (not a second line, just a second phone) with an ad touting, "If you can afford a copy of coffee every morning, you can afford an extension phone. For 5¢ a day, you can get a handy extension..." (Yes, a cup of coffee really cost only a nickel in 1969--but a few decades later, Starbucks would change that!)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 63¢ a pound, Double Q salmon for 67¢ a can, and carrots for a dime a bunch. A&P had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Wesson Oil for 49¢ a half-gallon, and strawberries for 33¢ a pint. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, corn for 6¢ an ear, and Coke/Tab/Fresca for 28¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had stew beef for 79¢ a pound, Del Monte sliced pineapple for 19¢ a can, and Mortn's frozen cream pies for a quarter each. Couch's had Cudahy Bar S hot dogs for 49¢ a pound, Lykes potted meat for a dime a can, and cabbage for a nickel a pound.
The cinematic week began with Swiss Family Robinson (starring John Mills) at the DeSoto Theatre, Charge of the Light Brigade (starring David Hemmings) at the First Avenue, and Bullitt (starring Steve McQueen) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek without brought The Subject Was Roses (starring Jack Albertson) to the First Avenue and The Violent Ones (starring Aldo Ray) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Swiss Family Robinson hung around for another week at the DeSoto.
This week in 1969, the 5ht Dimension held on to the number one slot for a fifth week with "Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "Hair" by the Cowsills (#2); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#3); "Hawaii Five-0" by the Ventures (#4); "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#5); "Time Is Tight" by Booker T & the MG's (#6); "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James & the Shondells (#7); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#8); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#9); and "Get Back" by the Beatles (#10).
West Rome's Beverly Hall was tapped as a National Merit Scholarship recipient. She was one of only 89 Georgia seniors to receive a scholarship and one of only 3000 recipients nationwide. Hall, a member of the Honor Society, the Quill and Scroll Staff, and president of the West Rome Drama Club, planned to attend Emory University after graduation.
The Stripe Discount Store, which offered discount and off-brand health and beauty aids, opened for business this week at 200 Broad Street in Rome, taking the spot formerly occupied by Enloe's Drugs.
The greater Rome area began to sound a little more like the Old West this week in 1969: a gun battle at a Kingston residence resulted in the death of a 51-year-old man. The deceased man apparently began firing a .22 at the resident, who returned fire with his own .22, fatally wounding the attacker.
Talk about putting things off until the last minute: just a scant two days before weather station operator Juanita Lester was scheduled to be laid off and the Russell Field weather station converted to an unstaffed facility, Senator Richard Russell said that he would "see what he could do" about convincing the Commerce Secretary to keep the station open. If that sounds like a "minimal effort" kind of statement, you're right: Russell never even got a meeting with the Commerce Secretary, and the staffed station closed for good on April 30th.
Southern Bell began pushing Romans to add an extension phone to their home (not a second line, just a second phone) with an ad touting, "If you can afford a copy of coffee every morning, you can afford an extension phone. For 5¢ a day, you can get a handy extension..." (Yes, a cup of coffee really cost only a nickel in 1969--but a few decades later, Starbucks would change that!)
Piggly Wiggly had chuck roast for 63¢ a pound, Double Q salmon for 67¢ a can, and carrots for a dime a bunch. A&P had pork chops for 69¢ a pound, Wesson Oil for 49¢ a half-gallon, and strawberries for 33¢ a pint. Big Apple had sirloin steak for 99¢ a pound, corn for 6¢ an ear, and Coke/Tab/Fresca for 28¢ a carton plus deposit. Kroger had stew beef for 79¢ a pound, Del Monte sliced pineapple for 19¢ a can, and Mortn's frozen cream pies for a quarter each. Couch's had Cudahy Bar S hot dogs for 49¢ a pound, Lykes potted meat for a dime a can, and cabbage for a nickel a pound.
The cinematic week began with Swiss Family Robinson (starring John Mills) at the DeSoto Theatre, Charge of the Light Brigade (starring David Hemmings) at the First Avenue, and Bullitt (starring Steve McQueen) at the West Rome Drive-In. The midweek without brought The Subject Was Roses (starring Jack Albertson) to the First Avenue and The Violent Ones (starring Aldo Ray) to the West Rome Drive-In, while Swiss Family Robinson hung around for another week at the DeSoto.
This week in 1969, the 5ht Dimension held on to the number one slot for a fifth week with "Let the Sunshine In." Other top ten hits included "Hair" by the Cowsills (#2); "It's Your Thing" by the Isley Brothers (#3); "Hawaii Five-0" by the Ventures (#4); "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#5); "Time Is Tight" by Booker T & the MG's (#6); "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James & the Shondells (#7); "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel (#8); "Atlantis" by Donovan (#9); and "Get Back" by the Beatles (#10).
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Remembering Greg Theakston
Just got word earlier today that Greg Theakston has died at the age of 65. (I didn't realize it until I saw the announcement of his death, but Greg and I were within a couple of months of being the same age.) I've known Greg for a couple of decades, and while I knew that he wasn't in the best of health, I was startled to hear that he had passed away (don't know what the cause of his death was).Greg will always be remembered in comics history for his work in making so many 1980s and 1990s reprint volumes feasible, thanks to a process that Greg developed--a process that eventually became known as "Theakstonizing." In the days before Photoshop, removing the color from old comics so that they could be recolored was a difficult process. Greg made it easier by coming up with a method to bleach the color off old comics pages while leaving the black and white art. The upside: we got wonderful collections of great Golden Age and early Silver Age material, meticulously restored and updated with improved color. The downside: the physical copy of the book had to be destroyed to make that happen. Remember, though, that there were really few other options at the time other than simply reproducing the original book, color and all--and the results weren't always the best.
Greg loved comics, and he loved Jack Kirby's work in particular. I had dozens of conversations about old comics and various artists, from Toth to Adams to Wolverton to Wood to Frazetta to Infantino to Ditko--but no matter who we were talking about, our conversations eventually came back to Kirby. Greg always had great Kirby stories to share. He shared his love of Kirby's early works in the pages of number of publications from his company, Pure Imagination Press, where he produced tributes to Kirby as well as reprints of out of print public-domain Kirby work.
Greg was also a very talented artist; he could pencil, ink, and paint, and he spent a number of years working with Neal Adams, Jack Kirby and others. He also produced some outstanding work on his own. Greg rarely talked about his work, though; he loved talking about the work of the people whose art he loved.
The last time I talked with Greg, he had come up with several boxes of stuff he was hoping I would buy. It was time to leave Atlanta, he said. His career had reached a dead end here, and he wanted to move to New York, and if that didn't work, then to Los Angeles. Greg could be impulsive, but this seemed to be a decision he had thought about for a while. I bought a number of things from him--not because we really needed it at the store, but because I thought our store benefited from having his publications on the shelf. We ended up talking for a couple of hours.
That was the last time we spoke. I presumed he had made his move and was doing what he loved. I hope so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)