Dear Smiley: I was checking out the 35-year-old Morning Advocate that I kept from Aug. 17, 1977, with the front page news of Elvis Presley’s death.
Other news articles on that day were:
Gov. Edwin Edwards was attacking President Jimmy Carter’s proposal to turn over the Panama Canal to Panama.
Mayor Woody Dumas, Sheriff Al Amiss and Police Chief Howard Kidder were discussing ID tags for the new Governmental Building downtown.
East Baton Rouge Superintendent of Schools Clyde Lindsey was to get a $4,000 pay raise, bringing his annual salary to $39,000.
East Baton Rouge teachers were to get a $1,500 raise to bring a starting teacher’s annual salary to $10,673.
New Orleans Saints head coach Hank Stram discussed the new NFL rule against the “head slap.”
Bud Montet, Morning Advocate sports editor, was writing on fishing and football.
The newspaper showed four TV stations in town, Channels 2, 9, 33 and 27.
Buckskin Bill was on at 3:30 on Channel 9 and Walter Cronkite was on at 5:30.
Live wrestling was held at the Baton Rouge Sports Center on Airway Drive.
You could dine and dance at the Top of the Tower on Florida Boulevard or nightclub at The Cockpit, Smackwater Jacks and Frisco’s.
There were movies at the Paramount, Hart, Lincoln, University Cinema, Broadmoor, Cortana Mall Cinema, Bon Marché Cinema, or outdoors at Showtown and Tiger Drive-In.
A new Plymouth Fury at A.K. Durnin cost $5,096.
Other businesses advertising were Polk and McPete Chevrolet, Goudchaux’s, Holmes, Globe Discount City, Joy’s Furniture, Hemenway’s Furniture, Woodfin-Smith Pontiac, Cleve Willet Tires and Vince’s Restaurant on Highland.
Those of us over 55 probably remember most of the above.
PALMER PERQUE
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: Regarding the suggestion calling for an “I Am Not Dead Yet” column, wouldn’t that be redundant?
After all, your column is often the venue for those not currently dead to discuss their root beer habits, their fiber intake and resulting regularity, their grandkids, their birthdays (over 90), anniversaries and retirements, as well as lies about various perceived achievements from so many years ago that no living soul can dispute them!
Of course, if the powers that be were to replace your column with “I Am Not Dead Yet,” would they charge the same $2.40 per line as obituaries?
MICHAEL W. BAILEY
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: Mike Jastram has expressed a wish to have a column, other than the obituaries, in which people can tell about themselves while they are still alive.
There is such a column. He just used it.
DR. GEORGE S. BOURGEOIS
Opelousas
Dear Smiley: The article on cement reminded me of my father, Wilbur Williams, who sold ready-mix all over Baton Rouge in the ’70s and ’80s.
He always told folks who said they were “going to pour cement” that they better add water, sand and gravel or it would blow away.
W. CLAY WILLIAMS JR.
Baton Rouge
Dear Smiley: Throughout the summer my husband, Buddy, and I took the opportunity to demonstrate to our 11-year-old grandson Taylor, a student at Christian Life Academy, the importance of math in his everyday life.
Knowing that computing percents and decimals are skills he has to master in the sixth grade, we encouraged him to demonstrate his knowledge via a variety of practical experiences, such as computing tips when eating in restaurants and sales taxes when making a purchase, and depositing a percentage of money in his checking account.
Recently, when Taylor and his cousin Adam were shopping, Taylor was distraught because he had to pay taxes on one of Louisiana’s tax-free shopping days.
I explained that the state tax was exempt, but not the local tax.
He said, “Well, I never heard about that on TV.
“That’s going to confuse a lot of people’s computations and mess up their checking accounts.”
KAREN POIRRER
Lutcher
Dear Smiley: The soap and water remedy for killing wasps (in the Thursday column) just seems a little too clean.
Besides, when you apply the soap and water it may clean one little area of your house, making the rest of your house look real dirty.
Then you end up pressure washing the whole darn thing.
I dunno, the kerosene method makes for better stories.
PHIL HANNAMAN
Tyler, Texas
Write Smiley at Smiley@theadvocate.com. He can also be reached by fax at (225) 388-0351 or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.
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