Meander with us back to a golden nostalgia era, the 1950s and 1960s.

Those were the years we experienced such great growth in Atmore. We strolled on a dirt street under construction, which became 8th Ave. and later became known as Medical Park Dr. We watched a new two-story hospital erected in a field of tall pines and small oak trees. And we saw East Craig St. intersect directly in front of the hospital.

We cooled during the summers at the old city park just off Wilson Ave. We gathered at this same park on weekends for delightful square dancing. And we waited in our vehicles at the potato sheds for “cull” potatoes to be handed out. Those were the small and unaccepted potatoes that were cast aside from the grading trays. Of course, they were free and many folks were always in line for their handouts.

We watched in much anticipation election results reflected on a huge “blackboard” erected in front of Tony Albert’s Rex Sporting Goods on North Main St. And some of us enjoyed the annual free fish fry at the old city park, hosted by a popular merchant and politician, Mac Mays. His Atmore office and school supply firm, which catered to high school coaches, staged the fry to promote athletic goods.

We gathered at Byrne Field, particularly in the 1950s, to enjoy ECHS and Escambia Training School football games. We also found amusement from small circuses and “fairs” in that park.

There were no greater forms of entertainment than Friday and Saturday night movies at the Strand and Palms Drive In.

We drove our cars and trucks needing wash jobs to Little river State Park, where we splashed them down real good and washed them at the sparkling free flowing spillway. Some of us briefly stopped our vehicle on the trip back home at the State Farm peach orchard and snatched couple of those succulent fruits that had fallen to the ground.

This is our second column reflecting our 1950s and 1960s glory days. I am sure some of you have memories from this era. How many of you married, went into or came home from military service, entered or finished high school and college or took your first job back then?

There are more memories from this time period in store for you in future columns.

How many of you watch Fox News? Have you noticed the changes taking place at that network?

Well, there is a reason for it. Owner, 86-year-old Rupert Murdoch has handed the operation over to his two sons who are “left-leaning” liberals who have plans to eventually change the network from a conservative format to a liberal format.

You have noticed that leading programmer Bill O’Reilly has left and some say pressure is beginning to mount on conservative Sean Hannity. Moreover, the younger Murdochs are now promoting their mid-afternoon newscaster Shepard Smith and are elevating three controversial liberal panelists, Bob Beckel, Juan Williams and Gerald Rivera.

Loyal viewers are finding this very frustrating because heretofore Fox has been the only true conservative network on the air. But help may be on the way.

Rumors are spreading that a new conservative network may come on the scene and Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, could allegedly initiate it. Trump’s son in law has also been reported to be interested in this effort.

Whoever engages in setting this up would have a world of Fox conservative talent to draw from. Hannity and O’Reilly would be at the top, but there are dozens of others who fit right in. Personalities like Lou Dobbs, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Waters. Eric Bolling, the entire Fox and Friends crew, Newt Gingrich, Tucker Carlson, Monica Crowley and Judge Andrew Napolitano are only a few who would need to be considered.

Look for some breaking news about Fox News before this year is over.

Taking a look at some news from 1970, the old L&N Depot was dismantled to make way for parking near the city hall. After Amtrak came on the scene, Atmore erected a modern mini depot, which is still standing.

Three local cotton ginning companies announced the names of farmers who brought in “first bales of cotton” that year.

A.D. Sanders of Bratt grew his first bale for Atmore Milling and Elevator Co. Claude Peacock produced the first bale for Atmore Truckers and Mrs. J.R. Crowley and her farm manager, Johnny Dread, furnish the initial bale for Frank Currie Gin.

Atmore Airport erected a beacon light near the end of the landing strip to help pilots in nighttime flying. The airport also received a grant to expand the runway from 3,850 feet to 5,000 feet. It was the second time the runway was expanded. Vanity Fair in its heyday had the runway expanded in the 1950s to accommodate heavy air flights in relative to their operation.

Betty Kemp Farrar of Canoe was selected Miss 1970 Escambia Maid of Cotton.

Ernest Ward high School head football coach Joe Latham was elected spokesman for north Florida District One Coaches association. He joined other statewide coaches in suggesting and voting on rules for Florida’s high school varsity football teams.

Atmore’s Little League “Major League” coaches and managers were: Bank of Atmore-Gene Akins and Bobby Middleton; Lions Club-Roger Dixon and Bill McMurray; First National Bank-Tom Bradberry and M.L. Ledkins; Rotary Club-William Gorum and Maxwell Haley-Wesley long and Mickey Kemmer.

Next week, we will have more news from days gone by.