Fifty years ago, in 1966, we were still using the draft system to make sure our military was up to par. It was announced in the 1966 in The Atmore Advance that Alabama’s quota for the month of October was 840 to be drafted.

Jan Akins, 10, was crowned Miss Flame by the fire chief, Charles Rutherford. The contest which was decided by vote, was to use the proceeds for food and clothing for the needy at Christmas.

Sounds like a good way to have some fun and raise money at the same time.

A&P store manager, Hugh Malone, was photographed presenting a check for $500 to Thelma Whidbee as a winner in the “Mystery Cash Contest” that was being held at the store.

Betty Sue Bondurant was chosen as homecoming queen at Flomaton High School and Janice Cooper of Escambia County High School was selected homecoming queen in Atmore.

It’s that time of the year. Homecoming is so much fun. At least I think it is now. I grew up out in the country and attended school at a junior high school (G.W. Long School at Skipperville). We had no football team to have a homecoming. When I attended high school at Carroll High in Ozark, I never went to the football games because I had no way to get there.

All of this makes me seem as if I came over in the Mayflower, but not quite.

The PTA at A.C. Moore Elementary School were planning a Halloween Carnival and bringing back a favorite, the cake walk.

I do remember those from when I was in school at Skipperville. Every fall, we had a festival (don’t remember what we called it), and the cake walk was a big part of it. Another thing that I remember about it was the auction to sell box lunches. All the young ladies decorated a shoebox, or another kind of box with crepe paper and ribbons, and then filled it full of goodies. The boxes were then auctioned off and the young lady who owned the box was to eat supper with the buyer. I remember one year there were two different boys bidding on my box and I chose which one I wanted to bid the most. Just my luck, the other boy paid the most money and I had to eat with him. Those were the days.

Watson Ace Hardware was selling easy-on storm window kits for 39 cents each. Do you remember these? It was a length of plastic wrap that you had to tack up outside, or inside, and then shrink it with the heat of an iron, and later, a hair dryer. It didn’t work too well but anything we could do for warmth we were willing to do.

Remember a couple of years ago when we were having so many problems with people stealing copper wiring? Well, in 1966, they were having the same problem. A $500 reward was offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible by Southern Pine Electric.

Carol Dreadin of Atmore was pictured performing with a hill billy band during the  rat week talent show at college.

Snow flurries fell on Atmore and it was reported that it was the earliest snowfall in many years.