Memories

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1976 Headlines

The US celebrates its 200th birthday with festivities from coast to coast. One highlight is "Opereation Sail", the parade of 15 tall ships and several hundred smaller ones up the Hudson River.

The space shuttle is unveiled in California.

America's robot spacecraft "Viking I" landed on Mars and sent back photos.

Concorde supersonic jet service began regular transatlantic service.

PanAm inaugurates non-stop New York - Tokoyo service on Boeing 747.

Legionnaire's Disease struck the American Legion Convention in Philadelphia.

"Hank" Aaron retired as a baseball player with a career total of 755 home runs.

Steelers defeat Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in Super Bowl X.

The Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Yankees 4-0 to win the World Series.

Bruce Jenner wins gold in the decathlon and Edwin Moses sets a world record in the 400 meter hurdles.

In basketball, the ABA and NBA leagues merge.

Innsbruk, Austria was the site of the 12th Winter Olympics.

Nadia Comaneci scored 10 on the uneven bars, a first in olympic gymnastics.

Giant Stadium, a $68 million football arena, opened in New Jersey.

The Apple computer was developed in a garage by two amateur electronics enthusiasts.

The US Air Force Academy admitted 155 women, ending an all male tradition.

The first televised debate between candidates for the vice presidency took place.

Alex Haley's "Roots" was a best-seller.

There were 20 police/private eye shows on TV.

"Happy Days", "Lavern & Shirley", and "M*A*S*H" were all hit shows.

Moviegoers were flocking to the theaters to see "Rocky".

A postage stamp cost 13 cents.

A VW Rabbit automobile sold for $3,499.

A vacation package from New York to Disneyland for 8 days was priced at $206.

Barbara Walters was offered a $1 mil per year contract.

Washington DC opens it's first subway system.

Howard Hughes donates his plane "Spruce Goose" to the General Services Administration.

Ellis Island officially re-opens.

FDA bans Red Dye No. 4.

Billboard/American Top 40

1974

   1. The Way We Were - Barbara Streisand

   2. Seasons in the Sun - Terry Jacks

   3. Love's Theme - The Love Unlimited Orchestra

   4. Come & Get Your Love - Redbone

   5. Dancing Machine - The Jackson's

   6. The Locomotion - Grand Funk

   7. TSOP - MFSB

   8. The Streak - Ray Stevens

   9. Bennie & the Jets - Elton John

  10. One Hell of a Woman - Mac Davis

1975

   1. Love Will Keep Us Together - The Captain & Tenille

   2. Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell

   3. Philadelphia Freedom - The Elton John Band

   4. Before the Next Teardrop Falls - Freddy Fender

   5. My Eyes Adore You - Frankie Valli

   6. Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk

   7. Shining Star - Earth, Wind, & Fire

   8. Fame - David Bowie

   9. Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sadaka

  10. One of These Nights - Eagles

1976

   1. Silly Love Songs - Payl McCartney & Wings

   2. Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee

   3. Disco Lady - Johnnie Taylor

   4. Dec. 1963 (Oh What a Night) - Four Seasons

   5. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry

   6. Kiss & Say Goodbye - The manhattans

   7. Love Machine - The Miracles

   8. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon

   9. Love is Alive - Gary Wright

  10. A 5th of Beethoven - The Walter Murphy Band

IMPORTANT DATES IN 1976
from WIKIPEDIA

TRIVIA GAME: Woog's World / "Steve Simon says ..."
From the New Canaan News, Thursday, November 11, 2010

 Link to answers at bottom

Steve Simon grew up in Westport in the 1950s and '60s. He's retired now, and no longer lives here. But once a Westporter, always a Westporter -- as proven by an e-mail he recently sent to "Woog's World."

Sharing his memories would be too easy. Here instead is a special quiz. Don't be intimidated if you lack Steve's local pedigree. Everyone -- natives and newcomers alike -- is invited to take the test -- and with it a trip back to a very different time and town.

1. The best sledding in town -- except when Edge Hill Lane (between King's Highway North and Wilton Road) was closed to traffic.

2. A much-loved pediatrician, he made house calls.

3. Steve saw Miss Rheingold there once -- and rode the "Salt and Pepper Shaker" many times.

4. To keep pesky kids busy, when workers set this up there was always an escaped monkey to track down. Inevitably someone would emerge from the woods with the monkey -- after the tents were up, and the kids were tired out from searching.

5. A place to store chairs and umbrellas. It was tough to get one -- sort of like waiting for a boat slip.

6. A place to buy little turtles, in little plastic tanks with little plastic palm trees.

7. Steve thinks he was the only teenage non-football player -- or only non-Italian -- working there. The owners taught him, and all their employees, important lessons about generosity.

8. There was always green sawdust on its floor.

9. Domestic helpers for celebrities shopped for food there. The celebrities did too.

10. Steve swam, shot pool, shot hoops, went to dance class, and played Spin the Bottle there.

11. This was a stationery store that later branched out to sell toys, books, records -- and much more.

12. This place brought burgers, blue uniforms and onion relish from the beach.

13. Rafts to swim to -- and diving boards.

14. It sold fake vomit, Playboys, comics and exploding cigarette loads -- everything a young boy wanted.

15. A fire demolished its wooden building. In its place rose a brick one, where the same business stands today.

16. Bins at checkout carried your purchases to the parking lot. You'd drive up, exchange a token for your goods -- and the shopping cart stayed inside. Steve always wanted to get in the bin and ride it like a roller coaster, outside.

17. You got what you paid for -- low prices, low quality.

18. A place to buy little wax Coke bottles filled with syrup, and candy dots on adding machine tape. For entertainment there was a viewing machine with handles; you'd flip it, and still photos gave the illusion of motion.

19. The place near the movie theater where everyone went for sports equipment.

20. Surprisingly, this stood across from the Cedar Brook gay bar for many years.

21. One of the few non-gas station chains in Westport -- and a place to buy tire chains and other automotive equipment.

22. A recreational center, right next to a golf driving range.

23. Steve never understood how they got the cars upstairs.

24. Like the pediatrician in #2 above, the owner made house calls -- to fix your TV.

25. Since the early 1900s, people held their noses when they passed by this factory.

26. Steve calls this "The Remarkable Book Shop of Toys."

27. Chestnuts really did roast on an open fire during this. Also, the stores stayed open late, and served "beverages" to adults.

28. One food place near downtown that truly lived up to its name.

29. Besides #4 above, one spot where you could find a monkey in Westport.

30. Steve -- and every other teenager -- carved their initials into its wooden tables.

31. Its name came from the two towns whose borders it was near.

32. A Westport institution that crashed nearly as rapidly as it grew.

33. White gloves only!

ANSWERS