It’s the same, only better or worse depending on your perspective.

We’ve all heard sayings like “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” I was looking through our archaic archive microfilm system this week, trying to find a story, but found much more than I was looking for in June of 1973.

The first story I happened upon was one titled, “Should the city get out of the school business?” Apparently the new high school was being built at that time and there was a tremendous issue over transportation, so school officials actually discussed giving up the city charter to the county as one solution to its dilemma.

Also that month, a story on the “gas crisis” appeared, where it wasn’t so much the price but the lack of availability that had people up in arms, but the following quote by Bill Holland, a BP distributor, caught my eye. “And the ecologists won’t let us build another refinery. No sir, we’ve already been all through that.”

Sounds like our current Rant and Raves.

But the worst aspect of taking a brief look back was the grocery ads. Porterhouse steak for $1.59 a pound, whole frying chickens at 49 cents a pound, watermelons at 99 cents each, and Hamburger Helper, two boxes for 88 cents. Back then, you could afford the hamburger too, at $2.59 for a three-pound package.

So fast-forward 35 years, and we’re still talking about issues with gas and oil drilling, we’re still talking about school consolidation, and I’ll bet in 1973, there were folks bemoaning the high cost of groceries.

However, all that considered, wouldn’t most of us still rather be living today with all of the advances in medicine and technology? Things are the same, but depending on your perspective, you can consider them better or worse. From my perspective, the glass is generally half full. Every disadvantage is usually accompanied by an advantage, so if you solve one issue, chances are, another one is going to take its place. In other words, greenhouse gases or not, nobody’s taking away my air conditioning!

Business Roundup

I understand, as well as I can get it confirmed so far, that Chick-fil-A is looking to build on a site at Inner Perimeter and Country Club. We’ll see.

The Daily Grind, a much beloved local coffee house on Bemiss Road, has moved to the airport, and is also operating a location on Moody AFB as well.

The retail development on Jerry Jones in front of Westover Condominiums apparently got the final variances the developers were seeking from the local Board of Appeals. The land itself has been zoned for this type of development for several years, so it will not be coming before the council again. In other words, look for ground breaking and site preparation to begin soon.

The new CVS pharmacy on North Ashley Street is still in the site preparation stage, but should be “going vertical” soon.

I’ve had questions about Mama’s Table and Hawthorne Suites at Exit 22 and, yes, they both are still coming soon.