Each week, we’ll bring you a selection of notable stories that happened this week in Dayton history, chronicled by the same newspaper that continues to serve the community today.
Here are some headlines from the extended leap year week of Feb. 29-March 7, 1976.
Feb. 29, 1976: Kettering author John Jakes best-seller? Sure!
Kettering author John Jakes became the first writer in history to have three books listed among the New York Times’ top 10 paperback best-sellers in one year, 1976.
Jakes said people found it hard to believe that a nationally recognized writer could come from Kettering. At times even people from Dayton gave him the same reaction of disbelief, he said.
“It seems to be a widespread and peculiar feeling, and I can’t understand it. I run into it with radio and TV interviewers on the road, that no writer could possibly live in Dayton, Ohio.”
He recalled the time he was checking out some research books one Saturday at the downtown public library, and hadn’t bothered to shave that morning.
“The lady at the desk, a nice lady, she said, ‘Oh, that’s the same name as the man that writes that series. Are you related to him by any chance?”
“And I said, ‘I’m the one who does it.’ She didn’t believe me. And I let it go at that.”
Jakes said he was more proud of having three books on the Times’ list “than I am of The Furies making No. 1.” On Feb. 15, his book The Furies became only the second paperback ever to achieve the No. 1 rating.
That book is part of a Bicentennial series about the Kent family. The second, third and fourth in the series made it to the top 10.
The only one of the series not to achieve best-seller status so far was the first one, The Bastard.
The four books in the series had 4 million copies in print at that point.
When Jakes began the series, it was intended to be five books. Then Jakes suggested adding a sixth book, and the publisher contracted with him for a seventh and eighth.
Feb. 29, 1976: Jamie, 4, to celebrate first official birthday
Four-year-old Jaime Mashburn of Xenia was a little too young to realize it, but Sunday, Feb. 29, 1976, was the only official birthday she would have until 1980.
Born at St. Elizabeth Hospital on Feb. 29, 1972, the date inserted once every four years to keep the calendar in tempo with the seasons, Jaime became somewhat of a celebrity while still only seconds old.
“The grandparents and everybody else saw my daughter on television even before I did,” said James Mashburn. “The cameramen were waiting around and Jaime was the first baby born that day.”
Jaime’s mother, Diane Mashburn, said the family held Jaime’s birthday party on Mar. 1 the last three years.
“Somehow it’s just not the same when you don’t have a certain day to have your birthday,” said Mrs. Mashburn. “This will be her first real birthday.”
Jaime, one of the more talkative four-year-old’s in Xenia or anywhere else for that matter, according to her parents, was not making any comment about her leap year baby status. She did, however, bury her head in the couch and held up four fingers when asked how old she was.
“Not that she hasn’t enjoyed her birthdays,” said Mrs. Mashburn. “It really hasn’t seemed to make much difference to her when they were held.”
Feb. 29, 1976: Cox Municipal Airport popcorn has devoted fans
Trans World Airlines hostess Jeannine Shaffer almost missed her flight sometimes, had to be paged, then went running down the aircraft loading ramp with popcorn for herself and passengers.
She was typical of airline workers, who liked the popcorn at Cox Municipal Airport in Vandalia so much they went to extremes to get it.
“We stand in line to buy it even when we’re running neck and neck with takeoff time,” said Shaffer, who was bound for New York City.
TWA Flight Engineer Walter H. Whitaker of Kansas City, Mo., had already bought big $1 bags of popcorn — some to take home and some to eat in the cockpit.
“This is probably the finest popcorn I’ve ever eaten in the United States,” said Whitaker.
The popcorn sold at the Wileswood Country Store inside the airport was so famous that the Dayton stop was often referred to as the “Popcorn Stop,” and the airport as “Popcorn Airport.”
“Ninety per cent of the guys on airlines know about this popcorn. It’s just really good. You can smell it from the gate. I think that adds to it’s popularity,” said Delta Airlines pilot David Bertram of Dallas, Tex.
“Everybody, if they have even a minute between flights, runs down and gets a bag. We take bags of popcorn to ground crews in Chicago — all over,” he added.
The store sold at least 20,000 pounds of popcorn a year.
The original country store was started by Addison E. Wiles on his family homestead in Huron in 1962. The Dayton store was opened in 1968.
The company grew its own popcorn on a 25-acre farm, harvested it by hand and put it in airtight, atmospherically controlled containers to keep a 13 percent moisture content in the corn, said Mrs. Cloak.
“The moisture makes it pop right — as much as 40 times its original size,” she said.
The secret to success was to have the temperature high enough, use a kind of oil that wouldn’t burn and start with good quality corn.
“We use coconut oil. It’s the best popping oil available. The temperature should be hot enough — between 400 and 500 degrees. And the pot should let steam out. Any pot that does that will do,” she said.
The store even sold a specially-made home popper which retailed for under $10.
Mar. 3, 1976: ‘Toy beats TV schedules: Sony Replay lets affluent addicts video tape programs for later viewing
In 1976, before they became simply known as VCR’s, a video recording system called the Sony Replay was introduced.
For just $2,295, (approximately $13,000 in today’s dollars), TV addicts could buy a set that liberated them from the broadcast time TV schedule.
The set was the latest thing in electronic status symbols, a 228-pound home videotape recording system made in Japan and called the Sony Replay.
In the interest of keeping ahead of the Joneses, a Dayton Daily News reporter borrowed a Replay for a week. He found the machine easy to operate and lots of fun — but also thought of it as a very expensive toy.
Nevertheless, about half a dozen were sold in two weeks in Dayton.
You could use the system four ways:
• You could record a program as you watch it.
• You could use the built-in timer to automatically record a program when you were away from home.
• You could watch a program and simultaneously record a show on another channel.
• For an extra $395, you could buy an optional camera to make your own programs for instant replay.
Video recordings were made on half-inch wide magnetic cassette tape. Tapes were available in 30, 60 and 90-minute lengths. The one-hour tape cost $15.95. The tape, like audio tape, was good for repeated use.
Color and picture quality were considered indistinguishable from regular broadcast TV programs.
Two minor complaints from the reporter: The machine lacked a remote control to eliminate commercials, and the timing device was difficult to set.
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