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Summer in the City - 1958 June 21, 1958, 4:57 PM, the beginning of summer, welcomed by the 16,000 students finishing their term in the city's thirty public and private, elementary and secondary schools. In addition 4,500 students from Russell Sage College, RPI and HVTI completed their school year. Many Troy factories followed the policy of closing for two weeks in the summer to allow for employee vacations, usually in the month of July. June 1958 was the coldest summer month since 1816 according to the U.S. Weather Bureau in Albany. Temperatures of 50 degrees or lower were registered for half the month. As temperatures rose, many area residents made additional visits to Troy's famed watering place, the spring on lower Spring Avenue, which received a complete face lift in August by Troy's DPW. A substantial contribution to the cost of renovating the site was made by the children of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chuckrow. Attendance at the city's twenty two playgrounds often averaged 13,000 youngsters each week. Playgrounds and municipal pools provided dozens of summer jobs for high school and college students. At summers end, the annual playground handicraft exhibit was held at Frear's Department Store. Youngsters at the 120th Street Playground won -first place with their exhibit "Landscape on Mars". The Senior Basketball Tournament between teams from the southern and northern divisions of the playground system was another popular end of summer event. Camp Barker operated by the Troy Boy's Club, the YWCA's Camp Yowochas, the YMCA's Camp Van Schoonhaven, the Jewish Community Center's Camp CeDa-Ca, the Troy Area Council of Camp Fire Girls' Camp Kiwanis and the Sunnyside Day Camp provided safe, fun filled activities for youngsters. The annual James E. Strates Show at the Circus Grounds on the Troy Albany Road was a popular summertime diversion. A June 6th German Day Observance attracted 4,000 to Filuta's Grove for a day long celebration. Filuta's was a popular gathering place where many civic groups, churches, fraternal organizations and others held picnics and reunions. City parks were the site for The Troy Summer Music Festival Series sponsored by a grant from a recording industry trust fund to Local 13, American Federation of Musicians. Music for the concert series was provided by the Italian Community Center Band, Doring's Band, Slater's Band and others. Movie goers were treated to double features at Troy's six theatres, the Troy, Proctors, Lincoln, American, State, and Bijou. Popular summer releases included the comedy "No Time for Sergeants", "King Creole" starring U. S. Army Private Elvis Presley, and the rousing epic "The Vikings". The best of second run films, often as many as three each evening, were shown atlocal drive-in's, the Menand's, Hollywood, Rustic, Saratoga, Malta, Jericho, Auto Vision, Hudson River, and Hathway's. All top rated TV shows in the summer of '58 were westerns: "Tales of Wells Fargo", "Gunsmoke", "Wagon Train", and "Maverick'. Summer reading bestsellers included Edna Ferber's "The Ice Palace", Robert Traver's "Anatomy of a Murder", Jean Kerr's "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" and Art Linkletter's "Kids Say the Darndest Things". The Children's Summer Reading Club at the Library challenged youngsters to read ten books. Hit tunes heard that summer on area radio stations and played on home stereos were "Bird Dog" by the Everly Brothers, "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters and the international favorite, "Volare" by Domenico Modugno. Sports fans supported baseball whether it was Albany Senator games at Hawkins Stadium or Little League games played throughout the city. People crowded the bleachers at the Empire Raceway in Menands for "two hours of automotive fury - 28 hair raising death defying stunt events" and stock car races. The 12th annual Troy Open Tennis Tournament at the Prospect Park Tennis Courts attracted area players and supporters. St. Jude's Horse Show, in its sixth year, attracted 13,000 area residents during its July 4th to 6th run. The Merchant's Division of the Greater Troy Chamber of Commerce sponsored a three day "Summer Bonus Days" in June and the 82nd annual "Dollar Day Sale" in August. Both successful events offered bargains in clothing, toys, appliances, and many other goods for area shoppers. Signs of the end of the summer of '58: Schaghticoke Fair opens its run on August 29th, school traffic police get their final instructions, Guy Enfanto prepares to begin his first term as new principal of Troy High, the Times Record issues its "Back to School' supplement, parents shop for new clothes for youngsters and city residents and organizations make last minute preparations for Labor Day picnics and get-togethers. In cooperation with Troy United Ink Corp., a not-for-profit corporation 
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