July 21, 2017

Nancy and I finally got out to Horace Mann this past Monday.  Janice Ricca Hom had emailed me that she drove by "and they were tearing it down!"  I don't think they're tearing it down, but it would appear there is a major addition going in.  The photo above looks north toward the administration building.  The photo below looks east with Trojan Avenue at the right.  Click HERE to look at a 1959 aerial that may help you get oriented.

Ernie Cowan's birdwatching column in last Saturday's U-T features the Common Yellowthroat.  Click HERE to check it out.

The Westgate Hotel, at 2nd and Broadway, sparkles in this photo circa 1965, from Greg May's Vintage San Diego Facebook Page.   

Guess what?  You can order Abba Zaba candy bars -- and all manner of other vintage candy -- on line from OldTimeCandy.com  Make sure you've got your dentist on speed-dial.

Dana Carr '64 went looking for his childhood neighbor Betty McCoy on the internet.  "We moved to Michael Street the summer  I started Horace Mann. She lived on 55th Street" he wrote.  Sadly, Dana found a Facebook page that said Betty McCoy Cook passed away on September 22, 2016.  Her sister, Linda McCoy Petersen, confirms her passing.  "She passed peacefully, in her sleep, from cancer," said Linda.

July 14, 2017

47 years ago on this date I was in Paris with my pals Tom and Steve for the Bastille Day Parade.  It's a good lead-in to the fact that, a week earlier, we were in Pamplona, Spain for the "Running of the Bulls".  In both instances all I saw was peoples' backs and -- in Pamplona -- a cloud of dust.

Speaking of the "Running of the Bulls", have you seen the Geico commercial for "The Running of the Bulldogs"?  Click HERE to take a look.  Be prepared to fall on the floor laughing.

I thought I'd fallen asleep in the Barcalounger again and was dreaming.  The television commercial said something along the lines of "tired of having to push buttons to change channels on your remote?"  Apparently Cox voice remote lets you bypass those pesky buttons and just shout at the TV. Could be a 2 for 1 -- since I shout at the TV on a regular basis.   Remember when YOU were the remote?  When your folks made you get up and change the channel -- and sometimes stay there if you were improving the picture by grounding the set.  And there weren't any buttons either.  It could take two little hands to chunk-chunk-chunk to the desired channel.  Luckily there weren't very many choices.

Will Ernie Dronenburg EVER retire?  The County Assessor -- and '61 Colt -- was quoted in Tuesday's U-T article on who had the highest property tax bill in San Diego.  The answer:  Qualcomm.  Click HERE to get the details.

Bill Davis and his wife had a lovely time at the Herb Alpert Summer Pops concert last week on the Embarcadero, especially after keyboardist Bill Cantos gave a shout-out to his Crawford classmates from 1980.  Click HERE to check out Bill's web site.

I LOVE this color aerial of Belmont Park circa 1960.  It popped up again on Facebook and I'm sharing it again.  Click HERE to see it enlarged on Facebook.

It's been awhile since Bliss tickled my funny bone, but this cartoon from yesterday got me to smile.

July 7, 2017

I love this photo of lower Broadway posted on Facebook and thought maybe I'd used it before.  It appears to be circa 1960.  There's an Edsel going east and a VW headed west.  I blew up the marquee on the Tower Theater thinking the name of the movie would help determine the year.  It didn't, but I'm still thinking about what it said -- "You Won't Believe Your Eyes.  June Wilkinson. 43-20-36."

I'm not sure if Danielle Remer went to Crawford, but she DID attend Euclid Elementary and took this picture at the 100th Birthday Party this past Wednesday.  I believe she posted on Facebook that this was a portion of what remained of the older part of the school.

Ernie Cowan '62, "The Bird Man of Escondido", wrote a nice article in this week's U-T entitled "Sit Back and Enjoy the Show".  He's encouraging you to take an hour out of each day and soak up your surroundings.  Click HERE to read the article.

Details are still sketchy but Jeff Lee '66 died while mountain biking in Rancho Penasquitos on Tuesday.  As a member of the band "Oh Ridge", he put smiles on the faces of thousands of fans.  He entertained at a couple of the First Thursday meetings at The Amigo Spot and managed to reword one stanza of Margaritaville that caught my attention.

Wasted away again in Margaritaville,

Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.

Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,

Now I think it’s all John Fry’s fault.

June 30, 2017

Don Christofferson sends word that Euclid Elementary will celebrate its 100th Year on Wednesday, July 5th at 9:15 AM.   I tried to find a link or someone to talk to without success.  Luz in the office said someone would call back, but that didn't happen.  I did a little historical research.  The earliest newspaper reference I found was from 1928.   Take pictures if you attend.  Oh, the invite warned that parking would be scarce.  Click HERE to look at some Euclid Elementary class pictures.

Some ladies from the Class of '64 (and an interloper) got together for lunch at the Marie Callendar's in Escondido on May 24th.  (Seated) Patti Wallis, Barbara Long, Teri Hunter, Eileen Reichert. (Standing) Lola Sather, Irene Delleman, Carlene Smelko, BJ Stebbins, Char Krebsbach, Cathy Seidman, Charlene Stebbins ‘59

The North American Soccer League is coming to San Diego and one of the owners is Bob Watkins.  I suspect that's the Bob Watkins from Crawford's Class of 1961.  Click HERE to read more.  Click HERE to read the article in the Union-Tribune.

Does anyone know ANYONE who can help me learn Dreamweaver?  Last month's system upgrade left me unable to edit my web site.  I built it with GoLive 6, which was purchased by Dreamweaver. A month of reading the book and trying various tutorials has turned me into a twitching mess.  A Google search for "Dreamweaver tutors near you" connected me with a plumber in El Segundo.  (I'm in Pacific Beach).

June 23, 2017

Could you feel it when Summer arrived at 9:48 PM last Tuesday?  I thought I did, but it turned out I'd fallen asleep in my La-Z-Boy and was awakened by my snoring.

Jeez!!  A whole bunch of people wanted the 6" x 9" zip lock bags.  I gave them to Athletic Director Kelcie Butcher, who will use them for the "C" that goes on a Letterman's Jacket.  Hey, are there Letterladies' Jackets?

Who knew there was a College Grove Facebook Page?  I can't tell if this is a photo or an artist's rendering, but it shows  a Woolworth's at College Grove in the 1960s.

I enjoyed Barbara  Crooker's poem, Patty's Charcoal Drive-In, as part of Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac this past Tuesday.   Click HERE to read it for yourself, or listen to Garrison's dulcet tones.

Patty's Charcoal Drive-In took me back to Oscar's Drive-In at Menlo and El Cajon.  Click HERE to take a look at their menu.

Roy Sanks '64 passed away on June 14th in El Cajon after a brief battle with cancer -- Clarke Stillwagen

June 16, 2017

American Airlines is apparently rethinking its plans to make the space between seats even narrower.  The Los Angeles Times article in Wednesday's paper was illustrated with this photo by Frank Duenzl.  My first thought was that is was taken in Dubai, or some such locale, then I noticed the San Diego County Administration Building.  Things have certainly changed downtown.

50,000 seats for today's UCSD Commencement Address -- and additional speech -- by the Dalai Lama were snapped up in minutes Wednesday.  Takes me back to the surprise announcement in 1963 that President John F. Kennedy would speak at San Diego State's graduation.  Seniors who decided they WOULD take part after all were lined up late at night at Peterson Gym to get their caps and gowns.  Click HERE to look at some pictures.

Walt Tendler '74 took this picture at the County Fair.  It shows the Top 20 Seniors at Crawford High.  "If this doesn't show diversity," says Walt, "I'm not sure what does."

Does anyone have a use for 6 x 9 ziplock plastic bags?  I have a thousand of them that I no longer have a use for.  (The photo above shows one of the bags full of Sharpies.)

Seems a perfect time to trot out one of my favorite photos, of athletes and coaches, from the 1967 Centaur.  Click HERE for a larger view and you can make out the Red Coat Inn in the background.

Nancy and I cruised by 5967 Trojan last week and it looks like that's where this photo was taken. Nancy grew up a block away, on West Overlook Drive.

Alice James McCapes ’59, of Hemet, CA, died January 4, 2017.  She is survived by her husband Arthur and a whole lot of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Alice was very involved with her community. She was a senior officer in the TOPS weight loss support group where she helped countless individuals and was highly decorated. She was also active in the American Legion, post 53, with her husband, Arthur. Alice never let a moment go to waste. She was a swim instructor, Cub Scout leader, supported Little League, and was a dedicated and very hard-working dance mom. She was a very gifted crafter, and excelled in anything she attempted. She was, also, a master seamstress and loved making jewelry.  

Darrel Skinner ’62 passed away of a massive heart attack on May 11th, 2017.  He was a resident of Kimberling City, MO.  He was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Jun 8, 1944.   He arrived in Washington State in 1957.  A petition for naturalization was made in San Diego when he was 15.  He married Elizabeth Murphy in 1965. “I guess it's that time in our lives,” says wife Betty.  “Just wanted to let you know.”

Vicky McVay Scherer ’64 passed away peacefully on May 30, 2017.  Born in Australia, she grew up in San Diego and is survived by Sisters Sydney '65, Judy '66 and Georgia '70

June 9, 2017

What were YOU doing 50 years ago this week?  The Beatles' Sgt Peppers album went on sale on June 2, 1967.

I was in Annapolis, MD for the graduation from the Naval Academy of my pal Ken Ptack (Hoover '60) on June 7th.  The next day I was best man at his marriage to Joanne Buscher (that's her in the pink).   They'll be celebrating 35 years of wedded bliss this week.  (I KNOW -- they've been married for 50)

We've come to the end of the student newspapers edited by Pat Edwards.  Click HERE to read his 10-page finale -- the Graduation Issue of June 7, 1967.

Greg May asked for help last week in identifying the location of this photo by the late Bill Reid.   A number of folks said it was 5967 Trojan, but I'm not sure.  An alert reader used the headline on the newspaper to determine that the photo was taken on October 13, 1954.

Pat Bell says her husband Jerry Bell '60 passed away April 25, 2017.  "Jerry enjoyed your newsletters," added Pat.