November 4, 2022

 

Debbie Nichols Poulos '63 is in a wheelchair with ALS.  She shares a photo of her two latest books, which can be ordered on Amazon -- HOME SCHOOLING DURING COVID-19 and Beyond and THE CONSCIOUS TEACHER

Jerry Whiting ’64 has been added to the Colts Who Served Page.  He served in in the Army from 1962-1965 in Field Communications with the 2nd Armored Division.  He attended Darnall, Horace Mann and Crawford.

Here's the program for the game in which San Diego met Crawford on the football field at Hoover.  The game was played on Friday, November 3, 1962 at 8 PM.  I am lucky to stay awake until 8 PM nowadays.  Click HERE to check out the program.

Here's Mighty 690 Top 40 program from November 7, 1958.  Click HERE to remember the Good Old Days.

When it's a slow news week you can't go wrong reprising an Aunt Emma's Pancakes menu.  Apparently you can go back in time if you drive to the Aunt Emma's that still operates in Chula Vista.  Click HERE to check out the menu.

October 28, 2022

Ed Mathis said he thought of me when he spotted this cartoon.  Hmmm.

This Howard Lipin shot of Tabletop Mountain appeared on the front page of the Union-Tribune this week.  Click HERE for an enlargement and details.

'68 Classmates Frank Apgar and Walt Abbey had lunch at the Monkey Cat in Auburn, California on October 21st.   That's Frank on the left in the Hawaiian shirt.  Get a few more details and a larger photo on The Photo Page.

This San Diego Historic Neon photo popped up on Facebook this week.  It looks like the same photo, with a different price, as that seen on the postcard donated by Dave and Linda Roberts Ponsford.  Click HERE to check it out.

A gorgeous shot of Sparkletone Photo, at 3024 El Cajon Blvd, also showed up on Facebook.  Click HERE to see it in a larger format.

The very first Pacer -- Volume 1, Number 1 -- was published on October 29, 1957.  Click HERE to ready all six pages of the student paper issued 65 years ago.

And HERE for the Pacer issued October 25, 1962 -- 60 years ago.

And HERE for the Pacer issued October 26, 1967 -- 55 years ago.

Oops -- I forgot all about my collection of football programs.  Here's one from 60 years ago donated by Sarina Klein Nordmarken '63.  Click HERE to read the inside pages.

Kathy Gordy Evans ’66 passed away in Glendora, California May 24, 2019 according to classmate Dan Burton.

October 21, 2022

The Adams Theater, for many years the home of Discount Fabrics, is back -- sort of.  The theater of my youth began as the Carteri in 1930 and has now been repurposed as an entertainment venue.  "There goes another fabric shop," said my pal Tom LaShell.  Click HERE for details.

240 guests descended on the Bahia Hotel last month for the COVID-delayed 50-year reunion of the Class of 1971.  Click HERE to see a couple of photos.

Mike Schwartz '61 shares a link to his appearance on Dick Clark's American Bandstand on January 14, 1967.  His stage name was Mike Williams.  Click HERE for a trip down memory lane.

George Sorenson reminded me of the fact that he and '69 classmates Mike Safford and Bruce Reed tried to save the ferry San Diego from the scrap heap.  Click HERE to read the article in the April 16, 1969 San Diego Union.

Here are two more additions to the Colts Who Served Page

William E Stephens Jr ’73  US Army 1974-1977 Active, 77-80 reserve duty.  Rank: Specialist 4.  Here is a side note: We are a proud military family: My father: William E Stephens retired US Navy -- 23 years service: Myself: US Army -- 7 years service; My son: William E Stephens III retired US Army -- 23 years service.

Eric Watkins '65  I was drafted in 1971 and served 17 months: Basic and Advanced Training up the coast in Fort Ord, then shipped overseas to South Korea for the rest of my time as part of the 8th Army. I trained as a radio operator and served with the 307th Signal Battalion at Camp Eiler in Kimpo, Korea. 

October 14, 2022

Here's a photo of the Oak Park contingent at the recent 50-year reunion of the Class of '72.  Click HERE for more information, but -- sadly -- no names.

Click HERE to read all four pages of the Pacer from October 12, 1967

Several folks sent in photos for the Colts Who Served Page

Steve Shockome '73 USAF Airman First Class Aircraft Maintenance Instructor

The Clark Brothers -- Andy Clark '70: Marines, Jim Clark '72: Army, Jeff Clark '67: Air Force.  Sons of a veteran, nephews of veterans, grandsons of veterans and great grandsons of veterans.  Grandfather of an in-service grandson.

CDR Richard Cloward ’60 views the USS Missouri and another ship in mothballs in Bremerton, Washington in 1981 from the bridge of the USS Barbour County.  Richard had a 30-year career in the Navy leading up to command of the USS Barbour County, USS Cleveland, Amphibious Squadron 9, and the Naval Amphibious School in Coronado -- now known as the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group. 

October 7, 2022

Why yes, I DID have a birthday this week!!  (But I live alone)

In his Outdoors column last week, Ernie Cowan '62 wonders why owls hoot.  Click HERE to read the article.

Steve Carlin ‘65, Frank Browning ‘63, Marty Gabriel ‘65, and Larry Leptich ‘65. Steve, Marty and Larry went to Vietnam and Marty didn’t make it home. I will always miss him.  Such a great guy -- Larry Leptich ’65

I just saw the photo of John Sullivan ’65 and Steve Sullivan ’69 holding their Air Force uniforms.  Steve and I are good friends and were stationed at Lowry AFB in Denver together for technical training in 1969.  Steve and I still hook up at reunions.  Noting the brothers photo, I thought it would be appropriate to share one with my brothers.  We all served in the Air Force at the same time.  The attached photo was taken in August 1975 when we were all home on leave for Corwyn’s wedding.  Pictured left to right are SSgt Gregory Thomas ’69, Sgt Randall Thomas ’70, Airman Jeffrey Thomas ’73, and Airman Corwyn Thomas ’75 -- Greg Thomas ‘69

Click HERE to visit the Colts Who Served Page

Click HERE to peruse all six pages of the October 11, 1962 Pacer.

September 30, 2022

 

Happy 5783 to my Jewish friends.  What do you do if you're a Jewish sports writer and the Yankees game threatens to go long on Rosh Hashana? Gerald Eskanazi writes about the 1971 game that threatened to keep him from getting to the synagogue before sunset.  Ron Blomberg (above) came to the rescue.  Click HERE to read the article.

Who knew Parade Magazine was still around.  Just luck that I spotted last Sunday's issue on-line in the LA Times.  That's Kathy Najimy '75 on the left.  Click HERE to read the article.

Larry Okmin '64 took this photo of the restoration of the Balboa Park Arboretum on September 15, 2022.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.

Nancy Moore Falconer '68 shares a photo from the Long Bar in Tijuana circa 1968.   The assembled Colts include her future husband and future brother-in-law.  Click HERE for an enlargement, with names.

Doug Houser '60 received his commission as a Marine Second Lieutenant in 1966 and was deployed to Vietnam in January 1967. He served as an infantry officer for thirteen months in places like the Rock Pile, Ca Lu, Khe Sanh, the Hai Lang Forest and The Artillery Plateau. He was discharged in 1969 with the rank of Captain. Using his combat experiences as background, he wrote a book, Jungle Warriors, Crime Fighters, that is available at BookBaby Bookshop.

September 23, 2022

 

USAF Staff Sergeant John Sullivan ’65 and brother Sergeant Steve Sullivan ’69 home on leave in 1970.  Mom wanted to see her boys in uniform.  Holding up their blouses was as far as they would go.

The Arboretum in Balboa Park is currently undergoing a long overdue restoration.   Click HERE to see an enlargement of this 1915 photo.

Karon Cogdill ’70 died on August 31, 2022, in Dallas, Texas.   She was a teacher and an artist of acting, mime, directing and photography. As a teacher she especially loved mentoring young artists and followed their careers with pride, no matter what field they ended up in.  She earned her BA at SUNY Fredonia in 1974 and her MFA at Trinity University at the Dallas Theatre Centre in 1979 under its legendary artistic director Paul Baker.  The first principal and artistic director of the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Dr. Baker hired her as a consultant for the first year the school was open, in 1976-77. She served as Coordinator of the Theatre Conservatory at BTWSPVA from 2008 until she retired in 2021. 

September 16, 2022

 I'm not sure if No News Is Good News, but nothing crossed my desktop this week.  Let's take another look at this aerial view of Crawford, taken on October 20, 1961.  Click HERE to see an enlargement (plus two bonus aerials) that goes from Colina del Sol to the Red Coat Inn.

September 9, 2022

This was a Rhymes With Orange cartoon this week

Mike Levas asked me to send a second -- and final -- reminder about the Team Crawford Athletic Foundation golf fundraiser on September 26th.  Contact Tony at mglevas@gmail.com or call him at 760-310-7094.

I'm not sure when the Class of '67 reunion is, but the planners are having fun getting there.  Click HERE for an enlarged photo with names.

A change of pace in Ernie Cowan's Outdoors column this week.  He interviews former Charger Ed White, who now spends his days creating nature art at his studio in Valley Center.  Click HERE to read the article.

Remember when the Union-Tribune was published downtown?  Click HERE to see a larger version of this photo.

It's Back To School!!  Click HERE to read the 4-page Pacer from September 13, 1962.

September 2, 2022

Enjoy your Three Day Weekend, although I hope -- like me -- everyday is a weekend day.  It's supposed to get really hot in San Diego County this weekend.  I hope folks aren't going to park on my front lawn on their way to the beach.

Finally a Bliss cartoon worth sharing

Jerry (call sign "Snoopy") Ellis '61 shares a snippet of his life as a RIO with VF-96.  Click HERE to go to the Colts Who Served in Vietnam Page and get the details.

Slim pickings in the Colt Corral this week.  When all else fails I go to the Golden Oldies, in this case Oscar's Drive-In memorabilia.  Click HERE to go to the Oscar's Page.

Nancy Shapard ’68 passed away July 22, 2022 due to chronic illness.  She was born in San Diego on February 24, 1950.  Nancy attended business college and worked as a bookkeeper throughout her life.