October 25, 2013

IT’S STILL DARK IN PB and I’m wondering why I don’t send this out a little later.  When Nancy gets down from Escondido we’ll deliver books to Crystal Pier and mail to the Midway Post Office.  Where we brunch will depend on where we can park.

Come on by the Amigo Spot tomorrow night for Halloween.  Stephanie’s hired a DJ.  I’m afraid to ask what kind of creepy food will be on tap.  Nancy’s coming as a witch, Lisa’s coming as a purple witch, and I’m coming as a curmudgeon.

Here’s one of my favorite streetcar photos, taken by L K Dewein on July 21, 1924.  It was taken on the occasion of the first run of the “Mission Beach Special”.  For 75¢ you could zoom to Mission Beach, take a swim, grab a bite, and be back downtown in an hour and a half.  Click HERE to see this photo in its 9 x 12 glory.  

Remember entertainer Jimmy Gilmer?  Me neither, but he had the Number One single 50 years ago on the KGB 1360 Top 40.  Click HERE to see what it was, along with the other 39.

Can you name these members of the Class of ‘60 Reunion Committee?  They recently had lunch at MCRD.  Click HERE for a photo large enough to give you a fighting chance.

Tom Cassie wondered if I’d seen the photo of our classmate Bill Lamden in the Entertainment Section of Sunday’s U-T.  The article was about the financial health of the San Diego Symphony, with nice words about Bill’s wife, Evelyn Olson Lamden, chair of the orchestra’s board of directors.  I went back and reread the article and figured out why I missed Bill’s photo.  She’s wearing red in the photo below, which was elsewhere on the page.  Oh, that’s Bill and Evelyn at the left in the photo above. Click HERE if you'd like to actually read the article.

Did I say George last week?  Ron Smith ‘72 actually lives in Georgia, I assume the one in America, not the one in Russia.  At any rate he’s shared a 1962 team photo of the Rolando Park Tigers.  The thank you note to the team scorer contains the names of the players.  Click HERE to check them out.

October 18, 2013

IT’S PITCH BLACK AND COOL IN PB, but it’s supposed to warm up nicely.  I’ve got a 10:30 annual eye check up near Costa Verde Shopping Center and I’ve got my fingers crossed we can to to Coco’s for lunch.  My old Coco’s on Sports Arena has been a U-Haul Rental agency for several years.

Whew!!  The Class of ‘63 Reunion is over — but you can look at the pictures.  I’ve posted three of John McMullen’s photo shoots on the Reunion Page of the web site — Friday Night at the Amigo Spot, Saturday Night at the Bahia, and the Saturday Night Elementary reunion group shots.  These are Picasa slide shows.  I don't know if you'll have to sign up for something to view them.  Oh, if you can help me with the names I missed or messed up, go ahead and EMAIL me.

The October 17, 1963 Golden Anniversary Pacer was six Pages — maybe because it was National Newspaper Week.  I especially enjoyed the photo of Judy Frederickson and her Ford Model A.   Click HERE to read the whole paper.

Bill Paxton ‘66 forwards a shot of his parents’ liquor store circa 1948.  He thinks it might have been on Adams Avenue.  The enlarged version, viewable on the Colt Corral blog or Facebook, makes me want to say that’s the Ibis Market in the background.  It’s still there, on Ibis and Fort Stockton, in Mission Hills.  We await more educated guesses.  Oh, and check out the Coke delivery truck in the background. Click HERE to enlarge the photo.

Ron Smith ‘72 checks in from George, although he may be in San Diego as we speak — or email.  He’s forwarded some Rolando Park and Little League goodies.  I’ll start with his Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade photos — plus the 1966 6th Grade graduation roster.  I don’t know if he still has his 4th through 6th grade photos.  Click HERE to see what I’ve posted.

You can enjoy the Colt Corral on Facebook at Crawford Colt Corral

October 11, 2013

I don’t know if you can read this, but I held my 70th birthday a day late, along with my fellow 10-4 pals Tom LaShell and Carol Redding, at — SURPRISE — the Amigo Spot.  I wonder if any of my friends, or better yet enemies, could spot the marquee from I-8.   It says HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY JOHN FRY.

NEXT FRIDAY — October 18th at 7 PM — is Homecoming.  And the first ever night football game at Crawford.  And the last game on the old football field.  A group photo of attending alumni will be taken.  Wear something Crimson, White or Blue — or all three.

Fred Dickey writes a column in the U-T that I look forward to each Monday. This week he wrote about what it’s like to be a cop in stressful, deadly situations.  I got well into the story before I realized he was writing about Janet Chelberg Burgess ‘69.  Click HERE to read the story.

Rebecca Darneals Mueller ’74 suffered a stroke last weekend at the family farm in Wisconsin and is in the hospital.  If you’d like to receive updates on her progress send an EMAIL to her husband John

Judy Wilson Gloyer ‘62 passed away on October 5th after a 7-year battle with cancer.  Services were held earlier this week, but you can still sign the Guest Book.

Search for Crawford Colt Corral on Facebook

October 4, 2013

IT’S PITCH BLACK IN PACIFIC BEACH but supposed to get sunny and warm, and even hotter over the weekend.  Nancy’s promised to take me anywhere I want for my birthday dinner.  I’m holding out for Der Wienerschnitzel.

I HATE Facebook — or at least I did until recently.  I came across a You Know You’re From Pacific Beach group and have been having fun sharing some of my photos.  Last week’s snippet about the olld Coca Cola plant on El Cajon Blvd brought a flurry of comments that I’m not sure how to share.  In the olden days I would have placed them on a special web page and I still might do that.  In the meantime I’ve created a Crawford Colt Corral group on Facebook.  I’m not sure how I did it, or if it will work as planned.  Those of you who know how to Facebook I guess can search for it and try it out.  Or maybe it'll work if you click HERE.  We’ll see what happens.  And maybe the Coca Cola people can resubmit their comments.  

Last Saturday was toasty warm and I thought it might be fun for Nancy and her daughter Lisa and I to go down to San Diego Bay and cool off before heading to the Amigo Spot.  Even better, Lisa — who is 47 years old and autistic — might enjoy blowing bubbles.  I know I would.  I went on the web to see if my local CVS carried bubbles, or whatever they’re called.  Turns out the only one on they carry produces “Penis-Shaped Bubbles”.  I was shocked and a little offended — for about 8 seconds.  Then the thought of cascading penis-shaped bubbles sailing through Seaport Village brought a large, sneaky smile to my face.  Turns out they’re only available on-line.  Back to the drawing board.

Jane Newberry Smith '64 says her mother Ina was indeed the principal of Euclid Elementary -- and before that taught Second Grade at Jackson.

Here’s the Golden Anniversary Pacer from October 3, 1963 donated by Maggie Down Hart ‘64.  Bob Lutz and Kathy Slater were the Senior Sketches.  You can read all four pages in living black and white via the Colt Corral link.

Ed Herrmann ‘64 is fighting cancer.  You can keep abreast of his progress on the Caring Bridge web site.  

The Class of '68 will be celebrating the 45th Anniversary of its graduation the weekend of October 11-12th.  Scott Shaw has contributed the above artwork. which will be featured on T-Shirts.  I assume he'll be at the reunion.  In the meantime he's ensconced at the Town and Country Hotel for this weekend's San Diego Comic Fest with fellow Colts Greg Bear, Dr. Roger Freedman, David Clark and Jann Morris-Penrod.  

When I was attending this year's Dragon Con in Atlanta, I saw that Kathy Najimy '75 was one of the guests appearing in the "Walk of Fame."  I went up to her table and said, "I've always wanted to meet you because we went to the same high school."  Her eyes went wide, and she said, "You went to Crawford?"  Yes, I told her, I definitely did.  We chatted a bit, sang a few lines of the school alma mater together, and she performed a cheer that she wrote when she was a student.  She was very friendly and clearly has a lot of fond memories about CHS.  Here's the photo we took to commemorate the occasion -- Michael Pemberton '71

September 27, 2013

Jan Marholin ‘69 wonders if Jane Newberry, one of last week’s Senior Sketches, was the daughter of Ima Newberry, principal of Euclid Elementary School.

69!! THAT'S RIGHT, YOU HEARD ME. 69!!  I’m turning 70 on Friday, October 4th, which means I’ll be celebrating the final day of my sixties at the First Thursday dinner at the Amigo Spot in Mission Valley on October 3rd.  OF COURSE you can come and make fun of me — and there’s Free Hors d’ Oeuvres!!  Scroll to the bottom of the page for details.  (Oh, the photo above?  It was taken in 1946 at a studio on Pine Avenue in Long Beach when the family was stationed there.  I stuck it in at the last moment when I saw Joe’s photo below)

Good news, it’s NOT an obituary!  Joe Cordileone ‘65 was awarded a Bronze Star last Friday at MCRD, 46 years after his actions at the Battle of Khe Sanh on April 30, 1967.  You can read three different articles about the ceremony:  Gretel Kovach in the San Diego U-T, Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times, and Julie Watson in the Associated Press.  You should read Julie's article first, as it was written the day before the ceremony.

Where were you on September 26, 1963?  It was the hottest day EVER in San Diego and it took place 50 years ago.  Click HERE to access a nice article by U-T weatherman Robert Krier.

Remember when they opened the NEW Coca-Cola bottling plant out next to Channel 10 next to 94 and Federal in 1964?  Well, they’re shutting it down, and Coke won’t be bottled here for the first time since 1919.  I mention it mostly because, for the first time, ever I’ve bested Nancy in a history/geography quiz. Do YOU remember where the previous bottling plant was located on El Cajon Blvd?  Click HERE if you want to read the U-T article.

Speaking of 1964, their reunion committee has reserved the San Diego Marriott Mission Valley for their 50th Anniversary Reunion the weekend of September 19-20, 2014.  I’ve posted this Save the Date notice on the Reunions Page, 1964 Email Page and 1964 Missing Page.

My minions are EVERYWHERE!!  Oregon resident Kim McHenry Osieczanek ‘74 was reading the Corvallis Gazette-Times last week and spotted an obituary for my classmate Larry Shriber ‘62.  His sister Cookie held a memorial service this week.  She talked about their childhood.  She said Bob Dress ‘66, who lived next door to them as children, attended “and also told funny stories”.  Click HERE if you'd like to read the newspaper obituary.

 I sure don’t like posting obituaries and this one hits close to home.  Bill Grigg ‘70 sends word of the passing of Phil Bonwell ‘66 last June.  Phil’s brother Gary was my best friend at Horace Mann and Crawford and I fondly remember their sister Marlo ‘64, and parents Duane and Lois, and their house on South Thorn Street, across from the Griggs.  Phil’s wife Chris says there may be a memorial of sorts in the future.

September 20, 2013

IT'S STILL DARK IN PACIFIC BEACH and it's gonna get worse.  I think the Autumnal Equinox will take place this weekend, which means the days are just going to get shorter.  When Nancy gets here I gotta feeling we're going to end up breakfasting at the Waffle Spot.  

Did you know the Amigo Spot and Waffle Spot got their names from Stephanie Rose Petersen? Apparently she was a freckled youth.  She and hubby Andy got back yesterday from their cruise through the Panama Canal.  I have high hopes she'll be in the house at the Amigo Spot Saturday Night.

If my notes are correct, Crawford will host its FIRST night Homecoming Football Game on October 18th versus Calipatria High.  They're renting lights for the occasion.  Susan Marshall Gordon would like to hear from Colts with convertibles who would like to help with the Homecoming Parade.

At first glance I thought it might be Tombstone, Arizona, but the back of this photo simply said Oceanside.  The white building is either the Dolphin Hotel or has consented to a very large advertisement for the Dolphin Hotel.  The cars in the parking lot make me think the photo was taken in 1952.  Click HERE to see the big picture.

When Dave Duncan ‘63 retired after winning the 2011 World Series he wasn’t just imitating his friend Tony La Russa.  Dave’s wife Jeanine was diagnosed with a Stage IV glioblastoma.  Then he learned that son Chris, who had played for the Cardinals, had the same diagnosis.  Jeanine passed away this past June, but Chris had successful surgery and is working as a radio announcer.  Click HERE to read the rest of the story.

Class of ‘64 — You’re Golden!!  Get ready for a multitude of reminders that it’s been a half century since your Senior Year at Crawford.  (You can thank me later).  Using the Colt Corral link you can access the student newspaper for September 19, 1963.  Jane Adele Newberry and Edward Montague Newton were featured in Senior Sketches.  I was so surprised at the venue chosen for the football opener between Crawford and Point Loma that I’m not going to reveal it.  You’ll have to search your memory banks or click HERE and read the on-line Pacer.

Alan Marshall '65 passed away August 29th.  A native San Diegan, he taught severely handicapped students at Hoover High.  A Celebration of Life will be held Sat., Sept. 21, at 5:30pm at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.  Click HERE to view the on-line Guest Book.

Karyn Zlotoff  '67 passed away August 17th.  I'm hoping for additional details from her mother Ruth.

September 13, 2013

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!  It’s still dark in PB and supposed to warm back up.  I’m not sure where Nancy and I will end up when she arrives from Escondido.  The tourists are gone so maybe there’s a chance we can park at Green Flash.

I finally got the September newsletter in the mail.  1960 classmates Sandra Mekuchonis, Robert Smith, Mike McKittrick, and Mel Brav are all new subscribers.  Thanks!!

Who knew?  The Crawford football team is 2-0, having beaten Julian 49-0 last Friday.  I guess that league change worked out.  Click HERE to read the article in last week’s U-T.

Sharon Culver Considine '60 poses for a photo at Colina Park with a statue of Ernie Wright, and Chuck Courtney Golf Scholarship winners Eugene Yang and Said Shaba.  Click HERE to see a larger photo and to read the rest of the story.

Four ladies from the Class of ‘59, including an interloper from Texas, had lunch last month at the Macaroni Grille in Escondido.  You’re looking at Jean Pearson Miller, Linda Minyard Isbell, Betty Lopez Parrott and Sandy Riley Holleman.  The interloper, Linda, returned home to husband Ernie and celebrated their 54th anniversary on September 5th.  Of course you can see a larger version of the photo.  Just click HERE.

Jan Worrell Manietta ‘63 has loaned me her 6th Grade photo from Mr. Black’s class at Jackson Elementary.  The good news is, the names are written on the back.  The bad news is they were written with a #4 pencil and I can’t read them.   Click HERE to check out the enlarged view.

Alice Komito ‘70 died of congestive heart failure on September 2nd, according to her friend and classmate Holly Wolf Levin.  She had many health challenges over the years, including several re-occurrences of Hodgkins disease, but was recently happy, healthy and enjoying a new romance.  Alice has two loving children, Jennifer Greene and Jonathan Berry

Memorial service Friday September 20, 4:00 p.m., Dini’s by the Sea in Carlsbad.

September 6, 2013

I DIDN'T KNOW MONSOONAL was a word, but that's how they described the past week's weather. Wednesday night seemed a little cooler -- or less humid.  I believe they're predicting 90 in San Diego today.  It might behoove me to stay close to the beach, but the Waffle Spot might draw Nancy and I into Mission Valley.

Is it 5774 already?  How the time flies when you’re Jewish — which I was for a couple of days in 1958.  If you haven’t heard the story, I announced to my 9th grade Horace Mann classmates that — Rosh Hashanah being a Jewish Holiday — I wouldn’t be at school the following day.  I went home, tripped over a garden hose, and ended up downtown at the Medico-Dental Building getting a plaster cast on my broken arm.  I wasn’t at school the next day so there may still be some folks out there who consider me one of their Old Testament brethren.  As a matter of fact, Stephanie Rose Petersen '74 promised to blow my shofar, then conveniently flew to San Francisco and boarded a cruise ship with her husband.

Earl Altshuler ‘68 spoke to Baseball Coach Bill Sandback last Sunday and they’d like to plan a get together with as many former players as they can find.  The function is tentatively scheduled for Spring or Summer of 2014.  If you played baseball for Coach Sandback, and would like to be included, email Earl at earlalt@cwo.com

Who IS that?  Not Don Knotts.  We know he's in the pictures sent in by Marilyn Spier Myers '70.  It's the woman second from left, a Home Ec Teacher at Crawford, who hosted the 1971 Old Globe after party at which the photo was taken.  Click HERE to see both photos.  We don't know who the girl is next to Don either.

Bob Mentze ‘70 shares a photo of the Horace Mann marching band circa 1961.  The only people he recognizes for sure are his dad, music teacher Walter Mentze and, right next to him, trombone player Dale Saare ‘64.  Maybe you’re in there too.  Click HERE to check out the enlargement.  I’m trying to figure out where the photo was taken.  Is that Jackson Elementary in the background?

August 30, 2013

I’M THINKING OF MY YOUTH IN GUAM this morning.  I suspect it’s dark, hot and humid there too.  Nancy and I will be taking the Class of ‘60 newsletter renewal envelopes to the Midway Post Office this morning, so there’s a good chance will end up brunching at the Waffle Spot.

In June 1966 I graduated from SDSC and moved to College Village Apartments where I met Jeff Dalymple.  It didn’t take long for a friendship to form and, thanks to Red Mountain wine and a cheap Tijuana guitar, it was soon Kumbaya time around Apartment #4.  One of the songs that Jeff sang, began “Oh, to be a gay Hawaiian beach boy, like the ones I knew at Waikiki.”  This was back when gay still simply meant happy.  I’ll get back to that.  It wasn’t long until Jeff was hired to play drums for Sounds of ‘66, a group hired to play behind the hypnotist Dr. Michael Dean at the Catamaran Hotel.  The group included George Fogelman ‘63 and Doug Kvandal ‘66.  Jeff, George and Doug are now part of Live Jazz, appearing Saturday nights at the Amigo Spot.  ANYWAY, neither Jeff nor I can remember the rest of the works to the Hawaiian Beach Boy song.  We thought if we typed “Gay Hawaiian Beach Boy” into Google we might get lucky.  Actually, there was ample opportunity to get lucky -- but no lyrics to the song we wanted. 

Speaking of San Diego State College, a flattened SDSC matchbook cover fell out of a file folder this week and I thought you might like to see it.  Click HERE to see all three panels enlarged.

Have you missed your San Diego History photo?  Here's a shot taken by Lee Passmore on September 30, 1916.  I assume you know the story.  If not click HERE.

I’m trying to locate Dorothy Bates ‘65.  Apparently she achieved her Senior Goal to become an Airline Stewardess, and one of her old PSA pals is trying to find her.  Let me know if you can help.  If you know of siblings, that might be a place to start.

Cheri Lynch Hamilton '71 sends word that her daughter Bethany is now a bride.  Mark Silver '69 had already forwarded a link from People Magazine.  Click HERE to check it out

The First Thursday of next month is
September 5th.  Hope to see you there

August 23, 2013

Nelson Moore '61 lives in Harbison Canyon and is helping with the Class of '63 reunion.  He thought he'd have some stuff ready for me to look at so I said Nancy and I would meet him for breakfast at Janet's Montana Cafe in Alpine.  Nancy's schedule changed so Nellie decided to meet with some other '63 folks in Escondido.  Nancy will be leaving Escondido about that time, and . . . oh, I don't think I'm gonna be able to make this work.

I've just uncovered an unopened HP 74 XL black and white ink cartridge in my desk drawer.  The printer it was destined for died and went to printer heaven a couple of months ago.  Staples is selling them for $41.99 so it seems a shame to toss it out.  I'll entertain offers from interested parties.  Think Starbucks gift cards or a hand-delivered Taquito Platter from Roberto's. 

A whole buncha guys -- and Lynn Routt Swanson -- said Doug Helzer's football picture was taken at a photo session.  A game, or even practice, would have required helmets.  Shows what I know.

Franklin Elementary School is at Monroe and Copeland.  Kids who lived in Kensington and attended Franklin went on to Wilson Junior High and Hoover.  Elizabeth Holmes Klugh '61 didn't live in Kensington -- and went on to Horace Mann and Crawford.  Click HERE to see enlargements of her Sixth Grade photo and another that's either First, Second or Third.

It took awhile, and Steve McDaniel '61 had to drive to Pacific Beach from Carlsbad, but we've scanned and posted his 5th and 6th Grade photos from Darnall Elementary.  Click HERE to see the finished product.

Robert K. Rice passed away July 25th at Collwood Terrace.  The father of Sally '74, Barbara, Joyce and Jean -- all '76 -- Bob served as principal at Oak Park Elementary, among others.  Click HERE to sign the Guest Book.  Click HERE to visit his Memorial Web Site.