August 3, 2018

Remember when we went back to school in the middle of September?  Judging by the recent Walmart television ads, somewhere kids are headed back much, much earlier.

But wait -- there's more!!

Canterbury Gardens, in Escondido, is now open for those who want to do their Halloween shopping early.

I love Big Bang Theory, but I have to enable Closed Captioning because Bernadette's voice is too squeaky for me to understand.  CC was still enabled later when I was watching the Padres and Mark Grant, after a spectacular catch by Hunter Refroe, compared him to Mikhail Baryshnikov.  Seconds later the printing on my TV screen quoted it as Mikhail Gorbachev.  Conjures up an image doesn't it?

Wanna take a ride on the ferry boat Crown City to North Island and check out the Grumman A-6 my childhood buddy Ken Ptack (Hoover '60) flew in from MCAS Cherry Point?  I shot the film on July 19, 1969.  The last ferry run took place August 2nd, and the bridge opened August 3rd.  Hey -- that's TODAY!! Click HERE to watch the 3:30 minute film on YouTube.

I came across two more photos that Howard Rozelle shot of Esquire Motors on El Cajon Blvd.  Now that I'm able to add stuff to my web site again, you can see all three photos.  Click HERE.

July 27, 2018

I'm thinking Scott Weaver is a lucky man.  The details are a little fuzzy, but apparently he was shooting at people with a pellet gun around 10:30 Monday night near the Halsey Street Bridge at Liberty Station (the old Navy Training Center).  The folks being shot at called the police, and Weaver was arrested.   Turned out Weaver was targeting Navy Seals on a night-time training mission.  I think the Seals missed out on a teachable moment.

Alan Johnson died last week.  I never heard of him, but the headline on his obituary caught my eye --  Mel Brooks 'Young Frankenstein' choreographer was 81.  I scratched my head, then remembered Peter Boyle's classic Puttin' On The Ritz dance number as Frankenstein.  Johnson also did the Springtime for Hitler and Germany number in The Producers and Madeline Kahn's I'm Tired scene in Blazing Saddles and Dom Deluise's Push Tush number in the same movie.

Facebook reminded me that it had been a year since I posted the Howard Rozelle photo of Esquire Motors on Euclid and El Cajon.  I love the shot and agreed with them that it was time to show it again.  Click HERE to see it enlarged on my web site.  The Google Streetview shot below shows what it looks like today.

I wonder if any Colts were old enough to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree in Irvine in 1953.  Some of the folks who WERE there got together last week after 65 years.  Click HERE to read a nice article in the Los Angeles Times.

Turns out, also in 1953, the first Over-the-Line game was played, I believe, in South Mission Beach.  Click HERE to read about Tom Whelan setting a record in 2004 and HERE for an additional record in 2006.  Click HERE to read Karla Peterson's article in the Union-Tribune about the Miss Emerson Contest.

A bunch of Colts, mostly from the Class of '65, gathered for golf this week at River Walk in Mission Valley.  Bill Gore is the only person I recognize.  Click HERE for a much larger shot on my web site.

July 20, 2018

If you're scratching your head over this Bizarro cartoon, sing along with me -- "I'm a little teapot, short and stout . . . "

Paula Kincaid shares the website of the propane station in Seattle that puts up a new hilarious marquee sign on a regular basis.  Click HERE to read some more.

Terry Baugher '62 just came across his 1956 Dennstedt Village Little League team photo.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.

July 13, 2018

Seems like every other Fry Day is the 13th.  Probably my imagination.

This lucky fellow got his limit on the first day of Zucchini Season.

Does the new El Pollo Loco Say "Te Amo" commercial strike a chord with you?  Click HERE to take a listen.  Sounds a lot like Rosie and the Originals' Angel Baby from 1961.

Troy Murphree emailed me about the Photos From Mohawk Street page on my web site.  She's lived on Saranac Street for 16 years and is part of a community group called Mesa Colony, sort of between College and 70th north of Montezuma and El Cajon.  If you grew up there and/or have photos, he'd love to hear from you.   By the way, the Photos From Mohawk Street page was submitted by Jeannine Berger Passenhaim '60.  She's part of the 7th Birthday Party photo above that includes Diane Paine, Judy Bailey, Rowene Ashley, Barbara Ann Tthrailkill, Kathy Brown, H. B. Amey, Paul Montgomery and Charlotte Stout.

How's your hearing?  Mine is fine -- or maybe not.  I was interested to learn, while watching the Padres' play Arizona last week, that the Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt was a Goat Lover.  Turns out he's a Gold Glover.  Some years ago my friend Vince Barrord, who went to Catholic Schools, was concerned when he heard that Rosary Workers were going on strike.  Who knew Rosary Workers even had a union?  Turned out to be Grocery Workers.

Faculty Member Asahel “Ash” Hayes died July 10th.  He was born July 28, 1923 in the small town of Sutherland, Iowa.  He served his country from 1943 to 1946 in the Army of the United States. He was a cryptographer serving in New Guinea and the Philippines.  After his discharge he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education from San Diego Teachers College (now San Diego State University), a Master of Science In Physical Education/Exercise Science from UCLA and a Doctorate in Education from UCLA.  Ash spent twenty-seven years with the San Diego Unified School District in various positions, serving as the baseball coach during Crawford’s first three years.  He later was appointed to lead national programs as part of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in Washington D.C. and ultimately retired as Executive Director.   He is survived by Juanita, his devoted wife of forty years, daughter Lynn Hayes Dougherty ’68, and a coterie of grand-children and great grand-children.  A Celebration of Life is being planned.

Bob Lutz '64 reports the passing of his twin brother on July 1, 2018.  A memorial service will be held at a later date.   Says Bob, "I lost my “womb-bro”, best friend, and soul brother.  My beloved twin lived in Santa Barbara and was courageously struggling for the last ten-plus years with COPD. He had a good and happy life, and was always positive and optimistic about life’s highs and setbacks.   As an artist and jeweler for almost fifty years (Big Sur Design in Big Sur, Little Rock, and Santa Barbara), he designed and manufactured beautiful and enormously-appreciated jewelry enjoyed by many throughout the country.  Tom supported environmental and liberal political causes all his life, and was an avid and well-informed policy wonk. He was a very good and decent man and leaves a huge vacancy in all of our lives".

July 6, 2018

Not a lot happening in Coltville this week.  Nancy and I drove by Crawford and, as this Google Streetview image indicates, they've repainted the school.  Looks good to me, but I was never a fan of the Red, White and Blue color scheme seen below.

The end of the world is near.  According to an article in the New York Times, over 500,000 pet owners have paid for Neuticles -- prosthetic testicles -- for their recently-neutered male Fur Babies "so their pet will maintain its dignity and self-esteem".

Honorary Colt Paula Kincaid shares this street sign, which looks European to me, and may not be a joke.  I think it's the international symbol for Watch Out For Idiots Looking at Their Phones Instead of Oncoming Traffic.

Click HERE to look at a 90-second 1978 Channel 8 video of neon signs along El Cajon Boulevard.

Carol Bielefeldt Wolfe '59 passed away June 21st and was laid to rest at El Camino Memorial Park on July 3rd.

June 29, 2018

I'm not sure how old Cindy Cohen Marten is, so I'm not sure what years she attended Horace Mann  Junior High.   She went on to graduate from La Jolla Country Day School and is now in her fifth year as Superintendent of the San Diego City School system.  Click HERE to read the article in the Union-Tribune.

Yonis Muya, a recent Crawford graduate born in Kenya, is featured in a nice Union-Tribune article this week.  He turned to boxing after watching his father beat his mother and being unable to help her.  Click HERE to read the article.

Paula Adler Sloan '68 asked,  "Where was the restaurant 1520 AD?"  I actually knew the answer.  The restaurant, patterned after the era of King Henry VIII, was located at 2633 El Cajon Blvd, where the Chicken Pie Shop is today.  From 1939 to 1969 it was the site of the Haynes Streamliner steak house.

Haynes Streamliner

Chicken Pie Shop

This can't be right, but I like it.  A 2014 Facebook post has resurfaced with renderings of what Hoover High might look like after its current remodel.  Looks a lot like the original school to me.  I better read that post again.

Gary Mitrovich posted this shot on Facebook.  It shows the #7 streetcar heading east on University at Euclid for the last time, on April 20, 1949.  In the Google Street View shot below you can see the same 2-story brick building peeking out at the left center of the photo.

June 22, 2018

Happy First Day of Summer!!  This always sounded wonderful in my youth.  Now I'm just depressed that the days will be getting shorter.

Speaking of depressed, a whole lot of folks are getting bounce messages when they try to email me.  Despite the messages, I AM getting your emails (I think).  I'm not sure how to solve this one.  I'll check with my web mistress.  Just one more aggravating technology issue.

Steve Epstein '68 says hello from the "Thank God It's Fry Day" pizza parlor in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Ernie Cowan's latest wildlife column in the U-T is close to home -- if you live in Escondido.  He and his buddy photograph Grebes in Lake Hodges.  Click HERE to read the article.

Robert Zito '64 fondly recalls stopping at Don's Hamburgers after surfing, when you could get 10 hamburgers or 10 hot dogs for $1.00.  I wondered if he might have been thinking about Henry's Burgers in PB.  Turns out he was.  I get an awful lot of calls from people wanting a photo of Henry's too.  That's two burger joints I don't have pictures of.  Who knows, maybe something will turn up.

I think I'm late in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the graduation ceremony for the Class of 1968.  Turns out Kathy Keeyes has her photo and a shot of the graduates on the field at San Diego State already posted on my web site.  Click HERE to take a look.  I wonder if they're sitting right where the basketball court is at today's Viejas Arena.

Debra Mathis '70 died on March 11th, according to her brother Ed Mathis '66.  He says, "After graduation Debbie moved to Atlanta, Georgia to be near the hub of our family. She was never married. She worked a variety of jobs, but her real passion was cake decorating and her dogs. She moved to South Carolina later in life to take care of our ill Mother and Aunt."

Steve Shockome '73 sends word of the passing of his wife and classmate Georgia Cramer Shockome on May 22nd.  She was born at Mercy Hospital on March 24, 1955 and will be laid to rest one week from today (June 29th) at Miramar National Cemetery at 2 PM.  I think Steve would appreciate your presence.

Remember the four DeSanti cousins, all named Giovanna, featured in the January 17, 2014 Colt Corral?  I've just learned that Giovanna DeSanti Hauser '68 (in blue, and below) passed away March 18, 2017.  Click HERE to read the original story. 

June 15, 2018

Veronica and Archie 2018, as seen today by Harry Bliss

Ancestry.com is pitching their DNA test as the perfect Fathers' Day gift.  I'm wondering how it's gonna go over when somebody finds out that Pops isn't exactly their biological father.

Just kill me now.  I get to go to Starbucks twice a week, and on Thursdays I look forward to my "plain bagel, lightly-toasted, with butter."  Last week they were out of plain bagels.  I know my hearing is going, but I don't think the barista was very clear.  I somehow ended up with a Sprouted Grain Vegan Bagel -- and I don't think it was toasted.  Reminded me of the great line from the Odd Couple.  "You want a green sandwich or a brown sandwich? says Walter Matthau."  "What's in the green sandwich? asks Jack Lemmon."  "I don't know.  It's either old meat or new cheese."

It didn't get any better at Subway, when I brilliantly calculated that a Tuna Wrap would solve the problem of tuna squishing out of the bread and rolling down my shirt.  It almost didn't happen.  I couldn't answer the first question.  "What kind of tortilla do you want? asked the sandwich maker.  "A PLAIN tortilla!, I shouted.  "Sorry, you have to choose between Habanero, Spinach or Tomato Basil."   Aggghhhhhh!!!  I went with Habanero.

I turned down another Facebook friend request this week.  This time it was from someone I know and like.  Nothing good ever comes to me from accepting these requests.  Either I'm inundated with wiggling puppies or fresh-from-the-oven Pineapple Upside Down cake or -- worse yet -- political diatribes.  Email me if you want and explain why in the world you'd want to be my Facebook friend.  PS -- I rarely, if ever, post from my personal FB account -- just the Colt Corral.

Just when I've had it with Facebook, something wonderful happens.  Someone was fondly recalling Consuelo's Mexican Restaurants which eventually led to the best web site ever -- Classic San Diego Mexican Restaurants.

Bob McGehee, a '65 Point Loma grad, is looking for a photo of Don's Hamburgers.  This is the best I could provide.  The McGehees lived in the Crawford area long enough for brother Richard to graduate in 1960 then moved to Point Loma.

The June issue of the quarterly, 12-page Crawford Alumni newsletter is in the mail.  I've made the 1968 Pacer Staff the Playmate Centerfold.  Those of you who subscribe should be on the lookout.  Those of you who've been thinking about subscribing, or didn't even know there WAS such a thing, can click HERE for more information.

Holly Acosta Gray '71 decided to test out her new scanner.  She's forwarded a photo of her 1959 Kindergarten class from John Muir Elementary.  Click HERE to look at an enlarged version on the web site.