June 19, 2020

Monday's Union-Tribune featured an article entitled Diary of a Recovery.    It's probably more than you want to know about the businesses around Euclid and University trying to recover from the pandemic.  Who knew there is now a Chinese restaurant on the first floor of the Silverado Ballroom?  Click HERE to read the article.

Click HERE to view a larger image of autos waiting to cross into Mexico around 1963, a photo posted on Facebook by David Nieraeth.

Ernie Cowan's latest column revolves around his discovery of a century-old Auto Club directional sign in the desert.   Click HERE for a fascinating history lesson.

Did you graduate from Oak Park Elementary in 1961?  You might be in this photo submitted by Jim Miller '67.  Click HERE for a closer view.

Ron Smith '72 shares his 1969 Horace Mann Junior High School Cougar Handbook.  Click HERE to enjoy all 14 pages, two of which are a magnificent map of what appears to be an overcrowded school.

I burst out laughing when I saw the front page of the 1970 Pacer Graduation issue, and I've had This Is The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius rattling around in my brain all week.  Maybe it's PTSD, because that would have been my second year of teaching at Hale Junior High.  Click HERE to check out the entire ten-page issue.  Or is it eight?  I think I'm having flashbacks.

Doug Wied ’63 passed away on May 29, 2020, in Ventura, CA, surrounded by his children.   He was editor of the school paper at Crawford, and earned a BA in history from the University of California, Berkeley.  After college, Doug entered the United States Navy Reserve and attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI.  He served aboard the USS Duluth (LPD-6) during the Vietnam War and was discharged at the rank of Lieutenant.  While stationed in San Diego, Doug met Christine Goscinski, and they married in February 1971. They moved to Lodi in 1977, where they raised their family, before moving to Ventura in 2006.   Doug's career in banking and as a trust officer spanned 42 years.    Doug had a tremendous love of music and musical performance. In his youth, he played saxophone in the Bonham Brothers Boys Band in San Diego. He was a great supporter of the Stockton Symphony Association, serving on its board and as its president. He also sat on the board of the New West Symphony and was a past president of the Ventura Music Festival.   In late 2019, Doug was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, which contributed to his passing

June 12, 2020

I REALLY don't like to get involved with religion, but Paula Kincaid sent me some Church Signs.  I liked this one.

As promised, here's the Graduation Issue of the Pacer, dated June 9, 1965.  Click HERE to peruse the entire paper.  The headline notes that commencement will be held at Aztec Bowl.  I wonder if any addled grandparents ended up at other Aztec Bowl on 30th Street.

The same week graduating Colts were making the trip to Aztec Bowl, Horace Mann 9th graders were getting their diplomas over at Crawford on the Athletic Field.  Wait a minute!  Wasn't the Athletic Field right next to Horace Mann?  Click HERE to peruse the 8-page program of graduates who would make up the Crawford Class of 1963.

Larry Boles '66 died May 18, 2020.  Born in San Diego, he attended Alexander Hamilton Elementary, Horace Mann and Crawford.  A lifelong runner, Larry was captain of the Crawford Cross Country team during his Senior Year.  Larry and Linda Francis '68 were married in 1970.  After graduating from San Diego State and San Francisco Theological Seminary, Larry served as a Presbyterian minister for twenty-five years.  He followed that by serving as a director Hillcrest Retirement Community in La Verne, California.  In addition to Linda, his wife of 50 years.  Larry is survived by their children Tammy and Paul, four grandchildren and brother Bob Boles '63 -- Rob Shepherd '66

June 5, 2020

Honorary Colt Paula Kincaid shared this.  It looks like the winning entry in one of those Write Your Own Caption Contests.

I don't want to name any names (Gary Schulte) but I got an email yesterday from someone who asked if I was OK.  They hadn't gotten their Fry Day email.  My response was, "I don't know about Idaho, but it's still Thursday in California".

Why does this remind me of my college dating years?

"Dinner for two?  Will this be a conjugal visit?"  A sign posted on the door of the PB Local Restaurant said "Please, no conjugating outside".  I'm not sure that discouraged large crowds.  (I've already forgotten who sent the photo of the sign to me, but perhaps they'll check in and I can recognize the source of this malapropism.)

 

This popped up on Facebook this week, with an almost-immediate comment stating that it became a university in 1963 in time for JFK to speak at graduation.  I shared the fact that it was still SDSC when I graduated in 1966.  Here's a Trivia Question.  What years was it CSUSD?

Here's the Graduation Issue for the Class of 1960.  Click HERE to check it out.  I'll share '65 and '70 in the coming weeks.  

May 29, 2020

This one took me awhile.  I can't help you with the Blueberry Pie, Eyeball, or lit stick of dynamite in the hallway.

It's been a bad week for privately-sponsored space travel.  Weather has delayed Elon Musk's SpaceX launch to the space station and, on Monday, Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit launch attempt was unsuccessful.  Mostly this is an excuse to show a really cool photo of Virgin Orbit's 747 Cosmic Girl flying in formation with the British Red Arrow demonstration team.  Click HERE if you'd like to read the Virgin Orbit story in the NY Times.

I opened up my San Diego Union Tuesday and spotted this ad for Bank of America.  I spent way too much time trying to figure out where in San Diego the photo might have been taken.  Then I unfolded the LA Times and spotted the photo below.  That one probably wasn't taken in LA.  Not much of a commitment to my way of thinking.

Tim Abbey shares a Homecoming Button from 1969

Earlier this week I shared a story from the May 1, 1970 San Diego Union touting the Crawford Jazz Band.  It included photos of Steve Christy, the late Hartwell Ragsdale II, and Gunnar Biggs.  Peter Thompson '65 reminds me that Gunnar is still making music, and has a web site.  Click HERE to check it out.

In 1994 Larry Okmin '64 received the above photo in the mail.  It shows Mr. Sanford's class -- including Larry and best pal Dale Saare -- on the steps at Horace Mann.  Click HERE to read the interesting back story, and to see the photo enlarged.  It was taken in 1958 -- or maybe 1959.

I found this item in Frank Rhoades' column in the May 4, 1963 San Diego Union.  I wonder how the three Class of '65 members made out.

Michael Will ’59 passed away May 22, 2020.  He was in the Prowlers car club, a Colt car club and worked as a master electrician most of his life.  He is survived by his wife Barbara Mardon Will ‘61, sons Steven and Robert and daughter Monica

May 22, 2020

Just found out that Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day.  Pay homage as best you can.

Lulu Anaya Summers '63 shared the above photo on Facebook.  It does conjure up an image.  I suspect a non-native speaker gets up at 2 in the morning to start baking and doesn't know how to spell tongs. 

I guess if you were watching the national news from CBS last weekend you would have seen '73 graduate Jeff Gianola.  Click HERE for more information on the Portland legend.   Patty Bremner Brubaker '72 shared this, noting that Jeff was their paper boy.

The Air Force Flight Demonstration team -- the Thunderbirds -- flew over cities in Southern California to honor health care workers last Friday.  Have you ever tried to take pictures at an air show?  Almost impossible.  Nelvin Cepeda got a pretty good shot for the Union-Tribune, I imagine with a telephoto lens from Point Loma.  I think Brian van der Brug, shooting for the LA Times just got lucky with the stunning shot below.

Speaking of stunning shots, I was scanning some slides for a friend of a friend.  They were the usual fare -- vacations, birthdays, weddings -- and one incredible scenic photo.  It was taken in December 1974 by a person diving outside San Diego Harbor.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.

Remember Channel 8's Mel Knoepp?  He's featured, along with Harold Keen, Ray Wilson and some other staff in some recently discovered film footage from the early '60s.  Click HERE to check it out.

I believe we've seen this before, also a Channel 8 Throwback.  It's a 90-second cavalcade of El Cajon Boulevard neon in 1978.  Click HERE and go for a spin. 

I got some pretty strong opinions about the new Horace Mann building.  Perhaps revisiting a previously-shared 1959 aerial of Horace Mann and Andrew Jackson will ease those ruffled feathers -- but I doubt it.  Click HERE to see a way bigger enlargement.

Victor Pei ’73 died May 7, 2020.  Born in Hong Kong, Victor immigrated to the United States at the age of six.  He  grew up in San Diego, California and studied civil engineering at San Diego State  University prior to transferring to, and graduating from, the School of Architecture at  California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.  In 1979, he traveled to New York to seek out the advice of his first cousin, the world famous architect, I M Pei, and to start his own professional architectural career.  He married Maria Judith Tam in 1981 in San Diego County. 

May 15, 2020

For those of you who've decided to refresh your cooking skills during the pandemic here's one of my favorite Bliss cartoons, from 2017

Do you do the New York Times Crossword in the San Diego Union-Tribune?  If you do, you know it starts easy, then gets pretty tough come Friday and Saturday.  I start midweek, then try to make it to the weekend.  This past Wednesday had three clues that stopped me dead in my tracks:  Historic town in Veszprém county, Hungary, noted for its baroque architecture; Left tributary of the Vitim River, in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia; and Village between Kruszyna and Jacków in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (pop. 306).  All 15 letters across, by the way.  I've put the answers at the bottom of this page.

Can you stop a car safely using Rice Krispie squares?  Using research from San Diego State professor Julio Valdez, the New York Times wonders how the chewy treat compares with other types of highway barriers.  Click HERE if you'd like to read the article.

Guess who took THIS picture of the Hotel del Coronado?  No, not me!!  It was Lee Passmore, who took the stunning Mission Valley view we shared a couple of weeks ago.  Click HERE to see a larger view.

Last Friday's U-T had a wonderful interview with Bob Newhart on the 60th Anniversary of his start in show business.  Click HERE if you'd like to read it.

How's your Karen?  Mine's a little rusty.  That's one of the 35 languages spoken at Horace Mann.  Can you even imagine what they're going through right now trying to educate students on-line?  Click HERE to read Sunday's article in the Union-Tribune.  By the way, that's Vice Principal Augustus Phiny Phiasivongsa, Principal Ryan Brock and Vice Principal Mary Mwereru pictured above.

Here's an ad from the Golden Anniversary Pacer, from May 14, 1970.  

Click HERE to check it out.  

Click HERE to read the May 13, 1965 Pacer.  

Click HERE to read the May 12, 1960 Pacer.

OBITUARIES

Linda Hunter Buckley ’61 passed away April 29, 2020.  She was born in San Francisco, into a Navy family, during WWII. The family moved several times: to Charleston, Germany, Guam, and New Orleans, before settling down in San Diego. Linda attended Paradise Valley School of Nursing where she earned her certification as a Registered nurse. Not long after starting her first job at UCSD, she continued her association with the Navy when she met and married a career Naval Officer at the North Chapel, Naval Training Center.  Linda applied her nursing skills at a number of hospitals including in Fairfax, Va., Newport, RI, and UCSD, Kaiser and Children's hospitals in San Diego.  Linda is survived by her husband, Russell, four children, nine grandchildren, and her brother, Jim Hunter.

Bevin Montgomery ’63 died April 17, 2020.  He was preceded in death by his wife Sandra Taylor Montgomery ’64 in January 2019.  They lived in Kettle Falls, Washington and had lived in that area for many years.

Fredrick Giese ’65 passed away May 9, 2020. He attended Andrew Jackson, Horace Mann, and Crawford.  He went directly into the Navy and served three tours of duty in Vietnam. He was a hospital corpsman who served with both Navy and Marines.  Fred served as the medical advisor for the Oliver Stone movie Born on the 4th of July, starring Tom Cruise.  He is survived by, among others, his sister Bette Giese Uwarow ’67

Phyllis Nunes Spann ’65  passed away April 27, 2020 after a long illness. In her final days, she succumbed to Covid-19. Phyllis was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Her family moved to San Diego when she was in junior high school. Many years ago, Phyllis was a runner-up in the annual Miss Cabrillo Pageant in Point Loma.  Phyllis was beautiful, loving, and caring, as well as generous.

Stephen Stegman ’74, died on April 8, 2020, after a valiant battle with cancer.  His strong will to live, unwavering faith in Christ and the love and prayers of family and friends carried him through the tough times and gave him peace.  Steve was born and raised in San Diego and later settled in Casa Grande, Arizona. He was a proud Air Force veteran who served as a Czech linguist and technical writer.

Crossword Answers