July 14, 2023

I'm not sure how we're supposed to celebrate Bastille Day.  I guess you could start with French Toast, gobble some French Fries for lunch, and have a nice bowl of French Onion Soup for dinner.

No caption necessary

Don't cough up your Swanson TV dinner tonight.  The NBC 7 folks came out to the house Wednesday and interviewed me about the history of Pacific Beach.  I guess they'll show a snippet this evening.  No, I don't know what time.

In his most recent Outdoors column, Ernie Cowan writes about the behaviors of the phainopepla, which is apparently not capitalized.  Click HERE for an education.

It's been awhile since I was able to snag a photo off the Vintage San Diego Facebook page.  This week we've got a snazzy shot taken in Lemon Grove around 1961.  Click HERE for an enlargement with some details.

Gary and Linda Bagley Gilmore are putting together a memory book for their grandkids, and were hoping I had photos of Andy's Diner (or was it Andy's Saloon).  No such luck, but I did find a couple of articles in the Union-Tribune archives and have added them to the Andy's Diner page.  Click HERE and have a look.

Rick Middlested ’64 passed away of a sudden cardiac arrest on June 22, 2023.   He was a finish carpenter, then became a locksmith and was self-employed.  He retired and moved to Mariposa, California in 2005, where he built a beautiful home and horse facility.  In 2020, he moved to Chino Valley, Arizona where he lived out his remaining life.  He was an Eagle Scout, enjoyed hunting with his dad, competition shooting, and fishing.  Everywhere he lived, he made long-lasting friends. His proudest achievement was volunteering with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, where he worked for almost thirty years and and retired as Commander of over 200 reserves

Donald Ward ’68 died July 5, 2023.  He was born in San Francisco, and was part of ROTC at Crawford.  After graduation, he joined the Air Force and was sent to Phù Cát Air Base in Vietnam. Don loved his Harleys and taught me how to shoot. Don was a quiet man and friend to many people. He was a friend of my husband Bill Wolf since junior high, and my friend since 1966.  He leaves behind his siblings and his wife, and will be greatly missed -- Kat Lally Wolf ’68

 

July 7, 2023

 

Cartoonist Harry Bliss finally created something I wanted to share.   
I guess even the Grim Reaper has to wait until the dog is done.

I am loathe to condone illegal behavior, but I'm glad a whole bunch of WWII veterans -- against orders -- kept diaries and took photos.  They're a godsend to modern historians.  And I'm glad Janice Valentino Reed Bonwell filched a menu from the Oscar's on El Cajon Blvd. and didn't tell me about it until we were out of the danger zone.    Click HERE to take another look.

I still can't remember who donated the Kiwanis Basketball Tournament programs from 1959 and 1961, but here's the second one.  Click HERE to see who played for Crawford -- and a whole bunch of other schools.

Looks like it's gonna be a gorgeous weekend for the first round of Over-The-Line.  My classmates Larry Dubbs, Jim Rupe, and Tom Whelan pose for a photo at the 1965 tourney.  Click HERE four a couple of other shots -- and a lengthy UT article from 1999 about Tom Whelan.

June 30, 2023

 

Looks like 4th of July will be celebrated on the 4th again this year, unlike some of the other holidays that get moved to the nearest Monday.  The weather report looks good, so folks coming to the beach will probably be whining when I won't let them park on my front lawn.  Cheers!  Don't play with firecrackers.

One of my all-time favorite Far Side cartoons.  Hope you can read it.

The Green Bins finally made it to Pacific Beach.  They are to be used for organic matter which will, I understand, become part of a gigantic compost pile at the Miramar Landfill.   Looks like a good excuse to rerun the photo of yours truly on Edgemont Street around 1950.  Back then we put our organic matter in little garbage cans.

I can't remember who gave me this program from the 1959 Kiwanis Basketball Tournament, but I've scanned the good parts (not the ads) for your perusal.  I spotted the names of several Colts who are on the Fry Day email list.  Click HERE and enjoy.

This photo popped up on Facebook last week with a request for someone to figure out where it was taken.  Click HERE to check out a larger version and learn what my guess was. 

June 23, 2023

The Fountain of Yuth?

How's the Second Day of Summer treating you?  As good an excuse as any to dig into the photo bin and share once again the photos I took at La Jolla Shores in June of 1962.  Click HERE to check out some undeveloped hillsides and some two-piece bathing suits.  

Also in the photo bin was this photo from the 1963 Centaur.  If you don't remember, I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and tried to deduce what day the photo was taken.  Click HERE to see how I did.  

Ray Wagner wandered into Warren Marley's drafting class my Junior Year, looking for someone who could make drawings of the Douglas XB-19 for an article he was writing.  I still can't believe Mr. Marley chose me.  Click HERE to read the article and see the drawings.

Elissa Ellis MacLeod ’69  passed away June 15th after a battle with brain cancer.  She was a wonderful friend of more than 60 years -- Sally Bots Chew ’69  (Elissa did not have a picture in the yearbook)

June 16, 2023

 

A wagging tail, I think, is called a Tell in poker.

Class of '68 buddies Ken Stone and John Teeter got together for lunch in Justin, Texas.  Click HERE to find out the back story.

This aerial of the old Sears store in Hillcrest appeared on Facebook this week.  Click HERE to check it out.

The last of the photos that I had developed in December 1962 feature the Heartland Queen and Princesses.  Although I could not find documentation in the Union-Tribune archives, I think the photos were taken at Morley Field at the conclusion of the 1962 Toyland Parade.  My attempts to document this led me to discover that a whole lot of Crawford girls were listed as sorority pledges at San Diego State in 1964 and that the San Diego State yearbooks are available to download and view.  Click HERE and all will be revealed.

Barbara LeSage Reemelin ’63  

My husband Al and I were visiting San Diego and stopped by Spanish Village to see Barbara.  We found out that she passed away two weeks ago from a stroke while visiting her son in Hawaii.  Barbara had a stroke a year ago February and was doing well after a long time in therapy -- Joan Hickey Stefl ’63

June 9, 2023

 

If memory serves, blue mixed with yellow gives you green.

Some old pals from Hardy, Horace Mann and Crawford -- Bernie Feldman, Marc Zeitlin, Wayne Zucker, Gary Gallerstein, and Steve Hoke -- got together at Bully's this week.  Click HERE for details.

As you may recall, I'm a sucker for color photos of San Diego streetcars.  This one shows the Georgia Street bridge, which no longer exists.  Click HERE for an enlargement and a little more information.

I took this picture on December 11, 1962 at the San Diego State Chariot Races in Aztec Bowl.  Click HERE to read about the detective work that went into identifying this photo, an enlargement, an additional photo, and the identity of the Bronzed Adonis at the right.

Click HERE to read the June 6, 1958 issue of the Pacer.

Bob Olson '72 passed away June 3, 2023 according to the Crawford High Foundation.

June 2, 2023

 

The joke -- or urban legend -- has been around a while.  I hadn't seen it in cartoon form.

This stunning night shot of downtown San Diego taken from Kate Sessions Park appeared on Facebook recently.  Click HERE to see it enlarged.

Click HERE to read all 10 pages of the June 5, 1963 Welcome President Kennedy issue of the Pacer.   You wouldn't think 60 years could go by in a flash.

I guess it's a good time to peruse the JFK in San Diego page of my web site.  Click HERE to check it out.

I'm continuing to scan the packet of photos I took in December 1962.  A handful of them were taken at Morley Field at the conclusion of the North Park Toyland Parade.  Bob Denver was one of the celebrities there.  Click HERE to see who the other one was.

Tom Crogan has submitted a more complete obituary for his twin brother Bob, and chided me for using his photo instead of Bob's in the previous memorial.

Bob Crogan ’67 passed away on May 9, 2023 surrounded by his family: Rae Crogan, his wife of 33 years; his identical twin brother Tom; his son Ryan; and his daughter Shannon. His youngest son Griffin passed away August 8, 2022.  Bob had three grandchildren: Callahan, Grady, and Hadley. Bob went to San Diego City College then transferred to San Diego State, where he threw the discus and javelin and was a member of Kappa Sig fraternity.  He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands.  Bob worked at the Hungry Hunter restaurant in Mission Valley before becoming a motorcycle police officer in the City of Costa Mesa, where he worked for more some 30 years.  On January 19, 1984, while riding his police motorcycle, he was involved in a catastrophic accident and underwent more than 50 surgeries throughout his life. In 2020, he was diagnosed with head and neck skin cancer, for which he endured three rounds of radiation and chemotherapy treatments.  Bob will be remembered for his love of his family, numerous friends, golf, and his work as a motorcycle policeman.

May 26, 2023

It looks like Monday the 29th will be the official celebration of Memorial Day.  Click HERE if you'd like to read about Colts who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

The Far Side cartoon two weeks ago featuring Raymond the Junkyard Dog made John Ramsey (and yours truly) fondly recall the great Tutored cartoon from Gary Larsen

I don't know if it's a mixed metaphor or a Malapropism, but I got a kick out of Wednesday's Colt Clipping, where the retiring Mrs. Perry said she wasn't the type to sit around "twiddling her fingers".  I know how to twiddle my thumbs, but am not quite sure how to do it with my fingers.

Susan Marshall Gordon '64 tells me the football programs I donated to the school have been digitalized and will be part of the 65th Anniversary display case.   Click HERE for an enlargement -- and much more.

The photo of Dave's College Florist, at College and El Cajon, brought back fond memories from some of you of other nearby businesses.  Click HERE to see an enlarged version of the above section of the 1958 City Directory, and read about Bob Richardson's first haircut.

I've recently discovered some snapshots I took in December 1962.  Four of them are of the Home Federal parking garage being built at 8th and E Streets.  Click HERE to look at enlargements -- and learn the fascinating story of the really old building on the right.

Click below to read May 23rd Pacers from

1963

1968

Charley Mador ’66 died May 11, 2023.  He was the best brother and a friend to many.  His wife Cathy was with him to the end and took the best care of him.  We will miss him terribly, but are happy he is free of pain -- Shirley Mador Kessler '69

In the ‘70s Charley made candles and leather goods and sold them at crafts fairs and at San Diego State. In the ‘80s he was in the balloon bouquet business and then went on to sell real estate for a number of years. In the ‘90s he got his masters in clinical social work and worked at Scripps Mercy Hospital for 20 years -- Rick Cohen ’66

 

Pamela Miller ’71 died May 13, 2023.  Pam was born and raised in San Diego.  She was heavily involved in the arts at Crawford, and had starring roles in many of her school's plays.   She was an incredible singer and was part of several popular bands in the San Diego area including: Showboat, Shine It On, Misfit, The Clique, Doz Chiqs n' 2 Guyz. She and her bands were well known at venues like Castaways, Park Place and The Fogcutter.   While singing was her true passion, she was also a valuable employee at Home Fed Bank and Petco for many years.  After she moved to Murrieta, she became an accomplished grant writer as the Collaborative Justice Coordinator for the San Diego and Riverside Superior Courthouse.  Once she retired, she took up the teaching of pilates and other fitness classes locally and eventually built up her own pilates business where she was fondly and aptly referred to as "Pam the Punisher."  If singing captured her heart then it could be said that pilates fueled her soul. She took great pride in helping people to better their lives through movement and by teaching them to connect with their own bodies she encouraged a strength of both the core and mind.   Pamela led a vegan lifestyle -- her incredible health and strong bond with animals being some of her most remarkable features.  She took great delight in reading and was a regular at the Wildomar Library . She was also fond of fixing, improving and DIY-ing her home and could often be found perusing the aisles at Home Depot, looking for a new tool for her impressive collection.  On weekends, she and her daughter had dates exploring garage sales and thrift store jungles, looking for unique treasures, sharing memories and catching up on their week's adventures and the future's plans.

May 19, 2023

 

John Sulliivan '65 says Diane, his wife of 54 years, was the one who found the apron above, in a shop in Solana Beach.  

Last week's ad for Orchid Corsages from Dave's Florist on College and El Cajon made it almost mandatory that we take another look at the photos of East San Diego taken by my late friend John Suitts in 1975.  Click HERE to take another look.

Speaking of East San Diego, or North Park actually, Melanie Dunn, who once taught English at Crawford, has opened her Patisserie Melanie at 3750 30th Street -- two blocks south of University.  Click HERE to read the article in Eater San Diego.

I'm not sure what the deal is, but the May 20, 1958 Pacer I've posted is a series of articles.  I don't know if it came to me that way, or -- horrors -- I cut it into pieces that would fit in my scanner.  I guess it shows how far we've come technically over the years.  Click HERE to check out the school newspaper from 65 years ago.  

Ross Stone ’63, a lifetime resident of San Diego, passed away peacefully at home on March 29, 2023.  He was in the first graduating class at UCSD, where he went on to earn a PhD in Applied Physics.  Over his career in Electrical Engineering and Radio Science he impacted industry, consulting, and research in antennas, propagation and related technologies.  He was a key person in the international scientific community, active in many societies, which led to extensive world travel.  He was Assistant Secretary General of the Union of Radio Scientists International in charge of publishing.  Ross was sensitive to the needs of young scientists and was committed to serve and educate the next generation of students and engineers.

A Memorial Service will be held May 20 at 10:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church San Diego, 2111 Camino del Rio S., San Diego, CA, 92108. In lieu of flowers, consider contributing to the Ukrainian Refugee Housing Fund at FUMCSD.org.

The Crawford Foundation web site says

 Bob Crogan '67 passed away May 9, 2023

James Whitehead ’73 passed away April 18, 2023

John Aguilar ’74 died April 30, 2023