For people who attended Crawford High School or would have attended if they hadn't
moved -- or just have fond memories of San Diego in the '40s, '50s and '60s.

Check out the Crawford High web site.

Friday, September 11, 2026

September 11, 2026

My late gal-pal Nancy Watson always complained about being picked last for "everything".  I don't think she'd have gotten much sympathy from Joe Zyriek '69.

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69 years ago YESTERDAY was Opening Day at Crawford.  Click HERE to see the newspaper article, buffed out and enlarged with ChatGTP.

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Here's an aerial shot of the newly-opened school, taken on September 30, 1957.  Click HERE to see it, and two others, enlarged.

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The rich kids from Alvarado Estates purchased cool book covers at the Financial Office.  Some of us used paper bags from Piggly Wiggly.  Click HERE to check out a selection donated by Dietra Anderson Davis '62.

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Boy, one of these would look cool in the back window of a hot rod.  Click HERE to see decals saved by Sally Brett '63

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Click HERE to peruse all 40 pages of an early Colt Handbook.  I wonder if it specifies girl's skirt lengths.

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I've just learned of the passing of Bruce Jaffe in Dayton, Ohio on November 23, 2025, after a short battle with cancer.   After graduation from USC, Bruce began his career at Price Waterhouse, earning his CPA before joining Bell Industries in 1967. He spent nearly 30 years there, serving as CFO and later President.  At 41, Bruce started running, and once he started, he didn't stop. He completed 24 marathons and carried the Olympic torch in 1984. When his knees finally quit, he bought a bicycle and kept going. Later in life he found a 2nd home at Yankee Trace Golf Course spending nearly every day hitting balls, playing a round, or volunteering. The best gig of his life.


Friday, September 4, 2026

September 4, 2026

 

Seriously?  Clark Kent (or is it Superman) is checking for spare change in the pay telephone coin slot?  Oh, dear -- I just realized there are only a few of us left that know what it feels like to stick your finger in that coin slot and hear the jingle of coins.  Wait -- do coins even exist anymore?

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I don't know Paulette Donnelon but I thought the photo she took last week in the Anza-Borrego Desert was worth sharing

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I'm not sure what they're selling -- but I'm buying.  This appears to be a Waymo (driverless) '57 Chevy.

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A perfect time to revisit the Esquire Motors page.  Click HERE.

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I'm on a roll!!  Click HERE to see some photos from the August 21, 1960 drag race "riot" on El Cajon Blvd.

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65 YEARS AGO
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Evening Tribune • September 5, 1961 -- Click HERE to read Rick Smith's preview of the 1961 football season.  Spoiler Alert: We went undefeated (sort of)

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San Diego Union • September 9, 1961 -- It said Gigi went to Crawford, but I can't find her in my records

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55 YEARS AGO
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Evening Tribune • September 9, 1971 -- "Big Jim" was a '68 Colt

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IN MEMORIAM
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Dennis Grey ’64 was an athlete, craftsman, and entrepreneur. He passed away on August 9, 2026. Known for his tenacity on the basketball court, his restoration of old homes in Sacramento, and his conservative principles, Dennis leaves behind a legacy of athletic achievement, creative excellence, and cherished memories for his family, friends, and community.  There’s a full obituary on the Class of ’64 Obituary Page.

Tony Udvarhelyi ’70 passed away at home with his wife Vicki by his side in Lakeside on August 18th.




Friday, August 28, 2026

August 28, 2026

Those look like Old School Lunch Boxes.  I wonder if the sandwiches were wrapped in waxed paper.

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Train pictures come first.  I've added this 1973 Mike Schafer shot of the Surfliner headed south out of San Clemente to the Santa Fe Page.  Click HERE to see it -- and others -- enlarged.

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Terry Gorin Williams '66 and her surfer husband Tom are now living in the Azores.  Click HERE to read all about it in the Union-Tribune.  If you have trouble with the link I can send you a PDF version.

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I guess there WAS a Pat Brillo's in Colt Country.  Click HERE to see what Larry Wahlgren discovered.

That's right -- Pat Brillo's Julio Arreola went on to open Julio's, a fact previously brought to our attention by George Glover.  Click HERE to see an enlargement of this photo and some of the other shots John Suitts took in 1975.  You'll recognize most of them, but I've spiffed them up with ChatGPT

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65 YEARS AGO

Evening Tribune • September 2, 1961

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60 YEARS AGO

Evening Tribune • August 29, 1966

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San Diego Union • August 31, 1966 -- Gary got his MD, served in the Air Force during Vietnam, established his anesthesiology practice in Tucson, retired and recently passed away.  We were the best of friends from 8th grade on.

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San Diego Union • August 31, 1966

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San Diego Union • August 31, 1966 -- Click HERE to read the entire article about Walt Harvey and the star-studded football team he returned to coach.

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San Diego Union • September 2, 1966 -- Dave and Ed Herrmann, mentioned above, were two of "Those catchers from Crawford" who went on to major league careers.  

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55 YEARS AGO

San Diego Union • August 29, 1971 -- Well, THAT'S not a happy story.  Susan actually graduated in 1967.  Click HERE for a little more information.

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Dennis Aiken '62

San Diego Union • August 30, 1971 -- "Denny" was a '62 classmate and good friend.  I had no idea he played guard for the Aztecs.  Not a lot of high school cheerleaders go on to be college football linemen.

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Friday, August 21, 2026

August 21, 2026

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Was there a Pat Brillo's in Crawford Country?  I used to stop at the one downtown when I was at the Central Library.

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Well, no -- I DON'T remember the Algiers Restaurant, but I now know what replaced it -- a bunch of things.  The Campus Chuck Wagon stands out.  Click HERE and see what I spent all week putting together.

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I've reworked and, in some cases colorized, the photos on the web page I once did for my late gal-pal Nancy Watson Wingo. Click HERE to see what else fell out of her wallet -- AND the now-historic photos her father took.

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I thought I'd scanned the important pages of my 1959 Thomas Brothers map book, but apparently not.  What are the chances Mr PB would leave out Pacific Beach?  Click HERE to see the rest of San Diego County.

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60 YEARS AGO
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Evening Tribune • August 22, 1966 -- A rugby-playing doctor?  I think George Clooney played him on TV.

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Evening Tribune • August 24, 1966 -- Remember Hillside Hospital on El Cajon Blvd, on the "hillside" next to the Ed Center, or Alice Birney Elementary if you prefer. 

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50 YEARS AGO

Evening Tribune • August 21, 1976

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Evening Tribune • August 25, 1976

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80 YEARS AGO

God I was cute -- and A. I. made me cuter!

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