September 30, 2016

Crawford was shut out by Monte Vista last week 23-0.  If my research is correct, their next game will take place October 7th at Lincoln vs. Clairemont.  This is a 6:30 kickoff and, because construction continues on the Crawford campus, will serve as the Colt Homecoming Game.

Certified Elder Law Attorney Phil Lindsley 70 will be among the speakers at the Successful Aging Expo, to be held at the Town & Country Hotel on Saturday, October 8th.  Click HERE for more information.

“There are Colts everywhere,” reports Ginger Irvine Barnard ’60 (that’s her on the left).  She was at Louise Green Millinery in West Los Angeles getting her copy of Advanced Style, Older & Wiser signed by the author Ari Seth Cohen.  Turns out Ari is a Patrick Henry graduate, and his mother (that’s her on the right) is Frances Levine Cohen ’67.

Bob Richardson, Fritz Ziegenfuss, and Fred Cairns at the Class of '61 55th Anniversary Reunion. Click HERE to see the rest of Bob's photos.  You'll have to squint to see the captions at the bottom.

Deep in the bowels of my Facebook Message app I discovered a missive from Pam Rossman Monroe with a link to an article about guitar maker Ervin Somogyi in Guitar Connoisseur Magazine.  Within the article is an additional link to a lovely YouTube video entitled The Responsive Guitar.  This all sounds vaguely familiar, but it's worth looking at again.

"Ask and you shall receive": Nancy and I were cruising the old neighborhood on Monday.  We were heading west on El Cajon and passed through the intersection at 52nd Street.  I could not, for the life of me, recall the name of the fast food place that occupied the southwest corner so many years ago. The answer is in an advertisement on Page 3 of the September 29, 1966 Golden Anniversary Pacer.  

"Imagine my surprise," writes Jackie Hearst Hadley, "to open your blog of September 23rd and see my twin brother's smiling face.   I know I should have let you know of his death years ago.  It took me a while to accept it and then I was a bit embarrassed for waiting too long. That being said, here is what I should have told you in 2012:  John Hearst died of lung cancer.  After high school, John joined the Navy and was an ADJ, 2nd class (jet mechanic) during the Viet Nam era, serving on the Constellation and at various land bases, including China Lake, CA.  After his discharge, John returned to San Diego and was an automotive mechanic.    Two friends from high school, Les Bunnell and John Purseglove, kept in touch with John over the years and were especially close just before his death. John's family, including his sisters Carlene '60 and I, spent time with him leading up to his passing. His wife of 35 years, Karen, preceded him in death by just a few weeks. He is survived by his sisters, many loving friends, his son Steven and 3 grandsons."

September 23, 2016

Despite last week's 34-21 loss to El Cajon Valley High School, Crawford remains atop the Central League standings with a 3-1 record.  Monte Vista will square off against the Colts today at 4 PM.  I believe the venue is Hoover High School, which is where we played our home games half a century ago.

Remember when the prep football season kicked off with a Football Carnival in Balboa Stadium?Click HERE to view the program from the carnival held September 23, 1961 -- 55 years ago.

Click HERE to watch Dick Draz' speech at the 2016 San Diego County Sports Officials Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.  He's introduced by local sports announcing legend Bob Chandler.  A lot of people told me Coach Draz was their favorite teacher at Crawford.  One, however, compared him to the Devil Incarnate and another to a Nazi War Criminal.  I guess everyone doesn't react well to being screamed at while wearing a Speedo.  I made me think about my favorite student at Hale Junior High. She showed up one day wearing her new braces.  I told her she looked like a '57 Buick, which -- to me -- was high praise.  Turns out teenage girls are very sensitive about their physical appearance. Who knew?

Phyllis Schwartz' question about Debbie Soper appearing in the '72 Centaur as both a Junior and a Senior took Sharon Cramer Sceper '68 back to her days on the Pershing Junior High annual staff. Recalls Sharon, "By some very careful cutting, splicing and taping, I put the head and upper body picture of an insufferable know-it-all jerk guy sitting at the conference table. Below the table line are the skirt and daintily crossed legs of a girl, who only I know to be Irma DeGroot '68.  It passed by our advisor's careful scrutiny and editing, and went to press as is!"

Class of '61 mates recently met for lunch at D. Z. Akins.  From left are Al Palladino, Fred Dickson, Larry Willis, Gary Deines, Donnie Cummings and Nelson Moore.  I think the sign in the window says "Hooters".  Oh, wait -- maybe it says "Hot Food".

"One of San Diego County’s most delightful and colorful birds is the lesser goldfinch," says Ernie Cowan '62.  Click HERE to read the entire article published in last Saturday's Union-Tribune

AMAZING what you can find on the web.  Last week we pondered the Crawford obituary for Carole Naish, born in 1938.  I was of the opinion she might have gone to Hoover.  Bob Richardson, using Ancestry.com I think, found Carole on the Prom Committee in the 1956 Hoover yearbook.   Bob says the color photo above was taken from the Southern Methodist University yearbook.

In the back row of the group photo are two of Bob's favorite teachers at Crawford -- Mr. James Gibbs and Mr. Lavier Lokke. 

September 16, 2016

Crawford beat Southwest San Diego last week by a score of 30-6.  Tonight's game is a 7 PM kickoff against El Cajon Valley High School.

Better late than never!!  Ginger Irvine Barnard forwards a snapshot from last year's Class of '60 reunion.  Lela Kerth Schlitz is on the left and Sabra Clardy Bordas is in the middle.

Here's the first Golden Anniversary Pacer for the 1966-1967 school year, the issue from September 15, 1966.

Phyllis Schwartz may have too much time on her hands.  While perusing her '72 Centaur she noticed that her pal Debbie Soper

is pictured among the Seniors on Page 199

and also among the Juniors on Page 157

This was news to Debbie also, but she lost her yearbook in a Nebraska house fire in 1977.  Says Phyllis, "Deb and I want to know: was it a prank? an honest mistake? Does she have an identical twin born a year apart?"

From Pomona to Ramona.  Mary Jane Rogers, Bob Richardson, and Facebook's mysterious Nancy Jane all went to work researching the life of Horace Mann Principal C. Russell Henzie.  Bob learned that "Buddy" Henzie was president of the 1935 Pomona High Student Council and Mary Jane found a 1990 Los Angeles Times article in which Mr. Henzie tries to save the 300-year old oak trees on Highway 67 near his horse farm.  I'll try to put all of this together at a later date.

Here's a puzzlement.  Jana Ditmars forwards an obituary for Barbara Jean Naish, age 83.  The article said she graduated from Crawford.  Her little sister Patricia Naish Johnson '59 DID go to Crawford, passing in 2014. I'm guessing the oldest Crawford graduates might be pushing 75, so Crawford probably was still dirt when Barbara graduated.  Maybe she went to Hoover.

Vern Bowman sends sad news.  His little brother Dennis, from my Class of '62, passed away September 7th from Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Wrestling victories for Crawford and Coach Frank Smith were among Dennis' happiest school memories.

Edell "Del" Kelley Henry '63 died of cancer September 6th.  A Memorial Service will be held Sunday September 18 2016 at 1:00 P.M. at Foundry Church 60 N.W. Foundry Avenue Bend Oregon 97701.  Click HERE to leave a message.

The Class of '67 Reunion Committee just learned of the belated passing of their classmate John Hearst on October 28, 2012.

September 9, 2016

SUMMER'S OVER and it's still dark in Pacific Beach.  The good news is that Nancy and I can assume our rightful spot at the Waffle Spot counter without standing about in the lobby with the unwashed masses and their hyperactive progeny for half an hour.

Crawford outlasted Classical Academy last Friday 15-13, so the team is 2-0.   They'll meet Southwest San Diego tonight at 7.  

Speaking of Crawford football, Karen Clarke Snyder spotted a fellow with a Colt T-Shirt at her gym in Santee.  She  told him she was an alum from the Class of '74.  He turned out to be head Football Coach Michael Wright.  "He seems to be a super-nice dude," noted Karen.

I always enjoy the notes that occasionally accompany newsletter renewal checks and feel badly that I'm too lazy to respond.  This one is from Mel Brav '60.  

Tiki Oasis San Diego has come and gone.   I probably wouldn't have known about it if the Crowne Plaza Tiki crowd hadn't overflowed into the Amigo Spot.  Turns out there's a history of Tiki Bars in San Diego (and Tijuana) on the web.  Click HERE to check it out.  The postcard above shows the Aloha Cafe in Tijuana in 1931.

 

I understand the Class of '61 will celebrate the 55th Anniversary of its Graduation over the weekend of September 23rd.  For those folks who misplaced their yearbooks, they can check out enlarged pages of the Senior Standouts.

After 72 years in San Diego Tom Cassie, and wife Barbara, have moved to Colorado Springs.  It's probably not a coincidence that their daughter and her family live there.  Tom's new email address is tcassie714@icloud.com

C. Russell Henzie, Horace Mann Principal in the '50s and '60s, passed away July 23, 2016.  He was born December 8, 1917.  I think we all would have enjoyed a more detailed obituary, but that's all I got.

September 2, 2016

Crawford beat Mountain Empire last week 12-6.  Tonight they meet the Classical Academy Caimans at 7 PM at Del Norte High School in 4S Ranch.

Nancy and I got the September newsletter to the Midway Post Office, or what's left of it, on Monday so you should be getting your copy if you are a subscriber.  Click HERE if you're interested in information on subscribing.

Newsletter subscription renewal notices went out to the Classes of 1960 and 1972 this week.  

Did you watch Phil Collins perform the other night at the opening of the US Open tennis matches in New York?  Me neither.  Russ Boggs '71 did, however, and thought it an "indifferent performance".  He WAS impressed with the bass player, who turned out to be Nathan East '73.  Click HERE to take a listen.

William Braxton "Joe" Dyke '65 posted this 1978 photo of the Seaport Village Band on Facebook.   When Seaport Village shut down the band, members kept the uniforms and became the Grand Pacific Band.  Among other venues, they perform at NASSCO ship launchings.  I think Joe is the one who isn't smiling.

Louis William "Duke" Wellington passed away August 10th at home, surrounded by family.  His obituary said he attended Crawford and joined the Marine Corps in 1963.   Classmate Maurice Barringer says Duke would have graduated in '64 had he not left school early.  I've placed him on the Class of '64 Obituary Page.

The obituary for Duke Wellington said he'd been predeceased by his sister Carol Wellington Bennett '63.  Mary Gale "Sherlock" Rogers found a birth date, but nothing else.