January 15, 2021

Who WAS that masked doctor?  (It's a Lone Ranger reference)  Dr. Wilma Wooten yesterday was awarded the MLK Human Dignity Award by the YWCA for her work as the County Public Health Officer during the pandemic.  Good for her.  I know it's important to set an example by wearing a mask during these trying times, but you would have thought -- in this instance -- they could have used a standard file photo.  I've put one at the end of this post if you're interested.

Who knew?  You can now access archived columns from two members of the Class of '62 at one location.  Ernie Cowan's Outdoors column and my own This Month in PB History column are both available on the PB Monthly web site.  Click HERE and take a look.

Did you know the Ritter sisters -- Uta and Helga?  Helga was a classmate of mine at Crawford.  Their mom Renate put together a nice book before she died, detailing how the family came to America from Germany after WWII as part of Project Paper Clip -- the American effort to get Werner Von Braun and his rocket scientists out of Germany before the Russians glommed on to them.  If you're interested in my copy of the book let me know, and I'll try to figure out a way to get it to you.  

Here's a tasty tidbit from a very early Oscar's menu, courtesy of Bob Schreibman '60.  You coulda bought two hamburgers and had a dime left over for the price of Fried Chicken Livers on Toast.  By the way, the menu says there was no car hop service on orders less than a dime.  Click HERE to check out the full menu.

The Winter Issue of the quarterly 12-page Alumni Newsletter is in the mail.  If you're not a subscriber and would like to be, click HERE for more information.

The January 12, 1961 Pacer -- from 60 years ago -- has a nice cover article on Ray Wagner and his newly-published book American Combat Planes.  Ray was my US History teacher at Crawford.  In later years I saw him a lot when he was the librarian at the San Diego Aerospace Museum.  Click HERE to peruse the Pacer.

You can never go wrong posting vintage railroad photos.   Click HERE to see an enlargement.

The unmasked Dr. Wilma Wooten

January 8, 2021

 

The third volume of San Diego Memories is out.  The photo below, from Page 73, caught my eye.  Click HERE for more information on how to purchase the book.

Dr. Paul Dean '61 gets a full-page mention in the November/December issue of San Diego Physician.  Click HERE to access the magazine.  You'll have to turn your own pages.  Dr. Dean.  Why does that name sound so familiar?

A while back I was watching an Aztec basketball game and really liked the announcer.  I spent way too much time trying to find out who it was -- and never did.  The second Aztec game against Colorado State this week found me in the same situation.  I listened with care hoping to learn the announcer's name.  Eventually he said something along the lines of "Matt Mitchell is about to break my father's record at San Diego State."  Turns out it the announcer was Casey Jacobsen (that's him above), son of Colt basketball star Von Jacobsen '66.

Arianna Huhn, after DNA testing, got some upsetting news about her parents George and Gail Schindler Fogelman  (63' and '67).  Turns out that Gail had had trouble getting pregnant and the couple turned to artificial insemination.  Ari was stunned to learn that George was not her biological father.  It got worse when she learned who her biological father was.  Click HERE to read the complete story from Voice of San Diego.

Frank Addington ‘67 passed away on October 23, 2020 in Las Vegas, NV. He was a part of the U.S. Air Force. He went on to have four children. During his life Frank was a part of the Las Vegas VFW and the American Legion. 

December 31, 2020

I'm posting this early because I may not be able to get to my computer early tomorrow 

Best Wishes for 2021.  This is all I have for this Fry Day.

Richard Lidbom went to the Reunion Page of my web site and tried to look at the photos taken at the Class of '62 50 year reunion.  I had them set up as a Picasa slide show.  Turns out Picasa is no longer in business.  I spent a couple of days reformatting the photos onto their own page.  Sadly, some of the folks are no longer with us.  In this photo Coach Harvey and, more recently, Bill Rainey have passed.  Click HERE to take a look.  

December 25, 2020

 

Merry Christmas!!

You know you're getting old when you read an article in the paper about a Navy destroyer successfully shooting down an ICBM in a test over the Pacific, and the destroyer is named after someone you knew -- the USS John Finn.  John was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at Pearl Harbor.  He lived out near the Golden Acorn Casino and passed away in 2014.

Jack Tempchin '65 and his wife Sheryl have written a Christmas song, The Gingerbread Man.  Tuesday's UT has a nice article about it.  Click HERE to read all about it.

Georgeanne Irvine is the little sister of Ginger '60 and Janis '64.  Her folks whisked her away to Anaheim while still a youngster, so she didn't go to Crawford.  She joined the public relations department of the San Diego Zoo in 1978 where she worked with Joan Embery '67.  Last Saturday's UT had a nice article about her and the childrens' books she's written.  Click HERE to check it out.

I saw the article in last week's Union-Tribune, but didn't realize there was a Crawford connection.  Norman and Sivia Mann, married 76 years, contracted and survived COVID, and are back home again.  They are the parents of the late Mark Mann '63 as well as Stacy Mann '67.  Click HERE to read the whole story.

This looks for all the world like a color shot of Mission San Diego de Alcala in a pristine Mission Valley.  We featured the black and white version in a post a while back.  Apparently computer tinting apps are getting very good.  Click HERE to see an enlargement, along with the other two 1936 photos we featured.

Recognize this place?  It's Goodbody Mortuary, on 50th and El Cajon.  Ed Goodbody died December 9th at the age of 93.  In what was a surprisingly brief obituary it mentioned that, when word came down that a new Blessed Sacrament church was to be built, Ed had the old one moved to this location and turned it into a mortuary.  Ironically, Featheringill Mortuary was in charge of Ed's funeral.

Susan Gallerstein Krull '66 passed away December 21st after a lengthy illness

Tony Flores '72 passed away December 13th, according to the Crawford Alumni web page.

December 18, 2020

I gather it's become a regular thing to post a pun or funny saying on the Community Center marquee in Indian Hills, Colorado.  Click HERE to see some more.

Laurel Brassey Iversen '72, and two other sports figures, are the latest inductees into the Breitbard Hall of Fame.  They will be honored at the 75th annual Salute to the Champions, which will be held next year at a date to be determined.  Click HERE to read the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Turns out someone made a 3-minute video of the demolition of Crawford's auditorium last September.  It also shows what the finished product will look like.  Pretty cool for future Colts.  Kinda depressing for old Colts.   Click HERE to take a gander.

Life imitates art.  On November 20th I opined that the kicker on the cover of the program for the Jeff Greenleaf Benefit Football Game was "very attractive" (translation: "looked female")  This past Saturday Sarah Fuller became the first female to score in a Power 5 football game.  The Vanderbilt kicker made two extra points in the game against Tennessee.  Sadly, the Commodores lost 42-17.

Sandie Robbins Knox '61 shares photos from the 1958 Fad and Fun Day at Horace Mann.  Click HERE to take a look.

This seems an appropriate time to listen to some tunes recorded by Owen Western from the December 1962 Winter Holiday Concert album.  I see the names Alan R. Frank and Richard W. Robinette on the cover.  Dick Robinette is still in town.  Many have asked about the whereabouts of Alan Frank, but no answers have been forthcoming.  Click HERE to view your song selections.

Hard to believe it's was 25 years ago that I lugged my camera and tripod over to Chollas Park to take pictures of them demolishing the towers.  Click HERE to see the photos.

December 11, 2020

Happy Hanukkah 2020.  I didn't get the memo.  If I had a Menorah should I already have lit a candle?  

 

Would you sell a class ring to this man?  Dennis Frieden '59 would like to buy a used class ring.  If you take it to him in Julian he'll probably throw in an apple pie.   Contact him at def12358@aol.com

A Corvair?  You look like trouble.  Pull into Secondary.  Click HERE to watch a three minute movie, circa 1960, about the border crossing at San Ysidro.

Remember the Rancho Drive-In?  I've put together some photos and a news article written when it closed on October 17, 1978.  Click HERE to check it out. 

Click HERE to read all six pages of the Red and Green Holiday Edition of the Pacer published December 15, 1960.

Terry Harkless Kneeshaw '68 died November 22, 2020 after a year-long battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  She met her husband George when she was 15 and they became inseparable, marrying on August 29, 1970.  She loved to sew, bake, garden, and had a passion for painting.  She worked part-time at an elementary school so she could balance work and raising her three children. Terry was preceded in death by her father, Bill, her mother, Jean, and brother Gary.

Penny Humphrey Scholl ’74 passed away November 30, 2020.  She graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy in 1981 and began a 27-year career in law enforcement.  Her passion for helping and protecting others made her a compassionate and fierce member of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and a force in her community for positive change, healthy interpersonal relationships, and mental and emotional health advocacy and empowerment.  In her retirement, she worked security for the Del Mar Fair and other jobs that she enjoyed, and volunteered for the local women’s domestic violence shelter.  She was funny, fearless, and made it her mission and her business in life to help make other’s lives better and heal other’s hurts.

December 4, 2020

 

Coach Draz didn't get 90 cards at his 90th birthday party on November 17th -- he got 150!!   He was very surprised and blown away by the outpouring of well wishes, according to his daughter Kathy Draz Zopatti.  Congratulations to those who sent in cards.  You know who you are.

Where are they now?  Norm Lombardo is enjoying life in the desert in Sierra Vista, Arizona says his big brother Jared.  Ken Pernicano is around and has been contacted by a relative.  We'll see if he surfaces and wants to reflect on his early life as a trend-setter.  Turns out he IS a Pizza Pernicano.  

Malka Buchinger Nagel, San Diego's Junior Miss for 1971, is married and living in Santa Cruz.  She accomplished the goals she mentioned in the San Diego Union article.  She majored in Social Work at San Diego State, then returned to Israel in time for the Yom Kippur War.  She attended Tel Aviv University and volunteered in the hospital where there were wounded soldiers. 

Boy, it's difficult to tease any good news out of the pandemic.  Word that California was not only in the Purple tier, but headed to the DEEP Purple tier, did bring a happy memory: April and Nino's 1963 rendition of the song Deep Purple.  Click HERE and, if the computer gods are kind, you can listen to it again.

I saved a Crying Towel handed out by the Kearny ticket takers at the CIF Finals played on December 1, 1961 at Balboa Stadium.  Turns out I didn't need it.  Click HERE to check out the program AND an article published the next day by Bill Center.

I was looking for something else when I came across one of the first web pages I ever created.  It features my class ring, pendant and pin.  I've updated the page and made it look a little spiffier.  Click HERE if you can't stand the suspense.