Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Don Burns ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 9:11 am - HHS Time

Class: 1957
City & State: Downey CA

Message: Hey Cougs, I remember the Biltmore pool as being very highly chlorinated because of the small kids doing their thing, In the early 50's it was a Quarter to get in, then they raised it to .50, so we couldn't steal enough soda bottles to get in any more. There always were a lot of pretty ladies in front of the Biltmore. Couln't afford to rent a canvas raft that you had to wear a t-shirt to ride, we used a mattress cover, get it wet, run like mad to fill it with air, then get to the waves, lots of fun. Later Don

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 9:03 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: JB, Speedose, that's a worse mental picture than the grass skirt idea, however, they would definately think you were firemen, that's for certain. hey, JB, it's a slow day in the desert & T-time in not till after noon. Jorge

Name: Lee Ann Nixon ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 9:01 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Nixon
City & State: Vancouver, WA

Message: Wasn't there an aquarium at the end of the pier (maybe Manhattan Pier)? It was sort of round, but that's all I remember.

Name: Howard Paco Duran ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 8:59 am - HHS Time

Class: 1961
City & State: Lake Forest

Message: In the early to mid 50's I found a purse in the bean field, no ID, just $13! My father made me check the lost and found in the paper for a week. I used the money for a snorkel and fins, the rest went to the Biltmore! I remember the aquarium, the worst smell ever! Inside in the center, was an island, where they kept a couple of old gray seals, I just remember that smell! Of all the years going to the Biltmore, which was close, as Glenn said, I don't remember it being saltwater! Dennis Campbell went with me most of the time, maybe he recalls..

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 8:53 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Hey, JB; If I'm 87, I could have been there, humor me. Kidding aside, I do remember going to the Biltmore Hotel indoor swimming pool in Hermosa by the pier as a kid, like I said 7th & 8th grade or there about. maybe they tore the old hotel down and built another hotel with an indoor pool or was I in a time warp ?. Possibly in 39 they did a tear down & remodel, because I remember a hotel with a pool on the strand right across the boardwalk from the sandy beach, I'm not that old that I've lost all my memory of the old days yet.
Interstate bank, had my first bank account there, $100.00 CHRISYmas fund/club account, do they still have those? That looks like Pinky & his three wheel motorcycle in front of the bank, he couldn't ride a two wheeler. Jorge

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 13, 2012, 4:06 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Hey, JB; MAAAAN!!, what a memory tugger, the old Biltmore. I used to go there when I was in 7th/8th grade and I do believe it was a salt water pool. I can't remember what they charged to use the pool, but it was not much if I was there, didn't have much money in those days. I remember Sally Frazer (RIP), Sherry Farlow & another girl who's name escapes me would always be on the beach somewhere in front of the place, back then the three were tied at the hip. You could rent rubber surf mats for 50 cents or something like that, Hot Dogs were 50 cents it wasn't much. John Boy, I think you could probably pull off the grass skirt & coconut bra thing (what an ugly mental picture), Bob, I'm not so sure about. They would probably think you were a fireman from the mainland, as they tend to do strange things when turned loose on there own. Jorge

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 10:28 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA

Message: Only thing I could find in a history of the Hermosa Biltmore, was that the pool was chlorinated and why would anyone want to contaminate good salt water with a additives, is beyond me. But, then again, there goes my theory of high bacteria growth. I do remember the water being quite warm. And I don't remember any real effort staying on top of the water, so it may well have been of high saline content. And as far as the whale goes, does anyone remember a small aquarium on that strand (predating Sea World of the Pacific, although they may have co-existed for a very short time), It would have been on the Manhattan / Hermosa / Redondo Beach vicinity.. I think that is where they parked it's huge carcass. I remember being completely mesmerized and having to spend several quarters to revisit (the lines were stacked up behind you and you were forced to move through the refrigerated container at a faster speed than you desired. Sorry, but it was "too cool" at my young age.

Name: Lee Ann Nixon ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 10:09 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Nixon
City & State: Vancouver, WA

Message: Hi again. I just brought my mom in to look at the pool picture. She says this is the salt water pool as she remembers it with the exception that she doesn't see the high diving board at the far and deep end of the pool. The round object at the front and shallow end is the fountain where water would pour into the pool and that is where the kids liked to hang out. The tiers on the right were for the spectators, of course. The area on the left is where the lockers were. She says they called the pool The Plunge. She is 99% this is the pool she went to. Maybe someone else has a different idea about it and it would be interesting to hear what, if any, further responses you get. Judging from the girl's swimsuits, I think it's safe to say this is a picture of our parent's era - ha ha.

Name: Judy Blomsterberg ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 8:31 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: DeGrazia
Class: 1964
City & State: Torrance, CA

Message: I am so happy to announce that on this Sunday, at the Hawthorne VFW breakfast, we'll be raffling off a very special prize that will be included in the 7 dollar donation for breakfast. Not only will you get the best breakfast in town, but if you are the winner you'll also get an all expense paid vacation to Hawaii with John Baker. 2 weeks of romantic days and nights at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. A luau and a candle light dinner for two on a yacht sailing around the harbor. Oh, if a guy gets the lucky number, it's still on.. we just dress John up as a girl and exclude and sex part. See you all Sunday. See me for the raffle tickets. Your friendly juice maiden (Oh, Howie Noodleman did not make me write this..he wanted to make that clear)

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 2:53 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita

Message: I'm trying to get in touch with HHS62 Linda McDowell. Does anyone have her new email address? Please email me if you can help. Thanks all

Name: Lee Ann Nixon ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 1:01 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Nixon
City & State: Vancouver, WA

Message: Regarding the salt water swimmming pool. I remember my mom telling us about that, so I just went in and asked her about it. It was in Redondo Beach and it was in a huge stand-alone building. She went there as a kid (pre-teen) and went whenever she could. She said they loved going there and she believes it was the largest salt water pool around - not sure if that was in the U.S. or what. She learned to dive off the high dive there. She and others would get there however they could - mostly family members, who were always willing to take them. It was eventually condemned and torn down.

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 10:57 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Hey, Neil, Jim & Jake; Neil, those were not panties, they were pantyhose, I'm the one that told Broadway Joe Namath about them, they did keep your legs warm LOL. Actually I had to start wearing them (pantyhose) when my mom found a pair in my car and I told her that they were for football. Jim, there is a current picture of me & my darlin wife in Paco's pics, from Dennis & Eilene Morris's party a year or so ago. The picture clearly shows that I have all my hair & teeth. Now the challenge is, take off your straw hat and show us what happens to old firemen. I've been told that breathing all that smoke fighting fires causes hair loss in firemen LOL, luv ya buddy. Ya know us cops always had a soft spot in our heart for you firemen even though we knew you all slept together (which just does not seem appropriate LOL). We took it upon ourselves to keep the rif raft from stealing your fire engines while you were doing your job, so you would have a ride back to your warm station dorm. Jake, actually, I think I was challenged, and probably you were just plain old smarter than I was LOL, plus I started late in school because my birthday is in January. I think that I attended about every school in what was back then "Centinela Valley School District", when I was sent from HHS to LHS to Lawndale High Mr. Key was the V/Principal and at HHS he made the big time, didn't help any, I still got kicked out again, and ended up at North Torrance. However, as I have said before, I was lucky & straightened myself out, don't ask me how LOL. I think it had to do with getting my ass kicked by Hawthorne Motor Officer Jerry Pierce. Every time he kicked my ass behind the "Pizza Show" where no one could see what he & fat Freddy Moore were doing, he kept telling me he was going to keep kicking my ass until I straightened out & saw the light, after a while I eventually saw the light. Jorge

Name: Karen Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 10:57 am - HHS Time
City & State: Hawthorne, ca
No E-mail
Message: Just wanted to remind everyone to mark their calendars for this Sunday's VFW breakfast. We had a great turnout last month and need to keep it up and keep it growing! Our Jan B. puts on one heck of a spread for only 7 dollars. Let's fill the place up.

Name: El Rojo ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 7:43 am - HHS Time

Maiden: JACOBSEN
Class: 1960
City & State: Kuna, ID

Message: Jorge, whats with this claiming 68 for your B-Day and you gradgeated in 62? I'm 68 and graduated in 60. What? Was there a lull in grad passes back then? It doesn't compute! Love ya Man. You too Bake, ceptin that you're moderating this conversation. Love you too MMAANN! Lifes good and live it to the fullest. MAY THE COUGAR BE WITH YOU. Jake N Jude

Name: Jim Frederick ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 6:23 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: West Hills Ca,
No E-mail
Message: Happy 87th, Jorge!!! And George , I'm still daring you to put a current picture of your mug up on Feedback!!! Come on mannnnnnn all the guys are doing it! LMAO!!

Name: Neil Andersen ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 12, 2012, 6:13 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Dallas, Oregon

Message: Wear those short colored panties from football practice, to the re- union. Bring some soft wax for your face.

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 11, 2012, 7:57 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Palm Desert, Ca

Message: Hey, All, & John Boy; I just finished having dinner with Dennis Campbell & my darlin wife Arlene at the club. Played a golf tournament with Dennis today and playing another one tomorrow, had a wonderful B-day, couldn't have asked for a better one. Age is just a number, always remember that. OH!! yeah, did I mention that Dennis made me drink Tequilla & beer for my birthday drinks, shame on him. Also, I'm only 68, JB that's one number below my lucky number of 69. I'm like wine, I get better with age, it's living in an Oak barrel that's hard to get used to. Like the Mick said, "if I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself", Yeah, JB, I know he really was not the first to say it, but it just sounds better coming from him. Jorge

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 11, 2012, 6:49 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA

Message: I remember the Hermosa Biltmore had a huge swimming pool (maybe not at the lobby level, but I vaguely remember being able to look out a wall of glass (and that may have only been a few windows) toward the beach and the surf. I remember, too, the humidity in the room being at least 100% and the pool being warm enough to culture any number of bacteria. We swam there for years until the hotel went belly up. And speaking of belly up (I don't remember which way it's belly pointed) but a whale (and if it wasn't dead when it washed up, it was a short while later) on the beach nearby. Some early entrepreneur exhibited this denizen of the deep in a refrigerated truck across from the Biltmore, if my memory serves me (and that seems to be becoming less and less). I think Sea World of the Pacific also capitalized on this later; whoops, no, I think that might have been the live critters.

Name: Sharon Leach ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 11, 2012, 2:19 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Long beach ca

Message: Well, you know in the fifties and sixties they didn't have the no child left behind rule. If a kid didn't pass a class, he stayed behind till he passed. Guess that explains George's age and his graduation date. Have a Very Happy Birthday, George.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 11, 2012, 12:55 pm - HHS Time
No E-mail
Message: George is 87?

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 11, 2012, 8:14 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita
No E-mail
Message: Happy 87th birthday to our own George Johnson. Have a great day George.

Name: Ronald Dickson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jan 10, 2012, 8:44 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1967
City & State: NORCO

Message: Susie.The place was called Stubs Pub under the Biltmore.

Name: Susan Adams ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jan 10, 2012, 5:47 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Nelson
Class: 1969
City & State: Anderson, Calif.

Message: Steve, About the movie screen again-maybe theater mgt. said that (about tear) so people wouldn't be afraid to let their "kiddies" go to the show if they thought knives were being thrown around, a bad element at the show, not good for business...(I have no life!). Just got done watching Jerry's awesome clip on Hermosa Beach-it triggered another odd memory of Hermosa..the street straight down from the pier had a weird little shop, don't recall if it had a name on it, but it was a very dark building that seemed to be closed a lot and it had all kinds of little bottles with "potions" for various purposes. I remember that the place kind of creeped me out as a youngster..also there was another building there that seemed to be empty a lot it seemed to be a place where "beatnicks" hung out, perhaps at night is when it got busy? During the daytime when I was there peeking in it was pretty empty. Also on the walk way there was a place that had live music, we thought it was cool until we learned it was a "Christian" gathering-we stopped going in there as we were wild teenagers and weren't very keen on the idea of having our "souls" saved at that time of our lives...