Name: Sharon Stein ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jan 29, 2012, 6:20 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Friddle
Class: 1968
City & State: Wiseburn

Message: Speaking to the 65-68 years: What I remember; I would like to tell you it was 'all about team spirit', but it was an era that parents felt comfortable letting their kids walk to games - in a group, knew they would (should) be safe there and what time they should be home. Soooo, for younger classman, it was a place to meet up with friends on Friday nights and 'sometimes' the game was secondary. Upper classman, were there for their friends as it wasn't just players, but the band, drill team, etc. and SOMETHING was going to happen afterwards as it was Friday night. Can't speak to basketball games, but crowds at baseball games were more the girlfirend & parents type fans. Trying to remember: were the Drop-In after home games?????

Name: Sharon Leach ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jan 29, 2012, 4:13 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Long beach ca

Message: Great question. School spirit was very strong back then. The bleachers were packed. Back then even the visiting side observers came to the game. We were all CIF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. John, I know several of the yearbooks have pictures of the packed night games. Also there are great pics of the homecoming queen and her court. Totally different from today. It was a really big deal back then. H-H-HAW T-T-THO R-R-RNE GO HAWTHORNE!!! YEAH! Those were the days my friend we thought they'd never end.

Name: Janet Leslie ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jan 29, 2012, 2:56 pm - HHS Time
Class: 2011
No E-mail
Message: For alumni before the 1980s I need to know how involved were students in sports. And did the school encourage them? I need it for my school project asap.

Name: Karen Sullivan ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jan 29, 2012, 2:46 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Harrison
Class: 1971
City & State: Manhattan Beach, CA

Message: I believe this is now owned in a new location by Miguel and Kathy (Buzby) Zamora. I know Kathy is an HHS alum, not sure about her husband.
Happy birthday to Scott Nixon, c/o 1972. Hope you have a great day!!

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jan 29, 2012, 10:20 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca

Message: Shaw's Sporting Goods, Mr. Gordon Shaw actually made his money from a building material business, sand, gravel, etc., his business was located on Rosecrans just E/ Inglewood Ave. and originally operated out of a very small building on the site. Sometime in the late 50's early 60's he built the building seen in the picture you display. He was a staunch boxing fan and also built a boxing gym behind the building shown in the picture. I used to work out there, along with "Irish" Mike Thomas and I think Richard Thomas used to work out there also, there were also others from this site, I can't remember. Zeke Thomas, Mike & Richards father was always there too, watching & coaching. Mike went on to turn pro, the best fighter he ever fought was "Eddie Meechin" at the L.A. Coliseum, that was on the "Floyd Patterson" card way back when. The biggest problem we all had, was that we (as kids) 15 / 17 years old were street fighters first & boxers second. Mr. Shaw would only allow us to work out at his gym 3 times a week & did not charge anything. He was a smart man, he used us for punching bags for his up & coming fighters, we just looked at it as a free workout and something we had not done before. There used to be a TV show called "Kid Gloves" ran by Eilene Eaton" on TV. A very young "Dick Enberg" was the Anouncer on the Kid Gloves TV show & worked for Eilene Eaton at that time. She was an old boxing promoter, Mr. Shaw would load a bunch of us up in his big Ford station wagon and take us down to fight on this show. If we won our fight, we got a choice of a lawn edger or something like that, I didn't win very many edgers, but learned how to knock someone out, which came in handy later in life, while Mr. Shaw got $50.00 or $100.00 per event his kids were in. That's why he always took 6 to 8 kids to fight, he always made money. "Jerry Quarry" & "Joey Orbio" also used to fight on this TV program, so there were some pretty good amature & future pro boxers competing on this show, there's more, but I'm getting to wordy, the picture just jogged my memory bank of a life eperience. Jorge

Name: Jean Caldwell ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jan 28, 2012, 11:07 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1968
City & State: Albq NM
No E-mail
Message: I really love Cougartown....I especially like reading Judy Blomsterbergs stuff. She is so funny. She should really think about writing a book. It would sell like hot cakes! I got a laugh when she mentioned bras as over the shoulder boulder holders......I only heard that from one other person in my life....My dad!

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 27, 2012, 10:06 am - HHS Time
Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA

Message: O. K., due to "popular demand" (if you can call two popular), I guess I need to clarify the raw lima bean thing. Judy, it happened about the time we first met. We were three wheeling (not motor, think Tri). I was about 4 or 5 years old at the time (only Mo has more history here).. We had moved from a converted 2 car garage east of Hawthorne Blvd to the new Del Aire tract (Aviation to Anza, 120th to El Segundo Blvd.). Many of the houses in the hood were still not even finished. The Leuzinger farm, however, was cranking out produce. I had yet to meet all of my soon to be buddies and my great excursions were the dozen of so houses away fields of Leu. The experiences are somewhat dim in my memory banks, but I do remember sitting in the field, popping the sublime lima pods, just like green pea pods and savoring raw lima beans. I'm not sure I could call it an epicurean moment, but it is one of my earliest memories. I'm not even sure how to recreate it, but it is stuck deep in the recesses. Sharon B, I hope that life on the 'Right Coast' is good to you, Mike and Mikey. I, too, had a blast the first weekend meeting in the Wine Country, as much as WCW2 at Larson and Homewood, etc. Just give me a little advanced warning before your first crush party, and we'll make it happen. Weekend or week long, any time in wine country is a party. And JB1, the "Where We Lived" maps are awesome; do you think there's a chance for a Hawthorne Boulevard map of where we shopped, dined and played? By the way, if you haven't added your old 'digs' to the WWL map, you may just be forgotten in Hawthorne history. I LOVE this website.

Name: John Crotty ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 27, 2012, 9:21 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: hermosa beach

Message: Hey JB, is that possibly the very north side of Melody Music next to Twin's?

Name: Doris Donaldson ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 27, 2012, 8:59 am - HHS Time
Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: Twin Falls, ID
No E-mail
Message: HEY! I didn't bring it up. And it's a subject I've never thought about before. And the stories give me a chortle or two, so leave me alone John and let the stories pour in! hehe At this late stage in my game, I need all the giggles I can get! Or change the subject and make me giggle, I don't care. This just seems like such a funny subject and I JUST WANNA LAUGH!

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Jan 27, 2012, 8:29 am - HHS Time
Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
No E-mail
Message: My old year book has Halls at 183 N Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne. The oldest Thomas Bros Map book I have is 1969 and the numbers were 5 digit by then.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 6:17 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
No E-mail
Message: Where was Hall's photo studio?

Name: Doris Donaldson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 11:10 am - HHS Time
Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: Twin Falls, ID
No E-mail
Message: I absolutely LOVE the synonyms used for jockstraps and bras, by Jerry and Tillie, respectively! And Dennis Shelley! Your story was priceless and I giggled and giggled! And Steve Fraser! I must admit; your story showed a LOT of imagination, wishful thinking and hopefulness. Without HOPE, what have we? MORE STORIES. Come on guys -- spill your guts! hahahaha

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 8:39 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca

Message: JB, "Gordo Red", I guess that explains why a lot of older Cougs are going blind in their old age and their breath smells like Gym socks. I was a "Red Mountain" & "Piazano" drinker myself, $1.00 a gallon + tax. Same result though, my eyesight is fading & I sometimes smell like Gym socks, must be the "Two Buck Chuck" now, gotta blame it on something. I still remember sitting on the grass in "Robin Hoods" back yard one day with "Spider Mike Lighter", we drank two gallons of "Piazano" & subsequently got arrested by, you guessed it, HPD for plain drunk. Thank god we were not driving, we decided we were to drunk to drive & HPD decided we were to drunk to be walking. Thanks to Inglewood Judge Donahue, when we went to court, he through our case out and only made us forfeit our bail, $26.25, I still wonder what the 25 cents was for ?. I told Judge Donahue the story one day in his chambers, when I was testifying in his courtroom. This was many years later after he & all the other judges had been transferred the new Superior Court in Torrance, and I had obviously seen the light. He laughed and said he did not remember the insodent, but he always let kids go in his court for minor offenses like that, he laughingly told me that he drank too, but he was smart enough not to get caught. Jorge

Name: George Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 7:38 am - HHS Time
Class: 1962
City & State: Spinnaker Cove, Ca

Message: Hey, Judy, LOL, we're back in Long Beach for a few days, Dentist appointments for cleaning then back to the desert, I checked in to see what's going on in C-Town, and you're talking about Sponges, Steve's talking about his fur covered J/S, WOW, what's going on in the South Bay. Your story immediately sent my thought pattern to a "Seinfeld" episode, where Elaine bought two cases of sponges for her sponge worthy friends. But, I had no Idea what "Salonpas" were, I thought they were something used in a Massage Parlor Salon or something of the sort LOL, after I looked on the net, and found out that they (Salonpas) were for Authoritis, back pain etc., I was wishing that your story had more of a "Happy Ending" to it LOL. Jorge

Name: El Rojo ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 7:07 am - HHS Time
Maiden: JACOBSEN
Class: 1960
City & State: Kellen Town, ID

Message: JB, you crack me up. A chin strap with a jock? Well I guess you could use it as a pork chop holder too. That way you could be refilling your plate while ya chomped. MAY THE COUGAR BE WITH YOU! Jake N Jude

Name: Judy Blomsterberg ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Jan 26, 2012, 5:43 am - HHS Time
Maiden: DeGrazia
Class: 1964
No E-mail
Message: Hey Sid..I didn't say that whole last part in my last feedback..your adding to my emails again! Or could be a virus in the feedback system. As for Gordo Red....( distributed by Gordon Bell ) was made in a sparkletts bottle and only available to drink upon it's aging process, which was the first bubble floating to the top. In other words, it was koolaid and yeast in the morning and fine wine in the late afternoon. I thought it was a impetuous little flavor.. much like raspberry toothpaste. (I think I owe you a VFW breakfast Gordon..for that last comment ) In the 60's we tried to stick with a popular wine, like Thunderbird. All this explains a lot about us now as aging seniors. All this explains a lot about us now as aging seniors. .... All this explains a lot about us as aging seniors....

Name: Judy Blomsterberg ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 9:02 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: DeGrazia
Class: 1964
No E-mail
Message: Well Miss Rowdy Sharon.. I can remember in the year 2000 when "everyone was sponge worthy" in Sonoma. Now we're Salonpas worthy...but I might be able to pick a few grapes at a crush, and as a reward we'd get a bottle of wine. (I hope it comes wrapped in a Salanpas.) Back to Inglewood/Market st.- No one seems to mention when they first opened Fredericks of Hollwoody there. I remember the smarmy advertisements in magazines.. pasties...panties with feathers....and crotchless panties.. I use to wonder what good a pair of panties would do you if they had no crotch. It was all so mysterious back then. And now back to when Sharon is going to pick a date to meet at Glenns and have some fun... We've learned that you pay less to have your wine uncorked if you give the uncorkeroo a glass or two... it would be fun. GORDO RED IS ALWAYS READY FOR A FLASH BACK.....CAN WE REPEAT THOSE DAYS NOW.....I'M GETTING REAL EXCITED ABOUT IT

Name: Sharon Branigan ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 4:43 pm - HHS Time
Maiden: Bierman
Class: 1976
City & State: Milton, GA

Message: I am laughing out loud at these stories of the jock straps and bras! Someone oughta collect these stories and use them in a movie or sumpin! Glenn I, too, am wondering about raw limas... how fun to see you post here, I was just talking about you yesterday to my new friends in the ATL... fond memories of our first trip to Sonoma when you so gallantly toured Mike, myself, and our friends Jim and Elaine, around Sonoma; and how hospitable the folks at Homewood Winery were (and I'm sure still are.) Thanks again for that wonderful experience. I plan on coming back to Sonoma for a "crush" some day. Might take me a few years to get there..maybe we could plan a whole Cougartown Crush weekend.

Name: Mike Stallings ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 11:09 am - HHS Time
Class: 1974
City & State: San Pedro, CA

Message: I just read a post for some teaching colleagues i have at el camino that talk about the fact that the Beach Boys started the Band when Brian and Al were students there. I thought the band started when they were at Hawthorne High, but Al confirms it in this link, http://vimeo.com/34758245 I also have a friend who has taught music at el camino for 50 years and told the story of Brian being in a music appreciation class and receiving a "D" grade in it. I tell my students that story to give them hope when they fail in a class at school. The man who Paul Simon called the "Mozart of Contemporary Music Composition" got a bad grade in a music class. I do remember a few of my Hawthorne High English teachers telling me stories in the early 70s about how they gave the Wilson boys and F in their class and laughed at the fact at where the Boys eventually ended up, writing so many hit songs....

Name: Richard Of ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 7:54 am - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: LongBeach
No E-mail
Message: After the VFW breakfast last Sunday took a slow drive up 'The Boulevard' to the Century Freeway. On the west side of 'The Boulevard' just north of El Segundo where Conroy's Florist was, and a bank, is the boarded up Save-on Surplus. I have nearly fifty years of recollections of that place. Hope something worthwhile goes in there.

Name: Judy Blomsterberg ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 7:19 am - HHS Time
Maiden: DeGrazia
Class: 1964
No E-mail
Message: All this talk of jock straps made me think of us young gals and our first bras. My mom took me to Olive Watson on Market St..in Inglewood (close to Penney's) for my first over the shoulder boulder holder. The sales lady would take you in a private room and you'd strip from the waste up..then she'd measure ya and find just the right torture saddle that fit. Mom instructed me that I would get two bras, one to wear..the other was to be hand washed with Woolite at night and drying for the next day. Then when I started high school I learned how to starch them into that famous pointed look. ( I don't want to hear any boobie comments out of you JB) As for Mel's Sporting Goods--Crenshaw, just south of Imperial. Right across from what was then Longs Drugs. Glenn, I have to ask, what was the fascination with raw limas.

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 7:18 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods
No E-mail
Message: You guys were shopping at the wrong store. I got my jock at Frederick's of Hollywood. Fur lined and the saleslady hand measured it with lots TC. I still wear mine, although in a larger size.

Name: Walter Holt ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Jan 25, 2012, 6:30 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Havre de Grace, MD

Message: Minkows Mens Wear, man that brings back memories. After my dad died I went on the 4/4 program and Minkows was my very first job. I remember Mr Minkow was a very short man that smoked really stinky cigars in the store. Everything smelled of cigar smoke. He was a really nice man and great to work for but working at his store took away from my beach & Surf time so it didn't last long. Besides I made more money by sifting sand at the beach.