Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Jim Schroeder ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 16, 2013, 1:06 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Central Point, Oregon

Message: You can learn so much about a person in one short sentence. Here we were, carrying on an intelligent historical exchange about the pioneers of Los Angeles radio and you get all worked up about Hillary Brook. My turn: I have a reoccurring dream about being involved in a tag-team wrestling bout down at the Olympic Auditorium. Dick Lane is announcing and Dr. Bernard Schwartz is at ring side in case someone is injured. (The good Dr. is sharing a bottle of Old Crow with Dick) I'm in the far corner of the ring with my partner Wally Cox -- resplendent in purple satin trunks and velvet capes. We are up against the dynamic duo of Gloria Winters (Penny from Sky King) and Gail Davis (Annie Oakley). Wally Cox (as you might imagine) is a punk and no help at all. I get pinned, but don't care about the loss. I do hit Wally in the back with a folding chair. The HHS marching band breaks into the fight song -- then I wake up "in a cold sweat" (James Brown - but that's a different story).

Name: Jim Schroeder ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 16, 2013, 10:37 am - HHS Time
Class: 1966
City & State: Central Point, Oregon

Message: I accidently submitted some erroneous information in my last entry. Please forgive me. It was (the name) spelled Frazier Smith. He was on KROQ in the late 70's. I then looked up Harry Shearer -- who I tune in to on Sundays on NPR. He does LeShow. He started out in LA with a group; "The Credibility Gap" on KRLA and KPPC-FM. In that group were also the future Lenny & Squiggy (David Lander & Michael McKean). They did mock-news. Harry Shearer also played the Eddie Haskell role in the pilot of "Leave It To Beaver," was in "Abbott & Costello Go To Mars" (who saw that at the Plaza in '53?) among many other things. He's had a varied career. As have I. I followed in my fathers footsteps (as so many of us did) by working at the Hawthorne Post Office for a few years. 70 & 71.

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 16, 2013, 10:27 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
No E-mail
Message: In 1956 my future husband and I were into R and B. We both loved Hunter Hancock, Huggie Boy and Johnny Otis. I will always have a soft spot for Al Jarvis and his Make Believe Ballroom.

Name: Ernie Nixon ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 16, 2013, 9:41 am - HHS Time

Class: 1963
City & State: Jacksonville, Fla.

Message: Ted Quilian, Rodger Christian, Gene Weed, Al Jarvis. I believe they were all on KFWB. I do have a recording of the Beach Boys singing the KFWB jingle.

Name: Richard Of ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Jul 16, 2013, 7:01 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Long Beach
No E-mail
Message: JB1: Didn't Bill Ballance have a call-in bit on his show he called 'Dial-A-Dog', where he would get three or four guys and a gal on seperate telephone lines, and ask provocative questions of them?

Name: Clark Millman ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 10:16 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Manhattan Beach, CA

Message: I'm old-school, give me Casey Kasem and American top-40! In college while stocking grocery shelves on the graveyard shift I learned to like hard rock to stay awake! The "mighty met" KMET with Jim Ladd, Cynthia Fox, Doctor Demento and Paraquat Kelly.

Name: Jim Schroeder ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 9:07 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Central Point, Oregon

Message: Gary Owens had a great radio voice and he did some wacky stuff. Another guy who was similar, played great music and had some very funny productions was Fraser Smith. Early 70's.

Name: Steve Bunch ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 7:25 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1971
City & State: Alta Loma, Ca.

Message: Reading the posts about Lohman and Barkley reminds me of the time my wife and I were on Lohman and Barkley's TV game show "Bedtime Stories". The show only lasted one season and we were on the premiere episode. One of those guys, I can't remember which, came to our house and interviewed us while we sat in our bed. They also interviewed our opponents, an unmarried couple (pretty risque for the early 70's) she was a Penthouse Pet and he was a record executive. We later went to the TV studio where we were asked questions based on polls taken about marriage, sex and relationships. Luckily we were able win the game due to our middle of the road answers, apparently our answers were more like the people who answered the poll questions. The Penthouse Pet and radio exec had a much more exciting and untraditional relationship than most and it cost them the game. Most of the prizes that we won are gone but we still have the grandfathers clock, after 35 years it still runs and is in pretty good shape..... I'm sure the Penthouse Pet can't claim the same thing.

Name: Steve Hutchins ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 4:00 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1959
City & State: St. George, UT

Message: Favorite DJs were Johnny Otis on KDAY; and Mitch Reed, who called his show "the Wide, Weird World of B. Mitchell Reed."

Name: Clark Millman ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 11:30 am - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Manhattan Beach, CA

Message: Cougar sighting: It's Monday morning so I thought I was due. Met Patricia Manriquez(hhS'10)at the ATT store this morning while shopping for a new smart phone. She said principal Mark Newell really cleaned the place up while she was in school. Paul's sighting in Kingman AZ of a classmate from his year was impressive. I'll keep reeling in the young ones. On the way home I stopped at Ralphs and my checker went to El Segundo but said she had relatives who attended HHS. I asked for their last name and she said Tenori. I said "You have an uncle or relative named Chris Tenori!" He's my mom's cousin." she said. I told her Chris graduated with me in 76 and played a few years of football and was voted "Best dressed' in our senior hall of fame. It is a small world indeed!

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 10:40 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA

Message: Jim Schroeder may be thinking of "Humble Harve" (Miller) of 93-KHJ, who was convicted of the second-degree murder of his wife in 1971. The late and lamented Al Lohman and Roger Barkley were the best team of radio personalities whom I ever heard. They were paired by chance at KLAC, where Barkley was a program manager, then moved to KFWB and finally to KFI. The pair also did a lot of local and some national TV. They couldn't have been nicer, if you met them in person. Like many partnerships of convenience maybe, such as either Hudson and Landry or Flatt and Scruggs and many others, they came to cordially detest each other by some accounts and went their separate ways. Barkley was a restaurateur in Montrose and worked at KABC on La Cienega while Lohman was on radio in Palm Springs before they passed. Our '69 classmate Bruce Levy, or Madison Monk as he prefers, worked for Wolfman Jack (Bob Smith, really) for many years.

Name: Ron Reinholdson ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 10:32 am - HHS Time

Class: 1965
City & State: Claremont, CA

Message: How about Doctor Demento, Sunday nights on KMET--uncensored Frank Zappa, Weird Al, Barnes and Barnes, Pinkert and Bowden, etc.

Name: Jim Schroeder ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Jul 15, 2013, 9:15 am - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Central Point, Oregon

Message: Wolfman Jack was good too. Funny and played music that I enjoyed. Also, when KFWB went to an album type format a guy (I think) named Jimmy Rabbit played good music late at night. Sam Riddle, Dick Hug- Huggie-Boy. One of those LA DJ's from the 60's was tried for murder semi-recently? Was Lloyd Thaxton ever a radio guy? Baffled in Belmont.

Name: John Rout ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 14, 2013, 10:29 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1963
City & State: Cerritos, CA

Message: Art Laboe was a fun disc jockey, especially in the 1950's. Loved to listen to his dedication shows every afternoon from Scrivner's Drive- In. But, I listened to the R&B stations and my favorite jock was Hunter Hancock. Good ole "H.H."

Name: Paul Wieber ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 14, 2013, 7:57 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Meadview, Az

Message: Follow up to my last comment...Cougar Sighting!! Walking out of Walmart in Kingman, Az I saw & caught up with Al Daum (class 0f 69). Talked for awhile, exchanged phone numbers and went our merry way. It was good to see him again and catch up on some good memories.

Name: Paul Wieber ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 14, 2013, 7:49 pm - HHS Time
Class: 1969
City & State: Meadview, Az

Message: As my friend Larry McGregor 69' so fondly sent me an e-mail regarding Ivy's Coffee Shop post by Judy... yes Bob & Ivy would be proud. This was my very first job ever, thanks to my buddy and life long friend Larry who got me that job. We were the best dog gone dishwashers in all of Hawthorne!!!

Name: Peter Nelson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 14, 2013, 6:39 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1957
City & State: Corona California

Message: Who is your favorite Disc Jockey of all time? My favorite Disc Jockey is Art Laboe. He is an American Disc Jockey, a song writer, a producer, and a radio station owner. Art is credited with coining the term-oldies but goodies. Laboe was in the west scene and worked on Radio where he broadcast a live show from Scrivners drive in also KRLA 1950s 1960s 1970s, all through to the present. Art Laboe memorabilia can be seen at the Rock and Roll hall of fame museum's interactive rock and radio exhibit in Cleveland Ohio. My wife and myself have seen this exhibit in Cleveland Ohio. His syndicated show can be heard locally on Riversides 99.1 on Sundays and L.A.s 92FM Monday through Friday 7p.m. to midnight as well as Sunday night. PETER NELSON CLASS OF 1957

Name: Steve Fraser ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Jul 14, 2013, 11:48 am - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Laguna Woods

Message: The last time I was in Ivy's it was really "sizzling". Circa early '70's, Ray Gorospe(65) and I were advancing a fire hose on our bellies with the rest HFD cronies. We witnessed our first, but not the last, "Flashback" in our careers. And yes, grown men wet themselves!

Name: Judy Blomsterberg ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 13, 2013, 9:10 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: DeGrazia
Class: 1964
No E-mail
Message: I just had to come back in to say that the mention of Ivy's Coffee Shop put a smile on my face. That's where my first boyfriend took me on our first dinner date and I ordered a steak (as did he) and it came on a sizzling iron plate attached to a wood block. (this was pre-Sizzler days - like 1961) I was shocked!!! I'd never seen anything like it and had no idea how to eat from it..do you remove the steak and if so, where do you put it or do you wait for it to stop sizzling...do you go to the restroom and crawl out the window? I think I just waited to see how he handled it and did what he did. Thanks for the nice memory Cliff. I'll give your best to Carol and Julie.

Name: Sharon Macdonald ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 13, 2013, 7:29 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Badger
Class: 1963
City & State: Bruceville,TX

Message: I graduated 3 months after my 17th birthday. My mother worked at Northrup and wanted me to come to work there as a summer temp but I couldn't because you had to be 18. Worked at Clark Drugs instead. My first job was when I was 12 working at a pony ride concession during the summer.

Name: Cliff Hitchcock ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 13, 2013, 10:29 am - HHS Time

Class: 1973
City & State: Leona Valley, Ca.

Message: My first job was as a busboy at Ivys Coffee Shop, on the corner of Hawthorne and El Segundo. It was dirty and grueling but the owner Bob and Ivy Schmidt, taught me a lot. Lessons I still remember today. Then after graduating from Pepperdine (as did Clark) I became a 3rd generation State Farm Agent. My Great Uncle, My Uncle and My Dad were also agents, so I guess it runs in the bloodline. I remember doing a lot of business with the escrow office next to Clarks Real Estate office on 135th. ON a side note, Judy and Jan at the VFW are friends with my (Kinda) half sister Julie and my 2nd Mom Carol Sagear, who also work at the VFW. One day I hope to be able to get to one of the events there to say hello...

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Jul 13, 2013, 8:31 am - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA

Message: O.K., here are my thoughts on the whole track record discussion. Let me first comment on the Bay League, and later Ocean League records. I do not know when trends changed in the South Bay. In the early to mid-60's, I remember Hawthorne as not having much diversity. It seemed Inglewood had a little more and Morningside with a bit more than that. Compton, Long Beach and other high schools seemed to excel in football and track. But so did Hawthorne and the other South Bay schools. Track and field records changed in 1980 with the adoption of the metric standard, moving away from inches, yards and miles. Those pre-1980 records are now referred to as 'heritage records.' They will never go away (they are rarely run today except for an occasional mile race, mostly for sentimental reasons and an archaic throwback to when England owned some of the known world including those upstart colonials on the American shores). As to taking down track records: records will always be records, but records will always be moving targets. They exist as records for a short time in history. They will most likely be broken at some point in the continuum, but they still exist. An example of my point is here: the Kye Courtney era set records (the 3;07.40 in the 4 X 400m is still the national HS record more than 25 years after it was set. Is it safe from being broken? I'll reserve judgment on that. Is it better than the records set in the 60's or 70's? Yes! But, it's just a record. Each and every athlete who has set a record can be proud of their achievement. It's what drives the love of the sport. It's not an ethnicity or gender issue here. Plaques and boards may come down, but those records can never be negated. They may disappear from public view, but believe me they remain fresh in memories, especially in so in those who set them. I continue to hope that Hawthorne High's excellence in athletics in the past will encourage it's athletes in the future. BTW, I will be down next weekend for Good Neighbors Day and the VFW breakfast.