Hawthorne Feedback

Name: Janet Burkett ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 23, 2015, 3:10 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 1962
City & State: Ca
Message: Happy Birthday to another ole flag girl I marched with....Barbara Rozutti. I just forgot which letter she was! And Leo, I will be watching for Brian's new release as well as that movie! Thanks for the update. Hope to see you in wine country before long.

Name: Leo Ainsworth ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 23, 2015, 2:24 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Saint Helena
Message: No John I did not write that! More Brian News - a new movie about Brian :) Hopefully, Hawthorne High will get a shout out in the film. Love & Mercy is a 2014 American biographical film directed by Bill Pohlad about musician and songwriter Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. The film, deriving its title from the 1988 song by Wilson, is presented in a parallel narrative covering two specific time periods of Wilson's life: the 1960s and the 1980s. Actors Paul Dano and John Cusack depict the young and old Brian Wilson, respectively, with Elizabeth Banks as Wilson's second wife, Melinda, and Paul Giamatti as psychotherapist Dr. Eugene Landy. It will be open on June 5, 2015.

Name: Gary Bickers ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 23, 2015, 1:09 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1963
City & State: pve cal
Message: I don't want to step on Leo's entry. I was at a memorial service yesterday with all Beach Boy music. That said, we are watching "Leave It To Beaver" about Wally's first car. My first car was a '62 Corvair. It was a mess but we all remember our first.

Name: Leo Ainsworth ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 23, 2015, 11:32 am - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Saint Helena
Message: Brian Wilson's 11th solo album "No Pier Pressure", is due out on April 7. For one new song "Sail Away," he recruited his old Beach Boys pals Blondie Chaplin and Al Jardine to recreate a feeling reminiscent of their early days. It's a song that's all about beaches and far reaches. Along with Chaplin and Jardine, he collaborates with a host of today's popular musicians, including She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward), country star Kacey Musgraves and funs Nate Ruess.

Name: Jim Raines ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 21, 2015, 1:58 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Salt Lake City Ut
Message: Speaking of North American Aviation Surplus, this is where one would go to find aircraft wing hydraulics to install in your Chevy Impala as hydraulic lifts. Also, I remember the MARS station in Dong Tam, South Viet Nam. Sadly it was hit by an incoming mortar. Wish I could be there for Cruise Night.

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 21, 2015, 9:21 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA
Message: Mike Mecey and Ginny must have used the Military Auxiliary Radio System or MARS, which still exists at age 90 and is operated by the army at the intelligence base of Fort Huachuca, AZ. The military was using a precursor to the Internet, the Automated Digital Information Network or AUTODIN, which provided worldwide access to any command using routing indicators, much like the email addresses of today. We sometimes passed urgent personal messages about family welfare over it, but the final message was relayed the last mile by Western Union. I didn't have to use MARS during my three visits to SE Asia, but it sure came in handy for others.

Name: Mike Mecey ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 21, 2015, 7:56 am - HHS Time

Class: 1961
City & State: Roseville, CA
Message: It is interesting what someone says in a Cougar feedback will suddenly bring back a long forgotten memory. The discussion about ham radios brought back this memory... Today's soldiers have Skype & cell phones that they can call back home when they are a half a world away.... When I was in Vietnam & I wanted to call Ginny back in Southern California... I would have to go to a Comm Shack... there they would contact a ham radio operator somewhere in the US who would call Ginny and get her on the phone... We would not talk like you would on a regular phone conversation... but rather would have to talk like we were on a ham radio conversation... using that ending word "Over" when you wanted the operator to change for one person to the other... So our conversation went something like this... Hi Honey, I miss you, Over... I miss you too, Over.... Love you Honey, Over... well you get the idea... Nothing too passionate because a lot of people were listening in on your conversation... But that was the technology in 1967.... and it was better than nothing...

Name: John Baker ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 21, 2015, 8:27 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Lomita, CA
Message: For all who want to sign the petition to recall the CVUHSD School Board. You can sign it today at 4pm at Corner Burger 4437 W. 147th St. in Lawndale, just west of Hawthorne Blvd. Also at 6pm at Hank's Bistro, 14406 Hawthorne Blvd, SE corner of Rosecrans and Hawthorne

Name: Tom Shelley ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 21, 2015, 7:01 am - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: Beaumont, CA
Message: Happy Birthday to Helen Sciurba. Have a great day my friend. See you at Cruise Night!

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Fri-Mar 20, 2015, 7:28 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA
Message: Ken Mercurio tells me that brother Rick '71 was indeed in Davis. Maybe Bruce Gallaudet too. In response to Armand Vaquer's reference to ham radios, the hobby still exists, but it's ossifying with its membership. Younger folks aren't interested. Most equipment is sold online, like everything else, but Ham Radio Outlet is a nationwide chain of stores, while HamCity in Culver City offers lower prices, but isn't much of a store anymore. The ARRL is 100 and CQ magazine is 70. I was a navy radioman for years, and I'm still an amateur General and a GROL, but my primary interest is the rare occasion of emergency communications. Hams have distinguished themselves often there, such as after Hurricane Katrina, behaving well in an emergency and keeping their heads while while others lost theirs.

Name: Donald Scheliga ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Mar 19, 2015, 2:22 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: W. Covina CA
Message: Oh My,,, I almost forgot all about Angelo Veto Cracchiolo, what a guy, one of a kind. One day he brought into class a bunch of surplus tubes and electrolytic disc capacitors. He asked me to test the tubes. The tube testing got boring so just for the hell of it, I started charging the capacitors, then Cracchiolo came to the bench and asked what I was doing, I told him I was testing the capacitors, he looked at me real strange and reach down and picked up a fully charged one, it went off giving him a bit of a shock that surprised him. All he said was, I guess that was a good one. It was all I could do to contain my laughter. I last saw him about 1992 or so at the Haw. Savings and Loan. I think he went to Leuzinger or Torrance to teach shop.

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Thu-Mar 19, 2015, 12:53 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA
Message: Yes, I believe it was Ryan's. And JB thank you for posting the HHS Heritage Track Records. I hope I didn't slight anyone by omitting their record; it wasn't intentional. I tried to include the ten best where I had them. The original records, like much of Hawthorne's history seems to have disappeared. A thank you to Ken Mercurio who maintained and updated my original list and to Cheryl Courtney for the women's records. I welcome any updates or records I've missed.

Name: Glenn Crist ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Mar 18, 2015, 1:27 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Sonoma, CA
Message: Thanks to their voluminous catalogs and to Don Walker, Barbara Skeen's brother [she was Larry and David's mother), I got a job at Newark Electronics, pulling stock (resistors, capacitors, etc.) my last two years at HHS. It was my first work experience. I usually walked both ways, to and from work. Newark was an industrial supplier while Olson (a stones through away) was 'consumer' oriented. Probably the highest compliment I ever got paid in my life was when I left Newark's employment and was told that there had never been a complaint that I had ever pulled an order in error, especially from one they supplied who 'always complained'. I think all of my siblings were clothed at Sears and Penney's. But, I remember my father having custom made suits at a men's store on Hawthorne Blvd (I wish I could remember their name).

Name: Janet Burkett ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Mar 18, 2015, 11:30 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Humphreys
Class: 1962
City & State: Ca
Message: Happy Birthday to Glenn Oclassen! We didn't discover until years later that we both went to HHS and then later worked at Allergan together....small world!

Name: Jerry Miles ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Mar 18, 2015, 11:27 am - HHS Time

Class: 1966
City & State: Fair Oaks, CA
Message: Mike Mecey, You got me wondering what the inflation factor really would be and according to the official government index $3.50 in 1960 is $27.63 today. So WalMart might still be a good deal! I do remember that until Junior High I wore Penny's jeans. Were they Foremost, I think? Anyway I vividly recall asking my Mom if my next pair could be real Levi's and was stoked when she said it would be OK.

Name: Doris Donaldson ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Mar 18, 2015, 9:33 am - HHS Time

Maiden: donaldson
Class: 1957
City & State: Twin Falls, ID
Message: I LOVED the Boston Store in Inglewood. However, don't remember shopping there until AFTER I graduated from HHS. Bought all my brother's shirts there. And proceeded to shop there for my clothes for many, many years. They were quality clothes and very fashionable. And although I've said this before, Mr. Chaney from Chaney's in Hawthorne, sponsored my softball team for four years. My first job was at Chaney's as well. I stayed all of 2 days when I found out I would have to work weekends, and quit. Mr. Chaney had a big heart. Loved that man! And I remember my Mother doing a LOT of shopping there.

Name: Mike Mecey ~~~~~~~~~~ Wed-Mar 18, 2015, 8:51 am - HHS Time

Class: 1961
City & State: Roseville, CA
Message: Howard... I bought my Levi's from the War Surplus store on Hawthorne Blvd. I too remember they were $3.50... Then they went up to $3.75 and I boycotted the store until they brought the price back to $3.50.... We all know that never happened... So now I get my Wranglers at Walmart... $17.95 a pair... That is probably about $3.50 in 1960 dollars...

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Mar 17, 2015, 9:15 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, Karloffornia
Message: I was perusing the links Chris provided on old Olson Electronics catalogs and the links led to catalogs and stuff from other electronics suppliers. One of them that caught my eye was Allied Radio. I remember getting their catalogs, but don't remember buying anything from them. I remember having a number of friends who were very into ham radios. You rarely hear about those anymore.

Name: Richard Hanson ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Mar 17, 2015, 8:39 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1956
City & State: Simi Valley, Ca
Message: Gary & Howard mentioned the Safeway store in Hawthorne. I worked there as a box boy in 1954. Even had to join the Union for $7.00 a month ( I only made about $35 ) I also worked for North American Avaition in 1956 and spent many a Saturday in the Surplus Sales yard. Loved that place. I retired after 54 years with the same company. (North american was sold to Rockwell, then to Boeing, then to Pratt & Whitney and is now owned by Aerojet )

Name: Chris Prewitt ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Mar 17, 2015, 3:10 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1967
City & State: Fullerton, CA
Message: I won't name the person who ran an unlicensed 100 watt AM amateur radio station out of Mr. Cracchiolo's electronics class. Some surplus aircraft transmitters and receivers were donated to the class and building a power supply from scrap TVs was easy. The 832 final amplifier tubes were replaced with 883 B to give it a little more power. . . For all of you who like to look at old electronics catalogs here is a link to some that have been scanned and available online.

Name: Gary Bickers ~~~~~~~~~~ Tue-Mar 17, 2015, 9:28 am - HHS Time

Class: 1963
City & State: pve cal
Message: Howard mentioned Safeway on Hawthorne blvd. I remember going there with my mom and trying not to break the $20.00 mark for a week's worth of food for four people. To do that it was round steak and powdered milk, but she got the job done.

Name: Carol O'Banion Cooper ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 16, 2015, 9:42 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: O'Banion
Class: 1968
City & State: Menifee Ca
Message: The 60s were the good old days. Wouldn't change my teenage years for anything. Cruising Hawthorne Blvd & spending the summer's at beach. Thanks to facebook,still in touch with some friends from school.

Name: Howard Paco Duran ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 16, 2015, 12:46 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1961
City & State: Temecula
Message: Like Ray, one of my favorite stores was Dexters. In the old days Brian Tully and I sold the Herald Examiner, he on Broadway and Hawthorne Blvd, me in front of Safeway Market. I remember buying my first pair of Levis there with my own money, $3.50 (?). At Cruise Night I'll tell you the rest of that story. PennEy's was near the top of the list, PennEy Towncraft T-shirts, the best!!

Name: John Pritchard ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 16, 2015, 7:32 am - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Clayton, CA
Message: Multiple Cougar-sighting at the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame in Davis: Cheryl Mercurio '64, Janet M. '68, Ken M. and me '69, only Rick M. '71 missing. What an attractive college town in mild spring weather, and what a family. Hawthorne was in the House!

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Mon-Mar 16, 2015, 12:10 am - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, Karloffornia
Message: Ah, yes! Olson Electronics is the one I was trying to remember. Before we moved to Hawthorne, I lived in a complex of duplexes in L.A. and a neighbor kid built a radio station from parts he bought at Olson in his garage. The power supply to the garages were on the landlord's account and when he started up his "pirate radio station," their electric bill skyrocketed into the stratosphere. Needless to say, they cut off all power to the garages. It was fun while it lasted.

Name: Donald Scheliga ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Mar 15, 2015, 8:44 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1962
City & State: West Covina
Message: Also Inglewood Electronics in the same area.

Name: Paul Wieber ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Mar 15, 2015, 7:31 pm - HHS Time

Class: 1969
City & State: Meadview, Az
Message: Just the other day I was wondering what ever happened to my neighbor and whiffleball opponent from the sixties, my friend Bruce Gallaudet Class of 1965. Bang! There he is, mentioned in a post by John Pritchard about an interview with Ken Mercurio about his book. It seems that Bruce has become an accomplished sportswriter over the years and is currently working in Davis, Ca. I haven't contacted him yet, but I will. The point I'm making is that this forum created by John Baker has been heaven sent. I have found several friends from the ole Hawthorne days thru Cougartown. Now, to catch up with a long lost friend.... Thanks for this forum John!

Name: Clark Millman ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Mar 15, 2015, 9:49 am - HHS Time

Class: 1976
City & State: Manhattan Beach, CA
Message: I was always partial to Folbs toy store on the Blvd. Down near Inglewood, Wedworths, Schwinn bike shop near Intermediate and a small pet shop on Prairie near 116th( can't remember the name).

Name: Armand Vaquer ~~~~~~~~~~ Sun-Mar 15, 2015, 12:11 am - HHS Time

Class: 1972
City & State: Tarzana, Karloffornia
Message: CRS is setting in. What was the name of the electronics store on Imperial Highway (or was it Century Blvd.?) that was a forerunner to Radio Shack?

Name: Laura Anderson ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 14, 2015, 5:02 pm - HHS Time

Maiden: Twitchell
Class: 1979
City & State: Hemet, CA
Message: In honor of Pi Day I would like to quote one of the best math teachers to ever teach at HHS...Uncle Gerry Smith...."Pi R squared? No, cake are square. Pie are round"

Name: Gary Miller ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 14, 2015, 10:31 am - HHS Time

Class: 1964
City & State: Yountville, Ca
Message: I liked Pound Penny, coin shop on El Segundo, Boston Store, my 1st Botony 500, War surplus on Market, my 1st Levi jacket, Dupars, Crenshaw & Imperial, the best pancakes, A slot car track by White's Bakery, A camera shop on the Blvd around 132nd, where you could get transistor radios and those minature Japaneese cameras and the Pizza Show where after school we would walk by and reach in the take out window and grab pepperoni, and on the way to school there was A bakery directly behind the show where we could buy warm glazed donuts for a nickel, they weren't open to the public but they would sell to us anyway

Name: Marilyn Ross ~~~~~~~~~~ Sat-Mar 14, 2015, 8:43 am - HHS Time

Maiden: Wisham
Class: 1956
Message: I remember the old Hawthorne library. In my senior year Mr. Goodfellow gave us an assignment-I think it was to write a biography of a famous person. He assigned to me George Washington Carver. I went to the library but it was so small nothing on the man. My friends had the same problem so we went to the Los Angeles City Library, 4 of us. What a difference, huge library. It was a great day, I got all the info I needed on George and fell in love with him. He discovered the many uses of the peanut. We giggled like teenage girls can on the streetcar ride home and had a ball that day. Mr Goodfellow did a great thing for me introducing me to such an interesting man. Loved Mr. Goodfellow too.