Bruce Wilson

Badwater 2022 run (Death Valley to Whitney Portal - 146 miles) men and women winners. The gap is narrowing.[Pam Reed was the overall winner in both 2002 and 2003].

Yoshihiko Ishikawa

23:08:20

Ashley Paulson

24:09:34*

Bruce Wilson

“Without music life would be a mistake.”

^Friedrich Nietzsche

Going downhill is not always bad though

Bruce Wilson

 Ireichō.

National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration is a multi-faceted project to address the erasure of the identities of individuals of Japanese ancestry who experienced wartime incarceration and to expand the concept of what monument is through three distinct, interlinking elements: a sacred book of names as a monument (Ireichō), a website as a monument (Ireizō), and light sculptures as monuments (Ireihi).

https://www.janm.org/exhibits/ireicho

Jim Hawes

Maybe I've posted this before? I can't believe some of us (okay all of us) are as old as this piece of parchment! Cheers, Jim

Gail Eileen Dillon (Boone)

Treasa Struble (Skiles)

Gail-That is too funny! We all have those moments. My son, Brian, reminded me of a Padres/Braves playoff game we attend lo those many years ago. I'm sure I was there, but have no memory of it. Today's Padres games I remember!

Bruce Wilson

I finally traced this guy down. Just like Butch Hindman, a bit late.. 2/23/2022

My juvenile delinquent buddy, 'Tom Swifties' Buddy and almost GCA Buddy all lived within easy walking distance of one another.

On reflection my association with Mr. Burger was a very mixed one. We had some fun times together but overall I view it now as a net negative. 

Terry Lee Maple

Bruce, please tell us more about Mr. Burger. I assume he passed recently? He was one of the most popular kids in our age group, famous for his vast collection of Sir Guy shirts and a beautiful Schwinn middleweight bicycle that he rode all over town. Like Frank, he had an entourage that followed him through thick and thin. He wasn't a big kid, nor was he an athlete, but he was attractive to a lot of the most social kids in Chula Vista. I didn't know him well, but he walked with a swagger and the confidence of a kid with money. So what happened to him? Where did he go to college? The photo looks like it was taken on skid row. He was capable of mayhem, but I lost track of him after high school. 

Jim Hawes

Bruce, Terry,

Is that really Billy? Wow, makes Keith Richards look young! Who are the other pic's of? I thought I knew, but my guesses were all wrong.

In 1968 I lived at an old housing complex at the foot of Washington St. Named "The Colony". Older, small rental units that attracted a diverse group of "charming characters". The original "Lou's Records" was just across the street (I may have posted this a few years ago!). One of the units was rented by Billy for a while. I think it was about the time he owned "The Waterworks" water bed store in PB. I know Roger Schmidt was there on occasion, before he moved out of state (Utah?). Billy was also friends with "Wild Bill" Elliot. Not sure what happened to "Wild Bill" but I saw him a few years later when he was working as a sales rep for an auto parts manufacturer. Jim Serniuk, moved to the Colony just before I moved away in 1969. I wonder if any other classmates lived there. Mr. Burger seemed to have a cast of unique animal pets when he was younger. I remember an iguana, and a small barn owl. The owls name was "Mr. Hamburger", I think I "owl sat" once when Billy was out of town?

In a class our size, we obviously share birthdays with others. I recently had my 76th,as did fellow classmates Gerry Hanano, and Julie Smith (ones that I know of)!. I sent Gerry an e-mail and encouraged him to check in to this site. He sounds happy, has moved back to the LA area to be closer to his grand kids!

Just saw some bits on the TV about the SD Padres! Realized I saw them play at Lane Field, Westgate Park, and the San Diego Stadium, I guess it's time to go to Petco for a game before I get to old!!! Probably take my two youngest grands "Captian Kaos" and "General Disaray"! 

Cheers, Hawes

Bruce Wilson

Terry and Jim

Bill (known as Billy) passed away February 23, 2022. I had not seen him since 1967, oddly enough on Haight Street in SF. Maybe a ten minute conversation. 

Bill was a spoiled rotten kid and larceny was his modus operandi. He was shipped out of CV to Colorado for that reason.

I am trying to piece togeher what he did with his life.

Did he have kids? How was the Mexico prison breakout engineered?

Will update as details materialize!

Jim:

Burger, Jeanie Booth and Jo Karen Bogart

Thanks for the info on Burger.  Knew he had a store in PB. I wonder if it was the same location that his mom had her store 

Bruce Wilson

I have no info on the second foto yet. First one is 1959.

Jim Hawes

Bruce, 

Billy's "Waterworks" water bed emporium was in the building that his mother owned (I think she had sold or closed her business there). I liked the "Monopoly game" Waterworks sign he used!

I guessed Billy and Jeanie (missed on JoKaren!). The picture of Jeanie must have been in 6th grade or later since I have our 4th and 5th grade class pictures. I've lost my Castle Park 7th grade album as well as the HJHS ones. 

Billy (pictures) sure look like he had a hard life, but pictures don't always tell the true story. Hopefully he found happiness and enjoyed the grand kids(?).

I wonder if he remained friends with Roger Schmidt or any other classmates? 

Cheers,

Jim Hawes

Bruce Wilson

Jim:

I was not aware that his mom owned the building. She was a very sweet lady (took Bill and I out to hunt grunion at Coronado, then cooked them for us). She tried to do right by Bill, but I think she overdid it. No junior high kid I knew besides him had an electric guitar (which he could not play) and amp and a reel to reel tape recorder.

Roger and Bill had not been on good terms for a very long time. I visited with Roger when he was out in CV a couple years back.

Terry:

I was not really aware of Bill's "posse". Almost all my interactions with him were just he and I (and occasionally Leon - I won't go there on this forum). He did ingratiate himself with some older guys like Joe Adame, Jimmy Fant, and Tommy Hatten which got us a few free rides.

One time Bill and I "hitchhiked" out to see Carolyn Coombs (mine and Butch's girlfriend) and Mary Kelley in Sunnyside. Some older guys, I won't name, who did not recognize Bill's STATUS picked us up and dumped us out by what would become Southwestern. We did a lot of walking that day, too much for a little short guy with no athletic inclination.

Jo Karen Bogart (MacAulay)

Since Bruce posted my (and Jean's) 6th grade photo, I thought I would chime in here - I am alive and well, living in Salt Lake City, Utah, traveling as much as I can afford (thank you gas mogals for the terrible prices this year), enjoying the mountain life, but missing the ocean! I try to visit the San Diego area at least twice a year, but have been spending more time in North Carolina, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest the past few years. I do remember "the Colony". I visited Jim Serniuk there several times before I moved to Italy in 74. I stayed in contact with Jean until she passed away. I just changed my photo to my annual birthday shot - 76 on 10/14. Just a little different than the one taken in 6th grade...

Bruce Wilson

Jo Karen: I am glad you chimed in. So we now know for sure the fotos are sixth grade. I hope you did not mind being associated with Mr. Burger, though in sixth and seventh (maybe even extending into eighth) grades he was a pretty decent fellow, though I did begin to have some inkling that the trend might not continue.

So here's Seventh Grade and right in the vicinity of 76.

Bruce Wilson

Longerbone Redux

Jim Hawes

Bruce,

Jim Longerbone, You, Bob Piety, David Braswell?

When Mr. Burger lived at the "Colony" in 1968 he drove a nice almost new Mercedes-Benz! He must have had some success in "some" business dealings! 

Bruce, were you in the band at Castle Park?

Jim

Bruce Wilson

Jim: Braswell alright. He almost knocked my head off with his fastball: a very hard thrower but somewhat wild. He had a pro tryout, but got injured which ended his career.

I was in Padelford's band class (and homeroom), but not in the marching band. We did play "Pomp andd Circumstance (repeatedly) for the ninth graders graduation practice.

I did march in parades at Hilltop[ Junior (Fiesta and May Time). 

Jim Hawes

Bruce,

"Me Too" . I was in that band class (clarinet), What did you play? I remember Mr. Padelford (great guy), getting upset with the drum section and throwning his baton/wand to the back wall. The graduation event was at the CV Park downtown. Hot day if I remember! I don't remember many of the band members, but I knew a fellow clairinet player named Bruce Basham that lived across the street from Bob Piety near Cook School. He didn't go to HHS as his dad was a Navy Dr. and was transferred. He later returned to San Diego and was a docent at the San Diego Auto Museum a few years ago. We chatted a bit about the cars and when we were leaving he introduced himself. I shook his hand and said "do you still play the clarinet"? He gave me that "are you an alien" look! Typical "small world" story!

Cheers,

Jim

Jerry Olivas, EdD

Hi All,

Oh yes, my friend Billy Burger. I think Billy touched a lot of us in CV. I always liked Billy because he always seemed to have something interesting going on and was pretty creative. This was mostly during Junior High School. Billy and I use to take the bus from CV to Balboa Park to the car shows. I remember Billy liked cars. Of course, on the return from the shows we would always make are way to the top of the tallest building in San Diego, the old Bank of America building.

I know Billy shipped off to Colorado during high school, or maybe before. Something to do with his mother and father breaking up. But Billy often returned to CV. It wasn’t until after High School that I hooked up with Billy on several occasions. At least a couple of times he sold me waterbeds that I took to France and re-sold for a hefty profit. This was a lot of fun—except for I was never able to bring the profits back to the US because I spend it all in Europe. Also, I remember helping Billy with car spotting in England. I found a couple of old Morgans for him that I think he shipped back to the US.

I do remember him living in Mission Hills SD. I don’t remember him as a druggy, just a happy go lucky guy always looking for some sort of interesting entrepreneurial opportunity. Yes, he had the Waterworks for waterbeds with a store, I think in North Park and maybe PB. He also had some sort of either bicycle shop and/or health food store. I think the health food store was in Point Loma.

My last encounter with Billy was rather memorable. It had to be in the late 70s or early 80s. I was driving along old 101 in SD with my girlfriend (now wife) and he drove up next to me beeping his horn. I pulled over and we hugged, and he said follow me to my house in Mission Hills and we can have dinner and catch up on our lives. I did. He lived in a big house with, I believe, his girlfriend (I don’t remember any kids). We ate, drink, smoked, and bull shitted and after about 10:00 pm or so it was all a blur until the next day. That was the last I saw or heard anything about Billy.

My hunch is he had a good life, because he had spirit and drive, and most people seem to like him. Rest in peace Billy.

Jerry

P.S. Regarding Roger Schmidt. I really liked Roger, and had some good times with him, mostly during Junior High days. I know he moved to Park City, and I always wanted to catch up with him but never have.

Frank Gregory

All this talk of Bill (Billy Burger) and I can say we never acknowledged each other and he probably wouldn't remember me but I remember him by sporting those chalked shoes at HJHS. 

Terry Lee Maple

Indeed, Frank, the really cool guys chalked their shoes. Billy's stood out. He was the epitome of cool. 

Jim Hawes

Chalked wing tips and Sir Guy shirts! Damn, you guys must be old! 

Best years to grow up in Cali and in Chula Vista!

Thanks for the memories,

Jim

Bruce Wilson

Frank: I acknowledge you in W.F. Burger's stead.

VP Anderson accused me of manipulating the other kids into "bad behavior". So who was the villain in the Burger - Wilson sphere of influence?

I remember the Chalkers. My memory is not the greatest at this point, but as I recall it neither Mr. Burger, nor Dr. Wilson were in that crowd. We puchased (well Bill's mom bought his while I used my hard earned paper route money to buy) genuine blue suede and alligator shoes down in San Diego (we rode the bus into town). They were not complete until we got the magnum horse shoe taps installed at Ray's Shoe Shoppe. The ironic thing is that they only lasted a year as we transitioned into tennies (maintaining the Sir Guys).I believe Officer Fant's son Jimmy is the one who started the tennies trend. 

As far as the Weirdo Shirts, which triggered the HJHS sweat shirt insurrection, the sole instigator was "Billy". We wore only shirts painted in front of very our eyes by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth at the car show in Balboa Park..

Memory again ... but I do not recall Bill at Hilltop in ninth grade. He had relocated to Limon, Colorado (his birth place) where he completed high school

I am working on the story but:

He played sports in Colorado, graduated from SDSC(ollege) in 1969 and operated two retail busnesses: Waterworks water bed store and health food store on Rosecrans.

More to come.

Preview: He was married at some point. TJ Bibles? Well Bill's step dad worked a Caliente. There is more to Mexico than has met the eye. Did Terry F. influence Bill more than anyone? What about Willie Stallings "little brother " Leon? Skip Ledingham?

Bruce Wilson

JIM: I played trumpet, but I liked to get back into the drum section and bang {espcially} the big bass drum.  Mr. P fired that baton across the room on many occasions.

Appears that the colony was doomed in about 1980

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1980/apr/03/colony/

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1980/apr/03/colony/