Excerpts from the Facebook blog exclusively for those of us who grew up in Coronado:
YKYGUICWhen…
Does anybody remember the reverend (I think it was Reverend Brown) of the Episcopal Church, when he dyed his hair blonde and bought a corvette? This was probably back in the 50s? He was the talk of the town. That was my church growing up — still a beautiful church. – Maureen Rutherford Nieland
That’s a hoot! We could have used him over at Graham Memorial. Carson was like a raven. – Suzi Lewis
Oh, I remember him driving that car around town, LOL! – Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
Remember when the Carnival used to come to North Island before it was down in the Navy Projects area? — Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
Yes! I was there with my family. I was about four or five, and a sailor had just won a baby chick. He handed it to me and disappeared. We took it home and put it in one of my sister’s bird cages. Soon after that, we realized it wasn’t a chick at all but a duckling. We called it Donald and eventually released it at the golf course. – Suzi Lewis
Wasn’t there some sort of hobby shop in the early 70s around 10th & A? – Donald Kirk
Was the Beachcomber as well. Then a real estate place, and then my favorite place of employment Special Models Hobby Shop. – Scott Honour
Is there anyone old enough in this group to remember “Edwards Coffee Shop” right next to the Village Theatre. 50-cent “Teen Specials” (hamburger, fries, and a coke.) Then when you were done, you would write your boyfriend’s name (or the boy you WISH was yours) in ketchup out of a squeeze container??!! – Maureen Rutherford Nieland
I don’t think I ever knew there was a restaurant next to the Village. Interesting. – Candee Courtney
YKYGUICWhen…You ate penny candy from the Avenue “Dime Store”, you chased the ice cream truck down the streets on roller skates, the tennis lessons with Alex Gordon, ballet and tap at Norma Quigley’s dance studio, shopping for 45s at Perkin’s Bookworm, walking into the Bayberry Tree just to smell the candles, getting my first training bra at the Coronado Department Store, stealing lip gloss from Coramart, skateboarding down 7th Street hill with no protection, Brownie troop meetings at the Methodist Church, piano lessons with Mrs. Sales at Graham Memorial, playing pool at Orange Julius, and best of all, riding my bike with no hands because it was cool… — Lynne Harpst Koen
AND…Getting arrested by “Jar Heads” in a jeep for surfing Outlet (before leashes!) & before the fence was taken down, then being taken to NASNI Security Office, dripping wet in a sandy wetsuit with my surfboard! The Security Officer of the Day, yelled at the 2 MPs for getting his office all wet and sandy! I still had to do 20 hours of Community Service. – Doug Blackington
I remember. Weren’t we on our way to paddle to the point? The officer was so pissed at the MPs and made them drive us back to the North Island gate and drop us off. We were laughing at the jarheads the whole way! – James Montalbano
Ha! I, too, was one of those who was “arrested” by the jarheads at outlet. Wasn’t wearing a leash that day and lost my board. They were waiting for me on the beach. When I got in, I managed to get my board and started running for the fence. – John McLeod
Lol, almost a 3 Stooges episode. — Carrie Woodruff
I’m sure the Marines were doing as ordered. Odds are too was the OD was a squid who didn’t understand that concept. — Steven Linde.
One guy was right on my heels. I used it as a club and swung around and decked him, at which point I was gang tackled by the rest of them. Everyone out in the water and on the other side of the fence were yelling and hooting. Mom knew the Commanding Officer of the base. So down at the “station”, after a few phone calls, I was released to the “custody” of my mom. Ha. Never had to do community service.
Skinny dipped at sunset at the same place in ’72 and was NOT arrested. Gee, I wonder why the MP’s didn’t leave their jeep with the binoculars. – Suzi Lewis
How many of you were small enough to go look for caves in the rocks between G St. and North Beach? I remember one that went pretty far, and had the nickname of being “Tom Sawyer’s Cave!” – Doug Blackington
I do! I do!! – Michelle Martin
Spent many an hour caving! – Markley Gordon
I loved going in those caves! – Leslie Hubbard Crawford
Were we in those caves together Leslie? Thought I’d start a rumor. – Markley Gordon
I loved those caves too–Diane Dempster and I spent a lot of time exploring. – Liz Shropshire
I was way too scared to go in. I was warned about rats. – Suzi Lewis
Me an Mike Erickson explored a few. They all smelled like urine. – Scott Honour
We caught some kids in there once… they were smoking CAT NIP! Ha Ha Ha – Brant Althaus
We used to find all kinds of stuff in there–we imagined people living in them. — Liz Shropshire
Doug, I think we explored a few at the same time! – Jim Williams
Does anyone remember the caves/tunnels down at the bay on the bridge side? After the housing was torn down we used to go down there and there were some really long tunnels down by the water. – Coronado Past
I SO remember the August swells! That was awesome, and me being so short I KNOW they were bigger for me than anybody else! LOL Did anybody play tag with the S-3 shadows like we did! Or run out to the waves and then come out of the water and fall on the hot sand and gather as much of it as you could just to get warm again? I can’t believe our parents would just say “go to the beach and have fun” by ourselves! – Katherine Olson
I was just thinking of August swells & body surfing! – Marguerite Ballantine
Richie was talking about the 6-man rafts Dean used to bring to the beach and we’d all ride it until we almost drowned! Fun and crazy only when you were young!!! – Wendy Pullin
YKYGUICWhen…One of your best pals was DC! – Judy Ann Lear
Stinky Coronado Cays!! – Denise Adams Shirley
Ha ha you’re right. I forgot that the Cays were once a dump. – James Wilson
And when the Cays were first built and people were moving in everyone out there had a major rat problem. Imagine. — Cindy MacKenzie Nobles-Barstow
They burned rubber tires at that dump. I remember the dump and its smell really well. – Suzi Lewis
It was also a pig farm, before it was a dump. – Gary Cavner
It was understood that you had to attend summer school. – Elizabeth Betsy Johnson Richie
I just told my kids yesterday that back when I was small, summer school was all about having something fun to do during the summer. I remember taking a sewing class, where I met Pam Murphy for the first time and a cooking class the next summer. – Wendy Pullin
Mrs. Shaler’s guitar class — the Monster Mash was always a hit! – Sarah Daw
My 1st summer school in Coronado, they called roll & the teacher said “Peachy Putnam,” and Timmy Hacker yelled out at the top of his lungs … “Peaaaaaaaachy Putnam” what kind of name is dat!” I sunk LOWwww in my seat. We were best of friends for years to come … “The Palace” – Marguerite Ballantine
When you live in a town where there are 2 Peachy’s! — Marguerite Ballantine
I always had to go to Summer school. To my Mother’s dismay that allowed me to go half day junior & senior year. Ha Ha – Lisa D. Krause
Me2 .. summer school was our babysitter. Whether we wanted or needed to go — we were going! — Marguerite Ballantine
Summer school classes WERE amazingly fun. Sewing, knitting, crocheting, needle point, cooking, typing, music, art, crafts, etc. Skills that have been very useful throughout my life. There’s something to be said about acquiring those types of skills at a very young age like riding a bike. — Elizabeth Betsy Johnson Richie
I took art in summer school — think it was Mr. Leflang? Everyone wanted to go to summer school. – Debbie Delaney
Guitar class, song called Tom Duley. – Nancy Trepagnier
Yep, guitar class & Tom Duley with Mrs. Satterlee, I think. Summer school saved my butt. I had just enough credits to graduate thanks to summer school. Literally by one point…But I did it! and learned Tom Duley to boot. – Coronado America Hauntings
Summer school in Nado was the bomb. Had to go after 6:30 swim team practice! Drama, oceanography, cooking class. There was no other school system that provided such a fun reason to go to school during the summer vacation. Then we got PROP 13 and it all ended! – Katherine Olson
Mr. Leflang, he was a cool teacher. – Maureen Rutherford Nieland
Summer School so you could graduate from High School in 3 years! — Karri Johnson Mealy
Summer school was the only way I could graduate. Also coming to Coronado my sophomore year got me out of having to take biolagy to graduate… did i miss spell all of that… Haha I probably should not have gradustaed. Haha – Becky Russell
I had to take Biology and they tried to get me to dissect a frog, no way Jose! Not fun! – Jeannette English-Jeffery
Summer school was so fun–especially Guitar Class–I still have my guitar books and use some of the songs there to teach guitar to the kids in my program in Kosovo, Uganda, and N. Ireland! – Liz Shropshire
My brother took a class every summer where they shot up rockets at the end of the summer. — Liz Shropshire
Learned to ride a 6-foot unicycle in summer school. Rode it in the 4th of July parade dressed as Uncle Sam. – Markley Gordon
YKNGUICWhen…You know about Pete Thomas (RIP) and he taught you how to play ball at the gym on Saturday mornings – John Mcclimon
Men’s volleyball at CHS was a club, not yet a legitimate sport. – James Montalbano
I always wanted to play and you guys wouldn’t let me!!…I had to play football instead…lol – Marnelle Tokio
You played Coronado Pop Warner football. – Tim Hinsvark
Getting Marty Jensen for PE and riding our bikes all over town for class! – Marla D. English
You had to peel oranges for Mr. Collum in math class and he gave you one slice for peeling it. – Kristopher J. Nicolls
In 6th grade, Mr. Viggers was out for half the year, and our sub was Mrs. Lewis, and we didn’t even get report cards due to someone took all our records for the 2nd half of the year, and we made it to 7th grade anyway. – Bobby Chapman
You remember the great “Mr T” RIP – Tim Hinsvark
Old band uniforms from the 60s. Bob Demmon replaced them starting in 69? – Dean Atkinson
When PE was going to the beach, jogging, and surfing for two periods, and riding our bikes around the island.Wearing our shorts, flip flops, and bikini tops to school as our normal dress code!!! Wow what a great time it was… – Sherry Theresa Hennessey
This is the best Coach Green photo. We used to see each other at garage sales in Coronado. He was kinda bored with retirement and brought old kitchen knives and turned them into letter openers. I still have the one he gave me — one of my favorite teachers. Always gave me extra crap to keep me in line. His daughter Gay was a wonderful soul. – Dean Atkinson
When the whole town showed up at your 1970 all star game, and the ball went between your legs all the way to the fence, and you were so flustered you returned the ball over the backstop, and the only guy clapping for you was Marky? – Timothy Bainbridge Coon
Y’all know Marky passed away a few weeks ago… — Steven Linde
I remember when we use to have to do “Bomb Drills” & duck under our desks in a building that should have been condemned years ago. Before microwaves, we had hot potatoes in tin foil being sold at the football games at Cutler Field. The women baked them at home and brought them in boxes. YUMMY!! I lived at 711 5th street across from Cutler Field. (The house is no longer there.) I use to crawl under the fence to get in and mess around in Cutler Field when it was locked up. Fun times!! – Maureen RutherfordNieland
My brothers & I grew up across from the Golf Course, & it was definitely our playground at night. Many a time we were shot at with bee bee guns by the golf course security as the sand traps were exactly that for us, “playgrounds”, where we would play make-believe Combat episodes among other games. The Dill kids were always up to something fun & always getting in trouble — the good kind. – Kimberley Graham (Dill)
You kept a count of how many orange floppy road dividers you could kick up by running over them on the bridge! – Julia Frampton Simms
And climbed the bridge just because it was there. – Timothy Bainbridge Coon
Aligning your car’s wheels onto the railroad tracks at the N.A.S. First St. gate so you could ride the rails all the way through town and down the Strand without having to steer seemed like a good idea. – Robert Pickford
You were sent out of Pat Bennett’s room to “warm the marble bench.” – Linda Kullmann
Rolling empty beer bottles down the aisle at the Village Theater during surf movies. – James Montalbano
Did someone throw a knife at the screen once during a surf movie and rip it or was that an urban legend? – Paul Fournier
Back in the 60’s it was tootsie roll pops…people would throw them and see which one would “stick.” – Denise Adams Shirley
It was the golf ball that ripped the screen after it had knocked my daughter MaryHelen unconscious! She was taken by ambulance to the Coronado Hospital. I am sure she remembers who threw it! – Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
YKYGUICWhen…Ghost Riding our bikes down Pomona Park Hill to see who could (miss) the cars. Chatting with Dick Van Dyke at the Night and Day Café. BB Gun wars in the sand pits on the golf course. Fishing off the small pier between the Yacht Club and the Chart House in the 60s and early 70s. Retrieving golf balls for John Ruedi so he could sell them in the Clubhouse. Working at Martin’s Furniture Store and Village Hardware for Dick Evans. Top of FormGetting mussels off the docks for Marco (Marco’s Pizza) for some awesome meal he was prepping for. – Eddie Wolfgang Zeller
Marco’s pizza was a family favorite of ours. Even as a little kid, I loved Marco’s antipasti salad — still crave it today. – Alicia Knight
No one mentioned the Game Room behind Wendy’s. – Eddie Wolfgang Zeller
I totally forgot about that game room!! Centipede and Asteroids for sure! – Melissa Wilson
Dorrie Lammers delivered amber-glassed Dairy Mart Milk right into your refrigerator, calling out, “Milkman!” Sue and Paul Shaler were the coolest folks on the block with their Joan Baez and Bob Dylan records and a Picasso print over the living room couch. Gran Shultz had a Montessori nursery school in her garage. Mommy took you and your sisters on the ferry to Marsten’s Department Store on Horton Plaza, where a uniformed man ran the elevator and you watched beautiful models swirl around the lunch room in the most gorgeous clothes, as you ate peppermint ice cream. – Suzi Lewis
Was he before or after Mr. Wakefield delivering Dairy Mart Milk? Loved him and his family on Flora Avenue. – Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
He was before Mr. Wakefield. – Suzi Lewis
The milkman always entered through the back door, and he went straight to the refrigerator and put the dairy products in it. We never gave a thought to him coming right on in. – Candee Courtney
You could also just leave him a note to leave extra things like eggs or extra milk. — Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
I miss those days VERY MUCH!!! – Maureen Rutherford Nieland
Does anyone remember when Safeway was where the Chase Bank now sits, and Gunnar the Swedish butcher would give boiled sweets to the kids. – Suzi Lewis
Do you mean where Union Bank now sits? Free Bros. Market was where Chase now sits on 10th. — Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
My recollection was that Safeway was there before Free Bros. I’m talking about the late 50’s-early 60’s? One of my earliest recollections is of falling out of the cart at age two and ending up with stitches in my head. That was 1957. I remember at age four swiping the Niccos by the cash register and having to go back inside so my mom could pay for them. – Suzi Lewis
When I was first married I shopped at Safeway and it was right next to the Village Theater where Union Bank is now. — Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
Suzi is right in that before it was Free Bros. on 10th and Orange, it was a Safeway. Later
Safeway moved to 8th and Orange, then to its current location at 867 Orange. I think Coronado Past had a pic of the building sporting the Safeway name! – Marla D. English
Mom used to have us all sit in the car while she went to “pick up just a few items” from Safeway. An hour and a half later, she would come out with a whole bunch of baggers pushing 10 carts to the car. Maybe a little exaggerated but not by much. – Markley Gordon
I remember taking a permission note to buy my mother’s cigarettes. I think I was 6 or 7 years old. – Michelle Ferrell Glasman
You could get 10 cent hot dogs from Free Brothers Market and watch dolphins chase the ferries across the bay! – Tommy Harris
25 cents got your into the movies, a popcorn and drink. Hershey’s kisses were 2 for a penny at The Avenue also known as The Dime Store. – Jaquie Hoopengardner
S&M Sandwich Shop – I just got a kick every time I answered the phone while working there – S&M, can I help you?! – Mary Price Boyd
Captain Jack’s? – Susie Griffith-Smith
And then, of course, the Day & Night Market – Do you remember when they all delivered? – Kimberley Graham (Dill)
You knew your entire town like the back of your hand by age six. Your daddy took you body surfing at Central Beach at age three. You could walk into any house on your block and be welcomed as part of the family by age four. Your doctor made house calls AND played Santa Claus at the Rotary Christmas parties. You could get as drunk or stoned as you wanted and stay out into the wee hours, knowing you would be safe. The Ghetto wasn’t one, just a great place to party. As an adult, you are considered the cool parents because we understand what teens get up to and make your home a safe and nonjudgmental place for your kids’ friends. – Suzi Lewis
Well said. – Brian Kirk
Fantastic post. Suzi, are you a CHS graduate? – Lynda Terry
Yes, I was born at Coronado Hospital in 1955; went to CES, the junior high and the high school, graduating a semester early from the 1973 class. My dad is Jack Lewis of Jack Lewis Realty, now retired and 91 years old. He still lives in the home he built the year I was born. – Suzi Lewis
Yes, the Ghetto was a great place to party, what a memory you have. – Joanne Bodnar
I had a boyfriend living there…I think. – Suzi Lewis
You know you grew up in Coronado when…You went to court in Coronado for dog off leash. – Laura Linde Porter
How about cougar off leash? Remember the Coronado Cougar tied up to parking meters outside Baskin Robbins or being dragged down the beach (at what is now Dog Beach) for a swim or how about the rally to “Save the Coronado Cougar” & bumper stickers, etc. – Kimberley Graham (Dill)
YKYGUICWhen…If you grew up skating at the Corriere’s Roller Rink on the 100 block of “C” Avenue! – Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
Anyone remember the yummy burger with pimiento cheese at the Coronado Pharmacy lunch counter or the greasy fries from Circus Drive-In or the scrumptious pizza from the Manhattan Room – now, I’m a-really gettin’ hungry – especially when I remember going in the back door of Anderson’s bakery in the middle of the night with my girlfriends and gobbling down fresh doughnuts dripping with hot greasy glaze straight out of the fryer! Now, that’s some cookin’ – Kimberley Graham (Dill)
You took hula lessons from Mrs. Ward, who also was our crossing guard at 6th and Alameda. Turns out she was from a very prominent Hawaiian family. – Wendy Sanger McGuire
Who remembers the racquetball court behind Coramart? They only had one! – Nancy Cox Castro
Generations partying, dancing, and eating at The Mexican Village. I remember going dancing with my parents there. And back to food, there was nothing like the Mexican Village house romaine salad or the Village burrito. – Kimberley (Graham) Dill
And how about when President Nixon came to town and you rode your bike down to Orange to see the first traffic light in town. You remember Tent City Cafe and that big-ass submarine game in the Del arcade – David Sanger
You went to the Rosarito Beach Hotel and practically everyone was from Coronado! – Susan Gill
Char Burger! & Officer Stolpe! You would drive down the alley to see how many of the 5 cop cars were out…to figure your odds for the night! Hung out at Avenue Liquor picking on the swabs….and then became one. – Jeffrey Donn Hansen Sr.
Anyone remember Father Hubble? We would go Christmas caroling, and he would give me and my sisters a 6 pack of beer! I think I was about 11! Lol – Susie Griffith-Smith
I remember fishing out on the base to catch barracuda and lobsters and crabs! – David Farmer
The ducks on Pendleton Road were my Uncle Al Frosio’s ducks! – Sandy Chapman Divine
Tae Kwon Do in the park and at the Armory with master David Chaanine – James Montalbano
Many great years with Master Chaanine, still visit him in C.V. every so often. – Eddie Wolfgang Zeller
YNYGUICWhen…Coronado Surfer Girls never die –They just go to the Green Room! (Green Room is another term for the “tube”) – Lynne Harpst Koen
Do you remember the gentlemen in the Active 20/30 Club? I am thinking the big guy is Pete Rohrbough? I went to school with his sister Caroline. I think I recognize Ron Vernetti. They were all active in the 20/30 Club in those years! – Helen Nichols Murphy Battleson
I think that is Steve Wakefield with the glasses and mustache in the middle. – Buzz Adams
Is the 20/30 Club still active? Wonder about that bike. Growing up in Coronado, I remember seeing the bike in the annual parade.” – Doug Ewen
YKYGUICWhen…Your dad thought it would be a good photo op to have you wave goodbye to the very last Coronado ferry. He was right. – Tim Hinsvark
Our Generation! I think we really lucked out and had a particularly rare time due to the Navy which I think was really a key factor in all of this. It kept the prices down and the economy pumping. We didn’t have the bridge (and when we did – it still wasn’t the disaster it is now) or anything on the Strand except for Navy housing. It was an unusual time in the world and we, as a result, had unusually wonderful childhoods. For all of you who didn’t – I’m sorry – but since it was in Coronado – somehow it was just better by being here. – Mary Lou Staight
I remember all the friends whose parents were transferred to the island became best friends with all of us just in time to get transferred off the island and never be seen again. That was the hardest part of living in Coronado — always losing your best friends to the Navy. – Coronado America Hauntings
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