By Ken Harrison
Class of 1973
Reunion committee members gathered recently to finalize plans for the Class of 1974’s big, four-day reunion bash, coming up on August 14 – 17. Of course they also talked about memories.
Bruce Gresham remembers the KGB Chicken coming to campus. It was a big deal back then. Several members remembered when the campus became “open” in 1971; finally we could leave for lunch.
Maureen McKim Gaare remembers the active ASB, Dewey Warner, Tim Hayashi, Chris Platis, and Randy Hicks playing cupid on the roof.
Rancho Santa Fe was way out in the country. Fellow classmates either had huge homes or had to raise chickens and horses, sometimes both. The “ranch” kids were the only ones that had their own cars.
Alicia Terry remembers hanging out at the A&W (where Leucadia Pizza is today). She had to share a locker with Paul Ecke. She thought block scheduling of classes on Monday through Thursdays was pretty cool. Her first job was at Curl and Color Salon in Del Mar. She’d make $1.75 an hour to clean hair out of the brushes.
Paul Ecke reminded us that the class of 1974 was the last big, full class of everyone — from Del Mar to La Costa — to attend San Dieguito. Torrey Pines opened the next year.
Michele DeGraw remembers the fun at center court. It was laid back, everyone liked each other, and Mr. Morris (our principal) would come out play his harmonica. The Eden Gardens boys always hung out on one wall near center court.
Prom was at the Scottish Rite Temple in Mission Valley. A few of the reunion members took each other as dates.
Dirty deeds on campus? After science teacher Mr. Herms took roll, one could simply slide out the open window and head out off campus. That and the stolen book of call-to-the-office slips.
Before the 1974 gas crisis, Tim Hayashi said gas was 25 cents a gallon at the Shell Station on Santa Fe Dr. and at Jim’s Enco (pre-Exxon) on Encinitas Blvd. Everyone remembers waiting in long gas lines, and then being able to only purchase based on your even or odd license plate number.
Value Fair! Everyone loved Value Fair (a pre-Target department store where the Seaside Market shopping center is today).
Streakers! Students actually took off their clothes and ran naked through the school. No names were mentioned, but we know who there were.
There was nothing better than taking your 17 year-old girlfriend to the couches at the La Paloma Theater. Even though one may not have known what to do with a girl on the couches, it was really cool that you went.
All in all, the general feeling was Mayberry had nothing on the adventures of growing up at San Dieguito in the early 1970s. It was still a small town, everyone knew each other, students could participate in both 4H farming and surfing.
Tim Hayashi summed it up best. “It was a blessed time.”