This is topic Another good guy gone in forum Member forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on September 13, 2023, 09:50 AM:
JP, alias John Petrello passed away at the age of 80. Good guy with exemplary service to country.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 13, 2023, 11:19 AM:
I'm sorry to say that I don't know who you speak of, Vic? A little more info on John Petrello would be appreciated.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Az-Hunter (Member # 17) on September 13, 2023, 11:49 AM:
One of our members here Leonard, his screen name was JP.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 13, 2023, 12:07 PM:
Oops! Sorry!
As with all members, he will be missed.
We are all mortal, I'm afraid.
Good hunting. El Bee
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 14, 2023, 12:25 PM:
Speaking of which, whatever happened to Prune Picker ????
Haven't heard from him in a while.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 14, 2023, 02:14 PM:
That kind of reflections can be sobering and even depressing.
I only say that because I am always in touch with my high school classmates, El Monte High School Class of 1960. We meet at the Pepper Mill in Glendora for breakfast on Saturday morning's on alternate months, try to stay in touch and the group is never the same and open to all years, but primarily between 1957 and 1962. It's almost guaranteed that you will see someone you have not seen 50 or 60 years.
The story of why the school mascot was an African Lion. Everybody has seen the roaring lion shown at the beginning of every MGM movie. Well that lion was real and at some point, Leo was donated to El Monte High School. The actual history is before my time but I do know that there used to be a lion refuge right where the McDonald's is now on the intersection of I-10, which is an overpass, and Valley Boulevard. It, the farm was closed in the early 1950's.
El Monte has a bit of historical significance as the "End of the Santa Fe Trail". When I lived there, it was almost a lower middle class, or Okie working class neighborhood. Now, maybe surprising no one, the student population is now 98% hispanic and a majority, English as a secondary language. It's probably 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, due east on I-10 Called the San Bernardino Freeway in these parts. I understand I-10 goes all the way to Florida, but it begins in Santa Monica, right off the Pacific Coast Highway, US-101.
I guess El Monte might have about the same population as does Upland, another 30 miles east on I-10. Just a guess, around 75,000 or so? Everybody has heard of Longo Toyota, a hundred yards north of !-10 in El Monte and occupying the building that used to be the very large El Monte Sears store. That was the first place that I saw the Beach Boys band, doing record signings. Just happened to be there one weekend afternoon in 1963.
There are two California High Schools with an Endowment, awarding scholarships. One being Torrance High School and the other isn't Beverly Hills, or Hollywood High. No, it's El Monte High School. The donor happens to be a good friend and classmate of mine.
So, esteemed Members of the Peanut Gallery; that will wrap up the Stroll Down Memory Lane, for today.
Good hunting. El Bee
edit: https://www.kcet.org/shows/departures/el-montes-wild-past-a-history-of-gays-lion-farm
[ September 14, 2023, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 15, 2023, 04:38 PM:
I was in El Monte once a long long time ago. Don't even remember why. I do remember the smog being so thick it burnt the eyes and you couldn't see to the end of a long block.
Also remember driving by the American Nazi Party headquarters. Big building with a large swastika painted on the side.
Hopefully, somebody's burnt it down by now.
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 15, 2023, 08:19 PM:
Yeah, I remember that place, it was on Peck Rd. not far from where we lived on Peck and Lambert. Yes, smog. In those days, no catalytic converter, inversion layer, leaded gas, back yard incinerators, what else?
Not far further north, on Peck was the Archery Headquarters, perhaps the only reason I can imagine for you being in the area?
Good hunting. El Bee
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