Lincoln High School - San Diego, California - Classes of 1955 to 1959
January 2025
TO MY FELLOW GRADS: So it’s 2025 and I’d like to wish all of you “survivors” a very Healthy and Happy New Year! (Notice I put “healthy” first.) I hope that all of you folks in your 80’s are able to perform daily activities in as normal way as possible. If not, I hope you have a good caregiver who can take good care of your needs. If you can make it, our monthly get-together of the “regulars” will be on the second Wednesday of this month—January 8. We meet at the Starbucks at the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. and Dianne Ave., and we go from 10 a.m. to about noon. About 12 to 20 of us, depending on the month, show up to renew friendships that go back 70 years or more. We are all good friends and enjoy each others’ company.
BUZZING FROM YOUR CLASSMATES: Speaking of the monthly gathering, I’m told that Jean Baber (’58) and husband, Cliff Hetz (’57), will be attending the get-together this month from their home in Yuma. Always great to see these wonderful folks who don’t do much traveling these days! Professor Hetz finally retired from teaching college anthropology a while back. He taught for many years……Are most of you aware that the ’24 Hornets (12-2) ended up, for the second time in three years, as the Division 1-AA state champions? And they did it without playing any games on their home turf. They beat the Pittsburg High School (Bay Area) team 28-26, a close game that they always led. By the way, they also had to practice somewhere else as their home playing field was declared unsafe and is under repair. They became self-proclaimed “road warriors.” After the championship game, one LHS player was quoted: ”You want to be a football player? You gotta go to Lincoln.”……Well I stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest (pun intended) the last couple of newsletters by trying to appreciate some grads who served us on the SDPD. One of those “left out” was the late, but one and only, Jack Pearson (’57). Jack was not only a successful officer, but also served as head of the officers’ union for many years. Those pointing out my omission included Bill Barnier and Nielsine (Power) Archibald (both ’57). Nielsine said she now has Wednesday mornings free and will get to more of the coffee gatherings (and I’m going to hold her to it). Then I was reminded of another stalwart PD vet who also was not mentioned in the kudos given out. That was Larry Beveridge (’55) who started out on the Junior Safety Patrol at Ocean View Elementary and seemingly couldn’t wait to join the SDPD. Serving not only as an officer, Larry later became an instructor at the SD Police Academy and Miramar College. He then became a leading expert on traffic accident reconstruction and later served on accident review boards and as a forensic consultant. Larry and wife, Jacquie, also a police officer, retired to Washington state where Larry died last September…..Pat Krumweide (’60), wife of the late Gary (’57) wished everyone a “Blessed New Year.” She mentioned that Richard Tonek, who was on the SDPD list last month, graduated with her in ’60. She added that Richard’s son, Daniel, was a police officer for 15 years until he was hit by a drunk driver and lost a leg…..That last note is the major reason that we all should be thankful for the brave officers who serve and protect us on a daily basis. It can be a dangerous job where any traffic stop could turn into a nightmare shoot-out with thugs who seemingly have little to lose in taking pot shots at cops. Data shows there are more guns than people in our country and some folks are not afraid to shoot it out with the law. If you’re mad at the police because of a few bad apples—who you gonna call when the chips are down?.....I’m going to end this newsletter by pointing out that I’m starting my 18th year of writing this monthly missive. You might recall I was editor of the “Buzz” at Lincoln in my senior year—under teacher John deBeck—and followed his suggestion that I major in journalism in college and ended up with two degrees. They are a BA from San Diego State (’64) and an MA from Northwestern in ’65. Please keep sending me info about your lives and families—even obits. It’s news for you all!
