Inquisitive Quest

Gary’s first year on the school newspaper “Ye Castle Crier”

No more high school english,  it was News I & II  in the eleventh grade and publications in the twelfth,  the quest as a journalism major having commenced.   Gary’s interest in the school newspaper wasn’t  limited to attaining his goal of becoming the sports  editor,  his query of journalism was more in-depth than reporting an event and he expected  this class to be a conduit to learning the structure of written expression.   The Teen soon discovering journalism study wasn’t about writing,  but about perception,  determination,  separation and accumulation.    This novice student sensing a new perspective was about to unfold.  He was astonished when discovering only twelve students in the News I class,  having never realized let alone subject to a class this small.   The current Ye Castle Crier Publications Class was substantially larger with thirty-one staff members.  What was Still astonishing was when the class instructor Mr Roland Christensen informed the class that he preferred his the journalism class to address him by his nick name Chris and that his regular english classes addressing him as Mr. Christensen.   Gary decidedly finding a place of residency in a castle,  a champion assignment,  an environment  of social,  political and entertainment activity, the journalism class opening doors to exhilarate a  world of discovery.

The syllabus for the News Class differentiated from the Publication class,  the News Class subject matter included,  terminology,  the five “W” and  a   H in reporting,  (what, when,  where,  who,  why and how), and the insertion of Watch Words.   It was Watch Words that intrigued the teen, Chris explaining how to recognize interpolation,  the hidden meaning,  the reading between the lines  and the use of opinionated adjective watch words,  to slant  a factual sentence in an opposite direction as found in  propaganda.  He stressed true journalism was  writing,  characterized by a direct presentation of facts, or description of events without an attempt at interpretation.  The class examined various newspapers from different region of the country,  finding examples of influence in all the periodicals.   A strict rule of professional journalism was to be adherent,  no opinion unless stamped with a  byline,  but with the political atmosphere of the rising of socialistic doctrine and  communism ,  the fringe opinions seemed to prevail,  the byline rule being overlooked or lost on its trip to a publisher.   Gary sensed a hierarchy was present within the senior publication staff,  rather than judge what he perceived,  and as a new journalism student,  he thought it was more suitable to observe.   Gary was somewhat critical of the sports editor Gordon Reitman,  a non sports enthusiast,  questioning his position and reporting assignments, considering Gordon’s  Crier sports page bland,  like the daily city publications,  it was nothing more than another statistic page.   He believed it needed personality,  concluding  that the sport arena was overflowing with unrecognized athletic student persona,  it just needed to be publicized.

The Cub Edition of the Crier, the sole responsibility of the beginning news class was in the composing stage and would go to press the following week.   Gary volunteered to attend and write about the Varsity vs Faculty basketball game.   The teen realized  his big opportunity and applied for a by-line on his sports article enabling him to  editorialize his game reporting.   He was determined to resist writing a sports column about the game containing only statistics.   Ernest Spirakis  was Gary’s Chemistry teacher and in his room, hanging in perpetuity by the door  was a pair of tennis shoes.   Every Friday Mr. Spirakis  would make an announcement asking the owner to come forth and remove them,  and every Friday there was  no results.   Gary jump-shot his faculty basketball story with the cap (headline),  “Tennis Shoe Ernie Scores”.    The article besides a statistical report of the game contained student antidotes about Mr. Spirakis and other faculty team members,  all mentioned  in good taste.  The article being  the talk of the school,  the sports writer knew, this was a good beginning.

The Ye Castle Crier newspaper office was across the hall from Chris’s regular english classroom,  it was small,  only two long tables end to end and two rows of typewriters, the office unoccupied most of the day.   Gary when moving onto the Publication Staff  found the Crier room more convenient not to use his hallway locker on the other side of the building,  the room providing a home for his sack lunch, books and papers.   The aspiring journalist  achieved another small reward,  convincing Misses Laws,  his third period Study Hall Supervisor,  that as a sports writer,  his time could be better spent in the Crier office , and her being a Physical Ed  instructor,  she concurred.

Lunch period in the Crier office followed study hall,  and this was followed after lunch with his regularly scheduled Publications Class,  the three periods accumulating a significant amount of his school day in the Crier’s room,  which also enabled him to jump-start his other studies, namely homework.   The Teen began to submit other stories relating to school news, presenting a  number of  imaginative compositions to the feature page editor, Yvonne Siedl for publication,  but soon discovering after her editing,  the focus of the story was  totally lost.   He approached Chris about this subject and other frustrations,  hoping for some understanding , instead of comprehension he received an explanation,  from it Gary concluded, that in the newspaper business there is a hierarchy,  it’s  called an Editor.

History in school was embryonic, the teen having been grounded in history all of  his exogenous years, his Mother deep-seating  him in the charting of the past with the introduction of historical novels, both fiction,  and nonfiction at a very young age.   Gary having discovered the reading of history in novel-form lead to an inquisition of passages,  with the audit of written events providing a never-ending journey of exploration.   School instruction of historical accounts were never in-depth,  but did present an overview of the timeline.   The teen enjoying American History,  especially three years prior in Miss Bonham’s eighth grade junior high class presentation of California history, finding the abbreviated historical  deliberation of the founding and settlement of the City of Oakland interesting.

Miss. Lamping’s’ first semester eleventh grade American History I Class paralleled past learning sessions,  beginning with the founding of the nation and culminating with the civil war.   The class participation having fought and  won the battle of the revolutionary war,  and elected George Washington as the first president of the new constitutional republic of, the United States of America.   Subsequently in the class timeline, Thomas Jefferson is now the current president,  having just purchasing  over 8 hundred thousand square  miles of land from the French,  rightfully  designated as the Louisiana purchase.   The class was instructed to submit a paper  or oral report,  on a historical person, or event thus far experienced in this historical travel thru time.

Gary was considering the two options,  long ago having made a grade enhancing homework discovery,  the insertion of illustrations tended to contribute to a better grade.   His other alternative was more demanding,  but could attain a higher resolve  if properly structured,  it was an oral report, a standup presentation before the class.   Gary having recently attended the Charleston Hesston movie,  “The Far Horizon”,  the story of  the Lewis and  Clark expedition,  and with  Miss Lamping’s history class timeline coinciding with the theatrical presentations release,  its impression still abiding,  the decision was made, an oral report.

Gary making ready,  having prepared a large map outlining the path of the expedition to be hung on the blackboard,  using color map marker pins to highlight different locations of interest,  with formable information  about each.  With his mounted display and notes in hand,  standing before the class,  ready to transport his classmates on this exploratory campaign with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.  The  journey From St. Charles Missouri commenced, the expedition continuing until the winter weather set in,  enabling the constructing of Fort Mandan in North Dakota.  The oral report was progressing , when suddenly Mother Nature intervened.

It started with a very familiar sound,  the rumbling having only one meaning,  issuing a warning of what would follow.  Gary discerning the movement of the room,  its contents in fluctuation,  time seeming to come to a standstill,  the building and surroundings giving a deepening moaning cry,  as if suddenly awakened from inactivity,  sounding an objection to the disturbance.  The classroom inheriting a rhythmic motion that intensified, Gary,  noticing the alarmed look on Miss Lamping’s face,  her eyes widened,  sensing she wanted to react, but stood frozen as if waiting for instructions.  Looking across the room,  many of the  students attempting to huddle beneath their desk,  other rising with a confused hesitant look,  questioning whether to remain or exit.  The earth’s ascension continuing for what seemed like a an endless duration before coming to a halt,  for a brief moment an eerie silence prevailed, followed by the clamor of nervous voices.

Gary resuming his oral report and upon completion notification came,  classes would be suspended for the remainder of the school day to make an assessment of earthquake damage to the building.   Gary concluding, his oral report was earth shaking, but little did he know,  the March 22, 1957,  5 point 3 earthquake was serving the eminent Castlemont structure,  a condemnation deathblow  sentence

1957 Chevy

.  Gary was ready to call it a night at Fletcher’s Signal Station,  having finished his sweeping of the service bay, putting the product displays inside, waiting for the Bishop O’Dowd High School  graduate and station closer Ted,  to balance the cash drawer,  and place the receipts in the stations hiding place,  so owner Ed Fletcher could open in the morning.  Ted was just about finish when a  red and white 57 Chevrolet pulled up to the pumps,  ‘oh well’  thought Gary,  ‘one last customer’, having yet to turn off the pumps or the outside lights.  Walking out to the pumps,  Gary thought he recognized the driver, it was Gary McArthur,  a friend of Teds who had graduated from Castlemont in January.  McArthur having been a member of the Bishops, a high school service club composed of quasi-car enthusiast.  The school putting the club on probation and finally disbanding it the following semester, it was rumored it had something to do with after school hubcaps disappearance activity.

.  Gary looking closer at this 1957 shining example of craftsmanship,  its polished body gleaming in the soft glow of the stations lights,  standing  poised like a thoroughbred.  It was identical to the 57 Chevrolet posted on all the billboards across the nation, and TV as the one entering and winning the competitive Hill Climb Pikes Peak Race,   the annual 12 mile,  156 turns,  prestige’s run up the Colorado Peak.   Gary couldn’t believe what he heard next from McArthur, ” This is the car that was in the race”.    His narrative continued,  the company he worked for,  Bruce’s Tire Company,  had purchased the car from Chevrolet for display and advertisement purposes,  also saying with a tone of indulgence, he would be taking it to the competition at Vacaville.  Gary was aware of the drag strip at Vacaville, and the planned new raceway soon to be constructed.

.  Ted joining the two, the hood being raised, it was the first time Gary had viewed a Chevy 283 fuel injected engine, it was Chevrolet’s first year for  fuel injections.  McArthur continuing that he would enter it in the stock classification,  but in reality it wasn’t strictly a stock model,   Chevrolet having changed the rear end gear ratio, manufacturing enough models to justify a stock designation.   Gary walked around looking inside expecting a plush interior,   stepping back,  discovering the  interior was stripped of all normal seats  and fitted with a framework of welded steel,  forming a roll cage that encompassed the interior.   A single seat occupying the space behind the steering wheel, a stock dashboard remained,  but with specially mounted cluster  gauges.   The young teen was taken aback,  this definitely wasn’t  a car for cruising.

.  Get in,    were the words spoken by McArthur,  and without hesitation the teenager open the door and then stopped.  Nowhere to sit, no seats,  and nothing to grasp or hold onto in the front.   McArthur motioned towards the back,  saying,  “hunch down, and hold on to the roll  bar”,  the youth grasping the metal bar traversing behind the driver’s seat.   Gary squatting on the back portion of the floorboard,  able to raise up enough to see over the dash,  having a good view of the road.   The car progressing onto Mountain Boulevard,  the youth  reflecting on his surroundings, the adrenalin flowing as it absorbed the aura from this icon of a car.   For an instant he wished this moment could be captured for visual prosperity,  to be preserved for the agnostic to see.

.  The car idled down Mountain Boulevard to Holmes Avenue,  making a  U-turn to a stop.  The distance between Holmes and Shone avenue  on Mountain Blvd was known as a teenager designated quarter mile.  Gary was savoring the moment,  the tires screamed and the Chevy exploded forward, he grasped the roll bar as the G-force was ever increasing.  McArthur shifted into second gear,  the tires squealed again, the force grasping him in its clutches, pulling him backwards.  He glanced at the speedometer as they blew through the intersection of Shone, it was registering over 90,  the car continuing but with compression backing down.  It felt like a hundred pound weight had been release from pulling him backwards,  McArthur making a U turn heading back to the station.

.  Getting out, Gary was speechless,  the ride may have ended,  but one thing for sure, the memory would remain.

.

Once achieving the age of 13, capturing the appellation age of teenager,  the next pinnacle event in a  life’s journey is one that every teen awaits,  the moment of accession that is endowed at 16 years of age,  able to  anoint the automotive licensed cadre and obtaining the freedom to abound.  Gary remembering the past when applying for his Learner’s Permit on the way to the San Leandro DMV,  his Dad questioned whether he had thoroughly studied the drivers manual.  The Lad explaining  he had just completed Drivers Education,  which was a requirement to graduate from high school and  the class quizzed on  all 120 exam question prepared for the four variations of the DMV test.

  Upon receiving his driving permit prior to his sixteenth birthday, with  dad’s watchful eye monitoring his driving the 48 Chevrolet, since it was the first column shift the youth had driven, allowing him more behind the wheel experience to gain comfort with his road savvy driving.   The pinnacle driving episode for the learners permit driver was when allowed to drive the 41 Chevrolet Pickup from their Sierra Mountain retreat in Pioneer to Oakland,  a 2 1/2 hour drive,  traversing the well-traveled windy Altamont Pass with it’s bay-area’s Sunday night traffic.

.  Gary’s sixteenth birthday having been accomplished, awaiting  the opportunity to prove himself worthy of receiving the important vested document,  a driver’s license.   His audience with the DMV would be the coming Saturday,  asking permission to take the car across Mountain Blvd. on Keller Avenue to a divided pavement area that was a site for a never completed proposed subdivision.   It was the perfect accommodation to practice his parallel parking,  which was a driver’s test requirement.  With the 1948 Chevrolet,  two saw horses for markers,  his dad not accompanying him,  allowing Gary to take the car for the six block journey.  The added parallel parking practice increasing his proficiency, and a sense of confidence that he was better prepared for the DMV.

.  Gary having heard stories at school about those first attempt failures, having no desire to join the ranks of the abortive. His father having never been critical of his driving,  but did offer some advice as a teamster,  always drive with anticipation, never assumption.  During the evaluative drive,  the DMV representative with clips board and pencil in hand,  issued directions.   Gary being very cognizant,  giving correct hand signals, over emphasizing,  looking behind and checking his mirrors,  insuring his attentiveness was noticed.  He was instructed to perform a turnabout in a residential area,  and proceed back to the pylons for parallel parking.  He was absolute in backing the Chevy up,  observing the first pylon was parallel to the rear of the driver seat,  he maneuvered the vehicle toward the curb,  executing a perfect park as rehearsed at home

.  The ride home was silent, almost anti-climactic, Gary wondering what his Dad’s thoughts might be, his son advancing further into an adult world.   Aware that his father had been on his own since the age of sixteen,  with no home or mentoring guidance,  forced to leave school, a young person reaching for an anchor to moor himself to for a better life.

.  The teen was appreciative of his expanding world and the evolving changes, ever thankful for the security of a caring family and friends.  Gary expectations were fulfilled once arriving home, finding a jubilant family with adulation for his achievement, concluding from the day’s event that milestones in life are sometimes but fleeting moments.

A two seated depository

Gary couldn’t recall reading during the historic settling of the west any mention of what he and his dad were going to undertake but after giving it some thought, in all probability it may have been first on their agenda when erecting structures at a wilderness building site.  Pr-fabrication for the structure that would be transported by pickup began in the family backyard on Greenly Drive. The rather small building consisting of  three enclosing side, the fourth with a door,  a pitched roof,  four cement piers to anchor the floor joist and inside a fixed bench constructed at sitting height.  The sitting bench featuring two circular holes cover by toilet seats,  a simple but functional  design known as an Outhouse.

Gary and his Dad loading the disassembled structure  in the bed of the families 41 Chevy pickup, starting on the  2 1/2 hour easterly excursion to the Sierra’s.   Once on the road Gary’s Dad divulging  a detour was in order, they would go by Mountain Ranch which was about 20 miles out of their way to pick up Sterling (Pop) Graham,  his Dad’s closest friend.   Gary having been made aware that Pop was no longer working, not able to navigate his Interbay Lumber Co.  authoritative Ten-Wheeler.   His Dad’s friend was amiss with a debilitating illness identified as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,  ALS,  better known as Lou Gehrig Disease.

The Youth’s Father having disclosed,  Pops first indication was an inability to muster the  strength to properly turn the non power assisted steering wheel on the big rig.  Gary aware of the iconic Lou Gehrig, the New York Yankee Hall of Fame player nicknamed the Iron Horse, playing in 2,130 consecutive games,  with a lifetime batting average of 340,  and dying at the age of 36.    The scene from the Lou Gehrig motion picture,  Pride of the Yankee’s,  being brought to mind.   When Gehrig first noticed he had difficulty swinging two bats in the batter’s circle,  before stepping up to the plate.  He also remembers shedding a tear at the conclusion.

Gary was no stranger to moving dirt, as a youngster in the past, having dug a 4 foot deep excavation,  covering it with a makeshift roof to use as a command post when playing army. In junior high he volunteered to turn the ground over for the family garden,  and more recently at their Sierra site, extricated the entrance to an abandon mine in hopes of  discovering gold.   This time the digging was somewhat different, not a youthful project,  but having a meaningful purpose. The earth was cooperating,  the real estate soil was in transit,  as the shovel lifted the terra firma from the deepening cavity.

Gary continuing his labor, his Dad and the frail Sterling Graham sitting,  each with a bottle of beer in hand,  observing his progress.  There was no asperity performing this task,  satisfaction came from seeing his Father and Pop together, advocates sharing this consecrating moments of a soon departing friendship.  The soil extrication completed,  the Teen and his Dad  removing the prefab structure from the pickup, proceeding  with the assembly.   The structured edifice,  now above the freshly turned small earthen crater.  Once solidly affixed it stood as a monument,  the outhouse beckoning it services to those in a hasty need, of  bodily disbursement relief.

The project completed, Gary taking a long-lasting look at his Father and Pop Graham sitting together,  concluding a cherished memory is a perpetual gift   and realizing this may well be a definitive moment for the two inseparable friends.

.  Gary reasoned,  unlike the spoken word,  the written word is indelible,  for an articulate to obtain an analogous caliber,  a person of some intellect  must be the directive.   Expressive  journalism only requires the transformation of thoughts to paper,  no personality involvement,  and Mister Christensen’s publication’s class opened varied paths of opportunity.   With Gordon Reitman’s graduation, Gary was promoted to sports editor of the 25 hundred plus circulation Castlemont High School, Yee Castle Crier newspaper and was ready for the challenge,  Chris asking if he would accept an added position of Staff Photographer.

.  Hesitant at first, his thought being a lack of qualifications, his only camera experience with was with his parents ancient Anasco box camera, but soon discovering that photography  was more than just taking pictures,  but in reality, an art form.  Once accepting this premise, he approached the task adapting and capitalized on flavoring the anomalous, not just the subject.  Promulgating the papers sports page forum,  continuing his  interviewer’s role in the traditional school sports column,  ” The Athlete of the Week”.  The weekly bio column providing him access to all the sports coaches and team members.   Gary made a concerted effort to attend every games he reported on, and was endowed with the respect of the coaches and team members, and was privileged to join them on the team bus when traveling  out of town.

.  On occasion he was asked to participate in officiating, in charge of the down marker at a football game or as the school’s official team statistician.  He developed a rapport with the sports desk at the Oakland Tribune,  after a game,  phoning in the results,  highlighting  players and performances, their names to appear in the Tribunes high school sports page the next day.  With the Giants major league baseball team having recently moved from New York City to San Francisco,  interest was thriving in their new home at Seals Stadium.  Gary now a senior, deciding to add an additional column,  “Following the Giants With Mike”,  resorting to his shortened middle name used in elementary school, concluding,  because of already writing most of the sport page, he deemed it best not to give that appearance.  Chris was surprised at the notoriety of Gary’s opinionated ‘Following the Giants’ column, the school publication receiving correspondence from sports editors on many of the bay-area school papers that were on the circulation departments mailing list.

.  The student body of Castlemont had little knowledge of the Yee Castle Criers preparation,  except that it was available to the student  body every Friday afternoon.   A typical agenda for a reporter would entail, receiving a subject assignment, the copy submitted on typed forms to the Page Editor,  the article edited for content and column length, and a cap (title) with the final approval coming from Chris,  the class instructor who read and graded everything printed.  Each article having two grades, the first was for grammar, sentence structure,  as the news and publication classes were english curriculum substitutes,  and the second was for news worthiness,  or content presentation.  The accumulation of the four Crier pages of copy and pictures,   were ready to be processed and printed at the Laney Trade School Print shop.   Twice a month, alternating with other editors, Gary’s as Sports editor would be able to leave school mid-morning,  travel to Laney Trade, located on 7th Street downtown metropolitan Oakland for the assemblage of the Castlemont Yee Castle Crier newspaper.

.  It was at Laney Trade Print shop,  the Teen was able to attained the important aspects of the mechanical attributes involved to providing a finished product.   He watched as the copy handed to a linotype operator sitting at the keyboard controls of these purveyors of indelible conduction,  spewing forth the embossed hot lead alloy.  The molded lines of typesetting traversing into a collection area,  placed in a page galley for espousing a proof, the inserting the photos, known as cuts,   into their proper place in the galley.   The sports editor developing a skill to read the backward print,  checking for misplaced  slugs,  (blank spacer), then finally inking the galley, a proof reading being made, making a final assay of the proof before according  the printers.  The experience of Laney giving Gary another perspective of  the world of journalism,  with an insight to the mechanical aspects behind this profession,  and the hidden participation makeup of others.

. Gary having dwelled on subject analogy,  coming to recognize there was a corollary between Mister Christensen’s Journalism class,   and Mister Charrington’s Trigonometry class,  although the  subject matter were totally estranged,  they shared much in common. In trig, you are given the final solution, but have to determine the  perplexity and structure that gives you those results.  When composing a written itinerary,  it is much the same,  one had determined the contingency, but it’s the perplexity, structure and how you tincture the words that determines the intellection.   The  hands on introduction to the school newspaper printing was the last stop on a journalistic road, from conception to publishing.   Gary having discovered the world of journalism,  was another entryway, into life’s arena.

Gary was accompanying Oakland Gibson Branch Librarian, Ruth Salo and her husband Ed, a physicist at the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley,  known as the Rad Lab.   The three on a mission,  along with other members of the Science Fiction enclave known as  The Elves Gnomes ‘and Little Men’s’ Science Fiction Chowder and Marching Society.  Their embodiment included authors Rog Phillips, Pole and Karen Andersen, as well as the  founding editor of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, Anthony Boucher,  along with other like minded members.  This celebrated concave who constituted the concert of the Little Men’s’ science fiction alliance, convened on a regular basis after closing time at the Garden library on the 2500 block of Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.

On this occasion the three science fiction prevaricators were traveling to the preeminent San Francisco Twentieth Century Fox’s  Theater on Market Street to participate in an invitation only Screening,  along with other relative groups and individuals who had receive invitations from the producers and studio executives at Twentieth Century Fox.  The invitation was to attend A  cinematography preview,  a before release screening of a science fiction film entitled.  The Fly

Gary found that crossing on the upper deck of  the Bay Bridge to San Francisco always provided a better scenic view, the automobile traffic delegated to the top deck, and commercial traffic charged to the lower deck of the span.   Off to the right one could distinguish the reaches of Alcatraz,  the foreboding enclave for the malefactors of conviction, the harden criminals.  Soon approaching was Yerba Buena with its endowed man-made land fill known as Treasure Island,  once designated as the future home of the romanticized China  Clipper, but the navy thru necessity during world war two established a beachhead, and a military invasion, the military occupational Force securing the island for national purposes.

Continuing on,  the Bay Bridge denizens within the trafficking would have no difficulties identifying their present location once having traversed this approach to the populated citadel of San Francisco.   All who arrived on this commanding Bridge were greeted by a recognizable  fragrance,  but most not knowing the aromatic bouquet was the product produced by Hills Brothers Coffee, a redolent San Francisco welcome,  its domain domiciled on Harrison Street and the Embarcadero below the bridge.  On this day, Hills Brothers again proclaiming a San Francisco welcoming.

Once arriving and seated, Gary taking notice that there was a rather diminutive number in Attendance,  A twentieth century fox representative walking on stage welcoming the group, and announcing that upon the film’s conclusion, pencils and forms would be distributed for their participation in a critique of the viewing.  The large screen presentation beginning,  a good-natured Gary noting to Ruth Salo that something-was missing, she turned with a quizzical expression, the youth adding,  Popcorn.  Wondering if she appreciated his humor.  With the movies conclusion,  Gary questioning if his opinion would really be of any consequence, the movies premise somewhat of a Reach.

The plot having the scientist disassembling himself, transported,  then reassembled, only to find there was a fly Joining him during the process, discovering during reassembly they had interchanged body parts.   Apparently someone thought there was a message in the script, and the casting was questionable.   Gary found that he could associate Vincent Price in his role as it somewhat resembled his character in The House of Wax.   There were many Science Fiction movies  deserving merit,  War of the World’s, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer’s,  When Worlds Collide,   these stories having been penned and then skillfully adapted to the Screen.

This was his thinking when he and those in attendance were asked to submit a critique of the movie.   Setting aside a commentary of the plot and acting, but acknowledging the special effects,  writing something promising, abridging a concordance of criticism.  Gary acknowledging the San Francisco journey was time well Invested, his association with this group sharing like-minded interest, and his acquaintance with inspiring authors amplified a sense of self esteem.   His perception  would never be something he could relate to peers,  most would lack the understanding of the Uniqueness of association with these Individuals,  their ability to Condense Emotion and promote the derivative of the Living Equation by the means of the written word.

The assembly culminating,  Their mandate accomplished, the coolness of the fog that is San Francisco  enveloping the three travelers as they maneuvered to the bay bridge  on-ramp.   Gary having noticed the traffic signal on Bryant Street wasn’t the every-day elevated signal light with the familiar red, amber and green lens’s for designating the stop and go of  traffic.   This traffic authority was a relic of the past, a fixed vertical street mounted stance, small in stature,  sounding a loud bell,  an arresting arm would appear with either the Word Stop or Go posted in large letters, and red and green lights for after dark,  a remaining  wonderment waiting to be replaced.

Continuing onto the approach, the now thickening fog, giving off a mystique that emulated  a scene from a motion picture, and the forlorn echo of Fog Horns on the bay moaning added to the Chasm.    Gary having always delineated San Francisco with an aura of Contingency,  it was a city that heighten one’s senses,  It’s Alive,  you feel its pulse,  you can smell its exhalation, an entity able to nestle you in its fog enshrouded bosom at night, and release you for motivation to a sunlit sky in the Day.   Gary often wonder if he was alone in his perception of San Francisco,  or just maybe, it was another Well-Kept Secret.

A very frustrating situation for a sixteen year old Gary Willson,  finally having a driver’s license and not having a conveyance to register it with,  the use of the family car was ambiguous at best.  Gary was hoping that his Dad would  establish a set of parameters so he could determine an advantageous means of circumventing the use of the car rules.  He never subscribed to the axiom,  ‘rules are made to be broken’, but  a better aphorism,  “rules are made for innovation ”  or  notably if you find a need to question.  The youth discovering in formulating specifics, there always exist the possibility of alternatives, especially with a little improvising.  His Dad implementing a request and use rule,  meaning you have to ask and you have to state your purpose.

With the advent of his senior year,  Gary discovering himself devoid of a transit convenience to  school.   His portage provider and neighborhood friend Hank Ball having graduated and moved on to college in Illinois.   Gary having  to approach his Dad as his only provisional transportation benefactor, his mother a non-driver, the families 48 Chevrolet sitting idle at home, Dad traversing  to  work in the 41 Chevy pickup.

The senior entering into a father son discussion presenting his circumstance and to his surprise, an agreement coming to fruition.  His Dad laying out two prerequisites that would be augment his use of the family car for school transportation.  The first was to give his sister Kay a ride to and from school if desired, the second stipulation was dreaded,  the car would be parked upon his return from school.  Gary concluding that his Father’s decision was paradoxical,  good in the respect,  that he would have transportation, bad in that he couldn’t cruise after school, at least for very long.

          Dale Spady, a onetime classmate and cohort friend since junior high, having moved to Castro Valley.  Dale had a different a set of transportation circumstances.   The accosting difficulty was, his mother was a driver,  thus limiting his use of her car.   Dale finding a remedy, procuring a two-wheeled motorized appliance, a used 5 horsepower Cushman motor scooter,  which in the proper weather conditions provide dry transportation. When Dale visited, Gary found there was room  to sit on the rear jump seat, not exactly cool, but still a means for traveling between their two homes.  Gary noticing,  although the Cushman speedometer registered as much as 60 miles per hour, in reality,  top speed was about 45,  so when traveling to Castro Valley, they would avoid the MacArthur Blvd and it’s Highway 50 interchange,  taking the back way, up Estudillo Avenue in San Leandro to Lake Chabot road,  and around the lake to the towns back door entrance.

On occasions Dale would spend a weekend night with Gary in Oakland, Gary’s hillside home was one of the older ones in the neighborhood, built in 1927.  his room was downstairs in a heater less once rental area that could be accessed from the back yard outside door, or the stairs down thru an unfinished connecting basement.   For some reason Dale would never accompany Gary down through the darken basement to his room, preferring to go outside and around to the backyard,  entering through the outside entrance.   Apparently Dale had a fixation about walking through a darken basement passage late at night.   Things were different when  spending the night at Dales much newer home in Castro Valley.  His bedroom was just off the dining room and on a Friday night,  Dale could roll their dining room TV to the bedroom doorway and the two could watch Johnny Carson.

The two teens were pretty much compatible, but unlike Gary,  Dale wasn’t a die-hard classical music proponent and for the most part kept his music choice to himself,  but they found  something in common, both admiring Richard Strauss’s Suite from Der Rosenkavalier.  Gary having noticed, Walt Disney’s Fantasia was showing at the Castro Valley Theatre, and being familiar with much of its music, Dukas’s, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mussorgsky’s Night On Bare Mountain, Beethoven Pastoral Symphony and featuring the endowed conductor Leopold Stokowski. Not hesitating,  mentioning it to Dale, the two deciding to attend.  Seated in the theatre waiting for the presentation to begin.  surprisingly the theatres speakers making an announcement,  that fantasia was basically two hours of animated classical music,  and a refund was available for those who wanted to leave.  The two watched as a good portion of the audience, mostly teenagers, filed out.

Gary spending a Saturday night at Dales, the two having formulated a plan to ask for the use of Dales’ Mothers four door 1954 Dodge.  Dale mentioning that he would like to attend the Lutheran Church in San Leandro,  the one the family attended when living in Oakland.  Dale’s parents agreeing to the use of the car for the boys to attend.  Sunday morning found the two sitting through the first service of the San Leandro church, but prior to the start of  the second service, deciding to leave.  With an hour to kill, deciding to do some cruising, so they could arrive back at Dales at the appropriated time.

The two deciding to get somewhat innovative,  telling Dale’s parents they wanted to attend the services of some of the other church denominations,  detecting some skepticism.   The teens finding it easy to verify their church attendance,  upon entering,  they were handed a printed program of the Sunday Service, and when returning to Dales at the appropriate time,  they would casually lay the church service program down for all to see.  All was well with the Sunday morning cruising until Dale’s Dad,  unbeknownst to the boys,  performed an audit of the fuel consumption, and mileage of his wife’s car.   the boys being told,   if they wanted to attend church they could joined the family at their Sunday Service.   The Teens feeling amiss for their deed,  but,  because they were never really questioned, thus no answers had to be given,  they came to the conclusion.  their act of duplicity ended up a lesson in integrity.

A surveyors transit

Another Saturday and the 41 Chevy pickup once again loaded with building materials destined for the families Sierra cabin site.   On the previous trip to Pioneer, Gary invited his friend Dale Spady who had spent the night, thinking Dale could help at the building site and later the two could find some time to explore the surrounding wooded hillsides for abandoned mines.   Gary and his sister Nancy having discovered tailings from several sites but never had the opportunity to investigate, he especial wanted to return to the remnant ruins of an old cabin and look for artifacts.

.  The first chore for the two boys after arriving was to unload the numerous 50lb concrete piers for the risers that would support the floor beams and joist, the boys having to lug the heavy piers over 40 yards.  Gary having loaded them in the pickup and knew from experience that the more you moved, the heavier they seemed, noticing that Dale had stopped and was sitting.   It didn’t take long to discover that Dale was sick, his pallor was pale  and said he was chilled.  Gary’s dad not wanting to waste the long drive, still wanting to accomplish something , telling the boys because of Dale situation they wouldn’t spend the night, but would return home as soon as he had leveled,  and set the piers in position.   Gary knew the importance of the pier placement as they were the foundation for the structure.  It was late afternoon by the time all the piers were in place, the three returning to Oakland.

.  It was late afternoon by the time all the piers were in place, the three returning to Oakland.  The biggest concern was waiting for PG&E to provide electrical service in this recently opened realty property.    The day finally arriving, father and son now able to give their building some definitive presence. The riser’s and heavy-duty beams,  2 x 6 floor joist, all accomplished on weekend trips.

.  Entertaining another journey to the Sierra Foothills, only this time in the family car, with Gary’s Mother and sister Nancy,  his sister Kay remaining in Oakland,  as was her habit, staying with her best friend Diane Pine.  The 48 Chevy  transpiring down the once bulldozed lane, Gary’s mom and sister  viewing the completed sub-floor and the progress he and his Dad had accomplished for the first time.

The family aggregation  approaching the compiled edifice,  suddenly  freezing in their tracks.  Across the floor joist,  was  what appeared to be a surveyors line,  marking the property .  The surveyors having arrived,  leaving their mark,  apparently disregarding the  tree property line  markings posted by the realty agent when the property was purchased.

.  Gary’s Dad’s disposition rapidly changing to one of concern,  recounting the words spoken by the realtor indicating the property lines, marking the trees, stating their labeling would be used in determining the actual area size of the property.  A further inspection found another line down the slope towards what was characterized as the federal land boundary,  which  was supposed to have bordered the Willson property. It was apparent that the real estate concern  had managed to adjust the line,  to include another lot between the Willson’s acreage and the Federal Land.  Gary visualized the situation,  the marketing agent was cajole in his zeal to traffic the property,  and used the proximity of trees to master his persuasion.

.   The Willson’s concern was negated after visiting  the Martell Real Estate Office,  a discussion of  the adjusted boundary  was productive,  a solution was agreed upon.   Any variations made by the surveyors in the property line would be adjusted to encompass all prior construction,  meaning  the boundary line would be changed to encompass the building project so it would remain within the Willson property jurisdiction.   Gary concluding that if boundaries are determined by trees,  we must live in a forest.

.  A telephone call from Gary’s  Aunt Loretta to the family,  Uncle Dino was in the hospital.  Gary having questions,  but realized that reciprocation wouldn’t be forthcoming from his family as the circumstances were still unknown.   Accompanying his Father and Mother to join his aunt at the San Francisco hospital,  his two sister’s opting to remain home, the three arriving,  his uncle alert and cantankerous,  the teen having never visited an individual in a hospital before.  Gary standing somewhat aloof  behind his parents in the  hospital ward,  noticing the various I V’s and tubes connected to Dino, the physicians listing his condition as critical,  cirrhosis of the liver, with major internal hemorrhaging.

.  Gary understood the seriousness, but his Uncle Dino’s burly physical exterior and personality brought to mind a toughness,  and a movie script conclusion, that all would end well.   The visit was drawing to a conclusion in the multi bed hospital ward as the commotion began.  Apparently Dino was upset with something his Aunt Loretta had said, because he began shouting in Italian,  attempting to get out of bed,  pulling his tubing loose,  and with the arrival of the staff,  the  family retreated,  the weekend visit coming to a conclusion.

.  The following Tuesday, October 7th, 1958, Gary coming home from school, being informed that his Uncle Dino  had died.  Dino’s 35 year old son Silvio, from a previous marriage,  whom Gary had meant only once,  stepping in,  administering the final arrangements.   Gary reflecting on the inference of Dino’s passing,  there was no funeral notice for Dino that Gary was aware of,  except for a brief notification in the San Francisco Examiner,  but later discovering Dino was interned at an Italian Cemetery in the small town of Colma,  south of San Francisco in San Mateo  County.  A small two square mile town, noted as the City of Souls, but referred to as the city of the dead,  because of the large number of cemeteries fulfilling the townships area.

.  On March 26,  1900 the State of California passed a law prohibiting the burial of person on residential and farm property,  no more family members buried on the Home Place.  In 1912 the City of San Francisco made known its intent to prohibit all burials in the city.  In 1914 the City  took the ordinance a step further issuing an order that every  interned body would have to be removed and interned outside the San Francisco city limits.  The removal and transfer of the thousands wasn’t completed until 1937, the small town of Colma bordering San Francisco accepting over 125,000 departed.

.  With Dino’s passing, Aunt Loretta continued her residency on Steiner St.,  Gary’s Dad providing assistance in maintaining some semblance to a disorganized situation.   The closing of the 813 Van Ness Ave.  Dino’s  # 13 Club was on the agenda,  His Aunt Loretta remaining somewhat above a grievous condition as expected, the truth being discerned, her relationship with Dino was more of a convenience than a marriage

.

.  Parked in the basement garage of his aunts  Steiner Street residence was the Tognozzi’s 1949 Cadillac Fleetwood,  picture perfect,  odometer stating less than  52,000 miles.  The teen surmising the Cadillac’s low mileage was because it was said his uncle never traveled much out of the bay area,  but when he did,  he always had someone drive him.  Gary was aware, like his mother, his aunt was a non driver,  and in all probability wouldn’t keep the car.  The youth, after some forethought knowing that he had a good relationship with his aunt, in years past, stopping to visit her at the bar on his way to Golden  Gate Park and the planetarium, deciding that he would just ask her  outright about borrowing the Fleetwood to drive to school. 

.   Somewhat hesitant he approached his aunt prepared for a negative response,  but to his surprise she said she didn’t have a problem with him using the car,  but with the stipulation of dads approval.   Gary relating his aunts decision to his dad who paused before answering,  then saying okay,  but with the same two stipulations that prevailed with the use of the family car, the first being, offer to provide a ride to and from school for his sister Kay,  and then the  most difficult one to comply with, drive directly home after school and park it.

.   Gary was excited, his dad driving him to Aunts Loretta’s Steiner Street residence across from the Almo Square Park so he could drive the Cadillac back, surprisingly his sister Kay asked if she could go.   Gary could feel the titillation as they opened the garage door.  Inside, resting like an animate gargoyle decked in chrome,  displaying its distinctive tail fins,  the longest Cadillac in production, the four door exuberant mobile Fleetwood, but this was a Cadillac, the apotheosis of the automobile industry.   Before leaving Gary’s dad giving a word of caution about ferrying the car across the Bay Bridge as Gary had never driven across the bridge before.  The  brother and sister seated in opulence,  implementing the Cadillac transport onto the lit-up iridescent glowing  Bay  Bridge in  the early twilight of evening,  not endured a trip, but a voyage home.  Gary could hardly wait, the morrow would augment the inauguration of a new status in school transportation for him.

.  The Teen was solitary in his first morning fleetwood venture to Castlemont seated alone,  beginning to sense some reluctance about displaying such a capacious conveyance, choosing to park the car in the same place as the family car,  on Alvingroom Ct., located just before you get to Castlemont on MacArthur Blvd.  It was common knowledge, after school it was a given,  the automotive pretentious students would cruise MacArthur Blvd, their motorized display passing several time in front of the school.   Gary delivering the Fleetwood from its parked area taking residence with the cruising after-school traffic on MacArthur,  voyaging past the high school citadel with an expression of certainty.  Making a U-turn at 90th Ave,  circling back towards the school,  once more to entice the bastion with his presence. 

 .  Approaching the school, engaging  a control he had never used before,  automatic windshield washers with a dash mounted delay controls,  the blades of the wipers dispersing  the cleansing spraying water.   The traffic halted in front of the school, Gary reaching down to turn the washer off, not sure of the controls,  a panic, he’s unable to stop the flow,  a  spray of aqueous water continuing with the wipers still activated.  It was apparent, the onlookers having noticed his dilemma, and it was also  apparent they thought the moment humorous.   The slight teenager in the large Fleetwood continued in his attempt to challenge the apparatus, but to no avail.  After exhausting the supply of washer fluid,  the disconcerted embarrassment  came to a halt.   Eyes focused straight ahead,  the reticent youth retired  to the journey home up over 82^nd Ave.

.  Gary wasn’t troubled with the news,  the explanation was plausible.  His Aunt having called propagating the  advice from the estate attorney,  the prestigious San Francisco Italian Alioto Law firm,  the Cadillac Fleetwood was deemed property of the estate and would have to remain in storage until settlement.  The use of the Fleetwood was apropos to its name as it was fleeting, Gary drawing a conclusion from his experience,   opulence is earned,  not bestowed.

.  It was totally unexpected, Gary’s dad trading in the 48 Chevrolet Stylemaster, a 1956 Plymouth Belvedere V8 taking up residence at the Willson household.  Gary was somewhat elated, but the rules about cruising after school were still in effect, but on occasion he would surreptitiously make an exception.  On one occasion inviting his younger neighbor Milton (Babe) Pepitone, who was his sister Kay’s age to accompany him on a short jaunt after school.  The two heading northeast on Mountain Blvd to the recently completed Warren Freeway section to the Caldecott tunnel turnoff. 

.  Returning back, Gary noticing the traffic was flowing at 70 mph, turning to Babe asking if he had every been over 100 mph in a car.  Babe answered in the negative, Gary having never driven that fast,  put the pedal to the metal, watching the speedometer surpass the 100 mph mark, immediately backing down to the speed limit.  Once home he cautioned Babe not to say anything to anybody about what they just did.  It was several weeks later, Gary’s Dad when mentioning his using the family car to go to Dale Spady’s house in Castro Valley without asking, slipped in a directive,  he also didn’t want to hear about any 100 mph speeding tickets.  The Teenager was amazed how Parents intuitively perceived information about supposed unspoken about events

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