What does America mean to you?
by Bill Swank
Kay Chau and Tek Heng were neighbors in Cambodia. Kay arrived in San Diego as a refugee in 1979. Tek went to Seattle. Through their families, they got together, married and, in...
Christmas Traditions in Clairemont
In the 1950s, Clairemont was facetiously known as "wage monkey heaven." The term might seem indelicate to readers with contemporary sensitivities and hefty mortgages, but Clairemont was originally a place where a working stiff...
Who’s Who in Clairemont?
By Bill Swank
Contrary to common misconception, Clairemont is not named after former U.S. Congressman Clair Burgener. He has a street named for him, but not the entire community.
Google "Clairemont" and you will learn that 80,000 of...
Clairemont’s First Baseball Team
By Bill Swank
60 years ago, San Diego Park & Recreation leader Chuck Hile organized and outfitted Clairemont’s first baseball team: The Clairemont Colonials.
Mel Rizzo, 75, who still resides in Clairemont, was a hard-hitting catcher...
Swank’s Take on Valentine’s Day
How many remember this verse from Janice Ian’s poignant recording, “At Seventeen?”
"To those of us who knew the pain/Of Valentines that never came…"
I remember putting Valentine cards into pink and red heart-covered boxes we...
How Does Clairemont Celebrate Christmas?
In the 1950s, P.B. was cool. Clairemont was searching for an identity.
Shopping centers in residential communities were cutting-edge in the Fabulous Fifties. South Clairemont had the Quad at Burgener and Clairemont Drive. North Clairemont...
The Soldier’s Heart
Early every morning, for over 34 years, I jogged (and later walked) the same three mile route through Clairemont, around Marston Junior High School to the south end of the Buena Vista Gardens Apartments...
Santa Claus at Clairemont Christmas Park
Message to all the kids in Clairemont:
You can still find Santa Claus every evening at Clairemont Christmas Park! (Mt Abernathy Dr. & Jamar/Lana Dr. 92117 behind Madison High School)
Santa (left) is shown with his...
The Worst Player on the Worst Basketball Team in Indiana
By Bill Swank
In 1949, the Kewpies were the worst basketball team in the entire state of Indiana.
I was an eight-year-old third grader when my family moved to Columbia City, Indiana. I'd never played basketball...
What happened to Good Citizenship?
With the start of a new school year, I reflect on my own early education.
My first day as a first grader at William Tecumseh Sherman Primary School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin remains an indelible memory. It...