What turned into a lost and found inquiry phone call ended up being a history lesson on Clairemont & Linda Vista.
Last night I received a call from a long time Clairemont resident named Jerome, although he goes by Tom. He’s an 86 year young fella who called me to see if we had a lost and found in our newspaper. I said not right now, but we can.
Tom remembers where and when he lost his money clip it was October 2nd Friday afternoon about 4 pm at the “gas station in the Northwest corner of Clairemont & Clairemont Mesa Blvd”. Tom could care less about the money he would just like the money clip back as it was a gift from a “lady friend” and it has great sentimental value.
He said he spoke with the clerk, but no one turned one in. So if you happen to have it, it would mean a great deal to him if it could be returned. Please call me (858 752-9779) if you found it so I can relay the information to Tom. I asked him for a description he said “just a plain old silver money clip, nothing fancy about it at all, except that it means so much to me.”
Tom had a couple of cool old stories and was apologizing profusely about taking up my time. It was my pleasure. We’re going for coffee next week, he mentioned “if you want maybe something even stronger.”
He is a graduate of Kearny High School class of 1947 and lived in Linda Vista, bought his first house in Linda Vista as well for $5,690. How did he pick out his house? You went down to the county building downtown they gave you 10 pieces of tape, and a map with addresses. You found the house, put a piece of tape on the house you wanted and if it was not spoken for well that is was the house you bought. Tom could not say enough about how much he loved living in Linda Vista and now Clairemont as the original owner of his house.
As a kid the school teachers always said stay away from the fields on Balboa. (The fields he was referring to was where the International House of Pancakes is located today on Balboa Ave and Mt Abernathy, the fields were on the north side of Balboa what is now apartment complexes.) Tom started chuckling to himself “well if the teachers told us not to go there well it was the first place we went.”
The reason being to stay away was because in those days it was a Navy dive bombing range. Targets were set up in the fields, the pilots who dive in, drop their bombs full of white powder to see how close they came to their targets.
Cool stories from a nice old time gentleman. If you have his money clip, please call me (858) 752-9779, no questions asked. He said no questions I have a couple.
