1967: Angels, Nurses and Little Mermaids

A look back at Lemon Grove, 44 years ago this week.

Angels Unaware: Arthur Thomas, principal of Monterey Heights School and a Lemon Grove resident, teamed with Mrs. Norman Merrill, Bakersfield Street, to head the holiday bazaar and open house of Angels Unaware, the East County chapter of the San Diego Association for Retarded Children launched in 1959. The weeklong event started Nov. 16 in observance of National Retarded Children's Week.  

Held at the Angels Unaware Center in El Cajon, the event invited the public to tour the facility, meet the teaching staff and purchase toys, antiques, fine art and baked goods in support of the center.

Thomas and Merrill capped a four-year effort to locate Angels Unaware in its own facility instead of shifting the program among six temporary sites. Some 50 children, ages three and older, were served by the center.  

At the time, public schools had no programs for these special-needs children.  Said Thomas, “As I mingle and visit with the pupils their friendliness and happiness impresses me deeply. How sad it would be if there were no such place as this center for these children.”

Big Lemon Doused: Halloween night vandals splashed a gallon of black paint on the Big Lemon. Local Constable Hal Johnston pursued the teens, who escaped. But Elza Troxel, working late in her hardware store across the street at 10 p.m., spotted the incident. She and her husband, using the store's stepladders, paint thinner and rags, worked until 4 a.m. to remove the paint.

“It was the least we could do for our town mascot,” the Troxels said.

Bob Russell and some helpers had repainted the Big Lemon only weeks earlier.  Horrors.  Was nothing sacred?

Stella, Stella! The move to new quarters at 7919 Broadway prompted Stella's Beauty Salon to morph into Stella's House of Glamor “with better, better service” and “a new, new name.”

 A mere mention of the relocation ad (“We've moved, moved!”) to Stella, Sammie, Kathy, Emilie or Sarah got you a $1 haircut (regularly $2.50) or a $2 shampoo and oil set (regularly $3.50).  

Woo! Woo!

Eat, Pray, Shop:  Lemon Grove churches geared up for the holidays:

St. Phillip the Apostle Episcopal Church planned a Christmas Carnival with a turkey dinner, games, a decorating contest, and a bazaar featuring handmade nativity figures and “mystery packages.”

The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints planned a “homemade bakery,” a candy store and a turkey dinner.  

First Baptist Church of Lemon Grove urged all to turn out to “eat, paint and buy” in an effort to spruce up the youth center.  

Junior Catholic Daughters at St. John of the Cross Church made 30 stuffed animals for Project Handclasp, which they introduced to Lemon Grove Junior High students as “a way to reach out to the poor in poor countries during the holiday season.”

Little Mermaids: Lesley Carlson, 11, Dayton Street, and Lisa Goodwin, 12, Palm Street (and daughter of Lemon Grove Review editor Max Goodwin), won trophies for winning more points in their age class during the 1967 season of the La Mesa Swim Team Association.

Care Packages: Mount Miguel High School sophomores Chris Mosa, Stephanie Dean and Carole Rhaknecht packed boxes of homemade fudge to send to U.S. soldiers in Vietnam after raising $12 for ingredients with 5-cent contributions from other students.

Mosa's boyfriend was home on leave after being hit in the head with a grenade. The girls learned from Mrs. Eva Allen of the Monterey Heights neighborhood that packages sent in care of Uncle Sam netted a reduced rate and that addresses should be covered in cellophane to avoid being washed out by the monsoon rains of Vietnam.

Bond Search: During a special publicity tour for the press, Nurse Janet Howardson, Daytona Street, demonstrated Grossmont Hospital's latest intensive care cardiac monitor.  

Heart patients were connected to the monitor via cardioscopes in each room. The on-duty nurse checked on all patients simply by pushing a button that switched from one patient to the next. With only five cardiac units, the hospital hoped the Nov. 28 vote on an $8 million bond would succeed and support more cardiac equipment and a new 10-story wing.  

In his “Dimmer View” column, Lemon Grove Review editor Max Goodwin opined, “The hospital bond should be voted down. It will add 8 million dollars to the tax burden already besetting property owners of the district.”

Goodwin also assailed “conflict of interest” when hospital doctors served on Grossmont's board of directors.

Paper's Plea Produces Pooch: After a big, playful mutt bit 6-year-old Lonell Woosley, daughter of the Glenn Woosleys, Madera Street, the pooch ran home where his owners were none the wiser.  

But the Woosleys notified the Lemon Grove Review, expressing concern that Lonell might need painful anti-rabies shots if the dog couldn’t be located. The next day a reader said the dog—Rex—lived a few doors away.  

The Woosleys rushed to the address and —voilà!—a healthy Rex, contrite owners and good news for Lonell. Ah, the joys of a free press!

Compiled by Helen Ofield, president of the Lemon Grove Historical Society, from newspapers archived at the H. Lee House Cultural Center.