1972: Campaign Season in Full Swing

A look back at Lemon Grove, 39 years ago this week.

Pols on Parade: With the Nov. 7 election looming, this edition of the Lemon Grove Review was packed with candidates' ads.

Assemblyman Wadie Deddeh alone had four ads, Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin took a half page, the Finance Committee to Re-elect President Nixon blasted Sen. George McGovern for a quarter page, Jessie Osuna said he “is” the county clerk, while Citizens Against the Coastal Initiative took almost a full page to assert that “anyone” could infringe your private property rights “anywhere” in the name of coastal protection.

Grossmont Hospital Grows: The hospital board's seven-year struggle ended when the state's California Health Planning Council finally approved the $10.5 million expansion from 164 beds to 340 beds.

The board had weathered two failed bond measures before 1970 when voters ponied up a 20 cent per $100 of assessed value bond measure. But, by 1972 nothing had happened, threatening to land everyone in court. That's when the Health Planning Council said yes and urged ground-breaking by May, 1973.

The Doctor is In: Dr. Simon Brumbaugh, of the Lemon Grove Medical Group (today, the home of City Hall), became a Charter Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians at its annual meeting in New York City.

In 1971, Brumbaugh was made a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. He served on the board of the California Academy of General Practice and was one of two doctors representing San Diego County on the California Medical Association. He began his Lemon Grove practice in 1952 and, with Dr. Wesley Herbert, built the Lemon Grove Medical Group into a 12-doctor powerhouse of specialists and general practitioners.  

Where is he today? When not globetrotting, he and his wife, Mary Lou, are at home in Spring Valley.

Injured Matador Mends: Tom Sperla, star football player with Mount Miguel High School, sustained a neck injury and was partially paralyzed. An operation restored some use of his legs. He walked for the first time on Oct. 31 according to his father, George Sperla, who ran Village Liquor and Wine Shop.  

Despite losing an ace player, the Matadors were poised to win the Grossmont League gridiron title after thwacking the “flashy but spotty” Granite Hills, the “explosive” Helix, the “superior defense” of Santana and the “bruised and often beaten” Monte Vista and El Capitan.

Tom cheered from the sidelines as Rocky Lancaster, sporting Tom's old uniform, “tackled everyone in sight.”

Purple Turtle Wins the Race: The amusingly named fashion boutique on Broadway that featured cocktail dresses and hats, rhinestone-studded pumps, feather boas and other essentials for more than 30 years was chosen “best of the best” by the Lemon Grove Junior Women's Club.

Members scheduled a fashion show of choice items from Purple Turtle for Nov. 15 in the historic 1909 Women's Club, 2810 Main  St. (where the building thrives today on the campus of First Baptist Church). Club president Cheryl Perry walked the runway with other club members.

Tickets were $2.50 and door prizes came from Walker Scott Department Store, Dutch Cleaners, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hickory Farms, Jack in the Box, The Highlander (when Lemon Grove had a men's specialty store), and the legendary Grove Pastry Shop.

Bankers Go Boo: For Halloween, employees of United States National Bank on Broadway forsook their Florsheims and navy blue suits for red devil horns and hoofs, green witch hats and warty noses, wild West desperado string ties and holsters, and Cowardly Lion whiskers and mane.

Bank manager Bob Guest (disguised as a mere bank teller) gave a green light to these shenanigans as he did every Old Time Days when those same employees eagerly donned “old timey”garb for the parade down Broadway. Oh, where are those costumes now?  

Just Spiffy:  Dutch Cleaners (today, the excellent Palomar Cleaners), 7870 Broadway, was the only game in town since World War II. In 1972, the firm advertised as “dependable cleaners for 30 years” touted its “knit-wear specialists—double knits for that finished look; wash and wear for that custom look.”

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