I've had NO new information on any of my former classmates.
I have not received any updates from Walt's daughter.
So, I've decided to officially end my quest for closure on this part of my life.
I will keep this blog up and running until EARLY 2026, because you never know what might happen.
Hej så länge.
The C.A.F. is located at Camarillo Airport.
I wrote a letter to the C.A.F. regarding Walt. They proceeded to forward my letter to one of Walt's daughters. Well, the daughter that read my letter, sent me a reply... I am extremely happy about that.
I'm writing this during the month of March 2022, and Walt is 91 years old... And I'm NOT surprised by that!
I finally have a TINY BIT of CLOSURE.
If any of my classmates are reading this, please contact me in the comments section. If you do NOT want me to make your comments public, then simply say so.
I do NOT know if this will be my last post....
On a warm and windless sunny day, Mr. Metcalf took our class photo. It was taken in front of our main classroom (a quonset hut). I never got a copy of it, and I don't know how many of my classmates received one. At this point in time, I've given up all hope of ever seeing it, and that hurts me very much.
Photo above is from WIKIPEDIA.
Below are screengrabs and quotes from the movie ONE HOUR PHOTO....
Sy: "These snapshots are their little stands against the flow of time. The shutter's clicked, the flash goes off and they've stopped time just for the blink of an eye. And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this; I was here. I existed. I was young. I was happy and someone cared enough about me in this world, to take my picture"
Above is a screengrab from a YOUTUBE video review of MIDCENTURY MEMORIES (posted by ON THE NATURE OF LIGHT). The book is published by TASCHEN.
One last rant.... What ever happended to COMMON COURTESY?
As a general rule, there are at least four answers to any given question. Those answers are, "YES, "NO", "MAYBE", and "I DON'T KNOW". There aren't many legit excuses for NOT answering.
Just for the record, I've asked questions via, social networks, forums, website forms, emails, and snail mails (I almost always enclose an S.A.S.E.)... and yet, I only got THREE replies!
To all the individuals that ignored my requests for help, I say this, I hope when you need answers, you get treated the same way.
I hope at least one of my classmates, or someone that knew one of them, reads this blog. The same goes for anyone that knew our instructor, Walt Metcalf.
It's time for me to say goodbye.....
While using GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH, I found a group photo of the Santa Paula High School class of 1981. I saw a bigger version of the image, and cropped what MAY be one of my former ROP classmates.
LUCINDA VARGAS, is this you?....
A few months ago, I sent a physical letter to the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Unfortunately, I have NOT received a reply.
As I've said many times before, I've been trying for a LOOOOONG time to get a class list and class photo. But, I have failed miserably.
To Holly Callero, Lucinda Vargas, Monica Willesvrund, Susan Davenport?, Terri/Terry/Terrie Callahan, Diane Scott?, Molly/Mollie?, Tom Ogden?, Troy/Todd?, Steven/Stephen?, Charles Honea?, Camaro dude, Friend of Camaro dude... please contact me via this website.
If anyone is related to - or knew - our instructor Walt Metcalt, please contact this blog.
I'm still trying to find digital copies of high school yearbooks. I'm hoping, I can find photos of my classmates. They may have attended.....
BUENA HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
VENTURA HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
RIO MESA HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
CHANNEL ISLANDS HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
SANTA CLARA HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
HUENEME HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
ADOLFO CAMARILLO HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
SANTA PAULA HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
NORDHOFF HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
OAK PARK HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
SIMI VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
NEWBURY PARK HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
MOORPARK HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
THOUSAND OAKS HIGH SCHOOL 1980/1981
That's it for now.....
I deleted my INSTAGRAM account a few hours ago, I never should have joined. I made NO progress using INSTAGRAM.
Above are a few movie posters from 1981.
As I've stated before, I found one classmate on INSTAGRAM. Unfortunately, she would NOT even acknowledge my existence! All she had to do, was tell me, she didn't want to talk about those days... that's it. It's NOT rocket science!
Above are a few interior pages from 1981 car brochures.
Another classmate seems to have a LINKEDIN account. However, I have NO legitimate reason - or desire - to join that website.
Above are a few album covers from 1981.
This has been a very disheartening experience.
I have run out of ideas.....
Above, I'm NOT certain, but I think the trailers and cars were being used by some of the BACK TO THE FUTURE crew, when they were working in Hueneme... the photo was taken by me.
NOTE - This will be my last regular post on this blog - UNLESS I make some progress.
Memories... The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the downright horrendous. Below are a few random memories, and rants, of my time in Southern California.
In June 2021, it will be FORTY YEARS since ROP graduation. I can't fucking believe it!
I have so many questions, and I know that most of them will probably never be answered.
My years in Southern California were a surreal experience. There were too many bizarre incidents to count. It was like being stuck in a David Lynch movie... That's NOT as much fun as it sounds.
I also remember the countless social misfits/hippies in several of the neighborhoods I lived in. I learned a lot from them... Like what? Don't ask... ha-ha-ha.
Above, Conejo Grade... I simultaneously loved and hated it.
Some of my elementary school pals were always spreading ridiculous rumours about the manson family and the zodiac killer. They would tell anyone that would listen..."They're hiding somewhere in Conejo Grade".... I know names are supposed to be capitalized, but I REFUSE to give KILLERS that courtesy.
Most of the time, I loved Conejo Grade. However, there were times, when driving that part of the 101 would scare the shit out of me.
Above are screengrabs from a documentary called, EARTHQUAKE! (by THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS).
The 1971 San Fernando earthquake was my first earthquake, and I still haven't forgotten it. That experience was NOT a good sign of things to come.
Above is a short article about a murder at one of my schools.
I hated almost every school I attended. Bigoted teachers and staff, getting into fights with bullies, humiliation/degradation of children by so-called adults, and inappropriate touching of children. NOT all of those things happened in the schools I attended in California, but most did. Just for the record, the school I hated the most was located in Indiana.
High school got off to a bad start. There were mutilations of small animals in the neighborhood next to my school. That should have sounded alarm bells for everyone, not just law enforcement. But, it was ignored. If I remember correctly, there were also decapitations and other types of mutilations of farm animals, at my school. However, I think that occured during a different time frame.
Above are articles directly related to a murder at my school... The only good NAZIs are DEAD NAZIs!
One night, a student was murdered, and another student was mutilated and left for dead. That was followed by rage, finger pointing, and more hate. Then NAZIs came to town. There were also anti-fascist groups - they were NOT communist groups, as some of the right-wing reporters stated. It all reached a boiling point at the local convention center. A riot took place. Some of the media reported over three hundred people. I was there, and in my opinion, the number was at least five hundred. I hit a couple of NAZIs on the side of the head with a tree branch. Weeks later, I could still hear the sound of the branch hitting their faces - I couldn't get it out of my mind. Do NOT misunderstand me, I have NO regrets about what I did, I just feel angry that I was put in a position of having to defend myself.
I hated the city my high school was located in. Most of that town deserved to be burned to the ground. That's how I felt at the time, and I still feel that way.
When I graduated high school, it felt like I had been released from prison, for a crime I had NOT committed.
Writing is therapeutic, and if I ever finish my book, I imagine, it will feel like I've finally stopped carrying a refrigerator on my back.
Above, KROQ as we knew it, is GONE.... Also some screengrabs of VOICE OF THE BEEHIVE and THE ROMANTICS.
I loved dancing with leggy valley girls, and listening to KROQ. At the time, I didn't care how silly I looked. Why?... Because the other people looked even sillier. Plus, I just didn't give a shit!
Above is a plastic bag from one of my favorite store chains... PIC 'N' SAVE.
I loved attending events held at the original version of the Los Angeles convention center. I also loved Point Mugu rock and Malibu.
I also miss SANTA MONICA PLACE. It was a mall across from the Third Street Promenade. It was one of my favorite ENCLOSED shopping centers - it's now an open air mall... BOO-HISS!.
Hanging out at the pier was also a pleasant way to relax.
There were two international newsstands close to the mall. One was at a place that rented mail boxes, and the other was at the promenade.
Above are sreengrabs from a documentary called THE LOST TAPES: L.A. RIOTS (by the SMITHSONIAN CHANNEL).
Companies were leaving California in droves, and the riots only made things worse. A lot of people forget, that the riots affected the entire state, and the whole country.
I loved California. However, I could no longer afford to live there. So, I left in the early nineties.
Above are a few of my favorite cities in California.
Despite the bad experiences, I also had a lot of good times, and those are the moments I want to hold on to. That's why my ROP class is important to me.
The twelfth grade was my only decent memory of high school, and my ROP class was the sole reason for that.
I've posted about this before, and I'm going to do it again, there's NO official record of who attended our class. It's as if we never existed.....
I'm still looking for information on the ROP GRAPHIC & COMMERCIAL ART class of 1981 - instructor Walt Metcalf.
I also want info on the history of ROP.
Questions....
1 - When did ROP begin at the Camarillo Airport campus?
2 - When did one - or more - of the original classrooms burn down?
3 - When did the original ROP campus get demolished?
4 - When did the NEW campus open?
5 - When did they change the name from ROP to CAREER EDUCATION CENTER?
I found one of my classmates on INSTAGRAM - and a few other websites. That made me happy. However, she never responded to any of my messages. She won't even acknowledge my existence. Just for the record, I never did anything bad to her.
I also found a second classmate - seventy percent certain. But, I've ruled out trying to contact her via LINKEDIN. That website is NOT a social network. So, I don't know what to do next.
Holly Callero, I hope you find this blog. You were one of the sweetest persons, I've ever met. I wanted to apologize to you, for some stupid things I said.
I also wanted to explain what prompted me to behave like an idiot. I never got a chance to do that, because you and Terry/Terri never attended the last day of class. I know it was a trivial incident, so you probably don't remember or care, but I do. I can count the number of times I've been intentionally mean to someone, on one hand.
Holly Callero, if you're reading this, please contact me via this blog or my INSTAGRAM page.
Above, our last class assignment. We had to design a poster for the 1981 Ventura County Career Expo. This was my lame entry. One of my classmates had their design turned into the official poster. The winning design was beautiful, and well-thought-out. That person was truly talented, and deserved to win... My ROP I.D. is also pictured.
I can't find my other classmates. I feel disappointed.
I also want to find the CLASS PHOTO that Walt took. At this point, I'd settle for online yearbook photos of all my classmates.
Above is one of my ROP report cards... Yes, I still have them.
I don't know my way around most social networks, and I do not want to be part of them. That makes finding people more difficult.
I'm an ANALOG PERSON lost in a DIGITAL WORLD.....
