Remembering Sacred Heart

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A class at Sacred Heart, 1957

Sacred Heart Catholic School operated from 1949 to 1998 on the grounds of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pomona at Hamilton and Grand. The school educated up to eighth grade; students usually went on to Damien or Pomona Catholic high schools.

A reunion is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2010 at the Ebell Museum of History, 525 E. Holt Ave. For info: (909) 938-1599. The school has a Facebook page with a page of nifty photos, from which the accompanying picture was taken.

Did you attend the school? Feel free to post a comment here about your experience.

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Reading log: September 2010

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Books acquired: “Following the Equator,” Mark Twain; “1000 Record Covers,” Michael Ochs, ed.; “The New York Times Essential Library: Jazz,” Ben Ratliff; “The Innocents Abroad,” Mark Twain; “Exploring Form: John Edward Svenson, An American Sculptor,” David Svenson.

Books read: “The Good, the Bad and the Mad: Some Weird People in American History,” E. Randall Floyd; “The God of War,” Marisa Silver; “A Deadly Shade of Gold,” John D. MacDonald; “Gentleman Junkie,” Harlan Ellison.

Greetings, gang. Welcome to another installment of my monthly Reading Log, this time chronicling a month in which all four books I read had a G-word in the title. Goodness to gracious, what kind of a system am I working under? One with a sense of humor, I guess.

“The Good, the Bad and the Mad” is an intriguing but disappointing series of short profiles of classic nutty Americans, from Stonewall Jackson to Emperor Norton; “The God of War” is a very good coming-of-age novel about guilt and family bonds; “A Deadly Shade of Gold” is the fifth Travis McGee mystery, a bit long and convoluted but stylishly written as always; and “Gentleman Junkie” (subtitled “And Other Stories of the Hung-Up Generation”) is a compelling 1961 collection by the acclaimed fantasy writer, except these are gritty urban tales without fantasy elements.

“God of War,” by the way, was published in 2008, a rare 21st century outing for your classically minded blogger.

As for how and when the books came into my hands, “Good” came off the discount table at the Chino Hills Barnes & Noble earlier this year; “God” was found at Powell’s in Portland this summer; “Gold” was bought used at (I think) Brand Books in Glendale last year; and the ’70s Pyramid paperback of “Gentleman” turned up at Bookfellows in Glendale maybe three years ago. (I’ve also owned an ’80s Ace paperback of “Gentleman” for more than 25 years, unread. Nice to finally cross this off my list.)

These constitute books 39 to 42 in my quest to again read at least 50 this year. Next month I expect to focus on books with an F in the title. Should be, dare I say it, fun.

Enough about me. Have you read any of these? What are you reading?

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P-Nuttles at the Fair

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There’s no official P-Nuttles stand at the L.A. County Fair anymore, although at least one stand does sell the nuts among other products. The stand across from the Clock Tower, the one people remember, didn’t return for the 2009 and 2010 fairs. Some fairgoers fondly recall how employees standing in front of the stand would put a scoop of the toffee-coated peanuts in your hand.

Jean Nist worked at the stand for years going back to the 1970s. Her son Jon Nist and daughter-in-law Ruthie Baudoin sent me the following two snapshots. Jean Nist is behind the counter at left (dig the ’70s threads, man) and being hugged below by a radio newsman whose copter had landed by the stand.

P-Nuttles, introduced to the world in 1946, are still made by Adams & Brooks and can be found in stores. As well as at the Fair, if you know where to look.

“There are two sisters (Kim and Corey) who still give out these samples at one of the fruit smoothie stands which offers P-Nuttles,” Baudoin writes. “The sisters worked with Ms. Jean and Jon back in the day. Long live P-Nuttles and the old stand!”

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An eye-opener at the Fair

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Friday’s column is about “Our Body, the Universe Within,” an unusual exhibit at the L.A. County Fair in which preserved organs and actual cadavers are on display for what are said to be educational and scientific purposes. It’s quite a sight.

You can read more about the exhibit at the official website. Most of the photos that cycle through on the home page are of figures on display at the Fair. The “News, Media and FAQs” section explains how the figures are prepared and where the cadavers come from (which turns out to be China).

Have you seen the exhibit? What did you think? Or what do you think of the whole concept?

Photo courtesy L.A. County Fair

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