Definition of Opinion:  A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.

Please be respectful to others with differing opinions. 

Mike Lorts

I grew up around 36st and Campbell. My friends and I would take off on our bikes to spend the day exploring all of the orchards and canal banks. Our lunch usually consisted of citrus. We would return home late afternoon. Our parents never worried. If it was summer we'd swim in the canal and watch the dead animals float by. The was a rope hanging from a tree that was so much fun to swing on and drop into the canal. No video games.

Side note: We would put playing cards in the spokes of our bikes. That made a sound we thought was similar to a Harley Davidson.

Jim Coats

Once again someone/something has attempted to open a VISA CC in my name at BofA.  I have slapped them down in the past and have safeguards at all Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies (CCRA) to throw a flag on the play, but this is the 3rd attempt.  BEWARE!

IF you get a notice of a CC app. being processed and it ain't yours (my notice came in at 3 a.m. today via email), contact the Fraud Department of the card issuer (bank) and get it stopped.  BofA was helpful, but I'm wondering why it's always them????  Next step might be to contact the CCRA's to tell them NYET!!

Frank Wiley

Hollywood makes a bunch of crummy movies so I'm hesitant to go sometimes.  I just finished watching one of the best movies I've ever seen.  "The Boys in the Boat" is very good and well worth your time!!  Enjoy!!

David Rainwater

Grapefruit trees along 36th avenue: I remember rolling big fat grapefruits across 36th with my brothers aiming to have a car roll over and smash them (until a car stopped dead on the road and we ran like hell).  

Greg Watkins

Mary Powers (Evans)

Mike Lorts

Greg,

Some of the Pink Sidewalk still exists. I currently drink water from that reservoir and I hope there aren't a bunch of delinquents swimming in my ice tea. When a bunch of us would swim in the reservoir I don't recall any of us getting out to pee.

Mike Lorts

I remember my family picking and squeezing the citrus. We would cut the tops off 1/2 gallon milk cartons and fill them with juice to freeze.

I also remember that my mom had these metal frames that she would put in the pant legs and hang them on the clothesline to dry. 

Bill RIHS

Yep! Biltmore reservoir, been there done it. My wife laughed at my metal pants/levis stretchers after we were married. I used them when mom was not around(at UofA) to iron, worked great and wish I still had them. Most of my time as a kid was playing in the canals and laterals (they are all underground now). I remember the huge cottonwood tree with a tire swing over the canal about 40th st. Climbing Camelback was great back in the day, no homes. Cub Scouts camping our in echo canyon, north side of Camelback. I have said it before and I'll say it again; We grew up in the best of times.

Bill Kaehler

Some fond memories that have stuck with me for many years now . . .

• Snacking on and absconding with pecans from the orchard across the street ( near 28^th St and Osborn Rd).. Last I looked, there were still two or three old trees left from that orchard, lining a short section of 28^th.  The rest of the orchards were replaced with apartments and homes.
• Riding bikes with friends up as high as we could go on Camelback Mtn., then gliding down the road at speeds no bicycle should have gone.  I think there was a curve on the way down, that we nicknamed “dead man’s curve”.
• Picking pomegranates from wild bushes on the side of the road, somewhere around 36^th and Camelback (I think), and eating as much as we could from the fruits.
• Believe it or not, I really enjoyed getting up at 5:30 am to throw an Arizona Republic newspaper route.

Michael Kelly

I remember visiting the Grapefruit Groves and eating the fruit north of Indain School Road and 36th Street, and also swimming in the Canals that existed back then. I also remember swimming in the Water Reservoir for Biltmore Hotel. It was cool clear water, and the Reservoir was covered with Tin Roofing. Some of it had been ripped off and we could run and dive through the opening into the Cool Water. There was also a road on the side of Camelback Mountain that we called Suicide Hill and we would ride our bikes down that Hill. It was a pretty risky adventure because at the bottom of the Hill was a 90 degree right turn, which if you did not make it meant going into the desert and into cactus and rocks. I remember delivering Newspapers in the mornings for the Arizona Republic. There was a Bakery at the AJ Bayless store at 36th Street and Indian School Road, and I could knock on the back door in the morning and the Baker would sell me Donuts and I could stop a Milk Truck and buy Chocolate Milk and have breakfast in the early morning. Those were fun times.

Frank Wiley

I've told this story before but here it is again.  My Az Republic paper pick up station was a Union 76 Station on the Northeast corner of 24 and Indian School Road.  On the NW Corner was Tangs Market.  Remember back in '61 they didn't lock the gas pumps and sometimes there was some gas left in the hose.  There were no sidewalks at that time and the corner Tangs was on had a bunch of weeds and in the winter they were dormant and dry.  Joe De Luca had one of the routes out of that station and his family had moved from New York City to Phoenix in about 1958.  He would always brag about how they would make Malatof Cocktails in NYC.  We would always tell him he was full of it.  Well one winter morning before sun up we had our papers wrapped and loaded, and in our bags on our bikes and Joe grabbed a empty Coke bottle (remember the used ones would be in those wooden crates) filled it with gas, and made a paper fuse/wick.  Someone dared him to light it and he did.  He threw it across 24th Street and it landed on the blacktop and shattered.  The gasoline ignited in the dried weeds in a ball of flame.  You never saw paperboys scrambling like we did.  My route was to the Southwest of 24th and Indian School (Amelia, Fairmont, etc.) and I could hear the fire engines while I delivered at least half my route.  Thank God the fire didn't do any damage!!

DeWitt Bacon

Thanks for all the memories. I remember many of the places you've mentioned. Do you remember the place we called "Ship Rock" or maybe just "The Ship"?. I believe it was north of Camelback, or maybe Indian School , and 32nd St. 32nd ended just north of that on a short dirt road. It had been a large house that a fire had destroyed. Two large chimneys stood tall above the foundation, making it look like a ship. Wesley Hauver and I would ride our bikes up there and mess around. To the east was only desert. We rode our bikes out there one day and found a large hole in the ground. It was big enough for us to fall into, so we laid down in the sand and belly-crawled over to look down. We couldn't see the bottom so Wes dropped a rock down. It seemed like it took a long time before we heard it hit the bottom. As near as we could figure, it was an attempt to find water so that the land could be developed. 

I'm sure you remember "Cudia City." " the movie studio that burned down. (or at least the restaurant). We rode out there one day and down the adjacent canal. We found a hole in the fence and went in.  We played around in there for a while and left. We went back again sometime later, and this time, the Police caught us.  He was friendly but read us the riot act. He didn't charge us with trespassing, but he took our names and said he would if we were caught in there again. We never went back. lol

Jim Coats

Cudia City was at 40th St. & Camelback, North side, I'm pretty sure.  This was where the TV series 26 Men was filmed...about Arizona Rangers.  I can still sing part of the theme song in my head.  Here it is, to the best of my memory without Googling it:

This is the story of 26 men

Who rode the Arizona Territory.

Brave was the story of 26 men......(and this is where my memory starts to fail me.)?????

26 men, who lived to ride again,

Rode out in answer to the call..............?????

I have a picture of Ricky Horstmeyer, Greg Gayne and somebody else when my Mom took us there one day.  We were probably in 5th or 6th grade, probably a Cub Scout outing because she was our Den Mother.  I have NO memory of the day.  Only the picture.

Jim Coats

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW, FRANK!!

You're a good friend and a good guy.  I'm proud to know you.

Semper Fi!

Frank Wiley

Thanks Jim!!  One of my best presents is that in my "Old" age I am never too old to make new Friends, which you are one!!  

Mike Lorts

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANK!🎂🎉

Dennis Moran

Happy Birhday Frank

I subbed for Bill Goosic....I was terrible ....it was cold and wet and the route Bill gave me was written in pencil.  it was smugged...i was able to deliver 1/2 of his route...thank goodness they were good addresses.. his route was very hard .... it was like bits and pieces.. he and his family had to deliver the rest of the route...me  I was sick for a couple of days... I had/have sinus trouble so I was in bed...never did a route after that... I rememer Harry Sanchez was thinking about letting me sub hus route....it was easy in our neighborhood a couple of regular streets..didn't do it...I even did a Donut route...tought job didn't make much ... one day...sinus trouble... the story of my life my nose got me into it....My only fight at Camelback after football practice Frank Erickson wacked me in the nose...i had a red liquid experience that ended my boxing career.  So if you all get pissed with me; just hit me in the nose...I tend to give up quickly.

Fire;  on Campbell  west of 24th street between St. Thomas school and the trailer park.....their was a christian church with 3 large crusifixs in the front..Me an another set the field on fire ....we were too stupid to run away we somehow put it out.....as a  kid I got real good playing with dirt..its ok I was allergic to it, the night air and christmas trees. We were lucky the crosses didn't catch...it would of made klansmen everywhere stand up and take notice......On my good side they had the prettiest sunflowers plants.

I was a firemanniack...my cure was lighting a towel on the refrigerator and putting it out while my parents had friends over and they were in the living room.  It scared the shit out of me....after that I was extremely careful with fire.

I loved hearing a story with Ricky Horsmeyer in it .....sorry about the spelling.  He was my friend when I was a senior...he was/is the coolest.. loved his convertible...wow. it was fun riding with him.

Who remembers the brothers (Rod Busters) at Camelback who rode cushman motor scooters... I got to ride to my house on the back of one...don't recall their names but I had a great time knowing them.

Ok ,who was at Tangs market it just oppened and a popular kid show UNCLE PHILS was on and between St Thomas grade schoolers and Madison 2 they destroyed uncle phil....the kids took over and Phil was off the air.  I was in 8th grade....yes Fred DonDerra was their lol

Dennis.

David Rainwater

I had an AZ Republic route for a couple of years as well.  My route was on 37th from Thomas to Weldon (where I lived).  I remember my hands getting so cold in the mornings (never thought to wear gloves - maybe because I didn't have any).  I remember getting chased often by Queenie - a German shepherd who lived near 37th and Osborn - and trying to pedal with both legs on the non-queenie side of the bike - a Schwinn Paperboy Special with a spring in the front.  Finally, I remember getting paid and tipped with two dollar bills from the track...man, I wish I'd kept them!

DeWitt Bacon

My son had a morning paper route. It seemed to rain a lot then, so his mother and I drove him. First, he had to pick up the papers. All the sections were delivered separately, so he would have to collate, fold, and put them into plastic bags. Sunday paper was a real B*tch. It seemed to take forever. On some of his routes, he could throw them from the car, but he had some that he had to get out of the car and place them by the door. He made good money but we were both glad when he got tired of it and quit.

Frank Wiley

Thanks for the birthday wishes!!  A couple people were writing about coasting their bikes down mountain roads.  I never did that but here's a Skateboard story.  Remember when skateboards first came out they were about half the size as the ones today and they had narrow steel wheels.  One day Larry Johnson and I got the bright idea to drive downtown on a Sunday to a Parking Garage (at least we were smart enough to go on Sunday when there wasn't hardly any traffic)!  Well you can imagine what happened when we picked up speed as gravity accelerated us down the ramp.  I say we but I know I crashed.  No helmet, no gloves.  Never did that again!  David R.--I never wore gloves either because they were too thick to grip the papers good enough to throw them.

Michael Wetzel

Frank, here's wishing you a great, happy Birthday, and many more ! Although, I'm jealous of you. You can sky, and I have trouble just with walking half the time. As my Son used to say, ' not fair ' ...........

Bill RIHS

Happy birthday Frank🎂 and many more!

Jim Coats

A man goes to a shrink (sorry Bill) and says, "Doctor, my wife is unfaithful to me.  Every evening she goes to Larry's Bar and picks up men.  In fact, she sleeps with anybody who asks her!  I'm going crazy.  What do you think I should do?"

"Relax," says the Doctor.  "Take a deep breath and calm down.  Now, tell me, exactly where is Larry's Bar?"

The pessimist complains about the wind.  The optimist expects it to change.  The realist adjusts his sails.

Frank Wiley

Just so everyone knows-----I've never been the Larry's Bar!!