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. 

Lester Cox

Jim, you've jogged my memory a bit more. I think it was Skip who came to work at Suggs. As I recall, not too well liked, a bit arrogant and did not treat people that well, at least that was what I was told, as I had already left that company. 

Bill RIHS

Lester, obviously you were intrenched in the home building business. My first home, '76 in Tempe Suggs home at George Drive and Sourhern. It's just east of the 101 now. There was/is a mix of Suggs And Bradley homes mixed in our neighborhood.

Jim, Skip! You got it! Gary Gentry, played him too and  never thought he Was that good, he really was!. He was a Workd Series winning pitcher with the Mets. It's fun trying to bring those memories back.

Bill Randall

   Did anyone deal with Sam Wise of Universal Homes, office was at 24th St. & Indian School? Tom Cole was his grandson, attended Camelback 60 to 62. My Dad did most of his masonary work thru Robert Bradley (36th St & Cambridge). Sam developed homes around 40th & Montecito to 38th[the old Douglas Mansion area]. Guy Apple bought-out Sam in the 70's. That was when Bradley folded, selling to C. Sandoz. Sandoz was the masonary for John F. Long of Maryvale. That allow Sandoz to build up his company for doing the masonary at Sun City. I worked 2 summers[59 & 61] for my Dad, telling me to find a some other type of occupation. 

Frank Wiley

Gary Gentry pitched on the Phoenix College Baseball team in 1966 when they won the National Championship.   He and Tom Burgess were the two best.  ASU grabbed Gary and he pitched for the Sun Devils 1967 Championship team with Dave Grangaard.  Gary was drafted by the Mets and yes he did win game 3 of the '69 World Series. He then went to Atlanta and pitched for a year or two.  I remember that World Series very well because that was the first one I got to watch in a couple of years after coming home from Vietnam.  I really enjoyed it.  I used to play a lot of slow pitch soft ball and played against Skip Hancock a couple times at Pierce Park across from Thomas Mall on the south side.  I didn't know any of the old time builders but in the early 80's went to work for a builder in Flagstaff and then went to work for Robson at Sun Lakes for 20 years.  I talked to Greg Hancock a couple of times at the Homebuilders annual awards banquet.

Jim Coats

When I worked at the "then" Arizona Bank that eventually became Bank of America, we had an annual "touch" football game Thanksgiving morning at Pierce Park in the mid to late 70's.  Thanks for jogging my memory, Frank.

The game was younger bankers....some bank officers and some not....playing against the young lawyers from Ryley, Carlock and Ralston who represented the bank.  Many of the lawyers were previous college athletes who considered themselves studs and most of us were not college athletes...but we grew up on the mean streets.

I mentioned that the game was touch football, right?  2 hands above the waist.  It remained "touch" football for about, oh, I don't know, about 2 plays and then it devolved into full contact, Ninja tackle football.  Our toughest guy was my best friend,  Big John Donovan.  6'4", 210 lbs of muscle, gristle and bone and he was on the line against Ed Hiner, a former college rugby player probably in his mid-30's, and a killer.  When the ball was snapped, the next sound heard was those two colliding with the sound of a thump and lots of growling.  I think the sound could be heard at Thomas Mall.

It seemed like every Thanksgiving morning game day it was COLD and the ground was almost frozen and hard.  We were wearing t-shirts, shorts and sneakers (no pads) and two consecutive years, we had one player knocked out cold for a minute.  I sprained my ankle pretty bad one year...went to the sideline...grabbed a very cold can of Coors out of our ice chest, Ace bandaged the can (intact) to my ankle to keep the (considerable) swelling down and went back in.

I don't think we kept score.  We just quit at one point.  Those were good days.

DeWitt Bacon

All this talk about home builders has got me thinking about John F. Long. After we were married, my wife and I started looking at homes. We looked at some lower-cost John F. Long homes and found one we thought we could afford but would need help with the down payment. We went to my dad to ask him if he would help. When he heard it was a John F. Long home, he read us the riot act. He was in construction and knew what he was talking about. He told us to look at some older Long homes and see how run down they looked after only a few years. Besides that, dad was a strong union man, and Long was non-union; what's more, they used Chinese parts that you could not find replacements for in the hardware store. So that ended that. We rented for a few years until we could find a suitable home. Dad passed away before that, but I think he would have approved.

Lester Cox

Bill, I remember those homes well, yes, Suggs and Bradley. My sister in law and her husband lived in a Bradley in that same neighborhood. I remember Universal homes, I don't recall knowing anyone from that company and I don't think they stayed around long. John F Long, good guy, did a lot for the community, but built pretty crappy entry level homes. I represented Presley homes at 83rd Ave and Indian School so we were in heads up competition. Presley at least built with 2 by 4's. I think Long did a lot of 2 by 3 construction. Maryvale is his legacy. I actually won the very first MAME award given by the home builders association. First year, first award given. It was from marketing excellence in a condo project I was building in Arizona City. First condos ever built in Pinal County and had to educate the planning commission and board of supervisors on what a condo was. Ed Robson who built Sun Lakes is and was a pretty good guy to work with. Built pretty good quality stuff. He was partners with the guy who did Pinewood in Munds Park. They just kind of split the sheets, Ed took Sun Lakes and other guy, whose name escapes me too Pinewood. We tried to sell Arizona City to Ed but he was not a taker. Sun Lakes is a great community and great legacy to Ed. Pierce park...when I met my wife, she actually live just down the street from Pierce park and we would take walks over there while the washing machines were getting laundry done. Oh the days of carrying clothes to the laundry room or laundromat, how I miss those. NOT. One thing that for some reason stands out in my mind is that no young person, will ever know how we would just drive to the airport, park the car, walk about 300 feet and we are seated on the plane we're about to fly on to our destination. No security. And then the guy who put the poison in Tylenol capsules in the 70's, he will be responsible for many of us starving to death because we can't get the frigging package open to eat the food we bought. I'm sure he's rotting in hell now. Thanks all for the memory jogs. 

Frank Wiley

Ed Robson worked for Del Webb as a Vice President.  The reason he did Pinewood was because when he decided to start building he couldn't in the Valley because he had signed a non-compete clause with Del Webb.  He couldn't start a Company within 100 miles.  When the non-compete expired he started opitioning the farm land that Sun Lakes sits on.  Knowing that it would take years to develop he did a couple genius things.  He locked up the water rights and he talked the cotton farmers into lease the land back from him to continue farming it until he was ready to start pushing dirt.  For the first three years there was no daily home mail delivery so Ed talked the Post Office to come out and do a community mail call.  One of Ed's best friends was Eddie Basha and Ed talked him into opening a convenience store which was called "The Busy B."  (B for Bashas).  Although numerous Grocery Chains approached Ed in the following years when they knew Sun Lakes was a success, Ed would not allow any of them in as a thank you to Eddie Basha for the Busy B.    Ed was a Great employer and very loyal to his employees!

Ron Hendrix

Look up Gary Gentry's/ASU's greatest game ever.  Google  "Gary Gentry's Gem" Worth the read.  Also, Greg Hancock still building homes in Chandler. RH

Bill Randall

 Hancocks lived on the NE corner of 38th St. & Glenrosa, next to them was Brad West (class of 64). The Hancocks had  a deep swimming pool that helped while jumping from their Sundeck. Then just North of the Hancocks lived Bob Klim on Montecito, with Tom Smith across the street. Driving thru that old neigborhood is a big challenge, all those homes are completely changed, filling their lots. Many having the old house torn down, except for one wall and adding large rooms. Bob Klim delivered the morning papers in our area, and when his folks would vacation, I got to do his route, with the Circle K on 40th St. as our pick-up point. Sunday's paper required 2 trips. The "stuff" one starts to recall as you Guys write about those past days, thanks for the "jump-Start". Hoping to go to Bill Pennington's on Saturday.

Frank Wiley

Sooo, A White Southerner, (James Carvel) tells a Black Man (Steven A. Smith) to shut up (using bad language including the "F" word), we don't hear a word about racist comments?  Hmmmm?  I guess it's ok if Democrats racially abuse each other?

Lester Cox

Frank, I love that the media still gives Carvel a voice. He's a three time loser and only success was Bill Clintons first campaign for President in 1992. Worked on John Kerry's 2004 loss, Hillary's 2008 loss, Hillary's 2016 loss and one other non presidential campaign which slips my memory, another loss. So his only success is like 33 years ago and they still listen to this disconnected fool who also said without laughing that there was no way Harris was not going to be elected. Love watching the Dems eat their own. Absolute panic taking place as all the crooks in congress from both sides run for cover. Everyday is like waking up in a candy store to see who has had their hand in the cookie jar. As Harry Truman once said, "You can't get rich in politics unless you're a crook." 

Jim Coats

OK gentlemen.

First, it's James Carville.

Second, I agree with what you said.  I do not know why anybody listens to Gollum/Smeagol....I mean, Carville.  Even R's say he's very smart.  I think he's just pissed because he looks like a character out of Lord of the Rings and because he's married to an R.

Frank Wiley

Good observations gentleman!!

Michael Kelly

Carville gets resurrected whenever the Dems cannot find anyone else who can carry a bucket of water for the Party, which means he's pretty low on the Dems Totem Pole. He's also a real reflection of the Dems real sources. Dems are like Carville, they are "Crackers" and use Racism etc. as a way to dominate conversations. They are not who they try and pass themselves off as being. As can be seen, overall, the Dems are a pretty corrupt bunch of opportunists who have been caught redhanded. Billions of dollars in wasted money on bogus causes, and I doubt if ten cents on each dollar made it to where the Labels said they were to go.

Trump got re-elected just in the nic of time. I do believe that to Forge a true Peace in Europe, the Russians must give up all their Nukes, including Submarine Nukes.

Same with the Middle East Iran must give up and have destroyed all of its potential for manufacturing and launching a Nuclear Weapon.

With both areas, anything less is going to just lead to more death and destruction, and no real Peace. You Tube has a whole History lesson for anyone interested in the Crimea Territory, for hundreds of years, right up to the present. 

I don't see Putin as anyone close to being serious at forging a Peaceful Europe, He is fatally defective and incapable of serious negotiations. Get rid of him, and there may be a faint chance. Trump hopefully will not fall for Putin's hoky doke. 

Cheryl Faulkner (Sucato)

Gentlemen, I love all of the memories about "old Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe" days and the names of the home builders brought back lots of them.  When we were younger while driving around town Ed would often point out subdivisions Sucato Masonry had worked on. FYI Ellis Suggs was my Mom's uncle. Did anyone know my cousin Steve Suggs who graduated from Arcadia in 1965?  Hmm, wish I knew how to do a paragraph break.  The purpose of my message is another obituary that was in today's paper.  Miss "G" Gretchen James, the girls' PE coach when we were in school just passed at the age of 96.  She was a very accomplished coach winning the Arizona Coach Association "Coach of the Year" 5 times.  We were pretty terrified of her as I recall.  One more thing.  Did anyone go to Bill Pennington's Celebration of Life?  I would have liked to because we used to see Bill and Marline socially quite often until we all had so many grandchildren that took up most of our time - happily tho.

Jim Coats

I'm asking somebody smarter than me to chime in here.

1.  With all the rhetoric flying back and forth about Ukraine and the Trump/Zelensky war of words, it seems to me that IF the USA and Ukraine could strike a deal where the USA has the right to mine and participate in the profits from rare earth metals in Ukraine...that might just be a way to keep Russia out of Ukraine and solve this s**t show.  Is it logical to think the Russia might back off if the USA had "workboots on the ground"?  Would Russia dare to continue armed aggression IF the USA was actually in Ukraine?? Is this already Trump's plan? Am I reducing the situation to something too simple?  Is the purported corruption of Ukraine leadership too much of a hurdle?

2.  This must have blown past me.  Why does the USA NOT want Ukraine to join NATO?  Is it because of the Article 5 Clause (I think) that says attacking one member is tantamount to attacking all?  That would require USA's military intervention, right?  The USA doesn't want to be forced into an armed conflict with Russia IF we aren't calling ALL the shots, right??  What other reasons are there?

I would appreciate any comments.

Michael Kelly

Jim Coats  I think your 15076 is correct. On both Counts. I don't know what misunderstanding has reared its ugly head between Trump and Zelensky, but I think the Lamestream News Media has something to do with it. Those people seem to prefer people dying as opposed to Ukraine and us forging a deal that would lead to excluding Putin without him being able to do much about it. A very wise Strategic Move.

As a way of trying to figure out how to prevent Russia Launching a Nuke at us, Last night I looked up if the Launch of a Intercontinental Ballistic Missile has a very identifiable Eloctronic Signature that would allow early prevention of a Nuclear Strike at any place in the Globe. In fact, it does have a distinctive electronic signature, and our Scientists have been thinking about exactly this very much ahead of us folk using native intelligence.

The Heritage Foundation has an over 100 page Document on this very Intelligence with Back Up Systems that have either been implemented and/or are in the Works since way back in time when this sort of world spanning Warfare became a Reality of Sorts, with the names of the Accompanying Designations that accompany our Givernments implementation of such Preparations. Sadly, from reading this, many of the early First Strike methids of Prevention have been Sidetracked due primarily doe to Bedgetary Considerations. Sounds all to Familiar don't it, money for Queer comic books in Guatemala or some such, but none to fully implement an Early Strike Prevention Missile or Lazer System for knocking down a Missile just coming out of the Silo in Russia when the  Missile is moving its slowest rate of speed. Seems like its almost pre-planned Failure doesn't it. 

A Partmership with Ukraine seems to be a  very GOOD DEFENSIVE MOVE FOR ALL OF CIVILIZATION and a real Setback for the Rabid Dog in Russia.

Frank Wiley

I think Trump shot his mouth off again when he  called Zalinsky a Dictator and blamed Ukraine in any way for the war which is totally Putin's fault but I have to give Trump credit for trying to rake back some of the billions we have sent to Ukraine.  No one, and I mean NO ONE, in the Biden administration came up with such common sense genius.  Ukraine has been in flux ever since the Berlin Wall went down.  Numerous former countries in the Soviet Socialist Republics almost immediately denounced their alliance to Russia and moved rapidly toward Democracy.  Ukraine wasn't one of them.  They kind of kept themselves in limbo (or purgatory) offering to go to the highest bidder.  I.E. Burisma.  (Hunters cash cow) I think they cozied up to Russia at the same time they cozied up to the West.  What they didn't realize is that the West would forgive them but Putin and Russia would punish them.  

Jack Breese

Cheryl, I was good buds with Steve Suggs in high school.   Walked out his back door to watch the Phoenix Open golf tournament.   We drove to Pinetop in his Corvair convertible and did other unmentionable deeds.  We saw each other often at ASU where he was a Sigma Chi and I was a Fiji.   Regret not going to the 'Baf of Groovies' band reunion a few years back where I know he was attending.   Have you seen him lately?

Lester Cox

Frank, I'm pretty sure Trump knows who started that war in Ukraine. And I'm also pretty sure he is just setting up the negotiations and using his typical tactics of going on offense hard before sittlng at the table. I don't think anyone in their right mind could deny he's a pretty good negotiator, maybe a bit unorthodox, but his outcomes usually are what he is after. What I think his bottom line is ending the war and recovering as much money as he can that we have spent on this. As well, he is after some accountability on funds and resources extended to Ukraine. Pretty sure everyone knows it was Putin who invaded, but lots of underlying factors could exist that I am not privy to that could have lead to the invasion. Just want to see the killing stopped and the demolition of cities end and if feasible, recovery of our expenditures from Russia and Ukraine. I may be all wrong here, but that's my take. 

Frank Wiley

Lester, I totally agree with you!!  I Love what he's doing but I just wish he would not use such hyperbole.  Saying he would end inflation on day one.  End the war in Ukraine on day one.  You get my drift.  I guess I should start looking at the glass that is 3/4 full (or more full).  I saw where Kamala and Hanoi Jane both received awards.  It's too bad the awards weren't posthumous!!

Bill RIHS

10-4 Frank and Lester,  We see this eye to eye! 
 

Jack Breese, who else from our class  besides Ted Mullen were FiGis at ASU?

DeWitt Bacon

Frank and Lester, I think the comments on hyperbole might come from not understanding Trump's mind. I don't claim to have a sharp and intelligent mind like Trump, but I understand some of his thinking. I believe that some of his hyperbole is meant to frustrate the left. In the case of Zelenski and the war in Ukraine, President Trump probably wasn't aware of all the facts pertaining to the war. Remember, The Biden administration cut off his ability to receive intelligence. They did not want him to know what was going on. Trump's administration is working day and night on closing the border, Sending the illegal aliens back, ending the 'BIDEN' wars, cleaning up the fraud and waste of OUR money, and a lot of the other evils of the past administration. Give him a chance.

DeWitt Bacon

My EMAIL TO DOGE.

Email

to: DOGE

From: Lazy Democrat

Subject: 5 things I accomplished last week.

1. Clocked in 5 minutes late and went to the break room for coffee.

2. Stared at my computer for an hour playing video games.

3. Took a coffee break.

4. while in the break room, gossiped about those F***ing Republicans and that despicable Trump

5. Watched the clock tick down the final minutes of my shift.