A Place to Call Home: Taking a stroll through memory lane

Spring, plus turning 86, has spurred me on to weeding and shredding and have unearthed some interesting newspapers from the past to share.

As we travel down memory lane, how many remember Gebhart Jewelers, Piccadilly Family Restaurant, Cloud Sandals, Yellowstone Bus Company and Deli (they had great ice cream) Sassy’s Hair & Skin specialists and Jenny’s Place, where pictures of movie stars who had eaten there, covered the walls?

Vons was also having a July 4^th sidewalk sale with 25-cent hot dogs and 10 cent cokes, so says an advertisement in the June 11, 1980 issue of Coast Dispatch newspaper, which is also a memory.

In the same issue, Duane H. Knutson advertised Cardiff lots for $70,000; a home with a pool for $150,000 and brand new homes for $204,000.

His ad read: “We are living in the Best of all Possible Places, the Best of all Possible Times, and in the Best of all Possible Worlds.”

The Aug. 27, 1980 issue of the San Dieguito Citizen carried a story and picture of Diane Burton and her efforts to start a Cardiff-by-the-Sea Historical Society. She recalled growing up thinking they owned the beach, and how they could lie on Birmingham Avenue in summer nights and never see a car.

She further remembered the day the first gas station was opened where the current 7-Eleven is today. There were balloons, food, plus music and the drummer in the band was the father of our famous surfer, Linda Benson.

Coming back from the days of yesteryear, my house guest and I took a stroll through Carpentier Parkway recently to see my late husband’s memorial tree and I was totally shocked at the obvious lack of attention and the condition of the parkway and wonder what happened to the rose bushes that were planted under Linda Lee’s watch.

This linear strip has been maintained with many volunteer hours and periodic funding through the years, and it saddened me to see the deterioration of the front garden of Cardiff-by-the-Sea’s business district.

Reading By Design is the summer reading program at the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library along with many other interesting, fun happenings so stop in and enroll your young reader. There will be interesting prizes.

While there pick up the calendar for other appealing events you won’t want to miss. Be sure to drop into the Book Nook where you will find quality books at bargain prices, and by joining the Friends of the Library, you may select five books at half price every Monday.

Enjoy the summer and the beach, reading books you purchased at the Book Nook, the Library, plus excellent food including Seaside Market’s dining under the umbrellas.

These are but a few of the things our jewel has to offer and it is why Cardiff-by-the-Sea is the place we love to call home year after year.

A founding and life member as well as past president and current board member of the Friends of the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Library, Irene has lived here since 1982.