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El Cajon is my city
I grew-up in El Cajon, I would walk to Lexington Elementary school, and Holy Trinity Church. In 1968 we moved from a 2 bedroom apartment located on Concord street to a three bedroom house on Denise Lane. I was in walking distance and would walk to Cajon Valley Junior High where I attended 7th and 8th grades. I remember the first Black student that attended our Junior High, I believe his name was LeRoy McGee, he was a fine athlete. After I bought my first real bike, my yellow Schwinn, "I'm Evil Knievel, I started bike motocross" bicycle, I delivered newspapers for the Daily Californian. While attending El Cajon Valley High School I worked as a part-time dish washer and was promoted to cook at The Top Sirloin Restaurant, now called Ali Ba Ba. At the time the restaurant was owned by a tall white haired, serious yet happy, kind and fair gentleman named Waldo Cleaver. Waldo had to be in his 70's and I remember when he met his new bride, he was as giddy as a teenager. He married that nice lady and give me a bit of advice and words to live by, he said "Don't ever think that you won't find someone, because I never thought that I would fall in love again and here I am getting married". I graduated from El Cajon Valley High School in 1975. I cruised 2nd street and hung out at Parkway Plaza when it was first built. As a pre-teen and a teenager I went to movies every Sunday afternoon at the El Cajon Theater and when it changed hands and became the Pussycat Theater, well I would attend a showing once and a while, tradition, you understand. I met my first love while cruising 2nd street and my 2nd love at Win Cody bar (now torn down). I still drive through El Cajon a couple of times a week. My memories are overwhelming as I see the streets that I use to walk and ride my bike through and the buildings and houses that I use to deliver newspapers to. Mike's Model Shop on Main street, I remember the old house converted into a neighborhood store called "Salazar's Market" on Claydell st. You can't go back but some memories are priceless.— June 27, 2018 5:37 p.m.