NORTHVIEW JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, DUARTE, 1962

This is a photo of a 1962 class.  The instructor standing at the right is a Mr. Weaver.  I do not think that he was still teaching there when I arrived in 1969. You can see the original picture and a story by the owner of the picture who is in the photo.  

The only other two photos related to Northview that I can find are these:  

This yearbook note was penned by Rick Larsen inside my Northview yearbook, guessing that the year was 1970.  It's one of those things that meant so much to me because Rick was a neighborhood friend.  But we weren't really friends.  It was just that friendships extended beyond who you knew, but that friendship extended to anyone related or connected to one person you knew or liked.  And Joe and Keith were pretty good friends.  Will never forget how Keith emptied his dad's garage of all things or most things and then watered it down to mimic the effect of a speedway track so that when we each rode our bikes up the driveway as fast as we could and hit the water-downed garage, we'd glide in a speedway pose.  It was great summer fun.  Rick was a treasure.  He was mature.  He'd moved to La Canada.  We missed him then.  He and his brother along with his mother were a source of great entertainment.  But that 50 years ago now.  There are not enough moments in a lifetime.  You'd wished that we could have had more.  

We lost Rick early in 2018.  Rick Larsen (April 26, 1957-May 17, 2018).  And for some strange reason, I always remembered Rick's birthdate, April 26th.  I didn't realize how sick Rick was.  His daughter, Kate Larsen, wrote this:  

I am deeply saddened to announce the death of my father, Rick Larsen. Some of you may know that he struggled with chronic illness, most recently undergoing chemo for myelodysplastic syndrome.  After a week-long unexpected stay at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, and with the help of amazing family and friends, my brother and I brought him home to family on hospice. He passed peacefully this morning in my brother’s home, surrounded by his loved ones.

It felt like we were close early because my brothers and I spent so much time over at his house, playing basketball, swimming, and goofing around.  I'll never forget Ken Wadding getting a hold of Rick's dad's pistol after he'd just gotten out of their pool and Ken running out of the front door all wet, slipping, both hands clutching the gun as he pointed it at the group of us standing out front.  We dispersed immediately.  

I do love this picture from Eric Bergquist, who may have shot the picture, out in the desert.  

Here is Eric Bergquist's caption with comments from others: 

Watermelon feast after a race—Dad and Jack Froelich on Tailgate.  Jack’s son, Larry, behind him.  Lynn and Lou Froelich, too.  My brother Steve, closest on the left, my dear friend, the little guy on the right front, grew up to be a Speedway motorcycle star, Keith “The Snakeman” Larsen, and his older brother, Rick Larsen is on his right.  Good Times.  J

. . . and the Cardinal yearbook cover designed by Steve Hardy.

The only reason I am posting this aerial photo of the Big Sky Drive-In is that the picture captures a sliver of Northview's sports field.  At the bottom right corner of the photo, you can see some of Northview's classrooms and a section of its sports field.  It was in that corner where I used to watch my brother, Tom, practice with his little league baseball team.  Their games were played at DYA or Duarte Youth Acres.