Northern California Water Association

Signing a second edition of prints for my friends at the Northern California Water Association, March 2, 2023.

The bridge between my childhood and my adult life began in 7th grade at Kit Carson Jr High School. Most notably in gym class where Messrs. Athey and McKenna ran an almost militaristic program and this child was now expected to dress for athletic activity, wear a jockstrap and shower afterward(they would check to see if you were visibly wet and toweling off) Proper personal hygiene and all that. The calisthenics were run much like a military regime that pitted the 7th grade against the 8-9th grade class, the class or sometimes an individual not precisely executing 20 burpees en mass was made to take a lap. But the decision on whether the day’s activity would take place indoors or out was at the discretion of Mr. McKenna, who would pick one individual and if his name was say,- Herbie Stonebreaker, He would say: Stonebreaker,..Go out,. Check the weather,.. Many years later while working the bar at a pizza parlor on Freeport Blvd. I happened to see Mr.Athey, introduced myself and thanked him for a physical-ed program the likes of which I’ve never experienced again. He was gracious and a bit touched someone remembered his efforts all these years later.