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Ron Blickle (1963)
In that Leithold Picture in the Ilex, the people in the back row are Kathy Griffith (daughter of the owner), Nancy Ele, Jo Ann Longee, Doug Brown & Tom Lunt. In the front row is Eileen Roach, Patty Huerta, Margorie Cassel, (possibly) Karen Morelli & Pam Barrow. Like Stan's Men's Store, Corner Drug and others, many of us had our first jobs working after school, holidays and summers. I was lucky to have inside jobs, but many worked outside during the hot summers. I am sure many of us also delivered newspapers or mowed lawns, but almost everyone had a job while in school. I had a Sacramento Bee Route when they were an afternoon paper; then I worked as a draftsman for Bob Crippen, the local architect; obviously, Lietholds; Stan's Men's Store; and finally as a draftsman at Woodland Mill Supply, owned by Fred Jost. While at Woodland Mill Supply, we were designing and building the new rice mill at Pacific International Rice Mills, Inc (PIRMI). One summer, it was my job to supervise the layout on the three floors for all of the machinery to be installed later. We were trying to secure the bolts in the concrete so the machinery could be dropped onto the bolts and secured. I was a Sophmore at Cal Poly, but just a young guy who was trying to work with the older guys on the construction crew. We got it done, but it took all of my charms to get the cooperation of that senior crew. Those years and jobs set up the foundation for many of us to enter the work world knowing what it was to work. I just don't see the kids getting those opportunities today. No wonder it is so hard to get service from the companies of today!
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