Remembering the 1960
By Joe Swain
When I turned 5 years old in 1960, I didn’t know what a great time it truly was to grow up in Modesto. The freedom we enjoyed to roam our Enslen and Graceada Park neighborhood, especially during those hot summer valley days was a memory to treasure.
I recall walking over to the park, then staffed with Modesto Park and Recreation summer workers to keep us entertained and in line. A tough job! Walking with neighbor Bruce Johnson (later to co-found the band Home Grown) singing every new Beatles song within days of its release.
In the mid-60s, playing tennis every morning with a bunch of neighborhood kids and competing in the City sponsored Al Schoenfield Tennis Tournament. Then after lunch heading over to our favorite spot to swim in the MID canal, Nunes Drop. I have no idea how it got that name but we sure had fun there. I learned all about getting (and giving) Melvins there.
We were too young to participate in the 10th Street cruising days with the George Lucas crowd but were right in the thick of it in the late 60s cruising McHenry from Briggsmore down to 5 Points with a late night stop at Modesto’s first Taco Bell. Nothing like a couple of Bellbeefers (boy I miss those) to round out an evening of raising heck. What a time, the best music, coolest cars and the freedom to enjoy life. I’m glad we survived!
