Page 6 September 12, 2013 TORRANCE TRIBUNE TerriAnn from front page eqwnf" iq" qwv" cpf" Šqcv" ctqwpf" qp" kppgt" look to the left, there is that huge cliff what tubes.” Amazing! they used to call the ‘pit’ and that was part of Forrest continued, “I have two brothers the processing area, “ Forrest said. and we spent our time on Walteria Lake and All this was very interesting to learn, but it then also right above us there was a dirt road was even more fascinating that Forrest told me that led into what was called the dicalite he was just up there on that mountain, also mines--this was like white, white rock that known as Butcher’s Mountain, that morning. they made women’s cosmetics out of. “This He was hiking with his wife JoAnn like they do was fascinating to me. I had never heard this every day. “I recently came back from Southern uvqt{0" K" jcxg" jgctf" cdqwv" vjg" fchhqfkn" Õgnfu" Colorado and in a period of about 12 days hiked “This was fascinating to me. I had never heard this story. I have heard about the daffodil fields up by what is today, Hillside Village, but I did not know about the mines.” up by what today is Hillside Village, but I 100 miles. I have been into exercise my whole did not know about the mines. “If you picked life,” Forrest added. Well, this is where Forrest up a rock, let’s say the size of a basketball, exhibited a huge dose of humility. I happen to it didn’t weigh anything,” Forrest explained. know Forrest Hunt was an incredible athlete in “It was completely almost featherweight. They high school. Not only did he earn nine varsity would mine this dicalite up there in the mine ngvvgtu"kp"Õxg"fkhhgtgpv"urqtvu"*vjtgg"kp"vgppku." shafts--some little lakes--and the perfect place three in basketball, one in baseball and one in for kids to go and play after working hours. We track), but he was named Athlete of the Year would go into the mine shafts and my mom for Bishop Montgomery in 1959 and 1961 and yqwnf" iq" pwvu" yjgp" ujg" yqwnf" Õpf" qwv" yg" also dubbed Sportsman of the Year in 1961. had been up there playing in the mines.” At And his scholastic achievements were honored this point, I was sympathizing with Forrest’s when he was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year mom. I can’t imagine anything more dangerous in 1959 and 1961. He was also voted captain A piece of dicalite I found at the pit. Photos by TerriAnn Ferren. vjcp"rnc{kpi"kp"okpgu0"ÊKv"ycu"vqvcnn{"qrgp"vjg" of the baseball and football teams three times he chose to enter the seminary. He was inducted took a job at Torrance High School teaching land. Hawthorne did not go through. It went each. But Forrest loved baseball. He was a into the Bishop Montgomery Athletic Hall of English, History and Spanish, and coaching 100 yards past Newton Street and then you had ujqtvuvqr" cpf" ejqugp" Õtuv" vgco" All-Camino Fame on September 6, 2013. hqqvdcnn"cpf"dcugdcnn0"ÊK"fkf"vjcv"hqt"Õxg"{gctu" to go up Via Valmonte to get into Palos Verdes. Real League three times and MVP in 1961. Forrest said, “I get this call from Gene and then the tennis coach retired and I took Etgpujcy" uvqrrgf" cv" RcekÕe" Eqcuv" Jkijyc{" As a senior in high school, Forrest’s batting Handley who was the scout for the Chicago his place in 1974. I was at Torrance High for Cubs. He had been out to see me play in a seven years. Then I went to South High as a couple of baseball games. He wanted to come Counselor and was there for 20 years. Then I to our house with the idea of possibly signing ygpv"vq"Vqttcpeg_"Cfwnv"Uejqqn"cu"vjg"Cuukuvcpv" me with a contract with the Chicago Cubs and Rtkpekrcn"cpf"vjgp"K"ycu"vjg"dquu"cv"Ngx{"Uco" when he came, I already had a full baseball Levy school,” Forrest said. scholarship to Loyola and one to USC as well- Then Forrest retired--sort of. But it wasn’t -but when he asked me what I was intending very long before he was hired right back and to do, I told him I was going to go into the eight years later he is still working for Torrance Franciscan Seminary. He was surprised with WpkÕgf" Uejqqn" Fkuvtkev0" Jg" pqy" eqqtfkpcvgu" that. My father wasn’t even Catholic--my the Home Hospital Program. “It is for kids mom was--and he had a hard time with me who cannot go to school for medical reasons passing up this chance and opportunity, which and they are either in the hospital or home I probably would have passed up anyway to for medical reasons,” Forrest explained. So go to college. I was actually a good student. Hqttguv" jcu" dggp" ykvj" vjg" Fkuvtkev" cdqwv" 68" I graduated third in my class. Not that I was years in addition to working 48 years for the smart. I just worked hard--very hard.” Ekv{"qh"Vqttcpeg"kp"vjg"Tgetgcvkqp"Fgrctvogpv#" Then Forrest told me his dad went along with Forrest has indeed been knitted into the fabric the plans and both his dad and mom supported of this town. him in the decision to go to the seminary. But Forrest has always been an athlete at heart. the seminary he was sent to was in Chicago! As of today, he has run over 70 marathons, Two years later, Forrest left the seminary and including trips to the top of Mount Whitney. returned to Torrance. He played baseball for He ran across the Grand Canyon, completed a Loyola on the rest of his baseball scholarship, 50-mile run across the Santa Monica Mountains, Forrest Hunt graduating in 1966. and ran the Friendship Marathon in Mexico, and those dicalite mines were all south between average was .512 and he led the Knights to Forrest married his high school sweetheart Jo not to mention hiking with JoAnn both here Crenshaw and Hawthorne. If you go beyond league titles in 1960 and 1961. Then Forrest Ann Roberts on January 22, 1966--one week and abroad. Hawthorne just 100 yards which is Hillside was offered a contract to play for the Chicago after he graduated from Loyola. He went on When I spoke with Forrest, he was in the Village--if you go right up Via Valmonte and Cubs baseball team right after graduation, but to Loyola to earn his teaching credential and process of deciding which color long-sleeve, 100 percent cotton t-shirts he should order for the Turkey Trot. He has been in charge of the Annual Turkey Trot for the City of Torrance hqt"55"{gctu0"ÊK"ygpv"vq"Tceg"FktgevqtÍu"Uejqqn" through L.A. County--now 33 years later, I am working on the 34th Annual Turkey Trot. It started with 300 runners. Now we have 4,000,” added Forrest. If you would like to run in the race Thanksgiving, November 28, 2013, it is easy to enter. For information, access www. thanksgivingday3milefunrun.eventbrite.com. Vjg"hgg"hqt"gctn{"tgikuvtcvkqp"*vjtqwij"Qevqdgt" 25) is $25. For more information, call 310-618- 2930. Frankly on Thanksgiving, I am up to my ears peeling potatoes and setting the table, but maybe this year I will do things early, pop the turkey in the oven and join Forrest at the 34th Annual Harry Sutter Memorial Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot Fun Run. After learning about this hometown boy, I took a trip up Hawthorne Boulevard to see the pit Forrest told me about and I found a rock I am sure is dicalite. He was right. Hiking around that area, I saw views of Los Angeles that were amazing and I imagined the three Hunt boys out on their adventures. Torrance ku"Õnngf"ykvj"urgekcn"uvqtkgu"lwuv"yckvkpi"vq"dg" told. Thank you, Forrest Hunt. Thank you for sharing a bit of your amazing story--the story View of Los Angeles from the pit. qh"cpqvjgt"jqogitqyp"vtgcuwtg0"˛
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