Run-in With Dale

Phyllis and I built a medical center for a group of doctors in Victorville. The medical center was named, “Viewpoint” because of its hilltop location. We built the first increment in 1966 and the last increment in 1988.

Our remuneration for the design and construction of Viewpoint was a 1/5 interest in the project. I managed Viewpoint for about 30 years and then we turned the management over to one of our junior partners.

During my tenure of management of Viewpoint, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans moved to the High Desert and settled in Apple Valley. They did not stand aloof as celebrates but blended right into the community as the regular people that they really were.

One day I came home from my management duties at Viewpoint and told Phyllis, “I ran into Dale Evans today.” She expressed moderate interest and said, “Oh?” She presumed that I just meant I had seen her or met her. So I told her how it happened.

My car was parked on the upper parking area near the exit drive, (we had an entry driveway and an exit driveway to facilitate a traffic pattern that was marked by white arrows painted on the blacktop).

I got in my car to leave and was crawling very slowly backwards, watching the rear view mirror and also watching through the side window for traffic coming in the regular traffic pattern, all of a sudden my car stopped! I thought there must be a board or a rock on the pavement! I looked back in the rear view mirror and saw that there was a car tight against my back bumper! The car had entered through the exit, and I had been looking the other way!

I pulled ahead and got out to assess the damage and apologize. I was greeted by a sweet faced lady in the driver’s seat. It was Dale Evans! I told her, “I’m so sorry. My insurance will cover the damage.” She said, “Oh, I don’t think it hurt anything. The cars barley touched.” I gave her my card and told her that “if anything more serious turns up just call me,” and we went our separate ways. Phyllis then understood what “ran into” meant.