Greetings family and friends! This weeks short vignette is about one of the more unusual characters......Bill

Memorable Characters

THE MILPITAS MONSTER

The residents of Milpitas, Fremont’s neighboring city to the south, were pretty upset by the trash creature that would come out of the adjacent South Bay landfill and scarf up garbage cans leaving a mess on their driveways and in front of their homes. Things got really out of hand when the mayor’s daughter was snatched from the high school dance by the elusive huge insect like garbage monster and a couple of downtown Milpitas buildings were destroyed in the ensuing chase by actual city employee “extras” that finally ended atop a PG&E tower on the nearby hillside. The entertaining eighty minute feature length film was written, acted, and shot by student’s of Samuel Ayer High School in Milpitas under the Direction of Robert Burrill, Art and Photography Instructor, and my friend and fellow member of the Bay Area Garden Railway Society. The Milpitas Monster was released in 1976 and is available for viewing on Youtube and is usually screened for loyal fans each Halloween with proceeds benefiting a local charity. Robert is the co-author of two “Images of America” titles, Alviso-San Jose, and Milpitas in addition to digitally printing his own fine art photographs. Luckily I never actually crossed paths with the Milpitas Monster who roamed the streets and vanished into the landfill nearly fifty years ago, however I have seen one of his claws and several random props from the film that Robert eagerly shows off when you visit his garden railroad. I hope that this frightening story won’t keep you awake tonight....and be sure to lock up your garbage cans!

-Bill