Mark Read/Pages From the Past
(Editor’s note: This feature recounts events in Marin’s past from the pages of the Novato Advance.)
100 Years Ago
October 1920
— A.H. Cook of Bolinas went out after ducks the other day and was arrested by Game Warden W. B. Sellmer for hunting without a license. He will come up before Judge Upton at Stinson Beach for trial. Alberto S. Virglio was arrested for shooting non-game and songbirds, and will appear before Judge Rudolff at Novato. William Frates was arrested at Black Point last week for catching striped bass without the necessary license, and at the trial before Fudge Rudolff at Novato, was fined $25. Mr. Sellmer also arrested six boys in different parts of the county for shooting quail, non-game and songbirds, and they are to report to Probation Officer Thomas O’Connor, who will take the cases to the juvenile court.
— EIGHTY-TWO ACRES —1 1/2 miles from Novato. All fenced. 25 acres very fine level land. This place is right in the chicken belt and for this purpose cannot be equaled. Lots of timber, and creek running along one side. The price of this land is only $90 per acre. Other land in the vicinity held for $200 to $500 per acre.
75 Years Ago
October 1945
— Lt. and Mrs. A. Ackerman of Hamilton Field have rented the Gordon Anderson home on First St. The Anderson’s have moved to San Rafael where Anderson is foreman in Castro’s Garage. Mrs. Anderson commutes daily to Novato as bookkeeper in the Pini Hardware store.
— Earl Johnson, 48, Novato, druggist, was instantly killed about two miles north of Petaluma, when his car suddenly went out of control and crashed into a tree. Johnson worked as a pharmacist before taking over the management in 1936 of the Novato Pharmacy.
— Letters received by Mrs. Wilson from her husband, Major Meredith Wilson, from the Island of Negros in the Philippines, gave a graphic description of his flight over 15 islands in the far east air force command to spot and Japs who don’t yet know the war is over. And to ferret out Japanese arms and other equipment.
50 Years Ago
October 1970
— A couple of city councilmen are questioning the vanity of granting $8,000 a year in city funds to the Novato Chamber of Commerce for promotional work. Why subsidize an organization that increasingly is opposing involving city policy, they ask, especially in regard to issues connected with the downtown plan. Maybe the funds could be better spent elsewhere, they say. In any event at the minimum, they think funds should be allowed on a project by project basis and a greater accounting provided by the Chamber of funds spent.
— State highway construction project tag, better known to Novatans as the 5.4-mile freeway bypass project, got ironclad assurance last week of $14 million total financing over the next three fiscal years, but that old devil “cash on hand” has clouded construction starting time. Safest estimate is “not before spring 1972,” which is not only safe but certain, in the view of City Manager Charles Brown, who says that was the blunt word from the California Highway Commission in Sacramento. Brown, Councilman George Quesada and Ned Dean of the Novato Chamber of Commerce prodded commissioners last Wednesday to uncork Novato’s highway bottleneck with an earlier freeway bypass start.
25 Years Ago
October 1995
— SOUND OFF – Historic preservation – I’ve been out of town for about 6 weeks and I just got back and noticed the silver building on the corner of Redwood and Sweetser was torn down. From what I understand, that was Novato’s second schoolhouse. I know it was somewhat modified, but it could have been restored to its original state and should have been. Most cities tend to preserve their historical landmarks, but Novato tears them down or burns them down. And this wasn’t the first one. What’s the deal?
— Recycled Relics has relocated to a larger space around the comer from its former location at 7374 Redwood Blvd. The new location is at 902 Grant Ave. and is 3,200 square feet. Owned by Jackie Bonner, the shop features a wide variety of goods including furniture, antiques, household goods, jewelry, linens, used books and “stuff.” Upon the relocation, which took place at the end of September, Bonner rescued several old pieces from the old Novato School House (the Novato Trading Company) which recently was torn down. Bonner has created a beautiful display in the store with pieces which she says resemble a patio garden.
— Shoppers at Novato’s three Roger Wilco stores will experience some major changes, but what will not change, according to the new owners, is the hometown feel and service that have made Roger Wilco Markets an important part of the Novato community for the last 44 years. What will also not change are the familiar faces that have served Novato customers. Cala Foods, the company that bought the three markets from Bill Jonas in late August, has retained all employees at the three local stores, according to Harley DeLano, president of Cala Co. However, there will be some changes. The most obvious is that all three stores will soon be changing their names to Bell Markets.
— A group of local historians and train enthusiasts wants the old Novato railroad passenger depot building at the east end of Grant Avenue preserved, but more volunteers are needed to help with the work on the way to a possible city purchase of the land. Volunteers from the “Save the Depot Task Force” are planning to meet on Sunday, Oct 22 at noon to clean up the area near the passenger and freight depots and install a fence around the property. Jerry Peters, chairman of the task force, is hoping to attract at least 25 to help in the effort. “We’re hoping to put up a fence and do some cleanup work, but we need manpower and equipment,” Peters said.
— An agreement has been reached that will save the city what could potentially have been as much as $16 million in legal damages and allow the development of a luxury home and championship golf course development in Black Point. Novato City Councilmember Cynthia Murray announced Tuesday night that the city and the Black Point Partnership have reached an agreement that settles the developers’ lawsuit against the city that followed city rejection of their planned project last December. The settlement allows the project to proceed in essentially the same form as rejected by the council (on a 3-2) vote. In return, the city has placed a number of conditions on the project and will have its more than $50,000 in legal fees paid for by the developers.
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