Mike Read/Pages From The Past
(Editor’s Note: Pages From The Past remembers Novato through the years via the pages of the historic Novato Advance.)
100 Years Ago
November 1922
– The Novato lumber mill and yard have been sold by R. H. Trumbull to Scudder & Christenson, of San Francisco. The plant will be operated by Jensen & Schlosser, the San Rafael lumber men, for the owners. Charles T. Lund will have charge of the plant, dividing his time between San Rafael and Novato. Scudder & Christenson own several mills, the combined output of which is a million feet of lumber a day. The new owners of the Novato plant propose to make extensive improvements, among which will be a new mill next spring, when the local lumber business will be operated on a much larger scale.
– The engineer in charge of the Black Point Road construction reports splendid progress. About November 15, if the weather continues favorable, the road will be open for traffic.
– The old schoolhouse has reached its last resting place, on the lot of F. L. Tainter off the State highway. This will make a fine home for the Novato Salvage Company.
– Grant avenue was scraped this week, smoothing the rough spots, and given a coat of gravel.
75 Years Ago
November 1947
– Elmer C. Mastrup, 41, of Novato, excused himself from a 1 a.m. dinner table where sat his wife and a guest today, and left the room. A moment later the wife, Mrs. Theresa Mastrup, and the guest heard a shot in the bathroom. Constable Fred Nave was called and broke down the locked bathroom door. He found Mastrup, a railroad shop worker at Tiburon, dead on the floor. A .32 caliber pistol was near his side. Deputy Coroner William Keaton said apparently his death was suicide. No notes were found, and he had been reported in good spirits a moment before. His daughter, Eleanor, (an only child) and her husband Robert Johnson, were notified at Lake Tahoe. Only Iast Saturday Mr. and Mrs. Johnson arrived in Novato and revealed details of their marriage which took place a week previously in-Reno.
50 Years Ago
November 1972
– Hundreds of spectators turned out Sunday to view the Halloween parade sponsored by the San Marin Improvement Association. There were hundreds of entries, and the parade was led by the Novato High ROTC unit and the Tomales High School Band.
– The California Highway Commission has allocated. $12,107,000 in its 1973-74 budget to complete work in progress on the Novato freeway bypass. Total cost of the project is $15,373,000, of which the state is paying $15,304,000. It has already allocated $9,500,000 in the 1971-72 budget and $3,697,000 in the 1972-73 budget. The difference has already been paid by the county and city of Novato.
– “My official position is nothing. Privately I haven’t made up my mind yet.” What issue could make City Manager Charles Brown waffle so uncomfortable? Marijuana. Proposition 19, if passed by the voters, would make it legal for anyone over 18 years of age to plant, cultivate, harvest, process, transport, possess and use marijuana. This would be limited to one’s personal use, and it would still be illegal to sell grass or engage in conduct that endangers others while under the influence.
– If you feel like a free cup of coffee next Tuesday —try Sambo’s on Novato Boulevard. There the restaurant chain will serve a free cup of coffee to anyone who shows his or her voter’s receipt. It’s Sambo’s way of encouraging people to vote.
– Novato Datsun has taken over the premises formerly occupied by American Motors at 1010 Grant Avenue (next door to the fire station) and is planning a grand opening about mid-November. Owner is Joe Allegra who has been in the automobile business since 1945 when he began in San Francisco. He says the building has been extensively remodeled and will feature a complete line of parts and servicing for Datsun owners. The new business will employ about 10 people. Mrs. Anita Simmons, who has had 27 years’ experience in the auto business is the business manager. Allegra and his wife, Dorothy, who works for the Evelyn Porter health food store, live in Novato on Garner Drive.
– Councilwoman Dorothy Young filed a petition Monday for dissolution of her marriage to Realtor Raymond D. Young. The petition, filed in Marin Superior Court, asks for child support but no alimony. It also asks for custody of their only child, nine-year-old Tiffany Rae. The pair were married 13 years ago. They separated the day before Thanksgiving, according to Mrs. Young. He is now living in Novato. Mrs. Young has a law office in Novato.
25 Years Ago
November 1997
– Novato voters told their city council to continue on course Tuesday, returning incumbent Pat Eklund to the council and replacing retiring 18-year veteran councilmember Ernie Gray with council supporter Jim Henderson. In electing Henderson and re-electing Eklund, the voters rejected council critics Kevin Cleek, Johnny La Rosa and Dennis Fishwick. When it was all tabulated Tuesday night, Eklund had received 6,297 votes, Henderson 4,802, Cleek 2,273, Fishwick 2,074 and La Rosa 1,739.
– Novato Chamber of Commerce members prepare for their big annual dinner Thursday night, Nov. 6 in the Novato Community House. They know they will have fun on an evening devoted to “Novato Night Live.” They know they will honor Novato Office Supply as the city’s “Small Business of the Year,” and Birkenstock Footprint Sandals as the “Large Business of the Year.” They know they will install Nohemi Beismann of Rodex of California the new Chamber President. But, what only a very select few know is who will be honored as Novato’s “Citizen of the Year.” The honoree was chosen by a committee made up of past citizens of the year and his or her identity will be a closely guarded secret right up until the big announcement Thursday night.
pages from the past is terrific. thanks