Mike Read/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
June 1923
– The monster dredger Monarch is now at work on the new canal near Novato.
– The Class of 1923, twenty in number, the largest class ever graduated from the Novato Grammar School, received their diplomas at the commencement exercises held in the school auditorium. The spacious hall was crowded to overflowing, many standing, and it was said that next commencement would probably have to be held in the still larger hall of the new Community House if all who wished to attend were to be accommodated.
– One of the latest additions to the ranks of the real estate brokers of Novato is J.F. McDermott, one of our brilliant and able young men, who, in the service of the U.S. has visited the Philippines and been around the Horn. He is a student of law and speaks Spanish. We gladly receive him as a real estate broker and hope he will become a realtor and a credit to the profession. There’s always room on top.
– Fred Nave, who sustained a broken arm, just below the elbow, when his horse stumbled and he was thrown, is getting along nicely.
– Supervisor Sweetser has purchased a 650-gallon motor sprinkler for Novato, and it works fine. The saving of time and horseflesh, to say nothing of the extra territory that can be covered, make the sprinkler worthwhile.
75 Years Ago
June 1948
– Gordon Andersen has returned to Novato and held an open house at his recently built garage.
– The Veterans league of Novoato was organized recently in the Disabled Veterans salvage shop on Grant Avenue, when the following officers were elected Chairman, J. R. Kuker; secretaries, E. F. Murphy and Ira Landerman; treasurer, Bill Jacobi; membership, Tex Mueller and J. Rupprecht. Membership Committee Chairman Kuker stressed the need of a Veterans Memorial building for Novato from funds set aside by the Government for such purposes as a recreation center for veterans and their families and the community.
50 Years Ago
June 1973
– Jack Mason’s last book on Marin County history is out. It is “Last Stage for Bolinas.”
Earlier books include “Ben’s Auto Stage” (1967), “Point Reyes—The Solemn Land”(1970), and “Early Marin” (1971) written with Helen Van Cleave Park. Portions of “Early Marin” appeared in last year’s Advance Progress edition. The stories dealt with the Pacheco and Burdell families and James Black. Mason, 62, was born in Oakland, graduated in history from the University of California, was editor of (he Mediterranean edition of The Stars and Stripes towards the close of World War II, later assistant managing editor of the Oakland Tribune. In 1963 he retired to Inverness, where his grandmother built a house in 1899. He and wife Jean now live in the old Inverness Hotel annex which they remodeled as their home, ripping off the top two floors of what had been a four-story building.
– It’s Western Weekend time again. There’s a carnival in town with booths manned by local organizations to raise funds for their projects. There’ll be a rodeo queen crowning tomorrow and a rodeo Sunday. The big parade is Saturday with many other events scheduled over the four-day community celebration.
– The $4.1 million water bond emerged from the shadows of recent failures by other general obligation bonds and a strong anti -growth sentiment in Southern Marin yesterday to post a smashing 78.5 percent election victory. The passage of the bond means the district will be able to begin negotiating a contract with the Sonoma Water Agency. The sale of the bonds to finance the construction of the pipeline from the Russian River to Cotati, where the district’s existing pipe ends, can begin in the fall, and bids on the first stages of the project can also begin at that time.
– A new craft shop has opened at 1211 Grant Avenue in Novato called the “Craftique.” The owner and manager is Ann Lush. Primarily the Craftique will carry art and decorative castings in an unfinished state—no firing is required. The newest form of finishing is epoxy glaze technique which requires no firing but offers surfaces of the quality and hardness of fired glazes. (Now the location of Watts Music)
25 Years Ago
June 1998
– What promises to be Novato’s most successful Festival of Art, Wine and Music ushers in summer on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. The festival is expected to attract more than 75,000 visitors over the two days. The festival has traditionally been free, but for the first time the Chamber will be asking for a $2 donation to help defray the costs of providing the growing number of events and costs of the celebration.
– Nostalgia Days kicks off Friday night with the Classic Car Parade in downtown Novato, where owners of dozens of beautiful classic automobiles will show off their famous paint jobs, shiny chrome, and luxurious leather seats. The weekend event continues with a Poker Run, picnic and sock hop Saturday and the Show and Shine on Sunday.
– City and community officials joined Novato Chamber of Commerce members in officially welcoming Novato Toyota to its new home in the Vintage Oaks shopping center last week. Novato Toyota is one of Novato’s most respected and enduring businesses, serving the community for 35 years. For Novato Toyota President Herb Lakritz, who has directed the award-winning dealership for the last 15 years, the move into a brand-new facility has been a five-year dream. The new home on 2.6 acres at the entrance to the shopping center enables Novato Toyota to more than double its new car inventory.
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