Mike Read/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
August 1923
– G. W. Guth was up from San Francisco spending a week’s vacation with the home folks. Knowing the beneficial results of a city chap getting close to nature and having the pores of his skin opened, dad put the son to work in the orchard. George worked and perspired all right and returned to his chosen business with renewed aspirations.
– If a man cannot smile, he is built wrong. If he can smile and won’t, keep away from him.– At a Marin Dairy. Bob: “Say, Jim, did you ever see a cow give buttermilk. Jim: “Did anyone ever see a cow give anything but her milk.”
– The flagpole recently presented to the Community House by contractor E.R. McDonald has been erected in front of the building; and our patriotic citizens are looking forward to seeing a “Old Glory” flying to the breeze on occasions.
75 Years Ago
August 1948
– Novato Theatre Is Sold To Oakland Man – Announcement was made today of the consummation of the sale of Novato Theatre from Phillip Zenovich and Manuel Levin to Gus Melchure of Oakland. Melchure will serve as owner operator of the theater and will take over the reins immediately, according to the report. The new owner is trying to locate living quarters in Novato for his wife and two daughters.
50 Years Ago
August 1973
– Ground-breaking for the $300 000 Novato Boys Club clubhouse at 680 Wilson Avenue will take place a month from tomorrow (Sept. 16), according to Don Shank, president of the clubs’ board of directors. Although there is still a need for additional building funds and equipment costs, the board feels they are in a financial position to begin construction before winter.
– Rummaging through mementos she has collected on Novato’s past, Peg Coady came across an old program, commemorating the opening of Novato’s Community House. The date was Aug. 28, 1923. She nervously placed the program in our safekeeping (for a day) and with that we went through our old issue of the Advance and reconstructed the opening moments of Novato’s vintage building. We returned the program undamaged. The Community House will be 50 years old and still remains one of the most used structures in our delightful city.Our elected officials haven’t been able to agree on a city seal since Novato was incorporated 13 years ago. At last Wednesday’s meeting, the council was quibbling over the aesthetics of the latest in a long line of proposed city seals. Wayne Sartain commented sarcastically, “I hope we get this thing implemented before we all die.” City Manager Charles Brown replied, “I doubt it!”
25 Years Ago
August 1998
– The Novato City Council stepped out on an $813,000 limb in an effort to make Hamilton Field the first military base in the country to convert to total civilian reuse. In approving an $8.1 million deal to buy 408 acres of the former military base from the Navy, the council committed $813,000 towards a non-refundable deposit on the deal. The plan is for the entire purchase price to be paid for by a “master developer” who will be charged with implementing the Hamilton Reuse Plan.
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