Pages From The Past/Mike Read
(Editor’s note: Pages From The Past is compiled by the Novato Historical Guild from the pages of the historic Novato Advance.)
100 Years Ago
December 1923
– James G. Wilkins, of Bolinas, was badly injured by a Jersey bull last week. Mr. Wilkins went into the corral to take a heifer out of it when the bull rushed at him and struck him in the back. He saw the bull coming and ran for the fence but was unable to get there before he was knocked down. After he was down, he scrambled for the fence, when the bull came at him again and gored him in the chest. Being unable to reach the fence by that time, the bull turned on him the third time and thrust his horn into the calf of his leg. By this time Mr. Wilkins was able to crawl through the fence, after which he fainted. Coming to, he went into the dairy for a drink, where he met his wife, who assisted him to the house.
75 Years Ago
December 1948
– Aroused by a report of a destitute veteran’s family of nine living in a tent near Novato without food or adequate clothing, Lloyd Andrews Hamilton Post No. 540 of the American Legion at its meeting voted $25 for assistance. The Legion Post invites anyone in the community with used clothing, extra canned food, etc. to leave same at the Perrott Cage with Legionnaire Sam Aiken. According to Commander Apperson, the family had only a loaf of bread for supper on Tuesday.
25 Years Ago
December 1998
– Eric Lucan – Senior, Novato High School Soccer Team – When it comes to athletics, most people just consider the athlete between the lines, not the individual off the court. That’s why the California Interscholastic Federation’s Sportsmanship /Citizenship award is so special—it looks not only at the academic achievements of the athlete, but also the individual’s impact on the community as a whole. Novato High’s Eric Lucan earned a nomination for the award and is one of 22 finalists from around the state. This award recognizes the time Lucan spends on making Novato a better place for its youth.Lucan serves the community as the coach of a youth soccer team. Under his guiding hand, the Novato Crew won the Novato Youth Soccer League’s Cup and Bowl championships. “I like seeing the kids enjoy playing, and hearing the parents say how much they enjoyed having their lads not play for someone’s dad,” Lucan said. “At every practice, every kid was there. They liked going to practice. They did not dread it like some do.” In addition, Lucan carries a 4.0 GPA at Novato High and is the secretary of the Associated Student Body and the secretary of the Letterman’s Club. The young man’s modesty attributes the perfect grades to not taking honors courses, which he decided not to take so he would have time to coach. But the straight “A” average is a phenomenal achievement. “My faith is very important to me, my highest priority,” Lucan said. Lucan is also the head of Novato’s Jesus Club. “If I was not a Christian, I wouldn’t coach because I wouldn’t want to help out.”
Leave a Reply