Mike Reed/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
April 1923
– G. Trabucchi has opened a carpenter shop in the Yelmorini building on Grant Avenue and is prepared to do all kinds of work in that line. Mr. Trabucchi will keep a supply of doors and windows on hand, which will be a convenience to those needing the same. The way to build up a town is to patronize its industries.
– W. Millmeister is recovering from a badly injured arm, sustained when cranking his auto. Lizzie is not the only machine with a kick.
– Realizing the value of Novato property, T. C. Crane, of San Rafael has purchased the Grant Avenue holdings of J. Gambetta, comprising the lots and buildings occupied by the Novato Pharmacy, post office, H. Pini & Co. and J. Edsberg’s butcher shop.
75 Years Ago
April 1948
– Novato sanitary board met, for the purpose of-opening bids submitted for the building of Novato’s sewage disposal plant. The lowest bid of $133,888 was submitted by the Associated Engineers of Palo Alto. The board has 30 days to draw up the contract. As soon as the contract is duly signed, probably to the lowest bidder, and all legalities completed, work on the construction of Novato’s sewage disposal plant, mains, etc., will go rapidly forward, with funds for its payment already assured.
– Miss Lulu Sutton, principal of the Novato Union school, was brought home from the San Rafael General hospital to her Novato home from the San Rafael General hospital to her Novato residence on the Boulevard where she is rapidly recovering from major surgery. Her niece Miss Margaret Sutton, who has a month’s vacation from her position in a San Francisco bank where she is an executive, is caring for her aunt.
– Novato Community Inc., Cyril Flugger, president, is still awaiting a reply from the Presbytery of the Redwoods to the offer made four months ago for the purchase of the Novato Community House, as to whether they will accept or reject.
– RECOMMENDED FOR G.I.’s – New 5-room county home. Never been occupied. Built on a sidehill, 50’x150’ lot. Kitchen, living room and dining room on upper level; 2 bedrooms and bath on lower. All rooms finished in knotty pine. This property located at Black Point. Affords exceptionally fine view of San Pablo Bay. Close to Grocery; school bus service to Novato and San Rafael schools. Price $5,900.
– Emil Renati was re-elected fire commissioner for Novato at Monday’s election held at the firehouse. The other commissioners are Harry Hale and Dr. C.D. Stafford.
– At a meeting held by the Gnoss Brothers with the board of trustees of Novato Unionized school, the Gnoss Brothers gave an option on their 13 acres at Grant-avenue and Seventh Street which their parents had purchased from the Gambetta estate in 1919. The option holds good until the election for a proposed bond issue of $161,000 is set and passed favorably. The election is planned for the same date May 21, for one school trustee whose term expires. The incumbent. Jack Sparrow has announced that he will be a candidate for reelection. The bond issue for $161,000 is the estimate given the school board by the firm of consultant architects to cover the cost of the site and the building of an elementary school and a recreation center. The site chosen will be large enough to house a junior high school when later the population grows, and conditions warrant.
50 Years Ago
April 1973
– Jay Garlick of Garlick property fame has informally approached the county about buying the flat 20-acre or so piece that lies between Novato Boulevard and Novato Creek. Since the city has decided to buy the O’Hair property and the county is already in the process of buying the Leveroni land below Stafford dam, purchase of the Garlick lection would extend the open space gateway to Novato from the west and secure that lovely valley from development. The citizens Open Space Action committee has voted to seek county open space district funds for the Garlick property. City council backing is to be sought; the county unofficially seems to be in favor of putting the property on the open space shopping list.
– Drivers being the creatures of habit that they are, the new stop signs on Grant Avenue at Seventh Street were largely ignored when they went up early Monday morning. The public works department decided it would be well advised to supplement the corner signs with one in the middle of the street where motorists couldn’t miss it. A lot of them didn’t. They kept knocking it down on their way through the intersection.
– Paul Frank, a Novato resident and an independent developer with offices in Vacaville and San Francisco, has been named project manager for the development of the Hanna property east of Highway 101 and north of Highway 37. As reported, the Hanna plans call for two golf courses, a motel, industrial and “highway-oriented” commercial uses. Frank told the Advance this week that he has prospective tenants and expects to be before the city council with detailed plans in the next 30 to 60 days. He’s also negotiating with a “well-known luxury motel chain” he said, and if all goes well Hanna will be “moving some dirt” this spring.”
25 Years Ago
April 1998
– John William Lerch, who had lived in Marin County nearly all his life, died Wednesday, March 25,1998 at his home in Novato. He was 76. His funeral Mass was celebrated at 11 a.m. today at Our Lady of Loretto Church. Mr. Lerch was born in Willows but grew up in San Anselmo. He graduated from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, then spent two years as a civilian worker at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He served in the Army in World War II, much of that time in the Philippines. He also served in Japan during the Occupation. Home from the war, Mr. Lerch worked for a time as a carpenter, then went to work as a machinist at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. He worked there for 30 years. Mr. Lerch lived in Novato for 48 years. He Was a member of the Nicasio Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Novato Druids, the Novato SIRs, and the Novato Historical Guild. He was an avid fisherman and loved gardening and traveling. His wife, Fernanda “Fern” Lerch, died in August 1993.
– Novato attorney Jean Price Lewis has moved her practice into a new office at 865 Sweetser Ave. Price Lewis has 21 years in practice of law, emphasizing contracts, business structures and estate planning. She is active in the community, serving as president of the Novato Theatre Restoration Committee. Her office will continue to serve as headquarters for that committee at its new location.
– Congress seems willing to help unplug the bottleneck that snarls traffic between Petaluma and Novato, but Marin County thus far has been reluctant to help itself. A comprehensive transportation bill approved last week by the House of Representatives contains $74.6 million for North Bay Transportation improvements, including $33 million to help widen Highway 101 between Petaluma and Novato, the stretch of highway known as the “Novato Narrows.” However, a $300 million transportation plan being proposed for Marin County contains no funding for improving that stretch of highway.
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