Mike Reed/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
August 1921
— Annie DeBorba, aged between 8 and 9 years, the winsome daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tony DeBorba of Novato, was struck by an auto truck on the highway near her home at 9:30 this morning and badly injured. After the accident she was placed in her father’s touring car and accompanied by the members of the family was rushed to a San Rafael hospital for treatment by Dr. Kuser, formerly of Novato. The handsome little girl’s teeth were knocked out and her nose broken, and it was feared that she was otherwise injured. The accident caused much excitement in Novato. It seems that the little girl, in a hurry to get out of the way of a passing touring car, stepped directly in front of the auto truck, which knocked her down but did not run over her. She was on her way to school at the time of the accident.
— The Rev. Chas. Christensen, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Novato, was badly hurt Tuesday, when a horse he was driving ran away. The pastor was thrown from the small wagon being used and struck heavily upon the ground. He was cut about the head, shoulder and arms. He was able to walk to Dr. Shoultz’s office nearby, where his wounds were dressed. The doctor states that the wounds are not serious but will be painful for some time. A peculiar co-incidence in connection with this accident is that exactly eight months ago, H. Nielson was killed by being thrown to the ground in a runaway accident, while riding with the Rev. Christensen, and that they were driving the same horse. At that time the horse was hitched with another.
75 Years Ago
August 1946
— Guy Judd has organized a Boys’ Club which held its first meeting recently in the theater Novato. All lads between the ages 10 and 16 are eligible. The club has been named the “Otnavon” and plans for weekly meetings. Judd did much organization work before coming to Novato to be the manager of the theatre “Novato”, and the club will fill a fine place in the town.
— Novato Chamber of Commerce at one of its largest annual meetings in years at the Community House elected as its president, A.W. Bowman, owner of the Theatre Novato and other business properties, Vice president, Dr. C.D. Stafford; treasurer, Lt. J. R. Thompson, secretary, Lester R. Knutte, re-elected after 24 years of service in that office.
— The Otavon Boys Club completed its organization at Tuesday’s meeting in the Theatre Novato with 30 boys already signed up with Guy Judd, leader; Robert Robertson, captain of the A group, and Bob Manzoni, captain of the B group. A program of hobbies, athletics and hikes was adopted. Until the group gets its own club house it will meet at the theatre on Tuesdays, Leader Judd devoting that day to the club.
After the business meeting the club adjourned to the Novato diamond on Vallejo Avenue where a game of baseball was played with the A’s winning over the B’s by a score of 11 to 6. Next Tuesday the club will roller skate in San Rafael. Leader Judd, who has organized boys’ clubs at the White theatre, Fresno, and elsewhere, is enthusiastic over the local club, feeling that keeping young America busily and happily occupied will do much in preventing juvenile delinquency.
50 Years Ago
August 1971
— Command of Hamilton Air Force Bate was turned over to a new commander in a ceremony yesterday at Hamilton Air Force Base when outgoing Commander Col. Lee A. Sorter in a symbolic gesture presented the flag of the 4661st Air Base Group to incoming commander. Col. Vermont Garrison. As commander of the 4661st, the host unit on the base, Col. Garrison becomes the base commander. Col. Sorter has been named chief of administration at Aerospace Defense Command headquarters in Colorado Springs. The ceremony was held in front of the base headquarters building.
— Sambo and his golden tiger came to town when the nationwide family-oriented dining chain opened its 177th restaurant in Novato on Monday. Located at 1700 Novato Boulevard, the new Sambo’s is managed by Helge Piltingsrud, 48.
— Nave Garage, which is the automotive repair, storage and parts arm of Nave Motors, Inc., whose other arm is Nave Dodge, has moved into its two new buildings at 1029 First Street. Former city councilman John Angeloni. who heads the firm, says the new buildings provide double the garage space formerly occupied at 7515 Redwood Highway. The two new buildings each measure 3800 square feet and are located across the street from the rear of Nave Dodge, making a very convenient setup. The garage office is in the south building.
25 Years Ago
August 1996
Jesters, merchants, aleswilling crowds—even the Queen herself will celebrate 30 years of merriment in Marin at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, set to Open Saturday, Aug. 24. This will be the last year the Faire will be held at Black Point. It will run seven weekends and Labor Day, through Oct. 6.
— There is a new look to the Novato Advance. Beginning with this week’s issue, we have a new banner at the top of Page 1 featuring an oak tree so familiar on our community’s rolling hills. The new banner is another step in an on-going process of upgrading and modernizing the Novato Advance, while at the same time maintaining the hometown character that has made the Advance a Novato institution for 74 years. (You can subscribe to the Novato advance. Details on Page 3A of today’s newspaper.)
— The Novato Planning Commission has been asked to take another look at the traffic impacts of an Italian restaurant planned to replace an office building at the eastern end of DeLong Avenue. Giovanni Sansone plans to convert an office he owns at 695 DeLong Ave. into a restaurant to be open from 11:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
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