Mark Read/Pages From The Past
100 Years Ago
August 1922
– Walter H. Parker, the architect of the new Novato school building and also of the new Community House, left last Saturday with his wife for Japan. Mr. and Mrs. Parker will spend a year at Dairen, where Mr. Parker has a contract to build a million-and-a-half-dollar hospital for the Japanese government.
– A final call for bids for the purchase of the old Community House and lot is made by the council for- Sept. 5.
– The Marin-Sonoma Fair opened at Petaluma on Wednesday and is attracting a great deal of interest. The exhibits are large and varied, but none are more attractive than that of Novato, which is unique and representative of the farm.
– The machinery and fixtures are being installed in the new mill and warehouse of H. Pini & Co., and it is expected that the wheels will be turning by the first of September. This is a local industry that means much to Novato and surrounding district, as here the honest chicken feeds can be obtained in any quantity and at fair prices. The new mill will have a greatly increased capacity—sufficient to supply the demand for a long time.
75 Years Ago
August 1947
– The annual barbecue of Novato firemen at Armbrusters Grove on the Redwood Highway was enjoyed by some 250 firemen, their families, and invited guests. After the barbecue, sack, egg and wheelbarrow races, a watermelon eating contest followed by horseshoe pitching ended the day’s activities.
– Frank and Joe Valim recently opened their modern cabinet shop on Mervyn Street (Vallejo Ave.) for business.
– FOR SALE – Gravenstein apples $1 per box. Bring your own container. C. Paladini, Wilson Ave.
– Mrs. Vernon Dwelly gave a luncheon and swimming party at her home for her son Ray Dwelly on his tenth birthday. Guests were Mrs. Cyril Flugger, Ray Flugger, Mrs. Aloha Bucci, Billy Bucci, Mrs. David Regnell, Barbara Jean Silva and Barbara and Vernon Dwelly Jr.
– The Black Point Improvement Club met. The unlawful and dangerous practice of dumping household garbage into the bay at the Point was discussed. The case of Dean Campbell was cited who on diving into the bay cut his arm and 40 stitches were taken.
50 Years Ago
August 1972
– Novato’s plan review committee tonight will take a look at plans for a recreational facility to be built by the Rotary Club in Novato Creek Park (now called Miwok Park) next to the prehistory museum. The city recreation commission approved the project last week. Rotary volunteered $3,000 of its club’s funds and free labor to develop the site which will include barbecues, picnic tables, wash sinks, drinking fountains and lighting.
“Meyers-Schilling Center . . . that will be the name of the Novato Boys’ Club clubhouse on Wilson Avenue,” E.T. Ghirardo announced Friday evening during the appreciation dinner for the scores of men who had created the “Dream House” for the club. Ghirardo is president of the club’s board of directors which, until now, had not indicated how the organization would recognize the sizable bequests recently made by two former Novatans.
– A request for a use permit to allow the Novato Moose Lodge to use the former Atherton Club as a lodge hall was continued to Monday.
– A restraining order was granted Friday in Superior Court to forestall the condemnation of Wilfred Lieb’s property at 1521 Hill Road; and Mrs. Betty Machado has begun laying the groundwork for a recall campaign against councilmen Fred Ruegg and George Quesada for granting the condemnation. The issue will go to court on September 1 for a hearing on the merits of the restraining order. Pickart is represented by Novato attorney John Trumbull and Lieb’s lawyer is Robert Mackey of Petaluma. Mrs. Machado’s recall campaign will have to wait until mid-October, because county law requires an official to be in office six months before recall petitions can be circulated against him.
– There are two new landmarks on the San Marin High School campus —the homemaking and fine arts building and the octagonal student center. The buildings are now complete and will be in use when school starts. The two additions to the school were built by Bilwell Development Company of San Francisco at a cost of about $540,000.
25 Years Ago
August 1997
– The Black Point Golf Links project moved a step forward through the planning process Monday night, Aug. 25. A project that has essentially been in the city planning process for seven years received approval from the Novato Planning Commission by a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Harrison Karr dissenting, on Tuesday, Sept. 23. The plan calls for an 18-hole championship golf course and 53 luxury homes to be built on 238 acres—64.5 acres of the upland portion of the site have already been donated to the American Land Conservancy to be preserved as open space. While 4,282 trees are scheduled to be cut to make way for the golf course, the developer will mitigate the loss on at least a 3- for-1 ratio and more for certain species.
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