By Mark Read
Pages From The Past
(Editor’s Note: The history of Marin as told through the pages of the Novato Advance. Complied by Mark Read of the Nevada Historical Society.)
100 Years Ago
September 1920
— Quiet a wedding took place when Miss Catherine Rogers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Rogers, became the bride of Manuel C. Mathias, a well-known businessman. The bride is one of the Petaluma’s charming daughters and a favorite. Mr. Mathias came to Petaluma from Novato and engaged in the automobile business. During the World War he served for eighteen months and is a member of Petaluma Post No. 28, American Legion.
— Mr. Boegel of the Midway garage was operated upon by Dr. R.G. Dufficy of San Rafael, for blood poisoning in his left arm.
75 Years Ago
September 1945
— M. L. Sparks, proprietor of ‘”Sparkey’s Barber Shop”, suffered a very painful injury Wednesday evening when a fruit jar burst when he was tightening the lid, cutting both his hands and necessitating several stitches to close the wounds. The barber shop will be closed for a week or more.
— Protests of Novatoans attending the Board of Supervisors meeting Monday on the proposed rezoning of the property of E. R. Nusele from residential to a limited roadside business district to permit the establishing of a restaurant, delayed action on the project for another two weeks in order that the Supervisors may personally view the site before the October 8th meeting. Proponents and opponents bickered for nearly two hours before Supervisor Wm. Fusselman moved that the matter be tabled until the time above mentioned. Surrounding property owners led the argument against the proposed restaurant while others argued that the establishment meant an investment of many thousands of dollars and would be an asset to the community. Rezoning of Novato business district was passed by the Board. The rezoning was made necessary by the proposed widening of the highway.
50 Years Ago
September 1970
— The Honor Roll of sponsors for the Novato Boys’ Club has progressed beyond the 100 mark, an achievement made possible with the help of volunteers such as the Raymond C. Weiss family. Weiss holds a scroll bearing 117 Honor Roll names (those who have pledged $2 per month support for one year). Permanent club headquarters are to be constructed on a site at Lamont and Railroad Avenues.
— SPECIAL THIS WEEK 4 HAMBURGERS 99c (OPEN LABOR DAY) FRENCHES HWY. 101 AND FIRST STREET AND FRONT.
— A&W SPECIAL SAT. AND SUN. ONLY 10C HOT DOG Famous Schwartz Sausage A & W of Novato NAVE SHOPPING CENTER.
— Robert L. Fisher, Boy Scouts of America district executive, is hoping for good news when his left knee is x-rayed next month at Letterman General Hospital. Fisher fractured his knee July 8 at Marin Sierra camp when he fell while installing a rifle range backstop. He’s been on crutches since and still has another month on them, at least. X-rays will determine whether or not he’ll need surgery.
25 Years Ago
September 1995
— Caltrans crews began the week on Monday on a project thousands have long wanted: the installation of a center divider on Highway 37. Over the past five years, 28 people lost their lives on the highway. Many others suffered serious injury. Most of the deaths were in head-on collisions. The work will be completed in two phases. Crews yesterday continued striping the roadway to create a center lane that will be off limits to drivers. The broken white passing lane lines have been repainted with double yellow lines. The center lane will be outfitted with concrete rumble strips, breakaway guideposts and large, orange plastic barrels until the 32-inch high concrete barrier is built. Among the most active lobbyists for the median were Jim and Kelly Poulos of Novato, whose son, Frankie Poulos, died on Jan. 11, 1993. Frankie was 19 and, on his way, up to the mountains with a friend to go skiing when their pickup truck hit a patch of invisible “black ice” just east of Skaggs Island. Their truck was hit by an oncoming car and skidded off the road and into the slough. Frankie drowned. His friend, Nick Somoff, was pulled out of the truck in time.
— The Novato Leadership program, which kicks off its sixth year tonight, Sept. 13, is so popular that a waiting list had to be started. The prestigious class offers emerging community leaders a fast-paced program consisting of 10 sessions running through June. “The class presents the unique opportunity to meet many community leaders, both classmates and class leaders that represent many different interests in the community,” says Vince Mulroy, 1994 Leadership graduate and general partner in the Black Point Partnership.
— Chambers Cable says it is through negotiating with the city of Novato. After months of legal dealings and public outcry over the company’s license renewal agreement, the cable franchise at Tuesday night’s city council meeting set a deadline of Sept. 26 to work out a contract with the city. If the papers are not signed by that upcoming council meeting date, any further negotiations may end, and along with them, so might Novato’s cable television.
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