By Mike Read
(Editor’s Note: This feature highlights Marin history through the pages of the Novato Advance.)
100 Years Ago
June 1920
— The commence exercises of Novato, Black Point and Burdell schools were held in Loustaunau’s hall, Novato, last week and attended by many of the relatives and friends of the children. Prof. Wood of the Tomales Union high school, was present and complimented the class on their high rating in arithmetic and urged the students to strive for all the education possible. School will reopen about the middle of August with Miss Scott and Miss Sutten of Novato as assistants. The teachers are planning to spend their vacation at home this year.
75 Years Ago
June 1945
— John M. Azevedo, 80, died at the family home in Two Rock, after failing in health for the past five months. A widely known retired dairyman of that area, Azevedo had been on the same ranch for 29 years and previously was at Point Reyes and on the old Keyes ranch at Tomales. He was also well known in Novato where at the time of the big earthquake in 1906 he operated as a shoemaker.
— Novato Horsemen, Inc., met in their club room on the Thrap ranch on Atherton Avenue when the resignation of Charles Wagner was accepted with much regret. Mrs. Ethel Murphy was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Wagner as president. Reports were received on the club’s first horse show showing its success.
— Mrs. Mary Fitzpatrick Gnoss of Novato dies at Oak Knoll sanitarium after a long illness. Her death at the age of 35 brought sorrow to her family and friends. She was the wife of George Gnoss of Olive Avenue, and mother of George Jr., aged 4 years who makes his home with his aunt, Mrs. Wm. Gnoss. Born in Ireland Mrs. Gnoss, a registered nurse, filled a position at the Cottage hospital, until her marriage to Mr. Gnoss five years ago.
— The Novato Utilities company has warned their water customers of the shortage of water, urging consumers to use only the minimum and refrain from watering lawns, etc., until later. The dry weather also greatly increases the fire hazard in the Novato area.
— Sol Galli was fined $250 in Novato justice court when he pleaded guilty to a charge of maintaining slot machines that “paid off” in nickels at his restaurant in Ignacio. Galli was arrested following an investigation by Deputy District Attorney Thomas Boyd. The machines were confiscated.
50 Years Ago
June 1970
— Harry J. Moore was named last night as principal of Hill Junior High School. He succeeds Frank Raney, who resigned because he planned to move to Australia. Moore has served for the past two years as vice principal of San Marin High School. He joined the district in 1962 as a teacher (business, physical education, and history) at Novato High School. In 1966 he became dean of students at Novato High and was elevated to vice principal of the school the following year.
— John Hoekman and his wife Eva after 16 years of operating the Hi-Fi Drive-In restaurant are leaving Novato. They have leased the drive-in operation located at Highway 101 and Mirabella Avenue to a corporation of Marin County residents and today are moving to Vacaville. Managing the drive-in will be August Zunino of Kentfield who owns Shaw’s Ice Cream and Candy in Larkspur. Zunino is treasurer and director of the corporation. President is Dominic Pomilia, manager of the Hofbrau in San Francisco at O’Farrell and Powell Streets. Hoekman says after 16 years he is prepared to leave the business and obtain employment elsewhere. “I’m tired of fighting it,” he said. His three sons who were once actively engaged in the business with him while growing up have left. Robert, 31, is an aeronautical engineer; Larry, 20, is an engineer with. PT&T; and Don, 20, is an electrical engineering student at Cal Poly. The Hoekmans moved to Novato in 1946. He first operated the Highway 101 restaurant for five years. They then moved to Willits for five years where he managed a motel and restaurant business. The family then returned to Novato to open the Hi-Fi Drive-In. Zunino, the new manager at the Hi-Fi said the business would be renamed Frenchi’s. Instead of stressing a wide variety of menu items, French bread and specialties using French bread are to be featured.
25 Years Ago
June 1995
After more than 20 years of fuss, furor and fighting, peace is finally coming to Hamilton Field — at least to a portion of Hamilton Field. The New Hamilton Partners took possession of Phase I of what will eventually be a 400-acre portion of the base from the federal government Monday, June 26 and expect to begin preparing the infrastructure for the largest single development ever in Marin County immediately. The developers expect to complete the transaction for the remainder of the property “within the next 12 months,” according to David Martin, of the Martin Group, who along with financial partner Goldman Sachs, form the New Hamilton Partners. When fully completed, the project will include 920 housing units and 825,000 square feet of retail and commercial development,
— Eddie cared. In an age when it seems nobody does, Eddie did. Once, when one of his bosses stopped by his desk to talk about the future of the business — a day when “newspapers” are read on hand-held computer screens — Eddie just shook his head. “How could you paste a story in a scrapbook?” he asked. In his 33 years as sports editor of the Novato Advance Eddie contributed to tens of thousands of Novato kids’ scrapbooks. Ed Salmina died early Tuesday morning at his home in Novato. He was 50. His passing is a tragedy for the Salmina family. It is also a death in the Novato Advance family, where Eddie spent most of his life. But his death will also be felt by every kid in Marin County who’s ever pitched a ball or swum a competitive lap.
— The 50th annual Marin County Fair kicks off on Friday, June 30 and will feature a multi-media fun house along with carnival rides and daily entertainment. The concave mirrors and distracting strobe lights of yesterday’s funhouse will be replaced with computer-aided morphing, 3-D video games, teleconferencing and virtual reality demonstrations at the fair’s multi-media funhouse. “The Magical World of Dancing Horses” features eight stallions performing an equine ballet choreographed to the theme music of Americana.
Leave a Reply