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Remember When Week of August 19

Sonoma Valley history

92 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 16, 1919)
Miss Aimee Eugler is the new president of Sonoma Parlor, Native Daughters of the Golden West. She was duly installed together with the other officers for the ensuring year at an elaborate installation ceremony last Monday night. Past Grand President Mrs. Grote Hill was guest of honor and District Deputy G. P. Vollers and three grand officers from Marinita Parlor, San Rafael officiated. … Andrew Carnegie who gave $6,000 for the building of Sonoma’s Library was honored here when news of his death came, by the lowering of the flag on the city hall. The venerable philanthropist made possible the modern building which is Sonoma’s pride. The library was founded by the Womans Club who gave $1,000 toward it. … Mrs. Theo Richards announces that she will turn over the beautiful Agua Caliente Springs hotel dancing surface for the dace to be given for St. Francis church on Saturday, Aug. 23. She will provide the best jazz music and do everything possible to give everyone a grand time. … An important real estate deal was closed Monday by Arthur Ellis of Petaluma who sold the F. Cassini ranch, formerly known as the Wm. Palmer place, located on the Sonoma road near the cheese factory to G. Spolino of Valley Ford. … The high school trustees have reconsidered the reping of school on account of the fruit harvest and decided to make the date Sept. 1 instead of Aug. 18,a s first decided. … It is understood that a request to put a special tax on the next tax levy to build a good road in Mountain Cemetery will be acted on by the trustees and the very necessary improvement given consideration. H. F. Bates has purchased an auto hearse and the building of the road has become a necessity.

91 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 21, 1920)
The ambition of Boyes Springs to acquire another and larger chemical engine for their fire department is to be realized, for already about $1,500 has been received toward the purchase of the handsome big apparatus which was on display benefit day at the Springs. … The rumor is current and apparently substantiated that the former Kate Johnson place known as Buena Vista Castle in Sonoma Valley is to be acquired by the state as the sit for the new California Industrial Farm for Women “an institution for the confinement, care and reformation of delinquent women.” It was reported in the San Francisco press last week that a site of 200 acres near the town of Sonoma had been chosen and local realty men confirm the report of negotiations for the castle property new owned by A. Caillenud, wealthy butcher and capitalist. … Miss Aileen Poulsen, one of the accommodating telephone girls of the local exchange, has accepted a position at the Santa Rosa office. Her mother will take up her residence there also. … Sam Sebastiani has been making improvements and acquiring much Sonoma property which he has been highly developing now comes forward with a magnificent offer to the city of Sonoma by which he would give fire protection to the entire community. A private water supply which Mr. Sebastiani has developed on his property at a cost of many thousands of dollars would be the source from which Sonoma would be supplied with quantities of water in case of a fire emergency. A six inch main is now being laid along Fourth Street East and Spain Street from a 65,000 gallon high pressure tank situated on the hill above the Sebastiani cannery.

90 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 20, 1921)
Sonoma Valley High School will have a strong faculty for the coming school year. Every teacher will teach only those subjects in which he has been especially trained. All have had successful experience in other schools and all are thoroughly prepared to teach the subjects assigned to them. Several of the faculty have had experience in the business world as well. Such experience is of great value in a school. … Mrs. Susan Whiting, one of the early settlers of Woodleaf Park, Boyes Springs, has made a splendid gift of a fire bell to the Boyes Springs and Valley Fire Department. The bell is a magnificent steel bell with clear fine tone and will be hung over the firehouse at Boyes. The donor is the widow of the late H. C. Whiting, prominent Northwestern Pacific Railroad official who was always interested in the welfare of Sonoma Valley. … A beautiful wedding was olemnized under the blue skies at Glen Ellen Sunday at one o’clock when Miss Harriet Brand became the bride of Arthur Douglas Macfie of Honolulu. It was an al fresco affair, the arbor of the Brand home having been made more festive with ferns and pink amaryllis. … Following the big race at the Speedway last Sunday, the stars of the Cotati meet were banqueted at Julius Pancrazi’s hotel at Glen Ellen. The famous racing motorists are lovers of good Italian dinners and so it was arranged that they should come to Sonoma Valley and be dined at the Roma Hotel. … Mrs. J. H. Weise and Mrs. Shirley Weise of Glen Ellen gave a delightful afternoon one day last week at which friends and neighbors were guests.

31 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 13, 1980)
Even though the Sonoma Valley Unified School District was legally bound to submit a balanced budget within a few days to the county, the board of trustees barely approved the controversial package by a split vote Tuesday evening last week. When the final vote was taken late that evening after staff, parents and students had voiced their objections to budget cuts, board members Les Wheeler, Mitch Mulas and Penny Burns voted to approve. Flo Beth White and Susan Tillem opposed. … In a split three-two vote Tuesday evening last week, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District trustees approved an $8,557,486 budget containing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cuts for 1980-81. The counseling program will suffer a major impact. Both elementary counselors will be returned to teaching positions; Altimira will have only a half-time counselor (from 1-1/2 before); and Sonoma Valley High School will be cut from four to 1-1/2 (less than the two positions which were projected three weeks ago.) … The Sonoma City Council Monday night adopted a growth control ordinance which limits to 100 the number of new housing units which can be built in the city during any given years. … The quick action and courage of several citizens foiled a purse snatching in Sonoma this week. The first incident occurred last Friday at about 5:30 p.m. in the Sonoma Marketplace. A 65-year-old woman was walking between stores when a man came up behind her, pushed her, grabbed her purse and ran. Two young men changed him several blocks where he dropped the purse. The two men then returned to the Marketplace and gave the purse back to the woman.

30 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 19, 1981)
The Reagan budget cuts have already adversely affected the community services in Sonoma Valley and while the entire picture is not yet clear, more negative effects will probably be felt by the young, the needy, the aged. Jerry Casson, former chief of Social Services for the county, and now coordinator for the Sonoma County Council on Aging, told the Index-Tribune. “I’m scared of what’s coming up in the nutrition program next year when a 25 percent decrease goes into effect.” This will affect a county program which gives one good, hot meal a day to senior citizens who need it, said Miss Casson. … The Sonoma Valley grape crush has started! Hanzell Vineyards of Sonoma crushed some pinot noir on Sunday, Aug. 16, the earliest on record for that winery in its 10-year history of producing varietal vintages. The Sebastiani Winery began crushing yesterday, Tuesday, using gewürztraminer grapes from the vineyards of Dr. and Mrs. Fletcher at Inez Ettleson’s Rancho Alto Vista in the hills north of Sonoma city. … Several residents of the El Verano area showed up at the Valley of the Moon Water District meeting Monday night to voice approval to the district’s efforts to relocate its corporation yard on property located on Bay Street. The site, which has been the center of controversy between the water district and some area residents, is located across the street from Downey’s Market and currently houses an abandoned warehouse. … An 89-unit condominium development for the site of the old Boyes Hot Springs Bath House got the green light at a meeting of the Sonoma County Board of Zoning Adjustments Aug. 13. Novato developer rank Oman will be able to proceed with his project after his maps and the design of his condos are approved. The condos will be situated in cluster style on the 12.7-acre site. Oman must also work out a better traffic alignment for Boyes Boulevard and Pine Avenue.

29 YEARS AGO
(From the Index-Tribune files of Aug. 18, 1971)
High interest rates, the coming sand goings of double-digit inflation figures and tight money may have the nation in an economic malaise, but Sonoma Valley businesses, if not thriving this year, are certainly surviving. Some are even showing profits, although gains made during the first two quarters of 1982 have not been as high in all cases as for the same period in 1981. … With the future of the Community Center at stake, members of the board of that center are anxiously awaiting the results of a survey which will determine the structural soundness of that building and possibly affect the continued operation of activities at the center. … Peter Bird’s departure for Australia, originally scheduled for last Monday was postponed due to “technical difficulties” and has been rescheduled for Aug. 23 at 7 a.m. The British adventurer will leave from the Dolphin Club, foot of Hyde Street in San Francisco, and attempt to be the first man to row alone across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. … Thomas Reginald “Reg” Porter, a Kenwood area resident, was chosen by the Kenwood Board of Trustees last Tuesday night to fill the position on that board recently vacation by Richard Lucas at its meeting last Tuesday. Porter said that he is a strong supporter of a basic course preparation at the elementary school level. … Sonoma Skypark proponents are delighted and its opponents are nonplussed about the Board of Supervisors 3-2 decision last Tuesday to grant the airport its rezoning request from an industrial park to light industry. Proponents see the now mandatory use permit application before the county Planning Commission as a mere formality, while opponents are quietly threatening to bring legal action if such a permit is granted.