November, 1997
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“ i m o t .. in time NEWSLETTER The Point Richmond History Association Vol. XVI No. 3 November, 1997 $1.50 o o o o' /lpou fatten coated out o o'»•** o or-** o O o O o I* S a n t a o o' i? I? o o o o' i t cantina to- toum o o o o' o ff «? I? o o' and coitt fa at *-* o o of »* o o o t** Indian Statue o’ o o' o' o’ o' o' o' on 'Ttovemfan 29t£ at o’ o* o' o if o' o o' o o’ *7fane eodt fa canotiny ted faf ►'SK o o o o o■£* I? > ^ op »* o D a n 'Damon o of 0oK*» o*■-* o /tmouyot tfa tuminaniee tfaito cvitl tiny -1 o o’ o' o’ o' o o►-% tfa tnianyle, ante and cnaite. o o ►■•fc o»-** o' o o o f*' ►•% ^7fa 'TTfotiday Seaton coctt fayin o o o o' o o' o o' o o' ?4nd tfa fay tnee oudt o Contents From The President 1 Members 2 Editor’s Notes 3 A-Mid Trivia 4 The Plunge 7 Once upon a time, women spent a full Church News 8 day every week pressing clothes. With the 11 advent of wash-and-wear clothing and Turkey Talk clothes dryers, ironing is a now-and-then Dr. Thompson’s Little 12 task today. Many households seldom use an Memories iron. The heavy appliance has turned into a Westside Improvement 14 collectors item. Club While irons date back to before the Pt. Richmond Business 15 Middle Ages, their heyday was the second Association half of the 19th century when the U.S. Patent Allan Smith’s Point 17 Office was flooded with inventions. Deaths 21 Today there are three basic types of irons. Dry only (not popular), steam, and Birthdays 23 spray-steam-dry. Let’s face it, today ironing Calendar inside back cover is definitely not a favorite American indoor sport! My collection of irons began about 1947 when a small child sized Sad Iron was given me by my husband’s Aunt Nubby. The iron collection includes “hot box”, Charcoal, Steam, Electric, Fluting, one piece San and Sad with detachable handles, a 14 pound Tailor’s, Gas, etc. They date back to 1866 and are now on display in our Point Richmond History Museum, 139lA Washington Avenue, Point Richmond. Stop by and learn why they were called “Sad” irons. This Point....in time 1 Thank you to the following members who have renewed their memberships: & Evelyn Macdonald Our usual Beatrice (Beesley) Casey Thank You! Fay Hawkins to Spiro Cakos Santa Fe Market Julio P. Carrera Fred Beesley and Judith O’Dell Point Richmond Grace Howe Market Museum Staff Coordinator Betty for their donated distribution of Dornan thanks volunteers who “THIS POINT....in time" staffed the History Building during the summer. & Thanks to Bruce and Sandra Thanksgiving Beyaert to aft/ for a donation & Thanks to Chevron If you can help staff our History Building (21/4 hours per month) call museum Staff Coordinator Betty Dornan at 232-4317. for matching it. Museum Hours: Thursday 11:30am - 2:00pm Saturday 11:30 - 2:00pm 2 This Point....in time Presenting your November issue of TPIT! It will be a busy time for our staff as this is the only month (because of the holidays) that we produce two issues in back to back months, November and December. Our cover photo is the Richmond Natatorium with a banner, “SAVE THE Indian Statue Park under construction. PLUNGE” because I feel that the plunge is one of the most important historical structures in Richmond. I show it not to take a political stance on the current proposition but to call attention to the plight of the Plunge and its historical significance to our community. In any case the Richmond Natatorium MUST BE SAVED AT ANY EXPENSE. It is a municipal building and should be taken care of by the municipality in any way the our city fathers and mothers see fit, but they must SAVE THE PLUNGE! Have a great Thanksgiving! The deadline for the December/January Reprint, but a good one! issue is November 21st with an anticipated date of assembly of December 4th. Thanks to the September/October issue assembly crew: The Cover: Mary Highfill Recent photo of historic Liz McDonald Pam Wilson Richmond Natatorium AKA Mid Doman “The Plunge”. To learn more Jerry Cerkanowicz about the Plunge please turn to Gary Shows Betty Doman page 7 of this issue. Sonja Darling This Point....in time 3 Brookside and Doctors Hospitals have A-Mid TRIVIA been renamed and are now known as Doctors -Mid Doman (510-234-5334) Medical Center, San Pablo or Pinole campus! When Brookside Hospital first opened, the Question: Point Richmond has many Richmond Junior Women's Club earned $200 streets connected with pioneer names. For in the search to name the new hospital . whom or why were these streets so named? 1. *** Martina 2. Nicholl 3. Park Place 4. Tewksbury Louise Banks, a remarkable 92, fell in 5. Alvarado her home on Washington Avenue and fractured her hip. Answer at end of Trivia. *** Firefighters on duty in the Point Station It is said human taste buds are more on Sunday, September 20th, administered sensitive at sea level than at higher altitudes, emergency first aid to an injured motorcyclist thus, explaining our discriminating tastes? at Castro and Tewksbury. Their sensitive handling of his mangled, twisted leg was Sympathy is extended to Ann compassionate as they transferred him to an (Hathaway) Manley in Hanford on the loss of ambulance that carried him to the waiting her husband,Jack. helicopter in the Washington School yard. *** *** Take out food isn't new to early Point Caller 311 for non-emergency police Richmondites. Joe and Nellie Matteucci of the related problems is proving to be a successful Roma Hotel on Standard Avenue were answer in test areas. Look for other areas to pioneers of one of today's greatest food consider this as an answer to the abused 911. industries as they had Ravioli and Spaghetti *** take-outs in 1905. SAVE THE PLUNGE I ! ! ! ! *** Alyce Williamson is home after a hospital stay. *** It's a boy, Quinn, 7 lbs. 8 oz., 21 inches for new Point residents Lorilyn and Allen Parmer-Folks. Born early on Friday, September 26, 1997, Quinn is their first child. *** Michael and Theresa Eaton are proud parents of a baby girl, Mikhaila, born September 29th, 1997. Mikhaila is the granddaughter of Nikki Eaton and 4 This Point....in time Great-granddaughter of Oretta Eaton. Zealand, and her mother, Mary Forbes, visited *** in Cape Cod and Boston. Judy returned here to Overheard on the San Francisco pier attend her 30th Class reunion of Harry Ells. during the spectacular, exciting and dramatic *** Blue Angels show during Fleet Week, "Wow! EEVIS IS ALIVE!...and was sighted the Precision perfect! I don't mind my tax dollar night of September 6th in the Gates Building at supporting this!" the Ball fund raiser given by the Methodist Ferry Service to San Francisco? The Red Church for their new church roof. It is said and White Fleet has plans for ferries to leave David Vincent even purchased his guitar' from Terminal One, the end of Doman Drive, *** as early as November. Doesn't that make the Bernard and Anita Christiansen of 32 newly painted 'Ferry Point' above the Garrard Crest Avenue recently experienced a tunnel appropriate! demonstration of “neighborly friendship”. *** The Christiansens, including nine You can't tickle yourself! members of a three generation family, were on *** a Scandinavian, Russian and England Cruise in It will be Dr. Jeff Corbin, son of proud August while their home was being painted. parents, Rosemary and Doug Corbin, who will Arriving home they were surprised to see receive his Ph.D. from the University of North Dick McClosky, owner of McClosky Painting Carolina this month. Another Washington Company, mowing their front lawn, which had School product..before Many Hands! over two weeks growth. He assured the *** Christiansens this was not his normal practice The price of communicating from pay but he had wanted to surprise them. telephones has just gone up! The 200 fee for Although they were tired arriving home, local calls is changing to whatever the market Bernard and Anita said they enjoyed the trip. will bear. It has remained 200 for fifteen years but some may remember when it only took a nickel or a dime. The average calls per month per phone is 700. *** Virginia Cherniak traveled to New Jersey to visit her daughter, Susan, and to attend a modem dance recital of Susan's in New York. Eater, they all went to see Susan’s daughter and Virginia’s granddaughter, Nicole Hyde, in her vocal recital at the University of Pennsylvania from where Nicole will graduate in December. *** Dr. Judy Forbes, Christchurch New This Point....in time 5 ut more especially, they enjoyed the beautiful, 3. Park Place -for Park Jacobs, city clerk, newly painted house and freshly mowed lawn. 1908. “There should be more people like Dick 4. Tewksbury -for Dr. J. M. Tewksbury, McClosky,” said Bernard adding, “Love thy who came here in the 1860's from Brazil neighbor”. 5. Alvarado -Name of ex-governor of California from 1836-1942, Juan Bautista Consider the life of Chelsea Clinton. She Alvarado, who moved to his rancho here where was bom and lived in the Arkansas Governor's he died in 1882 Mansion, moved to the Presidential White House and now as a college freshman at Stanford shares a room and must make her own bed! *** The West Contra Costa Unified School District school year opened with 118 new classrooms, 350 new teachers whose students speak 39 different languages! Thank a teacher today! *** Washington School had 160 students a November 4th few years ago when closure was a consideration.