100 years ago – May 7, 1925
Floats wanted for parades on Fourth of July
An appeal has been issued by those in charge of the coming Fourth of July celebration to be held in Healdsburg, for decorated floats for the regular street parade, for the “Squeedunks” or burlesque parade and for the water carnival on Russian river.
The committee urges all organizations, schools, churches, lodges, clubs, business firms, individuals either singly or collectively, to decide to take part in this feature and design a float for their particular line, and carry out plans which will lead to successful consummation of having the float ready and appear in the parade.
It is announced that substantial cash prizes will be awarded for the most artistic designs, but the committee in charge expresses the hope that entrants will be actuated more by the spirit of boosting and good old fashioned Fourth of July patriotism in entering their floats, rather than from a money viewpoint.
Bill Miller will be “king of the Squeedunk” division. Bill has assumed this responsibility and says, with his usual optimism, “leave it to us.”
75 years ago – May 5, 1950
C of C votes to abandon plans for Harvest Festival
The Board of Directors of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce this week voted to abandon plans for a 1950 Harvest Festival when a review of a postal card survey revealed insufficient interest in the project by city businessmen.
Of 48 replies returned from a mailing to all Chamber of Commerce members, 22 members stated they did not think a Harvest Festival was advisable, 24 said they thought a Harvest Festival should be held this year, but only three members indicated that they would be willing to work on the project.
The Healdsburg Harvest Festival has not been held for the past three years. The last event just “broke even,” according to committee members who worked on the project. Discussion was carried on relative to an expansion of the F.F.A. Fair, held recently in this city, with the idea that it might be made into an annual event to take the place of the now abandoned Harvest Festival.
50 years ago – Mar 1, 1975
Look at those legs
When a girl wants to be a cheerleader at Healdsburg High School, all she has to do is go to the practices, find a sponsor, perform a cheer in front of the student body and get enough votes to be elected. Simple enough. But what happens when the cheerleading candidate is a boy?
Well, this was the problem at HHS when two juniors, Jay Soderling and Sandy Geaslin, decided to run for cheerleaders for the 1975-76 school year. Nothing in the school’s OSA (Organization of Student Affairs) constitution provided for male cheerleaders, so Mrs. Peggy Ziganti, cheerleading supervisor, told the boys to present their case to the OSA officers at their next meeting. As a result, Soderling and Geaslin were given the task of obtaining 100 signatures on a petition calling for a constitutional amendment providing for male cheerleaders. The petition was filed and the amendment passed. Men’s Liberation? It’s about time.
The Flashbackers are docents for the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society. The museum reopens this week, May 10, for a new exhibit, 11am-4pm Wednesday through Sunday.
