100 years ago – Feb. 28, 1924
Young Redwoods Planted in Plaza
By courtesy of R. B. Stevens, of the Stevens Lumber Company of this city, a shipment of redwood trees was procured from the nursery at Fort Bragg and sent to J. M. Alexander of Healdsburg. Eight of the small trees were planted in the Plaza, and the remainder will be turned over to the Chamber of Commerce to be planted in the public camp ground, if they may so desire. The trees are quite small, but show a vigorous growth and will undoubtedly grow very rapidly if properly cared for.
75 years ago – Feb. 25, 1949
Twenty-five Percent of Funds Raised for Bail Park Lights
With the raising of over 25 percent of the $20,000 goal for ball park lights, the drive of the Healdsburg Community Recreation Lighting Committee is well under way. The plans to light the local Recreation Park at University and Piper streets started with the appointment of a 14-man group to raise needed money. The group is sanctioned in its drive to raise the money by the Planning Commission and the City Council.
“It will be the job of the committee not only to raise money but to then see that the park is administered in a fair manner,” Chairman McCaffrey stated this week. The group is interested in getting adequate lights only at the Healdsburg Recreation Park, also known as the Ball Park. Upon completion of the lighting project, investors will be repaid from a percentage of the gross gate receipts on a lottery basis.
The park will be used for night football, softball, baseball, and any other event which might be appropriate. The field has been surveyed for a football field. The field will not in any way be limited to high school use. It is a community-wide project from which all will derive benefits. A special lighting fund account has been opened at the Bank of America by Smith Robinson, treasurer.
50 years ago – Feb. 28, 1974
Fuel Crisis Hits Dam, Opponents Say
The beleaguered Warm Springs Dam-Lake Sonoma project has run into a new stumbling block. Opponents charge it’s going to take fuel needed elsewhere.
The Army Corps of Engineers recently requested a special allocation of 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel from the Federal Energy Office to renew construction of the $115 million project after a year’s delay for environmental considerations, the Warm Springs Dam Task Force says. Task Force members say the special fuel allocation conflicts “with more pressing priorities elsewhere and brings into serious question the need for starting work on the massive and wasteful Warm Springs Dam project.”
The group charges the allocation will “further aggravate current diesel fuel shortages experienced by truckers, and perhaps interfere with food distribution and defense priorities. At a time when we are experiencing escalating fuel prices and block-long lines, this special fuel allocation could provide us with enough gasoline for at least 25 million miles of passenger car driving … enough gas to drive around the world 1,000 times.”
Research and materials provided by the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society. The Museum, located at 221 Matheson St., is open 11am to 4pm, Thursdays through Sundays.
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