100 years ago – November 25, 1920
Flying turkey collides with electric wires
A fine, fat turkey gobbler, owned by someone on the west side of town, Tuesday afternoon decided that he would not be offered up as a sacrifice to the Thanksgiving spirit. The bird accordingly spread his wings, took an airplane run the length of the ward, and sailed toward the east. He cleared the buildings on the west side of the Plaza and had almost reached the City Hall in his flight, when he came in contact with an electric light wire and dropped to the ground in a tail spin. A couple of kids saw the bird fall, grabbed it from the sidewalk and started for home, with visions of a bountiful dinner. By that time, however, the owners of the turkey came across the Plaza hot on the chase of the gobbler, and the kids were compelled to turn it over to them.
75 years ago – November 16, 1945
Old landmark razed for modern structure
The Old Fitch Mountain Tavern Garage, corner Matheson and East Streets, built many years ago by the late Andrew Gallaway and the late A. M. Ewing, will soon be a thing of the past. It is being razed to make room for a contemplated medical center building to be erected by Dr. A. M. Anderson, who has purchased the property. Although plans are in the making and no definite time set for building, Dr. Anderson is contemplating a six-office structure for physicians and dentists and a clinic laboratory. At one time Asa Adams had a furniture store there, but it has been used as a storage room for many years.
25 years ago – November 15, 1995
Merchants’ anger delays drain work
A significant Healdsburg Avenue storm drain improvement project to reduce winter flood threats was delayed this week for about two months, but not before merchants became irate about the city’s timing of the project which would mostly close down their block for the majority of the holiday shopping season, at least through December 20. The project located along the 400 block of Healdsburg Avenue will close down parking on each side of the street and narrow traffic to a single lane for the duration of the Healdsburg Avenue section. Part of Mitchell Lane, off of Healdsburg Avenue, will also be closed to traffic. Merchants demanded the project be delayed until after the holidays, regardless of the threat of any flooding. “We’d rather go through two days of shoveling water rather than be closed down for a month,” said a merchant who, like other merchants along the strip, twice recovered from floods last winter.
