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Musings on Novato
Posted On: 12/14/2006 5:45:51 PM - By: C. Hassold
Novato has evolved significantly since the school opened in 1956. It was not even incorporated until 1960! Living in New England (as I do now) you see towns that have not changed in a hundred years; the stores just change names and the neighbors move in and out. On the other hand, Novato has changed a lot! If there is a perspective I would enjoy reading about here it is what Novato was like when you were a student. I guess I should be an example and do as I suggest.
Beyond the fads and fashions of the late eighties and early nineties, Novato was a simple town. When I tell people I come from a “small town” that had 40,000 residents, they look puzzled. However, any of us know that a walk down Grant Avenue could easily be mistaken for that of Main Street in Mayberry.
So, what was Novato like in 1990? New development was just starting to kick in. They had just broken ground on Vintage Oaks, the gigantic outdoor mall that sits where Rowland used to be a dead end. I remember going to Lyons after a `night on the town` for a late night chocolate shake and cheese sticks accompanied by musings(or gossip) on people and life. Of course, McDonalds, which was referred to as "Mickey D`s" seemed to be the center point of meetings. We all just showed up at the same time to discuss what to do with the night. I imagine that is totally unnecessary now as a result of the cell phone. All you do is text people where the good party is.
Today, Novato is very polished. Downtown looks like some kind of Beverly Hills shopping strip. Though the storefronts are still a hodgepodge of arcitectural design. The tragedy is the loss of "The Bit" which closed a couple of years ago. I always liked that place. However, staples like Dr. Insomnia`s, Shelly`s and Deborba`s are still in good order. The Golden Egg was totally remodeled a while back after a fire destroyed the place. Secretly, I am happy as I liked the food but never was a fan of the interior decor.
Hamilton A.F.B. has always been an important part of culture in Novato. I think the service men and women and their families added a lot of character to the sometimes predictable place Novato was. Some of the people I knew and was most fond of lived on Hamilton or in the Coast Guard housing. Hamilton was also the source of much lore. I recall hearing about the haunted Spanish houses, wild parties in abandoned hangars on a given Saturday night and scavenger hunts around Ammo Hill for relics from the base` more active days.
Those of you who have not been to Novato in a long time will be surprised to learn that Hamilton is now a master planned community. All the old houses have been leveled and replaced with modern housing. Though the property lines are dense, it is a nice neighborhood and the City has done a decent job of keeping the more historically significant buildings alive and in use. The Hangars are now multi-use office spaces (I would love to have an office there). The runways are being converted into wetlands in the near future... lots of changes in no time at all, it seems.
What are your memories of Novato? Where did you spend your weekend? If you have some time, go ahead and write about it!