AND THE WINNER IS...
The Argus-Courier!
Petaluma Celebrity Feud and Honoring of Petaluma's Elders
Thursday, June 19, 5 to 6:30 pm
If you love Petaluma, you've got to be at the Petaluma Celebrity Feud where generations of Petalumans will celebrate Petaluma's history with a mock game show and an honoring of Petaluma's elders. The game show will pit teams against each other as they try to answer questions about Petaluma's history. Watch and learn a bit about Petaluma's rich past and root for your team as they go head to head! The winning team members will receive a gift of a Perfect Petaluma Evening
with dinner at Tolay Restaurant featuring local organic cuisine and an overnight stay at the Sheraton Sonoma County-Petaluma.
This event is sponsored by the Sheraton Sonoma County-Petaluma and BOB ( KNOB) the official radio sponsor of the Sesquicentennial, and the Argus-Courier.
Petaluma Celebrity Feud Judge Terry Smith, publisher and editor of the Petaluma Post, also serves as the Chairman of the Petaluma Visitors Program and is a member of the Petaluma Sesquicentennial Committee. He is the Editor of Celebrating Petaluma, the Petaluma Sesquicentennial commemorative book.
Emcee John Crowley was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland before immigating to Petaluma with his wife, Anne-laure in 1993. He owns and manages Airware Systems Inc., which provides air transportation logistics and management systems for cruise lines and wholesale tour operators.He is also owner of the Aqus Café Foundry Wharf and created both the Aqus Crawl and the Aqus News, a weekly e-newsletter which is a combination of local “craigslist” and online magazine. He also was instrumental in reinventing the Petaluma Moose Lodge, which is now the fastest growing Moose Lodge in America
Videographer Josiah Maselli – Where to start? Ok, since this bio is only supposed to be a paragraph or so I'll just start by saying; I've always had a creative captivation for motion pictures but it wasn't until I started to make my own that I realized just how intuitive and absurdly gratifying the whole "movie making" process can be. At around ten years of age I discovered making my own short movies with friends and family proved more rewarding and entertaining than watching the ones we rented from the movie store. I haven't stopped since. I've taken a bit of a break I'll admit and I've even denied my talent at times but as long as I'm captivated by the process and the end result thereof I will continue to try to captivate others with my "pictures."
TEAM 1 – Team Argus
John Burns
Don Bennett
Chris Samson
TEAM 2 – Team Cinnabar:
Eve O'Rouke
Emily Roeder
Walter Roeder
TEAM 3 - Team Government
Pam Torliatt - Mayor
Teresa Barrett
Karen Nau
TEAM 4 – Team Museum
Katherine Rinehart
Katie Watts
Marshall West, aka Isaac Wickersham
TEAM 5 – Team Nonprofit
Elece Hempel
Matt Martin
Bill Fishman
TEAM 6 – Team Petaluma Downtown
Merchant Association
Marie McCusker
Linda Postenrieder
Karla Schikore
TEAM 7 – Team Sonoma-Marin Fair
Brian Sobel
Carol Libarle
Joan O'Brien
TEAM 8 – Team Petaluma Visitors Program
Jessica Vann Gardner,
Exec Dir. Of Petaluma Visitors Program
Anne-Marie Woods,
General Manager of Petaluma Village Premium Outlets
Chris Stevick, Petaluma Trolley
Also on hand will be 10 of Petaluma's elders serving as our historians who have shaped Petaluma and remember her back when. They will coach the teams and tell us a bit about their lives and how Petaluma used to be. We will honor these elders as well as those in the audience.
HISTORIANS:
Dorothy L. Bertucci
My grandparents, Peter & Madalena Mateis, ended up in Petaluma, originally from Valle Maggia, Switzerland, in the late 1860's or early 1870's. Morris & Theodora Fredericks ended up in Petaluma, originally from the Isle of Foehr, Germany, around 1875.
My father had a clothing store on Kentucky Street. I have fond memories of growing up here during the 1920's and 30's, when Petaluma was a very small town of about 12,000 people and you knew everyone's name. I especially remember as a child walking downtown after school to visit my father's clothing store and then always going on to the Library.
The Carnegie building (now the Petaluma Museum) turned out to have a tremendous influence on my entire life! As a constant user and devotee, when I was in high school, I applied and got a job as a page (at $0.25 per hour!). That love for our library then drove me to Berkeley, to graduate with a degree in Librarianship and a career working at the Berkeley and UCLA libraries. When I married and returned to Petaluma, an appointment to the City Board of Library Trustees led to four campaigns for bonds to build the new Library building and finally, when our local libraries merged in 1975, I spent 32 years on the administrative Sonoma County Library Commission.
Yes, I have fond and grateful memories of the old days of Petaluma!
Don Broadbent
I moved with your family to Petaluma in 1964 from Marin County and lived on the east side of town where there was nothing but dirt to Old Adobe…now, the Caulfield fencing that is a sound wall backs up to my property.
I was an auditor for the State Compensation Fund and this enabled me to work with many local large businesses and farms.
My five daughters all went to St. Vincent's schools. I love to bowl and enjoy many friends here in Petaluma.
My fondest memory of being in Petaluma is that because of auditing, I have gotten to know many businesses, accountants and lawyers here in Petaluma. As I love people, I always enjoy myself. I also volunteer quite a bit.
Bill Hammerman, as William Howard Pepper
I was born in Duchess County, New York, on January 14, 1824. My parents, Michael and Mary, were of English descent, and natives of Connecticut.
I was a carpenter apprentice in Ohio, sailed with my brother around the tip of South America in 1850 and 5-1/2 months later arrived in San Francisco. I headed to Yuba County and built a lumber mill in 1851, which burned down in 1858.
Moved to Sonoma County that same year and purchased 157 acres of a squatter's claim and established a nursery 6 miles west of Petaluma. I purchased another 98 acres which included what is now the intersection of Pepper Road and Pepper Lane.
In 1874, I married a widow, Phoebe Perry, who had a daughter, Hattie May.
I took a trip to Germany and learned about Dr. Federic Froebel's “Children Garden” or kindergarten. When I came back to Petaluma, I built the Pepper Free Kindergarten at the southwest corner of Liberty and Washington Streets, which opened on December 4, 1894, with 28 students. My legacy to the community was a school which I founded to foster the growth & development of very young children.
Lil Krulevitch
Lil has been ill - we wish you a speedy recovery!
Mike Maloney
My Great-Grandfather was Adolph Gericke, born in Germany in 1832 moved to San Francisco in 1852 and ended up in Petaluma about 3 years later. He started a business cutting Wild Oats on the San Antonio creek and to this day, this place is called Hay Stack Landing.
He married Ellen Fallon in 1858, originally born in Ireland. They bought and sold 4 ranches in Marin and Sonoma Co. before purchasing my current ranch, in 1875 and had 10 children between 1858 and 1878.
In 1900 my Grandmother, Anna, married Patrick, who was 17 when he came to the U.S. from Ireland. They had 4 children one of which was my father, Robert, who became a partner in the ranch. The ranch was known as the Gericke - Maloney Ranch, raising Chickens, Sheep, apples and also a Dairy.
I purchased the ranch from family members in 1974 and except for a brief period when I worked in Fresno have lived there with your wife, Chris, and 6 Children.
My fondest memory is the small town of Petaluma that was known as the "Chicken and Egg" Capital. It used to have a feed mill on every corner and everyone knew each other. Growing up and showing at the fair each year you established relationships with agriculture families from all over Marin and Sonoma Co. My children have enjoyed doing this, having shown at the Sonoma-Marin fair almost continually since 1981 with only a slight break the past 3 years. Now that is starting up again this year with my Granddaughter showing for the first time.”
Dorothy Nadale
My Grandfather, Joseph Corda, was 19 years old when he moved here from the Ticino (pronounced Ta-chin-o) Area of Switzerland in 1883.
My fondest memories of growing up in Petaluma are that I would walk down Kentucky Street and I just loved to meet people. Petaluma was a great place to live because you always knew someone.
Also, I have fond memories of Judge Webb! He was a Judge here in Petaluma, in the 50's. If you got a ticket, well, Judge Webb would oftentimes throw away the ticket. They don't do that anymore!
I was on the original Family Feud when Richard Dawson was the host! Didn't win a cent, though! I love to play the harmonica, to this day I still take lessons, and will play a little number at the Petaluma Celebrity Feud.
Shep Shepherd
My father's name was Ted Shepherd and he moved to Petaluma in 1920 from Hampton, England. My mother was born in Reno, Nevada, and she came to Petaluma with her parents in 1918.
I was in the military and traveled for years with my wife, Lou, and we settled in Petaluma in the 1960's.
My fondest memory of being in Petaluma in my youth is that I used to explore the underground tunnels of Petaluma. Also, attending school here, playing at McNear Park, the Fourth of July's and also, all of the pretty girls here in Petaluma! There were many!
Skip Sommer
I grew up on Mackinaw Island, Michigan where to this day, no automobiles are allowed on the island – only horse and buggy. My first job was driving a horse & buggy and it was easy to relate to the days of the 1800's.
I came to Petaluma in 1975 to restore the Great Petaluma Mill! I love all the stories of the Founding Fathers of Petaluma and how they got started in business here. I have studied in great detail the history and stories of the 1800's and turn of the century and proudly am considered an Historian of Petaluma.
For 22 years, I have written the History Column in the Petaluma Post and also contributed to the Celebrating Petaluma book that recently came out through the Petaluma Visitors Program.
Lee Torliatt
Numerous wings of the family moved west to Petaluma in the 19th century. These include the Wards (English background) who had the old Mazza Ranch out D St., the Hickey family from Ireland, who farmed out Western Ave., the Stewarts from Scotland, the Merritts from England, and the ones I will give you details on--the Torliatts.
My Grandfather was Peter Torliatt Sr., born in 1857 near the French/Italian border (a bit east of Evian). He left his hometown after getting caught throwing rocks at the local priest!
He came to San Francisco in 1877 and got a job working for a family in the Sonoma Mountains near Penngrove. My grandmother, Adrienne Countemain, came to San Francisco from the Paris area. She always denied that she used the ticket to travel to the U.S. that was originally intended for her older sister!
They married in 1888, and rented a poultry & cattle ranch and eventually had 5 children. Peter became known as "Strawberry Pete" - the strawberry king of Sonoma County. He also had a frog pond where Frenchmen from San Francisco gathered on weekends to catch and eat them!
Peter and Adrienne had what could charitably be described as a volatile relationship. They filed for divorce against each other five times (I claim that as a Sonoma County record) but never got a divorce (I also claim that as a record.) Fortunately, they did separate. He moved the strawberry operation to Ely Road on the east side of Petaluma and died of TB, know as "the white plague," in January, 1916 at age 58. Adrienne lived at a couple of different addresses in Petaluma.
Adrienne, died at the ripe old age of 84, on July 22, 1947.)
Sylvia and John Volpi
Our Grandmother, Giovanna Volpi, came to Petaluma in 1925 along with our father, Sylvio Volpi. Giovanna was originally from Caiolo, Italy (which is near Sondrio, Italy in Lombardy close to the Swiss border).
Our maternal Grandparents, John & Catterina Oberto, were originally from Parella and Samone, Italy in 1920, which is about 1 hour from Torino, which is about 1 hour from the French border.
Our mother was a very successful businesswoman: She was Founder & Director of what is now the West America Bank, located at the corner of Washington and Keller. The bank was originally the Sierra National Bank, bought out by First Interstate and is now West America Bank.
Also, she was the Egg Day Queen in 1925! (Now known as the Butter & Eggs Day.)
The Volpi Restaurant was originally a grocery store! John even on occasion delivered groceries to homes. We are a musical family, John and I have been entertaining Petalumans and have literally traveled quite far to play at events over the years, meeting many wonderful people in the process.
Our fondest memory about growing up in Petaluma is that it was always nice to be able to go downtown and know 90% of the people and then to go into the stores and be called by your first name because almost everyone knew each other in those days.
Sonoma-Marin Fair • 4th District Agricultural Association 175 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma, CA 94952
voice: 707 283-3247 • fax: 707 283-3250 • email: info@sonoma-marinfair.org
The Fair Office is open weekdays, year-round from 8 am to Noon and from 1 to 5 pm
Sonoma-Marin Fair Television
Network and Virtual Fair
Petaluma Celebrity Feud Judge Terry Smith, publisher and editor of the Petaluma Post, also serves as the Chairman of the Petaluma Visitors Program and is a member of the Petaluma Sesquicentennial Committee. He is the Editor of Celebrating Petaluma, the Petaluma Sesquicentennial commemorative book.
Emcee John Crowley was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland before immigating to Petaluma with his wife, Anne-laure in 1993. He owns and manages Airware Systems Inc., which provides air transportation logistics and management systems for cruise lines and wholesale tour operators.He is also owner of the Aqus Café Foundry Wharf and created both the Aqus Crawl and the Aqus News, a weekly e-newsletter which is a combination of local “craigslist” and online magazine. He also was instrumental in reinventing the Petaluma Moose Lodge, which is now the fastest growing Moose Lodge in America
Videographer Josiah Maselli – Where to start? Ok, since this bio is only supposed to be a paragraph or so I'll just start by saying; I've always had a creative captivation for motion pictures but it wasn't until I started to make my own that I realized just how intuitive and absurdly gratifying the whole "movie making" process can be. At around ten years of age I discovered making my own short movies with friends and family proved more rewarding and entertaining than watching the ones we rented from the movie store. I haven't stopped since. I've taken a bit of a break I'll admit and I've even denied my talent at times but as long as I'm captivated by the process and the end result thereof I will continue to try to captivate others with my "pictures."
