Controversy abounds in Petaluma’s 1987

The year 1987 was a very contentious one in Petaluma as well as in the world.|

The year 1987 was a very contentious one in Petaluma as well as in the world. Ronald Reagan was president, George Deukmejian was governor, Jim Harberson was our supervisor, Patti Hilligoss was mayor and the city council was made up of Brian Sobel, Larry Tencer, Michael Davis, John Balshaw, Jack Cavanagh and Lynn Woolsey, later to be elected to Congress from our district.

A big debate was raging about our much heralded 1972 Limited Growth Plan. Brian Sobel said we had to establish “minimum standards for growth,” and Mayor Hilligoss was perturbed that developers and builders were taking “too long to start their projects.” During that year, Petaluma’s Redwood Business Park was approved for developer Bill White and his Office-Marina complex received a $3.9 million dollar loan to start construction.

The Golden Gate Bridge was celebrating its 50th anniversary that year and moves were on to close the bridge for a big celebration bash. Jack Cavanagh reminisced that he had attended the original walk-over, as had Argus-Courier columnist Bill Soberanes, and it had been “memorable.” But, Jim Harberson said he “couldn’t support a bridge closure” and the bash didn’t happen.

Nationally, President Reagan was trying to explain away the Iran-Contra scandal of trading arms for hostages, while Col. Oliver North testified before congress that he “thought the president knew.” Also on Reagan’s agenda was off-shore oil drilling, a topic that now is even more contentious.

General Alexander Haig announced he would run for president in 1987. Also in that race were Bob Dole, Jack Kemp, Gary Hart, George McGovern and George H.W. Bush. Democrats Teddy Kennedy and Al Gore, meanwhile, announced that they would not run for president.

In June, our much sought-after, 20 year general plan for Petaluma was finally approved by the city council. It had taken two full years of debate, with the most contentious issue being an urban separator. Our chief planner, Pamela Tuft, “was all smiles,” after this vote, just as she was to be, 20 years later, regarding updating of the same plan.

Another contentious issue in 1987 was the proposal to establish a farmers market in Petaluma.

This was strongly opposed by our merchants, who thought it would restrict business parking. The issue was finally approved when the weekly event was located on 2nd Street between B and C streets. That block, where Graffiti Restaurant is now, was then a parking lot.

Heritage Homes president, Debi Riddle, was named the Good Egg of Petaluma for 1987 and Wrist Wrestling champion, Bill Rhodes, was staging the second annual River Festival with our glamorous Susan Villa dressed as a mermaid for the event. I was co-emcee with Ron Walters for that event and remember that Susan had to be carried to her float. (What’s a mermaid to do?) The crowd, visiting Petaluma that day was estimated at 25,000.

In July, the Petaluma Fire Department announced that they had bought a computer. It was an IBM and had cost $2,500. The fire laddies lovingly draped it with a sheet at night to keep the dust out. The Petaluma Police Department, not to be out-done, announced they had installed a cell phone in Chief Dewitt’s car. Progress was rampant here.

On the entertainment side, the Sonoma County Fair was featuring The Smothers Brothers, The Temptations and Doc Severinson, while our Jim Pollock, five-time wrist wrestling champ, was entertaining with banjo and song at the Bohemian Grove party.

It was that summer that President Reagan made his famous speech in Berlin that demanded: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Senator Gary Hart chose this time to re-announce for the presidency, stating: “The public does not have a right to know about the private lives of those who seek to lead the nation.” He was, of course, referring to his hot elicit relationship with a Florida model. (Some things never change.)

The public responded by making him withdraw for the second time. Late night TV host, Johnny Carson, then quipped: “He may not get the presidency, but he was offered the lead in “Fatal Attraction II.”

In our town that fall, The new Bank of Petaluma opened it’s doors, restaurant Steamer Gold Landing expanded to 16,000 square feet, The Spa Bar & Grill was happily selling their beer and Spa Burgers and McNear’s Dining House was also booming. Only McNear’s is still here.

But the really big debate of the year in Petaluma was the no smoking ordinance. Council Members Michael Davis and Lynn Woolsey proposed that half of each restaurant in our city be reserved for non-smokers. Restaurant and bar owners screamed that this was “nothing short of tyranny and against the constitution’s bill of rights.” The Argus-Courier editorialized that this was “too complicated an impact on local business.” Lynn Woolsey was appointed to study the issue and the Argus, the following week said it: “May be alright if the process moves slowly.” Armed with that caution, Woolsey expanded the tobacco ban to include all “city-owned facilities.”

A packed public hearing was held with council members Balshaw and Cavanagh against the issue. Mayor Hilligoss, sometimes a smoker herself, kept quiet. Restaurant and bar owners joined forces against it, while our Chamber of Commerce came out “for” it.

This argument was finally settled in November, by a split city council vote of five to two with Cavanagh and Hilligoss opposing. Our Republican mayor defended her “no” vote by saying: “I don’t want government in everything.” In the final reading, restaurants with more than 45 seats were mandated to set aside half of those seats for non-smoking patrons.

The Argus, the following day, commended the City Council for the vote. But our mayor again cautioned: “Who will enforce this?”

It was also 1987 that Petaluma Post Publisher, David Bennett, took me for “a beer” at McNear’s Saloon and asked me to join his staff as history editor. I resisted until the third beer. But, now, 30 years and some 400 columns later, I’m still surfing the intriguing back-stories of our exceptional small town in the west.

(Historian Skip Sommer is an Honorary Life Member of Heritage Homes and the Petaluma Historical Museum. Contact him at skipsommer@hotmail.com.)

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