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Monday Memories: Surprise!

Thanks to Grace Marquette for scanning this brochure

1970 RL map small

1970 RL brochure inside small

1970 RL brochure front small

Surprise!

Didn’t sleep well last night, so I was up and soaking my knees in the hot tub at about 6:00am. Nice morning for it too… rainy and

breezy. Once I got around to checking my email and Facebook, I had no idea the treasure I would find this morning!

Thanks to Grace Marquette for scanning this brochure from the Rio Linda Chamber of Commerce circa 1970. It’s the little surprises like this that really make my interest in local history worthwhile. A couple of things of note;

  • A photo of the intact, mid-century modern styled “MarVal Plaza” monument sign. With the funky boomerang lettering, it might even be considered “Googie” style.
  • Notice how clean and fresh everything is. Even the archway looks freshly painted.
  • A lot of neighborhoods that hadn’t yet been built… Elkhorn Manor, Johnson Woods, Castle Creek Estates, Bell Acqua Park, Rio Linda Woods.
  • The Sac Northern railroad tracks still running through the middle of town, and the associated bump on M street.
  • While not referenced on the map, this would be the era of McMillan’s Hardware, Roma Liquors, and Archway Pizza… all long defunct.

Grace notes (lol) that anyone interested in the Rio Linda Elverta Historical Society should attend their Sunday Social at Calvary Lutheran Church on Feb. 20th. I’m unsure of the time, however.

Hayward Air Rally

(Special thanks to Erwin Hayer)

1964AirRacePlanning-SacBee1965HaywardLasVegas_1stPlaceThe Hayward Air Rally has been held continuously since 1964.

You would first estimate and turn in your time to the second and fuel consumption to the tenth of a gallon before taking off.

The object of the Proficiency Event was to take off from Hayward Airport when the flag dropped, fly south-south-east to Bakersfield Airport, land and refuel after flying between two smoke pots for the time to stop. Then leave Bakersfield to the south east for a fly by at Hesperia Airport south of Victorville CA.  After a report with air race number at Hesperia, turn North East (NE) toward Las Vegas. After crossing between two smoke pots at the Convention Center at 500 feet above the ground, time stop, turning south and landing at McCarran Airport.

Aircraft from the American Aero Club stationed at the Rio Linda Airport entered in 1964 and 1965.

In 1965, 10 aircraft from the American Aero Club at Rio Linda Airport placed in the top 12 positions out of the 86 aircraft that were entered.

Erwin Hayer says;

1965HaywardLasVegas_4thPlaceThat’s me at 29, one year before I married Sandy, in the photo of Air Race 1966 standing next to the Cessna 120 (N72201) in which I took fourth place.

6 Comments

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  • John, Thank you for putting local history on the website. It is exciting to learn more about our community and community members. Hopefully, you will have more community members willing to share their stories and add to your posting. This is a great idea!
    Lisa

    • Isn’t it fun? I love seeing the old pictures of places that I remember from growing up here. Makes me feel good.

      Now, I need to find a picture of a Datsun B210 jumping the hump on M street. 😉

  • Seeing that old picture of Mar Val’s sign took me back many years. My stepfather, Rudy Kruse, was the manager of the meat department when I was growing up. I used to help straighten up the displays & take the newly wrapped meat to the case. There’s no way a 10 year old kid could do that today. I used to skate out front on the sidewalk too.

    • I remember Rudy! Good thing they all wore nametags. 🙂

      My fondest memory of MarVal, being the child of the 80’s that I am, is standing there playing the Atari 2600 display game while mom shopped. It was quite a gathering place for us 12 year olds!

      Thanks for sharing Regina, and welcome!

  • I have some memories of Mar-Val in its hayday. I broke my legs in a shopping cart, thanks to my brother, when I was 4 so that would be 19…72. I worked there as a teenager as a bagger and worked in the Deli for awhile too. I remember the deli manager winning $100 grand in the California lottery. Jim was the manager but Brian, I think his name was, was the 2nd in command that I worked with. Brian called me to the office one day to tell me the store had gotten a call from my mom that my grandmother mother died. Those are just a few.

  • Thanks for writing Steven!

    I didn’t spen a lot of time -in- Archway Pizza, but I specifically remember the New Year’s Eve my Grammy and I spent together. We ordered a mushroom pizza from Archway. It might have been the first mushroom pizza I’d had. I just remember it was GOOD!