Our History from the Beginning
became their bartender. The place eventually burned down. “Old Pete” was a handy man and lived in a trailer across from Speck McAuliffe’s bar in Lagunitas. He had a horse called Lightfoot he would rent to me for $1 a day and I rode all over the place and would groom the horse after- ward. One day I decided to mount up and ride and shoot my deer rifle, like in the movies, at a hawk flying over, but the horse bolted, the reins broke, and Lightfoot didn’t stop running for a good mile. I used to go up to Mt. Barnabe and got acquainted with Bill Humphries and his family. He was a radio operator W6ZUB and encouraged me to get my license KB6BKN, which I later did. The Bianchis, who lived below us, had chickens and made cheese, and there were cows grazing in their meadow. Their son Joe was the first milk delivery man (Lucas Valley Dairy) and would deliver to us. There were two gas stations, two grocery stores, Roberts (which later burned) and Roma Market owned by Sterling Witt. There were two seasonal summer camps: Greggs’ on the hill and Camp Lagunitas owned by Ed and Olga Barbano, both school teachers; he was a runner up in shotput at the Olympics. I got a job there at age 17 as a camp counselor and my assistant was Jan Wenner who later founded Roll- ing Stone Magazine . On July 4 th my father would bring up a large potato sack full of fire crackers, and we children and adults would all sit out in front lighting them for hours. Yes, I have some great memories of a most favorable time growing up with a loving family life and good friends.
June 2009 I Remember Forest Knolls, The Early Years by Walter Schivo My parents purchased a summer home on Arroyo Road in the 1940s, so every weekend and summer was spent there with my sister. There were four other family homes up by us. My father would commute to the produce district at three in the morning. I fished, hiked, hunted in the Valley, swam at the Woodacre country club and Shafter’s, and pic- nicked at Camp Taylor. My cousins Al and Mary Schivo purchased a house on Arroyo Road and built a barn and had show horses. I helped Al put the chain fence in front when I was around 14 and was paid $20 and two sleeping bags. My other cousins Clarance and Georgia also purchased a home in Forest Knolls and played Whist. One neighbor, Red Marselli, had a white horse he would ride, and every kid thought he was Hopalong Cas- sidy. Also next to us was Dorthy Sturla, assistant to A. P. Ginnani at Bank of America, Amelio Pacini, owner of Amelio’s restaurant with his brother-in-law Ed Duinucci the chef. They would have some minor movie stars come up from LA on some weekends. I remem-
ber Muisha Haur being one of them. They used to make homemade wine. The Riley family lived up the road and Dr. Schmidt with 10 kids lived by us and added a pool. Johnny Nielsen was the postmaster and we chased rac- coons at night with his dogs over by the dam spillway. My uncle Elmer (Skip- per) showed Speck how to make Irish Coffee and later
Forest Knolls view of Forest Dr. from Sanchez Rd. Some of these homes can be recognized today. (From the Collection of Newall Snyder)
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50 th Anniversary
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