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Joel Childers (1966)

Theresa - I do have regrets about ditching our landline phone just to save a few bucks. And you are so right about technology. Is there any computer system, phone or website that can't be hacked?

Tom Stewart (1969)

I grew up a few blocks from Beamer Park and spent many summers and a lot of time there.  We used to play football and "home run derby" at the park.  Mike Gordon, David Wirth, Billy Townsend, Danny Logue, Francis Marion, and a bunch of my brother's friends (much older) competed in all the sports of young gladiators of the time.  I remember the "big boys" joining in.  Buba Miller, Brian Crutcher, Don Stewart, and others I can't remember.  Sometimes we played at Beamer School where I attended elementary school and served on "Safety Patrol".  Wow, lots of memories from that time.....

David Stotts (1965)

Tom-I grew up 2 blocks from Beamer Park and we did "home Run Derby" also at the park.  Must have been 4 or 5 years before you.  We would hit ours into the tennis courts and keep track all summer. We had to wait until around 4pm when the Summer Park Program was over to bring out the hardball. Craig Roberts. Jeff Norton, John Didion and several others were among my pals that hung out there.  Bobby Eveland was our Babe Ruth-he was 2 years older than us.  The summer parks programs were great!  I sure any of you who grew up in Woodland would remember how cool it was to have a new craft each week.  The City Wide touraments like ping pong. badmiton, etc where each park would send their champion to the City Tournament to determine the City Champ. I even became one of the park directors at Southland Park one summer while home from college. Lots of fun.   I'm sure some of you have some great memories about the summer parks programs.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Just remembering those craft times at Beamer Park.  I made a pair of yellow shell earrings for my Mother.  She wore them with a black dress which had a yellow and white scarf.  It was a pretty set for her.  Not so crazy about the basket making.  But it was all fun for a summers day in the Park.  

Allene Abbott (Prall) (1962)

I thought you might like a little histoiry on the Beamer Park Subdivision.  Richard L. Beamer came out from Kentucky and purchased 600 plus acres bordered now by Beamer St., Kentucky Ave. on the north, East St., and College St. on the west.  His house sits just inside the entramce on the west side of Palm Ave.  He had 7 children.,  His daughters were married in that house  His son, Richard, lived down the street at 19 3rd St. in a beautiful Victorian house.  He was a former mayor of Woodland and loved to plant trees.  He donated 26 palm trees to be planted around the library and in front of Richard senior's house.  They still stand today.  When his mother died in 1914, Richard and his siblings sold the 600 plus acres to the Keystone Development Co. of Berkeley who develooped the Beamer Park Subdivision.  They hired an Italian immigrant, Joseph Motroni, who was making quite a name for himself in the Bay area as a builder.  A lot of the beautiful and unique houses you see in Beamer Park are Motroni houses,.  The house I grew up in at 808 Hollister Rd. was not a Motroni house, but I have fond memories of playing with friends and participating in park recreation during summers across the street in Beamer Park, and playing on "the circle" as we called it.

David Stotts (1965)

Allene-I think I grew up in a Motroni house until I was 12.  It was right on the corner of Jackson St. maybe 32 Jackson?  Doug Motroni may have lived there before my parents bought it?  It was an all brick house very well built. I think my parents sold it in 1959 for $12,000.   I could be wrong about this but this is what comes to memory.  If my sister Judi was still alive she would remember but she passed a few years ago.  My mother was the office manager for the Motroni Heard Lumber Company for many years.  

Greg Kareofelas (1962)

Wow, who would have thought! I was talking with Nita Keehn about more ideas for "Lets jog some memories" and she mentioned "The circle". That ended up being a great topic!! As a kid I lived almost at the end of Fifth Street, not quite the corner of Fifth and Beamer and my Grandmother and Grandfather lived in (A Matroni built house) on Pershing Ave), So when I visited them, I either road my bike down Beamer - By the brick arches (Thanks Anne for the photos of them! You saved me a trip to Woodland to photo them :-) )  or the "back way on Keystone" by the circle. And thanks to everyione else for the memories and about the Beamer Park. I just remember The Slide, constructed out of Steel and Pipe, The merry-go-round, also steel and pipe. They got scorching hot in the summer, but vandals could not burn up our playground equipment, like the plastic stuff today :-)

Bernard Rocksvold (1965)

I lives just down the street from Greg,  just south of Clover st. So we went to Freeman park for the summer crafts. I remember the hot as hell steel slide. We brought gunny sacks from home to ride on the slide to keep from burnning our butts. We also used the wax paper, that our sandwiches where wrapped in, to wax the slide. Riding a gunny sack down the waxed slide, you could actually get a little airborne when you hit the hump in the middle of the slide.

You had to be really fast swinging on the steel "monkey bars" to keep from burning your hands.

Theresa Eve (1964)

Bernard, I remember those tricks on the slide, especially the waxpaper.  Those were fun, but hot days.  I use to get big blisters on my hands from going on the bars, and the ring sets.  I do not see ring sets these days.  Skipping one ring and getting the next was always a challenge.  

Allene Abbott (Prall) (1962)

David,

I am so sorry to hear about Judi  I knew her from Beamer School  She was very outgoing and fun to be around.  One day in 8th grade, she invited me to go with her on a family outing to the Napa Valley Ranch Club.  We had a lot of fun that day.

Your house at 32 Jackson was indeed a Motroni house acording to the David Wilkinson book "Crafting a Valley Jewel".  It lists the builders of Woodland and the addresses and pictures of the houses they built.  32 Jackson was built in 1945.  Acording to the index of builders at the end of the book, Joseph Motrroni built 154 houses in Woodland, among them the Espigares, Traynham, and Vickery houses to name a few.  The Motroni house was at 524 W. Keystone and was shaped like an airplane.  I always loved the volcanic rock wall around the patio-- a much used material by Motroni, as well as Spanish tile for the roofs.  The store "Local Inspirations" in Woodland might sell the book I mentioned if you are interested,.  They have always been extremely acomodating in sending books I've ordered, since I live in Savannah, Ga.  David Wilkinson, the author, and I have exchanged emails on occasion and he might know where you can get the book if the store doesn't have it.  He lives on First St.  He has written several books about Woodland.  Also the Historical Society might know or have some.

Joel Childers (1966)

I mentioned Crafting a Valley Jewel some time ago here on the forum. I got my copy from the Historical Society on Gibson Road. I don't have their address handy. They may still have copies. This book is great history, as well as scores of photos of Woodland's unique architecture of both residential houses and downtown and Government buildings. Great nostalgia especially for us who live some distance away.

David Stotts (1965)

Allene.

Thanks so much for your reply to my post.  That's awesome that you joined us on one of our many trips to the Napa Valley Ranch Club.  I was the skinny little brother.  I hope I wasn't too bad.  Thanks also for the info on my Motroni house.  Funny you mentioned the Espigares home.  I'm pretty sure it was Joe Espigares (Nancy's Dad) who was the realtor who sold our house back then.  As I remember he worked at Motroni Lumber for years with my mother before becoming a realtor.

Greg Kareofelas (1962)

Thanks Ailene (and everyone else) for the memories of Motroni. We lived at 18 5th Street, so I was just around the corner from the Lumber Co. and it holds three distinct memories for me: 1. the Main Store, where they had all that wonderful old hardware, hinges, locks, the "nail area" where you would buy nails by the pound and take them home in the brown paper bags! And David, if yor Mom worked there up to the early 1960's I would have met her. 2 The Planing Mill, where Doug Motroni would let me watch as they built cabinets and other wood projects. Not only would he let me watch, he would take the time to explain what he was doing and why. To him I owe a lifetime of wood working enjoyment :-) & 3. Behind the Planing Mill was the big "Box" where he let me climb in and look for scrapts of wood that I would take home and build my "projects" with. The good ole days and many memories 

Tom Stewart (1969)

Greg,

I lived just around the corner from you on Grafton St.  Knew your sister Jean.  I remember when your parents house was flooding and we were out there sand bagging.  I think it was near Knights Landing if I remember right.

Gary Wegener (Wegener) (1966)

Did you know you can send a private message to a classmate (that is a member of the site) by going to 

their profile and clicking on ....  "Send __________ a private message." That's a good option for

catching up with long lost friends that might want to meet up at the reunion.  Try it; you will like it.

Jim Benedict (1969)

Thanks for all the pics about Beamer Park and comments about the Matronis.  I grew up at 24 Bliss Ave and have a lot of fond memmories going to the park, riding our bikes and playing games there.  

Larry Polete (Polete) (1964)

Hey David. Our family were members of the Napa Valley Ranch Club also. I remember seeing you, your sister, and your mom and dad there on several occsaions. I will never forget the big swimming pool, cafe/store where we bought our soda's and ice cream. Plus all of the other outdoor activities there.  Great times and great memories.  Plus my little brother Loran tagged along. Lol.

Bill Ehrke (1962)

Speaking of  Beamer park. I lived at 15 Sutter st. injoid all the sumer fun at the park but the big thing was the big box at Matroini lumber yard. I and my buddys halled so much wood scaps from there we could have built a few houses. We made tree houses, forts,ginny pig cages. rabit huches, and every thing you could emagin. What fond memorys as a kid growing up!

Jim Barger (1963)

Jim Barger (1963)

The Senior Class of 1963 Class Photo as the Class of 1963 Celebrates  60 years from Graduation  from the Old Woodland High School at this year's Decades Reunion.

Frances Handley (Jones) (1964)

Glad to see that a few more people have registered for the reunion. Looks like the Class of 1966 is ahead so far. Class of 1964 is second in registrants.   Hopefully the next couple of weeks more people will make the decision to come. Heat will be over hopefully! Will be nice to be back and Woodland and see some of our "historical places"!  By the way the movie "American Graffiti" turns 50 on August 12, 2023. If you want to feel some real nostalgia, take another look at it. It may be Modesto and Petaluma, but the scenes are oh so familiar. Good summer night movie watching!

Greg Kareofelas (1962)

OK, I just signed up for the reunion :-)  And I will try and come up with some more Memory questions Like "Who else was in Troop 69, Boy Scouts and I see that the Old Cabin is still there. I think our Scout Master was Doc Camp??? Anyone have any photos of scout events. I remember the "Rock Cabin" along Cache Creek just about to the county line?

Bernard Rocksvold (1965)

Greg,

I was a member of scout troup 69 and Doc Camp was the scoutmaster. We camped on Cache creek at Camp Haswell (stone cabin). We were dropped off at Rumsey and had to hike to Camp Haswell. We also hiked north of the camp along cache creek at night, while the older scouts tried to scare us with ghost stories. Then there was the infamous (snipe hunt). 

Tom Stewart (1969)

Greg and Bernard,
I was in scouts also, but not part of your troop.  I was in 163 during the 50th anniversary of Boy Scouts in America.  We had the "Jamboree" on the grounds where the present Cal Expo now stands.  I earned my "God and Country" Award during that time.  I will post a couple of photos of the 50th Jamboree. I later joined troop 133.  



 

Ron Blickle (1963)

Yes, I was in the same Troup 69 with Doc Camp as our Scout Master.  In addition to Camp Haswell, I also went to Camp Harvey West on Upper Echo Lake at Echo Summit for several summers.  It was a week long camp in pup tents which held two boys each.  There were scouts from all over the Sacramento Valley with lots of fun things to do, including swimming in that freezing lake to get our swimming merit badge.  Camp Harvey West was abandoned many years ago due to contamination of the lake due to the latrines and leach fields flowing into the lake.  That was a really special place.

My granfather, Joe Holmes, who was the Manager of Woodland Lumber Company at that time, donated lumber for the Scout Cabin. He and Mr Matroni donated the lumber and built the Scout Cabin on Lincoln Ave back in the 1920's.  Does anyone know if it is still being used by the Scouts?   It had a couple of meeting rooms and a larger room with a fireplace where we ran around playing games.  Good times.