It was a grandest day, to hear the dignitaries tell it. “It’s a day of celebration and a day of tribute,” said Mayor Bill Barone. “We as citizens can be very proud of what we’ve accomplished and of what we see because we’ve done it all together.” Other notables called it “fantastic” and “a very […]
You’re standing at the intersection of Fourth and B streets, next to where the Citibank building is now. It is March 15, 1978 – groundbreaking day for the downtown mall. Twice before you’ve visited this spot; the most recent was the 1982 grand opening of the mall. In 1972 you were also here for a […]
“This is a grotesque charade!” shouted William Smith, a lawyer prone to spicing his remarks with exclamation points. He was at City Hall for a 1977 public hearing about a $4 million loan being given to the Santa Rosa Redevelopment Agency. Smith was demanding how and when the money was to be spent. The city […]