Here are some newspaper stories published this week in years past.
25 YEARS AGO: Park observatory launched
By LAURA URSENY, STAFF WRITER
Local stargazers promised to bring the celestial world to earth by September during Saturday’s groundbreaking for Chico’s first public star observatory.
With the ceremonial flip of spaded earth, the Greater Chico Kiwanis Club pledged publicly to have the observatory in place near Horseshoe Lake in upper Bidwell Park by September.
Not only will the public be able to come to “star parties” there and learn from celestial docents about the heavens, but eventually anyone with a computer and access to the internet will be able to cast an eye through the Kiwanis telescope from home.
“This observatory will bring astronomy to people for the first time in this state, other than by a state-owned organization,” said Kris Koenig, who with Kiwanis members has worked on this project for more than a year.
… the observatory will include a hand-made 10-inch telescope and a 14-inch telescope, housed in a small building to be constructed by Slater and Son contractors of Chico.
The smaller telescope is a folded refractor telescope worth about $20,000 and hand-made by the late Jim Schwartz, who was a respected local amateur astronomer. …
Being close-in to Chico and within bicycling range for the community’s youth was critical to the project, according to Koenig.
“This is your observatory,” Dave Johnson told the cluster of people gathered for the ceremony. “Thursday through Sunday nights and special occasions, it will be yours.” …
— Enterprise-Record, April 9, 2000
50 YEARS AGO: Protests draw Skyway assessment hearing
Armed with a battery of lawyers, petitions and an audience of over 50 protesters, residents of the Skyway Assessment District were successful Tuesday in securing a new public hearing to allow further protest filings from residents who were uninformed or improperly informed of the public hearings held to date.
The most vocal spokesman for the group was Cathy West, who showed the supervisors the illegible notice she had received of the hearings. The notice was mailed in a piece of paper which also contained information about the assessment. The board agreed the paper used for the mailing could have been discarded as a makeshift envelope and ordered a new public hearing. …
The new notice … will contain a breakdown of the various charges as applicable to each property owner in the assessment district. The breakdown will include individual shares for paving, curb and gutter, drainage and sewer laterals.
Adolph Pearson, protesting his assessment, asked the board to consider the protests very carefully. “The public is losing faith in local government,” Pearrson said. …
The board heard over two hours of protests at Tuesday’s meeting and agreed to hold further discussion …
— Paradise Post, April 4, 1975
75 YEARS AGO: Egg Hunt Held Inside; Kids Still Have Fun
The weather refused to cooperate with the Kiwanis Club and Enterprise-Record annual Easter Egg Hunt, but the kids weren’t let down or disappointed. They gathered by the thousands in front of Memorial Hall this morning for their chocolate eggs and ice cream.
Kiwanian Tom Bragdon and his committee took a hasty survey of the Bidwell Perk area early this morning and decided it was impossible to hold the egg hunt as scheduled. Several inches of mud and grass were too much for the hardiest youngster.
Because of the mob of kids ganging the Memorial Hall, it was decided to have them file into the hall one by one, to receive their eggs and ice cream. Some of the luckier ones also got special Easter baskets as prizes.
Unfortunately, because the weather was so bad, the youngsters were unable to see the entertainment as originally planned. It was decided it would be impossible to stage the show in the auditorium.
— Enterprise-Record, April 8, 1950
100 YEARS AGO: Inspiring Sunrise Service Will Draw Thousands to Park
Adhering to a custom of several years’ standing in this community, the Easter sunrise service will be conducted next Sunday morning, April 12, starting at 5:30 a.m. The place selected for this service will be, as in the past, the cross opposite the lower end of the golf links in Bidwell park, the first number on the program being timed to start with the appearance of the first rays of sunlight creeping over the mound upon the cross is erected.
The inspiring influence which the service has carried to its auditors in past years promises to be outdone by the service which has been arranged this year … for, a special attraction, Tully C. Knowles, president of the College of the Pacific, now located at Stockton, and The A. Capella choir have been secured.
Dr. Knowles will present the reading, “God of the Open Air,” …
To accommodate those who desire to attend this service, but who lack conveyances to carry them to the scene of this activity, arrangements have been completed to provide a number of automobiles, which will stop in front of the First Presbyterian church, First and Broadway, for these people. …
— The Chico Enterprise, April 9, 1925
125 YEARS AGO: Clark And His Lady
THE COLORED MAN AND HIS “FAIR ONE” IN TROUBLE
Tom Clark, the colored man, who has frequently seen trouble in Chico, is again in “hock,” also his white consort, who calls herself Fay Carroll. Clark and his “white pigeon” were yesterday morning arrested in the little house on the corner of Wall street and Sierra avenue, called the “coffin,” and in default of bail were locked in the tanks at the city prison. The charge against them was frequenting a house of ill fame.
This morning Clark was brought before Recorder Burroughs, but he asked more time to plead as he wished to consult an attorney.
The female was anxious to plead guilty, which she did and this afternoon Recorder Burroughs will pass sentence.
— Chico Enterprise Weekly, April 6, 1900
150 YEARS AGO: Colusa And Chico Railroad
From a member of the joint committee appointed … in regard to the Colusa and Chico Railroad, we learn that the prospects for accomplishing this most desirable enterprise looks promising. Investigation into the condition and construction … warrants the belief by the committee that the road can be built, and will present such reasonable indictments for construction as will secure the stock and capital needed. … The committee are still at work ,and within a short time will properly report proceedings and prospects. In the mean time let our people be considering the matter. The project is the most feasible one of the kind ever offered in this community, and if rendered successful, will exert an influence upon the price of transportation, so absolutely required, that will never be accomplished by legislation, or by any other means than competition. We have the talent and the means, if we will only devote it to the purpose. Cheap transportation, increased traffic, advanced value of property, choices of ways, water or land, and a thousand other advantages, will be the result of the building of the proposed road from Chico to Colusa.
— The Northern Enterprise, April 9, 1875
