00:00:07.000 - 00:00:15.000

Jeremy Hays: About the beginning, you know how you got to Rohnert Park and that kind? Jeremy Hays: Of thing, OK. Jeremy Hays: OK. Are we good to go? OK. Alan Fitch: We're wrong.

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Jeremy Hays: So Betty, how where did you grow up? Was it Sonoma County or was it? Betty Fredericks: Somewhere else I grew up in central New Jersey. Betty Fredericks: I came to California on a vacation the first time to visit my Uncle, Paul Golis. He had. Betty Fredericks: He had mailed to my mother, who's his oldest sister, a story by Bob Wells of what they were doing and what he was up to in Rohnert Park and.

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Betty Fredericks: I had the story on my desk at work where I worked as a a junior purchasing agent for a company in in New Jersey and the engineers all said. Betty Fredericks: You should go out there and see this project, so I decided I would do that on my vacation. Jeremy Hays: And who is Bob Wells? Betty Fredericks: Bob Wells is a reporter for the Argus Courier.

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Jeremy Hays: Thought his name sounded familiar because when I was doing initial research, I went to the Sonoma County Library and read through a lot of old newspapers and that's where his name came from. Betty Fredericks: Yeah, I have the article with me. If you would like it. Yeah. Yeah. Jeremy Hays: Oh, great, I'd love to. And So what? Why did you? Jeremy Hays: Decide why did that make you decide to come for a vacation of all things?

00:01:40.000 - 00:02:38.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, I came to visit my Uncle Paul and his five children at that time. They were living in Montgomery village and their law office was he had a law office in Montgomery Village also. And so I came to catch up with my uncle. Jeremy Hays: So how did you go from taking a vacation to visit your uncle to moving here to to Sonoma County? Betty Fredericks: Well, when I came in 1957, June of 57. Betty Fredericks: Paul and Morris were starting Rohnert Park, and so I visited the project as they referred to it at that time, they had built a sewer plant and the Golas house, the 1st house in Rohnert Park, was under just under construction just.

00:02:39.000 - 00:02:58.000

Betty Fredericks: Being framed, actually. Jeremy Hays: And so. Jeremy Hays: Then you decided to move and then what happened? Betty Fredericks: Well, I did come out when?

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Betty Fredericks: One for one winter vacation. Oh, I think it was around 19. Betty Fredericks: 60 No would have been around 59 and then in 1960 I just Gloria kept encouraging me to come and I was attending records university at night when I was back east and she kept encouraging me to come out and and take some classes at the Santa Rosa. Betty Fredericks: JC, which I did in 19. Jeremy Hays: And what classes did you take when you came out?

00:03:32.000 - 00:03:59.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, I was hoping to be a. Betty Fredericks: Primary school teacher. So I took undergraduate classes, of course, full full, full time student. Jeremy Hays: And I'm just taking a guess here that at some point you met Morris. Betty Fredericks: Well, I met Morris in 1957 at the goalless house.

00:04:00.000 - 00:04:42.000

Betty Fredericks: Gloria and I had been down to the sewer plant and around the Rohnert Park sewer plant were was a whole field of sweet peas, and my mother used to have a small patch in New Jersey that we really prized. And so to see this field of sweet peas with something else. So we picked a great big bunch of sweet peas, and we had them at the. Betty Fredericks: On the dinner table when Morris and Paul came home from work that night. And of course. Betty Fredericks: Morris said. I see some of you and I see someone's been to the sewer plant. Betty Fredericks: Actually, yeah, actually I met him before. Gloria, the second day I was here.

00:04:43.000 - 00:05:19.000

Betty Fredericks: They had a two-story house and she called up Betty. Come on down. I want you to meet Morris Fredericks. And of course, I had from the Bob Wells story. I had envisioned my uncle's partner to be as old or not older. Not probably older than my. Betty Fredericks: Uncle and I looked down the stairs and there was this sandy haired, blue eyed young. Betty Fredericks: Kennedy looking young man. And so I thought, wow, things are looking up. Jeremy Hays: And how long did you court and when did you marry?

00:05:20.000 - 00:05:36.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, we. Betty Fredericks: I don't. The word court is. Jeremy Hays: When did you marry? Betty Fredericks: We we married after I came out here permanently a year later in 1961.

00:05:37.000 - 00:05:57.000

Jeremy Hays: And when did she? Jeremy Hays: Just after you visited the project, when did he start? At some point I guess he would have described what was going on to you. The about the project and what did he first say and when did he? Jeremy Hays: Start to tell you about it. Betty Fredericks: Well, let's see.

00:05:58.000 - 00:06:31.000

Betty Fredericks: I had. Betty Fredericks: And 57 when I came out, their secretary didn't come in one day, so they asked if I would go in and fill in for her, which I did. And. Betty Fredericks: Then Morris and Gloria and I met for lunch and at lunch he asked me if I would go to the movies with him that week. So I did. And. Betty Fredericks: Actually I had. Well, this is. I'm sorry.

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Betty Fredericks: OK. Betty Fredericks: Let's see. I had been down to the project with Gloria during the day while they were building the house. In fact, I sat and watched the the subcontractor who was building the building, the fireplace, which was quite a deal because it was floor to ceiling, fireplace. Betty Fredericks: And it I kept asking, why are all those iron rods? And he said well, that's because of earthquakes. We have to put those in so. Betty Fredericks: I I.

00:07:08.000 - 00:07:28.000

Betty Fredericks: Was familiar with what they were, what they were doing. Jeremy Hays: Now, what year did the city get become a community services district or no, the city didn't become a community service district. The the area did. When did that happen? Betty Fredericks: Ohh you told me not to. Betty Fredericks: Look at dates.

00:07:29.000 - 00:07:51.000

Jeremy Hays: If you can't, if you can't remember I I think it was in 1957, but I. Betty Fredericks: Soon after that. Yeah. OK. I, you know, I wasn't involved because I was here. And then for vacation and then back home. Jeremy Hays: So when did? Jeremy Hays: When you first came out here and you were living in Santa Rosa.

00:07:52.000 - 00:08:21.000

Jeremy Hays: Or did you move straight to Rohnert Park? Betty Fredericks: When I came in the summer of 1960, I lived with the goalless family in Rohnert Park. By that time, they they had moved to Rohner Park from Montgomery Village. Jeremy Hays: Describe Rohnert Park at the time, like what was there when you were living with the Golden family? Betty Fredericks: Well, the second time I came back in the winter, there were only about.

00:08:22.000 - 00:08:45.000

Betty Fredericks: Two streets. But when I came back in 1960, of course it was. Betty Fredericks: It I think the population was about 3000 neighborhood A was. Betty Fredericks: Pretty much complete and B was in progress. Jeremy Hays: And were there stores were there, what was there for, to serve people?

00:08:46.000 - 00:09:12.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, when I in 1960. Betty Fredericks: There was very little. It was. Betty Fredericks: I think Morris and I were on our honeymoon back East when they opened the supermarket, the first supermarket, and she says, and the first phase of the shopping center. And that was early September. Betty Fredericks: 1961.

00:09:13.000 - 00:09:44.000

Betty Fredericks: And also the temporary quarters for Sonoma State College, which were surrounding the. Betty Fredericks: The shopping center. Jeremy Hays: That makes me want to ask a question about Cinema, College, State College. What? How important was that to the development of Roland Park? Betty Fredericks: It was very important and it was especially important to Paul because he had always wanted a College in Rohnert Park. They had.

00:09:45.000 - 00:10:07.000

Jeremy Hays: And ask you to to do one thing, buddy to start that sentence again with. Jeremy Hays: College the college. It was very important when the college opened because. Betty Fredericks: Can you hold on a second? Betty Fredericks: Let me get my you're you're you're in a different order than I am.

00:10:08.000 - 00:10:37.000

Jeremy Hays: Sure. Yeah. Betty Fredericks: I understand because it's. Let's see. Jeremy Hays: Take your time. Jeremy Hays: And always come back to it too, yeah.

00:10:38.000 - 00:11:03.000

Betty Fredericks: Let me see yours. Let you're focusing in on the college. Uh. Jeremy Hays: And like Alan said, I can come back to it if you want. Betty Fredericks: I'm not very relaxed. I'm sorry. Jeremy Hays: OK, why don't I start with another question?

00:11:04.000 - 00:11:29.000

Betty Fredericks: No, that that's OK. Alan Fitch: What was your question again? Jeremy Hays: How important was it to run Park development? Betty Fredericks: Oh, how important. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:11:30.000 - 00:11:51.000

Jeremy Hays: Can I offer a suggestion? Jeremy Hays: Suggestion might be instead what changed when the college came to town. Betty Fredericks: OK. Jeremy Hays: Remember when the college came to town? What changed?

00:11:52.000 - 00:12:11.000

Betty Fredericks: I'm sorry. Jeremy Hays: It's OK, I'm going to ask a different question. Betty Fredericks: You're kind of jumping ahead, yeah. Jeremy Hays: Why don't I go back to when this is opened? Because you we talked about that and you and Maurice were back east on on your honeymoon, right? So when you came back, sisters was open.

00:12:12.000 - 00:12:40.000

Alan Fitch: Yes, yes. Jeremy Hays: So describes this as to me. Betty Fredericks: This season, supermarket was very nice because up until that time people for their large grocery shopping had to go to Santa Rosa or Petaluma to supermarket. Of course, there were really. Betty Fredericks: There were really nice little market. There was a nice.

00:12:41.000 - 00:13:24.000

Betty Fredericks: There were two really nice little markets in Cotati, one on the Plaza that was especially charming. It had a. Betty Fredericks: A large long porch and it was very much Western architecture was rustic and there was a butcher shop and the grocery shop there. So we you could get your basics there. So it was. It was great when seasons opened and then you had a supermarket. Betty Fredericks: You could do more shopping there. Jeremy Hays: And I imagine that ceases was the place where neighbors got to see each other and got to know each other. Was it that kind of place? Sort of important to the community in that way?

00:13:25.000 - 00:14:15.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, yes, it was very important because there were so many people with little children. It was great to have a a convenient place to get your groceries. So it was sort of a a meeting place, a central place. It wasn't as of course, Alicia Park. Up until that time was pretty much. Betty Fredericks: The place for a civic outdoor activities and was a very active place. The swimming pool at Alicia Park was amazing. Betty Fredericks: In the summer, it was just always loaded with children. It was, and families. It was a real family spot. Jeremy Hays: And would you go to Alicia Park a lot and meet people and and and did you meet people who became friends there?

00:14:16.000 - 00:14:42.000

Betty Fredericks: No. Let's see. Betty Fredericks: Hold on a second. Betty Fredericks: This is not going well. Jeremy Hays: I'm fine. It's hard to remember a.

00:14:43.000 - 00:15:00.000

Betty Fredericks: Long time ago. No, I remember, but I'm remembering in different water than you're remembering. Jeremy Hays: Talk about it in the order that you're that you're. Jeremy Hays: Putting in your order. Jeremy Hays: Start wherever you'd like.

00:15:01.000 - 00:15:08.000

Jeremy Hays: And never step outside. Betty Fredericks: Are you still filming? Yeah, it's still going. Jeremy Hays: We'll cut it out, though. This won't.

00:15:09.000 - 00:15:27.000

Jeremy Hays: Be on the table. Jeremy Hays: So when you think about your order and we can wait till that one comes back, where does your order start? Alan Fitch: Looks like they're rounding up the form out. Alan Fitch: There, OK, you'll still be.

00:15:28.000 - 00:15:34.000

OK. Betty Fredericks: I could write this. Betty Fredericks: Easier than I could say it. Jeremy Hays: Well, if you were to write it, where would you start?

00:15:35.000 - 00:15:59.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, I'd start with an outline of my own outline. I'm sorry, and I don't mean to criticize. I'm not being critical. Jeremy Hays: You're not. Jeremy Hays: Where would the outline go? Betty Fredericks: OK.

00:16:00.000 - 00:16:20.000

Alan Fitch: Can you shut off? Alan Fitch: The camera? Sure. Jeremy Hays: You start wherever you want. Betty Fredericks: When I visited Paul and Gloria and their family in 1957, actually.

00:16:21.000 - 00:16:57.000

Betty Fredericks: The sewer plant was on one side of the freeway and the only thing on the other side of the freeway in Rohnert Park was the goalless house, which was under construction. It was for. It was pretty much framed in, but it wasn't anywhere near complete. Betty Fredericks: And Gloria and I, during the week visited there several times to check up on contractors and. Betty Fredericks: Morris had. Betty Fredericks: I'm sorry.

00:16:58.000 - 00:17:40.000

Betty Fredericks: Can we stop? Betty Fredericks: This is I'm. Betty Fredericks: We'll go. Let's go to that portion. OK. In the summer of 1960, when I came to Rohnert Park to stay with Paul and Gloria and their family and go to attend Santa Rosa Junior College. Betty Fredericks: As I got off the plane, Gloria said Ohh Paul has a job for you. He wants you to run this newspaper. And I said I don't think so, but he kept persisting and he and the editor weren't exactly getting along. And finally in early December they had their complete.

00:17:41.000 - 00:18:27.000

Betty Fredericks: Final discussions and he came home and said, OK, you're the editor. Betty Fredericks: I said, well, I don't want to do that and it. Betty Fredericks: It was a the the Rohnert Park press. The newspaper was a mimeograph, not very impressive publication, and I really didn't take it very seriously. Betty Fredericks: In December, Paul said OK, if you're going to stay here, you're going to do this newspaper. So I said, reluctantly took on the responsibility.

00:18:28.000 - 00:19:21.000

Betty Fredericks: I was amazed after a couple of weeks at. Betty Fredericks: How important this newspaper were was to these, oh, about 3000 people that lived in Werner Park. Then if one of the little boys who were delivering it missed someone, the phone call would be there and they had a fire in a house. Betty Fredericks: So we wrote a story asking people to donate. Betty Fredericks: And a day later, after the paper came on, Reverend Harbinson Harvey Robinson called and said please put an article in the stop. We have more than we can take care of donations, so it it kind of impressed me that.

00:19:22.000 - 00:19:43.000

Betty Fredericks: The people in this community relied so much on this. Betty Fredericks: Little newspaper. Betty Fredericks: And Paul had offered, he had said, well, don't worry about it. Marguerite Hahn will will help you and. Betty Fredericks: Marguerite, when I met her.

00:19:44.000 - 00:20:00.000

Betty Fredericks: Uh, I thought. Oh my goodness. Betty Fredericks: I had come from the corporate world and Marguerite? Betty Fredericks: Was uh. Betty Fredericks: Not the most impressive person. When you first met her.

00:20:01.000 - 00:20:36.000

Betty Fredericks: But boy, after you knew her for a couple of weeks, she was a Dynamo and. Betty Fredericks: I don't know how she accomplished so much. In one day she was staff correspondent for The Press Democrat, The Argus Courier, and she was up and she was a librarian. She had a little library in Cotati where all the school children. Betty Fredericks: That was their field trip was to go to Mrs. Hahn's library. Betty Fredericks: Anyway, Marguerite?

00:20:37.000 - 00:21:18.000

Betty Fredericks: Turned out to be at that point the best thing that happened to me, she was so helpful and you could rely on her if she was at a meeting that went till 11:00 by 7:30 the next morning, her story was typed and ready to go. Betty Fredericks: So she taught me a lot about the newspaper business too. Betty Fredericks: And we became really great friends. In fact, when it came time to name schools in Rotor Park. Betty Fredericks: Morris and I were really.

00:21:19.000 - 00:22:09.000

Betty Fredericks: Supportive of the naming the school, the school. Marguerite Hahn school. Betty Fredericks: Let's say can we stop now for a minute anyway. OK, I can go on. All right, so I I, I did was going to school. It wasn't the easiest thing because it was late nights and I was working in the real estate office also. Betty Fredericks: But I would get this get the paper out and let's see in April. Betty Fredericks: Morris and Paul petitioned the court and the newspaper was made a newspaper. It was adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation.

00:22:10.000 - 00:22:49.000

Betty Fredericks: Soon after that, in May of around May. Betty Fredericks: We contracted with George and Ruth Chase at Montgomery Village News and the paper was printed there, which made things very, very much simpler for me that was. Betty Fredericks: A great help to take care of the actual printing of the paper, and it was a lot of fun to work in the print shop. They had a line of type operator who I swear was he's probably the age I am now, but then I thought, Oh my God, this this man must be. Betty Fredericks: 90 years old.

00:22:50.000 - 00:23:26.000

Betty Fredericks: But he was and the their shop foreman Max was really tremendous. They were a great crew to work with and and get the newspaper out there upon. Betty Fredericks: When we got a little bigger, Paul hired a A A. Betty Fredericks: Excuse me, I got to think of it advertising. Betty Fredericks: Whom I didn't get along.

00:23:27.000 - 00:23:52.000

Betty Fredericks: With very well at all. Betty Fredericks: And in fact. Betty Fredericks: Nobody in the print shop got all along with him either. Anyway. Uh, by about this time, Morris and I were getting married and. Betty Fredericks: Pull Alex Kay was made.

00:23:53.000 - 00:24:19.000

Betty Fredericks: I stop. OK, let's see. I don't know what his title was, but anyway, uh Paul pretty much then took over, took back. Betty Fredericks: I resigned and he took took over the newspaper again. Jeremy Hays: When you were the editor, what was important to you to get in? What kind of news did you try to get into the? Jeremy Hays: Into the press.

00:24:20.000 - 00:24:59.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, there was always so much news about Rohnert Park progressing that they had lost the first incorporation election. So everything in the meantime was devoted to. Betty Fredericks: Making sure that the 2nd incorporation election would pass. Jeremy Hays: And and what kind of news was that? Was it articles about why how an incorporation would benefit the city, that kind of thing? Betty Fredericks: Yes. Ohh I'm sorry.

00:25:00.000 - 00:25:57.000

Jeremy Hays: Why was it important that you know that that that Rohnert Park incorporate what was, what was that? Why? Why was that such an important thing to happen? Betty Fredericks: Well, Royal Park was a planned community master planned community, and Paul and Morris, that was always their intention that it would be a city on its own. Betty Fredericks: And in order for it to progress according to that master plan, they felt it would have to be an incorporated city. They had both when they were in Montgomery Village representing Hugh Cotting. Betty Fredericks: They had put together.

00:25:58.000 - 00:26:36.000

Betty Fredericks: Program for with you on incorporating Montgomery Village and had gone through the. Betty Fredericks: Legal ramifications and. Betty Fredericks: The meetings and things that you would do before to get people to vote, I understand that they were suddenly the night before Montgomery Village was to incorporate. You changed his mind. And so they didn't go through with incorporation, Paul. Betty Fredericks: I always felt that that.

00:26:37.000 - 00:27:13.000

Betty Fredericks: Really hindered hue in that every he and the ruiner Santa Rosa city manager didn't always see eye to eye. And so it was always begging for Montgomery Village to be able to make the improvements they wanted to. And Paul thought, well, if Rohnert Park had their own city. Betty Fredericks: It would progress more orderly so that that was always the plan was that it was master plan to be a city. Alan Fitch: That was always their hope, dear. Jeremy Hays: Do you remember? So, as in 1962, that the city was incorporated?

00:27:14.000 - 00:27:31.000

Betty Fredericks: August, yeah. Jeremy Hays: Do you remember? Jeremy Hays: What was that like the next after the vote, when everybody here? Betty Fredericks: It was quite a party when Rotor Park Incorporated. I'll tell you in fact.

00:27:32.000 - 00:28:21.000

Betty Fredericks: The day of the election that evening, when Paul and Norman Spivak got to my house, I was on the phone urging people to get over there and make sure they voted. And Norman said, well, it's 8:00. The polls are closed. And I said no, I understand that if they're people in line, they're letting them still. Betty Fredericks: So so I was still on the phone. We of course were very, very happy when we heard the results. Betty Fredericks: In fact, my son just recently informed me that. Betty Fredericks: He had figured out the day of incorporation and his birth date.

00:28:22.000 - 00:29:10.000

Betty Fredericks: So it was quite a night. Jeremy Hays: Where was the? Was there a party in one particular place at at Paul's house or your house or or? Or is it? Alan Fitch: I don't. Jeremy Hays: After the incorporation there was that that the incorporation vote also put into place the first Council right that happened that night. And do you remember the first kind of things that happened after the incorporation? What kind of decisions did the did? Did the Council make or did Morris and Paul make or?

00:29:11.000 - 00:29:49.000

Betty Fredericks: Roy Park, of course, always had to had to. Betty Fredericks: Struggle to be recognized. Betty Fredericks: In fact, the day after incorporation Monroe Spivak called me and said I just got a new telephone, and guess what? They're going to list it as Rohnert Park in the telephone directory. Betty Fredericks: Sorry and I said what? And so I called down to the telephone company and told them I would like all our numbers listed as Rohner Park.

00:29:50.000 - 00:30:16.000

Betty Fredericks: And they said, well, they couldn't do that. You could be listed. Betty Fredericks: Next year, as Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: And so I said to the woman who answered the phone well. Betty Fredericks: I think you should take out a pad and start making a list because you you're going to get a lot of calls about people who want to make sure we're listed as Rohner Park next year. If that's the soonest you can do it.

00:30:17.000 - 00:30:39.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, Morris came home for lunch and the telephone. Betty Fredericks: I got busy because we had all these people who had been calling for the incorporation of course. Betty Fredericks: And so all I had to do was call them and say call down to the telephone company in Petaluma. We were with five then and tell them you, you know. Betty Fredericks: They'll tell you.

00:30:40.000 - 00:31:23.000

Betty Fredericks: That they can't change it this year. So tell them you know that. But next year you want to be listed as Rohnert Park. And when Morris got home for lunch, the telephone made kind of half a ring. Betty Fredericks: And it was Mr. Brown from the Petaluma Telephone Company. Well, the representative for Pacific Bell there. Betty Fredericks: And he said Mr. Fredericks. Betty Fredericks: Please call your wife. Please tell your wife we can't. We just can't handle all these calls. We will. I will have a a staff work this weekend, and Rohnert Park will be listed in the telephone book as Rohner Park.

00:31:24.000 - 00:31:38.000

Excuse me, Betty. Jeremy Hays: Can you please refrain from? Alan Fitch: Twisting. I'm sorry you're nervous. Jeremy Hays: That so you had the whole campaign and the to to get it listed as Rohnert Park and and it worked. That's the very same day. It sounds like that's pretty. That's pretty impressive.

00:31:39.000 - 00:31:56.000

Alan Fitch: Oh yes, his call was. Betty Fredericks: Tell your wife to. Betty Fredericks: Stop these calls. We can't handle. We can't handle all these calls. Jeremy Hays: You would make an impressive political organizer.

00:31:57.000 - 00:32:07.000

Jeremy Hays: There we go. OK. Jeremy Hays: So and there were about 3000 people living there at the time. Betty Fredericks: Yes, I think that's it about it, yeah. Jeremy Hays: OK.

00:32:08.000 - 00:32:17.000

Jeremy Hays: And how many neighborhoods were there at the time because. Jeremy Hays: It was more than 8. Betty Fredericks: Well, just neighborhood A&B, yeah. Jeremy Hays: OK. What was and you were living in?

00:32:18.000 - 00:32:49.000

Jeremy Hays: A or B. Betty Fredericks: We were, we were living where we still own a home on Alden Ave. a neighborhood A. Jeremy Hays: And what was neighborhood a like at the time? Betty Fredericks: Well, neighborhood a I think it's very, very nice. And Paul, the winter before we got married, I also was secretary at part time with college, but part time I was I worked in the real estate office. So I would show.

00:32:50.000 - 00:33:15.000

Alan Fitch: The house is. Betty Fredericks: For the real estate company, if if the salesman wasn't right there then, but there were several houses on Alden Ave. that Paul and Morris had built, which were a little bigger, they had a family room. There was one house in particular that everybody liked. Betty Fredericks: But nobody it was. Betty Fredericks: $1000 more so no.

00:33:16.000 - 00:34:06.000

Betty Fredericks: One could afford it at that time. Betty Fredericks: And so when we got engaged and we were getting married, Maura said. We'll pick a house. And so we told everybody we looked all over Sonoma County and and decided on Rohnert Park, but I decided on all that Ave. and there, there was one house that they had built for. Betty Fredericks: Someone who then got transferred to a he was service got transferred somewhere else and there were several that that were pretty much the same, but they all had family rooms besides the basic smaller house. So I said, well of course I want. Betty Fredericks: The ball house, which is who they had built it for, and so a day later Morris came.

00:34:07.000 - 00:34:58.000

Betty Fredericks: And he said to me, well, you're going to have to pick another house. Betty Fredericks: And I said, well, why? And he said, well, Bill Wiggins wife likes that house and that's the only house in Royer Park she'll move to. So you pick another one. And he said we well. Betty Fredericks: He said Mrs. Wiggins only likes that house and so and we wrote her park. We need Bill Wiggins here, so you pick another house and so I did, and it was quite similar. And then Morris's dad, who was a contractor, said OK, sweetheart. Betty Fredericks: I'll come and make the house as much like the other the the other house.

00:34:59.000 - 00:35:44.000

Betty Fredericks: For you, which he did, he built bookcases and opened it up more so. Betty Fredericks: Was pretty much like the ball house, but not as not. The kitchen wasn't as big, but it was very important to have Bill Wiggins in Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Bill Wiggins had come. They had Charlie Marshall, they had had a succession of people running the public works for the Community services district and. Betty Fredericks: Charlie Marshall, who was the their engineer at that time, knew of Bill Wiggins, who had managed Hopfields and so.

00:35:45.000 - 00:36:02.000

Betty Fredericks: When they met Bill Wiggins, he agreed to come and be Superintendent. Betty Fredericks: Of public works for. Betty Fredericks: The committee and he was just a godsend. Betty Fredericks: Can't say enough about the importance of Bill Wiggins in Rohnert Park development.

00:36:03.000 - 00:36:40.000

Betty Fredericks: He was. Betty Fredericks: With the wells they were building for water and. Betty Fredericks: And all those things, he was just the greatest help. Can't say enough about Bill Wiggins and he was very, very much help to the young City Council. Betty Fredericks: When they and of course of course to Pete Callinan and I think Pete will tell you too that Bill Wiggins was.

00:36:41.000 - 00:36:59.000

Betty Fredericks: One of the best things that ever happened. Betty Fredericks: To Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: When they started the fire department, he was. Betty Fredericks: Just super help and getting there first. You've probably heard the heard the story about the first fire engine.

00:37:00.000 - 00:37:46.000

Jeremy Hays: Tell it. Tell that story. Betty Fredericks: Well, I think Pete, Pete Callahan can tell you that better, but they had gone down to some city that had an older fire truck and no problem for Bill Wiggins. He figured out how they could utilize it and brought it to Rohnert Park. And then we had. Betty Fredericks: Rohnert Park had a. Betty Fredericks: Agreement with the Cotati Fire department, which was really tremendous. The people in Cotati, Burt Chadwick and his crew were just so helpful. And so when Rohnert Park decided to start its own fire department.

00:37:47.000 - 00:38:25.000

Betty Fredericks: They trained under Bruce Chadwick and the Cotati Fire department. Betty Fredericks: And can't say enough about Bert Chadwick and and their help in getting there were Park fire department and of course Morris was he was one of the few people that was in Rohnert Park during the day because his office was there. So he was, of course, was one of the first firemen. Jeremy Hays: At some point, didn't things get a little? Jeremy Hays: I don't know if Kent is the right word, but then there's some tense moments between Cotati and Rohnert Park because.

00:38:26.000 - 00:38:47.000

Betty Fredericks: You know, there's a real misconception there that has been spread by some people. Betty Fredericks: In Cotati about Cotati in Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Most of us got along just fine. Betty Fredericks: We went to church at Saint Joseph's Church in Cotati. We worked with the fire department.

00:38:48.000 - 00:39:05.000

Betty Fredericks: Marguerite Hahn was tremendous. Betty Fredericks: I don't. Marguerite was just such a supporter of. Betty Fredericks: Cotati and Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: But there were a handful of people.

00:39:06.000 - 00:39:43.000

Betty Fredericks: Who had their own agenda? Betty Fredericks: Actually, when they knew when it was getting close to the time where. Betty Fredericks: Well, it was a little further actually. Legally you can only have an incorporation election every two years. It would take two years and the first one had failed. There was a small group of Cotati people. Betty Fredericks: And only a handful. But boy, a handful can make a loud noise.

00:39:44.000 - 00:40:19.000

Betty Fredericks: Who really didn't like the idea of Rohnert Park incorporating by itself? Betty Fredericks: In fact. Betty Fredericks: Paul, who could be very direct, said to me one day I've heard about a meeting in Cotati and I can't tell you who, how I know. But I want you to go. Betty Fredericks: And so I went to the meeting, which was at a doctor's house and said I understood there was a meeting there. And so I was going to cover it. And the wife graciously let me in.

00:40:20.000 - 00:40:36.000

Betty Fredericks: The meetings soon got to the point where. Betty Fredericks: There were people there. Betty Fredericks: Didn't it was. Betty Fredericks: Getting pretty clear to me.

00:40:37.000 - 00:41:00.000

Betty Fredericks: That they were. Betty Fredericks: Their agenda was to stop Rohnert Park before they filed for their second incorporation election. Betty Fredericks: Pete Callanan and Dale Faust were there also, but they sat there. Betty Fredericks: I guess they had been invited as guests. They sat there very quietly.

00:41:01.000 - 00:41:27.000

Betty Fredericks: And so they were about to ask call for the question. Betty Fredericks: And I thought, Oh my God, how am I going to explain this to Paul? Betty Fredericks: And so I broke every rule as a reporter, and I raised my hand and I said. Betty Fredericks: I have a question, is this meeting for the purpose of studying the joint incorporation of Rohnert Park and Cotati?

00:41:28.000 - 00:41:55.000

Betty Fredericks: Or is this to stop Rohnert Park from incorporating by itself? Betty Fredericks: That turned the tone that turned the tone of the bleeding from there for 4th, I think they understood how it would be reported. Betty Fredericks: And there were other people there from Qatada too, who I think were seeing that these people were. Betty Fredericks: Hell bent on stopping Rohnert Park, and so it's a misconception.

00:41:56.000 - 00:42:35.000

Betty Fredericks: And I think Pete Callinan will verify that. Betty Fredericks: Rotor Park had no intention of swallowing up Cotati. You know, we all got along very, very well. Churches and their little market and it's such a quaint town. And of course, working with Margaret and the Fire department, most people in the two towns got along. Betty Fredericks: Very, very well. There was a small majority of people though, who had their own agenda. Betty Fredericks: They did then hire a.

00:42:36.000 - 00:42:55.000

Betty Fredericks: A. The Zion. I think a study and 1st, the man said. Betty Fredericks: That firm said that. Betty Fredericks: I think first, they said. Betty Fredericks: It might be well to that it would.

00:42:56.000 - 00:43:49.000

Betty Fredericks: Stop. First they the first study I think was in favor of joint incorporation. Betty Fredericks: And then Rohnert Park people hired the same firm, and they decided that Rohnert Park would be well to incorporate on their own. Rohnert Park was very different town at that time. Cotati was a very settled a community. Betty Fredericks: Rohnert Park had kids just coming out of them. Betty Fredericks: Coming out of houses like crazy, I think, I think we're 4.2 children for according to our population, it was very young community parks, swimming pools, things that were schools.

00:43:50.000 - 00:44:26.000

Betty Fredericks: That were very important to Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Were of different Cotati had different needs. Betty Fredericks: But the school district was another place where Rohnert Park and and Cotati worked very well together. Ray Miller was the Superintendent of schools for the IT was just the elementary school district then, and Ray did a tremendous job. And and his assistant, then Jim Davidson. Betty Fredericks: Who was of great assist when we, Morris.

00:44:27.000 - 00:45:09.000

Betty Fredericks: Work for the unification of the school district into one district elementary and high school. Rohnert Park was divided in half. The High school district was in Santa Rosa and. Betty Fredericks: He spent quite some time working on that project to finally get Rohnert Park in one district, and he had a very capable. Betty Fredericks: Adversary in Helen Rudy, who didn't intend for Santa Rosa to give up the northern half of Rohnert Park from her school from the Santa Rosa. Alan Fitch: School District High School district.

00:45:10.000 - 00:45:21.000

Jeremy Hays: So that was a big I don't know if battle is the right word, but it was a big issue to get the district. Jeremy Hays: From the high school district into Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Oh yes, and and and. Jeremy Hays: Why was that so important?

00:45:22.000 - 00:46:12.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, it was just important to for planning, you know, Paul, Paula Morris always planned ahead quite a bit. Petaluma was. Betty Fredericks: Went along with it. They were very reluctant, not reluctant. They were very helpful. Santa Rosa was very reluctant to give up their this the district, but it finally passed. And so it made for a bigger school district, which made a lot more sense. Jeremy Hays: So you talked a little bit and I was going to ask you this about. Jeremy Hays: You know the families that were in a park and how many kids there were, and I was going to ask you, you know, when you moved in and then as you, you know, in those first years who was moving into Rohnert Park, what kind of people were moving in family? Servicemen who, who was coming to Rohnert Park at the time?

00:46:13.000 - 00:46:31.000

Jeremy Hays: Like what kind of people? Jeremy Hays: Servicemen, people coming out of this service, young families, I guess was a big thing. Betty Fredericks: It's hard to say well. Betty Fredericks: Rohnert Park just went it.

00:46:32.000 - 00:47:10.000

Betty Fredericks: OK, I'm sorry. Alright. Betty Fredericks: Let's see. Betty Fredericks: The people that moved into Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Was it was somewhat decided on where you advertised. There were a lot of people from to Iraq, of course, from the service and there were when young America homes.

00:47:11.000 - 00:47:58.000

Betty Fredericks: Started then they advertised in San Francisco and then we got it on Arlen Drive. There was an influx of people from San Francisco and then with koala homes, they probably advertise more locally and. Betty Fredericks: We did have an influx of people from Sebastopol, young people from Sebastopol who settled in neighborhood a. Jeremy Hays: And when you bought your house, why did you? Why did you tell people? Ohh, I looked all over Sonoma County and chose Rohnert Park. Why did you put it like that? Betty Fredericks: Well, in the beginning, Rohnert Park was a young.

00:47:59.000 - 00:48:34.000

Betty Fredericks: OK. Betty Fredericks: In the beginning, Rohnert Park was a young community that kind of had to prove itself and. Betty Fredericks: Morris's older brother, when he went to practice law at Montgomery Village. Betty Fredericks: Told him he shouldn't do that. That's that's not going to. That's going to be a hold on.

00:48:35.000 - 00:49:08.000

Betty Fredericks: How do I tell this I shouldn't tell personal stories? Betty Fredericks: Rohnert Park, of course. In the beginning, I always had to prove itself to other areas that it was a growing place and a nice place to live. Betty Fredericks: And so. Betty Fredericks: Where am I?

00:49:09.000 - 00:49:32.000

Betty Fredericks: Where is this OK? Jeremy Hays: Doing great. Betty Fredericks: Let's see the the the Fredericks family, of course, had lived in Petaluma for almost 100 years now. It's well over 100 years, and Morris's grandfather was a contractor there and his father. And so. Betty Fredericks: There was a lot of thought as to.

00:49:33.000 - 00:49:51.000

Betty Fredericks: Where we would live. Betty Fredericks: And actually, we did decide that we would live in Rohnert Park because that's where all Morris's interests were at that time. Betty Fredericks: So we settled on. We didn't settle, we very happily moved into Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: Picked out a roto crack.

00:49:52.000 - 00:50:24.000

Jeremy Hays: House and you said that was. Jeremy Hays: Arlen Alden now whereas Alden drive full at the time where most of the other houses occupied or. Betty Fredericks: Well, actually when we moved into Alden Ave. I had showed that several of the houses to we had located at our Rohnert Parks, 1st Dentist and Don Davis. Betty Fredericks: And one day, Paul said.

00:50:25.000 - 00:51:00.000

Betty Fredericks: You take these two people out and don't you come back until they've decided on a house or everybody in the Realty company can't seem to handle that. So I did. Betty Fredericks: And we looked at every available neighborhood house and Rotor Park and finally I said OK took we went back to Alden Ave. and I said, well, here are these two houses, and whichever one you don't pick. Betty Fredericks: Morris and I are going to pick and so. Betty Fredericks: They picked Bev picked the one because it had.

00:51:01.000 - 00:51:09.000

Betty Fredericks: A blue living room. Betty Fredericks: And I thought, oh, good. Then I'm going to have the next one. So then we picked the the house next door. Jeremy Hays: And that was that was Don. Betty Fredericks: Don, with our first dentist.

00:51:10.000 - 00:51:18.000

Jeremy Hays: Don Davis. OK, we interviewed Don. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really nice guy. We had a good interview. Really nice interview. Yeah. Betty Fredericks: Oh, did you? He's a nice guy. Betty Fredericks: Oh, good. He's a lot more calm than. Betty Fredericks: I am.

00:51:19.000 - 00:51:25.000

Jeremy Hays: He did. He did well too. You're doing great, though. Betty Fredericks: Well, he's used to sitting in a. Betty Fredericks: Dentist chairs or having people sit in their chair. Jeremy Hays: So can you tell?

00:51:26.000 - 00:52:12.000

Jeremy Hays: Me a bit about the spinlocks. Jeremy Hays: I just like their role there because they were really early on. They were among, I forgotten the name, the name of their company. But they came in Wilshire, Wilshire and they came in right at the beginning, right? Alan Fitch: Well, I. Betty Fredericks: There, let's see, by the time I came out here in 60, pretty much of the developing companies, it was pretty much Alicia home homes, which was Paul and Morris and this bivouacs.

00:52:13.000 - 00:52:57.000

Betty Fredericks: Norman would travel back and forth to Europe and back quite often. He was married to a girl from France and Monroe was there and worked quite a bit. Monroe and Morris and I got to be quite good friends. Betty Fredericks: Actually, Monroe and Morris would go skiing together sometimes, but this bivouacs were they were. They were a big part of along with Morris and Paul and working. Of course, Fred and Dorothy, they would mostly come from meetings to Rohnert Park. Jeremy Hays: That's Fred and Dorothy spivot. Betty Fredericks: That's Fred Rohner and Dorothy. OK, OK. Fred Rosner and Dorothy Rohner at Spreckels. They would come from meetings of the various companies, the industrial Development Company and the Commercial Development Company.

00:52:58.000 - 00:53:38.000

Jeremy Hays: Oh, sorry, you're right. Betty Fredericks: From time to time, but the working developers were Golas and Fredericks and. Jeremy Hays: The spinlocks what were Dorothy and Fred Fred like? Betty Fredericks: Oh gosh.

00:53:39.000 - 00:54:18.000

Jeremy Hays: Do you remember them fairly well? Betty Fredericks: I am, yeah, let's say. Betty Fredericks: OK. Betty Fredericks: Let's see the Roberts and would come at various times. I remember a couple of times where Fred flew his airplane up and then Morris and I went across in the field and moved some bales of hay in order to clear the way for him to land his plane. And then they would come to the office.

00:54:19.000 - 00:54:38.000

Betty Fredericks: Paul and Morris's office building for meetings. Betty Fredericks: I I. Betty Fredericks: I enjoyed. Betty Fredericks: Kind of an aside.

00:54:39.000 - 00:55:13.000

Betty Fredericks: Dorothy Spreckels was at my house once as I was doing the laundry, and so she. Betty Fredericks: Agreed to help and I shouldn't say. Agreed. Betty Fredericks: To help, OK. Betty Fredericks: Dorothy wrote her Spreckels once came to to the house and I was doing the laundry, and after she was watching me fold the towels, she said. Here I'm going to show you how to fold them so they look much better.

00:55:14.000 - 00:55:22.000

Betty Fredericks: And so I, I will say that Dorothy taught me how. Betty Fredericks: To fold bath. Betty Fredericks: Towels. Very, very. Jeremy Hays: She had a special method.

00:55:23.000 - 00:56:10.000

Betty Fredericks: Yeah, actually, we one night we had more. We had to get some papers signed and we drove down to Hollister, got Fred's signature, then drove back up to Hillsborough to Dorothy's house. Betty Fredericks: She greeted us and asked us, oh, come on in and say hello to Claus and clause. Spreckels was a very relaxed fellow. He was always quite a bit of fun. Betty Fredericks: OK, stop the camera. Betty Fredericks: But, but let's see now you were talking about this fitbox. Yeah, yeah.

00:56:11.000 - 00:56:33.000

Betty Fredericks: Actually, Monroe got to be quite a good friend. Betty Fredericks: OK, this in the summer of 60. Betty Fredericks: Quite often. Betty Fredericks: Rotor Park was a pretty much a family place and there there weren't any commercial.

00:56:34.000 - 00:57:15.000

Betty Fredericks: Place is open, so actually that summer and into that winter. Betty Fredericks: Quite often it would. I'd be working on the paper and Morris would be working in his office, and Monroe would be working and we'd we'd meet often at night and go and have coffee somewhere. We had a really. Betty Fredericks: Fun relationship with Monroe, Spinach and when you. Betty Fredericks: When before Morris and I were engaged, Monroe called one night and asked one day and asked if I'd go out to dinner with him. And so I said OK.

00:57:16.000 - 00:57:57.000

Betty Fredericks: So I was working on the paper and it was getting later. I called Gloria, told I wouldn't be home for dinner, and suddenly Morris appeared in my office. Betty Fredericks: And he said, oh, OK, uh, I said, oh, aren't you going home? And he said no, no, I'm going to. I'm going to drive you over to Monroe's office. Betty Fredericks: So we got over to the SPINBOX offices and which was in a home on Alma Ave. Betty Fredericks: Monroe opened the door and looked at Morris and said, what did you bring him for? And Morris just looked at him and said, well, we're the three of us going for.

00:57:58.000 - 00:58:14.000

Betty Fredericks: Dinner. So we we had a we had a fun relationship with Monroe. Jeremy Hays: And one of the things he said was that sometimes you'd all be working. Betty Fredericks: And then then we'd wind up late at night for coffee or something. We just, we'd have to drive to Santa Rosa to go. Jeremy Hays: And would you?

00:58:15.000 - 00:58:47.000

Jeremy Hays: That's what I was going to ask where you would go to coffee in in the in late night in Rohnert Park. That reminds me of the question I wanted to ask, which is what other businesses, you know, what other businesses came to be in Rohnert Park first there was she says market and then what other business just came to be there that were important to the city. Alan Fitch: Yeah, yeah. Betty Fredericks: Oh, in the shopping center. Betty Fredericks: Was a ceases market and then right next to that was the the pharmacy which art and Reba Roberts were the owners of and the.

00:58:48.000 - 00:59:09.000

Betty Fredericks: Barber Shop and Joe Pesnell, A who who who eventually served on the Rohnert Park City Council. Betty Fredericks: UM and there was a dress shop, Liz Cochrane, who was in the Cochrane family, were early in Rotary Park. Betty Fredericks: And a launderette. Betty Fredericks: And bike shop.

00:59:10.000 - 00:59:43.000

Betty Fredericks: Uh, let's see. Betty Fredericks: By the time the then the college moved in and Paul built another building on the other end of the shopping Center for Steve Pickett, the librarian at Sonoma State College, who was a very close friend of both his and Morris and. Betty Fredericks: A really fine fellow so he his could have a library there. Jeremy Hays: And where was the shopping center?

00:59:44.000 - 01:00:22.000

Betty Fredericks: The the the. Betty Fredericks: The shopping center is on the north on Southwest Blvd. And on the South side College view drive, and then the temporary quarters for the college were off of college view and and some of them in the. Betty Fredericks: Shopping center, Paul. Betty Fredericks: Forged ahead with classrooms for the college on the.

01:00:23.000 - 01:00:50.000

Betty Fredericks: The western half of the shopping center, in fact, he even built a ridiculous two-story building for classrooms. But anyway, with Paul, you. Betty Fredericks: You just forged ahead. Jeremy Hays: How did you're just talking about the college? How did it change? Rohnert Park did it. Alan Fitch: The college was was.

01:00:51.000 - 01:01:18.000

Betty Fredericks: Was fun when they came by that time, there was the tally. Ho restaurant. The staff was would often meet. There was a central. It was a, a restaurant and a cocktail lounge. Betty Fredericks: The shopping center parking lot was always full. Betty Fredericks: I'd have to call Ambrose sometimes and tell him where the students shouldn't be parking. Jeremy Hays: Who is Ambrose?

01:01:19.000 - 01:01:59.000

Betty Fredericks: Ambrose Nichols the day they announced the college. Betty Fredericks: I was newspaper editor, so I called down to San Diego State and got the first interview with Doctor Nichols, who was a chemistry professor at that time. And. Jeremy Hays: And then he became. Betty Fredericks: He became he had been. It was announced that he was the new president. And so I I immediately called down and interviewed him for the newspaper. Actually, I made The Press Democrat too, but.

01:02:00.000 - 01:02:30.000

Betty Fredericks: And Ambrose was just the finest fellow. He and. Betty Fredericks: His wife, Barbara. Betty Fredericks: Actually, years later, I served with him on the board of Friends of the library out at Sonoma State College, and he all his life after he came to Sonoma State. Ambrose just devoted so much time, even after he was retired to Sonoma State College. Jeremy Hays: Students start to change the city or have an impact on the city.

01:02:31.000 - 01:03:09.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, this students, the temporary college wasn't there all that long, and they were mostly elderly students at that time. A lot of them were anyway, because they had. It was, they were students from that had been at San Francisco State Extension, I think in Santa Rosa. Betty Fredericks: They had one political. Betty Fredericks: A professor who was. Betty Fredericks: Very political, but they brought a really nice the staff was really wonderful.

01:03:10.000 - 01:04:01.000

Jeremy Hays: What are some of the? What are some things that I haven't asked you about that you would like to that you would like people to know about those early days in Winter Park? Betty Fredericks: Oh dear. Betty Fredericks: Well, Rohnert Park is a. Betty Fredericks: Has always been just a wonderful place for families, you know, Morris and I couldn't have picked a better place to start our family and our children grew up walking to school, swimming and getting swimming lessons in the local swimming pool.

01:04:02.000 - 01:04:48.000

Betty Fredericks: They're now that they're in their 50s. They have friends that they grew up with. Betty Fredericks: The teachers, the school district, you know, it was and it was. Betty Fredericks: Paul and Morris always had this saying that you could in Rohnert Park, you could go from kindergarten to college, and that was a dream that finally was. Betty Fredericks: Actually, Paul, even before Rohnert Park was started or soon after there, he had been trying to encourage a denominational college to come on some property that Chris Knutson.

01:04:49.000 - 01:05:14.000

Betty Fredericks: And in kattadi so it I think with Paul. Betty Fredericks: The fact that he grew up in a large family, he is my mother's. Betty Fredericks: One of my mother's younger brothers. Betty Fredericks: Let's let me stop again, OK?

01:05:15.000 - 01:05:58.000

Betty Fredericks: Let's see. How do I get my thoughts together? Betty Fredericks: OK. Paul, of course, is the 5th in the child in the Golas family. My mother was the first. It was. Betty Fredericks: Very, very wasn't the most. Jeez, how do I tell this? OK. Betty Fredericks: Let me get my thoughts together.

01:05:59.000 - 01:06:23.000

Alan Fitch: OK. Alan Fitch: Let's see. Betty Fredericks: OK. Betty Fredericks: OK, let's see. My mother is the oldest of the Goldest children, of which there are 9. Paul was the 5th Paul, early on was always impressed. The school teachers, wherever he went to school, whether it was when he was in New Jersey.

01:06:24.000 - 01:07:00.000

Betty Fredericks: Or after my grandfather had bought the farm in Montrose, PA. Betty Fredericks: But it was very difficult. There were nine children for him to go to college, he had. Betty Fredericks: One particular teacher, I think in high school who really, really encouraged him and my mother did, and so. Betty Fredericks: A college was a very, very important thing to Paul. He realized how.

01:07:01.000 - 01:07:43.000

Betty Fredericks: That could really change your life and. Betty Fredericks: In summers, he would he worked at making money at a boys camp in Maine, so that's probably where the recreation ideas came to him and he realized. Betty Fredericks: You know how wonderful it was. Betty Fredericks: For youth to have a place to go and practice sports.

01:07:44.000 - 01:08:14.000

Betty Fredericks: At we. Betty Fredericks: We lived in a town. Betty Fredericks: Probably an OK. Betty Fredericks: There's so much that I it it's hard to. If I were writing it, I could do it better.

01:08:15.000 - 01:08:40.000

Betty Fredericks: Let's see. Betty Fredericks: I'm sorry. Can you stop a minute? Let's see. Do we know what's the last? We're on Paul and you're. Jeremy Hays: Talking about Paul and how he thought college was important. Betty Fredericks: Yeah, well, how it was important. It was in his life, yeah.

01:08:41.000 - 01:09:00.000

Jeremy Hays: Yeah, yeah. Betty Fredericks: OK. Betty Fredericks: As a child. Betty Fredericks: Let's see. Paul was the 5th in his family and I'm the fifth of eight. So we goluses are very prolific.

01:09:01.000 - 01:09:45.000

Betty Fredericks: He my first recognition of or memory of the goalless boys where there were six. Betty Fredericks: And they were all in served in World War 2. Betty Fredericks: And since we were in New Jersey, usually if they were shipping off or being shipped back, they would always stop at our they always spent some time at our house and it was always fun when the goal was one of the goals uncles came, it was, oh gosh, Uncle Mike or uncle. Betty Fredericks: Paul or Uncle Carl or is coming and it was just always a real party when they got here. In fact, my uncle Mike, when he came back from.

01:09:46.000 - 01:10:20.000

Betty Fredericks: The war, one of his leaves, he landed in New York and. Betty Fredericks: Hired a taxi to take him to South Bound Brook where which had been my where my 2 uncles and aunt were living and it had been the family home before that before they bought the farm in Montrose and Uncle Mike hired a cab, drove to South Bound Brook and said OK. Betty Fredericks: Everybody up, I've got steak and champagne, and we're gonna celebrate. I'm home. Jeremy Hays: That's a great story. It must have been a.

01:10:21.000 - 01:10:32.000

Betty Fredericks: Big day. It was a big it was a big night for them. Jeremy Hays: Well, Betty, I think I've kept you in that chair for long enough. Betty Fredericks: That I don't feel like I've done. Jeremy Hays: You have been great. I promise you. You really have you. You gave some wonderful answers and really described, you know, a lot of what was really important about those early days in Rohnert Parks are really you really you have.

01:10:33.000 - 01:11:28.000

Alan Fitch: OK. Betty Fredericks: Yeah. Well, I would like to. Betty Fredericks: There are some other things I might like to say. Is your camera still rolling? Yeah, I I will say that. When I came to Rohnert Park, it was it was rather difficult for me because everybody was. Betty Fredericks: Probably 24 years of age or so, and they all had three or four kids, and here I was, this college student. So it was a full time college student, which made it very different for me. But I was impressed. And at the time they all put into the.

01:11:29.000 - 01:12:20.000

Betty Fredericks: Community, especially the women, had a group called the Rohnert Park Women's Association, which always had something going on, and who did have fundraisers for equipment for the Alicia Park. Betty Fredericks: Alicia Park was a big part of all their lives. It was kind of central to the to the town at that time. Betty Fredericks: And I know Paul. Betty Fredericks: I remember that the day of election when someone would call in and say they weren't quite sure that these young men were capable of being a City Council, and Paul would convince them that, hey, they were.

01:12:21.000 - 01:13:11.000

Betty Fredericks: Every he compared them to to people on city councils in Santa Rosa and Petaluma and convinced them that, hey, these guys are just as good and so. Betty Fredericks: A lot of community spirit. Betty Fredericks: It was very different from me because I worked for a large corporation, American Cyanamid in Bound Brook, NJ, and I was in the purchasing department and spent most of the time on the telephone ordering equipment for. Betty Fredericks: The plant and for engineers, so coming to a a town where everybody was married at 18 and had three kids by the time they were 24, was was quite a bit different for me.

01:13:12.000 - 01:13:26.000

Jeremy Hays: Yeah, it must have been quite a lot to adjust to at first. Jeremy Hays: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Betty Fredericks: Well, it wasn't. Yeah. And of course, Sonoma State was not Rutgers University, right? Jeremy Hays: Right. You're saying there's a couple of things that you wanted that you could also say was in?

01:13:27.000 - 01:14:00.000

Betty Fredericks: Well, that that's one of them and let's see. Betty Fredericks: Well, I can't. You know, I can't say enough about Marguerite Hahn. Betty Fredericks: Marguerite Jack Hanna's family was very, very early Cotati and. Betty Fredericks: When I go down to pick up press releases or whatever, we'd work together on Marguerite had would show me.

01:14:01.000 - 01:15:02.000

Betty Fredericks: Jack had just wonderful pictures of historic pictures of Cotati and of course Marguerite and also developed her own film. She would take pictures and develop her own film, so most of everything that's in the Cotati. Betty Fredericks: Historical rule now. Betty Fredericks: Most of the pictures that were either from Jack Hahn and his family, or Marguerite, who was great when she took a photo on the back of it, she wrote in pencil. Just exactly who everybody was and what it was, and she was. Betty Fredericks: She was always so receptive, even after I wasn't working on the newspaper. If I if I had something for Golis and Fredericks that I wanted to get in the paper, all I had to do was write up my press release and bring it down to her. And she was very, very.

01:15:03.000 - 01:15:39.000

Betty Fredericks: Optimistic about both Rohnert Park and Cotati without the animosity to one or the other. In fact, one day when I got down to the library, Marguerite was steaming. She had just come back from the she would when the fire alarm went off. Betty Fredericks: He would run, leave the library and run over to the Firehouse, which wasn't that far away. And then man the phones there. Alan Fitch: OK. Betty Fredericks: And one day she came back and she and and I happened to be there as she was coming back. And she was steaming mad.

01:15:40.000 - 01:16:38.000

Betty Fredericks: And I said Marguerite, what's wrong? And she said oh. Betty Fredericks: That I guess I shouldn't say his name. And I said what she said. I told him I really told him off. I told him you're not so smart. And I said what? Well, what was the problem? And ** *** said, well, he's on a committee to name the school. One of the schools in Rohnert Park. Betty Fredericks: And he thinks it's very funny because he found a early settling family in Penngrove, whose name is HOAR. Betty Fredericks: And so he thought, wouldn't that be funny? To name a school in Rohnert Park and that name and Marguerite told him, I don't think you're funny at all. And she was just so angry with him. I mean, she was just seething. I've never seen Marguerite that angry. So she was a.

01:16:39.000 - 01:17:07.000

Betty Fredericks: You know, she's just a wonderful person, a fair person, and she, she, you know, she could support Rohnert Park and Cotati without any animosity. Betty Fredericks: Last, shut off the camera, I'll tell. Betty Fredericks: You who it was. Jeremy Hays: Yeah. And when we do the the last question I have is that Morris and and you and and Morris must have been so proud of of of what Ronald became. Can you?

01:17:08.000 - 01:17:27.000

Jeremy Hays: Talk about that a little bit. Betty Fredericks: Well, of course, Morris. I think Morris got to enjoy Rohnert Park more than any of the developers because. Betty Fredericks: He not only. Betty Fredericks: Was there from the beginning, but he?

01:17:28.000 - 01:18:10.000

Betty Fredericks: Got to. Betty Fredericks: Raise a family and live in Rohnert Park until he all of his life. He had his office there until just. Well, if he had had an active law office until about two years. Betty Fredericks: Before he passed away. So. Betty Fredericks: After he wasn't in the developing business, he really took an interest in the schools and then was first on the elementary school board and then worked for the incorporation of Rotor Park to incorporate. No worked for the.

01:18:11.000 - 01:18:45.000

Betty Fredericks: Unification of the school district and it was great pride of pride when he handed his own son his diploma from high school and I think it's something he never would have dreamed of when he was leaving Montgomery Village. You know, so it was. Jeremy Hays: Yeah, not many people will get to start a city and see it become a city. Betty Fredericks: Well, he and Paul worked hard. Betty Fredericks: And I don't think anybody will understand how.

01:18:46.000 - 01:19:29.000

Betty Fredericks: They sacrificed the first time I came out as we were having lunch at the saddle and sirloin because I had come into via secretary for them for a day, Morris said. Well, if I can scrape up enough money in the law office. Betty Fredericks: When you go to the movies. Betty Fredericks: With me. Betty Fredericks: And of course, all of their all of their efforts and money and everything they had was invested in Rohnert Park, and they worked hard before they recognized a A A profit from Rohnert Park. If that and you know, they were.

01:19:30.000 - 01:19:39.000

Betty Fredericks: They were the driving force. Jeremy Hays: Yeah, that's very clear. Jeremy Hays: I'm done if you're. Betty Fredericks: Done. I don't know. I don't feel I did.

01:19:40.000 - 01:19:50.000

Jeremy Hays: It ohh. I promise you you did. You really did great. Yeah. Would be great. Betty Fredericks: And yeah, no, it's it's, you know, it's a little bit it's off. Jeremy Hays: I'll turn it off.