Yesterday, the Petaluma Farmers Market and the Petaluma Neighborhood Association sponsored the 6th Bill Soberanes Memorial Whiskerino Contest in Walnut Park. (Take a look at today’s Petaluma 360 video.)
It was a great event with over 35 entries. Many long-time Petalumans remember that a Whiskerino Contest was one of Petaluma’s Centennial Celebration activities in 1958, at Old Adobe State Park. It was most appropriate for Petalumans to participate in this year’s event, since 2008 is our city’s Sesquicentennial Celebration year. It was also appropriate to honor Bill Soberanes in this manner since his career as a journalist spanned 50 of Petaluma’s 150 years as a “chartered” City in the State of California.
Bill was often referred to as “Mr. Petaluma” because he was a consistent booster of his home town; it’s history and its interesting people. Two of his columns in the Argus-Courier, over the years were title “So They Tell Me” and “My Fabulous World of People.” Bill was was a very unique person, in his own way. He claimed to be the world’s foremost “peopleologist” and have had his pictured taken with more celebrities than anyone else in the world.
Take a look at today’s photograph with Carol Channing. It appears that this younger-looking Bill Soberanes was a “Brother of the Brush” at one time. It may be just a coincidence, but this blogger also had his picture taken with Ms. Channing, as well with Bill several years ago when he, too, sported facial hair.
Hopefully, Whiskerino Contests will continue over the years, and remind people that such contests were common in the 1930s and 40s at Harvest Fairs and local historical events.