About 3:00 a.m., today, Hammerhead pounded on the bedroom door of The Trio yelling, “How could we forget?” “Forget what?,” they replied. Eagle-Eyes looked at his calendar of historic dates and discovered that 22 years ago, October 7th was named Bill Soberanes Day and a testimonial dinner was attended by over 400 friends and well-wishers in 1988. The following day, the bronze wristwrestling statue at the corner of Washington Street and Petaluma Boulevard was unveiled, and the 27th World Wristwrestling Tournament was held.

The Trio admitted that they missed an important deadline; something Bill Soberanes didn’t do during his 49 years as an Argus-Courier columnist. Me remembers that the Whiskerino Contest that will be held in Walnut Park tomorrow (Oct.9 at 3 p.m) was revived in 2003 when the community celebrated “Bill Soberanes Month.” Myself remembered that during the Petaluma Centennial Celebration in 1958, the “Brothers of the Brush” held a Whiskerino Contest during the Old Adobe Festival. I remembers a photograph by Argus-Courier photographer, Terry Hankins, that shows celebrity impersonator Chris Linnell and “Mr. William Howard Pepper” (who had a beard at that time), holding a small sign that read “Bring Back the Whiskerino Contest or Else”  at Walnut Park in 2003.

Today, Petaluma’s Whiskerino Contest is back, bigger than ever. As Yovanna Bieberick’s article in yesterday’s edition asks, “Are you going to be there?” The Petaluma community should be thankful to this year’s organizers, Fred and Melissa Abercrombie and the Farmer’s Market Erika Burns-Cooler for remembering Bill Soberanes with an event that he promoted for so many years. Our River Town has so many significant events from its past to remember, let’s hope The Trio won’t forget to show up at the gazebo in Walnut Park tomorrow. How about you?