Welcome to the Best Of the North Bay issue of NorthBay biz. Inside we reveal the winners of our annual readers’ poll survey, and you’ll get a glimpse of why these companies were voted the Best Of the North Bay. This year’s response was the largest in the 17 years we’ve been conducting this poll. There were more than 1,000 ballots cast, which translates to more than 24,000 votes in the 37 different categories. There were more than 1,300 companies and individuals who garnered votes, underscoring the depth and quality of the companies doing business in the North Bay. Given the extent of the competition, the winners deserve to be proud to have emerged as the Best in their category. Often the vote totals were close; that’s why, several years ago, we began awarding Gold Medals to all the companies who finished second in the balloting. The Gold Medal winners are listed on page 59.
The awards party at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael on February 2 was an extremely lively and festive affair. The evening wouldn’t have been possible without the support of all our fine sponsors: Christopherson Homes, D&S Awards, Discovery Office Systems, Embassy Suites Hotel, NVB Business Bank, Ritch Insurance Services, Southwest Airlines and Staff Resources Inc. I’d like to thank them once again. Also, a big thanks to David Correa and Cascada for setting the right mood with their distinctive music.
The award-winning wines poured that night came from some of Wine Country’s finest wineries—Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards and Winery, Geyser Peak Winery, J Vineyards and Winery, Kunde Estate Winery and Vineyards, La Crema Winery, Markham Vineyard and Silver Oak Cellars. The food complementing the award-winning wine was a feast in its presentation, quality and variety, thanks to Embassy Suites’ superb catering staff.
Finally, thanks to all the companies that donated such terrific door prizes. The prizes were so good that everyone stayed until the end even though they knew that meant they’d have to listen to me speak. The list of donors reads like a Who’s Who in Wine Country—Acqua Hotel, Calistoga Oasis Spa, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Embassy Suites, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery, Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club, Geyser Peak Winery, Golden Egg Omelet House, Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, J Vineyards & Winery, Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyard, La Crema Winery, Latitude Restaurant, Meeker Vineyard, Murphy-Goode Winery, Nelson Staffing, Southwest Airlines and Stryker Sonoma. Also, can’t forget to give Culligan Water and Julie’s Floral & Event Design special thanks for their contributions to a memorable event. Every aspect of the evening was splendid, making it a night to remember for our 375 guests and everyone here at the magazine. Congratulations to all the winners, thanks to our staff for all they do (every day) and lastly, thanks to all our readers who cast their votes for the Best Of the North Bay.
Until just last year, I was fortunate enough to have a Great Aunt still living who was born in 1898. Aunt Hattie was a kindergarten teacher for almost 50 years. Her mother, Constance, my Great Grandmother, lived until she was 104. Hattie’s baby brother, Uncle Harry, is still alive and doing well. He’s 95, and, when we can talk him into it, still plays the guitar and sings. Some of my favorite memories were when we were able to get them to talk about the “old days.” Their stories about electric lights, Model Ts, WWI and the Great Depression were revelations of another time made real in the present. We’d pepper them (my brothers, sister and me) with questions and have what we thought of as ancient history that came alive with their recollections. So with the preceding as an intro, join me in a little retrospective of life 100 years ago.
The year is 1906. One hundred years ago—what a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics from that time: The average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11. There were 8,000 cars in America and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in cities was 10 mph. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a sparse 1.4 million people, California was the 21st most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel tower. The average wage was 22 cents per hour. The average worker earned between $200 and $400 per year. A good accountant made $2,000 per year, a dentist $2,500, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 and a mechanical engineer about $5,000.
Here’s more about the lifestyle of the day: More than 95 percent of all births took place at home. Ninety percent of all doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned at the time in the press and by the government as “substandard.” Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were 14 cents a dozen. Coffee was 15 cents per pound. Most women washed their hair once a month and used egg yolks or borax as shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering their country for any reason. The five leading causes of death were pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, diarrhea and heart disease. The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska weren’t states yet. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30. Crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet. There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Twenty percent of American adults couldn’t read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated high school. Marijuana, heroin and morphine were all available over the counter at local drugstores. Eighteen percent of households had at least one domestic servant. There were about 230 murders in the entire country in 1906.
I’m now going to e-mail this column to my managing editor for proofing before the entire magazine is sent electronically to the printer. Imagine what the world will be like 100 years from now when Uncle Harry is 195 years old!
That’s it for now. Enjoy this month’s magazine.
