The Sunnyvale Sun

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City plans to honor longtime Sunnyvale residents

By Stephen Baxter

Much of Sunnyvale's landscape has been paved and rebuilt in the last half century, and many of the people who remember its orchards, factories and small town feel want to share their stories. To recognize some of the city's oldest residents and to help paint a sharper historical picture, city leaders are considering a special event for people who have lived here since 1945.

The city council formed a committee in January to explore options for an event for longtime residents, which may be tied to July's State of the City festival or held on its own. The staff recommended spending about $15,000 for a luncheon and VIP tent at Washington Park during the State of the City, but some residents said they would prefer a separate event. Other options included a gathering at the Historic Del Monte Building or Sunnyvale Senior Center, or closing Murphy Avenue at a cost of approximately $130,000 for 500 guests. More ideas are expected from the committee, which will meet March 1 and reply to the council in March or April.

The longtimers at the event would likely participate in video interviews to describe the city's past, and footage may be included in the city library's Sunnyvale Voices oral history project.

"I thin kit's a fantastic idea," said Laura Babcock, a director of the Sunnyvale Historical Society. "I think the whole idea of celebrating it is great."

Organizers are still considering ways to verify continuous 62-year Sunnyvale residence, including using property records, old phone books and photos. They will likely enlist historians and the Historical Society for help.

The city's population in 1945 was below 9,000, and nearly half were more than 35 years old then. Some leaders said they were confident they could find 50 people who fit the criteria, and many more might attend, depending on publicity.

Vince Cala was born in Sunnyvale in 1929 and participated in the Voices project. He welcomed an event. "I'm kind of nostalgic ... The party part doesn't sound like a bad idea," he said.

Cala was 16 in 1945, and he remembers when soldiers camped in Quonset huts in Washington Park. They fired shells into a gravel pit at what is now Sunken Gardens Golf Course, and he and his pals would collect the lead there for money.

Longtime resident Manuela Rodriguez also remembers the era. She has lived in Sunnyvale since 1940 and is on the committee for the longtimers event.

"I remember when the soldiers were here at Washington Park. A lot of the girls married those fellas. Everybody's got some good history," she said.

Eligible residents can contact committee member Pat Vorreiter at 408.730.8300 or vorreiter2@aol.com.