Merging ‘then’ and ‘now’

With his Valley of the Moon Main Stem Project, Springs-based artist Mike Acker creates panoramic photo-collages documenting the Highway 12 corridor, including historic images.

His comments on this work, featured on the cover and inside the 1/15 issue of The Sonoma Sun: “The Food Center was built and opened in 1949. Mr. and Mrs. Saccato were the first proprietors. In July of 1949 they sold to Horace Smario and Frank Del Rosso. Right down the highway were the Boyes Springs Resort (“family style lunch and dinner”), the original Mary’s Pizza (opened 1957), Becker’s real estate, Gallo Brothers Chevron, Mike and Rose’s Market, Tony’s Barber Shop, and the COG Club. Across the highway stood Bud Castner’s building housing Pine Wagner’s Valley Drug, and William Downey’s real estate office. Pine Wagner was one of the first women to be a licensed pharmacist in the state of California. L.E. “Bud” Castner was a fixture in Boyes Hot Springs for decades. He was also the longest-tenured commissioner of the Golden Gate Bridge District.”

Detail on this week’s cover. For more visit: mca-studios.com