Habitat Build-A-Thon 2010

Just a quick post to refer you to one of my other blogs, the Habitat for Humanity East Bay / Thrivent Builds blog. I'll be blogging daily coverage of the 2010 build-a-thon there. And thank you for the donations to support Habitat's mission!

day 1 volunteers and homeowners

signs: Neldam's Danish Bakery

Neldam's Danish Bakery

Not the greatest sign ever, but this venerable institution has been in the news recently. Neldam's Danish Bakery has been at this location in Oakland for 80 years. According to the Oakland Tribune, Neldam's is facing eviction. Declining sales forced them to sell the building and scale back operations, and they and the new landlords have been trying to work out a solution since. They're accepting donations to help finance a move and expansion, but time will tell if that's enough. I'm not sure where they plan to have the main bakery, but they mention a "new, more modern, and greener bakery, along with 4 branches" and list Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville, Pinole and they hope Antioch.

Oakland Earth Expo

Oakland Earth Expo

Yesterday was the Oakland Earth Expo, a public fair for Oaklanders looking to be more green. There were a number of groups and companies I'm familiar with there, including:

• TransForm
• Walk Oakland Bike Oakland
• East Bay Bicycle Coalition
• Habitat for Humanity (thanks for the donations!)
• Greening Oakland Homes
  
• East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
• Ella Baker Center
• SunPower Solar

There were also a number of groups I wasn't familiar with:

• Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden - There's a nice post on the rose garden at Oaktown Art
  
• Universal Waste Management - electronic waste recyclers based here in Oakland
  
• B Spoke Tailor - custom and individualized cycling clothes
  

There appeared to be a good turn out for the event. I was there after noon so I missed the special Earth Day 2010 photo shoot that was planned, but I saw lots of people checking out the booths.

In a bit of irony, PG&E was there trying to to drum up some good press for smart meters after the problems they've been having with smart meters in Bakersfield; a couple of booths down was a group encouraging people to Vote No on 16. Prop 16 is sponsored by PG&E to the tune of millions of dollars, and they're putting it forth as a "keep governments from spending unlimited funds without a vote". In reality, it's because PG&E doesn't want municipalities like Marin becoming power producers and thereby competing with PG&E. On one hand, I love that PG&E sponsors the solar panels for Habitat for Humanity homes around California, but then they pull stuff like Prop 16. Sigh.

signs: Piedmont Piano

Piedmont Piano

This is a first for the Our Oakland signs feature in that it's the second showing of this locale, but with a different sign. It used to be an art supply store with a nice Drafting / Furniture sign. But it's been reborn in cool colors as the new home of Piedmont Piano.

Piedmont Piano was on the corner of Piedmont Ave. and Pleasant Valley since 1980. While it was a fixture on the end of Piedmont, that location acquired a tragic history. Back in 2008 a 10 year old boy was shot while taking a piano lesson, during an attempted robbery at the car wash and gas station across the street. In an odd twist, the shooter was also involved in a carjacking of state senator and now Oakland mayoral candidate Don Perata.

great Art Deco entrance

signs: Schirmer Liquors

Schirmer Liquors

With the new Habitat for Humanity development in Woodland in East Oakland, I've been slowly branching out from my usual route to the previous development in Sobrante Park. It's not that far away, but Google Maps suggested different routes that were shorter. And the last two weeks I've been picking up my wife's cousin at Coliseum BART for him to come volunteer at Habitat, too. So it was on one of my new meanderings that I found this sign on Seminary. It's currently called Seminary Market, but the great sign still reads Schirmer Liquors. Googling on that turns up this interesting tidbit:

Leslie Ivan SUTTON was born on 19 Sep 1920 in Flagler, Kit Carson Co, Colorado, USA. He Graduated from Flagler High School in 1938 in Flagler, Kit Carson Co, Colorado, USA. He was a Flight Cadet in Army Air Corps in Sep 1940. He was a Captain in the Army Air Corps in Feb 1946. He was a Proprietor of Schirmer's Liquor Store between 1960 and 1982 in Oakland, Alameda Co, California, USA. He died in Jan 1982. He was buried at Flagler Cemetery in Flagler, Kit Carson Co, Colorado, USA.

No idea if the neon still works, but it appears to be in good shape at least on this side of the sign.