Carpenters Who Care preserve local history

Volunteers from the local 152 Carpenters Who Care team are helping to refurbish the home of the Martinez Historical Society, constructed in 1890. All of the scaffolding was donated by Concord-based Unique Scaffold Company.

In keeping with Local 152’s tradition of community participation, union volunteers have been spending recent weekends working on the ongoing restoration of the Martinez History Museum, the repository for everything relating to the history of this North Bay town.

The museum is in the Boland House, a classic Victorian, built in 1890 with oldgrowth redwood, and adorned with the gingerbread detail typical of that style. It has served as a family home, a dental office, a duplex, a palm readers’ office, and as the headquarters of the Contra Costa Community College District, before being taken over in 1974 by the Martinez Historical Society “to protect it from being demolished and turned into a parking lot,” according to society President John Curtis. BASIC MAINTENANCE

Today, it houses exhibits, literature on Martinez and the surrounding area, official documents and letters, as well as paintings, photos and other materials relating to the Martinez family, which held the original Spanish land grant.

It’s a beautiful old building, but like all beautiful old buildings, it needs a lot of love. Part of the Historical Society’s mission has been to maintain and preserve it, mainly with volunteer labor, Curtis says. “I can’t say enough about these volunteers. We couldn’t exist without them.”

Among these are the Carpenters Who Care, a group of Local 152 active and retired members who have been donating their time and skills to help seniors, people with disabilities and others, with home repair. STARTINg SMAll

“We’ve worked on bathrooms, kitchens, stairs and other things to keep homes safe and well-maintained,” says Jay Howard, the coordinator of Local 152’s Carpenters Who Care.

Approached by Rick Aldridge, a retired president of Local 152 and a member of the Historical Society’s board of directors, the Carpenters Who Care went right to work, prepping the building for the next crew, a group of volunteers from the Martinez Refining Company, who will apply a fresh coat of paint.

bay area Carpenters interested in joining the Carpenters who Care team, please contact Jay howard at (925) 812-2714.

Carpenters Who Care preserve local history

“We’ve been removing and replacing some of the trim and some of the siding. We’ve been scraping and sanding,” says volunteer Tim Stayton, a retired Local 152 member. “It’s pretty basic maintenance.”

It’s an important way for Carpenters to give something back. “There’s a lot of energy in the union now,” says Carpenters Who Care Coordinator Jay Howard, “and we want to apply some of it to show this community that we’re involved, and that we care. And it’s a way for members to play a role in the union and in the community.”

Concord-based Unique Scaffold donated and set up the scaffolding. “I took [Unique’s] owner John Soto to see the building,” Howard says, “and he said, ‘we’re in’ immediately. And they brought over their Local 152 crew to set it up within just a few days. We were just floored!”

Coming up next for Carpenters Who Care is the Joltin’ Joe, Martinez native Joe DiMaggio’s fishing boat, lovingly restored a few years ago by Aldridge—who inspired the formation of Carpenters Who Care—and a crew of Local 152 members. The restored boat is now sitting in a local warehouse.

“We’re hoping to be involved in the remodeling of the old Martinez railway station,” Howard says, “and get Joe’s boat a final home there.”

‘There’s a lot of energy in the union now... we want to apply some of it to show this community that we’re involved, and that we care.’

daniel Chamorro restoring windows and windowsills at the Museum.

The local 152 Carpenters Who Care team at the Martinez History Museum. From left, daniel Chamorro, Jonny Pasco, Historical Society President John Curtis, Justin Howard, team coordinator Jay Howard, and Tim Stayton.

Small projects, big payoffs

it started with local 701. the local 152 Carpenters who Care program was inspired by conversations with members of local 701, who had set up a similar group in the fresno area.

“we started out helping retired Carpenters with small projects in their homes, but then we did a lot of work at the zoo, and Playland and story book land. we built ramps for people in wheelchairs,” says Kayla franklin, president of the local 701 Carpenters who Care. “right now we’ve been doing some restoration work at Camp fresno,” a facility for troubled young people.

Covid-19 has slowed things down, franklin says, but as the danger recedes with vaccinations, “we’ll be up and running again.” interested in joining the Central Valley version of Carpenters who Care? Call the local 701 hall at (559) 268-3895.