Pinole Historical Society

In the final presentation of the Pinole Historical Society’s weeklong acknowledgment of excellent essays written by Pinole students from kindergarten through hi...gh school, today the PHS presents the three winners in its 2021 essay contest from #Pinole Valley High School. We asked students: What is the most important lesson you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and why? Congratulations to 11th-graders Oliva Lubinger, Prajwala Maharjan, and Emily Gonzalez for their brilliant responses! It was hard to pick just one winner so we picked three! Special thanks to AP English teacher Ralph Bedwell for encouraging 67 of his students to submit essays.

Calling 9th-12th grade #WCCUSD students! We are launching a paid, visual storytelling program this summer for curious and creative students interested in help...ing us diversify our archives. The deadline to apply is May 31st! Please help us spread the word. Link in our bio! DM us if you have questions! #PinoleHistory #LocalHistory

The Pinole Historical Society recognizes Stewart Elementary School students Juliana Campos, from Ms. Lopez-Solis's fifth grade class, and Aidan Cruz, from Ms. S...eana Kauble's seventh grade class, for their essays in this year’s #PinoleHistory essay contest. Here are the lessons they learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. See more

By KATHY CHOUTEAU Richmond Standard History will be made when the El Sobrante Historical Society celebrates the grand opening of its History Center Saturday, Ma...y 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located behind the El Sobrante Library at 4300 Garden Rd. in El Sobrante, the History Center will open to the public that day with limited visitors and COVID-19 health guidelines in effect. The new History Center will feature chronological displays starting with the first people who lived in the El Sobrante area. Up for viewing will be maps, documents, photos and artifactsstemming, in part, from a long-ago UC Berkeley archeological digthat includes stone objects like a mortar and pestle and charms thought to have a religious or spiritual purpose. Other highlights among the artifacts on display will be adobe bricks originating from the onetime Victor Ramon Castro Adobe in the area that’s now the home of the El Cerrito Plaza. Yet another standout at the new History Center will be a large 1909 map of Rancho El Sobrante that offers a historical glimpse at the region during that time. Community members can take a sneak peek of the displays via a virtual tour found on this page. The building housing the new History Center has some historical significance of its own: it once served as the office for Nancy Fahden, the first woman supervisor in Contra Costa County, and eventually, the first woman president of the Board of Supervisors. In a tip-of-the-hat to her county firsts, the building has been named The Nancy Fahden House. The History Center’s location behind the library is in the new community park, where officials say they will eventually host events. For its part, the library will be reopening Mon., April 26 at 25 percent capacity, per a post on County Supervisor John Gioia’s Facebook page. Check its website for additional details. Following a fire in early 2018 that caused extensive smoke and water damage, the library celebrated its own Grand Re-Opening in November 2019. The El Sobrante History Center in The Nancy Fahden House is part of the post-fire re-imagining of the library and its nearby buildings.

In today’s weeklong feature of #PinoleHistory winners from the Pinole Historical Society’s annual essay contest for Pinole students, the PHS announces the two w...inners from Shannon Elementary School: fourth-grader Alison Aguilar Mendoza, and sixth-grader Miguel Wi. We asked students to answer: What is the most important lesson you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and why?

SUPPORT THE RICHMOND-PINOLE LI0NS AT THEIR MAY 8 GIANT PARKING LOT SALE Looking for a good deal on housewares, clothes, books, tableware, tools, linens, furnitu...re, toys, small appliances, DVDs, CDs, and who knows what else? You’re likely to find what you need at the Richmond-Pinole Lions’s SPRING GIANT PARKING LOT SALE Saturday, May 8, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sportsman’s Club, 201 Pinon Ave., in Pinole. Masks and social distancing required. All sales will benefit Lions Community Service projects. Lions International The LIONS acronym also stands for Liberty, Intelligence, Our Nations' Safety is the oldest service organization IN THE WORLD! Lions has more than 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries around the world. The Lions motto is: We Serve. In 2021, the Richmond-Pinole Lions Club is celebrating 100 years of community service in West County. Richmond-Pinole Lions is active in our community in many ways. Richmond-Pinole Lions: Sponsor an annual Student Speaker Contest for high school students. Sponsor an annual Peace Poster Contest for middle school students. Collect eyeglasses, hearing aids, cell phones, and ink and toner cartridges for Lions in Sight. Provide eye exams and glasses for low-income persons. Assist with vision screenings for elderly in Richmond and Pinole (with the Lions Center for the Visually Impaired). Participate in Pinole citywide clean-up days. Painted the Pinole Youth Center. Participate in Rebuild Richmond (renovating and cleaning up homes and yards on a selected block). Serve on the Pinole Youth Commission. Chaired and volunteered for the Pinole Senior Center jewelry sale. Volunteer in the Pinole Senior Center kitchen. Host a booth every year at Special Kids Day (for special needs children and adults). Participate in Down's Syndrome Day. Helped build Lion’s Matteo's Dream Park for children of all abilities. Join other Lions clubs in our Zone for the Food Drive. Donated to the Phisher House (assist in housing families of veterans while the veteran is in the hospital). Sent cards to residents and nurses of the veterans home monthly, and to nurses at a COVID facility for three months. So, LET’S MAKE A DEAL and help the Richmond-Pinole Lions help others in our community. We hope to see you Saturday for a fun day of bargain shopping! Visit the Richmond-Pinole Lions on Facebook. The club meets for lunch and a presentation on the third Monday of every month at the Pear Street Bistro in Old Town Pinole. Interested in learning more about the Richmond-Pinole Lions? Please join us for lunch. Contact club secretary Audrey Nieman for details at [email protected]

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, and why? Today, The Pinole Historical Society features three essay winners from ...Collins Elementary and their select quotes: Asher Ziegler from Ms. Gray's kindergarten class, Diego Garcia from Ms. Belanoff's third grade class, and William Olsen from Ms. Mink's fifth grade class. See more

We are continuing our weeklong feature of winning student entries to this year’s #Pinole Historical Society essay contest. We asked students to share what was ...the most important lesson they learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and why? Today we feature a quote from the winning essay by Shelby Kasari of Mrs. Chan’s third grade class at Ellerhorst Elementary. See more

FROM THE PINOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO ARCHIVES The Pinole Bakery building is among the historical structures in Pinole that have survived more than a century, and the exterior looks pretty much the same as it did more than 100 years ago. The bakery was sold to the T.W. Woys by J.B. Downer, brother of E.M. Downer, who founded the Bank of Pinole.... Newcomers to Pinole from Pennsylvania, the Woys expanded into the grocery business in 1906 and had the first auto delivery service in the city. Their home, on the southwest corner of Main Street (San Pablo Avenue) and Pinole Valley Road, is occupied today by a young family. The building that housed the bakery has been home to various businesses through the years. Back in the day, people came for the baked goods and ice cream. Today, Lino Amaral's State Farm Insurance agency attracts locals and celebrities, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who stopped by after the presidential inauguration for a homeowners policy.

The Winter 2021 issue of Pinole Historical Society Newsbriefs was delivered this week to locations that are open for in-person business. This includes all of the restaurants and coffee shops, plus the retail businesses and doctors' offices that display our newsletter. Newsletters are not available at the Pinole Senior Center and the Pinole Library, which remain closed. The newsletter is also posted on the PHS website at http://www.pinolehistoricalsociety.org/newsletter.htm. ...Click on the WINTER 2021 ISSUE thumbnail and a PDF will open in your browser. INSIDE THIS ISSUE The two major stories are: 1. A tribute to the late Ora Webber, owner of the Greenbrae Swimming School. (Front page) 2. Business owners optimistic 2021 will be a better year. (Pages 8-11) The PHS thanks its members and friends for their support as we get through the Covid-19 crisis, which has caused us to suspend nearly all of our activities. We are optimistic that we will be able to resume in-person programs sometime in 2021. Please enjoy the newsletter, and forward this email to a friend so they may enjoy a bit of Pinole's history.

FROM THE PINOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO ARCHIVES The Harry Stats Hotel and Saloon on the northeast corner of Tennent and San Pablo avenues was one of many bars in Pinole at the turn of the 20th century. Mary Nunes bought the wooden building in the 1920s; because of constant fire danger, she replaced it with the brick building there today. ... The Pontes and Barroca’s Central Grocery operated there for many years. On April 29, 2011, local restaurateur Tina Holztclaw opened Tina’s Place, a destination eatery known for great food, comfortable chairs, great jazz music, and long lines for breakfast and lunch.

A scaled-back Pinole City Council Tuesday voted to deny funding the renovation of the historic Faria House on San Pablo Avenue and approve a lease agreement wit...h the Pinole History Museum (PHM) to operate a museum in the house. Two councilmembers Norma Martínez-Rubin and Vincent Salimi recused themselves from the discussion and vote on the advice of Pinole City Attorney Eric Casher because of probable conflicts of interest. That left the remaining three councilmembers Mayor Roy Swearingen, Pete Murray, and Anthony Tave to determine the fate of the Faria House renovation and museum, which had been discussed and approved by previous councils for more than 20 years, but had not been funded. Swearingen and Murray voted to approve the council resolution authorizing the renovation and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and lease agreement with the PHM to create and operate a museum. Tave voted against the resolution. Because a majority of council votes (3) of a full quorum (5) are required to approve expenditures of city funds, the resolution failed on a 2-1 vote, thereby killing the museum project for the time being. The council left the door open to reconsider the project in 2021, when newly elected councilmembers Maureen Toms and Devin Murphy replace outgoing councilmembers Pete Murray and Roy Swearingen, who have been termed out. Before the meeting ended, the council voted to agendize this project in 2021. PHM board members and the council’s Faria House Ad Hoc Committee of which Murray, Tave, and city staff were members spent several months gathering data and negotiating the details of the MOU and lease agreement that was presented to the council Tuesday. The council heard many public comments before the discussion and vote. Twenty (20) letters came from supporters of the museum project. Six (6) came from opponents of the project, including five from members of Pinole For Fair Government (PFFG), a political action committee Ivette Ricco, David Ruport, Irma Ruport, Tammera Campbell, and recalled former mayor Maria Alegria. PFFG members have been vocal in their opposition to the renovation of the Faria House and the Pinole History Museum. Councilman Tave, who helped negotiate the agreement between the city and the PHM and then voted against it, is affiliated with PFFG, which sponsored his council run in 2018.

Contra Costa County residents 65 years old and over may now register for a Covid-19 vaccination by filling out this form.

Scenes from previous Pinole Veterans Day Memorial and Flag Retirement Ceremonies. Most are available for viewing on the Pinole Historical Society Channel on YouTube. Cartoon by DaveGranlund.com

Thanks to Mark Harrigan, administrator of the 680/24 Corridor History Facebook page, for this terrific tour of Pinole. ENJOY!

Dear Friend of the Pinole History Museum, We know 2020 was an incredibly difficult year. The Pinole History Museum board of directors hopes you are doing well, are safe, and are optimistic that 2021 will be a better year. While we were disappointed the Pinole City Council did not approve the renovation of the historic Faria House and a lease to the Pinole History Museum in November 2020, this will be considered again by the council in 2021. We are hopeful the renovation and ...Continue reading

The Pinole Historical Society regrets the cancellation of Wednesday’s annual Veterans Day Memorial and Flag Retirement Ceremony. We hope to resume this important and solemn tribute to the men and women who have served and serve today in the armed forces in 2021. The PHS invites you to observe Veterans Day by viewing one of the previous ceremonies posted on the PHS YouTube Channel tomorrow, November 11, at 11 AM. The armistice ending World War I was signed at 11 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

The Pinole Historical Society is pleased to announce it has resumed printing its quarterly newsletter, PHS Newsbriefs. The Fall 2020 issue will be delivered this week to locations that have reopened for in-person business. This includes all of the restaurants and coffee shops, plus the retail businesses and doctors' offices that display our newsletter. Newsletters will not be available at the Pinole Senior Center and the Pinole Library, which remain closed. It's also posted o...n our website at http://www.pinolehistoricalsociety.org/newsletter.htm. Click on the FALL 2020 ISSUE thumbnail and a PDF will open in your browser. INSIDE THIS ISSUE The two major stories are: 1. The closing of Blue Sky Sports (Front page). 2. The centennial of the Manuel Marcos home at 999 Tennent Avenue (Page . The PHS thanks its members and friends for their support as we get through this difficult year, which has caused us to suspend nearly all of our activities. More on this in the President’s Message on Page 4. Please enjoy, and forward this email to a friend so they may enjoy a bit of Pinole history.

IN MEMORIAM The Pinole History Museum mourns the passing of Roberta Tim Quan, one of our beloved supporters. Roberta was 86. After 25 years teaching, Roberta retired into another career as a board member and fundraiser for the Hilltop Family YMCA. She raised so much money that she was dubbed Queen Quan by her peers and honored by the YMCA.... Roberta had adopted the Pinole History Museum as her next fundraising challenge because she believed in the museum’s mission and in the importance of preserving history. If you have artifacts, they tell the history of that particular period. If you don’t save them in a museum, they’re gone forever, and future generations won’t know about them," she said. When you lose a culture, or your history, who are you, what are your roots? The artifacts and stories enrich you and future generations. When people lose their history, they lose the essence of their culture, where their ancestors came from, and to some extent, their identity. Any establishment that attempts to maintain and further cultures I find worthy of support and perpetuation." Roberta was a major donor to the museum and, as an advocate, convinced others to donate. The Pinole History Museum will be dedicated to the education and pleasure of the public, she said. Behind it will be an endless sea of faces yours, mine, ours that will give it life and distinction. We are a composite as varied and enduring as those who contribute artifacts, materials, and efforts. "The aggregate of social and cultural exhibits and programs will reflect the unique community of Pinole and its environs. As a destination, those who visit will come away enriched with a better understanding of its rich history. Visitors, especially school children, will serve as ambassadors to broadcast the existence of this gem. I shall continue to give. Roberta was fond of sending the society gaily decorated notes designed to motivate us in our efforts to create a museum. We enjoyed receiving them, and we will miss hearing from her and visiting with her on the phone.

The Pinole History Museum board has held several meetings with City of Pinole staff and the Pinole City Council’s Faria House Ad Hoc Committee to reach an agreement on conditions for renovating the Faria House for the creation of the Pinole History Museum. Negotiations have been friendly and encouraging. The PHM Board is grateful for the many letters sent to the Pinole City Council supporting the museum. Here’s one, written by St. Joseph School principal Natalie Lenz-Acuna, t...Continue reading