Volunteers make Willow Glen homes cozy for owners

By Carol Rosen

There was a surfeit of volunteers helping make homes cozy for their owners on Saturday, April 25 when volunteers for Rebuilding Together spent their day painting, putting in new carpet, replacing appliances and making homes safe and up to code for older residents.

A number of these volunteers went to two homes in Willow Glen where they did the necessary work to upgrade and make the homes safe for their residents.

Korean War veteran John Mabe and his wife Marge have lived in their home for 18 years. The two have been married for 28 years and were both parents of four children when they met; both of their respective spouses had died. John, who was in the Army Air Force, was part of the occupation forces in Japan, but was shipped to Korea when the war started. He spent most of his time in Tegue, “about 20 miles from the line.” His job in the Air Force was to assist the ground troops by keeping track of all the ammunition, he said.

While in Korea, he contracted malaria and lost about 40 pounds. “I went into the hospital weighing about 176 pounds and left at about 134 pounds,” he said.

The couple has eight children, 14 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. John worked for Santa Clara County for 21 years as a computer operator. When he first started using computers, they took up an entire large room, probably as big as his living room and dining room, he said. “Computers have gotten much smaller,” he added.

Marge met a woman at a luncheon, who told her about senior help, but then she found Rebuilding Together and “we got on the list late last year. They are wonderful,” she said.

The couple said their day started with a group of girls from Stanford, who replaced smoke detectors, brought in a couple of fire extinguishers and made sure there were monitors for CO2 and carbon monoxide gases. Volunteers from De Mattei Construction, Heroes at Home and Prince of Peace Church in Fremont went to work pressure washing and painting the outside of the home, rebuilding the front and much of the side deck, weeding the garden, as well as changing all the light bulbs, adding weather stripping, replacing the water heater and installing a guard rail in the shower.

A second home in Willow Glen was also being redone. The home of an Alzheimer’s patient and her caretakers, this house received new carpeting courtesy of Accent Interiors, a new range hood, a new oven, volunteers were painting the bed- and bathroom, they replaced the sink faucet, installed a grab bar in the shower and were busy replacing the electrical receptacles. Some of the workers were taking a break to allow the carpet layers, who donated their time, to finish laying the carpet while others were awaiting a new oven—the first having been gas instead of electric.

However, there was still plenty to do and the 18 to 20 volunteers were doing it. The largest group of volunteers came from Underwriters Laboratories while four of the men were from the San Jose Woodworking Association. UL has a group called the Peoples’ Team who volunteer their time raising money at chili cookoffs and bake sales or by donating their time to help others.

In all it was a happy day for everyone. “These people just come out and do everything. It’s wonderful,” said one of the people living at the home.

Hicklebee’s turns 30: Lincoln Avenue children’s bookstore celebrates birthday, award

By Carol Rosen

It’s a good thing that the 60s are over because Hicklebee’s Children’s Bookstore turned 30 this year and if you can’t trust this bookstore then you can’t trust anyone.

The celebrated and award-winning children’ s bookstore had a party on April 18 to celebrate three decades of promoting literacy and a love of books to teachers, librarians and readers of all ages.

It also received an award from State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) who selected Hicklebee’s as the 11th Senate District Small Business of the Year. The store specializes exclusively in books for children and young adults. “Hicklebee’s is a champion in the world of reading. Over the years they’ve introduced generations of children to the magic of books,” Simitian said

“As we watch the continual ‘malling of America,’ we ought to take a moment to appreciate our locally owned, neighborhood bookstores,” Simitian added. “What makes Hicklebee’s so special is the environment they create for young people. They are helping to grow the next generation of well-read young adults.”

“For the families of Willow Glen and the greater community, Hicklebee’s is much more than a place to buy books,” said Norma Ruiz, executive director of the Willow Glen Business Association. “Valerie and Monica have created an oasis for young readers that you can’t find online. The store draws you in to a whole different world, just like the stories on their shelves.”

The bookstore also plays a key role in the local education community. Hicklebee’s hosts “book fair” fundraisers at local schools, and also donates a portion of store transactions when parents mention their school’s name at the register. Many of the 19 dedicated staff members are former teachers themselves.

And a number of those employees have been on staff since the early days including Carol Schweppe and Serena Murray, who have been there since 1983. Eileen Hamada came in 1988, Nancy Fraser in 1994, Karen Sesody in 1997 and Brett Carlson and Hien Tran in 1999. Ten other employees joined after the century mark.

Hicklebee’s was founded in 1979 by four friends—Jan Gottlieb, Valerie Lewis, Georgia Osborne and Vicki Villarreal. The name Hicklebee’s is meant to indicate the metamorphosis of the bookworm. During the store’s first 10 years, Lewis’ sister Monica Lewis Holmes joins her sister and Jan Gottlieb as co-partner and owner. The three were involved in promoting literacy and also served as leaders in regional and national American booksellers associations.

Also during the first decade artists Steve and Carol Schweppe designed and created book displays and wall art with pieces added by authors and illustrators. Growing from there, the owners begin Preview Presentations, creating book blubs for Children’s Birthdays and Summer Reading. They establish a teacher’s wish list and junior book reviews. They also begin the winter holiday Slipper Stories series and begin a calendar of author in-store events.

More recently, it has offered a string of celebrated children’s book authors, held parties for each of the “Harry Potter” book night openings and even visits by celebrities such as J.K. Rowling, author of the Potter series.

While there’s not enough room in the paper to describe the many features of the bookstore, it has been part of community and educational outreach throughout its 30 years and continues to provide an exciting shopping trip for young children up through their grandparents. It also has won a slew of awards, and, like many businesses on Lincoln Avenue, offers a treat for all shoppers.

Next to open will be kiosks and later a second bookstore at the airport. It continues to grow.

The Small Business of the Year award is presented by state legislators in conjunction with the California Small Business Association.