John In His Happy Place

A to Z Tools at 6042 Franklin Rd., is another business I frequent and like to send folks to.

I suppose every town has a used tool place, but none are as unique as this little shop. I discovered the store in a strip mall just west of  Curtis on Franklin Road 10 years ago. I made immediate friends with the owners. The sheer magnitude of the tools they’ve got on display is awesome and initially overwhelming. Still, it only takes a few moments to get a sense of where things live because it is very organized.

Tools are something I have always been fond of, and that was another thing I had in common with Grandpa Ben. I also remember my first tool. It was a finish hammer that I still have and use regularly, given as a birthday present by my older brother Mike.

John & Nipa Wilder shared my love of tools and understood the difference between “home owner grade” and “construction grade”.  John knew where they were made, what kind of bearings they had, and what each item cost new. He used to scour the pawn shops weekly for only the high quality stuff, and eventually got preferential pricing because he was a regular. When the downturn in construction hit several years ago, he was prepared for the flood of tools that came in as contractors bailed out of the area.

The Shop

They started in Boise in July of 1998. John had worked in Redding California in the same industry and had essentially been in the tool business all his life. He would travel to tool expos all over the North West and had a keen eye for what people would like to add to their toolbox. He also would take tools in on trade or just buy them outright. He would clean them up and make sure they operated properly and would always either take one back or trade it in for another one, if it wasn’t up to snuff.

Beyond being a customer, I became part of their family. Whenever I need to be cheered up I would stop in for a beer after hours, where I could surround myself with tools and tell them what was up with the family and my projects. I especially loved the “Out of Order” bathroom that I offered to fix, only to discover that it was working fine but reserved for their special customers only.

The Parallel Bridge

As I get older, I find it harder and harder to find tools I don’t have. I hold John & Nipa personally responsible for that. Despite the two of them suffering an amazing amount of medical issues, they kept the shop running. Where they found the strength and mental toughness to continue the store, surely comes from a different generation.

John passed away  a little over a year ago, leaving Nipa holding down the fort. I thought she was going to close up shop last December, but like the Energizer Bunny, she just keeps on going.

John was fascinated with the new Bay Bridge being built next to the existing one. He had no doubt that he would survive to its completion. Although he didn’t, I will toast him when they finally get it done, and surely have his spirit with me as I drive it someday.

If you find yourself needing a great used tool for a good price please stop in and see Nipa first. Odds are she has several to choose from.  After all a used tool is created as soon as the wrapper is removed.

I especially appreciate how they care about me, my employees, and my family. Nipa, who’s a native of Bangkok Thailand, greets me with “How yo’ boy”? Somewhere along the line, she developed a love for my son Ethan. She is coming to his next gymnastics meet and will be cheering every bit as loud as his mother.

Don’t wait, go in and buy some tools at A to Z  Tools today. Tell Nipa Joe sent you.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

The New Weigh Station

As a contractor that boasts of our Green Remodeling techniques, Levco is conscious and aware of our environmental impact. One of our 4 pillars of Green Remodeling is resource conservation. Through our process of remodeling your home, lots of debris is generated. What we can’t easily recycle or reused goes off to the Ada County Landfill. 

As a kid, there is nothing much more fun than getting to go to the landfill, My memories of going down to the Berkeley landfill as a child are vivid: old guys scouring the stuff looking for things to reuse, occasionally picking up some jewel of a discarded trinket, being nearly overwhelmed with the thundering trucks and occasional story of someone backing over the edge. As a teenager, I had the fortune of driving my father’s international dump truck there. Although they’re less friendly and we have lost the freedom to take stuff away, I think Landfills have come a long way in the last half century.

TV Country

I now have a construction hydraulic dump trailer (which I purchased right after I fell out of my flat bed unit). I get to/have to, go to the dump rather frequently. Being a regular has its perks. For one, I have a charge account, and I’ve also gotten to know the ladies of the dump pretty well. (No I didn’t just say that). I recently referred to the dump shack and was corrected…”you mean the Scale House”. OK they have some pride, that is a good thing. It triggeres a memory of when dump truck drivers changed their profession to”Sanitary Engineers”

The Berkeley Landfill now has a transfer stations where stuff is sorted and recycled or re-purposed, and dumping is done by weight. The material is transferred out to different places for disposal or reuse and recycling. Perhaps that is where we are headed? We seem to have plenty of acreage, but then all good things must come to an end I suppose.

Here in Boise, we have several cool things being done now but it is not as refined a system as those in other parts of the country. I have listed them among my vendors and am pleased to be working with them pretty well recently.

Wood Recycling

Some cool things:

1. We have a Hazardous Waste Disposal Site that is open Fridays and Saturdays. You just drive up and they take the stuff  out of the vehicle for you. A little known fact is that they have separated some things for resale… The ultimate in reuse!
2. We just implemented a system that will charge based upon weight of the load, but that is still a year out. At the moment, they are still charging by volume and “collecting statistics” for now.
3. Power is generated by collecting gasses from rotting debris
4. Wood that is separated is being chewed up and resold for bio mass heating. In other words it is burned in fancy furnaces for industrial heaters.
5. TV,s refrigerators, and other environmentally hazardous things are separated for safe reclaiming.
6. You’re allowed to have an account to charge your dumps.

The Happy Dumper

Because I’m a regular at the dump, I also have a cool computer chip in my windshield that is read upon landing on the scale. I get to use the industrial scale ( that the big blue dump trucks use) and I get to tell the computer what type of trash I have and how much, in cubic yards. Then I get to go dump, and skip the civilian line on the way out too. Eventually, it should be even faster. I also get, or have to go (depending upon your perspective) to the North Cell – a huge place where the big trucks don’t mix with the civilian population. Everything is huge there. I dare not share these photos. They could be TOP SECRET. Actually, I could not have done the immensity justice. Truthfully, I was so busy dumping and getting out of there while the earth below me was trembling and gigantic devices were roaming around. With tremendous squadrons, probably thousands of birds, keeping an eye on all the activity, I wouldn’t dare pause to snap a photo. I could be crushed like a bug or taken away!

Upon leaving the site, I weigh out again and also get to go in a separate line and back to the job site I go. All in all, I would say that over the past 20 years, my experiences have been ranged from frustration and anger to pleasantly surprised. Recently, I have had nothing but nice things to say. As long as Les Schwab continues to provide free flat repair, and my 4 wheel drive gets me unstuck in inclement weather, I am essentially a happy dumper.

Capital Lumber

Capital Lumber is a cool neighborhood lumber yard place that sells construction supplies. Unlike the big box stores Capital Lumber has a cadre of helpful, knowledgeable staff to assist folks with any level of knowledge of the building trades. Although geared to the contractor they do a very good job for the homeowner DIY crowd. Primarily it is because they are willing to share their understanding of product and experience. A member of the Boise Chamber of Commerce since 1905 they are a pillar of our local economy. Many businesses have tried to compete by having a little bit of everything and Capital is no exception. However, lumber and construction supplies are their primary product.

The majority of Levco’s work is centered in the North End so naturally Capital is our go to shop.

The Trim Rack

Bob Perrin the Owner has had the business since 1974. He is usually seen there working at his overloaded desk, in a worn out recliner with his green computer screen. His son Chris is a vital part of the business and a regular fixture as well.

Wandering the yard you can find things that haven’t been made for years like a 20′ foot wooden ladder and original wood siding not made any longer that was used frequently in the North End.

They hooked up with True Value Hardware in 1976 which gave them better buying power on the hardware side, as well as co-op marketing. If you look around you can find or have access to nearly everything under the sun. They can easily provide 90% of what is needed to build a structure. They also have everything to repair a home that includes fixing anything under the sun.

Inside at the Contractors Desk

Bob says that the true lumberyard concept is what makes Capital so rare. “There are many hardware stores, but few true independent lumber yards left. The Home Center concept seems to be taking the country by storm.” As a contractor I appreciate so many aspects like delivery, having a charge account, getting expert advice, and being able to drop off a set of plans to get a bid.

Another of the rare but precious things Bob is proud of is his connection with his clients. He mentioned a story of how he went to a 90 year old woman’s home yesterday to show her what she needed and referred a person to come fix her screen door. Granted it is only a $20 job for someone, but legendary service in my book.

A great story

In another twist, on recent historic home tour of the North End, there was a cool write up about Capital Lumber. They repossessed a home and resold it years ago when the owner stiffed them for the lumber.

Some of the current players have been around for years; they include Bob’s son Chris, Joe, Alex, Darren, Tyler, and, Shelly the bookkeeper.

Although these types of neighborhood lumber yards are a dying breed around the country, each town used to have one. We have another one, Overland Lumber, clear across town I have an account and visit when I can. The bottom line is that I am proud to be a regular customer. I also encourage you to find your home town lumberyard and use them when you can. The Home Depot’s and Lowe’s of the world will never be able to provide the service that the Mom & Pop shops have to offer.

All Makes on Orchard

I have been spelling vacuum “Rong” for years, I could never remember if it was 2 C’s or 2 M’s or both. Now that I finally have it right, I have a mixture of happy and sad news to report. My friends Garry and Sandy Ault are retired as of 1-1-11 after 31 years in business.

I first met them at the Fairview Flying Pie. They were regular customers and I needed vacuums as well as a friend in the business for advice and supplies. I could always count on them to have the parts and supplies we needed. He could usually break away and fix most things on the spot. We would quickly wander off into talking about family and business. I suppose my fondness of Garry came from the resemblance he has to my dear Grandpa Ben. Garry and Sandy were inseparable and their dogs were always friendly.

The shop at 615 North Orchard was in an old strip mall in a fairly difficult place for most businesses to survive. As of late it seems to be having a bit of a renaissance with the addition of many ethnic diners.

Garry & Sandy

Garry and Sandy bought the shop in June of 1980s just a few months before I came to Idaho. In 1982 it became the only Western Union telegram shop in the area. So mixed in between all of the vacuum clients they were wiring money all over the world.

Thankfully the shop was sold to a Kirby Vacuum Distributor, another “2 r”  Garry, last name Haskey, who after modernizing the place plans to reopen in a few weeks.

Be sure to welcome him to the neighborhood. The Aults will be sorely missed. Their plans are to get a change of scenery, resting and catching up with all the things that get put aside when you own and work in your own business. They will also be enjoying a well deserved vacation, including an Alaskan cruise.

I suppose they lived the American Dream by being business owners and I wish them well in their retirement. Those hard working hands can get a rest too, my suspicion is that once the neighbors hear of the retirement, their home will be the repair stop for all things mechanical.