Most of you may already be aware, but for those that aren’t, tomorrow, Saturday, June 14, there will be a “No Kings Day” parade (well, really, a march) leading to a Democracy Fair in Palo Alto. The parade will begin at the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road (on the Town and Country corner), and proceed down the sidewalks along Embarcadero Road to Rinconada Park, where the Democracy Fair will be held. This will be a peaceful, one-mile march over pretty flat ground. If that distance is a problem, note that people are invited to join up anywhere along the route. The walk will begin promptly at 2 p.m., enabling everyone to be at Rinconada Park by 3 p.m., when the Democracy Fair begins. Bring American flags (the 14th is also Flag Day), signs, and, if you are so inclined, wear a costume (I won’t be doing that). Note that parking could be tricky (you can’t park in the Town and Country shopping center, for instance), but you can probably stash your car somewhere in the surrounding residential areas. Or better yet, take mass transit (the train or a bus) or Uber or Lyft. If you must drive, see if you can organize a carpool.

The Democracy Fair will have exhibits, tables where you can learn about activism opportunities, a costume competition, live music, and speakers: Sam Liccardo, U.S. Representative for the 16th Congressional District; LaDoris Cordell, of the California Superior Court; Larry Diamond, from Stanford University; and special guest Joan Baez. All in all this should be a terrific way to stand up with others and let those in Washington D.C. know that we believe in democracy and don’t agree with how our government is being run right now. For more information, go here. And I hope to see you there!

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Things are in motion in downtown Redwood City. I was sad to see Baires Bakery close, but I’m hearing that the space has already been leased (to whom, I have yet to hear).

It took forever to lease the space to the Baires Bakery folks (years ago it was home to Brick Monkey, a home furnishings retailer and interior design service, but it sat empty for years after Brick Monkey closed their doors). In preparation for the bakery, the blank interior was fitted out with kitchen equipment, sales counters, and display cabinets, so the new tenant is inheriting all that good work. That may explain why the space was re-leased so quickly: if the new business is compatible with what Baires was doing, it won’t take a lot of work to transform the space for the new tenant. Thus, whatever moves in will probably be a restaurant or bakery or some such.

Just down the street, I was a bit surprised to see that Mayers Jewelers has moved from its long-time location at 2323 Broadway:

It didn’t move far, however: according to the sign in the window, Mayers can now be found at 2068 Broadway, in the closed (to traffic) section of Broadway across the street from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio [correction: it’s the F45 Training place now]. Its new location is conveniently close to the Marshall Street parking garage (at which you get the first 90 minutes of parking for free, I should note).

While I’m in the area, Fireside Books will be opening its “rooftop bar” for the first of what they hope will be monthly “Book Clubs” (with the emphasis on “Club,” as in “nightclub”). As I understand it, Fireside has access to the entirety of the building’s third floor, which is as large as the ground-floor bookshop but includes a balcony looking out over Broadway (that’s the “rooftop” part). You may not have noticed it before, so I took a picture this week:

Note how the third floor is set back from the other two, making the building look smaller than it is. The thin red line you can see running through the trees is the handrail for the top-floor balcony. The event will take place both inside that third level, as well as out on the balcony, and will include “some (optional) book-themed fun” but will focus less on reading and more on socializing and enjoying the tasty drinks that they’ll be pouring (Devil’s Canyon Root Beer is one of the things they’ll have on tap). The event — which takes place on June 20 from 5 – 9 p.m. — will be free, although you will have to pay for your drinks.

I should note that this is just one of the many things that are happening at Fireside Books. If you haven’t been by, you need to check them out. And if you have, but have not checked out the many events they are now hosting, you should. There is something for almost everyone at Fireside Books these days, and they add more all the time. (Don’t see a group you are interested in? Start one!) Heck, I even ended up signing up for a Transit Book Club (talk about specialized subjects…)!

Over on Marshall Street, the historic Lathrop House has gone undercover and is getting painted:

It is being spruced up, I believe, in coordination with the next-door project to construct the Taube Family Carriage House and Automobile Gallery, which is making great progress of its own:

Out on Bair Island, the environmental cleanup project that is taking place behind Alan Steel & Supply Co. has expanded, but also seems to be coming along well:

Finally, the ELCO Yards project is progressing in leaps and bounds. The fourth of the four office buildings to get underway — the one that stands at the corner of Main and Cedar streets — is quickly being buttoned up:

This building has a large rooftop deck (note the white shade structure). If you look really closely, you can see that the protective glass railing that is mostly installed on the rooftop along the building’s edge. Here is a closer shot of the rooftop deck on the next-door building, which has that same sort of safety railing:

This developer is really going all out on these buildings! Turning back to the building at Main and Cedar streets, its main entrance, which faces Main Street, is nearly done:

Running through the development, along Main and Beech streets (so far), the landscapers are installing a great many trees:

And speaking of Beech Street, it’s close to being reopened to traffic. Here is the view of Beech Street from Main Street:

And here is a view of Beech Street from the other end, at El Camino Real:

Beech Street serves as the divider between the four office buildings and the parcels where the two residential buildings will eventually be built.

Finally, ELCO Yards’ free-standing restaurant building is looking terrific:

Much of the work is now focused on the grounds you see in front of the building, as well as to the right of the building, at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets:

Although the area is still a bit of a pain for those who are driving — Main Street in particular opens and closes on a seemingly random basis — all of the streets and sidewalks (and the dog park!) should be back open fairly soon. Me, I’m looking forward to walking along Lathrop Street, to see how much it feels like the renderings that were presented when the project was approved back in 2020.

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Redwood City’s Fire Department will be having an open house and recruitment fair on Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Station 9 on Marshall Street (755 Marshall). There will be station tours, apparatus tours, “extrication demos,” food trucks, a bounce house, and more (there will be a recruitment booth for those who are interested). This kid-friendly event will be a great way to meet our local firefighters and learn about how they serve our community. Do check it out, and while you are there be sure and let them know just how much you appreciate them.

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Music on the Square continues with its regular Friday night (from 6 – 8 p.m.) free concerts in Courthouse Square in downtown Redwood City. As well, Music in the Park kicks off next Wednesday, June 18, with the first of its many free Wednesday night concerts. These concerts, too, run from 6 – 8 p.m., but are held at Stafford Park, on Hopkins Avenue between King and Lowell streets. Bring your blankets and/or chairs, food (or not; there will be food for sale at the event, as usual), and drink and prepare to have a great time.