I SAW THE (VINTAGE) SIGN
Besides Orchard Supply’s historic arrow sign, some of the South Bay’s best examples of roadside architecture are disappearing or are in danger of doing so in the new future
While preservationists are working to save Orchard Supply Hardware’s vintage “arrow” sign from the scrap heap, it has plenty of company on the endangered species list around the South Bay and the Peninsula.
The Ampex sign that was easily visible in Redwood City from Highway 101 was dismantled earlier this month by Stanford University, which owns the land, despite an effort by residents and former employees to preserve it. And the Preservation Action Council of
San Jose is raising money to restore and maintain the Stephen’s Meat Products “Dancing Pig” sign on Montgomery Street near Diridon Station. That sign, which dates back decades, has been in disrepair for years and is in danger of being swallowed up by potential Google development in the area.
“To date, we’ve been focused on preserving one sign in the hopes that the sign’s successful restoration will prompt the larger preservation discussion and a real plan for protecting all historic signs in San Jose,” said Heather David, a Mid-Century Modern architecture expert who worked on the San Jose Signs guidebook with PAC-SJ and has been part of the “Save the Dancing Pig” campaign. “But the developers are moving faster than we volunteers can keep up.”
Tops on David’s list of “at risk” signs are the Time Deli sign and clock, the “diving lady” sign at the City Center Motel in San Jose, the Futurama Bowl (now Safeway) sign on Stevens Creek Boulevard and the three-tier Century Theaters sign outside the shuttered domed movie houses on Winchester Boulevard. Some of those businesses have closed, others are in areas planned for redevelopment
and some are in both groups. The list goes on.
While preservation is the primary goal — the sign outside Mel Cotton’s was donated to History San Jose after the iconic outdoors store closed in 2016 — David really wants
those gorgeous signs restored to their former glory and put on public display.
“My dream is a neon courtyard in downtown San Jose, somewhere near the arena,” David said, suggesting that it might be the kind of bold, public
art display that would be easy for a certain search engine giant to adopt. “This is not a new concept. We are seeing these urban sign courtyards pop up all over the United States.”
Aside from keeping some of these great signs
— like Western Appliance’s neon wonder on West San Carlos street — in use, such a park would be a great solution.
Cancer CAREpoint raises $1 million
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes just about that to raise $1 million for a nonprofit, as Cancer CAREpoint did at its annual summer garden party Sunday with nearly 500 people at the Monte Sereno home of Rocky and Laurie Pimental.
The milestone fundraising total was put together through a combination of early sponsor commitments, a 100-plus item auction (including a shirt autographed by Warriors star Steph Curry), direct donations and a Tiffany & Co. drawing. When auctioneer Graham Crow announced that the event was $13,000 short of hitting seven figures, host Rocky Pimental raised his bidding paddle to make up the difference.
“This is an incredible example of the community coming together to support cancer patients and families in Silicon Valley,“said executive director Rob Tufel, who credited the success to the work of Sandi Frazer and her committee of volunteers, auction chair Paula Ball and board chair Corrine Fabie.
Cancer CAREpoint has served more than 5,000 patients and family members since opening its Cancer Resource Center in San Jose in 2013 and has just released a report about gaps in care for cancer survivors in Silicon Valley.