A Half Moon Bay lumber yard gives new life to reclaimed wood

As a cub reporter at the Half Moon Bay Review, I passed by our unofficial mascot — a sculpture of a bear holding a newspaper, all carved out of wood — every time I walked through the front door. I drove past the creator of that sculpture, Firewood Farms, heading to and from work on Highway 92. (You’ll recognize it as the property with wood piled high that’s located on the left side of the road just before you hit Main Street.)

Longtime residents may remember Firewood Farms started in the ‘70s as a firewood business called Al’s Firewood before later expanding to chainsaw carvings.

James and Caroline Olsen have been running the business since 2014, with their team making a wide variety of solid wood products out of redwood, cedar, oak, walnut and more. They also produce custom carvings with the help of award-winning lead carver Steffen Merla, who is on the German national carving team and recently won a world championship in carving in Germany. And, per their name, Firewood Farms also sells firewood to homes and restaurants.

Ashwini Gangal spoke with James Olsen at the Half Moon Bay lumber yard about how they turn logs that would otherwise go in the landfill into anything from a chainsaw sculpture to flooring and furniture. Find that feature and more in our second-to-last newsletter of 2024.

Have a holly jolly Christmas and a happy Hanukkah,

Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com

From chainsaw sculptures to corporate conference tables, a Half Moon Bay lumber yard gives new life to reclaimed wood

A 1.5-acre reclaimed lumber yard off Highway 92 is home to Firewood Farms, which produces everything from chainsaw sculptures and firewood to furniture and customized items.

A new Eastern European restaurant in Los Gatos is redefining fine dining for families

Fine dining typically isn’t a place for young children. But at lelé kitchen, you’ll find high chairs for babies and toddlers, diapers and wet wipes in the bathroom and even an elevated kids’ menu – amenities not often paired with Marin Miyagi oysters and Tsar Nicoulai caviar.

A bouquet of unique still lifes blooms at Palo Alto gallery

With the group show “The Art of Arrangement,” Bryant Street Gallery celebrates four different takes on floral creations. The show is on view through Jan. 31.

Congrats to Joel Borlaza from Daly City, who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s Courthouse Square in Redwood City!).

The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win a prize from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!

Where are we? (Photo by Magali Gauthier)

Wreath-Making Workshop: Dec. 20 Bloomsgiving hosts a festive wreath-making workshop. Participants create their own holiday decoration and get a drink off the menu.

2024 Doobie Awards with 95.7 The Game: Dec. 20 Laughing Monk Brewing in Sunnyvale hosts a special live broadcast with sports radio station 95.7 The Game’s The Morning Roast crew. Get there early for free food and RSVP online.

Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio: Dec. 20 Blues-rock icon Elvin Bishop brings his Big Fun Trio (including guitarist/pianist Bob Welsh and percussionist/vocalist Willy Jordan) to Club Fox for an intimate concert.

Winter Solstice Hike: Dec. 21 Latino Outdoors leads a 4.3-mile winter solstice hike at Long Ridge Preserve.

European Christmas Party: Dec. 21 A buffet dinner, live music and refreshments are on the menu at Alhambra Irish House’s holiday event.

It’s A Wonderful Life: Dec. 24 Stanford Theatre’s annual Christmas Eve tradition returns with two screenings of the beloved film.

Grapes and Giggles: Dec. 27 Looking for laughs? Domenico Winery hosts stand-up comedians every month, including this holiday season show.

Anastasia: Through Dec. 29 Hillbarn Theatre presents the sweeping musical (based on the animated film) about a young woman who may be long-lost Russian royalty.

Noon Year’s Eve Celebration: Dec. 31 Families can count down to the new year at a kid-friendly hour with Hiller Aviation Museum’s “Noon Year’s Eve” event.

Plan Ahead

DIY Chinese New Year Couplet Workshop: Jan. 5 Learn the basics of Chinese calligraphy and create couplets for Lunar New Year under the guidance of calligraphy artist Jojo Liu.

An Evening with Tommy Emmanuel: Jan. 10 Finger-picking guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel comes to The Guild Theatre.

Rachmaninoff and the Tsar: Jan. 10-Feb. 9 Pianist/writer/actor Hershey Felder returns to TheatreWorks, along with actor Jonathan Silvestri, exploring the life of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Holidays at Filoli: Through Jan. 12 The historic estate is all aglow for the holiday season, featuring dazzling displays and some special events and experiences.

Yan Can Cook Live: Jan. 14 Beloved chef Martin Yan demonstrates how to cook dishes from his two new cookbooks, followed by a meet-and-greet and book signing.

A John Williams Celebration: Jan. 18-19 Peninsula Symphony pays tribute to the movie-score maestro John Williams, including selections from “ET,” “Jaws,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and more.

IlluminOdyssey: Through Jan. 26 CuriOdyssey hosts an immersive winter display inspired by the science of light.

Just for the Record: Through March 2 The Museum of American Heritage’s current exhibition showcases vintage record players and phonographs.

How California’s only outdoor ice rink has survived in spite of COVID
With a little luck and help from Uncle Sam, Winter Lodge in Palo Alto has stayed open for more than 65 years.

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