Granddaughter McKee Update

Grandpa Bob holding baby Anastina for the first time!

This is a quick and long overdue update to thank all of you for your good wishes, prayers, thoughts and contributions that helped to bring Anastina McKee, Bob's granddaughter, through very difficult times in her early infancy.

Although she still has many health issues and will continue to have special needs, she is doing very well and making progress in her development daily.

Anastina and her parents, Scott & Miira McKee, recently flew from Guam to North Fork where they visited with Grandpa Bob McKee, family & friends. As you can see in the photo above, Grandpa Bob is very happy to hold his now chubby (15 pounds!) granddaughter and see her smile. Well, in this photo, she is more sleepy than smiling, but we did witness a smile or two during her visit with us. The visit was a quick one as her family is on a short visit here in California and then will be returning home to Guam.

We just wanted to give you our thanks and an update on her progress. Anastina's family and friends definitely appreciate your support.

We are proud to be a part of such a caring community.



© Copyright 2011 North Fork Hardware News

My Baby Granddaughter Needs Your Help

Baby Anastina ~ at 3 weeks


My first grandchild, a baby girl, Anastina McKee, was born 3 months prematurely on May 18, 2010 on the island of Guam. She weighs just over 2 pounds now and is 13 inches long. Baby Anastina is fighting for her life with hydrocephalus and a brain infection among other life threatening medical conditions. Money is needed for her urgent and ongoing specialized medical treatment, which is projected to cost $300,000-$400,000. All of her parents’ insurance and personal funds have been used up in the first 3 weeks of the baby’s young life. Her parents, their families & friends have donated money to help little Anastina, but much more is needed. Government financial aid is also desperately needed, but impossible to get on the island of Guam.


If you wish to donate money to help, there are several ways you can donate money directly to baby Anastina’s family to help pay for her medical bills and her medical transport. Special donation accounts have been set up in her name.


1. Direct Check: Made out to Anastina McKee, deliver to Bob McKee at North Fork Hardware or mail to:

Yosemite Bank
Ref: Account 401009337
Attn: Doug Dearing
40061 HWY 49
Oakhurst, Ca. 93644

2. Send donations through PayPal to this special email address: Save.Anastina@gmail.com


3. Cash Donations: Deliver in person to Bob McKee (Grandpa Bob) at North Fork Hardware for a receipt


Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
The McKee family of North Fork


For more information about baby Anastina and her situation, please view the June 8th NF News post: North Fork Cares ~ A Baby in Need





© Copyright 2010 North Fork Hardware News

2010 Home Improvement

It's 2010!

Time for all of those home improvement projects you've been planning!

Do your shopping locally at North Fork Hardware for all of your home repair, maintenance, cleaning and organizing needs.

If we don't have what you need in stock, we can probably order it for you! Just ask Hardware Bob!

© Copyright 2010 North Fork Hardware News

Fall Clean Up!

Now that the cooler weather has arrived here in mountain area it's time for Fall Clean-up!

Do your shopping locally at North Fork Hardware for all of your cleaning, weatherizing and organizing needs.

If you don't see it in the store, ask Hardware Bob to order it for you!

© Copyright 2009 North Fork Hardware News

Tickets Available for NFCoC Dinner & Auction

Buy Your Tickets @
North Fork Hardware

33029 Main Street
(559) 877-2332

for the
North Fork Chamber of Commerce
Annual Dinner & Auction Fundraiser

Saturday, July 25th 2009 5:30pm at Town Hall


Saturday evening July 25th, The North Fork Chamber of Commerce is hosting their annual fundraiser Dinner and Auction at the Town Hall. They have some fabulous items up for auction. Be prepared for a memorable evening of classy food and fun. Dinner is your choice of Tri Tip, Turkey or a delicious Vegetarian selection.

Pre-Sale Tickets are $13.00 each


Dinner/Auction Information:
877-2410, 877-3088

www.north-fork-chamber.com

© Copyright 2009 North Fork Hardware News

History of North Fork Hardware

The historic brick and mortar, 2500 square foot vaulted roof building, presently housing North Fork Hardware, was built in 1948 by Dot & Jack Griffin.

The vaulted, full dimension roof beams can be seen in the attic above the store and were likely milled at the local North Fork lumber mill.

A newly developed brick, called “puma stone”, was used in the construction, and was manufactured in Friant. The same brick was also used to construct the Sierra Video store building across the street owned by the Betty Family. Several local North Fork masons and laborers were hired to construct these buildings.

From time to time, Old Timers shopping at North Fork Hardware have claimed that they actually had laid the brick and mortar on the building. There is a Lincoln penny, dated 1952, glued into the grout line on the left side of the store front apparently by one of those brick masons. It was revealed only recently where the penny was located by a granddaughter of one of the masons, and sure enough, after removing several layers of paint, the 1952 copper penny reappeared.

The store, never the less, was built in 1948, so the date differences remain a mystery. Daylight still peeks occasionally through the aged mortar. Substantial cement piers were poured in the basement several years ago to reinforce the brick walls.

The building was the first major commercial structure of its size in North Fork. Smaller adjacent buildings, now called the Looney Bin, owned by Ann Bredon, and the American Claims Service building were built several years later. All records indicate a hardware store business has always occupied the building. Thanks to the memory of Florence Hoskins, Randy Cohlan, and Ginny Smith of the North Fork History Group, much of the historical information has been recovered for history buffs.

A gap remains between the 1948 construction date and the historical information presented. We are still gathering data, stay tuned.

1959-1979 Hoskins Hardware - Florence & Linn Hoskins were the proprietors.

The north side of the building was partitioned for Wenham’s Drug Store, which later moved next door to what is now the American Claims Service building. The drug store side of the building, then empty, was converted to a fully functional laundry facility. The Hoskins not only ran the hardware store, but also did camp laundry for the High Sierra camp grounds, and it became a booming, lucrative business until water problems required the business to be shut down.

1975-1979 North Fork Ace Hardware - Karen & Ray Harvick owned and operated the store as proprietors.

1979-1991 North Fork Ace Hardware - The building and business were purchased from the Harvick’s by Bob and Loretta Mckee, transplants from southern California. The McKees, honored as the 2006 Logger’s Jamboree Grand Marshals, built the business up during the heydays of a booming lumber mill until 1991, when they sold the hardware business to their son, Robert McKee (Bob).

Bob McKee owns and operates North Fork Hardware to this day. Classic old black and white photographs of Wenham’s Drug Store and the original hardware store building can be seen displayed on the walls inside North Fork Hardware.






© Copyright 2009 North Fork Hardware News

Dr. Bronner's Organic Bar Soap

New Dr. Bronner's Bar Soaps

We now carry Dr. Bronner's bar soap in many assorted scents. All smell fresh and are just in time for Spring. Dr. Bronner's is a well known brand that I first heard about from one of my massage therapy clients. He really liked their liquid peppermint soap. I was thrilled to find that Dr. Bronner's makes bar soap as well as the liquid, and in a variety of scents.

These bars are "certified fair trade" and are made with organic oils. We are excited to be able to offer this soap along with the big bars of NobleTouch Naturals aromatherapy soap that are so popular with our customers.

Dr. Bronner's soap may be purchased from North Fork Hardware on Main Street or directly from NobleTouch Naturals either locally or by mail order.

Come on in and see our great selection of other natural products for you and your home!

© Copyright 2009 North Fork Hardware News