Author: ted@thebrickyard.org

So wow. It’s been 5 years.

5 years since that first conversation at the coffee shop. 5 years since we had an idea, but nothing beyond that. 5 years since we incorporated, and applied for our first grant, and had our first workshops.

Where are we now? We have a 10,000 square foot facility, and 65 members. We have a full woodshop, metal shop, electronics, rapid prototyping, textile, digital printing and hot works shops. We are where we wanted to be 5 years ago, we are finally at the place where we can do what we’ve wanted to do.

What does that mean? That means teaching kids how to build boats with Community Boatbuilding, Lynn Tech, LEAP and Kayak and Sail Lynn. That means working with Bike to the Sea. That means partnerships with RAW Arts, Lynn Museum, GALA, Lynn Cultural Council, St Mary’s, KIPP, The Food Project and a host of others in this city.

When we signed the lease for our new space last March and ran the numbers, we projected about a year, maybe a year and a half before we filled the space. We’ve filled it in two months.

What does this say? This tells us we fill a need – a huge need for people to have access to the tools, the space, the knowledge and the community that a makerspace brings.

Over this five years we’ve grown from just an idea, to a small, 2500 square feet shop, moved to 4500 square feet to now 10,000 square feet… in the course of that we’ve made over 4000 pieces of PPE for the city of Lynn during the COVID crisis. We stored and distributed 6 tons of food to those in need in the city during COVD. We’ve created a free WIFI network in the downtown Lynn neighborhood and helped retail businesses use this to help recover from COVID. We got 8 pallets of hand sanitizer stations and equipment out to the community, including into the Mayor’s Office itself. We’ve helped launch a handful of small side gigs into actual businesses, and opened up tools and technology to over a hundred people in the community – members and non-members alike.

Five years ago we were at a hearing for the CDBG program – the Community Development Block Grant – a program that distributes Federal funds through local citizen’s committees, and at the hearing the chair of the Lynn committee said to us, “Who are you? You have nothing!” Well, this is who we are. And guess what? With what they called “nothing”, we changed this city, and this community.

Did we do it alone? Of course not, nobody does all this by themselves. We have been blessed by, and deeply appreciate all the help and support we’ve had in this town, the teams of volunteers in our member community and every week we see more.

And we’re only getting started.

Here’s to 2023, health, happiness, growth and creating amazing stuff for the coming year!

 

Keep making stuff. Take care of people, play nice and clean up after yourselves.

The Brickyard lost a good friend last month.

I could tell a lot of stories about Bryce, but this one I keep coming back to.

On one of our somewhat aimless weekend breakfast motorcycle rides, we ended up in Hampton NH at their little airfield by the beach, in spite of the fact they had no restaurant. I think we hit every airport diner in New England over the course of those rides – Bryce on his Harley, me on my SRX, over a few summers in the late ‘80s and early ’90s.

I remember asking him what we were doing there, since there was no restaurant, thus no breakfast. He told me we were signing me up for a lesson in a Piper Cub. He had planned this “aimless ride” the whole time.

I was pretty much game for anything, and hopping into the cockpit with what looked like Tom Cruise’s little brother, I told the instructor I was just along for the ride. He assured me that wasn’t the case. After taking off, he gave me the controls and I executed my first climbing turn. We went through a series of maneuvers, and it seemed almost effortless. The instructor is sitting directly behind me, and at one point we were just flying straight and level, and he said, OK, now I want to relax your hands. I realized I had a death grip on the stick, not at all what you want on the controls of a light plane, and I still am not sure if that’s just a standard part of the instruction, or he could feel it.

After he landed the plane, he told me I did great. He said he was running out of stuff to do – I went through about 3 lessons in one – my first – flight. I was so thrilled, and thanked Bryce, and he said, well, you like running machines, this is just one of the coolest machines you can run, right? I think he got as much of a kick out of it as I did, and insisted I start my Pilot Flight Log.

He loved to teach, he loved watching people learn, and most, he loved to watch people grow. I often joke that my role at The Brickyard is “enabler” (after “janitor”), and that comes straight from Bryce.

…so many stories, and some regrets that we lost touch when we moved closer to Boston as our family grew, but mainly I just wanted him to see the shop. He would have loved it, and especially loved the vision – a place where you can try anything, with a group of people who want nothing more than to help you learn.

The last time I saw him, he was in his little garage shop working away on something, “making chips”. He’d sold his business and this was his retirement – starting a new business in his garage at home making parts. His face lit up when he saw me, and we spent a good deal of time looking at the tools in his shop, and kicking the tires on the Ducati. As the obit says, he was living life on his own terms.

I wish you’d known him. I wish he’d known you, but there is more of Bryce Larrabee at The Brickyard than anyone could know.

Bryce B. Larrabee Jr., Harvard Press

Just a quick update. 8 pallets of hand-wash stations and supplies.  Over 100 pieces of equipment. Gone in a day and a half, with one email. There’s a huge need out there folks, even still.  At one point, I said “I’m meeting all the best people in the city…”  We laughed, but it’s true.  Thank you all for all you all do, and I’m so happy and proud to be able to help in whatever small way we can. Ted The Brickyard Collaborative

We got an offer we couldn’t refuse: About 8 pallets of hand sanitizer equipment for free, which we’re making available to any group who can use them.  Schools, businesses, offices, public spaces – whoever needs them! There are two basic styles – the self-standing sanitizer dispenser, (we have about 50 of them) shown below. These are “wipes” dispensers with trash bins in the base – we have 50 of these too: We also have about 50 cases of supplies: These are all available because of a generous corporate (and anonymous) donation, and will be only available while supplies last. Come get them! Contact me at ted@thebrickyard.org to arrange a pick up. They are located in our new space at 760 Western Ave in Lynn, and pick-up is by appointment only, please!  Sorry, we can’t deliver. Stay safe and keep your facility safe too!

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