Got A Load of That

Thanks to James Williams of Williams Upcycling , Sustainable Norcross now has a supply of paint to use for community service projects. Not just any paint, but recycled paint salvaged from the landfill and ready to be repurposed. This paint was collected at an event like the one scheduled for Saturday October 15 from 9 AM - 1 PM sponsored by the City of Norcross. The first time the city offered this service along with their semi annual mega recycling event was in April 2011. Over 2,700 cans of paint were turned in for reuse or proper disposal. Reuse has included some of the paint for the walls of The Nest, a new artist incubator in the former parsonage on the campus of Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center (NCACC). A project planned for Friday September 30 as part of Gwinnett Great Days of Service is to paint donated windows removed from a local home. Later the windows will be turned in to a cold frame lid and a small standing greenhouse cabinet.

Both will be used by the newly relocated Norcross Community Garden that is also on the NCACC campus.

Got paint? Need to find a new home for it before the holidays? Participate in the city's Paint Renew Recycling Program and give your old paint new life. James, get a load of that!

Get a Load of This

Can you imagine that this

would all fit in this?

Well, thanks to the expert packing of Patty Russart, Executive Director of Atlanta Community Tool Bank, it did.

Then Patty fired up the electronics and printed a receipt for the tools that Sustainable Norcross has on loan for a workday at Norcross Community Garden Friday September 30. Rental value of these tools is $72.59; replacement value $2,417.39. Thanks to the Tool Bank and Gwinnett Great Days of Service (GGDoS), affiliated with Hands on Atlanta (HOA) and their generous sponsors, the rental is free to non-profits. This is the first year that Sustainable Norcross has participated, but it won’t be the last. In addition to free rental of the equipment, there are other benefits to this new partnership. The established organization of Gwinnett Great Days of Service provides assistance with publicity and recruitment of volunteers, supplies t-shirts for participants and some funds towards project materials in the form of Home Depot gift cards. The newly relocated and renamed Norcross Community Garden will benefit from some sprucing up. Plans include removal of weeds and invasive plants, spreading of wood chips from Arbor-Nomics Tree Service for mulch and weed supression around the beds, repositioning of 4 original beds, weeding and tending existing beds, planting fall crops in beds dedicated for donation to an area food bank, prepping windows donated from a local homeowner to repurpose in to a cold frame and small standing greenhouse, creation of a compost bin from wood pallets donated by Eaton Tile Co. of Norcross. A special feature will be a demonstration by Community Garden Whisperer Pattie Baker of how to create beds for winter crops using covered hoops. Volunteers will then install four. Other special guests may include Fred Conrad, Ex Dir of Atlanta Community Food Bank and representatives of Gwinnett Great Days of Service or Hands on Atlanta. Conrad is sending a team of volunteers with some supplies including water, snacks and fall veggie plants. This is the second time they have worked with Sustainable Norcross at the garden. They are supporting another garden work day, the second one with Wesleyan High School, in October. Additional volunteers signed up include a team from the Green Sustainable Club of Gwinnett Technical College led by Cris Perkins, Director of Institutional Advancement. The school is a repeat participant with GGDoS. Norcross Community Garden regulars Betsy Hixson, Kelli Persons and Connie Weathers are team leaders. Contact sustainablenorcross@gmail.com to add your support. If you cannot attend, please consider donating items from the wish list or sponsoring a bed. A contribution of $150 covers cultivation of one 4 X 8 foot raised cedar bed for a year tended by volunteers. Smaller donations will purchase seeds, plants, organic soil amendments and other supplies. Beds are also available for Do It Yourself gardening now through January 31, 2012 for $25. A 12 month rental starting February 1, 2012 is $50 plus a small registration fee. The garden is for year-round, organic food production for personal use or donation in the Plant a Row for the Hungry program. Community gardens take underutilized land and provide a catalyst for neighborhood and community development while providing food and stimulating a healthy lifestyle. Come grow with us.

Last Chance Sale

Attend the Last Chance Sale Saturday June 18 from 10 AM - Noon at 155 N Cemetery St. Most items on the catalog are availble plus a few others, even the kitchen sink.

Come see for yourself and take home a little piece of history. Demolition is scheduled to begin Monday and everything will be gone!

Help find a new home for these treasures. Need a little inspiration? See these great DIY projects reusing materials similar to those available at the Last Chance Sale.

See photos of some of the items on our Facebook page.

Pre-Demolition Salvage Pickin' and Porch Party Photo Album

Check the Sustainable Norcross Facebook page for an album of photos courtesy of Tina Marie DeVincenzo of Photography by Tina Marie. Thanks to Tina and all who made the event a success!

Going, Going...Gone

This charming stone shed has been an icon at Cemetery and Bostic Streets since about the 1960's. It's said the original owner of the c1900 Queen Anne cottage residence on the same lot had it built for a garden shed or greenhouse. Apparently the lady of the house had a green thumb and lovingly created a period appropriate structure. And many came to love it.

When the current owner, the city, decided to clear the lot to make way for redevelopment, members of the public started making plans to save it. Upon close inspection and with the advice of professionals, it was determined the shed could not be economically relocated. The stones were actually a veneer with much concrete mortar that was very brittle, it was built on concrete footings over an earthen floor and lined with old "barn" wood.

What to do, what to do? It would be a shame to reduce it to a pile of rubble and throw it in a landfill. First, it was offered to the public, along with the house, to be moved. There were no takers. At the urging of Sustainable Norcross to find a more environmentally friendly solution, the city contracted with The Deconstructed House to un-build the shed by hand in order to salvage the parts.

The weathered tin roofing with decorative ornament and interior barn wood are now for sale at the Pre-Demolition Salvage Pickin' and Porch Party Saturday June 4 from 10 AM - Noon. There are 7 pieces of tin 8 feet by 2 feet, 8 pieces 10 feet by 2 feet, 5 pieces 20 inches by 2 feet, some ridge pieces and the decoration. A nice stack of weathered barn wood includes a variety of widths and lenghts, mostly de-nailed. Arrive early for best selection. Also for sale are heart pine wood floors, doors (including the stone shed door), a fireplace mantle, antique doorknobs, new kitchen cabinets and more. Bring cash or check payable to City of Norcross. Proceeds go towards project expenses.

Oh, and remember the party aspect of the salvage sale for a unique, fun Saturday outing. See earlier blog post and here. After the sale, stroll to Historic Downtown to the shops and restaurants.

The house and remaining outbuildings are going next, including the adjacent house on the opposite corner of Bostic and Cemetery St. Expect demolition by the end of June. Additional select items will be recycled or repurposed in order to reduce the volume sent to the landfill. All this is in keeping with the City of Norcross designation by the Atlanta Regional Commission as a Silver Level Green Community.

See you Saturday!

For Sale at the Pre-Demolition Salvage Pickin' and Porch Party June 4 10 AM - Noon

Pre-Demolition Salvage, Pickin' and Porch Party

Sustainable Norcross, The City of Norcross and The Deconstructed House host a Pre-Demolition Salvage, Pickin' and Porch Party on Saturday, June 4th, 2011 from 10am-12pm.

LOCATION is 155 North Cemetery St. at intersection with Bostic St., Norcross, 30071, conveniently located one block west of Buford Hwy. and two blocks east of historic downtown Norcross.

FREE ADMISSION. Join us for live old timey music,

artwork featuring salvaged building materials from Recentered Pieces,

memory quilts from repurposed favorite t-shirts or ties by Gail's Quilting Services

sustainable networking, and opportunity to purchase architectural salvage, fixtures, heart pine flooring and more from 1900 - 1930 period houses scheduled for demolition. Payment accepted by cash or check payable to City of Norcross.



TREATS available for purchase from Wholly Pops, a provider of refreshing local, seasonal and organic frozen fruit popsicles.

ENJOY costumed characters and storytelling about the old ball field and adjacent properties by Norcross Ghost Tour.

SPONSORS
Sustainable Norcross, an organization dedicated to the greening of communities, provides community-based opportunities to engage in supporting sustainable practices.

City of Norcross, certified by the Atlanta Regional Commission as a silver level Green Community, was chartered in 1870. It was created as a railroad town and summer retreat for Atlantans because of its “high altitude, balmy breezes, pure water and mild seasons”. This forward thinking community is protecting its historic claim to fame while simultaneously becoming the place to imagine for a creative and diverse population.

The Deconstructed House was founded to divert re-usable building products and architectural salvage from landfills.

Contact sustainablenorcross@gmail.com 770-246-0083.