Nowtopians! HEAR NOW!

Hello Gangalang,
We introduced you to CHRIS CARLSSON and his book, Nowtopia awhile back!  Now, he’s coming to Buffalo and you have 2 chances to see him.
Friday Nov. 6th 1:00 pm
Center for the Arts 112 (University at Buffalo, North Campus)

Internationally-recognized author and activist Chris Carlsson lecturing on Nowtopia:  How Pirate Programmers, Outlaw Bicyclists, and Vacant-Lot Gardeners are Inventing  the Future Today!

Carlsson is the executive director of the multimedia history project
Shaping San Francisco, and has edited four collections of political and
historical essays. He is a co-founder of the alternative arts venue
CounterPULSE, helped launch the monthly bike-ins known as Critical Mass, and was the longtime editor of Processed World magazine.

In his current book Nowtopia: How Pirate Programmers, Outlaw Bicyclists, and Vacant-Lot Gardeners are Inventing the Future Today (AK Press), San Francisco-based activist and historian Chris Carlsson profiles practices that embody a deep challenge to the basic underpinnings of modern life, as a new ecologically driven politics emerges from below, reshaping our assumptions about science, technology, and human potential.

This event is sponsored by Graduate Group in Cultural Studies, Humanities Institute and Media Study GSA.  Carlsson will also take part in a panel discussion Friday evening:

Seeds of the New Commons: Building the Future in the Present Chris Carlsson in conversation with Justin Booth and Kirk Laubenstein
November, 6th 7:00 pm
Sugar City (19 Wadsworth – near Elmwwod and Allen)

RAIN or SHINE

I think we’ll all be planting in slickers!
Saturday, November 7th,  9am – 3pm
Meet at 298 Northampton St, Buffalo NY 14208; please do not be late because we will split everyone into street teams!

We have approx. 410 trees reserved for planting in the Masten & Cold Springs Neighborhood that must go in the ground before they die.

Dress Code:
Please plan for MUD and rain: sneaker/boots, rain poncho, hats, LAYERS, hoodie, water bottle, gloves.
Since we’ll be lending out some of our tools to other groups, it would help if you bring an iron rake, shovel, a blade or hand pruners.

Please eat a hearty breakfast!
We may be able to provide donated snacks; however, we will work continuously until 3pm and enjoy a potluck together–followed by a group massage (not feet, just shoulders).  You’re welcome to bring a pan of brownies, a carrot cake, a tater tot casserole, shepherd’s pie, pasta salad or a crock pot of anything that will dribble down the fronts of our shirts.

Together with over a hundred volunteers, Buffalo ReUse has already planted more than 450 trees in the Masten and Cold Springs Neighborhoods.
We will add another 400 trees to the 23 blocks around our store.  The weather can be muddy and the day is hectic, but it’s lots of fun.  We split folks up into teams–2 teams per street.
The holes are dug by a machine! We use an auger to dig the holes and that makes it so much easier!  It is still a lot of work though.  We’ll make sure the holes are pre-dug and each hole gets a tree.  Your job will be to take out dead trees, replace them with living trees, stake the trees and pickup any refuse nearby.
We will need to recruit about 50-75 people for the day–so if each of you bring a friend or 2 we will be all set, but we’ll also continue meeting new people and inviting them to assist between now and November.  Kids are welcome to help, but children under 14yrs must be accompanied by an adult.

6 NOV, Friday (tree pickup) We will arrange to bring our trucks/trailers and pick up all the trees, stakes and equipment from Re-Tree WNY at the City Garage.  Meet us at 8am, 1126 Seneca and help sort and pile trees.  All trees are bagged and labeled by species.  They’re very light.  One person can carry 2-3 trees without much trouble.  We’ll need about 5 people that morning to pick up, unload and sort our order.  If you’re available Friday morning, just show up!
7 NOV, Saturday (planting & potluck) See the photos and you’ll get an idea of what it’s like.
We could use some help from folks who don’t want to get their hands dirty and organize the FOOD.

Thanks for volunteering; you are helping us, ReTREE WNY, the environment and the City of Buffalo in one swoop!

Celebrating the Harvest

We wanted to share this message from Grassroots Gardens with you.  New friends of Buffalo ReUse may not be aware that we’ve been collaborating with GGB for more than a year now to facilitate 22 new greenspace projects throughout Buffalo.  The link will take you to before&after photos.  Together, our goal has been to demonstrate the various options for vacant lot transformation.  The collaboration is funded, in part, by The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo other grant money and your time and donations to both organizations.  We are so grateful for your support in implementing some of the successful ideas we’ve seen across the country.  We join Kirk and GGB in asking you to support Grassroots fundraiser so that we can continue: transforming more vacant lots in the city, get you more fresh vegetables and create safe places for you and your kids to enjoy working the soil, vegetables and flowers right in your own neighborhoods.

From Kirk:
I write to you as a lover of Buffalo.  If you would’ve asked me how I felt about Buffalo about five years ago the answer would have been different.  I love Buffalo because the people in this city are so amazingly thoughtful, hard working and compassionate.  Grassroots Gardens of Buffalo allows Buffalonians a chance to take back the land that has gone fallow due to demolition and abandonment and bring it back to productive use by creating community gardens.

These gardens provide beauty and a source of food in the neighborhoods that need it most.  Grassroots Gardens Vice President Gail Graham, is a great example of a hard working Buffalonian that cares about his community.  He along with the Fargo Estate Neighborhood Association started their garden about 8 years ago and it has brought the community together.  This garden was so successful that about 2 years ago Linda Muscarella started Serenity Garden (right down the street from Gail’s!) which took back a long blighted lot, in this lot they grow food and beautiful flowers.  Our gardeners are the inspiration that keeps us moving forward!!!

Grassroots Gardens works to ensure that hardworking Buffalonians are able to access vacant land and bring it back to life, but we need your help to make this happen. On Thursday November 5th from 5:30-8:30pm Grassroots Gardens will hold it’s 3rd annual “Harvest Celebration” at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum at 453 Porter Avenue (former Plymouth Methodist Church)  This event is a fundraiser to help our gardeners do the important work of reclaiming Buffalo.  The event features beer, wine and cider, and appetizers from some of Buffalo’s best restaurants, and only costs $25.00 if you are a Grassroots Gardens Member, or $30.00 if you are not.

I look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Best,
Kirk Laubenstein
Grassroots Gardens
Board Chair

Envisioning Wastelands Exhibition

“Wastelands” are areas that for multiple reasons have been left behind: They are areas formerly used for the extraction of earth resources, they are abandoned zones of industries, they are empty houses or vacant lots in deserted neighbourhoods, they are the spaces beneath and next to large infrastructural networks, they are empty parking lots after dark, and they are business districts outside business hours.

From the starting point of investigating the spatial, material and structural qualities of different types of wastelands in Buffalo, we aim to expand our understanding of those places and, consequently, to see the different possibilities for re-interpretation and re-inhabitation that the sites provide.

Our investigations take form as a number of short stories told through different medias, such as photo, map, collage, and video.

Opening reception: Grant Street Gallery on Tuesday November 3rd, 6.30 — 9.00 pm.

On view: Wednesday November 4th, 9 am – 9 pm.

Wondering About Workshops

Yes it’s true, one of the many aspects of Buffalo ReUse is our FREE monthly workshops on gardening and home repair. Didn’t know that? Well, we would like to know that you didn’t know (and we would like to know some other things as well). We want to figure out which workshops you’d like to see in the future and when is the best time to host these workshops for you.

Please, take a few minutes  to fill out our Workshop Wonders Survey. Your input is greatly appreciated! We want to make our selection of FREE workshops as  convenient for you and as helpful as possible.

Click here to take the survey! And don’t forget to check the Buffalo ReUse website or the store for our monthly workshop calendars!

Lights, Camera, Action!

ABC’s hit show “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” is coming to the Queen City! This exciting opportunity brings with it the chance to use the momentum gained by the national spotlight to fuel the revitalization of an entire neighborhood in the matter of days. You have the opportunity to improve not only one family’s life, but the entire surrounding community. This will be a great chance to show that Buffalo really is the City of Good Neighbors.

David Homes  is designing and building an environmentally friendly home starting November 7th and lasting for one week. To sign up as a helping hand, go to http://www.davidhomesextreme.com/. They will need help with Food, Non-Skilled Construction Labor, Check-In, Media, Hospitality, Parking, Trash, Traffic, Barricades, Loading and much more. Join the Buffalo ReUse staff in this unique service experience!

Have YOU ReUsed??

I have a dream….to put together a list of places that have objects from the ReSource in them. For example, I know that Parker Hertel Sweet Shop got their front door from us, and Sweetness_7 Cafe is chock-full of cool materials from Buffalo ReUse. I would LOVE to eventually make an online map of the businesses that have used us, and maybe (no promises) give each location a Certificate of ReUse to proudly display behind their counter/over their front door/what have you.

So if you know of a commercial place that has reused building material from the ReSource in it, please let me know!! We get very excited when we see our inventory being put to good use.

AND, for anyone who has bought something from our store that is now being used in your home, please share with us as well. Take a snapshot of the handiwork you’ve done, or the creative way you’ve reused those tiles or that window, and email it to rachel {at} buffaloreuse(.)org. We would like to fill the store with pictures and stories to inspire other Western New Yorkers!

This apron tub was bought and refinished by Bill & Melanie Wolski, and look how gorgeous it turned out. They also re-used spindles, a door, a mantelpiece, and several windows in their home. Click on the tub to see our collection of pictures from their beautiful house.

Gainer on WBFO

Joyce Kryszak of WBFO interviewed Michael Gainer the other day. Click here to listen to the interview.

Calling ALL PIRATE-TYPES

We rarely get to invite volunteers on salvage runs so don’t let this one pass you by!  IF you’re not busy Saturday and have a hunkering for some careful pillaging; join us.  Here’s the details.  We’re only entering properties that we’ve been awarded “Salvage Rights” this means someone gave us permission to access the property and reclaim useable materials.  We get in, get out and resecure the property.  We look for tubs, windows, lighting, flooring, architectural features etc and bring them back to The ReSOURCE.

It’s a very good idea to bring a headlamp or a flashlight.  If you have a Buffalo ReUse tshirt or sweatshirt, please wear it so we look like we’re on the same crew (reminder: if your BR shirt isn’t dirty–you’re not wearing it right!) Wear boots or heavy soled shoes and long sleeves or layers and maybe a hat or cap because it gets dusty in vacant houses. If you have work gloves, bring them.  You do not need to bring any tools.  You can also bring dried fish, your rum flask, and some limes to deter scurvy, but we’ll probably tease you.

Be punctual! The crew will leave from The ReSOURCE, Saturday morning at 9am so you need to be here so we can outfit you with a hardhat and gloves.

If you’re available Sunday, at 10am, we’ll be working on the rear addition–mixing & pouring lots of concrete and building the frame.  If it’s raining, we’ll do some home improvement type tasks at Eaton House.

Mike’s Back!

Last night, October 19, Buffalo ReUse Board President Vince Kuntz talked to Michael Gainer about taking the position of Program Director for Buffalo ReUse. He accepted the position and we look forward to future.

The responsibilities of the position of Program Director were agreed by the Board and are as follows:

Program Director, Buffalo ReUse:

• Provides monthly deconstruction and salvage report, and program status. This is to include what jobs have been completed, in-progress, signed and prospects. All jobs discussed are to include estimated costs and revenue expected.
• Directs field operations for deconstruction and salvage activities.
• Coordinates subcontracted services such as utility cuts, asbestos surveys, abatements, excavators and other as needed.
• Follows up on job leads, responsible for job estimates and providing estimates for financial review prior to contract execution.
• Directs staff training of deconstruction and salvage activities.
• Coordinate safety and environmental compliance training for staff members.
• Pursue funding opportunities.
• Instrumental in strategic development and implementation of existing and future community programs. Member of the Strategic Community Development Committee.

Michael’s effective hire date is 10/19/09.