COATS FOR KIDS

Fall is in the air and we are rummaging through our closets getting out our coats and sweaters. Your children have grown over the summer and you will be replacing their coats with new ones. What to do with the old ones? I'm glad you asked, as Vallejo Garbage Service (VGS) has scheduled their annual Coats for Kids drive.

Starting on October 30, VGS drivers will pick up donated coats along with your trash and recycling. Children's coats that are in good condition should be put into marked bags and placed at the curb. Coats can also be dropped off at VGS (2021 Broadway) or at Spring Cleaners (312 Tennessee) during regular business hours. Spring Cleaners will again donate their cleaning services so the coats will be ready for distribution on November 19 at the Salvation Army. Approximately 800 coats were collected over the last two years helping our local citizens and diverting waste from the landfill. This collection ends on November 3 and covers all of Vallejo and American Canyon. For more information call Lisa LeFebvre, VGS Recycling Coordinator at (707) 551-2621.

SALVAGING WOOD

When my family immigrated to the United States in 1885, they continued their profession as cabinet and house builders. Over the years an inlayed table and several cedar chests have moved with various family members around the country. So I guess there is a little sawdust in my blood and a great appreciation for wood. As developers and contractors renovate old buildings or tear them down, other companies have emerged to save these valuable old materials for reuse. I visited with several salvaged wood companies at the West Coast Green Expo last month and learned a lot about this business.

The Reuse People are located in Oakland (888 588-9490,www.thereusepeople.org) and have a warehouse full of salvaged building materials. Their services include building deconstruction and consulting for reuse and recycling plans. Currently they are offering all materials from two custom homes in Orinda.

Heritage Salvage is located in Petaluma (707 762-6277,(www.heritagesalvage.com.) They specialize in 100 percent reclaimed building materials and their business card is a piece of wood flooring. They sell reclaimed wood, recycled timbers, slabs, salvaged flooring, decking and building materials. They have old growth redwood siding, hand-hewn beams, trim and dimensional lumber. They also stock architectural salvage, barn paraphernalia, corrugated metal and, because they are in Petaluma, items from closed egg farms including wooden nesting boxes and feeders.

North of Santa Rosa is Architectural Elements of Anderson Valley (707 895-2986). In 1955, this small family business started salvaging lumber that would otherwise have been chipped. They have dimensional lumber from deconstructed buildings along with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified lumber. They specialize in rustic tables, doors and planters boxes along with flooring.

Restoration Timber is located in San Anselmo (www.restorationtimber.com, 888 563-9663). They have an inventory of recovered woods that have aged naturally for a century or more. The wood comes from sources such as old barns, abandoned schools, and warehouses and factories that fell into disrepair. They work with builders to mill materials to individual building specifications.

For a list of other green products and manufacturers go to www.westcoastgreen.com.

In Vallejo, Bayshore Materials (512 Solano Ave, 707 644-0859) buys and sells doors, windows and sinks along with concrete and landscape materials.

The Reuse and Recycling yard at the Devlin Road Transfer Station (707 258-9018), accepts and sells building materials such as usable wood, doors, windows, cabinets, sinks, etc.

Correction: The phone for Tobias Stucco in Santa Rosa is 707 577-8196.

VALCORE web site update.

You can now download our four composting flyers: Backyard Composting, Using Compost, Compost Crops, and Earthworms are Easy. The flyers are designed for double sided printing on letter-size paper. Share them with your friends wherever they may live.