Sustainability Features

• Fruit trees: six tangerine trees, two fig trees, one Myers lemon tree, muscadine grapes-covered arbor, one pear tree, one loquat, and one pomegranate.
• Organic garden in the backyard; no pesticides or herbicides used in the last four years.
• Covered chicken coop; custom built with large chicken run.
• Perennial herbs and vegetables (Jerusalem artichokes, yuccas, rosemary, lavender, etc.) in the back and front yards.
• Rainwater barrel for water collection; several downspouts for adding more rainwater barrels if needed.
• Three Earth Machine stationary compost bins for all your composting needs.
• Perfect southern exposure for a solar hot water heater or a PV system.

Energy Efficient

• R-38 insulation in the attic; sealed air ducts.
• Windows replaced with double-pane Energy Star-certified windows (lifetime warranty by Sears is transferable to the new owner).
• Patio sliding door replaced with double-pane insulated door.
• Exterior doors replaced with insulated steel doors.
• New front-loading washer and gas dryer installed in the laundry room.
• Programmable thermostat for better HVAC management.

Great Location

• 2.5 miles from downtown; bike lane along NE 9th Street south of NE 23rd Avenue.
• 10-15 minute flat bike ride to downtown.
• 25-30 minute flat bike ride to UF main campus.
• 5 minute flat bike ride to UF Eastside campus.
• RTS bus stop one block east of the house (routes 15 and 24) with direct connections to downtown (both routes), Ward’s and Publix stores on N Main Street and NW 39th Avenue (route #15).
• Walking distance to NE 31st Avenue Organic Community Garden.
• Several neighborhood parks in the immediate vicinity.
• Walking distance to Satchel’s Pizza and the Jones restaurant.

This house includes an ERA Home Protection Plan for a full year from the date of purchase.Find out more at http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?lid=1104164073&mp=1

Pass the word to your friends & neighbors, give someone a ride, and let’s all meet at the entrance to the city hall auditorium tonight at 6:00PM. The meeting will be in the main auditorium of City Hall (at the corner of NE 1st St and University Ave). It starts at 6pm, and this item will come last in the evening agenda. I recommend everyone arrive at 6pm and plan to stay until 9pm. There is plenty of free parking on NE 1st St and adjacent side streets.  

John R. Hermsdorfer

• A growing community
• Artwork aimed at encouraging children to garden

Laurie Scott-Reyes, an independent writer and artist who retired from the U.S. Army as a Sergeant Major after twenty-two years of service in 2002, responded to a posting on Craigslist looking for volunteers to help decorate the chain link fencing surrounding the garden plots and create child-friendly artwork for the interior space.

The artist spent most of her childhood on her grandparents’ Alabama farm and was attracted to the Community Gardens program. In her art, she was able to combine her love of working with wood with painting in oils and acrylics. Her husband Israel helped her install the piece at the garden.

Read the Gainesville Sun story about this at http://snipurl.com/35l9h  [www_gainesville_com] .

When: Wednesday, July 30th at 6:00 pm

Where: Catholic Charities, 1717 NE 9th Street

Contact Jay Brown at 352-375-8999 for information.

The Gainesville City Commission is currently studying and evaluating the best way to pay for fire services. To assure that this essential service is adequately funded, the City Commission is considering a Special Assessment for Fire Services as a stable and predictable source of funding that would be dedicated solely to fire services. Read more at http://cityofgainesville.org/webportal/portals/mco/docs/FireAssessment.html.