What Were You Doing March 1st 2009?

Well we don't know what the rest of the world was doing on March 1st, but here in the beautiful North Main neighborhood at about 6:30 PM Sunday night we started to watch one of the most amazingly thick and steady snowfalls we've seen in a decade! We were very lucky not to have power lines break during this heavy, wet snowfall, and many trees suffered branch loss (not to mention our poor squashed and probably very confused spring flowers!), but when was the last time you saw anything so beautiful?! Children were delighted - you could not have had better snowball-snowman makin' snow!

Here's a few pictures of the neighborhood the next morning:

These crummy cell phone pictures sure don't do it justice, especially when the sun was making the WHOLE WORLD SPARKLE, but . . .

. . .Ya Gotta Luv It!



brrrrrr!

Councilman Takes Tour of Neighborhood

Hello Friends & Neighbors:

On February 4th, Board Members of the Old North Salisbury Association invited one of our City Council members to take a tour of the Old North Salisbury neighborhood with us. We knew that City Council was soon scheduled to take their 24th Annual Future Directions and Goal Setting Retreat February 12-13, 2009. With this in mind, we invited Councilman Bill Burgin, a former long-term resident of the North Main area, to tour the neighborhood and listen to some of our specific concerns. We took special care to outline many of the positive changes we have seen in the neighborhood over the past few years. We demonstrated where people have moved in, purchased and renovated our historic homes, and stayed to live in the homes, instead of renting them out. However we wished to call special attention to the need for ordinance enforcement in our area. We pointed out homes that have been allowed to deteriorate, homes that have been altered in appearance outside of the historic codes. We pointed out our 'hot-spots' for trouble, and we know every neighborhood has them, as well as our highlights. We had further discussions about the City's North Main Small Area Improvement Plan that appears to have no traction at all, because we have seen little impact to the area - even though the plan was approved at City Council in the summer of '07. We wished to impress upon Bill, in hopes he would share this with other Council and City Planning personnel, that we are determined to continue to make positive changes to this important Salisbury community and that we need the City's help to do so.

We are very grateful to Councilman Bill Burgin for taking the time with us that cold February morning to examine the neighborhood and hear our concerns. We thank Pat Sylvester, Sean Myers, and Sue McHugh for taking the time to conduct the tour and outline the specific topics and issues.

Bill urged us to keep going with our progress. He said that, "it is North Main's time and time for the City to devote attention here.". He further urged us to come forth at City Council Meetings with a formal presentation of our concerns. We have been discussing this at Board Meetings but have yet to develop the presentation or make the plans to get on the Council agenda. But with the positive reinforcement from our Councilman, we are better positioned to make this happen in the near future.

How long can a house sit before it's not sellable?

So much depends where the house is and whether it was closed up carefully. All across the country, banks and city governments are finding that, in general, an empty house has a surprisingly short life.

With no one to caulk windows, clean gutters, trim bushes, run the water, flush toilets and turn on the heat, moisture -- death to houses -- seeps in. In just one winter, mold, rot and even foundation cracks appear. Condensation in a cold house turns building materials soggy and weak. Wind rubs tree limbs against siding. The limbs trap moisture and make a gangway for critters that feast on wood, insulation or wiring. When water is shut off without first blowing air through the pipes, freeze-damaged, cracked pipes will leak when the water is turned on again.

New homes, in some ways, can fall apart faster because they use manufactured wood products vulnerable to swelling and mold. A wooden building won't last long if windows and doors are broken by vandals, letting wind, rain, animals and people in. Termites and wood rot take over quickly. Wind blowing through a home can buckle walls and roofs. The Old North Salisbury Association is encouraging the city to act quickly to pressure owners to repair our abandoned houses. To allow an empty house to just sit, uncared for, is demolition by neglect. It takes years for a community to recover derelict properties when the property owner could solve this in a much shorter time span.

Old North Salisbury has beautiful, historic, LIVABLE and AFFORDABLE houses. You will seldom see such an array of well kept, historic homes in the price range you find here. The residents of Old North Salisbury feel very fortunate to be able to own and protect these houses and are committed to the preservation of the homes in the community.

Many areas with lower housing costs experience slower appreciation than higher-cost cities. Typically, the smaller the town, the fewer the opportunities for shopping, dining and indoor recreation, although the outdoor recreation possibilities may be far greater. Not so in Salisbury NC! Salisbury has wonderful dining and shopping areas – culture: a symphony, 2 theater guilds, movie theatres and more . . . AND our beautiful parks for outdoor recreation!

If you know of a property owner who is allowing a home to be demolished by neglect, encourage them to repair or even SELL the home. There are many people who would cherish the opportunity to purchase a “fixer-upper” at the right price. And with the many historic features found in so many of the North Main St. area homes, they will not find such value in many other areas.

North Main Brochure for Realtors

Hi Neighbors & Friends!

We have developed a new tri-fold brochure intended especially for Realtors. As you well know, this neighborhood has some of the most beautiful older homes ~ and well below the national average home price! These homes are not only better built (some are over 100 years old!) but at a better price!

There seems to be something for everyone here - from the historic beauties along Main St. and the side streets to the sleeker brick ranches along the bordering blocks - the terraced yards, the old-growth trees - we indeed have a wonderful variety of homes to choose from. And with so many TV programs like "This Old House" and "Flip That House" - some of our homes are perfect candidates for restoration and revival by the folks who have the talent to do these things!

The new brochure aims to educate both a home buyer looking at homes in this area, as well as to educate the realtor that may not understand the value of an older home.

Our intent is to distribute the brochures to local realtor companies, as well as to Salisbury's Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.

Got a realtor friend who could use a handful? Contact us at the Old North Salisbury Association - oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com.

Preserving the Neighborhood ~ One House at a Time!

Thank You to Neighbors!

A brief update on a few goings on in the neighborhood:

Thank you to the folks who are taking down the large concrete block "hate wall" at 928 N. Main. This wall was erected years ago by a resident of island decent where the tradition was, when you argued with your neighbor, to erect a large wall that would completely block out the neighbor. The wall used to go the entire length of the property line. It was partially removed some years ago, but the remains of the unsightly and unfriendly wall have plagued us ever since. The Cress House, as the 928 home is known as, is being rejuvenated and we have seen more of the wall coming down. We don't know specifically who to thank but we could not be more grateful to see it being removed!

Our rental neighbors in the home at 915 recently moved out. An enormous pile of household debris was left at the curb - everything from clothing to toys to furniture to general garbage. Salisbury City pickup will not load anything that is not contained and this was a very big mess in front of this house. A couple of the neighbors took it upon themselves to go over and clean up the front - contain what they could in heavy-duty garbage bags, and in general - tidy the place up and allow the debris to be picked up. Thank you so much to these volunteers for lending a hand in keeping our community attractive. We have learned that there remains a good deal of debris behind the same house in the backyard. We will see if we can get after the owners of the home to take care of this in consideration of the neighbors on either side.

So many times we feel that one person can not make a difference. But lots of "one-person"s working with others, a little at a time, can really move things along toward a common goal.

THANK YOU!!

First Meeting of the Year held Jan 13th

Hello Friends & Neighbors!

The Old North Salisbury Board of Directors held their first meeting of '09 a couple of weeks ago. Although we had a small turnout (everyone still holiday weary?), we have a lot of items on the wish list this year!

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One very exciting development - we are forming a "Green Team"!! And right in time for the Spring season! The Green Team will be assisting in tree planting, mulching, and in general - sprucing up the neighborhood. If you are interested in joining the Green Team, let us know! If you are not apt to be found wielding a shovel, we are interested in donations of mulch, good garden soil, plants, seeds, etc. Even a little pot of pansies will go to good use!

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We are working on another, more formal, presentation to City Council. Remember we went before City Council last summer and asked for better enforcement of our ordinances. The City has restructured their Ordinance & Code Department so now may be a good time to remind them of our work here as a community and how we could use their help.

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We are still aiming to hold a neighborhood-wide business meeting, so all of the folks in our community can learn about what we are doing, our goals and our achievements. We would like to invite representatives from the City to talk about the planned improvements to our neighborhood and the status of those plans. The date has not yet been finalized, so we'll keep you posted. Stay tuned!

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We are trying very hard to figure out a Landlord / Tenant Outreach program. . . a way to let landlords know we care about their properties and the quality of the tenants . . . and a way to let renters know that they can be a part of the community. If you have ideas, let us know. So far we are struggling with an answer, and perhaps there are more ways than one to accomplish this.

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We are still talking about the Historic House Plaque Program and the best way to roll that out. Here's the difficulty - the plaques themselves may be expensive to have produced. So . . . do we want each home to purchase one voluntarily if they wish to have one? Do we award them annually? Do we have people apply for their plaque? We still believe that the Plaque Program will enhance the awareness of the value and history of your homes, and the program would tie into the walking programs the City is initiating.

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We will be creating a brochure for Realtors that highlights the homes, the neighborhood, and the benefits of living here. Gotta love an art project!

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AND - we are talking about hosting another neighborhood get-together - more fun than the business meeting. We had such a great day at our Celebrate Old North Salisbury picnic in the park last Fall that we think it might be fun to host another event this Spring. This also needs a bit more planning so we'll let you know as things start to gel. More volunteers always help to make this a success!

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Keep your porch lights on - the neighborhood looks way more friendly and the extra lighting deters crime. And if you haven't gotten rid of your fall leaves yet - the City's last leaf pickup is scheduled for February 25th. Need some help with this? Drop us a line - maybe this will be the first item on our Green Teams initiative!

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***Thanks Everybody! See you in the Neighborhood!***

Next Old North Salisbury Meeting - Jan 13th 7:00 PM - John Steele House

Hello & Happy New Year, Friends and Neighbors!

We hope you had a wonderful, happy, safe, and peaceful holiday season! The neighborhood sure looks festive with all the holiday lighting! Thanks to all who care to "dress up" the neighborhood during this season!

Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, January 13th ~ 7:00 PM, at the historic John Steele House ~ corner of Steele St. and Richard St. We have a strong agenda for this meeting, the first of the year and a kick off meeting to discuss last year's efforts and our many and varied projects for this year!

Traditionally these meetings are Board meetings - generally held every other month. However the Board does not exclude and in fact welcomes participation by all members of the community! Your input is invaluable and the more hands we have working together the more we can accomplish.

Here are some of the items on our agenda for this month:

• Incident & nuisance handling
• Planning for Neighborhood Meeting (February)
• Planning for next Neighborhood Social Event (Spring)
• Planning for speaking at City Council Meeting (topics?)
• Historic House Plaque Program
• Neighborhood Captains (neighborhood is large - how to better handle concerns in YOUR area)
• Upcoming newsletter
• Fit Community Grant status
• Railroad St. Parcel status
• Old North Salisbury "Green Team"
• City of Salisbury Foreclosure/Revitalization Grants
• Membership

Wow! See why we need your help? This is an exciting time of positive change for us in this area and you can be a part of it.
If you have additional items you would like to see added to our agenda, you can always place a comment here or email us at oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com. We will always respond!
We are looking forward to a most wonderful and productive 2009! See you 'round the neighborhood!

Welcome Thomas Schwalm: Old North Salisbury Association Secretary

For those who don't know, the Old North Salisbury Association has an elected Board of Directors who typically serve 3-year terms (see the list of Board members on the lower right panel of this page). The Board includes an elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The current Board members were elected in October 2007 - the officers were elected in early 2008. However, this year, the office of Secretary went unfilled and we have been operating without an Association Secretary the whole year. The role of Secretary, writing the newsletter, writing Board meeting minutes and agendas, writing City Council meeting speeches, has been filled by others on the Board. . . . and it has worked out - BUT - with a dedicated person in the role, we feel our communication to the neighborhood can be vastly improved!

This month, amidst the hectic atmosphere of the holiday season, one of our neighbors offered to step up to the plate and fill that role. Thomas Schwalm and his wife LoriAnn, recently moved with to the North Main Historic District and a member of the Old North Salisbury Association, volunteered to be our Associaton Secretary. The Board unanimously voted to approve Thomas in this much needed role.

Thomas, of North Main St., joined the Old North Salisbury Association late in the summer of '08. He has been enthused about the preservation and the steady, upward evolution of this wonderful downtown neighborhood. He learned of the North Main Small Area Improvement Plan from his realtor, and purchased his circa 1909 home filled with great hope and excitement for our community. He has continually expressed his ideas and input and is encouraging others in the area to do the same.

We are very pleased to have Thomas on board to assist the Old North Salisbury Association with the many future plans we have to invest in the people, the homes, and the community here Salisbury's North Main St. area.

In this season of giving, it helps to remember that everything we have in life may be lost and regained except for time. If you give your time, you've given the most valuable gift you possess. Please join us in welcoming Thomas and thanking him and his family for this gift to our community!

Holiday Shopping? Check Out What Old North Salisbury Neighbors Are Offering!

If you, like many of us, are holiday shopping and want to avoid the malls, we are proud to steer you towards what several of our neighbors have to offer!

(1) Have you been to * Hot Junk * 205 S Main St. * Salisbury NC * yet? Hey, some of us in this neighborhood could even walk there! Well our neighbor in the North Main/Steel Street area, Josef Medlin, is the owner and creator of this wonderful shop. And 'Hot Junk' is getting a lot of favourable comments like this one:

Whenever I am in town, Salisbury, I make a B-line to Hot Junk. I am a designer and artist from New York/ Florida and as everyone knows, New Yorkers know style, and this joint has style! Joseph has given a new meaning to the term "going green". He has taken the hot fashions of yesteryear and given them a new life. This is done by making patrons feel as though they are shopping in a high end Manhattan boutique. In our current economy, this is the type of thinking that makes people feel a little bit better about what they have in their pockets to spend on fashion. Kudos to you my friend. Keep up the great work work. ~ Donna Richardson, Port Lucie FL

'Hot Junk' is a recycled and vintage clothing shop. Vintage at 'Hot Junk' means from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Many items are less than $20, with some pieces in the $8 range. Josef would like to make 'Hot Junk' a true vintage clothing store with future plans to add some vintage furniture from the same eras.

Joseph has lived in the North Main St. neighborhood for about a year and half and chose Salisbury over Charlotte for its character and potential, and the people he's met here. Go Josef ~ we're so glad you're here!!

(2) How about * Robert Crum's Fine Art * 116 East Council Street * Salisbury NC * ? Robert Crum moved his studio and home to downtown historic Salisbury in 2002. In 2008, while keeping the Council St. studio, Robert made his home in the North Main Neighborhood in the Miller St./N. Main area. Welcome, Robert!!! Robert is a full-time professional oil painter and muralist. In his studio, he completes still lifes, portraits and figurative work using the same materials and methods utilized by the Masters for centuries. In 2005, he completed a porcelain mosaic mural on a 110 foot long exterior wall located in downtown Salisbury on Depot Street, and it is called “Smoke and Steel.” It is a public art project commissioned by the City of Salisbury. You really must see this! And while you are downtown, you will enjoy visiting Robert's studio in heart of historic Salisbury's downtown art district. You can contact Robert directly with any questions or inquiries about his works. Visit Robert's website at www.robertcrumfineart.com. Talk about a special holiday gift . . . A unique work of art that will last a lifetime!

(3) How about the gift of music? Who doesn't love music ~ the international language! You must really stop at * Stringfellows Music * 105 N. Main St. * Salisbury * !! Owned and operated by our neighbor and highly touted originally singer/songwriter Tripp Edwards of Jackson St. and a Salisburian native, Stringfellows is Salisbury's ONLY full service music store: instruments, strings, picks, pedals, lessons, repair center, recording studio, amplifiers, and over 2000 vintage LP's (at like $.50 each!!) for the audiofile on your list. Stringfellows will also purchase your used equipment so there's an opportunity for you to clean the closet, get that old fiddle out you meant to learn to play, and get some extra holiday cash as well! Many local musicians work at or visit Stringfellows so you are sure to be well informed and maybe even entertained! Before Stringfellows opened their doors on Main St. several years ago, there was no place in Salisbury to go for musical instruments and the like ~ the local musician had to travel to Concord or Greensboro! No Way! A huge thank you to our neighbor Tripp for filling this void!
(4) You've heard us brag about our neighbors Andrew & Anne Waters, also of the North Main & Steel St part of our neighborhood and their wonderful art gallery and yoga studio: * The Green Goat Gallery & Blue Ewe Yoga Studio * 516 S. Salisbury Ave. * Spencer NC *. Well what better time to stop by and pick up a wonderful gift of artwork be it hand crafted jewelry, pottery, or painting ~ or a great gift certificate for yoga classes from the Blue Ewe Yoga Studio for that person you know has been 'fixin to' getting fit! The Green Goat Gallery/Blue Ewe Yoga Studio is located on S. Salisbury Ave which in Salisbury is none other than our North Main St.! Just keep heading north along Main and slow down in Spencer (literally! - the speed limit there is 20 mph!) and when you see the North Carolina Transportation Museum on your right, look to your left to find the Green Goat Gallery and a good parking spot! We cannot say enough good things about this gallery (check our our earlier entry on the GGG). Thanks Andrew & Anne!!

(5) While you are out & about ~ making a list & checking it twice: Take time to relax over a hot cup of mocha latte whipped cream & all or your favorite coffee confection at * Spenzanelli's Coffee Shop * 329 N. Main St * Salisbury NC *. Our neighbors Carol & Keith Earnhardt of the Henderson St & North Main portion of our community keep this wonderful place a-hopping. Another great place to walk to within close reach of the North Main neighborhood ~ you can relax with your coffee, peruse works of art that Carol keeps current along the walls, play a game of Scrabble - all within walking distance of our wonderful downtown shops and galleries. Carol keeps the bakery case stocked with delicious muffins, bagels, and other wondrous tasties to keep your energy level high while you get your shopping done! Thanks to our neighbors Keith and Carol for another successful downtown biz and a great place to visit and hang out!

(6) After you've got your energy back, you ought to take a walk about a block over from Spenzanelli's Coffee to * The Rail Walk Studios & Galleries * 409–413 N Lee St. * Salisbury NC *. Two of our neighbors are showing their work there:
- Our neighbor Sean Meyers, alias Photagator (http://www.photogator.com/), has some beeeaaauuutiful black & white framed photos at the Rail Walk. Sean lives and works in the 1600 block of North Main St with his wife Elizabeth, two dogs Stella and Stanley and Pluto the cat. You may often see some of Sean's work in the Salisbury Post, but his real art is in these captured moments like the ones at the Rail Walk. More of Sean's work can be seen at the Green Goat Gallery. We are proud to say that Sean has also been known for his preservation efforts here in our neighborhood. He has restored his home on North Main and others to help retain the beautiful architecture here. Thanks, Sean!

- Our neighbor Jimmy Lee Alston has both his studio and gallery showing his fabulous oil paintings and pastels at the Rail Walk. If you have not been to see Jimmy and the other artists at the Rail Walk, you are really missing a bit of treasure in downtown Salisbury. And here is a treat: Jimmy will be performing live soft jazz December 17th, 2008, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. See why we are so proud of our Old North Salisbury residents? Way to go, Jimmy!

(7) Heading south for the winter ~ like to Albemarle? Our neighbors Scott & Heather Teeter of the Jackson St. & North Main area are the proud operators of * The Boardroom Bar and Bistro * 135 W Main St * Albemarle, NC * . Now you are really in for a treat! Starting with the ambiance: rich, deep red walls, a beautiful and enormous antique bar, wood & warm soft lighting with candles everywhere, you will not feel as if you are in a small town, but as if you are in the big city. Scott and Heather are often your hosts and will treat you graciously. The menu is getting 5-star reviews and is an elegant Italian bistro style cuisine! Way to go Scott & Heather! . . . and oh yes . . . YUM!!!

So here's your chance to bring a little bit of Old North Salisbury home for the holidays ~ and to share it with your friends & family. Hey ~ if we are leaving someone out, please let us know! We know this is just a sprinkling of the wonderful people, projects, businesses, and talented folks that make the North Main area their home and add vibrance to our community. We welcome the opportunity to showcase the wonderful contributions our neighbors are making to make our little world a better place to live. Here's wishing you a most wonderful holiday season from Old North Salisbury!

Happy Thanksgiving, NOMA!

Turn on Your Exterior Lights for a Friendly Crime-Free Neighborhood!

Now that our days are shorter and our nightfall comes early, please think about turning on your exterior lights. Front lighting in a neighborhood has a much friendlier look and can double as an added security measure!

Lighting the outside of your home can greatly improve your chances of thwarting a burglar. When planning the exterior lighting for your home’s security, consider the controls that you plan to use. Some will offer greater ease of use than others. For example, motion-sensing lights automatically turn on when anything moves within a set distance from the sensor. Remote lighting controls are also great for ease of use. You can illuminate the driveway from the comfort of your couch, or turn on your interior house lights from your car as your pull into the garage.
Photocells or timers can automatically turn on lights. Timers must be reset if the electricity goes out, but photocells are relatively maintenance free. With a photocell the lights will come on automatically at dark, and turn off at dawn.

Don't forget that even an old-fashioned porch light can be fitted with the new 'curly' energy efficient bulbs - they cost little, don't use a lot of electric energy, and last a long long time!

Important Areas for Exterior Security Lighting
· Front Entry
· Back Door
· Ground-Floor Level Windows
· Sliding Doors
· Front Steps
· House Numbers
· Keyhole
· Vulnerable Areas Around Garage

Flood LightsOne light to add to your landscape for added security is a motion-sensing flood light. A flood light is an excellent choice for your garage or garden shed, even your front veranda.

Landscaping lights add a touch of color to your gardens. By using landscape lights in your yard, you not only add security to your home, you also add beauty and style. You can add lights to any landscape design. Installing lights in your front or backyard is an easy chore that almost anyone can do himself or herself.
Added SecurityYard lights are a beautiful way to give yourself a little added security for your home. Lights will brighten darker areas in the yard as well as making it easier to see steps or offsets in your landscape.
Accenting The GardenA great way to enhance your garden area is by installing lights. You can find all kinds of different styles of lights to enhance your landscape design. Lighting fixtures for the yard are usually inexpensive ways to add charm and style to any area. These fixtures make a great feature along foundation plantings and flowerbeds.
Different Types Of LightsLights for the yard are usually powered by two different sources. One option is line voltage fixtures that get their power from your homes electrical system. Wires are run underground. These are used more for larger landscaping ideas and are better for someone who has some experience with electrical work.

Solar light fixtures have a solar cell that absorbs energy from the sun and stores it in rechargeable batteries. These types of lights are less expensive; however how long and bright the light shines depends on the amount of sunlight it has stored in it. With a few clicks, these lights are put together and installed.And remember, as the holidays approach, please install your holiday lighting keeping safety in mind. Happy Lighting!

Fire at 1701 N. Lee St.

Calling all North Salisbury neighbors! One of our neighbors needs our help!

This morning the family home of Lyn Adrian and her two children was destroyed by fire. The family is left with nothing but their pets. They have lost everything - clothes, bank cards - everything!

The American Red Cross is assisting the Adrians with temporary food, shelter, and clothing. With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, they may get to stay in a hotel for the holiday.

Anyone interested in assisting the Adrian family can go through the local chapter of the American Red Cross at 704-633-3854. Look into your hearts, your closets, (and your wallet), and see if we, the community of Old North Salisbury, can help our neighbors.

It was the neighbors who called 911. It was our neighbors who offered sweaters and warm drinks to the family. It is our neighbors who can help now.

Thank you in advance for opening your hearts to a community family in need.

List Top 5 Endangered Houses

Hi Friends & Neighbors!

The Historic Salisbury Foundation may have the opportunity to help the Old North Salisbury Neighborhood preserve some of our historic architecture in our North Main St. area. HSF is pursuing a grant program that may allow them to purchase homes, have them repaired, refurbished, and restored, and subsequently offered for sale.


HSF has asked us to submit a list of our Top 5 Endangered Homes in the area. For example, the C.W. Isenhour House, the unique brick home at 926 N. Main St. with its dominating pentagonal central tower built in 1911 is one we might start our list off with. This home was one of our neighborhood's original homes. It was broken up into apartments in the 1930's and now has been sitting vacant and "For Sale By Owner" for a couple of years. The work needed to restore this truly unique and elegant home will be challenging. But to demolish it by neglect is criminal!

There are others homes such as this in our neighborhood. Take a drive through our streets, from Lafayette to 17th - from N. Jackson to Railroad, Lee, and Richard Streets, all the little avenues in between - jot down the address of the homes we should be actively working towards preserving.

You can email your list of Top 5 Endangered Homes to oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com or to the Historic Salisbury Foundation at historicsal@historicsalisbury.org. Or you can stick your list in an envelope and mail it to:

Old North Salisbury Association
910 N Main Street, Salisbury NC 28144

or

Historic Salisbury Foundation
PO Box 4221 Salisbury, NC 28145

The more we invest in our neighborhood, the better it is for all of us and our community! Thanks for paying attention!

Bloom!

Our summer blooms are fading with the frost. Many of us are planting winter vegetables and spring flowering bulbs. Have you bloomed lately?

Be the centerpiece - not the wallflower! Don't wait for Spring to shed the comforter of inertia that keeps you asleep in the bud, the permafrost of habit that keeps you stuck in a no-growth zone. Stop wishing - start working. Quit waiting - start groundbreaking. What's the story you're waiting to be, the seed you haven't watered, the calling you've put on hold, the forgiveness you've withheld, the next step you haven't taken? There's a wildflower in you waiting to blosson - a rambling rose ready to pull up roots and see the world.

It's never too late in the season to grow into your true nature. Join the Old North Salisbury Association and take part in preserving and revitalizing this wonderful historic community in downtown Salisbury North Carolina! Email us at oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com.

THANKS FOR THE CELEBRATION!!!!

Wow!!! A HUGE Thank-You to all in the Old North Salisbury Neighborhood who came out to celebrate at our Fall Social Event yesterday!! We could not have had a more perfect day - blue skies, 68 degrees, golden sunshine, the foliage at City Park in all its crimson glory!! It was made - to - order!!

Our celebration started at about 2 o'clock yesterday - when our musicians began to appear and set up their stage, and volunteers started to arrive with their goodies! And did we ever have goodies! There was probably the Best-Ever Lasagna from Chef Santos by Goodfellas (Fisher St.), the Best-Ever Garlic Rolls from Cartucci's (Fisher St.), and the BEST-EVER Caesar Salad made with fresh spinach from Stelia's Restaurant & Martini Bar (N. Main St.). If you visit these fine restaurants downtown, be sure you tell them THANKS! How cool is it that our downtown merchants support the Old North Salisbury community!

We also had grilled sausages from N. Main St., giant oatmeal cookies from Scales St, a complete coffee, tea, hot-chocolate, hot-cider service from the Klaus' on 14th St., fried chicked from 11th St., and too many more yummy things to count - brownies, snack-mix, chips, homemade dips, jugs of sweet tea and green tea - our tables were overflowing! This truly was a community event!

. . . And the music! WOW! We are super grateful to Salisbury's finest original artists who came, set up, and played for us for 3 hours yesterday afternoon - as a donation to the neighborhood! Tripp Edwards and Alan Wyrick played their wonderful original music under the pavillion - these are Salisbury's home-grown artists destined for greatness! Tripp and Alan are multi-talented artists -not only song writers, but each plays a multitude of instruments. Tripp and Alan switched off on lead and bass guitar, while Jimbo Martin offered his magical drum experience, Jim Charles entwined the tunes with steel guitar, and Ian (sorry Ian - we'll put your last name here when we get it!) tickled the ivories. Hey! It's not every neighborhood picnic that gets this kind of royal treatment from the local music meistros!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!! We'll have pictures posted soon!

If you missed this wonderful opportunity to come out and celebrate - we will try to do this again in the Spring and perhaps again next Fall - twice annually. Over 400 flyers were distributed throughout the neighborhood. IF YOU DIDN'T GET ONE - LET US KNOW!! We want to know how to best make this work FOR YOU!!!

To offer feedback - you can comment on this entry below or send an email to the Old North Salisbury Association at

oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks to all who came & supported! To all who didn't make it ~ We Missed You!! See you in the neighborhood!

Party Day!!!! Celebrate Old North Salisbury!!!

Hey All! It's count-down now in the minutes to Celebrate Old North Salisbury at City Park!!

We got a beeeeaaauuutttiiifffuuulllll day!! Bring your dancin' shoes to get up and boogie to Tripp Edwards and Alan Wyrick! Bring your best recipe from your home-cookin kitchen and let's rock this neighborhood!

See you at the park!

12 Days til the Party in the Park!!

Only 12 days left til we Celebrate Old North Salisbury! Many of you, by now, should have received fliers in your doors or mailboxes. Our volunteers have been delivering these by hand over the last few weeks. We met and spoke with lots of friendly folks - several who were unaware there was a neighborhood association such as ours! This is why our celebration of friends and neighbors will be an important event to let us know one another! The more we know one another, the stronger we can be as a community.

So . . . Bring a dish to pass, a lawn chair, and sit back and relax - meet your neighbors - have a great time.

Saturday November 8th at the City Park pavilions (off Lake Road) ~ live music ~ rain or shine!

See you there!

Pumping Gas ~ How to get the most for your money:

With the price of Gas skyrocketing, the Old North Salisbury Association thought you may appreciate getting the following tips on how to effectively pump gas and save the precious commodities - money and Gas:

1) Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.

Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground, the more dense the gasoline. When it gets warmer, gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening...your gallon is not exactly a gallon.

In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature makes a big difference. The service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps as the distributors do. So make sure you only pump the gas when the temperature is low.

2) When you're filling up, do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look, you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you would be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return system. If you are pumping on the fast rate, more of the liquid that goes into your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are sucked up and fed back into the underground storage tank, so you're getting less gas for your money.

3) One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL (or HALF EMPTY). The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank, the less air there will be occupying the tank's empty space. More air = more evaporation.

Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves to create zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so as to minimize the evaporation of the fuel.

4) Another reminder: If there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles to the bottom of the tank.

Hope this will help you save a little when you pump that precious gas!

Looking for the best gas prices in the Old North Salisbury area? Check out ONSA's gas price finder ~ scroll to the bottom right of this website!! Happy Hunting!

33rd Annual October Tour of Historic Homes!!!!

It's that time of year again! Salisbury's October Tour! The Historic Salisbury Foundation hold it's 33rd annual tour of some of Salisbury's finest preserved and restored architecture this weekend, October 11th and 12th. The tour not only includes some of our most beautiful historic homes but includes trolley rides, a Civil War enactment, musicians and artists! This is one of, if not THE, most celebrated weekends in Salisbury, North Carolina!!

This tour brings thousands to the streets of Salisbury. Remember friends and neighbors, this means that many will be coming right through our own North Salisbury area as they travel to the Tour sites. Although we do not (yet) have a home on the tour, we have a collection of Rowan County's most diverse historic architecture and a heritage to be proud of! Let's provide a welcoming gateway to our visitors!

The Historic Salisbury Foundation is a private non-profit organization that has saved over 100 properties through their neighborhood revitalization program. The proceeds from the October Tour will benefit the furthering of this work.

For October Tour ticket information, visit http://www.historicsalisbury.org/ or call 704.636.0103. We'll see you there!

It's Official!! "Celebrate Old North Salisbury" Saturday Nov 8th City Park!!!

"Celebrate Old North Salisbury"

The Old North Salisbury Association is hosting a neighborhood social gathering!!!

When: Saturday November 8th

Time: 2:00 PM ~ 6:00 PM

Where: City Park Outdoor Pavilions

What: A celebration of the Salisbury's North Main area friends and neighbors!

Live Music On The Lawn: The Tripp Edwards Trio / No. 9 Coal / Alan Wyrick & Friends

Please Bring: A Covered Dish to Pass ~ Lawn Chairs ~ Picnic Blankets

ONSA will supply non-alcoholic beverages, cups, plates, and utensils.

We will be announcing some of the 2008 activities of the Association & some of our ongoing plans. There will be entertainment featuring Salisbury's own No. 9 Coal's own brand of bluegrass/newgrass, The Tripp Edwards Trio, and Alan Wyrick & Friends ~ all performing live original music and old familiars! Enjoy an afternoon in the park with music and friends!

If you live between Lafayette Street and 17th Street and between Jackson Street and the Southern Railway tracks to the east - you are in the Old North Salisbury neighborhood. Please come and participate in this wonderful opportunity to meet others in this community. We share a common bond here & we're looking forward to sharing it with YOU!!!

See you on November 8th in City Park

Join the Old North Salisbury Association ~ Volunteers Needed!!

Hello Friends & Neighbors!

Did you know that the Old North Salisbury Association has an elected Board of Directors made up of people right here in the neighborhood. When you see these people, say hello!

Sue McHugh / President (& interim Secretary) · Sean Meyers / Vice President · Rebecca Hayes /Treasurer · Tim Klaus · Andrew Waters · Laurie Klaus · Pat Sylvester · Barbara Waggoner · Edward Clement · Tracy Thornton · Susan Hurt · Norma Staley · Ruby Beeker · Steve Gilbert
The Board of Directors is joined by a growing group of members in the North Main Street area (Lafayette St. north to 17th St. ~ the railroad tracks to the east to Jackson St. to the west.) The membership roster continues to expand. As we build our membership base, we really need your support ~ the support of as many community residents and property owners as we can round up! We have a wish-list of projects and accomplishments we are aiming for. These include, but are not limited to, neighborhood event planning, restoration assistance projects, greenscaping, the newsletter, and many others. Some of you have expressed interest in these and other topics. We had a great idea come in through our newsletter membership application! Animal Care and Pet Vaccination Clinics! What a great idea!

We need your help! Please volunteer and become an active member of this strong community. The Board of Directors is currently VERY BUSY putting together the neighborhood social event, to be broadcast very soon! We need help to distribute party flyers in the neighborhood, and to help with organization, maybe even help with set-up and/or clean-up. Care to join us? We sure could use your help!

We could also use help with folks who are willing to go to City Council to add "strength in numbers" to important issues for our community. Any time you have a topic you would like addressed at City Council, please tell us. We can do the speaking, if you like, but your presence in numbers often drives the point home! We have an "urban forest" at the corner of Railroad St. and E. Steele St. This wooded lot often needs upkeep. If you have a scouting troop that wants to earn a community service badge, this is an ideal project for them. Get them involved! If your church would like to participate in some neighborhood function ~ have them give us a call or drop an email to oldnorthsalisbury@gmail.com.
The Old North Salisbury Association Board of Directors meets every other month at a predetermined place - usually on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00PM. Members are invited to join us and share ideas and opinions ~ these are not exclusive meetings! The Board Meeting is listed on the ONSA calendar at the bottom of these web-postings (scroll down to view).
The Old North Salisbury Association welcomes and encourages your participation!

• "Citizen service is the very American idea that we meet our challenges not as isolated individuals but as members of a true community, with all of us working together. Our mission is nothing less than to spark a renewed sense of obligation, a new sense of duty, a new season of service. Though government has an important role to play in meeting the many challenges that remain before us, we are coming to understand that no organization, including government, will fully succeed without the active participation of each of us. Volunteers are vital to enabling this country to live up to the true promise of its heritage."

Bill Clinton

• "Every problem that the country faces is being solved in some community by some group or some individual. The question is how to get connected so that the whole nation can solve problems. A volunteer is a person who can see what others cannot see; who can feel what most do not feel. Often, such gifted persons do not think of themselves as volunteers, but as citizens - citizens in the fullest sense: partners in civilization.

George H. W. Bush

• "Snowflakes melt alone - but together they can be traffic stoppers!
  Teamwork allows common people to attain uncommon results.
  Some people want it to happen, some wish it to happen, others make it happen.
  Volunteers aren't paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless."

Anonymous

Take the Bus!!!

Hello Friends & Neighbors!!

The Salisbury Transit System is your city bus system. The system has three routes. Route #1 is S. Main / Spencer / Rowan Community College; Route #2 is Westside / Salisbury Mall / Eastside /Innes St Market; Route #3 is East Spencer / VA Medical Center. Each of these routes arrives and departs "the Transfer Site", which is located on Depot Street. Any bus you board can take you to the Transfer Site on the inbound part of the route. Any member of the general public may ride the Salisbury Transit bus. Salisbury Transit does not operate on Sundays and some holidays. The regular fare, one-way, is only $1.00!!! How does that compare to your gasoline prices today! And the fare is half that, 50 cents, for senior citizens or for handicap fare. There are also passes for up to 40 rides at discounted prices. There is a map of the bus routes on the City of Salisbury website.

Taking the bus to Spencer to visit the wonderful Green Goat Gallery (for instance to their anniversary party this Saturday), the Transportation Museum, and then have a yummy bite to eat at Pinnochio's restaurant may be a fun way to spend an Fall afternoon!
In addition to the Salisbury Transit System buses, the Trolley also operated to and from Spencer during our Friday Nights Out On The Town. You'll not only get the transportation but you get a great tour of the beautiful historic homes along N. Main St. Salisbury and S. Salisbury St. Spencer!

You can check out more information on the Salisbury Transit System at http://www.salisburync.gov/transit/info.htm

You're Invited!Anniversary Party at the Green Goat Saturday Night

The Green Goat Gallery, right up the road from our Main St. (516 S. Salisbury Avenue) in Spencer, is celebrating its first year in business with a party this Saturday night Sept. 27th from 6-8:30 p.m. and you're invited! Please drop in for a special night featuring the art of Leslie Hamlin. Leslie is a multi-talented artist from Davie County whose fabulous paintings on glass have been one of the Green Goat Gallery's most popular sellers (and a steal at $75-$125), but she also makes wonderful garden art, jewelry, and much more.

Did you know that the Green Goat Gallery also houses Blue Ewe Yoga Studios? They have classes for adults and children alike!

Why would the Old North Salisbury Association be involved in inviting you to the Green Goat Gallery and Blue Ewe Yoga Studio? Because both are owned and operated by our very own neighbors here in the North Main area ~ Anne & Andrew Waters! Stop in, say hello, and meet your neighbors!

This celebration will feature the fabulous cuisine of Spencer's greatest chef, Joseph Cataldo. See you at the party!

New Walking Program Coming!

Friends ~ Neighbors ~

You've heard the talk about the North Main Area Improvement Plan and the expected new crosswalks and sidewalks. You'll recall that the City was awarded the funds to do this work through a competitive grant program, the Fit Community Grant Program. In order to get the physical and structural improvements, we also had to come up with a fitness program that accompanied this improvement. Well what better fitness program would accompany new sidewalks that take our North Main area residents over to our parks than a walking program! A survey was sent (see blog post dated August 23 - '08) and it showed that a walking program is the right direction (pun intended!) A draft of the program is in the works. It is called Striders 4 Life, structured out of the City Parks & Recreation Center in City Park, and will be broken into four phases: Walk for Self, Walk for Health, Walk for Light, & Walk for Life. This is intended to be a self-motivated health initiative - no structured classes to attend! - with a walking "passport" to log your achievements! Very cool!

Participant’s will be issued activity logs to track mileage walked. Phase maps will be kept at City Park to view where participants are according to their mileage. Through the Rowan County Health Department, participants will be able to have an initial health assessment completed detailing Body Mass Index, helpful nutritional guidelines, etc. Monthly education sessions will be established to focus on food/nutrition and alternate health and exercise activities.

Representatives from the City of Salisbury and the Fit Community Program met recently to chart progress towards the overall improvement plan, the fitness plan, and they even walked the proposed fitness path through the N. Main area, down Miller St. to the Parks and around to the Salisbury Greenspace off Mahaley. Overall, the grant coordinators were impressed with our efforts and our City representatives felt they learned a lot from our survey responses.

Thank you to all who took the time to participate.

As for the physical structural improvements, last we heard was that this was in engineering. One of the issues is the utility pole in the little landscape "island" in the middle of the Miller St./Jackson St. intersection. That will have to be moved as the street is narrowed to accommodate the newly planned sidewalk on the south side of Miller.
We'll keep you posted as we learn more!

Unwanted Trouble in the Neighborhood?

There was a recent report about some trouble in our neighborhood.  This is one of the very very important reasons for a neighborhood association such as the Old North Salisbury Association.  Not only is our aim to preserve the architecture in this community but to preserve the community and the culture of the community.  The neighborhood association is a way to unite, to get to know one another, see each other, and feel comfortable with one another.  Being vigilant for ourselves and each other pays off ~ the only way to be successful is to be involved.  

If you ever need the support of the police department, you can always contact:

Officer Ann M. Cooper
Community Services Officer
Salisbury Police Department
130 E. Liberty St.
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 638-4463 Office
(704) 202-4295 Cell Phone