Third Week of July

It was an exciting week. Shelia and I began the sculpting of a cat who will be the passenger on our sculpture. Minor miscalculations resulted in the need for major surgery to get his head in the right position and moving in coordination with his paw, but he came through like a trouper.

Some home school kids and some of their mothers showed up on Thursday and breathed some new excitement into the project. It appears that at least three new sculptures are underway. Bravo to those who would rather build fantasies than watch the fantasies others have created for TV or a game monitor.

As we searched through the bikes we have we discovered that few have chains that aren’t too rusty to be used. It also appears that several of the bikes have defective bearings in the pedals. So, we need more working bikes for the increasing number of vehicles that are being planned—or any sort of light weight, sturdy wheels, chains, belts, and axels (from wagons, junked lawn mowers, farm equipment, whatever).

We also need an assortment of nuts, bolts, washers, steel (rods, pipe, angle, and every other shape and size). We’ve been promised a supply of PVC pipe, but more may be needed. Any light weight but strong sheathing that can be used to create dragons, toads, taxies, and flying pizzas would be helpful (aluminum or steel sheets, wood veneer, fiberglass sheets, etc.).

The small tarp that was providing shelter from sun and rain blew apart in the wind on Friday, so we’re in need of a replacement tarp or a more permanent shelter like aluminum roofing or…well come on down and give us some ideas as to how we can give these kids better protection from the weather.

Kids At Work

Imaginations ran wild yesterday at Our Neighborhood School Yard as kids began working on their Kinetic Sculptures

A Note From Donna

I hope everyone had a festive and happy 4th of July. We had a wonderful week off and I am ready to dive back into summer camps while getting prepared to start another school year.

The menu hasn't changed much and I'm going to try to keep it simple for the rest of the summer. There is so much going on but I feel confident that the September menu will give you many new choices. Thank you so much for your continued support.

**Kinetic Sculpture --- WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT???...well it's a sculpture and it moves! You have to either push it, pull it or pedal it!!! Pretty simple really but there is going to be a parade for Kinetic Sculptures right here in Pittsboro on Saturday, October 31st so if you want to make one, ya better get started.

How do you make a kinetic sculpture you ask? Well, Bud Rudesill a retired engineer and artist, hangs out here at Our Neighborhood School every day between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will continue to do so at least until the parade. Your child can stop by anytime, during those hours, FREE of charge, and Bud will help him make a sculpture. Once school starts kids can even stop here and work on their sculpture after school. Bud has already collected tons of bicycle parts, roller blade parts and skateboard parts and has set himself up a workshop in the side yard of Our Neighborhood School. Dias Auto Sales and Ed's Autobody have generously donated their welding skills whenever those are needed for a sculpture, so get your Boyscout group together, your Girlscout group gathered up, your Kiwanis Club members moving or any other group or individual and come on down. Dig out those old bicycle parts and grab some plywood that's lying around the garage. This is going to be a blast. If you want more information you can e-mail bud at budrudesill@aol.com or come on down to Our Neighborhood School and just start building.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon.

Donna

Donna Bianco
Our Neighborhood School, Inc.
87 Thompson Street
Pittsboro, NC 27312

919-545-0900 Pizzeria
919-545-0920 School/Fax

The Countdown has begun!

The Pittsboro Kinetic Sculpture Parade and Race

Concept:
All constructs should be a combination of innovative and artistically designed, mobile devices that transport one or more people. They must be pushed, pulled, or peddled. No motorized elements are allowed.The sculptures may be designed and built by a single individual or a group of people of any size.

The Parade:
The parade will be held on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2009, in the afternoon.
The headquarters for the Parade is Our Neighborhood School and Pizzeria. Some of the sculptures will be built there. The space it primarily intended for special needs kids and kids who don’t have financial backing. However we welcome anyone to build their sculptures there who will also be willing to help others that need it.

The Race:

The race will be held on Memorial Day, 2010. Headquarters for the Kinetic Sculpture Race, is the Unity Books and Stuff.

It's Time to get started!

For more info contact: budrudesill@aol.com