MANCHESTER — Before the old Manchester Essex Regional High School building is encapsulated and prepared for demolition this month, school officials have collected all the items they don't plan to use next year in the new building.
And they're selling them off tomorrow in the old cafeteria.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., anyone who shows up will be able to take home something practical, like an old bookcase or file cabinet; something odd, like a scoreboard or shot clock from the gym; or even something nostalgic, like the MERHS sign out front or Assistant Principal Paul Murphy's desk chair.
The high school's environmental group, the Green Team, has been fundamental in organizing the event and figuring out what items can be sold, thrown out or given away to other schools.
"I really applaud the Green Team's effort," Murphy said. "I'm really amazed at what this group has done to make sure we're reusing and being environmentally friendly for the new building."
Murphy wasn't the only one to lavish praise at one of the school's newest organizations. Manchester Essex Regional School District's Superintendent of Schools Marcia O'Neil took notice, too.
"The Green Team has taken a real lead on this, in terms of moving from a 40-year-old building with 40-year-old desks and chairs, and looking at how those things are being reused or recycled," O'Neil said. "We really feel that we have done a good job here in that no items, other than those that were broken or damaged, are being thrown away."
All proceeds from the yard sale go to purchase of a compost device for the cafeteria that the Green Team has researched, O'Neil said, and whatever is left over after the yard sale will be given away to needy schools in Jamaica.
"Our school librarian has a contact in Jamaica, and there are schools that are desperate for furniture and anything," O'Neil said. "There are so many benefits from this, from elementary schools, town halls and, of course, Jamaica."
Other items that will be on sale include a science room model skeleton, ceiling panels and a six-panel mural from the art department, and basketball backboards with hoops and mounting hardware. There will be a minimum donation of $5 for most items, but any additional donations will be gratefully accepted.
"All items are priced to move," O'Neil said, "and they're one of a kind."
The school hosted two elementary schools and officials from both Manchester and Essex as they walked through the building a few weeks ago and identified things that they could use or that were better than what they had already.
The items they picked out were given to the schools and towns, and then O'Neil declared a surplus and called other districts to come by and do the same. Ten different districts came and selected chairs and desks they could use, and they came with their own trucks to pick them up on June 29 and 30.
"I encourage people on Cape Ann to come," Murphy said. "People will be surprised; there's some really good quality stuff there."
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