Advance R-IV recycles old cabinets in FACS room

Madeline DeJournett photo Advance Ag Construction student Darren VanGennip illustrates one of the ways in which the old metal cabinets have been recycled from the Family and Consumer Science classes to the Vocational Department at the high school. The fact that the cabinets are fireproof is a definite advantage.

A recent construction project is a good example of "thinking outside the box." Metal kitchen cabinets from the old high school home economics room have made the journey from the second story of the old building (constructed in 1925) to the home economics room in the new high school (finished in 1997) - and now to the vocational agriculture room in the new high school.

"Those cabinets have to be at least 60 years old," said Vernon Troyer, the Mennonite craftsman who was hired to construct the new cabinets in Mrs. Sarah Duffield's class.

Madeline DeJournett photo Heather Green, Laura Rhodes, and Chelsey Markham work at one of the old metal cabinets which was moved from the FACS room to the Agricultural Construction workshop at Advance High School. The recycling of the 60+ year-old cabinets expanded the storage facilities in the workshop.

Community members who were a part of the Kids First committee back when the high school was being planned in the early 90's can well remember that a bond issue had not passed in Advance since the grade school was built in 1957. For this reason, every effort was made to conserve on resources with the 1995 bond, and this included scaling down several departments - particularly the home economics room and the vocational building.

This year funds became available to improve the home economics room by installing custom cabinets.

When Vocational Agriculture teacher Bret Raines used his construction classes to remove the old cabinets, he realized that the sturdy metal structures would make excellent storage units for his shop. He was able to use all of them, even adapting one of them as a base for a welding stand.

Madeline DeJournett photo Daryn Dunivan watches Advance Ag Construction instructor Bret Raines use the new band saw which the ag department received through a vocational grant.

"This was a very innovative approach," Redman said. "I'm very pleased when our teachers and staff have the energy and enthusiasm to contribute to the system in this fashion."

Now that the new cabinets have been installed, plans are in the works to hold a reception for the community to show off the renovated Family and Consumer Science room in the high school. Visitors should also peek into the vocational building to see how the old cabinets, which many of them will remember working with in the old high school, have moved forward into the modern age.