by David Assmann
S.F. Recycling Program

Preserving resources isn't only achieved by recycling. In fact, creating less waste in the first place and reusing products preserves more resources than recycling. In an effort to promote reuse, the first annual Second Chance Week will be celebrated statewide between October 18th and 26th.

Reuse involves taking an item destined for disposal and reusing it without altering the item. Reuse has a long history and is supported by a large number of retail outlets, including thrift stores, used book stores, and repair shops. Yard sales, flea markets and rummage sales also support reuse.

Over the past few years, a number of organizations have been established in San Francisco to promote the reuse of specialized materials. Building Resources at 701 Amador St. buys and sells quality reusable building materials. The Scrounger's Center for Reusable Arts Parts at Pier 80 takes leftover materials from businesses and distributes them to teachers to use in art projects. The Racorse Network collects reusable healthcare equipment (such as wheelchairs) for redistribution. The Children's Book Project collects books from individuals, organizations and publishers and distributes the books to schools, shelters and day care facilities.

Reuse helps the environment and the economy in many ways. With reuse, fewer natural resources, including raw materials, energy and landfill space are needed. In addition, a study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that if only half the durable goods (such as used appliances, furniture, clothing and machinery) now being discarded annually were reused, more than 110,000 jobs could be created.

There are a number of ways consumers can support reuse. One important way is to avoid disposable products. This can be done by buying sponges or cloth napkins, or using rags instead of throwaway paper products; using refillable pens, pencils and lighters; buying rechargeable batteries and flashlights instead of disposable ones; using washable plates, cups and silverware for picnics instead of disposable ones; buying razors with replaceable blades or electric razors and using cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers.

A second way to promote reuse is to find new uses for common household items. For example, glass jars can be used for storing leftovers, coffee cans with lids can double as cookie jars and plastic containers are great for storing small, loose items like nails and buttons.

Seeking out durable products can not only reduce your impact on the environment, but also save you money. Before making a major purchase, such as appliances, check Consumer Reports magazine or Bay Area Checkbook for the best quality and most energy-efficient brands.

When you purchase tires, buy high-mileage tires. They usually cost less per mile traveled. Shop for items which can be repaired rather than disposed of when they break. Remember to maintain these products. Buy well-made clothing. It may cost more initially, but will save money over the long run. You can also purchase energy-efficient, long lasting light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last up to 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs and use less than one quarter of the energy. And using solar powered or manually operated products instead of those that require batteries also saves resources.

When you no longer need an item, arrange to have it reused. Some stores encourage their customers to return containers for refills--and will give you a discount if you do. Current refillable items include lotions, detergents, shampoos, coffee bags, and of course, grocery bags. Remember to return hangers to dry cleaners.

You can also rent or borrow infrequently used items rather than buying them and having them sit unused most of the year.

Finally, buying used items can often give you unique, high quality items at a fraction of the cost of buying new products. Many items, from appliances to wedding clothing, can be purchased in the more than 80 secondhand, thrift and consignment stores in San Francisco. Here are some of the "previously-owned" items you can buy: appliances, books, CDs and tapes, children's furnishings, clothing, collectibles, electronics, furniture, household goods, jewelry, picture frames, tools, toys, and wedding items and clothing.

In order to help you find places to purchase and sell these items, the San Francisco Recycling Program has added a reuse section to its web page. If you have access to the Internet, check it out at www.sfrecycle.org. And, if you don't have Internet access, call our 24-hour recycling hotline at 554-RECYcle for a free copy of our reuse directory.

S.F. Recycling Program to Launch Interactive
Reuse and Recycling Database on the Internet

San Francisco residents will be able to look up ways to reuse goods and purchase reused items on the Internet when the San Francisco Recycling Program launches an interactive database to celebrate Second Chance Week in October. The database will be searchable by topic and will allow residents to look up reuse options by neighborhood.

The interactive database will be only one of San Francisco's contributions to California's first annual Second Chance Week, Oct. 18-26 as local governments, schools, waste hauling and recycling companies, secondhand stores, nonprofits, schools and others hold events to encourage people to fix, sell, donate or buy reusable products that might otherwise be discarded.

The program is also launching a public education campaign to promote reuse through a series of articles, ads and other promotional materials. Residents who don't have access to the Internet will be able to get free printed copies of the reusable database.

"Reuse helps the environment and the economy in many ways," said David Assmann, public outreach coordinator for the San Francisco Recycling Program. "With reuse, fewer natural resources, including raw materials, energy and landfill space, are needed. A study by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that if only half the durable goods (such as used appliances, furniture, clothing and machinery) now being discarded annually in the U.S. were reused, more than 110,000 jobs could be created."

SCRAP, the Scrounger's Center for Reusable Art Parts, will be offering a Textile Reuse workshop on Oct. 18 to celebrate Second Chance Week. Bay Area designers and artists will demonstrate how to reuse textile discards to create art,, gift wrap, masks and home decor items. The workshop, which will be held at Pier 80, Shed A, is free. Additional information and reservations can be obtained by calling 647-1746.

Second Chance Week is a project of the Local Government Commission (LGC) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Old Navy Gives School Kids a Lift

Old Navy launched its new bus program Sept. 24 by transporting students from Daniel Webster Elementary School to Davies Symphony Hall for a musical program.

Making two school buses available for use on school field trips at no cost to participating schools, the Old Navy School Bus Program is an expansion of Old Navy's existing and successful bus program begun last year on Long Island, New York benefitting more than 19,000 children from 179 public schools.

"With many schools facing cutbacks in budgets for extra-curricular activities, we created the Old Navy School Bus Program as a way to give something back to our store communities," said spokesperson Kevin M. Lonergan.

To be eligible for the bus program, organizations must be a public school or agency that benefits public school children located in one of Old Navy's store communities anywhere in San Francisco or San Mateo county. To ensure safety and adequate supervision, the program requires one adult accompany every 10 children under the age of 12. For further information or to receive an application, call 427-2351.

Domestic Violence and You

by Crystal H. Weston, J.D.

Kofi came into the District Attorney's Family Violence Project soon after we opened one morning. He was tired, disheveled, and had a look of terror on his face. His lover of seven months had beaten him and thrown him out the night before. He was keyless, clothesless, andruised.

This was not the first time he'd been struck, nor the first time he was forced penniless into the street. Unbeknownst to friends or family, Kofi had given his entire paycheck to his beau throughout their relationship and the checking account was not in his name. This incident, however, was especially frightening because the severity of last night's beating made him seriously consider leaving his abuser more than ever before. This though was simultaneously liberating and terrifying to him. Kofi didn't know it yet, but he'd just taken his first steps toward becoming a survivor of domestic violence.

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
This case is a classic example of the domestic violence cases I see as an advocate with San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan's office. Laws are designed to address physical abuse in the context of an intimate relationship. For example, there are laws against assault (an unlawful attempt, coupled with present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another) and battery (willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another). Pro-arrest policies at the scene on an incident also hinge upon visible signs of physical injury on the battered partner.

Domestic violence, however, manifests itself far more holistically and thoroughly than through physical violence alone. Indeed, it is the less visible, and yet as damaging emotional, verbal, and psychological badgering that paves the road for an abuser to eventually exert control via physical blows.

Domestic violence is the verbal, emotional, sexual, or physical abuse of one partner over another in the context of an intimate relationship. Abuse is behavior and actions that one partner has repeatedly resisted or specifically asked to not occur, but that the abuser continues to engage in anyway.

HISTORIC CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE
Partner abuse is fueled by cultural and social beliefs that perpetrate the myth that violence is a legitimate means of controlling one's partner. Before modern domestic violence laws including pro-arrest policies at the scene of the incident, the criminal justice system validated this cultural belief by training police officers to mediate family violence and to avoid making arrests, except in the most serious cases. Police officers, who until recently were ill trained to deal with domestic violence situations, have long considered these incidents to be among the most volatile situations with which they must contend. In fact, according to police oral history, escorting the suspect around the block so he could calm down and even threatening the suspect with physical violence was common practice in many jurisdictions.

DEPTH OF THE PROBLEM
Today, heterosexual partner abuse remains a well-documented epidemic. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) domestic violence is not as well studied because of the infrequency with which the authorities are involved. Despite this reality, it is estimated to occur in 25 to 33 percent of LGBT relationships. An example of the extent of the problem can be found in the number of police reports on LBGT domestic violence the DA's Family Violence Project received during a seven month period from June 1, 1996 to Jan. 31, 1997. We received 94 reports, which amounts to nearly 12 per month. This figure over a 12 month period amounts to less than 150 per year. By comparison, over 300 LGBT domestic violence survivors contacted the community-based agency Community United Against Violence during 1996.

MODERN INITIATIVES
San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan has made the vigorous pursuit of domestic violence offenses an administrative priority. The Family Violence Project unit was an innovative program when it began in the DA's Office in 1980. Then, it was the first domestic violence advocacy program in the state to advocate from within the criminal justice system, as opposed to from the position of an outside agency. District Attorney Hallinan was built on this foundation by reorganizing the DA's Office to include a distinct division entitled Crimes Against Women, Children, the Elderly, and Intimate Partners. He established two domestic violence-only vertical prosecution units to include both felony and misdemeanor crimes. The Family Violence Project also operates in this division. Finally, an entire courtroom has recently been assigned to exclusively hear misdemeanor domestic violence cases, Department 18 (DV Court).

Our internal advocacy position provides tremendous advantages, such as having immediate access to the police, attorneys, and the criminal courts. This access aids in my personal ability to tackle the two major issues I was hired to address: 1. make the criminal justice system user-friendly to LGBT survivors; and 2. nudge some elements of gay communities out of their state of denial.

Toward these goals, we have printed LGBT-specific brochures about our services, organized seminars for attorneys, trained the police, and embarked on a LGBT-specific Muni bus poster campaign. Direct advocacy entails explaining the criminal justice system and related elements of the civil system, acting as a liaison to the assistant DA assigned to a particular case, and providing court accompaniment and community-based referrals throughout the duration of the proceedings.

We are here to affirm and serve you.

Crystal H. Weston is the Same-Sex/Transgender Advocate at the Family Violence Project of the S.F. District Attorney's Office. In November, she became the nation's first fulltime domestic violence survivor's advocate hired to focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. (415) 552-7550.

S.F. Women Against Rape

Anti-rape activists are needed to support sexual assault survivors as San Francisco Women Against Rape counselor training begins Oct. 30. For more information, call Janelle at 861-2024.

Bill for Student Language

A bill requiring one year in foreign language for high school students was passed Sept. 18 by the State Assembly and currently awaits the Governor's signature. Currently, California requires one year in art or foreign language.

This bill is an important step in restoring arts education into the schools and ensuring California students are adequately prepared to meet the challenges of a changing world and workplace.

Day of the Bat

A Day of the Bat event featuring live bat ambassadors, videos, children's activities, books, gifts and tee-shirts will take place Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room C-260 at Fort Mason. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children over 5. Call 931-5775 for information.

Free Lead Workshop

Attend a free workshop to learn about lead hazards in soil, the health effects associated with lead poisoning in young children and pregnant women, and create gardening and landscape methods to improve soil quality while reduce outdoor lead hazards.

Workshops are held:

*Saturday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Garden for the Environment, 7th Avenue and Lawton Street in the Sunset.

*Saturday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at St. Mary's Urban Youth Farm on Alemany Boulevard just past Elsworth Street.

Recycling Program Promotes Waste Prevention

San Francisco has a goal of preventing waste and recovering 50 percent of the resources discarded in the City by the year 2000. This goal is mandated by the California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB939) and outlined in the City's Source Reduction and Recycling Element.

The San Francisco Recycling Program promotes waste prevention and recycling citywide by supporting existing programs, planning and facilitating new projects in all sectors, and conducting extensive public outreach. As part of this effort, the Recycling Program has provided grants to many organizations for various recycling-related activities. For fiscal year 1997/98, $525,000 are budgeted for the Waste Prevention, Recycling and Market Development Grant Program.

For more information, contact Amanda Cross, Residential and Special Projects Associate at 554-3437.

Full Employment Strategy

Have input into local full employment legislation and develop strategy for its passage in a presentation Oct. 23, 12 noon by Josie Mooney, president of the San Francisco Labor Council. Space is limited by reservation only. Call 928-1205 for more information.

TV Teen Magazine Wins National Award

KRON-TV's weekly teen magazine show First Cut will receive a national 1997 Maggie Award from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Hosted by Oliver Nejad and Lisa Philibosian, First Cut won under the Television News Magazine category for its special reports on the Morning After Pill, RU-486.

The Maggie Awards will be presented at the PPFA gala awards banquet on Nov. 15 in Phoenix.

San Franciscans Are Urged to Get Out Their Brooms
For "The Great Sweep" of City's Streets November 8

by Mayor Willie Brown

On Nov. 8, thousands of San Franciscans will take to the streets with their brooms, dust pans, and garbage bags as part of a citywide effort to make our City by the Bay even more beautiful. Led by the Department of Public Works and Golden Gate Disposal, the City is organizing a four-hour, citywide cleanup called The Great Sweep--and we're asking all San Francisco residents to participate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On that Saturday, we will be picking up litter, cans, garbage, and other debris all over town. We'll hit the streets in force, San Franciscans from every walk of life, to clean things up, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood.

It's a simple, but profound idea: Divide the City into 10 sections, assign one city official to take responsibility for each of the sections, organize clean-up teams within each section, identify hot spots that require extra attention, and dispatch volunteers to clean-up every corner of the City.

Already, there is a massive organizing effort underway to see that our army of volunteers is utilized in the most efficient, and expansive manner possible. I've started by directing every Department head in the Brown Administration to tackle a specific area of the City, and I've asked all city workers to join in on the effort.

We've called upon hundreds of community-based non-profits to help make The Great Sweep a success, along with local businesses, big and small. And they're all responding with great enthusiasm and energy. So far, it seems everybody wants to get behind this great collective broom that will sweep through the streets of San Francisco.

And I'm hoping you, your friends, your family, your neighbors, everyone, will join us as well. Together, we'll make San Francisco--from Hunters Point to the Richmond, North Beach to the Sunset, from the Tenderloin to Diamond Heights, the Excelsior to the Castro--an even more pleasant place to live. There are two key ways to take part in the November 8 Great Sweep:

1) At the very least, you can participate by cleaning up in front of your home or place of business on Nov. 8.

2) Even better, you can join the thousands of volunteers who will organize clean-up teams in their own neighborhoods or be dispatched to hot spots--parks, industrial areas, etc.--all over the City. To volunteer, call (415) 554-5447.

The potential benefits of a successful Great Sweep in November are staggering. In addition to adding some luster to our City's already gleaming image, we'll have improved the mood and the climate of each of our neighborhoods. We'll have demonstrated to our children what volunteerism is all about--what community is all about. And we'll have shown, to the world and to each other, what we can do when we pull together as a team.

Just as our beloved San Francisco Giants were able to show to the world what they could do when they pulled together as a team, gutting out win after win this season, we as citizens should take this opportunity to team up and win one for the collective good of the community. Here's what you need to do on Nov. 8:

*Bring your own broom and dust pan.

*Bring and wear gloves and appropriate clothing for the weather (i.e. sunblock, rain gear)

*Bring plenty of water to drink. Pick up litter and recyclables in appropriate containers.

*Pick litter out of fences, planters and gutters. Leave garbage and recycling bags in areas team captains have designated.

*Don't pick up anything sharp, hazardous, or unsanitary.

*Let your team leader or block captain know the location of the item so appropriate personnel can retrieve it.

*Don't discard household or business trash--this is only a street and sidewalk cleaning effort.

And of course, we'd like you to join the team today, so we can plug you into the organization that's now forming to cover every square inch of our 49-square-mile city. the Great Sweep will be a lot of fun, and we need you and the people you know to make it even better. The more the merrier--and the cleaner your neighborhood will be. To volunteer, or to find out more about the Nov. 8  Great Sweep, call the 24-Hour Information Hotline at 554-5447.

Five Years Ago in the Grapevine

OCTOBER 1992

*Along with the hundreds of corporate executive fanned out throughout the City to contribute for half-day stints at various United Way agencies, more than 30 volunteers from a dozen downtown firms worked at Visitacion Valley Community Center in Childcare, the Senior Program, the Afterschool Program, on food distribution lines, and on the October issue of the Grapevine.

*Since August, Visitacion Valley had six teams playing on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 10 p.m. in a Midnight Basketball League.

*Valley youth helped put together Totally Cool 'Vine, the Grapevine's new youth section.

*Neighbors of the Excelsior (NOTE) organized a McLaren Park cleanup day scheduled  for Oct. 3.

*S.F. Unified School District considered relocating John O'Connell School to Wilson High school by February 1993.

Suggestions for a Safe Halloween

Here are some helpful suggestions to ensure a safe Halloween:

*Each group of children should have an adult escort when trick or treating.
*An adult should check all trick or treat candy and remember which house gave which candy.
*Don't allow toddlers or small children to eat candy directly out of their candy bags, as a lump of candy can be a choking hazard.
*Apply reflective tape to costumes and use flashlights when walking at night.
*Use makeup instead of rubber masks. Makeup reduces heat, makes breathing easier and does not obstruct vision.
*Avoid long costumes that can trip children when they are walking up and down stairs. Tell the children to always use handrails.
*Remember that small children are more affected by extremely hot or cold weather.
*Be extra cautious when using candles to illuminate jack 'o lanterns. Be careful with flammable decorations.
*Use crosswalks and make sure any cars approaching an intersection are stopping before crossing.
Please be careful and think safety this Halloween.

Being Safe in Your Neighborhood

Here are some helpful low-cost and no-cost safety tips for Grapevine readers:

PERSONAL
*When in doubt whether or not a situation should require police involvement, call the police.
*Try to avoid going places alone by walking or riding the bus in groups whenever possible.
*Do not carry any more cash, credit cards or keys than you will be using before you return home.
*Use a phone booth to report crimes if you want to keep your identity confidential.
*Use a bank checking account instead of making cash transactions.
*Don't flash or expose money or jewelry; observe who is around you if you are withdrawing a large amount of cash from an ATM.
*Avoid high crime and unfamiliar areas by knowing where you are going.
*Form senior escort programs using young adult and adult volunteers.
*Don't walk into the middle of a group of people loitering on the sidewalk. Cross the street and avoid them.
*When walking, cross the street to avoid unknown danger spots such as: large bushes, dark doorways, strangers and unleashed dogs.
*Carry a flashlight when walking at night.
Remember, don't expect law enforcement officers to be everywhere all the time, or government agencies to be responsible for funding or advocating safety. Crime prevention and awareness training will only work if the advice is used.

AUTOMOBILES
*Get abandoned cars towed out of the neighborhood as soon as possible. This discourages use of stolen cars and parts from the cars being stolen.
*Keep cars locked and alarms on. Don't leave bags, packages or other items exposed on the seats.
*Remove all extra tools and other items from a vehicle's trunk or camper shell that do not need to be there.
*Do not leave keys in an ignition when getting out of a vehicle to pay for gas or do a quick errand.
*Set up a network of ride sharing with friends and neighbors.

HOUSE
*Replace outside lights with motion detector lights. Add exterior lighting to avoid extremely dark areas.
*Remove all large hedges and bushes that are around doorways and entrance ways.
*Look out the window when there are unusual noises, dogs barking or car alarms sounding.
*Install a monitored house alarm system.

Sez Who?

Match quotes to speakers.

1. "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."
2. "You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred."
3. "If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered."
4. "Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes."
5. "The point of living, and of being an optimist, is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come."
6. "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
7. "A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns."
8. "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."
9. "A radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air."

A. Edgar Allen Poe
B. Andy Rooney
C. Franklin D. Roosevelt
D. Milton Berle
E. George Burns
F. Ralph Waldo Emerson
G. Peter Ustinov
H. Woody Allen
I. Mario Puzo

Answers: 1-D, 2-H, 3-A, 4-F, 5-G, 6-B, 7-I, 8-E, 9-C.

Historic Proportions

Match clues to answers.

1959

1. On Jan. 3, this territory becomes the 49th state.
2. Now a collector's classic, this car was known as a colossal flop.
3. College students started doing this stunt.
4. World Series champs.
5. Champions of the NBA.
6. Starting Oct. 15, they were constantly raiding places.
7. He was singing Mack the Knife.
8. Actor Edd Byrnes portrayed this cool guy.
9. On Feb. 12, a new flipside for these.
10. Cuba comes under the power of this man.
11. On Sept. 12, the Cartwrights rode into viewers living rooms.
12. Best Actor in a Series at the Emmy Awards.
13. On Aug. 21 we get state number 50.
14. Choo-Choo Charlie was pushing this.
15. Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
16. Starting Oct. 2, people could enter "another dimension."
17. He was zipping around in a chariot in Ben-Hur.
18. A new soft drink from the Coca-Cola people.

A. Boston Celtics
B. Bobby Darin
C. Bonanza
D. The Untouchables
E. GiGi
F. Edsel
G. Good & Plenty
H. Hawaii
I. Raymond Burr
J. Fanta
K. Twilight Zone
L. Telephone booth stuffing
M. Los Angeles Dodgers
N. Kookie
O. Alaska
P. Charlton Heston
Q. Lincoln head cents
R. Fidel Castro

Answers: 1-O; 2-F; 3-L; 4-M; 5-A; 6-D; 7-B; 8-N; 9-Q; 10-R; 11-C; 12-I; 13-H; 14-G; 15-E; 16-K; 17-P; 18-J.

...At the Randall Museum

Sign-ups begin 12:30 for 1 p.m. classes.  Space is limited. No organized groups please.  Some spaces can be reserved for members--call 554-9600 for information.  Young Audiences Arts Card holders receive a 2 for 1 discount.  $4-10 a person sliding scale.  Adults must accompany children under 8.

OCT 4: String Instruments: Make your own unconventional string instrument inspired by the African Konting Konting.

OCT 11: Wickerwork Baskets: Use a simple technique to create your own colorful wicker basket.

OCT 18: Plastic Castings: Make a plaster casting of your own face or hands and paint it. This is really fun and messy art--dress for mess. Perfect for Halloween.

OCT 25: Skeleton Masks: Get ready for this season's ghosts with skeleton masks you can make yourself.

PUMPKIN CARVING
Drop in and carve a spooky pumpkin from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 25 to light up your Halloween festivities. First come first serve. Pumpkins are $2-5.

FAMILY CERAMICS
Try a variety of great projects in a fun introduction to clay work for ages 3 and up, 10-11:15 a.m. Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25.

FREE ON SATURDAYS
Meet the Animals Talk at 11 a.m.; Animal Feeding at 12 noon; Model Railroad Exhibit on second and fourth Saturday, 12:30 to 5 p.m.