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| Don't Let Your Glass
Go to Waste
By David Assmann
Glass manufacturing is one of the oldest of human industries. People have been making glass for more than 3,000 years. You would expect that since we've been making glass for so long, that we'd be surrounded by mountains of old glass. But fortunately, glass, made primarily from sand, soda ash and limestone, is one of the easiest materials to recycle. In fact, even the manufacture of new glass requires the use of some already used glass. Glass recycling itself is a straightforward process. Used glass bottles and jars are mixed with raw materials and heated in a melting furnace up to 2800 degrees Fahrenheit. The molten glass is then shaped in a forming machine and turned into new glass products. Not only is glass easy to recycle, but it can be recycled indefinitely (that glass container you used this morning could have glass in it that was manufactured during the Gold Rush), and it is recycled right here in the Bay Area. We currently recycle about 27 million pounds of glass a year in San Francisco -- 58 percent of the 46 million pounds of recyclable glass used in San Francisco. While this is higher than the national average, this still means we send more than 19 million pounds of glass to the landfill every year. Glass makes up about 10 percent of the waste we generate (nationwide glass makes up about 6 percent of the waste stream). Glass production is declining as the result of increasing competition from plastic and aluminum containers. Most glass is used for containers. Until the 1960s, most glass beverage containers were refillable. Milk used to be delivered in glass bottles and could be returned to be refilled and used up to 30 times or more. Today, less than 5 percent of glass containers are refillable. A return to refillable bottles (which Sweden has done successfully) could save 90 percent of the raw materials used in the manufacture of glass bottles. It could also save energy. It takes almost 4,000 BTUs of energy to make one new 12-ounce beverage container, whereas a 12-ounce refillable container used 10 times would require less than 700 BTUs of energy. However, since refillable glass containers are still hard to find, the next best thing is to recycle your glass container. By recycling glass containers, you can help reduce energy use for glass containers by up to 30 percent, reduce air pollution (recycled glass production produces less sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide) and help preserve valuable landfill space. You also reduce the amount of mining waste created. Three hundred eighty-four pounds of waste are created for every ton of glass produced -- 50 percent recycled glass reduces this waste by 75 percent. All glass containers, including bottles and jars, are recyclable. For curbside collection, you can put the glass containers directly in your blue bin, or if you live in an apartment, you can deposit your glass containers in a paper bag and put them out on the curb Sunday nights at 8 p.m.). You do not need to remove the paper labels (these burn off in the glass furnace). About 80 percent of glass containers remain intact during the recycling collection and sorting process. During the sorting process they are separated into three groups by color: green, clear and brown. The containers are then sold to glass manufacturers who grind the glass and size it down to be fired en mass, in a furnace. The 20 percent of glass that gets broken must be sold as mixed color residual pieces. These are sold to fiberglass companies in California where they are ground into a fine powder and used for fiberglass insulation. The use of recycled content in glass containers and fiberglass is mandated by law in California. Glass containers must contain a minimum of 35 percent recycled content. Fiberglass must contain at least 30 percent recycled content. Recycled glass makes sense. It saves resources and landfill space, reduces pollution, and helps provide jobs right here in the Bay Area. And finally, if you've just finished
repainting your house or apartment and don't know what to do with your
leftover latex paint, there are now 10 locations in San Francisco that
accept leftover latex paint. They include all three Cole Hardware locations,
Brownie's Hardware, Building Resources, Papenhausen Hardware and Goodman
Lumber. For more information, call the Hazardous Waste Hotline at 554-4333.
Rally for Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks Continuing with plans for an organic community farm run by and for the people of Visitacion Valley, Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks and the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners (SLUG) will hold a rally and picnic on Saturday, August 30 starting 11 a.m. at the SLUG Community Garden on Arleta Avenue. near Rutland Street. Friends members are optimistic about several plots of unused land throughout the Valley that could be used as community gardens by local residents. These plots include several Reis Tracts currently owned by the San Francisco Water Department and are adjacent both east and west to Rutland Street between Leland and Tioga Avenues. At a regular Friends meeting Aug. 2
at the Visitacion Valley Community Center, those in attendance also discussed
plans for a greenbelt with paths and picnic tables linking Tioga Street
to Leland Avenue, a revitalized minipark, expanded recreation areas, and
a 4H program for neighborhood youth.
Valley Library Planning Events Visitacion Valley Library is currently
planning two family-oriented events to be held on a Sunday.
The branch library, located at 45 Leland
Ave., is also considering a return visit by a performer who drew an audience
of more than 100 on a previous visit.
School Volunteers to Hold Recruitment Fair In an effort to build public support enthusiasm for volunteering in the City's public schools, San Francisco School Volunteers (SFSV) and a local radio station will sponsor a Volunteer Recruitment Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Justin Herman Plaza. This event will highlight the many opportunities available in public schools throughout the City's neighborhoods. From 12 noon to 1 p.m., SFSV will be
joined by local radio personalities to promote excellence in education
through community involvement.
Volunteer Meetings for Recycling Program The S.F. Recycling Program offers volunteers opportunities to participate in waste prevention with the Recycling and Hazardous Waste Programs through monthly meetings held the first Wednesday of each month. Projects involve research, database development and environmental education. Next meetings are Aug. 6 and Sept. 3
at 5:30 p.m., 1145 Market St., Suite 401 (between 7th and 8th Sts.) Call
554-3404 for more information.
Survey Finds Credit Card Fees Up 17 Percent While fierce competition for credit-worthy customers, plus low interest rates, are keeping rates down on credit cards--as low as 8.5 percent--many banks are scrambling to squeeze money out of their cardholders by increasing traditional fees and creating new ones. Consumer Action's (CA) recently released 1997 Annual Credit Card Survey reveals that credit card fees have risen substantially in the past two years, accompanied by outrageous new anti-consumer practices. While many cardholders are paying off their balances in full each month and paying no annual or other fees, others are being charged record-high late fees, cash advance fees and over the credit limit fees--plus new, penalty-type finance charges. When CA looked at how fees on surveyed cards had changed since 1995, it found that late fees had increased by 26 percent, over the credit limit fees by 24 percent and cash advance maximum fees by 17 percent. (All percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole figure.) "Consumers had better read their card agreements carefully, especially any notice they receive of changes in practices," warned Ken McEldowney, CA executive director. "If you don't, you may get hit with a late fee or a higher interest rate--or even a fee that penalizes you for paying off your balance on time." In May and June, CA surveyed 100 standard credit cards from 68 banks and found interest rates as high as 21.4 percent (Crestar Bank), with 52 cards at 15 percent and below. Fifty-seven of the cards do not have annual fees, and most have variable interest rates tied to the prime lending rate. These results, showing an average interest rate of $14.87 percent, were comparable to CA's 1995 survey, which recorded an average interest rate of 15.4 percent. But when CA compared fees from 1995 to 1997, the results were staggering: the average late fee had jumped from $13.09 to $16.48--an increase of about 26 percent in just two years. "In 1995, no one we surveyed charged more than $18 as a late fee," said Linda Sherry, CA editorial director. "But now 46 cards have late fees of $20 or more." In addition, warned Sherry, many banks now assess late fees much earlier than they ever did before. Late fees may not have been a major concern to cardholders in the past, because banks have waited anywhere from a few to 30 days past the due date before recording a late fee. But now some credit card companies, including AT&T Universal Card, MBNA America and Citibank, have begun to charge late fees sooner--in some cases, when the payment is only one day late. "The combination of higher late fees and a shorter leniency period is not a good one for cardholders," noted Sherry. "Even people who make timely payments could be hit with a late fee if their payment was delayed in the mail." CA sees this as a part of an industry-wide approach to "penalize" consumers who get behind with payments. The credit card industry has repeatedly pointed to rising levels of consumer debt, credit delinquencies and personal bankruptcy as reasons for strict new policies. Higher charges are also being assessed for over the limit fees. (These fees may be charged each month that your balance exceeds your credit limit.) Two years ago, CA found only one bank charging $20. This year, 43 cards have over the credit limit fees of $20, while four would hit cardholders with $25. In two years, the average over the limit fee has increased about 24 percent, from $14.15 to $17.63. The practice of charging for cash advances
also has taken an anti-consumer turn. In 1995, average charges were 2.2
percent of the amount advanced, with an average maximum limit on the fee
of $17.
More disturbing to CA is the introduction of new kinds of charges, which seem designed to get as many cardholders as possible to pay more in fees. In 1997, several banks said they will assess an annual fee on "inactive accounts" or waive existing annual fees if customers meet certain use requirements. NationsBank said it would charge a $19 annual fee if the card is not used at least three times per year. Columbus Bank & Trust will waive its $25 annual fee if the card is used at least six times a year. Sanwa Bank of California will waive its $15 fee if you make at least $500 in purchases during the year, while Republic National Bank and Union Bank of California require at least $3,000 in purchases to avoid their annual fees of $18 and $24. "Credit card companies love cardholders
who carry a balance and make only minimum monthly payments," noted Sherry.
"That's where they make steady income. All other cardholders air fair game
for new and ever more creative charges."
Online Site Improves Child Safety A new Kids Safe online area designed to help improve child safety has been established for the greater San Francisco area. Digital City Kids Safe provides local residents an array of information on child safety, from violence prevention to identifying local resources such as police departments and poison control centers. The cornerstone of this new area, created in partnership with Digital City parent American Online (AOL) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a Kid Patrol program. Kid Patrol will aid in the search for missing or abducted children by posting photos and information online similar to those seen on milk cartons nationwide. This will help quickly spread the word that a child is missing throughout the local online community on Digital City San Francisco (DCSF) and to AOL's more than 8 million members. "This program is a wonderful example of how the online community can help create solutions for serious problems in the offline community, building on what we do best--sharing valuable information in a fast and far-reaching way," said Digital City President and CEO Paul DeBenedictis. "Children's safety is a major concern in the San Francisco area," added Bill Gorman, general manager for DCSF. "This program will provide our community with a rapid response mechanism for information about missing or abducted children while they may still be in the area--helping to find them more quickly." Following the report of a missing child to the National Center, Digital City will post information and a photo of the child (if available) that will appear as consumers enter the Digital City Kids Safe area. AOL will post missing child alert icons throughout its 21 channels and information will also be spotlighted on AOL's Welcome screen. The immediacy of the interactive medium creates a powerful opportunity to share information on a missing child within the first 36 hours after a disappearance--the most critical period in the recovery effort. Currently, it can take from just a few hours to several days to disseminate vital information on a missing child. As part of the program, DCSF will also
host live chats with parents and law enforcement officials and post message
boards with updates of search information that could help return missing
children to their families. DCSF will also work with local community organizations
to sponsor both online and offline events to raise public awareness of
the program.
Light Rail Line Will Help City's Southeast Communities By Mayor Willie Brown In 1988, more than 65 percent of the City's electorate voted in favor of a half-cent sales tax for one of San Francisco's most important--and most neglected--transportation goals, paving the way for a light rail transit system in the Bayshore Corridor. Nearly a decade later, the project has languished, and the City's southeastern corner has remained isolated. But all that's about to change. San Francisco knew in 1988 what is so glaringly obvious today: We must bridge the gap, socially and economically, between the southeastern section of town and the rest of the City, and an efficient means of public transportation down Third Street is the way to do it. The Third Street light rail line is the very bridge we need to connect the Bayshore Corridor and Mission Bay to the rest of San Francisco. Past studies have indicated that the Bayview-Hunters Point area will grow by an astounding 50 percent by the year 2000, and along with several promising development projects in the area, the need for healthy and accessible public transportation has never been more apparent. Starting in the southernmost portion of the Bayshore area will be the 49ers' new stadium/mall complex. This cooperative effort between the City and the 49ers, set to open in 2001, will likely be the cornerstone for future development plans in the area that will necessitate a dependable transit system. The 49ers project is designed to create 1,500 construction jobs; 1,600 permanent mall jobs; and 750 part-time jobs. The 49ers have also pledged that a high percentage of these jobs will be reserved for residents of Bayview-Hunters Point, and that 1,000 former welfare recipients trained by the City will also be employed at the new complex. These initiatives to improve the social and economic setting of this long-neglected area illustrate the need to safely deliver the Bayview's 280,000 residents to and from these newly created jobs. Clearly, the Third Street light rail line will offer a reliable means of transportation through the heart of the Bayview/Hunters Point district, and connect the southeastern section of town with the Financial District, Chinatown, and the rest of the public transportation network. Moving farther north along Third Street is Mission Bay, another development project that will no doubt also bring employment and prosperity to the eastern part of the City. Clustered around Third Street will be the new University of California-San Francisco Medical Center and a housing development site at Mission Creek. At Mission Creek,the Catellus Corp. and the City's nonprofit housing development corporations will build up to 3,000 housing units, 20 percent of which will be affordable housing. The UCSF Medical Center will build its new 43-acre campus along Third Street, bringing in some 9,1`00 new employees; 940 of these positions will be entry level. These low and middle income families that will take up residence in Mission Creek and the surrounding areas will be dependent upon the Third Street light rail line to travel south for employment in Bayview-Hunters point or north to reach employment downtown. The residents of San Francisco as a whole will also use this new transit system to get to games, go to the new mall-entertainment center, or frequent the many restaurants and businesses along Third Street that will benefit from the new influx of visitors. In this way, CalTrain and Muni can coexist, since the Third Street light rail line will provide a much-needed intra-city transit line that meets the needs of the Bayshore/Mission Bay community, while CalTrain services Peninsula and other Bay Area commuters. Along the farthest northern portion of these new development areas will be the Giants' new ballpark at China Basin. The beautifully designed baseball-only stadium--where sluggers will knock home runs over the right field wall into the Bay--will bring with it up to 350,000 feet of new entertainment and retail space. The Third Street light rail line will allow residents from the Bayshore Corridor and Mission Bay to travel north to China Basin to work at the stadium or simply enjoy a Giants baseball game and surrounding amenities. Clearly, the Third Street light rail line will facilitate the integration of the Bayview-Hunters Point, Mission Bay, and China Basin communities with each other as well as with the rest of the City. It will reduce traffic congestion and allow people to easily make the transfer from automobile travel to public transportation. And it will rejuvenate the business climate of the Third Street corridor, allowing local merchants to prosper in concert with the new bustle of activity throughout the southeastern section of town. The successful unification of these communities and their link to the rest of the City hinges upon a convenient and accessible transportation system. Transit service is crucial for employers, employees, and residents of these communities, as well as for the great numbers of visitors to the area. The City as a whole benefits when one neighborhood is lifted from the economic doldrums--in terms of new property and sales tax revenues,, fewer jobless and destitute people on the public dole, greater public safety, and civic harmony. We should therefore view these development
projects as the impetus for a new face for this portion of the City, and
the Third Street light rail line is the very road that will take us into
this new San Francisco. It's time we bring the Bayview back into the City.
Five Years Ago in the Grapevine AUGUST 1992 *John Stewart Company was selected by HUD to manage the overall operations of Geneva Towers and to coordinate and oversee the rehabilitation and improvement of the total development. *Marquis Associates was also selected through a competitive process as architect to develop a conceptual future master plan for Geneva Towers. *El Dorado Neighborhood Betterment Council held its first-ever barbecue on a sunny afternoon on June 27. *SLUG started offering plots at its community garden on Arleta Avenue. *Commander James Arnold of both Potrero and Ingleside police stations announced expansion of the CPOP program into Sunnydale. *Geneva Towers began a library book drive to help start a youth-oriented library. Historic Proportions Match clues to answers.
A. Easy-Bake Oven
Answers: 1-Q, 2-F, 3-R, 4-P, 5-I, 6-K,
7-D, 8-C, 9-M, 10-A, 11-H, 12-O, 13-B, 14-L, 15-G, 16-N, 17-E, 18-J.
Sez Who? Match quotes to speakers. 1. "When choosing between two evils,
I always like to pick the one I never tried before."
A. George Burns
Answers: 1-E, 2-H, 3-D, 4-I, 5-A, 6-G,
7-C, 8-B, 9-F.
Job Announcements Visitacion Valley Beacon is a community collaborative of enrichment, recreational, social and academic services for youth and families in Visitacion Valley. Community Advocate: The Community Advocate serves as an outreach worker and liaison between the Beacon and school or community agencies, groups and programs. This position will need to provide some written and verbal translation, attend community meetings and events to network and outreach; be a liaison between families and service agencies. Possible projects include soliciting donations from community businesses and assisting in developing our parent resource center and volunteer programs. Qualifications: Must be bilingual in English and Spanish, Cantonese or Mandarin; college degree or equivalent experience in community advocacy or youth programming; excellent organizational, computer and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to be a team player and self-starter; substantial experience working with community organizations and/or schools. May be full or part time. Range $22-25,000, includes benefits. Program Assistant: The Program Assistant is responsible for data collection, reports, office management, internal financial protocols and communication systems. The Program Assistant supports programming by managing supplies, data entry, equipment, program reports, fliers and schedules, office management and special projects as assigned by the Beacon director. Qualifications: Must have office experience with strong computer, communication and organizational skills, be a team player and self starter, experience working with community organizations and/or schools. Bilingual a plus. Range $25-28,000, includes benefits. Please mail cover letter and resume
to VVCB Job Search, 450 Raymond Ave., #101, San Francisco, CA 94134; or
fax to (415) 452-4910.
Blues and Art Coming to Polk Street Blues & Art on Polk, San Francisco's biggest and boldest free blues festival will come to Polk Street on Labor Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Down home and rockin' blues set the tone for this event celebtrating the street's rich past and vibrant present. Polk is filled with arts and music as well as gourmet festival foods and beverages at outdoor cafes in one of the City's historic shopping districts.. Blues enthusiasts can bask in the sounds of Bay Area favorites as well as some surprise guests as top bands play for listening and dancing. Admission is free. |