Page A5
December 29,1999
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Family Living
Recycle your Christmas tree for
a ’mulch’ healthier environment
CONTRIBUTED STORI
Don’t treat your Christmas tree like garbage - recycle it
and support a non-profit community organization at the
same time. See the attached list o f drop-off and pickup
services available in your community. Last year nonprofit
community groups and recycling businesses recycled
nearly 60,000 trees into compost, mulch orchips used for
walking paths and landscaping.
Metro Recycling Information has a list ofapproximately
160 drop-off sites and pickup services operated by
nonprofit community groups and business throughout
the metropolitan region. Group will collect trees during
On IVednesday, December 22, forty residents o f the King neighborhood volunteered to host a holiday
dinner fo r youths at the Boys & Girls Club, located at 5250 NE MLK Blvd. Some o f the volunteers
included officers from the NE Precinct and Natures Northwest who served a traditional holiday meal o f
turkey and all the trimmings to 100-200 young residents o f the King Neighborhood in NE Portland.
Get ready for ice! Tri-Met offers tips
Winter weather could be here as
early as Monday, so now is the time
to get ready. Each year when snow
and ice arrives, Tri-Met welcomes 20
to 30 percent more riders who want to
avoid the stress o f foul w eather
driving.
To find out about bus routes in
your area, call now at: 503/238-RIDE;
TTY 503/238-5811, from 7:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. on weekdays, or visit the
Tri-Met website.
During bad weather, Tri-Met will
be at major transit centers to assist
riders.
Please use these additional resources
to leam if your bus is on a snow route
before leaving home:
Call Tri-M et’s Snow & Ice Line
at 503/231-3197 foraround-the-clock
recorded updates on route changes
Immediate snow and ice route
u p d a te s at w w w .tri-m e t.o rg /
detour.htm. A new feature this year,
check this website for the latest
information before you leave home.
Listen to radio or watch TV for
updates
Foul weather tips:
Dress warmly.
Expect some delays: Like other
vehicles, Tri-M et vehicles travel
slower and more cautiously in snow
and on ice. More people may also be
boarding vehicles.
Buses may not be on their regular
schedules, but Tri-Met tries to keep
them evenly spaced so they serve
each stop regularly.
If your stop is at the top o f a hill,
walk to the bottom.
Be cautious: Buses can slide
when coming to a stop. Customers
should stand on the curb until the
vehicle comes to a complete stop.
Minimum wage rate stays put in 2000
A lot o f things are due to change in 2000.
But Oregon’s minimum wage is staying the same at $6.50
per hour.
The bureau ’s technical assistance for em ployers’
information line has received a dozens o f calls and e-mails
during the past weeks asking if the minimum wage were
increasing to $7 per hour. “We have the general impression
that many think that the minimum wage is due for one more
incremental increase,” said public information officer, Joan
Stevens-Schwenger. “After three consecutive years o f
increases, many do not seem to be sure about what
happens next.”
Oregon’s voters mandated a three-step minimum wage
increase in 1996. The rate jum ped from $4.75 to $5.50 per
hour in 1997, to $6 per hour in 1998 and to $6.50 January 1,
1999. There are no increases slated for 2000. Although
Congress has discussed raising the federal minimum wage
$1 to $6.15 per hour, such an increase would not affect
Oregon employers who must pay the higher state rate.
Are your pipes ready for Y2K?
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Each year, tens o f thousands o f
families are victims o f a preventable
disaster-frozen pipes. During an
average w inter, State Farm, the
nation’s leading home insurer, will
pay out about $57 million for water
damage claims related to pipes that
freeze and burst. With Y2K, this figure
could possibly go up.
Every winter, it is homeowners who
have the most control over whether
life goes on as normal or whether they
face the chore o f cleaning up when a
frozen, b u rst pipe sends w ater
cascading into their house.
Homeowners can avoid frozen pipes
by having adequate insulation where
pipes run along outside walls, floors
and ceilings. They can disconnect
outside garden hoses, wrap exposed
pipes with insulating sleeves or tape
and seal foundation cracks that let
arctic air freeze pipes in crawlspaces.
But there are a couple o f simple
tasks that may take homeowners only
about two minutes but can help
protect pipes and homes when a
severe freeze is predicted:
•
Open cabinet doors to allow heat
to get to piping under sinks and
vanities near exterior walls.
•
Run a small trickle o f water at
vulnerable cold and hot faucets.
The destructive power o f an open
w a te r p ip e sh o u ld n o t be
underestimated. State Farm claim
reco rd s show dam age into the
hundreds o f thousands o f dollars in
some homes that fall prey to a single
frozen, broken pipe. A one-eight-inch
(3 millimeters) split ina pipe can spray
more than 250 gallons (946 liters) o f
water a day - ruining floors, soaking
carpets and furniture, and possibly
destroying irreplaceable personal
belongings like family photos and
heirlooms.
For more information on avoiding
the preventable disaster o f frozen
pipes, contact State Farm Public
A ffa irs o r see o u r W eb site :
www.statefarm.com.
A satellite video feed in English and
in Spanish is available from 12:00 p.m.
to 12:15 p.m. P.T. Satellite: Telstar4
(C-Band), T ransponder 6, Audio 6.2,
6.8 (both feeds.)
tn
several weekends following Christmas; Dec. 26, Jan. 1-2,8-
9 and 15-16.
The small fee or donation requested supports activities o f
groups including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Future
Farmers o f America, churches and schools.
Nonprofit organizations provide Christmas tree recycling
as community services and to earn money for projects.
Some groups wi 11 accept wreaths, swags and flocked trees;
check with Metro Recycling Information for locations.
Dumping trees when site is closed creates a hardship and
reduces the profit for these groups.
Call Metro Recycling Information, 234-3000, to leam more
about tree recycling options. Hotline hours are 8:30 a.m. to
5p.m. Monday through Saturday
Community Alliance of Tenants
Having Problems with y c ir Rental Housing because o f Mold or Mildew? Talk to county and city
officials and leam about your rights and available resources at a free workshop sponsored by the
Community Alliance o f Tenants on Tuesday, January 1 l ,h at 7:00 to 8:30 pm at 2710 NE 14th
Avenue in Portland. This event is bus and wheelchair accessible and childcare can be arranged in
advance. Call 460-9702 for more information and to register.
cooking
IN A COOL KITCHEN
th e m ic ro w a v e w ay
(D M )-C hili can be a year-round
recipe, especially when you utilize
the benefits of the microwave oven
to simmer the mixture while keeping
the kitchen cool. The recipe for
Texas-Style Hot Chili calls for two
meats and seasonings you can adjust
for personal preference - less for
m ild and more for “ fire h o t.”
Whirlpool Corporation home econo­
mists suggest topping each bowlful
with shredded cheese and then a
spoonful of sour cream.
TEXAS-STYLE HOT CHILI
(8 servings. Total cooking time:
1 hour, 20 minutes)
8 ounces Italian sausage links
IVi pounds beef chuck roast,
finely cubed
1 cup chopped onion
Vi cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 dried red chili pepper,
crumbled
1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
3-5 teaspoons chili powder
y* teaspoon dried oregano,
crushed
1 can (12 oz.) tomato paste
2 cups water
Vi teaspoon salt
1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans,
drained
Shredded American or
Cheddar cheese
1. Slice sausage into large
microwave-safe bowl or casserole.
C over and m icrow ave at HIGH
(100%) for 5 minutes or until thor­
oughly cooked, stirring 3 tim es;
drain off fat. Stir in remaining ingre-
1
dients except for beans and cheese.
2. Cover and microwave at MEDI­
UM (50%) for 45 minutes. Stir in
beans. C over and m icrow ave at
MEDIUM for 30 minutes longer.
Serve topped with shredded cheese
and, if desired, a spoonful of sour
cream.
Nutrition Information (per serv­
ing): 396 calories, 39g protein,
18g fat, 109mg ch o lestero l,
19g carbohydrates, 604mg sodium.
W hirlpool M icro-Fact: The use
of microwave energy for cooking
was discovered in the early 1940's
when a researcher found a melted
candy bar in his pocket. He was
working on a military project with
high-frequency radio w aves.
Subsequent work to confine this
form of energy in a metal cavity led
to the introduction of home
microwave ovens in the 1950’s. Not
until the early 1970's did the
m icrow ave oven become widely
available for home cooking.
Editor’s Note: Color photos are available upon request, call 630-960-4690.
SPA dé
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