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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2000)
The INDEPENDENT, May 17, 2000 Page 5 Paper or plastic? Which is more environmentally sound after What do you answer when asked “paper or plastic” at the grocery store? Because paper bags are made from trees - a renewable resource - and biodegrade more easily than plastic, they would seem to be favored over plastic bags, which are made from non-renewable petroleum products. But the choice be tween paper and plastic is more complicated than it first appears. The Argument For Plastic Most plastic bags are made from some form of polyethyl- Don’t wave goodbye at a mill closure. S u p p o rt Sustainable Forestry Put loggers to work, not robo-saws. S u p p o rt Sustainable Forestry ¡Jr (j INSTALL! v» Upgrade your modem, and we will install it for you without charge! ‘ Current clients or new accounts. Call TODAY fo r more inform ation! 429-4045 Pick up your FREE copy of Computer Bits at The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge 507 Rose Ave., Vernonia ene (no. 2 or no. 4). During the manufacturing process, a pa per bag made from virgin mate rial requires more energy and creates more air and waste- water pollutants than a plastic bag, although in our area, most paper bags are at least 40 per cent recycled content. Plastic bags are lighter and use up less space than paper bags. This means that landfill space is conserved on a per unit basis, even though plastic takes longer to biodegrade. A smaller comparative volume wastes less gas, since it re duces shipping needs (one truck of plastic bags hold the equivalent of seven trucks of paper bags). When recycled, plastic bags are shredded, melted and made into products such as wood-polymer lumber, drain pipes, plastic envelopes and new plastic bags. There are, however, very few places in the area that actually accept plas tic bags for recycling. Plastic bags are starting to contain more and more post consumer recycled content, of ten from other bags and from milk jugs. Check on the bag or ask your grocer if they contain post-consumer recycled mate rial. This means that a lot less virgin resources and energy are used and a lot less pollu tion is created. The Argument For Paper Brown paper bags, or kraft bags, are easy to recycle (usu ally with corrugated cardboard) and are recycled back into new kraft bags. All kraft bags in Ore gon contain recycled fibers. Some are made of 100 percent post-consumer material, com bining old bags with wood chips from old pallets. Paper can be recycled sev eral times before its fibers grow weak, whereas plastic recy cling is usually a one-time process. The market for post consumer plastic bag material is weak and the supply of virgin plastic resins is cheap and available. Thus, paper bags use far fewer virgin resources than plastic bags. Paper recy cling in this area is well estab Hazardous waste disposal slated A free hazardous waste dis posal day will be held Satur day, May 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, 20665 SW Blanton Street, in Aloha. Metro Recycling staff invites people to take advantage of the free event to get rid of old paint, pesticides, thinners, sol vents, antifreeze, art/hobby chemicals, pool/spa chemicals, poisons, and medical sharps (syringes, lancets, etc). Upon arrival at the disposal site, remain in your car. A tech nician will unload your materi als from the trunk of your vehi- cle when you reach the unload ing area. Do not smoke in the collection area. If possible, keep products in original containers. Do not mix products together, as danger ous reactions can occur. Pack containers carefully in card board boxes in your vehicle’s trunk, away from passengers and pets. Boxes and other con tainers, including gas cans, will not be returned. It is okay to bring old gasoline in milk jugs, but fill them just before you leave. Do not put items in plas tic bags. For more information, call Metro Recycling at 234-3000. lished, profitable, and done lo plastic. Reuse paper ana pias- cally, maintaining low trans tic bags as many times as pos sible, try not to double bag, portation costs. shop at stores that give bag re The Real Question Why not dispose of the de funds and use bags with high bate altogether? Getting the most use out of both types of bags reduces the demand for new ones and has a greater environmental impact than the choice between paper and Merchant Marine flag will fly here American Merchant Marine seaman have fought alongside the U.S. armed forces since 1775, while conducting the vital process of supplying materials for both military and civilian Draft horses on display at PCC The 34th annual Draft Horse ing. There will also be draft Plowing Exhibition will be Sat horse drawn hay rides and a urday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to petting zoo for the kids! 3:00 p.m. at the Portland Com Draft Horse Day 2000 will be munity College Rock Creek a day of education and family Campus. fund. Food, music and other It’s a great event for fami displays will be available. This lies, and a day to experience is a free event. For more infor and learn about another time, mation, call 645-5353. when everyday life was linked to the land. These one-ton Legion meeting for muscle-powered, organically election of officers fueled teamsters will demon American Legion Post #119 strate a time-honored method will hold a business meeting on of tilling the soil. In addition to the draft horse Tuesday, June 13. Included on activities, there will be booths the agenda is election of offi demonstrating historical crafts cers for the next year. Post #119 meets in the Le and trades such as horseshoe ing, blacksmithing, butter gion Hall, 627 Adams Avenue, churning, ice cream making, Vernonia. For more informa spinning, tatting, quilting, tion, call Ralph Sturdevant at woodcarving and basket mak- 429-6696. MAY 2000 F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 9 10111213 1 4 1 51617 191920 2122 2334252827 29293031 6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 6:30 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 1:00 p.m., New Hong Kong 7:30 p.m., VHS Library 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 7:00 p.m., LDS Church 7:00 p.m., City Library Noon, Lew’s Place 1:00 p.m., Senior Center 7:00 p.m., City Library >:30-8 p.m., Christian Church For location call 429-7193 6:30 p.m., Lew's Place For Info Call 429-4074 10:30 a.m., City Library 5:30 p.m., 1st Baptist Church For location call 429-2401 7:00 p.m., City Library For location call 429-1414 6:30 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., Head Start Bldg. 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. 7:00 p.m., City Hall For Info Call, 429-1204 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., Fire Station 8:00 p.m., District Office 1:00 p.m., Senior Center 7:00 p.m., Fire Station 7:00 p.m., WOEC needs. During World II, U.S. Merchant Marines suffered the highest rate of casualties of any branch of the service, with the exception of special units that helped protect the mer chant seamen. In 1988, U.S. Merchant Ma rine seamen were finally recog nized as military veterans of World War II. For more information about the American Merchant Marine Veterans organization, contact Vernonia resident R.N. “Chick” Jensen. The official flag of the U.S. Merchant Marine will be pre sented to Vernonia Memorial Cemetery by the Oregon Chapter of American Merchant Marine Veterans. The donated flag will fly with others along the cemetery’s Avenue of the Flags. S M T W T VERNONIA Mondays Al-Anon Mondays Alcoholics Anonymous Saturdays Alcoholics Anonymous 2nd Thursday Arts & Crafts Society 2nd Wednesday Boosters Tuesdays Boy ScouLTroop 201 Wednesdays Boy Scout Troop 860 Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 2nd Wed. Chamber of Commerce 4th Tuesday Doll Club 4th Monday Friends of the Scout Cabin Thursdays Girl Scouts 3rd Thursday Izaak Walton League 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Lions Club Nehalem Valley Car Club Mondays Preschool Story Hour Thursdays TOPS Upr Nehalem Watershed Council 4th Thursday Vernonia Airport Committee 3rd Wednesday 1st Thursday Vernonia Cares Directors 1 st & 3rd Mondays Vernonia City Council 2nd Monday Vernonia Comm. Dev. Corp 2nd Friday Vernonia Grange 2nd Thursday Vernonia Health Center 1st Thursday Vernonia Planning Comm. Vernonia Pride Last Thursday Vernonia Ridge Riders 2nd Tuesday Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Thursday Vernonia School Board 1st Friday Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Monday Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 3rd Tuesday WOEC Directors recycled-content. For more information on re cycling, visit <www.columbiace nter.org/recycling>, or call your Columbia County Recycling Coordinator at 397-1501. MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board M-B Ambulance Assoc. M-B Firefighters Assoc. M-B Rescue M-B Helping Circle Natal Grange AUGUST 2000 JUNE 2000 JULY 2000 S M T W T F S 9 M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 • 7 9 9 10 11 12 13 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 19192021222324 252927292930 1 2 3 4 5 9 7 9 12131415 19171919202122 2324 2529 272929 3031 2nd & 4th Tuesday 1st & 2nd Thurs. 1st & 2nd Wed. 3rd Wednesday 2nd Wednesday 2nd Wednesday S M T W T F b 1 2 3 4 5 9 7 9 9 10 11 12 1 3 1 4 1 5 19 1719 11 20212223242525 2729293031 SEPTEMBER 2000 5 M T W T F 5 1 2 3 4 5 9 7 9 9 1011 121314 1516 17191920212223 24 252927 29 2 9 3 0 7:30 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 10:00 am, 755-2346 for info. 7:30 p.m., Grange Hall BANKS 8:00 p.m., Methodist Church Fridays Alcoholics Anonymous 7:30 p.m., City Hall 2nd Tuesday Banks City Council 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 2nd Monday Banks School Board Sundays, Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Banks Youth Group 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Brown Derby Chamber of Commerce 3rd Monday, odd months 7:15 p.m., City Hall Citizen Participation Org. 1 st Saturday 10:00 a.m., City Library Friends of the Library 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Methodist Church Lions Club 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 3rd Wednesday Sunset Park Assoc. 7:00 p.m., Jr. High Library Wednesdays TOPS 7:00 p.m., Station 13 2nd Wednesday Tri-City RFPD Board COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) 10 a.m., Courthouse Wednesdays Board of Commissioners 00 p.m., Sunset Park Church 2nd Tuesday Citizens for Senior Justice 10:30 a.m., Courthouse 2nd Friday COLCO Transportation 1:00 p.m., Courthouse 2nd Friday County Council of Seniors 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 2nd & 4th Mondays County Fair Board 6:00 p.m., 1054 Oregon St. 3rd Thursday County Parks Commission 7:00 p.m., Courthouse Emergency Comm. Dist. (9-1-1) 3rd Tuesday Noon, location call 429-3713 Historical Society 4th Wednesday 7:00 a.m., Village Inn Traffic Safety Commission 1 st Wednesday Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.
