e-news for March

[Kathie Brosemer <kathie@cleannorth.org>]

1.  Action alert!  Freecycling
2.  Another action alert!  Bus terminal relocation
3.  A&P slips
4.  Computer recycling
5.  Newsletter contributions
6.  Office help
7.  Tree Bylaw

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1.  Action alert!  Freecycling

This coming Monday, Clean North will be at the city council chambers asking 
for council to endorse our Freecycling Day.  No matter how many times one 
does this, it's still a little nerve-wracking, so we would really love it 
if you could show up and provide some moral support.  If you can find the 
time... they tell us we'll be up shortly after 5:30 pm.

Freecycling Day is the new trendy word for putting unwanted stuff out on 
the lawn with a FREE sign on it, and hoping someone will take it away.  You 
remember various names in the past, Clean Up day, Scrounge Day, Scavenger 
Day.  The Freecycling name comes from a website phenomenon that's taking 
place all over North America.  There's even a Sault Free Cycling page at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SaultFreeCycle/
which we will promote as part of this event.

Our Freecycling Day will be April 16th, in advance of the no-fees week at 
the landfill.  It's also one bookend for Earth Week, the other being our 
computer recycling event on April 23rd.

Please come to council on Monday evening.  I really hope to see your 
smiling face there!

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2.  Another action alert!  Bus terminal relocation

In order to build more parking for the new arena, the tentative plan is to 
relocate the city bus terminal to Huron Street from its downtown location 
at Dennis.  Clean North is opposed to this for the inconvenience to riders 
and subsequent drop in ridership, continuing the downward spiral of cuts to 
service, fewer riders, more cuts, etc.  The bus is the most 
environmentally-friendly motorized transportation we have, and making it 
less and less convenient for people is counterproductive.

If you'd like to make some points to your city councillors, please get in 
touch at info@cleannorth.org.  Several of us have some talking points well 
thought out and written up, you can have them too if you'd like.

___________________________

3.  A&P slips

We're gathering the A&P slips for our late-March deadline.  If you've been 
saving any for us, please drop them off at the office, 736-A Queen Street 
East.  If nobody's there, you can stuff them through the mail slot, 
shin-height on the front door.

A huge thank you to the anonymous member who's been dropping them off, 
bundled with an adding machine tape attached, totalling the bundle!  How 
very thoughtful of you!

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4.  Computer recycling

As mentioned above, our computer recycling event (affectionately and 
briefly known as BOYD, or Bring Out Your Dead) is in planning for April 
23rd.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  (Always wanted to say that!)

OK, here are the details:  at the PUC building at 550 Second Line, 10 am to 
4 pm, the usual loonie to drop off or shop, good stuff set out on a sale 
table to browse, lots of freebies and if we can swing it, a door prize, 
wishlists for charities.  Full details at www.cleannorth.org.

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5.  Newsletter contributions

Still (for a day or three) gathering material for our spring issue.  Am 
about to send it all off to the editor.  If you have a burning issue to 
raise, please send it in!  ed@cleannorth.org.  We reprint material from 
other sources, with permission, we'll announce new and breaking local 
enviro issues, too.  So even if your idea is just a germ of a thing right 
now, consider writing a paragraph or two to see if others might be 
interested.

_________________________________

6.  Office help

Do you have two hours once a week, on an ongoing basis?  Would you enjoy 
helping people with their environmental questions?  We have an Answer Book 
and great resources, and Sault residents know to phone us for answers. 
Right now we need people to return phone messages and help get information 
out.

Peter will train you.  email kathie@cleannorth.org if you'd like to do 
this.  It is great fun, almost everyone who calls us is glad we're here to 
help, and it's very gratifying to return their calls.

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7.  Tree Bylaw

There are several of us working with friendly city staff to see what sort 
of protections we might be able to put in place for urban trees.  This 
could take any of several forms.  We're at the stage right now of exploring 
those options and looking at what other municipalities have done.  If you'd 
like to help, please get in touch.  email kathie@cleannorth.org and I'll 
make sure you're informed about the next meeting details.

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Thanks for reading this far!  Get your seeds ordered, spring is on the way!

Kathie

--

The only cats worth anything are the cats who take chances. Sometimes I
play things that I never heard myself.      - Thelonius Monk