Today is March 7, the first Friday of the month.
Spring Ahead! Daylight savings time begins early this year, at 2 a.m. March 9. Set your clocks ahead one hour.
Plastic grocery bags were introduced 25 years ago. Americans use 84 billion a year. One in three bags are recycled into something else. It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce all the plastic bags the supermarket industry uses each year and 500 years for them to decompose.
Each plastic bag costs about four cents. A paper bag costs about six cents. The average grocery shopper takes home between five and 10 bags on each trip to the supermarket. A total of 790,000 tons of plastic bags are generated by the U.S. alone. They contribute to the death of one million birds a year.
Ald. Edward Burke (14th) has joined forces with Economic Development Committee Chairman Marge Laurino on an ordinance that would require stores to install plastic bag recycle bins and report annually to City Hall the weight of the recovered bags that are transported back for recycling.
Some grocery stores in the U.S. have stopped using them and they have been banned in China and Europe. Jewel/Osco already has bins in place at the store entrance and sells earth friendly reusable cloth bags for $1 each.
To recycle aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles or batteries, please call (877) EARTH911 for a location nearest you. To recycle old newspapers, St. Simon has two dump bins in their parking lot at 52nd and Fairfield.
In less than one year, all full power TV stations in the U.S. will stop broadcasting in analog and start broadcasting 100 percent digital. Congress created the TV Converter Box Program for people who want to keep their analog sets after Feb. 17, 2009, which allows households to obtain up to two coupons each worth $40 that can be applied to the cost of a converter box.
A television that is connected to a cable box, satellite, other pay TV service or has a digital tuner will not require a converter box. For more information, go to www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-DTV-2009.
Thanks for the phone call, Mary Murphy. I hope the benefit was a success.
It’s time to let your sham rock! The Southside Irish Parade is Sunday March 9, one week earlier than usual because of Palm Sunday.
A benefit for Floyd Colbert will be held at Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St., Merrionnete Park, from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 19. Donations are $25 at the door. This includes a free buffet, draft beer, wine and soda, a silent auction, a split the pot raffle, and music.
Floyd was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer last September. This benefit is being held to help Floyd and his wife, Traci, pay mounting medical expenses.
If you are unable to attend but would like to show your support, donations may be sent to:
The Floyd Colbert Benefit Fund
c/o First Savings Bank of Hegewisch
18207 Burnham Ave., Lansing, IL, 60438
c/o First Savings Bank of Hegewisch
18207 Burnham Ave., Lansing, IL, 60438
For more information, call Carol Krups at (708) 599-6257, Becky Krups at (708) 466-0058, or Gayle Janeczko-Krups at (708) 594-3015.
The Bourbon Street Web site for the benefit is www.115bourbon.com/benefit_detail.asp?SpecEventsID=63.