Environmental concerns
”
Good morning! I’m calling with two concerns. The first one is
the garbage company.
Environmental concerns
“Good morning! I’m calling with two concerns. The first one is the garbage company. First, the positives: They’re always here on the day they’re supposed to be, they’re very efficient and when I’ve said hi to them, they’re very friendly. The recycle truck even puts the bins back on the three-tiered holder I have, which I appreciate. They don’t have to do that.
“My concern is the total lack of truck maintenance. They drip something – be it oil or antifreeze or whatever – and they do it constantly. … As the curb says, this all goes directly to the bay.
“My second question is, is there anyway the Dispatch will take back the rubber bands that go around the newspaper. It seems like that would be a great way to recycle them. They’re small, but if we all put them into the garbage, they add to the landfill. Thank you.”
Red Phone:
Relevant first comment, caller – a concern that the Red Phone covered not too long ago. The Red Phone can’t imagine you’re anything but an avid reader of its column, so perhaps you simply missed a day.
Phil Couchee, general manager of South Valley Disposal and Recycling, said it’s not uncommon for the trucks to occasionally drip.
“There are lots of hydraulic lines on the trucks and leaks certainly can occur,” he said, adding that vehicle maintenance is regulated by the Department of Transportation and is performed regularly.
So what’s a customer to do if they notice a truck dripping goo? Couchee asks residents to call the office at 842-3358. All the trucks have identification numbers on the side panels, and Couchee said it would be helpful if the reporting customer has that available. But he added that if the customer can’t get the number, simply report what street name and the company can find out what truck works the area.
Onto your second question. The Red Phone touched base with Dispatch Circulation Director Walt Glines to get the scoop.
Glines said he’s understands the need to be environmentally conscious, but by the time subscribers drive to the office to drop off the rubber bands, more energy (gasoline in this case) would be used than the savings created by the reuse.
He said he puts “used” rubber bands from his newspaper to good use at his home.
Glines also checked with South Valley Disposal’s Couchee about the potential for recycling rubber bands, who said there is no market for used rubber bands. And he too suggested reuse at home was the way to go.
And since you, good caller, are environmentally minded, the Red Phone – and the press crew – would like to point out that the Dispatch is printed on 100 percent recycled paper.
Setting it straight
“Hi Red Phone. I wanted to compliment you guys on the Friday, Oct. 14, section of Community Life about building houses in Mexico. However, all the pictures that you’re showing are from St. Mary Youth Group. And to set the record straight, St. Mary went and built houses in Mexico in June, the first week after school was out and 90 people went and built five homes. In the paper it said it was Morgan Hill Bible Church, but all these teens are the St. Mary Youth Group teens. Just wanted to set the record straight. Bye.”
Red Phone:
Thanks for the heads up, caller. The Red Phone reported your call to the Lifestyles editor, who said the error was noticed and a correction appeared on page C2 in Tuesday, Oct. 18’s edition.
Go ahead, count ’em
“I was reading about the trees on Santa Teresa. Someone called in and made the statement that you probably couldn’t count that many trees at Bonfante Gardens. They are WRONG. There are 10,000 trees planted at Bonfante Gardens and if the person wants to count them, I’ll give him a ticket and they can come out there and count them.”
Red Phone:
The Red Phone takes your word for it – and bets the caller does too. Thanks for the chuckle.
Readers:
Have a question, compliment or complaint? Call the Red Phone at 842-9070 or e-mail it at
re******@gi************.com
.
