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email: info@wllovillage.org
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Note: if your email cuts off part of this newsletter, click the link at the very top that says, 'View this email in your browser'. Enjoy reading what's new and newsworthy with WLLO!
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This month's articles
(click on the title link to jump directly to the article):
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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? This is the month that is dedicated to promoting, encouraging, and celebrating volunteerism. Without volunteers donating their time and passion to the causes they care about, most endeavors would never be possible. Volunteers make it happen!
National Volunteer Month has been celebrated on and off since the 1940s but gained official recognition since 1990. Each year a special week is selected as National Volunteer week and for this year it’s April 18 - 24. National volunteer week has been around officially since 1974, when Richard Nixon first declared its importance. He called upon all communities to “recognize volunteers by observing the week with special ceremonies to honor those who have given countless hours for the betterment of our communities and the American way of life.”
Like so many organizations, volunteers are the foundation of WLLO, and together they perform all aspects of administration and member support. We want to take this opportunity to give a special shout-out to the following super-volunteers: Becky, for keeping track of finances; Dorie, for hosting walks; Linda, JB, Ginny, and Joan for sending out service requests; Diana, for both driving and managing the drivers. And a special thank-you goes to Mark L, for helping all of us with those glitchy phones and computers. And of course, many, many thanks to Suanne, for setting the bar for all of us volunteers to aspire to.
If you get a chance to talk to one of our volunteers, please thank them! They are a great group of folks. They love what they do, and they love their WLLO members. Without them, WLLO could not be the wonderful organization it is.
 WLLO CELEBRATES IT'S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
MAY 5TH 2 P.M.
"IT TAKES ALL OF US"
Indeed, another year has gone by. In June, WLLO Village will mark its five-year milestone of serving our lively community. This occasion calls for a celebration. We're transforming our Annua Meeting into a delightful celebration for our incredible members and committed volunteers, who are also our friends and neighbors. A brief meeting will be held, during which we will elect officers and present enticing, new opportunities for our members. We'll have food and beverage, with the main attraction being the chance to enjoy each other's company. Plan to CELEBRATE!.
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MEMBER OPPORTUNITY
If you are an associate member you have a unique benefit that brings peace of mind to many of us. That is, an annual free upgrade to full service membership if you have a health event. The upgrade is for 6 weeks and you can decide when to start the upgrade. Several associate members have used this benefit and start their upgrade when they return home after a hospital or rehab stay. We don’t provide care but we do provide support such as rides, getting groceries, running errands, yard spruce up, running the vacuum and such. It’s been a real godsend for our associate members. Don’t hesitate to call us if you need this benefit.
THE VILLAGE MOVEMENT OF WEST LINN & LAKE OSWEGO
FREE PRESENTATION AT ADULT COMMUNITY CENTER IN LAKE OSWEGO
JUNE 5 10-11 AM
The Village Movement of West Linn & Lake Oswego is committed to ensuring that older adults can age gracefully in the comfort of their own homes. Through this supportive network, members can access a variety of services tailored to their needs, fostering a sense of beloinging and community spirit. By promoting independence, connection, and overall welli-being, the Village Movement serves as a beacon of support for older adults seeking to live life to the fullest while preserving their autonomy.
SIGN UP USING THE LINK BELOW:
https://tinyurl.com/VILLAGE-REGISTER
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Village Volunteers
Each and every volunteer is important to our WLLO Village community as we are an all volunteer organization made strong by the relationships between our members and volunteers. Whatever skills you are willing to share, we may be able to use. If you're thinking of joining our volunteer team email us at info@wllovillage.org or call and leave a message at 503-308-8223.
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OUR NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY, APRIL 9 TH AT 10:30 AM
This month, Sue Driggs will be hosting. We’ll be discussing the book “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks. Based on a vote by book club regulars, the next books are:
Apr – Horse by Geraldine Brooks
May – Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Jun – Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney
Jul – The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Aug – Honor by Thrity Umrigar (LO Reads)
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TERRY'S EARTH FRIENDLY TIPS
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 Styrofoam, Oh the Horror!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
WLLO CAN NO LONGER ACCEPT #6 PS OR STYROFOAM PLASTICS DURING RECYCLING PICKUPS
Terence M. Shumaker
shufly46@comcast.net
Remember high school assemblies where we would listen to some expert tell us about the wonders of science in our everyday lives? I especially remember one such event when I was in the 10th grade in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This “scientist” raved on about amazing discoveries, all the while pouring liquids into beakers and mixing them like the witches in Macbeth. Then, in the coup de grâce, he poured two vials into a clear container and the fluid boiled and bubbled then solidified into a white blob. He deftly tapped the white block onto the table and proudly displayed the wondrous substance we now know as Styrofoam.
Introduced in the 1940s, Styrofoam (generically referred to as expanded Polystyrene foam, or EPS), has now become one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants ever created. It is chemically stable and non-biodegradable, so it never decomposes. It can persist in the environment for thousands of years, and some sources say for over a million years. When it becomes too hot it can leach small amounts of styrene which is toxic and possibly carcinogenic. Think hot coffee in a foam cup! Its bulk is such that it occupies up to 30% of our landfills. And approximately 1,400 tons of Styrofoam are buried in landfills every day! Most insidious is that when is breaks into tiny beads and dust, it perm eates every corner of the environment and is consumed by birds, fish, animals and even humans. We are becoming plastic people.
Although Styrofoam achieved star status for its usefulness, especially for its insulation properties, it has now become a horror story for life on our planet. And the plastics industry has little incentive to change as long as it is generating profit. So, what are we to do?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Well, unfortunately, your WLLO Recycling Team will not be able to pick up your Styrofoam and #6 PS plastic because the Agilyx company has shut down its #6 recycling facility in Tigard, and there are no other recycling options in the Portland metro area. Only the Ridwell company will still accept #6 plastics, and they have to transport it to a facility in Kent, Washington. Styrofoam is 95% air and more energy is used to transport and recycle Styrofoam than is recovered. Recycling options may open up in 2025, but until then your #6 plastic and Styrofoam must either go into the garbage or be picked up by Ridwell, if you subscribe to their services.
But there are things you can do to avoid and reduce your use of Styrofoam, or handle it properly.
- Tell companies to discontinue the use of Styrofoam and use environmentally safe packaging (see below).
- Do not purchase foam cups, dishes or packing materials. This includes packing “peanuts” that pop when you break them.
- Do not accept foam take-out food containers whenever possible. Take your own reusable “doggie bag” container.
- If you receive products packed with Styrofoam, try to avoid breaking it into smaller pieces. Make every effort to put intact pieces into your garbage can.
- If you must break large pieces of Styrofoam, do so in an enclosed area like a garage, and if you’ve got a partner, have them hold a vacuum to suck up as many of the wayward and floating beads of foam that break off.
PACKING ALTERNATIVES
If you ship packages, try to use environmentally safe materials. Here’s a few that work just fine.
- Starch-based packing peanuts
- Crumpled kraft paper or crumpled newspaper
- Cut pieces of cardboard and stack together for excellent packing materials that can withstand heavy shocks.
- If you own a paper shredder, shred newspapers and other papers you would normally recycle to use for packing materials.
- Lastly, plastic packing pillows. Save these from packages you receive and reuse or take to a UPS or FedEx shipping facility for reuse.
EDUCATE SHIPPERS AND VENDORS
Alternatives to packing materials are readily available, but too many companies buy Styrofoam either because they’ve always used it, or they are convinced by salesmen to continue using it. But consumers wield a lot of power, especially when we work together. If you receive products packed with Styrofoam, or contain too much plastic packaging such as bubble wrap and plastic pillows, take a few minutes and contact the vendor and request that they use environmentally safe packing materials such as those listed below. And don’t be afraid to send them the links to the sites given below.
And just to get you thinking, the shopping behemoth Amazon generated almost 600 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020!
Another thing to keep in mind is that we’re planting seeds and we never know when one will sprout and grow. So spread the word about these excellent packaging alternatives.
So if you want to engage in some packaging activism, don’t be afraid to send some of these links to companies that ship their products using Styrofoam.
BRING US YOUR TOXICS
 As you can see in the schedule below, on April 9 we will be collecting hazardous materials to be taken to the Metro hazardous waste collection site in Oregon City. This is a good time to conduct your own archeological dig in your garage, basement, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and gather up all of those products that you haven’t used in a while, and those that are just too nasty to keep around any longer.
Old cans of paint can be found in most homes, and these can be given new life at the MetroPaint recycling facility. Paint of varying colors are reblended into twelve colors that can be purchased by individuals or contractors. This process prevents millions of gallons of paint from being disposed of in landfills.
So check out the Metro hazardous waste site link above to get an idea of the kinds of items you can get rid of in a responsible manner, and that we will pick up on April 9. And thanks again for all you do to keep valuable resources from becoming waste in a landfill.
WLLO RECYCLING COLLECTION SCHEDULE
As always, every month we pick up plastic film, (no crinkly plastic film), and all clean clear #1 PET and PETE plastics. Please, no black or colored #1 plastic. Thanks.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We can no longer accept #6 PS or Styrofoam plastics.
April 9:
Cleaners, pesticides, chemicals, light bulbs, smoke alarms, paint, batteries and other hazardous materials. Metro South Hazardous Waste site reclaims and recycles.
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/garbage-recycling-hazardous-waste-disposal-oregon-city
May 14:
Building materials, tools, plumbing and lighting fixtures, fasteners etc. The Rebuilding Center breathes new life into these items. https://www.rebuildingcenter.org/donations
June 11:
Electronics and everything with a power cord. PLEASE: NO LIGHT BULBS OR SMOKE DETECTORS! But LED light bulbs are ok! Free Geek rehabilitates and recycles this stuff.
https://www.freegeek.org/take-action/donate-technology
July 9:
Furniture, linens, dishes (no chips or cracks or alcohol-themed items), kitchen utensils, mattresses/box springs, small appliances (in working condition), decorative items and artwork, rugs etc. Items are donated to the Community Warehouse. https://www.communitywarehouse.org/give-furniture/
Review or re-reading Terry's articles by clicking on the link: https://tinyurl.com/Recycling-Articles
Return to Table of Contents
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LAKEVIEW TAPHOUSE
OPENS APRIL 1
A new taphouse at the former Manzana Rotisserie Grill location next to Millennium Plaza Park in Lake Oswego is set to open April 1.
https://lakeviewtaphouse.com/
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WLLO & Villages Events
Check out our calendar on our website homepage. It's easier to read, you can change how information is displayed and the calendar is also printable.
- Also be sure to check your Week-At-A-Glance email. Members and Volunteers receive Week-At-A-Glance emails every Sunday with detailed information for the upcoming week.
- Summary of Regularly Scheduled Events:
- Ted Talk Discussion Group - Monday 11:00 AM
- Brisk Walk Wednesdays at 9:00 AM
- Chat and Stroll Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
- 2nd Thursday of the month - Happy Hour in person at 4 PM
- All Thursdays except the 2nd Thursday of each month, Happy Hour on Zoom at 4 PM
- The 3rd and Last Friday - Coffee's are in person at 10:00 AM
- All Fridays except the 3rd and last Friday of each moth Coffee Hour on Zoom at 9:00 AM.
- For registration, calendar questions, or log-in help, contact the WLLO office (503-308-8223). To get log in details to specific events, email info@WLLOvillage.org. (Many events are for members and volunteers only.)
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