My day in the sun

A couple of brief notes on yesterday's lovely outdoor event ~

So much sunshine!  Probably the last full day of sun for another few weeks, but hey, it was still sun!

I learned about another e-cycling company in Portland - City Recycle LLC.  It looks like their website is either still under construction or has some bugs.  I haven't personally worked or talked with anyone in the company yet, but it looks worth checking out. According to their website, their focus is on e-cycling (recycling electronics), but they will take metals in general along with paper and cardboard. If you've had experience with City Recycle, let me know!

I saw baby goats!  No bigger than the 2-year old children scampering about. I never did make it over to their booth to find out what the goats were helping promote, but gosh it was fun watching them. And watching people pet them.

I talked with a lady about her eco-friendly burial service. More on that later.

I talked with several people who want to know when Portland will finally get our residential composting program. It's coming, Portland, honest!  They gotta make sure all the bugs are worked out and all the permits are in order. Trust me - it will suck far more to start the program early and then have it taken away because Permit 146Xz12 wasn't signed off properly.

I finally got myself a Snack Taxi. More on that later.

I talked with a couple of people who reallyreallyreally want to garden but they have apartments and don't think they have space for anything. I know there are books out there that specifically address container gardening and gardening in super-small spaces.  I didn't find it till this morning, but now I have something to share with people who rent a single room in a house and don't even have space in the kitchen for a pot. If you have a window, you can grow stuff! Merry Farming!
What are your favorite recommendations for super-small space and container gardening?

Blue Heron Paper Company update

Hey, remember reading about my visit to the Blue Heron Paper Mill a while back? Here’s an update: They’ve shut down.
Blue Heron Paper Company press release
Questions and Answers about the mill closure

What will happen to the employees? It’s possible they’ll be eligible for federal benefits through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, as their jobs were “essentially outsourced abroad”.

What will happen to the equipment? Given that the jobs pretty much went overseas, the equipment likely will as well. Or maybe be sold off as scrap.

Where will our recycled paper go now? There are some other paper mills in the US, but more and more paper production is happening overseas as places like China make it cheaper, between government subsidies and cheaper labor. So, yay paper products will still get recycled. But boo, they’ll now have to be transported across the ocean for that to happen. And who knows what the environmental protection regulations will look like and how they’ll actually be implemented.

What will happen to the Blue Heron site? Several developers have been keeping an eye on it over the years, but whoever decides to develop it will have some challenges. It’s possible another paper mill could move in, but with the overseas competition and the Blue Heron’s aging equipment, it’s unlikely a paper mill could be successful there now. Other uses for the site would have to include an involved clean-up along with restructuring the facilities. Not impossible, but in today’s economy, possibly more expensive than many businesses will choose to go through.

One local business affected by the mill’s closure is The 505 Tavern.
Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation will also have to find another home for its historic preservation & education materials now.
”Blue Heron Paper: Memories of a “mill family”.