Jane Bogner
Solano Group

Help Needed - Get Involved Locally

Solano Group has teamed up with several local movements to preserve and protect areas from development. Call or email for opportunities.

Fairfield: Update on Allan Witt Community Park

In February the Fairfield City Council and its Community Services and Planning Commissions were shown a revised site plan for private housing on 13 acres of Allan Witt Community Park and 13 acres of adjacent property. The new plan favorably rearranges blocks of residential development but still privatizes about the same area of public park space. The Friends of Allan Witt Park continue to push for a plan which preserves and improves all park space and amenities and sells no community park space for non-public purposes. A draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is expected to be released to the public in April. The public comment period is expected to be 45 days.

Although it is illegal in most cases to sell public park property without a vote of the people, the city of Fairfield is using a loophole to transfer the land to its Redevelopment Agency which can then sell the land without restriction. It appears that the city is desperately trying to avoid letting residents vote on the issue - not surprising since a recent local newspaper poll showed 75% opposed to the revised plan.

For analysis of the latest plan ad other information about the project visit www.allanwittpark.org or call (707) 425-7527.

Vallejo: Mare Island Dredge Ponds Proposal Abandoned!

As the Vallejo City Council was set to approve the Final EIR for the proposed operation of a Dredged Material Disposal on Mare Island, a last minute agreement was announced that terminated the project. Pressure from Community Groups and the Sierra Club helped prompt Weston Solutions, Inc. to agree to a buy out from Lennar Mare Island, the main developer on the Island. The City also received settlement money from the agreement. 275 acres of former dredge ponds will now likely become part of the San Pablo Bay NationalvWildlife Refuge! Mare Island Regional Park dodged another bullet (remember the LNG proposal in 2001?) and its future as a Regional Park is all but assured now! Sierra Club has played a leading role in preserving the Mare Island Regional Park, and has participated from the beginning in the process that ultimately resulted in Weston abandoning its dredge disposal facility. The endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and California clapper rail will benefit most from these lands now being added to the Park or the Refuge. Kenn Browne

Potrero Hills Landfill Expansion

The permit and EIR is being reviewed by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC). Our attorneys are helping us follow this issue. Patricia Gatz and I have been attending BCDC meetings and speaking on behalf of our Solano Group. The issue is to limit or stop the expansion since Potrero Hills is no longer a local landfill but a regional landfill accepting 80% of its garbage from communities as far away as 150 miles. IMPACT: roads, air, water, quality of life. Jane Bogner

Earth Day 2006 - April 22
Vallejo - Volunteers needed

• Earth Day Celebration, 9am-1pm at Vallejo's Farmers' Market (Georgia Street -Downtown Vallejo). We will invite politicians and start VALCORE's 25th year of service to the community.
• E-Waste and Tire Recycling. 9am-2pm at Vallejo Garbage, 2021 Broadway.

Fairfield - Volunteers needed

• Earth Day Celebration - 11am-3pm at the new Solano County government building, 675 Texas Street.
• E-Waste Event - 9am-4pm - location to be determined.

Vacaville: Earth Day Event is in planning stage...

• Details will be updated for all event on www.recycle-guide.com or call 644-9183.

VALCORE Community Recycling: Check out www.VALCORErecycling.org and www.recycle-guide.com for Solano county recycling info. Solano Group and 8 other nonprofits run this recycling center.

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HOURS @ VALCORE Recycling

• 38 Sheridan St., Vallejo
• New Hours: Monday through Saturday
• Donation: 9am - 5pm (4:30 in winter)
• CRV Buy Back: 10am - 5pm (4:30 in winter)
• CLOSED FOR LUNCH 1pm - 2pm

Donate your cans to Sierra Club during CRV Buy Back hours. Sierra Club gets a higher price for aluminum cans donated to them than what VALCORE pays to the public. Please also bring CRV #1 PET and glass bottles. This is how Solano Group raises money.

Help Sierra Club win an extra $25 in VALCORE's Quarterly Contest April ­ June The group with the largest total value of all donations made to their group for the quarter will win.

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Composting Classes

Vallejo @ VALCORE on May 13, June 10, September 9, and October 7. Time is 10 to noon. Fairfield and Vacaville - dates and times to be determined. Updates on www.recycle-guide.com or call 644-9183.

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VALCORE Recycling Workday: 2006 schedule: May 13, June 24, Sept 2, Oct 14, Nov 18. We work from 9 am to Noon. $50 is offered to volunteer supervisors for their favorite classroom or environmental project. Call 644-9183 or e-mail jabogner@juno.com.

Thanks to Doris and Rollye Wiskerson, Nancy McCoy, Matt "Bob" Hoffman and Jane for working on Feb 4. We rolled newpaper into logs for a small dog house entry in a local Humane Society contest. The ReNews Log Cabin turned out terrific. Thanks to Patricia Gatz and Carol Meers for helping with the Bio plates, etc at the Loma Vista Farm Spaghetti Feed on Feb 26.

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Wanted: VALCORE Board Replacement

Obligations include attending the monthly board meeting on the 4th Monday of each month at 6:30 in Vallejo and arranging volunteers for the 8 Saturday workdays at the recycling site.

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E-Letter Sign-up

Congressman George Miller wants 10,000 email addresses for his e-Newsletter. If you live in Vallejo, Benicia or Vacaville, please log on this address to sign up www.house.gov/georgemiller/eletterregister.html.

This "environmentally correct" e-Newsletter will save trees and the energy to print the newsletter,mail it to your home and the energy it take to recycle a paper newsletter.

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