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. Please get out and help these groups in your hometown.

• Fairfield/ Suisun City
  GOOD NEWS - The Solano County Planning Commissioners voted down the request for an expansion permit for the Potrero Hills Landfill. The landfill is located just past Lawler Ranch on Highway 12 which is also just south of Travis Air Force base and 2 miles from a 8500-acre Wildlife Preserve. The owners of Potrero Hill will probably appeal the vote but in the meantime we offer congratulations to the tenacity of Yoshida and Dwight and the Citizens Against the Dump Expansion group. INFO www.aceconservator.com or antar5@sbcglobal.net or 644-9183.
  
  Friends of Allan Witt Park. Brad Smith and friends are speaking up against the proposed housing development at Allan Witt Park. Please get involved to save this park. Info: (707) 425-7527 www.allanwittpark.org.
• Vacaville
  Your neighbors, the Friends of Lagoon Valley, continue to fight against subdivision development of our last remaining semi-rural valley. The opening brief in the lawsuit against the City of Vacaville and Triad was filed on June 30; in it, Attorney Stuart Flashman claims that (a) the project is not consistent with Vacaville's General Plan, and (b) City approval of the plan violated both state and local density bonus laws.
  
  You can monitor the progress of the lawsuit at www.lagoonvalleypark.com/lawsuit.htm. A court hearing on the matter is now scheduled for August 25. When the lawsuit was first filed, frustrated proponents of the subdivision called us "a small gang of obstructionists" and "a small band of zealots", so we changed our motto to the following: "Never doubt that a small gang of obstructionists... er, a small band of zealots... er, a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. (apologies to Margaret Mead)
  
  We are grateful to the Sierra Club Solano Chapter for moral and financial support during this fight to save Lagoon Valley. The developer has DEEP POCKETS but we believe that we have BROAD SUPPORT. Donations are welcome to Friends of Lagoon Valley 735 Brookside Drive, Vacaville CA 95688. Marian Conning, 447-7356.
• Vallejo - Vallejo Waterfront Coalition
  For more information, contact the Coalition at (707) 645-3186 or info@VallejoWaterfrontCoalition.org.
• Solano County
  Coastal Cleanup Day is Sept. 17, 2005. There are sites throughout the county. Check out www.recycle-guide.com in early September or call 707-644-9183.

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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NEW 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.

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VALCORE 2005 Recycling Workdays: August 27, September 17, November 12. 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.

On June 4 Phil McCullough, John Kolarik, Rollye Wiskerson, Al Molnar and Jane Bogner harvested compost from the demonstration backyard composting bins, getting the bins ready for the next class. We all took home the black gold. Thanks also to Nicole Bobetsky for staffing the recycling table for 2 nights at the Benicia Farmers Market and to Steven, Craig, and Benjamin for staffing to Oil recycling tables at two locations.

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Wanted: VALCORE Board Replacement

Solano Group has been a member of VALCORE Recycling since 1985. Jane Bogner has been our representative off and on since 1988. Guess what, she needs a break.

Obligations for a board member 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. The list of regular volunteers is readily available. VALCORE has been our source of money needed to run our local group. It's an exciting board and a great way to 'act locally' on a global issue.

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