| Our view: Minnesota's smoking ban needs to be reviewed
Matt Benjamin, the Cambridge lawyer and nonsmoker credited with finding a dramatic loophole in the state's smoking ban. OK, Benjamin probably should get a Tony, not an Oscar. After all, his dramatic loophole is just that; it allows smoking in bars by having the bars hold a feigned "theatrical production." As one of the exceptions in the Freedom to Breathe Act implemented in October, smoking is allowed in public places as long as it's part of a theatrical production. Thus Benjamin suggested earlier this month that bars offer "theater nights" in which all patrons are given a script and considered actors in the production. Several bars statewide have taken his suggestion; some reportedly because they are experiencing hard times in the wake of the ban. We applaud Benjamin's creativity.
Looking for solutions to the carbon conundrum
You extract nutrients to feed the crops, harvest what you want and the rest is garbage. Personally I'd like to see a greater shift to crop cycling.
If farming shifted northwards, remember that those living near the equator will start depending on us for food instead. This would simply be a shift of who is exporting and who is importing, and although economically profitable for us, remember that this is merely a shift, and in all likelihood, only the extremely wealthy will benefit thus the disparity between the rich and the poor will only increase. Posted 01/02/08 at 10:23 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment .
Casey Campbell/Gazette-Times
Recycling at First Alternative Co-op's south store never really stopped in the past two months, but that didn't stop the co-op from having a grand re-opening on Tuesday.In October, the store moved its recycle bins closer to Southeast Third Street and got to work building a new enclosure for the bins and bags meant to hold packaging refuse."We're able to keep the overwhelmingness of the recycling under control now," said Scott Boyajian, First Alternative custodial manager and recycling coordinator.On Tuesday, the Corvallis co-op unveiled a new space for collecting all manner of recyclable items, including the only place for expanded polystyrene collection in the mid-valley.Michelle Adams, First Alternative general manager, said many of the co-op's recyclers come from cities outside Benton County that don't offer easy curbside recycling, especially for commingled items including foil, paper, plastics and cans."It's continual now that we get people from Brownsville, Sweet Home and Lebanon," she said.
A fight for orca's freedom
Lolita was one of 80 orcas herded into Penn Cove on Whidbey Island on Aug. 8, 1970. That day, six whales were captured, and five were killed in the process. According to the National Marine Fisheries Services, at least 47 southern resident orcas were killed or captured between 1965 and 1973. While capturing orcas is not illegal in Washington waters, no permits have been granted since San Diego's SeaWorld netted some in 1976. They were later released after SeaWorld lost a court case related to the capture. Stardom on the wane When Lolita arrived at Miami Seaquarium, she was just a few years old. Hugo, an orca captured from her extended family, greeted her. Lolita became a performer and earned her stage name, the Star of Miami. Today, that star is fading.
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