Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "trash"

Sacramento's revolving door policy, bankrupt cities, electric car chargers: Wake-Up Call

2012-07-11T14:57:24Z

Welcome to another edition of the "Wake-Up Call," a rundown of items that we're working on, found interesting, or otherwise thought you might want to know about today. As is always the case here at Sac Press, suggestions are welcome.

THINGS WE’RE WORKING ON

SACRAMENTO’s REVOLVING DOOR: A recent Sacramento County grand jury report found that two former Sacramento city managers negotiating on behalf of a trash disposal company made some city employees feel intimidated, leading to a contract that a Sacramento Bee editorial said showed “gross incompetence and shocking indifference to the issues of ratepayer costs or basic fairness in public contracting.”

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby told us she wants the city to implement a policy that would prevent the scenario from repeating by more strictly regulating what has been termed the “revolving door,” or the practice of private companies hiring former government officials to gain favorable terms from lawmakers.

“When you work for the state and you retire, you can come back as a retired annuitant, but one thing you cannot do is come back as a consultant on subject matter from which you had direct involvement,” Ashby said.

Brandon Darnell will have more later today.

WHAT WE’RE READING

GOING BELLY-UP: The list of cities going under in the state is getting longer: Phll Willon of the L.A. Times reports that the city of San Bernardino is set to file for bankruptcy thanks to an unmanageable $46 million budget deficit – which city leaders say they didn’t even know they had. Willon writes: “City Atty. James Penman said city budget officials had falsified documents presented to the mayor and council for 13 of the last 16 years, masking the city's deficit spending.”

The cities of Stockton and Mammoth Lakes each filed for bankruptcy last month.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: In 2010, California had a chance to shave some of the $68 billion cost of its high-speed rail project – and took a pass on it.

Dan Weikel and Ralph Vartabedian write in the L.A. Times that SNCF of France, the developer of one of the world's most successful high-speed rail systems, proposed that the state use competitive bidding to partner with it or another foreign operator to design a sophisticated network for 200-mph trains.

The proposal included realigning the route to bypass Fresno, making it more direct and making construction more economical. But that would have meant passing up the sixth-largest city in the state, and legislators said "no thanks" to the politically unpopular idea.

PLUGGING IN: Electric car owners will soon have 28 more charging stations at eight Sacramento public parking garages to use starting in November. David Ruiz reports in The Sacramento Bee that the City Council approved installation of the stations in June, and installation is expected to begin in August. The additional stations bring the total in the city to 50, including some older units that the council approved for upgrades. All of the charging stations are free, Ruiz reports, and will work with nearly every model of electric car.

SOMETHING TO DO

“Mumbo Gumbo brings their signature danceable sound—a mixture spanning rock to soul, afropop to lush balladry and zydeco to country—to Fairytale Town for a live performance on Wednesday, Jul. 11. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and go on sale in June. Members receive 2-for-1 admission, and children 12 and under are free. Blankets and chairs are welcome, food and drink will be available for purchase.” For more on concerts at Fairytale Town, see the full rundown posted on our site.

This morning Wake-Up Call was produced with the help of 32 ounces of espresso roast coffee and 2.5 ounces of vanilla cream.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Reduce waste this holiday season

2011-12-22T17:40:50Z

More residential waste is created during the holiday season than any other time of the year, so the cities and counties in the Sacramento area are encouraging residents to recycle as much as possible.

Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period, the California Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle) reports. This extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about 1 million extra tons, per week nationwide. With this in mind, local governments are urging residents to reduce, reuse, and recycle during this holiday season.

"The amount of garbage sent to the landfill increases dramatically during the holiday season," said Doug Eubanks of Sacramento County’s Department of Waste Management and Recycling. "We can change the traditional holiday habit of tearing open presents and throwing away wrapping paper and cardboard. We can recover these materials if residents use their curbside recycling program. Recycling holiday paper is a better alternative than burning it or throwing it into the trash.”

In addition, the number of empty bottles and cans soars during the holidays. About 100 million plastic water bottles will end up in the trash statewide during the holiday season. If recycled, those water bottles could be used to make 48,000 sweaters, or 220,000 square feet of carpeting, according to CalRecycle.

“Tons of empty beverage containers are also generated during this time of year and these cans, glass and plastic bottles should also be recycled,” said Eubanks.

Most residents can put holiday waste paper -- greeting cards, gift boxes and wrapping paper -- in their curbside mixed recycling program. Phone books and calendars also are accepted in the mixed recycling container.

All mixed paper -- which includes cardboard, advertising mail, catalogs, paper boxes, newspapers, computer paper, old calendars and other “clean” household paper -- can be recycled in curbside recycling programs.

The paper should be placed in the mixed recycling container and set out on the curb on regular recycling pick-up days. For those who do not have a curbside recycling program, there are drop-off sites located at many grocery stores, schools, and non-profit organizations, which accept most items.

For more information on recycling programs, visit http://www.holidayrecycling.com.

Disclosure: A former journalist, Dell Richards is the principal of Dell Richards Publicity. Richards works with Ross-Campbell, Inc., a marketing and media production firm specializing in cause-related issues. Holiday Recycling is one of their campaigns.

Consider Proper Flag Disposal

2011-01-31T04:21:37Z

It may sound cliche, but I love America. Not for what she is, or the thing she’s done, but for what she represents: the idea that we are born free, that every citizen is free to pursue their own path to happiness, and that in this land one is free to speak their mind, whether or not that opinion is popular.

America is more than the earth between its borders. It is hope. Hope that shines like a beacon into the darkest corners of this world, calling to those who want more for their destiny than their homelands can give them. The best and the most determined to succeed from all over the planet come here to learn, to raise their children, and to hope for a better future.

When the brave are called to defend these ideas on battlefields foreign and domestic, they represent themselves with our standard: the flag. This symbol is synonymous with liberty, equality and the promise of a brighter future. Where it flies, free speech is encouraged. When it is present, tyrants flee or die. On the moon and even of the edge of the solar system on our deepest space probes, the Stars and Stripes are boldly represented.

This is why today I am asking that you take a moment and consider proper flag disposal. According to U.S. Flag code, “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” This is to ensure that the flag is never represented in a negative or disrespectful way, such as on top of a trash heap.

You may think it’s propaganda, but to me it is not. I am not beholden to any specific political administration, nor do I believe that the United States is a perfect place. On the contrary, I personally believe that the United States needs a lot of work on multiple fronts, such as true equality for all, the reprioritization of our foreign policies, and closing the gap between those to have much compared to those who have little. But I also believe that the United States and its flag represent humanity’s best hope at one day achieving these goals.

These ideas deserve our respect. This flag represents our dreams and the ongoing efforts to make sure our children live in a better world than we were raised in, in perpetuity. If you ever find a flag in disrepair and whose owner has neglected to give it a proper disposal, consider doing so yourself. I did this myself this weekend when, during a visit to a local private dump in Sacramento, I found an American flag that had been tossed out with the garbage.

When things wear out and lose all usefulness, one throws them away. And while the fabric may be torn, and the colors a little faded from the sun, this flag was still doing its job remarkably well: It still invoked a strong sense of national pride and the promise of a better tomorrow from deep inside me. I could not let this disgrace continue, so I collected the flag and brought it home.

This flag now sits in my garage folded in a triangle. This week I will be contacting the local American Legion Hall to ask for assistance in properly retiring it to the flames. I don’t do this just for those who have died for the flag. I do it because I want to believe that I live in a land where we still respect the freedoms we have in this country and recognize how lucky we are when there are many people in this world who do not have that privilege.

Sacramento cleans riverfront

2010-09-27T02:10:28Z

Sacramento rolled up its sleeves and filled trash bags Saturday for the 16th annual Great American River Clean Up led by the American River Parkway Foundation. More than 2,000 people volunteered their time to clear 11,361 pounds of trash and 7,002 pounds of recyclables from 22 waterfront sites. About 47 miles of waterfront were cleaned, including high-traffic sites such as River Bend Park and Discovery Park.

The cleanup coincided with California Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual statewide effort led by the California Coastal Commission that has about 80,000 volunteers annually. Sacramento’s participation has nearly doubled since last year.

At William B. Pond Park in Carmichael, about 180 volunteers wandered around the riverside looking for trash to fill their bags.

Site captain Natasha Deegan said the cleanup is a family event and brings together people who are personally invested in local environmental efforts.

By the riverside, people threw sticks for their dogs and volunteers searched for trash.

“This one of the most beautiful stretches of the river,” volunteer Sylvia Stork said.

Stork and her husband were trying to find a spot with lots of trash so they could contribute to the community effort. People are more aware of environmental issues than they used to be, Stork said.

“People leave stuff behind, but mostly now I think it’s not a conscious decision,” she said. “It’s not as bad as it used to be.”

Volunteer Edgar Herrera from South Sacramento said he works nearby and sometimes uses the park during his lunch breaks. Cleaning up the park seemed logical to him, he said.

“If nobody does nothing, nothing happens,” Herrera said. “Cigarette butts are popular,” he noted as he searched the ground.

“It’s going to take a lot of cigarette butts to fill up this bag,” Denis White, a nearby volunteer, said.

White, who attended the cleanup with his wife and two daughters, said he thought the cleanup was a good idea, but because that section of the river was virtually his backyard, he felt responsible for cleaning it up.

“I’m pleased to see all these other people helping clean up my backyard,” he said.

After volunteers finished gathering their trash, the trash was sorted to be taken to the correct facilities.

One man digging through the collected trash was a representative from Dart, a company that makes food packaging products, including products made from foam.

It was Michael Westerfield’s third year at the event, and he said that foam gets a bad rap.

“We’re looking for ways to increase awareness that our products are recyclable,” he said.

As a company that manufactures products designed to be disposed, Westerfield said it is very important to educate the public about happens to waste and recyclables after they're thrown away.

Dianna Poggetto, executive director of the American River Parkway Foundation, said this year’s cleanup was a huge success. Environmental awareness has increased and with recent budget cuts, many people are concerned about what will happen to the parks and rivers, Poggetto said.

“The number of people who turned out, it proves how important the river and parkway are to the community,” she said.

Residential Composting Can Solve Some Big Waste Problems

2010-06-04T04:28:21Z

The Problem with Food Waste

      Lift the lid to your garbage can, ugh! It stinks. The scraps from Monday’s dinner are the culprit. By the end of the week, when it is time to take the can out to the curb, the stench can be difficult to bear.
      Once that trash gets picked up, the smell is no longer your problem; it is gone, far, far away to stink somewhere else. That stinky food waste goes with the rest of your trash to a smelly transfer station and then a stinkier landfill.
Statewide, food waste accounts for more than 15 percent of what is sent to landfill, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board’s (CIWMB) 2008 Waste Characterization Study.
      Sacramento residents sent 73,000 tons of food waste to the landfills last year, Jessica Hess from the Department of Utilities said in an email.
      That is quite a lot of stinky stuff!
      That stink is dangerous.
      That stink is methane.
      Methane is a highly flammable greenhouse gas that is produced during the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon-dioxide.
Methane has been implicated as the cause for the April 5th explosion of the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia and the April 20th explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While the methane that caused those explosions did not come from food waste, but from deep in the earth, these examples illustrate the volatility of the gas.
      In the 2010 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Report, released last month, the EPA stated that landfills are the second-highest human-related source of methane, behind enteric fermentation (scientific term for “cow farts”).
      Because of the dangerous, flammable and noxious nature of methane and other landfill gasses (LFG), the EPA requires that landfills have a gas collection system for public safety. The gasses can be burned at a point of exit (“flare” pipes that burn the gasses as they emerge) or the gasses can be piped to an end-user that uses the gasses to make energy. But, according the GHG report, these methods of methane mitigation still produce large amounts of GHGs and are not a sustainable option.

Composting May Hold the Answer to Stinky Landfills
      At all levels of government and waste management, from the federal EPA to the Sacramento Department of Utilities, reducing waste and greenhouse gasses has been a priority.
      According to CalRecycle (the new department that used to be the CIWMB), California surpassed the federally-mandated 50 percent trash diversion goal from landfills in 2004 and by June of 2009, had reached a 68 percent diversion rate.
      In March of 2009, the city of Sacramento ratified a General Plan that included a Zero Waste Goal by 2040. California has had a zero-waste goal since 2001.
      In order to reach that zero-waste goal, Sacramento and California will have to find innovative ways to divert more waste, especially waste that creates greenhouse gasses.
      If the roughly 15 percent of food waste sent to landfills as a rule today, were diverted by residential composting, not only would local topsoil be replenished, gardening encouraged and landfill emissions reduced, but the waste diversion rate would increase to 73 percent for the state   and almost 84 percent for Sacramento!
      Each of these government agencies encourage composting as a method to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, but it is a quiet support that most residents are unaware of.
      On its website, CalRecycle recommends composting because it “helps to keep the high volume of organic material out of landfills and turns it into a useful product.” But it took several click-throughs and a site search to find CalRecycle’s position on composting.
      The City of Sacramento supports composting by offering discounted BioStack bins to residents after they complete a class or online quiz about proper composting. But Hess said only about 70 -80 bins are sold per year.
      Russell Vreeland is a downtown Sacramento resident who started composting last summer. “When I started composting, I just sort of started a pile in the back corner of the yard...I was worried it might be illegal in the city limits, like keeping chickens, but I went ahead and did it anyway. I guess the city’s cool with it, though, since it was really stinky for a while and no one told us to stop.” (Methane was what made Vreeland’s pile stink.)
      When Vreeland and his roommates started composting at their Alkali Flats home, they thought they were just making better soil for their garden, but since they started their pile, they noticed that they were only needing to put the trash bin out for collection twice a month, rather than every week, and that the smell of the trash was much less offensive.
      “For a while, the trash bin didn’t stink, but the whole backyard smelled rotten,” Vreeland chuckled, as he looked out over his tiny, yet productive, grocery garden and throw-rug-sized lawn. “But look at those healthy, happy plants!”
Vreeland’s 800-square-foot backyard does indeed look green, healthy and happy, and no longer smells like the landfill.
      When Vreeland was informed of the city’s BioStack offer during his interview, he was amazed and slightly offended that he had never heard of it, but vowed to take advantage in the near future.
      Vreeland’s compost pile slowed its production of smelly methane and broke down the food scraps and green waste much faster when more oxygen was able to reach the middle of the pile. “My roommates and I got better about turning the pile and the smell got better,” Vreeland said, “but we’re busy and get lazy, so it still a bit stinky.”

Compost revolution
      Oxygen is the key to preventing methane production and to healthy compost. With enough oxygen, compost can get hot enough to be pasteurized and efficient enough to break down organic matter with no smell in 60 to 90 days.
      Out in Carmichael, a small company called California O2 Compost, could hold the key to fast, easy, no-turn, no-smell, pasteurized, high-quality compost, which has big implications for Sacramento’s food-waste diversion future.
      “When you turn a compost pile, introducing oxygen and feeding the microorganisms that break down the organic matter, that oxygen gets used up within 30 to 45 minutes,” said John Pefley, owner of California O2 Compost (CO2C) in Sacramento, “most people only turn their piles once a week,” which means they are producing methane for all but 45 minutes of that week.
      O2 Compost has a proprietary design for their composting system that uses a small amount of energy to oxygenate the compost 24-hours a day, eliminating the need to turn the pile and cutting the production-time for finished compost down to three months (a quarter of the time finished compost normally takes).
      Currently, O2 Compost focuses sales of their “Macro-Bin” to equestrian centers and horse owners, who constitute the “low-hanging fruit” of organic waste control (since one 1,100-pound horse can create a minimum of 350 pounds of waste per week).
      “The biggest question then,” Pefley said, “is what to do with all that finished compost?”
      In April, CO2C solved that problem for the Los Lagos Equestrian Center in Granite Bay (which uses a Macro-Bin for their horse and landscaping waste), by starting a monthly compost sale.
      At the May 15th sale, CO2C sold more than 30 truck loads of compost created by the Los Lagos Macro-Bin. The next sale is scheduled for June 12th.
      There is definitely a demand for good compost these days. Grocery- or kitchen- gardening is gaining popularity in urban areas where topsoil has been degraded (in places like downtown Sacramento for more than 100 years) and people are needing to build up the soil in order for things to grow. Even the White House’s organic grocery garden used compost, according to the White House website.
      Although the systems CO2C sell today tend more toward farm-size than downtown-backyard-size, they are experimenting with a “Micro-Bin” system that could work for small-scale composting and recently unveiled solar-run options for all their systems.
      Considering that, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2007 there were almost 7 million acres of agricultural land fertilized in California and that the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recommends the use of compost as a soil amendment, there is potential for a larger market for high-quality compost in industrial agriculture in California.
      Nutrient cycles are an important function in agricultural growth. In this modern world, however, nutrients (in the form of food) flow from agricultural fields to cities, but those nutrients do not flow back from cities to fields. This explains why fertilizers are so important to farmers, because as nutrients leave their fields as food, those nutrients must be replaced each season, generally with fertilizers that can contaminate groundwater. Those nutrients, in the form of food scraps, could do a lot more good than making methane in landfills.
      In a zero-waste world, “all municipal solid waste materials are sent back into nature or the marketplace in a manner that protects human health and the environment” (from the CIWMB’s 2001 Strategic Plan).
      What better example of sending solid waste back to nature is there than cycling problematic municipal food waste back to where the food came from?

Illegal Signs Removed, Guerrilla style.

2010-04-17T14:21:09Z

Sometimes when things happen gradually it’s easier for us not to take notice. Take for example the new Target Store under construction at 65th and Broadway: A large chain-link security fence surrounds the perimeter of the work site, and a few enterprising folks have decided said fence would make for a good billboard. One after another signs were erected, tied to this fence. At first I hardly noticed. Illegal signs are all over the Sacramento Region, promising everything from Weight Loss Patches to Lower Mortgages to Baseball Signups, etc. Why should my neighborhood be any different? I guess it’s just harder for me to let things go.

Everyday I have a 10 mile each-way commute, through Interstate 50 to Downtown, Downtown 1-5 to Business 80, 80 to Norwood. I get a good scope with my eyes the state of local litter, weeds, and road disintegration. I can drive by the same piece of trash on the road for months, and I have to look at it each time. I know budgets are at all time lows. I understand simply maintaining our infrastructure leaves little funds for roadside clean-up. Still, it makes me feel helpless to watch as the city I’ve lived in my whole life disintegrates more and more everyday. It has been a slow process, one which you may not have noticed, but one that I can no longer ignore.

I can’t remove the weeds on the side of the freeway because it’s illegal for me to park in the emergency lane, let alone walk on the roadside. I can not clean up the litter in the gutters because I have a full time job, and no time to expel in what could be a fruit-less task. However, I can wake up early on a Saturday, hop in my truck, and take down all the illegally posted signs in my neighborhood. So that is exactly what I decided to do. I see city code enforcement trucks in my travels regularly, and I’ve had personal experience with city inspectors in the past. One thing I realized in my dealing with inspectors: They don’t seem to care unless a permit (money) or a fine (money) is involved. I don’t know what the fine for illegal posting of signs is in Sacramento, but I’ll guess that it’s less than housing permits. Perhaps this is why code enforcement officers drive by the flagrant code violations everyday and do not feel compelled to do anything about it. Well, my motivation is not money. My motivation is to overcome the feeling of helpless that plagues me as I watch my beloved city crumble before my eyes. If removing illegally posted signs elevates even a little bit of my dread, then it’s worthwhile to me. This is my city. This is your city. I will not simply drive by these violations and murmur: “Not my job to take em down.” If you put up an illegal sign in my neighborhood I will take it down. If you see one in your neighborhood, I challenge you to do the same.(Side note: I will not remove dated Yard Sale signs. People seem to do a good job taking those down after their sales are done, at least in my neighborhood.)

Xavier Ampersand is a 29 year resident of Sacramento, CA. Above are pictures of the signs removed 04-17-10, in the early hours of the morning.

TFO: Totally Friggin Owesome

2009-08-11T03:03:38Z

We at the Sacramento Press have already spent several hundred words poking and prodding you readers to imbibe in the blood-soaked, cleavage-filled, heavy-metal hilarity that is the Trash Film Orgy. Now, we have escalated to drastic measures and must insist that you attend the last TFO screening of the season Saturday at the Crest Theatre -- at the stroke of midnight.

If you have ever yelled at your television, scoffed at overacting, jeered at cornball love scenes, marveled at excessive violence and explosions or shrieked with laughter at super low-budget special effects, the TFO is for you. For the last nine summers, TFO has shared its impressive collection of exploitation, grindhouse and horror films with punky, belligerent, 18+ audiences exclusively at the Crest.

TFO selects its films not simply for being 'bad,' but for their overlooked potential for cult status. TFO member Amy Slockbower said she thinks 'bad,' is a misnomer anyway.

"I don't think any of these movies are sub-par by any means," Slockbower said. "They're great in their own way, and not 'so bad it's good,' like a lot of people say. These movies are under-appreciated and misunderstood."

TFO films can be monster movies, zombie films, survival horrors, imported action films, or 'butts in seats' classics like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Movie production companies actually give their OK to these screenings and provide for-real movie reels.

"We're the Trash Film Orgy, so we keep it on celluloid every time we can," Slockbower said. Sometimes this means scratchy prints that are dissolving with time - for classic and authentic 'technical difficulties.'

Behind TFO is a vast collaborative of local comedians, DJs, artists, models and midnight movie buffs who share their campy energies to bring Sacramento residents a night of pure rock-and-roll entertainment. While at the 'straight' movie theater, customers will buy their tickets, sit quietly, watch the feature and leave, TFO is a completely different organism. For the $10 ticket price, you'll be entertained from the moment you get in line until the drive home, when you'll still be smirking, joking and laughing at the whole experience.

The TFO audience is, suffice to say, quite colorful. Attendees range from TFO virgins to nine-year veterans, and you're sure to spot a plethora of punk-rockers, zombies, schoolgirls, metalheads and goth kids as you buy tickets and enter the lobby. The Crest's posh lobby gets renovated/vandalized every week into 'Trashville,' a carnival-esque series of painted wooden booths where you can try your luck to win kitschy toys, take snapshots with TFO's friendly and foxy group of costumed models or listen to a rousing sermon from Lucifer himself.

"Interactivity is a big part of TFO. We like to keep things involving and fun," Slockbower said.

Crest's main theater becomes a nifty meet-and-greet lounge before the show where you can mingle with your TFO peers to the beat of awesome live DJ'ing, courtesy of TFO's long list of musically-talented friends. Occasionally, TFO will play host to cult celebrities, and famously drew Bruce Campbell to the theater for a 2001 screening of "Evil Dead 2."

Before the film starts, you'll be introduced to your emcee deity, the Great Tiki God, who will shout out some context for the night's movie and work the crowd. Stage shows generally follow. Improv comedians and friends of TFO will perform hilarious skit-comedy -- last week's sketch was 'Cannibal Cowboys,' a dramatic tale of people-wrangling zombies filled with heartbreak, betrayal and new beginnings - and some slapstick cap-gun duels.

An intermission brings another chance for audience participation with some form of contest. Last week saw a hot dog-eating competition that ended with more wieners stolen or thrown than digested.

Every week's movie brings a different theme, but the audience tradition of yelling out riffs, jokes or profanity never changes. As soon as the movie begins, the shouting starts. Last week's feature, 'Lady Terminator' was an import film that blended traditional Indonesian mythology with modern Hollywood themes of boobies, pop music and gunplay. The result was a train-wreck, brain-dead bloodbath that had the crowd howling.

The film starts and ends with shouting. As the projectionist sets up, the crowd chants "Gary! Gary!" As the opening credits roll, the crowd mocks silly-sounding names and production companies. Terminator's 'Chuchu Productions' brought a flurry of train noises.

When a character gets eaten, gets naked or gets blown apart, the audience chimes in or cheers. As the movie ends, watchers share closing thoughts.

The sole surviving male protagonist in the Indonesian 'Terminator' was a blonde Caucasian, who stood triumphant with his new love interest. The crowd shouted: "Man, it sure is great being white!"

If you're already a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 or the Rocky Horror Picture Show, this will sound endearingly familiar.

Walking from the theater into the K Street Mall at 3 a.m., (don't worry, you'll be fine,) you may get a warm fuzzy feeling from participating in a truly unique and community-driven experience. For those with a strong stomach and a campy sense of humor, I give the Trash Film Orgy my highest recommendation.

Go next week for Black Belt Jones, the kung-fu asswhoopin' finale of this year's TFO!

"Buffy" at the Trash Film Orgy

2009-07-31T07:20:03Z

The ninth annual TRASH FILM ORGY series is halfway done, with three weeks remaining in this year's blood-soaked rock & roll monster extravaganza! If you haven't had a chance to visit this year's TFO, you already missed FLASH GORDON, SATAN'S CHEERLEADERS and CHOPPING MALL...but it's not over yet! This week's offering is the original theatrical version of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER!

If you haven't been to the Trash Film Orgy before, it is more than just a movie--it is a whole experience! The "Trash Action Sideshow" features fun activities in the lobby, the "Retro-Trash Lounge" features entertaining artifacts from RETROCRUSH.COM, and pre-show and intermission on-stage performances and contests make TFO an amazing, unique and often profoundly weird entertainment value! The TFO is a hotbed of local musical, comedic and dramatic talent. Several TFO alumni have moved on to careers in television, stand-up comedy, modeling and late-night horror hosting. Its organizers are working on their second feature-length film, PLANET OF THE VAMPIRE WOMEN, and its current performers include members of two local comedy troupes, "ICUP" and "I Can't Believe It's Not Comedy!" Come see the best of Sacramento's late-night cinema entertainment at the TRASH FILM ORGY!

SEE the 1992 film that started the Buffy phenomenon! With Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Luke Perry, Paul Reubens and Hilary Swank. And don’t miss the incredible VAMPIRE PROM!

TRASH FILM ORGY-the World’s Most Amazing Midnight Movie Show returns for its 9th incredible season!

Bringing you the best in 35mm Exploitation and Cult Cinema, TFO promises the ultimate theatre experience! With LIVE Bloody Stage Shows, Original Shorts, Audience Participation, Games, Costume Contests, Prizes and much, much MORE-you won’t believe your eyes!

This year’s festival features many exciting surprises… including the return of special guest stars and the TFO’s original host FRANCOIS FLY!!! You’ll be sure to cry your eyes out if you miss ANY of these exciting shows!

It all happens SATURDAYS at MIDNIGHT in the Fabulous and Historic CREST THEATRE located at 1013 K Street in Downtown Sacramento. 916-44-CREST
COME EARLY! Doors open at 11:30 for the Incredibly Interactive Trash-Action Sideshow and Music!

The TRASH FILM ORGY is adult fun for trash fans 18 and Over ONLY! And for trash fans 21 and over, the RETRO-TRASH LOUNGE serves beer and wine!

Tickets are $9.50 per show.
Cool Kids that come in Awesome Costumes can save $1 on admission. We recommend DECADES for all your costume needs!

www.trashfilmorgy.com has all the details about this year's series, plus photos of past shows if you want an idea of what to expect!

(In the interest of full disclosure, the author of this article is a participant in the Trash Film Orgy.)

Helping the environment

2009-06-22T17:35:45Z

Who would ever think of local scuba divers as Environmentalists?

Well we surprised everyone by removing 60 lbs of trash, debris and metal this Father's day weekend. There was a nice turnout. Everyone was surprised by the "clean" look of Lake Tahoe. When they went under the surface they were surprised to find beer tabs (from the '70's), old cans, sunglasses, a sailboat mast, car parts, tables, chairs, etc.

I first suggested Hurricane Bay after diving there last year and observing the ammount of trash in such a popular fishing site. With all of the moorings and boat usage it is not a wonder how much debris is there.

After our work, we all enjoyed a bbq and played in the water. I would like to thank SACSCUBA, Andy's Scuba World and Fish Eye Scuba for helping out by sending divers. Keeping our environment clean and making an effort to recycle as much as we can I believe really helps out. As an avid boater and diver, I would like to remind everyone to have fun on the lakes this summer. Please also take the time to haul out and separate all of your trash.

I look forward to seeing more people taking an interest in keeping our trash out of the lakes, streams and oceans this summer as we all enjoy our water. Remember a little bit of effort goes a long way and that is what made this Father's day such a fun day. Our trail walkers, bike riders, snorkelers and divers each had a great time helping out. Even the kids and dogs were excited to help clean up. Enjoy the summer.