HOT NEWS!
Current news about Auctions, Books, Events, Rummage Sales, Second Hand Shopping, Thrift Stores, Miscellany.

RUMMAGE SALE NEWS (San Diego, CA)

        For those of us who enjoy and frequent rummage sales in San Diego , we know there are two rummage sale seasons -- the Spring, when the Thursday Club hosts its Balboa Park Sale and the Fall, when St. James-By-The-Sea rolls out the red carpet for their La Jolla sale. In between, of course, there are other sales -- some medium-sized and some fairly small. Nevertheless, the largest is the Thursday Club followed by St. James.

        In addition to trying to cover these sales editorially and photographically, this year we will activate our rating system where we rate sales by revenues, size, content, management and lots more. We rely upon sale managers to provide us with total net income and sometimes, a few are not willing to do that. If they are charity-based organizations, though, that information must be made public and we'll do our best to obtain it. We will also ask for more information about where the monies go and how they distribute it. All of that will be provided to you at the end of the year, sometime between November and December 31, 2005.

        In the meantime, the Thursday Club's sale is coming up, along with Torrey Pines and La Jolla Methodist sales. Please check our calendar under http://www.bargainlink.com for a full listing of San Diego events.

SALVATION ARMY DONATIONS INCREASE

If you pay attention to local news, either by way of the local newspaper or television channels, then you know that the Salvation Army's bell ringers and those familiar red kettles were not around this year for holiday collections at Target stores. Salvation Army officials were clearly concerned. Enter three other large local retainers: Wal-Mart, Big Lots and Circuit City . And as a result, the coffers of the Salvation Army brought a pleasant and unexpected surprise: revenues increased by 29% over last year. (Those figures include totals for the entire region: San Bernardo , Riverside , Imperial and San Diego Counties .) Overall, kettle donations reached a total of $1.22 million, up from $946,000 in 2003. According to Salvation Army officials, increases were noted in downtown San Diego and in Rolando Park , home of the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center . Increases were also noted in El Cajon and Escondido . Proceeds to the downtown and Rolando areas nearly tripled-- to $100,550 and $61,600 respectively. Oceanside dropped substantially, down by more than one-third, to $55,000.

Why do you believe this happened? Lots of possible reasons but we believe that the Salvation Army is known for being there when disasters strike (similar, perhaps, to the Red Cross) and they are well known, liked and supported in San Diego . We are not surprised about Rolando increases and downtown is more active now--lots of apartments and condos, lots of evening events and great restaurants to draw San Diegans downtown. As to Oceanside , many of that community's young Marines are in Iraq and families are struggling to make ends meet. Priorities understandably shift during wartime. In any event, we're delighted about fuller Salvation Army kettles. Remember, out of every dollar donated less than 20% goes into administration and the rest directly to those in need. Not many charities can boast that kind of record!

CITY OF SAN DIEGO RECYCLING EVENTS

Recycle Old Tech Gear! Looking for a place to "download" your computer, monitor, TV’s or other electronic gear? The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Division in cooperation with the County of San Diego will host a recycling day for those who live in the unincorporated areas such as Jamul, Lakeside, Spring Valley and Fallbrook. (If you live in an incorporated area outside the city of San Diego, for example San Marcos, Santee, El Cajon, National City, Vista, Carlsbad or Oceanside, you are ineligible for this program.)

Acceptable items include:Computer processing units (limit of five each), TV’s and computer monitors (limited to five each), printers, keyboards, mice and speakers.

Unacceptable items include: stereos, VCRs, copiers, telephone answering machines, cell phones, household hazardous waste, microwave and toaster ovens, fax machines, TV remotes and uninterruptible power supplies with batteries, and other small household applidances and electronic devices. These items are not accepted due to funding limitations; some recycling centers accept them for a fee. For more information., visit: http://www.sannet.gov/environmental-services/recycling/pdf/brochure.pdf or refer to Recycling & Reuse, San Diego on our website.

Free Residential TV & Computer Recycling Event
Open to residents in the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, San Diego and the unincoporated areas of the County of San Diego. Appointments are required; call (858) 694-7000. 

Residents of cities located in the incorporated areas of the County of San Diego have separate electronics recycling facilities and will not be included in the upcoming electronics recycling events. Excluded cities are Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar, El Cajon, Encinitas, Escondido, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista.

For more information on Residential Electronics Recycling Events, call ESD’s Customer Service at (858) 694-7000. Electronics Recycling Events are funded by a grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). All electronics dropped off will be recycled by Clean Harbors, the City’s contractor.

San Diego is a beautiful place, and people flock here to live, work and play, attracted by our natural resources. But everyone living, working, and playing here creates mounds of trash… over seven pounds per person per day. With a population of over 1.2 million, that adds up fast… to nearly 9 million pounds a day, or about 1.68 million tons annually. At this rate of waste disposal, the City's only landfill, the Miramar Landfill, will likely be filled to capacity and close in 2012. Unless we all work together to reduce and recycle our garbage we could trash the unique beauty of San Diego and risk squandering our tax dollars to pay fines of up to $10,000 per day for failure to meet California’s 50 percent waste diversion mandate.

So how will these wasteful ways impact our great city? San Diegans throw out enough recyclables to:

• pile in Petco Park, from infield to outfield… from dugout to nosebleeds, five times over each year. shorten the life of the landfill by seven months every year. risk our city being fined $10,000 per day by the State.

• waste resources needed to sustain future generations.

To maintain San Diego’s great quality of life, we need to work together. What can we do to avoid trashing San Diego?

• Facts About California’s Major Recycling Laws

• Get more information about recycling and the environment