14 - Friday, January 11, 1991 - North Shore News

HOME & GARDEN

OK, PR firms:
it’s time to reduce

('M NOT much one for
making New Year's resolu-
tions.

For me, that is. I've had
enough experience in that area to
know the probability that WIL stick
to my pledges is not great enough
to warrant the time expenditure
and emotional energy that would
go into formulating them.

However, that doesn't stop me
from helping other people with
theirs. In fact, as exasperated
family members and friends will
attest, expounding at length on
other people’s weaknesses is a skill
at which I particularly shine.

So i'm taking this opportunity
to make a resolution on behalf of
all the corporations, organizations
and public relations agencies
throughout Canada that regularly
send newspapers such as ours
press releases.

If you know of any, please clip
out the following paragraph and
send it to them.

“Raise right hand and repeat
the following. *I, (name of com-
pany representative), solemnly
pledge to drastically decrease the
amount of paper, cardboard,
video tapes, folders and othér ex-
cess forms of communication 1
send to hapless newspaper
reporters whose desks already
look JSike the local landfill
overflow site.” ””

What brings this to mind on
this particular morning are two
identical ‘‘press releases’? shown
me by one of my colleagues.

They had just arrived by post
from the Canadian Winter Games
*92 for the Physically Disabled,
with mailing costs for the two of
them totalling $14.

Why so much? Because the
press release arrived in a hefty
cardboard box and consisted of an
exccss quantity of non-recycled
paper (photocopied on one side
only), which was in a glossy pres-
entation folder, which was in a

Treat plants right

From page 13

whether your plant is infected,
remove the pot and examine its
roots. If they appear dark brown
and mushy, or if you can smell
the distinctly pungent odor of
damp, musty soil, then root rot is
highly probable.

In severe cases you may have to
operate. The idea is to remove the
diseased portions of the root
system and then repot the plant in
a clean, sterilized soil.

No, no, there is no need to deck
yourself out in surgical masks and
rubber gloves, but cleanliness is an
issue. Find a clean, sharp knife or
pair of pruning shears and remove
any of the areas that arouse your
suspicions.

YOUR SHELVING
SOLUTION!
*no tools required ‘fully finished +
J * many designs *
B 2110 Bunard Tues. Wed. 12-8
at 5th Avenue Thurs, Fri, 12-9
@ Kitsilano Sat. 10-5 ff
@ 737-1047 Sun. 12-5
# = Quality + Style + Economy =

eo z= .
“BROCKSH
Ld : . . "

Peggy
Trendell-Whittaker

ECOINFO

huge, convoluted plastic cor-
rugated binder that boasts
mysterious arrangements of
useless compartments and will
probably never be used by any of
the hundreds of reporters to which
these kits were sent.

And, ! remind you, we didn’t
receive just one of these
monstrosities, we were sent two.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an
unusual practice for a PR
department, but what may once
have passed as an atterition-getter
is now coming across as obscene.

The Avon cosmetics company
often sends our fashion reporter a
huge cardboard box filled with
teams of wadded-up tissue paper
and a tiny perfume sample that
could fit in the palm of your
hand.

Even though we are an
English-language newspaper, our
press kits often come complete
with a French translation,
necessitating twice the paper.

Sometimes we receive almost 10
copies of the same information
from companies whose mailing
lists need some attention.

National firms commonly send

us information about events hap-
pening back east, or about other
news that a community newspaper
would never cover.

The result of such PR people
doing their job just a crifle
zealously is stacks of useless
paper, plastic and cardboard clut-
tering up newsrooms from here to
Newfoundland.

While we’re reusing or recycling
much of it here at the News, ['m
hoping that 199! will be the year
we all learn to *‘reduce’’ — and
I'm not talking about waistlines.

eek

However, some press releases
serve to keep the News supplied
with vital information that none
of us could do without.

Writes Ms. Poon from a Hong
Kong import company: **There is
an exciting news release for your
esteemed paper, which will make
your readers jump for joy. Make
money from a product which
normally people throw away. Get
rich is always news, great news!”’

As her proposal seemed to in-
volve the recycling of some sort of
material, | read on.

“If you butcher cattle on the
farm or have access to cattle car-
casses, you can make extra money
selling gallstones,’* [ was informed
by the press release. ‘‘To collect
the stones, punch a hole in the
gall bladder and allow the fluid in
the bladder to drain. Remove any
gallstones and place them in a
kitchen colander or a small basket
to dry in a drafty place.’’

The Alice Import-Export Com-
pany pays $13.20 per gram for
well-dried, whole, non-moldy
gallstones. If you’re looking for a
second income, write to Alice Im-
port-Export, P.O. Box 70947,
Kowloon Central Post Office,
Hong Kong, for more details.

Send your environment com-
ments or questions to Ecolnfo,
North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale
Ave., North Vancouver, V7M
2H4.

HAVE YOU PUT YOUR GARDEN TO BED?
Let us turn your garden

refuse into a cosy

INSULATING MULCH.

Better than Bagging, Burning

or Dumping

947-9772 or 922-9772 ‘

Eliminate waste
space and mess.

Create more

useable space in

We turn your ideas into furniture
custom bulit furniture for the Home & Office.
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CANADIAN CLOSET

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GOOD FENCES

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION & REPAIR
FENCES, DECKS & PATIOS

Serving North & West Vancouver, Call Bo 980-4506

SA T. ON
WILL PAY YOUR G.S.T.
We ANY IN STOCK ITEMS

HALL LIGHT \ed
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3 light, cise 300.95

TURE
Ear bevelled glass.

6/40 Watt & 1 Downlight
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west of

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of . rt 9.
+ Mon.-Thurs. 9-5:30 p.m.; Fri. 9-9
Ho e530 p.m,; Sun. 12-5 p.m.

CTION AGE
BY

PUBLIC.
AUCTION

To satisfy severely defaulted payments to government agencies and
major Canadian bank creditors, In accordance with Revenue &
Canada Customs and Excise Import Legislation Section 84(1)(2) of @
the Customs Tariff Act — each piece labelled country of origin and

N fibre content.

Canada Customs cleared duties and taxes paid. Certified :
genuine handmade, handknotted. Description: rated highest
value investment categories Silk and Wool.

CARPETS: PERSIAN

AFGHANISTAN, TURKEY, CHINA, ASIAN, ETC.
SILK QUOM, KASHAN, TABRIZ, BELOUGH, BEJING,
BOKHARA, YAHYAL! & HUNDREDS MORE
¢ Sold with no liens or encumbrances or outstanding charges,
import taxes and broker fees paid.
© 10% freight and handling charges to be added to each
purchase,
¢ Dealers tax exempt with proper [.D. only.
e Terms of payment: cash, cheque or major credit card.
BALES OPENED ON SITE AND LIQUIDATED
PIECE BY PIECE TO HIGHEST BIDDER AT
- LOCATION CHANGED TO: :

WILLNAM GRIFFITH COMM. CENTRE
851 West Queens, N.Vancouver, (VILLAGE ROOM)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 12/91 AT 1 PM SHARP
Viewing at 12 noon

ae