Last Update 11/06/09
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COMPUTING ORIGINS:

A few years ago,
a colleague of mine in Information Technology, noticed that I have many skills and interests. In addition to programming and report writing in SAS and SQL on many platforms - CMS, TSO, UNIX and PC - including Crystal Reports, EXCEL and ACCESS; I have advanced communications and writing skills.

I've given workshops, published and presented professional papers in ten cities in eight states. She noted that I have a PROTEAN nature and use both sides of my brain. The LEFT or logical and analytical side and the RIGHT or creative side.

One day
she watched me demonstrate how to carve Pumpkins at a Corporate party and also marveled at my painted dried gourds.

She cried out, "Glen, you can do almost anything and Crafts too!"


That was the creative conception of Crafts2Press

Since that day,
I self-published two Craft workbooks and am working on an audio training tape about promoting a collection.

I am in transition now - Jobwise but you, my fellow blogger may be able to help me.

Select My Resume


and show your Boss or HR Manager.
Or, select some or all of the links that interest you:


Tell your friends about this site and please remember...


"Think out of the BLOG"




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How 2 Make Holiday Crafts is a 41 paged self-published Craft workbook by Crafts2Press


Directed at families who are interested in making, having and giving homemade Holiday Crafts and Gifts.


The Author notes on page 2 "There are two kinds of gifts, well actually three kinds."


"The gifts that you BUY for someone, the gifts that you MAKE for someone and the gifts that you give yourself."


"This workbook will help you realize two of the three kinds of gifts."


-ALSO-


"Making the Holiday Crafts in the workbook can be a family project or you can work alone on a special gift."


"The five projects are ordered by their degree of difficulty."


As an added BONUS, the workbook comes attached with a completed project the "Dollar Bill Ring"


made with a real $1.00 - US legal tender dollar bill


The Table of Contents covers the following topics:


How to use this Workbook - A note from the Author - Necessary Stuff - Projects -


Dollar Bill Ring - Chicken in a Cup - Candy Cane Mouse - Potpourri Bear -


Moravian Star - Holiday Movie Reviews - Closing Notes


The best way to get an autographed copy is to visit me at a demonstration


If you really want a copy, please E-MAIL GLEN with your name, address, home phone number


I will send you an autographed copy and a bill for $8.00, please pay upon receipt


-OR- buy two workbooks for $15.00


-OR- buy three workbooks for $20.00



 Learn more about other books


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Glen, the Jester of Crafts - Calendar 2008



Demonstration and Open House at the following locations in the Mid-Atlantic States








* * * * * * * *


Order an autographed copy of my 41-paged Craft Workbook, "How 2 Make Holiday Crafts" by Crafts2press for $8.00 which includes tax and shipping


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Holiday Paper Crafts & Recycle too!


Greetings Director of Recreation,         Fall 2009

In early December, I’m stopping by the Whispering Knoll Assisted Living facility in Edison, NJ where I will conduct a crafts demonstration/workshop. The Residents will “make & take” three Holiday paper craft projects. Each project uses some of the skills learned and used in the other projects and most of the materials are readily available.

I can stop by your facility and do the same thing!


For approximately 1 & ½ hours work, I charge $75.00 and the Residents will leave with completed project(s) - maximum capacity - 15 Residents.

After completing a successful “How to Carve a Halloween Pumpkin” season in October, I’m prepared to demonstrate and help the Residents make crafts entitled - Holiday Paper Crafts & Recycle too!

I’m sure the Residents at your facility will enjoy working with their hands and learning or re-learning skills and actually making something from recycled materials that they can either keep or give away.

It is a fun atmosphere since I come costumed as my alter ego

“Glen Jester of Crafts”


with all the bells and whistles to keep everyone involved and happy.

Please contact me ASAP to secure a good time in early December.

Glen Key Dalessandro
(609) 426-0474

E-MAIL me if you like what you see

Additional information and sample flyer

Residents can participate by bringing to class some interesting or unique pages from old or used wall calendars to incorporate in their projects. They should also bring one crisp and new US One Dollar Bill for Project #3. I’ll supply additional calendar pages, if needed.

All other materials and supplies should be on hand or purchased by the facility before class with enough items so the Residents don’t have to share, too much.

The three projects are:

Project #1 Accordion Fold Victorian Fan
Project #2 Origami Keepsake Box
Project #3 “You’re #1 Ring” folded from a US One Dollar Bill

Combined Materials List:

pages from 99¢ Store wall calendars of thin paper thickness used in Project #1
pages from wall calendars of medium to heavy paper thickness used in Project #2
crisp and new US One Dollar Bill used in Project #3
shiny curling ribbons of different colors
additional colored scrap papers
scissors
stapler
glue stick
white glue or tacky glue
spring clothespin
butter knife or bone folder
clean flat work surface, good lighting and trash can

-sample flyer-



Holiday Paper Crafts - “make & take” Recycle too!

Please come to the Arts & Crafts workroom on the morrow and learn how to make some interesting and colorful Holiday paper crafts

Participate and recycle old or used calendar pages into a Victorian Fan or an Origami Keepsake Box

Find out how you can take a nice crisp US One Dollar Bill and fold it into a “You’re #1 Ring” - still Legal Tender

Come, have some fun and laugh with

“Glen Jester of Crafts”

and his bells & whistles as you “make and take” some crafts – they make good stocking stuffers too!

If you want…
bring some pages from old or used calendars that you can fold into some nice recycled gifts and a new US One Dollar Bill

All are welcomed!!!
E-MAIL me if you like what you see



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How 2 Carve Pumpkins is a 79 paged self-published Craft workbook and one of the many ideas that spring from Glen's mind!


Directed at families who are interested in what Anita Stiles proclaims in her article and book review in the Trenton Times


"If nostalgia is what Halloween is all about.


The King of Carving (and his workbook) fits right in.


With his enthusiasm and his homemade crown and scepter, Glen is the real deal and the kids love!"


-ALSO-


"In his demonstrations and book, Glen teaches carving techniques that are doable by normal human beings - and especially kids."



The best way to experience the FUN is to have Glen stop by your store, farm, corporate office party, museum or entertainment complex and
demonstrate "How 2 Carve Pumpkins!"

Just supply a table, chair, a big trash can, some large pumpkins and Glen will do the rest.
He will also bring along his award winning dried painted gourd collection and some other suprises.

The charge is $35.00 per hour with a minimum of three hours per day.
Hope to see you this season.
Glen's Pumpkin Carving Schedule for 2009



 E-MAIL Glen
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Glen, the King of Carving - Calendar 2009


Celebrating my 18th year carving pumpkins


Pumpkin Carving & Painting Demonstrations at the following locations in the Mid-Atlantic States





Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA
Fall Harvest Festival, Kuser Farm, Hamilton, NJ
Windsor Farm, Windsor, NJ
Whispering Knoll, Edison, NJ





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Order an autographed copy of my 79-paged Craft Workbook, "How 2 Carve Pumpkins" by Crafts2press for $8.00 which includes tax and shipping


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Glen Key Dalessandro

357 Stockton Street Hightstown, NJ 08520
Home Phone (609) 426-0474
E-mail
Web Site: www.crafts2press.blogspot.com

Summary of Skills

Solid experience in developing and promoting software solutions for data collection and reporting requirements
in the business environment. Proven written and verbal communicating skills
Able to turn a user request into a functioning information system

Objective

Support business users and clients by creating information systems, leveraging skills and encouraging “information” ownership through consultation and training.

Professional Experience


CRAFTS2PRESS, Hightstown, NJ 3/02 to the present
Owner/Operator – Publishing, on-site demonstrations and workshops

Adding to a fulfillment publishing business. Self-published two workbooks and developed audio presentations and training tapes. Offer materials for sale through workshops at local department stores, demonstrations and the Internet. Developed and publish a web site to disseminate information.

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY, Princeton, NJ 7/97 to 3/02
Senior Programmer Analyst - Worldwide Human Resources Information Technology

The front-line developer of Ad-hoc reports on many platforms, including UNIX and LAN. Provided technical solutions to business needs and worked closely with the business units i.e. human resources, sales and marketing and government affairs.

·Utilized UNIX – SAS, Crystal Reports and ODBC to access ORACLE files.
·Analyzed information in the LAN environment with SAS, MS-EXCEL and ACCESS and trained clients to use functions and formulas including macros and pivot table report.
·Developed salary surveys, compensation and comp-ratio reports, EEO, ex-patriot, retirement, pension, payroll and stock option profiles upon request.

CONTINENTAL/CNA INSURANCE COMPANIES 3/86 to 4/96
Business Systems / Sr. User Analyst - Finance Division - Corporate Reporting

Developer of PC/LAN based cash management modules using data from secondary sources. Accessed SAS and spreadsheet software to manipulate securities information.

·Provided technical solutions to increase and improve workflow for the division, including accounting, bank reconciliation and corporate reporting departments.
·Implemented procedures and trained users to access cash matching and report on investments information using SAS.


Additional Professional Experience


Worked as a contract SAS Programmer and a Production Coordinator at two professional consulting groups: Paragon Computer Professionals and Progressive Systems in 1996-1997.


Education


M.S. Information Science Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
B.S. Business, Marketing Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

Certificate: Computer Programming - Computer Learning Center, Norristown, PA
Certificate: Fundamentals of MS Visual Basic - Dow Jones Training, Princeton, NJ
Certificate: Web Page Development - IT Centers, Trenton, NJ


Selected Publications & Presentations


"Spreadsheet Techniques to Speed SAS Coding - Revisited," at the PharmaSUG Conference, Spring 1999 in New Orleans, LA.

"Telecommuting Used to Satisfy Employer Trip Reduction Mandates," at the PC EXPO, Spring 1995 in New York City.

"Cash Transaction Distribution Method," Journal of Cash Management, September / October 1990.

"Passive Hard Disk Backup," at the PC EXPO, Spring 1989 in New York City.

"CAUTION: Downloading May Be Hazardous to Your Computer's Health," at the National Online Meeting, Spring 1988 in New York City.

"Dvorak Keyboard Implementation," at the 49th ASIS Annual Meeting, Fall 1986 in Chicago, IL.

Access to Electronic Mail - The Facade of Privacy at the National Online Meeting, Spring 1985 in New York City.




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LAST CHANCE ==>

*** gro THIS SUMMER ***

 Back to Things To Do:































(with Glen)
AROUND CENTRAL NEW JERSEY & BUCKS COUNTY, PA
Events (Art, Music, Food, Films & Fun) of interest to Single Adults
E-MAIL me if you like what you see or have a better idea - GLEN

underlined phrases in a contrasting color are Hyperlinks to other Web Sites







Read my current BLOG story and leave a comment...


Listen to singer, actress, writer and musician Anne Hills in concert at “Mom & Pop's Coffeehouse" - United Christian Church, Levittown, PA at 8:00pm on Friday, November 6 - $10.00. Visit the Web Site.

Try a hands-on "Culinary Workshop" cooking class at ShopRite, Hamilton Marketplace Rte. 130 North, Hamilton, NJ. Classes start at 7:00pm. The $20.00 fee includes Chef lead instruction, recipe cards and a meal around 9:00pm. Class size is limited to 12 people.
==> Upcoming: “Recipes from the Tuscan Hearth ” on Tuesday, November 10. See Customer Service near the front of the store to sign up. Visit the Web Site -OR- read more...

Be my guest at Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ on any Sunny afternoon. E-MAIL me
==> Upcoming: “Gingerbread House Demonstration” on Saturday, November 14 around noon & “Lights On!” on Saturday, November 28 at 5:00pm. I have a pass just for you! Visit the Web Site

Take the “Princeton Hollywood Tour” on Saturday, November 14 at 1:30pm - $10.00 with tour guide Mimi. Call (609) 902-3637 -OR- read more...

Jump-start your moribund social life and attend a “Professional Business Single Network” event. Call Ralph at (610) 348-5544 or Visit the Web Site
Upcoming: “Three Minute Social Connections and Dance” at the Holiday Inn Princeton on Saturday, November 14 at 5:30pm. Age 40+ Tickets $35.00 (includes 8:00pm dance party)

Try an "Encore Event ==> The Wizard of Oz in High Def @ Town Center Plaza - East Windsor, NJ" on Tuesday, November 17, at 6:30 pm. This will be a specially cut version of the Wizard of Oz including behind the scenes interviews with the cast. Tickets are $10.00 - movie is 120 minutes long. read more...

Listen to “The New Jersey Cranberry” lecture/demonstration on Tuesday, November 17, 20009 at 7:30 pm at the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, 64 Washington St., Rocky Hill, NJ 08553. For more information call Candy Willis at (609) 924-7073 x-112. Visit the Web Site

Hear three singer-songwriters celebrate the 35th anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s legendary album - Court & Spark at "Concerts at the Crossing" - UU Church at Washington Crossing, 268 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ on Saturday, November 21 at 8:00pm - $20.00. Gene Shay, host of WXPN’s The Folk Show will be the special guest emcee. Visit the Web Site or read more...

Attend the “Garden State Storyteller’s” Tellabration event at the Hamilton Library, Hamilton, NJ on Sunday, November 22 in the afternoon. Special Guest “Storyteller” – Charlie Zahm. Visit the Web Site

Get Out of Town & ride to the “Vanity Fair” Outlets & "Green Dragon" Markets in Lancaster County, PA on Friday, November 27 - BLACK FRIDAY! Meet at the Barnes & Noble parking lot on Rte. 18 at the Brunswick Square Mall at 9:00am. read more...

On Thanksgiving Weekend, attend the "Singles Conference" at America's Keswick, Whiting, NJ. This Christian oriented weekend is open to all. In addition to the Activity Center Gym, indoor pool, games and live music; there are three meals a day, a few fireplaces, trails and pathways through the Pinelands and five sessions by noted Christian speaker - Dick Purnell. While many stay over in either Single or Double occupancy rooms in three different buildings, I live close enough to go for the day on Saturday, November 28. The $35.00 All Day rate includes Breakfast, Lunch, afternoon swimming, Dinner, chatting around the fireplace and a session or two. Visit the Web Site.


Attend a social “Baby Boomer” lunch at the Skylard Diner, Rte. 1 North, Edison, NJ on Sunday, December 6 at 1:00pm. Kick off the Holidays! read more...

Later in the day... Try the "Westminster Concert Bell Choir - Holiday Concert on the Princeton Campus" at 4:00pm, Sunday December 6. Tickets are $20.00 for Adults and $15.00 for Students and Seniors. read more...

E-MAIL me



Any Time/Any Day Events


In Spring, Summer or Fall, take the “Canopy Tour” at Spring Mountain ski slope in Landsdale, Pa – off the PA Northeast Extension. Whip around up to 20 miles an hour on a series of zip lines down the mountain in the treetops. The course is designed for people who are in good health and weigh less than 250 lbs. Call (610) 287-7900 or visit the Web Site. In the Winter, go skiing!

See science exhibits, the Heart and an IMAX film at the Franklin Institute on the Parkway in Philadelphia. Visit the Web Site.

Go out and meet new friends through http://www.MeetUp.com. On the Internet, simply type the URL into a browser and enter a local zip code – then select from the many activities available

Try some "day trips & concerts" thru Brookdale Community College. Call (732) 224-2315 - ASAP for reservation or information about a catalog

Take a “Day Trip” to Philadelphia, PA on a sunny afternoon via the RiverLine light rail and PATCO high speed line. Get a snack or buy produce & candy at the Reading Market, listen to a “Free Concert in the Plaza” at the Kimmel Center and hear & see an organ concert at “Macy’s” in the old Wanamaker’s building. Walk down Walnut Street and stop by both Barnes & Noble and Borders on the same block before taking the train back to Civilization (Jersey).

See and hear "free concerts" and other events at the Burlington County Library HQ. View the events calendar.

Take an interesting class at “Princeton Adult School.” Visit the Web Site.

Walk around the Capitol City at "Trenton 2 Nite" on the second Friday of each month from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. There can be music, art and food. Call (609) 393-8998 or visit the Web Site.

Visit "Longwood Gardens" Kennett Sq, PA. Call 610 388-1000 or (215) 388-6741 or visit the Web Site.

Stroll through the "Grounds for Sculpture" in Hamilton, NJ. I'm a member and have an extra ticket for you. Visit the Web Site.

Tour "Drumthwacket, the Governor’s Mansion" in Princeton, NJ on most Wednesdays from 11am - 2pm, gift shop in the Carriage house. Reservations are a must - call 609 683 0591 or e-mail.

How about another "Open House at Morven" in Princeton, NJ on any Wednesday from 11am - 4pm - $5.00. Call 609 924 8144 or visit the Web Site.

Go to the Philadelphia Art Museum on a Friday evening, open until 8:45pm - $14.00. There can be JAZZ, food and a theme related tour. Visit the Web Site.

More day trips thru the “The Community School of New Hope-Solebury” Motorcoach leaves the New Hope, PA & Flemington, NJ & Somerville, NJ areas. Call (866) 45-BUCKS - for reservation or information about trips. Visit the Web Site.

Learn about and sample some food at “Cooking & Nutrition" classes in the RWJ Health Center, Hamilton, NJ. Call (609) 584-5900 for more information or visit the Web Site.

Spend a day in Lancaster, PA, take the PA turnpike to Morgantown, PA, exit 298, Berks County and then Rte. 23, the road of the two valleys. If on a Friday, go to Green Dragon market, off Rte. 272 for food and all kinds of goods, use exit 286.

Take a trip to Reading, PA and the Pagoda and go to the V. F. outlets or stop by Roadside America at Shartlesville, near Allentown, PA for a trip back to a gentler time.

Walk or bicycle the rails-to-trails near Jim Thorpe, PA or anywhere near water.

Take a "Culinary Workshop" cooking class at Shop-Rite on Rte. 130 - North Brunswick, NJ or Rte. 130 – Hamilton Marketplace, NJ or Rte. 1 - Lawrenceville, NJ. Classes start at 7:00pm and the $20.00 fee includes the meal. Visit the Web Site.

Go to "Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve" - River Road, New Hope, PA. Call (215) 862-2924 for more information or visit the Web Site.

Attend a play at the "Kelsey Theatre" on the Mercer County Community College Campus, W. Windsor, NJ. For tickets - call (609) 584-9444 or visit the Web Site.

E-MAIL me



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Ecologically Friendly - Reusable Shopping Bags - Calendar 2008



Display at the following locations in the Mid-Atlantic States




*** Levittown Library, 7311 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA - January
*** Lawrence HQ Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ - May & June



 Back to the Eco Bags Collection































Inhabitants of this Big Green Marble (EARTH)
to the


Collection of Ecologically Friendly
Reusable Shopping Bags *



As everybody who is anybody goes Green, I wanted to do something too. Since I don’t own a Nuclear Power Plant to decommission or an Oil Well to shut down and can barely afford to buy a Hybrid Car, I decided to collect obvious and hopefully ubiquitous items that everyone uses or should use – Ecologically Friendly Reusable Shopping Bags or Eco Bags for short.

While some bags are more colorful and functional than others are, they all serve the same purpose; that is to temporarily store food and non-food items until one gets home and then do it over and over again until the bags themselves fall apart and have to be recycled.

About the Collection: I purchase the Reusable Shopping Bags in the normal manner. I save the price tag and UPC code and never use the bags – how ironic!

I use my web cam and Photoshop software to capture and crop the image and then upload the image into my BLOG and publish. I try to note and write up any interesting particularities that make each store or Reusable Shopping Bag special.


To make this Collection the World’s Largest, I need the help of you, my “Earth Angel” supporters to supply me with Reusable Shopping Bags that are out of my driving area (Central New Jersey) and unique (not already on my BLOG). Just purchase a bag at your friendly supermarket, grocery or other type of store, leave the price tag and UPC code intact and don’t use the bag. I'll also accept a slightly used but still clean bag of distinctive or vintage quality. Mail the bag(s) in a big Manila envelope to my address:

Glen Daless
357 Stockton Street
Hightstown, NJ 08520

I'll give my “Earth Angel” supporter and new friend honorable mention, under the Eco Bag on my BLOG. If you want, E-MAIL me first to make sure that the bag is not already in the Collection or make any comments you may have about my Collection or the whole concept.

There are 18 “Earth Angel” supporter(s) as of August 2009!


Hope everyone enjoys my Collection and my BLOG. Feel free to try the following Hyperlinks to another interesting Collection, Crafts information, Stories and my Social Calendar & resume.

Glen Daless





 Display Schedule in 2009

 Article in the Newark Star-Ledger (06/25/08)


- GREEN-tings- ACME Markets- ALDI Markets- Amelia's Grocery Outlet- Brookdale CC- Buck A Bag Produce- ca???- Commonwealth Packaging Company- Cost Cutters- Farm Fresh- Gary’s Wine & Marketplace- Giant Markets- Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens- Go RISE up Inc.- Great Atlantic & Pacific Company Inc.- Green Today, Inc- Hannaford- Harris Teeter- Klem's- Lowe's- Market Basket®- McCaffrey's Markets- Old Navy- Organic Harvest- Piggly Wiggly- PR&A- Publix- Redner's Warehouse Markets- reJAVAnate- Safeway Markets * Genuardi's- Scholastic- Shaw's- ShopRite Supermarkets- Staples- Stop & Shop- Target- Thriftway Markets * Risoldi's Great Valu Foodstore- Trader Joe's- Walgreens- Wal*Mart- Wegmans- Whole Foods Market- WINGS- WWF




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The Great Atlantic & Pacific Company Inc. is gobbling up some other supermarket chains like Pathmark, Waldbaum’s, Superfresh, the Food Emporium and Food Basics.

According to the label:

All the Reusable Shopping Bags in the Elizabeth Haub Foundation are manufactured with 100% post-consumer recycled content.

Each Reusable Shopping Bag issued has a different “earth” photo on either side. I understand that Haub family are one of the owners of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Company Inc. – hope they recycles. 04/08

from "Reusable Grocery Tote Bags: Going Green for Better Shopping
Paper, Plastic or Reusable? What's Your Shopping Bag Preference?"

by Will N. Stape, published Feb 18, 2008

A chic green scene is now cool and we're all the better for it.

...

At times it seems like global warming or climate change touches on everything in our lives, even when shopping for the basics at the supermarket. Come checkout time we're reminded of the impact plastic makes in our landfills and how using up more paper bags just kills a few more oxygen generating trees. What to do? Enter reusable shopping bags.

Every little bit can help our landfills get lighter and spare the leafy lungs of planet Earth. Use reusable shopping bags whenever possible for shopping. There's really no excuse anymore. Every major supermarket and most retailers are making it easier and even fashionable. Just look around the next time you're at Pathmark, A&P, Shoprite or Von's. Today's choices in recyclable shopping bags are not only convenient and stylish, but they're incredibly affordable.

My local supermarket A&P, carries Elizabeth Haub Foundation Totes- these are cool and colorful reusable bags which go for the irresistible price of 99 cents. Not only can you feel great about hefting around your goodies in neat totes, but a portion of sale proceeds are donated to the Elizabeth Haub Foundation to help further their conservation work.

Elizabeth Haub was a philanthropist actively involved in developing environmental law and policy in Europe. In tribute and to further the cause, the Elizabeth Haub Foundation was established in North America by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Helga Haub of The Tengelmann Group, a majority shareholder of A&P.


Six Eco Bags






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ShopRite Supermarkets

from a recent Press Release:

ShopRite Supermarkets has now won the Prestigious Energy Star award for the Marlton, NJ store. On April 10, 2008, Keasbey, NJ – Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, Inc. has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious Energy Star Rating for their ShopRite of Marlton, NJ. The Energy Star is the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance. The ShopRite of Marlton joins more than 3,000 Energy Star buildings nationwide that are committed to reducing their impact on the environment by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. 04/08

According to the product tag:

earthwise reusable bags: Use this bag and help reduce the more than 100 Billion plastic bags used in America each year. Take with you to the store. To the gym. To school. Make everyday Earth Day!


Six Eco Bags






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ACME Markets

Crazy about food 04/08

from a recent Press Release:

Supervalu-owned Acme Markets this week opened what it said is the first environmentally friendly supermarket in the Philadelphia area.

The new store was built according to the specifications of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council, and is the first supermarket in the Philadelphia area to complete the LEED building process from construction to completion, said Acme.

To educate shoppers on the green aspects of the design, the store installed educational plaques in various departments detailing the green initiatives behind the construction of each.

...

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Acme will donate a park bench made entirely from recycled plastic to a local park. The benches are constructed using Trex composite lumber that is manufactured from both store and customer generated plastic. Acme has recycled its plastic bags since 1993, but has recently expanded the program to include the creation of park benches.

Additionally, Acme will present over $280,000 in donations to various organizations.

Acme operates 130 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. 04/08


Front/Back






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Brookdale CC

from Geeklog Saturday, July 19 2008
Contributed by: snacco:

Last year, through the College's "Governance" process (which involves students as well as employees from every department), Brookdale created a College-wide Action Team on Sustainability, a.k.a., the Green Team. The Green Team is supposed to be looking at everything Brookdale does--from styrofoam coffee cups to storm drains that go into the Swimming River reservoir--and come up with ways of making the College more environmentally friendly.

One result of the group's work are new recycling containers that separate paper from cans and general trash.

But what else should we be doing?

Your blogging is welcome and will be taken to heart by the College.







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Wegmans

According to the product tag:

With growing concern about the environment, our customers have asked for an "earth-friendlier" way to carry their groceries. Recycling reduces waste in our landfills, but now we have another way. Reuse - a simple way we can each do our part over and over again!

Our reusable shopping bags reduce the need for plastic (or paper) and make your shopping trip a little easier. The sturdy straps carry lots of weight without tearing, and flat bottom helps prevent tip-overs. If they get dirty, just sponge them off and the lightweight fabric dries quickly. Simply fold them for easy storage in your car or trunk - they're ready for the next trip!

We're proud of this product and we hope you'll agree. Remember, your satisfaction is always guaranteed with Wegmans brand products. 04/08

from "There's a New Meaning for 'Green Grocer'" by Bob Niedt, The Post Standard, Friday February 08, 2008

Wegmans has long been moving in that direction (sustainability programs), said Jason Wadsworth (from the Food Marketing Institute), but nearly a year ago, it tasked him and his team to identify areas throughout the company where it's being done and to take some of those ideas companywide. And to put it out there so the customers can connect.

One issue at the front end of the store is bagging. There's a frontal assault from many directions, from consumer to retailer to government, on plastic bags, a hot-button issue.

Wegmans and other retailers have been offering customers reusable bags to purchase and return to the store for filling at the front end instead of the usual paper or plastic.

Wegmans has sold 800,000 of the black bags. But the company has no way to measure the effect of the reusable bags.

"If we are able to measure and know how the bags are being reused, we can start to tackle the plastic issue," said Wadsworth.

Wegmans is attempting to develop a system, probably at the cashier end of the store, for measuring reusable-bag use.







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Thriftway Markets * Risoldi's Great Valu Foodstore

from "Paper or plastic? You may pay 20 cents either way"
Some plastic, foam containers would be banned under proposal by mayor, council president
by Angela Galloway SeattlePI.com REPORTER

...
Some grocers already promote the use of reusable bags. For example, Thriftway gives a nickel back to customers who bring their own bags.

"I don't know if consumers know how much plastic and paper bags cost," said Josh Angle, store director of the Magnolia Thriftway. Paper bags cost at least 13 cents each, plastic bags cost about 9 cents.

from www.westseattleblog.com

Personally, I do reuse my plastic bags. But I read in the paper that there are other alternative bags (maybe like the compostable plastic bags at Thriftway) that won’t be taxed? I am a regular user of my own bags. The ones from Trader Joe’s. are great- they’re strong & can hold much more than the plastic or paper bags. I also purchased some reusable totes from Costco. They are gigantic and would work for other non-grocery expeditions.

Comment by dinolicious — April 3, 08 9:55 am






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Whole Foods Market

World's Leading Natural and Organic Foods Supermarket 04/08

from www.hoovers.com

Plastic Bags a Thing of the Past? - At least one major grocery chain, Whole Foods Market, is eliminating plastic grocery bags from its stores. Capitalizing on increasing environmental awareness and consumer demand, Whole Foods hopes that the move will encourage more consumers to bring their own reusable bags, although it will still offer paper bags for those who don't. Industry experts say that, given the willingness of many consumers to eliminate plastic bags, Whole Foods' action could be the start of a larger grocery industry trend. 05/08


Four Eco Bags


"Earth Angel" supporter - Susan - 08/09






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Trader Joe's

A Unique Grocery Store

According to product tag:

100% Polypropylene Bag

Environmentally friendly and fun to carry! 6 gallon capacity 06/08

According to the Insulated Bag product tag:

Ideal for grocery shopping, travel and outdoor activities. Keeps frozen and perishable refrigerated foods cold up to 4 hours. Add ice packs to help keep food cold longer - 5 gallon capacity. High Density for extra protection. 06/08

According to the Canvas Bag product tag:

Heavy duty canvas. Reinforced at the major stress points. Holds more than a large grocery sack. Comfortable canvas handles. Machine washable. Will shrink slightly. Machine wash cold - lay flat to dry 06/08


Three Eco Bags






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ALDI Markets

from www.seriouseats.com

What Do You Think of Aldi Markets?
Posted by LoCo, February 3, 2008 at 5:07 PM

We don't have them out west, but my in-laws in TN shop there a lot. They are immensely popular there. We've popped in a couple times to check it out. My impression was good quality produce, frozen stuff and shelf products at very good prices. The things I really loved were (1) the fact they charge for grocery bags, which means most people bring their own, (2) having shoppers bag their own groceries, which I do better than most employees anyway, and (3) requiring shoppers to deposit a quarter to get a shopping cart, which you get back when you return the cart. It means the store doesn't have to send employees out to collect carts, and your car doesn't get banged up by inconsiderate shoppers who can't be bothered to return their carts.

If you have Aldi Markets where you live, have you tried them? What has your experience been?






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Wal*Mart

What has Sam Walton Wrought?

According to the product tag:

* is 100% recyclable
* is made from 85% recycled materials
* is made from approximately 4 plastic soda bottles
* can replace 50 plastic shopping bags
* can carry the same weight as 2 -3 plastic shopping bags 04/08

from www.wisebread.com

"Wal*Mart Celebrates Its Own Green Efforts with Free Reusable Shopping Bags"
posted April 12, 2008 - 18:09 by Linsey Knerl

Wal*Mart gets its fair share of negative press (and Wise Bread bloggers aren’t excluded.) However, a recent article in the new National Geographic’s Green Guide magazine really had me thinking about some of the ways Wal*Mart has led the way with environmentally-friendly initiatives. Regardless of how you feel about Wal*Mart’s status as a commercial superpower, you really have to take a look. (And while you’re at it, snag a free shopping bag!)

On April 19th, Wal*Mart stores everywhere will be celebrating Earth Month by partnering with Kellogg’s and giving away 1 million reusable shopping bags. The bags will usually cost a buck to buy, but starting 8AM next Saturday, you can have one free!
...


"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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Scholastic

The Scholastic Books - Eco Bag folds-up for easy storage and features a great saying:

"Reading Makes You a STAR!"

from: www.scholastic.com/actgreen/

Try the 100 Ways to Act Green! video game

Scholastic Books has at least 189 Children's books about Ecology for sale!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Camille - 07/09






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PR&A

Pellettieri Rabstein and Altman

Counsellors At Law

"Going to Court is Hardball"

www.PRALAW.com



"Earth Angel" supporter - Elyse - 06/09






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WINGS

from Hatteras Village Redux Part II

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
"Wile E. Coyote's Law of Gravity"

...
Our first stop would be Wings. Now, if anyone has visited the Outer Banks, they'll know that on practically every street corner, there is a Wings store. These stores carry nothing but the finest (cough, cough) merchandise showcasing the beauty of the area. Okay, that's a lie. They are gaudy - nay, garish - architectural monstrosities filled with every cheap souvenir ever made for beachy locations. T-shirts, sweat shirts, swim suits, beach towels, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, shot glasses, sun glasses, sun lotions, water rafts, water wings and water noodles. How about a bright blue, leaping dolphin with a clock embedded in its abdominal area.

Thanks to Wings stores, China has no unemployment. However, that's not to say that you can't get a good deal there! The Wings store in Hatteras Village is slightly less tawdry & tasteless than its northern counterparts. It's also a much smaller than the others, but just as packed full of ..... stuff. As we squeezed our way around the racks & racks of beach wear, counters of mini lighthouses, key chains, shark teeth and postcards, I happened across beach towels on sale. End of season clearance - buy one, get one free - $5. Can't pass that up! Loaded with bags, we left the store.
...

from a Web advertisement: Free extra large Reusable beach tote with purchases of $25.00 or more!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Jessica L - 12/08






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Buck A Bag Produce

from PhillyBurbs.com

Eat your veggies

Posted by Tom Haines at 11:19 am 4/10/08

Penndel welcomed a new business in a familiar locale this week. Buck A Bag Produce had its grand opening Wednesday, April 9. The grocer, dealing in fresh fruits and vegetables, is housed in the former Penndel Produce premises at 50 Hulmeville Ave. This marks the third tenant for the historic borough property in the past 2 years.

Editor's Note: I have the Opening Day gift mug too!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Pat L - 12/08






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Piggly Wiggly

from Athens World

Piggly Wiggly on North Avenue Anti-Environment?

Posted by Christopher Byrne on 2008-02-14

I had to stop at the Piggly Wiggly on North Avenue, Athens, GA on the way home tonite. I asked for paper, and was told that "we no longer have paper bags and will no longer be ordering them." Sounds like an environmentally unfriendly decision to me. Any thoughts?

Comment by Evonne 2/28/08
Wow. I guess I live in my own little world because I find it amazing that this debate is even going on. Should I use paper or plastic? NEITHER. By far the best option (and I think maybe 2 people mentioned this) is bringing your own reusable bag. Every grocery store I've been to lately has them next to the registers for $1 each and unless you are buying for an army, you'll rarely need more than 3 of these bags since they easily hold what would normally be put into 3 or more plastic bags.

If you want to do what is best for the environment, there's just one choice, IMO.

Editor's Note: I wished they printed their motto: "Down Home, Down the Street" and had the drawing of a pig with a paper hat!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Rebecca - 01/09






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Organic Harvest

from YAHOO Local

A New Organic Sherriff in Town!

Posted by Karen 10/24/2006

For many years there has been one major organic provider in the Birmingham, Alabama area, but now Organic Harvest has come! The store is amazingly clean and has a pleasant lay out. To the left of the main entrance is a cafe where organic foods are served. There is also a very large, pleasant selection of non-food consumer foods like cosmetics, soaps, etc. I got interested when I saw the store from the road, but now I am in love!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Rebecca - 01/09






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Target

According to the product tag:

Earth week - a gift for you (free) 04/09

Smart Choices - coupon for $2.00 off GE Energy Smart compact fluorescent lightbulb packages

from www.thebudgetfashionista.com

We couldn’t help but notice Target’s new, reusable red shopping bags on our latest trip to one of our fav stores. The non-woven polypropylene fabric bag comes in Target’s standard red color with an adorable bird and tree graphic on it (a refreshing change from a company’s logo). The bag has a flat, stiff bottom which folds nicely and snaps together for easy storage. In fact it’s perfectly map-sized so you can throw it in your glove compartment box or pop it in your tote.


Front/Back

"Earth Angel" supporter - George B - 04/09







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Redner's Warehouse Markets

Serving Our local Communities Since 1970 04/08

from www.findarticles.com

"Reusable bags appeal to shoppers"
Central Penn Business Journal, Sep 14, 2007 by Olenchek, Christina

Earth-friendly sacks catch on in midstate

A shopping list and coupons have traditionally been required accessories for savvy consumers navigating their favorite grocery stores.

Now, many of these consumers are adding a new tool: reusable shopping bags.

Several grocery stores doing business in the midstate have recently started selling reusable bags as an alternative to disposable plastic bags. The bags have been a hit, and thousands of them have been snapped up around the region.

The idea of reusable bags has been around for some time, but their newfound popularity comes as more consumers gain an awareness of the environmental impact of plastic bags, observers said.

"(Plastic bags) get blown around. They get stuck in trees. They end up in streams," said David Mazza, western regional director for the Pennsylvania Resources Council. The council, which has offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, promotes efforts to protect natural resources. "It makes sense to use a different material."

Reusable shopping bags are typically made of polypropylene and are often marked with the logo of the store selling them. Giant Food Stores, Weis Markets, Karns Quality Foods and Redner's Warehouse Market are among the grocers selling them. Most bags offered in this area cost 99 cents each, though some stores offer canvas versions that are more expensive.
...






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Walgreens

ReUse * Reduce Green Bag 07/08

from “Reusable Shopping Bags – Have You Seen Them In Your Neighborhood Stores?”
on Penny Hull’s BLOG

How many times have your groceries been loaded into plastic bags, only to have the bag split and the jar of mayonnaise drop and break on the driveway? By the way, why is it always the mayonnaise that breaks? It's got to be the hardest thing to clean up...

Many of my favorite stores, at least in my area, are now offering an inexpensive alternative to the "Paper or Plastic" question. Resuable Shopping Bags

Walgreens was the first place I noticed resuable shopping bags for sale. I picked up enough for all my groceries - at $.99 each, they weren't a bad investment, and I figured it was the only way to stop all the plastic bags that fall out of my cupboard every time I open it. I hate to throw them away, so I save them... for something.

I stuck the bags into the door pocket of my car, and now every time I open the door, I'm reminded to take them in the store with me. By the way, I found the bags at the Apex Walgreens - ask for their terrific store manager, Tate Moorefield, if you can't find them!







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Staples

According to the product tag:

reusable shopping bag

Make a difference. It's easy.

Every year, billions of plastic shopping bags are thrown away and end up in landfills. Using and reusing a bag like this one is an easy way for you to make a difference. Visit staples.com/ecoeasy to learn more. 07/08

"Staples Saves the World?"

POSTED BY LADY STEED AT 8:46 PM on Sunday, February 17, 2008

A few weeks ago I was standing in line at Staples, waiting to purchase some supplies for the LDOTFMOT. There were only two people in front of me but the wait seemed rather long, considering no one had more than three items.

I started looking around--candy bars, computer magazines, mechanical pencils, refrigerator of coca-cola product, rack of reusable bags with the Staples logo printed in green ink on them...huh?

This last item struck me as odd. Staples just doesn't really seems like a place that you can shop at and think you are being green, or, at the very least, it doesn't seem like a place you would think to get a reusable bag at.

I began to wonder about that bag. I wasn't super close to it so I couldn't get a detailed look, but--I wondered--was it made from recycled materials? I hoped so. But I had a feeling it wasn't.

That got me thinking. Pretty much every store that I go into now has a reusable bag available that's emblazoned with their logo and some sort of slogan about saving the earth. How many of these bags were made from recycled materials and how many were made from raw materials? How much damage has been done to the Earth by all these stores jumping on the green bandwagon? Rushing to make another item for their customers to purchase, this time (ironically) a reusable bag?

It seems silly.

I can picture the marketing people sitting in their meeting rooms saying, "Hey, people really seem to be serious about recycling and all that now. How can we make some money off of that?" "OH! I know, lets sell reusable bags in our stores!" "Great idea, Joe! Get us a quote on 2 million of those."

I think most people have bags that can be used for carrying home groceries in their possession already. I know I do. Plus, I just find it ridiculous that every retail establishment I seem to go into these days is offering these reusable shopping bags.

It seems OK for grocery stores to offer these types of bags with their logos--a customer goes there once a week, maybe more--they will use that bag. But Staples? Seriously? I go there maybe once or twice a year. If I was thinking about purchasing a reusable shopping bag I certainly am not going to get one branded with Staples' logo. What am I? Their walking billboard?

Also, are all those reusable bags really displacing that many plastic bags? I don't think they are. I think the reusable bags are just adding to the pile of stuff we already have. Stuff that will ultimately end up in a landfill.

What do you think about this? Am I being a big grump? Should I just be grateful that corporations are letting even a tiny eco-conscious idea glimmer in their stores? Even if their motivations are not pure?

Or am I right and this is just another example of business-based hypocrisy?

On the bright side, maybe these 'green' bags will be less likely to kill sea turtles.






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ca

Unknown Eco Bag??? Please E-MAIL me if you know who or what "ca" is - GLEN



"Earth Angel" supporter - Bonnema Potters - 04/09






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reJAVAnate

E-mail message from Douglas Farquhar on June 24, 2008

I read an article about you and wanted to introduce you to our reJAVAnate reusable bag program because it is unique and we think it is a really good story.

We take burlap from coffee roasters that would be otherwise sent to landfills, work with ARC which serves individuals with developmental disabilities to hand make the bags and sell them to individuals and organizations who want to make a statement about reducing paper and plastic bag consumption.

The bags can be custom printed and make a good statement for organizations that have or want to make a commitment to the environment.

Renovos Global Group
14 Goodyear
Ste. 135
Irvine, CA 92618-3759

from a recent Press Release - www.reJAVAnate.com

A Great Story!

reJAVAnate

Did you know?

• Coffee is 2nd largest commodity in the world
• 800.000 tons of Burlap discarded every year
• The ARC helps 140,000 developmentally disabled members find employment
• U. S. consumes over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps each year. 14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans

Bags that make a difference!


"Earth Angel" supporter - Doug F - 07/08






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Go RISE up Inc.

from an advertisement

Go RISE up Inc. is a company dedicated to increasing recycling through education, community involvement, and the creation of our line of sustainable apparel and bags. We have a unique focus on recycling plastic shopping bags as less than 4% of the 100 billion bags used annually are currently recycled. Our hands-on training and education programs are designed to start and support recycling programs for schools, businesses and municipalities. As part of our dedication to “closing the loop” all of the plastic bags that are collected through our programs are sent to TREX, a composite decking manufacturer, and are recycled into an eco-friendly alternative to wood lumber.

Our website www.goriseup.com has an incredible variety of reusable bags and eco-apparel for everyone. Recycling has never been so fun, Go RISE up!

334 Main Street (suite 107)
Matawan, NJ 07747

Editor’s note: Contact Chris Rossi at c00rossi@hotmail.com for a discount coupon code. 08/08


"Earth Angel" supporter - Chris R - 08/08






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Gary’s Wine & Marketplace

A letter from a supporter

June 25, 2008

I read your interview with Star-Ledger’s Kelly Heyboer today. You have certainly picked up on another of our country’s efforts to protect the planet in this growing trend to recycle in whatever ways possible.

Gary’s Wine & Marketplace is a retailer of wine, spirits, gourmet food and giftware with 3 locations in Northern and Central New Jersey. Owner Gary Fisch is interested in offering our guests ways to help protect our environment. We sell a line of bamboo giftware, which is widely known as environmentally friendly. Additionally, we purchase wine bags hand made from banana bark in Cambodia.

Our latest effort is our reusable wine/grocery tote. This bag is unique as it has fold-out dividers which holds groceries and up to six bottles of wine at a time! Feel free to add this to your collection of eco friendly shopping bags.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to talk to you.

Regards,

Nancy Lederman


"Earth Angel" supporter - Nancy L - 06/08







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Commonwealth Packaging Company

A letter from a supporter

July 21, 2008

As we discussed, enclosed are three bag samples that were produced by Commonwealth Packaging Company, and below you’ll find descriptions of each bag in case you’d like to feature them in your eco-friendly, reusable bag blog.

White bag: Company – Sol de Ibiza
This woven polypropylene bag was produced in three sizes, designed to be ultra-reusable.

Black bag: Company - Matrix
Matrix used a special environmental sheet that is natural kraft on the inside and white kraft paper on the outside, and contains 75 percent post-consumer waste material. They also used 100 percent soy ink, the most environmentally friendly ink available.

Colorful bag: Company - Wholesale Associated Grocers/Country Mart
This bag is made of recyclable, woven polypropylene material, and has been featured in Country Mart’s in-store ads and website.

Again, what you’re doing to promote bags that will have a positive impact on our environment in quite commendable. Commonwealth Packaging Company and its sales team will continue to do their part, and urge their clients to buy sustainable and eco-friendly bags. Please let me know if you have any questions about the bags I’ve sent or about Commonwealth Packaging Company.

Sincerely,
Sarah Groff

An additional bag made from PET - Recycled Milk Containers with a little pocket for coupons.


"Earth Angel" supporter - Sarah G - 07/08






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Publix

from the Fun Times Guide

Grab a $ .99 Reusable Shopping Bag from Publix

Written by Jeffery on January 10, 2008

Ever wanted to live green by purchasing some reusable shopping bags for those grocery store runs but don't want to pay $15 for each of them?

Publix has your solution...reusable grocery bags for .99 cents!!

Some of my and my wife's friends gave us our Christmas presents in a couple of these bags and then my wife came home with another one after a trip to the store. When she showed me the receipt, I couldn't believe it!

Comment by Steve C Carty on June 26, 2008

After returning from Ireland and witnessing their phenomenal success with transitioning from plastic bags to reusable bags, I desperately want to get involved in doing my part here in the USA and elsewhere to promote this simple eco-friendly solution. Can you please give me some pointers into what type of reusable bags are best with best recyclable properties, average life span, minimum effect to produce on environment etc. There are may to choose from; cotton, canvas, jute, polypropylene, nylon, burlap,etc,

I appreciate all information you can help me with in this early stage of my research. I know that we must all make a difference in reducing the massive quantities of plastic going into the landfills, streams, and oceans. Please help me to be a real fighter for this effort as I am truly on fire with my potential to make a difference and leave a noble legacy for future generations.

Thank You,


Two Eco Bags

"Earth Angel" supporter - Good Neighbor Marty - 07/08






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Lowe's

Lets Build Something Together

from Active Rain - Real Estate Network

Kudo’s To Lowes’ . . . Going GREENER

Written by Teresa Harris on 08/11/2008 11:25 PM

Okay, I’m excited! Most will think I have totally flipped to be excited about this, but I am. This weekend I was in Lowes Home Improvement and saw that they are trying to go GREENER. They now offer reusable shopping bags and they are quality ones at that.

Lowes originally was started in North Wilkesboro, NC but has since moved to Mooresville, NC. It is really nice to see companies seeing the importance of trying to get away from the use of plastic shopping bags.

Seeing turtles dying from mistakenly eating plastic bags is all it took for me. Since then 95% of the time we take our own reusable shopping bags when we shop. The other 5% we mistakenly forget them and either purchase more bags or carry the items out to the car.


"Earth Angel" supporter - Good Neighbor Marty - 10/08






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Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens

from the Web Site


Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens is the largest herb plant grower in the country, supplying more than 400 varieties of fresh herb plants to American consumers via nurseries and garden centers throughout the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States.

From their modest beginning in Westport as a cut-flower business established in 1922, Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens still remains a family business. 85 years later, Sal Gilbertie and his family are still providing fine herb plants known throughout the area. Even 97-year old Nana, Sal’s mother, can be “seen” tending the gardens in Westport, always offering her gardening advice.
...


"Earth Angel" supporter - Florence K - 06/08






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Amelia's Grocery Outlet

from the Action News - 6abc.com

Amelia's Grocery Outlets offer deals on food - Wednesday, May 13, 2009


On the shelves at Amelia's 11 stores, you'll find plenty of brand-name products. The manufacturers use the chain to sell off items that are getting new packaging, or new sizes, or items that are getting close to their freshness or expiration dates.

But the store guarantees what they sell is good to eat.

Jeff Good, who founded the chain along with his business partner Mike Mitchell, says, " We would not be in business if we sold anything that would make people sick, Number One. Number Two, we would also not be in business if we sold anything that was stale."

Just as with other kinds of outlet stores, the inventory and deals are constantly changing.

Good explains, "When you come to shop this week, you'll see certain branded items and certain sizes. Three weeks later, we'll still have that category, but we may not have the exact same item."

Amelia's Grocery Outlets don't stock fresh meat or poultry. They don't take credit cards, but do take, cash, checks or debit cards. Also, they accept a very few manufacturers' coupons. A list of which coupons are NOT honored is posted at the store entrances.


"Earth Angel" supporter - Sam D - 06/09






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Green Today, Inc

from www.begreentoday.org - brochure:



Green Today, Inc. began in the summer of 2007 with four local college grads sitting around the Edison Diner. Faced with the enormity of environmental problems yet wanting to take action, we decided to tackle a local issue with global implications.


We launched a project to put a reusable shopping bag in every resident’s hand, to work with local businesses to ensure that consumers share in the economic savings of reduced plastic bag consumption, to go into local schools with activities to teach children about the effects of plastic bags, and to provide affordable, attractive choices for reusable shopping bags.

Facts:

100 billion plastic bags used by Americans each year

12 billion barrels of oil needed to make our plastic bags each year

$4 billion cost of plastic shopping bags to the economy

100,000 marine animals die each year due to plastic bags

1000 amount of plastic bags used by the average family each year

0.6% percent of plastic shopping bags that are recycled

Plastic bags are among the 2 items of debris most often found in coastal clean-ups

BYOB = bring your own bag


"Earth Angel" supporter - Milo S - 07/08






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Klem's

from the tag


1 Bag at a Time 08/08

The Problem

14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile

380 billion plastic bags or wraps are thrown away in America each year

Making a paper bag emits 70% more global warming gages than making a plastic bag

0 paper bags biodegrade in landfills due to lack of oxygen

Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs, wasting millions of tax dollars

The Solution

Save the world 1 Bag at a Time®

www.1BagataTime.com

from www.klemsonline.com

Welcome to Klem's in Spencer, MA! We are Tractors, and a whole lot more! We hope you enjoy your visit to our emerging web presence. We here at Klem's are striving to provide an online experience like one you would have in our store in Spencer, friendly, honest and informative. We believe life out here in the country is more laid back and service is best served with a smile. Be sure to bookmark this site and check back often as our site will be updated frequently. Please click on the text to the left to navigate to your specific interests. If you have a question for us, please call and we'll respond as soon as possible.

"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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Hannaford

from www.hannaford.com


Reusable Bags

Bring these reusable bags with you when you shop and together we’ll help the environment, one bag at a time!

Reduce waste – replaces disposable plastic & paper bags

Stylish, strong, and washable

According to the product side panel:

The winner of our 2008 bag contest is Zara Davis from Robert C. Parker School, Wynantshill, NY


"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08


Two Eco Bags

"Earth Angel" supporter - Bonnema Potters - 04/09






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Shaw's

Crazy about food 08/08

Celebrate & Protect YOUR environment Re-use this bag when you shop at… Shaw’s

Shaw’s reusable bag, for a greener America

from MyFoxBoston

“Plastic shopping bags and the environment”
by miscricket from Andover
Nov 14, 2007

Yesterday, I was reading an article online about a woman, Janet Martin, who is launching a one woman crusade against the use of those plastic shopping bags supermarkets use. According to Ms. Martin, it takes 100 million barrels of oil annually to produce these bags - most of which get thrown away and end up in a landfill somewhere. By the way, she states, most of them are non-biodegradable in landfills and less than one percent of them are recycled.

It seems to me that in this age of high fuel prices and more awareness of our environment that it would be a no-brainer to make the switch from plastic bags to reusable fabric shopping bags.

I applaud Janet Martin and her efforts to make this small albeit significant difference. What if she could manage to reduce the need for these bags by 20 or 30 percent? What an impact that could have on the environment...??? Not to mention the need for 20 or 30 million LESS barrels of oil?

I'm curious to know what you all think of this? Are you willing to make a change that will benefit the environment with almost no inconvenience to you?

I actually started using the reusable bags a few months ago because Shaw's was selling them for 99 cents each. Not only did I use them at Shaw's but at other stores where I shop. Now, I've noticed that more grocery stores are offering these bags.
I will admit that at first I was a little self conscious, but now I don't even think about it.

So now, how about it..?? What would it take for YOU to make this small change in habit...one that can only result in a positive impact ?

Two Eco Bags

"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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Market Basket®

“More for your Dollar” 08/08

from the label

1. Unclip press-stud & open out
2. Lift handles for bag use

Floded & Unfolded

"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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WWF

from www.WorldWildLife.org

…for the next generation 08/08

from “TODAY'S THE DAY FOR EARTH HOUR”

Dear WWF Activist,

Earth Hour is tonight, March 29, from 8 to 9 pm local time! Get ready to make it a great celebration for the planet.

Wondering what to do after you turn the lights out? Here are 10 fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference today.

...

4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you're using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags... and reuse them!

...

"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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Giant Markets

Quality, Selection, Savings every day

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 04/08

from www.progressivegrocer.com

"Stop & Shop, Giant Food Go Green"
The Ahold banners will offer a discount and free reusable bag giveaways.

April 21, 2008

In honor of Earth Day this week, Stop & Shop and Giant Food Friday unveiled two programs that urge shoppers to go green. Both Ahold USA banners said that for each shopping bag a customer brings from home to use while shopping -- paper, plastic, or reusable -- Stop & Shop and Giant Food will take five cents off the total shopping bill. Giant’s discount starts on Earth Day, April 22, while Stop & Shop’s begins May 9.

“With this promotion, we want to reward reusability and to demonstrate the positive impact that reusing bags can have on the environment,” noted Stop & Shop and Giant Food president and c.e.o. José Alvarez in a statement. “Customers can consider it a coupon with no expiration date.” The banners are also launching a promotion with General Mills that can give customers reusable bags at no charge.

From April 18 to April 24, any customer who buys $15 of select General Mills products in a single transaction will get five reusable bags. Shoppers can receive Stop & Shop and Giant's standard reusable bags, which have been offered at their stores for over a year, or new limited-edition Earth-Day themed bags from Earthwise. “We felt it was important to give customers five reusable bags, as we recognize the typical trip to the supermarket requires multiple bags,” Alvarez pointed out.

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co./Giant Food, based in Quincy, Mass., employs over 82,000 associates and operates 575 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia






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McCaffrey's Markets

A Supermarket Experience 04/08

from www.WWPtoday.com

"McCaffrey's Recycles Plastic Bags" by Jim McCaffrey, November 2007

McCaffrey's Markets recycles plastic bags in each of our locations including our WW store. The program we participate in is called Bag Smart. Goodwill Industries collects our bags and receives much needed funds for their mission so it's a win win for everyone. In addition we offer a rebate to customers who bring their own bags in addition to making canvas bags available to our customers at a very reasonable price.

McCaffrey's also recycles all of it's cardboard. We bale the cardboard a(nd) have it picked up three times a week.

Thank you for your time and interest in this matter.







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Harris Teeter

Your Neighborhood Food Market 05/08

from www.harristeeter.com

Recycling is an easy way for each of us to feel good about helping our environment. Harris Teeter has initiated recycling practices that help conserve landfill space, energy, resources and hopefully prevent litter.

Cardboard - Harris Teeter recycles about 30,000 tons of cardboard each year. Recycling this amount of cardboard is equal to growing 2,175,833 tree seedlings.

Plastic/Shrink Wrap – Harris Teeter also recycles about 1.9 million pounds of plastic per year. This number is equivalent to saving 183,502 gallons of gasoline.

Paper Bags - All Harris Teeter paper grocery bags are produced from 100% recycled paper. By upgrading our paper bag from 35% recycled paper in 2007 to 100% recycled product we estimate we are able to save 22,293 trees a year.

Reusable Bags – Harris Teeter also offers reusable shopping bags for just $0.99. These bags can be used every time you shop. Harris Teeter is committed to protecting the planet through the use of efficient products and practices in-store.

Packaging - Harris Teeter has incorporated a variety of degradable product packages. We will continue to incorporate sustainable and environmentally conscientious packaging.

Shopping Baskets - Harris Teeter's shopping baskets are made from 100% recycled plastic.

Shipping - Harris Teeter uses recycled plastic pallets when shipping products to stores. We also recycle all general merchandise and health and beauty plastic totes and milk crates from Hunter dairy.

Shopper Program - Recycling containers can be found in the foyer of all Harris Teeter stores. These bins provide shoppers an easy way to recycle both paper and plastic bags. All they need to do is drop them in the container the next time they go shopping and we take care of the rest. 05/08







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Stop & Shop

Eco Bag folds down to 7 inches by 7 inches and snaps together for easy storage. 05/08

from www.seacoastonline.com

Stop & Shop Goes Green
April 21, 2008

EXETER — In celebration of Earth Day, Stop & Shop recently announced two programs that encourage its customers to think green. Beginning on Friday, May 9, the grocery chain announced that for each shopping bag a customer brings from home to use while shopping — whether it's a paper, plastic or reusable bag — Stop & Shop will deduct 5 cents from the total shopping bill. Don't have any reusable bags? Stop & Shop also announced a new promotion with General Mills that can give customers the popular bags for free. From now until Thursday, any customer who purchases $15 of select General Mills products in one transaction will receive five reusable bags. Customers can receive Stop & Shop's standard green and white reusable bags or the chain's new, Earth-Day themed bags for free in this promotion. As part of Stop & Shop's Earth Day promotion, Stop & Shop and Earthwise, the vendor producing the limited edition Earth-Day themed reusable bags, will donate $15,000 to The Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org).



"Earth Angel" supporter - Gail E - 05/08


"Earth Angel" supporter - Cousin Robert D - 08/08






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Old Navy

from www.43things.com

How to switch to reusable shopping bags for groceries

by Art_Star July 09, 2009

"Switching over is easy, you just have to remember to take the bags with you!"

How I did it: Well, I ordered 3 totes from Old Navy (they were on sale). Ever since I got them I just take them with me to the store. The hardest part is just remembering to take them into the store with me. The bags hold a lot more than plastic bags do, and they are much more sturdy. They are also good for other stuff, like toting around junk for day trips and stuff like that. :)

Lessons & tips: Don't just get any tote for this, I recommend getting ones that at a bit wider on the top then they are on the bottom. Make sure the handles are long enough for you to put the bag on your shoulder if you want to. It help if you have 3 or more to carry. :)







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Cost Cutters

For a Greener America 05/08

from Specialty Promotions Unlimited

The reusable tote for a Greener America 26" Self Handles, Non Woven Polypropylene, Fabric - 90GMs, Covered Bottom Insert, Tear Resistant - Water Repellent, All Seams Reinforced.
Imprint Area is: 7" H X 7" W
May contain up to 6 lines of 70 characters per line







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Farm Fresh

Food & Pharmacy Supermarket 05/08

from www.gather.com

"Farm Fresh" by Kim E. January 23, 2008

Shoppers at Farm Fresh grocery stores in Virginia's Hampton Roads region can help Save the Bay and save on their food bill by using Farm Fresh's reusable tote bags. Every time a shopper uses one of the reusable bags, Farm Fresh will make a five-cent donation to CBF and give a nickel refund on the customer's grocery bill.

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is very excited to be partnering with Farm Fresh to promote reusable grocery bags," said Ann F. Jennings, Virginia Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "Using recycled bags is a great way to reduce litter, conserve natural resources and help Save the Bay."

The attractive totes sell for $1.99, and are sturdy enough to last for many years. Shoppers can easily find them at the front of the store. Cashiers encourage shoppers to buy bags and reuse them with each visit. In addition to offering the reusable bags, Farm Fresh will continue to serve as a collection site for recycling plastic and paper bags.

"Our customers are becoming more environmentally conscious and we wanted to offer them the opportunity to benefit from their efforts by initiating this new program," said Ron Dennis, Farm Fresh President and COO. The program was first introduced in November 2007 at the opening of Farm Fresh's newest store, The Market at Harbor Heights in downtown Norfolk, and is now in place at 40 stores from Newport News to Elizabeth City. Plans are underway for a similar program in the Richmond area.

Reusable bags for the Bay are catching on, and have received lots of favorable comments from Farm Fresh customers, according to Susan Mayo, Community Relations Director for Farm Fresh. The proceeds will be used locally to further the educational efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Hampton Roads office, located in Norfolk.







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Safeway Markets * Genuardi's

Ingredients for life. 04/08

from www.oregonlive.com

"Eat your greens: Will reusable bags ever go from crunchy to common?"
Posted by Shelby Wood, The Oregonian March 17, 2008

First there was the gray-haired, buttoned-up guy at the Broadway Fred Meyer, a reusable tote slung over one shoulder. Then, a new rack of reusable bags for sale popped up near the checkout stations at my neighborhood Safeway on MLK Jr. Blvd., a store not known as a hotbed of eco-consciousness. And for two weeks running, a checker at the Interstate Avenue Freddie's didn't even blink when I handed her reusable bags to fill.

Signs of a (pending) cultural shift? Perhaps.

Despite Portland's green rep, most of us still want our plastic. Grocers know this from customer surveys. You know this by standing in a line at a Fred Meyer, Safeway or Albertsons. Most checkers default to bagging items in plastic, unless you beat them to the punch. And most customers roll out with multiple plastic sacks -- an average of 400 per family per year, according to Fred Meyer.

...

•As of January '08, Safeway has been selling reusable bags in all 116 stores in Portland and Southwest Washington. Spokesman Dan Floyd says all the stores would've been selling the bags sooner, but Safeway struggled at first to find a supplier who could provide enough bags and keep the price low, 99 cents a pop.

•Mike Zupan says his four Portland stores have given away or sold thousands of reusable bags since Zupan's 10,000-bag giveaway last summer, although he didn't have exact figures.

All of the above came to pass after Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams in April 2007 raised the specter of a ban on plastic bags (San Francisco already bans them; China just announced it will do so; Ireland charges a 33-cent plastic bag tax). Portland-area grocers gathered and agreed to promote reusables to customers, and the ban buzz petered out. Same goes for Eugene, according to a recent Register-Guard story.

...

Says Floyd, from Safeway: "We need to be efficient in the line. We've responded to what the consumer has demanded and more often than not the consumer has wanted plastic, so that's generally the first option. We're not going to ask a checker to try to convince somebody to use a reusable bag, but we're going to make them visible and find a supplier who offers the best prices." (The reusable push has prompted another training issue, Floyd notes. With so many folks bringing empty bags into stores, employees must be even more watchful for shoplifters. Bummer.)

...

If the big grocers are serious about, as Safeway's Floyd puts it, "transitioning the consumer from paper and plastic to reusable bags," wouldn't a few words at the checkout counter be a cheap, easy way to plant the seed? ("Paper, plastic, or do you have your own bag?" -- with no judgment attached.) It's all well and good to advertise, sell and give away reusable bags, but what's the point if customers are made to feel sheepish or guilty when they try to use them?

...

But here's the thing: The peer pressure (checker pressure?) worked. Now if I could just remember not to leave my reusable bags in the car.


Two Eco Bags






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E-MAIL me if your organization wants to display the Collection
-OR-
you wish to donate some unique items to the Collection



A Collection of Recent Americana
updated Spring 2009




I’ve been collecting items (soaps, shampoos, shower caps, shoe horns, matches, postcards, pens, pencils, sewing kits, shoe mitts and anything else that is free) from hotels, motels, resorts, planes, trains and cruise ships since 1989.


I am a member of the second quintile of the “Baby Boomer” generation. I have been a Computer Programmer since 1979. I’ve written and self published two workbooks about my interest in crafts “How 2 Carve Pumpkins” and “How 2 Make Holiday Crafts.”

I’ve traveled to 40 states and 3 provinces of Canada, adding to my collection. I am a “Gentleman Collector” meaning that I collect things that interest me, do not have a plan or mission and am not an eccentric or a zealot.

Complimentary Travel Sundries is my name for what the hospitality industry calls “personal amenities”

Complimentary because the items are free
Travel because one travels when one stays at these places and
Sundries because it just fits

Reason for the Collection:

The items are wonderful mementos of my journeys. They remind me of happy times and I enjoy sharing my adventures with others. I also use the duplicates at home and have over 1,000 individual items, trying to collect at least three different items from each location.

Reason They Exist:

Ever since October 16, 1829 when the Tremont House in Boston offered, for the first time, private rooms with a room key, wash bowl, running water and FREE SOAP - people have been collecting personal amenities on their travels. Prior to the 1960’s, one was lucky to get a wafer thin piece of soap at the major chains. As traveling became easier and more popular, companies that make health & beauty and consumer items used product placement to keep their brands in the minds of the traveling public. Sundries or personal amenities as they are called in the hospitality industry serve other purposes other than to keep the guests clean and neat. They are mini-advertisements and constant reminders of pleasant times. According to Omni Hotels, “90% of guests surveyed have taken home at least one free item. “ 1

Everyone has a piece of a potential collection at home. The soap from the ski trip in 12th grade, the shampoo from the second honeymoon or something from a stay at the Lincoln bedroom or the Blair House. The amenities change over time and there seems to be “amenities creep” and an “amenities gap” between hotels. Ritz-Carlton began stocking bathrooms with Bulgari brand toiletries in 2000 according to USA Today, but Four Seasons’ Tricia Messerschmidt said, “You saw it here first.” 2 According to Travel Holiday magazine, “Bulgari products in the bathroom at a Berlin hotel are worth $150.00 retail and the little bar of no-name soap at the Motel 6 in Texarkana, Arkansas is worth about a nickel.” 3

My Collection and the Media:

Broadcast TV: ABC WPVI 6 - Philadelphia on Don Polec’s World and NJN-TV Nightly News Cable TV: Hobbyland USA, News12 – New Jersey (twice) and Louis Rukhyser’s Wall Street - CNBC

Featured in the Star-Ledger, Trenton Times, Courier-Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, South Jersey Newsweekly and the Princeton Packet publication. Also Successful Meetings and Counselor magazines.

The Collection was the topic of discussion on WCTC 1459 - New Brunswick, NJ, KRLD – Dallas, CJBK – London, Canada, the “Shawn & Dave Show”, Calgary, Canada, WLAN – Lancaster, WNTK – New England, KTRIS – St. Louis, WTUN – Columbus, OH radio stations.

Over the years, the Collection has been on display in Libraries in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Ocean, Burlington and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.

Made in New Jersey:

Guest Supply in Monmouth Junction, NJ is a leading supplier of personal care amenities with 10% of the business and supplies 36 of the 40 chains (over 16,000 hotels). 4


James Thurber’s Walter Mitty Dream #1:

I would like to see my collection on permanent display in the Trenton Capital Rotunda next to the dueling pistols of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

James Thurber’s Walter Mitty Dream #2:

A voyage on the small luxury cruise ship - Song of Flower. There are 180 passengers and 90 staff with over 80 kinds of personal amenities on board.

Other Famous Collectors:

Fabio Lanzoni - TV Commercials Celebrity and Cover boy on Romance Novels. “I collect soaps from hotels” he said in a USA Weekend, August 1995 article. “The hotels I go to, they have big soaps. Very big, very nice soaps.” 5 In his case, size matters.

Chris Tang – has perhaps the world’s best collection of sewing kits according to a magazine advertisement. 6 I have over 30 and one kit looks like a purse and came from the Beverly Hills Hotel in the early 1940’s.

Soapy Sam’s Wife – She is a soap and shampoo ‘lifter.’ Milton Fine, former CEO and Chairman of Interstate Hotel Corporation said, “These amenities are put there for guests to use in any way they wish.” 7

Some Trivia:

Guest Quarters - Suite Hotel merged with Double Tree Hotels and the two conjoined trees on the new items are really stylized script for Guest Quarters as a tribute.

Some Interesting Items:

Coconut oil skin moisturizer with aloe, sandalwood hand lotion, chamomile and honey conditioner, soap from the now defunct Braniff Airlines imprinted with graphics designed by Alexander Calder, shower cap from Montreal - bonnet de douche and savon desodorisant - deodorant soap, Condado Plaza items have cork stoppers tied with a piece of raffia, the old version from Disney World - peach colored and the new version with red and black Mickey graphics, ocean friendly bio-degradable packets from Royal Caribbean, Kitschy - South of the Border, Motel 6, Raddison Hotel - alligator, pens in the shape of Mickey Mouse, a cactus and a nail, match book from the Wigwam Motel, the gambling resorts collection including sunglasses from Caesars and a key chain from Tropicana, Marriott pack - complete kit containing deodorant, shave cream, blade, comb, tooth brush and paste, bath foam from Cuddle & Bubble where all the rooms have a Jacuzzi, the Royal York of Toronto, at one time, the biggest hotel in the British Commonwealth with 1,385 rooms, cocoa butter soap from the Hershey Hotel

Some Famous Brand Names:

Nina Ricci, Caswell & Massey, Neutrogena, Chemistry, Garden Botanika, Dahlmeyer, Bath & Body Works, Lord & Mayfair, Scope, Gilchrist & Soames, Institute Swiss, Finesse

What Happens Over Time:

Soaps and shampoos tend to dehydrate and discolor. The wrappers fall off some of the bars of soap and some of the bottles leak.

How the Collection Almost Saved My Life:

In the Winter of 1999, I had a bad cold with coughing. About midnight, I ran out of house brand cough syrup. I happened to look on the side of the bottle and noted the ingredients list with 10% alcohol. I went downstairs, sorted through my Collection, and found a small bottle of “Nassau Royale Liqueur” with 33.5% alcohol from a hotel in Nassau. Being a teetotaler, I drank half the bottle and had a sound and restful sleep.

Some Interesting Trips:

Train ride to Chicago in the middle of a snowstorm. Stayed at the Inter-Continental Hotel and swam in the 1930’s Turkish bath style indoor pool all by myself.

Westin La Paloma resort in Tucson where each room has an iron and ironing board, a phone in the bathroom and I had to call the front desk for a golf cart ride to the car. The terry cloth bathrobe was $62.00 to take home, I didn’t.

Sitting in a Jacuzzi, air temperature in the 40’s, overlooking Lake Powell at Page, AZ with some new friends from Bullhead City, AZ.

In Vancouver, BC in 1994, I stayed at the Westin - Stanley Island the night after the Grand Prix for half price because all the racing fans had left. The Hotel is the only place in the world where one can register for a room three ways. The normal way or register by boat or register by pontoon plane. I saw a plane land and taxi to the “float thru” registration window.

In the mid 1990’s, I stayed at a nondescript Harley Motel in Columbus, Ohio. The matchbook stated that the Harley is part of the Helmsley Hotel empire and the indoor pool had a large H – H logo on the bottom of the deep end. I did not see any paintings of Leona.

For four Decembers, I stayed with my Parents in the Fulton Steamboat Motel in Lancaster, PA on the two-day “shoppers special.” Although at least 40 miles from any body of water that could support a steamboat, the motel looks like one and pays homage to Fulton who was born near by. One time, I swam in the large indoor pool while a snowstorm was raging and children were making a snowman using Oreo cookies instead of coal for the eyes and buttons on the bow of the “boat.”

At a Miami Beach – Holiday Inn in 1977, they had a large viewing window behind the front desk to watch underwater swimmers in the pool. My wallet was stolen from my room after I left my room key in my shoe on the beach as I went for a dip.

Once at a kitchenette motel in Speedway, Indiana in 1976 on business; I fell asleep with the door not completely locked and was awaken by a businessman who went to the wrong room. At the same motel, my home office called to tell me to move out, the room rate was going up four times because of the Indy 500. The same thing happened a month before in Louisville, KY at the Motel 6 because of the Kentucky Derby. Finally, while in Louisville, I happened to walk up to the KFC and ordered a gizzard box. I always wondered where all the Chicken gizzards and livers went.

At the Hilton on the Isle of Kauai in 1991, I sat on the beach and swam in the ocean on or near where a female guest once sued the hotel because a wave knocked her down. The hotel later had to place signs to caution guests that wave motion may be erratic and could knock a person down.

While staying on the S.S. Independence off the Kona coast of the big island of Hawaii, I took a snorkel diving trip up the coast to Kealakekua Bay where Captain James Cook was killed. Our tour guide advised us not to hang on the grave marker/statue to catch our breath while treading water.

In Ottawa, the capitol of Canada in 1995, I stayed at the Delta Hotel. In addition to a large indoor pool, they had a two-storie indoor water slide. I only tried it once because I was too tired to climb up the steps after a long day of sightseeing.

I took Amtrak’s Southern Crescent from New Orleans to Trenton, NJ in 1995. The ride took 30 hours and I had a First Class sleeper and many good meals in the full service dinning car. After leaving Atlanta, I had catfish breaded in corn meal AKA the “calabash” style made famous in the Carolinas.

Movie Connections:

Hollywood and environs: 8

A young Dustin Hoffman met up with a much older Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) at the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Blvd in the 1967 film, the Graduate. Also, the jury for the Manson Family trial was sequestered here in 1969 - for nine months.

The Park Plaza Hotel on South Parkview overlooks the Douglas “MacArthur Park” made famous in the 1960's rendition by Richard Harris. The ballroom was the backdrop for scenes from Stripes in 1981 to the Mask in 1994.

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel on South Olive was a stand-in for San Francisco in Vertigo - 1938 and New York City for the New York, New York film in 1971. Lately, the remake of the Italian Job in 2002 used hallways and dinning rooms in many scenes.

In the Line of Fire, the 1993 film with Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich, the movie’s conclusion was shot in and on the elevators at the Bonaventure Hotel on South Figueroa. Governor Arnold and a reluctant horse in the 1994 film, True Lies, used the same elevators for comic relief.

The Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset with the Polo Lounge was the setting for the Valley of the Dolls in 1967 and California Suite in 1977. Since then, no filming has been allowed. Warner Brothers duplicated the public rooms at a studio lot.

Warren Beatty lived at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Wilshire Blvd until he met Annette Bening and became a “family” man as did Steve McQueen until he left for Mexico and useless Laetrile treatments. Parts of Pretty Woman were filmed on the top floor – Presidential Suite in 1990. Lately in 2002, George Clooney addressed a convention of Lawyers in the Grand Ballroom for the intolerable movie, Intolerable Cruelty.

The Nakotomi Tower mentioned in the 1988 release of Die Hard was really the Fox Tower in Century City. Roddy McDowell and Sly Stallone both went “ape” at Century City in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Demolition Man, dis-respectively.

The Munchkins lived and drank at the Culver Hotel on Culver Blvd while making the Wizard of Oz in 1938. Backdrops from some of the Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy comedies were also filmed at the hotel.

Some Like it Hot - With Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. The Seminole Ritz in Florida was really San Diego’s Hotel del Coronado. 9 Stuntman with Peter O’Toole and Steve Railsback was also filmed at the resort.

New York City and environs: 10

The St. Regis Hotel on East 55th Street rooms were used for trysting in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, 1986. The King Cole dining room became an elegant 1940’s nightclub where Mia Farrow worked as a cigarette girl in Radio Days, 1987.

Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue showed off their bedrooms and bathrooms in Crocodile Dundee, 1986 as did the movie Ma and Pa Kettle go to Town in 1950. Kate Hudson as a rock groupie, Penny Lane, OD’d there in the 2000 film, Almost Famous.

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Park Avenue is where Al Pacino chose to have his final fling in the 1992 Scent of a Woman. It was called the Lindbergh Palace Hotel in the Royal Tenenbaums 2002. Royal, Gene Hackman, was thrown out. It was also called the Beresford Hotel in Maid in Manhattan, 2003 where Jennifer Lopez played a house cleaner.

Brad Pitt as Death meets Anthony Hopkins in a lavish penthouse at the Carlyle Hotel, East 76th Street in the 1998 movie, Meet Joe Black. Woody Allen & Diane Wiest have a bad date as Bobby Short sings in the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters.

Igby, Kieran Culkin, interrupts his Mother, Susan Saradon’s lunch in Igby Goes Down 2002 at the Stanhope Hotel’s dining room, Fifth Avenue. Carrie Bradshaw has been known to take her handyman-of-the-month for an overnight stay of Sex in the City.

The Chelsea Hotel on West 23rd Street was home for Arthur C. Clark while he wrote 2001: Space Odyssey. Andy Warhol’s filmed The Chelsea Girls there in 1966 and later in 1996, I Shot Andy Warhol used the hotel as background.

Jack Nicholson checked into the Mayflower Hotel, Central Park West in the 1994 movie, Wolf and we all know what happens next.

The Beatles stayed at the Warwick Hotel on West 54th Street for their TV Debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1960’s. Woody Allen’s 2003 Anything Else and American Splendor 2003 used the grounds of the Hotel.

Tom Cruise changed the rooms at the Royalton Hotel on west 44th Street into a publishing office in the 2001 film, Vanilla Sky.

Mikey and Kim spent 9 ½ Weeks in 1986 at the Algonquin Hotel, West 44th Street, I hope not on the Round Table used by Manhattan Intellectual’s in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

San Francisco and environs: 11

In the 1978 remake of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, after Kevin McCarthy is run down in a cameo appearance, Donald Sutherland calls the police from the Hamlin Hotel in the Tenderloin District. He gives the wrong address, “Leavenworth and Turk” when in fact the hotel is at Leavenworth at Eddy.

On the same street, Jimmy Stewart follows Kim Novak to her apartment at the “Empire Hotel”, now called he York Hotel in the 1958 Hitchcock classic Vertigo.

Gene Hackman in the Conversation, 1974 over hears “bugged” conversations at the Jack Tarr Hotel which is the Cathedral Hill Hotel on Van Ness Avenue.

Johnny Ross hides out at the Hotel Daniels aka the Kennedy Hotel on Embarcadero in Bullitt, 1968, but he is gunned down. The Embarcadero freeway, near by and the hotel were victims of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The corporate headquarters for the Gap, Inc. stands in the hotel’s place.

The Hotel Bristol at 888 O’Farrell Street in the Financial district is really the Hilton Hotel used in the 1972 movie What’s Up Doc? This was Peter Bogdanovich’s homage to 1930’s comedies like Bringing Up Baby. I thought What’s Up Doc? was a funny movie when I first saw it in a packed movie house on a rainy day in Clearwater Florida but upon reflection, I know it is bad.

The St. Francis Hotel at the summit of Powell Street was showcased in the opening scene in The Candidate, 1972.

A confused, more than normally, Michael Douglas tries to kill himself by jumping off the roof of the fictional “CRS” building. He crashes through the glass ceiling of the Palace Garden Restaurant in the Sheraton on New Montgomery Street in the 1997 film, The Game. To his astonishment, he lands on a large air pillow and finds himself at his own surprise birthday party, planned by Brother Sean Penn. I don’t want to go to that family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

In the 1974 Towering Inferno, the lobby interior of the “Glass Tower” was the Hyatt Regency’s on Embarcadero Center. The movie, Time After Time in 1979 had H. G. Wells played by Malcolm McDowell advance to the “future” of San Francisco in the late 1970’s. The expansive lobby, the outside elevator cabins and the rotating Equinox Restaurant were used to great effect. Mel Brooks also used the elevator cabins to a scary/humorous effect in the 1978 film, High Anxiety.

TV Land: 12

John Belushi of Saturday Night Live fame, died of a drug overdose at Bungalow B-3 of the Chateau Marmont Hotel on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA.

The Great Northern Hotel on Twin Peaks (1990-91) was the Salish Lodge overlooking Snoqualmie Falls, WA.

In Hawaiian Eye (1959-63) Connie Stevens as Cricket was a night club singer at the Hawaiian Village Hotel’s Shell Bar.

The Village, setting for The Prisoner – a British TV series in 1968 (my favorite at the time but now almost un-watchable) had 17 episodes. It starred Patrick McGoohan and was filmed at Hotel Portmeiron, an eccentric masterpiece built by an amateur architect called Clough Williams-Ellis. The Hotel is on Cardigan Bay, in the north of Wales, near the town of Penrhyndeodraeth.

The Love Boat (1977-86) was filmed aboard the Pacific Princess and the Assistant Purser; Fred Gandy later ran for and won a seat in the US House of Representatives.

Some other TV Land Hotels:

Barclay Hotel, NYC, in the Ann Sothern Show
Shady Rest Inn, Hooterville, in Petticoat Junction
Hotel Carlton, San Francisco, in Have Gun, Will Travel
St. Gregory Hotel, San Francisco, in Hotel
Stafford Inn, Vermont, in Newhart

Everywhere Else:

Fugitive with Harrison Ford - Filmed at and around the Chicago Hilton. In addition, the Package with Tommy Lee Jones and Running Scared with Billy Crystal & Gregory Hines.

Interview with a Vampire - Prytania Street, the lower Garden District in New Orleans was the final resting place of the Vampires.

King of Kings - An ersatz Jerusalem was constructed out of canvas and wood where Utah and Arizona meet. Lake Powell was formed by the Glen Canyon Dam on the upper Colorado River and what remains of Jerusalem is now under 40 feet of water.

From Here to Eternity - While in Hawaii on the island of Ohau in 1991, I went to Fort Schofield with my cousin who is an officer in the Army. I walked in the same quadrangle where Montgomery Cliff walked and stood on the porch where Frank Sinatra was sweeping on KP duty in the movie. In TV land, I also saw the bridge where the S.S. Minow and Gilligan pass under on a “three hour tour.”

Harvey Girls with Judy Garland - I stayed at the Bright Angle Lodge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1990. There are almost no guard rails around the Canyon and there was no full moon that night so we had to walk C*a*r*e*f*u*l*l*y! The historic El Tovar Hotel and Restaurant is next door and was originally a “Fred Harvey” property.

The Other Side of the Mountain - In the late 70’s, I stayed a month on business at the Vagabond motel in Salanis, KS and went on a date with the manager, Pat Fromdahl. We saw the movie in an old theater and my date hid her face in my sleeve through out the movie, mostly crying. I still have the motel’s ball-point pen in the original plastic wrapper as a memento of that date.

Source Material

1. “Hotel Toiletries Yours for the Taking,” Star-Ledger, September 22, 1996, section 8, page 14.

2. “Luxury Hotels: Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better,” USA Today, November 14, 2000, page 5B.

3. “Is There $150 in the Bathroom?” Travel Holiday, Spring 2000, page 30.

4. “Guest Supply,” New Jersey Business, 1998.

5. “Absolutely Fabio,” USA Weekend, August 25, 1995, page 14.

6. “Chris Tang,” Advertisement for ATM’s.

7. “Dear Abby,” Courier-Times, January 16, 1995, page 60.

8. Hollywood: The Movie Lover’s Guide by Richard Alleman, Harper & Row, 2005

9. “Many Hotels Around Nation Set the Scene for Vacations,” Star-Ledger, May 26, 2002, section 8, page 3.

10. New York: The Movie Lover’s Guide by Richard Alleman, Harper & Row, 2005

11. Celluloid San Francisco: the File Lover’s Guide to Bay Area Movie Locations by Jim Van Buskirk & Will Shank, Chicago Review Press, Inc., 2006

12. TV Land A Guide to America’s Television Shrines, Sets and Sites by Robin Keats, St. Martian’s Griffin, 1995


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Holiday Paper Crafts & Recycle too!


Greetings Director of Recreation,         Fall 2009

In early December, I’m stopping by the Whispering Knoll Assisted Living facility in Edison, NJ where I will conduct a crafts demonstration/workshop. The Residents will “make & take” three Holiday paper craft projects. Each project uses some of the skills learned and used in the other projects and most of the materials are readily available.

I can stop by your facility and do the same thing!


For approximately 1 & ½ hours work, I charge $75.00 and the Residents will leave with completed project(s) - maximum capacity - 15 Residents.

After completing a successful “How to Carve a Halloween Pumpkin” season in October, I’m prepared to demonstrate and help the Residents make crafts entitled - Holiday Paper Crafts & Recycle too!

I’m sure the Residents at your facility will enjoy working with their hands and learning or re-learning skills and actually making something from recycled materials that they can either keep or give away.

It is a fun atmosphere since I come costumed as my alter ego

“Glen Jester of Crafts”


with all the bells and whistles to keep everyone involved and happy.

Please contact me ASAP to secure a good time in early December.

Glen Key Dalessandro
(609) 426-0474

E-MAIL me if you like what you see

Additional information and sample flyer

Residents can participate by bringing to class some interesting or unique pages from old or used wall calendars to incorporate in their projects. They should also bring one crisp and new US One Dollar Bill for Project #3. I’ll supply additional calendar pages, if needed.

All other materials and supplies should be on hand or purchased by the facility before class with enough items so the Residents don’t have to share, too much.

The three projects are:

Project #1 Accordion Fold Victorian Fan
Project #2 Origami Keepsake Box
Project #3 “You’re #1 Ring” folded from a US One Dollar Bill

Combined Materials List:

pages from 99¢ Store wall calendars of thin paper thickness used in Project #1
pages from wall calendars of medium to heavy paper thickness used in Project #2
crisp and new US One Dollar Bill used in Project #3
shiny curling ribbons of different colors
additional colored scrap papers
scissors
stapler
glue stick
white glue or tacky glue
spring clothespin
butter knife or bone folder
clean flat work surface, good lighting and trash can

-sample flyer-



Holiday Paper Crafts - “make & take” Recycle too!

Please come to the Arts & Crafts workroom on the morrow and learn how to make some interesting and colorful Holiday paper crafts

Participate and recycle old or used calendar pages into a Victorian Fan or an Origami Keepsake Box

Find out how you can take a nice crisp US One Dollar Bill and fold it into a “You’re #1 Ring” - still Legal Tender

Come, have some fun and laugh with

“Glen Jester of Crafts”

and his bells & whistles as you “make and take” some crafts – they make good stocking stuffers too!

If you want…
bring some pages from old or used calendars that you can fold into some nice recycled gifts and a new US One Dollar Bill

All are welcomed!!!
E-MAIL me if you like what you see



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The “Party City” Halloween Catalog
as a Cultural Document


It’s that time of year again, when children of all ages think about being something they are not or maybe want to be. Are we adults trying to re-experience fun times we had as a child on Halloween or thought we had? I had great Halloween experiences and remember fondly all the candy especially the large and extra large sizes - no “fun size” for us, back then. I used to chew “waxed” lips, fingers, mustaches and tongues until the muscles in my jaw hurt. What we wore back then wasn’t that important, just getting out there at night on our own and getting a little scared was the best. - Editor

Back in the late 1950’s and all through the 1960’s most of our costumes were homemade or store bought, if our Parents had an extra dollar to two to waste. I remember going to W. T. Grants in the Country Club Shopping Center or F. W. Woolworth on Mill Street, Bristol or even Big Levittown and looking over all the costumes. Mostly, they were in orange and black boxes with a big glassine window and had a mask made of plastic with a fabric generic costume inside. A kid really had to use his imagination and probably used the costume again, next year or had to hand it down to the other kids in the family. Boys were a policeman, a fireman, a clown or maybe Superman; that was about it.

For homemade, you were either a ghost in an old white sheet or a hobo in Dad’s old clothes with some fireplace ash on the face for a week old beard. Both my older Sister Melody and I used my Father’s Navy uniform in different years. For some reason, I stopped being interested in Halloween in my teenage and college years but had a new found interest when I got my own place about 20 years ago. Now Halloween is my favorite Holiday, it may be the most American too. I like the colors - black & orange, the crafts – Pumpkin carving & painting dried gourds, decorating the house, the candy and the costumes. I only opened my door to “trick-or-treaters” the first year, sort of as a pay back for all my time mooching and shut it, turned off the lights and hid under my bed (almost) after the first one hundred grubby urchins stopped by. Since then, I go out to the mall, a play, a concert or the movies, just to be away on Halloween night and avoid the hoards of children and teenagers.

In the last ten years, I’ve noticed that some people really dress up for Halloween and go to parties, dances or just open their doors to the neighborhood kids. I’ve also noticed that some people, mostly women seem to use the season as a way to show a different side of their personality to the outside world. The children and teenagers seem to have more money to spend on costumes and use the costumes to express their persona more than we ever did or even though about doing.

A detailed examination of the “Party City” Halloween Catalog in a humorous light, reflects changes in our society in general and particularly in Halloween costume design and fashions.

My copy of the catalog starts out with two pages of “cute” costumes for babies and infants. I like the Pea In A Pod (a child’s first double entranda) and some famous trademarks like Tootsie Roll, Hulk, Darth Vader, Yoda, Superman and Spiderman. These costumes really prey on the parent’s sensibilities because kids that age don’t know what they are doing. I also noticed that at that age, the costumes are unisex. We won’t be that way again until they zip up our unisex body bags - Boo!

Toddler Boys and Boys grace the next four pages with costumes costing from $19.95 to $29.99 and even $39.99 for a Punk Creep. Boys move quickly from Pint Sized Pirate to Captain Jack Sparrow to Ghost Face Scream™ Bleed in maybe eight to twelve years of growing up. Movie tie-ins such as Transformers, GI-Joe, Star Wars as well as Chucky, Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees add to the mix and the cost. I like the more esoteric items such as the soon to be politically incorrect Inflatable Sumo and Whoppie Cushion. Although most of the costumes are violent, cruel, sadistic, war related or just plain sick -look at Mac Daddy; I and most of the boys wouldn’t have it any other way. Hey, you can always go out as a Doctor, Clown or the UPS Guy but why bother getting up off the couch.

Toddler Girls and Girls get the next four pages. This is where the “Prostu-tot” phenomena ooze onto the pages in living color. These costumes are costly, from $9.99 for Princess to $19.99 for Goldilocks and Disco Dolly to a $29.99 Peaced Out and Gangster Girl and $34.99 for a relatively demure Butterfly. (the fabric wings are costly to make but easy to break) Is it just me or are the models, the short tight skirts, bare midriff and tight tops way different than what girls looked like or wore when I was a boy? The count of devils, witches, vampires, pirates and gangsters far out number the Pretty Kitty, Rose Princess and Lady Bug styles for sale in the catalog.

Teen Girls and Adult Females take up the next five pages with 24 costumes for the Plus sized Gal bringing up the rear – pun intended. If only people in the real world looked as good as these women, I wouldn’t write a contrary word and there probably wouldn’t be any need for wars either, but seeing is believing. While most of models are the “beautiful” people, we non-beautiful people have to use our personalities or pocketbooks to attract and find a mate. Maybe that is why there are over 11 million Singles in America - aged 40 and above who have never been married. On regular girls and women, these Halloween costumes come off as looking like one is trying too hard to get attention and to most men, they look “trampy, trashy and cheap” but in a good way.

Some real “life experience” examples may help explain the “trampy, trashy and cheap” costume phenomena:

Last Halloween, I went into a big store after 5:00pm to buy Halloween products at half price and met a woman dressed as the classic Raggedy Ann doll. The catalog has three styles in that genre. This lady had the Rag Doll outfit with the short blue skirt and white apron, fish net stockings and of course, the “in-your-face” white ruffle panties. If I remember correctly, she had on a small tight low cut top with red & white stripped long sleeves. She even had real red curly hair and looked “cute.” Since I was in costume as a Pizza Delivery Guy, my own creation, she was talkative and friendly. Note to Men: wear a costume and the women in costume will talk to you – that’s half the battle right there. When she told me that she was a Kindergarten Teacher and that they had parties at school all day and she was going to another party in ten minutes, I remembered why our Public Schools rank after the schools in Botswana and Togo land in all the important tests. My Kindergarten Teacher of 54 years ago, Mrs. Erland never looked like that in any outfit and probably never wanted to.

Later, at the Ritz Theater, a friend and I saw the musical “Kiss Me Kate” because I wanted to stay away from my home while the “candy eaters” were on the march. Before the show and at intermission, I interrogated my fellow patrons by asking them if they “ordered a pizza?” Most laughed and thought me clever. The theater was only 1/3 full and I was the only person in costume. Poor pathetic bags of carbon, I thought about the other patrons. At intermission, I noticed that the candy girl was in costume and what a costume it was – Dorothy from the “Wizard of Oz.” Referring back to the paper of record, I find that “Party City” has four “Dorothy” type costumes and the hemline goes up, the fabric has more Spandex® and the prices rise as the females age, all the way to $34.99 for Dorothy, faux straw basket included.

The candy girl had on a tight Teen Dorothy with exposed shoulders and the ubiquitous “in-your-face” white ruffle panties. Since I was still in costume, I asked her a level II trivia question, “what is Dorothy’s last name?” She didn’t know that the answer was Gale, as in big wind probably because her teachers were similar to the Rag Doll outfitted Teacher I met a few hours before. I then told her, “you don’t look like the Judy Garland - Dorothy who was thin and flat-chested. You are curvy all over!” It’s amazing what a guy will say when he is in costume, how liberating! I then told her that Mervyn LeRoy, the Producer and as Wikipedia writes, one of the un-credited Directors of the classic film “Wizard of Oz” once told Judy Garland to place a “cookie sheet” down the front of her dress to check her quickly maturing bosom. By then, the candy girl was on to the next cash transaction, most appropriate – Milk Duds™. T. M. I. on my part.

Other past examples are all a blur with maybe a “in-your-face” white ruffle panty here and there. Females in “trampy, trashy and cheap” costumes are not all to blame because I remember one of the many slough-offs from the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” craze was that men started to wear woman’s skimpy underwear for Halloween – a la Count Franken Furter. The two men I saw dressed that way at two different parties were sure to parade their female dates around so all could see that they were “just kidding.” For some reason, that kind of costume never made it on the two pages allotted to Adult Males in the catalog.

As for the Plus Female page, it is too easy for a person like me to make the obvious cracks and insults; I’ll just let the costume names do all the talking. For $19.99 or less you got your Hot Flash & Devil. For $49.99, there is Mile High Captain, Gretchen and Robyn Da Hood. For a whopping $59.99, down from $69.99, there is Greek Goddess. All I can say is that a lot of synthetic silk worms had to die needlessly to cover that deity.

To me, the two pages for Adult Males seem absurd because who is going to pay $59.99 to be the Clonetrooper Captain Rex or Dark Sorcerer. How about $69.99 for Dashing Devil or even $79.99 for Master Chief? Probably the most pathetic Male costume is Hugh’s Smoking Jacket in 1st place at $59.99 with Supa Mac Daddy at $49.99 right behind in last place.

The Humor page looks funny on paper but I’m betting, stupid and unfunny in real life. I like costumes that extend the waist with a hoop under the fabric to make the person look even fatter. Referee, Lost Dog, Sumo Wrestler, Ninja, Hula Girl, Shabby Security Guard, Cry Baby and Tacky Tourist are good/bad examples of that type. Alcohol drinking and junk food eating are duly represented most notably with Tequila Poppin’ Dude for $29.99 and a $49.99 Burger King. A unique “couple” costume at $49.99 is Plug & Socket with the guy wearing a two-pronged plug “down there” and the gal wearing a two two-holed wall socket – doesn’t make sense to me???

The next two pages entitled “Create Your Own Look” have couples modeling costumes from the 1920’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. Except for the 1920’s (I wasn’t around then) I’ve never seen a person who looked like anyone of these people on the planet Earth. They also show couples dressed in Around the World, Gods & Goddesses, Cowboys & Native Americans, Nurses & Doctors, Bling and Law Enforcement costumes. To me, those costumes seem like a fast way to get into a fight with some offended person, to be named later. The rest of the catalog has accessories like Adult Bodywear, Footwear, Fashion Masks, Wings and Wigs. Don’t forget Weapons, starting at $1.99 and Masks at $4.99.

As good as the catalog is, I encourage my fellow citizens to stop by a local costume store in the week prior to Halloween to get an up front view of the solution and the problem. The energy in the room as mostly young people decide on what to be for a few hours can be exhilarating. For all the pooh poohing I may bring to this Halloween season, I wouldn’t miss it for the World.

Glen Daless
October 2009

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