Nine Actions to Help the Environment

03.06.2007   The Honolulu Advertiser
Photo by Advertiser file

Your Neighborhood

• Keep it clean: Sweep sidewalks, curbs and gutters in front of your home.
• Dump no waste: Stencil storm drains with the message "Dump no waste, protect our water" and keep household cleaning products from becoming hazardous waste.
• Do it right: Use water-based paint and discard properly.

  Your car

• Don't be an oil drip: Identify and fix vehicle oil leaks, purchase used-oil change boxes, soak up spilled oil and dispose of appropriately.
• No phos-for-us: If you wash your car on a city street, use plain water or use cleansers sparingly.

  Your yard

• Cover up: Prevent soil and debris from leaving your property.
• Read the label: Use only the needed amounts of pesticides and fertilizers.
• Yard makeover: Gather grass and tree cutting and dispose of as green waste. Compost your yard trimmings.
• Scoop poop: Remove and dispose of pet waste before you leave an area.

 Stress-less Parenting

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Website of State, County, and Federal Officials

Ewa Neighborhood Board

Waipahu Neighborhood Board


Schools Contact Listing for Senatorial District 20

Hawaii State Government

Department of Public Safety

Find Answers on Education

Bust the Clutter

03.14.2007 The Honolulu Advertiser Marilyn Nagel, aka "The Clutter Buster," offers these helpful tips to clear out the junk and keep it that way.

• Everything needs a home and needs to be put in its home immediately.
• Donate magazines and books to the library.
• Create a filing system for to-do's. Using an accordion file folder organized by dates or days of the week, file away mail or bills that need to be taken care of later.
• Create a catch-all near the front door for car keys, cell phones and sunglasses.
• Have a yard sale. If you have a problem letting go of something, price it higher. At the end of the sale, donate any items that weren't bought.
• Have an organizational party and invite a few friends. Then rotate houses.
• Schedule a monthly event at your house — a book club, a girls' night, poker party — since regularly schedule gatherings will require you to clean beforehand.
• Cancel subscriptions and remove your name from mailing lists.
• Souvenirs from trips should be small and usable.

  To learn more about Marilyn Nagel, see www.marilynnagel.com.