Grow a Greener Community  Become a Master Composter Inspire others and make a difference in your community. The annual Master Composter Training Program is currently accepting applications from Alameda County residents for the 2007 Class. The Master Composter Program is a certificated, extensive compost course. Participants receive training in the art and science of basic and worm composting, soil health, and Bay Friendly gardening techniques. Participants use this knowledge to train others through a compost community outreach project. All participants receive a compost bin and several composting and gardening books, including the East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictÂs 'Plants and Landscapes for Summer Climates of the SF Bay Region.' Teachers who complete the program are eligible for a $200 stipend to use toward school garden and/or classroom compost activities. Classes will meet Tuesday nights weekly from early February through mid-May 2007, with 2 Saturday field trips. The Program offers graduate level and continuing education credits from California State University at Hayward or credit from Merritt College Landscape Horticulture department. Master Composter training enhances the skills of community leaders, activists, educators, environmentalists, gardeners, and recyclers. We encourage people of all ages, abilities, and ethnic groups to apply. If you have ideas and energy for community actions, this class is for you. HOW? Complete an application by January 12, 2007. Reserve the evening of January 17 & 18 for an interview. Visit our website at www.BayFriendly.org to apply on-line or download an application. From the home page, click on the Bay-Friendly Gardening link on the bottom left, click on the Residents icon, and then the Master Composter Program link. The website also provides a class syllabus and examples of projects from past participants. For more information, please contact StopWaste.Org at 510-444-SOIL or www.BayFriendly.org. Here is a link that might be useful: www.bayfriendly.org

If the Parks Dept. is willing to get involved, you've just cleared the biggest hurtle- I work for a Parks and Rec. Dept. as a planner so I am familiar with how difficult it can be to get this type of commitment. The next step is a ton of community outreach on your part. You will want to post information in nurseries and provide an e-mail or phone number people can call if they are interested. Once you have a space set aside, get some publicity from the newspaper about a "new community garden". Give short talks or information packets to Senior Citizen Organizations, food pantries, garden clubs, anything you can think of. That is how we have generated support for our community garden. Good luck.

Well Mia, That approach to raising rabbits reflects an unrealistic view of the animal. They have been developed for centuries to be cage raised. As Chickencoop mentioned, they are highly territorial and do fight. That was very inconsiderate of them. Years ago I developed a rabbitry program for rural Mexicans. Many told me they could out produce my project by "free ranging" in their patio. Those were my best return customers. All of nature seems to look upon the rabbit as the ideal carryout food. Plus, when left to themselves, they tend to build up pathogens and have sudden die outs. George

Separate government agencies communicate? Hmmmmm. Not in my experience. Must be a reason they don't provide a phone #. =============================================== Well I figured it out. Took 2 big giant whiskey floats (vanilla ice cream and whiskey) to calm me down to hot. Seems you cannot schedule a reinvest for an existing security. Have to wait till it matures then buy new and at that time specify the number of re-invests. Presumably there is enough money in the savings account to handle this in case of timing overlap. There is in mine. It was all handled under the "Buy New" heading. I was looking under the "Manage Account" heading. How stupid of me huh? No such thing as 1 reinvest - has to be at least 2. Haven't yet figured out how to unschedule a re-invest. There is a paper form for this for the Legacy Treasury Direct (which I have used) but not the Treasury Direct. Cheers. Thanx for the comeback. And Ima gone gone 10-4.