THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
Volume 2, Issue 02
NOVEMBER 2010
A Newspaper by Children for Children
A Clean, Green Future by Ismail Ercan, Age 13 Coral Springs, FL Have you ever wondered what happens to the garbage that is picked up every week on your curbside? Recently, I have learned that garbage has a “secret” life of its own. Look around you. Almost everything surrounding you will become garbage one day. Every apple has a core; every banana has a peel. Virtually every aspect of our daily lives generates wastes: working, playing, eating, living, dying.
commenced the interview. This visit far exceeded my expectations. I never realized I could learn so much in such a small period of time. The interview went like this: Ismail Ercan (for The Circle Gazette): Well, first of all, what happens to our daily household trash that’s picked up weekly and where does it go? Mr. Shiraz Kashar (Waste Management): It depends on where you live. Each county, each municipality has its own contract, with Waste Management or another company. The contract decides which days
Inside the Reuter Recycling Facility Photo: Jennifer Berry
Reporter Ismail Ercan and Community Outreach Coordinator, Mr. Shiraz Kashar Recently, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went to go investigate more on the “secret” life of garbage. On Friday, October 1st, 2010, I went to the Waste Man-
Inside the Reuter Recycling Facility agement Reuter Recycling Facility in Pembroke Pines to interview Mr. Shiraz Kashar, the community outreach coordinator of the facility. The Reuter Recycling Facility was originally a composting facility that was built in the early 1990’s. However, after numerous complaints about the odor of the garbage, it was converted to a recycling facility. The facility now processes 50 tons of recycled material per hour! The facility is in “tip-top” shape and keeps not only their facility clean, but also their employees safe and satisfied with new equipment every year. As I entered a small, tan, office overlooked by two gigantic buildings, I was met by Mr. Kashar. He graciously let my dad and me into his classroom and we
Did You Know...
The typical American discards 4.5 pounds of waste each day?
the garbage will be picked up and where it will be dropped off. (Recycling also has its own contract and rules.) In Broward County, there is a contract called the Inter Local Agreement (ILA). It was put place in the 1980’s and it rules where all the garbage and recycling will go. All of the cities in Broward, except for 5, have agreed on this contract. If your city has agreed to the ILA, your garbage does not go to a landfill. Instead, your garbage goes to a “Waste to Energy” facility that is owned by Waste Management. There are two “Waste to Energy” facilities in Broward County. (One in Pompano Beach and one in Davie) The garbage is burned there in a process that generates energy. Ercan: As you probably know, America produces more waste than any other country in the world, with the average American throwing out about 4 ½ pounds of waste daily. How do you manage to keep up with all this trash? Mr. Kashar: Planning in advance; each landfill has been planned ahead by 50-60 years. Waste Management tries to make each landfill as efficient as possible. We also try to compact garbage as much as possible so we can maximize our space in the landfills. Ercan: Can you please explain to me the process of burning garbage to produce electricity? Mr. Kashar: After the garbage is taken to one of the “Waste to Energy” facilities, it is burned to make electricity. The garbage is used to fuel the fire at almost 2,500o Fahrenheit, and the fire boils water that turns into steam. The steam is directed to a generator where it makes the turbines of the generator turn and, therefore, creates electricity. In Broward County, if you use electricity at all, whether it’s your TV, your kitchen, your stove, your computer, your washer, or your dryer, about 20% of the electricity that you use for your daily needs comes from garbage! The Waste to Energy facility not only produces electricity, but it also reduces your garbage by 90%! So, let’s say you had 100 tons of garbage; you would be left with only 10 tons of ash! From the ash, Waste Management tries to
recycle everything possible, so they take out all useful metals, papers, plastics, and anything else that can be reused. (This is called the Delta Transfer Station). The ash that remains after that process is taken to the landfill to be buried underground. Ercan: Are there any other garbage landfills in the area, besides Pompano Beach, that produce electricity from burning garbage? Mr. Kashar: Yes, in Broward County, in Davie, there is an ash monofill, where they place all the ash from the remains of the garbage underground (This is owned by WM). Also there is the Broward Interim Contingency Landfill (BIC) which is owned and operated by Broward County. Ercan: Where can people go to drop off their hazardous wastes? When you receive them, are there some types of garbage that
cannot be recycled or used in any way? Mr. Kashar: Broward County actually has a program where you can drop off all of your hazardous wastes. It’s called the Household Hazardous Wastes Program (HHW). Here you can drop off your pesticides, all types of oils, chemicals, dynamite, etc... Any type of substances that you cannot pour down your sink or in your backyard, you can drop your wastes off at their sites. The three closest ones are in Pompano, Davie, and Hallandale. Ercan: Is burning waste more environmentally friendly than putting it in a landfill? Mr. Kashar: I think that the best thing that we can do is to reduce the amount of continued on page 10
Kids & Politics
Good luck Florida!
by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL After many months of name calling, mud slinging and false accusations, these elections are finally over, and it has been a long and bitter road indeed. These elections have been very special ones because they have been based on more issues than in recent years. There are many important issues that the electorate is mostly concerned about, such as the economy, unemployment, housing, health care and education. The poverty level in this state has risen to over ten percent, and nearly one million Floridians are out of work. Many people need certain health care reforms and, with education level and the housing market at what they are, the elected authorities will have their hands full. I will further explain the needs for these issues, after I explain the divisions the issues have caused. These mounting issues have led to several major divisions within the two parties. In the first instance, Republicans are divided into Conservative Tea Party and Liberal Centralist, while the Democrats are also divided into Lefties and Outsiders. Now, a lot of these divisions have to do with what is occurring in Washington, D.C right now, since we are still in an economic crisis and many people are quick to blame the present government
for these economic woes. Many of the so-called outsiders believe that the present politicians in the government are corrupt and only work for special interests. This is the principle behind the trend of outsiders like doctors, lawyers, businessmen, millionaires, billionaires and, basically, people who have absolutely no experience in politics to step up and challenge the alleged corrupt politician within the political setup. Incidentally, I don’t want to be the one to tell you, but these people in my view, are also clueless because they are not offering any tangible solutions. More or less, these rich people run for office to show off their wealth with the hope that they can buy an election. Examples of the prominent outsiders in this past election were millionaire former Medicare executive Rick Scott and Palm Beach billionaire businessman Jeff Greene. My observation towards these so-called outsiders is about their belief of running government like a business entity which is usually not the same. Business is to maximize profit and enrich individual’s pockets, while government is to serve the people. The Tea Party, on the other hand, is not the cozy little gathering where people gather, sip tea and have short, but fancy, conversations. The Party is a movement that wants to accomplish things such as continued on page 10
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THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
NOVEMBER 2010
A word from the editor: Traveling
Going places can be a great way of nourishing your writing. When we write (in any genre) we use the vocabulary that we know. We describe what we have seen and what we can imagine. But even our imagination is fueled by what our senses have picked up from the real world at some point or another. We can shape a whole scene in our heads: how was the weather? Was it cold? Rainy? Snowy? Or plain hot? How did things smell? Sweet? Pleasant? Spicy? How did everything look? Old? New? Broken? Dirty? Tidy? What are the colors that surround everything? Green? Gray? Blue? We can also create images from unknown places and people when we read about them… and this is very powerful. The raw images and information we’ll use to create and recreate situations in our writing comes from what we have seen (experienced) in our neighborhood, school or town, in our TV programming and what is described in our books and told to us in stories by our parents and relatives. There is a magical way to discover new things, new smells, new looks, new people
and different ways of doing things: Traveling. You don’t have to go too far to encounter fresh, raw data. Some people have been born in Miami and lived there for most of their lives and have never gone to Orange County or the Everglades, for example. So all they truly know from their own experience is how Miami looks, Miami life, Miami traffic, Miami beaches, Miami ugliness and Miami beauty. Sit down with your parents and plan your next visit to a new place (near or far), bring your book of notes and scribble away things that are different or new. Keep your eyes and ears open. Sharpen all your senses. What do you pick up? You are an investigator now, a journalist, an explorer. Everything you’ll see in your travels will stay with you forever. Good or bad, it will enrich you. It is something you hadn’t experience before. It’s new and now it’s yours. Sometimes wandering a few streets away from your neighborhood brings a new world to your eyes. Next time you can, visit a different place!
TECHNOLOGY by Francisco Gómez Guest Editor
I have a question for you. What comes to your mind when somebody mentions the word “Technology?” Yes… I admit, it usually brings about something related to computers, electronic devices or weird and complicated electric tools. Most of the time we forget that “technology” goes far beyond that single field known as information technology (also called IT). The word itself comes from the Greek : téchnē , an ‘art’, ‘skill’ or ‘craft’ - and -logía, the study of something, or the branch of knowledge of a disci-
The Enrichment Circle
A Non-Profit Organization for the Advancement of Education
pline. This gives us a clue that technology might no be only about fancy electronic devices, but also refers to a whole other set of things both material and inmaterial. Nowadays, we use the word “technology” to refer to machines and tools used to solve a particular realworld problem or situation. However, it can also be used to describe the knowledge, methods, skills, processes, techniques, tools and raw materials required to solve a problem. Interesting... This means that if you sit at your table and think of a great way of doing something, then you write it down, define how
Patty Gómez, Editor-In-Chief
to do it and describe what other things you require to complete it, you are in fact creating a technology that someone else can use to solve a problem. Repeat this process and you can become an inventor, which is someone specialized in using known technologies to create new technologies. Humankind has invented amazing technologies such as spaceships, TVs, phones, cars, business methods and software, among many others. But remember, the greatest ones are yet to be designed and created. At the end you can create the next breakthrough in technology… and that creation starts in your head. So… keep on thinking and creating!
NOVEMBER 2010
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Northwest Regional Library Hosted The Circle Gazette Anniversary Celebration by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Deerfield Beach, FL
In an overwhelming ceremony to celebrate the first anniversary of this independent newspaper, the Northwest Regional Library hosted, on Saturday September 25, the young authors, contributors and staff of The Circle Gazette (A monthly publication by children for children). It was a wonderful festivity full of food, drinks and awards. All of the regular contributors were honored and given special certificates and prizes for each of their
individual contribution that has brought the paper up to its present popular level. It was a great opportunity which provided a platform for the authors, poets and artists to get together and exchange greetings and compliments. It was a place to discover “Who’s Who?” and we actually got to meet the people who are always and humbly working behind the scenes, like Ms. Christie Voss and Ms. Serena Bruno. We got to hear from Ms. Patty Gómez (Editor in Chief) how much she appreciates us and some of us also got to express our love
and pride for the paper. Ms. Kathy Walzer of the Youth Services Department at the Northwestern Regional Library also commended Ms. Gómez on behalf of the library for the Free Creative Writing Workshops she conducts every month. The Pizza Banquet and the cakes and cupcakes were a fantastic treat for the kids and the best part was the raffle drawing. You never know what Ms. Gómez has up her sleeves. This is what Bilal and Shadya Amodu with Ms. Patty Gómez, Editor in totally awes me about the Chief of The Circle Gazette. team: surprises and creativ“Way to go for The Circle ity interwoven together. Ev- celebration to cherish. erything turned out to be a This is just the beginning! Gazette!”
Northwest Regional Library Conducts a Writing Workshop with Author Sherry North by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
Although I have attended quite a few writing workshops hosted by the libraries, this was my first time with an author. Sherry North is a children’s author, journalist and mother. She is the author of six books among which are “Because you are my Baby,” Because I am your Daddy” and “The School that Sank.” I was so elated to meet an author. I could have blown found a magic stethoscope up with happiness. There and turned into a doctor. Learning how to write and were so many things I wantpublish a book was a new ed to ask her like: What inspired you to write? When did you start writing? Do you have any tips for me? … and many more! I took a breath and walked in the room. It was filled with other kids of all ages and sizes. Sherry North was so much fun! She reviewed with us how to construct a story that comprises of three basic materials: a plot, characters, and a setting. She helped us practice this by making us reach into a huge yellow bag and pick out a prop. There were all sorts of fun things in the bag, like: a shield, swimming goggles, a camera, a toy boat, a snow globe and a squeaking cow. Guess what I got? A plastic stethoscope! At one look, everything fell into place and there was my story with a plot, characters and of course a setting. My story was about a kid who
One important thing I learned about the author’s career: Writing books is not a full time job because an author does not make enough money or have a regular income only from writing books. So if you want to be an author, think of something else you would like to do when you are not too experience for most of us. it took her almost a year to busy writing or waiting for Sherry North shared her ex- write her first book. She got your book to get published, perience with us on writing inspiration for writing from or else you might not be books. According to her, various sources. making enough money!
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NOVEMBER 2010
MY OWN EXPERIENCE Georgia by Noga Goldstein, Age 11 Coral Springs, FL
In the winter of 2009, I went to Georgia and for the first time in a long time I saw snow. It was white and soft, and it was so much fun to play with. We threw snowballs and a lot of other stuff! We rented a cabin to stay in and it was at the top of a huge mountain. The cabin had a basement, the middle floor, and a second floor. My sisters and I slept on the second floor and my parents slept on the middle
floor, but nobody wanted to sleep in the basement because it was closest to the snow and so it was freezing down there. The second day we were in Georgia, we went to the Coca-Cola Factory. It was one of the biggest places I have ever been to. We went into a room that had soda from every state and country, and we got to taste them all. Some were sour and others were sweet. We had a magnificent day! This has been my favorite trip out of all that I’ve been on. I will never forget it!
Halloween
by Leeat Goldstein, Age 9
shots in their butt and they fainted, that was the part that was sad. But One day I went to the movies. the funny part was that Alpha and My sisters and my mom came Omega kept on breaking up but at with me. I saw Alpha and Omega. the end they end up kissing. They It was funny and sad at the same were both wolves. That was the time. Alpha and Omega both get best movie ever! Coral Springs, FL
My Swimming Adventure blue color-coded dolphins. My team was my dad, my mom, my Coral Springs, FL three brothers, and our friends. The In Costa Rica, I went on an ad- water was cool. When I touched venture to swim with dolphins. the bottom, it was tickling my feet. A lady showed us how to handle I got scared and jumped. I wore a swimming with the dolphins. Fi- life jacket with one of my brothnally, we got to go into the Gulf ers, and two other boys. The dolof Mexico. They had built a dam phin was told to swim close to us. to make a swimming area, and got It felt as soft as a feather. When it some dolphins and trained them. was my turn, I was scared. For my The trainers named the dolphins mom’s friend, the dolphin went as and color-coded them. The colors fast as a jet. I had the experience were red, yellow, green, and blue. of my life! That was my swimMy team was swimming with the ming with dolphin’s adventure. by Shai Har-Nov, Age 9
not know anyone who lived there. When we got to their driveway we Coral Springs, FL saw ghosts, skeletons, spiders, rats, One year I went over to my zombies, and much more. We were friend’s house for Halloween and both very scared, especially when we were both ladybugs. We went trick-or-treating and the first house we heard howling and spooky muwe went to was my friend Nicole’s sic. We both looked everywhere grandmother’s house. She gave us and the source of the music was noa chocolate bar. Second we went to where to be found. We ran back to her neighbor and her friend’s dad Nicole’s grandmother’s house! The next year for Halloween the gave us starburst. Yummy! Our third stop was at a house that we did same thing happened again! by Mandy Feldman, Age 11
The Movies
Rich and Poor in Victorian Times Danny Hernández, Age 10 Caracas, Venezuela FOOD The poor could hardly afford food. Their diet mainly consisted of potato parings, rotten vegetable scraps and gruel. Sometimes they had to go to the workhouse just to eat gruel and cheese for them to keep alive. The Rich ate more wholesome food and could afford things like
bacon, meat and fish. People who were paid higher wages would mostly eat meat in midday, and then a lighter dinner of bread and vegetables JOBS Poor people had to work in workhouses, shoe shining, chimney sweeping, grabbing poo off the streets and much more. Children did jobs that little people could do like sweeping under the machines and working in coal
mines. The Rich did not have jobs such as chimney sweepers or shoe shiners. They were rich, so they owned companies or shops and all those kind of things that people still do these days. CLOTHING The poor could hardly afford any clothes. If they wore clothes, they would wear ragged clothes or anything they could get. If you were poor and you had shoes you were lucky. Rich women wore fancy clothes such as corsets, bell skirts and very tight dresses. Men mostly used suits, such as smoke jackets and tuxedos. Men wore tuxedos for sport and other casual activities. HOUSING The poor in the Victorian times lived in crumpled houses, sometimes up to 2 families in the same house. If they had a bath, they had a tin bath, which they put next to the kitchen for hot water. Streets had 2 toilets for all the people in the street to share. The water pumps were often polluted. Often up to 6 people had to sleep in the same room. The rich lived in very big houses and had butlers, servants, cooks and much more. Their houses were very elegant and comfortable in the inside.
Did You Know... … that the Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901? The reign was a long period of overall prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements at home, allowed an educated middle class to develop. The era is often characterized as a long period of peace, known as the Pax Britannica, and economic, colonial, and industrial consolidation. The British Empire controlled most of the key naval trade routes. Queen Victoria reigned 63 years and 7 months, longer than that of any other British monarch, and is the longest of any female monarch in history.
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NOVEMBER 2010
Green Tip of the Month by A.J. Cross, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is a common household chemical. It is used to clean toilet bowls, floors, and whiten clothes. There are two different types of bleach; chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach. Sodium hypochlorite is the chlorine bleach and it is very harmful to the environment. It is also the one most people buy because it is cheaper. Oxygen bleach is perfectly safe and is the one you should buy if you are going to buy bleach. Bleach is found in many other cleaners besides bleach itself. Automatic dish detergent often has chlorine bleach in it; and toilet bowl cleaners that advertise they are better than bleach are made with bleach. Bleach is a dangerous chemical by itself, and it reacts with other cleaners and everyday substances. For example: sodium hypochlorite reacts with the chemical ammonia to release chlorine gas. The military uses chlorine gas in chemical warfare as an easy way to kill a lot of people at one time. Chlorine gas is also released when bleach is mixed with acidic substances. Environmentally speaking, bleach is considered toxic waste. It reacts with organic matter to create carcinogenic organochlorines. Both humans and animals are affected by this substance. Thankfully, bleach does not react with water. It just will kill anything in it that is alive. Just two drops of bleach will kill all micro-organisms and plant life in a liter of contaminated water, and make it okay to drink. If fact, any more will make the water toxic. Think about it, if just two drops can purify that much water no matter how contaminated it is, should you really be pouring this stuff into your laundry machine? Or how about dumping it on the sidewalk and driveway? The bleach you pour will get washed into the waterways. When it does, it will kill all the plants and zooplankton that the water touches, which is an awful lot. These plankton are the foundation for the food web. Fish will try to swim away from the contaminating source. Animals that depend on the river for their water supply will not want to drink from it and can sometimes get ill from either dehydration or drinking the poisoned water because they do not have a choice.
When it comes to not using conventional bleach, oxygen bleach or hydrogen peroxide is your greenest alternative. Liquid oxygen bleach is basically just hydrogen peroxide in a very diluted form. The powdered stuff has other additives that no longer make it as environmentally friendly. Hydrogen peroxide is healthier for you and the environment because it breaks down into water and oxygen, so it therefore will not affect the environment at all. Microorganisms are not even affected by this substance. Conventional bleach with kill anything in its path, plants, micro-organisms, and all. If you want to purify water so it is drinkable, hydrogen peroxide will not satisfy that need. Instead use five drops of 2% iodine per liter of water. Iodine is a much more naturally occurring element than chlorine, and it does not kill any wildlife or plants except on a microscopic scale. To see for yourself how bleach affects the environment, try this experiment. Collect some water from the nearest lake, pond, river, or stream. Be sure to get algae with your water. When you get home, pour some of both into a tray or petri dish. If you have access to a microscope, use it to look at the water. If you do not, just use a magnifying glass. See if you can spot any microorganisms. If you can, get some household bleach in a dropper. Carefully drip three drops of bleach into the tray and see how quickly everything dies. Dump out the dead water and rinse the tray thoroughly. Then refill the tray with your collected water and drip three drops of oxygen bleach or hydrogen peroxide into the tray and see what happens. You now have proof that bleach kills living things at a microscopic scale and hydrogen peroxide does not. If you like, you can also do the experiment with 2% iodine to see if that kills the microbes like I said.
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The Mystery Cleaner by Felipe Peña, Age 11 Boca Raton, FL Are you thinking of buying an aquatic pet? If you already have one, are you tired of seeing your aquatic tank looking like a sewer? Then a Black Mystery Snail can be a great addition to your aquatic tank! “The Black Mystery Snail belongs to the genus Pomacea in the Ampullariidae family, which is also called the Apple Snail family and comprises around 120 different snail species. Like all the other members of the genus Pomacea, the Black Mystery Snail is equipped with a siphon.” A siphon is a breathing tube. Black Mystery Snails have black shells, but some have black, gold and ivory patterns as well. Whenever you see Black Mystery Snails offered in pet stores, know that these freshwater mollusks can grow from ¾’’ to 1 ¼ ‘’ and in captivity will grow up to 2’’ long . The female is typically larger than the male. Black Mystery Snails originate from rivers and lakes in Brazil, where they stay inactive during the day and in the middle of the night look for food. In captivity, these gobblers also look for food in the day! In the wild, snails eat algae, and other aquatic vegetation. If you get a snail “couple”, the female snail could lay 200-600 eggs! Watch out! Why Black Mystery Snails Make Good Pets Caring for one of these cute movers is easy and you can happily shelter one even if your aquatic tank is no larger than one gallon. These small but fast snails will make a great addition to your aquarium because the snail will eat all the dirt and scum off your tank, leaving nothing but a clean, sparkling habitat. Black Mystery Snails also do well in freshwater ponds. They will eat algae anywhere. Caring For A Snail Black Mystery Snails eat algae wafers (I suggest Tetra Veggie Brand as it is the healthiest), small pieces of fresh veggies and decaying plants. The Black Mystery Snail will happily eat leftover fish flakes and will suck up algae buildup on the tank glass and will sometimes even nibble on your finger! (must wash hands after.) A constantly moving, pink hole on its head is his/her mouth. If you are thinking of buying a Black Mystery Snail (Petco has cheap prices) and you already own a fish or other aquatic pet, make sure they do not eat snails as part of their diet! The Black Mystery Snail will make a good companion for Bettas, Tetras, and Goldfish. Another good suggestion is to have a bubble rock which can help your snail breathe under water. Apple snails have both lungs and gills so if the oxygen level in the water is too low, it can breathe in air through its siphon. That is why you must leave a 2’’ gap of air above the water line so your snail can breathe and look for food outside the water. DO NOT leave the lid of your tank open or your snail will escape! If algae grows on the snail’s shell don’t panic! Buy a new toothbrush (make sure it does not have germ fighting technology because the chemicals will kill the snail) and while the snail is inside its shell, brush it thoroughly until you see it stunningly shiny, gold, ivory and black.
O w l Pe l l e t s A hands-on science experience by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
We were all upset. Not only because it was our science teacher’s last day, but because we also had a million tests that day. It was a Friday, October 8th to be specific. That morning, I ran off the bus, to find out I was later than the bell. I galloped to my safety patrol post. When I arrived, Angel, my best friend, was opening the door to go inside. I joined her, and after a few minutes Ms. Groth, our science teacher, sauntered into our hall. “Come on girls!” she called. We followed her into first period: science. The whole class, and even Ms. McIntosh (the reading teach-
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You can buy Owl Pellets for Scientific Observation and Experimentation in a set of 5 for about $9 on amazon.com.
Apple snails have both lungs and gills. I am an expert at taking care of my snail which I named “Bob-Omb” after a character in the Mario Bros video game. I also have a Bloodfin Tetra (a small tropical fish) called “Podoboo” also named after a character in the same video game. When I got Bob-Omb from the store about six months ago, I already owned Podoboo for about 2 ½ years. BobOmb did not move or come out of his shell for exactly one day. Podoboo curiously swam around him to see what he was up to! But by the next day, he was eating algae off the tank like a vacuum cleaner. He ate on the floor and “suckedy-sucked” everywhere! All my friends liked the snail, and one of them even wanted a snail too! Are you still thinking about buying a different pet? Read this review again! I hope you enjoy your new pet snail! Facts Source: www.aquaticcommunity.com.
HUMMINGBIRDS by Emily Rodriguez, Age 7 Sunrise, FL
I saw hummingbirds in my garden. They were so pretty. There were two of them. Their habitats are woods, fields and gardens. My favorite kind of hummingbird is the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.
Illustration by author. Pencil and color pencils on paper.
er), was waiting. When we hopped into the room, the kids looked up from their conversations and games. Ms. Groth instantly went in the cabinets and took out pie trays. She also took out bags full of balls wrapped in aluminum foil. She handed them out with tweezers and goggles. “Put on your goggles! Now who knows what owl pellets are? Well, when owls consume their prey it passes through both the owl’s stomachs. Then the owl spits out the parts it can’t digest like bones, fur, scales, teeth, and eyes.” Ms. Groth is nice, but she isn’t like normal science teachers. Instead of teaching us and giving us tests she makes us research and gives us projects. I just hope Ms. Groth wasn’t thinking what I thought she was! “Today we are going to dissect owl pellets!” Oh no…she WAS thinking what I thought she was! She passed out the pellets and told us to open the foil. When I opened the foil I screamed! Inside was the pellet,
hair and all, and it looked like a ball of vomit, which it actually was. Ms. Groth gave us gloves, of course, but even through the gloves it felt icky and hairy. We all wanted to throw up. My pellet was full of rat pelvis bones. I even found a piece of rat with a bug on it! I really wanted to throw up. After we dissected the pellets, Ms. Groth gave us microscopes and told us to look at the bones through the microscope. The bones looked even grosser through the microscope! When first period was done we were all both sad and glad. This was the last time we would see Ms. Groth, but we were glad that the owl pellets would be thrown away! We said our good-byes and Ms. Groth wished us luck on our tests. I hope that Park Ridge Elementary will be the same without our wacky science teacher, Ms. Groth.
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by Sara Cross, Age 9 Boca Raton, FL
Once upon a time, there were two teenage girls, about 16, named Malana and Teresa. They were very poor, and really struggling to put food in their stomachs. One day they were running along the side of the little lake right outside their cottage window. “Come on Malana!” “Wait up Teresa!” They called to each other, racing around the pond. “STOP!” Malana screamed. “Look! It’s a pink pony!” There was a little pony statue tangled up in a pile of vines. “Should we keep it?” Teresa asked her friend. “I’d love to, but I don’t know if we can afford to. If we sell it we might not go to bed hungry tonight.” Malana answered sadly. “You’re right.” Teresa took it to the nearby merchant and sold it. She brought home a big pile of cash for the antique pink ivory statue. Malana went out and bought some tea for them. When she came home,
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one of the dollars she did not use was glowing and changing... “Teresa! Look it’s a map!” The dollar had turned into a map! To where? Who knows?! The girls didn’t hesitate for one moment before they set off on an amazing adventure. The girls went over to the mini waterfall at the end of the lake. As soon as they stopped in front of it, it disappeared. In its place stood a full size waterfall towering over their heads. A girl stepped out from behind the waterfall onto a puff of water splashing up where the waterfall met the lake. “I am Anatwa, the guardian of the waterfall, recite the password and you may ascend.” Said the girl. “Ascend?” thought Malana “how can you ascend a waterfall?” Despite their confusion, the girls recited the password at the top of the map in unison, “PINK PONY.” Anatwa waved her hand, showering sparkles everywhere. A sea blue bumper boat flew out from the other side of the wall of water and scooped them up. The boat carried them over the fall and
landed on top. They floated up a river to a flower garden. Teresa bounded into the field and sniffed a flower. Immediately she fell into a deep sleep. Malana stood there horrified at the sight. Eventually she realized she had to get to her, but how? If she ran into the field, she would probably fall asleep at Teresa’s side. She thought for a moment then she got an idea. She hopped back into the boat and drove it to where Teresa lay. Malana reached down and scooped her friend into the boat. She then needed to find somewhere safe. She drove until she reached the top of a cliff. The cliff was like no other. All the rocks were carved into furniture. There were even stone pillows on the bed. Malana lifted Teresa out of the boat and onto the couch. There was no one there at the moment, so she figured it was safe for now. She climbed out of the boat and crouched next to the couch to look at Teresa. All of a sudden the middle of the cliff broke open. Malana screamed and reached her arms around her friend’s life-
The Genie And His Three Dishes by Carolyn Kean, Age 8 Coral Springs, FL
One day I was walking down the streets of Morocco, when I tripped over a strange object that made a tinny sound. It was a genie lamp! The lamp looked all discombobulated, and I thought that whoever lived in that lamp must get really confused from banging around all the time. After much consideration, I took the lamp home and told my mother it was a genie lamp. She didn’t believe me one bit. Then, I went to my neighbor and told him. He didn’t believe me. I went to the government! They didn’t believe me. I got fed up with it so I went to the president and rubbed the lamp. The genie came out with a big SWOOSH! The president was so amused! I said, “Genie, give me my 3 wishes!” “I don’t give you wishes, I give you dishes.” He said. Now, he wasn’t the one confused, I was! Genies are supposed to give you wishes not dishes! Then, I took one of the dishes and threw
them at the genie’s head. He passed out. When the genie woke up, he remembered where my house was. I thought this was rather strange but I asked for my 3 wishes again and this time, he gave me 7 dishes! 7! Now, he was totally off track. I ran to the market and hid behind an open basket. Then, a snake slithered out and bit me! I was running out from behind the basket frantically. I was running in circles like a lunatic! The genie insisted on giving me dishes. He gave me not just the seven dishes but served me a dish as well. He proudly presented a beautiful bowl of Fettucini Alfredo. Before I had an opportunity to stop him, he shoved a spoonful of the warm, cheesy pasta into my mouth. Within seconds I puffed up like a balloon. I ran home looking and feeling like a total mess. The genie followed me all the way home. When we reached my front door, the genie was huffing and puffing and looked like he was having a heart
attack. This genie was not in good shape. After he gained control of his breathing, he told me he wasn’t really a genie after all. He was my father in his Halloween costume! Now this whole thing made sense to me because I realized the reason the “genie” kept mistaking wishes and dishes is because my father is hard of hearing. I went home and my mother knew what disaster I created. I think mothers have special mommy powers that allow them to know what their children have been up to. It turned out I was wrong about the mommy powers. The incidents had been on the 5:00 news. My mother apologized for not believing me and gave me an immense hug. I almost suffocated and died from that hug, but I was relieved that mother knew I told the truth. The next day, I was walking for no particular reason and tripped. When I looked behind me, I saw the exact same genie lamp! I got up and ran away.
NOVEMBER 2010
A Start on Fiction by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
Do you like to write? Well the key to writing is reading. My favorite genre is: fiction. I love fairy tales, realistic fiction, and regular fiction! Do you love fiction? Well I might not be writing fiction now, but I like to stretch out and write nonfiction, poetry, book reviews too. Also there are many types of fiction: · Fantasy · Fairy Tales · Tall Tales · Myths · Legends · Fables · Wacky Poems · Realistic Fiction · Science Fiction · Historical Fiction less body. A cylinder rose up from the hole. On top of the cylinder was a young man dressed in a brown cape, shirt, and pants. He had a stone crown on his short brown hair. He even had brown eyes on his solid brown face. He introduced himself as Botato, guardian of the cliff, and asked her why she came. She saw kindness in his eyes and calmed down. “We have been following this map,” Malana said, now trying to wake up her friend. “Well thank you for stopping by. Now, it seems you have a little problem there, don’t you? I might be able to help you” Botato said, taking a glance at the sleeping Teresa. He grabbed a bronze ring from his bedside table and pressed down on the jade in the middle. The ring sprang open revealing a se-
· · ·
Comedy Fiction Dramatic Fiction Realistic Comedy And many more! Fiction is unlimited and you can stretch it to where ever you want! It is your story; you shape it, create it, and edit it. Unlike other types of writing, fiction comes from your heart, your imagination, and your brain. Well those are some tips, but you can always make up your own. Good luck on your story!
cret compartment under the jade. Inside the compartment was a beautiful, sparkling gold powder, which he took a pinch of and sprinkled it into a moisturizing cream Malana found for him on his dresser. Botato then smeared the cream onto Teresa’s forehead. In a matter of seconds, Teresa’s eyes opened, and Malana was explaining to her where she was, and who was the man who saved her life. Teresa gave him a heartfelt thanks and Malana gave him her bottle of orange scented body spritz, for when she looked around, she saw no shower on top of Botato’s cliff. Then the two girls left the boat with Botato and started their journey down the side of the cliff now by foot.
A KNIGHT’S TALE
by Abigail Rodríguez, Age 9 Sunrise, FL
Once upon a time long ago, there was an evil knight who hunted for a lovely princess to whom he would place a curse on, commanded by his evil master, who wanted her family’s gem stone. The princess was in love with Henry, a prince she had met at a ball. The knight stormed into the castle and the princess went to warn her family. As soon as he went in, there was a crash and out came a
new knight. “Who is this strange knight?” - said Princess Ashley. The new knight took the princess with him, and took her to the evil master’s hideout. The evil master was pleased, until he found out that the knight was a new knight and that he was the prince, in disguise. The evil master was sent to the dungeon but was planning his revenge. In the end the prince and princess were married and lived happily ever after.
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Theatre World The Love of Three Oranges by Daniela Gómez, Age 10 Margate, FL few months back I went to The PlayGround Theatre in Miami Shores with my sisters, my mom and my dad to see the performance “The Love of Three Oranges.” It was Sunday and the play began at 2:00 pm. The Love of Three Oranges is about a kingdom where the prince had been made ill by his own cousin and her boyfriend. The doctors said the only possible cure was to make the poor young man laugh! So his worried father, the king, called for the best comedian in the kingdom to perform that night! The prince’s cousin was very unhappy that her uncle had found a cure for his son and he ordered her boyfriend to kill him! But the man told his girlfriend not to kill the prince so quickly; they had to call on the help of an evil sorceress Fatta Morgana! To call the witch they had to do a chicken dance, flapping their arms and chanting “Fatta Morgana, Fatta Morgana” because to the witch chickens were ‘sacred.’ When the comedian came,
Fatta Morgana sat in the back in the guise of an old lady and took away his ability to be funny silently. “Once upon a time there was a man” he began “Who went to the market to buy some fruit and came back with a chicken!” Nobody laughed “It’s not funny!” the prince said. Ok… The comedian tried again “Once upon a time there was a man who went to the market to get some fruit and came back with a chicken” the prince didn’t think this was funny either, the man was repeating! Fatta Morgana was pleased and made the comedian do a flip in the air for a special touch! Unfortunately for Miss Evil Witch (aka Fatta Morgana) that made the prince burst out LAUGHING!!! He was cured from his illness! But Fatta Morgana was not finished yet! She stood up in her costume and walked up to the comedian’s stage, once there, she ripped off the costume that hid her identity then she told the prince that he would meet his doom looking for three beautiful oranges, she talked about the three roundest, most orangy oranges of the world and the prince was caught in a net of evil magic! He immediately set off to
Great Catches!
look for these oranges, and with him, came the comedian. On his way a kind wizard (Fatta Morgana’s archenemy) advised them that once they found these juicy spheres to never open them until they were near water! He gave them magic help and sent them on they’re way. The oranges were found at last and the comedian gets dragged away by robot-females that came out of the oranges when he opened them (he forgot about the water tip) but the prince walked to a stream and offered a drink to the third being and instantly she transformed into a beautiful woman (not a robot) and the prince fell in love! He promised to take her to his kingdom and marry her when he came back and then he left. Fatta Morgana planned an evil scheme and after a final adventure, the prince and his lovely girlfriend were married and his cousin and Fatta Morgana were defeated! This show was a comedy, for sure, the script was well written and the actors were excellent. You could believe how desperately the prince wanted to see those oranges and marry that girl and that his cousin was full of determination. I believed it and I laughed a lot. This show will be
performed again this season from January 12 to January 29. I definitely recommend this play. Go to (PlayGround Theatre’s website:
Deerfield Beach, FL
Hello readers! It is now fall, but that does not mean that good books have fallen behind. The month of November brings many things, such as Elections, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. I am positive that you will enjoy the books I recommend for a quiet fall afternoon while the season is changing! Here are some books to dig in to while you think of the Thanksgiving dinner! Gobble….gobble….gobble!!! The Kid who Ran for President Author: Dan Gutman Age level: 3rd grade and up Rating:
and mirrors of campaign- ing World War II, one of ing, this book is ideal. With the worst wars of the 20 th If you want a book that real- information on the political century. This is the story ly explains kids in politics, parties, restrictions about teaches the art of campaigns running, advice about what and provides historical campaign strategies to use, knowledge of our past pres- primary elections, national idents, this book is perfect. conventions and examples Sadly there are many things from history, this book is that restrict our age group nothing less than a Camfrom largely participating paign 101 course. in politics. That did not stop Judson Moon, an average The cage person from Wisconsin from Author: Ruth Minsky Sender taking the Presidential Elec- Age level: 5th grade and up tions by storm. The most Rating: shocking part is that Judson In honor of Veterans of the author’s family in is only twelve years old! Day, I am reviewing a true Lodz, Poland, during the story that occurred dur- Second World War and See How they Run Author: Susan. E Goodman Age level: 3rd grade and up Rating: by Andy Hernández, Age 10 Caracas, Venezuela
If you want a simple, picture filled book explaining all of the smoke
Alexander Graham Bell was born in 1847, in Edinburg, Scotland and was famous for one of the most incredible inventions on earth, the telephone. Although Alexander had a strong talent and interest in music, art and poetry, inventing was his biggest talent. He was an inventor at an early age. His first invention, when he was only 12 years of age, was when he created a small machine that could cut the lawn in a very efficient
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www.theplaygroundtheatre.com) for more information and to get your study guide! … and come with me as the lights go out!
Kristen Dawn McCorkell plays Fatta Morgana in THE LOVE OF THREE ORANGES. Photo by Pavel Antonov, 2010.
Be Thankful - Carve Into a Book! by Bilal Amodu, Age 13
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way. He did have sorrow in his life. When he was only twelve, Alexander’s mother started suffering a problem with her hearing, and later on, lost her hearing completely. Also, Alexander’s two brothers sadly died of a disease called Tuberculosis. As an adult, along with the invention of the telephone, he contributed to the development of telecommunications and the technology of planes. Alexander Graham Bell was also one of the founders of the National Geographic Society and later on, in 1898, assumed the presidency of the society.
through the time of the holocaust. Sender (Rifkele at the time) describes all of the tragedies that had befallen her family during that time, and how she overcame all of them and is determined never to forget them.
Alexander Graham was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.
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Thankful by Sharon A. Hammer, Age 12 Weston, FL
The autumn wind whistles, Houses lit with windows open wide, A family playing in every house, No one sad, Kindness all over, For dinner we will have turkey, Up above an angel stares at the happiness, Long distance friends come together on this night.
Ode to My Cat
by Shane Michaels, Age 6 Coral Springs, FL
The way you sit is so graceful Your tush is so soft Your fur is so black And your tail floats so high up into the sky Your ears they stand so straight and tall Your nose is pink and shiny and your claws are so sharp and your eyes are so green You are the greatest cat in the Universe
Run Turkey Run! by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
Ru n Tu r k e y R un! Ru n , r u n , r u n, Ge t f r i e d b y the sun! S i n c e I d o n ’t know how to bake, Th e su n i s b a king turkey cake.
NOVEMBER 2010
Thanksgiving Message by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
Pass the turkey, pass the ham, Pass them all to Uncle Sam! We have to give thanks today, And boy, do I have a lot to say! Be thankful for what you got, Whether cold or whether hot! And DON’T take things for granted, ‘Cause even the small things can make you enchanted. This is my thanksgiving wish: I wish I’ll get my favorite dish! What is Thanksgiving all about? It’s not just stuffing your mouth, There’s a lot more to be thankful for Whether in peace or in war Thanks for the good food we eat Be it fish, turkey or meat. And the clothes that keeps us warm From icy blasts, and wrathful storms. And the houses which give us shelter Or else we’ll be helter skelter! Above all, we should appreciate Our family, neighbors and our mates Who are always there for us Who have a lot to share with us! Be thankful for all you’re blessed with And all the happiness you are dressed with. Just be happy with what you got Because to others that can be a lot!
Ru n t u r k e y r un, In t h e n i c e h ot sun. S o h o t l i k e a pot, On t h e g r i l l , W h i l e I l i e b ack and chill! No , t u r k e y d on’t, Oh n o , h e w on’t! He r a n so f a r... F r o m t h e g r ill to the bar. He i s h a v i n g a ball, F r o m w a l l t o w all!! He is not in the oven, or on the dish He is safe somewhere, not too far away I wish!
Illustration by author. Wax crayons on paper.
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Stuck in the Middle Part I by Ari Swift, Age 13 Boca Raton, FL
“Clank! Clank! Clank!” went the huge processors as they melted and refined iron. Lark, sitting under a tree to protect him from the sweltering heat, was daydreaming about the legend of freedom. According to the legend, the Hash nation was once a powerful civilization until the Association of Universal Conquest (AUC) gathered and struck. Using androids in mass numbers, they quickly swept across the universe - planet by planet (they skipped Earth because it was too contaminated), solar system by solar system, galaxy by galaxy. Before the conquest was complete, all the free galaxies funded their own army, the Stop AUC Army (SAA). The SAA was comprised of clones. The clones were much smarter than androids and better armed with very high tech weapons. With these advan-
“Zaaaaap! “Ahhhhh!” bellowed Lark as the Taser slammed into his skin” Illustration by Matias Sosa Wheelock. Color pencil on paper.
tages, they managed to slow down the AUC enough to let their support crews harvest enough resources to supply the war machine. After 100 millennia, they are still in a constant power struggle, but the AUC is gaining the upper hand. Zaaaaap! “Ahhhhh!” bellowed Lark as the Taser slammed into his skin, waking him from his daydreaming. “You are five minutes late refilling the gas tanks for the ovens” said an android, reloading his Taser . Lark winced as he pulled the Taser out of his skin and went over to fill the tanks. “Hey, Barky, what happened to the last shipment of gas? I can’t fill the tanks,” shouted Lark. “I don’t know. It was supposed to come two days ago,” Barky, an unloader of shipments, said, trotting over. They went over to the office to see what happened. “I don’t know what happened. It never came,” said Quat, the manager of shipments. “Let’s look at the tracking on it” said Lark. “Okay, let’s see. It was coming across the forest and then the signal flashed out,” said Quat.
That night, they were sitting around the fire eating dinner in their quarters. “There are some rumors going around about a resistance movement. They might have stopped the gas shipment,” said Quat in a hushed voice to avoid being overheard. “Guys, I hate this hard labor. I am going to do something about it. I was not going to tell you this until later. Since you found out about the resistance movement, I will tell you now. I have contacted the resistance and I am going to join them. I need a way to sneak out,” said Barky, in barely a whisper. “WHAT!” yelled Quat and Lark, simultaneously. Suddenly, the door burst open, letting in the frigid cold air (the climate is unpredictable). An android walked in the door. “I don’t want any fighting or you get overtime in the work force,” said the android and walked out leaving the door open. Lark got up and closed the door. “Barky and I are going to join you and I have an idea to get out of the work force,” said Lark.
fun, I have errands to do.” Pearl swam away. I swam down the hill and noticed that the city was a very busy place. I wanted to go to every store. “This is going to be fun!”
tures, and she seemed to like my story. When we finished, we swam all the way to the top of the water. We hugged each other and I said, “I am going to miss you a
My Adventures Underwater by Maria Gallego, Age 11 Coral Springs, FL I was very lucky to be living 20 feet away from the beach. I was alone at the beach while my mom was inside making delicious roast beef. I was walking that day right next to the shore, when I saw a strange figure floating between a couple of heavy boulders. I went closer to take a good look but I didn’t know what it was, so I pulled hard to get it out; it looked something like a water car, but then I noticed its propellers and buttons and I realized that it was a shiny blue submarine with a sparkly glass window. I silently climbed on it, and with a small push, it was out into the shore, making the waves swivel left to right and then slowly sank to the bottom. I had never seen how the coast of Australia looked underwater, and it was beautiful, with blue, yellow, green, and every other color you can think of. There were schools of mini fishes in groups of twenties, also a small group of crabs was huddled up at the bottom of the rock, and a beautiful stingray was flowing to the bottom of the sea hiding in the sand. I went to a big rock right next to a mini plant. I turned the submarine off and I put on my favorite swimming suit and got out. I saw a little jellyfish swimming toward a big patch of seaweed, probably looking for food. There was a big cave that sort of looked like a volcano type of cave. It looked very interesting to go inside, so I quickly swam towards it. Inside it was very dark. There was a group of mini starfishes
stuck to the side of the wall of the cave. The cave was very narrow and long and it probably reached up to be half a mile long. I saw something down at the end of the cave, it looked like some kind of chair and I kept swimming towards it, which took such a long time. As I got closer to the object I realized it was a princess throne. It glittered pink and treasure sea shells were on the top of it, which made it looked pretty cool. I still didn’t know whose cave this was until I saw someone swimming right next to me. It was a mermaid. She was very pretty. Her long wavy hair reached to her back and her long tail was covered in many glittery scales. She was cleaning something yellow. It was her golden crown, which shined and sparkled through the cave. I swam towards her. ”Hello” I said, quietly. She turned in surprise: “Hi, do I know you?” she had a confused expression on her face. “Well, I don’t think so, but you must be the queen of this cave” I replied. She frowned: “No, I am the princess, actually. My mother is the queen, but she left on a secret mission to another ocean!” Then she smiled. I smiled back at her. She seemed pretty nice. “So, my name is Maria, what is yours?” I asked. She replied “Princess Pearl.” It was the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard. After this presentation, she showed me around the cave. It looked like a real castle, then at the end of the tour, she turned around and asked me the most surprising question. “Do you want to be a mermaid, like me?” She was smiling creepily at me.
“Uhmm, I don’t know, will I ever get to go back home?” I asked, sadly. “Don’t worry, its only temporary” she said. She went to a big cabinet and she pulled out a jar with blue dust inside of it. “Ok, I want to be a mermaid!” I said. I was so excited! She sprinkled some dust over me and I had to close my eyes. “Now open your eyes!” she said, and I did. Seconds later, what I saw at the end of my body was a long beautiful blue tail. It had many scales on it and it was wonderful. “Thanks, it looks amazing!” I said. She smiled again. “No problem, it does look pretty on you.” She hugged me. We went outside the cave and I was glad we did, I was desperate and hot inside the cave. Three dolphins were swimming above the water and a school of fish were swimming happily by a red reef. “Ok, so you have heard of Clam Land, right?” She asked me, when we were climbing giant boulders. “Uhmm, I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I was very, very confused. “You never heard of Clam Land?” she continued. “It’s a small town here, where many animals and mermaids live, it is a wonderful place. Let’s go, and I will show you.” We swam and swam and when we got to a giant coral reef, we swam above it. I looked and there was a beautiful shallow town. There was a shop, a market, a mall and many homes. It was cool, hundreds of mermaids were scattered throughout the city area. It was great! ”WOW this is cool” I said. My eyes were twinkling with excitement. “I know.” she said and then added “Ok, have
“I find a submarine at a lonely beach, then I go underwater and I find many wonderful things, like pearls, shells, octopuses and even a Mermaid” Illustration by Monica Gallego. Later, that day, I was exhausted for swimming all day. I bought many mermaids’ outfits for Pearl and me. I swam ‘till I reached the cave. Pearl was cooking something yummy, it was probably boiled fish or squid, and when I went in, she served the food. As we ate, I told her all about my day, and how I met a lot of crea-
lot!”, then she turned my tail into feet again. Pearl and I swam to shore together. I waved bye and I realized that as soon as I got out of the water I was all dry! I came in to my house, my mom asked me “How was your day, honey?”, and I said, “You know, mommy, it was very fishy!”
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A Clean, Green Future by Ismail Ercan, Age 13 Continued from page 1 garbage that we create. Now, landfill solutions and Waste to Energy solutions, they both help out the community. What I mean by this is: we all create garbage on a daily basis. That’s a fact. It’s very hard for us to go by one day without producing it. Now, like I mentioned earlier, if you don’t manage your garbage well, there are many potential health problems that can occur. For example, in third world countries, they just pour their garbage onto an open area on the ground. The problem with this is that when it rains, the water mixes with the garbage to produce “garbage juice”. (That’s a slang term). The leachate (the garbage juice) ends up in the drinking waters, the rivers, the canals, and can contaminate all the villagers who live there. Now, in America, our landfills are much more technologically better and much more efficient than those of third world countries because we monitor our garbage and control it. We are very fortunate, in America, that our garbage is closely monitored and taken care of properly. Now, to answer your question, burning garbage and putting garbage in a landfill isn’t an overall solution to help the environment; it is just to deal with our garbage that we produce daily.
Ercan: Who manages or owns the waste facilities? The government, or is it privately owned? Mr. Kashar: Waste Management is a very big private company. We were on the Forbes Top 200 largest companies in America. David Steiner is the CEO of Waste Management. Ercan: In the past, people were charged with a monthly bill for your garbage services. Currently, are taxes covering this expense? Mr. Kashar: Currently, it is included in the tax expense. (In the past, people were charged with a monthly bill.) It works out for everyone too, because we do a good job
managing the garbage and almost all civilians are happy with our work. Ercan: When and where did people come up with the idea of a landfill? Mr. Kashar: Actually, I have not researched this subject that much. But what I can tell you is that ever since the beginning of people, we have buried and burned garbage. Ercan: Are your facilities divided into two sections: one for garbage, and the other one for recycling? Mr. Kashar: The garbage industry is typically divided into three sections. There is the hauling side, the disposal side, and the processing side. The hauling side would be when they pick up your garbage at your curbside. The disposal side is where they dispose the garbage, which could be a landfill. The processing side is the recycling part of it. At the Waste to Energy facility in Pompano Beach, they also do recycle as well. To answer your question, everything is separated-the garbage goes to one side, the recycling goes to the other. Ercan: Over the years, how has technology impacted the processing of garbage? Mr. Kashar: Okay, one of the things that WM tries to do is extract more value from the garbage. Can we use it for fuel/energy, can we recycle it? The answers to those are yes. We do burn the garbage, and recycle everything that we can. Also, as our trucks come into our facilities to dump their garbage, all the machines and technology definitely speed up the process. Ercan: Eventually, will you run out of space to place your garbage? Mr. Kashar: Not if WM is around! (Laughter) Keep in mind that the Waste to Energy facility in Pompano reduces the initial volume of garbage by 90%. This definitely helps out with maximizing our landfill space. I will say that Waste to Energy is the future of garbage disposal. Every state, municipality, and county should like to have a few centers because not only does it reduce the amount of garbage that we put into a landfill, but it also produces electricity! In Broward County, which has a population of 1.7 million, Waste to Energy produces 20% of its electricity! Currently, there are 16 Waste to Energy facilities around the U.S. We are going to be expanding Waste to Energy facilities into Europe and China soon in the future. This is the future of garbage disposal. Ercan: What are your goals for the future? Mr. Kashar: The only thing that I can tell you is that WM is really trying its best to extract all the value we can from garbage. Garbage is something that is always
Did You Know... … that Americans discard enough aluminum cans annually to rebuild the entire U.S. commercial airline fleet four times over?
Good Luck Florida! by Bilal Amodu, Age 13 Continued from page 1 reducing the size of government, cutting taxes and lowering wasteful spending. Since this is thankfully not a registered political party, they toss their support to Republican candidates, such as for Speaker of the Florida state house, Marco Rubio. This movement seems to have issues with the way President Obama is running the country, wherein they oppose just about everything he does. Another division is the age old difference between parties. These parties are as different as cats and dogs. Their fierce attack on each other encouraged Independent candidate, Governor Charlie Crist, to reap benefits in the Senate race. Since the Democrats are the party in the government, and the welfare of the people is not improving, they stand to rue the people’s cause which the Republicans take advantage of. Now, that the votes have been cast and the decisions have been made, the election
is over. I cannot tell you the results due to issues with this article’s deadline, but you can still find out our new leaders by watching your local news. However, things don’t end with the election, in fact, in most cases, elections have always initiated new directions, so that leaves me wondering about the new fate the people of Florida will be facing. Will the elected leaders be fair, impartial and make good use of their power? Will they actually try to improve our state? Will they actually represent us? Will they keep the promises they made that brought them to office? Will they remember the people who helped them in their campaign? Will they do something in office other than sitting around, twiddling their thumbs and taking money? All of these questions, and more, can only be answered by time, but, I will do my best to keep you updated about the state of things in the Sunshine state. Through voting, people put full trust in the individuals elected to office and expect good results…well… good luck Florida!
Did You Know... … that the Pompano Beach Landfill in Florida has been operating since the 1960’s and is planning on closing in 17 years? going to be around. Definitely, the goal is to get to, or as close to as we can, zero waste. Also, I bet you didn’t know this--October is “National Renewable Energy Month”! Ercan: From whom do you receive all the technology needed for your facilities? Mr. Kashar: I do not know all of the companies’ names; we use technology from many different companies. A company that I know we use technology from is G.E. We use G.E.’s turbines to produce electricity inside of the generator. Ercan: What do you do with all the construction/demolition waste? When you receive them, are there some types of garbage that cannot be recycled or used in any way? Mr. Kashar: There are some landfills that are, “C and D landfills” (C and D stand for construction and demolition). I don’t think WM has any construction and demolition landfills in the area, however, I think that Broward has one. Yes, I believe that it’s part of the BIC landfills. Now, let me explain more specifically what “C and D landfills” are. Whenever builders are constructing a building, there is always tons of rubble, extra rocks, gravel, and metals that they can’t use, recycle, or burn. These materials are sent to a “C and D landfill”. They take out all the useful materials and then send them to the landfill to be buried. Also, there are things called “White goods” that we cannot recycle. Some ex-
A worker extracts methane from the ground. Methane is made when bacteria decompose organic waste such as fruits or vegetables. amples of “White goods” are your refrigerators, your computers, your laundry machines, etc… Typically, Broward County takes these items to the BIC. There they take out all the useful materials that can be reused and then they send it to another company where they safely dismember the machine. Ercan: What area do you think Waste Management needs to improve on the most? Mr. Kashar: Waste Management does try to improve in every single area that we can. There is always room for improvement when you are a large company. I think that WM is especially focused on Environmental Awareness, letting people know the “good” stuff that we are doing, the ways that we produce electricity from garbage. We are really trying to reach out to the public nowadays. Ercan: Since recycling plastic bags is very difficult, how does Waste Management recycle them? Mr. Kashar: In Broward, all the plastics bags are sent to a Waste to Energy facility to be burned for energy. Ercan: What materials are not burned? Mr. Kashar: Everything that goes into the recycle bin gets recycled and is not
Did You Know...
burned for energy in Broward. Ercan: Are there any new landfills being built in the area? Mr. Kashar: There are very few landfills that are being built nowadays. WM usually updates their old landfills. In the future, when we are building a new landfill, it would have been planned 30-50 years in the past. Ercan: Would you recommend your job to other people? Mr. Kashar: I love the whole teaching aspect of my job, and I like to educate people on the environmental side of things. So, the answer to your question is, yes, my job is very fulfilling. I get to educate people that garbage has a “secret life” that not many people know about and that it’s actually part of our daily lives. Now that I have had a glimpse at the “secret” life of garbage, I will never see garbage the same way again. I now respect it and appreciate our garbage service a whole lot more than I did a month ago. Initially, I wrote this article because of my curiosity to see what happened to our garbage every week. However, I ended up learning so much more than that. One of the things that I have learned is the many important ways that Waste Management produces energy. As you now know, Waste Management produces electricity from burning our everyday household garbage. We all are affected by this whether we know of it or not. In Broward County, 20% of our electricity comes from garbage! This not only affects us but also our future generations as well. Imagine, if Waste Management could build many more of these excellent facilities, we would be able to reduce our garbage by a great deal! Currently, in some of their landfills, such as the one in Pompano Beach, Waste Management extracts methane for use as an alternative energy fuel. The methane is produced from organic waste when it decomposes. Vertical pipes are sunk deep into the landfill, and vacuums suck the methane out of the ground. The methane is then used to produce electricity or is sold to industrial customers for use as alternative fuel. However, Waste Management is very careful with the methane that they extract from the landfill. If the methane were to leak, it could possibly explode and create a “mini” bomb. That is why Waste Management constantly monitors the landfill twenty-four hours a day. They cannot afford to make any mistakes. As I bring this article to an end, I would like to point out that we should all make great strides in taking care of our planet and its environment. We are all responsible to what happens to it, and we must take care of this land so future generations will be able to use it. Waste Management is doing their best to minimize the impact on the environment that garbage has and are always setting new goals to achieve every day. Hopefully, one day, we can reduce our garbage to nothing! Mr. Shiraz Kashar has been in this industry for 8 years. He started as an intern, teaching students how to recycle and doing presentations and organizing events at Broward County schools. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Mr. Shiraz Kashar for allowing me to interview him and for providing me with the opportunity to learn so much. In my opinion, most people take garbage for granted; I certainly did. Now I have learned to appreciate our garbage services, no matter how big or small. Also, I would like to thank my parents for helping me a great deal with all of the research needed to make this article and for accompanying me to the interview with Mr. Kashar.
… that Waste Management is the largest garbage company, as well as recycling company, in North America?
NOVEMBER 2010
THE CIRCLE GAZETTE
“Doe” The Brown Fairy! by Daniela Gómez, Age 10 Margate, FL
Name: Doe Age: 82 Color: Brown Size: 2 ½ in. Hobbies: racing deer, playing with wildlife and baking. Least favorite thing to do: dressing up with makeup and fancy dresses Favorite Animal: Deer (not because of her name) Favorite bird: Mallard ducks Favorite Insect: Mosquitoes Favorite season: Autumn Animal Friend: Mrs. Amelia Lizzie Mallard (Mallard Duck) Home: Her animal friend’s nest Favorite Flower: Orange Blossom
by Shadya Amodu, Age 10 Deerfield Beach, FL
Hello there! My name is Larry the Lion. I just moved into a new forest, and I don’t have any friends. But I wonder how do I make new friends? Today, I was taking a walk. Suddenly, I got an excellent idea. I raced to the market. The monkey at the market told me his name was Marcus the Monkey, and then he asked, “What do you want?” (He must have been annoyed because he didn’t sound friendly). Then I held out a
(they can be a pretty brown in FairyLand) Favorite Accessory: Her Bees nest bracelet clasp and her Duck-in-apond leaf-woven belt. “Morning, Mrs. Amelia” Doe rubbed sleep out of her woodenbrown eyes and stared outside her bedroom window “Good morning Doe” Mrs. Amelia Lizzie Mallard was Doe’s animal companion and the largest animal residing in Pixie Place, the fairy neighborhood in which she and all her friends: Magma (the Red Fairy), Tepuy (the Green Fairy), Wasp (the Black Fairy) and Dawn (the White Fairy) lived. That is, all except for Jay (the Blue Fairy), who lived in the outskirts of this town with her dragonfly friend. Doe was going deer racing with her friends in Oak Meadow Fairy Park and the animals were having
dollar and said “I WANT A FRIEND!” Then Marcus stared at me as though I was crazy and he was going bananas. Suddenly I realized I was being too cheap. I shuffled in my wallet for a while. Finally I found a fifty dollar bill. “Here you go.” I said. He opened his mouth, wide. I bet an elephant could have fit inside (no offense - Ella the Elephant). He still gazed at me. I stared at him too. (I wonder how he felt being stared at. I felt nervous.) “Oh my friend, you are right again. That is too ex-
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a play date. Doe slipped out from under Mrs. Amelia’s wing. She slept with her, and her other rooms (kitchen, bathrooms, etc.) were under the bedding. Doe had used magic to build her house there. She walked to her wardrobe that hung in midair. Her wand and her Pixie Dust Pouch hung on a string at the bottom. Doe grabbed her wand and tapped each of her drooping transparent wings three times. As soon as she was done tapping, her wings over-flooded with maple-brown and fluttered to life. Fairy wings come to life when tapped like that, a procedure which is called giving Pixie Dust through the wand to a fairy’s wings. She flew up to find her racing outfit: tight leggings, a longsleeve, tight-fit shirt and a Sugar Maple leaf bandanna. She packed a few brown umbrellas just in case it rained. Then she went for breakfast. Doe’s kitchen was right under the right-hand window and was a half a foot long and a quarter foot wide and it had a five inch tall refrigerator, a dishwasher, an old-fashioned baking oven and a stove; not to mention the cupboards. Breakfast consisted of a hibiscus-and-pumpkin bread and water for a drink. She grabbed her pixie Dust Pouch and gripped her wand tightly and then she set off to make a lunch of pumpkin cream soup and for dessert a pumpkin pie! She grabbed her maple-brown backpack and stuffed the picnic lunch inside. She added a rose nectar flavored energy drink for the race. She flew up to the bedroom and floated in midair next to Mrs. Amelia’s face “Let’s go Mrs. Mallard!” and both hopped out into the morning sun. Doe met her friends at the entrance of the park. They all had backpacks or baskets of provisions; everyone had been expected to bring a small lunch and a small dessert of their choice. Magma had brought tuna salad sandwiches and a small red rose cake. She had taken the recipe for tuna salad sandwiches from a human and had gone to one of those “Publix” stores and bought the ingredients with a stack of valuable rubies, instead of those “dollars.” She had left her payment on the counter with a note! Dawn had made white sauce pasta and an
“Arctic Bread” that had all kinds of white and sweet surprises inside. Jay’s food was lasagna with a special blue touch and she had brought a Hibiscuit pie. Tepuy, who was the only fairy in this group who came from out of the country - she came fromVenezuela - had prepared a Venezuelan style lunch: a soup (sopa) and a cake called ‘tres-leches.’ Finally, Wasp had brought the fruits and drinks (she didn’t cook much). The deer emerged from the woods and the race began. Wasp won Tepuy by a hair, followed by Doe and Jay, Dawn and finally Magma (who didn’t seem to care that she was last). They celebrated with the large picnic lunch. Doe sipped Tepuy’s soup and gasped. “How did you make that?” she questioned with an impressed look on her face. “It’s really easy” Tepuy said simply. “Try the cake” –she added. Doe didn’t hesitate. “Wow!” she exclaimed “That’s delicious!” Jay pulled a large box out of the air. “This is for the win-
ner!” she announced and drew a blue, green, black, white, red and brown trophy out of the bag and gave it to Wasp. “Thank you so much!” she said. “This is for Tepuy” Magma said and she pulled a glass globe with a Venezuelan landscape “Oh!” she gasped “How did you know I lived there?” “I didn’t” Magma said, obviously pleased. Wasp grabbed a box out of her bag and said to Doe “Here, this is for you, Deer-racer” and gave her a bee’s nest bracelet clasp. Doe wasn’t much about bracelets and jewelry, but this clasp was so simple and beautiful that she liked it, loved it! Doe gave Magma a rosebush sculpture and Tepuy gave Dawn a cloud and lightning dress. To end the celebration, Dawn gave Jay a Blue Jay painting. At the end of the day Mrs. Amelia and Doe went home happily and that was the end of that exciting day!
pensive. Just tell…” He rudely interrupted. “WE DON’T SELL FRIENDS!!!!!!” I blinked, I gasped, I shouted, I screamed, I cried, I whimpered, I yelled, I frowned, I paced, I thought, then I fainted and got up. Finally I shouted “What kind of silly store is this? Not to sell friends! I WILL NEVER SHOP HERE AGAIN!” Then I ran as fast as I could and as far as I could. BOOM!! I crashed into something. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH-
HHH! A tiger! A lion! A tigerlion or a liontiger!” We shouted. “Will you eat me?” it asked. I thought for a moment: I’ve never heard of a lion eating a tiger. Maybe I should ask it if it was going to eat me. I’m such a genius. “No I’m not.” It said, when I asked. “I’m not either.” I proclaimed. “I‘m Teresa the Tiger,” she said. “I want to be your friend. I can show you around. Oh, be careful with the monkeys, they are absolutely, positively CRAZY!”
As she said that I thought of Marcus, the rudest monkey. At least now I know how to make friends! Just bump into animals you don’t know. But NEVER make friends with a crazy monkey.
“Doe.” Watercolor pencils on canvas by Daniela Gómez.
Author’s note The true way to make a friend is to socialize, you will bump into friends, be nice and the relationship will blossom into friendship. I love socializing (I think I got that from my mom). Remember you can always make a friend where ever you go.
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NOVEMBER 2010
“Rainbow Dragon” by Ellie Gómez, Age 4. Margate, FL. Soft pastels on paper. Inspired on the story of St. George and the Dragon.
“Big Storm on Lake Superior” by Ellie Gómez, Age 4. Margate, FL. Watercolor pencils on paper. Inpired by the book “Paddle to the Sea” by Holling Clancy Holling.
“Girl whale with backpack going to school in her ocean” by Emily Greenfield, Age 4. Coconut Creek, FL Wax crayons on paper.
“Fine Lady” Portrait by Emma Gómez, Age 7. Margate, FL. Pencil on paper.
“Angel: My mommy with wings” by Emily Greenfield, Age 4. Coconut Creek, FL. Wax crayons on paper.
“Pile of Dump” by Gillian DeZinna, Age 11. Margate, FL. Pencil and color pencils on paper.