Print shop paper gets second life at schools

Lee Gaylord runs a project that epitomizes the green movement. A printer by trade, she recognizes that tons of paper are thrown away each day or recycled.

“Recycling is a good thing,” she said, “but currently recyclers are charging printers to pick up their waste stock. It occurred to me that much of that waste paper is premium, clean and reusable. It’s ideal for arts and crafts projects, if we could just get it into teachers’ hands.”

So she started an organization to do just that. She calls her paper reclamation project the Kiddies’ Box.

The organization has a board of directors consisting of Janet Torline, who is involved in arts and the environment; Dorothy Ley, a retired Post Falls High School special education teacher; Kathy Kuntz, a retired elementary school principal; and Lori Fitch, a friend of Gaylord’s who works in the printing trade.

A former owner of Action Printers, Gaylord worked as a production coordinator for area printers from 2003 until August of this year. Through her work, she developed a relationship with many of the print shops in the area.

“When I talked with them about my idea, many agreed to save their waste paper for the Kiddies’ Box,” she said.

Between June and mid-August, she and her helpers collected, cut, sorted and boxed more than 4,000 pounds of paper for area schools. Much of it is odd sized, derived from trimmings of posters, displays, cards and boxes. Each school got 225 to 250 pounds in a wide variety of colors, weights, textures and sizes.

Spokane Public Schools plans to send a truck to pick up its paper. Other deliveries are accomplished through the use of Gaylord’s friends’ donated trucks.

Gaylord plans to deliver to schools in Coeur d’Alene, Fernan, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Hayden, plus Head Start programs in North Idaho and a Summer-Plus program offered by the Coeur d’Alene School District.

“And, if we get enough paper, I’d like to provide it to church schools, home-schoolers and day care centers,” she said.

Crown Media & Printing in Post Falls is providing warehouse space and a classroom to the Kiddies’ Box, the latter to be used for a fundraising project.

It will cost at least $2,000 to obtain federal tax-exempt status from the IRS. To raise that money, she and a friend, Lynne Martin, are offering four-hour workshops to groups, teaching how to craft “colorful and creative holiday gift tags. We will provide the crafters with everything needed to introduce them to a fantastic new hobby,” Gaylord said.

Carl Gidlund

Valley plowing plan set

The last major piece of a new Spokane Valley snowplowing operation slipped into place Tuesday night with a unanimous City Council vote.

A plan to pay for that and other general fund services with a higher tax levy also passed, but without Councilman Gary Schimmels’ support.

Schimmels stood by his assertion last week that the council should draw on its reserves rather than declare a “substantial need” to collect more property tax than ordinarily would be allowed.

Council members were more enthusiastic about a contract that ensures city streets will be plowed this winter despite Spokane County’s decision to quit providing that service.

Poe Asphalt Paving, which already handles the city’s summer street maintenance, will provide nine drivers, a combination mechanic and driver, three road graders, a front-end loader and liquid de-icer for $920,000.

Public Works Director Neil Kersten said two city employees will be reassigned as drivers, and additional Poe drivers will be available if the city pays them for two hours a day while they’re on standby.

The city already has leased a maintenance yard and purchased six used plow-sander trucks – two of which will be converted to apply liquid de-icer.

John Craig