Page 8
University Daily Kansan, April 26, 1983
Garbage provides food for scavengers
By GRETCHEN DAY Staff Reporter
Inside Food Barn, 1900 W. 23rd St., shoppers pushed overflowing shopping carts down the aisles, stopping to compare prices of name brand and generic products.
Outside the store in the side alley, two scavengers looking for even better bargains sifted through cardboard boxes, wilting lettuce leaves and smashed mayonnaise jars in the trash dumpsters.
Total bill inside — $38.72.
Outside — one bag of apples less one rotten apple, four unlabeled cans of food, two potatoes, one orange, one grapefruit, a green pepper, one jar of vegetable oil, a carton of strawberries minus a few grapes and a handful of pretzels that had been slashed open, apparently because the expiration date had arrived.
"THEY LOOK OK to me," the more experienced scavenger said, munching on a pretzel. "I'm having a party this weekend so what the hell."
Down the street at Food 4 Less, 2525 Iowa St. the scavengers found eight heads of slightly brown broccoli, some brushed cucumbers and a box labeled "lost and found" that was stuffed with hats, gloves, a pad of paper, a bottle of Grecian Formula and a box of leaf tobacco.
"It wasn't a particularly lucrative day," said the scavengers.
The persons, the places and the results of the search are real. But the scavenger who was interviewed, a 28-year-old man with a law degree from the University of Kansas, asked not to be identified because he didn't want to draw attention to himself and to his activities.
LIKE OTHER LAWRENCE scavengers, he occasionally sifts through trash dumpsters behind local grocery
stores to look for food that has been discarded.
He said, "You can go out to Food Barn or Food Less and find food that
He said he was motivated to pick through trash dumpsters for several reasons.
Part of the reason is because of the waste of good food, he said.
"It really kind of irks me," he said.
"There are literally hundreds of people who cann't afford food and yet food gets thrown away."
A survey of some local grocery stores revealed that products that did not meet standards were usually sold for a reduced price or thrown away.
Leroy Beers, assistant manager of Food Barn, said that food that could not be sold at full price was marked down by 25%. This would be thrown away for various reasons.
PRODUCTS SUCH AS rice or cereal that have been exposed are discarded, Beers said. Dairy products that are bad or punctured or produce that is not up to quality will also be thrown away. Under state regulations, dairy products cannot be marked down or sold after the date of expiration.
He said that certain products whose expirations dates had expired could be marked down if nothing was really wrong with the food.
Beers said produce that was not of good quality would be sold for half price or thrown away. An apple with a bad berry would be considered of poor quality.
Expensive seasonal produce, such as cauliflower, will be marked down or tossed if the head is too small. Beers said, because customers will not buy it.
"If we wouldn't buy it. " Beers said, "we wouldn't expect people to buy it."
THE SCAVENGER said most of what he found was only cosmetically damaged produce.
It tastes the same, he said, but it's not quite aesthetically right.
"Grocery stores go very much on image," he said. "They spend time, money and chemicals to keep food fresh." He added that buying food that looks that way.
He said he once found a couple dozen gallons of milk that had expired that day. He took about eight gallons, most of which he gave to friends. What he kept for himself was good until he finished it a week later, he said.
Jack Leckerman, manager of Food 4 Less, said food that could not be sold was sent back to the supplier who decided what should be done with it.
He said produce of inferior quality coming into the store was immediately returned to the supplier. Produce that deteriorated later was discarded.
BAKERY ITEMS, LEATHERMAN said, are discarded when they are a day old.
Beers said that at Food Barn, day-old bread was marked down to half price.
The scavenger said that he didn't need to look for food in garbage, but that he did so only to supplement his food supply.
"When I don't have a lot of money, I go out more," he said.
Some people in Lawrence rummage in grocery trash bins more because of necessity than he does, the scavenger said, and they do it more often.
The Rev. Richard Johnson, chairman of the finance committee of the Emergency Service Council, said that organization tried to help transients and people who couldn't afford to buy food.
He said that every month a different Lawrence church was responsible for the council's food pantry, which was supplied by donations of food and money.
Leatherman said that a year or more ago his store had made arrangements with the organizations to donate food that couldn't be sold. They came to pick up food regularly for a week or two but badhn't returned since then, he said.
THE FOOD PANTRY distributes food to Penn House, 1035 Pennsylvania St.; Ballard Community Center, 708 Elm St.; and the Salvation Army, 946
New Hampshire St., he said. Those centers provide food and assistance to those who seek help.
Beers said they donated food to organizations if they had a large enough amount, for instance, 20 or 30 leaves of bread ordered by mistake.
He said they wouldn't bother to call an organization if only eight or ten loaves would have to be tossed.
Winne Dillon, assistant manager of Kroger Super Store, 23rd Street and Naismith Drive, her store also donated food to the Salvation Army or to Penn House if the quantity was large enough.
EUNICE BEERS, A case worker at the Salvation Army, said that if the food was edible, they could always use donated food. Food from Kim and Kroetter donated food.
"Kroger is our best source," she said.
"The give us a lot of bread."
Both Beers and Leatherman admitted that scavengers frequented trash creepers.
Leatherman said, "If food is of no use to us, for all practical purposes it's not ours. So if someone can use it that's fine."
Beers said they had tried to discourage scavengers, but they just kept coming back. Sometimes the store damages the products it throws away so people can't bring the food back claiming they had bought it and request a refund, he said.
A LAWRENCE CITY ordinance prohibits unauthorized people to remove the contents of any refuse receptacle. Sgt. Don Dalquest of the Lawrence Police Department said it would be entrusted only if a complaint
treated with insecticide to keep rodents and insects away and her store's policy was to spray refuse although, it hadn't been done in a long time.
A sign posted on Kroger dumpsters warns that refuse has been sprayed with insecticide and is unfit for consumption.
said, "I think it's very upsetting.
Animals can't read signs."
SUSAN NUGENT of the attorney general's office in Topeka said that if a person were to become sick from eating trashed food, the store's liability could be argued either way depending upon the factual circumstances.
"But my most common sense answer would be, 'the said, 'a store not be liable.'
"I don't think it's fair to place the burden on stores to lock up garbage so someone won't become sick. It's no worse than the trash in someone's front yard."
Dick Hack, director of Environmental Health in Douglas County, said he didn't see any way a store could be placed in an authorized dumpster.
Dillon said trash dumpsters were
THE SCAVENGER said he had never become sick from food he had rescued from trash dumpsters nor had he ever been harassed.
If food is in a dumpster it's trash and it's inedible, he said, and people eat it at their own risk.
He said that once a boy from the stock room asked him what he was doing, but the employee turned around and left after he said he was just checking out what was inside the dumpsters.
Looking over the morning's spoils, he said he also scavenged because of an antisocial streak. He said that he liked to do things that were socially unacceptable, and that trashing was about as unacceptable as anything.
He said that rescuing good food from traps with a political statement in proximity is impossible.
Hawkstock price falls; Jett pulls out
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts may love rock 'n' roll, but they don't love Lawrence — at least, not enough to play here for the 2,000 people who bought tickets to Hawkstock 1983.
Jett pulled out of the show Tuesday, said the new concert promoter, Doug Kwikkel of Miller Theatre not enough tickets had been sold.
Since Tuesday, the musicians, the cost of tickets and the concert promoter all have changed, but there will still be a concert. It is scheduled for $\downarrow$ p.m. May 1 in Memorial Stadium.
Miller Brewing took over the concert promotion when New West and Contemporary Productions withdrew its support late last week.
Modern English and Starling Shar
also have pulled out of the concert.
The remaining groups are Harey
and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
TICKET PRICES have been reduced to $3 in advance and $4 the day of the show, Kwiksel said, and beer will still be available with proper identification. The old ticket price is the advance and $15 the day of the show.
Refunds for the Jett show are available at the place of purchase, which includes Omni Electronics, 540 Fireside Court, and Dial-a-Tic in Kansas City, Mo. New tickets are available at residence halls, fraternities, sororities and at the Student Union Activities box office.
Mark McKeen, concert coordinator, said the proceeds from the show would be donated to Hilltop Child Development Center, which lost its Student Senate funding for next year.
The handheld computer that can handle the Space Shuttle.
In the emergency, the HP-14 handheld computer can help land the Space Shuttle. Without the help of Mission Control. You may find that it can save your life on any given business day, too. So come in to-day and get the feel of it the same way NASA did Over the counter.
The HP-41
HEWLETT PACKARD
HP-41C
HP-41CV
195.00
275.00
SALE
159.95
229.95
REG.
Sale ends May 20, 1983
ALSO: Free software from Sun to Packard with email address e/40/83/08
- You cannot receive your converter deposit refund until all equipment is returned.
- Do not assume that friends or apartment managers will return equipment for you.
644 New Hampshire/841-2100
sunflower cablevision 444 New Homeshire/841-2100
Details at:
kansas
burge union
union bookstores
You will be billed for all monthly charges until the equipment is returned.
- You are responsible for returning the equipment to Sunflower Cablevision.
senior farewell to bars week
TUESDAY, APRIL 26
SPONSORED BY BOCO
WAGON WHEEL
- 25c Ernie Draws 8 p.m.-12 p.m.
• $2 cover, '83 class card holders FREE
CHEVY'S BAR AND GRILL
11:30 p.m.-3 a.m.
• $1 drinks for class card holders
ATTENTION CABLE SUBSCRIBERS
- $1 drinks for class card holders
If You Are Leaving Lawrence, for the summer or forever, remember to notify Sunflower Cablevision of your disconnect date at least one week in advance.
main union
If you have a converter or decoder:
THURSDAY, APRIL 28
KU NIGHT AT WESTPORT
LONE STAR 5:30 p.m.-?
• 65c draws and $1 highballs
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27
MAD HATTER
* special drink/draw prices
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
JOHNY'S 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
* $2 pitchers. tomato juice FREE
GAMMONS 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
- $2 pitchers . . . tomato juice FREE
- FREE BEAR
- $2 cover for non class card holders
- $1 cover for '83 class card holders
- FREE BEER
MOONLIGHT MADNESS SALE
Moon
—Tonight Only 7-10 P.M.—
MEN
Some Say We're Just Plain Crazy For Selling These Great Spring Items At Such Low-Low Prices
Short & Long Sleeve Cotton — Reg. $22 to $28
- Madras Shirts...
Reg. $22 to $28
Elevate Shirts
All Cotton Spring Reg. $25 to $32
Reg. $25 to $32
• Knit Shirts $1788
Spring
• Cotton Sweaters...40% off
Solids & Stripes
- Oxford Press... $28**88**
- Table $1588
A Shirts
- Shirts... $1588 each
- Long & Short Sleeve
- Shirts ... each
New For Spring - Values to $12
NOW
- Cotton Sweaters... 40% off
。
V