Dr. Know: Christmas Tree Composting

Can I dump my Christmas tree into the compost bin?

Dr. Know Now that we’ve got weekly compost/yard debris pickup, I figure I should be able to dump my 100 percent-organic Christmas tree into the compost bin and not get charged for tree disposal. Can I?&n   More

 

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Renter’s Burden

Don’t renters pay property tax (indirectly) through rent?

Dr. Know In your column on 911 services [“Dr. Know,” WW, Dec. 14, 2011], you say renters don’t pay property taxes. I’m sure you realize those taxes are passed on to renters in the form of rent. Tho   More

 

Wednesday, December 28, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Foam for the Holidays

Any way to get rid of all that Christmas-morning packaging?

Dr. Know So far, biweekly trash pick-up is working for me. But the holidays are coming, and I’m pretty sure the Styrofoam from an Xbox would fill my whole trash bin. Is there any way to get rid of all th   More

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: 911-a-holics?

How much do the rest of us pay for chronic 911 callers?

Dr. Know My building gets eight to 10 emergency visits from Portland Fire & Rescue each week, usually for the same three or four residents. How much do the rest of us pay for that care? Do 911 caller   More

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Contrail-ian

How the hell can people miss chemtrails?

Dr. Know On a sunny day, look up and you may see a contrail, which is a normal vapor trail that dissipates as quickly as a jet passes. Then there are chemtrails, which hang up there all day and spread ou   More

 

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: LED Astray?

Will my incandescent Christmas lights destroy the planet?

Dr. Know Like a good Portlander, I’ve replaced my old, power-sucking incandescent bulbs with modern CFLs. My Christmas lights, however, are still incandescent. Do I care? How hard am I raping the plane   More

 

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Dark, Scary Attic

What the hell goes on in Pioneer Courthouse?

Dr. Know If Pioneer Courthouse Square is “Portland’s living room,” the old Pioneer Courthouse itself seems more like the dark, scary attic that no one ever goes into. It’s a striking building, but what   More

 

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Hot Cross Button Question

Why are there so many “Push to Cross” buttons at intersections in Portland?

Dr. Know Why are there so many “Push to Cross” buttons at intersections in Portland, instead of having the signal automatically change to “Walk”?
   More

 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Hollywood-Friendly Bargains

Does the City of Portland receive remuneration from NBC for shooting Grimm here?

Dr. Know Shooting for the new NBC [TV] series Grimm seems to be everywhere I turn. Does the City of Portland receive remuneration
   More

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 MARTY SMITH

Dr. Know: Bulbs Everlasting?

Dr. Know Why don’t incandescent light bulbs last forever? —Tom P. Don’t hang on, Tom—nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky. Still, I suspect you want me to put down the bong and answer your que   More

 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011 MARTY SMITH