Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2018
SECTION TWO
23
Two theories on the old saying to renege on a bet Do you “welsh” or “welch” on a bet, and what’s the origin? queries John Tudall. Actually, either word is correct — welch being merely an older spelling of a person from the country of Wales. As for the gambling connotation, some sources refer to the old nursery rhyme, “Taffy was a Welchman, Taffy was a thief.” Welsh sources, however, swear that the original “welshers” were English bookies who took refuge in the uninhabited wilds of Wales to avoid
ProfessorKnowIt-All Bill Bentley
paying off. Take your pick. • • • Why has high society always been known as “The 400”? queries Robin Staley. This numerical appellation was coined in 1889 by society
nothing to do with the celebrated novelist. Here, “dickens” is a corruption of the medieval “nickens” which referred to the devil and his merciless ways. You see, in England, the Evil One’s ancient “nick” name is “Old Nick” (from the German nickel, goblin, and not to be confused with Santa Claus or “Saint Nick”) and derives from the devil’s storied practice of “nicking” or snatching unrepentant sinners into the Infernal Regions. • • •
reporter Ward McAllister, who opined that only 400 people truly qualified as New York society. He got the amount from the number of society stiffs that the ballroom at Mrs. Astor’s 5th Avenue town house was designed to accommodate, there being only that number worthy of an invitation. • • • When we give someone a scolding, we give them “the dickens.” Why? ponders Jane Stratton. Actually, this phrase has
Why is a white flag used to surrender? asks Sean Thornton. The color white has always denoted innocence or lack of evil intent just as the color black means the opposite. It was only natural then, to use the white flag as a signal of truce and/or surrender. Professor Know-It-All is the nom de plume of Bill Bentley, who invites readers to try and stump him. Send your questions to willbent@prodigy.net.
Pilot waste management program compacts trash and networks data
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(Continued from page 22) stations, and Spanish speakers are especially needed. Make flower vases for Alexandria House, a transitional home for women and children, at Big Sunday headquarters, 6111 Melrose Ave., Mon., May 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Prep & Pack Meals for Sick Clients with Project Angel Food, 922 Vine St., May 14, 8
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ECUBE and Councilman Ryu bring a “smart” solar powered-trash bin to the Miracle Mile, at 5757 Wilshire Blvd., and elsewhere.
for Boston-based Big Belly. The 15-year-old company has smart bin installations throughout California and Los Angeles, she added. Big Belly units’ censors communicate via the Cloud, she explained. “We have a patented technology that can run in any location whether it’s cloudy or in rain.” CleanCap-type sensors hailed by the competition are unreliable, she added.
We’re improving the technology that does exist,” said Oh. What makes Ecube “leaps and bounds ahead of the competition” is customer service, he added. “We don’t just drop off trash bins and leave.” Similar smart bins by Big Belly have been on Larchmont Blvd. for about four years. There are 13 conjoined recycling and trash stations on Larchmont Blvd., explained Leila Dillon, a spokesperson
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In addition, 100 CleanCap sensors have been placed on regular trash bins in this and other council districts. The city Sanitation Dept. is responsible for monitoring and caring for the bins and picking up the trash. “We help navigate the data center,” said James Oh, project manager for the Los Angeles office of Ecube. Among other things, the data center keeps track of the “assets” and their placement. “We’re not a new technology. a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to join fun-loving staff members as they mix, bake, and package healthy meals. You don’t need to know how to cook— the chefs will guide you. Cook & Serve Breakfast at Ronald McDonald House, 1250 Lyman Place, on Wed., May 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. Put your culinary skills to good use at RMH. Still can’t decide? Check the website for a full roster of events, and sign up at bigsunday.org.
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Another critical component of Big Belly, she added, is that the compactor is sealed off from the public. While Ecube claims to be cheaper, Dillon said that was only during the pilot phase. Either way, both Big Belly and Ecube, headquartered in South Korea, are vying for the city’s waste management business. “At the end of the day, L.A. will become a smart city,” said Oh.
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By Suzan Filipek Who knew trash bins could be so smart? A free pilot program in our council district includes five very smart solarpowered Ecube Lab trash bins, including one in Miracle Mile. Besides being powered by the sun and a battery back-up, the bins compact trash, giving each bin six to eight times the capacity of an old-school trash container. The 120-liter, or 32-gallon, bins are equipped with sensors that “communicate” fill level and battery capacity wirelessly in real time to the city Sanitation Dept. “This allows the city to know the status of bins across the city from one place, making pickups much more efficient,” said Mark Pampanin, communications deputy for Councilman David Ryu. Long a proponent of cleaner streets, Councilman Ryu inaugurated the program last month. The Ecube at 5757 Wilshire Blvd. in Miracle Mile is one of five placed in Council District Four.
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