County capsules RECYCLING CHANGES: Two changes are being made to the recycling program at the Portage County Material Recovery Facility (MRF). Effective Feb. 1, pale blue No. 1 plastic bottles will be accepted for recycling and won't be accepted in the Portage County landfill. Currently clear and green No. 1 plastic bottles are required to be recycled, the pale blue-tinted bottles, commonly used for water, have not been accepted. The change only applies to pale blue-tinted No. 1 plastic bottles. The program will continue to not accept any "nonbottle" No. 1 plastics or No. 1 plastic bottles that are any color other than clear, green or pale blue. Prior to the Feb. 1 effective date, pale blue No. 1 plastic bottles may be placed with either the recyclables or trash. The county will also no longer require that paper labels on steel food cans be removed for recycling. The MRF continues to stress that all cans and bottles are rinsed well, and all caps or covers are removed and discarded. For more information, call Portage County's Recycling and Solid Waste Hotline at 345-5972. * * * SUPERVISORS SEEK RE-ELECTION: Incumbent County Board supervisors Bob Woehr, District 1, Bill Zimdars, District 3, and James Zdroik, District 23, have recently announced their re-election bids for the April election. Greg Chelcun has announced his bid for the District 29 seat now held by Supervisor Clarence Hintz, the County Board chairman. Hintz had earlier announced his re-election bid. Supervisor Carole Holmes, District 8, has filed a notification of noncandidacy and has resigned effective Tuesday, Dec. 18. Holmes is relocating to Ballston Spa, N.Y. * * * UNITED WAY GRANTED FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY AID: United Way of Portage County has been awarded $37,525 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Emergency Food and Shelter Program for 2002. Local emergency aid agencies may apply for these funds by Jan. 11, 2001. Funds are used for direct emergency aid, which is distributed through local agencies in Portage County. Food, emergency shelter, rent and utility bill aid are provided through agencies such as Operation Bootstrap, the Salvation Army, Portage County Health and Human Services, American Red Cross, CAP Services, Energy Services of Portage County and Catholic Charities. Any nonprofit or governmental organization with demonstrated ability to deliver emergency food or shelter aid to those in need is eligible to apply for funds. Applications are available by contacting United Way of Portage County by phone (341-6740) or e-mail: uway@unitedway <mailto:uway@unitedway>poco.org. Completed applications must be submitted to the United Way office, 1100 CenterPoint Drive, Suite 301, Stevens Point, WI 54481. * * * CITY TREASURER'S OFFICE OPEN SATURDAY: The Stevens Point Treasurer's Office in the County-City Building will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 29, for those who would like to pay their real estate taxes before Dec. 31. The Strongs Avenue entrance to the building will be open but the others will be closed. The tax payment must be in the office on or before Dec. 31 to be receipted in the year 2001. As Dec. 31 is not an actual tax payment date, postmarks are not accepted for payment in the year 2001. Payment options for taxes include mail, walk-in, automatic electronic withdrawal, night depository on the Strongs Avenue side of the County-City Building or credit card. The recent city newsletter and the city's Web site at ci.stevens-point.wi.us have more details.