News Digest News Digest (September 24, 2004)

Help diabetes

Hart Middle School sixth-grader Hannah Francis will host a fundraiser at Sweet Tomatoes, 4501 Hopyard Road, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30. Twenty percent of all meals purchased with a coupon will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. To get a coupon or for more information, contact Zoe Francis at zoe@zoefrancis.com or 461-1170.

Hannah, who has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 5 years old, also will take part in the Walk to Cure Diabetes on Oct. 3 in Walnut Creek. Donations may be sent to Hannah at 8370 Regency Drive, Pleasanton 94588 or made online at www.walk.jdrf.org. People also may register to join Hannah's walk team, Hannah's Hikers, at the same Web site. Spare the Air

BART reported increases of nearly 16,000 additional riders on Sept. 7 and nearly 24,000 more riders on Sept. 8, during the first weekday Spare the Air days this summer. The program, which offers free ride on BART, is sponsored by BART, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation District.

Three more free BART morning commutes may be offered if the Air District declares Spare the Air days on weekdays before the program ends Oct. 15.

When Sept. 7-8 were declared Spare the Air days, residents responded by changing their behavior to reduce air pollution, reported the Air District.

Survey results showed that out of 5 million drivers in the Bay Area, about 360,000 reduced their driving trips in some way, usually by combining or eliminating them. It also showed that 13 percent chose not to use gas-powered garden equipment, and 4.2 didn't use household cleaners and aerosol hairspray.

"After a six-day period in early September when temperatures repeatedly topped 100 degrees in some areas, while we did exceed the more stringent California standards one day, our data shows the Bay Area still has not exceeded the federal ozone standards in 2004," said Jack Broadbent, Air District executive officer.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.