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THE

CRYSTAL
HOTEL & BALLROOM
14th and W Burnside .

mcmenamins music
M
c

c o

836 N RUSSELL PORTLAND, OR (503) 282-6810

CRYSTAL BALLROOM
mcmenamins and abstract earth present

1624 N.W. Glisan Portland 503-223-4527


aladdIn theater & monquI present

Mission TheaTer

The historic

fri nov 11 all ages

80s VIDEO DANCE ATTACK


9 PM $5 21+OVER
WITH VJ KITTYROX

Keys N Krates tyler tastemaKer


fri nov 18 all ages

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 LOLAS ROOM

LUCINDA WILLIAMS
blake Mills

thur nov 17 all ages

Live sTage & big screen!


wednesday, november 9

Saturday, November 12 Sunday, November 13

left coast country


free
5:30 p.m. is eagle time free

Miz Kittys Parlour Fleur de Lethal Cinematheque and houseofsound.org: Straight To Hell (1987) Crafty Underdog

thursday, november 10

the sale
free

gabby holt
frIday, november 11
5:30 p.m. is eagle time free

Sunday, November 13 & December 18 Tuesday, November 15

reverb brothers
9 p.m.

BLIND PILOT

McMenamins and Monqui present


sat dec 31 21 & over

w/ NEW YEARS EVE

radIo gIants the snapperheads


saturday, november 12
4:30 p.m. is eagle time free

OMSI Science Pub: Blue Revolution: A Water Ethic for America PDX Jazz presents: Saxophonist Miguel Zenn and Quartet History Talk: Politics and Crime in Portland: Drug Enforcement in the 1980s

Wednesday, November 16

the student loan

Monday, November 21

wInebIrds some kInd of safarI bIrger olsen

Friday, November 25

wed nov 23 all ages


11/10

Point Juncture, WA

SUPERSUCKERS The Suicide Notes

open mIc/sInger songwrIter showcase


featuring portlands finest talent 6:30 p.m. sign-up; 7 p.m. music free

sunday, november 13

Opera vs. Cinema: The Black Pirate vs. The Flying Dutchman Pert Near Sandstone Left Coast Country Santacon Pub Crawl Talkdemonic

Saturday, December 3

they might Be giants 11/12 Blitzen trapper 11/12 jai hO!-lolas 11/15 the Civil wars 11/25 stOne in lOve-lolas 12/5 d2r: yOung the giant 12/6 d2r: fOster the peOple 12/7 d2r: awOlnatiOn 12/8 d2r: death CaB fOr Cutie 12/9 d2r: pOrtugal the man 12/10 d2r: the jOy fOrmidaBle/grOuplOve 12/12 OCOte sOul sOunds-lolas 12/16 dinOsaur jr/sCratCh aCid 1/28 mOe. 2/17 Big head tOdd and the mOnsters 2/24 pdx jazz festival: Bill frisell 2/25 pdx jazz festival: vijay iyer, prasanna & nitin mitta (3 pm) 2/25 pdx jazz festival: Charlie hunter (9:30 pm) 3/2 & 3 railrOad earth 3/22 kaiser Chiefs

monday, november 14

jack ruby presents johnheartjackIe vIolet Isle


free

Saturday, December 17 Saturday, December 31

danceonair.com

brad creel and the reel deel


free

tuesday, november 15

Call our movie hotline to find out whats playing this week!

doorS 8pm muSIC 9pm unleSS noTed

(503) 249-7474

Nov 912 Jared Mees Nov 1319 Evan Way

LIVE MUSIC EVEry nIght 7 PM

Als Den

FREE

music at 8:30 P.m. mon-thur 9:30 P.m. fri & sat


(unless otherwise noted)

Event and movie info at mcmenamins.com/mission

DJS 10:30 PM

Every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Nov 10 DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid Nov 11 DJ Hwy 7 Nov 12 DJ Lord Smithingham
Every Thursday

(of the Parson Red Heads)

CRYSTAL HOTEL & BALLROOM


Ballroom: 1332 W. Burnside (503) 225-0047 Hotel: 303 S.W. 12th Ave (503) 972-2670

ElsEwhErE

in

M cM E n a M i n s

11/9

Rock Creek Wednesdays

11/11

Sand Trap

11/11-12

BILLY D.
Winner of the cascade Blues Best new act award

hip-shakin blues

Marv & rInDY ross


the couple behind Harden my Heart

of Quarterflash

FrEaK K MoUnTaIn raMBLErs


jangly hilltop rock

Old St. Francis School 2 DAYS!

11/13

Hotel Oregon

11/13

West Linn

11/15

IrIsh sUnDaYs

cozy up in the cellar Bar for

DELphInIUM QUarTET
get your classical groove on

ThE aCCorDIon BaBEs


sirens of the squeezebox
Find us on

Edgefield Winery

CASCADE TICKETS
28

cascadetickets.com 1-855-CAS-TIXX

Outlets: Crystal BallrOOm BOx OffiCe, Bagdad theater, edgefield, east 19th st. Caf (eugene)

Willamette Week NOVEMBER 9, 2011 wweek.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


115 SW Ash St., Ste 600, Portland, OR 97204 lovenotes@portlandmercury.com

Or leave a comment on portlandmercury.com Letters may be edited for space consideration.

THE

LYNCH VS. LAURELHURST


DEAR MERCURYOutside of the Police Blotter your parody wasnt very funny [Heres Your Troutdale Trout! Feature, Oct 27, in which the Mercury dressed up for Halloween as a small-town publication]. I lived in Laurelhurst, and later I lived in Troutdale for a year. The second-rate comedy show on the IFC [Portlandia] reminded me very much of Laurelhurst. Living in Troutdale reminded me of the best series of all time: Twin Peaks. In Mulholland Drive, [David] Lynch puts the character of Adam, the pretentious, smug lm director of the overpaid creative class, against the Cowboy. The Cowboy is like Troutdale: genuine, small town, intense, rooted in the past, perhaps. Adam is the elitist journalist class, the six percent, Laurelhurst and places like it, and people of that sort. Guess whose side David Lynch is on?? El Zivodar

Portland. Occupy them. Brian A. Cobb

CRYSTAL
HOTEL & BALLROOM
14th and W Burnside .

SCARCASTIC POWERS

DEAR EDITORI was thrilled to read your prole of Bridget Pilloud, Pet Detective [The Pet Whisperer, Feature, Nov 3, an interview with a local intuitive who has worked extensively with animals]. Like Ms. Pilloud Im also a real psychic. I dont specialize in pets like Ms. Pilloud, but I am excellent at communicating with newspaper editors, who as we all know are far more difcultand dangerousto communicate with than your average disgruntled dog. With my magical powers, I can help you understand why Wm. Steven Humphrey is such an asshole, and help you understand why your papers occasional insightful news stories are watered down with so much organic, grade-A bullshit. I can also match Ms. Pillouds pricesId be happy to provide your staff with Life Shift Sessions for a mere $859, beating Ms. Pilloud by 40 bucks! JUST ASKIN DEAR MR. THERIAULTAfter wit- I look forward to next weeks prole of Gannessing the removal of Occupy Wall Street dalf the Greys Tarot Card Emporium. Michael protesters [AKA Occupy Portland protesters] in Jamison Square in the heart of the Pearl, I cannot help but ask the WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY REquestion: Did our public ofcials cave to SPONDS: Thanks for your letter, Michael! pressure from the more afuent residents Though I dont give two shits about Life of Portland? The explanation was that the Shift Sessions for my staff (fuck em), I am protesters were disturbing the tenants of interested to know how much you charge surrounding Jamison Square. Dont people for helping me understand why Im an live near Chapman or Lownsdale Square? asshole. My own pursuit has yielded no Doesnt federal (constitutional) law trump results. city convenience ordinances? Just askin Katherine Gibson AAANNNNND, even though he insulted our totes fave pet psychic and suggested OCCUPY THE GREEN our editor in chief is an asshole, MiDEAR MERCHave been in Portland chael wins the letter of the week, because since before many of yall were born [Oc- it was kind of funny. You win two tickcupy My Lunch Break, Letters, Nov 3, ets to the Laurelhurst Theater, asshole! in which a reader complains that the Oc- AND SPEAKING OF LIFE-SHIFTING cupy movement has made formerly green EVENTS! Tickets to the HUMP! Amateur spaces accessed by downtown workers un- Porn Festival are so efng sold out that available]. I liked Lownsdale Square and we went ahead and added an additional its adjoining park as green spaces, but I, a screening for 4:30 pm on Saturday, Nomiddle-aged man who has to make his liv- vember 19this is your absolute, nal, ing driving around these protesting areas, last chance, so hit portlandmercury.com/ like these green spaces better as Occupy hump and get your tickets today!

CRYSTAL BALLROOM
mcmenamins and abstract earth present

fri nov 11 all ages

80s VIDEO DANCE ATTACK


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11
9 PM $5 21+OVER

Keys N Krates tyler tastemaKer


aladdin theater & monqui present

WITH VJ KITTYROX

LOLA'S ROOM

thur nov 17 all ages

fri nov 18 all ages

LUCINDA WILLIAMS
blake Mills

BLIND PILOT

McMenamins and Monqui present


sat dec 31 21 & over

tICKEtS ON SALE NOW!

NEW YEARS EVE w/


wed nov 23 all ages
12/5

Point Juncture, WA

SUPERSUCKERS The Suicide Notes

11/10 they might be giants 11/12 blitzen trapper 11/15 the civil wars D2r: young the giant 12/6 D2r: foster the people 12/7 D2r: awolnation 12/8 D2r: Death cab for cutie 12/9 D2r: portugal the man 12/10 D2r: the joy formiDable/grouplove 12/12 ocote soul sounDs-lola's 12/16 Dinosaur jr/scratch aciD 1/28 moe. 2/24 pDx jazz festival: bill frisell 2/25 pDx jazz festival: vijay iyer, prasanna & nittin mitta (3 pm) 2/25 pDx jazz festival: charlie hunter (9:30 pm) 3/2 & 3 railroaD earth 3/22 kaiser chiefs

danceonair.com
doors 8pm music 9pm unless noted www.danceonair.com

FREE
LIVE MUSIC EVEry nIght 7 PM
Nov 10-Nov 12
Pop-punk roots

INSIDE:

One Day at a Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Feature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 My, What a Busy Week! . . . . . . . 15 Sold Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Savage Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Fun Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Jared Mees Nov 13Nov 19 Evan Way (of the Parson Red Heads)
Modern take on 60s pop

portlandmercury.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wm. Steven Humphrey MANAGING EDITOR Marjorie Skinner NEWS Denis C. Theriault Sarah Mirk Alex Zielinski SENIOR EDITOR Erik Henriksen MUSIC Ned Lannamann ARTS/WEB EDITOR Alison Hallett FOOD Tony Perez COPY CHIEF Courtney Ferguson CALENDAR Bobby Roberts ART DIRECTOR Suji Allen PRODUCTION MANAGER Joe Davis AD DESIGNER Nami Bigos EDITORIAL DESIGNER Nick Olmstead INTERNS Will Elder Melanie Johnson Beth Miller Kayla Rekofke Shannon Sales Suzette Smith Rebecca Peel DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Jay Williams ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Rob Crocker SALES MANAGER Rob Thompson SALES COORDINATOR Tonya Ray SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE James Deeley ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Sarah Elliott Katie Peifer Marissa Sullivan ALTPERKS OPERATIONS MANAGER Michelle David OFFICE MANAGER Noah Dunham REGIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Ben Demar Erin Hardy REGIONAL ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR Tracey Cataldo NATIONAL ADVERTISING Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866 GENERAL MANAGER Katie Lake PUBLISHER Rob Crocker

DJ'S 10:30 PM
Every Thursday, Friday & Saturday

Nov 10 DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid (Every Thursday) Nov 11 DJ Hwy 7 Nov 12 DJ Lord Smithingham
Early entrance to Crystal shows with any pre-show purchase from Zeus Caf, Ringlers Pub, Al's Den or Ringlers Annex

Be first iN!
mcmenamins.com

COVER:
Wasted Rita
wastedrita.com

CRYSTAL HOTEL & BALLROOM


Ballroom: 1332 W. Burnside (503) 225-0047 Hotel: 303 S.W. 12th Ave (503) 972-2670

115 SW Ash St., Suite 600 Portland, OR 97204 Phone (503) 294-0840 Fax: (503) 294-0844
The Mercury is published weekly, every Thursday that is. The content of this issue is 2011 by Index Newspapers LLC., and may not be reprinted in part or in whole without written consent from the publisher. One copy of each edition of the Mercury is available free to Oregon State residents and visitors each week. Anyone removing papers in bulk will be prosecuted on theft charges to the fullest extent of the law. To request a back issue, send a $3 self-abused, stumped misanthrope (9x12) with your request. Warning: We are out of stock on several back issues. For writers guidelines, send a self-addressed envelope with 44 postage. Submissions to be returned must include SASE.

CASCADE TICKETS

cascadetickets.com 1-855-cas-tiXX

outlets: crystal ballroom box office, bagDaD theater, eDgefielD, east 19th st. caf (eugene)

EL PRESIDENTE Tim Keck

November 10, 2011 Portland Mercury 3

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use


1. Adjust your sprinklers to avoid watering pavement and other things that dont grow. 2. Dont water when its windy or raining. 3. Avoid daytime watering. Its best to water between midnight and sunrise. 4. Sprinklers are great for turfgrass, but use drip irrigation or soaker hoses on owers, shrubs, gardens and trees. 5. Spread mulch around owers, shrubs, trees and garden plants to retain soil moisture. 6. Dont plant grass on steep slopes. 7. Dont put grass in areas less than 10 feet wide. 8. Hand-water dry spots rather than overwatering the entire lawn. 9. Install a shutoff nozzle on your hose. 10. Xeriscape!

City of Albuquerque Water Resources 505-768-3655 State Engineer Ofce Water Conservation Program 505-827-3879 Cooperative Extension Service Refer to the county government listings in your local telephone directory.

Suggested Reading
Natural By Design and Plants for Natural Gardens (a two-volume series) by Judith Phillips. Museum of New Mexico Press, P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 Sunset Western Garden Book Kathleen N. Brenzel, Editor. Sunset Publishing Corporation, Menlo Park, CA 94025 Complete Guide to Gardening & Landscaping Time-Life Books, Inc., New York, N.Y. SAVE: The Homeowners Guide to Using Water Wisely Tucson Water Conservation Ofce, P.O. Box 27210, Tucson, AZ 85726-7210 Water Efcient Landscape Guidelines by Richard Bennett and Michael Hazinski. American Water Works Association, 6666 West Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235 All About Lawns Ortho Books, San Francisco, CA. Ordering Address: Solaris Group, Customer Service, 2527 Camino Ramon, Suite 200, San Ramon, CA 94583; 800-457-6900 Xeriscape Plant Guide Denver Water. Fulcrum Publishing, 350 Indiana St., Suite 350, Golden, CO 80401; 800-992-2908
Blue Grama Grass
Photography by Charles Mann

Lean&Green
A Simple Guide toWater-wise LawnCare

Lawns AreThirsty
Lets face it, most lawn grasses are not native to New Mexico. These grasses cant survive our hot, dry climate without signicant additional water. Some lawn grasses require up to four times the water New Mexico receives from annual rainfall. During the hotter summer months, over half of our water consumption occurs outside our homeslargely to water our lawns. Believe it or not, some people actually give their lawns up to three times more water than is necessary for healthy growth and maintenance. So, if youre planning a new landscape, consider a water-wise xeriscape (which can even include a drought-tolerant lawn). But if you have an existing thirsty lawn that you dont want to replace, use the tips in this brochure to water wisely.

Water-wise Grasses Warm-season grasses will be brown and dormant during the winter months, and green in the summer. Cool-season grasses are most vigorous in the spring and fall, and retain some color all year long. Instead of using grasses that need lots of supplemental water, consider drought-tolerant alternatives:

Buffalograss A warm-season grass that needs less water than virtually all other lawns. It thrives in hot, sunny locations. Buffalograss is low-growing, so frequent mowing isnt necessary. It spreads by surface runners (stolons) and by seed. Buffalograss seed, plugs and sod are available at most nurseries. Blue Grama This warm-season grass, which is commonly mixed with buffalograss, makes a wonderful alternative to thirstier bluegrass. Its thin blades give a blue grama lawn a pleasing, ne texture. Its easy to establish and lls in quickly.

Bermuda A deep-rooted, warm-season grass that uses about two-thirds as much water as bluegrass. Be cautiousbermuda grass is very invasive and may intrude on ower beds and other plants. Its green in summer, dormant and brown in the winter.

Accept Less FromYour Lawn


During the hottest months, cool season grass may not look its best. When conditions become more favorable, it will readily regenerate. Accept that your grass wont look perfect. (And try to reduce foot trafc on dry turf areas.)
Buffalograss

Tall Fescue A deep-rooted, cool-season grass that needs less frequent watering than bluegrass, but still uses far more water than buffalograss or blue grama. Tall fescue is more tolerant of foot trafc and shade than bluegrass. It greens up early in the spring and stays green long into autumn.

Mowing Tips
1. Mow Early. Mowing when its still cool reduces the stress on a lawn. 2. Mow Sharp. Dull mower blades tear the grass blades, creating unnecessary stress on the lawn. 3. Mow Higher. Longer grass blades promote deeper rooting and shade the plants root zone, so the grass needs less water. A good rule of thumb: never cut off more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. Recommended Mowing Height Bermuda Bluegrass Buffalograss Tall Fescue 1.5" 2" 3.5" 3.5"

TheCatch Can Test!


Start by nding out how much water comes out of your sprinklers and how evenly the water is dispersed. Place six tin cans of equal size around the yard and turn your sprinklers on for10 minutes. Check the depth of water collected in each can. If each can has about the same amount of water, your sprinklers are delivering an even amount throughout your yardand thats exactly what you want. However, if some areas are receiving more water than others, you may need to adjust or replace some or all of your sprinkler heads. (See the Sprinkler Tips section.) Now pour all the water from the six cans into one can. Measure the depth of that water. The result is the inches per hour that your sprinkler system delivers. Your local water utility or cooperative extension ofce can help you determine how much water your lawn needs.

Avoid Runoff By Cycling


Pop-up lawn sprinklers apply water at a rate of between one to ve inches per hour. Most New Mexico soils cant absorb water as quickly as sprinklers apply it, resulting in wasteful runoff. To reduce runoff, use the cycling method. Run your sprinklers for a short time, turn them off for 30-60 minutes, then repeat the process until youve applied the required amount of water. (Most automatic timers will allow you to do this.) The cycling method gives each dose of water a chance to reach the roots where it does the most good. In addition to cycling, water penetration can be enhanced by core aerating, dethatching and edging along hard surfaces.

Fertilize Properly
Using the right amount of fertilizer at the right time can help a lawn stay healthy and water-wise. Determine what fertilizer is recommended for your grass. Fertilize cool season grasses (bluegrass and fescue) in the spring and fall. Fertilize warm season grasses (bermuda, zoysia, buffalograss) in early and late summer.

Buffalograss

Is It DryYet?
Before you water your lawn, look for signs that your lawn needs water. Watch for grass blades that are curling up or turning a bluish-grey color. Walk across your lawn. If grass springs up after being walked on, it doesnt need to be watered. Determine how many days your lawn can go between waterings and dont water any more often than that!

Dig Those Roots


Dig out a small patch of your lawn to see how far down the roots grow. Most bluegrass roots are only three to six inches deep. Tall fescue, bermuda and native grasses can have roots 12 inches deep or more. Your soil type will also affect the depth of your lawns roots. Generally, sandy or gravely soils hold less water, and may require more frequent waterings of shorter duration. Heavy clay soils hold lots of water and may support plants with several days between waterings. Plants can only use water their roots can reach. Dont water below the root zone its wasted water.

Sprinkler Tips
Check your irrigation system regularly. Fix or replace broken or leaky sprinkler heads. Adjust tilted heads so theyre vertical. Raise sprinkler heads so theyre level with the ground surface. Fix clogged heads. Grit and debris can clog sprinkler heads, causing gaps in the spray pattern. Remove the nozzle, wash the grit screen and run the system briey to ush. Move sprinkler heads at least 8 inches from hard surfaces. Placing sprinkler heads too close to pavement will result in unnecessary water waste. Make sure your sprinklers produce droplets, not mist. Water mist, caused by too much pressure, tends to blow away in the wind. Use a low-angle spray to reduce wind-blown water waste. Use a timer to make sure your sprinklers come on at the perfect time for watering and shut off before youve over-watered! Adjust your timer monthly to compensate for changing weather. Override your timers when its raining. Temporarily reduce or stop the watering schedule during cool or rainy weather . Dont mix and match equipment. Sprinklers, bubblers and drip systems should each be on different valves.

If your washing machine is not maintained in top operating condition, you could be wasting water. Some common clothes washer problems can be fixed by do-it-yourselfers, but others need the services of a licensed plumber or appliance repair technician. NOTE: Make sure you unplug the machine before attempting any repairs; in some cases, you will need to shut off the water supply as well. DOES YOUR WASHING MACHINE LEAK? You may need to tighten the water-inlet valves or hose connections. Check the hoses for cracks or kinks, too. Make sure the drain hose is inserted properly in the drain pipe or drain basin. IS WATER LEAKING FROM THE PUMP? If water leaks from the pump, tighten or replace the clamps. If water still leaks, replace the pump. IS YOUR WASHING MACHINE SLOW TO FILL UP? Check the hoses and the water-inlet valves. If the hoses have water in them, the waterinlet valve is probably defective and will need to be replaced.
NEED MORE INFORMATION? Check your owners manual to pinpoint specific trouble areas or call the manufacturers toll-free customer service number. For additional information, visit manufacturers websites for troubleshooting tips. Also visit sites such as www.doityourself.com, or use your favorite search engine to find other home improvement sites.

Every gallon of water you conserve will reduce your monthly water bill. Follow these tips to ensure that your clothes washer uses water as efficiently as possible. Wash full loads. A full load is the most water-efficient way to wash your clothes. (This is true even if your machine has an adjustable load setting.) If your clothes washer does have an adjustable load setting, select a smaller setting for a smaller load. When washing lightly soiled clothes, use the shortest wash cycle In addition, some cities and towns in New Mexico offer rebates to homeowners who replace older water-using appliances (such as clothes washers and toilets) with new waterwise models. Call your local water utility to find out how you can qualify for rebates and receive more information about reducing water use in your home. WATER USE AND CONSERVATION BUREAU New Mexico Office of the State Engineer P.O. Box 25102 Santa Fe, NM 87504-5102 1-800-WATER-NM www.seo.state.nm.us
Funded by a grant from the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Produced for the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer by Schultz Communications. Designed by Ken Wilson Design. Sources: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Asko, The City of Albuquerque, General Electric, KitchenAid, Maytag, Rocky Mountain Institute, Sears, Whirlpool, www.doityourself.com, www.energystar.gov, www.h2ouse.org. Photos courtesy of GE, Whirlpool and Sears.

WATER USE AND CONSERVATION BUREAU New Mexico Office of the State Engineer

In the typical home, washing clothes consumes more indoor water than anything except flushing the toilets. (If youve already converted your older toilets to more efficient low-flow models, then your clothes washer might be numero uno when it comes to indoor water use.) Because water use is a major concern here in the desert climates of New Mexico-and because washing clothes is such a water-intensive activity, its important to make sure your clothes washer is as water-wise as possible. NEXT-GENERATION WASHING MACHINES ARE STINGY WITH WATER The typical older washing machine (pre-1995) uses approximately 41 gallons per load. By comparison, newer clothes washers generally use 23 gallons or less. That means you can reduce your water bill and save thousands of gallons of water each year by choosing a new water-efficient clothes washer when its time to replace your old washer. There are two basic designs for clothes washers: top-loading and front-loading. Most oldermodel residential washing machines load from the top. However, a standard top-loading machine can use more water to fill up and wet the clothes thoroughly. In addition, the machine uses more energy to pull the clothes around the machine using the agitator arm. Most of the newer, water- and energyefficient machines are front-loading. A frontloaded machine allows clothes to fall as they spin, which uses less water and is gentler on fabrics. Front-loading washing machines can be more convenient for disabled homeowners to use, too. TIPS FOR BUYING A NEW CLOTHES WASHER
Replacing your old water-guzzling clothes washer with a new waterefficient model can dramatically reduce your indoor water use. New-generation clothes washers also spin clothes drier, thus reducing drying time and saving energy. The top brands and most efficient models of clothes washers may cost more initially, but the savings you receive in reduced water, gas or electricity and detergent will save you money over the lifetime of use. Here are some questions to ask the salesperson when shopping for a new washing machine: Is this a water-efficient machine? Is it Energy Star approved? How many gallons of water per load will I save, compared to the older model of this machine? Compared to my present machine? Does this washer have a water-saver option, to allow rinse water to be reused? Does this machine automatically adjust the water level needed for the load being washed? What is the average annual water cost to operate this machine? What is the average annual energy cost to operate this machine? Is there an Extra Rinse option? If so, how do I shut off this option?

LOOK FOR THE ENERGY STAR LABEL


The Energy Star program, administered through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recognizes energy-efficient washing machines that can save from 35% to 50% in energy and water use over standard washing machines. Participating Energy Star manufacturers offer all sizes and types of clothes washing machines. For more information, including specific models and how much money you can save by using an Energy Star labeled washer, visit the website at www.energystar.gov/products/clotheswashers/.

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