Berkeley High Freshmen Start School Year with Free Water Bottles Thanks to Soda Tax

Berkeley High Freshmen Start School Year with Free Water Bottles Thanks to Soda Tax
[Press Release]  As classes start this week, 700 students entering Berkeley High are going to school with free, stainless steel, reusable water bottles. Made by the Chico-based company Klean Kanteen, the water bottles were distributed at freshman orientation by Youth Scholars from the Ecology Center’s Youth Environmental Academy. This water bottle giveaway was funded by… Read more »

First Wave of Soda Tax Dollars Goes Toward Public School Garden Program

First Wave of Soda Tax Dollars Goes Toward Public School Garden Program
Last week, community members gathered at the Ecology Center to hear updates about revenue from the soda tax, and how that money is being used to support Berkeley’s public school gardening program. The soda tax, which drew in $116,000 from its first month, is projected to add $1.2 million annually to the City’s general fund.… Read more »

Soda Tax & the BUSD Cooking & Gardening Programs, 6/4/15

Soda Tax & the BUSD Cooking & Gardening Programs, 6/4/15
Have you heard? The first month of Measure D soda taxes has been collected. Meanwhile, BUSD’s Cooking and Gardening programs are desperate for funding. How much soda tax was collected? And where will that money go? And who decides? Come to the Ecology Center at 7PM on the night of Thursday, June 4 and find… Read more »

Berkeley Collects First Month of Soda Tax, Projects $1.2 Million per Year

Berkeley Collects First Month of Soda Tax, Projects $1.2 Million per Year
[Press Release] The City of Berkeley announced yesterday that it collected $116,000 for the month of March from Measure D, the sugar-sweetened beverage tax that voters passed overwhelmingly last November. Given that the tax focused solely on a few dozen major distributors, the City estimates annualized receipts of at least $1.2 million. “The implementation has… Read more »

Save Berkeley’s School Gardens! Attend School Board Meeting Tomorrow 4/22/15

Save Berkeley's School Gardens! Attend School Board Meeting Tomorrow 4/22/15
We know so many parents, community members, and especially students, past and present, who are big fans of Berkeley’s public school Garden & Cooking Program. We are too, because the program provides invaluable health, nutrition, and food literacy lessons to a broad swath of Berkeley’s kids. We’ve been concerned by the repeated cuts to the… Read more »