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By WILMA BLOKHUIS Focus Editor "At one time, we were very German," said Pastor Paul Mittelstaedt, who arrived last October just days after the building at 40 John St., was sold to the Polish Catholic Mission of Oakville. It‘s literally ‘out with the old and in with the new‘ as Bethel Pentecostal Church closes the door on its German heritage and present sanctuary on New Year‘s Eve, and begins a new life ‘up north.‘ The church was, until recent years, known as the German Bethel Church. Bethel moves to River Oaks By WILMA BLOKHUIS Focus Editor Words like recycling, reâ€"use, urban forest, composting, and environmentally friendly dominated stories about enviâ€" ronmental issues appearing on the front pages of Focus in 1993, a year that saw an increased emphasis on using your Blue Box. Early in the year, Karen Alton‘s ‘Profile‘ about Mark Jones, Solid Waste Manager for the Town of Oakville, appeared, complete with a photograph of him holding a very full Blue Box. Five more items were added to the Blue Box program â€" fine paper, boxboard, aluminum foil, Styrofoam and small mouthed plastic bottles. Although his main job is to look after the town‘s garbage, Jones has become a key local proponent of recycling and composting, and strongly supports the Blue Box proâ€" gram which is run by the Region of Halton. On the scene since the fall of 1992, Jones encourages the use of backâ€" yard composters, and participation in the Town‘s composting programs â€" anyâ€" thing to divert more garbage from going Anto reduced landfill space. . _ Return to sender. Last spring Tony ‘Woodrow of Burlington came up with a movel idea of collecting unused return «payment envelopes to their source to be used again, instead of having them recyâ€" ‘cled or thrown out. Woodrow estimates Halton generates some 100,000 unused Teturn payment envelopes per month. ‘Depending on the percentage of recyâ€" «cled fibres in the envelopes involved, ‘eliminating 100,000 unused envelopes ‘represents six additional mature trees «supplying us with oxygen, one less «cubic metre of landfill, 2,800 to 5,600 «gallons more of fresh water, 1,600 to .3,200 more kilowatts of electricity availâ€" "able for other uses, and 24 to 36 fewer pounds of air pollutants released," «Woodrow said. we op e amaan! or LeAqMing Nabvilia®s Rueinace Sehanl »« _ *Save the trees!‘ may become the battle cry for urban forester John McNeil, manager of forestry and cemeâ€" ‘tery services for the Town of Oakville. He estimates Oakville has a population «of some 500,000 trees, an ‘urban forest‘ «consisting of about 100,000 in public Zplaces â€" 76,000 lining local streets and 225,000 in the parks. "And, for every ‘public tree, there are at least five to six ‘private trees at people‘s homes," McNeil said following a ceremonial tree Aplanting kicking off Arbor Week at George‘s Square in early May. "Oakville‘s reforestation was being *assisted by a $3,000 donation from ‘SmithKline Beacham Pharma, money to Jbe spent to plant more trees â€" 2,500 Znew trees of several varieties were *planted in one of the largest urban reforâ€" #estation programs in Ontario. « _ The thinking behind Earth Day and ‘Environment Week, recognized annualâ€" Ay in early June, gained momentum in ©1993. Artist Josef Petriska, who has spoâ€" _ken out against the destruction of the #earth for some 40 years, ever since he «witnessed how coal was burned in open ‘pits in his native Holland to produce coke for the Swedes who in turn to proâ€" duce steel. The coal burning "devastated an area of Holland to the point where «frogs would not go into the water »because of acid in that water.‘ The artist ‘produced "Our Choice,‘ a watercolor ‘resembling two decorative plants, one showing industrial pollution and death along the waterfront, next to a beautiful scene of Canada Geese in their natural setting. 1993 "We started as a German lanâ€" COMPUTER TRAINING LOTUS â€" and many more Oakvilie‘s Business School Building sold, last service New Year‘s Eve 338â€"6600 guage church in 1958," said Mittelstaedt. "It was started by a group of German speaking people from Hamilton. We were strictly German until the midâ€"=‘80s. Up to that time, we had immigration from Germany and we provided an opportunity to provide services to people in the German language." Meetings were first held at St. Jude‘s Anglican Church, and propâ€" erty containing a house at 40 John St., was purchased. The church was built in 1966. During its heyday, the church boasted some 70 members. Today, membership stands at about 35 to 40. By the late 1980s, all services were conducted in English, the FOCUS result of a gradual changeover until the decision of ‘walking the tightrope‘ between offering services in two languages was made in favor of English. The final vestige of its heritage falls this week, with the conclusion of its German Bible study. "What was once a German church has become an English church, as fewer people have come to Canada from Germany," continâ€" ues Mittelstaedt. "Many core members of the church have German backgrounds, but they have recognized the need to provide services in English in order to effectively meet the needs of the community." (See ‘Move. . .‘ page 10) VISA Pastor Paul Mittelstaedt stands in front of Bethel Pentecostal Church at 40 John St. The buildâ€" ing is sold, and the New Year‘s Eve service heralds a move to River Oaks. (Photo by Peter McCusker) CANADA‘S SLEEP GALLERY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1993 Page 9 Hopedale Mall Serving Oakville for Over 30 years, Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 am. to 6:00 pm. *Sunday 12 Noon to 5:00 pm. (*Not all stores may be open) Located at 3rd Line and Rebecca in Oakville *§27â€"0229 «