Copyright 1995 The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
May 2, 1995, Tuesday, ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NATIONAL NEWS, Pg. 2A
LENGTH: 655 words
HEADLINE: Q & A ON THE NEWS
BYLINE: Colin Bessonette
BODY:
Do you have a question about the news - local, national or international? Colin Bessonette will try to get and answer for you. Call 222-2002 on a Touch-Tone phone and follow the instructions. On Access Atlanta, the AJC's online service, jump: Q&A to ask a question or read hundreds of recent Q&A answers.
Q: A recent Q&A listed Vanderbilt University as one of the early targets of the Unabomber. What was the date? What happened? -Peter Pawlak, Crabapple
A: It occurred May 5, 1982. A wooden box containing a pipe bomb exploded when it was opened. One person, the secretary who opened the box, was injured. -
Q: How can I recycle Type 4 plastic? Dry cleaners use it for clothing, but the dry cleaners won't take it back. It's also used for the wrappers on my newspapers. -James Carter, Mableton
A: Neighborhood grocery stores with recycling programs will take the plastic back. In the recycling industry, it's known as "film" because it's a thin film of plastic, said Bob Rickman at Southeast Recycling. Several chains, including Kroger, recycle this grade, he said. The same type of plastic also is used in grocery bags. -
Q: In the ''Let's Talk" want ads, a variety of abbreviations is used. One, ISO, appears over and over, but doesn't seem related to gender, race or sexual preference. What does it mean? -Drew Downey, Atlanta A: ISO: In search of. - Q: How can I get an autographed picture of President Clinton? -Laura Boyette, Hoschton
A: Requests for photographs of Clinton (as well as first lady Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore or Tipper Gore) may be made in writing. Mail to: Office of Presidential Correspondence, White House, Washington, D.C. 20500. Or fax to: (202) 456-2461. To listen to a recorded message on procedures for requesting photos and greetings from the White House, call (202) 456-2724. -
Q: Why do we need new area codes? With 7 digits in various combinations, nearly 10 million numbers would be available for Atlanta. -R.A. Collins, Winder
A: It's not so simple, according to Ken Branson, a spokesman for Bellcore, a communications software firm in Livingston, N.J. First, there's a finite number of numbers, and once they're gone, there are no more. Some combinations of numbers aren't available at all, he said, such as one starting with 555 (that's for directory assistance). And numbers can't begin with a zero or a one, because they would access operators and long distance. Still others are out of circulation because they're reserved for internal use by telephone companies for testing and other purposes.
But the most important factor, Branson said, is the "astronomical" growth of numbers now being used by individuals and businesses. Back in the 1960s, a family might have had only two lines: one for the residence, the other for a parent's business. These days, parents and children might have 10 or more numbers, including residence and business phones, car phones, faxes and beepers. The only practical solution, Branson said, is to add area codes, and as the areas grow, to break them up into still more area codes. -
Q: How can I write to Russian President Boris Yeltsin? I want to send him a letter concerning an interview he had with Diane Sawyer. -Alice Presley, College Park A: The address: Boris Yeltsin, The Kremlin, Moscow, Russia. -
FBI FILES: The Atlanta FBI office reports receiving an "overwhelming" number of inquiries in response to an item in Monday's Q&A. It asks that people write, not call, to access records under the Freedom of Information and Privacy acts. To ensure that records (if they exist) are released only to individuals having a right to the information, provide your name, Social Security number and date and place of birth, and have your signature witnessed by a notary public. Send the letter to: FBI, P.O. Box 98128, Atlanta, Ga. 30359-1828.