Saving Money on Fuel (Gas and Diesel)

Have you filled your gas tank at Schinnen recently? We are approaching $5.00 a gallon gas and will certainly go over five dollars a gallon sometime soon.

                     Per Gallon          Per Liter          Change. (+/-)
Euro95          $4.928              $1.302             +0.095
Super Plus     $5.213              $1.377             +0.096
Diesel            $4.985              $1.317             +0.051

We are paying 92 cents a gallon more for gasoline than our colleagues that live and work in Germany do!  How can that be justified? But what can you do?

Here are some tips to help maximize your fuel dollars.

1. Sign up for and use the Aafes "Star Card" credit card. If you buy your fuel using your Star Card you will save five cents a gallon. Don't use the card for anything else and make sure you pay it off EVERY month so you are not paying interest charges. This method will also give you a very accurate record of your fuel use and costs.

2. Clean out your car. There's good reason to clean out the junk piled in the trunk. Every 100 pounds of added weight in a car reduces its fuel economy by about 2%. That is about 10 cents a gallon (9.96 cents at the current price). Hauling a cargo carrier, bikes, kayaks or other gear atop the car for a road trip is worse, decreasing fuel economy by 5% (24.9 cents a gallon).

3. Slow down. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph you add $0.30 per gallon to the gas bill. Aggressive stops and starts waste another 33% at highway speeds and about 5% at slower, local speed limits.Take your time and slowly accelerate instead of stomping on the gas. My car, when it was brand new, was rated at 32 Miles per Gallon (MPG) on the highway; I generally get 36 MPG. I rarely go faster than 110 kph and I take a full kilometer to get up to speed when I enter the highway. I try to keep my engine RPMs under 2,000 as I accelerate. I also take my foot off the gas and start coasting about five hundred meters from the off ramp. If you stay in the right lane behind a large truck you gain at least 5-10 percent more efficiency by "drafting" in the already moving air behind the truck. These trucks are generally going between 90 and 100 kph.

4. Plan your Route. It's possible to cut down on mileage just by running a few errands on the same trip and choosing more efficient routes. You want to avoid traffic lights, stop signs, and stop and go traffic if at all possible. You can actually save gas by driving a little further if that route allows you to keep moving. Starting and stopping is why city mileage is so much lower than highway mileage. When you combine multiple errands into one drive you save fuel not just by driving a shorter overall distance but also because your car is more fuel efficient when it is warmed up to operating temperatures. So drive to your furthest location first if it makes sense to do so.

5. Car Pool. That is a Homer Simpson "Doh" statement to me. 99% of the military personnel here work at one of two places; USAG Schinnen or JFC Brunssum. Find somebody to share the ride and save a quick 50% on your fuel bill and general wear and tear on your car.

6. Check your Tire Pressure. Under- or over-inflated tires change the way the car handles, adding drag and speeding wear. That, in turn, reduces fuel efficiency by about 3%. Look to the driver's side door panel or owner's manual for information on proper inflation levels, Don't go by the figure stamped on the tire -- that's the maximum pressure the tire can handle. Tire pressure changes with temperature and over time so check your tire pressure at least every other time you fill your gas tank.

7. Turn off your Engine. Turn off your engine if you know you will be sitting still for 11 seconds or more. Eleven seconds seems to be the cut-off point. If you drive the same route to work and back every day then you know about how long a light is. One intersection in Beek that I go through every day is a complex intersection and the light is well over a minute long if it changes to red right when I get to it. I shut my car off and save a minute's worth of fuel. I do the same thing for railroad crossings. I go through three railroad crossings on my route to work and get stopped by a train at least once a week. That can be up to a three minute stop if a train goes by in each direction. Shutting off the engine saves a lot of fuel.

8. Bike once or twice a week. When I was stationed here twelve years ago a subordinate of mine and I rode our bikes to work two days a week. I lived in Neerbeek and he lived in Geleen; we worked in Brunssum. We met along the way. It was only a thirty minute bike ride (it also took thirty minutes to drive in a car) and was a nice addition to our fitness program. Riding a bike two days  a week saved me 40% on my driving costs.

9. Park your car and walk. When I go to Schinnen I park my car in whatever lot is closest to where I will have to carry the most items and then walk everywhere else. If I am picking up groceries, for example, I park in the commissary lot but then I walk to the PX, PX-tra, or bank from there.

10. Take public transportation. A single person going to Maastricht, Valkenberg, or Roermond, for example, can travel cheaper by train than by driving. In some cases a couple can also travel cheaper by train. But once you are talking about the whole family going somewhere it might be cheaper to drive. You need to do the math and figure out which is best for the circumstances.

Recycling

Soapbox statement: I, personally, feel that everyone should recycle/reuse everything possible to cut down on waste and damage to the environment. When recycled materials are used in place of virgin materials during manufacturing, we avoid the environmental damage caused by mining for metals, drilling for petroleum, and harvesting trees. Producing recycled white paper creates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than producing paper from virgin fibers. Using recycled cans instead of extracting ore to make aluminum cans produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution. Recycling and re-manufacturing are 194 times more effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions than land filling and virgin manufacturing.

Ok, that's my standpoint. BUT Recycling is imperative in The Netherlands to cut down on the trash you pay to have hauled away. In most towns, household trash is collected only once every other week and you are restricted to what you can fit in one trash bin. So out of necessity you must recycle.

What can you recycle? Most towns in The Netherlands pickup "Green Waste" (organic kitchen and yard waste) every other week (in between you garbage pickups). Most towns also pickup paper and cardboard once or twice a month and plastics once or twice a month. There will also be a glass recycle station in your town, possibly a clothes bin and maybe even a cooking oil receptacle. Lets look at things one at a time.

These are the rules for my gemeente (municipality) but they should be similar in your town.

Paper and cardboard (Oud papier en karton): Paper and cardboard needs to be clean and dry. Bundle the material but no heavier than 12 kilograms (a little over 28 pounds). I reuse paper grocery bags to hold my paper for recycle.Make sure that there is no plastic (tape, envelope windows, etc) mixed in and do not include waxed paper products such as milk cartons and juice containers.

Green Waste (GFT-aval): These bins are loaded by an "arm" from the truck so make sure there is 18 inches or so all around your container. Use the correct container, in my town they are green. You can include all organic kitchen and yard waste such as leaves, tree and bush trimmings, grass, weeds, etc. Do not include large bones or liquid fats and oils. Do not include cat litter. Do not pack the material in the bin, it has to be able to slide out when the truck turns it upside down. The lid must be closed completely. The bin cannot weigh more than 80 kilos (about 195 lbs)

Plastic (Plastic Heroes): You must use the special bags provided for plastic recycling. You can find a list of places to pick up these special bags at this LINK.What goes in the bag? Pretty much anything that is household plastic. What cannot go in the bag are: toys, plastic packaging with food or other product still in the container, plastic containers that held chemicals and solvents, expanded foam products such as fast food packaging, Styrofoam of any sort, plastic with aluminum foil or other non-plastic material attached.

The following items are things you will have to take somewhere. Most towns collect glass and cooking oil. Other stuff can be taken to the "Sort Center" at USAG Schinnen.

Glass: Glass is recycled as "White" (Witte Glas) glass, which is really clear glass, and "Colored" (Bunte Glas) glass. Porcelain, china, and terracotta is not glass. There is a glass bin a USAG Schinnen if you cannot find a recycle site near your house.

Metal: USAG Schinnen has containers for metal material. Do not throw appliances in these bins. Every time I dump my cans in the bin I see stuff that only a completely clueless or uncaring person would throw in the bin. This junk has to be pulled out by the Sort Center workers and that just isn't right. Microwave ovens must be taken to the sort center when the top is open so they can be handled by the workers there. The magnetron in the microwave is the problem. They take microwaves, they just have to handle them separately. 

Batteries: You can drop off used batteries (AA, AAA, C, D cells and the square 9-volts batteries) at the commissary and the Sort Center. Do not throw your batteries in the general trash. Batteries contain many toxic materials that severely pollute the environment. These materials can and should be extracted from the batteries and reused.You drop off car batteries at the Sort Center but be advised that you get money back at the Car Care Center if you trade in an old car battery when you buy a new one.

Hazardous Waste: You can drop off very small amounts of hazardous waste in the Red receptacle at the Sort Center lower area or wait until the top section is open to drop it off there.

Motor Oil: If you change your own oil (from your car) you can drop off the used motor oil at the Sort Center when the top part is open. Make sure the oil is in a sturdy container. I reuse the large plastic containers that I buy cat litter in for this purpose.

Wood: If you have large wooden items to dispose of they can take those at the Sort center. Remove all non-wood material (nails, nuts&bolts, screws, hinges, etc.) and recycle those as metal waste.

USAG Sort Center:

These are some of the bins located on the bottom part of the sort center. They are available 24 hours a day but they take them up to the top area when that is open to empty and clean them.

This is the top portion of the sort center. If you have any questions ask the man in the booth to the left. He does not speak much English, which seems pretty stupid to me to hire a guy that speaks limited English to be a customer service person. But he'll figure out what you need. He is responsible for this site and will keep an eye on you so do not try to cheat and dump stuff you shouldn't.

 These are the hours for the top portion of the Sort Center.

I recycle everything I can. As a result, I only have to put my trash bin out for collection once every other month. That saves the US Army money, they get charged every time your bin is collected, and saves the environment.

Small Town Touring - Meerssen

Meerssen is easy to get to from anywhere in the Schinnen/Brunssum area since it sits near the junction of A2 and A79. Meerssen was also near the junction of two ancient Roman roads, which is why the town dates back to those days and beyond. One of these roads, the "Via Belgica", started on the French coast, crossed the Maas river at Maastricht, and ran past Meerssen and Heerlen then into Germany.

The first major event to occur in this small town was The Treaty of Meerssen or Mersen, which was a partition treaty of the Carolingian Empire concluded on 8 August 870 by the two surviving sons of Emperor Louis the Pious, King Charles the Bald of West Francia and Louis the German of East Francia.

Around the middle of the 10th century Meerssen was the personal property of queen Gerberga, the daughter of King Henry I. She was the spouse of Louis IV of France. In 968 she donated all her property to the abbey of Saint Remigius in Reims, France. The Basilica in Meerssen started out as a Monastery Church affiliated with the abbey in Reims and it replaced the royal family chapel that was in Meersseen for over 100 years.

The Basilica is probably the most notable feature of the town today due to its age and style. There is an excellent description of the Basilica at this LINK.

The Basilica is open most days until 1700 hrs (5:00 PM) but it is an active church so make sure a service is not being conducted before you walk in.

To the right of the church, if you were looking at it as in the picture above, there is a small strolling park that is very nice. There is a swan pond and a pathway with plenty of benches to sit and relax, enjoy the view, and perhaps have a snack or drink. Be careful if you walk in the grass, the ducks, geese, and swans have been there and there are lots of their droppings.

Across the pond is an ornate and pretty gazebo. It was completely renovated about two years ago and now would be a perfect spot for photographs of your family.

During the history of The Netherlands many outside forces, Spain, Austria, France, and various noble families and even the Catholic Church officials, bought, sold, and traded parts of what is now The Netherlands. Each time this was done, the religious denomination prevalent in the affected areas changed. Churches would change from Catholic to Protestant and back again. Since many small towns and villages only had the means to support one church building, the Protestants and Catholics often had to share buildings. Most of the time this worked out fine but sometimes it was an issue. 

In 1836, Belgian King Leopold I donated money to build four Protestant churches; one each in Beek, Meerssen, Gulpen, and Heerlen. It was not completely altruistic, he was possibly trying to further divide the Catholic and Protestant people. Leopold himself was Protestant. All of these churches are called, "Leopoldskerk", or Leopold's Church. The one in Meerssen is across the street from the back side of the Basilica. I was fortunate enough to see a woman working on the church's grounds and asked her if I could go inside and look around. She said, "sure, but there is not much to see." She was right about that. The church has been deconsecrated and largely striped. Only the organ pipes and lectern remain. The building is being renovated to be a sort of civic hall for ceremonies and meetings.

Also in Meerssen is a former Jewish Synagogue.

Jewish cemetery on Tussen de Bruggen

References to Jews living in Meerssen survive from the late seventeenth century. In 1715, a Jewish cemetery was established at Geulbrugge on the road from Meerssen to Rothem (now called, "Tussen de Bruggen". Another old Jewish cemetery still stands in the former hamlet of Haasdal now part of the village of Schimmert. (I've been to this one too but it is very hard to find.) A sizeable Jewish community did not come into being at Meerssen until the 1770's. At that time, religious services were held in a private home on the corner of the Kerkstraat and the Beekstraat. By 1796, the community utilized a hall in the Steegstraat as its synagogue. During the late eighteenth century the surrounding of Meerssen was plagued by roving gangs of bandits, mostly comprised of Jews.

With the reorganization of Dutch Jewry during the 1820's the Jewish community at Meerssen was declared a regional community (Ringsynagoge) under the aegis of the Jewish community at Maastricht. The Jewish population of Meerssen remained relatively constant throughout the nineteenth century; thereafter, its numbers fell due to the general trend of migration to the more prosperous west of the Netherlands. A new synagogue, located on the Kuileneindestraat, was consecrated in 1853. Official and voluntary organizations at Meerssen included the community directorate and a women's society. The community also provided Jewish education for its children.

By the eve of the Second World War, the Jewish community at Meerssen had become so small that it effectively had ceased to function. Under the wartime German occupation of the Netherlands, almost all the remaining Jews of Meerssen were deported and murdered; only a few managed to escape death in hiding. The synagogue came through the war undamaged despite the theft of part of its contents. The Jewish community at Meerssen was officially dissolved in 1947 and administratively merged into the Jewish community at Maastricht. The synagogue was sold in 1946. What was left of its interior was removed and reinstalled in the synagogue at Maastricht. The former synagogue at Meerssen was heavily damaged by fire in 1977. Later, it was restored by the Kring van Vrienden van de Synagoge Meerssen (The Association of Friends of the Meerssen Synagogue). The former synagogue has served as a social and cultural center since 1989. A Torah scroll originally from Meerssen and later in the possession of the Jewish Historical Museum Amsterdam was returned to the former synagogue in 1996. The Jewish cemetery at Meerssen was declared a national monument and later restored. It is currently maintained by the local authorities.

Meerssen has a small but surprisingly busy shopping district. It is not especially pedestrian friendly since the roads are not closed off but the sidewalks are wide and the speed limit is only 30kph. There are a few brand name stores, grocery stores, cafe`s, and pubs in the town. The stores go beyond the obvious area of the downtown district. It wouldn't be a shopping destination for me but if you visit the town you can definitely get something to eat or drink while there.

There are many interesting buildings spread out through the town but none that are exceptionally old (by local standards). These are typical "Maasland" style buildings from the early to mid-1800's.

If you walk or drive south out of Meerssen, past the train station, across the train tracks, toward Rothem and ultimately Maastricht, you will see the Jewish cemetery on your right.  If you continue straight ahead you will come to a traffic circle. Go straight through and under highway A2 and head towards Maastricht. You will pass a Gatehouse for an estate, seen here.  Just a little further on there will be a road to your right that passes by the estate. This road is called Weert Straat. 

Follow that over the railroad tracks and you will come to Kasteel Vaeshartelt. Follow signs to Parking (left of the main building seen here). This former home of King William is now a hotel and conference center. On the grounds is a small restaurant and what they are calling an English Garden. The garden area is open and free to the public during daylight hours.

The information sign says the strolling route would take about an hour of leisurely walking and there are explanatory signs along the way (only in Dutch I am sorry to say). But the signs have old pictures or drawings so you can at least see what the place looked like in its hay day. I walked around a little bit but I was walking to Maastricht so I didn't spend too much time here.

If you walk from Meerssen, it is a pleasant 30 minute walk at the most and it will allow you to stop and see the cemetery and the estate I mentioned above. You might walk up an appetite and then enjoy your own snack while sitting in the garden or buy something at the cafe` on the grounds.

I walked in to Maastricht and that portion of the trip is unrelated to Meerssen. Actually so is Kasteel Vaeshartelt but it is well worth the small side trip for you.

I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy the small towns in our area.