Nov. 29--Students at Heritage High School will head for Boppin' Bo's Malt Shop & Grill to load up on grease.
Now, don't get the wrong idea: Operators Larry "Bo" Bowman and his wife, Betty, offer plenty of tasty meals and snacks, frying only with non-transfat vegetable oil that is changed out virtually daily.
But, that used oil is precisely what students in Heritage's popular biodiesel fuel program covet.
This week, the Bowmans and Heritage sealed a deal for the Vancouver Plaza eatery to supply its used oil and grill grease. It becomes the first private, dedicated supplier for the school program.
Until now, all oil has come from various Evergreen district school kitchens and from helpful donors.
"We really like supporting the schools," Betty Bowman said as Heritage teacher Jim Neiman and about a dozen students showed off filtering and production equipment outside the shop on a recent afternoon.
"It's hard to help (the community), when you're a small business. This is something we can do," she said.
Students explained how they extract fuel from used oils.