News Flash

The Hampton Clean City Commission is pleased to announce the 2015 Environmental Excellence Award winners: Charles Sikes Jr., Loye Spencer, and Claire Neubert. These Hampton residents exemplify environmental service and dedication, and are examples to all.

Charles Sikes Jr. is the Bert Carr Litter Prevention Award winner. This award was established in memory of a former Chair of the Hampton Clean City Commission who was a strong proponent of a clean and beautiful Hampton. To be eligible for this award, winners must have participated in the Adopt-A-Spot program for five or more years, and then extended their environmental service into education efforts beyond the Adopt-A-Spot program. Sikes started the Bellgrade Good Neighbors Adopt-A-Spot in 2003, and led the group to expand the adopted area when Commander Shepard was extended past Magruder Boulevard. He helped initiate the installation of two pet waste stations in his neighborhood. When HCCC produced Adopt-A-Spot ads in 2008, Bellgrade Good Neighbors, led by Sikes, was there. He participated in the Hampton Schools Plastic Bag Recycling Project in 2012, helped set up the Schools Appearance Index in 2013, and served as a member of the HCCC Planning Retreat team in 2014.

Loye Spencer is the Harriet Storm Environmental Education Award winner. This award was named in honor of Harriet Nachman Storm, a former Chair of the Hampton Clean City Commission, who served on the board from 2002 to 2010. Harriet was a tireless advocate for the Clean City Commission, to City Council as well as to the public. Spencer has participated in Clean City Commission activities and programs for many years, serving on the Beautification, Litter Awareness, Hampton Waterways Restoration Project, and School Pride in Action committees. Loye has conducted a number of activities since her initial involvement at Booker Elementary School as a teacher. She has claimed her street as an Adopt-A-Spot recently, while serving as a YARDS Contest organizer, a member of the Tree Tours Committee, a scorer for both the Community Appearance & Litter Index and the Schools Appearance Index, and a number of educational and service projects. In addition she is both a Hampton Master Gardener and a Virginia Master Naturalist.

Claire Neubert is the Mary Jo Hogge Water Quality Award winner. This award was named for Mary Jo Hogge, a member of the Hampton Clean City Commission Board from 1988 - 1996. Her special love was the coastal beauty of Hampton, and she worked tirelessly to educate citizens about the importance of our coastal environment. Mary Jo initiated the first Hampton Coastal Conference in October 1990 and implemented succeeding efforts in the next few years. She passed away in 1998 and was active in coastal awareness advocacy to the end. Neubert stepped up the leadership of the Hampton Waterways Restoration Project committee from its beginning in 2014. As Chair of HWRP, she has worked hard to make water quality awareness and activity fun and interesting, introducing the idea of kayak cleanups, including educational presentations as part of the group meetings, setting up mechanisms within the committee to provide information to the rest of HCCC as well as to the public. She takes every opportunity to educate youth and adults through classroom presentations, displays, and even television interviews. Neubert has been an active participant in waterway cleanups since 2007 and joined the ranks of Chesapeake Bay Foundation oyster gardeners in 2008, and now the oyster population in Elizabeth Lake is rebounding. She started coordinating neighborhood participation in waterway cleanups in 2011.

For more information about the Hampton Clean City Commission’s Environmental Excellence Awards, contact hccc@hampton.gov or call 727-1130.