The Hampton Clean City Commission is pleased to announce its 2016 award winners! Special thanks are due to Mayor Donnie Tuck and Vice Mayor Linda Curtis for presenting many of the awards.
Environmental Excellence Award winners are selected based on the extraordinary contributions of individuals to improving the physical environment of the City of Hampton.
The Bert Carr Adopt-A-Spot Award is based on contributions from individuals who have participated in the Adopt-A-Spot program for more than five years and who have extended their efforts beyond cleanups. CAROL VENERIS, the coordinator of the Hampton Roads Networking Exchange Adopt-A-Spot effort at Bluebird Gap Farm, has been an active proponent of and participant in a variety of educational activities including displays, environmental stories, and outreach to expand the Adopt-A-Spot program to other groups. She has worked with staff at both the Hampton Clean City Commission and Bluebird Gap Farm to solve litter problems she and her group noticed while cleaning up.
The Harriet Storm Environmental Education Award is based on contributions from individuals in the area of environmental education and organizational development. DAVID CRANDOL has lead Boy Scouts for more than 20 years. During that time he has guided hundreds of young men in the Boy Scout ethic of leaving a place better than you found it, including mentoring about a dozen Eagle Scout candidates. David lives the example he sets for the scouts – he builds garden boxes for disabled people, contributed a vertical garden to a Clean City fundraiser last year, and jumps in with both feet to help educate and lead young Scouts.
Mary Jo Hogge Water Quality Award is based on contributions to improving water quality and awareness in Hampton. REBECCA CORCORAN has improved Hampton waterways by leading a series of kayak-and-small-boat clean-ups, chairs the Water Quality Monitoring program for Hampton Waterways Restoration Project, initiated bat house habitat project, and is one of founding members of HWRP.
Clean City Awards recognize those citizens, organizations, and workplaces that go well beyond the average enthusiasm that is common among clean city advocates in Hampton. They give their whole hearts to making Hampton a cleaner and greener city.
BLUEBIRD GAP FARM has been bringing environmental and nature education to Hampton and surrounding cities for 47 years. The Farm staff members have added programs designed to connect the youth of Hampton with the nature surrounding them while teaching them about proper pet care and human impact on wildlife and ecology.
COYOTE MOUNTAIN RIDGE ACADEMY students participated in Tour de Trash, volunteered and completed over a dozen litter prevention and reduction events, completed numerous educational classes and seminars on the environment, recycling, stormwater improvement, and learned about the benefits and implementation of gardening.
GEORGE CURRAN volunteers his time freely and has participated with many monthly cleanups of the Buckroe Improvement League. His biggest pet peeve is cigarette litter and he has collected thousands of butts from our streets and parks. In addition, he has participated in a variety of Hampton Waterways Restoration Projects and helps with the Clean City Commission’s Schools Index.
HAMPTON CITY SCHOOLS SCIENCE DEPARTMENT has been instrumental in working with schools on a variety of environmental projects. They provided training to 56 teachers at all levels on incorporating schoolyard restoration projects and field investigations; coordinated 10 schools (19 teachers and 450 students) from elementary, middle, and high school in raising and planting 20,000 oysters in local waterways; provided funding for the purchase of plants from Countryside Gardens for all schools to use in establishing school gardens or beautifying their school grounds; funded outdoor waterway classes for 725 students at all levels with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and James River Association; analyzed water quality data from a variety of sources; and alerted schools to, and encouraged participation in the International Coastal Clean-up and Clean the Bay Day.
IVY BAPTIST CHURCH recognized the lack of monetary and physical support for the 18-acre Pleasant Shade Cemetery. Rev. Swann and his congregation adopted a very large section to maintain the trash and grass for the entire year.
PAUL KNOPFLE maintains the entrance circle for Merrimac Shores, and does so much more. In addition to his overall efforts to beautify the neighborhood, he also picks up any litter at the circle and the waterfront park, including the beach rocks. He rebuilt the old merry-go-round in the park and sought help to reconstruct the center. After the tornado destroyed the playground equipment in the park, he selected the replacements and installed two canopies for the park (since the tornado destroyed the shade trees).
DAWN CURRIER LAWRENCE lives an environmental education example for the youth that are a constant presence in her duties as park ranger and biologist around Hampton’s parks - volunteering for cleanups, and picking up trash at the parks. When she conducts educational programs for young children she consistently ties in the effects of litter on wildlife, which is something children relate to strongly.
LINWOOD ROSE AND HIS DOG FANCY have been walking around Buckroe, Phoebus, and Fox Hill for more than five years, picking up litter together every day. Though they have not counted how much litter they've picked up, they have completed more than 1800 cleanups.
MOTON EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER staff members educate the entire school the importance of taking care of our planet through special presentations, story times, and activities. The students and staff recycle and reduce waste from the beginning of each school year to the end. The school’s waste awareness efforts are crowned by an Earth Day celebration that includes signing a pledge and having the cutest parade in the school system.
MARA YOKO chaired an innovative art show event that raised awareness of the impact of litter on our waterways. This project also generated a donation from the hosting art gallery, which has been earmarked for water quality monitoring supplies for 2017 and beyond. Mara is a longtime supporter of Hampton Waterways Restoration Project and has participated in numerous waterway and kayak cleanups. In addition, she has participated in educational programs like Tour de Trash.
Green School Awards recognize no more than five schools that develop environmental programs and activities in six areas: litter prevention, environmental education within the classrooms and in extracurricular activities, school beautification, environmental leadership through related clubs, and energy and water conservation. Student participation in these efforts is a big part of the overall success of the programs.
Green School Award winners are:
BURBANK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN SCHOOL
JONES MAGNET MIDDLE SCHOOL
PHENIX SCHOOL
SPRATLEY GIFTED CENTER
Honorable Mention Green Schools are:
Armstrong School for the Arts, Asbury Elementary School, Barron Elementary School, Langley Elementary School, Moton Early Childhood Center,
Phoebus High School
Yard of the Year winners, MARY & BERTRAM HARDNETT, exemplify both beauty and sustainability in their yard. Their landscape has curb appeal, is well maintained, minimizes the use of chemicals, includes native plants that are placed appropriately for long-term growth, and has unique creative personal touches.
Hampton Clean & Green Award winners for 2016 are CALVARY ASSEMBLY OF GOD and CHICK-FIL-A MARKETPLACE DRIVE.
Golden Litter Stick Awards are achieved by Adopt-A-Spot participants who clean up 20 or more times each year. The 2016 winners are:
JIM & MARGARET BARTLETT
BELLGRADE GOOD NEIGHBORS
MARILYN BURNEY
ELIZABETH LAKE MORNING WALKERS
HAMPTON ALUMNA CHAPTER DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY
HAMPTON CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS
JACKIE CANNAN
MCLEAN FAMILY
NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY CENTER STAFF
SCHULTZ FAMILY
SKF LUBRICATION SYSTEMS USA
SPRATLEY ECOLOGY CLUB
TIDEMILL MACHEN CIVIC ASSOCIATION
WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Extra Mile Awards are achieved by Adopt-A-Spot participants who clean up 10 to 19 times throughout the year. The 2016 winners are:
ABERDEEN GARDENS & HISTORICAL CIVIC ASSOCIATION
BUCKROE IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE
FLADGER FAMILY
IOTA PHI THETA FRATERNITY, GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER
JACK REZABEK & CORLEASE SILLS
PHOEBUS UNITED METHODIST MEN
ROBERT E. SEGER
SMITH FAMILY OF BAKER’S FARM
ST. PAUL’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
THE BETA CHAPTER IOTA PHI THETA, INC. HU
We want to express special thanks to those whose support made our Volunteer Recognition Dinner special:
Phoebus High School for the use of the facilities
Blue Phantom Inn for providing the food
Calvin Pearson’s Promotions Mart
Image Specialties of Virginia
Armstrong School for the Arts for designing the Golden Litter Stick Awards
VCE Hampton Master Gardeners for their donation
Friends of Sandy Bottom for their donation
Boy Scout Troop #151 for providing the Presentation of Colors
Taberna Country Club for the golfing prize
Robert Biedron, Western Light Imaging, for the Environmental Excellence Awards and the door prizes
Wendy Iles, Jim Williams, and Debbie Blanton for the centerpieces
Phoebus Woman’s Club for door prizes
Hampton History Museum for door prizes
Hampton Parks, Recreation & Leisure Services for door prizes
Hampton Marketing INC for door prizes and bag stuffers
The Hampton Coliseum for door prizes
The American Theatre for door prizes
CineBistro/Score of Peninsula Town Center for door prizes
Sam Rust Seafood for door prizes
Starbucks for door prizes
Virginia Living Museum for door prizes