HCCC News, January 20 – 26, 2018
GOOD TO DO & KNOW!
Rain Barrel Workshop! Saturday, February 24, 9am – 11am, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street. Learn how and why to make a rain barrel, take yours home, and then make some more! $50 registration fee covers barrel and fittings. Register at https://va-hampton2.civicplus.com/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions-Committees-5/Rain-Barrel-Workshop-Registration-127.
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A New Year is a Great Time to Renew Your Recycling Resolutions!
You should all have received your 2018 - 2019 recycling calendar by now. If you haven’t, be sure to contact 311 to receive one. (727-8311 or www.hampton.gov/311)
Take another look at the items you CAN recycle, and those you can’t. 311 and HCCC are always glad to answer questions. The most important rule is “When in doubt, throw it out!” With the increasing requirements of foreign markets on uncontaminated recyclables, anything you put in that shouldn’t be there may hurt our ability to recycle. Check out the Public Works Recycling Guide at http://www.hampton.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14663.
Some of the WORST items people try to recycle that absolutely CANNOT be recycled in our recycling program are:
- Plastic bags or sheeting – not even containing recyclables!
- Foamed plastic (“styrofoam”)
- Coat hangers
- Water hoses
- Food waste
- Baby diapers
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Visit a Hampton Waterways Restoration Project Oyster Gardening Demonstration at one or both of two local marinas! The schedule is designed to make it easy for you to come whenever you can! Register for a tour or to help oyster garden at causink@hampton.gov. Small groups are welcome!
Schedule for Sunset Creek, 4337 Kecoughtan Rd:
Sat. Jan. 20, 11am
Sun. Feb. 11, 1pm
Schedule for Dandy Haven, 374 Dandy Haven Rd:
Thurs. Feb. 1, 8:30am
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The Peninsula Master Naturalists collected enough plastic bags to win bench for Gosnold’s Hope Park from Trex! YAY Master Naturalists!
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Hampton Community Gardens SEED SWAP, Jan. 27 at 10am at N. Phoebus Community Center, 249 W. Chamberlin Ave. Bring your extra seeds and share/swap them with others. This will also be a great place to meet other gardeners and build our community.
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HCCC History! June 28, 2018 will be HCCC’s 40th anniversary, and we’re highlighting volunteers and achievements from the past to the best of our ability. If YOU have photos, stories, experiences, or mementos that you would like to share with us, we’d love them! In the regard to the mementos, please send photos of them. J The following are stories we posted this week, with a little extra information:
HCCC History! Carrie Sparkman, a member of the Hampton High School Antaeus Society, helped with after-school enrichment programs. Here she is at Bassette Elementary School on January 13, 2003.
HCCC History! Chair Woody Holder and Vice Mayor Joe Spencer at the Hampton City Council re-presentation of HCCC's National Affiliate Award on January 14, 2004.
HCCC History! Thanks to a donation from the Peninsula Garden Club, HCCC planted thousands of daffodils at Honor Park. Rhet Tignor (left) and HCCC Chair Woody Holder (right) accepted the donation on November 22, 2002.
HCCC History! Chick-Fil-A on Coliseum Drive was the Winter 2005 Clean Business Award winner!
HCCC History! Thomas Nelson Community College volunteers cleaned up Bright's Creek, January 19, 2007
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Share information about our upcoming events!
GOOD TO REMEMBER!
Recycle all your plastic food, beverage, and household containers!! Yay TFC Recycling for including all plastic household containers in their list of recyclables! Take advantage of the opportunity! Yogurt cups – check! Applesauce cups – check! Syrup bottles - check!! Just remember – NO foamed plastic (“styrofoam”)! If you’d like some guidance, visit the Round Robin episode on recycling plastics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbsuPXIFBiQ&list=PL3761D4B106784B15&index=7.
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Drop-off Recycling Information – if you live in an apartment or condominium and don’t have recycling provided by your management, or if you have a lot of extra recyclables for some reason, you can use one of Hampton’s three drop-off containers! They’re located at:
- Hampton Yard Waste Site, 100 North Park Lane (just off Big Bethel Road)
- Briarfield Park, 1540 Briarfield Road
- Gosnold’s Hope Park, 900 Little Back River Road
All these sites accept the same materials that are accepted in the curbside recycling program! Including the cartons and plastics!
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Help Needed: Sign your group up for some very special, very much needed cleanups! We’ve been asked to recruit volunteers to clean up some highly littered areas on a one-time basis, or, if you really like the spot, an Adopt-A-Spot basis. These sites are all adults only, require the use of safety vests, exercising extreme caution, and working facing the traffic. They also require early morning cleanups, preferably on weekends.
Here are the sites, along with information about them:
- Armistead Intersection at Hampton Roads Center Parkway: This site would work for a smaller group (approximately 10). The work would involve cleaning the roadsides of the intersection as noted in the attached map. We will provide safety signs for approaching traffic. Volunteers would be asked to minimize crossing the streets and crossing only at the intersection.
- Big Bethel Road Intersection at Hampton Roads Center Parkway: This site would work for a smaller group (approximately 10). The work would involve cleaning the roadsides of the intersection as noted in the attached map. We will provide safety signs for approaching traffic. Volunteers would be asked to minimize crossing the streets and crossing only at the intersection.
- Mercury at LaSalle Interchange: Because of the high volume, high-speed traffic and the blind curves at this site, we need to coordinate with Public Works to be protected by crash trucks. Despite the additional coordination, this site is the worst of the three and desperately needs cleaning. Ideally, we would have 20 – 40 volunteers at this site.
If you and your group are interested in claiming one of these sites for cleanup, please contact Debbie at hccc@hampton.gov.
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If you have some sheets and blankets that are too good to throw away or recycle, but not really good enough to give to a charity, the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter is the perfect place for them! Drop them at 5843 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, 8am-5pm 7 days a week, or call 757-933-8900 for information.
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GOOD DEED
If you see a good Clean City deed being done, send us the information and we’ll give kudos to the good-deed-doer!
ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Looking for Recycling Feedback: What do you need to know to be the best recycler you can be? Email hccc@hampton.gov
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Looking for NEWSLETTER Feedback: What do we need to do to give you a newsletter you can use? Email hccc@hampton.gov
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Looking for nominations for:
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS!
All HCCC meetings are open to the public, and we welcome your participation!
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January 25: Fundraising Committee Meeting, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 11:00am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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February 1: Litter & Recycling Awareness Committee Meeting, Mama Rosa’s Restaurant, 617 E Mercury Blvd, 11:30am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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February 8: Hampton Waterways Restoration Project Meeting, Fort Monroe Community Center, 100 Stilwell Drive, 6:30pm, information at causink@hampton.gov
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February 12: Beautification Committee Meeting, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 11am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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February 13: Commission Meeting, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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February 14: School Pride In Action Committee Meeting, Google Meet, https://meet.google.com/, 4:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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February 20: Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Meeting, Goodwill Community Employment Center, 1911 Saville Row, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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LOOKING FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS!
Hampton Clean City Commission Board – oversees the programs and projects of the Hampton Clean City Commission and focuses on recognizing volunteers, board members are appointed by City Council. Contact hccc@hampton.gov for more information. Fill out a Board Bank application at https://hampton.granicus.com/boards/forms/239/apply/623877?code=34def5d9-e341-4ae1-9448-a571250065f4.
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Beautification Committee – works on a variety of projects including the YARDS Contest, tree tours, beautification projects, and education. Contact hccc@hampton.gov
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Clean & Green Workplaces Committee – works on the quarterly Clean & Green Business Awards, the Virginia Peninsula Clean Business Awards breakfast, and other workplace related projects. Contact hccc@hampton.gov
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Hampton Waterways Restoration Project – works on a variety of clean waterway projects, including shoreline cleanups, water monitoring, and education. Contact causink@hampton.gov
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Litter & Recycling Awareness Committee – works on cleaning up Hampton through special cleanups and the Adopt-A-Spot program, as well as encouraging litter-free events, solid waste education efforts, and trash tours. Contact hccc@hampton.gov
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School Pride In Action Committee – educators (formal and informal) who encourage environmental lessons and activities in the classroom and on the school grounds, as well as emphasizing teacher education. Contact hccc@hampton.gov