HCCC News March 3 - 9, 2018
GOOD TO DO & KNOW!
Congratulations to Phenix School, the Winter 2018 Hampton Clean & Green Workplaces Award winner! On March 1, at the Virginia Peninsula Clean Business Forum, George P. Phenix School received the Hampton Clean & Green Workplaces Award. The school was recognized for its many green school efforts, including having an active recycling program, including special collections of plastic bags, installing several gardens around the school, highlighting Earth Day Spirit Week for students, encouraging Meatless Mondays at the school, and establishing a Green Team club for students. In addition, the school was built with high environmental standards to be highly efficient with water and energy. Phenix School representatives who accepted the award were Dawn Gerbing and Trekita Johnson. The award was presented by Kay Trotter, Deputy Director of Hampton Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services.
Vice Mayor Linda Curtis and Kay Trotter welcomed the participants from Hampton, James City County, Newport News, and York County. Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Chair Jim Williams led the Forum.
The speaker for the Forum was Michael Benedetto, President of TFC Recycling, who talked about the impact that changes in the recycling markets due to Chinese rules was having on recycling collection and markets.
We are very grateful to Old Point National Bank for allowing us to use their Community Room for the event. We especially thank Laura Moore, who served as sponsor for the event!
If you know of a business that fulfills many of the following criteria, nominate them for a Clean & Green Workplaces Award by contacting hccc@hampton.gov:
- Litter-free efforts apparent (examples: litter-free premises, trash and/or recycling containers, signage, litter containment measures, ash receptacles near entrances of buildings, litter prevention procedures in waste disposal and loading areas, participation in the Adopt-A-Spot program)
- Attractive premises (examples: neat appearance, tastefully colorful exterior decor, inviting entrance, flowers and floral displays, hanging baskets, art work, murals)
- Contributions to community, community partnerships, donations, sponsorships (examples: contributions to greening the community with youth participation, Hampton Clean City Commission committee or project participation)
- Recycling and/or waste – reduction efforts (examples: participation in one or more recycling programs, use of city composting, purchasing recycled products, paperless billing efforts, stocking reusable tableware in office breakroom or kitchen, reducing or eliminating the use of harmful chemicals, sponsoring school recycling efforts)
- Urban forestry (examples: preservation or planting of native trees, trees used to shade parking lot, donations for planting public trees)
- Sustainable landscaped areas that are attractive and beneficial to local wildlife (examples: pollinator gardens, water wise landscaping, organic and bee safe practices, employee vegetable gardens)
- Energy conservation practices (examples: sensor lights in restrooms, use of awnings or plantings to shade windows and buildings in summers, lights off rules for rooms not in use, use of renewable energy options)
- Water conservation practices (examples: sensor faucets and toilets, xeriscaped landscape, water recycling efforts in manufacturing, low-flow toilets, participation in water-quality volunteer programs like oyster gardening and waterway cleanups)
- Overall impression of workplace (examples: curb appeal, customer friendliness, inviting atmosphere)
- Heritage preservation (examples: heritage tree protection, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, heritage garden landscaping, support of Hampton heritage preservation efforts)
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Rain Barrel Workshop! Saturday, March 10, 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.
Additional dates: March 23 (1pm), March 24 (9am), April 14 (1pm)
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Fundraising Paint Night at Painting With A Twist, March 16, 7-9pm, 1230 Merchant Ln, Hampton, VA 23666. The Hampton Clean City Commission is holding another paint night on March 16, 2018, at 7pm to raise money for school program give-aways, which could include pencils, activity books, or other mementos of our lessons. Right now we have a few activity books, but no pencils or other premiums, and no money in the budget to purchase them.
The registration fee is $35/person.
Go to https://www.paintingwithatwist.com/studio/hampton-va/event/1477197 and use the password MOON to sign up!
This is a fun way to help us reach out to the young people in our community about litter prevention, beautification, and recycling.
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HCCC welcomes three new Adopt-A-Sponsors this month: Golden Key Honor Society of Hampton University, JBLE 733 LRS/Fuels Management Flight, and Sisters Inspiring Sisters! Thank you all so much for partnering with us in "Keeping Hampton Clean & Beautiful Since 1978!"
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Free Tree For Me Tree And Shrub Giveaway, Saturday, March 10 at 9:30am – 12pm, Brittingham Midtown Community Center, 570 McLawhorne Dr, Newport News, Virginia 23601. There will be free bare root tree and shrub seedlings given away to the community. Open to residents of all localities. Free event. Everyone is welcome. Please bring a large trash bag to place your tree(s) and shrub(s) in, as one will not be provided. These trees are provided by the Virginia Forestry Department by way of a generous donation from the Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Company. Event is organized by Mohamed and Cheri Elrahhal, Newport News residents. Available while supplies last and are available on a first come, first serve basis. Quantities limited.
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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:
Saturday, March 10, 11am
Schedule for Dandy Haven, 374 Dandy Haven Rd:
Thursday, April 1, 8:30am
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Walk Hampton Clean, April 21 - 28! SAVE THE DATE! Pick a site, pick a date, pick a time, and pick up your supplies! Let’s make Hampton sparkling clean in celebration of Earth Day! Contact Cris Ausink for information at causink@hampton.gov.
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International Children’s Festival, Mill Point Park and Downtown Hampton, 10am – 5pm! We need volunteers to provide litter-free event cleanup throughout the festival. Email hccc@hampton.gov if you’d like to help!
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Community Collection Day April 28, Goodwill Center, 1911 Saville Row, 9am - Noon! SAVE THE DATE! Electronics, household goods, non-perishable food and monetary donations for the Peninsula Foodbank, plastic bags, and more will be collected! Watch for additional news! We’ll need volunteers to help with the collections, too, so email hccc@hampton.gov if you’d like to help! Partners are Foodbank of the Virginia Peninsula and Goodwill of Virginia.
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Cleanup volunteers: The list of extremely littered spots is growing! We really need your help! We’ll be adding some additional community cleanups, but we would welcome your willingness to plan a cleanup at one of these sites:
- Big Bethel Road
- Freeman Drive
- Hampton Roads Center Parkway at Big Bethel Road
- Hampton Roads Center Parkway at Armstead Avenue
- Mercury Blvd at LaSalle Avenue
- Village Drive
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Volunteers Needed to Distribute Know Your Zone Stickers to Hampton Households! Are you part of a group that could help distribute large numbers of stickers on trash days starting in April? Public Works would very much appreciate your help! We want to make sure everyone knows which zone they live in so they will be better equipped to respond to emergency messages. Sign up at hccc@hampton.gov.
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2018 Community Cleanups Schedule
- March 16, 3pm – E Street Part 2 (Aluminum Avenue to 58th Street)
- April 20, 3pm – Nettles Lane
- May 18, 3pm – Big Bethel Road (W Park Lane – Isaac Lane)
- June 15, 3pm – Milford Avenue/Bright Street/Westwood Ave/Shell Road
- July 20, 9am – Lee Street (Armistead to South Armistead)
- August 17, 9am – Darling Stadium
- September 21, 9am – Shell Road (Algonquin to Colonial)
- October 19, 3pm – Shell Road (Pine Ave to Childs Ave)
- November 16, 3pm – Aberdeen Road (Briarfield to Wingfield, including Wingfield)
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Hampton Waterways Restoration Project Meeting, March 8, Fort Monroe Community Center, 100 Stilwell Drive, 6:30pm, information at causink@hampton.gov
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Beautification Committee Meeting, March 12, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 11am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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Commission Meeting, March 13, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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Water Quality Monitoring, March 18, 1pm, Back River and Elizabeth Lake. Contact Cris at causink@hampton.gov or 727-5811
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Organizations that would like to join in the Creation Care Day are welcome to contact Jan Spencer at mspencer 11@cox.net! If you would like to attend, save the date in your calendar! Also, HCCC will be there with a display – would you like to help with the display? Contact hccc@hampton.gov.
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Volunteers Needed for Hampton Community Gardens! Volunteers who can cut, nail, and/or screw together garden boxes are very much needed by our Hampton Community Gardens! The Community Garden Coordinator needs to build a compost bin and five raised bed boxes at North Phoebus Community Garden and a compost bin at Phoebus Community Garden. Contact Hampton VA Community Gardens at wendy.iles@hampton.gov to sign up! Do something good for Hampton this winter!
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Hampton Master Gardener Brown Bag Workshops with VCE Hampton Master Gardener Lise Schioler, all classes 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Free to the Public! Brown bag lunches welcome at both locations. Pizza is available for a nominal donation at the ViGYAN conference room.
- Lawn Care, March 13, Northampton Library
- Container Gardening, March 27, ViGYAN conference room
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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! Fort Monroe won the Hampton Clean & Green Business Award, which was presented at the Virginia Peninsula Clean Business Forum, February 28, 2008 to Jennifer Guerrero and Becky Holland by John Golden and Councilman Joe Spencer.
HCCC History! Hampton High School Antaeus Society and Cooper Elementary Ecology Club were recognized by Hampton City Council for the Keep America Beautiful Awards on February 28, 1991. Familiar faces were Shirley Sypolt, School Pride in Action Committee and the advisor to the Cooper Ecology Club; Joyce Corriere, advisor to the Hampton High Antaeus Society; and Councilman Rhet Tignor. At the same meeting, Council issued a Great American Cleanup proclamation, which was presented by Councilwoman Linda McNeeley to Harriet Storm, Chair of HCCC.
HCCC History! On February 29, 1992, Hampton High School was the site of the regional Clean Community Systems Student Environmental Conference. The Hampton High School Antaeus Society helped plan the event, which included a variety of speakers and activities. The HHS NJROTC helped with directing participants to workshops.
HCCC History! Susan Larson was introduced to Hampton City Council as the new HCCC coordinator by Thomas Brown, HCCC Chair, on February 26, 1988. Here she is wearing her newspaper dress!
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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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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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March 8: Hampton Waterways Restoration Project Meeting, Fort Monroe Community Center, 100 Stilwell Drive, 6:30pm, information at causink@hampton.gov
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March 12: Beautification Committee Meeting, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 11am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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March 13: Commission Meeting, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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March 14: School Pride In Action Committee Meeting, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 4:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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March 20: Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Meeting, Goodwill Community Employment Center, 1911 Saville Row, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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March 22: Fundraising Committee Meeting, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 11am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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April 5: Litter & Recycling Awareness Committee Meeting, Mama Rosa’s Restaurant, 617 E Mercury Blvd, 11:30am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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