HCCC News: April 13, 2018
GOOD TO DO & KNOW!
Spring is a busy time for us – we’d appreciate anything you can do to help and participate! Thank you for doing your part in keeping Hampton Clean and Beautiful!
Many thanks to the Adopt-A-Spot participants who turned in reports since March 30th! We’re going to highlight those who turn their reports in each week, so you can see who makes clean happen in Hampton!
Marnita Edwards, reported for the Hampton Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 1.5 hours, 7 volunteers cleaned up 7 bags of trash and 301 cigarette butts on Armistead Avenue between Pembroke and Settlers Landing on March 31.
Brandy Marks reported that One Love CommUNITY cleaned up River Street Park on the 31st, cleaning up 2 bags of trash and 200 cigarette butts. She also reported that NoSleep Entertainment cleaned up Mill Point Park on the 31st, and removed 2 bags of trash and 150 cigarette butts. And on April 8, both NoSleep Entertainment and One Love CommUNITY cleaned up Mill Point Park and River Street Park again, picking up a combined 3 bags of trash and 225 cigarette butts.
Linda Boone reported that Friends of the Salt Marsh cleaned up Ft Worth Street on April 2, and 3 volunteers filled 14 shopping bags with trash and removed 75 cigarette butts.
Sharon Fladger said the Fladger Family picked up 1 bag of trash and 32 cigarette butts from a section of Woodland Road and Elizabeth Lake drive.
Eric Leach reported 3 cleanups for Hampton Omega Foundation. The members cleaned up Cooper Elementary School on March 10, picking up 5 bags of trash from the school grounds, and North King Street on March 11 and 18, removing 4 bag of trash in total.
Chris Smith reported that Smith Family of Baker’s Farm cleaned up Semple Farm Road on March 17, removing 3 bags of trash and 325 cigarette butts.
Dave Forrest reported that the Phoebus United Methodist Men cleaned up Willard Road on March 11, netting 2 bags of trash and a bunch of cigarette butts.
Michael Schetting reported that the Wythe Exchange Club volunteers cleaned up 5 bags of trash and 600+ cigarette butts from Hampton Roads Center Parkway between Coliseum Drive and Magruder Boulevard on March 10.
Janet Tucker reported that Downtown Hampton Exchange Club cleaned the intersection of Armistead and Pembroke on March 10 and removed 2 bags of trash and 450 cigarette butts.
Officer Myers reported that 17 volunteers from the Hampton Police Department Training Unit picked up 18 bags of trash and 704 cigarette butts on Bethel Avenue on April 11.
Never doubt for a minute that the volunteers and groups that participate in the Adopt-A-Spot program are not a dedicated bunch! You might think we’re crazy for the focus on the 3062 cigarette butts (plus a bunch), but by number they are the single most littered item. They find their way into our waterways and pollute water at the rate of two gallons per cigarette butt. They’re hard to pick up, and oh so numerous! Please ask your friends, family, and neighbors who smoke to properly dispose of their cigarettes? Thanks!
Adopt-A-Spot participants, send photos so we can spice up this weekly report!
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Kudos to Ryan Adams, Shirley Boyd, Pat Parker, and Loye Spencer! They took time out of their busy schedules to attend the Virginia Council for Litter Prevention & Recycling meeting on April 5 in Harrisonburg with HCCC staff member Debbie Blanton! It was a long drive, but at the meeting they heard about programs in other communities, shared info about our programs, and helped carry some give-away items back to the Clean City Commission, including books for young children and reusable bags!
By the way, did you know there was a VCLPR Facebook Group? It’s a place to share information about litter and recycling and pick up new ideas and friends! Join today and invite your friends who are passionate about trash! https://www.facebook.com/groups/VCLPR/.
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Tour de Trash, April 6, was a small but mighty tour! The 12 participating tourists saw a side of Bethel Landfill that few see – the back side, which has already been capped. In addition, they saw the view from the top of the landfill, saw the trash being covered, and checked out the water treatment facility and the electricity generating plant. Of course they visited the Hampton Steam Plant, in fact, John MacDonald, Steam Plant Manager, is on the left in this photo. At the VPPSA Composting Facility they saw the compost being turned and received samples, and were amazed at the size of the thermometers used to check compost temperatures! At Branscome Construction they saw the asphalt and concrete that’s being recycled there. At Versability Resources they learned about electronics recycling and so much more. Finally, at TFC Recycling’s transfer site, they saw where our recyclables go temporarily until it is taken to the Material Recovery Facility in Chesapeake. It was a fabulous day with great weather and great people to share the tour with! Thank you Norm & Karen Otto (who were on a mystery date); Joann, Melissa, and Maria Goodman; Loye Spencer; Claudia Pillich; Trish Duncan; Cecil Turner; and Jennifer & Michael Justice! Thank you to Hampton Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Services for providing the transportation. The next tour will be Tour de Recycling in November, unless something exciting pops up before then! For more information about Tour de Trash and related activities, including school tours; contact hccc@hampton.gov.
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YARDS Judges Training, April 9, was a great success! Gaylynn Johnson, Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Associate ANR/Horticulture Extension Agent, gave a great training presentation. Jim Williams, former VCE agent and long-time YARDS trainer, was there to add to the fun. Following the “classroom” training and lunch from Jason’s Deli, the group went to visit the yard of multiple-times Yard of the Year winner Marie Hare. After all the oohs and aahs that always happen when someone sees Marie’s yard, she served cake to the group! It was a great day, and we have a great YARDS Judges team! Thank you Barb Abraham, Shirley Boyd, Lana Brin, Gary Holloway, Melany Libby, Susan Lundin, Pat Parker, Loye Spencer, Marty Tennille, Anne Tucker, Cecil Turner, and Nancy Williams, and also Gaylynn Johnson and Jim Williams, for the wonderful training day. We look forward to your YARDS Judging season!
Now we need some great nominations! When you see a beautiful yard, or if you know of someone who landscapes organically or has a wildlife habitat on their property, please send a nomination via our web link at https://hampton.gov/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions--Committees-5/YARDS-Contest-Nomination-Form-53, email at hccc@hampton.gov, or by phone at 727-1130. All we need is the Hampton street address, we’ll take care of the rest. For more information, contact hccc@hampton.gov.
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Asbury Elementary School is finishing up its race to win the Plastic Bag Challenge for its division. Volunteer Lisa Garber delivered 70 pounds of bags to a grocery store and is picking up the final bags from Asbury this weekend. The Trex Plastic Bag Challenge ends April 15. Lisa noted in her Facebook post, “Plastic bags recycled and kept out of the waste stream by students, parents, faculty, staff and neighbors and friends of Asbury Elementary School. In an annual competition sponsored by the Trex Corp, which uses the recycled plastic to manufacture garden furniture and decking, schools all across the country compete for prizes. This is about 70 lbs of bags.”
Thanks Lisa, for the photo and the help you give Asbury!
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Green things are happening at Phenix School!
The Green Team members are making one big last push to win the Trex Company Plastic Bag Challenge for the division - the Bag Lady has been working hard to encourage everyone to bring in their bags.
Green Team members redesigned recycling boxes to keep people from putting trash in them.
And students are working hard on finishing their contemplation garden by Earth Week! Whew!
Thanks, Phenix, for being a Green School! Phenix PreK-8 School Hampton City Schools
COMING THIS WEEK OR NEXT!
Water Quality Monitoring, April 16, 1pm, Back River and Elizabeth Lake. Contact Cris at causink@hampton.gov or 727-5811, or Claire Neubert at dcneubert@hotmail.com.
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Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Meeting, April 17, Goodwill Employment Center, Room 235, 1911 Saville Row, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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Nettles Lane Community Cleanup, April 20, 3pm! This beautiful Hampton road gets littered a lot because it’s less populated. Please come out to help us on Friday, April 20, 3pm. Sign up at hccc@hampton.gov.
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Last Chance for a Rain Barrel Workshop! Saturday, May 12th, 9 - 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.
COMING THIS MONTH
STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS! 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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Walk Hampton Clean, April 21 - 28! 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 AND keep a LOT of trash out of our waterways!!
Sign up at https://hamptonmarketing.wufoo.com/forms/z1o5pr4p10cibga/.
Contact Cris Ausink for information at causink@hampton.gov.
Need walkers for WALK HAMPTON CLEAN EARTH WEEK!
This week’s feature is KING STREET.
• King Street from Gate to Little Back River Road
• King Street from Little Back River Road to Mercury Blvd.
• King Street from Mercury to Quash Rd.
• King Street from Quash to Lincoln
• King Street from Lincoln to the water!
Any takers?
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STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS! 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, Goodwill of Virginia, and the Phenix School Green Team.
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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:
- Aberdeen Rd Turnaround at Wendy’s on
- Big Bethel Road
- Carver Street
- Freeman Drive (would you believe it needs to be cleaned AGAIN?)
- Guy Street
- Hall Rd ditches
- Hampton Roads Center Parkway at Big Bethel Road
- Hampton Roads Center Parkway at Armstead Avenue
- Harris Creek Rd ditches
- Mercury Blvd at LaSalle Avenue
- Old Buckroe Rd ditches
- Pine Ave
- Quash Street
- River St Park shoreline rocks
- Tucker-Capps wooded area
- Tyler/Settler’s Landing/I-64 at HU Intersection
- Victoria Blvd HRT parking lot on houses side
- Village Drive
If you’re willing to help out: hccc@hampton.gov or 727-1130
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Our friends at Virginia Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Program are looking for an adult female volunteer to take to 4-H camp the week of July 23rd - 27th. If interested or if you know of someone, please contact Mrs. Baker at kllucas@vt.edu or call VCE-Hampton office at 757-727-1401. The camp is held at our Jamestown 4-H Educational Center in Williamsburg.
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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! HCCC, the Planning Department, and the Marketing Department held an Arbor Day Parade that ended at Hampton City Hall in April 1990. Students from the Downtown Hampton Day Care Center paraded in tree costumes. Ellen DeMaria thanked the parade participants, Joan Kennedy joined in the parade as a tree, and Mayor James Eason addressed the participants.
- HCCC History! Bethel Temple Adopt-A-Spot volunteers, April 2007
- HCCC History! Remarkable Trees Tour, April 3, 2009
- HCCC History! MOMs Club Cleanup at Cooper Elementary School, April 3, 2013
- HCCC History! On April 3, 1999 Parks & Recreation Department Director Laurine Press led an Arbor Day Ceremony at Air Power Park.
- HCCC History! Teaching & Talking Trash Teachers Workshop, April 4, 2002
- HCCC History! Lindsay Middle School Cleanup, April 5, 2003
- HCCC History! Exchange Club of Exchange Adopt-A-Spot participants, April 5, 2003
- HCCC History! Great American Cleanup volunteers from AmeriCorps, at the I-64/LaSalle ramp cleanup, April 5, 2000. Litter Awareness Committee Chair Pat Parker is in the background on the right.
- HCCC History! Phoebus High School National Honor Society Adopt-A-Spot Cleanup, April 5, 2003
- HCCC History! Walk Hampton Clean, April 12, 2014, included Peninsula Jaycees and Spratley Gifted Center volunteers.
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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 Rd)
- 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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2018 Community Cleanups Schedule
- 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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Nominate a Clean & Green Workplace for an award!
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
- Attractive premises
- Contributions to community, community partnerships, donations, sponsorships
- Recycling and/or waste – reduction efforts
- Urban forestry
- Sustainable landscaped areas that are attractive and beneficial to local wildlife
- Energy conservation practices
- Water conservation practices
- Overall impression of workplace
- Heritage preservation
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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.
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:
PLAN AHEAD FOR MEETINGS!
All HCCC meetings are open to the public, and we welcome your participation!
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April 17: Clean & Green Workplaces Committee Meeting, Goodwill Community Employment Center, 1911 Saville Row, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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May 3: Litter & Recycling Awareness Committee Meeting, Mama Rosa’s Restaurant, 617 E Mercury Blvd, 11:30am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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May 8: Commission Meeting, Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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May 10: Hampton Waterways Restoration Project Meeting, Fort Monroe Community Center, 100 Stilwell Drive, 6:30pm, information at causink@hampton.gov
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May 14: YARDS Judges Training (Beautification Committee), Hampton Clean City Commission Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 10am – 3pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
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May 16: School Pride In Action Committee Meeting, Panera Restaurant, 2170 Coliseum Dr h, 4:30pm, 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