21st Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up Announced

The 2015 river cleanup has been scheduled for October 24. Click on the image to download the event flyer with directions. 

(Dalton, GA, September 24, 2015) –  Whitfield County and Murray County residents are invited to participate in the 21st Annual Conasauga Watershed Clean-up event on Saturday, October 24, 2015 to help keep local waterways clean. As one of the largest local volunteer events in the community the annual Conasauga River cleanup is hosted in partnership with several local non-profits, businesses, and environmental organizations during United Way’s Make a Difference Day. Last year 360 volunteers picked up and removed 10,630 pounds of garbage from seven locations.

Be a part of the tradition next month when you join many other volunteers to help clean-up the Conasauga. One of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, the Conasauga River supports 24 endangered species and a dozen other imperiled species, including the Southern Pigtoe mussel and the Conasauga logperch, a fish found nowhere else in the world.

This year’s event takes place from 9:00 am to noon at seven different sites across both Whitfield and Murray counties which includes:

1. Conasauga River at Carlton Petty Road bridge

2. Conasauga River at Highway 2 bridge

3. Conasauga River at Lower King’s Bridge and Norton Bridge

4. Holly Creek, Murray County, on the Chattahoochee National Forest

5. Mill Creek tributary in the City of Dalton

6. Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill

7. Lakeshore Park in the City of Dalton

Participants are encouraged to arrive a few minutes before 9:00 am for registration. Volunteers can expect to spend a couple of hours in the morning picking up trash and, depending on the location, removing invasive plants like Chinese privet. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes or boots, long pants, and long sleeve shirts. Gloves, and trash bags will be provided at each site. At least the first 250 will receive a free t-shirt with this year’s river cleanup logo from Rivers Alive, and another promo item as a thank you for participating.

To learn more about the river cleanup call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-278-5001 or visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org to download the event flyer with directions to each site. Join and share the event on Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.

Event organizers this year include: Conasauga River Alliance, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Limestone Valley RC & D, The Nature Conservancy, and Whitfield & Murray County Extension.

Sponsors include: Shaw Industries, J+J Industries, Dalton Utilities, Conasauga River Alliance, Modern Woodmen of America / Shell Underwood, The Nature Conservancy, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Whitfield County Public Works. 

6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

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The 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway. Pictured is the winning design for 2014 designed by Reina Paniagua, a 7th grader from Eastbrook Middle School.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce it’s 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County. 

Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15. The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed for at least four weeks on two billboards in Whitfield County in early November.

Schools in Whitfield County that can participate include Eastbrook Middle, New Hope Middle, North Whitfield Middle, Valley Point Middle, Westside Middle, Dalton Middle, Northstar School, Crossroads academy, Christian Heritage School, and Learning Tree School.

During the 2014 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Reina Paniagua, won first place overall.  Her design, chosen out of 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with a group of recyclable materials shouting out their desire to be recycled in a blue speech bubble.  

Themes for this year include, “I want to be recycled.”, and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels. The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners. 

The Contest Guide with an entry form can be downloaded at http://www.dwswa.org/target-recycling-at-school/.  Deadline for entries is Friday, October 9, 2015. There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 19, 2015. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org. To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

Compost Bin Sale This Saturday, May 9

Click the image above to download a PDF of the event flyer. 

(Dalton, GA, May 4, 2015) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is having a Compost Bin Sale during the Downtown Dalton Saturday Market at the Dalton Green. This Saturday, May 9, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm volunteers will be selling a limited number of the “Garden Gourmet” Backyard Composter for only $45.00 each, almost 50% off the retail price of $79.99. Residents may receive a free perennial with their purchase while supplies last.

 Make your own compost at home with a backyard composting bin. Compost is a beneficial soil amendment that can help your plants grow healthier.

Gardeners refer to compost as “black gold” because it keeps food scraps and organic waste out of the landfill while allowing nature to recycle them into a nutritious soil amendment. Items that can be added to your compost pile include coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps, leaves, hair, and grass clippings. General composting information will be available to the public at no charge.

The “Garden Gourmet” backyard composter is an attractive bin that fits neatly into almost any backyard space due to its compact size of 24”x24”x36”. The easy to assemble bin is made from 51% recycled plastic, comes with a composting guide, and includes convenient features like a sliding bottom door to remove compost. There are only 30 bins available for sale this year.

Compost bins may be purchased with cash, or a check made payable to the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. A portion of each sale benefits environmental education for K-12 students in Whitfield County, and several Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful events like Christmas Tree Recycling Day. For more information call Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful at 706-226-6211 or visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org. 

International Compost Awareness Week, organized by the US Composting Council, is celebrated during the first week of May. For more information, and to learn more about composting visit the US Composting Council at www.compostingcouncil.org. 

Live Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event Set for Saturday, January 3

Click the image above to download the event flyer (PDF).

Whitfield County Public Works staff prepare to mulch live Christmas trees during Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s annual treecycling event.  The next event will be on Saturday, January 3, 2015 from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Residents are invited to start their new year fresh by recycling their live Christmas tree and dropping off used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual “treecycling” event. On Saturday, January 3, 2015 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices for recycling.  The annual collection event will be held from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton. 

Residents may drop-off their Christmas trees for free.  Trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wire, tinsel, lights, and other decorations.  Only natural, live, real trees will be accepted – no artificial trees please.  Trees will be recycled on site into mulch that will be used for beautification projects throughout Whitfield County. 

Used electronic devices accepted for no charge include computers, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, and laptops.  However, old CRT television sets and computer monitors can be drop-off for a recycling fee of $5.00.  Large projection television sets, which usually have wheels on the bottom, will be charged a $10.00 recycling fee.  There is no charge for newer flat screen television sets or computer monitors. Electronics will be processed by Reworx Recycling, which is part of the Tommy Nobis’ Foundation program NobisWorks.

 Please remember to secure your load for cleaner and safer roads.  Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck, trailer, or on the roof of a vehicle.  Visitors to the event will receive a packet of herb or vegetable seeds to plant at home or another promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Those unable to participate the day of the event may use one of the following options to properly dispose of their holiday items.

1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb for city residents that have garbage collection service through the city. City residents should call 706-278-7077 to request pick-up.  Yard debris is regularly picked up throughout the year every other week.

2.) The four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have drop-off areas for yard debris that is recycled year round.  These include the McGaughey Chapel, M.L.King Blvd., Westside, and the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. 

3.) Electronics are collected for recycling year round at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center.   For hours of operation and directions to any of the four Convenience Centers visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful would like to thank the following organizations for making this event possible: Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Reworx Recycling Kennesaw, Whitfield County Public Works Department, and The Home Depot in Dalton.  For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org or call 706-278-5001.

2014 Billboard Design Contest Winner Announced

“I want to be recycled” is the overall winner for this year’s America Recycles Day Billboard contest.  The design was created by Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader Reina Paniagua.

Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Reina Paniagua, is the overall winner of the 2014 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. 

The design chosen out of 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest.  The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with a group of recyclable materials shouting out their desire to be recycled in a blue speech bubble.  

The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in the Whitfield County area for at least one month.  This is the fifth year of the design contest open to Whitfield County middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade attending either a public or private school that recycles with Target Recycling at School.

The billboard design contest had a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level.  The nine students, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

Eastbrook Middle School students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Top Row, Left to Right: Graviela Zamora, Citlally Garcia, Angela Torres, and Reina Paniagua. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Luis DeLeon, and Moises Gaspar.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Angela Torres, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Yanira Guzman, Dalton Middle School
• 3rd Place – Leonardo Fraire, Dalton Middle School 

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Reina Paniagua, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Graviela Zamora, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Citlally Garcia, Eastbrook Middle School 

Dalton Middle School students that placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork.  From Left to Right: Leonardo Fraire, Yanira Guzman, and Alondra Martinez.

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Luis DeLeon, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Moises Gaspar, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Alondra Martinez, Dalton Middle School

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful.  For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

  Target Recycling at School provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County.  For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit www.dwswa.org.