Awards and Recognition

The Sounds of Recycling
The Seventeenth Annual Morris County Recycling Awards Dinner
Friday, November 5, 2004
Hanover Manor, 16 Eagle Rock Avenue, East Hanover, NJ

Morris County Awards for 
Exceptional Achievement In Recycling 
Individuals Who Have Made A Difference Awards

Styro-Gyro Award – Jaclyn Vanderhoof, Randolph – In the process of earning her Girl Scout Gold Award, Jaci Vanderhoof orchestrated plans for a polystyrene (Styrofoam) collection program at the Randolph Recycling Center.  She created a brochure, placed an ad in the local paper, recruited volunteers, secured a truck and found a business to accept the polystyrene.  On April 24, 2004, she whistled a happy recycling tune as many recylers dropped off their polystyrene blocks and “peanuts.”  The polystyrene was then delivered to Foam Pack Industries in Springfield, N.J., where it was ground up into popcorn-sized pieces to be used as stuffing in toys and beanbag chairs, as well as in other applications. Jaci is currently a first year student at Susquehanna University where she’s majoring in environmental science.

D. Queen Bee Award – Donna Bangiola, Morristown – After the water in Lake Pocahontas was lowered to facilitate the repair of a dam this past spring, lakeside resident Donna Bangiola was horrified to see a plethora of tires, bottles, cans and other debris on the banks and bottom of the lake.  Instead of composing a requiem for the lake, Donna launched a one-woman campaign to clean it up.  During a three-week period in May, she hauled “some 50 tires out of the muck, as well as bucket loads of broken glass, soda and beer cans, a rotting car seat and a lawn chair” (The Star-Ledger, May 18, 2004).  Then on Saturday, June 19, the troops arrived to assist her:  members of Trout Unlimited and a 4-H club and a Girl Scout troop and the Morristown High School environmental club along with Mayor Jay Delaney and other Morristown officials and employees.  Because of Donna’s persistence, Lake Pocahontas is closer to being pristine than it has been in a long time.

It’s Scout of This World Award – 
Boy Scout Troop 173, Parsippany

Twice yearly for more than five years, members of Boy Scout Troop 173, Parsippany, have responded to the Beatles’ plea “Help, I need somebody, help, not just anybody….”  They’ve indeed helped by cleaning up a two-mile stretch of U.S. Route 202 in Parsippany adjacent to Interstate 287 (the section near the sound barrier has been a convenient dumping grounds for tires, mattresses and sofas).  In addition, the scouts have applied elbow grease at two bicycle collections co-sponsored by Pedals for Progress and the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA).  “Accompanied by adults, they show up on time, bring the proper tools, are enthusiastic and stay until the job is done,” according to Liz Sweedy, recycling specialist.  They remove the pedals, loosen and turn the handlebars (a not-so-easy task because rust occasionally impedes the process) and help to load the bicycles onto the truck.  Afterward, Pedals for Progress ships the bikes to developing countries where they provide a means of transportation for people who would otherwise have none.

Roads Scholar Awards – Hank Muller and Bob Riker, Denville – The lyrics “on the road again” certainly apply to Hank Muller and Bob Riker, coordinators of the Ayres/Knuth Farm Foundation, Inc., volunteer group that regularly cleans up the section of State Route 10 between Cooper Road and Hill Road.  Sue Schmidt, president of the foundation, calls Hank and Bob “tireless bag men.”  They keep a watchful eye on “their portion of the highway.  Sometimes they even go out on their own to pick up litter, after which they call Sue to request that she in turn call the state to ask for the collection of trash bags, sometimes as many as 35 bags!  Hank and Bob have survived heat fatigue and poison ivy resulting from their passion for eradicating litter.  On a brighter note, they are inspired by the passersby who frequently honk and wave at them.  Although they’ve been devoted road scholars for quite some time, they continue to be amazed at the kinds of things that have landed alongside the road:  gloves, sneakers, tee shirts and corrugated cardboard cartons (have those cartons flown out of Dumpsters at area businesses?!).  As Sue says, “You can really count on these guys!”

Testa-ment to Recycling Award – Jerry Testa, Long Hill – Way back in the early 90’s, the MCMUA recycling staff lovingly referred to Jerry Testa and Gene Fucci, his Long Hill sidekick, as Frick and Frack (Gene retired from Long Hill in 1996).  Jerry retired on April 30, 2004, but he continues to serve Long Hill in the role of consultant.  Over 30 years ago, Jerry began his career as a department of public works laborer.  Later he received a license to operate the wastewater treatment plant, and he was named acting supervisor of the Long Hill plant in 1977.  He went on to become director of public works; in that position, he oversaw roads, wastewater treatment, buildings and grounds, recreation, senior citizens’ matters, garbage collection and recycling.  In 1995 he received a certified public works manager’s license.  “I enjoyed putting the recycling program together and working with the county.  We kept more material out of the waste stream and increased rapport with our residents.  I was very involved with the groups who worked at the depot; I gave them their checks.  When commodity prices dropped, though, we decided to close the depot and rely on curbside collection,” Jerry said as he reflected on his career.  The good-natured Jerry is truly a “Testa-ment to recycling.”

Eye of the Tiger Award Award – Rocky Metzger, Jefferson – Twenty-three-year-old Robert (Rocky) Metzger has worked for two years as a recycling operator at the Jefferson Township Recycling Center, removing recyclables from vehicles, flattening corrugated cardboard cartons and showing residents how to flatten cartons if they haven’t already done so.  “Rocky always greets everyone with a smile.  He’s a personable and pleasant employee who takes recycling and his job seriously.  And he has great passion for life that is contagious,” remarked Kristine Wilsusen,  Jefferson Township health educator.  “Rocky is a fast learner.  I showed him what to do, and he’s been like a machine ever since.  He knows his job.  He treats everyone who comes here as his friend.  I wouldn’t do without him,” affirmed Gino Recksiek, Jefferson recycling coordinator.  A good portion of two lines from the song “Eye of the Tiger” apply to Rocky, according to both Kristine and Gino:  “Face to face, out in the heat/hangin’ tough, stayin’ hungry.”  “Stayin’ hungry,” the last two words, do not apply to Rocky, however, because at 12 noon the sounds of recycling cease, and the sounds of lunch begin.  “Boy, can he eat!!” say Kristine and Gino.

Recyclers’ Watchdog Award – Russell Santos, Mt. Arlington – Russell is a watchdog whose bite is far more severe than his bark.  In fact, he very seldom barks.  A quiet but effective presence at the MCMUA offices at the Morris County Cultural Center on County Route 510 in Morris Township, Russell is employed by Employment Horizons.  He arrives at the Cultural Center late in the afternoon Monday through Friday and proceeds to clean the MCMUA offices, restrooms, kitchen and hallway on the third floor.  Last spring Russell noticed that some recyclables were in wastebaskets rather than in recycling bins, and he notified the powers that be.  He also noticed that a similar situation existed on the second floor at the Cultural Center which is inhabited by different organizations.  The result is that staff on both floors were treated to refresher recycling courses.  When queried about why he cares as he does, Russell responded, “I’ve learned about recycling from working here.  I know that an aluminum can doesn’t belong in the wastebasket; it belongs in the container for bottles and cans that is in the kitchen.  I’ve even learned from here about how to recycle at my house.”  Klever Tuarez, Russell’s supervisor at Employment Horizons speaks highly of him:  “I’m very satisfied with Russell’s work.  He does a good job, and he has a good personality.”

Vivace Recycling Coordinator Award – Patty DiCenzo, Boonton Township – The 11th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “vivace” as follows:  “in a brisk or spirited manner – used as direction in music.”  (By the way, “vivace” can be used as either an adjective or an adverb.)  Perhaps because Boonton Township Recycling Coordinator Patty DiCenzo wears several hats at the township office, she must move briskly in order to execute all her tasks. She’s been police secretary for 13 years, has assisted with finance and payroll for about two years, and has been recycling coordinator for four years.  She’s a regular attendee at the quarterly Morris County municipal recycling coordinators’ meetings who adds a touch of enthusiasm.  She’s worked with the Boonton Township Public School District, local businesses and her colleagues at the municipal building, reinforcing the recycling message numerous times.  Her thoughts on being a highly spirited recycling coordinator:  “I recycle more at home now than I used to.  I’m much better informed about recycling than I was before I became the coordinator.  I’m more alert.  My dad’s a big recycler.  I remember him bringing empty bottles home when I was young.  He strips the plastic from aluminum chairs so the aluminum is in better shape for recycling.” Interestingly, Patty relayed the preceeding thoughts in a very fast manner.  It’s appropriate, for that’s what “vivace” is all about!  

Subtracting the Waste - Making a Difference Award – Mary Ann Lynn, Montville - Mary Ann Lynn, manager of Rachel Gardens in Montville, a community consisting of 764 units, has made a concerted effort to fine-tune the recycling program at the complex.  She contacted MCMUA recycling staff to request decals and “how to recycle” information, distributed that material to people already living at Rachel Gardens and put it into welcoming packages given to new residents.  In addition, she regularly includes  reminders about re-use and recycling in Rachel Gardens Community News, the monthly newsletter distributed to all residents.  Some of the topics in those newsletter blurbs follow:  the importance of flattening corrugated cardboard and chipboard boxes; the MCMUA household hazardous waste and “Catch the Fever” thermometer exchange programs; info about places that accept unwanted household goods and clothing; the library/book exchange at the complex; the importance of keeping trash and plastic bags out of the recycling bins.  And she thanks residents for recycling.  In the July 2004 newsletter, Mary Ann included the headline “Something to Ponder” followed by a quotation attributed to Melodie Beattie:  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”  Mary Ann affirms, “I want to make a difference.  It makes coming to work so much better.”  A difference she continues to make.

Pedaling Soles Award – Denville Recycling Staff, Denville (where else?!) – At the 2001 awards dinner, the Township of Denville was given the Multi-Faceted Recycling Center Award.  In the meantime, the facets in the “Hub of Morris County,” as Denville is known, have increased by two:  used bicycles and used athletic shoes. For the past two years, Denville has encouraged its residents to drop off bicycles in good condition, and Denville Department of Public Works employees even transport bicycles left at curbside for garbage collection to the recycling center, after which the bikes go to Pedals for Progress.  Asked why Denville does this, Recycling Coordinator Joe Lowell said in a very matter-of-fact manner, “The MUA told us about it, and we thought it was a good idea.”  Kathy Zuzock, a DPW employee, chimed in:  “You wouldn’t believe how many people have offered to purchase the bicycles that are left here because most are in such good condition.”  Then there are the athletic shoes being collected through the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program.  The GFWC Woman’s Club of Denville has made arrangements with both Denville and Rockaway Borough to deliver all of the athletic shoes collected at their recycling centers prior to November 15 to a central facility in New Jersey.  The shoes will be shipped to the Northwest where they’ll be ground up to be used in various athletic surfaces.  Once again, the Denville recycling staff has provided a foster home for materials that might have been relegated to a landfill.

A Sharp Crew Award – Chatham Borough Environmental Commission – In the world of music, there is the sharp, “a musical note one half step higher than a note name” (thanks, Merriam-Webster).  And in the world of Chatham Borough recycling there’s a different kind of sharp: the active, energetic environmental commission that inaugurated its Recycling Center Assistance Day (RCAD) concept in November 2001. On such a day, commissioners and other volunteers work at the recycling center helping residents unload their cars and depositing recyclables in the proper receptacles, thanking the residents for recycling, and keeping the center neat and tidy.  Also on RCAD, volunteers staff a table that is stocked with flyers, flower seeds, coloring books and other informational giveaways.  In 2002, the commission arranged for the creation of permanent metal signs at the center to educate residents about the acceptable and unacceptable materials for each recycling bin.  In 2003, the commission met with the borough’s recycling contractor to clarify and update the recycling guidelines that are distributed to all residents.  Those guidelines have appeared on a laminated poster that was displayed at the 2004 Fishawack Festival and on the commission’s Web site:  www.chatham-nj.org/coin/boro/environmental.htm.  The ever-resourceful recycling crew has one more small challenge:  to shorten the Web site address!

“Why pay?” Award – The Lake Road Irregulars
  
  Well, the truth is that Derek Polzer, Morristown recycling coordinator and a non-dues paying member of the Lake Road Irregulars refers to The Lake Road Irregulars  as “a bunch of anarchists.”  No doubt that’s because no one is in charge of these men who rummage through recyclables deposited at the Morristown Recycling Center on Lake Road in order to find reusable material.  Each of these men is fully in charge of his own project:  foraging through the scrap metal pile to retrieve lighting fixtures, bicycle or car parts, or whatever.  “I take reusable items to the Refuge of Hope in Newark.  If you don’t find what you want here, it’s because they don’t make it,” says the Rev. Prince Martin.  “The whole menu is here.  It’s a cheap date with my wife; she can trap me in a mall at a future date,” adds David Greene.  “We hope that with our savings from coming here, we can buy an electric car,” Phil de Pompignan pipes in.  Derek, who has made furniture from some of the cast-offs emphasizes that the no-leader, no-rules group is whole-heartedly dedicated to environmental stewardship through fiscal frugality.  After all, “Why pay?”

Whispering Success Award – The Quiet Man Irish Pub, Dover – Named after the Academy Award-winning film titled The Quiet Man, this pub sits at the corner of East McFarlan (Rt. 46) and Hudson streets in Dover.  Owner Frank Burke named the pub after the film and its stars, Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne (he was particularly impressed by “the Duke”) partly because he had good memories of serving food to them at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 1952.  “Quiet Man offers an extraordinary menu…outstanding food, excellent atmosphere” is the Daily Record food critic Larry Lazar’s opinion of a pub where recycling also plays a key role.  In the back of the parking lot at the pub, there are neatly arranged containers for used cooking oil, bottles and cans, and corrugated cardboard.  The MCMUA curbside recycling crew has collected recyclables at the Quiet Man for several years.  When queried as to why this small business complies with recycling regulations, Mr. Burke unhesitatingly replied, “There’s a right and there’s a wrong.  We believe in doing right.”  The Irish proverb that appears on www.quietmanpub.com is most appropriate:  “Laughter is brightest where food is best.”  The warm bread that is served is to die for, and the recycling program is exemplary – what more could hungry pro-recyclers want?

Saving Motherboard Earth Award – Intel, Parsippany Campus – “I saw the sign on Rt. 10 and went home to get some of my used electronics equipment to take to Intel because they’re doing the good thing for the environment,” said Randolph resident Stephen Perkowski on September 11, 2004.  For the second year in a row, Intel partnered with Advanced Recovery, Inc., to sponsor electronics collection events that were open to the public and to pre-registered businesses at no charge.  At the most recent event, 276 vehicles, including a few buses from neighboring school districts, made their way to Intel to deposit 84, 826 pounds of electronic material, including more than 1,000 computer monitors.  Because Intel is planet Earth’s leading manufacturer of computer chips, Warren Gosdin, coordinator of the collection events, says, “Intel does this as a service to the community.  Because our main product is the computer, we’re concerned about the future.  We don’t want anyone to find any Intel products in landfills 2,000 years from now.”  In addition to holding collection events, Intel donates used computers to the Head Start program and to schools.  Also, the corporation has a comprehensive in-house recycling program for bottles, cans, mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, stretch and bubble wrap, clean wood, concrete and fill/fines.

Cops and Recyclers Award – Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program 
  The Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) has copped a second recycling award (the first was given in 1989) because of the long-standing reliable service it has provided to the MCMUA and the entire county.  The SLAP program affords offenders of the law various community service opportunities.  The first is the weekly collection of recyclables generated in 14 locations where Morris County government offices are housed.  Under the supervision of sheriff’s officers, SLAP clients pick up recyclables from central storage areas, load them onto a box truck, then unload the bottles and cans at the Morristown Recycling Center (second home for the Lake Road Irregulars!) and put them into the proper containers.  All of the paper is taken to the MCMUA Consolidation Center in Dover where the SLAP clients unload it.  Also, SLAP has worked at the two bicycle collection events co-sponsored by Pedals for Progress and the MCMUA.  SLAP has also been a powerhouse at three tire cleanups, and they’re expected to be in the midst of tires two more times this month.

Of note…

The mini-fashion show 

As usual at press time, the fashion show is a work-in-progress.  This much is all but guaranteed:  Donna Bangiola will wear “The Sounds of Rustling Leaves,” a skirt whose border consists of ash leaves; Tom Burbridge will saunter down the runway in “Stripes Forever,” a vest adorned with bright yellow strapping tape that refused to go the landfill; Jazmen Philips will charm the audience in “Les Fleurs du Printemps,” “the dress worn by this evening’s mistress of ceremonies to her junior prom nearly 100 years ago (!), and; Anita Singewald will sport “Cute as a Button,” a gently used vest embellished with ribbon and buttons. 

The mannequin - Miranda McMua, named for the character portrayed by Cynthia Nixon on an HBO show about life in New York City, as well as for the organization hosting this dinner, looks elegant as always in a ball gown constructed by Leeza Tea Coco Chanel, MCMUA designer-in-residence, from swaths of burnt orange ribbon.

The table favors - Once upon a time, the MCMUA ordered red, white and blue tote bags made from recycled material (very patriotic in this presidential election year, very politically correct in this recycling climate).  After several moons, the bags arrived at the MCMUA, but alas, the text on them was incorrect.  So back they went to the manufacturer to be corrected.  Then a shipment of baseball-style caps that were supposed to be delivered to Wisconsin, arrived.  So back they went to the manufacturer.  Then the tote bags arrived for the second time.   They’re just a tad removed from perfect, but there’s insufficient room in this program to continue the story.  Do enjoy using your new tote bag!

The door prizes

• Paper products donated by Marcal Paper Mills, Inc. (visit www.marcalpaper.com).

• Lunch boxes donated by the Steel Recycling Institute (visit www.recycle-steel.org).

• Duffel bag made from recycled plastic bottles donated by Direct Access International (visit www.directaccessintl.com).

• Vases that were glass bottles in their first lives, donated by the MCMUA (visit the  Morris Thrift Store, 11-13 N. Warren St., Dover, NJ).

• “Cacophony” recycled wine bottle cheeseboards donated by the MCMUA (visit www.winebottlecheeseboard.com).

The musicians -For the tenth consecutive year, Steve Bernstein, Marty Reisinger and Ed Sroczynski, collectively known as Shot of Redemption, are the sounds of recycling personified.  To book them for an event, call (845) 255-3177.

The cake - Thirteen large sheet cakes in a row.  Add this year’s and there are 14, the number of confections baked and decorated by MCMUA Vice Chairman Hy Nadel, a k a the Cake Man for Morris County recycling rewards dinners.  Can’t you just hear the sounds of silence as Hy so very carefully spreads the frosting on the cake?

The floral arrangements - Please leave the floral arrangements on the tables at the conclusion of the dinner.  With the exception of those designated for specific guests, they will be delivered to Morris View Nursing Home tomorrow.

Thanks to…

• Bath Unlimited, Randolph, N.J., for items used in the fashion show.

• Carson & Gebel Ribbon Co., Rockaway, N.J., for lots of colorful ribbon.

• Dawn Resch, art teacher at Morris Plains Borough School, and her seventh grade students who loaned the fish they made from used two-liter soda bottles to the MCMUA to be incorporated into the dinner décor.

• Kenneth Cole Productions, New York, N.Y., for ads focusing on one way to help the homeless (please see the ads on the display unit).

Finis . . .

Believe it or not, there is a relationship between the sounds of recycling and homelessness.  In the article “The Accidental Environmentalist, Living From One Discarded Can to the Next,” (The New York Times, September 23, 2004) Andrew Jacobs wrote the following:

That is where Mr. Taylor comes in.  “I’m the accidental environmentalist, at your service,” Mr. Taylor said as he pulled a C-Town shopping cart up Broadway toward Herald Square.  By the end of the day, Mr. Taylor’s vehicle – “my Volkswagen,” as he calls it – is completely enveloped by four bulging garbage bags, each tethered to broomsticks wedged in the corners of his cart.  The cargo creates a great metallic jingle as he maneuvers over curbs and around pedestrians who rarely break stride to let him pass.

Mr. Taylor (his first name is Juan) is a homeless New Yorker who earns a small amount of money every day after retrieving aluminum cans from the trash and turning them in at a redemption center.

Homelessness is not confined to New York City or even to urban areas.  It exists in affluent Morris County.  Homeless Solutions, Inc., a not-for-profit organization located in Morris County provides services for the homeless.  Please take their brochure home with you, and give particular attention to the question “How can I be part of the solution?”