Good to Do:
Take your unwanted / unneeded household chemicals and computer equipment to the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority (VPPSA) Household Chemical and Electronics Collection on May 20, 8am – Noon, Hampton Coliseum Parking Lot, 1000 Coliseum Drive, across from the Embassy Suites Hotel. A few examples of products and items you might want to take are insecticides, glues, oil-based paints, fertilizer, pool chemicals, weed killers, cell phones, electronic games, and old laptops. For a complete list, visit http://vppsa.org/images/HHC%20COMP%20BROCHURE%202017pdf.pdf. Did you know that you can visit any VPPSA Household Chemical and Electronics Collection site during their collections? Just bring identification that shows you are a Hampton resident. Any other questions? Contact the Customer Call Center at 311 (727-8311).
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Join in the Community Cleanup on Nettles Lane, May 19, 9am, register at hccc@hampton.gov. This beautiful country lane always needs a cleanup – people litter there freely. That’s too bad, because it is one of the treasure spots of Hampton.
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Help Clean the Bay, all over Hampton, 9am - Noon, register at causink@hampton.gov. Clean the Bay Day has been cleaning beaches in the area for nearly 30 years! Hampton has been participating the whole time!
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Canoers and kayakers, sign up for the Clean the Bay Day cleanup at Billy Woods Canal on June 3 at 9am. Shoreline cleaners are welcome, too!
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Hampton Community Gardens is still looking for a team of builder-type people to construct community garden raised beds - possession of and skill in use of power tools is a PLUS. Contact Wendy Iles at wendy.iles@hampton.gov. Even if you can only build a few, it would help a lot. All materials provided except the power tools. Also, community garden plots are still available – sign up before they’re all gone!
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Yard of the Month Nominations: It’s time to start nominating beautiful yards so they can win Yard of the Month! Judging occurs monthly. Nominate a yard today! http://hampton.gov/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions--Committees-5/YARDS-Contest-Nomination-Form-53 What are you looking for? Beautiful yard, nice plants. The YARDS Judges take care of the rest.
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Sign up for the Southeastern Virginia Urban Forest Roundtable, June 13, 9am – 12:30pm, Virginia Tech Hampton Roads AREC, 1444 Diamond Springs Rd, Virginia Beach. Register Online - http://www.treesvirginia.org/. Contact Becky Woodson at Email: info@treesvirginia.org.
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Share the flyers about our upcoming events!
Good to Know:
Congratulations to May Yard of the Month Winners Charles & Celestine Johnson (Pocahontas Place), Cleo Parker (Jay Sykes Court), and Mildred Williams (South Gawain Way)! Nominate someone to be a June winner today!
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Armstrong School for the Arts Fifth Graders and Spratley Gifted Center Fourth Graders toured Bethel Landfill! Many thanks to Greg Enterline, Waste Management Inc. Senior District Manager, for opening the landfill for educational tours.
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HCCC was present at the Family Learning Project at the Virginia Air & Space Center on April 9 and the Bryan Elementary School Science / STEM night on April 11. Thanks for the invitations!
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Walk Hampton Clean was a wonderful success - UPDATE! Would you believe 529 volunteers cleaned 57 sites and cleaned up 99 miles, even though rain dampened the weekend? That’s updated news from last week, but get this – over a ton of debris was removed from our streets and schools, and 11,105 cigarette butts were collected and properly disposed of! The Most Miles Walked Winner, Powhatan Park Neighborhood Watch, walked more than 6 miles of their neighborhood during the cleanup, and Most Cigarette Butts Cleaned Up Winner was Hampton Waterways Restoration Project because they picked up 2, 390 cigarette butts.
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Congratulations to Dandy Haven Marina for winning the Hampton Clean & Green Businesses Award! They are a Virginia Clean Marina and do all kinds of wonderful things to keep Back River and the Chesapeake Bay Clean. More news to follow! Many, many thanks to Randy Lyall, principal of Lyall Design Architects, who talked about building for sustainability at the Virginia Peninsula Clean Business Forum on April 26.
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Just a reminder – You can recycle almost every kind of paper in your household! The exceptions are papers stained with grease or bodily fluids or tissue papers. SO – look around. There are newspapers, magazines, junk mail, computer paper, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, thin cardboard boxes like cereal and tissue boxes (and other food container boxes), corrugated cardboard boxes, the paper inserts in plastic packaging, and telephone books! If you have greeting cards you can’t use or reuse, please consider giving them to HCCC. We teach children and adults about the concept of reuse by making greeting card boxes.
Need Volunteers:
May 19: Community Cleanup, Nettles Lane, 9am, register at hccc@hampton.gov - one-time commitment, unless you like participating in the community cleanups!
June 3: Clean the Bay Day, all over Hampton, 9am - Noon, register at causink@hampton.gov - one-time commitment. If you’re a kayaker or canoer, we have a site for you!
Educational Opportunities:
Vermicomposting with Worm Farmer Danny Rogers is coming up on May 22 at 6pm, Buckroe Community Garden, 710 Buckroe Avenue. The date was rescheduled from May 15 due to a conflict, so I hope even more gardeners can come on that Monday night. Please bring a comfy chair. Danny will provide info to help you start your own worm farm. Sponsored by Hampton Community Gardens. For more information contact 727-6348. Register at http://hampton.gov/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions-Committees-5/Community-Garden-Event-Registration-Form-132 to help us have enough handouts and let us know who to contact if there is a change in the class date/time/status. ALL Community Garden classes are free and open to the public and we welcome gardeners from all over the city!
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Pollinators is happening on June 3, 9-10:30am, at Marian Center, 620 Buckroe Avenue. Hampton Master Gardeners Cynda Carlton and Jim Johnston who are considered experts on butterflies in Hampton, will share new information to attract more pollinators. Even if you attended last year, this is worth attending as well! Sponsored by Hampton Community Gardens. For more information contact 727-6348. Register at http://hampton.gov/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions-Committees-5/Community-Garden-Event-Registration-Form-132 to help us have enough handouts and let us know who to contact if there is a change in the class date/time/status. ALL Community Garden classes are free and open to the public and we welcome gardeners from all over the city!
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Garden Photography Class, June 29, 6pm, Buckroe Community Garden, 710 Buckroe Avenue. Do you want to keep a record of your hard work in the garden? Professional photographer Kent Potter will joining us to demonstrate how to get better photos of your garden. Please bring your own cell phone or camera. Sponsored by Hampton Community Gardens. For more information contact 727-6348. Register at http://hampton.gov/FormCenter/Hampton-Boards-Commissions-Committees-5/Community-Garden-Event-Registration-Form-132 to help us have enough handouts and let us know who to contact if there is a change in the class date/time/status. ALL Community Garden classes are free and open to the public and we welcome gardeners from all over the city!
Announcements:
Looking for nominations for:
Upcoming Meetings:
May 22: C.H.A.N.G.E Committee Meeting, LaBodega Hampton, 22 Wine Street, 4pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
May 31: School Pride in Action, Panera Bread, 2170 Coliseum Dr Ste. H, 4:15pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
June 1: Litter & Recycling Awareness Committee Meeting, Mama Rosa’s Restaurant, 617 E Mercury Blvd, 11:30am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
June 6: Clean & Green Businesses Committee Meeting, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 3:30pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
June 12: YARDS Judging, HCCC Office, 1296 Thomas Street, 8:30am, information at hccc@hampton.gov
June 12: C.H.A.N.G.E Committee Meeting, LaBodega Hampton, 22 Wine Street, 4pm, information at hccc@hampton.gov
June 13: HCCC Full Commission Meeting, Hampton City Hall, 5th Floor, Community Development Conference Room, 3:30pm, 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
- Beautification Committee – works on a variety of projects including the YARDS Contest, tree tours, beautification projects, and education. Contact hccc@hampton.gov
- C.H.A.N.G.E. Committee – works on projects and activities specifically directed toward secondary and college students to encourage civic and leadership development. Contact hccc@hampton.gov
- Clean & Green Business 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
- Hampton Waterways Restoration Project – works on a variety of clean waterway projects, including shoreline cleanups, water monitoring, and education. Contact causink@hampton.gov
- 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
- 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