|
Community Outreach or Partnership
Hamilton Township Wastewater Utility
“Report to Our Users”
Newsletter
Every year the Hamilton
Township Wastewater Utility encloses a Report to Our Users
newsletter with the annual sewer invoice. This newsletter
contains valuable information including articles
addressing our homeowner services upcoming projects and an
environmental report. A question always existed, “did the
public actually read the report?”
For the past two years, a
new addition to their annual newsletter has included a
crossword puzzle with specific questions related to the
information found within the text of the newsletter. In
addition, hidden within the puzzle were individual letters
that the participants had to unscramble to form a secret
word. The response from the public was very positive. The
first year they received over three hundred correctly
completed puzzles.
There was an incentive to
thoroughly read the entire newsletter. Readers had the
opportunity to mail the completed puzzles for the chance
to win a dinner for four at a local restaurant. For the
Utility, the crossword puzzle was an educational tool used
to emphasize to the public important information regarding
wastewater treatment and its affect on the environment.
The correct crossword
puzzles were entered into a drawing and hand picked by the
Mayor. This year’s winner claimed she would have never
read the entire newsletter if not for the crossword
puzzle.
The cost of the crossword
puzzle was minimal as it was done in-house and the
proprietor of the establishment graciously donated the
prize.
Community Outreach or Partnership
North Hudson Sewerage Authority
“Chip in for the Children”
The North Hudson Sewerage
Authority has sponsored an annual “Chip in for the
Children” Benefit Golf Tournament every year since 1995 at
a variety of golf courses throughout New Jersey. Proceeds
from the events are distributed for scholarships and
worthy causes to organizations in the four communities the
Authority serves: Hoboken, Union City, West New York, and
Weehawken.
The goal of the annual
event was to partner with community organizations in
enhancing opportunities and quality of life for youngsters
in the four communities. This goal has been successfully
reached every year.
Sponsors contribute the
cost of golf balls, towels, give-a-ways and prizes through
the sponsorship of “holes” or “tees”. Since 1995, the
Authority has raised a total of $175,000 that has been
distributed to the following organizations:
-
All Saints Day School
-
Boys and Girls Club of
Hoboken
-
Edward G. Stack
Scholarship Fund
-
Emerson High School Drama
Group
-
Hoboken High School
Tennis Team
-
Hoboken Museum
-
Hoboken Rotary Foundation
for Scholarships
-
Hoboken Recreation
Cheerleaders
-
Hudson River Performing
Arts Center
-
Latino American Kiwanis
Foundation for Scholarships
-
Project COPE
-
Rotary Gift of Life
-
Rotary Youth Leadership
Awards
-
Safe Have, Union City
Police Athletic League
-
Union City Civic
Association Christmas Gifts for Poor Children
-
Weehawken Against Alcohol
and Drugs
-
West New York Little
League
Community Outreach or Partnership
Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commissioners
Kearny Marsh Rehabilitation
Project and Passaic River Restoration Reporter
Kearny Marsh Rehabilitation
Project
Passaic Valley Sewerage
Commissioners (PVSC) prides itself for being able to
provide its 48-municipality district with programs and
services that promote environmental stewardship. Through
participatory involvement, their communities are able to
learn lessons about recycling, water conservation and
other key components to environmental protection.
It was with great pride
that PVSC Educational Outreach Program was able to
facilitate the successful completion of the Kearny Marsh
Rehabilitation Project. The Kearny Marsh was once hailed
“the best fresh water marsh in New Jersey” by the New
Jersey Audubon Society. However, neglectful planning and
illegal dumping had led this once pristine ecosystem into
what seemed like irreparable conditions. Overgrown brush
and vegetation entangled in the area lent itself illegal
dumpers looking for an area that would hide both household
and industrial waste. |
The Kearny Marsh
rehabilitation project, initially undertaken by the New
Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) and the faculty and
students of Kearny High School, Kearny, NJ, called for the
restoration of the Kearny Marsh at Gunnell Oval Park.
NJMC and students approached the PVSC Education Outreach
Program for assistance with the cleanup of large debris
that could not be safely removed by hand.
On March 18, 2005, PVSC
crews cleared large debris that included overgown
vegetation, concrete blocks and even an old home water
heater that had been illegally dumped on the grounds.
Waste was transported by PVSC for safe disposal. After
clearing the area of large debris, volunteers were able to
access the grounds for clean up of smaller waste. On
March 21, PVSC returned to install nesting boxes developed
by the NJMC and built by Kearny elementary and high school
students. These 135 boxes were placed to attract native
wildlife.
PVSC took one step further
and created a public outreach campaign to the general
public. Developed as a “news feature,” the video utilized
interviews held with members from both the NJMC as well as
Kearny High School students to get the full picture of the
project. Sponsored and solely produced by the PVSC, the
video highlights the steps taken to rehabilitate the
Kearny Marsh from beginning to end. Staff members oversaw
the complete production including pre- and post-production
such as set preparation, filming and audio set-up and
protection. Presently, the video is airing on Comcast and
Cablevision throughout the PVSC district.
As a result, the marsh is
now becoming a focal point for environmental observation
as more people are growing aware of its convenient
proximity and the abundance of wildlife within the marsh.
Also, the cleared pathway that leads into marsh waters has
called the attention of canoe and kayak enthusiasts that
previously had no access to local waters and instead had
to travel to Delaware to enjoy such activities. This also
has sparked further interest in environmental issues at
Kearny High School. PVSC anticipates that students will
successfully apply their lessons in the natural
environment and carry that over to their peers and social
circles.
PVSC has been sponsoring
neighborhood cleanups since 1998 and will continue to
provide assistance is site selection and all cleanup
supplies, tools, dumpsters and disposal fees to any
volunteer group willing to conduct shoreline cleanup
efforts within the district.
PVSC spent $48,000 for a
Multimedia Program Coordinator; $35,000 for a Multimedia
Technician; and $25,000 in materials and supplies.
Passaic River Restoration
Reporter
One of the goals of PVSC
Newark Bay River Restoration Program is to involve the
public at-large regarding our efforts to clear the river
complex of debris. PVSC Passaic River Restoration Reporter
is a six-page newsletter that is sent twice a year and has
a distribution of 3500 copies to libraries, schools,
elected officials and members of the community who have
been involved with PVSC in this project. The area has had
many worthwhile projects begin as a result of people
getting ideas from some of the newsletter articles.
Aside from the press
attention, the program has also received television and
newspaper interest. The newsletter is the only consistent
source of information on the work being done on the Newark
Bay River Restoration project and about the community
volunteers completing this important work.
Community Outreach
Secaucus Municipal Utilities
Authority
The Pipeline
Newsletter
Secaucus MUA used their
newsletter entitled The Pipeline to educate the
public about the problems that excessive grease causes for
the operation of sewer lines. In speaking with property
owners, the most telling response was “I never realized
what a problem that can cause.” The awareness campaign
was definitely needed to help the public understand the
consequences of their behavior caused by pouring grease
down the drain. The result will be fewer line clean
outs. In addition to their grease campaign, the authority
also highlighted the awards won by the authority and the
excellent operations of the facility. They raised
awareness about the career opportunities in utility
management through school tours of the plant. |
