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After Action Report FHA / GREEN SCENE SPRING EVENT, Saturday, May 20, 2023

We had 272 vehicles come through  -  a "record turnout" for the approximately ten years that I have been involved with this event. Those residents dropped off:

  • 6,060 pounds of paper which was shredded and will later be bundled and sent to be recycled at a Georgia Pacific Company toilet tissue factory in Savannah, Georgia. 
    • Recycled paper is proven to save trees and other resources: using less tree fiber, less fresh water, less energy, and producing less waste than traditional virgin fiber paper. One ton of magazine paper made from virgin fiber requires fifteen trees. Those trees can remain in the ground if we widely and effectively increase our use of recycled paper.
    • 6,060 pounds of recycled paper can save approximately 51 trees, 1,140 gallons of oil, six cubic yards of landfill space, 12,000 kilowatts of energy, and 21,000 gallons of water. This represents a 192% energy savings, a 174% water savings, and 180 pounds less air pollution!
  • 41.5 pounds of medications, which is a lot of chemical stuff that won’t be flushed down the toilet and end up in wastewater discharge, lakes, and rivers where it could be dangerous for fish, birds, and other wildlife.

The North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department provided important fire safety information for residents. For those who brought their rechargeable extinguishers, they checked the pressure gauge on top to assure it was in the green safe zone, and loosened any content that had settled on the bottom by using a hard rubber mallet to pound on the bottom of the extinguisher, and explained how to use the extinguisher to put out a fire.


The department is not equipped to recharge, refill, and tag any extinguishers and explained that as long as the gauge is in the green zone and the content is loosened, no recharging of a private home's extinguisher is required by NC fire code. Annual recharging is required only for buildings where there is group assembly, group educational, group institutional, residential care and long term care facilities, and hotels/motels. 


I suspect that the blast email alert that our FHA Communications Director sent out to the entire community earlier that week played a very positive role in the impressive turnout numbers.


Some might also credit the increased participation to the friendly, welcoming demeanor of the parking lot "Greeters" Jon Darling, Marilyn Racine, Wendy Snodgrass. And we thank Amy Ghiloni, ReMax United Realty, who donated the seed packets that were given out to each attendee.


Obviously, the success of this event depended primarily on the dedicated efforts of the volunteers who put in the HOURS of effort to make it happen. The other volunteers included: Gene Rogers, Maggie Tunstall, Maarten Simon Thomas, Mike Petruska, Cheri Derosia, Phil Ghiloni.  THANK YOU, once again, for your time and talents !  And CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done !


Planning ahead, consider circling the third Saturday in October 2023 (October 21, 2023) on your calendar, which is when we will have the opportunity to replicate or surpass our recent efforts.


Sincerely,


Jason Welsch, Moderator

Fearrington Green Scene

Green Scene May 10th 2023 Meeting Reminder & Agenda

 Large Room at The Gathering Place, 11:00 AM till Noon

Email Questions, Replies, and/or Comments to: janemcw@aol.com

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER !

In response to interest and discussion at meetings earlier this year, we have been very fortunate to engage an authority on Native Plants and Invasive Plants to address our Wednesday, May 10th meeting.

Jerilyn Maclean, a resident of Briar Chapel, who spoke to the Fearrington Garden Club on April 18   -  to rave reviews    -   will address our 11:00 AM to Noon meeting at The Gathering Place.  Jerilyn's talents and expertise were featured in a March 15, 2023 article in the Chatham News+Record.  She  will discuss how natives can be beautiful as well as beneficial to the environment, encouraging pollinators as well as desirable insects and birds.

We will also share some additional information concerning Community Food Waste Composting, as a follow-up to last month's excellent presentation by Cheri DeRosia.

Reminder & complete details about the Saturday, May 20, 2023 FHA / Green Scene Spring Event at The Gathering Place parking lot from 9:00 AM till Noon.  This is your semi-annual opportunity to bring important personal papers to be shredded, dispose of unneeded pharmaceuticals, and learn of some important fire prevention tips, courtesy of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department.

Mark your calendars, and bring a friend !

Jason Welsch, Moderator
Fearrington Green Scene
914-806-4852 ( Cell Phone )
Email Questions, Replies, and/or Comments to: janemcw@aol.com

Announcing the 2023 FHA/GREEN SCENE Annual Spring Recycling Event

FOR FEARRINGTON AND GALLOWAY RIDGE RESIDENTS ONLY.
FHA In Partnership with The GREEN SCENE
Saturday, May 20, 2023  Only Between 9:00am and Noon
3 Events — 1 Day: Gathering Place Parking Lot.  

This Event is Sponsored by the FHA and by 

Fearrington Resident & FHA Vice President Amy Ghiloni.
 


1. FREE SHREDDING

Have your confidential documents destroyed on-site, free of charge. Watch as Shimar Recycling Inc. shreds your documents.

Guidelines:
    • Bound paper stacks one inch thick or more need to be separated 
    • Remove rubber bands and heavy banker's paper clips from papers 
    • Paper should not be in binders or heavy plastic.

2. PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE DISPOSAL

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Department will be available to safely dispose of all your old, unused, or expired prescription medications safely and legally.

All you need to do is leave them in the original packaging and hand them to the sheriff deputy on duty at the Gathering Place. No liquid medication or "sharps" (needles) are accepted. Remember: NEVER FLUSH medicines as they cause environmental issues.  

AN ALTERNATIVE TO THROWING AWAY YOUR CURRENT UNUSED, UNWANTED PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES: consider donating them to Chatham Cares Community Pharmacy [CCCP] in Siler City, a non-profit community-based organization operated by a licensed pharmacist and committed to reducing health disparities by providing access to quality pharmacy services to the low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents of Chatham County. Read all about it here.

3. FIRE EXTINGUISHER CHECK Spring 2023 Information -- Stopping Fires In Your Home With Smoke Alarms And Fire Extinguishers. 

The mission of the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disaster or other life hazards by providing public education, incident prevention and emergency response services. The department will have staff and firefighters on hand at the event to check your fire extinguisher and to advise on how to safely use it. 
_____________________________________

REMEMBER that we are no longer able to accept Household Hazardous Waste at our events; however, the County Will Accept Such Waste on This Same Day.


One of Chatham County’s 2023 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Events will be held on this same day (May 20, 2023) at the County’s Main Recycling Facility approximately 13 miles from Fearrington Village, at [click the address for a MAP28 County Services Road, (which is just 6 miles west of Pittsboro, off Hwy 64), between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm on the following schedule:


After the County's May event, there will be six more REMAINING 2023 COUNTY HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS scheduled for the following Saturdays 

(Chatham County Residents Only). No decal is required. Must show ID at HHW events.


  • June 17
  • July 15*
  • August 19
  • September 16
  • October 21
  • November 18*

*The Sheriff’s Office will be on-site during these HHW events to conduct a medicine takeback. Learn more details below.

No business waste and no trash will be accepted.

Note that household fire extinguishers must be recycled at one of these scheduled Hazardous Waste Collection Events and cannot be recycled at the County regional Collection Centers. If it is from a business it will NOT be accepted at HHW events. Contact a private company for disposal options.

At HHW events, the county accepts such items as oil-based paints, solvents, stains, bleach, aerosols, cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, etc. Residents can bring 20 gallons of latex paint cans per HHW event. If you have a 1-gallon paint can that has half a gallon of paint in it, it will count as 1 gallon. Latex paint can be safely dried out and put in with your regular trash.

For a complete list, please visit the www.chathamcountync.gov/hhw or contact the Solid Waste & Recycling Division at 919-542-5516 or recycle@chathamcountync.gov.

For information on what items are accepted by the County's HHW program, be sure to visit their website.