A community recycling event will be held on Saturday, February 11 at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., hosted by Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful (GC&B) and its partner, the Department of Water Resources. The event will provide a FREE opportunity for its neighbors throughout the county to drop off household hazardous waste for recycling or proper disposal.
As a result of their biannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days in 2022, the two organizations had a hand in helping 1,422 Gwinnettians declutter their homes while diverting 161,874 pounds of hazardous materials from local landfills.
Schelly Marlatt, GC&B executive director, says: “To help ensure a smooth event, we’re seeking an additional 50 volunteers. We only have a four-hour window to collect materials from hundreds of cars, so this is a ‘the more, the merrier’ scenario. It’s a great opportunity to spend some time outdoors, meet other people who have a heart for the environment, fulfill volunteer hours for school and club commitments, and do something good for the community.”
Volunteers will help direct traffic, be assigned a station to help haul materials from vehicles, break down boxes and more. It’s easy but rewarding work.
Marlatt adds: “When people throw household hazardous materials in the trash, they will wind up in the landfill and could leech into the soil – contaminating groundwater and the environment. The dangerous combination of some of those materials during the disposal process could even lead to a chemical reaction resulting in a fire or explosion. It might not seem like it at the moment when our volunteers are collecting items from the trunks and backseats of our attendees’ cars, but we’re saving the planet – one pesticide, paint can and propane cylinder at a time!”
To sign on as a volunteer for this and future events, Marlatt encourages interested individuals and groups to visit Volunteer Gwinnett. As for participants at the event, attendees are permitted to bring up to five containers of household waste. Containers must be the size of a copy paper box or laundry basket, and – since they cannot be returned once removed from the car – disposable containers are recommended. Acceptable items for collection range from automobile products, paint, auto batteries, insecticides, propane cylinders and other household products.
However, she adds: “While we traditionally collect items like tires, electronics and paper for shredding, we will not have the capacity to accept those items on February 11.” Tires, electronics and paper will be accepted for recycling at the Earth Day Recycling Event at Coolray Field on April 22.
Taste of Lilburn scheduled for late April at Salem Church
The Lilburn Woman’s Club is now accepting applications to participate in the first “Taste of Lilburn.” The event will be Saturday, April 29, from 4 until 7 p.m. at Heritage Hall of Salem Missionary Baptist Church. Tickets may be purchased prior to the event and at the door
It will feature food from some of Lilburn’s local restaurants, with live music
Come join us and help build community spirit around the local businesses and restaurants. All proceeds from the event will help the Lilburn Woman’s Club serve neighbors and the community by funding community projects in the Lilburn area.
If you are a professional chef, bakery or restaurant and would like to participate, visit the website for more information and an application at WWW.TASTEOFLILBURN.ORG.
Walden is Gwinnett Tech instructor of the year
Gwinnett Technical College has named Amber Walden, humanities program director, as its Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year recipient. Walden discovered her love of teaching during a graduate assistantship and knew she had found her calling and passion: helping students to learn, grow, achieve, and succeed.
Walden
Walden holds a master of fine arts from Ohio University, a bachelor of arts in studio art, and a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Georgia. Walden was born and raised in Gwinnett County, and resides in Lawrenceville. She is currently organizing and developing a L.A.R.P. (live-action role play) organization.
She says of teaching: “I love seeing the look of enlightenment on students’ faces when they realize their potential and build a strong sense of self-confidence. Along with the knowledge and insight students gain in my classes, I also love helping to expand students’ life experiences through class activities that get students out of the classroom environment and into “real world” encounters with the course topics.
“I am most inspired by the students who exhibit significant personal growth through their persistence to succeed. Some of my best and most successful students are those who had a rough start, but instead of giving up, they learned from their experiences, faced their fears head-on, and worked hard to overcome adversity. Whenever I face similar difficult situations, or if I’m unsure or intimidated by tasks set in front of me, I often think of these students, and their impressive willpower to push through and flourish.”
Rainbow Village adds three new members to its board
Three new members of the board of directors of Rainbow Village have been announced. They are Deon Tucker of Decatur, Susie Collat of Peachtree Corners, and Deborah Latham of Atlanta.
Melanie Conner, CEO for Rainbow Village, says: “Not only are they wildly successful powerhouses in their own right, but each of these women has a long history of giving back to the community.”
Tucker
Deon Tucker is Georgia Power Company’s Metro North Regional Director, and leads the company’s external affairs activities for DeKalb, North Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale counties. She has earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Troy University. She serves on the board of directors for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation and Gwinnett Technical College.
Collat
Susie Collat is a former owner of two businesses, Mayer Electric Supply Company, Inc. and Peachtree Awnings. She serves on the advisory board of the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett, where she was president for five years. She has also served as a board member of the Dare to Hope Foundation where she was actively involved in its fundraising activities, and as a member of her local school council. In 2004, she was recognized with the Women of Achievement Award from Atlanta’s oldest and most diverse synagogue, The Temple. This Peachtree Corners’ resident is a graduate of Tulane University with a degree in Communication and Business.
Latham
Deborah Latham, retired, founded Georgia Tank Lines in 1996. As CEO, she helped fuel the expansion of her trucking company that transported gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and ethanol. Deborah continues as a role model for other female entrepreneurs, having shattered the glass ceiling in the male-dominated petroleum industry. She has served on the boards of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Visions Anew and Good Mews. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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