HomeMy WebLinkAboutNewsletter City_March 2011TO WASTE OR NOT TO WASTE
By John Millar
Public Works Director
Several years ago, my wife was feeding watermelon rinds down the garbage dis-
posal. I explained to her the difference in costs for the city to dispose of organic
wastes through the sanitary sewer system verses throwing it in the garbage. In an
ideal world we would do neither. We would dispose of such organic waste in
our backyard compost pile. We never seem to make the time to get there. If a
pound of organic waste is sent down the garbage disposal it costs the City ap-
proximately $0.28 to dispose of the material. If we dispose of organic waste by
placing it in the garbage it costs $0.03 per pound, a costly difference of $.25 per
pound of waste. In these days of environmental awareness and limited budgets
it is important to reduce waste whenever possible.
The City of Rexburg maintains a recycling program for newspaper, office pack,
certain plastics and aluminum. Madison County has a recycling program for
steel materials. The city has provided two locations where materials can be de-
posited for recycling. The first location is in front of Albertsons and the other is
behind Broulm’s off 1st North. The deposited materials are then recycled and
turned into useful products. This recycling saves the residents of Rexburg
$60.00 per ton of materials. Last year we recycled approximately 700 tons of
materials at a saving of $42,000, also reducing the amount of materials sent to
the landfill.
Treating organic waste through the Wastewater Treatment Plant requires a sig-
nificant amount of energy. The majority of energy used in this area is generated
by burning coal, and thus creates greenhouse gasses.
The city suggests, whenever possible, citizens try to reduce the amount of waste
generated. By using resources efficiently and if possible, develop a backyard
compost system. Recycle any materials possible and reuse all that you can.
There are numerous sites on-line for development of a compost system. Gener-
ally, this will include the incorporation of yard wastes, food scraps, paper and
other organic materials. The resulting materials can be used for landscaping or
gardening. In the end this will save you money and will help the environment.
The city website www.rexburg.org has a link to the Sanitation department listing
materials allowed in the City’s refuse collection. We will be adding links on how
to start a compost operation. If you have questions about where to dispose of
certain materials, contact the city at 359-3020 for additional information.
March 2011
Upcoming
Events
City Council
Meeting March 2 and 16
Rexburg City Hall
7:00 pm
Bar J Wranglers
March 12, 2011 at Madison
High School 5:30 and 8:00
You can now park on city
streets over night as of
March 1st
Blood Drive
March 29, 2011
11:30-4:15
@ The Fire Department
Contact Pam 372-2340 to
sign up for a time
Community Update
Page 2
March 2011 Community Update
35 N 1st E
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
208.359.3020 / fax 208.359.3022
cityhall@rexburg.org
Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
2011 UPPER VALLEY IDOL
Rexburg is gearing up once again for it's annual Upper Valley Idol
singing competition held at the Romance Theatre. Contestants
will compete from all over the upper valley for a chance at some
fantastic prizes. Upper Valley Idol is a fundraiser for the theatre
and Rexburg's premier talent showcase.
Contestants will compete in three different age brackets.
Youth 5-10 Junior 11-16 Adult 17 and up
Preliminaries Semi-Finals
Junior March 18th -7:00pm Junior April1st- 7:00pm
Adult March 19th -7:00pm Adult April 2nd- 7:00pm
Finals
Junior April15th- 7:00pm
Adult April 16th -7:00pm
Tickets are $4.00 per person or $12 per family of 5 They can be purchased at City Hall or at the door
This is an exciting event for the whole family. There will be door
prizes from local businesses, plenty of incredible talent and even
some celebrity judges. Come out and show your support for these
talented performers and for the Romance theatre as we crown a
new 2011 UPPER VALLEY IDOL.
The Bar J Wranglers,
world famous singing cowboys from
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will enter-
tain the entire family with
western harmonies
straight from the range,
cowboy stories and jokes
that will have you laugh-
ing in the aisles, and an
evening of inspiration that will con-
tinue to lift your spirits long after the
show. Leave your cares behind, sit
back and unwind, spending time with
the Bar J Wranglers. Presented by the
Madison Fire Department and Pipe
Brigade, proceeds will benefit your
local firefighters!
March 12, 2011 at Madison High
School 5:30 and 8:00
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased
on line at:
mfdpipebrigade.org or fdmadison.org
Blood Drive
March 29, 2011
11:30am-4:15pm
@ The Fire Department
Contact Pam 372-2340
to sign up for a time
Deep Love: A Ghostly Folk Opera-March 29, 8:00pm @ The Tabernacle
Deep Love is the timeless tale of love and death told entirely by song.
The story is inspired by real ghostly events which took place in Rexburg during
2010. The authors extend an invitation to students and community members of
all ages to witness Deep Love as it is performed by an able cast and enjoy history
in the making. Performance lasts an hour and a half with intermission. Fu-
neral attire is recommended.
Admittance: $4 in advance or $5 at the door.
For tickets in advance and reservation of seating contact Jeannette at
snyderjeannette@gmail.com
Original music, lyrics and production by Ryan Hayes and Garrett Sherwood 2010