Apr. 16, 2009

The call by Westchester County government to recycle has been heeded. In fact, the response from Westchester residents and local groups have been so encouraging that it has produced a bounty crop for this year’s Earth Day awards. The awards presentation will take place at 12 noon at the county’s Earth Day 2009 celebration, which is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 19 at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.

Five winners of a new Community Sustainability award category, including Westchester County’s own Global Warming Task Force, have been selected. In addition, 63 other individuals, schools, community organizations, businesses and municipal governments will be acknowledged for their outstanding efforts in protecting the environment and promoting recycling programs which help combat climate change. The response from the community to increase recycling efforts has reduced the amount of garbage collected last year by 6.5 percent or 51,000 tons.

Westchester County Community Sustainability Awards 2009

• The Westchester County Global Warming Task Force, appointed by County Executive Andrew J. Spano and under the leadership of Co-Chairs Reese Berman and Robert Funicello, the 33 members and 75 associate members worked tirelessly from January 2007 through February 2008 to create the Westchester Action Plan for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, a practical guide for climate change activities for educators, businesses, local governments and individuals throughout Westchester County and the Northeast.
• Maddy Yozwiak as co-president of the Environmental Awareness Club at Ursuline High School in New Rochelle, and as a member of the Town of Cortlandt Global Warming Citizen Advisory Committee, Yozwiak is enthusiastically dedicated to the cause of stopping global warming and to reducing greenhouse gases throughout Westchester.
• The Bedford Garden Club as a volunteer organization serving the people of Bedford and northern Westchester area and co-sponsor of the successful Bedford Environmental Summit held on Jan. 31, 2009, which attracted over 1,000 people, the club and its members have activated local awareness on how to move toward a sustainable Bedford.
• Bedford Energy Advisory Panel as co-sponsor of the Bedford Environmental Summit, the panel has helped unite the community in its move toward a sustainable Bedford. Composed of eight local leaders, the panel has been working tirelessly to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions since appointment by the Town Board in April 2007.
• Marian H. Rose, Ph.D. as founder of the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition, Dr. Rose has been a champion of safe, clean and affordable drinking water as a basic human right, working with more than 50 community and environmental groups in the Lower Hudson Valley.

Westchester County Earth Day 2009 Awards

• Jeffrey Fukushima, Student, Yonkers Paideia School #15 under the guidance of Teacher Jill Krikorian, for creating a drawing “Recycling City” which won front cover placement in the 2009 New York State Recycling Calendar.
• Giovanna Gambardella, Student, Yonkers Paideia School #15 under the guidance of Teacher Jill Krikorian, for creating a drawing “Take a Dive Into Recycling” which won placement in the 2009 New York State Recycling Calendar.
• Jill Krikorian, Teacher, Yonkers Paideia School #15 for outstanding leadership in the school’s environmental education program in 2008.
• Luz (Lucy) and Tony Moreno-Casanova, Yonkers Greystone Environmental Garden Project for outstanding work in the 2008 Buena Vista Environmental Health Community Fair, an all-day street fair that drew 3,000 visitors.
• Pam D’Ambrosio and Chrissy Fay, Parent volunteers with Saints John and Paul School, Larchmont for outstanding leadership of school environmental programs including successful collection drives for shoes and plastic bags in 2008.
• Saints John and Paul School, Larchmont for outstanding school environmental programs in 2008 including successful collection drives for shoes and plastic bags, an after-school environmental club and waste-free lunch days.
• Elisa Zazzera and Deann Cartwright, Community Activists at the James Harmon Community Center for outstanding leadership in conducting the community center’s Sustainable Hastings program and the Green Living Fair which drew 4,000 visitors to the two-day April 2008 event.
• Nancy Sklar, Parent-Volunteer, Dows Lane Elementary School, Irvington Union Free School District -for outstanding leadership in conducting recycling and environmental programs for more than 160 students in the first through third grade levels in 2008.
• Julia Baron, Third Grade Student, Dows Lane Elementary School, Irvington Union Free School District for outstanding class participation, leadership and student activity in the school’s environmental program.
• Molly Roffman, Community Environmental Activist, Yonkers for outstanding leadership in spearheading a recycling program in the Yonkers school district in 2008.
• Cristina Moccia, Teacher, Hawthorne Elementary School for outstanding leadership in spearheading a recycling program for 250 students and staff in 2008.
• Robin K. Levy, Angeline Solomine, Lara Davidson and Jennifer Klee, Parent-Volunteers, Somers Central School District -- For outstanding leadership in conducting environmental and social outreach projects in the Somers community in 2008.
• Megan Levy, Vicky Levy, Samantha Davidson, Robert Davidson, Nicole Solomine, Michael Solomine, Alyssa Klee, Samantha Klee, Matthew Klee, Students, Somers Central School District for outstanding work in community environmental and recycling projects as members of Kids Aiding the Planet in 2008.
• Jacob Kupin, Sophomore, Blind Brook High School, Rye for outstanding leadership in starting an environmental club and spearheading recycling programs in the school district in 2008.
• Vincent Camporeale, Facilities Manager, Blind Brook School District, Rye for outstanding leadership in environmental and recycling programs in the school district in 2008.
• Millie Magraw and Sally Maca, Parent-Volunteers, Chatsworth Elementary School, Larchmont for outstanding leadership in environmental and recycling programs including the creation of Plant Chat, promoting environmental awareness and activities in 2008.
• Chatsworth Elementary School, Larchmont under the guidance of Principal Gail Boyle and Plant Chat committee members Liv Grey, Lori Stevenson, Caren Gerzberg, Holly Moskow, Jill Steinberg and Amy Hurley for promoting environmental and recycling programs in 2008.
• Caroline Breinin, Student, Rye Country Day School for her outstanding leadership in recycling programs including the HopeLine cell phone and Westchester R.O.C.K.S. (Recycling Outreach to Communities, Kids and Schools) in 2008.
• Carol LaBella, Holly Sewalk and Luann Ricciardi, Teachers, Irvington Middle School -- For outstanding leadership in the school district’s plastic bag recycling drive which brought in more than 30,000 bags, the highest number collected by any Westchester school in 2008.
• Irvington Middle School for collecting the highest number of plastic bags – more than 30,000 – of any Westchester school at Westchester County’s Millionth Plastic Bag event in 2008.
• Anja Nikprevelic, Andrew Pope, Susana Alfonso, Andrew Berenson, Belinda Cohen, Brielyn Roper-Hubbert, Danny Woods, Lisa Pomeranz, Jackie Powell, Ryan Thompson, Katrina Bauemeister, Adam Krieger and Ariel Gur, Students, Irvington Middle School for their outstanding teamwork in the school district’s plastic bag recycling drive which brought in more than 30,000 bags, the highest number collected by any Westchester school in 2008.
• Nona Ullman, Parent-Volunteer, Douglas G. Grafflin Elementary School, Chappaqua for her outstanding leadership in promoting environmental and recycling programs and awareness at the school in 2008.
• Scarsdale Middle School under the support and guidance of Assistant Principal Duncan Wilson, for the creation and production of the video "10 Percent for the Future," which raised awareness of waste reduction practices and benefits.
• Stew Leonard's of Yonkers for its 20 ton reduction in garbage compared to 2007, for distributing unsold bakery goods to the poor, recycling over 800 tons of corrugated cardboard in 2008, converting many plastic packaging containers to recyclable plastics coded 1 and 2, and for waste reduction and energy efficient store practices.

Municipal Organizations -- Greatest Improvement in Recycling

• Village of Tarrytown with a 22 percent overall increase: Curbside collection of recyclables increased by 40 percent in 2008 and, coupled with a three-fold increase in organic waste recycled, Tarrytown increased its overall municipal recycling rate from 28 percent in 2007 to 50 percent in 2008.
• City of New Rochelle with a 16 percent overall increase: Curbside collection of recyclables delivered to the county Material Recovery Facility increased by 49 percent and organic yard waste tonnage doubled this year, increasing its overall municipal recycling rate from 28 percent in 2007 to 44 percent this year.

Municipal Organizations -- Recycling Achievement Award

• Village of Scarsdale for an overall recycling rate of 70 percent, due in part to an extensive organic waste collection program.
• Town of Yorktown for an overall recycling rate of 65 percent, due in part to an extensive organic waste collection program.

Municipal Organizations -- Pubic Information Award providing excellent recycling and solid waste information materials for residents

• Town of Mamaroneck/Village of Larchmont for providing residents with a very useful and handy year-round recycling and solid waste collection schedule produced in the form of an easy-to-read magnet, suitable for attaching onto kitchen appliances.
• Village of Mamaroneck for providing residents with a very useful and handy year-round recycling and solid waste collection schedule produced in the form of an easy-to-read magnet, suitable for attaching onto kitchen appliances.
• City of Peekskill for providing residents with a very comprehensive day-to-day, year-round calendar detailing recycling and solid waste collection schedule information.
• Town of Yorktown for providing residents with a very detailed recycling and solid waste informational booklet.
• City of White Plains for its well-designed, all-inclusive recycling booklet featuring a wealth of “green waste” and “how-to” information.

Municipal Organizations -- Public Information/Community Outreach Award

• Village of Ossining for providing a comprehensive and exceptionally broad scope of the village’s 2008 recycling and solid waste informational package in Spanish for their residents.