Wyoming County Commissioners (above, from left) Judy Mead, Tom Henry and Ron Williams work their way through a pile of new contracts that will keep the county’s recycling program in business for the next 10 years.
Photo and Story by Rick Hiduk
(As published in the Rocket-Courier)
A stack of annual contracts were renewed for the Wyoming County Recycling Program as program director Mike Rogers also discussed plans for new signage to reduce illegal dumping. The contracts run for the next 10 years, but the need for fixing the problems of careless drop-offs is imminent.
“We’ve been working on this for a while. It’s a good thing that it’s done,” said Commissioner Tom Henry as he and fellow commissioners Judy Mead and Ron Williams worked through the volume of paperwork. Among the agreements were contracts with five landfills that vied to receive the county’s recyclables: Keystone, Alliance, CES, Northern Tier and Wayne Township in Clinton County.
New signage is needed because of the growing number of people leaving unacceptable items at the county’s recycling center in Tunkhannock Township and its satellite centers, especially after hours and on weekends. This includes trash such as doors, toilets and mattresses. Others are leaving potentially recyclable items outside the bins which, when wet, are hard to work with or ruined.
“That’s considered illegal dumping,” said Rogers, who has issued warnings to some people and contacted others when he finds addresses among the items left behind.” He noted also that people are putting things in the wrong bins and leaving the lids open.
“We want all of the recycling that we can possibly get,” Henry maintained. “But some people are taking advantage of the situation.”
The new signage won’t restrict the times during which recyclables can be unloaded but will encourage those who use the centers to be more considerate.
Audience member Jeff Zimmerman suggested that muddiness around the bins might keep some elderly people from carrying their items much beyond their vehicles. He also noted that the lids on some of the bins are quite heavy and that, when they are opened all the way, their weight might also be a deterrent to those who might otherwise close them.
Mead thanked Zimmerman for his insight, noting that it is valuable to hear from residents who actually use the centers. “And it’s possible that older residents are more likely to want to recycle,” she added.
Attendance at Drug Awareness Meetings Puzzles Officials
Two well-advertised opioid epidemic-related events held last week were poorly attended. Both commission Henry and county human services director Mike Donahue expressed their disappointment on Tuesday. Henry estimated that about 40 people attended a round table discussion hosted on Nov. 8 at Tunkhannock High School by Rep Karen Boback. Donahue doubted that there were more than 30 people in the spacious auditorium.
“People call us all the time and ask us what we can do,” Henry stated. Nonetheless, he continued, it was interesting to learn about the varying perspectives of each department and official to the opioid crisis. “I know that we have one heck of a team.”
In addition to Boback, Henry and Donahue, Participants included judges Russell Shurtleff and David Plummer, EMA director Gene Dziak, Ann Marie Stevens from Tyler Memorial Hospital, and county detective David Ide, who displayed numerous drugs and explained how they are used.
A NARCAN training class was held the next evening at Tunkhannock Public Library and was attended by just one couple, Henry reported. “You could tell though that they were really interested,” he remarked. Likewise, Henry related, someone who had attended Wednesday evening’s program contacted the commissioners office since the event seeking treatment options.
“We were able to help her,” Henry noted. “So, I guess if we can help just one person at a time…”
In other news, the commissioners unanimously approved the hiring of Meggan Duke as a Children & Youth caseworker on Donahue’s recommendation. The position already existed in theory, and Donahue felt that it was time to fill it. There has been a shortage of case workers in the county, especially since Howard Heise moved into a supervisory position. Duke, Mead noted, did her internship in Wyoming County and has since been working in Bradford and Sullivan counties.