Billboard Design Winner for 2016 Contest Announced

The winning billboard design by Madison Powell will be placed at two locations in Whitfield County during the month of November in celebration of America Recycles Day.

Valley Point Middle School 8th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Madison Powell, 1st place and 1st place overall; Eliezer Vasquez, 2nd place.

Pictured are students from Eastbrook Middle who each placed 3rd in their grade level in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Jazmine Ayabar, 6th grade; Melissa Trujillo, 7th grade; Elena Cabero, 8th grade. 

Valley Point Middle School 7th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Camy Rettew, 1st place; Dania Cristobal, 2nd place. 

Valley Point Middle School 6th graders placed in the America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest for 2016. From left to right: Macey Cook, 2nd place; Lily Woodring, 1st place. 

Valley Point Middle School 8th grader, Madison Powell, is the overall winner of the 2016 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County along Glenwood Ave. during the month of November.

Ms. Powell’s design, which was chosen out of 91 entries, includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” one of the themes of the contest. The artwork shows an aluminum beverage can dreaming about being recycled into a space ship or rocket. Materials that are recycled are used to manufacture a variety of products. Aluminum for example may be recycled into beverage cans, construction materials, or parts for new vehicles.   

The billboard design contest, now in its seventh year, has a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level which includes 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. The nine winners, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall, who is the winner of the billboard, was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Lily Woodring, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Macey Cook, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Jazmine Ayabar, Eastbrook Middle School

7th grade:

• 1st Place – Camy Rettew, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Dania Cristobal, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Melissa Trujillo, Valley Point Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Madison Powell, Valley Point Middle School
• 2nd Place – Eliezer Vasquez, Valley Point Middle School
• 3rd Place – Elena Cabero, Eastbrook Middle School

Target Recycling at School provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County. For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit www.dwswa.org.

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful. It’s celebrated annually on November 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

7th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

The 7th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway. Pictured is the winning design for 2015 designed by Emily Ruiz, a 7th grader from Eastbrook Middle School.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce the 7th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County. 

Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15. The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed during the month of November on two billboards in Whitfield County.

Schools in Whitfield County that can participate include Eastbrook Middle, New Hope Middle, North Whitfield Middle, Valley Point Middle, Westside Middle, Dalton Middle, Northstar School, Crossroads Academy, Christian Heritage School, and Learning Tree School.

During the 2015 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Emily Ruiz, won first place overall. Her design, chosen out of 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful showing a plastic bottle inside a recycling bin with a soda can following it thinking that it also wants to be recycled. 

Themes for this year include, “I want to be recycled.”, and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels. The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners. 

The Contest Guide with an entry form can be downloaded at www.DWSWA.org.  Deadline for entries is October 17, 2016. There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted. Winners will be announced on October 24. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org. To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.

Billboard Design Winner for 2015 Contest Announced

This is a mockup of what the artwork will look like on the 2015 billboard.

Eastbrook Middle School 7th grade students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Left to Right: Montserrat Adame, Elena Cabreo, and Emily Ruiz.

Eastbrook Middle School 8th grade students who placed in the billboard contest are pictured with their artwork. Left to Right: Reina Paniagua, Stephanie Sullivan, and Denise Hernandez.

Dalton Middle School student Jamie A. Smith placed first for the 6th grade level.

(Dalton, GA, October 30, 2015) – Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Emily Ruiz, is the overall winner of the 2015 America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority’s program Target Recycling at School. The winning design will be displayed on two billboards in Whitfield County along Glenwood Ave. starting November 2nd for at least one month.

Ms. Ruiz’s design, which was chosen out of 162 entries, includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful showing a plastic bottle inside a recycling bin with a soda can following it thinking that it also wants to be recycled. 

The billboard design contest typically has a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner from each grade level. Due to the high number of entries received from Eastbrook Middle School the all students from that school will receive an ice cream party on November 16, during the week of America Recycles Day.

The seven winners, listed below, received a certificate of participation and a gift bag with items made from recycled materials. The first place overall was selected from the first place design from each grade level.

6th grade:

• 1st Place – Jamie A. Smith, Dalton Middle School

7th grade:

• 1st Place and Overall Winner – Emily Ruiz, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Elena Cabreo, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Montserrat Adame, Eastbrook Middle School 

8th grade:

• 1st Place – Reina Paniagua, Eastbrook Middle School
• 2nd Place – Stephanie Sullivan, Eastbrook Middle School
• 3rd Place – Denise Hernandez, Eastbrook Middle School

This is the sixth year of the design contest open to Whitfield County middle school students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade attending either a public or private school that recycles with Target Recycling at School. The program provides recycling collection services and environmental education opportunities to schools in Whitfield County. For more information call 706-278-5001 or visit www.dwswa.org.

America Recycles Day is a community-driven event dedicated to promoting recycling awareness, commitment, and action in the U.S. thru its partnership with Keep America Beautiful. It’s celebrated annually on November 15. For more information on recycling, and to take the pledge to recycle visit www.AmericaRecyclesDay.org.   

2015 School Beautification Grant Winners Announced

(Dalton, GA, September 18, 2015) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful is pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural School Beautification Grants for Fall 2015. The committee for Beautification and Community Greening established mini-grants in celebration of National Planting Day, which began on September 12.

Public and private schools in the Dalton, GA and Whitfield County were invited to apply for funding to help implement a project related to planting native plants. Beautification grants ranged from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $250. Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful has made these grants available to improve the visual aspects of our community by supporting initiatives that beautify the environment.

This year seven local schools were awarded a cash grant. Below is a list of schools that were awarded a grant and the name of the their project.

1.)  Antioch Elementary – Pollinator Habitat and Classroom

2.)  Eastbrook Middle School – Mustang Magic: Making Plants Change Color

3.)  Dawnville Elementary – Dawnville Reading Garden

4.)  Brookwood Elementary – Color Spectrum Garden

5.)  Coahulla Creek High School – Colt Horeshoe Planter

6.)  Westside Elementary – Play in the Shade

7.)  Dalton High School – Amplify Your Assets

Projects will be completed by December 4 and each recipient will submit a project summary by December 15 to showcase their work. Visit Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s website www.KeepDaltonWhtifieldBeautiful.org or follow them on Facebook to get updates on the progress of these projects.  

National Planting Day is celebrated annually by Keep America Beautiful in the fall as an opportunity to encourage volunteers to plant native species restoring ecological balance to the environment while creating greener, more beautiful communities. Learn more about this event at www.kab.org.

6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest Announced

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The 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Design Contest is underway. Pictured is the winning design for 2014 designed by Reina Paniagua, a 7th grader from Eastbrook Middle School.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority is pleased to announce it’s 6th Annual America Recycles Day Billboard Contest for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders that attend either public or private schools participating in the Target Recycling at School program in Whitfield County. 

Students are invited to design a billboard in keeping with the spirit of America Recycles Day, which is celebrated yearly on November 15. The top design out of the three grade levels will be displayed for at least four weeks on two billboards in Whitfield County in early November.

Schools in Whitfield County that can participate include Eastbrook Middle, New Hope Middle, North Whitfield Middle, Valley Point Middle, Westside Middle, Dalton Middle, Northstar School, Crossroads academy, Christian Heritage School, and Learning Tree School.

During the 2014 contest, Eastbrook Middle School 7th grader, Reina Paniagua, won first place overall.  Her design, chosen out of 162 entries includes the phrase “I want to be recycled” which was one of the themes of the contest. The artwork is eye catching and very colorful with a group of recyclable materials shouting out their desire to be recycled in a blue speech bubble.  

Themes for this year include, “I want to be recycled.”, and “I recycle with Recycling Ben!” First, second, and third place prizes will be given in each of the three grade levels. The grand prize is chosen from the three first place winners. 

The Contest Guide with an entry form can be downloaded at http://www.dwswa.org/target-recycling-at-school/.  Deadline for entries is Friday, October 9, 2015. There is no entry fee, however an official entry form needs to be included with the artwork. Only artwork submitted directly from a school representative will be accepted. Winners will be announced on Monday, October 19, 2015. 

For more information contact Liz Swafford, Recycling and Education Program Coordinator, at 706-278-5001 or e-mail: lswafford@dwswa.org. To learn more about America Recycles Day visit www.americarecyclesday.org.