Eek-o-Friendly Costume Swap featuring the Green Halloween Gazebo

(Dalton, GA, September 15, 2012) – Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful invites you to swap your clean, gently-used Halloween costume for one that's new to you at their newest community event, the Eek-o-Friendly Costume Swap featuring the Green Halloween® Gazebo. It will take place on Saturday, October 6 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Gaston Community Center in Dalton. Stop by to "recycle" your costume, and learn new ways to make your Halloween more eco-friendly.

The event area in the gym will be divided into two sections:

• Eek-o-Friendly Costume Swap:
Recycle your clean, gently used Halloween costume from last year and swap it for one that's "new" to you in the spirit of National Costume Swap Day™. Costumes should be in good condition without tears or stains. Accepting family friendly costumes for babies, children, adults, and pets! (A costume to swap is required for admission to this area.)

• Green Halloween Gazebo:
Visit the booths to green your Halloween. Zap energy vampires, choose better treats and treasures, make decor from your recycling bin, dare to adopt a black cat (or dog), and get tips to be more "eek-o-friendly" this fall.

Costume Donations to help stock up the costume swap event are being accepted at Toys In The Attic in Downtown Dalton until Friday, October 5. Drop off full costumes, and miss-matched accessories in the Eek-o-Friendly Costume Swap Donation Box. Please note that this location is for donations only; no swaps will be made at the store. If you take your costumes to Toys In The Attic they will be counted as donations and will NOT qualify you for a swap during the event.

Thank you to the following organization for participating in this new event: - Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Georgia Power, Toys In The Attic, Bradley Wellness Center, Northwest Georgia Humane Society, Dalton State College, and the Dalton Fire Department.

For more event information visit www.keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful.org,www.facebook.com/keepdaltonwhitfieldbeautiful, or call 706-278-5001.

Photo: Recycle your costume at the Eek-o-Friendly Costume Swap featuring the Green Halloween® Gazebo on Saturday, October 6 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Gaston Community Center. Costumes for children, adults, and pets are accepted.

Solid Waste Employees Place First In State Road-E-O

Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority staff members placed first in their division at the 2012 Landfill Equipment and Truck Road-E-O hosted by the Georgia Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America in June and qualified for the International SWANA Road-E- O. Thirty-four heavy equipment operators and drivers from across the state competed in Dublin, Georgia. Lead Equipment Operator, Eddie Ashe took 1st place in the Rubber-Tire Loader division and Driver, Jeremy Flood placed 1st in the Roll-Off truck division. Pictured during the award presentation are Denise Wood, DWSWA Chairwoman and City of Dalton Councilwoman, Eddie Ashe, Jeremy Flood, and Norman Barashick, Executive Director of the DWSWA. Both Ashe and Flood will go on to compete with 100 operators and drivers from across the US, at the SWANA International Road-E-O in Lexington, Kentucky in September.

Landfill, Convenience Centers to be Closed on Labor Day

Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority facilities will be closed on Monday, September 3, 2012 in observance of Labor Day. Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center, McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center, Westside Convenience Center, and the M.L. King Convenience Center.

All locations will reopen on Tuesday, September 4, 2012 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. For more information visit call 706-277-2545.

Labor Day Holiday Schedule:

• • Saturday, September 1, 2012 - All Locations Open - Normal Hours (7am – 3pm)
  • Monday, September 3, 2012 – All Locations Closed
  • Tuesday, September 4, 2012 – All Locations Open (7am – 6pm) (Westside Normally Closed)
  • Wednesday, September 5, 2012 – Resume Normal Operating Days and Hours (McGaughey Chapel Closed)

City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Collects Over 700 Tons

1,448,640 Pounds Recycled Since January

(Dalton, GA, August 8, 2012) – Dalton residents have helped recycle 1,448,640 pounds of materials so far this year by participating in the city’s Curbside Recycling Program. They are well on their way of reaching the goal of 2,400,000 pounds for the year. Residents that have garbage pickup thru the City of Dalton Public Works Department typically qualify for Curbside services. To find out if you qualify and to request a blue recycling bin call Public Works at 706-278-7077.

Items accepted for recycling include paper, cardboard, telephone books, glass bottles and jars, tin or bi-metal cans, and plastic bottles and jugs. For more details and to watch the how to videos visit the Recycling Instructions page on the city’s website:http://www.cityofdalton-ga.gov/index.php/recycling-instructions

PHOTO: Paper, plastic, metal, and glass fill a City of Dalton Curbside Recycling Bin. To find out if you qualify for the program call the Public Works Department at 706-278-7077.

Secure Your Load for Cleaner and Safer Roads

Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority Launches New Educational Campaign

(Dalton, GA, July 20, 2012) – You may not intentionally put trash in the wrong place, but if you’re not securing the items in your pickup truck or trailer correctly, they could easily become litter. When surveyed by Georgia DOT, 77% of Georgia motorists said they have seen something blow out of a vehicle and onto the road. Driving with an unsecured load can destroy more than scenery, especially when litter falls off a truck and hits another vehicle. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has reported that roadway debris contributes to fatalities each year.

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority has launched an educational campaign for the months of July and August to encourage you to “Secure Your Load”. Banners posted at local Convenience Centers and several billboards now viewable in Whitfield County show a picture of a truck with a loose load about to hit the truck behind it. Included in bright yellow letters is the phrase “Secure Your Load”.

Trucks with unsecured loads can easily lose the items they’re carrying, no matter their weight and size. Under Georgia’s Litter Law anything leaving a vehicle, intentional or not, is litter and can result in a citation. Besides preventing litter on the road, securing your load increases safety for all motorists.

Here are some tips for Securing Your Load:

• Tie It Down: large or heavy items should be firmly secured with solid straps, rope, bungee cords, or netting. Tie large items directly to your vehicle.

• Cover It Up: Use a sturdy plastic or canvas tarp, or netting to keep lighter items like yard waste in place.

• Don’t Overload: Keep material level with truck bed or trailer unless tied down, netted or tarped. Materials below the truck bed should also be secured if there’s any chance of them blowing out or falling from the vehicle.

• Ask Yourself: Is there any chance of debris falling or blowing out of my vehicle? Would I feel safe if I were driving behind MY vehicle?

To download a copy of the brochure, “Keep it in Your Bed… Secure your Load” and more tips for securing your load visit www.DWSWA.org.