Code Enforcement Official of the Year Awarded to Dalton Officer

Code Enforcement Officer Chris Cochran from the Dalton Police Department was honored as the 2015 Code Enforcement Official of the year by Keep Georgia Beautiful. 

(Dalton, GA, December 18, 2015) –  Code Enforcement Officer Chris Cochran from the Dalton Police Department was honored as the 2015 Code Enforcement Official of the year by Keep Georgia Beautiful. Cochran established the code enforcement program in 2013 and has been responsible for enforcing environmental, housing, and land use codes in the city.  

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, the local Keep America Beautiful and Keep Georgia Beautiful affiliate, and the City of Dalton nominated Cochran for his extensive work in the area of code enforcement. Throughout the year he’s been involved in activities ranging from removing illegally dumped tires to informing residents about building code violations.

Almost 250 Georgians attended the 37th Annual Keep Georgia Beautiful Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, December 16 at the Marriott Century Center. The annual program honors individuals and organizations working to improve Georgia’s environment.

“Today’s program celebrates and recognizes 37 years of collaboration by individuals, schools, corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies to keep Georgia’s environment beautiful,” said Kevin Perry, President of the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation.

The annual awards ceremony recognizes outstanding efforts in the areas of Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction & Recycling and Community Improvement. Individual wards are presented to a public works official, code enforcement official, elected official, student, male volunteer, female volunteer, and executive director of the year.

The program also honors Georgia’s Keep America Beautiful Affiliates for their comprehensive environmental impact on the local community. Since its inception in 1978, Georgia’s affiliate network has grown to be the nation’s largest, with 78 local affiliates serving 76% of the state’s population.

Additional article also posted on the Dalton Police Department Blog: http://daltonpd.com/2015/12/dalton-officer-named-code-enforcement-official-of-the-year/

Live Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Event on January 9, 2016

Whitfield County Public Works staff prepare to mulch live Christmas trees during Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful’s annual treecycling event.  The next event will be on Saturday, January 9 from 8 am to 1 pm. 

Whitfield County residents are invited drop off live, natural Christmas trees and used electronic devices for recycling at the community’s annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event. Visitors to the event will receive a packet of herb or vegetable seeds to plant at home or another promotional item as a thank you for participating.

On Saturday, January 9, 2016 Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful volunteers will be collecting live, natural, undecorated Christmas trees, and electronic devices from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at The Home Depot parking lot located at 875 Shugart Road in Dalton.

There is no charge for dropping off live, natural Christmas tress. Trees must be free of ornaments, nails, hooks, wire, tinsel, lights, and other decorations. Only natural, live, real trees will be accepted – no artificial trees please. Trees will be recycled on site into mulch that will be used for beautification projects throughout Whitfield County. 

Please note that there is a $5.00 fee for CRT (cathode ray tube) television sets and computer monitors. However, other electronics can be dropped off for free. These devices include computer consoles, digital cameras, video cameras, cell phones, gaming systems and components, mp3 players, scanners, flat screens, eBook readers, tablets, and laptops.

Join and share the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1631276870458795/

Before going to the event secure your load for cleaner and safer roads. Tie down and put a tarp on items placed in the back of a pick-up truck, trailer, or on the roof of a vehicle.

If you are unable to attend there are several options available year round for recycling Christmas trees and electronic devices.  

1.) The City of Dalton Public Works Department will collect Christmas trees from the curb for city residents that have garbage collection service through the city. City residents should call 706-278-7077 to request pick-up. Yard debris is regularly picked up throughout the year every other week.

2.) The four Convenience Centers managed by the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority have drop-off areas for yard debris that is recycled year round.  These include the McGaughey Chapel, M.L.King Blvd., Westside, and the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. 

3.) Electronics are collected for recycling year round only at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center. For hours of operation and directions to any of the four Convenience Centers visit www.DWSWA.org or call 706-277-2545.

Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful would like to thank the following organizations for making this event possible: Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Whitfield County Public Works Department, and The Home Depot in Dalton.  For more details about the event visit www.KeepDaltonWhitfieldBeautiful.org or call 706-278-5001.

Landfill, Convenience Centers Holiday Hours for Christmas, New Year’s

Facilities closed in observance of Christmas Day 2015, New Year’s Day 2016

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority has announced the holiday hours of operation for it’s four facilities in Whitfield County. Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center, McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center in Cohutta, Westside Convenience Center in Rocky Face, and the M.L. King Blvd. Convenience Center in Dalton. 

All locations will be open on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. All four locations will be closed on Friday, December 25 in observance of Christmas Day. All locations will reopen on Saturday, December 26 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and resume normal hours.

The following week all facilities will be closed on Friday, January 1 in observance of New Year’s Day and reopen Saturday, January 2 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

For more information call the main office at 706-277-2545.

Christmas and New Year’s Holiday Operating Schedule:

• Thursday, December 24, 2015 – Christmas Eve: Early Closing – All Locations OPEN - 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM

• Friday, December 25, 2015 – Christmas Day: All Locations CLOSED

• Saturday, December 26, 2015 – All Locations OPEN – 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Resume Normal Schedule)

• Thursday, December 31, 2015 – New Year’s Eve: Regular Hours 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

• Friday, January 1, 2016 – New Year’s Day: All Locations CLOSED

• Saturday, January 2, 2016 - All Locations OPEN – 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Resume Normal Schedule)

Facilities Closed in Observance of Thanksgiving Day

Landfill, Convenience Centers To Be Closed Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority has announced the holiday hours of operation for it’s four facilities in Whitfield County. Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center, McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center in Cohutta, Westside Convenience Center in Rocky Face, and the M.L. King Convenience Center in Dalton. 

All locations will be open from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm on Wednesday, November 25 including the McGaughey Chapel location which is normally closed on Wednesdays. All four sites will be closed on Thursday, November 26 in observance of Thanksgiving Day. All locations will reopen on Friday, November 27 from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and resume normal hours.

For more information call the main office at 706-277-2545.

Thanksgiving Day Holiday Schedule:

• Wednesday, November 25, 2015 – All Locations OPEN - EARLY CLOSING: 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM(McGaughey Chapel Normally Closed)

• Thursday, November 26, 2015 – All Locations CLOSED – Thanksgiving Day

• Friday, November 27, 2015 – All Locations OPEN – 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Resume Normal Schedule)

11,463 Pounds of Garbage Removed From Conasauga Watershed During Volunteer Event

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Girl Scout Troop 14603 at Lakeshore Park in Dalton where volunteers helped to remove more than a ton of garbage during the 2015 river cleanup. 

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Volunteers from the Conasauga Ranger District of the US Forest Service cleaned along three creeks in their service area. 

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Whitfield County Public Works staff and volunteers at Prater’s Mill where participants removed litter along Coahulla Creek which feeds into the Conasauga River. 

(Dalton, GA, November 6, 2015) – Muddy tires, abandoned mattresses, and a lost truck cover were part of the 11,463 pounds of garbage removed by volunteers during the 21st Annual Conasauga River Watershed Cleanup Event on Saturday, October 24. The annual event took place during United Way’s “Make a Difference Day”. Three hundred sixty volunteers spent the morning removing trash, debris, and invasive plants from eleven locations in Whitfield and Murray counties.

Sites included in this year’s event were the Conasauga River at Carlton Petty Road Bridge, at Highway 2 bridge, and at Lower King’s Bridge and Norton Bridge. Also, Holly Creek in Murray County on the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Mill Creek tributary in the City of Dalton, Coahulla Creek at Prater’s Mill, and Lakeshore Park in the City of Dalton. New locations this year included Al Rollins Park in Dalton, and Muskrat, Hurricane, and Stover Creeks on National Forest land in Whitfield County. 

Garbage found at each site was the result illegal dumping, irresponsible abandonment after using a site, or accidental loss of items from a vehicle with an unsecured load. Event participants encourage the public to pickup litter when they see it, even if it isn’t theirs; properly secure loads on vehicles, even when traveling short distances; take out what they take in at outdoor recreation areas; and properly dispose of tires and bulky items at an approved drop-off location. Small efforts from everyone will result in big results and a cleaner environment. 

The amount of time donated by volunteers during this year’s event, approximately 1,436 hours, is valued at $29,824. Volunteers received a t-shirt from the Rivers Alive program, and also received a hat or tumbler commemorating the event. “Thank you for all your help with this cleanup and for all you do throughout the year to make our area a better place for people and wildlife.” said Dalton State College Professor John Lugthart.

The following sponsors provided the funds needed to purchase the hats, tumblers, and t-shirts, as well as supplies, and hauled off the garbage: J+J Flooring, Shaw Industries, Dalton Utilities, Conasauga River Alliance, Modern Woodmen of America, The Nature Conservancy, Georgia's Rivers Alive, Christian Heritage School, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, and Whitfield County Public Works.

Also, the following organizations helped coordinated the event: Conasauga River Alliance, Dalton State College, Dalton Utilities, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful, Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Limestone Valley RC & D, The Nature Conservancy, and Whitfield and Murray County Extension.

The Conasauga River, one of the six most biologically diverse freshwater river systems in the United States, supports twenty four endangered species and a dozen other imperiled species, including the Southern Pigtoe mussel and the Conasauga logperch, a fish found nowhere else in the world.

The Conasauga Watershed Clean-up has long been a participant of Rivers Alive, one of the South’s largest volunteer efforts to beautify water resources. So far this year, 5,809 volunteers have participated in 112 clean-up events through out the state and have removed 133,025 pounds of garbage from Georgia waterways. For more information about efforts in other areas or the statewide campaign visit www.RiversAlive.org.

Additional photos from participants may be found on the event's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/628445717298103/