MRPC News Release
Dec. 2, 2005
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Tammy Snodgrass or Bonnie J. Prigge, (573) 265-2993
OZARK RIVERS SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT RECOGNIZES 25 AT ANNUAL AWARDS PROGRAM
ST. JAMES—The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District honored 25 endeavors in its seven-county area during its annual dinner meeting Nov. 29 at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission in St. James. Each year, the Ozark Rivers District recognizes companies, organizations and individuals that are helping the district meet its 40-percent waste reduction goal and to showcase them as models for others to follow. Recognized, this year, were:
• The Gasconade County Road Department, for providing equipment and personnel for illegal dump clean ups;
• The Gasconade County Republican, for providing in-depth coverage of the illegal dump clean ups near Owensville and the problems posed by illegal dumping;
• Roger Barr of Bird's Nest Lodge, Robert Bass of Ozark Outdoors and Joan King, representing Missouri Stream Team 1000, for their efforts to keep river access points clean of trash and litter in Crawford County;
• David Cape and Carol Banta of Steelville for their individual recycling efforts;
• The Richard Korte Family and the Patrick Mullen Family for their trash pick up efforts along Crawford County roads;
• Resource Recovery of Cuba for reinstating and operating Cuba's recycling program;
• Midwest Sales of Cuba for providing trailers and recycling metals and appliances from illegal dumping cleanups in the Ozark Rivers District;
• The Phelps County Sheriff's Department, for increasing awareness about illegal dumping through its Neighborhood Watch Program and for assisting with the arrest of illegal dumpers;
• The Phelps County Highway Department for providing equipment and personnel to the illegal dump effort;
• Brad Frazier and the Wal-Mart Distribution Center 6069, St. James, for providing water and rakes to illegal dump clean up volunteers;
• Larry Ellis of Belle, who recruited volunteers and helped clean up an illegal dump along his property in Maries County;
• Maries County landowner Dave Behren of Defiance for assisting with the clean up along his property;
• The Maries County Road Department, for providing equipment and personnel for illegal dump clean ups;
• Tri-County Newspapers of Belle, for providing in-depth coverage of the illegal dump clean ups in Maries County and the problems posed by illegal dumping;
• Missouri Department of Natural Resource Employees Mike Struckhoff of the St. Louis Regional Office; Glen Gearhart of the Southeast Regional Office; Terry Ball and Beth Marsala of MDNR's Enforcement Section, for providing assistance with clean ups;
• Klaus Leidenfrost of the US Forest Service and Mike Smith of the Missouri Department of Conservation, Phelps County, for providing equipment and on-site assistance for clean ups; and
• South Central Corrections Center at Licking, for providing prison labor for clean ups.
Ozark Rivers Chairman Scott Murrell of Fort Leonard Wood chaired the meeting and presented the awards. He commended volunteers and praised partnership efforts. "You're what makes the system work," Murrell said.
The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district's strategy for reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, involves intense education and increased recycling efforts in member counties and cities.
Cutline: Those honored by the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District during its annual awards program were: Front row, seated: Marilyn Korte, Richard Korte; Second row: Terry Ball of MDNR, Nichoel Snodgrass of Tri-County Newspapers, Teresa Hopkins for Midwest Sales, Carol Banta, and Beth Marsala of MDNR; Third row: Klaus Leidenforst of Mark Twain National Forest, Wendell Calhoun of South Central Correctional Facility, Gasconade County Commissioner Max Aubuchon, Maries County Presiding Commissioner Jim Kleffner, Larry Ellis, Jeannine Hoeff (representing Mike Struckhoff of MDNR), Dale Winemiller of the Phelps County Highway Department, and Joan King of the Missouri Stream Team 1000; Back row: Craig Hopkins of Resource Recovery, Mike Smith of Missouri Department of Conservation, Dave Behrens, Carmelo Crivelo of the Phelps County Sheriff's Department, Robert Bass of Ozark Outdoors, Roger Barr of Bird's Nest Lodge and Glen Gearhart of MDNR.