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Environmental efforts in Pontiac recognized with Home Town Award
By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com
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PONTIAC -- An image of a fish and the words “dump no waste, drain into Vermillion River,” are spray painted at each of more than 3,600 storm sewers in Pontiac.

Pontiac Township High School teacher Paul Ritter hopes everyone will take notice and not dump waste into the river that also supplied the city’s drinking water.

State officials also took notice of the effort, awarding the Governor’s Home Town Award to several Pontiac students for the second year in a row.

Ritter said the award was for both the Storm Sewer Stenciling Project, done by his high school ecology students and Pontiac Township Junior High School eighth grade students, and an electronic waste drive done by Livingston Area Career Center technology students.

“We are trying to help the community by making Pontiac the best it can be, from an environmental standpoint or any other,” Ritter said. “We are trying to lead by example.”

Katie Ridgway, spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said the award is in its 26th year and honors volunteerism in communities for different projects.

“I think (the award) means a lot to these communities as it is a way of giving them recognition for all of their efforts,” she said.

The stenciling project has students using nontoxic, water-based spray paint to send the message about protecting the river. The project has been going on for approximately 10 years, and was recognized by the state last year.

The award this year also recognizes the electronic waste drive, which accumulated more than three and a half tons of electronics, all of which was recycled.

An awards ceremony Tuesday in Springfield recognized the 40 winners for 2007 and to award the Governor’s Cup, which is a traveling silver trophy that recognizes the most volunteerism and community development.

Pontiac did not win the Governor’s Cup this year, but the city did receive a sign that will be placed on Pontiac’s city-limits sign to indicate the city received the award.

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Reader comments on this story - 3 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Congratulations! wrote on Dec 6, 2007 5:32 PM:

" Who cares about Your Santa Claus! The Earth is more important than xmas. Stenciling storm sewers may seem trivial, but it helps cut pollution of our waterways , if people don't dump into them. People drink the water downstream. Humans are an integral part of the world and the sooner ALL of us realize that fact, the better off we and our descendants will be. Landfills are a fact of modern life. Would you rather have an incinerator?? Recycle! "

Shopper wrote on Nov 28, 2007 6:12 PM:

" Congrats to Pontiac but can I ask the City of Pontiac, mayor or whomever why is the santa's house taking up several parking places so the people who'd like to shop downtown Pontiac can not find a place to park?? Then to find out santa will only be in 4 days during the holidays for 3 hrs each. And for this we lose several valueable parking places. How bout Humiston Riverside Park parking, plenty there this time of year. Think ! "

Is this a joke? wrote on Nov 27, 2007 10:56 PM:

" So Pontiac is an environmental model? I can see that garbage mountain west of town growing everytime I drive by. It is a tribute to recycling. Surely nothing could possibly seep into the ground water. All the plastic blowing around is so decorative. "
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