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KKB's
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What is a BLOG?
A blog is a web log. For KKB it is a diary of the activity of our
organization.
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Thursday,
June 24
Today, KKB staff conducted an orientation session for 3 new board
members - Keith Austin of Lamar Advertising, Tisha
Calabrese of the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation and Sarah Surak the Recycling Coordinator for
the University of Tennessee. Another new board member, Goldie
Simpkins of Project Grad had a schedule conflict. Our board
just keeps getting better and better!
- posted by KKB Staff @ 3:15 PM
This week KKB staff and volunteers finished up all
the phase one litter index areas with only one exception. New
volunteers this week included Executive Director of James White's
Fort Sam Maynard, KCDC Executive Director Alvin Nance, new KKB
board member Sarah Surak of UTK, Judy Parker of Knox County, KKB
board member Phyllis Fansler, Knox County Solid Waste Director
John Evans, concerned citizen J.C. Lay, KKB board member
Mary Lou Horner, City Councilman Steve Hall, Tobertha
Anderson of KCDC, Joe Walsh of City of Knoxville, City
Councilwoman Barbara Pelot and her husband Reuben.
Returning from last week were LaMonté Bishop, Grant Rosenberg
and Wesley Robin. Here are the results of this week's
surveys:
Due to volunteer schedule conflicts and very heavy rain we were not able
to complete one area in June. We will pick up that area in
July. Many thanks again to all our volunteers who helped make this
survey a big success!
- posted by KKB Staff @ 8:45 PM
Thursday,
June 17
The Litter Index
went on the road to North Hills this afternoon. Volunteer Wesley
Robin returned and we were joined by John Homa of the City of
Knoxville and Meredith Leahey of Knox County Solid Waste.
This was a baseline survey. This area is part of the survey
expansion area we are undertaking this year. In the future we will
be surveying these same streets.
Editorial Comment - So Far, So Good: After all the news
coverage on the Litter Index results, KKB feels the need to comment here
that if your neighborhood is scoring between 1 and 2 you are looking at
a neighborhood in pretty good shape with respect to litter. If you
are scoring in the 2's you need a cleanup and some litter source control
for sure. If you score between a 2.5 and 3.5 there is probably
some type of chronic litterbug or neglect problem that is not being
addressed. If your score is 3.5 or higher you need to get a codes
officer into the neighborhood and force some property owners to clean
up. Of the 25 "sub-areas" surveyed so far, nine have
been 2 or higher and only two have had scores 2.5 or higher. What
this means it that most of our neighborhoods look real clean and you get
the strong impression that people are taking care of things as they
happen. When you see letters to the editor saying Knoxville is the
"most littered" city in the U.S. I think that is the result of
someone making a general statement about the whole community from seeing
pockets of serious litter. We still have a lot of neighborhoods to
look at, but so far, so good.
- posted by KKB Staff @ 7:45 PM
We hope you picked up a copy of today's News Sentinel.
There is a super article by Megan Williams on the Litter Index
process. We even had a color picture above-the-fold on the first
page (it doesn't get any better than that for positive coverage of a
non-profit organization). The article included a full description
of the process and a chart of past results. Volunteers quoted in
the article include: Rob Dansereau, Rep. Jamie Hagood and KKB
Board Member Cassandra McGee. Monte Stanley is
mentioned in the on-line version at www.knoxnews.com. Here
are some KKB photos from yesterday's survey: (l-r) News Sentinel
reporter Megan Williams, Annette Winston, Cassandra McGee, Rob
Dansereau, Billie Spicuzza, Bob Santore, County
Commissioner Paul Pinkston, Grant Rosenberg and Cortney
Piper.
- posted by KKB Staff @ 6:15 AM
Wednesday,
June 16
The Litter Index moved to South Knoxville today and we
added a lot of new volunteers. The total Litter Index area was
also expanded for the first time. Area 6, which includes much of Vestal
and an area between Woodlawn and Moody was
re-visited. A new area farther out Chapman Highway was
added. Volunteers joining the survey today included Stanley's
Greenhouse owner Monte Stanley, Billie Spicuzza of KCDC,
KKB Board Member Cassandra McGee, County Commissioner Paul
Pinkston, Cumberland Avenue business owner Rob Dansereau, State
Representative Jamie Hagood, KKB Consultant Annette Winston,
and Grant Rosenberg from the Knox County Office of
Neighborhoods. Bob Santore rejoined the group after
surveying another area on Monday. Here are results from today's
surveys compared to last year and the baseline year in 2000:
Here are some photos of our volunteers: (l-r) News Sentinel
reporter Megan Williams, Annette Winston, Cassandra McGee, Rob
Dansereau, Billie Spicuzza, Bob Santore, County Commissioner Paul
Pinkston, Grant Rosenberg and KKB staffer Cortney Piper.
- posted by KKB staff @ 8:13 PM
Tuesday,
June 15
The Litter Index surveys continued today with KKB staff and
volunteers touring Area 3 during an outrageous rainstorm. Local TV
weather said we got about 1.5 inches of rain in 2 hours. Volunteer
Wesley Robin returned from yesterday and was joined by La
Monté Bishop. Here are the results of the survey:
- posted by KKB staff @ 7:15 PM
The Earthfest Steering Committee treated itself to an outing
at a Smokies game today. The event doubled as a going away
party (one of several planned) for Athena Bradley. Lately
of the Goodwill Computer Recycling Program, and earlier from the Knox
County Solid Waste office (and some other job in-between), Athena is
moving up north - Massachusetts she told us - she got a real good
job. We're really proud of her and will miss her. She had a
significant, long-term, positive impact on the local environment and was
a positive role model for everyone doing environmentally related
work. Remember Athena, it's all about you!
- posted by KKB staff @ 4:45 PM
Monday, June 14
The Litter Index neighborhood surveys have begun. KKB staff
and volunteers toured the first main area - known to KKB insiders at
Area 5. A 4-point scale rating
system validated by Keep America Beautiful is used to score
the neighborhoods. The whole staff participated as well as
volunteers Bob Santore and Wesley Robin. Here is a
chart of the results
- posted by KKB staff @ 8:30 PM
Sunday,
June 13
John Homa, City of Knoxville, sent this image of the Flag
Retirement Ceremony held earlier today at the Elks Lodge on
Lonas Road.
- posted by KKB staff @ 6:20 PM
Saturday,
June 12
It was computer recycling day in Knoxville. The City of
Knoxville, Knox County, Goodwill and Staples sponsored this event in the
parking lot next to Staples on Peters Road today between 9:00 a.m. and
3:00 p.m. More than 2.5 tractor trailer loads (estimated more than
20 tons) of cpu's, monitors, printers, and other accessories were
collected. Later model cpu's and monitors that work are used by
Goodwill in their programs. Obsolete equipment is disassembled for
proper disposal and recycling. John Homa of City of Knoxville
Recycling, Mike Dahl of the Knoxville Recycling Coalition and
Rodney
Rockett of Knox County Solid Waste were there with dozens of volunteers.
- posted by KKB staff @ 4:15 PM
Friday,
June 11
Annie Morton (KKB staff) had an information table at the DeRoyal
Employees Health Fair. Tom had a meeting with the Executive
Directors Club. The topic of discussion at today's meeting was
how does an organization tell the community all the benefits (direct and
indirect) that it provides with its programs and services. Next
month we are meeting at Mellow Mushroom on Cumberland Avenue,
Friday, July 16th, 11:30 a.m. The topic will be something like using your
nonprofit website to the greatest advantage for your organization. Pictured below are (l-r): Donna
Walker of Junior
Achievement of East Tennessee, David Massey of KORRnet,
Helen Harb of The
National Kidney Foundation of East Tennessee and Marisa Galick
of The Joy of
Music School.
- posted by KKB staff @ 3:15 PM
Thursday, June 10
Rodney Rockett of Knox County Solid Waste
and John Homa
of City of Knoxville Recycling
were on WBIR
this morning at about 6:15 a.m. promoting the Flag Day recycling
event and the semi-annual Computer Recycling
event to be held at Staples
on Peters Road
this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pictured below
are (left image) are WBIR morning anchor Michelle Silva, John Homa and Rodney Rockett;
(center image) Rodney Rockett; and (right image) guts of an old
computer.
- posted by KKB staff @ 7:30 AM
Wednesday, June 9
The Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN stickers are now available
at both Disk Exchange locations (Kingston Pike and Chapman
Highway) and the Food Co-op on Broadway. Call the office at
521-6957 if you want one of the free stickers and if you can't get to
one of these locations.
- posted by KKB staff @ 4:15 PM
Tuesday, June 8
A very important lunch meeting took place with Rodney Rockett (Knox
County Greenwaste Program), Neil Denton (KKB Board Member, TV
star and Ag expert), John Evans (Knox County Solid Waste
Director) and Tom Salter of KKB (not shown, but actually
there). Many serious problems were solved during this
meeting including the age-old mystery, can four people eat an entire key
lime pie at lunch and stay awake the rest of the afternoon. Actual
topics included litter law enforcement issues, how to increase use of
the Greenwaste Facility and the new KKB slogan Don't Throw Down on
K-TOWN.
-posted by KKB staff @ 2:30 PM
Monday, June 7
Michael Hodges
of 100.3 The River dropped off a copy of the radio spots
from the Mayors Haslam and Ragsdale's Great American
Cleanup™ promotion and the spots for the Don't Throw Down on
K-TOWN campaign. In case you aren't a big radio listener and
missed the spots here they are:
Knox
County Mayor Mike Ragsdale promoting the Great American Cleanup™
City of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam promoting the Great American
Cleanup™
Gunner of WIVK promoting Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN
Mayor Joe of 100.3 The River promoting Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN
Dana of Wild 98.7 promoting Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN
- posted by KKB staff @ 5:03 PM
Wednesday, June 2
It was Celebrity Bartender night at Preservation Pub
to benefit Keep Knoxville Beautiful and to kick off the next
phase of the Don't Throw Down on K-TOWN promotion. Free
4"x4" bumper stickers were available and about $150 in tips
were donated to the cause. Special thanks to Preservation Pub, KKB
supporter Wesley Robin, attorney with Great West Risk
Management who brought a bunch of his friends, and WVLT reporter
Gary Lowe who interviewed our board president-elect Page
Pratt-Greene. Also many thanks to our Celebrity Bartenders, Todd
Dooley, nephew of KKB board president Martha Dooley and Cheryl
Schoenberger, wife of former KKB employee Mike Schoenberger.
- posted by KKB staff @ 9:20 PM
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