Helga Promotes AGAWAM CLEAN

Helga & Agawam's DPW are promoting Agawam's Second Annual Town-Wide Clean-Up called AGAWAM CLEAN during the month of May and we need your help!!!

Here's why:

• Many of Agawam's streets are littered with trash.

Trash from a Feeding Hills Street

• This trash is harmful to pets and wildlife.

Puppies eat trash, especially if it is a food wrapper.

• This trash may enter storm drains and flow directly into our streams, rivers and finally into the ocean contributing to Ocean Garbage Patches.

A dead albratross that ate plastic from the ocean mistaking it for food.
Photo credit:www.ChrisJordan.com

Here's how you can help.

• Pick an area (small or large) that is littered and register your area with the DPW at 821-0624.

• Bring a bag or two and wear gloves.

• Join others  and clean up that area.

• Take before and after photos of that area and send them to agawam.ma.us/DPW and also share them with others via social media.

• Consider adopting your area and keeping it clean all year.

• Ask other residents, businesses, and civic organizations to join.

• Consider saving old bags that you would normally throw out (such as large dog food bags) and use them as trash bags to save resources.

• Put bagged trash with your weekly trash pick-up. If the trash is from a local business, ask that business if you may use their dumpster.

• If you have any metal items to move, call Mr. T's Trash Removal at 413-205-7082.
• Many Agawam students are planning a cleanup.

• If you don't live in Agawam, organize a cleanup where you live and name it "YOUR TOWN" CLEAN.

A litter free town is possible when we change the current culture to AGAWAM CLEAN. There are a number of beautiful litter-free places thoughout out the world and Agawam can be one of them. Let's put Agawam on that litter-free  map.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed for 2 separate Connecticut River Cleanups in Western Massachusetts on Saturday, April 23 at 9AM.  You may meet at one of the locations below:

1. Pynchon Point on River Road in Agawam
2. Parking area on the North side of Meadow Street, across from Westfield Music School, Westfield

For more information, go to westfieldriver.org  For information about other cleanups in your area, go to ctriver.org or search "Earth Day Cleanups 2016." Add your city and state to narrow your search.

Trash Talkin' with Nancy (and Helga)

In honor of Earth Day, Helga and I are delivering a powerful presentation about ways to reduce our trash footprints. This free event will take place at the Agawam Public Library on Tuesday, April 12th at 7PM.Click on the link below to see more information and to sign up:
Trash Talkin' with Nancy (and Helga)  

If this link fails, go to agawamlibrary.org, click on events/activities, scroll down to this event.

Helga Donates Used Christmas Cards to St. Jude's Recycled Card Program

Give greeting cards another life by donating them to St. Jude's Ranch for Children "Recycled Card Program."  St. Jude's Mission:  "Transforming the lives of abused and at-risk children, young adults and families by empowering them to create new chances, new choices and new hope in a caring community." 

See below for information from https://stjudesranch.org/ 

All occasion greeting cards are accepted year round. (Thank you, birthday, holiday, Christmas, sympathy, religious, Thanksgiving, etc.)

Give your used cards a second life.

Check the back: Hallmark, Disney, or American Greeting cards can not be accepted.

• Only the card front can be used (Please check to be sure the backside of the front of the card is clear of any writing.)  Children at the Ranch remove the front of the card and attach a new back to create a beautiful new card. 
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred
• To mail large quantities in the least expensive way, use a USPS (United States Post Office) Flat Rate Box (available at your local Post Office), which holds up to 70 pounds
• Mail donations to:
  St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
  Recycled Card Program
  100 St. Jude’s Street
  Boulder City, NV 89005

Helga invites you to Un-Trash the Holidays

Americans create about 25% more trash during the holidays. So while you make your tree brighter, make your trash lighter! Un-Trashing our planet is a gift we give each other.
.
No wrapping paper, no problem.

Use pillowcases. It's okay to ask for them back. Good friends don't mind.

Use dish towels or cloth napkins. If you want them back, ask or make the towel/napkin part of the gift.

Check your recycle bin for clever options such as magazines, flyers, newspaper or paper towel rolls.
 

If you use traditional wrapping paper, check to see if it is recyclable in your area. In Western Massachusetts, wrapping paper (except for metallic, foil, glitter types) is recyclable as well as tissue paper, lottery tickets, greeting cards (if made of paper.) Western Mass residents go to Springfieldmrf.org for more information.

About 40 billion plastic utensils are used in the US every year. Use the real stuff. If your host does not have enough silverware for everyone, loan your set for the party. Since the holidays are about love, love the fact that by using the real stuff, you are no longer sending plastic ware to the landfill for it to remain buried for centuries or to an incincerator where it  burns and spews dioxin, a potent carcinogen.

Helga Enjoys Local Grains from Localgrain.org

Helga purchases a grain share annually from Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains CSA (Community Supported Agriculture): This includes a variety of organic heirloom beans, corn, wheat, oats and more. Why would she choose to purchase a years worth of grain?

A years' worth of grains:  Properly stored, they have a long shelf life.

• Freshness- These grains are freshly harvested and sold to customers shortly after that.  No need to build extra silos to hold the grain or to use fumigants to prevent rats from eating the grain stored there. Grains that are packaged may be years old before you buy them.

Freshly harvested grains.

• Organic Practices- Herbicides and pesticides harm our bodies and pollute our soil and water supply. 
• Pay the farmer directly- This allow farmers to be paid a fair wage (avoids the middleman) and may encourage more people to enter this life supporting profession.  This allows farmland to stay farmland and residents to have access to locally grown grains. 
• Whole Grains-Whole grain flour is often not really 100% whole grain; the wheat germ and some of the bran is often removed from "whole grain" flour hence removing nutrients as well.
• Delicious- Helga is trying heirloom varieties of grain that she never heard of before and has been testing delicious recipes from the localgrain.org website.

Making blue corn tortillas.

Homemade whole grain bread.

Freshly  made bagels.

• Heirloom varieties- They are varieties you may not find anywhere else and are adapted to the New England climate. Farmers save their seeds annually and the plants (and seeds) continue to adapt over time to the changing climate. 
• Zero packaging- Shes bring her own containers. No problem. 

BYOC- Bring your own containers.

• Grain shares are still available at Localgrain.org. grains are picked up in Amherst, MA in January.

Helga Molts and Reuses Feathers.

Don't be chicken to share your hair. Check out this chick below who donated one foot of hair to "Children with Hair Loss." (www.childrenwithhairloss.us)

Before

After
(Cost Cutters/Stylist Mary Ellen)

Chickens celebrating "The Molt"

Facts: 

Wigs with real hair are expensive (about $1000) to make even if the hair is donated.

The rate and length your hair will grow is genetically determined. 

For those with hair to spare, considered donating it. Never let a good molting go to waste!!!