Real Hartford

Trash Talk

kerri — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:30:35 +0000

Clarence W. Corbin, the Director of Hartford Public Works, and Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, Assistant to the Director of Public Works, spoke to residents as part of the Understanding City Services workshop series tonight at the Hartford Public Library. Corbin mainly covered the single-stream recycling pilot program, while Cruz-Aponte dealt with the proposed Hartford Bulky Waste & Recycling Center.

Corbin’s presentation included background on the single-stream program which was introduced to selective areas in Hartford last May. Much of what he talked about has previously been reported on at Urban Compass, as a press release was sent by the Mayor’s office a few days back. Some of the key facts that he shared:

* It costs about $70/ton to dump garbage, whether it contains recyclable materials or not

* Hartford dumps about 45,000 tons of municipal solid waste (per year, I’m assuming, though he didn’t give a time frame)

* The “Go Green – Use Blue” program collects from 1000 households in the city each day

* 86% of the households in the program are compliant

* $4160 in rebates have been awarded to residents so far

* The single-stream program will only be available to those in 1-6 family residences.

The Department of Public Works is working to figure out how to expand the program, and they expressed hope that all 1-6 family residences in Hartford will be able to participate.

What struck me as annoying from a treehugging hippie point-of-view is that so much of their presentation focused on economics rather than on health or environmental benefits. Are we really only concerned with taxes and revenue?

Cruz-Aponte announced plans for the new Hartford Bulky Waste & Recycling Center, which she described as both a “transfer station” and a “convenience center.” Because the landfill will be closing on December 31, 2008, we need to find another way to dispose of our trash. She explained that residents will still place trash in city-issued bins and pick-up will continue in the same way, so that part of the process will not be changing. After the trash leaves the premises, it will be brought to the transfer station, where it will be—wait for it—transferred. The Hartford Bulky Waste & Recycling Center will also permit residents to drop off recyclables, electronics, and bulky waste like tires; however, they will not be collecting hazardous waste. There is a possibility that this center will also have a “swap center” where residents can leave items that are in good condition, and others can pick them up. Right now we have a swap center– it’s called the curb. (more…)

Happy Hazardous Waste Collection Day!

kerri — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 10:03:47 +0000

Tomorrow, you too can get rid of the hundreds of pesky moth balls that have been taking up residence in your living room since May. But it won’t be easy. You’ll have to schlep yourself and your hazardous waste down to the Hartford Water Pollution Control Facility at 240 Brainard Road between 8am and 1pm. The announcement on the City of Hartford website requests that the waste be placed in their original containers and transported by box; the MDC’s website is a bit more specific with their guidelines:

• Bring your waste in their original containers whenever possible. Please make sure all containers are closed. It is dangerous to transport open containers.
• Do not mix different products.
• Collect your waste containers in disposable boxes or bins, which should be transported in your
trunk. Do not put your Household HazWaste in the backseat with your children or pets.
• NO SMOKING IN YOUR CAR! Most wastes are flammable.
• Bring something to read, the wait is usually 5-15 minutes, but can be up to 30 minutes
(and at the very large collections sometimes longer).
• If possible, leave children and animals at home.

(more…)

Improving Hartford and Attracting People Downtown in Three Easy Steps

kerri — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:09:37 +0000

Julie (Live in Hartford) dug through the archives, and found that these concerns were addressed about a decade ago. It’s kind of what we tell students learning how to do research– you are joining an ongoing conversation; the conversation did not begin with you. Go read her blog entry about it.

Free Workshop for First-Time Homebuyers

kerri — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:51:18 +0000

If you are thinking of waiting until homes are dirt cheap to buy, you might want to learn about the process, so as not to get screwed on subprime mortgages and loans like many currently losing their homes were. On Saturday September 6th (10am-2pm) there will be a free workshop at the Hartford Public Library (downtown) put together by the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA), an activist organization that has gathered some interesting mixed reviews. NACA helps potential buyers go through the process, in exchange for the promise of engaging in five kinds of activities each year to support the goals of NACA (fighting predatory lending).
(more…)

New Users’ Guide

kerri — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:00:07 +0000

If this is your first visit to Real Hartford, welcome. Check out the About page for some background on the blog. If you have story ideas to submit, you can find info about that process on the Want Press page. Stick around, check out the archives, or read some of my favorite posts:

Danger is in the Eye of the Beholder

311– Like Flushing Money, Only Less Certain

Frankenstein’s Monster

Tales from the Cesspool, Part Three

How to Build Community Against All Odds, Part One

How to Build Community Against All Odds, Part Two

Real Hartford Goes on Television (thoughts on teenage pregnancy)

Thanks for coming by!