SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS

 September

                    2013 

 

  

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.
 
           HHW Events on September 21
  

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Lawrence and Putnam counties on September 21.

 

"Our household hazardous waste mobile collection service provides the people of Tennessee with a safe, environmentally friendly way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals and other potentially hazardous wastes at no cost," Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau said.  "This service travels across the state holding collection events in local communities, and we encourage all Tennesseans to take advantage of the opportunity to utilize it."

On Saturday, September 21, any Tennessee resident may bring his or her household hazardous waste to the following locations.  (Note that hours listed indicate the local time for events.) 

  • Lawrence County - Lawrence County Transfer Station at Bailer Drive in Lawrenceburg from 8 a.m. until noon. The local contact for this HHW collection event is Gary Hyde at (931) 766-0900. 
  • Putnam County - Putnam County Fairgrounds in Cookeville from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The local contact for this HHW collection event is Keith Street at (931) 528-3884.

2013 marks the 20th anniversary of Tennessee's mobile Household Hazardous Waste Program. Since the program's inception in 1993, over 310,000 households have properly disposed of more than 20 million pounds of material. HHW material is considered flammable, toxic, reactive and/or corrosive and should not be placed with regular garbage.

 

Household hazardous waste has changed over the past 20 years. In the 1990's, over 85% of the waste collected at events consisted of batteries, used oil and paints. In the early 2000's, emerging waste streams such as mercury-containing lamps and electronic scrap were increasingly generated and in need of recycling. Recycling markets developed in 2010 for batteries, used oil and electronic scrap, allowing counties and municipalities to expand their year-round collection programs. Today, typical items for disposal at an HHW event include cleaning fluids, pesticides, mercury thermometers and thermostats, fluorescent bulbs, lithium and button batteries, aerosols, adhesives, medications, brake fluid, swimming pool chemicals and paint thinner.  Business waste from conditionally exempt small quantity generators is now acceptable for a fee and by appointment. To request a price quote and schedule an appointment, please contact 615-643-3180. Items not accepted include ammunition, explosives, alkaline batteries, paint, electronics and medical waste.

 

When transporting materials to the site, it is important to place containers in sturdy boxes lined with newspaper to prevent spills and cross-contamination in the trunk of a car or back of a truck. Be sure to keep materials away from children and pets.  Materials should be kept in the original container whenever possible.  If not, place the waste in a plastic jug with a secure lid and label its contents.

 

For more information on the household hazardous waste mobile collection service, please call

1-800-287-9013.

 

       

Rolley Hole Fun

 

Standing Stone State Park will host the National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship and Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14, drawing some of the country's best players to Tennessee where they will match wit and skills in what is known as the Super Bowl of marbles. In its 31st year, the event includes kids' games, marble making, a swap meet, tournament play, demonstrations, live bluegrass music and food.

 

"The National Rolley Mole Marbles Championship is the world's most challenging marble tournament, where only the finest players in the world dare to compete," Shawn Hughes, park ranger and coordinator of the marble tournament, said. "It's been a great event for the park as it is unique - the only one of its kind in the world."

Hosted by park staff and the Friends of Standing Stone State Park, the festival will kick off at 8 a.m. and admission is free. Registration is required for the Rolley Hole Tournament.

 

According to Hughes, this one-of-a-kind event attracts players from different states and countries each year and has been featured by ESPN, ABC Evening News, Sports Illustrated, Charles Kuralt and CBS, the Smithsonian Institution, CNN, National Geographic, Southern Living magazine and even on Charles Schulz's "Peanuts."

 

The game of marbles is an ancient and universal pastime and the Rolley Hole is a folk game similar to croquet. It will be played by the rules of the National Rolley Hole Marble Championship, on a dirt yard that measures 40-by-25 feet. The strategy comes by determining the best way to keep opponents from making the hole, which often requires skillful hard shots against their marbles, sending them ricocheting across the yard.

 

"Rolley Hole is a folk game that combines golf, pool, croquet and the strategy of chess, but dead aim is needed and you have to have a pretty strong thumb," Hughes added. "Some of these players can hit a marble 10-12 feet away nine out of 10 times."

In addition to the final championship, the festival will offer several separate marble tournaments for spectators and marble players to enjoy, including: 

  • Ringer - The official game of the National Marbles Tournament in Wildwood, New Jersey, for children between the ages of 8 and 14.
  • Tennessee Square - A traditional Southern game that is still played in areas of northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky.
  • Georgia Rolley Hole - The traditional marble game of Georgia. Great for kids and adults!
  • British - This game is played in a six-foot diameter ring that is dusted with fine sand. Some 49 marbles are then placed in the ring.
  • Breaktime - New to the tournament this year, this table top game is a two-to-four player game, each with one shooter and 25 target marbles.

"Standing Stone is the only state park with a marble yard, mainly due to the fact that some of the best players in the United States hail from Tennessee's Clay County and Monroe County in Kentucky," Hughes said. "What's unique about the game is that players can range from ages eight to 70 - so, it's designed for all ages and abilities."

 

       

Get Your Passport

    

Tennessee State Parks, through a partnership with the ParksByNature Network, announced today a new GeoChallenge for the Pocket Ranger®, the free iPhone and Android application for park visitors on the move.

 

"The new GeoChallenge, the Tennessee State Parks Passport Challenge, uses the Pocket Ranger's® advanced GPS mapping features to guide visitors to all of our spectacular state parks, while also offering the chance to compete with other park visitors and win rewards," Deputy Commissioner Brock Hill said. "The Passport Challenge is a great way for visitors to enjoy and learn about state parks, while also earning prizes."

With the Tennessee State Parks Passport Challenge, park visitors can earn points at each destination they visit. Easy-to-reach parks are worth five points, while more out-of-the-way locations can be worth up to 20 points. The first person to visit all of the 54 Tennessee State Parks will win a grand prize, a $100 gift card to an outdoor retailer. The runner-up will receive a $50 gift card and the first 10 players to visit 10 individual state parks will receive Pocket Ranger® gear. All prizes are supplied by the ParksByNature Network.

 

In addition, the Passport Challenge offers Tennessee State Parks visitors the opportunity to keep tabs on fellow competitors while earning points along the way.  Participants can view their status, along with the status of fellow park visitors, in the climb of the Passport Challenge's leaderboard.

Park visitors can sign up now to join the Tennessee State Parks Passport Challenge. The challenge ends September 1, 2014. To participate in the Passport Challenge, download the Pocket Ranger® app by visiting www.tnstateparks.com or www.pocketranger.com and register with a username and password. Once registered, select "Join This Challenge!" 

 

Tennessee State Parks announced the launch of the free Pocket Ranger® mobile app in February 2013, designed to give the "on-the-go" park goers and nature enthusiasts the ability to access valuable park information quickly and efficiently, while also providing an additional level of customer service. The app includes interactive information on Tennessee's historic sites, state park golf courses and campgrounds. The Pocket Ranger® is designed to provide everything a visitor would need to become familiar with a property, including contacts, directions, available amenities, maps, events and links to important numbers and services. Advanced GPS and GIS mapping technology allows visitors to track and record all trails, mark waypoints and locate friends inside the park.

 


 
  
  
  

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