Go Fly a Kite This Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information go to http://www.portsvaevents.com/

May Events, City of Portsmouth

Go to http://www.portsvaevents.com/ for a clearer view of all events for the City of Portsmouth for May, 2010.

 

Recycling in Portsmouth Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dana Woodson

April 21, 2010 757.393.8641


Portsmouth Announces New Recycling Center Service

-- Seeks Input From Residents on Interest in Curbside Recycling --

The City of Portsmouth has contracted with TFC Recycling to provide recycling center service for dropped-off recyclables at each of the sites formerly handled by the Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA). The new recycling center service, which has 24-hour access, provides ease of use since residents can place all acceptable recyclables in the center bins without presorting them. TFC will sort the comingled items at their material recovery center.


The Portsmouth recycling centers are located at:

Broad Street Fire Station

Cavalier Manor Recreation Center

Cedar Lane Fire Station

Cradock Recreation Center

Effingham Street Fire Station

Hodges Manor Fire Station

Winchester Fire Station



The acceptable recyclables include paper items, cardboard and corrugated boxes, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles, and clear, green, and brown glass containers.

Items that should not be placed in the recycling center bins include aerosol cans, motor oil, paint cans, plastic bags, wood products, yard waste, tires, and batteries.

Residents can continue to take these items to SPSA’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility, located at 4 Victory Blvd., on the last Saturday and second Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. until 12 noon.

In addition, the City of Portsmouth is conducting an online survey that will launch on Earth Day to receive feedback and determine the overall interest of the community in curbside recycling service should it be made available. Portsmouth residents are encouraged to participate in this short online survey by visiting

www.portsmouthva.gov/recycle-survey.aspx . To complete the survey by telephone or for more information on recycling, please call 393-8120 ext. 6299.

Reply from Councilwoman Elizabeth Psimas

We hear you loud and clear – and frankly, I think many on the City Council and residents of Portsmouth agree with you. Sometimes, what looks good on paper to save money (and provide better street cleaning services) doesn’t pan out in reality. The good news is – that in this horrible economy, when our neighbor cities are looking at furloughs, layoffs, tax increases, and the like – the biggest complaints I’ve heard about the Manager’s budget proposal are about bulk pickup strategies. I can assure you that this City Council isn’t finished with this budget – in fact we just begin discussions tonight!
Thank you for taking the time to comment.


Elizabeth Psimas

ONCE A MONTH BULK TRASH PICK UP...HOW CRAZY IS THIS????

An Open Letter to City Council on City Manager Ken Chandler's idea of cutting down bulk trash pick up to once a month:

We understand that the City Manager intends to introduce a budget-saving measure by proposing to cut bulk pick up down to once a month. This idea is incredibly ill advised.

Portsmouth has trash issues.  There is literally garbage everywhere. There's garbage blowing around down London Blvd, garbage in Scotts Creek, garbage on front lawns from people throwing it out car windows, etc. It seems to be common practice among some to walk around eating and drinking and just throwing the resulting trash anywhere.

The Civic Leauge has to pick garbage up at Scotts Creek Park constanty, despite two well-placed cans that are emptied regularly.   In fact, one Saturday morning  a glass from Roger Brown's was found with the squeezed-out lime and swizzle stick still in it sitting on top of our concrete fencing. It must have been an awesome Friday night happy hour. This is all bad enough.

Folks just put out bulk trash wherever they want, whenever they want. Piles of it. The ordinance that states that the bulk trash must be put out no earlier than Thursday night is ignored. Garbage inspectors seem in short supply.

Residents are rarely if ever asked to remove the trash they put out on Saturday for pick up on the following Friday. The pile just sits there. People work in their yards on Saturday, clean the basement, and move in new furniture, discarding the old and leave it all out on the curb until the following Friday morning for pick up. It looks dreadful.  The smart day to set up bulk trash pick up is Monday...following the weekend clean ups, not a week later.  Can't the City make it easier for citizens to comply with the rules?

The rules about bulk pick up are Byzantine and confusing to everyone. There are rules for piles of tree limbs, rules for yard waste,rules for the color of the trash bags, rules for pick up of old appliances, old appliances with freon, size of the pile, height of the pile, how the bulk trash is separated from the yard waste bulk trash.. This is complicated by where cars are parked. Many times non compliance with these rules and cars parked in front of piles causes them to stay there without being removed for almost ten days under current practices. We have three illegal dumping spots in Shea Terrace which we constantly have to call about.

So now our City Manager wants to add to all this mess and confusion by having bulk trash picked up once a month? Which resident wishes to put up with stained mattresses dumped in Scotts Creek Park for that long!

We have an alternate suggestion...let's pile it all up in front of Ken Chandler's house for him to enjoy.

This issue is being discussed at tonight's City Council meeting at 7p.m..   Maybe you disagree with this post.  That's okay. The important thing about the democratic process is that ALL our voices are heard.  Your comments may be emailed to Council@portsmouthva.gov.

Thanks Shea Terrace!

The owner of the little golden retriever has been found.  The two dogs found on Saturday will be adopted by the couple who found them if owners cannot be found.  That's just how we roll in Shea Terrace.

Another Found Dog

This lovely little lady showed up in the 300 block of Idlewood Ave on Monday evening. Golden Retriever, red collar, no tags, very friendly and knows how to sit. Please circulate this! Call 392-6822 if she's yours!

Katie Cross
249 Idlewood

Say Hello to my Little Friend

Recently Officer Diaz gave up his Saturday morning with his familly to clean up the neighborhood with court-mandated volunteers who are working off low risk crimes after having been sentenced by a judge to community service.  Robert guided them in cleaning up Scotts Creek Park, the garbage pushed up from the Creek by our winter storms and Holladay Street which is perpetually a nasty mess.  Thanks so much to Officer Diaz for his conscientious attention to Shea Terrace.

Do You Know These Two Beautiful Dogs?

Attention Shea Terrace residents

Do you recognize the dogs in the pic? "Thelma and Louise" were found at 100 Culpepper this Saturday morning running in and out of Scotts Creek. They've had a bath, have been fed, and are safe in a fenced in yard in the neighborhood.

Thelma is a part Siberian husky mix with blue eyes. Louise seems to be part yellow lab and part pit bull, perhaps. Both are sweet, well-behaved girls. The husky blend seems used to being in the house and walking on a leash, her lab/pit companion seems unused to being in a house and not so used to walking on a leash. We are not sure if they are from the same household or hooked up "on the lam," but seem inseparable now. Both have collars and neither have tags.

Please call 576-3701 if these are your dogs or if you know who the owner is. We'd like to avoid taking them to the pound and see if we can find their owners via the neighborhood network. Thanks.