Town of Huntington, NY - News Details
4/13/2016 - Rain Barrel Raffle Newest Addition to Earth Day Expo
A raffle to give away a custom-painted rain barrel is the newest addition to the Town of Huntington’s annual Earth Day Expo, which will be held on Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Town Hall.
Painted by former Huntington resident Claudia Liu, the barrel depicts a fish jumping out of the water as seen from the shore. The 50-gallon barrel is both a decorative item – it would fit perfectly on a porch or in a family room as a conversation piece – and a utilitarian one, to be placed in a yard to capture and store rainwater for use in gardening, conserving water.
The barrel is currently on display in the lobby of Town Hall, and persons can fill out a raffle entry there as well as at the Expo. The winner will be chosen and announced at the end of the Expo.
Entering the rain barrel raffle is one of many reasons to drop by the Expo, as noted by Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone. “Each year, the Town tries to highlight how residents can help preserve the environment while savings themselves money, and this year’s expo is no exception,” he said. “Whether it’s safely shredding unwanted documents to bringing e-waste for recycling or dropping off unneeded and unwanted medicines, residents will find a variety of ways they can get into the Earth Day spirit.”
Among the other attractions are:
Medicine Disposal: Thanks to an effort that is co-sponsored by the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, residents will be able to drop off unwanted and unneeded medications, which will be taken by the Suffolk County Police Department for environmentally safe disposal. The Town will also distribute information about the adverse environmental effects on groundwater and Long Island’s drinking water supply when proper protocols are not followed in disposing of pharmaceutical drugs.
E-waste Recycling: Covanta is the annual sponsor for the Plug In to E-Cycling event, which gives residents and businesses the opportunity to dispose of obsolete e-waste items such as cell phones, pagers, radios, stereos, computers, laptops, fax machines and televisions.
Identity Theft Prevention: Joining again this year will be Safety Shred, one of largest leaders in the on-site document destruction and identity theft prevention giants on Long Island. Bring your old unwanted outdated documents for on-site disposal. (Please note there will be a three banker-box size limit per person.)
“In today’s technologically advanced world, identity thieves have more tools in their toolboxes to locate and steal our very valuable and sensitive personal information,” Councilman Mark Cuthbertson said. “Identity theft can cause a significant amount of financial and emotional hardship, which is why it is so important help protect ourselves from falling prey. Thanks to Safety Shred, boxes of your outdated or unwanted personal documents can be safely discarded to protect you and your family from becoming a victim of identity theft.”
The Green Showcase, which will offer multiple demonstrations including residential solar energy, organic gardening and fun activities for the kids. In addition, children can learn how compost is made and plant a seed in a recycled pot.
Marine Life Exhibit: Representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension will provide children of all ages the opportunity to touch and experience a variety of sea specimens in their marine life touch tank, as they demonstrate the importance of protecting our precious marine environment. There will also be sign up information available on Cornell’s environmental summer camp programs.
Touch a Truck: Back by popular demand, this is always a fun opportunity for kids of all ages to climb on, touch and learn about the functionality and safety aspects of the different trucks displayed. Included will be a fire truck, rescue vehicles and a garbage truck.
Plastic Grocery Bag Recycling: Southdown Market Place of Northport will provide the first 200 residents to trade in a plastic grocery bag with a free ecofriendly tote bag, compliments of Southdown Markets.
Tree Giveaway: The Town will give one native bare-root tree sapling to the first 250 residents, courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation. Residents who receive a tree will be asked to plant it on their property. The tree saplings will include red oak, white oak and sugar maple. Planting instructions will be included with each tree. The goal of the tree giveaway is not only to better inform residents about proper tree planting and tree benefits, but also to create an interactive map that shows each tree’s location, the species of tree, and physical characteristics of the tree and a timeline of photos that shows the growth of each tree.
Boat Shrink-Wrap Disposal: Boaters can dispose of shrink-wrap either onsite at Earth Day 2015 or anytime through Memorial Day weekend at the Town’s Recycling Center located at 641 New York Avenue.
Admission is free. For further information, call 631-351-3171.