January 2023 Mat Su Great Lander

Dr David Beistline and Family

Witzleben Legacy

Funeral Home

1707 S. Bragaw Anchorage, AK 99508 907-277-1682

Legacy Affordable Burial and Cremation Center 1120 E. 5th Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 907-222-5985

Kehl’s Legacy Funeral Home 11621 Old Seward Hwy. Anchorage, AK 99515 907-344-1497

Heritage Chapel at Angelus 440 E. Klatt Anchorage, AK 99515 907-336-3338

Kehl’s Palmer Mortuary 209 S. Alaska St. Palmer, AK 99645 907-745-3580

Heritage Wasilla Chapel 1015 S. Check St. Wasilla, AK 99654 907-373-3840

Legacy Affordable Burial & Cremation 13800 Cheri Lake Dr. Wasilla, AK 99654 907-892-5570

R ecycling Recycling repeats itself - Episode 11

By Randi Perlman

As our countr y begins the festive season of celebrations, most of us think of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, and New Year’s Eve, but we can also join together to celebrate America Recycles Day (ARD)! Observed on November 15th each year, and also known as National Recycling Day, ARD is observed all around the United States and is dedicated to promoting recycling across the nation. The day is all about recycling — how to recycle, which recycled products to buy, and how to reduce waste. ARD is the signature recycling program of Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the managing and promoting organization for this heartfelt holiday, and the largest community organization in America.

America Recycles Day wasn’t always a national event. It began as Texas Recycles Day (TRD) in 1994 with an idea from two employees of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at the time. TRD was supposed to spread information about recycling in the state and encourage more people to recycle their waste. These employees, Kev-

in Tuerff and Valerie Davis, kept up the observance of TRD for as long as they worked with the Texas Commission. When the two later left their state jobs at the Commission, they proposed the idea of converting Texas Recycles Day to America Recycles Day and brought it to the National Recycling Coalition (NRC), who accepted the proposal and embraced the idea. AMERICA RECYCLES

DAY WAS BORN!

The first America Recycles Day was announced in Orlando, Florida during the NRC’s 16th Annual Congress & Exposition with a parade for about 2,000 gathered people. Over 40 states participated in America Recycles Day and the NRC and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) co-sponsored a press conference on the event with then Vice-President Al Gore as the honorary chair. Over the years, the NRC has worked on spreading the events throughout the country.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton published and signed a proclamation on America Recycles Day, making it a national observance. In the proclamation, the President promot-

ed the environmental and economic benefits of recycling and emphasized the need for Americans to continue to recycle and to buy recycled products. All but one President who followed him has continued to issue a proclamation for the observance each year.

The NRC continued advertising for ARD, achieving 3,000 events across all 50 states in 2007. In 2009, however, the NRC announced they would file for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and ultimately reorganized. Shortly before that, in the summer of 2009, KAB took ownership of the holiday from the struggling NCR and is still the managing entity for ARD today. ARD is the only nationally-recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.

The EPA has stated that the national recycling rate has increased from less than 7% in the 1960s to the current rate of 32%, in large part due to the work by the Recycling Coalition and the America Recycles Day events. An EPA study found that recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for 681,000 jobs and $37.8 billion

in wages. Despite these impressive numbers, the EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but only about 34% of it is recycled. This year, for #AmericaRecyclesDay, we can all do our part by encouraging friends and family to #DoBeautifulThings to #KeepAmericaBeautiful…

The recycling efforts of communities (like ours) and businesses throughout the United States have helped with the success and growth of ARD, and we can do even better! To build on this progress, America Recycles Day educates and encourages individuals on how to be more mindful of what they consume, the importance of recycling, and where and how to properly recycle. During America Recycles Day, KAB asks people to take their #BeRecycled Pledge to recycle more and recycle right in their everyday lives to increase recycling rates in the U.S. Contact YOUR local Recycling Center, Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS), at 907-745-5544 or www.valleyrecyclingak.org, to find out how to RECYCLE RIGHT

H ome & G arden

Stay safe this season

Julie Cascio, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service

Though COVID slowed over the last few months, it is creeping up again. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu, stomach bugs and respiratory infections, are off to an early start! Practicing health safety is important for ourselves and those around us. It is best to double our efforts around the holiday season when we gather with our friends and family. It is no fun to be part of the family who all got sick the week after Christmas.

Stay up to date on vaccines: New omicron-specific boosters are available for people age 5 and older, and kids as young as 6 months can get their primary course of the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people 5 and older get an updated booster if it’s been at least two months since their last vaccine dose.

Flu shots are available for people age 6 months and older. There is no vaccine available yet to prevent RSV, which can be particularly severe in young children, older adults and immunocompromised people.

Be cautious leading up to a trip: Start being cautious a week before your visit to grandparents, new baby or vulnerable populations. That means avoiding potentially risky behavior like eating at restaurants, going unmasked in crowded indoor spaces or gathering with large groups of people inside.

Mask while traveling or in crowds: You don’t legally have to wear a mask most places anymore. But, experts say, it’s still a good idea — especially if you’re trying to avoid getting sick and spreading illness to others. Remember masks help prevent against COVID, but also RSV and Flu.

Wash and wash and wash your hands!!!!!

Test (more than once) before gathering: Test for coronavirus three days before a gathering and on the day of the event as a precaution. The Food and

Drug Administration advises repeat, or serial, testing with home antigen tests “to reduce the risk an infection may be missed” with a false negative result.

Know when to bow out: The Centers for Disease Control says people should stay home for at least five days and isolate if they test positive for coronavirus. Without symptoms or with improving symptoms, isolation can end after Day 5. People who have moderate or worse illness should isolate through Day 10. People who test positive should wear a mask through Day 10, and until Day 11, they should avoid being around people who are more susceptible to serious illness from the virus. Although there are not isolation guidelines for RSV or Flu, it is recommended for people to stay isolated to avoid exposures to others.

Source: WashingtonPost.com, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service