Recycling district loses educational coordinator

Thursday, November 15, 2007

First, it learned it would lose one-quarter of its membership at the end of the year, and now the West Central Solid Waste District, operators of recycling programs in Putnam and surrounding counties, has lost its education coordinator.

Pam Burgess, who is employed by the district to visit local schools and teach children about recycling, announced her immediate resignation at the recycling board's meeting in Greencastle Wednesday morning. She said she had taken a full-time teaching position at an elementary school.

The recycling district provides educational programs, recycling opportunities and recycling drives in Putnam, Parke, Montgomery and Morgan counties.

On Wednesday, board members congratulated Burgess on her employment, however, board president and Parke County Commissioner George Nichols told the BannerGraphic that due to Burgess' resignation, any recycling programs scheduled at local school in the next two weeks will have to be canceled since there is no one to perform Burgess' duties.

Nichols did, however, say that he hoped the board would be able to hire a replacement for Burgess by the end of the year.

In the meantime, the recycling district finds itself facing perhaps a major makeover with Morgan County officials, who pay more than $100,000 into the district each year, announcing plans to pull out at the end of the year.

District officials haven't fully determined how the district will be affected by this loss in funding, however, they said they hope to continue offering education to students, recycling centers such as the ones in Roachdale and Cloverdale, and Tox Away Day.

Their next meeting is planned for Dec. 19 at the Putnam County Courthouse Annex, on Liberty Street in Greencastle.

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