Blog post written by Linda Henderson, President of Keep Cuero Beautiful.
General Douglas MacArthur once said, “Old Soldiers never die, they simply fade away.” Years later, comedians paraphrased the ending; my favorite was, “Old teachers never die, they just lose their class.”
Keep Cuero Beautiful (KCB) contradicts this age-old saying. KCB’s board is composed almost entirely of retirees, which includes many retired teachers of Cuero. Our retired teachers help recruit many former students to volunteer with KCB. Without the assistance of former Cuero students, we might fade away.
The City is fortunate that our mayor is not only a former US Government teacher, she is also the former Chamber of Commerce Director and a member of the Cuero Development Board. Her experience has been a boon to KCB. The supervisor of the Environmental Services Division of Cuero, Cheryl Merzbacher, is another former student of our teacher volunteers, and we’d not be so successful in our recycling effort without her. Other former students include an artist, a printer, a sign maker, and a writer for the Cuero Record. They have helped us to get the word out about KCB events and have, too, been integral to our success.
KCB has won three Keep Texas Beautiful Green Bag Grants, which have provided over-sized bins for collecting cardboard. The placement of these bins has drastically reduced cardboard litter from restaurants and drive-in businesses. Additionally, the City’s Environmental Services department has helped KCB receive grants from our local Council of Governments and two grants from Keep America Beautiful’s Coca-Cola grant for recycling bins in the park.
When KCB first became involved in recycling projects, only paper and aluminum were collected. The public wanted a place to recycle plastic, so the City Manager allowed us two weeks for that purpose. The amount of plastic that was collected was so great that the City Manager extended the offer and plastic became part of the Recycling Center’s inventory.
Next, we wanted to expand curbside recycling efforts in our community. The City partnered with Texas Disposal Systems, and this was able to become a reality. The Recycle Center also received a Council of Governments grant to build a resale facility. This facility accepts lightly used donations and resells household items to raise funds for the Center. The Recycle Center has been integral to the success of recycling efforts in Cuero and KCB is proud to partner with them.
KCB strives to continue education and outreach surrounding recycling, even in a pandemic. This Saturday, November 14, in honor of America Recycle’s Day, KCB is hosting a recycling parade for the entire community to attend. Golf carts will take to the park with messages intended to teach and remind people of the importance of recycling.
Learn more about Keep Cuero Beautiful.
