Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/295983
6 APRIL 16-22, 2014 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM F CUS On Anti-Cigarette Butt Litter Campaign Kicks Off The City of Fayetteville is partnering with Fayetteville Beautiful to curb the amount of cigarette butts that litter the roadside and wash into our storm drains. The City has created an awareness campaign with a website, billboards and 30 second PSAs to air on FayTV7 and the Internet. The campaign will culminate during the week of the Dogwood Festival with digital billboards displayed for free by Lamar Advertising. In addition, Fayetteville Beautiful will have a table at the City's tent during the Dogwood Festival to help educate the public about the effects cigarette litter can have on the environment. Residents wishing to participate in Fayetteville Beautiful's Citywide Cleanup on May 3 can sign up via an interactive map at http://fcpr.us/fayettevillebeautiful. Cigarettes are an unsightly form of litter that not only decrease property values, but also can leach toxic chemicals into area streams and rivers. Cigarette butts are designed to trap the chemicals found in cigarette smoke such as arsenic, benzene and formaldehyde. The following are a few facts provided by Keep America Beautiful: • Overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%, and tobacco products comprise 38% of all U.S. roadway litter • 32% of litter at storm drains is tobacco products • The presence of litter in a community decreases property values by a little over 7% • Tobacco litter represents nearly 32% of all litter in outdoor recreation areas • It's the number one most littered item anywhere. Increasing amounts of litter in a business district, along riverfronts or recreation areas create a sense that no one cares, leading to more community disorder and crime • About 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which does not quickly degrade and can persist in the environment. Cigar tips, too, are predominantly plastic • A survey of over 1,000 smokers found that 35% toss five or more cigarette butts per pack on the ground The City of Fayetteville is asking smokers to take a moment and properly dispose of their cigarettes in ashtrays and smoking bins instead of throwing cigarette butts out their window or emptying ashtrays on City streets. It only takes a moment to be stewards of the environment and help the City become a desirable place to live and visit. One-Year Action Plan Available for Review and Comment The Community Development Department has made the 2014-2015 One-Year Action Plan available for public review and comment through Wednesday, April 30. The Action Plan is a course of action for community revitalization that covers the upcoming year. The One-Year Action Plan describes how the City intends to use the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership funds for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. The proposed plan may be viewed Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Community Development Department Office, located on the third floor of City Hall at 433 Hay Street, and in the Headquarters Library, located at 300 Maiden Lane. The plan may also be viewed at the following recreation centers: Cliffdale Recreation Center, 6404 Cliffdale Road; College Lakes, 4964 Rosehill Road; Myers, 1018 Rochester St.; Gilmore, 1600 Purdue Drive; Kiwanis, 352 Devers St.; J.S. Spivey, 500 Fisher St.; Smith, 1520 Slater Ave.; and Westover, 277 Bonanza Drive. During this same time period, the plan may be viewed from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Seabrook Park Neighborhood Resource Center at 708 Langdon St. and the Old Wilmington Road Neighborhood Resource Center at 229 Lincoln Drive. The Fayetteville Redevelopment Commission held a public hearing for the plan on April 10. For more information, please contact the Community Development Department at (910) 433-1590 or visit our website at www.cityoffayetteville.org. USA Ret. The 'I CAN' in American! John 'JC' Czajkowski For Cumberland County Commissioner (At Large) 6 May Primary Election • Republican Ballot With Your Vote 'I WILL' jcforcc.com Paid for by Committee to Elect John JC Czajkowski. Visit us on Facebook & fayettevillenchabitat.org (910) 483-0952