KNIB News

2010 Woman Business Manager Announced

KEEP NORTHERN ILLINOIS BEAUTIFUL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LORI GUMMOW, WAS RECENTLY HONORED AS THE ROCKFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WOMAN BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR FOR 2010!

CONGRATULATIONS, LORI, ON A JOB WELL DONE. 

WE'RE PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY!

A VISION IS FULFILLED!!

When we changed our name fron Winnebago-Rockford Clean and Beautiful to KEEP NORTHERN ILLINOIS BEAUTIFUL, several years ago, it was with the vision that we would be expanding our reach beyond Winnebago County to provide environmental services throughout Northern Illinois.

That vision is slowly being fulfilled!

The 2010 Safe Medication Disposal Collection drew in new partners from both Boone and Stephenson Counties.  In addition to the Winnebago County collection site at Machesney Park Mall, the June 12th collection also included collection locations in Freeport and Belvidere. 

We are proud to acknowledge our partners at the Senior Resource Center at Lincoln Mall in Freeport and at the Townsip building in Belvidere. 

Over 1,100 total households were served wih 716 in Winnebago County, 241 households in Stephenson County and 151 households in Boone County.

All of te drugs received at the collection sites were disposed of in a safe and environmentally friendly method through incineration.  Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at each site sorted the medications.  Veolia Environmental Services packaged the medications for disposal.  Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott was on hand from Springfield as well as Machesney Park Mayor Tom Strickland who came out to lend their support to the event.

 SUMMER 2010 CLOTHING DRIVE SUCCESS!

The Summer 2010 Clothing Drive, held on July 10th, brought a steady stream of cars from 2.084 area households to safely dispose of their unwanted clothes to bring assistance to needy peoples in Third World Countries. 

This great success was only possible because of the 157 persons who gave their volunteer time to make it happen.  Each of the locations was directed by a volunteer supervisor who organized and directed the efforts of the great army of volunteers, young and old, who helped to  count the cars, greet the drivers and remove the bagged clothing from donors cars and place them on the waiting trucks.  Semi-trailers full to the doors with clothing returned to Milwaukee where they will be trans-shipped to places like Chad, Africa, Central America and about 10% will be routed to needy areas of the U.S.

Due to the volume of cars coming through the three largest sites, the Roscoe, Brynwood and Main Street Hilander Stores, it was again necessary to add an eighth location at Forest Hills Lodge on Hwy 173 . 

the total weight of clothing brought to the three drives was 79,580 pounds.    Since the first clothing drive was conducted we have rescued almost  2,551,000 Pounds of clothing for reuse in other areas of the world.

Thanks to these 2010 Clothing Drive Sponsors
Coca Cola of Rockford
D.B. Schencker
Forest Hills Lodge
Hilander Grocery Stores
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
Jon M. Lamrouex Photography
Slumberland Furniture
WTVO Channel 17/Fox 39 

2010 METALS DRIVE BRINGS OUT OVER 800 RESIDENTS!!!

The weather was perfect for our stalwart volunteers who worked hard through it all.

The Spring drives in 2010 brought us new records.  844 local area families participated by bring their unwanted items for recycling.  And what strange things we saw. 

Thanks to the 73 volunteers who worked the drive and gave over 240 hours of their time we were able to keep up with the seemingly unending line of cars.  From beginning to end the volunteers worked unloading computers, monitors, refrigerators, freezers and all sorts of scrap metals totaling over 70,100 pounds of goods which were processed for recycling into new products instead of lying in the landfill for archeologists to ponder over 1,000 year from now.

Since its beginning in 1998, the Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful Metals and Electronics Drives have processed over 2,300,000 pounds of miscellaneoujs metals for recycling.

The Spring 2010 Metals and Electronics Drive saw the recycling hundreds of items, including:

                        24 Refrigerators and Freezers

                            23 Propane Tanks

                        10 Air Conditioners

                                       49 Dehumidifiers

Thanks to our 2010 Metals and Electronics Drive Sponsors:

Al Grace Appliance
Behr Iron & Steel, Inc.
Riverside Community Bank
Rubloff Development
FritoLay
Gray's IGA Super Markets
Great Harvest Bread
Jon M. Lamrouex Photography
Port-A-John of Roscoe
Ringland-Johnson Construction
Winnebago County Sheriff's Dept.
Woodman’s Super Market
WTVO-Channel 17/Fox 39

 New Officers Elected to Leadership

At the recent Annual Meeting of the Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful Board of Directors the following individuals were elected to office for 2010-2011:

                                          President               Mary E. Norman     (Rockford Park District Foundation, Retired)

                                          Vice President      Steve Nailor            (Nailor & Associates)

                                          Secretary               Bob McCreath        (Ingersol Milling Machine Co., Retired)

                                          Treasurer               Lloyd Johnson       (Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc.)

New Members Join Board of Directors

Several new members have recently joined the Keep Northern Illinois Board of Directors as full members. The addition of Mr. Bob Mullins, a member of the Machesney Park Board of Trustees; and Mr. Conor Brown of the Rockford Area Realtors brings the board to full strength.  A full listing of all members of the current Board of Directors is availabile elsewhere on this website.

Christmas Tree Recycling Program Successful

Over 32,000 live Christmas Trees were recycled during the 2010 Christmas Tree Recycling Program which was completed on January 15, 2010.  These trees were turned into pine mulch which is available, while it lasts, at the 13 tree collection sites conveniently situiated throughout Winnebago County. 

Since this program was started 22 years ago, well over 500,000 trees have been saved from clogging our local landfill.  Thousands of local residents have been able to use the resulting mulch in their local gardens, returning these vital nutrients to the earth.

RECYCLE ON THE GO!

Just in time for the Spring Special Event Season, Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful announced a unique program for our area!

RECYCLE ON THE GO! provides special see-through bags for the collection of metal cans and plastic drink bottles consumed at the many special events which take place in Northern Illinois.  Included with the bags are special collapsable stands and lids which make it easy for everyone just to "pitch in" their recyclable items.  These will be made available (through the generous support of the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity) to any of the many major events during the season.

For more information on RECYCLE ON THE GO! please check out our home page for a link directly to more information on how to use this program to best advantage.

Annabelle Gurwitch Speaks at Earth Day Awards Luncheon

Annabelle Gurwitch, well-known from her work as an actress and Host of the Planet Green (Discovery Channel) television show, "WA$TED" was the featured speaker at Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful's Third Annual Earth Day Awards Luncheon held at Giovanni's Restaurant, April 8, 2010.  In her multimedia lecture, Annabelle screened clips from "WA$TED" and gave both comedic and statistical examples of the wasteful consumption of Americans, recounted her in-the-field carbon foot printing experience and its value in terms of creating social change and promoting sound environmental strategies. Over 400 Rockford residents were in attendance. 

Earth Day Awards were presented to Anderson Packaging, Inc., Outstanding Corporate Friend of the Environment; Professor Joseph Haverly of Rock Valley College, Outstandng Individual Friend of the Environment; and Sarah Gessner or Rockford Lutheran High School received the Hutchcroft Environmental Youth Award.

 GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY

On the last Saturday of April over 1,100 Winnebago County residents mobilized, under the flag of the Great American Cleanup and organized by Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, to begin the spring cleanup of our streets and roads.  Communities throughout Winnebago County were touched by the caring hands of county and city residents alike to pick up trash and litter alongside the roadways and make way for the beautiful spring flowers.

What Was Accomplished in 2009?

Have You Heard The Good News?