Local environmental commission representatives outlined a busy agenda for the coming months — one that will include launching a program encouraging residents to use reusable shopping bags, cracking down on idling vehicles, and further promoting a relatively new initiative which seeks having residents recycle worn household textiles.

Environmental Commission Chairwoman Cindy Mehallow noted that her group, empowered under state law, is constantly evaluating how it can help better quality of life within the community. Yet it is a task which often requires cooperation from other borough organizations and the securing of funds from various sources, be it the local governing body or state and federal agencies and non-profits.

Member Andy Curshen told Patch a major focus in the coming months will be establishing an initiative that will ask residents to accept a small, though significant, change in their regular shopping routine.

The commission wants residents to take reusable bags to local shops, rather than the traditional ritual of using plastic or paper bags often discarded with householdd trash. Curshen has made the effort a personal priority since being appointed to the commission this year.

Curshen said the commission will look to purchase approximately 3,000 bags featuring artwork by notable Glen Rock resident Hy Eisman. The purchasing price of the bags — $3,500 — would primarily come from a grant provided via an outside source.

"Rather than going to a store and use shopping bags that are simply thrown into the garbage, residents can take the same bag and reuse it," he explained. "But making this effort a success will require an educational and promotional campaign, and we will be reaching out to the community to help us."

Curshen said the commission is considering seeking grant funding from either one of two sources — the non-profit, "Clean Air-Cool Planet," which can provide grants of up to $2,500, or an "environmental education grant" furnished through a program conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

He said he is leaning toward pursuing funding from Clean Air-Cool Planet, a New Hampshire-based group which works with communities throughout the Northeast and is primarily dedicated to dealing with issues pertaining to global warming and climate change.

"The commission is pushing to launch the campaign toward the end of the year," said Curshen, adding that if the Clean Air-Cool Planet grant is secured, the environmental body will likely need to raise another $1,000 through some kind of local fundraising campaign.

Curshen and Mehallow praised resident Eisman, a professional cartoonist who has worked on comic strips including Popeye, with volunteering his talents in assisting with a crucial part of the campaign.

Eisman designed a cartoon depicting a family of four at a store holding the reusable bags. The family members, including a son and daughter, state their support for the initiative, and are praised by a cashier.

At the bottom is a promotional message, "More and more Glen Rockers bring reusable bags to the store ... It's the Green thing to do and Glen Rock loves Green!"

In addition to featuring Eisman's cartoon and message on bags, the commission plans to plaster them on t-shirts it would distribute to high school students, and tape a live-action video, re-enacting the cartoon.

"We're hoping that we can recruit a family to volunteer for the video that could be featured on Glen Rock TV and possibly, other media," Mehallow explained. "Perhaps we can also recruit a student, with an interest in pursuing video production as a career, to help produce it."

Cracking down on vehicle idling

In the coming months, Mehallow said, the commission will also pursue measures looking to halt vehicle idling to reduce emissions. Mehallow praised commission member Naomi Gamorra for moving aggressively on the anti-idling campaign, particularly securing support from the school district, to crack down on the habit.

"State law prohibits the idling of any vehicle for more than three minutes and summoners can be issued to violators," the chairwoman explained. "There are areas in the borough, such as outside schools and the two NJ Transit train stations, where drivers waiting in vehicles keep engines running for extended periods. We need to get them to stop."
 
In fact, Gamorra received a written pledge from Superintendent of Schools David Verducci, to have the school district conduct a promotional campaign urging that parents waiting for their children turn engines off.
 
"The borough has purchased 25 signs that remind residents of the law," Mehallow said. "We will be working with DPW Director Robert Tirserio and Police Chief Fred Stahman on determining where they should be placed, and the spots will include public streets outside school buildings.
 
"It will be up to the school district to decide if it wants to put its own signs on district property," the chairwoman added.
 
She noted the commission will have to approach NJ Transit should they decide to post signs in the train station parking lots.

Recycling tattered textiles

Mehallow praised an initiative, started by the local Amvets chapter about three months ago, to have residents dispose "recyclable textiles" in two bins it has placed at the borough's recycling center off Doremus Avenue. She pledged the commission's support in doing whatever it can to help Amvets in promoting the effort.

"People have always donated used clothing to the needy," she pointed out. "But they can also recycle textiles they wouldn't donate, like ripped clothes or non-matching socks. They don't have to just dump these items into the garbage."