Let Recycling Begin!

The recycling bins, actually 95-gallon garbage cans on wheels, were delivered to Woodvale residents this morning. The actual first recycling pickup will come on Wednesday, January 13, 2010. The bins can be used to recycle plastics (1, 2, and 3), tin cans, aluminum cans, newspaper, cardboard, and regular paper (like junk mail). Sam, our Allied Waste representative, told me that they would really appreciate it if shredded paper were put in a bag since the pickup is done through an automated process. This will keep our neighborhood clean since those tiny shredded pieces can really fly around.

Pickup will occur every two weeks on Wednesday once they get started.

Here is a picture of the bin delivered to my house.

It is surely exciting to see this project get underway.

-Brian-

Community Center Opening Soon

According to an article by Marienne Thomas-Ogle in the Birmingham News, the Helena Community Center on Ruffin Road next to the Sports Complex will open at the end of this month.  You can view the article which has all the details along with pictures here.

-Brian-

Santa Makes the Rounds

Just a reminder that Santa with the help of the Helena Fire Department will be making his rounds through Helena starting at 2 pm on Christmas Eve.

-Brian-

Journey to Bethlehem at HUMC

Be sure to come by Helena United Methodist Church this Saturday from 5 to 7 pm or Sunday from 5 to 6:30 pm for "Journey to Bethlehem." Journey takes you on the story of Jesus' birth through the depiction of live scenes along the way. HUMC members play the roles in various stops along the path to the manger. Hope to see you there.

You don't want to miss this event which is staged once every two years. Below is a picture of the manger scene from 2007.

-Brian-

Christmas Program Today

Helena United Methodist Church (HUMC) on Highway 58 will be having the annual Christmas program put on by the adult choir today at 4:30 pm. Everyone in and around Helena is invited to attend the event. Light refreshments will be served following the program.

-Brian-

PS And don't forget that "Journey to Bethlehem" is coming up soon. This is a very moving program where visitors trace the story of Jesus' birth by walking through various scenes. This will occur from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on December 19th and again from 5:00 to 6:30 pm on December 20th. Members of HUMC play roles in the scenes as groups "journey" through the story. Mark your calendar for this event which occurs every two years. Check out the HUMC web site for more information.

Shop Helena

I'd like to encourage everyone in Woodvale sub-division to shop Helena. It means a lot to our community because we all benefit from the tax dollars that stay here. I know all too well how easy it is to shop in other locales, but especially now in our current economic situation our community can use all the help it can get.

So please consider shopping in Helena when possible.

I have assembled about 19 email addresses with the help of Tobie Quick and some that I had. If those in Woodvale who have gotten emails would take a few minutes to look over the address list and let Tobie and I know of any that you do not see on the list, it would help immensely in improving the communication within our community.

And don't forget that Tobie and I are constantly looking for information about things that are going on in the area, so please drop us a note if you know of happenings that should be shared with others. I know that since I no longer have a child in the local school system, I don't always know about school happenings. So drop me a note with the information and I'll get it posted for all to see.

-Brian-

Recycling Begins January 1, 2010

Probably most people have begun getting the word that curbside recycling will begin on January 1, 2010, in Helena. The City of Helena has signed a contract with Recycle Bank to handle those duties, and I understand that the recycling bins previously located at the Helena Sports Complex have been removed. Unfortunately, too many people abused that privilege by dumping garbage there or leaving material outside the bins. If you want to sign up for the program, and there are two plans, you can call Allied Waste at 923-1650 or send an email to custservbham@republicservices.com to get signed up. The two plans require quarterly payments of $20.37 for no rewards or $23.37 for rewards. The rewards program is affiliated with Recycle Bank (www.recyclebank.com). I do not have the details on the rewards, but it is my understanding that your recycled materials will be weighed and you will receive points based on the weight of your recycled materials that can be redeemed for prizes or gift cards. The RecycleBank Rewards Program will begin February 1, 2010. When I signed up for the program, the person I spoke with said that collection would occur every other week on Wednesdays. I did not ask how big the bin will be, but I hope it arrives soon because my garage is filling up with recycled stuff. I'm constantly amazed at how much stuff I recycle just from my mailbox. I am very excited about the start to this recycling program. Helena is the first city in Alabama to adopt this. I hope everyone in Helena and Woodvale will seriously consider signing up for the program. I just hate to see landfills getting filled up and this is one way we can all help our community, our state, our country, and our planet. It's just the right thing to do! -Brian-

Helena's 2009 Christmas Parade

Just a quick reminder that the 2009 Helena Christmas parade will be held tomorrow, Saturday, December 5th, around 2 pm. Due to the SEC Championship game, there is a possibility the parade will kick off a tad early if all entrants are in place. So if you plan to go, it would be a good idea to get there early.

The main parade route is from the intersection of CR 52 and SR 17 north to Old Town Helena.

-Brian-

PS If you missed the parade, Mark Parker has prepared a nice video of it which can be found here.

Mark Parker Parade Video

New Blog

This is a new Blog intended to help communicate happenings related to the Woodvale sub-division in Helena, AL. Woodvale is located on County Road 95 in Helena, AL, part of Shelby County Alabama. There are about 70 homes in this sub-division. The Blog has been initiated by Brian Peters, but it is intended to add additional contributors with time. The Blog will be updated on an irregular basis.