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WINONA LAKE – Some residents of the town of Winona Lake are putting the wrong items in their recycling containers, including dead fish.
During the town council meeting Tuesday, Clerk-Treasurer Kent Adams provided a flyer stating that Advanced Disposal reported several residents are placing styrofoam, yard waste and other non-recyclables in their recycling containers. One recycling can even contained dead fish.
The result of placing non-recyclables in recycling containers is that the truckload is rejected at the recycling center and has to be taken to the landfill to be dumped as regular garbage.
Town Coordinator Craig Allebach said, “So it’s not just a container issue, it’s the whole truck, so we want to make sure people adhere to the recycling guidelines.”
Recycling guidelines are on the town’s website at www.winonalake.net. Allebach said information on recycling was included in January’s wastewater bill.
Tecy Banta, councilwoman, said, “Truckloads of stuff going to the dump instead of going into recycling because somebody leaves some styrofoam in it. It’s astounding that people can’t read and comply. And it’s really important, I think, to take note of that and spread that word.”
Allebach said the town doesn’t want to jeopardize its recycling program because of a few people.
“We’ve, quite frankly, probably been one of the best recycling communities in the county, since the beginning, so we want to keep that up,” he said.
Banta said, “And very laxed, because we can throw all the recyclables in one container. We don’t have to sort. When I left California 14-15 years ago now, we had to sort everything and put it out. They then picked it up, sorted, in their sorted truck and took it away. But Winona Lake has been wonderful about allowing us to put everything in one bin and I think it’s being abused because of that.”
Also during the meeting Tuesday, resident Deborah Lange spoke about the annual Fourth of July Flotilla, to be held July 1.
It’s going to be similar to the flotilla held in 2017. Participants will get their numbers at the Winona Lake beach pier and line up in numeric order. Art Gakstatter will then lead them around the lake as has been done previously.
“We’re encouraging in our flyer ... to decorate piers, boats, trying to incorporate the full Winona Lake space,” Lange said. “Last year it was pretty successful considering we had some rain in and out of the day.”
Judges will be “underneath the willow tree, that way they have time to actually judge, see them and get the scores in before we get all around the lake,” she said.
The flotilla will be held rain or shine, unless there’s lightning.
The theme this year is “Jungle Safari.” Registration is at 7:30 a.m. at the pier.
Lange said businesses from Winona Lake and Warsaw are being contacted about donating awards for the event.
“It’s a great event,” Councilman Rick Swaim said.
Allebach thanked the organizers for taking on the project. “I thought it went really well (last year), better than when I was trying to organize it, so thank you very much for that,” he said.
Allebach also announced some other upcoming events.
At 9 a.m. Monday is the Memorial Day 5K at the Limitless Park. June 2 and 3 is the annual Art Fair in the Village at Winona.
On June 13, from 6 to 10 p.m., Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church will have a neighborhood barbecue at the church.
“This is their 75th anniversary, so this year they decided to do a neighborhood barbecue,” Allebach said, and the whole community is invited.
At 9 a.m. June 16 is the Blackburn Run for Others. There will be a 5K and 10K, beginning at the Trailhouse.
June 30 will be a busy day in the town. The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Triathlon starts at 8 a.m. at the park. The Winona Lake Great Fourth of July Celebration also is that day, with fireworks over the lake at 10 p.m. The concert is at 8 p.m. in the tabernacle area of the park.
Family Fest in the Park will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on July 7.
“The ladies in the (town hall) office have been coordinating the activities for that day. It’s starting to come together. We’ve had a lot of private donations to offset the cost of that. This is kind of the transition between the community dinner and kind of what we want to do associated with the Bill Reneker Award,” Allebach said.
There will be activities for the kids “and just a sense of community coming together,” he said.
Times and other information will be sent out. It will be free to Winona Lake residents.
