Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Trash

I realize it's likely something very simple to think about...but trash really has me upset right now. In the Town of Franklinton, we don't handle our own trash pickup; we have it outsourced to Waste Industries, as part of a method by which to save the Town (and thus, our citizens) money. We choose to have backyard pickup in deference to our many senior citizens who can't laboriously pull their trash cans to the road due to their heft. This year, when creating the contract for WI, we had many conversations about this issue, and WI let us know in no uncertain terms that it would be much cheaper (about $4 a month cheaper) to do curbside pickup. While this may be the case...we feel strongly that we have to honor our senior citizens this way. Because of this, we were dealt a $2 increase in the cost of this service.

Now...the last time I checked, when I paid for a service, I expected it to be done. When you pay for someone to mow the grass, you expect it to be mowed. When you pay for someone to cook a meal at a restaurant, you expect it to be cooked to order. Right? Well, apparently this isn't the case when it comes to our sanitation contract. For the past month, every time I've come home on a Tuesday, I've found my green trash bin (owned by Waste Industries) sitting at the side of the road. Now, you tell me what is wrong with that picture. And it's not just my trash can, and it's not just on Second Street! It's ALL OVER TOWN. I'm sorry...the citizens of this town pay FAR TOO MUCH to have service not rendered! If you think I'm angry about it - you're right!

Our Town Manager, Larry Carver, has communicated this issue to Waste Industries on more than one occasion. My patience level has expired. Therefore, I need your help! If your trash container isn't placed back where you left it for the sanitation company to pick it up, please call Town Hall and let us know. Your informing us when there are problems will help us rectify those problems, and can drive how those services are provided in the future. However...please don't yell at us! It's not us doing it! But...it is going to be us fixing it. I simply will not stand for the citizens of this Town being underserved. It will not fly on our watch!

Frankenfest on Main

Frankenfest on Main

Imagine if you will a very tired individual. Now, multiply that by about 15. That’d describe how many of us collapsed on Saturday night of Frankenfest last fall! J We had a wonderful time. It was stressful, and there was some hairpulling…and a few tables got tossed in the street (literally), but a good time was (generally) had by all.

So what is Frankenfest? FOM (Frankenfest on Main) was initially conceived as an event that the URC would hold to bring folks into downtown Franklinton, so that businesses could stay open, and allow people an opportunity to ‘rediscover’ downtown. It morphed into a festival for all ages, which held something for (hopefully) everyone. At FOM 2007, we somehow managed to have a multitude of vendors and several county agencies who participated. As well, the Franklinton Woman’s Club also hosted a car show in the downtown area, which was slightly affect by the weather, but was a great attraction. Over 600 people attended that first year, and the event received rave reviews.

This year’s event began in the planning stages in January. (A FULL six months prior to when we started planning last year’s event!) We’ve gotten over 30 vendor commitments already, which is VERY exciting! We’ve had a couple of businesses advertise with us already, and though we’ve hit a brief lull, we’ll be kicking back into high gear with planning and organizing in late July. Interested in having a booth? Want to advertise? Check out www.frankenfestonmain.org. Mark the date – October 25, 2008. We look forward to seeing you!