Borderplex contest winners receive praise and prizes

Courtesy  Xochitl Mora,

Laredo, TX—Oct. 13, 2009— If you have not seen the cover of this year’s Borderplex Directory, you are in for a real treat.  Taken at one of

the City of Laredo’s recently improved water locales, the visual is breathtaking for its beauty and simplicity.  Some people do not even believe

the shot was taken in Laredo, but once revealed, the community will be amazed at how Laredo’s environment can look when we work to beautify it.

 The cover shot was taken along the bank of Chacon Creek.  Nearly one year ago, the City of Laredo hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil

the work done by the City of Laredo Environmental Services Department and local engineers to save this natural treasure.

 The bank along Chacon Creek under the Meadow Street Bridge was eroding; the natural vegetation was being lost and the stream was in danger of getting filled.  An Environmental Protection Agency grant was used to apply bioengineering techniques to stabilize the bank with natural materials and incorporate plants to prevent erosion.  Wild flower seeds were strewn all along the creek bank to produce the explosion of flowers and dazzle of color that is now the Borderplex cover shot.

 Of course, having a new directory means that there is an old directory.  Borderplex once again partnered with the City of Laredo’s number one environmentally-friendly mascot, the permanently smiling Willie Bote, to be on a mission to help teach Laredo youth – and adults – how easy, and important, it is to recycle, and NOT discard those old books.

 The 17^th Annual Borderplex Directory Recycling Contest will once again to pit local schools against each other in a friendly competition to see who can collect the most outdated phone books.  Three winners will receive cash prizes, totaling $1,800.

 “Children are an important part of the recycling effort, because they remind adults to recycle, and by recycling, we can leave a better environment for them.  Thanks to our schools participating in these contests, with local teachers taking the time to teach recycling, Laredo children are learning the importance of saving our environment,” said Willie Bote.

 Last year, an unprecedented number of schools – some, like St. Peter’s Memorial School – competed for the very first time – and collected 39,056 books!  Three schools: Early College at TAMIU from Laredo ISD; Fasken Elementary from United ISD; and Mary Help of Christians from the private schools were the top three winners.

According to a formula established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the total number of books collected by the students saved 796 trees; 328,070 gallons of water; 154.66 cubic yards of landfill space; and 192,156 kilowatts of electricity.

 “The Borderplex Directory Recycling Contest significantly impacts Laredo’s environment, while children learn more about recycling,” said Jose Cue, Borderplex Regional Sales Manager.  “Hopefully, they will make recycling an important part of their daily life, keeping Laredo clean and beautiful, and preserving the Earth’s resources for much longer.  Borderplex is committed to going green, and with the help of Laredo’s students, we are doing just that,” he concluded.

 The Borderplex Area-Wide Phone Book contest begins on October 13, 2009, will run through November 4, 2009, and is open to every school in both school districts and all private schools.  In fact, this year, schools will only compete against schools in their district.  One winning school will be crowned for UISD; one for LISD; and one for the private schools.  The pizza party will be raffled to one winner among the three top schools.

 For more information on how to sign up, schools should contact Sylvia Garza, Recycling Coordinator for the City of Laredo Solid Waste Services Division at 795-2510 or via e-mail at sgarza2@ci.laredo.tx.us.

 And so, the green trashcan mascot with the perpetual smile on his face knows that Laredo students will soon learn that it really does pay to recycle and, how easy it is to keep Laredo beautiful.