Cumberland County Improvement Authority

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2006

IMPROVEMENT AUTHORITY COORDINATES CHILDREN’S BOOK READINGS

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ: As part of Litter Awareness Month, the Cumberland County Improvement Authority purchased copies of The Wartville Wizard by popular illustrator Don Madden for donation to area schools and libraries who then hosted a reading. The humorous children’s book deals with the trash-laden predicament of the town of Wartville.

“ The book’s anti-littering message is targeted to the five to 10 year old age group,” said Dennis DeMatte, Jr., Cumberland County Recycling Coordinator “The book is colorful, fun, and is very easy for the children to understand.”

As the story goes, Wartville is buried in trash. There are soda bottles under the flowers, juice cans by the mailbox, and newspapers along the road. Every day the piles grow higher and higher. Finally, one old man realizes he has the power to send the litter back and stick it to the person that threw it along the road.

“ To make the readings special for the children, we have been working with the County’s Municipal Recycling Coordinators to help recruit ‘celebrity’ readers,” DeMatte continued. “Some of the participants have included Jeff Van Drew and Nelson Albano, Assemblymen; Hal Bickings, Hopewell Township Mayor; Nancy Monaghan, Daily Journal Publisher; Ron Harvey, Millville Police Chief; Tim Shannon and Joe Derella, Millville City Commisioners who, along with the children, all seemed to get a kick out of it.”

Locations which have participated include: Bridgeton Public Library, Silver Run School, Carousel Academy, Hopewell Crest School, Vineland Nazarene Church, Vineland Public Library, Mt. Pleasant School, Rieck Avenue School, R. M. Bacon School, Dr. William Mennies School, Petway Elementary School, Cumberland County Library, and Millville Public Library.

“ The Wartville Wizard School Reading Program is part of the Improvement Authority’s ongoing educational outreach campaign to schools throughout Cumberland County. Young people seem to embrace the recycling and anti-littering message that we bring. They are the future, so we must do all we can to teach them how to be good stewards of the environment,” DeMatte concluded.

Remember, in order to reduce litter we must all do our part. Always set an example by not littering, no matter where you are. Your help is critical to helping make our community cleaner, healthier, and safer. For more information about recycling and anti-littering programs in Cumberland County, please call the Improvement Authority at 856-825-3700 or visit our Web site at www.ccia-net.com.

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For more information about this press release, please call Dennis DeMatte, Jr. at 856-825-3700