Pupils promise to treat environment with care
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer

HOWELL - With a hand over their heart, the Ramtown School kindergartners, first grade and second grade pupils made a solemn vow with professional entertainer Dave Street to recycle, to be clean, to not litter and, most importantly, to keep Howell, as well as New Jersey, their classrooms and the world, clean.

A presentation of "New Jersey Clean Communities" was sponsored by the Ramtown School PTO in conjunction with the Howell Department of Public Works (DPW).

Laurie Dunwoody, the Clean Communities coordinator of the DPW, said, "This program was developed in 1986 but it has been in effect in Howell for the past four years. It is funded through the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of the Treasury.

According to the New Jersey Clean Communities Council's InternetWeb site, its purpose is to "implement a statewide program of public information and education that will change the attitudes that cause littering and the irresponsible handling of solid waste."

"The New Jersey Clean Communities Council works with the DEP and Treasury to oversee the implementation of litter abatement programs in 559 eligible municipalities and 21 counties," according to information provided by New Jersey Clean Communities.

During Street's show the children learned about a variety of issues such as how animals are harmed when people litter and destroy the environment.

Pareena Patel, 7, said she enjoyed the show and added, "I learned just how much harm we can do to animals when we litter."

Second-graders Barbara Podvorchani and Daniel Salomon said the show "teaches us to not litter, and to always keep our environment clean."

Street, who is a certified teacher, professional entertainer and author, has been performing educational shows for 12 years. He offers a series of three shows that focus on character education, weather and the environment.

"All of my shows have to do with respect. Respecting the Earth, the environment, and people," he said. "I feel blessed to do this. The one thing I want students to get out of my shows is the awareness of consequences for the things that they do. The knowledge that they can help save the Earth and the confidence to make good healthy choices."