Whether Or Not The Groundhog Saw His Shadow - The Jewel Is Readying for Spring

While today is overcast and cold, the outlook for the rest of Winter does not appear to be gloomy. As you walk the streets and byways of the Jewel you will find hyacinths and daffodils in bloom.  However the true sign of Spring is the return of garden waste clean-up, so grab you i-pads, google calendar or more traditional versions of your daily planner and pay attention to the latest update from Annette Green, our Town Clerk.

"Yard waste will be collected by the Town of Betterton within Town limits for two reasons: first to provide a service to residents who would otherwise have no means of disposing of Yard waste safely and efficiently, and as a way to keep garden waste out of the regular trash collection cycle.  This reduces the weight of trash collected and therefore reduces the cost of tipping fees at the landfill.

Yard waste is defined as: leaves, grass clippings, small branches (not to exceed 3inches in diameter), and small plants. The collected waste will be taken to the Nicholson Transfer station to be mulched.  The mulch is available to all Kent County residents at the Nicholson Transfer Station.  No plastics or other non-mulchable materials will be accepted.

The following is the criteria for garden waste collection.  Any waste not conforming to the following specifications will not be collected and is the responsibility of the property owner to remove and dispose.

Yard waste will be collected on the March12, 2012; and then the second and fourth Mondays of April and ending the fourth Monday in October,with the exceptions of July and August where pick up will only be on the second Monday.  A pick-up of live Christmas trees will be scheduled for the second week in January. This collection will be advertised inthe quarterly Town Newsletter. 

Leaves, grass clippings, and small plant matter must be bagged and the bags can not contain any other materials (no plastic flower pots, plastic bags,paper bags, ribbons or bows). Not more than four (4) bags will be collected at each property bi-weekly; and a bag is not to exceed 30 lbs in weight.

No tree roots, sand, stones or plastic will be accepted.

Tree branches no larger than 3 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length will be collected.  All branches must be stacked neatly and the stack can not exceed 3 feet in height.  Any stacks of branches or limbs exceeding this limit will be the responsibility of the property owner to remove."

When one thinks Spring, visions of flowers, emerging fields of grain and of course weddings come to mind.  This past week marks the signing by Governor O'Malley of the Gay Marriage Act.  Just prior to signing this legislation into law the Governor was quoted as saying  "for a free and diverse people, for a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious freedom, the way forward is always found for the greater respect of the equal rights of all, for the human dignity of all."

To all the Bettertonians who too believe in liberty and justice for all, thanks for writing our local legislators and encouraging them to stand up for all of their constituents and not their party line.  Sadly, none of our local State representatives had the bravery and courage to do so.

In a recent interview on "Talk of the Nation" a member of Maryland's Black clergy, Reverend Delman Coates spoke on his view of gay marriage. He is the senior pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland. Specifically the Reverend said "I've been able to support the Civil Marriage Protection Act because I believe that it's critically important in a pluralistic democracy that we don't use theology as a basis for public policy.

And so I believe - while there are well-intentioned people on all sides of this question, I think that it's a dangerous public-policy precedent to use one's subjective and personal theology as a basis for determining whether all citizens, and in this instance the residents of the state of Maryland, deserve the same basic civil liberties."  For more of his comments as well as those that continue to stifle this liberty, check out Talk of the Nation.

Who knows if all goes well in 2013, Betterton could be the site for the first Gay Marriage in Kent County.

Perhaps Delegates Hershey, Jacobs and Smigiel along with Senator Pipkin could learn from Pastor Coates.  Wouldn't it be great if Betterton's UMC hosted Pastor Coates for an evening's presentation?  Let's hear your thoughts in a post below.