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Every year I have high hopes that the local economy will improve and think it just can’t get any worse. Then it does, and this year has been especially hard because the national economy is so depressed as well. We continue to keep going as best we can, but we have had to make some adjustments. Gateway employs three full time people including myself. I typically work a half day in the office and a half day in the field. La Conya Martin is our full time office assistant and Robert Martin is our full time landscape assistant. We all wear a lot of hats and are very good at multitasking. Gateway took over the responsibilities of Clean Community in 2003 and is essentially receiving the same financial support as it did in 2003. We only had two part-time employees at that time. We now operate a greenhouse and have two trucks also. Our landscaping sites now number close to 100 and we take care of them all! In addition to all the horticultural projects, our environmental projects include two Household Hazardous Waste Days, two Smith River Clean Ups, the Christmas tree recycling project, Earth Day activities and our Recycled Art Contest. We of course promote environmental education about recycling, reusing and reducing as well as litter control. We are very fortunate to have great partners such as the Virginia Department of Forestry which has awarded Gateway grants for equipment and staffing for the last eleven years. They have also provided me with educational scholarships to receive valuable training over the years. We can never thank the Virginia Department of Forestry enough for all that they have done for Gateway and for this area. I would also like to thank our faithful members who contribute every year to our success with their monetary gifts. We hope to keep on track in 2010, but will have to make some cuts just as most entities have had to do to survive. I look forward to the future when things pick up again. Please know that we are honestly working to make Martinsville and Henry County a better place to live and work. As always be sure to tell people to recycle, reuse, reduce, not to litter and not to top their trees.
Lois
Christensen Gateway |