Happy Earth Day Today


Have a wonderful day. Think of some way to cut back and give back. We're planning our installation of Solar Panels on our new white metal roof. This summer we'll all be able to watch a monitor in the store that will display the amount of energy our panels are producing on their own. It is a big retail store, but we hope to offset much of our lighting and air conditioning usage. Think of small and big things we can all do. Recycling old cell phones, turning the water off while we brush our teeth, unplugging charging devices when not in use, and making sure lights are turned off when we leave rooms. Happy Earth Day!

Items to think about Recycling on Earth Day:
Cell Phones - Cell phones can be recycled. Also check with different organizations in your area for re-use programs that may help survivors of abuse and others have instant access to 911 emergency services.

Athletic Shoes - Recycle your old shoes to benefit Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program that turns old shoes into playground surface material.  Visit http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/ for more information.

Eye Glasses - Many communities have a commitment to helping provide eye glasses to those visually impaired.  Many organizations also may be collect hearing aids and ink cartridges. If no one in your community does, think about starting your own recycle/re-use effort to help others with things that can be used again or recycled.

Books - The Ely Friends of the Library are in need of hard cover and trade paperback book donations, that are in good condition.  All monies raised from the dontation of books will support library programs and special projects. Your local library most likely has a similar Library Support Group. This beats selling books at a garage sale for a quarter! However, if you love to have garage sales, think about donating proceeds from your books sales to the local library.

Aluminum Cans – Many kids groups are now collecting and delivering aluminum for fund raising efforts and it keeps cans out of the garbage dumps!

Phone Books - If you can find somewhere to recycle phonebooks or contribute them to someone who is helping others do so, this is a great effort! Check out these stats:
• 540 Million phone books are given out each year, which create 660,000 tons of trash every year.
• Nationally only 18% of phone books are recycled every year.
• If Americans recycled their phonebooks for a year, we would save 650,000 tons of paper
• For each 500 books recycled, we save: 7,000 gallons of water, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, 17 to 31 trees, and 4,100 kilowatts of electricity (enough to power an average home for six months)

Batteries - find somewhere local that has a battery collection facility. Please don't throw them away.

Prom Donations - This is a great idea for all communities. These dresses, tuxedoes and accessories are used once for one occasion only and then take up closet space. Prom donations can be recirculated into other communities and it is a great way to help others be able to attend an event that otherwise, especially in today's economy, might be cost prohibitive. If you can't find anyone that is doing this in your area and don't have the time to start volunteering for a big project, at least put a classified in your local shopper or on craigslist. Recycle and make someone's day at the same time!

O.K. that's it for recycling ideas. Have fun with it and don't forget that making a difference always starts small like ripples on the flat surface of a lake. Even one small pebble thrown causes a ripple effect that spreads to the shoreline! Happy Earth Day!

Cast your vote for Ely as America's Coolest Small Town!
Help us prove to America that (well at least on paper) we're deserving of the title. We all know Ely holds a special place in everyone's hearts. Now we can vote online to prove it. We've only got until May 9th and Ely is currently in first place! You can vote and tell your friends to as well.

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/coolestsmalltowns/CST2010.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Rent a cabin near Ely and see how great the Northwoods can be!

Our Friends at Log Cabin Hideways have some of the nicest cabins in the area for rent. If your camping days are done and you prefer a bed at night, then these cabins on the edge of the Boundary Waters may be just the ticket. They are secluded and quiet and provide a great opportunity to do extensive day tripping in the Boundary Waters and Ely area.

For some folks who are medically unable to get out canoe camping, this can be a great way to experience a wilderness setting. Just wait to you see the stars at night from your remote cabin, or take your first sauna by the lake. Hiking, paddling and exploring the area by day, private dining in the woods at evening and the howling of timberwolves and songs of loons to put you to sleep at night. What could beat it?!

Check out their cabins online:

http://www.logcabinhideaways.com/

info@logcabinhideaways.com