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Local woman named Volunteer of the Year for recycling efforts
Emily Hill/Staff photo - At a Little Elm Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Kevin Mattingly, right, and Community Waste Disposal Municipal Director Robert Medigovich, left, present Francine Kruzitski, center, with the Greater Dallas Fort Worth Volunteer of the Year Award for her efforts in Keeping Little Elm Beautiful.
By Emily Hill, ehill@starlocalnews.com
In Little Elm, not only is the town green, but one resident is, too (and that's not with envy).
Francine Kruzitski was recently named Volunteer of the Year by the Greater Dallas Fort Worth Recycling Alliance for her efforts as chairperson of Keep Little Elm Beautiful.
"It means KLEB is making an impact," Kruzitski said.
"That we've done enough to be even considered for something like this is incredible," Kruzitski said.
The main focus of KLEB has been on cleanups at local parks and trails. Kruzitski fondly remembers one cleanup event at Shell Beach.
"They were terrific; they were so involved with us and really came out to help. You feel so good when you make a difference in the area," Kruzitski said.
Kruzitski has several plans in line for the group. One is that she plans to implement later this year an educational program on how residents impact the lakes, their lives and the lives of their children with trash.
Since KLEB also focuses on beautification of the town, Kruzitski wants to host projects such as planting flowers at places like Town Hall or Little Elm Park. However, those plans are on hold until all the construction is complete on Eldorado Parkway. But until then, Kruzitski plans to garner more volunteers.
"I'd like to develop a core membership of volunteers that will always be there. We have a lot of plans," Kruzitski said.
KLEB had its early beginnings as part of the town's public relations committee six years ago. Brian Sanders, determined to start the group, made several attempts to get the group running. He later became the original chairperson of the group before Kruzitski took over. About four years ago, KLEB was able to branch off the committee and become its own stand-alone group.
"We were a committee in the Town of Little Elm under their guidance. Now, we're a spinoff group that does things for Little Elm," Kruzitski said. "This has been a good thing for us. The town still supports us with guidance. Kevin Mattingly is our liaison for the town and he does a magnificent job."
Kruzitski joined KLEB because of her love for volunteering. In the past, she volunteered at Medical City for a number years and also previously held an advertising job where she had to put together an event.
"I just wanted to impact [the town] in some way, to help the town grow," Kruzitski said. "I wanted to stay with [KLEB]. [I could] see what it could do and where it could go, and I wanted to see it get there."
Kruzitski believes Little Elm is at the forefront of recycling. Not only does the town have KLEB, but there is a permanent medicine drop-off box at the Little Elm Pharmacy and the Coca-Cola ReImagine program that collects plastic bottles and cans at Kroger. But Kruzitski would like to see something more--no plastic bags.
In Austin, the city recently passed an ordinance prohibiting plastic bags in the city. When people shop, they take their own reusable bags. With a few exceptions with fast food restaurants until alternatives can be reached, plastic bags are forbidden to be given out. It took some time for the city to pass the ordinance.
"[The ordinance] is not going to keep them all out of town, but they aren't handing them out. I've love to see that here," Kruzitski said. "Starting it now when Little Elm is smaller, we'll probably have better luck at [passing it]."
Although the idea of no plastic bags sounds new and innovative, Kruzitski said Germany has completely eradicated plastic bags in the whole country--even disposable cups and plates are non-existent.
"Their trash is almost down to nothing," Kruzitski said.
She said one looks differently at plastic bags when they're pulled out of the lake filled with mud, water and other debris.
"I really like the idea of no plastic bags," she said.
The next cleanup event will be August 25. KLEB will be partnering with Texas Woman's University to clean two areas in town. They will also host a battery collection event at the same time at the pavilion in Little Elm Park. The group will collect common household batteries, but cannot accept car or boat batteries.
To learn more about KLEB, visit the group's Facebook page or the town's website at www.littleelm.org. The group meets at 7 p.m. every third Thursday of the month in the second floor conference room in Town Hall, 100 West Eldorado Parkway.
"We love to have visitors," Kruzitski said.
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