🎥 Ellis County wants YOU to ‘Do the Green Thing’

Margie Hammerschmidt (at right), an Ellis County Master Gardener, works the assembly line Tuesday morning.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The back rooms of Northwestern Printers, 114 W. 9th, were filled Tuesday and Wednesday for what Stacie Minson called “a massive mailing stuffing party.”

The Ellis County Environmental mass mailing–15,000 brown manila envelopes–will soon be at the Hays Post Office.

Every residence in Ellis County will receive one of the envelopes which will be sent EDDM-Every Door Direct Mail. They should arrive in local mailboxes by Saturday.

The “Do The Green Thing” mailing contains information about water conservation, water quality, recycling, and disposal of electronic waste and household hazardous waste in the county.

“It’s basically awareness to let people know where things can go for recycling, how to conserve and protect water,” Minson explained as she continued stuffing papers and magnets into envelopes.

Those drop-off locations in Ellis County and where to get more environmental information about protecting our water supplies are printed on a 5 by 7 inch color magnet to display for easy reference.

Minson, WaKeeney, is the Kansas State University Watershed Specialist for Big Creek Middle Smoky Hill River Watersheds.

A smaller magnet was produced in 2005 and not widely distributed, according to Minson. “More people are aware of recycling now. Things have changed and we have some new opportunities. We’ve added more information about private well testing of water quality, soil testing, composting, and the Roll Out The Rain Barrel Project.”

City of Hays employees stuff envelopes Tuesday afternoon.

The joint effort was paid for by the cities of Hays, Victoria and Ellis, Ellis County and the Ellis County Environmental Office, and the KSU watersheds.

“Everyone agreed this needed to happen,” she said. “When I approached the cities and the counties, everyone felt there was a need for it.”

In addition to the funding, the partnership provided employees to stuff the envelopes assembly-line style alongside volunteers from the Ellis County Extension Master Gardeners program.

Northwestern Printers owner, Marvin Rack, and several of his family members were also working the assembly line.

All Ellis County residences will receive the mailing.

“We so firmly believe this is so important,” Rack said as he moistened and then sealed the envelopes. “If our water resources run out or we have to pay more for water, we’ll be in trouble.” As a corporate sponsor, Northwestern Printers created the informational materials and magnets at a deep discount.

“Obviously, we know water conservation is a big issue in Ellis County, so providing some fact sheets that give you tips on how to save water is helpful,” Minson said.

“On the water quality side, what leaves one community travels downstream and goes to the next community. It’s a public water supply so knowing what we’re doing with the water protects the people downstream,” she added.