Many of the Ridgefield students whose recycling posters were recognized in regional competition sponsored by the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authroity were given ribbons at the May 7 selectmen’s meeting. Shown are (back row, from left) local contest organizer Ellen Rossini, student winners Krista Panageas, Hannah Hadden, Gracie Girvalo, Bailey Harriott, Chris Cordano, and Curran Garaingo, and First Selectman Rudy Marconi. In front, from left, are Anaia Barnes, Alana Redrup, Katie Hoerdemann, and Corrie Vakil. —Amanda Cordano photo
Some 270 Ridgefield youngsters entered the Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority’s sixth annual HRRA Recycling Poster Contest, and many were honored for their work.
The recovery authority is a regional, governmental waste management and recycling authority that serves 11 Western Connecticut towns, including Ridgefield, with a combined population of more than 225,000 people.
The theme for the posters this year was “How to Recycle Organics (Food Scraps).”
Finalists from Ridgefield by grade and school are:
First place
Alana Redrup, kindergarten, Farmingville; Anaia Barnes, grade 1, Veterans Park; Katie Hoerdemann, grade 2, St. Mary’s; Corrie Vakil, grade 3, Ridgefield Boys & Girl’s Club; Curran Garaingo, grade 4, Ridgefield Boys & Girl’s Club; Christopher Cordano, grade 5, Farmingville; Bailey Harriot, grade 6, ERMS; Gracie Girvalo, grade 7, SRMS; Hannah Hadden and Krista Panageas, grade 8, ERMS; Toni Chadwell, grade 10, RHS; Shayla Morris, grade 11, RHS; Willow Hubsher, grade 12, RHS.
Second place
Bridget Kelly, grade 1, VP; Melinda Mo, grade 2, VP and Alister Walsh, grade 2, Farmingville; Auden Masotta, grade 3, Barlow; Amanda Roberts, grade 4, Farmingville; Lily Walsh, grade 5, Farmingville; Clodagn Ryan, grade 6, SRMS; Emma Brody, grade 7, SRMS; Anna Landler, grade 8, ERMS; Sophie Jones, grade 11, RHS; Alyssa Inman, grade 12, RHS.
Third place
Naomi Vakil, grade 1, Barlow; Alexandra Bacher, grade 2, Farmingville; Corrie Vakil, grade 3, Barlow; Ariel Langberg, grade 4, Farmingville; Lily Walsh, grade 5, Farmingville; Katherine Landler, grade 6, SRMS; Sara Hecht, grade 7, SRMS; Aurora Joblon, grade 8, SRMS; Rebecca Vandervoorin, grade 11, RHS; Starr Coughlin, grade 12, RHS.
Honorable mention
Annike Manrsepp, grade 2, VP.
All regional first-place winners’ posters advanced to the regional judging in Brookfield March 13. Of those 12, 10 posters placed within the HRRA region. Ridgefield had the most from any of the 11 towns. The regional winners were honored on April 23 at a ceremony held at the Union Savings Bank’s main branch in Danbury.
The Grand Prize winner this year was Amanda Duffy, a sophomore from Redding. She received $150, and her school received $ 1,000 to further recycling education. In addition, her poster will be on a billboard on the corner of Moss and White streets in Danbury.
All regional first-place winners were awarded $75; second- and third-place winners received $50 and $25.
The regional winners from Ridgefield for first place were Gracie Girvalo, grade 7; Krista Panageas and Hannah Haden, grade 8; Toni Chadwell, grade 10; and Shayla Morris, grade 11.
Second place winners were Alana Redrup, kindergarten, Anaia Barnes, grade 1, and Christopher Cordano, grade 5, and for third place, Curran Garanigo, grade 4, and Willow Hubsher, grade 12. Honorable mention went to Katie Hoerdemann, grade 2.
In addition, each Ridgefield first-place winner received a first-place ribbon from First Selectman Rudy Marconi at the Board of Selectmen’s May 7 meeting in town hall.
The 2014 contest sponsors were Union Savings Bank, All American Waste, Wheelabrator Technologies, and Winters Brothers Waste Systems, Connecticut, along with the HRRA Regional Recycling Task Force.
The winning regional posters as well as other information on the contest may be viewed at HRRA.org.