By Jennie Spallone
Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that I and several other members of the Deerfield Democratic Club would be traipsing to the nearest garbage dump! Yet that's exactly what we did when Waste Management hosted a bus tour of the landfill facility Monarch Hill on Powerline Road.
As the bus climbed to an elevation of 215 feet, we learned that the Class 1 landfill takes in 400 truckloads--6,000 tons-- a day of construction debris, concrete, and metal. The plant makes electricity from the methane gas that is produced from processing the buried garbage. Enough electricity is generated to power 10,000 homes, 24 hours a day!
Another eye-opener was that Harris hawks keep scavenger birds like vultures away from the site. The Company trains the hawks using drone training to get them to fly around. The hawks can fly up to 200 feet high and "work" ten hours a day. We were fortunate to have a Company staff member bring a hawk on board the bus. The bird was quite tame and made a favorable impression on us all.
As we filed home afterward, I couldn't help but think how fortunate we are in Century Village East to have experienced this Democratic Club event, as well as continue to hear from the numerous speakers that grace our meetings, month after month. In the months prior to the midterm election, politicians running for judges, senators, representatives, and governor have stepped through the Activity Room B door in the Le Club Complex.
Are you interested in peeking outside the box to see what's politically going on in our neck of the woods? If so, come give us a gander. We're a friendly bunch! We meet at 7:00 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. After robust conversation, the Club sends each of us off with a light take-home dinner.
For further information, email Mel Nass, Membership Chair, at theventure3@gmail.com