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Asbury Park residents can again expect the artwork of district students to brighten the city’s annual recycling calendar this year.

At assemblies held at Bradley, Thurgood Marshall and Barack H. Obama schools Monday, Yvonne Adams announced the winners and gave small prizes to all fourth graders who entered a drawing in the competition.

Adams, who works as the office manager and recycling coordinator for Asbury Park Department of Public Works, selected the finalists with Mayor Myra Campbell. They both agreed Dante Love’s depiction of a recycling vehicle was the clear winner.

This year Adams asked students to create an original work that addressed the question, “How can we enhance recycling in Asbury Park?”

Love drew a recycling truck at the center of his image, with a girl planting flowers, a tree, house, and the words “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Asbury” at the bottom. He thinks the city ought to upgrade recycling efforts by purchasing more vehicles to increase weekly recycling pickups, he said.

“I just started drawing and, well, I like trucks and then I started thinking about recycling trucks, trees, plants and planting flowers.”

“As soon as he started drawing it I knew he was going to win,” said Deborah Falcone, Love’s art teacher at Thurgood Elementary.

His picture will be featured on the front cover of the 8,000 calendars, one of each will be sent to each Asbury Park address. The calendar contains important recycling, garbage pick-up, snow removal and other important municipal information.

“You did a great job,” said Principal Mark Gerbino, congratulating all of the students. “There is a lot of talent here in Asbury Park.”

Fourth grader Jimya Davis from the Obama school will have her artwork featured on the back and Kayla Lewis from Bradley Elementary will have a spot in one of the calendar months, Adams said.

It is the second year Adams enlisted the help city youth. Part of Adam’s goal is to find ways to get more kids involved in recycling in the community, she said.

Adams is a member of the state’s Urban Cleanup Team through the Clean Communities Council, and said Clean Communities is set to give an award to Asbury Park Schools for their participation in helping to keep the environment clean. The celebration will take place next year at Seven President’s Park in Long Branch. She hopes fourth graders in the district will be able to attend.

“Asbury Park children do great work, they should be recognized,” said Adams.

[Pictured below, from left to right: Principal Mark Gerbino, Yvonne Adams, Dante Love and Deborah Falcone.]

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