A recycling reboot

(Above) Nelson Crabb and Lisa (Jacobson) Riggin re-live a memory from 1971.

by Marianne Gasaway

Here’s a newspaper recycling story of a different sort.  

In preparation for Earth Day coverage, one of our own— Mirror-Reporter Administrative Assistant Lisa (Jacobson) Riggin, shared her memories of celebrating Earth Day as a Clear Lake eighth grader.

Clear Lake Junior High School missed out on the first Earth Day, but in 1971 the teaching staff and students were all in to make the world a better place.  There were poster contests, class competitions to collect aluminum cans, and plenty of opportunities to improve the environment, including the suggestion that teachers should ride their bicycles to school rather than drive.  And the proof was in the newspaper that they did!

During the week of April 19, 1971 seventh and eighth graders collected a total of 62,810 aluminum cans.  Miss Myli’s class earned top honors and bragging rights with 12,677 cans.  Mr. Winter’s class was a close second with 10,653, followed by Mr. Crabb’s homeroom with 7,091.

Ironically, the “save the earth” effort proved to be futile.

The student newspaper, “The Paper Lion,” reported:  “The next 

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problem, of course, what to do with 62,810 cans?  Have them recycled?  Sounds good, but after an investigation by Mrs. Coe, it was found that the American Can Company will only recycle aluminum cans, despite their advertisement  ‘We can recycle any can you can buy.’  So after many groans, several newspaper articles, and a TV interview, the cans were hauled from the front lawn of the school to the dump, where they were buried.  Congratulations to the CLJH students.  You did your share to clean up Clear Lake.”

The Paper Lion also saluted Jennifer Hoefer as the winner of the Earth Week Poster contest.  Second place went to Tom Jacobsen. Third was Brenda Olk. Jean Lekwa and Jody Rowe share fourth place honors and Vince Brookins was fifth.

An assembly in the former Junior High School auditorium also holds a special place in Lisa’s school days.  That was where, in addition to being recognized as Citizen of the Month, she received a round of applause and a prize as winner of the Earth Day poetry contest.  She still has the personal note teacher Nelson Crabb handed her, along with a can of aerosol room freshener.  

Fifty-one years later, the former Paper Lion editor turned local newspaper staffer and teacher turned Clear Lake mayor met up.  The two shared a good laugh over the note as they posed for a photo, complete with an aerosol can.

“Wherever you go in this world, always keep this token gift by your side,” wrote Crabb in 1971.  “Then, you will never have to be concerned about foul air; whether it be due to industrial, home, farm or vehicle pollution!”

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