Superior move

Mavis Wood wants to do her fair share to keep the world clean.

The 71-year-old grandmother of three said she wanted to be a senior who helped keep the world a clean green place. She and her husband, Eugene, often recycle and try to dispose of their waste properly. She said they follow the advice of EcoSuperior, a local environmental awareness program.

EcoSuperior moved from its location on Miles Street after it flooded in August. It set up shop on Red River Road where Wood attended EcoSuperior’s open house and indoor yard sale on Saturday.

She said she wanted to get more familiar with the new building and learn more about disposing her old batteries and medication properly.

"We have a rain barrel, and we recycle everything," Wood said. "We’re got grandchildren and it’s really important to take care of our environment. You have to think ahead on how to keep the planet pure. I think everyone should be aware of issues facing the environment."

Wood said when she was younger she didn’t know much about recycling and how to keep the planet clean. As she’s grown older, Wood noticed that there is more emphasis on educating people about the harms certain products can do to the environment, she said.

"Our world is getting smaller," she said. "I want my grandchildren to grow up and have a healthy environment. We all have a responsibility and I think people are more aware of recycling than they use to be."

Ellen Mortfield, executive director of EcoSuperior, said after the old building flooded, they needed to find a new building quickly and was able to find two buildings on Red River Road that they were interested in purchasing. She said she was happy about the move but the two buildings still needed a few renovations to make the buildings more environmentally friendly.

The point of the open house was to familiarize residents with the new location and bring further awareness to proper waste disposal before the holiday season begins, she said.

"One of the things we like to emphasis at Christmas time is that there is a lot of excess waste involved with the extra purchasing," Mortfield said. "We like to encourage people to shop local. There is less green house gas emissions through shipping and also helps support our local economy."