Healing Arts Community Health Center of Blanco and Canyon Lake hosted the Chamber of Commerce Spring Mixer on Earth Day 4/22.

An art exhibit featured botanical watercolors by Lotus McElfish, photographic art by Channis Tagart, and acrylic paintings by Margaret Boswell. In honor of Earth Day, businesses were invited to convey their conservation efforts. Our local businesses have a variety of ways they have preserved our planetary resources.

On the Square recycles all paper, cardboard, glass, cans, and plastic water bottles. They also turn off lights when not in use, carpool when possible, and reuse packing peanuts and wrapping paper.

Also, Liz and Nelson from On the Square just built a pergola with recycled materials.

ERF Wireless, in their newest form of environmental friendliness, will be offering reusable groceries bags as a giveaway at events they sponsor or participate in.

Chuck’s Small Engine Repairs conserves every time he repairs a small engine, like lawnmowers, blowers, weed-eaters, chainsaws, generators, riding mowers, etc., because it saves from a new one being produced, packaged, shipped and bought. Also, owner Chuck Homan recycles the non-repairable equipment and he reuses packaging obtained from the Blanco Recycling Center. He also recycles old towels and plastic signs to clean up around the shop.

New Vista Solutions emails invoices to their clients rather than using conventional mail and delivers their products via website rather than hard copy.

Star House Bed and Breakfast recycles and repurposes discarded items such as spoons, knives and railroad spikes to make decorative yard and garden items like flowers, dragonflies, and butterfly garden stakes.

These items are sold at the Star House B & B. Wayne and Kathy Rossi of Star House B & B also make wine glasses from recycled glass.

Heron’s Nest Herb Farm uses organic practices on the farm and they water their Echinacea field with stored rainwater using a drip-irrigation system run by solar power.

Victor Summers of Simple Shelter builds custom garden structures utilizing recycled as well as new building materials. He designs to minimize waste and keep materials costs low.

In 2009, Healing Arts Community Health Center of Blanco and Canyon Lake recycled over 1.5 tons of paper, 1/2 ton of cardboard, and over 1/2 ton of glass and plastic. They implemented electronic records to reduce future paper use, used environmentally friendly cleaning products, planted 30 trees and shrubs, provided recyclable paper cups rather than styrofoam, assisted the Cat Coalition with feral cats, and made cedar chips for mulch to conserve water and eliminate burning. They made reuse, repurpose, and recycle their standard practice.

Healing Arts set goals for 2010 to complete a walking trail using cedar chips obtained from tree trimmings, plant additional trees, and decrease water and electricity consumption from 2009.

The Chamber Mixer was well attended by established and new business representatives. Blanco has a vital and growing business community.

Utilizing local products and services saves resources and supports the community.