Glen Rock November 2, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 7 GREC wins grants to promote local shopping by John Koster The first 3,000 residents who spend $25 or more at participating merchants on Nov. 26 – “Small Business Saturday” - will receive free long-life shopping bags to promote shopping in Glen Rock and the reduced use of paper or plastic shopping bags. This Shop the Rock/Bring Your Own Bag program features bags decorated with artwork donated by nationally syndicated cartoonist and Glen Rock resident Hy Eisman. Funding was provided by outside agencies through the cooperation of the Glen Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Glen Rock Environmental Commission. Posters identifying the participating merchants will appear in store windows in the near future. The Glen Rock Environmental Commission obtained a $2,500 community catalyst grant from Clean Air: Cool Planet, a New Hampshire-based non-profit organization dedicated to solving the global warming problem through civic engagement, education, and effective policy. The second grant of $1,000 came from the Sustainable New Jersey™ Small Grants Program, an effort established by Walmart Stores Inc., the New Jersey League of Municipalities Education Foundation, and the League’s Mayor’s Committee for a Green Future. Glen Rock was eligible for this grant because the borough is working toward certification under the Sustainable Jersey program. As part of the grant application process, the GREC Commissioner Andy Curshen conducted a survey to determine plastic bag usage in the community. Curshen discovered that Glen Rock-based merchants distribute over three million single-use shopping bags (mostly plastic) each year. Single-use paper and plastic shopping (continued on page 13)