Tryon’s laid ground work for Rolla’s recycling movement

Going green, recycling and preserving the Rolla environment were all part of the long-range vision that Chuck Tryon and his wife, Sharon had over 30-plus years ago when they established one of the first recycling centers in Rolla.

During the 1970s when the words recycling, preservation and conservation weren’t nearly as popular and in vogue as they are today, they operated a non-profit business called “CURE” (Citizens United to Restore the Environment) in a vacated building that housed the old Kroger grocery store then located on Kingshighway. Mr. Tryon recalls that the founding fathers of CURE were four students who attended the University of Missouri-Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology). The students were Dave Wright, Al Visintainer, Mike Court and Randy Necessary.

Mr. Tryon recalled with a touch of nostalgia in his voice that CURE was open seven days a week and open to the public. Newspaper, corrugated cardboard, cans, and glass were all accepted free of charge. Over a seven year period 2,800 tons of recycled materials were collected by CURE.

A plaque paying tribute to Chuck and his belated wife, Sharon, who served two terms on the Rolla City Council in the late 1970s, is mounted on the front of the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 St. James Road. If you have never seen the plaque, it is located just below the plaque commemorating the completion of the Rolla Recycling Center in April 1993.

The City’s Environmental Services Department, which oversees the operation of the Rolla Recycling Center, got word recently that Mr. Tryon is relocating to Visalia, Calif. so he can spend more time with his daughter, Holly, who grew up in Rolla and now resides in Visalia. During a recent visit to the Recycling Center Mr. Tryon and his daughter dropped off several items at the new Household Hazardous Waste Facility located behind the Recycling Center off McCutchen Drive. They also took a brief tour of the Recycling Center with Brady Wilson, Director of the Environmental Services Department, and had a chance to talk about the history of recycling in Rolla. Mr. Tryon recalled how he was once told by certain members of the community over 30-plus years ago that recycling was a waste of his time. That of course, was just after the first national Earth Day celebration was held in 1970, and a time when preservation, conservation and recycling weren’t the household words they are today.

The Rolla community certainly owes a debt of gratitude to Chuck and Sharon Tryon and the founding members of CURE for their unflagging efforts to bring the recycling movement to the forefront in Rolla Missouri. We wish Mr. Tryon a safe journey to his new home in California and extend our appreciation to him for the contributions he made to the health and welfare of our community.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone to wear your ‘green’ next Saturday, March 14 (11 a.m.) for the 101st St. Patrick Day’s parade. Considered one of the largest St. Pat’s parade in the state, it is an iconic Rolla experience that thousands look forward to attending. A list of St. Pat’s events planned that week is available on the City’s Website calendar of events at www.rollacity.org/events.