It happens like clockwork, every so often you need to rename your dump.  As times change, processes change, sensibilities change, the name of the dump has to change.

The city has been proud that the Rumford Ave Resource Recovery Center in recent years has been on the cutting edge of dump naming conventions – but time waits for no dump.  Already the early signs have been trickling in of looming obsolescence.

Jim McGonagle, Newton’s Public Works Commissioner says “The first sign was when one my guys mentioned being on vacation at his sister’s house in California and hearing that they call their dump a “Resource Recovery Park.  Oh boy I thought, here we go again”.

We held a department meeting to try to get a handle on the renaming issue.  Folks were throwing out suggestions and we were putting them all up on the whiteboard when one of the old-timers said “I’ve been though “landfill”, “transfer station”, “recycling center” and “resource recovery center” what about we just go with “dump”.  The young guys loved it – “way retro”, “great old school ring to it”.

It will be another few weeks before the signs are ready and we have the re-christening ceremony.    It should be a fun event, we’re calling it Back to the Future at the Newton City Dump.