Annual leaf pickup efforts under way in city

Saturday morning's frost helped bring down even more leaves in Greencastle and surrounding areas.

The month-long City of Greencastle leaf collection effort began today (Monday, Oct. 24) and will run through Wednesday, Nov. 23 in order to complete leaf pickup before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The simple rules of city leaf pick-up include:

-- Collection schedule will follow city trash routes as closely as possible. So if your trash is picked up on Monday, the leaf vac will probably get your leaves that day too (unless the effort gets behind schedule because of mass quantities of leaves or inclement weather).

-- The Department of Public Works advises residents to have their leaves out the day before their trash route because the crew will only do each day's route once during the week unless it is ahead of schedule.

-- No bags are to be used; leaves should be raked to the area between the sidewalk and curb, or edge of the yard if there is no curb or sidewalk (but never into the street where they can wash into the storm sewers).

-- Do not mix in any limbs or trash of any kind with leaves (trash or tree limbs can damage equipment and put the leaf vac out of commission).

-- Also, burning leaves is not permissible in the City of Greencastle.

-- Holidays will be run the day before if possible along with the regular route; those dates are Nov. 8 and 11.