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City leaf pick-up efforts to begin Oct. 26
With leaves falling at what seems like an unprecedented early rate locally, maybe even the trees have grown tired of 2020.
In reality, the crisp air of fall has arrived just in time to start bringing down autumn leaves in earnest to await the annual collection efforts of the Greencastle Department of Public Works.
That process is scheduled to start with the city leaf vacuum making its rounds beginning Monday, Oct. 26 and continuing through Nov. 30, Department of Public Works Superintendent Brad Phillips has announced.
However, that timeframe will also include four fall holidays for city workers -- Nov. 3 (Election Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) and Nov. 26-27 (Thanksgiving). Collection efforts will double up before and after the holiday to stay on schedule.
Already a number of curbside piles of leaves have cropped up around the city, especially in the Northwood Addition.
At the October City Council meeting, Phillips said that due to dry conditions, if enough leaves had been raked curbside prior to Oct. 26, his crews would make early rounds if they were sure of getting a full load.
Residents within city limits are advised to rake leaves to the edge of the street or into the area between the street and sidewalk -- but never into the roadway, city officials stressed.
“Leaves only, no sticks or trash,” Mayor Bill Dory reminded, noting that leaves should be out at the curb the day before trash day to assure prompt pick-up.
Simple rules of city leaf pick-up efforts to keep in mind include:
• No bags, plastic or otherwise, are to ever be used.
• Where there is no curb, leaves should be raked to the edge of the yard (never into the street where they can be washed into the storm sewers).
• No trash or tree limbs should ever be mixed in with leaves (limbs or foreign objects can damage equipment and put the leaf vac out of commission).
• Burning leaves (or trash, for that matter) is not permissible within the city limits of Greencastle.
• The collection schedule will follow city trash routes as closely as possible. So if your trash is picked up on Mondays, the leaf vacuum will probably get your leaves that day as well (unless the effort gets behind because of inclement weather or mass quantities of leaves).
Meanwhile, city residents are reminded that Greencastle Clean City Day is set for Saturday, Oct. 24 with household items being accepted at the Greencastle High School parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Clean City Day effort is free of charge for city utility customers with proof of residency, copy of a utility bill or the flyer mailed t o city residents last week.