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38 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, October 31 2007 2007 AUTUMN LEAF COLLECTION Fall is here and the leaves are ready for raking. If you rake your leaves to the side of the road, please remember, for safety reasons, not to allow your children to play in roadside leaf piles. LEAF DISPOSAL â€" TRY THESE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES s Mulching and composting are the most environmentally beneficial ways to deal with your leaves. + Instead of disposing of leaves, save them, and graduâ€" ally add them to your home composter. They will break down into a rich organic material that can be added to flower and vegetable gardens. + Leaves, although bulky when first raked, will comâ€" post well in a pile over the winter. Or try mulching leaves on your lawn or into your garden. When the leaves are dry, mow your lawn more frequently. The" mulched leaves will soon disappear into your lawn or garden as fertilizer. Tip: Mulching your leaves with a lawn mower or other mulching device prior to bagâ€" ging can reduce leaf volumes. (10 bags of loose leaves = 1 bag of mulched leaves) * Take your bagged leaves to the Waterloo Landfill site at 925 Erb Street for composting. * Tar spotted leaves should be bagged or raked to the curb for Municipal Composting Programs. CURBSIDE LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM Raking leaves onto the roadway is only permitted durâ€" ing the cityis scheduled leaf collection program. Collecâ€" tion begins on Monday, October 15, 2007 and runs approximately six weeks. Please rake loose leaves onto the roadway and pile as close to the curb as possible. Rake your leaves to the curb as early in the program as possible, while the weather is favourable to ensure they are picked up, + If you live on a Regional Road rake the leaves to the boulevard. + Leaves only please. Do not mix rocks, sticks, & branches, brush or other debris with the leaves. These materials pose a safety risk to crews and can result in costly mechanical breakdowns and schedulâ€" ing problems. Crews may pass by your leaves. + Please keep storm grates clear of leaves. This can result in flooding problems during heavy rains. + Keep leaves to the road directly in front of your house. Please do mbt place leaves on culâ€"deâ€"sac islands or large middle of the road boulevard islands. It is very difficult for our vaccuum equipment to reach and as a result requires excessive hand work to remove these leaves. + Please keep parked vehicles off leaf piles during the collection program. Our crews cannot reach the leaves and will not be back on this route for up to 3 weeks. Frequently Asked Questions: How often will you pickâ€"up leaves on my street? Starting on October 15, 2007, our crews will begin picking up leaves on both the east and west side of the city. They will follow the routing as pictured in the map above in numerical order. The speed at which the crews can travel is controlled by leaf volumes and weather, i.e.. rain or snow. Our crews, weather permitting, should be able to cover each street at least three times during 2* x * % x !(,( T x y 5 y /!" the course of the program. How can I find out where the crews are? Check the City of Waterloo‘s website at www.city. waterloo.on.ca which will be updated regularâ€" ly with information as to crew locations and progress or call 519â€"886â€"2310. How late can I put out my leaves? As there is no way we can completely predict the weather, having your leaves out by no later than Sunday, November 18, 2007 will ensure the highest likelyhood that our crews will be able to pickâ€"up your leaves. What should I do if I am late? _ Rake and deliver your leaves to the Waterloo Landfill site at 925 Erb Street for composting. What should I do if my leaves fall early? Save them on your property or bring them to the Waterâ€" loo Landfill site for composting. Please do not rake them to the curb prior to October 13, 2007. What happens if we have a snowstorm? A heavy snow in combination with a long period of below freezing temperatures makes it impossible for the crews to pick up the leaves. Therefore, the program would end. For more information call the City of Waterioo‘s Service Centre switch board at 886â€"2310 or check the City of Waterloo‘s website at www.city.waterâ€" loo.on.ca for updates on the program.