Rumpke is working through the new system. There are a few kinks. If you’ve enrolled in the new system, Adena Brook neighbor Kip Patterson reminds us to make sure your house number is on your waste can or bags.

Kip writes:

“You might want to let folks that subscribe to the Rumke service know that unless it is immediately obvious what house number is associates with their waste containers they need to put out an address sign with their waste.

Mine was picked up only because I was out there. Another neighbor was missed because the house is back a long driveway with no house number at the street.”

From Laura Young Mohr, DPU Communications Office, 645-2123, lymohr@columbus.gov:

Susan, some changes here at Columbus Department of Public Utilities I need to make you aware of: Rick Tilton is leaving for another department (Public Service), effective April 13, 2009. The DPU Communications Office staff person now assigned to Division of Sewerage and Drainage related issues/projects is George Zonders at GJZonders@columbus.gov, 645-2926. Anita Musser will remain on green issues/projects, almusser@columbus.gov, 645-5970. I will be taking over the niche of the Division of Power and Water’s water operations to including drinking water issues and waterline projects. City power and street lighting items will be Susan Oehler, who also manages our web site, smoehler@columbus.gov, 645-6196.

All city service needs should continue to be reported to 311 or 645-3111.

Here is a link on the Public Service Department/Refuse Collection Division’s web site on yard waste and from what I saw in the news, they are trying to arrange some limited pickup seasonally. Once that is worked out, this is where the information will likely also appear:

http://refuse.ci.columbus.oh.us/yardwaste.htm

It looks like the closest place to haul it from Clintonville would be the Westerville Road location. 

If you or your neighbors have any further questions, please direct them to 311 or 645-3111.

Laura Young Mohr

Public Relations Specialist, Communications Office

Department of Public Utilities

These Adena Brook neighbors have businesses:

John Blake (Outdoor Sensations, owner) 784-8585

Tom Barton (Barton Brickscapes, owner): cell 505-6344, leave message if you get voice mail

Adena Brook neighbor John Blake writes:

Just FYI – Our company has reduced the rates for Curbside Leaf Pickup for this year.  Rates are cheaper than previous years.  Thank you.

John Blake / Owner

Outdoor Sensations Landscape, Inc.

4596 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

(614) 784-8585

LEAF PICK UP

This is the time of year to talk with your lawn and landscape service about leaf removal (if you hire fall clean up). Not all companies know that dumping leaves (or branches) in the ravine causes matting and is illegal. If you need to hire leaf removal, neighbor John Blake who owns Outdoor Sensations, provides this service. Learn more or contact John by clicking here: http://www.outdoorsensations.com/curbside.htm

OR, BETTER YET, MULCH YOUR LEAVES

A better idea for leaf removal is create a spot in the yard and dump all the leaves to create leaf mulch.  Only took me one year to get mulch and after two years…I have got some great mulch…for free!  I even collect leaves from my two neighbors!  Phil Ashley

Sherrill Massey from Friends of the Ravines writes:

Does anybody encourage mulching the leaves instead of getting rid of them? My mother used to refer to leaf piles as black gold. You can run over them with a lawn mower to ground them up smaller to assist with the decaying process. Why discard nature’s nutritional bounty?

Sherrill’s comment reminds me of the story Judy Robinson tells when she talks to elementary school children about recycling. Judy asks, “What do you do with a bottle after you drink what is inside?” A child says, “I throw it away!” And Judy asks, “Where is away?” This raises a discussion and awareness about what we can recycle and reuse such as foods to compost, leaves to mulch, rain runoff from the roof to water our gardens, clothes to Volunteer Services, and so on.

Carina Carter writes: Is there anybody who would be willing to regularly clean up the area between the railroad tracks and I 71 and/or the area east of I 71?  These areas are such a mess but Mark and I can’t keep up with them- anybody out there want to give these areas a try? Mark and I will continue to do the corner of Indianola and Cooke Road.  

On Monday night, 2/25/08, City Council unanimously agreed to end the $400,000 recycling subsidy for 10,000 curbside recyclers. However, it was within an understanding and belief in SWACO (Ron Hills’ leadership) to come through with a solid recycling plan. Councilwoman O’Shaughnessy writes: “I’ve received a couple e-mails objecting to the loss of curbside subsidy, and I certainly understand. We all have a lot of faith in Ron Mills to get us some solid recommendations for a positive future. At the very least we should be meeting national averages, don’t you think? I also believe that if there’s a structural change in our tax/fee policies people will be compelled to recycle. That will be a spirited discussion, don’t you think?”I’ve heard neighbors say, “Columbus should do as others do, make recycling free.” Recycling is not free. Recycling in other cities and even other surrounding Columbus neighborhoods is not free. The pay-as-you-throw program is where citizens pay for garbage disposal and not for recycling. BUT the fee for garbage disposal pays for the recycling. Though it is true that some cities subsidize some recycling programs by a small amount, the most successful recycling programs, Portland to name one, have systems that pay their own way. I recall that Upper Arlington has an approximate 40% recycling rate–they have a pay-as-you-throw program.