In this issue:
- Lawrence Celebrates Earth Day
- Have you taken the ‘Challenge’ yet?
- Spring cleaning?
- Parks and Recreation holds annual Woodchip Sale in April
- Looking for a city service? Find it online!
Lawrence Celebrates Earth Day
Free events held in South Park
The City of Lawrence celebrates Earth Day 2011 with a day of family-friendly activities. The 11th annual Earth Day Celebration in South Park, hosted by the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16. The day starts with a parade, hosted by KU Environs, at 11 a.m. on Massachusetts Street from Seventh Street to South Park. The celebration ends at 4 p.m.
The celebration in the park features live music, children’s activities and food vendors. Attendees are invited to learn from exhibits about waste reduction, recycling, composting, alternative fuel vehicles, energy conservation, land preservation, wildlife and habitat preservation, and more. A new feature this year is the ‘Sustainability Trailblazers’ awards presentation; this feature will highlight leaders in the community who are implementing sustainability practices in their buildings and operations.
April Showers to Water Towers: A Water Festival for Douglas County will also be held at the same time offering interactive, educational activities emphasizing the importance of clean water to families, the community and environment. The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department will host garden and tree identification tours. The city’s fleet of alternative fuel vehicles will also be on display.
The Lawrence Transit System will offer free rides on the T all day Saturday, April 16, providing the experience and benefits of public transportation on all fixed routes. To get help planning a route or for more information, call (785) 864-4644 or visit www.lawrencetransit.org to view schedules and try the Google Trip Planner.
All activities are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Waste Reduction & Recycling Division at 785-832-3030 or visit LawrenceRecycles.org or facebook.com/LawrenceRecycles.
Have you taken the ‘Challenge’ yet?
Are you "taking charge" of your energy future? Thousands of people in Lawrence have already participated in the Take Charge Challenge this year but we’re not done yet!
The Take Charge Challenge is a friendly competition between the cities of Lawrence and Manhattan, Kansas. The city that reduces its energy use the most will win an energy efficiency or renewable energy community project worth up to $100,000!
How do you participate in the Take Charge Challenge? It’s easy!
- Schedule an Efficiency Kansas home energy audit.
- Make the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs.
- Enroll in Westar’s energy efficiency programs.
- Attend a Take Charge! Challenge event.
Once you’ve changed out your light bulbs to CFLs, go to www.takechargekansas.org to register the switches and get points for Lawrence. To see all of the communities competing across Kansas, visit www.takechargekansas.org.
Follow the City of Lawrence’s progress and ways you can help us win at lawrenceks.org/takecharge. We’re in it to win it – help us "take charge" and you’ll save money and energy along the way.
Spring cleaning?
Household hazardous waste facility can help dispose of unwanted materials
The City of Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts household generated hazardous waste from Douglas County residents year round on an appointment only basis. Please call (785) 832-3030 to schedule a drop off appointment.
Common household hazardous items may include:
- pesticides, paints and varnishes;
- paint thinners and other solvents;
- motor oil, antifreeze and other automobile fluids;
- household cleaners, polishes and waxes;
- wood preservatives, photo and hobby chemicals;
- fluorescent lamps, pool chemicals and batteries.
Each of these products may pose a threat to sanitation workers or public health and the environment when improperly handled or disposed. Household hazardous waste discarded with other trash may contaminate the air or groundwater, react or explode in waste compactors, or injure personnel handling these wastes. Improper disposal to sanitary or storm water sewers may damage septic systems, sewage treatment plants, drinking water supplies, corrode plumbing, or cause treatment plant sludge to be hazardous.
The City of Lawrence/Douglas County Small Quantity Generator Program can accept hazardous waste generated by qualifying small businesses, call (785) 832-3030 for more information.
Parks and Recreation holds annual Woodchip Sale in April
Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department will hold its annual woodchip sale Thursday through Saturday, April 7-9, at the LPRD Forestry Division Facility, 1420 E. 11th St. The event occurs rain or shine.
The hours of the woodchip sale are Thursday, April 7, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, April 8, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Saturday, April 9, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The cost of the sale will be $10 per pickup load; the price will be increased for larger trucks. Patrons are asked to bring a tarp for their pickup to secure the woodchips, preventing them from littering the roadway as they drive from the facility.
Instead of purchasing woodchips throughout the year, Parks and Recreation recycles trees that are cut down throughout the city. The trees are then run through a chipper and used as mulch.
Woodchips, like mulch, are helpful to sustaining the growth of newly planted trees. They can also be used in vegetable or flower gardens. Spreading woodchips reduces the amount of water lost through evaporation, prevents excess run-off, restricts weed growth, and replaces valuable nutrients into the soil.
For more information, please contact Jim Beebe, forestry supervisor, at (785) 832-7979 or visit lawrenceks.org.
Looking for a city service? Find it online!
Need to report a code violation or nuisance? You can do that online! Visit the city’s website at lawrenceks.org/request-services for a complete listing of online forms.
The City Clerk’s Office now offers the most frequently requested forms online for licensing, registrations and permits. Visit lawrenceks.org/epl for a complete listing of forms.
Check out lawrenceks.org/residents for more quick, helpful information on city services.