Yard Waste Collection Coming

As the warm weather arrives and you start to think about cleaning up your yard for spring, be sure to remember the requirements for the City of Champaign yard waste collection:

Materials must be in 30-gallon paper yard waste bags. No Plastic Bags. Twigs and branches may be bundled with non-metallic twine or placed in paper yard waste bags. Branches cannot be larger than two inches in diameter and 3 1/2 feet long. Bundles cannot be larger than 18 inches in diameter. Materials must be placed within ten feet of the curb of a public street by 6:00 a.m. to ensure pickup on your scheduled day. On heavier collection days, your pickup may be later than normal or even the next day.

Dates for the Champaign yard waste collection have not been set, but will be posted on the City of Champaign website when they are available.

Calling All Cherry Hills Gardeners!

Plans are in swing to create a community garden in your neighborhood on about two acres of the land just to the south of Barkstall School.

Please join us Sunday, March 14, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. in the library at Barkstall for a planning meeting for Good Ground Community Garden.

If you’re interested in participating, but can’t make it to the meeting, please call Tim Larson at 979-1810 or email Sarah Graham at graham5610@yahoo.com.

Planting a Parkway Tree

If you're thinking about planting a tree in your parkway (the strip between the sidewalk and the street), there are a few things to consider:

• If you live in phases 4-12, you need a city permit to plant a tree. You can download this permit from the city website.
• You can participate in the Champaign Share-the-Cost Program. For $100, the city will plant a tree for you in the parkway. You agree to water it during dry times, but the city purchases and plants the tree for you. This program requires advance enrollment -- enroll by February 2010 for planting in spring of 2010. Fall planting requires enrollment by the previous August. More information about this program is available on the city website.
• If you don't participate in the city's share program, or aren't eligible because you live in phases 1-3, the Cherry Hills Homeowners Association will reimburse you $50 for the cost of any tree planted in your parkway. The only stipulation is that the tree itself cost more than $100. This cost does not include labor for installation. Trees must also be on the city's approved tree's list. An application for reimbursement (including receipt and tree type) should be submitted to the association treasurer.
  

Thank You To Our Departing Board Members

Just wanted to express our appreciation to John Becker, Rick Griffith, Patty Pyrz and Dave Young for their service to the residents of Cherry Hills as members of the Cherry Hills Board of Directors. Thank you for all you have done!