CITY OF LAWRENCE COMPOST & WOODCHIP SALE EVENT
COMPOST & WOODCHIP SALE – CITY STAFF LOADING ASSISTANCE
The last day of the special sale event is Saturday, March 29, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sorry for the late notice. Please pass this on to your friends and neighbors!
During this special sale event, the city will load by tractor into pick-up trucks and trailers at the City’s Wood Recovery and Composting Facility located at 1420 E. 11th Street which is east of 11th and Haskell Avenue, over the railroad tracks. The compost and woodchips are not intended for commercial applications, but rather for the citizens of Lawrence. NO dump truck quantities. For residential use only. The city cannot load trucks with ladder racks. 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. The cost of the compost and woodchips will be $10 per bucket load, which is equivalent to 2 cubic yards. CASH only.
COMPOST & WOODCHIP SALE – SELF LOAD ONLY
Every Saturday, March – mid-December, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Compost and woodchips are for SELF LOAD ONLY. Self-loading pick-up truck or trailer loads will be $10 per load and small quantities will be free. CASH only. Please bring a shovel. This sale will be during scheduled brush drop-off hours.
For more information on the compost or woodchip sale, please call (785) 832-3030.
Compost consists of decayed organic matter and has been proven to be extremely successful as a natural soil amendment. Lawrence Community Compost is made from the yard trimmings and small woody debris collected curbside on Monday mornings, as well as grass clippings, leaves, and woody debris from some commercial lawn care providers.
Mulch is a material used to cover the soil. Most mulches are organic (woodchips, unfinished compost, straw) but inorganics such as lava rock or limestone can add an appealing, low maintenance touch. Good mulch conserves water by reducing moisture evaporation from the soil. The woodchips the City sells are made from tree materials brought in from residential and commercial sources.
March 28, 2014
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Spring Cleaning Tips from the Douglas County District Attorney
Douglas County District Attorney
March 25, 2014
I wanted to share information with you about how to clear out those documents that may be cluttering up your home or work office.
March is the month where the long awaited season of spring returns to Kansas. With our brutal winter, I hope spring’s much anticipated mild weather quickly follows. Does the spring weather inspire in you the ritual of spring-cleaning and with it, the clearing of any accumulated clutter in your home? Would that spring-cleaning include the disposal of confidential and secure documents that have gathered over the winter or even over the past several years? If so, do you know what is safe to put into the trash or recycle bin and what really needs to be shredded? This may be especially true if you were one of the estimated 110 million victims of the recent Target security breach. That sting may still be fresh in your mind. You need to ensure when you toss out a document, you are not giving a would-be thief the exact information he needs to steal your identity.
Toward that goal, I recently came across some great tips and I want to share them with you. What are some examples of documents that need to be shredded?
● Old tax returns. You will want to check with your tax attorney or tax professional, but generally keeping three to four years of returns is sufficient. The Internal Revenue Service only audit back further than that if they believe fraud has been committed. Remember, this will not only keep your social security number safe, but those of any dependents that may be listed on your return.
● Bank statements and cancelled checks. Any documents with your bank account number(s) should be shredded. If you want to avoid shredding them in the future, consider going to an online statement. In addition, simply writing ‘void’ will not take care of your cancelled checks as your routing number and account number are listed on them and your address, phone number and other identifying information may also be listed.
● Credit Card Offers. Unless you want to take advantage of the offer, shred these unsolicited offers. Another thing to be aware of is the reality that identity theft can happen in families. Do not leave these offers lying around your home. The temptation could be too much.
● Old photo ID’s. While these may seem innocent enough, when combined with other personally identifying information, an identity thief can put these old photos to their nefarious use.
● Pay stubs. These often-unappreciated documents are left lying around and can be used to validate the amount of your last deposit, name the provider of your health insurance and list what bank accounts you have. Make certain these make it to the shredder.
● Convenience checks from your credit cards. These are another example of a typically unsolicited offer. If you do not plan to use these, they should immediately go to the shredder. If you already have some lying around the home, shred them now.
● Cancelled and expired credit cards. Cut through the magnetic strip and if the card is too thick to feed through your shredder, use scissors to cut the card into at least four pieces and dispose of the card in at least two separate trash bins.
If you do not have a personal shredder or do not have a place to shred your documents, Douglas County Bank will host its annual Shred Day in May. An exact day has not yet been scheduled, but check their website or Facebook page for updates. They will also accept electronic recycling, including the destruction of computer hard drives. Hard drives can be a real security risk and should always be destroyed before disposal. Because of how they must be recycled, expect a fee for some of the types of electronic recycling.
Best wishes on your spring-cleaning and I hope these tips ensure your confidential and secure documents are disposed of without risk of them landing in the wrong hands. As always, for general consumer protection information, please contact my consumer protection division at 785-330-2849. We are always ready to serve the citizens of Douglas County.
(Some of the information in this article came from MSN Money. This article is not intended to provide legal advice. Legal advice can only be provided in an attorney-client relationship. This information must not be relied on as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a licensed attorney.)
Sincerely yours,
Charles E. Branson
Douglas County District Attorney
March 28, 2014
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Volunteers sought for the 2014 Lawrence Food Garden Tour
If you love to garden, this request for volunteer gardens from the Lawrence Food Garden Tour may be just for you:
Would you like to share your garden with people who want to learn how to grow food? Do you want to support a community event that benefits all of Lawrence? The Lawrence Food Garden Tour is a FREE community tour showcasing a wide variety of food growing options inside the city limits of Lawrence. Now in our 6th year, we are an all-volunteer group dedicated to helping people learn how to grow food in every way possible.
We are seeking gardens of all sizes and types for this year’s tour on June 7th from 9-noon and 5-8PM. The only requirement is that some of what you grow must be edible – vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, etc. Participants are required to complete the registration form linked below, attend 1 pre-tour meeting and be present in their gardens during the tour. There are no fees or gimmicks – this is tour about growing food, not making money.
The most common comment we get from participants is how much fun they had sharing their garden with the community. Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been gardening for years, we’d love to hear from you! If you would like to be considered for the tour, please click on the link below and complete the application form. It will only take a few minutes. We plan to finalize the list of gardens by April 2nd, so don’t wait! We look forward to hearing from you!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-8GlDL84TM896GO_mPHsfI_lTeonwhUGfwJ43y_GuuM/viewform
Sincerely,
Amber Lehrman
LFGT Co-Organizer
LawrenceFoodGardenTour@gmail.com
March 28, 2014
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PNA Elections – Changing of the Guard
The PNA annual meeting in February brought some changes in personnel for the organization. Each officer serves for a two-year term, with two of the four offices being filled each year. Up for election this year were the posts of Vice President and Secretary. We’re pleased to have Melinda Toumi as the new PNA Vice President and Norma Pierce and Kim Heck as the Co-Secretaries and assistant media coordinators. These new officers join Pat Miller and Linda Bush who are, respectively, the current President and Treasurer for PNA, with two-year terms extending to February 2015.
We also want to send a special thanks to Jim Miller who stepped in mid-term last year to aptly serve as PNA’s Vice President and to Harry Miller who served as PNA’s Secretary for the past five years.
Please extend your congratulations to Melinda, Norma and Kim, as well as your thanks for a job well done by Jim and Harry.
March 18, 2014
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Severe Weather Safety & Preparedness Presentation – Saturday March 15th at 11 a.m. – LMH Auditorium
As Spring starts to make a welcome return with warmer temperatures, sunshine, and signs of life in our plants and yards; it also means the return of severe weather season. Severe weather can abruptly change the course of your day. Will you be ready?
Representatives from the Douglas County Emergency Management Department have been invited by the Pinckney Neighborhood Association to provide information you need to be prepared. Their presentation will start at 11:00 a.m. in the Auditorium at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (lower level just to the left of the cafeteria). Everyone is welcome to attend. Please feel free to invite your family, friends and neighbors to join you.
A brief PNA monthly business meeting starting at 10:00 a.m. will precede the emergency preparedness presentation. Topic to be covered at the PNA monthly business meeting include planning for activities and fundraising ideas for the coming year.
Please join your neighbors this Saturday at the PNA meeting starting at 10:00 a.m. and/or the Severe Weather Safety & Preparedness presentation starting at 11:00 am – both are in the Auditorium on the lower level of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
We hope to see you there!
March 13, 2014
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Pinckney Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting – Sat. Feb. 15th @ 10 a.m. – LMH Room D-South
This Saturday is our PNA Annual Meeting, and we have a very full agenda. We’ll be meeting at 10:00 a.m. in meeting room D-South in Lawrence Memorial Hospital (lower level).
First, a little business – we need to elect a Vice President and Secretary. Melinda Toumi has graciously volunteered to run for Vice President, but we’re still looking for someone who is willing to serve as Secretary. We would be willing to split the duties between two people – just meeting minutes and other PNA communications.
We also will have three speakers:
Downtown Grocery Store: Dave Crawford will join us to discuss an effort under way to try to bring an affordable grocery store to the property currently occupied by the Lawrence Public Library (formerly Borders). Dave is part of a group sponsoring a petition to urge the City Commission to convert the building to a downtown grocery store.
You can find more information about the proposal and – if you so desire – sign the petition, at: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/lawrence-for-downtown-grocery.html
There is also a facebook page for the effort named “Downtown Grocery for Lawrence, Kansas” at: www.facebook.com/groups/DTGrocery/
In addition, two local business owners will provide information that may be helpful and of interest to the community.
Taxes: Jerry Coatney of Liberty Tax Service on 6th Street will provide some helpful tips on tax changes that will affect filing your 2013 taxes and look ahead to 2014.
Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act: In addition, Shandra Ragsdale of Day Insurance Solutions, LLC, will provide information on the ACA. Shandra will provide general information about the ACA as well as information helpful to anyone planning to sign-up for healthcare coverage through the marketplace or exchange before the March 31st deadline.
We invite all of you to join us. This is a great opportunity to get to know more of your Pinckney Neighbors.
February 12, 2014
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Possible Extension of Burroughs Creek Multiuse Trail to Constant Park
A key bicycle transportation trunk line may become a reality if the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) funds it. The Burroughs Creek Trail now serves the three east-side Lawrence neighborhoods that launched it in 2004 – Barker, Brook Creek, and East Lawrence. But currently the trail goes no farther north than Hobbs Park at 11th Street. If it is built from there to the Lawrence City Hall, this would be the first major bicycle corridor in the city connecting to downtown at Constant Park on the eastern edge of the Pinckney Neighborhood.
For the past six months, the Lawrence based Sustainability Action Network has been gathering endorsements from a large constituency that supports building an extension of the trail from Hobbs Park to City Hall at 6th Street. A local architect has been sketching possible routes for the trail that has captured the imagination of City officials. This bicycle link is supported by at least one City Commissioner, by members of the original Burroughs Creek Trail Planning Committee, by local developers, by neighborhood associations, and by many other groups and businesses.
At its January monthly meeting, PNA members voted to add its support to the project. We believe this expansion of the walking and bicycling trail system to the Pinckney neighborhood would be of great benefit to Pinckney residents by providing a safe and convenient link to eastern Lawrence and the existing trail system. It will also complement the new multipurpose trail being built on the former VFW property and the trail improvements that will be made between Constant and Burcham Parks.
Lawrence City Commission will receive comments on the proposed trail expansion and will be asked to commit local money as matching funds for a KDOT partial grant. Citizens are encouraged to add their voice and speak at the Commission meeting on Tuesday, 4 February 2013 at 6:30pm, at City Hall, 6 East 6th St.
More information about the proposed Burroughs Creek Trail extension and a map showing the proposed route can be found at: http://www.sustainabilityaction.net/burroughs-creek-trail-extension-to-city-hall
February 2, 2014
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Pinckney Elementary School’s REALLY BIG SALE is on Saturday Feb. 8th!
Pinckney Elementary Schoo is hosting another Really BIG Sale in the gym on Saturday, February 8th from 8am to 3pm. Clothes, toys, books, household items that you NEED! Prices you WANT!
Any donations for the sale can be delivered every MWF 8-9am or 5-6pm and large items can be brought to the school Fridays from 9am-3pm. If you need help getting your donations to the school please contact Melinda Toumi at 785-979-2477 or melindatoumi@gmail.com
You can find the Really BIG Sale event on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/240815772763445/
January 30, 2014
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Petition circulating to advocate for Lawrence Downtown Grocery Store
A group of local citizens has started a petition directed to the Lawrence City Commission in favor of turning the building previously home to Borders Books – and now temporarily occupied by the Lawrence Public Library – into a downtown affordable full-service grocery store. Dave Crawford, one of the groups organizers, has offered to come to a Pinckney Neighborhood Association monthly meeting to provide us more details about the petition. We’re in the process of scheduling his visit and will post the date as soon as possible.
In the mean time, you can get more information about the reasons the group is advocating for a downtown grocery store through the links below. You can also sign the petition to the City Commission, if you so desire, through the link provided.
Downtown Grocery Facebook group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DTGrocery/
Lawrence Journal World article: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2014/jan/26/residents-petition-affordable-grocery-store-former/
Petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/lawrence-for-downtown-grocery.html
January 29, 2014
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PNA Monthly Meeting – Saturday January 18th @ 10:00 a.m. – LMH room D-South
Happy New Year Pinckney Neighbors! It’s time for another monthly PNA meeting on Saturday, January 18th @ 10:00 a.m. in Lawrence Memorial Hospital meeting room D-South (lower level). We’ll kick off the new year with a little planning for the year ahead. There are many interesting, important and fun activities and issues coming up this year. We’ll need your input, ideas and participation to help make them happen. Please come to the meeting to help raise issues, set priorities and make plans.
Also, in February we will hold our official annual meeting and elections – this year the Vice President and Secretary positions are open. If you’re interested or know anyone who might be interested in one of these positions, please let us know.
Hope to see you at the meeting. If you can’t make the meeting but have ideas or issues to raise, please send an email to pinckney.neighborhood@gmail.com or post in on PNA’s facebook page.
January 16, 2014
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