THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 30, 1994 TAG: 9412280249
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Comedian Johnny Carson used to tell a seasonal joke when he hosted the ``Tonight Show.''
When you're finished with your Christmas tree, he said, don't just chuck it out. Invite a natural foods freak over to your house and serve it to him for dinner.
The city of Chesapeake doesn't advocate chowing down on the family tree, but it does offer several drop-off points where your tree will be received for recycling.
Make sure the tree is free of ornaments, of course, and try to take as much tinsel off as possible. Then, take it to one of several recycling trailers scattered throughout the city:
Mt. Pleasant Road, behind Great Bridge Middle School North.
The Chesapeake Municipal Center, off of Cedar Road.
Portlock Fire Station, 1205 Freeman Ave.
Dock Landing Road, near E.W. Chittum Elementary School.
Deep Creek Intermediate School, 140 N. George Washington Highway.
Indian River Community Center, 2250 Old Greenbrier Road.
Taylor Road Fire Station, 4421 Taylor Road.
Western Branch Middle School, 4201 Hawksley Drive.
Greenbrier Fire Station/Greenbrier Library, 1214 Volvo Parkway.
River Crest Community Center, 1001 Riverwalk Parkway.
Russell Memorial Library, 2808 Taylor Road.
Camelot Elementary School, 2901 Guenevere Drive.
The trailers will be there to receive your tree until Jan. 27.
According to a Department of Solid Waste representative, the trees - as with other yard waste - will be taken to the Southeastern Public Service Authority landfill in Virginia Beach, where they will be shredded into mulch.
The mulch is then sold by SPSA to various regional gardening centers, contractors and homeowners.
In addition, tree lots with unsold trees or even neighborhoods collecting all of its used trees can donate them to Sandbridge or Seashore State Park to help preserve dunes and wetlands.
While Chesapeake's yard waste trucks spend their time at curbside Christmas tree removal Jan. 3-13, residents will notice a reduction in the amount of yard waste picked up. Regular yard waste collections will resume Jan. 16. MEMO: For more information on the tree recycling or yard waste collections,
call Chesapeake Public Works at 547-6420. For more information on
donating your used trees to Sandbridge or Seashore State Park, call
481-2131.
by CNB