Alpharetta Cumming Lake Lanier Real Estate Blog

After removing the final ornament from your Christmas tree, bring the tree to be recycled at the twentieth annual "Bring One for the Chipper" event. This statewide Christmas tree recycling program will be held Saturday, January 9, 2010.

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB) will extend local Christmas tree recycling from December 26 to January 23 at some locations. Drop off Christmas trees at the following designated locations in Forsyth County:

Home Depot
1000 Market Place Blvd.
Cumming, GA 30041
*Accepting trees January 9 only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Home Depot
2635 Peachtree Pkwy.
Suwanee, GA 30024
*Accepting trees January 9 only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vickery Creek Elementary
6280 Post Rd.
Cumming, GA 30040
*Accepting trees December 26 to January 9, everyday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Coal Mountain Recycling Center
3560 Settingdown Rd.
Cumming, GA 30028
*Accepting trees December 26 to January 23, Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The center will be closed New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

Old Atlanta Recycling Center
3678 Old Atlanta Rd.
Suwanee, GA 30024
*Accepting trees December 26 to January 23, Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The center will be closed New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

Tolbert Street Recycling Center
351 Tolbert St.
Cumming, GA 30040
*Accepting trees December 26 to January 23, Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (The center will be closed New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

Free tree seedlings and vegetable seeds will be available January 9 at all Forsyth County drop-off locations while supplies last.

In January 2009, Forsyth County residents recycled 5,583 Christmas trees at designated drop-off locations. A wood chipper processes the dropped-off trees into mulch.

"Recycling Christmas trees is good for the environment," Environmental Program Manager Tammy Wright said. "Christmas tree mulch is great for ground cover on trails and to keep moisture around your plants."

Visit www.keepgeorgiabeautiful.org and complete a request form for free Christmas tree mulch to be delivered to your home or business by Davey Tree and Lawn Care. A standard delivery load of mulch will cover 15-20 cubic yards."Bring One for the Chipper" started in Georgia in 1991, and Forsyth County has participated each year since 1994. From 1994 to 2009, Forsyth County residents have recycled more than 62,000 trees.

To receive additional information regarding Christmas tree recycling in Forsyth County, call KFCB at 770.205.4573.

Labels: bring one for the chipper, christmas tree, keep forsyth county beautiful, recycle

From Fire Chief Danny Bowman and the Forsyth County Fire Department:

"The Forsyth County Fire Department encourages everyone to take precautionary safety measures to help ensure safety this holiday season," Fire Chief Danny Bowman said. "Responsible use of items such as heating devices, decorations and candles can certainly play a role in preventing fires and injuries throughout the holidays."


Heating Devices

• Keep portable electric heaters at least three feet away from combustible materials such as drapes and upholstered furniture
• Never place heaters on tables or furniture
• Avoid using extension cords for heaters if possible
• Do not use unvented gas heaters in enclosed spaces due to the potential for carbon monoxide poisoning
• Follow manufacturer's recommendations regarding where and how to use any heating devices

Preventing Holiday Tree Fires
Selecting a tree for the holidays

• Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and poses a fire hazard.

Caring for your tree

• Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree.
• Disposing of your tree
• Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. Consider disposing of your tree by taking it to a recycling center.

Holiday Lights

• Maintain your holiday lights
• Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before using them. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.
• Do not overload electrical outlets
• Never link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe to link additional ones. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into an outlet. Periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.
• Do not leave holiday lights on unattended

Holiday Decorations

• Use only nonflammable decorations
• All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.
• Never place wrapping paper in a fireplace
• Wrapping paper can throw off dangerous sparks and produce a chemical buildup in the home capable of causing an explosion.
• Artificial holiday trees
• If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, be sure it is flame-retardant.

Candle Care

• Avoid using lit candles
• If you do use lit candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked over easily. Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Never put lit candles on a tree
• Do not go near a holiday tree with an open flame (candles, lighters or matches).

Toy Safety

• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards for younger children.
• Before purchasing a toy or allowing your child to play with a toy received as a gift, read the instructions carefully.
• To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, do not give young children (under age ten) a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, consider toys that are battery-operated.
• Children under age 8 can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons.
• Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children.
• Watch for pull toys with strings that are more than 12 inches in length. They could pose a strangulation hazard for babies.

Always have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries. Practice your home escape plan and dial 911 in an emergency.
These tips courtesy of the Forsyth County Fire Department and the United States Fire Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Labels: christmas, christmas tree, decorations, fire department, fire safety, forsyth county, heaters, holiday, lights

Labels: boy scouts, christmas tree, cumming, forsyth county, georgia, recycle, troop 245

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful announces new items that are now being accepted at the County’s Recycling Centers. As we look towards the beginning of the new year, we often look to de-clutter and clean up the house after the busy holiday season. Recycling helps keep items out of landfills, and now more items are being accepted. Below is list of new items. To see a complete list of accepted items and to find out where you can recycle your Christmas Tree, visit the forsyth county website at www.forsythco.com.

Used Cooking Oil
After the Thanksgiving holiday, many residents began to ask what they could do with cooking oil left over from frying a turkey. Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB) located a company that collects and processes the used oil for a variety of uses. Residents can now bring used cooking oil to any of the three county recycling centers to be recycled at no charge.

Books
Book bins have also recently been placed at the county’s recycling centers. The books are collected by Reading Tree, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own books. Reading Tree donates all usable children’s books it collects to elementary schools, hospitals, Boys and Girls Clubs, literacy programs and other organizations serving children in need. Those books deemed unusable due to condition are recycled for their paper content or shipped overseas for literacy efforts in other countries. Reading Tree has saved more than 45 million books from going into landfills.

Plastic Bags
The most popular new item now accepted at the centers is plastic bags. Not only are plastic bags a high volume item in landfills, they are also a common source of roadside litter due to their lightweight nature and ability to blow. Keep plastic bags out of the landfill and off the roads by recycling them. Recycled bags can be used to make many plastic products including more bags and plastic building materials.

Labels: books, christmas tree, cooking oil, forsyth county, keep forsyth county beautiful, plastic bags, recycle, recycling

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful (KFCB) reminds all Forsyth County residents to bring old Christmas trees for recycling during the nineteenth annual “Bring One for the Chipper” event. This statewide Christmas tree recycling program will be held Saturday, January 3, 2009. However, certain drop-off locations will be accepting trees anywhere from December 26th through January 17th.

Drop off Christmas trees at the following designated locations in Forsyth County:

• Home Depot
1000 Market Place Blvd.
Cumming, GA 30041
*Accepting trees January 3 only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Home Depot
2635 Peachtree Pkwy.
Suwanee, GA 30024
*Accepting trees January 3 only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Vickery Creek Elementary
6280 Post Rd.
Cumming, GA 30040
*Accepting trees December 26 to January 3 anytime
(drop off ends January 3 at 4 p.m.)

• Coal Mountain Recycling Center
3560 Settingdown Rd.
Cumming, GA 30040
*Accepting trees December 27 to January 17, Monday through Saturday from
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (center will be closed New Year’s Day)

• Old Atlanta Recycling Center
3678 Old Atlanta Rd.
Suwanee, GA 30024
*Accepting trees December 27 to January 17, Monday through Saturday from
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (center will be closed New Year’s Day)

• Tolbert Street Recycling Center
351 Tolbert St.
Cumming, GA 30040
*Accepting trees December 27 to January 17, Monday through Saturday from
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (center will be closed New Year’s Day)

In January 2008, Forsyth County residents recycled 6,863 Christmas trees at designated drop-off locations. A wood chipper processes the dropped-off trees into mulch. Uses for the mulch include nature trails, playgrounds and landscaping projects.Visit www.keepgeorgiabeautiful.org and complete a request form for free Christmas tree mulch to be delivered to your home or business by Davey Tree and Lawn Care. A standard delivery load of mulch will cover 15-20 cubic yards.

In Forsyth County, free Christmas tree mulch will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on County Way, across the street from the Georgia State Patrol Post 37. The county’s Road and Bridges Department maintains a small mulch yard at this location. All residents will be responsible for loading and hauling their own mulch from this location.

“Bring One for the Chipper” started in Georgia in 1991, and Forsyth County has participated each year since 1994. From 1994 to 2008, Forsyth County residents have recycled 55,859 trees. Free seedlings will be available January 3 at all Forsyth County sites while supplies last.

To receive additional information regarding Christmas tree recycling or mulch delivery, call KFCB at 770.205.4573.

Labels: bring one for the chipper, christmas tree, forsyth county, free mulch, recycle, seedling

Bring your family and friends this Saturday, December 6th for fun and festivities as the Christmas tree atop of Northside Hospital - Forsyth is set aglow! The free event will bring more than 3,500 people together for an afternoon of fun and celebration. Activities will include food, face painters, clowns, local school bands, choral performances and dancers. Santa Claus will also be on hand to take pictures and visit with the children.

Lights on the trees can be purchased in honor or memory of family and friends. Festive cards will be sent to honorees and families of those memorialized. All gifts are tax-deductible and benefit Northside Hospital’s Cancer Care Program. For more information visit www.northside.com or call 404.851.8389.

Activities
From 4:30-6:30 p.m:

• Entertainment from local schools and dance groups - West Forsyth High School, Lanier Middle School, Settles Bridge Elementary School and Sawnee Ballet
  

• Photos with Santa
• Face Painters
• Clowns
• Balloons
• Caricatures
• Cookie Decorating
• Arts & Crafts
• Storytelling
• Petting Zoo
• Refreshments
• National Marrow Donor Program registration T-shirt sales

6:30 p.m.

• Tree lighting Fireworks

And don't forget to come out early for the 2008 Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival Parade on Market Place Blvd from 3:30-4:30 p.m.! The parade starts on MarketPlace Blvd and ends at Northside-Forsyth. See you there!

Labels: christmas tree, december 6, fireworks, lighting, marketplace blvd, northside forsyth, northside hospital, parade cumming