CITY OF CAPE GIRARDEAU BEGINS LEAF COLLECTION PROGRAM MONDAY

Cape Girardeau's annual leaf collection program will begin Monday in "Zone A," which includes the area south of Broadway and east of Kingshighway.

The city has been divided into four zones for the collections, and leaves will be picked up for one week in each zone. When all four zones are collected, the city will again begin in Zone A and continue through Zone D with week-long pickups.

The leaf pickup schedule is as follows: Zone A, Oct. 26-30 and Nov. 30-Dec. 4; Zone B, Nov. 2-6 and Dec. 7-11; Zone C, Nov. 9-13 and Dec. 14-18; Zone D, Nov. 16-20 and Dec. 21-24.

The leaf pickup schedule in the general area of Southeast Missouri State University will be a single day collection Tuesday. This area is bordered by North West End Boulevard on the west, North Sprigg on the east, Broadway on the south, and New Madrid on the north.

Leaves should be placed by the edge of the pavement or at the curb but not on the pavement. City officials said the public works department this year won't accept bagged leaves.

If residents wish to bag their leaves, they can dump the leaves in a container at the Cape Girardeau Recycling Center, 120 Broadview.

The container, for leaves only, will be available to residents through Dec. 24. A compost bin also is available at the recycling center for grass and general yard waste.

Cape Girardeau residents are encouraged to mulch or compost leaves and yard waste if possible.

Residents who want to burn leaves may do so without a permit between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Leaves must be burned on the resident's property, and burning on paved streets is prohibited.

New state solid-waste regulations prohibit the city from depositing leaves at the landfill, and most of the leaves will be hauled to area property owners who have requested leaves for mulching. Last year the department hauled more than 1,300 truck loads of leaves.

If anyone is interested in accepting leaves from the city, or for additional information about the leaf collection program, contact the Public Works Department at 334-9151.