Autumn is here and

area residents are raking leaves into large piles to jump in or to

tidy their yards.

When it comes time to

dispose of these leaves, Sycamore’s Leaf Pick-up Program helps

residents keep their yards in good shape. Sycamore Mayor Ken Mundy

said this, however, is not the only reason the city provides this

service.

“Leaves blow into the

streets and when it rains they’re blown into the storm sewers, and

they block the grates,” Mundy said. “Years ago, we had a service

doing this for us. But then the city found it more economical to

buy the vacuum units that we have and put them on a couple of

trucks and keep going around the city until the leaves are all

picked up.”

According to

information posted on the city’s website, the program began Oct. 18

and will end Nov. 24.

“It’s been a pretty

much average year as far as pickup,” said Fred Busse, Sycamore

Public Works Director. “Normally when people rake the leaves they

expect that they’ll be picked up that day or that they can make an

appointment for them to picked up which can’t happen.”

For the purpose of

this program, the city is divided into two sections. A machine will

be active in each section during the entire pick-up period.

Remaining pick-up dates include Nov. 1-5 and 15-19 in section 1 and

Nov. 8-12 and 22-24 for section two. A map is available on the

city’s website. The city asks that people rake early and often in

order to ensure their leaves are picked up. Additionally, Busse

recommends that people rake their leaves to the curb but not into

the street because this could cause flooding. Busse also asks that

only leaves are in the piles and not branches or yard

waste.

“People clean their

lawns and there can be branches and limbs and so forth and those

don’t work well with the vacuum units,” Mundy said.

Also, the city will

not pick up piles that are blocked by vehicles.

“I know a lot of

people can’t get their vehicles into the driveway or their neighbor

parks in front of their piles,” Busse said. “Our vehicles have to

be able to get in and out. Sometimes people expect the guys to rake

the leaves 30 feet out into the street, and we just won’t do

it.”

Mundy said all

residents have to do is rake their leaves to the curb.

“They don’t have to

bag them,” Mundy said. “That’s the nice part about it is that it’s

very convenient.”

Busse said their last

scheduled pick-up is the day before Thanksgiving, but that may

change.

“This fall, we’re

expecting to be done before then but unfortunately the way

Thanksgiving falls this year people might be raking over the

weekend, and if we can’t we’ll go and pick those leaves up,” Busse

said.