Hello Lansdownians,
I trust you all are finding ways to keep warm and safe during this cold and snowy winter. I don’t want to jink anything, but we’ve gone a whole week without snow or sleet impacting our work/school/travel schedules, so that’s something to be happy about.
Now, on to a few timely issues.
Snow and Trash
Speaking of snow, during the past snowstorm that brought us about a foot of snow, there were a number of household trash cans around town that our sanitation crew weren’t able to get to because there wasn’t a pathway shoveled to get to them. That’s something to keep in mind when we get our next snowstorm. (I’m hoping that’s next year!)
Vines
Now that the trees are bare of their leaves, it’s easy to see the vines that are encroaching on so many of our trees. While this may provide a little green in the starkness of winter, having vines running all the way up your tree is actually as serious problem. The vines compete with the tree for sun, water and nutrients, which depletes the energy from the tree and weakens it. As we saw in that wicked storm this past summer, trees can topple over and huge branches can break off — causing serious damage and loss of electricity. So we need our trees to be as strong and healthy as possible. Also, when the vines are intense throughout a tree they can act like a sail in very windy weather, which means they could blow over. So…this weekend go outside and take a look at the trees on your property. If you have vines running up a tree, cut them at the base. Eventually the vines running all the way up the tree will die. If the vines are well established, they can be very thick, so you may need more than a snipper to get the job done. Just be careful not to hurt your tree! You may need to check them periodically to make sure the vine isn’t reappearing. If you need advice on this, get in touch with me and I’ll ask someone to follow up with you. Sometimes these vines are poison ivy, so be careful when clipping! I’ve attached a couple of photos I took last week if you want to see examples.
Save the Date: Keep Lansdowne Beautiful Day
After the great success we had last year, we’re going to have another “Keep Lansdowne Beautiful Day” on Saturday, April 16th from 9:30-12:00. Join us at the Borough Green where we will launch our clean up of the Central Business District up and down Lansdowne and Baltimore Avenues. Volunteers will remove trash, sweep the sidewalks and generally beautify our home. Please help spruce up the downtown just before folks come to visit us for the Town-wide Yard Sale on May 14th and the Farmers Market that kicks off May 28th. Gloves, bags for trash and recycling, brooms and other necessities will be provided. So mark your calendar and plan to bring your neighbors, friends and family to this great community day!
Park and Recreation Board Openings
We have two openings on our Park & Rec Board. If you’re interested in volunteering a bit of your time and getting involved in the community, serving on one of Lansdowne’s boards and commissions is a great way to do it. There are 9 Park & Rec board members who each serve a 3-year term. Each board member is assigned to keep an eye on one of Lansdowne’s parks, and participates in various recreational activities sponsored by the board; there are monthly meeting. So if you have an interest or background in horticulture/green space, recreation, or just plain enjoy and care about our parks and the quality of life in our borough, please consider this opportunity. If you’re interested in exploring this further, please email me.
Neighborly Assistance
I know this is stating the obvious, but please remember to think about any of your elderly, sick or disabled neighbors that might need a hand shoveling snow or salting their sidewalks. If you see a house that hasn’t been shoveled a day or so after snow, that might be a hint that someone needs a little help.
If you have any thoughts, concerns, or ideas, please feel free to get in touch with me.
Stay warm and healthy,
Barbara Silzle
Lansdowne Borough Council
Chair, Environment Committee