**City of Laramie**
**For Immediate Release**

Media Contact:  Harold Colby, Street Maintenance Manager, 721-5277
Date:  December 29, 2008

          The City of Laramie Street Division will begin its annual Christmas tree pickup on Monday, January 5th.  Tree pickup will continue through Friday, January 30, 2008 Trees should be left next to the curb and should be stripped of all lights, decorations, wires, etc.  The Street Department will chip the trees and citizens may pick up chipped material to use as mulch at the storage site along the gravel road through Labonte Park.
Please contact the Street Department at 721-5276 or 721-5277 if you have any questions regarding the tree pickup program.
The Solid Waste Division would like to take this opportunity to remind residents to be especially careful when disposing of fireplace ashes.  Ashes may be left in the fireplace or stove until cool or may be cooled in a metal container until cool to the touch.  Once the ashes have cooled completely, place them in a plastic bag or other container and then dispose of the ashes by placing them in the garbage.  Un-contained cold ashes create large, unhealthy clouds of dust that the Solid Waste Workers have to breathe when dumping garbage containers.