Summer is almost over, but fall in Sacramento offers new things to look forward to. This is the time of year when the leaves change color, the weather cools off and the smells of fall swirl in the air and capture the hearts of the people. The Sacramento Press asked: What are you most excited about for fall in Sacramento this year? Brittany Ryan, a 23-year-old student at Sacramento State from Natomas, said, “I love when the leaves change color and am excited to drink pumpkin spice lattes from the local coffee shops.” Christina Peterson, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom from Sacramento, said, “We are excited to start the family tradition of going to Apple Hill and the pumpkin patch with our

Loose-in-the-street green waste pickup may become more expensive for residents, according to comments made by City Council members Tuesday night. During a discussion of green waste at Tuesday’s council meeting, the council asked city staff to prepare detailed plans for raising the rates on loose-in-the-street pickup and reducing the level of pickup service from weekly to biweekly. Council members did not make any final decisions on the issue. Gerald Celestine, a founding member of Friends of Fremont Park, said Wednesday that he thinks loose-in-the-street pickup works better than container pickup for Central City residents. “We have more trees,” he said. “We have much more green waste.”

A city staff proposal to eventually stop loose-in-the-street green waste pickup and move to container pickup will not work for all city residents, Interim City Manager Gus Vina said in an interview Thursday. In tree-laden areas such as Midtown, a container is not adequate to hold all of the fallen leaves, Vina said, explaining why he pulled the green waste issue from the City Council’s agenda on Tuesday. “I want to make sure I’ve challenged staff enough on creativity and the solutions that are possible,” Vina said. The plan that Vina delayed would have encouraged moving away from loose-in-the street pickup and raised rates for residents who continue that method of pickup. Assistant City

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities reminds its Containerized Yard Waste customers that their Leaf Season Loose-in-the-Street Yard Waste Collection begins October 25, 2010 and will continue every-other-week through December 23, 2010. Customers should note that their loose-in-the-street collection day is not the same as their containerized yard waste collection day. Residents who are unsure of their loose-in-the-street collection day can use the Pick-Up Day Finder at http://www.cityofsacramento.org/utilities/solid-waste-recycling or call 3-1-1. Because Leaf Season brings large piles for collection, the City may fall behind in its scheduled collections. Customers can verify when

 Tree clean our air and water, store carbon in their trunks, create habitat for wildlife, reduce air pollution, increase property values, and provide countless other benefits. The Sacramento Tree Foundation works to leverage all of the benefits that trees provide to create healthy and sustainable communities through building the best urban forest in the Sacramento region. A major keystone in building the best urban forest is the Greenprint initiative, a multi-decade regional framework created to meet Sacramento's sustainability and livability goals by expanding urban forests and optimizing the benefits of tree canopies. Greenprint partners, comprised of 22 cities and 6 counties, have agree

As a result of the recent wintry weather, downtown Sacramento is coated with layers and layers of leaves. While driving around I noticed that there were tons of leaf piles in the street gutters. And they were everywhere, from H street to U Street. One thing I noticed about the piles was that some people would make theirs so large it would actually spill over into parking spaces. I later learned that this is one of the reasons why the department asks people to sweep out their piles less than 24 hours before scheduled pick-up time. 311 informed me that the Solid Waste Department of the City Utilities Department is in charge of picking up the leaf piles. For even more information about lea