Autumn leaves look beautiful on the trees, but lose their allure when they are lying in gutters and all over the lawn. It is that time of year for DeKalb residents to rake leaves into narrow rows parallel to the curb so city public works employees can pick them up. The service will end Nov. 30.

COUNTY

Volunteers needed to deliver meals to elderly

The Voluntary Action Center has a shortage of volunteers who deliver meals to DeKalb County residents in need.

Volunteers use their own vehicles to pick up meals between 10:30-11 a.m. at VAC’s community kitchens in Sandwich and Sycamore and then deliver the meals on a regular route in about an hour.

Twelve routes serve DeKalb and Sycamore and four routes serve Sandwich and Somonauk. About 1,500 volunteers help deliver the meals each year, but right now, not all routes are covered.

VAC also is recruiting volunteers to help with routes on a weekly or monthly basis or on-call as needed.

For information, call Colleen Bredeson at 815-758-3932 or email cbredeson@vacdk.org, or visit vacdk.org or mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

DeKALB

City picking up leaves through Nov. 30

From the north side of the city to the south side, DeKalb city crews are clearing away fallen leaves.

Public Works Department workers are collecting leaves by vacuuming one side of multiple streets first, and then circle back to do the other.

According to city instructions, residents should rake leaves into narrow rows which should be parallel to the curb, and not put in the street. Leaf piles must be free of rocks, sticks and other debris.

Any leaf piles blocked by parked cars will not be collected, and crews will not return until the next cycle. So residents are cautioned to use off-street parking. 

Crews will operate from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in a weather-dependent window ending the week of Nov. 26. No collections will be made after Nov. 30.

Public works officials also encourage residents to use Lakeshore Recycling Services curbside collection, which will pick up yard waste on their normal collection day, and to consider mulching their leaves instead.

Public responds to police efforts to collect prescription drugs

The public brought in 118 pounds of medications during the DeKalb Police Department’s Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Oct. 27. That amount, added to the 121 pounds deposited in the department’s drug collection drop-box in the lobby of the police station in recent months, brings the total to 239 pounds of medication collected since May.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue by getting unwanted medicines out of the home. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.  Their presence can add to the already high rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. and the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses. Police say that studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained or stolen from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

The drop box inside the DeKalb Police Department lobby, 700 W. Lincoln Hwy., is available at all times. The public is encouraged to bring medications because it is safer for the public’s general good than flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash. The department cautions that it cannot accept liquid medications or syringes and sharps.

Anyone with questions or a large quantity of medications to drop off is advised to call Community Relations Officer Kelly Sullivan at 815-748-8446.

DeKALB and SYCAMORE

Leftover Halloween shipping out to military

What to do with all that leftover Halloween candy? Donate it to Sweets4Troops.com, that will ship it to United States military men and women serving overseas.

For the past five years, Sweets4Troops.com has collected candy and sweets from local groups, organizations, schools and stores. The collections are then included in holiday packages for military units, mainly overseas and at select domestic locations. The sweets are included with a variety of sundry items in separate boxes so that each military person feels like he or she is receiving a gift from home. The organization also includes letters from local school children.

Sweets4Troops.com was started by local DeKalb County businessman and military veteran Michael Embrey. Last year, the organization collected 950 pounds of candy and more than 200 letters. This year, under the leadership of DeKalb American Legion Post 66 Commander Dan Gallagher, additional schools are being contacted to assist with the project.

Candy donations can be brought to the following locations from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. through Nov. 18:
The FUN Companies, 650 Peace Road, Suite F, DeKalb,
DeKalb Fire Department, 700 Pine St., DeKalb,
Sycamore Fire Department, 535 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, and
Le Print Express, 1950 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore.

For more information, contact Michael Embrey at M.Embrey@FuunMEEvents.com.

CORTLAND

Turkey Trot to raise money for local projects

The Cortland Lions Club will host its 9th annual Turkey Trot as a fundraiser for community projects Nov. 10. Register at cortlandturkeytrot.com. Early registrants will receive a T-shirt. Day-of registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. at 70 S. Llanos St. The Kids 2K will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the adult 5K at 9 a.m.

This family friendly, flat course winds through Cortland’s neighborhoods. Families are invited to run, walk, jog or bring strollers. Pets are welcome.

All proceeds will benefit the activities of the Lions Club, which serves the community.

–DeKalb County News Briefs–