Sign up with Code Red

Be sure to sign up with Lincoln County Fire & Emergency Services - CodeRED.  This is a reverse 911 calling system to get phone calls on impending dangers, such as fires and floods.  You get calls when evacuation is necessary.  You may give your land line or cell phone number.  It even calls out-of-state phone numbers. For CodeRED registration or to get a CodeRED Mobile Alert app
 go to:    http://www.lincolncountynm.gov  (click "read more" on the last paragraph in the center column)

Fire and Emergency information is also available at: 
http://www.lincolncountynm.net/services/fire_and_emergency_services/index.php
The above internet address tells you of fire danger and restrictions for Lincoln County.
Keep up-to-date on fires in New Mexico at http://www.NMFireInfo.com

Save Our Water - TIP #1

By fixing that leaky pipe or faucet you'll be amazed at how much water and money you save over time.  How much water can be wasted in a slow kitchen faucet drip?  The Drip Accumulator calculator on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website can tell you.  A single slow leaky faucet dripping 30 drops per minute wastes 3 gallons per day (1 gallon = 15,140 drips) or the equivalent of 27 baths a year.  Whoa - that's a lot!  So take care of your dripping faucets knowing in the long run it saves both water and $!  See the science at: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html

Greentree Solid Waste 2015 schedule to pick up woody slash

The dates for the grapple truck are listed as follows:

03/08/15

05/03/15

06/28/15 

08/23/15

10/18/15

12/13/15

The actual dates can vary because of weather, mechanical problems, etc., but this gives you dates to aim for to be sure your slash is on the curbside and ready to be picked up. 

Logs can be stacked on the curbside separate from the slash and people in the community will pick it up for firewood.

January 2015 Board Election Results

On January 13, an election of directors was conducted.  Only NM registered voters and property owners in the water district could vote.  Twelve mail -in ballots and 12 in-person votes resulted in the following directors: Jim Miller, Marc Stewart, Sarah Mazur and Charles Britten.  Sarah received the most votes.  The board selected  Jim Miller to be chairman and Marc Stewart to be vice-chairman.

Be sure to thank your directors for serving.  This is an unpaid position, but they make vital decisions to keep the water district running smoothly -- and to keep the water flowing!

Christmas Tree permits available

BE AWARE: More houses broken into

More break-in attempts have taken place on Sun Mountain Loop in the last couple of weeks. A house on Sugar Bush was also broken into sometime between July 31 and October 31. If you have any information about these incidents, like noises you may have heard in the early morning hours, suspicious cars in the area, or security tapes, etc., please inform the Lincoln County Sheriff Dept. at 575-648-2341 or 800-687-2419.  In the future, keep aware of unusually activities on your street.

Proper Disposal of Hot Wood Ashes

Greentree Solid Waste Authority

Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico 88346

www.greentreeswa.org

Phone:     (575) 378-4697       FAX       (575) 378-4896

Out.  Dead.  Cold:

Proper Disposal of Hot Wood Ashes

Improper disposal of hot wood ashes is causing continuing problems for local fire departments and solid waste collection operators. Emergency fire calls involving either hot wood ashes in trash collection or outside local residences have been answered north of Ruidoso recently by area fire departments.  Several dumpster or compactor fires also occurred recently due to improper disposal of hot ashes. Improper placement of hot wood ashes in trash collection dumpsters or compactors has resulted in lingering trash fires inside of solid waste collection and disposal equipment.

What can you do to prevent truck, forest and field fires from igniting from hot wood ash?

• Dispose of wood ashes in a metal container that can be tightly closed, douse with water, place the closed container outside your home away from combustible materials and leave in the container for several days before disposing of them. (Did you know that many people dispose of their wood stove ashes in garbage containers that are often plastic or even paper bags? It doesn’t take much heat for these types of containers to burst into flames, causing trucks, dumpsters or compactors to catch fire)
• Teach other family members about the dangers associated with hot ash disposal
• Be careful with ashes around areas you might not consider as combustible during wetter times such as mulched flowerbeds and lawns that are drought stricken.
• Do Not Place hot ashes in a trash or recycling dumpster or compactor where there are certainly other combustible materials
• Do Not Dispose of ashes in a paper, plastic or cardboard containers
• Do Not Assume the ashes are cold and pour them onto the ground (even into a hole) where leaves can blow onto them or the wind can stir up sparks.

Once you are POSITIVE your container of ashes is “Cold”, place them in a pile and prepare your container for the next load. Tourist visitors to the area should take no chances by simply drowning their wood ashes before leaving the area.

A limited number of specially marked wood ash collection dumpsters are located at the following waste collection sites: Sun Valley; Cedar Creek; and Ranches of Sonterra.

The typical wood stove or fire place used most of the heating season will generate about

50 pounds of wood ashes. Cold ashes can be spread around the base of trees to provide a quality tree fertilizer.

For more information on proper wood stove and fireplace ash disposal, contact the Solid Waste Authority office at 378-4697, toll free at 1-877-548-8772, via email at gswa@greentreeswa.org or contact your local Fire Department.