Letters to the Editor: July 10 – 16, 2014

Things F.C. Residents Can Do to Help Chesapeake Bay

Editor,

Falls Church is an environmentally-conscious area and is once again the top recycling jurisdiction in Virginia. There may be things you can do on your property that are free or low cost that can help reduce pollutants going to the Chesapeake Bay.

Brown’s Hardware sells two inexpensive kinds of plastic drains that can direct rainfall from the gutters onto your yard (maybe watering your plants) and prevent the water from going onto impervious surfaces and down into the street. They take a couple of minutes to install.

Many homes here have rain barrels, another good option. A landscaping company can also install drain boxes on your property, which is especially helpful in areas where water pools up.

Sometimes just adding mulch to the yard can keep the rainfall from becoming runoff. Fairfax County offers free mulch pickup and Arlington County will deliver mulch for a fee. Falls Church City provides mulch for free, but this year’s supply has already been used up.

Other suggestions from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation include reducing or eliminating the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides, and planting a tree. Residents of the City can get a free tree(s) from the Village Preservation and Improvement Society.

Seventeen million people live on land that drains into the Chesapeake Bay. Small changes can make a big impact.

Shirley Connuck

Falls Church

Thank You Falls Church Police Department

Editor,

Understanding and courteous– who? The Falls Church Police Department and, no, I’m not a wanted criminal but had several things to address. So, thank you again, Joe Carter and all of the other super chaps.

Eileen Levy

Falls Church

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