City starts street sweeping, leaf pickup

TORRINGTON — The spring leaf and yard waste pickup for Torrington residents will begin Monday, April 23 and end Friday, May 4. Leaves and Yard Waste must be placed curbside for pickup on the same day as garbage pickup. Do not call to schedule pickup.

Any resident who missed the January Christmas tree collection can also place their Christmas trees curbside for collection. Residents are reminded that all plastic bags and decorations must be removed from trees prior to pick up.

Yard waste includes horticultural trimmings, which are free of stones, dirt, and sharp objects; or other natural organic matter, such as grass clippings, discarded from yards and gardens. Only leaves and yard waste bagged in biodegradable paper bags or tied into bundles not exceeding fifty (50) pounds in weight will be picked up. Individual branches shall not exceed four (4) feet in length or 3" in diameter. Leaves or yard waste raked into piles curbside will not be picked up. Biodegradable paper bags can be purchased at many local stores.

Residents are reminded that leaves and grass trimmings are a recyclable material and cannot be picked up as part of our normal curbside collection and disposal program. Grass clippings can be easily managed during the growing season by removing grass catchers on mowers and leaving the clippings on the lawn. Grass clippings are 80 percent water and decompose quickly. Clippings also act as a natural fertilizer returning nitrogen and other nutrients to the lawn.

Street sweeping began Monday, and residents are asked to sweep off sidewalks and lawns, being careful to eliminate all foreign objects such as sticks, large stones and branches that could damage the sweeper. It is recommended that debris not be swept into piles. “We ask your cooperation in moving any cars parked on the street when the sweeper arrives, as each street will be swept once before any return trips to the same area,” officials said in a release. “Streets will be cleaned according to a geographic schedule but residents should be aware this process is time consuming as the sweepers must move slowly. Do not call the Street Department to ask when a street will be swept. The cooperation of all residents will help to make this process as efficient as possible.” and provide assistance to swimmers at State Park beaches; caution swimmers regarding unsafe areas; maintain order in swimming areas; rescue swimmers in danger of drowning and administer first aid and/or CPR as required; participate in physical and rescue skills training; perform general maintenance tasks, perform related duties as required. Hours of work are 10 am to 6 pm, five days per week for a total of 40 hours. Weekends and holidays are mandatory. Lifeguards must be at least 16, pass the American Red Cross waterfront module prerequisites; and be able to work weekends and holidays.

Seasonal Patrol Officers work under Environmental Conservation Police Division. There are both first and second shifts available. The locations are primarily at state parks and recreation areas. The preferred candidate will have considerable interpersonal skills, knowledge of Connecticut police procedures and the ability to work weekends and holidays. As a primary visitor contact, interacts with the public to assist them in the safe and orderly enjoyment of department resources and activities; enforces laws and regulations governing visitor behavior and the use of department lands and facilities; investigates and prepares reports of unusual occurrences; may supervise other seasonal employees as assigned. The applicant must have a Police Officer Standard Training Certification. Salary: $20 per hour. Length of position: April 15 through Oct. 15.

Seasonal Park Positions: A number of different seasonal positions are available across the Connecticut State Park system, including season maintainers, campground supervisor, interpretive guide, camp office staff and other positions. Most positions are typically first shift, but other positions will be second or third shift. Typically positions are 5 days per week, and may include mandatory weekend shifts.

These positions are funded through the Passport to Parks program, which was created by the bipartisan state budget adopted last year and is supported through a $10 fee applied by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to non-commercial vehicles that have new registrations, renewals, and plate transfers registered. These include passenger cars and vehicles with combination plates, as well as motorcycles, campers/ motor homes, and vehicles with antique car plates.

Funds generated through this system will provide the Connecticut State Park system with greater financial support, allowing a number of services at the parks that had been previously reduced to be restored, such as the reopening of several closed campgrounds, increased staffing of state beaches during the summer, and the restoration of regular hours of operation at nature centers and museums.