The Daily Citizen: ‘Bring One for the Chipper’
Filed under: Earth911 - December 28, 2008
By Misty Watson
Christmas may be over, but for Mary Haywood —and many other Christians around the world— the decorations won’t come down until the Christmas season ends.
“I don’t think the Christmas season is over until Epiphany ends,” said Dalton-resident Haywood, who is Catholic.
Epiphany commemorates the biblical story of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts to the Christ child. In the Catholic church, the Epiphany season lasts through the second Sunday in January, Haywood said. In many other cultures Epiphany is celebrated on Jan. 6, which is also referred to as Three Kings Day.
“I leave my (Christmas decorations) up until after Epiphany,” Haywood said. “I usually take my tree down around New Year’s Day or the day after, but things like nativity scenes, I leave up.”
Alex Ruffner, also a Dalton resident, said she thinks Christmas trees should be taken down around New Year’s Day, but admits her two will probably stay up a lot longer.
“I like looking at them,” she said. “I’ll probably leave them up until February. I’m Christmas crazy.”
Dalton residents are limited on how long they can display Christmas decorations. Earlier this year, City Council members passed an ordinance requiring residents to take down seasonal lights, including Christmas lights, after 90 days.
Officials with Keep Georgia Beautiful anticipate trees to come down around New Year’s Day. Live trees will be accepted for recycling at various locations throughout Whitfield and Murray counties through Saturday as part of local “Bring One for the Chipper” programs. The program is designed to reuse live Christmas trees, keeping them out of landfills.
“We encourage recycling anything,” said Frank Adams, who heads Keep Chatsworth-Murray Beautiful.
Trees will be made into mulch, which is available to county residents for free, Adams said. Mulch which is not picked up by residents will be used around the county for “beautification projects” or in wildlife habitats, such as for fish beds, he said.
Trees will be accepted at the recycling center on First Avenue in Chatsworth Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Trees are also accepted at the recycling convenience centers on Brushtown Spur, Highway 225 North, Old CCC Camp Road, Red Cut Road and Smyrna Church Road Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Chatsworth city residents can place their trees on the curb for pickup.
The Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful office is closed on Sundays, and officials were not available for comment.
Trees are being accepted for recycling at the Home Depot on Shugart Road, according to an employee who answered the phone.
Trees are accepted at Whitfield County’s convenience centers on Landfill Road in Rocky Face, McGaughey Chapel Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, in Dalton, and the Old Dixie Landfill on Old Dixie Highway in Dalton, according to the Web site earth911.com where people can search for places to take recyclable materials.
Dalton city residents can place their trees on the curb for pickup.