IN Peters Township February/March 2018 | Page 12

DATES TO REMEMBER Feb. 2 Princess Ball at the Recreation Center, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 5 Recreation Center - Session #2 Classes Begin March 11 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 24 Bunny Hop, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Egg Scramble, 1 p.m. March 31 First Quarter Earned Income Tax Due (Send to Keystone Collections) April 17 2017 Year End Earned Income Tax Reconciliation Due (Send to Keystone Collections) s a homeowner, keeping ice and snow off your driveway and walkways is important for safety and convenience. When using deicing products such as rock salt (sodium chloride) or calcium chloride, please keep in mind that these compounds are extremely soluble in water and, as the snow melts, will eventually end up in our local streams. Chloride can be harmful to aquatic and plant life as concentration levels rise. There are ways to reduce the impact of salt usage by following these guidelines: SHOVEL EARLY AND OFTEN Deicers are most effective when there is only a thin layer of snow or ice that must be removed. Shoveling or sweeping a few times during a storm may not only save your back, but, will also make a final application of deicer work more effectively. APPLY SALT SPARINGLY The recommended application rate for rock salt is about one (1) handful per square yard. For calcium chloride, one (1) handful per every three (3) square yards is recommended. CALCIUM CHLORIDE VS. ROCK SALT If you have the choice, calcium chloride is better deicer because it is effective to a much lower temperature than rock salt and can be spread at a much lower application rate. SENSITIVE PLANTS If you have any salt-sensitive trees, shrubbery, or grass within 10 feet of your sidewalk or driveway, you should avoid both rock salt and calcium chloride or use in very small doses. COMMON PLANTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SALT ARE Deciduous Trees Tulip Poplar, Green Ash, Hickory, Red Maple, Sugar Maple Conifers Balsam Fir, White Pine, Hemlock, Norway Spruce Shrubs Dogwood, Redbud, Hawthorn, Rose, Spirea Grasses Kentucky Bluegrass, Red Fescue Peters Township Council Members Frank Arcuri 10 PETERS TOWNSHIP David M. Ball James F. Berquist Chairman Frank Kosir, Jr. Vice Chairman Robert Lewis Monica R. Merrell Gary J. Stiegel, Jr.