Anyone who passes by our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue will agree that it is a hideous sight.

The latest view of Mount Chagall.

There was a lot of snow this winter and as a result the dump is being called “Mount Chagall” by some people.

Dating back a number of years now, I have successfully advocated members of council to vote in favor of a special allocation to bring in equipment to chop the remnants of the hard and filthy snow into pieces. We dis so again last week.

Normally this kind of work commences in May, but our Public Works Department notes that the contractor they hire might not be able to break the snow up until June in order to ensure the work will be successful.

I would like to thank Isabella Pietracupa,  our Sustainable Development Technician at Public Works for taking the time to provide me with this exclusive report. I had earlier alluded to environmental concerns from a study on a snow dump in Regina.

Isabella is a scientist and an engineer who has assisted in the evaluation and development of many projects related to the environment, the analysis of plans, estimates and contracts as well as acted as the representative of DDO for various events and working groups. "We are very proud to have this type of expertise in our department so that we can work on projects related to sustainable development, contaminants, biodiversity, and many other aspects of healthy environments necessary for our city," notes Public Works Director Beatrice Newman.

What follows is proof positive of the care Public Works is taking to ensure that the highest safety standards are in place.

The reality of the Marc-Chagall snow dump by Isabella Pietracupa

Although I can’t speak to the standards at which Regina’s snow dump is held to, I can speak to the regulations that Quebec snow dumps must follow.

The Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) has very strict regulations is place for both the building and operating of a snow dump (or a Lieu d’élimination de neige, LEN).

A snow dump must first and foremost be authorized by the Ministère by way of a certificate of authorization as defined in the Loi sur la qualité de l'environnement. The Marc-Chagall snow dump received its certificate of authorization allowing the City to build and exploit the land in accordance with all the Ministry’s requirements. This certificate was emitted in 2002 following the acceptance of various documents describing the following technical aspects of the dump (not an exhaustive list):

• What would be stored on the site
• Infrastructure in place for rain and melt water management
• Wastewater treatment systems and points of discharge in the surrounding environment
• Direction of waterflow (slopes, ditches)
• Size of the site
• Management of debris from the site
• Access points to the site

Once the certificate has been emitted, cities must ensure the snow dump is then followed on a yearly basis and continues to meet all the Ministry’s requirements. Cities are held accountable to ensure the snow dump meets the regulations outlined in in the Règlement sur la gestion de la neige, des sels de voiries et des abrasifs.

In addition to visual inspections by our expert city personnel, a characterization of meltwater and runoff must be done four times a year, during the spring/summer season.

These tests, performed by an accredited laboratory, are required to ensure the protection of the surrounding environment and people. Simply put, these tests ensure the negative impacts of meltwater on our hydrological cycle are mitigated.

In the case of Marc-Chagall, there is no surrounding natural watercourses that the meltwater can access. All meltwater is directed into surrounding ditches, where it then flows:

• into two manholes,
• a catch basin,
• and finally gets discharged into the city’s sewer system where it undergoes treatment in a wastewater treatment site.

The flow of the meltwater has been designed to ensure pollutants are treated to the highest extent before reaching the sewer system. For example, snow melts in the center of the site where the slope of the ground directs the water down the side of a vegetated ditch where vegetation acts as a primary filter for contaminants.

From there it slowly travels down the ditch, and into one of two manholes. Once in the manhole, the water accumulates in the catch basin, allowing particles to sediment to the bottom (this avoids them entering the sewer system). The basin and ditches are also cleaned regularly, and debris is disposed of in proper disposal sites.

The four water samples test the following 3 contaminants:

• Matières en suspension (MES ) (Suspended matter) (3 different tests are performed for this)
• Oils and fats
• pH

The results of these tests can show the quality of the snow and meltwater collected in the site. Often these types of contaminants come from various sources such as debris on roadways, abrasives, salts, and corrosion of vehicles. The Ministry has a certain concentration of the above-mentioned contaminants which is acceptable. To my knowledge, only once did we exceed the acceptable concentrations, in 2022 and this, for only two of the four samples taken that year. It was concluded that our results for suspended matter and total oils and fats were above the acceptable limits during the June and September sampling. However, it was deduced that these results may have been too high due to work being done in the snow dump around the same time as the sampling (operations to break down the snow hill in the spring/summer). A report was prepared and sent to the Ministry justifying the causes of these results and corrective measures were put in place to ensure this would not repeat itself (more frequent cleaning of the catch basin and ditches for example).

So far, the first sampling of 2023 has come out to be conforming and under the limit for potential contaminants.

It goes without saying that having a snow dump site in Côte Saint-Luc is, by far, an absolute necessity for city snow removal operations. Have a site in our backyard allows our trucks to easily double (and probably triple) the amount of snow they could collect in one day. Without our snow dump, we would have to transport the snow to another site, taking up time that could be spent on snow removal. Employees would have to drive farther, more greenhouse gases would be emitted, snow removal costs would go up, more hours would be put on the vehicles, and even more snow would need to be blown on lawns. With a well managed snow dump site, the city, its residents, and the environment all win.

Figure 1: Example of test results for 4 samplings (notice for MES 3 different tests are used, we must be under the limit of at least one to be conforming).

Director Newman has provided me with a  wide array of additional facts which underline how lucky we are to have our own snow dump.

TRUCKS, COSTS, ETC.:

• The cost for a transport truck is currently $100 per hour and we don’t know what it will be next year.

• The external dumps cost between $2-$3 per cubic metric ton
• We clear 50% of the city in-house while the contractors do the other 50%.
• We currently have 15 trucks for our 5 blowers (sectors). If we must travel to a dump, we will need to double or triple our total trucks.
• The contractors use approximately 20 trucks, they too will have to double or triple their trucks, going from 20 to approximately 60
• Trucks will have to wait in line with other cities at the dumps. For example, If the lineup goes until closing time at the dump, you’ve paid $100 per hour for them to sit on the street for hours and then they have to return and start the day in line again.

 

• The number of trucks and their drivers has substantially decreased over the last few years. It’s difficult to hire.
• Gas emissions will increase considerably
• Fuel costs will increase considerably
• If directed to a sewer depot and not a snow hill dump, the truck can stand in line and if the water gets too cold the truck will be turned around because they won’t be permitted to dump their truck.
• When working with a dump as we do with garbage, there must be a contract that usually requires guaranteed hours upfront.
• We must follow Montreal’s schedule.

 

TIME DELAYS:

• The schedule for snow operations will no longer be three days but will take 2 weeks
• During a snowstorm, the transport trucks will be stuck in traffic back and forth from the city, again delaying city operations
• Between 7a m – 7 pm CSL can do 4 loads (transports) per hour- it takes 10 minutes to get to Marc Chagall from Blossom
• The same schedule but snow dumped elsewhere, will total approximately 12 loads (transports) per hour
• Last year, 2022, transport trucks were sent away because the dumps were at full capacity. There were no dumps available for a contract.
• We will absolutely blow most of our snow on all lawns as Hamstead does. Eliminate to exception lists and direct the contractors to blow snow from the mains on local properties.

 

HAMPSTEAD:

·         The Town of Hampstead blows all of its snow on all properties. There aren’t any No Snow lists whatsoever. When they wish to use our dump, it’s because there is no room left in the Town

·         At most, the Town will use not more than 15% of our snow dump. This percentage does not impede our operations.

·         Our total amount of snow in February was 108,314 m3. Hampstead contributed 15m3.

·         We earn revenue from the Town using our dump.

·         We will continue to have good relations with our neighbour. Perhaps we can’t always visualize the benefits of being a good neighbour. We share equipment, ideas, employees, and data with the Town. It helps our operations and at times saves us expenses (putting up the menorah).

·         If a natural disaster may occur like an ice storm, floods, or other, it’s necessary to be able to get assistance from our neighbours and vice versa. In the meantime, during good days and regular life, Hampstead and CSL share equipment, ideas, and good relations.

·         If their mayor doesn’t want us to use Fleet then maybe we can negotiate and use the snow dump as an incentive.

 

COLOUR:

·         Snow naturally turns black in the winter when melting.

·         When snow is exposed to high temperatures, it turns black because the water in the snow turns into steam.

·         When steam touches metal, it produces heat. This heat can be seen as black smoke coming out of the bottom of a pot or pan that is on a stove. The same thing happens when snow is exposed to high temperatures.

·         The snow that enters the dump is mostly fresh snow that our blowers take from the street directly to the dump.

·         The actual residue of residual waste/garbage is nominal.

·         There is a fair amount of street waste ie sand, salt, and stone that also contributes to the colour.

 

MAINTENANCE:

·         Public Works manages the snow dump according to regulations dictated by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP) which has very strict regulations in place for both the building and operating of a snow dump.

·         We have a specific budget for the breaking down, clearing and tamping of the dump floor from late spring to early fall. Depending on the amount of snow that we received that year, the snow can be cleaned up faster in those years when we have a light year.

·         We can only break down the hill as it starts to melt. There are no machines or equipment that can crawl up the hill and start breaking solid ice. That is why we work in there for a bit and return a few times when the area has melted and is safe to approach.

 Mont Chagall

Tous ceux qui passent devant notre décharge située sur l'avenue Marc Chagall conviendront qu'il s'agit d'un spectacle hideux.

Il y a eu beaucoup de neige cet hiver, ce qui a valu à cette décharge d'être surnommée le "Mont Chagall" par certaines personnes.

Depuis plusieurs années, j'ai plaidé avec succès auprès des membres du conseil municipal pour qu'ils votent en faveur d'une allocation spéciale afin d'apporter de l'équipement pour couper en morceaux les restes de la neige dure et sale. C'est ce que nous avons fait la semaine dernière.

Normalement, ce type de travail commence en mai, mais il se peut que nous ne puissions pas briser la neige avant le mois de juin afin d'assurer la réussite du travail.

For many years Côte Saint-Luc has signed a contract with the Town of Hampstead, allowing the community to use our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue. For the record I have voted against this agreement each year. It is not that I do not want to be a good neighbour, but the dump tends to fill up quite rapidly during the winter.

No this is not a Laurentian mountain ski hill, but our snow dump.

Due to an  unprecedented amount of snow that has fallen during this winter, we recently gave notice to Hampstead that they can no longer use the snow dump for the rest of the season.

As per the terms of our original agreement, more specifically article 3.3, the Town of Hampstead’s right to dump snow shall cease once  Côte Saint-Luc provides written notice that the dump has reached 80,000 cubic meters between February 1 and 28.  

Let me take this opportunity to thank our Public Works Department for the excellent job they have done managing the snow dump this winter. It is no treat for residents who live next to this area, not to mention members of Beth Chabad CSL and students, staff and parents at JPPS-Bialik. The dump was present long before any buildings, synagogue or school was built here. Nonetheless, we have made every effort to act upon their concerns by creating a snow barrier to try and shield neighbours from the frequent noise. As well, our staff have policed  the vehicles -operated by sub-contractors – going in and out of the dump to try and avoid any tail banging.

We will indeed hire contractors to break apart the dump starting in the late spring. That is never an easy task. Keep in mind that the hill is so rock solid  it can support large tractors  frequently going  up and down the structure.

Hampstead ne peut plus utiliser notre dépotoir à neige cette saison

En raison de la quantité sans précédent de neige tombée cet hiver, nous avons récemment avisé la Ville de Hampstead qu'elle ne pouvait plus utiliser le dépôt de neige pour le reste de la saison.

Selon les termes de notre entente originale, plus précisément l'article 3.3, le droit de la Ville de Hampstead de déverser la neige cessera lorsque Côte Saint-Luc fournira un avis écrit indiquant que le dépotoir a atteint 80 000 mètres cubes entre le 1er et le 28 février.

Permettez-moi de profiter de l'occasion pour remercier notre Service des travaux publics pour l'excellent travail qu'il a accompli dans la gestion du dépôt de neige cet hiver. Ce n'est pas un plaisir pour les résidents qui vivent à proximité de cette zone, sans parler des membres de Beth Chabad CSL et des élèves, du personnel et des parents de JPPS-Bialik. La décharge existait bien avant la construction de bâtiments, de synagogues ou d'écoles. Néanmoins, nous avons fait tout notre possible pour répondre à leurs préoccupations en créant une barrière de neige pour tenter de protéger les voisins du bruit fréquent. En outre, notre personnel a surveillé les véhicules - exploités par des sous-traitants - qui entrent et sortent de la décharge pour essayer d'éviter les coups de queue.

Nous allons en effet engager des sous-traitants pour démanteler la décharge à partir de la fin du printemps. Ce n'est jamais une tâche facile. Il ne faut pas oublier que la colline est tellement solide qu'elle peut supporter de gros tracteurs qui montent et descendent fréquemment la structure.

Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator

Thanks to our Public Works Department for their annual destruction of the large and ugly hill of muddy snow at the snow dump.

This is no easy feat. Our team We usually starts to break up the snow dump towards the end of June / beginning of July. The mountain is generally too hard and frozen to start operations, as the equipment (mechanical shovel) will likely break. This had happened in the past when the contractor started too early in the season. With several years of experience now, we work together with the contractor preparing the proper schedule for breaking down the hill.

It takes approximately 100 hours of work  to complete the project.  This year it was all finished earlier than scheduled.

I have terrific news for so many people who have expressed their dismay over the years about the noise pollution emanated by leaf blowers. A new bylaw will take effect  on April 28, 2023 prohibiting leaf blowers between June 1 and August 30. During the other months they will only be permitted between 8 am and 5 pm.

Thanks to our Public Works Department, which researched the situation and came to Council with this new proposal. We passed a notice of motion on June 13 for a draft bylaw.

I think this a good start for us. Many people work from home and keep their windows open during the summer. The noise from the leaf blowers is hardly welcoming.

The effects of noise on hearing vary among people. But any sound that is loud enough and lasts long enough can damage hearing and lead to hearing loss. A sound's loudness is measured in decibels (dB). Normal conversation is about 60 dB, a lawnmower is about 90 dB, and a loud rock concert is about 120 dB.

This new bylaw can also be a means for our community to bring down our carbon footprint, improve air quality by reducing harmful exposure to toxic emissions and reduce noise pollution.

You can see the discussion at the  1:24;45 mark  of our meeting video which you can access here.

Can the Quebec Liberal Party make a comeback in the next provincial election?

Heading into the October vote, polls indicate the Quebec Liberals may get shellacked. Thus far leader Dominique Anglade and the party seem unable to connect with voters. However, I see  a real  opportunity for Anglade..

The Liberals need a winning formula.

The party  must come up with many new candidates due to retirements. Since Anglade has made it clear in recent interviews that her party is against Bill 21 (prohibits Quebec citizens who work in public service from wearing religious symbols while fulfilling their duties), Bill 40 (abolition of English public school boards) and Bill 96 (the draconian new language law), why not look at this as an ideal opportunity for a rebranding?

“Unlike the governing CAQ, we are a party that accepts all Quebecers as equals,” Anglade can say by introducing a diversified group of candidates. Imagine how something like that would resonate!

In D’Arcy McGee, name a candidate who wears a  kippa; for Laval find someone with a hijab or turban; in L’Acadie,   identify a high profile English public school official; in Marguerite Bourgeoys (LaSalle) engage someone from an English CEGEP;  for  Vimont Laval convince a representative from the Catholic Church; for Mount Royal (if Pierre Arcand retires), bring in a representative from the Indigenous community. Could you just imagine all of these people sworn in as MNAs and sitting in  Quebec as Bill 21 continues to roll its way through the courts? An orthodox Jew wearing the same kippa that  would  ban him from doing so as a school teacher – ditto for a woman with a hijab. That would be ironic!

Suddenly, the Liberals would have an identity. These MNAs could then travel the province with Anglade  and “educate”   CAQ loyalists in the regions what a religious symbol means. Most of these electors are not exposed to these things. It is support by ignorance.

With all of the opposition parties, including the newly popular Conservatives, the best case scenario for the Liberals would be a minority CAQ government. In order to not get wiped off the map, Anglade needs to think outside of the box and this idea could put them back in the game.

As for the two new anglophone rights parties headed by Balarama Holness and Colin Standish, unless they merge the Liberals have absolutely nothing to fear as they will merely split the vote.

Thanks to our Public Works Department, a problem with garbage collection at 6700 The Avenue has been resolved.

Buildings constructed in recent years only receive garbage collection once a week. The idea is for composting to take place  as well once a week. But since that is still not a reality I was able to arrange with Public Works to add a second day each week the pickup schedule in the interim.

6700 The Avenue has 90 units. Once a week pickup is not sufficient at the present time for a building this size. For starters they do not have enough bins for this to be done properly, emitting a foul smell outdoors and in the garage where the garbage had to be returned.

Thanks to Director Beatrice Newman and Environmental Technician Carly Steban for their assistance on this dossier as well as Emile Badea from 6700 The Avenue, which will have a  new commercial tenant by the spring on the ground floor.

The city is arranging this exceptionally until an official letter is sent to all new buldings with the three-way-shoots, detailing the next steps for compost implementation.

Garbage bins at 6700 The Avenue.

When  I started my re-election campaign last summer, a number of people who regularly use the pathway from the end of Rembrandt Avenue to Cavendish Boulevard asked if it could be repaved.

I met with Gordon Aizer and Chris Wild from the Villas Merrimac Condominium Association in August and we took a proper walk through. There were a number of potholes. Rembrandt Avenue resident Meyer Freed also called, concerned about the water buildup in those sections when it rained.

Chris Wild and I check out the repaved pathway.

I consulted with our Public Works Department. Given the fact this is late in the season,  they promised to look at some patch up work. I stressed the importance of making this as walkable as possible and they found a way to repave virtually the entire strip. Thanks to Operations Head John Monteiro and his entire team!

 From June to August 2021, more than 4,000 wheeled black bins will be distributed throughout Côte Saint-Luc to residents of single-family homes, duplexes, and some townhouses. These black bins will replace the existing mix of household waste bins.

“The collection is therefore faster and safer because the new black bin can be emptied into the garbage truck using a lift,” Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said. “The waste materials are in a closed container and out of sight. Also, the wheels will make it easier to place the black bin at the curb.”

The black bins will be delivered to the front of each home, along with a bag containing an information package. Please note the materials may arrive during the week or weekend between 7am and 8pm.

The City will provide homes with a 240L black bin, which is the same size as most of the blue bins currently in use in the city. If a resident prefers a smaller 120L black bin, they can complete a form online at cotesaintluc.org/blackbins. A 240L black bin can hold approximately five regular outdoor garbage bags. A 120L bin can hold approximately three regular outdoor garbage bags.

“The City intends to maintain the once-a-week schedule for waste collection for now,” said Councillor Sidney Benizri, who the council member responsible for Public Works. “If you’re not sure which size bin to get, choose the standard 240L black bin. This is also easier as you don’t need to inform us because the 240L is the default size.”

Once the new black bins go into service, residents will no longer be able to place garbage bags on the side of bins, as the City will not collect them. Estimates show that about 80 percent of household waste is either recyclable (blue bin) or compostable (brown bin). Only 20 percent is residual waste (black bin). Remember, if you need a larger blue bin or brown bin, the City will exchange it for free.

The City will be mailing information flyers to the single-family homes and duplexes affected by the change. Some—but not all—townhouses will also be affected.

For more information, visit cotesaintluc.org/blackbins.

Nouveaux bacs roulants noirs seront bientôt distribués

De juin à août 2021, plus de 4 000 bacs roulants noirs seront distribués sur tout le territoire de Côte Saint-Luc aux résidents des maisons unifamiliales et des duplex, en plus de certaines maisons en rangée. Ces bacs noirs remplaceront tous les bacs à ordures existants.

« La collecte va être plus rapide et sécuritaire parce que le nouveau bac noir peut être vidé dans le camion à ordures à l’aide d’un mécanisme de levage. Les déchets sont dans un contenant fermé et à l’abri des regards. Enfin, les roues facilitent le placement des bacs noirs en bordure de la rue, » explique le Maire Mitchell Brownstein.

Les bacs noirs seront livrés devant chaque maison, avec un sac contenant une trousse d’information. La livraison se fera pendant la semaine ou le week-end, entre 7 h et 20 h.

La ville fournira aux foyers un bac noir de 240L, qui est de la même taille que la plupart des bacs bleues actuellement utilisées dans la ville. Si vous trouvez le bac de 240L trop grand, vous pouvez demander un bac noir de 120L à la place. Faites la demande à cotesaintluc.org/fr/bacsnoirs. Un bac noir de 240 litres peut contenir environ cinq sacs à ordures ordinaires. Une poubelle de 120 litres peut contenir environ trois sacs à ordures ordinaires.

« La ville a l'intention de maintenir l’horaire d’une fois par semaine.  Si vous n'êtes pas sûr quel bac à choisir, optez pour le bac noir de 240 litres. C'est également plus facile car c’est la taille par défaut » a déclaré le conseiller Sidney Benizri, membre du conseil responsable des travaux publics.

Une fois que les nouveaux bacs noirs seront en service, vous ne devez pas déposer de sacs à ordures à côté car la Ville ne les ramassera pas. On estime qu’environ 80 % des déchets ménagers sont soit recyclables (bac bleu), soit compostables (bac brun). Seuls 20 % sont des déchets résiduels (bac noir). N’oubliez pas que si vous avez besoin d’un bac bleu ou d’un bac brun plus grand, la Ville vous l’échangera gratuitement.

La Ville enverra des dépliants d'information aux maisons unifamiliales et aux duplex touchés par ce changement. Certaines maisons de ville—mais pas toutes—seront également concernées.

Pour en savoir plus, consultez cotesaintluc.org/fr/bacsnoirs.

Le bac noir doit être utilisé uniquement pour les déchets qui ne peuvent pas être réutilisés, recyclés, ou compostés. En général, il s’agit de déchets solides et non dangereux qui ne peuvent pas être recyclés ou compostés et qui ne sont pas acceptés par les organismes dont la mission est de donner une seconde vie à certains objets.

There has been no shortage of snow in recent weeks and that means a lot of activity in our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue.

I want to thank our Public Works team, notably Director Beatrice Newman and  Manager of Operations John Monteiro for taking numerous actions to try and curtail noise from the snow dump.

The snow dump.

Over the last two years we have implemented several changes to reduce the noise emanating from the snow dump:

• There are large signs posted at the entrance/exit to the snow dump advising truckers that banging the rear truck gate is strictly prohibited. These signs did not exist in the past.

• The snow wall along Marc Chagall has been increased in height to reduce the sound traveling towards the town houses to the west. In the past the wall was constructed only using the bulldozers. This year a large shovel was used to build the wall that is 50 percent higher.

• The bulldozer operators have been advised to no longer drop the blade onto the ground creating a thumping noise.

• Previously the bulldozer operators would drop the plow in one swift action. Now they drop the blade halfway before allowing the blade to drop onto the ground reducing the loud thump.

• Finally the monitors have always been instructed to advise the drivers who bang there truck gates that this will not be tolerated. Now they also make a note of the truck and if this is a recurring problem, we advise the contractor that the driver is banned from entering the snow dump.

While the complaints are minimal, I have always been of the opinion that if even one person is disturbed then I would take action. I gathered a few of the concerned individuals with Ms. Newman, Mr. Monteiro and Mayor Mitchell Brownstein.

“This is a snow dump,” Ms. Newman began.  “Although we try to reduce the noise, it doesn’t always happen: big trucks, 10 tons of snow in each truck and pushing tons of snow uphill with a bulldozer.” 

Two dozen no entry/ employees only signs, are going to be installed along the fences and gate. A trailer will be installed at the entrance so that the attendant will see a trespasser immediately and then call dispatch. Automated gates will be installed and the attendant will operate the gates during the working hours of the day. These gates will remain closed unless there is high traffic. We will be installing  a new  electric pole to provide electricity to the trailer and gates. A generator will be placed there until the electricity is connected;

The tailgate noise may occur, but it’s important to remember that this level of noise has dramatically dropped

It has been two years now since important work began in the Ashkelon Gardens behind the library with the necessary felling of trees.

Hundreds of trees there were infested with the Ash Borer and the Dutch Elm disease. These trees were dangerous for people who were walking in the area (from the possibility of falling branches or trees) and  even constituted a fire hazard. The city requested our  expert contractor, Nadeau Foresterie Urbaine, to prepare an inventory of the affected trees. In total,  some 300 trees were cut we cleared approximately 21,000 buckthorn plants and bushes, a species that interferes with healthy tree growth. We intend to plant up to 600 new trees.

This week work proceeded on cutting all of the vines from the rented fence that has been surrounding and protecting people from the work area. Once this is completed our Public Works Department will then contact the fence contractor to remove it. We are  preparing signage   that explains one must enter at their own risk since there are many stumps that people can trip on if they aren't careful. 

Next week the last of three poison ivy treatments will be administered.  A couple of weeks after this application, workers will begin to remove the balance of the buckthorn and then finally plant the remainder of the trees we originally planned to compensate for what we lost.. The work will be completed in its entirety during the early fall.