Tree pickup set for two weeks after...

Tree pickup set for two weeks after Christmas

Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, along with other cities in Orange

County, offer curbside pickup of Christmas trees for the two weeks

after Christmas Day at no additional charge.

Just make sure there are no lights or ornaments still attached and

no plastic water bowl or metal tree stand fastened to the base,

officials said. A wooden cross secured with a nail is acceptable.

Trees taller than six feet should be cut in half for easier

handling. All trees will be recycled with the exception of flocked

trees, which cannot be recycled.

Requirements are slightly different in Newport Beach.

Beginning on Dec. 27, Christmas trees will be collected with

regular trash in the city.

Trees must be cut into pieces no longer than four feet, bundled

with string and set next to containers on regular refuse collection

day. Stands and metal pieces must be removed.

Collection will continue until Jan. 10. For more information, call

the general services department from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday at (949) 644-3055.

For more information about recycling, check the county of Orange

Integrated Waste Management Department’s Web site at

https://oclandfills.com for the name and telephone number for each

city’s recycling coordinator.

Transportation authority OKs CenterLine money

The board of directors for the Orange County Transportation

Authority have approved spending $8.3 million to provide extended

preliminary engineering and consultant support services on the

CenterLine project.

During this extended phase, consultants will work on advancing the

design and refining the project scope and cost estimates.

Preliminary engineering on the light rail system, which is planned

to run from Santa Ana to John Wayne Airport through Costa Mesa, is

scheduled to be complete early next year.