Spring home and garden care

  • Published
  • By 341st Civil Engineer Squadron personnel
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Spring is here and its time to clean out the garage and attic, get the lawn ready for the growing season and start the garden. Here are a few pointers to help you on your way.

Self-Help Store. The Self-Help Store has many items available to help housing residents spruce up their yards. Available now are landscape timbers, gray and red patio bricks, fertilizer, peat moss, compost, grass seed, landscape fabric and weed killer. Coming soon, in limited quantities, are flowers and shrubs. Deliveries are scheduled to start May 6 and continue once a week every Tuesday in May. The flowers should be available by noon on the day of delivery. The store also has a variety of common garden tools for loan such as rakes, shovels, wheel barrows, electric weed eaters, pruning shears and edgers. The store continues to supply universal mulching blades for most common lawn mowers. The store is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 to Aug. 30, the store will open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store is located in building 220 on Flightline Drive across from building 500. Stop by or call the store manager at 731-7701 with questions.

Grass Mulching in Base Housing. Base residents are encouraged to use a mulching blade on their mower to eliminate bagging of grass clippings. Mulching blades are available at the base self-help store located in building 220 on Flightline Drive. For those who must bag their grass clipping or have removed sod to plant a garden, please use the refuse dumpsters provided. If a dumpster is full, place the clippings in another dumpster, not beside the full dumpster or in the recycling dumpster.

Household Hazardous Materials. Household hazardous materials (automotive, paint, cleaning, pesticide and miscellaneous items) that are leftover or unwanted can be turned in to the Self-Help Store for the exchange program. The exchange program is free to housing residents and is set up to reduce the risk to the environment from improper storage and disposal. If you need any of these items, call or stop by the Self-Help Store to see what is available.

Household Hazardous Wastes. Household hazardous wastes (automotive fluids, paints, cleaning chemicals, pesticides and miscellaneous hazardous wastes items) can be dropped off at the hazardous waste drop-off center on the back side of building 410. Chemicals need to be labeled and containerized.

Aluminum, Tin, Glass, Newspaper, and Cardboard. Recycle aluminum and tin cans, glass, newspapers and cardboard at the Malmstrom AFB Recycle Center located near the car wash or use the recycling containers provided with most military family housing units or use the City of Great Falls Citizen's Convenience Center (15th Street North and River Road).

Metals. Individuals are encouraged to recycle metals through Pacific Steel and Recycling (727-6222).

Appliances (Usable or Unusable). Appliances that are unusable can be taken to Pacific Recycling (1624 12 Ave. N.), and Steel Etc. (302 2nd St. S.), Filipowicz Brothers Salvage (3120 Rainbow Dam Rd., Black Eagle). There is a fee for removal of refrigerants and for disposal of refrigerators and freezers. When purchasing new appliances arrange for the retail business to pick up and dispose of your old appliance.
Try selling usable appliances through the classified ads.

Clothing and other useful household items. The Airman's Attic, Goodwill (will pick up), St. Vincent De Paul (will pick up) and the Salvation Army are excellent places to sell or donate your useful household items.

Unusable Furniture and other large items. On Malmstrom AFB, call Montana Waste Systems, Inc. at 452-7351 before Friday to have them pick up your large items from your curbside. Downtown, call your refuse service for curbside pick up.

If you have any questions please call the 341st CES Operations Flight at 731-6549 for Solid Waste or the Environmental Flight at 731-6163 for Hazardous Waste.