Fallen leaves no longer a burning issue

Somehow, burning leaves in fall has become tolerable.

No longer do residents fill village halls on meeting nights and clamor for their elected officials to either ban it or leave it alone.

In the handful of communities that still allow it, police are not expecting to be barraged with complaints from neighbors gasping for breath as they once were.

And in the other communities that don't allow it, trustees are not expecting grumblings from their constituents who have to spend money to buy the paper yard waste bags.

A happy medium has been reached. The ritual is weaker, but it still lives in communities such as East Dundee, Gilberts and Sleepy Hollow where burning is permitted a few weekends in the fall.

And the homeowners who are forced to rake and bag the leaves or push them to the curb are happy with the status quo.

"There should be some places where people can burn," said Elgin resident Ben Grey. "They shouldn't be able to burn in densely populated towns, but I can see burning in the outskirts of some towns."

Because he and his neighbors don't have to drive or walk through the clouds of smoke on sunny autumn days, piles of smoking leaves are tolerable.

Elgin doesn't allow leaves to be burned. The only thing he and his neighbors have to worry about is getting the leaves to curbs, where city public works trucks suck them up and drive them away.

Leaves in West Dundee are disposed of in the same way.

Having the village dispose of the leaves is a nice compromise, said West Dundee resident Connie Kaschub.

"I never liked the smell of burning leaves," she said. "I appreciate the village coming by and picking them up for us."

Public works employees in Elgin and West Dundee have already begun driving the vacuum trucks along the streets. And they will continue until the end of November.

Those trucks are luxuries for towns that can't afford them. And people living in them feel the pinch every time the have to pay $5 to $7 for a bundle of five yard waste bags. That's why their elected leaders give them the seasonal option with the leaves.

In East Dundee, a village of less than 3,000 people, leaves can be burned on the second and fourth weekends in April, October and November. Years ago, village officials gave every household 10 bags for leaves. Elected leaders hoped residents would use them instead of burning. But now, the village can't even afford to give out the bags.

And in Gilberts, a growing community of more than 5,000 residents, leaves can be burned on Wednesday and Sunday all year.

Some people envy them.

"I live in Carpentersville and we can't burn," said Bettie Haberkamp. "We should be able to burn because I can fill 10 bags with the leaves in my yard. I don't even have any trees, I get all the leaves from my neighbors' trees."

And some people expect it.

"I'm sure for some people the smell of burning leaves makes it fall," Kaschub said.