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Take our new Web site for a test drive Bill-paying options range from low tech to high tech Adopt A River continues to thrive Lansing's trash cart service just got easier Be a tourist in your own town, June 1 |
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Our Web site, at www.lbwl.com, has a new look and feel and includes lots of new features to help you manage your use of electricity and water. We think you'll find it easier to locate information you want, and to move quickly from subject to subject. Take it for a spin and let us know what you think. You can e-mail your comments or suggestions to nancy@lbwl.com or to jds@lbwl.com. In this issue of Connections we've included information about some of the new features you'll find on our Web site. |
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Before doing any planting, first call Miss Dig at 1-800-482-7171. This free service will locate and mark all underground utilities on your property so you wonÕt accidentally dig into one when you're planting your tree. Always call Miss Dig at least three full working days before you dig. Make sure you choose a species and planting location carefully, keeping in mind any overhead utilities. Generally, small trees that will grow to less than 30 feet tall should be planted at least 15 feet from overhead utilities. Medium trees under 60 feet tall should be kept 35 feet from utility lines, and large trees need to be planted at least 45 feet away. Find a list of trees that fit into each of these categories, and learn more about tree maintenance here. |
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The results have been both staggering and gratifying. Now in its ninth year, Adopt A River continues to thrive and to attract new river volunteers, even as many of our original adopters remain committed to the program. While the BWL continues as the primary sponsor of Adopt A River, the program is administered by the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council (Mid-MEAC), whose members recruit volunteers and organize cleanups. Since Adopt A River began in 1994, volunteers have cleared away nearly 1,000 cubic yards of debris from the waters and banks of the rivers that flow through our community. And, judging by the faces and comments of volunteers returning from their cleanup assignments, everyone has a darned good time in the process. You can be a part of this good community effort. Adopt A River's next general cleanup will be held this September on a Saturday yet to be determined. For more information about Adopt A River, or to volunteer for a future cleanup, call Mid-MEAC at 485-9001. |
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 We offer nine different options for paying your BWL bill, ranging from low tech to high tech, and all levels of tech in between, from paying your bill directly at our customer service center located at 1232 Haco Drive in Lansing, to paying online with a credit card. Check out all your options in the Customer Services section of our Web site. Also in this section, youÕll find conservation tips for water and electricity, information on how to read your BWL utility bill, and how you can give a gift of energy by purchasing a BWL gift certificate. |
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Electricity-related fires can happen in your home, at work, or just about anywhere. ThatÕs why itÕs so important that we treat electricity with care and respect. ItÕs also why May has been designated as national Electrical Safety Month. We have lots of good information about electrical safety on our Web site at www.lbwl.com. Basic information on safety and the fundamentals of electricity can be found in the Residential Services section of our Web site. For electrical safety information geared especially to children, check out our For the Kids section and click on Electric Universe. |
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City of Lansing residents can sign up for the service by calling 483-4400 and providing a credit card number. The cart will be delivered on the next business day. Current customers may pay their bills by mail or telephone using their credit card if they wish. The blue carts make trash day a simple task. The City also picks up recycling and yard waste on the same day. Make it easy on yourself; have one collection day for everything. Call 483-4400 for more information. |
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For just 5 bucks you'll get an all-you-can-eat wristband that lets you sample chili prepared by 25 participating restaurants and organizations. This year's cook-off will be the biggest and best yet, stretching nearly 1/4 mile along the River Trail by the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. Your $5 wristband also entitles you to enjoy some hot live music featuring two of Lansing's most popular bands, Steppin' In It and Those Delta Rhythm Kings. It all happens from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 7, in downtown Lansing. |
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Enjoy more than 30 area attractions, free CATA shuttles, live entertainment, refreshments and more. Passports are on sale for just $1 at the customer service desk at the Visitors Center in Old Town, at the Lansing Mall and Meridian Mall, and the Grand River Avenue office of AAA. Among the attractions will be the State Capitol, Michigan Historical Museum, Impression 5 Science Center, MSU Museum, Potter Park Zoo and many more. DonÕt miss special tours of the new Grand River Assembly Plant, the public kickoff of the ÒSculpture in the StreetsÓ exhibit in downtown Lansing, autographs with Lugnuts baseball players and much more. Call 487-6800 for more information. |
Thanks
to a newly designed Web site, it's now easier and faster for BWL customers
to find useful information about their hometown utility. 
When
the BWL organized this community effort in 1994 we frankly weren't sure
what to expect. How many groups would adopt specific sections of the Grand
and Red Cedar rivers? How many people would show up for our general river
cleanup days? 
Every
year, 40,000 residential fires across the U.S. are caused by problems
with electrical wiring systems. These fires claim more than 180 lives
and injure another 12,400 people. 
