Spring cleaning

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  As the first official day of spring arrived March 20, Ellsworth housing residents are reminded to devote time toward caring for their house and yard.

The housing office encourages Airmen and their families living on base to stay abreast of the rules regarding base housing.

"This is a great time for residents to get out and get all unwanted debris picked up around their unit," said Stacey Heverly, 28th Civil Engineering Squadron housing management assistant. "This should include the raking of leaves, cleaning up trash and picking up dog feces."

Residents are also reminded they are allowed to plant flowers or individual vegetables only in already established flower beds. The exception for this involves residents of Dakota Ridge, Rushmore Heights and Prairie View, where flowers may only be planted in containers. All flower and vegetable plantings must be kept neat, clean and clear of debris.

Along with tending flower or vegetable gardens, Mrs. Heverly reminds residents they are required to maintain a neat and well-trimmed lawn. All military family housing areas are subject to periodic inspection and discrepancy notices will be issued for houses failing to comply with standards.

"As people clean out their yards they should do an exterior inspection of their unit to see if there are any areas housing maintenance might need to be aware of," she said. "Keeping on top of problem areas is a great way to keep units in the best possible condition."

Mrs. Heverly said one of the simplest ways for someone to maintain their yard is to adhere to the watering schedule provided by the housing office.

· Watering is permitted from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on designated days.
· There is no overnight watering allowed.
· Housing units with addresses ending in even numbers may water on the even-numbered days of the month.
· Housing units with addresses ending in odd numbers may water on the odd-numbered days of the month.
· There is no watering allowed on the 31st day of the month.

In keeping housing units maintained, Mrs. Heverly said residents often miss several simple rules which can save them a lot of trouble in the future.

"When a resident is planning on being away for an extended length of time, it's important they turn the water off in their unit," she said. "During the winter months, if the heat is turned off but the water is still turned on then pipes can freeze and break. This causes a lot of damage not only to the unit but also to personal possessions."

Residents are required to provide the housing office with dates they will be gone, as well as the name and contact information of the person watching the house during their absence, said Mrs. Heverly.

"If there is a problem that develops with the residence then the housing office and DGR has a person to contact and can take care of the problem."

The housing office is also the point of contact for authorizing self-help work done by a resident to their quarters.

"Normally, a self-help project is to improve living conditions," Mrs. Heverly said. "Self-help work must not generate additional maintenance or repair costs for the government."