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NEWS / WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Ditch the old digs without disaster
Tis the season for moving out. and here's how to get it done
BY MEGAN RUPP mrupp@kansan.com
Moving can be an overwhelming time for anyone. July and August are peak moving months in Lawrence and the summerheat doesn't help matters.
Andrew Noyes, a recent graduate from Wichita said moving in July was more painful than in other months.
"We planned on doing it earlier when it was 75 degrees and nice," Noyes said. "But it turned out when we moved it was 97 and humid that day, which made it a lot worse."
For students who need to get rid of their belongings,the city provides multiple services for recycling unwanted goods that may make the transition easier. Megan Gilliland communications manager for the City of Lawrence, explains five simple ways to make moving out a smoother process.
Ryan Waqqoner/KANSAN
1. START, STOP OR TRANSFER UTILITY SERVICES ONLINE
Many residents have chosen to take advantage of the convenience of online services. Last year online activity increased from 405 transactions in June to 1,384 in July, revealing later summer months as peak moving time Gilliland said. To manage your water services go to www.lawrenceks.org/utility_billing/.
2. RECYCLE ELECTRONIC GOODS
The city will hold the Lawrence
Electronic Recycling Event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. October 23 at Free State High School, 4700 Overland Drive. Gilliland encouraged residents to take advantage of the opportunity to recycle old computers, printers, stereos, microwaves and other used electronics. There is a $10 charge to recycle computer monitors and a $15 fee for televisions. All other goods are free.
"It's pretty popular because it's an easy way to get rid of otherwise cumbersome things like couches
3. HAVE BULKY ITEMS PICKED UP
and TVs," Gilliland said. The best option for large items that are no longer usable is to call Solid Waste at (785) 832-3030.
4. HOLD A MOVING SALE OR DONATE TO CHARITIES
Usable goods do not need to be thrown away in the mayhem of moving. If you don't have the time to hold a moving sale, or if you have items left over, you can donate to various charities in Lawrence. The Salvation Army Thrift Store, 1601 W. 23rd St., accepts clothing, rugs, bedding, pillows and other
small goods. Call (785) 856-1115 to donate.
Tina Hernandez, manager of the thrift store, said the store would be happy to take anything except baby items.
"We haven't seen too many students. We're still trying to get our store out there and noticed by them," Hernandez said. "But overall this is still one of the best times of year for us because it's garage sale season, so we see a lot of that overflow coming in, which is very helpful."
Friends of the Lawrence Public Library also accepts donations of
gently used books, CDs or videos. Call Friends coordinator Ruth DeWitt at (785) 843-3833 to donate.
5. BICYCLE DONATIONS
Unwanted bicycles can be dropped off at the Street Maintenance Division, 1120 Haskell Avenue, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Call (855) 832-3031.
Donating used bicycles can be helpful during move-out time, but it also serves a greater purpose. Gilliland said that once about 50 bikes have been collected, they are moved to Lansing Correctional Facility.
"The prisoners at the facility refurbish them and then they're donated back into the Lansing community," Gilliland said.
Each year Lawrence residents donate 100 or more bicycles to the program, Gilliland said.
- Kirsten Kwon contributed to the reporting of this story.