ROAD PAVING

The Borough will be paving the remainder of Thornberry Drive, Lewin Lane and Nottingham Drive in the Spring / Summer of 2010. Notices will be posted and residents will be notified.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS

The Office of Property Assessments will be conducting field reviews in our municipality over the next few weeks. The purpose of these reviews is to verify property data, which includes the grade and condition of your property, as well as verifying features such as the exterior finish and any additions made to the property.

The Property Assessment Data Reviewers are required to openly display their photo ID's and are required to wear green safety vests that read "Property Assessments".

Property owners do not need to be present for the review process. Most of the time data reviewers will be able to verify property data from their vehicles. In the event that data reviewers should need to further inspect the exterior of your property, they may knock on the door to notify the resident. If no one answers the door, the data reviewer will measure the exterior of the property.

If you have any additional concerns or questions, you may call the OPA Public Information line at 412-350-4600 between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or email OPA@alleghenycounty.us

SEWER WORK

Alcosan will be raising their overall costs by 7%. The new rates for a basic service charge will increase from $3.77 to $4.04 for each thousand gallons of water used.

THE BOROUGH OF CHURCHILL'S SEWER SURCHARGE WILL REMAIN AT $2.50 PER 1,000 GALLONS OF WATER USED.

Sewer work will be performed on Marbury, Elmhill, & Barton roads. Also, camera work will be performed throughout the Borough. If a contractor will be working on your property, you will be notified. All work should commence in April, 2010.

 

OAK WILT ALERT

 Churchill Borough is home to a large number of mature oak (Quercus) tress, particularly in the aptly named Royal Oak section off Beulah Road.  With homeowner help, these oaks survived the gypsy moth surge of 1990, but the trees are now threatened by an aggressive fungal disease called oak wilt.  The fungus (Ceratocystis fagacearum) appears to be an eastern U.S. native, unlike the chestnut blight that was introduced from Asia.  However, oak wilt has the potential to be equally lethal, especially to black, red, and pin oaks, all of which can die of wilt infections in a matter of weeks or months.  White oaks die more slowly, one branch at a time, over several years.

   Infection occurs when the fungus moves underground across the connected roots of closely planted oaks.  It can also be carried considerable distances from tree to tree by sap beetles and other insects that feed on the fruity-smelling spore mats breaking through the bark of newly killed trees.  Symptoms of oak wilt infection vary somewhat, but include rapid leaf discoloration, wilting, leaf drop, and death.  The top of the tree crown is the first to be affected, suddenly undergoing an off-green to bronze color in early summer followed by severe wilting, leaf drop, and death.  There are other afflictions suffered by oaks (e.g. anthracnose, “oak decline,” borer insects, and the gypsy moth defoliations mentioned earlier), so accurate diagnosis of oak wilt by a licensed arborist is important before control measures are considered.  The city of Pittsburgh recently cleared several acres of infected oaks in Frick Park in a “fingers crossed” effort to block the spread of oak wilt. 

If you have an oak tree on your property be aware that its life may be abruptly ended if it becomes infected.  There are no known “cures”, but fungicides like propiconazol can prevent oak wilt if injected into healthy, non-symptomatic trees.  The treatment is expensive and creates injection wounds that may themselves become infection sites.  Oaks have some natural resistance to fungal infections but it varies genetically in individual trees, as do all traits.  Probably the best thing is to help your tree stay healthy throughout its natural life span.

 ·         Never prune an oak tree between April and November.  This is good advice for most tree species.  Late fall through winter is the best time to do trimming because trees are dormant,their sap is quiescent, and the spread of disease through fresh cuts is minimized.                           

·         Avoid injuring healthy trees.  Keep mowers and other equipment from hitting tree trunks.  If Injury occurs accidentally or from a severe storm treat the wounds with wound dressing or tree “paint”.  Such treatments are not advised for general use since they seal in water along with infections, but they may protect against oak wilt during the vulnerable growing season.  They should not be used during the dormant months.

·         Irrigate your oak tree during prolonged droughts to minimize water stress.  One inch of water per week is the general rule and drip methods are best.  Water early in the day for maximum effectiveness, allowing time for surfaces to dry before the evening cool that encourages fungal growth and slug foraging.

·         Feed your tree in early spring and again in early summer when the need for minerals and water is especially high.  Use an all-purpose garden fertilizer with no added herbicides or insecticides, following package directions carefully.

·         Never transport “found wood” from other areas for use at your home.  If not properly dried and treated, it may harbor the spores of pathogens, including oak wilt.  Chestnut blight was probably brought to this country in imported lumber around 1900, and by 1940 all mature American chestnut trees were wiped out. 

Oak wilt has been known in the U.S. since 1944 but its impact has been felt only since the 1980’s.  Its increasing effect may be related to genetic changes in the fungus, aging of oak trees, increased development and construction wounding in oak woodlands, weather extremes and climate shifts, or other factors.  Much more research is needed but our magnificent oaks may be running out of time.