Community

Being Neighborly | Keeping a neighborhood safe, one slippery leaf at a time

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Community stories are made possible in part by Peninsula Light Co, a proud sponsor of Gig Harbor Now.

Fall brings a beauty all its own, with maples and Pacific dogwood leaves revealing a crimson hue. The vibrant yellow of ginkgo, birch and aspen dot the landscape.

But the leaves begin to fall soon after they turn. They can create a hazard for driveways, walkways and streets, leaving a slick surface when the rains begin.

Nancy Hueston’s Rosedale neighborhood features a paved road that leads to homes on large wooded lots. Deciduous trees are a prominent feature.

The colorful leaves on those trees create a beautiful landscape. But as the season progresses, the leaves, as well as fir cones and fir needles from the evergreens scatter across paved driveways and walkways — creating a hazard for older pedestrians.

Leaf blowers can make the job of cleanup easier, but Hueston said that it’s her neighbor Mike Jewell who has helped the most. She said he deserves to be recognized for helping his neighbors.

A Japanese maple begins to lose leaves in a Rosedale neighborhood. Keeping the streets and driveways cleared of leaves is a big job, and one neighbor, Mike Jewell, has been helping. Photo by Marsha Hart

“He’s doing it out of the kindness of his heart,” Hueston said. “I have a pretty long driveway. I did blow part of the driveway, but the extension on the cord could only reach so far.”

When Jewell saw that Hueston couldn’t reach the rest, he finished it for her. But he didn’t stop there. He began taking care of the whole driveway. She appreciates his willingness to help. She said Jewell has been clearing leaves in the entire cul-de-sac.

Jewell himself downplays his part in helping to keep the areas clear of leaves, she said, but to Hueston it is one act of kindness that has helped to make her neighborhood a great place to live.

“It’s not something we asked him to do,” Hueston said, “he just started doing it, and it looks amazing. He says it only takes him five extra minutes, and acts very humble about it. I think it takes him a little bit more than that.”