Seattle Public Utilities customers who signed up for curbside yard-waste collection can put their Christmas trees and greens out for free pickup on their regular yard-waste collection day, as long as the tree is not flocked or still decorated.

Trees must be cut into sections no longer than 6 feet, with branches trimmed to under 4 feet to fit into collection trucks. Sections should be bundled with string or twine.

Trees that are flocked or decorated with tinsel or ornaments will be collected as extra garbage. But they must be cut into 3-foot pieces, and each piece will be charged as extra garbage at $5.50 a piece.

Seattle residents can drop off holiday trees and greens for composting for free at the city's north and south recycling and disposal stations today through Jan. 11.

For composting, trees must be cut into sections no longer than 8 feet, and the trunk must be no bigger than 4 inches in diameter. The limit is three trees per vehicle, and only trees without decoration or flocking can be composted.

The city's two recycling and disposal stations — at 1350 N. 34th St. in the Fremont/Wallingford area, and 8100 Second Ave. S. in the South Park area — will be open regular hours, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but closed on New Year's Day. Information: 206-684-8400.

Collection schedule

Concerned about garbage, recycling and yard-waste pickups? If you're a Seattle resident with normal Thursday pickup, your pickup this week will be today.

Waste will be picked up tomorrow for customers who normally have collections on Friday.

Online site-seeing

The latest Seattle Times School Guide, which examines 242 public and private secondary schools in the Seattle area to give parents information about test scores, class sizes, parent involvement and more, is online at www.seattletimes.com/schoolguide/.

The guide also is available at area Bartell Drug stores for $6.95. A $2 discount coupon runs periodically in The Seattle Times. Copies also are available at The Seattle Times office or by mail. Call 206-464-3113 for information.

Can you help?

The Family Law CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of King County is recruiting volunteers to be advocates for children involved in contested family-law cases in the King County Superior Court system.

The agency trains volunteers three times a year, and the next training session begins in January.

For information, call Gretchen Reed at 206-748-9700.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.