Facebook Page Spreads Misinformation about Huntington Woods Waste Collection

A Facebook page claiming to be affiliated with the city of Huntington Woods has been spreading false information about waste collection, according to the Public Works Department.

DPW manager Claire Galed said a message claiming trash and recycling pickup would move from Tuesday to Monday through February, followed by an evaluation to decide whether Huntington Woods would switch to another service provider, is false.

"There would never be a change of such a magnitude affecting everyone’s behavior without ample notification," Galed said.

"Our company is Tringali (Sanitation) and our collection day is Tuesday except when the following holidays fall on Monday or Tuesday: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July (not in 2013), Christmas Day. No change for other federal holidays, e.g. MLKing Day or President's Day," she wrote in a message to residents.

Environmental Advisory Committee member Janet Turner was among the first to report the page Saturday morning, according to Galed.

"I had been to (an Environmental Advisory Committee) meeting Thursday night with Claire and she hadn't said anything about a change," Turner said. "I knew immediately something was wrong."

It is unclear who created the page, which bears the Huntington Woods city logo and appears to have been launched in 2008.

"I had friended the page a while back. I don't remember how I found it," Turner said. "But, I see a lot of people I know on there. Very strange, isn't it?"

Huntington Woods does not have a citywide Facebook account, Galed said, adding that the Parks & Recreation Department, Public Safety and Huntington Woods – The Recyclers pages on Facebook are legitimate.

"I have no clue why anyone would have done this," Galed said. "It seems kind of silly. I did alert Public Safety so that no one would be ticketed for putting out their recycling and trash Sunday night. I do know from some calls on Monday that some people did do so."

[Do you know the source of the mystery Facebook page? Leave a comment!]