If you were one of the thousands without power for nearly a week, you could get a break on next month's bill.

Puget Sound Energy says it plans to give a $50 credit to customers who lost power for five or more days during last week's winter storm.

"The prolonged power outages from the storms created a real hardship for many of our customers," said Sue McLain, PSE senior vice president of Delivery Operations. "The bill credit won't take back the dark evenings and chill in the bones that many families experienced. Rather, it is a gesture of our appreciation for their understanding and patience."

According to PSE, this is the first time, since passing the 120-consecutive-hour power outage credit in 2008, the utility has had to activate it.

PSE says the credit will automatically be provided to all customers without power for five days or longer.

The credit should show up on your Feb. 15th bill.

If it doesn't - you should notify PSE at: 888-225-5773.

Federal Way homeowners who have trees and branches littering their yards from last week’s snow storm can recycle them for free, through the city.

For two weeks, the city is providing residents with free curbside collection during regular garbage service.

“We recognize that everybody is struggling to dig out from the storm’s aftermath, and yard debris is one of the big problems,” says Cary Roe, Public Works and Parks Director. “The free debris collection will make that work a bit easier, and less expensive, for our residents.”

The collection, which the city is paying for with budgeted maintenance funds, is from Jan. 30 through Feb. 10.

Here are the details from the city:

To take advantage of the free service, residents need to place yard debris in small piles at the curb prior

to their regular garbage service day. This service is available within Federal Way to all single-family

and condominium residences eligible for weekly curbside garbage collection, even if they are not

currently a Waste Management customer.

Start revising your summer vacation plans – the Federal Way School District has announced snow make-up days, which will last through late June.

The make-up days will be:                          

• Tue., May 29 (a day previously built into the regular calendar as a potential snow make-up day)
• Mon., June 18
• Tue., June 19, and
• Wed., June 20

The Federal Way School Board approved the make-up days yesterday during its board meeting. The board of directors voted to approve changes to the 2011-2012 school year calendar to make up the 4 days lost to weather-related closures last week.