Be cool and save money

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A few simple steps can help you and your family be more comfortable at home for less money.

(NAPSI) — Many Americans may be surprised to learn that almost half their utility bill goes toward heating and cooling their home. Fortunately, the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program offers resources to help you beat the heat—all while saving a, saving money and protecting the climate. Here’s how:

Maintain or Upgrade Your HVAC System

Check your system’s air filters. A dirty air filter will make the system work harder to keep you cool, wasting energy. Filters should be inspected once a month during heavy use.

If your heating and cooling equipment is more than 10 years old or it needs frequent repairs, it may be time to consider a replacement. The ENERGY STAR Heating and Cooling Guide helps you navigate an HVAC equipment upgrade that will keep you comfortable and help you save money, year round. Visit www.energystar.gov/HVACguide.

Get a Smart Thermostat

A WiFi-enabled smart thermostat automatically adjusts your home’s temperature settings for optimal performance. ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostats are independently certified, based on actual field data, to deliver energy savings.

Need a New Room AC?

On average, ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners use 10 percent less energy and cost less than $70 per year to run.

Learn More

You can find other savings tips at www.energystar.gov/cooling.

What to ask when hiring a contractor

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Asking the right questions of potential contractors can help you feel sure they’ll do the job right.

(NAPSI)—With record-high real estate prices, a growing number of homeowners are remodeling or renovating their existing homes rather than buying new. Increased demand and continued supply chain issues, however, have led to delays in getting quotes, uncertainties in the availability of materials, rising costs and an increase in homeowner frustration.

Whether you’re looking at a new roof or siding, adding a deck, upgrading windows or insulation, you want to find a contractor who gets it right on the first try (and can meet today’s fast-turn demand).

What To Ask

To help, here are three important questions to ask potential contractors so you can find the right resource in a challenging environment:

1. “Do I need to meet with you in person to get a quote?”

Contractors have followed the same manual transaction processes for decades. But home visits with pad-and-paper estimating is outdated, especially with digital-savvy homeowners.

Today, roofing, fencing and even siding companies can provide a preliminary quote without sending representatives to your house. Satellite measurements and a quick phone call are all you need to understand basic pricing and inventory availability for shingles, siding or lumber. Digital sales platforms help homeowners quickly compare contractors and reduce the time to get multiple estimates.

2. “How soon can you start?”

How quickly a contractor can begin depends on pricing and availability of labor and materials. Be wary of contractors who offer services for unbelievably low prices—it’s safer to pay more for a premium, professional job than take a gamble on a risky contractor.

Top contractors will prepare a digital estimate, taking current pricing into account. Using dynamic tools, your contractor should be able to make real-time changes to estimates and contracts to show how the materials selected will influence the schedule and cost. Similarly, such contractors will have access to real-time inventory via a mobile device so you can choose products, such as shingles, that are actually available, reducing delays.

3.“How do you handle changes?”

This is another area where a contractor using a digital sales platform can add value. By plugging in different options, your contractor should be able to tell you exactly how changes will affect cost and timing. No need to wait days for a return phone call—using digital documents means a revised quote and contract can be sent quickly, helping to keep projects moving.

Learn More

For further facts about digital tools to look for in a contractor, visit www.leaptodigital.com.

Pointers on purchasing a zero-turn mower

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A few simple steps to find the right mower for you.

(NAPSI)—More time spent at home is prompting homeowners across America to improve their property’s curb appeal. With an increased focus on their yards, many individuals are looking to upgrade their old lawn mowers to something newer and equipped with more features. Zero-turn mowers, for example, are designed to ensure a picture-perfect cut with every mow. But with various options to choose from, the process can sometimes feel overwhelming. When researching which zero-turn mower is right for your property, consider the following:

Where will you purchase your mower? A good starting point is a local outdoor power equipment dealer. Dealers are experts in their field, can provide thorough answers to your questions and service your mower when the time comes. In addition, they’ll be able to help guide you towards the right mower by asking pertinent questions such as, how big is the lawn you’re mowing? How often do you mow your lawn? This will help the dealer narrow down which units will best meet your needs.

The primary operator should be comfortable with the mower, understand how to operate it and take it for a test drive to get a feel for how it operates. For example, the zero-turn mowers from Hustler Turf, a leading brand of outdoor power equipment and originator of the twin-lever zero-turn mower, function the same as pushing a shopping cart.

Next, think about storage. Like most pieces of machinery, mowers last longer when properly stored in a shed or large garage that will protect against weather, rust and other damage. Once you decide on your zero-turn, ensure it will fit into your shed. Deck sizes vary, so there’s a chance the unit might be too wide to fit.

Finally, consider your lawn’s conditions. Does it tend to be damp? Uneven? Covered in obstacles, like trees and bushes? The right mower will meet your lawn’s needs. For example, Hustler Turf’s recently modified Raptor family of residential mowers come standard with BigBite tires, which handle better than regular tires in any type of turf conditions. Re-engineered from the ground up, the Raptor series packs more performance, reliability and features to deliver a fluid mowing experience.

Bumpy or uneven lawns might require a unit with a more comfortable seat and better suspension to ensure a smoother ride. Each Hustler Raptor model now has a tougher, wider one-piece tubular frame with stylish bolstered seats, standard arm rests and rubberized floor mats for more user comfort.

These considerations will make the purchase process easier on you in the long run. Your local dealer will also help you along this process from start to finish and make sure you go home with the zero-turn that is best for you.

Learn More

For more information on zero-turn mowers and where to find a nearby dealer, visit www.hustlerturf.com.

Chamber names customer service specialist

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Katelyn Hood

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce located in Waterville, Maine, welcomes Katelyn Hood as its new customer service specialist. Katelyn has been named to the position, replacing Patricia Michaud, who retired following nearly eight years with the Chamber.

Hood had served in various accounting, payroll, banking, and human resources positions in the area. Her most recent position was payroll administrator for Klein­schmidt Associates, Inc., where she was responsible for payroll functions and tax reporting.

A graduate of Nokomis Regional High School, in Newport, Katelyn graduated from Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield, with an associate degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting.

Included in her new duties as customer service specialist will be oversight of new member orientation and new member acquisition, website maintenance, member invoicing and customer service assistance. She will also participate in many of the Chamber’s signature events.

Mid-Maine Chamber President and CEO Kimberly Lindlof said of Hood: “I look forward to having Katelyn on our team. She has a wealth of experience that will prove beneficial in this role. Her understanding of financial programs and reporting, as well as her positive attitude will be welcomed by our board and committee members, as well as our membership in general. The Chamber is also hoping to capitalize on Katelyn’s knowledge of the area. Our team is pleased to welcome her aboard.”

Hood resides in Pittsfield with her son, Finn.

WATERVILLE: New president named at Inland Hospital

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Tricia Mercer

Northern Light Health has announced that Tricia Mercer will become the next president of Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood. In this role, Mercer will also serve as a Northern Light senior vice president. She will succeed Terri Vieira, who retired earlier this month.

Tim Dentry, Northern Light Health’s president and CEO said, “Tricia has excellent healthcare experience and we’re excited that she is already part of the Northern Light team, having served as associate vice president of our Medical Group Operations since 2019. She has had great success with improving access to care, enhancing provider engagement, and she is a proud Mainer who is dedicated to community involvement.”

Dentry continued, “Tricia’s background shows her core commitment to helping people. Previously, she was executive director of the Medical Group at Saratoga Hospital, in New York, and division administrator at UPMC-Magee Women’s Hospital, in Pittsburgh. She was an adjunct professor of healthcare management, a president and CEO of a medical billing company, and is a proud Navy veteran.”

Mercer shared, “I look forward to joining the Inland/Lakewood family and continuing to help Northern Light meet its mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. I recognize and value the caring culture we have, and I’m proud of how staff go above and beyond to make healthcare work for our patients and residents every day. I can’t wait to be part of Inland and Lakewood’s bright future and help contribute to the vitality of the greater Waterville area.”

Mercer is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and earned an MBA in Healthcare Management. She is a graduate of Foxcroft Academy, in Dover-Foxcroft, where she grew up and her parents still live today. She and her fiancé have five children.

Mercer begins her new role on May 9.

China’s Spirit of America awards presented at select board meeting

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Clockwise from top left: Ronald Emery, Sandra Isaac, James Lane, Elaine Philbrick, Anita Smith, Scott Pierz. (photos courtesy of Becky Hapgood)

by Mary Grow

The three China Select Board members present at the April 25 meeting unanimously approved new transfer station hours. Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood hopes to implement the change by the middle of May, when summer people begin arriving.

The new hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The transfer station will be closed Sundays and Mondays, as it has been for years, and will also be closed Thursdays.

Total open hours will be 38 over the four days. Hapgood said attendants will have a 40-hour work week, as they come early to get ready to open and stay after closing to finish the day’s work.

Ronald Breton

In another major piece of business April 25, select board Chairman Ronald Breton presented Spirit of America awards for volunteer service to six China residents:

  • Scott Pierz, for helping protect China Lake’s water quality as town codes officer and later head of the China Lake Association and the China Region Lakes Alliance;
  • Ronald Emery, for many years of work with Boy Scout Troop 479;
  • James Lane, for 30-plus years of service in many positions, including as town constable (“I can’t say no,” Lane responded);
  • Sandra Isaac for her work with the China for a Lifetime Committee and the China Village volunteer fire department; and
  • Elaine Philbrook and Anita Smith (who was unable to attend the meeting) for their oversight of the Community Forest at China Schools.

Breton thanked all the recipients for the time and effort they donated to the community.

He also commended Hapgood for earning her certifications as treasurer and tax collector from the Maine Municipal Tax Collectors and Treasurers Association.

Much of the rest of the meeting was spent on preparations for the June 14 annual town business meeting. Select board members certified the wording of the solar moratorium ordinance voters will be asked to approve. Hapgood asked them to review a mailing she intends to send out explaining the June 14 ballot.

Board members will hold a public hearing on the June 14 warrant articles at 6 p.m. Monday, May 9, in the town office meeting room, before their regular meeting that night.

Hapgood listed other important dates leading up the town business meeting:

  • Absentee ballots will be available from the town office beginning Monday, May 16.
  • Public hearings on the Kennebec County budget, of which China pays a share, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, in the Chace Community Forum at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons, 150 Main Street,
  • Waterville; and at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in the first-floor conference room at Hill House, 125 State Street, Augusta.
  • The district budget meeting on the 2022-23 Regional School Unit (RSU) 18 budget, of which China pays a share, will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at Messalonskee High School Performing Arts Center in Oakland. This is the meeting at which voters from the five RSU 18 towns (Belgrade, China, Oakland, Rome and Sidney) approve the budget.
  • RSU absentee ballots will be available Friday, May 20.

On June 14, China voters will vote by written ballot on a 38-article municipal warrant; the RSU budget referendum approving or rejecting the May 19 budget; and state primary election candidates. Local elections for members of China boards are held in November.

Polls will be open June 14 in the former portable classroom behind the town office from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Documents for the meeting, including details about the proposed budget, the solar moratorium ordinance (Art. 37) and the revised comprehensive plan (Art. 38), are on the town website, china.govoffice.com, under the Elections tab.

China For A Lifetime Volunteer Program cleans up after a storm

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Scott Haines, foreground, and Bob Lesperance, from All Around Home Maintenance, volunteered for China For A Lifetime. (contributed photo)

by Jeanne Marquis

The volunteer program of the China For A Lifetime (CFAL) committee helps local elderly and people with physical challenges who may not be able to otherwise afford certain seasonal help. During last week’s storm, an enormous pine tree fell across the driveway of an older couple on Pleasant View Ridge. Luckily their neighbors Matt and Laura were able to clear enough to enable the couple’s van in the garage and the wheelchair up the ramp. The following Saturday, CFAL assembled a crew to chainsaw through the rest of the tree and stack wood to be removed at a later date. Scott Haines and Bob Lesperance skillfully handled their chainsaws on a tree with a diameter far wider than their blades. Scott and Bob are in the process of starting their own business, All Around Property Maintenance. Wood stackers included Nick Marquis, Megan Marquis and Jeanne Marquis.

As the need for serving elders increases in China, CFAL is seeking volunteers in all areas: light yard work, minor home repair, grocery shopping assistance and drivers to medical appointments. To volunteer, contact us on ChinaForaLifetime@gmail.com. The first week of May, we will need volunteers to help clean up gardens and take yard waste to the transfer station. We will schedule the yard clean up sessions around the volunteers’ availability.

PHOTOS: Area food pantries walk to feed ME

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Vassalboro Food Pantry team included, from left to right, Mary White w/Maggie, Cindy Ferland w/Feebee, Diane Bailey w/Midget and Shadow. Not in photo, Albert Ferland who was taking the picture.

The China Community Food Pantry’s Team that participated in the Feed ME 5K walk were, front row, from left to right, James Maxwell, Ann Austin, Rachel Maxwell, Naomi Harwath and Kimberly Goneau. Back, Brad Bickford, Caley Pillow and Aurie Maxwell.

Meanwhile, volunteers back at the China Food Pantry hold down the fort and prepare to serve clients.

Volunteers at China Community Food Pantry, from left to right, Cindi Orlando, Donna, and Jen Zendzian pack produce boxes.

On the porch at China Community Food Pantry: Kimberly Goneau, Peter Moulton, Jodi Blackinton and Susan Cottle stand ready to serve.

Contributed photos

Agriculture theme at Albert Church Brown Library

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Albert Church Brown Memorial Library in China Village (photo courtesy of library Facebook page)

Spring is here and with it the Albert Church Brown Library, in China Village, is jumpstarting its programs and events with a line-up of agricultural themed activities. The upcoming schedule will provide an opportunity for the community gather indoors and out while easing back into a regular schedule. Attendees are encouraged to use their own discretion regarding masking and social distancing. All events are free.

As the library launches its new Seed Sharing Library, Heron Breen of FEDCO will be sharing his expertise on Seed Saving on Sunday, April 24, at 2 p.m.

All are invited to come to Local Farm Days to view presentations of are farmers and producers. this family friendly event on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be a Story and Craft Time at 11 a.m. for the children, along with activities throughout the day. Perhaps you’ll win one of the door prizes that are donated by the vendors. Local farmers and producers are invited to participate in Local Farm Days to display and sell their goods and introduce their farms and businesses to the community. Please contact the library for an application at chinalibraryacb@gmail.com.

Some other programs: The Knitting Group has resumed meeting at the library on Tuesday afternoons from 3 – 5 p.m. Come and stitch a while.

A Themed Book Club will meet the fourth Thursday of the month at 1 p.m.. Books in any genre, according to the chosen theme will be discussed. Please contact the library website for updates.

Children’s Story & Craft Time will be held on the second Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. We will also meet up at the China School Forest for a Spring Story & Craft on Saturday, April 30, at 11 a.m., to go with the library sponsored StoryWalk® throughout the month of May.

For more information about these and/or other events and programs, please visit chinalibrary.org, follow on Facebook @chinalibrary, or stop by the library at 37 Main St., China Village on Tues. & Thurs. 2 – 6 p.m., and Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Files inducted in NHS

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Roger Files, a 12th-grader from Palermo, was recently inducted into the National Honor Society at Maine Connections Academy. He is among a total group of 12 students who received National Honor Society membership at the school, the state’s first online charter school. He plans to enter the workforce following graduation.