Federal agents raid Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's home in D.C.

 

LIVE: Federal agents raid Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's home in D.C.

ABC 7 News - WJLA

Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's home was searched by federal agents with Homeland Security on Monday morning as part of a criminal investigation, sources confirmed to the Associated Press.

The Home Training Ground | Our High Calling - September 13

 

It's time to build something big

Part 2: Building a huge cabin with my own hands

Part 3: I Spent 8 Days on the ROOF Building My Dream Wooden House

Homestead Revival: "How to Heat Your Home the Old-Fashioned Way"

Tax-Payer Funded Housing as Leaked Senate Bill Legalizes Illegal Immigra...

Are You Ready To Take Action & Move Out Of The City? Guests: Greg & Dani...

It’s Official. All New California Homes Must Incorporate Solar

“There are 100,000 customers annually that will see the acquisition of solar as a normal part of their home transaction.”

Julia Pyper

May 09, 2018

Julia Pyper

Senior Editor
Greentech Media

Julia Pyper is a Senior Editor at Greentech Media covering clean energy policy, the solar industry, grid edge technologies and electric mobility. She previously reported for E&E Publishing, and has covered clean energy and climate change issues across the U.S. and abroad, including in Haiti, Israel and the Maldives. Julia holds degrees from McGill and Columbia Universities. Find her on Twitter @JMPyper.

It's an historic moment for clean energy.


Starting in 2020, virtually all new homes in California will be required to incorporate advanced efficiency measures and rooftop solar — in a historic development for clean energy in the state.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) voted to adopt the policy today as part of the state’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards, following more than two years of work with a wide range of stakeholders to develop the technical requirements.

Updates to the Title 24 standards are projected to reduce home energy use by 53 percent compared to the current code, saving Californians $1.7 billion in energy costs over the next 30 years. This calculation, conducted by the CEC, does not take into account increased energy demands or a reductions in technology costs, which could result in even greater savings over time.

The new rules apply specifically to all new residences and major home renovations on buildings under three stories, starting on January 1, 2020. In the event a building isn’t suitable for a rooftop array, the standards require homes have access to community solar or offset energy usage through additional efficiency gains.

Around 15,000 new homes are built each year that include solar panels, according to the CEC. When the new standards take effect, that number is expected to jump to around 100,000 new solar homes per year.

“This is an undeniably historic decision for the state,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The Best Place to Live in the United States? Here Are 9 Maps to Consider

Michael Snyder
The American Dream
March 24th, 2015








If you could live anywhere in America during the tumultuous years ahead, where would it be? This is a topic that is hotly debated, and the truth is that there is not a single right answer. If you have a very strong family support system where you are, it might not be right to try to move 2000 miles away and start a new life from scratch. And for many Americans, moving is out of the question in the short-term because they are completely and totally dependent on employment in their local areas. But in recent years we have seen an increasing number of Americans strategically relocate to another region of the country. They can see our society breaking down and they can see the storm clouds on the horizon and they want to do what they can to prepare themselves and their families for what is ahead. So is there a “best place to live” in the United States? Are there some areas that are preferable to others? The following are 9 maps to consider…

#1 Population Density

When the U.S. economy crashes and civil unrest starts erupting in our cities, ideally you will want to be living in an area with low population density. In other words, the fewer people around the better. The map below represents population density with a series of yellow dots. As you can see, the west coast and the eastern half of the nation are generally very crowded. So if you are looking for an area with lots of “breathing room”, the area between the Mississippi River and the west coast is a good place to look.



#2 Average Precipitation

Unfortunately, the western half of the nation is also generally very dry. So if you are planning to grow your own food during a time of economic and social turmoil, that is something to keep in mind. There are a few areas between the Mississippi River and the west coast that do get plenty of rainfall (northern Idaho for example), but those areas are few and far between.



#3 Drought

The latest national map from the U.S. Drought Monitor is the next map that I have shared. The multi-year drought in the state of California is already the worst drought in the recorded history of the state, and many scientists believe that it could stretch on for many more years. But it isn’t just California that has been suffering. There are other areas in the Southwest that are starting to resemble the Dust Bowl days as well. So obviously these areas are not ideal if you plan to be self-sufficient and grow much of your own food during a time of great crisis.



#4 Average Snowfall

If you don’t like cold and snow, you will want to avoid the colored areas on this next map. And if you do plan to live in an area that gets plenty of cold and snow, you will want to have a solid plan for heating your home if the electrical grid goes down and is not available for an extended period of time.



#5 Average Homicides

In the years ahead, crime in the United States is likely to rise dramatically. If you are looking for somewhere safe, the areas that have relatively low crime rates right now will probably be better than areas that have relatively high crime rates right now. In general, rates of violent crime are higher in our major cities and in the Southeast.



#6 Taxes

For a lot of people, tax rates are extremely important when choosing a place to live. This next map shows the states where the state income tax rate is zero. But please keep in mind that there are other reasons why some of these states may be undesirable during an emergency situation.



#7 Nuclear Power Plants

We have all seen what a single nuclear power plant disaster can do in Japan. Well, in a future disaster scenario, we could potentially be facing multiple “Fukushimas” all at once here in the United States. The map below shows where nuclear reactors are located throughout America. You might want to think twice before moving in right next door to one.



#8 Tornadoes

A single giant tornado can absolutely shred the best laid plans of any family. There are some that feel completely and totally comfortable living right in the heart of “Tornado Alley”, and there are others that very much would like to avoid any area that is at high risk for tornadoes. As you can see from the map below, the highest risk areas are generally in the Southeast part of the nation.



Of course tornadoes are far from the only natural disaster to consider when choosing a place to live. For much more on all of this, check out these articles…

-“The New Madrid Earthquake That Will Divide The United States In Half”

-“East Coast Tsunami: If It Happens, MILLIONS Of Americans Could Die”

-“Why The Earthquake Near San Francisco Is Just The Start Of The Shaking In California”

-“Yellowstone Supervolcano Alert: The Most Dangerous Volcano In America Is Roaring To Life”

#9 Politics

For many Americans, moving to a politically-compatible area of the country is extremely important. The map below uses red and blue to represent the average margin of victory in recent presidential elections. The states that are very red voted very heavily for Republican candidates. The states that are very blue voted very heavily for Democratic candidates. The states that are purple were in the middle. But it is important to remember that there are areas within each state that tend to be more conservative or liberal than the state overall.



I noted more thoughts for each individual state in my previous article entitled “What Is The Best Place To Live In America? Pros And Cons For All 50 States“. But wherever you go, the truth is that no place is going to be perfect. The following is how Joel Skousen, the author of “Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places“, put it in one of his recent articles…


The more rural you are, the higher the cost of building, maintaining equipment and commuting to civilization—and, the higher your expenses for services including utilities, alternate energy and internet connectivity. The more your priorities emphasize closeness to a community, the higher your risks will be during a social meltdown, and the more precise must be your preparations to bug out to a separate retreat. So, as you see, there are always compromises in life, no matter if you spend $50,000 on your property or millions, there is no perfect property that will meet all your criteria. Focus on what’s most important for you, your family and/or group.

That was very well said.

No matter what other people are doing, you have to make the choices that are right for you and your family.

So what is your perspective on all of this?

What do you think is the best place to live in the United States?

Please feel free to add to the discussion by posting a comment below…

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple

Source

.

President Bush's national address on the Economic Crisis of 2008

President Bush Addresses Nation on Economic Crisis



tpmtv·


Uploaded on Sep 25, 2008

President Bush national address, September 24, 2008
.

Fathers disappear from households across America

Big increase in single mothers


By Luke Rosiak


The Washington Times

Tuesday, December 25, 2012





Fifteen million U.S. children, or 1 in 3, live without a father. ...more >

RELATED STORIES
Missing dads is a problem 
not only in poor 
homes



Nicole Hawkins‘ three daughters have matching glittery boots, but none has the same father. Each has uniquely colored ties in her hair, but none has a dad present in her life.

As another single mother on Sumner Road decked her row-house stoop with Christmas lights and a plastic Santa, Ms. Hawkins recalled that her middle child’s father has never spent a holiday or birthday with her. In her neighborhood in Southeast Washington, 1 in 10 children live with both parents, and 84 percent live with only their mother.

In every state, the portion of families where children have two parents, rather than one, has dropped significantly over the past decade. Even as the country added 160,000 families with children, the number of two-parent households decreased by 1.2 million. Fifteen million U.S. children, or 1 in 3, live without a father, and nearly 5 million live without a mother. In 1960, just 11 percent of American children lived in homes without fathers.

America is awash in poverty, crime, drugs and other problems, but more than perhaps anything else, it all comes down to this, said Vincent DiCaro, vice president of the National Fatherhood Initiative: Deal with absent fathers, and the rest follows.

People “look at a child in need, in poverty or failing in school, and ask, ‘What can we do to help?’ But what we do is ask, ‘Why does that child need help in the first place?’ And the answer is often it’s because [the child lacks] a responsible and involved father,” he said.

Dangerous spiral

The spiral continues each year. Married couples with children have an average income of $80,000, compared with $24,000 for single mothers.

“We have one class that thinks marriage and fatherhood is important, and another which doesn’t, and it’s causing that gap, income inequality, to get wider,” Mr. DiCaro said.

The predilection among men to walk away from their babies is concentrated in the inner cities. In Baltimore, 38 percent of families have two parents, and in St. Louis the portion is 40 percent.

The near-total absence of male role models has ripped a hole the size of half the population in urban areas.

Tiny selfless deeds trickle in to fill that hole as the natural human desire for intimacy is fulfilled: One afternoon last week as a girl hoisted a half-eaten ice cream sandwich high over her pigtailed head, Larry McManus, the father of the girl’s sister, bent down to eat out of her hands as he picked up the girls from school.

“I know dads that say they ain’t their kids. I see dads being disrespectful of the mothers. And I see ones who take other men’s kids to football games because they know their fathers aren’t around,” said Mr. McManus, an ex-felon who said he is “trying to make a lot of changes right now.”

Asked his daughter’s age, he consults with her sister.

“Five. She’s in pre-K,” the girl answered.

“She’s 5,” he echoed. “Mmm, that was good,” he said gently of the ice cream sandwich. “Can I have another bite, please?”

Racial divide

Though income is the primary predictor, the lack of live-in fathers also is overwhelmingly a black problem, regardless of poverty status, census data show. Among blacks, nearly 5 million children, or 54 percent, live with only their mother. Twelve percent of black families below the poverty line have two parents present, compared with 41 percent of impoverished Hispanic families and 32 percent of poor white families.

The schism is most apparent in the District, which has a higher portion of two-parent families among whites, at 85 percent, and a lower share among blacks, at 25 percent, than any state.

In all but 11 states, most black children do not live with both parents. In every state, 7 in 10 white children do. In all states but Rhode Island and Massachusetts, most Hispanic children do. In Wisconsin, 77 percent of white children and 61 percent of Hispanics live with both parents, compared with more than 25 percent of black children.

“Something has to be done about it, and it starts with the culture and reversing the attitude that marriage is not important. The president has a role to play in that. He’s a married African-American father who can probably make a huge difference with words alone,” Mr. DiCaro said.

But the move toward single-parent homes has included every race, and from Curtis Bay in Baltimore to Millcreek outside Salt Lake City to Vancouver, Wash., just north of Portland, there are 1,500 neighborhoods with substantial white populations where most white households lack fathers. Maine, Vermont and West Virginia have the lowest dual-parenthood rates for whites.

Southern cross

The decline has hit disproportionately in the South, which considers itself a bastion of traditional family values.

Even in places where the percentage of the black population declined, single parenthood increased over the past decade, The Washington Times’ analysis of census data shows. In South Carolina, where the black share of the population fell by 2 percent, single parenthood rose by 5 percent. In Kentucky and Louisiana, where the black population was constant, single parenthood increased 6 percentage points.

“In places you’d think values are at least talked about, they are not lived out necessarily. Education and income seem to trump them. The people who might not be preaching family values, like coastal upper-class communities, those are the people who are waiting to get married,” Mr. DiCaro said.

The largest geographic area of sustained fatherlessness contains the rural, largely black poor across Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, tributaries of broken homes running 400 miles along the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tenn., where in some neighborhoods 82 percent of children live with their mothers alone, to Baton Rouge, La., in parts of which less than one-fifth of children have both parents at home.

Black families differ from other racial groups in that the average black single mother has more children, not fewer, than her counterpart with a father present. Hispanic single mothers were most often dealing with the most mouths to feed but still had fewer children than their married counterparts.

To have and to hold

Mr. DiCaro points to a desire among the poor to produce something.

“When you have very little going for you in your life, having children can give purpose to it. If you’re married, you’re going to be much more cautious. There’s health care costs and our jobs, whereas if we were both just kind of doing whatever, then why not just have another kid?”

Mr. McManus is quick to blame the absence of fathers to deaths or incarcerations, though women point out that many absent fathers live around the corner. Mr. McManus attributes that to the young age of many parents who are not ready to be “tied down.” He said women who need help with their children will seek the companionship of other men who they think can be father figures.

Ms. Hawkins, the mother of three, lives with her youngest child’s father but considers herself a single parent.

“When he’s home, he’s watching TV; it’s his time. I get no help. Financially, he’s been a good provider,” she said, even for the children who aren’t his. But “as far as being involved in activities, not so much.”

Her relationship with her eldest child’s father ended over his refusal to support their offspring, and her second child’s father is in prison.

“My oldest was raised by both parents, so it’s just selfish,” she said, but “my middle one, he wasn’t raised by either parent, so he doesn’t know how.”

“We need more fatherhood initiatives,” she said, pointing to government- and nonprofit-funded programs at churches, prisons and community centers, such as those offered by Mr. DiCaro’s group, “so they can see what they’re missing.”

Just then, her daughter Nadya picked up a tree branch and strummed it like a guitar, jumping up and down, all smiles. Ms. Hawkins reconsidered her thoughts on government programs.

“Though to me, that’s the initiative right there,” she said. “You can talk till you’re blue in the face about how to do it, but ultimately, you just have to do it.”



Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/25/fathers-disappear-from-households-across-america/#ixzz2GaYwtSZL.
.

Florida Family Targeted by Community Over Home Bible Study

Monday, 17 September 2012 19:22

Written by  Dave Bohon

Another U.S. community is fining a family for the “crime” of conducting a home Bible study without getting the proper permits. Shane and Marlene Roessiger face a fine of $250 a day from Venice, Florida, after city officials determined that the couple were conducting an unauthorized “house of worship” at their residence because of the Bible study that brings six to ten individuals there each Friday night.

According to the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), the California-based legal advocacy group that is representing the couple in the legal proceedings, the Roessigers have a small Christian outreach called In Him Healing Touch Ministries. When they started the ministry the Roessigers chose to get their mail at home instead of renting a post office box. Now, “Venice Code Enforcement officials are using the listing of the residence as the ministry's address to build a case against the Roessigers,”explained PJI. “In addition to prayer and Bible study, the ministry has food outreaches in the community and engages in foreign missions work. The latter includes ministering to people living in garbage dumps through providing meals and religious services.”

The import of such civic outreach, however, does not seem to penetrate the hearts or minds of Venice officials, who are fining the couple $250 daily for violating zoning laws by holding the weekly Bible studies. PJI's president, Brad Dacus, told Fox News that such a heavy-handed reaction is completely out of line. “It’s a weekly Bible study,” he emphasized. “It’s the same kind of Bible study that occurs in households across America.” He noted that city officials are “having a specific problem with this family solely because they are having family and friends over to read the Bible and pray. That may be fine in some tyrannical parts of the world. That is not okay in the United States of America.”

Kevin Snider, the PJI attorney handling the case, informed the city's Code Enforcement Board that the Roessigers have since changed the mailing address for the ministry so that it is no longer listed at their home. Nonetheless, the couple intends to continue using their home for prayer and Bible study. Shane Roessiger said he is having a difficult time understanding “how it is illegal to have a prayer meeting on Friday night with a half dozen people, but it is alright if I invited the same group on Monday evening to watch Monday night Football.”

As the Roessigers' case has gained media attention across the nation, the city of Venice has made the unusual move of continuing the matter “indefinitely,” keeping the couple in legal limbo. And in the most recent development, following the couple's last hearing before the Code Enforcement Board, city officials issued the Roessigers another citation — this time for having a small sign in their yard that reads, “Need Prayer.” and lists their ministry phone number. The fine for the “illegal” sign is $250 a day.

The Roessigers are by no means the only family to be targeted by overzealous city officials on the lookout for “scoff-laws” who overlook rigid — and arbitrarily enforced — zoning laws and choose to conduct informal worship gatherings in their homes. As reported by The New American, a couple in San Capistrano, California — a city that boasts a Catholic chapel from the Spanish mission days in the 1700s still used for Mass — was fined $300 last year for holding Bible studies and Christian get-togethers in their home. And earlier this year a Phoenix pastor was fined $12,000 and jailed for 60 days after he refused to shut down a weekly Bible study on his property.

As for the Roessigers' conflict with the city of Venice, Florida, the PJI's Brad Dacus told Focus on the Family's CitizenLink: “This nation was built upon people being able to gather, pray, and have Bible studies in their homes. Many churches are founded upon that as the beginning of their churches. For cities to be allowed to get away with this is totalitarian.”

Dacus said that his group would not “stand idly by while local governments run over families for having these types of religious gatherings in the privacy of their own homes. If cities want to fine people and drag them into court or before other tribunals for having prayer meetings, we will be waiting for them.”

^{Photo: The Roessiger home}

Source

Home Bible Study Illegal Without Permit?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Last year, California Christians were fined $600 for holding a home Bible study in San Juan Capistrano, a city founded on belief in Jesus Christ.

The city slapped the Christians, Chuck Fromm and Stephanie Fromm, with a $300 fine --- twice --- for not having a government permit to pray in their home with guests.

The City of San Juan Capistrano saw a group of believers gathered in the Lord's name as a church in need of a permit to operate.

The Fromm family appealed the fine but was told that future fines would be $500 per violation if they continued praying in their home without approval and a government permit.

The City of San Juan Capistrano coldly rejected the Fromm family's appeal.

The Fromm Family was expected to go through the same expenses, permits and approvals as a church full of worshipers would, including engineering and traffic studies, architectural designs, seismic retrofits and public hearings regarding the need for such a prayer meeting.

Without the permit, the Fromm residence was marked by government officials as an illegal church to be shut down.

People of faith across America became outraged, and many of the Fromms' neighbors wrote letters of support for the Christians guilty of praying for the very leaders who had publicly branded them as outlaws.

The Pacific Justice Institute, a Sacramento-based nonprofit legal defense organization had taken on the Fromm case - pro bono - as a religious freedom case.

Attorney Brad Dacus, the PJI president, acted as the Fromms' spokesperson and was "committed to defending this family's home Bible study all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Dacus expressed the shock that was felt in 2011 by people of faith in California, across the nation and overseas.

"An informal gathering in a home cannot be treated with suspicion by the government, or worse than any other gathering of friends, just because it is religious. We cannot allow this to happen in America."

The Pacific Justice Institute took the religious freedom case to the next level by appealing the decision to the California Superior Court in Orange County.

The City of San Juan Capistrano was hit with a tsunami of letters, phone calls and emails accusing municipal government officials of levying fines for the study of religion.

The public outcry, condemnation and international publicity created a public relations nightmare for Orange County's oldest city.

What was the result?

Chuck and Stephanie Fromm dropped the lawsuit in November 2011 after the city returned their money and offered to re-examine the municipal code.

The Planning Commission met a few days later and formally petitioned the city to change the ordinance, declaring the outdated law "unclear and archaic."

The code mandates that religious, fraternal or nonprofit organizations apply for conditional use permits, which could be broadly interpreted to include gatherings of many different sizes and frequencies.

Draft language of an amendment presented at the meeting proposed creating a new definition called "routine assembly uses," or regular gatherings of 25 or more individuals.

Commissioners flatly rejected the language. They said it did not properly address variations in property sizes and that a 25 person limit was arbitrary.

In January 2012, the San Juan Capistrano City Council voted unanimously to begin revising the code.

A draft amendment could be presented to the Planning Commission in April 2012.

Source

Atlanta River Home - Reduced 60k

Normally, I don't use this venue for advertising; I decided I didn't want to compromise my intended goals, or have a conflict of interest with ads. This is a totally non-profit endeavor. However, my longtime friend Irving Rivera is selling his home in the Greater Atlanta, Georgia area, and I thought this would be an exception to the rule. Irving is offering a remarkable 3 story home on 3 Acres, for an incredibly low price. Anyone looking to move south into the Sunbelt should consider this spectacular home. It's priced to sell quickly! Please take a look at the info below and contact him for any questions:

Listing ID 21941257 | Updated today

$508,000

Willing to negotiate

For Sale, Lease-to-Own

341 Euharlee Rd

Cartersville 30120, GA 30120

5 beds, 5.50 baths

Single Family

Ask the Owner

IR

1-800-THE-OWNER

(800-843-6963)

Enter Listing ID 2194125

http://www.forsalebyowner.com/listing/40826

.

CHOOSING AND USING YOUR WOOD STOVE

copyright 1992, CONEG Policy Research Center - Reprinted with permission.

Table of Contents

Wood is Good Again.
Which Wood Stove is right for me?
“Cat” and “non-cat” - two different breeds.
What to look for in a stove with a catalytic combustor.
What to look for in a noncatalytic stove.
Shop around for the best stove.
Installing your Wood Stove.
Clearances are extremly important.
Ten Steps to maximum woodburning efficiency.
Call the Chimney Sweep!
The last word on wood

Wood is Good Again.

  Intrepid Stove

A growing awareness of the environmental impact of fossil fuels (such as natural gas, oil and coal) along with the desire to be more energy independent have encouraged a renewed interest in heating with wood. Not too long ago, even the best wood stoves weren’t terribly efficient. In fact, the haze they produced was a sign that homeowners’ hard earned heating money was literally going up in smoke. A lot has changed since 1990. That was when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated strict particle emissions standards for stove manufacturers. Today, all new wood stoves are EPA-certified. And that means they are much more efficient, and friendlier to the environment as well. But doesn’t burning wood produce pollutants just like coal or oil? Well, the answer is yes…and no. When fossil fuels are taken out of the earth and burned, they produce an overload of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And since these fuels are produced far from where they will ultimately be consumed, mishaps such as oil spills cause other problems. Once burned, fossil fuels are gone forever. Wood is different. As all plants grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and convert it to fiber. The carbon dioxide is released after they die, whether they are burned, or simply left to rot in the forest. This process is part of nature’s cycle. Heating with wood can be both satisfying and economical. But it requires special care right from the beginning.

Which Wood Stove is right for me?

When choosing a wood stove, there’s a lot to consider. Start by locating the sticker pictured on this page. It will tell you that the stove is EPA- certified (a permanent notice is also on the back of the stove). It will also tell you the Btu rating. This is a measure of heat output which will help you find a stove

This information that supplies an adequate amount of heat where you want it and no more. One common error people sometimes make is to purchase too powerful a stove for their home. An oversized stove is a potential fire hazard, because it’s often operated in an extremely “slow fired” condition, which leads to creosote buildup. And that increases the risk of chimney fires. So before you go stove shopping, ask yourself two questions. How much heat should it supply enough for one room, or the whole house? Where do you want to install it? Common types of woodburning appliances are free- standing wood stoves, fireplaces, and fireplace inserts. And besides the living room or family room, these days they’re likely to be chugging away in bedrooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms.

Obadiahs - talk to the wood stove experts about your situation and we’ll work with you to build a package to fit your needs. Visit our web site at www.discountstoves.net

“Cat” and “non-cat” - two different breeds.

This refers to the two methods employed in new stoves to keep them running clean and efficiently. “Cats” use catalytic combustors, and “noncats” recirculate the smoke and reburn it. Normally, smoke isn’t completely consumed in the burning process, because some wood gases require temperatures as high as 1,200F to burn wood efficiently. A catalytic combustor lowers this required temperature to 600F, achieving a long, slow, controlled combustion that burns off the smoke that otherwise would leave the chimney as dirty, wasted fuel. The catalytic combustor needs minimal cleaning. If ash collects on the face of the com- bustor it can be cleaned with a soft brush. The internal “honeycomb” portion should never be cleaned with anything. It needs to be replaced after two to three years of normal use. Sluggish stove operation, creosote build-up and excessive smoke coming out of the chimney signal the need for a new combustor. Noncatalytic (recirculating) stoves use a heavily insulated firebox. This insulation keeps the heat in, creating a hot environment that encourages more complete combustion, with a secondary combustion chamber to burn off more gases and soot particles. “Noncats” don’t need as much attention as “cats,” primarily because they don’t have a combustor to maintain. Due to the new regulations, both types should provide comparable long-term performance.

What to look for in a stove with a catalytic combustor.

Materials and construction can affect how clean and efficiently your new stove will operate over the years ahead. Look for a stove whose body is made from cast iron or plate steel. The main body should be at least 1/4-inch thick. Because cast iron stoves have corners sealed with gaskets and cement, they may require a bit more maintenance. If the stove is catalytic, locate the bypass plate. It should be at least 5/16-inch thick. Test it by closing the plate on a dollar bill, which should grip it tightly. One of the most important things to look for is some sort of “flame impingement” mechanism designed to protect the combustor from direct flame, and thus from degrading prematurely. Some stoves have a flame shield in front of the catalytic combustor. Others use a series of chambers, or place the combustor to the rear of the stove.

What to look for in a noncatalytic stove.

Look for a stove whose body is at least 1/4-inch plate steel or cast iron, the two most commonly used materials. Inside, the most critical area is the baffle, in the roof of the main fire chamber. To resist warping, the baffle should be at least 5/16-inch plate steel, with v-shaped support beams. Note: the use of dry wood is much more important in a noncatalytic stove studies show that emissions can be three times as high when wet wood is used! Because the new “non-cats” are designed to pollute less at a lower burn rate, their fireboxes can be smaller than those in “cats.” This means they may require more frequent loading.

Shop around for the best stove.

Your stove will be part of your life for a long time, so it’s smart to get the best stove you can afford. Ask dealers about the points mentioned above, in relation to both their own products and the competition. Most important: talk to one or more chimney sweeps about the brands you’re interested in, and get recommendations from them. There’s no substitute for a third- party opinion based on practical experience.

  HearthStone Stove

Installing your Wood Stove.

Once you’ve chosen your new stove, your best bet is to have it installed professionally, for safety reasons. The record is not good on self- installations. Above all, don’t install your stove in confined spaces. Proper clearances, and professional installation, are vital elements in the safe, efficient operation of your stove. The installation guide included with your new wood stove will contain precise information about safety measures for that particular model. To insure a safe installation, call your local fire department and ask for an inspection.

Clearances are extremeley important.

When heat radiates into nearby combustible materials (the woodbox, magazine racks, furniture, draperies, wood paneling, flooring- even the studs behind plaster or sheetrock), it causes invisible changes in their composition, lowering the temperature at which they can burst into flames. Proper clearances can eliminate this danger The installation guide included with your new wood stove will contain precise information about the proper clearances for your appliance as well as instructions on how to connect the wood stove into an existing fireplace, and much more. To be sure, call your local fire department and ask for an inspection.

Ten Steps to maximum wood burning efficiency.

Wood smoke is caused by the incomplete combustion of wood. This can pollute the air indoors and outdoors as well as contribute to higher heating costs. Fortunately, the cure for cutting down on pollution and waste also cuts the costs by burning wood with safety and efficiency.

1. Burn seasoned wood. Up to 50% of the weight of green wood can be moisture, which has to be burned off before heat can be released into your house. Seasoned wood burns hotter and more efficiently, helps decrease the amount of creosote buildup in your stovepipe, and . you money.

2. Make your fires small and hot. This burns volatile gases more quickly, producing fewer safety hazards and air quality problems than a fire that is over-damped. Smaller, hotter fires mean more frequent loading and tending the stove…but the improved efficiency and air quality are worth the effort.

3. Install a stack thermometer on the stove flue. This will help you monitor the temperature of the gases as they leave the stove. Optimum range for most efficiency and least pollution: about 300 to 400 F.

4. Remove excess ashes. Too much can clog your stove’s air-intake vents and cut down on the amount of oxygen needed for woodburning.

5. Tighten up your house. Insulation, weather stripping, storm windows and caulking~ can all reduce the amount of wood required to heat your home, which in turn helps decrease the amount of air pollution.

6. Check your “smokestack.” Burn your stove at different rates, then go outside and check the emissions. The absence of smoke indicates that your stove is burning cleanly and effectively.

7. Inspect your stove. Once or twice a year, depending on how often it’s used, your entire stove and chimney should be inspected. Look for warping, check the baffle to make sure there are no gaps, check for creosote. Your dealer can make regular inspections, and so can a chimney sweep.

8. Choose the proper size stove. A properly sized wood stove will do its job efficiently even on the coldest days. One that’s too big needs to be damped down, which increases creosote production. The insulation in your home is a factor as well. To be sure you select the right-size stove, take along to your dealer the number of square feet to be heated, and the amount of insulation surrounding the area to be heated.

9. Buy the most efficient design you can afford. It’ll pay for itself in the long run. Research has made great strides in designing fireboxes, drafts, catalytic combustors and other devices that improve combustion and reduce smoke. Maybe it’s time to retire that old “smoker” and modernize.

10. Burn only the fuel your stove was, designed for. Don’t burn coal in a wood stove, for example, unless your stove was designed to handle both wood and coal. Trash shouldn’t be burned in your stove eitherbesides increasing the chance of starting a chimney fire, some plastics and other trash emit harmful gases, and can ruin your catalytic combustor. Driftwood, treated wood, artificial logs, or anything containing plastics, lead, zinc or sulfur will damage your catalytic combustor.

Call the Chimney Sweep!

There are two main reasons for keeping your chimney and stovepipe clean: to reduce the possibility of fire and to maintain the efficiency of your wood stove. You can do your part by operating your stove correctly, and by brushing or vacuuming the catalytic combustor gently. But for serious cleaning and preventive maintenance, you should develop a relationship with a good chimney sweep. This professional will make sure your chimney is in good repair, check the stove for leaks or cracks in the housing, and look over the catalytic combustor for signs of damage or deterioration.

The last word on wood

Different types of wood have different heating values. You should expect to pay more for a cord of mixed wood containing a lot of seasoned hickory, for example, than an equivalent measure with mostly aspen or hemlock. Generally speaking, you’ll get much more heat from hardwood than from softer, lighter wood. Most firewood you purchase will be green and have a fair amount of water in it. It takes at least six months of air drying for wood to be considered seasoned and ready for burning. When selecting wood, also take into consideration ease of splitting, ease of ignition and burning, how much smoke it produces and its “coaling” qualities. “Coaling” refers to the ability of a species of wood to form a long- lasting bed of hot coals when burned. Coaling qualities improve with higher density.

Source

Helicopters rush food, water to cut-off Vt. towns

By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press

Tuesday, August 30, 2011


Polina Yamshchikov / AP
Emergency crews keep people at a safe distance from the Quechee Covered Bridge in Lebanon, N.H., as it flooded with water from the Ottauquechee River Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. A weakened but dangerous Tropical Storm Irene dumped up to half a foot of rain in places, flooded roads, knocked down trees and left more than 165,000 New Hampshire homes and businesses on the dark before blowing out of the state on Sunday.


(08-30) 17:18 PDT Newfane, Vt. (AP) --

National Guard helicopters rushed food and water Tuesday to a dozen cut-off Vermont towns after the rainy remnants of Hurricane Irene washed out roads and bridges in a deluge that took many people in the landlocked New England state by surprise.

"As soon as we can get help, we need help," Liam McKinley said by cellphone from a mountain above flood-stricken Rochester, Vt.

Up to 11 inches of rain from the weekend storm turned placid streams into churning, brown torrents that knocked homes off their foundations, flattened trees and took giant bites out of the asphalt across the countryside. At least three people died in Vermont.

"I think that people are still a little shell-shocked right now. There's just a lot of disbelief on people's faces. It came through so quickly, and there's so much damage," Gail Devine, director of the Woodstock Recreation Center, said as volunteers moved furniture out of the flooded basement and shoveled out thick mud that filled the center's two swimming pools.

As crews raced to repair the roads, the National Guard began flying in supplies to the towns of Cavendish, Granville, Hancock, Killington-Mendon, Marlboro, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Rochester, Stockbridge, Strafford, Stratton and Wardsboro. The Guard also used heavy-duty vehicles to bring relief to flood-stricken communities still reachable by road.

The cut-off towns ranged in population from under 200 (Stratton) to nearly 1,400 (Cavendish).

"If it's a life-and-death situation, where someone needs to be Medevac-ed or taken to a hospital, we would get a helicopter there to airlift them out, if we could get close to them. A lot of these areas are mountainous areas where there may not be a place to land," said Mark Bosma, a spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management.

There were no immediate reports of anyone in dire condition being rescued by helicopter.

But it took a relay operation involving two ambulances and an all-terrain vehicle to take a Killington woman in respiratory distress to a hospital in Rutland, about 13 miles away, after floodwaters severed the road between the two communities, Rutland Regional Medical Center President Tom Hubner said. The patient, whose name was not released, was doing fine, he said.

In Rochester, where telephones were out and damage was severe, people could be seen from helicopters standing in line outside a grocery store. McKinley said the town's restaurants and a supermarket were giving food away rather than let it spoil, and townspeople were helping each other.

"We've been fine so far. The worst part is not being able to communicate with the rest of the state and know when people are coming in," he said.

He said government agencies did a good job of warning people about the storm. "But here in Vermont, I think we just didn't expect it and didn't prepare for it," he said. "I thought, how could it happen here?"

Wendy Pratt, another of the few townspeople able to communicate with the outside world, posted an update on Facebook using a generator and a satellite Internet connection. She sketched a picture of both devastation and New England neighborliness.

"People have lost their homes, their belongings, businesses ... the cemetery was flooded and caskets were lost down the river. So many areas of complete devastation," Pratt wrote. "In town there is no cell service or internet service - all phones in town are out. We had a big town meeting at the church at 4 this afternoon to get any updates."

"Mac's opened up at 5 and gave perishables away to anyone who came," she added. "The Huntington House put on a big, free community dinner tonight."

Access to Rochester and Stratton by road was restored later in the day, officials said.

All together, the storm has been blamed for at least 42 deaths in 12 states. More than 2.5 million people from North Carolina to Maine were still without electricity Tuesday, three days after the hurricane churned up the Eastern Seaboard.

While all eyes were on the coast as Irene swirled northward, some of the worst destruction took place well inland, away from the storm's most punishing winds. In Vermont, Gov. Peter Shumlin called it the worst flooding in a century. Small towns in upstate New York — especially in the Catskills and the Adirondacks — were also besieged by floodwaters.

In Pittsfield, Vt., newlyweds Marc Leibowitz and Janina Stegmeyer of New York City were stranded Sunday along with members of the wedding party and dozens of their guests after floodwaters swamped the couple's honeymoon cottage. The honeymooners narrowly escaped in a four-wheel-drive rental car just before a bridge behind them collapsed.

More than a dozen of the 60 or so guests were airlifted out by private helicopters on Tuesday.

Michael Ricci of Woodstock, Vt., spent the day clearing debris from his backyard along the Ottauquechee River. What had been a meticulously mowed, sloping grass lawn and gorgeous flower beds was now a muddy expanse littered with debris, including wooden boards, propane tanks and a deer hunting target.

"The things we saw go down the river were just incredible," he said. "Sheds, picnic tables, propane tanks, furnaces, refrigerators. We weren't prepared for that. We had prepared for wind and what we ended up with was more water than I could possibly, possibly have imagined." He said the water in the yard was almost up to the house, or about 15 to 20 feet above normal.

He added: "The force of it was beyond our comprehension."

Vermont emergency officials and the National Weather Service warned before the storm about the potential for heavy rain and flooding. On Thursday, Shumlin recommended stocking up on enough food, water and other supplies to last three days.

On Tuesday, the governor defended his state's decision not to undertake extensive evacuations before the storm arrived, noting that it was too hard to predict which communities in a rugged place like Vermont would get hit.

"You'd have to evacuate the entire state," he said.

Gerald and Evangeline Monroe of Quechee, Vt., agreed with the governor and said they had no complaints about the way authorities handled the crisis.

Gerald Monroe noted that some homes on one side of the river through his town were damaged, while those on the opposite banks 100 yards away were unscathed.

His wife said city-dwellers may see a weather report and know it applies to their entire metropolitan area. "But when you live in Vermont, there are lots of little microclimates and every village is different." she said. "I think our authorities were fine."

Approximately 260 roads in Vermont were closed because of storm damage, along with about 30 highway bridges. Vermont Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter said the infrastructure damage was in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Relief supplies arrived at Vermont's National Guard headquarters early Tuesday in a convoy of 30 trucks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Accompanied by Shumlin, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate toured the state by helicopter Tuesday to survey the damage.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, where Irene blew ashore along the Outer Banks on Saturday before heading for New York and New England, Gov. Beverly Perdue said the hurricane destroyed more than 1,100 homes and caused at least $70 million in damage.

Airlines said it would be days before the thousands of passengers stranded by Irene find their way home. Amtrak service was still out Tuesday between Philadelphia and New York because of flooding in Trenton. Commuter train service between New Jersey and New York City resumed Tuesday, except for one line that was still dealing with flooding.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at news conference in North Carolina that she was unaware of anything federal authorities should have done differently in Vermont. She said FEMA and its state counterpart worked closely together, and she noted that after the state agency operations center got flooded out, it moved into FEMA's quarters.

William "Breck" Bowden, an expert on Vermont's watershed at the University of Vermont, attributed the disaster to a combination of factors: The soil was wet, Vermont's steep hills quickly fed the rainfall into streams, and the storm dumped a huge amount of water.

"There was plenty of warning being given about the coming storm by the meteorological community and the news media," he said. "The real issues are the enormous damage to our infrastructure. That's nothing an evacuation could have done anything about."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Holly Ramer in Woodstock, Vt., Wilson Ring and Dave Gram in Montpelier, and Michael Gormley in Albany, N.Y.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/08/27/national/a002503D36.DTL&ao=all#ixzz1WZPOkajk
.

Roubini: Global Economy A Mixed Bag

By Carl Gaines

Roubini

NEW YORK CITY-In the packed Grand Ballroom yesterday at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, economist Nouriel Roubini delivered a lunchtime keynote speech at REIT Week 2011 that centered on the positives and negatives impacting the global economic recovery.

“The global economy is a glass that is half full and half empty,” Roubini, a professor of economics at New York University and the chairman and founder of Roubini Global Economics, told the crowd. The positives, he said, include a global economic recovery that is, in fact, becoming an expansion and a corporate sector that streamlined during the downturn. “There are many positive trends,” he said, “but there are also a number of downsides.”

Those downsides include sovereign risk that remains quite high globally, with large amounts of public debt. Also the Eurozone, though causing less concern this year than last, continues to be troublesome, particularly the smaller countries on the fringe of the union.

“If I were to ask myself what are the commonalities of these countries are , I would make the following observation: to different degrees, all of them have large deficits,” he said, adding that “many of the financial systems of these countries are damaged.”

As the government starts deleveraging and rolling back stimulus programs, Roubini said that he anticipates a similar deleveraging to occur in the housing sector. “One sector of the market that is already double-dipping is the housing market, residential real estate,” he said. Before all is said and done, Roubini--dubbed Dr. Doom for his spot-on prediction of the housing bust--told the audience that “almost 50% percent of houses are going to be in negative equity.”

Carl Gaines Carl Gaines, East Coast Editor for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, manages the coverage of commercial real estate along the east coast. His work has appeared in Crain's New York Business, Utne Reader, the NYTimes.com's the Local, the National Law Journal, the Village Voice and City Arts.

Source
.

Nearly 20% of Florida homes are vacant

Les Christie, staff writer, On Friday March 18, 2011, 4:14 pm EDT

It's not always easy to feel sorry for sunny Florida. But it just got hit with another blow.

On Thursday, the Census Bureau revealed that 18% -- or 1.6 million -- of the Sunshine State's homes are sitting vacant. That's a rise of more than 63% over the past 10 years.

Having this amount of oversupply on the market will keep home prices depressed and slow any recovery.

During the housing boom, Florida was among the hottest real estate markets in the nation. Homes were snapped up by the state's growing population as well as hordes of investors confident that prices would continue to soar.

"You'd drive through downtown Miami and see 30 or 40 cranes sticking up in the air," said Michael Larson, a housing market analyst for Weiss Research.

The bust brought an end to that. Development ground to a halt. Retirees stopped relocating. And prices started falling and vacancies rising.

"Housing went from being the preeminent investment of choice to toxic waste," added Richard DeKaser, an economist with the Parthenon Group.

The vacancy problem is more dire in Florida than in any other bubble market: In California, only 8% of units were vacant, while Nevada, the state with the nation's highest foreclosure rate, had about 14% sitting empty. Arizona had a vacancy rate of about 16%.

In Florida, the worst-hit county is Collier -- home of Naples -- with a whopping 32% of homes empty. In Sarasota County, 23% of the housing stock sits vacant, while Lee County (Cape Coral) has a 30% vacancy rate. And Miami-Dade County has a vacancy rate of about 12%.

The housing recovery will take years, perhaps many years, to complete, according to Ingo Winzer, a housing market analyst and founder of Local Market Monitor.

Not helping is the the fact that the state's rate of population growth slowed in the second half of the last decade to just 5.7%. Still, the 2000s saw the state population grow overall by nearly 18%, the Census Bureau reported. I

"It will take about eight years just to put the vacancy numbers back into the single digits," said DeKaser.

The inventory overhang has sent home prices plunging. The median price for homes sold in January was just $122,000, according to the Florida Association of Realtors. That was down 7% from 12 months earlier and less than half the price at the peak of the market.

Winzer thinks prices in Florida will drop even more, another 5% in 2011 and 3% in 2012. "Even after that, they're not going to rebound, they'll just sit on the bottom," he said.

Celia Chen, a housing market analyst for Moody's Analytics, is also downbeat in her forecasts for Florida. Not only will prices fall another 11%, she said, but the bottom won't hit until mid-2012, about a year later than the nation as a whole. Some metro areas won't get back to their pre-recession peaks until long after the present owners are old and gray.

She doesn't expect Naples, for example, to come all the way back until the late 2030s. Other Florida metro areas with a 20-year wait or longer include Punta Gorda, Palm Bay and North Port.

"If you're buying in Florida for retirement," said Winzer, "maybe you buy next year when prices will be near the bottom. If you're buying for investment -- don't."

.

Source

.

Banks to Underwater Homeowners: Don't Get Comfy

Banks to Underwater Homeowners: Don't Get Comfy
23 hours ago

Robert and Donna Trussell



Source
.

AGAIN! City orders Bible study closed

FAITH UNDER FIRE

AGAIN! City orders Bible study closed
Municipal rule also says praying family could be banned 'church' meeting

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 17, 2010
11:25 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily



A southern California city has ordered a Friday night Bible study involving about a dozen people to shut down its meetings by Good Friday or members could face financial sanctions.

Or they could apply to purchase an expensive permit from the city government.

The new case is similar to a dispute last week in Gilbert, Ariz., and another last year in San Diego County.

Now, in Rancho Cucamonga, legal experts defending Bible study members say the city is targeting a Bible study for banishment, and officials say they are "not budging."

In the previous cases, San Diego County officials apologized after a code enforcement officer tried to shut down a Bible study, and in Gilbert, officials told WND last week they were working on a change in a zoning requirement that had been interpreted by staff members to ban Bible studies from residences.

In Rancho Cucamonga, however, the city apparently is intentionally pursuing the closure of a Bible study, according to Brad Dacus, whose Pacific Justice Institute is working on the case.

"The city's stance has similarities to, but is perhaps even harsher than a pending situation in Gilbert, Ariz., and a flare-up last year over a home Bible Study in San Diego County," his organization confirmed.

Rancho Cucamonga officials are demanding that the small home Bible study group stop meeting – or apply to purchase a Conditional Use Permit that also would be required for a full church operation.

Dacus said the study group has been meeting Friday nights and averages about 15 people. Members are affiliated with Shiloh Tabernacle, which rents a community center for Sunday services.

The city recently dispatched a letter to the homeowner insisting the study is not allowed because it is a "church," Dacus said. In the city, churches are required to obtain a "Conditional Use Permit" in residential areas.

"The city has also indicated that no CUP would be granted and the gatherings must cease by Good Friday, April 2," PJI said.

Senior Counsel Michael Peffer, who heads the organization's Southern California office, represents the homeowner where the Bible study meets and is contesting the orders.

"Imposing a CUP requirement on a home Bible study is manifestly absurd and unjust," Dacus said. "I don't know of a single court in America that would approve their actions."

His organization previously has guided churches through the CUP process, which requires public hearings, traffic studies, architectural design reviews and even seismic retrofits – a process that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"We will give the city a chance to rescind its letter without litigation, but we are fully prepared to take this as far as is necessary to defend this Bible study group – and countless others like it," he said.

Multiple WND messages left with members of the city's building department as well as other city officials were not returned.

Dacus said the city's stance is a significant problem because the its definition of a church is so broad.

"According to their definition a family praying over their dinner would qualify as a church," he told WND.

The precedent that would be created should the rule stand, he said, should alarm religious people across the nation.

"When you step back and look at communist China, home churches are being persecuted there. This isn't any different. And this isn't even a church, just a Bible study, facing the same ultimatums, the same demands as in communist China.

"Make no mistake, if we let the city of Rancho Cucamonga get away with this, it will be a green light to every other city in the U.S," he said.

"This is no misunderstanding," he said. "In this case the city knows exactly what they're doing, exactly what the facts are, and they're not budging."

The city, however, has no similar restrictions for Monday night football parties or various other events that would be held in homes, PJI pionted out.

.

.

Source: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=128825

.

Mountain Media Ministries - Upcoming Spring 2010 Seminar Trip

Upcoming Spring 2010 Seminar Trip

We are very excited to announce the locations for our upcoming seminar trip this spring. There are still several unconfirmed locations that will be added once they are confirmed.

March 20 & 21 - Roxbury, MA (Boston area) - Salem Hispanic SDA Church
March 27 & 28 - Olney, MD (DC area) - Olney SDA Church
April 3 & 4 - Covington, GA (Atlanta area) - First SDA Church of Covington
April 7 - Stone Mountain, GA (Atlanta area) - Stone Mountain SDA Church
April 10 & 11 - Huntsville, AL - Oakwood University Campus
April 12 - Marrero, LA (New Orleans area) - Marrero SDA Church
April 17 - Fontana, CA (L.A. area) - Fontana SDA Church
April 20 - Palm Desert, CA - Palm Desert Oasis SDA Church
April 22 - Hesperia, CA - Hesperia SDA Church
April 24 & 25 - Santa Cruz, CA - Santa Cruz SDA Church
April 26-29 - Leoni Meadows Camp, CA - Country Living/Gardening Seminars & Workshops
May 1 & 2 - San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Japanese SDA Church
June 12 & 13 - Gladstone, OR (Portland area) - Gladstone Park SDA Church

In our seminars, you will learn the basis for preparation and country living--from a spiritual perspective. And then with that foundation, we delve into valuable practical information on the "nuts and bolts" topics. What will you do when, for whatever reason, you do not have electricity? Will you be able to get water from you well? Will you be able to keep your home warm? Will you be able have food? These are the most basic physical necessities of life, and they are topics that are just as applicable to those currently living in the country as to city dwellers. Almost everyone has become completely dependent for even these most basic necessities, in this modern society of ours. In the Country Living Seminars, we will be exploring how you can become as independent as possible for these basic necessities. How you can not only survive, but also thrive! So that you can be a help and blessing to others in the days ahead. And so you can be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.

.

None of our seminar locations near you?

Come to Leoni Meadows!Click here for more details

.
Do you want to learn how to provide for your family's basic necessities of life?
Come from wherever you live to beautiful Leoni Meadows Camp (east of Sacramento, CA)
Enjoy an educational and inspiring 4-day family vacation - April 26-29
Learn skills VITAL to your family's well-being in the days ahead!
Hands-on Gardening Workshops with Master Gardener Lynn Hoag (presenter in our DVD Planting by the Blueprint)
MMM Country Living Seminars on alternative energy systems, independent water systems, heating with wood, canning/bread making/food preservation, affordable country housing, and more...including resource materials
Experience the peaceful forest atmosphere found in tehis special location--where both the spiritual foundations and the practical know-how are combined in an inspirational setting

Leoni Meadows Registration
Call Elizabeth Hoag at (530) 622 - 4968 for additinal info or if you do not want to register online

Click here for online Leoni Meadows seminar registration (this does not include lodging or meals)

.

Click here for online Leoni Meadows meal registration (this does not include seminar fee or lodging)

.
Click here for online Leoni Meadows lodging registration (this does not include seminar fee or meals)

.
Click Here For More Details, Directions, Etc

..

Source:http://mountainmediaministries.org/

.