For several years there has been a call to encourage more volunteering, especially among the youth. Social services have become increasingly more costly, and some services are so precious that if done for reasons other than a spirit of philanthropy, neither the state nor those in need could afford them.

In recognition of this fact, The Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal organization developed to recognize and encourage volunteerism, has for several decades supported through various funding methods the RSVP— Retired Senior Volunteer Program. It records hours for those 55 years or older, and in some cases, reimburses individuals for gas outlays associated with volunteer work that reduces the burden on the state and enriches the lives of both those giving, and those receiving the care.

Listen to this interview with Karolyn Anders, who works for the City of Lawton RSVP. You will learn as we did of a very positive opportunity for giving more than money. If you find yourself inspired to lend a hand, or just to report the hand you’re already lending, contact Karolyn Anders at 580-581-3408 or kanders@cityof.lawton.ok.us.

The Electronic Doggie Door

Just as you drive up and hit a button and your garage door lifts, now Rover and
Princess can arrive at their own door and electronically gain access.

Regular readers of this column know that not long ago I blasted pet doors as not
safe for our neck of the woods, because anything could wind up using the door,
and also they are not a very good selling point should you put your house on the
market.

But for those who do like the convenience, there is an “electronic pet door” now
available from Plexidor. It seems safer and may also offer more energy efficiency
that the ones that just flap in the breeze.

I have not tried out the product personally, but according to information it works
exclusively for your pet thanks to a “collar key.” The collar key is an attachment to
your dog’s collar that works as an electronic opener.

Two concerns I would still have are 1) Is your pet likely to lose its collar? and 2)
If your pet decides to stop and sit on its haunches in front of the pet door, is the
door going to stay open?

According to press material: “The technology in the door reads and recognizes the
code as the pet approaches the door and allows entrance. The pet door panel slides
up and down like a mini-garage door.” It features a safety mechanism to prevent
the door from closing on tails or little paws. And like pets, the doors come in a
variety of sizes. Installation experts are available. Prices range from $129 to $800
and can be purchased through dealers, online at  www.dogdoors.com or by
phoning 800-749-9609.

More information on Pet Doors USA’s Plexidor product can be found online at http://www.dogdoors.com/productView.php?id=28.

Beware, the Light Bulbs Cometh

OK. Here’s bright idea on home safety.

You know those “light bulbs” that look like a pig’s tail? They are fluorescent, but screw into a regular overhead socket, lamp or other fixture. They are supposed to be energy efficient and last much longer than traditional incandescent ones. I have used a few in my home and have not yet noticed a drastic drop in my electric bill, so I have to take the maker’s word on that. According to their press, the savings is supposed to be approximately $47 difference over the life of the bulb. They did last quite a bit longer. So perhaps there is some savings there. They are a little slower coming on, but seem to work fine.

But here comes the problem — disposal.
Once they do burn out, you are not supposed to just toss them in the kitchen trash can. You must take them to a recycling site. If you read the tiny writing on the container and do a little web research (and who doesn’t when they buy light bulbs?), it says they have a mercury filling and that they are toxic. So toxic in fact, that if you drop one on your ceramic tile floor and it breaks you are supposed to call the White House or United Nations or some authority and they send out guys in HazMat suits to cover your house in plastic for days while they scrub the place down.

That may sound a little over the top, but if you want to read an article that will scare the GE out of you, check out “Consumers in dark over risks of new light bulbs” by Joseph Farah of WorldNetDaily.com. Go to http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

For something a bit more rational and little less Glenn Beck, visit good ol’ Snopes. Directions are given on what to do if you should break a bulb:
clear kids and pets out of the room;
open a window;
close off any  CHA vents in the room;
wait 15 minutes, go back in & clean up by scraping up any broken glass by scraping it with cardboard, then sticky tape;
wash down the area with a wet wipe;
don’t sues a vacuum cleaner;
use rubber gloves of course & toss it all into a sealed bag.
THEN take it to a recycling site.
It’s a bit more involved if the bulb breaks on carpet. For the full read, go to http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp

If you are looking at a new home and happen to notice that these type of bulbs are in track lighting, recessed lighting or in dimmers, that is a no-no.

For now, the bulbs are your choice. But they appear to be the wave of the future — like when DVDs took over VHS tapes — so it’s a good idea to start learning how to use them safely in your home.

Even though Wal-marts, and every home improvement and office supply store seem to sell these bulbs, the only locations that I have found in Lawton that take them back for recycling are Home Depot and Lowe’s. So, hats off to these stores. For my way of thinking, until the other places also recycle the bulbs, Home Depot and Lowe’s are the only places to spend your money buying them.

FA  homeowning couple out there is still pondering Christmas gift ideas, one consideration might be something for the house. Better yet, something for the house that is a $1,500 tax deduction and saves on energy bills for the rest of the year,

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 offers tax credits that can save you $1,500 (or even more) for energy efficient improvements to your home. But, not much time is left. The improvements must be up and running by December 31, 2010.

The good news is there are several things that qualify and you can add them together for a sum total. Other good news is that they are basic improvements, in addition to some more fancy stuff.
Qualifying improvements include:

• Energy-efficient heat and air conditioning systems
• Energy-efficient hot water heaters
• Exterior doors
• Garage doors
• Heat-reflective roof
• Insulation
• Windows
• Also skylights and wood and pellet-fueled stove

Not all improvements qualify. The products used must meet government guidelines for energy efficiency and also have the Energy Star certification. Reputable home improvement retailers will have all the information. But it never hurts to run the information by your tax preparer, as well, before investing $5,000.

For details, you can go straight to the horse’s mouth at http://www.energystar.gov or another easy-to-read and helpful site on the Web is Danny Lipford’s December newsletter at http://www.dannylipford.com/energy-efficiency-tax-credits-for-homeowners/.

You can also count on these improvements helping out any appraisal done on your property. All that should help make for an even merrier holiday.

It’s Time for the Indoor Growing Season

Julie Day over at Danny Lipford’s web site http://www.dannylipford.com/ offers some good tips for this time of year. She has a piece on bringing plants indoors.

We had our first night of below-freezing temperatures just a couple of evenings ago here in Southwest Oklahoma. I know of several people who were scrambling to save potted plants that have spent the last several months on their patios and porches.

There are a few common sense guidelines, and a few tips maybe you hadn’t considered. But, keep in mind, this is Lawton. The Weather Channel has us predicted for one day next week in the 80s.

Here are a few of Julie Day’s suggestions that should apply in these parts:

Watch the weather: To be on the safe side, get your plants indoors before nighttime temperatures dip below 50° F.

Use warm days: To reduce shock, try to bring plants in before you start running your furnace – warm fall days are perfect for opening and cleaning windows and getting your plants settled inside.

Transition gradually: Spend about two weeks acclimating plants to the lower light and humidity levels indoors. Move them first to a shady spot outside, then start bringing them in just at night, then put them in the brightest window for a while before moving them to their winter homes.

Eliminate pests: Inspect plants for pests, and treat them before bringing them inside. Wash the leaves (tops and bottoms) with a mild soap solution or a blast of water from the hose, to get rid of aphids, mites, and spiders. Then submerge the pots in a tub of water for half an hour or so, to force out any creepy crawlies that might have burrowed into the soil.

Clean pots: While you’ve got out the soap and water, scrub the outsides of pots and drainage trays, too.

Reduce watering: Reduce watering to your normal indoor schedule since your plants won’t dry out as quickly as they did outside.

Lower feeding: Reduce fertilizing, and stop feeding completely when plants go dormant. Resume fertilizing when they start growing again in the spring.

Derek Griner of Central Middle School tells about his Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra experiences.

Don’t Be Bugged by Your Appraisal Report

One of the questions an appraiser must answer on the standard report form is “Are there signs of infestation?”
If the answer is “Yes,” there’s a good chance that the house deal comes to a screeching halt until the issue is resolved.
But don’t worry if a single house spider makes an appearance in front of the appraiser, or even a small wasp nest that you hadn’t noticed at the corner of the house behind the evergreen. That’s not infestation.

Rodent droppings all over the garage floor; birds nests sticking out of broken eaves; rotted wood that allows a screwdriver to poke out a bunch of little white insects; fleas that cover pants legs when the appraiser crosses the carpet; a dozen active wasp nests along the roofline – those are signs of infestation.

If the appraiser answers the infestation question with “No,” then that’s not a very sharp appraiser. At best your residence or building should rate “None observed.” That’s because the appraisal visit is not a complete “home inspection,” and unless the appraiser crawls under the structure (if it’s that kind of foundation), goes through the attic, flashlights each cabinet, and scrutinizes every inch of baseboard – how would they really know?

If the homeowner shows receipts for monthly pest control or if there is a parameter of insect repellent spikes in the yard, the appraiser can enter that information elsewhere in the report to show good maintenance.

“None observed” is the safest answer for the appraiser and it’s still something on the plus side for the subject property.
As the weather starts to turn cooler, critters that have been enjoying the great outdoors try to head indoors. Your best protection against having an infestation is a well sealed structure, including people doors and garage doors. Also don’t forget to check the eaves and the roof for anything that may have loosened or warped over the summer.

And, as simple as it sounds, don’t leave a door standing open unnecessarily. Bugs and mice are opportunists.
Just like with your AC and heating units, annual or semi-annual inspections for pest control are never a bad idea. Good maintenance goes hand-in-hand with good value for your property.

Many cities that have universities have orchestras associated with the College of Music, but few cities find the means to have an orchestra apart from that. Surprisingly, the Lawton Philharmonic is older than the one formed in Oklahoma City (1988) and second to the one formed in Tulsa (1942). When one compares the populations of those cities to that of Lawton Oklahoma it is reasonable to conclude that for its size Lawton must be full of music lovers to be able to support a professional orchestra.

Ticket prices are held within range because of the huge amount of volunteer work done by the Lawton Philharmonic Society. Without its member’s devotion to the music enrichment of the community, the ticket prices would likely be too expensive for many of the citizens of this area. (2010-11 season http://www.lawtonphil.org ) Much effort is made to have special ticket pricing for students so that they may be enriched by the opportunity to enjoy fine music presented professionally.

Many of the professional musicians travel to Lawton for the concerts, but several are Lawton residents. A future article will include an interview with Derek Griner, a trumpet player who also teaches at Central Middle School.

The Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra is something that this hub of southwest Oklahoma can be proud of. Let us all try to support it by attending at least one if not all of the performances that it presents.

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A Pet Door May Serve More Critters Than You Want

I’m usually on the front row cheering for just about anything Danny Lipford demonstrates or recommends on his radio show Homefront or his segments on The Weather Channel. But a recent pitch to make life easier for dog and cat owners is something I’ve long opposed — pet doors.

Pet doors are those flaps of various materials placed over cutouts (usually less than 1 square foot) at the bottom of people doors on homes. There is a convenience for folks not having to let Rover or Princess go outside every five minutes. The handiness and the problem is that a pet door swings both ways.

We’ve all heard stories about a Fagin-like burglar sending a pint-sized Artful Dodger into homes. Maybe the safety of such doors depends upon which part of the country you live in. But in much of Oklahoma, and I’ll go out on a limb here and say in most of the Southwestern states, we also have what are commonly referred to as “critters.”

Speaking from personal experience, my wife and I returned home one evening and the headlights of our vehicle, as we pulled into the driveway, showed a visitor at a low window in the front of our house. It was a skunk trying to figure out how to get inside, so he could court our beautiful white cat, who was in the house on the other side of  the window. We finally got Pepe Le Pew to skidaddle, but had there been a pet door, I do believe we’d have had an even bigger surprise when we walked in.

I did know a lady a few blocks away who had quite a fright in the dark. Her screen door got torn at the bottom, and before it could be fixed, an armadillo made its way into the living room, down the hall and into the bathroom — in the middle of the night.

Less fun and games, for those living on the outskirts, close to open fields, or even in town near creeks and channels, is that from time to time they go outdoors only to discover on their front porch or patio is a snake. A helpful king snake or grass snake that keeps down the rodent and insect population is one thing (though most folks still don’t want them indoors), but in these parts we also have rattlesnakes. Need I say more?

On an appraisal note: Pet doors may be of use to those homeowners who want them, but I’ve never heard of a pet door increasing the value of a home on the market. In fact, homeowners should be prepared that they will likely be asked to replace a door that has a pet door cutout when it comes time to sell.

Coming up: Fall Fix Ups Mean Home Value