Wood is good, but wood smoke can be harmful to people’s health. Wood is the way many New Hampshire residents heat their homes. Other households use wood stoves and fireplaces as supplementary heating sources. Wood is an excellent choice for heating your home; it is a New Hampshire grown energy source. Heating with wood makes sense economically given that New Hampshire is the second most forested state. Buying local wood is also good for our economy. Most energy experts agree that sustainable harvested wood burned to heat homes releases no more greenhouse gases than forest regeneration can re-absorb them. In the lingo of the day, this makes it “carbon neutral.” But just as important as the economic and environmental benefit of burning wood is, only burning clean dry wood protects your home and keeps the air that you, your family, and all of us breathe, as healthy as possible.

Today’s modern wood stoves burn much more cleanly and efficiently than those sold before 1990. Burning cleanly and efficiently is the key to heating with wood. To many of us the smell of a wood fire is enjoyable and comforting. To people with respiratory or cardiac conditions, it is anything but enjoyable and comforting. The very small particles that make up wood smoke can be inhaled deep into the lungs, collecting in the tiny air sacs where oxygen enters the blood. This can cause breathing difficulties and sometimes permanent lung damage. Inhalation of small particles can increase cardiovascular problems, irritate lungs and eyes, trigger headaches and allergic reactions, and worsen respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. No one wants to do that to their family or their neighbor!

Pollution from wood stoves is a particular concern in the winter when cold, stagnant air and temperature inversions limit air movement.  Communities located in valleys, like Keene, are more strongly affected.  As wood burning increases on cold, clear, calm nights, smoke is unable to rise and disperse.  Pollutants are trapped and concentrated near the ground, and the small size of the particles allows them to seep into houses through closed doors and windows.

Burning clean, dry hardwood in an energy efficient wood stove helps minimize air pollution. If you live in a valley area, watch weather conditions and pay attention to Air Quality Action Day notifications (see http://www2.des.state.nh.us/airdata/air_quality_forecast.asp for air pollution forecasts in your area). On days when small particle levels are high, and there is stagnant air, if you have alternative heating, avoid burning wood until the winds increase. This will help to keep your wood smoke from affecting people with cardiac or respiratory illness.

Keeping your stove pipe cleaned and good ash management can make your wood burning experience safer for your family as well. Burning wood safely and efficiently will also save you money. See http://extension.unh.edu/Energy/Wood_Burning.html for some great tips on wood burning, stove maintenance and ash management. EPA’s Burnwise program provides additional information on types of certified stoves, choosing a wood stove and energy efficiency. The frequently asked questions section may clarify some of your questions. See http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/

Over the past 25 years that DES has existed as an agency and measured air pollution levels, small particulates from wood stoves and other sources have been declining. This good news is important to remember but in localized valley areas, small particles can still be a health problem. Remember to burn wise because smoke can harm your family’s health!

“The Coldwell Banker brand is clearly top of mind when consumers go online and search for a home,” said Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.  “Consumers know our great brand and have shown a desire to utilize the suite of online tools seen throughout the Coldwell Banker network at the national and local levels.”
According to Nielson, Coldwell Banker websites had 17.5 million unique visitors in 2011, which was more than 28 percent higher than the next nearest franchise brand competitor (13.7 million). Similarly, Coldwell Banker branded websites (26.1 million unique visitors) had the highest Web traffic ranking among real estate franchisors in the comScore Media Metrix full-year ranking for 2011, easily outpacing its next nearest competitor by 21 percent (21.6 million unique visitors).

The Coldwell Banker brand continues to place an emphasis on developing its website into a hub for consumers to find and prepare for the home buying and selling process.  Recent additions include the lifestyle search page and first time home buyer resource center.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC accessed the aforementioned information through its subscription to both Nielson and comScore Media Metrix. The rankings encompass all consumer Web traffic (unique visitors) to national and local websites operated by the franchise brands as well as by their franchisees.

Your house is listed for sale with a REALTOR®.  Your neighbor down the street tells you that it is priced way too low and you should certainly be able to get more money than that for it.  Or you just sold your house and your brother is telling you that it sold for too little.  Sound familiar?  When it comes to real estate, everyone has an opinion – from your dentist to your best friend.   The reality of it though, is you need to trust what your REALTOR® says.  After all, you hired her/him for her/his experience and knowledge of the market.  She/he researched the properties sold, the current competition, and understands what the market is doing.   Your REALTOR® is your best source of information regarding the sale of your house or land.  While it is nice to think that your house is worth more money because your neighbor says so, it is market conditions that really set the value.   Family and friends may have good intentions, but they usually don’t have the professional experience to support their opinions.

Give me a call if you would like to work with a REALTOR® that you could trust to give you the best real estate advice available.  603-526-4116; donna@donnaforest.com.

Donna Forest, Broker Associate

The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge (SRK) Greenway Coalition’s eight winter hikes begin on January 14th.  All hikes are free to the public. For SRKGC information see: www.srkg.com. Please call the volunteer hike leader at least the night before to learn starting location and time. Winter conditions require ample clothing layers, food, and water. Normally snowshoes are the presumed mode of transport, but this year be especially prepared for ice.

January 2012 hikes:

Jan 21 (Sat):  Cross-country ski to Springfield’s Morgan Pond from Twin Lake Villa. 5 miles. For experienced skiers. (M) Andy Hager (526-2846).

Jan 28 (Sat):  Lunch on an island in Morgan Pond in Springfield. 3 mile. Call before Jan. 26 if interested. (M). Susan and Michael Chiarella (763-4661) or schiarella@myfairpoint.net.

February 2012 hikes:

Feb 4 (Sat): Snowshoe over winter trails in Wilmot’s Patterson Road area. Refreshments afterward. 3 miles. (M) Brian Faughnan (526-7838).

Feb 11 (Sat): Exploring Tucker Mountain in East Andover. A walk in the woods. We’ll be joined by Frank Baker, a resident of East Andover who will help us to recognize signs of animal presence.  (M)  Email Lee Carvalho leecarvalho6@gmail.com (or 735-5719).

Feb 18 (Sat):  Looking for wildlife while walking from NH 4A to Wilmot Center (SRKGC trail 7) and  climbing over Bog Mountain’s ledges to Wilmot Center. 4.6 miles. (M). Nick Baer (526-8233)

March 2012 hikes:
Mar 3 (Sat):  Journey along Sunapee Ridge to Lucia’s Lookout via Andrew Brook Trail to frozen Lake Solitude in Mount Sunapee and Pillsbury State Parks. 10 miles. (D)  Gerry Gold (526-2857).

Mar. 7 (Wed), 8 (Thu) or 9 (Fri) : Moonlight Snowshoe Hike to ridge-top skyline vista. Sponsored by SRKGC, ASLPT and N.L. Conservation Commission. Hike date selected for best moonlight conditions. 2 miles ; two hours. (M)  Not for novice snowshoers.  Dave Cook (526-4570).

Greenway Trail Guides are available at local book stores.  The SRK Greenway Coalition is a ten-town all-volunteer non-profit organization with members throughout the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge region and beyond.

Greg’s music is said to be “cosmic folk” with influences from acoustic rock, soul, gospel and the sounds of the sitars of classical Indian music.

For more information and upcoming events, visit www.sunapeecoffeehouse.org

Jane Snow, Listing Agent

Mount Sunapee has an awesome midweek deal for full-time college students enrolled through spring 2012. With a valid college picture ID, college students ski or ride for half-price midweek during non-holiday periods. That’s just $34. Weekends and holidays the college discount is $15 off a full-price, all-mountain, all-day ticket.

See their web site for more special offerings, www.mountsunapee.com

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