Update: Voting from a Second Home
Hello All,
From my point of view the attack by the Republicans on absentee ballots last fall was typically arrogant and predictably near-sighted.
Bills have now made it through both the senate and assembly, removing any invasive questioning regarding need for an absentee ballot. Even the senate Republicans were ok with relaxing the law. So no longer will you need a note from a doctor if you are disabled or sick. No longer will you have to state the reason for being out of county. This is all good.
Of course this will not stop the residency challenges and may actually increase them. But no longer will absentee ballots be contested for ridiculous, privacy invading reasons.
Bob Balcom
President, Association of Chatham Democrats
Here is a link outlining what has happened so far: blog.timesunion.com
Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWBs)
What You Should Know
While our Town Board continues to deal with the issue of regulating (or not)
Outdoor Wood Boilers (OWBs) I thought I'd look into the cost and reported
savings of these appliances. What I discovered was...well... startling!
I determined, after several hours of research, that it is much more costly to
install, use and maintain an OWB than is purported by the manufacturers.
Material cost alone for an EPA White Tag OWB (cleanest and what will be required
in the future) is $6,000 for a small unit.
It is recommended that insulated 1" PEX lines be installed to circulate the
water from the unit to the house. Central Boiler, a popular manufacturer, recommends
placement not closer than 300' from any residence. The insulated
PEX costs about $5.00 per foot thus add at least $1,500. They also recommend
that insulated chimney pipe be installed 3' above the nearest structure.
Thus if a one story house is nearby you would need about 15' of pipe. Triple
walled chimney pipe costs $200 per 3 feet so add another $1,000. You will
also need a rain cap with a spark arrestor ($75) and a powerful circulation
pump ($200).
You will need to run electricity to the OWB to run the pump, fan and light.
You also will need to support the chimney stack not to mention purchase isolation/
drain valves for the water lines and then connections to your heating
system. So, material alone is approaching $9,000 for a good system!
Oh, by the way, if the power goes out you have no heat. Just thought I'd mention
that.
And the efficiency of these units is highly exaggerated. You will be lugging
seasoned hard wood at least 2 times a day during the winter, not 2-3 days as
some of the manufacturers state. So you better own a woodlot and prepare to
become a slave of the OWB.
OWBs are much more expensive to properly install and maintain than meets
the eye. They also have lousy "lifetime" warranties and if the older units are
any predictor, they will not last more than around 7 years without significant
repairs. Cost alone should make these units impractical but if you don't believe
me go to the websites below and get reading!
www.outdoorwoodfurnaces.org
www.woodheat.org
www.environmentalchemistry.com
lwww.epa.gov/burnwise/woodboilers.html
www.epa.gov/burnwise/owhhlist.html
www.centralboiler.com
So, buyer beware!
Bob Balcom
President, Association of Chatham Democrats