â€œCutting Your Energy Bill Nowâ€ with Bruce Harley

02:09PM / Monday, December 01, 2008Print Story | Email Story

The North Adams Public Library and Take Charge will host “Cutting Your Energy Bill Now” with Bruce Harley on Thursday, December 11 at 6 P.M.

Mr. Harley will give a presentation about his latest title Cut Your Energy Bills Now, 150 Smart Ways to Save Money and Make Your Home More Comfortable and Green written to help everyone reduce their heating, cooling, and electrical expenses. The presentation will include a question and answer period.

Bruce Harley is a nationally recognized authority on energy efficient residential construction and retrofit. As Technical Director of Conservation Services Group (a non-for-profit energy services company located in Westboro, MA), he is involved in research, consulting, technical and program policy, and training around energy and building issues. He is a board executive and chair of the Technical Committee for the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), a non-profit organization that oversees the Home Energy Rating industry.

Mr. Harley’s first book, Insulate and Weatherize, published in September 2002 and his new book, Cut Your Energy Bills Now is being released December 9th. He is a regular contributor to Fine Homebuilding, The Journal of Light Construction and Energy Design Update. In 2007 he received a Legacy Award from the Energy and Environmental Building Association, for pioneering work in the field of building science.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

All programs are free and open to the public and registration is not required. For more information about library programs, call Robin at 662-3133. You may also visit us at 74 Church St. North Adams, or on the web at www.naplibrary.com.

The library is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 9 to 8, Wednesday and Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 1

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How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day. These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in -- costing you higher heating bills. Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts. But what can you do about the four largest â€œholesâ€ in your home -- the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. Attic Stairs An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling. Whole House Fans and AC Returns An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a whole house fan cover. Installed from the attic side, the whole house fan cover is invisible. Cover the fan to reduce heating and air-conditioning loss, remove it when use of the fan is desired. Fireplaces A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces. An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. Available from Battic Door, a company known for their energy conservation products, a fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow is removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after. Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal. This will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape. If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan, an AC return, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes. Mark D. Tyrol is a Professional Engineer specializing in cause and origin of construction defects. He developed several residential energy conservation products including an attic stair cover, an attic access door, and is the U.S. distributor of the fireplace draftstopper. To learn more visit www.batticdoor.com
from: mark tyrol	on: 12-05-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Navigators Hand SteepleCats Sixth Straight Loss

By Ben McDonoughFor iBerkshires.com
10:29PM / Saturday, June 13, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Shore Navigators capitalized on aggressive baserunning and timely hitting Friday night, defeating the North Adams SteepleCats 13-4 at Joe Wolfe Field and dropping the Cats to 0-6 on the young NECBL season.

The Navigators struck first in the opening inning against North Adams starter Garrett Gates. Michael Brown opened the game by reaching after being hit by a pitch before Hunter Kingsbury followed with an infield single. After a double steal moved both runners into scoring position, Gates recorded his first strikeout of the season by retiring Jay Slater. North Shore quickly responded, however, as Grant Hunter lined a two-run double into the gap to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

North Adams threatened in the bottom of the first. Bobby Stang singled and stole second while Evan Meier worked a walk, but North Shore starter John Hegarty escaped the inning without allowing a run.

Gates settled in during the second inning, striking out Luke Johnson and working around a two-out double by Tyler Shulman to post a scoreless frame. He added two more strikeouts in the third, but Slater connected for a solo home run over the left-field fence to extend the Navigators' lead to 3-0. Gates recovered by picking off Simmi Whitehill after a single and later struck out Hunter to end the inning.

The SteepleCats broke through in the bottom of the third. Alex Barrist reached base and advanced into scoring position on a throwing error before Nelphie Lopez worked a walk. A wild pitch moved both runners up, and after Evan Meier battled back from a 1-2 count to draw another walk, Tony Woodie delivered North Adams' biggest hit of the night. His two-run ground-rule double brought home Barrist and Lopez, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

North Shore answered immediately in the fourth. After Steven Sams entered in relief, the Navigators used a combination of walks, stolen bases, wild pitches and defensive miscues to plate three runs and stretch the lead to 6-2.

The game began to slip away in the fifth. Grant Hunter opened the inning with a single before the Navigators loaded the bases. Daniel Leikus delivered a bases-clearing double to right field, helping North Shore push four more runs across the plate. Jake Foster eventually entered to stop the rally, but the damage had been done as the Navigators moved comfortably in front.

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