STAY SAFE.....take precautions when it comes to your fire risk!

A wonderful time of year!  Stay safe!

Residential fires take their toll every day, every year, in lost lives, injuries, and destroyed property. But many conditions that cause house fires can be avoided or prevented. Taking the time for some simple precautions, preventive inspections, and concrete planning can help prevent fire in the home and can save property and lives should disaster strike.

• *Check holiday lights for fraying or broken wires and plugs. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as to how many multiple strands can be joined together, as a fire hazard could result from overload. Enjoy indoor holiday lighting only while someone is home, and turn them off before going to bed at night.
• *Candles add a welcoming, festive feeling, and need to be placed in stable holders and located away from flammable items, drafts, pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended, even for a short time.
• *Keep live Christmas trees in a water-filled stand and check daily for dehydration. Needles should not easily break off a freshly cut tree. Brown needles or lots of fallen needles indicate a dangerously dried-out tree which should be discarded immediately. Always use nonflammable decorations in the home, and never use lights, even LED types, on a dried-out tree.
• Electrical items including lamps, appliances, and electronics should be checked for frayed cords, loose or broken plugs, and exposed wiring. Never run electrical wires, including extension cords, under carpet or rugs even temporarily as this creates a fire hazard.
• Fireplaces should be checked by a professional chimney sweep each year and cleaned if necessary to prevent a dangerous buildup of creosote, which can cause a flash fire in the chimney. Cracks in masonry chimneys should be repaired, and spark arresters inspected to ensure they are in good condition and free of debris.
• When using space heaters, keep them away from beds and bedding, curtains, paper – anything flammable. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Space heaters should not be left unattended while in use or where a child or pet could knock them over.
• Use smoke detectors with fresh batteries unless they are hard wired to your home’s electrical system. Smoke detectors should be installed high on walls or on ceilings on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside every sleeping area. Statistics show that nearly 60% of home fire fatalities occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Most municipalities require the use of working smoke detectors in both single and multi-family residences.
• Children should not have access to or be allowed to play with matches, lighters or candles. Flammable materials such as gasoline, kerosene, or propane should always be stored outside of and away from the house.
• Kitchen fires know no season. According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of house fires. Grease spills, items left unattended on the stove or in the oven, and food left in toasters or toaster ovens can catch fire quickly. Don’t wear loose fitting clothing, especially with long sleeves, around the stove. Turn the handles of pots and pans away from the front of the stove to prevent accidental contact. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher within easy reach. Extinguishers specifically formulated for grease and cooking fuel fires are widely available and can supplement an all-purpose extinguisher.
• Have an escape plan. This is one of the most important measures to prevent death in a fire. Visit ready.gov for detailed information on how to make a plan. Local fire departments can also provide recommendations on escape planning and preparedness. In addition, all family members should know how to dial 911 in case of a fire or other emergency.
• Kim Duclos
• www.callkim.net
  

Thanksgiving Travel

Thanksgiving is a very busy travel time of year and.....

the last thing you want if these holidays is to worry about someone burglarizing your home. I have a check list to add some sense of security and calm while you’re out of town. 1. Ask a trusted friend - to pick up mail, newspaper and keep yard picked up to avoid an appearance of being empty. 2. Consider discontinuing your mail (USPS Hold Mail Service) 3. Don’t post about your trip on Facebook, twitter and other social media until you return – some burglars actually look for this type of announcement to schedule their activities. 4. Do notify your neighborhood watch – especially if you’re going to be gone for more than just a few days. Let your monitoring service know when you’ll be gone and if someone will be checking on your home for you. 5. Light timers make it look like someone is home – use several sets for different times to better simulate someone being at home. 6. Do unplug certain appliances – TV, computers, toaster ovens that use electricity even when they’re off and to protect them from power surges. 7. Don’t hide a key – burglars know exactly where to look for your key and it only takes them a moment to check under the mat, above the door, in the flower pot or in a fake rock. 8. Consider shutting off the water to your home to avoid a possible unattended leak. These simple suggestions will add a level of serenity to your trip. Kim Duclos 702-521-3939   www.callkim.net

Feng Shui Your Home for the Holidays!

Hello friends and neighbors! I was reading an interesting article by Karen Rauch Carter on Feng Shui your home for the Holidays! Whether feng shui is for you or not, it is an intersting read. Please find her article below.

Feng Shui Your Home for the Holidays
by Karen Rauch Carter

The holidays are the time of year you can temporarily add all kinds of chi-enhancing items to your home. Start by introducing yourself to the bagua (the feng shui road map) so you know where all of the key places in your home are.
Next, decide what your priorities are. For instance, do you want to have a harmonious family gathering this year? Add wood, such as a wreath or a Christmas tree, to the "family" area -- the left, center of your home or room.
Do you want to improve your health or someone's health in your family? Add fire or sparkling objects, such as stars, twinkling lights or ornaments to the "heath" area -- the center of your home or room. Or are you interested in getting more help from people around you? Add angels to the "helpful people" area -- the left, front area of your home or room.
Here are nine different ways you can make a difference in your life -- just by adding your favorite holiday decorations. Just decide which area (or two!) needs the most help:
Career
Family
Respect
Health
Children and Creativity
Money
Helpful people
Wisdom
Romance

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Grandparents Day and it's Origin

Grandparents Day can be traced back to the first national Grandparents Day in 1978. With the efforts of Hermine B. Beckett Hanna, of North Syracuse, New York, who started the process in 1961 and is recognized by Congressman Jim Walsh, of New York in front of the U.S. House of Representatives. Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, she has been recognized nationally by The United States Senate, in particular Senator Alphonse D'Amato, and President Carter as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the young in the community to the important contributions senior citizens have made, and to the important contributions they are willing to make if asked. She also urged the young to adopt a grandparent, not for one day a year, not for material giving, but for a lifetime of experience and caring just waiting to be shared with others.
Later that year, Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) introduced a resolution in the United States Senate to make Grandparents Day a national holiday. Five years later in 1978, Congress passed legislation proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day and then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation[1].The statute cites the day's purpose as: "... to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer."

Official Song of Grandparents Day
In 2004, the National Grandparents Day Council of Chula Vista, CA announced that "A Song For Grandma And Grandpa" by Johnny Prill is the official song of the National Grandparents Day holiday. United States Senator Debbie Stabenow told Johnny "It is wonderful that “A Song For Grandma And Grandpa” was chosen as the official song of National Grandparents Day. You have put into words the unique relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren."

Official Flower of Grandparents Day
The official flower of National Grandparents Day is the Forget Me Not.

History of Labor Day

We are approaching another holiday weekend (HOORAY!). I thought I would take a moment and search the net and see what is posted as the "history" of this particular holiday.

Labor Day rose out of the struggles of Americans in the late 1800's and as a part of the labor movement of the day.

Labor Day History
As the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation, the average American in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days, seven days a week in order to make a basic living. Children were also working, as they provided cheap labor to employers and laws against child labor were not strongly enforced.

With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions became more prominent and voiced their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first-ever Labor Day parade. Participants took an upaid day-off to honor the workers of America, as well as vocalize issues they had with employers. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later.

On May 11, 1894, workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago struck to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. They sought support from their union led by Eugene V. Debs and on June 26 the American Railroad Union called a boycott of all Pullman railway cars. Within days, 50,000 rail workers complied and railroad traffic out of Chicago came to a halt. On July 4, President Grover Cleveland dispatched troops to Chicago. Much rioting and bloodshed ensued, but the government's actions broke the strike and the boycott soon collapsed. Debs and three other union officials were jailed for disobeying the injunction. The strike brought worker's rights to the public eye and Congress declared, in 1894, that the first Monday in September would be the holiday for workers, known as Labor Day.

The founder of Labor Day remains unclear, but some credit either Peter McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, or Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, for proposing the holiday.

Although Labor Day is meant as a celebration of the labor movement and its achievements, it has come to be celebrated as the last, long summer weekend before Autumn.