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MASTERING THE HOUSE useful tips for homeowners

Tim Paino

Owner/Inspector Heartland HouseMaster

The Garage Door

The garage door is typically the largest exterior feature of our homes after the shingles and siding. It is the largest moving element by far and can easily weigh 100 to 250 pounds or more. Most of us in today’s world have some sort of an opener attached to the door so we are not doing the heavy lifting. We push the button and up it goes, on a good day, but if it does not, it is an awfully bad day.

Here are some maintenance tips for the garage door and opener:

1) Watch and Listen: The door should open and close smoothly and evenly. No jerking, grinding or scaping. Listen and observe the garage door as it goes in both directions. Watch the rollers and confirm they function and stay in the tracks.

2) Tighten up the Hardware: The average garage door goes up and down over a thousand times a year, vibrating with each motion. Check the hinges and roller brackets to confirm they remain tight.

3) Test the Balance: If the garage door is not properly balanced, the opener will be overworked and not last as long. There should be a release cord (typically with a red handle) when pulled allows the door to be manually opened and closed. You should be able to open the door with ten to fifteen pounds of lift pressure. The door should remain in a position about halfway opened without falling back down. If it is hard to lift or does not stay opened, it is time to call the professional to adjust the springs.

4) Lubricate the Moving Parts: Any hardware store should have dedicated Garage Door Lubricant. Every moving part should be lubricated; hinges, rollers, bearing plates, springs, opener rail. If in doubt, I suggest watching a YouTube video that guides you through all these parts needing to be lubricated.

5) Clean the tracks: You do not want to lubricate the track the rollers move in causing the track to collect dirt. You do want to wipe it out. Dust and debris collect in the track and can hamper the roller action.

6) Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features: If your opener was purchased in the past 25 years there should be two safety features; the photocell and the pressure reverse. If it is older, it is time to buy a new opener. The photocells are to be mounted around 6 inches above the surface on each side of the opening. When the beam between the two cells is broken, the door should reverse and go back up. To test the pressure reverse, place a 2x4 down on the ground below the photocells, and when the door comes down on the 2x4 it should reverse and go back up. WARNING: Before testing, confirm a metal garage door is equipped with a reinforcement strut across the top panel. This helps strengthen the door and prevent bending the door if it does not reverse easily. If the door does not reverse, be ready to pull the release lever to prevent damage to the door or opener. These safety features are designed to prevent injury to the living and damage to both the door and anything that may be in its path.

Keep that door working properly and have a good day!

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A Note From Bee

I had two blind dates before I got married. For those of you who are too young to know what a blind date is, I will explain. A friend would tell you about someone that they thought you might want to go out on a date with. In most instances you didn’t know what they looked like and really didn’t know much about them. A woman I worked with suggested I go out with her and her husband. My date, Bill, was someone her husband worked with. We started out going to a neighborhood tavern for a drink. Bill must have wanted to show how well he could hold his liquor. He didn’t do a very good job of it. We had to leave early because he started getting sick at his stomach. Thank goodness my friend’s husband drove. We had to take Bill home first. It took us awhile because we had to keep stopping so Bill could get out and vomit. Needless to say Bill and I never had a second date.

That experience convinced me that I would never ever go out on another blind date. Fast forward a couple of years. I was working at the telephone company as a service representative. I talked to Jess, a dispatcher, several times a day. He started talking about an installer, Jim, who he also talked to. He was just the nicest guy and he thought we should go out on a blind date. No, Jess, I don’t go out on blind dates especially with installers. Service reps thought installers were all stupid and installers thought service reps were snobby. J ess kept talking up Jim. Finally I said have him call me. After talking to him I could surely think of some excuse not to go out with him if necessary. He called me at work and I must admit he sounded nice. So he asked me if I ever went on Coke dates. That was a big thing in the 60’s. Yes, I did. So he said he would call me at home about 7:00. He asked for my last name, which was Brezinski, and my telephone number.

What he didn’t tell me til later, was that he was on a pole when he called me and dropped his pencil. He thought he could remember my last name and get my telephone numberfrom directory assistance. He never called because he thought my last name was Berzinski and of course he couldn’t get my number. When he didn’t call I thought, “Why did I ever say I would go out with him. You cannot trust installers to keep their word.”

The next morning my first call was Jim and he explained what happened. We went out on our Coke date. This was in August. We were engaged in October and married in June. I have never regretted going on that second blind date. We will be married 60 years in June. ______________________________________________

A Bark From the Past: Henry

[Editor’s Note: The Republican’s first four-footed correspondent was Henry. A mixed breed rescue dog, Henry would make observations about being a dog in a small town. The articles, which ran in 2006 - 2010, have been languishing in the computer’s memory and we thought a new audience might enjoy some canine commentary.] This column was first published in 2009.

I don’t feel like writing much this week. I am still upset by the sudden loss of one of my best friends, Kirby the beagle. Kirby was one of the first friends I made when I came to Danville. My human was walking me around the square and we met this little energetic bundle of fun at the door of Courthouse Grounds. I found out later that Tracy was Kirby’s human.

Just being at Courthouse Grounds once in a while gave Kirby quite an edge on most of us when it came to knowing about the latest goings-on in Danville. A lot of those goings-on were first planned around the tables at CG, and Kirby got to listen to those plans from the ground up!

Of course, Kirby was one of the original members of the Animal Action Agenda Committee and had lots of input into our ideas for improving things for all us Danville pets. He was smart, he was friendly, and we will all miss him. Our most heartfelt sympathies go out to Tracy, who always said that Kirby was “the perfect dog.”

Thought for the Day: The question is not, can they reason?, nor, can they talk?, but can they suffer?—Jeremy Bentham, British philosopher, on animal welfare. ______________________________________________

Join WYRZ in saluting the nurses of our community and thanking them for all that they do for us!

presents

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK A series of 30-second PSA’s recognizing and expressing appreciation for the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community.

Features will air daily beginning May 10th through May 14th

Thanks to our sponsors:

Hendricks Regional Health Brauman Moore & Harvey Law Offices

ASK MR. TRAFFIC

By Chet Skwarcan, PE, President/ Founder of Traffic Engineering, Inc. Chet@TrafficEngineering.com

Traffic Problems? Just “Flip the Switch!”

Plus 4 Magical Traffic Tonics!

And 2 to implement today — ALSO 1 bonus tip if you read this before midnight tonight!

You get the idea. Random headline generators usually include a number. I won’t stoop to that psychological trick but simply say there are several ways to reduce traffic congestion. And here are the top several…

Traffic Signal Optimization — this is one of the most cost-effective solutions to reduce congestion. Current traffic volumes are collected and analyzed. The most efficient traffic signal timing is determined for each lane for each minute of each day. Do you ever wait at a traffic signal and wonder why no one is moving? Stop doing that — call our world headquarters and ask for “Mr. Green.”

Traffic Signal Coordination — ever encounter several red lights in a row? How about several green lights in a row? Which do you like better? If the latter, then consider coordinating adjacent signals. Traffic signals can be synchronized to keep traffic moving smoothly.

Autonomous Vehicles — while the actual number of cars on the road may not diminish, smart cars practice effective collision management (ECM), discover new roads to reach a destination (DNRtRaD), and eventually, make traffic signals obsolete (MTSO).

Traffic Apps — One of my personal favorites, these apps know what’s happening on the road ahead. Even if you think you know how to get someplace, these apps will tell you the best way based on real time traffic, construction, police, crashes, & more. If traffic is bad along your route, you’ll get a suggested alternative to save you time.

Reversible Lanes — this is the bonus tip mentioned above. A reversible lane is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on time of day. It improves traffic flow during rush hour by having overhead traffic lights notifying drivers which lanes are open or closed to driving or turning.

The above techniques mitigate traffic congestion., And mitigating traffic congestion is different from solving traffic congestion. Keep in mind, growth and economic vitality bring congestion. Solving congestion requires redirecting economic growth to other communities — this may be unacceptable. In the meantime, traffic mitigation is the best way to have our cake and eat it too. ______________________________________________

A Squirrel About Town

By Archy

I felt a disturbance in the squirrel world. Archy was waiting for me.

“It’s true,” he said. “There’s a counter organization to the Squirrel Salon. They call themselves the Riled-Up Anti-Intellectual Alliance. They promote pessimism and revel in rumors.” “But how...,” I started to ask. “We think it was one of those rare cases of attitude transfer from humans to squirrels. Apparently, a couple of squirrels were over-exposed to Facebook and got their feathers ruffled, so to speak. They had their first indignation meeting last night.” I asked what an indigantion meeting was all about. “It’s like an echo chamber for aggravation, a gathering of umbrage takers, a round-up of disgruntlement. Basically, they take turns complaining.” “About what?” I wondered. “Anything,” Archy said. “Everything. From government to grocery stores. “And what does that do for them?” I wondered aloud. “It affirms the negative,” the squirrel explained. “It creates an energy force and a false feeling of self-importance. I’m sure you’re familiar with the human equivalent.” I sighed. “Some of our squirrel scientists are working on an indignation vaccination,” Archy offered. “But we don’t know how long it will take. In the meantime, the members of the Squirrel Salon are working on alternative solutions.” “Such as?” I asked. “Pointing out the positive,” he replied. “It’s not an immediate cure, but it can accumulate. Plant a seed of joy.” In my mind, I began to hear Johnny Mercer’s song from

1944: You’ve got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to the minimum Have faith or pandemonium Liable to walk upon the scene

Archy was tapping his foot to the tune in my head. “They don’t write ‘em like that anymore,” he said with a smile.

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Hendricks County Master Gardener

Rhubarb: A Tart Perennial For Your Garden

By Colletta Kosiba

How about being adventurous this year!

Surely, you have room for very beautiful garden plants, with huge extravagant, lush green leaves and pink or red stalks in a sunny well drained spot at one side of the garden where it will not be disturbed. Plant some rhubarb.

Rhubarb gets big! It can grow to 2-3 feet tall and wide. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that was declared a fruit by the courts in the 1970s!

Rhubarb is popular for it use in pies, cakes, tarts and sauces over cakes, ice creams, oatmeal and pancakes. Stew rhubarb by cutting the stalks into small pieces and cooking with sugar until soft (you will not need much water as rhubarb is high in water content. Rhubarb is often paired with strawberries to balance its sour flavor.

To plant:

Purchase some root crowns from Cox’s Plant Farm—dig a large hole incorporate lots of organic matter (Rhubarb plants are heavy feeders)

Plant the roots 1-3 inches below surface of soil with buds up.---water well. Space plants 4 foot apart.

The first year, resist the temptation to harvest any stems; second year, pick just a few stems; third year, pick 1/3 of the 16” stems each time. Leave the smaller to keep the plant in active growth.

To harvest grab the base of the stalk- do gentle twist, then pull it up. (You can cut the stalk at the base, it’ll just take longer to bounce back.)

Remove seed stalks as they appear. May have to do this several times.

The rhubarb plant puts on a show in your garden. The seek stalks have feathery white flowers. Remove these as they appear.

**Note NEVER EAT THE LEAVES- The leaves of all rhubarb varieties are poisonous, containing about 0.5% oxalic acid. After harvesting, I just put the leaves at base of the plant, they will decay and help keep weeds down.

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake

I make a great rhubarb buttermilk cake that is so good we eat it all the same day. Got this from a magazine a long time ago

1/2 C butter 1 1/4 sugar divided 1 egg 1 C buttermilk

1 t vanilla extract. 2 c flour 1t baking soda 1/2 t salt 2 C chopped rhubarb 1/2 t. cinnamon

Cream butter and 1 c. sugar. Add egg, beat well--combine buttermilk and vanilla--set aside.

Combine baking soda and salt ...add alternately with buttermilk/vanilla to creamed mixture.

Stir in rhubarb. Spread in greased 13x 9 “ pan, spread remaining sugar with cinnamon - sprinkle over batter... bake 350 for 35 min. (test done)

I use 2x amount of rhubarb (you experiment ). Makes 12 servings

I love it just like this, but you can make a Milk Topping: Mix 1 1/2 c. milk, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and pour over baked squares

We have been known to enjoy my strawberry rhubarb pie for breakfast!

A rhubarb crumble walks into a bar. The barman says “sorry, we don’t serve food.”

Today’s cook often gets directions from the side of the box. The old family cookbook, once as prized as the family Bible, is absent from modern kitchens. While it’s convenient to follow a recipe on your smartphone, the old cookbooks contained as much history as recipes. In this series, we will explore the history and mystery of cooking, how tastes have changed, and the stories written “between the lines” in old cookbooks.

We invite our readers to share some of the recipes handed down in their families - the ones from old cookbooks, the ones that were scribbled on scraps of paper, as well as the ones that were never recorded, but passed down by example. Send your recipes and reminiscences to The Republican at P.O. Box 149, Danville, IN 46122 or by e-mail to betty@TheRepublicanNewspaper.com.

Rhubarb

It was known as “spring fruit.” Cooked and stewed, it was used as a spring tonic to aid the blood and digestive system. Many knew it as “pie plant,” but it was also an ingredient in jams, marmalades and as a sauce. As Colletta points out in her article on this page, rhubarb can also be an ingredient in a tasty cake.

The Danville Cook Book was published in 1897 by the Ladies of the Christian Church. Like all cookbooks of the 19th and early 20th century, the instructions were written in the form of a paragraph and assumed the reader had experience in all phases of cookery.

Mrs. J.V. Hadley, wife of the author of Seven Months a Prisoner about his experiences in the Civil War, and Indiana Supreme Court Justice, contributed her recipe for

RHUBARB SHORTCAKE

Take a good paste* and bake as for strawberry shortcake. Prepare sufficient rhubarb to measure one quart, when cut; add one-half cup of water; put over the fire and simmer until tender; sweeten to taste and let stand until cool; then put through a sieve and set aside until very cold. When ready to use, stir in one-half pint good sweet cream and spread on crust and serve.

* “Paste” was a term used for pie crust. In some kitchens, the pie crust dough would be rolled out flat, cut into squares, pricked with a fork and baked. Sometimes sugar would be sprinkled on as it was removed from the oven. The crust would be broken in pieces and layered with the strawberries or whatever fruit was being used.

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Exploring Hendricks County

by Jackie Horn

Work at Play: A crew puts fresh mulch on one of the playgrounds at Hummel Park in Plainfield.

One of the best things about living in Hendricks County has been the parks. So many choices! Each community has its town parks. Then there are township parks. Even the county has a park department. The amazing thing to me is, there’s not a bad one in the bunch. Each place offers a variety of activities and all are well-maintained. The past few weeks I’ve noticed maintenance crews at several of the parks working and was curious about what goes into getting the parks ready for the busy summer season. So, I asked.

At Avon Town Hall Park, I spoke with Gary Gamble who indicated that since his crews remove snow from the trails during the winter, they need to remove the plows and store them away. Mowing equipment is inspected and readied. Trails are a big part of the Avon Park system so winter storm damage (broken and downed trees, etc.) needs to be cleaned up. Landscaping projects and weeding is a big part of their workload as well. Gamble commented, “The Park is no different than your home except on a lot bigger scale!”

A fresh coat of paint makes a baseball diamond sparkle.

Work started early in spring prepping the Little League ball diamonds, according to Danville Park Director Will Lacey. Spiffing up landscaping and painting also fill his staff’s days but it’s Gill Aquatic Center’s swimming area, waterslides, lazy river, and splash pad that require the most attention from the department. Located at Ellis Park, the aquatic center is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend.

At Hummel Park, Guilford Township Park employees have been grooming ballfields, de-winterizing restrooms, mowing, and re-mulching playgrounds in preparation for summer. The Performing Arts Center area is cleared prepared for the first concert. The Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra kicks off the season on June 5 at 7:00 PM. Derek Clay, Park Administrator, won’t commit to an opening date for the splash pad but is shooting for Memorial Day weekend. Updates will be posted on the website at hummelpark.net.

The re-created prairie at McCloud Nature Park is greening up after an early spring controlled burn.

Ryan Lemley Hendricks County Parks and Recreation (HCPR) Superintendent confirmed they’re mowing and mulching too. Invasive plant removal is a priority at Mc- Cloud Nature Park. A crew of 34 community volunteers showed up recently on Saturday to “weed wrangle”. An inventory of dead trees in need of removal, burning off the prairie, and trail maintenance are also important activities before the summer crowds start flocking to the park.

HCPR also maintains the western section of the Vandalia Trail from Coatesville to Amo. Here the department is removing dead ash trees and invasive species. Work continues on acquiring easements and extending the trail five additional miles to Clayton.

Lemley confesses most of the HCPR efforts are being directed to W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park which is due to open later this summer. More information and updates regarding the Grand Opening can be found on their website, hendrickscountyparks.org.

The Washington Township Park in Avon is busy planning its summer programs, camps, and concert series. The splash pad opens Memorial Day weekend.

With the “official” summer season beginning in just over three short weeks, the local parks departments have their work cut out for them. It all pays off when residents and visitors take advantage of the great facilities and activities offered. Now, where to go first?!

All the park departments indicated they are planning to hold summer concerts, camps, programs, fireworks, etc. BUT with the COVID-19 situation, things could change. To keep up-to-date on what’s happening at your favorite Hendricks County park, check their websites and Face- Book pages:

▪ Avon Parks - avongov.org - (Avon Town Hall Park, Gable Park)

▪ Brownsburg Parks - brownsburgparks.com - (Arbuckle Acres Park, Cardinal Park, Stephens Park, Williams Park)

▪ Danville Parks & Recreation - danvilleindiana.org/ parks - (Blanton Woods, Ellis Park, Gill Aquatic Center, Jack Willard Park)

▪ Guilford Township Parks - guilfordtownship.com - (Hummel Park)

▪ Hendricks County Parks -hendrickscountyparks.org -(McCloud Nature Park, Vandalia Trail (western section), W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park)

▪ Plainfield Parks & Recreation - townofplainfield.com (Anderson Park, Barker Sports Complex, Franklin Park, Friendship Gardens, Sodalis Nature Park, Swinford Park)

▪ Washington Township Parks - washingtontwpparks. org -(Paw Park, Pecar Park, Washington Township Park- Upper and Lower) ______________________________________________