LIFESTYLE
Page B4 • Saturday, November 16, 2013
Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com
DeKalb Rotary Club honors Veterans Day Gene Deisz (Navy ’56-’62) presented a Veterans Day program for fellow members of the DeKalb Rotary Club on Monday. The speaker was Lt. Col. David Dosier (Army ’87-present), commanding officer of the Northern Illinois University ROTC program. Dosier discussed the sacrifices veterans have made – both the obvious ones and some not so obvious – to insure American citizens continue to enjoy freedom. The colors were presented and retired by veterans Frank Beierlotzer (Army ’64-’67 and
National Guard ’88-’98) and Cliff Seldal (Marines ’52-’55). Rotarian veterans present, in addition to Deisz, were Frank Moore (Army ’43-’45), Frank Bazeli (Army ’49-’53) and Tom Inboden (Army ’70-’72). Guest veterans were Dosier, Beierlotzer, Seldal, Don Schoo (Army ’43-’47), Gene Bellinger (Air Force ’58-’59) and Michael Koolidge (Army ’97-’98). DeKalb Rotary Club is a service club that meets from 6 to 7 p.m. every Monday at the Ellwood House Visitors Center. For more information, visit www.dekalbrotary.org.
Provided photo
The DeKalb Rotary Club held a Veterans Day program on Monday. Pictured (from left) seated are Frank Beierlotzer, Gene Bellinger, Don Schoo, Frank Moore and Cliff Seldal. Standing are Frank Bazeli, Tom Inboden, Gene Deisz, David Dosier and Michal Koolidge.
Simple steps to a home both cozy, cost-efficient By MELISSA RAYWORTH The Associated Press As temperatures drop and daylight is in shorter supply, we fight back: We crank up the heat in our homes and turn on lights earlier and earlier. And yet we also want to keep our heating and electric bills as low as we can. Can you keep your home warm and inviting all winter while still conserving energy? Here, three home design experts offer advice on how to keep things cozy while minimizing energy use this winter. Their suggestions range from the traditional (there’s a reason why your grandmother hung those heavy curtains in winter) to the high-tech, including a thermostat that can talk to your iPad.
TRY NEW TECH Maxwell Ryan, founder of the popular home décor website ApartmentTherapy.com, is a designer. John Colaneri, co-host of HGTV’s “Kitchen Cousins,” is a construction expert who builds and remodels homes. Both offer identical pieces of advice about staying warm while conserving power and saving money: Swap out your old incandescent bulbs (and those swirly compact fluorescent bulbs, too) for the new Cree brand LED bulbs. “They can last longer than 10 years and they use 84 percent less energy than incandescents,” Ryan says. “They also are dimmable” and give a warm-looking light – a big change from the energy-sav-
AP photo
To ensure the outdoor living space of his mountain house stays warm and welcoming during the colder months, designer Brian Patrick Flynn chose woven blend upholstery for his seating, a wool and acrylic blend indoor-outdoor area rug, and throw pillows and blankets to keep guests feeling cozy. ing compact fluorescents. “If you do the math on the LED,” he says, the bulbs save you so much on electricity that they pay for themselves within a year and then last about nine more years. Colaneri and Ryan also both advise homeowners to replace old thermostats with new Nest brand models. “They take 30 percent off your bill each month,” Colaneri says. “And they look very high-tech and cool to display.” Nests are programmable “learning thermostats,” which means they track your habits and adjust accordingly. They also connect via WiFi to check weather reports online, and you can control them remotely from an iPad. There is new outdoor technology, as well. On your deck or patio, designer Brian Patrick Flynn suggests adding a new propane-powered space heater. The newest
models are cost-effective and stylish, says Flynn, executive producer of HGTV.com’s Holiday House. “They look like modern sculpture,” says Flynn, “and many of them are under $500. To ensure my outdoor spaces stay warm during the winter, I keep modern, 7-foot tall space heaters in my covered outdoor living room. They’re on wheels, so it’s easy to move them around to wherever people are seated. And once lit, the glass tubes which contain the flame from the propane tank put on a gorgeous show.”
EMBRACE UPHOLSTERY Warm, cozy upholstery fabrics work on a practical level by holding your warmth when you touch or sit on them. But Ryan points out that they also work visually: A room full of soft, warm fabrics will give you a psycho-
logical sense of warmth that adds to your enjoyment. So add thick throw blankets to chairs and sofas, and swap out silk-covered pillows and even lampshades for ones covered in thicker, nubbier fabrics like muslin and burlap. Ryan also recommends using thick curtains in winter. A decade ago, he says, “curtains were considered fusty and old-fashioned and expensive.” But with so many beautiful, inexpensive curtains available today, they’ve become popular again. Besides adding color or a bold pattern to a room, curtains also block cold air that might leak in around windows. And they muffle sound from outside, which Ryan says helps make rooms feel more insulated in winter. “Curtains,” he says, “aren’t just for your grandparents anymore.” The same technique can help warm up outdoor spaces. Flynn recommends Sunbrella’s outdoor velveteen fabric for chairs and sofas. He also likes thick, woven blends. “Velveteen is amazing for the outdoors,” he says, “since it’s warm and fuzzy.”
LIGHT THE FIRE Crackling flames in an indoor fireplace can change the feel of a room instantly. And outdoors, they bring a welcome infusion of heat and light on a winter evening. “Outdoor fireplaces are increasingly more and more popular, coast to coast,” Flynn says. “They’re not all that much of an expense like an
outdoor kitchen would be.” If you’re building a new outdoor fireplace, leave ample room for seating. “Many times homeowners have outdoor fireplaces built, but there’s only enough room for a small table or two chairs. What’s the point, people? The whole idea is to gather and stay cozy outdoors,” Flynn says. He suggests planning “at least 12-by-14 feet of space around the front of the fireplace to ensure a sofa and loveseat as well as a coffee table and end tables will fit.”
LAY DOWN RUGS Gleaming hardwood or tile floors are lovely in spring and summer. But in cold weather, add a thick rug or swap out a thin one for something heavier. This will not only warm your feet, but also change the look and sound of your space.
“When acoustics are dampened,” Ryan says, “the room feels warmer.” An outdoor rug can have the same impact. “Thick outdoor area rugs are made of acrylic/wool blends,” Flynn says. “The wool feels great on your feet and definitely locks in warmth.”
IMPROVE YOUR CIRCULATION This last tip, shared by Maxwell Ryan, comes from a conversation he had years ago with home décor guru Martha Stewart. She advised him to run his ceiling fans backward in winter to push warm air back down along the walls of the room. If you don’t have ceiling fans, Ryan suggests adding one or two for energy savings and added comfort yearround.
Adam & Danielle
t s 1 y p p a H ! y r a s r e v i Ann Love, Mom & Dad
Trainer: Any dog can learn new tricks By SUE MANNING The Associated Press LOS ANGELES – If it seems like your dog knows every trick in the book, try changing books. Babette Haggerty, veteran dog trainer to the stars, has packed 106 teach-them-yourself stunts into her new book, “The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet.” Pets that master the basic sit, stay and heel commands can learn to help around the house and even appear to read, pirouette or do the “Hokey Pokey,” she says, picking up party tricks to dazzle guests or special talents for TV and movie work. Teaching canines of the rich and famous is a trait she picked up from her legendary father. Haggerty, 45, of Oakland, N.J., figures she has trained 1,000 dogs over the years, many at her school, Babette Haggerty’s School for Dogs. She’s got a ways to go to catch dad Arthur “Captain” Haggerty, who died in 2006 at age 74. He trained an estimated 100,000 dogs. The elder Haggerty handled dogs or appeared as an extra in more than 150 films and about 450 commercials. He also pioneered “Stupid Pet Tricks” on David Letterman’s late-night show and appeared on it 26 times. His 1977 book “Dog Tricks” is still selling well, and many credit him with turning dog training into an honorable profession. Her dad’s best advice: “The dogs come first. Do whatever is best for the dogs,” she said. Haggerty, who dedicated her book to her father, worked with him on the soap
operas “Guiding Light” and “All My Children.” Her father always encouraged her creativity. So, she didn’t just teach Jimmy Buffett’s Maltese to dance, but taught him to dance to “Margaritaville.” She didn’t just teach Jack Nicklaus’ golden retriever to bark on command, but taught it to bark six times when you asked, “Cali, how many times has daddy won the Masters?” The book might come in handy for pet owners who need an extra paw around the house. Your dog can learn to fetch your keys, its food dish, a newspaper or the mail, she said. It can hold the dust pan, sort laundry or serve as your wakeup call. Or maybe you prefer the more difficult tricks: playing a toy-size piano, pushing a skateboard or hitting a baseball off a small tee. One satisfied customer is Candice Ball of New York City. She was tired of wasting money on training classes that didn’t work for her or her 6-year-old shih tzu, Toshi. “I failed the classes,” she said. “He wasn’t treat-motivated. We sat and stared at each other. Then someone recommended Babette.” There were no treats – just praise – and it was effortless, Ball said. A well-trained Toshi has since appeared on “Law and Order: SVU,” the final episode of “30 Rock” and in a New York Yankees commercial for MasterCard. He can also be seen appearing to read on page 154 of Haggerty’s book, released in October by Page Street Publishing and co-authored by Barbara Call. What Haggerty promised in her book
is true, Ball said. She and Toshi are having lots more fun now that they are doing so much together. In the book, each trick comes with photos, a hand signal, the tools needed (clicker, praise or treats), the average time it takes to learn it, difficulty (beginner, intermediate and advanced), advice from the expert and problem solving. A lot of the tricks take time and repetition, Ball said, from “dig on command” (beginner) to “get your leash” (intermediate) to “climb a ladder” (advanced). Some dogs are not as eager to please as others, and Haggerty said she has to get around that. “But I have met owners who were harder to train than the most difficult dogs.” The standard poodle is probably the easiest dog to teach, Haggerty said, and female dogs might be a little more compliant than males. To answer the question about old dogs and new tricks, Haggerty said she just took in a 9-year-old pooch she will train for the next month while its family adjusts to a new baby at home. The dog has never had training. As with most things, the basics will make everything after that easier, she said. “They have a better chance of success, and it opens the door to so many more tricks. If your dog doesn’t have a good solid ‘stay,’ getting them to ‘deaddog’ is going to be a lot more difficult,” she said of the trick in which a dog rolls over on its back and plays dead. “A few tricks make it easier for everyday families to have once-in-a-lifetime dogs,” she added.
12/31/13