Keeping lights on year round and handling lead glass safely
Reader asks if front yard Christmas lights can stay up year round and how to extend reach into tree branches. Advice covers checking connections, using a telescoping pole, and heat tape for ice dam prevention with insulation tips. The second question warns about lead in antique stained glass and suggests consulting a conservator or professional firm for safe display.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Knight Ridder
Willet Stained Glass Studios
Chestnut Hill
Big boys and their toys fuel demand for power tools
Toro dealer Medden notes snow throwers from Power Max start above $1,000 and sell well in heavy snow regions. Homeowner Billy Knabe prefers gasoline leaf blowers, saying electric ones are too weak. Medden links demand to a “more power” mindset popularized by Tim Allen’s Home Improvement.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Toro
Medden
Neck of the Woods
Billy Knabe
Leawood
Kan
Tim Allen
Home Improvement
Power snow throwers and yard tools review by John Holliday
John Holliday of Shawnee Kansas reviews snow throwers comparing single stage two stage and bulkier models noting maintenance needs and suitability for different snow quantities. He warns leaf blowers can pose clothing burn risks and may hur up stones while yard vacuums can be too bulky or suck up unintended debris.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cindy Hoede
Kansas City Sta
Matt Medden
Toro
Bloomington
Minn
1Wu
Whiiher
Nature Mill composts waste with odor free home unit
Kathy Van Mullekom profiles Colin Cohn who created Nature Mill a compact automatic kitchen composter designed to cut trash by half. The $399 unit sits in a kitchen corner needs only a standard outlet uses 10 watts daily and processes food and paper into usable garden compost.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kathy van Mullekom
Newport News, Va
Daily Press
San Francisco
Cohn
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Nature
Colin
Also Mentioned on This Page
By Alan Heavens
Alan Heavens
Aheavens
Phillynews.com
Husqvarna
Lowe’s
Midwest
Ryobi
Home Depot
John Holliday
Shawnee
Kansas City Star
Automotive Indus
NatureMill
Naturemill .Com
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