winter survival guide

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Sam Harrel/News-Miner GUIDE GUIDE WINTER WINTER Fairbanks, Alaska October 6, 2012 The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903 newsminer.com 2012-13 See what advice our readers have for surviving a Fairbanks winter

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Fairbanks, Alaska, winters are known for being cold, dark and very long. We asked readers for tips on how to cope and they had some terrific ideas.

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Page 1: Winter Survival Guide

Sam Harrel/News-Miner

GUIDEGUIDEWINTERWINTER

Fairbanks, Alaska October 6, 2012

The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903

newsminer.com

2012-13

See what advice our readers have for surviving a Fairbanks winter

Page 2: Winter Survival Guide

2 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

50400198-10-6-12WS

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arrived in Alaska in Feb-ruary 1991, leaving the early year warmth of Sacramento behind. The cold — probably a deep, bitter cold of a whop-

ping 5 degrees above zero — greeted me at Anchorage International Airport.

It was the first real winter of my adult life. And so began the many years of cold-weath-er lessons learned from frigid fingertips, numb toes and, lat-er after moving to Fairbanks, vehicles that either wouldn’t start or that couldn’t grip the road.

Take my five-speed, milk chocolate-colored, gold-striped, T-top 1985 Camaro Z28, which my new employer had shipped up to Anchorage for me. What a beautiful car. Especially with those wide tires that did so well on Cali-fornia’s freeways.

It’s just that, well, I seem to recall my that my sweet, high-powered ride couldn’t make it up the ever-so-slight rise on Denali Street to my 12th Avenue condo in Anchor-age. A tap on the gas pedal and my eight cylinders would spin the wheels aggressively on the winter-slickened road. Nowhere to go but sheepishly back down.

Bummer. And not cool-

looking, either. The car had to go.

I’ve learned a lot over the years, much of it through my own mistakes and some of it from the mistakes and advice of others. I know a lot more about materials, about what my body can and can’t endure in the cold, about what to expect (and not to expect) from a vehicle. I know how to get a small child bundled up just right for school.

And, of course, some mis-takes I just keep on making.

This year’s edition of the

Daily News-Miner’s Winter Survival Guide draws on the advice of Alaskans, espe-cially those in the Interior. We asked readers for their advice for people about to experience their first Fairbanks winter. You’ll see their responses throughout the pages.

There’s great advice inside. Heck, I’m sure there’s even some advice for me after 20 years in Alaska.

—Rod BoyceManaging editor

[email protected]: @FDNMeditor

20 years in Alaska comes with many wintry lessons

ISheila Teal: Don’t panic and don’t listen to all of the horror stories. Dress in layers and slow down on the roads!

Tiffany Nicholas: Keep warm clothes, winter gear, blankets, and hand/feet warm-ers in the vehicle.

Annie Gray: Turn on your headlights (yes, even during the day) Use your turn signals!! and start braking waaaayyy ahead of time.

Donna Kelly Shepherd: I always keep a winter gear bag in my van in winter with extra essential items. Extra gloves, hats, blankets, flashlight, matches, etc. It’s better to be prepared and not need it, then to need it and not have it.

Gayle Ernst: Leave now...Get out of Alas-ka while you can!! Just kidding! Head-lights are a must 24/7 and don’t think you are invincible!

Ronnie Rosenberg: Something on domes-tic animal care. Many animals suffer from frostbite and worse in our winters.

SURVIVAL TIPS

Julie Stricker photo

Snow blows across the Steese Highway just north of Fair-banks. With snow on the ground 6 to 8 months of the year and temperatures that frequently fall to 40-degrees below Fahrenheit and colder, a winter in Fairbanks can be daunt-ing. But for many Fairbanksans, it’s their favorite season.

Page 3: Winter Survival Guide

3Saturday, October 6, 2012 Winter Survival Guide

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SURVIVAL TIPS

Charlotte Peterson: Take your vitamin D3 during the long dark months, get exercise, go out and find stuff to do. Winter tires are essential, and make sure to slow down.

Sharon Rutland: Get in where it’s warm and don’t come out til May!

Annie Gray: Oh yes, Charlotte! Invest in good winter tires! (I love my Blizzaks) and I know they are expensive, but they are worth it for your/ your children’s safety!

Danielle Kinville: Leave early to get where you’re going so you can take it slow and steady! Brakes are not your friend on ice.

Blair Kirby: Auto start!

Allison LeBon: Get a winter front for the grill of your vehicle. It will keep you nice and warm during the cold winter days! They are available at Alaska Tent & Tarp.

Jeny Hovis: Get a nice coat and boots. It’s easy to be scared by the prices, but they’re so impor-tant you really have to maybe chip away at the budget in other areas so you can have a good coat and boots.

Debbie Es: Winterize your car and don’t freak out when you wake up to square tires in the a.m. :)

By ROXIE RODGERS DINSTELCooperative Extension

t happens every year here in Alaska. The snow falls and we are left with piles of the stuff to move.

It is beautiful, but treacherous — in more ways than one. Sidewalks are unsafe if not cleared, but the shoveling can be a danger to you. Think in terms of unac-customed physical labor and back problems. People don’t think that when you start shoveling snow, it is like pick-ing up heavy weights in the cold, on a slippery surface, and dressed in heavy cloth-ing. This is a prescription for injury.

First, let’s look on the bright side. The good news is that snow shoveling for at least 15 minutes counts as moderate physical activity. According to the surgeon gen-eral, we all should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. A 170-pound person shoveling for 30 minutes will burn about 250 calories. Not a bad investment on the calo-ries-burned scale.

The bad news is that researchers have reported an increase in the number of heart attacks among snow shovelers after heavy snow-falls. The rise may be due to the sudden demand that shov-eling places on an individual’s heart. Since snow shoveling is a demanding task, it causes the heart to pump faster. In

cold weather, blood vessels contract, which can cause a heart attack since the blood is trying to pump harder to get blood to the extremities.

After only two minutes of shoveling, heart rates for sed-entary men go to levels higher than those recommended for aerobic exercise. If you experi-ence chest pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 imme-diately.

Far more common are shoveling-related injuries like pulled muscles and strained backs. These can be avoided by using the right equipment and proper snow shoveling methods.

The weather can make shoveling more difficult. Cold air makes working and breathing hard. You are also at risk of hypothermia if you aren’t properly dressed for the weather.

So do you throw in the

shovel (towel)? Not neces-sarily. Snow shoveling can be good exercise when performed correctly and with safety in mind. Think heart-healthy and back-friendly when shov-eling.

Got snow? Be careful not to invite injuries, accidents

Please see SNOW, Page 4

IChoose a plastic shovel rather than

metal because it is lighter to lift. A non-stick surface can be produced at home. Simply coat the blade of the snow shovel with vegetable oil. This will also help to make shoveling less tiring.

Page 4: Winter Survival Guide

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4 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

Vicki Rayburn: Go out to activities: music, theatre, sports, etc. take up a hobby. Like your home. Get it comfortable. You will be spending a lot of time there.

Valerie Davis: Studded tires.

Christina Uticone: Oh, and if you have a good camera, study up on how to shoot the aurora, & buy a tripod!

Lara Poirrier: Slow down on the roads. Besides the ice, you have these large things called moose that can kill you if you hit them.

Angela Sorlie Benjamin: Do not let the cold/dark intimidate you and keep you inside. If you are worried the dark months will depress you, buy a bright halogen lamp for your living room. We had one the first time we lived here, and it was like our own mini sun! Also, stock up in good lip balm and lotion. Otherwise you will dry right up!

Shovel as soon as the snow starts to accumulate. Shovel-ing snow is much easier if you keep up with it. Rather than shoveling away at two feet of snow, shovel snow when an inch or more hits the ground and shovel more often rather than waiting until shoveling is a big chore.

If you are inactive and have a history of heart trou-ble, talk to your doctor before you take on the task of shov-eling snow.

Warm up just as you would for exercise. Loosen your mus-cles by marching in place or stretching before tackling the sidewalk. Warm muscles will work more efficiently and are less likely to be injured.

Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is just as big an issue in cold winter months as it is in the summer.

Avoid caffeine or nicotine before beginning. These are stimulants, which may increase your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to constrict, placing extra stress on the heart.

Dress in several layers and remove layers as needed. Be sure to remove clothing as you heat up while shoveling.

Sweat can turn clammy on your skin and cause problems. Your skin should remain warm (not hot) and dry.

Pick the right shovel for you. It should be constructed for snow removal, with a no-stick surface and of light-weight construction. Choose a plastic shovel rather than metal because it is lighter to lift. A non-stick surface can be produced at home. Simply coat the blade of the snow shovel with vegetable oil. This will also help to make shovel-ing less tiring.

A smaller blade will require you to lift less snow, putting less strain on your body. Consider buying a bent-handle shovel that’s designed to prevent too much stooping.

Space your hands sev-eral inches apart on the tool grip to increase your lever-age. Begin shoveling slowly to avoid placing a sudden demand on your heart. Pace yourself and take breaks as needed.

Shovel the worst part first. Shovel the deepest spot at the end of the driveway where the snow plow dumps the snow first. This area will need to be done without a doubt. You may find it unnecessary to shovel areas that are not as

deep. If the goal is to get your vehicle out of the driveway, do that first before shoveling extra space around the cars.

Protect your back from injury by lifting correctly. Stand with your feet about hip width for balance and keep the shovel close to your body. Bend from the knees (not the back) and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow.

Push the snow when pos-sible — don’t lift it. Don’t throw it over your shoulder or to the side since this twisting motion can stress your back. If you need to move the snow to one side, reposition your feet to face the direction the snow will be going.

For very light snow remov-al, a broom can work.

Most importantly — listen to your body. Stop if you feel pain!

Keep your heart and your back healthy as you tackle shoveling this winter.

Roxie Rodgers Dinstel is a pro-fessor of extension on the Tanana District Extension faculty. Questions or column requests can be e-mailed to her at [email protected] or by calling 907-474-2426. The Coop-erative Extension Service is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SNOW: Proper technique, tools a mustContinued from Page 3

SURVIVAL TIPS

Page 5: Winter Survival Guide

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Page 6: Winter Survival Guide

6 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide 11401918-10-6-12W

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The Bilzzak DM-V1 stands out from other winter tires due to its versatility. The new Tube Multi-Cell and NanoPro-Tech rubber compound help improve snow, ice, wet and dry performance by making the tire more flexible to changes in conditions.

Thru Oct. 31, 2012

With its new Multi-Cell compound and advanced 3-D Sipe technology, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 delivers improved snow and slush performance, and is a reliable ride in icy conditions. It’s a tire that will help get you to your destination-regardless of the weather forecast.

SURVIVAL TIPS

Anthony DeAngelis: For a first winter list of things, I’d say packing adequate gear in your vehicle is a must. It’s all fun and games until you put your vehicle into a snow bank at -30 and all you have is a hoody and a pair of jeans to keep you warm until help arrives. Also, four-wheel-drive, whilst incredibly useful for getting traction on slick surfaces, does not, contrary to popular belief, do a thing to help you stop. Give yourself a good buffer between you and the vehi-cle ahead of you so you have an ‘escape route’ if the guy ahead of you jams his brakes. It’s far cheaper to call a tow truck to pull you out of the soft stuff than it is to call the first responders to extricate someone’s exhaust pipe out of your forehead.

Athena Garris: All-weather or studded snow tires!!! Watch out for moose!

Delaney Dixon MacMillan: Driving a 4-wheel drive vehicle does not mean you are good to go. Start out slow and give yourself extra time to slow down.

SNOWFALL• Average date of first measurable snowfall:

Oct. 1

• Average date of last measurable snowfall: April 22

• Average date of establishment of winter snow-pack (1 inch or more):

Oct. 18

• Average date of loss of winter snowpack (1 inch or more):

April 22

• Average snowfall: 65.0 inches

Average snowfall by month (last 30 years)September ..................... 1.8 inchesOctober ......................... 10.8 inchesNovember ..................... 13.2 inchesDecember ..................... 12.1 inchesJanuary ......................... 10.3 inchesFebruary .......................... 8.1 inchesMarch ............................. 4.9 inchesApril ................................ 2.9 inchesMay ................................ 0.9 inches

• Average number of days with measurable snowfall in Fairbanks: 56.9

TEMPERATUREAverage temperatures by month (last 30 years)

Month High Low Mean September 54.6 35.1 44.9October 31.9 16.5 24.2November 10.9 -5.7 2.6December 4.8 -12.9 -4.1 January 1.1 -16.9 -7.9February 10.0 -12.7 -1.3March 25.4 -2.5 11.4April 44.5 20.6 32.5May 61.0 37.8 49.4

• Average date of first low temperature of -20 or below: Nov. 19

•Average date of last low temperature of -20 or below: March 14

• Average number of days with a low temperature of -40 or lower: 11

• Average number of days with low temperature of -20 or lower: 47

(Information as of 2010 is based on National Weather Service records dating back to 1930, with some earlier records included as noted.)

FAIRBANKS WEATHER FACTS

Page 7: Winter Survival Guide

7Saturday, October 6, 2012 Winter Survival Guide

Eric Engman/News-Miner

A skier crosses Ballaine Lake in January 2012.

17403083-10-6-12WS

459-1011 • See our maps and schedules online at www.fnsb.us/macs/

Fairbanks Transit Fairbanks Transit Fairbanks Transit

NEW ROUTES to Salcha & Van Horn Rd.

Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus! Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus! Save Gas , Save Money , Ride the Bus!

Page 8: Winter Survival Guide

13402874-10-6-12WS

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If that math doesn’t make sense to you . . . keep reading. Because your check or credit card payment of $878 is worth $2,000 bucks for 10 days on non current can-Am ATV’s, Side by side Ski-doo Snowmachines, Outboards, and more.

Here is a list of just a few items that qualify: (for the FULL LIST as well as prices, payments, etc. just go to www.compeaus.com or stop by)

$878 + 10d = $2,000?

Item #7) Yamaha 40 jet outboard Item #8) Evinrude 200 hp (20”) outboard Item #9) Evinrude 50 hp (20”) outboard Item #10) 201- SJX 2170 blue loaded w/canvas (D) w/trailer Item #11) 2010 SJX 2170 Camo w/Bl Ice demo w/trailer Item #12) SeaArk 1660 w/Yamaha 40 jet on trailer pkg

Item #1) 2012 Can-Am Outlander 500 XT Item #2) 2012 Can-Am Outlander 800 XT yellow Item #3) 2012 Can-Am Commander 800 XT yellow SSV Item #4) 2012 Can-Am Commander 1000 XT silver SSV Item #5) 2012 Ski-doo Summit 146 800 E-tec black Item #6) Yamaha 150 (20”) outboard

See Sales dept. for details. Limited to stock on hand. First come first served.

8 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

Glenn J Gambrell: Adequate gear in the car, no matter how short the trip. Force your teens to wear the correct clothes, even if it is not “cool.” Babies get frostbite real quick. Need to run the car for a few (meaning less than 5) minutes before taking off. Happy lights help. Find time to go out in the sun during December-January

Jennifer Ippolito: Buy good winter gear (not necessarily fashionable), plug in your car, check your heating oil level often, slow down on the roads (even if it appears dry!)...meet up w/ people in person often (don’t hide on Facebook ;). Enjoy the novelty of living here..people wait a lifetime & wipe a savings account just to visit!

Brian Pearce: Keep busy, drink plenty of water and don’t put your tongue on a steel pole.

SURVIVAL TIPS

By DIANE SCHLINDWEINCreators.com

When you were a teenager, your parents probably not only told you

to “turn down that music” but to also turn off the lights when you left a room. You may or may not have listened then, but now as an adult, you really should pay atten-tion to what experts have to say about conserving energy.

“It’s amazing what a dif-ference simple behaviors can have on your comfort — and energy bills — in your home,” says Barbara Buffaloe, sus-tainability manager for the city of Columbia, Mo. “Just something as simple as open-ing and shutting curtains or blinds can really affect the

temperature in a room.”Buffalow said, “Insulated

curtains also help because they act as an additional layer of insulation.”

Paul Frantz, chief mar-keting officer of the energy supplier Energy Plus, advises that you “take control of home temperatures.”

“In winter set your ther-mostat to 68 degrees or less during the daytime and 55 degrees before going to sleep — or when you’re away dur-ing the day,” he says. “During the summer set thermostats to 78 degrees or more.”

Frantz also suggests using appliances efficiently. Set your refrigerator temperature at 38 to 42 F, while your freezer should be set between zero and 5 F.

“Use the power-save switch

if your fridge has one, and make sure the door seals tightly,” he says. “You can check this by making sure that a dollar bill closed in between the door gaskets is difficult to pull out. If it slides easily between the gaskets, replace them.”

The upcoming fall and winter holidays will have you spending more time in the kitchen. Frantz says to avoid “peeking” inside the oven more than necessary.

“Check the seal on the oven door and use a micro-wave oven for cooking or reheating small items,” he says.

When meals are finished, use your dishwasher wisely. “Wash only full loads in your dishwasher, using short cycles

Saving energy is as easy as turning off the lights

Page 9: Winter Survival Guide

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9Saturday, October 6, 2012

Page 10: Winter Survival Guide

10 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

Oct 5 Friday Wenatchee Wild 8:15 PM Oct 6 Saturday Wenatchee Wild 7:30 PM Oct 7 Sunday Wenatchee Wild 5:00 PM*

Oct 11 Thursday Fresno Monsters 7:00 PM* Oct 12 Friday Fresno Monsters 7:30 PM Oct 13 Saturday Fresno Monsters 7:30 PM

Oct 26 Friday Corpus Christi IceRays 7:30 PM Oct 27 Saturday Corpus Christi IceRays 7:30 PM

Nov 2 Friday Wichita Falls Wildcats 7:30 PM Nov 3 Saturday Wichita Falls Wildcats 7:30 PM

Nov 9 Friday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM Nov 10 Saturday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM

Dec 14 Friday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM Dec 15 Saturday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM

Junior “A” Hockey 2012-2013 Home Schedule Jan 11 Friday Janesville Jets 7:30 PM Jan 12 Saturday Janesville Jets 7:30 PM

Jan 18 Friday Springfield Jr. Blues 7:30 PM Jan 19 Saturday Springfield Jr. Blues 7:30 PM

Feb 15 Friday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM Feb 16 Saturday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM

Mar 7 Thursday Wenatchee Wild 7:00 PM* Mar 8 Friday Wenatchee Wild 7:30 PM Mar 9 Saturday Wenatchee Wild 7:30 PM

Mar 14 Thursday Fresno Monsters 7:00 PM* Mar 15 Friday Fresno Monsters 7:30 PM Mar 16 Saturday Fresno Monsters 7:30 PM

Mar 29 Friday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM Mar 30 Saturday Kenai River Brown Bears 7:30 PM

*Week day or Sunday

12402733-10-6-12WS

Phillip Henize: Don’t cry, tears will freeze!

Deanna ‘Oliver’ Short: Remember the person in front of you, you know, the one going slower than you, is taking percautions for road condi-tions and so should you!!....pass them and do something stupid could cost you your life!.....remember it’s all about layers, if it’s cute it’s not warm!.....and watch out for moose!

SURVIVAL TIPSfor all but the dirtiest dishes,” he says. “This saves water and the energy used to pump and heat it. Air-drying, if you have the time, can also reduce energy use.”

Buffaloe says some appli-ances even use energy when they are off. Small electronics with LED lights and/or clocks on them are constantly pull-ing electricity.

“The little red light on the DVD player and televi-sion doesn’t have to be on when you’re not watching television,” she says. “Even

some cellphone chargers pull electricity when no phone is plugged in.

“The energy used by these electronics when not in use is called ‘vampire load,’ and it’s a waste of energy that can add up over the course of a year,” she says. Instead, Buffaloe suggests plugging in small electronics and chargers to a power strip that allows you the ease of turning off multiple ‘vampire loads’ with the click of one switch.

Buffaloe says to remember to control “the power you have on your own comfort.”

“Your grandmother was on

to something when she said, ‘You’re cold? Put on a sweat-er.’ Every blanket or layer of clothes adds an additional lay-er of insulation to your body — making you more comfort-able in your own home or on the go.

“You know that adding more insulation to your attic is good for your home energy bills,” Buffaloe concludes. “Put that into practice with adding an additional layer onto your own body and you won’t have to turn up the thermostat as high — and thus heat more space than you’re even occupying.”

ENERGY: Gram was right: put on a sweaterContinued from Page 8

Page 11: Winter Survival Guide

11Saturday, October 6, 2012 Winter Survival Guide 18401313-10-6-12W

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Nita Desmond: Remember that 4WD helps you go, it does not help you stop. Also, be sure to keep extra hats, gloves, boots, shovel, blankets, etc in your vehicle because they could save your life if you go into the ditch at -40. Finally, win-ter in Fairbanks is what you make of it. If you spend all of your time indoors and complaining about the cold, then it’s not going to be enjoy-able. But if you get out and take up some of the local winter activities (skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hockey, fine arts, etc.), then it never seems so bad.

Nancy DeWitt: Don’t waste your money on cheap boots. Invest in the best.

SURVIVAL TIPSBy SARA MENDELL

Creators.com

As first-time homeown-ers, my husband and I had a lot to learn. Our first lesson came in the

form of a gas bill. It was $800 for the month of January.

“How is that possible?” we asked. We had been very conservative with how much heat we used, even sleeping with extra blankets.

So we took further action, determined to drive our gas bill lower. We only kept the heat on in our kids’ rooms and proceeded to walk through the house bundled up for the month of Febru-ary. Then the bill came for February: $750. What?! How could that be? We had done everything we could to use as

little gas as possible. We then contacted a heating and air conditioning company, which sent people to take a look. And so our first lesson in house owning began.

First, it is more economi-cal to set all of your thermo-stats to remain at the same temperature throughout the day and night. It is much more expensive to turn them off and then on again. OK, so they set our entire house to 68 degrees.

Second, and this is the

most important part, our attic was not insulated prop-erly. So how should we go about doing this? There are three main types of insu-lation: batts, blown and sprayed.

Batts are large pieces of insulation that hold together because they’re made of long, interweaving fibers with adhesive binders. The two kinds of batts you’re most likely to encounter are fiber-

Proper insulation pays dividends

Please see INSULATE, Page 12

It is more economical to set all of your thermostats to remain at the same tem-perature throughout the day and night.

Page 12: Winter Survival Guide

12 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

HOME WEATHERIZATION

The weatherization program provides weatherization work on houses, apartments, &

mobile homes for qualified households.

Renters and homeowners with low to moderate income may be eligible for thermal doors, windows, insulation, air-sealing, weather-stripping and heating system repair at absolutely no cost. Save money on your fuel and electric bills! The paperwork is extremely simple!

Call Interior Weatherization, Inc .

today for details! 452-5323 or Long Distance 1-800-478-5323

713 15th Avenue Download application at: www.interiorwx.org

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Funded by Alaska Housing Finance Corp., US Dept. of Energy, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

A household is automatically eligible if any household resident documents receipt of SSI, Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), ATAP, TANF, Senior Care Benefits, APA/IA or Food Stamps. Homes weatherized before April 2008, are eligible to be re-weatherized.

Annual Income Guidelines Size

Household 1 2 3 4

Max. Income FNSB

$59,300 67,700 76,200 84,600

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Christina Moore: Add some kitty litter, a tam-pon, a screwdriver, water and an air compres-sor to your emergency road-side kit. Cat litter for traction if you get stuck. A tampon makes a great temporary tire plug for large hole in your tire: Take it out of the casing, use the screw-driver to plug the hole just like you would with a small tire plug (use the screwdriver in the middle of the plug and push in, leaving some on the outer side of the tire). Pour water on it to make it expand, and air up your tire! (I’ve done this before. It works surprisingly well)

Megan Horton: You cannot fudge on tires here. Good winter tires are a must. Try to get out and stay busy. Lack of sunlight is a very real issue after a while to some. Remote start is a must-have if you have little ones; your fancy heated seats won’t help their poor bums in fro-zen car seats! Keep plenty of warm extras and a few random other emergency supplies in the car just in case.

Fred Klingener: Don’t wear pierced earrings. Don’t count on propane as backup heat. The first night at -50F, light a candle, step outside and watch.

SURVIVAL TIPS

glass and cotton. In terms of their insulating quality, they’re pretty much equiva-lent. The problem with batts is that they don’t cover the entire space and are known to leave gaps or spaces.

The second type of insula-tion is blown. There are two types of blown insulation, fiberglass and cellulose. Cel-lulose comes from recycled newspapers. Fiberglass comes from sand. Whether you use cellulose or fiberglass, blown insulation is great at filling

the gaps and giving you a good, complete layer of insu-lation.

The third major type of insulation is spray foam. This is the most expensive of the three. According to our contractor, it is the best at keeping the heat inside when it is cold outside and the hot air outside when the weather is warmer. This type of insulation comes in spray cans and is composed of resin and certain chemicals. When sprayed, the chemicals and resin create a foam that expands and solidifies in

place.Now it was time to do

some price investigating. We had three different contrac-tors come over and give us price quotes.

Naturally, we went with what seemed to be the least expensive while the most capable. We used the spray foam because in the end, we would save money, even though there was a signifi-cant cost upfront.

On a Friday morning, three men from Poland came over and went to work. They took up the old wood planks that were in the attic and began filling the spaces. After about five hours, they were finished. My husband and I went up to the attic and saw the brand-new spray foam covering the floor of the attic. It looked and felt much bet-ter.

So time went on, and we anxiously waited for our next gas bill. Finally, the envelope arrived. I quickly opened it. A huge smile formed on my face as I saw the total: $200 for the month. Wow, what a huge savings. And the follow-ing month, as spring came, it was $150. At this pace, we’ll earn back our investment in insulation in no time.

INSULATE: Earn back initial investmentContinued from Page 11

Page 13: Winter Survival Guide

13Saturday, October 6, 2012 Winter Survival Guide

Amber Holliday-Stinnett: Don’t leave any-thing in the car. Invest in booties for your pets. Have a backup plan in case your car is frozen. Keep backup supplies and water on hand at home. Plan for a backup heat source.

Anna Maria K. Salinas: Don’t let the whole day go by without seeing the sun, really. Even if it’s for a few minutes, let that big orb hit your retinas for a minute. It’ll help you mentally more than you think ;]

Steve McGrogan: FYSA has a couple of ses-sions of youth soccer that go through the winter to keep kids busy! helps them fight the winter blues and gets them out of the house.

Insole King: As tempting as it might be, DO NOT EAT YELLOW SNOW

SURVIVAL TIPS

Getting a good aurora photo can be a challenge. It takes patience and skill.

Where to turn for advice if you’re new at aurora photography or want to

improve at what you’re doing? Here are some tips, which we published here in late 2010. The advice is as good today as it was then.

• Check the aurora forecast at UAF’s Geo-physical Institute’s website at www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast. Photo-worthy aurora is probably a level 3 (moderate) or higher.

• Single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are the best way to get a good shot. They have the features that allow for better aurora photos.

• ISO levels, shutter speed and lens width work off each other to produce a good photo-graph. ISO is the measurement of sensitivity to light. With higher ISO levels, a person can take photographs in darker areas. More sen-sitivity to light reduces the need for a long exposure. Long exposures capture more move-ment. Lens width will determine the span of the photograph’s coverage.

• Don’t have a DSLR camera? You can try it with a point-and-shoot camera. You just have to try a bunch of different settings to see what works.

• Trying different exposure lengths gives different results. If the exposure is left on for 10 minutes, the picture’s whole sky might be covered by the aurora, but you won’t get the good definition of a shorter exposure. Starting at about one minute, long exposures can cap-ture the movement of the stars across the sky.

• Bundle up. Clear nights tend to be the coldest, and photography can be an inactive venture.

Tips for capturing a great aurora borealis photograph

John Hagen/News-Miner file photo

With the Mushers Hall in the foreground, the aurora lights up the sky over Fairbanks.

Page 14: Winter Survival Guide

14 Fairbanks Daily News-MinerWinter Survival Guide

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Natalie Ott Schuldt: My top advice: studded tires, washable wool long underwear, wool boot liners, start enjoying outdoor sports (no matter the temperature outside), and take up a fun and productive indoor hobby. For parents of young children- fun places to go and run around: Mor-ris Thompson, UAF museum, Wood Center at UAF, Bounce and Play. Fred Meyer’s free babysit-ting playplace is a lifesaver for a frazzled parent in dead of winter.

Heather Curran Zimmerman: Remember to plug your car in when it’s -10 or colder or you won’t be going anywhere!

Andrea Perry: Take vitamin D starting in November and continuing at least until February.

Annie Duffy: Download one of the aurora fore-cast apps for your phone, iPad, etc., and make sure you see it for yourself as soon as possible.

Angela Sorlie Benjamin: Always wear appro-priate shoes/boots when you are in the car. Even if you are just going to be at the corner for the school bus stop. I once got stuck in the snow in our driveway after my son got on the bus, and I had to walk to the house in slippers. Learned lesson: you never know.

Jacki Makinen: I love seeing the comments about if it’s cheap or looks cool, it won’t keep you warm. Winter gear is not about making a fashion statement, it is about making a life state-ment! If you can’t find anything fashionable that you would wear, visit the Fur Factory. If you won’t wear fur, move.

Wes Tritt: Dress in layers.

SURVIVAL TIPS

By REBA [email protected]

• Originally published October 2010

D ogs, cats and other pets face a difficult season. People who might be worried

about whether or not their car will last through the cold or if their pipes will freeze should also consider their pets that normally spend time outdoors.

Dr. Val Stuve at Aurora Animal Clinic can think of many issues pet owners face with winter approaching.

Cats that normally spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer eating mice and voles should get checked for worms, and the same goes for dogs. Stuve said that there are new topical medicines that make it easy to remove parasites.

Antifreeze for cars is a major attractant for animals; its sweet taste is hard to ignore but is extremely dan-gerous to consume. Pets can end up with kidney blockage, which is difficult to both diag-nose and treat.

Owners should be aware, especially if they’re located farther away from town, that winter is trapping season.

Animals that get caught in traps can have severe loss of circulation to their extremi-ties, creating a huge risk of frostbite. Sometimes amputa-tion is the only option.

Outdoor dogs need adequate housing and extra nutrition. Stuve recommends that when checking a dog’s weight by feeling its ribs, check without gloves on.

“You should be able to barely feel the ribs,” he said.

If fingers can fit between the ribs, the dog is most like-ly malnourished.

While outdoor pets are the major concern for pet owners,

Pets need extra care in winter

Please see PETS, Page 14

Page 15: Winter Survival Guide

15Saturday, October 6, 2012 Winter Survival Guide

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Magali Philip: Do not buy the 25-below rated boots. They are actually not even good at zero. Get the 40 below and you will start to get cold at 20 below! Stay away from cheap winter clothes brand but buy trusted brand. Buy local!

Magali Philip: Sleeping bag or heavy blanket, headlamps, gloves and hand/foot warmer in your car! All the time!

Magali Philip: Lithium batteries for all your headlamps and other battery-operated things that you take outside! ;)

Raymond C. Whitlow: Winter in Hawaii

Alaska Phoenix: Have a candle and matches in the car. It can raise the temperature enough for you to stay alive while you are waiting for someone.

Rixa Evershed: A good attitude and a warm coat!

Julie Robinson Beede: Stay at home moms with young children (5 and under) can join www.meetup.com/modmamas for regular playdates to get out of the house.

Laura Minerva-Fields: Keep an emergency kit in your car with bunny boots, winter gear, jumper cables, a candle and lighter (to keep your hands warm) flares and a blanket!

Tracy Brand: Auto start and a garage

Greg Musgrave: My advice is to move to Hawaii ......

Susy Loschiavo: Get out now while you still can!!!

SURVIVAL TIPS

indoor pets need a little extra consideration in the winter months, as well. Fall is the best time to help the animals prepare for the real onslaught of cold.

At Blue Ribbon Grooming in Fairbanks, Beverly May has winter preparation for pets down to a science.

Nails tend to grow longer during the winter months, when the rocks and dirt that normally keep the length down have disappeared underneath snow.

May advises pet owners to keep their pets’ regular appointments with groomers.

Giving an indoor or out-door pet an extra thought this season could make it much more comfortable or even save its life. Many cold-weather informational bro-chures are available at local veterinary offices.

PETS: CareContinued from Page 14

Page 16: Winter Survival Guide

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16 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner