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Natural Gas Safety

Natural Gas Safety

Whether you are at home, at work, or in a public place, it is likely that you are in an area served by natural gas. Natural gas pipelines quietly and efficiently transport natural gas every day to residential homes and businesses.

Just like with other forms of energy, natural gas must be handled with proper care. Despite the industry’s excellent safety record, a gas leak can occur at any time and potentially cause a hazardous and dangerous situation.

Many gas pipelines are underground in public areas. These areas are marked off with lines to show an approximate location of the pipeline, however, this line will not indicate its depth. These markers will also display the pipeline’s operator and telephone number where the operator can be contacted in case of an emergency.

It is important to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of natural gas and prepare yourself to act quickly in the event of an emergency.

A gas leak can be often recognized by three of the senses, smell, sight, and sound.

Smell – Natural gas is colorless and odorless. However, it has a very distinct, and pungent odor. Similar to rotten eggs.

Sight – You may see a white cloud, mist, fog or bubbles in standing water or blowing dust. You may also see vegetation that appears to be dead for no apparent reason.

Sound – Hearing a roaring, hissing or whistling noise, could also be a sign of a gas leak.

If you recognize any of these, move to a safe place and call 911 immediately.

Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances, as this can cause an explosion. Most importantly, do not assume that someone else will report the condition. Provide an exact location to where the gas leak is when reporting to the police.

For more information on gas leaks and gas safety, please visit https://www.nationalgridus.com/Long-Island-NY-Business/Natural-Gas-Safety/

Written by: Amanda Haase

Adding Value To Your Home

Adding Value To Your Home

As your home grows in age, the value of your home starts to drop. If you are looking to increase the value of your home, consider some of these home renovations to help add value to your home.

Invest in your kitchen: A kitchen update and remodeling your kitchen is a safe bet when it comes to adding value to your home. Even if the rest of your home is in excellent condition, a poorly functioning kitchen can detract from the overall value. Consider putting in new cabinets and counters to give the kitchen a whole new look.

Look to paint: One of the least expensive improvement materials is painting! Neutral and modern colors can help liven up any space. If you paint with low-VOC paint, you can also advertise your home as an eco-friendly home.

Put in another bathroom: Multiple bathrooms are an attractive retail point, especially in older homes. Finding the space to add a bathroom may be hard, but consider closets, areas under stairs or taking space away from another room. If you do not have the rooms for a full bath consider adding a half bath.

Add illumination to rooms: A dark room in a home is a dull room. Adding overhead and accent lighting can really make a difference in the appearance of your home. Under cabinet lighting in your kitchen is also a nice touch.

Improve curb appeal: Adding attractive landscaping outside of your home and freshening up the entryway to your home can add considerable value to your home, as buyers judge the home from its exterior look. Well placed planting and an inviting front door can do wonders to a home.

If you are a homeowner and recently have, or plan to complete renovations to your home, don’t forget to call your Insurance Agent to discuss possible discounts on your Homeowners Insurance. If you are interested in a quotation for your home, give C.H. Edwards, Inc., a call and one of our courteous Homeowners Insurance Specialists will be happy to assist you. 516-249-5200 www.chedwards.net.

Written by: Amanda Haase

Child Passenger Safety Awareness

Child Passenger Safety Awareness

Did you know, that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among children ages 1 to 19? Although this is a leading cause, there are many ways that we can prevent injury and death among children, while they are passengers in our vehicles.

Here are some helpful safety tips to follow when driving with your child(ren):

  • Tug on your kid’s car seat where the seat belt goes. If it moves more than 1 inch at the base, be sure to tighten it.
  • Make sure your child is using the proper car seat. Using the proper seating based on your child’s age can very well save their life in case of a crash. You can view proper car seat choices at http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Right-Car-Seat-Age-Size.htm.
  • Make sure your child’s car seat is installed properly. Studies show that about 75 percent of car seats are improperly installed. To properly install your car seat, carefully follow the instructions that come with your seat. After installing your car seat, be sure to get it inspected. You can find local inspection sites near you at http://www.safercar.gov/cpsApp/cps/index.htm.
  • DO NOT text and drive. Not only does texting and driving put you and your child’s life at risk, but it teaches young ones, bad habits. Avoid being distracted by beeps and buzzes by putting your phone in airplane mode, turning the volume down or completely turning it off.
  • Never leave children alone in or around cars. More than 600 children died from heatstroke in vehicles between 1998 and 2013. Many children also die from playing near cars and getting struck by a car backing up. Be sure that you know where your children are at all times when traveling with them.

Please be cautious, attentive, and safety minded with children. Not only can you help make sure they are safe in and around vehicles, but you can save their life.

For more information on child passenger safety please visit http://www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm.

Written by: Amanda Haase

Creative Ways To Tell Your Partner You Love Them This Valentine’s Day

Creative Ways To Tell Your Partner You Love Them This Valentine’s Day

Wouldn’t you agree that we not only want to be loved, but also to be told we are loved? Valentine’s Day is the occasion when you can experience and express both.

Here are some creative ways to tell your partner you love them this Valentine’s Day:

• Serve them breakfast in bed. Trim the tray with Hershey Kisses and a note card with a short love letter.

• Write a small book of all the reasons you love your partner.

• Take him/her on a scavenger hunt. Have them answer riddles to find the clues to items that you placed somewhere around town. The last item should lead them to your Valentine’s Day activities.

• Plan a small getaway at a bed and breakfast or spa for the week or weekend.

• Give your lady a dozen roses and on each stem attach a little note with a reason you love them.

• Take your spouse or partner to the restaurant that you enjoyed when you first met. This will help you both relive many memories.

• Order take out and have a picnic on the living room floor. This is a great way to involve your children and also enjoy the comforts of your own home.

• Hide little candy hearts in your spouses or partners belongings. (Ex. Shoes, car, jacket, purse, etc.)

• Make a creative coupon book (Ex. Free massage, free night out with the guys, etc.)

• Buy their favorite perfume/cologne and place it next to their bedside with a box of chocolates or flowers.

• Leave a mirror message. Your partner will wake up to a loving message while brushing their teeth and getting ready.

Enjoy your Valentine’s Day with your loved one. Remember, love is not meant to be given and received just on Valentine’s Day. It’s to be practiced every single day of the year.

Written by: Amanda Haase

Celebrations Around The World

Celebrations Around The World

On New Year’s Eve, many of us indulge in finger foods and cold champagne. Just like we celebrate the coming of something wonderful, so do others around the world.

In honor of the Chinese New Year (February 8th) and Mardi Gras (February 9th), here are some fun and interesting facts on how these events are celebrated.

Chinese New Year:chinese new year
• Just like we do on holidays, People of Chinese heritage go shopping for the New Year. This is a way for them to “start fresh”.
• Houses are decorated with red lanterns, red couplets, New Year paintings, and red lanterns.
• Being this is the year of the Monkey, monkey images will appear on decorations as well.

 

• New Year couplets are written on red paper with black ink, and pasted one each side of a door frame. New Year couplets are sayings filled with best wishes.

• Families come together to enjoy a “reunion dinner”. Here they enjoy traditional Chinese foods such as dumplings and sticky rice cakes.
• In like of watching the ball drop from Times Square, China watches the CCTV’s New Year Gala. This Gala features traditional, folk, and pop performances from China’s best singers, dancers, and acrobats.
• Parents and grandparents provide children with what they call “Red Envelopes”. These envelopes are filled with money and are said to help bring luck, health, and growth for the New Year.

Mardi Gras:
• Mardi Gras is about music, parades, picnics, floats and excitement.
• People dress up in costumes and decorate themselves with long beads caught from the floats of previous Mardi Gras parades.
• Mardi Gras traditional colors are purple, green and gold. Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.
• Many individuals customize and create their very own Mardi Gras masks. Wearing masks adds to the excitement and magic of celebrations throughout the city.
• Aside from celebrating at the parade, formal dress balls are planned all year long by the King and Queen of each krewe (an organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season).
• Out of respect for this long-held tradition, several Mardi Gras krewes still kick off their parades with “flambeaux”. Flambeaux is the burning of a torch accompanied with dancing and stunts.

As our global world becomes more interconnected, thanks to the Internet, it is important to learn and understand other celebrations, traditions, and events that take place around the world.

To learn more about these traditional celebrations visit:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-celebration.htm and http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/

Written by: Amanda Haase

National Wear Red Day 2016

National Wear Red Day 2016

Today, February 5th, is National Wear Red Day. Today is a special day in which we bring awareness to women’s heart disease, stroke, and critical research to discover scientific understanding about cardiovascular health.

Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year. Fortunately, 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented with awareness and lifestyle changes.

It is important for all women, to take care of their hearts. It is essential to know the signs of a heart attack and know how to further prevent this from effecting you and your loved ones.

When a heart attack strikes, it doesn’t always feel the same in women as it does in men. Women have more silent symptoms that can go unnoticed.

These six heart attack symptoms are the most common in women:
• Chest pain or discomfort.
• Pain in your arms, back, neck or jaw.
• Stomach pain such as heart burn or a stomach ulcer.
• Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness.
• Sweating or breaking out into a cold sweat.
• Fatigue.

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

The American Heart Association encourages everyone to wear red and take action to live longer and healthier lives.

For more information on women’s heart health and ways to keep your heart healthy in every age spectrum, visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/live-healthy/prevent-heart-disease/.

You can show off your red attire by posting a picture on all your social media profiles and use the hashtag #GoRed. It’s time to raise awareness and it all starts with you.

Show your support today!

Written by: Amanda Haase