Home Care In Lakeville, CT

Connecticut’s “bottle bill” — the commonly used phrase for a law that has been in place since 1978 — is the state’s deposit-and-return system for bottles and cans.

Certain beverages in the state carry a 5-cent deposit, redeemable at designated locations. Consumers pay the 5 cents when they buy the drink and get the money back upon returning its container.

On Jan. 1, 2024, the deposit amount doubled to 10 cents, though retailers can continue to sell bottles labeled with a 5-cent deposit that they procured prior to the deposit increase. Consumers can redeem those empties for 10 cents.

Here’s what to know about the deposit-and-return program.

What types of bottles qualify?

Most metal, glass, and plastic beverage containers are eligible for a refund if they’re between the sizes of 150mL to 3 liters for carbonated drinks and 150mL to 2.5 liters for non-carbonated beverages.

Drinks that qualify for a refund are: carbonated beverages, beer and malt beverages, non-carbonated water (including flavored water), hard cider, juice, tea, coffee, kombucha, plant-infused drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks.

Paper cartons and pouches are not subject to a deposit, nor are milk/dairy beverages, wine and liquor, plant-based milks or spirit-based hard seltzer.

Where can I redeem my bottles and cans?

Stores that sell drinks with a deposit are required to take back the empties and give you your money. They are only required to take back the brands that they sell. They are allowed to redeem more but aren’t required to.

Some retailers have self-service machines — known as reverse vending machines (RVMs) — that receive empties. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, consumers will be limited to redeeming 240 empties in an RVM at a time.

Major grocery store chains have had RVMs for more than four decades, but as of Jan. 1, the types of stores required to have the machines expanded to include large chain drugstores like CVS and Walgreens as well as other chains like Dollar General, Target and Walmart.

Connecticut also has “redemption centers” — private businesses that redeem bottles and cans — though many of them operate on limited hours.

Are there any guidelines I should follow when redeeming bottles and cans?

Labels must remain on bottles so they can be identified as a redeemable product.

Bottles and cans should be empty. Retailers are allowed to refuse to redeem products that contain foreign materials, like cigarette butts.

Where does the money from unredeemed bottles go?

Historically, the money has gone to the state’s general fund, but a recent law changed that so distributors are now receiving funds as well. While they are receiving 100% in the latter half of 2023, the percentage of funds that goes to distributors will drop to 35% in the new year and increase incrementally between January 2024 and July 2025, after which it will be tied to the statewide bottle redemption rate.

Like prices at the pump, people who rely on oil for their homes may notice it’s costing a lot more.

In Connecticut, some people are spending twice as much per gallon for a tank of oil than they were a year ago.

Fuel oil dealers point to the war in Ukraine for driving up prices and creating a situation the country hasn’t seen in a long time.

"We are genuinely in that first war-time energy-economy that we've seen since World War II, where global prices are having such a profound impact on prices,” said Connecticut Energy Marketers Association President Chris Herb.

Chris Herb leads CEMA. He said the price impact, which is most visible at gas stations, is widespread. Panic at the pump also means panic at home now that crude oil prices are around $110 per barrel.

"That all flows down to the price we pay for home heating oil, for gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel. Especially because Europe is so contingent upon diesel,” Herb said.

Around the state, it is putting a strain on peoples’ budgets. John Sullivan of Lakeville uses oil to heat his home and for hot water. But recently, he spent his entire month's social security check for a single tank of heating oil.

He said the same fill-up last year was $450.

“When you have to shell out $1,600 for a tank of oil or even more depending on how empty your tank is, it's just a killer if you're on a fixed income,” Sullivan said.

The problem is prompting another man to take a closer look at his bill.

"Usually, you're not down to buying more oil at this time, but obviously with the price of oil and everything, I've been looking into what I’m going to be paying now and in the future,” said Garry Fappiano of Wallingford.

Fappiano said he used to pay a little more than $3 per gallon for oil. Now, he is paying close to double. Sullivan just paid $6.29 per gallon for his tank of oil.

"You're looking at close to $850 to $1,000 to get a refill so buying ahead and seeing the different rates that are out there is the best thing to do,” Fappiano said.

Despite previous events that have spiked prices, CEMA’s president said he has never seen price levels this high.

"Whether it was Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, lots of different things where we've seen prices fly, but we've never really seen this sort of sustained increase,” Herb said.

Herb said until the war in Ukraine is resolved, there may not be much relief in the short term. However, help is available, including the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.

"So, for a family of four, you could be earning up to $75,000,” said Peter Handler with CT Department of Social Services.

The program works to support people with their electric, gas or heating bills regardless of your heating source.

Handler said there is still time to apply for assistance, as the application's deadline has been extended to June 30.

Special to Poughkeepsie Journal

What: Bear Mountain Trail (Mount Riga State Park)

Where: 126 Long Pond Road, Lakeville, CT 06039

Points of interest: Highest Summit in Connecticut; stone ruins at summit

Intensity: Moderate-to-difficult

Length: 6 miles

Type: Loop

Bear Mountain Trail in Lakeville, Connecticut is a fairly popular hiking destination and as a result has a generous sized parking lot that could easily accommodate a dozen or more cars. However, on the day I went, I didn’t get to enjoy that luxury, seeing as a Boy Scout troop had already filled up the lot, but on your average day I don’t think it would be a problem. This is also one of the few hikes I know of with a privy at the beginning, which definitely comes in handy after an hour-and-a-half car ride.

Once you’ve gathered your gear, head over to a rather large signboard at the back of the parking lot, take a minute to orient yourself and then start hiking, following the blue trail markers. The trail climbs at a moderate pace, gaining a thousand feet over the next mile or so.

When you get to the top of the climb take the second right for the Paradise Lane Trail. If you take the first right you’ll probably end up wandering through someone’s campsite.

For the next mile the trail levels out before briefly descending and making a 180-degree turn. Then the trail proceeds to gain 500 feet of elevation over a little more than a quarter mile. Be prepared to do a bit of rock scrambling in this section. However, at the end of this steep section, it's just a few more steps to the summit.

Upon reaching the summit I was greeted with a sight that left me a little confused. In the middle of this prime viewpoint was a pile of rocks along with an illegible plaque. Curious, I explored a little bit more, but couldn’t find any more clues as to what it might be. However, seeing as the weather was turning rather quickly, I decided it was time to continue on my way.

Follow the blue trail markers as they head down the mountain. In a half mile you’ll come to an intersection with the Appalachian Trail, continue straight on the AT for a quarter mile until you come to an intersection with the undermountain trail; turn left to continue on the undermountain trail. In another half mile you’ll come to the first intersection of the day. Retrace your steps from there — from the last intersection it was about a half hour before I reached my car.

When I got home I did a little research on the stone ruins at the summit — the plaque is supposed to read: “This monument marks the highest ground in Connecticut, 2,354 feet above the sea. Built A.D. 1885 Owen Travis, Mason.” Originally there was a tower built by Owen Travis for a gentleman named Robbins Battell whose goal was to prove Encyclopedia Britannica wrong, which makes for an interesting story if you want to read up on it.

Tom Ricci writes The Trail Marker, detailing area hiking adventures, for the Journal. Contact him at [email protected]

(Motor Authority) — A lot of companies have cropped up recent years offering EV conversions of much-loved classics, and one of the most popular classics to convert is proving to be early generations of the Porsche 911.

One of those companies is Sacrilege Motors, which plans to show off its first conversion on August 20 at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the highlight of Monterey Car Week.

Based in Lakeville, Connecticut, not far from the Lime Rock Park racetrack, Sacrilege Motors is run by Bobby Singh, who has more than 30 years of experience restoring and maintaining Porsches for both the road and track. Together with fellow Porsche enthusiast Phil Wagenheim, Singh aims to deliver 911 EV conversions that maintain the driving dynamics of the original icon while reducing its need for maintenance and dependence on oil.

“We want to deliver an analog, air-cooled-era 911 with the reliability and instant power of an EV, while preserving an exhilarating driving experience that’s familiar to air-cooled 911 enthusiasts,” Singh said in a statement. “Retaining the 911’s best handling characteristics, with added performance and upgraded components, all while reducing its environmental impact, was our ultimate goal.”

Sacrilege Motors specializes in 911s ranging from 1974 up to 1994, and is able to restore or modify virtually all aspects of the car. For its first conversion, nicknamed the Blackbird, the company used a 1992 Porsche 911 America Roadster, a limited-edition model with standard Carrera running gear but the wide body of the Turbo.

In place of the car’s original 247-hp flat-6 and Tiptronic transmission is an electric motor from a Tesla Model S, rated at 500 hp and mated to a single-speed transmission. The battery is a 62-kwh unit that on a full charge will deliver 200 miles of range, according to Sacrilege Motors. The company also claims a 0-60 mph time of less than four seconds.

Other modifications include adjustable Penske racing shocks, Brembo brakes, and 18-inch Fiske forged wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires measuring 235/40 up front and 295/35 at the rear.

Sacrilege Motors has managed to keep weight below 3,200 pounds, it claims, but perhaps more impressive is the weight distribution, which the company said matches that of the donor 911. This is helped by having most of the electronic hardware in the rear of the vehicle, where the engine normally sits.

“We’ve kept the same weight distribution, which is crucial to the car feeling like a Porsche 911 should,” Singh said.

Pricing information hasn’t been announced.

The Hotchkiss School is located at 11 Interlaken Road Lakeville, CT 06039; 860.435.2591; visit their website and specifically their Environmental Initiatives and Green Buildings pages. Watch the 2:21 Hotchkiss School Biomass Treatment Facility – Project of the Week 6/13/16 video from Greenroofs.com on the greenroofsTV channel on YouTube. Greenroofs.com Project of the Week video photo credits: All courtesy of © David Sunberg-ESTO, Centerbrook Architects, Apex Green Roofs, Hotchkiss School, and ZinCo USA except for Adrien Delessert – Originally uploaded to Wikipedia by Adelesse, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2852860, from Wikimedia Commons.

See the project profiles from Centerbrook Architects; ZinCo USA; O&G; and Apex Green Roofs. View beautiful photos of the Hotchkiss School Biomass Treatment Facility from ESTO. Read the October 25, 2013 Connecticut’s Greenest Building is Powerful by David K. Leff; May 1, 2013 Of biomass and green roofs: US school slashes winter energy bill by James Holloway in gizmag and the November/December 2013 PLANT POWER: The Hotchkiss School by Centerbrook Architects and Planners by Benjamin van Loon in gb&d. The Hotchkiss School Biomass Treatment Facility was featured in the month of September in the 2013 Greenroofs & Walls of the World(TM) Calendar.

Learn about the following companies in The Greenroof & Greenwall Directory: ZinCo USA, Inc.; Sika Sarnafil; and Apex Green Roofs.

The Hotchkiss School is located in one of the more beautiful geographic locations in the U.S. Northeast, and strives to develop in students a lifelong love of learning, responsible citizenship, and personal integrity. As described on the Hotchkiss school’s website, “The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school provides an education of unsurpassed quality to 600 students in grades 9 through 12, and to a small number of postgraduates. Students at Hotchkiss come from across the United States and 34 foreign countries. Graduates attend many of the most selective universities and colleges,” (Hotchkiss website).

In 2012 Hotchkiss built a state-of-the-art biomass central heating facility to replace an aging steam plant. Located between a golf course and marshes, the new LEED Gold certified Hotchkiss School’s Biomass Treatment Center provides heating for the entire preparatory school which includes 85 buildings encompassing 1.2 million square feet and about 600 residents. Sited at the bottom of a sloping landscape, the treatment center burns woodchips and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by a third to a half compared to the oil-fired boiler it replaced. Two Messersmith biomass boiler units, which operate at 80 to 82 percent efficiency, can generate 14 million BTUs per hour burning waste wood acquired from sustainably harvested, local forests that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

The woodchips are replacing approximately 150,000 gallons of fuel oil per year and cut emissions overall, most dramatically sulfur dioxide by more than 90 percent. Waste ash from combustion is collected for use as fertilizer, and an electrostatic precipitator removes 95 percent of particulate matter from emissions (O&G).

Installed in July, 2012, the green roof on the central heating facility/biomass plant is an exciting addition to an already beautiful campus, and its distinctive wavy living roof captures 50% of the site’s rainwater while simultaneously blending into the landscape (gb&d, 2013).

The building was an immediate icon in sustainable commercial construction. Centerbrook Architects, the architect of record for the entire building, succinctly explains the building and its importance as a green initiative for the Hotchkiss campus:

“The facility is part of Hotchkiss’ commitment to becoming a carbon-neutral campus by 2020. In order to merge with the surrounding landscape, the new building will have a low profile and an undulating, sloped green roof. The facility will be one of only three LEED certified power plants in the country,” (Hotchkiss website). Read more about the school’s Green Energy Initiatives.

This “US school has cut a six-figure sum from its winter energy bill by replacing its oil-burning boiler with woodchip biomass ones. The switch has reduced the school’s carbon footprint by between 35 and 45 percent. The boilers are housed in a brand new green-roofed building which has become only the third LEED-certified power facility in the US… As one should expect from a green roof, this one serves more than aesthetic purposes. Bioswales, specially designed sloping channels, combine with rain gardens to slow and filter rainwater before it enters the ground,” (gizmag, 2013).

Due to the use of precultivated sedum mats, laid directly onto the green roof substrate, the roof was covered by vegetation quickly. The sedum carpet green roof system was provided by ZinCo USA on top of a Sika Sarnafil waterproofing membrane. The roofing contractor, Greenwood Industries of Millbury, MA, performed the installation of the waterproofing membrane and sub-contracted the installation of the ZinCo USA green roof system to Apex Green Roofs of Somerville, MA.

The ZinCo USA Sedum Carpet green roof system is a built-in place system that contains 5 critical components for proper functionality on the Hotchkiss Biomass Facility’s serpentine roof top:

A protection mat is placed on top of the waterproofing membrane to protect the roof during installation and to retain water for the roof in times of extended drought. The Floradrain FD25-E drainage element – the proverbial “heart” of the green roof system – lies on top of the protection mat, hugging the waves of the roof (2/12 slope), ensuring proper drainage while retaining a specific amount of water for the roof’s vegetation. The Filter Sheet SF separates the 2.5″ of Zincoblend extensive growing media from the three-dimensional water retention cups of the FD25-E drainage element and a pre-cultivated vegetation mat is placed on top of the growing media achieving near 100% vegetated coverage in a short amount of time.

The result is the fantastic green roof seen in the images that will protect and beautify the Hotchkiss Biomass Treatment Facility Building for decades to come. Awards include the 2014 Associated General Contractors (AGC) Build Connecticut Award for Mid-Size New Constructions and the 2013 Connecticut Green Building Council Alexion Award of Excellence.

Contributing Directory Companies