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The Independent Clause

Ok, who’s the joker that changed the calendar? Very funny, but now can you put January back where it belongs and bring November back? Or maybe you just changed the years and we’ve gone back to the 70s when this was more typical November weather? I really don’t want to go back to the 70s. I’ve had enough large gaudy orange flowers and avocado green to last me a lifetime.

With Thanksgiving upon us, we bring you an issue worthy of perusal over your (hopefully) extended holiday weekend. We have several articles on the subject of better utilizing natural resources to power our homes and buildings.

One focuses on solar power for electricity needs and the other on geothermal heating/cooling. With all of the talk about our environment and what we should all be doing to make things better, why is it that these types of solutions aren’t more common place? It’s not even new technology at this point. But it remains out of reach financially for many people or maybe just something that doesn’t need to be done, so why bother.

If it became commonplace, an expectation in new construction, rather than a huge extra, maybe then the volume of sales would increase to the point where the prices come down and it becomes more of the way things are, rather than the way things could be. It should just be standard that new houses are built with solar panels, just like you expect doors and windows to be part of the package. Does anyone ask, “Does the house come with a roof?” Of course not, it’s an expectation. It’s a part of the build process. If all of the things we CAN do to save energy and natural resources became standard- just how it’s done, no big deal- I think we’d all be a lot better off and so would the planet on which we live.

Ok, I’m off my soapbox now! No wait, there’s more! As I mentioned last week, it is Small Business Saturday on November 30. There are many locally-owned shops in Stow and in the surrounding towns where your dollars can be spent to make a real difference in the local economy and to the business owners, many of whom are your neighbors.

And with all that said, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We count our readers amongst our blessings. May your travels be safe and your mashed potatoes  be lump-less.

Cyndy Bremer, managing editor and assistant turkey baster
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