Lebanon A proposal to remove more than 30 acres of trees from airport property along Poverty Lane is set to receive another look by the City Council tonight.

Residents submitted letters to councilors in November and December, urging them to revisit the pending tree-clearing project. Among the objections raised are concerns about the effect on property values, impacts on wildlife habitat , and potential increases in noise and light from the airport and nearby Interstate 89. They have also questioned the need for the tree clearing.

After initially rejecting the project which in addition to denuding 33 acres of trees will include removing 38 obstruction lights, replacing them with two 110-foot slow flashing beacons, and moving a fence the council approved the $1.2 million project in phases in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Ninety percent of the work is set to be paid for through federal funds, with the state and city each contributing 5 percent.

Though councilors set tonights meeting to discuss the issue, there is no indication they intend to change course. They have said the project is necessary to improve visibility for pilots along the southern side of the east-west runway, northwest of Poverty Lane and south of Interstate 89, and to comply with federal regulations and requirements by the citys insurer.

People who do this for a living at the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) say this is a risk, Mayor Georgia Tuttle said of the trees in a phone interview Tuesday. When a pilot flies into an airport with fog, storm or rain, they have to have more than a narrow landing zone.

In a memo included in the councils packet for tonights meeting, Airport Manager Rick Dyment said that the city committed to comply with FAA safety guidelines when it entered into an agreement with the federal government to operate and maintain the airport in 1941. Subsequently, the city has agreed to 39 FAA grant assurances tied to federal funds.

Dyment particularly pointed to FAA grant assurance No. 20, which requires that the airport take appropriate action to assure that such terminal airspace as is required to protect instrument and visual operations to the airport ... will be adequately cleared and protected by removing, lowering, relocating, marking, or lighting or otherwise mitigating existing airport hazards and by preventing the establishment or creation of future airport hazards.

FAA spokesman Jim Peters said in an email that the tree removal project is in accordance with federal regulations and will help to ensure the safety of the airport.

Federal air safety regulations require airports to identify and mitigate obstructions that may impact airport operations, Peters wrote. The obstruction removal project will enhance the safety of Lebanon Municipal Airport by removing obstructions.

With the support of federal funds, the city completed an obstruction study in 2009, which identified some of the hills and trees surrounding the airport as interfering with safe landings and takeoffs. It would be totally unrealistic to remove all obstructions, Dyment said in an interview on Tuesday.

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Logging Plan For Lebanon Airport Up for Review

Lebanon Most members of the Lebanon City Council stood by their previous decision to move forward with a project to remove more than 30 acres of trees on airport property along Poverty Lane, despite some residents pleas that they reconsider the work during a discussion at City Hall on Thursday.

City officials reiterated their reasons for supporting the tree removal, saying that the trees are obstacles for pilots landing or departing from the airports east-west runway, the tree removal is required by the Federal Aviation Administration and, should the city fail to move forward with the project as planned, it would risk losing federal grant money and insurance for the airport.

We have to follow FAA guidelines, said Mayor Georgia Tuttle to the 25 residents and airport users gathered. If we dont do the safety project because its a known danger ... they wont allow us to have insurance because we are declining to fix something that we know about.

In addition to clearing 33 acres of trees, the $1.2 million project includes removing 38 obstruction lights, replacing them with two 110-foot slow flashing beacons, and moving a fence. Ninety percent of the project is expected to be funded by the FAA, with the state and the city each contributing 5 percent.

The sole city councilor to speak in support of revisiting the issue, Steve Wood, whose Poverty Lane orchard abuts the airport, suggested the city consider scaling back the project to remove only the tallest trees. He argued that the decision to remove the trees was not in the interest of safety, but the citys response to threats by the FAA.

We have not acted in the interest of safety, he said. We have acted as children being told by Daddy what to do.

Wood said that the city struggles to maintain the current safety precautions it has in place, noting that there are 8-10 bulbs out in the existing obstruction lights.

If were so concerned about liability, why arent we replacing the light bulbs? he asked. We should revisit this.

Airport Manager Rick Dyment said replacing the 38 obstruction lights with two taller slow flashing beacons will make them easier for airport staff to maintain.

Due to concerns relating to the projects potential effects on property values, the environment, sound and light, residents requested that the council return to the negotiating table with the FAA to see if the number of trees to be removed could be reduced or delay the project until the city completes an airport master plan, which officials said would take two years.

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Lebanon Airport Trees Will Be Cut

TORONTO While most homeowners dont give much thought to whats behind their walls, proper insulation is of key importance to having a comfortable, healthy home. Besides keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, insulation can help lower your energy bills, prevent mold growth and also keep unwanted noise out.

Insulation helps keep outdoor air from getting inside your home and conditioned indoor air from escaping. This is achieved by trapping pockets of air and slowing down the in/out process.

In winter, heat flows directly from all heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and even to the outdoors, the U.S. Department of Energy states on its website. Heat flow can also move indirectly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors wherever there is a difference in temperature. During the cooling season, heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house.

The Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) compares a properly insulated house to dressing for the weather.

A wool sweater will keep you warm if the wind is not blowing and it is not raining. On a windy, rainy day, wearing a nylon shell over your wool sweater helps keep you reasonably dry and warm. A house is similar, the CMHC website says. On the outside, underneath the brick or siding, there is an air barrier that does the same thing as the nylon it keeps the wind from blowing through. Then there is the insulation (like your sweater) and a vapour barrier, which helps keep moisture away from the house structure where it can do damage.

Insulation is rated based on a measurement of resistance the material has to the movement of heat. This is most commonly referred to as an R-value. The higher the R-value the more effective the insulation is. Local building codes list recommended R-values for each area of your house (these R-values are required for new construction). Improper installation of insulation can lower the R-value of the material you are using so its a good idea to follow the manufacturers instructions or hire a professional to do the installation.

Cold floors and walls in the winter and hot inside air in the summer, mold growth, high energy bills and uneven heating or ineffective cooling are all signs of a poorly insulated home, according to the CMHC.

There are many different types of insulation available. The type you use depends on where youre insulating or what R-value you require. Below is a rundown of the most common types of insulation used in homes these days.

Fibreglass: This is the pink stuff most people think of when they think insulation. Fibreglass in batts is available at most home improvementcentres and is easy to install, offering an R-value of 3.0 3.7 per inch, according to the CMHC. Loose-fill fibreglass is also available, but requires to be blown into the space youre insulating and should be installed only by a professional in order to get the most benefit from it.

Mineral fibre: Like fibreglass, mineral fibre in batts is easy to work with and available at most home improvementcentres (this is usually a sturdier material with a brownish colour). While mineral fibre has a lower R-value (2.8 3.7 per inch, according to the CMHC), benefits include better fire resistance and sound-proofing capabilities. Loose-fill mineral fibre is also available, but like loose-fill fibreglass, it should be installed only by a professional as well.

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What you need to know about home insulation

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FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Soap opera icon Genie Francis has revealed she lost 30 pounds using Nutrisystem.

"I've always been an emotional eater. I use food to comfort myself. It's been an ongoing problem in my life," Francis, a spokeswoman for the weight-management company, said in a statement Thursday.

"But the biggest part of the problem was that before, in order to lose weight, I would do extreme diets and starve. The good thing about Nutrisystem is that I'm more at peace with food," she added. "I know how to eat the right amount of breakfast, lunch and dinner. I avoid triggers and stay away from button foods -- the ones that make you want to eat more. The fact that I get to eat the foods I love on Nutrisystem satisfies my cravings and I am less vulnerable to those button foods."

Francis, 52, is best known for her roles on the daytime dramas The Young and the Restless and General Hospital.

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'General Hospital' icon Genie Francis sheds 30 pounds

REGIONALWhile milder weather is in the forecast for the next several days, last weeks cold snap sent the frost line plummeting, and that could soon be putting water lines and septic systems at risk.

As of Wednesday, MnDOTs frost gauge near Orr reported frost at a depth of 62 inches. Thats well ahead of the average for this time of year, and is only eight inches short of frost levels last year at this time, when problems with water lines were already becoming widespread.

Last year, of course, it was city residents and businesses that bore the brunt of the problem, since city water lines and mains lie under plowed streets and sidewalks. Plentiful snow cover last year helped prevent such problems in rural areas, where septic systems, wells, and water lines are normally protected as long as theres adequate snow.

But with as little as six inches of the white stuff on the ground in some parts of the region, the risk to rural residents is rising. Its just starting, said Dan Rogers, who operates Northern Minnesota Services, an Eveleth company that specializes in thawing frozen water lines and pipes. While temperatures were colder last year, the abundant snowfall that came with those temperatures helped to protect water lines and septic systems at most rural residences.

But this year, theres little snow cover, said Rogers, who was working on a frozen water line when contacted by the Timberjay this week. People have to be aware of it.

That means residents should know where their water lines, septic systems, and drainfields are located and make sure that they provide adequate insulation. In a normal year, snow (which is an excellent insulator) will typically do the job. But in a dry winter, like this one, the available snow may not be sufficient to protect your water and sewer lines, especially if the snow is tramped down, or plowed away.

A lot of times, Im dealing with people who bought a four-wheeler with a plow. Then they plow their whole yard and wonder why their water line freezes.

While the situation is not yet extreme, theres still plenty of winter ahead, and this year has the potential to rival the winter of 2003-04, when the majority of rural septic systems in St. Louis County froze, creating widespread inconvenience for rural residents. At this same point in the winter of 2003-2004, the frost had only penetrated 48 inches, according to MnDOT data, and the frost never reached deeper than 72 inches the entire winter. That year, it was the lack of snow that created the widespread problems with freezing.

Rogers said 2003-04 was one of the worst years in memory for frozen water lines and septics. It was worse than last year, even, he said. I had four crews going around-the-clock, he said.

Whether this year equals 2003-04 in the end depends on temperatures and snowfall during the second half of the winter. Even average temperatures going forward could pose a serious problem without more snow, so residents will want to pay attention to the weather and take steps soon to try to head off potential problems.

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Frost line dropping in region