Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recipients for Energy ...

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recipients for Energy Audits, and Renewable Energy Development Assistance

Mar 31, 2012 (Agriculture Department Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) ?
Release No. 0111.12

Contact:

Dane Henshall (202) 260-0996

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recipients for Energy Audits, and Renewable Energy Development Assistance

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 ? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA has selected for funding 10 projects nationwide to help rural small businesses and agricultural producers reduce energy consumption and implement renewable energy technologies. The funding will be made available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which was authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.

?For the first time in 13 years, imported oil accounts for less than 50% of the oil consumed in America. That is because we are producing more domestically, using more alternative fuels, and using less energy through energy efficiency efforts,? said Vilsack. ?Through the REAP program, USDA has partnered with more than 13,000 of America?s farmers, ranchers and rural businesses to save energy and improve their bottom line by installing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency solutions. USDA will continue to help make America more energy efficient, and in doing so, more competitive by encouraging rural small businesses to continue to build renewable energy systems?

In Cumberland County, Maine the Greater Portland Council of Governments has been selected for an $80,000 grant to develop on- and off-shore wind projects. In Somerset County, the Maine Community College System (Kennebec Valley Community College) has been selected to receive a $100,000 grant to provide four energy audits and renewable energy development assistance for 140 agricultural producers and rural small businesses across the state.

In Weld, Larimer and Boulder Counties, CO., the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association has been selected for a $50,000 grant to conduct energy audits for farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in making energy-efficiency improvements to their operations. It is estimated that 140 rural businesses and 60 agricultural producers will be assisted through this project.

REAP loan guarantees and grants can be used for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements; and grants for feasibility studies, renewable energy development assistance and energy audits. Funding of each recipient is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions for the grant. The following is a complete list of award recipients announced today.

Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Recipients by State

Arizona

Navajo Tribal Utility Authority; $100,000 grant

Colorado

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Inc.; $50,000 grant

Florida

Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc.; $100,000 grant

Georgia

University of Georgia; $100,000 grant

Kentucky

University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.; $100,000 grant

Maine

Greater Portland Council of Governments; $80,000 grant

Maine Community College System; $100,000 grant

Oregon

Oregon Department of Energy; $100,000 grant

Washington

Washington State University; $90,000 grant

Wisconsin

Dairyland Power Cooperative; $60,000 grant

Since taking office, President Obama?s Administration has taken historic steps to improve the lives of rural Americans, put people back to work and build thriving economies in rural communities. From proposing the American Jobs Act to establishing the first-ever White House Rural Council ? chaired by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ? the President wants the federal government to be the best possible partner for rural businesses and entrepreneurs and for people who want to live, work and raise their families in rural communities.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an active portfolio of more than $165 billion in affordable loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America.

Copyright (C) 2012 Federal Information News Dispatch, Inc.

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Houston Lifestyles Magazine, Homes & Events ? Rick Brinneman ...

This Houston Gasoline sign is Rick?s most favorite. It is double-sided, 48 inches in diameter, baked porcelain over metal, and dates to the 1930s or early ?40s. Rick and Karen Brinneman pictured with their two boys Garrett and Jack.

By Melanie Saxton
Photos by Visage Photography

Rick Brinneman has been a car nut since he was 6 years old. At 15 he bought his first car with his own money. By the time he graduated high school he had owned a total of 10 different classic cars, but never more than three at a time.

?I started collecting vintage oil company and car dealership advertising pieces approximately 17 years ago,? says Brinneman. ?We?d just bought our house and I wanted to do ?something? of my own in the garage.? Inspired after cleaning out his grandmother?s garage, he brought home a vintage Empire State Motor Oil can. This tin lithograph had graphics of the Empire State Building, an old single wing airplane, and three vintage race cars along the bottom edge of the front of the can. Fascinated, he built a shelf and began lining it with collectibles.

Brinneman buys, sells and trades. ?When I first started collecting I had a very limited budget, sometimes only being able to spend $40 on a sign,? he says. ?Plus, I wasn?t comfortable or knowledgeable enough to know what was ?real? or what was a fantasy/reproduction piece. It?s always ?buyer beware? and new collectors should always ask a lot of questions.?

Over time he found ways to add to his collection, including eBay. ?I?d go junking (today?s equivalent of American Pickers) or go to garage sales and find items to sell to help fund my hobby,? says Brinneman. Treasure hunting became a lifelong hobby. ?I bought my first metal detector with my own money when I was just 9. I?d look for coins (another early collection) and dreamt of finding a huge ?hoard? of silver or gold.? Brinneman was also influenced by his great uncle Johnny Paul, an original member of the Beer Can Collectors of America BCCA club. ?At one point he had 7,500 unique beer cans in his collection,? says Brinneman. He?d come to town and we?d go junking. This was in the early ?70s.?

?Automobilia? is a term given to anything collectible relating to classic or vintage automobiles. It includes old car dealership signs, early hood ornaments, old automotive display advertising, old auto related matchbooks, lighters, car dealership promo cars (1/24th scale plastic model cars given out by car dealerships), vintage car parts used for display (some examples include steering wheels, hub caps, radiator caps, shifter knobs, oddities that were one off marketing items?two-way passing mirrors, stop light finders, etc).

?

A Thousand Items and Counting

?All you need is a little imagination to create your own display,? says Brinneman. ?I once met an elderly gentleman with a 1920s automobile in his living room. He didn?t live in a large house but loved the car so much that he convinced his wife to let him display it in the house. Can you imagine??

Brinneman has been married to Karen for 18 years. ?She?s put up with a lot!? he says. ?At one point she referred to it as my obsession, and admittedly it did consume a little too much of my time. It took her a while to admit she enjoys the final product.? He and his very tolerant wife share a home with about 150 signs. ?Someone asked me several years ago how many signs I owned and I made a guess of about 75. I had no idea that I actually owned twice that amount! With all of my ?smalls? ? collectibles that don?t take up much room ? the estimate is close to 1,000 items.?

Brinneman?s purchases have slowed considerably, but he still looks whenever he gets a chance. ?My collection is fairly mature at this point and I don?t have much room left. There are some specific items I?m still looking for ? Houston Oil Company of Texas, Sinclair Aircraft Sign, etc. I took up the hobby when items could still be found at the source (they still can, just not as much). That?s where the fun is ? finding it at the source! I always say anyone can buy a collection, but the fun is in hunting down the pieces! It?s a rush when that garage or barn door opens up and you find something cool. It doesn?t have to be valuable to be cool!?

People often ask Brinneman how he knows what to pay or what to buy. ?The answer is easy,? he says. ?Only buy things you like and pay what you think is fair. The only person?s opinion you need to consider is your spouse.? He and Karen have two boys ? Jack, 10 and Garrett, 15 ? and both kids think the car stuff is cool. ?They?ve been drug along to many automotive swap meets, garage sales, picks, etc. They already have dibs on certain items, which means I?ll never sell them.?

There are specialty insurance companies that cover these special types of collections. ?My specialty classic auto insurance company (Hagerty) mentions in their ads that a car hobby is a lifestyle. They understand there is a crossover of people who have vintage cars and they also collect related memorabilia.?

As with any collectible field, some items are common while others are rare. ?My items have been purchased from many different sources. Some were found at automotive swap meets, garage sales, estate sales, old defunct car dealerships, old bulk oil plants that distribute items to area service stations, etc.,? says Brinneman. ?Some items were found through networking. All of the items pictured are original and were used at service stations, car dealerships, etc.?

?

The ?Sign? of His Times

Sometimes a simple conversation can lead to a coveted find. Out of the blue, Brinneman received a call from a Houstonian who heard he collected Houston Oil Company items. It took a couple of months to close the deal, but in the end both parties were happy.

?My favorite piece is that Houston Gasoline sign. The Houston Oil Company of Texas was founded around the time of Spindletop, 1901,? says Brinneman. ?The history is still a little sketchy, but there weren?t many stations and not many signs were made ? in this case, probably less than a hundred. I?ve owned a few of these signs over the years, but am glad to own this one.?

Interestingly, most collectors end up finding and meeting each other at different events. The Houston area has its fair share of sign collectors and car enthusiasts. ?There have been some rivalries, mostly friendly,? says Brinneman. ?You learn to keep your cards close to your chest when working deals. If word gets out, you may lose to someone else. Sign collecting is especially competitive. For me it?s always been a hobby and not about the value of items. As I mentioned earlier, it?s the chase and find that makes it fun.?

All in all, collecting is a hobby that can be started at any age and on just about any budget. ?I just happen to have an interest in cars, but I?ve met people who collect buttons, sports memorabilia, telephone insulators, etc. It provides something to always look forward to, kind of like your next vacation,? says Brinneman. ?If you do your homework there will always be another opportunity just around the corner.?

No one knows when the next great find will materialize? but eventually it will. ?I?ve traveled tens of thousands of miles going on these treasure hunts. They don?t always pay off, but they are all memorable and I don?t regret any of them. I?ve made some great lifelong friends in the process.?

Various original 1930s through 1950s car dealership and service station advertising signs include porcelain coated and painted metal signs.

Neon advertising was very popular in the 1940s-60s. Neon was used at most car dealerships and service stations. Porcelain-coated metal neon signs generally are the most sought-after by automobilia collectors.

No collector?s garage is complete without at least one vintage gas pump. This one in the corner is a 1940s Gilbarco brand electric gas pump restored with the Texaco brand.

A 1940s Whiz Car Wash Powder can. Whiz was the best in the business at creating eye-catching graphics. Vintage Whiz cans with assorted graphics are very popular with collectors.

An assortment of motor oil and specialty product cans and vintage metal quart oil cans, most from Texas oil companies and many containing their original contents.

A vintage metal oil can.

Rick with two old stock 1940s advertising posters for Walker Mufflers.

His cast iron toy car collection from the 1920s and ?30s.

A 1940s neon Desoto Automobile sign.

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Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats

Quick-hit thoughts around the NFL and with the Patriots:

1. With Bill Belichick back in town, and the calendar turning to April, this is the time when pre-draft visits with prospects start picking up. A pre-draft visit sometimes indicates genuine interest, while other times it can be a smokescreen of sorts. The Patriots had Nate Solder scheduled for a visit last year before picking him 17th overall, but canceled it late, perhaps to throw other teams off.

2. If Belichick considers trading up in the first round, the two prospects that stand out as those to make the move are LSU defensive lineman Michael Brockers and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw. The thought from here: This draft should be highlighted by defense and the chance to land a difference-maker on that side of the ball must be seized if its presents itself.

3. The Patriots enter the 2012 draft with just six selections, albeit with four in the first two rounds. From a total-pick perspective, this is somewhat foreign territory for Bill Belichick, who is usually loaded with picks. The fewest selections made by the Patriots in a Belichick-led draft was six, in 2002.

4. Defensive end Mario Williams signed with the Bills, offensive tackle Eric Winston was cut and signed with the Chiefs, and linebacker DeMeco Ryans was traded to the Eagles; those are three core pieces for the Texans. Houston looked like a team on the rise last season, but I wonder how these significant hits will affect them going forward.

5. When does $8 million suddenly disappear from a contract? Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News reminds us that what is sometimes initially reported doesn?t always match up with the fine print, as is the case with former Patriots defensive end Mark Anderson. Still, it?s a generous deal from the Bills.

6. Although he is a free agent, veteran defensive end Andre Carter has still checked in at Gillette Stadium as he is rehabbing from quad surgery. This isn?t unusual, as the surgery was conducted while he was under contract to the Patriots and that connection doesn?t just end because Carter is a free agent.

7. There is another free-agent signing that I think could help the Patriots this offseason -- bringing defensive lineman Luis Castillo aboard. The defense still has some needs and Castillo is a good fit in the 3-4, with some versatility as well. A Shaun Ellis-type one-year deal could be a benefit to both sides.

8. Bill Parcells coming back as interim coach of the Saints? Perfect. In the best NFL offseason ever for unforgettable storylines, Parcells is the latest. And it's easy to see he still loves the spotlight.

9. NFL Network?s Mike Lombardi on his friend Bill Belichick (revisited from BS Report podcast, Feb. 9): ?The guy loves this job, just like Tom Coughlin. They have very few hobbies and every year they do their job, they get better at their job. I think he?s at least five more years coaching. I would be shocked if he went less than that. I really, truly believe in my heart that he?ll coach beyond Tom Brady?s career.?

10. Patriots guard Logan Mankins is making progress in his recovery from ACL surgery, walking without crutches. No surprise there. As Bill Belichick said at the NFL annual meeting, ?I don?t think anybody?s ever questioned Logan?s toughness or his competitiveness.?

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Remax Prestige ? Blog Archive ? Why Real Estate is Not Our Life

The tagline for our Realtor organization is ?Realtors ? Real Estate is Our Life,? but I will go out on a limb and say that this tagline misses the mark ever so slightly.? Yes, technically we sell houses, and lots of them.? However we sell way more than just homes?we are selling communities.? Tonight I had the great pleasure of attending the kick-off campaign party for Dan O?Connell, a Dracut native running for school committee in his home town.? It was awesome to see the hundreds of people who came out to support him and it was inspiring to hear his campaign speech.? ?Our children are the future of Dracut,? said O?Connell. ?Everything that we want as citizens for Dracut must start with our kids. If we want more businesses to come to Dracut, let?s start with building a better community and better school system.? We want our kids to not only grow up and thrive in our community, but we want to give them a reason to stay here someday and raise their own families.?

I have to say that I was surprised that Dan took on this bid for school committee.? He is one of the busiest real estate agents in our office. ?When it comes to providing a better school?a better future for the kids of Dracut, I have plenty of time in my day to help,? said Dan.

Dan O?Connell is not the only one who has become a pillar of leadership within the community.? Karen King of Monson, an amazing agent that closes 90+ home sales a year, became a pillar of hope in a community devastated by tornado damage in 2011.? She founded multiple charitable organizations including the Street Angels program and now she shows other communities across the country how to cope through times of monumental loss. Robbi Rubenstein of our Northborough office started the Well Spouse organization which helps families dealing with terminal illness and depression deal with life. Then we have agents like Dianne Raymond of Dracut,? Paula Rosamilio of Pelham, and Lyn Gorka of Marlboro who are engrained in animal rescue programs in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.? Carole Barrett and Donna Caouette of the Dracut office are involved with the Dracut Food Pantry. As for school committee members Steve Levine has spent years on the Shrewsbury committee promoting change and fostering great education for the members of his community.

There are 300 amazing agents at RE/MAX Prestige and each and every one of them has a story of volunteerism and giving back.? Therefore, if I had to pick a tagline that truly represents what our real estate agents are all about I would say it is this: RE/MAX Prestige, Real Estate is our Business ? Our Communities are Our Life.

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