lee
Eagerly awaiting the fruits of two nut trees
I’VE WRITTEN REcently about how bountiful recent seasons have been with fruits. Well, botanically, at least, “fruits” includes “nuts.” More on this later. The nut harvest was also abundant.
Just about every year is a good year for black walnuts. But last year it didn’t take long to pick up and fill baskets quickly. After being husked, cleaned, and then left to cure in a squirrel-proof loft, I’ve started cracking them (with my “Master Nutcracker”).
Large, plump, tasty nutmeats drop free from the shells. What surprised me most was the harvest of English walnuts, botanically Juglans regia and also known as Persian walnuts. (The moniker “English” may be because of the significant role played by English sailors in distributing the nuts around the world.) Persia, or Eastern Europe, is where this plant originated. Early on, humans introduced it to other parts of the world, including England, where Romans brought them 2,000 years ago. In the 17th century, the nuts and the wood of these trees was held in such high esteem in parts of Europe that a certificate of having planted a certain number of trees was needed before a man was allowed to marry.
Walnuts arrived in my garden in 2006, from seed from cold-hardy trees handed out at the Saratoga, New York, meeting of the New York Nut Growers Association. I planted six of the walnut seeds. Because I have limited space and did not have high hopes for success, I arranged them in two stations of three plants each, with about 30 feet between stations. In contrast to plants propagated asexually, such as by grafting or cuttings, plants grown from seed have some genetic diversity, in the same way you and your siblings are diverse from each other. I figured that eventually I would remove all but the one best tree at each
Two nut trees whose first fruits I’m eagerly awaiting are both hickories. Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is very common around here and throughout eastern U.S. and is notable for its — duh! — very shaggy bark and tasty but small and hard to crack nuts. The native range of shellbark hickory (Carya laciniosa) doesn’t extend as far east and south as shagbarks. It’s found mostly along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and bordering regions; nowhere, though, is it common. Also, the bark is less shaggy. The clincher is that shellbark nuts are much larger, around two inches long, and with thinner shells, so you get more bang for your buck with each nut you crack.
I planted the varieties Simpson and Grainger, both of which were selected for easy shelling.
SPRINGFIELD
2025 Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl Poster contest
The Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts together with the USDA, Forest Service and National Garden Clubs, Inc., are giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of wildfire prevention and basic environmental conservation principles through original drawings of Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl.
station.
Despite the threat of frost killing blossoms in spring, walnut blight, defoliation by anthracnose disease in summer, and squirrels robbing all the nuts in fall, I was able to harvest plenty. Earlier in the season, I did notice that not all trees were bearing, or bearing well, so I cut down two of the slackers, one from each station.
As far as differences in the nuts from tree to tree, it’s
hard to say for sure at this point except to say the nuts on one of the trees may have been smaller. I’ll take a more quantitative look in future years.
Walnut trees are known to be slow to come into bearing. There’s a Flanders folk saying that goes, “By the time the tree is big, the planter surely will be dead.” Well, I planted the trees from seed, they have borne and grown fairly big, and I’m not dead.
But how about some nuts! Simpson was planted in 2014 and Grainger in 2015, and both grow very slowly, about twelve inches per year. Bearing age is reputedly only a few years with grafted trees, which, being named varieties, both were.
Nuts or no nuts, the trees are beautiful, their leaves turning a rich, golden yellow in autumn and, in winter, the stout branches punctuated and capped by fat buds.
Children from first through fifth grade are invited to participate in this annual drawing contest featuring conservation icons Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Individual children can enter but groups, clubs and schools are encouraged to use this as an opportunity to impress upon their members or students the importance of taking a personal role in preventing wildfires or conserving natural resources.
Posters are to be completed by individual students, have correct spelling and all posters must feature Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl.
Smokey Bear posters must include Smokey’s wildfire prevention message: Only You Can Prevent Wildfires! Woodsy Owl posters must include Woodsy’s conservation messages: Give-A-Hoot, Don’t Pollute or Lend a Hand Care for the Land.
SEE NOTES, PAGE F9 SEE REICH, PAGE F10
Shagbark hickory is one of many nuts that can be planted, but requires patience before it comes into bearing. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
Gardening can be a fourseason labor of love
Here are some winter tasks and projects
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
ISEE YOU, SITTING
there by the fire with your cup of hot cocoa (or wine). Don’t get too comfortable.
You might think you can rest on your laurels now that there’s a break in the mowing, weeding, sowing and planting action. But fall and winter are the best times to tend to your garden’s maintenance and prepare for the next growing season.
Outdoor care
For instance, have you planted your bulbs yet? It’s not too late if the soil in your garden isn’t frozen. As long as the ground is soft enough to dig, you can continue to plant tulips, daffodils and other bulbs.
Be sure to cover them with a 3-inch layer of mulch, leaves or seed-free straw to prevent the heaving that often accompanies winter’s freeze-thaw cycles.
If the garden is frozen, avoid walking on the lawn, which would damage grass blades (and possibly soil structure).
Even in temperate zones, delicate garden plants like citrus trees, dahlias and spring-blooming plants often need protection over winter. Keep them warm with a loosely wrapped and secured burlap jacket.
Knock snow off evergreen branches to prevent bending, buckling and splitting. Arborvitaes and Leyland cypresses are especially susceptible. Now is a great time to document what worked well in your garden this past season and what didn’t, and note which plants you’d like to move in spring. I can almost guarantee you’ll forget at least some of your intentions if you don’t write them down.
Go a step further and take photos of the plants you’d like to relocate so you’ll remember where they are; it can be challenging to identify them when they first come up in spring, which is when you should dig up early bloomers.
If you have extra seeds, consider trading them with some gardening friends or seeking out a seed swap, many of which are held at libraries or organized by garden clubs. Store seeds in paper envelopes or glass jars in a cool, dark spot away from fruit. Label them even if you’re confident you’ll remember what they are. You won’t. If pests or diseases ravaged your plants during the growing season, read up on the companion plants you can use to thwart them next year.
Indoor care
Place houseplants near a west- or south-facing window to maximize sunlight, and give pots a quarter turn with each watering to expose all sides. While you’re at it, check them for mealybugs, spider mites and scale insects. If you find any, rinse them off in the sink. If you’re buying poinsettias, check them carefully for whiteflies before bringing them home to avoid an infestation. It may be too late to start Amaryllis bulbs indoors for holiday blooms, but if you pot them up now, you’ll get to enjoy them during the winter doldrums.
Plant them with their pointed ends half-sticking out of the soil, and water thoroughly once. Then keep the soil consistently slightly moist. Place them in a warm, sunny spot and increase watering when bulbs sprout.
When Amaryllis plants bloom, move them to a cooler room to extend flower life, but keep them away from children and pets; like many houseplants, they’re toxic if ingested.
Remember the birds
In the absence of garden seeds, fruits, nuts and nectar, non-migratory birds depend on us over winter. Set out a feeder and keep it filled with high-quality birdseed. And remember to provide water in the absence of snow or rain.
The birds will repay you by feeding thousands of your garden’s plant-munching insects to their young in spring.
This Dec. 5
a dusting of snow on a Long Island, New York, lawn. It’s important to avoid walking on frozen lawns, whether or not frost is visible, to avoid damaging delicate grass blades and soil
photo provided by Jessica Damiano shows
structure. (PHOTO / COVER
PHOTO JESSICA DAMIANO VIA AP)
A bathroom exhaust fan is filled with dirt
Here’s how to clean it
By Jeanne Huber
The Washington Post
Q.I installed a Panasonic FV11VHL2 WhisperWarm exhaust fan in one of our bathrooms. The maintenance instructions cavalierly say: “Remove dust and dirt from the fan body using a vacuum cleaner.” No way! Not only can’t you get to the fan, no vacuum will ever dislodge the encrusted dirt. It has to be scraped off. I’ve tried using wooden dowels (too thick to reach corners); old toothbrushes (too large to fit between blades and bristles too soft); Q-tips (one or two passes and they fray or the stem bends or breaks); a letter opener (the most useful, but it risks scratching the plastic blades) and a damp cloth (good for only a pass or two before it frays). It’s all tedious, one-blade-at-a-time cleaning with
repeated passes for each of the 67plus blades. Is there an easier way?
A.Manufacturers who say to clean bathroom exhaust fans with just a vacuum aren’t being straight with their customers. While it’s true that frequent vacuuming keeps fans cleaner, often that’s not enough. High humidity combines with dust to create a caked-on grime that has to be washed or scraped away.
It’s important to do this task regularly; a heavy buildup reduces a fan’s efficiency. When a fan starts to sound loud and no longer keeps windows and mirrors from fogging up, it’s time for a deep cleaning.
And to do that, you need unencumbered access to the fan blades. Ideally, you want a way to remove the blades — which are often referred to as a squirrel cage — so you can put this part in a sink or bucket filled with warm, soapy water.
To do a deep clean, start by switch-
ing off power at the circuit. Then gather your tools. Position a ladder or step stool under the fan, and have a headlamp or work light handy. You’ll also need a screwdriver and a socket wrench.
Remove the grille, which typically involves working your fingers in around opposite edges and pulling down, then pinching each pair of spring wires above to release the catches that hold them to the metal box.
If the grille includes an LED light unit, unplug it and remove any screws so you can clean the grille itself in a sink filled with warm water and a little hand dishwashing detergent. To unplug the light, you might need to press in a tab, then pull. If the grille has a light unit that isn’t removable, clean the grille with a brush and a vacuum or compressed air; don’t soak electronics in water.
The WhisperWarm model you have doesn’t have an LED light built into the grille, but it does have a fluores-
cent light unit between the grille and the fan, as well as a heater with its own fan that blows hot air down while the exhaust fan moves humid air up and out. To clean the exhaust fan, you need to remove the light unit first. But you’d never know that from the official maintenance instructions. Illustrations show how to remove the grille and wash it in a sink.
terry & kim kovel | Antiques & Collecting
Platter captures spirit of an English Christmas
WITH ITS RINGS OF HOLly branches, this majolica platter carries the spirit of Christmas. And with its $7,735 sale price at Strawser Auction Group, it’s certainly something to celebrate! But a closer look shows its symbols are a little different from the decorations most of us may be used to.
The birds around the rim are robins; not something you often see on American Christmas decorations, but very popular in the United Kingdom. Robins are often seen there in the winter because they migrate there from Scandinavia and Continental Europe.
Then there are the portrait medallions of a white-bearded man who looks a little, but not entirely, like Santa Claus. Instead of a red suit with a matching fur-trimmed hat, he wears a brown robe, carries a staff and is crowned with a wreath of holly.
This must be Father Christmas, the English personification of the holiday’s festivities. He dates to at least the 15th century and may be influenced by the folkloric figure of the Holly King of winter, whose perpetual battle with the Oak King of summer (who is sometimes represented by a robin) dramatizes the cycle of seasons. As you may have guessed, this platter is an English piece. It was made by George Jones, one of the most celebrated makers of Victorian majolica.
Q. I found a silver link bracelet in my aunt’s jewelry box after her death at age 93 in 2002, so I believe it’s old and would like some idea of its value. I took it to a jeweler who used a loupe to look at the mark on the underside of the clasp. She said it read “JB” over “830S.”
A. The first clue to the bracelet’s value is the “830S.” That is the silver content, meaning it is 83% silver and 17% alloy of other metals. The standard for sterling silver is 925, meaning 92.5% silver. While not sterling silver, 830 silver still has a relatively high silver content, and its higher percentage of alloy means it is more durable than 925 silver. Scandinavian silversmiths, in particular, used 830 silver in the 20th century. The “JB” mark was used by John Baalerund, whose business operated from 1935 to 1988 in Oslo, Norway. He was known for his enameled silver jewelry. Silver jewelry by Scandinavian designers was extreme-
Victorian English majolica maker George Jones decorated this platter with English Christmas symbols that may be unfamiliar to Americans, but still have the spirit of the holiday. (STRAWSER AUCTION GROUP)
ly popular in the mid-20th century. Think of the “Danish modern” look. Today, 830S silver bracelets from that period generally sell for about $50 to $150.
Q. I was wondering if you could assist with values for the attached Santas. One is made of resin, about 5 1/2 inches tall with several carved Santas on the sides and back. The second is hand-carved wood. It has a sticker on the bottom that says “Heinzeller” and is 7 1/2 inches tall.
A. Your wooden figure is made by the Heinzeller shop in Oberammergau, Germany. Wood carving has been a tradition in Oberammergau for hundreds of years. Specialties include toys, religious figures and fairy tale characters. Hans Heinzeller founded his wood sculpture company in 1949. The company is still in business, run by the Heinzeller family and selling wood carvings and souvenirs. Vintage Heinzeller carvings can sell from about $15 to over $100, depending on their size and amount of detail. We saw one of their vintage Santa Claus figures recently sell for about $70.
There is a lot of interest in Christmas collectibles, so Santa figures can attract more attention and have higher value than others. Resin figurines resembling carved wood have been made since the late 19th century. They were usually made as inexpensive, mass-produced alternatives to hand-carved wooden decorations, so they tend to be worth slightly less than wood carvings. We have seen figures like your resin Santa group sell for about $20 to $45.
TIP: Candle drippings can be removed from fabric or furniture with the help of ice cubes. Rub the wax with the ice until the wax hardens. Scrape off the hard wax with a credit card or stiff cardboard. If some wax remains, put a blotter over it, and then iron with a warm iron.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Silver plate, butter, dome cover, flower urn finial, handle, embossed rose bands, glass insert, four-footed, Victorian, Reed & Barton, 12 inches, $35.
Buffalo Pottery Deldare, pitcher, Robin Hood, dome foot, hunting motif trim, multicolor, buffalo mark, 1907, 8 x 6 inches, $85. Art deco, punch bowl, chrome cover and ladle, red plastic mounts, glass body, globular, ribbed, c. 1930, 10 x 9 inches, $150.
Furniture, bar cart, rattan, mahogany, laminate, removable tray, lower shelf, casters, c. 1950, 33 x 19 x 28 inches, $270. Pottery-midcentury, bowl, stylized bird, black on white, signed, dated, Lucy Lewis, Acoma Pueblo, 1960, 3 1/2 inches, $340. Furniture, table, dining, Renaissance Revival style, mahogany, molded edge, carved supports, barley twist columns, trestle base, scrolled feet, 32 x 79 inches, $485. Royal Doulton, figurine, Santa Claus, seated on chimney, hand raised, holding sack, red, white, black, HN4175, Robert Tabbenor, c. 2000, 9 1/2 inches, $560.
Fishing, creel, slant lid, painted, pine branch, two fish on front, facing down, yellow ground, buckle closure, canvas strap, signed, Emile Robichaud, 15 inches, $985. Rug, Frank Lloyd Wright, shaded pink, gray and red geometrics, fringe, wool, import label, Schumacher, 1980s, 10 feet 11 inches x 7 feet 10 inches, $1,260. Judica, menorah, Peace Menorah, asymmetrical arms, center mask over star of David, bronze, gold patina, marble base, Salvador Dali, 1981, 20 inches, $1,905.
Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email collectorsgallery@ kovels.com
Average rate on 30-year mortgage snaps 3-week slide
Rate rises to highest level since late November
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. rose this week to its highest level since late November, reflecting a recent uptick in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price home loans.
The rate rose to 6.72% from 6.6%
Deeds
AGAWAM
Alli Stokowski and Joseph Knight to Michelle J. Baker, 32 Mill St., $400,000.
Alphonse L. Ferrentino, Maria L. Ferrentino and Maria Luisa Breault to Maria Breault and Gerald Breault, 429 Mill St, $100.
Anne M. Plourde to Darvin Brian Gargun, 253 Rowley St., $360,000.
Christina Ferraro and Paul Ferraro to Cory Pfau and Julia Serra, 49 Duclos Drive, $370,000.
Diane L. Meffen to Ievgenii Gusiev, 875 Main St., $270,000.
Jo-Ann S. Della-Giustina to Steven M. Miodowski, 19 Albert St., $225,000.
John D. MacIntyre to Jonathan Shrair and Diana L. Goldberg, 3 Maple View Lane, Unit D, $331,000.
Joseph J. Smelstor III, to Rei Domenici and Carly Walz, 21 Fernwood Drive, $390,000.
Robert D. Taupier, trustee, Deborah A. Young, trustee, and Elaine M. Taupier Living Trust, trustee of, to Wayne E. Perry and Kathleen A. Charest, 28 Castle Hill Road, $336,000.
Todd M. Banaitis and Jenna M. Banaitis to Allison G. Giknis, 41-43 Ley St., $520,000.
AMHERST
Rabib B. Rafiq to Michael Chazan and Michelle Fost, 34 Pine Grove, $260,000.
Edmund Jones, trustee, and Revocable Indenture of Trust of Nigel H. Coxe to Meghan MacFadden and Oliver MacFadden, 147 East Hadley Drive, $425,000.
Phatcharee Tran to James E. Sarris, 27 Greenleaves Drive, $300,000.
Maryann T. Malo and Angela Scarpino to Maryann T. Malo, 39
last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. The rate is now higher than it was a year ago, when it averaged 6.67%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixedrate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, also rose this week. The average rate increased to 5.92% from 5.84% last week. A year ago, it averaged 5.95%, Freddie Mac said.
The average rate on a 30-year mort-
Webster Court, $100.
Mimsy Cove LLC, to Benjamin William Strom and Isabel Scherl, 294 Pelham Road, $389,800.
Nora C. Groves to Meagan G. Malaney, 500 West St., $100.
BELCHERTOWN
Keira A. Duffy and Alix Gordon Kreder to Wesley R. Deshano and Rachael S. Deshano, 370 Stebbins St., $515,000.
Susan C. Bishop to Alex Gillat and Batsheva Gillat, 111 Daniel Shays Highway, $456,000.
Christopher M. Johnson to William N. Shrenker, 47 Sargent St., $320,000.
Michele M. Chmura to Michele M. Chmura and Timothy N. Thomas, 90 Dana Hill Road, $100.
BRIMFIELD
Arthur W. Cournoyer, trustee, and Black Diamond Realty Trust, trustee of, to Brian Leclair, 0 E. Hill Road, $115,000.
CHARLEMONT
Bernice M. Gibson to John P. Riley and Kelly S. Riley, 495 Tea St., $215,000.
CHICOPEE
21 Shawmut Avenue LLC, to Jacqueline Christine Otero and Henry Hackett, 238 East Main St., $320,000.
A 1 Screw Machine Products Inc., to Progress Drive LLC, 717 Fuller Road, $1,675,000.
Carol A. Coulter and Stanley J. Skura Jr., to Teresa D. Skura, 27 Sampson St., $205,332.
Charlene Bergeron and Charlene L. Henchey to Daniel Lorenzi, 36 Czepiel St., $200,000.
Christs Community Church to London Realty LLC, 0 Springfield
gage is now the highest it’s been since Nov. 27, when it was at 6.81%.
Elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices have kept homeownership out of reach of many would-be homebuyers. While sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November for the second straight month, the housing market remains in a slump and on track for its worst year since 1995.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the moves
Street, $175,000.
Clifford M. Collins and Kathleen A. Collins to Jafar Hamdan, 64-66 Chapel St., $250,000.
David P. Partee to Benjamin D. Rokowski, 53 Colonial Circle, Unit D, $165,000.
Donna Archambault, representative, and Ronald P. St. Germain, estate, to Brandon E. Lancto and Jillian M. Lancto, 69 Ludlow Road, $310,000.
Eric Velasquez, Edwin Velasquez and Cecelia Ann Velasquez to Chelsea Gallay and Sonam Gallay, 31 Roy St., $390,000.
Frank Kenney, representative, and Stephen M. Joseph, estate, to Sarah Miele, 104 Johnson Drive, Unit 206, $230,000.
Gail Mackey and Helen M. Waloweek to Woodcrest Circle LLC, 33 Woodcrest Circle, $225,000.
Global Home Properties LLC, to Eric Velasquez and Cecelia Velasquez, 165 Ruskin St., $515,000.
Irene L. DaSilva, trustee, Lisa M. Jeronimo, trustee, Ann Marie DaSilva Nembrikow, trustee, Ann Marie Nembrikow, trustee, and DaSilva Family Realty Nominee Trust, trustee of, to Illumination Home LLC, and Roberto Rivera Negron, 163 Amherst St., $210,000.
James A. Randolph III, to Manchester Enterprises LLC, 18 Villa Lane, $275,000.
Michael A. Zybura, estate, and Diane Sullivan, representative, to Skyspec LLC, Fairfield Ave., Lot 38, $280,000.
Nancy C. Godbout, conservator, and Karen E. Sprenkle to Leonard M. Haflich and Nancy E. Haflich, 61 Abbey Memorial Drive, Unit 197, $228,000.
Roberto Lopez to Sheila M. Gonzalez and Arcadio G. Gonzalez, 86 Empire St., $365,000.
Sonam Gallay, Chelsea P. Gallay and Chelsea P. Fernandes to Earl V. Watson and Barbara Watson, 61
in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds. Bond yields shot up Wednesday after the Federal Reserve signaled that it will likely deliver fewer cuts to rates next year than it forecast just a few months ago.
While the central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, its actions and the trajectory of inflation influence the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield.
The yield, which was below 3.7% as recently as September, was at 4.56% in midday trading Thursday.
Abbey Memorial Drive, Unit 145, $230,000.
Steven R. Faudree and Noreen J. Faudree to Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Varakas Realty Trust, trustee of, 52 Wellington Ave., $162,000.
Vikki J. Missale and Vikki J. Stokes to Joseph Edward Noble, 30 Colonial Circle, Unit D, $180,000.
CONWAY
Thaddeus A. Bennett and George T. Connell to SFRC LLC, 1165 Shelburne Falls Road, $600,000.
Troy Santerre to Kitchell Lee, 155 Sabans Road, $250,000.
CUMMINGTON
CE & APA Inc., to Jordan Koch, Cole Street, $10,000.
DEERFIELD
Edward Zajac, conservator of Henry Zajac, “aka” Henry F. Zajac Jr., “aka” Henry Frank Zajac Jr., to Sonam Lama and Tenzin Rinchen, 26 Mountain Road, $225,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Andrew J. Cimino to Chloe Collins, 44 Linden Ave., $342,000.
David Chapdelaine and Lisa Chapdelaine to Carley M. Chapdelaine and Daniel Bowlt, 23 Orchard Road, $431,250.
Donamor Real Estate LLC, to Steven L. Graham, trustee, and 14 Maple Court Nominee Realty Trust, trustee of, 10 Maple Court, $500,000.
Kathy E. Merrigan-Bonavita to Robert Hill and Adele Hill, 123 Maple St., $354,000.
Steven Alexander Clines and Kelly Marie Livingstone to Mauricio Tobar and Maria Clara Sanchez, 322 Elm St., $345,000.
Timothy Stanis, representative,
and Karen Andersen, estate, to Chaim Leizman, 55 Schuyler Drive, $320,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Nathan M. Lemoine and Meghan A. Lemoine to Dennis Carpenter and Joanne Carpenter, 43 Bayberry Drive, $579,000.
Craig N. Beaudry and Erica Beaudry to Stephen F.V. Bruscoe, 1-3 Harrison St., and 1-3 Harrison Ave., $430,000.
William D. Mackiewicz and Joanne K. Mackiewicz to Nicholas M. Wojcik and Diane Wojcik, 4-6 Clifford St., $415,000.
Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Jackson to Craig Beaudry and Erica Beaudry, 27 Drury Lane, $450,000.
Leah K. Terrell to Michael Wilbur and Aimee Charlesworth, 19 Monska Drive, $330,000.
Shawn T. Forest-Ussach and Helicia R. Forest-Ussach to Mark R. Zobel, trustee, Deborah L. Poore, trustee, and Zobel-Poore Family Trust, East Street, $166,700.
Margaret R. Kennedy to Kara M. Graves, 31 Plymouth Ave., $400,000.
John R. Hannifan to Shaughn Lansing Galloway and Alexandria Raina Galloway, 30 Golden Drive, $415,000.
Paige E. Giusfredi to Paige E. Giusfredi, trustee, and Paige E. Giusfredi Living Trust, 10 Silver Lane, $100.
Pineview Development LLC, and West Co Investments LLC, to Stuart Nicol, trustee, Emilie Nicol, trustee, and Nicol Family Revocable Living Trust, 4 Nicols Way, $640,000.
Pineview Development LLC, and West Co Investments LLC, to Sharon Ginand, trustee, Gail Hallock, trustee, and Gail Hallock & Sharon Ginand Revocable Trust, 13 Nicols Way, $689,900.
Deeds
GILL
Daniel R. Flagg to Jacob Morrow, Boyle Road, $5,000.
GRANBY
Nicholas J. Chirekos III, and Katelyn B. Chirekos to Aubrey DeCaro, 7 Lakeview Ave., $320,000.
Lynn R. Mercier to Corey J. Mercier and Nichole P. McClellan, 398 Batchelor St., $170,000.
GRANVILLE
Patricia Ann Dickinson, estate, Patricia A. Dickinson, estate, and Susan L. Scantlen, representative, to Tyler N. Hall, 358 Main Road, $365,000.
Scott C. Short and Elizabeth Short to Eleanor Rulon-Miller and Brian Nenorta, 4 Barnard Road, $280,000.
GREENFIELD
Liliya Placinta and Victor Placinta to Kimberly Duprey, 39 Cooke St., $370,000. Vera Filobokova and Nadezhda Vozniuk, “fka” Nadezhda Filobokova, to Susan Angove, 430 Mohawk Trail, $168,000.
Sherry Hubbard, Michael Koncal, Robert Koncal and Jennifer Widelo to Andrew Collins and Megan E. Denardo, 43 Beech St., $315,000.
Ilana M. Gerjuoy to Anna K. Ostow, 68 Solar Way, Unit 5E, Wisdom Way Solar Village Condominium, $200,117.
HADLEY
Alfred J. Albano Jr., to Elmwood Condominium Trust, Peter P. Grandonico Sr., trustee, Kathleen Z. Grandonico, trustee, Peter P. Grandonico Jr., trustee, and Kathryn Chiavaroli, trustee, 100 Russell St., $395,000.
Marianne LaRochelle to Edward A. Kolosewicz, 39 Honey Pot Road, $16,000.
HAMPDEN
Bedrock Financial LLC, trustee, and Cumberland Blues Realty Trust, trustee of, to Elisabete M. Jusko, Thresher Road, Lot 3, $210,000.
Robert S. Alexander and Idelme Alexander to Vu Nguyen and Linh Do, 12 Pinewood Road, $420,000.
HATFIELD
Martin E. Motyka, personal representative, and Karla C. Motyka, estate, to Katherine M. Beauchesne and Owen J. Beauchesne, 14 Dwight St., $65,000.
Owen J. Beauchesne and Katherine M. Beauchesne to Arthur D. Papazian, 14 Dwight St., $100,000.
Edward F. Betsold to Luke B. Longstreeth, 67 West St., $100.
HEATH
David L. Almeida to Christine Bairos, 36 Shawnee Drive, $160,000.
HOLLAND
Kevin R. Soules and Sarah Soules to Sean S. Yarrows and Makayla Caliri, Old County Road, $75,000.
HOLYOKE
220 Linden Realty LLC, to Orca Ventures LLC, 11-13 School St., $1,150,000.
Beth Rust, Beth Ann Monaco, Jennifer Ann Roderick and Elizabeth J. Young to Marisol Torres, 14 McMahon Drive, $358,000.
Confesor Irizarry and Olaida Irizarry to Gamaliel Irizarry and Gamaliel C. Irizarry, 73-75 North East St., $390,000.
Marisol Torres and Pedro L. Rivera to Luz S.
Santiago Gomez and Arquimides Sanchez Garcia, 1133-1135 Hampden St., $400,000.
Mark T Strong and Mary A Strong to Fonzie Realty LLC, 94 Sheehan Dr, $270,000.
LONGMEADOW
Amparo C. Moran to Di Fu and Foster J. White Jr., 180 Kenmore Drive, $430,000.
Anthony J. Calabrese Jr., to Quercus Properties LLC, 124 Barrington Road, $445,000.
Dianna Goldberg to Olubowale Shobande, 48 Converse St., $425,000.
Jeffrey E. Jean-Charles to Brian Barrows and Karen Barrows, 85 Franklin Road, $402,000.
Natalie Savich Komaiszko and Jan Joseph Komaiszko to Kevin Herbert Damon, trustee, Kathryn E. Damon, trustee, and Damon Family Revocable Trust, trustee of, 46 Northfield Road, $644,900.
Patricia M. Lisowski to Brett Huffman and Sara Huffman, 176 Wolf Swamp Road, $395,000.
Stephen A. Metz and Sandra J. Metz to Samuel Eliott Anthony Stone and Danielle Elizabeth Krzemien Stone, 171 Coventry Lane, $530,000.
LUDLOW
Boguslaw Lukaszczyk and Wioletta Lukaszczyk to Daniel Jaworowski and Katlyn M. Hill, 7 Rosewood Drive, $760,000.
Brenda K. Mirkin, trustee, and Brenda K. Mirkin Revocable Indenture of Trust Of, trustee of, to WMass Land Acquisitions LLC, 0 Kendall Street, $30,000.
Christopher J. Richter to Debra Dumont and Debra A. Dumont, 707 Chapin St., $257,500.
Henrique M. Bastos, Veni A. Bastos and Veni L. Bastos to John MacIntyre and Deanna M. Conti, 176 Genovevo Drive, $616,000.
Hummad Ijaz to Henrique M. Bastos and Veni A. Bastos, 70 Chapin Greene Drive, $285,000.
James A. Mannis and Christine M. Mannis to Maria L. Marques, trustee, and MLM Nominee Trust, trustee of, 317 Chapin St., $345,000.
Jason Picard, Tammie Picard and Tammie Wenners to Jancarlos Vargas Santana and
Ericka Vargas Santana, 50 Belmont St., $290,000.
Kathleen Liberatore, Kathleen Libertore, Nancy Griffin, Mary Muldrew and Joann DiBari to Sareen Properties LLC, 51 Parkview St., $200,000.
Liangzhi Mei to Wayne Kowal and Michelle Bombard, 493 Miller St, $290,000.
Maria L. Marques, trustee, and MLM Nominee Trust , trustee of, to Marco Vambastern Sonfack and Mislaine Yollande Choula Kamga Epse Sonfack, 458 Miller St., $525,000.
Mario E. Pereira to Nicholas Fratamico, 25 Waters Edge Drive, Unit 25, $269,000.
Silver Snake Properties LLC, to Stephen Matthew Lynch Jr., 52 Prospect St., $310,000.
Steven W. Hiorns, trustee and representative, Evelyn K. Hiorns Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, and Evelyn K. Hiorns, estate, to Jennifer M. Casagranda and Joseph Casagranda, 665 Center St., Unit 714, $280,000.
Tiago Andre Boacas Martins and Jeffrey Charles Dias to Angel L. Melendez Jr., 87 Hubbard St., $335,000.
Vickie A. Santos, Jorge D. Santos, Sheri Santos and Sheri Fragoso to Devin Gosselin and Julia M. Seibold, 176-178 Cady St., $325,000.
MONSON
Give Them Sanctuary Inc., to Black Fang Trust, trustee of, and Jeffrey Allard, trustee, 494 Boston Road West, $100.
MONTAGUE
Alyssa Nicole Edwards and Walter Gardner Jr., to Luis M. Torres Flores and Alison M. Ovalle-Perez, 120 Millers Falls Road, $335,000.
Elizabeth M. Johnson, “fka” Elizabeth M. Swihart, to Rebecca Reid, trustee of the Rebecca Reid Investment Trust, 35 Park St., $295,000.
Stephanie A. Thomas and Peter F. Watroba, personal representatives of the Estate of Marilyn C. Watroba, to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Inc., Old Sunderland Road and East Taylor Hill Road, $825,000.
MONTGOMERY
Anna Katharina Echtner and Michael Echtner to Emily Kassis, 56 North Road, $120,000.
NEW SALEM
Hugh W. Mackay to Brian R. Fluet and Nichole R. Fluet, 25 Lovers Lane, $425,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Charles L. Johnson, personal representative, and Peter N. Rowe, estate, to Nadia A. Villarroel, 69 Fox Farms Road, $650,000.
Gwendolyn Forbes and Gwendolyn W. Forbes to Allyson Faye Spencer-Bunch and Maiander Delfina Spencer-Bunch, 36-38 Elizabeth St., $557,500.
Rachel Simmons to Nicholas Day and Anna Bernstein, 85 Prospect St., $921,000.
Sarah Weinman to Dov Berger and Jennifer
Young, 80 Market St., $50,000.
Sunny Hawley Street LLC, to Rebecca P. Sinkler and David D. Sinkler, 17 Hawley St., and 15 Hawley St., $745,000.
Diane McPhee, Kathryn J. Murphy, Lauren Lamica, Elizabeth Coles, William R. Murphy Jr., Paul S. Lamica and Douglas Coles to Elizabeth A. Coles and Douglas P. Coles, 242 Spring Grove Ave., $400,000.
209 Earle Street LLC, and Metrica Inc., to 47 Commercial LP., 209 Earle St., $5,893,200.
Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Jackson to Craig Beaudry and Erica Beaudry, 27 Drury Lane, $450,000.
Shelley Steuer, trustee, Herbert R. August Trust and Herbert R. August Nominee Trust to Caroline Kenny, 40 Old Wilson Road, 50 Old Wilson Road and Old County Road, $1,205,000.
Elise G. Young to Alisha Justine McBeath and Sean Taishi McBeath, 21 Western Ave., $600,000.
Shawn Powell and Mark W. McCroson to Shawn Powell, trustee, Mark W. McCroson, trustee, and McCroson Powell Trust, 10 Hawley St., $100.
Gerald F. Rainville, Linda J. Rainville, George F. Houck, George F. Houck Jr., Dolores I. Houck and Linda J. Rainville, attorney-in-fact, to Maria D. Saunders and Anthony E. Saunders, 6 Allison St., $425,000.
NORTHFIELD
Martha S. Balazs and Stephen E. Balazs to Marie Margaret Kolarik and Sydney Levison, 454 South Mountain Road, $560,000.
Northfield Mount Hermon School, “fka” Northfield & Mount Hermon School, “fka” Northfield Schools, “fka” Northfield Seminary, to Justin Wai, Main Street, $225,000.
Kelly A. Brown, personal representative of the Estate of William R. Kilpatrick, to EDS Enterprises LLC, 166 Gulf Road, $270,000.
ORANGE
Town of Orange to Anthony Gemma and Katherine Lea Viveiros, Holtshire Road, $4,000.
Town of Orange to Cheryl A. Kelleher and Timothy S. Kelleher, Holtshire Road, $4,000.
Town of Orange to Tracy A. Flaherty, Holtshire Road, $60,000.
Town of Orange to Angela L. Gilmore and Matthew S. Gilmore, Holtshire Road, $4,000.
Town of Orange to Chante M. Jillson and Douglas R. Jillson, Holtshire Road, $4,000.
J&R Real Estate Group LLC, to Freedom Management LLC, 1 High St., $195,000.
Grace D. Belmont to BCF Investments LLC, 55 Prospect St., $85,000.
Reinhard Mirkovich, individually and as personal representative of the Estate of Nadia Veskovic, “aka” Nada Veskovic, Ingeborg Veskovic and Dan Veskovic to Reinhard Mirkovich, 120 West Myrtle St., and West Myrtle St., $132,000.
David J. Moore and Margaret Z. Moore to Dean P. Whitney, 220 North Main St., $165,000.
Deeds
PALMER
Dorothy Wilk and Marlene Gelinas to Heather Anne Zebrowski, 213 River St., $317,500.
Mark Cirignano to Lauren Dones, 3162 Main St., Unit 32, $145,000.
Norbert P. Fauteux and Norbert P. Fauteu to Zachary Menard and Jillian Long, 96 Longview St., $300,000.
Todd Dumas to Brett D. Chester and Julyann Guyer, 4128 Main St., $274,000.
Wesley R. Deshano and Rachael S. Deshano to Hailey Bennis and Tyler Bienvenue, 80 Squier St., $335,000.
ROWE
Carrie Y. Silva and Robert A. Silva to Liliya Placinta and Victor Placinta, 123 Davis Mine Road and Davis Mine Road, $575,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
David M. Murphy and Danielle Joan Murphy to Susan Gail Enselek, 43 Pine Grove Drive, $349,900.
Chenevert Properties LLC, to Green Piranhas LLC, 95 Granby Road, $100.
Nancy S. Cole and Catherine Brady to Catherine A. Neal, trustee, Jack N. Evans, trustee, and Evans Neal Family Revocable Trust, 24 Rivercrest Way, $497,000.
Samuel Christopher Bernash to Bernash Realty LLC, 5 Lamb St., $100. N.P.J.P. Realty LLC, to JA Pro LLC, 16 Grant St., $100.
N.P.J.P. Realty LLC, to JA Pro LLC, 49 Lamb St., and 49 ½ Lamb St., $100.
SOUTHAMPTON
Jonathan R. Neumann and Jennifer K. Neumann to Nathan Lemoine and Meghan Lemoine, 19 Helen Drive, $660,000.
Ian Bigda, trustee, Donald E. Ostroski & Joanne M. Fappiano Irrevocable Trust and Donald E. Ostroski to Angela M. Bean, 5 Wyben Road, $383,500.
SOUTHWICK
Maria J. Vadnais to Precision Kitchen & Bath LLC, 93 Sheep Pasture Road, $100,000.
SPRINGFIELD
Abdulrazaq Abdulrazaq to Martina Morales Bartolon and Elberto Diaz Velasquez, 18 French St., $315,000. Aldo Properties LLC, to Kandis Marie Kattler and Christopher Arthur Kat-
tler, 184 Gardens Drive, $250,000.
Alma J. Colon, Alma Colon and Ricardo Colon to Genevieve Construction Development Group Inc., 45 Penacook St., $183,000.
Anna J. Nardi, representative, and Arnold P. Nardi, estate, to Manchester Enterprises LLC, 493 Page Boulevard, $150,000.
Real Estate Investments Northeast LLC, and CFC Development LLC, to Joesiah Gonzalez and Melanie Gonzalez, N/S Orchard St, $450,000. Barose Projects LLC, to Christopher Leblanc, 40 Ruby Road, $289,900.
Bonita J. Prairie to Emily K. Jackson, 1503 South Branch Parkway, $297,500.
Carmen M. Sanderson and Edward R. Sanderson Jr., to Theresia Waweru and Hetul Vaidya, 75 Rosemary Drive, $287,000.
Constantin S. Gellis and Sofia C. Gellis to Phantom Holdings LLC, 5759 E Bay Path Terrace, $1,100,000. Cosale Inc., to KingKong Investment LLC, 187 ½-191 Chestnut St., $1,000,000.
Daniel J. Wilson and Michael Robert Wilson to Adam J. Giverson, 31 Aberdale Drive, $295,000.
Danielle Krzemien, Danielle E. K. Stone and Samuel E. A. Stone to Chelsey Rodriguez and Freyte Caban, 16 Irene St., $305,000.
Earl V. Watson and Barbara Watson to Kristin Webster and Jawad Khokhar, 363 Nassau Drive, Unit 363, $275,000.
Fiore Grassetti and Gina M. Grassetti to Soann Phann and Bopha Sun, 111 Clearbrook Drive, $349,900.
Liberty Medical Building Associates LLP, to Northeastern Investments LLC, 125 Liberty St., $945,000.
Jacqueline M. Rosado to JJJ17 LLC, 612-614 White St., $177,500.
Jamal S. Seymour to Mirlene Noel, 120 Westminster St., $310,000.
James Githiri to Mitchelle Rosado Santiago, 34 Collins St., $299,900.
Jaron A. Kenney, Brittany Foucher-Kenney and Brittany Foucher to Israel Colon and Silvette M. Roman, 73 Donbray Road, $295,000.
Jofre Rhanses Brea to Naysha M. Ruiz Alonso, 371-373 East Columbus Ave., $380,000.
Jonathan Moore and Angela Adams to Cindy Vera-Diaz and Alan Diaz, 37 Pearson Drive, $432,100.
Juan Feliciano and Mayra Feliciano to Thy M. Nguyen, 358 Nassau Drive, Unit 358, $285,000.
Knockout Properties LLC, to Primer Taqueria LLC, 1375 Carew St., $300,000.
Marcus A. Jubrey to Fabian Lajara De Salas and Zoila Santana De Lajara, 102-104 Blaine St., $395,000.
Maria Paz and Giovanni Paz to Steven T. Pham, 253-255 Oak St.,
$497,000.
Nancy M. Konieczny, representative, Lauren M. Reilly, representative, and Neil Abramowicz, estate, to West Side Lending LLC, 234 Roy St., $204,000.
REOPT LLC, to ARPC LLC, 86 Fieldston St., $140,000.
Sheila Ayaz to Christopher Green and Marjorie Alberta Lorraine Green, 176 West Allen Ridge Road, $290,000.
Sultan Abdelghani to Angel L. Nieves and Shirlion T. Groves, 283285 Lexington St., $400,000.
Susan Banning, estate, and Lynora S. Bartholomew, representative, to Areid Estate LLC, 88 Glenwood St., $195,000.
Tyler A. Voisine to JBK Capital Advisors LLC, 34 Pembroke Circle, $185,000.
WALES
Tadeusz S. Wysocki Jr., trustee, and Tym Revocable Trust, trustee of, to JNB Property Investment Inc., 80 Stafford/Holland Road, $52,000.
WARE
Robert Norman King Jr., Keara Ann King and Keara Ann Moulton to Andrew T. Normand, Andrew Normand, Marissa E. Earle and Marissa Earle, 107 Old Poor Farm Road, $436,000.
Ronald E. Pelski and Jean E. Pelski to Robert Norman King Jr., and Keara Ann King, 16 Williston Drive, $680,000.
Jeammessamonet M. Brimage and Susan Kalled to Jeammessamonet M. Brimage, 120 Main St., $100.
Nicholas Markopoulos to Markopoulos Family Trust and Nicholas Markopoulos, trustee, 69 Aspen St., and 58 Pulaski St., $100.
Angela J. Leathers, Angela J. Kapinos, Bradley Leathers, Tina M. Breault and David F. Breault to Courtland T. Keelin, 92 West Main St., $270,000.
Karen A. Genereux to Edith Kouassi, 51 Warebrook Village, $240,000.
WENDELL
Stephen Broll to Brian Strauss and Samantha Strauss, 39 Lockes Village Road, $100,000.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Brian P. Despard and Joanne M. Despard to Joseph Knight and Alli Casey Stokowski, 369 Rogers Ave., $465,000.
Dominic P. Bourassa, representative, Hazel Elizabeth Bourassa, estate, and Hazel E. Bourassa, estate, to Peach Street LLC, 480 Brush Hill Road, $250,000.
Jeffrey Fischer and Jeffrey C. Fischer
to Susan M. Melchin, trustee, and Susan M. Melchin Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, 6 Windpath West, $200,000.
Leo D. Fugler Jr., to Guidewire Inc., 20 Lyman St., $325,000.
William Benjamin Morris to Christa Morris, 141 Sweet Fern Drive, $75,467.
WESTFIELD
Daniel Reardon, M. Daniel Reardon and Linda J. Reardon to Amy L. Crepeau, 59 Hassler St., $300,000.
David R. Emmonds and Loreen M. Emmonds to Stephen Fitzgerald and Dawn Fitzgerald, 145 Pontoosic Road, $340,000.
Dominic Santaniello, trustee, Lucas Giusto, trustee, and Naples Home Buyers Trust, trustee of, to Grayson Bennett, 63 Elizabeth Ave., $432,500.
Joseph L. Avenia to Eleven Ten Home & Auto LLC, 1110 Southampton Road, $150,000.
Lisa A. Dube to Christopher Larrow, 87 Pequot Point Road, $380,246.
Tanya Bovat and Tanya M. Unsderfer to Jacob A. Labrie, 117 Yeoman Ave., $325,000.
WESTHAMPTON
Lori D. Taylor to Sean Jeffords, 412 Main Road, $265,000.
WHATELY
Gwendolyn Kimberling and James Walter Chorak Thayer to James Walter Chorak Thayer, 74 Dickinson Hill Road, “fka” 22 Mt. Esther Road, $287,750.
WILBRAHAM
Carol A. Marceau to Karleigh Gause, 5 Rice Drive, $450,000.
Damarr L. Smith and Jeannavice Smith to Maria Felix Valle, 53 Weston St., $300,000.
Frank Prochaska, Marjorie Prochaska and Majorie Prochaska to Nicholas Dussault and Stacy Dussault, 12 Deerfield Drive, $725,000.
Michael J. Margolis and Maureen Q. Margolis to Joseph J. Mursko and Eric M. Nelson, 779 Main St., $980,000.
Nancy L. Gwozdz, representative, and Edwin Pelzer, estate, to Lauren M. Lazar, 17 High Pine Circle, Unit 17, $425,000.
Richard Bonney and Jenna Klicker to Kenneth B. Nygren and Kelly M. Nygren, 11 Peak Road, $515,000.
WILLIAMSBURG
Seth Berti and Ilana Kasal to Daniel Kieval and Miriam Kudler-Flam, 82 Mountain St., $430,000.
Notes
Complete rules including size requirements, allowed materials and other important contest rules can be found on the GCFM website at www.gcfm.org/ngcyouth-contests. Being a member of a garden club is not a requirement, but all contest entrants must be sponsored by a GCFM recognized local garden club. Entries must be submitted to the sponsoring club by Jan. 10, 2025. For more information or to connect with a recognized garden club contact Mary Bandouveres at gcfmyouthcontests@gmail.com
SPRINGFIELD Garden Club upcoming gardening series
The Springfield Garden Club will host “Year Round Color in the Garden: Horticultural Workshops” a series of 3 classes for anyone interested in year round interest in their yards and gardens. The programs will be at 2 p.m. on three Sundays in January and February. Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, will kick off the series with the class “Some of the Best Perennials and Shrubs for Seasonal Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall and even WINTER!” Wondering what to plant? How to layer them for best effect? This handson workshop has you evaluating a wide variety of new and tried-and-true plants for the unique needs of your yard. Led by Vana Nespor, district director, Garden Club Federation of MA. Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, is “Trees that Bring Joy all Year Long” Looking to plant and care for a small tree that you will enjoy year-round? Learn which small trees bring joy to both you and the wildlife around you. Where best to place them, and learn how to make sure they survive in our changing climate.
What’s the best way to repair my countertop?
By Jeanne Huber
The Washington Post
Q.I have a Silestone countertop with a chipped edge. How do I find someone to fix the edge?
A. When a countertop chips or cracks, there are two ways to fix it: Hire a company that specializes in this work, or buy the same type of materials a pro would use and do it yourself. The pro solution, of course, costs more. But it is more likely to result in a repair that blends in visually and can’t be felt when you run your hand over the surface.
Barry Adkins, owner of Fix-It Countertop, which makes home visits in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Northern Virginia; and central Florida, repairs chips in countertops made of quartz, solid-surface material and natural stone (such as granite). Silestone, along with brands such as Caesarstone and Cambria, is in the quartz category because it consists of quartz crystals and other ingredients in a resin binder. Solid-surface material, such as Corian, has a lower percentage of mineral content.
In all of these cases, Adkins said, his solution is to patch the chip with two-part epoxy designed for countertop repairs not a general-purpose epoxy you might find at a hardware store. Pros buy supplies at companies that cater to their needs. For repairs on man-made materials, Adkins can type in the manufacturer’s color name and get a patch color that matches the main color of the countertop. There are also epoxy kits with different colorants so he can custom-match colors when a homeowner doesn’t know the brand or color name of a
Notes
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F9
countertop.
Adkins charges a little under $300 to fix a chip smaller than a dime, plus a little extra for travel in out-of-the-way locations in the company’s service areas. Large repairs, up to the size of a quarter, cost more, in part because he often needs to apply the filler in two or three layers to avoid having it smear across the surface.
Tidy repairs are especially important with man-made countertop materials because they have a subtle texture that resembles a fairly smooth orange peel. Adkins can polish natural stone to make the sheen of a patch blend in, but if he does that with a man-made countertop, the spot looks shiny and becomes even more noticeable. Homeowners can also buy twopart epoxy repair kits with small amounts of colorants, or kits that use other fillers, such as two-part acrylics and light-cured acrylics. Globalcom Tile and Granite/ Marble Repair Kit, which lists for $19.99 on Amazon, is a two-part epoxy that comes with black, brown, blue and maroon gel dyes that can be used in combination or alone to get tones from nearly white to very dark.
Given that the homeowner kit is less than $20, does it make sense to spend more to hire a pro? Adkins says handy, experienced DIYers probably can patch a chip successfully, but he cautions that, as with anything, there is a learning curve. Especially when a chip or crack is in a prominent place, many homeowners decide it’s better to leave the work to someone who has made hundreds of repairs, rather than use the job as a first-time learning opportunity. “When two-part epoxy dries, it dries hard as stone,”
Led by Alex Sherman, Tree Warden and City Forester for Springfield. Sunday, Feb. 23, is “Landscaping for Year-Round Beauty” Want to enjoy your garden more in the spring, summer, fall, and winter? Learn how to design a garden that showcases vibrant color and fascinating textures that make it shine in every season. The classes will be held in the Old Monkey House, in Forest Park on
he said, leaving little time for trial-and-error tinkering. It doesn’t help that many of the kits lack detailed instructions. Amazon sells nearly identical-looking patch kits from three brands: Globalcom, Lanbokit and Govvey, none of which have an online customer-service link or online application instructions other than photos with captions or videos. An Amazon customer-service representative tried to look up contact information but said the only details he could find were in Chinese characters, which he couldn’t decipher.
Online customer reviews for repair kits back up Adkins’s warning that patching successfully can be trickier than it seems. While many reviewers gave high marks for the results they achieved, those who reported low marks sometimes said their countertops wound up looking worse than before. Common complaints: It was too hard to match the color. The epoxy, especially on an edge chip, was too runny to mold. The countertop got scratched when they used sandpaper, which is included in the kits, to make the patch level.
Adkins said he puts a lot of effort into creating patches that almost disappear. About 90 percent of the quartz countertops he repairs are a slightly off-white shade with gray veining that mimics Calacatta marble, a natural stone. He stocks up on the perfect colorant for patching that. But when he is patching natural stone, which usually has lots of color variation, or man-made materials that sparkle or have chips of different colors, he often uses clear epoxy, which lets the color of the countertop around the chip show through. But no patch is perfect.
Sumner Ave. The fee is $10 per class and tickets are available at the door, on Eventbrite, by emailing spfldgardenclub@gmail.com or by calling 413.285.3163.
For more information on this and other Springfield Garden Club events go to www.gcfm.org/springfieldgardenclub or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ SpringfieldMAGardenClub/
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
Fan
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F5
Then the text says to “remove dust and dirt from the fan body using a vacuum cleaner” and to use a cloth dampened with kitchen detergent to “remove any dirt from the fan body.”
But the illustrations show a vacuum wand and a gloved hand with a cloth wiping the fluorescent tubes of the light module — not the fan. The instructions don’t say how to remove the light unit or even hint that it’s necessary.
To learn how to do that, and to remove the fan so you can easily clean the squirrel cage in water, look up the installation instructions for your fan and scrutinize an exploded view of the parts, especially the screws that hold each layer in place. (If you don’t know the model, remove the grille and look for a label inside.) If you find it difficult to decipher parts drawings, or if you can’t find them online, call the company’s technical advice number, ask to have a PDF emailed to you, then ask the technical adviser to walk you through the process. For Panasonic, the number is 866-2927299. Louis — he wasn’t allowed to give his last name — gave step-by-step instructions for your fan model and identified the relevant pieces by the part numbers on the diagram.
To remove the light unit, take out two screws and unplug the unit from the housing, which might involve pressing on a tab to release the plug. Then remove the three or four screws (Louis said there are only three even though the diagram says four) that hold the fan unit to the metal box. The box itself and the heater assembly stay attached to the ceiling. Pull down the fan unit and unscrew the metal on the fan housing, which is plastic. Using a socket wrench, remove the central nut that holds the squirrel cage in place. Then you can clean it with warm, soapy water and a toothbrush or other narrow scrub brush. Rinse and dry and put everything back in reverse order.
As with many home repairs, watching a YouTube video can be very helpful. There doesn’t appear to be one for the model you have, but there is one for basic WhisperWarm fans minus the fluorescent unit and the heater. The process of removing the fan assembly is basically the same for many exhaust fans, although the screw placements may differ.
Reich
CONTINUES FROM PAGE F2
Back to fruits: A fruit, botanically, is any seed-bearing structure of a flowering plant formed from a ripened ovary along with seeds and other structures. A nut is a kind of fruit, in this case with a kernel surrounded by a hard nutshell. A nut’s shell does not open to release the kernel.
So all nuts are fruits, but all fruits aren’t nuts. Botanically speaking. Some fruits commonly called nuts,
such as almond, pistachio, Brazil nut, walnut, pecan, and macadamia, are not true nuts; they are dry drupes (which doesn’t sound very complimentary, does it?). A nut is a dry drupe whose kernel is enclosed within a stony pit surrounded by flesh and a skin. Think of a peach. That’s a (non) dry drupe.
Chestnut, hazelnut, oak, and birch are examples of true nuts. That’s all botany. Out on the street, we call lots of things nuts. Peanuts, for example, which are actually legumes, just like peas and beans.
Bengal Kittens, female, TICA reg. Shots, health guar., Ware, MA, $750-$850. 413-967-4496
AARON POSNIK & CO. INC. Indust & Comm. Auctions 31 Capital Dr. W. Spfld. 733-5238 www.posnik.com
DouglasAuctioneers.com ESTATES-ANTIQUES 413-665-2877
MORTGAGEES’ REAL ESTATE AUCTIONS TO BE SOLD ON THEIR RESPECTIVE PREMISE
FRIDAY
DEC. 27, 2024
1:00 PM - ORANGE, MA 164 WEST RIVER STREETDEPOSIT $10,000
MONDAY
JAN. 6, 2025
9:00 AM - HOLYOKE, MA 70 DUPUIS ROADDEPOSIT $5,000
12:00PM-SPRINGFIELD, MA 111 MANCHESTER TERRACEDEPOSIT $5,000
TERMSOFSALES:DEPOSITSINTHEAMOUNTS SPECIFIEDABOVEARETO BEPAIDBYTHEPURCHASER(S)ATTHETIME ANDPLACEOFEACH SALEBYCERTIFIEDOR BANKCHECK.ALLBALANCESDUEARETOBE PAIDWITHIN30DAYSOF EACHINDIVIDUALSALE. OTHERTERMS,IFANY, TOBEANNOUNCEDAT EACH SALE.
CALL OUR AUCTION SCHEDULE LINE AT (617) 964-1282 FOR A LIST OF THE CURRENT DAY’S AUCTIONS AND VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.commonwealth auction.com FOR CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED SCHEDULING INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL SCHEDULING INFORMATION
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1,000’s of Baseball, Football, Basketball cards from early 1900 to present. All Hall of Famers. Also, selling boxes for $4.50. BUYING ALL SPORTS CARDS, RETIRED VETERAN CALL 413-596-5783
8Ftlongconferencetable w/8paddedchairs,excellentcondition,Asking $525 Call 413-210-1486.
Roto-tillerBigRedTroy Bilt,3yrsold,10HPw/ furrowblade,$1,900,call 413-588-8988
