HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met for its luncheon meeting on Monday, Sept. 11. Rotarian Dennis Ashley gave the opening prayer and acknowledged the tragic event sixteen years ago in New York City at the Twin Towers. There were five guests present including Mark Speer who will be a new member at the next meeting.
Mac Randolph announced how well the E-Waste Day went on Sept. 9 with 80,000 plus pounds being saved from landfills that will be recycled in Brewer. That is 20,000 pounds more than last year’s collection. Donations amounted to over $4,000.
Rotarian Frank Nataluk acknowledged the Salvation Army’s efforts in Florida and Texas to aid those in need following the hurricanes that traveled through those states. Donations are welcome through the Salvation Army’s website.
For the upcoming Rotary Auction Rotarian Dana Delano announced that Ward Log Home is donating a $15,900 Baskahegan log home to be auctioned off. Friends of Aroostook will need volunteers to harvest their corn on Sept. 22-23. Interested volunteers can contact Dale Flewelling.
Rotarian Matthew Donahue had the program of the day with his business associates Darlene Mangan and Ben Bradley. Donahue explained how his business is changing to accommodate the changing world of home heating. With his older employees tired of climbing on roofs and with chimneys becoming a thing of the past Donahue’s business will be called Shiretown Stove and Outdoor Living.
The new focus will be on swimming pools and their surrounds of masonry or brick and fireplaces of stone built around stove inserts. Donahue has been doing work around stoves purchased out of town but cannot guarantee other business’s products even though he is called first after installing these products to do repairs. To guarantee his work he is now marketing a product called Quadra-Fire built in the state of Pennsylvania.
Donahue’s guest speaker Ben Bradey spoke about this product line. To warm the hearth and home are the goals of the new technology developed by Quadra-Fire. Wood burning stoves have EPA standards and auto combustion controls to regulate the heat from each unit.
Ceramic fibers add radiant heat using firebrick technology. Stoves come with either ceramic finishes or cast iron and in various sizes with different BTU output. Inserts can also burn wood and slip into masonry fireplaces. Pellet stove inserts are also available as are pellet stoves. These are also steel with enamel or cast iron. Direct venting takes away the need for a chimney. Propane burning stoves are also available and can be very economical to use.
Donahue mentioned that they also run duct work from such heating units to other rooms in a home by installing pipes under the floor. Thermostats can regulate the temperature in each area of the home. Shiretown Stove and Outdoor Living can be googled to see images of their work.
