Martha Kolko

Living in Montclair, New Jersey, I am surrounded by leaf blowers. Most people in the area hire landscapers to maintain their perfectly manicured lawns. I try very hard to make changes in my life as not to pollute the earth any more than I have to. I recently purchased a battery lawn mower for my son to use, and I only call on the landscaper when we are going to be out of town or if life just gets too busy that we do not have time to mow. I occasionally trim with an electric trimmer and once, maybe twice a year, I use an electric leaf blower.

I subscribe to Dr. Weil's website on healthy living. I just read his article about leaf blowers and he has some very harsh things to say about them- especially the gas powered blowers. At one point, he goes so far as to say that they are almost "criminal". I thought this was a bit extreme until I read about why he feels this way. The Doctor explains in his article that the fast winds cause damage to plants and soil, thus making them more susceptible to disease and mold. There is much, much more to it and I suggest you read it yourself.

I think that it is an interesting debate and we are going to see some changes in the near future. In fact there already are some movements to have them banned in our area. I can see why landscapers want to use them. They can do clean up in a fraction of the time- saving them money. But at what cost? I recently saw a man spraying round up in his lawn. Are a few dandelions that unappealing that we are spraying poisons where our children and pets play and where it runs into our water supply? My aunt Gail would suggest pulling them up and making a salad. I don't particularly care for dandelion leaves myself, but I asked the landscaper to stop putting chemicals on my lawn a long time ago. We just pull dandilions out with our handy weed tool in the front lawn and try to keep them mowed down in the back. It ain't perfect! But what is?

Well, I may have used my annoying, electric leaf blower for the last time. I'll keep you posted!

Join Montclair's Keller Williams Towne Square office clean up at Glenfield Park in Montclair, NJ on May 13, 2010 2-5 PM. Let us know if you are coming and we will provide clean-up materials! We will meet at 2pm and the Town of Montclair will tell us what to do. We need helpers to work chain saws, wade in the water and simply pick up trash. We will provide cleaning materials - but make sure to contact me to let me know you are coming! This helps keep Montclair's water supply clean.

Join Montclair's Keller Williams Towne Square office clean up at Glenfield Park in Montclair, NJ on May 13, 2010 2-5 PM. Let us know if you are coming and we will provide clean-up materials!

I just received this link to a Xerox website that sends cards to our troops who are away from their families and fighting for our country. I just sent a card and it was very easy. You can send a pre-written message or write your own special message. Check it out. It doesn't cost you anything. Hopefully it will brighten a soldiers day.

http://www.letssaythanks.com/ThankYou.aspx

It must have been after my 20th home inspection when my client called me and said that the home she had fallen in love had high levels of radon. She was quite distressed and wanted to know how to proceed. I understood her concern.

My client was concerned because of the dangers posed by high radon levels. According to the American lung Association, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon, a tasteless, odorless gas, creates a potential health hazard when its levels in a home are too high. For more information about the health risks associated with radon, click on the following link: http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35420.

Despite the risk posed by high home radon levels, my client was able to purchase her dream home after all. To solve the radon problem, we successfully negotiated to have the seller install a ventilation system that regulated the air in the basement, thus lowering the radon levels to a safe level.

This experience led me to question whether the radon levels in my home were safe. Radon levels can change over time. Disturbances such as a neighbor's landscaping or digging a new pool can impact a home's radon levels. Because of my concern, and because I had recently turned my basement into a den/recreation room where my twelve year old son and his friends spends lots of his time, I wanted to re-test the basement's radon levels. I had to know it was safe. Having my home tested was simple - I contacted an experienced, reputable local home inspector and, for around $150, I bought the piece of mind that comes with knowing that my home's radon level is safe.

If you are a potential home buyer, you should know the general ground rules for radon testing. When a potential buyer performs a radon test on a home the seller must abide by the testing rules. These rules include the requirement that the seller leave all of the windows in the home closed for several days until the test is over. If a home you want to buy turns out to have a high radon level, don't panic. It is often possible, through negotiations, to get the seller to pay for remediation, such as a ventilation system.

Radon is an important concern for home buyers and sellers. Another useful source of information is the US EPA's website. To check it out, click this link: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/consguid.html#radoninwater.