Indy Home Marketing - November 2008 Newsletter

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November 2008 Newsletter

Volume 2, Number 11

			FOR THE KIDS Rogues' Gallery of Pumpkins... The tradition of pumpkin carving hasn't always had such a lighthearted purpose. According to one Halloween legend, a notoriously mean-spirited blacksmith named Jack was doomed to wander the earth forever, finding his way through the darkness with only a hollowed-out turnip lit with embers from the devil's
	furnace. Whether to help guide Jack or to ward him off, people placed their own jack-o'-lanterns in doors and windows. You can use jack-o'-lanterns to safely lead trick-or-treaters straight to the goodies by lining your walkway with illuminated pumpkins. Here's a great web site with carving instructions and hundreds of free face patterns for you and your kids to create really spooky pumpkins of your own!

	GREEN TIP OF THE MONTH Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings... Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25% to 45%. This will save you around 4% to 9% in water heating costs. If you
	don't know your water heater tank's R-value, touch it. A tank that's warm to the touch needs additional insulation. Insulating your storage water heater tank is relatively simple and inexpen- sive, and it will pay for itself in about a year. You can find pre- cut jackets or blankets at most home improvement stores for around $10 to $20. Choose one with an insulating value of at least R-8. For more installation details, click on the diagram above to en- large it... and make sure to carefully read and follow the di- rections included with your insulating kit. It is very important to leave the thermostat access panel(s) uncovered and not to set the thermostat above 130ºF on an electric water heater with an insulating jacket or blanket—because wiring could overheat. Also, do not place insulating material on the top of a gas water heater—because it could interfere with proper venting!


		RECIPE OF THE MONTH Pomodoro Fresco Sourdough Bruschetta Here's a quick and easy recipe for bruschetta that is guaranteed to get rave reviews from every- one who tastes it. It's perfect as

a snack or appetizer, especially when accompanied by a
glass of red wine. Recipe courtesy of: The Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 (12 to 16-inch) sourdough baguette

• 2 garlic cloves, halved plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish

• 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the baguette in half
lengthwise, place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until
lightly brown. Rub with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with two
ounces of the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-
Reggiano. Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, minced garlic,
basil, vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix
thoroughly and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature.
Remove baguette from oven and top with the tomato mix-
ture. Garnish with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

	Consolidation Key to Property Tax Reform... On November 4th, 2008, Indiana voters in 43 townships will vote on whether to complete the con- solidation of property assessing
	duties to the county level; an initiative was started by our legisla- tors in January of this year. In the final hours of the legislative session the bill was modified to allow township assessors whose townships contain more than 15,000 parcels of land to remain in office and have their fates determined by public referendum. Fol- lowing is our take on what has happened so far and why we need to complete the task in November. To put this into some kind of perspective, Indiana (prior) to Jan- uary 2008, had one assessor for every county and one for every township. This amounted to 1,180 assessors in Indiana. Now here is the scary part: That is more than California, Texas, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. COMBINED! In January our legislators eliminated over 1,000 township assessors and made their duties the responsibility of the county assessor. Based on the last min- ute change described above, 43 remain. It is imperative that voters in Indiana complete the task in November by voting for the consolidation of the assessor duties. Return to Top