Thursday, November 19, 2015
Things to do in Phoenix this weekend
Events
Brahms Symphony No. 2
Fri. 11/20 & Sat. 11/21, times vary
Phoenix Symphony Hall
The lilting Symphony No. 2 is generally regarded as the most genial and relaxed of Brahms' four works in the genre, but its finale is jubilant and electrifying. $18-$79
Goodguys 18th Southwest Nationals
Fri. 11/20 - Sun. 11/22, 8am
WestWorld of Scottsdale
View over 3,000 rods, customs, classic, muscle cars, and trucks through '72.
Creative Designer's Holiday Classic Boutique
Fri. 11/20 & Sat. 11/21, times vary
Trilogy at Power Ranch, Gilbert
The event features uniquely designed and handcrafted items perfect for your holiday gift giving.
Author Walk with Third Friday Art Walk
Fri. 11/20, 6pm-10pm
AJ Chandler Park
View local artisans displaying and selling their wares, and meander to the north area of the park where local authors will be selling their books.
By Golly, Be Jolly Holiday Boutique
Fri. 11/20, 5pm
Mesa Community College
The evening's events will include live entertainment, a car show, food trucks, auctions, magicians, shopping and more.
The Wizard of OZ
Fri. 11/20 - Sun. 11/22, times vary
Phoenix Theatre
Enjoy this adaption by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company, based upon the Classical Motion Picture The Wizard of OZ. $35-$50
MCC's 50th Anniversary Finale
Fri. 11/20, 5pm
MCC Rose Garden, Mesa
Celebrate MCC's multicultural history and heritage with festival style booths, food trucks, arts and crafts, live music, dance, and storytelling.
Legends of Country Music Show
Sat. 11/21, 3pm
Farnsworth Hall, Mesa
Legends of Country Music is the largest country tribute show touring today, featuring the music of more than 20 legendary entertainers. $30
Woofstock
Sat. 11/21, 9am-1:30pm
Tumbleweed Park, Chandler
The 8th Annual Woofstock includes Pets on Parade, a mini dog park, free booth activities, pet adoptions and more.
Desert Discovery Day
Sat. 11/21, 10am-2pm
Jewel of the Creek Preserve, Cave Creek
The day includes stations along the Harry Dalton Trail with live animals, crafts, goody bags, and free food and drink.
Sunland Village Arts and Crafts Events
Sat. 11/21, 9am-3pm
Sunland Village, Mesa
Browse over 100 crafters selling unique, one of a kind, all handmade items.
Fall Girls on the Run 5k
Sun. 11/22, 7am
Wesley Bolin Plaza, Phoenix
Girls on the Run features medals, scenic and flat 1-mile and 5k courses, music, snacks, a free photo booth and more. $60
Bistro's 5th Annual Wine Festival
Sun. 11/22, 12pm
My Wine Cellar, Phoenix
Five distributors each pour four wines perfect for Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners. $25
Thursday, November 5, 2015
The Home Peril That's Hiding in Plain Sigh
The Home Peril That’s Hiding in Plain Sight
Electrical outlets and wall plates don’t exactly command a lot of attention. In fact—and we’re going out on a limb here—we’re guessing you may not even remember the last time you took a second look at your wall plates. The last time you likely thought about them was when you were plugging something in—and it was fleeting.
But as boring as those wall plates may be, you do need to check them regularly to see if they need replacing—or you could be setting yourself up for some very bad news down the road.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical outlets cause roughly 2,590 home fires every year in the U.S. And fires started by malfunctioning outlets result in $94 million in property damage each year.
OK, we have your attention now? Let’s take a quick look at some of the most jolting ways your electrical outlets can cause damage.
Cracks can kill, really
Cracked wall plates on electrical outlets can turn into dust traps and, ultimately, fire hazards. Same with undersized wall plates (with gaps of more than 4.5 millimeters). Lint, dust, and hair can act as kindling when they accumulate around the outlet behind the plate, increasing the chances of a short circuit.
And that fire could smolder or spread in your walls, making it hard to put out.
“Just like lint built up on a candle sparks a little bonfire when lit, the same can apply for an outlet,” says Charley Curran, who designed Living Plug, a system intended to improve the safety and energy efficiency of the electrical outlet.
Paint in all the wrong places
Sometimes when a room is painted, edges, outlets, and other nonwall surfaces are taped off and remain paint-free. That’s good! But sometimes everything, including hinges, doorknobs, wall plates, carpets, household pets, and so on, gets painted. That’s not so good. If your electrical outlets and wall plates were covered by paint, you may want to replace them.
“Outlet face plates and outlets that have been painted are dangerous, because the stuff can get into the slots and put the blades and pins that go into them in direct contact with the electrical charge,” says Curran. “Paint is simply not designed to withstand that amount of heat and can cause a fire in the right—or wrong—conditions.”
Charred outlet? Yeah, that’s a bad sign
Thomas D. Horne, an electrician for 60 years and a volunteer firefighter in Takoma Park, MD, says if your outlet cover looks burned, brown, or gross, it’s time to check the wiring system for short circuits or other conditions that could cause overheating and, potentially, a fire.
Shorts can occur when even a microscopic piece of a hot wire hits any metal part of the outlet and transfers a current. It’s not something to play around with and could require the outlet to be replaced by a professional, says Horne.
“The nominal cost to replace the outlet outweighs the cost to replace a house,” he says. This can be classified as an understatement.
It’s getting hot in here
Speaking of overheating, outlets and their plates should always be cool to the touch, says Horne. It’s a good idea to check them every now and them for scorching or soot around the connection slots, and to make sure they don’t feel hot or warm.
Even the screws that hold the plate to the wall should not feel hot at all, Horne says. “If they are, that’s a sure sign of overheating.”
And what does “hot” mean to Horne? “Palpably warmer than the interior air temperature,” he says. Test for heat by placing the back of your hand gently against the surface of the plate. Got a live one? You’ll need to take steps right away.
“That much heat indicates a fault in progress that is very likely to progress to a fire,” Horne says.
What to do if you find a problem
The first thing to do is gently unplug all devices from the outlet and turn it off, if controlled by a wall switch. Then feel the wall around the outlet to check its temperature. If the wall is cool, recheck the outlet in a minute or two after you turned if off to see if the temperature goes down. If so, the outlet shouldn’t be used until it’s replaced (preferably by a professional electrician).
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But if the wall itself also feels warm, call 911 immediately and get out—a fire may have started. If the outlet alone remains warm or hot to the touch several minutes after being shut off, you should still call the fire department (on a nonemergency line).
“Most fire departments are equipped with thermal imaging cameras that can view the wall’s temperature and check for the heat of a hidden fire,” says Horne.
And never feel like you’re overreacting.
“You can’t be too careful when it comes to preventing a fire in your home,” says Horne.
The Best States For Future Job Growth!
Arizona was absolutely hammered during the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Median home prices in the state plummeted 53% over five years from $250,000 in 2006 to $117,000. The foreclosure rate was the second highest in the U.S. for three straight years as construction ground to a halt. Unemployment peaked at 11.2% at the end of 2009 and net migration into the state fell sharply.
But Arizona has emerged from the wreckage to be one of the brighter spots in a slumbering U.S. economy thanks in part to renewed migration. Arizona’s projected job growth is 3.1% annually though 2019, best in the U.S., according to forecasts from Moody’s Analytics.
“Baby boomers retiring to Arizona is the main driver for Arizona’s employment growth,” says Kyle Hillman, an economist at Moody’s focused on Arizona. This migration fuels jobs in healthcare and consumer services. Net migration into the state is projected to total 679,000 over the next five years. Only Nevada is expected to enjoy a faster migration rate.
Companies and workers are also finding their way to Arizona as a more affordable option to West Coast locales like the Bay Area and Seattle. The state offers a diversified economy with a skilled workforce.
Financial service firms have a heavy presence in Arizona with Wells Fargo WFC +0.00%, JPMorgan Chase JPM +0.00% and Bank of America BAC +0.00% among the 10 largest private employers in the state. In February, Northern Trust NTRS +0.00% announced plans to expand in Arizona by opening a new operating center in Tempe that will house 1,000 employees by 2018. “This step will provide us with access to significant talent pools and a strategic location that will help us efficiently serve our clients,” said CEO Frederick Waddell in a statement announcing the news.
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