Recommendation on energy supplier
As you probably know, Direct Energy has been chosen as the fixed price supplier of electricity for the Village of Huntley. The rate is supposed to be less than Commonwealth Edison.
Some people have told me they had a bad experience going with an alternative rate other than ComEd in the past and actually paid more in the long run than with ComEd.
I live in Sun City. I am not sure what to do but have to decide quickly, by June 12. What have you decided to do?
Dorothy W
Hi Dorothy,
I can understand your concerns about using energy suppliers other than ComEd. However, there is a difference between Huntley’s arrangement, and us as individual homeowners. In the past, homeowners would contract individually with energy suppliers for fixed rates that may have looked attractive compared to ComEd at a point in time. Huntley is part of a consortium that has negotiated a lower price with Direct Energy. The consortium has an advantage over individuals because the consortium represents a large group of energy users. The difference in volume of users drives a lower price.
I voted for the referendum to allow Huntley to join the consortium and get us a better deal. I fully expect that Huntley will get a better price for us than we could elsewhere. I also expect that it will be better than the ComEd price. I intend to go with Huntley on this one and not opt out. Of course, that is my opinion. You can do what you feel is best for you.
Thanks for writing in, and I hope this helps you with your decision.
Regards,
Don Grady
The Frugal Forum
Nice Piece on Kenton
Also enjoyed your Mimi’s review. We discovered that place a couple of weeks ago and totally agree with your group’s ratings.
Another restaurant you might want to check out is Two Tails in Woodstock. Diverse menu, a wide range of choice and prices, and excellent service. The décor’s a little sparse, but who eats the décor?
Another jazz figure – vocalist plus sax player, if I recall – you might want to check out and comment on is Chet Baker. What he does with “My Funny Valentine” puts everyone else to shame.
As for Bub’s, 9 bucks for a sub sandwich? Kinda steep, isn’t it? Used to pay that much for a 3-footer.
Keep up the good work.
Phil Grisolia
There have been several articles on vitamin D in the Sun Day. While the importance of vitamin D is not to be challenged, some of the information published in the Sun Day is misleading, or wrong, or just plain dangerous. If you have wholeheartedly accepted all information in the prior articles, please obtain required corrections by looking at sources on the web or talking to your doctor.
For starters, vitamin D is not absorbed from the sun, so you may shower immediately after your sunlight exposure. It does not “take a while for vitamin D absorbed from the sun to enter the body.” (When I saw that, I wondered about the author’s sources.) The UV rays of the sun convert precursor molecules in the skin to vitamin D by a photochemical reaction. You do not need to expose your skin to the maximum-burning rays of the sun, although, of course, at lower angles of the sun, it takes longer to synthesize your daily requirement. Vitamin D3 supplements are going to be your only practical source in the cold-weather months; and there is no skin cancer risk to balance from this source.
There seems to be no dispute that insufficient levels of vitamin D are associated with various disease states. Levels too high also result in disease states. From WebMD: Some side effects of too much vitamin D include weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, headache, loss of appetite, dry mouth, metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, and others.
Also from WebMD: Using vitamin D blood levels is the best estimate of adequacy that accounts for dietary intake and sunshine, yet experts differ on what that level should be. “A blood level of at least 20 nanograms/ml was used by the IOM committee to set the recommendations for vitamin D because this level showed adequacy for a wide variety of bone health indicators” says Brannon. Ask your doctor or search medical websites. In other words, saying levels over 100+ are best is not justified!
The same UV-B rays involved in the production of vitamin D in your body are the ones which cause tissue damage that may lead to skin cancer. The benefit of one aspect is offset by the increased risk of the other. The converse may be said for the use of sunscreen ointments or the presence of a tan. On the other hand, striving to obtain the high levels of vitamin D in the sun that are suggested by the articles will run unnecessary risks of skin cancer and overdose diseases. (When I say a level 35 is optimum, I am only repeating what a doctor told me. I am not an M.D., but my knowledge as a Ph.D. chemist allows me to make the other statements presented here. My knowledge is reinforced by eight years of research with UB-blocking materials. I have published several articles on these subjects in the scientific literature.)
While I appreciate the newspaper’s bringing this topic to the attention of our residents, I really do encourage them to get reliable information from other sources.
Herm Faubl
N.18
Note from the Sun Day: The views on Vitamin D expressed in the A Healthier You series by Norma Thompson may not reflect the views of the Sun Day or its staff or its contributors and are part of her alternative health classes. The Sun Day urges all residents to consult their physicians before making any changes to their lifestyle or following any health-related advice.
