HOME & LIVING
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020
THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 3B
Heat pump can cut your bills Coping with
as well as greenhouse gases COVID-19 and
the holidays
By Todd Woody
Bloomberg News
Whether you want to
reduce the greenhouse gases
your home produces or lower
the cost of your utilities, a
heat pump might seem like
a good idea. Here are some
important factors to consider
before you make a purchase.
IT’S A HEATER AND AN
AIR CONDITIONER
The most commonly
installed are air-source heat
pumps, which resemble air
conditioner units that sit out-
side your house. During win-
ter, a liquid refrigerant in a
copper coil extracts heat from
the atmosphere as warm air
naturally moves toward the
cold. The heat transforms
the refrigerant into a cold
gas and a compressor then
pressurizes the gas, raising
its temperature and heat-
ing the air inside the house.
The reverse happens in hot
months, when heat inside
the house is absorbed and
transferred outside. That’s
increasingly useful in temper-
ate areas of the U.S., where
people typically don’t have air
conditioners but are being hit
with climate-change-fueled
heat waves.
By Martha Quillin
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Dreamstime/TNS
Whether you want to reduce the greenhouse gases your home produces or lower the
cost of your utilities, a heat pump might seem like a good idea.
thermal heat pumps cost
$10,000 to $25,000 — a lot of
that is the expense of digging
trenches for the necessary
underground pipe system —
but they can reduce energy
costs by 70%. Regardless of
the type, you’ll need to decide
whether you want to use
your home’s existing air ducts
or install a so-called duct-
less system, in which heater
units are placed in individual
rooms. A heat pump will
warm your house as well as a
fossil fuel furnace, though its
effi ciency decreases in colder
climates.
system. That compares with
$2,000 to $6,000 for a gas
furnace, but the U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy estimates
that a heat pump can lower
a homeowner’s energy costs
by hundreds of dollars a
year. Meanwhile, a study
published in October in the
journal Nature Energy found
that houses with heat pumps
get a premium of as much
as $17,000 on average when
they sell. The environment
also benefi ts: A 2018 paper
published in the Electricity
Journal found that air-source
heat pumps could reduce
household greenhouse gas
emissions from heating in
California by as much as
54%.
0% fi nancing and rebates in
Massachusetts, and a $1,000
rebate in New York.
CHOOSE A CONTRACTOR
CAREFULLY
“The biggest barrier right
now to adoption of heat
pumps is contractor readi-
ness,” McKenna says. “I hear
time and time again from
people who have talked to
fi ve contractors and only one
is willing to install a heat
KNOW WHAT TYPE OF
pump. The lack of competition
HEAT PUMP YOU NEED
drives up costs.” Shop around,
In the U.S., air-source heat
and check to see if your utility
pumps are especially well-
or state rebate program lists
suited to the Southeast and
recommended installers.
the West, where winters tend AN ENERGY-SIPPING
Northeast Energy Effi ciency
to be mild. Claire McKenna, MONEY SAVER
Partnerships publishes a
Since heat pumps trans-
a senior associate at the
guide to choosing a contractor
fer heat from one place to
nonprofi t Rocky Mountain
and the questions you should
Institute, says technology im- another rather than generate DO ENERGY AUDIT FIRST ask.
it through the combustion of
The cost savings from a
provements now allow heat
A HEAT PUMP CAN ALSO
pumps to operate effectively fossil fuels, they’re up to four heat pump will go out the
window if your windows and REPLACE A GAS WATER
even in cold climates. But in times more effi cient than a
HEATER
regions where temperatures natural gas furnace, depend- doors are leaky and your
There are air-source heat
ing on the local climate, ac-
walls aren’t well insulated;
routinely drop below zero
degrees Celsius, they’ll need cording to a Rocky Mountain the same goes for your ducts. pump water heaters. Another
Before installing a pump, hire option is a device called a
to be equipped with a heated Institute analysis. Equip-
desuperheater, which can
an energy auditor to detect
coil to provide extra warmth ment and installation costs
typically run from $4,000 to
and plug leaks. The size of the funnel excess energy from a
on frigid days. That would
geothermal system to a water
consume more electricity. One $12,000 for an air-source heat pump depends on a home’s
pump, depending on the size energy demand — you don’t tank. A 50-gallon heat pump
alternative is a geothermal
want to spend more money
water heater costs about
of the pump, the brand, and
heat pump, which extracts
whether you use a ductless
on a bigger unit just to keep a $1,300, vs. $500 for a con-
heat from the Earth. Geo-
ventional water heater. Heat
drafty house warm.
pump water heaters qualify
MAKE SURE YOU’RE
for a $300 federal tax credit,
GETTING YOUR TAX
and the U.S. Environmental
BREAKS AND REBATES
Continued from Page 2B
Protection Agency estimates
Add the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Lower
The federal government
that a typical household will
heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer 15 minutes.
offers a tax credit of up to
save $330 in annual energy
The squash should be soft. Cook a few more minutes, if
$300 for Energy Star-rated
costs. States and utilities also
needed.
air-source heat pumps, but
offer rebates for heat pump
Meanwhile toast the pecans and baguette. When soup
it expires on Dec. 31, 2020.
water heaters — California
is ready, add the nutmeg and salt to taste. Remove soup to
Qualifying geothermal heat
utility Pacifi c Gas & Electric
a blender and process until smooth. Divide between two
pumps are eligible for a 26% Co. gives customers a $300
large soup bowls and swirl cream onto the soup. Sprinkle
tax credit if they’re installed rebate. The state this year
pecans and apples on top and serve with the toasted
before Jan. 1, 2021. The tax
approved a $44.7 million pro-
baguette.
credit declines to 22% for
gram to promote the adoption
Yield 2 servings.
systems that come online be- of heat pump water heaters,
tween Dec. 31, 2020, and Jan. which could reduce residen-
Per serving: 542 calories (47% from fat), 28.2 g fat (4.5 g
1, 2022. Some states also offer tial greenhouse gas emissions
saturated, 14.3 g monounsaturated), 10 mg cholesterol, 11.4
incentives for air-source heat from heating water as much
g protein, 72.6 g carbohydrates, 11.1 g fi ber, 362 mg sodium.
pumps, such as a rebate of
as 70%, according to the 2018
as much as $1,500 in Maine, Electricity Journal study.
SOUP
SHERRY’S
They were willing to work hard and
we know that many of them later
Continued from Page 1B
became entrepreneurs. This was the
The local Harris Furniture Co.
case with our brothers. Thomas was
proudly advertised that they had
working for the railroad in Sherman
furnished the new hotel with “fi ne
County in 1910. James would have
25-year guaranteed springs.”
been only 16 at this time and we
All of this was accomplished at a don’t know where he was or what he
cost of $3,000.
was doing. But by early November
Just who were the Kapellas
1914 James was the proprietor of
brothers and how did they fi t into
Kapellas’ Cigar Store and Shining
the picture?
parlor. And we know that just two
It is not known when these
years later both brothers were living
bachelor brothers arrived in La
in and running the Imperial Hotel
Grande. We do know that they were at 1106 1/2 Adams.
born in Greece. Thomas was born in
After establishing the hotel there
December 1887 and James Kon-
was not much local information
stantine was born in March 1894.
about the brothers — only bits and
We know that Greek immigrants
pieces. For example it was re-
began arriving in Portland in the
ported in February 1917 that “Tom
early 1900s with many of them
subscribes to twelve newspapers.
coming to work on the railroads.
He reads them all. He sends the
Evening Observer away every day
to friends in Greek army.”
In July we learn that James was
drafted. The brothers put the hotel
up for sale. By August 1917 a Mr.
and Mrs. A. H. Daubenberger who
were visiting relatives in La Grande
purchased the hotel. They were not
new to the business as they had just
recently sold the Wilson Hotel in
Centralia.
Then on Oct. 3, 1917, it was
reported that “James and Tom were
leaving tonight for Chicago and New
York ... James will join the aviation
corps.”
But this still didn’t feel like the
end of the story of either the Impe-
rial Hotel or the Kapellas. So I dug a
bit deeper.
The hotel over the years had a
real problem in keeping owners.
Home cooks fi nishing up Thanksgiving shopping
lists and rearranging patio chairs for an outdoor feast
got a word from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
that landed like an off-color joke at the holiday table.
“As (COVID-19) cases continue to increase rapidly
across the United States,” the CDC warned, “the saf-
est way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at
home.”
For those trying to adhere to federal and state guid-
ance on preventing the spread of the novel corona-
virus — and still enjoy a small, safe Thanksgiving
dinner with friends or family — the CDC’s admonish-
ment was heartbreaking. And forecasts for rising case
counts well into December suggest it’s starting to look
like a socially distanced Christmas, as well.
But just as people have found ways to honor other
milestones throughout the pandemic, faith leaders
and mental health professionals say it’s possible to
sacrifi ce some of the intimacy of traditional gatherings
and still have a meaningful holiday season.
After months of mostly staying home, it’s natural
to feel defl ated at the prospect of curtailing Christ-
mas festivities too, said Lisa Ficker, a clinical health
psychologist with Breyta Psychological Services in Ra-
leigh. She co-authored a blog post in December 2019
titled “Coping with the Holiday Blues” about how hard
it is when idealized holiday visions don’t get realized.
That’s likely to hap-
“What I’m seeing is a lot
pen to many people
this year.
of emotional burnout.”
“What I’m seeing
— Lisa Ficker, clinical health
is a lot of emotional
psychologist
burnout,” Ficker said
— people who over
the past eight months have stress-eaten too much
food, binge-watched too much TV and become alienat-
ed from people they once loved over the politics of the
coronavirus response or the outcome of the election.
Normally, the holidays might provide an emotional
salve at such a time, through the renewal of familiar
traditions that include get-togethers with family,
friends and coworkers.
“That’s the challenging thing,” Ficker said. “We
want familiarity. But the familiar way of doing things
doesn’t come without a great deal of risk, and it’s risk
to society as well as one another.
“That’s where we need to remind ourselves that one
of the skills of being human is learning to adapt to
new ways of doing things.”
Some of the Facebook followers of Raleigh’s High-
land United Methodist Church tried something
new for Thanksgiving. The church bought an online
devotional package called “30 Days Thankful” that
launched Nov. 1 and offers a daily Bible verse or a
quote from a hymn and asks participants a question
about what they’re thankful for.
Janet Baucom, minister of communications and
spiritual formation for the church, said the effort is
based on the body of psychological research that has
found that intentionally practicing gratitude is benefi -
cial for mental health and emotional resilience.
For those who are struggling with the sense of isola-
tion imposed by the pandemic, Baucom said, “It may
help to know they are not alone in feeling alone.”
Ficker agrees, and says many people have become
more aware of the value of their friendships and fam-
ily connections because not being able to see others
has made it clear how important they are to our lives.
“COVID has given a chance as a society to real-
ize that love is what is keeping us alive,” Ficker said.
“It’s not just avoiding sickness. We need one another
emotionally.”
Another way to stay upbeat through the holidays is
to help others, which takes the focus off whatever is
troubling a person and also serves as an antidote to
feelings of helplessness and powerlessness in the face
of something as pervasive as a worldwide pandemic,
Ficker said.
By May 1918, the Daubenbergers
were ready to sell and advertised
“furniture, bedding, linen, carpets, all
complete ... priced cheap to sell.” It
was purchased by a Mrs. Elsie Cox.
I am not exactly sure what kind of
an establishment that Elsie ran,
but the Oct. 2, 1919, Observer had
the following notice: “Mrs. Elsie Cox,
who was arrested several days ago
for running a disorderly house at the
Imperial hotel, forfeited her $50 bail
Tuesday evening and left for part
unknown. She disposed of the Impe-
rial hotel a few days ago.”
The new owners were Mr. and
Mrs. John Frawley who planned to
make it a very comfortable hotel and
one of the best of the smaller room-
ing places. By May 1929 the hotel
was for sale again priced at $1,400
on terms, $900 down or $1,200 cash.
Come Check Out
Our New Location
& New Menu!
The Kapellas brothers fared
much better than the Imperial.
They both married and settled in
Gary, Indiana, 30 miles south of
Chicago, where they operated Ka-
pellas Bros. Real Estate, Contrac-
tors, Loans and Insurance. They
turned their $3,000 investment in
La Grande into much larger ones.
One of their deals of $400,000 for a
99-year lease was one of the largest
leasehold transactions ever re-
corded in Gary as of May 16, 1924.
Two years earlier they had
made one of the largest real estate
deals in Gary for selling a large
commercial building with three
fi ve-room fl ats on the second fl oor
for $60,000. This was just the
beginning and they were still both
in their 30s.
Keep looking up! Enjoy!
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