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Boy Scout Rayden Tarr attended the Monday, Feb. 10, meetings of the Salem Board of Public Works and Safety and Common Council. His attendance at a public meeting was required to achieve his Communications merit badge. He attended with Salem Troop 4029 Acting Scoutmaster Jonathan Smith (left) and he was greeted by Mayor Justin Green (right).

Replacement windows can add value to a home and even save homeowners a substantial amount of money.Windows in a home are easy to take for granted. Unless windows are showing signs of wear and tear or so dirty that it's hard to see through them, it's easy for them to go unnoticed. However, replacement windows can add value to a home and even save homeowners a substantial amount of money.

Much of the savings that can be attributed to new windows is related to energy efficiency. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy estimates that as much as 30 percent of heating and cooling energy can be lost through heat gain or heat loss, and aging, inefficient windows contribute to such losses. Replacing those windows can save homeowners substantial amounts of money, with one expert at Angi estimating that installation of energy efficient windows can help trim energy bills by as much as 12 percent.

Cost savings are often noted when firms promote replacement windows, but homeowners should know that replacement windows also provide numerous additional benefits. In fact, the following are three great reasons for homeowners to consider upgrading their windows today.

1. New windows help reduce carbon footprint. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that replacing single-pane windows with ENERGY STAR® certified windows can help to reduce CO2 emissions by a significant margin. The EPA reports that such windows can save the equivalent of as much as 6,200 pounds of CO2 emissions thanks to reduced energy consumption associated with the new windows.
2. New windows can brighten a home. Natural light brightens a room and can make it appear larger. Homeowners who have grown accustomed to old windows may not realize how little light such windows let into their homes. Aging windows can become foggy over time and prevent natural light from getting into a home. That can create a gloomy feel and force homeowners to turn up the thermostat on cold days. New windows brighten the home and the natural light that pours in on a cold day can help heat the home at the same time.
3. New windows cut down on noise. Window manufacturers are always on the lookout for ways to produce windows that make homes more comfortable. Noise reduction is one way to accomplish that goal, and Consumer Reports notes that triple-glazed windows can help to dramatically reduce outside noise. Homeowners who currently have single-pane windows may be astonished by the difference in outside noise levels when upgrading to triple-glazed windows, which contain a third layer of glass. That third layer of glass significantly reduces noise levels, making triple-glaze windows ideal for homes on busy streets or those in urban areas with lots of foot traffic.
Replacement windows pay numerous dividends. Homeowners can reap these rewards and others by replacing aging windows.

The following are some of the best-selling non-religious texts to ever find their way onto a shelf.

Popular books have a way of finding their way into homes across the globe. Indeed, certain books transcend geographical boundaries and entice readers from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. But which books have earned their place among the best-selling tomes of all time? Though it's hard to compile an indisputable list of history's best-selling books, as sales of religious texts such as The Bible and the Quran, which are routinely distributed for free, are hard to quantify, the following are some of the best-selling non-religious texts to ever find their way onto a shelf.

· "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes: This tragicomedy initially published in 1605 (part two was published a decade later) is estimated to have sold half a billion copies.

· "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens: This novel with the famed opening line of "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." has sold an estimated 200 million copies since it was first published in 1859.

· "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: This tale, published in 1943, was written for children but has proven equally popular with adult audiences, which no doubt accounts for its sales estimated at around 140 million copies.

· "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling: This is just one of a handful of books in Rowling's Harry Potter series that are among the best-selling titles of all time. Estimates indicate this first book in the series is the best-selling Harry Potter title to date, with roughly 120 million copies sold since its initial publication in 1997.

· "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie: English mystery master Agatha Christie was a prolific writer, with more than 66 detective novels to her credit. None sold more than this classic murder mystery, which has sales of around 100 million copies since it was first published in 1939.

· "Dream of the Red Chamber" by Cao Xueqin: Western audiences may not recognize this title as readily as the other books that qualify for the list of the best-selling works of all time, but this classic Chinese novel written in 1791 has sold roughly 100 million copies over the centuries.

· "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien: "The Hobbit" preceded Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy," sales of which are believed to have exceeded 150 million copies (the trilogy was serialized, but many copies have since been sold in a single-volume work, making it difficult to determine where each book ranks on a list of best-selling titles of all time). Popular in its own right, "The Hobbit" has sold an estimated 100 million copies since Tolkien first introduced the world to "Bilbo Baggins" in 1937.

· "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis: Many a child across the globe has had this 1950 work from C.S. Lewis on their bookshelf. Kids simply love the world of Narnia, which has helped to sell 85 million copies of this beloved tale.

These are just some of the best-selling books of all time, and each are worthy of a read of re-read for book lovers who enjoy a good page turner.

A revocable living trust is one of the principal estate planning methods. While everyone should have a will, there are many benefits of a revocable living trust. For individuals who have moderate or larger estates, the revocable living trust can receive and own your property. For that reason, a revocable living trust is a good centralized method for managing your property.

If you as a senior person are unable or unwilling to manage your assets, the individual you've selected as successor trustee will take over and manage property for you. Not only does this protect you, the property will eventually pass to your heirs and bypass probate. The probate savings could be many tens of thousands of dollars.

A primary benefit of the living trust is that it avoids a conservatorship. If you have only a will, own substantial assets and become unable to manage your property, it may be necessary to conduct an expensive and lengthy court process to appoint a conservator of your assets.

For example, comedian Groucho Marx had a will, but in his mid-eighties, he no longer was competent to manage his property. There was a major court battle between his family members and a long-time companion over who should be appointed conservator of both him and his property. The court battles consumed large sums of money and led to a very awkward and humiliating spectacle that was bewildering to Groucho Marx.

If Groucho Marx had created a living trust and transferred his property to that trust, then his selected successor trustee could have managed his property during his senior years.

Funded or Unfunded Living Trust?

It is possible to create a living trust that is unfunded during life. Together with the living trust, you would then sign a pour-over will. The assets that you possess at death would go through the probate process. However, the pour-over will transfers those properties to the living trust. This property is then used according to your trust provisions to benefit your selected heirs.

The disadvantage of the unfunded trust is that you do not avoid probate. Your estate will pay the full probate costs. In addition, you give up the potential protection of a successor trustee during life. It is only if your assets are transferred to the trust that a successor trustee can then manage them for your benefit. The unfunded living trust, therefore, could lead to a conservatorship, as was the case with Groucho Marx.

Funded Living Trust

There are several different types of assets that are transferred to a living trust. You will need to work with your attorney and other advisors to make certain that your property is correctly placed into the trust.

Title to your property is determined by state law. You will need to comply with the appropriate agreements or documents to make sure that title is held by the trustee. In most cases, you will serve as the initial trustee of the revocable living trust. Therefore, real property and other assets will be transferred from you as an individual to you as trustee of the trust.

Real estate is often the principal asset transferred to the trust. This is normally accomplished through a warranty deed or grant deed, depending upon your state. The property is transferred directly from you as an individual to you as trustee. Deeds are notarized and then recorded at the county registrar of deeds.

There are considerations that you should discuss with your attorney before transferring your home or other real property into your trust through a deed. There may be a reassessment or increase in the property tax, or there may be transfer taxes when deeds are recorded. In most states, the popular living trust has been protected from an increase in property taxes. However, you should check with your attorney.

Guidelines for Living Trust Property Transfers

1. Your Home: Even though your home is transferred to a living trust, you still qualify to deduct the mortgage interest paid on the home. If you later sell the home and have made it your principal residence for two of the past five years, you will be able to exclude capital gain of $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 for a married couple. In addition, most states permit you to live in the home and qualify for a homestead exemption reduction in your property tax, even though the home is now titled under the living trust.

2. Securities: Public stocks and bonds can be transferred directly to the trust. You may hold title to the bonds in trust or you may create a trust securities account that holds stocks and bonds.

3. Safe Deposit Box: If you have a safe deposit box, that can be taken out in the name of the trust. However, some institutions that maintain safe deposit boxes require a certified copy of the trust to be kept on file. Another option may be to give your successor trustee signing authority on your safe deposit box.

4. Real Estate: If you own real estate in your home state or other states, it should be transferred to the trust. If you pass away with real estate owned in your individual name in another state, it will require a rather expensive probate proceeding in that state to transfer the real estate. However, if it is transferred to your revocable trust, then you avoid that foreign state probate proceeding and cost.

When your home or other real estate is transferred to the trust, there may be a requirement to send a copy of the trust to your lender. Most title companies and lenders will accept a short "affidavit of trust" that can be prepared by your attorney. This indicates that the trust is a qualified living trust and the trustees have the power to transfer real estate.

5. Tangible Personal Property: A common question is whether tangible personal property should be included in the trust. It is possible to transfer your cars, boats, recreational vehicles or art and other collections to the trust. However, many individuals choose to retain personal ownership of tangible personal property. This is frequently the case because you may periodically buy or sell vehicles or other tangible personal items. By not transferring tangible personal property to the trust, it simplifies lifetime transfer of those items. However, if there is extremely valuable tangible personal property that would be subject to substantial probate cost through your will, then it may be appropriate to transfer that property to the trust.

What if you would like to sell trust property? It is entirely possible to transfer property from the trust to a new person. The trustee may simply deed the property directly to an individual.

In some circumstances, your attorney may think that it is better for title insurance purposes for you to sign two deeds. One deed is from you as trustee to you as an individual. The second deed would be from you as an individual to the new buyer. There may be a modest transfer tax cost for both deeds, but this is an acceptable strategy for simplifying the transfer of real property.