WARM Advantage Program

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WARMAdvantage

Program Overview The WARMAdvantage Program provides rebates for high efficiency natural gas home heating systems and/or water heaters. When selecting a contractor, be sure to ask if they are NATE certified. North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is the leading national certification program for technicians.  For a list of NATE certified contractors who participate in the WARMAdvantage Program, contact the Eastern Heating & Cooling Council at 800-247-6547, or visit www.eh-cc.org. Install a gas heating system and/or domestic water heater that meets all applicable efficiency requirements based on the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Consumers Directory of Certified Efficiency Ratings. Qualifying heating systems installed in new homes must be located in “Smart Growth” areas of NJ in order to receive an incentive. To determine if a location is in a designated Smart Growth area, use the Smart Growth Locator located on the HMFA web site and check the State Plan Quad PDF files.

New rebate levels went into effect April 1, 2009.

Equipment Type Minimum Efficiency Level for units purchased on or after April 1, 2009 Incentive Gas Furnace AFUE* 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR $300 Gas Furnace with ECM* AFUE 92% or greater, ENERGY STAR $400 Gas Boiler AFUE 85% or greater, ENERGY STAR $300 Domestic Hot Water Heater EF* .62 or greater $25 Domestic Hot Water Heater EF .82 or greater $300

*AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency), ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor), EF (Energy Factor) ENERGY STAR qualified product lists may be found at http://www.energystar.gov. Opportunity for an Additional Incentive If you qualify for the WARMAdvantage rebate, and you had the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment done on your home, you may be eligible for an extra $900 rebate from your gas company.  Elizabethtown Gas, New Jersey Natural Gas, and South Jersey Gas offer extra incentives on WARMAdvantage qualified furnace and boiler installations.  Check their websites for applications and additional information. Features and Benefits High-efficiency natural gas furnaces and boilers carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR label to help consumers distinguish between standard and high-efficiency equipment. To learn more about the benefits of high-efficiency equipment, visit the ENERGY STAR Web site. Qualifying high-efficiency water heaters have an Energy Factor of .62 or greater. Eligibility Requirements This Program targets residential homes that install a new natural gas furnace, boiler and/or water heater. To qualify for a rebate under this Program, you must: Purchase and install a new natural gas furnace with an AFUE of 92% or greater, a boiler with an AFUE of 85% or greater and/or a natural gas water heater with an Energy Factor of .62 or greater. Install and operate the furnace, boiler or water heater in a residence that is supplied by natural gas directly from one of the New Jersey gas utilities and has a residential gas account number. Note: Customers participating in the New Jersey ENERGY STAR Homes new construction program are not eligible for rebates through the WARMAdvantage Program. Installations in newly constructed homes are only eligible for rebates in Smart Growth areas, defined as Planning Areas 1 and 2, as well as Designated Centers, on the State Plan Map. Please call 866-NJSMART to request a rebate application.  As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has submitted a proposal to the federal government to offer New Jersey residents additional incentives on high efficiency heating and cooling equipment.  The incentives are tentatively scheduled to be offered in January 2010.  Please check back often for details. Federal Tax Credits are now available for energy efficient home improvements.  The program also offers rebates on the purchase of energy-efficient central air conditioning and heat pumps.   Also, learn about getting a home energy assessment from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program in NJ

Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling Program

You'd be amazed at what your old refrigerator can save!

The Refrigerator/Freezer Recycling program is a new initiative from New Jersey's Clean Energy Program.  This program promotes responsible recycling of refrigerators and freezers in New Jersey and offers a $30 cash incentive.
Recycling your old refrigerator/freezer is easy, and you can earn money too.  It's simple. Here's how...

• To arrange for a free pick up of your old refrigerator/freezer call 877-270-3520 or schedule online at JACO Environmental.

• Get $30 cash back for recycling responsibly once your transaction is processed. 

• Save up to $150 a year on energy costs by recycling an old fridge.

To Participate in this Initiative:

• You must be a New Jersey resident and a customer of Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, PSE&G, or Rockland Electric Company.
• You must own the refrigerator or freezer being recycled.
• Your refrigerator or freezer must be between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size.
• Refrigerator and freezer must be in working condition.
• Limit two units per residential address.
• Restrictions may apply.
• Incentives are processed within 90-120 days.
• Customers of municipal electric utilities do not qualify.

Energy and Environmental Facts:

• On average a newer refrigerator or freezer consumes 1,000 fewer kilowatt-hours annually than a refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1990.
• Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers will result in energy savings equal to the amount of power used in approximately 1,400 homes annually.
• Recycling 20,000 older refrigerators or freezers would result in the avoidance of CO₂ emissions equal to removing 40,000 cars from the road for one year.  
• Learn more about refrigerator/freezer recycling facts.

Background Information:

• Recycling Program Process
• Why Recycle?
• Glossary of Terms
• Recycled Materials
• Program FAQs

Downpayment and closing costs assistance for housing in Middlesex Cty, NJ

The Middlesex County Department of Housing and Community Development will award downpayment
and closing cost assistance funds to income eligible first time homebuyers under the US Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) program.

Basic Program Requirements
1. Applicant must be a first time homebuyer who has completed a one day homebuyer training course
within the past year offered by one of the following:
• Puerto Rican Action Board - Housing Coalition Unit - Phone (732) 249-9700
• Faith Fellowship Community Development Corp. - Phone (732) 727-9500
• Any other HUD certified housing counseling agency
2. Applicants do not apply until they are under contract for a single family property. Eligible properties are
detached homes, townhouses, ·condominiums.,. an.c.:l.gp-ops. The purchase price of the property cannot
exc"€ed four times the certified income level of the household, with an overall maximum of $362;790.
3. Applicants must have a mortgage pre-appmval.
4. Applicant must purchase housing in the following Middlesex County municipalities:
_ Carteret ;.•,' Highland Park'~"=:: North Brunswick South Brunswick
Cranbury Jamesburg Old Bridge South Plainfield
Dunellen Metuchen Piscataway South River
East Brunswick Middlesex Plainsboro Spotswood
Edison Milltown Sayreville Woodbridge
Helmetta Monroe.. _. South Amboy
(Please note that New Brunswick and Perth Amboy are not eligible municipalities)
5. Household income does not exceed the following limits:
One-person - $54,200 /Five-person $83,500
Two-person - $61,900 / Six-person - $89,700
Three-person - $69,600 /Seven-person - $95,900
Four-person - $77,400 / Eight-person - $102,100
6. The property being purchased must pass County's Housing Quality Standards inspection and be certified free of lead based paint hazards.
7. Assistance will be in the form of a deferred repayment mortgage, which doesn't require payment of
principal or interest by the homebuyers provided they own and live in the property for six years.
Homebuyers who sell the property before this time will be required to pay back the full amount of the
ADDI assistance, plus 4% simple interest. Assistance will range from $8,500 - $13,500.
For additional information on the program, please contact Melissa Bellamy
Middlesex County Department of Housing and Community Development
(732) 745-2922 or melissa.bellamy@co.middlesex.nj.us.

1ir EOUAL HOUSING
OPPORTUNITY
Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
David B.. Crabiel, Freeholder Director
Stephen J. Dalina, Deputy Director
Camille Fernicola
H. James Polos
Christopher D. Rafano
Ronald G. Rios
Blanquita B. Valenti

National Engineers Week

Every day, engineers around the world volunteer an untold number of hours by giving back and reaching out to possible future engineers. National Engineers Week organizers want the world to know and see the collective strength of these efforts and are challenging all engineers to not only contribute to outreach activities, but log their volunteer hours on a newly designed Web site. The goal? To reach one million hours of outreach in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
What counts as outreach?
Visiting a classroom;
Participating in an extracurricular or community activity;
Hosting a Design Squad event;
Introducing a Girl to Engineering;
Helping out with National Family Day;
Coaching a Future City Competition Team
Attending or presenting at a Career Fair; or
Volunteering with organizations such as MATHCOUNTS, JETS,
Supporting robotics competitions, or any design or engineering-related competition; or
Many, many other activities
Let's show the world the engineering community's collective strength in protecting the health. safety, and welfare of the public AND encourage future generations by showing how exciting, and sometimes amazing, engineering can be!
Sign-up to log your hours!
Already have an account? Log in (Forgot your password?)

For more info:
http://www.eweek.org/

2009 SPORTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE

2009 SPORTS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE – APPLICATION DEADLINE: Dec. 5, 2008:
The 2009 Sports Journalism Institute is a nine-week training and internship program for college students interested in sports journalism careers. The Institute is designed to attract talented students to print journalism through opportunities in sports reporting and editing and enhance racial and gender diversity in sports departments of newspapers nationwide. The program will run from May 29 - Aug. 3, 2009.
The Sports Journalism Institute, which works with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), is funded by the Tribune Foundation, Hearst Newspapers/Houston Chronicle, Associated Press Sports Editors and the New York Daily News.
For more information, and to access an application, please visit: www.sportsjournalis minstitute. org

U.S.A. Learns, a free Web site to help immigrants learn English

The U.S. Department of Education launched U.S.A. Learns, a free Web site to help immigrants learn English


The Web site, which is located at http://www.usalearns.org/. provides approximately 11 million adults who have low levels of English proficiency with easily accessible and free English language training.

"America's limited-English adults will now have readily available materials to improve their literacy and help them become more productive workers, better parents, engaged community members and active citizens," said Troy Justesen, assistant secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Launch of the site completes one of the goals in President Bush’s Aug. 10, 2007, announcement of 26 immigration reforms that his Administration would pursue within existing law -- including the assimilation of new citizens and helping immigrants learn English to expand their opportunities in America. Recognizing that "[k]nowledge of English is the most important component of assimilation" and "an investment in tools to help new Americans learn English will be repaid many times over," the Administration pledged to launch a free, Web-based portal to help immigrants learn English.

U.S.A. Learns offers the following features:

An easily accessible Internet learning tool;
Simple directions;
Free instructional materials developed to teach basic English skills and help adults improve their English proficiency; and
Learning modules that can be used outside a traditional classroom

Upon entering the site, users can choose directions in either English or Spanish and then pick which English level they need -- beginner or intermediate. Once in the modules, the instruction is almost exclusively in English. In the beginner course, 20 units are offered in such areas as numbers, the calendar, places to go, families, schools, clothes, money and shopping. For intermediate students, more challenging exercises can help them further their existing English reading and writing skills.

The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy documented that as many as 11 million adults in the U.S. are not literate in English. Currently, local and state providers have the ability to serve only approximately one million of those learners annually, prompting the need for a Web site of this kind to offer to adults seeking easily accessible English literacy training.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, through its Division of Adult Education and Literacy, oversaw the design of U.S.A. Learns. Core funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The University of Michigan and Sacramento County Office of Education assisted the U.S. Education Department in the development of the U.S.A. Learns Web site. The site uses materials previously developed with public funds.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Education plans to invite proposals from outside entities to take over the adult literacy portal in the future.

For more information, please visit www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/factsh/usa-learns-fs_0811.pdf.

Historically Black College Tour- Tri-State area

http://www.hbcu-cfnj.com/Main.asp