Home and Garden
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Can condo board discontinue unit owner forum at meetings?Jan 05, 2026 1:30 pm - Our board of directors just issued a statement saying that it will no longer include a homeowner's forum at the beginning of board meetings. Is this legal?
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Should we remove our asbestos ceiling?Jan 05, 2026 1:22 pm - Our home’s textured ceiling contains 5% asbestos. Should we spray paint to cover it or pay a contractor $3,000 to remove it?
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Demolition begins at historic Crystal Lake Academy
Jan 02, 2026 9:24 am - The demolition of the Crystal Lake Academy Building, one of the oldest remaining structures in the city, has begun.
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Wheaton to mark America’s 250th birthday with new tree plantingsJan 02, 2026 8:51 am - A tree-planting program in Wheaton will help the city celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
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Are proxies counted toward a quorum at association meeting?Dec 31, 2025 3:10 pm - Very few owners attend the annual meeting of our association; most contribute via a proxy. Are the proxies counted toward a quorum?
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Homebuilders hoped for a boom in 2025. They didn’t get one.
Dec 31, 2025 3:06 pm - Homebuilders thought 2025 was going to bring a boom. They were wrong. Single-family construction starts are expected to come in 7% lower in 2025 than last year. Homebuilders are offering more and more perks to get buyers off the sidelines, and a closely watched sentiment survey showed builders stayed glum throughout the year.
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19 rules for doing your laundry better
Dec 30, 2025 10:44 pm - These days, you can easily toss a load of wash into the machine before or after work or between errands, then walk away. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put some thought into the process. Consider this a playbook to help you do the job right with minimal effort required.
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Cleaning experts are begging you to stop trying these online ‘hacks’
Dec 30, 2025 10:06 pm - All of the buzzy new cleaning content online brings with it new cleaning problems: Lots of advice that doesn’t account for the complex chemistry of products, including the potential that mixing the wrong things can result in toxic fumes that can, and do, kill people and animals.
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Tips to clear a cluttered homeDec 30, 2025 6:55 pm - Keeping kitchen counters clear of unnecessary items can save the room from succumbing to clutter. The dawn of a new year is often characterized as a chance to wipe the slate clean and start anew.
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Burning wood emits more than fossil fuels. Here’s how to build a better fire.
Dec 30, 2025 6:37 pm - Burning wood emits more carbon and particulates than gas or coal. That doesn’t mean we should extinguish fireside nights. But we can dramatically improve what we burn and where we source it. Here’s how to burn better (and why electricity is still the hottest thing around).