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Winter 2012-2013

A LOOK INSIDE:

Reliable Insurance Photos - 2-3Ready for Winter? - 4-5

Preventing Home Liability - 6Prepping your car for Winter - 7

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Holiday Safety Tips

• Stay warm: Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers of loose-fitting, tightly woven clothing.

• Manage stress: The holidays don’t need to take a toll on your health. Keep a check on over-commitment and over-spending. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get enough sleep.

• Tree Safety: When selecting your tree, make sure to shake the tree vigorously, tap it on the ground, and watch for excessive loss of needles. If the tree loses a lot of needles, it’s already drying out, and a dry tree significantly increases the risk of the tree catching fire in your home.

ReliableInsuranceAgency

We’re True To Our Name

You’re Covered If You Have Reliable Insurance Along for the Ride!

Hermantown | 218-729-6791Cloquet | 218-879-4663

www.reliablemn.com

Scott Wojtysiak of Reliable Insurance Agency is with you no matter where you travel when you choose their coverage.

Happy Holidays from All of Us at Reliable Insurance Agency

Scott is the agent who is always there helping you out no matter where you are. Watch for a new commercial featuring Scott helping out the family again very soon!

It was recently brought to our attention that the mortality tables in the life insurance industry have been changed dramatically. As a society we are living longer and the carriers have been able to “stretch” the cost of insurance out over a larger number of years. This means the cost of life insurance has been reduced. We have seen 20% - 60% savings to some of our clients’ current life insurance policies.

To take advantage of this opportunity contact Reliable Agency’s Life Insurance Department today!!!

Save Money on Your Existing Life Insurance!

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Page 2

Commercial Lines Department

Personal Insurance Department

Front Row: Nicole Milberger, Karen McMillen, Carrie Torgeson

Back Row: Sarah Rautell, Jolene Lust, Bobby Sawyer, Becky Anderson, Evon Asleson, Val Wojtysiak

Front Row: Cindy Kopic, Megan Zander, Becky Haley

Back Row: Doug Ecklund, Steve Micke, Scott Wojtysiak, Greg Beyer

Happy Holidays from the Reliable Insurance Agency Family! Best wishes for a wonderful 2013!

Winter 2012-2013

Page 3

Front Row: Scott Wojtysiak, Starr Marshall, Steve Micke

Back Row: Travis Hansen, Doug Ecklund, Greg Beyer

Sam Torgeson, Kyle Wojtysiak, Scott Wojtysiak, Angela Dougherty

Life & Health Department

Hermantown Office

Happy Holidays from the Reliable Insurance Agency Family! Best wishes for a wonderful 2013!

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Page 4

Whether winter brings severe storms, light dustings or just cold temperatures, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some valuable tips on how to keep your children safe and warm.

What to Wear

Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Don’t forget warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.

The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.

Blankets, quilts, pillows, bumpers, sheepskins and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant’s sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers or wearable blankets is preferred.

If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby’s chest, so the infant’s face is less likely to become covered by bedding materials.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia develops when a child’s temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet. It can occur more quickly in children than in adults.

As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. Speech may become slurred and body temperature will decline in more severe cases.

If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.

Frostbite

Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that his/her skin burns or has become numb.

If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. 104° Fahrenheit (about the temperature of most hot tubs) is recommended. Warm wash-cloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears and lips.

Do not rub the frozen areas.

Ready for Winter?

Winter 2012-2013

Page 5

After a few minutes, dry and cover the child with clothing or blankets. Give him/her something warm to drink.

If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.

Winter Health

If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child’s room at night. Saline nose drops or petro-latum may help keep nasal tissues moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent, consult your pediatrician.

Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for an infant’s first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter.

Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into the bend of her elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.

Children 6 months of age and up should get the influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of catching the flu.

Winter Sports and Activities

Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play to prevent hypothermia and frostbite. Have children come inside periodically to warm up.

Using alcohol or drugs before any winter activity, like snowmobiling or skiing, is dangerous and should not be permitted in any situation.

Ice Skating

Allow children to skate only on approved surfaces. Check for signs posted by local police or recreation departments, or call your local police department to find out which areas have been approved.

Advise your child to:

Skate in the same direction as the crowd Avoid darting across the ice Never skate alone Not chew gum or eat candy while skating. Consider having your child wear a helmet while ice skating.

Sledding

Keep sledders away from motor vehicles.

Children should be supervised while sledding.

Keep young children separated from older children.

Sledding feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries.

Consider having your child wear a helmet while sledding.

Use steerable sleds, not snow disks or inner tubes. Sleds should be structurally sound and free of sharp edges and splinters, and the steering mechanism should be well lubricated.

Sled slopes should be free of obstructions like trees or fences, be covered in snow not ice, not be too steep (slope of less than 30º), and end with a flat runoff.

Avoid sledding in crowded areas.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Children should be taught to ski or snowboard by a qualified instructor in a program designed for children.

Never ski or snowboard alone.

Young children should always be supervised by an adult. Older children’s need for adult supervision depends on their maturity and skill. If older children are not with an adult, they should always at least be accompanied by a friend.

All skiers and snowboarders should wear helmets. Ski facilities should require helmet use, but if they do not, parents should enforce the requirement for their children.

Equipment should fit the child. Skiers should wear safety bindings that are adjusted at least every year. Snowboarders should wear gloves with built-in wrist guards. Eye protection or goggles should also be used.

Slopes should fit the ability and experience of the skier or snowboarder. Avoid crowded slopes.

Avoid skiing in areas with trees and other obstacles.

Snowmobiling

The AAP recommends that children under age 16 not operate snow-mobiles and that children under age 6 never ride on snowmobiles.

Do not use a snowmobile to pull a sled or skiers.

Wear goggles and a safety helmet approved for use on motorized vehicles like motorcycles.

Travel at safe speeds.

Never snowmobile alone or at night.

Stay on marked trails, away from roads, water, railroads and pedestrians.

American Academy of Pediatrics, 1/12, SafeKids, 11/105

Reliable News

Page 6

Although you might not be aware, it’s the responsibility of the property owner, or the renter, if they’re occupying the property to prevent injuries to persons on their property.

Medical and legal bills that result from an accident on your property can be quite costly, which is why it’s important to have the right amount of liability coverage within your home insurance policy so you will be protected if an accident occurs.

Below is a checklist you should keep handy to prevent injuries when preparing your home for your next event, from a child’s birthday party to the parents’ anniversary:

Checklist:

• Clear toys, loose objects, shoes, or anything that might block a clear path for walking in hallways or stairways inside your home and on the driveway and sidewalks outside of your home. Keep all paths clear of snow, liquids, and ice.

• Use nonskid rugs outside of bathtubs, showers, entrances, and exits. Avoid placing rugs in areas where they may slip and slide.

• If you’re throwing a pool party, hire an off-duty lifeguard or assign a trusted parent who’s a good swimmer to monitor the children while in the pool. Consider giving away inflat-able arm floaties as party favors for the kids. Water noodles are also a fun and inexpensive way to keep children afloat. When you are not using your pool, install a gate that latches and locks, a pool cover that can be latched or secured, and an alarm that alerts the owners when there is movement near or in the pool.

• Childproof your home by attaching covers to sharp edges of furniture and countertops. Cover electrical outlets. Install safety gates at the bottom of stairways. Keep candles, hot plates, detergents, and pill bottles out of children’s reach. And move furniture away from windows to prevent children from climbing.

• Train and socialize your dog, especially around children, strangers and animals. Dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims in 2011. Laws concerning dog bites differ from state to state, but in most states some form of liability exists. Once your dog bites someone, your insurer is likely to raise your premium and, or exclude your dog from your policy.

• Keep all halls, stairs, entry, and exit points well lit.

• Put away the trampoline – or avoid buying one altogether. There are more than 100,000 serious hospital emergency room cases for trampoline injuries each year. Besides, home-owner insurance companies see trampolines as a huge risk and will raise your premiums if they’re aware you own one.

Even when you’re careful, accidents can happen and somebody can sue. So make sure you know how your home liability insurance can protect you.

Home liability insurance protects you against a claim or lawsuit resulting from bodily injury or property damage to others for which you are legally liable. It will cover medical and legal bills. The coverage typically ranges from $300,000 to $500,000. An umbrella policy provides you with an additional layer of protection above your home liability insurance for usually less than $20 a month – and the added comfort of knowing you are safe from the high out-of-pocket costs associated with liability claims.

If an accident occurs, don’t panic. Offer assistance to the injured person, document everything and contact your insur-ance agent right away.

Preventing Home Liability Claims from homeinsurance.org

Winter 2012-2013

Page 7

Unless you do all of your driving on, say, a Caribbean island, the truth is that most of us will have to deal with cold weather - and possibly snow and ice on the road.

The consequences of such driving can be difficult on motorists and their vehicles. Batteries and other parts wear down faster, and street conditions can lead to hazards. In fact, the total rate of crashes increases significantly during the winter months, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2007, nearly 1.6 million crashes occurred in December, January and February. And while that accounts for more than one-quarter of the year’s overall crashes, keep in mind motorists drive less during winter months.

Fortunately, there are many precautions and best practices that can greatly reduce the hassle factor for drivers this winter, experts say. So consider these tips as temperatures dip:

Prevent trouble before it starts. Get your battery checked out, as well as your antifreeze levels. “These should be checked early in the fall,” says Rick Jorgensen, a former instructor at the automobile technology department at Northwest Kansas Technical College and now a Goodland, Kansas-based general manager for NAPA Auto Parts. “You should check not only for the level of the fluid, but what accounts for the fluid. I’ve seen cases where it got down to 30 degrees for just two hours and an engine will be ruined because there’s only water in there. The best mixture is 50/50 water to antifreeze.”

He also suggests changing the oil at this time and using 5W-30, which is better for cold weather because the oil can get to critical components more quickly in winter than 10W-30. “And your tires need to be checked to make sure they have plenty of tread life in snow or ice,” Jorgensen says. “Thin tread will cause an accident even if you drive carefully.”

Clear your vehicle of all ice and snow. Too often, motorists simply scrape off enough ice and snow on the windshield to see. But the wet, slick stuff that gathers on lights, hoods and trunk surfaces also present obstructions to you and other drivers, Jorgensen says. And snow must be removed from headlights and brake lights and the headlights should be turned on to ensure that other drivers can see you.

This kind of accident prevention will help you see upcoming hazards more clearly, of course, but there’s no guarantee you’ll avoid all icy patches. So if you do hit a slick spot, don’t panic. “If you start to spin out of control, let off the brake and steer in the direction of your slide,” he says.

Start your ride the right way. A vehicle needs a few minutes of warm-up time before operating at optimal capacity. While some experts endorse a minute or two of ‘idle’ time, there’s an alternative option. “Drive slowly for the first few miles until engine and transmis-sion reach normal operating temperature,” says Dennis Madden, CEO of the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, an Oxnard, Calif.-based trade association that represents more than 2,300 mechanics and auto-shop owners. “Lower outside temperature reduces thickening engine fluids’ ability to lubricate. You should also avoid idling for extended periods. Aside from wasting fuel, many transmissions don’t create lube flow with the gear shift in “park,” so internal components could get damaged if they are spinning cold with no lube flow.”

Get unstuck without damage. Let’s face it: We’ve all gotten caught in a slick brew of ice and snow somewhere. It’s a short-term problem that could cause long-term headaches if you don’t get out of the mess the right way. Madden cautions drivers on spinning the wheels, which can cause severe (and costly) transmission damage. “Many cars today use a computer to control transmission operation,” he says “Spinning the wheels registers as speed increasing, but the computer doesn’t know the car isn’t actually moving. If the wheels do gain traction, the speed will drop suddenly with the engine locked to the drive wheels. This can be catastrophic to the transmission.” The best way to get out, he says, is the old-fashioned rocking-back- and-forth method. Or wave down a passerby to push the car out.

Taking these steps should help reduce winter driving problems and make the drive more enjoyable.

Is Your Car Prepped for Winter Driving?By Dennis McCafferty

803 Carlton AvenueCloquet, MN 55720

Chocolate Fudge

Directions

Grease an 8 by 8 inch pan with butter. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, chocolate, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter, half-and-half, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved and choco-late is melted. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove the cover and attach a candy thermometer to the pot. Cook until the thermometer reads 234 degrees F. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter. Do not stir. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or until it drops to 130 degrees F. Add vanilla and nuts, if desired, and mix until well-blended and the shiny texture becomes matte. Pour into the prepared pan. Let sit in cool dry area until firm. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Ingredients2 3/4 cups sugar4 oz. unsweetened chocolate3 tablespoons butter, plus

more for greasing pan

1 cup half-and-half1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 cup chopped, roasted nuts

(optional)