Nick Leone, Service Technician, Veteran, and all around good guy, recently participated in an overnight walk in Washington, D.C. called “Walk Out of Darkness“. Nick and his team walked from 8pm-4am to raise awareness for veteran losses to suicide. Over 1700 walkers raised over $2.5 million for the cause. Thank you, Nick!

In Nick’s own words:

“The walk was part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention‘s efforts to promote awareness on the subject of preventing suicide, educating the general public, and supporting the survivors. The photo is of our team from Ruck Up, a veteran’s outpost in Keene that provides counseling, case work and support for homeless veterans in New England. From left to right is A.J. Paige (the leader of Ruck Up), John Pajak, Sue Barton, Donald Spencer, and Eddie Brown(carrying the Vermont battle flag). And I am down front.  We were partnered with Miles for the Military, and were there to increase awareness of the Military and veteran losses to suicide. It has claimed up to 22 per day, but in reality may be much more.”

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Last night, at Senior Celebration, Casey Cota addressed the 2013 graduating class of the Windham Regional Career Center, in Brattleboro, VT. Out of 120 graduates, 12 received awards and scholarships, and were also inducted into the National Technical Honor Society. One student even received six awards and scholarships! Congratulations graduates! Hard work does pay off.

Here is a snippet of Casey’s speech:

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Our Cota Community Grill has been making the rounds this spring! Most recently, it was used by the Green Mountain Children’s Center. Staff used the grill to cook lunch for volunteers during their annual playground clean up project. What a nice and cost effective way to say thank you!

On May 18, Harold Elliott – White River Junction Office Manager and incoming President of the White River Junction Rotary Club – volunteered to cook at the Annual Hartford Youth Safety Fair. Harold says, “The safety fair has all kinds of activities including an inflatable obstacle course, bounce house and Monster Truck.  It is put on by the Hartford Police and Fire Departments and promotes bike and skate safety, along with other youth safety concerns, such as poison control, abduction prevention, seat belt and car seat safety.  About 200 people attended and a good time was had by all.”

This weekend, the Chester Rotary Club will be using the grill for a local school function. Do you know an organization that would benefit by the use of our Community Grill? Please contact one of your local offices. We would love to help!

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On May 14, 2013, we held the Grand Opening of our Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Station in Jamaica, VT. We had a lot of fun seeing some familiar faces, and it was nice to meet some new ones too! Thank you to everyone who came to the office to celebrate with us, and congratulations to our winner of $50 of gasoline or diesel products.

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On Saturday, May 11, Grace Cottage Hospital held their annual Spring Into Health 5K on the Townshend Common, in Townshend, VT. More than 150 participants turned out in support of Grace Cottage. Jamaica Office Manager, Dave Moore and Brattleboro rep, Deb Satterfield handed out water from the Cota & Cota community gazebo. Luckily, the rain held off just long enough for Moss Linder, MD to hand out prizes after the race. Lucky ticket holders received jars of salsa, courtesy of Drew’s All Natural. It was a great time for a wonderful cause!

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There is nothing more rewarding than being a Mom. But let’s face it – our plates are overflowing. There is no getting to the bottom of the pile, or feeling “caught up”. The mere thought of getting a chance to relax and put your feet up puts a smirk on every Mom’s face. That said, please remember Mom this Mother’s Day!

Cota & Cota is going to make it easy for you. We are partnering with Delish Deliveries for our Mother’s Day Facebook contest. The winner will receive a fruit bouquet or a dozen chocolate dipped strawberries delivered to Mom’s door. It’s too easy to ignore! Go to our Facebook page and reply to our Mother’s Day post. Tell us what you like about Cota & Cota! Let’s give as many Moms as possible the opportunity to win, so don’t forget to “like” and “share” the post. Good luck!

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An annual tune up is a great way to cut your heating costs by up to 10%. In this energy market, an average sized home could save up to $350 annually! During a tune up, the technician will inspect your furnace for potential problems, which will save you the hassle and extra money associated with an emergency call.

At minimum, our Service Technicians will perform the following checklist:

• Make sure all thermostats are in proper working order.
• Brush and vacuum the heat exchanger.
• Inspect and change air filters, oil filters, and strainers.
• Change nozzle to prevent build-up.
• Inspect the oil tank.
• Perform an efficiency test.

Your furnace needs routine maintenance, much like your car. Don’t let it break down in the middle of the night due to a preventative measure. Call us to schedule your appointment today! (888) COTA-OIL…(888) 268-2645. You can also schedule service on our website, or call your local office.

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Come to our Jamaica, VT office on Tuesday, May 14, from 11am-2pm, and help us celebrate the Grand Opening of our Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Station. We will be serving a complimentary BBQ, and you will have the opportunity to enter to win a $50 voucher for our gasoline or diesel fuel products!

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Congratulations to Mary Lawlor, winner of the Season of Warmth contest! Mary won up to $2,000 in heating fuel for the 2013-2014 heating season, after entering our contest online. Mary says, “I can’t believe I won! I never win anything!” This past year has been a struggle for Mary, and she says this will help her get back on her feet. “It’s always a great feeling to know we can have such a positive impact on our friends and neighbors”, says Casey Cota.

Mary’s name was chosen in a random drawing on April 1, 2013, after entering the contest on our website. Entries were also taken at the Upper Valley HomeLife Expo in Hanover, NH, and at all our local offices.

Congratulations, Mary!

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1. Upgrade an old heating system- Replacing an old system with a new one is an investment that will pay for itself by cutting your fuel costs by as much as 40%.

2. Clear the way- Make sure that armchairs, couches, drapes, bookshelves, etc. are not blocking your baseboards, making it harder for warmth to get to the rest of the room.

3. Let the sun shine in- “Southern exposure” gives you some very basic passive solar.  Consider thinning evergreens if they block the sun on the south side of your house.

4. Stormy weather? Storm door- A weather tight storm door and a weatherized solid door make a great combination.  The storm door stops wind, and the trapped air between the doors provides insulation.

5. Flew clue- Once your fireplace fire or wood stove fire is totally out and cool to the touch, close the damper to stop your home heating dollars from flying up the chimney.

6. Clean those baseboards- Vacuum the heating pipes inside your baseboard units to help them transfer heat to the room air more efficiently. 

7. Cool clothes- Keep your closet doors closed.  There’s over 100 cubic feet in a closet you don’t need to pay extra to keep warm.

8. Draw the shades, shut the light- Close all of your curtains and shades at night to trap heat inside; open them during the day to let heat from the sun in.

9. Keep the windows clean- Be sure to keep windows on the south side of your house regularly clean to maximize solar gain.

10. Invest in a high efficiency oil-fired water heater- Ask us about an indirect water heater system, which can give you a nearly endless supply of hot water. (Oil heat is very cost-efficient at making hot water.) 

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