Latest news with #ruralliving
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vermont engineer revives pay phones for free calls in areas with poor cell service
TUNBRIDGE, Vt. (AP) — An electrical engineer by trade, Patrick Schlott has spent countless hours tinkering with new and old technology. But it wasn't until he found himself living in rural Vermont that he realized his penchant for repairing old pay phones could provide a public service. 'I realized, wow, there's no cell service for 10 miles (16 kilometers) in either direction,' he said. 'The community could really benefit from something like this.' Schlott, a full-time engineer at electric airplane manufacturing company BETA Technologies, decided to approach the owners of his local general store with the idea to install old pay phones around town and make them free for public use. After he explained that there would be no cost to the host, North Tunbridge General Store owners Mike and Lois Gross let Schlott install his first phone outside the store. 'Everyone's pretty surprised, and they're like, 'Is that a real payphone? Does that really work?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, but it doesn't cost any money now,'" said store owner Mike Gross. "We've had people use it that broke down. It's a great thing because service is so spotty in Vermont.' The first free public phone installation was Schlott's idea, but he says the two other locations, the Latham Library in Thetford and inside an informational booth in Randolph off Interstate 89, came from community members requesting the service. 'All the other phones so far have been people reaching out, which is pretty cool,' he said. Schlott buys the old pay phones, which can range in cost from $100-$500, at flea markets, from internet listings or at auction and fixes them up in his basement workshop. All that's needed to install one of his phones is an internet connection — no coins necessary. 'Basically, there's a small piece of equipment that converts an internet telephone line to an analog line that these phones can operate off of,' he said. Along with covering the costs, which are about $2-$3 a month for each phone line and less than $5 a month for calls, Schlott acts as the operator for each phone and can field or transfer calls, helping users when needed. If a user dials zero, the phone will ring Schlott's personal cellphone, though he uses an app to keep his number private. So far, the phone at the Latham Library location has seen the most use. According to Schlott, 370 calls have been made since the phone was installed five months ago, filling a need for students without cellphones to call their parents for after-school pickups. Hannah McClain is a regular at the North Tunbridge General Store and says she finds comfort in knowing the phone is there whenever her 16-year-old daughters might need it. 'It does make me feel safer if the kids are out and about, that if they had an emergency up this way that they could stop and use this. I think these are a great service,' she said. Schlott is seeing increased interest in the service, with another free phone install in the works at the Brownell Library in Essex. For now, he plans to continue covering the costs associated with each phone, but noted that may change as the project scales. 'It's cool to see something retro that has that old-school appeal but also works. To actually hear it ring, to pick it up and have a dial tone, I think there's real power in that," he said. "And I don't think they should end up in a landfill. They should be recycled and put to good use.' Amanda Swinhart, The Associated Press
Fast Company
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fast Company
3 ways for your city to reclaim its streets
I'm a drummer with a soft spot for vintage snares. I own a few that rarely get played. They sound great and look even better, but they take up space. If I kept collecting more, I'd eventually have to give up something else: chairs, food, clothes, books, art. No matter how practical I claim these drums are, they're bulky objects that sit idle for most of their life. When it comes to city building, Americans struggle to apply that same basic interior design logic to personal vehicles. The magical thinking is that 10 pounds of Motordom can fit in a 5-pound bag. Country living, suburban living, and city living are not interchangeable. You should be free to choose whatever suits you best, including the kind of vehicle you want to drive. But cities have a constraint that rural areas and the suburbs don't—physical space. There simply isn't enough room for every household to store multiple personal vehicles out front, let alone build the number of lanes so that everyone can drive in the same direction at the same time. Automobile storage centers Despite that physical reality, most American cities have been engineered as massive automobile storage centers. This isn't a value judgment about driving. It's a spatial critique. Cars are large objects that sit idle 95% of the time—and when cities prioritize motor vehicles over everything else, it's inevitable that housing, parks, and commerce get squeezed out. Every time a road is widened, space for people walking, rolling, and riding bikes shrinks. Intersections balloon, making crossings longer and more dangerous. Parking garages devour valuable land. Building cities around the automobile is an absurd and wasteful decision that leaves cities congested, expensive, and less livable. The worst part is that it doesn't even work. Expanding roads to 'solve traffic' only invites more people to make trips they wouldn't have made. (The wonky planning term is 'induced demand.') When you make solo driving easier, more people drive solo. The new lanes fill up, and the traffic jams return. Places of exchange Cities are places of exchange: goods, services, ideas, and relationships. That exchange requires space—not just for people to live, but to move, meet, flirt, play, rest, buy stuff, sell stuff, or just plain linger. Building cities around people—instead of machines—delivers places people want to be. Like any interior designer knows, good design isn't about cramming more furniture in an already-packed room. It's about prioritizing what makes the space work for the people using it. Here are three proven strategies for applying that same mindset to your city's public realm. 1. Stop forcing developers to build car storage. Minimum parking mandates are among the most damaging policies in city planning. These rules require developers to build a set number of parking spaces regardless of context or market conditions. A local government might require 150 parking spaces for a 100-unit apartment building near high-frequency transit. The rulemakers don't care if it's easy to opt out of owning a car. These mandates inflate construction costs, reduce housing supply, and crowd out other uses. Let the property owners decide how much parking makes sense. American cities already have abundant housing for cars. 2. Expand your view of pedestrians. Frequent and reliable bus service is an 'express sidewalk.' Think of bus routes as part of the walking network—an option you use when the weather's bad, your bag's heavy, or your legs are tired. That mindset shift helps normalize transit as a default mode of movement, not a last resort. Engineering solutions like dedicated lanes and signal priority help keep the buses from being stuck in traffic. The more the bus feels like a moving sidewalk, the more people will choose it. 3. Make bike rides pleasant. A connected bike network is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase mobility and reduce congestion. Especially now, with the rise of e-bikes, a 5-mile ride becomes a breeze even for older adults. E-bikes flatten hills, reduce sweat, and make iffy weather more manageable. Build protected bike lanes that link destinations (residential areas, job centers, retail corridors, etc.). Build secure parking and charging stations for electric cargo bikes. Make biking the most attractive option for short trips. Cities shouldn't be treated like storage units for large piles of personal property. If you wouldn't let stacks of idle drum kits block your kitchen, don't let oversize metal boxes dominate your streets. Good urban design, like good interior design, serves the people who live there.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This couple found their forever home in abandoned 37.5-acre Kentucky farmstead — and it only cost them $390K
As home prices soar and dreams of ownership slip away for many Americans, one couple decided to stop chasing the market and a new life from the ground up. In spring 2024, Sophie Hilaire Goldie, 37, and her husband Rocky Goldie, 50, purchased a 37.5-acre fixer-upper homestead in rural Kentucky for $390,000 and began transforming it into their forever home. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) They are now dedicating their energy, time, and skills to remodeling the property into a self-sustaining lifestyle. Their plans include raising chickens, starting a dairy goat farm and launching a new skincare business. 'We are not moving,' Sophie said. 'It's weird even to think that's an option because it's not how we think. I have no interest in leaving — ever.' Sophie, an Army veteran, and Rocky, a former Marine, met on They quickly bonded over their shared love of the outdoors and their desire to embrace life. When they started dating, Sophie transformed a friend's Home Depot shed into a tiny home after spending two years living in a Sprinter van. Their second date was spent working together to build the shed. 'It was important for me while we were dating to see if we could work together on projects,' Sophie told CNBC. After she returned from a trip through Southeast Asia, Rocky suggested they find a place of their own. They turned to Zillow and searched for rural properties with at least 10 acres and a sense of history. A local photographer introduced them to a real estate agent, who showed them the abandoned property. It included two log cabins from the 1840s, a 2,200-square-foot home with four bedrooms and one bathroom, a 200-square-foot separate cabin and two barns — all on 37.5 acres. The couple secured a 30-year mortgage with minimum monthly payments of $1,790, but they plan to pay off their home within five years. Sophie recently launched her own skincare company, Seoul + Soil, inspired by their natural lifestyle on the homestead. The business is part of a larger goal to become 85% to 90% self-sufficient. 'I think it's the most excited I've ever been about anything,' Sophie said. 'There's nothing more entrepreneurial than just making up your life.' Read more: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here's how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis For the Goldies, homesteading is more than a lifestyle — it's a financial strategy grounded in long-term resilience and freedom. According to a 2022 survey by Homesteaders of America, nearly 40% of respondents said they had adopted homesteading within the past three years. Here's how the Goldies are making it work: Reduced Housing Costs: It's rare to find a 37.5-acre property with existing infrastructure for less than $400,000. By purchasing this land, the couple is eliminating decades of future housing expenses and aiming to be mortgage-free within five years. Income Diversification: Sophie's skincare company is one source of income. Additional revenue may come from selling farm produce, hosting workshops or providing agritourism experiences such as farm stays. Asset Appreciation: Historic properties on large rural land are increasingly seen as wise investments. Renovations and the addition of sustainable infrastructure can significantly increase long-term value. Financial Resilience: A self-sufficient lifestyle that includes livestock, gardens and renewable energy systems can provide protection against inflation, food shortages and job loss. For the Goldies, this bold experiment in modern homesteading is driven by passion and purpose. 'We only have a few more decades left, but we want to do 200 years' worth of stuff,' Sophie says. 'Everything we did brought us to where we are now, but it would be nice to be 20 and starting this.' Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Popular ITV dating show set to return to screens 16 years after it was axed - and it will have a revamped format
Farmer Wants A Wife is set to return to UK screens 16 years after it was axed. The popular ITV dating show followed land-owning singletons as they welcomed women from the city to their farms in the hope of finding love. The series had viewers hooked when it was first broadcast on the station in 2001, before moving to Channel 5 eight years later, with Louise Redknapp as presenter. However, TV bosses then canned the show, which has continued going strong with an Australian version since 2007, and left it on the shelf for more than a decade. But the success of countryside-based programmes of late, including Clarkson's Farm and Yorkshire Shepherdess, has prompted its return. A TV source told The Sun: 'Farmer Wants A Wife was one of telly's earlier dating shows before the likes of Love Island and Married at First Sight came along and created a whole new genre. 'Even though it only ran for two series, the UK version spawned as many as ten international versions - it's massive in Australia, for example - and the BBC even had a go at their own version, Love In The Countryside with Sara Cox. 'But the time is thought to be right to revisit the UK farmers as interest in rural living has never been greater thanks to Jeremy Clarkson et al and after Covid many have rethought city life. 'It's early days so a channel isn't yet attached, nor a host, but everyone is very excited.' The search for eligible farmers has already begun with original distributor Fremantle Media scouring the land for participants in the romance show. A potential revamped format will see 'all genders, sexualities, ages and love interests' covered, according to insiders. MailOnline has contacted ITV and Fremantle for comment. An Australian version of Farmer Wants A Wife is still going strong Down Under and is currently three weeks into its 12th season. The show is shaking things up, introducing 12 new contestants in a surprise twist – after Farmer Jarred abruptly found love and walked off the show. The shock move left three farmers still searching for their true love, and now each of them will be introduced to four new women in the coming episodes. Channel Seven confirmed the remaining three farmers - Corey, Thomas and Tom - will each be introduced to four new ladies, in a bid to shake things up. The farmers will spend one-on-one time with each before selecting two to return to the farm and join the original contestants. 'The latecomers know they are stepping into already-formed connections, but they're not backing down,' the network teased. 'Their arrival is set to shake things up and stir emotions... after all, the road to love is never straightforward.'
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
ITV dating show set for surprise reboot 16 years after it was axed – with huge format change
RURAL dating show Farmer Wants A Wife is set for a reboot, some 16 years since it was last on air. It followed a string of unlucky-in-love landowners as they welcomed a city-living woman to their farm in the hope romance would blossom. 5 5 The first series aired on ITV in 2001, then a second was picked up by Channel 5 in 2009 - with Louise Redknapp, now 50, as host. Now a surge in interest in agriculture thanks to the success of Clarkson's Farm and the Yorkshire Shepherdess has convinced TV bosses to revive the original muddy dating show. A TV source said: 'Farmer Wants A Wife was one of telly's earlier dating shows before the likes of Love Island and Married at First Sight came along and created a whole new genre. 'Even though it only ran for two series, the UK version spawned as many as ten international versions - it's massive in Australia, for example - and the BBC even had a go at their own version, Love In The Countryside with Sara Cox. 'But the time is thought to be right to revisit the UK farmers as interest in rural living has never been greater thanks to Jeremy Clarkson et al and after Covid many have rethought city life. 'It's early days so a channel isn't yet attached, nor a host, but everyone is very excited.' Fremantle Media, which made the original two series, are exploring the reboot and have begun looking for single farmers and city-dwellers looking for rural romance. But hinting at changes to the format for a new generation of workers, bosses say they're open to 'all genders, sexualities, ages and love interests.' And they suggest applicants apply from 'a vineyard in Kent' or might fancy 'harvesting crops in the Cotswolds.' 5 5
