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Emergency Preparedness Kits Available

Are you ready for an emergency? Many local governments and other agencies are encouraging residents to include a “go-kit” in their emergency planning. These kits include supplies that would be of use in case you needed to evacuate your home quickly, such as a radio, batteries, food, etc.

The Chelmsford Board of Health and the Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps are working to help local residents have go-kits ready and waiting. The groups have purchased supplies in bulk, to make it easier for local residents to prepare their own 72-Hour Emergency Kits. Not only can residents taken advantage of the discounted pricing, but materials have been selected and collected in one place, ready for pick-up.

The kits are available for $50, and the cost covers a backpack, emergency disaster guide, crank flashlight and radio, tarp, tent, and numerous first-aid and emergency supplies.

Cost: $50.00/kit (prepayment required by June 10th)
Location: Chelmsford Police Station Training Room
Date: Thursday June 26, 2008
Time: 6 –7 pm (pick up backpack); 7 - 9 p.m. (MRC information/orientation if interested)

Register by calling the Chelmsford Board of Health at 978 978-250-5241. To pre-pay for your kit, send a check for $50 made out to Town of Chelmsford and drop it off or mail it to the following address:

Chelmsford Board of Health
c/o Carole McCaul
50 Billerica Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824

A pdf flyer for this program is also available for download.

Wi-Fi at the Library

Did you know that the library offers wireless access to the internet?

Anyone with a wi-fi-ready laptop computer or other device can get on the internet at the Library using your device and our fast internet connection. Right now, the best signal strength is available on the lower level, and the reference staff is available to help you connect to our wireless network.

More information about our connection and requirements is available on our Laptop Internet Access webpage. We also have a wireless frequently asked question list, including other places around town that offer free wi-fi.

The Library’s wi-fi is unsecured, which means you don’t need a password or account to log on. It also means that anyone you are sharing the network with could potentially monitor what you’re doing online. This is true of many public wireless networks, so it is always a good idea to know about wireless security before you use a public wireless network.

Here are a few online resources to learn more about using wireless networks safely:

• The CTIA’s Wireless Safety webpage
• Wireless Safety Tips from Wired Magazine
• Hot Spot Usage Tips from About.com
• Wi-Fi security on the road, from c|net.com
• How Wi-Fi Works, from howstuffworks.com
• Wikipedia article on Wi-Fi

If you have questions about the Library’s wireless connection, or about using wi-fi connections in general, please contact the Reference Desk.

Proper Care & Feeding of Books

We love our books,
And we know you do too.
We’re sure you want to
take good care of them –
here’s what to do:

DO

• Take a paperback to the beach (hardcovers don’t like the sand)
• Use a thin, flat bookmark, like a checkout receipt, phone message, love note or bill, or even one of our bookmarks; everything else – like paperclips, straws, crackers, pens or even those pretty beaded or ribbon bookmarks you get at the bookstore - can damage the pages or binding
• Make notes in your diary, blog or on scrap paper (but please, not in the book)
• Keep books dry (even a little bit of moisture can make a lot of mold)
• Enjoy a snack or drink while reading (but be careful not to spill)
• Make copies or scans of a page or two, if you need it (don’t cut or rip the page out)
• Renew it, or bring it back on time (so someone else can love it, too)

Sorry, here’s one DON’T:

• DON’T fold the corner down to mark your page, even once – eventually the corner will fall off, even if it was only folded down once.

These DOs and a DON’T will ensure that we can all love our books for years to come.

These guidelines, along with the Proper Care & Feeding of DVDs, are also available for printing as a bookmark [pdf, 90kb].

Proper Care & Feeding of DVDs

We love our DVDs,
And we know you do too.
We’re sure you want to
take good care of them –
here’s what to do:

DO

• Press the center button to release the DVD from the case (you shouldn’t have to force the disk out)
• Enjoy a snack or drink while watching (but not while handling the DVD or its case.)
• Handle the disk by the edges only (you’d be surprised how easy it is to scratch the disk, and dirty/smudged disks don’t play right, either)
• Keep the DVD in the case when you’re not watching it (cases get lonely when they’re separated for a long time, or brought back to the library without the disk.)
• Teach your family the right way to handle DVDs.
• Let us know if there’s a problem with the disk, so we can fix it for you and the next person who wants to borrow it, too.
• Renew it, or bring it back on time (so someone else can love it, too)

Sorry, here’s one DON’T:

• DON’T try to clean the disk yourself unless you have a disk-cleaning system – doing it the wrong way can ruin the disk.

These DOs and a DON’T will ensure that we can all love our DVDs for years to come.

These guidelines, along with the Proper Care & Feeding of books, are also available for printing as a bookmark [pdf, 90kb].

2008 Tax Rebate Schedule

Today, May 2nd, 2008, marks the first day that that people will start to receive their Economic Stimulus Payments.

Payments between May 2nd and May 16th will go to filers who chose to receive their payments by direct deposit. Paper checks will be mailed started May 16th and continue through July 11th.

All payment are being made by social security numbers. The IRS has published a complete schedule of payments, and also offer more information on the payments, including an online payment calculator.

In addition, here’s some other information on the Economic Stimulus Payment:

• IRS Economic Stimulus Payment Information Center
• AARP’s Q & A concerning the payment
• Reuters news article explaining the payment
• An answer to the question, “Is the Economic Stimulus Payment taxable?”
• The Top5 Uses for the payment, from NuWire Investor

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