Is there an Audiobook Player for the Visually Impaired?

“I have a relative who has trouble reading print.  We’ve borrowed Playaways from the library; I would like to find something for her so we can download audiobooks from CLEVNET. “The Newton Falls Public Library staff discussed it further with the patron and discovered the newer touch screen MP3 players are not an option as the screen can be difficult to read. The patron actually needs something that works with buttons.

The staff offered the option of the free Talking Books program through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. After the application is completed and approved, qualified users are supplied a Digital Talking Book player which plays audio versions of books and magazines. Materials are sent directly to the patron and there is no postage fee for returning the items.

Our patron still wanted to know if there was something that would fit her need and could be used to download from the library’s collection. Searching online, the staff found a couple of items for the patron’s consideration. One response to a similar question was found at answers.yahoo.com. “If you are looking for something with no screen, the previous generation of the iPod Shuffle would be a really good choice, particularly if you are visually impaired. All the buttons are on the front in a simple arrangement and it has a built-in clip . . . There is also the Creative Zen Stone which is a small screenless player that just plays music, like the Shuffle. It has a similarly simple button arrangement on the front of the player as well . . . You may also want to check out the Samsung S2 Pebble . . . or the Sony B series.”

Which Bridge is Closing over Duck Creek in Newton Township?

“I saw in the newspaper that a bridge over Duck Creek in Newton Township is being replaced. Can you find out which bridge it is and when the work will be done, so I know if it will affect how I go to work?” The Newton Falls Public Library understands the need to be aware of road construction and anticipating when it may be a cause of inconvenience.

We began our search online. Finding the January 11, 2011 minutes of the Trumbull Board of County Commissioners, we learned that a motion was made and approved for the “replacement of structure Newton Falls-Bailey Road over Duck Creek--reconstruction of approach including ditches, storm sewers, driveway and traffic control, lying within Trumbull County . . .”  A side note was included in the motion stating: “This project is being funded by a federal grant. The local share is currently estimated at $174,240.00, which is to be funded by an OPWC grant. Estimated amount will be adjusted when actual costs are determined--absolutely no County General Revenue Funds will be utilized.”

Our patron now knew where the construction was to take place, but we still needed to know when.  The Ohio Department of Transportation has available online a pamphlet titled Proposed Highway Improvements forContract Letting dated February 23, 2012. It was “issued solely for the purpose of circulating advance information pertaining to proposed Highway improvements.”  Pages 137-140 details what work is to be done and what materials are needed for the Duck Creek Bridge project. While no starting date is listed in the pamphlet, the date set for completion is September 30, 2012. At this time we were unable to find a starting date. 

I Need a Current List of My Credit Cards

“I want to cancel some of my credit cards, but I need to find a current list of all of them, especially ones I don’t use any longer. Is there a way I can find out that information? And then how do I tell the companies I want to cancel the card?”  The Newton Falls Public Library staff understands the need to do a financial inventory and possibly downsize.

The Federal Trade Commission allows an individual to get a free credit report once each 12 month period. Our patron needs to go online to www.annualcreditreport.com.  Following the instructions, he will receive a report which will include all the credit cards in his name.

There are many interesting websites dealing with this topic. In the online article at consumerist.com, How To CancelA Credit Card Without Hurting Your Credit Score by Meg Marco Craig Watts, public affairs manager for FICO (Fair Isaac Corp., the company who invented the FICO score) advises readers "To close card accounts without impacting one's credit score, you need to only have zero balances on your credit report for all of your active credit cards. That's because if you have zero balances your credit utilization rate is therefore zero, and you can't raise it — and potentially hurt your score — by closing one or more of the active card accounts.” www.creditcards.com has several articles with advice on canceling cards, as well as a worksheet which includes guidelines to and a sample letter for closing accounts.

We also showed our patron some of the financial materials we have in the library. Two resources they considered were Master your Debt: Slash your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free by Jordan Elliot Goodman and Survival Guide to Debt: How to Overcome Tough Times & Restore YourFinancial Health by Mitchell Allen.

To assist patrons in making wise financial and purchasing decisions, the Newton Falls Public Library subscribes to the following magazines: Consumer Reports, Forbes, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Money, and ShopSmart.

Where Can Families Without Health Insurance Get Eyeglasses?

“Do you know any group that assists families without health insurance in getting eyeglasses, especially for my daughter?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff is very aware of the importance of being able to see clearly in order to read.

The first step taken was to contact the county’s Job and Family Services [JFS]. They informed us that the individual should fill out a state of Ohio Request for Cash, Food, and Medical Assistance application. The application may be accessed online at http://jfs.ohio.gov or by visiting their county’s JFS office.  Even if the parents do not meet the income requirements, the child may be eligible to receive the aid needed.

JFS also recommended that our patron phone 211. 211 Ohio can be reached by simply dialing 211. In Trumbull County the caller will reach Trumbull 211, Community Solutions; in Mahoning County, Help Hotline Crisis Center; and in Portage County, United Way 211Portage. The appropriate local information and referral agency will give the caller contact information as to groups and government agencies which may be able to assist her in getting the necessary eye exam and glasses for her daughter.

Why Does the Flag Have Stars With Seven Points Instead of Five?

“I noticed the display with books donated in memory of deceased members by the American Legion Post 234. There is a flag on the table with the number 76 and thirteen seven pointed stars. Why do the stars have seven points instead of five?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff wondered about this difference from the more familiar five pointed fifty star flag and asked the owner. He informed us that it is a Bennington Flag and he had purchased it during the Bicentennial

Flag: an American biography by Marc Leepson has a picture of this flag. It is “the Bennington Flag, one of several militia flags with thirteen stars and thirteen stripes . . . thought to have been flown by the Green Mountain boys at the August 16, 1777, Battle of Bennington in Vermont.[color insert pages]” It is also known as the Fillmore flag after the original owner Nathaniel Fillmore who fought in the Battle of Bennington. Leepson also says there are differences of opinion about this flag. Some feel that was actually made in the 1800s and dates either from the war of 1812 or the nation’s jubilee celebration in 1826 [p.26].” In Saga of the American Flag: an illustrated history by Candice M. DeBarr and Jack A. Bonkowske notes that Nathaniel Fillmore was the grandfather of Millard Fillmore, our 13^th president [p.20].

We still had not discovered the significance of this flag’s seven pointed stars, so we extended our search online. The Bennington Museum states that the stars may have Masonic significance.  The website Revolutionary War and Beyond says that seven point stars were common on flags in colonial times. The 13 Stars and Stripes: a survey of 18^th century images by David Martucci published in NAVA NEWS  Number 167(April-June 2000) says “Considering the number of points on the stars, it is a mixed bag and would appear that any number was used, even different numbers of points on the stars of a single flag. . . After the Revolutionary War, the star arrangements are very mixed.”

We were not able to find definitive historical information for our patron as to the reason the Bennington Flag has seven pointed stars. The description at www.legacyproject.org lists a variety of reasons for selection of seven pointed stars.  “In mythology and some religions it represents integration, the unity of mind, body, and spirit. Seven is a lucky number. This star is also used to represent the seven liberal arts of classic antiquity: geometry, astronomy, mathematics, logic, grammar, rhetoric, and music. In engineering, the seven-pointed star represents the supremacy of reason.”

I Think We Have a Skunk Under Our Shed

“I think we have a skunk under our shed; the dog is going crazy. How can we get rid of it before it meets up with the dog?” Skunks are a critter none of the Newton Falls Public Library staff wants to meet, so we can understand the urgency of this request

All the editions of Harold E. Bailey’s book, The Friendly Trapper say that skunks find ammonia to be repulsive and cower away from it. He also suggests a poison gas cartridge like ones used for groundhogs. Our patron preferred the former option, as she only wished to discourage the skunk from living so close to her home.

If her dog should meet up with the skunk before she is able to remove it, we also searched for how to deal with the results. The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health recommends dealing with skunking while the spray is still wet as it is an oil. They encourage using a commercial product, as many homemade concoctions can be too harsh especially in the eye and ear areas or will bleach the dog’s coat. A recipe for a homemade treatment can be found at the Humane Society’s website. The instructions do come with cautioning notes not to get it near the pet’s eyes, leaving on too long and bleaching his fur, and premixing as it can explode if left in the bottle. It also includes follow-up instructions for cleaning the owner’s clothing by washing in laundry detergent and baking soda.

Does Turning Off TV During Commercials Save Electricity?

“By turning off TV at each advertisement would I save electricity, prolong the life of the TV, or would this do harm?”  The Newton Falls Public Library staff is always interested in money saving ideas.

Energy usage certainly depends on the television owned. A chart of energy efficiency at CNET

shows HDTV power consumption costing yearly anywhere from $10.59 for the calibrated settings on a 32” Sharp LCD to $108.07 for a 58” Panasonic plasma television. But this did not tell us if the cost would go up or down by turning it off frequently.

Unable to find the exact information for our patron online, we decided to contact a television repair business. Our staff phoned Portage Electronics in Ravenna. They informed us that each time the power button is pushed it creates a 5 volt spike of electricity, which in time will burn out the microprocessor. They recommended that turning it on and off would cause more damage to the television than would save her money in electricity.

We did find that conversely avoiding the viewing of commercials can save you money. “According to Boston College sociologist Juliet Schor, ‘Television viewing results in an upscaling of desire. And that in turn leads people to buy.’ Her study found that every additional hour of TV viewing per week boosts spending by roughly $200 a year.” 

It seems that leaving your television on during commercials will protect it, saving you money in repairs. Leaving the room or muting the commercials when they come on will keep you from being tempted to spend money.