Law protects consumers from bill collector harassment
Q: Is there any law that addresses harassing phone calls from bill collectors? A: Yes. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects you from unfair collection acts, including harassing calls and calls outside of normal business hours. Q: If bill collectors harass me, can I stop paying my debt? A: No. The federal fair debt collection law does not give you the right to...
Spread the cheer this year: Last minute hints for enjoying Christmas
How can you brighten the holiday for yourself and those around you? Try starting with a smile and a cheerful comment. Good moods are contagious. Instead of huffing or worse snarling at the clerk after waiting in line longer than you had hoped, put on your best smile. Use the time in line to think of something nice to say when you get to the register. Is there a cranky toddler in line as well?...
The Bobolink, one of the areas best-kept secrets
Ohio has 88 counties and many local birding organizations, but only two full-scale birding journals dedicated to reporting bird sightings from a specific number of counties. The older of the two is the Cleveland Bird Calendar which includes reports from the counties around Cleveland. The other journal is our own local quarterly publication, The Bobolink, published by local birding businessman,...
How to cope with the threat of longevity
You cant predict how long youll live. Nonetheless, you still need to consider longevity as a key factor in creating, and following, a long-term investment strategy. And your projected lifespan may be longer than you had thought. Men who turned 65 in 2010 can expect to live another 18.6 years, while women who reached 65 that same year can anticipate another 20.7 years, according to the 2011...
At this time of year, it stinks to be sick
Im just going ask this first, right out of the starting gate, because if someone who knows the answer only reads my first few dozen words, he or she might be inclined to answer it without suffering through the rest of this column. If a wife gets a flu shot, can her husband catch it from her? There. A simple question. Nothing tricky, no sleight-of-hand sneakiness. An interrogative sentence...
Host healthful holiday gatherings
Were entertaining quite a bit over the holidays. Weve been trying to eat more healthfully, and so have a lot of our friends and family. Any ideas to help us encourage healthy eating at parties, without being a complete wet blanket? You dont have to throw the cheese ball under the bus in order to help you and your guests have a healthier holiday season. Here are the top tips weve seen...
Heritage Home Association of Tuscarawas County featured a variety of homes on tour
When decking the halls with boughs of holly, these local homeowners went above and beyond for the annual Christmas Tour of Homes sponsored by the Tuscarawas County Heritage Home Association (TCHHA) on Sunday, Dec. 11. The association has been sponsoring the popular holiday tradition for the last three years. This years tour included nine homes and one church. The homes range in age from...
Breaking the silence about domestic and sexual violence is theme of Kent State Tuscarawas event
Domestic violence and sexual assault/abuse arent pleasant topics. During a public Dec. 8 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness event at Founders Hall at Kent State University Tuscarawas, the brutal reality of the problem was brought to life by representatives of the COMPASS rape crisis program and others from the community. COMPASS, a Tuscarawas County based organization that describes itself...
Christmas cookies galore provided by busy bakers at annual Cookie Walk in New Philadelphia
It was goodie heaven at First United Church of Christ in New Philadelphia Dec. 10, as crowds lined up at the door to have first chance at more than 68 varieties of cookies and other holiday treats baked by women of the church for the annual Cookie Walk. The crowd was so large that cookie buyers were first ushered into the sanctuary to enjoy music by organist Rick Michel and vocalist Stephanie...