Know Your Rights When The Bill Collector Calls

Managing Tough Times – When Collectors Call

If you've fallen behind on some bills, you're well aware that debt collectors, a third-party hired by the original lender, are eager to collect those payments.

Some collectors go over the line, threatening to have the person arrested, making improper bank withdrawals, intimidating people and making harassing phone calls.   “Be aware that if you are overdue on a bill and get contacted by a debt collector,” says Brenda Schmitt, ISU Extension Family Resource Management Field Specialist, “the federal Fair Deb Collection Practices Act requires that you be treated fairly and without harassment.  Most people are not aware of their rights and debt-collectors take advantage of that fact.”  This doesn't mean you won't have to pay your legitimate debt.

Complaints about debt collection agencies are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission said they received more complaints against debt collectors than against any other industry for at least the past three years. And for the past five years, complaints are up about 43 percent according to the Better Business Bureau.

In general, the law prohibits certain unfair and deceptive collection practices. Some basic rights prohibit a debt collector from calling you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree.  You cannot be contacted at work if the collector knows your employer disapproves.   If you don't want to hear from a debt collector, write a letter telling them to stop. By law, they have to. But, remember, the debt won't go away and you can still be sued.  The debt collector can contact your attorney -- if you have one. If not, your friends and family can be asked about how to get in touch with you.   A debt collector can't misrepresent the amount of your debt. A debt collector also cannot use profane or threatening language or say that they will put a lien on your property or file a lawsuit unless the agency really means to do that and it's legal. Collectors can't legally claim federal benefits, such as Social Security or your retirement accounts, like your IRA or 401(k).

Within 30 days from the initial contact made by a debt collector, you have a right to dispute any of the debt you are told you owe.  I you dispute the bill in writing; the debt collector can’t contact you again to collect the money until you are provided with proof of the debt, such as a copy of a bill.  If you do pay just to get rid of the debt collectors, it's an admission of guilt, and it will have a negative impact on your credit score.

Keep in mind that some debt has an expiration date. There is a limit to how long collectors can legally collect your debt. In Iowa the Statue of Limitations for an Open Accounts is 5 years; Written Contracts – 10 years; Domestic Judgment – 10 years; Foreign Judgments – 10 years and can be renewed in the 9^th year.

Sometimes debt collectors will try to collect on this old debt called zombie debt because it never goes away. Make sure you don't accept a new credit offer from a creditor you never repaid. Once that creditor renews your credit relationship, the clock starts ticking all over again on your state's statute of limitations.

You also have the right to sue a debt collector in state or federal court within a year of the date the law is violated. A victory will allow you to recover money for the damages you suffered plus an additional amount up to $1,000. A group may also sue a collector and for damages up to $500,000 or one percent of the collector's net worth, whichever is less.

For the Federal Government, the rules are different.  The Debt Collection Improvement Act  allows the government to take a portion of federal retirement, federal salary and Social Security benefit checks to cover non-tax debts owed to the government.

There are some debts that you can't get rid of. If you don't pay your federal student loans for example, debt collectors can garnish your Social Security wages and prevent you from renewing any state licenses. Debt collectors can even dip into your tax refund. Other debts like past-due child support and federal tax liens tend to stick with you.

If you think you've been treated unfairly by a debt collector, take action. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP or go to www.ftc.gov. You should also contact your state attorney general's office.

picture courtesy of flickr.com 

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Iowa Valley Classes in Early May

Payroll and Employment Taxes:

This class is designed for the new employer. You will learn the difference between casual labor and true employees; discover when tax is withheld, learn which federal and state forms must be completed and filed; learn about forms retained in employee files; learn federal and state withholding and remittance of tax procedures.

          Date: Friday, May 1

Time:  1:00 – 3:00 pm

Location:  Ellsworth College campus

Cost:  $15

 

Individual Computer Class:

This course is offered as a one-on-one computer class to cover  basic computer instruction adapted to what your specific needs. Please call instructor (641-648-8621) to make personalized arrangements and explain your needs. You will have your choice of a two hour session or two 1 hour sessions. This is a great way to upgrade your work & employment skills.

          Dates & Times: Set according to your schedules

Location:  Ellsworth Community College

Cost:  $70

 

Henna for Everyone:

A night of henna... history and temporary body adornment! You will learn about the ancient art of Mehndi, the art of applying henna temporary tattoos. Class includes a small hand, wrist or ankle henna tattoo.

          Date:  Saturday, May 2

Time:  1:00 – 4:00 pm

Location:  Coffee Attic in downtown Iowa Falls

Cost:  $20

 

Social Media for Anyone:

          Learn how to use the Social Media sites that everyone is talking about! Social Media uses the web to connect individuals, groups and companies over a distance, rather than face to face. Social media is to Instant Messenger what e-mail was to regular (snail) mail. You will learn 4 new tools that can help you increase customers to your business, put you in contact with likeminded people, and share your expertise and thoughts with the world! Patrick Palmer will show you how to create your own sites at MySpace and Facebook. Deb Brown will walk you through setting up your own blog and a Twitter account. Bring a curious outlook, nimble fingers, and a short paragraph about you or your company. You will actually be working online and learning these four tools: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and blogging.

          Dates:  Tuesday, May 5 & Wednesday, May 6

Time:  6:30 – 8:30 pm

Location:  Ellsworth Community College campus

Cost:  $40

 

Poetry Monthly Reading:

This is a monthly opportunity to read poetry or just sit back and enjoy poetry done by others. It is held the first Thursday of each month at the Coffee Attic in Iowa Falls. As the grass greens and the earth becomes ready for planting, we turn from winter’s chill to the hopes of spring and summer. Come read your work or those of others, or merely stay to enjoy the reading.  New poets are always welcome. Everyone is encouraged to come, purchase a beverage of your choice and enjoy a few minutes of relaxation, listening to poems read by others. Join Ellsworth Community College instructors, Jeff Verona and Mike Rottink, for a celebration of spring poetry. 

          Date: Thursday, May 7

Time:  5:30 – 7:00 pm

Location:  Coffee Attic in downtown Iowa Falls

Cost:  Event is free, beverages on your own

 

Amish Adventure:

Participants will travel to the Buchanan County Old Order Amish Community via an Iowa Valley van. While enroute, tour facilitator will lead a discussion about the history, culture, beliefs, & daily life style of the Amish. While in the community, stops will be made at a number of Amish businesses which are located on individual farmsteads. We may be able to have some Amish folks join us for lunch at a local eatery; lunch not included in cost of class. This tour is always geared to the interest of the participants. Couples, moms & daughters, & friends enjoy spending this unique day together discovering things they never knew about our non-electric neighbors.

          Date: Friday, May 8

Time:  8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Location:  Leaving from Iowa Falls

Cost:  $36

 

Driving Unimpaired (DUI):

This is the course authorized by the state of Iowa for drinking drivers. Each participant will develop an individual risk-reduction plan. This 12-hour class satisfies Iowa drinking violation court orders.

          Date: Saturday, May 16 & Sunday, May 17

Time:  8:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location:  Ellsworth Community College 

Cost:  $115

Contact Deb Sabin at 641-648-8621 to register! 

Berry Delicious!

Strawberries- A tasty spring time treat!

 The strawberry is the most popular berry in the United States.  And strawberries offer great nutrition while being low in calories.

·        only 50 calories in one cup of strawberries

·        more Vitamin C than an orange and      

·        a good source of fiber

Look for berries that are plump, dry, firm, uniformly colored and well shaped. The leafy caps should be fresh looking and green. If purchasing berries in a box, look on the underside for signs of stains or dampness. This may mean the fruit is decaying. Once home, sort through the berries in the box and discard any overripe or smashed berries. Store berries in the refrigerator in a shallow container lined with paper towels. Wash the fruit close to time of use to discourage early decay. Remove caps with a paring knife or huller.

 Consider planting a strawberry patch this spring to enjoy home grown strawberries.  The ISU Extension publication, Production Guide to Commercial Strawberries (PM-672d), will tell you what you need to grow your own.  For a listing of recommended varieties, see Pm 453 Fruit Cultivars for Iowa (cost publication). 

 Or visit a Farmers Market or local strawberry producer.  Your local Extension office can help you locate the nearest one.  You might also consider making strawberry jam or freezing berries to enjoy during the cold winter months.  Ask for the ISU Extension publications: Making Fruit Spreads (Pm 1366) and Freezing Fruits and Vegetables (Pm 1045).

 You may download these publications online from the ISU publications store located at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/store/. Just put in the number of the publication in the “search” area.

 Have you checked out the new Spend Smart, Eat Smart web site at:

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/

This smoothie recipe using strawberries is a sample of the recipes you can find at the web site.

 

Smoothies                              Makes 3 servings, 1 cup each
Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 (6- to 8-ounce) carton vanilla, plain, or fruit-flavored yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Wash hands.
2. Put all ingredients in a blender.
3. Blend on high until smooth.
4. Pour into glasses. 

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

What's Up In The Garden by Jackie Dohlman

Tips on Rhubarb Varieties, Planting Bare-Root Trees, and Planting Vegetables in Containers

What are the best rhubarb varieties for home gardens?

The cultivars ‘Canada Red,’ ‘Crimson Red,’ ‘MacDonald,’ and ‘Valentine’ have attractive red stalks and are good choices for Iowa gardens. ‘Victoria’ is a reliable, green-stalked cultivar. Rhubarb plants can be purchased from garden centers and mail-order companies.

When should bare-root trees be planted?

As the name suggests, bare-root trees and shrubs have no soil around their roots. The nursery stock is dug in late fall, placed in cold storage, and then is shipped to garden centers or directly to consumers in early spring. Bare-root trees and shrubs must be planted in early spring before growth begins. If rainy weather or other circumstances prevent planting within a few days of purchase, store bare-root material in a cool location, such as a garage or root cellar, until planting is possible.

I would like to grow a few vegetables in containers. Can I use garden soil or should I purchase a commercial potting mix?

Plants grown in containers require a well-drained growing medium. Garden soil alone is not a good growing medium. Garden soil compacts when placed in a container, resulting in poor water drainage and aeration. Soil also pulls away from the inside of the container when it dries, making it difficult to properly water plants. A homemade potting mix can be prepared using equal amounts (volumes) of garden soil, sphagnum peat moss and perlite.

A commercial potting mix often is the best choice when gardening in containers. The quality of commercial potting mixes varies considerably. Poor quality potting mixes are often inexpensive, black, heavy and don’t drain well. High quality commercial potting mixes are lightweight, well-drained, free of plant disease organisms and weed seeds, retain moisture and nutrients well, and don’t readily compact. Commercial potting mixes can be purchased at garden centers and many other retail businesses.

Got gardening questions? Contact the Hortline at (515) 294-3108 (Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. -12 noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m.) or send an e-mail to hortline@iastate.edu. For more gardening information visit us at Yard and Garden Online at www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu

picture courtesy of flickr.com 

Extension Family Files by Bev Peters

School’s Almost Out — Select Summer Care for Your School-age Child

 Children look forward to summer vacation from school, but for most working parents, finding quality care for children during the summer can be challenging.

 Parents need to be good consumers and shop carefully. Knowing that your children are happy and safe will make your summer much more enjoyable. Since most summer programs will not start until school is out, it may be difficult to visit a program ahead of time. However, you can call, visit with the director and ask some key questions. You also may want to check out the opinions of other parents. It is certainly OK to ask the director for referrals to families who would be willing to speak with you.

 Parents need to ask these key questions:

 Is there ample space and is it comfortable? Look for a program that has sufficient space for children. Eighty-five children stuffed into a school cafeteria for most of the day is not a good situation. Children should have ample space for indoor and outdoor activities, and the space should be comfortable. Kids need shady areas for outdoor play, a sofa or bean bag chairs to relax in and carpeted areas to sprawl out on during the day.

 Is the program well supervised? Are there a sufficient number of adults? It is ideal for each adult to have “primary responsibility” for a specific group of children during the day and keep tabs on those children at all times.

 Do children have a wide variety of activities to choose from? If a summer program is run by a preschool child care program, be sure it has suitable, age-appropriate activities for school-age kids. School-age kids do not want to be stuck in a preschool room with three-piece puzzles, a pretend play corner and finger paint. Favorite activities for school-agers include sculpting, tie dying, gardening, polishing computer skills, reading, working jigsaw puzzles, playing board games, photography, cooking, sewing, woodworking, acting, swimming and fishing.

 Is safety a priority? Does the staff have current first aid certification, including CPR? How does the staff handle emergencies? Is emergency information available at all times, including during field trips? Can staff be contacted by phone during the day? What are the check-in and check-out procedures during arrival and departure? Are permission and identification required from unfamiliar adults picking up children?

 How are discipline problems handled? Most parents realize that if children are involved in interesting activities throughout the day, discipline problems are greatly minimized. Nevertheless, even in the best of programs there will be a few problems. Is there a written discipline policy and is it one that you feel comfortable with? 

Are adults responsive and respectful of children? Adults should be genuinely interested in children and should have many conversations with them throughout the day. Discussions should include why, how and “what if” questions and should encourage children to explore ideas and exchange views. Avoid programs where adults communicate with children solely to control their behavior and manage routines.

 How well do children get along? Are peer relationships usually positive or is there a strong presence of teasing, bickering and bullying? How are children helped to resolve conflict and solve problems? Do children have some freedom to choose their own companions or are they locked into assigned groups?

 How well does the staff get along? Do staff members seem to enjoy working together? Do they communicate positively with each other? How long do staff members typically stay with the program? Is there high turnover of staff?

 Finding high quality summer care does take effort, but it is a time well invested. Parents who select a quality program will feel at ease knowing their child is safe, well supervised and engaged in interesting activities.

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Social Media Suggestions for Small Business Events

I was a vendor at the Home and Business Expo in Iowa Falls, Iowa this past Saturday. It was hosted by KIFG radio and Times-Citizen Communications.

They advertised with an 8 page separate section in the Iowa Falls and Ackley Paper. It was broadcast over the radio station. I found out about it from Judy Wrolson at Cornerstone Cottage in Hampton. There were over 300 people at the Expo who took the bingo cards (get each vendor to check off their ad on the card and someone wins prizes when the card is turned in).

I can never sit still at these events. I walked around and met the other vendors. I also took their pictures and live tweeted them. I don't think everyone understood what that meant! Simply put, I took their picture, posted it on the internet and told over 1,400 people around the world about it. I also put some of the pictures up on facebook (same principle, less people).

Social Media is new to our area -- and it's growing pretty rapidly. Here's some social media suggestions for the next Home and Business Expo.

Put up a fan page on Facebook

better yet, use the current Times Citizen page you have! You've got 153 people as fans. If each told one person - you would have just advertised the event, for free, to over 300 people. By the way, each vendor could do this same action.

Let your vendors know who all is going to be at the event as a vendor

I knew the radio station would, the fire station would and the Watkins rep would be there. There were actually 36 vendors there! I know I would have blogged about the event and the vendors. I also would have told friends and family who was going to be there.

Create a twitter account. Meet people who are on twitter. Find out what they want to hear on the radio and read about in the paper. Have conversations with your followers! Then you can walk around and take pics of your vendors and send them to twitter!

Here's a video I put together using www.animoto.com These are all the pictures I took and sent to twitter. If you want to see the facebook pics, friend me by finding Deb During Brown.

Is this all greek to you? I'll be teaching a class at Iowa Valley in Ellsworth College May 5 and May 6 in the evening -- you can learn how to use Facebook, MySpace, twitter and how to blog. Call Deb Sabin at 641-648-8620 for more information!

Rick Tjabring, you did a fantastic job and I was very happy to be a part of this expo.  I look forward to working with you in the future! 

KEEP THE BEETLE OUT OF IOWA!

Iowa Officials Highlight Efforts to Prevent and Detect Emerald Ash Borer Infestation Following New Discovery in Wisconsin

DES MOINES – Following the discovery of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) just across the Mississippi River from the Iowa-Wisconsin border, members of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team today highlighted steps being taken to prevent an infestation in Iowa and detect the beetle if it is in the state. EAB is an invasive beetle that feeds on ash trees and eventually kills them.

The new infestation was found near Victory, Wis., on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Allamakee County in northeast Iowa. This new infestation is less than five miles southeast of the Minnesota-Iowa border.

The Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team includes officials from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the USDA Forest Service.

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is native to the Orient and was introduced in the United States near Detroit, Mich., in the 1990s. Although not yet found in Iowa, EAB has more potential for future harm to Iowa forests and urban communities than any other insect currently being dealt with in the United States.

EAB kills all ash (Fraxinus) species by larval burrowing under the bark and eating the actively growing (cambium) layers of the trees. EAB has been killing trees of various sizes in neighborhoods and woodlands. Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to recent sources, Iowa has an estimated 58 million rural ash trees and approximately 30 million urban ash trees.

The movement of out-of-state firewood to and through Iowa poses the greatest threat to spread EAB. Areas currently infested are under federal and state quarantines, but unknowing campers or others who transport firewood can spark an outbreak.

Each member of the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team is taking steps to monitor Iowa’s ash trees and ensure that the beetle has not spread into Iowa by examining high risk sites. The Iowa EAB team has defined high risk sites as locations where people would bring out-of state wood, such as campgrounds, nurseries and sawmills.

DNR estimates there are up to as many as 5 million ash trees in Allamakee County; this represents about 5 percent of the trees in the forested areas of this county. Allamakee is the most forested county in Iowa with 42 percent of the land covered by trees (176,000 acres of forest). Iowa agencies in cooperation with USDA-APHIS and Forest Service will be working together to survey for EAB.

Monitoring efforts include visual surveys at high risk sites by Iowa State University, DNR’s placement of sentinel ash trees that are intentionally stressed so that they are more attractive to EAB, and the placement of purple sticky traps around the state that attract and trap the insect by a collaborative effort among APHIS and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Team members will be working with Wisconsin and Minnesota officials in response to this new discovery and will be conducting additional visual surveys in the area in the coming weeks.

To learn more about EAB and other pests that are threatening Iowa’s tree population, visit www.IowaTreePests.com.

For more information contact:

·                    Robin Pruisner, State Entomologist, at (515) 725-1465 or by e-mail at Robin.Pruisner@IowaAgriculture.gov.

·                    Tivon Feeley, Dept. of Natural Resources Forest Health at (515) 281-4915 or by e-mail at Tivon.feeley@dnr.iowa.gov.

·                    Jesse Randall, ISU Extension Forester, at (515) 294-1168 or by e-mail at randallj@iastate.edu.  

·                    Mark Shour, ISU Extension Entomologist, at (515) 294-5963 or by e-mail at mshour@iastate.edu.

·                    Laura Jesse, ISU Entomologist at the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic, at (515) 294-0581 or by e-mail at ljesse@iastate.edu.

·                    Donald Lewis, ISU Entomologist, at (515) 294-1101 or by e-mail at drlewis@iastate.edu.

 

Contacts:

Dustin Vande Hoef, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, (515) 281-3375

Kevin Baskins, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, (515) 281-8395

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Celebrate A Career and A Man

PARTY PARTY PARTY!

Event: Dennis Carlson Retirement Celebration Cookout
What: Barbecue
Host: Carlson Family
Start Time: Friday, April 24 at 5:00pm
End Time: Friday, April 24 at 7:30pm
Where: Mayne's Grove Lodge

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=71499856026&mid=4d7202G47793769G7256deG7

Think It, Twitter It

RESEARCHERS USE BRAIN INTERFACE TO POST TO TWITTER

MADISON - In early April, Adam Wilson posted a status update on the social networking Web site Twitter - just by thinking about it.

Just 23 characters long, his message, "using EEG to send tweet," demonstrates a natural, manageable way in which "locked-in" patients can couple brain-computer interface technologies with modern communication tools.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison biomedical engineering doctoral student, Wilson is among a growing group of researchers worldwide who aim to perfect a communication system for users whose bodies do not work, but whose brains function normally. Among those are people who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), brain-stem stroke or high spinal cord injury.

Some brain-computer interface systems employ an electrode-studded cap wired to a computer. The electrodes detect electrical signals in the brain - essentially, thoughts - and translate them into physical actions, such as a cursor motion on a computer screen. "We started thinking that moving a cursor on a screen is a good scientific exercise," says Justin Williams, a UW-Madison assistant professor of biomedical engineering and Wilson's adviser. "But when we talk to people who have locked-in syndrome or a spinal-cord injury, their No. 1 concern is communication."

In collaboration with research scientist Gerwin Schalk and colleagues at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, N.Y., Williams and Wilson began developing a simple, elegant communication interface based on brain activity related to changes in an object on screen.

The interface consists, essentially, of a keyboard displayed on a computer screen. "The way this works is that all the letters come up, and each one of them flashes individually," says Williams. "And what your brain does is, if you're looking at the 'R' on the screen and all the other letters are flashing, nothing happens. But when the 'R' flashes, your brain says, 'Hey, wait a minute. Something's different about what I was just paying attention to.' And you see a momentary change in brain activity."

Wilson, who used the interface to post the Twitter update, likens it to texting on a cell phone. "You have to press a button four times to get the character you want," he says of texting. "So this is kind of a slow process at first."

However, as with texting, users improve as they practice using the interface. "I've seen people do up to eight characters per minute," says Wilson.

A free service, Twitter has been called a "micro-blogging" tool. User updates, called tweets, have a 140-character limit - a manageable message length that fits locked-in users' capabilities, says Williams.

Tweets are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other Twitter users who have signed up to receive them. "So someone could simply tell family and friends how they're feeling today," says Williams. "People at the other end can be following their thread and never know that the person is disabled. That would really be an enabling type of communication means for those people, and I think it would make them feel, in the online world, that they're not that much different from everybody else. That's why we did these things."

Schalk agrees. "This is one of the first - and perhaps most useful - integrations of brain-computer interface techniques with Internet technologies to date," he says.

While widespread implementation of brain-computer interface technologies is still years down the road, Wadsworth Center researchers, as well as those at the University of Tubingen in Germany, are starting in-home trials of the equipment. Wilson, who will finish his Ph.D. soon and begin postdoctoral research at Wadsworth, plans to include Twitter in the trials.

Williams hopes the Twitter application is the nudge researchers need to refine development of the in-home technology. "A lot of the things that we've been doing are more scientific exercises," he says. "This is one of the first examples where we've found something that would be immediately useful to a much larger community of people with neurological deficits."

Funding for the research comes from the National Institutes of Health, the UW-Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, the UW-Madison W.H. Coulter Translational Research Partnership in Biomedical Engineering and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
###
- Renee Meiller, 608-262-2481, meiller@engr.wisc.edu

EDITOR'S NOTE: View and download a video of Wilson using the brain-computer interface to post to Twitter at http://nitrolab.engr.wisc.edu/media/P3Twitter.mov 

CONTACT: Adam Wilson, jadamwilson2@gmail.com; Justin Williams, 608-265-3952, jwilliams@engr.wisc.edu

Spring Cleaning Help Needed

HARRIMAN NIELSEN CLEAN-UP DAY 

The annual community clean up day for the Harriman Nielsen property will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 9 am to noon.  Youth groups, service groups, and families are needed to keep the property looking attractive and ready to host community events.  Volunteers will be raking fence lines, picking up sticks, cleaning off the pumpkin patch and garden, sorting piles of materials on the grounds, and trimming trees and bushes.   Participants are asked to bring gloves, buckets, rakes, wheel barrows, and small carts. 

Food and matching funding is being provided by the local Thrivent organization.

 For more information contact the Franklin County Extension Office at 641-456-4811.

REGISTER TODAY! Babysitting Class

Babysitting Class 

Franklin County Extension will be offering babysitting classes for youth in fifth grade or older at the Hampton State Bank located at 100 First Street NW, Hampton, April 27-29.  Classes will be 3:45-5:45 p.m. and participants must attend all three classes to receive their certificate.  Topics to be covered include:  child development, safety, first aid and general child care. Cost for the class is $15.00.  Register by April 20 at the Franklin County Extension Office, 3 First Avenue NW, Hampton.  Class size is limited to 24 participants.  For more information call 641-456-4811

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Preservation in Progress Workshop

Please plan to join Iowa's historic preservation partners in Ottumwa, Iowa, on May 13 & 14 to learn, celebrate and experience Preservation in Progress. Workshop topics include:
basics of historic preservation
grant writing
resources of the recent past
architectural styles in Iowa
rehabilitation of opera houses and movie theatres
addressing threatened historic assets

Preservation in Progress: A Workshop for Iowa's Preservation Partners is a joint hosted workshop by Main Street Iowa/IDED, the Iowa State Historic Preservation Office, the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance and Main Street Ottumwa.Online registration is available at: www.mainstreetiowa.org (see the link in the upper righthand corner).

Registration Fee (includes lunch on May 13)
Registration: $25.00 before May 1, 2009
(Registrations made after May 1 will be accepted at the workshop and will be $35.00)