| Top Trends |
| HEAT SEASON: |
| The Hot Months are coming (and in some places are here already) and with this comes the increased demand for electrical power as citizens turn on fans and air conditioners to help keep cool. Also, the cost of power is going up. Talk to your electrical-utility company to get some top tips on how to conserve energy – and reduce costs – this summer, while still staying cool. |
| For more info check list of tips from PSEG of New Jersey: www.pseg.com. |
| GAS PINCH: |
| According to the latest Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research study on gas-price effects, a high percentage of consumers are reporting that they are altering new-vehicle buying decisions and shopping behavior and eating out less because of high gas prices. This summer, gas prices are expected to top $4 a gallon. |
| What are your local shoppers reporting as a result of rising gas prices and how are your local retailers dealing with a potential loss of customers? |
| TEENS AND MONEY: |
| It's never too early to start saving, and parents can open IRAs for their kids as soon as they start working as long as they file income-tax returns for what kids earn at babysitting, lawn mowing, etc. How are most local teens saving their money? |
| Talk to local banks and financial advisors about the pros of teens opening Roth vs. traditional IRAs, and other smart ways to help teens save. |
| FOSTER CARE: |
| Every year, thousands of foster children turn 18, when most states are no longer required to provide them assistance, putting them in jeopardy of ending up homeless or jobless. Talk to people in your community who mentor foster children for a story on the unique problems these often lonely and alienated kids face. |
| For more info, including fact sheets with state data on foster care, go to: www.fostercaremonth.com. |
| MEMORIAL DAY: |
| As the annual day of homage to America's fallen service men and women approaches (May 28), take a tour around town to see how many local war memorials and monuments you have. You might be surprised how many there are and how many are in bad condition or languish in obscurity. Part of the story should be a brief history of the war memorials you find. |
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| MEMORIAL DAY FACES: |
| During Memorial Day weekend, get picture layout showing the graves of veterans being decorated with flags and flowers by families, local patriotic groups. Also interview veterans at places ranging from the VFW to assisted living homes about their memories of comrades they lost in battle. What does Memorial Day mean to them? |
| Interview families and groups about their dedication to fallen loved ones. |
| NEIGHBORS: |
| June 2-9 is National NeighborWorks Week, when local NeighborWorks organizations mobilize volunteers, businesspeople, neighbors, friends, and local and national elected and civic leaders in a week of neighborhood change and awareness. They rehab and repair homes, paint and landscape properties, conduct neighborhood tours, recognize successful partnerships, and host events that educate, train and inform. |
| For more info, go to: http://www.nw.org/network/home.asp. |
| TOO MANY PETS: |
| Are lots of people in your area unknowingly violating the local laws on how many pets they can have? Many communities enforce pet ordinances based on complaints, so while many people may have more than their share of pets, pet owners with disgruntled neighbors are more likely to be cited for violating the law. Do people think the town does a poor job of informing people about pet laws? |
| Talk to law enforcement to see if this is a problem in your area. |
| Want More Top Trends? |
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| MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2007 |
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|
| Book of the Week |
| AMERICAN GREEN |
 American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn
by Ted Steinberg
American Green, Ted Steinberg's witty expose of this sometimes bizarre phenomenon, traces the history of the lawn from its explosion in the postwar suburban community of Levittown, just miles from where Steinberg grew up to the present love affair with turf colorants, leaf blowers, and riding mowers. Blending muckraking journalism and social history, Steinberg looks at both the lighter and the darker side of the all-American landscape, from mower accidents and pesticide poisonings to lawn-mower racing and the man so addicted to perfection that he re-created Augusta's 12th hole in his backyard.
|
| Find it at: Amazon |
| Web Site of the Week |
| WWW.MAMASOURCE.COM |
 A social networking website for mothers of all ages, Mamasource.com lets moms connect with other moms in their area to share advice and referrals on matters such as where to find a good kids' dentist, babysitter or playground. |
| http://www.mamasource.com/ |
| The Date Book |
| May 29, 1865 |
| (142 years ago), amnesty issued for Confederate Rebels by President Andrew Johnson; |
| May 28, |
| Memorial Day for honoring those who have fallen in battle; |
| May 38, |
| Stock Exchange Holiday; |
| May 31, 2000 |
| (seven years ago), TV premier of "Survivor," one of the first of the reality shows; |
| June |
| is Dairy Month, "Got Milk?" |
| June 1, 1926 |
| (81 years ago), Marilyn Monroe was born; |
| June 2, 2007 |
| is National Trails Day; |
| June 2-10 |
| is National River Cleanup Week; |
| June 5, 1968 |
| (39 years ago), an assassin's bullet fatally wounded Sen. Robert F. Kennedy; |
| June 6, 1944 |
| (63 years ago), D-Day for the World War II Allied invasion of Normandy. |
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