Introducing "Found in Wisconsin"

The Reference and Loan Library has just released Found in Wisconsin, the updated Wisconsin Online Collection. Found in Wisconsin makes it easy for patrons of all ages to search for and link into digitized books, photographs, videos, and other resources available on the websites of libraries, historical societies and museums statewide. The database contains entries for materials that are either about Wisconsin or which were created by Wisconsin residents, authors and scholars.Found in Wisconsin allows you to search for individual items, or entire collections of digitized objects, such as “Let’s Go to the Circus,” a compilation of nearly 100 historic photographs of circus activities. The site offers “one-stop shopping” for digital content and collections hosted by libraries, museums and historical societies statewide, and it offers links directly into content, regardless of which organization hosts the collection itself.Found in Wisconsin, available on the BadgerLink homepage at http://www.badgerlink.net, offers more tools for user interaction and a more robust technical platform than its predecessor, the Wisconsin Digital Collection. The database was created and is maintained by the staff of the Wisconsin Reference and Loan Library, and we welcome your feedback.Users of Found in Wisconsin can subscribe to an RSS feed that provides updates on sites newly added to the database. You can also send a note recommending specific content that you’d like to see added, or a general recommendation for types of materials you’d like to have included in this growing collection. Users of Found in Wisconsin can even rate individual entries and send comments on their favorite sources!We invite you to explore Found in Wisconsin and enjoy this growing assortment of books, videos, photos and available online collections. - Channel Weekly, Vol. 12, No. 11 -- December 3, 2009

How to Make Home a Safer Place for Seniors

Get Informed
Your first step is to learn where the potential hazards lie in your parent’s house and what you can do to reduce them. A good place to do this is at the Home Safety Council’s Web site (www.mysafehome.net) where you can take a house tour that points out the possible dangers room-by-room. Many of the changes the site suggests are simple and inexpensive, like removing clutter and throw rugs to avoid tripping, installing brighter bulbs in existing light fixtures to improve vision and adding grab bars to the bathroom for support.

Get an Assessment
If your parents have medical issues like chronic arthritis or poor vision, ask their doctor to prescribe a home evaluation by an occupational therapist who specializes in home modifications. They can analyze the potential challenges and shortcomings of your parent’s home to come up with a plan that you, a handyman or a contractor can easily follow. Many health insurance providers, including Medicare, will pay for a home assessment. However, they will not cover the physical upgrades to the home.

Another option is to contact your nearby independent living center (see www.ilru.org). These are nonprofit centers that provide information on home modifications and assistive living equipment, and many even offer free or low-cost home assessments.

Ways to Pay
If your parents need or want to make substantial changes to their home, but don’t have the cash to pay for them, they should consider taking out a home equity loan. Another possibility is a reverse mortgage. Available to people over 62, a reverse mortgage will let your parent’s convert the equity in their home into cash that doesn’t have to be paid back as long as either one of them are living there. But the fees can be substantial, so be sure to speak with a financial planner before taking out this type of mortgage. For information on ways you can tap into your home equity, go to www.longtermcare.gov, a site run by the Department of Health and Human Services.

If your parent’s happen to have long-term care insurance, they should call their insurance agent and ask whether home modifications are covered under their plan and what documentation they need to be reimbursed. A policy will not pay for upgrades if they are still healthy.

If funds are scarce, contact the Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov to find your local office) near your parents, and inquire about home modification loans and services available to seniors. Many state and local communities have low or no-interest loans, tax credits or other programs to those with low or moderate incomes.

In addition, get in touch with Rebuilding Together (www.rebuildingtogether.org, 800-473-4229), a national nonprofit organization that repairs and modifies homes of older, low-income homeowners to help them age in place.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Savvy Senior Newsletter
December 2009

Waterford Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony!

Waterford Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Saturday, December 5, 2009 – 6:00 P.M.

Jingle Bell Rock
The Chipmunk Christmas Song
Fox River Women’s Chorale - Director: Deanna Kulow

Silent Night at the Library
An original Christmas Poem by Children’s Librarian – Tricia Cox

Once Upon a Silent Night - Fox River Women’s Chorale

Library Contest Winners
Gift cards provided by The Friends of Waterford Public Library
Grand Prize-$50
Nathan Rehberg

1st place - $30 2nd place - $25 3rd place - $15
Trysten Robertsen Simone Felber Eva Carrara

Tree Lighting
Grand Prize winner – Nathan Rehberg

Sing-a-long – Deck the Halls

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la, la la la la.Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la la la la la la la.Troll the ancient Yuletide carol. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing yule before us, Fa la la la la, la la la la.Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la.Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la la la la la la la.While I tell of Yuletide treasure. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la.Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la.Sing we joyous, all together, Fa la la la la la la la la.Heedless of the wind and weather. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Visits with Santa

Please pick up treat bags as you leave!
Compliments of Gooseberries
& the Friends of Waterford Public Library

Merry Christmas to one & all! Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce

Author John Grisham

Bestselling author John Grisham just released his first ever collection of short stories, Ford County—and we've selected one as this month's Big Read. "Fetching Raymond" is a simple, powerful story about a day one family knew was coming but still can't face. Read it—FREE.

DailyLit News: November 2009

Grand Re-Opening Celebration!

The library will be celebrating the completion of our expansion project during the week of November 9-14.

Sing & Celebrate

ABC Music & Me

Monday, November 9th @ 9:30

This program will be followed by tours of the library for children and their caretakers.

Tours offered for children after school at 4:00.

Things are Looking Up @ the Library

Tuesday, November 10 @ 6:00

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony followed by a showing of the Disney/Pixar movie UP!

Be a Part of the Story

Wednesday, November 11th & Thursday, November 12th

Preschool Storytimes offered at 10 & 10:45 followed by tours of the library for children and their caretakers.

After School Tours

offered for children @ 4:00 p.m.

Booksigning - In Service

Wednesday, November 11th @ 6:00 p.m.

Local author, Judy Spencer will share her personal journey toward living a life "In Service".

Refreshments and a book signing will follow.

Jump and Join the Party!

Saturday, November 14th

12:00-2:00 p.m.

Hey Kids! Visit the new Teen Area.

This event is a celebration exclusively for children 12 and up.

Snacks and music provided!

Awesome Paper Toy

Awesome Paper Toy from - For more funny movies, click here

Halloween is arriving on our doorstep in just under three weeks, and it is always exciting to see the new Costumes which thrill us, the new Pumpkin Carvings that inspire us, and all the Haunted Houses that horrify us.
Here we gathered the Ultimate Pumpkin collection that consists of 130 Halloween Pumpkin Carvings for Your Inspiration which hopefully give you some cool and creative ideas for Halloween 2009. It including Star Wars characters, Video Game themes, Geeky Pumpkin Faces, Horror Movie tribute pumpkin collection and also a Mixture that is perfect for everyone.
You can find a short gallery of images within this post linking to the original post and also a direct link to each of the collections, whichever is most up your alley. The thing is, it doesn’t matter if you are a Star Wars geek, a regular geek or no geek at all…each of the Pumpkin lists is filled with some of the most beautiful and creative Pumpkin Carvings artwork and creations and will not disappoint.
In order to know exactly what to look forward to, we broke each collection down for you. Also important to note is that there aren’t any repeats of any Pumpkins within each of the following posts and credit is provided to each artist for the respective Pumpkins.
By the way, if you are a Pumpkin artist yourself, we would love to hear from you and see the amazing Pumpkin carvings and art you have made.

article found on walyou.com 10/09