Sites of the Month

Great Sites to Check Out

(from Partner Communication's monthly newsletter

Time To Study College Rankingscolleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.comIf someone in your family will be college bound in the coming year or two, be sure to study this annual ranking of colleges and universities from U.S. News & World Report. You'll also find college advice for students and parents as well as tips on applications, loans, and more.

Fun And Flexible Photo Editingpicmonkey.comWith PicMonkey, you can easily edit and touch up photos, or develop your own photo designs. Give your photos a makeover with Wrinkle Remover and Teeth Whitening, try fun special effects to create unique photo images, or use the collage tool for a cool new Facebook cover.

Winning Tailgating Recipesfoodnetwork.comThe chefs at Food Network have teamed up to bring you the Top 50 Tailgating Recipes. You'll score big with friends and family on game days with dishes including Charleston Cheese Dip, Three Cheese and Artichoke Scones, and Charred Corn Guacamole with Corn Chips.

Loyalty Made Easypoints.comLoyalty programs for airlines, hotels, shops, and credit cards are great, but if you have more than a few, they can be hard to keep track of. The free Points service allows you to manage all your programs in one spot, move points between programs, and even reward yourself with gift cards.

The Reluctant Gourmetreluctantgourmet.comThe name says it all: some of us want to be great cooks, but don't know where to start. Now you do! This site offers everything from cooking tips, to information on cooking tools and ingredients, to meal planning strategies and of course delectable recipes.

Learn About Life on Marsmars.nasa.govMars has been in the news a lot lately because scientists have discovered water there and because of the new movie, The Martian. Want to know more about the Red Planet? This site has videos, images, articles, and much more. Don't miss the updates on the Curiosity Rover, which is there now!

Scam Alert Beware Of Facebook Friend Request Scam

There's a Facebook scam making the rounds that you should know about. It works like this: You get a friend request from someone you thought you were already friends with on Facebook, perhaps a relative or casual acquaintance. You think that's a little odd, but figure maybe this person had to create a new account or something, so you accept. Before long, you start to receive strange messages urgent pleas for money due to an emergency or invitations to sign up for work-at-home jobs or free gift cards.

Clearly, this is no friend. It's a scammer that has spoofed a Facebook account in order to steal money or distribute spam links. What should you do if you receive a friend request from someone you don't know, or if your own account is spoofed? Here are a few tips:

Always double-check friend requests:Don't just automatically click "accept" for new requests. Take a few moments to look over the profile and verify that account is a real person, not a scam. If you receive a friend request from someone you are already friends with, don't confirm the request until you verify it with your friend. Contact them by some other means phone, email, text, etc.

Don't blindly trust friends' recommendations: Just because a link, video, or other information is shared by a friend doesn't mean that it's safe to click. It could be a fake account, a hacker, or mean that your friend hasn't done his or her research.

Watch for poor grammar:Scam Facebook posts are often riddled with typos and poor English.

Alert your friends: If your Facebook friend suddenly starts posting links to work-at-home schemes or scandalous celebrity videos, tell him or her directly about the suspicious activity. Otherwise, they may never know that their account has been impersonated.

Have fun on Facebook but watch out for fake friends!

50 Plus

The 50 + group meets the fourth Monday of each month at the Melbourne Rec Center, at noon. We would love to have some new people come, we have lost several people through moving away or from death. We have a great Pot luck and if you arent able to make a dish to share, just come and join us for good food and fellowship. Good chance to get out and enjoy others!!

We bought 13 gifts for the Veterans at the Iowa Veterans Home so they can enjoy opening up a gift.

Water/Sewer bills are due by the 15th of the month. A 10% penalty is added after that date. Did you know you can sign up to have your Melbourne utility payment deducted from your checking or savings account at MidWestOne Bank automatically each month? It is a great way to simplify your life and to avoid late payments and late charges.

The City of Melbourne does not accept Debit or Credit cards, but please consider using your banks bill pay option. Most banks offer this service at no charge to the customer. You will need to check with your personal bank to get their policy.

One word of caution if you use this option - you will want payment to come out of your account no later than the 10th of the month. Even though most of us bank locally, the payments generally come from out of state such as California, North Carolina, Texas, etc. You will need to allow extra time for the payment to arrive through the mail. Unfortunately, if it comes in late, there will be a late fee already assessed. By having it sent BY the 10th, you should avoid it arriving after the due date.

Contact the city clerks office to find out about building permit requirements. Building permits are not required for roofing and siding projects. If you have a building project, check with the city clerks office to see if a building permit is required and if there are any regulations you have to be sure to follow. Projects needing a permit that are started before a permit is issued may have the fees doubled.

If you will be moving, contact the city clerks office before your final date. We need to know your forwarding address and when you will be moving.

If you notice a street light not working properly, let the City or the utility company know. You may call Alliant Energy at 1-800-255-4268 or the city clerks office at 641-482-3338.

Remember to move cars off the street when snow begins to fall. They must remain off the street until snow is removed from curb to curb and snow has stopped falling. Make plans now where to put your vehicle while the streets are being plowed. Vehicles not moved can, and will, be towed at owner's expense.

Where is my Property Line?

Surveyors use electric theodolites to measure elevations, distances, and directions in order to establish property lines.

Typical construction projects that require setback information can include: decks, sheds, garages, and additions.

Common borders, most often delineated by where neighbors mow their lawns and/or maintain fences do not necessarily mark the actual property lines.

Do NOT assume that utility poles and sidewalk edges mark property lines.

Street curbs are almost never located at the property line.

Because many lots in Melbourne were platted many years ago, often times survey pins have inadvertently been removed by lot owners unaware of what they were.

Survey pins are typically buried about 1 or more below grade and at the corners of lots.

Pins are typically a round iron pipe flush or slightly below the grade line. Newer pins will have a yellow or orange plastic cap with a surveyors license number on it. Some older pins could be metal posts, rebar, axle irons, pipes and other items.

The City does NOT have a specific survey of your lot.

If no pins are found, contact a registered land surveyor to locate your property lines and set new corner pins.

HEARING LOSS? CHOOSE SMOKE ALARMS WITH ADDED FEATURES

Older adults and other folks with a hearing loss may not be able to respond quickly to the sound of standard smoke alarms. Here are some things to consider if this situation applies to you or a loved one.

Test smoke alarms to make sure everyone in your home can hear them, even when theyre asleep. Some people may not be awakened by the sound of a smoke alarm.

You can buy notification appliances that are separate from the smoke alarms and produce complex, low-frequency audible signals upon activation to wake up family members or guests with mild to severe hearing loss.

If anyone in your household is deaf or if your own hearing is diminished consider installing a smoke alarm that uses a flashing light or vibration device to alert you to a fire emergency.

Smoke alarms with high-intensity strobe lights or alarms that can be used with accessory strobes are other options. Also evaluate pillow or bed shakers that are activated by the sound of an alarm.

If possible, assign both a family member and a backup person to help awaken those with hearing loss during fire drills and emergencies.

All smoke alarms require regular testing and maintenance to ensure theyre working properly. Families and/or caregivers may need to assist older adults with these tasks.

For more information on fire safety, go to the website of the Electrical Safety Foundation International at www.esfi.org.

Is phantom energy haunting you?

There are real life vampires in your house. They are lurking in your computers, TVs, video game systems and other electronics that keep using energy even when theyre off.

The best way to fight these vampires is to unplug anything that isnt being used, and for those things you cant unplug, use a smart strip a power strip that cuts off electricity flow when items are not in use.

Smart power strips