Speaker and Lunch at the Community Center

Dummerston Cares will host a talk by George Whitney on Monday, May 21st at 11 AM at the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West Street, in West Dummerston. The talk will be followed by a free light lunch.

George, a retired veterinarian from Connecticut, now lives in Brattleboro. At over 90 he is, among other interests and activities, an avid runner. He will speak about his most recent book, Come Jog With Me. He also kept reptiles for 30 years during his practice and has a collection of stories about this, as well as other animal anecdotes he is willing to share.

Please join us for this fun and interesting program. The Community Center is competely handicapped accessible. Some transportation could be arranged. Let us know if you plan to stay for lunch by leaving a message on our Help Phone, 257-5800.

DUMMERSTON IN THE NEWS

A Trillion Dollars



A billion. A hundred billion. A trillion dollars. Big numbers! What does a trillion bucks look like, though? Go to this page to start to get an idea of a number that big.

NOT Stranded in London!

We got an e-mail from one of our Dummerston neighbors this morning and were surprised to hear he's stranded in London. Except that he's not.

It turns out that someone was able to take control of his e-mail (Yahoo) account, send out "please help" letters to everyone in his Yahoo address book, and monitor the incoming mail for offers of help from helpful and concerned friends and family. The e-mail looks like this:

Apologies for having to reach out to you like this, I made a trip early this week to London, UK and had my bags stolen from me with my passport and credit cards in it. The embassy is willing to help by letting me fly without my passport, I just have to pay for a ticket and settle Hotel bills. Unfortunately for me, I can't have access to funds without my credit card, I've made contact with my bank but they need more time to come up with a new one. I was thinking of asking you to lend me some quick funds that I can give back as soon as I get in. I really need to be on the next available flight.I can forward you details on how you can get the funds to me. You can reach me via email or May field hotel's desk phone, the numbers are, +447024030610 or +447024030611.
I await your response...
Best,
Dxxxx

As we were reading the e-mail we were horrified at his predicament, but we then noticed that the e-mail was addressed to "Undisclosed Recipients" - not at all the way our friend would do it. We then Googled one of the phone numbers, and that uncovered the nature of the scam. We resisted the urge to e-mail back to our friend to alert him, as it was clear that the scammers were inviting responses back to his e-mail address. So - we called him and he immediately changed his account password.

Unfortunately, a (truly!) helpful friend or two DID e-mail him a warning, which tipped off the scammers that their victim was becoming aware of the problem. By the time that he got into his account, ALL of his contacts AND e-mail were deleted. The scammers knew that our friend was being warned and, as they apparently do, they "went nuclear" on him.

    Some lessons here?
  1. BACK UP your "online-only" (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) contacts and mail. Look for an "Export" option and save to your own computer.
  2. Not positive about an unsolicited e-mail? DON'T. CLICK. THAT. LINK. Really...
  3. Trust your instincts - no need to be paranoid, but be vigilant.
  4. Google Search is your friend. Use it to implement your "Trust, but verify" policy.

Making Warm Friends

Dummerston Cares, a non-profit town organization serving seniors and others in Dummerston, needs help. They administer emergency fuel assistance funds for Dummerston neighbors in need, as donated money allows. They're actively working at raising funds for fuel assistance - so no neighbor is without heat. Can you help?

To donate, please contact Rev. Susanna Griefen at 275-5095, or send your check to Dummerston Cares, 1324 Rice Farm Road, Dummerston, 05301. For fuel aid for Dummerston residents in need, call the Helpline phone: 257-5800.

Health Care Reform and Vermont

Representative Mike Mrowicki has put together a white paper on how the Federal Health Care Reform Program could impact our state and its residents. He includes links of interest.

Check out the report right here. The always-available Mike welcomes your thoughts and comments.

Cohabitation in the Twenty-First Century

Black bear, East-West Road
photo courtesy Mary Ellen Copeland
The bears are on the move, and it's time to take down those bird feeders! As fascinating as it is to see these impressive animals strolling through your yard, it's never a good thing to train them that approaching people and homes is the quickest way to a great snack.


Well-stocked bird feeders are nothing more than a buffet invitation to bears, and the consequences are never good. Please - remove ALL outdoor food sources, so that the bears' best dining opportunity is back in the woods. Later in the fall the bird feeders can go back out, but for now, bring 'em in!

More tips are available from our friends at Vermont Fish & Wildlife. For extra credit, take a look at their Black Bear Fact Sheet.

Highway Travel S-t-r-e-t-c-h

The Vermont Information Center Division publishes a handly little guide called "Park Bench Yoga". It's designed to help visitors loosen up their muscles after their long trek to our corner of the world. The exercises look like they'd also be just the thing for recovering after a long flight, though certainly not possible whilst in your "cozy" seat! Take a look: Park Bench Yoga. The file is 1.4MB, and it'll print wonderfully to a regular 8 1/2 by 11 page.