With August comes the LAZY, HAZY days of summer. We also celebrate .... August -> Watermelon Day, the 3^rd ; Women's Equality Day, the 26^th .

Then followed that beautiful season ... Summer ,
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape,
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Once again, we would like to bring to your attention that we have updated our internet website with a very comprehensive listing of agencies and services for the S.I. senior community. Please visit and stay informed : http://www.seniorcitizenhelp.org

• Senior Olympics 2008 - Where the silver goes for the gold . The dates have been selected so reserve September 14 -19 to be available to enjoy the 19 competitive events; the day of Demonstrations and The Torch Bearing Celebration. This is for those 50 plus. Remember, if you have allowed yourself to hibernate, get out and start that walking, exercising, bowling, swimming and those other physical activities. Do it slowly. No one wants any accidents. In other words "Use It or Lose It'. Applications should be available in the beginning of May. Marie Ellner has come on board as Coordinator this year. If you have questions feel free to call 718-981-4933 or to register: 718-475-5260.
• Volunteer Opportunity - Meals on Wheels of Staten Island, Inc. is a non-profit agency whose mission is to provide two nutritious meals each day to the homebound elderly. As the demand for meals continues to grow, so does our need for volunteer drivers. If you are available for approximately two hours, one day a week, you can volunteer to deliver meals to elderly neighbors in your community, or volunteer in our office. Please contact Roseann Holt, Volunteer Coordinator at 718.727.4435 for further information.
• The Staten Island Inter-Agency Council For Aging - General Membership Meetings - Save the Dates All on the grounds of Seaview Hospital , Louis Caravone Building, Community Board 2 office, 460 Brielle Ave; Meetings at 9:00am - 10:30am Thursday Sept. 18, 2008 - Access-A-Ride - Carole Zwick and Russell Schmid will present the program. Then - Thur. Oct.16, 2008; Thur. Feb. 19, 2009; Thur. Apr. 16; and Thur. May 21.
• The NYC Board of Elections announced yesterday the schedule for public demonstrations of the new AutoMark ballot marking devices ("BMDs"). The schedule (for S.I.) is below.
  The BMDs will be used in NYC this year in the September primary and November general elections.
  The BMDs will enable voters with disabilities and/or non-English languages to mark a paper ballot privately and independently, in compliance with federal requirements.
  There will be two more demonstrations after the primary and before the general election. For more information, call the Board of Elections at 212-487-5300.
  
  STATEN ISLAND
  College of Staten Island, CUNY
  The Center for the Arts, Building 1P
  Atrium, First Floor
  2800 Victory Blvd, Staten Island NY 10314
  Thursday, August 7, 2008
  6:00-8:00 PM.
• 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Staten Island, On Sunday, October 19, 2008, at Clove Lakes Park ; Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events have no registration fee and no fund raising minimum. These noncompetitive walks range in distance from three to five miles, and men, women, and children of all ages are encouraged to participate. For further information, please call anytime, day or night, at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Be wary of predatory lending practice

It's a problem that's always existed -- and is growing worse in the present economic crisis of mortgage foreclosures and personal indebtness bankruptcy.

IDENTITY THEFT - Guard your financial information.

* Only provide your credit card or bank account number when you make a purchase.

* Keep your social security number confidential. It's the key that unlocks your identity. Don't give it to anyone unless you're sure who it is and why it's necessary to provide it.

* Beware of imposters (Phishing). Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Be especially suspicious if someone contacts you and asks you to provide information they should already have. Always contact the company directly to confirm that the call or email is from them.

* Keep your mail safe. Your mail contains account numbers and other personal information. Collect it promptly from your mailbox. Mail bill payments at the post office or a public mailbox, not from your home mailbox.

* Memorize your passwords and PIN numbers. Don't leave them in your wallet or on your desk where someone else could find them.

* Lock it up. Keep your personal information locked up at home, at work, at school, in your car, and other places where you might keep it so others won't have easy access to it.

* Stay safe online. Don't send sensitive information such as credit card numbers by email, since it's not secure. Look for clues about security on Web sites. At the point where you are asked to provide your financial or other sensitive information, the letters at the beginning of the address bar at the top of the screen should change from "http" to "https" or "shttp." Your browser may also show that the information is being encrypted, or scrambled, so no one who might intercept it can read it.

* Check your credit reports regularly. If you find accounts that don't belong to you or other incorrect information, follow the instructions for disputing those items.

* You can ask for free copies of your credit reports in certain situations. If you were denied credit because of information in a credit report, you can ask the credit bureau that the report came from for a free copy of your file. And if you are the victim of identity theft, or you are on public assistance, you can ask all three of the major credit bureaus for free copies of your reports. Contact the credit bureaus at: Equifax, 800-685-1111; Experian, 800-311-4769, TransUnion, 800-888-4213.

* Everyone can request free copies of their credit reports once a year. In addition to the rights described above, a new federal law entitles all consumers to ask each of the three major credit bureaus for free copies of their reports once in every 12-month period. Go to www.ftc.gov/credit or call 877-382-4357 for more details and to see when you can make your requests. You don't have to ask all three credit bureaus for your reports at the same time; you can stagger your requests if you prefer. Do not contact the credit bureaus directly for these free annual reports. They are only available by calling 877-322-8228 or going to www.annualcreditreport.com. You can make your requests by phone or online, or download a form to mail your requests.

* Be cautious about offers for credit monitoring services. Why pay for them when you can get your credit reports for free or very cheap? Equifax, 800-685-1111; Experian, 800-311-4769, TransUnion, 800-888-4213.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE.....

Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
When two egotists meet, it's an I for an I.
A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two tired.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
She was engaged to a boyfriend with a wooden leg but broke it off.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed.
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

_____________________________

Have a Happy, Healthy Summer !

*** The End ***

Staten Island's Senior community is served by an extensive list of sites of Senior Centers and Friendship Clubs where members enjoy companionship, activities, pastimes, and good meals. The centers are also served by volunteer advocates for information on benefits and resources available to seniors.

SENIOR CENTERS and FRIENDSHIP CLUBS

*Friendship Clubs - Executive Director - Lee Vaccaro, 11 Sampson Ave., S.I. 10308 , (718) 356-5050 / 356-3555