Welcome to the August 2007 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's (FCIC) FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information on our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and Kids.gov.
This issue includes:
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Before you take that Labor Day weekend trip to the beach, why not check out the water quality there? Visit the Beachgoers Water Quality Map to find out the water quality at 100 popular beaches across the country. Click an umbrella to find out how often your beach is checked for water pollution, and if the water failed to meet EPA health standards.
How does your favorite beach measure up? You can see what others have had to say about the beaches they visit, and post your own comments about your favorite (or less-than-favorite) spot on the shore.
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HELPING YOUR CHILD SUCCEED IN SCHOOL
It’s back-to-school time and your child might be feeling anxious about starting school. Every child has the power to succeed in school and in life and you can help. Helping Your Child Succeed in School provides information, tools and activities you can use at home to help your child develop the skills critical to academic success.
For additional back-to-school resources, read FCIC’s Consumer Focus. You’ll get great tips on:
- Top 5 Causes of Missed School
- Check-Ups and Immunizations
- Healthy Sleep
- Nutrition Points
- Get Moving
- Travel to and from School
- Backpack Safety
- and more!
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The end of summer means back to school and welcome to fall. However,
it doesn’t mean goodbye to mosquitoes. Mosquito season lasts until
October and with it comes the risk of West Nile Virus (WNV). Here
are some steps you can take to protect yourself against mosquitoes: 
- Apply insect repellant containing DEET before going outdoors.
- Wear loose fitting clothing that covers your arms and legs.
- If possible, avoid outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, when mosquito activity is greatest.
- Keep mosquitoes outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows and doors.
- Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by getting rid of items that hold water. Clean out clogged gutters, drain buckets/pails, and empty and change the water in flower pots and birdbaths.
Get more information at CDC’s West
Nile Virus page. CDC also lists
links to
state and local government West Nile Virus websites to get
the latest information about WNV in your area.
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Gambling is for Las Vegas or Atlantic City, not your computer. Did you know that online gambling is illegal in the U.S?
This means:
- No placing cyber bets on sporting events or in virtual card games;
- No transferring money electronically for gambling; and
- No wagers in offshore Internet casinos if you live in the U.S.
It’s also illegal for businesses to run gambling websites and to solicit online bets. Even companies handling transactions for cyberspace bettors can face federal charges.
What’s allowed? Some free online games, fantasy leagues, and Indian gaming sites that aren’t strictly defined as Internet gambling.
For more information, check out the FBI’s Online Gambling news release.
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FREE PUBLICATIONS: UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYER-PROVIDED
RETIREMENT AND HEALTH BENEFITS
Retirement and health benefits play an important part in your financial security. For many, spending money today seems more important than saving for tomorrow. But having a comfortable retirement requires a plan to make your savings last, especially if you're 5 to 10 years away from your retirement date. Find out how you can shape-up your finances and make better health care decisions for yourself and your dependents with these four informative publications:
- Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future
- Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning
- Life Changes Require Health Choices
- Work Changes Require Health Choices
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Previous issues of the FEDINFO E-letter can be found at: www.pueblo.gsa.gov/fedinfonews/fedinfoarchives.htm.
You can change your subscriptions, password, or e-mail address or remove yourself from this service at any time on your User Profile page. All you need are your e-mail address and password (if you selected one).
This service is provided free of charge by the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) at Pueblo, CO, your one-stop source for information about consumer problems and government services. Visit us at www.pueblo.gsa.gov.
For questions or problems with this subscription service, e-mail updates@pueblo.gsa.gov. For inquiries related to FCIC, email us.
Issue 2007-4