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O c t o b e r 9 , 2 0 0 9 Issue 3

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PHOTO: Courtney Thorne-SmithQ: With the news that Heather Locklear is returning to "Melrose Place" to join former co-stars Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga, is there any chance the producers can lure any of the other former "Melrose" residents back? -- Kathy D., Myrtle Beach, S.C.A: When I spoke recently with Courtney Thorne-Smith, who was promoting her new

Lifetime Television movie "Sorority Wars," I asked her if she'd consider return-ing to "Melrose." Courtney replied: "I would totally consider it. The timing is not right for me now, but I do watch it. I think they are doing a great job, and I definitely would consider it for the future. It's just not right for me right now.

If they do something where we are all there,

I'd love to do it because I'd love to see everybody. That would be really fun." Q: Will the TV series "Life" be back on this season? -- Glenda F., via e-mail Turn to page 4 for more...

Page 2 October 9, 2009 Tidbits® Of Lane CountyRecovering From Bankruptcy

While a bankruptcy will stay on your credit report for 10 years, it doesn't mean you're out of luck for that whole time when it comes to getting new credit. You'll likely get stacks of offers in the mail for secured credit cards as soon as your bankruptcy notice hits the legal ads. Secured cards can be a good first step, but not all cards are the same. With a secured card, you send the company money to keep on deposit, and it essentially loans you back your own funds (typically in the hundreds of dollars) in the form of a credit card. It's the fees you need to watch for. There will be ap-plication fees, annual fees, upfront fees, participation fees -- and before you know it, the few hundred dollars you put on deposit are gone. Beware offers of unsecured cards for the same reason. The interest rate is likely to be very high. Additionally, if the card company doesn't report your payments to the credit bureaus, it doesn't do you any good. You need to build a track record of on-time payments. Take a close look at your credit report from all three bureaus. It's possible that there are debts still listed (negative ones that show an overdue balance) that were canceled during bankruptcy. If there was a public notice in the legal ads, the credit bureaus will have seen it and should note it in your records. If they haven't, insist that it be corrected. When it comes to buying a house or car after bankruptcy, there is always someone who will give you a loan. The problem is the astronomical interest rate you'll surely be offered. Wait it out. At some point (a year or two) you could qualify for a loan at closer to current interest rates. Use that time to build your credit and save money for a down payment. If there are debts that were reaffirmed during bankruptcy (not discharged), use those as an example of how you'll pay your debts in the future. Make all payments on time. If you've been through bankruptcy, you essentially have a clean slate and can start new -- but only if you don't make any mistakes.David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally an-swer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail.com.(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

By Samantha Mazzotta

Squeaky StairsQ: The stairs down to my basement squeak like crazy when I walk on them. What's causing this, too much humidity? -- Harriet S., Wheeling, W.Va.A: Humidity can cause wooden stairs and floorboards to swell slightly. Dry air can have the opposite effect. Tem-perature fluctuations also can play a role in increasing the amount of squeaking from a stair tread. Wood is fairly reactive to changes in its environment -- that's part of its strength. Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of an-noying squeaks from the treads as you walk up or down the stairs. So, tackle it head-on. Or tread-on, as it were. A stair squeaks when the tread (where you put your foot) rubs against a riser (one of the vertical boards that support the tread). Depending on the amount of "give" between the tread and riser, the squeak can be minimal, or rather loud. Inspect the entire staircase. As it's a basement staircase, you should be able to walk underneath it and check things out with a flashlight. Is all of the wood in good condition? Do you see water damage, cracked boards, or misaligned treads or risers? Any damaged boards should be replaced. If the damage was caused by water, find and stop the water prob-lem, as it can cause other issues throughout the basement.If a tread appears to be in good condition but sags vis-ibly when someone walks on it, replace that tread. Now, if there's no major damage or sagging, the squeaks can be dealt with fairly cheaply. Have a helper walk up and down the stairs while you pinpoint and mark the squeaky areas. Then, shim the pinpointed spots -- drive small wooden wedges (available at the hardware store) between the underside of the tread and the front riser at each spot. Have your helper test the shimmed tread; if it worked, use wood glue to keep the shims in place.Send questions or home-repair tips to homeguru2000@hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Fea-tures Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

HOME TIP: To temporarily stop small squeaks in stairs or the floor, squeeze graphite powder between the floorboards or into the gap where a stair tread meets

Tidbits® Of Lane County October 9, 2009 Page 3

Events CalendarFri Oct 9th Springfields Farmers Market from 9am to 2pm.Fri Oct 9th TapeWater @ Diablo’s Downtown Lounge. 9pm 343.2346Fri Oct 9th-11th Fall Home Improvement Show from 5pm to 9 pm. Sat 10am to 9pm. Sun 10am to 5pm. FREEFri Oct 9th Green Mountain Bluegrass Band @ Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove. 8:30pm $5. 942.5942Fri Oct 9th & 10th Visions d’Amour: 10 Ballets in Paris @ The Hult Center, Eugene. 7:30 pm 682.5000Sat Oct 10th Springfield Youth Farm Stand from 10am to 2pm. 343.2822Sat Oct 10th Eugene Saturday Market from 10am to 5pm. Rain or Shine.Sat Oct 10th The Presidents Own United States Marine Band @ The Hult Center, Eugene. 7:30pm. 682-5000Sat Oct 10th Hot Club Eugene @ Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove. 8:30 pm. $5. 942.5942Sun Oct 11th New Shanghai Circus @ The Hult Center, Eugene. 4pm. 682.5000Tue Oct 13th Open Mic, Habitat for Humanity Benefit @ Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove. 6:30pm sign up. 942.5942Tue Oct 13th The art of Bellydance @ The Hult Center, Eugene. 8pm. 682.5000Wed Oct 14th & 15th $10 NL Hold’em Tournament. 7pm. 225-2275Thu Oct 15th Musicians Spotlight hosted by Larry Bark-meyer @ Axe and Fiddle, Cottage Grove. 7pm 942.5942Thu Oct 15th SHOcase: Shasta Middle Session Jazz Choir @ The Hult Center, Eugene. 11:15am. 682.5000Thu Oct 15th The Shedd Institute: Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt @ The Hult Center. 7:30pm. 682.5000

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On Oct. 20, 1774, the First Continental Congress creates the Continental Associa-tion, which calls for a complete ban on all trade between America and Great Britain of all goods, wares or merchan-dise. It was one of the first acts of Congress behind which every colony firmly stood.

On Oct. 22, 1797, the first parachute jump of note is made by Andre-Jacques Garnerin from a hydrogen balloon 3,200 feet above Paris. As he failed to include an air vent at the top of the prototype, Garnerin oscillated wildly in his de-scent, and he landed shaken but unhurt.

On Oct. 24, 1861, workers of the Western Union Telegraph Company link the nation's eastern and western telegraph networks, completing the first transcontinental line. The obstacles to building the line were huge. Among other things, Sioux warriors had cut a completed part of the line and took a long section of wire for making bracelets.

On Oct. 19, 1931, David Cornwell, later known as spy nov-elist John le Carre, is born in Poole, England. He joined the British Foreign Service in 1959. His 1986 book, "A Perfect Spy," was the first of his novels not submitted to the British government for approval and possible censorship, given his former intelligence status. On Oct. 25, 1944, during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, the Japanese deploy kamikaze ("divine wind") suicide bomb-ers against American warships for the first time. More than 1,321 Japanese aircraft crash-dived their planes into Allied warships during the war.

On Oct. 21, 1962, Chubby Checker sings his 1960 No. 1 hit, "The Twist," on Ed Sullivan's variety show. His appear-ance boosted sales of the record, and in January the song hit No. 1 again, making "The Twist" the only record ever to top the charts twice.

On Oct. 23, 1989, 23 people die in a series of explosions sparked by an ethylene leak at the Phillips Petroleum Com-pany factory in Pasadena, Texas. A subsequent investiga-tion found that the Occupational Safety and Health Admin-istration (OSHA) had not done a comprehensive inspection of the plant since 1975.

Milan-Style Meatballs

It is so much simpler to make six oversize meatballs instead of 30 small ones! And we never tire of the light tomato sauce they're cooked in, with diced vegetables and a touch of wine.

2 pounds ground meat for meat loaf (ground beef, pork, and/or veal)1 cup plain dried bread crumbs1/4 teaspoon pepper1 large eggSalt2 tablespoons salad oil1 medium onion, diced1 medium carrot, diced1 medium celery stalk, diced2 cans (14 1/2-ounce) diced tomatoes1/4 cup dry white wine1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves1 tablespoon minced parsley2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1. In large bowl, mix ground meat, bread crumbs, pepper, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup water. Shape meat mixture into 6 large meatballs.2. In 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot salad oil, cook meatballs until browned on all sides, removing meatballs to plate as they brown. In drippings remaining in skillet, over medium heat, cook onion, carrot and celery until lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally.3. Return meatballs to skillet. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, white wine, basil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup water; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.4. When meatballs are done, skim fat from liquid in skillet. Spoon meatballs with their sauce into warm, deep platter. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon peel. Serves 6.

Each serving: About 425 calories, 22g total fat, 140mg cholesterol, 1210mg sodium.(c) 2009 Hearst Communications, Inc.All rights reserved

Tidbits® Of Lane County October 9, 2009Page 4Continued from front page...

A: NBC announced in May that "Life" would not be back for a third season. The show received critical praise and pretty good overall ratings, however, NBC had to cut a lot of shows to make room for "The Jay Leno Show," which airs five nights a week in the 10 p.m. slot. You can catch "Life" star Damian Lewis in two upcoming feature films: "Your Highness," which will be released in October 2010 and also stars Zooey Deschanel, Natalie Portman and James Franco; and "Love and Virtue," which will be released sometime in 2010 and also stars John Malkovich, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Peter O'Toole and Daryl Hannah.Q: I love how the new "90210" has been transforming into a fun, silly and sexy hour of soapy television. Can you give me any scoop on what we can expect this season? -- Bree F., Altoona, Pa.A: According to star AnnaLynne McCord, Naomi's feud with Annie will continue well into episode 10. However, Naomi finally learns that her sister, Jen, isn't really on her side, and she switches the object of her wrath to Jen. Also, on the old-school front, Jennie Garth posted on her Twitter page: "Things aren't looking good for Jackie Taylor. Actu-ally filming on original 90210 stages! Weird!"Q: Is it true that another "Scream" movie is in the works? -- A Reader, via e-mailA: Prepare to be scared for a fourth time, as "Scream 4" is set to go into production in spring 2010. Neve Campbell will reprise her role of Sydney Prescott, with Courtney Cox and David Arquette signed up as well. There is no word yet on what the latest installment will be about, but you can bet producer Bob Weinstein is hoping the "Scream" box-office magic hasn't faded. "Scream" and "Scream 2" each grossed more than $100 million at the U.S. box office, with "Scream 3" making $89 million.Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at letters@cindyelavsky.com. For more news and extended interviews, visit www.celebrityextraonline.com and twitter.com/Celeb-rity_Extra.(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Page 5 Tidbits® Of Lane County October 9, 2009

1. Who is Topper Headon?2. How long was the Beatles song "Hey Jude"? Bonus for knowing what label it was on.3. Name the original lead guitarist for the Eagles.4. Name the first Herman's Hermits song to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts.5. Which R&B artist had hits with "It's Just a Matter of Time," "So Many Ways" and "Kiddio"?6. Name the members of the Traveling Wilburys.

Answers on page 7...

1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the tallest mountain in Western Europe?2. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase "in media res" mean?3. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: What famous writer said, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me"?4. AD SLOGANS: What products were sold with the ad-vertising slogan, "Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't"?5. MUSIC: In musical notation, what does it mean to play notes in a "staccato" style?6. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What was the Secret Service's code name for John F. Kennedy?7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many official lan-guages does the United Nations have?8. PSYCHOLOGY: People who suffer from misopedia have an abnormal dislike of what?9. TELEVISION: Which actress, upon winning an Emmy for best supporting role, shouted "This is for all the fat girls"?

Answers on page 7...

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By Samantha Weaver

It was Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who made the following sage observation: "The man's desire is for the woman, but the woman's desire is rarely other than for the desire of the man." The lens of your eye will continue to grow throughout your lifetime. You might be surprised to learn that famed British author Aldous Huxley, best-known for his dystopian novel "Brave New World," was a consultant on Disney's 1951 animated film version of "Alice in Wonderland." Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, didn't learn to read until he was 17 years old. For reasons that are unclear in the present day, lawmak-ers in North Carolina once saw fit to forbid racing a rabbit down a public street. In 1850, the northern portion of the state of California declared itself to be an independent country to be known as the Great Republic of Rough and Ready. Before he became a famous actor and director in his own right, Clint Eastwood was fired from bit parts in several films. Everyone knows that ballerinas endure rigorous training that can wreak havoc on their feet, but you may not have known that their shoes endure their own hardships. It's not uncommon for dancers to break in their toe shoes by crushing them in doors, steaming them over a kettle, slam-ming them against a concrete floor or beating them with a hammer. Those who study such things claim that eventually the oceans will dry up -- in about a billion years or so. During the Middle Ages, French toast was a delicacy en-joyed only by the very wealthy.

By Chris Richcreek

1. In 2008, Boston's Daisuke Matsu-zaka set the record for most wins by a Japanese pitcher in a major-league season with 18, topping Hideo Nomo's mark. How many did Nomo win?2. Name the last reliever to win a Cy Young Award.3. Who is the New York Giants' all-time leader in recep-tions?4. How many times between 1987 and 2007 did a Duke men's basketball player win the NABC Defensive Player of the Year award?5. The Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks have met how many times in the NHL playoffs?6. In 2009, driver Ron Hornaday set a new mark in the NA-SCAR Truck Series with five consecutive wins. With whom had he been tied at three wins in a row?7. How many tennis grand slam doubles titles have the Wil-liams sisters (Venus and Serena) won together?

Answers on page 7...

Tidbits® Of Lane CountyPage 6 October 9, 2009

By Sam MazzottaCat Suddenly Stops Using Litter Box

DEAR PAW'S CORNER: My 6-year-old cat, "Trixie," has suddenly started peeing in front of the front door, on the plastic runner, instead of using her litter box. Why would she start doing this? She is an indoor cat who has been fixed. -- Perplexed in Virginia

DEAR PERPLEXED: While it may or may not provide a quick answer, take Trixie to the veterinarian and have her checked out. Behavioral changes can sometimes signal an illness, so it's important to eliminate that possibility before trying other steps. If Trixie checks out OK, start monitoring her environment, and try to recall if anything has changed in your home, from furniture being moved around to a new roommate or pet. Cats can have trouble adjusting to what seem like small changes to you. Note what's going on outside as well. Is there an outdoor cat wandering the area regularly? Is wildlife visiting your property? Trixie may be reacting to another animal snuffling at the door. Meantime, whether or not you find the possible source of her behav-ioral change, replace the plastic runner with a new one and spray a cat repellent (available at the pet store) underneath, on and around it. You might want to set the old plastic run-ner down in front of the litter box to see if Trixie continues to urinate on it -- if she does, move the runner over the box for a few days and then remove it completely from the house. If Trixie continues to urinate in front of the door, clean up after her as soon as possible to prevent the urine from leaking into the carpet underneath. Try to catch her in the act and hiss or shake a can of pennies at her (don't do this after the act), then carry her over to the litter box. Repeat as necessary -- this could take several days or weeks -- but remain patient and encouraging. And of course, clean the litter box daily and make sure it's always accessible.

Send your tips, questions and comments to Paw's Cor-ner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or e-mail them to pawscorner@hotmail.com.

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

Page 7 October 9, 2009 Tidbits® Of Lane County

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Answers to Flashback1. Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon was a drummer with The Clash.2. "Hey Jude" was more than seven minutes long. It was on the Apple Records label, the group's first record with that company. 3. Bernie Leadon. He also sang lead vocal on many Eagles songs, including "Train Leaves Here This Morning" and "Earlybird."4. "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" hit the top of the U.S. charts in March 1965. Three years later, the group starred in a comedy film of the same name.5. Brook Benton. The songs all hit No. 1 on the R&B charts in the U.S.6. Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty all came together in the late 1980s to pro-duce two albums. They were called Volume 1 and Volume 3. There is no volume 2.

Answers to Trivia Test1. Mont Blanc 2. In the middle of things3. Hunter S. Thompson4. Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars5. Playing crisp, disconnected notes6. Lancer7. Six (English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, French and Rus-sian)8. Children9. Camryn Manheim of "The Practice"Answers To Sports Quiz1. Nomo won 16 games three different times -- 1996, 2002 and 2003.2. Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. 3. Amani Toomer tallied 668 receptions.4. Nine times -- Tommy Amaker, Billy King, Grant Hill, Steve Wojciechowski, Shane Battier (three times) and Shelden Williams (twice). 5. Fifteen times, including last season.6. Mike Skinner (1996, 2007), Greg Biffle ('00), Todd Bo-dine ('05) and Johnny Benson ('08).7. Ten, including four at Wimbledon.

Thought for the Day: "There's no secret about success. Did you ever know a successful man who didn't tell you about it?" -- Kin Hubbard

Page 8 October 9, 2009 Tidbits® Of Lane County

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