“Why do my schools keep coming back for levies? How do they use the tax dollars they receive? What’s the state contributing to my district?” These are just some of the questions to be discussed at the League of Women Voters meeting 7-9 p.m. Jan. 7 at Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church (103 Wm. Howard Taft) in the Geier Room. For more information, call 513-281-8683.

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Make a kite, learn to play the guitar, beat a drum or learn what it takes to write your memoir.

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For those of you who don't celebrate Christmas

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So you're going to be driving over the next few days.  As I write the roads are getting icy, but it will be 53 degrees on Christmas Day.  If I don't start a riot due to the stupid weather, I will also be driving.  I would appreciate it if you wouldn't kill me while I drive by doing something stupid.

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The Department of Public Safety Emergency Management Agency doesn’t want you to get caught out in the cold or in a flood or any of the other icky weather situations that arise during the winter months in Ohio. In a press release they offer a number of helpful tips that make a lot of sense.

“To stay safe, learn the difference between winter storm watches and warnings mean,” the press release says. “Prepare your home against the cold; and use caution and common sense when driving.

And this is what they have to say about that…

Winter Awareness Information:

• A winter storm WATCH means a winter storm is possible in your area.
• A winter storm WARNING means a winter storm is occurring or will soon occur in your area. Local National Weather Service forecast offices issue warnings on a county-by-county basis.
• A blizzard WARNING means sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 miles per hour or greater and considerable falling or blowing snow (reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile) are expected to prevail for a period of three hours or longer.
• Be aware of changing weather conditions.

Winter Preparedness Information:

• Use a NOAA Weather Radio to keep you informed of watches and warnings issued in your area
• Keep your vehicle’s gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from
• Discuss with your family what to do if a winter storm WATCH or WARNING is issued� Make sure your home is properly insulated. If necessary, insulate walls and attic

Winter Driving:

• Have your vehicles winterized before the winter storm
• Put together a separate disaster supplies kit for your vehicle
• Speed and Distance —The faster you’re going, the longer it will take to stop. When accelerating on snow or ice, take it slow to avoid slipping and sliding. Remember, Ice and Snow…Take it Slow
• Brake — Brake early, brake slowly, brake correctly, and never slam on the brakes. If you have anti-lock brakes, press the pedal down firmly and hold it. If you don’t have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the pedal. Either way, give yourself plenty of room to stop
• Control — When driving on ice and snow, do not use cruise control and avoid abrupt steering maneuvers. When merging into traffic, take it slow. Sudden movements can cause your vehicle to slide.
• Vision — Be aware of what’s going on well ahead of you. Actions by other vehicles will alert you to problems more quickly, and give you that split-second of extra time to react safely

To check out road closures, detours and other traffic information, visit www.buckeyetraffic.org

Young Professionals ditch their suits and briefcases and trade them in for dirty clothes and power tools and they want more people to join them in 2009. Why? So they can build more stuff – houses, to be specific.

“Since 2005, Cincinnati Habitat YP has been working to raise money and awareness for Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity. Every year, they’ve hosted events from happy hours to wine tastings to cornhole tournaments to accomplish their goals,” says a press release from the group. “Moving into to 2009, they’re making a resolution to ‘Do More’ for Habitat for Humanity than ever before. With a calendar of ambitious new events (and) a new Board of Directors…Cincinnati Habitat YP is raising their sights in ambitious new ways.”

Some of those New Year’s resolutions include:

• Crack the 1,000 member mark

• Increase their fundraising from $10,000 per year to … $25,000

• Continue to pave the way for new Habitat YP groups interested in starting up their own efforts across the country using similar successful efforts in Atlanta, Detroit, St Louis, and Washington DC. as a model

Right now Habitat YP is looking for more YP volunteers to “DO MORE” in committee and leadership roles in 2009. For more information about what that means, and to sign up, visit www.cincinnati-habitat.org/yp, or email yp@cincinnati-habitat.org.

CHYP is affiliated with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, which has provided over 150 homes in the area since 1985. Information on the organization can be obtained at www.cincinnati-habitat.org.

The Cincinnati Public Schools levy passed. The Superintendent search is still going on. Want to know more about what cuts are in the works to address the budget short-fall and what Mary Ronan, the interim superintendent, is up to?

CPS is hosting a “Community Conversation” in two parts on Jan. 13.

The first part is a brown-bag lunch will be hosted at the CPS Education Center (2651 Burnet Avenue, Corryville), 11:00 a. m. - 12:30 p.m. And Aiken High School (5641 Belmont Avenue, College Hill) will host round two that evening, 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Make some time a Tuesday to find out what’s going on in the school district so you’re more informed.

Dictionary.com defines “synchronicity” as “the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events (as similar thoughts in widely separated persons or a mental image of an unexpected event before it happens) that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality.”

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Your friendly Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a suggestion: Do some prep now to save a headache later. In a press release, the IRS offered some helpful hints that will make it easier to do just that.

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Shop-til-you-drop is the new mantra for a lot of people, but buyer beware!

“Ken Grossman, crime prevention specialist with the Xavier University Police Department, has created a list of holiday safety tips as a means of reminding and helping members of the community remain safe during the holidays,” says a press release from Xavier.

• Don’t be overburdened with packages. Carrying several shopping bags makes you vulnerable.

(Going back to the car to drop purchases in the trunk and be a pain, but look at it as additional exercise and an insurance policy for seeing people open those gifts you picked out – don’t forget to set your car alarm.)

• Shop with others. If there are three or more people together, the chance of being targeted for crime is 90 percent less than when alone.

(The stress of finding parking and waiting in line is a lot easier to deal with when you’re able to enjoy the company of friends, not strangers, in the midst of all the hassle.)

• ATM robberies often occur after the patron has completed their transaction. Always have your head up and be aware of your surroundings when you leave an ATM.

(Only go to well-lit ATM locations, go with an ATM buddy or, better yet, use an ATM during banking hours when there security guards are standing by.)

• Avoid leaving boxes from purchases (especially TVs, VCRs, computer, etc.) out on the curb for trash pickup.

(Take advantage of community recycling drop centers – you can recycle cardboard and other materials removing tell-tale signs of expensive gifts in the house and get rid of old computers and related paraphernalia via the computer recycling program offered by Hamilton County.)

More tips can be found at the school’s Web site, too.