October 9, 2002 Henry County Announcements

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Greetings List Members! Henry County Web Announcements

In this OCTOBER 9, 2002 Issue:

Drennon Festival
Congratulations, New Castle
Crazy Bears (Computer FYI)
Degrees of Separation?
World Food Month
Flu Shots
Henry County Postcards
COMING EVENTS
Drennon Festival
Town Meetings
Henry County Historical Society
"Lily May Ledford-Coon Creek Girl" Chautaugua
Henry County Homemakers Holiday Bazaar
Henry County Farmers Market

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Drennon Festival this year."

Between the long dry spell and some administrative changes there was some uncertainty if there would actually be a Drennon Festival this year. Thanks to some dedicated workers (and "Mother Nature" for the recent rain) there is a Drennon Festival this year. You'll find great food fare, wonderful crafts and works of art, exhibits and demonstrations, and entertainment for all ages! For information about events, a map, the history of Drennon, photos from past Drennon Festivals, and more, visit the Drennon Festival web page at http://www.henrycountyky.com/history/drennon/index.html

If you have the bandwidth, you might wish to view the Drennon FLASH presentation at http://henrycountyky.com/flash.html

Congratulations, New Castle

The City of New Castle is now a Renaissance Kentucky Community. Joining Eminence, New Castle is now Henry County's second Silver Award winner. This award and designation means that New Castle will be receiving funds, and technical assistance in it's revitalization program and will also be eligible for other grants and funding.

To learn more about this award and associated program visit the following sites:
Renaissance Kentucky Kentucky League of Cities and The Kentucky Heritage Council (Main Street).

CRAZY BEARS (Computer FYI)

This is the story of The Two Bears--the two computer bears, that is. One Bear is a Virus hoax, the other bear is a real virus; neither bear is cute and cuddly.

The HOAX Virus: Dubbed the "Bear Virus" because of an associated bear icon, this hoax urgently warns you that you need to immediately delete a file from your computer. You are directed to find and delete the file jdbgmgr.exe. JDBGMGR.EXE is NOT A VIRUS. This file comes with windows and is a java debug manager. Do not delete this file. For more of the "particulars" of this hoax visit the snopes.com site. Exact page: http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/jdbgmgr.htm

The REAL VIRUS: BUGBEAR.A is a real virus showing up as recently as September 30th. This virus/worm is so insidious and spreading so rapidly it will probably challenge KLEZ.H for top virus of the year. BUGBEAR exploits a security flaw in windows...you do not need to deliberately download the file or execute it for your computer to become infected. Without your knowledge it turns your computer into an "email server" to distribute the virus to others. It also can give hackers access to your computer, recording your keystrokes and passwords. To read more about BUGBEAR.A check the web site of your anti-virus software or have a look at what Trend Micro (PC CILLIN) has to say about it.

So...you know what comes next, right? I'm going to give your the ol' standard: Keep your anti-virus software UPDATED!

Here are two extra tips:

1) Most anti-virus software programs have an auto update feature. This is great if your are forgetful about doing regular updates. BUT...I would strongly suggest that you develop a VIRUS SAFETY HABIT of initiating manual updates. Viruses and updates are developed so rapidly that your computer, that was "safe" last night, might not be "safe" in the morning. The automated update servers can be flooded with update requests and it can take awhile for the servers to recognise you are connected to the network, thus delaying your update for up to several hours. Two personal examples of how time imperative updates are, I was within hours (perhaps minutes!) of being the victim of BADTRANS.A last November and BUGBEAR.A 10 days ago. Because I manually activate my updates as soon as I log on in the morning I got these updates BEFORE I opened my email. Less than 11 hours before the writing of this newsletter, a new virus has been discovered and an update filter distributed by my av company--the newest "Medium Risk" virus? RODOK.A; I bet you'll be hearing about this on the news too.

2) WINDOWS security patches and updates repair vulnerabilities that MicroSoft didn't discover prior to release of software. The security patches and updates ARE NOT intended to block all viruses from attacking your computer. They are intended to close up holes that make it easier for virus developers/"crackers" to attack computers. Sometimes the updates are only to enhance the operation of your computer. Whether it is for enhancement or security, you should check the windowsupdate.microsoft.com web site. IMPORTANT: READ the information about the updates CAREFULLY. Not all the suggested updates will apply to your computer operating system version. If you download and install a patch file not intended for you computer you could experience "unpleasant" results.

DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Have you seen the Microsoft commercial for 1° of Separation? Have you been puzzling about "what the heck is 1° of separation?" Maybe you've heard the play/movie title "Six Degrees of Separation"? And you still don't know what they are talking about? Or maybe you've heard of the "Bacon (Kevin) Factor," or seen the credit card commercial and don't get it.

There is a "theory"--probably calculated by some statistician/mathematician--that every one on the planet is "separated" by only six other people (friend of a friend of a friend of a friend, etc.). So, theoretically you are only six people away from knowing EVERYONE on the planet. General info on: Six Degrees Experiment.

I recently discovered two personal cases of 1° of separation. We are more than one year past the 9/11 incident, and though I was somewhat concerned for one family member at the time, it appeared that, even though I was born and raised in the NY metro area, I had absolutely no connection to any victims of the attack. I was wrong. I have a connection to a passenger on Flight 93 (the plane that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.) I never knew her last name, I was too young to remember her. But I knew her first name instantly, and my mother and uncle had no doubt or pause to gasp when her name was read at the Memorial site. Her name was Hildegard, and she was a friend to my great-grandmother and grandmother and babysitter to my mother and uncle. You might think: isn't that 2° of separation for you, and 1° for your mother and uncle. Well...actually, no, since Hildegard actually met me when I was just a baby--though I certainly can't remember it, our lives "touched" for a brief moment in the late 1950's. And now, you are just 1° separated from a victim of 9/11, since you know (or at least know of) me. (To read about Hildegard (Zill) Marcin, click here.)

My other 1° or separation involves knowing a Louisville victim of West Nile Virus.

The idea of DEGREES OF SEPARATION has been much on my mind lately, because of these two incidents. I'm feeling, though, that this theory is "wrong" -- or at least, mis-named. Shouldn't this actually be DEGREES OF CONNECTION? It's long been my notion that we are all so very connected in imperceptible ways. Visually speaking, if we are circles, no circle is isolated--all circles touch and overlap each other, sometimes wide spaces and sometimes very small spaces. Each human being touches another, and each "touch" spreads and connects us to everyone we know and even everyone we don't "know."

Can it be said we are far more CONNECTED then we are SEPARATED? I suppose that depends on who you talk to and perhaps the "mood of the moment." For British author James Burke it's all about "Connections"--the theme and title of many of his books and television shows. To learn more about the chains of connections, sometimes obscure, you might like to visit one of the James Burke websites. This link is a good place to start: James Burke: The Knowledge Web; Voices From The Smithsonian Associates

Here, for example, is a string of connections:

I hear from my mother that her childhood baby sitter was onboard Flight 93, the same week I learn that someone I volunteered with years ago contracted West Nile Virus and survived. The same night, while watching television I see the MasterCard commercial with Kevin Bacon and the Microsoft commercial with the car salesman ordering the custom paint color. I notice in the program listing a movie with Stockard Channing, who starred in a movie called "Six Degrees of Separation". My brain recognizes an association in all these events. The "connection" is me--my experience and knowledge of these things; I write this article.

We have choices in our lives to touch with goodness or malice. I hope that I will always touch with goodness and it will touch you in the first° degree; then everyone you know (2°); and everyone they know (3°)... and so on through all the DEGREES OF CONNECTION.

October is World Food Month and the Henry County Homemakers are collecting canned goods through the month of October to help the local food bank. Take your canned goods to the Henry County Extension office, or if you prefer you can give a monetary donation. Checks can be made to the Henry County Homemakers--BE SURE to note in the memo section of your check "World Food Month."

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE

Flu Shots are available at the Henry County Home Health Agency by appointment. (Our clinic days are completely booked.)

If you are on Medicare or Medicaid the shot is free, but please remember to bring your card. All others will be charged $8.00.

AT HIGH RISK CRITERIA IS AS FOLLOWS:

Over 50 years old
Residing in a long term facility housing persons with chronic medical conditions
Any serious long term health problems such as:
Heart Disease
Lung Disease
Kidney Disease
Asthma
Metabolic Disease (ex. Diabetes)
Anemia and other blood disorders
Immune System compromised disorder
6 months - 18 years of age on long term aspirin treatment
Women that will be past their first tri-mester during the peak of flu season (January)
Physicians, Nurses, Health Care Workers, or anyone else in close contact with those "at risk" mentioned above.

Pneumonia Shots are NOT available at this writing, so please call for more information as it becomes available. For more information or to schedule an appointment you may call 845-2882.

e-POSTCARDS FROM HENRY COUNTY, WITH LOVE

What could be better than FREE E-POSTCARDS?

FREE E-POSTCARDS from Henry County! If you like them, we hope you will share them with a friend.

And PLEASE...email us and let us know if you like these and want more categories.

http://www.henrycountyky.com/postcard

COMING EVENTS

Drennon Festival
Oct. 12 & 13

Please check http://www.henrycountyky.com/history/drennon/index.html for newest information regarding this event.

Town Meetings
7 p.m. 10/16, 17, 23, and 24
Details above.

Henry County Historical Society
October 21, 6:30 p.m.

The Historical Society will meet for a catered dinner at the 4H Center, with the meeting beginning at 7:30. The guest presenter will be Tym Ricketts, on the history of the Henry County Library. the cost of dinner is $7.00 and reservations should be made by October 17 by calling 845-2695.

"Lily May Ledford-Coon Creek Girl" Chautaugua
October 29, 7:00 p.m.
4H Center

This ia a FREE event, but you MUST pre-register so that there will be adequate seating and refreshments available (845-2811.) This program was funded in part by the Kentucky Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Chautaugua programs are biographical presentations that provide some historical education and cultural enlightenment in an entertainment format. This particular program includes music! To learn more about this program visit the Extension Consumer Sciences page.

Henry County Homemakers Holiday Bazaar
November 9, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
4H Center

This is the 10th Annual Holiday Bazaar! We will once again have about 30 booths of local arts, crafts and goodies available. Booths will rent for $15 this year. The Homemakers are planning on having a "vintage" Holiday Ornament sale table to raise funds for landscaping at the new Extension Office building. Food will be available, hunt for great gifts, and have a great day.

Farmers Market
Saturdays -- 8:00 a.m. Courthouse Lawn, New Castle KY
Friday Evenings -- 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. "Our Best" in Smithfield

These are the final weeks of the Farmers Market for 2002. There's still time to gather up the goodies of the fall harvest season.

Now, the "Netiquette"...

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Warmest Henry County Regards,

~~Joyce K. Meyer

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