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FEDINFO E-Letter
Issue 2008-5

Welcome to the September/October 2008 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's (FCIC) FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent six 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, Kids.gov, and GovGab.gov.

This issue includes:

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Happy Birthday, Gov Gabbirthday cake

Gov Gab, the Federal Citizen Information Center’s blog, turns 1 this September.  It's covered lots of ground—everything from deciphering food expiration dates to dealing with bats in your house to why our gas prices are so high.

Each week, five writers offer a variety of perspectives on daily life and give you plenty of links to interesting government and other sites that offer helpful information.  They've built a loyal following, but they'd love to have you join the community, too.  There's always room for more!

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Seeking Fall Colors

As summer wanes, a trip to see fall foliage may be on your mind. The U.S. Forest Service Fall Colors site can help you decide when and where to go. Though it’s a little early to predict peak season at many locations, the Forest Service expects to have the site up and running by Sept. 15. You can also call their Fall Colors Hotline, 1-800-354-4595. Colorful trees in the fall.

If you enjoy road trips, American’s ByWays offer great opportunities for “leaf-peeping.” Adventurous types can visit Recreation.gov to reserve a camp site at their favorite national park.

Check out these booklets on our great outdoors to help plan your trip:

And for the kids in your family, don’t forget to find a pumpkin patch or corn maze along the way.

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Election 101 for KidsVote sign with American flag

Are the kids in your life asking questions about the presidential campaign? This is a great time to educate them about the electoral process and encourage them to get involved. Look to Kids.gov for helpful explanations, videos, games and more. Check out the Government page for links to Scholastic News Election 2008,  Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for kids,  and Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President. Ben’s Guide provides pages geared to each grade range: K-2,  3-5, 6-8,  and 9-12.

 

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Recall AlertRecall sign

Sure, you heard about this summer’s tomatoes scare,  and last year’s pet food recalls.  But did you know that just between this July and August, there were recalls and warnings issued about food products ranging from frozen pepperoni pizza sandwiches to vanilla wafers and chicken noodle soup? During the same timeframe, there were recalls on hooded sweatshirts, toy pots and pans, infant rattles and other children’s products, and RVs, horse trailers, ATVs, motorcycles, tires and numerous car makes and models.

The news media cover the biggest recalls, but you can easily stay on top of them by signing up for email alerts and RSS feeds from FCIC.  Our Recalls page includes alerts on consumer products, health products and plant and animal products too. If you have allergies, or an infant or child you care about, you will find these updates particularly valuable.

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Hold onto Your Money

We’re all looking for ways to save money these days, and FCIC brings together lots of consumer information—from the government and the private sector—that can help. Below, a sampling of recent postings from Pueblo.gsa.gov, our Gov Gab blog, and some other interesting news articles.

For Parents and StudentsCoin jar

For Seniors

For Everyone

Avoiding Money Pit Falls

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Unemployment HelpSeaching for a job in the news paper classification section.

With unemployment rates up throughout the country, you may know someone who needs a helping hand. Handling a job loss requires lining up benefits and getting a grasp on expenses quickly. Anyone laid off due to no fault of their own should apply for unemployment compensation without delay.

And when they’re ready to start the job search, here are some areas for consideration:

  • Uncle Sam is hiring! There are jobs in every state, in practically every interest and skill area. Federal jobs offer good pay, great benefits and job security. To get started, take a look at this guide to landing a federal government job. An online discussion on Oct. 1 with a government job hunting expert may also help.
  • Electricians, welders, pipe fitters and other skilled trade workers are in high demand. And despite the common perception, these jobs rival white-collar jobs in pay, status and advancement opportunities.
  • Get paid while learning a new field and earning credentials. Apprenticeships are available for more than 850 occupations, from healthcare to telecommunications to pastry chef. Many are in the skilled trades (see above).
  •  The Labor Department’s Occupational Outlook Handbook reviews new occupations, salaries, trends and more. Career Voyages, a collaboration between the departments of Labor and Education, helps students and career-changers find out about high-growth jobs with better wages and opportunities.
  • And don’t miss our page on additional employment resources.

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From the Archive
 FEDINFO e-letters.
Consumer Focus articles

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