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Don't forget to reset All those clocks

By TIMES WIRES
Published October 28, 2006

Don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour before you go to bed tonight, but you should also remember something else: This is the last time you'll be doing it in October. Because of a law passed last year - lawmakers had no more pressing issues to consider, apparently - daylight saving time will start earlier (the second Sunday in March) and end later (the first Sunday in November) beginning in 2007. So after you fall back tonight, you'll spring forward again on March 11.

What's it cost to mow a roof?

When Scotland built its spanking new $25-million Natural Heritage headquarters, they thought they would go all eco-friendly and put a "green" roof on it, which means it has grass growing on it. It was chosen because of the low maintenance. The Daily Record newspaper reports that they didn't consider one thing, though: Grass needs mowing. And safety regulations require scaffolding to be in place when people are working up there. That will cost $9,500 every time they need to mow. "It seems the extra costs to cut the grass will make this building not as eco-friendly as first believed," noted councilor Jimmy MacDonald.

Community shreds together in N.Y.

Westchester County has turned shredding into a community service. The suburb of New York City has a new Shredmobile, above, a basic white truck with a huge shredder in back that citizens can use to shred anything that they would feel better seeing in a million pieces. "It's a shame that we have to worry about things like this, about people going into your garbage, but identity theft is the fastest-growing crime," county executive Andrew Spano said. "Most of it comes from things like preapproved credit card offers, things that come in your mail." The Shredmobile can eviscerate up to 100 pages at a time, and can rip CDs and floppy discs.

It's like a typo in the family tree

Ed Holsopple is not at all crazy about what's been going on in the Pennsylvania town named after his great, great grandsomething. His argument is that they went and wrecked the name by adding a whole 'nother "L" to it. He doesn't care for "Hollsopple" at all, but that's how the city spells it these days. "I want to change the spelling to preserve its historical integrity," Holsopple says. Truth is, historical integrity is a relative term. The town was named after a family who settled the area in 1813 named Holtzapfel. But anglicization being what it is, the kids changed the name over the years, and not all of them agreed on one. Township supervisors say they'll think about it.

[Last modified October 28, 2006, 00:28:48]