Check here for information regarding current events, news and issues.
These authoritative links will help you find the best information in the
least amount of time. Topics are updated often, so bookmark this page.
Note: Although we have tried to provide sites that are current, the Internet is a constantly evolving resource. Therefore, there are no guarantees for the types of materials accessible via these sites.
Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide - was perhaps the premier publication of its day for the game of baseball. It featured editorials from baseball writers on the state of the game, statistics, photographs, and analysis of the previous season.
Wrigley Field - Brief history of Wrigley Field (Wikipedia)
Digital Television (DTV)
Added 7/2008
DTV Information Center - Basic information about DTV, apply for a converter box coupon, how to install a converter box, and more.
Facts from the FCC - How to tell if your TV is a DTV, and what to do if it’s not.
About the Emerald Ash Borer – City of St. Charles page with facts, local ordinances, and links to maps, recent developments, news, and more.
Emerald Ash Borer Info – Site from a multi-state effort (Including Illinois) to bring you the latest information about this pest.
Illinois Department of Agriculture – Includes a listing of all known Illinois infestations, where and how to submit a sample if you think your tree is infested, and more.
Farm Direct
Updated 6/08
Illinois Farm Direct
Farm Direct helps you find farm fresh, locally grown Illinois food by connecting you with the source, Illinois farmers. Search the database to find particular types of produce and the farmer closest to you.
Illinois Farmer’s Markets
List from the Illinois Department of Agriculture of markets in Illinois communities.
St. Charles Farmers Market
Baker Memorial United Methodist,
Rt. 64/Downtown-Main St. & 4th Ave.,
St. Charles, IL 60174, 630-580-6680,
7am-1pm, held every Friday thru October 26th.
The Market offers fresh produce, fruit, meat and poultry products, bountiful fruit and flowers from Michigan Orchards as well as garden plants, produce and foodstuffs from Illinois growers. It also offers a tempting array of gourmet food products, fresh baked bread, garden and landscaping products, arts and crafts.
Illinois Farm Direct
Farmer to Consumer Directory - find fresh, locally grown food by connecting directly with Illinois farmers.
Home and Garden
Updated 5/2008
Bob Vila – Home improvement tips, including some video demonstrations from the DIY guru.
This Old House – Site from the venerable PBS program credited with starting the home improvement and do-it-yourself craze.
Old House Journal – From the magazine of the same name, online tips for restoring your house to its former glory.
Wisconsin Master Gardener Program – Click the Horticulture button and then Gardening Online for a nice list of online gardening resources.
Home Mortgage Counseling
Added 10/2007
National Referrals: Call for help before it’s too late. Early intervention and counseling can help you save your home from foreclosure.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development Helpline: 1-800-569-4287
HUD Counseling Referral Online
Advice on buying a home, renting, default, foreclosure, credit issues or reverse mortgages? HUD sponsors certain housing counseling agencies throughout the country who in turn give advice free or at low cost.
Local Agencies: These agencies provide advice for homebuyers as well as for homeowners facing financial crises. Call for an appointment or visit their web sites for more information.
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Aurora
CCCS is an accredited, professional, non-profit community program serving the Far Western Suburbs of Chicago. Spanish counseling is available. Call 630-844-3327
DuPage Homeownership Center, Wheaton
Serves residents of DuPage County only, providing free foreclosure prevention counseling program for homeowners in financial crisis, helping develop realistic solutions to prevent foreclosure. Call 630-260-2507
Joseph Corporation of Illinois, Aurora
Services include: credit and budget counseling, education about the homeownership process, mortgage counseling, and post-purchase counseling. For clients who are homeowners, they offer refinance counseling, reverse mortgage counseling, and foreclosure prevention and intervention. Spanish counseling is available. Call 630-906-9400.
$ave Money
Updated 4/2008
General Savings:
66 Ways to Save Money
Saving tips on insurance, transportation, housing and more from the Federal Citizen Information Center.
Best Time to Buy
Did you know airlines change fare prices three times per day? And when should you buy that new refrigerator? Advice from MSN and Bankrate tells you when to get a deal.
Edmunds
Edmunds tests tips for saving gas. Some work, some don’t, and you might be surprised at the results.
GasBuddy
Find the lowest gas prices in your area. If you become a member you can help the site by reporting prices.
Coupons:
BradsDeals
Find coupons you can use for everything from pet food to computers on this site. Many, but not all, must be used online.
CurrentCodes.com
Coupons and online codes for a wide variety of merchants.
MyCoupons.com
Grocery coupons, as well as coupons for other chain stores are featured here.
Free Stuff:
The Web’s Best Free Stuff
Article from InfoWorld listing the best online free services and downloadable software.
Check out CraigsList or a local FreeCycle group to either give away or find free items in your area, but use them at your own risk. Learn more about wisely using these types of sites from Consumer Reports.
Keep Cool in Illinois - Get tips to help all Illinoisans - especially the elderly, families with small children and other vulnerable residents - stay cool, healthy and safe this summer.
Outdoor Eating Food Safety Tips - Safe food handling techniques to protect yourself, your family, and friends from foodborne illness when eating outdoors.
The Red Cross - Information on water, boating, and hiking and camping safety from the Red Cross.
State Department Travel Site -
Tips for traveling safely at home and abroad, with children and without can be found here.
These are the big three of online booking. All of the sites are well designed and easy to use. Check prices and book flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises and search for sales and deals. Tip: All of the major airlines and hotels also have their own online booking.
These sites help you avoid having to visit lots of separate sites to compare prices by searching multiple sites at once and showing you the best deals.
Fodor’s – This is a good choice for mainstream travelers planning a trip and includes online booking services.
Frommers - Findgood basic information on this easy-to-use site. It also includes online booking.
Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet has information on exotic (and not so exotic) locales. This is an excellent online guide with lots of information from many destinations.
Rough Guide – Like the print books, good "off the beaten path" information is the Rough Guide's specialty.
Traveler’s Ratings
Trip Advisor – Bed bugs? Fantastic coconut drinks? You can rate your trip and read the ratings of other travelers. Trip Advisor also has printable travel guides for selected destinations.
IgoUgo – Award-winning site now owned by Travelocity with reviews and photos covering more than 5,500 destinations.
Illinois Travel
Enjoy Illinois - What’s going on in Peoria this weekend? Attractive, well designed, and easy to use, the Illinois Bureau of Tourism site includes trip planners and brochures with information about many Illinois travel destinations
The U.S. State Department – Need a passport? Wondering if it’s safe to go to Zimbabwe? A great starting place for the international traveler, with links to information and forms for passports and visas, travel warning notices, lists of U.S. embassies worldwide, and more.
Tourism Offices Worldwide - Official tourism sites from countries around the world and also all of the individual US states.
Currency Converter – How many pesos in a dollar? The OANDA Currency Converter provides current exchange rates between most currencies.
Maps
Google Maps – Maps and driving directions for the USA and some international destinations. Includes satellite images and street views, where available. A new feature is transit maps for selected cities.
MapQuest – Also includes maps and driving directions for the USA and selected other countries. A new feature finds gas prices by address and plots the stations on a map and provides driving directions.
PolitiFact.com
Having a hard time separating fact from fiction or rumor from truth? Every day, reporters and researchers from the St. Petersburg Times and CQ analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether their claims are accurate. They also tackle chain emails and claims by various attack groups.
Project Vote Smart
This is an extensive non-partisan site detailing state and federal elected officials’ voting records and candidates’ positions. You can also figure out who’s your Representative, get voter registration information, read interest groups’ ratings of the candidates and more.
CQ Politics 2008 Primary Guide
Congressional Quarterly’s fun interactive map shows primary dates and results. Links to additional election information, candidate profiles, and campaign finance are also available from one of the leaders in political journalism. Additional information can be found from CQ Press via the Library’s Premium Search databases. For the most current election information, check out CQ Weekly.
Kane County Elections
Are you registered? Do you know where, when, and how to vote? Want to see a sample ballot or learn about early or absentee voting? The Kane County Elections site will answer all of your questions.
OpenSecrets.org
Follow the money. See how much the candidates have raised and spent. Find out who gives money to whom. All donations of $200 or more are searchable. Try typing in your name - or your neighbor’s or company’s. You might be surprised at what you find.
Reference & Research
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