Best Volunteer Community Service

Archive for August, 2009

So you have decided to add a kitten to your household. Some basics of kitten care include preparing your home for the kitten, feeding and daily care, discovering things around the house that may be harmful to your new kitten, and responsible pet ownership.

An important part of bringing home a kitten is preparing your home for the kitten. Have a good look around your house and “cat-proof” it. Keep in mind that anything that dangles (such as lamp cords, curtains, etc.) are an extreme temptation for a mischievous kitten. Kittens just love to venture out, hide, as well as chew and “paw” things. Remember this when adjusting the items in your house.

Feeding and daily care of a kitten involve just four items: a place for the kitten to sleep, fresh food and water, a litter box with litter and a scratching pad or post. Kittens love toys, too, so be sure to have plenty on hand when your kitten joins the family. Several commercial brands of food specifically designed for kittens are available. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations if you are unsure when feeding a kitten.

Certain household plants and chemicals are poisonous to kittens and cats in general. For example, antifreeze is poisonous to both cats and dogs. Research either by books, internet, or a call to the vet to find out about these items and substances so that you never put your furry friend in danger.

Responsible pet ownership includes veterinary care for a kitten. Be sure to have your kitten examined by your vet as soon as possible. Your kitten needs a series of vaccinations to ensure a happy, healthy and long life. Be sure to stay current with their shots. Also, many communities require that you register your pet with the local authorities. Your vet will be able to provide more information.

Owning a cat is sure to be a wonderful experience, and with the proper care, the bond between you and your kitten can be a fast and infinite one.

DATELINE: TAUNTON, MA…

Bristol County Savings Bank has announced the appointment of Frank Cusanno as a Mortgage Consultant based out of their Franklin, MA branch office located at 375 West Central Street. Bristol County Savings Bank, a $1.1 billion mutual savings bank founded in 1846 and headquartered in Taunton, MA, has 10 offices in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Frank, who has over 12 years of experience in financial service sales and residential lending, is focused on customer advocacy and customer service. Ensuring that his customers have the right loan programs is his top priority.

As a mortgage consultant at Bristol County Savings, Frank will be serving the mortgage needs of residents of Franklin as well as the surrounding communities of Bellingham, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Sharon, Walpole and Wrentham.

Frank is a longtime resident of Medfield, MA where he resides with his wife Nancy and their two children.

Bristol County Savings Bank

Bristol County Savings Bank is a full service financial institution offering commercial lending, personal and business banking, and mortgage services. The key words at Bristol County Savings Bank are: “Commitment, Stability, and Community,” values that are combined with state-of-the-art technology to meet the needs of its customers. A dedicated local community bank for over

160 years, Bristol County Savings Bank is actively involved in giving back to all the communities it serves both through financial support and the volunteerism of its people.

Founded in 1846, Bristol County Savings has $1.1 billion in assets, with 244 employees in Southeastern MA and RI. The Bank’s 10 full service banking offices are located in: Taunton, MA (2); Raynham, MA (2); Rehoboth, MA; Attleboro, MA; North Attleborough, MA; Franklin, MA; Dartmouth, MA; and Pawtucket, RI. Three loan production offices are located in Taunton, MA, Fall River, MA and in Providence, RI; and two Educational Branch Offices at Taunton High School and Attleboro High School.

The Main Office and Corporate headquarters of Bristol County Savings Bank are located at 29 Broadway in Taunton, MA 02780. For additional information please call 508-824-6626, or visit www.bristolcountysavings.com.

It is up to you what a university degree could mean to you. Likewise, it is also up to you to decide when you are ready to acquire this next educational step – and although the safer, easier, and certainly cheaper route may appear to be a community college, there are a number of variables you may want to take into consideration when deciding if a university degree is for you.

Money is the first and most visibnle of the advantages that you gain from a university’s education, especially in long term financial potential. Because community colleges only offer a two year degree, you are fundamentally limited in the potential monetary return, as four year degrees consistently result in higher pay than their lesser counterparts. Naturally, there are too many factors that involve employment to safely state that a four year degree will guarantee you that job you want, but if you are interested in getting the most for your work, it will definitely benefit you the most in the long term.

The culture and sense of community that comes in universities is simply not seen at community colleges. With so many people bound by such a history over a longer period of time than community colleges, universities allow you to experience their well established centers of art, theater, and music. Often times, these memories are simply irreplaceable, and can have a definite impact on the experience you bring to your future job.

Confidence is among the most important things that comes with a university degree – this is both on a personal and proffesional level. By graduating from a four year university, you are able to count yourself as a member of a group that have achieved well above those at the community college level, thereby guaranteeing you a certain degree of bragging rights in everything you do. Any normal examples of low self-confidence can generally be repaired by a simple flashing of your four year degree, cementing your place in society.

Universities also provide greater research opportunities. As several big names tend to turn to universities for their research anyway, you are able to cling on with professors for their projects, assuming you present yourself as worthy of such an honor. Because community colleges are generally centered around the two year learning cycle, you will find yourself with less opportunities to partake in ground breaking research – whereas these projects make themselves available to you at universities.

Diversity is a vital aspect of universities that usually aren’t present in the lower end, community colleges, particularly since they largely appeal to the local population that can handle the commute with ease. Universities, however, tend to represent a national, or sometimes even international draw that will give you a range of fellow alumni in greater scope than just your native town. Race, religion, culture, nationality, all of these are incredibly more diverse in scope than those found at the strictly local community colleges.

The above are simply a fraction of the potential benefits that arise from enrolling in a university instead of the smaller community colleges – which are important to factor into your long term educational plans.