| Message from the President
by Sharon Addison |
|
As 2009 comes to a close and we look forward to 2010,
it's time to recognize some who have served to build and strengthen
TVCUC through their leadership contributions. First, I would like
to thank Warren Sanders who has filled many of my responsibilities in
these last months. He not only has led the TAP program for
several years but was willing to fill in for the President while
I have been dealing with my husband's illness. Warren, we're
proud to have you as a member of TVCUC leadership and thank you for
your many contributions.
Second, we want to recognize and
thank Dick Schmeling. The key to a sound organization is that it
is on a sound financial footing. As TVCUC Treasurer for four
years, he helped put us on a solid financial footing, developed the
planning and budgeting processes, and set up the accounting processes
that allow TVCUC to not only manage the normal organization budget, but
also to manage the accounting and tracking of the fund-raising for
TAP. And last, but not least, ensured that TVCUC and TAP will
meet the IRS requirements for non-profit organizations. His
knowledge and experience has been a tremendous benefit. Dick, you
will be sorely missed.
Last, we want to recognize and
thank two of our Directors, Dean Miller and Vince Alline, who have
completed their terms. Fortunately, we will still benefit from
their leadership in 2010 with Dean as chair of the Communications
Committee and Vince continuing as co-chair of the TAP program.
2010
brings new leadership to TVCUC, new programs, new education programs,
and a even a new website. And we can be sure that, with your
support, it will continue to meet the needs and interests of the
computer users in Tellico Village. |
Membership
by Bob Kutschera
|
|
We have had 15 new memberships
since last month! Be sure to look for each of them at our meeting
and elsewhere in the village and welcome them to our club. They
are:
Kenneth Aiello
Bob and Lindy Baran
Rosey Brehm
Robert and Beverly Cantine
Gary Corn
John Danks
Kenneth Fitzpatrick
Chuck and Gretchen Gilligan
Al and Pat Hardy
Fred Iskander
Rich and Elaine Karakis
Bill and Ann Kramer
William and Jean Mallett
Matt and Martha Mathews
Thomas Matthews
James and Carolyn Neely
Peg Opiteck
Thomas and Jane Sheets
John Smith
Bob & Gail Snodgrass
Carold and Linda Ueland
Richard and Sonja Winkler
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MAILING OF CHECKS AND DUES
Club dues for 2010 may now be paid if that is convenient for you. Instruction on how to pay are given below.
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Please mail checks FOR ANNUAL DUES AND CLASS FEES to a NEW ADDRESS which is located in the More Than Mail office in the village. That address is:
Tellico Village Computer Users Club
298 Village Square Drive, Suite #128
Loudon, TN 37774.
NOTICE
Please be advised that the More Than Mail facility in our downtown office plaza CAN NOT accept for deposit in our box envelopes which do not
contain postage. Just as we are not permitted to deposit
unstamped envelopes/cartons in village personal mail boxes,
the U.S. Postal Service does not permit More Than Mail to accept articles which do not include postage.
|
| SIG's (Special Interest Groups)
by Don Stieghan |
|
For
Mac computer users there is a new SIG, the Mac Users Group. Any
TVCUC member who uses a Mac computer, or would like to know more about
using a MAC, is welcome to become a member of the SIG and attend
meetings. The meetings for 2010 are: fourth Mondays of January through May, then September, and October at 3:00 PM at the Chota Rec Center.
Jan Miller is the contact for the SIG, and she can be reached at 458-0658 or TVjeMiller@aol.com for additional information.
Another
way for new SIGs to be created is for persons who attend the TVCUC
classes or the one-on-one help sessions and want to continue the
learning experience to request organization of a SIG. Actually,
any member of the TVCUC who wants to consider having a SIG can express
that interest to a class instructor or to me directly. Just
send your e-mail address to Don Stieghan at tvtndon@gmail.com, or call me at 458-2142 or see me at the general meeting on the 5th.
You
do not have to be the expert to lead a SIG or to propose the
creation of a SIG. Just having an interest in the subject matter
and talking with me will begin the process. |
| TAP
by Warren Sanders |
|
As of Monday, December 28, we have given away 353 systems and
affected 615 children. This is truly a labor of love, and it is
felt even more at this time of the year.
Would you like to
help? We can use more volunteers. We can always use more
funding. If you would like to help but do not want to write a
check, here is a way you can do so. If you join the Staples
Rewards program (on-line or at a store), you can stop by the workplace
and pick up a bag of 10 empty cartridges. Take them to a Staples
store and get $3 in Staples Rewards for each of them. Staples
will send you a Rewards Check for $30 a month or so after you turn in
the cartridges (you can turn in 10 per calendar month). Bring the
Rewards Check to the workplace and we can use it to purchase new
cartridges, paper, and other supplies we need. If 10 people do
this, we would have $300 to use each month, which would really assist
us. A few people are doing this now, and we have no problem using
their checks for our purchases. We could, of course, also use
your empty cartridges for this program. |
| The Learning Center
by Bob Mugge |
|
We are working on plans for 2010 and this planning
needs your input as to what your needs and wishes are for our
classroom. What programs do you need help using? What part
of using your computer is keeping you from making better use of
it? Think about these questions and others you have and at the
January 5th meeting we will have time on the agenda for you to
express those needs to me and those helping me. Help us make this
program just what you need. |
| What Did You Get For Christmas?
by Joe Solymossy |
Many
of us got a new computer, or a new operating system for our computer,
or a wireless printer, or an external hard drive. Although they
all come with instructions as to set up and use, the Computer Club
First Level Support Team (FLST) can be an extra source of help.
As club members, this level of help if needed is free by calling Joe
Solymossy at 458-3834. Before you do, here are some tips to make
your Christmas gift more enjoyable.
A new computer means
you have to transfer the precious data from your old computer to your
new computer. TIP: a backup is not the same as a copy of your
data files. Your external drive can be set up as your data
backup, but it can also serve as a place to keep a copy of your
data. The difference: you can only restore the backup you made to
your original computer. Anything else is for a professional. But
if you have a copy of your data on your external drive, CD/DVD disk or
a flash drive, you can copy those data files onto any computer.
A
new Operating System, especially Windows 7, requires special
attention. Usually a new operating system means you are upgrading
your old computer. Always, always make a backup of your
computer. If you have enough disk space, back up
everything so you can always go back to your previous programs and data
if you have a problem. Then make a "copy" of your data so you can
copy it to your computer after the new operating system is
installed. If you are upgrading your computer to Windows 7, make
sure you keep a record of the "old" operating system so you can match
the upgrade to your old system. Upgrading from XP home, XP
professional or the various forms of Vista is different, so read
carefully. Monitor the installation closely to make
sure you are upgrading and not custom installing. The difference
is important only if you do not have a copy of your data.
Custom install wipes out everything on your computer first, whereas the
upgrade is supposed to protect your data.
A wireless
printer means you want to install a printer that any computer hooked up
by wire to your wireless router, or any wireless computer on your
wireless network can print to. Note: if your wireless network is
unsecure, your neighbor could print something on your printer.
Secure your network if you are concerned about this. You do not
have to have a computer hooked to you wireless printer, nor do you have
to have a computer wired to your router. The wireless printer is
self-supporting, but you do have to have the printer driver on the
computer you want to print with. Most likely Vista and Windows 7
will already have the drivers loaded, but XP may not. The printer
will come with a disk to load applicable drivers.
An
external hard drive means any one of the systems available for
automatic external backup of your computer data. Vista and
Windows 7 have programs for automatic backup which can be kept on your
computer or on another hard drive. If your backup is on a
different hard drive, your data is safe even if one of those hard
drives totally crash, and it will when you least expect it. If
you keep a backup only on your hard drive, you are hoping that your
hard drive never fails mechanically. You do have a backup if your
software fails or gets corrupted, but not if your hard drive is no
longer useable. If you have or make a recovery disk of your
computer and keep the disk for every program you load on to your
computer, you need only back up your "my documents" files
externally. However, if you use Outlook Express, Thunderbird or a
similar e-mail program that gets your email from one or more web email
programs and downloads them on your computer, you need to save
additional files. Your emails are no longer available on the web
(Gmail is an exception to this rule), but reside on your computer in a
file that is not part of your "my documents" data file. Each of
these email programs has an internal way to save these files in a file
you can then put into "my documents", but it does not automatically
update.
Any of these gifts can be exciting at Christmas
time and the FLST is available to help make this an even better
experience. Enjoy your gift and we wish you a most Happy New Year!
|
| Free Stuff, Cartoons & Photographs
by Frank Fritchman |
|
This picture was sent in by Howard Jones.
Obviously he did not take it but in was shared with him by a friend who
said this was "God's Artistry at Work". I think you will
agree. Enjoy and feel good that Spring is on the
way when we will see our own butterfliess! Included with the
picture were facts about these interesting "Transparent Butterflies".
"It comes from Central America and is found from Mexico to Panama. It is quite common in its zone, but it's not easy to find because of its transparent  wings, which is a natural camouflage mechanism. A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful. As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty
of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glasswing
butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of
turquoise, orange, green, and red. All things beautiful do not have to be full of color to be noticed...in life that which is unnoticed has the most power."
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Here is proof that beauty is not found only
in Central America but all around us. The picture below
was shot by Chuck Righter, a resident and friend who is not a member of
the club. It is one of the many beautiful
sunrises Chuck is able to enjoy from his deck and has
now been captured for all of us to enjoy.
Many of us have seen eagles here on Tellico and other
Tennessee lakes but not in the number shown here in a photograph
sent by Bob Kutschera. Bob's brother sent this and other
shots after receiving them from a former
teacher who said this - "In January the weather was so cold the
bald eagles were cruising over our houses looking for helpless cats to
make a quick meal. Some kind souls decided to feed the eagles down at
Goose Spit so they would survive the cold spell."
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|
As we end this year with this first newsletter of a brand new
2010, we all owe a debt of gratitude to our board members and many
others who have helped make 2009 a very successful year. With the
help of many of you, 2010 offers us even more fun, enjoyment and
learning. The most important requirement to contribute is the
desire to contribute. We need you! Be sure to join us in
contributing to the success of the Tellico Village Computer Users Club.
See you at the January meeting! | |
