If you have an item and you would like to know what it is worth, send digital pictures with a brief description to paulhconnor@gmail.com,
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• On Aug. 3, 1492, from the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail with three ships — the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina — to find a western sea route to China, India and Asia. On Oct. 12, the expedition found the Bahamas and later sighted Cuba, which he thought was mainland China.
• On Aug. 4, 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s classic “Walden” is published. Thoreau was a 27-year-old Harvard graduate when he moved to Walden Pond and built the 10-by-15-foot cabin on land owned by his friend, poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. • On Aug. 8, 1863, after his defeat at Gettysburg, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sends a letter of resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Davis refused the request. • On Aug. 10, 1937, the electric guitar is recognized by the United States Patent Office with the award of Patent No. 2,089.171 for the Rickenbacker Frying Pan. The guitar used a heavy electromagnet that surrounded the base of the steel strings like a bracelet. • On Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world’s first atom bomb over the city of Hiroshima, Japan. • On Aug. 7, 1959, the American satellite Explorer 6 is launched into Earth orbit. The 142-pound spacecraft featured a photocell scanner that transmitted a crude picture of the Earth’s surface from a distance of 17,000 miles. The photo, received in Hawaii, took nearly 40 minutes to transmit. • On Aug. 9, 1974, Richard Nixon officially resigns as president of the United States, departing in a helicopter from the White House lawn. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in. Ford spoke in a television address, declaring, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.” • On Aug. 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan begins firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers striking in violation of his order to return to work. Two days earlier almost 13,000 air-traffic controllers went on strike over negotiations to raise their pay. © 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved 
Communities Fighting Fraud
Older people are at a greater risk of fraud and other forms of financial exploitation. The United States Postal Service has seen an increase in mail fraud and is promoting community strength and fraud awareness as a way to prevent abuse. Social Security agrees. You can help your more vulnerable loved ones fight fraud.
You or a loved one might receive an advertisement in the mail, but it could be from a private company or even a scammer. United States law prohibits people or non-government businesses from using words or emblems that mislead others. Their advertising can’t lead people to believe that they represent, are somehow affiliated with, or endorsed or approved by Social Security. Scammers commonly target people who are looking for Social Security program and benefit information. If you receive misleading information about Social Security, send the complete advertisement, including the envelope it came in, to: Office of the Inspector General Fraud Hotline
Social Security Administration P.O. Box 17768 Baltimore, MD 21235 Community can simply mean your family unit. The more you know about what your loved ones are exposed to, the better you can protect them.
We also receive reports where someone pretending to be a Social Security employee has contacted members of the public. The intent of this type of call may be to steal your identity and/or money from your bank accounts. They may state that your Social Security number will be suspended or they may demand immediate payment. The caller generally asks you for personal information such as your Social Security number, date of birth, your mother’s maiden name, or your bank or financial account information. You should not provide any of this information to these individuals. It’s possible that a Social Security employee may contact you to follow-up on a previous application for Social Security benefits or to follow-up on other business you initiated with Social Security. Remember, Social Security employees will never threaten you or demand any kind of payment in exchange for services. It’s important that you report any and all fraud. This can only strengthen our communities and your family. You can report Social Security fraud at oig.ssa.gov/report. |
