78 earle street, woonsocket, ri is now our permanent home!

American-French Genealogical
Woonsocket, RJ
Society
78 EARLE STREET,
WOONSOCKET, RI
IS NOW OUR PERMANENT HOME!
replaced the roof on the sanctuary because there were
leaks. We will also have begun bringing the building
We are extremely pleased to report to you that on
November 21, 2007, AFGS purchased
the First
Universalist Church located at 78 Earle Street in
Woonsocket, RI. We now own a permanent home and
the-possibilities are endless! -Because of the generosity of the church members, we
were able to purchase this beautiful, old building for
$100,000! Because of your faith in us and your
generosity, the Society was able to pay cash for the
building thus leaving us debt free! We owe a lot to our
Building Fund Committee for their long hours of
planning and hard work. They led us through difficult
waters but the effort has paid off and we can all be
very proud of the result.
This church building will require some repairs. By the
time you read this we will, weather permitting, have
~
up to code in terms of fire safety. Another project at
the top of our list is making the building handicap
accessible so that all of our members can enjoy our
new space. All of this will take time and money of
course but we can take our time and proceed as we are
able to. Fund raising will continue and we will be
trying for grant money and donations of various
goods, services and of course money. (For more
pictures, go to afgs.org and view the slide show.)
The purchase of our new home makes many
opportunities possible. We will have a safe and secure
space for our library holdings as well as space for our
special collection of books and artifacts. We will have
classroom space available to teach French and history
classes. We will have space for a reading room and an
area where people can listen to French music or watch
a video. We will have space for speakers and exhibits.
The possibilities are endless.
GENEALOGY
CLASSES - SCHEDULE
CHANGE
There will be a change in our Genealogy Class
schedule. The January and March classes will swap
places. The January class will feature Fran Tivey and
will focus on the film collection that AFGS owns.
Fran is very knowledgeable and will give you useful
information about the collection. The February class
will feature Dennis Boudreau who will be repeating
his popular class for beginners. Dennis is extremely
knowledgeable and his class will be packed with
useful information. Be sure to bring a note book and
your own research as, time allowing, Dennis will be
glad to answer all of your questions. The March class
will feature Becky Keegan who will offer good advice
about using the census records. All classes will be
held at the AFGS library and will begin promptly at 9
A.M. Check afgs.org for a list of other classes and
dates. They are also listed on your AFGS calendar. All
classes are free to members. You may bring a guest
with you. There will be a $5.00 library fee for guests
who choose to remain after class and use the library.
Come and join us for a class or two. For more
information or to comment, please e-mail Janice
Burkhart at misskoko@aol.com
HELPFUL INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY A MEMBER - UPDATE
(Last
month
we featured
an article
on
Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD).
We have received some differing information and
include it here for your review. Jan)
Desjardins, Director of the PRDH, the origin of this
disease was NOT Zacharie Cloutier and Sainte
Dupont. You can read about the latest research related
to the origin of this disease at Dick Eastman's blog.
You can link to that article by going to this site:
http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans _online_genealogy 1200
7/101 attention- frenc .html.
Here is an excerpt from that blog:
"Hi Dick,
Unfortunately, your text perpetuates a mistake dating
back to the 1960s when the links between genealogy
and the transmitting of specific diseases were not as
well understood as today. The research done in the
1960s by Dr Andre Barbeau falsely blamed the
disease on Zacbarie Cloutier and Sainte Dupont. It is
only in the 1990s that using the PRDH data base the
genealogical work was done correctly to show that the
disease was actually introduced by three sisters
(Barbe, Marie Madeleine and AIme Emard), one of
whom had wed a son of Zacharie Cloutier. See:
http://www.forum.umontreal.ca/numeros/19981999/Forum98-1 0-13/article06.html" [post by Bertrand
Desj ardins]
Thank you Larry. I hope our readers will forward any
other information on this important topic.
Congratulations to Mary Fazio who has been elected
to the AFGS Board of Directors. Her knowledge of
accounting and bookkeeping will be very valuable to
the Society.
Remember, we are compiling a list of people who
might like to serve on the AFGS Board of Directors.
To qualify, you must be willing and able to attend
monthly Board Meetings at your own expense and
you must be a member in good standing of AFGS. If
interested please contact Normand Deragon at AFGS,
PO Box 830, Woonsocket, RI 02895-0870. He will
send you an application form to complete.
Visit us on the internet!
www.afgs.org
e-mail - newsletter@afgs.org
AFGS
P. O. Box 830
Woonsocket, RI 02895-0870
-of Quebec. In 1939 the expression became the
official motto of the Province, replacing the motto;
"La Belle Province."
AFGS is happy to announce that wonderful entries are Another often quoted saying of "Canadien Francais"
arriving for the writing contest. As you know, it is or Franco Americans was "Qui perd sa langue, perd
open to all members of AFGS and anyone else who sa foi." (Who loses their language loses their faith.)
would care to participate. Cash prizes will be awarded This of course refers to the important tensions and
to the winners who will be selected by an independent
issues between Catholics and Protestants. At the time
panel of judges. Articles will be accepted on a variety of New France the religious wars of Europe were just
of subjects concerning French Canadian genealogy,
ending and were an important issue for people of
French-Canadian or Franco-American
history, and that day. Protestants and Catholics looked at each
like subjects. Further information is available at other until the early 20th century like many
afgs.org. Come on. Brush offthose old notes, organize fearfully look at Muslims today. So, when the
your papers and get writing. Winners will be "Protestant British" conquered New France in 1763 it
announced at our S~ring Volun~eer Day Cele1:~ration. . ._was.very usual, normal even, .10_ be afraid of the
Protestant English politically and religiously. The
treaty of Paris (1763), giving New France (Quebec)
HERITAGE ORNAMENT IS A HIT!
to
England, guaranteed the inhabitants of Quebec the
This year's Heritage Ornament depicts the Voyageur!
This colorful ornament is selling well and is still right to practice their Catholic faith. From that point
available for your collection. Reasonably priced at until the 1960s "revolution tranquille" in Quebec, and
$15.00 plus shipping, this beautiful ornament is a the assimilation of Franco Americans in the Post
War US the saying "Qui perd sa langue, perd sa foi."
reminder of all those adventurous and hard working
young men who paddled canoes up and down the was a regular warning of priests and parents to those
rivers of Quebec. Please check afgs.org for more who might mingle with English speakers (therefore:
information or you can check the slip that was Protestants) or be tempted to assimilate. This
warning was a very successful motivator for many.
included with a previous newsletter.
In fact, one can argue that keeping the "Catholic"
faith after the 1763 conquest kept the French
speaking nation alive in North America.
In answer to Steve Delarge's question regarding the
meaning of "le Me Souviens", Christopher Frechette
In addition, Robert Fugere writes: While I cannot
writes: Mr. Eugene Etienne Tache was the architect comment on contemporary mottos, I can state that the
of the Parliament of Quebec. He and others built it translation for "le Me Souviens" from French to
iIL18..85.~On.. the.front oLthis-.building_Y.ust outside English is-"·hemember."L\s
has been retate-d·to me-the ramparts of old Quebec City) was placed a "new" recently from a young French citizen with family
(at the time) coat of arms for the Province of Quebec. residing in Quebec, "I remember" refers to the
This coat of arms had in descending order the abandonment of the Quebec colonists by the French
following three images representing the history of the government while Quebec was under siege by the
Province.
First there are three Fleurs de Lis, British. The colonists were basically left to fend for
representing the royal French colony. Second there is themselves against the British. Thus, the remembrance
the British Lion, representing the conquest by England is a bitter recollection of the events of the time.
and her Dominion over "New France". Finally at the
bottom
of the crest are three maple leaves This is a VERY short description. There are sure to
representing the Canadian confederation. Under all be many more historical details to support or refute
this is the motto "le Me Souviens". The motto, at this information.
The American-French Genealogical Society
the time, -suggested that the inhabitants of Quebec
P. O. Box 830, Woonsocket, RI 02895-0870
"remembered" the three part history of the Province
Editors: Roy Forgit, Norm Deragon, Jan Burkhart
Personally, I would prefer that "le Me Souviens" is a
reminder of our French roots, as opposed to
abandonment of our Canadian Ancestors. Please prove
me right! Thank you for continued publication of
AFGnewS, a great resource for all!
SOME REMARKS ABOUT THE FRENCH
- SHARPSHOOTER'S CLUB
Ray Patenaude writes: I read your request in the
American-French Genealogical Society regarding the
French Sharpshooters. I'm on a committee to save the
Orpheum Theater building in New Bedford.
The
building was built by the South end Sharpshooters.
Below is a web site which lists some of the articles I
posted on the ORPHINC.ORG web page. I was aware
there were two sharpshooter units in New Bedford one
in the North End on Hicks Street and one in the South
End. I never came across any outside of New Bedford
in my research. If you come across any outside of
New Bedford please let me know. Ray Patnaude
http://www .orphinc.org/pdf/
Paul Dalbec writes: My grandfather Phillip(pe) Sicard
(1875 - 1950) was a member of the Le Club FrancsTireurs (Club of French Sharpshooters). I remember
that my relatives were saying that he was a bartender
at the Club in the South End of New Bedford. In our
Sicard Family newsletter (1945 - 1949), it mentions
that he was chosen as Honorary President of the Club
in 1947/48. Recently (October 7, 2007), there was a
tour of the Orpheum Theatre and Sharpshooters Hall.
Check
the
website
http://www.orphinc.org/
It
contains a history of the Club (Branch 1- North End,
Branch 2 - South End) and the relationship to the
Orpheum Theatre in an article from the New Bedford
Standard Times dated November 29, 1970 shortly
after the Club disbanded.
WINNERS OF THE HOLIDA Y DRAWING
ANNOUNCED
1st place, $1,000
2nd place, $500
3rd place, $250
4th place, $250
Ray Auclair, Narragansett, RI
Geneva Darr, Bethel Park, PA
William Beaudoin, Pascoag, RI
George Crepeau, Slatersville, RI
success. Also a special thanks to Ray Auclair who
donated $100 of his prize back to the Society to help
maintain the Auclair Collection. This. beautiful
collection of books on RI history was donated to the
Society in the name of Ray's father, Alphonse
Auclair.
This very informative article appeared in Genealogy
Gems - News from the Fort Wayne Library and
was written by Kay Spears. The information is very
relevant to any of our members who are making
digital images from their old photographs. Read and
enJoy.
Do you have some old photographs you want to scan,
but you're not sure what format to use when saving
them? Well, here's the definitive answer: it depends!
Yes, what format you choose for saving images
depends on how you intend to use them once they are
scanned. Here are some general guidelines.
1. If the image is to be used for the Web/online, use
lPEG, PNG or GIF. If the image is to be printed or
used in a print publication, use TIFF.
2. lPEG should be used when you need to keep the
file size small and don't mind giving up quality for a
significant reduction in size. lPEGs are optimal for
posting and transferring photos online. lPEGs aren't
suitable for images with text because crisp lines will
blur. If you plan on doing any kind of restoration work
on your photograph, lPEGs are not the format to use.
3. PNG is ideal when you need smaller file sizes with
no loss in quality. PNG supports alpha transparency
(soft edges). PNG files offer greater compression and
a much wider range of color depth than GIFs.
However, not all web browsers support PNGs.
4. GIF is a good choice for simple Web graphics with
limited colors. GIF should rarely be used for photos.
5. TIFF is good for any type of bitmap image. If you
want to archive your family photographs, this is the
format to use. This is also the format to use if you are
planning on doing restoration work. Unlike lPEGs,
TIFFs do not lose any compression when edited and
resaved. I recommend that you scan your family
Page 5
photos as TIFFs; you can always reduce them to
JPEGs for sending through emails or putting online.
Always keep the original TIFF saved in a separate
file. The downside: TIFF files are extremely large and
take up a lot of storage space. However, the cost of
disk storage continues to plummet while options
continue to increase.
6. BMP may be used for any type of pixel-based
image. BMPs are huge files, but there is no loss of
quality. BMP has no real benefit over TIFF, except
you can use it for Windows wallpaper.
A final tip: for sharing a photo via the Web or email,
scan at 75 or 100 dpi. A standard computer monitor is
only -72 to 96 dpi, so it's not necessary for anything
larger. For printing, scan at 300 dpi. Printers have
higher resolution than monitors. If you're planning on
enlarging an image, the general rule of thumb is
double the resolution when doubling the size.
THE HISTORY CORNER
A Book Review by Roy F. Forgit
"A Great and Noble Scheme, the Tragic Story of
the Expulsion of the French Acadians from their
American Homeland."
By John Mack Faragher,
W. W. Norton & Co., N. Y. 2005
The initial thoughts of a prospective reader are that
this author may be an apologist for the "bad guys",
based on his choice for a title. Surely the Great
Upheaval, or "Le Grand Derangement", was a most
ignoble -deed, so-mueh so that-the-major actors-tried to
act in secret and left no archival records. What we
have found is a well researched and documented
study. Our author provides a full epic history of the
Acadians, and how they were abused not only in the
events of 1755 but for more than a century.
Acadia's story goes back to 1604-06, even before the
Jamestown and Plymouth colonies. In 1613 a Welsh
privateer named Samuel Argall was sent by Thomas
Dale, the Governor of Jamestown, to verify rumors of
"illegal French settlements" to the north. He found
two ships at Mount Desert, plundered the small
colony, and took half of the colonists back as
prisoners. In Virginia, interrogations informed Dale of
Port Royal, so he sent Argall back. On November. 1st
he arrived to find no defenders, as all were .working
the fields. He torched the buildings, and destroyed the
colony. Thus began a century and more of bloody
conflict over ownership of Acadia.
After this attack the French soon rebuilt. By diking
the tidal salt marshes in the 1640s they were able to
have rich lands for crops and grazing. An abundant
life was had in the Port Royal area, as well as at Minas
and Grand Pre. New England's Yankees coveted this
land, and in 1654 under Major Robert Sedgewick they
defeated the French defenders. The English ruled it
from 1654 to 1670, renaming the colony Nova Scotia.
The 1697 Treaty of Ryswick returned colonial
boundaries to "status quo ante bellum," which gave
Acadia back to French rule. In 1700, a new Governor,
de Monbeton de Brouillon, arrived. He was a harsh
ruler who found fault with the Acadians attitude to
authority, calling them defiant and mutinous.
Again, in 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht ceded L'Acadie
back to the British! Port Royal became Annapolis
Royal. But the new English governor, Vetch, was
unhappy that the Acadians had been granted rights to
keep their land. He wanted to settle his own people
there. By 1717 only 10% of some 500 families had
left despite British insistence that they sign an
unconditional loyalty oath, which they refused to do.
Even as late as 1730 the catastrophe to which this
would lead was not at all evident. Acadians were
enjoying a prosperous Golden Age in the 1730s and
1740s. Their population grew and reached as high as
15,000 by 1750.
On May 11, 1745, a force of 3,000 Yankees, led by
William Pepperell of Maine, invaded. They were
intent on ridding Nova Scotia of all French Catholics.
Ile Royale was plundered and after six weeks
Louisbourg fell. Churches were torched to the joy of
14 Puritan ministers who led this "crusade of hate".
The deportations began in that summer.
But Louisbourg was returned to the French in the
1748 Treaty of Aix-Ia-Chapelle, a fact soon ignored
by Lord Halifax. Instead, he ordered Governor
Page 6
Cornwallis to proceed with the removal of Acadians
from their lands. Resettlements of "loyalists" included
3,000 German Protestants in 1753. They were moved
to a new town 65 miles southwest of Halifax. It was
named Lunenburg.
Our author identifies the three chief conspirators of
the "Derangement".
These were the militarist
Lieutenant Governor Lawrence, Governor William
Shirley of Massachusetts, and one Charles Morris,
who had surveyed L'Acadie in 1748. In 1754 Morris
would write a comprehensive plan for the removals,
detailing the population of every village.
In June 1755, Fort Beausejour, at the head of the Bay
of Fundy, fell to a British attack and French forces left
under a flag of truce. Although the Acadians, too, had
been offered a pardon, Lawrence reneged and ordered
them to give up all their arms. He ordered the British
commander Moncton to proceed with the uprooting of
the people on June 25th. "There is a curious dearth of
documents in the public archives detailing the
Acadian removal." (See page 313.) Indeed the Board
of Trade in London wanted no paper-trail allowing
them to be tried! (However, some private diaries do
survive!) Lawrence proceeded to disarm all Acadians
at Pisiquid and Grand Pre, seizing 3,400 muskets,
pistols and fowling pieces. The people were thus
defenseless. On July 13, 1755 soldiers appeared at
Annapolis Royale and an Officer read a Proclamation
that all arms must be brought to the Fort. Next, all
their seagoing vessels were burned by the troops.
Most of these forces were from Boston as this was a
Yankee operation.
On October 8th, some eighty families, counting 400
people, were boarded at Grand Pre. At Minas the
empty villages were pillaged and burned, the looters
being English and German colonists from Lunenburg
and Halifax. On October 13th, eight transports
carrying 1,882 people sailed down the bay, where they
met the Minas' ships. A convoy left on October 27th
for points south, carrying 4,000 Acadians. It was
December 8th before the people of Annapolis Royale
were deported. A total of 1,664 people were sent to
the Carolinas and New England. Some 7,000 had
gone, but 6,000 escaped to the Micmac or to He Saint
Jean. Two ships sank in a gale on October 28th, a loss
of 582 lives. Other exiles were also doomed by
sinkings as well as diseases aboard the crowded ships.
On October 18th, Governor Lawrence issued a "fait
accompli" report to the Board of Trade. A year later
he was made Governor of Nova Scotia by a satisfied
Lord Halifax. In the meantime, the impoverished and
unwanted exiles suffered wherever they landed. In
Boston, the council refused them aid and put them
under the poor laws. Many were left to beg. Their
children were taken as servants and dispersed. Those
who fled to the forests were reduced to starving by
Spring of 1756 as they had no food except game.
Hundreds died of malnutrition and disease.
But worse was to come! A second wave of Acadian
removals happened after Louisbourg fell to General
Amherst's forces on June 8, 1758,. This time it was
from He St. Jean, (P.E.I.), where all French were
ordered sent to France. By November 5th, some 3,100
had been shipped, but 1500 fled to the north shore.
There they were picked up by French boats and taken
to Quebec. Others hid in the interior for years. Of
those sent to France 1649 died enroute and another
756 were lost in two ship sinkings. (See page 404.)
Popular histories have led us to believe the romantic
tales fostered by the writings of Longfellow, in his
poem Evangeline. The truth is that few
early
Acadians found Louisiana's welcoming arms. First
they wandered to Saint Domingue from Georgia and
the Carolinas. Of the 500 who arrived at Mole St.
Nicholas, one third died of Malaria and yellow fever.
In January of 1765, the extended families of Joseph
and Alexandre Broussard, among 600, left via Halifax
for Saint Domingue. But they soon departed again for
New Orleans where 193 exiles were granted land at
Poste des Attakapas (later renamed St. Martinsville,
site of the statue of the fictional Evangeline.) Their
sons became cattlemen and were soon exporting beef.
By the end of 1765 some 500 Acadians had arrived at
Attakapas and Cabannoce, the Acadian coast. Then, as
word spread, 700 more exiles came from Maryland
and Pennsylvania. Lastly, in early 1785, seven ships
carrying 1,596 Acadians left France for Louisiana.
This was the largest single migration to Louisiana in
the 18th century. Three quarters of this group went to
Bayou Lafourche.
Page 7
This long sad episode of suffering did not become
well known until 1770, when Abbe Raynal , writing in
France, published a book chronicling the expulsion of
the Acadians. Translated into seven languages, it
became a best seller. (See pp. 448-450.) It was from
learning
of Raynal's
work that Henry W.
Longfellow, in 1847, wrote his work of fictional
romance. He did not visit Acadia, nor seek to talk
with any exiles' descendants. Instead, he copied
Raynal but omitted all reference to the Yankee
involvement, perhaps to avoid offending his Harvard
peers.
In December of 2003 a Royal Proclamation was
signed by the Queen's Representative in Canada, an
official acknowledgment of responsibility for the
decisions of July 23, 1755. It designated July 28th of
each year as a Day of Commemoration of the Great
Upheaval. Amen!
(AFGS has this book at the library. It is a very good read. If
you have an interest in the plight of the Acadians, this is an
important book for you to read. - Jan)
Bill Pommenville sends the following two sites for
your enjoyment. The first is a site by the Providence
Journal. It deals with history and nostalgia of RI for
the years 1900-2000. Included are time lines, music,
what items cost, around town, changing RI, vital
statistics, and a lot of other information. Check it out
on the Little Rhody website. http://www.littlerhodys
list.com/index.html
The second site is on the LeFoyer page. It is free and
contains French music which you can listen to in
French or in English. The words are displayed so you
can sing along to the music. Categories include:
refrains of yesterday; songs of youth; songs for
Mommies and the Papas; Christmas songs; Quadrilles;
and songs of yesterday. Check out this wonderful and
entertaining site at http://lefoyer.orglLinks.html
ANOTHER NEW SITE TO TRY
SENT TO US BY ROBERT GUMLAW
Here is a website with original documents. It is free to
join (but another user name and password you will
have to remember). It is made in conjunction with ~h~..
National Archives and you . may . find it very
interesting. http://www.footnote.com/
On behalf of AFGS, the Library Committee would
like to thank Armand "Bud" Demers for the
wonderful collection of books that he has donated to
the library. These books cover many interesting topics
of French Canadian history and biography. The best
part is that they are written in English. Many of the
books have already been put on the shelves and are
ready for you to use.
GREAT TIPS
SENTTOUSBY
CAROL ANN GRENIER TURNER
1. Reheat Pizza - Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick
skillet on top of the stove. Set heat to medium-low and
heat until warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy
micro pizza.
2. Easy Deviled Eggs - Put cooked egg yolks in a zip
lock bag. Seal and mash until they are all broken up.
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, and continue
mashing until mixed thoroughly. Cut the tip off the
baggy and squeeze mixture into egg white. Just throw
bag away when done for easy clean up.
3. Expanding Frosting - When you buy a container of
cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer
for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get
to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount.
You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
4. -Reheating Refrigerated Bread --To~warmbiscuits,
pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place
them in a microwave with a cup of water. The
increased moisture will keep the food moist and help
it reheat faster.
5. Newspaper Weeds Away - Start putting in your
plants. Work the nutrients into your soil. Wet
newspapers and put layers around the plants
overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget
about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening
plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.
6. Broken Glass - Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to
pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
7. No More Mosquitoes - Place a dryer sheet in your
Page 8
pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
8. Squirrel Away - To keep squirrels from eating your
plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The
cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels
won't come near it.
9. Flexible Vacuum - To get something out of a heat
register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel
roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be
bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
10. Reducing Static Cling - Pin a small safety pin to
the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy
skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling
when wearing panty hose. Place the pin in the seam of
the slacks and -- ta da! -- static is gone.
11. Measuring Cups - Before you pour sticky
substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water.
Dump out the hot water but don't dry the cup. Next,
add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch
how easily it comes right out.
12. Foggy Windshield - Hate foggy windshields? Buy
a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of
your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser.
Works better than a cloth!
13. Reopening Envelope - If you seal an envelope and
then realize you forgot to include something, just
place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour
or two. Viola! It unseals easily.
14. Conditioner - Use your hair conditioner when
shaving your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving
cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a
great way to use up the conditioner you bought but
didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
15. Goodbye Fruit Flies - To get rid of pesky fruit
flies, fill a small glass with 1/2 inch of Apple Cider
Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid. Mix well.
You will find those flies drawn to the glass and gone
forever!
16. Get Rid of Ants - Put small piles of cornmeal
where you see ants. They eat it and take it "home".
They can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week
or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't
have the worry about pets or small children being
harmed!
17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS - The
heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that
fixes things around the house for us told us that he
wanted to show us something and he went over to the
dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I
always clean the lint from the filter after every load of
clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran
hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh
material. WELL ... the hot water just sat on top of the
mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that
dryer sheets cause a film to form over the mesh. That's
what burns out the heating unit. You can't see the film
but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make
your clothes soft and static free. You knowhow they
can feel waxy when you take them out of the box?
Well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your
lint screen. This can also cause your dryer units to
catch fire and potentially burn your house down. He
said the best way to keep your dryer working for a
very long time and to keep your electric bill lower, is
to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water
and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every
six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at
least twice as long! This is certainly something that is
very easy to do.
If you like to cook, check out this wonderful website
sent to us by our member Barbara Smith.
http://www.northpole.com/Kitchen/Cookbook/
Here
you will find recipes for candy, cookies, cakes, pies
and much more. Recipes are just a click away. Enjoy.
GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN
HAVE LEARNED
No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her
brush your hair.
If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always
catch the second person.
You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Please remember that this is your newsletter. Send
along anything you would like to share with your
fellow AFGS members. I have heard from so many of
you who had kind words about the newsletter. Your
contributions are what makes it so interesting. Jan