There are several active groups.
There should be a contact for each activity or club if you want to join or just learn more about it. See the Contact-Activities under “Resources” on the Main Menu
For the current schedule, please see our calendar on the Main Menu .
There should be a contact for each activity or club if you want to join or just learn more about it. See the Contact-Activities under “Resources” on the Main Menu
For the current schedule, please see our calendar on the Main Menu .
Some may go by Games and Cards so look carefully.
Fun Bridge
Golf Club, Tuesday
Golf Club, Friday
Social Club Party Bridge
Talking Bridge
There should be a contact for each activity or club if you want to join or just learn more about it. See the Contact-Activities under “Resources” on the Main Menu
For the current schedule, please see our calendar on the Main Menu .
Technology Tips – Published May 2022 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
Optimizing Windows 10/11
Window’s computer performance can be improved by making adjustments to its operating system. This can be started by opening the Control Panel and clicking on Power Options.
Type control in the Type here to search box. In the window that opens, click the Control Panel. Change the view of the Control Panel by clicking Category next to View by: at the upper right and choose Large icons. This change displays all of the items in the Control panel. Click Power Options to get started.
These 8 tasks should provide a boost in performance without any negative side effects.
Who picks up them up: A.J. Blosenski, Inc., 610-942-2707, Contract started 1/1/22
website: https://www.ajblosenski.com/
Same pick up schedule (varies by village)
Recycle: See Recycle Information for items that can be recycled
Bulk: See Bulk Collection Dates and Items
Technology Tips – Published January 2022 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
First, you need to check your version of Windows 10 to see if it is up to date or is several versions behind. This can be important for feature security updates as well as new offerings. Windows Update will update your computer 3 times per month to keep your current installed version up to date. However, it doesn’t always offer the latest version update that may be available for your computer. In a way, that is a good thing. Installing the latest version update can come with bugs and there is no reason you must be a guinea pig. For example, if a new version is offered to you, I would wait 4-6 months before installing it. To check exactly what version is installed in your computer read the following.
| Open settings by left clicking once the Start icon (lower left corner) of the Desktop screen. Move up to Settings and click it once. The Settings screen will open, then click the System icon. Scroll down to About then click it. Scroll down Windows specifications and note the version number. It will indicate what version you have installed. If you have an old version installed it will show the year and month it was released by Microsoft. An old version would be 2004 or older. It means the year would be 2020 and the month of release would have been April. Microsoft has been unable to keep the release date accurate to the month, so they changed it to 6-month periods. An example of the new coding system would be 21H1, indicating the year as 2021 and indicating it is the first half of the year.
Version 21H2 has been released but I would recommend that you avoid it and update to version 21H1 if you can. Staying a version behind is the safest way to go for reliability with little to give up for security reasons.
Next, click Home at the top left of the System category window then click the Update & Security icon. First, look for Feature update to Windows 10 version 21H2. It will indicate the version that will be offered. If you don’t see it click Check for updates. If it is version 21H2 hold off installing it until February or March of 2022. The 2022 version should be available in the Spring of 2022 with a version number of 22H1. Don’t install it until August or September of 2022.
Keeping your computer one version behind is the safest and most reliable way to ensure that you don’t have to endure Microsoft’s mistakes.
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Technology Tips – Published December 2021 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
That’s a scary thought but hackers look for available credit card information to possibly exploit your accounts. It may happen in various ways, but a breach of a website where you previously conducted business may expose your personal information. If one of your accounts is hacked, you can be the victim of fraudulent transactions, identity theft, illegal fund transfers, or other illegal activities. If you use the same password and username for your bank account and your credit card, your bank funds can be depleted in a few seconds. If the hackers change the password for your bank or credit card, you’ll be locked out of your accounts. It’s a very ugly situation.
The Microsoft Edge browser contains a feature called Password Monitor that will scan the Web using your username and password information that you have saved in the browser when you visit a website. It won’t work if you don’t save your logon information using the Edge browser. To make use of this feature, when using Edge, a small window will pop up that offers to save your information when logging into your account on a website. Once you save your information it will be encrypted on your computer then scanned when you go on the Web using Edge.
Setting up this feature is easy. Open the Microsoft Edge browser. All Windows 10 users will have this browser as it was downloaded as part of a Windows Update. One requirement for Password Monitor to work properly is that you must be signed into your Microsoft account. To check to see if you are signed in, click the Personal icon (Headshot icon) at the top right of the Edge window. It will show your Microsoft account. Remember, a Microsoft account can be any valid email account from any Internet provider, such as Gmail, Yahoo, Comcast and almost any other provider. Click Manage profile settings, if necessary, to set up a profile that will create the Microsoft account. Click Add profile at top right of window. If you don’t see that Personal icon, click the 3 horizontal dots at the top right and scroll down and click Settings. It will open to Profiles. If you already have a Microsoft account, it will show under Personal at the top of the window. If not click Add profile.
Once you have verified that you have a Microsoft account, click Passwords in center of the window. Scroll down to Show alerts when passwords are found in an online leak. Just to the right, click the button to turn on Password Monitor. The button should be blue when turned on. Below the button click the right arrow. Click Scan now to perform an instant scan of your saved passwords. The results will show in a minute or two depending on the number of saved entries. Below, is a list of all your saved credentials. In addition, Microsoft has written detailed information about Password Monitor. Click Learn more, near the blue button.
One other setting to check is at the top of the Passwords window. Make sure the button for Offer to save passwords is turned on.
Technology Tips – Published November 2021 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
Last month (October) I had you go into Settings to improve your Privacy. This month I’ll have you return to Settings to improve Startup performance.
Open Settings and click the Apps icon. This area deals with programs (apps) that either Microsoft or the program creator has decided to load in the background during startup to get a jump start if or when you decide to click the program’s Desktop icon. With the program loaded in memory during startup, it speeds the final startup of the program when you click the icon or click it in the Start Menu. Sounds like a win-win – right? Not so fast. The tradeoff is that the loading operation slows the startup (boot) time of the computer. The list of Apps can grow to be large, so it needs to be pared down to minimize startup time.
On the left side of the Apps window, click Startup. Review the list and turn off all the programs except Windows Security notification icon. You will not be deleting anything from your computer when you perform this performance tweak. Exceptions are possible. For example, if you use Adobe Photoshop, you may see it in the Startup list. It’s a large program so it may make sense to turn it on. Another exception would be your anti-virus program if it’s listed.
Another area to check for Startup programs is the Task Manager. Right click the Taskbar, at the bottom of the screen, then click Task Manager. Click the Startup tab. Review the list. Many will be disabled from your previous changes but proceed to disable any others. Use the guidelines previously mentioned above in the Apps area.
Turning off startup apps and disabling them in Task Manager will help speed up the startup time of your computer and will increase your resources once the computer has booted up.
Chester County has moved into the
High Transmission Category
for the COVID-19 Delta Variant.
This is the highest category there is.
Masks are recommended,
inside all Hershey’s Mill Buildings,
for those vaccinated and those not vaccinated.
Delta Variant: from the CDC
“The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus that causes COVID-19. It might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated people.
Vaccines continue to reduce a person’s risk of contracting the virus that cause COVID-19, including this variant.
Vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, including against this variant.
Fully vaccinated people with breakthrough infections from this variant appear to be infectious for a shorter period.
Get vaccinated and wear masks indoors in public spaces to reduce the spread of this variant.”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html
Delta is a “Variant of Concern”
A variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html#Concern
Masks:
The CDC has recently changed their guidance on mask wearing. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced that the agency now recommends that people in areas with “high” or “substantial” Covid-19 transmission should resume wearing masks indoors. From the CDC, ‘If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.’
Chester County is a High Transmission area.
The Hershey’s Mill Board of Directors is following the CDC guidelines and is now recommending masks to be worn, completely covering nose and mouth, while inside any Hershey’s Mill building.
Please refer to the CDC website for more details.
Be Prepared: Many retail stores, restaurants and offices are requiring masks again.
REMINDER: The HM Technology Committee has Zoom available for Village and Community Meeting use. Email Sherry and Bill Kane, Co-Chairs, HMTC (see your HM Directory for email address) to set up a Zoom Meeting time.