TOM WARD - Yes, there is good news, too

The politics of failing schools and businesses in a failing state gets tiring, so permit me to focus for a moment on one good success story. On Saturday, this newspaper will, for the fourth year, sponsor the Rhode Island State Spelling Bee, returning to Lincoln Middle School. Beginning at 10 a.m., 28 youngsters will take the stage to find out who is the state's top speller, and earn a trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. I'd like to publicly thank our co-sponsors, the Utility Contractors Association of R.I., and Citizens Bank, for helping make it all possible. Thanks, too, to Cumberland School Committee member Lisa Beaulieu, who helps coordinate all the many details of the event, and Superintendent Donna Morelle, our chief judge.

As always, the public is invited to see our young spelling stars, and there is no admission charge.

* One week later, on Saturday morning, March 27, this paper will coordinate the annual "Yellow Bag Day" Cumberland roadside litter cleanup. While we generally get a good turnout of volunteers, so far it's been quiet. The Rotary Club of Cumberland-Lincoln will be helping, as well as the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone. We're looking for teams or individuals; just e-mail me at tward@valleybreeze.com to sign up. Generally, we point you in the direction of some really messy spots and provide you with the yellow bags, which are picked up by the town's Highway Department workers a few days later. Individuals can also work on an area of their choosing. It's the time of year that roadsides look their worst, and we hope to clean things up a bit before the grass starts growing again. This is just for paper and cans along messy roadsides, and not pulling tires from the river. I hope you can help. Volunteers may also phone 334-9555, ext. 123, to sign up.

In advance I say, thank you all!

* Did you read that story last weekend that warned some states might be holding tax refund money now owed back to their residents? By Monday, the truly wretched basket-case states like California and New York denied they would do that, but it got me thinking.

I know there are plenty of people who act like it's Christmas morning when their tax return check arrives, but do they know they shouldn't be paying that much in the first place?

Just in case you are unaware, if you get a "nice, big check" back from the state or federal government, it's only because you paid way too much to begin with. What you did, in return for a little tax-time excitement, is give the government a nice, big, interest-free loan. Why would you do that, especially if there might ever be a chance that the government would hold onto your money in an emergency?

If, for instance, you get a $500 check back from Rhode Island, it means you gave them about $10 a week more than you had to. If you are excited by a $1,000 federal tax refund, you've loaned the government $20 each week. Why? Make a small adjustment with your payroll supervisor at work (and you should!) and you can get that $10 in your check each week instead. If you don't trust yourself to save the $10-$30 on pay day, it's easier than ever to have your bank electronically move your extra cash to a savings account each week, where it will earn interest. (Yes, it's measly interest these days, but it's better than the goose egg that the government will pay you).

Smarten up! There's only one way for you to never worry about the state holding onto your tax refund money, and that's to not give it to the government in the first place.

Ward is publisher of The Valley Breeze newspapers

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