August 2015
NEWS & NOTES
A monthly newsletter to keep you informed.

New Drive Up Hours
 
Back To School Tips
It's "Back to School" time, which for some of us can mean a lot of stress and be hard on our pocket book. To your kids, shopping for new clothes, gear, and school supplies may be the only good thing about going back to school, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. Here are some great ideas for how to get everything they need and save a few bucks doing it.
Hold off buying trendier gear
Kids may love a certain lunch box or pencil case they find in July, but once they start school and see that their friends are all using another kind, they'll beg you to upgrade them, and that only results in wasted cash.
Shop end-of-summer sales
Kids wear short sleeve polo shirts all year long, so hit the big summer sales and snap up discounted duds that can be worn well into fall. 
Stick to the list
The teacher's supply list at the start of a new school year is daunting enough so don't waste time and money on unlisted items. Extra supplies, while they may be cute, will probably never get used and just leave your pockets empty.
Let the kids raid your cabinets
The kids can select home-office supplies and then personalize them in unique ways. For example, decorate inexpensive plain, white binders with digital photos by creating a collage and inserting the page into the plastic outer cover, or cover them with some of the new designer duct tape.
Plan lunch
When you're in charge of what your child eats, you'll save yourself money. Check the weekly circulars at your local supermarkets for sales. If turkey isn't on sale one week and ham is, go for the ham!
Check out Salida Swap
Salida has a local swap on Facebook called Salida Swap - Online Find or Sell.  You do need to be a member so friend request them and start swapping.  You can buy items or post items that you no longer need or purchased and never used.  You can also trade - books, toys, clothing, and even school supplies.  You'll save a bundle. 
Shop at Consignment Shops
Salida, Buena Vista, and Canon City have several consignment shops that have great deals on school clothing. Also, you can sell clothing at those same consignment stores.  Simply take in clothes that you no longer wear to the consignment stores.You can get store credit for any sales that you make and can apply those funds to your purchases or use the money from sales for purchases at other stores.
Salida also has Caring and Sharing which not only have clothing options but also have supplies for school. High Country Bank recently dropped off over two large boxes of three ring binders that were gently used. 
Chaffee County Department of Human Services 
To help students get the supplies they need, the Chaffee County Department of Human Services coordinates an annual school supply drive.  Last year, the drive provided materials for about 300 students, from kindergarten through high school in both Salida and Buena Vista.  All families need to have their name added to the list and then students from those families get to shop on August 12, for Salida families, and August 19, for families in Buena Vista. If you missed this year's shopping date, put it on the calendar for next year so you're on the list and ready to shop.
Buena Vista Branch Voted Best Bank
 
PSA: Social Engineering and You: Phone Scams
"There is no need to go through the effort of picking a lock when you can talk someone into letting you into their home." -Tomar Teller
Social engineering is defined as a non-technical method of intrusion used by hackers that relies heavily on human interaction and often involves tricking people into breaking normal security procedures. More to point, social engineers, or con men as they were formerly known, cleverly manipulate the natural human tendency to trust each other, often resulting in the compromise of personal data without the use of sophisticated exploit techniques. I recently received a telephone call from one such individual claiming to be from Microsoft Support. The individual in question attempted to convince me to give him my IP Address so that he could "help me fix a critical issue on my computer". Therein lies the impetus of the social engineer. By promising a benefit to the unwary victim, people, especially those without a strong security background, can often unwittingly open the door wide open for a hacker to steal their data, a breach that could potentially result in identity theft and bank account takeovers. In the example I experienced, the individual was attempting to instruct me to open up remote desktop access to my home computer allowing him to freely view and copy any files or data contained therein. I did not follow his instructions and, to point, I implore you to do the same. After consultation with my coworkers and family members, I quickly discovered that they had also received similar phone calls from an individual claiming to represent Microsoft. Therefore, I conclude that residents of Chaffee and Fremont Counties have been specifically targeted by this social engineering scheme and wish to raise awareness in our communities. After contacting a legitimate Microsoft Support Representative, I was informed that Microsoft Support never conducts unsolicited support calls and does business primarily through electronic mail. In conclusion, I strongly suggest you think critically about any offers for support or products pertaining to your home electronic devices. When in doubt, if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Stay safe out there, the cyber world is a scary place.