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NortonAccountingServices.com 985-640-6072 Info@NortonAccountingServices.com FEBRUARY 2023 NORTON NEWSLETTER EASE OF MIND • AVAILABILITY • FLEXIBILITY • INDIVIDUAL APPROACH • EXPERIENCE • TAX SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™
FROM THE DESK OF Bob Norton
Tax season is upon us, again! We’ve been getting ready and have been making changes to improve turnaround time for this year! We’ve implemented a new client portal and have sent out invites to everyone that we have email
A TALE AS OLD AS TIME The Storied History of Libraries
addresses for. If you didn’t receive an invite, please email us to get setup.
We also have three new team members, Tim Knotts, Phuong Pham, and Doretta Cervini. Some of you may already have received emails from them. We’re taking a different approach this year, in that all of our new team members have bookkeeping experience. That’s not something that’s taught in college. Tim served in the Air Force before getting his accounting degree. He’ll be assisting with getting client data ready for tax prep. Phuong immigrated here from Vietnam to get her accounting degree and has worked many years with various businesses. Doretta also has extensive experience helping businesses with their bookkeeping and has worked in several industries. All three will be assisting me with tax returns this year.
We all owe a great deal to libraries. To start, they helped many of us learn how to read! Since reaching America almost 300 years ago, libraries have provided millions of people with books, ensuring knowledge was at their fingertips well before the internet. Today, they remain a crucial community space and source of knowledge. As a book enthusiast, I want to revisit these institutions’ long and storied history for National Library Lovers’ Day. Historians believe the first library was the Library of Ashurbanipal, created in the 7th century B.C. in modern-day Iraq. Instead of books as we know them today, the library stored cuneiform tablets. Other ancient libraries include the famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt, which has been lost to time, and the Chinese Imperial Libraries, which created the first cataloging system. After the fall of the Roman Empire, libraries mainly became religious institutions, curated by Catholic monks and Islamic imams and filled with spiritual texts. But the Enlightenment in Europe helped revive secular libraries. They did more than house books; they were centers of intellectual debate and repositories of knowledge for the era’s greatest thinkers. Unfortunately, these libraries were not public, with only scholars and aristocrats given passes to enter. The first American lending library is credited to none other than Benjamin Franklin. He established the Philadelphia Library Company in 1731, but the institution was a subscription-based service, and patrons had to pay for access. It wasn’t until more than a century later, in 1833, that Peterborough, New Hampshire, established the library as we know it today: publicly funded and accessible for all.
Our entire team is looking forward to helping you make this year a great year (and save on taxes)!
–Bob Norton
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But the idea didn’t take off until steel magnate Andrew Carnegie selected public libraries as one of his community projects. Carnegie recognized that many communities wanted libraries in their towns but didn’t have the funds to construct a building or gather a collection. He agreed to handle the upfront costs of establishing a library if the community committed to funding its operation. Between 1886 and 1923, he built 1,687 libraries, cementing their status as a fundamental part of any community. Over the 20th century, libraries became an essential aspect of most school buildings, a pride of academic institutions, and a pillar of knowledge in countless towns and cities. While earlier libraries mostly carried nonfiction works, libraries eventually began branching out into more popular fiction novels. Before long,
library collections added music and film and granted free access to computers and other digital materials.
Today, libraries remain one of the last spaces where all people are welcome, no purchase required. They also continue to provide books, music, internet access, and meeting spaces to communities that could otherwise not afford them. But with the advent of Amazon and the World Wide Web, their prominence is a thing of the past. It doesn’t have to be that way. When was the last time your family took a trip down to the local library? Set aside an hour or two to visit, and you’ll likely find that it offers more than you realized. The magic of libraries isn’t gone; it just needs to be recaptured. Maybe I’ll see you among the stacks.
With These 3 Tips Improve Your Credit Score By the End of the Year
Maintaining a strong credit score is incredibly important, especially with rising inflation. A high credit score will help you qualify for lower interest rates and obtain loans for high-cost items, such as homes or cars. We’re not taught much about credit in school, so many people make the mistake of opening credit cards or taking out loans they can’t pay off. This causes their credit score to go down. It’s not easy to improve your credit score once it’s taken a big hit, but you can do a few things to help it improve gradually.
Here are a few tips to improve your credit score by the end of the year.
Pay your bills on time. Payment history is the most influential factor in your credit score. If you aren’t paying your bills on time, you won’t see any improvement in your credit score. Lenders don’t want to loan to someone who has a history of missing payments; it’s an unnecessary risk on their part. Make your payments on time, and if you can’t afford the total amount, pay the minimum amount due. Interest will accrue, but your credit score will be untarnished. Keep old accounts open. If you’re trying to improve your credit rating, you’re likely making every effort to pay off your bills and balances. You may be tempted to close out each account as you pay it off, but doing so
will not improve your credit score; it’s more likely to hurt it. Closing an account lowers your maximum credit limit, which can lower your score. If the account has a record of on-time payments and you paid it off, leave it open. Only apply for new accounts when necessary. When you go shopping at your favorite store, they’ll likely ask if you want to open a store credit account to save additional money. Don’t do it. Each new account you apply for will show up on your credit report and lower your score by a few points. Try to get pre- approved if you’re trying to take out a large loan for a vehicle or home purchase. That way, if you are pre-approved, you don’t need to apply for the loan, which will save your credit score.
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All Aboard! After a slump in 2020 and 2021, cruises are back in a big way. If you’re planning your first onboard adventure — or it’s been a while since you last set sail — now is the time to brush up on your cruise ship etiquette. Every passenger should read their cruise line’s policies to ensure they know all the specifics before climbing aboard. In the meantime, we’ve listed some of the most essential do’s and don’ts for the savvy traveler. Know what to wear. Some cruise lines aim for a fancy atmosphere, while others prefer a casual approach. Ideally, review the dress policy before you book
Know Your Cruise Etiquette Before Setting Sail
your trip. Bring at least one formal outfit in your luggage for dinner, which tends to have an upscale vibe. The rest of your cruise wear should be casual but tasteful, leaving you looking put together. Most importantly, don’t overpack — the stateroom is smaller than you think. Don’t be a chair hog. Everyone wants a prime spot on the sundeck, but you’ve got to rise early in the morning to get one. That’s fine if you can manage it, but “saving” a seat by putting a towel on it and then wandering away for breakfast or a mani-pedi is the best way to get on your fellow travelers’ bad side. Your cruise may also have a policy against it. Going to the bathroom is one thing; you’re only human. Otherwise, if you want the seat, stay in it. Be on time. Treat your cruise ship like an airplane — if you’re not on time, it’s probably leaving without you. And if you are lucky enough to have the ocean liner wait, your fellow passengers won’t look at you kindly. Set your watch to ship time (not local time) and prepare to be back an hour before the deadline. That way, if you happen to be late, you’ll still be on time. You may miss out on an extra drink or souvenir shop, but nothing will ruin your cruise faster than being left behind at the dock. Chocolate Pots de Creme Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
Take a Break!
Ingredients
• 9 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped • 1 1/2 cups whole milk • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided • 6 large egg yolks
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar (add an extra tbsp if using bitter chocolate) • 1/4 tsp salt • 1 tbsp powdered sugar
Directions
1. Place chopped chocolate into a blender. 2. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, whisk the milk, 1 cup of cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt over medium heat. Cook, constantly stirring with a spatula until the mixture is almost boiling, 5–6 minutes. Immediately pour the milk mixture over the chocolate in the blender. 3. Cover and blend until smooth. 4. Divide the mixture among ramekins or small cups and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours). 5. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream and the powdered sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. 6. Top chilled pots de creme with whipped cream and serve.
Aquarius Bicycle Dream Equality
Festival Groundhog King Lincoln
Muffin Pancake Rabbit Roses
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bob Norton PAGE 1 Celebrating Library Lovers’ Month PAGE 1 3 Tips to Improve Your Credit Score PAGE 2 Brushing Up on Cruise Etiquette PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Chocolate Pots de Creme PAGE 3 The Unlikely Heroics of Cher Ami PAGE 4
The Story of Cher Ami How One Pigeon Saved 194 American Soldiers
Animals have always played a role in military efforts during wartime. Cats were kept aboard naval ships for pest control, horses and camels provided transportation for supplies and soldiers pre-World War II, and dogs are still used to this day for search and rescue efforts as well as mine detection. But one animal profession became obsolete with the advancement of communication technology: messenger. Often used during World War I, many dogs and pigeons became responsible for delivering messages of high importance. Of all the animals used during World War I, one pigeon named Cher Ami defied the odds to save nearly 200 American soldiers. On Oct. 2, 1918, Major Charles Whittlesey got trapped along the side of a hill in Northeastern France with 550 of his men. They ended up behind enemy lines with no food or ammunition, and — to make matters worse — his battalion started to suffer from friendly fire since allied troops remained unaware of their location. With nowhere to run, Whittlesey tried to send runners to contact the allies about their predicament. Unfortunately, their enemies consistently intercepted or killed these runners until only 194 men remained.
Whittlesey decided to dispatch messages by pigeon. The first pigeon got shot down almost immediately, so he sent a second pigeon with the message, “Men are suffering. Can
support be sent?” That one also got shot. Finally, Whittlesey turned to his last pigeon, Cher Ami, and scribbled down a quick note on onion paper that read, “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven’s sake, stop it.” Cher Ami took flight, but even after being shot down by the Germans, the bird defied the odds and actually took flight again! The effective delivery of this message helped save 194 men, but Cher Ami did not escape unharmed. He had been shot through the breast, blinded in one eye, and had a leg hanging only by a tendon. Army medics treated Cher Ami enough so he could travel to America, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds. The bird was then taxidermied and displayed in the Smithsonian, where you can still see him today. So, the next time you’re in Washington, D.C., stop by the “Price of Freedom” exhibit at the National Museum of American History where you can personally see this brave pigeon.
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