Some local towns collect leaves to compost as part of regular trash and recycling collection. See the times below for the next leaf collections.

Pottstown: You must put leaves in a designated or brown paper bag that is biodegradable. Bags are available at Borough Hall, the library and some area stores. Cost per bag is 50 cents. Collection is same day as recycling collection. Bags should be placed at curb. Collection runs from Oct. 20 to Dec. 17. Leaves should not be raked into the streets! This is a violation of borough codes.

Lower Pottsgrove: Leaves collected the first Monday of each month. Next collection is Nov. 2. Leaves must be in brown paper bags and should not be put out until the night before.

Phoenixville: Yard waste is picked up on the same day as trash. It must be put in biodegradeable bags and placed at the curb. Your address must be printed on the bag. Collection is from first week of March to last week of November. The next pickup days are Nov. 9 and 23.

Collegeville and Trappe: Residents are allowed to drop off yard waste at the shared compost site Nov. 1 to Dec. 19 on Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I.D. must be presented. The compost facility is located on West Seventh Avenue in Trappe at Township Line Road. Grass clippings, leaves, Christmas trees (without the trimmings), etc., are accepted. Residents are free to take mulch from the site. There is no scheduled borough pickup of leaves.

Limerick: Individual trash haulers handle leaf collection. Check with your trash hauler for pickup. Leaf pickup is mandated once a month in May, October, November and December. Leaves must be placed in biodegradeable bags. Yard waste dropoff is also available Saturdays at the public works facility from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 14.

Senior Citizens over age 65 can ride public buses for free through a program paid for by the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Senior passes can be obtained on the third floor of Pottstown borough hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You must present a valid form of ID that includes your birthdate.

The disabled can get reduced fare passes at borough hall as well if they are younger than 65 and have a valid red, white and blue Medicare card. Forms for this pass must be picked up at Borough Hall and filled out then certified by the individual's medical professional if no Medicare card is available.

HARRISBURG — The newest student aid guide has been made available from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, according to a press release from PHEAA.

The guide, which is free, offers information on federal student aid and the process for application, as well as detailed information on all state student aid programs, including the need-based State Grant, according to PHEAA.

A print and online version of the guide are available and copies of the 2009-2010 guide will be sent out to all guidance counselor offices in the state. To obtain a copy of the online guide, which includes links to helpful Web pages and online aid applications, visit PHEAA.org.

High school counselors can order extra copies of the guide at PHEAA.org/counselors

Supplies of the printed version are limited.

PHEAA also recommends families with students interested in higher education visit EducationPlanner.org for college planning guidance. The Web site can assist with identifying a solid career path and the education necessary to enter it, and offers one of the largest scholarship searches on the Internet.

PennDOT offers free safety classes to motorcycle license and permit holders March through October.

"We offer these classes to build a sound, safe training basis for beginning motorcyclists and to maintain safe operation among more experienced riders," said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler.

The Basic Rider Course is a 15-hour class with five hours of in-class instruction and 10 hours of practical riding experience perfect for beginning and inexperienced riders, according to PennDOT. The skills reviewed also offer experienced riders the chance to polish their skills and knowledge of safety on the road. Motorcycles and helmets are provided to students for this course if they do not already have one. Helmets must be DOT approved if brought to this course. Scooter riders can bring their scooters to the course instead of using the motorcycles provided.

The Experienced Rider Course provides skilled riders the chance to refresh their safety knowledge and hone their on-road skills in a six-hour, one-day class. This class also allows riders to carry a passenger while practicing balance and steering techniques under the guidance of rider coaches on the course, PennDOT said. Riders must bring their own helmets and motorcycles or scooters to this course.

To enroll in either class, you must hold a valid class M license or current motorcycle permit from Pennsylvania. Permit holders are automatically issued a valid class M license when they successfully complete the course.

Locally, classes are held at CAT-Pickering campus in Phoenixville, at Blackman's Cycle Center in Emmaus, and at Sport Cycle Suzuki and Classic Harley-Davidson in Leesport. All those interested must sign up through www.pamsp.com. Walk-ins are not allowed.

By Keith Phucas, Journal Register News Service

NORRISTOWN — If a couple is in default on their home mortgage loan, a state agency could help them save their home from foreclosure and give them a chance to get back on track with their payments. Yet according to Regional Housing Legal Services attorney Donald Marritz, only one in four homeowners with troubled mortgages bothers to apply for the assistance.

Typically, after a borrower misses a second house payment, the lender can move toward foreclosing on a property, but the process can often be delayed.

“Before a lender files a foreclosure, (it) has to send the borrower an Act 91 notice,” he said. “(The notice) tells them, if they go to a housing counselor, the lender can’t file for foreclosure for 30 days.”

That time period can often be stretched to four months, he said.

If homeowners meet with a counselor within 33 days of the date an Act 91 notice is received, the mortgage company is temporarily prohibited from starting a foreclosure case.

Regional Housing Legal Services, a member of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, provides legal and technical assistance to low-income families and other homeowners. The Pennsylvania state Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program could help save a family’s home, but homeowners must meet the qualifications.

To be eligible, delinquent borrowers must have gotten behind in their mortgage payments through circumstances beyond their control — a job loss or mounting medical expenses.

“What we’ve found is homeowners are good at explaining how they got into the situation, but they’re not so good at explaining how they’re going to get out of it,” Marritz said.

Those meeting the requirements are given between 24 months to resume paying the mortgage; however, in times of high unemployment, they get 36 months, he said.

If an application is granted, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will loan the homeowner money to bring his mortgage up to date, according to that state agency.

As the threat of foreclosures have increased significantly in recent years, those applying to HEMAP has risen accordingly. In April 2008, a total of 3,875 Pennsylvania homeowners applied for the emergency mortgage assistance. A year later, 4,990 had submitted applications, according to Marritz.

In Montgomery County, 223 people applied for HEMAP money in April 2008. In April 2009, that number reached 347. Last month, 435 homeowners filled out applications for the assistance.

Marritz is baffled that more borrowers in default don’t at least try to take advantage of the assistance program. In Montgomery County, only 15 to 20 percent of strapped homeowners apply for the money. And many counties’ percentages are even lower.

Only five Pennsylvania counties — Potter, Tioga, Indiana, Monroe and Huntington — had 25 percent of imperiled borrowers applying to HEMAP.

For assistance and advice on avoiding foreclosure call the following agencies:

* The nonprofit Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania provides legal services related to housing, including foreclosures, sheriffs’ sales and bankruptcies, among others. The Norristown offices at 625 Swede St. can be reached at 610-275-5400. In Pottstown, the 248 King St. office number is 610-326-8280.

* Montgomery County Bar Association, 100 Airy St., can be reached at 610-279-9660.

* Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s toll free number is 1-800-342-2397. Persons with impaired hearing can call 717-780-1869.

For more information about Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Programs, visit hemap.org.

READING — Berks County is ready, whether the next big pandemic is the swine flu or another form H1N1influenzavirus, according to the county's Department of Emergency Services.

With the growing concern over the spread of swine flu, the county has partnered with the Red Cross, the county Pandemic Advisory Council, Reading Hospital and Medical Center, and St. Joseph's Medical Center to prepare itself and put procedures in place in case of a pandemic reminiscient of the 1918 flu.

"The partnership maximizes the strengths of each organization to ensure that our community is provided with the best information and assistance possible given this rapidly evolving threat," Emergency Services said in a press release.

"Daily interaction is taking place among these key community players, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The situation is being monitored closely, and local activities will be modified to coincide with the recommendations from DOH public health experts," said Emergency Services.

"DES believes that it is critical that every resident of Berks County realizes that they have a role to play in bringing this public health emergency to a swift end. One individual in the right circumstances, if properly educated, can have a significant impact in halting the spread of this, or any respiratory illness. That same individual, properly prepared, can lessen the impact to the community as a whole by being self-sufficient during an emergency," the press release read.

The Emergency Services department wants Berks residents to know who to contact and where to go in case of an outbreak:

Berks County Department of Emergency Services: In charge of coordinating efforts in emergencies, along with response and recovery. Information on how the community should react during a pandemic is available on the Emergency Services' Web site, www.berksema.com. A Pandemic Plan is also available on the site and should be read by all residents. The main role of Emergency Services is to "act like a conduit for information to and from the states and federal government to local entities."

Berks County Chapter of the Red Cross: Its role is to prepare individuals, families and groups to be better prepared to protect themselves in times of disaster and provides relief efforts to communities. Questions about personal preparedness can be answered by calling 610-375-4383 or visiting www.berks.redcross.org.

Berks Pandemic Advisory Council: The purpose of this organization is to promote greater public awareness about the hazards of a pandemic. It has worked for the past two years on creating a plan on how to "mitigate the social and economic disruptions that a pandemic could bring about." Members can conduct presentations to community groups and businesses on pandemic awareness and prevention. For more information, call 610-374-4800, ext. 8289, e-mail panflu@countyofberks.com, or visit www.flutoolbox.com

Reading Hospital and Medical Center and St. Joseph's Medical Center: The two acute care facilities in the county are the heart of the county's response to a pandemic. Both have invested time and money into preparing their staff's for a potential pandemic. They have "developed contingency plans and stockpiled medicines and protective gear to allow their medical and support staff to continue to service their patients as efficiently as possible."

Think you've been scammed, or want to check to find out of a product, service or business is legitimate? We've compiled some phone numbers and Web sites you can go to for help.

United States Postal Inspection Service

1-800-USMAIL5, or the Fraud Complaint Center at 1-800-372-8347, to report mail fraud.

Visit www.FakeChecks.org if you suspect you may have been mailed a fraudulent check.

Better Business Bureau

215-985-9313, to check on contractors, businesses or report a complaint against a business.

Montgomery County Department of Consumer Affairs

610-278-3565, to check on contractors, local businesses or report fraud. This office will only be open through June.

The Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Affairs

215-560-2414, to check on a business or report a claim.

Federal Do Not Call List

1-888-382-1222 and the Pennsylvania Do Not Call List at 1-888-777-3406 to avoid fraudulent telemarketers.

Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Hotline

1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338) to report identity theft; visit the FTC Web site at www.ftc.gov, or call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 to report Internet fraud.

Internet Crime Complaint Center

www.ic3.gov to learn more about Internet fraud or file a complaint.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Web site at www.fbi.gov to learn more about senior citizens and fraud.