Sudoku

Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzle games of all time. The goal of Sudoku is to fill a 9×9 grid with numbers so that each row, column and 3×3 section contain all of the digits between 1 and 9. As a logic puzzle, Sudoku is also an excellent brain game.

Dave Says -By Dave Ramsey

Dear Dave,

As a smallbusiness owner, should I work with multiple banks to avoid what happened with Silicon Valley Bank?

-Matt Dear Matt, You should work with multiple banks, but that has nothing to do with Silicon Valley Bank. SVB shouldn’t be a business model anyone follows. It was a crash of high-tech, start-up and venture-capital players. It was a “players” bank. In other words, it was a bunch of Silicon Valley posers misbehaving under the heading of a bank—and it all came crashing down on their heads. But it didn’t have anything to do with the kinds of banks you or I do business with.

Believe it or not, a bank is just another vendor. They are helping you, and they are a supplier to you—whether it’s a checking account, debit card or anything else. Anytime you’re doing business, especially when it comes to key areas of your company, it’s always good to have more than one vendor in that category. That way, you’re not stuck if they decide to raise their prices or their quality of service declines.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not talking about jumping from vendor to vendor every time the wind blows. We have vendors we’ve worked with for 20 years at Ramsey Solutions. But I’m also not going to let myself or my business become a prisoner of one provider. Currently, we have three banking relationships. We have a primary bank, and we’ve been with them for 35 years. We also have two other minor banking relationships. Do you see what I’m saying, Matt? If you’ve only got one supplier for one of the key elements of your business and they suddenly go sideways, so do you! We deal with smaller, regional and local banks at my company too. That way, we get to talk with actual human beings who make reasonable decisions. The big banks? No, thank you. Small businesses, especially, are just numbers to them. You get no respect, no mercy and no real help.

Develop banking relationships with people in your own town and area. I’m talking about the kind of folks you could sit down with, have a cup of coffee, and engage in a real discussion about your needs and what’s going on in your business. A bank is a key vendor relationship for a small business, but make sure you protect yourself and diversify. Never have just one!

-Dave

* Dave Ramsey is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Ask The Motor Medics®

From

Dear Motor Medics, I have a car that needs a timing belt, and it is going to cost over $1700.00 to change. That sounds crazy to me. I have had belts changed before on my cars and they have never been more than $50.00 but none of my cars have had timing belts. It is a 2005 Lexus so I know it might run a little more than some of the other domestic cars I have had but come on, 1k is just way over the top and I think I may be getting taken. Can I just let it go?

-Ben in Portland, Maine

Dear Ben, Welcome cars with timing belts. When we give purchase advice, we will tell buyers to take the cost of regular timing belt service into account when they purchase a car. It is a Must-do item that if let go will eventually break and in the case of an interference engine "which most are" will destroy the engine or severely damage it at the very least and that can cost thousands to repair. The timing belt takes the place of the timing chain and it times the movement of the valves and pistons so that the valves are closed when the pistons get to the top. If the valves are open, then they will collide, and parts will break. Timing belts are typically in the range of $800.00 to over $2000.00 to do the job on some cars.

-Take care, the Motor Medics

Dear Motor Medics, I was filling up my washer bottle in the dark so that I could keep my windows clean and wanted to use the kind that cleans bugs off and de-ices, you know the kind that's orange. Well, it is also the color of engine antifreeze so if you haven't got it yet I poured engine antifreeze into my windshield washer bottle. Antifreeze really makes a mess on the

Brian’s Painting

window and I cannot see a thing. How do I get it out? The bottle is buried deep in the fender.

-Mark in Bennington, Vermont Dear Mark,

You are not the first or the last one to do this. We take this question several times a year and it can be fixed. You need to get all the coolant out of the bottle and clean the glass well to get rid of the streaks the coolant leaves. If you have not run the pump then get a suction gun from a parts store and remove all the coolant you can then flush with water, suck out the water with the suction gun and repeat until free of antifreeze then add new washer fluid. If you have run the pump, you will need to do the previous steps then run the pump to clear the lines of antifreeze. You can also have your local mechanic do this for you. Mixing fluids is never good but mixed-up washer fluid is easier to fix than other fluids.

-Take care, the Motor Medics

For entertainment only. Always consult your local shop and follow all safety procedures before repairs. Come visit the Motor Medics® online at Underthehoodshow. com.

Albany Senior Dining

Mon., May 22: Chicken alfredo over pasta, garden salad, baked apple slices.

Tues., May 23: Lasagna roll ups, chuckwagon corn, mandarin oranges, garlic bread.

Wed., May 24: Ham, sweet potato, veg. medley, cranberry sauce, roll.

Thurs., May 25: Swiss steak, half baked potato, broccoli, pineapple.

Fri., May 26: Brat, macaroni & cheese, California Normandy, spiced applesauce. Pre-registration requested to dine daily. For more info. call 320-845-4070.

Upsala - All Ages

BREAKFAST: Mon.-Fri. 7-10 a.m.: Walk in & dine. Take out available, call ahead.

Mon., May 22: Chicken enchiladas, rice, vegetable, dessert.

Tues., May 23: Polish sausage w/sauerkraut, potatoes, vegetables, dessert.

Wed., May 24: Cook's choice.

Thurs., May 25: Cowboy casserole, dinner salad, garlic bread, dessert.

Fri., May 26: Sloppy Joe, cheesy potatoes, vegetable, dessert.

Pick up or eat in by 11:30 a.m.

For meals, call a day before: 320-573-4435.