THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 18, 2022 Page 15 BBB Tip: a shopper’s guide to advent calendars A dvent calendars have become a fixture of the holiday season. Once a religious tradition for children, these calendars are now big business. They are targeted at all ages and contain anything from luxury beauty products to Lego sets to a variety of wines. With so many options, some costing hundreds of dollars, what should you know before purchasing one? The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends what you should know before buying an advent calendar: • Shop early. Due to their growing popularity, the best advent calendars tend to sell out early. If an advent calendar is on your list, especially if you want one with a coveted brand or product, make your purchase early. • Compare calendars. Bundled products, such as advent calendars, are hard to compare across retailers; however, do some comparison shopping first to make sure you are getting a good deal on the type of calendar you want (for example, chocolate or toys). Consider what’s inside each calendar to determine which company offers the best deal. CITY | FROM Page 1 Capizzi for the update and said he asked for a detailed account following Boston news reports about lawsuits and settlements regarding Revere police. Rizzo said councillors, who are supposed to understand how the city operates, should not learn about lawsuits and settlements through news reports. “If we’re making numerous SERINO | FROM Page 1 on a comprehensive infrastructure project to repair and revitalize Town Line Brook, which runs through the three communities and empties into the Atlantic. He also mentioned working to ease traffic on streets off Squire Road, which led to a traffic study to assess the surroundRAC | FROM Page 1 been getting some help with building that consensus. The board picked up a $46,000 technical assistance grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council that will help with outreach strategies and case studies of other commu• Don’t expect a bargain. If you already buy something frequently, such as coffee or cosmetics, an advent calendar can be a fun, festive way to sample new flavors or products from a favorite store; however, retailers love advent calendars because they have high-profit margins, so don’t expect a good deal. • Buy from a reputable company, especially if you want to buy an advent calendar online. Make sure the online store has a reputation for good customer service, quality goods and reliable shipping and handling. If customer reviews reveal that a company is struggling in any of these areas, make your purchase elsewhere. • Be wary of misleading ads. Scam e-commerce websites often promote advent calendars through enticing social media ads. Just because something looks good in the photo doesn’t mean it’s real. The same goes for glowing customer reviews. Always research a company before you do business with them to avoid falling victim to a scam. • Count the cost. Watch out for overpriced advent calendars. In recent years, some consumers have called out luxury settlements for numerous police officers, as I’ve been told, I think we have a right to understand where our tax dollars are being spent and why they are being spent the way they are,” said Rizzo, who added that if the city is spending tax dollars on settlements, there’s got to be a problem somewhere that has to be addressed. Capizzi stressed that any discussion of a city employee’s ing residential neighborhood, which has been burdened by a heavy volume of traffic for years. But Serino said the two accomplishments which gave him the most satisfaction was the creation of a veteran’s fund and an ordinance that requires city meetings to begin at 5 p.m. to allow taxpayers an opportunity to attend. nity projects that have restored similar buildings on created art centers. McKenna initially envisioned a center with gallery and studio space and an area for teaching. But she recently spoke with a music teacher from Revere High who suggested the possibility of holding concerts at the cenbrands on social media for not delivering adequate gifts in expensive calendars. Before you purchase one, find out what it contains. Consider whether the gifts are miniature or full-size and what each product might be worth individually. Then, decide if the calendar is worth its overall asking price. • Watch out for scams. BBB gets dozens of reports each year about advent calendar scams in BBB Scam Tracker (https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker). Deals that seem too good to be true are often a telltale sign of a scam. Be very wary of products that sell for significantly more money elsewhere or are sold out on well-known sites. Read more about advent calendar scams (https://www. bbb.org/article/scams/26182bbb-scam-alert-watch-out-forsocial-media-advent-calendarscams). For more information: Read the BBB Scam Alert on advent calendar scams. Avoid scams while shopping for gifts by reading BBB’s holiday tips (https://www.bbb.org/all/holiday). Get more helpful advice by reading BBB’s tips for smart shopping online and visiting BBB.org/AvoidScams. reputation, character, physical condition or mental health should take place in executive session. While those requirements have made sorting out what can be discussed in open meeting and what must be kept in executive session complicated, Capizzi assured councillors that work on gathering the information has been ongoing and the request is not languishing. “Two full terms are an adequate amount of time to achieve my goals,” said Serino, who added that although he is leaving the council, he is not shutting the door on politics or public service. “I would certainly entertain a run for councilor-atlarge or higher office sometime beyond 2023 and a few years down the line,” he said. ter. The idea of theatrical performances naturally followed. “We could have a café and serve coffee and pastry,” said McKenna, who added that the building already has a kitchen. “It could be an array of wonderful things.” The commission also hopes to preserve and incorporate the station’s history into the plan. There is talk of a museum-style exhibit of historical artifacts from the fire department. Although the cost of the project initially kept the commission’s hopes of success in check, McKenna is now optimistic that there may be some money available for the arts center through the American Rescue Plan Act fund. Meanwhile, the commission is moving ahead with its other major initiative of installing murals throughout the city. They are currently seeking artists and designs for the Point of Pines Route 1A underpass and the Butler Circle MBTA wall. 1. On Nov. 18, 1963, the first of what type of telephone debuted? 2. Reportedly, what are the two states that have official state donuts? 3. On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at what battlefield? 4. Why did Thomas Jefferson refuse to proclaim Thanksgiving a national holiday? 5. On Nov. 20, 1942, what highway through the Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska officially opened? 6. The Wampanoag reportedly brought five of what animal to the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth? 7. According to Guinness World Records, as of September 2005, the largest gathering of people with the same first and last name (164) happened on the set of a NYC TV show; what is the show’s star’s name that they all also had? 8. What city has the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade: Chicago, NYC or Philadelphia? 9. November 21 is National Stuffing Day; was stuffing served at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth? 10. The first World War II poster to include some variation of “Loose Lips Sink Ships” was made by the Seagram Distillers Corp. for posting where? Answers 11. How are fruit, horse and midge similar? 12. According to Guinness World Records, in March 2022, Funerex Africa put on a parade of what that broke a record for length? 13. On Nov. 22, 1995, what first feature-length film made solely by using computer-generated imagery was released? 14. According to Edward Winslow, writing in a December 1621 letter, at Thanksgiving the pilgrims “entertained and feasted” Massasoit and how many Indian men: 10, 36 or 90? 15. What are known as the “Big Five” (or GAFAM) U.S. tech companies? (GAFAM has their names’ first initials.) 16. On Nov. 23, 1814, Elbridge Gerry died, who was a former Mass. governor and U.S. VP; what is he the namesake of? 17. Peregrine White was the first known English child of the pilgrims in America; where was he born? 18. Which is the world’s largest mammal: blue whale, elephant or polar bear? 19. In the 1880s in what state did chili stands with “chili queens” become popular? 20. On Nov. 24, 1877, what book about a horse by Anna Sewell, who had difficulty standing and walking, was published? 1. Push-button 2. Louisiana and Massachusetts (beignet and Boston cream, respectively) 3. Gettysburg 4. Because he believed in the First Amendment and the separation of church and state 5. The Alaska Highway 6. Deer 7. Martha Stewart (Reportedly, recently in Tokyo, 178 people with the same name met up, breaking the record.) 8. Philadelphia (the 1920 Gimbel Brothers Department Store Parade) 9. No evidence has been found. 10. In bars 11. They are types of flies. 12. Hearses (122) 13. “Toy Story” 14. 90 15. Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft 16. Gerrymandering 17. On the Mayflower in Provincetown, Mass. 18. Blue whale 19. Texas (The World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 featured chili at its San Antonio Chili Stand.) 20. “Black Beauty”
16 Publizr Home