Got a question? Text the library

Let's say you're sipping a beer at Peggy Kinnane's when your friend blurts out, "Did you know mustard never spoils?"

Now, being the trivia whiz that you are, you know honey -- not mustard -- is the only food that doesn't spoil. So you tell her. But she sticks with her mustard answer.

You bet dinner on it. She bets her car. Now, you really need an answer.

But there are no computers around and the bartender doesn't know the answer.

What is a "totally-in-the-right" person to do?

Text the Arlington Heights library. Its staff will not only text you back the answer but, in this hypothetical case, win you a car.

All you have to do is text your question to 265010 and start your message with "ahmlq:".

I tried it out this week and it works.

I started with an easy one: "How many members of Congress?"

The answer came back in less than a minute: 435. Then I got a follow-up text letting me know there are 100 members of the Senate.

Interesting.

So I tried again: "What is Sen. John McCain's middle name?"

Two minutes later, I checked my inbox to find: "Sidney."

Finally I tried: "What is the only food that doesn't spoil?"

"Possibly honey" came back a few minutes later.

I was just about to text: "Who invented masking tape?" when my phone rang.

Good thing. I'm sure the Arlington Heights librarians have better things to do.

By the way, masking tape was invented in 1925 by 3M employee Richard Drew. I can talk and text at the same time.

The new text message answer services started about two weeks ago and is mostly available only when the library is open, said Bill Pardue, the library's virtual services librarian.

"Settle a bet," said Pardue about the service. "It's a great service and goes right to the reference desk."

The text questions should be short and specific, Pardue said. Librarians will try to answer with as few words as possible because some cell phone users get charged per word, he added.

New garbage rates: Starting April 1, garbage collection rates and the price of yard waste stickers will increase.

Here are the new monthly charges for most residents. The village does offer discounts for senior citizens, disabled residents and low-income residents:

• curbside service: $23.28

• optional backdoor service: $36.34

• landscape waste sticker fee:$1.75 each per bag or bundle

• unlimited landscape waste subscription: $105

Yard waste collection will resume March 31 and end Nov. 24 for residents living north of Oakton Street. For residents south of Oakton, collection resumes April 1 and ends in late November.

Collection days for residents living north of Oakton are Monday (yard waste and refuse) and Thursday (recycling and refuse). For residents south of Oakton, collection days are Tuesday (yard waste and refuse) and Friday (recycling and refuse).