Inferences and conclusions

(1) When the Riverside Community Garden opened in 2021 on a former parking lot behind the public library, organizers worried that no one would sign up. They had 40 raised-bed plots, each about the size of a parking space, and they rented them to local households for $25 a season.

(2) Those worries did not last. Every plot was claimed in the first month, and by the end of the season, a dozen households were on a waiting list. The garden added 8 plots in 2022 by using a strip of lawn next to the building. In 2023, the city allowed the garden to take over the rest of the old lot, bringing the total to 60 plots. That is as many as the site can hold.

(3) Gardeners say the benefits go beyond fresh tomatoes. Many plot holders live in apartments with no yard. Retirees mentor first-time growers, and a local elementary school uses two plots for science lessons. Last season, gardeners donated more than 900 pounds of produce to the food pantry down the street.

(4) The garden's volunteer board is now considering two proposals. The first would lease a vacant lot on Elm Street, about half a mile away, which could hold roughly 30 new plots. The second would limit each household to two seasons in a row so that people on the waiting list get a turn. Some longtime gardeners oppose the second idea. "It takes three years to really learn your soil," one said at a recent meeting.

(5) The graph below shows how many plots were in use and how many households were waiting for a plot at the end of each season.

Graph data: 2021, 40 plots in use and 12 households waiting; 2022, 48 and 25; 2023, 60 and 41; 2024, 60 and 58; 2025, 60 and 73.

(1) When the Riverside Community Garden opened in 2021 on a former parking lot behind the public library, organizers worried that no one would sign up. They had 40 raised-bed plots, each about the size of a parking space, and they rented them to local households for $25 a season.

(2) Those worries did not last. Every plot was claimed in the first month, and by the end of the season, a dozen households were on a waiting list. The garden added 8 plots in 2022 by using a strip of lawn next to the building. In 2023, the city allowed the garden to take over the rest of the old lot, bringing the total to 60 plots. That is as many as the site can hold.

(3) Gardeners say the benefits go beyond fresh tomatoes. Many plot holders live in apartments with no yard. Retirees mentor first-time growers, and a local elementary school uses two plots for science lessons. Last season, gardeners donated more than 900 pounds of produce to the food pantry down the street.

(4) The garden's volunteer board is now considering two proposals. The first would lease a vacant lot on Elm Street, about half a mile away, which could hold roughly 30 new plots. The second would limit each household to two seasons in a row so that people on the waiting list get a turn. Some longtime gardeners oppose the second idea. "It takes three years to really learn your soil," one said at a recent meeting.

(5) The graph below shows how many plots were in use and how many households were waiting for a plot at the end of each season.

Graph data: 2021, 40 plots in use and 12 households waiting; 2022, 48 and 25; 2023, 60 and 41; 2024, 60 and 58; 2025, 60 and 73.

(1) When the Riverside Community Garden opened in 2021 on a former parking lot behind the public library, organizers worried that no one would sign up. They had 40 raised-bed plots, each about the size of a parking space, and they rented them to local households for $25 a season.

(2) Those worries did not last. Every plot was claimed in the first month, and by the end of the season, a dozen households were on a waiting list. The garden added 8 plots in 2022 by using a strip of lawn next to the building. In 2023, the city allowed the garden to take over the rest of the old lot, bringing the total to 60 plots. That is as many as the site can hold.

(3) Gardeners say the benefits go beyond fresh tomatoes. Many plot holders live in apartments with no yard. Retirees mentor first-time growers, and a local elementary school uses two plots for science lessons. Last season, gardeners donated more than 900 pounds of produce to the food pantry down the street.

(4) The garden's volunteer board is now considering two proposals. The first would lease a vacant lot on Elm Street, about half a mile away, which could hold roughly 30 new plots. The second would limit each household to two seasons in a row so that people on the waiting list get a turn. Some longtime gardeners oppose the second idea. "It takes three years to really learn your soil," one said at a recent meeting.

(5) The graph below shows how many plots were in use and how many households were waiting for a plot at the end of each season.

Graph data: 2021, 40 plots in use and 12 households waiting; 2022, 48 and 25; 2023, 60 and 41; 2024, 60 and 58; 2025, 60 and 73.

(1) For eleven years, the Westside Community Pantry has handed out groceries from the basement of St. Luke's Church every Tuesday and Thursday. This spring, those two days stopped being enough.

(2) In early March, the Carlton Plastics plant on Industrial Road eliminated its night shift, laying off about 300 workers. Within weeks, the pantry's line stretched up the basement stairs and onto the sidewalk. The table below shows how the pantry's numbers changed during the first half of the year.

Westside Community Pantry, January to June

(3) Pantry director Gwen Alvarez noticed that many of the new families arrived late on Thursday evenings, often still wearing work uniforms from other jobs. "A lot of people who lost their night-shift jobs found new work, but it pays less, and it's during the day," she said. In April, the pantry began opening on Saturday mornings from 9 to noon.

(4) Meeting the demand has been hard for another reason. Most of the pantry's weekday volunteers are retirees, and several have stopped volunteering because of health problems or moves. The pantry has not been able to replace them, even as the number of families has grown. Volunteers now often stay an extra hour to finish packing boxes.

(5) Alvarez is hopeful about two changes. Students from Westside High School have begun volunteering on Saturdays to earn community service hours, and a local grocery store has started donating fresh produce twice a week. "We're doing more with fewer hands," Alvarez said. "But we can't keep stretching forever."

(6) The pantry's board will meet in August to discuss its options. These include asking other churches in the area to share the work or opening a second location on the east side of town.

Cedar Valley Manufacturing, Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

(1) Purpose. Cedar Valley Manufacturing provides paid time off (PTO) so employees can rest, handle personal matters, and recover from illness while still receiving pay. PTO combines vacation and sick time into one account.

(2) Who is eligible. All full-time employees (scheduled for 32 or more hours per week) earn PTO starting on their first day. Part-time employees scheduled for 20 to 31 hours per week earn PTO at half the full-time rate. Temporary and seasonal workers do not earn PTO.

(3) How PTO is earned. Full-time employees earn 4 hours of PTO for each two-week pay period, or 104 hours per year. After five years of service, the rate increases to 6 hours per pay period. New employees may not use PTO until they have completed 90 days of employment, but the hours they earn during that time are saved in their accounts.

(4) Requesting PTO. Planned PTO, such as a vacation, must be requested through the employee portal at least two weeks in advance. Requests are approved in the order they are received. During our busy season, from November 1 through December 31, no more than two employees per department may be off on the same day. Unplanned PTO for illness or emergencies must be reported to your supervisor at least one hour before your shift begins, when possible.

(5) Carryover. Employees may carry up to 40 unused PTO hours into the next year. Any hours over 40 that are unused on December 31 are lost. This rule encourages employees to take time away from work each year.

(6) Leaving the company. Employees who leave Cedar Valley with at least two weeks' notice will be paid for their unused PTO hours. Employees who leave without notice, or who are dismissed for misconduct, will not be paid for unused hours.

(1) When the Riverside Community Garden opened in 2021 on a former parking lot behind the public library, organizers worried that no one would sign up. They had 40 raised-bed plots, each about the size of a parking space, and they rented them to local households for $25 a season.

(2) Those worries did not last. Every plot was claimed in the first month, and by the end of the season, a dozen households were on a waiting list. The garden added 8 plots in 2022 by using a strip of lawn next to the building. In 2023, the city allowed the garden to take over the rest of the old lot, bringing the total to 60 plots. That is as many as the site can hold.

(3) Gardeners say the benefits go beyond fresh tomatoes. Many plot holders live in apartments with no yard. Retirees mentor first-time growers, and a local elementary school uses two plots for science lessons. Last season, gardeners donated more than 900 pounds of produce to the food pantry down the street.

(4) The garden's volunteer board is now considering two proposals. The first would lease a vacant lot on Elm Street, about half a mile away, which could hold roughly 30 new plots. The second would limit each household to two seasons in a row so that people on the waiting list get a turn. Some longtime gardeners oppose the second idea. "It takes three years to really learn your soil," one said at a recent meeting.

(5) The graph below shows how many plots were in use and how many households were waiting for a plot at the end of each season.

Graph data: 2021, 40 plots in use and 12 households waiting; 2022, 48 and 25; 2023, 60 and 41; 2024, 60 and 58; 2025, 60 and 73.

Northgate Regional Hospital: Employee Handbook, Section 7.4 Tuition Assistance Policy

(1) Purpose. Northgate Regional Hospital supports employees who want to build their skills and advance their careers. Under this policy, the hospital will reimburse eligible employees for part of the cost of approved courses.

(2) Eligibility. To qualify, an employee must (a) be scheduled to work at least 24 hours per week, (b) have completed 6 months of continuous employment by the course start date, and (c) be in good standing, meaning the employee has received no written warning in the past 12 months.

(3) Approved courses. Courses must be taken at an accredited college, university, or technical school, and must relate to the employee's current job or to a position the employee could reasonably move into at Northgate. Examples include nursing, medical coding, health information technology, and supervisory management. GED preparation and English-language classes are approved for any eligible employee, whatever his or her job. Courses taken only for personal interest, such as photography or cooking, are not eligible.

(4) Amount. The hospital will reimburse 75 percent of tuition, up to $3,000 per calendar year. Books, parking, and lab fees are not covered.

(5) How to apply. Submit a Tuition Request Form to Human Resources at least 30 days before the course begins. Requests submitted late will not be approved. Human Resources will respond to each request within 10 business days. After you finish the course, submit your grade report and tuition receipt within 60 days. Reimbursement requires a grade of C or better, or a "pass" in a pass/fail course.

(6) Repayment. An employee who leaves Northgate voluntarily within 12 months after receiving a reimbursement must repay the full amount of that reimbursement. Employees who are laid off do not have to repay.

(7) Questions. Contact the Human Resources office at extension 4410.

Northgate Regional Hospital: Employee Handbook, Section 7.4 Tuition Assistance Policy

(1) Purpose. Northgate Regional Hospital supports employees who want to build their skills and advance their careers. Under this policy, the hospital will reimburse eligible employees for part of the cost of approved courses.

(2) Eligibility. To qualify, an employee must (a) be scheduled to work at least 24 hours per week, (b) have completed 6 months of continuous employment by the course start date, and (c) be in good standing, meaning the employee has received no written warning in the past 12 months.

(3) Approved courses. Courses must be taken at an accredited college, university, or technical school, and must relate to the employee's current job or to a position the employee could reasonably move into at Northgate. Examples include nursing, medical coding, health information technology, and supervisory management. GED preparation and English-language classes are approved for any eligible employee, whatever his or her job. Courses taken only for personal interest, such as photography or cooking, are not eligible.

(4) Amount. The hospital will reimburse 75 percent of tuition, up to $3,000 per calendar year. Books, parking, and lab fees are not covered.

(5) How to apply. Submit a Tuition Request Form to Human Resources at least 30 days before the course begins. Requests submitted late will not be approved. Human Resources will respond to each request within 10 business days. After you finish the course, submit your grade report and tuition receipt within 60 days. Reimbursement requires a grade of C or better, or a "pass" in a pass/fail course.

(6) Repayment. An employee who leaves Northgate voluntarily within 12 months after receiving a reimbursement must repay the full amount of that reimbursement. Employees who are laid off do not have to repay.

(7) Questions. Contact the Human Resources office at extension 4410.

Northgate Regional Hospital: Employee Handbook, Section 7.4 Tuition Assistance Policy

(1) Purpose. Northgate Regional Hospital supports employees who want to build their skills and advance their careers. Under this policy, the hospital will reimburse eligible employees for part of the cost of approved courses.

(2) Eligibility. To qualify, an employee must (a) be scheduled to work at least 24 hours per week, (b) have completed 6 months of continuous employment by the course start date, and (c) be in good standing, meaning the employee has received no written warning in the past 12 months.

(3) Approved courses. Courses must be taken at an accredited college, university, or technical school, and must relate to the employee's current job or to a position the employee could reasonably move into at Northgate. Examples include nursing, medical coding, health information technology, and supervisory management. GED preparation and English-language classes are approved for any eligible employee, whatever his or her job. Courses taken only for personal interest, such as photography or cooking, are not eligible.

(4) Amount. The hospital will reimburse 75 percent of tuition, up to $3,000 per calendar year. Books, parking, and lab fees are not covered.

(5) How to apply. Submit a Tuition Request Form to Human Resources at least 30 days before the course begins. Requests submitted late will not be approved. Human Resources will respond to each request within 10 business days. After you finish the course, submit your grade report and tuition receipt within 60 days. Reimbursement requires a grade of C or better, or a "pass" in a pass/fail course.

(6) Repayment. An employee who leaves Northgate voluntarily within 12 months after receiving a reimbursement must repay the full amount of that reimbursement. Employees who are laid off do not have to repay.

(7) Questions. Contact the Human Resources office at extension 4410.

(1) Every night at 10:52, the Number 9 bus pulled away from the corner of Grant and Fifth, and every night Mr. Abernathy was behind the wheel. Desmond had ridden it home from the warehouse for almost a year before he learned the driver's name, and only then because it was printed on a small card taped beside the fare box.

(2) They did not talk much. Desmond would nod as he climbed on; Mr. Abernathy would nod back. Sometimes, when the rain was bad, the bus waited at the stop an extra minute or two with its doors open, though the schedule posted inside said nothing about waiting. Desmond had noticed that the bus never seemed to leave until he had turned the corner from the warehouse at a run.

(3) Tonight the warehouse supervisor had kept everyone late to unload a truck that should have arrived at noon. By the time Desmond punched out, it was 10:58. He stood in the parking lot and pictured the empty corner, the forty-minute walk, the cold that was already working its way through his jacket. He ran anyway.

(4) The bus was there. Its hazard lights were blinking, and Mr. Abernathy was standing on the bottom step, peering up the street and checking his watch.

(5) "Sorry," Desmond said, out of breath. "Truck came late."

(6) "Figured it was something like that," Mr. Abernathy said. He climbed back into his seat and pulled the door shut. "Dispatch called twice. I told them I had a mechanical issue." He tapped the dashboard. "Seems to have fixed itself."

(7) Desmond dropped into the seat behind him. For a while there was only the hum of the engine and the streetlights sliding past. Then he said, "You know, my mother used to drive a route like this. The 14, out by the airport. Twenty-two years."

(8) Mr. Abernathy glanced into the mirror. "The 14," he said slowly. "Gloria? Gloria Hayes?"

(9) Desmond sat up straight.

(10) "She trained me," the driver said. "My first week. Told me the schedule is a promise to the city, but the riders are a promise to yourself." He shook his head and smiled at the road ahead. "I should have known. You've got her habit of running for the bus like it owes you money."

(11) When they reached Desmond's stop, he stood but didn't move toward the door right away. "Tomorrow," he said, "I'll bring you some of her coffee cake. She still makes it every Sunday."

(12) "I'll hold you to that," Mr. Abernathy said, and this time, when the doors opened, neither of them was in a hurry.

(1) For eleven years, the Westside Community Pantry has handed out groceries from the basement of St. Luke's Church every Tuesday and Thursday. This spring, those two days stopped being enough.

(2) In early March, the Carlton Plastics plant on Industrial Road eliminated its night shift, laying off about 300 workers. Within weeks, the pantry's line stretched up the basement stairs and onto the sidewalk. The table below shows how the pantry's numbers changed during the first half of the year.

Westside Community Pantry, January to June

(3) Pantry director Gwen Alvarez noticed that many of the new families arrived late on Thursday evenings, often still wearing work uniforms from other jobs. "A lot of people who lost their night-shift jobs found new work, but it pays less, and it's during the day," she said. In April, the pantry began opening on Saturday mornings from 9 to noon.

(4) Meeting the demand has been hard for another reason. Most of the pantry's weekday volunteers are retirees, and several have stopped volunteering because of health problems or moves. The pantry has not been able to replace them, even as the number of families has grown. Volunteers now often stay an extra hour to finish packing boxes.

(5) Alvarez is hopeful about two changes. Students from Westside High School have begun volunteering on Saturdays to earn community service hours, and a local grocery store has started donating fresh produce twice a week. "We're doing more with fewer hands," Alvarez said. "But we can't keep stretching forever."

(6) The pantry's board will meet in August to discuss its options. These include asking other churches in the area to share the work or opening a second location on the east side of town.

(1) For eleven years, the Westside Community Pantry has handed out groceries from the basement of St. Luke's Church every Tuesday and Thursday. This spring, those two days stopped being enough.

(2) In early March, the Carlton Plastics plant on Industrial Road eliminated its night shift, laying off about 300 workers. Within weeks, the pantry's line stretched up the basement stairs and onto the sidewalk. The table below shows how the pantry's numbers changed during the first half of the year.

Westside Community Pantry, January to June

(3) Pantry director Gwen Alvarez noticed that many of the new families arrived late on Thursday evenings, often still wearing work uniforms from other jobs. "A lot of people who lost their night-shift jobs found new work, but it pays less, and it's during the day," she said. In April, the pantry began opening on Saturday mornings from 9 to noon.

(4) Meeting the demand has been hard for another reason. Most of the pantry's weekday volunteers are retirees, and several have stopped volunteering because of health problems or moves. The pantry has not been able to replace them, even as the number of families has grown. Volunteers now often stay an extra hour to finish packing boxes.

(5) Alvarez is hopeful about two changes. Students from Westside High School have begun volunteering on Saturdays to earn community service hours, and a local grocery store has started donating fresh produce twice a week. "We're doing more with fewer hands," Alvarez said. "But we can't keep stretching forever."

(6) The pantry's board will meet in August to discuss its options. These include asking other churches in the area to share the work or opening a second location on the east side of town.

(1) For eleven years, the Westside Community Pantry has handed out groceries from the basement of St. Luke's Church every Tuesday and Thursday. This spring, those two days stopped being enough.

(2) In early March, the Carlton Plastics plant on Industrial Road eliminated its night shift, laying off about 300 workers. Within weeks, the pantry's line stretched up the basement stairs and onto the sidewalk. The table below shows how the pantry's numbers changed during the first half of the year.

Westside Community Pantry, January to June

(3) Pantry director Gwen Alvarez noticed that many of the new families arrived late on Thursday evenings, often still wearing work uniforms from other jobs. "A lot of people who lost their night-shift jobs found new work, but it pays less, and it's during the day," she said. In April, the pantry began opening on Saturday mornings from 9 to noon.

(4) Meeting the demand has been hard for another reason. Most of the pantry's weekday volunteers are retirees, and several have stopped volunteering because of health problems or moves. The pantry has not been able to replace them, even as the number of families has grown. Volunteers now often stay an extra hour to finish packing boxes.

(5) Alvarez is hopeful about two changes. Students from Westside High School have begun volunteering on Saturdays to earn community service hours, and a local grocery store has started donating fresh produce twice a week. "We're doing more with fewer hands," Alvarez said. "But we can't keep stretching forever."

(6) The pantry's board will meet in August to discuss its options. These include asking other churches in the area to share the work or opening a second location on the east side of town.

Cedar Valley Manufacturing, Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

(1) Purpose. Cedar Valley Manufacturing provides paid time off (PTO) so employees can rest, handle personal matters, and recover from illness while still receiving pay. PTO combines vacation and sick time into one account.

(2) Who is eligible. All full-time employees (scheduled for 32 or more hours per week) earn PTO starting on their first day. Part-time employees scheduled for 20 to 31 hours per week earn PTO at half the full-time rate. Temporary and seasonal workers do not earn PTO.

(3) How PTO is earned. Full-time employees earn 4 hours of PTO for each two-week pay period, or 104 hours per year. After five years of service, the rate increases to 6 hours per pay period. New employees may not use PTO until they have completed 90 days of employment, but the hours they earn during that time are saved in their accounts.

(4) Requesting PTO. Planned PTO, such as a vacation, must be requested through the employee portal at least two weeks in advance. Requests are approved in the order they are received. During our busy season, from November 1 through December 31, no more than two employees per department may be off on the same day. Unplanned PTO for illness or emergencies must be reported to your supervisor at least one hour before your shift begins, when possible.

(5) Carryover. Employees may carry up to 40 unused PTO hours into the next year. Any hours over 40 that are unused on December 31 are lost. This rule encourages employees to take time away from work each year.

(6) Leaving the company. Employees who leave Cedar Valley with at least two weeks' notice will be paid for their unused PTO hours. Employees who leave without notice, or who are dismissed for misconduct, will not be paid for unused hours.

Cedar Valley Manufacturing, Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

(1) Purpose. Cedar Valley Manufacturing provides paid time off (PTO) so employees can rest, handle personal matters, and recover from illness while still receiving pay. PTO combines vacation and sick time into one account.

(2) Who is eligible. All full-time employees (scheduled for 32 or more hours per week) earn PTO starting on their first day. Part-time employees scheduled for 20 to 31 hours per week earn PTO at half the full-time rate. Temporary and seasonal workers do not earn PTO.

(3) How PTO is earned. Full-time employees earn 4 hours of PTO for each two-week pay period, or 104 hours per year. After five years of service, the rate increases to 6 hours per pay period. New employees may not use PTO until they have completed 90 days of employment, but the hours they earn during that time are saved in their accounts.

(4) Requesting PTO. Planned PTO, such as a vacation, must be requested through the employee portal at least two weeks in advance. Requests are approved in the order they are received. During our busy season, from November 1 through December 31, no more than two employees per department may be off on the same day. Unplanned PTO for illness or emergencies must be reported to your supervisor at least one hour before your shift begins, when possible.

(5) Carryover. Employees may carry up to 40 unused PTO hours into the next year. Any hours over 40 that are unused on December 31 are lost. This rule encourages employees to take time away from work each year.

(6) Leaving the company. Employees who leave Cedar Valley with at least two weeks' notice will be paid for their unused PTO hours. Employees who leave without notice, or who are dismissed for misconduct, will not be paid for unused hours.

(1) The sign in the window of Ruiz Hardware had said EVERYTHING MUST GO for three weeks now, and most of it had. The paint aisle was empty. The shelves where the garden hoses used to hang were bare metal. On Saturday, a liquidation company would come and haul away whatever was left, and on Monday, the store that Hector Ruiz had run for forty-one years would belong to the bank.

(2) Hector was counting screws into paper bags when the bell over the door rang. A young woman stood in the doorway holding a dripping plastic bag. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're closing. The big store by the highway doesn't sell just one of these, and I don't need a pack of fifty." She held up a tiny, crumbling rubber washer. "My kitchen faucet won't stop dripping, and my landlord won't answer his phone."

(3) Hector took the washer and turned it over in his fingers. He did not need to look it up. He walked to the back of the store, past the empty paint aisle, to a wooden cabinet with a hundred small drawers. The liquidation company had told him the cabinet alone was worth more than most of what was left in the store. He opened the third drawer from the bottom and took out a washer that matched exactly.

(4) "Do you have a wrench at home?" he asked.

(5) She shook her head.

(6) He took one off the wall, tore off the price tag, and set it on the counter. Then he drew a picture of her faucet on the back of a receipt: the handle, the nut, the stem, the washer at the bottom. For twenty minutes he explained each step, making her repeat them back to him. Turn off the water under the sink first. Loosen the nut. Pull the stem straight up. Her name, he learned, was Nadia, and she had just moved to the neighborhood with her two kids.

(7) When she reached for her wallet, Hector waved it away. "The wrench is a housewarming present," he said. "The washer cost me four cents in 1987. I think I've made my money back."

(8) After she left, Hector stood for a long time in front of the wooden cabinet. Then he called the liquidation company and told them there had been a change: the cabinet was not for sale. That evening, he loaded it, drawer by drawer, into the back of his pickup truck. In the truck's rear window, he taped a piece of cardboard. It said, in his careful block letters, SMALL REPAIRS: ASK HECTOR.

(1) Every winter for more than a century, volunteers across North America have spent a day counting birds. They record every species they see and how many. At first, the counts were simply a holiday tradition. Today, the long record they have built is one of scientists' best tools for seeing how bird populations change over time.

(2) When researchers compared recent counts with those from the 1960s, they noticed a pattern. Many species were being seen farther north in winter than before. The purple finch, for example, now spends the winter much farther north than it did a few decades ago. Not every species moved, and some moved only a little, but the overall direction was clear.

(3) Over the same period, average winter temperatures across much of the continent have risen. Lakes freeze later in the fall and thaw earlier in the spring. Many scientists think the shift in bird ranges is linked to these changes. Birds that once had to fly far south to find unfrozen water or food can now survive the winter in places that used to be too cold.

(4) Some kinds of birds seem to handle change better than others. Birds that eat many different foods, such as seeds, berries, insects, and the offerings at backyard feeders, can often move into a new area and find something to eat. Birds that depend on a single kind of food or habitat have a harder time. A bird that nests only in one type of evergreen forest, for example, cannot move north faster than that forest can grow there, and forests spread very slowly.

(5) Timing is another problem. Many songbirds migrate thousands of miles each spring to raise their young where insects are plentiful. Their migration is triggered mostly by the changing length of the day, which a warming climate does not affect. But in many places, spring warmth now arrives earlier, and insects hatch earlier too. A bird that arrives on its usual date may find that the peak of the insect supply has already passed, leaving less food for its chicks.

(6) Scientists are now using the volunteers' counts, along with newer tools such as tiny tracking devices, to predict which species are most at risk. Some cities and states are also protecting "stepping-stone" habitats, such as patches of forest, wetland, and grassland, so that birds have places to stop and find food as their ranges change.

(7) The birds at your feeder this winter may look the same as always. But the map of where they live is quietly being redrawn.

(1) The phone call came at 5:45 a.m.: no school. Ellie heard it through her bedroom wall and was out of bed before the recorded voice finished. By 6:00, the group chat was already buzzing. Everyone was meeting at Hollister Hill at ten. Priya's dad had a new sled that could fit four.

(2) Then her mother appeared in the doorway, already in her scrubs.

(3) "The hospital called. Half the morning shift can't get in, and I can." She paused. "I need you to stay with Sam."

(4) "Mom. Everyone's going to Hollister Hill."

(5) "I know, honey. I'm sorry." Her mother kissed the top of her head, the way she had when Ellie was little, and then she was gone, the car crunching slowly down the unplowed street.

(6) Ellie typed can't come, babysitting into the group chat and threw her phone onto the couch. Sam, who was seven, asked if she wanted to make pancakes. She said no. He asked if she wanted to play a board game. She said no. After a while, he stopped asking. She heard the back door open and close.

(7) An hour later, she glanced out the kitchen window. Sam was alone in the backyard, trying to build a snowman. The bottom ball was fine, but every time he lifted the middle one, it cracked in half and fell. He would stand there a moment, his mittens hanging at his sides. Then he would start rolling again.

(8) Ellie watched him do it three times.

(9) On the fourth try, she was pulling on her boots before she had really decided anything. "You're packing it too loose," she called from the steps. "You have to press it, like this." She showed him. The middle ball held. Sam looked at her as if she had performed a miracle.

(10) They did not stop at a snowman. By noon, they had built a fort against the fence, with walls up to Sam's shoulders and a window shaped like a lopsided star. They ate peanut butter sandwiches inside it with their backs against the snow.

(11) Ellie's phone buzzed in her pocket. A picture from Hollister Hill: four kids piled on one sled, faces red, mouths open in a scream. wish u were here!! Priya had written.

(12) Ellie looked at the picture for a moment. Then she looked at Sam, who was carefully pressing a pinecone into the wall as a doorknob. She took a photo of the fort, with Sam grinning in the star-shaped window, and sent it to the group.

(13) next time, she typed, I'm bringing my brother.

(1) Every night at 10:52, the Number 9 bus pulled away from the corner of Grant and Fifth, and every night Mr. Abernathy was behind the wheel. Desmond had ridden it home from the warehouse for almost a year before he learned the driver's name, and only then because it was printed on a small card taped beside the fare box.

(2) They did not talk much. Desmond would nod as he climbed on; Mr. Abernathy would nod back. Sometimes, when the rain was bad, the bus waited at the stop an extra minute or two with its doors open, though the schedule posted inside said nothing about waiting. Desmond had noticed that the bus never seemed to leave until he had turned the corner from the warehouse at a run.

(3) Tonight the warehouse supervisor had kept everyone late to unload a truck that should have arrived at noon. By the time Desmond punched out, it was 10:58. He stood in the parking lot and pictured the empty corner, the forty-minute walk, the cold that was already working its way through his jacket. He ran anyway.

(4) The bus was there. Its hazard lights were blinking, and Mr. Abernathy was standing on the bottom step, peering up the street and checking his watch.

(5) "Sorry," Desmond said, out of breath. "Truck came late."

(6) "Figured it was something like that," Mr. Abernathy said. He climbed back into his seat and pulled the door shut. "Dispatch called twice. I told them I had a mechanical issue." He tapped the dashboard. "Seems to have fixed itself."

(7) Desmond dropped into the seat behind him. For a while there was only the hum of the engine and the streetlights sliding past. Then he said, "You know, my mother used to drive a route like this. The 14, out by the airport. Twenty-two years."

(8) Mr. Abernathy glanced into the mirror. "The 14," he said slowly. "Gloria? Gloria Hayes?"

(9) Desmond sat up straight.

(10) "She trained me," the driver said. "My first week. Told me the schedule is a promise to the city, but the riders are a promise to yourself." He shook his head and smiled at the road ahead. "I should have known. You've got her habit of running for the bus like it owes you money."

(11) When they reached Desmond's stop, he stood but didn't move toward the door right away. "Tomorrow," he said, "I'll bring you some of her coffee cake. She still makes it every Sunday."

(12) "I'll hold you to that," Mr. Abernathy said, and this time, when the doors opened, neither of them was in a hurry.

(1) The sign in the window of Ruiz Hardware had said EVERYTHING MUST GO for three weeks now, and most of it had. The paint aisle was empty. The shelves where the garden hoses used to hang were bare metal. On Saturday, a liquidation company would come and haul away whatever was left, and on Monday, the store that Hector Ruiz had run for forty-one years would belong to the bank.

(2) Hector was counting screws into paper bags when the bell over the door rang. A young woman stood in the doorway holding a dripping plastic bag. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're closing. The big store by the highway doesn't sell just one of these, and I don't need a pack of fifty." She held up a tiny, crumbling rubber washer. "My kitchen faucet won't stop dripping, and my landlord won't answer his phone."

(3) Hector took the washer and turned it over in his fingers. He did not need to look it up. He walked to the back of the store, past the empty paint aisle, to a wooden cabinet with a hundred small drawers. The liquidation company had told him the cabinet alone was worth more than most of what was left in the store. He opened the third drawer from the bottom and took out a washer that matched exactly.

(4) "Do you have a wrench at home?" he asked.

(5) She shook her head.

(6) He took one off the wall, tore off the price tag, and set it on the counter. Then he drew a picture of her faucet on the back of a receipt: the handle, the nut, the stem, the washer at the bottom. For twenty minutes he explained each step, making her repeat them back to him. Turn off the water under the sink first. Loosen the nut. Pull the stem straight up. Her name, he learned, was Nadia, and she had just moved to the neighborhood with her two kids.

(7) When she reached for her wallet, Hector waved it away. "The wrench is a housewarming present," he said. "The washer cost me four cents in 1987. I think I've made my money back."

(8) After she left, Hector stood for a long time in front of the wooden cabinet. Then he called the liquidation company and told them there had been a change: the cabinet was not for sale. That evening, he loaded it, drawer by drawer, into the back of his pickup truck. In the truck's rear window, he taped a piece of cardboard. It said, in his careful block letters, SMALL REPAIRS: ASK HECTOR.

(1) The sign in the window of Ruiz Hardware had said EVERYTHING MUST GO for three weeks now, and most of it had. The paint aisle was empty. The shelves where the garden hoses used to hang were bare metal. On Saturday, a liquidation company would come and haul away whatever was left, and on Monday, the store that Hector Ruiz had run for forty-one years would belong to the bank.

(2) Hector was counting screws into paper bags when the bell over the door rang. A young woman stood in the doorway holding a dripping plastic bag. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're closing. The big store by the highway doesn't sell just one of these, and I don't need a pack of fifty." She held up a tiny, crumbling rubber washer. "My kitchen faucet won't stop dripping, and my landlord won't answer his phone."

(3) Hector took the washer and turned it over in his fingers. He did not need to look it up. He walked to the back of the store, past the empty paint aisle, to a wooden cabinet with a hundred small drawers. The liquidation company had told him the cabinet alone was worth more than most of what was left in the store. He opened the third drawer from the bottom and took out a washer that matched exactly.

(4) "Do you have a wrench at home?" he asked.

(5) She shook her head.

(6) He took one off the wall, tore off the price tag, and set it on the counter. Then he drew a picture of her faucet on the back of a receipt: the handle, the nut, the stem, the washer at the bottom. For twenty minutes he explained each step, making her repeat them back to him. Turn off the water under the sink first. Loosen the nut. Pull the stem straight up. Her name, he learned, was Nadia, and she had just moved to the neighborhood with her two kids.

(7) When she reached for her wallet, Hector waved it away. "The wrench is a housewarming present," he said. "The washer cost me four cents in 1987. I think I've made my money back."

(8) After she left, Hector stood for a long time in front of the wooden cabinet. Then he called the liquidation company and told them there had been a change: the cabinet was not for sale. That evening, he loaded it, drawer by drawer, into the back of his pickup truck. In the truck's rear window, he taped a piece of cardboard. It said, in his careful block letters, SMALL REPAIRS: ASK HECTOR.

(1) Every winter for more than a century, volunteers across North America have spent a day counting birds. They record every species they see and how many. At first, the counts were simply a holiday tradition. Today, the long record they have built is one of scientists' best tools for seeing how bird populations change over time.

(2) When researchers compared recent counts with those from the 1960s, they noticed a pattern. Many species were being seen farther north in winter than before. The purple finch, for example, now spends the winter much farther north than it did a few decades ago. Not every species moved, and some moved only a little, but the overall direction was clear.

(3) Over the same period, average winter temperatures across much of the continent have risen. Lakes freeze later in the fall and thaw earlier in the spring. Many scientists think the shift in bird ranges is linked to these changes. Birds that once had to fly far south to find unfrozen water or food can now survive the winter in places that used to be too cold.

(4) Some kinds of birds seem to handle change better than others. Birds that eat many different foods, such as seeds, berries, insects, and the offerings at backyard feeders, can often move into a new area and find something to eat. Birds that depend on a single kind of food or habitat have a harder time. A bird that nests only in one type of evergreen forest, for example, cannot move north faster than that forest can grow there, and forests spread very slowly.

(5) Timing is another problem. Many songbirds migrate thousands of miles each spring to raise their young where insects are plentiful. Their migration is triggered mostly by the changing length of the day, which a warming climate does not affect. But in many places, spring warmth now arrives earlier, and insects hatch earlier too. A bird that arrives on its usual date may find that the peak of the insect supply has already passed, leaving less food for its chicks.

(6) Scientists are now using the volunteers' counts, along with newer tools such as tiny tracking devices, to predict which species are most at risk. Some cities and states are also protecting "stepping-stone" habitats, such as patches of forest, wetland, and grassland, so that birds have places to stop and find food as their ranges change.

(7) The birds at your feeder this winter may look the same as always. But the map of where they live is quietly being redrawn.

(1) Every winter for more than a century, volunteers across North America have spent a day counting birds. They record every species they see and how many. At first, the counts were simply a holiday tradition. Today, the long record they have built is one of scientists' best tools for seeing how bird populations change over time.

(2) When researchers compared recent counts with those from the 1960s, they noticed a pattern. Many species were being seen farther north in winter than before. The purple finch, for example, now spends the winter much farther north than it did a few decades ago. Not every species moved, and some moved only a little, but the overall direction was clear.

(3) Over the same period, average winter temperatures across much of the continent have risen. Lakes freeze later in the fall and thaw earlier in the spring. Many scientists think the shift in bird ranges is linked to these changes. Birds that once had to fly far south to find unfrozen water or food can now survive the winter in places that used to be too cold.

(4) Some kinds of birds seem to handle change better than others. Birds that eat many different foods, such as seeds, berries, insects, and the offerings at backyard feeders, can often move into a new area and find something to eat. Birds that depend on a single kind of food or habitat have a harder time. A bird that nests only in one type of evergreen forest, for example, cannot move north faster than that forest can grow there, and forests spread very slowly.

(5) Timing is another problem. Many songbirds migrate thousands of miles each spring to raise their young where insects are plentiful. Their migration is triggered mostly by the changing length of the day, which a warming climate does not affect. But in many places, spring warmth now arrives earlier, and insects hatch earlier too. A bird that arrives on its usual date may find that the peak of the insect supply has already passed, leaving less food for its chicks.

(6) Scientists are now using the volunteers' counts, along with newer tools such as tiny tracking devices, to predict which species are most at risk. Some cities and states are also protecting "stepping-stone" habitats, such as patches of forest, wetland, and grassland, so that birds have places to stop and find food as their ranges change.

(7) The birds at your feeder this winter may look the same as always. But the map of where they live is quietly being redrawn.

(1) The phone call came at 5:45 a.m.: no school. Ellie heard it through her bedroom wall and was out of bed before the recorded voice finished. By 6:00, the group chat was already buzzing. Everyone was meeting at Hollister Hill at ten. Priya's dad had a new sled that could fit four.

(2) Then her mother appeared in the doorway, already in her scrubs.

(3) "The hospital called. Half the morning shift can't get in, and I can." She paused. "I need you to stay with Sam."

(4) "Mom. Everyone's going to Hollister Hill."

(5) "I know, honey. I'm sorry." Her mother kissed the top of her head, the way she had when Ellie was little, and then she was gone, the car crunching slowly down the unplowed street.

(6) Ellie typed can't come, babysitting into the group chat and threw her phone onto the couch. Sam, who was seven, asked if she wanted to make pancakes. She said no. He asked if she wanted to play a board game. She said no. After a while, he stopped asking. She heard the back door open and close.

(7) An hour later, she glanced out the kitchen window. Sam was alone in the backyard, trying to build a snowman. The bottom ball was fine, but every time he lifted the middle one, it cracked in half and fell. He would stand there a moment, his mittens hanging at his sides. Then he would start rolling again.

(8) Ellie watched him do it three times.

(9) On the fourth try, she was pulling on her boots before she had really decided anything. "You're packing it too loose," she called from the steps. "You have to press it, like this." She showed him. The middle ball held. Sam looked at her as if she had performed a miracle.

(10) They did not stop at a snowman. By noon, they had built a fort against the fence, with walls up to Sam's shoulders and a window shaped like a lopsided star. They ate peanut butter sandwiches inside it with their backs against the snow.

(11) Ellie's phone buzzed in her pocket. A picture from Hollister Hill: four kids piled on one sled, faces red, mouths open in a scream. wish u were here!! Priya had written.

(12) Ellie looked at the picture for a moment. Then she looked at Sam, who was carefully pressing a pinecone into the wall as a doorknob. She took a photo of the fort, with Sam grinning in the star-shaped window, and sent it to the group.

(13) next time, she typed, I'm bringing my brother.

Linden County Solid Waste Office: Important Changes to Curbside Recycling (fictional county)

(1) Beginning July 1, Linden County will change the way recycling is collected. These changes are needed because the county's recycling processor, Tri-State Materials, has raised the fees it charges for recycling that contains too much trash. Last year, almost one-third of what residents put in their blue bins could not be recycled. Sorting out that material cost the county more than $600,000.

(2) What's changing.

• Glass will no longer be collected curbside. Glass breaks during collection and gets mixed into paper, which makes the paper worthless to buyers. Residents may drop off glass bottles and jars at any of the four county recycling centers, which are open seven days a week.
• Plastic bags and plastic wrap must not go in blue bins. They wrap around sorting machines and force workers to shut down the line to cut them free. Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling.
• All containers must be empty and rinsed. Food left in containers can ruin an entire truckload of paper and cardboard.

(3) Bin tags. Starting July 1, collection crews will check bins before emptying them. If a bin contains items that are not accepted, the crew will leave it unemptied and attach an orange tag explaining the problem. Residents may remove the items and put the bin out on the next collection day. A household whose bin is tagged three times in one year will be charged a $25 contamination fee.

(4) Why this matters. Recycling only works when the materials can be sold to companies that turn them into new products. Clean paper, cardboard, metal cans, and plastic bottles still have value. By keeping trash out of our bins, we can hold down costs and avoid raising the county's trash collection fee for all households.

(5) Questions? Visit the county website or call the Solid Waste Office at 555-0148, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Linden County Solid Waste Office: Important Changes to Curbside Recycling (fictional county)

(1) Beginning July 1, Linden County will change the way recycling is collected. These changes are needed because the county's recycling processor, Tri-State Materials, has raised the fees it charges for recycling that contains too much trash. Last year, almost one-third of what residents put in their blue bins could not be recycled. Sorting out that material cost the county more than $600,000.

(2) What's changing.

• Glass will no longer be collected curbside. Glass breaks during collection and gets mixed into paper, which makes the paper worthless to buyers. Residents may drop off glass bottles and jars at any of the four county recycling centers, which are open seven days a week.
• Plastic bags and plastic wrap must not go in blue bins. They wrap around sorting machines and force workers to shut down the line to cut them free. Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling.
• All containers must be empty and rinsed. Food left in containers can ruin an entire truckload of paper and cardboard.

(3) Bin tags. Starting July 1, collection crews will check bins before emptying them. If a bin contains items that are not accepted, the crew will leave it unemptied and attach an orange tag explaining the problem. Residents may remove the items and put the bin out on the next collection day. A household whose bin is tagged three times in one year will be charged a $25 contamination fee.

(4) Why this matters. Recycling only works when the materials can be sold to companies that turn them into new products. Clean paper, cardboard, metal cans, and plastic bottles still have value. By keeping trash out of our bins, we can hold down costs and avoid raising the county's trash collection fee for all households.

(5) Questions? Visit the county website or call the Solid Waste Office at 555-0148, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

(1) Every night at 10:52, the Number 9 bus pulled away from the corner of Grant and Fifth, and every night Mr. Abernathy was behind the wheel. Desmond had ridden it home from the warehouse for almost a year before he learned the driver's name, and only then because it was printed on a small card taped beside the fare box.

(2) They did not talk much. Desmond would nod as he climbed on; Mr. Abernathy would nod back. Sometimes, when the rain was bad, the bus waited at the stop an extra minute or two with its doors open, though the schedule posted inside said nothing about waiting. Desmond had noticed that the bus never seemed to leave until he had turned the corner from the warehouse at a run.

(3) Tonight the warehouse supervisor had kept everyone late to unload a truck that should have arrived at noon. By the time Desmond punched out, it was 10:58. He stood in the parking lot and pictured the empty corner, the forty-minute walk, the cold that was already working its way through his jacket. He ran anyway.

(4) The bus was there. Its hazard lights were blinking, and Mr. Abernathy was standing on the bottom step, peering up the street and checking his watch.

(5) "Sorry," Desmond said, out of breath. "Truck came late."

(6) "Figured it was something like that," Mr. Abernathy said. He climbed back into his seat and pulled the door shut. "Dispatch called twice. I told them I had a mechanical issue." He tapped the dashboard. "Seems to have fixed itself."

(7) Desmond dropped into the seat behind him. For a while there was only the hum of the engine and the streetlights sliding past. Then he said, "You know, my mother used to drive a route like this. The 14, out by the airport. Twenty-two years."

(8) Mr. Abernathy glanced into the mirror. "The 14," he said slowly. "Gloria? Gloria Hayes?"

(9) Desmond sat up straight.

(10) "She trained me," the driver said. "My first week. Told me the schedule is a promise to the city, but the riders are a promise to yourself." He shook his head and smiled at the road ahead. "I should have known. You've got her habit of running for the bus like it owes you money."

(11) When they reached Desmond's stop, he stood but didn't move toward the door right away. "Tomorrow," he said, "I'll bring you some of her coffee cake. She still makes it every Sunday."

(12) "I'll hold you to that," Mr. Abernathy said, and this time, when the doors opened, neither of them was in a hurry.

(1) The phone call came at 5:45 a.m.: no school. Ellie heard it through her bedroom wall and was out of bed before the recorded voice finished. By 6:00, the group chat was already buzzing. Everyone was meeting at Hollister Hill at ten. Priya's dad had a new sled that could fit four.

(2) Then her mother appeared in the doorway, already in her scrubs.

(3) "The hospital called. Half the morning shift can't get in, and I can." She paused. "I need you to stay with Sam."

(4) "Mom. Everyone's going to Hollister Hill."

(5) "I know, honey. I'm sorry." Her mother kissed the top of her head, the way she had when Ellie was little, and then she was gone, the car crunching slowly down the unplowed street.

(6) Ellie typed can't come, babysitting into the group chat and threw her phone onto the couch. Sam, who was seven, asked if she wanted to make pancakes. She said no. He asked if she wanted to play a board game. She said no. After a while, he stopped asking. She heard the back door open and close.

(7) An hour later, she glanced out the kitchen window. Sam was alone in the backyard, trying to build a snowman. The bottom ball was fine, but every time he lifted the middle one, it cracked in half and fell. He would stand there a moment, his mittens hanging at his sides. Then he would start rolling again.

(8) Ellie watched him do it three times.

(9) On the fourth try, she was pulling on her boots before she had really decided anything. "You're packing it too loose," she called from the steps. "You have to press it, like this." She showed him. The middle ball held. Sam looked at her as if she had performed a miracle.

(10) They did not stop at a snowman. By noon, they had built a fort against the fence, with walls up to Sam's shoulders and a window shaped like a lopsided star. They ate peanut butter sandwiches inside it with their backs against the snow.

(11) Ellie's phone buzzed in her pocket. A picture from Hollister Hill: four kids piled on one sled, faces red, mouths open in a scream. wish u were here!! Priya had written.

(12) Ellie looked at the picture for a moment. Then she looked at Sam, who was carefully pressing a pinecone into the wall as a doorknob. She took a photo of the fort, with Sam grinning in the star-shaped window, and sent it to the group.

(13) next time, she typed, I'm bringing my brother.

Linden County Solid Waste Office: Important Changes to Curbside Recycling (fictional county)

(1) Beginning July 1, Linden County will change the way recycling is collected. These changes are needed because the county's recycling processor, Tri-State Materials, has raised the fees it charges for recycling that contains too much trash. Last year, almost one-third of what residents put in their blue bins could not be recycled. Sorting out that material cost the county more than $600,000.

(2) What's changing.

• Glass will no longer be collected curbside. Glass breaks during collection and gets mixed into paper, which makes the paper worthless to buyers. Residents may drop off glass bottles and jars at any of the four county recycling centers, which are open seven days a week.
• Plastic bags and plastic wrap must not go in blue bins. They wrap around sorting machines and force workers to shut down the line to cut them free. Many grocery stores accept plastic bags for recycling.
• All containers must be empty and rinsed. Food left in containers can ruin an entire truckload of paper and cardboard.

(3) Bin tags. Starting July 1, collection crews will check bins before emptying them. If a bin contains items that are not accepted, the crew will leave it unemptied and attach an orange tag explaining the problem. Residents may remove the items and put the bin out on the next collection day. A household whose bin is tagged three times in one year will be charged a $25 contamination fee.

(4) Why this matters. Recycling only works when the materials can be sold to companies that turn them into new products. Clean paper, cardboard, metal cans, and plastic bottles still have value. By keeping trash out of our bins, we can hold down costs and avoid raising the county's trash collection fee for all households.

(5) Questions? Visit the county website or call the Solid Waste Office at 555-0148, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.