I was talking to a few kids at the Fort Hays State University basketball games Wednesday when I was asked what McGruff the Crime Dog's first name is.

One little lady offered up that she thought it is Rufus. Though Rufus is a great name, I couldn't find anywhere that gave his official first name.

McGruff has been helping kids stay safe for more than 25 years now, and I don't think he would mind too much if you wanted to call him Rufus.

* *  *

Looking into the proper disposal of fluorescent light bulbs, I found that Home Depot will recycle them for you.

They will recycle any kind of fluorescent bulb -- the long traditional bulbs or the new cork-screw looking bulbs. Just take them to the service desk.

Why not just throw them in the trash? Fluorescent bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury that we don't want building up in our landfills and leaching into the soil and water supplies.

If you break a fluorescent bulb, the GE Web site suggests the following steps for proper cleanup:

* Sweep up -- don't vacuum -- all of the glass fragments and fine particles.

* Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.

* If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.

Home Depot will also properly dispose of spent or broken rechargeable batteries from cordless power tools.

If you know of any other places that will recycle potential hazardous materials, let me know and I will run a list of who recycles what.

Eric Norris is the adult department librarian at the Hays Public Library. "Ask Eric" questions can be mailed to 1205 Main, Hays, KS, 67601, submitted through www.hayspublib.org at the "Ask Eric" link or e-mailed to enorris@hayspublib.org.