Are you opposed to using open source libraries?  There are quite a few .NET options for dealing with Shapefiles.  I've had very good results with the OGR (C# bindings) and SharpMap.  A quick search on google yields many more options.

Is there a way to read the columns in a shapefile / layer without converting it first to an MDB file?
I tried to close off the water valve (a multi-twist globe-valve) leading to my back-yard water supply (the shutoff valve is inside the house) but it will not twist fully shut.  Is it safe to give the screw a shot of WD-40 to loosen up the valve?  Will that help?

Note: the valve is not leaking so I don't want to replace it.  I am just trying to shut off the water supply for the winter.
