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Show CALLSALERT Lighters a Danger The following products and vehicles were reDoes your closet looklike a tornadohitit, with sweaters tumbling from shelves and shoes in piles all over the place? Then you might be ready to try a do-it-yourself closet organizer system. Four Good Housekeepingtesters decided they wouldgive it a try, and their findings were unanimous: The project was a major pain, but they loved theresults ofthe closet organizers, which style-conscious do-it-yourselfer who wants a designer closet. This is a great choice if you havea sliding-doorcloset because you'll have a lot of design options. But the boxes are super-heavy — getting them upstairs is a herculean effort. Andit’s pricier than most organizers, but if you do have the moneyto spare,it is a lot nicer looking than wire ones. The Ultimate Closet Challenge Calling all Bob Vila wannabes wholove a chal- For the First-Time Fixer-Upper lenge — and who have a couple of friends around ClosetMaid’s 5 Foot to 8 Foot Closet Organizer (manufacturer's suggested retail price: $82), made of coated wire with a two-tier expandable shoe ing Tower Kit maynot betheeasiest closet orga- nizerto install, but the results — andall of the ex- rack, is great if you want more hanging space and tra shelf and hanging space — may be worth the have to removeexisting shelf supports or put up shelf supports. It’s easy to puta hole in the wall new ones. Just be surenotto lose any small parts, since ClosetMaid doesn’t provide many spare ones. A Cleaner, Neater Coat Closet Wantto get your coat closet organized? Then the Schulte’s Spacemaker Closet System, made of coated wire, might be the answerto your closet woes. It’s particularly good for a hall closet because you havea lotofflexibility about where (and how high) you place your combinations of shelves and rods. In addition, the wire shelves are perfect for storing baseball gloves and other odds and ends. The Big Bucks Bedroom Closet The Lee Rowan’s System Works, made ofparti- cleboard with three Deluxe Starter Packs, three extra shelves, one free-standing Shoe Stacker and one Stacking Cube, is perfect for the determined, to lend a hand. The Windquest Easy Track Hang- effort. Just be careful when removing existing while prying them out. Also, be sure to measure exactly when cutting rods. You're out of luck if you cut them too short. One plus if you're a shoe addict: You can install cute little shoe cubbies with this brand. If you want your own dream closet, don’t make a moveuntil you've measured all surfaces and openings and thought about your needs. Write it all down — then go shopping. There are two basic options from which to choose: coated wire or covered particleboard. Both are sturdy and perfectly serviceable. But even though manufacturers claim these organizers are a snap to assemble, they're not. The directions are often difficult to follow, and prepping the closet and installing the actual system can be time-consuming. tem, 5 feet (coated wire), plus four extra shelves o PRODUCT:: Lee Rowan’s System Works (parti- Stacking Cube them to any Ace Hardwarestore for a refund TOTAL TIME SPENT: 512 hours (tester did not repaint beforeinstallation) COST: $375 VEHICL! ae 999 Ford Taurus PROBLEM: The front seat-belt bucklein cars with manualseats may have been improperly heat treated. If the stud cracks, the occupant may not PRODUCT: Windquest Easy Track Hanging be properlyrestrained in the event of an accident TowerKit (particleboard), plus twovertical panels, four extra shelves, two rods, and a 5-foot support Also, a dash retainer clip was not properly attached to the accelerator cablefitting and may result in a gas pedal that sticks. Owners should take their vehicles to an authorized dealer for repair. If rail (some cutting required) (800) 562-4257 TOTALTIMESPENT:five hours (including patching andrepainting) TOTAL COST: $197 *Costs are based on manufacturers’ suggested retail prices. a free remedyis not received within a reasonable period of time, owners should call Ford at (800) 392-3673. This Is Last Weekend to Do Taxes Before April 15 Deadline THE ASSOCIATEDPRESS @ Tax Profile WASHINGTON — A message to the 34 million or so taxpayers who haven't filed their income Some projections from the House Ways and tax returns: Thisis the last weekend to get it all done before the she looks forit in the latest deco- Means Committee for April 15 deadline. photographs and fabrics. But she’s not looking this year’s income-tax fil- ing season. Numbers may There are ways to get exten- sions from the Internal Revenue for the avant-garde — she’s trying to divine what china pattern is most likely to end up on American not add due to rounding: Individual Returns Total: 126 million. Service, but they can make tax bills even higher. Tax experts tables. agreeit’s a big mistakenotto file something by Thursday's midnight deadline. “The worst strategy, one that Wright is one ofthefive artists at The Pfaltzgraff Co. who create an evolving line of dinnerware themes, ranging from thefloral to the folksy, by staying on the cut- 1040: 61.4 million (49%). can add thousands of dollars to your tax bill, is to do nothing,” ting edgeofstyle trends and mar- 1040A: 14.4 million (11%). 1040EZ: (9%). 11.3 million Electronic: 29.6 million said Lawrence Torella, an ac- (23%). ketplace whims. countant and partner with Rich- fine artists who get to paint whatever they want. These are things to sell to the public,” said Wright, whose designs include “Cape May,” a soft, mauve flower pattern that adorns cups, saucers, plates and bowls. The penalty for failing to file a tax return is 5 percent of the balance due per month, up to a max- 1040PC: 8.7 million (7%). Useof professional help Total: 60.9 million (51%). Taxpayers who aren't going to meet the filing deadline should send the IRS a request for extension until Aug. 16, using Form (30%). 1040EZ: 763,000 (7%), Filing Statistics ard A. Eisner & Co. in New York ‘We're designers — not like imumof25 percent Foundedin 1811 by the Pfaltzgraff family of German immi- and mothersof the brides, Walsh selects 10 to 12 patterns each year, said David Walsh, vice pres- said The demand for new and more updated styles is insatiable. De- dustry say the companystays with current trends. partment stores, for example, insist on new styles every year, even if many customers would prefer ident of design. Those in the in- to keeptheold ones Pfaltzgraff'’s designs are amazingly in tune with what the Americanlifestyle calls for. Their designs never lost touch with the “People who collect Pfaltzgraff are extremely loyal to Pfaltzgraff tional Tabletop and Giftware As- and to their pattern,” Walsh said. ‘Whenwe're forced to discontinue, they'reso indignant.” About 90 percent of Pfaltz. sociation in New York. graff's sales come from house- About 50 percent of the compa: ny’s market is new brides; the rest are longtime loyal customers, from the other large domestic consumer," said Peter Rush, executive director of the trade Na- wares stores or departments, and so it does not face big competition producers, such as Lenox, which empty nesters, new divorcees — produces fine china, and Homer Laughlin, which produces the collectible Fiesta Ware. The company is privately held and declined to release sales figures. ‘Thefourartists and one sculptor who design Pfaltzgraff pat- terns and shapes hone their skills on the job — in contrast to their counterparts in England and Germany, which have schools that specialize in dinnerware design, Walsh said Artists offer their own distinetive styles to their patterns. One mayspecializein stark, geometric architectural designs. Anotherfo cuses on folk art, and anotheris knownfor hertrailing floral pat THEY HAVE A BUDGET. I PUT IT ON THE BACK OF THESE TWO-STOEO ( WELL, THEY | ) LIVED BY THE SWORD, AND THEY OLED BY THE Always HadPluck And Some Luck ® Continued from D-6 plot Co. over to his children in 1994, the sameyear two sons, his daughter and sharing the grandson began “office of chairman. (“They've not done as goodas I'd hoped,” offers the crusty Simplot whostill considers the company his own.) The company makes mostofits $3 billion in annual sales through processing potatoes and other . COPY Theartists may produceone to quotas. They work as a team Walshsaid, noting that if oneart: ist’s themeis selected for store shelves, the others help with designs for flatwareor other components of theline. The company constantlytries to keep up with changing tastes. Even the company’s trademark, a flower stamp borrowed from the original 19th centurycraftsmen’s works, was innovativein its time. ‘All of these traditional designs pushed the envelopeat the time of their production. They were breakthroughs,” Walsh said Drill Prepares for Y2K Failures @ Continued from D-6 should still pay an estimate of their taxes due, or at least as much as possible, by Thursday payments — and penalties of a half-percent per month Penalties for late tax pay- goon, but it’s important to ensure that thegrid is reliable and com. municationsare a piece of that, per month if the taxpayer enters on time. People should make suchrequests courteously and in A request for such an install- Oneother note: The U.S. Tax Court has rejected claims from The IRS almost always grants while collecting required docu- ments drop to a quarter-percent into an installment payment agreementwith the IRS. writing mentplan, using Form 9465, can be attached to the tax return taxpayers who say accountants advised them tofile returns late such requests as long as the tax- payer agrees to pay $25,000 or less within five years. There's a $43fee to set up such a plan Internet at www.irs.ustreas.gov, ment penalties on returns filed Taxpayers also can call from a fax machine at 1-703-368-9694 and havea form faxed for Duke Energy Power Services, which hasthreeplants in Califor Overall thedrill went smoothly according to a statement by the North American Electric Reli- ability Council posted on its Web site. The New Jersey-basedindus. try group coordinated Friday's it for 50 cents on the it for collateral on I'm no Houdini, I like to bet my own judgment and I've been suc cessful at it Simplot always had plenty of pluck Born John Richard Simplot in Dubuque, Iowa, and raised with five siblings on a homestead at company’s mainstay: somerarefat $7,500. That was Simplot’s stakefor the potato business, He leased land and from anearly partner learned to plant certifiedseed, not cull po tatoes as was then common. Ida goldcoins, and he paid $1 a day with the innovation. The headstrong young turk with a craving for more and big ger then started buying ranches cattle and timberland. Taking no- ’ After the war, his food produc- year, he marched ho's dominancein potatoes grew plot left homeat 14 afterhis task master father refused to let him attend a basketball game His mother gave him four $20 ductionplant at Pocatello. tion business expandedinto freezing and canning, developing the product that would become the in southcentral Idaho, Sim Dee! he bought phosphate reserves and built a fertilizer pro- buy600 hogs at $1 each hogs to market for a whopping radios any more,” said Robert Green of Public Service Gas & Electric, New Jersey's largest utility, “People over the years have gotten used to speaking on phones, and using radio, using the protocol for radio, is a little bit stay afloat miles wide. dollar, using bank loan to spokesman failed to return phone calls seeking additional comment many peopletalking at once. We're not used to talking over partnerships to build the food fertilizer, Whenprices jumped the next and about 2,000 people. Its systems, the council's state ment said. In addition, someradio channels werecongested with too and Joe Parkinson $1 million for 40percent of what would become Micron Technology Simplot, who doesn't type or tice of the wartime shortage of ina lucky country,” Simplotsays. phone numbers, and some per sonnel lacked training onsatellite voice na. operation after silver prices plummetedin the early 1980s. Like many captains of industry Simplot has had scrapes with the law. The IRS pinched himafter he for room and board at Declo's only hotel. Teachers also boarding there were paid in interest- bearing scrip, and Simplot bought ways. Thefastest is through the For reasons such as a death in the family or seriousillness, the IRS sometimes waives late-pay There weresomeincorrecttele- and beef cattle. Among its hold: ings is the Paisley Ranch in south: I'm a lucky guy that was born mentation Last-minute forms from the IRS are available in several said Tom Williams, spokesman vegetables, agriculturalfertilizer central Oregon, the nation’s big gest at 136 miles long and 65 million 31.6 million (26%). Mortgage deductions: 29.4 million (24%) Doing so will lessen the sting of interest — now8 percent on late test, involving some 200 utilities www die COM _soflademeBeci com DILBERT terns. seven designs a day. There are no 4.3 Filers who itemize deductions: 35.4 million (29%). Charitable deductions But people seeking extensions sistant productthat is more durable than bone china or earthenware. Ofthe hundredsof designs submitted by the artists, Pfaltzgraff J.R. Simplot 1040A: proves such requests. Brad Bower/The Associated Press Artist Barbara Wright paints designs at her deskfor the Pfaltzgraff Co.line of chinaware. The firm avoids avant-garde, concentrating ontrying to anticipate tastes of American households. sories and pantryware. The items are made of stoneware, a chip-re- T DOWNSIZED THE “EASE OF USE" LAS BECAUSE THERE'S NO GUOGET FORA 1040: 55.8 million (91%). 4868, The IRS automatically ap- grant potters, the company offers a line of casual dinnerware,acces- t tane and maycause an unexpected flashback or sudden burst of flame. This presents a risk of burns and unintentional fires. Consumers should stop using the lighters immediately and return shelves, one freestanding Shoe Stacker, and one YORK, Pa. — Whenartist Barbara Wright needs inspiration, 1 PRODUCT:Butane multipurpose lighters by Ace, item number 4100715. These lighters were sold in Ace Hardwarestores nationwide from March 1997 to May1998 for about $2 to $3. PROBLEM: These lighters can leak excess bu- cleboard): three Deluxe Starter Packs, three extra THE ASSOCIATED PRESS , tell you what to do. painting; this tester was the only one whoconsidered herself handy) COST: $75 The Pfaltzgraff Co. aims to meet changing demands magazines, discontinueuseof the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information about the products, call the manufacturer or CPSC’s toll-free hotline, (800) 638-2772. Only some cars or trucks recalled are affected. Contact a dealer for your model te seeif it is included in the recall. The dealer will (800) 669-3225 TOTALTIME SPENT:four hours (including re- China-Maker Must Constantly Anticipate Design Trends rating sion and the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration. Unless otherwise indicated. PRODUCT:Schulte’s Spacemaker Closet Sys- cost $75 to $375. The details: a wayto neatly organize shoes. Plus, you don't called by the Consumer Product Safety Commis- PRODUCT:ClosetMaid’s 5 Foot to 8 Foot Closet Organizer (coated wire). plus a two-tier expandable shoe rack (800) 874-0008 TOTAL TIME SPENT:three hours (tester did notrepaint beforeinstallation) TOTAL COST:Cost: $82 the frozen french fry, patented in the 1950s. Simplot struck a deal with Mc- Donald's Corp. founder Ray Kroc, and his fry business grew with Americans’ lovefor fast food. Not everything he touched turned to gold, There was the co: conut farm and an emerald mine in Colombia and a gold mine in the Dominican Republic. And he was one of the investors whotried unsuccessfully to rescue northern wakes Bunker Hill silver mining funded what were supposedto be businessin the post-war years “Got my skirts cleaned, I guess It was all me, no question about it,” says Simplot, eyes smiling. his turquoise In the mid-70s, Simplot was charged with trying to manipulate Mainepotato futures, was barred from commodities trading for six years and paid $50,000 infines different than using the phone. use & computer, pumped in $20 million more to help Micron build its first fabrication plant and to Micron has since added elec tronics experts to its board and the Simplot stake in Micron (both the company and the man) has de. clined from morethan 20 percent in 1995 to less than 12 percent Simplot says he wants to retire just as soon as he visits chi plants in Italy and Singapore thet Mi. In 1980, the 71-year-old took a gamble on thenext generation of cron bought from Texas Instry businessmen, giving twins Ward ‘This time he may really mean it ments last fall |