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Show THE WEST MOUNTAIN TIMES. DECEMBER 31. 1981. PAGE FIVE Day Care Pauline Jay didn't have much trouble deciding which company she wanted to work for. When it was time to move on from her job with a Boston insurance company last February, she thought of one company only: Stride-Rit- e Corp., a Boston shoe retailer. It wasn't the salary she sought; nor was it the proximity to her home, which is a drive away. It was Stride-Ritday care center. Now, instead oflea ving Jason with his grandmother, Pauline Jay takes him to work with her. So do 26 other Stride-Rit- e employees. And from the first time they drop thechildren off on Monday morning to the last time they pick them up on Friday afternoon, those employees have saved as much as 73 percent of what they would have paid to a private daycare center. This is the I Ith year Stride-Rit- e has provided its employees with child day care, one of the few businesses in the country to do so. That may change soon, however; effective January I, businesses across the country will have an incentive to follow suit. Part of the recently enacted tax bill makes employer-sponsore- d day care a benefit not only to the worker but to the company. It is a "major breakthrough," according to one House staffer, which could make child day care an employee benefits bargaining tool. The "breakthrough is in the form of a tax exemption for employees for any company contributions to day care so long as they are part of a benefits plan. Washington te es three-year-o- ld A Solid Fringe But it is the advantage to business the growth of employer-sponsore- d day care in the future. That tax exemption for the worker allows the company to use day care benefits as an attraction for hard workers and as a tool to keep them as company employees. This is espcci:"y useful to hospitals and firms, since nurses and computer specialists are hard to come by . And if a company can offer day care benefits, it may be able to bargain harder when other benefits are discussed at the negotiating table. which may ensure -t-o-find at Stride-Rit- e Jan Yochum is the executive director of the Day Care Council of America, a Washington, D C., group committed to ensuring that, by 1990, every family in need of help for day care w ill have it. "Within the next 10 to 15 years." Yochum says, "child care benefits will be part of the total package industry puts together for its employees." But while thousands of companies make some kind of provision for their employees children, few approximate- have put it in black and white, Yochum says. Only three were ly 13 union-negotiate- d, she adds. employer-sponsore- d day care a benefit not only to the worker For the working parent, it is a nice adjunct to the almost doubling of the tax credit for day care costs. Effective January I, the $400 (one child) and $800 (two children) maximums are no more. On New Year's Day, a family witheamingsof $ 10,000 or less will be able to write off 30 percent of the first $2,400 in day care expenses ($720 for one child, $1,440 for two or more). As income rises, every $2,000 the portion credited from the first $2,400 spent decreases one percent. With this "sliding Kale," a family earning $30,000 or more can get tax credit for 20 percent of the first $2,400 spent ($480 for for two or more). one child, $0 That may change, however. Pal ThoSermas. an official of the 700.000-stron- g vices Employees International Union, says unions are more aware of it now. For corporations, she says, tax advantages at this point are enough to set up child care centers." affected other sources for day care support: the federal school lunch program and Title XX money, part of which states previously used for day care. Title XX money is now to be lumped with block must now grams, so that compete with the aged and the medically disabled for federal funds. hospitals, high technology industry, and public institutions like the Eepartment of Defense find w here there's a need there's a way. employer-sponsore- d day care within the private sector as a whole is not yet guaranteed a burgeoning future. While women are expected to continue working the direct cause of the need for day care the trend doesn't mean a child will definitely have someplace else to go. Besides Congress's rejection of a Senate proposal that companies themselves get a more direct write-of- f. g mood has Washington's budget-slashin- child care benefits will be part of the total package industry puts together Be a part of the program. The dillerence is made up by the state Department ol Social the children go through a very comprehensive," program, according to its director, Miriam Kcrtman. The concept of actually teaching, not is just entertaining, partially a result of a belief by some experts that the first four years of a child's life are critical to his or her intellectual development. Kcrtman's pupils go to school from 7 a.m. to 5 p m. Their day is broken up with a highly structured morning and an afternoon open to more choice by the child. Included are breakfast, lunch, two snacks, a weekly visit by a psychologist, free dental checkups, and screening for speech, hearing, vision and blood. Despite a freeze on state money in August, Kcrtman said, services have not been cut To be eligible for the Stride-Rit- e pro Stride-Rit- e, Stride-Rit- e families pay 10 percent of their weekly gross pay up to $25. A company foundation pays the difference. Kcrtman says the cost of the program works out to approximately $65-$?- 0 per day per student. Stride-Ritfamilies using the program include employees in all phases of the company's operation: from laborers to managers. Kertman claims the day care program has been especially effective in attracting computer personnel, w ho are in short supply in the Boston area, a center for firms. She says graduates of the program do very well" when they goon to elementary school. To ensure continuity, those accepted into the program limited to 55 arc assured of a spot until they reach six years of age. Kertman says, is beginning to catch on with other companies. As government steps out," she says, "somebody has to fill the vacuum. e, women, a declining economy, an increase in the number of Career-oriente- d tear-dow- Get a written statement on an v guarantees for both parts and labor, and whether they are based on mileage or time. Parts are sometimes guaranteed for a different time span than labor. Ask if replacements for hard parts" (water pump, alternator, automatic transmission, etc.) are to be new, used or rebuilt. If the parts are other than new, be sure that is noted on the repair order. The price differential between new and rebuilt parts is considerable, but there may be a big difference in the guarantees, too. Used parts usually have no warranty other than an replacement with another used unit if the fi rst one fails, but the buyer has to supply the labor for the second installation. Leave a phone number where you can be reached. If the job needs more work than you originally contracted for, it usually won't be done unless you approve it. If the shop can't reach you. work may stop until it can. Don't be oversold. The new terminol Faced with steep increases in the cost of other fuels, Americans are turning to wood burning stoves, furnaces and fireplaces. But many of them lose energy and money by not carefully selecting the wood they burn. Especially important in a wood's ability to provide heat is its density and moisture content. Hardwoods, which provide long burning fires, contain the greatest total heating value for their volume. Softwoods offer a fast burning, crackling blaze, but produce less heat for the volume of wood burned. Perhaps the best fire is made by combining soft and hard woods, so that it starts easily and burns steadily. Keep the fire burning by regularly adding small amounts of wood; a smalt, hot fire heats your home more economically than a large roaring fire. Even more important than density is moisture level. All woods, dried to the same moisture level, produce comparable heat value per pound, from about 8,000 to 9,500 British thermal units for fully dried wood, and from 5.500 to 8.500 BTUs for air Masoned wood. If firewood is sold by weight, mois Forget about your lack of talent" and the crooked line, because there is now available a program that allows anyone to enjoy painting while finishing an attractive work of art in only a few eve- ogy for a service writer is service salesman, so buy w hat you need and no more. But don't be overcautious about additional repairs that w ill save you money in the long run. Be on time to pick up your vehicle. If you come late, you might not get the chance to talk to the mechanic w hoactu-ell- y did the job. Phone first to make sure it's ready. This might save you a trip. Before you leave, talk to the mechanic who did the job. Most shop managers don't like fraternization with the mechanics, but I recommend talking to the guy who actually turned the nutsand bolts. Do conscious road test as you drive away. Pay particular attention to the original complaint. If it wasn't, cured take the car back right away. You might want to peck under the hood to make sure that everything was put back on. If the repair calls for a shop follow-u- p visit, do it on schedule. If the valves are ground and the shop management asks that you bring it back for a check after 1000 miles, don't expect too warm a reception if you don't do it and have a problem at three times that mileage. Following these rules wont insure All that every job will be problem-freauto repair shops have their share of combacks. It's a fact of life that all shop managers have to live with. But following the rules will give you a head start towards customer satisfaction. e. erly Masoned wood. For the best possible results, allow wood to dry a full Mason before burning. At a minimum, dry wood at least six to eight months. The best time to cut wood is winter or early spring before the sap runs. If a tree is felled when fully leaved out, let it lie until leaves have become crisp so they will draw as much moisture as possible from the tree. Drying time is greatly reduced if wood is cut into firewood length and split. Splitting wood also helps produce a wood which burns more consistently. Then, sit back and enjoy your fire. Remember firewood is a natural way of storing solar heat, and it's renewable too. t u Attention Housewives! nings. Call The West Mountain Times 966-444- 4 special-purpos- IM ED I ROM PAGE 4 The National Center for a Barrier free Environment, which gives intorni.ilion to aid disabled persons in getting access to physical facilities: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.. lor complaints or inlotmation about banks under jurisdiction of the I DIC: Flood Insurance, for information on the flood insurance program: Health Resource Administration, for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to call if they are denied treatment at a health care facility built with funds: 1 1 step-by-ste- For 1981 Mattel introduces the Barbie Dream House or a play situation all by itself. The Barbie Dream Pool is Vi scaled to fashion dolls, with patio furniture and accessories, a working shower, and an elevated outdoor swimming pool that really holds water. The Barbie Dream Pool will provide hours of fun for Barbie doll fans, and can be purchased unfurnished or with Patio Furniture and accessories. 1 1 All information it provided by the manufacturer. Proper care prolongs life and beauty of holiday tableware The holiday season is here! And that means plenty of cooking, serving and cleanup. It also means you should be careful not todamage your valuable dishes. Remember, china wears better than earthenware, and earthenware is less fragile than pottery. China chips and scratches. Earthenware breaks and crazes, and pottery, unless handled carefully, chips, breaks and crazes. Careful handling in all cases, can reduce breakage of dishes. Crowded, over-loade- d shelves and careless washing are two of the most common causes of breakage. Here are some Donotscrapedisheswithaknifeor steel wool. If left on plates, vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes and other food scraps may dull the glaze. Rinse before stacking plates. Interstate Commerce Commission, for problems with interstate movement of household goods: National Highway Traffic Safely Administration, for information on whether your car has been recalled, or to report suspected defects: New Housing Idea for Older Family Members Theres an klca gaining momentum across the country that may keep older family members nearer to their offspring, but not quite under their rKf. Theyre called granny flats in Australia. where the idea was horn. I lerc they ICIIO housing are being called Elderly Cottage Housing Opportunities. Granny flats and I CHO houses are economically small, transportable structures that are assembled in back yards for elderly family members. The houses are tied into telephone, water, Kwer and gas lines. When they are no longer needed, they are disassembled and taken away. Washington The idea, which has not become reality yet in the United States, was picked upasa way of avoiding nursing homes and other types of housing for the elderly that take relatives away from their families. The tiny houses could be funded publicly or privately. Official in Michigan, by Evelyn Witter dishes: you would like to earn extra money in the comfort of your home Join Our Distribution Drive Binney & Smith Inc., the folks who bring you Crayola crayons and Liquitex fine artists materials, has p developed and thoroughly tested an easy to follow, approach called Crtateable Painting. These craft sets are available in four decorative subjects: Mountain Reflections, "Autumn Beauty, Lighthouse Point" and Parisian Street Scene. Each set carries a suggested retail price of $36.95. quick and simple rules for washing M--u s. CONI ture is particularly important, because green wood can contain 40 to 60 percent of its weight in moisture, as compared with about 20 percent moisture for prop- Mix firewoods for best heat growth of day care centers. On-sit- e centers like Slnde-Ritehowever, aren't always within a companys budget, soothers methods have to become popular: consortiums among downtown businesses; information-and-referrservices f(r employees; third-part- y donations (such as to the United Way, to which companies contribute money stipulated for day care); and serv ices (such as donating space or equipment) A common method companies use. according to Yochum. is the voucher system, whereby an independent party determines what portion of the day care costs can be borne by the employee; the employer pays the rest. A few companies dona-- t give their employees Kns; others buv slots at priv ate centers or e grants. give out Bruce I sterlme is the executive director of the Corporate Child Development Fund for Texas, which works with industry to attract donations for child care, lie suspects pressure possibly from unions may increase with the new tax legislation And, he says, employees nowaday expect a higher quality of work life." (The concept of day care) is less obnoxious than five or 10 years ago, Fsterline says. As a society we more readily accept thefact thatwomenforced to stay home is an illusion of the past, With or without legislative incentives, he concludes, that attitude will help companies "see their role as social providers in the years to come. Consumer Hotlines auto service consumer tion has to be made, make sure you get a n price that includes putting it back together as it was. If yon want the old parts returned for Inspection, ask for them when the repair order is written. If the faulty part is being replaced with a rebuilt unit, the shop may have to turn it in as a "core," but you're entitled to see it before it is sent back. Most shop owners will be willing to show you what went wrong. single parents and a shortage of workers skilled in certain areas it all points tothe "in-kin- New Product Showcase Today's car is an extremely complex piece of equipment that contains over 17,000 individual parts, some of which rival the technical sophistication of the hardware that rides in our spacecraft. In the '50s, the home handyman could keep the family car operating at a fairly high level of efficiency, calling on training that he received at the side of his do-- e very thing father or from a high Khool auto shop class. Today, that handyman would need a garage full of electric testing gear and at least a masters degree in mechanical engineering. So the hope for today is to find a good repair shop and become a heads-u- p auto service consumer. I've come up with 12 rules that can make auto service easier to buy and easier to live with. Insist that your request for service is written on a repair order. Verbal orders don't go. Makesurethattherepairorder has the shop name and address on it, and notes the mileage on your car. , Give the service writer or mechanic details of your complaint. Describe the problem but don't try to analyze the cause unless you're a mechanic yourself. Make sure that all the details are w ritten down on the repair order so that the mechanic who docs the job won't ha ve to ask questions later. If the car doesn't start in the morning, make sure that the repair order says just that, not simply check engine for hard starting." Get a written estimate. Some state laws require this. If an internal inspec If Serv ices. e At The Auto Corner heads-u- p al Serv ices. rs While gram. mothers must either be working or in school, or an unusual need" must be shown. Community families end up paving from $5 to $35 per djv, according to income. Money from the shrinking led-erschool lunch program also pays for part of the program. The difference is made up by the state Dept of Social Do not use boiling water for ing or rinsing. Use alkali-fre- e wash- soap and soft water. Soften hard water to avoid dulling the luster, dry with a soft towel. Evaporation may leave a film. especially in hard water (unless a dishwasher is used). Have a rubber tip on the faucet. Never put plates down directly on a porcelain-enamele- d or porcelain drain board or into a w ire dish drainer, w ith-o- u ( prot ec t ion of a c I ot h or ru bbe r m a t . Avoid rubbing china against soft metal such as aluminum. Stainless steel knives are less apt to mar the glaze than silver-plate- d knives. Takeafcw platesofTashelfatatime. Don't expect the bottom plate to support a dozen or more. Do not nest cups hang them from hooks or slide them into special wire cup racks Clean embossed plates with a soft brush. Maryland. Alabama, California and Pennsylvania are looking into the idea as a future housing alternative. Near Lancaster, Penn. where the Amish have built grandmother houses on their farms for years 50 granny flats have been sold and are awaiting zoning permits, according to an official with the American Association erf Retired Persons (AARP). In Rockville, Md.. the mayor convinced the city council to appropriate $60.(88) for a pilot project, but was stonewalled by tack of matching federal funds. In a suburb of Detroit and in Birmingham. Ala., public and private officials arc looking into I CHO housing as a way to provide an alternative to existing housing for the elderly The structures would be suitable for one or two people, including those who are disabled, said Leo Baldwin, housing coordinator for the AARP and the National Retired Teachers Association They would cost approximately $17.(88). Problems to be overcome include local zoning regulations and funding methods Baldwin said he favors establishing nonprofit organizations to buy and maintain the houses and to move them when families no longer need them. The houses are mainly publicly funded in Australia, he said, although there is some movement now toward private investment. In any case, he said, since the houses are not permanent they should not cause property tax increases. Baldwin said he doesn't have the resources to help ECHO housing to ns feet.buthedoesplantopromotert He has received hundreds of letters about it, he said, and three groups in different states are seeking funding for the idea (You can write Baldwin at AARP, 1909 K St. NW, Washington. D C. 20049 ) . |
