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Show f I mSTAH BASIN STANDARD. Mav 30. I Ask a Specialist How can I find a reliable contractor for repairs? Answer by: eond K. Hawks, Utah Stats Unwertity Extension Housing end Household Technologies Spe- cialist Inexperienced and unqualified contractors can cost thousands of dollars, especially ifthe work has to be redona. The first step in finding a reliable and reputable contractor is to develop a list of possibilities. Ask friends or ralativM for names of contractors who have done satisfactory work. Find out where local contractors purchase their materials and ask for recommendations. Sumy local real estate agents. Thsgr often know the reputable builders who work in the community. Once you have your list of contractors, you need to determine their reputation and quality of work. Talk to all of the contractors on your list to determine if you could work with them. If you dont like their personality) you surely wont like it after working with them tor awhile. Ask the contractors how long they have been in business. What responsibility does the contractor assume far the work of their subcontractors? Who will be responsible for correcting problems? Does the contractor belong to the local builders association and are they affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders? Does the contractor carry winkers' compensation and liability insurance? Does the contractor have any registered complaints at the Better Business Bureau? One very important way to check out contractors is to talk to their client. Ask the contractor to provide names of people who would be willing to talk with you. Take the time to talk to the people and inspect the completed projects. When you talk to the clients, be sure and ask them these questions: I H imss 1. 1 a- Did thyy finish ule and at the agreed price? Would theclient hire that contractor again? Was the client satisfied with the quality ofthe work? Did the contractor do what was promised in a timely manner. Find out if the contractor is licensed. Membership in the National Association of Home Builders, the National Home Improvement Council or the Remodeling Contractors Association does not guarantee quality or reliability, but it may be an indicator of stability as wall as experience. The Home Builders Association, the Department of Commerce, Occupational and Professional Licensing, Contractors Division in Salt Lake City and moot city building inspectors can provide lists of licensed contractors. - Once you have decided on three or more contractors who are qualified, ask each to submit an official bid on how much the project will cost. Ask for bids from at least three contractors. Bids prepared properly can take considerable time. If a contractor is bidding against a large number of other contractors, they nuqr not want to waste their time, ft is a good idea to inform the contractor how many other bids are being obtained. During the bidding proems, pay attention to how well the contractor sizes up the prqjecL Does the contractor take measurements, ask questions and make suggestions? After getting the bids, compare them. Deriding who gets the bid should be based on thedriailed plans and specifications, how well you can communicate with the contractor, and the ability of the contractor to do a quality job. The contractor should state exactly what must be done and where, and the kinds of materials that will be used. The bid shoo Id be well organized and clear. Once you select the best contractor, dont forget the contract The tract Who is to obtain and pay for the necessary permits? By whist date will the work be started and completed? Will the contractor provide a written warranty of workmanship? Any promises made by the contractor. What quality, brand and grade of materials will be used? Exactly what work will be done? What damages will be paid to the homeowner if the work is not completed on time? Who will dean up and remove debris from the job site? What provisions are included for protection of property near or in work area, including landscaping; driving over trees or damaging the sidewalk? Rights as far as owner making changea, which will include a change order and agreement on the cost of the changes. The amount the owner will pay to the contractor. If applicable, an agreement that the work shaft conform to local and state codes. Written agreement that frees the homeowner from all liens that may be placed against the job for failure of the contractor to pay for materials, labor, equipment, etc. The schedule of how and when payments are to be made. It is best to pay as work progresses. Don't par lor work before it starts. Hold back the final payment until you are sure all of the work for the contract has been completed to your satisfaction. What's in your mailbox? It's a Masquer-Ad- ! The buyer was livid. He had received in his office mail a page ripped from a magazine with an article toutr, ing a book on public speaking. he would have thrown the article away, but this one had one of thoee familiar yaliow "stickies" attached, addressed to him by name. "Ty this. ItsreallyfDod! the handsome note said, with the signature Ordi-narih- "J." "J" happened to be the first initial of his supervisors name, so the employee promptly ordered the ma- terials, forking over almost $300 for what he assumed to be "obligatory" professional reading. It wasnt In fori, the clip wasn't from a real magazine, andthe buyers supervisor had never even seen the "article actually an advertisement crafted to look like an independent review, complete with a perwnal endorsement Only the reader was S uet observant fine-prilikely to notice the word "Advertisement printed in tiny type at the top of the jagged-edge- d page. Many consumers receive moun- tains of advertising every day through their mailboxes, newspapers, televisions, telephones and computers. Much of this advertis-i s ..ft. Ipwirnii out is receive it identify products and services that fit their needs, and to make educated buying But what many people don't apadverpreciate are "masquer-adtisements disguised as something else so consumers will put them in the "to read" pile instead of throwing them away unopened. s: Sometimes theae mailings come in official-lookin- g envelopes or mock express-deliver- y packets. Sometimes they bear return addresses with names just dose enough to a real agency or organization to sound "Social Security convincing Agency, for example, instead of "Social Security Administration." Sometimes they appear to contain TUP ercentage eft -' the project on sched- contract should be in writing. The contractor will usually draw up the contract Read it very carefully and make sure you understand it If necessary, an attorney should be consulted. Remember that after you hire a contractor, you have three days to back out of the deal without a penalty. Items to include in the con- actual checks or notification of a contest the receiver has won. And sometimes they look more Lke personalized letters than bulk mailings, featuring a stamp or a handwritten address. These practices, often referred to g as devices, might 33-ce- "door-openin- sound shady, but they've been adopted by legitimate companies, charities and political groups all trying to cut through the clutter to get their own promotions noticed. Yet the Council of Better Business Bureaus opposes them, fearing that they cast doubt not only on the . but on other ads as well. masquer-ad"It potentially sours the credibility of any advertisement, said Ken Hunter, council president "And that harms the many reputable businesses that use truthful advertising to inform consumers and engage them in a relationship of trust The Federal Trade Commission and the US. Postal Inspection Service are vigilant in going after marketers whose advertising campaigns dearly break the law. And legislation passed by Congress in December 1999 is putting more teeth into their efforts to curb deceptive mailings. The law bans advertisers from mailsending government look-alik- e ings, often enclosed in brown window-style envelopes with official looking markings that imply a connection with the federal government It also requires disclosures on sweepstakes mailings to clarify that it's not necessary to buy something to enter the contest, and that a purchase doesnt boost the chances of winning. The mailings also have to disclose the odds of winning a prize. Advertising that violates these requirements is against the law and subject to prosecution. But many ofthe advertisingploys that are fooling consumers fall into a legal "gray area" and are a lot tougher to challenge in the courts. That's why the Federal Trade Commission is going directly to consumers, warning them that when it comes to deceptive advertising tactics, the best offense is a strorg defense. The FTC is working with the Better Business Bureaus and the US. Postal Inspection Service to show consumers how to recognise advertising even when it looks like something else. "Everything that shows up 'In The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has found an indication of the whirling disease parasite, Myxobolus cerabralis, in rainbow trout at the Midway State Fish Utah. This Hatchery in north-centris the first Division hatchery to test positive for the parasite. Innovative DXA testing methods have shown weak traces of the parasite, although standard testing methods have continued to test negative. The affected fish were located in dirt racewqys at the lowest portion ofthehatchery.doeeet to Deer Creek Reservoir where the presence of the parasite was recently confirmed. Fish in the hatcherys upper, con-craraceways tested negative for al te the parasite. Biologists suspect the parasite may have been introduced to the g birds hatchery system by or other predators that arc common fish-eatin- 5 INTEREST ON FREE HIGH YIELD CHECKING to the area. ONLY ONLINE ZI0NSBANK.COM You all-ti- me don't have to be basketball's 3rd highest scorer to post-u- p some impressive stats. Available only online, ZkinsBank.com High Yield Checking pays interest rates that are U.S.T-B1Itied to the currently over And because interest is paid on balances starting at just S2.500, you don't need the income of a pro athlete to earn it. Plus, unlimited check writing and online account access 24 hours a day gives you the level of control you should expect from your bank. After all, whether you earn it on or off the court, its your money. 91-D- ay 5. L. 2IONS BANK WE HAVENT FORGOTTEN WHO KEEPS US IN BUSINESS." TW Wd sn. Mm C M Itf . 5 M rv. Mm tV.M MntotmC tfwc N ot every mailing that's designed to look like a check or uses a personalized message, such as, "Try this. It But Bernstein works!" is a rip-ofquestions, why should a consumer take chances? "After all, she says, why trust a company that wiggles its way into your home or office using a clever disguise?" As the buyer of the $300 book . learned, that's one personal message from "J" worth hetiing! Bernstein encourages consumers to find out more about recognizing deceptive mailings by calling the FTC's toll-fre- e helpline at f. (382-4357- ). What to watch for in your mailbox: Government-lik- e logos or addresses that make the information look important Magazine solicitations that look like renewal notices " Checks that, if cashed, switch your telephone carrier Simulated checks that invite credit applications Companies or organisations with "sound-alike- " names that play on the reputations of others " Solicitations personalised with handwritten addresses or first-clastamps " Mailings that imply personal endorsement from someone you know " Ads disguised as personal letters, news stories or independent reviews Endorsements with the word "advertisement inconspicuously placed or in tiny print ss Because the parasite is designated as a prohibited pathogen in Utah, the finding was presented to Utahs Fish Health Policy Board on April 17. The Fish Health Policy Board consists of representatives of the Utah Department of Agriculture, sportsmen, the Utah Aquaculture Association and the Division oTWud-lif- s Resources. The board voted to endorse a plan of action that would allow the stock-in- g of unaffected fish from the concrete raceways into waters where the parasite has already been found. wildlife official are investigating ways to safely salvage the affected fish that wul not be storked. After removal ofthe affected fish, fish production at the hatchery will be confined to the upper portions of the hatchery that ha ve concrete race-waand are considered lees susceptible. Plans are being made to farther secure thoee raceways against infection. Ton Prttengill. sport fisheries and aquatic education coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resource. says a little mote than 300,000 catchable rainbow trout at the hatchery, or about 21 percent of the total number of catchable fish stocked in Utah each year, will be lost. The impact of that lose will be felt by trout anglers throughout the state, especially thoee who fish nv-er- a and streams Most ofthe catchable fish from the Midway Hatchery are stocked in northern, central and northeastern Utah waters. To lessen the impact on these waters, oome of the fish that would have been stocked in southern Utah from other hatch-mwill be transferred north. The net result is that waters throughout Utah will receive about 21 percent lees catchable fish this year than past year. "People are going to notice the kwe of fish statewide, not jurt in the northern part of the elate where stocks most of their rrlteogiU Mid To make the best use of the catch-sb- le fish that are available, the Division will nut most of them into reservoirs and lakes, instead of rivers and streams. Stocked fish have a better chance of survival and return to anglers, if they're placed in lake and men vain, Prttengill said. 'People who traditionally look to streams for catchable trout, Lke the Weber River and others, are going to want to look more at lakn and reservoirs this year," he said. While a little more than 300.000 fish will be lost, there are about 220.000 7- - to fish, and about 600.000 fish, that did not test positive for whirling dieeose at the Midway Hatchery. These fish must be removed from the hatchery, so disinfecting work can take place, Pettengift said. The 220.000 fish wift be stocked into Jardanelle Reservoir. which has tested positive for whirling disease, Pettengift said. Jordanelle was scheduled to receive fish from the Jones Hole and Glen wood hatcheries this year, so putting the Midway Hatchery fish in the reservoir will allow the fish to go elsewhere. To keep transportation coeta fish will be down, the 600,000 released into Jordsnelle and Deer 7-- to ch Did You Know? iNAFS) For many people with certain types of heart rhythm problem, then is a medical cure called radwfrequrncy catheter ablation, a non surgical therapy in which cells -- that cause electrical conduction problems are destroyed harming the heart. without 10-inc- h mi SmimSs ) into the trash Whirling disease found at Midway State Fish Hatchery OFF THE COURT TOO. OVER 2000- - Pace 23 your mailbox' is not necessarily what it appears to be," says Lesley Fair, an attorney in the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection who specializes in advertising practices. "Juat bemuse something looks official and is addressed directly to you doesnt mean that itis. It may well be an ad. So whats a consumer to do? "Read vour mail carefully and with a critical eye," Fair says. "It's important to keep your guard up. Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, recommends sometimes taking things a step further. "When consumers receive an advertising pitch in disguise, one that's dearly meant to make them think it's something else," she says, "their best bet may be to make a pitch of their own I I W in et M:dr fiV Chocolate milk provide the same amount of essentia) nutrients a white milk, including calcium. protein, vitamin D. vitamin A, vitamin B-1- pntasaium. nboflavui and niacin. "WiSiijw . phoe-phtiru- s. |