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Past 65 byCarlRiblet Jr. Q. - "Is the world going crazy? I was a clerk in a five-and-dime store in Ohio back in the Depression. I was taught by my boss never to argue with a customer who was cross or unfair. The customer was always right. Now it's different. If a clerk or phone answerer in a business establishment like a department store, any _ his her attitude that shows he doesn't give a darn, they tell me off. If I then tell them they are giving me a hard time, they right off reply that I am giving them a hard time. It does no good to report them because their boss is probably a young squirt who also has a chip on his shoulder and is likely to break out fast into a state of hostility -- to me, the customer. Is there any way to take care of such people that leaves an older person with some sense of dignity?" - Martha O. A. - The world is not going crazy. It is simply reacting to the idea that everybody has his rights, no matter whose rights are offended. The attitude is, "I'm iust as " as you arc and I don't my job anyway." The customer finds he is seldom right in I960. There is only one way to handle it. Do not get into arguments with kids. Elders are supposed to have learned at long last how to act and react. They could show the younger people that the supposition is true. Martha would do best to always keep her cool in an unpleasant or situation with a clerk phone opera tor, and be calm and polite and not take offense, because it is not worth it. I used to raise hell in like situations. Now, I am iust as nice and sweet as can be. I simpl;y will not* let myself get sore at clerks who couldn't care less about my problems. That 'kind of treatment of clerks pays off - - better treatment. Store help have their own problems which appear to them to be greater than ours. If we elders seem to be a trial to them, perhaps we are. Young people sometimes don't understand what we are, what we need and what we're entitled to. They only feel that we are a pain in the seat, that we are elders Who do nothing but bitch. j Then, to be fair, we can remember the splendid young people who were nice to us, the clerk who really tried to help, or the airline person who went all out to explain a complicated super- saver fare that was well-nigh not understandable. Q. - "If a man of 63 works more than the quota set by Social Security and pays back his earnings to SS with withheld SS checks, can he claim deduction on his income tax? - Frank McL. A. - Read on. Q. - "If as a SS recipient I were to take a job paying 17,000 a year, I would be Snalized for earning over ,000 on the basis of $1 for each $2 of such excess earnings, or a $1,000 reduction in SS in payments to me for the year. Inasmuch as the $1,000 could be considered an expense related to earning $7,000 taxable income, is it deductible as aiob-related expense on my imtme tax?" -Carroll JR. A. - No, to both Frank and Carroll. Penalty amounts are not deductible. A choice was made to take either SS benefits or other earnings. The recipients didn't have to make the choice. It doesn't se6m fair though, does it? Q. -- "A scholarship foundation was established in Alberta with $100 million to make our province a brain center. I am 68. For the second year I am taking courses at the University of Alberta. During my working years I did not have time to study the things I wanted. Now, if I take three non- credit courses, the cost to me will be over $300. If I take credit courses under the Jdans of the scholarship oundation, the courses are free. But -- the credit courses are no good to me, an elder who is not seeking a degree. Besides, it is nicer to sit in classes with older people. Why can't education Be free for those who have been paying all their working years to help pay for education of others? "Another question: Do you know of any group of retired French-speaking people who meet at regular times to talk with retired English- people? insurance company for a back injury I received on my job. "I asked my lawyer who sued for me why it is that taxpayers will have to pay additional sums fdr my future care due to the accident when medical treatment is required after I go on Medicare. I contend that it should be the insurance company's problem to continue to pay, inasmuch as they admitted responsibility by paying the $36,000 in the first place. My lawyer, who was paid $5,000 for his success in suing for me, had no answer that made sense. Do you have an answer?" - Carolyn J. A. - The insurance company get rid and thus it was relieved of future responsibility. No, it doesn't seem fair that through our taxes we must pay for further treatment of Carolyn's injury after she has been paid by the insurance company. They're very smart, those insurance nderwriters and lid the $36,000 to Carolyn's claim urn their lose iendrik A.B. A. - All of us past 65 have long since learned that the taxes we once paid to educate others are not counted in our favor now - or so it seems. Hendrik should write or call on the scholarship foundation officials and express his sensible feelings. If he is looking for groups of French- speaking retirees he might contact his newspaper's community relations department. It will be pleased to help. Q. - ,"I was given, or rather paid, $36,000 by the lawyers. They know more about loopholes than I do. about the lines in my face. Q. - "You wrote last month that the elderly are greater risks as car drivers because they are more likely to be involved in serious accidents and, therefore, highter rates for the elderly are imposed. That statement does not apply to all companies. In the insurance company I work for the rates for tho over 65, are less those under 65~T¥otr/should make a confection of your generalization on rates.' Ida May, A. - Ida May is right. Generalizations are bad. Most insurance companies, I have learned after reading her letter, do charge Jower rates for those past 65, depending on variables, and that is simply because statistics show that elders actually have fewer accidents. I made my mistake when the very company Ida May works for quoted a charge to me for auto insurance that was higher than the rate I had been paying for the past 12 years with another company on a multi-car policy. The key points in my case were: the multi-car coverage which made my policy less expensive, and a bonus rate because I had had auto coverage with the same underwriter for many years. Thanks to Ida May for putting ip4 to work to find out where I was wrong. Q. - "You gave wonderful advice about getting a job past 65.1 no sooner read your advice about 'Asking Mrs. Murphy' in job hunting than I went to a super market and applied. Can you imagine! I s p u r g e o n s SHOE & BOOT CLEARANCE 20%.O 50% or This Week Scoop-up Big Savings on Styles for Women, Girls, Boys, Men Look for the yellow tags! They mean savings on every shoe or boot you see. Dress shoes, sport shoes, casual shoes, boots -- high and low heeled. All from our fall and winter collection -- but not allies in every style and color, so hurry in for best choice! GIRLS ft WOMENS SLIPPERS Reduced For Clearance! i V 3 WAYS TO CHARGE McHENRY MARKET PLACE DAILY 9-9, SAT 9-6 SUM 10-5 tjota job there the very same 'For several days I was put to work helping to place groceries in bags at the check-out counter. They taught me to place the canned goods and things that aren't soft separate from the squishables. Then I was taught how to run the cash register and then I became a check-out person. " - Ruthie P. A.V I can think of no better word for describing softer g r o c e r i e s t h a n "squishables." Ruthie is an excellent word-coiner. I wish I had thought of "squishables." It's not in any dictionary. A. - "1 have two lettenT signed by the late Herbert Hoover when he was Sresident of the United tates, and a book written by him that has his signature in the flyleaf. I am in Indiana. Who cap I contact somewhere that might be interested in buying these signatures?" -- LaFerna DeB A. - An appraiser of collectibles, the term used to describe such items as the signatures of Herbert Hoover, can be contacted in New York City. Write to Carl Riblet Jr. at Box 40757, Tucson, Ariz., 85717 for possible answers to questions on aging. Send self-addressed, stamped envelope. All questions are answered, if possible. No identities are revealed. Debaters Rate High m PAGES ̂ PLAINDEALER - FRIDAY. JANUARY 2. ltil •of Steve Fallon, Patty Schillaci, Sandeep Lahoti and Keith Belzer, won third place team trophy in that same Rockford invitational. Other ^novice debaters carrying home honors for the team include Debbie Laskonis, who won third place speaker award in her t i r s t c o m p e t i t i v e tournament at Belvidere. Coach Gloria Burke's debate team faces more tournament Jcompetition at Elk Groy# and Wheeling high schools in January ana looks forward to the IHSA Sectional competition in February. Coach Burke was recently elected to the Illinois Debate commission. She is one of five other debate coaches from throughout the state to serve on this state commission. Other debaters who have competed for MCHS this year include Mark Schneider and Candy Smith, i>oth juniors at East campus; and sophomores, Bill Hoover, Michele Smith and Michele Gabor Debaters Keith Belzer, left standing, and Joe Gattone. are shown with Patty Schillaci, sitting at left, and Sandy Gilbert, after receiving recent honors. Missing from the picture were Sandeep Lahoti and Steve Fallon. * « STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD Maintaining their fine tradition of victory, McHenrv's debate team managed to pick up fourth place Junior Varsity honors at the recent 60-team i n v i t a t i o n a l d e b a t e tournament held at McHenry high school East campus. f Junior Varsity debaters Sandy Gilbert and Joe Gattone, carried home the honors after de/eating Rockford Guilford, Frema and Downers Grove debate teams. In earlier season competition, East campus sophomore, Joe Gattone, captured second place speaker trophy at the Rockford invitational, from among 35 speakers in the Junior Varsity division. This is Joe's second year of debate competitngi. The Novice team foursome Gainful A perfectionist is somebody who takes great pains and gives them to other people. -Record, Columbia, S. C. Definition H i c k t o w n : A p l a c e where there's no place to go that you shouldn't. -News, Dallas. J? * fiVi i iVr i i ;i fiiit't'j V. ' •'« y*,* -f ' • v , - * ; •< ' ~ * a f t ' 1 1 ' i - f . K - 4 jSjfb . / January/ 7r MM Earn Interest on Your r1 Checking Deposits «ff toiw otodor. 70-904 71» \ .DOLLARS ONKOTI MeMfNRT».UNO«eaoeO V .». .I:O?ISOSO«.&I: Beginning January 1, 1981, the earliest date allowed by law, in­ dividuals with personal checking accounts can earn 5'/*% interest on their checking deposits with a First National Bank of McHenry NOW Account. When you open or convert your existing checking account to the FIRST you'll receive: •A monthly statement along with your cancelled checks. •Interest paid on all your NOW Accounts daily balance. •Unlimited check-writing privileges. There will be no ninthly service charge applied to NOW accounts when a minimum balance of $1000 or more, gjr an average monthly ^balance of $1500 or more is maintained. If your balance falls below these minimums during the month, there will be a $7 service charge. Your funds, however, continue to earn interest. J A NOW AccoulSt is easy to open and you can convert your existing Fir­ st ^National Bank of McHenry checking account by signing an authorization form. • * „ • * MEMBER FDIC IMBTIONaL BaNK OF McHeiMRY 3814 WEST ELM STREET McHENRY 385-5400