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,r 1 * PAGE 7 - PLAINDEALKRWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1976 ojjs in<liv,0"" ,, ,"l_ rsAsk IRS This column of questions and answers on federal tax matters is provided by the local office of the U S Internal Revenue Service and is published as a public service to taxpayers. The column answers questions most frequently asked by taxpayers. MCHS GOLF TEAM will start the season this week with home games against Grant on Tuesday and Antioch on Friday. Thursday they travel to Crystal Lake. The team, known as Cudas Army, has a good chance of topping last year's fine record of 12-4 with a third place finish in the conference and a first in the district. The sophomores of last season also had an impressive 15-1 record. Kneeling left to right are Dave Jesky, Ken Schroeder, Mike Schmaling, Dave Schwartz, Pat Becker, Steve Kivley, Joe Bellich, A1 Ekroth and Butch Pintozzi. Standing are Bill Lange, Steve Knox, Phil Kent, Tom Pepping, Mike McClure, Bob Buss, Tim Byers, Mike Becker, Ron Pepping, Jim Buenzli, Bob Lunkenheimer and Coach Chuck Cuda. (STAFF PHOTO-WAYNE GAYLORD) sfiS? t The Perfect Man For The Job by Gerry Johnson Letter from Washington by Senator Charles H. Percy If ever a man was matched jto a job, it's 72-year-old Henry Siwicki of Daytona •Beach, Florida. Siwicki has i his own public relations and i advertising firm, and among * his most satisfied clients are a variety of local aging pro­ grams. "I do a lot of different sort of promotions," Siwicki I said, "but they're all de- } signed with the same pur- i pose in mind: to get old [ folks off their fannies. I'm jr the perfect guy for the job j because I'm the same age as < the people my, campaigns \ are aimed at." Until last June, Siwicki only worked half a day at his office, although he often took work home and worked in his apartment for several h^nrs "off the payroll." It wasn't that Siwicki was get­ ting lazy or slowing down-- he just didn't want to jeo­ pardize his Social Security checks by working too many hours. Now that he's 72, he can work all the hours he wants without having any money deducted from his government checks. Many people with full- time jobs are ready to throw in the towel at the end of the day. Thev drag hene from the office, struggle through dinner with a few noncommital grunts to their spouse and then lounge in front of the television until they fall asleep around ten o'clock. Not Siwicki. In the eve­ nings he becomes a one-man variety show, playing his fiddle or guitar and singing for various programs. "I really get a kick out of all the old timers at the Sen­ ior Center," Siwicki told a writer from The National Council on the Aging in a recent interview. "They're just like everybody else. Some of them are active and some of them walk around like there's nothing to do. When I try to cheer them up they think I'm nuts." In the little spare time re­ maining in Henry Siwicki's hectic life, he's working on 25 oil paintings of nudes and two portraits. When they're done, he plans to have a one-man show at a local gallery. "The only trouble is 1 don't have time to finish them," he said with a groan. "You know what they say about a housewife, don't you? That her work is never done? Well, that's a perfect description of me. 1 never have any time left over for myself." The words come out sounding like Siwicki's feel- Do You Want... A Better Life? You Are Invited Christian Science Church Services SUNDAY 10:30 AM SUN. SCHOOL, SAME HOUR Corner of Lincoln Road and Eastwood Lane, McHenry ing sorry lor himself but the listener gets the feeling that he's more bluster than re­ sentful about time he spends helping other people. Before moving to Florida, Siwicki was an advertising man for the Chicago Sun Times. He's always enjoyed life to the fullest and has an abundance of energy. "You want to know what the best therapy is for old age?" Siwicki asked. "Stay active. If you don't stay ac­ tive you're whipped." THE OVER 60 Counsel­ ing and Employment Serv­ ice of Montgomery County, Maryland, has been helping older persons find jobs since April, 1961. In the first nine months Over 60 was in ex­ istence, 24 people came in looking for work. Last year, 589 people ap­ plied. More than 450 of them were placed. The or­ ganization turned down more than 1,000 job offers because suitable candidates were lacking to fill them and many of the jobs were judged unsuitable for older people. "There are just some jobs we don't send people on," said Mrs. Gladys Sprinkle, director of Over 60. "Some jobs are hazardous because they're in a bad neighbor­ hood and sometimes lack of transportation makes it im­ possible for people to take the job." How docs Over 60 find job openings? The state em­ ployment service is a prime source and many employers, especially those who have used older persons and know what they're capable of doing, call the agency personally. "For really good jobs, you have to dig," said Mrs. The most common image of American business today is one of a giant corporate con­ glomerate, operated by a mul­ ti-level technocracy, that manufactures everything from toothpaste to self-glued wall paper. The small businessman is considered an endangered (if not extinct) species. What few Americans rea­ lize is that small businesses produce about 48 percent of our annual gross national product. Even today, during a period of high unemploy­ ment, this sector of our econ­ omy continues to employ 58 percent of the private, non- agrarian labor force. Includ­ ing agriculture, which in Illi­ nois could broadly be classi­ fied as small or medium sized business, employment would exceed 3 out of every 5 Amer­ icans. The country's economic health, the strength of the free enterprise system and Sprinkle. "It's amazing what jobs you can find." When a 70-year-old re­ tired civil engineer came to the office, Mrs. Sprinkle found him a job by looking in the phone book. "He wanted consulting work," she said, "so 1 started calling consulting engineers until I found one who could use him. The man's been busy ever since/' Mrs. Sprinkle cautions older persons that opportu­ nities in the job market are not as good for them as they are for younger workers. In many cases, they must take work that pays less than they earned during their peak years of employment. "We direct our clients to take a realistic look at jobs open to people past 60," Mrs. Sprinkle said. "Many of them come to see that it's better to lower their sights and make a contribution rather than sit in a rocking chair." the future of small businesses are interdependent. Inflation and government-over-regula­ tion can easily smother this area of the economy, killing one of our major sources of creative and innovative busi­ ness ideas. Congress has recognized the important role small busi­ nesses play in our economy since it created the Small Business Administration (SBA) in 1953. This inde­ pendent government agency was established to assist fi­ nancially-troubled small busi­ nesses. * Through the SBA, small businessmen can obtain loans needed to expand or convert businesses, purchase equip­ ment or meet working ex­ penses. Usually these loans are made in cooperation with a bank. However, in some in­ stances, the SBA will con­ sider making a direct gov­ ernment loan if funds are available. More important are the management assistance pro­ grams the SBA has under­ taken in recent years to help small businesses avoid falling into serious crises. The SBA estimates that nine out of ten business failures could be avoided if managerial prob­ lems were corrected in time. With this in mind, the SBA's field offices in Chicago and Springfield provide coun­ seling services on marketing, accounting, product analysis, production methods and re­ search and development. Pro­ spective small businessmen can also seek information on the tax regulations and insur­ ance requirements of the par­ ticular business they are con­ sidering. Teams of consultants are also sent to five other cities across the state, several times a year, to assist businessmen who cannot easily reach either of the field offices. The SBA has recognized that there is no substitute for experience and the best coun­ selors are those who come from the business community. As a result, the SBA has or- WE ALSO FEATURE: MOTOR OIL BAG & BLOCK ICE SNACKS & CHIPS ICE CREAM •BAKERY GOODS •McHENRY PLAINDEALER SOLD HERE! 1* DIET RITE • R.C. COLA COCA-COLA REGULAR & DIET SEVEN UP REGULAR & DIET PEPSI COLA 816 OZ. BOTTLES CIGARETTES ALL BRANDS-- ALL SIZES 30 YOUR CHOICE! CARTON McHenry OPEN MON. thru FRI. SAT. & SUN. 7-10 4502 W RTE. 120 CITGO SALE GOOD SEPT. 8-12 ALL ITEMS PLUS TAX ganized two different pro­ grams to involve business ex­ ecutives in counseling small businessmen who seek assist­ ance. The Service Corps of Re­ tired Executives (SCORE) and the Active Corps of Ex­ ecutives (ACE) provide busi­ nessmen with professional management counseling. SCORE volunteers visit small businesses upon request and, often with the assistance of ACE volunteers, help analyze and solve business problems. There are currently eight million small businesses in America. Congress and the Administration are taking steps to ease the load of pap­ erwork and regulations that have been unnessarily piled on these businesses, the prin­ ciple bill before Congress in this field being the Percy- Byrd Regulatory Reform Act of 1976. With careful planning and management there is no rea­ son why small businesses should not continue to play a vital role in our economy. This is a prime non-partisan objective of Congress and the Executive branch of govern­ ment, endorsed by the plat­ form of both parties at their recent national conventions. • • * * If you're satisfied with yourself life is wonderful. Q. The company I work for offered its employees a stock purchase plan. We could buy company stock for $20 a share. The market price was $22 a share. I bought some shares and now, 2Vj years later their value has increased to $24 a share and I would like to sell. How do I report the income I received from their sale? A. Employee stock purchase plans, such as the one you described, tollow special rules. Exactly how you report the money you gain depends on how long you have held the stock. One possibility applies to per­ sons who have held the stock for more than six months, and at least two years from the time the com­ pany first offered the plan (or, in technical terms, when the option was granted). Under these con­ ditions, you must report as or­ dinary income, the difference be­ tween the option price, $20 a share, and the stock's value when the option was granted, $22 a share. The rest of your gain from the stock s sale, is reported as capital gains. If you do not meet the holding period requirements, the dif­ ference between the option price, $20 a share, and the value of the stock when the option is exercised (when you bought it), $24 a share, is ordinary income For more information, see Chap­ ter 8 of IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax It is available at local IRS offices Q My doctor sent me to a clinic for treatment he/she could not give me in his or her office. The clinic is across town, and the bus or taxi fare to it can be con­ siderable. Can I deduct the fares on my income tax return? A. Yes. Most transportation ex­ pense primarily for medical care qualifies as a medical expense. You may deduct the bus and taxi fare to and from the clinic. If you drive, you have a choice of deductions. You may deduct the cost of gas, oil and parking fees, or take the standard mileage deduc­ tion of seven cents per mile for each mile you drive for the medical care You may also deduct parking fees and tolls you pay in addition to the seven cents a mile These expenses are subject to all the normal limitations for medical expenses. To deduct them, you must itemize them on Schedule A of Form 1040 For more information, see IRS Publication 502, Deduction for Medical Expenses, available at most IRS offices. Q My brotheMn law won $500 at the race track last week. He pas overjoyed at the extra income, but wants to know if he must pay federal income tax on the win­ nings. A. All gambling winnings, in­ cluding those at the race track, are considered taxable income and should be reported on your federal income tax return. However, any gambling losses your brother-in-law suffers may be deducted to the extent of his win­ nings. To claim the deduction, he must file a Form 1040 return and itemize them on Schedule A. Sights On Safety by UL Public Information Office Don't Mix Electricity and Water, Warns UL Much too often we hear about someone being electro­ cuted in the bathtub because, a carelessly placed connected electrical appliance fell in the water. And much too often it will be a child. Water is an excellent conductor of elec­ tricity, and so is the human body under the right condi­ tions. While many people know this, they may be confused because many electrical ap­ pliances must use water--cof­ fee percolators, washing ma­ chines, dishwashers--to name a few. These products are de­ signed to be used with water. Yet, the important thing is that the electrical energy never comes into contact with the water when the product is used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Perhaps the best way to understand how electricity and water can become dan­ gerous is to study the illus­ tration from Underwriters Laboratories. A connected electrical ap­ pliance carelessly placed near water, may accidentally fall into the water. The electrical current will travel through the water to a person's hand in the water. If the person is touching a metal, grounded object, such as a water fau­ cet, they can receive a severe electric shock--possibly fatal. UL engineers warn that while some electrical appliances are designed to be used with water, many are not. The user should carefully read and follow the instructions and caution markings cover­ ing the product's proper use and care. Unless specifically designed and intended for such use, never dip or submerge any electrical product into water. When products are intended to be cleaned with water, be sure to unplug them before cleaning, and follow cleaning instructions. Do not use electrical appli­ ances in such a manner that they may be accidentally dropped in water in the kitchen, in the bathroom, or the laundry room. Remember then, while some electrical appliances use water, or are even used in water, most should never be dipped or submerged in water. Golden Gleams The past at least is se­ cure. -Daniel Webster. The best prophet of the future is the past. -John Sherman. The water that is past cannot make the mill go. -Thomas Draxe. 3 DAYS ONLY Whhewull Sale Save through Saturday on Polyester Cord Tires A78-13 whitewall plus $1.75 F.E.T. and old tire Goodyear 'Power Streak5 78 Whitewall Size SALE PRICE Plus F.E.T. •nd old tlr* B78-13 $26.05 $1.82 F78-14 $32.60 $2.39 G78-14 $36.15 $2.55 H78-14 $37.35 * $2.75 Tire Shortage: Due to a work stoppage at tire factories, some sizes may be in short supply. Most Goodyear locations, however, still have tires to fit your needs. If your dealer or store does not have your size, they will provide you with a Rain Check assuring future delivery at the advertised/price. Goodyear keeps you rolling! Engine Tune-Up $3295 4cyl. *3695 6 cyl. $4095 8 cyl. • O u r m e c h a n i c s e l e c ­ t r o n i c a l l y f i n e - t u n e y o u r e n g i n e • N e w p o i n t s , p l u g s & c o n d e n s e r * T e s t c h a r g i n g / s t a r t i n g s y s ­ t e m s , a d j u s t c a r b u r e t o r • H e l p s m a i n t a i n a s m o o t h r u n n i n g e n g i n e • I n c l u d e s D a t s u n , T o y o t a , V W & l i g h t t r u c k s • $ 2 0 0 e x t r a f o r a i r - c o n d i t i o n e d c a r s Front-End Alignment $]|88 Any U .S . made car - par ts ex t ra i f needed Exc ludes f ront -whee l dr ive cars • C o m p l e t e a n a l y s i s a n d a l i g n ­ m e n t c o r r t u t i o n t o i n c r e a s e t i r e m i l e a g e a n d i m p r o v e s t e e r ­ i n g • P r e c i s i o n e q u i p m e n t , u s e d b y e x p e r i e n c e d m e c h a n - l e s , h e l p s e n s u r e a p r e c i s i o n a l i g n m e n t CREDIT TERMS ARE AVAILABLE Lube and Oil Change $488 Up to 5 qts. of major «• brand 10 30 gra8e oil • C o m p l e t e c h a s s i s l u b r i c a t i o n H o i l c h a n g e • H e l p s e n s u r e l o n g w e a r i n g p a r t s & s m o o t h , ( j u i e t p e r f o r m a n c e • P l e a s e phone for appointment • In­ cludes l ight trucks Ask for our Free Battery Power Chech HOURS: DAILY 8 to 5:30 FRI. 8 to 8 SAT. 8 to 1:30 GOODYEAR TIRE CENTER phone OWNED AND OPERATED BY: McHENRY CHECKPOINT, INC. 385-7300 4400 W. RTE. 120 McHENRY, ILLINOIS