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NORTHWEST HERALD Section B Wednesday, September 2$, lies Peoe t Nation/World Students complaining 'Robot' tracks school truants ByAnoteNakao SanFrandadoE Examiner SAN FRANCISCO -- They've got Jerry Rivera's number and he doesn't like it. "It's not human," complained Ri­ vera, 14, of the new truant officer at San Francisco's Woodrow Wilson High School. He's right. It's a "PC Dia/Log" -- an IBM computer armed Wim 2,000 student phone numbers, a minute-a-call capacity and endlest energy. "It can ffial a number up to 99 times -- it works very hard and it never gets tired," said Dr. Robert Golton, manager of student atten­ dance for the San Francisco Unified School District. He hopes his life will become im­ measurably easier with the PC Dia- /Log's introduction this fall at Wil­ son and two other high schools, Balboa and Mission. Dubbed robot callers, the auto­ matic calling systems use prere­ corded phone messages to inform parents that their children are absent. Their popularity among school districts is spreading. The 600,000-student Los Angeles Unified School District -- the na­ tion's third-largest system -- in­ stalled a system called Sprintel to track absences in 124 of its second­ ary schools this fall. The district finally chose Sprintel after being "besieged by vendors," said Arnie Abitabilo, a counselor with student attendance for the Los Angeles schools. He said most of the firms let the district conduct free field tests of the equipment. "There's a lot of new activity with this type of product for school dis­ tricts," said Charley Hall, general manager for CMC International of Bellevue, Wash., which markets the PC Dia/Log. Hall said automatic callers have frequently been used in the past for sales pitches. But some students don't share the school officials' enthusiasm, con­ tending the system is "Orwellian." "It's impersonal," complained Ray Medina, 14. "If I were a parent, I wouldn't want some machine tell­ ing me my kid was absent -- I'd want a real person. And besides, it's a computer... who knows what mis­ takes ft could make? " Already, some area residents have been awakened by phone calls -- some of them beginning at 6 a.m. -- inquiring of the whereabouts of children they have never heard of. olton #eoffed at the "Big Broth- 'It's past 1984 now. I as people get more and more to technology, it'll be no more lain than your getting 'cold Sears, etc. It's Just an vay of contacting people it |H available five years iked up to 3 mainframe com- at | school district headquar- luch, a system can match stu- it home numbers with absence >rts from individual schools and phan6 calls out to parents by the of firfit period. Sure, it's vdry possible for the Id tp intercept the phone call," d Golton. "But even doing this a salutary effect -- you know have to (stay home by that ne. It has fris air of a machine cking^ou down." ut more products are expected to be marketed by high-technology firms that have just begun to see the potential in the nation's schools. And districts, beset by the growing prob­ lem of dropouts, are snapping them up. "The statewide and nationwide concern now is dropouts and the pattern to that kind of behavior starts with cutting classes," said Golton. "The big thrust is to to give the homes information that they can use to work with the schools to im­ prove attendance. Right now, we're trying to contact the home every which way we can." There is also strong financial in­ centive for districts to improve at­ tendance. For every child not in school on a given day, the state of California deducts $12 to $16 in state aid. (Distributed by Scrtpps Howard Newsservice.) Windows to cloud prisoners' exhibits LIBERTY, Mo. (UPI) - Workers will frost the windows at the new Gay County Jail to stop inmates from exposing themselves to people outside the downtown building. "Prisoners have been exposing themselves against the glass," Clay County Sheriff Jack Coram told the Kansas City Times. "We have had some complaints about it." Coram said the problem usual­ ly occurs aftqr the inmates are visited by their girlfriends: Af- terward, the women go down­ stairs to a parking lot and wait for the men to go to one of the Jail's narrow windows and re­ move some of their clothes, Coram said. Sometimes, the women open their blouses in response. "Some of my employees have seen it on one or two occasions," the sheriff said. "If a woman exposes herself again in the parking lot, we will try to arrest her." ' The inmates involved have not been identified but a city official said sandblasting the windows may solve the problem. "We will frost the jail windows on the outside." Cecil Lovett, the county superintendent of build­ ings, told the newspaper. "It is just a case of sandblasting the glass so it still allows natural light into the cells." The sheriff said he'd like to take the windows out altogether. school § 1st time SCs "Ms •ALE PART I HERE'S JUST A SAMPLING OF WHAT'S IN STORE. HURRY IN, SALE ENDS SATURDAY! FOR MISSES' & JUNIORS • FINE JEWELRY )NDON (UPI) - Britain's 3- r-old Prince William joined a Ighborhood kindergarten class esday, becoming the first royal Id to begin his formal education side the palace. ie eldest son of Prince Charles _ Princess Diana looked puzzled waved to reporters and photog- ers as he walked with his par- into the exclusive, $290-a-se- ster nursery school in Notting J Gate, five minutes drive from ^Kensington Palace home. rincess Diana was a nursery ol assistant when she first was by Charles, the son of the Elizabeth and heir to the one, and royal watchers said the jpil school reflected her choice _ er than his. British princes and princeses tra- lonally receive their earliest edu- ion at home from nannies or yernesses. t prince joined 12 other young- i in a basement class called the r_st group. By the time he leaves "three-roofn school at age 5 or 6, Liam will have moved through Little Swans class to the Big while learning music, sing- • 19*5. J C Penney Company. Inc model making, painting, move- f it and basic reading and writing. leadmistress Jane Mynors, 43, i she was "surprised and delight- -»«* *' at the prince's arrival. Autumn inspired career separates. Reg. *17 to $28. Sale 14.99 to 21.99 Junior casual tops and jeans. Reg. *8 to *25. Sale 5.99 to 18.99 Save 25% on all stadium coats. Save 25% on all women's daywear coordinates. Save 25% on all our women's hi-cut briefs. Save. 25% on Nurse Mates® duty shoes and all women's uniforms. Gift with purchase with any Revlon cosmetic purchase of *10 or more, you'll receive two fluted champagne glasses. WOMEN'S ACCESSORIES Save 25% to 50% on all women's handbags. Sal* prices effective thru Saturday, October Sth. Save 25% to 50% on all small leathers. Sale price* effective thru Saturday, October 5th. Save 25% on all women's leather gloves. Sal* prlc*s effective thru Saturday, October 5th. Save 25% on all warm winter knitwear. Sal* pric** effective thru Saturday, October Sth. Save 20% on all scarves and cover-ups, including ruanas. Sale prices effective thru Saturday, October 5th. Save 20% on all JCPenney pantihose. Saledo*snotinclud*Han**' orH*l*tonIII™ pantihose Sale prices effective thru Saturday, October 5th. Save 30% on all our sparking diamonds. Includes only that |*w*lry where diamonds constitute th* largeat value. Sale prices effectiv* thru Saturday, October 5th. Save 40% to 50% on selected 14k gold jewelry. Diamonds and gold availabl* only at JCP*nn*y store* with Fin* J*w*lry Depts. Gold **l* priced thru Saturday, Octobor 12th. FOR MEN Famous name casual shirts. Reg. *17 to *22. . . . . . S a l e 1 0 9 9 t o 1 7 . 9 9 Save 25% on all our warm sweaters for men. Trim men's suits imported from Italy. Reg. *250. Sale 199.99 Lee Wright® 2-pc. suit. Reg. *225. • * e a * • a * a * SdlG 174*99 Italian and L** Wright' suits availabl* at larger JCPenney stores only. Lee Wright® dress shirt. Reg. *24. Sale 18.99 Levi's® sportcoat and slack. Reg. *120. Sale 89.99 Also availabl*«*psrat*ly at savings. FOR CHILDREN Save 25% on Fox® sweaters, shirts, slacks and corduroys for boys and girls. Save 25% on all cozy warm sweaters for big and little boys and girls. Save 20% on all Sesame Street® apparel for infants and toddlers. Save 20% on all Sesame Street® bedding. S***m* Street' is a trademark and s*rvic* mark of Children's Television Workshop. 3-pc. nursery furniture group. Reg. *597. Sale *447 Crib, dr*ss*r and ch**t also aveUable s*p*r*t*ly at swing*. FOR THE HOME A colorful collection of sheets. Reg. 7.99 to 9.99, twin flat or fitted. . . . . . . S a l e 4 . 9 9 t o 6 . 9 9 Additional aiz** and matching bed coordinate* also al savings. Sal* pric** *ff*ctiv* thru Saturday, October Sth. Save 25% on Rosebud bath coordinates. Sale prices effective thru Saturday, October 5th. Soft cotton bath towels in 'Supreme' by Canon® or 'Versailles' patterns. Reg. *10 and *12. . . . . . S a l e 7 . 9 9 a n d 8 . 9 9 Hand towels and waahclotha also at almllar aavinga. Sale pricea effective thru Saturday, October Sth. Save 25% to 40°/o on made-to-measure vertical and mini blinds, made-to-measure shades and all in-stock shades. Sale prices effective thru Saturday, October Sth. Microwave oven. #5919 Reg. 419.95. Sale 269.95 SPORTING GOODS West Bend® gym. #2062 Reg. 369.99. Sale 299.99 f West Bend® 5100 rower. #2102 Reg. 249.99. Sale 199.99 Save 25% on Wilson® warm-ups for men and women. HOME ENTERTAINMENT 19" color TV. #2116 Reg. 439.95. Sale 369A5 / 3-head VHS VCR. #5072 Reg. 549.95. Sale 429.95 Y)iire looking smarter than ever iHA. rith the Classifieds H00/ADSWORK • v" Sale price* effective thru Saturday, September 28th, unless otherwise noted Brickyard, Ford City, Fox Valley Center, Gary Village, Golf Mill, Lakehurst, Lincoln Mall. Louis Joliet Mall Northbrook Court. North Riverside Park, Orland Square, Southlake Mall, Spring Hill Mall, WoodftekJ. Yorktown ' *1 i