The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985 Page: 4 of 11
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Page 4,The Pharr Press,August 8,1985
Lawn Mower Safety Necessary
Failure by home gardeners to
take proper precautions in
operating their power lawn-
mowers will account for about
75.000 injuries to adults and
children this year. And about
50.000 of those injuries will be
serious enough to require
hospital emergency room atten-
tion.
The U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) has
stated that some accidents
stem from unsafe mower de-
sign, but that most such cases
are quickly corrected by manu-
facturers in their efforts to
protect their products’ reputa-
tions. However, the majority of
injuries result from careless-
ness among the users.
Dan Sowards, of the Texas
Department of Health’s Pro-
duct Safety Section, said, ’’The
CPSC has for safely. Still,
people keep making the same
kinds of mistakes and getting
hurt. It could be that a power
lawnmower is such a common
household tool that many peo-
ple lack a reasonable respect
for how dangerous the machine
can be.”
The CPSC has offered the
following suggestions for the
selection and safe operation of
power mowers.
First, choose a power mower
designed with a deflector plate
to direct clippings downward.
It also should have a footguard
in the rear. The fuel exhaust
should be aimed away from the
clipping discharge chute, to
avoid igniting the grass-
catching bag with sparks when
the engine backfires.
Anyone using a power mower
should read the operator's
manual thoroughly. Older chil-
dren operating the machine
should be supervised, and
young children should be pro-
hibited from using it.
You should scout your yard
for debris before mowing, and
pick up all hard objects, such
as toys, sticks, bones and
wire—any of which can strike
like bullets when propelled by a
mower’s blade. Children and
pets should be kept at safe
distances.
Inspect your mower before
each use, always disconnecting
the spark plug wire to avoid
accidental ignition while you
check for loose nuts and bolts.
Keep the blade sharp and
aligned, and keep the whole
machine clean.
Always start your mower out-
side, or in an open garage.
Make sure to disengage the
clutch, if there is one, and
crank the machine in neutral or
’’start position”. Keep your feet
away from the blade and your
clothing away from the engine.
Fill your gasoline tank while it
is cold, and wipe up any fuel
you might spill. Never re-fill
your tank when the machine is
hot. Keep your fuel supply in a
plainly marked, red safety can.
Store it away from heat sour-
ces, and away from children
and living quarters.
When mowing, remember that
slower speeds are safer. Mow
sideways on slopes, rather
than up and down (except with
riding mowers). Never mow
wet grass, and even on dry
grass be careful of your foot-
ing.
Finally, if for any reason you
feel the mower is damaged or
has begun to vibrate unsafely,
stop the machine, disconnect
the spark plug wire, and in-
spect the mower thoroughly.
Never leave the mower unat-
tended when it is not properly
stored.
FREE VISUAL SCREENINGS!
• Bring the Family • No Obligation
Walter E. Brady, D.O.
Practice Limited to Eye Examinations for Eyeglasses
and Contact Lenses
CALL FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
McALLEN
Tues. & Fri. 9-5 pm
Colonial Village
2708 C No. 10th Street
Phone: 686-3739
PHARR
Mon. & Thurs. 9-5 pm
Pharr Plaza
825 E. Highway 83
Phone: 781-9111
(Next To Lee Optical)
HARLINGEN
Wed. & Sat. 9-5 pm
Downtown
123 W. Jackson
Phone: 423-7330
CHIROPRACTOR
$20
X-Rays Not Required
Dr. Sanders. 630-5433
SMAL
BUSIN
ANGL
ESS
Pre-Grand Opening Specials*^
for August 1985
Reg. Price
BREAKFAST..................990 199
Egg, Sausage, Potatoes and Bolillo
3 Tacos (Fajita or Brisket)...............99* 1.99
Menudo or Caldo...................... $1.49 199
George’s Restaurant
201 North Cage, Pharr
i Open 24 Hours mm
Order to go
by John Sloan
THE SMALL BUSINESS
SAFETY-NET_
MEN -
M-Pact Mania-Central National Bank of Pharr held its’ drawing for
one Texas Sesquicentenial coin of five in a series. This award was
part of the M-Pact Mania statewide promotion to encourage people
to use the M-Pact Machine. Drawing the winning ticket was Mr. Leo
Rodriguez, owner of Valley Auto Sales in Pharr and a client of
Central National Bank. Recipient of a coin was Delia Longoria and
presenting the con was president of Central National Bank, Mr. Jim
Schmidt.
Freaky Events Turn
Household Upside Down
A typical family turns upside
down and inside out when the
mother and her teenage daugh-
ter magically change places.
One of Disney’s wackiest come-
diies, the feature will be shown
at the Pharr Memorial Library
sn Monday, August 12, at 7:00
p.m.
Barbara Harris and Jodie Fos-
ter star as the mother and
daughter who get their mutual
wish to change places for a
day. Co-stars include John As-
tin, Patsy Kelly, Kick Van
Patten, Ruth Buzzi, and Kay
Ballard.
On this fateful day, Friday the
13th, hilarious disaster hits on
all fronts, Annabel, the sloppy
brazen 13-year-old daughter,
becomes the lady of the house.
Mrs. Andrews, the conservati-
ve, refined and sensible mo-
ther, becomes the high school
student. What results is a
comedy that span the genera-
tion gap to spark a lot of laughs
and a lot of mutual understand-
ing.
Call the library (787-3966) for
the title of this 98-minute
videocassette.
Many people once considered it bad luck to mention the name of a king.
WOMEN
It took a major recession for this country to start attacking
problems such as high labor costs and poor quality control
— factors that have severely eroded our competitive position
worldwide. But in some respects, even these efforts have
been too little, too late. We are still losing factory jobs to
Taiwan, Korea and other countries where costs of production
remain relatively low.
Foreign competition and the technological revolution have
combined to produce a new and devastating problem: “struc-
tural” unemployment. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, more than five million experienced workers were
permanently displaced from their jobs between 1979 and
1984.
Although 60 percent of these workers have found new jobs,
a lot of the new work is in lower-paying service sectors. Of
those who haven’t been able to find work, about 14 percent
have simply dropped out of the labor force, becoming what’s
known as “discouraged workers.”
Business analyst Peter Drucker says that by the year 2005,
only 5 percent to 10 percent of American workers will be
engaged in manufacturing, down from 18 percent today. And
those who remain will require a host of new skills as computers
and robots streamline the production process.
If the United States is to regain the competitive edge, a
smarter and more flexible workforce must be developed.
Change itself will be the only constant factor in the American
workplace in the years ahead — and training will become a
lifelong phenomenon, not something that happens just through
grade 12.
That is why small business will play a role of unprecedented
importance. Small business is the great training ground for
America's workforce — particularly for the kind of multi-
skilled workers who will be in demand in the next decades.
Economist Bradley Schiller notes that only 11 percent of First
jobs are provided by big corporations, and that firms with
fewer than 20 employees provide 39 percent of initial jobs.
For many young workers, small business provides their first
glimpse of the discipline and stamina needed in today’s
careers.
Independent businesses not only help to shape and train
the future workforce, but they also play a huge part in provid-
ing employment and security for today's workers. Look at
some ligures cited in a recent speech by John Seel of the
trend-spotting Naisbitt Group: “The driving force of the pre-
sent economic boom is small, entrepreneurial and family
businesses. Some 66 percent of new jobs in the past 10 years
have come from firms less than four years old that employ
fewer than 25 workers... Last year set a record of 700,000
new businesses, creating four million new jobs."
This is no fad. and no statistical glitch. Seel says recent
developments have altered our whole idea of what moves the
economy ahead: “The corporate elite are not the Harvard-
M.B. A.-number-crunching top-down dictators of the past but
the basement-inventors-turned-entrepreneurs who are shaping
the future."
Competition, trade and technology are revolutionizing
America s economy, and the Fortune 500 are having a tough
time keeping up. Small business ipay be the real "safety net”
for U.S. workers, present and future.
John Sloan is l*resident of the National Federation of Inde-
pendent Business, representing more than half a million small-
business men and women
1 OHS National K-ik-ratn>n ol Independent Business
YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO EXCEL
United States Army Special Recruiting Team will be available
in Weslaco on 12, 13, and 14 August at the Palm Aire Motor Inn
415 South International Boulevard, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This Special Team will be available to discuss:
Money for College, up to $25,200 - Bonuses, $1,500 to
$8,000 - Two Year Enlistment - Army Nurse Corps - Delayed Entry
Program - Continuing Education - Warrant Officer Flight Training -
Skills, 300 Jobs - 2 + 2 + 2, for those who have 60 semester hours -
Hi Tech Jobs - The New G.l. Bill and the New Army College Fund -
Travel - Benefits.
For more information or an appointment to see If you qualify,
call:
McAllen Recruiting Station 682 - 6141
Harlingen Recruiting Station 425 - 5400
OFFERING UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITIES
ARMY.
BEALLYOUCANBE.
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Mata, Arnoldo. The Pharr Press (Pharr, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985, newspaper, August 8, 1985; Pharr, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth867288/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Pharr Memorial Library.