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Coming of age ... voluntarily!
When I think of the 72 years
I've spent growing up, the only
thing I think about being Old is
.. yes, I am.
- Ifit’s as comfortable or golden
asthe slogan-makers claim, then
the only comfort I'm responsible
foris my own comfortable weight.
I’'m approaching 180 pounds,
distributed overafive-foot, eight
inch frame, which makes me too
fat — but it’s easier to sit still in
church.
I don’t squirm as much — in
any way — physically or spiritu
o ally. My rear hasenough natural
-: padding, and my morals are nei
-5 ther so good norbad that I'm able
v to work up an inordinate Glory
b or Grief over them either way.
.+ Then too, I'm comfortable in
g another way. I do pretty much as
o I please. And, if I please to do
- volunteer work then, again, I'm
.igiven a pleasing choice of chores.
{; InApril of’93,lbegan a volun
1+ teer adventure that netted me a
Renter’s rights Q & A
. Plarning torent an apartment or
. house? If you are, it’s a good idea to
- write out a list of questions to ask
. when you're shopping around. To
¢ getyoustarted, herearesomethings
_ youshould know about leases, secu
_rity deposits, and your rights as a
- renter.
{ What information should the
lease include?
i Aleaseis usually a written agree
¢ment between you and your land
_lord. The lease tells you how much
yourrent will beand for what period
yoftime. It alsotells you what servic
ces your landlord will provide, such
_aspaintingand maintenance. Ifthis
_information isn’t provided, ask your
_landlord to state on the lease how
repairs and other maintenance con
cerns will be handled.
. It’s very important to read your
jlease carefully. Ifyoudon’t, youmay
_miss clauses that tell you when you
_can play your stereo, which door to
\usetotake furniture in and out, and
whether or not you can own a pet.
REPAIR
YOUR
CREDIT
* SLOW CREDIT- NO CREDIT
* BANKRUPTCY - DIVORCE
* REPOSSESSION
WE CAN HELP!
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ON OUR CREDIT
HOTLINE TODAY!
736-55
AUGUSTA
EZ MITSUBISHI
1 BLOCK WEST OF REGENCY MALL,
GORDON HIGHWAY
- R
return to a fond former occupa
tion of mine — writing for a news
paper.
I tried some “Good Old Days”
pieces for the Reminisce Group
at the Senior Center. Cheri, our
young leader, about 40, was a
volunteer herself. She liked my
stories enough to show them to
the editor of the Center’s news
letter.
They were published, and I was
on my way to other efforts, usu
ally vignettes about personali
ties, places and poignant situa
tions.
Since that time, as Contribut
ing Editor for the Veterans As-
Knowing this information up front
can avoid confrontations with your
landlord and your neighbors later
on.
Keep in mind, though, that your
lease isn’t etched in stone and you
may be able to negotiate changes
before you sign. For example, a
clause that relieves the landlord of
all maintenance responsibilities is
probably not in your favor and may
end up costing you a lot of extra
money. If you want this clause
changed, ask about it. And, if the
landlord agrees to change the lease,
get it in writing before you sign.
Why should I pay a security
deposit?
A security deposit is usually re
quired to offset the landlord’s cost of
repairing any property damage
caused by you, such as a soiled car
pet or a hole in the wall. Before you
sign the lease and move in, find out
what your deposit covers and the
conditionsforarefund. Also, inspect
the property with the landlord and
fairs newsletter “Volunteers in
Action,” I've interviewed and
written about a number of out
standing volunteers. They all
have twocommon denominators:
they’refascinated with their jobs
and they are, themselves, fasci
nating people.
Oneofthe delights of my job as
a staff member of the newspaper
St. John Speaks has been cover
ing the activities and volunteers
at St. John Towers, where I live
in a community setting in Au
gusta, Ga.
I’ve interviewed some bright
and some old, but extremely ac
tive and happy, volunteers. All
of them are dedicated retirees
who go to work every day and
punch a figurative time-clock
somewhere in their brains. They
enjoy feeling obligated. They like
having something or somebody
to report to — and they like the
positive strokes they get, which
validates them as somebody who
make note of all damages you see by
writing them down and/or taking
pictures. Ask to have “normal wear
and tear” defined in the lease, along
with any procedures such as carpet
cleaning or fumigating that are
chargedtotenants whenthey leave.
If your landlord deducts for any
damages when you move out, ask
him for an itemized list of the dam
ages he deducted, including the
amount and the reason why. Com
pare his list to the list of damages
you wrote down before you moved
in. And if you see items you don’t
agree with, let your landlord know
immediately. Ifyou don't, you may
lose your rights to contest the dam
ages, and lose some or all of your
deposit. Tenant-landlord relations
are usually regulated by the local
county government. Check your
phone book under “Housing” if you
need assistance.
What do I do if I feel that Pve
been discrimirated against?
The Fair Housing Act makes it
is still needed.
Speaking of Old again —it’s no
coincidence that many of the
brightest and most active of this
unique clan are also some of the
oldest.
But many of these oldsters are
pretty shrewd with their time.
When they feel bad, they call in
sick, just like on their “money”
jobs of railroading, teaching or
plumbing. They get a kick out of
saying they’re “goofin’ off,” like
they might be serious.
They swear they’re working too
hard, and every now and then
they threaten to quit. But they
never do. That’s part of the game.
It accentuates the enjoyment,
because it’s got just the right
touch of frivolity and meanness
to be real without hurting any
body.
Ifthese are the “golden” years,
Ilike to think of the gold as being
in the “gift” of time and self —
from the heart.
illegal for anyone to be denied hous
ing on the basis of race, color, sex,
religion, or national origin. It also
protects pregnant women, people
with mental and physical handi
caps, and parents or people who
have legal custody of minor chil
dren.
If you feel that you're a victim of
discrimination, there’s help. If you
have sound credit, are employed
and agree to the terms of the lease,
but you’re denied housing, call 1-
800-669-9777.
r'_—-.—_'T—___."-_"'_fl
« brimo this coupon n for a |
ke Speech or Hearime Screens
1 Free Speech or Hearing Screening
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hat’s An Eight Letter
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An Equal Opportunity Institute and a Unit of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education
AUGUSTA FOCUS September 21, 1995
SEED program set for
Oct. 21 at USC-Aiken
. AIKEN, SC
The Ninth Annual Science Edu
cation Enrichment Day (SEED)
at the University of South Caroli
na-Aiken will be held on Satur
day, October 21, at 10:00 a.m. on
the USCA campus. SEED isopen
to the public at no charge. Last
year, more than 1,500 people at
tended the event. The event is
geared to students in the fourth
through eighth grades, butall ages
are welcome. SEED will feature
robots, computers, glassblowing,
student engineering, liveanimals,
and a number of hands-on science
activities.
SEED is a cooperative effort
MEDICAL VILLA PHARMACY
A 1520 Laney Walker Bivd.
\\ _ Augusta, Georgia 30901 |
722-7355
~ ONLY BLACK-OWNED & OPERATED
. PHARMACY IN THE CSRA
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PRESCRIPTION SPECIALISTS
FAST FREE
DELIVERY
SI.OO OFF ALL NEW
Prescriptions
between Aiken County Public
Schools, the Ruth Patrick Science
Education Center and the USCA
to provide stimulating and rele
vant science experiences for up
per elementary and middle school
students. SEEDisaone-dayevent
that allows students to take a self
guided, hands-on tour through a
variety of motivating science ac
tivity stations. The eventinvolves
not only students but also par
ents, teachers, scientists, engi
neers, medical personnel, and oth
er science-related professions.
For moreinformation on SEED,
call Ruth Patrick Science Educa
tional Center at (803) 648-6851.
:.v:; V"Q% ¢
Marshall Curtis
Pharmacist/Owner
11