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WAYNE GARDNER executive vice president

AY HAS always been clean up, paint up, fix up month. The cities notify households of special pick ups for tree trimmings. hedge clippings, the unwanted furniture found in nearly everyone's garage, the broken storm window and all other items too large to be disposed ofon a weekly basis.

The lumber and building material dealers get set for spring sales in all departments, and contemplate opening a garden shop for the extra traffic that can be generated thereby. The signs are out, advertising is increased-now all we need are customers. It's a spring ritual.

For the younger generation, it's the serious consideration of sun time to make that well developed body look even better. After all, it would be almost sinful to spend all that time dieting and exercising to get the "bod" in shape and then be without a tan. wouldnl it'l Nobody looks healthy regardless of how fit they really are unless they have a tan. Even a lot of the older ones subscribe to that philosophy. Shape up-paint up and fix up.

May is thought of as clean up. paint up. fix up time, primarily in terms of a residence, other buildings that are owned, and the surrounding yards if they exist. Cleaning. painting, down with storm windows and doors, on with screens. Spring ritual time is here. How many of us think in terms of our family, our business, our employees, and ourselves as needing this spring cleaning.

The Lumber Association of Southern California has thought about it and will approach two separate and distinct problems. A series of area meetings will start in April dealing with ways to reduce insurance premiums. There are solutions and you can expect to get them at the meetings.

In 1986 many firms are going uninsured due to the high cost of insurance. Cities are closing down public facilities because of insurance costs and the subsequent liability exposure of the city in the event of any injury, while the public is using the tennis court, the swimming pool. equestrian trail or whatever. What effect will this have on your business, your family. your homes? The association's board of directors feels the need for such a program and wants to share it with the entire industry of Southern Californra. tatives from the wood treating and cedar shingle and shake industries.

In May, the association will conduct a one day substance abuse seminar to acquaint owners and managers with the problem and methods of handling the situations that arise within their company wherein employees and others use drugs and/or over indulge in alcohol. It can be extremely costly in terms of personal lives being ruined as well as expensive to the company.

Spring is clean up, paint up, fix up time. And that statement can apply to, as the younger generation thinks, your body- or it can apply to your homes. But it most certainly should apply to your business.

The Lumber Association of Southern California and the other associations in the western part of the United States are for your benefit. Participate and reap the benefits. Have your association help you do your spring cleaning.

GARY L. SMITH executive vice oresident

IIHE LMA WESTERNERS Club Pro-

I vides an opportunity to get involved in many different areas of the building materials industry. The primary emphasis of the group, open to anyone interested enough to attend a meeting or a seminar, is education. The available knowledge is limitless.

Westeners meetings are held quarterly in different areas of Northern California. In November the location was Sacramento. Most meetings are held on a Friday evening and all day Saturday. The November meeting began with a reception on Friday night and ended with progmms on Workers Compensation insurance and the California State Contractors License Board on Saturday.

The next meeting, January 3l and February l, 1986, was held in San Jose and featured a wood products seminar with presentations by APA and WWPA as well as represen- are deducting the challenged amount from the dealer's account.

At the regular LMA board meeting in January, Rudi Lokkart, president of the Westerners, volunteered the group to take on a major project to benefit all association members. They are charged with establishing a videotape library of training films to be offered by loan from the LMA office. The board authorized expenditures up to $6O00 to preview and purchase tapes.

The nextWesterners meeting, June 13 and 14, 1986, will include spending Saturday viewing tapes for inclusion in the library. Not to be confined to just one activity, Friday will include field visits to Western Door & Sash, the Simpson Strong:Tie fastener facility and an Oakland As baseball game. The meeting will be held at the San Leandro Marina Inn, San Leandro.

How can you avoid this scam? Easy. Always ask the customer for his credit card to imprint when he arrives to pick up telephone orders.

IJUE\UVU CHUCK LINK executive director

!l I t E HAVE learned about a new teleUU phone credit card scheme. Here's how it works.

A customer telephones an order for build- ing materials and gives a credit card number. The bank is called for an authorization number. Later, the customer picks up the merchandise. When the real credit card holder receives the bill, he complains that he never ordered or received the merchandise in question. The bank then notifies the dealer that they are not honoring the purchase and