Sudoku

chain - charges that "merchandising assistant store managers" were routinely made to work at least 55 hours a week, and sometimes more. State law exempts managers from paid overtime. However, the lawsuit claims that the managers regularly performed the same tasks as hourly workers, who are eligible for overtime. The suit also contends that the managers performed these tasks for more than 50Vo of their shifts, making them eligible for overtime pay under state law.

More than 2,000 people who worked as managers in Depot's 186 California stores from July 30, 1997, to the present are covered by the case. Attorneys for the plaintiffs estimate that damages could total more than $100 million.

L-P Lawsuit Goes To Court

A lawsuit against LouisianaPacific Corp. over allegedly defective shingles can go to trial as a classaction suit, ruled a California judge. The trail is slated for December.

A resident in Ceres, Ca., filed the lawsuit in January 2001 on behalf of some 5,300 homeowners who believe L-P's Nature Guard shingles are defective and they were defrauded by the company. Made of wood fiber and cement, the shingles were sold between 1995 and 1998.

lnstructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through g once. Therefore, each number in the solution will be unique in each of three "directions."

The solution is on page 75.

Plaintiffs are seeking roof-replacement costs estimated to reach $100 million, plus punitive damages. L-P has denied the plaintiff's allegations and made several attempts to have the case dismissed.