Hoo-Hoo International annual in Boston

FLAGS OF FIVE member nations comprising Hoo-Hoo International behind (1) new pres. George Reneaud, past pres. Andy Blackwell at annual convention. (2) Greg Antone, Kathy & Stu Holtshouser. (3) baneii & Karen Gibsbn, Bill & Joyce Bader. (4) Jim Cusack, Steve Post, Charles Smilh, Steve Jankins. (5) Jan-

Evert & Helga Lee Hermans, Dave Marteney. (6) Bob Xavier, Betty Bock, Sylvia Cocks, Ava Grimason. (7) Dave & Cathy Mullen. (8) Bill Harley, Philip Cocks. (9) Bernice & Manny Litvin, Dorothy & Dave Blasen. (10) Pat Story. (11) Mary O'Meara Moynihan. (12) Brian Brown, Maurice Hudon. Tom O'Meara. Rav

Sanders, Larry Wells. (13) Marion & Archie Brown. (14) Steve Allison, Richard Martin, Dick Wilson, Von Simpson. (15)Joe "Bea/'Breeden, Jimmy & Betty Jones, Chris "Tuffer" Goff. (16) Dave Marteney, Belh Thomas. (17) Shari Harper. (18) Guy Browning, Frank Aranza, (More Hoo-Hoo photos on next page)

HOO-HOO cap atop long-time member (1) Bernie Barber.'(2) Jerry &iackie Rivet, Dairyl Kinsey. (3) Pamela & John Perez, Teeny Johnsion, Gien & Pat Medbery. (4) Charles & Jan Eaton, Joan & Frank Richardson. (5) Lottie & Gerry Omand. (6) Jack Connors, Lee Roberts, Fred Frudd. (7) Sandra & Gerard Moynihan. (8) Bob & Maryhelen Carper, Matt Miller. (9) Brad Smith, Dick Mullen. (10) Marie

Adamowski. (11) Dave & Stacey Jones. (12) Beth & Tom O'Meara. (13) Joe Bock, Al Meier. (14) Jack Jacobson, Ron Garka. (15) Carolyn & Mike Mclaughlin, Denise & Wayne Hood. (16) Tony Vecchiolla, Patti & Tom Stasiak. (17) June Walker, Shirley Story. During the 105th annual convention Sept.7-11 in Boston, Ma., George Reneaud was installed as president. Ron Garka became 1st vice oresident:

Teeny Johnston, 2nd v.p.; Chris Goff, secretary-treasurer, and Andy Blackwell, board chairman. Membershio in the lumber fraternitv has been stablized and a strong expansion and development program put in place to prepare the 1O5-year-old international organization for the new century. Expanded member benefits have been instituted. with more planned.

Home Storage Projects

"The Family Handyman Home Storage Projects: A Room-by-Room Guide to Practical Storage Solutions" is $19.95 from Reader's Digest Books, Reader's Digest Rd., Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570; (800) 788-6262.

Retaining Retaining Walls

A specifier's reference for retaining wall systems is available from Versa-Lok, 6348 Hwy. 36, Ste. I, Oakdale, Mn. 55 128; (800)'170-4525.

John Diederich

Gordon Roby

Randy Collins

Tom Murdoch

Joe Gardiepy

Kim Sauls

The Jolly Green Giant

"Unseasoned Framing Lumber" is 509 from the Western Wood Products Association, 522 S.W. Fifth Ave., Ste. 400, Portland, Or. 97 204:' (503) 224-3930.

Making An lmpression

An 8-p. custom-imprinted decal and nameplate brochure is free from Marking Specialists/PTl, 3726 Ventura Dr., Arlington Heights, Il. 60004; (847) 7979300.

Loaded Down

The "Load and Resistance Factor Design Manual for Engineered Wood Construction" is available from the American Wood Council, 1l I I 19th St. N.W., Ste. 800, Washington, D.C. 20036; (800) 890-7732.

LODI

MDF MARKET IN SHAMBLES?

You have done a great disservice to your readers by printing the article on particleboard and MDF (Sept., p. 12).

The MDF market is in shambles and is only second to OSB in the disaster department.

Your article used the U.S, production figures and left otf the Canadian production, which is close to I billion 314" ft. This gives North America 2.5 billion in capacity by the end of 1998 with consumption of 1.5 billion. With the production of Canada almost equal to the U.S. you must include them in any discussron.

Prices have deteriorated as much as 20Va so far in 1997 and are down as much as 50o/o from 1994 at the mill.

Dan Grbavac

Tumac Lumber Co., Inc.

529 S.W. Third Ave., Ste. 600 Portland, Or.91204

Women At Home With D-l-Y

Sixty-five percent of women are more involved in home improvement than ever before. while 55% are perfbrming more actual improvement or repair work, according to a recent survey by Owens Corning.

"We've seen a remarkable shift in the role women play in the home buying and home improvement process," said Karen Strauss, director-global marketing, Owens Corning. "Fifteen years ago, the industry assumed that men made the major decisions when it came to home improvement and women only selected colors and styles. Today, many women play the lead role in the entire project, from identifying the needs to collecting information, hiring and managing a contractor, and purchasing and installing materials."

Nearly 9OVo of married women are involved in perceiving the idea and gathering information on it, while l2%a of their husbands came up with the idea on their own.

About 43Vo handled finding and hiring a contractor, while 687o helped manage the contractor.

Women influenced nearly 80% of all purchasing decisions and were involved in 63Vo of all materials installation, with l37o installing materials by themselves.

Young women are entering home improvement fastcr than any other audience. Among women under 45,

80o/c say their role in home improvcmcnt has increased in recent years; J2Vo are doing morc actual work, 37% arc morc involved in initiating projects, 40Vo are more involved in shopping for products, and 36Vo are more involved in installation.

The top projects for women over the past five years are painting/wallpapering (7}Vo), followed by remodeling a bath/kitchen (30V0), adding insulation (I5Vo), replacing a roof (32%), and replacing windows (25Vo).

While 33Vo ranked painting/wallpapering as the most enjoyable projcct, 2lo/o ranked it the least enjoyable.

Nearly J5o/o of women s4y they are just as good or better than men at home improvement, 33VoVo say they are as or more skilled than their husbands, and 32% say they do it themselves because they can't get their husbands to do it.

When it comes to home improvement, women say they are more detail orientcd (82Vo). research projects more carefully (69Vo), more fiscally conservative (62V0), more willing to ask for directions or professional help (94Vo), and have more patience (84Vo) than their male counterparts.

For fix-up information, women turn to [riends (64Vo), past experience (56Vo), books (497o), contractors or builders (48Vo), magazines (44Vo), and home improvement retailers (3 4Vo).