The Gazette du lieu suivant : Cedar Rapids, Iowa • 2

-1-, Ty 2a' The Cedar PaDids Gazette Sat June 1, 1991 OLY PILAMMEIKi Checkout time for hotels phone greed VeD To answer todays question, call 363-7000 and enter category 1111 between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Today's Question: Should more hikingbiking trails be developed in Iowa? Yesterday's Question: Do you routinely exceed the speed limit while driving on Interstate highways? Nl22 EVENTS OF NOTE GRADUATIONS Washington High School, 10 a.m., Five Seasons Genter. Jefferson High School, 1:30 p.m., Five Seasons Center. THEATRE Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 8 p.m., Theatre Cedar Rapids; $13.

I Do, I Do, 8 p.m., Amana Visitors Center, by Old Creamery Theatre; $14.50. OUTDOORS Bike Ride, 9 a.m. from Jones Park to Walford (29 Ya miles); sponsored by Hawkeye Bicycle Association. BENEFIT Cedar River Festival Fund Raiser, 6 p.m., Stebs Amusement, 2215 College. Cedar blues, rhythm and blues, and soul and rock; admission $4, proceeds to'1991 Cedar River Cleanup Canoe Float and Arts and Music Festival July 13-14.

CELEBRATIONS Civil War Days, Hopkinton; pancake breakfast, Civil War encampment, 1 p.m. parade, 5 p.m. pork barbecue, and 7:45 p.m. square dance. Vinton Popcorn Days Rodeo, 7 p.m., Benton County Fairgrounds; adults $5, children sponsored by Vinton Jaycees.

IN THE MALLS Westdale Golden Years Expo, a senior living show. CITYLINE Calendar More information on CITYLINES Calendar of Events (Category 8000): Cedar Rapids, 363-7000; Iowa City, 337-7000. The packets of Americas business travelers continue to be picked by hotels from coast to coast in a greedy tactic designed to get every last diifle out of guests. Weve written about thjs before, to no avail. If anything, the gouging is getting even more blatant.

One of the most important pieces of furniture in any travelers hotel room is the telephone. For the business traveler in particular, a hotel room often serves as an office. During a three-or-four day stay, many business travelers make dozens, even hundreds, of phone calls. A lot of these calls are long distance back to the home office, ahead to the next city, etc. Many of these calls are charged to telephone company credit cards.

The business traveler knows that his or her firm will be billed for the long-distance calls. But in addition to this, the hotels themselves charge an extra fee every time a number is di- aled. The fee has nothing to do with the long-distance call itself; it is merely for the use of the phone, not for the call. You pick up the phone and make a call, and when you check out a sur-k charge will appear on your bill. In many hotels these days, the surcharge is 95 cents or a dollar.

Per call. It has become a standard part of staying at a hotel so standard that many frustrated travelers have given up on changing the policy. Take that 95 cents or a dollar, and multiply it byall the phone calls a typical business traveler makes during a long trip it can be a big, big charge. Another fee is charged for local calls. So basically, every time the traveler picks up the phone a meter clicks near the front desk, and an access charge goes on the bill.

This is unconscionable. Hotels charge enormous fees for rooms these days in America's biggest cities, single rooms at some top-quality hotels go for more than $200 a night. For that kind of money, the traveler ought to be able to expect a few things: A bed with clean sheets. A clean and functional bathroom. Enough closet space to hang clothes.

A television set that works. And a phone to use. Theres never an extra charge for the bed. -Theres never an extra charge for the bathroom or the closet or the TV set. But the hotels know they can get away with charging the traveler for use of one item he or she depends on: the telephone.

When asked about this, hotel managers often say they need to charge their customers because it is expensive for the hotel to maintain a telephone system. Thats absurd. Its expensive 7 put furniture in the rooms and launder the towels and pay the water and electricity bills, too. Thats why hotel rooms cost as much as they do. THE TRUTH of the matter is, hotels see the telephones in the rooms as profit centers.

Thats the xact term that is used. To the business traveler, the phone by the bed may look like a way to make necessary calls; to the hotel managers, that phone is a way to bring in easy money day after day, night after night. Of course the use of the phone ought to be free; no hotel would consider charging a guest every time the guest sat in a chair or took a shower. The answer to this is obvious: We are in the midst of economic times in which most companies are re-examining their travel policies. Big corporations ought to declare that they will not pay for their employees to stay at hotels that charge for the use of telephones in the rooms.

They ought to pledge their business to hotels that offer as they should free use of the room phones, at least for long-distance calls charged to third parties or credit cards. The word to hotels from corporate America should be: If you charge for the use of phones, our people wont stay with you. Once that were 1 to start, it would be interesting to see how many hotels continued to try to charge for the use of phones. By the way theres' a good place for some of the saved money to go: Tip-the housekeepers. Its an obvious thing to point out, but many business travelers never think of it.

Everyone else on a business trip bellmen, waiters, doormen, bartenders, cabdrivers gets tipped. But the housekeepers the people, usually women, who make the beds and clean the rooms often get stiffed. The reason is obvious: Its easy to stiff them. The traveler can checWit of the hotel without seeing them. The housekeepers probably work harder, for less money, than anyone else in a hotel.

When a business traveler checks out, he or she ought to leave something behind for the person who has cleaned the room. The housekeeper may not be a profit center but unlike the telephone, the housekeeper is a human being. Bob Greenes syndicated column appears Saturdays in The Gazette. THE FAR SIDE BOOKMARK I Title: "Play Money: My Brief but Brilliant Career on Wall Street Authors: Laura Pedersen, with F. Peter Model Publisher: Crown I Price: $20 Pages: 288 Once in a while couldn't we Just have some pasta? NEWS TIPS SET YOUR VCR WirTW0 N.r- i The opposite of alienated, most Wall Street traders delight in letting their own identities be quashed by those of the herd: fixing their eyes on computerized number boards and headline news screens, they react in milliseconds to societys slightest twitch, whether in alarm at a falling stock or anxiety about the presidents upcoming physical.

There is something a bit disingenuous, then, about traders such as Laura Pedersen, who cashed in on the Decade of Greed (quitting college at 20, Pedersen became a millionaire by age 22) and then wrote wryly sardonic memoirs claiming they had never seriously shared in the manic cunning, cynicism and compulsion that led the herd off a cliff in the 87 stock market crash. But Pedersen charms us nevertheless because she seems genuinely oblivious to this bit of self-deception. Thus we are free to enjoy her innocent and ebullient accounts of Wonder Bread-swallowing contests and pie-throwing fights on the trading floor, forgetting for the moment that it was our money, not play money, that funded the party. Alex Raksrn, Los Angeles Times Please call us with your tips for stories and photos: 398-8254 To subscribe please call: 398-8333 or 1-800-397-8333 Miss a day and you miss a loti KGAN-TV changes chief weathercaster KGAN-TV (Channel 2) is replacing its chief weathercaster, Mark Strehl. Strehls contract expired Friday and, was not renewed.

Beginning June 10 he will be replaced by Tim Heller, who started his career in 1984 at KDUB-TV in Dubuque and is leaving the chief weather job at KRCG-TV in Jefferson City, to join KGAN. KGAN News Director Les Sachs cited Hellers local roots and excellent on-air skills in making the change. Heller grew up in Prairieburg and is a graduate of Central City High School and Clarke College in Dubuque. Strehl, contacted at his farm near Norway last night, said his first official notice came last night on the 6 oclock newscast. He complained the station has become a revolving door the past 2 years, with three weathercaster changes, three male anchor changes and four female anchor changes in that time.

Sunday morning news shows Sunday Today (7 a.m. KWQC, KWWL; 8 a.m. WHO) Rep. Bernard Sanders, Cleveland program supports children of very ill or deceased parents; summer film preview. Sunday Morning (8 a.m.

WKBT and KCCI) AIDS and the medical community; political cartoonist Herb Block. This Week with David Brinkley (10:30 WOI aiid KDUB; noon KCRG) Topic: Civil rights 'bill. Guests: Attorney General Dick Thornburgh; Rep. Don Edwards, Benjamin Hooks, executive director of the NAACP; author Shelby Steele. Meet the Press (9:30 a.m.

WHO; 5 p.m. KWQC) Guest: House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo. Face the Nation (10 a.m. KCCI; 11 a.m. WKBT) To be announced.

fW gjri pa COUPON 9i COUPON HHi Bjj Junior Dillburger 2 Eggs Toast 1 with cheese CORRECTION Thomas Birr, the Downtown Skywalk Systems representative to the newly appointed Skywalk Commission, is chief executive officer of Byers Happel Property Management. His occupation was incorrectly identified Friday. 1 1 I I with purchase of a large Coke. Abso-lutely 1 coupon per I I visit per group. Limit 1 I Expires June 9.

Limit 1 Expires June 9 with the purchase of a beverage. bsolutely 1 coupon per visit per group. coupon kwrfi sJ isn laa coupon Breakfast Mon-Sat. 7 am-1 1 am Sun. 9 am-Noon Sandwiches served during breakfast hours every day Full Ice Cream Menu Try our new 99 breakfast menul CEDAR RAPIDS IOWA CITY 1 st.

Ave. next to DeSoda's 121 Iowa Avenue A Undale Mall Food Court Downtown RC Car Races Hawkeye Downs Commitment to the future The Gazette promotes agriculture by printing with soybean ink The Gazette often prints on recycled news print and encourages readers to drop newspapers for recycling in boxes at City Carton. 4250 Sixth St SW, and econofoods, 1800 51st St NE Ktatl, Thru Vl Krcvi li' xftacsaOt' BURGER Sunday Sponsored by I ROAR The Cedar Rapids Gazette (USPS 095680) Established in 1 883 by The Gazette Company and published daily and Sunday at 500 Third Avenue SF. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 Second Class postage paid at Cedar Rapids. Iowa Subscription Rates 1 week 6 weeks 52 weeks 7 issues per week By Carner By Motor Route By Mail in kiwa 11 Other States and Terntones 1 24 90 215 80 IBYBEraBEVBB.BBV mmm ir tcTitsir (si ci "IBQBE-BP HITS.

The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of alt the local news printed in this newspaper as well as all AP news dispatches POSTMASTER Send address changes to CFDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE. INC PO Box 511 Cedar Rapids, la 52406 Subscnption Service (319)398 8333 or 1 800 397 8333 General number (319)398 8211 Get your racing supplies at the track Sunday or BOX-KAR HOBBIES Cedar Rapids 1 09 Third Avenue SE 362-1 29 1 Try cne at home today Call for details i KHM CAMCORDER BLITZ SERVICE QUALITY Free Estimates 364-0286 907 17th St. NE SINCE 1867 RCA PRO 850 8mm Camcorder 6:1 Zoom- Ultra Small AudioVideo Dub Sq99 RCA FULL SIZE RENTAL VHS CAMCORDERS (only 5 left) $699 or $799 SAVE $300! Free Case Full Featured 10 Free Rentals SCHOOL PIANO SALE! 10 NEW PIANOS FREE PURCHASE Carrying Bag 2 Blank Tapes Extra Battery ($149 value) 10 Free Rentals Meet our friendly, professional staff! 100 Honda quality 14 HP liquid-cooled OHC engine Hydrostatic drive 9 Single lever speed control 38" or 42" high vac deck Optional twin bag grass catcher No payments, no interest until Juty 1991 AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES! PLAYED ONE DAY AT VARIOUS SCHOOL CONTESTS LAST MONTH Baldwin Pianos were selected again for Solo Ensemble Program contests held at many area Schools (ast month. Played only one day, many were sold to the students using them, the remaining units are at our stores at greatly reduced prices. I ehht unnM.n i David Dave Sarah Baldwin Cedar, Rapids HondaYamaha 5711 IGthAve.S.W.

396-21 1 1 FILM TO VHS TAPE TRANSFER FREE TAPE AND MUSIC LIGHTNING IONICS music company 1212 5th Coralville Ph. 351-2000 Collins Rd. Marion Ph. 377-9100 J'- Open 7 Days A Week Til 9:00 PM- Edgewood Plaza Mall 396-8891 ifpty we reconmehd you lead Ihl owners namual before operating your Honda imeni 1991 American Honda Molor Co Inc Ask for Details No payments no interest until Oct 1991 preriormance and sal 1991 American For optimum Power Equipment through Dial Fianance on approved credit via Honda Power Equipment Credit Card oltered" by DiaV National Bank A OMiton of th VlrJeo Station.