The Bangor Daily News from Bangor, Maine • 4

I I A4 Bangor Daily News Monday December 6 1999 BUSINESS Beef industry shifts focus to consumers Safety first in holiday season Trees decorations lights need caution nothing wrong with making money' he said and the key is creativity and knowledge give me any farmer in Maine and that farmer will walk circles around any CEO because that farmer will solve more problems in a day than a CEO will ever he said Field suggested that independent farmers form cooperatives not just among themselves but with others who rely on the land such as miners loggers and even environmentalists to protect their interests against urban sprawl and the asphalt-driven economy sweeping the country Environmentalists and farmers did form an alliance in Colorado to fight urban sprawl he said both wanted to stay in Farming Field said helps build communities we have to tell our neighbors our urban communities and our government that what all about in the people By Deborah Turcotto Seavsy Of the NEWS Staff BANGOR Beef may be what's for dinner but Maine cattle raisers Saturday were more concerned about eating at the diners More than 100 people attending the 12th annual Maine Beef Conference spent most of the day listening to ways to extract more protein from forage fed to cattle to bulk them up But the first morning speaker said about 95 percent of all Americans are waking up to breakfast containing products from the livestock industry and they want to know in their milk cheese or beef Tom Field a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University told participants that consumers are concerned about whether the animals have been raised in humane conditions and have been taken care of properly and not filled with chemicals at what temperature and what degree is best for cooking At an exhibit table in a nearby room the Maine Beef Council passed out brochures of beef recipes from marinades and barbecues to crock pot cooking Those in attendance ate roast beef for lunch Cattle no longer are the foundation of the beef industry Field said people consumers and farmers The animals are simply a tool to harvest other aspects of the business building families communities and profit he said Farmers need to stop looking at cattle as a commodity which implies a serflike condition in which they are dependent on another businesses such as food chains or beef distributors for their livelihood agriculture business needs to get away from Field said commodity by definition is something we break even with over time No one should do They want to know that the people raising them have been good to themselves and have not been taken advantage of by big business and corporate policies that not very interested in what we Field said Beef milk cheese and their value as proteins assisting in human brain development from fetus to adults and as a supplement to weight loss in the latest diet craze have put the industry in vogue Field said it turns out that if you eat a lot of it lose Field said were the bad guys 20 years ago Now saying a little bit of protein a bad The cattle industry has adapted to government-required changes after public outcry from recent coli infestations that sickened or killed several people or the use of steroids to increase milk production Labels on meat packaging now instruct people on how to wash their hands and utensils and at what temperature best to cook beef to kill germs Some labels promote the fact that their cows have not been injected with artificial growth hormones But the beef industry does not take the lead in making the product more user-friendly Field said product does not come with he said getting a laugh when he compared it to a roll of cookie dough With the dough users are told first to take it out of the package cut it into quarter-inch pieces place on cookie sheet put in a heated oven and enjoy once cooled boys are as good cooks as he said with a chuckle what do we do with our Field asked the group put it out there and say enjoy No wonder they screw it On an overhead screen behind him was a picture of a mock label that would tell a consumer how long beef can be refrigerated and i Christmas is a time for happiness and caring To ensure that happiness the Consumer Products Safety Commission and Northeast COMBAT want to make you aware of how to protect yourself as well as your loved ones Many artificial trees are fire-resistant If you buy one look for Data on joblessness called mostly hype Labor market changes make figures bogus I 1 Sy lENEOT FULL-TIME rj vP 'ZjLf Paid Holidays Haiti 1 acatiam Hiatt Deposit lOIK Medical Imucmcr life Insurance Employee Discount Short Term Disability -hmg Term Disability iSalanrJ Onto Silk Time Tuition Reimbursement Flexible Sjtending Plan Pension Plan PART-TIME Paid Holidms Paid I acaiitm Employee Discount Pension Plan iijmioIU) Tuition Reimbursement 401 Direct Deposit Opportunities available for By Glenn Adams The Associated Press AUGUSTA Headlines trumpet state unemployment rates of less than 4 percent with out-of-work figures half that in some counties Signs in shop windows beg for workers and press releases from the Capitol boast more jobs than ever in Maine If you think things get much rosier better think again says a University of Maine economist a lot of said professor Melvin Burke really going words may sound like heresy as monthly reports from the state Labor Department tout jobless rates in the low single digits lower than been since the boom of the late 1980s: September and October 39 percent July and August 42 percent March and January the lowest this year 34 percent Gov Angus King in announcing seasonally adjusted rates said 583700 people were working in the state more than ever before New jobs were blooming even in previously high-unemployment areas like Aroostook County he said But Burke insists that 90 percent of working people are not riding the wave of prosperity and that the glowing jobless figures only suit the purposes of politicians and corporations say a rising tide floats all Burke said been on the coast where the tide rose and the boat So real jobless rate? A little more than double what the state has been reporting said Burke Burke believes jobless statistics are all wet because they are designed to reflect a labor force that no longer exists in this country The 1980s was marked by evolution from manufacturing to a service economy said Burke statistics do not reflect that he said For one thing the state unemployment figures do not include Mainers who have only part-time jobs but would rather be working full time Burke stressed he is not talking about teen-age burger-flippers here Another group not counted he said is the mass of people who have quit the labor force out of frustration because they find meaningful full-time jobs Finally state figures do not include among the unemployed a legion of workers who were left out in the cold by corporate downsizing and now consider themselves self-employed said Burke Many go by the title consultant working but not making said Burke While he does not abide anecdotes of state officials who point to sandwich boards and want ads trying to lure in workers Burke is quick to point to the growth of big temporary employment agencies as evidence of the state of the labor market If there was a true labor shortage he said wages would be pushed upward But he said nowhere near a living wage in this know this in the street but people are said Burke they hear from the news and government conform to what they The most recent wage figures available on the state Labor Web site seem to support the professor Between 19 and 1997 they show average annual wage rising from $20941 to $21928 But the 23 percent rate of inflation gobbled up all but about $500 of the increase A similar pattern appears between 1995 and 19 when consumer price rises of 3 percent devoured all but $372 of the increase in annual wage increases Ditto for 1994 and Median wages when adjusted for inflation have still not reached the levels where they A poster offering Jobs hangs on the door of a retail outlet store Thursday in Freeport Headlines trumpet state unemployment rates of less than 4 percent and press releases from the Capitol boast more jobs than ever in Maine (AP Photo by Pat Wellenbach) a statement specifying the duration of this protection A fresh tree will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree To check for freshness remember: A fresh trfj is green needles are hard td pull fropi the branches when bent between your fingers fresh needles do not break the trunk butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin and when the trunk of a tree is bounced on the ground a shower of falling needles shows the tree is too dry Do not rely on chemical coatings or sprays to flameproof your tree Place the tree away from fireplaces radiators and other heat sources See that it is out of the way of traffic and block doorways Cut off about 2 inches of the trunk Mount the tree in a sturdy water-holding stand Fasten a large tree to a wall or ceiling with thin guide wires be nearly invisible Fill the base holder with water Keep it full of water while the tree is indoors Heated rooms dry out the tree rapidly creating fire hazards Artificial snow sprays can irritate lungs if inhaled To avoid injury read the container labels and follow directions carefully Indoors or out use only lights that have been tested for safety Identify these by the label for Laboratories Check each set of lights new or old for broken and cracked sockets frayed wires and loose connections Discard damaged sets or repair them before using Check labels of outdoor lights to see that lights are weatherproof use indoor lights outside and vice versa Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees house walls or other firm support to protect from wind damage Use no more than three sets of lightper single extension cord Turn off all lights and other decorations when you go to bed or leave the house Lights could short-circuit and start a fire Never use electric lights on a metallic tree Although safe when used according to directions metallic trees can become charged with electricity from faulty lights and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted To avoid this danger use colored spotlights above or beside a tree never fastened to it Keep lights away from children Such lights are hazardous because their bright colors and bubbling movement can tempt curious children to break the candle-shaped glass which can cut and attempt to drink the liquid which contains a hazardous material Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens Always use nonflammable holders and place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over Use only noncombustible or flame-resistant materials Wear gloves while decorating with spun glass It can irritate eyes or skin Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonlead materials Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children or pets In homes with small children take special care to: Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children Pieces could be swallowed or inhaled Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food A child could eat them Northeast COMBAT wishes you a safe and happy holiday season were in 1989 said Christopher St John executive director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy a nonprofit agency that researches state economic and policy trends A senior economic analyst for the state Labor Department does not dispute the wage figures but says they need to be put into perspective For one thing questions persist as to whether the inflation rate has been overstated in recent years said Glenn Mills And actual wages may not be as bad as they seem he said Mills acknowledged that many more workers in the emerging economy are part-timers But sur veys indicate the majority of people who are working part time are doing so because they choose to he said The trend toward more part-time workers tends to drive down the overall wage averages he said Mills also acknowledged the presence of would-be workers those Burke believes should be counted among the unemployed Mills says some federal tables actually count in those people who are so frustrated they quit the labor force But Mills defends the unemployment figures saying Maine arrives at its rates the same way all other states do and in a way that is consistent with US Labor Department guidelines The telephone surveys on which the jobless figures are based are conducted by the federal government not the state he noted The unemployment rate does not distinguish between full- and part-time workers said Mills The state labor official shies away from figures that some might suggest indicate saying the figures tend to vary as economic conditions change and are theoretical at best in southern Maine there are a lot of businesses that find enough Mills said US-China relations topic of talk Eastland Hotel in hands of receiver national Airport speech will begin at 12:45 pm The World Affairs Council is a nonprofit organization promoting education of international affairs through diverse programming Williams said Kapp speaker was president of the Washington (state) Council on International Trade and was executive director of the Washington State China Relations Council where he served for 10 years OtherWorld Affairs Council events include fling speaking at an international community breakfast Feb 10 2000 at the University of Maine There will be a discussion on in Southeast Asia: Three Case with UMaine professor Ngo Vinh Long as presenter Jan 20 Jan 27 and Feb 3 in Blue Hill Another conference Asia: Continuity and is scheduled Feb 11-13 in Camden The luncheon costs $3 for students $5 for faculty $10 for other participants Reservations are required by today Call Connie Stroud at 947-0381 For information call the World Affairs Council at 7804551 By Deborah Turcotte Seavey Of the NEWS Staff BANGOR A presentation on US-China relations by the World Affairs Council on Friday is more than bringing an internationally known speaker to the Bangor area one of the many steps in extending its reach statewide Predominantly a southern Maine organization with a list of corporate sponsors primarily from that area the World Affairs Council is making its second attempt in two years to bring its focus and conversations to eastern and northern Maine said program director Patty Williams Last efforts fizzled because of lack of publicity and attendance at events she said A number of events are scheduled the first one on Friday Robert A Kapp president of the US-China Business Council will reflect on relations with the trading partner and also will give his observations on Gov Angus recent trade mission to Taiwan Williams said The luncheon starts at noon at the International Arrivals Building at Bangor Inter Eastland has been stripped of its affiliation with the Radisson chain Maggie Arsenault a room attendant at the Eastland said the hotel been able to buy sink and bath stoppers vacuum cleaner filters or even shampoo as its financial problems worsened was one day we ran out of toilet she said was Depending on what the receiver decides the Eastland could be auctioned to a new owner a process that could shut down the hotel for weeks or months a receiver takes over a hotel with no phone system unhappy employees utilities that been paid and no franchise agreement not sure a receiver can salvage that said Portland lawyer David Hirshon who represents Local Bank The Madden family did not object to the court order think the important thing from the standpoint is that this hotel is going to be an important part of economic landscape in the said Rufus Brown a Portland lawyer who represents the family The Associated Press PORTLAND The financially troubled Eastland Hotel a Congress Street landmark for more than 75 years has been placed in the hands of a receiver A judge has turned the 204-room hotel over to National Hotel Realty Advisers a Portsmouth NH management company that will review its finances assess its prospects and decide what should be done with the property The Eastland was purchased two years ago by the Florida-based Madden family who put it up for sale last summer Superior Court Justice Roland Cole on Dec 2 granted a request by Local Bank of Oklahoma that control of the hotel be taken away from the Maddens Court records show that the family owes more than $3 million to the bank $300000 in taxes to the state and $121000 in franchise fees to the Radisson chain Employees have not been paid and the hotel has received notices of nonpayment from utilities The phones have been out of service for at least two days and the.