| Few Businesses, Non-Profits Help Ex-Offenders Work
Pamela Ainsworth had work experience, education and bond insurance when she went job hunting earlier this year. She had been a bartender and waitress before she was sentenced to prison on drug and auto-theft convictions. In a federal prison in Texas, she had a top-paying job, earning $1.15 an hour plus bonuses as a call-center rep for Xcel Energy. While incarcerated for 3 1/2 years, she also learned data entry and accounting. For three months, 33-year-old Ainsworth worked diligently to find employment. She applied at local restaurants, grocery stores, mega-retailers and telemarketers. Even though she was bonded to protect an employer if there is theft, forgery, larceny or embezzlement, Ainsworth wasn't hearing the answer she needed. "It's hard. It's humiliating.
Letters, 2/15: Death penalty is archaic
The American economy lost jobs last month for the first time in more than four years, and rising gas prices continue to squeeze our budgets tighter every day. Against the pain and uncertainty families are now facing, Exxon Mobil posted the largest profit ever recorded by a U.S. company.This administration’s business is finished. It’s time for a change, America.Steven D. Burbach, Lincoln .
Great music, good cause
And he feels there will always be a place for folk. "Popular music revolves around stark, realistic images of society today," he said. "Folk music is like a painting. Folk music is like art." Having just released his 12th CD, "Blue Roads, Red Wine," May is perhaps one of the area's best-known folk and Celtic performers. He's a regular at Kells Irish Pub in Portland, as well as the Horse Brass Pub where the birthday party that spawned Winterfolk was held 20 years ago. Don Younger, owner of the Horse Brass Pub, said May continues to draw large crowds when performing at the pub. "It's his voice," Younger said. "He has one of the most beautiful voices. "He's got a reputation well beyond this place," Younger said. "He has fans who have followed him for 25 years and has new ones that have just found him.
Gas-saving tips ::
Make sure your tires are properly inflated. According to www.gasbuddy.com, a single tire under-inflated by 2 PSI increases fuel consumption by 1percent. Get regular oil changes and fluid checks, and make sure you've got clear air and fuel filters. Dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels can contribute to poor fuel economy. Use the air conditioner conservatively, using the "economy" or "recirculation" setting, which reduces the amount of hot outside air that must be chilled. Don't drive over the speed limit, and do use cruise control to maintain a constant speed. Driving 62 mph versus 75 mph will reduce fuel consumption by about 15 percent. Don't drive with a lead foot: accelerating or braking hard uses a lot more gas. Slow, steady driving can increase your fuel economy by as much as 20 percent.
Freezing weather a hot time for furnace repairmen
Chances are it's coming from your poor overworked furnace in the utility room. Or it could be a loud sigh from the heating people in the Fox Valley -- who, after getting reacquainted with their families these last couple of moderate-temp days, must now go back into battle as winter returns with a vengeance. Fact is, we got spoiled. The past few winters have been unusually mild, which makes the current arctic blast like a, well, arctic blast of reality. Aurora, in particular, has sustained a string of sub-zero temperatures, including the day we hit 17 below and officially became the coldest place in the country. And no one is feeling the frigid effects more than businesses trying to keep up with the calls from us unfortunate schmucks who have awakened -- or arrived home from work -- to igloo-like conditions because the furnace is on the fritz.
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