This March Meeting

Sponsor will be: Hughes Supply co-sponsored with Joyce Agency & Hydro Therm Boilers

At the Last Meeting

D&B Distributing Co. & Bradford White sponsored the February meeting and had lots of door prizes for the crowd. Winners of jackets were: Wayne Bromlee, Clifton Sanders, Peter Reichter,Kenny Spangler, Joe Henry and 2 for Andy Baumbach.

Winner of the 50/50 drawing was Glen Walinesta with $65.00

Washington Gas previewed their latest financing terms re: work other than gas work and also non users of Washington Gas financing availability.

Scott A Gallagher is a new member of PHCC and was introduced at the meeting.

Coming Up Soon at Our Meetings

Register for the March 11th session by March 4,1998 and the April 8th session by April 1, 1998. If there are additional people you want to add or just let time run out, please call Theresa Dagenhart at (703) 323-1776 for registration.

*PHCC-NV dinner meeting included in price of seminar, which starts at 6:30p.m.

PRICE: $40.00 NON-MEMBERS

$30.00 FOR PHCC MEMBERS

$20.00 FOR NVPHCC MEMBERS

Fairfax, VA. 22030

Long time PHCC member Ken Longs brother Everett passed-away.

EVERETT NEIL LONG

Master Plumber

Everett Neil Long, 74, a master plumber and electrician who had been president of a family business, Long’s Corp. in Fairfax, since 1964, died Feb. 15 at Inova Fairfax Hospital. He had an aneurysm.

Mr. Long, who was born in Baltimore, grew up in Fairfax, where he lived the rest of his life. He was a graduate of Fairfax High School and served with the Army in North Africa and India during World War II.

Mr. Long, who had served as chairman of both the Fairfax City and Fairfax County plumbing boards, had worked in the family business his entire life.

He was a founder and past commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 8469 in Fairfax, a volunteer with the Fairfax County Crime Solvers and a member of the American Legion and the Fairfax Rotary. A Scottish Rite Mason, he belonged to Kena Temple and the Order of the Eastern Star.

His first wife, Betty Holzworth Long, died in 1993. Survivors include his wife, the former Gloria J. Smith, whom he married in 1996 and who lives in Fairfax; two sons, David, of Fairfax, and Howard, of Woodbridge; and a brother, Kenneth, of Haymarket.

"A local doctor called us out in the middle of the night because one of his toilets was blocked. He insisted that it was urgent and that we attend immediately. Upon arrival we lifted the toilet lid, threw in two aspirins, and said 'If it's still there in the morning, give us another ring.'"

"How many plumbers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

PHCC–Maryland Association is pleased to announce Michael J. Kastner, Jr.’s candidacy for PHCC-National Association vice president.

This is from P&M

The key of the case — that Warner knowingly sent unlicensed technicians to perform plumbing work — means that all Maryland journeymen plumbers must now be licensed.

Curran directed the counties to aggressively enforce a 1986 law stating that plumbers performing work must be licensed. Plumbing companies were previously allowed to send unlicensed plumbers out to perform minor jobs.

"The law cited by the attorney general has been on the books for 11 years, and we are the first plumber to have been charged with its violation," Warner said. "Warner’s policies in this regard are identical to those of all other local plumbers, of which we are aware."

To date, no other plumbing companies have been brought up on charges for sending unlicensed journeymen plumbers to perform work.

"You need to have a journeyman’s license to perform plumbing services in the state of Maryland," said Steve Sakamoto-Wengel, an assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division. "The case alleges that Tom Warner sent individuals to perform plumbing work who were not licensed as required by law."

Dear Senator:

I am contacting you about a very important small business issue, S.621, a bill to repeal PUHCA. Although PUHCA deals with utilities, make no mistake, it directly affects small businesses such as mine. My company, (enter your company), which employs _____ people will be hurt and possibly run out of business if S.621 passes in the U.S. Senate.

My company offers installation and maintenance of plumbing-heating-cooling equipment. Many utilities own subsidiaries, which directly compete with businesses like mine. I am not opposed to competition or competing against the subsidiary of a utility. I am against competing against a monopoly. S.621 contains insufficient safeguards against market power abuses by utility holding companies. I am concerned that if PUHCA repeal passes in the Senate, I will be forced to compete against an unregulated monopoly, and that is a contest I will loose.

I do look forward to comprehensive utility restructuring because there is the potential for my business to expand into new markets. I understand that PUHCA will eventually need to be changed when such comprehensive restructuring occurs, but restructuring must be comprehensive, not piece-meal. S.621 is stand-alone PUHCA repeal. If it passes the Senate, S.621 will send a dangerous message to the House that deregulation without de-monopolization is sufficient and there will be no comprehensive reform. Only the biggest utilities will benefit from stand-alone PUHCA.

S.621, a bill to repeal PUHCA, is NOT a bill that just deals with utilities, or the SEC or FERC. It is a bill which has an immediate, direct negative impact on small businesses all across (enter your state) , including my company. I urge you to oppose S.621, a bill to repeal PUHCA.

From P&M

It really is a tragedy the way the trade has neglected its image and ran itself into the ground. With all the new opportunities that the information age has opened up, what bright kid out of high school would want to do this?

I also think there’s this perception that if you can’t cut it academically, maybe we should send you to trade school. Little do they realize that there is a heavy requirement in core subjects, especially math and science in order to do this trade competently.

I enjoy the work for the most part, and I like 99.9 percent of my customers and people in general. But the perception by the general public is that we are overpaid, dirty and uneducated. I have tried to wage a personal struggle to dispel this by trying to offer the neatest and cleanest and most professional service I can.