Columnist Ruthe Deskin: The rules of life still taught

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001 | 9:01 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Reach her at deskin@ lasvegassun.com

Writing a newspaper column has its rewards, especially when readers respond with helpful information.

A recent column about teachers and school books brought an interesting response from Ned Waugaman, director of customer service and training for Arbitron.

Arbitron is an informational firm that is primarily involved in reporting radio listening and consumer behavior habits. I wonder if they use telemarketing? But that's another story.

Some years back, Waugaman was asked by his daughter's fourth grade teacher to give a presentation to her class on behavioral problems. The result was a project he titled "Rules for Life." It was so well-received that other teachers asked him to repeat the lessons in their classes.

That was 1993. In 1995 his position with Arbitron required a great deal of travel. His wife suggested he should attempt to share "Rules of Life" with classrooms throughout the country. He changed the title to "ABCs of Life" and the response was incredible. He was joined by co-workers, and in five years they have been involved with more than 15,000 students and teachers.

The program sponsors have donated games to an after-school program, chaperoned field trips, tutored and even helped pick up trash after a hurricane.

Las Vegas' Crestwood Elementary School will be the next stop for "ABCs of Life."

Waugaman has been in touch with Crestwood's principal, Sue Bertheisel, and selected Tuesday for the date of the Arbitron visit.

Waugaman writes: "This year Crestwood is focusing on reading so Arbitron will be donating books requested by each class."

Forty of his co-workers will participate with a reading session and Waugaman will conduct "ABCs of Life" sessions.

The program's founder suggests the possibility of local business organizations joining in the effort to supply books to our schools.

Not a bad idea.

And if other schools are interested in the "ABCs of Life" program, check with Bertheisel at Crestwood Elementary and she can supply all the details.

Response to a recent column on methods to eliminate the bothersome business of unwanted telephone calls certainly indicates the public's annoyance with the telemarketing nuisance.

Jerry Fitch has done something about it by sending several state legislators copies of legislation in Connecticut. The measure gives consumers an opportunity to be placed on a no-solicitation-calls list.

State Sens. Ray Rawson and Joe Neal and Assembly members Bob Beers and Merle Berman were sent copies.

Who knows? It might work here.

Meanwhile reader Betty Billingsley swears by her caller ID recording system, which answers, "I do not answer the phone to unknown callers." When a busy signal is heard she picks up the phone and answers a welcome call.

"I have counted up to 20 calls in one day that I didn't have to deal with," she claims.

With that I promise no more columns about unwanted phone calls for at least a month.