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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1978)
Flooded waterbed market leaves doubters all wet By STEVE DODGE Of the Emerald News item: Man attempts to crush unconscious wife under fil ling waterbed. Wife wakes up, man goes to jail. News item: Woman is thrown out of waterbed by wave. Bed flips on top of her. Fire department is summoned. Despite isolated incidents and persisting myths about water beds, the industry reported $300 million in sales in 1978, and at least locally, sales haven't sprung a leak. “The industry has been looked upon as a fad for the last two years,” says Rick Coccelleto, who along with brothers Reed and Don, owns Eugene’s oldest waterbed outlet, Mellow Brothers. But the “fad” has gained momentum every year of the company’s six-year existence, Coccelleto says. This year, Mel low Brothers turned six figures worth of sales as part of a North west boom. In fact, waterbeds have done so well of late that they’re even being offered by department and furni ture stores. But the industry in Eugene hasn’t been without casualties. The likes of Make Waves, The Bedroom, The Waterworks, Northwest Woodworks and The Waterbed Shop have gone under in the last two years. Still, the survivors are happy with the current situation. Coccelleto says the Mellow Brothers are doing “real great. It’s a phenomenal business.” He says the industry is “con stantly growing" here, although the major portion of sales still occur in California where water beds first emerged in the late 1960s for home use. Waterbeds were first used in hospitals for back patients. Sa cred Heart General Hospital re ports waterbeds in use in their neo-natal intensive care unit for premature babies and babies with respiratory problems. They also use waterbeds for burn patients and for long-term patients to pre vent bed sores. However, says Coccelleto, float ation sleep shows up as far back as the 7th century, when folks fil led goat skins with water. That’s probably about the time the myths began. Coccelleto answers the most prevalent myth, “If built to code any building will withstand the weight.” A king size waterbed holds anywhere from 200 to 300 gallons of water and weighs from 18,000 to 22,000 pounds The weight, however, is dispersed over the width of the bed (often seven feet square) and amounts to about 48 pounds of pressure per square , inch. That’s less than a cefrigerator weighs, according to one local store manager. A pamphlet handed out by Mellow Brothers re lates the weight to that of eight full-grown men. Coccelleto says the Eugene Hotel has waterbeds on its second floor, and the Patterson Tower has them as far up as the eighth floor. But for those skeptics — espe cially land owners — who fear plummeting blobs of plastic and tidal waves, a San Jose, Calif., in surance firm offers waterbed in surance at $25 a year for up to $100,000 worth of coverage for such calamities as well as lesser ones including leakage. “Ruptures very rarely occur,” says Coccelleto, who has pictures of a diesel truck parked on a bed to demonstrate. “The problems waterbeds had with infancy,” says Stan Tzkas of Eugene s New Waves waterbeds, “are all but eliminated.” All merchants agreed that today’s lap seams (double seams and comer reinforcements) are superior to the old “butt” seams that the industry used at one time. The industry also has attempt ed to deal with the misconception that you can get seasick on a waterbed — with a relatively new mattress that has built-in “baffles” (Continued on Page 11 A) Measure causes biting controversy Oregon's battle of the palate has turned into a confusing fight between “capitalist dentists” and “illiterate” technicians. So, depending on whom you talk to, Ballot Measure 5, which would license denture technicians to fit the dental aids, is either a boon to patients with big dental problems and small pocket books, or a chance to take another swipe at already down-trodden con sumers. “Freedom to choose is the gut question,” says Ron Wyden, co head of the Gray Panthers. “It is the beginning of some in-roads into health care monopolies,” he adds. He sees new choices open ing for the public. “It’s an attempt by the con sumer to jimmy open the door, and it’s scaring the dentists,” Wyden says. "Denturists aren’t even re quired to be high school graduates — or to be able to read and write,” says Ken Rinke, direc tor of the No on 5 Committee. State groups opposed to the measure, according to Rinke, are the Oregon Dental Assn., Medical Assn., Optometric Assn., Nurses Assn., Pharmaceutical Assn., Assn, of Dental Laboratories, Blue Cross and Oregon Physician. Advocates of the measure say the price of dentures would be greatly reduced because dental labs could fit and sell dentures di rectly to the public. “The measure would reduce the cost of dentures to half-price,” says Wyden, “to about $300 or less.” “If the denture doesn’t fit well, it’s not worth getting free,” Rinke says. “Mr. Wyden doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Under current Oregon law, only licensed dentists may take impre ssions of the human mouth to make, fit or repair dentures. A den tist must supervise any denture work by dental technicians. Oregon Daily Emerald If Ballot Measure 5 passes on Nov. 7, denture technicians would be licensed as denturists and do this work without the supervision of a dentist. Those opposing the measure claim the proposed denturists are not properly trained or qualified to assume this responsibility. Opponents say that since den tist supervision is not required, there’s a danger of disease and bad fitting. Two years of formal training and at least two years of practical ex perience would be needed to be come a denturist, or, prior to July 1, 1982, a person would need at least six years of practical experi ence in making dentures and pass a six-month approved training course. To become licensed, a person must then pass a Health Division test. The division would give, re fuse, suspend or revoke a denturist’s license, and would also hear complaints against dentur ists. Before working on a patient, the denturist would also need a dentist’s or doctor’s written state ment that the mouth was free from disease and that the patient could be fit for dentures. REMEMBER! THE EMU FOOD SERVICE TRAILER IS IN THE LIBRARY TURN-OUT FROM 9:30 til 2 DAILY Waterbed price listings Waterbed Factory, Springfield Basic package: $189. Includes lap seam mattress, liner, heater. Same items separately: lap seam mattress $49.95, liner $9.95, heater $49.95, frame (finished) $119, frame (un finished) $110. Warranty: five years for mat tress 13 years for heater. Baffle system: alone $149.95, with any package, $90 extra. Air Float: alone $89.95, with package $40 extra. (Continued on Page 11 A) What would Socrates think of O’Keefe? If you question long enough and deep enough, certain truths about O'Keefe become evident. It has a hearty, full-bodied flavor. It is smooth and easy going down. And, the quality of its head is fact rather than philosophical conjecture. We think there's one truth about O'Keefe that Socrates would not question: It s too good to gulp. As any rational man can taste. Imported from Canada by Century Importers. Inc.. Mew York. MY Page 9 Section A
