Rent-a-spouse pairs people
exploring human interaction
By TAMYE RIGGS
Ot th« Emarald
Seems like you can rent |ust
about anything these days,
from bicycles to clothes to
records One of the more unu
sual rental services is Rent-a
Spouse
Now it isn't likely that O J
Simpson will hurdle your
shrubs and beat a path to your
door, but the service may
provide something that a
single person may need on
‘We wouldn7 send
a 16 year-old to
mow a single
parent’s lawn.’
occasion another someone
Shirley Whitehead, the
owner and operator, admits
the name Rent-A-Spouse has
raised a few eyebrows, but it
catches the attention, which is
the intent of most businesses
From Whitehead's point of
view, the firm is aptly named
As the name suggests, the
firm explores avenues of
human interaction other than
just business relations A
member can call for someone
to chop wood or darn socks,
and may end up with a
meaningful relationship in the
bargain. Whitehead says
However, Whitehead says,
matches will be arranged
between members of compa
tible emotional maturity We
wouldn't send a 16-year-old
out to mow the lawn for a
young single parent,''
Whitehead notes She
stresses, however, that
everyone who needs help will
get it
The aim of Rent-A-Spouse.
according to Earnie
Amabisca. public relations
mananger is to pair job
seekers with those who need a
specific service, such as lawn
mowing, woodcutting, or
babysitting Members either
pay cash or barter
Although this service is not
specifically geared toward
students, Whitehead and
Amabisca hope to aim the bu
siness a little more toward the
younger crowd
We re pretty much playing
it by ear,'' Amabisca says
"Hopefully, we can eventually
cater to everyone
"Our heritage is based on
people helping one another "
Whitehead says I think we ll
see more of that in the future "
Services available since the
company's start in September
include hostessing, entertain
ing construction, woodcut
ting, counseling, accounting,
grocery shopping, tennis
lessons and political counse
ling
friendship is an added bon
us to these services
To become listed on the
Rent-A-Spouse service ros
ter," applicants schedule an
appointment with Whitehead
and make a list of qualities
they are seeking in a compa
nion
Whitehead, who says she is
"a good judge of character,"
scrutinizes each applicant,
questioning them about
employment records, work
qualifications and emotional
stability Whitehead also runs
a credit check on each
prospective member
it me inquiry goes wen, tne
applicant is granted admis
sion
Despite Whitehead s efforts
to keep any questionable
persons out, Rent-A-Spouse
will not take responsibility for
any mishaps between
members But then, there
are exceptions. Whitehead
says
“If someone cancels a date,
we ll find someone else to take
their place Whitehead says
Members must pay a $50
membership fee After that ini
tial investment, affiliates must
shell out $10 per month in
dues
According to Whitehead, all
the fees go back into the
organization and are used to
fund the applicant checking
system, matching services,
and paperwork involved in the
program
Whitehead s rationalization
for the high fees is to insure
only exclusive clientele will
patronize Rent-A Spouse, she
says Whitehead says she
believes only those seriously
interested in long-term
memberships will pay the
prices
Ambiasca and Whitehead
have differing views on what
types of people wi!! become
the “average member" of
Rent-a-Spouse
From Amabisca's point of
view, Rent-A-Spouse is for
everybody — students, the
unemployed, and the average
odd-jobber. Whitehead says
membership will consist main
ly of single parents, although
there will be a "wide cross
range of people involved ’
“We re looking for reputable
people, serious about the
long-term aspects of Rent-A
Spouse," Whitehead says
The concept of Rent-A
Spouse began when
Whitehead owned Cedar Mills
Construction and had a lot of
contact with single people,
she says She acted as a go
between for personal
acquaintances who were loo
king for certain services from
her “contacts
‘Rent-a~spouse is
for everybody —
students,
odd-jobbers and
the unemployed.
Whitehead rounded up 10
close friends and formed the
business As of yet, the "team”
receives no financial
compensation for their efforts
Whitehead claims the opera
tion is a non-profit social
organization
Rent-A-Spouse is a worth
while social organization,"
she says " I d like to expand
the idea as much as I can"
Will Whitehead take
advantage of some of the
services Rent-A-Spouse has
to offer?
"It's not really my desire at
this time,” she notes, but adds,
"I am single, and I do have free
time, so it's a possibility That's
not my main goal, though ”
Limit on oil tanker size lifted
SEATTLE (AP) - Officials of Washington
state's four largest oil refineries say lifting the oil
tanker size limit on Puget Sound and its inland
waters will have little practical effect on their
operations
We have no plans to bring in anything over
125.000 tons, said Fielding Formway, manager
of the Atlantic Richfield refinery at Cherry Point It
is the only refinery in the state with the capacity to
handle fully loaded tankers over 125,000 tons, the
current size limit
“I think the 125,000-ton limit was a stupid
regulation based on emotion, not fact," said Bill
Malseed. manager of the Shell refinery at
Anacortes But if the limit is raised, it won't have
much meaning for Shell "
Shell, the Texaco refinery at Anacortes, and
the Mobil refinery at Ferndale can't accommodate
oil supertankers with full loads because dockside
water depth is too shallow
CASH
For Textbooks
Mon.-Fri.
Smith Family
Bookstore
768 E 13th
1 Bl From Campus
P*1 34S-16S1
Fitness Fashions
Come see our complete selection of
X Danskin
*leg warmers
’Mights ’'‘sport bras
■warmups
Now at 5th Street Public Market
342-6501
Windmills working again
GOLDENDALE, Wash (AP) -
Two of the three giant wind tur
bines near Goldendale are
again producing electricity after
being shut down since early
June when the third unit was
damaged during tests, officials
said Thursday
The third unit, which suffered
damage to its generator and
drive train during a high-speed
shutdown test June 8, is
expected to be operating early
next year, said John Lowe,
director of wind energy
programs for the Boeing Co.,
which built the turbines
Boeing completed installation
of the machines last May, a year
after breaking ground for con
struction Each unit is rated at
2 5 megawatts, or 2,500
li
kilowatts, and together they
produce enough electricity to
service about 2,000 average
Northwest homes
All three machines were kept
out of operation while a team of
Boeing engineers diagnosed
the cause of the damage Then
a series of modifications were
made to the hydraulic and
electrical systems and to the
operating procedures
“We made about a dozen
changes, none of them very
significant in itself,” said Lowe
‘ But we are certain that they
add up to better, more truly
redundant systems than before
It is part of the development
process which is an objective of
the test program
This Friday at the
SUD S FACTORY
ARM WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
sponsored ^&J,STER
Weigh-In times between 6 & 8 PM
Men’s & Women’s Divisions
Entry Fee - $5.00
amssmxsBBaassBS
Seafood Buffet
Sunday, 4 to 10
OREGON
ELECTRIC
OCTOBERFEAST
REGULAR MENU ALSO AVAILABLE
OREGON ELECTRIC STATION
5th & Willamette • Downtown Eugene
—emu
Cultural Forum Presents
The return of Northumbrian Folk Musician
ALISTAIR ANDERSON
Traditional music from
Northumberland, Scotland and Ireland
Sunday, Oct. 25
8 p.m.
Beall Hall
Tickets:
*3.50 UO Students
*4.30 General Public
Available at
• I 'M 11 Main Desk
• Lights for Musk in Springfield
• Mr. Mike ’s Really Reusable Records