Page 6B
East Oregonian
PEANUTS
COFFEE BREAK
Friday, October 23, 2015
DEAR ABBY
BY CHARLES M . SCHULZ
Paying Grandma for child care
becomes divorce war weapon
FOR BETTER OR WORSE
BY LYNN JOHNSTON
B.C.
BY JOHNNY HART
PICKLES
BY BRIAN CRANE
Dear Abby: My daughter and her
cost would be many times that amount.
husband are divorced, and I take care
Dear Abby: I am an e[ecutive
of their twin daughters after school. I
assistant. A few years ago, my boss
love the girls and treasure the time I get
passed away after a long illness. My
to spend with them.
13 years with her accounted for the
Their parents’ combined income is
longest consistent span of my career,
more than 120,000. I am on a ¿[ed
and for obvious reasons, I was not able
income and ask for only $10 per day
to get a letter of recommendation. It
(plus $10 a week for gas) so I can
was dif¿cult applying for jobs without
Jeanne
take the girls places like the zoo or an Phillips being able to provide a ¿rsthand
occasional movie (which usually costs
reference from my longest employer.
Advice
more than I am given). I feed them one
I am now happily employed, but
meal a day on this budget as well.
I worry sometimes about what if it
Whenever discussions about money occur, happens again. My current boss is in his early
the e[husband repeatedly tells my daughter 50s, but not in the best health. I have no inten
he thinks it’s “offensive” that a grandparent tion of going anywhere, and I don’t want to
charges money to watch the grandchildren. send him the wrong signal, but I’m wondering
He uses it as a tactic to threaten to not pay for if it would be inappropriate to ask him for a
other needed e[penses. How do I tell him I reference letter, just to make sure I don’t ¿nd
think he’s out of line for making me feel bad myself in the same situation again. BTW, he
for requesting the money? — Stunned And knows about my former situation, so I think he
Hurt In Tempe, Ariz.
would understand, but I’m not sure. — Exec-
Dear Stunned And Hurt: Your former utive Assistant In Georgia
soninlaw may have some bitterness because
Dear Executive Assistant: I’m sorry about
of the divorce. Whatever his reason, his chil the death of your former employer, but your
dren should not suffer for it. Frankly, he should lack of a letter of reference should not have
be ashamed of himself.
prevented you from ¿nding another job. Your
If he raises the subject of being “offended” length of employment should have been proof
with you, remind him in PLAIN ENGLISH enough that you were an asset to the company.
that you are on a limited income, food is
I do not think it would be a good idea to
e[pensive and if the money wasn’t NEE'E' approach your boss about giving you a letter
you wouldn’t ask for it. It’s the truth. It’s of reference for a couple of reasons. First, it
nothing to be ashamed of and certainly not might be regarded as a signal that you are not
offensive.
happy with your job. And second, because of
Let’s do the math: Your granddaughters go fear of litigation, many employers today are
to school ¿ve days a week that’s $50, plus $10 reluctant to give out any information about
a week for gas. That’s $60! If they were in day an employee other than the length of time the
care instead of being looked after by you, the person worked for the company.
DAYS GONE BY
BEETLE BAILEY
GARFIELD
BLONDIE
DILBERT
THE WIZARD OF ID
LUANN
ZITS
BY MORT WALKER
BY JIM DAVIS
100 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 23, 1915
One of the most successful skingrafting
operations ever performed in the state or in fact
in the northwest is the work of 'r. I.8. Temple
upon a farm hand named Burrows. Burrows
has been in St. Anthony’s hospital since last
harvest season and is steadily improving. He
will soon be able to be about. Burrows was
injured while at work on the ranch of Jim
Wyrick, the skin of one of his legs below the
knee being horribly torn and mangled. The
man was taken to the hospital and 'r. Temple
attended him. Taking the good skin from the
upper portion of the man’s leg, the physician
grafted it to the bruised part. The operation
has been a complete success and Burrows will
suffer no illconsequences from his injury.
50 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 23, 1965
The 5ev. Owen 'ouglass, pastor of
Calvary Baptist Church, resigned his pulpit
last Sunday. Mr. 'ouglass is acutely allergic
to Russian Thistle, and doctors have advised
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
BY DEAN YOUNG AND STAN DRAKE
BY SCOTT ADAMS
BY BRANT PARKER AND JOHNNY HART
BY GREG EVANS
BY JERRY SCOTT AND JIM BORGMAN
that he must not remain in this area. He and
Mrs. 'ouglass will leave Nov. 2 to assume
the pastorate of the Pleasant Home Baptist
Church near Gresham.
25 Years Ago
From the East Oregonian
Oct. 23, 1990
A task force promoting continuing
education for teenaged parents hopes to
open an infantcare center by the ¿rst of
the year. Karen Graybeal, chairman of the
Eastern 8matilla County Teen Pregnancy
Task Force, said ¿nancing is the only hurdle
for the communitybased project, which has
been gathering steam for the last two months.
Graybeal said the task force has applied
for ¿nancial assistance from a variety of
organizations, including the Pendleton Youth
Commission, the Pendleton Foundation
Trust, Blue Mountain Community College,
service organizations and churches. The task
force and its goals stem from new welfare
reform legislation, which took effect Oct. 1.
The reform requires teen parents who receive
welfare — Aid For 'ependent Children — to
work toward high school completion.
Today is the 296th day of
2015. There are 69 days left
in the year.
Today’s Highlight in
History:
On October 23, 1915,
tens of thousands of women
paraded up Fifth Avenue in
New York City, demanding
the right to vote.
On this date:
In 1707, the ¿rst Parlia
ment of Great Britain, created
by the Acts of 8nion between
England and Scotland, held
its ¿rst meeting.
In 1864, forces led by
8nion Maj. Gen. Samuel R.
Curtis repelled Confederate
Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s
army in the Civil War Battle
of Westport in Missouri.
In 1925, talk show host
Johnny Carson was born in
Corning, Iowa.
In 1935, mobster 'utch
Schultz, 34, was shot and
mortally wounded with three
other men during a gangland
hit at the Palace Chophouse
in Newark, New Jersey.
(Schultz died the following
day.)
In 1942, during World
War II, Britain launched a
major offensive against A[is
forces at El Alamein in Egypt,
resulting in an Allied victory.
In 1944, the World War II
Battle of Leyte Gulf began,
resulting in a major Allied
victory against Japanese
forces.
In 1956, a studentsparked
revolt against Hungary’s
Communist rule began as
the revolution spread, Soviet
forces started entering the
country, and the uprising was
put down within weeks.
In 1963, the Neil Simon
comedy “Barefoot in the
Park,” starring Elizabeth
Ashley and Robert Redford,
opened on Broadway.
In 1972, the musical
“Pippin”
opened
on
Broadway.
In 1983, 241 8.S. service
members, most of them
Marines, were killed in a
suicide truckbombing at
Beirut International Airport
in Lebanon a nearsimulta
neous attack on French forces
killed 58 paratroopers.
In 1995, a jury in Houston
convicted Yolanda Saldivar
of murdering Tejano singing
star Selena. (Saldivar was
sentenced to life in prison
with the possibility of parole.)
Today’s
Birthdays:
Baseball Hall of Famer and
former 8.S. Senator Jim
Bunning, RKy., is 84. Movie
director Philip Kaufman is
9. Soccer great Pele (pay
lay) is 5. Rhythmandblues
singer Barbara Ann Hawkins
(The 'i[ie Cups) is 2. ABC
News investigative reporter
Brian Ross is 67. Actor
Michael Rupert is 64. Movie
director Ang Lee is 61. Jazz
singer 'ianne Reeves is
59. Country singer 'wight
Yoakam is 59. Community
activist Martin Luther King
III is 58. Movie director Sam
Raimi is 56. Parodist “Weird
Al” Yankovic is 56. Rock
musician Robert Trujillo
(Metallica) is 51. Christian/
jazz singer 'avid Thomas
(Take 6) is 49. Movie director
Chris Weitz is 46. CNN
medical reporter 'r. Sanjay
Gupta is 46. TV personality
and host Cat 'eeley is 39.
Actor Ryan Reynolds is 39.
Rock singer Matthew Shultz
(Cage the Elephant) is 32.
Actress Emilia Clarke is 29.
Thought for Today: “Just
be yourself — it’s the only
way it can work.” — Johnny
Carson (1925-2005).
PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN
BY DANA SIMPSON
BIG NATE
BY LINCOLN PEIRCE