ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 18, 1997 TAG: 9703180027
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: President Cheddi Jagan of Guyana was flown by U.S. military aircraft to Washington and admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Feb. 16. He later died. Who bears the cost of his treatment?
G.C., Blacksburg
A: It was a case of VIP treatment, extended to friends of the United States when their own countries lack the hospital facilities or medical expertise the patient needs.
That explanation comes from a State Department spokesman, who made it fairly clear the same courtesy wouldn't be available to an unfriendly country.
Walter Reed also is available to our own government leaders, as well as military personnel.
Now, regarding who pays: Walter Reed still is computing the bill, which will be sent to Guyana's embassy in Washington for payment. The cost of air transportation apparently will be billed the same way, although that paperwork apparently will pass through a couple of U.S. agencies first.
Keeping tax records
Q: I'd like to see an article about tax papers and how long to keep them. I'm having to deal with taxes for the first time in many years.| |D.M., Roanoke A: "Tax papers" can include a plethora of records.
All of them, the experts say, should be kept five to seven years. These include the 1040 and associated forms, plus the canceled checks and other records and receipts that back them up.
Every record concerning your house, and any home you've ever owned, should be kept forever.
Individual Retirement Accounts are among tax records, but don't throw them out with those really old tax records. Keep your IRA tax status records forever.
For other retirement plans, save each annual summary.
For insurance policies, save the most recent pay stub. Keep expired policies for three years in case someone files a retroactive claim.
Newspaper's new typefaces|
Q: What are the names of the typefaces that are being used in the newspaper's redesigned appearance?| |F.W., Roanoke A: The historic names of the two basic headline font families are Franklin Gothic and Madison Antiqua.
Franklin Gothic, designed early this century, has a bold, blocky appearance. It's a sans-serif type, which means it lacks the fine lines that flare out from the main stroke of a letter.
(Anyone who cares about typefaces enough to ask already knows about serifs. The rest of us like the excuse to talk shop.)
We use Franklin Gothic Condensed for the main headline on a news page. In a condensed font, the letters have been slimmed down so editors can fit more words into a headline.
Graphic illustrations also use Franklin Gothic in varying degrees of boldness or weights.
Headlines and photo captions that have serifs are from the Madison Antiqua family, which, like Franklin Gothic, was developed early in this century and redesigned in 1965.
In our new three-headline approach, most news headlines use a small Madison Italic headline above a larger Madison Condensed headline. Below the main headline is a smaller Madison "read-in" heading.
If your eyes haven't glazed over by now, you're seeing ITC Century Book. That's the font we use for text type.
Have a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Maybe we can find the answer. Call us at 981-3118. Or, e-mail RAYR@Roanoke.com
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