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Thursday, June 05, 2003 Page: 1C
Two credit unions merge
The Service 1st Federal Credit Union has merged with the Keystone
Historical Federal Credit Union, said Service 1st officials.
According to William Lavage, president of Service 1st, the merger took
effect June 1. Service 1st will be the continuing credit union, he said.
Service 1st is headquartered in Danville and Keystone Historical is in
Williamsport. Service 1st maintains branches in Danville, Lewisburg, Shamokin
Dam and Wilkes-Barre.
The credit union provides services to more than 15,000 members and more
than 320 employers and associations throughout the Susquehanna Valley.
Taco Bell fined over ad
A federal jury Wednesday ordered Taco Bell Corp. to pay $30.1 million to
two men who claimed the fast-food chain stole their idea for the advertising
campaign featuring a talking Chihuahua.
Thomas Rinks and Joseph Shields, both of the Grand Rapids area, sued Taco
Bell in 1998, saying they pitched the idea for a character called “Psycho
Chihuahua” more than a year before Taco Bell began airing the dog commercials
in 1997. Taco Bell advertising executives, the men claim, made a verbal
agreement to use their design.
Taco Bell has said it decided to use a talking dog in commercials after
TBWA-ChiatDay, a large advertising company, proposed it.
The ads, since discontinued, featured a Chihuahua named Dinky that appeared
to say “Yo quiero Taco Bell,” which is Spanish for “I want Taco Bell.” The
campaign became wildly popular and led to the company licensing toys, T-shirts
and other products featuring the tiny animal.
Company recalling cribs
A furniture company is voluntarily recalling about 2,000 crib drop-side
rails because the slats can become loose or fall off, allowing children to get
their heads stuck.
Babi Italia, a division of LaJobi Industries Inc. of Edison, N.J., has
received 41 reports of slats separating from the rails of the crib, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday. No injuries have been
reported.
The recall includes “Tiffany” cribs manufactured between June and October
2001 and “Josephine” cribs manufactured between January to October 2001.
Babies R Us stores sold the cribs from July 2001 to January 2003 for about
$500.
The government warned consumers to stop using these cribs immediately.
Consumers can contact Babi Italia at 1-877-440-2224 for information on
receiving replacement drop-side rails.
United offers free trips
United Airlines is opening its biggest advertising campaign since 2001 in a
push to lure back more business travelers while it overhauls its operations in
bankruptcy.
The promotion – four trips for the price of three – is being backed by
full-page ads in national newspapers and others in key markets throughout the
summer travel season that is critical to United’s recovery effort.
Under the initiative announced Wednesday, customers enrolled in United’s
frequent-flier program who fly three eligible paid round trips between
Thursday and Sept. 30 will earn a free round-trip ticket for travel in the 48
contiguous states between Sept. 2 and the end of the year. The deal covers
mainly pricier tickets – first and business classes and coach fares that don’t
require a Saturday night stay. A maximum of two free tickets can be earned.
P&G to farm out offices
Procter & Gamble Co., which already has hired another company to take over
its information technology services, is concluding a separate contract for
management of the consumer products giant’s offices worldwide.
Procter & Gamble says the contracts will allow it to use the expertise of
other companies in certain areas so it can concentrate on building sales of
its nearly 300 consumer brands, including Folgers coffee, Tide detergent,
Pampers diapers, Crest toothpaste, Clairol hair care items and Iams pet food
products.