Luckily No Tidal Wave Damage, Either

“Any earthquake damage?” asks an advertisement for Sundial, a development of 30 steel-frame houses in Fontana. The ad quotes a Sundial homeowner: “Not even a crack.”

That didn’t strike us as remarkable, considering that Fontana, in San Bernardino County, is 70 miles from the epicenter of the Jan. 17 Northridge quake. We called the Fontana building department to ask how the city had fared.

“No damage,” said David Martinez, city building and planning chief. No broken glass? No stucco cracks?

“We didn’t get a single call,” said Martinez, who noted that after the Landers earthquake in June, 1992, a few dozen residents phoned to report minor damage.

Sundial developer Larry Russell said he isn’t suggesting that his steel-frame houses held up better than others in Fontana. “Nothing should be inferred except that one woman said she had no cracks,” he said.

*

Making the grade: With the earthquake focusing attention on contractors, we called the Contractors State Licensing Board to find out the qualifications for a licensed contractor. We were told that a would-be contractor needs to have four years of experience and must pass a written, two-part test for any of the 43 licensed trades.

It sounded rigorous enough--until we found out what it takes to pass the tests. When we first asked about passing grades, a CSLB spokesman told us it wasn’t board policy to discuss them. When we persisted, CSLB testing analyst Dan Sackheim agreed to talk about them.

Sackheim said that passing grades vary, depending on the test, from the mid-50s to the low 70s (of a possible score of 100). On 10 of the tests, including the exam for drywall contractors, passing grades are below 60.

He told us the part of the exam testing knowledge of California law was revised last year, and the passing level was raised to 68 from 60.

“It is a slightly easier test,” Sackheim said in explaining the change.

Sackheim told us the board is in the process of revising trade tests, so passing grades will be above 60. While contractors who pass the tests are qualified, Sackheim said, “there is a perception that scores are too low.”

The tests are multiple choice, with four possible answers for each question. Said Sackheim: “Pure chance dictates that you’ll get a 25.”

*

Aftershock: A Pasadena manufacturer of earthquake safety devices is recalling three types of furniture fasteners because they may not survive the Big One.

Q-Safety said it will replace any No. 5020 china cabinet straps, No. 4030 grommet grips and No. 5600 water cooler kits purchased between Jan. 1, 1993, and Jan. 28, 1994. Company President Tom Rundberg said the metal eyelets on the devices may be defective.

Rundberg said he discovered the defect last week during a routine product inspection, not as a result of the Northridge quake.

*

Travel scams: In an effort to warn about fraudulent travel promotions, a coalition of consumer organizations has developed what it calls a “Travelers Check.” The check is a phony travel certificate on which is printed a five-point checklist to help consumers spot swindles.

According to the Travelers Check, consumers should be wary if they are told they’ve “won” a trip but are given a short time to accept the offer. Consumers should also be cautious if they are asked for their credit card number or to pay a deposit, registration fee or “port taxes” in advance. Another warning sign: You have up to 18 months to take the trip you “won.”

If the Travelers Check makes you think of Karl Malden, there is a reason. It was developed jointly by the Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing and American Express.