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PAGE 10-PLAINDEALER-WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1973 EDITORIALS Trimming Taxes Schenectadyj|s cit^ council recently reduced property taxes 12 percent in expectation of two million dollars it expects to receive in federal revenue-sharing funds. Elmira, also in New York State, plans siniilar action and Erie County, which includes Buffalo, and Broome County, , plan like actions in 1973. Chicago is to cut back property taxes 7 per cent with revenue-sharing funds. Milwaukee will reduce its property taxes 8 per cent with the federal money and Des Moines plans a 10 per cent cut. Atlanta's mayor recently proposed trimming property taxes with revenue sharing money. Many other cities and counties are moving in the same direction. In California both newly-voted state and federal revenue- sharing funds are enabling many communities to reduce property taxes. Citizens in all communities should examine this possi­ bility since federal money is just beginning to flow into the states and cities. Chances for reducing property taxes, one of President Nixon's hopes, will diminish in direct proportion to the jlelay in getting this money, or some^of it, earmarked for that purpose. After the new federal revenue is committed to other projects, it's likely to be too late. Weather's Influence Few old enough to have been fascinated by them can for­ get those cough syrup calendars with the colored flags telling what the weather would be~every day of the year. In those days there were no weather satellites or fancy scientific means to help forecasters. Yet how undaunted " and optimistic (and entertaining) they were! One can still get the daily weather forecast for a year in advance but fewer now take these forecasts seriously. '(The current winter is supposed to be mild.) Weather fore­ casting has become so sophisticated, as seen daily in newspapers and on television, that year-long calendars, in almanacs and as wall calendars, are less used. Which reminds us how dependent the nation's population, once mostly farmers, once was on the weather. Farming is, after all, the greatest gamble among the professions. It is a good, a wholesome life, a hard-working life, but individ­ ual family farming is nevertheless a gamble with nature, and the weather. Families' very existence depends on the weather. Natu­ rally enough, farm families learn to observe nature and watch weather changes and signs carefully. And the study of nature, which this is, is both fascinating, inspirational and humbling, one reason persons who grew up on a farm are more likely to be dependable, good citizens. The London Flu A few years ago tile Hong Kong flu put many Americans down for the count; this year the "in" strain is the London flu. Federal officials at the Public Health Center for Disease in Atlanta say London flu, first detected at the Air Force academy in October, and which struck hard at Baltimore in late November, is not a major threat, nor spreading in epidemic proportions. Rather, they say, the flu situation in the United States is about normal for this time of year. The London flu virus is merely the t strain making the rounds; it was first detected in India in and appeared in London early this year. has thus far been detected in Colorado, Arizona, California, Washington, Hawaii, Kansas, ~ Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Doctors are prescribing for it what has for many years been prescribed for flu - bed rest, plenty of fluids including fruit juices, aspirin and perhaps, cough syrup. As with other ailments not fully understood, they're, in effect, letting the body make its own recovery. mm Four more years for the history books? March of Dimes Volunteer Runs Parties for Prenatal Care PUBLIC PULSE (The Plaindealer invites the public to use this col­ umn as an expression of their views on subjects of general interest in our community. Our only re­ quest is that writers lim­ it themselves to 300 words or less - signature, full address and phone num­ ber. We ask too, that one individual not write on the same subject more than once each month. We re­ serve the right to delete any material which we consideiHMbelous or in ob- }.) PORTATION A Illinois History Quiz Prepared by the Illinois State Historical Society Old State Capitol, Springfield 62706 1. Where was William Jennings Bryan born? a-Jacksonville; b-Quincy; c-Salem; d-Taylorville 2. Hebron was the smallest school ever to win a state high school basketball championship; what was the year? a-1948; b-195 2; c- 1956; d- I960 3. What was the profession of John Evans for whom Evanston was named? a-architecture; b-law; c-medicine; d-writing 4. Only one Henry has ever been governor of Illinois; what was ihs last name? a-Matteson; b- Lowden; c-fiorner; d-Altgeld 5. In what Illinois County is the 1970 population center of the United States? a-Adams; b-Bond; c-Cook; d-St. Clair--^ Quiz Answers -M81) suBAg taupipaui 'D-£ •aim JOJ 6S-fr9 AouinO P3JE9J -ap uojqan uaqM 'q~t •paAeidsip spajja [euos -i3d pue sJ3))3| s.UBXjg 3J3q/v\ uinasffCEK^ mou si XeMpeojg 80fr J® auiott^qi :ui3p?s '3- I •qpjncosE^ jo jsc3 -qjnos S3|iui saij jnoqe si uojj -BOO| pexa aqj ;JIC|J is 'P S (0t,*££6 I) J3Ujoh '3-fr S9-:98I "OpEJOlOJ JO JOUJdAOS |EUO}U -J3j pue 'jsppnq pccujiEj r 'XjISJSAIUfl UJ3JS3A\q}JON jo SJ3pUnOJ 3qj JO 3UOSCM I "Once agc^ih this morning I question the competence of the head of the Transportation department for the board of education in McHenry. " Last week the residence of Holiday Hills received letters (and here I question the competence of your secretary) stating that our roads were a hazard for the buses. After driving on these roads for two years, I can honestly say they are better now than they usually are. I also question your reasoning that you are concerned that one of the buses will hit a child. There are approximately 300 cars in and out of here daily and we manage to avoid hitting children--ice or snow. If your present drivers cannot handle their buses safely, why did you hire them? "After many calls to your office we were told the buses would return on Thursday morning. After waiting for the p.m. kindergarten bus till 11:30 I finally ended up taking my daughter and two other children to school. I don't blame the driver, though, she was probably not informed of the change. Your drivers rarely are. "What are the excuses for all the habitually late buses. My son rides Bus 17 and it's not unusual for him to arrive 10 and 15 minutes late. My neighbors' ,children complain that they •rarely arrive in time for home room at Junior high. What's your excuse, Mrs. Blank, the driver of Bus 5? "I also question the reasons why a child who goes to Land­ mark and is dismissed at 2:45 doesn't get home 'till 3:50 or 3:55. This is entirely too long. "Are you appointed or elected to your office. If elected, I am going to see that something is done. If ap­ pointed, I am going to find out why? "Sincerely yours, "Mrs. John Grether" m POSTAGE STAMPS L,c£!n Social Security Prohibition ProhibitionJjecame effec­ tive in the United States on January 16th, 1920--fifty three years ago. It was a noble and idealistic experi­ ment, and a hopeless one, for it sought to legislate morals and personal behav­ ior. Younger citizens find it hard to believe Congress ever voted a ban on alcohol­ ic beverages, and that thirty six states (three fourths of the forty-eight), quickly rat­ ified the amendment. (Only Rhode Island and Connect­ icut never ratified it.) But that's what happened under emotional pressure of the day from drys. As many had warned, the experiment was a failure. Bootleggers and gangs then sneaked booze illegally into "speakeasies" and the re­ sults were gang wars, bad booze, corruption and a widespread breakdown in law enforcement. The 21st amendment of 1933 repeal- * ed the 18th, effective with the ratification of thirty six states, again, on December 5th, 1933. Knd'wjf" Jr # slHl \*fea«Tcr i Question: I'm a 20-year-old college student getting monthly Social Security payments. I was recently suspended from school for 3 months, but I plan to return to classes again at the end of my suspension. Will my monthly checks continue during my suspension period? Answer: No, your payments will stop for the 3-month period of your suspension. Payments cannot be made to a student for the period in which he is suspended during a school year. Your payments will start again when you return to full- time attendance if you file a new claim and reestablish your entitlement to benefits. Question: My husband, who's 66 and enrolled in Medicare, can't get monthly Social Security checks because he's still working full time and earning too much. I'm 62 and not working. Can I get a wife's CONSUMERS' C0RNER'<£l|Lo Extension Cords Since January 1, 1973, there have been some new features cov­ ering household extension cords. By DAN GILLMOR "I guess I'm not the kind to stay at home," says tall, blonde Neeoma Coston of Lit­ tleton, Colo. Mrs. Coston is no runaway. She is Volunteer State Advisor for The Nation­ al Foundation-March of Dimes. "I like to get up and go," she admits, "and the appointment as volunteer advisor suited me just fine. I go all over the state, and meet all kinds of people, especially the ones who shake you up with different ideas about how things should be done." Neeoma works with a num­ ber of service-oriented organi­ zations, including the Colorado Federated Women's Clubs, the Epsilon Sigma Alpha sorority, and veterans' auxiliaries. Their mutual goals are the preven­ tion and treatment of birth de­ fects, which annually afflict some quarter of a million in­ fants in the United States. The March of Dimes supports research, medical service pro­ grams and community educa­ tion projects aimed at over­ coming this major child health problem. Pride Class In spite of a busy life, Nee­ oma still finds time to teach a "pride" class at the Goddard Middle School, which her son, Scott, 13, and daughter, Julie, 6, attend. A pride class is one that students can elect to take instead of going to study hall. It is now a credit course. Neeoma's subject is "health," and she makes the most of it. She uses The National Founda­ tion film, "Blueprint for Life," As a result of an agreement be- and the filmstnp, "Tomorrow tu/oon thp FnnH and flrno AHmin. " in 4«rw,U tween the Food and Drug Admin­ istration's Bureau of Product Safe­ ty and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, exten­ sion cords now being made are subject to a voluntary standard that requires --extension cords with no more than three outlets. --protective devices for each extension cord to cover up the outlets on the cord that are not being used. These protective devices, which fit into the outlet holes, can be pulled out with ease by an adult but not by a child. --a warning statement on either the extension cord or the package that reads as fol­ lows: "Caution. Avoid ha­ zards. Keep children away. Fully insert plugs. Cover un­ used outlets. Unplug when not in use." This voluntary standard, which will be policed by Underwriters Laboratory for all its members, is in response to an FDA injury study that showed that redesign of extension cords is needed to safeguard children from burns and injuries. If only Mother Nature had given mosquitoes an appetite for crabgrass! WHO KNOWS? Hawaii dis- Why* is it that, in most areas of the country, winter brings with it so many long, rainy spells? Winter produces more rainy spells of several days' duration than summer for several reasons. One of the main reasons is that winter's colder earth and ever-present cold air creates more of the cloud-forming or cooling ac­ tion that makes for cloud and rain. Warm air moving into cold winter a^(a warm front) can set up a rainy area for hun­ dreds of miles. Since a warm front moves forward more slowly than a cold front, this mass of cloud and rain takes several days to pass over­ head. Occasionally a warm front or an occluded front will be­ come stationary over an area, and in winter this usu­ ally means several days of bad, rainy weather. These frontal systems are of long duration but rarely produce lightning and thunder. payment on his work record even though he isn't getting payments? Answer: No. Since your husband is still working and is not getting monthly Social Security checks you cannot get tnonthly payments as a wife. However, you may be eligible for payments on your own Social Security record if you have had enough work over the years in jobs covered by Social Security. Question: I'm planning to retire. I heard that it takes about 6-9 months for Social Security to get my latest wages on their records. How can I be sure my most recent wages will be included in figuring my monthly payments? Answer: When you apply for retirement payments, you should take a copy of your 1972 Statement of Earnings (form W-2) to the Social Security office. On the basis of the form W-2, all of your creditable earnings for 1972 will be recorded to your record. 9. When was covered? By what name were they first known? A great inventor was born January 17, 1706. Name him. Define dysgraphia. Is snow considered pre­ cipitation? What was "Stonewall" Jackson's given name? How many inches of snow makes one inch of rain? What country contains the most lakes and inland waters in the world? Who first saw the moon through a telescope? 10.What were his conclu­ sions concerning the moon? Answers to Who Knows •qjrea aq} jo aoBj am a>niun jou pu^ qSnoJ'uaAaun ;nq 'moouis iou sbm uooui aqx* 01 •6091 ui 'oain^O *6 •BpeuBO *8 •saqouioi jfiarBunxoJddv ' L •SBUioqj, '9 •sappjBd ja)BM jo suiioj sapnp -ui uoi^jidpaJd 'S3A *S *a;iJM oi iCiniq'ein aqx •uiihubjj uiurefuag •£ •spu^isi qompu^s 'Z •ijooo sauiBf upid^o qsi -?ug Aq'8LU '91 ̂ nu^f *i 7 HMf TjS-1 TMT IjR?? Tft BY THE OLD TIMER From John A. McKelvey, Phoe­ nix, Ariz.: I was born on a farm near Coulterville, Illinois, sixty miles south of St. Louis in 1900. In 1904 there was a World's Fair held in St. Louis. That summer my family attended the Fair and since I was only three at the time I was left with an aunt in Coulter­ ville. My two brothers were 16 and 10 that year. I was used to being with them so my staying there didn't present too many problems and I did behave well. The main reason was the threat of what a large dog, which was a member of their family, might do to me if I didn't behave. I do not know what kind of dog he was, but he sure looked like a monster to me. He was large enough to pull several children in a wagon with the special harness they had made for him. We sure enjoyed the ride, although sometimes it got a little rough when a cat appeared on the scene. I always loved to hear my mother tell of the won­ derful things they saw at that fair. Thirty years later we were living in Chicago and my mother was able to visit us and attend the "Century of Progress Exposition" in that city. (S«nd contributions to this column to Th« -Old Timor, Box 639, Frankfort, Ky. 40601.) For Your Information Dear Friends, In the absence of pre-arrangement, the next of kin alone has the right to choose the fun­ eral director and to decide the funeral arran­ gements. No one should attempt to influence or u- surp this right of choice. Advice should be given only when asked, as a funeral director is a very the selection of personal matter. Respectfully. PETER M.JISTEN & son e - FUNERAL HOME McHenry, Illinois 385-0063 THIS CRADLE'S NOT FOR ROCKING. Neeoma Coston (left), March of Dimes volunteer advisor, presents donated layette Items to Mrs. Laureen McNeil, at the Holy Spirit Center, Denver. Happy birthday parties combine prenatal care education with fun and games. explains. "Lots of the girls have very little fun in life even when they aren't in this situation. So we have crazy games, like blowing a balloon across a table, or passing a plastic glass held between our knees. You should see the girls break up when they bump bel­ lies trying that one." At each party, there's a drawing. The winner gets a layette lovingly sewn by mem­ bers of B'nai B'rith Women whom Neeoma has recruited. This year she worked to spread the idea all across the state. "That's what's always hap­ pening as you become mops in­ volved," she says. "Each year I say to myself: 'This year I'm going to quit,' but there are always so many things I haven't quite done yet." Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. -Shakespeare. Happens Today," to teafch the basics of genetics and the dan­ gers of venereal disease to her students. From the public health ser­ vice and other sources, she draws other materials aimed at involving the students in serioiis discussion of various aspects of community health. Another favorite project is a "birthday party" program for young expectant mothers, done with help from members of Epsilon Sigma Alpha. It's their way of bringing prenatal care (PNC) education to the young women of the state who are most in need of it, but least likely to get it. She emphasizes the need for early and regular prenatal care because of its im­ portance in reducing the risk pf birth defects. Neeoma and other volunteers working with her, hold the parties at the Florence Crit­ tenden Home, the Denver Com­ munity School, the Holy Spirit Center, and other Denver in­ stitutions where the girls go to continue their schooling while awaiting the birth of their babies. "Colorado law prohibits a girl from going to school if she is pregnant," Neeoma says. She doesn't like the law one bit and doesn't hesitate to say so: "What could be dumber than that? What kind of sense does that make? Don't they want to educate the mothers? Neeoma does, beginning with the subject of good prenatal care, but experience has taught her that there has to be some fun involved if she is to cap­ ture the girls' interest. Fun and Games "So we throw a party," she oN^L TO*V ig£c OPTOMETRIST Dr. John F.Kelly At 1224 N. Green St eet McHenry (Closed Wednesdc; ) Eyes examined .. Glasses fitted C ontact Lcnse? firs: Daily 9;30 a.m. t( 5 p.m. Friday Evenings - 8: >0 p.m. Evenings by appointment PHONE 385-0452 Dr. Leonard Bottari Eyes Examined - Contact Lens Glasses Fitted 1303 N. Richmond Road Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs.and Fri. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tues., Th'irs., & Fri Eve. 7:00 to 9.00 p.m. Sat.: 9:30 to 3:00 p.m. No Hours on Wednesday PHONE 385-4151 If No Answer...Phone 385-2262 OFFICE EQUIPMENT McHenry County Office Machines Sales-Service & Rentals Typewriters - Adders Calcu lators r Mon.-.Sat. 9:00-5:30 Friday 'til 9 p.m. PHONE 459-1226 93 Grant St., Cyrstal Lake, 111. LETTER SERVICE Mimeographing - Typing Addressing - Mailing Lists McHenry Letter Service 3509 W. Pearl St. McHenry PHONE 385-0258 or 385-8020 Monday through Saturday INSURANCE Earl R. Walsh & Jack Walsh Fire, Auto, 1 arm & Lite Representing RELIABLE COMPANIES When You N^ed Insurance of Any Kind PHONE 385-3300 3429 W. Elm St., McHenry. III. George L. Thompson : General Insurance LIFE "AUTO * HEALTH FIRE -CASUALTY *B()AT Phone 815-385-1066 : 3812 W. Elm St., McHenry In McHenry Plaindealer Bldg. Dennis Conway AUTO, LIFE, FIRE STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANY 3315 VV. Elm St. McHenry, Illinois Phone 385-5285 or 385-7111 put want ads TO WORK FOR YOU FOR FAST RESULTS PHONE . 385-0170