f v\<;u 12 - iM uftnivu.Kit - FRIDAY, December 9.1983 mm general News A story of courage By Thomas W. Pauken Some time ago, Vietnam veteran Rick Eilert was the subject of my Good News Report. Describing Rick's background, I told of the grievous wounds he suffered in combat in 1968 as a Marine infantryman, and how, as a result, he spent a year in the orthopedic ward at the Naval Hospital at Great Lakes, 111., fighting to recover. Even so, when he was released from the hospital, he was rated 100 percent physically disabled, and since then he has undergone surgery no less than 39 times in an ongoing effort to repair the damage to his arms and legs. A major portion of my report dealt with Rick's determination to get on his feet again physically and to make his way in the world at a time when Vietnam veterans, disabled or otherwise, found themselves faced with hostility by segments of the public, spurred on by voices in the media, seeking to make Ho Chi Minh a folk hero and describing our G.I.s as "baby killers. Like most Vietnam veterans, Rick Eilert did overcome the negative social attitudes and the need for employment. In facing both problems it was the love, support and confidence of Cheryl, his wife, that made it all possible. She stood by him and encouraged him when the going was rough. And it was often very rough. But as I mentioned in my earlier report, even while in the 1, Rick was beginning to about life on Three South, the "dirty" orthopedic ward, where he and his fellow wounded were enduring the long agonizing combat of recovery. The result of his effort is a newly published book, titled For Self And Country. Already in a second printing, the book has also been selected for Sublication by the Literary uild and the Military book Club. Today, it is a best-seller in Chicago, where Rick and Cheryl and their two children live. And what about the book? What does it offer? Very recently, a grizzled Marine General awakened the author with a middle-of-the-night telephone call. Gruffly he an nounced who he was and said, "Damn you, Eilert, you made me cry!" Anyone who reads For Self And Country is going to have the same experience, but they'll laugh, too, for this is a story of courage beyond normal bounds. It's tremendously moving ac count of the human spirit, reflected in the hearts and minds of combat soldiers. Faced with seemingly endless days and nights of physical pain and mental anguish, their laughter, their high-jinks, their often hilarious actions portray a king of bravery that transcends despair. That is what For Self And Country is all about as seen through the eyes and pen of Rick Eilert, who at age 20 was the oldest patient on the ward. Thousands of books are published every year. Only a few deserve close attention. Rick Eilert has written one of them. The answer to high heating bills... It's the most important gas furnace breakthrough in over 40 years. The Pulse furnace slashes your heating bills with efficiency vastly superior to other fossil fuel furnaces. Payback on your initial investment takes just a few heating seasons. If we can't convince you, your current high heating bills will! Call or see us today. DOWE AND WAGNER HEATING AND SHEET METAL WORK AIR CONDITIONING 542 W. RAND RD. McHENRY 385-0468 'LENNOX, AIR CONDITIONING • HEATING LOW VISIBILITY--The visibility was not zero, but certainly greatly reduced earlier this week as snow brought the WAVMOAVtOHO , feeling of winter to McHerny. A cover of vtfiite covers the piers on the Fox river that only recently had boats tied to them. Dept of Parks: New classes will start in new year ADULT JAZZ For a great work-out and fun at the same time, join this adult jazz exercise class that starts next January. This evening class begins Thursday, Jan. 5, at 8 and will be held at Parkland Junior High School. The fee for this course is to be paid at the time of registration at City Hall. FIT-N-TRIM This class offers a program of exercise to tone and trim the body and help maintain a desired fitness level. Con centration will be placed on stretching exercises and movements to aid flexibility. Starting Monday, Feb. 7, the City of McHenry Departoment of Parks and Recreation will be offering the exercise class en titled Fit-N-Trim. This eight- week course is for all women interested in getting into shape. It will be held at Parkland Junior High School Monday evenings from 7 to 8 p.m. For further information on this class, call 344-3300. ADVANCED BALLET In this Adult Advanced Ballet Class, the emphasis will be on improving the coordination of those enrolled while building self-confidence and poise. Registration is now being taken at McHenry City Hall for this Thursday night class which begins Jan. 5. It will be held at Parkland Junior High School from 7 to 8. For further information on any of these classes call 344- 3300. Lacy Baubles Blow up small balloons 1" to 2" in diameter. Pour about 1 Vi" of liquid starch into a small bowl (or make a starch with flour or dry starch mixed with water to make a thin paste). Place a spool of colored thread, on its side, in the starch, making sure it's completely covered with the starch. Hang a balloon over the bowl of starch. Wind the wet thread all around the balloon like a cob web. After you've wound as much thread around the balloon as you'd like, cut the thread and smooth the end dowu. While the threads are still wet, sprinkle them with glitter. Let the balloons dry overnight. Pop the balloons and remove the balloons from the thread very carefully. Now hang your lacy bauble on the tree or in a window! Safety tips: New generation heaters Old fashion space heaters were notorious for giving off smells posing fire hazards and emitting dangerous levels of carbon monoxide-an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas. But Japanese ingenuity has come up with what s known as "the new generation" of un- vented portable kerosene space heaters. And with energy costs soaring, Americans are snap ping up these heaters like they never nave before. Ordie Hogsett, University of Illinois Extension safety specialist, says these new heaters include safety features such as an automatic shut-off device in case the heater tips over. Also, the possibility of a tip-over even occuring has been reduced with a new design that lowers the heater's center of gravity. These and other innovations certainly have made the heaters safer; but Hogsett still cautions the consumer on the proper use and selection of these devices. He offers the following tips: -The heater should be made of heavy-gauge steel and have double walls or protective grills to guard against burns when people accidentally touch the appliance. -Check for a push-button lighting device which eliminates the need to light the heater with matches. -Blake sure the fuel tank is virtually spill-proof. -If you must light the heater with a match, light the match first and then turn on the fuel. If you fail to light the heater on the first try, wait for vapors to dissipate before trying again. -Store kerosene supplies in a expands. Thus, it could spill and flare. -Never use an unvented heater overnight in the room where you are sic risk carbon monoxic -Do not use liquids, such as gasoline, around a space heater. Flammable vapors from the liquids can flow across a room and be ignited by the heater's open flame. -Purchase only heaters that h a v e ' ' U n d e r w r i t e r s Laboratories Listed" on the nameplate. an approved container that is clearly marked "kerosene" and stored away from the living quarters. -Do not refill the heater until it has cooled. Otherwise, spilled fuel might ignite. -Fill the heater with a siphon pump to prevent spillage. -Do not refill the neater inside the house. -Keep at least 3 feet of space around the heater. This is "safety space' to prevent the heater from igniting flammable material. -Never completely fill a cerosene heater is in Ck/iUtwuu Tom FRESN CUT ALL SIZES Don's Dairy Frost 120 & Charles npletely )il or k< heater with oil or kerosene because as the fuel warms, it the room to pi when the ke use. -Teach children not to go near the heater. Also, keep a barrier around the unit and make sure pets cannot tip it over. -Be. sure the flame goes out when turning off the heater. -Use only "clear white" kerosene. Never substitute fuel oils, diesel fuel, any type of gasoline or regular kerosene. These fuel sources could pose fire or carbon monoxide hazards. -Make sure there is no odor when the heater is in use. MIKE'S DINER Calling Colleen 209 W. RT. 120-LAKEMOOR (across from Le Vichyssois) 344-4506 NOW SERVING PIZZA! CHEESE AND SAUSAGE 14"-$5°° 12"-$3*° 8".T SERVING 4am- 10pm •LUNCH •DINNER • CAR*TOUTS WE DELIVERIH (50* ntri for each additional Dear Colleen: My dad is an "efficiency expert" for a manufacturing company. I think that's great. What I don't like is the way he tries to "shape up" the old homestead. He tells mo ther how to manage the house hold. He tells me and my two brothers how to schedule our time. No matter what we do or try to do, he always has a better way--and wants things done his way. He is stifling all of us. How do you tell your dad that he's a pain? Bill RIDE INTO TOMORROW WITH A YAMAHA THE ALL NEW PHAZER ON SALE...'2895 ALL '84's ON SALE NOW! Model: PHAZER SNOWMOBILE • Super lightweight, 485cc, fan-cooled twin provides plenty of power for racing or running the slopes • Great hightech Yamaha features like Energy Induction system and Torque Induction Reed-Valve Intake for enhanced performance • Innovative anti-sway bar and extra-wide skis for the easiest handling imaginable • Front telescopic Strut suspension and dual-shock, long travel rear suspension smooth out those small bumps and soften the big bumps • With many extras fdr your comfort like handlebar-mounted fairing, special position windshield and super comfortable seat CYCLE CRAFT YAMAHA-SUZUKI 1601 S. Rt. 47, Woodstock, III. 815-338-6454 Dear Bill: Dad apparently is very good at his job. Maybe it would help if the rest of the family organized, put in a suggestion box and dropped in a few hints to the upper management. One of the first suggestions might be that each family member be giv en the opportunity to go it alone on just one project-- with the critique coming af ter, not before the job is done. Dear Colleen: What do you think of a man who says he loves you, wants to marry you, but is so uncertain about his ability to adjust to married life that he wan(s a signed contract agree ing toip separate ways, with out any liability, if it doesn't work? . Ann Dear Ann: I don't think, I know. I'd say, "solong, Joe." CONSUMER V/CHECKLIST Consumer Protection Laws are written to protect the consumer from misleading adver tising and mis-labeling, but the government doesn't have the money to investigate every ad vertisement, A healthy dose of skepticism is the best protection against claims which seem too good to be true. J