J SECTION 2 - PAGE 4 - PLAINDEALER - FRIDAY, MAY 18.1979 f "Pi . AIM )l. AI F R Editorial Opinion Ideal Weights The life insurance industry is eager to help people live longer-- which is of benefit both to those who prolong their lives and to the insurance companies, who prolong the time before payments must be made. The latest result is a table of the healthiest age for men and women, based on height and age. For men 5'6" tall, the best weight is'.125 lbs. in their 20's, 129 in the thirties, 130 in the forties, 131 in the fifties and 130 in the sixties. For a height of 5'9", the recommended weights are 149, 153, 155. 156 and 155. For six-footers, it's 161, 166, 167, 168 and 167, etc. i'orwomenST'the best weights are 106 lbs. (20's), 109 (30's), 114 (4f0's), 118 (50's) and 120 ( 60'&). At 5'4", the recommendations are 114,118,122,127 and 129. For 5'7" heights, the best weights are 123,. 127, 132, 137 and 140. Those of different heights can estimate their pcoper weights by adjusting proportionately. If you weigh more than these suggestions, as most Americans do, think about it. If you seek maximum longevity, do something about it Living With Disabled For a lot of us, the words "disabled" and "handicapped" mean pretty much the same thing. Not so, stressed the National Easter Seal society, which this week sponsors the fifth annual National Handicapped Awareness week. This week provides an excellent time for each of us to reexamine our assumptions about persons with disabilities. Being "disabled" is simply a fact of life for some 4,100 residents of McHenry county. Some can't hear as well as the rest of us. Others have trouble walking. Others have speech or visual impairments. Some have lived with their disability since birth. Many are disabled as teenagers or adults. Some disabilities are permanent. Others last only a few weeks or months. In any case, the disability is something to be coped with and in most cases, coping is made easier through rehabilitation programs offered by area service agencies. A "handicap", though, too often results from the way friends and neighbors treat the person with a disability than from the disability itself. And that's why National Handicapped Awareness week has been set aside to focus our attention on the rights and needs of people in our community who have disabilities. The way we think is another example. If we assume that a person with a disability can't handle the job, can't enjoy our friendship, can't share most of the everyday things we do, we won't include him. .Take time this week to look at the world from the viewpoint of the person who has the disability. Question how it is and how it can be made better. Working together, we can come up with answers and P0t these into action. \ Small Business Week President Carter has set aside this week, May 13-21, to commemorate small business, but so what? A week for this group and a week for that group -- they're all soon forgotten. Small business constitutes such a large part of the business sector (43 percent of the Gross National Product «and 55 percent of all private, nonagricultural employment) that it deserves more than a week of remembrance. M Congress can take positive steps toward opening up opportunities for enterprising business people. The National Federation of Independent Business, believes several bills under consideration by the 96th Congress, if passed, would have tremendous impact on the stability of small business: -Roll back of the minimum wage. The minimum wage increase of 9.4 percent in January was interesting in light of President Carter's 7 percent wage-price guidelines. Many small-business people say it is impossible to keep their price increases to 7 percent when many of their workers receive minimum wages. Small-business people already operate on a very narrow profit margin in order to stay in a competitive range with larger companies. -Teenager exemption from the minimum wage. Many small businesses (as well as large) have announced that they are eliminating a large number of summer jobs this year because of the increase in the minimum wage. Small businesses often can't afford to hire youth, especially those who need training; the cost is just not worth the effort involved. Yet, how are these young people going to get the experience they need? -Reorganization of the Social Security program. Presently, employers must match the funds taken out of each employee's paycheck for the Social Security program. Many small-business people, however, are saying, "Instead of killing us with increases (1) take the welfare program out of Social Security, and (2) make all government workers contribute to the program." -Providing equal access to the courts. Many small businesses are fined every day by regulatory agencies that know small-business people don't have the time or the money to fight back. Many of these agencies are just trying to justify their own existence. Congress could pass legislation providing that if a small business wins a case against an agency in court, the agency will pay reasonable legal fees for the small business. Such a ruling would make agencies more cautious about handing out unreasonable fines and penalties. There is no doubt that small-business people appreciate a week of special tribute. But, it is also quite evident that if Congress doesn't pass legislation to safeguard the existence of small business, legislators may find that they have a week to fill. *• o ^ > "Prestige" comes from the Latin word prestigia, meaning * jugglers' tricks, illusion, magic. i For Your Information D*or friends. As your fun*rol director, w* can assist you to locato tho agont of tho life insurance company that insured tho deceased. We will also provide you with certified copies of the death cer tificate to accompany insurance claims and Social Security, Veterans Benefits, and other claims forms. Respectfully, P f J f V M IIISTFN &. SON FUNERAL HOME McHENRY, ILLINOIS - 3850063 Letters to the Editor Public Pulse (Th« Ploindoolor invitti th« public to um this this column at on oxprotsion of thoir viows on tub|octt of gonorol intorost in our community. Our only roquost it that tho wrltort givo • signature full addrott and phono numbor. Wo oik too. that ono individual not writo on tho somo subjoct moro than onco ooch month. Wo rotorvo tho right to doloto ony motoriol which wo contidor libolous or in ob|octionoblo totto.) PET FOOD REBUTTAL "Editor, "The letter of May 4 regarding "free pet food" was I'm sure, written with good intent. However, it is extremely poor advice for any pet owner. As a certified animal health technician, I felt I should add a word of caution to anyone at tempting to feed any pet this way. "With this concoction, you are encouraging numerous medical problems. Bones of any kind should never be given to animals for the simple reason a sliver of bone could perforate the intestines, or scratch the lining of the in testines or colon resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Ex cessive fat in the diet may also cause intestinal upsets and a sick animal. "Mrs. Gustafson's recipe is almost completely composed of carbohydrates and no nutritional value. Animals also will become obese from too many carbohydrates in their diet as do humans, and then suffer the problems of obesity such as cardiac problems, back problems, hip problems, and a shortened life span. Un- forunately, the pet cannot ask the owner to take some weight off them. "Commercial foods are carefully researched to contain the proper nutrients on animal needs in proportion with the individual size and weight of the animal. Home-cooking most often results in over feeding and inadequate nutrition. The cost of these foods is minimal compared to anything included in a home recipe. "So, please, think before you feed. An animal has different nutritional needs than a human. As owners, we must take the responsibility upon ourselves to see that our animals do receive all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need. A sound diet will result, as in you or I, in a much healthier, more en joyable pet. "Respectfully, "Lynne N. Mason ON CAREER CHOICES "Editor: "I read with interest the story in the Plaindealer 's May 4 issue concerning the proposal for the McHenry County Career center. "Unfortunately, I am not as familiar with the details of the proposal as I could be, so I will have to limit my comments on it. Perhaps some publicity on the subject would be in order. "I do, however, want to make some related comments which members of the community may find interesting. "I believe that, with regard to education, we need to realize certain facts, and use these in our planning for the future. "l.< McHenry county will continue to grow in population, housing, light to medium in dustry, commerce and service trades. "2. ) A percentage of our youth will qualify for college on the basis of interest or ability and train for professions where college is a prerequisite. "3. ) The greater percentage of youth not desiring to go to college will still need some type of vocational or technical training in order to effectively compete in the area's job market and insure a happy and prosperous career. Self made men' are getting fewer and farther between, because of the complex specialization required today. "4.) Because of this con tinuing economic growth, there will be a continued demand for qualified people to fill many new jobs. "5. ) If our local community youth are not adequately prepared to fill the jobs, the jobs will undoubtedly be filled by outsiders who are qualified. Unqualified people will be at the mercy of the job market and the state of the economy until they develop a marketable skill that someone needs. "6.) Our education system is responsible to adequately prepare our youth for the rest of their lives; that is, to provide the tools necessary to assist them to become Droductive members of the society. "7. ) The quality and relevancy of education is the cornerstone of economic development and prosperty in the geographical area Quality and relevant education will promote economic progress and development. Conversely, economic progress requires increased and more high quality education and training to support it. "8.) Just as important as a quality education is the career path counseling* necessary to channel the student into a definite career area. Without career counseling, the career- undecided student is like a rudderless ship in a cold, stormy sea, and will probably waste a lot of time unemployed, underemployed, or in an un satisfying employement situation. "When I went to high school, about 25 years ago. there was a lack of perspective at the time. Nobody seemed to be aware that there was life after graduation. Faculty emphasis seemed to concentrate only on doing homework, not smoking, being quiet and orderly in study hall and library periods, going out for some sport or joining the band, and in general, staying out of trouble or else. Career counseling was virtually ignored. One teacher was assigned it as an additional duty. Students career path decisions seemed to be treated as an indiviudal, private affair, into which the faculty advisor was reluctant to intrude. "In my case this resulted in my not making a definite career path choice until four years after I graduated from high school. In other undoubted cases, this resulted in haphazard career choices based on necessity and in complete information. How many millions of man years of work, and dollars in earnings are wasted while our young people try to figure out what they want to do and are best suited for? How many are unhappy because they made a wrong choice? Besides an informed and efficient career counseling system active at each year of high school, we should also look at establishing a local, con necting link between the educational system and the economic community in the area. This would be in the form of an area coordinating body to facilitate the flow of in formation between the education system and the members of the economic (professional, commercial industrial, service) activities in the area. This body could: "1.) Determine the current and projected needs of the local economy for vocational and technical skills and forecast these up to ten or more years into the future. v "2.) Determine trends as above. ARE YOU NEW IN McHenry Area? iS68SS8S8SSSS Do You Know Someone New? WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A ROYAL WELCOME TO EVERY NEWCOMER TO OUR AREA!!!!! CALL JOAN STULL 385-5418 "3. ) Translate this into meaningful statistical and narrative data for publication and recommendation to the supporting school systems, to promote meaningful and relevant curricula and training programs, and informed and efficient career counseling. "4.) Provide coordination among the various school systems for most efficient utilization of vocational training program resources. "5.) Eliminate the potential for too many trained school teachers without jobs, not enough trained mechanics or repairmen, or having to go far outside the region to attract certain skills. "6.) Provide continuous emphasis on early and com prehensive aptitude and in terest testing, i.e., as early as seventh or eighth grade, to provide a preliminary basis for subsequent refinement. The student would not be bound to follow any counselor recom mendations, but such recommendations would minimally give a reference point to start from. "7. ) Finally, promote a smoother and more efficient transition from the educational environment to the career employment environment, and from one career path to another via continuing vocational training programs. "In conclusion, let's not sell ourselves and our communities short. We need to seriously consider establishment of a coordinating body between the economic environment and our education and training systems. It will go a long way to insuring that the next generation is adequately prepared for and oriented toward the cold, hard, economic facts of life it will surely face. "John Clarence Regner" WHAT'S NEW * *0 Perspective Emergency road repair kit of epoxy gum for tem porary repairs to radiator or gas tank. Two strips in kit, kneaded together, dry hard for quick use. Americans are in no mood for fooling around when it comes to meeting the challenges of the urgent problems we face - inflation, energy and our position in the world. But a little fooling around can provide an enlightening change of pace from the seriousness of our current public policy debates. Taking this to heart, the well-known authors of two recent books have taken a look at our problems and they prescribe humor. They also demonstrate that if you are in the$ mood to poke fun, politicians and government ape prime targets. "Public Nuisances," by R. Emmett. Tyrrell, Jr., is a collection of devastating satirical essays on a range of public figures of the 1960s and 1970s. Bob Tyrrell is well- known among conservatives for his editorship of the "American Spectator," a journal which has emerged as an oracle of the so-called "neo- conservatism." Tyrrell spares no one in his book. He tears through the American cultural scene with witty, disarming prose, pier cing the public images of Lillian Hellman (an "ageless coed"), John Kenneth Galbraith ("a millionaire economist and bon vivant"), Bob Dylan (the "Schubert of Hibbing, Minn ") and many others. As you might guess, some of his sharpest literary missiles are hurled at politicians. What do all his targets have in common? That's simple. They have all assumed the role of "public nuisance" according to Tyrrell. In one of the tamer passages. Tyrrell portrays his unfortunate subjects like this: "To me these busy bodies are as moronic a mob of louts as has ever been at large in any civilized country since the dawn of Christendom." A literary rule of thumb is that truly successful satirical writing will instruct as well as criticize. "Public Nuisances" passes the test. In addition to the emotional value of enjoying a good belly laugh at the ex pense of politicians, this collection contains shrewd perceptions of recent public events and political decisions. mzxmnn KNOW YOUR AREA-ROYAL WELCOME DOES IT BEST Service Line McHENRY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 385-4300 FAMILY SERVICE & MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC 3409W. Waukegan Road McHenry 385-6400 PARENTAL STRESS LINE OF McHENRY COUNTY Meeting Place: McHenry County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Call 815-344-3944 STATE CHAMBER GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS HOTLINE 217-522-5514 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 202-755-8660 Hours7:30a.m. to5:30p.m. weekdays (Ever had a problem involving the federal government and not know where to call? And then been given a runaround or referrals by persons who meant well but didn't know how to help? Ten specialists available at this center.) NATIONAL RUN-AWAY SWITCHBOARD I l l inois Phone: 800-3~2-6004 (For confidential conversation on problems dealing with run-away children) MOVING HOTLINE Phone 800-424-9213 (Complaints about interestate moving by companies, buses or trains. Sponsored by Interstate Commerce commission) CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Phone 800-638-2666 (For questions or complaints on products ranging from toys to ovens) NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION Phone 800-424-9393 (Answers questions about automobile safety defects or whether a particular model has ever been recalled. Valuable for those interested in buying a used car) ILLINOIS DEPARTMENTOF^ CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES Child Abuse Center McHenry County (312 ) 546-2150* CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION 800-638-2666 (Operates five national lines. Answers inquiries about, or reporting on. the safety of products from kitchen appliances to children's toys) NATIONAL SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING INFORMATION CENTER 800-523-2929 P O Box 1607. Rockville. Md 20850 (Dispenses information on solar systems for heating and cooling to anyone from architects to home owners looking for a sun-powered hot-water system) CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION 312-793-3580 Chicago, 111. KIKIIIKK.HT I'rrgntiiU? Nml < ounot'lin^ Sertirr. .'iK.»-2V*W. 2 1-hour \n- «Hrriii|t SrniiT. YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU FOR McHENRY COUNTY 840 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock Phone: 338-7360 24-hour Crisis Intervention and Confidential Counseling for youth and families. Are you concerend about your angry feelings toward your children? 24-hour Parental Stress Line. 344-3944. ILLINOIS STATE CHAMBER HOTLINE Phone 217-522-5514 Answer to questions on government regulations. A PAUSE FOR POLITICAL HUMOR BY RONALI) RKAGAN As for Ralph Nader's crusade for automobile safety, Tyrrell remarks that apparently "Citizen Nader believes automobiles are meant to be run into concrete walls. His ideal auto would incorporate the characteristics of a Mer cedes Benz 450 SEL with those of a bulldozer." As this collection receives the prominent display it deserves in the bookstores of America, I imagine there will be plenty of nervous politicians who will flip frantically to the index to find out whether or not they have achieved the dubious status of one of Bob Tyrrell's "public nuisances." A different kind of book (but equally humorous) has been produced by the unusual literary team of former Sen. Eugene McCarthy and con servative columnist James J. Kilpatrick. In the preface, the authors explain that their project was born on a cold November night at Kilpatrick's home in Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains. The authors readily admit that bourbon played at least a small part in the con ception of their joint literary effort, "A Political Bestiary." Along with the indispensable artwork of political cartoonist Jeff MacNelly, McCarthy and Kilpatirck, who describe themselves as "political veterinarians," have created a witty book of satire on the language of government and bureaucracy. What they have done is to choose some 40 of the most common political and bureaucratic expressions and conceive each one as an animal. They describe each "animal" in a single page, while MacNelly offers a hilarious artist's rendition of the beast on the opposite page. The results are side-splitting. Among my personal favorites is the "Bloated Bureaucracy." described by our favorite "political veterinarians" as a fish with "serious digestive problems. The more it eats the more it wants; the more it want^the more it eats. The BB has a life span that ranges somewhere BeWeen the infinite and eternal." Other favorites are the "Mounting Crisis" and "Paradox -- or Pair of Doxes." If you want to stay up to date, on the subjects of political beasts and public nuisances, take a look at these two volumes. Then you can get back to inflation and energy tomorrow. May Weddings May was formerly con sidered an unlucky month for marriage. In fact, June became the month of mar riages because of the superstition about May. Therefore, when June came around, a backlog of waiting couples had been created, thus producing a two-month June crop. Because June is an ac cepted month of mar riages in the United States, and because so many graduations, high school and college, occur in late May or early June, June is--for the merchant -a big month. You Made It Attorney: "When I was young, my highest ambition was to be a pirate." Client: "Congratulations, you've succeeded." EARL R. WALSH & JACK WALSH INS. Fi re . Auto . Farm. L i te Represent ing RELIABLE COMPANIES 4410 W Rte 120 McHenry 385 3300 DENNIS CONWAY AUTO L IFE F IRE State Farm Ins. Co. 3319 W E lm St McHenry, I I I }>S 7111 DR. LEONARD B0TTARI 303 N Richmond Rd McHenry E yes examined Contact Lenses Glasses f i t ted Mon T ues Thurs .Fr i .46pm Tues . Thurs . F r i , 79pm Sat , 9 30 to 3 00 Ph 385 4151 or 385 2J63 McHENRY COUNTY OFFICE MACHINES SALES SERVICE & RENTALS Mon Sat» 5 30 F r iday t i l 9 00 93 Grant St . , Crys ta l Lake Ph 459 1226 McHenry Telephone Answering & Letter Service • Answering Service • Car Telephone & Paging Service • Complete Mimeographing & Printing Serivc*» • Typing & Photocopying ALTOPS Farm Equipment George P. Freund,Ine. Case - New Holland 4102 W. Crystal Lake Rd McHENRY Bus. 385-0420 Res. 385-0227 Ph. 385 0258 3932 W. Rt. 120, McHenry "GATEWAY TO YOUR FUTURE" CALL US (815) 385-4810 TmHjpnl M ^_W At our quic IIREUIT RADIAL TIRES FOR ALL CARS Europa Motors, Inc. 2318 Rte. 120 8 15-385-0700 quick-action copy center. FINEST QUALITY COPIES MADE ON XFR0X EQUIPMENT See us, also, for every kind of Printing Need!' 3909 W MAIN 385 7600 ( NEW TRAILERS used HILLSBORO ft OWNES DUMP-FLATBEDS-CAR HAULERS a Stidham Horse & Cattle Trailers L Plus A Compl*t* Lin* Of Brad*n Winch#* 5 ADAMS ENTERPRISES 3017W. Rt*. 120 McHENRY, ILL. S1S-3B5.S970 E { I