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TRENDS Thursday, September S, 1985 Section S Sweeping chimneys: A dirty Job which some people love to do By Steve Metach Herald staff writer There's more to being a chimney sweep than most people think. Seeing a sweep dance and sing across a rooftop like a soot-covered Dick Van Dyke in "Mary Poppins" would be a rare sight. • "' \ Yes, soot is still part of the job. But sweeps put in long, sometimes dangerous, hours performing an old craft, which some people believe has gone out of style. „ Sweeps don't often climb directly down into chimneys. They now use high- power vacuums, chemical solutions and even video cameras to improve their trade. Replacing those old images of chimney sweeps and educating people about their profession are goals of today's sweeps. "The big problem right now is educating people," said Tom Ryan of Royal Sweeps Ltd. in Carpentersville. "Fifty percent of people don't think It's necessary. Twenty percent are " aware and willing to do it. The res\ are unaware. "Seventy-five years ago, farmers used to clean their chimneys on a regular basis; that was one of their chores. Then oil came out and then gas. You toss a brush up there once every 30 years with gas. There's a new generation of people and they've forgotten," Ryan said. Steve JacksOn once knew as little about chimney sweeps as most people. While paging through a magazine four years ago, he discovered an advertise­ ment for the profession. Jackson & use a cle tected, it's warm, out of the rain and they have their babies on the smoke shelf. They shimmy down the flue tiles. We usually get a lot of calls in April. Last year, 1 took 48 or 50 out of fireplaces," Jackson said. Worm eggs in the raccoons' feces can lead to health problems. A small child may grab something near the hearth, put his hand in his mouth and swallow some eggs. "They can go directly through the bloodstream to the brain. There was one case last year when a child swallowed something like 3,000 eggs. They weht to his brain, there was brain damage and he died," Jackson said. Another problem is birds that sit on top of chim­ neys to rest. When the inevitable occurs, that debris might wind up on the hearth floor. Cleaning the fireplace area results in dusty clouds which, if the sweeper is not wearing a mask, can harm lungs. The disease, pnuemoplasmosis, kept one of Jackson's cohorts hospitalized for nine months. One way to avoid the animal problem is to Install a chimney cap. The cap covers the top of the chimney with spaces for smoke to escape. "I sell a lot of caps,"Jackson said. An advantage of a cap is keeping the rain out of the fireplace. The rain will mix with creosote and sent away for Information, got "hooked" and has become certified by the National Chimney Sweeps Guild. Besides trying to ex­ pand his growing business, The Village Sweep in West Dundee, Jackson preaches the sweeps' bible: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. "It depends on how often you use it (a fireplace). If you use it two to three times a week in the winter, October to late February or early "March, and burn well-seasoned wood, you should have the chimney In­ spected once a year. Better safe than sor­ ry," Jackson said. Each sweep has interesting tales of their trials and tribulations. Ryan recalled being called to a home where the children were becoming ill for no apparent reason. "I went there and noticed the chimney could but wasn't that dirty. But the guy had been wa&butnlna the old materials and new scraps in cyanide, glue, stuff like that. Treated wood Isn't good to burn. That'# |lke putting your couch in the middle of the floor and lighting it. I read them the riot act," Ryan said. He added that sparks can leap from an open fireplace and ickly Ignite today's carpets and furniture. Besides the obvious dangers of falling off roofs, sweeps face two other "big problems." "One is raccoons. They love to nest in fireplaces. They're real pro- form a lye which can rot the damper as well as release a foul smell. In pre-fabricated chimneys, the water rusts the inside of the fireplace, which is often made with low-grade steel. With September upon us, cool autumn nights aren't far off. This time of year brings out con­ cerned home owners by the dozen, and they all have one objective in mind: Get their chimneys cleaned. "Remember those cool nights we had last week? I had 25 calls in one day," Jackson said. The first question most callers ask regards prices. That always depends on the type of chimney in­ volved, what sort of jobs are required and countless other variables. One aspect of cleaning chimneys that doesn't change is the sweepers' main enemy, creosote. The residue from smoke collects on the inside of a chimney. As the smoke rises, it rapidly condensates. That condensation clings to the chimney, dries and hardens into creosote. Usually, it's a fine powder. But if it's allowed to collect unchecked, 4t develops into a sticky, black tar. Sometimes that hardens to an inch-thick, nearly glass-like material, which is difficult to remove. "Seventy percent (of all chimneys) can be cleaned completely from the inside. We put down a drop- doth, use high-powered vacuums and brushes at the end of flexible fiberglass rods. If it's a l3-by-l3 (inch) chimney, we use a 13-by-13 brush/' Jackson said. the price is a thorough inspection ol the "We just si know ted parts. [o on the roof and inspect. If someone on the ground and looks up, how can he t the inside looks like? He won't see if the tiles are cracked or not," Jackson said. He recalled a home owner who'd been told by another sweep that bird nests clogged the chimney. After a visit upstairs, Jackson found not nests but broken tiles. " SWEEPS -- Page 3B I Hospital offers more for Medicare Sherman Hospital In Elgin recent­ ly announced that it will offer an expanded program for Medicare pa­ tients, called ShermanCare 65 The new program offers inpatient and outpatient care to the Medicare card holder. Tnere are no applica­ tions to complete, nor waiting peri­ ods to join. ShermanCare 65 absorbs most hospital charges not paid by Medi­ care Parts A and B and supplemen­ tal insurance. Services not covered are those not included in Medicare's benefits package. The service features a seven-day- a-week chauffeur service free to am­ bulatory patients scheduled for treatment. Appointments are made by calling (312 ) 888-8920 before 5 p.m. the preceding day. The service is offered in Elgin and adjacent communities of Algonquin, Carpen­ tersville, East and West Dundee, South Elgin, Bartlett, Streamwood and Hanover Park. ShermanCare 65 also offers free Medicare counseling with an individ­ ual on hand to answer questions, in person or by telephone, and help with paperwork. * Other features of the program in­ clude annual nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian, free blood pressure screening anytime at Sherman Emergency or the Crystal Lake Ambutal and free television when a patient at Sherman Hospital. If a participant does not have sup­ plemental insurance, the Sherman­ Care 65 counselor will arrange a payment plan and offer advice. Those interested in ShermanCare 65 should call the special hotline number, (312) 888-8787, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for information. County board to meet Sept. 17 The next regular meeting of the McHenry County Board will be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the county courthouse, 2200 N. Seminary Ave. (Route 47 north) in Woodstock. Included on the agenda is the con­ sideration of the adoption of the An­ nual Appropriation Ordinance and Tax Levy for HfeHenry County, 1985- 86; and the selection of election judges for various precincts, for Ihe years 1986-87. Prairie Grove chief of considers running for police sheriff Charles A. Werth, police chief of the Village of Prairie Grove, states in a news release that he is consider­ ing running for McHenry County Sheriff in the Republican Primary Election. The election is slated for March 18,1986. Werth has formed an exploratory committee to study his possible candidacy. I Werth has lived in McHenry for almost 16 years with his wife, Joan, and 11-year-old son, "K.C.n t Recently, while serving as a vil­ lage trustee and law enforcement Chairman, Werth was involved with the successful annexation of McHen­ ry Shores by the City of McHenry. "With Sheriff Hank Nulle's appar­ ent retirement from office, I feel this could be an exciting and inter­ esting opportunity for a law enforce­ ment official such as myself," Werth stated. "To assess my candi­ dacy, I have formed an advisory committee to explore the possibility of throwing my hat into the ring," he continued. "The citizens of McHenry County deserve a professional sher­ iff that will be capable of handling the demands of a growing county and, with my business and adminis­ trator's background, I am seriously considering the race." * Werth has been the sales manager of Kramer Boat company in Fox Lake and an air traffic controller at O'Hare Airport. He currently is the owner-operator of the Shore Station in Island Lake. Werth served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He also is a member of the Mc­ Henry and Crystal Lake* Chambers of Commerce and a current board director for the McHenry Area Crime Stoppers. Werth belongs to the McHenry Moose and is a mem­ ber of Shepherd of the Hills Luther­ an Church. Charles A. Werth 'Y' offers fitness program The Lake Region YMCA is again offering the Special National YMCA Fitness program. The program's goal is to enhance the fitness level of men and women developing flexibility, strength and cardiovascular fitness. The program is being held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5:45 a.m., 6:30 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. New classes have been added on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:45 a.m. because of the popularity of the program. The cost per class is $9 for YMCA Activity Members, $18 for limited members and $36 for non-members. There is a discount for taking three classes per week. The sessions last eight weeks. Interested people may take the first week of classes free of charge. Home beautif ication topic of seminars PEOPLE TALK Author predicts Titanic bust Cllve Cussler's 1979 novel "Raise the Titanic!" was about a successful effort to raise the ocean liner, but he doesn't expect much from the discovery of the ship's wreckage off the Newfoundland coast. "If no one was willing to spend the money to raise either the Lusitania or the Andrea Doria -- both down in about 250 feet of water -- they certainly won't be bringing up a ship from 13,000 feet," he said. Cussler says salvagers shouldn't expect muqh in the way of jewels and riches. "It's generally a myth," he said. "People on board weren't stupid. The ship took two hours and 40 minutes to sink, so therefore there was plenty of time to retrieve valuables. There's only really one recorded instance where a woman left about $250,000 worth of jewelry behind." Penthouse paintings Penthouse publisher Bob Gucdone's collection of pictures includes more than just photos of a nude Madonna and Vanessa Williams. Art News magazine singled out Guccione for Ms collection of Impressionist worsts and Italian old masters and listed him among the 66 foremost art collectors of the 1980s. The "genuine" collector, the magazine says, "is in constant command of his collection, , seeking to refine it, perhaps moving into new area, keeping abreast of the market, visiting galleries and attending auctions." In addition to the old-monied collectors, the list includes New York publisher Malcolm Forbes, Los Angeles record producer David Geffen, pharmaceutical magnate Daniel Searie, and newspaper executives Samuel I. Newhouse Jr., Baron Lord Thomson and Joseph Pulitzer v .. Power of positive singing Rosemary Clooney, who will be performing this week at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Mass., says eight years of psychoanaly- sis have helped her singing. She says now she some wisdom that she would never have thought of in the '50s. It has been 17 years since Clooney suffered a nervous breakdown and the analysis helped evolve her singing into a hipper, more jazzy style. "After analysis you can be more free with almost everything you do," she said. "I have a kind of joy about singing that I haven't had for a long time." Also playing Cohasset with Clooney, who popularized "Tender­ ly," "Hey There" and "Come on-a My House, will be Artie Shaw Orchestra and singer Vic Damone. Return of Tanya Tucker * Country singer Tanya Tucker is back on the road after doing some soul-searching. "Life is like a bag of goodies," she says. "You pick out some things and throw away the rest." Tucker, who became a star at the age of 13 in 1972 with the song "Delta Dawn," is 26 and says she Is ready to get on with her career after thinking her life over in Nashville. "Basically, I was just trying to figure out what and who 1 want to believe in," Tucker, who has a new album on Capitol scheduled for fall release, said after a show in Webster, Mass "I've been trying to get it together and now there's> no holding back." Glimpses Two farm wives from the movies, Jessica Lange and 8issy Spaccfc, will be the mistresses of ceremonies at the Sept. 22 Farm Aid benefit concert. The Nashville Network will air all 12 hours of the concert 2$d MTV executive Les Garland says his network is considering airing parts of the show ... E. Howard Hunt, out promoting his latest suspense novel, "The Kremlin Conspiracy," served 33 months of a 35-month prison term for his role in Watergate and feels he wasn't treated fairly "I don't think Judge (John) Slrlcif liked the cut of my jib," he says. "Iwas not among the more craven oi the conspirators, if I do say so" ... V This autumn might be the time to beautify your home, all by yourself. The Community Education De­ partment of McHenry County Col­ lege is offering seminars which can get you started. The options range from the basics of wiring to putting up wallpaper and wfndow treat­ ments, to painting, flooring and bringing the look together with crafts, antiques, and dried and silk flowers. The Floor to Ceiling Store In Woodstock is the site of a series of one-night seminars to help you re­ decorate your home Individual ses­ sions are $5 each. The entire series costs $20. The subjects are: Wallpapering (Sept. 10), interior Paints (Sept. 24), Window Treatments (Oct. 8), Unify­ ing a Room with Color (Oct. 22) and Flooring (Nov. 5). They all meet on, Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m. A class on small electrical lobs around the house will be held on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at MCC. The fee Is $22. Another aspect of home beautlfl- cation to be considered is what you put in it. Two seminars on antiques will be offered this fall. One deals with learning how to choose antique coun­ try furniture and negotiate with dealers. The other centers on restor­ ing antique wood furniture. Both meet on Wednesdays, from 7-9 p.m. in Ridgefleld. The seminar on choos­ ing antiques is Sept. Jl-Oct. 2. The restoring session runs Oct. 9-30. Both cost $23. Learn how to make your own pro­ vider basket on Saturday, Oct. 12. The class, which meets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., costs $12 snd will be held st MCC. Dee Kelley will teach an autumn silk and dried flower workshop on Wednesday evenings In October The grotfb will meet 7-9:30 p.m. at MCC on Oct. 16,23 and 30. The fee Is $43. For more Information on these and other offerings of the MCC Com­ munity Education Department, con suit the September-October schedule of classes, seminars and workshops The MCC phone number is (815) 455- 3700. Registrstlon is In progress In Room 140 of the college's Main Hall Building at U.S. 14 and Lucas Road, between Woodstock and Crystal Lake. " Y sets classes for mother, baby The Lake Region YMCA Is offer­ ing an expanded schedule of pre and past-natal exercise classes. Pre natal exercise will be held on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 10:45.a.m. and Tuesday and Thurs­ day evening* at 7 p.m. Post natal classes will be held on Mondays at 10:45 for mother and baby. The classes will be taught by Wan da Hirchert, certified In the YMCA You and Me^Baby Program Signups are now taking place at the YMCA. Call (815) 459-4455 for more information INDEX/SECTION B Business/ Agri-Business.... 12B Classified 6B-11B Comics SB DearAbby 2B Opinion ;.... 4B Regional 1B,3B f HIoRTHWEBT nEWSPAPERS