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r V SECTION 2 - PAGE 8 - PLAIN DEALER - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13.1*78 I Not For Seniors Only Senior citizens have a lot of street sense When the elderly consumer leaves his home to shop he searches for and finds a bargain This column offers advice for using that same good sense when a salesman knocks on the front door Seasonal Danger A recent survey of Illinois Attorney General William J. Scott's Consumer Fraud and Protection division revealed that senior citizens get trapped most often by one of the more offensive con games known -- furnace repair schemes. A con artist wins the trust of the senior home owner and then abuses that confidence to the tune of thousands of dollars These fly-by-night operators are most active in the fall. The pattern of fraud unfolds step by step A disreputable furnace repair company must first gain access to the senior citizen's home. One way they get inside is to drop a misleading flyer in the mail box. It makes claims of free furnace inspection and discounted rates for furnace cleaning Usually a phone number, often an answering service, is given, but a business address is rarely listed Sometimes a fake computor card explains that the furnace manufacturer's records show that it is time for an annual inspection Occasionally the flyer states falsely that the company serviced the furnace for the previous owner. Or the flyer warns that the company needs to check the furnace for a gas leak. The senior citizen responds to the come-on and contracts the company for its services. Emergency. Emergency Once the senior citizen lets the furnace repair man into his home another series of deceits starts While alone a so-called engineer may draw a thin, pencil line on the inside of the furnace, or he may spill a pool of water near the furnace He then calls the homeowner to the scene and points to the "crack" or "leaking fluid" as proof of an emergency situation He may claim that the furnace is unrepairable by taking it apart and replacing the good parts with rusted parts he has carried to the basement He threatens the home owner with untrue statements such as' "the furnace is releasing deadly fumes", or "about to blow up". Always the need for service is described as urgent Believing the frightening stories the senior citizen submits unknowingly to the next trick Act Now Insisting that the repairs must be done immediately, the con man convinces the home owner to agree right now Most often the contract prepared has blank spaces, no specific description of the work to be done, no start or finish dates, no business address and a hand written order to remove the furnace as "junk". Now the real disaster occurs. The unsuspecting home owner signs the contract without reading it, without un­ derstanding it and without comparing prices. Often the cost is much greater than the rate a reputable firm would charge The so-called repair man explains that to do the work right away he needs a cash payment in advance. This is usually a large sum. He asks the home owner if he has a saving account. Sometimes the con man drives the home owner to the bank to withdraw over a thousand dollars. The last step is obviouk The repair man disappears with the home owner's money and his furnace, which will be iunked Attorney General Scott's Division of Consumer Fraud and Protection receives many complaints from the victims of furnace repair schemes. Some complaints involve losses of $10,000 or more. The victims tell of additional threats such as "your chimney will collapse and injure a passer-by", and other misrepresentations such as, "I noticed that your roof is thin". Good Advice Attorney General Scott asks all home owners who are planning on preparing their furnaces for the winter months to follow these common sense guidelines: - Do business with a company that is established, check with the Better Business Bureau, the local Village Hall. - Find at least two people who have recently received good workmanship and service from the company. - Compare furnace and in­ stallation fees with the rates charged by retail stores. - Call the utility company if you fear a gas leak. - Never be confused, rushed or frightened into signing an agreement. - Never sign a written form you oon't understand. - Never allow a repairman to dismantle or remove your furnace without getting a second opinion. - Never discuss your bank accounts or savings with a salesman. - Never agree to be driven to the bank by a salesman. Finally, write to Attorney General Scott's Divsion of Consumer Fraud about a salesman using the tactis described in this article, and call your local police depart­ ment. Respect the child. Be not too much his parent. Trespass not on his solitude. -R.W. Emerson. ^educational [ College Honors Rlek Talbott Counselor In BradUy Program Rich Talbott, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bachne of 921 Draper road, McHenry, has been selected as a counselor in the Financial Aid Student Representative program at Bradley university in Peoria. Rich, a sophomore majoring in International Studies, is one of nine students selected to work with the Financial Aid office at the university as a peer counselor for students desiring information and assistance in making ap­ plication for aid. EDUCATION SURVEY A sample of households in this area will take part in an annual survey on education to be taken the week of Oct. 16-20 by the Bureau of the Census Stanely D. Moore, director of the Bureau's Regional office in Chicago, says that interviewers will visit homes to obtain in­ formation about current school enrollment at all levels from nursery school through college Babep Buick In Fox Lake is a THE NEW 79 S THEY OFFICIALLY ARRIVE SEPT. 28 We're Offering The Remaining New '78's At Lowest Prices Iver 78 D EXECUTIVE CENTURY SPECIAL NO 1402 I door sedan, .nr condit tinning. power sUcrinu power brakes, automatic transmission, vinvl sports f. steel be I ted radial white stripe tires, radi protective bodv moldings pin striping, tinted glass, remote control mirror, plus SAVh $$$ REGAL - TURBO CHARGE D NO 1665 I .H I I I til. Kll's l ransniission. ring, pou ndilioiunr vstem. sport lesigner's accent Kallve sieering l« signer's sport 1 i.iI white strip* Mini ts suspcnsi in.it pirn mm liiEa tis mmm& sp«cial lull n i»lu in si r ii 11 m in AVI $1 I 'M SAVR A rart WORTH PIUS ... EXCELLINT •TO BUY-I I '<77 < M .nSMO Hll.t ( utlass < oupc \utoin.itir transmis­ sion, power steering & l.rak. s. 1**77 PON I I A< <irand Prix ( nu|ii \ir conditioning. tw I ' !7»> 11 \ rst; N I 'M k I l> I ru< k. long wheel base, auloma I r.iiisinission 1 *• 7 » < I IKVKOI.K' I I III pala l ust - au Ionian transin ISSIOII. p • I I I ) it brakes 1 9 7 ^ H L M k S k v lark ( "nverllbl ndili.ned, full power mint condi­ tion IH7.1 HUH K I In- Ira I.muled 4 l» Hardtop, full power x t r a c l e a n . i ih lar" Test Drive the Super Stars of the '79 Buick Team and while you re here ask for details about your Officially Licensed NFL Super Star Action Poster WE'LL Bf A A H i & U t € K SERVICE BODY SHOP NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY FREE ESTIMATES BEAT THE RUSH SAVE ON F A L L / W I N f i 8 SPECIALS MON. --THRU FRI. 9 A.M. TO 9 P.M. SAT. -9 TO 5 SUN-NOON TO 5 Babep Quick 91 S. RT. 12, FOX LAKE 312/587-2555 99 ? # 'S FARM BUREAU BOARD GATHERS--All seventeen members of the McHenry County Farm Bureau board of directors gather following the organization meeting last month. From left, front, are Henry Boi, Seneca; Don Cash, treasurer, Chemung; Elmer Hill. Coral, vice-president; Don Laerssen, Alden. president; David Gardner. Richmond, secretary; William Ruth.Grafton and Tom Deneen, Marengo; In back, Ella Martin, chairman of the Farm Bureau Women's committee, Marengo, ex officio board member; Roger Wotkening, Riley; Charles Beard, Greenwood; Dennis Dledrlch, Burton; Alan ftwanson, Dorr; Edwin Meier, Algonquin; Melvin Von Bergen. Hebron; Keith Weingart. McHenry; EdGourley, Hartland; William Olbrich, Dunham, and Clarence Adams, Nunda. Don Peasley Photography) YOU AND YOUR PET •v HotwMt i Itaat, 0 V M Mstt«|ef of Veterinary Service* Nottton LatooretoriM "Passive Smoking" Decreases Longevity GROOMINt; YOUR IIORKK Grooming your horse provides a number of benefits besides a good-looking mount. Brushing stimulates cir­ culation, distributes oil from glands under the skin, and maintains muscle tone. It also gives you a chance to get to know your horse a little better. Properly done, a good grooming job takes at least a half hour, and is hard work. For a novice, the tendency is to start with the back and sides and work down toward the feet. Unfortunately, by the time the feet have been reached, fatigue may have set in and the temp­ tation becomes great to rush to finish the job. This can be a costly error; foot trouble in a horse can be an expensive illness to correct. So begin grooming with the feet while you're fresh To start, face your horse, lean your shoulder against his left side, and push against him. The pressure will become a cue for him to pick up his foot. Until he gets the idea, slide your hand down the leg and pull up the hoof Hold the hoof at the level of your knee and use a pick (a special pointed tool) to dig out all foreign matter until the entire sole becomes visible. Each hoof should be carefully cleaned so there is no debris to bruise the "frog", the soft undersurface of the hoof. As you work, check for a foul odor or flaking of the frog These are signs of thrush, a condition that develops after a horse stands in a damp, dirty stall or muddy pasture for a long time A horse with an undetected case of thrush will rapidly go lame and need veterinary attention After you finish the horse's feet, gather together the basic tools you will need for grooming the body: currycomb, dandy brushes, sponges and toweling. Th/e long term inhalation of cigarette smoke by the non- amoker (passive smoking) appears to produce a noticeable decrease in longevity for the rum-smoker, according to a recent study by Dr. G.H. Miller, director of studies on Smoking and assistant director of Institutional Research at Edi\nboro State college in Edimboro. Pa. This study is reported in the September issue of the Journal of Breathing, published by the Illinois Lung association The study deals with an analysis of non-smoking women who died in Erie county. Pa., during the years 1972 through 1975 In order to determine the relative impact of passive smoking on the non- smoker, the women were separated into two groups: Wives whose husbands smoked cigarettes for three or more decades and wives whose husbands never smoked. The analysis of the longevity of these two groups showed that the non-smoking women whose husbands did not smoke lived four years longer than those whose husbands did smoke cigarettes. Dr. Miller attributes this difference in longevity to the increased pollution of the wife's household environment brought about by the cigarette smoke that contains high concentrations of deadly gases and tars Since research has shown that low concentrations of carbon monoxide exposure for long periods of time can be detrimental to the health and that the tars produced by burning cigarettes are car­ cinogenic. cigarette smoke which contains these ingredients can be harmful to one's health In addition to the carbon monoxide and tars in cigarette smoke, the wives are also exposed to such harmful components as hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen dioxide The study was originally started in May, 1974, based on a grant from No Other World, an environmental organization, and partial support was provided • by health organizations. Over 8,000 interviews were completed by the director of the study and the volunteer in­ terviewers. The director collected approximately 60 percent of the interviews from May. 1973, to May. 1974 Dr. Miller is presently a board member of the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health and has been active in providing Stop Smoking clinics in the Erie, Pa., area. The currycomb is used to loosen and remove dirt from the horse's coat. Start behind the ears at the left side (usually called the "near" side) and move the currycomb against the lay of the hair to bring the dirt to the surface Progress down the neck and toward the tail until most of the coat is free of dirt Pay special attention to areas where riding tack rubs against the skin *- behind the ears, the middle back, the middle belly and between the front legs. For tender areas like the face, rear belly and legs below the knee, a softer brush < the dandy brush) is necessary A stiff dandy brush can also be used to smooth out the. mane and tail. After you have gone over the entire skin surface with a dandy brush again to remove any soil left behind, spread the skin's natural oil through the hair with a soft clean towel Last, wipe around the eyes and nose with a small damp sponge Use a second sponge to wipe down the dock, or area at the base of the tail Insurance llearlings--The Illinois Department of In­ surance will hold three public hearings in October regarding health coverage for senior citizens Seniors,organizations for the elderly, friends and families are encouraged to testify about any abuses or problems regarding Medicare supplement coverage or other insurance coverage designed for the .senior citizen To register for the Chicago hearings on Oct 16 and 17, call 312 793-2423; to register for the Oct 20 hearing scheduled for Springfield, call 217 782-3824 SEE MILLSTREAM uni»n FOR YOUR McHenry's Headquarters for Complete Repairs on Domestic & Foreign Cars •TUNE-UPS •BRAKES •TRANSMISSIONS It takes real pros to do any auto service job ef­ ficiently and effectively. Why settle for anything less? Our car mechan­ ics are the best in the business . . . and our rates? . . . Reasonable! 10% DISCOUNT TO SENIOR CITIZENS 3702 W. ELM McHENRY, ILLINOIS •MAJOR & MINOR REPAIRS •MECHANIC ON DUTY 7 DAYS (815)344-2510