The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

I For Winter t All of the weather p forecasters are staring into [>. their crystal balls trying to n see if the midwest's winter of T *80 will be a repeat of the blizzard of *79. ;i When the damage was < added up, the insured losses ,< from, the January storm were estimated at $200 million in Illinois alone, according to some insurance industry sources. J If this year's weather i forecasts are correct, ac­ cording to the Insurance o Information institute, now is (the time to start ii preparing...not after the •j, first serious freeze or bliz- j. zard-like snowstorm. And remember, storms can strike with awesome swift- 0 ness. v If an automobile is necessary and vital to you despite adverse weather conditions, a thorough pre- winter check-up is a must. A checklist of "things to do" to put your car in first rate condition should include: - An engine tuning by a competent mechanic. - Checking the battery to be certain it is fully charged and ready for several weeks of cold starts. - An oil change before cold weather hits. You might want to consider purchasing a multigrade oil such as 10W- 40 for easier starts and better fuel economy. Checking the heating system for adequate anti­ freeze coolant in the radiator, and looking for loose fan belts and cracked h o s e s . ( A n t i - f r e e z e protection should be maintained at a minimum of -20 degrees Fahrenheit.) - Having properly inflated snow tires mounted im­ mediately. Make a close inspection of the amount of tread left on your tires; if the depth is less than 2-32 of an inch, you are not ready for winter. (One way to check the thickness is to place the top edge of a penny into the tread groove. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, the tires should be replaced.) The Institute also advises every motorist to anticipate emergencies. A winter survival kit in each car ought to include: - At least one pair of gloves (in case the driver has to do some "digging out.") 1 - Flares, matches and a flashlight (with fresh bat­ teries). - Battery jumper cables (which can be dangerous unless used properly). - Screwdriver aad ad­ justable pliers. - Heavy wool blanket and an ice scraper. - Rock salt, sand or gravel (to add weight to the rear of your car for traction and to pour under the tires if you are bogged down in snow). Two final suggestions: especially during the cold weather period, keep the gas | tank at least half full, and I wax your car once before the ! i really cold temperatures 1§ arrive in order to protect the finish until warm weather returns in the spring. Preparation at home is important, too. Remember most food distributors move their products via trucks, and if the storm closes the major highways, it could be several days before normal deliveries are resumed. Also, power lines are likely to be down, water pressure low or unavailable and telephone service cut off. The Institute realizes that conditions will be un­ comfortable for a while, but here are some suggestions that can at least put your mind at ease: - Have at least one flashlight in good condition, with extra batteries readily available. Also, stock a supply of matches and candles. - Check all transistor radios and maintain a supply of batteries. This may be your only link with the outside world at some point. - Stock a generous supply of drinking water and bottled soda and juices. Have extra canned goods and non- perishable foods on hand. Foods that can be eaten without cooking are especially important. - If you rely on medicines of any kind, make sure that an extra supply is on hand. In case of severe weather conditions, it may be dif­ ficult, if not impossible, to obtain a fresh supply. Should there be a loss of power, make sure that all appliances are shut off and Unplugged. Turn off all switches. - When a building's heat is turned off, water pipes may freeze and burst if preventive steps aren't taken. To avoid this, all water lines should be drained. Turn off the water at the point it enters the building. Then turn on the water faucet at the lowest point in order to drain the system. Keep valves and faucets open. Remain indoors. If you must go outside, wear several layers of clothing for the utmost warmth. Should you venture outside during a blizzard, use a lifeline of rope or cord. Finally, the Institute points out, remember that your entire community may have been affected and that it may take some time to return to normal. However, by following these suggestions and remaining patient, you should be reasonably comfortable until the emergency is en­ ded. LEGAL BMEK l - f i f l S f r Continfmt Fees Help Consumer Obtain Leial lastice By Theodore 1. Kotkoff President Association of Trial Lawyers of America In the United States, each individual has a Constitutional right to legal justice, or their day in court. However, at one time only wealthy and privi­ leged people could afford to resolve their disputes in court. But today, any person who is injured by someone else's carelessness or by a defective product can get high quality legal representation on a con­ tingent fee basis. Under the contingent fee arrangement, the lawyer is entitled to a fee only if he or she is successful .a the case and secures a monetary award for the client. The lawyer is then entitled to a set percentage of it. But if there is not a suc­ cessful settlement or verdict from a trial, the trial lawyer gets nothing in return for the time, ef­ fort and ex­ penses spent in preparing and trying the case. A lawyer's ex­ penses may T. I. Koskoff expert witnesses who will tes­ tify on complex medical and technical questions. The amount of the con­ tingent fee, between 25 and 40 percent and usuallji 33 1/2 percent, is determined in ad­ vance between the lawyer and the client and should always be written into their contract. In a case involving personal injury, the client has the option of hiring a lawyer on an hourly basis, usually at $76 -- $100 an hour or higher depending on the lawyer's experience and reputation, or on a contingent fee basis. Thus, for most people, the contingent fee arrangement is the best financially. However, contingent fees can not be used in all legal actions. They are not permit­ ted in criminal cases, divorce cases or legislative representa­ tive work. They are most often used in personal injury cases, certain business and estate disputes and tax matters. More and more a contin­ gent fee arrangement is being used in class action suits brought by a lawyer on be­ half of a group of people instead of just one individual. Modern technology has brought us a wealth of prod­ ucts and services to make our life easier and more comfort­ able. But our better standard of living has also brought us a proliferation of hazards and personal injuries. The possibility of legal ac­ tion helps encourage manufac­ turers to make safer products, to adequately inform con­ sumers of product dangers and to recall products to correct defects that can hurt people. Unhappily, people do get injured, and they are entitled to their day in court. For­ tunately, with a choice of hiring a lawyer on a contin­ gent fee basis, they know they can get the personal legal attention they need without the worry of financial ruin. And that is an essential consumer right. ARE YOU MOVING? Subscribers are requested to provide immediate notice of change of address to The McHenry Plaindealer, 3812 W. Elm St.. McHenry, IL. 60050. A deduction of one month from the expiration of a subscription will be made where a change of address is provided through the Post Office Department. "AGE S • PLAINDEALER • FRIDAY, DECEMBER f. lift WEEKEND CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Friend of Socrates f Colorado 11 Depress 12 badd film IS Subside MTonsorial service ISFrisbee, for one II Composer Bernstein II Ctech river 19 Ex-chess champion 21 Underlying 22 Conductor Queler 23 Vetch seed 24 "Rosebud," for one 25 Crude shelter 21 Of length 29 Suffix with Tyrol 30 Individual 31 Procreators 33 Abbott 3S Resin 37 Soothing word when repeated 39Escargot 40 Fencing move 41Savalas 42 Done DOWN 1 City map 2 Umber wolf 3 On a trip 4 Hanoi holiday SStrongarm term « Classify 7 Climb ILaogdgar 9 Etching artisan ITrinflrlarl lv rTOCKKG 17 Rhymester's adverb II Suffix with favor II Swiss dty T O D A Y * 8 A N I W I * • 11 k. 4 k* >. fcpfc.isn p,.v,ll.k it " e l frBt:; nisjtipifth h u l l P E t a l l e>.i! fciiaaciK wt'LVAi 21 Vascular a "Never plan the future by-": Burke 24 Minister's talk: abbr. II Friendless 31 Vandal 1 r- j-- k ! II 1} If The Grand Coulee Dam contains enough concrete to build a highway across the United States and back. Don't shed taars over the peeling of onions. Instead, peel (and slice) them under running water. TOP DECK Iuesday night • Beef Wellington 79s Wednesday night • Steak Diane 795 Thursday night - Pepper Steak 7'5 Friday night • Lobster Special 795 Saturday Night - PRIME RIB Queen • 75# King • 950 FRIDAY S SATURDAY NIGHTS 5 Delicious Homemade SOUPS Made To Order We will accommodate up to 50 people for Private Christmas Parties or Cocktail Parties with Hors d'oeuvres 1232 N. Green St.,McHenry385-9836 m Arrow CHEVELLA The elegant Outdoor Shirt This classically rugged yet refined plaid design looks handsome outdoors or indoors. Comfortable too, in a lightly brushed natural blend of 70% cotton, v 30% polyester fabric. Matched center pleat and pocket Long ileevei $16.00 - • - -fomCkiefl i»\» « OB spurgeons McHENRY MARKET PLACE McHENRY, ILLINOIS ttft-4100 DAILY 9-9 SAT. 9-6 SUN. 10-5 HOW TO M Hi •̂Pr Mf IMF Mr ELIMINATE •K Mi M xKW Hi Ml MR jflpwik Mt NMK Switch to a McHenry S avings N.O.W. Account No Minimum Balance. 0 Check No Monthly Service Charge 0 Check Telephone Transfer of Funds. 0 Check t -- • 5% Interest Bearing Savings Account 0 Check Worts Like A Check. 0 Check McHenry Savings m l * A N D L O A N A S S O C I A T I O N ^ ^ 1209 North Croon StrMt, McHenry 015/3(5-3000 10530 Main StrMt, Richmond 815/678-3061 10402 North Vino StrMt (Huntloy Center on Rout* 47), Huntley 312 669 3333 LOMV HOURS: Daily »:•« mm t. pm. Friday WioklM pm Saturday «:M mm to 190 pm. dejed McHUMY OMVi-UT WINDOW: Daily «:«0 .m to 5:M pm Wadiwtday 1:00 an «. 1M pm, Mday Ml en to BiSS pm, Saturday •:•# am to 1:M pm Deposits insured to *40,000 by the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corp. Mo HENRY SAVINGS » tilt Att9CIAII9l> When you sign up for N.O.W you get a FREE gift from our NOW TREASURE CHEST Do it NOW! fMtvjJiopIt fUpm ffthyi&pk! I