Thursday November 24, 2011

“Let us dare to, read, think, speak and write.” - John Adams, 1765 Thursday November 24, 2011

e h T Weekly Reporter

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Dr. Cuts Prisoner Medication To Save His Company Money Privatizing Inmate Medical Care May Save State Money - Does it Deprive Inmates of Medical Care?

The state of Illinois is deep in debt. Legislators have searched for many ways to save tax dollars and to pay off Illinois’ unpaid bills. That opened the door for Wexford Health care of Pennsylvania to warm up to Illinois officials.

Wexford sought a contract to provide healthcare to Illinois prison inmates. Some of their qualifications were not entirely up to par but that made no difference.

On March 9, 2004 John O’Connor of the Associated Press authored an article concerning Wexford and $204 million in contracts it was awarded by the Blagojevich administration despite its qualifications. Suspiciously Wexford was a generous contributor to the Blagojevich campaign war chest. Campaign contributions can work wonders in Illinois.

Wexford was not the first private company to provide inmate medical care in Illinois. They beat out Addus HealthCare Professionals, Ltd. of Addison, IL who had been providing medical treatment to inmates in 5 prisons. It is noteworthy that Addus had contributed $2,000 to former Governor Rod Blagojevich while Wexford divvyed up a

a tidy $10,000 contribution and received two hundred million dollars in contracts.

Another firm, Health Professionals of Peoria, IL lost contracts for 6 prisons it had been servicing.

The process from its inception seemed sleazy at best.

Richard Strom The Wexford firm provides medical care for inmates in six states and is no newcomer to lawsuits. That phraseology is employed because it certainly seems they are headed toward another lawsuit in addition to pending litigation.

Before continuing it is necessary to provide more background to the readers.

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PATLAK HOLDS APPEALS MEETING

During the meeting, held at the Lemont Township Community Center in Lemont, Patlak did point a finger at “the Assessor” twio times concerning high property taxes but Assessor Ken Jacobowski did not respond.

Commissioner Patlak emphasized the importance of filing an appeal if it appears that similar nearby properties are being taxed at a lower rate than your property is.He explained how to search for properties whose description for tax purposes is most like your own.

“Last year 70% of taxpayers who filed with my office received some relief.” He noted that his staff has tall stacks of files on their desks awaiting attention; Go to Page 4

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Dan Patlak of Wheeling hosted a meeting Monday November 21st to assist property owners in filing tax appeals. Lemont Township Assessor Ken Jacobowski was onboard to answer questions concerning property assessments.

In an hour an ten-minute long presentation that culminated with a question and answer session, Patlak outlined the basics of filing a tax appeal with the Cook County Board of Review. He offered suggestions for accumulating evidence to support a claim that a property is being taxed at an improper rate and outlined how to organize it for submission to his office.

In a pre-meeting interview Commissioner Patlak was asked what he can do to reduce the property tax in Cook County; Patlak responded, “There’s nothing I can do, my responsibilities are limited to tax appeals.”

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Peanut Butter Recall Issued by U.S. Food and Drug Administration

State Representative McAsey to Host R16;Grow Your BusinessR21; Event

The J.M. Smucker Company ROMEOVILLE, IL Continuing her work to help Announces a Limited Voluntary Recall on local businesses grow and create job opportunities, state Two Specific Best-If-Used-By Dates of Rep Emily McAsey will be joined by representatives from 16 oz. Smucker’s® Natural Peanut the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Butter Chunky Due to Possible Health (DCEO) for a R20;Grow Your Risk BusinessR21; workshop on Wednesday, November 30 at 11:30 a.m. at the Romeoville The J.M. Smucker Company today announced a Village Hall located at 1050 limited voluntary recall on two specific Best-If-Used-By West Romeoville Road. dates of 16 oz. Smucker’s® Natural Peanut Butter R20;Since taking office, I Chunky because it may be contaminated with Salmonella, have maintained a strong focus on an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal helping local businesses infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Rep. Emily McAsey succeed,R21; McAsey said. R20, in addition to fighting against tax The affected product, which is packaged in 16 oz. jars, and fee increases that make it harder to do business in is as follows; Illinois, I am working to raise awareness of incentives and support programs that can help local businesses grow.R21; UPC: 5150001701 (located on the side of the jar’s For more information, please contact Rep. label below the bar code.

McAseyR17;s constituent service office at (815) 372Production codes: 1307004 and 1308004 0085.

Best-If-Used-By dates: August 3, 201 and August 4, 2012.

Chunky Product only (not creamy) Impacted product would have been purchased between November 8-17, 2011

FBI ASKS YOUR HELP Anyone having information to assist the FBI in the capture of an armed man who robbed the Illiana Financial Credit Union, 1163 East Ogden, Naperville State: IL on November 19, 2011 is asked to contact the FBI at: FBI

Chicago 312-421-6700.

No other products of the J.M. Smucker Company are affected by this recall.

No illnesses related to this issue have been reported and the product is being recalled out of an abundance of caution for consumer safety.

Consumers who have purchased Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky with the above Production Code and Best-If-Used-By dates are urged to discard the product immediately and call the company at 1-888-550-9555 for a replacement coupon.

Learn more about this recall from the Food and Drug Administration.

Contact Us Just Click Your Choice Editor@theweeklyreporter.com jgabriel@theweeklyreporter.com Lindsey@theweeklyreporter.com Or Visit Our Blog www.theweeklyreporter.com/Blog We thank you for your interest

BRAIN TEASER A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat

The Weekly Reporter

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Continued from page 1 -

This story began with a telephone call from Richard Strom of Romeoville, IL. His son Ricky was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty (at the suggestion of an attorney who apparently failed to interview a single witness and who conducted no verifiable investigation in the case.) The attorney did, however, collect thousands of dollars while not putting on even a feeble defense.

Ricky was accused of having sex with an underage girl who had presented herself on Facebook as a 34 year old female. Ricky, of course, knew she was not 34 yrs old but he did believe she was 18 or more.

Some officers of the Romeoville, IL police department did not like Ricky and Sergeant Christopher Burne of that department Mr. Strom allegedly told the elder Strom that his son would end up in prison. Why? Because some years before Richard Strom while working as a doorman at a Gentleman’s club in Romeoville, IL reported another police officer Jeffery Gifford for repeatedly hanging out at that club while he was on duty.

Gifford was suspended for 28 days as a result of that action. That was the beginning of a long nightmare for the Strom family which involved what seemed to him like constant and intense police surveillance and accusations against his son and himself.

On one occasion policemen forced their way into the Strom home injuring Ricky’s grandmother. There was the illegal search of Strom’s vehicle and on and on. A number of articles in the Weekly Reporter detailed the events time and time again.

Then the break came the police had apparently hoped for over the years. Ricky Strom had been having an affair with a girl who not only became pregnant but who turned out to be underage. It was a case a first year law student might have won.

Sadly, there are lazy, incompetent attorneys out there who find it easy to make big money not by fighting cases

vigorously, not by challenging the court system, but by cow towing to the State’s Attorney time and time again. Selling out clients is a big business in Illinois Courts for people with licenses to practice law but who have no professional legal talent.

Unfortunately, Ricky Strom, who was guilty of doing nothing more than Levi Johnston did when he got 17 year old Bristol Palin pregnant was about to become the victim of vengeance and incompetence.

The difference between Ricky Strom and Levi Johnston is that Senator John McCain Ricky Strom (R-AZ) made Johnston a national hero before a national audience, apparently disregarding the fact that Bristol was minor at the time. The entire Republican Party cheered for Levi Johnston. Sensible people thought he should be in jail while others put party loyalty ahead of commonsense. They idolized him. Levi was championed for impregnating a minor while Ricky Strom was imprisoned for having sex with a girl who lied to him about her age.

There is another important difference. Ricky Strom, a nice, well-mannered boy also has a bi-polar condition.

Ricky needs daily medication in order to function normally.

Without such medication he may suffer severe changes in his personality and seizures.

After a time in prison Ricky was receiving medication that allowed him to be himself. He wanted to “get out” get a job and begin over again. He began attending classes to work toward getting his GED diploma. He had experienced some rough times when he entered the correctional system because he was not receiving proper medication and because of his behavior was transferred to a different institution. But once Ricky was provided with the proper medicine he returned to being himself.

Then a new person entered Ricky’s life a prison doctor named Koko Soberekon who graduated from a medical school in Nigeria and later studied at the University of Illinois to be able to practice in the U.S. It was the dawning of a new nightmare.

Next week, it’s time to save money for Wexford.

The Weekly Reporter

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CAN THIS BE FOR REAL?

by John Gabriel - Award winning writer

No doubt, former Romeoville Mayor Fred Dewalt has slept much more soundly since he has not been under the close scrutiny of The Weekly Reporter.

In a long series of articles dating back to 2006 we tracked Dewalt’s spending habits and use of his Romeoville issued and Romeoville paid for credit card.

It was reported how he spent village funds for social events in Chicago that cost over a $1,000 for a night in a Fred Dewalt - file photo Chicago tavern. We also reported on how he was paid by the Valley View District 365 school district for days when he did not work but on which he was in Las Vegas presumably on Village business.

He was employed as a mechanic/supervisor fulltime.

Dewalt was tripped-up by submitting a request for mileage reimbursement for ribbon cuttings and other local events when credit card records proved he was in Las Vegas.

When the school board learned that he was being paid for those same days and that he was pretending to have been at work at the local school bus barn on those same days he was compelled to resign his position there.

Dewalt was a part-time mayor. That position has since been made a fulltime job although it remains questionable whether or not that is actually necessary.

His stint as mayor ended abruptly in 2008 when he resigned his position as mayor. By that time he was under investigation by federal authorities. No charges were ever brought against him although both the FBI and the IRS conducted separate inquiries.

Then there was the matter of concrete contractor Richard Rolnik. His company was given large contracts to repair sidewalks and curbs within Romeoville. In many cases the concrete he poured became defective within short

APPEALS - Continued from 1 he quickly reassured the audience that all appeals are handled efficiently and as quickly as possible.

In closing the meeting Patlak called attention to the fact that December 7th is the deadline for filing an appeal. It is also possible to file an appeal on line and afterward mail in supporting documentation such as photos or lists of “comparables”. Comparables were described as properties, very like one a person believes is being taxed at a rate higher than it should be, but that are paying lower taxes.

Taxpayers may be able to qualify for a number of exemptions that will reduce the property tax. Those exemptions include exemptions for Seniors to Returning Veterans. Exemptions applications are available on line at www.CookCountyAssessor.com/Exemptions.aspx.Those who have questions concerning the appeals process should contact Commissioner Patlak’s office on line at: www.cookcountyboardofreview,com Rolnik came forward and talked with The Weekly Reporter and his wife made some serious allegations concerning golf course meetings between Dewalt and her husband. She and Rolnik were in a divorce at that time.

Then there were the almost daily stops at Branmor’s American Grill in Bolingbrook with Dewalt’s close friend and ally Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar. Again the taxpayers were on the hook for the flood of dollars also paid for by unsuspecting taxpayers.

When Dewalt finally felt the heat and resigned as mayor he had a favorite son groomed and ready to take over as mayor. His prodigy now Mayor John Noak was appointed by a divided board of trustees that after much wheeling and dealing agreed to make him the mayor. Noak won in the next mayoral election despite being faced with three challengers.

Now it is rumored that a slimmer, Fred Dewalt may be preparing to challenge his own poster child in the next race for mayor. While there is not yet any solid confirmation that he will run it appears that Fred Dewalt is just egotistical enough to dare to defy his dirty history and ask the people to put him back in office.

If he chooses to run we will be there reminding everyone of his past DUI, road rage conviction, and financial misgivings while he was in office.

The Weekly Reporter

PRESERVE

By John Gabriel Award Winning Writer

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be capable of ruling themselves rather than being mere The state of Indiana has decided that it may not be robots capable not of independent thought but only able to necessary for schools to teach students cursive handwriting. manipulate a machine developed by people who have solid The argument for discontinuing teaching cursive suggests that educations; probably people from other countries. it is more important for youngsters to know how to use a We are treading in dangerous waters when we choose keyboard skillfully. Such a decision is astonishing to say the to abandon basic education in favor of rushing forward into a least. world that requires no imagination, no individual capacity.

We are rapidly losing sight of what it takes to make an Many children have all ready been deprived of the fun of individual intelligent. It seems we are intent on creating a being a child by adults wishing to push them into premature race of automatons who have limited skills, limited adulthood. Twelve-year old girls who once played with dolls imagination if any, and only a superficial knowledge in a field and dollhouses now frequently engage in sex and often bear of endeavor. children while they are yet juveniles themselves.

Parents ought to be up in arms demanding that such skills Forty years ago few people were interested in not be dropped from curriculums. If such we continue on a computers fewer were interested in building or repairing one. path of easy teaching and even easier learning we are going If someone chose to build one and if it had a problem there to develop into a nation in which a few people have the was no one to turn to for help to repair it; you were on your intelligence to actually create anything while the majority is a own. populace of people only able to follow instructions, and, Some years before, in 1950, my high school shop able to perform only rote procedures that do not require teacher recognized that I had a natural proclivity for intellect or imagination. electronics and electricity. He suggested that I study radio by The majority will be intellectual slaves to the few who are purchasing a course from a company so I could learn more actually able to exercise the brainpower and skills needed to than was possible to learn in our school electric shop class. perform at a level above simplicity.

That suggestion proved to be incalculably valuable to Technology and scientific advancement are important to me for I would spend most of my adult life doing repairs in the development of mankind but in the course of the electronics field. It eventually caused me to leave a good technologically improving the world we ought not job to open my own television and radio repair company. discontinue teaching the fundamentals that have brought us Eventually my company had 8 very skillful technicians to such an advanced level of development. repairing television sets and radios and one other who Consider that the automobile, our great factories of the repaired only automobile radios. past, giant locomotives, the telegraph, telephone, radio, We made those repairs using a host of electronic test television, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, equipment. Such a repair generally began by using our the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam and on and on and experience to delve into one of the circuits that made the unit on were created by skilled engineers using slide rules and operate. We would then use a variety of testing methods to their brains. isolate the problem to a single part or parts within that We might do well to keep students away from particular circuit. And yes, we used math ‌ not using a computers until they enter high school. They could then calculator but rather a pencil and paper; frequently it was concentrate on developing their brain power not computing done in our heads.

(Continued on 10 - click) skills. People who can think for themselves will most likely

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HEADS UP ON FINANCE

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Buying a fixer-upper?

How to make the most of your remodel

(ARA) - With home prices and interest rates still low across the country, and inventories high, it's a great time to be in the market for a fixer-upper. By buying a house that needs some work, you can achieve your dream home for less than you would probably pay for a move-in-ready abode.

To ensure you're making the most of your investment, however, it pays to take a look at your credit before you buy and begin your remodel. You'll not only need credit to cover the purchase price of the house, but you'll need it for renovation expenses as well.

The first step you should take in your bid to buy a fixer-upper is to check your credit report and score.

Websites like www.creditreport.com can help you understand your credit. Understanding your credit will help you know whether or not you can afford to buy a house that needs work and if you'll be able to pay for the needed renovations.

You should also carefully research what your options are for financing your remodel. Learn what your options are, from traditional fixed mortgages to home equity lines of credit, and decide before you buy which type of financing will be best for you. Getting a handle on your financing before you buy can help ensure you stay on budget when you're in the middle of renovations.

When you've got a clear picture of your credit status and financing options, you can start looking at fixer-uppers.

When you find a good prospect, have your remodeling contractor walk through the house with you so he can give you a rough estimate of what needs to be done and how much the work will cost.

If you're buying a house that's in basically good condition but just looks dated, you'll have to make some decisions about where to invest your money. Focus on improvements that will not only look good, but will also enhance the value of your home. Resources like Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value report can give you

Courtesy of ARA Content a good idea of how much of your original investment you'll recoup on different remodeling projects at the time of resale.

Once you've signed all the paperwork and the house is yours, it's time to get to work. If you're handy, you may be able to save money by doing some of the renovation work yourself. Projects like painting, adding crown molding and even putting down new flooring are well within the skills of most do-it-yourselfers. More complex projects like drywall, plumbing or electrical work may be best left to professionals.

Whether you do the work yourself, or hire contractors, you'll need to carefully manage all aspects of the renovation to ensure your remodel stays on budget. The excitement of remodeling a house into your dream home can make it easy to get carried away on spending. Keep in mind that remodeling estimates are just that - an estimate. The final tab is rarely exactly what your contractor predicted it would be. Build in at least 10 percent extra to cover emergency overruns, and avoid making any unnecessary changes to the plans while the project is underway.

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For Seniors Only Kennyholmes@theweeklyreporter.com

How the right home updates help (ARA) - Whether you are a senior yourself, or have a loved one who is older, living independently in the home is a priority. With the right precautions and a few necessary safety modifications, many seniors can continue to thrive in their own homes.

The room that poses the most danger to seniors is the bathroom. The potential for slips and falls is greater in this part of the home - 75 percent of fall injuries occur in the bathroom -- making it a good place to focus your renovation energy.

Have you considered updating these parts of the bathroom?

Flooring: Hard floors are a hazard because even a small amount of moisture can make them very slick. Many people choose to install carpet because it does not lift or move like rugs can, plus it is warmer to walk on and softer if there is a fall.

Bathtub: Walk-in baths and showers like the ones from Premier Care In Bathing are great for seniors who want to take baths or showers but don't want to risk slipping and falling when stepping over the side of a tub or entering the shower. Look for features like a walk-in door, a powered bath lift, soothing hydrovescent therapy and easy-to-turn faucets.

Higher toilet: These types of toilets sit higher off the floor so that users don't have to bend their knees as much to get up and down.

Good lighting: To help seniors see better, it's important to have well-lit rooms and walkways so that it's easy to get around all areas of the house, including the bathroom.

Now that you have a good idea of what types of things should be replaced to help keep seniors safe, it's time to find the right company who can make the renovation process simple. It's easy to get lost in the sea of options available, so here are some tips to help you find the right one for you.

Tip 1: Good reputation Reputation means everything when picking out a company that specializes in bathroom updates for seniors.

How long has the company been in business? What is their reputation? Can they provide you with references you can contact?

Tip 2: Quality products A good bathroom renovation is an investment, and that's why you want a product that works well and is long lasting. After going through a rigorous testing process, Premier Care walk-in baths and easy-access showers were commended as being easier to use and more accessible for people with arthritis by the Arthritis Foundation. These are the first baths and showers to ever receive this prestigious commendation. The company is also recognized as the official specialty bathing partner for AMVETS, the non-profit organization for American Veterans.

Tip 3: Free estimate Avoid any company who will not send you educational materials such as brochures to review prior to purchase. Also avoid any company who will not come to your home to give you a free estimate on the cost of the renovation. An accurate cost estimate is impossible without seeing a bathroom in person. Premier Care always offers free in home consultations so you can ask questions, get a personalized estimate and a recommendation on the (Continued on page 10) - click

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with a homemade recipe booklet you've created to commemorate your party. Ask for participants' recipes in advance so you can prepare.

(ARA) - 'Tis the season for delicious treats and festive gatherings. The fun of baking, sharing recipes and getting together for holiday parties, such as a cookie exchange, are what make the season extra special.

Inspired by their more than 40 years of collective baking and entertaining experience, Hershey's Kitchens Linda Stahl and Betty Crocker Kitchens Kristen Olson will share advice through a weekly blog on FavoriteCookies.com as well as provide recipes, cookie exchange tips and give holiday hosts the chance to share recipes and photos with each other.

For those looking to create the ultimate cookie exchange, Stahl and Olson offer the following tips to turn any party into a sweet success: * Invite guests at least two weeks in advance and ask each guest to RSVP with the recipe they plan to make to avoid duplicates. * Ask each guest to bring at least a half dozen cookies for each person attending the party. * Encourage participants to bring an empty, sealable container to take home goodies, along with copies of their recipe to share. Be sure to have extra bags or containers on hand for guests to transport cookies home. * Make it personal - showcase the cookies in a decorative arrangement and ask each participant to introduce themselves and explain why they chose their recipe and what ingredients they used. * Be sure to offer refreshments, such as seasonal beverages, but keep it simple so the cookies are the stars of the show. * Send guests home with a goodie bag filled

Can't decide what holiday cookie you should make as the host? Try the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Peanut Butter Blossoms Makes about three dozen cookies Ingredients: 36 Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates 1 pouch Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon water 1 egg Granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Stir cookie mix, oil, water, and egg in a medium bowl until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake eight to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

For more recipes, tips and ideas for hosting a cookie exchange, visit www.FavoriteCookies.com.

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The perfect balance: Your healthy lifestyle benefits your pet, too

Courtesy ARA Content

(ARA) - The connection between pets and owners is hard to quantify, but for many pet owners it comes down to wanting their dog to live as good a life as they, themselves, are living.

To help you make sure you're giving your dog the very best in life, think of it as sharing a lifestyle - what's good for you is also good for your dog. If you're a couch potato, it's likely that your dog will be as well. If you stay healthy and active, then your dog will have reason be healthy and active along with you. After all, they were born to play.

To give yourself and Fido a healthy-living makeover, start with these tips. * Boost nutrition: We've long known the benefits of healthy eating, but convenience foods and mass-produced meals have made it easier to be lax about eating fresh foods that are beneficial to the body. Consider remodeling your refrigerator with foods that are good for you like local produce or fresh chicken from farms in your area. While the farmers market isn't the most plausible place to get dog food, you can choose foods made from high-quality ingredients that meet all of your dog's nutritive needs. Nutro Ultra food for dogs combines the perfect blend of nature's finest ingredients to help keep your dog healthy, including lean proteins like farm-raised chicken and pasture-fed lamb for strong muscles, sun-ripened fruits and farm-grown vegetables packed with antioxidants for a strong immune system, and a mix of whole grains and natural sunflower oil for a radiant skin and coat. Visit UltraHolistic.com to learn more and take the Ultra Challenge to help you make the best choice for your dog. * Get moving: According to a recent survey, thirty percent of dog owners are looking to increase the exercise their dog gets this year. Putting down the remote control to take a walk or a run has countless benefits, from building muscle to giving your mood a lift. And the benefits are the same for your dog, including the opportunity to manage weight in a healthy way. You'll both see the positive effects

If you're not a fan of doing the same thing over and over, draw up a list of activities that you and your pet can do together. Put it on your refrigerator to give yourself inspiration at a moment's notice. Add activities like hiking, playing catch at a local dog park and going to a nearby lake for a swim, or make a list of new neighborhoods you'd like to explore.

* Challenge yourself: It can be easier to get motivated when you have something to work toward, so set fitness and health goals for you and your dog. Remember that it can be more than an exercise checklist; include activities such as a family challenge to eat more fruits and vegetables, including "superfoods" that are nutrient-dense like blueberries, pomegranate and pumpkin. And - good news for your pet your pooch can benefit from these superfoods as well. Ultra food for dogs includes nutrient-dense superfoods and highquality proteins which keep your dog healthy and active at every age. * Cut your stress: Pets and people get stressed out, and stress is increasingly recognized as having a negative effect on health. While some bad stress is unavoidable, do what you can to give yourself and your dog a bit of relaxation by spending time doing things you both enjoy.

Luckily for people, simply spending time with a pet is one way to de-stress - that's something you can take advantage of every day. Also consider the stress-busting effects of giving yourself a little indulgence every now and again. You might want to allow yourself a favorite healthy dessert and give your pup a healthy treat of his own - you'll both get to enjoy a tasty little "extra" that can put a smile on your face and a wag in his tail.

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How the right home updates help

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the walk-in-bath or shower that is perfect for you.

Tip 4: Specialized contractors When updating a bathroom, it's wise to choose a READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC company that does it all. If they subcontract the work out, you may not get someone who has the necessary insight specifically needed for senior home design. Look for Such repairs required know how, experience, and an companies that do it all, from providing the best products ability to apply logical analysis to the problem at hand. It to complete installation and renovation. Remember the meant drawing upon work shouldn't take too long either. Quality companies all we had learned in can do the work within a day or two and will work school(s) and from around your schedule. experience.

With a few home improvements and modifications, Today’s technicians seniors can stay safe at home and live independently for do not make such many years. For more information about walk-in baths, repairs.

In the showers or ADA compliant sinks and toilets call (800) modern world a 313-1694 or visit premiercareonline.com. technician does not

PRESERVE

look for a defective component, he ARA) - If a flat screen is on your wish list, or you'll be searches for a giving one as a gift, you should keep in mind that how you defective board on mount a flat screen is almost as important which many as the quality of the components reside unit itself. and he replaces that board. Most often the board is Wall mounting is a discarded as trash and no attempt is made to search out the great way to show off single defective part that caused the failure. The usual a flat screen, and one assumption is that the defective board cannot be repaired; no of the safest ways to reduce the risk of the effort is made to find a defective component that might be replaced.

TV falling on A great deal of human ingenuity, a great deal of human someone. For situations where you'll be watching the TV from right in front of it, a stationery mount works well. If intelligence seems to have been lost to advancements in you need to expand your range of possible viewing angles, technology. In the modern world a community of engineers, look for a full-motion mount that locks securely to the wall, or similar intellectuals, design the products and have the like the Sanus VisionMount series, which are rated by intelligence need to create them. The remainder of the Underwriters Laboratories. electronics technicians have become board swappers having Of course, you'll want to connect your home theater little if any troubleshooting skills. system, Blu-ray player and game system to your new flat Technology has all but eliminated the need to know screen and that can lead to a mishmash of cables and components. Consider a specially designed storage unit for much else than a set of procedures by which to eliminate the need to think. components and opt for cables, like the Sanus Elements ELM4308 Super Slim HDMI cable, that are specially We may be charting a disastrous course when we designed to work in tight spaces while preserving a neat choose to begin eliminating one of the 3 Rs from education in appearance. favor of learning how to run programs developed by a For more ideas on how to mount your flat screen TV, minority of skillful people. visit www.sanus.com.

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Ask y e s d Lin

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h a smile Love begins wit iss Grows with a k a teardrop.

A nd ends with

Brain Teaser ?? ?

Lindsey@theweeklyreporter.com

Dear Lindsey: My boyfriend and I have been dating for about 14 months. We work together. I live at home and he lives at home with his parents. We like to go out for dinner and we usually pick a nice place to eat but not real high-class or expensive places. My only problem with Bill is that he eats like a slob sometimes. Really. Like he will use a piece of bread to wipe up gravy after he has finished his entrée. I’ve told him about it in private but he says he is only being himself and he really doesn’t care what people think. It really embarrasses me. What should I do?

Dear What Should I Do? This is a sad situation. Since you have not told us of any other bad traits he may have I have to guess he is a pretty nice guy in general. So, I suggest that you deal with this in a manner that will not create an argument between you because then a small matter might become a major issue. Speak to him and explain that you understand that sopping up his gravy may not have an impact on him but that it does embarrass you because it is something everyone considers to be in bad taste. Since he sounds like an all right guy tell him it is just a question of being polite and considerate of others and that if and when you have children you are sure he would not allow them to do that. Good luck TO MY READERS: Do you have a personal problem or issue you would like Lindsey to respond to? If so email Lindsey at the Weekly Reporter. Explain what is troubling you as briefly as possible and explain the difficulty clearly. It is not necessary to include the real names of anyone but we do ask you to identify yourself when you email Lindsey so we do not assume it is spam and erase it without opening it.

You do not have to identify the city where you live but sometimes it is a good idea to include it so the person you are writing about gets the idea that it could be him or her.

Sometimes that alone can resolve a difficulty.

Lindsey@theweeklyreporter.com

D V WT C ZG ZH H T P AOZ JWYP TP H T Q OD YG AW V ZD A Solution: Click

The quack cut everybody’s medicine cuz he wantz ta save da state money ... it makes him look good too.

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anksgiving h T y p p a 2011