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Volume 2, Issue 24June 27–July 3, 2010
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Beginning with gardens, booths, arcades and fireworks, and progressing
to multi-billion dollar theme parks, amusement parks have long been a source of enjoyment
and relaxation. This week, Tidbits looks at just a few that have made
history over the years.D The world’s oldest amusement park still operating in its original location is Bakken, situated in the woods north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It opened in 1583 after a running spring was discovered that was believed to have medicinal powers. Soon after, traveling theater troupes and horse shows were added to the park, and in later years, cafes, carousels and a music hall. D As early as 1650, folks in Russia were constructing large ice slides with heavy timbers as a form of entertainment. They developed wooden sleds with iron runners, the forerunner to modern-day roller coasters. D North America’s oldest amusement park is Lake Compounce, located in Bristol, Connecticut. When it opened in 1846, it consisted of a path around the lake, picnic tables, swimming and rowing, and a gazebo for band concerts. A hand-powered revolving swing was its first “ride,” and a bowling alley and billiard hall were added shortly afterward. D The stage at Lake Compounce has hosted such names as Houdini, Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Admission to a 1941 show featuring a young Sinatra performing with the Tommy Dorsey Band could be had for $1.10. Although visitors can now ride a state-of-the-art roller coaster and white water raft trip, the park maintains its charm with a 1927 coaster, a carousel from 1911 and an antique trolley.
(continued on page 4)
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SeniorNews Line
It seems like every week there’s a new scam aimed at seniors. Here are a few making the rounds.If you’re expecting a check from the government for a Medicare rebate (for the Part D drug coverage gap), you don’t have to do anything to get that check. Scammers are out there now trying to convince seniors that a “fee” is required to sign up.If you have Call Forwarding on your phone, scammers could hijack your phone. Someone will call you, pretend to be a phone repairman and ask you to press *72 (or 72#) and a certain phone number so your line can be checked. What that does is put your phone on permanent Call Forwarding. Chances are that calls like this are coming from a prison. None of your own calls will come through until you realize there’s a problem and disable the Call Forwarding.If you surf the Internet, beware of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. When so many people are gathered
in one place on the Internet, there’s much that can go wrong. Don’t click on any links in messages, even from friends. It might start an automatic download of a program that sends out your password as you type it in. Once thieves have your password, they have control of your information. Keep your settings on Private.Feel free to be rude to those who call you on the telephone and ask for donations. Hang up, after saying, “Take this number off your list.” It’s your phone and your money. If you really want to make a donation to an organization, call and get information, but don’t do it because you got a phone call. You don’t know who’s really on the other end.
* * *Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
Inspecting the gaskets on your refrigerator and freezers could save you money. To find out how yours are, close the door on a dollar bill. A good seal will hold it firmly in place.
GOES GREEN!
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
— Dolly Parton
Laugh a bit with
What adults like most about rollercoasters is
being able to sit down after standing in line for two hours.
PRESENTS
1. Which park features a museum with 2,000 artifacts chronicling a singer’s life?
2. Which park ride features a boat ride surrounded by animatronic dolls in native costumes?
3. In 1959, Richard Nixon became one of the first riders of what park attraction?
4. Where were Cracker Jacks, Shredded Wheat and Juicy Fruit gum introduced?
5. Who thought riding the Cyclone was “greater than flying an aeroplane at top speed?”
For Advertising Call: 843-368-�997 Page 3
Thought of the Week“It’s not the genius who is 100 years
ahead of his time but the average man who is 100 years behind it.”
— Robert Musil
z It was multitalented Robert Anton Wilson — he was, at various times in his life, a novelist, essayist, psychologist, editor, philosopher, playwright and mystic — who made the following observation: “It only takes 20 years for a liberal to become a conservative without changing a single idea.”z The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its study on the costs of raising a child. Those who have children may not be surprised to learn that the average two-parent, middle-income family spends a whopping $222,360 on the child through the age of 17 — and that figure, or course, doesn’t include the cost of a college education.z The blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The marine mammal is so large, in fact, that a grown man could swim through its largest blood vessels. z The company known as Ulysse Nardin, based in
Switzerland, is known for its line of luxury watches. They’ve recently expanded their offerings, though, so the next time you’re in the market for a cell phone, you might want to check out their version of Google’s Android model. You also might want to check your bank account; this gold-plated piece of technology will retail for $50,000.z Here’s a sign of our increasingly cluttered lives: When the National Association of Professional Organizers was formed, in 1985, it had five members. Today there are more than 4,000 registered organizers with the group.z According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those who hold the most dangerous job in America aren’t firefighters or police officers; they’re taxi drivers, with 22.7 homicides for every 100,000 workers each year.
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She should automatically move forward before squatting to pee. As soon as she does this and starts going, give her lots of praise and when she’s finished, add a treat and more praise.If she doesn’t automatically move up to avoid the bumper, stand in front of her while holding her leash and give the command “come,” and then “stay” when she’s in position. Let her continue the pee ritual and follow with lots of praise.The idea here is to get her to go “Oh, I get it!” or at least associate the middle of the pad with good things. When she starts going straight to that position without prompting, remove the bumper board. Repeat the training session, with lots of praise when she goes in the middle of the pad.
Send your pet questions and tips to [email protected], or write to Paw’s
Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
Find more pet advice and resources at www.pawscorner.com.
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I have a 9-month-old Dachshund, “Betty,” whom I have trained to use “wet pads.” She has been very good, with one exception: When she has to urinate she gets her front paws on the pad and starts going, and the urine ends up half on the pad and the rest on the floor (thank God I have tile). It is hard for me to take her outside. I don’t want to scold her, as it would only confuse the situation. Any suggestions? — Kay, via e-mailDEAR KAY: I like that you’re keeping Betty’s training positive, and I think that a combined solution can work here.Use a piece of wood to create a bumper that can be placed against the edge of the pee pad. It doesn’t need to be very high — three or four inches at most — but it should extend to both edges of the pad where Betty usually hangs her butt. Duct tape the wood to the floor.Take Betty to the pee pad on a leash for the next few days, around the time that she typically uses it. Let her investigate the bumper, and then lead her onto the pad, facing her usual direction. Let her start peeing on her own.
Helping Dachshund to Improve Her AimBy Sam Mazzotta
uStickareturn-addressstickerontheinsideofyoureyeglasscase.Ifyouleaveitbehindsomewhere,you’lluptheoddsofhavingitreturnedtoyou.uTo removegrassstains, trydabbingwithrubbingalcoholandblottingwithawhite,cleancloth.Repeatasnecessary.u“Make a drink cover with aluminum foil.Coverdrinktightly,thenpokeastrawthroughthefoil.Thiswillkeeppeskybugsawayfromyourbeverage.Andyoucanjotyournameon top, to boot. We’ve done this at ourbarbecuesforages.”—T.C.inMinnesotauTo clean your oven, simply fill a smalldish with ammonia and set it in the ovenovernight.Inthemorning,you’llbeabletowipethebaked-onfoodsaway.u“Babyoilwillmakeastainless-steelsinklooksuperb.Justsquirtalittleonapapertowelanduseittoshinethesinkandsurroundingarea.”—AReader,viae-mailuOnewaytountanglejewelryistosetitinashallowdishofbabypowderandthentryto work out the kinks. The powder acts asa lubricant,butwon’tmakeyourhandsorfingersfeelmessyorgreasy.
Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail
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Arts, crafts, food, family activities and live entertainment with a fireworks display at dusk. Free parking and admission.
7-10 p.m. Entertainment provided by 103.1 The Drive’s Jeff Taylor, bounce houses, face painting and concessions. Free admission.
Kids’s activities, live music, Gregg Russell concert, food anddrinks with a fireworks display around 9:15 p.m. Gate fee is $5.
the Intracoastal Waterway at 9:30 p.m. Free parking. Outside entertainment begins at 6 p.m. Fireworks from a barge on
Page 4 Tidbits® of Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Beaufort
AMUSEMENT PARKS (continued):D The famous Coney Island started out as a beach resort consisting of three amusement parks, racetracks and luxury hotels, and was home to what is considered the first roller coaster in America. The Switchback Gravity Pleasure Railway opened in 1884 at a cost of $1,600. At ten cents per ride, the park took in $600 to $700 per day! Coney Island’s most famous coaster, the 85-foot-high (26 meters) Cyclone, opened in 1927 and was a twisting figure-8 coaster that cost $175,000 to build. The Cyclone was such a thrilling ride that one young man mute since birth regained his voice while riding it. “I feel sick!” were the first words of West Virginia coal miner Emilio Franco back in 1948. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you can still take a ride on the Cyclone, a one-minute, 50-second thrill. D As Pittsburgh bridge builder George Ferris sat at an engineer’s banquet where the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair was being planned, he made a sketch of a large wheel on a napkin. That sketch was the beginning of a 264-foot- (80.4-meter) high wheel
on a 45-foot (13.7-meter) axle that was the centerpiece of the Columbian Exposition. Each of its 36 cars contained revolving chairs holding 60 people, giving up to 2,160 people a ride each time. It took 20 minutes to load as it stopped for passengers to enter, then offered a nine-minute non-stop ride for the sum of 50 cents. During the time of the Exposition, the ride grossed $726,805.D The Ferris wheel operated there until April of 1894, when it was dismantled and relocated to a park on Chicago’s North Side. After eight years there, it was once again taken apart and the four-million-pound (1,814,369 kg) structure was taken by train to St. Louis for the 1904 World’s Fair. Sad to say, in 1906, the wheel was dynamited and sold as scrap iron.
Even more unfortunate is the fact that George Ferris died in debt at age 37 of typhoid fever.D The only 19th century Ferris wheel remaining in the world, the Reisenrad, is located in Vienna, Austria’s Wurstelprater. That wheel was constructed in 1897.D If you love roller coasters, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, is the place for you. Located at the edge of Lake Erie, it is the second oldest amusement park in America and boasts 17 coasters (the most in the world), from old-style wooden coasters to hydraulic launch rocket coasters. The Top Thrill Dragster, the second-fastest in the world, climbs to a height of 420 feet (128 meters) and reaches speeds of 120 mph
(continued on page 7)
Finding AFFordAble HeAltH insurAnce
The middle class is being hit the hardest when it comes to losing medical insurance. According to the Huffington Post, the number is up to 12.9 million people. Those with higher incomes have a better chance of affording insurance premiums, and those with lower incomes qualify for more help programs.If you lost your job between Sept. 1, 2008 and May 31, 2010, you might qualify for 15-month reduced-fee federal COBRA coverage.If you recently lost your COBRA, look into Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act coverage, a government insurance continuation program. It covers pre-existing conditions, but it’s expensive.Consider other avenues to find coverage that might be less costly:• If you’re sure you’ll land a job in the coming months, look into short-term policies. • Take any part-time job that comes with insurance. You’ll still have time to look for another job, but will be covered in the meanwhile.• Look at your professional associations. Many of them have umbrella policies for anyone in the group. If you don’t have a professional affiliation, consider joining something. While the market isn’t back up to speed, it might be worthwhile to become a real-estate agent, if only for the Limited Medical insurance through The National Association of Realtors.• Call your state’s insurance department and ask what help is available, especially if you have children. Most states have some type of coverage for children 18 and under.• Think about going back to school and signing up for campus medical insurance. You’ll likely only have to go part time, but check the details. Some schools offer a basic level of care for a low semester fee, while others offer full insurance through major insurers.• Get different coverage for everyone in your family. If the kids can be covered by the state, and you’re going to school, that only leaves your spouse who needs coverage.• If you’re married and your spouse is working, look into getting covered by that plan.• Consider getting a catastrophic policy with a high deductible. You’ll save money but will pay for all your care until you reach the deductible each calendar year.• If you’re self-employed and need cheaper insurance, look at National Association for the Self-Employed (www.nase.org) or the Small Business Service Bureau (www.sbsb.com) for group rates.
David Uffington regrets that he cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of
King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to
BROOKLYN, Mich. — In terms of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s forecast isn’t too dour. Following
a respectable seventh-place finish at Michigan International Speedway, Earnhardt is 14th in the standings, just 81 points out of “Chase position,” meaning the top 12.He’s ahead of two drivers, Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray, who have won races this year. In terms of expectations, however, Earnhardt is having another difficult year. He has more fans than anyone else in NASCAR, and they expect him to win multiple races and championships.The expectations may be unreasonable, but they come with the territory of being the son of a seven-time champion.Asked what he had to say to his fans about the latest race, Earnhardt said, “Hopefully, they enjoyed (the) good run, and I hope that I can bring more of them to them, man. We’ve just got to have a good car, but with the way these races go at the end, you’ve got to have a ton of luck, too, to make
a lot of right calls and have the best car at the end.“But you’ve got to put a good car on the race track, and Lance (McGrew, his crew chief) has done that the last two weeks…real good cars.”The timing just might be right. The regular season has 11 more races, affording Earnhardt ample
With some good recent finishes and a 14th-place standing at the moment, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
may be ready to put together a decent finish as the season draws closer to the Chase. (John Clark/NASCAR This Week photo)
Timing May be Right for Earnhardt Jr.opportunity to reach the top 12 for the Chase, which consists of the final 10 races.Earnhardt has been in the top 12 after seven of the 15 races in the season to date, five of them in a row at one point.Earnhardt began the season impressively, finishing a fast-closing second in the Daytona 500 after making a breathtaking charge that fell just short. The Michigan finish matched his best performance since, equaling a seventh-place finish at Bristol. He also finished eighth at Texas, the site of his first Cup victory on April 2, 2000.“This is the kind of run we want to have,” he said after the Heluva Good! 400. “We can do it. The guys taking (the car) to the racetrack have just got to get it right.“We’re not a team that’s challenging for victories just yet, so top 10 (finishes) for us are a direction we need to go.”Earnhardt, 35, has won 18 of 378 Sprint Cup races. His most recent victory was at Michigan on June 15, 2008.
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I
z ANSWERS
Answer
SPORTS QUIZ1. In 1914, Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) and
Johnny Evers (Boston) each won an MVP award.
2. Darrell Johnson, who managed the club from 1977 to 1980.
3. It was Oct. 8, 2000.4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 50 points, 10
rebounds and 11 assists in a game in 1975.5. Eight times – 1920, ‘24, ‘28, ‘32, 48, ‘52,
2002, ‘10.6. Germany’s Juergen Klinsmann (1990,
‘94, ‘98).7. Bob Kempainen had a time of 2:08:47
in 1994.
HOCUS FOCUSDIFFERENCES
1. Ball is different.2. Man has a mustache.3. Pants are different.4. Items are missing from shelf.5. Bricks added to wall.6. Stairs are gone.
AMUSEMENT PARKS (continued):(193 km/hr). If this is too much excitement for you, opt for the tamer Giga-Coaster, only 310 ft. (94 meters) tall and traveling a mild 93 mph (105 km/hr).D Cedar Point started out with a beer garden, bathhouse and dance floor in 1870. Its first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, opened in 1892, and thrilled riders with its 10 mph (16 km/hr) speeds and 25-foot (7.6-meter) height. There was no chain lift, and cars had to be hauled to the top manually at the end of the ride. The park also featured a water swing and trapeze that soared out and threw riders into Lake Erie. By 1905, an elegant 600-room hotel graced the shoreline. Famed Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne was a young lifeguard on the lake’s beach in 1913.D Six Flags opened its first park in Texas in 1961, and now has 20 parks across North America. It takes its name from the six flags that have flown over Texas through its history — those of Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. The first park featured an Indian village, railroad, stagecoach ride, gondola, Wild West shows and the pirate-themed attraction, Skull Island. D The Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey, is the world’s fastest and tallest coaster, racing to 128 mph (206 km/hr) from a height of 456 feet (139 meters). But that record is about to be broken. Ferrari World is due to open in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in October 2010, and will feature a coaster that will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/hr) in just two seconds. The best part? The train’s cars will look just like sporty, red Formula One Ferraris. D The first Legoland theme park opened in Billund,
Denmark, in 1968. More than 33 million Lego blocks can be seen there in the replicas of Copenhagen Harbor (complete with operating boats), the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. There are now four parks worldwide, in Denmark, Germany, California and the United Kingdom.
found the TB Alligator and where you picked up Tidbits.
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P.O. Box 4858 with your name, phone number, ad where you
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Page 8 Tidbits® of Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Beaufort
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: About six years ago, I had a heart attack. The doctor said there was hardly any damage. Is it likely that I will have another heart attack? I am overweight and have a hard time losing weight and keeping it off. — C.P.ANSWER: The chance of a recurrent heart attack for men is 21 percent; for women, 33 percent. Looked at in the opposite way, the chances for not having a second heart attack are very good. Figures like these are deceptive when applied to an individual. A person’s efforts to decrease the risks of having another attack are the keys to not having one.Those risks include dealing with obesity. Even though weight loss is difficult for you, you must make an effort to reduce your weight. A dietitian can help you with the diet part. You have to increase your physical activity. Inactivity is an invitation to artery clogging and heart attacks. Ask your doctor what kind of exercise is safe for you. Walking is permitted for most, and walking is a way to strengthen your heart, clear your arteries and lose weight.
You also have to watch your cholesterol in all its forms. HDL cholesterol keeps heart arteries free of plaque buildup, and LDL cholesterol encourages it. You have to keep an eye on your blood pressure, another ingredient for heart attacks. The fact that your doctor said little damage was done to your heart puts you into a class of heart-attack patients who are at low risk for having another. The booklet on heart attacks discusses all aspects of this common problem that takes so many lives. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 102W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.
i i i
Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
SUNDAY CONCERT SERIES (Bluffton’s Oscar Frazier Park)A PolioPlus Fundraiser, 4-8 p.m. Presented by the Rotary Club of Bluffton.
6/27
7/1FUN FOR KIDS (in The Sea Pines Resort)High-energy, activity-filled program for ages 4-12, Monday-Friday. Half
Bring lawn chairs; food and drink available for purchase. No coolers.6/28ROLLER HOCKEY CAMPFor ages 6-14 hosted by the Island Rec. Center at Bristol Sports Arena, 6-7:30 p.m. (ages 6-9); 7:30-9 p.m. (ages 10-14). All skill levels welcome.
Day session, 9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m.; Full Day session, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. “KidsNight Out”on Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. Pre-reg. required. (843) 671-3590
Pre-registration required. (843) 681-7273 or islandreccenter.org.
Local Happenings
7/1FIND YOUR GREATNESSBoys & Girls Club of Bluffton Summer Program for ages 6-18 at the. Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. 100 H.E. McCracken Circle. (843) 757-2845
Amusement parks are misnamed. They should be called “Wait In Line” parks.Isn’t it strange that when you’re finally tall enough to ride all the rides at the amusement park, you have enough sense to not want to?
