Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 5

Ann Landers BRIDGE Dear Ann Landers: May I com- I ment on the letter from the mother 1 of the 11-year-old obese child with the rash between her She was. furious with the doctor's nurse who said, "The trouble with this child is that she is too fat." -I'Both my mother and my sister were grossly obese. When Mom tiled at 46, she. weighed at least 450 pounds. My sister weighed 160 pounds when she was 6 years old.

She now weighs at least 400 pounds. Many specialists have said there is no medical reason for my sister's obesity. I didn't end up obese because my sister used to cat most of my meajs. Mom catered to her I' because "Sis" could never run or play like other children. Kids can be cruel, so Mom over-compensated.

"Sis is now a very unpleasant adult. In the last two years she has i broken three chairs to my dinette set. We've had many arguments because she sneaks food from my cupboards and eats out of the pols on the stove. who stuff their children so''they grow', up so tat that they ciih't live normal lives should be charged with child abuse. The nurse in that doctor's office is right.

The mother who wrote refuses to face her daughter's real problem. Pray that she will before it gets bigger than just a rash. I'm talking about Heart disease, high blood pressure and early death, not to mention everyday nuisances such as difficulty buying clothes and shoes, fitting into desks at schools, theater seats and so on. -OHIO SISTER 'DEAR OHIO: I agree with you although many readers did not. The ones who were critical of the nurse were all mothers of overweight children.

It figures. 1 hope your letter will get them to rethink this issue for their children's sake. Rear Ann Landers: You once wrote: "Drive as though everyone else; on the road is a maniac or drunk." I see your point, but let's face it. We live in an automobile- dominated world. Frightening the hcll'put of the driver won't help.

sec them every day, up-tight people hunched up with the white- knuckled grasp that the instructor taught them. They arc so tense that the veins on their foreheads stand out and their eyes bulge. Qood drivers should be relaxed yet alert, ready for. an unexpected by another IMcjtsiv, that driving is notva -social occasion. When you drive, shut up.

And shut up the children. ryour friends and the dog. Big packages belong in the don't talk on the phone or try to i a of coffee or eat a cinnamon roll while driving in heavy traffic. LT With a hit of luck and common "se'nse. you'll get from here to there "alive.

Sign me MILES WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT (AND MOSTLY ON THE DAN RYAN DEAR DAN: I wish everyone.on the' Dan Ryan Expressway drove like you. Ditto for the San Diego Freeway and the New jersey Turnpike. Thanks for the wise counsel. Dear Ann Landers: A stranger approached me at the supermarket today and said. "Triplets! How can vou stand it?" and then walked off.

Sitka 10 YEARS AGO January 1979 At the 6th annual Rube Goldberg Night, the audience shared the agony of Carol Fredrick and Marie Hughes when their Automatic Waffle Maker dumped dry'Bisquick on top of a closed waffle iron, winning them Murphy's Law Award. 25 YEARS AGO January 1964 I. Book review group of A.A.U.W. will meet at the home of Mrs. James Woiverton on Mt.

Edgecumbe. Mrs. Larry Calvin will review "The, Troubled Air" by Irwin Shaw. Sitka members are advised to take the to arrive at the meeting on 40 YEARS AGO January 1949 Arrangements have been made with the Sitka Cold Storage Store to have their whistle blow the curfew each night, of Police Harry Doran said. The will blow Sundays through Thursday at 10 p.m.

and Fridays and Saturdays at midnight. 100 YEARS AGO The Alaskan, published in Sitka: January 1889 Mary Desha received the i gratifying intelligence that she had be en appointed to a lucrative position in i the Pension Office at Washington. The i owes her good fortune in obtaining such an excellent post to the influence exerted on her behalf by her sister (wite'qf Congressman Breckenridge of Kentucky) through Generals Vilas and Every time I go out with my three well-behaved children someone makes an uncalled-for comment such as, "My God, I sure feel sorry for you!" or "You have my sympathy, dear." It burns mo up. How should I respond to these insensitive, rock-headed fools? I need to express my outrage, but I don't want to upscl my darling youngsters. SANDRA H.

IN LA GRANGE, KY. DEAR SANDRA: The best response is a broad smile and a positive comment such as "These arc wonderful children. We feel blessed." Dear Ann Landers: .1 am not writing with problem. I am writing to praise an unsung hero. My stepfather! "Dad" married my mother 16 years ago.

Mom was a problem drinker and had no maternal instincts. She had many boyfriends and ii lot of unpaid bins. Dad came info our lives just in time. With his love and support, Mom changed into a different person. My brothers and sisters and I felt loved for the first time in our lives.

He helped us to learn and grow in ways I never thought possible. We learned to trust and love for the first time in our lives. (We all had been molested by one of my mother's boyfriends.) Now, years later, I want to thank this beautiful person. Words cannot express my love for him. He not only-changed my mother's life, he gave us all a life we could be proud of.

I cannot tell you his name, because Mom would be embarrassed, but when he reads this I hope he knows it's me. I love you, YOUR GRATEFUL CHILD DEAR CHILD: What a heart- warmer! 1 am not going to print the city of origin, nor the gender of the sender. I want every deserving stepfather who reads this letter to think it was intended for him. D'EAR READERS: Here's my laugh for the day: "What's your age?" asked the magistrate. "Remember, you're under oath." "Twenty-one years and some months," the lady answered.

"How many months?" The Woman hesitated a moment and replied, "Sixty-four." Landers: I am a. a i a drunken driver. Jail, the loss of my license, pleading by family members and trouble with my employer did not deter me. I was insane when it came to drinking. Thankfully, I never killed or maimed anyone.

Most multiple offenders arc alcoholics. They drink abnormally, can't stop by themselves and cause real problems. The DU1 (driving under the influence) laws do not work. They are legal "solutions" to a medical problem. We can't keep drunk drivers locked up forever.

Sobriety is the only solution. Evaluating and sending alcoholics to treatment centers and Alcoholics Anonymous will save money and lives. Treatment centers generally have a 40 percent success rate. Jails have no success rate. If the energy exerted to get alcoholics locked up was diverted to keeping them sober, it would be a giant step toward the solution of a heartbreaking problem.

S.S.. SOMEWHERE IN TENNESSEE DEAR TENNESSEE: I don'I know when I've read so much good sense in one letter. I hope the day isn't far off when we are civilized enough to act on this recommendation. Thanks for an excellent letter. tos Angeles Times Syndicate and Ciealois Syndicate NORTH 10 9 8 6 A 7 3 2 7 3 EAST 4 A 7 4 9 6 0 10 9 5 3 WEST 4 5 3 2 1 0 8 4 A 5 2 8 10 9 8 6 4 A 7 6 2 Vulnerable: Neither Dealer: South West North East South Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass Pass 4 Pass Dbl.

Pass Pass Pass Opening lead: 4 2 Opening-lead dilemma By James Jacoby Here is a situation that comes up every now and then. You and your partner are silent during the auction as the opponents bid back and forth, finally reaching a game contract. Your part-', ner now doubles, and it is your opening lead. What are you supposed to do? The logic of that particular double is that partner hopes your side can defeat the contract if you lead the first suit bid by dummy. Lacking such suggestion, you would be likely to lead something else.

So we see the reason for East's doubling today. With A-Q-J of spades, he feared that the probable heart lead would cost a trick. Then, too, Soiith's bidding sounded somewhat reluctant. So West dutifully a small spade. Declarer ruffed, played ace of clubs and ruffed a club.

He next played A-K- of hearts (East could not riiff the third ruffed another club, ruffed another spade, and used dummy's king of diamonds to trump his last losing club. That left him with only J-10-9-8 of diamonds. He had to pay off to the A-Q, but he had made his doubled contract. West will do much better if he ignores partner's suggestion and simply leads the ace of diamonds. When sees the dummy, it is easy for him to see the danger of a crossruff, and he will continue with a second trump.

De-' clarer can then take only nine a far better result for the defenders. The moral is simple: When you kqow better, feel free to ignore part; ner's wishes. But you'd right THE WORLD ALMANAC DATE BOOK January 17, 1989 Today is the 17th day of 1989 and the day of winter. TODAY'S HISTORY: On this day in 1912, Robert Scott's expedition reached the South Pole. TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Benjamin Franklin (1706), Anne Bronte Anton Chekhov (1860), Betty White (1924), James Earl Jones (1931), Muhammad All (1942).

TODAY'S QUOTE: "The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." Muhammad All TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter (Jan. 14) and full moon (Jan. 21). TODAY'S TRIVIA: Where was Benjamin Franklin born? (a) Philadelphia (b) New York (c) Boston TODAY'S BARBS BY PHIL PASTORET Never, never, say out loud that you wish you had it to do all over again. The boss might hear you and grant your wish.

Why can't they make a baking powder biscuit that won't disintegrate before you can butter it? TODAY'S TRIVIA ANSWER: (c) Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston. THE FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON L.M. Boyd Icecream and syrup Daily Sitka Sentinel, Silka, Alaska, Tuesday, January 17,1989, Page 5 Crossword Puzzle E. C. Verners, (hat druggist of yesteryear In Two Rivers, poured chocolate syrup over Ice cream and sold it for a nickel.

Foull cried his competitors, Too cheap! Okay, I'll only sell Sunday, said he, and name it "Sunday." Foull cried the clergy, Exploitation of the Sabbalhl Okay, he said, I'll spell it Sundae. Determined fellow, Verners. If you drank like a hippopotamus, you'd also take It In through your pores. You know why a baby woodpecker can't hold its head Tongue is too heavy. Five times as long as the beak, that tongue.

Curled lip inside the mouth. THE HAPPY POOH? "Poor but happy." Where are people who can ba so described. Nowhere, evidently. An undertaking called the Global Survey studied 10,000 people of every class in 70 nations. To learn none could be classified as poor but happy.

There were quite a and happy," though. If a woman's skirt didn't cover her knees, she was a prostitute. Such was the general belief in the early 1930s. In Benjamin Franklin's day, a man with a dull ax could buy a grindstone. Or he could visit somebody who already owned one.

That's what freeloaders did then. Showed up, ax In hand. Of such, Franklin coined the line: "He had an ax to grind." FOOTBALL Writes a client: "It's unfair for a quarterback to get beaten up every time an offensive coordinator on the sidelines calls a stupid play. In the Interest of sportsmanship, I propose an NFL rule change: That four designated linemen from the defending team be assigned to clobber ttie play caller after every down." FRANK by Bob Thaves ACROSS 1 Meal fragment 4 Film locations 8 Paving stone 12 French yes 13 Copycat 14 Needle case 15 Compass point 16 New York City stadium 17 Yielding 18 Spray 20 Long poem's division 21 Actress Charisse 22 Amount 23 Observes 26 Scott King 30 Pay dirt 31 Boor 33 Sea mammal 34 Cooking fat 35 Enumerates 36 Your and my 37 Ornamental tufts 39 Cut 40 New 41 Openings 43 Head 46 Dense 50 Ireland 51 Tailor's handiwork 52 Jazz player Kid 53 Norse deity 54 Sea bird 55 Oriental women's quarters 56 Long times 57 Take-out order words 58 Radiation measure DOWN 1 Eugene O'Neill's daughter 2 Ancient writing' 0097 3 Row 4 Impudent 5 Priest's vestment 6 Oil source 7 Mrs. In Madrid 8 seed 9 English school 10 Cluster 11 Ute Yugoslav leader 19 Military school (abbr.) 20 Tresses 22 Kind 23 Chimney dirt 24 Assam worm 25 Skinny fish 26 Curse 27 Furniture wood 28 Undeniable 29 Piece of land 31 Actor tee Van 32 Hawaiian city Answer to Previous Puzzle 38 Shows scorn 39 Observed 41 Borneo ape 42 Juliet's lover 43 Order of whales 44 Silver! 45 Steel source 46 Mackerel's relative 47 Building entrance 48 Goddess of earth 49 Group of two 51 Collection lilt, NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISE ASSN.

CELEBRITY CIPHER celebrity Clptwr created from quotation. by tamovs people, put and present. Each letter In the cipher atanda lor another, forty's aqutla H. A 8 A A I G. PREVIOUS SOLUTION: "As crude a weapon as a cave man's club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of lite." Rachel Carson.

GARFIELD by Jim Davis I TRIEP TO IMPRE.65 PATE WITH HUMOR TONIGHT--' 7CT PAVfS SALT CHUCK by Chuck Shaman 1-11 AT PINNER 1 6TOCK CARROT 5TICK5 IN MV EARS AMP MA5HEP POTATOES ALL. OVER MY FACE THE.N SHE A QUARTER AMP CALLEP THE POLICE THEN WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT'S A BIGHT? A VISIT FROM PRACULAI Doonesbury BY GARRY TRUDEAU "Well, I Hut think IW been putting up with this tllly curse of yours long enough!" urn, THAT'S THf- TIME- INB6HT YSAR5 THAT WtAe CHAL- Aeon-IT, yaji yau DOPING,.