The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 38

The Pittsburgh Press Wednesday. May 13. 1992 THE FEATURE PAGE Auto accidents with deaths or injuries must be reported Q.We are having a dispute over when you have to report an automobile accident Can you give us the guidelines? R.D. A to the Pennsylvania "Driver's Manual," vou must call the police if anyone is hurt or dies. You should also call the police if the vehicle is so badly damaged that it must be towed If the drivers involved are hurt and cannot notify the police, then others in the accident or at the scene should call for help.

If the police do not investigate an accident and someone has died or been injured or the vehicle required towing, the parties involved should send a written report of the accident within five days to: Center for Highway Safety, PennDot, 212 Transportation and Safety Building, Hamsburg 17120. It would also be prudent to get the following information from any other drivers involved in the accident: names and addresses, telephone numbers, driver's license numbers, vehicle registration numbers and insurance company and policy numbers. Also get the names of injured people and any witnesses and their addresses and telephone numbers. If the accident involves a parked car you should leave a note on the vehicle with the same type of information. Also tell police.

A asked agency officials for a status report on your case. According to Social Security spokesman Bill Hopkins, Treasury records show this second check, too, was cashed. You can expect to get a photocopy of it sometime next month to verify whether the signature on it is yours. If it is not your signature, the matter will become a stolen check claim and will have to be investigated A replacement check would be issued It's unfortunate, but these cases do take time. TO READER D.K, who disagreed with information we published about' the Social Security Administration making in-home visits if there is no other practical way to take application for benefits: It's a shame youVe been frustrated in your attempts to get help.

If you want to discuss your concerns with the agency, give us your address and telephone number and we'll make the arrangements. To Ask The Press, send your letter to Helen Kaiser, Box 566, Pittsburgh 15230. Be sure to include your name, full address, daytime telephone number and any claim numbers related to your case. Only initials will be published Sorry, no phone inquiries or personal replies. ASK THE By Helen Kaiser Q.

My Social Security check or October 1 99 1 arrived in the mail last Nov. 3. However, I lost it I think it got thrown in the trash by mistake. I reported it to the Social Security Administration, and they assured me I would get another one. At the end of two months the U.S.

Treasury sent me a photocopy of my September check, saying it was cashed Of course, I already knew that It was the October check I was concerned about I told Social Security again, and they said they would sort it out After all this time, still no check. You are my last resort M.S. DG BRIDGE By Phillip Alder Money's the reason for his bad teeth DEAR ABBY NORTH 4 VAK7U WEST AITS EAST KJ7J KII I3 S4 VQJ10I K10M j4J 17 SOUTH AJIOS AQMMS VII Q54 Vulnerable: Neither Dealer West Soatk West North East Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass Pass Pass Opening lead: 9 DEAR ABBY: Will wonders never cease? First they tell me Santa Claus is a phony, then Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy was a liar, then the Soviet Union is gone.

Now the crudest cut of all is that Dear Abby is off her rocker. Just because I have a couple of gaps where I used to have teeth has nothing to do with neglect ignorance or lack of pride. It could be that I am poor, have always been poor, and probably will always be poor, unless I hit the lottery. When I had teeth, I took care of them (no neglect); when they got cavities and needed fillings, it was cheaper to have them pulled so it wasn't ignorance; it was lack of money. Pride? What is pride combing your hair to cover a bald spot? Having silicone implants to make your breasts bigger? Bull.

If God wants me to have teeth, he will make them grow back. Or maybe you will send my dentist the $1,000 he wants up front to "Anonymous Merchant" who complained about thoughtless people who walk into his store and don't even say hello, reminded me of my situation. I am a woman who uses a wheelchair, and I would like to remind people that I am still a person! Some suggestions: 1. Please, say hello to me. I am not just a wheelchair.

2. Make sure I can get through your door. Many times, I would like to cross your threshold but your door is heavier than I can open. (The current standards: 8.5 pounds pressure for an outside door; 5 pounds for an inside door.) 3. Please remember that mer make me a bridge.

I am 68 and can eat what I want and have been married for 33 years, so I am not looking for a new girlfriend True, I would probably look better when I smile if I had more teeth, but be assured that it is the lack of money not lack of pride that's standing in my way. ROY L. PARK, SEATTLE DEAR ROY: I just received your letter and got back on my rocker. Call your dentist and ask if he would consider accepting his fee in several more affordable installments. It's worth a try.

Good luck. DEAR ABBY: The letter from The best declarers anticipate bad breaks and plan how to overcome them. Arguably the player who is best-known for this ability is Benito Garozzo, an Italian who has lived in the United States for several years. To match wits with Garozzo, cover the East-West cards in the diagram. Against your contract of two spades, West leads the club nine: two, 10, queen.

How do you continue? The deal occurred at the Sunday TimesMacallan Malt Whisky Pairs Championship in London last January. The natural line is to cross to dummy with a heart at trick two and take a spade finesse. However, West wins and continues clubs. Then the 13th club from East effects a trump promotion for West. If South ruffs low, West overruffs.

If South ruffs high, West discards. And if South sheds the diamond two, West throws his second heart and receives a heart ruff. Anticipating this, Garozzo won trick one and immediately played three rounds of hearts, discarding a udging the saf ety of pacemakers FAMILY DOCTOR chandise placed on shelves out of my reach limits my choices. 4. Please provide a dressing room that my wheelchair can enter.

Almost every store has one spacious dressing room that is the favorite of nearly all your customers. 5. Please talk to me, not to the person who is with me. A typical experience: At a recent visit to a resort hotel, we entered one of the shops and the salesperson asked my husband "Is your wife looking for something?" And on a plane, the flight attendant asked my husband "And what will the lady have?" 6. Please do not try to "help me" without asking, "May I assist you?" Thank you, Abby, for listening to me and all the other persons in the U.S A and Canada who use wheelchairs.

NORMA IN BOTHELL, WASH. If you have a perplexing problem, write to Dear Abby, Box 69440, Los Angeles, Calif. 90069. after? I've seen this many times with people and animals, and I wonder if there is a medical reason for it DEAR READER: This is a fascinating medical phenomenon and it is real. Terminally ill or injured persons often exhibit a brief period of remarkable improvement shortly before dying.

This is not simply physical, either such as less pain or discomfort; it's also mental. I've seen hopelessly ill, nearly comatose patients become alerjLand highly rational before death. I suppose this is due to the blessed release of chemicals, such as endorphins, in the brain; such substances have been shown to relieve pain and reduce emotional stress, such as fear, anxiety and discouragement. It's comforting to know that Nature has provided us with a final gift at the end. Send your questions to Dr.

Gott at P.O. Box 91428, Cleveland, Ohio 44101. Questions of general interest will be answered in future columns. might end up with the other "also rans." AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.

19) Guard against doing things in a way where you take two steps forward and one step back. This procedure could deny you the achievement of important objectives. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Your first thoughts are likely to be your best ones, but, unfortunately, you may put more stock in less accurate revisions. ARIES (March 21-April 19) The stretch in your commercial dealings could have definite limitations.

Holding out for extra concessions might be all that's needed to snap the rubber band. For your personal horoscope, lovescope, lucky numbers and future forecast, dial 1 (900) 740-1010 and enter The Pittsburgh Press access code number 180. You will be billed 95 cents per minute. Newspaper Enterprise Association IT HAPPENED May 13 Wfi Om Com trodes are attached to the heart's inner-lining; some float freely within a cardiac chamber. If the electrodes fall out of position or, due to the cardiac action, become placed the pacemaker will cease, sensing andor pacing.

This is more a technical problem than a malfunction. The electrodes simply have to be repositioned. You seem to have experienced a predictable but troublesome difficulty tha your surgeon easily repaired. Follow his or her instructions about appropriate supervision and follow-up. DEAR DR.

GOTT: Why is it that seriously ill people improve for a few days, only to die a day or two Crossword Puzzle By Dr. Peter H. Gott DEAR DR. GOTT: Would you comment on the reliability of pacemakers? After a few months, my lead broke and was replaced. My heart is fully paced, yet it concerns me that failure of the second lead could occur.

Is there any precaution, such as periodic X-ray, that might reduce the risk of lead failure? DEAR-READER: like any machines, pacemakers can break or malfunction. Nonetheless, manufacturers subject the devices to meticulous quality control, so that problems are minimized; in fact such problems are quite unusual. Ordinarily, difficulties may arise in three separate areas: the generatorcomputer, the wires and the electrodes. Fortunately, the generatorcomputer which is the real guts of the pacemaker is almost problem-free. Of course, the battery has to be changed periodically and the THURSDAY BIRTHDAY: Events and circumstances might draw you closer in the year ahead to an individual you've previously known only casually.

A warm bond will bind this relationship, and this new friend may become your most loyal pal. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Where your career is concerned don't place too much dependence on individuals who are usually around to back you up. To gratify their own self-interests, they may have to oppose you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -You'll be a productive performer, provided you're permitted to think for yourself and do things at your own pace. Excessive outside interference could slow you down to a crawl.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Your judgment is likely to be better than the advice of a well-intentioned friend. Listen to what this individual has to say, just don't be unit rriay need re-programming, but these are relatively minor. The wires, called leads, extend out from the generatorcomputer. Naturally, since they are freely movable and "float" -in the blood-' stream, they can over time break or fracture, necessitating replacement. To my knowledge, there is no way of preventing this occurrence.

And I am not aware of anything you, as the patient could do to influence the situation. Machines being what they are, some parts will eventually malfunction. The electrodes perform two functions: sensing the natural heart rhythm and providing the electrical signal that causes the heart to beat when the pacemaker is called upon to perform this service. Most elec overwhelmed by it. LEO (July 23-Aug.

22) Try not to put off important assignments until the last minute. Your probabilities for success are best early in the day, when you're not only more productive' but luckier. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A prudent course of action would be to guard your own interests before trying to handle things for others.

This can be done without being selfish, too. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -There is no valid reason to share your good fortune with those who had no hand in developing it However, be generous with those who Dennis The of HOROSCOPE May 14 club from his hand West threw a' club too. East switched to the spade three: queen, king.

West returned his last club, East winning with the jack and leading the club Declarer ruffed low and West over-f ruffed with the spade seven. Now, though, West had only spades and diamonds left ana whichever card he led would cost trick in that suit He selected a. diamond but Garozzo ran it to his queen and held his losses to five tricks: three spades, one heart and one club. In a star-studded field Garozzo was the only declarer to make two spades on this hand The Family Circus "I wish Granddad was here lookin at these pictures with us instead of way up there in heaven." Answer to Preview Pvule 24 Dance maneuvers 25 Chatters 26 Disturb the peace 27 Solo 29 Lifted 30 Remarkable person (si.) 31 Cub Scout groups 37 Singing syllable 38 Large arteries 40 Devout 41 Bobs one's heed 42 Single part 43 Chirp 45 Seaport In Alaska 46 Khayyam 47 Forbids 49 Light feather 50 Scarlet 52 Likely 53 Fair grade calling 1-900454-3535 and entering minute; touch-tone or rotary phones. ACROSS 1 Primitive; wagon 7 Melancholy 13 Ogr user 14 Woman'! nam 15 Washbasin 16 City tn England 17 Gravel ridgt 18 Basketball liigut (ibbf.) 20FlKd 21 Detectives 25 Seriously 28 Print's vestment 32 Buenos 33 Unasslstsd 34 Cooks in water 35 Split 36 Secretary of 37 Shreds 39 Absorb 41 Macedamla, e.g.

44 Boat 51 City In Washington 54Typeof locomotive 55 Prehistoric creature 56 Not shaky 57 Guides DOWN 1 Scandinavian capital 2 Dec. holiday 3 Small bay 4 Alias (abbr.) 5 Confederate soldier 6 Garden Implement 7 Chair part 8 Exclamation 9 Next to Sun. 10 Sleeping 11 Central American oH tree 12 Kind of income 19 Broker's advice 21 Slender 22 Diminish 23 Card suit 45 Head (si.) 48 Ahead did SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Your power to evaluate correctly might not be as effective for you as your luck will.

Try to operate in the area where you nave the greatest strength. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Things could be profitable for you, so long as you don't feel the need to fix what isn't broken. One the ways to ensure failure is to make impulsive, last-minute changes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) If you can organize your priorities in a methodical manner, success is likely. If you can't, then you Menace ALMANAC 1 i is is i FFnr 13 Ti 17 1 TS 1 1 ifin irrir 1 32- 1 33 31 35 33 1 1 33 6 1 irnrpi irnrnr 73 4TTW TT iTTU 33 35 sr "37 Today is Wednesday, May 13, the 134th day of 1992. There are 232 days left in the year.

On this date in history: In 1607, the English colony at Jamestown, was settled. In 1914, boxing champion Joe Louis was born in Lafayette, Ala. In 1917, three peasant children near Fatima, Portugal, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary. eln 1958, vice President Richard M. Nixon's limousine was battered by rocks thrown by demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet All Agca. Thought for the day: "A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by a common hatred of its neighbours." William Ralph Inge, English author By The Associated Press 25 YEARS AGO (1967) The city Planning Commission approved plans for the redevelopment of 90 acres in Woods Run, at a cost of $5 million. Western Penitentiary would be expanded and light industry added along with a high-rise apartment building for the elderly. 50 YEARS AGO (1942) A Hill District man was sentenced to 30 days in jail for making 596 illegal telephone calls to his girlfriend from one Wylie Avenue phone booth after the telephone company found $29.85 cents worth of nickel slugs in the phone.

100 YEARS AGO (1892) Mayor Henry Gourley and Public Works Chief Edward Bigelow were touring Central Park in New York to gather information about building a conservatory here. Compiled by Rich Gigler "If I'd come to the table when you lirst called me, this lap full of warm soup woulda been HOT." Stumped? Get answers to clues by access code No. 180 95 cents per.