The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 88

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Friday, August 25, 1995 F2 Unexpected Newsmakers By W. Speers comments come Mary Hart fears writer of sex letters i with pregnane 'I Dear Ann Landers: I am pregnant with my second child, and it never ceases to amaze me how insensitive people can be. Is there a book that addresses pregnancy etiquette? If not, there should be. Here are some examples of what I have had to listen to in recent weeks: "Are you having twins? You sure do look like it." "I have a friend who 7 k' is due the same time you are, and she is not half as big as you." "How much weight have you gained?" "You still have THAT much longer to go?" "My wife never lost the weight she put on after her second mi I Ann Landers child." "I wore my regular Frank Giaccio, caretaker of the TV star's 7'2-acre spread. The Lewisboro Zoning Board said the Today host needed eight acres to do it.

But Gumbel argues in a suit that there's no adjoining land he can buy to meet the requirement. A town attorney countered that Giaccio was already living in the barn on the property and, in violation of town law, operated a business out of it. A neighbor complained Gumbel was creating an environmental problem by installing a toilet in the barn with no septic system. Gumbel is vacationing and not available for comment. Nina Simone was fined $4,600 Wednesday and ordered by a French court to consult with a shrink for shooting buckshot July 25 at two noisy teenage boys playing in a swimming pool next door to her villa in southern France.

The American jazz singer said she told them twice to pipe down. One of the boys was slightly hurt. Her lawyer said Simone, 62, was fragile and depressed. Sick-bay report Larry Hagman's doctors said yesterday that he was responding well after Wednesday's liver transplant and all indications were that he'd have a complete recovery. Physician Leonard Makowka, head of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's liver transplant program in L.A., said surgeons were surprised at how advanced the actor's cirrhosis was, noting, "We really did get the liver just in time." He described a cancerous tumor on the liver as "completely dead" as a result of radiation treatment earlier this month.

In a bizarre aside, Makowka noted that during the surgery gallstones were harvested from Hagman, which he wants to give to New York artist Barton Benes for inclusion in a sculpture. Tammy Wynette, 53, returned to her Nashville home Wednesday after being diagnosed with polyps on her vocal cords at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Doctors ordered her not to talk or sing for two weeks. She's Mary Hart is reported in fear for her safety after it got out that she submitted 200 sex-crazed letters to a board considering the Oct. 6 release of Willie Dawson.

He sent the letters to the TV star while doing a 10-to-15-year stretch in Massachusetts for stabbing his ex-wife with a screwdriver. Hart handed over the letters to show that Dawson, 46, diagnosed with a "paranoid delusional disorder," was a threat to her. Now she considers him even more of a threat because he knows she handed over the letters. Prison officials have hospitalized Dawson to evaluate his mental condition. Locally connected The Dixie Hummingbirds will get the third annual Philadelphia Gospel Seminar Award tonight before an 8 o'clock concert at Olney's St.

Paul's Lutheran Church. Mayor Rendell is set to do the honors. The group, featured on the Paul Simon record "Love Me Like a Rock," has been in the gospel biz 67 years. Villanova native Katie Wright will have a featured role in a new Aaron Spelling two-hour TV pilot that he hopes to spin into a series. The 1990 Harriton High grad, who's been doing commercials and minor roles in The Wonder Years and Hearts of the West, will start shooting Canaan Road next month.

Katie, 23, is the daughter of Mary and Scott Wright, both Lower Merion High grads. He's a Penn physician. Tix $55 and $50 to Luis Miguel's Oct. 6 appearance at the Waterfront Entertainment Centre go on sale Sunday at 10 a.m. He won a Grammy this year for best Latin pop performance for his CD Segundo Romance.

Blues Traveler $20 tix go on sale today at 10 a.m. The band'll appear at the Tower Theater Oct. 3 and 4. Tix to Clint Black's postponed Wednesday appearance at the Waterfront he had laryngitis will be honored when he returns for an indoor show Oct. 10.

Concertgoers are still encouraged to bring nonperishable food to the Associated Press EYAL WARSHAVSKY American singer Stevie Wonder gave a concert Wednesday night in Jerusalem, and condemned the suicide bomb attack in the city Monday that killed five people and injured 107. O.J. buddy Al Cowlings will set up shop in front of a white Ford Bronco and sell his signature at a memorabilia expo in L.A. over Labor Day weekend. due to perform with former husband George Jones Sept.

3 in Salem, 111., and begin a European tour in mid-September. Markings Hugh Grant took the worst hit from his Divine Brown adventure when the media tracked down a foster child he's supported in Pakistan for several years and asked her opinion of her feet-of-clay benefactor. The actor was said to be enraged when he found out. He also couldn't have been too happy when told the reason Brown rejected $300,000 to do a porno film was she wouldn't summit to an AIDS test, required these days in the dirty-movie biz. Joan Rivers, Helen Gurley Brown and Walter Cronkite are among six New Yorkers declared living landmarks by the city's Landmark Conservancy.

"What this means is that the people can never change their appearances," said conservancy prez Peg Breen. "Brown can never change her makeup and Joan Rivers' hairstyle is forever." They'll all be honored at the Plaza Nov. 7. This story contains information from the Associated Press, New York Post, New York Times and USA Today. those who might expose them" and advised him to "go back to the subway." Quick-acting David Hasselhoff Tuesday saved a 2-year-old girl when the dog she had on a leash ran after a ball and dragged her into the surf near Malibu.

The TV Baywatch star was there doing a photo shoot. "The water wasn't very deep," the actor said. "But the little girl was banged up Over his lifetime I've saved about four lives." Including his own! Celebrity docket Bryant Gumbel is battling his tiny town in Westchester County, N.Y., after it denied him permission to convert a barn into an apartment for October gig for local distribution. Ron Dayne, aptly positioned uiiback on Pine Hill's Overbrook Regional High team, is the only player from around here named to USA Today's preseason super 25 high school football players. Ron's only 5-10 but 255 pounds.

Do-gooders Curtis Sliwa, who two months ago expanded his crime patrol to the Internet in search of credit-card cons and porno violators, said he had been threatened by a group of hackers in Sweden. "They're literally a cybergang," said the Guardian Angels' Most High. "They threatened to do harm to jeans home from the hospital they were size 5." "Are you still pregnant?" Any advice on how to respond to these asinine comments? JVine Months and Counting in Boise Dear Boise: No response is necessary. Simply look the clods straight in the eye and say, "I can't believe I heard you correctly." Dear Ann Landers: Motor vehicle crashes kill 40,000 people and cause 5 million injuries in the United States each year. The cost to society is $137 billion annually.

One highway fatality occurs every 13 minutes. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for youths ages 16 to 20. In 1993, 5,905 young people were killed in traffic crashes an average of one every hour on weekends and one every two hours during the week. Twice as many males were killed as females. Of those who died, 75 percent were not wearing safety belts.

If they had been buckled up, 45 percent would have survived. Although 16-to-20-year-old drivers accounted for only 6.7 percent of the total driving population in 1993, they represented 13.5 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 12 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking. In 1993, of all fatal crashes involving 16-to-20-year-olds, 1,081 of the youth drivers were legally drunk. The establishment of a minimum drinking age of 21 has reduced traffic fatalities involving 18-to-20-year-olds by 13 percent and has saved 14,816 lives since 1975. Don't drive if you've had even one drink.

Alcohol slows reaction, blurs and distorts the vision and impairs the concept of distance. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has launched a nationwide public education campaign called "Drive It Safe." Teens can do several things to reduce their risk of dying in a crash and lessen injury if an accident occurs. Best of all, many accidents can be prevented. The free "Drive It Safe" brochure is available by calling 1-800-824-BONES or writing Drive It Safe, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, P.O. Box 1998, Des Plaines, 111.

60017. William Tipton, M.D., executive vice president, AAOS Dear Dr. Tipton: Thank you for taking the time to do the research that should hit home. I've seen the brochure, and it is superb. I hope you get a zillion responses.

Gem of the Day: What did the little porcupine say when he backed into the cactus? "Is that you, Mom?" A college-bound daughter leaves Mom some special gifts Lucia jHerndon Foster parents sought. Catholic Social Services is looking for people to serve as foster parents to children of all ages. Children with special medical or emotional needs and siblings who want to stay together also are in need of foster parents. Married couples and single adults can qualify. For more information, call 215-587-3960.

ElderCare newsletter. A newsletter is available for families providing care for elderly relatives. ElderCare Forum, a quarterly publication, offers information on coping techniques, medications, finances, legal issues and support programs. To receive a copy, send $1 and a stamped, self-addressed business envelope to the ElderCare Help Line, 170 Elaine Drive, Roswell, Ga. 30075.

Bicycle safety day. Rancocas Hospital will sponsor its annual Bicycle Safety Day on Sept. 9. This is the sixth year of the event that has expanded to include information on rollerblading, fire and car safety. Children are encouraged to bring their bikes and test their skills on a special course.

The event also will feature jugglers, a rollerblade demonstration and bicycle raffles. The event is free and will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the hospital grounds, 218 Sunset Rd. in Willingboro.

Rain date is Sept. 10. For more information, call 609-835-3416. Blood pressure screenings. The Delaware Valley Medical Center will offer free blood-pressure screenings next Friday from 9 a.m.

to noon. The screenings will be available in During her final days as a camp counselor, my daughter presented me with a ceramic piece that says: "Number 1 Mom." It's pink and purple and has a sweet exuberance about it that I like. "It was supposed to be a pin," she said. "But I couldn't find the pin part." I cupped it in my hand, marveling at how such a little piece of ceramic could be so, well, heavy. "And it probably is too heavy to wear on a blouse," she said with a laugh.

"Maybe it's a better paperweight." It seems fitting that my daughter, leaving home for college, should make me a gift. She's been doing it since she first left me for nursery school. My desk, bookshelves, dresser drawers, closets, walls front of the Sears store on the second level of the Oxford Valley Mall. For more information, call 215-949-5116. Volunteers sought.

Cooper HospitalUniversity Medical Center is seeking women with ovarian cancer to participate in a clinical trial of a potential new treatment. The drug is an oral medication taken daily on an outpatient basis. For information on the program, call 609-342-2185. Childbirth classes. Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in Darby is offering childbirth classes for parents who are expecting their second or subsequent child.

The class will meet once a week for three weeks beginning Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The fee is $30. For more information, call 610446-2940. and refrigerator doors have been home to them all: a handprint in plaster, a woven bookmark, watercolor paintings, ceramic bowls, platters and animals.

An entire drawer of a file cabinet is the permanent repository of the Melissa Papers, 1982 every paper she brought home from kindergarten. I keep the "Number 1 Mom" pinpaperweight on my bedside table. A momento from my Number 1 Daughter. Have a question or a comment? Write to Ann Landers, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 11562, Chicago, III. 60611-0562.

Kids' Talk With Linda K. Harris Friday's Child Twin brothers with twin abilities, such as learning to play the piano 1 ha. si w' I QVVhy is a rabbit's foot considered good luck? Angela Prosper, St. Leo School, Philadelphia A Rabbits have been a part of folklore since ancient times. In some Indian tribes, for example, the rabbit brought good things to humans.

The rabbit brings fire from far away in some folk tales. In others, the rabbit steals the sun so that humans can benefit. The rabbit's foot is thought to be something like a touchstone or moonstone. Those are objects that were smooth and felt good to touch and would calm people I fcmwurii i in', more than 570 million years ago! QVVhy are two weeks in England called a fortnight? Micole Peters, D.N. Fell School, Philadelphia A The word fortnight refers to 14 nights.

This word came from the Old English, which was spelled in a way that looks pretty weird to our modern eyes. Back then they called it "feowertyne niht." The reason they called it fourteen nights, and later a fortnight, goes back to the ancient Germanic tradition. Those folks talked about nights the way we do days. rry i rrl- 4- Vi ota -n 4 -I "r- rr you in a couple of nights" instead of "a couple of days." Maybe even they had pay-night instead of payday! Do you have a question for the "Kids' Talk" column about your favorite sports figure, TV star or cartoon character? Is there something you'd like to know about a current event, a famous person, an exotic animal or another part of the world? Send in your question. We'll try to answer it.

Write Kids' Talk, The Inquirer, Box 8380, Philadelphia 19101. By Paddy Noyes FOR THE INQUIRER Maurice and Michael are 7-year-old twins. The extent of the similarity of their talents surprised their social worker. On a recent car trip, the boys read the names of every city and village they passed through no matter how many letters. They also kept asking, "What's the time?" And when the answer was 1 o'clock, they both chimed in: "Time for medication." Michael amazed everyone when he quickly learned to play the piano.

After playing a selection twice, he could do it well. Even more amazing was that Maurice, having heard the songs, could play them by ear. They were born prematurely, with drugs in their systems. There are neglect and abuse in their background. They have exhibited symptoms of autism.

Some of the behavior includes turning in circles, screaming when nothing that can be seen has provoked fear, and reading without comprehension. They attend special-education classes and function on a 3-to-S-year-old level. They receive help for language delays, short attention span, distracti-bility and impulsiveness. They take medication for attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity. They can dress themselves but have not yet mastered tying shoe laces.

It's mold that gives flavor to blue-veined cheeses. grow. After all, milk supports babies, so why not a few mold spores! Many cheeses we eat are noted for their molds. The blue-veined cheeses are examples. The uiue-green mold that makes veins through the cheese give the cheese its special flavor.

These cheeses are made by mixing penicillium mold while the cheese is being made. These cheese must be exposed to air in order for the mold to grow in the cheese and give it that flavor. Cheeses that have a "crust," such as Brie, have thick mold The Grand Canyon is the product of major erosion. growing on the surface of the cheese. QHow was the Grand Canyon formed? Joseph Camperchioli, St.

Richard's School, Philadelphia A The Grand Canyon was formed by erosion. This erosion from the Colorado River is so awesome, it carved gullies. The Colorado Plateau, in which the canyon was carved, is made of sedimentary rock. The river is so powerful it has been able to carve through rocks that formed during Precambrian times that's Michael (left) and Maurice surprised the social worker. Michael can recite the days of the week and months and can find words in the dictionary and passages in the Bible.

Maurice enjoys climbing the gym set and anything else in his path. liiey iiKe lo nue DiKes, swim, roller-skate, color, jump rope, assemble 100-piece puzzles, dance, and enjoy video games and computers. Michael and Maurice are in good health and are eligible for financial subsidy. These children and others are available for adoption by approved applicants. The adoption process usually takes from two to 12 months.

For information, write to: National Adoption Center, in care of Paddy Noyes, 1500 Walnut Suite 701, Philadelphia, 19102 or phone of what was going on around them, and therefore good things would happen to them. QWhat makes mold grow on cheese? Brenna Carter, Ridge Park Elementary School, Conshohocken A Mold spores are floating through the air most of the time, and cheese is a good place to land, as it is rich in nutrients for the mold to 1.