Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 9

B-l Decatur, Illinois, Sunday, March 18, 1990 Herald Review SECTION ObituariesB2 OpinionB6 rish? sn't everyone? Fear stops Samaritan Tangney steals show A leprechaun, no. But Bill Tangney may have been the hit of St. Patrick's Day parade in Decatur on Saturday. With the primary election three days away, the parade was a heyday for politicians a perfect chance to hype names and hustle votes. But the biggest attention-getter among the political paraders was an unexpected face County Clerk Tangney, who has been out of the public eye since June, recovering from cancer and surgery to remove his voice box.

Tangney was leaning out of a window of the first pickup truck in the Democrats' entourage. He gestured to the crowd with open arms, pointing and waving as he spotted familiar faces. In response, surprised parade-watchers applauded, called out "Bill!" and shouted their best wishes. "He looks good don't he?" one parade watcher said. i 4 (11 By AMY RAGSDALE Staff Writer "It's my once-a-year outfit," said Peg Lock, showing off her lime green polyester suit, green-and-white hat, and green overcoat.

"I had it in a box to give to Goodwill," she said, admitting the outfit which might be called atrocious any other day of the year was just right for St. Patrick's Day. Lock, along with an estimated 5,000 others, turned out to see Decatur's 1990 St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday. The parade, 75 units long, lasted for about an hour.

Chairman Matthew Beck said it was one of the biggest in recent years so big that the first units in the parade were finished with the route before the last ones started. DESPITE CHILLY weather, the mood of the morning was festive. The parade included bagpipe bands, the Decatur Municipal Band, a handful of floats, lots of cars and, of course, the 60-plus members of the Sons and Daughters of Ireland. Judy Haskell, who broke her ankle three weeks ago, rode amid the Sons and Daughters of Ireland in a wheelchair, her green leg cast held straight in front of her. "The Knights of Columbus Hall gave me this wheelchair, but I'd much rather be walking," she said.

While those in the parade were busy spreading the St. Paddy's Day spirit, those watching were soaking it up. Six-year-old Timothy Gray scrambled to pick up Tootsie Rolls and squealed with glee as motorcycles rolled by. "HE'S SO EXCITED," grandmother Kathy Gray of Decatur said. "I started bringing him to parades when he was a baby." Nearby, 35-year-old Debbie Polley was "just standing here, an innocent bystander" when Areola's Lawn Ranger lawn-mower drill team captured her for a "photo opportunity." The drill team stopped, members rushed over, nabbed Polley and coerced her to sit on their toilet-equipped mower as they gathered around and snapped a picture.

"They just grabbed me and said 'Take a picture with Polley explained, trying to catch her breath while laughing. "Honestly, they don't know who I am." AT THE END of the route, Margaret and Pat Ryan stood watching the final minutes of the parade. They had just finished walking the route with the Sons and Daughters of Ireland. A true Irish couple wearing genuine Irish knitted white sweaters, Pat, 81, boasted that his father had been born in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day and Margaret, 80, said her grandmother had been born in Ireland.

The couple has visited Ireland five times the last time on Pat's 80th birthday. After the parade, the couple planned to go home where Ireland's flag was flying below the U.S. flag in their yard and eat Irish soda bread. IRISH WAVE: Tim Nolan and son Photo by Herb Slodounik Timothy enjoy St. Patrick's parade Saturday.

Composting display draws Expo interest As I was taking my youngest daughter to school the other day, we passed a boy lying on the sidewalk. His bike was beside him, and he appeared to be hurt. I looked for a safe place on that busy road to pull over to see if I could help. "What are you doing, Mom?" my daughter asked me. "I'm going to see if that kid is hurt." "You can't do that! He won't say anything to you.

You're a stranger! She was very upset at the idea. "If he is hurt really bad, then he won't care if I'm a stranger." "I wouldn't talk to some strange person, even if I was hurt! And he probably won't either. Besides, if you try to talk to him, they will arrest you for kidnapping." I thought for a minute, still trying to avoid the vehicles behind and in front of me. "OK, how about this, do you know him? If you're with me, and he Prairie Talk Kathy Schniepp knows you, then I'll be your mom, not a stranger." She didn't know him, and by the time I got turned around, someone else had helped him up. According to the school grapevine, his bike had hit a bad spot and he fell off.

The nurse patched him up and he was all right. But I've been upset about it since. Mainly because of my daughter's reaction. I know we have to teach our children to beware of strangers. That's only common sense.

But it's also sensible for me to stop and help someone in trouble. Especially a child. So what is the middle ground? And are we raising a generation of people more uninvolved than we are? Did she really think the right thing to do was leave the boy on the ground, and did she honestly believe that I would be arrested for kidnapping if I tried to help him? My son has burst through the door a few times. "There was a man on the road. I didn't like the way he looked, so I ran all the way home from school." My first thought is to shrug if off, with an "I'm sure he was just out walking, too.

Don't worry about it." But I want him to be aware, and to keep his eye out for odd or different things, and to trust his instincts. So I try to reassure him that he did the right thing and set his mind at ease. "I'm glad you came right home! I'll look out the window to make sure he's gone. I guess he could have been just passing by. What do you think?" I don't want them to grow up fearful, not trusting anyone, looking over their shoulders all the time, and thinking that the world is out to get them, but is that worse than having them trust someone who is not good for them? We teach them that there is so much to fear.

Don't take candy from strangers, don't talk to bigger kids, don't go anywhere alone, always look out for someone acting funny. It's too bad that it is just the way of the modern world that we can't tell them that an elderly man offering them candy just might be someone who misses his faraway grandchildren. That a much bigger kid might only want a playmate and not be the forerunner of a drug gang. It's very sad, but it's also very true. We simply can't take the chance with such a precious commodity.

But is scaring them to death and making them too afraid to help others the way to protect them? I don't know. Kathy Schniepp of Decatur and her husband, Stan, are the parents of three, two girls and a boy. By STEVE CAHALAN Staff Writer Attendance is up at Home, Lawn, Garden Expo '90. Good weather and the downtown St. Patrick's Day parade helped draw people Saturday to the event at the Decatur Civic Center.

The three-day expo concludes today. "I'd say we'll do at least a third better than last year, based on Friday night," Civic Center Assistant Manager Ann Brunson said late Saturday afternoon. More than 10,000 people attended last year's show, she said. Brunson said about 1,500 people attended Friday night, up from about 600 on opening night a year ago. She didn't have an estimate on the number of people who visited Saturday, but said the crowd seemed larger than a year ago.

"We've had a good break with the weather and there are a lot of Decatur visited the extension service's composting display, looking for ideas on how to build a composting unit at home with wire. The Sangsters already compost leaves in their back yard. "Right now it's just a pile," Marsha Sangster said. "I don't allow my husband to burn leaves I'm asthmatic," she explained. She hopes the city bans leaf burning.

At another end of the Civic Center arena, Decatur-based Corn Belt FS is displaying and selling its new biodegradable plastic trash and kitchen bags. Hogan Grain Equipment of Elwin is displaying a new lawn tractor that features front- and back-wheel steering. The new Kubota product is attracting more interest than any other at the Hogan exhibit, said salesman Tim Eicke. JiV Garden Expo '90 WHERE: Decatur Civic Center. ADMISSION: $1 per person or $2 per family.

Children under 12 free when accompanied by parent. PARKING: Free, in Civic Center parking lot. "It's been real popular," extension horticulture adviser Sandy Mason said of the new yard waste composting exhibit. "It gives people different ideas of options they have." A recent state law bans yard waste from landfills, effective July 1. Some landfill companies and garbage haulers plan to open composting facilities.

Ian and Marsha Sangster of A 'Chocolate bunny' takes new meaning tftflt By the news staff Fire pact reached Bargaining teams for the Decatur firefighters' union and the city of Decatur reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday. The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 505 will meet sometime next week to vote on whether to ratify the proposed two-year agreement, said Ron Bates, union president. The local represents 1 02 firefighters. The pact would cover a time period of May 1, 1990, to April 30, 1 992. The current two-year pact expires May 1.

Both parties agreed that specific details of the agreement won't be released until the contract is ratified, according to Assistant City Manager Dan Som-merfeldt, who negotiates for the city. However, he said it does contain proposed changes in salaries and benefits. If ratified by the firefighters, the Decatur City Council would then be asked to approve an ordinance that would establish pay rates for the firefighters. Accident kills woman MATTOON A 62-year-old Mattoon woman died Saturday after apparently being run over by her own car. Mattoon police released few details about the investigation into the death of Marjorie Pierce.

The woman had been knocked down by the car at about 5 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of Mattoon Health Care Center. She was taken to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Care Center, Coles County, where she died. A police news release did not indicate the time of death. Small plane crashes SULLIVAN A single-seat airplane crashed Saturday about 2 miles east of Sullivan, shortly after taking off, the Moultrie County Sheriff's office said.

The airplane crashed at about 3 p.m. Its pilot, a 36-year-old man, was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur. His name was being withheld Saturday night. Home, Lawn, WHAT: Landscaping, home improvement, garden, patio, deck design, pool, spa exhibits and seminars by local and statewide businesses and experts.

WHEN: Three-day event concludes today. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. new exhibitors," Brunson said. The Civic Center sponsors the annual event, which features 74 exhibitors.

Visitors can see swimming pools, lawn and garden equipment, home improvement products, as well as a composting exhibit at the Macon County Cooperative Extension Service's booth. There also are free seminars on landscaping, composting, gardening and cooking with herbs. Nosey spends most nights sleeping in Miller's bed. Often, in the middle of the night, he'll hightail it to his own bedroom, where he sacks out underneath a bed. Nosey is an early riser, awake by the time Miller gets out of bed.

The two sit down at the breakfast table together. "We generally have animal crackers or Frosted Mini Wheats or Quaker's Natural Cereal." Nosey spends little if any time in his cage. He ventures outside the house only when Miller straps him into a bunny leash and harness. NOSEY IS paper-trained, too. -His toilet is a layer of newspaper arranged at one end of Miller's living room.

On evenings when Miller goes to church, she leaves the television or stereo on to keep Nosey company. After Nosey finished his nibble of chocolate cake his chocolate intake is limited by his veterinarian he hopped off for a snooze. Miller and friends Velva Bur-kett, 72, and Barbara Hardy, 68, cut slices from the untouched side of the cake. A pile of birthday presents chocolate cupcakes, candy bars, an apple and animal crackers remained for Nosey to enjoy later. "I recommend a rabbit as a pet," Miller said.

"They're a good, loving, gentle pet. But they're prone to chew on wood, carpet, purses ISl ltfe 4H 1 t4iHt? wilt i By AMY RAGSDALE Staff Writer Nosey got a chocolate cake for his birthday. Unusual? You bet your lopped ears. Nosey's a rabbit. Carol Miller, 66, of Decatur got Nosey about four years ago, when he was 2 months old.

"He's very spoiled," Miller said, coaxing the black-and-white rabbit to the kitchen table and his single-layer chocolate cake complete with his name, candles and plastic rabbit centerpiece. "He's a chocolaholic," she adds, explaining that the rabbit's cocoa addiction started years ago, after she fed him a nibble of chocolate she was eating. Miller has had rabbits living in her house for nearly eight years. "IT WAS KIND of a joke the first time," she said, explaining that her grown sons presented her a live white rabbit for Easter. The rabbit, named "Bunny," lived for two years.

"When Bunny died it just about wrecked me," Miller said. "I said, 'I've just got to have another rabbit." Next came Buttons, another white rabbit who lived for IV2 years. Shortly after Buttons died, one of Miller's friends spied a sign advertising bunnies for sale on a grocery store bulletin board. Miller called. Soon she had Nosey.

Photo by Herb Slodounik NOSEY'S DAY: Carol Miller (seated), Velva Burkett and Barbara Hardy celebrate Nosey the Rabbit's birthday..