The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 41

THE PANTAGRAPH FOCUS SECTION FRIDAY December 7, 2001 Typical Coen 'Man Mto Wasn't Viere' a quirky treat Page D6 If i. v. Bill Flick A rt .1 71 1 IS V. ft. 4 1 Associated Press Dave Harrison used a snow blower to clear knee-deep snow recently in Willmar, Minn.

Waiting until the snow falls to buy a snow blower may hurt your odds of finding one. SINESS NQWBU Could Slabe beWYZZ's B-N anchor? OUR SANTA HAT IS OFF: If you missed last weekend's 134th Minier Christmas Parade, you not only missed one of the longest-running Christmas parades in all of America, you also missed one of the largest. It had 84 entries, in a grand little town of only 1,200 folk. If comparison shopping for next year, that's 24 more entries than in the Bloomington parade. NEWS IN THE NEWS: So 16 years after B-N last viewed its own local TV newscast, the same digits on your TV set that tried it then Channel 43 (it was WBLN rather than WYZZ) is about to launch another attempt at making B-N a TV-news town.

In that merger announced last week between Bloomington's Fox 43 and Peoria's WMBD (Channel 31), the plan is for the stations to co-produce a 9 p.m. Twin City newscast, to be beamed out of both WYZZ's East Lincoln Street location and Channel 31's studios along North University in Peoria. Targeted start? April 1. (No foolin'!) Its future? Interesting to watch. In a testament to the tranquillity of life here, B-N has long been viewed in TV circles as a "soft" news town.

Little great video happens here. From an eyeball-candy mentality, we're boring. The 9 O'clock Snooze. People get shot at and have dirty laundry in Peoria; they die of office stress and neatly folded shirts in B-N. "Oh, it'll be a challenge for us says newly named WYZZWMBD general manager Neal Davis.

"But we're going to have fun doing it." One name already popping up as a possibility for its Bloomington anchor Jerry Slabe, the highly popular Champaign anchor at WCIA until January 2000, when a contract squabble with Nexstar (which still also owns WMBD) brought about his sudden end. Although Slabe is still largely a four-letter word at Nexstar because of his battles with the corporation, he would nonetheless lend a WYZZ news team instant credibility and also a needed familiar face to draw in viewers. "He'd have to be considered," agrees Davis. As for Jerry? "I'd be very interested to talk," he says from his Monticello home where he's tending house and kids while wife Marta does law school. Then he adds, in Jerry Slabe-signature humor: "I've only worked one day this millennium so you know getting a job might be nice." Stay tuned.

TODAY'S OBTUSE FACT: Give us this day our daily especially at Thanksgiving. At that Great Harvest Bread Co. store in Bloomington, on the day before Thanksgiving, they baked 2,102 loaves of the stuff. In one day. WE'RE So B-N, if you hadn't noticed, may be more "dressed" (with lights) for Christmas than ever before (cheer up, IP stockholders it could be a good year yet) and our Flick Litest ballot box, stuffed with nearly 600 ballots by e-mail or federal courier, is proof.

The early leaders in the B-N balloting (both B-N and area entries will be accepted through Monday), in no particular order, for fame, fortune (a $500 first acclaim, seeing your home on TV-25 and even owning an Snow blower sales drifting higher despite balmy weather it's about useless," Hall said. As for which type of machine might protect the operator from blowing snow, Hall laughed and said, "All snow blowers will throw snow on you." Directional chutes allow you to choose where you want the snow to go, Schultz said, "but the wind will take it where it really wants it to go." The most common maintenance mistake is leaving fuel in the tank at the end of the season, Hall said, which clogs jets and leads to starting problems. Now is the time to fill it up, check the oil, replace the spark plug(s), inspectreplace the air filter and make sure tires are properly inflated. Belts, blades and wear strips also have a life span, Hall added. When March rolls around, empty the tank by running the snow blower until it stops, disconnect the spark plug wire, drain the oil and fill it with new oil.

Check parts for damage, lubricate all moving parts, spray exposed metal with WD-40, wash the snow thrower with mild soap and water and cover and store it in a dry place. stage is compact and lightweight. It works best on concrete and asphalt driveways and can handle as much as a foot of snow, although the going may be slow. For those with gravel driveways or uneven, crumbling concrete, he'd recommend the two-stage snow blower. Slow-turning steel auger blades churn through the snow, leaving the gravel behind.

Because the blades are not designed to touch the plowing surface, they will leave a bit of snow. "Actually, you can go through the driveway faster with a single-stage thrower," Schultz said, "but for the heavy wet snow and the snow at the end of the driveway, you need a two-stage." Although it's more expensive, the vast majority of shoppers are looking for an electric start model. Add horsepower and you drive up the cost of the machines, which start at $400 and go up to more than $900. Higher horsepower machines are really designed for northern climates, Schultz said. Both dealers said the machines work best in lightly compacted snow.

"If you get the slushy wet snow, snow fell in a month that usually sees only 6 inches. Manufacturers take their best guess at how many snow blowers the country will need when we're spraying dandelions, Hall explained, and some plants have already shifted gears to lawnmowers and weed eaters. So once you warm up to the idea of a snow blower, what type do you need? If depends on how big your driveway is, whether it's concrete or gravel and whether you get drifts. Also, are you primarily interested in removing light, powdery snow or chewing through those frozen boulders at the end of the driveway? There are two types of machines: a single-stage snow thrower, which can clear as little as an inch of snow; or the larger two-stage snow blower, which needs a minimum of 3 inches but is capable of digging through heavy, compacted snow. A snow thrower, which is the best seller in this area, picks up the snow and throws it in a single action.

It's ideal for smaller driveways, sidewalks and decks. "They're more user-friendly," Hall said, explaining the single- By Kate Arthur PANTAGRAPH STAFF Last winter, a man brought his snow blower in for repair. While clearing the sidewalk for an elderly neighbor, he kept hearing a "ping, ping, ping" coming from the machine. When he looked back, he noticed he was taking the woman's Christmas lights off, one twisted strand at a time. That's the best story Marjorie Schultz has heard in the 20 years she's been selling snow blowers.

And it's true. Think about what's under the snow before you plow ahead, she said, and if you're thinking about buying a snow blower, don't wait. Half her inventory at FS Farm-town in Bloomington is gone and the machines are blowing out the door at Bloomington's Twin City Power Equipment Inc. too. "They were buying them in August," parts manager Dan Hall said.

"This year, people don't want to get caught." By getting caught, he means what happened last December, when a near-record 20 inches of Fingers major safety concern with snow blowers authentic Flick Litest lighted trophy to passes in heavier snow. Always push a snow blower rather than trying to pull it back like a lawnmow-er. Do not operate on inclines of greater than 10 degrees. Make a path up and down slopes rather than side to side. Keep a clear head, concentrate and do not drink alcohol before ODeratine.

i imii ii Jiumi.iip.1 -mil 4 C. I ij a beautifully adorn your lawn: 3112 Old Jamestown Road, Bloomington (first right off Airport Road, from Route 9 East). 1 381 6 N. 900E Road (on the Covell Road, along Route 9 West). 1108 Rosney Bloomington (off Empire, just northwest of BJHS) 1215 Hovey Normal.

1210 Hovey Normal. 1018 Sawgrass, Normal (in Pinehurst, off Shelbourne). 1 1 01 Emerson Bloomington. Next week: voting begins for the B-N As the snow piles up, so do snow blower-related injuries. Each year, hospitals treat about 3,500 injuries, two-thirds involving fingers.

Among consumer products, snow blowers are a leading cause of amputations. Injury profile Average age: 44 years old Sex: Male Dominant hand 90 percent of injuries Amputations of tips of fingers, middle finger most commonly injured Common weather conditions Heavy, wet snow Accumulation greater than 6 inches Temperature 28 degrees or higher Injury causes Snow clogs the exit chute of the machine and the operator attempts to clean it with his hands. Operator fails to notice blades are still rotating even though the machine is off. Wear eye protection, sturdy shoes and close-fitting clothing. Keep shields and safety guards in place.

Never allow children or young teens to operate the snow blower. Shut it off when you are not using it, even if it's only for a few seconds. Let the engine cool for 10 minutes before re-fueling. Clean snow off the fuel cap area to avoid water contam The PantaqraphDANA HOBACK Dan Hall of Twin City Power Equipment Inc. in Bloomington said single-stage snow throwers are the the most popular option in this area.

"Peoples' Choice Award and introduction of an esteemed panel of judges to pick a "Best of Show" winner. AIR OF HIS WAYS: While B-N area folk continue to go ga ga over the impressive environs of the new Central Illinois Regional Airport terminal, apparently some aren't. Like the guy the other day who stood at a ticket counter for several minutes and then finally "exploded," according to one airport employee, screaming he'd waited 10 minutes for someone to ticket him for a flight and he hadn't seen "one damn agent" yet. The reason: He was in the old terminal that had been closed for a month. inating the fuel tank.

Before servicing a gasoline-powered snow blower, disconnect the spark plug wire so the engine won't start accidentally. SOURCES: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Canada Safety Council, American Society for Surgery of the Hand handle to clear impacted snow. Keep children and pets away from the area being cleared. Slow down. Many operators plow too fast.

The heavier the snow, the slower you should go. Make smaller Safety tips Before a snowfall, remove objects from driveways and sidewalks, including rocks, hoses and extension cords. Even an old newspaper or pop can caught in a snow thrower can be propelled at a high rate of speed. Aim the chute away from people, cars and windows. If the chute becomes clogged, turn off the snow thrower and wait five seconds or more to allow blades to stop rotating.

Always use a stick or broom i You can reach Flick at 829-9411, Ext. 221, or (BOO)- 747-7323. Bye-mail, It's tlick9pantagraph.com.