European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Canine Helper for the handicapped by Isabel Wilkerson new York times for years Brad Gabrielson s worst Nightmare happened All too routinely. Alone in his apartment in Jamestown n.d., Gabrielson would try to reach for something and his wheelchair would Tumble Over and throw him onto the floor pinning him underneath and leaving him helpless for hours. But that does not happen much anymore. Now Gabrielson has to a Golden retriever who is an eager round the clock assistant. The dog can answer the front door turn on Light switches get sodas from the refrigerator pull the cerebral palsy sufferers wheelchair through a shopping mall and pick up keys and quarters off the floor. Guide dogs have Long been used to help the Blind gain Independence and mobility. Now in a growing movement to help the disabled participate More fully in mainstream society dogs Are being used to help the physically handicapped perform everyday tasks negotiate the world outside their Homes and save them from potentially life threatening situations. Gabrielson got his service dog four years ago from one of the several dozen programs in the country that train dogs to become the arms legs and fingers of the disabled and to be their golfers and doormen. Now should Gabrielson fall to knows the Drill. He licks his master s face to make sure Gabrielson is conscious then pulls on a string attached to a lever that will open the front door and runs from House to House scratching on neighbors doors until someone answers. Then to grabs the neighbors Little Finger Between his molars knowing not to bite and leads the neighbor to Gabrielson. Quot to wont rest until he finds someone to get me up a Gabrielson said. Quot when they say a dog is Many a Best Friend they mean it. I be Felt More Independent in these past four years than Ever in my life. This dog is As important As the wheelchair Quot Gabrielson 30, had to travel 900 Miles to a training school in Columbus Ohio to get his dog because there were no schools in the Dakotas or nearby states where dogs were being trained for this purpose. Now Gabrielson wants to change All that. He wants to build a school in Jamestown to make it easier for new Yolk Tim to the Golden retriever has both literally and figuratively opened doors for Brad Gabrielson a Jamestown \ n.d., cerebral palsy victim whose life changed when the specially trained dog entered it. Handicapped people in the Northern Plains states to get a service dog. Quot my dream is to help people who Are worse off than me and there Are a lot of them out there a he said the Library of Congress says about 43 million americans have some disability and demand for service dogs greatly outstrips the Supply. So Many people want them that there is typically a waiting period of three or four years even though it takes Only six to 18 months to train the dogs. Most of the training schools Are non profit agencies financed by private donations. They give the dogs to handicapped people. No one knows How Many of the dogs Are in service. As a measure of the tight Supply Only 500 have been graduated and put into service in the last 15 years by canine companions for Independence. The California based consortium with five centers across the United states is considered one of the nations oldest and largest suppliers of service dogs. The group expects to graduate about 60 dogs this year said Alayna Fardella a spokeswoman. More than errand runners the trainers say the dogs Are a Bridge for the disabled to the outside world. Quot when handicapped people Are out in Public Many people done to feel comfortable approaching them a said George Kuhrts Southwest regional director of canine companions. Quot but when you have a Beautiful Golden retriever by your Side its an icebreaker. Its a conversation piece. People come up and touch the dog. It helps the handicapped person feel not so  experts use Golden and Labrador retrievers almost i exclusively for this kind of work because of the Breeds innate retrieval skills their sociability and desire to please. The dogs which Cost As much As $10,000 to train can be taught As Many As 120 commands associated mainly with retrieving hauling and operating uncomplicated mechanisms. Gabrielson is putting together final plans for his Owry school to be called great Plains guide dogs. A Reed thin Wisp of a Man whose self effacing Kumoi disarms and wins Over sceptics Gabrielson has been travelling with to throughout the Flat Plains of North Dakota raising Money and drumming up support for the project. He Hopes to raise $35,000, which will be used to build the foundations of the project. Local people have joined the Effort. A merchant in the nearby town of Jud has donated 10 acres for the school and officials of Jud have offered tax Breaks Farmers have volunteered to level the site and a local dog Trainer has begun Breeding and training dog for Gabrielson. He plans to begin building on the land with the Money now being raised. Just As to has enriched Gabrielson s life he said so has the dream for the school. Quot now i have a purpose. I want to help people who feel they Arentt Worth anything because i sure know How that  Bombeck As my daughter the neat Freak tugged to free a stuck drawer in the Kitchen i reached in and expertly removed a Church Calendar that held it immobile. The drawer Slid out easily. She gasped As she viewed its contents. Quot How Long did it take you to put together a drawer like this Quot i looked at the array of Eclectic junk from screwdrivers to birthday candles. Quot i have to apologize Quot i said. Quot i be been throwing things in this drawer for Only seven years. The one at the old House was great i tossed stuff in there for 15 years. Now that was a catch All drawer a my eyes proudly took in the vow poppy old lottery ticket Christmas tree bulb plastic packets of Ketchup from Mcdonald a poker chips Corn holders pruning shears a recipe for cajun Chicken and a Telephone number written on a Blank Check. Quot How can you find anything in Here Quot she persisted. Quot that a the Point of a catch All drawer Quot i said. A a an item is never lost. Its just never really  you show me a woman who does not have a junk drawer and i la show you a woman who launders her lint. I grew up with these drawers. My grandma had one of the most impressive catch All drawers 1 have Ever seen. Hers came with a warning. Every time you opened it to look for something her voice would come out of nowhere Quot done to Hurt yourself Quot it was like an Arsenal old razor Blades rested innocently by a Ball of Crochet thread Rusty pins burrowed under Roach traps and paring knives were buried among buttons that never matched anything and keys that never fit anything. My mothers junk drawer Wasny tas Large As grandmas but it was More creative. Hers held empty cardboard spindles that at one time held ribbon. She had Rolls of pennies that she was going to Check someday to see if she had one Worth a thousand dollars. She kept piles of coupons that had exp rec years ago and Jar lids that she Hung onto after the jars to them had broken. There was a pile of warranties Tor appliances that had died of old age and a Booklet or Christmas carols for the piano. We did t own a Pian i have tried to uphold the family tradition of the canc All drawers. The family has been supportive occasionally throwing in a watch that does t run anymore or a half stick of gum that hardens and crumbles. I told my daughter Quot id like to bequeath All of t is you but you have to amass your  she was probably More upset than she let on. C 1990 Erma Bombeck Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes monday april 16,1990