European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 6 a the stars and stripes tuesday april 21, 1992 apr. Curt Juhala checks skin grafts on the reattached arms of John Thompson 18, at a Hospital in Harvey . Teen who lost arms discovers recovery a Tough Row to Hoe Harvey . A at first he jokes with his physical therapist As they stretch and move his reattached arms. But its not Long before John Thompson shows the Wear and frustration of constant therapy and prolonged uncertainty. A single tear streams Down his face. A nurse wipes it away. A just one of those Days huh a therapist Kelly Christenson asks As he stretches the farm workers Limp hand. A pm just really tired a the weary 18-year-old from Hurdsfield replies with a . Laconic shy edgy and amiable the tall Blond teenager lost weight from his already slender Frame after a Jan. 11 Accident at the family farm in which his arms were torn off at the shoulders. A surgeon reattached them. Most of the time his arms stay bandaged and in splints. Bared for therapy a visitor sees his right is still swollen below the Elbow and his arms Are a Patchwork of skin grafts. Swift changes of emotion Are daily weather for Thompson. Tedious physical therapy to help the arms heal and strengthen takes enormous amounts of time. Three times a week he drives 20 Miles in a specially equipped car to Harvey a St. Aloisius Hospital for two hour sessions. He undergoes similar daily therapy at Home. Thompson who favors sweat suits and a baseball Cap with the insignia of a heavy Metal band also goes to school though usually no More than a few hours each Day and accommodates requests for interviews with news Media. Everything he does reminds him of his injuries. He even Sang a Solo recently at a District chorus Competition but he Wasny to Happy. A people came to look at me. They did t come to listen to me a he said. A i got nervous. I forgot the by the new York times new York a a City police officer on his Way to work was stabbed six times sunday after he told three teen agers to Stop scrawling Graffiti on a southbound d train in the South Bronx the police said. He was attacked by a separate group of three men in their 20s who warned the officer who was not in uniform against interfering with the youths. Despite wounds in his shoulders stomach face and ear the officer Derrick Boddie 29, walked several Hundred feet from the stairwell where he was stabbed to the subway station Headquarters. Boddie did not have a weapon because he is on re words to the Thompson was working alone on the farm when he became entangled in Power machinery that ripped off his arms. He staggered 400 feet to his House opening doors with his Mouth and using a Pencil to punch buttons on the Telephone to summon help. His Story has touched people around the world. He has a growing collection of videotapes and newspaper clippings from All the news he has made. Gifts cards and banners fill the Thompson basement. He still gets Calls from Well wishers around the country. One woman stopped by unannounced with a homemade ointment she said would help his arms. A Faith healer called several times from California. At an april 11 boxing match in Bismarck his first big Outing since the Accident so Many people wanted to speak to him he said a i barely even got to see the fight the sudden inability to perform the most mundane tasks frustrates him said his Mother Karen. A a John Sable to do a lot but i think he still gets frustrated at what he can to do by himself a his Mother said. Doctors outfitted him with special eating utensils that can be attached to his splints but they done to work Well she said. He has practically Given up using them. He recently bought a new car equipped with a special steering wheel ignition and shifter. Thompson said he can drive it Fine but can to open the doors. Now he is waiting for the car dealer to install push Button openers. Despite these hindrances Thompson said he keeps up his spirits knowing he is making Progress and getting better Thompson still cannot move his hands or fingers on his own but the digits contract when electricity is placed against a nerve or muscle in his . A a that a a really Good sign a Christenson said. Stricter duty said sgt. Edelle James a police spokeswoman but she could not say Why. The incident began about 3 45 . As Boddie Rode in the last car on his Way to a 4 . Shift. He saw three youths writing Graffiti in the car and demanded that they turn Over their Marker. The other three men insisted that Boddie return the Marker James said. He did not know whether Boddie had identified himself As a police officer. After the train stopped at a Yankee stadium station Boddie was followed into a stairwell and stabbed. The police said they had no suspects and Only one turning off traffic lights for Stop signs from wire reports Philadelphia a Philadelphia a traffic lights Are being torn Down and replaced with the latest High tech traffic control devices Stop signs. The Octagon shaped signs will gradually replace old fashioned signal lights at about 800 of the City a 3,000 intersections streets department officials said. A streets commissioner Pete Hoskins said studies have showed that Stop signs Are safer than lights at All but the busiest intersections. He said Stop signs Force people to slow Down eliminate the temptation to run yellow lights and make pedestrians More Alert. Tie switch to Stop signs is also expected to save the City $500,000 a Dies after jog Spokane Wash. William h. Cowles Iii president and publisher of the spokesman re View and Spokane chronicle newspapers died saturday after suffering a heart attack while jogging. He was 60. Cowles stricken near his Home died at a Hospital a Short time later. He had been publisher for 22 years a title held previously by his father and Grandfather. He was a past chairman of the american newspaper publishers association and a director of landmark communications and the Seattle times co. And Allied daily newspapers. Cowles also was a former member of the associated press Board of directors. Survivors include his wife Allison Stacey Cowles a son w. Stacey Cowles a daughter Elizabeth a. Cowles a brother and two kills 8 show horses Dix Hills . A eight show horses were killed sunday when a fire upped through a Bam on Long Island Suffolk county police said. The Blaze erupted about 7 10 . In the barn at Dix Hills. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control but the Bam was destroyed said police sgt. Jack Parrell the fire did not appear to be suspicious he said. Some of the horses were being boarded at the Bam by different horse schools praised new York new York City a beleaguered Public schools Are now being held up As the country a Best in at least one aspect creating a network of Magnet schools that do not segregate students by race or class. A report released monday by researchers at Columbia University a teachers College praises new York City As a National Model for its career Magnet schools which draw students from across the City and prepare them for both specific careers and College. A among the big cities this is the most egalitarian i know and probably the most exciting set of choices for a student in High school a said Robert l. Crain a professor of sociology and education at teachers College and the main author of the s publicist files suit new York a Elizabeth Taylor a publicist Chen Sam is suing the Star for $7 million Over an article that said the spokeswoman has cancer. A i unequivocally swear that i do not have cancer a Sam said in court papers made Public Friday in state supreme court a i have never had cancer i was never diagnosed with cancer and have never been treated for a judge is scheduled to Rule april 29 on whether Sam must turn Over her medical records to the supermarket tabloid. The article headlined a double tragedy devastates Bride to be Liz Taylor a was published a few weeks before Taylor a october wedding to Larry Fortensky. It said that Fortensky smother had died of cancer two weeks earlier and that Sam also had the disease. A Call sunday night to the tabloids new York office went unanswered. Officer stabbed after rebuking youths
