DeKalb firefighters rescued a quadriplegic man Thursday morning from his burning third-floor apartment.

Noel Henderson was trapped in his bedroom at about 7:30 a.m. when either an overturned box fan or the attached extension cord caught fire.

Henderson dialed 911 and remained on the line with the dispatcher until firefighters entered his apartment.

DeKalb’s ladder truck was the first to arrive, and with the help of the dispatcher speaking to Henderson, firefighters were able to immediately raise a 35-foot ladder to Henderson’s bedroom window.

Firefighters Jason Pavlack, Joe Cahill and Lt. Paul Campbell scaled the ladder and pulled Henderson through the window and carried him down the ladder to safety.

"I’m very proud of the people that handled the situation and the cooperation between them," DeKalb Fire Chief Lanson Russell said. "The actions that they took undoubtedly saved that man’s life."

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 10 to 20 minutes, which was before the fire could enter other apartments or engage structural elements of the building.

Residents of the Hillcrest Place Apartments 6000 building at 220 E. Hillcrest were evacuated.

Thirty-two firefighters responded to the scene, including an engine from Sycamore. Cortland firefighters manned the station for the roughly two-and-a-half hours that firefighters battled the fire and cleaned up afterward.

"It was a relatively small fire, but it did a lot of damage because there was a lot of thick, acrid smoke," Russell said.

Damage from the fire is estimated at $60,000.

A well-known program in Madison, Wis., has found its way to NIU and seeks to alleviate the stress caused by taking long walks and crowded buses to class.

Mary Crocker, NIU director of recycling programs and operations, began the program, "Bike Me," in February when Robert Albanese, associate vice president of finance and facilities, suggested how successful the program had been at the University of Wisconsin.

Beginning today, 25 bikes will be distributed throughout campus as an alternative to the typical transportation options that cause congestion on university streets.

"Someone in Stevenson could go downstairs, see one of the red bikes, and bang, take it to Barsema," Crocker said. "Although our primary objective is the students, this is also available to faculty and staff."

Albanese, who recently spent some time in the Madison area, observed a bike program organized by a bike shop owner Roger Charlie who spent a great deal of time compiling old and used bikes from around town, dipping them in a red paint and distributing them throughout Madison primarily for the use of students in order to have another viable option of getting from point A to point B.

The program exposed little theft with the bikes and, for the most part, is considered an enormous success.

"Mr. Albanese came to me in February and said, ‘Why can’t we do it?’" Crocker said.

From that point on, the "Bike Me" program took shape. Albanese was able to provide Crocker with $1,500 to fund the program with the money mainly allocated for repairs, painting and in some cases the purchasing of old bikes.

Crocker said most bikes, however, are ones found in dumpsters or those donated from people throughout the city. She felt community involvement at this early stage in "Bike Me" bodes well in making this a citywide program.

"We’ve been looking for people in the community to call and say, ‘Hey I have this old bike, could you use it,’" Crocker said. "People from the community are really coming forth on this. At some point we would like to have enough bikes to place perhaps in the downtown area."

"Bike Me" is entirely free to students and faculty and more importantly, Crocker said, is based on an old-fashioned honor system.

"These bikes are relatively unattractive and will be highly detectable on campus," Crocker said. "They’re not particularly attractive for anyone to rip off. The honor system with this is important. If we begin to see lots of bikes being stolen, then we may reconsider the program."

The process is simple, Crocker said. A student who finds a red bike near their class or residence hall can ride it to wherever they need to go, leave it there for someone else or take it back where they found it. There is no signing up or collateral a student needs to provide.

Students then could take the bike from one area of the campus to the other, leaving it in plain sight when finished for the next student.

While this program is only in its infancy, Crocker already has laid the groundwork for plans that would expand the program.

She’s considering speaking to University Police regarding the purchasing or donation of lost bikes that are never claimed or having students themselves come to her with old bikes they no longer need.

Crocker said she would continue to pursue grants to help fund the program while continuing her excellent relationship with Bluemoon Bikes Cycle and Fitness Center in Sycamore and the DeKalb Cyclery.

"I’m not going to be naïve and see we won’t lose bikes," Crocker said. "But this program really has potential I think. And anyone who has any other ideas about how to make this program work are more than welcome to contact me."

If anyone has an idea, would like to donate the bike or volunteer in helping with the "Bike Me" program, call Mary Crocker at 753-1590 or Alex Dreyer, student coordinator with recycling and senior engineering major, at 753-0352.

For me, home will always be the four-bedroom house I grew up in on the South Side of Chicago. However, after almost two years at NIU, I have found a place second-best to my real home, and guess what? You're reading a part of it right now.

Two years ago, I began my journey at NIU and the Northern Star. While I'll spare you the boring details of the typical first-year tribulations and triumphs that you, too, will encounter, I will tell you why the Star has become my home away from home and what it means to you.

For a typical freshman, getting lost in the crowd — sometimes the wrong crowd — is easy to do. Had it not have been for the positive distraction of the Star, I probably would have found myself on the first bus out of DeKalb straight back to Chi-town.

While the Star may or may not impact your college experience as much as it has mine, believe it or not, it can serve as a stepping stone during your journey at NIU.

The mission of the Star and its employees is to provide you with news that affects you. While you can look to the Star for the latest news from NIU and the surrounding cities, you also can find the latest national, world and entertainment news.

Did you know that the Star is the only local morning paper in DeKalb? With a circulation of 16,000 (Monday through Thursday) and 13,000 (Friday), the Star is delivered to more than 250 locations on the NIU campus and throughout the DeKalb area. The Star covers a wide range of news relating to NIU, the DeKalb area, state, national world and entertainment.

Not a fan of reading the newspaper? Log on to the Star's Web site (www.northernstar.info) for the news you can read in print, and also explore so much more. Log online for the latest breaking news, archives of previous editions of the Star, cool online-only features columnists and Web specials. Star Living, a section of the Web site geared toward entertainment and lifestyle, features daily updated recipes, movie reviews and a database of drink recipes, to name a few. For the past two years, our Web site has won the Associated Collegiate Press' Online Pacemaker Award. Also for the past two years, the Web site has received one of the highest honors from Editor and Publisher magazine, the EpPY award for Best College Newspaper Internet Site.

So what's this buzz about a new radio station? That's right, both you and I will be part of the return of student radio to campus. NSRadio, which will be available online via the Star's Web site, will feature music of all types of genres, as well as live and specialty programming, local music, news updates and sports wrapups.

Got nothing to do on the weekend? Not if you read the Star's weekly entertainment supplement, the Weekender. Weekender, a special pullout section appearing each Thursday in the Star, is your guide to the latest events, shows and bands hitting the DeKalb scene. With movie and CD reviews, plus a weekly blast from the past with the Master of Old School Entertainment (M.O.O.S.E.), the Weekender is sure to convince you to leave your suitcases unpacked come the end of the week.

Have an idea for the Star? I'd love to hear from you. The staff of the Star always is looking for new story ideas, additions to our regular content and feedback on how we're doing from our main audience -- you. If you have any suggestions for the Star, questions about NIU, or just need an ear to listen to you, I'm here to listen. Stop by the Star's office during normal business hours (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) at the Campus Life Building, Suite 130, call 753-0105 or e-mail me at [email protected].

Welcome to NIU and don't forget to look to the Star for the latest news that affects you.

Returning to the outdoors from the Convocation Center, the sixth annual Huskie Bash catered to the appetites and entertainment pleasures of all.

The festivities were held last Thursday in Central Park. Vendors offered a variety of food from bagels and pizza to custard and gourmet coffee. The Chesapeake Bagel Co. was at the Huskie Bash for the fifth time.

"We like the community relations with Northern," said Paul Vanderbleek, Chesapeake’s executive baker.

This year’s bash saw some first-time companies involved.

"A lot of new vendors wanted to participate this year, like Culver’s, Rosemary’s and U.S. Cellular," said Brian Smith, NIU’s food service administrator.

Some vendors actually had to be turned away, he said.

Culver’s participated for the first time this year, serving custard and cheese curds. Culver’s First Assistant Manager Amanda Corona said the business joined the Huskie Bash to get more involved with NIU.

Along with food, merchandise also was available at this year’s bash. Out on a Whim, a body piercing store owned by Kenny Weinstock, participated this year selling body jewelry, incense and beaded curtains. U.S. Cellular and Comcast advertised contract deals and special offers.

Many vendors also gave away items for free. For example, NIU’s Orientation Office gave out frisbees and L.A. Tan and Caribou Coffee passed out coupons. Many students walked around with hands full of free drinking cups from Papa John’s and the Village Commons Bookstore.

Inflatable games, such as a boxing ring with oversized boxing gloves, attracted many students. But because of the high temperatures, few bouts lasted long.

And it wasn’t just freshmen at the bash. Joe Cinardi, a senior marketing major fresh out of the boxing ring, said his favorite part of the bash was that it was back outside. "It’s cool, it feels like we’re really back at school."

Amy Henschen, a junior elementary education major who’s also a community adviser at Stevenson Towers, said students attend the Huskie Bash to meet new people.

She thinks it’s important for new students to visit the bash because "it gives the students a chance to mingle before classes start."

Freshman textile apparel and merchandising major Kristy Bormann found the bash helpful because people approached her just to say "hello" and to tell her about events on campus. Her mother, Laura, thought it was great, except for one thing.

"We’d like to request cooler weather," she said.