MATURE ARKANSAS by Arkansas Times

Mature Arkansas AUGUST, 2013

Dallas Bump Arkansas Living Treasure Pages 12-14

MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

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GUEST EDITORIAL

Higher Tax Appraisals Hurt Older Home Owners By Marcia Camp

ncreasing real estate tax appraisals is an important issue for mature home owners. But isn’t our tax burden capped when we turn 65, plus a $350 tax credit to help us stay in our home? While those over 65 have a stable real estate tax bill (unless you’ve added a room which will trigger a reappraisal), this cap has lulled us into complacency, given us a false sense of security. Did you know that in Pulaski County, your property is being reappraised not every 10 years, but every three years? Doesn’t that seem excessive? No need to ask voters to raise taxes when quietly raising appraisals, on which our real estate taxes are based, will do the job. County appraisals are based on measurements of the outside of your home and grade of structure. Value is calculated by averaging square footage and the price of home sales in the surrounding area. Repeated appraisals, coupled with the assumption that all homes are constantly being up-graded, leads to some pretty impressive property values. Over the last few years, this has gotten out of hand. Escalating appraisals become an important issue for home owners over 65 when they sell their home or leave it to heirs. When the house is sold, the much higher tax rate will apply. An unfortunate outcome would be, after inheriting the family home, your heirs find they cannot afford to live there because of high taxes. A Little Rock realtor told me when a recent home sale was almost finished, the prospective buyer inquired about property taxes. When she got her answer, she said, “That’s as high as Texas rates!” and it killed the deal. The realtor then checked the appraised value of his own home and was shocked to find it much higher than any bank would appraise it and much higher than what it would sell for. To find the appraised value of your home, go to arcountydata.com and have your tax bill available. After August 1 of each year, home owners can schedule appointments challenging their real estate appraisals in Pulaski County by calling 340-8213. Last year, at the end of the third week in August, the deadline for filing complaints in time to affect next year’s tax bills, the number of appeals in Pulaski County had reached 5,654, challenging appraisals on 12,000 parcels. That many taxpayers can’t be wrong about these fantasy appraisals.

We Want To Hear From YOU

LETTERS OR EMAILS from readers on any subject of interest to older Arkansans are encouraged. Letters or questions to columnists are also welcome. Email to annewasson@arktimes. com or mail to P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203 GUEST EDITORIALS, on issues of interest to Arkansans over age 50, are encouraged. MATURE ARKANSAS is a forum for readers’ opinions and comments. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publisher. Send 300-500 word editorials to annewasson@arktimes.com All editorials and letters subject to editing and space limitations. Call 501-375-2985 if you have questions. CALENDAR ITEMS should be of interest to Arkansans over age 50, in central Arkansas, and open to the public. Submit to address or email above. SUBSCRIPTIONS are $15 a year (12 issues), via US Postal Service. Send name, address and $15 check to: MATURE ARKANSAS, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203-4010.

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Mature Arkansas Publisher Alan Leveritt Editor Anne Wasson Art Director Mike Spain Photographer Brian Chilson Graphic Artist Bryan Moats Production Manager Weldon Wilson ad Coordinators Roland Gladden Kelly S. Carr

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Phyllis A. Britton ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Katherine Daniels Tiffany Holland Darielle D’Mello Jo Garcia Thanh Rasico Circulation Director Jack Higgins Office Manager Kelly Lyles Billing and Collections Linda Phillips

Mature Arkansas is published monthly by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Arkansas 72203, phone 501-375-2985. Reproduction or use, in whole or in part, of the contents without the written consent of the publisher is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. The publisher assumes no responsibility for care or safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to Mature Arkansas’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially. All contents copyrighted 2013 Mature Arkansas.

MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

health

Meditation: It's Probably Not Right for You By Robert Wood

kay, I admit it. I wrote that headline just to pique your curiosity, in hopes that you would not turn the page. Obviously, I have no idea what’s right for you. But, if you’ll take a few minutes to read this short article, you may discover something that can make you healthier, your daily life easier and more enjoyable. I’m talking about “meditation.” If there were any other word, I would have used it, because people seem to have a lot of misconceptions about meditation. To me, meditation is about relaxation, eliminating distractions and getting more enjoyment out of life. You think too much Remember those little snow globes that you see around the Christmas holidays? Shake them up and “snow” whirls around a tiny figure or scene. That image is a good representation of what’s going on in your head most of the time. Our lives are very busy and thoughts are constantly whirling around in our heads, like the “snow” in the globe. Thoughts about things you need to do; things you should have done; things you forgot to do. There’s rarely a moment when you’re not thinking about lots of different things. All that thinking can be tiring and distracting. It’s no wonder you are exhausted at the end of each day. Look at the snow globe after the snow has settled. It’s very different, isn’t it? Before, it was chaotic and now it’s quiet, peaceful and calm. That’s what meditation can do for you. It gives you the opportunity to slow down all those whirling thoughts, lower the noise level in your head, and just relax for a little while. Turning down the volume in your head takes a little practice. You’re used to being pushed and pulled by this daily snowstorm of thoughts. Changing that pattern will take a little time. Don’t get discouraged, you can do it with practice. It all starts with ordinary breathing. 4 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

Just breathe Here’s how it works. First, find a quiet place free of distractions and a comfortable chair to sit in. Put on some soothing instrumental music, if you like, but keep the volume low. Close your eyes. Begin to focus on your breathing. This isn’t deep breathing, it’s just the normal breathing you do unconsciously all the time. When you begin to focus, you’ll notice how the air feels when you breathe in and out; how your lungs expand and fall. The air seems almost like a fluid, and you can feel it as you draw it into your nose, let it flow down your throat and into your lungs. Sense everything in reverse as you exhale. Continue to do this. In the words of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” When you begin focusing on your breathing, you’ll quickly discover that you continue to have lots of intrusive thoughts. That’s okay; you can’t change a lifetime pattern overnight. Just notice them and return your focus to your breathing. With practice, these thoughts will slow down and you’ll realize you are becoming calmer and more relaxed. If you practice daily, it will happen. Don’t get all wrapped up in wondering if you’re “doing it right.” Just breathe. I often tell myself, “I don’t have any goals or objectives Photos.com, Jim Larkin ©

today; no expectations. I just want to clear my mind. I just want to be.” When I do that, I relax and let go. It's good for you Although it is a simple process, you will notice several important things happening. When you maintain focus on your

Thoughts are

constantly whirling around in your head, like the “snow” in the globe.

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breathing, you can’t think about all that other stuff. This begins the process of lowering the volume in your head. Focusing on your breathing puts you in the present—not in the past or future where your typical thoughts take you. The present is where you are right now. In a very real sense, it’s your life. Unfortunately, many people are never fully in the present. They’re busy; mentally someplace else and life becomes a blur. As you become less distracted, you become more aware of the life happening around you. You may notice little things that give you pleasure that you simply didn’t see before. You may feel more at peace, more accepting of others and less judgmental. “The first benefit I noticed was that I felt a little calmer, which increased over time to what I would call peaceful. My emotions are more balanced; I am less likely to be worried, irritable, impatient. I handle the stresses of life better,” says Little Rock psychologist Denise Gilliam, PhD. Meditation helps you feel better. Stress causes or aggravates many health problems. If you practice meditation regularly, you’ll be able to shed some of this stress. Chances are, you’ll be a lot nicer to be around, too. You’ll make better decisions. Turn down the volume in your brain and it’s easier to focus on important things. As the whirling snow of distractions lessens, solutions often become obvious to you. Bertrand Russell wrote in Authority and the Individual, “As men grow more industrialized and regimented, the kind of delight that is common in children becomes impossible to adults, because they are always thinking about the next thing, and cannot let themselves be absorbed in the moment.” Mindfulness means you’ll become more aware of the types of thoughts that are intruding. Instead of mindlessly thinking, “I need to return that call!” and hopping up to do it, you may begin examining your thoughts more closely. You may need to return that call at some point, but not right now. Or, maybe you don’t need to return it. As you examine your thinking, you may begin to realize that some of those thoughts that once seemed so important aren’t that important at all. More importantly, you may begin to analyze the source of those thoughts. Whose voice are you hearing? Is it yours, your parent’s or a spouse’s? Mindfulness is an important personal discovery. By examining your thoughts, you stop mindlessly bouncing back-and-forth from one thing to another. When you turn the volume down in your head, it’s easier to see what requires your attention and what can be ignored. Is this admonition to “do something” actually best for you? Or, is it what someone in the past said was best for you? There is a profound difference. Helpful resources “Meditations for Health,” is an excellent CD by Dr. Andrew Weill. Weill introduces the basic breathing technique and leads you through other specific meditations. Wherever You Go There You Are, a book by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, director of the Stress Management Department at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Hopefully, I’ve demystified meditation a bit and you are curious enough to give it a try. There are no short-cuts: it takes practice for the benefits to develop. If you stick with it, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

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august, 2013

CA L EN DA R P IC KS

What's Up for August By A.H. Wasson

ART UNTIL SEP. 29—GET A SIMPLE LANDSCAPE, drawings by Jerry Phillips; at Butler Center Galleries, 401 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock; FREE; 918-3086.

Mary, Countess Howe by Thomas Gainsborough, oil on canvas, ca. 1764.

UNTIL SEP. 30—ART GLASS EXHIBIT AT GARVAN GARDENS, 225 pieces of custom art glass by James Hayes on display throughout the gardens; 550 Arkridge Rd, Hot Springs; 800-366-4664.

AUG. 20—“FIT 2 LIVE,” a monthly discussion of ways to improve your health; Laman Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock; 6:30 PM; FREE; call 758-1720. AUG. 30—SENIOR CRAFTS DAY at the Plantation Agriculture Museum State Park, 4815 Hwy. 161 South, Scott; 10:00 AM-noon; $2 includes craft supplies and lecture--a presentation about the life of a common soldier during the Civil War and what tools and gear he would have used. 501-961-1409.

AUG. 2-31—HOT SPRINGS PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION, winning entries on public exhibit, The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, 626 Central Ave.; Tues.-Sat. 10:30 AM-5:00 PM; FREE; 501-624-0489. AUG. 2—GALLERY WALK in historic downtown Hot Springs; 5:00-9:00 PM; FREE; 501-624-0550. AUG. 9—SECOND FRIDAY ART NIGHT, enjoy art and entertainment during open houses at downtown Little Rock art galleries and museums; 5:00-8:00 PM; FREE. If you’ve never been to this or are new to Little Rock, try it and you’ll be hooked. Carpool with a group of friends or go alone and make new friends. This is a relaxed, interesting, no agenda way to wind-down your week. UNTILAUG.12—CRYSTALBRIDGES Museum of American Art exhibits include “American Encounters,” and “American Experience,” portraying everyday American life; Bentonville; FREE; visit crystalbridges.org/exhibitions or call 479-418-5751. AUG. 16—ARGENTA ARTWALK, galleries’ open house; 300-700 blocks of Main St., North Little Rock; 5:00-8:00 PM; FREE; 993-1234. AUG. 16—3RD FRIDAY AT Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs includes artists demonstrations at 6:30 PM; concert 7:30-9:00 PM; 626 Central Ave.; FREE; 501-624-0489. UNTIL AUG. 17—PAINTING ARKANSAS, an exhibition of works by local artist John Wooldridge at Cantrell Gallery, 8206 Cantrell Rd., Little Rock; FREE; 224-1335. 6 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

fitness center, indoor track, 2 indoor heated pools, exercise classes, billiards, table tennis, 5,000 sq. ft. ballroom, game room, computer lab and more. Must be 50+ to join, call 975-4297; 401 W. Pershing Blvd., North Little Rock.

AUG.—YOGA CLASSES; Quapaw Community Center, 500 Quapaw Ave., Hot Springs; 5:30-6:30 PM on Wed. & 10:0011:30 AM on Sat.; FREE for members, $5 non-members; 501-623-9922. AUG.—ZUMBA GOLD CLASSES, sponsored by CareLink; call location for class schedule.

UNTIL SEP. 8—TREASURES OF KENWOOD HOUSE, Ark. Arts Center, 9th & Commerce St., Little Rock. 48 fabulous works of art by Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough and others--the most influential European artists of the 17th – 19th centuries. $12 adults, $10 seniors; $6 youth/students, FREE for AAC members. 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Tues.-Sun. UNTIL SEP. 22 at AAC: “Bauhaus twenty-21: An Ongoing Legacy,” features 77 modern architecture photographs by Gordon Watkinson; FREE, call 372-4000 or visit arkarts.com UNTIL SEPT. 1—THE ART OF ABANDONMENT, Walter Arnold’s photos of artful abandoned places; Museum of Contemporary Art, 425 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-609-9966.

CLASSES and LECTURES AUG.—HAYS SENIOR CENTER offers a wide array of classes and activities including fully equipped

In Little Rock: UAMS Institute on Aging Ottenheimer Fitness Center, call 526-5779, includes Zumba Gold and Aqua Zumba Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, call 664-4268. Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, call 664-3600. LifeQuest of Arkansas, 2nd Presbyterian Church, call 225-6073 In North Little Rock: Indian Hills Church, call 835-2838. Lakewood United Methodist Church, call 753-6186. AUG.—UAMS THERAPY & FITNESS CLASSES include: evening pool classes like Aqua Cardio and Aqua Zumba; evening gym classes such as line dancing, Zumba Gold, strength and cardio fitness. UAMS Reynolds Institute, 629 Stephens Dr., Little Rock; 4:30-5:30 PM. Call Kellie Coleman at 501-526-5779.

AUG.—AARP’s Driver Safety classes update you on defensive driving and new rules of the road. Completion (no tests required) gets you a discount on auto insurance. For more information call 501-767-4409. Date Arkansas City Time Location Contact Phone 7th Little Rock 9:00 Baptist Health 501-227-8478 8th Hot Springs Vill 8:30 McAuley Center 501-984-5594 8th Hot Springs Vill 12:30 Sacred Heart Church Sign at Church 8th Hot Springs 8:30 Mercy Hospital 501-622-1033 9th Little Rock 9:00 Bancorp South 501-614-1197 13th Hot Springs Vill. 8:30 Christ of the Hill Church 501-922-4503 16th Hot Springs Vill 8:30 Pres. Kirk in Pines 501-922-1333 20th Hot Springs Vill. 12:00 Christ Lutheran Church 501-922-1865 21st No. Little Rock 9:00 No. Point Toyota-Kyle 501-210-1016 21st Little Rock 9:00 Baptist Health 501-227-8478 21st Jacksonville 9:30 St. Jude’s Catholic 501-982-4891 Church 22th Hot Springs 8:30 Irwin Agency 501-623-7066 23rd Hot Springs Vill. 12:00 Good Sam Cedar Lodge 501-915-9118 27th Benton 8:00 Benton Senior Center 501-776-0255

Can’t hear Can’t hear on the phone? on the phone? Just read Just read the captions! the captions!

COMEDY and GAMES UNTIL AUG. 31—“SOUTH PACIFIC,” at Murray’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Col. Glenn Rd., Little Rock. Dinner 6:00 PM, curtain 7:45; 562-3131 for reservations. AUG. 2—“ARKANSANITY,” opens at The Joint--a collection of original comedy sketches and music that lampoons life in The Natural State. Runs through Aug.; Fri. & Sat. 8:00 PM; 301 Main St., North Little Rock; reservations at 372-0205. Cabaret-style theatre with beverages and desserts at your table during the show.

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For more information: For more information: 800-981-4463 800-981-4463 www.arkansasrelay.com www.arkansasrelay.com

ure Mkaatn sas ar 3 AUGUST, 201

If you are interested in learning more about Mature Arkansas and how you could promote your business or services, please contact mP u B s a l l e katherine@arktimes.com r u s a Da e r T g in or call Katherine Daniels arkansas liv at 501-375-2985. Pages 12-14

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MATURE ARKANSAS

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C AL EN DAR PIC KS AUG.—BINGO; Quapaw Community Center, 500 Quapaw Ave., Hot Springs; Tues. & Thurs. 12:30-3:30 PM. 501-623-9922.

CONWAY ON-LINE FARMERS MARKET, visit Conway.locallygrown.net; order Sun.-Tues. by 9:00 PM and pick-up following Fri. 4:00-6:00 PM

DANCE

HOT SPRINGS FARMERS MARKET, 121 Orange St, Hot Springs; Sat. & Thurs. from 7:00 AM-noon, Tues. 5:00-8:00 PM; FREE parking; visit hotspringsfarmersmarket.com

AUG. 16 & 23—ARK. COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY at Park Hill Presbyterian, 3520 JFK Blvd., North Little Rock, 7:30-9:30 PM. No experience needed, all ages welcome. $4 for society members, $5 HOT SPRINGS ON-LINE FARMERS MARKET, nonmembers. Call Carolyn at 252-0094 or visit visit spacity.locallygrown.net/market; order from arkansascountrydance.org Sat.-Tues.by 9:00 PM every other week, pick-up 3:00-5:30 PM 301 Whittington Ave.; 501-760-3131. MON.—SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE SOCIETY, Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 3520 JFK Blvd., North LITTLE ROCK FARMERS MARKET, locally grown Little Rock. Beginner’s and intermediate classes; produce and more; Tues. & Sat. 7:00 AM-3:00 PM; no experience or partner needed; $5. 821-4746. River Market Pavilions, 400 Pres. Clinton Ave.; 375-2552 or visit rivermarket.info WED.—VILLAGE A-TEAM SQUARE DANCERS, Coronado Community Center, Hot Springs Village, LITTLE ROCK’S BERNICE GARDEN, 1401 S. Main 7:30 PM; $5 for guests. St., Sundays, 10:00-2:00 PM; 617-2511.

pieces of original art to bolster a more creative understanding of this part of American history; Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 501 W. 9th St., Little Rock; reception from 5:30-7:30 PM, includes live music and refreshments; exhibit runs until Dec. 1; FREE. 683-3593. UNTIL AUG. 24—ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL, exhibit of 90-framed photographs showcasing African-American Baseball from the late 1800s-1960s; Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock; FREE; lamanlibrary.org or call 758-1720. AUG. 24—RESEARCHING MILITARY RECORDS workshop at MacArthur Museum of Ark. Military History in partnership with the Ark. History Commission; 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock; 10:00 AM-noon; FREE. Learn how to research relatives’ military records, from the Civil War forward. Other

FRI.—SPA CITY BOP & SWING DANCE CLUB, VFW, 2231 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs, 7:00 PM, 2nd, 4th 5th Fridays, $2. Free lessons with $20 membership at 7:00 PM Thurs. 501-760-7375. SAT.—MERRY MIXERS DANCE CLUB; Coronado Center, Hot Springs Village; 1st Sat. 7:00-10:00 PM; $10; 3rd Sat., 7:30-10:30 PM, $10. 501-922-2997. T H I R D S AT. — B U R N S PARK DANCING; Burns Park Hospitality House, North Little Rock; polka, waltz and potluck supper; 7:00-10:00 PM; $10. 680-2994. UNTIL SEP. 29—HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM will feature several exhibits, including “The Curious World of TUES. &THURS.—QUAPAW Patent Models;” 200 E. Third St., Little Rock; 324-9351. COMMUNITY CENTER dancing includes BALLROOM lessons, Thurs. 7:00-8:00 PM; CLOGGING, Tues & Thurs, 8:30-11:00 AM; LINE LITTLE ROCK’S HILLCREST FARMERS MARKET, museum exhibits depict Ark. military history; DANCING, Tues.& Thurs. 11:00 AM-noon; and Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 2200 Kavanaugh, 376-4602. DANCE PARTY, 8:00-10:00 PM Thurs.; 500 Quapaw Sat. 7:00 AM-noon. AUG.—OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM offers Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-9922. MUSEUMS multiple exhibits about Ark. history and people, FARMERS MARKETS 300 W. Markham St., Little Rock; FREE; 324-9685. AUG.—OSCAR DE LA RENTA: American Fashion ARGENTA FARMERS MARKET, Saturdays 7:00 Icon; at the Clinton Center, 1200 Pres. Clinton UNTIL AUG. 31—CAPTAIN’S CABIN EXHIBIT, AR AM-noon, 6th & Main Streets, North Little Rock; Ave., Little Rock; $7 adults, $5 seniors 62+, college Inland Maritime Museum, 120 Riverfront Park Dr., free parking. students and retired military, $3 ages 6-17, free for North Little Rock; includes photos, sea stories from under 6 and active military. 374-4242. the crew, personal artifacts and tour of Razorback CONWAY FARMERS MARKET, 717 Parkway St.; submarine; 5:30--8:00 PM. Visit AIMM.museum or Tues., Thurs., Sat. 7:00 AM-1:00 PM; 501-329-8344. AUG. 9—SHADES OF GREATNESS: Art Inspired call 371-8320. by Negro League baseball, an exhibit of over 30 8 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

PARTIES and EVENTS THURSDAYS IN AUG.—HOT SPRINGS BLUEGRASS JAM, a jam session for all musicians and all skill levels; listeners welcome; 5:30-8:00 PM; at the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, 626 Central Ave.; 501-624-0489. (First Thurs. jam session meets at Garland County Library, 1427 Malvern Ave.) AUG. 1—REGISTRATION OPENS FOR LITTLE ROCK MARATHON, scheduled for March 1-2, 2014; includes free training program with registration at littlerockmarathon.com/registration/ AUG. 8—LIVE AT LAMAN presents The Big John Miller Band, playing your favorite R&B, soul and rock classics; Laman Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock; 7:00-8:00 PM; FREE; 771-1995. AUG. 9—SECOND FRIDAY ART NIGHT, enjoy art and entertainment during open houses at downtown Little Rock art galleries and museums; 5:00-8:00 PM; FREE. If you’ve never been to this, or are new to Little Rock, try it and you’ll be hooked. Carpool with a group of friends or go alone and make new friends. This is a relaxed, interesting, no agenda way to wind-down your week. For example, The Old State House Museum (300 W. Markham) will feature FREE chamber music performances at 5:30 and 7:00 PM.

TAKE THE GRANDKIDS TUES. & SAT. THROUGH AUG.—HEIFER HOUR, 11:00 AM; children (K-5th grade) and their parents can enjoy a new learning activity each week about caring for the Earth and other people. FREE at Heifer International’s Heifer Village, 1 World Ave., Little Rock. SAT. THROUGH AUG. 17—SUPER SATURDAYS at The Clinton Center, 1200 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock; FREE age-appropriate (pre-school thru high school), educational activities coordinate with the temporary exhibits (see the ART section above) through arts/crafts and storytelling; 748-0472. SAT. THROUGH AUG. 31—LITTLE BEGINNINGS TODDLER PROGRAM, learning program for ages 2-4 with adult; Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham, Little Rock, 10:30 AM; FREE; 324-9685. AUG.—HILLARY CLINTON CHILDREN’S LIBRARY & LEARNING CENTER; 4800 W. 10th St., Little Rock; FREE. Includes computer lab, teaching kitchen, greenhouse, garden, theater, community room and walking paths. AUG.—GARLAND COUNTY LIBRARY has lots of events for kids and teens, including Nintendo Club, Craft Club, dance games, bingo, Wii games, movie night and Karaoke. FREE, 1427 Malvern Ave., Hot Springs; call 501-623-4161. AUG.—MID-AMERICA SCIENCE MUSEUM, 500 Mid-America Blvd., Hot Springs; featuring their dinosaur exhibit, the new Skycycle and over 100 hands-on exhibits; open Tues.-Sun.; 501-767-3461. UNTIL SEP. 22—“HOW PEOPLE MAKE THINGS,” inspired by Mister Rogers’ Factory Tours, this interactive exhibit has four major manufacturing processes, accessed through hands-on activities, factory displays and role playing with costumes; Museum of Discovery; 500 Pres. Clinton Ave., Little Rock; open Tues.-Sun.; 396-7050. AUG.—WILDWOOD PARK FOR THE ARTS is open FREE to visitors for a stroll or picnic (except during special ticketed events), 20919 Denny Rd., Little Rock; weekdays 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, Sat. 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, Sun. noon5:00 PM. 821-7275. MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

M O N E Y n by G ary G arrison

Can You “Save” Your Dream Retirement?

The average person should strive to

aving money is simple: save what you need to buy what you want. At age 10, we saved for a new bike; in our 20s we saved for a down payment on a house. Apply that same concept to retirement and it’s a bit more daunting. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), Americans reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, into their mid-80s. And 25% of 65-year-olds will live past age 90; 10% will live past 95. In many cases, our retirement isn’t measured in years; we have to plan for decades. Retirees today face a shift from set pensions to self-directed retirement savings vehicles like IRAs and 401ks. Instead of relying on your employer to take care of pension details, WE decide how much to contribute and when we open and close these accounts. We must be more personally responsible than ever in determining our financial future. So, how much should we save? In what do we invest? With some planning your dream retirement is achievable at any age. There’s an easy rule of thumb for retirement. Whether achieved through savings, investments, Social Security, retirement benefits or a combination, the average person should strive to receive 80% of their current annual salary each year of retirement, in order to maintain their standard of living. Ages 50 to 64 Right now, you are likely still in your “earning years.” This is also the time when you may be paying off your mortgage, sending children to college and/ or caring for an elderly parent. These are all factors that affect how much you can save. But as you’ve heard before, pay yourself first. At this age, you should be saving at least 20% of your income each year. In terms of investments, use the Rule of 100. Subtract your current age from 100. The result is the percentage of investments that can be in highrisk vehicles, such as stocks, stock-

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based mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. The remaining investments should include lower-risk vehicles like CDs, fixed annuities and index annuities. At this age, between 40% and 50% of your investments can still be in higher risk vehicles. If you are in this age category, you’re most likely thinking about when you want to retire. You can start receiving Social Security benefits at age 62; full benefits start at 66. But if you’re healthy and don’t have to have the money immediately, it pays to delay. For example, if you start receiving benefits at 62, you’ll get 75% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) from Social Security. This benefit amount increases each year up to age 70, when you can get 132% of your PIA. Delaying your benefits those eight years between age 62 and 70 nearly doubles the amount of money you get. The longer you can wait to start receiving your Social Security benefits, the more money you’ll receive when you do start.

receive 80% of their current annual salary each year of

retirement, in order to maintain their

standard of living

Age 65+ Although a recent study revealed that 35% of baby boomers planned to work past age 65, this is likely when you will be leaving your accumulation phase, when you stop earning a paycheck. You have access to Medicare at 65 but health-related expenses can be a huge drain on your bank account. Keeping that in mind, you should still add to your savings whenever possible. You should be adding at least 10% to your savings account each year. For investments, again use the Rule of 100. As you get older you have less time to make up for losses in the stock market. It’s time to transition a majority of your investments in lower-risk products. During these years you also face new tax issues. For example, you might receive an inheritance or need to convert an IRA. If you have substantial income in addition to Social Security, you will have to pay taxes on 50 to 85% of your Social Security benefits. Check with a tax expert to ensure that you don’t pay any more taxes than you have to. There are ways to avoid higher taxes, but you have to plan early. Mr. Garrison specializes in helping clients financially prepare for retirement. Photos.com, Robyn Mackenzie ©

Hosted and Organized by Senior Arkansas Sports Organization

RETIREMENT

Presented by

Who Needs LTC Insurance?

Racewalks Road Races Cycling Discus Javelin Shot Put

By Ron Pollack

Swimming Horseshoes Airgun Tennis Archery Table Tennis Track & Field Raquetball Badminton Pickle Ball Bowling Rec. Events Golf

2013 S t a t e G a m e S

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas September 19 • Beanbag Baseball Tournament September 21-22 • Cycling events October 2-6 • Games Photos.com, Alexander Raths ©

ong-term care is a tough topic. But, if you plan ahead, you’re more likely to get the kind of care you want. Long-term care (LTC) used to mean moving into a nursing home. Not anymore. Today, there are assisted living facilities, retirement communities with many levels of care, in-home personal care services, and devices that can help you stay in your home longer. Think about what you want, and do as much as you can in advance to plan for it. For example, if you want to stay in your home, make modifications like adding grab bars and accessible entryways. If you need more care as you age, long-term care insurance can help. LTC is expensive: The average cost for a year in a nursing home is $84,000, and it is not covered by Medicare. Evaluate your finances and see what you can afford. You might consider buying LTC insurance, but everyone doesn’t need it. Policies are expensive, what they cover varies, and you’ll have to keep up with premium payments for years or even decades. Talk to a financial planner or an eldercare attorney to help you evaluate what’s best for you. Financial advisors suggest purchasing LTC insurance when you are in your 50s. You can still get a policy if you are older, but the longer you wait, the more it will cost. LTC policies vary a lot. Here are some things you’ll need to understand before you purchase a policy: --Inflation protection should be included in the policy. Policies usually pay up to a certain amount per day and have a lifetime maximum. Make sure the amount it will pay keeps up with inflation. Most policies don’t start paying until after you need care for a certain period of time, known as the elimination period. --Find out how long the elimination period is. Also, ask how disabled you’ll need to be before coverage begins. Policies require different levels of disability

Spend no more than 5% of your income on LTC insurance

before they start to pay. --Coverage of both home care (also called community-based care) and nursing home care should be included. Check if it excludes coverage for certain conditions. --Arkansas participates in the “long-term care partnership program.” This means that if you buy an approved insurance policy through such a program, you can qualify for Medicaid when you run out of insurance coverage, instead of when you use up your assets. Balance what a policy costs and covers with what you’re able to pay. Some experts recommend that you spend no more than 5% of your income on LTC insurance If you don’t have insurance and need LTC, you generally have to pay for it yourself, which can eat up your assets. But, if that happens, there is a safety net: Every state’s Medicaid program pays for LTC. While it’s best to not have to qualify for Medicaid, it’s there if you need it. It’s the only reliable, universal LTC insurance available now. Visit www.longtermcare.gov, a resource clearinghouse for services that includes information on LTC options.

MeMber National Senior Games association

www.srsports.org

Mature Arkansas Like Us On facebook and get daily updates on events, issues and things you want to know www.facebook.com/ MatureArkansas

Mr. Pollack is executive director of Families USA, a national healthcare advocacy organization. MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

The

SturdyAr St S

it in a Bump Rocker and Ponzi schemes, con men and bogus gold and silver rushes

really don’t come to mind. The chair is a massive work of hand-tooled oak. It’s powerful, strong and may well be the country’s most honest manufactured product. The Ponzi schemes created the demand for the chairs in a once booming but now gone city on the shores of

Fourth-generation chair-maker Dallas Bump uses the original chair patterns that date back to 1870. 12 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

SHELBY D. BREWER

what’s now Lake Ouachita. We’ll never know what Philander Bump knew when the French-Canadian chair- maker migrated to this wild outpost on Bear Mountain, north of Hot Springs. But he landed in what was soon to be one of the hottest boom towns in the West. According to cemetery records, he arrived in 1881. By 1885 Bear City had two newspapers, a telephone exchange, hotels, a promise of a rail spur, some 5,000 residents and 35 shady mining companies. Bump had opened shop in a gold and silver rush, or in this case a rush of thieves and fools. Both needed a place to sit. His choice of Bear Mountain likely stems from the Civil War and Confederate General Albert Pike. A payroll shipment in gold disappeared under his command on its way upriver to Fort Smith. Pike disappeared too for a while in Montgomery County, emerging after the war to become the most venerated of Masons. The Pike gold story brought in the fortune hunters, a few of which are still about, con-men and hustlers that likely concocted the gold rush schemes. For Bump, it was an oak chair boom. The boom, the fraudsters, the banks and Bear City itself are long gone. Bear Chair, with its straightforward, sturdy, consummately honest product lives. Now operating under its fifth generation, they use the same designs, the same processes and nearly all of the same equipment. It’s a morality tale for our time. The current chair master, 95-year-old Dallas Bump, is this year’s winner of the Arkansas Living Treasure Award from the Arkansas Arts Council. This is an impor-

Art Artisan And

By Cal Wasson COVER PHOTO BY SHELBY D. BREWER

Jen Carmen Photography

tant award presented for exceptional hours. The Bump Rocker is a natural creation and preservation of a craft. The child attractor. award ceremony and dinner drew more By weaving the oak strip seats than 200 to a Hot Springs restaurant. and backs for new chairs and repairs, Most of the guests were from what’s now Sutton’s wife Donna carries on a tradithe Royal community. The depth of the tion of Bump women. In a documenBump roots in the area is also obvious at tary by Joe York and jointly produced the Lowe Cemetery. Dallas’ teacher, Fred by the Arkansas Arts Council and Bump, has a Bump Rocker engraved on Historic Arkansas Museum entitled his tombstone. The Bumps are as much “Bump,” (view it at arkansasmade. of this area as the chairs they make. org) Donna talks of the different Dallas stands erect, walks spryly, games she’d play to make the repetidrives and has a wry sense of humor. tive but exacting work go faster. She His hand is steady as he carves exacting works with strips of green wood from patterns on a lathe, at times for hours on second-growth oak, cut into 10-foot end. After making chairs for 75 years, sections. It’s strong but has enough he says, “I learn something new about give for comfort. them every day.” Asked how he remains Little has changed in the 130+ as active as he is at 95 he says, chuckling, years of Bear Chair. Dallas’ nephew, “Sometimes you just have to do it.” Leon Sutton, has now taken over I discovered what was important much of the operation. Dallas works about the trademark Bump Rocker sitting alongside Leon and raised him since in an over 100-year-old chair on a porch age 12. Leon, who has 30 years with at a family homestead. There was a roof Weyerhaeuser Timber, spots the red but three sides were open to a century of and white oaks, looking for knotOuachita Mountain weather. The oak had free, straight ones. He oversees the a weathered patina but the chair has no cutting and sawing of the logs and signs of structural wear and seemed as the drying and finishing. The oak is sturdy as a new one. I felt I could have dried on site in a kiln that may go put a couple of people on my lap. It’s far back to Philander’s day. Donna Sutton is now in charge of weaving Bear Chair seats more comfortable than its functional yet The chairs stay together with fricand backs (top) while Leon Sutton and Dallas Bump test out a tion, not glue. Philander supposedly imposing appearance. Despite the mass, couple of rockers at the Bear Chair shop near Royal (bottom). learned furniture making in France. its gently angled runners let it rock effortlessly and naturally. He married an Alabama furniture The rocker is the top of the Bear time is likely conservative. It’s hard to imagine maker’s daughter who had also come Chair line, filled out by ladder-back chairs of wearing one out. There is a repair business for to the new boom town. Bump and his new like construction. They consider the rockers a the chairs; most of it to replace the woven oak father-in-law combined what they knew and luxury item with the smaller chairs making the strips that cushion the seat and back. Sutton developed the Bump Rocker and other models, bulk of the business. says these last about 50 years but the bottoms the exact designs that live today. The Bump Rocker claim of lasting a lifeget broken out from kids jumping on them for The Bump technique requires the rungs to MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

It’s powerful, strong and may well be the country’s most honest manufactured product. be kiln dried while the to get there. During winter frame is half dried. The there can be weeks where holes are drilled and the there are no markets or two elements are pounded trade fairs or sales of together with the same chairs. weathered hatchet that The business school has been there longer than solution would be for anyone’s memory. The the family to borrow on chair, without glue, screws the homestead, sink a or nails, is soon incredibly ton into advertising and tight. The product is all promotion; have producArkansas. tion engineers put in The heart of the computer-aided manumanufacturing operation facturing with a state is the “Hit and Miss,” a subsidized loan. If it vintage, one-cycle-oneworked, sales would soar cylinder, horse and a half, and Bear Chair would International-Harvester attract buyers. It would gas engine. The shop, be absorbed by a megaMr. and Mrs. Dallas Bump visit with a famous customer of Bear Chair, itself over 100 years old, corporation, production former Governor Bill Clinton. has electricity but the shifted to Mexico and patterns and techniques are designed for the them. Bear Chair is not the type of company everyone gets wealthy, while Bear Chair old engine. It drives a web of belts that powers to keep much in the way of client records. But devolves into another meaningless brand saws, drills, lathes—most of which have been with Clinton and Rockefeller touting them we name. in use since the beginning. If all else fails, Bear can image they have coddled many an impor“Lots of people have come to me wanting Chair has the ultimate backup power supply, tant derriere. to carry my chairs or promote them around foot trundles. The company has been shuttered a few the country but I won’t do it,” Leon says. Many have tried to imitate Bump chairs. times and came back to life six years ago with He talks about the merchandise getting dirty During the hustler boom, there were a dozen Leon’s return. He worked with Dallas for years and such. But his eyes narrow a bit and his chair makers around Bear City. During the before joining the Air Force and knows the voice hardens, “If they want a chair they can Depression, a competitor was written up in a business. At 61 he’s reviving it. come find me.” Works Progress Administration (WPA) journal Leon sells Bump rockers at farmer’s markets, From the felling of the oak until the customer for hiring a dozen workers to make chairs. fairs, craft shows and such. You can find a carries it away, the Bumps have full control over There are other oak rockers but the Bump has phone number for them on the web but don’t every aspect of the chair. All materials are made a rugged yet friendly panache of its own. expect a fancy webpage or even a brochure. by them. Bankers aren’t involved. There are no The Bump Rocker has star appeal. Former Leon would love to tell you all about them middle-men. Change that formula and the chairs Governor Winthrop Rockefeller had the though. will change. Leon knows what he has. work of Arkansas craftsmen displayed at the That’s the real secret of Bear Chair and why The other big intangible is future generaSmithsonian Institution for a week, twice in the it is one of the nation’s oldest manufacturing tions of the Bump clan will likely have a way late 1980s. Dallas to make a living. was at both shows Less than 30% of and sold more than inherited businesses 100 chairs at each. are passed on to the The tiny operation can usually make three companies. It doesn’t want to get big. I asked third generation; only 3% of those make it to or four a week while filling orders for other Leon, if everything went really, really well, the fourth generation. Bear Chair is in record models. Some likely waited two years for their where you would you like to see Bear Chair go? territory. chair. Quickly, but with a chuckle he says, “Exactly Future Bumps will have some of the few Bump Rockers seat some of the world’s where it’s going now.” manufacturing jobs left in the U.S., as robots mighty. Former Governor and President Bill The business is growing to the point it take over even the most menial positions. Dallas’ Clinton had one in the Governor’s Mansion, supports the Suttons, though modestly, and ability to mold a piece of wood or Leon picking had them put in the White House and ordered provides occasional work for relatives and just the right tree, are way beyond what we can more for his New York home. Gov. Rockefeller neighbors. Leon wants it to grow more, to get replicate with a machine. Along with Arkansas’ had them at his Petit Jean Mansion and back to the long waiting lists of his grandfainstrument makers, knife artists and our other Governor Beebe and his wife Ginger also use ther’s day. He’s just not in too much of a hurry craftsmen, these jobs won’t go away. 14 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

“If they want a chair they can come find me.”

Landfill Slated for Sports Complex

Opponents say landfill compromises air and water quality story and photography By Denise Parkinson

t the summit of Stanage Terrace, a few miles east of Hot

Steve Arrison, executive Umetco site) causing cancer, none of that’s director of the Hot Springs true. It is ludicrous to think that anyone would Springs, the view to the west takes in rolling hills that cradle Advertising and Promotion put our children at risk,” he says. a lovely sunset, reflected in nearby Lake Catherine. The Commission, an autonoBuilding a landfill mous commission of the neighborhood’s Ouachita Mountain vista is, in real estate terms, There are no signs identifying the landfill as City of Hot Springs, is a selling point. But, for families wanting to sell their homes, the owned by Umetco. Most people are not aware quoted in the Hot Springs that beneath the vast, grass-covered mound Sentinel-Record (“Mine site adjacent Umetco Minerals Corporation’s 500-acre vanadium landbehind the Stanage neighborhood is a vanaideal for sports complex,” fill negates any positives. “We’re as good as dead,” says a long-time dium landfill. No barrier or liner exists between June 23, 2013): “We need to the landfill and the numerous underground get rolling on this.” Arrison resident who has watched many of his neighbors sicken and die. springs in the area. Below the surface lies envisions multiple tiers of 9,000,000 tons of “bleeder sludge,” byprodball fields surrounded by Lately, Umetco’s landfill has been the focus ucts of nearby Stratcor Minerals Corporation’s walking trails. Damon Cobb of SOI Group Inc., of a new plan to convert it to a mammoth vanadium ore-roasting operation. Vanadium author of the project’s feasibility study (and sports complex. Hot Springs’ Advertising and is produced commercially to strengthen steel, now consultant for the master plan), called the Promotion Commission is moving toward a limit its corrosion and as a catalyst in sulfuric site “almost too good to be true.” bond issue to purchase the 500 acres. So far, acid production. The company’s website says Arrison is leading the public relations efforts $14,660 of taxpayer funds have been paid for its products provide “one-stop shopping for to promote the sports complex. When asked consulting work related to the sports complex. vanadium-aluminum and other master alloys.” about area citizens’ concerns about potential SOI Group of McKinney, Texas, received $2,000 radioactivity at the landfill, Arrison and Fort Worth-based Dunaway Associates told Mature Arkansas that, “the “The site is almost too good to be true.” —Damon Cobb was paid $12,660 for work related to the ADEQ, the ADH and the EPA all say Umetco site. the site is safe. All this about it (the MATURE ARKANSAS

august, 2013

Near the top of Umetco’s landfill, a drained retention pond displays residues of unknown substances. Stratcor, operating just east of the landfill at 4285 Malvern Road, emits a pungent aroma that smells like scorched sugar and burning hair. Years ago, Stratcor and Umetco were one company: Union Carbide. After Union Carbide’s 1984 toxic chemical leak in Bhopal, India, that killed thousands, the company eventually split off its Hot Springs landfill operation. Umetco Minerals Corporation, part of Dow Chemical Company, is now under separate ownership

16 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

from Stratcor. Stratcor is now owned by Evraz, a Russian mining conglomerate. Despite different ownership, Umetco still uses an address on the Stratcor complex: 4367 Malvern Road. From the 1960s until 1986, vanadium ore was mined at the site. Acidic water-filled mining pits, visible on Google Earth maps, dot the hillsides above Malvern Avenue. The mines are exhausted and vanadium is now brought in from developing countries and processed chemically

at the Stratcor plant. While it was still mining vanadium, the company piled up tons of waste and covered it with four feet of clay and dirt to create the tiered, 500-acre mound. Arkansas’ Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) keeps alphabetized lists of the landfill’s heavymetal contents: aluminum, arsenic, asbestos, barium, magnesium, nickel, vanadium, to name a few. Left unlined, the base of the landfill has for years emitted a steady stream of putrid, neonorange liquid that has an acidic pH. In a March 2005 report from ADEQ, the pH level of the stream—called Indian Springs Creek—was recorded at 3.72. By comparison, Hot Springs’ Mountain Valley spring water has a pH of 8.02. Hydrochloric acid has a pH of 1. One of the many chemicals produced by the Stratcor plant is vanadium pentoxide. David Christiani, professor of occupational medicine and epidemiology at Harvard University, has studied the effects of vanadium exposure on human health. He says vanadium pentoxide is soluble in water. Christiani expressed concern about waste migrating from the unlined landfill site. “If there is a potential for leaching into the water or air, core sampling needs to be done,” he says. The ADEQ says they don’t have the resources to test every facility they have permitted and must rely on reports from permitted facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says vanadium pentoxide, “may have effects on the respiratory tract,

“All this about it causing cancer, none of that’s true. It is ludicrous to think that anyone would put our children at risk.” —Steve Arrison “The truth is in the teeth and bones.” —Anthony Samsel resulting in chronic rhinitis and chronic bronchitis. Do NOT let this chemical enter the environment.” The CDC says vanadium pentoxide is both “suspected of causing cancer and harmful to aquatic life.” Ed Barham, public information officer of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), says, “We (ADH) are responsible for radiation control.” A few years ago, a team from the ADH tested the stream’s radioactivity with Geiger counters. ADH attributed their findings of radioactivity to geology. A March 8, 2012 memo from ADH states: “Radiation levels measured along Indian Springs Creek near the Umetco site are higher than those measured at the edge of Lake Catherine.” The ADH did not measure radioactivity at the actual landfill and their memo never uses the word “landfill.” “Data from this study of radiation levels along Indian Springs Creek did not find evidence of excessive radiation exposure that would be of concern to human health…The Indian Springs Creek area is made up primarily of rock and soil containing trace amounts of uranium,” according to the ADH.

Sickens those downstream Containing no aquatic life below the surface of its thick, metallic, orange film, Indian Springs Creek is named for Indian Spring, its source buried beneath the unlined landfill. Indian Springs Creek runs into nearby Lake

Catherine and the Ouachita River and past Arkadelphia, which gets its drinking water from the river. Dorinda Suitor retired in March 2011 after 21 years as the general manager of Arkadelphia Water and Sewer Utilities. In 2010 she sent a letter of concern to the ADEQ regarding the landfill’s effects on Arkadelphia’s drinking water. ADEQ never responded to Suitor’s concerns. Suitor told Mature Arkansas, “I still have a great passion for right and wrong. I cannot imagine anyone putting their child in harm’s way. I cannot imagine politicians even Indian Springs Creek flows from the base of Umetco’s thinking about putting a child unlined vanadium landfill. in harm’s way. Anyone who approves a child playing on that landfill will after a 10-year battle with lymphoma. surely go to Hell.” Indian Springs Creek crosses Dennis The Stanage neighborhood is named for the Woodward’s property, where the Woodward original family in the area. The rustic wood family has lived for 40 years. “My wife died and stone Stanage home overlooks the landfill. a year ago,” Woodward says, eyes brimming. Years ago, at a community meeting at nearby “Helen was 60 years old. She never drank or Lakeside School, Mr. Stanage expressed concern smoked, was never overweight.” He describes about an odd-colored creek that runs between the couple’s years spent going from doctor to his property and the rest of the neighborhood. doctor in search of a diagnosis. Eventually, He wanted it cleaned up. Stanage died in 2010 Cancer Treatment Center of Tulsa, Oklahoma,

MATURE ARKANSAS

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diagnosed his wife and she began receiving cancer treatment. The only recognition of Helen Woodward’s cancer in light of the vanadium landfill came when her Tulsa physician said, “I’m not saying yes, it could have caused it—but I’m not saying no.” Dennis Woodward places a three-inchthick folder of documents on the kitchen table. His wife kept meticulous records from years of meetings, public hearings and complaints filed regarding Umetco’s landfill. “45 gal drum labeled radioactive material; Diane Longinotti complaint,” is one example from page 113 of Helen Woodward’s notes. On September 14, 2007, Helen Woodward emailed Teresa Marks, ADEQ director: “In April I emailed ADEQ about my concerns of polluted water draining onto our property. I also mentioned our little dog who returned home one day with the skin on the pads of his feet gone. I did not receive a reply.” This 2007 email refers to a 2005 meeting with Umetco and ADEQ representatives. The Woodwards were assured their land would be restored when the “reclamation project” was completed in 2006. In the 2007 email, Helen Woodward asks, “Is this a problem the state and federal agencies are going to address?” The Woodward’s neighbor, Nancy Freeman, a mother of three, had no idea the grassy mound near her home was a radioactive landfill. There is no sign at the site, just a small, unmarked metal shed used for storage, and a rusty mailbox with the address peeled away. Freeman was, like Helen Woodward, slender and petite and did not drink or smoke. Freeman died earlier this year from cancer. Other neighbors have been afflicted. A list of residents’ symptoms, in addition to cancer, includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart stents, severe arthritis, aches and pains, and breathing problems. ADH has not conducted a cancer cluster study of the neighborhood, although they did an epidemiology study on Garland County overall, and found no unusual statistics. Jerry Wright retired to Lake Catherine’s Diamondhead community in 2000. A fisherman for over 40 years, he used to fish in Lake Catherine year-round. But, with each passing year he found less and less fish in the lake. “The first few years, the clarity was such that you could see eight feet down to the bottom. There were huge schools of shad,” Wright recalls. “Striper guides from Lake Ouachita were coming here to Lake Catherine to get shad. They were out here seining; the shad were so thick—millions of 18 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

Last year, Umetco dumped rip-rap and gravel in Indian Springs Creek as part of the landfill’s remediation.

them—that they’d get all the shad they needed in a matter of minutes. Never see that anymore, not in over a decade.” He notes that the water clarity has diminished to the point that visibility is only about three feet.

Truth is in the teeth In April 2013, Steve Arrison canceled a scheduled meeting with area residents who were concerned about the landfill. Woodward wanted to share results of tests conducted on teeth

pebble-bed nuclear reactor waste,” Samsel explains. “The truth is in the teeth and bones,” says Samsel. He also analyzed a deformed deer skull found near the landfill, obtaining similar results. He is concerned that Umetco may have brought radioactive waste by rail car to Hot Springs in order to extract ruthenium. “I’ve been investigating this (Umetco/Indian Springs) landfill story for almost two years now,” Samsel says. He contacted Dunaway Associates,

“Now, ‘safe levels’ are dictated by industry. How can we believe it’s safe?” —Denise Marion extracted from him, his son Kevin, and their neighbor Nancy Freeman. Independent research scientist Anthony Samsel conducted the tests. Samsel is a former consultant for Arthur D. Little, Inc., in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an internationally recognized expert in hazardous chemical and biological materials. Samsel examined the teeth with a scanning electron microscope. He found radioactive astatine, ruthenium and other rare earth elements not received through diet. Samsel says these residues are the result of exposure to vanadium ore processing. “I found ruthenium in Dennis’ and Nancy’s teeth, an element found in spent

the engineers doing preliminary planning for the sports complex. “I told them this project should not go through; that Dow Chemical just wants to unload this toxic waste landfill on the taxpayers,” Samsel says. The National Academy of Sciences, after conducting a series of studies on chronic, lowdose exposure to radiation, concluded that no threshold of exposure can be considered harmless. “The health risks, particularly the development of solid cancers in organs, rise proportionally with exposure. As the overall lifetime exposure increases, so does the risk,” according to the study.

Clean up? Despite health problems of his own, Dennis Woodward still keeps tabs on Umetco. In July of 2012, a company representative offered to buy five acres of his property that includes part of Indian Springs Creek. But, after Woodward gave them the land’s appraisal value, the company never called back. Instead, Umetco dumped tons of rip-rap onto Woodward’s property, into Indian Springs Creek, filling the creek bed with rock and gravel and lining the bank with absorbent boom. A year ago, Woodward observed dump trucks coming and going from the landfill. “They drained a retention pond on the hill,” he explains. “Then they dug up the sediment and trucked it out for days, six loads at a time.” Woodward followed Umetco’s dump trucks toward Russellville to Waste Management’s Ozark Ridge Landfill on Highway 7, about an hour’s drive from Hot Springs. He watched the dump trucks enter the landfill’s gates. “Some went to an incinerator around back,” Woodward notes. “Remediation” is the word used by ADEQ to describe the $40 million that Dow Chemical says it has spent thus far to clean up the landfill site. Despite Dow’s investment, the vanadium landfill remained out of compliance with state water-quality standards. Umetco petitioned

ADEQ and the state Pollution Control and minor discharger. This is how they fly under Ecology Commission (PC&E) in 2010 to lower EPA radar.” the state’s water quality standards for the site. What’s next? The standards had already been set lower than One question that remains to be clarified is other places in the region. Umetco wanted to who will own the complex if voters approve dump four times more chlorides and 13 times its purchase. Arrison says he believes the more sulfates. Despite an initial response from City of Hot Springs will own the site once the ADH that “the proposed water quality criteria voters accept it. He believes the sports complex exceed the EPA Secondary Standards,” ADH would be operated under the auspices of the eventually withdrew its concerns. Brownfields program. “When we take title to Umetco/Dow’s petition to amend state the property, the Brownfields program will give water quality limits for the site set off another us a release of liability,” he says. round of public meetings and citizen concerns. However, the City of Hot Springs’ Finance In the end, PC&E granted Umetco’s petition to Director Dorethea Yates says she thinks the lower the water quality standards. Advertising and Promotions Commission (APC) Denise Marion of Hot Springs, a former would likely own the property since the commisgeography teacher at National Park Community sion now has the legal ability to own real propCollege, says she no longer believes ADEQ. “It erty. Yates says the APC would purchase the site would be nice to trust what the regulatory from its budget, not the city’s budget. The APC agency is saying and have faith in the cleanup receives funding from tourists who pay taxes on process and standards for contamination,” purchases they make in the city, and from state says Marion. “But ADEQ changed the stanturn-back funds. Yates says the APC would have dards at Umetco’s request. Now, ‘safe levels’ its own liability insurance related to the site. are dictated by industry. Industry has captured Opponents vow to keep working to discover the regulatory agencies. How can we believe what pollutants that are potentially harmful and it’s safe?” where they are. A Louisiana-based non-profit Three decades after Umetco/Dow began its group, Ouachita Riverkeeper, Inc., part of the “remediation” process, an ADEQ email dated international Waterkeeper Alliance, concerned July 12, 2013, says: “The (ADEQ) has been in about the Ouachita River’s pollution, met with discussions with Hot Springs Advertising and ADEQ officials in 2011. After this meeting, the Promotion Commission personnel and we anticgroup alerted scientist Anthony Samsel, who, ipate that the site will complete the Arkansas like his colleagues, follows the established scienBrownfields Program.” tific tenet: “There is no safe level of radiation.” The Brownfields designation would allow They will continue to monitor water quality on the site to be repurposed, despite “the presence the river. or potential presence of a hazardous substance, Arrison insists the site is safe and hopes to pollutant or contaminant,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in explaining the criteria for “Is this a problem the state and federal agencies are going a Brownfields program. to address?” —Helen Woodward The EPA’s public records say a radioactive landfill makes, at best, a questionable “Brownfields have a bond issue before the voters within a development.” But Brownfields developments year to purchase the land for a sports complex. (for example, Cedar Glades Park north of Hot Samsel is currently seeking more teeth from Springs, sited on reclaimed county landfill area residents to scan and study for radioactive acreage) become the responsibility of the state residues. ADEQ, not the federal EPA. The ADEQ has announced a public meeting The difference between state-level-control on August 1, at 6:00 PM in the Lakeside High at a Brownfield site versus federal-EPA-control School Technology Center, 2871 Malvern Avenue (over Superfund sites) is the amount of discharge in Hot Springs, to discuss a water quality from the site. Samsel explains the difference: sampling report on Lake Catherine. The ADEQ “It relates to the volume of discharged water. says the report is the result of a two-year study, Umetco dodges the ‘major’ (Superfund) classiconcluding that the water is safe for drinking, fication by discharging in ‘batches,’ rather than swimming and fishing. The report is available a continuous flow. Because they deliberately on the ADEQ website adeq.state.ar.us manipulate the flow, Umetco is classified as MATURE ARKANSAS august, 2013 19

MEDICAR E MAT T ERS n B y Sally J ohnson

Man Up for Preventive Care

century ago, women outlived men by only one year, on average. Today, men die almost six years earlier than women. That may be because men are half as likely as women to see a doctor for annual check-ups and preventive screenings. Men are more likely to smoke and drink more than women; to generally lead less healthy lifestyles. Not surprisingly, men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death.

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Many of the diseases and health problems men face can be prevented or treated if discovered early. It’s so important to have all your recommended screenings and tests. Learn how your chances of developing heart disease or colorectal cancer are higher due to family history, lifestyle or other risk factors. Talk to your doctor about creating a wellness plan. Medicare pays for a wide range of preventive tests and screenings: • Colorectal cancer screenings (frequency depends on test used) • Prostate cancer screenings every 12 months for men over 50 • Flu, pneumonia and hepatitis B vaccinations • Diabetes screening, up to twice a year, for people at high risk. Consider making changes to improve your lifestyle: • Quit smoking or using other tobacco products. If diagnosed with a smoking-related illness, Medicare covers counseling to quit. • Exercise at least 30 min/day, most days. Try 3, 10-min. sessions. • Eat a heart-healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products; limit high-fat foods and salt. • Maintain a healthy weight. Reducing your weight by just 10% can decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol and cut diabetes risk. • Check cholesterol and blood pressure regularly. Mrs. Johnson is manager of beneficiary relations for the AFMC.

Best Socks for Diabetics n By Alexandra Buk, DPM

Sock It To Me

hite cotton socks were good enough for your parents, but new technology has made fabrics healthier, more comfortable and better looking than ever. Synthetic fabrics and polyester blends can help keep feet drier, more comfortable and blister-free. If you have diabetes or decreased circulation, try seamless socks that prevent friction that can cause potentially dangerous irritation. A sock with a polyester and cotton blend is an excellent combination for everyday wear. Look for socks that advertise “wicking action” to draw moisture away from the skin. Socks should fit like a glove. There should be no loose fabric

around toes or heels. Socks that bunch up can cause friction and lead to blisters. Always try on socks with the appropriate shoes. If your feet are dry and cracked, don’t neglect them. Without treatment, dry areas can deteriorate into painful, cracked and bleeding skin. If this happens, see your podiatrist for treatment. Debridement of the fissures is often necessary. A scraping of the skin may be obtained to rule out a fungus infection. Creams containing urea or lactic/glycolic acids may be prescribed. Dr. Buk practices podiatry at Arkansas Foot and Ankle Clinic in Little Rock.

health

Forget Crosswords; Embrace Video Games Gamers gain sharper brains By Anne H. Wasson

omputer video games can keep your brain sharper than working crossword puzzles or problem-solving games, according to new research at the University of Iowa. Additionally, researchers at the University of Arizona say that Facebook can give older brains a cognitive boost and “social connectedness.” There is strong evidence that learning new tasks at older ages helps overall brain functioning and mental agility. Research also suggests a positive link between social connectedness and cognitive (brain) functioning. Keeping the brain sharp, with a fully functioning “executive function” (the ability to concentrate, plan, reason, shift from one mental task to another, initiate and manage decision-making) helps people 50+ live independently and engaged with their communities for a longer period of time. The brain begins slowing down in the early 30s. But researchers say, with the right kind of training programs, we may be able to regain what we’ve lost and even gain a higher functioning level. University of Iowa study participants who played the video game showed mental improvement from one and a half years to nearly seven years, compared to those doing crossword puzzles. Social networking too Brain training can come from many sources, including Facebook and other social networking sites like Twitter or Instagram. In preliminary research from the University of Arizona’s Department of Psychology, when people 65+ were taught to use Facebook, they improved their cognitive performance and said they felt more socially connected. The Facebook users performed about 25% better on “updating”—a brain process where the working memory can

quickly add or delete information—compared to study participants who just kept an online diary. When people are more socially engaged, they report less loneliness and have more social supports. Socially engaged people have higher levels of cognitive function as they age. Researchers say the complexity of Facebook— where others are posting new entries all the time and new information is constantly available—may account for the participants’ improved performance, compared to those who kept simple diaries. The give and take of the online conversation forces the brain to focus on new information, get rid of old information, or keep it in mind if the person wants to reference it later. Facebook users in the study, with an average age of 79, learned to continuously update what was holding their attention. Fully a third of older people who are online use a social networking site like Facebook, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Social networking may ultimately be more interesting and it keeps users socially engaged and connected with family and friends. Researchers emphasized the need for proper education and support for older people new to the Internet because of concerns about keeping one’s profile secure. What's out there? There are numerous video games and braintraining games available commercially but there is little scientific evidence to prove their cognitive-improvement claims. “Brain-training” games, plus the regular video games your grandchildren play, abound on the Internet. Lumosity.com lets you play sample braintraining games but eventually you will need to

subscribe to continue. Subscriptions are about $60 a year; $45 for two years. Lumosity touts its game-playing as a way to enhance memory, attention, speed, flexibility and problem solving. I found the games fun and mildly challenging, as speed and complexity was increased. Perhaps the modest subscription price would prompt you to keep at it. Braintivity.com and PositScience.com are sites that offer similar games and similar braintraining claims as Lumosity. However, I was not continuously prompted to join and pay a subscription fee on these sites like the pitch at Lumosity. Retrogamer.com gives you free access to 1980s classics like Pac-Man and Frogger. If these retro games interest you, this is your site. Try introducing these classics to your grandkids to give them a taste of how far electronic games have evolved in terms of graphics and complexity. AARP.org/games has free, unlimited games of all types, from Mahjongg and Backgammon to pyramid solitaire, beach Sudoku and arcade games. AARP offers “all games,” “brain games” and “brain fitness,” so take your pick or explore all three areas. This is a good place to start if you’re new to games or to the Internet. It has everything. You will have to register to play but it’s free. However, “free” registration at any of these game sites will probably get you on lists for more gaming sites and inventive ways to separate you from your money. You’ve been warned. Numerous sites are available to sell you books of crosswords and other puzzle-solving games. Google “brain training for elders” and see what interests you. These games can become boring after a while, and I didn’t feel challenged to learn new material. Be careful you don’t sign up for something you don’t want to pay for. Facebook and other social networking sites are free and easy to join. Try one and connect with your family to start. But don’t ignore it if you want to get the social-engagement benefits that researchers say accrue if you’re a regular user. This is the easiest “fitness exercise” you’ll ever do; it’s mostly free and you can enjoy it in air conditioned comfort. Try it and have some fun while your brain gets fit and agile. MATURE ARKANSAS august, 2013 21

L E T T E R to the editor

Tips for Talking With Hearing-Impaired A

third of Americans ages 65-74 have some degree of hearing loss; nearly half have hearing loss by age 75; 90% will have impairment in their 80s. Men are more likely than women to have hearing loss and their deficits are usually more severe. To make conversation more effective and efficient, try to follow these tips when talking to people with hearing problems: • Get the person’s attention first, by calling him/her by name. • Face the person and speak clearly, using a moderately loud voice. • Do not shout because it accentuates vowel sounds and obscures the consonants. Shouting makes hearing harder for hearingaid wearers. • Reduce background noise such as radio, TV, traffic or conversation. • Repeat what you thought the person said so they can confirm or deny your interpretation. • When repeating something that was not understood the first time, don’t let a tone of annoyance or impatience appear in your voice. • To make lip-reading easier, don’t exaggerate your lip movements. • Keep your hands away from your face. Sit or stand with the light above or toward you. Avoid speaking with your back to a light, window or mirror. • Use facial expressions, gestures and objects to help get across your message. • Never let communication be a chance for loss of dignity. Be patient, friendly and casual. If your loved one is in denial about hearing problems or does not use a hearing aid, ask them about getting help or at least getting tested. Your influence is likely a powerful one, according to a recent AARP survey. The survey showed that 70% of people with hearing problems would seek treatment for their hearing impairment if asked to do so by family or friends. About 75% of adults with hearing problems could be helped by hearing aids but don’t use them. Early intervention is important but most people wait an average of 10 years from the time hearing becomes a problem until they seek help.

Dear Editor: In response to Bob Wood’s editorial comments on Graffiti’s restaurant (reviewed in June MATURE ARKANSAS, pg. 22) I would like to offer the following. My wife and I and our friends have been frequenting Graffiti’s for over 20 years. We have never found the food other than gourmet or the total experience less than pleasant. It is and has been a favorite eating establishment where we can count on an enjoyable experience. Your critic seems to have left the feeling of being overcharged for alcohol prejudice his entire review. If you want inexpensive alcoholic beverages, drink at home before you dine out. Tom Bridgers Little Rock

F A M I L Y C A RE GI V IN G T IP

Self-Care Crucial for Caregivers By Dianne Bufford

amily caregivers know that taking care of a loved one can be rewarding. It can also be stressful. Caregiver stress generally occurs as a result of added responsibilities and physical or emotional strain. Many caregivers believe they have to do everything by themselves without any help. Caregivers who experience this stress are most vulnerable to develop their own physical and psychological health problems. Self-care is a critical component to reduce caregiver stress. The Family Caregiver Physical Skills workshop, available from the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale, offers these tips to reduce caregiver stress: • Seek help and support from family, others and the community. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak; it’s a way to take control of a situation. • Set limits and be realistic about your abilities. Get enough rest. Rest is a physical need, not a luxury. • Attend support groups and talk with other caregivers. • Attend educational seminars that can help you be a more effective and efficient caregiver. • Reward yourself. For example, laughter is a healthy way to release stress. Laugh with the person you are caring for, it will lighten the mood and make things less serious. To learn more about coping with caregiver stress or to participate in caregiver training, call the Schmieding Center at 479-751-3043, or visit www.schmiedingcenter.org Ms. Bufford is outreach manager, UAMS Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education, a program of the Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Arkansas Aging Initiative.

22 august, 2013 MATURE ARKANSAS

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