With some sweat and plenty of laughs, the SAIL Bone Builders fitness program at the Mower County Senior Center improves physical well-being and support. Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Active and Fit SAIL program more than just building bones, it builds support
By Hannah Yang hannah.yang@austindailyherald.com
Early Friday morning, around 30 seniors were already starting their day with some exercise at the Mower County Senior Center. With Elvis Presley songs softly playing in the background, the class began their fitness routines by g radually working on joints and perfor ming aerobic exercises. The instructors and participants were in high spirits, and cracked jokes that resulted in laughter. “It’s almost like a dance team,” one instructor giggled as the class did highknee raises. The classes for Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) — for merly known as Bone Builders — has grown during the last several years since i t s e a rl y b e g i n n i n g s. What star ted of f with between 8 to 10 people per class, has increased to 25-30 people per session, according to Lora Lee Bauer, instructor for SAIL Bone Builders. Much of the g rowth w a s at t r i bu t e d t o t h e number of referrals that SAIL program received by doctors and orthopedic surgeons from nearby hospitals, according to Bev Mopzko, another S A I L i n s t r u c t o r, a n d that growing class sizes
Bev Mopzko, with two other instructors, helps lead a class during the SAIL Bone Builders Program. means possibly finding a bigger space to continue the fitness program. “It’s a challenge for us,” Mopzko said. T h e s e c l a s s e s we r e specifically designed for people 55 or older to help improve balance and mobility; reducing the risk of falls and improving quality of life, and are free for participants, which is sponsored by Active Aging Programs Catholic Charities of Souther n Minnesota. Classes typically run on Mondays and Fridays from 9-10 a.m. at
the Mower County Senior Center. One who benefited from SAIL was Linda Dudley of Austin. She suffered a fractured tibia in December, which resulted in her needing to use crutches. However, Dudley’s doctor had recommended SAIL to her, and since then, Dudley has been attending classes, and was encouraged by the results. “This gets you out of the house,” she said. “It makes you get up in the morning. These exercises are nothing jarring for your
joints.” SAIL also was beneficial for Cindy Pechacek. She was healing from a total knee replacement, and her mother had suffered from a stroke earlier this year. Now, Pechacek and her mother both exercise and undergo a lot of physical activity, with much of the improved results created by SAIL. “She wasn’t walking,” Pechacek said. “She had went through therapy. ...We heard about (SAIL) and it made a huge difference in her walking and
“This gets you out of the house. It makes you get up in the morning. These exercises are nothing jarring for your joints.” Linda Dudley
balance. It benefited the both of us. It gives us such great support.” While many of the participants were recovering from or thopedic surgery or other medical treatment, SAIL fitn e s s p ro g r a m h a s t h e ability of being flexible without being too strenuous on an individual’s injury. “If you can’t do it, that’s OK,” Bauer said. “You can sit down and do it, and we always stress not to hurt themselves.’ For Dudley, she found herself progressing from her surgery because of SAIL and hopes to continue working on her fitness routine. “I’m gonna work toward it,” she added with a smile.
Linda Dudley works through leg exercises. RIGHT: A list of exercises sits out, guiding the instructors.
Inside •How to care for your eyes Page 2
•How valuable is your junk
Page 3
•New technology in stroke treatment •Is your retirement protected? •Give back this summer
Page 4
Page 5 Page 6
Participants go through stretches during a meeting of the SAIL Bone Builders program.
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Senior Living
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Caring for those
PEEPERS Supercentenarian Evelyn Kleine smiles at friends and family during a celebration of her 111th birthday on Wednesday, July 11. Evan Frost/MPR News
Minnesota’s longest-lived person has turned 111 By Gabriel Kwan MPR News/90.1 FM
Taking just a few precautionary steps can help preserve your eyesight for years to come. Photo provided
How to care for your eyes as you age By State Point Media
As we age, our bodies don’t perform as well as they once did, and vision is no exception. However, early detection and treatment of eye problems and diseases through an eye exam is the best way to protect your eyes and overall health. To help keep your eyes healthy for years to come, consider the following tips. • Eat an eye-healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables, especially car rots and dark leafy greens, provide a hefty punch of key vitamins and a key vision protecting-substance called lutein. Find some new recipes to make filling up on these nutritious choices both delicious and fun. • Maintain a healthy weight. Did you know that by eating healthy portions, exercising regularly and doing your best to maintain a healthy weight, you can reduce your risk of cataracts?
Conditions such as obesity and diabetes can lead to vision problems like cataracts. • Protect eyes from blue light. Most people today spend a lot of time in front of digital screens, such as smartphones, computers and televisions. T h e s e d ev i c e s e m i t high-energy blue light, which causes digital eye strain that can lead to headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes and even neck pain. Ask your eye doctor about the best options to help reduce eye strain. • Get an eye exam. A yearly eye exam is one of the easiest and most important ways to reduce your odds of vision loss and protect your eyes. And it can also help you monitor and protect your overall health. Whether or not you wear glasses, be sure to schedule this crucial appointment. A routine eye exam can help detect signs of serious health conditions, like
diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure glaucoma and macular degeneration. Because more obvious symptoms of some health conditions don’t always appear until damage has already occur red, routine eye exams are a good way of keeping tabs on what’s happening in your body. • Make sure you have vision coverage. Do you have vision coverage through Medicare? Review your plan. Many people don’t realize that Traditional Medicare doesn’t cover routine eye exams, glasses
or contact lenses. Check out such affordable options as VSP Individual Vision Plans, which offer comprehensive coverage with low out-of-pocket costs, savings on frames and lens enhancements such as progressives, and the ability to see the doctor you know and trust. Plans begin as low as $13 per month. For more information or to enroll, visit GetVSPDirect.com or call 877-988-4746. With a few key daily and annual habits, you can make eye health the priority it needs to be as you age.
Minnesota's oldest living person added another candle to her birthday cake. Evelyn Kleine turned 111 years old Wednesday. She was born July 11, 1907 in northeast Minnesota. She moved to Columbia Heights when she was 8 and has lived all over the country. She now resides in Chandler Place, a community home in St. Anthony, a mere 3 miles from where she lived as a child. She is known around the home as "the supercentenarian," and the woman who routinely wins at bingo and cribbage. When told that she is 111 years old this year, she chuckled. "Wow, I'm old!" she said. Kleine has lived an independent life: she was married twice, but she outlived both her husbands, and she has no children. A seamstress by trade, she insisted on mending her own clothes, even on her 100th birthday. "She wanted to do it right," her great-niece, Joanie Bixler-Anderson, explained. "She continued to drive until she was 99 when she said her car gave out before she did." Indeed, Kleine is in su-
perb shape for a supercentenarian — though she can only hear out of her right ear and her memory is not what it used to be — her mind is still sharp and her wit sharper. "The old forgetter is working overtime," she joked. Kleine was asked by j u s t a b o u t eve r yo n e what the secret to longevity was. She replied that she takes each day as it comes, and that she does not smoke, drink or dance. "I didn't dance," she s a i d . " We l l , m ay b e I danced once or twice." "And what are we doing on Friday?" Bixler-Anderson asked her. "What do we always do on your birthday? Where do we go?" Kleine's eyes squinted behind her glasses for a moment, but when the answer came, they lit up. " Re d L o b s t e r ! " s h e exclaimed, as her greatniece and nephew nodded and laughed. "Red Lobster. I love lobster." Even at 111 years old, joy still came readily to Kleine's face. And when she and Bixler-Anderson sang their favorite song together, cheek to cheek, that joy grew to fill the room. "I don't know why I love you like I do. I don't know why, I just do."
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Senior Living
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Be careful when cleaning out your attic. You might just be throwing away something of value. Delphotostock/stock.Adobe.com
To throw or not to throw Is that 'junk' in your attic or basement worth a fortune?
area so it can get top dollar for these items. More information is available at loveofthegameauctions.com.
By State Point Media
From baseball cards and sports equipment to postcards and toys, is that “junk” in your attic or basement dusty treasure or just dusty? We’ve all heard of families getting rich from the sale of rare memorabilia. So how can you tell if your stuff is valuable and how can you sell it, if it is? “The general rule is that the older the item, the more valuable it is. 1980 is not old. 1960 is kind of old. 1910 is old,” says Al Crisafulli, Auction Director at Love of the Game Auctions, an inter net sports auction house that has helped many families identify and sell valuable items. In one instance, Crisafulli determined that a family’s baseball bat that spent decades beside their front door to protect from intruders, was actually used by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig — and Love of the Game Auctions sold it for them for more than $430,000. He is offering these tips to help determine if your items are valuable:
Postcards
“The general rule is that the older the item, the more valuable it is. 1980 is not old. 1960 is kind of old. 1910 is old.” Al Crisafulli Auction Director at Love of the Game Auction
reproductions aren’t. Pre1950s catcher’s masks, baseball gloves and bats can be valuable, especially those endorsed by star players. Condition is important but used equipment can be valuable. Baseball Cards When you go to sell Cards from the 1960s sports items, consider a and earlier are collectible, specialty auction, such as and those from before the Love of the Game, which 1940s can be extreme- has the expertise to proply pricey. Do they have erly research sports piecsharp corners, no creases es, and maintains lists of and retain original gloss? bidders specializing in this Do they depict star players and Hall of Famers? A Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner or Mickey Mantle will sell for more than non-stars. With particularly old cards from the 1880s and early 1900s, look for tobacco and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal or American Caramel. Unopened packs from almost any era can be valuable.
Memorabilia and equipment
Look for old advertising posters depicting sports stars and food, tobacco or sporting goods brands. This doesn’t mean ads torn from magazines, but those used as store displays and for other purposes. Tin signs are highly collectible from the 1900s into the 1960s, but low-quality
Postcards of your vacation destinations likely are worthless. But those de picting famous people, such as movie star cards and vintage baseball postcards, can be valuable. Look for early “real photo” postcards from the 1900s through the 1940s, which are photographs printed on postcard backs. No matter the type, the older, the better, and the more famous, the better. Old Halloween or Christmas postcards from the early 1900s can be expensive. The same goes for many intricate “hold-to-light” postcards, where portions of scenes light up when held to strong light.
Toys
Look for famous characters, such as early Walt Disney items, superheroes, Star Wars, etc. The most prized toys are those in original condition with no broken pieces and paint intact. And if you have original boxes, you might strike gold! So, while you’re cleaning that attic, basement or garage, don’t rush to purge. Before throwing out old “junk,” determine if it’s valuable!
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
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Senior Living
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
How new technology is improving stroke treatment By State Point Media
For patients experiencing ischemic stroke — the leading cause of disability in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the time it takes to receive treatment is critically important for avoiding irreversible brain damage. While getting evaluated by a specialist used to take up to several hours, new in-ambulance technology being tested by hospitals nationwide is helping patients get evaluated within minutes. A new technology known as In-Transit Telestroke (ITTS) may transform the field of stroke treatment. With ITTS, stroke neurologists can examine patients by using video technology from ambulances, decreasing the time between a patient’s onset of symptoms and crucial treatment. “In the case of strokes, every moment counts, and thanks to ITTS, we’re able to deliver treatment faster than ever before,” says Gary Belt, M.D., stroke neurologist at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J., a not-for-profit multihospital system and the
high-definition camera, microphone and screen — allowing video communication with a stroke neurologist who performed a neurological evaluation of the patient while in-transit to the emergency department. Once the patients arrived at the participating hospital’s emergency department, the neurologist assumed care and, when indicated, administered alteplase, a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) that breaks down blood clots to restore blood flow to the brain. “ We a r e c o n s t a n t l y looking for ways to treat stroke patients as quickly as possible, as each passing minute of lost blood supply translates to more brain damage,” says John J. Halperin, M.D., senior study investigator and chair, department of neurosciences at Overlook Medical Center. “Our observations suggest that Treating the ischemic stroke comes down to treatment time which a new technology, In-Transit Telestroke, will help cut pre-hospital evaluation down. Photo provided with telestroke may profirst in the country to im- ed with the brain saving by researchers at Overlook bulances over 15 months vide a scalable, affordplement ITTS technology. drug alteplase 13 minutes Medical Center and At- from January 2015 through able way to speed stroke Recent research high- faster than those patients lantic Health System and M a r c h 2 0 1 6 . A t l a n t i c treatment, as well as more lights the benefits of this not assessed until they are published by the journal Health System paramed- rapidly direct patients to technology: patients eval- in the emergency depart- “Stroke.” ics responding to neuro- the centers capable of peruated with ITTS in ambu- ment (referred to as doorT he first-of-its-kind logical emergencies used forming the procedures lances while in-transit to to-needle, or DTN, time), study assessed 89 presump- an InTouch Xpress device that will serve their needs the hospital can be treat- according to a recent study tive stroke patients in am- — a portable unit with a best.”
Conservative states balk at voter-approved medical marijuana Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — Pot advocates celebrated the culmination of a yearslong effort to ease restrictions on the use of cannabis last month when nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana. Oklahoma’s proponents had even included a twomonth deadline for the implementation in their measure so as to avoid the years of delays they had seen elsewhere. But that has not stopped state health officials and the Re publican governor from making drastic changes . Within weeks of the election, they signed off on tough new restrictions, including a ban on the sale of smokable pot. The change was supported by groups representing doctors, hospitals and pharmacists who opposed medical marijuana, but infuriated supporters of the state question and has already led to lawsuits.
“If I was a patient, I would be coming unglued. I think they are coming unglued.” David Couch Attorney “It’s like they snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory,” said Chip Paul, who helped write Oklahoma’s medical marijuana state question and push for its approval. “You try to do something the proper way. You follow the rules. And then you win and you get screwed.” Even in conservative states such as Oklahoma, which became the 30th in the U.S. to legalize medical marijuana , attitudes are shifting in favor of easing restrictions on pot. But there remains resistance from policymakers, especially in Republican-controlled areas, where the rollout of medical marijuana has frequently been restricted by lawmakers or bogged down in court battles. After more than 70 per-
cent of Florida voters approved medical marijuana in 2016, the Republican-controlled Legislature there imposed a similar ban on smokable pot. A judge last month ruled that such a ban was unconstitutional. In Arkansas, 53 percent of voters approved medical marijuana in 2016, but a legal challenge has delayed the program. Michigan voters approved medical marijuana in 2008, only to be followed by years of court fights. In Texas, the GOP-led Legislature approved a restrictive medical marijuana law in 2015, then proceeded to institute strict regulations. It allowed only three dispensaries in a state of 27 million people and imposed the highest licensing fees in the country.
Marijuana advocates say the restrictions on how medical marijuana can be used or the additional burdens placed on doctors may wind up undermining the initiatives and laws. “The extent of limitations really serves to deprive people of the key goal, which is letting people use medical marijuana without being punished,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. Efforts to heavily restrict medical marijuana in Arkansas — including an outright ban on smoking it and an attempt to delay the program’s launch until marijuana was legalized nationwide — failed in the majority-Republican Legislature last year. But the program’s launch has stalled and med-
ical marijuana likely won’t be available until sometime next year. The problem stems from legal challenges over the state’s licensing process for medical marijuana. The state Supreme Court last month cleared the way for the program to begin, reversing a lower judge’s ruling that the licensing process was flawed and violated the constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana. An unsuccessful applicant had sued over the process. More than 5,500 patients have been approved to use medical marijuana in the state, and Arkansas will issue them registry cards about a month before the drug is expected to be legally available. “If I was a patient, I would be coming unglued. I think they are coming unglued,” said attorney David Couch, who authored Arkansas’ medical marijuana amendment. Oklahoma’s State Question 788 , the result of an ac-
tivist-led signature drive, passed overwhelmingly despite fierce opposition and more than $1 million in spending by chambers of commerce, clergy, doctors, hospitals, law enforcement and pharmacists. Term-limited Republican Gov. Mary Fallin, who typically doesn’t comment on state questions, said days before the measure passed that it was too loosely written and would essentially allow recreational use. After it passed, the same medical groups that opposed it recommended the ban on “smokables” and the pharmacist requirement. On Friday, separate lawsuits were filed in two Oklahoma counties accusing state health officials of improperly imposing the strict rules. “Smoking of any kind is unhealthy,” said Oklahoma State Medical Association President Jean Hausheer, an ophthalmologist from Lawton. “This issue is not an option and really is more of an absolute demand.”
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Senior Living
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
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Mankato T-Birds perform at 25 parades a year By Edie Schmierbach The Free Press
Help alleviate the anxiety around retirement planning by asking these 9 questions. Monkey Business/stock.Adobe.com
Is Your Retirement Income Protected? 9 questions to ask By State Point Media
When it comes to retirement planning, anxiety comes with the territory. Will you be able to maintain your lifestyle in retirement? Will you have enough to cover your monthly bills without depleting your savings? Are you at risk of outliving your money? While such concerns are common among Americans approaching retirement, protecting part of the money that you’ve saved to ensure monthly income for life can make a difference in your confidence about the future, suggests a new study. A new survey by the Alliance for Lifetime Income looked at the emotional and physical well-being of Gen X and Baby Boomer households and compared those with some form of protected lifetime income, such as an annuity and/or pension, to those that were unprotected and relying solely on savings and So-
cial Security. Eighty-eight percent of protected households say they are confident that their retirement money will help them achieve their lifestyle goals, while only sixty-three percent of unprotected households feel confident. “The American retirement discussion has traditionally focused on accumulating assets rather than how to turn some of those savings into a guaranteed monthly income that will last as long as you do,” says Colin Devine, educational advisor at the Alliance for Lifetime Income. “People don’t realize that Social Security is estimated to replace only about 40 percent of the average person’s income, which leaves millions of Americans vulnerable to outliving their hardearned savings.” To get confident about your financial plan for retirement, Devine says that you should understand all your options for protecting a portion of your retirement income from the impact of market volatility and longer lifespans. The Alliance outlines
nine key questions that you should ask your financial advisor to make sure that you’re on track to having the lifetime income you can count on for the retirement you want: 1. Why is protected monthly income in retirement important? 2. How much protected monthly income will I need in retirement? 3. What if my expected monthly income is less than what I need to last my lifetime? 4. What is an annuity? 5. Are there costs associated with guaranteed protected income? 6. What if I need access to my money in an annuity? 7. Can annuities help protect me from investment losses? 8. How do I know that my protected income is safe? 9. Are there other strategies for protected monthly income? “Discussing these topics with your financial advisor can help you become better infor med about your income planning options, putting you one step closer to creating a financial plan that deliv-
ers what you need to live the life you want in retirement,” says Devine. Visit www.RetireYourRisk.org for more information on how to create and protect your retirement income. Don’t succumb to anxiety about your financial future. With the right knowledge, you can help ensure a comfortable retirement.
sociation’s medical centers for children, which include hospitals specializing in the treatment of severe burns. “All together, there are 22 hospitals and three bur n hospitals,” said Chris Johnson of Janesville. When necessary, units also help cover kids’ transportation fees. “Recently we helped fly six kids to the States from Guatemala. They had burns from the volcano,” Johnson said. Volunteers train to drive the little cars, but there is no weekly sign up list for parade duty. “It’s just whoever shows up,” said Petersen, who has been a parade regular for about two years. The main requirement for membership is a willingness to want to help children. Apparently, the club’s trick ability bar is pretty low for new recruits. While waiting to get in line for the Fun Day Parade on July 7, two T-Bird members joked about how they learned by accident to drive their cars on two, instead of four wheels. A young T-Bird, Calvin Barfknecht of Lewisville, started his behindthe-wheel practice about six months ago. He has driven in about a dozen parades this summer. “It’s been very entertaining. I’ve rolled over three times. I just had to push the cart back over and go on with the parade,” Barfknecht said. Petersen said his first parades were “tunnel vision” experiences. He rarely saw the crowds as they cheered him on as he had to concentrate on driving. Now he’s confident in his little car and sure to wave at his fans as he passes by.
NORTH MANKATO — Groups of men wearing bright red shirts and fezzes — conical hats with flat tops — are easy to spot as they tool around on city streets in their teeny cars. “Here come the Shriners!” has been a familiar shout out this summer along parade routes in area towns. “Lately, we’ve had a parade every weekend. We take part in about 25 a year,” said Mankato T-Bird President Brock Petersen of rural Mankato. T-Birds usually are seen traveling in packs of about a dozen drivers and performing synchronized tricks such as Figure 8 formations while they move along blocked off streets in local towns. The men who wear fezzes on their heads admit they look silly when they are crunched in behind the steering wheels of miniature versions of Model T Fords and souped-up go-karts. Members enjoy being part of the fun at North Mankato’s Fun Days and a highlight in Minnesota Lake’s Twilight Parade and it’s always a blast to be a unit in St. Peter’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July parade. There’s also a serious side to the T-Birds’ tours throughout the region. They raise money for the Shrine Association’s hospitals which specialize in care for very ill and seriously-burned children. The small-car drivers are with a unit of the Minnesota-based Osman temple, which oversees 19 clubs and 20 units within a large region of the state. It’s the parade oriented units, such as the group of little-car drivers based in Mankato, which raise funds for Shrine hospitals. Their performance Distributed by Tribune fees go to support the as- Content Agency, LLC.
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Senior Living
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2018
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Giving back on your summer vacation your help, particularly their hiking trails. Volunteer opportunities abound for those who wish to combine a road trip with trail stewardship. After traveling to your favorite park, join a volunteer crew to build or maintain a trail, increasing accessibility to America’s most beautiful natural wonders. Or, be someone who brakes for animals —animal volunteer opportunities that is. Many animal sanctuaries welcome vacationing volunteers to provide extra hands. From socializing dogs to feeding horses, certain opportunities even include lodging to those giving their time. By giving back to the places you visit, you can take the concept of the ultimate summer road trip to new heights.
By State Point Media
Hitting the road this summer and want to do something good for the world along the way? Consider using your summer road trip as an opportunity to give back to the communities you visit. For some inspiration, check out these great ways Americans are rethinking vacations to include a touch of philanthropy.
Driving for good
All those miles you log on the road can be for a good cause, if you look in the right places. Check out organizations and brands hosting fun fundraising or volunteer events on the road. For example, “MINI Takes the States,” a biannual rally for MINI Cooper owners, gives participants an opportunity to explore America’s beauty while raising money for Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks. In 2016, rally participants raised enough money to provide 1,301,969 meals to families in need, and this year’s goal is over 2 million meals. Occurring July 14 – 22 this year, MINI
Use your summer vacation to do good in your community. Image provided by Feeding America Takes the States will see owners kick off in either Orlando, Fla. or Portland, Ore. and converge in Colorado, passing through some of America’s most interesting and beautiful sites and cities. A portion of each registration fee is donated to Feeding America and participants are encouraged to start fundraising pages online and spread
the word to friends and family to contribute to the cause. Each dollar raised will provide at least 10 meals to people in the U.S. struggling with hunger. To learn more, visit MINITakesTheStates.com or follow the conversation at #DriveForMore.
Ju B
Transform your road trip
America’s parks need
Flower Power: Purple clematis has bloomed for more than 75 years By Edie Schmierbach The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
NORTH MANKATO — Showy flowers on greenleaved vines completely cover the trellis at Gayle and Dick Stelten's home on Valley View Drive. For the past 18 summers, passersby have enjoyed the Stelten's purple clematis. The decades-old plant previously blossomed in four other yards owned by Gayle's family members. Her parents, Peg and Roger Miller, tended the vine for many years at their home on Belgrade Avenue. "People liked to see it when they drove by their house," said Gayle, who transplanted the clematis from the Millers' yard to her property in 2000. At that time, the plant was already 60 years old. In 1940, George and Emma Noonan, Gayle's late grandparents, became the first couple in the family to own the clematis. The Noonans nurtured the vine near their home on Belgrade Avenue until 1962, when they brought it along on their move across the river to Fair Street in Mankato. The clematis was again transplanted in 1973, when the couple relocated to a mobile home park near the intersection of Highway 22 and Hoffman Drive. Nine years later, it returned to Belgrade Avenue where it was planted at the Millers' home. A beautiful tradition and
fond memories have resulted from the family's stewardship of the 78-year-old plant with vibrant purple blossoms. The hardy clematis may likely hold a record for longevity. "It's really unusual that plant has lasted this long," said Edenvale Nursery owner Tom Branhan. He tells his customers to expect clematis vines to live about 25-30 years.
Homeowners who'd like to grow beautiful clematis in their yards should plant the vines in moist, welldrained soil at a spot that daily gets at least six hours of sunlight, instructs a website dedicated to perennials. "It's safe to plant them from now until October," Brahan said.
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NOVEMBER 1 - 4, 2018
$639
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Senior Living - July 2018
DANIEL O’DONNELL, THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, PRESLEYS COUNTRY JUBILEE, LEGENDS IN CONCERT
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