July 2020

The Voice of Adults 50+ in Western Colorado

JULY 2020

Can’t stop. Won’t stop!

These determined athletes won’t let COVID stop them from playing pickleball

Mark your calendar: Celebrate Grand Junction BeaconFest on Wednesday, August 19!

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Nightmare cruise: Colorado couple survived COVID-19 abroad

28

Hungry Hearts program gifted seniors meals and hope

We have the personal protective equipment and protocols in place to ensure your safety from COVID-19

Attention M e dicare Patients Do you have missing, loose or painful teeth?

Do you have ill-fitting, loose, uncomfortable or painful dentures?

Do you have difficulty chewing, eating or talking?

Call us today for a free consultation and 3D image!

243-2025

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Medicare can help cover a large portion of these dental needs.

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Dr. John Poovey

Dr. Brandon Wilcox

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Dad was always there for you.

He protected you, guided you, and inspired you.

And now, you can be there for him with exceptional assisted living and memory support from people who care as much as you do. Because he’s your dad.

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WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 |

3

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

C O M MU N I T Y CONNECTION VILLAGE COOPERATIVE:

Colorow Care Center We are a skilled nursing facility staffed with local compassionate professionals. Our non-traditional person-centered planned care approach helps our residents achieve their desired goals: to live a meaningful and purpose-filled life.

Raising Eyebrows for Good Reasons

A New Home Ownership Option for Active Adults (62+) is Coming to Grand Junction When Real Estate Equities Development looks to develop a new Village Cooperative housing community for active adults, they carefully select the area using a whole host of data points.

But these communities don’t serve data points, they serve real people. That’s why they are so excited about their Grand Junction community that is now being planned for construction.

What is a senior cooperative?

This home ownership option lives very different from a single-family home, townhouse, condo or assisted living community. When people decide to live here, they’re not only wanting to get rid of the oversized house that requires too much time, effort and money to maintain, but also to live better, to have closer ties to their neighbors and families, and to have the little luxuries they deserve.

The Village Cooperative of Grand Junction offers a unique building design, management style and ownership structure. Instead of buying a home outright for $450,000 or more, Village Cooperative owners purchase an equity share, typically around $170,000 and then a monthly share of the operating expenses of about $1,600 (based on the size and location of the home) that covers all maintenance outside and inside the homes, including replacing your light bulbs.

While it’s not a new concept, it is new to the Western Slope. In fact, senior housing cooperatives have been around for over 40 years, primarily found throughout the Midwest. These communities are designed for active adults who want to own with no maintenance.

Contact Lisa Doudy at

(970) 628-3628

to attend an upcoming free informational seminar and get more details about this exciting (62+) community. Or for more information, visit VillageCooperative.com

4 | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Come See and Feel the Difference

855 S. Hwy 50 Business Loop Olathe, CO 81425

970.323.5504

www.vivage.com/Colorow

We Accept: • Medicare • Medicaid • RMHMO • Private Pay • PACE • And More

IN THIS ISSUE

National & Regional Award-Winning Publication JULY 2020 | Volume 33 | Issue 7

Publisher Kevin K. VanGundy Founding Publisher Susan Capps Managing Editor Cloie Sandlin Multimedia Editor Lauren Berg Graphic Designers Chrissy Martin B. Bigler Office Manager Stacey Splude Advertising Executives Debra Romaniec Siggie Carpenter Melodie Simon Proofreader Jan Weeks Delivery Cora Gentry Lauren VanGundy JR Milner

P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502 Phone: 970-243-8829 Website:

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Email:

Beacon@PendantPublishing.com The BEACON is published at the beginning of the month. Our goal is to inform and inspire the 50+ community in Mesa, Delta and Montrose counties.

Publication of advertising does not necessarily constitute endorsement. Columns are opinions of the writers, not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.

Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication.

Display advertising rates are available upon request. © Copyright 2020 • All Rights Reserved

On the Cover

Pickleball players show up for round robin at Lincoln Park in Grand Junction. Pictured from left: Brian Hart, Ed Roffey, Sherry Smith and Kim Wooten. Photo by B. Bigler

10

30

40

7 Editor’s Column

33 Talking Digital

8 Cover Story: Paddling a new passion

34 Finance: Budget overhaul after COVID-19

10 “Get me off this ship!” Colorado couple survived COVID-19 abroad

36 Business Spotlight: England Fence

13 Ask the Old Bag: When can I get my social life back?

38 Navigating transitions: Better living independently

14 Healthy Geezer

40 Glade Park Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival

15 Dear Pharmacist 16 Find the docs you deserve!

18 Laughing Matters 20 Waking up with Lady Liberty 21 Boomer Beat: So you’ve turned into your parents. Now what?

22 Alive & Digging 24 Refurbish your kitchen on a budget 26 Sunscreen 101 28 Hungry Hearts 30 The land of freedom and forts 32 Faith: Has God called you to be a pioneer?

The local barbershop quartet serenades Duane and Phyllis Berry. Friends and family gathered at Daylight Donuts to celebrate the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary.

42 Mesa County 42 Calendar 44 Clubs & Activities 45 Question of the Month 46 Beacon Bits 48 Support Groups 49

Montrose & Delta Counties 49 Calendar 50 Question of the Month 50 Clubs & Activities 52 Beacon Bits

54 Fun & Games 56 Classifieds 58 There’s no place like it

Photos by Chrissy Martin

COLORADO’S LARGEST BOOMER & SENIOR FAIR

2020

2020

GRAND JUNCTION

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MONTROSE/DELTA

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CALL 243-8829 FOR INFO

EDITOR'S COLUMN

Have you experienced window visits?

D

espite the relatively low number of cases of infection on the Western Slope, COVID is affecting each and every one of us. For some, it’s an infuriating inconvenience that spoiled our summer plans. Others have experienced the virus’s merciless cruelty, with financial struggles and job loss being just the tip of the iceberg.

While many of us are enjoying our postquarantine sovereignty by resuming activities and reconnecting with friends and family, these freedoms aren’t available to everyone.

You may be quick to say, “If they’re scared, then that’s their choice!” But that’s not the case for residents in senior living facilities, who’ve been isolated since the outbreak out of concern for their safety. Some are fighting loneliness and depression, as they haven’t seen or been able to hug their loved ones in months.

If that’s you, then please hang in there, because it’s about to change!

Colorado leaders are piecing together a plan called the Lifeline Pass, which will allow limited outdoor visits at nursing homes with relatives who test negative for COVID-19, have no known exposure and don’t have any coronavirus symptoms. While they’re still hashing out the details, I want to commend care facility workers for doing all they can to ensure the mental wellbeing of their residents through engaging activities and facilitating window visits and video calls.

Do you have a heartfelt story or opinion to share about how you’ve stayed connected with loved ones during isolation? Please let us know!

We’d love to share it in August’s BEACON.

LETTERS

from our readers

BACK-TO-BACK BEACONFESTS? That’s our plan! We’re looking forward to seeing you at Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction on Wednesday, August 19, and at the Montrose Pavilion on Thursday, September 17.

Please know that your safety is our top priority. While this year’s fair may operate differently, there will still be live music, food, information and more! Bring a friend.

Admission is FREE!

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR VOTING ENDS JULY 31 Even in the midst of all that’s going on in the world, we haven’t forgotten about the outstanding volunteers nominated for this year’s Grand Junction Volunteer of the Year award! Make your vote count by mailing in your ballot on page 56, or vote online at www.

BeaconSeniorNews.com.

Whether in print or online, our work to keep you enlightened, entertained and encouraged won’t stop. Thank you for reading the BEACON! ■

Congrats to our Facemask Selfie winner, Susie Keysor!

Susie won a $50 gift card to Rib City Grill.

Thanks to all who entered in their selfies. We loved seeing your creativity!

Regarding Volunteer of the Year voting (see ballot on page 56): “It’s SOOOOOOOOOO hard to vote for just one as all the volunteers do such a good job.”

- Anthony T. “I enjoy your publication and would like to start receiving the next issue online. Please let me know what you need from me.”

- Louise H. Cloie: Thanks, Louise, but you don’t need a subscription. You can visit our website and download the latest BEACON Senior News for free. You can also sign up for our e-newsletter, which you’ll receive when the new issue is out! Just send us your email to get started.

“Thanks for the BEACON. Love reading it!”

- Mary Jo W. “The BEACON is really valuable and so informative in so many ways. It’s really the greatest thing. It informs seniors about things going on that they don’t normally hear about in the news or on TV. It’s really valuable.”

- Linda “Not a lot has changed for us [because of COVID]. My husband and I are fine. We both work mostly from home and have family locally who did not stop visiting! In the past five weeks, we’ve flown to Illinois to visit my husband’s ailing mother, and also traveled to Wyoming. We did have to wear face coverings in the airports and on the plane flights, but it was nice that the bar in the St. Louis Airport was open for lunch. We’ve been hiking and biking here in Grand Junction, enjoying the fresh air. One of our favorite hikes is Mica Mine/Rough Canyon. These are newer for us, as we can take our puppy, Georgia, on those trails. At the end of the month, we will be taking our new RV to Bryce for our yearly birthday trip. We typically stay at the Bryce Canyon Pines Motel and bike into the park or hike on one of the many trails. That motel is older and has the best pie on the planet! Of course, I took my camera everywhere. All the best to everyone for health and happiness this summer!”

- Donna F. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Cloie Sandlin, Managing Editor

Email: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com Mail: P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | EDITOR'S COLUMN |

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COVER STORY

Paddling a new passion Fastest-growing sport for seniors is fun to play and easy to learn

By Aaron Reynolds | Additional reporting by Cloie Sandlin | Photos by B. Bigler

T

he courts were crowded even on a sweltering weekday morning in June. Players arrived and exchanged pleasantries (even a little playful banter) before they grabbed their paddles and took to a game of doubles.

Not even the heat nor the looming threat of COVID can keep these pickleball athletes from playing one of the fastest-growing sports among seniors. Many say they’re addicted—and complying with social distancing rules on the court is no issue.

tennis into one easy-to-comprehend racket/paddle game. It’s best to play in pairs, though a singles version also exists. Players use a paddle to strike a ball that has some similarities to a Wiffle ball over a net.

“Pickleball is easy to learn, does not require a high level of athleticism or strenuous physical effort,

THE OBSESSION Pickleball may have a funny name, but the sport is no joke. It offers the ideal combination of a low-impact physical exercise along with delivering the traditional joys that come with competition, such as establishing personal challenges and making new friends.

The sport incorporates elements of tennis, badminton and table

8 | COVER STORY | JULY 2020 |

is a very social game and a ton of fun,” said Jeffrey Smith, president of the Western Slope Pickleball Club (WSPC).

Smith relocated to the Grand Valley from Portland a little over two years ago. At the time, he had recently picked up the sport after years of playing tennis and competitive swimming. Numerous surgeries

on his rotator cuff made it clear that tennis was no longer a viable option. Pickleball represented a healthy alternative.

He took over WSPC last summer, though the organization is far from new. The club dates back to 2009, and over the past decade it’s witnessed a tidal wave of involvement.

The initial interest of 25 players has increased to 700 current participants in the Grand Valley, in addition to those coming from Delta, Montrose, Olathe and Eckert.

“We have members from all around…and a lot of activities,” said George Gerson, WSPC membership and communications director. “We ended last year with 381 members, and more than 50 were outside of Mesa County.”

Over the years, WSPC has worked closely with Grand JuncPictured above: Doug Roberts and Sherry Smith.

Left: Rick Thurtle and Jim Mense.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

COVER STORY tion Parks and Recreation to grow infrastructure and interest related to the sport. Smith maintains that what has helped spur the popularity of pickleball—not only on the Western Slope but also nationwide—is how quickly most beginners pick up the game compared to other competitive sports.

Despite being the president of the WSPC, Smith is like many other players in that he’s played pickleball for less than five years—a reminder to newbies that many people who play regularly are relatively new to the sport as well.

“A majority of our club members, as well as nonmembers, are

beginner players. So naturally, beginners are welcomed with open arms, and shouldn’t be intimidated because they are in good company,” Smith said.

schedule indoor playing times.

“If you want to find a fun way to enjoy the great outdoors, come on out and try the game. You may find a new passion, and I guarantee you will make some new friends,” said Smith.

TRY IT OUT Smith wants to quash those fears that one might feel intimidated or self-conscious about looking out of place trying something new, especially in a competitive atmosphere.

The average age of a WSPC club member is 66.

Tracy Dvorak-Marshall, another club member, also found pickleball easy to pick up.

“Pickleball is notable for being a very social sport,” Dvorak-Marshall added. “For many seniors, I believe the social piece is very important and pickleball satisfies that need.”

Smith and Dvorak-Marshall agree that you can show up and always find someone willing to play with you. So much so, there’s a current

PLAYING UNDER COVID-19

George Gerson shortage of courts to meet its demand.

While the courts at Lincoln Park and Pineridge Park (Redlands) serve an outdoor need, Lincoln Park Barn, Fruita Community Center and Palisade Recreation Center provide an indoor venue during the winter months. However, there is still a push to incorporate more facilities in the future.

The same can be said for Delta.

With no official pickleball courts, athletes will play in Grand Junction or adapt outdoor tennis courts at Bill Heddles Recreation Center.

“Those courts have remained open for public use at [the players’] own discretion,” said Tyler Schumacher, assistant sports coordinator for the City of Delta.

“We’ve been seeing small groups of pickleballers playing in the mornings for the last few weeks.”

Although pickleball isn’t technically one of the City’s programs, players can contact Schumacher to

Despite players eager to return to their pickleball routine, the courts at Lincoln Park still aren’t as busy as usual. Even with more relaxed rules of play as Mesa County enters the final phase of its reopening plan, posted signs warn out-of-towners to stay away.

“Two people just showed up today from Montana and I told them to go home,” said George Gerson, WSPC membership and communications director. “We have a very low case load [of infections] here, and we just had new cases—two of which were travel related.”

It may upset some people, but Gerson believes it’s the right thing to do for now.

“There are still people afraid to come out,” he added. “If COVID didn’t exist, you’d have a whole row of people waiting to play here.”

In Montrose, pickleball facilities at the Montrose Community Recreation Center opened June 2, but with restrictions.

“We are limited to 10 people in a group and must practice 6-feet social distancing,” said Cindy Marino, Montrose Recreation District’s activities coordinator. ■

LEARN TO PLAY! Both Grand Junction Parks and Recreation and Montrose Recreation District offer a beginner clinic that teaches new players the fundamentals and basic rules of the sport. Equipment is provided.

Catherine Callaghan

• The next class in Grand Junction is July 27! To register, call 254-3866.

• To register for the next class in Montrose (TBD), call 249-7705.

• To coordinate play times in Delta, call 874-0923.

To join Western Slope Pickleball Club, visit www.westernslopepickleballclub.com.

Back, from left: Jim Clausius, Mary Kusack, Jim Craig, Elise Lind, Doug Roberts, and Rick Thurtle. Front row: Marci Chambers and Catherine Callaghan WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | COVER STORY |

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

“Get me off this ship!”

Locals battle COVID-19 abroad for three months

By Kathy Applebee

W

hen a couple from Molina, Colorado, decided to sail the Mediterranean and enjoy two backto-back cruises in the Orient, they had no idea the delay to disembark would stretch into weeks as a pandemic spread across the globe.

And Carole Fisher certainly never imagined that her husband Dan’s heart would stop. Twice.

NIGHTMARE CRUISE

Dan surrounded by the nurses that took care of him as he battled COVID-19 at a hospital in Tokyo, Japan.

10 | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

The Fishers were trapped on the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked off Yokohama, Japan—a veritable petri dish brimming over with COVID-19. Their dream of traveling the world was fast shifting into a nightmare.

On February 5, the Fishers learned that no one could disem-

bark because someone on the ship tested positive for COVID-19. Dan also began to cough and run a fever. Twenty-four hours later, the Diamond Princess’ sickbay was full and the one doctor on board was overwhelmed. Dan received a flu swab and fever-reducing medication before he was sent back to his room.

The Fishers were experienced travelers. At first, catching a virus was just a minor bump in the road.

“We figured we’d live it out for three days and be done,” Carole said.

But the next day, the Fishers learned they weren’t allowed to leave their room because 61 passengers now tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, Dan’s temperature continued to spike.

“This might not be like the other times,” Carole realized.

Days later, Dan’s swab test came back positive for COVID-19. His breathing became so labored he couldn’t sleep. Carole assertively

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

We Welcome You!

“THEY’D TELL ME HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT, THEN THINGS WOULD CHANGE AND THEY’D SAY THERE WAS A CHANCE,” CAROLE RECALLED. advocated for her worsening partner until they were evacuated to the Japanese National Center for Global Health Research Hospital in Tokyo.

“Dan’s feet hung 8-12 inches off the bed,” Carole said of the small Japanese hospital beds.

By February 13, the Diamond Princess had 218 passengers that tested positive for COVID-19, the largest cluster of cases outside of China.

FROM BAD TO WORSE X-rays revealed that Dan’s lungs were filled with anything except air.

While he fought for his life, Carole was quarantined in a small room next to his. Few of the hospital staff could converse in English, so they resorted to sign language. It was clear to Carole that no one expected Dan to make it.

As Dan worsened, he was put on a ventilator and moved to the ICU where he received daily chest X-rays. Doctors used an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine to “clean” his blood of carbon dioxide and oxygenate it. Physicians hoped the machine would allow his heart and lungs to heal while Dan battled the virus.

His condition vacillated like a roller coaster.

“They’d tell me he was not going to make it, then things would change and they’d say there was a chance,” Carole recalled.

His heart stopped twice and was restarted.

After 11 anxious days, Carole was finally able to see Dan. Hospital staff outfitted her in an isolation suit that resembled a huge plastic bag containing an oxygen tank. Carole spoke to him about Bible verses, things to be happy about, told jokes and encouraged him to “fight.”

But that next week Dan’s condi-

tion plummeted to a new low as he passed the 14th day on machines.

The hospital tried a new tactic: an experimental drug flown into Japan at the persuasion of President Trump and the American National Institutes of Health. Three patients started the 10-day course of medication, one of whom was Dan.

MIRACULOUS RECOVERY Eventually, Carole was discharged from the hospital and moved to the RIHGA Royal Hotel, keeping secret the fact she was a passenger on the Diamond Princess. She learned to navigate the huge medical campus, which resembled a small city with its own laundry service, restaurants, shops and even a 7-Eleven inside.

Back home, friends and family prayed. Shin, a Japanese pastor, even held a 24-hour prayer vigil.

The prayers must’ve worked, because by mid-March Dan was taken off the ECMO and ventilator, transferring out of ICU. He had beaten the odds.

“He asked for a Coke,” Carole remembered.

The couple still had a long journey of recovery ahead of them. For the next several weeks, Dan relearned how to eat, stand, walk and other basic activities of daily living.

He had a setback when blood clots in his legs restricted him once again to bedrest. Finally, on May 8, Dan was discharged from the hospital.

Carole and Dan flew home on May 11—over three months since the ordeal began—and arrived in Molina where they were greeted by a crowd wearing dragon costumes, holding balloons, signs and flowers.

Although Dan doesn’t remember much, it’s an experience they never want to repeat—but they’ll never stop cruising, Carole said. ■

Joyfully, to Love all, to Serve all, and to share Jesus Christ with the world •••

Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors

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970-249-3716 • WWW.MONTROSEUMC.ORG Long-Term Stay Rooms Available

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We recognize the need for our veterans to share their most intimate stories of patriotism. With caring hearts, we offer comfort and understanding.

Our veterans regain those lost moments buried in time and embrace a safe place to open closed doors to those who can appreciate their experience. Despite what memory loss may have taken away, their war stories remain well intact.

If you are a veteran, veteran spouse or a Gold Star family member, let us assist you.

It’s a gift to spend time engaging in the lives of our veterans. When needed, we bring laughter for healing, emotion for care and our hearts for those whose lives were changed when they gave their lives for our freedom.

We provide long-term 24-hour nursing care and short-term rehabilitation.

If you are a veteran who is 70-100 percent service connected disabled, your long-term stay may be paid in full.

Colorado Veterans Community Living Center at Rifle Call us today! 970-625-0842 851 E. Fifth St. Rifle, Colorado WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 |

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RECIPES

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SANG GA GAR R DE N Authentic Chinese and Thai Cuisine

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12 | RECIPES | JULY 2020 |

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Smoked Hasselback Pineapple with Spiced Turkey Chorizo and Onion Recipe courtesy of Dole.com

Total time: 2 hours Servings: 4 Ingredients: 4 cups favorite wood chips water 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey breast 1 small DOLE® Red Onion, diced 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 large Dole Pineapple, top on, peeled and halved lengthwise chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional) Directions: In large bowl, cover wood chips with water; soak as label directs.

Prepare outdoor grill for indirect grilling over medium heat.

In medium bowl, stir turkey, onion, oil, thyme, paprika, chile powder, cumin and salt.

Drain wood chips; place 2 cups in foil boat or pie tin and place on hot grill rack over lit side of grill (place chips directly on coals for charcoal grill). Place pineapple halves, flat side down, on cutting board; cut crosswise slices into pineapple halves, about 1/2 inch apart, cutting only 3/4 of the way through. Place medium bowl upside down; one at a time, place pineapple halves, flat side down, over bowl to separate slits. Fill slits with turkey mixture.

Place pineapple halves, flat side down, on hot grill rack over unlit side of grill; cover and cook 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until turkey mixture is golden brown and internal temperature reaches 170 F, rotating once and adding remaining chips halfway through cooking.

Transfer pineapple halves to cutting board; cut crosswise in half.

Serve pineapple garnished with cilantro, if desired. ■

ASK THE OLD BAG

When can I get my social life back?

Dear Old Bag: The world is opening up, and I am not ready. I have pretty much stayed home from March to present, even before the stay-athome order. I am a retired health care worker, and I’ve kept up with all the science. I’m on a chemotherapy drug and I know my immunity is already threatened. All my friends are ready to toss off the veil of safety and go out on the town. I tell them I’m not ready, but I really miss my social life, too. When is the right time to venture out? Signed, Fraidy Cat Dear Cat: That question is being asked by many people now, especially older or immune-compromised persons. It seems every state and every person is different. I’m choosing to engage one by one with family members. I still don’t attend large group functions because my doctor advised me not to. I practice social distancing and wear a mask if I am going to come into contact with others. I can’t tell you what to do, but perhaps you can ask your doctor’s opinion. It sounds as if this virus is going to be around for quite a while, and at some point we will have to venture out.

My advice is to move slowly and take reasonable precautions. OB Dear Old Bag: My husband and I have been married for 40 years this month, and I don’t feel like celebrating. When we were both working, things went fairly well. Regretfully, we both took early retirement. Once we were together every day things began falling apart at the seams. Then the pandemic hit and we really had too much togetherness. I have looked deeply into my soul and said to myself, “Why did I ever stay married to this guy?” We agree on very little. I want to leave him. My best friend asked, “Why now, after all these years?” I told her that I was a slow learner. She recommended I ask you for advice. Signed, Enough!

Dear Enough: I agree with you that it is not too late to leave a bad situation. However, since you have invested 40 years into it, why don’t you try some marriage counseling? Find a good therapist and both of you go to see if there is something to save. You will either learn some new ways of living together, or you will gain some knowledge on peaceable parting.

Good luck. OB Dear Old Bag: I am a 55-year-old male who has no family. I have met a woman who is single but has a huge family. She has four grown children and a slew of grandchildren. I admit that I don’t understand this family stuff. She is a great gal and I do love her, but I don’t know about sharing her with all this family. Her family seems to welcome me, and they always want to hug me. It makes me uncomfortable. Should I just shut up and make the best of it, or should I run fast in the other direction?

Signed, Hesitant Dear Hesitant: The way I see it, loving her is not enough. Can you love her family, too, and welcome them into your life and learn how rewarding it is to be part of a loving family? Or are you going to resent every time she wants to be with her family? If so, it will not work! It is not easy for someone who has no close family ties to change into a family guy. Do you like children? It sounds as if her family is willing to welcome you, but they will quickly change their minds if they sense you do not want them to be a part of their mother’s life. Good luck! OB ■

ASK THE OLD BAG

ADVICE COLUMN FOR THE OVER 50 CROWD

BY GAYLE LAGMAN-CRESWICK

Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at lagmancreswick@gmail.com

Art is Essential The Art Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-4pm ART CLASSES

for adults, children, and special needs

EXHIBITIONS CONCERTS PLAYS LECTURES 1803 N 7th Street 970.243.7337 gjartcenter.org

Follow us for videos, tutorials, and more

Sometimes we all need a little help caring for a loved one

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care, Support and Information.

Hilltop’s Senior Daybreak is a unique day program that keeps seniors with memory loss safe and secure while providing their caregivers the flexibility and support they need to care for their loved ones at home. We also offer valuable information and support groups specifically designed for those caring for someone affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Call (970) 241-7798 www.seniordaybreak.org L O C A L L Y

O W N E D

A N D

O P E R A T E D

B Y

H I L L T O P

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | ASK THE OLD BAG |

13

HEALTHY GEEZER

Can vision loss cause hallucinations?

H

allucinations can be a symptom of a variety of problems—both physical and mental. They can be caused by schizophrenia, dementia, depression, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, fever, drugs and alcohol.

You should see a doctor immediately about this symptom.

Sometimes, hallucinations start with impaired vision. Visual loss (worse than 20/60 in both eyes) is a common cause of hallucinations.

However, research suggests that they are more likely to appear if you have visual acuity between 20/120 and 20/400.

About one in 10 people with vision problems has hallucinations. It’s suspected that this phenomenon is under reported because victims fear they’re losing their minds and don’t want their doctors to know.

Complex hallucinations among people with vision loss is referred

to as Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). Charles Bonnet was a 1760 Swiss philosopher who described this condition in his 89-year-old grandfather who was blinded by cataracts.

CBS is sometimes called “phantom vision” and is compared to phantom limbs. Similar to how amputees can have sensations from limbs they no longer have, when retinal cells become impaired and are no longer able to receive and relay visual images to the brain, the visual system begins firing off images on its own.

These hallucinations can strike at any age, but they usually affect seniors because of the prevalence of visual problems in this age group.

The common conditions leading to CBS are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and cataracts.

It’s common for vision-related

14 | HEALTH & WELLNESS | JULY 2020 |

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hallucinations to be doozies—odd people, animals, panoramas and bizarre images right out of the most psychedelic dreams. These images—sometimes called visual hallucinations—can range from elaborate images to less complex line patterns. The pictures appear suddenly and can last for hours.

The visual hallucinations often stop within a year to 18 months.

However, it is difficult to predict the frequency of the hallucinations and how long they will persist.

Today, CBS is not widely known, even among physicians. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for CBS. The

best way to handle the syndrome is to reassure victims that the weird images are a symptom of eye disease, not mental illness. A research study in the Netherlands found a variety of techniques people use to deal with CBS: • Close your eyes and then open them.

• Look away from the image quickly.

• Walk away from the image or approach it.

• Stare at the image.

• Turn a light on.

• Concentrate on something else.

• Shout at the image or try to hit it. ■

HEALTHY GEEZER

BY FRED CICETTI Send your general health questions to the Healthy Geezer in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at fred@healthygeezer.com

Prevent gallstones, naturally

I

t’s such an unsexy thing, this gallbladder. It’s about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. You’ll never think about it your whole life until your right upper quadrant starts hurting, and then—and only then— will you look it up online.

Your liver produces bile, a greenish-yellow liquid, which goes to your gallbladder, where it’s concentrated to become stronger—nearly five times stronger! It sits there in storage until you eat something fatty, at which point it’s secreted to break down the food.

Bile is like soap, breaking down “grease”—or fat—into smaller globules. In a way, bile is thought to deodorize feces, so if you have a very unpleasant stool odor, it’s a sign you’re not making enough bile.

Here are some natural remedies that can support your gallbladder, many of which are available online or in health food stores. Always

consult with your doctor first about what’s right for you.

Gallbladder with ox bile and liver by Ancestral Supplements.

This is a grass-fed, bovine-derived formula that may help with bile production or reduced bile excretion. If your gallbladder has been removed or if you’re worried about stones, this can help. When your own organ is sluggish or deficient, the intake of animal-derived organs can play an important role. It’s not as odd as you might think; in fact, this is the premise behind bone broth, collagen and gelatin. Formulas are available at www.Ancestral Supplements.com.

Gallbladder formula by Nature’s Sunshine. This multi-tasking blend contains Oregon grape, ginger, cramp bark, fennel, peppermint, catnip and more. This

botanical formula could also be helpful for indigestion, dyspepsia, pain, belching and bloating.

Carrot juice. Carrots are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C can minimize calcium deposits which contribute to stone formation. Freshly extracted juices clean up the GI system— including your gallbladder—and this prevents gallstones because it stimulates bile secretion.

Chanca piedra. This tropical plant has been found to help your gallbladder secrete bile. It’s used for all kinds of urinary, gastrointestinal and gallbladder problems, and is nicknamed “stone breaker.” There are a few awesome supplements available

DEAR PHARMACIST today (as well as teas) that are sold online or at health food stores.

Ginger. You can eat crystallized ginger if it’s the only way you can get it down. If you like ginger, just cook with it and make yourself a tea. Ginger converts cholesterol (which can contribute to gallstones) and turns it into bile acids, thus reducing the formation of gallstones. Fresh ginger is available at the grocery store.

Fennel. Fennel tea is a nice natural remedy that helps with indigestion and eases gallbladder inflammation.

Additionally, you can try fennel essential oils or look for the herb in the produce department or health food store. ■

DEAR PHARMACIST

BY SUZY COHEN For more articles and advice, sign up for Suzy’s newsletter at www.suzycohen.com

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ecades ago, my primary care doctor referred me to a urologist for suspected kidney stones.

After straining my urine and collecting a little vial of stones, I phoned in the results to the urologist’s nurse. In my first meeting with the doctor, I placed the vial on his desk. He leaned back in his chair, hands crossed behind his neck, and mused, “We’ll have to figure out what your pain was because young women like you don’t get kidney stones.”

“Then what are those?” I blurted out. He lurched forward in his seat to examine the stones. Thus began our “rocky” relationship.

At my next kidney stone attack, the nurse reported that the doctor was on the golf course and not answering his pager. I ended up in the emergency room, vomiting on the

hallway floor. After that, I changed doctors.

As we age, we tend to spend less time jogging and more time with doctors. Our relationships with various medical professionals become increasingly important. What happens when we don’t see eye to eye with a doctor?

Complaints about doctors are more likely to be about communication than medical care.

A recent study revealed that 75 percent of doctors believe they communicate satisfactorily with their patients. Only 21 percent of those patients agreed.

As medical knowledge about how the body works continues to grow, expectations increase for doctors and nurses. At the same time, medical insurers push medical practices to accept larger patient loads.

Health care may be at a breaking

point, but when you are at a doctor’s appointment, your own health care is what rightly concerns you.

DO YOUR PART Before you give up on your current team, make sure you are contributing to good communication with your doctors. Be firm but respectful of their professional knowledge.

Express your concerns honestly and graciously. If these attempts don’t resolve the issue, consider another doctor in the same practice, which would cause you less disruption in terms of medical records.

In my case, I never again met with that urologist, but that was partly because I’ve never had stones again. Each episode occurred within two months of childbirth, so I stuck with just two kids and skipped further stones.

In these difficult days for health care, you may feel like you have no choice but to keep your team together. In this case, address your concerns in the way most comfortable for you: in person, by phone, by mail or email. Don’t suffer in silence because, frankly, that’s not good for your health either. ■

SIGNS OF A GOOD DOCTOR Here’s what you should expect from a good medical practice: 1. You can schedule appointments within a reasonable time frame.

2. The front desk staff is respectful, acknowledging your arrival and making you feel comfortable.

3. Waiting areas and examination rooms are clean and neat.

4. You are not bombarded with pharmaceutical advertising.

If there are ads and freebies lying about, sales representatives may be pushing their products. Free lunches and other perks may affect what doctors recommend for you.

5. Your privacy is protected.

HIPAA laws are spelled out in all the medical forms you sign.

They include rules that medical professionals not discuss patients in public places, leave records where others can see them, or share information with others without your explicit consent.

6. Your doctor listens attentively to your concerns.

7. You can be honest with her or him. You should feel free to ask the whys about your treat-

ment or tell them that you plan to seek a second opinion.

8. Your doctor pauses to check your understanding. According to the Patient Advocate Foundation, almost one-tenth of newly diagnosed patients rarely or never understand their diagnosis. You can avoid being in this group by bringing a notepad and/or a friend to important appointments. If you bring a recording device, you should tell your doctor.

9. Your doctor is moving at a pace you are comfortable with in terms of treatment options.

You feel comfortable discussing how long you should stick with a regimen that isn’t resolving the problem. Together, you discuss goals and a timeline for when to change course.

10. Your doctor coordinates with your other doctors. This is especially important for the primary care physician (PCP).

Healing requires healing the whole body.

This is a high standard, but most doctors likely aspire to this level of care.

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tidbits about Medicare and Medicare fraud

Can you tell the difference between a real and fake website?

Many people research Medicare information on the Internet. But can you tell the difference between a valid domain suffix and a fake one?

How to spot an imposter website If a website or email asks you to click on a link, use your mouse to hover over the link so that the URL is revealed. An actual government website always ends with the suffix of either “.gov” or “.gov/”. If the “.gov” is followed by another period and additional letters, you can’t be certain that it leads to a legitimate website. Pay attention to those suffixes!

Common Internet domain suffixes: .com = Commercial site.

Anything from “Medicare.com” is NOT actually from Medicare! .edu = Educational institution. .gov = Government. If you come across a site with this domain, you’re viewing a real federal

government site. .org = Non-profit organization.

Tips to keep you safe Visit government websites directly for trustworthy information (www.

Medicare.gov).

Do not click on links within an email or text message claiming to be from a valid government site.

Don’t share your Social Security, Medicare ID, driver’s license, bank account or credit card numbers under any circumstances—over the phone, via email, or on a website—before first validating that the person you’re dealing with is legitimate. If you have any doubt that a phone call you received was on behalf of Medicare, hang up and dial 1-800 633-4227.

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WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | HEALTH & WELLNESS |

17

LAUGHING MATTERS

LAUGHING MATTERS SO TEMPERAMENTAL Submitted by Bob Breazeale I used to work for a guy that seemed to be upset or angry all the time. Anybody who made even the slightest mistake would get ripped up one side and down the other.

His normal voice was yelling at the top of his lungs.

One day, during our lunch break, I asked one of the guys who had been there for years, “Why is the boss always so angry?”

The guy replied, “I don’t think he’s angry. I just think he’s temperamental: 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental.”

LIST OF WHYS Submitted by Rick Chambers Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to the pharmacy while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?

Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke?

Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters?

Why do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in our driveways and put our useless junk in the garage?

Why do we buy hamburgers in packages of 10 and buns in packages of eight?

Do you ever wonder why the sun lightens our hair but darkens our skin?

Why don’t you ever see the headline “Psychic Wins Lottery?”

Why is abbreviated such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do “practice?”

Why is the man who invests all your

money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

OLD FART Submitted by Shannon Hills My daughter and I went out to a local restaurant for dinner one night. Shortly after we were seated, the hostess directed an elderly couple into the booth behind ours.

The gentleman—who sat directly behind my daughter—broke wind rather loudly. My daughter giggled quietly. Then the man’s cell phone rang and he answered it. The voice on the other line could be heard

loud and clear: “Hey, man, how’ve you been?” To which the man behind us replied, “Not too bad for an old fart.”

A.A.A.D.D.—KNOW THE SYMPTOMS Submitted by Kaye Fairchild Age-Activated Attention-Deficit Disorder This is how it manifests: I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first...

But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox when I take

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LAUGHING MATTERS out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Pepsi I’d been drinking.

I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Pepsi aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over.

The Pepsi is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye—they need water.

I put the Pepsi on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I’ll be looking for the remote but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs.

But first I’ll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

The car isn’t washed, The bills aren’t paid, There is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter, The flowers don’t have enough water, There is still only one check in my check book, I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses, And I don’t remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I’m really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I’ll check my e-mail.

THE GRASSHOPPER Submitted by Walt Williams A grasshopper walks into a bar and notices the bartender is staring at him. The grasshopper says, “Hey, you’re staring at me.”

The bartender says, “Sorry, but we have a drink named after you.”

The grasshopper says, “No kidding? You have a drink named Irving?”

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BASEBALL MEMORY Submitted by Bob Breazeale Many years ago, when I was 8 or 9 years old, I was playing Old Timers baseball. I tried to catch a pop-up and I missed. It hit me on the forehead and almost knocked me out. I was on the ground kind of blinking my eyes and shaking my head. My older brother came up to me and said, “If you hear a phone ringing, don’t answer it.” ■

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19

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Waking up with Lady Liberty

By Cappy Hall Rearick

I

t is 4:30 in the morning when our cruise ship pulls into New York Harbor. Wide awake like the city that never sleeps, I worm my way up to the open deck and find a space on the starboard side. New York City’s skyline seems to be kicking up her heels with more sass and bling than a chorus line of Rockettes. “Take a look at me,” she sings, “I’m the most exciting city in the world.”

As I hang onto the rail, I cannot help but wonder how my

great-grandfather felt when he first glimpsed Lady Liberty.

I hope someone told him the story of how the statue came to be constructed from toe to crown, and how ships transported it piece by piece from France to America.

He probably never heard it, but I am certain he wiped tears from his eyes as he stood at the railing and allowed the Lady’s glow to shine the light of freedom on him.

What might he have been thinking? What would he have said to his little brother standing next to

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him, both of whom recently fled the devastating potato famine in Ireland, and both likely scared out of their Irish britches?

“Look over there, lad. It’s the ol’ girl herself. That’s our new mom.

She’s going to take care of us, so don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”

His little brother likely whimpered at the mention of their mother, a victim of poverty and neglect, buried a mere month before the boys set sail. Perhaps he moved a wee bit closer to his big brother, the one who was charged with his welfare once they set foot on American soil, the one who would find work however he could in order to feed, clothe and properly school them in their new country.

My guess is they looked across New York Harbor that day at the torch held high by the Lady and were warmed all over by her light, just as I am today.

They came here with nothing, having left everything behind in Ireland. In time, their losses would be replaced with fulfilled dreams made each night while they grew into men and good Americans. Like so many immigrants throughout the history of our country, their earnest prayers were answered, their hopes rewarded.

Many of us will never get the chance to look upon the Statue of Liberty at daybreak or any other time of day. Seeing her at least once should be a requirement for every citizen of our great country, although one of the things that make us great is that we don’t require it of our people.

Now, the Lady’s power too often gets lost amid the information overload we sift through day after day. But she is patient. She is willing to stand her ground and remain strong for all of us. Lest we forget what she symbolizes, the poet Emma Lazarus summed it up in her work engraved at the base of the

Statue of Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The Lady lifted her lamp to a homeless, tempest-tossed Irish boy and his brother. And because she did, our country was made stronger. My great-grandfather became a proud citizen and later served his country with honor.

The accomplishments of his descendants would have filled him with awe: a symphony musician, NASA engineer, criminal defense attorney, Episcopal priest, social psychologist, writer, teacher—every one of them good Americans.

Nothing can ever diminish the spark of hope woven into the fiber of our Statue of Liberty, and nothing should ever diminish the humanity of those who come to America seeking a better life.

“Give me your tired, your poor.” ■

So you’ve turned into your parents. Now what?

GETTING STUCK ON I TRYING NOT TO BE n our younger years, we scoffed at the idea of becoming like our parents someday. We made it our youthful mission to avoid anything remotely resembling them. For all of the years we spent attempting to be independent and avoid the inevitable, the prophecy has most likely come true.

Sometimes we still try to fight it.

I’ve heard countless women say, “If I ever do such and so like my mother, please tell me so I can stop!”

Needless to say, they do it now, too, and as good friends, we stay silent so they can save face.

Taking on the characteristics, vocal inflections, habits and looks of our dear parents is part of who we are. While some inherited features are less desired, what if instead you focused on the positive attributes you were gifted?

As a kid, it drove me crazy when my dad said, “Life isn’t fair.” I was upset and I wanted his sympathy, not something that felt like a brushoff at the time. But he was right, and now I find myself saying the same thing. Basically, stop whining, put on your big girl pants and figure it out. At the time, I didn’t realize he was helping mold four children into strong, resilient adults.

With my parents now in their 90s, my sisters and I sound so much like my mom on the phone that my dad can’t tell us apart. My husband says all the women in my family also share the same subconscious sigh of contentment. He added that I laugh like my mom, which I never really thought about, but I guess I do. I love my mom’s laugh.

When I look down, I see her aged

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hands in mine. The same hands that taught me to sew, knit, crochet and create.

Sue Springer, 69, and her mom won second place in a mother-daughter sorority lookalike contest during her sophomore year at Colorado State University. Fifty years later, Springer does a double-take in the mirror each morning and is tempted to say “Hi, Mom!” “It’s not a bad thing,” she said.

“We were also good friends, and I like that we share a lot in common.”

From the way he cocks his baseball hat to the way he holds his mouth when he eats and drinks, Sue added that her husband, Bill, 72, is a carbon copy of his dad.

“When we were younger I said to Bill, ‘Can you picture my mom married to your dad? Because that’s going to be us someday.’ It’s uncanny,” said Sue. Lucky for Sue, Bill adored her mom.

Getting stuck on trying not to be like our parents can lock us in the past. Instead, forgive them and move on. You are not identical to them. Just because you may be like them doesn’t mean you are them.

Try focusing on your own values and who you want to be while enjoying the good stuff. ■

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21

ALIVE & DIGGING

ARE YOU FEEDING YOUR BACKYARD BIRDS THE RIGHT SEED?

Nutritional, energy-producing bird seed is key to backyard bird feeding. At Mesa Feed Mart, our knowledgeable staff can help you find the perfect feed for your birds. Did you know that we make 12 blends on site? We have something for all bird types in the Grand Valley, including:

• Cardinal Cuisine, Cynthia’s, Finches Delight, Finches Feast, Western Plumage. Nutritious feed featuring nyjer and sunflower chips for smaller birds.

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• Raymond’s I & II, No Millet/ Milo and Squirrel/Jay. Highprotein feed with peanuts and whole corn that works for birds of all sizes.

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Our blends use milo, cracked corn and wheat sparingly as they are not high in protein and are not the most nutritious.

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Get your harvesting on T here’s a great saying, “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

In gardening, we get the gift of paying close attention to life. It’s subtle—the way plants grow, how a bud turns into a flower, into a fruit and then into seeds. We learn how to tell the difference between one leaf and another. We appreciate worms and cloudy days. As gardeners, we embody this idea of slowing down and taking care.

By July, our gardens are playgrounds. We are tending, harvesting and sowing seeds for continued bounty. So let’s talk about how we harvest. It might inspire us to cook up a special dish or make sun tea in a mason jar.

HOW TO HARVEST BASIL Basil can be so productive! Or it can flower and turn bitter. The trick is in the harvest.

Instead of pinching off leaves when you’re ready to make a Caprese salad, cut basil at the main stem, right above new leaf shoots.

This allows the plant to grow out more fully. As with all herbs and vegetables, especially the tender ones, the best time to harvest is in the morning while it’s still cool.

Keep your harvested basil in a vase of water, as if it were a bouquet of fresh flowers, and leave it on the counter in your kitchen instead of in the fridge. Now, you can pinch off leaves as needed. Storing basil in a vase this way will keep it fresher for much longer! Plus, you’ll have it ready at hand so you can garnish every summer meal if you so desire.

Cut basil at the main stem, right above new leaf shoots.

CILANTRO In spring, cilantro grows slowly, but as soon as the weather warms, it quickly starts to flower.

Harvest by pinching off portions of the upper stem; the plant will fill out and grow more leaves. Cilantro flowers are edible and tasty, too!

In hot weather, your cilantro will always want to flower. The best way to enjoy fresh cilantro all season long is to keep sowing seeds. Every three weeks, you can direct seed cilantro, lettuce and green onions throughout your garden for the continual harvest of all three.

Another way to enjoy cilantro is by letting it go to seed. Eat the seeds green, or let them dry and turn brown and you now have homegrown coriander!

BROCCOLI Harvest broccoli crowns while they’re still tightly in bud before the

Cilantro seeds can be used as coriander or replanted to extend your crop.

ALIVE & DIGGING florets begin to open up and lose flavor. You can also harvest the lower leaves of broccoli and cabbage plants, slice into strips and simmer in saltwater to enjoy as a midsummer dish.

Squashing squash bugs is a bit creepy and definitely stinky, but later on, your abundant harvest of summer and winter squash will make it all worth it.

LETTUCE

Nature is a problem-solver. Her goal is to create life. Weeds are no exception in nature’s connectedness and resilience.

Weeds give us insight into our gardens. Identifying weeds by soil type can help you determine what your soil might be lacking. Clover popping up across your lawn indicates a low level of nitrogen (clover is a nitrogen-fixer); compacted soils invite grasses, whose strong central taproots and wiry stems are really attempting to aerate heavy soil and build structure within it.

So before cursing the weeds in your garden, identify them, look at their roots and see what you can learn about the little ecosystem in your backyard. ■

Lettuce tastes best when you harvest in the morning. Soak greens in cold water before putting them in the fridge. This process of hydrocooling your lettuce and other greens makes for crisper, longer-lasting greens that are ready for you at lunch and dinner time.

SQUASH (BUGS) Now that your squash plants are growing, check for squash bugs and eggs regularly. These pesky bugs hang out on the underside of squash leaves, and they lay their eggs along leaf stems. Prevent squash bugs from overtaking your bounty by removing eggs from the leaves as much as possible, and squashing the adult bugs.

A NOTE ABOUT WEEDS

MIDSUMMER GARDEN CHECKLIST ❑ Seed a succession of tender

❑

❑ ❑

❑

herbs like dill and cilantro, bush beans, lettuce and green onions.

Direct sow carrots, beets, bush beans, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas.

Plant cover crops in bare sections of the garden to keep the soil happy and alive.

Start broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in trays, preferably indoors.

Continue to trellis tall plants like peppers and tomatoes, pinching off suckers from indeterminate tomato plants.

❑ Deadhead annual flowers and

spring-blooming perennials. ❑ Water plants in the cool of mornings, especially if using overhead watering systems, so as not to damage leaves. ❑ Water perennials and your lawn deeply, not daily, to encourage deeper roots and healthier growth. ❑ Harvest tender summer squash and cucumbers before they get too big on the vine. ❑ Harvest vegetables, flowers and herbs in the cool of the mornings.

ALIVE & DIGGING

BY PAIGE SLAUGHTER Send your questions to Paige in care of the BEACON, or email her directly at paige@fruitionstudio.com

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23

HOME & GARDEN

The best-laid plans: How to refurbish your kitchen on a budget

By Jan Weeks

I

only wanted new blinds for the kitchen.

However, the best-laid plans, etcetera.

Wandering through JC Penney’s window department, I fell in love with pale gray, custom vertical honeycomb insulating blinds. The clincher? They were half price. I ordered one for the slider, one for the small window and settled back to wait for delivery in a couple of weeks. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot. When I removed the one-yearfrom-ancient traverse drapes, I found a doggy door, long forgotten because the drapes had hidden it for years. Butt ugly doesn’t begin to describe the flimsy Masonite cover and dark steel frame.

My nephew, a carpenter, tore out the eyesore and patched the hole. He and I installed the new blinds, a two-person job.

That wasn’t the end of it, though.

The creamy walls looked dirty, and they clashed with the blinds. So off to buy the palest gray and stark white paints available. Fortunately, I like painting, because I would spend the next two weeks painting the walls and refreshing the cabinet paint.

Years ago, I’d changed the cabinet bases from dark wood to white and in a misguided fit of home improvement, painted the doors and drawer fronts spring-green.

They really didn’t work with the new color scheme. Off came the doors (all 22 of them) and seven drawer fronts. The original brass hardware, discolored and dirty, would have been an insult to a second-hand store.

My neighbor Bob set up makeshift tables in his workshop, which is nearly as big as my house and outfitted with every tool imaginable. Two weeks spent stripping green paint, sanding surfaces, and priming doors in batches crawled past.

The doors came home to my studio to be given three coats of pure white paint. Replacement hinges and knobs fit the clean lines I envisioned. Mounting the lower doors was easy. The high ones, not so much. Again, Bob arrived and had the tall upper doors in place (with me holding

24 | HOME & GARDEN | JULY 2020 |

BEFORE

The author’s 40-year-old kitchen, before and after her $2,500 renovation. She was able to save money on refinishing her countertops with Miracle Method, which completed the look without breaking the bank.

AFTER

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The room looked great except for the 1980 wood-grained Formica countertop with loose edge strips that caught on anyone passing.

Replacing the counter would mean big bucks. There had to be a less expensive way.

tioned me, “You can put things, including the appliances, back in 24 hours, but not heavy things like the microwave because it will mar the surface. Give it 48 hours.” The plastic came down, she cleaned up, and was gone.

THE MIRACLE METHOD

M-F 9-5, Sat by appointment ONLY When the stove and fridge were www.budgetblinds.com/montrose-telluride 1414 Hawk Pkwy, Unit G, Montrose back in place and my usual countertop clutter restored, my heart Window Treatments • Custom Drapes•Bedding & Pillows•Rugs felt as if it would burst. Friends and strangers alike had created a modern space decades away from Budget Blinds Teal Blue the 40-year-old kitchen I’d worked in for 18 years.

As I worked, my vision of what I wanted changed, getting better with each step. Because I invested a lot of sweat and looked for bargains instead of buying new cabinets and countertop, I spent less than $2,500.

The best part of the refurbishing cost nothing. Relining the cabinets and drawers made me revisit my stuff. Did I actually need 23 coffee cups? How about the garlic press that left most of the garlic in the basket? Or three partial jars of thyme? And really, how many cutting boards does one woman need?

I had gotten into the habit of leaving dirty dishes in the sink and boxes of cereal and other clutter on the counter. Now I’m eager to keep my kitchen clean and neat. I sit in the morning sun, serene and joyful, write in my journal, and smile as I look at my brand-new kitchen. ■

On Saturday I invited friends over for drinks. After they’d oohed and aahed about the “new” kitchen, I said to them, “There’s a company in town that refinishes counters for a lot less than replacing them. Next time I see their ad, I’ll write down their number.”

Sunday morning I went out to get the paper and lo and behold!

There was a $70 off coupon for Miracle Method.

Monday, I went to the showroom to find out when I could get an estimate. The young lady left, returned, and said, “How about today?” I barely beat Robert, the Miracle Method boss, home!

On Thursday, the fridge took up residence on one side of the dining table and the stove on the other.

Plastic sheets draped cabinets, sink and floor. The installer had filled all the dings and cracks. By 5 p.m., the Formica had been transformed into what looked like a granite slab.

Even though I’d been warned not to touch, I couldn’t help gently tapping the “stone” with an inquisitive finger. I was in love.

On Friday, the installer sprayed her little heart out, then cau-

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25

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Sunscreen 101:

Get the most out of your sun protection products Courtesy of the Skin Cancer Foundation

las. Many sunscreens combine both types of active ingredients.

Sunscreens also come in lotion, powder, spray and stick form.

HOW MUCH, HOW OFTEN?

S

ummer is heating up, and many areas have already rolled back stay-at-home orders that were implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19. As we’re all tempted to spend more time outdoors, don’t forget to use sunscreen safely and effectively as part of a complete sun protection strategy.

Though no single sun protection method is foolproof, research has shown that sunscreen not only reduces skin cancer risk but also helps prevent premature skin aging caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun.

DECODING THE LABEL Sunscreen options may seem endless, with many different brands, formulas and ingredients to sift through. However, that means everyone can find a sunscreen that works for their skin, budget and lifestyle. Deciphering a sunscreen’s label is the first step to finding your perfect match.

The first thing to consider is SPF (sun protection factor). The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s UVB radiation would take to redden your skin when using the product as directed versus the amount of time without any sunscreen. Ideally, if you apply an SPF 15 sunscreen

it would take your skin 15 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen.

A sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 is fine for days when you’re mostly indoors. For days spent outside, choose a water-resistant formula with an SPF of at least 30.

For people who have a history or high risk of skin cancer, genetic diseases such as albinism or xeroderma pigmentosum or certain immune disorders, an even higher SPF may be appropriate.

The second thing to check for on a label is the term “broad spectrum,” which means the product protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. Both types of UV

rays penetrate the skin and cause skin damage that can lead to skin cancer.

Once you’ve decided on your SPF and checked that a product is labeled broad-spectrum, you can decide on other qualities based on personal preference and lifestyle.

For example, look for a mineral-based product containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide if you have sensitive skin—they’re less likely to cause skin reactions than some other active ingredients.

However, some people prefer the so-called chemical sunscreens which utilize ingredients like avobenzone and octisalate and can be easier to apply than mineral formu-

Sunscreen won’t protect your skin if you don’t use it properly, so understanding application is vital.

Use one ounce of sunscreen, which is about the amount that would fit into a shot glass, to cover the entire body. For the face, a nickel-sized dollop works.

Slathering on sunscreen in the morning isn’t enough to protect you all day. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside, then reapplying every two hours and immediately after swimming or sweating. No sunscreen is waterproof, only water-resistant, so be aware of how long the product claims to protect against moisture.

Studies that examine the effect of sunscreen use on skin cancer risk have consistently delivered encouraging results. One example is a rigorous study spanning the course of a decade that showed daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent. However, no single method of sun protection can protect you completely.

It’s recommended to also seek shade and cover up with clothing, wide-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses in addition to daily sunscreen use. ■

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We won’t leave you in the dark

We won’t leave you in the dark

Even in times of uncertainty, the BEACON will be there to light the way!

Even though it’s uncertain what tomorrow will bring, the BEACON is here to light the way.

In the event of a stay-at-home order and without an effective way to get a printed copy of the BEACON to you, we will be publishing the May and June issues solely online.

Here’s how we can stay connected.

Read the BEACON ➊ online

Get the BEACON delivered straight to your email

us on ➋ Follow Facebook

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Uplifting stories, local heroes, We’ll share stories, local health Get the BEACON Follow us on Facebook Read the BEACON online and side-splitting jokes—all at updates and TONS of jokes! (and Receive notifications when the your fingertips! some pretty cool photos to boot) straight new issuedelivered is out, along with We share stories, Did you know that in addition to our exclusive and interactive content. your email local health updates printed edition, publish theissues, BEACON Sign up to for our newsletter Readwe our May and June well as previous at theat www.BeaconSeniorNews.com digitally everyasmonth?

Whileissues, it isn’t orReceive email us at notifications when the www.BeaconSeniorNews.com same as holding it in your hand, you’ll Beacon@PendantPublishing.com Let’swith be social. Follow us at new issue is out, along www.Facebook.com/Beacon find the same uplifting stories and We will never sendexclusive content. you unwanted emails or pass SeniorNews your information along to a third party. Users can unsubscribe at any time. side-splitting jokes right here Sign up for our e-newsletter here, every month. or email us at Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

and TONS of jokes!

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You can unsubscribe at any time.

While the hours we spend in the office are fewer, our phones are open.

Shoot us an email, follow us on Facebook, or give us a call.

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BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Hungry Hearts Program feeds more than the body

By Jan Weeks

I

solation, anxiety, stress. In the time of COVID-19, thousands of people here on the Western Slope exhibit all of those. For seniors, these emotions can be especially debilitating. Sometimes all it takes is a prepared meal to lift spirits and reinforce the idea that someone cares. To that purpose, the Hungry Hearts program was born, facilitated through SummitWest Care.

FEEDING HEARTS According to Charleen Raaum— CEO of SummitWest Care, the largest home care company in the Valley—when the pandemic shut everything down, the care team met to brainstorm ways to show their clients and others that they’re not alone.

“We’re all about serving our community and providing a better quality of life. In team meetings

we are always asking what can we do and thinking outside the box,” Raaum said.

Since the virus left a lot of people wondering where their next meal would come from, employees saw an opportunity to do something, and that something was food.

Together with Andrea Smith, who is in charge of business development at SummitWest Care, the two worked to write grants to fund a program that would enlist local restaurants to prepare meals.

They received funding from the #GJStrongFund, Caring for our Community Fund through Western Colorado Community Foundation and a donation from Western HealthCare Alliance. Though the current grant money has run out, the women have applied for more grants to keep the program going.

Employees volunteered to pick

700 SummitWest Care employees volunteered to deliver meals to 1,663 individuals as part of its Hungry Hearts program. up meals from restaurants and deliver them. Smith kept track of the statistics.

“Seven hundred employees volunteered to deliver meals to 470 households and 1,663 individuals,”

COVID-19: How to stay healthy Life in Mesa County is starting to look a little bit more like it did before COVID-19. But for older adults and people with underlying chronic health conditions, careful precautions are still necessary to avoid becoming ill with COVID-19.

To maximize your chances of staying healthy during the ongoing pandemic, follow these guidelines: Only visit public places when necessary and take advantage of special shopping hours designed to limit crowds Maintain a distance of 6 feet from people who do not live with you Wash your hands often Wear a non-medical face covering over your nose and mouth when in public Stay home when sick Get tested if symptoms appear Common COVID-19 symptoms include fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, loss of taste, and loss of smell.

SUPPORT SANDIO'S FOOD DRIVE

However, symptoms in older adults can sometimes look different. Even if your symptoms aren’t typical for COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider if you’ve been feeling “off.” More information about COVID-19 can be found by visiting www.health.mesacounty.us.

28 | JULY 2020 |

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Smith reported.

Both women agreed that volunteering gave the employees much in return, including the pleasure of giving while receiving appreciation from those they fed.

BEACON SENIOR NEWS The Hungry Hearts program is not limited to seniors and is free for recipients. In addition to easing food concerns, SummitWest Care reached out to the Department of Human Services, HopeWest, Strive and other agencies to serve those who might need some food and kindness in a time of uncertainty.

SOMEONE CARES Katherine Hambek, 62, cares for husband Dave, 67, who suffers from heart failure and permanent nerve damage to his lower extremities, making him prone to falls.

She thought she was doing a good job until SummitWest Care staff showed her ways to maximize care and save time by organizing chores, such as giving Dave medications on schedule, taking his vitals and helping him shower and get dressed.

“I’m a clean person,” Hambek said, “and I learned even more about how important cleanliness is.

I even learned how to clean away spider mites that might spread disease.”

The couple are pretty much homebound. One day, Hambeck was feeling overwhelmed when a Hungry Hearts volunteer called to inform her that she’d be receiving a prepared meal. The small gesture made a huge difference.

“It made us feel like we matter, and someone cares enough to help,” Hambek said. She added that the chicken fettuccine and salad were delicious!

David White, 70, is responsible for his wife, Barbara, who’s been

hospitalized five times in four years for complications from rheumatoid arthritis and dementia. After her last hospitalization, long-term care wasn’t an option due to the virus.

“I had to step up and roll with the deteriorating situation. SummitWest Care trained me on how to best take care of her at home,” White said.

Raaum delivered a meal that fed the couple for three days, giving White a much-appreciated break.

“It was nice to be recognized for the work I do with Barbara. Hungry Hearts made my life easier for Medicaid/Medicare Certified | Local Not-For-Profit Since 2002 a weekend, and it was most welNursing and Therapy Services come,” he said.

Personal Care, Homemaking, IHSS White added that if further Personal Safety Devices funding allowed the Hungry Hearts Serving program to continue, he would ing Mesa, view any more meals as a treat,Garfield, esSae,rvGarfield, M Pitkin, Eagle and Eagle Pitkin, rather than a necessity. nnison Gunnison and Gu es “I wouldn’t want to subscribe or Counti Counties receive meals all the time, but an www.summitwestcare.com occasional meal would be wonder970-263-0202 Grand Junction ful,” he said.

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YOU MATTER SummitWest Care operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, offering both skilled nursing care and unskilled help such as running errands and housekeeping. Its mission states, “You matter, we care.”

“We really want to ensure that.

Kindness is needed in this crazy time,” Raaum said.

To that end, the organization offers in-home newborn and pediatric care, adult and senior care, and physical and speech therapy.

Medicaid sponsors in-home support services (IHSS) that provide care, training and resources to assist family members and friends in caring for the elderly and disabled, or children with disabilities. Private insurances and private pay are also accepted.

If you’re in need of support or know someone who needs more help, contact SummitWest Care in Grand Junction at 263-0202, Glenwood Springs at 945-6455 or visit www.summitwestcare.com. ■

Formerly known as Home Care of the Grand Valley

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29

TRAVEL

The land of freedom

and forts

10 significant fortifications of early American history

By Sandra Scott

E

very July Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America’s first step toward becoming an independent nation. In the Revolutionary War that followed, forts played an integral role in America’s subsequent victory, and have been featured in many historic battles. Today, most of them serve as popular tourist attractions.

1. Old Fort Niagara: The fort, located on the Niagara River in Youngstown, New York, has been controlled by the French, British, and Americans over its 294-year long history. Now, visitors can explore the grounds through a variety of demonstrations and tours, including reenactments.

2. Fort Ticonderoga: Because of its important location at the southern end of Lake Champlain, control of the fort switched between the French and the British several times. It’s most famous for the early morning raid on May 10, 1775, led by American Revolutionary Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys. The Americans caught the soldiers sleeping, resulting in the fort’s commander surrendering—in his nightshirt—without a single shot being fired.

3. Fort McHenry: During the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 when American troops stopped a British invasion, Francis Scott Key penned the famous words to “The Star-Spangled Banner.” During the Civil War, the Maryland fort also served as a military prison.

30 | TRAVEL | JULY 2020 |

Fort Sutter was built by Swiss immigrant John Sutter in 1839 to protect his flourishing agricultural empire.

Above: Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key penned the famous words to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Right: Fort Ticonderoga, located at the southern end of Lake Champlain.

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STAYING STRONG TOGETHER!

TRAVEL

Kingdom of New Helvetia. He had a 4. Fort Sumter: It was here in land grant at the confluence of the South Carolina that the problems American and Sacramento Rivers between the North and South from the Mexican government. All erupted into what became the Civil was going well for him until gold War. The Confederates were sucwas discovered, leading to the colcessful in taking the fort on April lapse of his empire.

12, 1862, but eventually the Union forces took it back four years later.

8. Alcatraz: Alcatraz is best known July 26-31, 2020 Mt , Custer Park,However, Theater the The people of Charleston reportfor its use as aState prison. edly watched theproductions 34-hour battle of South of Music & My Fair Lady. fort was originally built by the U.S. from their rooftops.

Army in 1859 because they feared 5. The Alamo: “Remember the Alamo” is one of the most historic battle cries of all time. In 1835, groups of Texan volunteers—including Davy Crockett—occupied the Alamo, a former mission. It took 13 days for Santa Anna’s Mexican army, which numbered in the thousands, to take the Alamo from its 200 defenders. The battle became a symbol of the struggle for Texas’ independence from Mexico.

6. Fort Robinson: Located in western Nebraska, Fort Robinson played a notable role during much of its American history. It was here that Crazy Horse was imprisoned and killed. During World War II, war dogs for the K-9 Corps were trained and German POWs were housed there. Today, it serves as a state park, offering everything from accommodations to Broadway shows.

7. Fort Sutter: This California fort was built by Swiss immigrant John Sutter in 1839 to protect his flourishing agricultural empire, The

the gold rush and California’s new statehood made the San Francisco Bay vulnerable to enemy attack. It was the largest American fort west of the Mississippi during the American Civil War. 9. Presidio, San Francisco: This fort is where the “City by the Bay” started. The site was first fortified in 1776 by New Spain, then passed to the United States in 1848. Today, the 1,500-acre park serves as an outdoor recreation area featuring a museum, archeology digs, bike tours and even musical presentations.

10. Fort Vancouver: This Washington state fort, unlike most forts, was established with trade in mind, not defense. It was built in 1824 by the Hudson’s Bay Company, but proved to be unprofitable. In 1846, the U.S. established an army barracks there that remained active until 2011. Visitors can now visit the fort, its restored buildings and watch reenactments. ■

Old Fort Niagara has been controlled by the French, British, and Americans over its 294-year long history.

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Has God called you to be a pioneer?

By Vic Stinemetze

G

rowing up in the ’50s and early ’60s, I had the opportunity to experience the beginning of televiCOME CROW WITH US IN CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP! COME CROW CROWWITH WITHUS USININCHRISTIAN CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP! sion. In fact, my dad brought home COME DISCIPLESHIP! our first black and white TV when I COME CROW WITH US IN CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP! Weare... was about 6.

Weare......

Weare Western shows like “Gunsmoke,” WeareFamily-oriented ...Family-oriented Family-oriented “The Big Valley,” “Wyatt Earp” and Inspirational Family-oriented Inspirational Inspirational “Rawhide” dominated the early Relational Inspirational Relational Relational years of television. My favorite was Sacred space Relational Sacred Sacredspace space a show called “Cheyenne.” Inspired, The place for you 9:00 am contemporary Praise service Sacred space The for Theplace place foryou you 9:009:00 am PraisePraise service my brother and I played cowboys am contemporary service 10:00 amcontemporary Christian Education (all ages) United Methodist Church 10:00 am Christian Education (allservice ages) The place for you 10:00 am Christian Education (all ages) 11:00 am service with Choir 9:00 amTraditional contemporary Praise United Church and Indians in the grove of trees United Methodist Methodist Church 11:00 am service with Choir 11:00 am Traditional service 10:00 amTraditional Christian Education (allwith ages)Choir United Church First UnitedMethodist Methodist Church, 5thth St. & White Ave.11:00 (downtown) 242-4850 www.fumcgj.org behind our house. We made guns am Traditional service with Choir th & White Ave. (downtown) First 242-4850 www.fumcgj.org First United United Methodist MethodistChurch, Church,5 5St. St. & White Ave. (downtown) 242-4850 www.fumcgj.org th and bows and arrows out of sticks, First United Methodist Church, 5 St. & White Ave. (downtown) 242-4850 www.fumcgj.org and we used burlap bags to make teepees and hideouts. We meticulously cut down poles from locust trees to form the framework and then used the gunny sacks to cover them.

I realize now that I have always been a pioneer. Pioneers receive the dream, and something in them compels them to go forward and Here to support act on it. Pioneers are visionaries. you through life’s They are courageous. They are most difficult aware of the risks, but they go anyway. They scout out the land, blaze times so you can the trails and build maps for others focus on what’s to follow. They are the Lewis and Clarks of the world. most important – In Numbers 13:1-33, the Israeleach other. ite people were camped along the bank of the Jordan River poised to go into the land that God had promised to give them. Moses sent 12 spies into the land to scout it out. They were tasked to see if the HOSPICE | PALLIATIVE CARE | GRIEF SUPPORT cities were fortified, if the land was As a nonprofit, HopeWest has been serving our communities for 27 years. fertile and to bring back samples of Through creativity, volunteerism, and philanthropy, we profoundly the fruit. change the experiences of aging, illness, and grief – one family at a time.

After 40 days, the 12 spies returned.

Two were positive. “We can (970) 241-2212 • HopeWestCO.org certainly conquer it,” they said.

32 | FAITH | JULY 2020 |

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But the other 10 spies gave a very different report. “There are giants in the land. Next to them, we felt like grasshoppers!”

Ten people said no to God’s call on their lives. Some weren’t positioned in a place to see the vision.

Some ignored the call. Some were afraid to accept God’s call. Still others rejected His call because it would be hard and they didn’t want to leave their comfort zones.

Ten heard the call but didn’t accept it. As a result, those 10—and that generation of Israelites—would wander in the desert for the next 40 years and never be allowed to enter the Promised Land.

But two said, “Yes!” They not only heard, but accepted the call.

Consequently, they were the only two allowed to enter the Promised Land many years later.

Some of us are called to be pioneers. Some are called to be settlers. Some end up as both.

During the first half of his life, my father-in-law was a pioneer, planting churches in Alamosa, Durango, Fruita and northern New Mexico. Each of his 11 children were born in different places.

The second half of his life, he was a settler. He moved to Grand Junction and took over a small church someone else had built, and pastored it for 40 years. He was settling on a ministry that someone else had pioneered. He saw their dream and he made it his own.

Has God called you to be a pioneer? A settler?

God has a call for each of us.

Learn more about what it is to be a settler in God’s army in next month’s column. ■

TALKING DIGITAL

Do it yourself, with the help of the Internet M

y mom and dad raised me to be a habitual researcher.

Dad is an encyclopedia of knowledge, about World War II aviation specifically. Mom raised me to be a Jack of all trades and a connoisseur of the obscure. Both parents taught me not to purchase anything without doing my research. They taught me that being able to find the answers is more important than knowing the answers.

Now, they use “the information superhighway” for their research, aka the Internet. Each of my parents has a smartphone and a laptop. But over the past few months, my mom’s computer has begun to show signs of wear and tear. The letters are missing from the keys and it occasionally refuses to type some letters.

Then, theJames laptop had nd out how Raymond can a near-fatal illness a few weeks ago • Retirement Planning when the fan died.

• Investment Strategies Fans are cheap, usually around $20, but putting in a computer • Estate Planning fan can be a little complicated. I ordered a fan for her and had every intention of installing it, but got busy and forgot. She called me one day and told me that she looked up how to replace the fan on YouTube and asked if I thought she and my dad could do the repair themselves.

There are two ways to respond to a question like this: Option 1: “No! Don’t touch it.

You might break it.”

Option 2: “Of course you can do the repair yourself! You’ve changed the brakes in the car, remodeled three-fifths of the house, adopted four kids with nearly no assistance from an attorney, and helped a

enhancing the lives of those we serve

class clown who despised homework learn the research skills necessary to eventually earn a master’s in Journalism. I’m positive that you can change the fan on the laptop.”

I chose Option 2 because Option 1 is never the right answer.

• 24 hour nursing care • Life enrichment programs seven days a week • Post physical, occupational and speech therapies

GOOGLE IT A few years ago, I bought a lot of stickers that say LMGTFY (Let Me Google That For You). Although the phrase is admittedly snarky and passive-aggressive, it’s a valid answer to most questions. Most of us possess a device—a computer or smartphone—that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man…and sometimes we use it to look at cat videos.

However, when something breaks, the Internet be afinancial real lifesaver. help with can your plan.

YouTube offers video tutorials on how to fix almost any model of everything. Wikipedia is the ultimate peer-reviewed source of information, and it never gets outdated. IMDB.com can settle any marital spat about “What else was that actor in?” Shazam tells you what song is playing on the radio.

WolframAlpha solves almost any complex equation, and it’ll show you the work. Lifehacker, Wikihow, iFixit, Lynda.com and countless other sites will teach you how to fix, repair, build or otherwise enhance your personal environment.

The one thing the Internet can’t do is give you the courage to use the tools to dismantle and reassemble. But that’s the fun part. ■

Meet Kent Shettler. He’s here to help you reach your financial ndependence andDIGITAL will be happy to speak with you in person.

TALKING

BY ADAM COCHRAN Send your technology questions to Adam in care of the BEACON, or email him directly at adamc@talkingdigital.org

• Short and long term care • Respite care • Hospice care 2425 Teller Ave Grand Junction

to Call today n e ca see how w ! serve you

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WORKING HARD TO HELP YOUR MONEY GO FARTHER Find out how Bank of Colorado Investment Services can help with your financial plan.

• Retirement Planning • Investment Strategies • Estate Planning Meet Kent Shettler. He’s here to help you reach your financial independence and will be happy to speak with you in person.

KENT SHETTLER Financial Advisor

GRAND JUNCTION 200 Grand Ave. • 2903 Patterson Rd. 970.245.1600 • bankofcolorado.com

Investment Services Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/ dealer, and are: NOT Deposits. NOT Insured by FDIC or any other government agency. NOT GUARANTEED by the bank Subject to risk and may lose value. Raymond James is not affiliated with the financial institution or the investment center. Bank of Colorado and Bank of Colorado Investment Services are not registered broker/ dealers and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Investment Advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.

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artin more for inform ation

By Karen Telleen-Lawton

Y

ou’ve planted a victory garden, cleaned the garage and caught up with old (and even older) friends. If you’re lucky, you’ve stayed healthy and are still employed (or retired). COVID-19 has affected each of us differently, but there’s no doubt it’s been a game changer for those of us at or near retirement.

You know how it’s impacted your social life; but what about your financial life?

I like to believe every problem comes packaged with its own solutions. Maybe it’s not a welcome solution, and maybe it doesn’t present itself as quickly as we’d like, but patience and precaution will pay dividends. By examining where we are and planning new steps to our goals, we can improve our chances of achieving the retirement we dreamed of so recently.

ASK FOR ADVICE

Martin Crowe

970-260-8285

2755 North Ave Suite 105., Grand Junction 34 | FINANCE | JULY 2020 |

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If you have a financial planner, schedule a meeting in person or by video conference. If you’re on your own, it’s even more imperative to comb through your budget and long-term plan. Discuss these and any potential long-lasting changes with your partner. If you’re single, share your thoughts with a friend who can give you honest feedback.

This pandemic could affect your priorities and monthly expenses for

years to come. The goal is resiliency. As the Stanford Center on Longevity warns, “No one promised it would be easy to live 20-30 years in retirement. No one suggested you should just wing it.”

Depending on the shape of your long-term plan, you may need to increase cash reserves or cut spending. You may want to stretch out your working years if possible or delay collecting Social Security benefits for the 8 percent annual bonus. If you need to bridge the period between retiring and collecting benefits, consider “gap” measures such as a HELOC, liquidated life insurance or reverse mortgage. These are major decisions which are best reviewed with a financial advisor.

One silver lining of quarantine times is potentially lower costs for the short term. Many automobile insurance companies are rebating part of the premium since less driving has led to fewer accidents.

Check with your insurer and ask for a refund if one is not offered.

Most of us refrained from dining out during spring and summer. The year’s travel plans moved to the back burner. Some of us forfeited travel purchases for which we’d already paid, but other costs were saved.

If you’ve been paying an annual travel insurance policy and now don’t have upcoming plans, read your policy. You may be able

FINANCE

MANY AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE REBATING PART OF THE PREMIUM SINCE LESS DRIVING HAS LED TO FEWER ACCIDENTS. to obtain a refund by canceling.

Then, the next time you purchase travel insurance, check the policy for coverage in a pandemic! This coverage likely will only be possible with a “cancel for any reason” policy versus a “named peril” one.

The pandemic is causing insurers to rewrite these types of policies to avoid liability, so ask questions and read the fine print.

This is my first pandemic, but I find myself reacting as I usually do in hard times: circle the wagons and hunker down. I look for ways to reduce expenses. I acknowledge my tendency over time to morph my “wants” into “needs.” Given that, I try to recognize that even as my aging results in more desire for creature comforts, my actual needs are relatively small.

Nevertheless, some expenses may have increased. Overhauling our emergency kits for our home and cars has been a worthwhile project and expense for us. Health costs may increase. We have avoided coronavirus thus far, but as holders of a high-deductible policy, we recognize that we may have higher future costs if we contract COVID-19.

When we switch to Medicare, we will choose the best Medicare supplement available in our area.

PANDEMIC AND INVESTMENTS On the investment side, do your best to stick with your long-term plan. Likely your plan does not call for selling low (whose corollary is buying high). If you are earning an income and still adding to your investments, use new funds to re-

balance rather than selling existing funds for this purpose.

Investing is risky, whether you are currently staged in blue chips, spread out in mutual funds and ETFs, hunkered down in bonds and CDs or banking on real estate or some other fixed assets. The five years before and five years following retirement are the riskiest in your financial life. They are the apex of investment risks: market, sequence, interest rate, longevity, inflation and health.

• Market risk is the risk that your investments go down in value.

Beyond stocks, the housing market may be down just as you were planning to sell the family home to fund your retirement.

• Sequence risk is the risk you have to sell some assets in a down market, leaving you with a smaller base when the recovery comes.

You may never catch back up.

• Interest rate risk means that when your CDs or bonds mature, you can only replace them with new ones paying considerably less interest.

• COVID adds to our ever-increasing health risk as we age.

• Perhaps the only risk that is lower is the risk of inflation. Your dollar buys about the same basket of goods now as it did a year ago, and may buy the same basket in a year.

It is not a happy time to be an investor, for sure. Nevertheless, it is the perfect time to be grateful for life, family, and friends. Together, we will declare victory over COVID-19. ■

THE FIVE YEARS BEFORE AND FIVE YEARS FOLLOWING RETIREMENT ARE THE RISKIEST IN YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE. WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | FINANCE |

35

BUSINESS PROFILE

Please fence me in

England Fence keeps livestock in, unwanted visitors out

By Jan Weeks

“G

ood fences make good neighbors,” observed Robert Frost in one of his poems.

Fortunately for Montrose’s neighbors, LaVeta England knows all about fences and their uses here in the west.

LaVeta’s husband, Steven, had done fencing all his life. They initially lived in Phoenix, where Stephen honed his skills and learned a lot working for a fencing company there.

When the Englands moved to Montrose in 1995, there were two established fence companies, but they weren’t hiring. Steven put an ad in the paper and worked solo, while LaVeta worked for Montrose County Human Services. Eventually,

the couple took a leap of faith and started England Fence Company in 2001. Nearly 20 years later, the business is going strong.

FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS LaVeta runs the office. She assumed the role of a salesperson when the business started, but now she hires salespeople.

Over the years, the business has truly remained a family business.

Daughter Maegan kept track of payroll until recently, and son Jake heads the electric gate installation crew. When Steven retired several years ago due to health issues, Jake stepped in to help. Steven passed away in March 2020.

Starting and running a business wasn’t always easy. Keeping track

OUR GATES ARE OPEN!

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England FEncE company 1568 N Townsend Ave, Montrose englandfence.com

36 | BUSINESS PROFILE | JULY 2020 |

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Right: LaVeta England with her son, Jake, operate England Fence, the family owned fencing business in Montrose. of the shop crew, three installation crews and a gate opener crew takes time and effort. When the economy tanked in 2008, LaVeta was forced to lay people off, although the company has since grown to employ 21 people. But there are advantages to being the boss.

“Though it’s been a struggle, I got to work with my family, and it’s going to continue as a family business,” LaVeta said. “And, I’ve gotten to be with loved ones when they needed me, which I couldn’t have done if I was working for someone else.”

LaVeta’s mom and dad were both born and raised in Montrose, so she’s always known the area and is accepted as a local. That helped when the Englands started their company.

“We’ve achieved a certain status here. People love us,” LaVeta said.

That’s because in all areas of the

company, customers come first.

England Fence offers a two-year warranty on workmanship, and if materials fail for any reason, customers receive help in contacting the manufacturers regarding their warranties. LaVeta remembered one instance when vinyl fencing from one manufacturer failed epically, resulting in all the fences having to be reinstalled. England Fence was there to help.

The company’s primary business now is building and installing iron gates—some quite decorative—for

BUSINESS PROFILE

. . . e h t o t e b i r Subsc

England Fence installs split rail, lodgepole rail, cedar, vinyl and chain, as well as gate openers, and offers a two-year warranty on workmanship. both gated communities and individuals who want to keep intruders out and livestock in. They install split rail, lodgepole rail, cedar, vinyl and chain, as well as gate openers operated either by electricity or solar panels.

“We’re working on one for Oprah Winfrey’s Telluride home right now,” LaVeta noted.

GIVING BACK

England Fence has been a generous contributor to the community, though it’s not something LaVeta brags about. The company donated the labor to fence the high school girls’ softball field, and fenced a

church playground at no charge.

It donates time to the city when and where it’s needed. As LaVeta explained, “We wouldn’t be here without them.”

At England Fence, they know the value of integrity and service.

“We look forward to serving our customers. If you treat people right, it will come back to you tenfold,” LaVeta said.

Seniors, vets and first responders receive a 10 percent discount.

England Fence is located at 1568 N. Townsend Ave., Montrose. For a free estimate, call 249-4430 or visit www.englandfence.com. ■

YES! I want to subscribe. name address city

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Decorative fences keep intruders out and livestock in.

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37

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

Navigating transitions:

Better living independently Story and photos by Diana Barnett

F Retirement living with the emphasis on living

The carefree lifestyle you want in a tranquil neighborhood all your own.

The Cottages let you live independently while giving you the freedom to make the most of your retirement. Our single-level patio homes offer privacy and luxury with open living plans, two bedrooms, two baths, vaulted ceilings, contemporary kitchens, gas fireplace, covered patio, and a one-car garage.

Enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle with paid utilities, weekly housekeeping, snow removal, lawn maintenance, and flexible meal options at our Commons or Fountains dining rooms. Plus you and your loved ones get peace of mind with a 24-hour emergency response system.

(970) 434-2111 • TheCottagesGJ.org

When you choose Hilltop Senior Living Communities, your money stays right here in our community, supporting a nonprofit that has provided Western Colorado with compassionate and comprehensive human services for over 65 years.

38 | JULY 2020 |

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or years, Jody Nestler lived in a condo she loved surrounded by trees and good neighbors. It was the perfect place except for one thing: It was an upstairs unit.

Since there was no elevator, she had to carry groceries up the stairs.

Cleaning and upkeep were becoming more difficult, and Nestler knew she would eventually have to pay someone to do such things for her.

She found a ground-level duplex in another part of town, but she never grew to love it or the location. When the owners announced a rent increase, she explored other options.

LIVING INDEPENDENTLY Like Nestler, now 88, many seniors eventually reach a point where they realize they can no longer remain in the homes. Health issues, loss of a partner and regular maintenance may make living alone difficult. Or, they may simply tire of the upkeep.

Independent living is best for people who want conveniences such as meal preparation, housekeeping or security, but don’t require any specific medical care. On the Western Slope, options abound for seniors capable of living on their own.

• Senior apartment communities consist of self-contained rooms, apartments and cottages in single or multiple buildings. What sets them apart is that many units are fully accessible, well lit and conveniently located to grocery stores, churches, hospitals, parks and medical offices. Some also have common spaces and clubhouses where neighbors can gather for potlucks and other activities.

• Continuing care retirement communities offer different lev-

Jody Nestler in her new home at Solstice Mesa View in Grand Junction.

“AN INDEPENDENT LIVING FACILITY IS JUST THAT—YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.” els of care so residents can age in place without moving facilities.

• Age-restricted communities offer homes for purchase or rent, and often include group amenities such as a golf course, pool or clubhouse.

• Senior cohousing, a newer option, consists of smaller private homes within a community planned especially for seniors.

Residents manage property and community resources jointly.

Nestler visited several local facilities before choosing Grand Junction’s Solstice Mesa View as her next home.

“I have a good friend who lives [here],” she said. “It just seemed very homey and comfortable.

BEACON SENIOR NEWS

10 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MOVING IN 1. What kinds of dwellings are available: rooms, apartments, cottages?

2. How much will it cost? What’s included? What additional charges apply?

3. How old are the residents?

4. Are pets allowed?

5. What about meals? Are they provided? Is there a kitchen where residents can cook their own?

When I came to look at a large studio that became available, I could see myself living here. I signed the papers that day.”

Choosing the best independent living residence depends on your interests and preferences.

While Nestler misses having coffee and reading the newspaper in her pajamas, her new home takes care of the cooking and serves

6. What transportation is available?

7. To what extent do residents engage with one another, as well as the wider community?

8. What is the access to medical assistance if needed?

9. What security and emergency measures are in place?

10. Does the facility offer services/ care options so residents can age in place? meals in the dining room. Now she just has to get dressed and be there on time.

“An independent living facility is just that—you’re supposed to be able to take care of yourself. You have to get yourself to meals and activities, and do your laundry,” Nestler added. “Many of us still drive.”

When Suzanne and Jim Batten relocated to Grand Junction from

Philadelphia nine years ago, they moved into The Cottages at Hilltop so they could be closer to their son and his family in Telluride.

“We knew we couldn’t just keep flying out here all the time, and our grandson needed his grandparents,” said Suzanne, 75.

Spacious rooms, a full kitchen, covered patio and a garage made The Cottages the perfect option for them, in addition to maintenance-free living with paid utilities, weekly housekeeping, a flexible meal plan and a 24-hour emergency response system. A former piano teacher, Jim, 77, had plenty of space to bring his baby grand with him to Colorado.

“Many who live here are from other parts of the country, so we feel very comfortable,” he said.

“You have your own community right here.”

Beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces and walking trails encourage neighbors to get to know one another, which the Battens wasted no time doing.

A former event planner in Philadelphia, Suzanne started knocking on everyone’s door, setting up lunch gatherings and planning transportation.

She did such a great job at bringing the communities together that The Cottages’ sales director, Raquel Gustafson, hired her for a part-time position.

house and many of their belongings before moving.

Don’t rush to a decision. Think long and hard before choosing a new residence. At some facilities, you can rent an apartment for a few days or a month or two to determine whether it’s a good fit.

While you’re there, observe the facilities’ cleanliness and the hygiene of the other residents.

Taste the food at different meal times. Visit with residents, and join in activities.

“These are all things you can’t really get from a brief tour,” Nestler said. “It’s important to take your time and make the right decision for you.” ■

READY TO MAKE THE MOVE?

Suzanne and Jim Batten relocated to The Cottages at Hilltop to be closer to their son and his family.

Start by downsizing. Even if you’re not ready to make the move yet, it’s never too early to start getting rid of things you don’t plan on bringing with you. Downsizing can take time.

“This is one of the most difficult things about moving to a smaller place,” said Gustafson. “Research organizations in your area that can help with this.”

Nestler found a local company whose staff walked through her apartment with her, wrapped and boxed everything, moved it to her new apartment and put it away.

The Battens had to sell their big WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 |

39

BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT

Your guide to aging well in Mesa, Montrose & Delta Counties

The

Guide

No fluff! No filler! Just the information you need in easy-to-find categories.

Get your FREE copy!

Call 243-8829

Glade Park Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival Sharing western heritage through poetry and song

By Diana Barnett

L

ooking for a cool evening of entertainment and watching the sun set on Pinyon Mesa, while listening to some of the best western musicians and cowboy poets in the area?

Then you’ll love the ninth annual Glade Park Cowboy Music & Poetry Festival on August 1 at the Glade Park Community Center.

COWBOY ROOTS St. Mary’s Senior Companion Programs is looking for

VOLUNTEERS throughout the Grand Valley!

Whether you’re in Fruita or Palisade, or anywhere in-between — we need YOU! To be a volunteer, it takes...

GENEROSITY a willingness to give your time to others.

U N D E R S TA N D I N G because their lives might be very different from your own.

CO M PA S S I O N

to truly care about making someone else’s life better.

Each year, the festival brings the community back to its roots and celebrates the western heritage and cowboy lifestyle that is the foundation of Western Colorado. It’s the brainchild of Joanie Dahlen— retired nurse and longtime Glade Park resident—who helped it debut in 2011. Held rain or shine, the outdoor festival has been going strong ever since.

Many concerts and large gatherings had to cancel or postpone this summer due to the pandemic.

However, Glade Park’s remote and spread-out location ensured the show could go on while following

safety guidelines from the Mesa County Health Department.

“People are excited to get out and see their neighbors. Our venue offers lots of space for people to be outside, yet use social distancing and space their chairs as they feel comfortable,” shared Dena Bigum, festival organizer and community center board member.

Barbecue is available for purchase starting at 5 p.m. and performances begin at 6 p.m. The festival offers the perfect opportunity for people to get out and enjoy musical entertainment, something that’s been in short supply since COVID-19 restrictions went into effect earlier this year.

“We’re excited about the event, and always try to include entertainers from different areas. We’re looking forward to our friend Terry Nash and his talents, and newcomers Utah-based Many Strings and Company and Jeneve Rose Mitchell from Crawford,” said Bigum.

Because the festival is a casual, outside event, the audience has the opportunity to interact with

PAT I E N C E

because the process doesn’t always go as smoothly as it might.

D E D I C AT I O N

to stick with the project and see it through.

If you’re 55+, and you’re interested in helping homebound seniors run errands and get to appointments, Call the Senior Companion Program Now!*

298-9092

www.WesternSlopeSeniorVolunteers.org *fixed-income volunteers may qualify for a tax-free stipend

40 | BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT | JULY 2020 |

Husband-wife team Tony and Carol Messerly make up Many Strings and Company, a newcomer to this year’s festival.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT CD “A Good Ride” was named Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year. Nash’s classic cowboy poetry is riddled with experiences from growing up on a ranch near Idalia, Colorado, and on his ranch near Loma. Nash has been instrumental in the area’s cowboy poetry revival, and was the inspiration Joanie Dahlen needed to begin the cowboy poetry gathering in Glade Park. ■

GLADE PARK’S REMOTE AND SPREAD-OUT LOCATION ENSURED THAT THE SHOW COULD GO ON.

the performers and purchase their music.

MEET THIS YEAR’S PERFORMERS Husband-wife team Tony and Carol Messerly make up Many Strings and Company. Their time spent in Wyoming and Utah is reflected in their music, which they refer to as western folk. The award-winning couple—Tony for Male Yodeler of the Year in 2013 by the International Western Music Association, and both for Western Duo of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists 2018—enjoys entertaining audiences with their whimsical ballads, cowboy songs and mountain

The most common method your doctor will recommend to treat poet and songwriter, Cowboy your neuropathy is with prescription drugsTerry that may tempoNash.

Crawford resirarily reduce your symptoms.

These drugs have generic names dent Jeneve Rose Mitchell. such as Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, or Lyrica and are primarily antidepressant or anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to feel uncomfortable and as “The Rocky Mouning her. Billed have a variety of harmful side effects.

19, is an tain Hillbilly Girl,” she’s mastered 14

Left:

man originals.

Jeneve Rose Mitchell, up and coming western artist who rose to fame as a finalist during the 2016 season of American Idol.

Performing professionally since age 4, Mitchell lives with her parents on their Crawford ranch, drawing inspiration from her beloved horses and the western beauty surround-

Above:

treatment that isCOWBOY provided at cover varie 9TH The GLADE PARK Compass Medical Center and ca POETRY AND FESTIVALson has four main MUSIC goals: after a deta 1) Increase blood flow 2) Stimulate small fiber nerves Saturday, August 1, 2020 3) Decrease brain-based pain 4) Stabilize the nerve cells

When: 5 p.m. food, 6 p.m.

The treatment to increase blood flow utilizes a specialized lowperformances

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Call our office today to make Call our office today to make an an appointment to determine appointment to determine if your if neuropathy can be can treated: your neuropathy be treated:

SouthRoad Main#17 Street 24781300 Patterson Snowflake, Grand Junction, AZ CO 85937 81505

536-5525 (970)(928) 985-4506

All major health insurances accepted including Medicare.

JULY 2020 | BEACON GUIDE HIGHLIGHT | 41

MeSa County

CALENDAR

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending.

July 3-6

July 4

The Moccasins: a virtual concert

Celebrate Fourth of July with a virtual concert by The Moccasins!

Singer Bryce MacEvoy is a former Rockestra lead singer and Carnival Cruises headliner. Call or order a ticket online to receive an email with a link to the video. www.gjartcenter.org | $10 | 243-7337

July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Fire Pit Fridays

Varaison Vineyards and Winery welcomes the weekend with delicious wood-fired pizzas paired with signature wines and wine cocktails available for purchase in their open-air pavilion and patio.

6-10 p.m. | 405 W. First St., Palisade | 464-4928

Cross Orchards Saturday Market

Wander Cross Orchards’ grounds every Saturday and shop for local produce, artisan vendors and food trucks, or picnic on the lush lawns.

8 a.m. to noon | 3073 F Road, Grand Junction | www. museumofwesternco.com/crossorchards | 434-9814

July 4

Grilling at Bananas

Have a grillin’ good time with the grandkids at Bananas Fun Park.

This Independence Day celebration features specials on attractions, hamburgers, hot dogs and beer.

10 a.m. | 2469 Riverside Pkwy West, Grand Junction | www. bananasfunpark.com | 241-7529

July 4

Band in the Barrel concert series kicks off

Restoration Vineyards kickoffs their Band in the Barrel concert series with a July 4 celebration featuring live music from local bands, with wine and food for purchase.

1-7 p.m. | 3594 E ½ Road, Palisade | Free | 985-0832

July 6

Little League opening games

Monument Little League plays its first games of the 2020 summer/fall

The

Glass Brokerage 970-243-4507 970-243-4507

Nothing goes better with laughter than a nice glass of Mesa Park Vineyards’ Barn Owl or Cab Franc.

Grab your lawn chair for a refreshing evening of laughter courtesy of Herron Entertainment’s comedians.

7-9 p.m. | 3321 C Road, Palisade | $15 | www.mesaparkvineyards.com/ events | 628-9113

Create a clay paint palette

Angelo’s Pottery Studio hosts a Facebook Live session teaching you how to create your own paint palette out of clay. Bring your finished palette back in to use when you paint in our store and receive a discount for a whole year! Kits include enough clay to make one palette, and can be picked up as early as July 1st.

10 a.m. to noon | 2478 Patterson, Grand Junction | $18 | facebook. com/gjangelos | 243-0886

July 12

Virtual adoption event

Roice-Hurst Humane Society hosts a virtual adoption event via Zoom.

Meet your new best friend, and ask questions of fosters and staff. They can even process your adoption virtually!

3-4 p.m. | facebook.com/RoiceHurst | 434-7337

July 8, 15, 22, 29

Reading with Rescues

Join Roice-Hurst Humane Society every Wednesday at 1 p.m. for a Facebook live reading of a children’s animal-themed book with a pet. facebook.com/RoiceHurst | 434-7337

July 14

River Webinar Series

RiversEdge West presents its monthly webinar “Restoration along the Dolores River” with Restoration Coordinator Rica Fulton.

July 9

Market on Main begins

Grand Junction’s downtown Thursday farmers market kicks off the summer season with a showcase of farm products, food and more from Western Slope vendors.

5:30-8:30 p.m. | Two Rivers Convention Center parking lot | Free | www.downtowngj.org/ market-on-main

It’s It’s worth worth the the drive! drive!

New Windows • Window Repairs • Window Glass Mirrors It’s worth the drive!

NEED Table GLASS REPAIR? No Job Too Small Oil chAnge SeRvice Tops • Insulated Glass Shower & Tub Enclosures Oil chAnge SeRvice Same day service on most autoglass

Comedy Night in the Vines

July 8

NEED GLASS REPAIR? No Job Too Small New Windows • Window Repairs • Window Glass Rescreens & New Screens Mirrors • Table Tops • Insulated Glass Same day service on most autoglass Shower & Tub Enclosures • Rescreens & New Screens

July 10-11

baseball season.

5:15 p.m. | 568 25 ½ Road, Grand Junction | 256-9012 | www. monumentlittleleague.org

any make or model

any make orSeRvice model Oil chAnge any makegas or model 9595 engine 95 gas $49. engine synthetic oils slightly higher gas 95 synthetic oils slightly higher engine diesel synthetic95 oils slightly higher engine 95 diesel $99.95 engine No appointment necessary 95 diesel engine No appointment necessary

19.

19.

19.

54.

54.

54.

No appointment necessary

““Baby Boomer”” Special “Baby ” Special Baby Boomer BoomerService Special hours Service hours Service hours Monday-Friday Monday-Friday 7:30-5:30 Monday-Friday 7:30-5:30 Saturday 7:30-5:30 Saturday 8:00-5:00 Saturday 8:00-5:00 8:00-5:00

2728 Railroad Ave • 970-625-1680 • www.columbineford.com 00 E. Main • Grand Junction • Open 8am - 5pm• M-F & Junction 8am - Noon Sat. • All Credit Cards Accepted 2728 Railroad Ave • 970-625-1680 • www.columbineford.com 2200 E. Main Grand 2728 Railroad Ave • 970-625-1680 • www.columbineford.com Open 8 am - 5 pm, M-F & 8 am - Noon, Sat. • All Credit Cards Accepted

42 | CALENDAR | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

11 a.m. | www.riversedgewest.org | 256-7400

July 14 & 28

Virtual book discussion

Discuss your current books and whether you would recommend them or not online with Mesa County Libraries on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Book discussions are held on Google hangouts (see link).

2-3 p.m. | meet.google.com/ oos-totx-ggq | 669-238-0107

July 18

Mala making workshop

Pressed hosts a gemstone Mala making workshop and teaches about the history of Malas. Price of ticket includes choice of hand-crafted coffee beverage or cocktail.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. | 392 W. Third St., Palisade | $75 | 297-0067

July 17

Star Party

View excellent, clear night skies from the Colorado National Monument with the Western Colorado Astronomy Club.

Call to confirm the event is on beforehand.

9-11 p.m. | 1750 Rimrock Dr., Fruita | 812-3661

be picked up July 13.

10 a.m. | 2478 Patterson, Grand Junction | $17 | facebook.com/ gjangelos | 243-0886

Create colorful outlines on an ice cream dish, a perfect activity for grandkids! Angelo’s Pottery Studio provides the materials based on the theme you choose, as well as instruction online via Facebook Live, which can be watched later. Kits can

Blushing Peach Haven

History of Irrigation in Palisade

Gary Hines shares photographs and maps during this virtual history presentation highlighting the hardships, failures and success of early settlers in developing the valley’s irrigation waters.

6-7 p.m. | www.mesacounty libraries.libcal.com/calendar | 243-4442

July 24-29

Western Slope Open tennis tournament

Bring your tennis skills to the Western Slope Open at Colorado Mesa University. Download entry form at www.tennisgj.wordpress. com. Sign up by July 14.

4-7 p.m. | 1100 North Ave., Grand Junction | 986-8104

August 14 & 15, 2020 RiverBend Park Palisade, CO Visit: Palisadepeachfest.com for tickets and details or call 970.464.7458

July 25

Dustin Lamb Memorial Golf tournament

Grab your clubs and head over to Adobe Creek National Golf Course for a social-distanced golf tournament. You could win gift cards to local small businesses.

8 a.m. | 876 18 ½ Road, Fruita | $75 | facebook.com/ dlmemorialgolftourney | 309-269-9110

Glade Park Cowboy Music & Poetry Festival

Paint an ice cream bowl

PALISADE PEACH FESTIVAL

July 22

August 1

July 20

52nd ANNUAL

Watch the sun set on Pinyon Mesa while listening to the area’s best western musicians and cowboy poets. Outdoor event, held rain or shine. Bring your own chair.

5 p.m. | Glade Park Community Center | $10 adults, $5 kids 12 and under | 241-0775 ■

See more events at

Join Mesa County Libraries for an online Summer Reading experience!

All ages welcome! No charge to participate!

June 1 – August 1, 2020 Read and Learn!

Earn FREE Books!

Participate in grand prize drawings!

Enjoy online summer entertainment!

Information and registration at mesacountylibraries.org/srp or call 970-243-4442

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | CALENDAR |

43

MeSa County FUN AFTER 50 To register for programs, and for COVID-19 updates, call Grand Junction Parks and Recreation at 254-3866 or visit www.gjparksandrec.org.

2020 Westen Colorado Senior Games have been postponed until 2021. See you next year!

HEALTH

SPORTS

July 11 & 25

July 27

Play with baby goats while doing yoga! Please bring yoga mat.

Preregistration required.

8:30-10 a.m. | Mesa County Fair Grounds Gazebo | $20

Learn how to play America’s fastest growing sport with the crazy name!

Includes basic rules, equipment and play. Preregistration is required.

8-10 a.m. | Pineridge Courts | $15

Goat Yoga

Beginning Pickleball Clinic

Mondays

HIGH Fitness

HIGH Fitness transforms old school aerobics into a new fitness experience that combines simple fitness techniques, including cardio and strength training, with music you know and love.

6:15-7:15 p.m. | Bookcliff Activity Center | $6 drop in

Tuesdays & Fridays Gentle Active Yoga

DANCE July 13-August 15 Line Dance

Learn line dances to a variety of music. The first 45 minutes will focus on beginning steps and moves to learn beginning level dances. The last hour will be spent building on those steps to learn more challenging dances. No partner required.

12:15-2 p.m. | Lincoln Park Barn | $5 drop-in, $12 whole session

This yoga class is designed for active beginners and above.

8-9 a.m. | Lincoln Park Barn | $7 drop-in, $50 10-punch pass

City parks, over 20 miles of bike paths and over 900 acres of open space remain open. All bathroom facilities are being regularly cleaned.

• Practices, lessons and skills clinics may resume. Field use is limited to local teams. Games and tournaments are still prohibited.

• Playgrounds have reopened.

• Lincoln Park Pool is scheduled to

Editor’s note: Some club meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending.

American Association of University Women meets monthly.

Call for location.

2nd Saturday | 11:30 a.m. | 261-2112 Bookcliff Barbershop Harmony Society meets at Northeast Christian Church in Grand Junction.

Tuesdays | 7 p.m. | 257-7664 Blue Lodge Masons meets at the Grand Junction Masonic Center.

1st Saturday | 10 a.m. | 245-5312 Bookcliff Duplicate Bridge Club plays at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Grand Junction.

Wednesdays & Fridays | 12:45 p.m. | 244-9989 Colorado Archaeological Society Grand Junction meets monthly.

Call for location.

2nd Monday | 6:30-9 p.m. | 4334312 | www.meetup.com/CAS-GJ/ events Cribbage Lite meets at IHOP. Tuesdays | 5:30 p.m. | 201-7823 Cups Club meets at The Artful Cup in Grand Junction. Meet people through cards, games, talk and tea.

Wednesdays | 2 p.m. | 257-2390 Daughters of the American Revolution, Mount Garfield Chapter meets monthly. Call for location.

719-580-0948

WHAT’S OPEN?

• Court spaces—including basketball, volleyball, handball, pickleball and tennis—are open for drop-in play.

CLUBS

open June 27. (Swim lessons will not be available) • Softball program will begin July 6 with modified rules to limit contact.

• Senior Recreation Center and Orchard Mesa Pool remain closed.

• Lincoln Park Stadium complex remains closed and Fourth of July fireworks are canceled.

44 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES | JULY 2020 |

Fleet Reserve Association meets at VFW #3981 in Grand Junction.

All former, retired and active sea service, U.S. Navy, Marines or Coast Guard are welcome.

2nd Wednesday | 7 p.m. | 434-0868 Crafting Club meets at the Clifton Library.

3rd Tuesday | 2-3 p.m. | 434-6936 Friendship Force meets at First Baptist Church in Grand Junction.

3rd Thursday | 6:15 p.m. | 778-6191 | www.ffwcolo.com Gem & Mineral Club meets at 2328 Monument Road in Grand Junction.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

2nd Thursday, 7 p.m. | 4th Thursday, 6:30 p.m. | grandjunctionrockclub@gmail.com Golden K Kiwanis meets at the Redlands Community Center.

Wednesdays | 9-10 a.m. | www.gjgoldenk.com Grand Junction Petroleum & Mining Club meets at Two Rivers Convention Center.

3rd Thursday | 6:30 p.m. | www.grandjunctionpmc.com Grand Junction Toastmasters meets at The Commons of Hilltop Garden Room in Grand Junction.

Tuesdays | 6:45 a.m. | 241-1900 Grand Valley Pets Alive meets at Church of the Nativity in Grand Junction.

3rd Wednesdays | 4:30-6 p.m. | 462-7554 Grand Valley Woodcarvers meets at Redlands United Methodist Church.

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 6 p.m. | 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 1 p.m. | 245-8817 or 257-1549 Grand Valley Woodturners meets at Redlands United Methodist Church.

2nd Tuesday | 7 p.m. | 245-8817 or 856-3632 Guys’ Giving Club meets quarterly at Springhill Suites in Grand Junction. Members donate $100 at each meeting and are invited to nominate a local charity to receive the evening’s total contributions.

1st Tuesday (August, November, February, May) | 5:15 p.m. | 243-8829 or 270-6184 Knitting Club meets at Community of Christ Church in Grand Junction.

4th Tuesday | 6:30-8 p.m. | 623-1455 Mesa County Genealogical Society meets at various locations. www.mesacountygenealogy.org

Newcomers Club meets at First Christian Church in Grand Junction.

2nd Wednesday | 9:30 a.m. | 549-0440 | www.gjnewcomers.org Not Going Quietly meets at Center for Spiritual Living Grand Junction.

This group creates a space of empowerment, grace, community and wisdom for those age 60 and older.

2nd & 4th Tuesdays | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | 433-7799 Orchard Mesa Lions Club meets twice monthly. Call for location.

1st & 3rd Mondays | 7 p.m. | 216-2919 Outing Club meets for hiking, biking, skiing and other activities.

Call for more dates and details.

801-638-8707 River City Singles meet weekly at Travelodge in Grand Junction. These young-at-heart adults get together for activities throughout the month.

Fridays | 5 p.m. | 242-5252 Sons of Norway, Vestafjell Lodge, meets at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Grand Junction.

2nd Saturday | 1:30 p.m. | 245-5649 | www.vestafjelllodge.org SOS: Singles over 65 is a genderbalanced club for hip, cool, classy seniors who want to meet singles, have fun and do new activities.

775-400-8700 \ $20/year | www.meetup.com/singles-over-65 Sweet Adelines International, Grand Mesa A Capella Chorus, rehearses at Redlands United Methodist Church. Currently, meetings are held over Zoom.

Call for an invite.

Mondays | 6:30-9 p.m. | 256-9763 | www.grandmesachorus.org Talk of the Town Toastmasters meets weekly. Call for location.

Thursdays | 12 p.m. | 250-3969

Thunder Mountain Camera Club meets at Western Colorado Community College, Building B. 4th Tuesday | 7 p.m. | www.thunder mountaincameraclub.org Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets at Grand Junction Masonic Center.

Thursdays | 261-1670 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) #3981 meets at the Post Hall, 503 Florence Road, in Grand Junction.

1st Wednesday | 5:30 p.m. | 778-8242 Western Colorado Amateur Radio Club meets at the Civil Patrol Hangar, 2868 Aviators Way. 2nd Saturday | 9:30 a.m. | www.w0rrz.org Western Colorado Astronomy Club meets at Mesa County Libraries’ Central Branch.

1st Tuesday | 6 p.m. | 201-2865 | www.wcacastronomy.org Western Colorado Decorative Artists meets at First Congregational Church in Grand Junction.

2nd Saturday | 9 a.m. | 640-2751 Western Slope Coin Club meets at VFW #1247 in Grand Junction.

4th Tuesday | Free currency evaluation at 5:30 p.m. | Meeting at 6:30 p.m. | www.gjcoinshow.com Western Slope Liberty Toastmasters meets at Chronos Builders, 637 25 Road in Grand Junction.

1st & 3rd Tuesdays | 6:30-8 p.m. | 661-974-9904 Wheels West Car Club meets at the Whitman Center, Museum of Western Colorado.

1st Saturday | 9 a.m. | www.wheels westcarclub.org ■

Email your club information to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

Find the BEACON closest to you!

Question

OF THE

Month

Compiled by Melanie Wiseman

What is your favorite memory from a carnival or the fair?

Barb Fulton “The 4-H Fair in Janesville, Wisconsin was the ‘it’ place to be in the summer. I was envious of the 4-H kids because they got to sleep in the stalls with their animals. Each year in high school I would sew a week’s worth of new clothes and hang out by the scariest ride to meet cute boys.”

Rosanne Sharp “Havre, Montana was just 8,000 people so the county fair and 4-H were a big part of life there. In seventh grade, my best friend and I wore identical shirts on a double date with our boyfriends. The whole night the boys competed at carnival games to win us the best prize.”

Gene Admire “I lived in Kansas and Idaho in my younger years. We didn’t have a lot of money and couldn’t do much, so the fair was really special. The Ferris wheel and all the animals were my favorite parts.”

Caitlin Wernke “I remember living in Oahu sixth through eighth grade and going to the traveling carnival, which was always in the high school football field. The lights, the sounds, the smells and the teriyaki meat on sticks were really memorable.

The people were warmly embracing.”

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com/Home/Map WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES |

45

MeSa County

BEACON BITS BEACON BITS

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending.

Glade Park Movies Under the Stars From July 3-September 4, the Glade Park Fire Department will host its weekly Friday night Movies Under the Stars. Feature films include family friendly favorites such as “Frozen 2” and “The Lion King,” starting at dusk. The grill opens at 6 p.m., and live entertainment, hay rides and corn hole precede the showing. Bring chairs and warm

clothes. Admission is free; food and concessions are available to purchase with cash or check only. For more information, visit Glade Park Movies Under the Stars Facebook page, or email gpmoviesunderthe stars@gmail.com.

Write cards for troops Support our troops by writing notes for Operation Interdependence, which recruits volunteers to send 2,500 notes to deployed

ARE YOU TURNING 65 OR NEW TO MEDICARE?

Need a Medicare plan for 2020?

Local sales agents are ready to help you!

Call your local, licensed sales agent for a free consultation* Patti Zapf

970-301-8752 (TTY: 711)

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Y0040_GHHHXDFEN_20_C

46 | BEACON BITS | JULY 2020 |

*No obligation to enroll.

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

military personnel each month.

Mail notes to 2695 Patterson Road, #2-147, Grand Junction, CO 81506.

Notes can also be dropped off at the UPS Store on 12th and Patterson, Randy’s in Clifton or the Overhead Door Company at 2944 I-70 Business Loop. Can’t deliver?

Call 523-4217 and we’ll make sure to get them.

Pioneers Medical Center completes orthopedic and specialty center, opens July 8 Pioneers Medical Center completed the 11,000 square-foot expansion of the hospital’s orthopedic and specialty center. The expanded facility is scheduled to open July 8, offering a broad array of orthopedic services. In addition to knee and hip joint replacement and revisions, Colorado Advanced Orthopedics now offers shoulder, hand and upper extremities, spine and sports medicine care. The addition includes new clinical space, two operating rooms, three recovery rooms and six inpatient hospital rooms. The initial investment was $7 million; however, additional purchases of upgraded technology pushed the total capital investment in the new facility to over $12 million. Pioneers Medical Center hopes the expansion plays an important role in stimulating Meeker’s local economy as it serves the greater region. For more information about Colorado Advanced Orthopedics, call 878-5047 or visit www.pioneershospital.org.

Fruita Farmers Market Fruita Farmers Market is open Saturday mornings now through September 19. The market is held at Reed Park from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

It now also offers online ordering and curbside pickup. Call 858-3894 or email events@fruitachamber.org for details.

Palisade Farmers Market Palisade Farmer’s Market, located in downtown Palisade on Third and Main streets, is open every Sunday from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. To start, 30 vendors will be selling essential items such as cheese, honey,

Powderhorn open for summer operations

Powderhorn mountain resort is open for mountain biking, scenic chair rides, hiking, tiny home rentals and food and beverage services. This summer, the mountain features new trails and new bikes for rent as well as extended hours. Powderhorn is open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m.-4 p.m. For questions, call 268-5700 or email ski@powderhorn.com. lavender, breads and eggs. Prepackaged foods such as popcorn and desserts will also be available in addition to three rotating food trucks.

The market encourages visitors to practice social distancing with one-way paths and two entrances.

No dogs allowed. You can also shop for market items online through the app What’s Good. For more information, visit www.townofpalisade. org/market or call 464-5602.

Colorado Mountain Winefest 2020 canceled Due to public health concerns about COVID-19, the 29th Annual Colorado Mountain Winefest has been canceled for this September.

Ticket holders are able to receive a 100 percent refund, or can donate a portion or all of your order to CAVE (Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology) to ensure the success of Winefest in the future.

CAVE is working on many smaller, exciting events to come. Visit www. coloradowinefest.com for more information. Next year’s Winefest is scheduled in Palisade for September 16-19, 2021.

BEACON BITS

St. Mary’s receives “A” rating for patient safety For the sixth time in a row, SCL Health St. Mary’s Medical Center received an “A” rating for patient safety by the 2020 Hospital Safety Grades report. The biannual report is considered to be one of the most reliable patient safety ratings in the nation. Letter grades are assigned to hospitals based on three key metrics: how patients fare statistically, resources used in caring for patients, and leadership and structures that promote patient safety.

Top hospital designees such as St. Mary’s have demonstrated systems to prevent medication errors, higher quality maternity care and lower infection rates. For details, call 208-5685.

Grand Valley Transit casting call Mesa County is looking for talented seniors to star in a commercial and series of educational videos for Grand Valley Transit (GVT). Film date is July 10. Cast members are needed at the following locations: • Downtown Grand Junction, 8:45-10 a.m.

• Fruita, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

• GJ Regional Airport, 2-2:45 p.m.

• Downtown Palisade, 3-4p.m.

If interested, call 244-1830 or email sarah.brooks@mesacounty.us.

Chief Flight Nurse retires after three decades Kathy Shoemaker, Careflight of the Rockies “Bird” Flight Nurse, is saying goodbye after 33 years of service to St. Mary’s Medical Center and Careflight of the Rockies. Kathy joined St. Mary’s in 1986, where she worked in the Emergency Room for a year before transitioning to the Careflight Program. The Careflight team consists of highly trained flight nurses, paramedics, neonatal nurse practitioners and more who provide critical care to adults, children and newborns. Kathy oversaw the organization’s flight program, managed aircraft vendors, personnel and policies. Dan Johnson, the new director of flight operations, joined the team in May as Kathy’s replacement.

Program places combat medics in local VA Military medics can continue to serve their fellow veterans after they leave the service under a new project created by the Veterans Affairs Innovations Program. At the Grand Junction VA Medical Center, medics are working in the facility’s emergency room and will soon have positions with the facility’s Mobile Medical Clinic and some specialty clinics. As civilians, the former medics are called intermediate care technicians. The idea came out of grant program that encourages innovation and ideas, which can receive federal funding.

Veterans interested in the ICT program or other federal positions can visit www.usajobs.gov for more information.

Arturo Sandoval concert postponed until 2021 The Arturo Sandoval concert at the Avalon is postponed until next year.

Dates are still to be determined.

Tickets have been automatically transferred to the new date. If you would prefer a refund, visit www. ticketmaster.com. Call 424-5176 with any questions.

Grand Valley Pets Alive seeks donations for Rowdy the cat Grand Valley Pets Alive seeks donations to care for Rowdy, a cat that came into their custody with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Rowdy underwent surgery to remove the bullet on June 11, which was extensive and costly.

Funds are being sought to pay for his surgery, and aftercare, and his move to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah for rehabilitation.

When healed, he will be adopted to a good home. Donations can be sent to: Grand Valley Pets Alive, P.O. Box 3701, Grand Junction, CO 81502.

Note “Rowdy Fund” in the memo line on the check. Or donate on the GVPA website. All donations are tax deductible. ■

970-242-0162

Email your news briefs to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | BEACON BITS |

47

CALENDAR SUPPORT GROUPS

Montrose MeSa & Delta County

Editor’s note: Some support group meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions.

Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending.

Mending Hearts is for any adult who has experienced the death of a loved one, and meets at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest.

Thursdays | 2-3:30 p.m. | 248-8844

Caregiver Connections meets at the Miller Homestead at HopeWest.

Tuesdays | 10-11:30 a.m. | 241-2212

MS and Men, a support group for men living with MS, meets at The Artful Cup. 3rd Thursday | 11 a.m. to noon | 241-8975

Caregiver Support Group meets at Cappella Grand Junction, 628 261/2 Road. Call to RSVP. 1st Thursday | 1:30-3:30 p.m. | 822-7070 Compassionate Friends offers friendship and understanding to bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents at Unity Church.

1st Tuesday | 7-8:30 p.m. | 434-3822 COPD Support Group meets at 581 Grand Valley Drive in Grand Junction.

4th Thursday | 1 p.m. | 317-7556 | jimcampbell3@aol.com Divorce Support Group meets at 103 S. Fifth St. in Palisade.

Saturdays | 6:30 p.m. | 200-1191 Gamblers Anonymous, a 12step meeting to help compulsive gamblers recover, is held at The Meeting Hall, 1938 N. First St. in Grand Junction.

Tuesdays | 7-8 p.m. | 917-363-3719 GriefShare is a nondenominational Christ-based support group for those mourning the death of a loved one.

Mondays | 10-11:30 a.m. or 6:308:30 p.m. | 628-1453

Grief Group for Pets meets at Roice-Hurst Humane Society.

2nd Wednesday | 6-7 p.m. | 434-7337 ext. 103 Head & Neck Cancer Support Group meets at Colorado West Otolaryngologists.

1st Tuesday | 6:30-8 p.m. | 245-2400 Healing Hands Hour meets in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room.

Thursdays | noon to 1 p.m. | 298-2351 HEARTBEAT/Survivors After Suicide meets at First Congregational Church.

3rd Tuesday | 7-9 p.m. | 778-9274 or 241-4349 Job Searching After 50 Networking Group meets twice monthly at Mesa County Workforce Center. You must be registered as a job seeker at www.connectingcolorado.com.

1st & 3rd Thursdays | 8:30-10 a.m. | 248-7560 Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma Support Group meets monthly in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room.

3rd Monday | 4-5 p.m. | 778-9274 or 241-4349 MACHO Men cancer support group meets at the VA Medical Center In-Patient Dining Room.

1st Thursday | 2 p.m. | 298-2351

COUPON

1/2 OFF

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48 | SUPPORT GROUPS | JULY 2020 |

MS Breakfast Group meets at Village Inn, 757 Horizon Drive.

1st Tuesday | 9 a.m. | 241-8975 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers support for family members of adults who have a serious mental illness and connection groups for adults living with a mental illness. www.NAMIWS.org | 462-3989

Seed & Suet

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones meets at First Presbyterian Church.

Thursdays | 6:30 p.m. | 379-5786

SALE

Tinnitus Support Group meets at Community Hospital’s Legacy Room 1.

3rd Wednesday | 6 p.m. | 589-0305

Save Now On ALL Bird Food*

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Western Colorado Post Polio Group educates polio survivors and caregivers about post-polio, connects post-polio people and promotes independent living for II survivors. | 241-7825

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Mix and match suet, cylinders, and stackables (buy 4 and get 1 free).

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*Valid only at the participating store(s) listed. One discount per purchase. Offer not valid on previous purchases or sale items. Offer valid valid thru in-store only 7/31/20 thru 7/31/18.

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Western Slope Visionaries, a low-vision support group, meets at Center for Independence.

Transportation is available.

3rd Wednesday | 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | 241-0315

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2454 Hwy. 6 & 50, #116 Grand Junction, CO 81505 (970) 242-2843 www.wbu.com/grandjunction BIRD FOOD • FEEDERS • GARDEN ACCENTS • UNIQUE GIFTS

NEED ASSISTANCE WITH AN AGING PARENT’S HOME?

with purchase of 2 drinks

Expires July 31, 2020

Yoga For Life meets at the St. Mary’s Life Center Aerobics Room.

Tuesdays | 5:30-6:45 p.m. | 298-2351 ■

Is your LARGE home tying you DOWN?

BUY ONE GET ONE

2430 Patterson Rd., Unit A, Grand Junction

Woman to Woman cancer support group meets in St. Mary’s Hospital’s Reflection Room.

3rd Thursday | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Call me today to start your way to an easier lifestyle. I will help you navigate the way whether you are buying, selling, transitioning or investing.

Carol Gerber SRES 234-2037

2474 Patterson Rd. #100 Grand Junction CarolGerber@kw.com

I

Montrose & Delta

CALENDAR

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending.

July 3

Montrose Fourth of July Semi-Social Ice Cream Party

Freedom never tasted so sweet!

Help the City of Montrose celebrate America’s birthday with free red, white and blue Popsicles from several food vendors (while supplies last). Popsicles can be found at Dliciousfoodco, Blue Ribbon Bar-BQue, Katerina Loncheria, A Taste of New Orleans Sno Balls and Las Playitas Pupusa. Don’t feel like heading out?

Look for the Polar Express Ice Cream Truck.

Various locations throughout Montrose | Free

July 4

Delta fireworks

Delta fireworks display at Confluence park at dusk.

Dusk | Confluence Park, Delta | Free | 399-2955

July 4

Hoedown with Gary Russell

Head over to the Montrose Elks Lodge for a night filled with music, fun and great food. Listen to the Gary Russell band on the back patio, play cornhole, get your face painted and more!

6-9 p.m. | 801 S Hillcrest Dr., Montrose | $10 | 249-4852

July 10-14

Backpacking for Wise Women

New Leaf Coaching hosts a multi-day backpacking trip for women who love to do their soul searching out in nature. Call or visit the website for schedule and other details. www.newleafpath.com/natureretreats | $400 | 719-293-4600

July 11

Pint & a Half concert

Come see award-winning husband-

July 4, 11, 18, 25

Montrose Farmer’s Market

Peruse locally sourced fruit, veggies, meats, delicious foods and unique artisanal gifts every Saturday at Montrose Centennial Plaza. Plus, the market now features a new Food Box Project, allowing people in Montrose to purchase fresh, local produce from market vendors for curbside pickup or home delivery for $20 per box.

9 a.m.-1 p.m. | 15-99 S. Uncompahgre Ave., Montrose | Market is free | 249-0705

July 30- August 2 Deltarado Days

Come out to Delta for a professional rodeo, quaint parade, delicious BBQ, game tournaments like cornhole and pickleball, a sleek classic car show, boot stompin’ street dance and an inflatable fun park. See the schedule and cost for events online (some are free!)

Confluence Park, Delta | www.deltacolorado. org/deltarado-schedule | 874-8616 wife duo Pint & a Half live at the Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center.

Celebrate an evening of colorful folk, blues and country music.

7-9 p.m. | 195 W Main St., Cedaredge | 856-9195

July 11

Virtual Book Club

Discuss “The Angle of Repose,” by Wallace Stegner, at a virtual meeting of the Montrose Library Book Club.

To join, email librarian Laura McLean at lmclean@montroselibrary.org.

9-10 a.m. | 249-9656, opt. 3

July 17-19

Memories Matter Virtual Race

Run or walk from any location at any time that is convenient for you, to support the residents of Montrose’s Valley Manor Care Center. All race entry fees go to supporting the longterm care memory care community. $15 | memoriesmattersrunwalk. itsyourrace.com | 249-9634

July 24

Book launch “The Road to Lavender”

A host of local authors join Cedaredge resident Don Paul Benjamin at Grand Mesa Arts & Events Center for the launch of his new mystery novel set in Western Colorado.

7-9 p.m. | 195 W Main St., Cedaredge | www.benjaminauthor. com | 856-9195

July 25

Jordyn Pepper in concert

Experience the perfect blend of deep-mountain roots, folk, rock and country with this Americana singersong writer, presented by Partners West.

1:30-3:30 p.m. | 315 S. Seventh St., Montrose | www.jordynpepper.com | 249-1116 ■

See more events at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | CALENDAR |

49

Question

OF THE

Month

Compiled by Siggie Carpenter

What is your favorite memory from a carnival or the fair?

Cindy Harrison - Montrose “The Minnesota State Fair—the largest U.S. state fair based on attendance. I’ll never forget the food and the smell. Everything was fried: fried cookies, fried candy, fried butter, fried fruit and the ever-popular funnel cakes. I couldn’t resist the fried cheese curds.”

CLUBS

Editor’s note: Some club meetings may be canceled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact organizers to confirm meeting details before attending.

Alpine Photography Club meets at Colorado Mesa University’s Montrose Campus, classroom 100.

2nd Tuesday | 7-9 p.m. | apcmontroseco@gmail.com Black Canyon Barbershop Chorus sings four-part a cappella at Olathe United Methodist Church.

Thursdays | 7-8:30 p.m. | 216-3800 Citizens Climate Lobby meets monthly at the Montrose Library meeting room.

240-9146 | montrose@citizens climatelobby.org

Tim Veazey - Hotchkiss “As a young boy, during the summer we’d go to the Alabama State Fair. My favorite part of the fair was ‘Kiddieland’ where all the amusement rides were. I’ll never forget The Bullet; it was the scariest ride I’d ever been on.”

Amparo Lopez - Delta “I love to watch the expression on my grandkids’ faces when we tell them we’re going to the Deltarado Days. I’m a grandmother of 10 and greatgrandmother of one. They all love the parade, the animals, the rides and their abuelita!”

Crafternoon members meet in the Montrose Library’s meeting room.

Members knit and crochet projects, which they donate to various charities. Supplies are provided, but yarn donations are always welcome.

Experienced crafters will help beginners.

1st, 2nd & 3rd Wednesdays | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | 249-9656 Columbine Quilters meet at Meadowlark Senior Apartments in Montrose.

1st Saturday | 9 a.m. | 462-3849 Delta Hubwheelers Square Dance Club hosts dances in the aerobics room at Bill Heddles Recreation Center in Delta. No dance on July 4, but the club may host a dance on July 18. Call to confirm.

7-9 p.m. | 773-4495 | deltawriter47 @gmail.com

Steve Welch - Montrose “One of my favorite childhood memories was going to the Minnesota State Fair and seeing all the different types of farm equipment like balers, combines and plows, and then being allowed to climb up and sit in the seat of a tractor.”

50 | CLUBS & ACTIVITIES | JULY 2020 |

Montrose & Delta

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Friendship Quilters of Western Colorado meet monthly in the Pioneer Room of Friendship Hall at the Montrose County Fairgrounds.

4th Thursday | 9 a.m. | 417-4842 Montrose Amateur Radio Club meets at the Olathe Community Center.

3rd Friday | 7 p.m. | 417-6142 Montrose Area Woodturners meets at 520 Collins Way in Montrose.

2nd Saturday | 9 a.m. to noon | 986-2550 | lvcribbs@charter.net

Montrose Elks host bingo at the Montrose Elks Lodge, 801 S. Hillcrest Drive.

Tuesdays | 6:30 p.m.

Giving Club of Montrose meets quarterly at 5:30 p.m. at Cobble Creek Golf Club in Montrose.

Members donate $100 at each meeting and are invited to nominate a local charity to receive the evening’s total contributions.

5:30 p.m. | givingclubofmontrose@ gmail.com Montrose Neighborhood Watch meets at Cascade Hall Meeting Room, 336 S. Third St. Building entrance is on Cascade Ave. 2nd Wednesday | 9:30-10:30 a.m. | 901-5876 | hebert623@yahoo.com Montrose Pavilion Dance Club hosts dances at the Montrose Pavilion. Dancers of all ages are welcome. Bring a snack to share.

2nd & 4th Saturdays | Cost $5 | 7:30-11 p.m. | 252-7172 San Juan Dance Club offers country waltz dance lessons at the Lions Clubhouse in Montrose.

Singles without partners are welcome Thursdays | 6:30-9:30 p.m. | $10 | 708-8333 | thesjdanceclub@gmail. com Sons of Norway, Vestafjell Lodge meets monthly at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Grand Junction.

1:30 p.m. | 245-5649 | www.vestafjelllodge.org Western Slope 4 Wheelers meets at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road.

1st Tuesday | 7 p.m. | 209-5326 ■

Email your club information to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

FUN AFTER 50

FUN AFTER 50

Stem Cell Therapy - Whole Body IV infusion or Joint Injection

To register for programs, and for COVID-19 updates, call Montrose Recreation District at 249-7705 or visit www.montroserec.com/637/

The future is here! Stem Cell Injection Therapy is now

available in Grand Junction! Treat painful joints anywhere on the body, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, un-diagnosed autoimmune diseases.and more…

- The treatment is performed in-office.

- Avoid downtime & costs of orthopeidic surgeries.

- The stem cells detect & restore damaged cells & tissue throughout the body.

- The cells boost the body’s existing repair mechanisms.

- There are no negative side effects associated with Stem Cell Therapy.

Cord Cell IV Injection $3500-4000 or Fat Derived Stem Cell Injection $4500-$5000

COVID-19-ReOpening-UPDATES

Most areas within Montrose Recreation Center are open! (Racquetball & Fitness classes open July 6)

In order to comply with public health orders set forth by both Montrose County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, there will be several policy and procedural changes implemented to keep visitors, staff and our community safe.

Visit the website for updated hours of operation (Closed July 4) Fitness Classes & Racquetball Courts open by reservation Aquatics (Open Monday-Friday) Pool is open! Space is limited to 25 patrons per session with three 90-minute sessions per weekday.

Reservations are required.

B Adult Swim: 6 a.m.-1 p.m. (classes and lessons have priority between 10 a.m.-1 p.m.)

B Private lessons and water fitness classes: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

B Lap pool: 4-7 p.m. (lap lanes may be reserved from 6-7 p.m. on a limited basis.)

B Leisure pool: 5-7 p.m.

Gyms B Pickleball: 6-10 a.m. (Mon-Fri), 8 a.m. to noon (Saturday) B Open courts: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

(Mon-Fri), noon to 4 p.m.

(Saturdays, starting July 11)

William D. Merkel, MD

Montrose & Grand Junction locations

Stem Cell Regenerative Therapy

970-242-9127 • StemCellRegenerativeTherapy.com

Find the BEACON closest to you! www.BeaconSeniorNews.com/Home/Map

FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM WAS NO PICNIC

FUN AFTER 50

To register for programs, and for COVID-19 updates, contact Bill Heddles Recreation Center at 874-0923 or visit www.cityofdelta.net/ parksrecgolf The City of Delta is reopening certain areas of Bill Heddles Recreation Center (as of June 23)

In order to comply with orders set forth by both Delta County Public Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, there will be several policy and procedural elements in place to keep patrons and staff safe.

All patrons are required to wear a mask or facial covering except while exercising or in the pool. Drinking fountains not available.

Please bring water in closed container.

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

The recreation center is OPEN for: • Workouts (reservations no longer required for circuit, free weight or cardio rooms) • Fitness classes • Open swim, lap swim, Water Walking and Water Fitness Classes (reservations required)

• Racquetball (singles only) • Locker rooms are open with limited shower availability. No lockers available.

• Basketball Gym open 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday; noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursdays.

(Bring your own equipment) • Indoor pickleball courts not available.

When you get together with family and friends, keep the legacy of Independence Day alive by remembering those who gave their last full measure of devotion for our freedom.

COVID-19 has impacted us all. Let us be mindful and respectful of one another. No one is safe until everyone is safe.

www.taylorfuneralservice.com Delta 874-9988 | Cedaredge 856-3232 | Hotchkiss 872-3151 | Paonia 527-3836 WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | FUN AFTER 50 |

51

Montrose Montrose & & Delta Delta

BEACON BITS BEACON BITS

Editor’s note: Some events may be canceled or rescheduled due to COVID-19 safety measures and restrictions. Please contact event organizers to confirm event details before attending.

Golden Circle Seniors seeks community feedback regarding reopening the Senior Center Please take the survey at: www. goldencircleseniors.org or call Sheryl at 765-4064, Marilynn at 9019914 or Cindy at 252-4884

a night of fun for the whole family.

Call Judy Weaver at 856-3864 or Connie Pittenger at 249-4308 for more information or to receive a brochure in the mail. For details, call 921-4142 or visit www.concert association.net/deltaco

Delta Montrose Community Concert Association Delta Montrose Community Concert Association looks forward to kicking off its six-performance season in September. The concert series opens Thursday, September 24, with “The Next Generation Leahy,” which presents traditional Celtic fiddling and step dancing by a Canadian family of six talented children. Mom will be on the keyboard and Dad on fiddle, promising

Valley Symphony Association postpones 50th season Valley Symphony Association (VSA) announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its 50th season is postponed until the fall of 2021.

Monetary donations during this time will receive recognition and benefits next year for the VSA’s 50th season.

For developing information about the next season and to volunteer, donate or sign up to receive updates via the group’s informational emails, visit www.valleysymphony.net.

To be a volunteer, it takes…

Generosity; a willingness to give your time to others.

Understanding, because their lives might be very different from your own.

Empathy; an ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes, and feel what they must feel.

Compassion, to truly care about making someone else's life better.

Patience, because the process doesn't always go as smoothly as it might.

Dedication, to stick with the project and see it through.

Be a classroom volunteer!

Call the Foster Grandparent Program (970)298-9091 www.WesternSlopeSeniorVolunteers.org

Questions may be directed to 2758676 or info@valleysymphony.net.

Pioneers Medical Center completes orthopedic and specialty center, opens July 8 Pioneers Medical Center completed the 11,000 square-foot expansion of the hospital’s orthopedic and specialty center. The expanded facility is scheduled to open July 8, offering a broad array of orthopedic services. In addition to knee and hip joint replacement and revisions, Colorado Advanced Orthopedics now offers shoulder, hand and upper extremities, spine and sports medicine care. The addition includes new clinical space, two operating rooms, three recovery rooms and six inpatient hospital rooms. The initial investment was $7 million; however, additional purchases of upgraded technology pushed the total capital investment in the new facility to over $12 million. Pioneers Medical Center hopes the expansion plays

an important role in stimulating Meeker’s local economy as it serves the greater region. For more information about Colorado Advanced Orthopedics, call 878-5047 or visit www.pioneershospital.org.

Cedaredge AppleFest canceled With the current public health concerns of COVID-19, Colorado’s public health orders limiting large gatherings, and the uncertainty of what future orders will allow, the Cedaredge AppleFest Board of Directors decided to cancel this year’s festival. Questions can be directed to www.CedaredgeChamber.com and the Cedaredge Applefest Facebook Page. Plans are underway for the 2021 festival on October 2 & 3.

Alzheimer’s Association e-services Alzheimer’s Association provides access to reliable information virtually with these helpful online tools.

ALZConnected is a free online community designed for people living

Seniors and Retirees have Different Real Estate Needs We help buyers and sellers transition into the next phase of life. The Real Estate Store has the highest number of certified Senior Specialists in one office in Western Colorado.

Leslie Gore

Michelle Klippert

Peg Evanoika

Senior Real Estate Specialist

Senior Real Estate Specialist

Senior Real Estate Specialist

lesliegorerealtor@ gmail.com

michelleklippertrealtor@ gmail.com

realtor@ pegevanoika.com

(970) 275-3195

(970) 275-3016

(970) 249-7653 500 E. Main St. Montrose, CO 81401 www.the-res.com Personal, Professional, Property Brokers

52 | BEACON BITS | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

(970) 209-3934

BEACON BITS

with dementia and their caregivers.

Members can connect and communicate with others who understand their experiences by posing questions and offering solutions to dementia-related issues, creating public and private groups organized around a specific topic, and contributing to message boards. Alzheimer’s Navigator is an interactive tool that helps guide individuals living with the disease and their caregivers to answers. It creates customized action plans of information, support and local resources on a range of topics. The Community Resource Finder is a database of dementia and aging-related resources that makes it easy for individuals and families to find programs and services. Find these resources and more at: www. alz.org/help-support/resources/ care-training-resources.

Tribute to Aviation canceled The Tribute to Aviation, which typically draws dozens of military, private and vintage aircraft to the Montrose Regional Airport in September, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tribute organizers are already planning for the 2021 event.

Modified preparations, events for Montrose County Fair Given the current restrictions on gatherings of people, the Montrose County Fair Board recently approved a modified fair schedule prioritizing the Jr. Show, allowing 4-H and FFA members the opportunity to continue preparations to show and sell their projects at the fair. As such, the fair board has made the difficult decision to eliminate free public entertainment, contests, and the Open Show. A decision on the status of the Colorado Pro Rodeo will be made later depending on restrictions. For details, visit www. montrosecountyfairandrodeo.com or call 964-2180. ■

Email your news briefs to: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com

SUPPORT GROUPS Delta Diabetes Support Group Delta Diabetes Group meets at Grand Mesa Oncology & Rheumatology’s Crag Crest room.

2nd Monday | 2:30-3:30 p.m. | 874-7681

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Sharing Ministries Food Bank seeks dedicated volunteers for three hours, one day a week.

240-8385 | 49 N. First St., Montrose Senior CommUnity Meals needs volunteer delivery drivers and dining room helpers to help seniors in Delta and Montrose counties. www.seniorcommunitymeals.org | 874-7662 Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver meals to low-income and frail seniors. Drivers are subject to background checks and must provide references.

Call 249-8804 Friends of Montrose Library seeks volunteers to serve on its board of directors. Meetings are held once a month.

846-5287 | 320 S. Second St., Montrose

Life’s Legacy in Stone

Mention this ad and receive a $500* credit towards new purchase

Custom Engraved Memorials, Mobile Sandblasting, Monument Repair & Cleaning

Museum of the Mountain West seeks volunteer tour guides to bring the past to life for visitors.

Flexible schedule.

240-3400 | 68169 Miami Road, Montrose Foster Grandparents are needed in nonprofit school classrooms throughout Mesa and Delta counties. Patience, kindness and ability to follow directions are a must.

Applicants must be 55+. Those who meet income and hour requirements are eligible to receive $100$400/month in non-taxable stipend.

Call 298-9091

970-323-6658 www.morrismonument.com 1630 South Main Street, Delta www.facebook.com/MorrisMonument

*purchase must be greater than $3000 WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | BEACON BITS |

53

FUN & GAMES

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54 | FUN & GAMES | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

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"Downsize ___!"

(Scottish cap)

14. ___ -shanter

15. Jazzy Chick 16. Laundry 17. School founded

in 1440 18. Cooperative race 19. Sweet sandwich 20. Wizened 22. Inquired 23. ___ kwon do 24. Commotion 25. Virgin Mary 29. Sparkler 33. Clued in 34. Microbe 36. Steven Chu's

cabinet dept.

37. Scull mover 38. Durango dwellings 39. Ram's ma'am 40. Nothing, in Nantes 42. URL starter 43. Seizes with teeth 45. I've been framed!

47. Charms 49. Convert into leather

50. Yelp 51. Memento 54. Overflow 60. Hgt. 61. Capital of Egypt 62. Unit of loudness 63. Cause of ruin 64. Like some furniture 65. ___ kleine Nachtmusik

66. Aardvark's prey 67. Iron 68. Minn. neighbor

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1. French summers 2. Slat 3. Latin love 4. Warning device 5. Coarse sieve 6. Yuletide 7. First name in

courtroom fiction

8. Show the way 9. Put Down 10. Couple 11. Listen attentively 12. So that's it 13. Not barefoot 21. Wind indicator 22. Orthodontists' org.

24. Intentions

25. New Zealand

native 26. Look forward to 27. Challenges 28. Glass marble 29. Hang with cloth 30. ___ a customer 31. More recent 32. Frock 35. Repair shop fig.

38. Lower jaw 41. Indigenous inhabitants 43. Ancient Semitic

for "Lord" 44. Burdens 46. Fond du ___, Wisconsin 48. Hose 51. First name

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Turn to page 58 for your puzzle answers WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 |

55

CLASSIFIEDS HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL OR A SERVICE TO OFFER? List it here—pricing starts at just $29 per month!

Call Stacey at 243-8829, ext.102, to reserve your space in next month’s issue.

FOR RENT MAPS 55+ Living Opening Summer 2020! Affordable, independent senior living in Moab, UT now accepting applications, age 55+. 1- and 2-bedroom units, pet friendly. Housing Choice Voucher accepted. 435-259-2600; cinemacourt@sellersgroup.net.

FOR SALE Kids Saddle Kids saddle for sale, too big for a mini-pony. $200. Delta, CO. Text 901-9364 for more info.

Pellet Stove Older pellet stove; works but needs fan motor replaced. Delta, CO. Stove and pipe $75. Text 901-9364.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL OR A SERVICE TO OFFER?

LIST IT HERE!

Call Stacey at 243-8829

GARDEN SERVICES Be self-reliant; plant a garden Lawn and Garden Service. Tiling, aeration, sprinklers, pumps and fences. Sam’s Tilling and Maintenance 697-6031.

HOME SERVICES B-N-Trees Tree removal, stump grinding, trimming. Call Bill 430-1970.

The Cleaning Lady Spring cleaning, downsizing and reorganizing. Get a fresh start and de-clutter your home! Weekly, biweekly, monthly or just a onetime shot. Linda K. 720-841-7505 or 263-7364.

Scene Clearly, LLC Window cleaners specializing in making your day a little brighter!

Grand Junction area. Call Frank Cordova at 242-1264.

to reserve your space in next month’s issue.

Volunteer of the Year voting extended!

Deadline July 31 Grand Junction BeaconFest is rescheduled for Wednesday, August 19, and so is our 2020 Volunteer of the Year ceremony. All volunteers will be recognized and the winner will be announced at BeaconFest at Two Rivers Convention Center.

56 | CLASSIFIEDS | JULY 2020 |

WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM

Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 40 years in the antique, appraisal and estate sale business, Great American Estate Sales is the Valley’s leader in appraisals and estate liquidation. Settling an estate, moving into a smaller home or just simplifying your lifestyle?

Great American Estate Sales can provide a worry-free and quick solution. Free consultation.

216-0048.

SERVICES Computer Lady, LLC In-home repair. 18 years serving Mesa County. Windows, internet, Wi-Fi, Android, tablets, Netflix, Roku. Virus removal, installation and instruction. Dependable, reasonable, qualified. Remote services available. www.CompLady.com or 255-1216.

Regan’s Regal Beauty Perms, color, haircuts for women and men. New location at 2500

Pat's Hair Salon & Ceramics All Hair Salon Services Available

Great Prices on Perms Senior Discounts

CERAMIC & PORCELAIN DOLL MAKING CLASSES & SUPPLIES

778-8075

North Ave., #2, Grand Junction.

Licensed cosmetologist. Call Regan Clements at 719-425-0543 to book today!

In-home toenail care JQ Foot Care will provide inhome toenail care. This includes cleansing of feet, inspection, nails trimmed, filed and lotion applied with massage. $35 for session.

Education to promote foot health.

250-7454.

1) Read about each volunteer 2) Choose your favorite volunteer: ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒

Laurie Buniger Randy Cook Karen Hughes Jerry Johnson Barb Kremski

❒ ❒ ❒ ❒ ❒

Tricia Powell Cathy Thomas Deborah Thompson Ed Wacker Becky Walker

3) Cast your vote Vote online at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com or mail this ballot to: BEACON Senior News, PO Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 The last day to vote is July 31. Mail-in ballots must be received by Friday, July 31.

CLASSIFIEDS

HEALTH & WELLNESS Be healthy and happy!

With mental wellness and making money. At http://ltl.is/2fR94.

270-2904.

Medical Marijuana Doctor Days in Montrose and Grand Junction Got pain? Find out if medical marijuana is right for you. Doctor evaluation and education on cannabis use in a professional HIPAA-compliant setting. Call for appointment times and days. 720443-2420 or visit www.healthychoicesunltd.com.

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W W W. E P I P H A N Y D E R M AT O L O G Y. C OM WWW.BEACONSENIORNEWS.COM | JULY 2020 | CLASSIFIEDS |

57

OPINION

There’s no place like it

By Laverne Bardy

M

National & Regional Award-Winning Publication

Love the BEACON? Visit us online! www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Answers from page 55

y husband and I always take vacations out of the country.

With everything going on with COVID-19, it got me thinking of one year that my husband, Mighty Marc, and I decided to do something different—for us at least.

In the weeks before leaving on a big trip, we whine a lot. By we, I mean me. I never got the knack of packing and always return with a suitcase full of clothes I never got to wear. Shuttle costs to and from the airport are exorbitant. Then there’s the agony of airport lines, getting through security, physical discomfort on planes and inedible airplane food.

Because I’ve had so many joint replacements, security has to pat me down, always using unattractive women, instead of the handsome men I request.

During my last pat-down, I stood hands out at my sides and legs spread, when Mighty Marc, who was standing right outside the booth, decided he needed his passport, which I was carrying. He reached for it and came so close to being shot when armed security guards grabbed and frisked him.

It happened so fast neither of us knew what the hell was happening.

So when I said, “This time, let’s take a road trip. We have friends and relatives up and down the east coast. Wouldn’t it be fun to spend several days with each of them, and visit landmarks along the way?” he gave me a thumbs up.

Marc said, “Let’s make it a real adventure and rent a motor home.

Why pay for motels and spend money eating every meal out?”

We looked at a motor home that was described as spacious—which meant large enough to comfortably accommodate three generations

of mice. Packing would be easy.

Each of the two silverware drawers would comfortably hold two shirts.

There was space for two and a half pairs of shoes in the cabinet over the fridge, and ample room for toiletries and cosmetics in the oven I had no plans to use.

We were advised to park at campsites and take taxis to our destinations. I let that thought marinate. “Maybe a plane trip wouldn’t be so bad after all,” I said. “Flying domestic is easier than overseas.

We could rent a car at the airport.”

Marc nodded and we began investigating plane schedules and fares. Three days later I said, “Do you remember that fun train trip we took to Florida several years back? We even brought our car with us. Maybe we should consider doing that this time?”

“If that’s what you want,” he said.

We were excited, so I notified everyone and informed them when to expect us.

A week later I said, nervously, “Remind me why we want a vacation that requires endless hours of driving, hanging out at people’s homes, then driving a whole lot more.”

“Why? Are you having fifth thoughts?” he said.

“Let’s just say that nothing about this trip is exciting me.”

He smiled. “Here’s a thought.

Let’s stay home. Why would we want to be anywhere else this time of year?”

“My feelings exactly. Now that’s a plan I can live with,” I said. “This is the happiest I’ve been since we decided to take a vacation.”

“I’m thinking our next vacation should be a restful one, where we lounge around doing nothing, and all our meals are served to us.”

“Like in a padded cell?”

“Exactly.” ■

Laverne Bardy has been a humor columnist since 1994. Her book, “How the (Bleep) Did I Get This Old?” is a collection of her columns, where she laughs at aging in particular, and everything else in general.

58 | OPINION | JULY 2020 |

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