BEACON - January 2013

January 2013

Vol. 27

Spring 2013

Health &Wellness 10 ways to turbo charge your immune system

An easier approach to change

page 3

page 10

Dare to do new things in 2013 page 2

Produced by the BeacoN’s advertising Team

Your Guide to a Healthy Mind & Body

No. 1

Western Colorado’s Monthly Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 31,920 Readers.

Your health and wellness is sure to get a boost after reading this month’s special insert.

Now on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

What’s Inside Advice and Ideas............................. 9 Classifieds..................................... 40 Computer Advice........................... 29 Crossword..................................... 34 Delta/Montrose County................. 35 Faith............................................... 24 Finance.......................................... 26 Garfield County.............................. 38 Laughing Matters.......................... 16 Local Lore...................................... 22 Mesa County.................................. 30 Parks & Recreation........................ 20 River City Singles.......................... 31 Travel & Recreation....................... 18

Life as a park service brat Leslie Spurlin, left, and Lisa Eckert, right, share a bond, both having grown up in the National Park Service—an experience neither of them would trade for any other.

Local Lore The first love story for many Coloradans was connected with a certain automobile. Read more on page 22.

Wednesday Night Wanderings These programs have stimulated the adventure taste buds of locals for years. Read more on page 14.

Colorado up in smoke!

Now that marijuana is legal in Colorado, what will be allowed under Amendment 64? Read more on page 42.

Photo by Melanie Wiseman

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January 2013

January 2013

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Editorial 3

I’m at least $100 honest. How about you?

By Kevin K. VanGundy

I

recently cashed a check at the drive-thru tube at my bank. When I counted my cash, always count your cash, I discovered that the teller had sent me $100 too much. For a moment, I thought the bank was compensating me for the amount of time I’ve spent in line over the last year, but knowing my bank, I knew that wasn’t true. I put the extra money in the tube and sent it back to the pleasantly surprised and very thankful young teller.

Would I have done that were I desperate for food or shelter? Is there a monetary point at which I wouldn’t have been so honest? What if I stumbled upon an extra $10,000?

How much honest am I? Honestly, I hope never to find out.

I’m at least $100 honest. How about you?

Burkey Park controversy Last month, we ran a small story about the City’s failure to build a community park upon land donated to it back in the ‘60s by Lew and Mildred Burkey. BEACON readers responded by phone, letter, email and by taking our poll at www.BeaconSe niorNews.com.

Three things rang true from the majority of respondents. First, they don’t think that the City of Grand Junction has handled the situation well and that the problem lies squarely with past city councils. Second, while they don’t want their taxes raised, they do want either a park, senior center, or preferably both to be built on the property. Finally, if that

isn’t started, soon, they want the City of Grand Junction to give the property back to the family. You can read some of these comments on page 42 of this month’s BEACON.

A new year for resolutions If you’re like me, your new year’s resolutions last about as long as the winter snow. So, this year, in this issue, we have gathered some very practical tips to creating small, but lasting changes.

In February, we have cars and romance Next month, our cover story will be about changes that are being made to cars for the benefit of America’s aging population. It would appear that Detroit is finally getting the message that their customers are getting older.

Do you know an honest mechanic? A trustworthy car dealer?

What brands work for you?

What cars or dealers do you avoid?

Please send your comments to Beacon@Pendant Publishing.com.

Next month’s insert will be about relationships and romance. Please send us your wedding photos, anniversary photos, etc. and we’ll publish them throughout this romantic edition. Be sure to include the names of those in the photo and a brief description. Email them to Cloie@ PendantPublishing.com or mail them to:

Change a life – maybe your own

volunteer!

“I wanted to give back to the community, what I didn’t realize was that I was getting much more than I could give – if I volunteered seven days a week I couldn’t repay Hospice for all that they have done for me.

It gives me peace, joy and hope.”

- Joyce Raney, Volunteer

BEACON Senior Newspaper P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502 P.S. Mark your calendars now for our BeaconFest Senior Fair in Grand Junction on April 18 at Two Rivers Convention Center. ■

Visit hospicewco.com to find unique volunteer opportunities.

4 Cover Story

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January 2013

Life as a park service brat

This Christmas card photo from 1959 is of Spurlin, 5, and her sister, 9, at Dinosaur National Monument.

Lifetime national parks pass for ages 62 or older:

There’s no better time to get out and experience our amazing national parks.

If you are 62 or older, you can take advantage of the National Park Service’s Golden Age Pass. For $10, you receive a lifetime pass to any national park. Passes may be obtained at any of the federal recreation sites below, or by mail (an additional $10) using the application form found at: www.store.usgs. gov/pass/senior_pass_application.pdf.

Applicants must provide documentation of age and residency or citizenship.

Mesa County  Fruita: Colorado National Monument, 858-3617  Grand Junction: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NF – Grand Valley District, 242-8211  Grand Junction BLM Field office, 244-3000

Delta County  Delta: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NF, 874-6600  Paonia: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NF – Paonia District, 527-4131

Montrose County  Montrose: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, 641-2337  Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, 240-5300

Garfield County  Rifle: White River NF, 625-2371  Carbondale: White River NF – Sopris District, 963-2266  Silt: Colorado River Valley BLM Field office, 876-9000

Tourists lean over a deep crater watching a volcano erupt at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 1963.

By Melanie Wiseman

M

ost likely all of us over the years have gotten to know someone who was an “Army brat.”

But do you know any “park service brats?”

“The early National Park Service was modeled after the military shortly after World War I,” Leslie Spurlin, 57, said. “We NPS kids refer to ourselves as ‘park service brats.’”

Her vast experiences of unique adventures and encounters are often hard to believe. Memories of growing up where a national park was literally your backyard are enough to make anyone envious.

It was a dream come true for Spurlin’s dad, Dwight Hamilton, when in 1948, he took the job as fire control aide on Twin Sisters Fire Lookout in Rocky Mountain National Park.

“Dad went on to make the park service his career, retiring in 1980,” Spurlin said. “He came full circle, retiring as chief naturalist at Rocky Mountain.

Sadly, he passed away in 2002, but not before instilling the love of the great outdoors to his family.”

Her father’s career took his family on a wonderful journey to Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Natchez Trace Parkway, Mt. Rainier, Colorado National Monu-

Spurlin and her family in the front yard of the ranger housing area in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Christmas 1964. ment, Dinosaur National Monument, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreational Area, Grand Canyon National Park and back to Rocky Mountain. Spurlin continues her father’s legacy and passion for promoting national parks.

Moving every two to four years for most kids would bring dread. For Spurlin’s family, it was an adventure.

“When we moved, we left behind friends, but we knew we’d make new ones wherever we went,” Spurlin said. “It’s like the military, but smaller. You just rotate parks. We often already knew someone in the new park we were going to. If someone was being transferred into the park

where we were, the first thing my sister and I asked was, ‘do they have kids?’”

With each potential move, Spurlin’s parents held family conferences to discuss the pros and cons of moving. The biggest concern was schools. Spurlin’s parents wanted to make sure both girls got a good education, something that can be a challenge with the isolation of many national parks.

But Spurlin can counter any single disadvantage to growing up in a national park with hundreds of advantages.

“We were wild and free,” Spurlin said. “We were just told to be home for dinner.”

As a child in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Spurlin and her sister could stay up and watch volcanoes erupt long after the last visitor left.

Spurlin’s dad would hang her sister by the ankles down volcanic steam cracks to retrieve antique bottles.

“Ballet lessons were not an option, but hula dance lessons were,” Spurlin said.

National Parks were always a part of Spurlin’s family identity.

“Not all kids had a Christmas card picture with a mural of dinosaurs as the backdrop,” Spurlin said, referring to their time in Dinosaur National Monument.

January 2013 Spurlin’s older sister, Cyndee Altoff, graduated from Grand Canyon High School, the only high school to be located in a national park.

“We kids learned to carry on the traditions of the native people where we lived,” Spurlin said. “We learned to be respectful of their culture. We did what we were supposed to do.

We didn’t necessarily believe it, but we didn’t disbelieve it either. A Hopi friend and her mom at the Grand Canyon were clairvoyant and I never questioned it. Even today, I find berries near volcanoes and toss them in to Pele, the volcano goddess, before I eat any.”

In Hawaii, Spurlin was the only Caucasian student among a classroom of Hawaiian children of Japanese descent. Her mother tells the story of how Spurlin came home from the first day of first grade crying and saying, “I’m the only human there!” She later became friends with many of those children and still stays in contact with them. Spurlin feels these experiences helped mold her into the nonjudgmental person she is today.

National parks were often where notable people vacationed, shot movies, and even learned geology.

In 1965, astronauts including Neil Armstrong, Richard Gordon and Pete Conrad came to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in preparation for the first trip to the moon. They studied with geologists who thought they might encounter similar terrain.

Spurlin’s sister interviewed Conrad for her school paper. She recalled him saying, “Stick with me, kid, and I’ll take you to the moon.”

At an evening cocktail party, Armstrong was nowhere in sight. He was eventually found in the back room talking with the kids.

In 1966, Bobby Kennedy and Andy Williams were in Page, Arizona (Glen Canyon) as Omar Sharif was shooting a movie. Spurlin’s mom took care of Kennedy’s children on a boat ride.

In two other encounters with celebrities, “Dad jogged with Governor Lamb at Rocky Mountain,” Spurlin said, “and Lady Bird Johnson fainted in Dad’s arms once. He later got a thank you note from her.”

In Estes Park, Spurlin’s mom had

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to throw an impromptu party for the prince and princess of the Netherlands who were making a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.

“Even as kids, we knew our childhood in the national parks was special, but we also knew we were isolated,” Spurlin said. “Especially as we grew older and there weren’t stores or movie theaters close by. We had to be creative and make our own entertainment.”

In their early years, Spurlin’s parents made a darkroom and developed their own pictures. They square danced, floated the river, made homemade ice cream, and created frozen ponds for ice-skating.

Being frugal, flexible and creative was a way of life growing up in the park service. With no stores nearby, ordering through catalogs was routine, and the arrival of packages was a thrill. It was common practice to exchange furniture and clothes between park service families. Income was modest and housing was simple, but it varied from park to park.

Spurlin developed a passion for history and nature, and the bond with her dad became strong.

“When he started pointing out plants, I just tuned him out,” Spurlin’s sister, Altoff said.

But Spurlin was like a sponge and couldn’t get enough.

As a young teen, Spurlin loved talking history with the tourists at the historic Grand Canyon hotels to the

point where they would start asking her questions and she would give them tours.

Spurlin contributed much of her father’s photography to former Grand Canyon ranger Mike Harrison’s library and research center at the University of California at Davis. She made a trip there recently to see the entire collection.

A number of those that grew up in national parks went into biologyrelated fields, or became teachers or rangers themselves. Spurlin’s sister encouraged her husband to apply with the NPS because of his love of history. For 25 years they lived isolated but happy in Put-in-Bay, on an island in Lake Erie, where they raised their daughter. And so the circle continues.

Spurlin has been to numerous “extended family” NPS reunions and organized her first in Dinosaur National Monument in August 2011.

“It was the first time we’d all been back together in over 50 years,” Spurlin said. “It was as if we’d never been away. Here were some of the people who helped raise me. We all shared a history that was as close as family.”

When Spurlin met Colorado National Monument Superintendent Lisa Eckert, it took just seconds for them to discover they had both been at the Grand Canyon’s Albright Training Center for new rangers. This instant connection led to talking about people they knew in common and laughing about similar experiences.

To Spurlin, Eckert said, “Don’t you wish we could take each person on the planet and drop them into a different culture so we would learn to accept each other? It’s a big world.”

Eckert echoed Spurlin’s sentiments.

“There’s lots of networking and socializing, a sense of adventure, an extended family,” Eckert said. “Everyone has a passion for the outdoors and national parks and a sense of space and place. When you move from park to park, someone was always helping you land.”

When weighing in on what’s truly important in life, neither Spurlin or Eckert would trade their lives in the park service for any other. ■

Cover Story 5

National & Regional Award-Winning Publication Publisher ............................ Kevin VanGundy Founding Publisher................... Susan Capps Editor........................................ Cloie Sandlin Office Manager ........................Genevra Shal Graphic Design.............................. Heidi Graf Production/ Photographer......... Karen Jones Delivery.....................................Anouk Olson Advertising Sales.........................Sue Bowen Advertising Sales................. Linda Lovendahl Sales Assistant.................... Michelle Hooper Delta-Montrose Bureau Advertising Sales.................... Virginia Carlile Delivery..........................................JR Milner Garfield Bureau Editor.......................................Cheryl Currier P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 970.24 3.8 829  80 0. 536.7516 fax Website: www.BeaconSeniorNews.com E-mail: 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, Montrose and Garfield counties.

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

Display advertising rates are available upon request.

Deadline for advertising and announcements is the 20th of the month preceding publication. © Copyright 2013 • All Rights Reserved

Cover Photo Leslie Spurlin, left, and Colorado National Monument Superintendent Lisa Eckert, right, pose on top of the Colorado National Monument. Spurlin and Eckert have both been to the Grand Canyon’s Albright Training Center for new rangers.

6 Feature Story

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January 2013

LEFT: Jim Terlouw on a mule as he and his wife, Barb, begin the trip down the 1,700-foot cliff face to Kalaupapa National Historical Park in Molokai, in the Hawaiian Islands. RIGHT: The Terlouws on Lost Mine Trail at Big Bend National Park in Texas.

What’s on Jim Terlouw’s Bucket List? Visiting all national parks: 320 down, 78 to go

By Melanie Wiseman

J

ust weeks before Hurricane Sandy slammed into the east coast, Jim Terlouw, 67, and his wife Barb spent time there visiting 11 National Parks.

“I wonder what they look like now,” Terlouw pondered with concern.

Among these parks were St. Paul’s Church National Historical Site, Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River, and Statue of Liberty National Monument (specifically Ellis Island).

Terlouw’s concern and passion for national parks stretches over 60 years. Growing up in Iowa, his family’s annual three-week summer vacations took them to national parks all over the west. While visiting two national parks near St. Augustine, Florida in 2000, Terlouw’s interest in national parks turned into a passion when he got the idea to put visiting all 398 on his bucket list.

“My career as General Manager of MBC Broadcasting in Grand Junction

took me all over the U.S. for conventions and conferences,” Terlouw said.

“I started bringing the list of national parks with me, renting a car and staying a few extra days.”

In 2006, Terlouw flew from a convention in Dallas, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas.

“Four days and 850 miles later, I had seen six parks,” Terlouw said.

“Parks and their visitor centers are usually open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so the trick is seeing the parks and visitor centers in the day, and driving long distances to the next park in the evening. Ideally you visit the first park as soon as it opens in the morning.”

Obviously, a bucket list, which includes seeing all 398 national parks, takes both dedication and organization.

“Having a bucket list gives you something to live for,” Terlouw said.

“It keeps you going.”

The organization required to make the most of Terlouw’s trips may make some heads spin, but for him, it’s

part of the incredible journey. Three binders with a spot for the brochures he collects from each park are nearly full, as he has already been to 320.

“It’s not just about getting the brochure,” Terlouw said. “It’s hiking, experiencing history, and enjoying the natural beauty and the animals. I also keep an Excel spreadsheet, which keeps track of when I went to each park and what I did there. My favorite things to do in the parks are to watch the visitor center films, which are among the best for information, absorb history, and hike some of the best trails in the U.S.” But most of all, it’s about the emotional connection.

“So much blood flowed here,” Terlouw said, referring to Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland. Among his favorite parks, this site marks the bloodiest one-day battle in American history.

During just 12 hours of combat, 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded on September 17, 1862. Manzanar National Historic Site in California,

which was an internment camp for 110,000 Japanese Americans during World War II also tops his list. Kalaupapa National Historic Park in Hawaii marks the forced isolation of people from Hawaii afflicted with leprosy, to the island of Molokai from 1866-1969.

Other parks of special meaning to Terlouw are Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia, and Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the 1957 desegregation crises at that location.

“It tears you up inside knowing what people went through and sacrificed,” Terlouw said. “It makes me wonder if I could have done what they did.”

Thomas Edison National Historic Park in New Jersey takes you a step back in time, taking you to his home and laboratory. It was a thrill for Terlouw to be in that place.

“Thomas Edison worked right there,” Terlouw said. “There are the actual machines he used.”

January 2013

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Feature story 7

A reliable power source LEFT: Terlouw at Winnewissa Falls at Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota. RIGHT: Terlouw at the mudpots at the Sulphur Works at Lassen Volcano National Park in California.

People may be surprised to know national parks encompass 84 milthere are three national parks cenlion acres of land, including oceans, tered on the life of Abraham Lincoln, lakes, reservoirs, archeological sites, and six parks around the life of shorelines, historic structures, hisTeddy Roosevelt. toric landmarks and are home to 400 “I always did poorly in history,” endangered species. The number one Terlouw said. “Seeing these places mission of the National Park Service brings history to life.” is to care for special places saved by Terlouw has had many up close and the American people so that all may personal encounters with animals as experience our heritage. well as history. In Theodore RoosTerlouw enjoys inspiring others to evelt National Park in North Dakota, visit national parks by sharing his stoa herd of buffalo crossed the road ries. Are his children and grandchilright in front of his car. On the ferry dren as excited to see all the national to the Channel Islands National Park parks as he is? off the California coast, a whale went “I’m working on it,” Terlouw said. “I right under his boat. In February of can’t believe how many people from 2012, he traveled 70 miles by ferry Grand Junction haven’t even been west of Key West to Dry to the Black Canyon. I Tortugas National Park, always take company Florida to see Fort Jefthere. It’s amazing.” ferson and some amazing Although it’s never too sea life while snorkellate in life to see national ing. Add wild horses and parks, Terlouw recombears. The list goes on. mended starting early.

“The final 78 national The fact that his family parks on my bucket list went to national parks are going to be a chalwhen he was growing up lenge because of their was probably one of the location or being cost best things that ever happrohibitive,” Terlouw pened to him. said.

“I’ve been in a lot of Alaska alone has 23, caves,” Terlouw said. “I several which take days went to Carlsbad Cavto hike into or require a erns National Park in Terlouw at Hole in the Wall fly over. War in Pacific New Mexico as a kid and Trail at Mojave National National Park in Guam again as an adult.” also remains on his list. Preserve in California.

His final bit of advice?

Yellowstone National Park was es“Whenever you see a national park tablished as the world’s first national sign, you should pull over,” Terlouw park in 1872. National parks preserve said. “You never know what you’re local history, celebrate local heritage going to see. National parks bring hisand conserve natural beauty. The 398 tory right up close.” ■

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M o n day - T h u r s day u n T i l 6 p M

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January 2013

Guacamole

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Mix oil, 1/4 t salt, black pepper, cumin, sugar, chili powder, lime zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes.

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Add to turkey and allow to marinate for at least 20 min. — do not exceed 30 min.

Mix in bell peppers, onion, cilantro, dip, turkey, remaining lime juice and salt.

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COMBINE brown sugar, malted milk powder, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Whisk sweetened condensed milk, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate morsels and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate filling until cooled.

FOLD in 1-1/4 c of whipped topping into filling. Fold in 1/2 c crushed malted balls.

Spoon filling into cooled, baked crust. Top pie with remaining whipped topping; sprinkle with remaining crushed malted balls. Drizzle with chocolate syrup; top pie with cherry. Refrigerate.

January 2013

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Advice & ideas 9

Ask the Old Bag Advice Column for the Over 50 Crowd

By Gayle LagmanCreswick

Dear Old Bag: I read with great interest your column where you laid out some suggested protocol for casual dating. I thought about it and decided that I somewhat disagree with you. I do not want to go out with a guy who cannot afford to pay for his way and my way. Call me old-fashioned if you want. I still think it is proper for a man to pay the way for his date. Signed, Sorry Dear Sorry: You have a right to disagree. There may be a few men out there who feel the same way.

However, if you find yourself sitting at home when you could be out having a good time with a fine guy, who is tired of shouldering all the expense on his fixed income, please don’t write to me whining about not having dates. Good luck. O.B. Dear Old Bag: I think you sold out on your women friends when you said we should pay for ourselves on dates. I don’t have much money and can only afford to go out if he pays. Signed, Home Alone Dear Home Alone: I understand that some folks have a very limited income. However, it does sound a bit like you are looking for a “sugar daddy.” I suggest you search for inexpensive ways to have a good time. Join groups who do things like hiking, movies, playing cards, etc., which are good and inexpensive ways to meet others and to have a good time. O.B. Dear Old Bag: Thank you for the excellent column on casual dating.

I have been waiting for something like this for a long time. I will use it and encourage its use by others!

Signed, Gentleman R. (Note: I received several letters like this from women as well, who said they were relieved to have it all spelled out.)

Dear Old Bag: I am 65 and have some health problems, which are

making it difficult for me to live alone. My son wants me to move in with him and his family. They have four teenagers whom I love dearly. The problem is that my son and his wife both work. I think my days living with them would be no different than what I have now...home alone all day. What do you think? Signed, In a Pickle Dear Pickle: Sometimes living with one’s children works out well.

But more often than not, it causes problems. You would be going from living alone and being lonely to the normal chaos of a lively family with four teenagers. Talk about jumping out of the frying pan. I can only tell you what I would do. I do not want to live with my children—no matter what. I would like to keep the great relationship I have with them and my grandchildren. I would do any of the following before I would ever consent to live with any of my kids: 1. I would look for a companion who could live with me. I would give them free rent for helping me out. My kids could help me screen them.

2. I would investigate nonmedical home care services depending on how much I could afford.

3. I might see if a friend would like to move in.

4. I would much rather move into an assisted living facility than in with my son.

Please understand that I love my sons and their wives and families, and they love me, and would probably take me in if I asked them. The deal is this: I want to continue our good relationship, and I feel as if living with them would ruin it. If you have read my column for sometime, you may remember that my biggest fear is that my children will begin treating me as if I am their child.

Yikes! O.B. ■

Send your questions to the Old Bag in care of the BEACON, or email lagmancreswick@cox.net.

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January 2013

So, you want to write a book?

By Jan Weeks

I

t’s been said that every person has at least one story inside them that wants to come out. If you’ve ever said, “Gee, I bet I could write a book,” 2013 might be your year to see that dream come true.

But before you jump into the writing business, take a moment or three to figure out what you want to write about and who you want to read it. Does your idea come under the heading of fiction or nonfiction? Is it mainly for family and friends, or do you dream of hitting the New York Times best sellers list? In this threepart series, you’ll learn what you need to know in order to write for your target audience.

Let’s start with writing for those close to you.

Family histories and memoirs are great ways to connect with future generations, or even have the present one say, “Wow! I never knew Grandpa did that.”

If you’re the repository of family tales going back for generations, writing them down ensures that your grandkids, greats and great-greats will enjoy them for years to come.

A chronological timeline gives readers a straightforward look at the past, but starting with ancestors that arrived on the Mayflower and writing through to the present generation may not be the best way to rivet your readers. There’s no rule that history has to be sequential. Organizing your book into categories might spark more memories than just stating the facts.

For instance, “Interesting Characters” might tell of Great-grandpa’s adventures when he ran away from home as a boy, making his way to Los Angeles by hopping freights. Did he get his longed-for job in the silent movies? Or was some other fate waiting for him?

A “Family Tree” section can chart or list family members going far

back, if you so desire, or you can stick to the most recent generations. If you’ve pulled up your family background on Ancestry.com or done other kinfolk searches, you can insert that information into this chapter.

How about “Holiday Memories,” both the merry and the morose? Did the Christmas tree fall over on Baby Snooks in 1943, leaving her scared of Santa? Did Dad come home from Korea just in time for the Fourth of July celebration? How about the time when Bobby was 7 and the Easter Bunny forgot to bring his basket and he found out in one fell swoop that there was no Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy, and no Santa Claus? There’s a memory for you.

People are always more interested in disaster than in effortless lives. Just think of what the evening news broadcasts.

“Tough Times” could recount family stories of surviving the Great Depression. Did your great-grandma raise 11 kids in a one-room soddy on the prairie? Did a major illness or epidemic change the family dynamic forever?

You can also “Remember When” and give the younger generation a glimpse of the past. Remember when candy bars were huge and cost a nickel? How about the go-cart you cobbled together from two-by-fours and baby buggy wheels when you were 9? What toys did you play with that no longer are on the market?

If you have a collection of recipes that draw acclaim from anyone who drops by for dinner, you can compile them into a cookbook. Separate them by category and tell a story about each recipe. Did Mom always fix the candied yams this way? What about the time the cat climbed onto the top of the fridge and chewed a chunk out of the defrosting turkey? Why did Aunt Jean always insist on making a white cake with chocolate frosting for every birthday party?

Families aren’t the only fodder for

“Wow! I never knew Grandpa did that.”

January 2013 nonfiction writers. If you have an area of expertise, you can pass on your knowledge to others through a book. Browse the local bookstores and you’ll find many authors who’ve written about the geography or the geology of the Grand Valley, memoirs of pioneer families, or some excellent histories of Grand Junction.

Hobbies can grow into books, too. Virginia Jensen, a local jewelry designer, parlayed her passion for top-of-the-line beadwork into a multibook deal with Kalmbach Books.

Would others be interested in your talents as a woodworker or auto restorer?

Maybe your budding best seller is fiction. Is it a story you think the world will want to read? Or do you want to write it just to get it out of your head but not necessarily into print? Even though there is nothing new under the sun, and that Shakespeare already wrote every plot that’s worth mentioning, authors still sell their sagas of jealousy, revenge, and family feuds because of the new twists and interesting characters they create. Whatever fate you envision for your Great American Novel, the next two articles in the series will give you the basics of how to write it, how to revise it, and how to submit it to a publisher or self-publish it.

Next month we’ll tackle the nuts and bolts of writing: setting, character, theme, plot, spelling, grammar, and revision. Between now and then, let your story ferment and keep a notebook nearby to write down ideas, phrases, and plot twists. If a great idea springs to mind just as you’re dozing off, force yourself to make a note because I guarantee you won’t remember that brilliant brainchild in the morning. If your notes seem to be chaotic, that’s okay. Just write down what comes to you and sort it out later. Keep the faith that you have a great story to tell, and by summer you, too, can have a finished product.

Jan Weeks is the local author of three traditionally published novels and one self-published e-novel. She teaches classes in writing both fiction and nonfiction. ■

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Local writers’ resources If you need encouragement and inspiration, the Grand Valley offers plenty of both. Here are some organizations that cater to the writer in all of us.

Page Peddlers meets from 9:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the Artful Cup, 3090 N. 12th St., to discuss various facets of the writing process, including independent publishing.

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The Grand Junction Writers’ Cooperative is having its annual writers’ competition, open to elementary, middle school, and high school-aged children. Information is available at www.mesa.k12.co.us, or from ejim shires@acsol.net, or call 241-9178.

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The Western Colorado Writers’ Forum, www.westerncoloradowriters. org, sponsors many events, including “Writing the Sacred: The Practice of Compassion,” a women’s writing and yoga retreat at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass January 3-6, 2013.

The organization also presents the ongoing reading series, “Poets and Writers of Colorado Mesa University,” at Planet Earth and the 4 Directions Gallery, 524 Colorado Ave., at 7 p.m. each third Thursday, excluding December and January. Readings are free and open to the public. Check the website for more events.

The American Christian Fiction Writers, www.acwriters.com, sponsors contests, conferences, and mentoring, along with other services.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers meet quarterly at the Business Incubator, 2591 Legacy Way in Grand Junction.

The Colorado Gold Writers’ Conference is a terrific place to meet with agents and editors and to talk about your fiction project. Visit www.rmfw.org for more information.

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January 2013

What’s your new year’s resolution?

By Michelle Hooper

T

he new year is a time looked forward to by many. It’s a time to reflect on everything that has happened in the past year and a time to make changes for the better. Resolutions are motivational commitments and the new year is a great time for a fresh start.

Don’t know what your new year’s resolution will be this year? Try one of the following:

Get organized If you are someone who writes something down on a piece of paper and then can’t find it, you may need to get better organized.

“For many years I have been trying to get organized,” Pam Lowe, 69, said. “As you get older, getting organized is different for different people. There are people that have their home meal menus scheduled for a week. Finding my checkbook and my driver’s license is good enough for me.”

On New Year’s Eve, Lowe makes herself a list of several things she would like to accomplish in the new year. Last year, she accomplished four out of six things, including taking trips to Alaska and Phoenix, improving her home and taking care of her health.

“New Year’s Eve has always been a time to assess what I have done in my life,” Lowe said.

Spend time with family and friends We only live once. Spend more time with the people that matter most. As you get older, you realize how important your friends and relationships are.

Nelson Ramos, 71, a retired veteran in Grand Junction, was admitted into the hospital at least six times this year. He was rushed to the emergency room four times in one week. The doctors could not figure out what

was wrong with him. One visit entailed emergency gallbladder removal, and another time he fell in a parking lot and broke his back, causing two separate surgeries. In between all of this, he was diagnosed with osteoporosis. He already suffers from polymyalgia, glaucoma, diabetes and skin problems.

Despite all this, to Ramos, as long as he gets to watch football, eat chocolate-covered cherries and spend time with his family and friends, he is happy.

Get fit, lose weight Don’t be one of those people that buy a membership for the gym, goes once and then never returns. Make a commitment to yourself one way or another. Working out at the gym can be boring so take a friend with you and motivate each other to reach goals together.

Another way to get fit is to go hiking. The Grand Valley has numerous trails to choose from and it’s a good way to get out of the house.

LeeAnn Colloty, 59, takes advantage of the outdoors and the gym year-round. Every year on New Year’s Day, she kicks off the new year by skiing at Powderhorn, Aspen or Crested Butte.

Colloty hikes many trails including Independence Monument and Mount Garfield. She also mountain bikes in the summer in Glenwood Canyon or at Rustler’s Loop, just outside of Fruita.

When the weather outside is bad, Colloty goes to the gym. She looks up to people like skiwear maker Klaus Obermeyer, who is 93 years old and continues to ski.

“I do not set new year’s resolutions because I do not need to,” Colloty said.

A healthy lifestyle keeps her focused and young. Self-improvement is her focus year-round. ■

January 2013

Wonders of the winter garden types of birds. It is not uncommon to see the large flickers, mourning doves and robins standing wing to intertime gives gardeners a wing with the smaller finches, sparmuch-needed respite from the rows and warblers around the rim of busy spring, summer and fall seasons the birdbath. in the garden. I like to think the The winter is a good time to look garden has been stripped down to at your garden and see what you can the framework—the bones and the add that would bring more birds, texbasics. The volume has been turned ture and year-round interest to your down and the garden sings its song landscape. You can also plant most in hushed tones. The showy flowers trees and shrubs and leaves are this time of year gone and what if the ground remains are the isn’t frozen solid. evergreen silhouBeing that they ettes, sunny seed are dormant, heads swaying in planting them the breezes and won’t have any the garden art adverse effects. placed carefully There are around the landa few garden scape. chores that need Now is the to be done durtime to appreciing the winter. ate the colorful Remember to trunks of the The author’s cat, Beau, guarding the heated water your ensycamore trees birdbath. tire landscape, and the exfoliatespecially newer trees and shrubs, ing bark of the Winter King hawonce a month or so from Decemthorn, and the lingering fruits of the ber through April. We don’t usually crabapple and hawthorn trees, which receive enough snow or rain to make provide punches of color and food a difference and plants can easily dry for the birds. Now is the time to creout and become stressed without the ate beautiful wreaths, dried arrangesupplemental water. Remove fallen ments and potpourri from elements leaves from your landscape, as they of your garden. can harbor pests and diseases. Water Winter gardens can also provide and turn your compost pile a few important shelter, food and water for times and you’ll be rewarded with the many bird species that overwinblack gold just in time for spring ter in the Grand Valley. According planting. to local bird enthusiast and master So while you’re warming up next gardener John Moore, providing for to the fireplace, think about what the birds during winter can be easily you can add to your garden that achieved with a little thought and would bring winter interest and planning. delight all season long. Take a drive First and foremost, birds need around the area and see what looks shelter to roost and hide from predagreat in the middle of January. You tors like hawks. Evergreens and might be surprised. shrubs like dogwoods, honeysuckles Kathy Kimbrough is the owner of and lilacs are good choices. Having Garden Scentsations, a local garden a few of these shrubs near a heated design and consulting business. You birdbath will give the birds a sense of can contact her at kkimbro49@ security while they stop for a drink yahoo.com or 255-1312. Visit her or bath. My heated birdbath becomes website at www.gardenscentsations. the local watering hole for many blogspot.com. ■

By Kathy Kimbrough, Garden Scentsations

W

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Gardening 13

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January 2013

Wednesday Night Wanderings

By Melanie Wiseman

“H

ow many people get to climb Mt. Everest?” Ed Miller, 66, said. “This is about as close as I’m going to get.”

Ed and his wife, Diane, are just two of hundreds of Grand Valley residents who regularly attend one of the valley’s best-kept secrets—Wednesday Night Wanderings at Colorado Mesa University.

“To read about it is one thing, to see it is another,” Diane, 65, said.

Dr. Jon Kedrowski recounted his story of the events leading up to one of the deadliest nights in the history of Mt. Everest. On May 19 and 20, 2012, winds and bad weather turned violent, killing seven people and stranding others high on the mountain. Kedrowski and his team made it down safely, only to return a week later for a second, and this time successful, attempt to summit the world’s highest peak.

“Choose to set your goals high,” Kedrowski said. “Choose your Everest.”

Wednesday Night Wanderings are programs and presentations that have educated and stimulated the travel and adventure taste buds of locals for 12 years.

“The Wednesday Night Wanderings are about connecting the campus to the community,” Program Director Dr. Chad Thatcher said.

To understand the wanderings, it is important to be familiar with CMU’s Outdoor Program. This program, headed by Thatcher for the past 10 years, is a student-fee funded organization with the purpose to offer and promote affordable, safe, environmentally conscious, noncompetitive, outdoor recreation through international learning adventure trips and accredited classes.

Thatcher has a soul for adventure.

He also has many titles behind his name: outdoor program director, international studies instructor, kinesiology instructor and sustainability council advisor. After five years at CMU, Thatcher achieved his

ABOVE: Moscow, Russia.

BELOW: San Rafael Swell, Utah.

doctorate in sustainability education from Arizona’s Prescott College. This allowed him to build a curriculum around the trips he was already taking with students, who are now able to receive credit for their experiences and instruction.

The Outdoor Program gives students the opportunity to travel internationally and engage in unique cultural experiences. Many programs involve students in international

January 2013 volunteer opportunities. The community benefits from free Wednesday Night Wanderings, presented by

ABOVE: Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

BELOW: Summit of Denali, Alaska.

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com “Sustainable Roots.”

Wednesday Night Wanderings are offered at 7:30 p.m. most Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters.

Program dates and descriptions can be found at www.coloradomesa.edu/ op/wnw.html. Most programs take place in the University Center Ballroom, located on the second floor in the University Center on the corner of 12th and Elm, unless otherwise noted. Free parking is available in the University Center Parking Garage.

First time Wednesday Night Wandering attendee Jeannie Maraschin said, “Shame on me for missing them.”

In 2010, CMU alum Jason Sullivan shared his trek of the entire Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia spanning 2,178 miles. After tackling one of America’s most classic trails, he decided to hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Trail. He will share slides and stories from his adventure at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 6 in the CMU Ballroom.

For more information, call the Outdoor Program office at 248-1428. ■

Upcoming Wednesday Night Wanderings January 18 – The Treasures of Ecuador (Maverick Center Auditorium Room 155) January 25 – The First Line, a cinematic journey that unites the cutting edge of winter action sports with youth education about responsible backcountry usage. (Maverick Center Auditorium Room 155)

students or guest speakers.

“There is something for everyone,” Diane said. “They include so much diversity and outstanding scenery and slides.”

As sustainability is a common educational theme in the Outdoor Program, one recent program was presented by student Toni Walters on her adventure helping Latin American communities find a balance with nature and the economy, called

February 8 – Traveling Through Rich and Poor. Tom Morrison discovered that poor is a relative term on his journey from Norway to West Africa.

(Maverick Center Auditorium Room 155) February 15 – An Antarctic Journey. Join in a 22-day photographer’s voyage with 24 zodiac landings in the Southern Ocean. (Maverick Center Auditorium Room 155)

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Laughing Matters

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Submitted by Jacque Stafford My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.

“I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about three seconds,” she said.

So I bought her a bathroom scale.

And that’s how the fight started.

Frozen Windows Submitted by Lila Gallegos Wife texts husband on a cold winter’s morning: “Windows frozen.”

Husband texts back: “Pour some lukewarm water over it.”

Wife texts back five minutes later: “Computer completely screwed up now.”

The doctor is out Submitted by Louis Padilla A doctor wanted to spend the day hunting, so he approached his assistant about taking over his clinic.

“I’m going hunting tomorrow and don’t want to close the clinic,” he said. “I want you to take care of the clinic and take care of all my patients.”

“Yes, sir,” his assistant said.

The doctor goes hunting and returns the next day. His assistant told the doctor that, in his absence, he took care of three patients.

“The first one had a headache so I gave him Tylenol,” the assistant said.

“Bravo,” the doctor said. “What about the second one?”

“The second one complained about his stomach burning, so I gave him Maalox,” the assistant said.

“Wonderful!” the doctor praised.

“You’re good at this. What about the third patient?”

“I was sitting here and suddenly the door opens and a woman enters,” the assistant said. “Like a flame, she undresses herself, taking off everything, including her panties, and lies down on the table and shouts, ‘Help me! I haven’t seen a man in over two years!’”

“Geeze Louise!” the doctor exclaimed. “What did you do?”

“I put drops in her eyes.”

I love my grandkids Submitted by Jacque Stafford A grandfather was taking his grandchildren home one day when a fire truck zoomed past them. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog’s duties.

“They use him to keep the crowds back,” one child said.

“No,” said another. “He’s just for good luck.”

A third child brought the argument to a close when he said, “They use him to find the fire hydrants.”

Senior moment Submitted by Susan Capps When I was ready to check out and pay for my groceries, the cashier said, “Strip down, facing me.”

Making a mental note so I could complain to our congressman about this running amok Homeland Security crap, I did just as she instructed.

After the shrieking and hysterical remarks subsided, I found out that she was referring to how I should position my credit card.

The price of yard work Submitted by Karen Jones One day, shortly after joining the PGA tour in 1965, professional golfer and married man Lee Trevino was mowing his front lawn at his home in Dallas, Texas, as he always did.

A lady driving by in a big, shiny Cadillac stopped in front of his

January 2013

Laughing matters 17

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house, lowered the window and asked, “Do you speak English?”

“Yes, Ma’am, I do,” Trevino said.

“What do you charge for yard work?” she asked.

“Well,” Trevino said, “the lady in this house lets me sleep with her.”

The woman hurriedly put the car into gear and sped off.

Bakery plants are shutting down due to a workers’ strike. But you may not have heard how it was split up.

The State Department hired all the Twinkies, the Secret Service hired all the HoHos, the generals are sleeping with the Cupcakes, and the voters sent all the Ding Dongs to Congress.

Upcoming anniversary

Submitted by Tom Gear A senior was overheard saying, “When the end of the world comes, I hope to be in Louisiana.”

When asked why, he replied, “I’d rather be in Louisiana because everything happens in Louisiana 20 years later than in the rest of the world.”

Submitted by Bob Breazeale Two women are having coffee.

“You know,” the first one said, “my 14th anniversary is this Sunday.”

“Congratulations!” the second said.

“Which one is that? I know the 50th is gold. What is the 14th?”

“It’s the maritime anniversary,” the first replied.

“Really?” asked the second. “I’ve never heard of it. Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” said the first. “When I married him, I thought he looked like a dreamboat. Now, he looks like a tugboat.”

Hostess Bakeries Submitted by Richard Grand You may have heard that Hostess

End of the world

Irish whales Submitted by Clark Nichols I was in a pub last weekend and drank a few, when I noticed two very large women by the bar. They both had pretty strong accents, so I asked, “Hey, are you two ladies from Ireland?”

One of them replied in a snooty tone, “It’s Wales, you friggin’ idiot.”

I immediately apologized and said,

“I’m sorry. Are you two whales from Ireland?

That’s pretty much the last thing I remember.

The blizzard and the blonde Submitted by Karen Jones It was snowing heavily, to the point where there wasn’t any visibility, when the blonde got off work. She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation. She finally remembered her daddy’s advice that if she got caught in a blizzard she should wait for a snowplow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snowdrift.

This made her feel much better and sure enough, a little while later, a snowplow went by and she started to follow it. As she followed the snowplow, she was feeling very smug

as they continued and she was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions.

After an hour had passed, she was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled for her to roll down her window. The snowplow driver wanted to know if she was all right, as she had been following him for a long time. She said that she was fine and told him of her daddy’s advice to follow a snowplow when caught in a blizzard.

The driver replied that it was okay with him and she could continue if she wanted, but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, and was going over to Sears next. ■

Send your funniest jokes to: beacon@pendantpublishing.com

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By Victor Block

I

knew before traveling to Costa Rica that it’s famous for preserving its magnificent environment. I was aware of the diversity of landscapes and animal life. But only after visiting did I fully appreciate the fact that so much variety is compressed into an area about one-half the size of Maine.

The setting changes quickly and frequently in the compact Central American country. An uphill climb can transport you from an Amazonlike jungle to an alpine woodland.

Dry stretches of forest and pockets of verdant wetlands lie in the shadow of volcanoes.

An astounding array of animal, bird and plant life is always close at hand.

Because so much of the miniscule country is preserved in its natural state, you’re never far from Mother Nature.

In order to experience as much as possible of what Costa Rica has to offer, my wife Fyllis and I traveled there with a tour operator. We chose Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), and the inviting itinerary allowed us to pack as many experiences as possible into every hour of every day.

One typical day included a visit to

an OAT-sponsored school, a traditional lunch with a local family and a guided horseback ride through a dense forest. Another began with a hands-on tortilla-making lesson followed by opportunities to view giant crocodiles at close range, and ended with a visit to one of Costa Rica’s most beautiful beaches.

Most time was spent animal watching and exploring vast stretches of the unspoiled environment. Those two activities are closely intertwined, for the major emphasis put upon preservation provides the diverse landscapes that sustain the even greater variety of wildlife.

About 28 percent of Costa Rica is set aside in national parks, wildlife refuges and reserves. Fyllis and I hiked in Manuel Antonio National Park, which is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Its varied terrain includes a luxuriant rain forest, bird sanctuaries and four inviting beaches.

Even more dramatic is the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a 26,000-acre preserve that spills down both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of the Tilaran mountain range. The setting lives up to its name. Warm air rising from the tropical coast condenses

January 2013

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into a persistent fog and mist. Because sunlight has trouble breaking through the constant thick veil of clouds and dense tree canopy, plant life reaches upward, covering every tree trunk and branch with a proliferation of velvet-like green accented by colorful flowers. More than 3,000 kinds of plants call Monteverde their home, including over 500 types of orchids, the largest diversity of that flowering plant in the world.

We explored the dream-like An astounding array of birdlife is always close at setting by means of six suspension hand. Here you can see some scarlet macaws. bridges, one almost 1,000 feet long, that wind their way through the high tree canopy about 425 feet above the ground. They provide both a bird’s-eye outlook over the forest below, and closeup views of plant, bird and animal life, which thrive in the mysterious treetop world.

A sign at the entrance to the Cloud Forest notes that 126 species of mammals and 448 types of The setting changes frequently. An uphill climb can birds live there. Mammals include transport you from a jungle to alpine woodland. jaguars, pumas, ocelots, sloths and tapir. We heard the roarlike sounds of accurately named howler monkeys screaming from treetops, but had trouble spotting those noisy but elusive critters.

The incredibly rich diversity of trees, plants and flowers is the major appeal of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Elsewhere in Costa Rica, on the other hand, wildlife is the main attraction. More than 1,000 species of butterflies dot the In Costa Rica, about 850 types of birds have been landscape with a myriad of colors, indentified including this black mandibled toucan. and some 850 types of birds have been identified.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1502, he chose the name Costa Rica, or “rich coast,” because he believed the land would yield a vast treasure of gold. However, Spanish conquistadors soon realized they would not discover the mineral wealth they had hoped to find.

Dry stretches of forest and pockets of wetlands lie Visitors today discover wealth in the shadow of volcanoes. of a different kind. They’re sure to people who value and protect the leave Costa Rica with memories of a riches that Mother Nature has bemagnificent natural setting, extraorstowed upon them. ■ dinary assortment of wildlife and

Travel & Recreation 19

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20 Recreation

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Fun after 50 T

Senior Recreation Center 550 Ouray Avenue - 970 243-7408

The Senior Recreation Center offers activities for seniors age 50 and older.

The center is open Monday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Annual membership is $5.00.

S e n i o r R e c re a ti o n C e n te r M o n t h ly C a le n d a r

of

Ev e n ts

Monday

9:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

5:30 p.m.

Cribbage Computer Classes Gray Gourmet Card Bingo Singles Pinochle (1st & 3rd Monday)

Tuesday

9:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

Cribbage & Pool Tourney Gray Gourmet Bingo

Wednesday

9:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Ladies Pool, Card Social Jack & Jill Pool Tourney Free Blood Pressure Clinic (3rd Wed) Gray Gourmet Pinochle

Thursday

9:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

Canasta Cleaning Crew (Last Thursday) Bunco (3rd Thursday) Band (1st Thursday) Pokeno Dance

Friday

9:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

12:30 p.m.

12:45 p.m.

Canasta, Painting Class & Pool Tourney Gray Gourmet Bible Study Bridge

Saturday

8:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

Bridge Class Bridge Bingo

Sunday

1:00 p.m.

Dance (1st & 3rd Sunday)

Gentle Yoga starting January 7 Designed for all abilities, this class will help increase flexibility, balance, strength, and relaxation in a supportive atmosphere, utilizing props such as a chair, blocks, and straps. Classes take place from 7:45 a.m.-8:45 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays through February 21 at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $42 for all classes or $4 for drop-ins.

Total core conditioning starting January 8 Experience the benefit of utilizing props to effectively use deep torso and spinal muscle work to improve control, strength, balance, and conditioning of the core. Classes take place from noon to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through February 21 at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $42 for all classes or $4 for drop-ins.

Snowshoe on Tuesdays Get out and enjoy the beauty of the Mesa blanketed in snow. You will need to bring your own equipment.

Bring a backpack with weatherappropriate gear and water. Lunch is provided. Cost is $5 if you provide your own transportation and $25 to ride with us. Meet at 10 a.m. at Lincoln Park Barn for transportation. If you provide your own transportation, be at Mesa Lakes by 11 a.m.

89.5 FM News

January 8

Listen to in-depth Colorado coverage and the best of NPR and the BBC.

Class covers storing contacts, managing voicemail, speed dialing, and much more. Cost is $10, at 10 a.m. at the Senior Recreation Center.

103.3 FM Classical Music

Bringing You Colorado & the World.

he New Year is packed full of fun. For a complete list of activities, visit www.gjcity.org or pick up a Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Activity Guide at 1340 Gunnison Ave. or the Senior Recreation Center, 550 Ouray Ave. Call 254-3866 to register for the following activities:

Connect with Colorado’s classical music community and experience memorable performances of classical greats.

Online at www.cpr.org

Cell Phone Basics

January 2013

No partner or previous dance skills needed. Class is at 12:15 p.m. at Lincoln Park Barn. Cost is $18.

January 15

Smart Phones, iPads, and You Take advantage of some of the advanced features of your smart phone.

Learn how to change settings and ringtones. Learn about apps and how to use them. Cost is $10 and takes place at 10 a.m. at the Senior Recreation Center.

January 16

Rock Garden At noon, view some cactus and succulents in the Rock Garden at the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens.

Bring a brown bag lunch. Cost is $5.

January 22

Advanced Smart Phone and iPad Learn how to use your smart phone or iPad to send and receive email, browse the web, and use web-based applications like Facebook. Cost is $10 and takes place at 10 a.m. at the Senior Recreation Center.

January 24

Country Waltz Learn to glide and turn around the dance floor. Perfect for weddings and special occasions. You must register as a couple. Cost is $12. Dance is at 7 p.m. at Lincoln Park Barn.

Fruita Senior Center Activities To register for any of the following activities, call the Fruita Community Center at 858-0360 or visit www. fruita.org. Events take place at the FCC unless otherwise noted.

January 11 & 25

Social Night

At 5:30 p.m., enjoy an evening with friends, a potluck, a movie and some popcorn. Call the FCC to sign up to bring a potluck item.

January 21

January 14

Mystery/Casino Night

Experience a great time learning fun dances that will improve your balance and coordination, strengthen your heart, and stimulate your mind.

Dress the part of a character. Help solve the mystery, play some roulette or cards, win prizes and have fun.

Event begins at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $10.

Preregister by January 14. â–

Beginning line dance

January 2013

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

21

Marillac Clinic receives funds to provide dental care for seniors

By Michelle Hooper

T

he Colorado Legislature provided $3 million in funds for dental care for low-income seniors.

Marillac Clinic, located at 2333 N. Sixth St. in Grand Junction, is one of several agencies in the state of Colorado that provides dental care to lowincome seniors.

Those already approved by the Old Age Pension Dental Assistance Program or the Medicare Savings Program are eligible to receive dental services through the clinic.

Applicants must be at least 60 years of age and must have less than $737 a month in income and less than $2,000 in resources (less than $3,000 in resources for a married couple).

Services offered include partial and full dentures, cleanings, fillings and extractions.

A comprehensive exam co-pay might be as low as $6 and a tooth extraction could be around $8.

The price of services is based on the senior’s income.

An application process will be necessary for seniors at Marillac, however, the clinic is still waiting for

the guidelines from the state. Further information will be available mid-January. Applicants can call ahead to be put on a waiting list for services.

The clinic will subcontract with dentists outside of Grand Junction, allowing seniors that live in other Western Slope communities receive services closer to home. An estimated 145 seniors will receive assistance through the program over the next six months.

Dentures are the most needed service for seniors.

“In this population, many people haven’t had the resources they needed to get help,” Marillac Clinic Dental Director Dr. Tom Lavery said. “We enjoy really being able to help subsidize entire treatments.”

In previous years, the state had an Old Age Dental Assistance Program. Due to state budget cuts, the program was discontinued in 2009.

“We are pleased the state is providing this program again for seniors, keeping them healthy and happy,” Marillac Clinic Interim Executive Director Kristy Schmidt said.

For more information, call 298-6345. ■

An exam co-pay might be as low as $6 and a tooth extraction could be around $8. The price of services is based on the senior’s income.

We’re on the web at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Activities 7 days a week Private Rooms Available for any pay status (first come, first served) We accept Medicare A, VA Contract and most Private Insurances Check out our scores at

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Quality care with private comfort!

Look us up at

www.eagleridgegv.com We have changed many things over the last 5 yearsCome check us out!

We are here to help you care for your loved one.

We offer Respite Care, Rehabilitation, Long-Term Skilled Nursing, VA Contracts, Hospice and more!

Our residents are our number one priority.

We are always looking for ways to make individual residents feel at home and to help families feel welcome, giving them the peace of mind knowing their loved one is well cared for.

2425 Teller Avenue = Grand Junction = 970-243-3381

22 Local lore

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January

Grand Junction’s first automobile show held at Lincoln Auditorium. Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Dodge, Buick and more were shown. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Western Colorado.

America’s love affair with cars has its local heartbeat necessities. When beasts of burden were he love story for domesticated, progress so many of our was made. When Ford’s full-of-memories genModel T was invented eration is connected in 1908, REAL progress to a favorite auto. An was made. automobile allows us “Tank Full of Gas” by the Broken Hearted Janitors Although Olds and to soar imaginatively Cadillac initiated the “like an eagle,” with idea of standardized and an excuse of practiinterchangeable parts, cality and need. We it was Henry Ford who all have our reasons developed mass production of cars. for owning a vehicle that fits our He believed that every man should needs or desires, whether it be an be able to afford a vehicle, and so off-road four-wheel drive for providintroduced the Model T in 1908. ing that trophy deer for sustenance Ford could sell each Model T for for the family, a many-seated van for $850 because of the assembly line he transporting family and friends, or a began utilizing in 1914, a revolutioncompact for saving money on a shoe- ary concept in manufacturing. The string budget. Some may even have car moved along on a conveyor belt the luxury of owning a fully remodwhile workers on each side added a eled antique or a sporty two-seater. specific part. The use of standardized Westerners, in particular, are depenparts that were interchangeable also dent on their wheels. As most of our produced a product that could be readers can appreciate, driving 500+ easily and affordably repaired. miles to and from Denver in a day is In 1900, only 4,192 passenger cars not extreme. (no trucks or buses) were built in Transportation has been a desirable the U.S. Prior to the assembly line, element since man’s (and woman’s) a Model T required 12 hours to asfirst trek over great distances while semble. After 1914, one car every carrying bundles of food and other 24 seconds could be completely

By Sandi Cameron

T

“I’m gonna gas up, First chance I get, Somewhere on this road.

I’m gonna keep these wheels rollin’ Till the borders are met, And I won’t stop there...”

constructed. By 1915, the price of a Model T had dropped to $440, and by 1925 a Model T could be bought for $290. Three out of four cars were purchased on the installment plan.

In Grand Junction, transportation had its own story in the early days.

In 1903, the City suspended the horsedrawn street car. The rails were pulled up and the horses were sold. This same year, Rambler standardized the steering wheel and moved the driver’s position to the left-hand side of vehicles. They also equipped their cars with a spare tire that was mounted on a fifth wheel. Most cars were operated at a single speed, but closed bodies were still extremely rare. A Packard named “Old Pacific” came through the Grand Valley on a record coast-tocoast run.

An electrically-powered streetcar system was inaugurated on May 27, l909 by the Grand Junction and

Grand River Valley Railway. During this time when few people owned automobiles, streetcars were a great convenience. In 1911, Grand Junction purchased its first automotive fire truck. Shortly after, Western Slope Auto acquired the Ford dealership.

The first cars traveled Midland Trail, a primitive highway.

In 1912, Charles F. Walsh flew the first airplane over the fairgrounds (now Lincoln Park), with 5,000 spectators present. In October of the same year, a stalwart band of 27 motorists drove nine cars from Grand Junction to Salt Lake City in 11 days. The road was rough, to say the least. It often dwindled to a wagon track that was muddy and slippery.

Streams were forded when needed.

Salt Lake rewarded the motorists with a banquet, and the drivers shipped their cars home by railroad.

This same year, the electric starter, an electric motor that starts the

2013

gasoline engine, was invented. Prior to this, the engine had to be cranked by hand to start, a difficult maneuver that could cause thumb or arm fractures if not completed properly.

World War I impacted much of the world from 1914-1918, however, the U.S. enlisted soldiers for service from 1917-1918. Naval forces were engaged in the Atlantic, and land forces fought battles mainly in France. The Great War proved the value of the gasoline automobile. Trucks and ambulances were used in great numbers, and the war proved to be a testing ground for automotive design.

Grand Junction’s Motor Car Club had more than 50 members, and boasted 500 automobiles in Mesa County. In 1919, Grand Junction and Mesa County joined forces to build a road to the top of Grand Mesa, at a time when the population was nearing 9,000.

Introduced in the 1920s were electricpowered cars, front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, safety glass and even hybrid fuel/electric cars.

Mechanical brakes for all four wheels were added. Many cars were custom made for wealthier buyers.

Touring vacations became popular, but motorists had to plan carefully as there were often long distances be-

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

tween gas stations and breakdowns of cars were fairly common. Tourist parks (motels) and other facilities sprang up to service the needs of traveling motorists. Gas station chains began to cash in on the trend by supplying maps that highlighted their business locations, and also sold travelers food and drink.

In 1925, Ray Schiesswohl opened the Super Service Station (later Schiesswohl Oil) on Sixth and Colorado. The first automobile show was held at Lincoln Auditorium the following May. Some of the cars displayed were the Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Buick brands.

Others shown were the Hudson, Nash, Studebaker, and Willys. Approximately two million vehicles (including trucks) were built for sale in 1925. Trucks were supplied with cabs and bodies beginning in 1924, and cars continued to be painted all black.

In 1926, Gen. Billy Mitchell arrived in Grand Junction to promote the strengthening of U.S. air power and the construction of airports. During this same year, the city’s electric streetcars were replaced by buses.

One of the most significant motoring events of 1927 was the release of

Local lore 23

the “new Ford,” the Model A, replacing the long-standing Model T after 18 years of production.

Advertisement for autos focused on specifications (engine horsepower, features), but the late 1920s brought in advertising that appealed to emotions. Automobile manufacturers Grand Junction’s first street car in 1909. Photo courtesy of the targeted women Museum of Western Colorado. drivers by advertising in women’s magazines and by manufacturing cars that flirted with women’s ideals, i.e., varying the range of colors, making improvements in the interior of the car, and by overall improvements in how the cars handled.

Features like heatA Ford service station in Grand Junction. Photo courtesy of the ers, balloon tires, Museum of Western Colorado. and independent front wheel suspension improved the apparently preferred the Cadillac and the Packard. experience of motorists, even with Read the rest of this story next many roads still unpaved. This was month in February’s BEACON. ■ the time of early movie stars who

24 Faith moves god

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 2013

Waving hands. What do they mean?

By Joyce Reed, missionary

C

Reaching Out to Those Reaching Up

Bethel Assembly of God Church Join us in a friendly atmosphere, a loving congregation and anointed Praise and Worship.

We are a family oriented church that focuses on reaching the whole person: ages 2 to 92 and beyond.

Visit our website: www.gjbethel.org for information about our ministries and to listen to past services.

2945 Orchard Avenue • Grand Junction

970-243-8247

Pastors David and Carol Huslig - Serving over 30 years

SUNDAY 9:30 - Sunday School 10:45 - Worship Service 6:00 - Evening Worship WEDNESDAY 7:00 - Bible Study MPact Girls Royal Rangers

olorado Highway 139 traverses 70 miles between Fruita and Rangely. Many who travel this highway are unaware of the wonders of Canyon Pintado.

Scattered across the landscape are over 200 sites with pictographs and petroglyphs. A pictograph is a painted design that often depicts birds, animals, people, and other features of the world.

A petroglyph is a carven image in stone, and like pictographs, might represent objects real or symbolic.

The waving hands

parishioners gaze at people and places around the world, what do they see? Do they see the signs scribbled in the rock, the paintings drawn on the walls, the fragments of pottery left scattered behind?

What does it mean?

Do you see Jesus?

As one ABC missionary, I pray that you see Jesus—his love and grace poured out, over, and through the lives of men and women, boys and girls, and the hope of Jesus being lived out through hospitals, schools, churches, and homes, and the kingdom of Jesus being discovered like a pearl of great price.

At milepost 53.5, I discovered the wavWaving hands rock art pictograph Joy in the midst of ing hands. Two hands covering a petroglyph in the Dougstruggle. wave from the cliff las Creek Canyon near Rangely, Laughter in the face of face with other smaller Colorado. defeat. paintings, and around Strength in the flood of the corner to the tears. south are a numI John 3:17-19 Self-control in the taunt ber of Ute figures, (The Message Version): of temptation. horses, arrows, and If you see some brother or sister Peace in the cacophony outlined hands shelin need and have the means to do of war. tered under an oversomething about it but turn a cold hang. It is fascinatPatience in the waves shoulder and do nothing, what ing, and almost holy, of strife. happens to God’s love? It disapto ponder symbols Faithfulness in the fog pears. And you made it disappear. that were painted of uncertainty.

My dear children, let’s not just talk between 650 and Gentleness in the place about love.

Let’s practice real love.

1200 AD, but the of scorn.

This is the only way we’ll know ongoing mystery is Kindness in the storm we’re living truly, living in God’s this: what do they of anger. reality. Amen.” mean?

Goodness in the pool The pictograph of of hate the waving hands Love in the power of did not leave me with a definitive the Cross. answer. Was it a symbol to welcome One thousand years from now, people? To praise the creator? To when our future descendants look form a word with the other symbols back in time and they stumble across painted beside it? A Ute simply exthe remnants of our lives, may there perimenting with human anatomy? I be clarity instead of questions. May gazed at the symbol, pondering. they look back at us and boldly see What is our mission legacy?

Jesus. Let this be our mission as we As American Baptist Churches shine God’s light into the dark places (ABC) focus on world missions and of our world. ■

January 2013

Resource directory highlight 25

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

2013 yellow pages for Western Slope seniors now available

“It’s our yellow pages for seniors”

visit a doctor in another county.

By Cloie Sandlin

J

Got Internet? anuary has arrived and so has For even more convenience, our the 2013 BEACON Senior RESOURCE Directory. website, www.BeaconSeniorNews.

The BEACON’s annual REcom, hosts a virtual format of the SOURCE Directory is a trusted and print edition, for those seniors and valuable tool for Western Slope their family members who live out seniors, their families and those of the area. It is senior-friendly and that assist them. It is also our most can be turned page-by-page with requested publication. just a click of the mouse. You can The RESOURCE Directory consearch for keywords, tains over 1,500 listings zoom in and out, and and hard to find DirectOry click on an advertiser’s contact informaweblink to be autotion for clubs, matically directed to support groups, their website. genealogy resources, senior Monthly highlights housing, health Every month, the care information, BEACON highlights a social services, local club or organifree health screenzation listed in our ings, financial .” tern Slope seniors Wes for es RESOURCE Direcpag “It’s the yellow assistance, insurtory. It’s a great ance advisors way for readers and more. Each 13 2O to become better phone number is involved with orgapersonally verified nizations in the community. (This and lovingly typed into our extenmonth, the RESOURCE Directory is sive database. Though geared for seniors, many households keep the what we are highlighting.)

RESOURCE Directory throughout Get your free RESOURCE Directory the year.

We widely distribute the Bigger and better RESOURCE Directory in Mesa, With every year, the RESOURCE Delta, Montrose and Garfield counDirectory gets bigger and better. ties. It can be found at numerous Our 2013 edition is divided into doctors’ offices, senior centers, three sections that represent the hospitals and many other senior Western Slope. Our Mesa County agencies. It is also inserted in this section has 764 listings, our Deltaissue of the BEACON. If for some Montrose section has 441 listings reason you have not received your and our Garfield County section RESOURCE Directory or want more, has 305 listings. If you can’t find a call us at 970-243-8829 and we will service or product in your particumail them to you. Businesses are lar area, try looking in one of the able to call and request them in bulk other counties. It’s not uncommon and we will deliver them personally, for Western Slope seniors to live in one place, shop in another, or even with a smile. ■

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Get your Free copies!

Call 970 243-8829 “I have had many of my clients tell me that they have seen my ad in the Beacon’s Senior ReSouRce Directory. I feel the continuity of being in the Beacon every month along with the yearly ReSouRce Directory, which stays with most people’s telephone books, gets me the best bang for my buck!”

– Valerie a. Begalle, Reverse Mortgage Specialist

26 Finance

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 2013

Hit the ground running in 2013 by slowing down

By Teresa Ambord

M

ost of us think of the new year as a time for a fresh start. We’re going to get in shape, eat better and clean out the garage. Before you buy the new jogging suit and toss out the Ding Dongs in favor of celery sticks, resolve to be wealthier in 2013. How do you do that? First, slow down.

Slow down and take a good, honest look at where your finances are and where they are headed.

Here are several areas to take a look at and consider what changes you need to make.

1. What’s on your calendar for the year? Do you generally owe taxes in April? Planning to travel to your grandson’s graduation in June?

Attend a wedding in August? Is it your turn to host the extended family at Thanksgiving? Those things cost money. Create an overall budget that can have you financially ready for each event so you’re not overwhelmed or tempted to use high-cost financing like credit cards at the last minute. When you pencil in what you think you’ll need to cover those events, don’t forget to plan for cost

ANGELS IN THE VALLEY

Richard W. Lewis, Funeral Director

Nearly 1.5 million terminally ill patients in this country choose hospice care, which focuses on comforting and relieving the suffering of the dying. While hospice does not deal in cures, it does provide medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support. This care is usually delivered in the patient’s home, but it is also possible to receive hospice care in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and specialized hospice care facilities. Hospice focuses on alleviating symptoms, relieving pain and making patients more comfortable. Palliative Care concentrates more on improving the quality of life and giving support to families of seriously ill and terminal patients.

Hospice is derived from the Latin word “hospitium”.

The movement was started in England in the 1940’s at St. Christopher’s Hospice. Hospice care migrated to the United States in 1974 at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Since then, hospice has expanded throughout the United States. Hospice offers their services to any person regardless of age, type of disease, or the ability to pay. Their services are based upon a philosophy of compassion, comfort, personal choice, and most importantly, hope.

Did you know that hospice will provide grief support for anyone in our community who has lost a loved one? They do, whether your loved one was receiving hospice care or not. There are too many hospice programs available here in Grand Junction to mention them individually. There are programs for families, men, women, and children. Please visit their website, www. hospicewco.com, and review all the information and programs this wonderful organization has to offer our community.

If you, or someone you know, are living with a terminal illness, caring for a loved one who is seriously ill, or grieving the loss of someone near to them, Hospice Care can help.

Martin Mortuary, your local Dignity Memorial® provider, is here for you too, with expert services that can ease your grief and assist with your decisions at this most difficult time. We have been serving the Grand Valley since 1917. Please feel free to visit our mortuary at 550 North Avenue, and if a question arises, please do not hesitate to contact us at 970-243-1538 to set up an appointment, or visit our website: www.martinmortuary.com.

Pick uP your coPy of Available now at your local library or bookstore. A full slate of fun and interesting programs is in the works.

Stay tuned for details!

Whether you desire cremation or burial, Martin Mortuary now provides the security of insurance funded funeral prearrangements.

www.mesacountylibraries.org

increases. Also, put away something for major expenses that you know are pending, like replacing the roof.

2. What’s not on your calendar?

Now that you’ve thought about those expenses you have planned, give some consideration to those inevitable unplanned expenses. The water heater that goes out, your adult child that asks to borrow money for new tires, the doctor bill that wasn’t covered by insurance. You may be thinking that this is why you have credit cards, for times like these. Saving your credit card use for emergencies is a good idea. But if you can manage it, putting aside a few dollars into a cash reserve each month may allow you to avoid the unforgiving high cost of debt financing.

3. Where are your important papers? Make sure all of your insurance policies are easy to locate if a disaster such as a flood or fire occurred. The time you have to file a claim may be limited. Even if you know exactly where your papers are, someone else needs to know in case you cannot be consulted.

Do you have warranties on major items? The majority of extended warranties are never used because the policyholders cannot lay their hands on the papers when they need them.

If you should lose your wallet or if you find you are the victim of identity theft, can you quickly determine who to contact? Keep a list of contact information for canceling credit cards and notifying your bank if necessary.

4. Are there expenses you can easily cut? It’s a good idea to review your recurring expenses now and then. We tend to make our arrangements for items like cable TV, phone service, insurance etc. and then forget about them. It couldn’t hurt to take a look. For example, how much have you really watched the premium movie channels you signed up for last year? If you’re not watching them enough to make them worthwhile,

find out if you can save money by eliminating them. On the other hand, you may be able to bundle services and save money. It’s worth a look.

Phone service providers are in stiff competition. Can you get a better deal than you’ve got now? If you need to cut costs, consider getting a phone that is… just a phone. Or better still, a prepaid phone that makes controlling costs easier.

5. Is what you have too much, too big, too troublesome? If your house is stuffed full of items you don’t use, now is a good time to give away or sell what you don’t need.

Why keep items that just need to be dusted? You might even consider downsizing your car and/or your house. Your car may be a gas hog.

Your house may be an insurance and utility hog. Not to mention a bigger house requires more cleaning.

6. What’s in your portfolio?

Don’t let the onslaught of bad news in the stock market make you bury your head in the sand. The people who do that are the ones at greatest risk, according to financial experts.

Are the decisions you made last year still working for this stage in your life? Financial advisers can help, but there is also a lot of free help online.

7. Is your will up to date? Families change due to births, deaths, marriages, divorces. It is very common to forget to adjust your will for those changes, and the results can be harsh. If you haven’t already done so, let family members in on the arrangements you’ve made for yourself in terms of “last wishes” and plans such as the purchase of a burial plot.

8. Are you giving money to causes close to your heart? The economy has hit charities incredibly hard as donations have fallen off. If you are in the habit of making end-ofyear gifts, you might consider switching to a plan of making 12 equal contributions throughout the year. ■

January 2013

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Finance 27

Resolve to be financially secure in 2013

By Jason Alderman

W

hen it comes to making new year’s resolutions, getting into good financial shape ranks right up there with losing weight and eating healthier. All three goals require discipline and planning, and as you’ve no doubt experienced, it’s not unusual to encounter setbacks along the way.

Don’t let losing a minor battle here or there convince you to surrender on the bigger war. You’ll probably have more success if you start out taking small steps, learning from your mistakes and gaining momentum as you go.

Here are a few suggestions for better managing your personal finances in the new year: The first step on the road to financial health is to create a budget you can live with. If you’re new to budgeting or haven’t been successful in the past, start slowly. For a few

P R E M I E R

months, write down every cent you spend: mortgage/rent, utilities, food, gas, medical copayments, credit card interest—the works. You’ll be surprised where you money goes.

At the same time, compare money coming in (income) to money going out (expenses). If you’re just breaking even or losing money each month, you need to boost your income and/or aggressively trim spending. Try these strategies: • Pay bills on time and send at least the minimum amount due. You’ll avoid late fees and related interest rate increases. Plus, you’ll improve your credit score.

• Balance your checking account regularly and use in-network ATMs to avoid overdrafts and fees.

• If your employer offers flexible spending accounts, use them to pay health and dependent care expenses with pretax dollars.

• Raise insurance deductibles and

S E N I O R

shop around for better rates.

Once you start reducing expenses, use the savings to pay down debts more quickly. Try making a table of all outstanding credit card and loan balances and their corresponding interest rates. Then, each month, pay the minimum amount due on each— except pay as much as possible on the account with the highest interest rate. Once that one’s paid off, move to the next-highest rate account and so on.

Another smart move is to have an emergency fund in case of financial upheaval (layoff, medical emergency, unexpected car repairs, etc.) Ideally you should save enough to cover six months of expenses, but don’t be discouraged if that sounds insurmountable: start slowly by saving a few dollars each week. You won’t miss it and your little nest egg might just save you from needing an expensive shortterm loan to cover an unplanned bill.

L I V I N G

If something terrible happened to you, would your family be protected financially? Make sure you have a valid will, durable power of attorney, health care proxy and living will.

Numerous books, online articles and sample forms are available if you want to draft them yourself, but you should probably review your documents with a financial advisor or attorney to avoid potential legal problems. Also, make sure you have adequate life and disability insurance.

It’s debatable how much Social Security will be able to contribute toward your retirement income in coming decades, so if you’re not already participating in your employer’s 401(k) plan or an IRA, make that one of your top financial resolutions.

Sticking to resolutions is never easy. If it were, we’d already be doing them. But striving to improve your financial situation now will pay off big-time down the road. ■

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January 2013

Closing the Medicare Part D doughnut hole: the end is in sight!

By Ron Pollack

T

he meaning of the 2012 election results will probably be debated for months, if not years. But a few things are clear. Nearly everyone agrees that President Obama’s reelection means that the Affordable Care Act—the 2010 health care law sometimes called Obamacare—will stay in place. For people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, especially those who use a lot of prescription drugs, that’s good news.

When the Medicare prescription drug program (Part D) was created in 2003, it included a large gap in coverage that’s known as the “doughnut hole.” After beneficiaries reached an “initial limit” of total drug expenses ($2,930 in 2012), they had no prescription drug coverage until they got to the other side of the doughnut hole—by spending $3,700 more out of their own pockets—and reached the “catastrophic limit” for the year.

The doughnut hole meant that nearly four million beneficiaries with significant prescription drug costs— the people who need help the most— had to pay the full cost for their medications for months at a time.

Many had to choose between buying their medications and buying groceries. Others resorted to skipping doses or splitting pills. What’s more, the problem was going to get worse: the gap was going to grow to more than $6,000 by the year 2020.

The doughnut hole never made any sense as a matter of health insurance. Why would coverage stop when you needed it the most? But until the health care law was passed, nobody had done anything about it. Now, the doughnut hole is being gradually filled in. In 2012, people who entered the gap

received a 50 percent discount on name-brand drugs and a 14 percent discount on generics. In 2013, those discounts increase to 52.5 percent on name-brand drugs and 21 percent on generics. The discounts will increase each year until 2020, when the gap will be completely filled.

This change is making a positive difference in people’s lives. According to the agency that runs Medicare, since the law took effect, about 5.8 million people with Medicare have gotten help with their drug costs. The total value of the help is now $5.1 billion. That’s money that’s stayed in seniors’ pockets rather than being spent at the pharmacy. As of the end of October 2012, the average savings has been $677 a person.

That’s a lot of groceries—or presents for the grandkids.

There’s also some encouraging research confirming what a lot of us intuitively sense—that making prescription drugs more affordable saves money down the road by keeping people healthier. When people with diabetes get their insulin regularly, for example, they’re more likely to stay out of the hospital. Of course this is great for them, as no one likes

The average savings has been $677 a person.

That’s a lot of groceries—or presents for the grandkids.

going to the hospital. But it’s good for all of us, because hospital care is expensive, and keeping people healthy and out of the hospital is one of the most obvious ways of bringing health care costs under control.

Of course, there are things you can do to help keep your own prescription drug costs down. You should make sure you’re getting the most from your prescription drug coverage. Many plans have preferred pharmacies and mail order services that can get you better prices. Ask your doctor and pharmacist about whether generics are available for any of your name-brand medications, and take the generics whenever possible. If you have limited income and financial resources, you might qualify for the Extra Help program that’s run through Social Security. You can find out more at the Social Security website, www.socialsecurity.gov/ prescriptionhelp, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Some states also have their own programs to help people with high drug costs.

As 2013 starts, between the fiscal mess in Washington and everything going on in our own lives, we’ve all got a list of things to be concerned about. But it’s good to know that the Part D prescription drug doughnut hole is soon going to fall off that list of concerns. ■

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January 2013

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How can I surf the Internet safely?

Ask the computer guy

By Daniel Ashurst, Owner, Alpine Computer Solutions

The most important fundamentals to safe surfing can be summed up by ensuring that: • critical and important Microsoft Windows updates are installed • the Java software is up-to-date • the Adobe Flash software is up-todate • the Adobe Reader software is up-todate Q. What about email attachments?

Email attachments can always pose a risk, even when they are from your best friend. If your trusted friend is infected, you may be receiving the message from a virus, not your friend. If possible, save the attachment to your desktop and manually scan the file before opening it.

Q. What browser should I use?

With the fierce competition between browsers these days (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera), it probably doesn’t matter which one you use, as long as it is current and updated.

Q. What antivirus program should I use?

This is another very competitive market and to find the best antivirus program for you is not a simple task. There are a number of categories that determine the final performance of any antivirus program. The first one is detection rate.

This quality is determined by its ability to recognize a virus.

Secondly, the ability to remove or at least disable a virus is very important.

Removing the virus without crippling the computer is the goal here.

Third, is the category of false positives.

If your antivirus pops up telling you it found something bad, you would expect it to truly be bad. This is not always the case, and some programs do a much

better job than others. Other considerations may be how long it takes for the program to perform a full scan of your computer and how much of your resources the antivirus program is using to perform its work.

Q. Can I use more than one antivirus program at one time?

Generally speaking, this is not recommended. There are a few exceptions, but unless you have a very powerful computer, running two full-time antivirus programs will negatively affect computer performance.

Q. What about search engines? Are they safe?

Not always. In fact they do very little to nothing to protect you from viruses.

Their job is to match search terms with results, not to keep you safe. Imagine each link that comes up as a housing neighborhood. To determine if you are in a safe neighborhood, you will need to get familiar with a number of websites.

For those who don’t know for sure, it is generally better to play it safe than to be sorry. You could be knocking on a door in the wrong part of town. Such a decision could have adverse results.

If in question, don’t hesitate to write down the website address and allow us to check it out for you. Email it to us at solutions@alpinepc.com.

Q. Do you have specific recommendations for antivirus and malware programs?

Yes. We openly support Avast antivirus and Malwarebytes as the two most successful free programs to keep your computer cleaned up. Please speak with us for more specific recommendations. ■ Email your questions to Daniel with Alpine Computer Solutions at solutions@ alpinepc.com or mail them to the BEACON at P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502. For professional assistance, call Daniel at 234-1011 or Alpine Computer Solutions at 257-1011.

ask the computer guy 29

30 Mesa county

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Mesa County Calendar Compiled by Cloie Sandlin January 5

High Desert Opera’s “I Do! I Do!” This High Desert Opera production stars James Werner and Michaela Sessum as Michael and Agnes Snow, the couple under the microscope and ready for your scrutiny. We watch as they age, magically, in front of our eyes and become “swept up” in all the adventure and drama of an enduring relationship. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre, 645 Main St. Ticket prices range from $10-$39 for adults

and $10-$35 for adults age 55 and older. Purchase your tickets at www. highdesertopera.org, call 523-9605, or visit Roper Music.

January 5

NRA’s Refuse to be a Victim seminar Attend a free crime-prevention seminar from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Pureland Security is presenting NRA’s Refuse to be a Victim seminar, which provides a lot of valuable information on cultivating a positive self-defense philosophy and offers many safety strategy options. Although the NRA created this seminar, it is not a firearms-

Booths availaBle

based course. Pureland Security is a team of both women and men certified instructors. This seminar is free.

Space is limited, so register early by calling 270-3203 or email suzanne@ realstreamline.com January 7

Senior Theatre auditions Seniors age 50 and older are invited to audition for “Sunset Trail,” Senior Theatre’s next production to be held in March. Auditions are at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27 1/2 Road. For more information, call 245-9145.

January 9 & 12

Hike for your health Take part in this ranger-led hike on Serpents Trail. On the way up this historic trail, explore the history of road building on the monument. The hike is four miles round-trip with an 800 feet elevation gain. Hikes take place from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Preregistration required. Call 858-3617, ext. 360.

January 10

Old treasures Grand Junction Christian Women’s

april 18, 2013 Two Rivers Convention Center, Downtown, Grand Junction

Prize Giveaways Informational Booths Live Entertainment All Day  Yes, please send me free information on being an exhibitor at BeaconFest.

January 2013 Network invites all ladies to their January luncheon at 12:15 p.m. at the Clarion Inn, 755 Horizon Drive. Bring a small treasure to be appraised by Dusty of Antiques on the Avenue. Reserve your place by January 5 by calling 257-7468 or email castleguard@ bresnan.net.

January 11 & 12

Celtic Rhapsody

Celtic band FEAST returns with an explosive all-new program with champion Celtic dancers and lots of surprises! Virtuoso tempraments and symphonic textures characterize the awesome sound of FEAST. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre, 645 Main St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for adults are $26 to $36 in advance and $29 to $39 at the door. Purchase tickets online at www.junctionconcerts.com or at Roper Music.

January 12

Sequins on Parade The Grand Mesa Chorus of Sweet Adelines International can’t wait to show off new songs, costumes and a new show. “Sequins on Parade, Coming to a Town Near You,” written by chorus member Sandy Olson, is a fun and entertaining show about a traveling troupe of female singers as they travel the U.S. Special guests will add to the fun and glamour, including the Bookcliff Barbershop Chorus and Sweet Adelines quartets. Performances will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at

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Phone: 243-8829 Fax: 1-800- 536-7516

Mail: P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502

Hazardous Waste Collection Facility 3071 U.S. Highway 50 www.mesacounty.us/swm

January 2013 Robinson Theatre in Colorado Mesa University’s Moss Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors (age 65 and older).

Tickets can be purchased at Mesa County City Markets, Party Land, or at the door. Call 858-4839 for more information.

January 12

Community Contra Dance La Puerta Ballroom, 523 1/2 Main St., presents a community dance from 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. A new dancer’s workshop will be at 7 p.m. before the dance. Fifth Reel will provide entertainment. Dances are taught and cued by caller. Come with or without a partner. Adults are $8. For more information, call Connie at 243-6736.

January 13

Church Basement Ladies The Mesa County Concert Association presents “Church Basement Ladies: A Second Helping.” These under-appreciated women of the church who volunteer to work in the church kitchen are back servin’ it up again. Because of the original musical’s success, a sequel was written—this time, the year is 1969 in their small rural Minnesota community, and the world is a-changin’.

You’ll love the heartwarming humor and hilarious antics of Church Basement Ladies. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Junction High School auditorium, 1400 N. Fifth St. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Call 2431979 for ticket information.

January 19

Happy Healthy HOA Day This event will feature a full afternoon of proven homeowners association success strategies from noon to 5 p.m. at A Taste of Heaven Catering, 2817 North Ave. The event starts with a hot and hearty winter lunch.

This event will also feature a business expo and Q&A session. The cost is $25 for the first person and $15 for each additional person from the same organization. For more information, call 274-1286 or visit www. yourhoateam.com.

January 25-27

Cinderella Ballet Cinderella was composed by Sergei Prokofiev and premiered at Bolshoi Theater in Russia in 1945. This production is adapted and directed

by Absolute Dance’s ballet master Anthony Noa. Cinderella is notable for its jubilant music, lush scenery, the hilarious roles of the stepsisters and Cinderella herself going to the ball meeting Prince Charming and living happily ever after. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Colorado Mesa University’s Robinson Theatre in the Moss Performing Arts Center. Tickets for adults are $15 for general seating and $20 for VIP seating. Tickets can be purchased online at www.absolutedancegj.com or by calling 255-8322.

River City Singles

Mesa county 31

January 2013 Activity Schedule

“Young-at-heart adults getting together for fun and friendship!”

Friday Afternoon Club meets at 5 p.m. Fridays in the lounge at The Doubletree Hotel, 743 Horizon Drive. The first FAC meeting of the month is our business meeting and the second is Birthday Recognition Day for our members. Call Jim Spiegel at 424-2545 for details.

Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. - Join us for Early Start Breakfast at Denny’s on Horizon Drive.

Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.

Wednesdays at 5 p.m. - Dine out at the following locations every week. Call Debbie Grose at 245-4995 for details.

January 2 - Blue Moon, 120 N. Seventh St. January 9 - Red Robin, 2530 Rimrock Ave. January 16 - Outback, 2432 Hwy 6 & 50 January 23 - WW Peppers, 753 Horizon Court January 30 - Texas Roadhouse, 2870 North Ave. Sundays at noon - It’s Bowling Sunday followed by card games at Orchard Mesa Lanes, 295 27 Road. RSVP to Bob Lewis at 263-8462.

Saturdays at 9 a.m. - As part of the Saturday Morning Bike Ride, meet at Albertsons on the Redlands for an easy ride along the Colorado River Trail. Call John Delehanty at 241-3171 for details.

Saturday, January 5 - Join friends at noon for lunch followed by a few games of pool at Bank 8 Billiards, 2460 F Road (across from Barnes & Noble). All skill levels are welcome.

Call Mary Wynn at 255-7370 for details.

Ski at Powderhorn - For those who would like to ski on Monday and Thursday mornings at Powderhorn Mountain Resort, contact John Delehanty at 241-3171. Talk to him about carpooling or to arrange a place to meet upon arrival.

February 1 & 2

January 16

Fruita Lions Chili Supper (new location!)

AARP’s Driver Safety class will be held from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at Redlands United Methodist Church, 527 Village Way. Successful completion of the course should offer a significant reduction in your automobile insurance rates for three years. AARP offers this to any and all senior drivers to help them become better and safer drivers. Cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. Preregistration required. Call 858-1514.

The Fruita Lions will host their chili supper fundraiser at a new location—Independence Village Hall, 225 N. Coulson in Fruita. Due to the supper’s popularity, it is held two days from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. Chili and Judy’s famous chicken noodle soup will be served. There will also be a cake walk. Admission for adults is $5 and children ages 6-12 are $4. Proceeds benefit Fruita Monument High School’s seniors scholarship program.

■

AARP Driver Safety class

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

If you have an event or photo you would like to have appear in the Beacon, send it to: beacon@pendantpublishing.com.

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32 Mesa county

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Mesa County Beacon Bits Compiled by Cloie Sandlin

St. Mary’s LIFE program Take control of life and weight with St. Mary’s LIFE program, which offers professional support to help participants accomplish weight management goals with energy and fun.

Learn strategies to manage weight with exercise, nutrition education, and healthy behavior changes. The cost is $187. Access to the pool and gym at St. Mary’s Life Center is included. The next LIFE program will take place January 15 through April 9. Register by January 11. For more information and to register, call 298-6080.

Tech Table Tuesdays At Tech Table Tuesdays, library staff will be available to help you with questions you may have about your eReader, tablet computer, laptop, or other device. You can also receive help with downloading electronic library materials and accessing library

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resources. Tech Table Tuesdays are open from noon to 2 p.m. on January 8, 15, 22, and 29 at the Central Library. No appointment is needed.

eReader workshops Learn how to download library books on your eReader by attending one of several eReader workshops offered during January at Mesa County libraries. You don’t need to bring your eReader with you. The classes are demonstration-only. You can schedule individual instruction by making an appointment with a librarian by calling 243-4442.

• Monday, January 7 - Central Library, 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, January 8 - Fruita Branch, 3 p.m.

• Friday, January 11 - Orchard Mesa Branch, 2 p.m.

• Thursday, January 17 - Collbran Branch, 2 p.m.

• Thursday, January 17 - Palisade Branch, 6 p.m.

• Thursday, January 24 - Central Library, 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, January 29 - Clifton Branch, 6 p.m.

Free tax preparation Free federal/state tax preparation is available to taxpayers of all ages through AARP Tax-Aide. Tax-Aide Colorado volunteers are trained, certified, experienced and ready to assist you with your personal tax preparation at one of these locations: • U.S. Bank basement, 422 White Ave., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday • Wells Fargo Bank basement, 2808 North Ave., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday • Alpine Bank (Fruita), 125 N. Park Square, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday and Friday • Goodwill conference room, 630 24-1/2 Road, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Thursday (February 7 through March 14) and Friday (February 1 through April 13) and Saturdays

Energy assistance available LEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) applications are available at the Mesa County Department of Human Services, 510 29 1/2 Road, for individuals and families needing assistance to pay for winter heating costs. LEAP is not intended to pay the entire cost of home heating. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements and income guidelines. The application period runs through April 30. For more information, call 2448400 or visit www.humanservices. mesacounty.us.

Norovirus outbreak Mesa County Health Department is seeing an increase in norovirus outbreaks in the community. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodbornedisease outbreaks in the U.S. Noroviruses spread when people have contact with infected people, consume contaminated food or water, or touch contaminated objects. Symptoms include: vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping caused by inflammation of the stomach and intestines.

Other symptoms can include: fever, headache and/or body aches. Norovi-

January 2013 rus illness can be serious, especially for young children and older adults.

Some symptoms can lead to dehydration. If you think you or someone you are caring for is severely dehydrated, call a doctor. There is no specific medicine to treat people with norovirus, but drink plenty of liquids to replace lost fluids and wash hands regularly. Stay home when you are sick.

Volunteer opportunities • RSVP connects individuals 55+ to volunteer positions in any of our member agencies. For a list of volunteer opportunities and to register, call 243-9839.

• Homeward Bound of the Grand Valley is always in need of volunteers. Call 256-9424 for details.

• Operation Interdependence needs volunteers to write notes for the troops, help collect products and pack civilian rations. For more information, call 523-4217.

• Gray Gourmet needs several adult volunteers to deliver a weekday lunch to homebound seniors in the Grand Valley. To find out more about delivering meals, call Marsha at 243-9844, ext. 5. Volunteers are also needed to work at one of our senior dining sites one day per week. For more information, call Sheli at 243-9844, ext. 2.

• Harden Hospice needs volunteers to help patients tell their life story.

Training is provided. Volunteer office support positions are also available.

Call 210-5912 for details.

• St. Mary’s Foster Grandparent Program needs volunteers to help tutor and mentor school children that are at risk for developmental delays.

Call Tanya at 263-9091.

• St. Mary’s Senior Companion Program needs volunteers to provide companionship and assistance to a senior in need. Call Tamara at 263-9092.

Club activities • Western Slope Coin Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Redlands Community Center, 2463 Broadway.

Know the real value of your coins

January 2013

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

and currency with a free evaluation before the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Call 241-1770 or 245-4141 for details, or visit www.gjcoinshow.com.

• Two Rivers Cribbage Club meets from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. every Thursday at New Life Church, 1350 N. Seventh St. Call 261-1670 for details.

• Talk of the Town Toastmasters invite you to join their weekly Thursday meetings from noon to 1 p.m. at the Business Incubator, 2591 Legacy Way. Call 244-1625 for details.

• Happy Feet Rounds meets at the Masonic Lodge, 2400 Consistory Ct. on Sundays for a variety of dancing including waltz, rumba, cha-cha and more. Beginners are welcome from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and intermediate dancers are welcome from 6:30 p.m.8 p.m. Call 243-5858 for details.

• Grand Valley Knights are a group of auto enthusiasts that meet every Saturday from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. at Spoon’s Bistro and Bakery, 3090 N. 12th St. with their sport and classic vehicles. For details, call 462-6762 or visit www.grandvalleyknights.com.

• Vestafjell Lodge, Sons of Norway will meet at 2 p.m. on January 13 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 3133 F Road. Diane Molter will give a presentation on Scandinavian pioneers’ connection to the orphan trains. Janice Koppang will entertain with humorous stories.

2013 officers will be instated. Wear your Norwegian sweater and bring a dessert or side dish to go with chili and soup. For details, call Barb at 2455649 or visit www.vestafjelllodge.org.

• Two River Sams Chapter Good Sam RV Club will meet at noon on January 12. For location, call 5235625 or 270-0471.

• Knights of Columbus hosts bingo at 7 p.m. on the second Friday of the month at 412 32 Road in Clifton. The first pack is $10. Half of the proceeds are paid out as prizes. The other half goes to KOC’s scholarship fund. Call 434-4037 for details.

• Mesa County Genealogical Society meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month and at noon on the fourth Wednesday of the month (bring a lunch) at the Commons of Hilltop, 625 27 1/2 Road. A help session is at 1 p.m. on the first Friday of the month at one of the Mesa County libraries. For details, call 245-5312.

• Mesa County Republican Women meet at noon the second Monday of each month at Two Rivers Convention Center. Lunch is $15 per person.

RSVP to 248-0815.

Mesa county 33

• Grand Valley Woodcarvers Club meets from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays at the Redlands United Methodist Church, 527 Village Way. Call 245-8817 or 5235965 for details.

• Levis & Lace Square Dance Club hosts square dances from 7 p.m.9:30 p.m. every Friday at the Masonic Lodge, 2400 Consistory Court. Call 216-8503 or 434-6541 for details.

• Art Jewelers Guild meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at the Grandview Apartments on the corner of First Street and Independent Avenue. Call 2431220 for details.

• MACHO Men, a cancer support group, meets at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Oncology Conference Room and the fourth Wednesday at St. Mary’s Java City Café. Call 2982351 or 858-1301 for details.

• Breast Friends, a breast cancer support group, meets at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at St. Mary’s Hospital’s Oncology Conference Room. Call 298-2351 for details.

• Stamp Collectors meet the second Wednesday at White Star Electric, 803 Winters Ave. at 7 p.m. For details, call 986-1502.

• Western Slope Non-Smoking Singles has potlucks on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27-1/2 Road. They have dinner on the third Wednesday of the month and have monthly outings. Call 4345277 for details. ■

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January 2013

Crossword Puzzle

Across 1 Go with 5 Bay window 10 Knight’s group 14 Oscar-winner Jannings 15 Last name in fashion 16 Involving the ear 17 Links lover’s mag 19 Earthen pot 20 “___ you for real?”

21 “…Jumpin’ Jack Flash, it’s…”

22 “Catch-22” author 24 Balkan native 26 Pianist John 27 Real finish 28 Edith Head’s area 32 Sprinted 34 Building beam 36 Early serfs 37 Timer sounds 39 Grade-school ltrs.

40 K-Mart, e.g.

41 Underway 42 Cain and ___ 44 Outdated records 45 Browbeats 47 Unclose, to Byron 49 Shampoo ingredient 50 Boot your Mac 54 Spahn or Beatty 57 Cart away 58 Incumbents 59 Corrupt 60 Deep Blue vs. Kasparov, e.g.

63 Mag section 64 Derby winner 65 Actress Powers 66 Nightstand jug 67 Doesn’t fold 68 the top Down 1 “Jockeys in the Rain” artist 2 Dean Martin song topic 3 Wall worker 4 Wee toy maker 5 Japanese paper art 6 Lear’s daughter 7 “___ de Castro” (John Clifford play) 8 Tabloid aviators 9 Shaping tools 10 Fast Eddie, for one 11 “___ have to do” 12 Stack of chips

13 Fall souvenir 18 Place to start the roast?

23 Mr. Kefauver 25 Where granny goes on Tuesday nights?

26 Yanks’ manager 28 Pre-marathon meal?

29 L’s four followers 30 Chariot endings 31 Pilot’s dir.

32 Rampant 33 Shortly 35 React to the cop with the radar gun 37 Ham’s dash 38 Ancient Roman burial stone 43 Formula One cars 46 Spiral shells often used as horns 48 ___ Beach, Fla. 50 Sarah Vaughan’s nickname 51 Enormous two-staged missile?

52 “___ Buck” (1989) 53 “Don’t give me that rot!”

54 “___ number one!”

55 Declare openly 56 Marriage, e.g.

57 Queen of Olympus 61 It starts “under the collar” 62 Docs’ grp.

January 2013

Delta/Montrose Calendar Compiled by Liesl Greathouse January 10

Celtic Rhapsody with Irish Band FEAST Virtuoso temperaments and symphonic textures characterize the awesome sound of FEAST. A virtual wall of gorgeous string and sound, sensuous harp sonorities, gutsy percussions, dazzling costumes and dances will make this an incredible evening to remember for the whole family. Performance will be at 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. All seats are reserved and ticket prices vary by section, ranging from $26 to $36 for adults. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.junc tionconcerts.com or call 249-7015.

January 10

Food & Farm Forum If you are a small acreage farmer or livestock producer, or if you are interested in becoming one, you will not want to miss this conference, which will focus on sustainably improving the production, marketing and consumption of locally-grown food products. The conference will be from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Montrose County Fairgrounds, 1001 N. Second St. in Montrose. For more information, call 249-3935.

January 12 & 14

Habitat for Humanity meeting Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to build safe, decent, affordable housing for people in need. For anyone who may qualify to have a home built with Habitat for Humanity, there will be two informational meetings: 10 a.m. on January 12 and 7 p.m. on January 14 at the Zion Lutheran Church, 701 S. Junction Ave in Montrose. To learn about the qualifications for a home or for more information, call 252-9303, ext. 2, or visit www.habitatmontrose.org.

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 15

Fall prevention class Lisa Sink with Alpine/Harden Home Health will educate participants on the consequences of falls that can lead to hospitalizations and the loss of independence. Other goals of the discussion are to identify those individuals at risk for falls and to suggest ways to keep them from happening.

This free class takes place from 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. in the Senior Center Dining Room at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. Call 249-7705 for more information.

Do you hate m!sspelled words , m!ssing punctuat!on marks + bad grammer as much ass we do?

Here’s your chance to become a defender of the English language!

Simply read the

, red pen in hand, and point out our slup-ips, I mean slip-ups, to us.

Send in your entries by the end of the month to: Newspaper PO Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502

January 18-20

Cinderella Ballet Cinderella was composed by Sergei Prokofiev and premiered at Bolshoi Theater in Russia in 1945. This production is adapted and directed

by Absolute Dance’s ballet master Anthony Noa. Cinderella is notable for its jubilant music, lush scenery, the hilarious roles of the stepsisters and Cinderella herself going to the ball meeting Prince Charming and living happily ever after. This production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive. Tickets are $15 for general seating and $20 for VIP seating. Tickets can be purchased online at www.absolutedancegj.com or by calling 255-8322.

Each mistake you catch will count as one entry. At the end of the month, we’ll draw from the entries and one lucky, eagle eyed, reader will win a gift certificate, T-shirt, cash or something else of value.

Magic Circle Players Community Theatre Presents The Thriller

WAIT UNTIL DARK

  

January 11 through January 26, 2013 Fridays & Saturdays 7:30 PM Sunday Matinees 2:00 PM Call 970 249-7838 for information & reservations

420 South 12th Street - Montrose, CO www.magiccircleplayers.com

January 26

Curtis Stigers in concert This year’s benefit for Hospice & KVNF features Curtis Stigers with opener Take Five from 7 p.m.11:30 p.m. at the Montrose Pavilion Auditorium, 1800 Pavilion Drive.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Around the Corner Art Gallery, 447 E. Main St. in Montrose. For more information, call 249-4243. ■

If you have an event or photo you would like to have appear in the Beacon, send it to: beacon@pendantpublishing.com.

Delta/ Montrose counties 35

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36 Delta/ Montrose counties

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

January 2013

Delta/Montrose Beacon Bits Compiled by Liesl Greathouse

or visit www.aawesterncolorado.org.

Events for veterans

Stroke support group

The Warrior Resource Center, 11 South Park in Montrose, has the following events scheduled for veterans in January. If you have not previously registered with the Warrior Resource Center as a veteran, please bring a form of military ID with you. For more information, call 240-5489.

• Join us and other veterans for coffee from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. every Thursday. This event is open to all veterans of any conflict or area.

Downtown historic walks A historic walk of downtown Montrose will be held at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, starting at the Montrose County Historical Museum, 21 N. Rio Grande. Cost is $5 and space is limited. To RSVP, call 249-2085.

The Montrose Memorial Hospital Stroke Support Group meets twice a month at the hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit from 11 a.m. to noon. Stroke survivors, family members and caregivers are all encouraged to attend. For more information and meeting days, call Tim Ramsey at 318-2028.

Senior Resource Council meeting The Senior Resource Council provides resources to seniors. Anyone interested in joining the group is welcome. The SRC meets from 8:30 a.m.9:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month at the conference room of the Education Center building, north of Delta County Memorial Hospital at Third and Stanford in Delta. For more information, call 712-2295.

Volunteer Opportunities Montrose hospital donates Harden Hospice in Montrose is seekhouse to Habitat for Humanity ing volunteers to help their patients

Quality Care with a compassionate touch Paonia Care and rehabilitation Center 1625 Meadowbrook blvd • Paonia, Co Hospice • Respite Care • 24 Hour Skilled Nursing Care • Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy • Medicare/Medicaid Certified Transportation to & from Appointments • Respiratory Services Available as Needed • Dedicated Rooms for Rehabilitations and Recoveries • Long Term Care and Private Rooms Available • Basic Cable Service Provided to our Clients • All Qualified Insurances Accepted Medicare • Medicaid • HMO • Private • PACE • UMWA • Hospice Respite Care • VA We Accept MC & Visa Credit Cards

970-527-4837 www.PCrC.web.officelive.com

Montrose Memorial Hospital recently donated a house, located at 847 S. Fifth St., to Habitat for Humanity of Montrose. The only requirement was that the nonprofit find a new location for the structure. The house will be moved to a new lot in the downtown area once an appropriate site is found and will eventually house the Welcome Home Montrose Dream Job program. HFH welcomes cash donations and volunteers to help with the project. Call 252-9303.

First Friday stroll From 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month, stroll along downtown Montrose and see artist demonstrations, enjoy free wine tastings, and in-store promotional events.

Have a drinking problem?

Do you think you may have a drinking problem? Do you know someone else who might? There are weekly AA meetings throughout the Western Slope. For meeting times and locations, call 245-9649 or 888-333-9649,

tell their life stories. Share some laughter, hold a hand, and be there when you’re needed most. For more information, call 275-6064.

Magic Circle Players present “Wait Until Dark” Suzy, a not-so-typical housewife, becomes the target of three con men searching for something valuable in a doll—a doll her husband unwittingly brought from Canada, which has mysteriously gone missing. With astute cleverness, Suzy is determined to defeat her assailants in this edgeof-your-seat thriller. Performances are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays January 11-26. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. Play starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Magic Circle Theatre, 420 S. 12th St. in Montrose. For show times and more information, call 249-7838.

Delta Senior Activities The following activities are offered at Bill Heddles Recreation Center, 530 Gunnison River Drive in Delta. To register for any of the following ac-

January 2013

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

tivities or for a full list, call 874-0923.

• Community Evening Dances, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

Everyone can join the fun for Saturday night dances. Coffee and lemonade provided. Cost is $4 at the door.

Please bring a snack to share.

• Youth/Adult Guitar Lessons, 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Youth and adults learn hand positions, picking, strumming, and chords on the guitar. Class is designed as an introduction for those with no guitar experience, or for those who are self-taught and would like to improve their technique.

Please bring your own guitar to class (no amplifiers). This class, instructed by professional John McCoy, is offered Saturdays, from January 26 through February 23. Registration fee of $85 includes instruction, book, and a CD. Register by 5 p.m. January 24.

Montrose Senior Activities The Montrose Recreation District has the following activities scheduled for seniors 50+ in January. Register one week ahead. Events take place at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, or transportation departs from the Montrose Pavilion. Please arrive at each event at least 15 minutes early.

For more information on any of the following activities, call 252-4884.

• Line Dancing Dance every week from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on the first, second and fourth Mondays of the month and at 6 p.m. the

third Monday at the Montrose Senior Center. Cost is $2.

• January 4, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Shopping in Grand Junction. We will visit Mesa Mall, Kmart, Hobby Lobby and the shopping center with Michael’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ross and Sportsman’s Warehouse. Cost is $20.

Bring money for lunch.

• January 10, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Experience the North Fork Valley by visiting Paonia. We will visit the Blue Sage Center for the Arts, KVNF Public Radio and the Paradise Theater Tours. Cost is $20. Bring your own lunch.

• January 17, 9:45 a.m.-3 p.m.

Hike in James M. Robb Colorado River State Park in Grand Junction.

This is rated as an easy, four-mile, round trip hike. Cost is $18. Bring a sack lunch.

• January 26, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

We begin our day with a 45-minute guided tour of the Commemorative Air Force Museum, whose mission is to honor American military aviation through flight, exhibition, and remembrance. We will have lunch and head to the Museum of the West to view numerous exhibits. Cost is $27.

Bring money for lunch.

• January 30, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Snowshoeing in the Grand Mesa area in Grand Junction. Limit of 12 people per trip, so please register early. Cost is $17 (with own snowshoes) or $20 (snowshoes provided). Bring a sack lunch. ■

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Subscribe to Vol. 32

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Martial Arts for seniors is a great new concept.

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september 2010

What’s Inside .......... 13 Advice and Ideas ................ .... 30 Classifieds ................................ .... 19 Crossword ................................

27 Delta/Montrose County ................ ............ 18 Fruita ................................ ......... 10 Health & Wellness................ ......... 14 Laughing Matters ................

8 ....... ................

Local Lore ................ . 22 Mesa County................................ ...... 23 River City Singles.................... .............. 26 Theater & Arts ................

Adoptable Love

Learning how to operate firearms correctly can save lives.

Olathe resident, Ron Avery can aim you in the right direction.

Animal Arielle Alstatt, Mesa County more inside. a Joe, Read Services officer, cuddling Little adoption. for young pit-mix male waiting page 4.

See our cover story on What’s Inside

Local Lore

This old yellow farmhouse once stood on the banks of Lake Lenore. Read more about it’s history inside.

Local Lore From peddling pickles in a wheelbarrow to creating a successful factory, read more about the Kuner-Empson factory inside.

From horses to turtles, take a look at our reader submitted photos.

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Advice and Ideas ............................ 9 Classifieds .................................... 30 Crossword .................................... 26 Delta/Montrose County ................ 27 Fruita ............................................ 17 Laughing Matters ......................... 14 Local Lore ..................................... 10 Mesa County................................. 22 Parks & Recreation ....................... 16 River City Singles.......................... 23 Travel & Recreation ...................... 12

Pets and their people

of Care West A Continuum Health Parlor) at Family Beauty (even a

Vol. 24 No. 9

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19 Classifieds ........... ......................... 34 Crossword ........... ......................... 22 Delta/Montrose County ................

31 Health & Wellness ......................... 10 Laughing Matter s .........................

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28 Theater & Arts ........... ................... 30

Susan Capps, describes experiences and lessons learned from our beautiful Colorado rivers.

What everyone needs to know about long-term care Read more in this month’s insert.

Vol. 31

Faux Food !

What started as local artist turne a hobby for this business. Rea d into a full-time d Martin and othe about Jeannie r starting on page local artists 4.

Lake Lenore and the surrounding Lakesid e Community have made their mark in

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Real Men Give Blood page 6 A Bright Future for Senior Daybreak page 3

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The artists of the Grand Valley Woodcarvers create masterpieces out of simple blocks of wood. Read more on page 6

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Photo by Karen Jones. western colorado

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243-8829

Compiled by Cheryl Currier January 7 & 9

Tech toy help in Carbondale Bring your digital devices to the Gordon Cooper Branch Library, 76 S. Fourth St. in Carbondale, from 6 p.m.7:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday evenings in January. Library staff and volunteers will help you download free library eBooks, music, and audiobooks to your devices. For more information, call 963-2889.

January 12

Health and Fitness 101 Want to get off to a great start making 2013 your best year? The Parachute Branch Library is offering a three-session health workshop.

Starting at 9:30 a.m., find the best exercise for you, learn about preventative medicine, and round out your day with a presentation on diet and nutrition. Enjoy lunch afterwards.

Lunch reservations must be made by January 4. For more information or to make a reservation, call 285-9870.

Winter Lecture Series

phone number credit card

Garfield County Calendar

January 17

zip

January 2013

“Mines of the Coal Basin” is a book recounting tales of adventure, courage, determination and innovation in Redstone, Colorado. Author John A. Reeves resides in Glenwood Springs and is the featured speaker in the first installment of the free winter lecture series at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Glenwood Springs Branch Library at 413 Ninth St. The Winter Lecture Series is held on the third Thursday of each month through April. For details, call 945-5958.

January 18

Leon Littlebird concert Leon Joseph Littlebird truly understands the magic of Colorado. With roots in both pioneer and native cultures, his music embodies the spirit of the mountains. A prolific songwriter and performer, his unique style tells tales of Colorado and the people of the West. A dessert reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. with the performance starting at 7:30 p.m.

at the Clough Auditorium at the Colorado Mountain College Rifle Campus, 3695 Airport Road. For more information, call 947-8367.

January 19 & 20

Ice fishing tournament An ice fishing tournament will be held at the Rifle Gap Reservoir, sponsored by the Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Rifle, Colorado Sportsmen Wildlife Fund and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Admission fee is $35 for adults (if registered before January) and $50 for late registrants. Children 17 and younger are free. Competition will begin at 8 a.m., both days. For more information, contact the Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce at 625-2085, ext. 4 or 2.

Visit www.riflechamber.com for a list of prizes, rules and regulations.

January 26

Mac basics

Come see the newest iMac and many other Apple computers. Have you ever wondered about the differences between an iPad, iPod Touch and a laptop? Learn the difference, play with them, and have your questions answered. This workshop is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Colorado Mountain College Rifle Campus, 3695 Airport Road. Cost is $20. Register online at www.coloradomtn.edu/ register, in person, or via fax or mail.

For more information, call 625-1871.

February 2

Snowshoeing Learn the basics of snowshoeing on this day trip, starting at 9 a.m.

Travel a groomed trail through Rifle Mountain Park for 3.5 miles and have lunch at Coulter Lake Guest Ranch.

For those who get a little tired on the way, Coulter Lake Guest Ranch can pick you up on a snowmobile and take you up the hill for an additional $3. Bring your own snowshoes or rent them for this event. Cost is $25 and you must register with Colorado Mountain College online at www. coloradomtn.edu/register, in person, or via fax or mail. For more information, call 625-1871. ■

January 2013

Garfield County Beacon Bits Compiled by Cheryl Currier

Grief support group A support group for people experiencing grief meets from noon to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Valley View Hospital, 1906 Blake Ave., in Glenwood Springs.

Exercise classes with a physical therapist Certified Lymphedema Therapist Phyllis Zilm offers exercise classes for patients currently being treated for cancer or cancer survivors on Mondays and Wednesdays at Valley View Hospital, 1906 Blake Ave., in Glenwood Springs. Contact Phyllis at 948-6060 for a quick screening to see if this class will meet your needs.

Tai Chi classes Ongoing Tai Chi classes are held in room 33 at the Third Street Center, 520 Third St. in Carbondale. The first class is free and then costs $40 per month. There is also a $7 drop-in fee, depending on space availability.

Classes are from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and are taught by John Norton. Tai Chi is a beautiful exercise form and is excellent for developing balance, strength, flexibility and peace of mind. Call 274-1010 for more information.

Knit and Stitch Join the Rifle Craft Collective from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Tuesdays at the Creekbend Bistro, 121 Third St., for a knit and stitch. Bring any fiber craft. All ability levels welcome. Call 930-1309 for more information.

The Traveler Senior Transportation Program The Traveler is sponsored by Garfield County and provides transportation for senior citizens (60 years of

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

age and older) and individuals with disabilities that prevent them from using their own transportation or accessing existing transportation available to the general public. Based in Glenwood Springs and Rifle, the Traveler serves qualified individuals within a five-mile radius off of Interstate 70 between Parachute and Glenwood Springs, and a five-mile radius off of Highway 82 between Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.

To help support its operation, the Traveler requests a voluntary contribution for the services it provides.

Services may be requested as follows: 1. Persons 60 years of age and older must contact the Traveler at 945-9117 (in the Glenwood Springs and Carbondale areas).

For other Western Garfield County towns and areas, call 625-1366 and request the service.

2. Persons 60 years of age and older must complete an information sheet with the Traveler representative during their initial phone call. A copy of the completed form will be provided to the individual by the driver at the time of their first scheduled pickup.

Tech toy help in New Castle Did you get a new e-reader for Christmas? Are you wondering how to download library books onto it? The librarians at the New Castle Branch Library, 402 W. Main St., are ready to assist. If neither of the below days/ times work for you, schedule an appointment. Stop by the front desk or call 984-2346.

• At 10 a.m. on January 19, we will focus on Kindles and devices with a kindle app.

• At 10 a.m. on January 26, we will focus on Nooks. ■

If you have an event or photo you would like to have appear in the Beacon, send it to: beacon@pendantpublishing.com.

Garfield county 39

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Today’s active, affluent and aging adults own 77% of all the privately held assets in the United States. Admirably, 98% of this group make charitable contributions. But are they planning to donate to you? Planned giving is the “holy grail” of non profit funding. Donor education is the key to unlocking this treasure trove. Will you help us to help you?

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Local philanthropist Herb is none other than Mr. Bacon April the Rotary Club Calendar from of 2011, “Legends of Rotary: A Tribute to Sexy Old Guys.”

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Got a booth? If you’re planning to participate in the area’s largest senior fair, it only makes sense to make the most of your investment by placing your ad in our BeaconFest Program. Not only do we insert the program into our April newspaper, but we also give the program away to each attendee. (You can’t print flyers for this cheap.)

Advertising Deadline: March 20, 2013 Publication Date: April 1, 2013

Call for information 970

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40 classifieds

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Real Estate for Rent

senior living in a park like setting Friendly  Affordable  Safe Convenient  Comfortable

nellie Bechtel senior apartments 245-1712 • 3032 North 15th Street

Clean, young man working part-time evenings, who likes music, voice lessons and wants to finish his education, looking for inexpensive place to live. Leave voice message at 778-9429.

Real Estate for Sale Hickory Crest 55+ Community in Columbia, MD. 1 bedroom, den, 1.5 bath, wood floors. Close to Lorian/Hospital. $320,000. LongnandFoster Realtors. 410-730-9573/410730-3456. Ann Detraglia.

Happy New Year!

To Place a Classified Ad... 3 easy steps!  Write your ad: ....................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................... deadline :

 Wanted to Buy  Real Estate for Sale  Real Estate for Rent

20th of the preceding month

 Classes  Services  Personals

 Events  Work Wanted  For Sale  Help Wanted  Other ..........................................

This ad runs....................months. Starting month.........................

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 credit card # ............................................................... name on card ................................................................ exp. date ..................................... cvc ........................

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beacon, po box 3895, Grand Junction, Co 81502 fax: 800 536-7516 email: beacon@pendantpublishing.com

name ..................................................................................................................... address ................................................................................................................. city............................................................ state .................. zip ............................. telephone number .....................................................................

queStionS? Call Genevra or Michelle M-TH 9am-4pm, 970 243-8829 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Home Care HOME HEALTH CARE Let me take care of your loved ones in their home. Will handle all appointments, errands and social events. Also, light housekeeping, including laundry. I do it all! Great references. Nicole 596-8364.

January 2013

Your ad could go here The perfect spot for Jacque the Caterer.

Male Personal Care Provider Will help with errands and light housekeeping. References available upon request. Call Jim at 434-2168.

PASCO/SW, INC.

Skilled and unskilled homemaking and/or personal care. Skilled nursing, specialize in wound care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, CNA, social work, pre-op, post-op services. PASCO/SW carriers certification for Mi, children’s hospice and Tbi waivers.

Please call for courtesy evaluation of your home care needs.

Serving: Archuleta, Delta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel Cortez (970)565-6833; Durango (970) 247-1211; Montrose (970) 240-1771; Toll Free (877) 685-6833

www.pascosw.com

Personal Care Provider For meals, housekeeping, travel, laundry, errands, etc. I John 4:7,8.

Training in clerical, LVN, CNA, certified CPR. References. $15 hour.

Call Belinda at 250-1831. GJ area.

Thanks!

We pay CASH for Diabetic Test Strips Most types, unopened, unexpired.

Up to $10 per box. Call 433-7110.

Home Services Professional Tile Installer Insured and bonded. You purchase tile, I provide everything else.

Special discounts. Call Bill for a free estimate. 245-3344.

Antiques, Appraisals, Estate Sales With over 30 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. 216-8236.

Call Michelle at 243-8829 Reliable Estate Sales Are you in the midst of a stressful relocation or passing of a loved one?

Let us handle the burden of personal property liquidation from start to finish. Contact Mark Bluhm at 260-2327, cash4@bresnan.net or www.reliableestatesales.net.

Garage Door Repair Commercial/Residential. High Plains Garage Door Repair. Call 434-0163 or 433-1467.

Accessibility Services Grab bars. Walk in tubs/showers.

Licensed plumber/handyman.

“Serving Western Colorado since 1989.” Free estimates. Compare and save! 985-1403.

Miscellaneous Services PATTON’S HANDYMAN and LAWN SERVICE Currently scheduling handyman work and any projects that need taken care of. I also provide snow removal services. Insured and references. Call Jeff 208-5929.

Computer Lady – In home PC Repair Services Friendly, affordable, easy to understand. Computer not-soliterate my specialty! Cleanups, virus removal, setups, upgrades, instruction, wireless and more.

Call Mindy at 255-1216 or 261-3120.

Pheasant Hunting BrokenSpokeRanch.com. wildpheasant@yahoo.com.

241-3949.

January 2013

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

Wanted to Buy BUYING COINS AND CURRENCY U.S. Silver Dollars, 90% Silver, Eagles, Krugerrands, Maple Leafs, Gold and Silver Bars, Proof Sets, Mint Sets, Currency, Collections, Hoards, Accumulations of any size. Call 242-5374.

CASH Paid for old Stuff Wind up men’s wrist/pocket watches.

Gold and silver jewelry. Pocket/ hunting knives, antique firearms, fishing gear, toys, BB guns, old Colorado bottles, old motorcycles, radios and amp, railroad, military, mining items. www.cash4oldstuff. net. Mark 260-2327.

Buying old clothing Costume jewelry, purses, sewing patterns and perfumes (pre-1970s).

Call Linda 234-4736 or 1-800-5727670.

Buying BOOKS Nonfiction, history, nature, westerns, religion, antique, reference, etc. Also buying stamp collections. Call Frank at 241-7778. Will pick up.

Help Wanted

sales person wanted

Meal Menu m onday

The BEACON Senior Newspaper is growing and we’re looking for a mature, loving sales person to come grow with us.

Classifieds 41

January 2013

243-9844, ext. 1

tu e sd a y

w e d n e sd a y

th u rsd a y

fridaayy frid

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Closed

Polish Dog on Bun with Sauerkraut Baked Beans Ambrosia Fruit Deluxe

Tuna Salad on a Bun California Bake 5 Way Vegetables Mandarin Orange Gelatin

Homestyle Chicken Tenders & BBQ Sauce Brocolli & Corn Casserole Orange Wedges Wheat Bread Slice

Send your letter and resume to beacon@pendantpublishing.com

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Potato Soup & Ham And Cheese on a Bun Tropical Fruit Salad

Creamy Chicken Stew on a Biscuit Brussel Sprouts Tossed Salad Applesauce Berry Gelatin

Pork Roast & Gravy Sweet Potatoes 5 Way Vegetables Mandarin Oranges Wheat Bread Slice

Chicken Parmesan Island Vegetables Rice Pilaf Citrus Surprise Italian Bread

Meatloaf & Gravy Mashed Potatoes Chateau Vegetables Fruit Mix Wheat Bread Slice

Part-time editor needed

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Beef Fajita with Salsa Spanish Rice Refried Beans Peaches

Salisbury Steak & Gravy Parsley Potatoes Spinach Orange Wedges Wheat Bread Slice

Spaghetti & Meatballs 5 Way Vegetables Spinach Salad Fruit Mix Italian Bread

Garden Vegetable Macaroni & Soup Cheese with Mozzarella Cheese Broccoli & Asparagus Turkey Ham Apricot & Pineapple Citrus Fruit Mix Compote Wheat Bread Slice Crackers

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Pork Patty & Gravy Herbed Green Beans Mashed Potatoes Apricots w/Craisins & Crunchy Caramel Topping Wheat Bread Slice

Honey BBQ Chicken Baked Potato Broccoli Tropical Fruit Salad Wheat Bread Slice

Chili Relleno Fish Patty on a Chuckwagon Bun Vegetables Garbanzo Bean Spinach & Salad Cauliflower Salad Applesauce Berry Pineapple Slices Gelatin with Cherries & ‘Nilla Wafers

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Spinach Cheese Squares Parsley Potatoes Island Vegetables Peaches with Cherries Wheat Bread Slice

Hamburger on a Bun Potato Salad Swiss Vegetables Fruit Cocktail

Egg Salad on a Bun Speedy Baked Beans Marinated Carrots Citrus Surprise

Beef Tater Tot Casserole Brussels Sprouts Cherry Gelatin Fluff Wheat Bread Slice

for Delta-Montrose. Also, writers for Mesa, Delta-Montrose, and Garfield counties as we expand our award winning paper throughout Colorado. Please send your letter of interest and your resume to beacon@pendantpublishing.com.

Beauty Consultant Grand Junction-based Mary Kay consultant Let me help you discover the beauty essentials that are right for you, including amazing age-fighting skin care, the latest trends in color, great grooming products for men and fabulous gift-giving ideas! Contact me to see how my personal service and Mary Kay products can make a beautiful difference for you.

Call Regan Clements at 719-213-5342 or visit my website: www.marykay. com/rnclements

Did you know the Beacon has a Facebook page?

Like us! www.facebook.com/BeaconSeniorNews

25 Pork Chili & Beans Red Cabbage Toss Blushing Pears Cornbread

Please call Fran at 243-9844 for nutrition questions or for nutrition counseling services.

RESERVATION & CANCELLATIONS required at least a business day in advance. If you have not received your meal by 12:45 p.m., call 243-9844 ext.. 1. Hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

42 Kudos & kvetch

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

kvetch \ kfech Editor’s note: Most of this month’s comments are centered on the City of Grand Junction’s lack of progress in building Burkey Park. While we can’t print all of them, here are a few of the more representative ones.

Most comments expressed outrage at the City’s lack of action, like these:  “Had I been on City Council anytime after 1972, that’s giving them five years to act, I would be so ashamed. I would request that my name be taken off of all records pertaining to the shameless lack of action by that and any council after that date. The honorable and moral action would be to return the land to the Burkey family and let them find someone that would take the land and fulfill their wishes. It’s too bad the Burkey family trusted City Council to do the right and honorable thing. The Long family did it right. They gave the county five years to construct the park or the land would be returned to the Long family. Isn’t it amazing how fast the Long’s park got built?”

- Robert B., Grand Junction

 “It’s terrible that we have neglected the Burkey Park and the family that gave it to us in good faith. If Fruita could build a new recreation/senior center then we can, too.” - Terry C., Grand Junction  “Shame is the only word that adequately describes my feelings toward the City’s dealing with the Burkey Park problem. My shame too, as I am a longtime resident of Grand Junction.”

Some readers’ comments were more pragmatic:  “I enjoyed your recent article about Burkey Park. I’ve always wondered why the property has sat there empty. The City should do one of two things: either develop a much needed senior center, or give the property back to the family.”

- Bill O., Grand Junction

 “Why can’t the City just sell off a part of the land and use that money to pay to build the park? Makes perfect sense to me. Maybe the senior center could be built on the part that is sold. But I think a senior center needs to be more centrally located.” - Sharon J., Grand Junction  “I’ve known the Burkey family for years. I’ve watched that land just sit there and it breaks my heart. I think a senior center would be great for everyone involved. The senior center downtown, on Ouray, is getting a little small.”

- Patsy P., Grand Junction

And a few were a bit more cynical:  “The reason the City has not done anything with the Burkey property for 40 years is because they’re too busy rebuilding streets. The City rebuilt Colorado Avenue, Seventh Street, built two parking garages, is rebuilding the Avalon Theater, and wants to rebuild Horizon Drive and North Avenue. That’s why they don’t have money for some trivial thing like doing something with land that was given to the City for building a park on it.”

- Anonymous

- Karen L., Grand Junction

What are your thoughts?

 “The Burkey family donated their land so as to benefit and beautify our community. To date it has been nothing but an eye sore. I’m sure this is not what they intended.” - Claudette T., Grand Junction

The City is planning to put a vote to registered voters in April. Please contact them at 244-1509 and ask that Burkey Park be one of the options listed.

Wanna give a shout out? Pass out a compliment?

Write us at Beacon@PendantPublishing.com.

January 2013

Up in smoke: the impact of the passage of Amendment 64

By Travis Simpson, Colorado Bar Association member

A

mendment 64, the initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol, was passed by Colorado voters on November 6. What will be allowed under the new amendment?

Amendment 64 was created to increase individual freedoms, enhance revenue for public purposes and to use Colorado law enforcement and judicial resources more efficiently. In order to achieve these goals, Amendment 64 legalizes the recreational use of marijuana for individuals who are 21 and older, taxes and regulates the sale of recreational marijuana, and provides for the regulated production and distribution of industrial hemp.

Under Amendment 64, individuals who are 21 and older will be able to cultivate up to six marijuana plants, three of which are flowering and three of which are vegetating.

These individuals will be able to keep all of the marijuana harvested from these plants, so long as the harvested marijuana is stored on the same premises where the marijuana plants were grown. Individuals also will be able to possess, use, display, purchase or transport up to an ounce of marijuana as well as marijuana accessories. Individuals who are 21 and older also will be able to transfer up to an ounce of marijuana to another individual over the age of 21 without receiving money. However, public consumption of marijuana, as well as driving under the influence of marijuana, will remain a crime in Colorado.

Amendment 64 allows for the creation of recreational marijuana businesses, similar to the current medical marijuana businesses. Amendment 64 does not affect medical marijuana centers, and holders of a medical

marijuana business license also will be able to apply for and possess a recreational marijuana business license.

Amendment 64 sets a deadline of July 1, by which time the Colorado Department of Revenue must adopt regulations for the implementation of commercial marijuana businesses, including cultivation facilities, manufacturing facilities and retail sales facilities.

Amendment 64 provides that the state legislature shall enact an excise tax on the sale of marijuana. Amendment 64 mandates that this excise tax is not to exceed 15 percent.

However, the percentage of the tax can be adjusted after January 1, 2017, by the general assembly. The first $40 million in tax revenue generated from the sale of recreational marijuana is earmarked for the Public School Capitol Construction Assistance Fund. Amendment 64 also directs the Colorado General Assembly to enact legislation governing the cultivation, processing and sale of industrial hemp by July 1, 2014.

Unlike Amendment 20, Colorado’s medical marijuana constitutional provision, Amendment 64 does not restrict recreational use of marijuana to only Colorado residents. This lack of residency requirements allows individuals over the age of 21 to travel to Colorado and use and possess marijuana while in Colorado.

Furthermore, Amendment 64 does not expressly prohibit Amsterdamstyle “coffee shops” or businesses that allow you to consume marijuana on-site.

The Colorado Bar Association welcomes your questions on subjects of general interest. This column is meant to be used as general information. Consult your own attorney for specifics. Send questions to Sara Crocker at scrocker@cobar.org. ■

Serving families in the Grand Valley for over 100 years.

New Beginnings With the year of 2012 closed and the opening of 2013 will we, once again, make promises to ourselves, look to the future and say, ‘This year is going to be different’? Maybe we should just say, ‘This year is going to be.’

Let it be a year of knowing the path you are walking is the right one for you at the moment. If it’s not the right path, change direction slowly and deliberately and make better choices for yourself.

Let it be a year of learning how to make a difference. Let it be a year of making a difference in someone else’s life. And let it be.

Perhaps, instead of promises made to ourselves and disappointment when those promises are just too difficult to keep, we should make this a year of living in the moment and knowing we are moving forward the best we can.

Change happens every second. Some for good, some not so good, but whatever the changes are, they take us down the path of life. We learn all kinds of beautiful lessons during our journey and, as we get older, we look back and realize that many of those lessons made us stronger, better people.

If we can let go and live, this can be a wonderful year of new beginnings.

“Life is precious. Don’t waste it.”

2515 Patterson Road • Grand Junction, CO 81505

970.243.2450

info@cemgj.com www.callahan-edfast.com

Take control of life and weight with St. Mary’s L.I.F.E.

St. Mary’s invests in improved community health $19 million invested in improved services and technologies: • Interventional

radiology equipment • Cardiology services

equipment • A new linear

accelerator for radiation therapy • An updated robotic

surgical system • PET/CT scanner for

detecting cancer • State-of-the-art

IV pumps

S

t. Mary’s Mission is to improve the health status of the community. Since the first hospital was built in 1896, St. Mary’s has been investing in and improving the local healthcare infrastructure. “Our goal is to provide advanced services locally so patients and their families do not have to drive to Denver or Salt Lake City,” says Dan Prinster, vice president of Business Development.

In 2012 St. Mary’s invested more than $19 million in improved healthcare services and technologies, including equipment for interventional radiology and cardiology services, a new linear accelerator for delivering highly accurate radiation therapy to treat cancer, and an updated robotic surgical system.

St. Mary’s also replaced and updated equipment staff uses every day to care for patients. The hospital replaced the PET/CT scanner in its outpatient imaging area, giving physicians the most up-to-date imaging for detecting cancer at the cellular level. “And we purchased state-of-the-art IV pumps that monitor dosage and frequency more accurately than some older models,” Prinster says.

“Reinvesting in the local healthcare economy puts powerful and effective tools in the hands of your physician and our clinical staff,” Prinster says, “and allows patients to get treatment close to home and family.” n

“Our goal is to provide advanced services locally so patients and their families do not have to drive to Denver or Salt Lake City,” says Dan Prinster, vice president of Business Development

Lifestyle Improvement with Fitness and Education (L.I.F.E.), a weight management program at St. Mary’s Life Center, offers: • health assessments, • real life tactics, • healthy habits education, • fun exercise classes, • professional guidance, and • support from friends.

January 15–April 9 Register by January 11 For further information and to register, call 298-6080.

You are invited . . .

Go Red

for Women Luncheon Thursday, February 7, 2013 Friday, February 8, 2013 presented by St. Mary’s Hospital Cardiac and Vascular Services

St. Mary’s wants you to know more, so you can do more to reduce your risk of heart disease. Watch for details on this fun and informational luncheon and program. In the meantime, start shopping for a red dress. Because no one can ignore a woman in red!

“We’re here for life.”

970-298-CARE (2273)

2635 N. 7th Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 www.stmarygj.org An Affiliate of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System