BEACON - Montrose-Delta - July 2015

JULY 2015

Vol. 29

No. 7

Montrose & Delta Counties’ Newspaper for Adults 50+. Over 13,125 Readers.

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Photo by Katherine Lopez

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JULY 2015

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H I L L T O P

JULY 2015

EDITORIAL

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See Kevin draw

By Kevin K. VanGundy

A

s you can see from my drawing in this column, I have virtually no artistic abilities. Art was one of the rare classes in school that I failed. My brain doesn’t seem to work that way. But I do love art.

My children can draw. Some of them are excellent artists. I am enthralled when I watch them create art. Do you remember Bob Ross doing those painting classes on PBS? I would watch those and go, “No way!

How’d he do that?” I mean, the guy was showing you how he did it and I still couldn’t believe it.

I love cartoons

A sample of Kevin’s art

ist ic talen ts.

Long-term care Also in August, our special insert on long-term care will focus on the continuum of care that people go through as they age, from buying medical equipment to retrofitting your home, from home health care to moving to an assisted living facility.

The options available to you or a loved one can be confusing and expensive. The BEACON will help you sort them out.

If your business provides products or services that can help our readers navigate the aging process, please call us right away at 243-8829.

Give me a fresh drawing and a funny line and I’ll be entertained.

I particularly like Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” and Scott Adams’ “Dilbert.” Did you know that Gary is in his mid 60s and Scott is in his late 50s? Seniors are funny!

You’re going to enjoy reading about the artists we’ve interviewed for this Alternative Health & month’s BEACaricature of Kevin Wellness CON Senior

by Dave Schlosser In a recent study of today’s Newspaper. active, affluent and aging adults, a Enjoy. healthy mind and body was cited as Pets on parade! the topic of most interest to them.

August is one of our most popuOur September insert will focus lar issues as we focus on pets and on alternative health and wellness their people. Please send us your pet information from some of our local photos and pet stories (but not your experts. Would you like to contribute pets) as we’d like to publish them in next month’s BEACON. Send them to an article? We have just a few openBeacon@PendantPublishing.com. ings available. ■

Did you know the BEACON has a Facebook page?

Like us! www.facebook.com/BeaconSeniorNews

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COVER STORY

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By Jan Weeks

Steve Greenberg’s comic strip, “Boomerish,” is a modern look at life for baby boomers and those over age 50 as expressed through its lead characters Dylan and Ronette Groover. The Groovers deal with issues such as their changing bodies, coping with aging parents, relating to younger generations, facing economic challenges and reconciling their youthful ideas with maturing realities.

Is this something you’d like to see in the BEACON every month?

Vote “YES” or “NO” on our website: www.BeaconSeniorNews.com OR WRITE IN AND LET US KNOW: Beacon@PendantPublishing.com P.O. Box 3895 Grand Junction, CO 81502

“S

ee you in the funny papers.”

And see them we did. Mary Worth, Brenda Starr, Flash Gordon, The Katzenjammer Kids, Li’l Abner, and a host of other characters peopled the funny papers—the comics.

Some made daily appearances. Some visited only on Sundays. Whenever they showed up, we always anticipated their arrival.

Then there were the political cartoons. Ben Franklin created the first as a woodcut, which showed a serpent separated into bits, each piece representing a colony. The caption was “Join or Die.” Thomas Nast’s art appeared in Harper’s Weekly, and his campaign against Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall in New York became the stuff of legend. He created the donkey and elephant to represent the Democratic and Republican parties, and his rendition of Santa Claus modernized the jolly old elf’s image.

Later, Bill Mauldin touched our hearts and minds with his drawings of soldiers in World War II, and Oliphant always

had an unkind caricature and words to deflate the politically pompous.

NO STRANGER TO NEWSPAPERS Local cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer Travis Kelly started drawing when he was growing up in Fort Worth, Texas.

“There was the class clown, the class bully, and so forth. I was the class artist,” he said.

Kelly studied painting and drawing at the University of Texas at Austin, then obtained a master’s of fine arts from the University of Arizona. First Place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his political cartoons in the Four Corners Free Press decorate his workspace.

JULY 2015

“I’ve done every kind of fine art, from oil painting to drawing to cartooning. I’m actually a better cartoonist than an oil painter,” he said, but as he shows his large oils, which stand against the walls of his living room, Zach the Cat twining around his legs, his skill as a fine artist shows.

Mad Magazine influenced his youthful cartoons; later all the follies of our social and political worlds took him into editorial cartooning.

R. Crumb, the famous ’60s cartoonist who specialized in anti-establishment, sometimes erotic, cartoons and who created long-legged, bell-bottomed dudes who kept on truckin’ was an inspiration in the old days. Today, Kelly admires Jen Sorensen, creator of the Slowpoke strip, and Ted Rall.

“They’re about the best multi-panel cartoonists,” he said. “In the world of editorial cartoons, I admire David Fitzsimmons and Mike Keefe. I’m still struggling to imitate their clean, more abstract style of drawing.”

Although he is not syndicated, his cartoons have appeared in Funny Times, Z Magazine, Hustler, Four Corners Free Press and a few others.

He also writes a monthly column for Hustler, skewering hypocrites and other persons who don’t always have the public’s best interests at heart.

History is also a passion of Kelly’s.

His book of cartoons, “Lindbergh Enrages Paris and Other Travesties Travis Kelly, local cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer. Photo by Ashley Bernal

JULY 2015

COVER STORY

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design school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was then known as Kendall School of Design. He wanted to be an illustrator, but later decided to be, in his words, “a drug-crazed hippie type” instead. After that period of his life passed, he did land surveying work for about 20 years, but was laid off in 2009. He took an early retirement at age 63 and began working in retail sales in 2011.

THE TOWN CARTOONIST Schlosser also worked When Dave Schlosser came with Steve Bribach, a to Grand Junction in 1982, cabinet maker in Tucson, drawing a series of carArizona, to create artistic toon-style maps of insets for cabinet doors, the town wasn’t on which included cowboys on his radar, mainly broncs, lizards and cacti, because he doesn’t coyotes howling and even consider himself a parrot or two. During a cartoonist. Yet the late 1980s, Schlosser when Kevin Vanalso created a series of Gundy (before he promotional posters and became the BEAmonthly calendars for Castle CON’s publisher) Creek, a nightclub in Grand approached him Junction that featured a wide about creating an range of great musicians. illustrated map of Schlosser isn’t drawing Grand Junction, quite as much these days as Schlosser agreed. his time is pretty well taken He ended up creating between his retail job, riding five maps of the town, Dave Schlosser’s his motorcycle, and fulfilling beginning in 1989. self-caricature his spiritual duties as a member “The one I did in 1998 is of a local church. To see more of probably the last one I’ll do,” he once Schlosser’s artwork, visit www.slosh. said, but when VanGundy approached smugmug.com. him again in 2007, this time to draw BOOMERISH: A CARTOON FOR BABY one in conjunction with the 125th anniversary of Grand Junction, he agreed BOOMERS Los Angeles yet again. He also drew one of Moncartoonist Steve trose and Florence, Kentucky and one Greenberg of Orlando, Florida, which happens to began drawing be his favorite.

“I’ve never been to Orlando,” he said, cartoons in kindergarten “but that didn’t stop me from capturand hasn’t put ing it artistically in 1991.”

Transforming a blank piece of paper down his pencils and pens with pens and markers is probably yet. Inspired the most intimidating part of what Schlosser does. With the cartoon map, by Charles Steve Greenerg’s selfSchultz’s he worked from many images and car icature work, his first combined them to make one large cartoons were map. Local businesses paid for being “lame attempts” at recreating Charlie featured in the finished product.

Brown and crew. He also found inspiSchlosser said he doesn’t draw great ration in Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey; caricatures; however, the likenesses of local residents depicted in the maps Don Martin of Mad Magazine; superhero artists like Curt Swan, Gil Kane and are striking.

Carmine Infantino; gag cartoonists like Schlosser attended a commercial of History,” displays his fondness for history and is available from Amazon and www.traviskelly.com. When he’s not designing websites or illustrating technical manuals or business brochures, you’ll find him on his mountain bike or rafting down the river. For several years he and Zach lived in a solar-powered school bus in the Moab area, living the outdoor life.

Charles Addams and many more.

He doodled on every scrap of paper he could find, until his father told him when he was in high school that he’d never be able to make a living with such “childish” endeavors. Greenberg enrolled in commercial art and limited his cartooning to caricatures of teachers.

“I didn’t really tackle cartooning seriously until community college, when I became enthralled with political cartooning and started doing those myself,” he said.

In college, editorial cartoonists such as Bill Mauldin, Paul Conrad, Don Wright, and Tony Auth inspired him.

“I studied everyone’s compositions, pen lines, caricatures, lettering and especially their approaches to communicating the idea,” Greenberg said. “The pacing of panels in a multi-panel piece, for instance, was something I absorbed over the years and it flowed naturally when I drew my own pieces.”

For decades he has been an editorial cartoonist and now has branched out into a monthly strip called “Boomerish” that pokes gentle fun at the baby boomer generation. “Boomerish” began as a feature for a Los Angeles senior magazine called Life After 50, and he was able to sell it to other publications. After his association with that magazine ended earlier this year, he worked to expand his self-syndication of the feature to several other publications around the country.

Switching between political cartooning and drawing “Boomerish” lets him use different skills and areas of creativity. He also makes part of his living an informational graphics artist, which involves other analytical and drawing skills that expand his artistic range. Life drawing sessions at local centers allow him to create a “pure” form of art, giving him a break from deadline-oriented paid work.

Cartoons have come and gone, yet some remnants of yesteryear remain: Dagwood and Blondie, Beetle Bailey, and Mark Trail still appear. Some are high art, some are little more than scribbles. But we can still say, “See you in the funny papers!” ■

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National & Regional Award-Winning Publication Publisher .......................... Kevin K. VanGundy Founding Publisher.................... Susan Capps Editor..........................................Cloie Sandlin Graphic Design....................... Melissa Trottier Graphic Design...................... Katherine Lopez Production.................................. Karen Jones Office Manager........................Sherry Harmon Account Representative............... Sue Bowen Account Representative.............Sidney Jayne Account Representative........... Virginia Carlile Proofreader...................................Jan Weeks Cheerleader............................... Genevra Shal Assistant Editor.................... Liesl Greathouse Delivery .......................................... JR Milner Delivery.................................. Brandon Carlile P.O. Box 3895, Grand Junction, CO 81502 ph: 970.243.8829 fax: 800.536.7516 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 and Montrose 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 2015 • All Rights Reserved

Cover Photo: Dave Schlosser holds some promotional posters he created in the ’80s. This non-cartoonist also made the famous cartoon maps of Montrose and Grand Junction.

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FEATURE STORY

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JULY 2015

Etching life’s stories in stone

By Jan Weeks

A

s visitors enter the showroom of Carlson Memorials, Sophie, the shop dog, greets them with a woof and a wag, which is about the only time she strays more than a few feet from Dan Carlson.

His wife Kaye admonishes the black Lab and greets guests with a more traditional handshake and welcoming smile, just as she’s been doing for 38 years.

Dan started the business with his father, Don, in 1976.

Blank grave markers of all kinds are arranged through the rooms, and a conference room wall is filled with granite samples, as well as a large television connected to a computer, ready to display the Carlsons’ craft to potential customers.

“People dismiss how time-consuming it is to create a memorial,” Dan said. “They say, ‘Oh, it’s all done on computer.’”

Yes, computers are a big part of what the Carlsons do, but there are many steps from concept to finished product. Clients consult with Dan and Kaye, sometimes bringing original art or photographs of what they would like on the stone. Sometimes the Carlsons have to go from a meager verbal description. Dan studied fine art in school, so he’s adept at drawing designs to specifications and makes several renderings until the client is satisfied with the art.

Once he has sketched the image,

he scans it into his computer. He may simplify the design without affecting the final image. Once he adds names and dates in the desired font, the final markup is sent to the plotter, a precision cutter that incises the image on a rubber sheet backed with mylar and a peel-off backing. Using a blade whose length is the exact thickness of the rubber, the plotter goes to work. The blade moves back and forth, recreating the design on the rubber.

Often Dan has to add other or more detailed images by drawing them on the rubber.

Then he or one of his employees hand scores the image. When the final product has been cut to specification, the backing is peeled away and the image is stuck to the polished stone surface. Then the stone is rolled to one of two sandblasting rooms, where fine grains put a “frost” on the stone, which means the polished surface is sanded lightly to take the sheen off the marble. The rubber keeps the sand from hitting the parts Dan wants to remain polished.

Then heavier sand is used to cut deeply into the stone to create the images that will remain through weather, erosion, and other stone-destroying events. Finally lithochrome, a staining medium in either light or dark shades, is applied inside the deep cuts to bring out the image.

The rubber is peeled away and the monu-

ment is finished.

“We don’t just deal in cemetery markers,” Kaye said as she flipped through a series of pictures that show Carlson Memorials employees working on the John Photos (above, right) Denver Sanctuary by Katherine Lopez in Aspen. “So far we’ve engraved 10 natural stones with lyrics to Denver’s songs. We’ve also inscribed 34 more with quotes by philosophers, naturalists like John Muir, and even quotes from children.”

She stopped on a slide that showed one employee knee deep in a pond as he etched a partially submerged stone.

Dan chimed in. “Our guys are outdoor types. His fishing waders sure came in handy here.” He added, “We’re in the process of engraving 12 more stones this summer and will do more in the fall.”

They also spruced up the George Crawford tomb that sits on a knoll above the Orchard Mesa cemetery.

“Sandstone spheres that sat on top of the mausoleum had vanished, so we made new ones,” Dan said. “The lettering on the face of the tomb had been completely worn away, so we took a new block of sandstone and sandblasted the background away from the new lettering. Then we used hand tools to square up the letters and background. When it was finished, we made a recess and embedded the new stone where the old lettering used to be. We also moved the bronze statue of Crawford from in front of City Hall and reset it on its base up on the hill.”

When the Carlsons speak about helping people choose their grave markers, compassion shines in their

faces. Many customers preplan their headstones while others come in only after a loss.

“The average time between a death and a stone is about four years,” Kaye said. “When people come to us immediately after a loss, they’re upset and sometimes not really sure what they want. We encourage them to take a little more time before making a choice that will last basically forever.”

They also do not mail sales brochures to the bereaved or anyone else, as do some of their competitors.

Perhaps the most emotional markers were made for the three ranchers who lost their lives in the Salt Creek landslide near Collbran on May 25, 2014. The Carlsons created several monuments, some private, some for public view, to memorialize Clarence “Clancy” Allen and his son Daniel, as well as Wesley Hawkins. Along the highway, three markers sit on a base that is engraved with the story of the slide. Each marker carries the name, life dates and photograph of a man, as well as images of what each loved most. The two older men’s love of the high country and wildlife is reflected, while Daniel’s stone bears the image of antlers, which curve to hold his dates. A stone bench allows visitors to sit and look past the monu-

JULY 2015

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ment to the site of the slide far up the valley.

Another monument, which held special meaning to the Carlsons, was for a 17-year-old boy’s grave. His parents commissioned a stone with two gargoyles, symbols of protection, carved on either side of a sword hilt; swords were a passion for the young man. Dan first sandblasted away the background for the figures, then spent hours using chisels and a die grinder to hand carve the gargoyles and fine-tune their features. The stone has been featured on the covers of trade magazines, Dan said.

Traditional burials are not the only end-of-life choices. Cremation is becoming more popular, and Kaye and Dan have come up with some creative ways to memorialize cremains. One headstone has brass containers fitted into the base, where ashes can be added. The family name and any decorative work are etched into the granite, then names of the deceased can be added below each urn as needed. Another unique marker looks like a bench on which the family name and decorative features can be inscribed. The top raises to hold the urns inside, and the family members’ names can be etched on the front of the stone.

“Cemeteries have different rules for how many cremains can be stored

in one site,” Kaye said. “For instance, Orchard Mesa Cemetery limits the number to four, while Palisade allows up to 10.”

There are many time-honored designs that are already scanned into the computer, but can be modified to fit individual specifications.

“We get a lot of requests for outdoor themes,” Kaye says. “Lots of elk, deer, mountains and forests, and fish.

We even created a memorial with the image of a beloved family cabin.”

Angels, hummingbirds, roses and butterflies are also popular, along with hobbies such as racecars, boats and sports.

Not all of Dan’s work deals with death. He’s carved a block of granite into a modern sink and added carved stone surrounds to bathtubs. Large rocks with “Welcome to the Smiths’” and other slogans, along with address markers, decorate many yards and homes. The Carlsons also created the stone signs for Central Distributing, the Pyramid Building on Patterson Road, and the Redlands Mesa golf course. If it involves rock, they can make it.

Stop by the showroom at 237 South Ave. in Grand Junction, just east of the train station, or give them a call at 242-7264. Visit www. carlsonmemorials.com to see examples of their work. ■

FEATURE STORY

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JULY 2015

How do I get started tracing my ancestry?

Ask a Genealogist, By Dorothy Causey

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o matter how tempting it is to jump in and see if you’re descended from a famous person because someone in the family said so, family historians always start with themselves and work back.

They record vital information, such as birth dates and places, marriage dates and places, and places of residences for them and their siblings.

Then they record all this information for their parents (including date and place of death, if appropriate). The same goes for their grandparents, then great-grandparents and so on, going back one generation at a time.

Each generation back doubles the number of ancestors to research, so you have your work cut out for you.

Anyone doing family history research will tell you their biggest regret is not interviewing their older relatives, particularly immigrants, while they were living. First person accounts of how they came to the U.S. are fascinating and invaluable.

With that in mind, run to the phone and contact your older relatives. Ask them to tap into their memories and look for old documents.

Then set up a time to call back or meet with them. Start gathering this information before it’s too late.

Prepare a list of questions to ask.

Look over the information you already have and ask them to verify it and fill in the blanks. Double check

names and dates, where people came from and where they lived. Try to get family anecdotes to flesh out your history and make it come to life.

A Montrose woman trying to trace a deceased aunt saw on a census record that the woman had lived with the family of a cousin residing in another state. A call to the cousin, who is in her 70s, resulted in background information on the aunt and a bonus: The cousin’s mother was still living, and though she was 100, she was still able to recall events.

A word of caution: Don’t believe everything you hear. Word of mouth through the years may have affected information. The historian attempts to prove the vital information by public records such as courthhouse documents, census records, birth, death and marriage certificates, newspapers and obituaries.

Now you’re on your way to planting a family tree. When you begin calling your parents “ancestors” and your children “descendants,” you’re truly hooked on genealogy.

The Montrose Genealogy Center, 700 E. Main, is open from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month. For details, call 240-1755.

Read next month’s article about how to properly record names in your research. ■

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We Cater To Cowards

JULY 2015

ASK THE OLD BAG

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ASK THE OLD BAG Advice Column for the Over 50 Crowd

By Gayle Lagman-Creswick Dear Old Bag: Recently you gave advice to a grandmother who found out that her granddaughter was gay.

You told her it should not make any difference in their relationship. I beg to differ with your advice. Maybe I am “old school,” but if I found out my granddaughter was gay it would change my attitude toward her. After all, it is a choice she would be making that would upset her whole family. I cannot warm up to the idea. Signed, Old School Dear Old School: I’m sorry that you cannot warm up to the idea of your granddaughter being gay. What is your alternative? You could disown her. You could make a big stink about it. You could embarrass yourself by acting as if she could help it. You are her grandmother for heaven’s sake!

You are not her shrink or her spiritual advisor. Would you really want to lose the relationship with your granddaughter and perhaps her parents (your children), too? Get over your disdain. Come into this century. My advice stands. Accept the things you cannot change, change the things you can, and have the good sense to know the difference between them. OB Dear Old Bag: Just want to say I thought the letter where the woman had trouble getting out of the bathtub was hilarious. I know it could become serious, but I had a similar experience.

My husband came to my rescue, but we were laughing so hard it took us awhile to get serious about it. It was my last bath! Signed, A.G. Dear AG: Thanks for writing. I often wonder what happens to those aging who do not have a sense of humor.

Aging requires a sense of humor. It is

vital. If I couldn’t laugh, I would be in a bad mood all the time. OB Dear Old Bag: I think of you as my coach as I read your columns. So, Coach, here’s one for you: Last year I met a man who was 10 years my junior and I am 65. We became friends and really enjoyed each other’s company. My girlfriends kept teasing me about my young boyfriend and I would say we are just friends. Lo and behold the friendship blossomed into love.

Although my kids like him, they think it’s funny and it’s a stage I’m going through. I know this is no stage, as we have become engaged. The kids don’t know yet. Tell me why no one bats an eyelash if a man has a relationship and marries a woman 10 or 20 years younger than he is, but when a woman develops a relationship with a younger man, she is looked upon as “robbing the cradle” or they think the man is after her money. It’s not fair.

Coach me. Signed, J.A. Dear J.A.: This has puzzled me for years. It’s part of the double standard and it isn’t fair. I have discussed this with friends both male and female and the men say things like, “Any man who wants an older woman must have something wrong with him.” The women all said, “If you can get a younger man, take him, and more power to you.” I predict this is changing. Women are tired of the double standard. Women are saying they are tired of men feeling that older women are not attractive.

They are. And they are more comfortable with themselves. They don’t have those mid-life crises as much as men do. They do not feel they have to prove their womanhood. You go, girl!

OB ■

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

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LAUGHING MATTERS

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LAUGHING MATTERS So temperamental Submitted by Bob Breazeale

I used to work for a guy that seemed to be upset or angry all the time. Anybody who made even the slightest mistake would get ripped up one side and down the other. His normal voice was yelling at the top of his lungs.

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

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

A real chatterbox Submitted by Ralph Bickel

After 40 years of married life, a woman’s husband died. For several months, she sat alone at home. Finally she decided to do something about her

P R E M I E R

“Well, you need to buy a mirror,” he said. “The parrot needs a mirror so he can look at himself while he talks.”

loneliness. She went to a pet store and looked at all kinds of pets—snakes, gerbils, fish, birds, dogs and cats—but nothing seemed to be just right for her until the owner showed her one of the prized parrots.

So she bought a mirror. Still no words. After a week, she went back to the pet store again.

“Does it talk?” the woman asked.

“Absolutely, a real chatterbox,” the owner said. “He has a friendly disposition and a wide vocabulary. That is why he’s so expensive.”

But when she got the bird home, it didn’t say a word. After a week, she went back to the store and complained.

A young boy sat on a park bench next to an elderly gentleman. The older guy observed the boy, who was wolfing down chocolates.

She cut him off.

“It died,” she said.

“I can’t get a sound out of that bird,” she told the owner. “I’m worried.”

S E N I O R

“Did you buy a ladder?” the owner asked.

She went into the pet store again. This time, she was really angry. The owner met her at the door and asked, “How’s the parrot? I’ll bet…”

At last, a companion, she thought.

“Well, yes,” the woman said. “As a matter of fact it did. As he lay there taking its last few breaths, it said, ‘Don’t they have any food in that pet store?’”

Is chocolate good for you?

So she bought a ladder. Another week passed and still no words. She revisited the store and bought a bell, then a swing. The parrot still didn’t talk.

The woman bought the parrot and a large cage.

“Well, I just don’t believe that,” he said. “It didn’t say anything at all?”

“The parrot didn’t talk, not even with a mirror,” she said.

“No, I didn’t think it needed a ladder,” she replied.

“Sold.”

JULY 2015

He turned to the boy and said, “Son, eating chocolates in that manner is probably very bad for your health.”

The boy replied, “My grandfather ate chocolate every day and he lived to be 102 years old.”

The older man responded, “Do you mean to tell me excessive eating of chocolate is why your grandfather lived to be 102?”

The boy replied, “No, he minded his own business.”

He was shocked.

L I V I N G

Submitted by Billy Parker

C O M M U N I T I E S

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LAUGHING MATTERS 11

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The grasshopper Submitted by Billy Parker

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

A grasshopper walks into a bar and notices the bartender is staring at him.

The grasshopper says, “Hey, you’re staring at me.”

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

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

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

The grasshopper says, “No kidding?

You have a drink named Irving?”

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why? Submitted by Willy Charles

Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to the pharmacy while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?

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

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

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

Why do we buy hamburgers in packages of 10 and buns in packages of 8?

Retirement living with the emphasis on living

Why is abbreviated such a long word?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

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

Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

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

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

The Cottages of Hilltop gives you the independence and freedom to make the most of your retirement INDEPENDENT LIVING Our single-level patio homes offer

privacy and luxury. The open living plans feature two bedrooms, two baths, vaulted ceilings, contemporary kitchens, gas fireplace, covered patio and one-car garage.

CAREFREE LIFESTYLE Enjoy the freedom of maintenance-free

living with paid utilities, weekly housekeeping, snow removal, lawn maintenance and a customized meal plan at our Commons or Fountains dining rooms.

PEACE OF MIND Each residence includes a 24-hour emergency response system. Plus, we offer a choice of flexible care options and services to meet your changing needs.

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Visit today for a tour and free lunch

L O C A L LY O W N E D A N D O P E R A T E D B Y H I L LT O P - M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E F O R P E O P L E O F A L L A G E S

12

TRAVEL

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History, culture and entertainment abound in Shreveport-Bossier Story by Chris Jay Photos by Prime Montgomery

L

ocated in the northwestern corner of the state, Shreveport-Bossier is the third-largest community in Louisiana. Home to a thriving nightlife and entertainment scene, a year-round calendar of festivals and cultural events, a burgeoning culinary scene and opportunities to explore the great outdoors, Shreveport-Bossier is a destination where there’s always something new to experience.

Culturally, Shreveport-Bossier serves as a crossroads where the Cajun and Creole traditions of Louisiana blend with the wide-open spirit of Texas. This unique combination of two great American heritages can be tasted in the food, where Texas-style barbecue often shares a plate with traditional Louisiana favorites like gumbo, po-boys and crawfish étouffée. It can also be heard in the music pouring out of local nightclubs, where jazz and soul share the stage with blues, country, rock and zydeco. Local festivals, which

celebrate everything from crawfish to black history, provide year-round opportunities to become immersed in the fascinating blend of cultures that exist.

Music history enthusiasts will find much to explore. A National Historic Landmark situated in downtown Shreveport, Shreveport Municipal Auditorium was home to the legendary Louisiana Hayride radio broadcast from 1948 to 1960. Elvis Presley made his performance debut onstage at the Louisiana Hayride on October 16, 1954. Today, a statue of Presley stands outside of the auditorium on Elvis Presley Boulevard and visitors from around the world make the trek to tour the building.

Blues legend Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter was born and raised in Mooringsport, just outside Shreveport, and his gravesite at Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery in Mooringsport is a frequent destination for blues aficionados. Other well-known musicians from the area include country singer Claude King, guitar

legend James Burton, blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, country superstar Kix Brooks and jazz drummer Brian Blade.

Shreveport-Bossier’s six riverboat casinos and live horseracing track lend 24-hour excitement to the city’s entertainment offerings. Margaritaville Resort Casino, which opened in June of 2013, is the most recent addition to the gaming scene.

Many casinos are centrally located in downtown Shreveport and Bossier City, along the riverfront. Located just south of the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets on the banks of the Red River, Horseshoe Casino and Hotel is home to the Horseshoe Riverdome, one of the hottest live music venues.

Legendary performers like Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys and Diana Ross have recently brought their world tours to the Riverdome. The casino’s DARE Dayclub features poolside party cabanas, bars and an outdoor stage that frequently hosts performances by popular touring bands and DJs.

Enjoying the great outdoors can take many forms, from a relaxing trip down the Red River aboard the Spirit of the Red River Cruise to zip-lining through a swamp filled with live alligators at Gators and Friends Alligator Park and Exotic Zoo. One of Louisiana’s top bird-watching destinations, the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City, features a 6.5mile network of hiking trails, a lake for fishing and an interpretive center offering interactive educational programs for all ages. Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park in Shreveport also offers an outstanding network of trails, including wheelchair-accessible trails. Those who love to hike, bike or jog should make time to enjoy the scenic riverfront biking and jogging paths that wind their way along Clyde Fant Parkway.

Shreveport-Bossier is a great entry point from which to travel along Louisiana’s Boom or Bust Byway, a scenic byway that winds its way through historic rural communities like Oil City, Plain Dealing and Homer. A special audiovisual tour has been created to help visitors appreciate all of the history found along the byway.

Several Shreveport-Bossier eateries are among the best known in Louisiana, including Strawn’s Eat Shop, a mom and pop diner with celebrated

JULY

Y 2015

TRAVEL 13

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icebox pies; Herby-K’s, a popular local seafood restaurant; and Bossier City’s Silver Star Smokehouse.

Mardi Gras, known as “the biggest free party on Earth,” is often associated with New Orleans. However, Carnival season is huge in Shreveport-Bossier. A study conducted by Destination Exploration estimated that a combined total of more than 283,120 people attended Shreveport-Bossier’s two largest Mardi Gras parades—the Krewe of Centaur and Krewe of Gemini parades—in 2014.

Despite their enormous popularity, local Mardi Gras celebrations remain family friendly and welcoming to visitors.

As Carnival season draws to a close, a busy calendar of major festivals commences in early spring.

Holiday in Dixie, one of the oldest annual festivals in the U.S., celebrates the arrival of spring with a carnival, live music and more.

Holiday in Dixie concludes with the Ark-La-Tex Ambassadors BBQ Cook-Off, a competitive barbecue event that attracts many of the top barbecue teams in the South.

Shreveport-Bossier is home to the U.S. Air Force’s oldest bomb wing, which is housed at Barksdale Air Force Base. Each May, the might and power of the U.S. Air Force is showcased during the Barksdale Air Force Base Airshow.

Each Memorial Day Weekend, the sounds of zydeco music and the scent of boiling crawfish drift through the air in downtown Shreveport as the Mudbug Madness Festival brings four days of music, food and fun to Festival Plaza. This festival includes outstanding Louisiana cuisine, three stages with live music, activities and more. More than 80,000 pounds of boiled crawfish are consumed by attendees each year.

One of the most anticipated events each June is the Let the Good Times Roll Festival, a celebration of black history and culture that features old-school, gospel, R&B and funk music as well as an outstanding array of food vendors, art booths and more. Other popular June events include the Cross Lake Flotilla, an annual boat festival on Cross Lake enjoyed by hundreds of boaters and land-dwellers on the shore, and the Sunflower Trail and Festival in nearby Gilliam, which offers opportunities to explore the giant fields of sunflowers that bloom along Highway 3049.

As temperatures drop in the fall, Shreveport-Bossier’s entertainment scene stays hot. Every weekend in September is packed with events, ranging from the Pio-

neer Heritage Festival in Greenwood, September 18-19, 2015, to the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival, September 19, 2015. Fall’s most-anticipated event may be the annual Red River Revel Arts Festival, an enormous, eight-day outdoor arts festival featuring hundreds of visual artists and three stages of non-stop live music, October 3-10, 2015.

Fans of craft beer travel from across the U.S. to sample the acclaimed brews created by Great Raft Brewing, Shreveport’s first craft brewery and tasting room. Beer lovers should plan to visit during the third weekend in October, when

Strand Theatre Great Raft Brewing hosts its annual anniversary party on the night before Shreveport-Bossier’s largest craft beer event, BREW, an afternoon-long beer tasting featuring more than 150 beers, live music and food on Saturday, October 17, 2015.

The State Fair of Louisiana, held each October and November on the State Fairgrounds in Shreveport, has received national acclaim for its unusual variety of food vendors and free entertainment, along with all of the delights of a State Fair midway. The 2015 state fair will be held, October 22 through November 8. The Louisiana Film Prize, a weekend-long film festival in downtown Shreveport, will host its third annual festival October 2-5.

One of Shreveport-Bossier’s best-known holiday events is Christmas in Roseland, a holiday lights extravaganza at the Gardens of the American Rose Center, November 27 through December 23.

“Louisiana’s Other Side” is a term used to describe Shreveport-Bossier’s location in the state and its unique combination of culture and Texas cowboy heritage. From the glittering excitement of the casinos to the wonderful array of festivals, the Elvis statue at Muni Auditorium

mouth-watering local cuisine, fantastic shopping and numerous outdoor activities and attractions, Shreveport-Bossier has all of the necessary ingredients for a memorable getaway.

To learn more about all of the great things to see and do in ShreveportBossier, visit www.shreveportbossier.org or call 800-551-8682. A digital copy of the official visitor’s guide to Shreveport-Bossier may be downloaded at www.shreveportbossier.org or a print copy may be requested by phone. ■

14

FAITH MOVES

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

JULY 2015

Bus ministry offers friendship to churchgoers I

Senior Homecare by Angels

Montrose United Methodist Church 19 S. Park Ave., Montrose, CO

970-249-3716 • montroseumc.org

t started out as just a form of transportation, but the Montrose United Methodist Church bus has turned into much more than that. It has evolved into a platform for friendship and giving back to the community.

The church purchased the bus three years ago to replace an aging van that was difficult for people to get in and out of. With the arrival of the 14-passenger bus, a ministry bloomed.

The bus is used each Sunday morning to pick up church members for the church’s 11:15 a.m. worship service.

“We have all ages and types of people that ride on Sunday morning,” said Beth McCorkle, one of the volunteer bus drivers. “Some walk right on, others have walkers and we have a new rider who is in a wheelchair.”

The bus is equipped with a handicap lift and has room for two passengers in wheelchairs. The four sets of volunteers are all trained to drive the bus and they work in pairs: One drives and the other person is available to help riders when needed.

McCorkle said the ride is not just about getting from one place to another.

“It is a great opportunity to get to know the people better, learn about their lives and families as we travel to and from church,” she said. “We use this opportunity to talk about family, where they live, where they have worked, churches they have attended and fellowship in general. Sometimes

we talk about the service on the way home, or sing a song we can’t get out of our heads, and sometimes sit in quiet meditation.”

Volunteers also pick people up for special events at the church, such as the annual Christmas concert and Christmas dinner.

The bus has been used in the city’s holiday parade and for other purposes by groups within the church.

The church youth group, made up of middle school and high school students, use the bus throughout the year. The bus recently made a big trip this summer to San Francisco, carrying 12 people on the youth group mission trip.

If you would like to attend worship service on Sunday morning and aren’t able to because of transportation issues, call the church office at 249-3716 to inquire about a ride.

The office is open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesday through Friday.

Montrose United Methodist Church is located at 19 S. First St. in downtown Montrose. Sunday morning worship times are 8:15 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. For more information, visit www.montroseumc.org. ■

JULY 2015

HOME & GARDEN 15

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How to make use of rainwater on your landscape Garden Smarts, By Kathy Kimbrough Q. Is it legal to have a rain barrel

or cistern to catch rainwater from my roof? I just moved here from New Mexico and everyone had a system to cache rainwater for landscape use.

Unfortunately, the answer is still no.

House Bill 15-1259 would have allowed Coloradans to collect up to two 55-gallon rain barrels of water that drains off their rooftops. The water could then be used for outdoor purposes, such as lawn and garden irrigation. Supporters, including municipal water districts, believe allowing rain barrels would help educate people on how much water they use and will eventually help reduce water consumption. Opponents, including farmers and ranchers, believe that rainwater is covered under the state’s prior appropriations law since it runs off into groundwater and surface water, such as rivers.

It’s difficult to understand how this simple and effective way to reduce municipal water usage and replenish ground water sources is still illegal in Colorado, yet legal in every other U.S. state. With that being said, many home improvement stores, garden centers and other retailers across Colorado sell rain barrels and there is little to no enforcement of the current law against them.

Q. I’m trying to keep as much

rainwater on my property as possible. Can you tell me more about rain gardens and how they work?

Even though the Grand Valley’s annual rainfall averages between eight to 10 inches, rain gardens are a great way to capture the rain when it does fall. Rain gardens are designed to capture runoff and reduce polluted runoff using natural filtration processes. Colorado State University and Colorado Storm-

GARDEN CHECKLIST:

In Colorado, monsoon season is from mid-July through the end of August. Here are some tips to keep that precious rainwater on your property the legal way.  Direct your downspouts to your

water Center have created a Colorado Rain Garden Guide available online at stormwatercenter.colostate.edu. (Click the “Resources” tab and click the link for the Colorado Rain Garden Guide in PDF format under the video and photo.) Here are a few suggestions: • Choose a location that is not directly over utility or irrigation lines and at least 10 feet away from any building.

Plant your rain garden where it will receive full or partial sun year-round and do not place directly over a septic system or leach field.

• Calculate how deep and how large the garden should be by determining how much runoff will occur during most storms.

• Plant selection is crucial for success.

Plants need to be drought tolerant while also being able to withstand occasional standing water. ■

lawn or garden instead of the driveway, keeping the rainwater on your property. In the winter, it directs melting snow onto your garden or lawn instead of turning to ice on your driveway  Permeable pavers are one

of the most environmentally friendly paving solutions around. Consider using this method the next time you replace your sidewalks, driveway or patio area. They are available in three types: grass pavers, which has hollow centers where grass can grow; interlocking concrete, which has voids where rainwater can seep into the ground below; and porous concrete, which allows rainwater to channel through it and conserve the water.

PLANT OF THE MONTH—Desert Four O’Clock (Mirabilis multiflora) This long-lived native perennial deserves a spot in any xeric landscape that can give it plenty of room to spread out. It takes up to 10 feet across and 2 feet high, but earns its place with beautiful deep magenta flowers and dark green foliage from June through the first frost. Mature plants can have thousands of tubular flowers at any given time. They are suited to our high pH soils, need little additional moisture and require little to no fertilizer for healthy plants. Plants started from seed should be planted in spring to allow the root system to fully establish before the cold weather comes in November. The foliage develops quickly and usually blooms profusely the first summer. This groundcover is effective when planted among juniper, rabbitbrush, sage or large ornamental grasses. Smaller plants will be overrun.

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16

MONTROSE/DELTA COUNTIES

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Clubs, volunteer info and support groups • Western Slope 4 Wheelers’ monthly meetings are at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesdays at the Montrose Rod & Gun Club’s indoor range, 1211 6450 Road in Montrose. Call 275-0754.

• Montrose Amateur Radio Club’s monthly meetings are at 7 p.m. on the third Fridays at the Olathe Community Center. Call 417-6142.

• Black Canyon Camera Club’s monthly meetings are at noon on the second Tuesdays at the First Church of Christ, 1102 Howard St in Delta. Call 3993674.

• Black Canyon Classics is open to all ages interested in classic cars, street rods, trucks and other vehicles. For times and locations, call 249-6051.

• Black Canyon Audubon Society members are committed to the conservation of natural resources through birding, conservation and educational activities. For dates and times of meetings, call 249-6761, ext. 14.

• Wild Bunch 4WD club’s bi-monthly meetings are the second Monday of “odd months.” For dates, times and locations, email desertrat27@hotmail. com.

• Black Canyon Twirlers Square Dance Club members dance mainstream and plus and welcomes all visitors. Monthly meetings are 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m. the second and fourth Saturday at the Lions Clubhouse, 602 N. Nevada Ave. in Montrose. Call 596-4252. They dance Main Stream and Plus and welcome all visitors.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES • HopeWest in Delta and Montrose is seeking volunteers for a variety of positions. In Delta, call 874-6823 for more information. In Montrose, call 252-2642.

JUNE 2015

• RSVP in Montrose is seeking volunteers. Volunteers who register with RSVP receive supplemental insurance and recognition for their service. Call 249-9639.

• The Interpretive Association of Western Colorado is seeking volunteers to help with the operations of the Fort Uncompahgre Living History Museum in Delta. Call 874-6695.

SUPPORT GROUPS • Veterans PTSD support group meets at 10 a.m. Thursdays at the Warrior Resource Center, 11 S. Park Ave. Veterans must provide a copy of their DD214 as verification of eligibility of services. Call 765-2210.

JUNE 2015

MONTROSE/DELTA COUNTIES 17

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• Stroke Support Group meets 11 a.m. to noon twice a month at Montrose Memorial Hospital’s Acute Rehab Unit. For details and meeting days, call 318-2028.

• Bosom Buddies Breast Cancer Support Group meets from noon to 1:15 p.m. Wednesdays at 645 S. Fifth St. in Montrose.

• Caregiver Support Group meets 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays at Crossroads Assisted & Independent Living model cottage at 1380 Aspen Way in Delta. Call 773-4214.

• Caregiver Support & Networking Group meets 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday and third Thursday of each month at Region 10,

300 N. Cascade Ave. in Montrose.

The meetings are structured to be an all-inclusive group for caregivers who care for someone with dementia, or any disability or illness in any living environment. For details and to register, call 249-2436, ext. 203.

• Alzheimer-Dementia Support Group meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Valley Manor Care Center, 1401 S. Cascade in Montrose. For details, call 249-9634.

• Caregiver Support Group meets at 1 p.m. on the first and second Monday of each month at the United Methodist Church, 19 S. Park Ave in Montrose. For details, call 249-3716. ■

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There’s A New Prosthodontist In Town!

I’m Jake R. Atwood and although I am new to town, I am not new to Prosthodontics.

I served in the United States Air Force where I polished my skills and learned the value of self-sacrifice and service.

As a prosthodontist, I primarily deal with the replacement of missing or worn teeth. Whether it’s just one or all 32 of them, I can help you achieve a comfortable bite and a beautiful smile. And remember, it’s important to get your dentures checked annually!

Having 4 kids, I know what it’s like to want the best for the ones you love. That’s why it’s not just about teeth. It’s about providing the best care in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere.

So, come on over, get to know us, and leave feeling like one of the family! *Dr. Atwood is the only Prosthodontist in the Western Slope of Colorado.

ATWOOD PROSTHODONTICS Jake R. Atwood DMD, MS

1317 N 3rd Street

241-2430

Grand Junction

18

MONTROSE/DELTA COUNTIES

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

JUNE 2015

Delta/Montrose Calendar

Trust is knowing someone is there to catch your fall.

It’s knowing someone will be there when you need a shoulder to cry on.

It’s knowing a promise made is a promise kept. Trust is something we earn everyday.

Funeral Service & Crematory Mesa View Cemetery 682 1725 Road • Delta (970) 874-9988 105 S.E. Frontier, Suite F • Cedaredge (970) 856-3232 209 Bridge Street • Hotchkiss (970) 872-3151 311 Grand Avenue • Paonia (970) 527-3836 www.taylorfuneralservice.com

JULY 1 Sun and Plants in the Garden Black Canyon Astronomical Society President Bryan Cashion will present information relative to the sun and its impact on gardening at 3:30 p.m. at Montrose Botanic Gardens, 1800 Pavilion Drive, in Montrose. He will also have a safe sun telescope. For details, call 249-1115 or visit www. montrosegardens.org.

JULY 3 Justin Thompson in concert The Blue Sage Center for the Arts in Paonia presents Justin Thompson and band in concert. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 9 p.m. Admission is $10. Thompson is a songwriter and performer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with an affinity for traditional folk music and acoustic guitar. With an instinctive knack for melody and prose, his songs are rich in content and poetry and have drawn comparisons to John Prine and Leonard Cohen. For more information on Justin Thompson, visit www. justinthompsonmusic.com.

JULY 3-12 Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Selected one of the top western events in the country by American Cowboy

magazine, each July the ranching culture struts its stuff in the “Granddaddy of Colorado Rodeos,” an event staged by the community for PRCA competitors and the people who love to watch them. Cattlemen’s Days promises the same kind of boot-stomping entertainment that Gunnison pioneers enjoyed but on a grander scale. Rodeos will be on July 9-11. Tickets can be purchased at the main gate before each rodeo.

Grandstands are wheelchair accessible.

For details, including a schedule of events, visit www.cattlemensdays.com or call 596-0149.

JULY 3 & 31 Montrose summer concerts Don’t miss Parker McCollum on July 3 and Somebody’s Darling on July 31 at Black Canyon Golf Course, 1350 Birch St. in Montrose, as part of the Montrose Summer Music Series. Both shows are free and music starts around 6 p.m.

The headliner begins at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket, chair or picnic dinner. Please no glass, cans or alcohol. There will also be food and beverages for sale. Shows will go on rain or shine. For details, call 275-4183.

JULY 4 Independence Day events Independence Day parade takes place

Custom Engraved:

Home appointments available

• Headstones • Stone Signs • Address Rocks • Sandblasting • River Rocks • Gifts & More

970-323-6658

Please call for an appointment

www.facebook.com/ MorrisMonument

morrismonument.com

1630 South Main Street, Delta

Life’s Legacy in Stone

JUNE 2015

www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

at 10 a.m. on Main Street in Montrose.

Fun activities will take place all day on Main Street. Fireworks start at dusk at Sunset Mesa, 155 Merchant Drive. For more information, call 240-1402.

JULY 9 Bike-in Movie Summer Series The Montrose Area Bicycle Alliance is hosting the Bike-in Movie Summer Series on the second Thursdays of the month during the summer. Ride your bike or walk to Canyon Creek B&B, 820 Main St. in Montrose, for the movie “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” beginning at 8:30 p.m. Cash bar available, and popcorn and soda will be for sale. For details, visit www. montrosebicycle.org.

JULY 10-12 Black Canyon Quilt Show The 20th annual Black Canyon Quilt Show will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday at the Montrose Pavilion in Montrose. The show features over 150 quilts, a raffle quilt, a boutique to benefit a local charity, vendors, door prizes, and quilt appraisals by Bobbie Aug ($50 per quilt). General admission is $4. For details, call 252-3494.

JULY 11 & 25 Dances at the Montrose Pavilion The Montrose Pavilion Dance Club hosts dances at the Montrose Pavilion, 1800 Pavilion Drive, from 7:30 p.m.-11

p.m. On July 11, there will be music by Country Plus and on July 25, there will be music by Thin Air. Admission is $5.

For more information, call 252-7172.

JULY 24-AUGUST 2 Montrose County Fair The annual Montrose County Fair and Rodeo is a 10-day celebration of the area’s agricultural and western heritage, featuring a CPRA Rodeo, junior livestock and horse shows, along with a ranch rodeo and tractor pull. There will also be shows, exhibits and contests, including a corn-eating contest, pie-eating contest, hot dog-eating contest, bacon-eating contest and more. Hypnotist Chris Mabrey will perform at different times during the fair, chili cook-offs, dances and more. For more information, call 252-4358 or visit www.montrosecountyfairandrodeo. com for a full schedule of events.

JULY 31 Music on the Green: Thin Air Thin Air will perform as part of the Music on the Green Outdoor Concert Series from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at 2377 Robins Way in Montrose. Performance is free to attend. Concession food is available for purchase. The series continues through August and is held on the last Friday of the month. Donny Morales will play on August 28. Proceeds benefit Senior CommUnity Care PACE Living Legacy Program. Call 901-7768. ■

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20 MONTROSE/DELTA COUNTIES Denver Theater...Featuring “THE BOOK OF MORMON” at Ellie Caulkins Theater and “MARY POPPINS” at Boulder’s Dinner Theater August 19-21 2015…

Call for information & to reserve your spot as tickets are limited.. First Come… First Serve..

PARIS TO NORMANDY’S LANDING BEACHES

June 10 – 18, 2016 8 days round trip Paris Combine time in France’s marvelous capital with discoveries of quaint towns along the River Seine and in the picturesque Normandy region ~ AVALON WATERWAYS RIVER CRUISE

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Delta/Montrose Beacon Bits TRAVEL INFORMATION GET-TOGETHER

Wednesday, August 5, 2015 10:00AM - Montrose Timberline Bank 1561 Oxbow Drive 2:00 PM - Grand Junction Nellie Bechtel Gardens 3032 N. 15th Street Featuring...

Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches Call for information, reservations, and to receive a free newsletter.

Payment plans available...call for details

Margaret Krabbe

P.O. Box 2142 • Montrose, CO 81402 Specializing in Escorted Local, National & International Senior Group Travel!

970-249-0866

JUNE 2015

Phone (970)

240-3020

Email: mkrabbe@montrose.net

25 N. Willerup Avenue | Montrose www.DivineFishandMeat.com

Ridgway summer concert series The eighth season of the Ridgway Concert Series takes place at Ridgway Town Park. Concerts are free and family friendly. There will be food and vendors, local wineries and breweries.

Bring your lawn chair, blankets, coolers and picnics. Glass is not allowed.

For more information, call 260-6493 or visit www.ridgwayconcertseries. com. The schedule is as follows: • July 2 – Sol Driven Train / Blair Crimmins & The Hookers • July 9 – Humming House / Intuit • July 16 – The Congress / The Blackberry Bushes • July 23 – Roxy Roca / Mipso • July 30 – The Steep Canyon Rangers / Front Country Support group for grandparents moves Kinship Connections for Kids, a group formed to support grandparents raising grandchildren, recently found a new home with Region 10’s Community Living Services department, 300 N. Cascade, Suite 1. Kinship Connections for Kids provides families with resources, educational materials, clothing, school supplies, and therapy services. Based on the goals and scope of services provided by Region 10’s Community Living Services, the partnership was a natural fit. The group will meet from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of every month. For more information, call 360-6087.

Blue Sage Center activities Events take place at Blue Sage Center for the Arts, 226-228 Grand Ave. in Paonia. For details, call 527-7243.

• July 11 - 7:30 p.m. Join Aspen Music Festival artist Darrett Adkins as he joins Susan Ellinger in a concert of music for cello and piano.

Featured works will include J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 5 for Cello in C Minor, Poulenc’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, and Stravinsky’s celebrated Suite Italienne. Tickets are $10-$20.

Ridgway State Park presents For more information on the following events, call 626-5822.

• July 3, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. - “How the Mountains Around Ouray Got Their Names” presented by Ouray County Museum & Historical Society Curator Don Paulson.

• July 4, 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. - Nature hike. Meet at the Visitor Center.

• July 4, 7:30 p.m. - Learn about the jeep trails around Ouray at the Visitor Center.

• July 10, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. “Bear Aware” presented by District Wildlife Manager Kelly Crane.

• July 11, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. - “Remarkable Raptors.” Welcome Jeff Ewert for a scientific view of raptors.

• July 17, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – “Wildlife Photography” presented

by Will Harmsen at the Visitor Center.

JUNE 2015

MONTROSE/DELTA COUNTIES 21

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• July 18, 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m. - Lake Appreciation Day. Celebrate Ridgway’s lake and reservoir with food, prizes, archery and boat tours.

• July 24, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. – Learn about the significance of the Rio Grande Railroad.

• July 31, 6 p.m.-7 p.m. – Fly-fishing with Jeff. Meet at Pa Co Chu Puk at the bridge. All gear provided.

• August 1, 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

- “Champion Basin of the Red Mountain Mining District” presented by local geologist Ken Sloan.

Montrose County Historical Society events Meet at the Montrose Historical Museum at 7 p.m. for historic alley walks on July 3, 7 and 17. Cost is $5. Space is limited, so call 249-2085 to RSVP.

Region 10 Education Series Events will be held at Region 10, 300 N. Cascade in Montrose. Registration is required. All sessions are free. For details and to register, call 360-6090.

• July 13, 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. “Understanding Long-Term Care Planning.” Learn about assets, taxes, wills and tips to help avoid family disagreements. Learn about payment sources including private pay, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid and more.

• July 21, noon to 1 p.m. - “The Silent Epidemic of Senior Drug Abuse.” Learn what street drugs are most prominent, what they look like, and who to call for help. ■

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JUNE 2015

KUDOS & KVETCH 23

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kudos \ ku·dos Is the Americans with Disabilities  “[Jan] did a great job on the story [about the Blue Knights in June’s BEACON]. Just reading it brings back so many good memories. Thank you!”

- Linda Sines, Grand Villa Assisted Living

(Sines refers to memories of Louise Whitney, a former resident at Grand Villa, whose wish was granted when Blue Knight George Krug took her for the ride of her life in a motorcycle sidecar before she died.)  “Thank you so much for the article about the Roller Dam’s 100th birthday in the June issue! You did a great job!

We’re already getting good comments about how interesting and informative it is for people in the valley who don’t know much about irrigation or the dam’s history. We appreciate your support and are grateful for the coverage of the birthday party as well.”

- Priscilla Walker, Palisade Historical Society

 “I called requesting a copy of your Transitions in Aging Resource Directory.

I couldn’t believe when Sherry from the BEACON delivered it to me in person.

You have the best customer service of any business in the valley.”

- Aileen K., Grand Junction

 “Thank you so much for this PDF version of the Blue Knights’ story in June’s BEACON. If you or Jan ever wants to go for a motorcycle ride, either on two wheels or three, just let me know. I feel I owe so much for this article.” - George Krug, Grand Junction Cloie: You’re welcome, but if anything, I should thank you for your years of service in law enforcement. I passed on your comment to Jan, who said she might take you up on that motorcycle ride. She said she hasn’t been on a motorcycle in years.

Maybe I’ll sit in the sidecar.

Wanna give a shout out?

Pass out a compliment? Write us at Beacon@PendantPublishing.com.

Act still important?

T

he day the Americans With Disabilities Act passed in 1990, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin delivered a speech from the Senate floor in a way most of his colleagues didn’t understand.

Harkin, the bill’s sponsor, used sign language for the benefit of his brother who was deaf and had taught Harkin this lesson: “People should be judged on the basis of their abilities and not on the basis of their disabilities.”

With the country marking the Act’s 25th anniversary, Brandi Rarus, a former Miss Deaf America, remembers how important it was for people with disabilities to make it known they would no longer allow others to set limits on what they could achieve.

“Those of us with disabilities face many barriers,” said Rarus, co-author with Gail Harris of the book “Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman’s Story of Identity, Love and Adoption.”

“Some of those are unavoidable. I can’t listen to the radio as I drive to work in the morning. Often, because of communication barriers, I have to work twice as hard as a hearing person. Instead of taking me five minutes to make a doctor’s appointment, it takes me 10.”

But Rarus said some barriers are avoidable, which is why the Americans With Disabilities Act has played such an important role in people’s lives for the last 25 years.

The ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities when it comes to employment. The act also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for a disability unless it causes “undue hardship.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor: • Complying isn’t expensive.

The majority of workers with disabilities do not need accommodations, and for those who do, the

cost is usually minimal. In fact, 57 percent of accommodations cost nothing, according to the Job Accommodation Network.

• Lawsuits have not flooded the courts. The majority of ADA employment-related disputes are resolved through informal negotiation or mediation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces the ADA’s employment provisions, investigates the merits of each case and offers alternatives to litigation.

• The ADA is rarely misused.

If an individual files a complaint under the ADA and does not have a condition that meets its definition of disability, the complaint is dismissed. While claims by people with false or minor conditions may get media attention, these complaints are usually dismissed.

Winning the Miss Deaf America crown in 1988 led Rarus to numerous opportunities. She signed the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game. She spoke at corporate conferences and traveled the country speaking out for deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be deaf.

Her latest project is “Finding Zoe.” The book Rarus and Harris joined forces to write tells the story of Rarus’ early years as she learned to live with being deaf, but the focal point becomes her effort to adopt Zoe, a deaf infant caught in the foster care system.

Harris, upon collaborating with Rarus on her story, was on a mission to help bring it forth, as everyone is deserving of basic human rights.

“People don’t realize what the deaf have gone through,” Harris said.

For details, visit www. brandirarus.com or www. gailharrisauthor.com. ■

kvetch \ kfech  “I was very disappointed that your festivals portion didn’t mention Cattleman’s Days in Gunnison. It takes place in July.” -Mary Ann H., Gunnison Cloie: Sorry we forgot, but now we’ll have it on our list for next year. In the mean time, I included it in the calendar in the DeltaMontrose edition.

 “My husband and I usually get a great laugh from your jokes. This month we laughed and laughed and laughed when we saw the ad for the marijuana store called High Q. Our experience has been that marijuana lowers your IQ.” Kelly F., Grand Junction

 “I’m happy that there were a lot less DUIs issued at this year’s Country Jam. But I am still upset that us local taxpayers are left paying $50,000 towards Townsquare’s security costs.”

- Dean R., Grand Junction

 “Why not send the area’s homeless people in the desert north of Clifton to live with their redneck cousins who are polluting the base of Mt. Garfield with their trailers, shacks and junkyards?”

- Gary A., Grand Junction

 “I’m standing at a urinal in the men’s room taking care of business when a guy talking on a cell phone goes into a stall and takes a seat. An explosive series of sounds shatters the awkward silence. He continues his cell phone conversation without skipping a beat. Really? Come on people, have some common decency.”

- Hap J., Grand Junction

Wanna pitch a fit?

Write us at Beacon@PendantPublishing.com.