January 2019 - Senior Spectrum Newspaper by Senior Spectrum Newspapers

Letter to the Editor

NCOA Position on Texas v. US Ruling on the Affordable Care Act

President and CEO of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), James Firman, said in a statement that the Federal District Court in Fort Worth, TX, ruling on the Affordable Care Act will have tremendous impact on health care in the US. “This court’s decision, if allowed to stand, will have farreaching and devastating impacts on the health and well-being of nearly all Americans. It jeopardizes health insurance coverage for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, as well as Medicaid health coverage for low-income Americans, Medicare prescription drug and preventive services coverage for seniors and people with disabilities, and protections for families with employer-based health insurance. In our view, the decision is wrong and must be overturned. “Coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is a major concern for the preMedicare population. Adults aged 55-65 are more likely than younger people to have chronic and other health conditions that, before the ACA, made it extremely difficult for them to get health insurance. These protections are also particularly important for people of all ages with disabilities. If the ACA is repealed, millions of middleaged Americans will not receive adequate treatment for chronic diseases at earlier stages, which will eventually contribute to much higher overall costs when they eventually enroll in Medicare. “Legal scholars who have reviewed the decision agree that tying the repeal of the individual mandate to unrelated Medicare and Medicaid provisions in the law is unlikely to be upheld

upon appeal. Nonetheless, we cannot predict how future courts will rule and believe it is important to understand the potential implications for older Americans. The ACA includes provisions that: • Strengthen the Medicare Part A Trust Fund by eight years • Close the Medicare prescription drug donut hole, or coverage gap • Improve access to Medicaid home and community-based services • Protect 55- to 64-year-old purchasers of individual market plans from significantly higher monthly premiums • Provide Medicare coverage for certain preventive services, as well as an annual wellness visit, with no co-payments • Provide funding for falls prevention and chronic disease selfmanagement services “The decision also would overturn the ACA Medicaid expansion, which has provided health coverage for millions of low-income Americans, including an estimated 2 million adults aged 50-65,” Firman said. “The Texas court’s opinion has no immediate impact on the broad range of health improvements and services that the ACA covers, but the decision will be appealed and the U.S. Supreme Court may rule at some point on these critical issues.” In the meantime, “NCOA will continue to support efforts to protect and strengthen Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act for all Americans.”

January 2019 THIS ISSUE

Page 3 - Ruling on ACA Page 10 - Scammers Target Social Security Page 11 - Moratorium on VA Comprehensive Caregiver Program Page 21 - Senior Games Page 32 - Something Rotten Comes to Reno Page 34 - A.R.T. EVERY ISSUE Page 4 - Opinion: U.S. Senator Cortez-Masto Page 6 - CMS: How to Lower Your Surgery Cost Page 12 - Flexibility, Acceptance, and Commitment: Three Behaviors for the New Year - Dr. Larry Weiss Page 14 - City of Reno Senior Citizen Advisory

Committee: Volunteer for the Homeless Tent Shelter Project Page 17 - Calendar Page 19 - Janet Ross: Eclectic Observer Page 20 - Arts Calendar Page 22 - This ‘n That Page 24 - Biggest Little City - Harry Spencer Page 26 - Tinseltown Page 28 - Smart Travel Page 31 - Crossword Page 33 - Resources FINANCIAL Page 8 - Take a Comprehensive Approach to Estate Planning - Gerald Dorn, Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd.

Senior Spectrum Newspaper P.O. Box 7124 • Reno, NV 89510

775-348-0717

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com SeniorSpectrumNV@aol.com Publishers: Chris & Connie McMullen

Column opinions are writers, not the publishers.

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 3

Opinion:

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto

Supporting the Mental Health of Nevada’s Seniors

uring the holi day sea son, we are reminded to cherish time with family, to be thankful for our parents, grandparents and elders, and Catherine Cortez Masto to check in on our neighbors who may be experiencing loneliness or health problems. While this is important during the holidays, these actions are just as meaningful throughout the rest of the year. In fact,

4 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

as the holidays wind down, many sen iors are particularly vulnerable to heightened feelings of anxiety, isolation and depression. Though depression treatment and suicide prevention efforts are often focused around young people, depression affects 15 out of every 100 American adults over the age of 65. We must take action to ensure seniors in Nevada, and across the coun try, are not suffering alone.

chronic health conditions, responsibility to care for loved ones with health chal lenges, new financial worries and isola tion, which can all be triggers for psy chological conditions like anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. That is why I’ve been working hard in Washington to reduce stressors on sen iors by ensuring they have access to quality mental health care and strong support systems.

Seniors face multiple risk factors that heighten their risk for mental health problems later in life. While all of us experience life stressors, older adults are vulnerable to reduced mobility,

In the Senate, I have fought against mis guided cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that provide seniors with crucial mental health coverage and preventative care. (Cortez Masto page 5)

Cortez Masto / page 4 Medicare Part B covers one mental health screening a year, so seniors can seek quality advice from a primary care doctor. In addition, I’m a proud cospon sor of the Americans Giving Care to Elders (AGE) Act, which would provide financial relief to family caregivers by creating a tax credit for the costs of car ing for an aging relative. Lowering the costs of caregiving will help ensure that elderly or sick patients aren’t worried about placing a burden on their family, and that older adults caring for aging spouses, friends or parents aren’t isolat ed from their communities due to the financial demands of caregiving. I’ve also been fighting in the Senate to help fund and develop new prevention methods and public health infrastruc ture to combat Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that up to 40 percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from signifi cant depression, even though doctors are often slow to identify and diagnose depression in those with forms of dementia. I’m proud to have supported the bipartisan Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act with Senator Susan Collins (RMaine). This bill, which recently passed Congress, establishes a public health infrastructure to imple ment effective Alzheimer's interventions by educating communities about risk factors of dementia and its related men

tal health challenges. Educating patients, caregivers and the public about the prevalence of depression and other mental health struggles in older Americans will help create a supportive community for older Americans in need. Across Nevada, agencies are collaborat ing with the federal government to take further steps to improve the mental health of our senior population. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) granted Nevada $2 million to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) in Carson City and Lyon County, which can help seniors access both inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment options. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also awarded $8 million in grant funding to the Silver State, which will go in part toward building new senior centers across the state. These grants will pro vide seniors with improved access to quality healthcare and connect older Nevadans to active, caring com munities and sup port systems.

can call the Institute on Aging, which maintains a national 24/7 Friendship Line at 18009710061. This crisis line is the only one in the country accredited for people aged 60 years and older. The National Alliance of Mental Illness also has a 24/7 Nevada specific crisis hotline at 7757848090 as well as support groups and recovery programs through out the state. Go to www.naminevada.org to learn more about Nevada specific resources. This winter, I want to tell all seniors struggling with depression or mental health issues that they are not alone. Depression and mental illness are not a choice, but rather conditions that require comprehensive support and treatment. I stand with our Nevada’s seniors and their families as well as their health providers in making sure those in need have every resource nec essary to support them and help in their recovery.

If you or someone you know is strug gling with depres sion, anxiety or suicidal thoughts and needs imme diate support, you

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 5

Medicare and Medicaid Services

How to lower your surgery costs Greg Dill, Regional Administrator Medicare District 9

I Greg Dill

two weeks later.

magine going to the grocery store, picking up the items you need for the week, but not knowing how much anything costs until the store sends you a bill

Sadly, that’s how our healthcare system works every day. Healthcare costs now represent one in every five dollars spent in our country. Patients’ deductibles and copays are ris ing, and prescription drugs are often unaffordable for many Americans. We must do something about rising costs, and one key is to empower patients with the information they need to drive costs down and quality up by making the healthcare system compete for their business. That’s why Medicare recently launched a new online tool that allows consumers to compare Medicare payments and patient copayments for certain surgical procedures that are performed in both hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers. The Procedure Price Lookup tool dis plays national averages for the amount Medicare pays the hospital or ambula tory surgical center. It also shows the national average copayment amount a beneficiary with no Medicare supple mental insurance would pay the provider. 6 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Working with their doctors, people with Medicare can use the Procedure Price Lookup to consider potential cost dif ferences when choosing among safe and clinically appropriate settings to get the care that best meets their needs. And cost differences can be substantial. The lookup tool is needed because the law requires Medicare to maintain sep arate payment systems for different types of healthcare providers. That means Medicare pays sharply different amounts for the same service, depend ing on the locale of the care. It also means that people with Medicare pay different copays for the same service, depending on where it’s delivered. Unfortunately, this is a prime example of Medicare’s misaligned financial incentives, under which providers can make more money if they treat patients at one location as opposed to another. Here’s an example: a Medicare benefici ary needs knee surgery, and her sur geon offers her the choice to have the surgery in the local hospital’s outpatient department or at an independent sur gery center. With the Procedure Price Lookup tool, the beneficiary can type in the type of surgery and see an estimate of the dif ference in outofpocket costs between the two settings. It would take an act of Congress to change Medicare’s payment systems. In the meantime, patients have the right to at least know what they will be charged. The Procedure Price Lookup makes that information easy to access. Procedure Price Lookup is part of our eMedicare initiative and joins other

patientoriented transparency tools, including an overhauled version of our drug pricing and spending dashboards. These new tools provide patients with Medicare and Medicaid spending infor mation for thousands more drugs than ever before and, for the first time, list the prescription drug manufacturers that were responsible for price increas es. We launched the eMedicare initiative to empower beneficiaries with cost and quality information. eMedicare also offers a mobileoptimized outofpocket cost calculator to provide beneficiaries with information on overall health plan costs and prescription drug costs. The case for price transparency throughout the healthcare system is clear. The need for consumers to com parisonshop is growing as high deductible plans become the norm. We also need to integrate quality informa tion with price transparency, so con sumers are empowered to seek out highvalue care among providers com peting on both cost and quality. Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional adminis trator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1800 MEDICARE (18006334227).

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 7

Gerald Dorn

Take a Comprehensive Approach to Estate Planning

state planning is a core responsibility of adult hood, regardless of your age. Even if you are a relatively young adult, you never know what the future holds. It is important to take the right steps to provide for the people that you love if the unthinkable was to take place. This is a universally applicable truth, but the stakes are even higher if you

By: The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys Gerald M. Dorn, J.D., EPLS, AEP Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd. Legacy and Wealth Planning Attorneys www.wealth-counselors.com

are a parent with dependent children. Each case is unique, and there is no onesizefitsall estate plan. You should get personalized attention from a licensed estate planning attorney so that you can devise a custom crafted plan that ideally suits your needs. This is exactly what you will receive if you decide to work with our firm.

8 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Asset Transfers An asset transfer vehicle will be at the core of your estate plan. You may assume that a last will is the right choice if you are not very wealthy, and this document can suffice for some people. However, when you look into the facts, you will see that there are drawbacks and lim itations that enter the pic ture if you choose to utilize a

last will to state your final wishes in a legally binding manner. One major pitfall that goes along with the creation of a last will is the probate requirement. After the pass ing of the testator, a will must be admitted to probate. The executor or personal representative would handle the estate administration (Planning page 9)

tasks, and supervision would be provided by the court. This process provides certain protections for creditors, but it is not necessarily positive for rightful inheritors that are named in the last will. A major negative is the time consumption. When you are planning your estate, you probably would like to facili tate timely asset transfers to your family members. Unfortunately, probate will take nine months to a year, even if there are no signifi cant complications. No inher itances can be distributed until the estate has been pro bated and closed by the court. In addition to the above, there is the matter of inheri tance erosion. There are many expenses that present themselves during the pro bate process, including court costs, legal fees, accounting expenses, appraisal and liqui dation charges, and other incidentals. All this can add up to noticeably reduce the value of the estate before it is passed along to the heirs. These are a couple of the major drawbacks, but there are others. Fortunately, there is a very effective way to transfer assets outside of the probate process. A revocable living trust can be utilized to facilitate timely, costeffec tive asset transfers to the beneficiaries, and probate would not be a factor. This is one option that is ideal for many people, but there are different types of trusts that can be established to address advanced estate planning concerns. Complex Situations A revocable living trust can be the right choice for many people. However, there are other types of trusts that can be preferable when certain circumstances exist. For example, there is

the matter of special needs planning. People with disabil ities can rely on Medicaid as a source of much needed health insurance. Supplemental Security Income can provide some financial resources on an ongoing basis. Medicaid and SSI are needbased programs. You cannot qualify if you have any resources to speak up in your own name. A significant direct inheritance or gift could cause a loss of eligibili ty. To account for this, you could convey assets into a supplemental needs trust. The trustee that you name would have the ability to use assets in the trust to make the beneficiary more com fortable without impacting government benefit eligibili ty. Incapacity Planning Every wellconstructed estate plan should address the possibility of latterlife incapacity. You can include a living will to state your wish es regarding the utilization of lifesustaining measures. With a durable power of attorney for health care, you can name someone to make other medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make them your self. A durable financial power of attorney could be added to empower a person of your choosing to handle your financial affairs. The law firm of Anderson, Dorn & Rader, Ltd. is devoted exclusively to estate planning and estate and trust adminis tration.The attorneys offer guidance and advice in every area of estate planning and estate and trust administra tion. For more information, contact us at (775) 823WILL (9455) or visit us online at www.wealthcounselors. com .

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SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 9

Scammers Target Social Security Beneficiaries The Federal Trade Commission continues to get reports about people pre tending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to get your Social Security number and even your money. In one version of the scam, the caller says your Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, he says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or sending money out of the country illegally. He then says your Social is blocked – but he might ask you for a fee to reactivate it, or to get a new number. And he will ask you to confirm your Social Security number.

10 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Here’s what you need to know: • The SSA will never (ever) call and ask for your Social Security number. It won’t ask you to pay anything. And it won’t call to threaten your benefits. • Your caller ID might show the SSA’s real phone number (18007721213), but that’s not the real SSA calling. • Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Don’t con firm the last 4 digits. And don’t give a bank account or credit card number. • Remember that anyone who tells you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is a scammer.

VA Places Moratorium on the Comprehensive Caregiver Program

he Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will temporarily suspend dis charges and decreases in the level of support given in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The suspension is the result of concerns expressed by veterans, caregivers and advocates about inconsis tent application of eligibili ty requirements by VA medical centers. “It is essential that we get this right,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This affects one of our most vulnerable Veteran populations and we need to make sure we have consistency on how we process and evaluate ben efit applications across VA.” The suspension does not impact the current appli cation process. VA medical centers are continuing to accept and approve appli cations to the family care givers program based on current eligibility criteria along with processing appeals and monitoring eligible veterans’ well being at least every 90 days, unless otherwise clinically indicated. Termination of benefits exempted from the sus pension include those made at the request of

the veteran or caregiver, by the local Caregiver Support Program for cause or noncompliance or due to death, permanent insti tutionalization or long term hospitalization of a veteran or caregiver. In addition to initiating an internal review, VA will continue to solicit feed back from external stake holders. VA is reviewing policy changes as well as pursuing longterm legisla tive and regulatory changes. The VA Caregiver Support Program has aided more than 38,000 family care givers since 2011. Participating families receive an average month ly stipend ranging from $660 to $2,600, based on the level of assistance required by the veteran and the geographic loca tion of the veteran and caregiver. Participating caregivers also receive access to health care if the caregiver does not have insurance, assistance with travel related to care of the vet erans mental health care, additional service and sup port. For more information about the VA caregiver program, visit www.care giver.va.gov .

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SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 11

“Adding Life to Years”

Flexibility, Acceptance, and Commitment: Three behaviors for the new year Dr. Larry Weiss Center for Healthy Aging Larry Weiss

elcome to the new year – 2019!

Given all the national political unrest, stress, lies, and deceit, we need to aim to be more accepting. Given that it is difficult at this time to accept all the national issues, we need to focus in on our own life satisfaction and happiness. In order to do that we need to be even more accepting of our thoughts and feelings and committed to facing our own problems headon. Instead of avoiding our problems, we need to commit to actions that will help our selves stop struggling against the inevitable and facilitate thriving instead. Such action demands flexibility. What if we could accept ourselves to feel what we feel, even if it’s negative? What would happen if we let ourselves experi ence it all, be flexible instead of focus ing all our effort on evading any poten tially difficult problems? In psychology, acceptance occurs when a situation is acknowledged and accept ed by an individual. It is typically used in reference to the acknowledgement of a negative situation. Instead of avoiding our problems, we need to commit to actions that will help us stop struggling against the inevitable and facilitate thriving instead. What if we could accept ourselves to feel what we feel, even if it’s negative? In addition, what would happen if we let ourselves just experience thoughts, feelings, and expe riences, instead of focusing all our efforts on evading any potential prob lems? Acceptance is an alternative to the instinct to avoid negative, or poten tially negative, experiences. It is the 12 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

active choice to be aware of and allow these types of experiences without try ing to avoid or change them. Clearly, the emphasis is on acceptance and allowing instead of avoiding. Have you ever regretted not doing something because you psyched your self out? Whether it be asking someone out on a date, confronting a family member, or asking someone to do something for you? Many times we tend to overestimate how bad the con sequences really are. In other words, we “think too much” about what could hap pen and convince ourselves that these actions are not worth the trouble. However, we are much more mentally resilient than we give ourselves credit for. Selfaffirmations are statements that we tell ourselves in order to spark selfchange (Steele, 1988). They are designed to alter our beliefs about our selves such that they are more positive. Generally speaking, selfaffirmations serve as part of the psychological immune system. For example, when your wife or significant other harshly critiques you, we need to give ourselves positive reminders like “it’s going to be okay” to help cope with the situation. Although we use selfaffirmations as a coping mechanism, they can also moti vate us. Quite simply, when we feel good about ourselves, we are more like ly to take action. So when we tell our selves that “I love to go for a walk”, we feel good about going for a walk. If we smile while we are walking, our bodies feel better. A simple mechanism of flexi bility and acceptance of the action facili tates commitment. In contrast,

researchers have shown that when we feel bad about ourselves we become complacent, depressed, and are at a greater risk for health problems. Affirmations are more than just self help statements to make ourselves feel better. They can have a significant impact on our overall quality of life. Regular affirmations allow us to become more in tune with our thoughts and the way we think about our self in general. When we are conscious and more accepting of our attitudes towards our selves, we can make an effort and com mitment to eliminate negative thoughts. When we become more aware and accepting of ourselves, we are able to become more flexible and mindful of surrounding ourselves with positive things. Therefore the more we practice and make a commitment to accepting ourselves the more we notice what aspects of our lives are most important to us, as well as those things that may be impeding on our happiness. Additionally, daily affirmations help keep us in a consistently positive mood. Optimistic people tend to be healthier, more productive, and generally happier than those who view themselves less positively. One study shows that after 4 weeks of repeated selfaffirmation activity, participants experienced an increase in their mental wellbeing (Nelson, Fuller, Choi, & Lyubomirsky, 2014). Daily affirmations allow us to have a clearer perspective on the obsta cles in our life. In other words, people who practice daily affirmations don’t sweat the small stuff because they have (Behaviors page 15)

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SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 13

Volunteer for the Homeless Tent Shelter Project by Donna Clontz, Chair Reno Senior Citizen Advisory Committee

otty is 68 and lived in a small apartment until October this year when her landlord raised her rent $200 a month, so she was forced to Donna Clontz move out. She had worked for years as a waitress in Reno and was living very frugally on her Social Security and small amount of sav ings. She tried living in a weekly motel, but found it far too expensive, so signed up for services and a bed at the Volunteers of America (VOA) emergency shelter. While she waits for a perma nent bed in the women’s shelter, she sometimes stays in the overflow shelter tent which is heated and has 50 steel framed bunk beds. Every night, there are approximately 500 men, women and children in Reno staying at the Community Assistance Center, which is run by VOA at Record Street, or in the overflow facility. Individuals register in the men’s shelter daily as VOA clients for a bed in one of their three adult facilities. When the shelters are full, which is almost always, they are then assigned to the overflow facility, which can accommodate up to 150 adults, and then the overflow tent which can accommodate another 79 adults. The tent is operated by the City of Reno. Tent clients are asked to check in at 9 p.m. for their assigned bunk and to check out in the morning by 5:30 a.m. On cold nights, when all the facili ties’ beds are at capacity, clients on the waiting list can sit in chairs in warming rooms at the Men’s and Women’s Shelter throughout the night. The Homeless Tent Shelter Project is 14 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Exterior of the homeless overflow tent.

funded and managed by the City of Reno Community Development Department. It is staffed every night by community volunteers, usu ally in groups of three, each serving a 4 to 41/2hour shift. Volunteers are coordi nated by Dan and Teresa Jacobsen, with the LDS Church in Reno. Many area churches are fielding nightly teams of volunteers to stay the night at the tent to check in the homeless, give out water and blankets, keep watch over them while they sleep and check them out in the morning. Volunteers are vetted by the City of Reno and everyone receives a short orientation and train ing, both on video and in a written handout. The VOA Men’s Shelter and security staff are available throughout the night to help with questions or any emergencies that may arise.

Interior of tent with bunks.

On the night that I volunteered, the (Homeless page 16)

Behaviors / from page 12

a better grasp on what is important in their life. They are able to think about the big picture and not get over whelmed with minor stuff. Positivity is contagious. By practicing positive affirmations, we are indirectly benefiting others as well. Our positive attitude will carry on to other people and in turn make them feel better. Daily affirmations can be a difficult thing to do. Especially if you are someone who has struggled with selfcompassion before, saying something nice about yourself is not always the easiest. To begin, we need to identify some of the properties of good affirmations. Most importantly, an affirmation needs to be stated in the present and be positive. For example, “I expect to be successful”, would be one such affirmation. Notice that it is written in the present, it does not say “I will be successful.” An affir mation should be immediately gratifying for it to be effective. Also, it needs to be

positive as well as unconditional. Affirmations are more beneficial when they are repeated. The more you repeat the same affirmation, the more your unconscious begins to believe it. Over time we are training our brains to think more positively through selfaffir mations. Lastly, we need to write our affirmations down. Saying good things about yourself aloud is one thing, but writing them down increases their potency. Writing an affirmation down allows your mind one more way to absorb the positive message and self acceptance. There are many experiences and activi ties in our lives which aren’t innately negative, and which could easily be neu tralized or even made pleasant by the power of acceptance. This has never been put better than in the Serenity Prayer, created by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, and later adopted by Alcoholics’ Anonymous: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can

not change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” What better way to “add life to years” than by practicing accept ance, flexibility, and commitment to produce positivity in our lives. Lawrence J. Weiss, Ph.D. is CEO of the Center for Healthy Aging. Dr. Weiss wel comes your comments on this column. Write to him at larry@addinglife toyears.com or c/o Center for Healthy Aging, 11 Fillmore Way, Reno, NV 89519.

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 15

Homeless / page 14 Several were obviously suffering from mental or substance abuse issues, but overall, the experience was peaceful and quite humbling. I will participate again throughout the winter. More volunteers are needed for nightly shifts through March 2019. Dan said, “No experience is needed, except hav ing some compassion and willingness to help out folks in these tough circum stances.” If you or your church, syna gogue, mosque, business, or even a group of friends would like to serve a nightly shift, please contact Dan at dan jacobsen61@gmail.com.

Community Assistance Center, which is run by Volunteers Of America (VOA) at Record Street.

weather was near freezing, and the tent was full of 42 men and 8 women. The majority of the patrons were over 50 years old, some in their 70s; one young woman told me she was 6 months preg nant. Several folks used a wheelchair or

16 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

walker and one gentleman had a CPAP machine for his sleep apnea. The tent was warm, and people were sound asleep by 10:30 p.m. Most were very polite and quietly provided their infor mation and went to their bunks.

If you would like to learn more about all the services provided by Volunteers of America and learn how you can help, please contact Linda Grace at lgrace@voancnn.org, 7753227143 or at their website https://www.voa ncnn.org/. For more information, you can also contact me at donnanorm1@yahoo.com.

• Jan. 8 Bread Drop, TPPAC, 9 a.m. Every Tuesday, Jan. 15, 22, 29. Also every Tuesday, NRRC@noon.

• Jan. 2 Renown Grief Support, 6:158:15 p.m., Washoe County Senior Center, every Wednesday. Also Dec. 19. • Jan. 2, 9, 16 Ceramic Workshop, 9:3012:30 p.m., McKinley Arts & Culture Center, $45 (3 classes 3 hrs per class). Also first, second and third Wednesdays. Register call (775) 3342417. • Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 This NThat Exchange, 13 p.m., NRRC, dropin fee. • Jan. 3 SNAP Food Stamp Signup Workshop, 8noon, Washoe County Senior Center. Also Jan. 15 and 17. • Jan. 3 NV HOPES Blood Pressure Clinic, 911 a.m., Washoe County Senior Center, every Wednesday. Also Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31. • Jan. 3 SNAP Food Stamp Outreach, 811:30 a.m., Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 4 AARP Board Meeting, 10noon, Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 4 Catholic Charities Outreach, 10noon, Washoe County Senior Center. Also Jan. 11, 18, 25. • Jan. 4 Senior Dance Club, 7:30 p.m., WCSS. Also Jan. 11, 18, 25. • Jan. 7 Volunteer Crochet

CALENDAR and Knitting Group, 1012 p.m., EMNECC, free; also Jan. 14, 21, 27. • Jan. 7 Sit and Get Fit, 8:309:30 a.m., TPPAC. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. • Jan. 7 Beanbag Baseball Practice, 1:304 p.m., NRRC, dropin fee; every Monday, Jan. 14, 21, 28. Also on Fridays, Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25. • Jan. 7 Tai Chi Class, 67 p.m., EMNECC, $5. • Jan. 7 Pickleball, every Monday, 11:301 p.m., NRRC, $10. Also Jan. 14, 21, 28. • Jan. 7 Sunshine Quilters, 14 p.m., TPPAC, dropin fee. Every Monday. • Jan. 7 Mat Yoga, 1011 a.m., NRRC. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Also 121 p.m., EMNECC, Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. • Jan. 7 Veterans Service Officer, WCSS, 10noon. • Jan. 7 AARP Driver Safety Class, Washoe County Senior Center, register at (775) 583 8208 or 7072499880. • Jan. 8 Beanbag Baseball Practice, 13:30 p.m., every Tuesday. Also every Friday, 1012:30 p.m., TPPAC, drop in fee.

• Jan. 8 Healthy Walking Class, every Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Meadowood Mall, near men’s Macys, (775) 848 1260. • Jan. 8 Sit and Get Fit, 10 11 a.m., EMNECC; also Jan. 15, 22, 29. Also every Thursday. • Jan. 8 Ballroom Dancing, 23:30 p.m., EMNECC, drop in fee. Every Tuesday. Also every Friday, 67:45 p.m. • Jan. 8 Beanbag Baseball Practice, 13:30 p.m., TPPAC, dropin fee; also Jan. 15, 22, 29. Fridays, 1012:30 p.m., Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25. Also Monday & Friday@NRRC, 1:303:30 p.m.

Washoe County Senior Center, Wednesday.Friday. • Jan. 8 Hawaiian Music, 10:3012:30 p.m., WCSS. Also Jan. 22, 29. • Jan. 8 Harold’s Club Pioneers, 11:3012:30 p.m., WCSS. • Jan. 8 Conversation Cafe, 9:3011 a.m., every Tuesday, NRRC, dropin fee. • Jan. 9 Chair Yoga, 1:30 2:15 p.m., EMNECC, $8/mo. Also Thursdays, Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31, 1010:45 a.m. • Jan. 9 Veterans Service Officer, SSC, 9:3011:30 a.m. • Jan. 9 Blood Pressure Checks, Gerlach Senior Center, 111 p.m.

• Jan. 8 Tai Chi Class, 12 p.m., EMNECC, every Tuesday and Thursdays at 12 p.m., $5, per class.

• Jan. 10 Zumba Gold Fitness, 1011 a.m., TPPAC, $10 monthly. Thursdays, Jan. 17, 24, 31. Also Tuesdays, 11:1512:15 p.m., Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29.

• Jan. 8 Silver State Super Seniors, 8:30 a.m., EMNECC. Also Jan. 15, 22, 29. Also Thursday, and Friday.

• Jan. 9 Grumpy Old Men, 10 a.m., music and dancing, Washoe County Senior Center. Also Jan. 16, 23. 30.

• Jan. 8 Sit and Get Fit, 10 11 a.m., EMNECC, every Tuesday; also every Thursday.

• Jan. 10 Nevada Button Society, 12 p.m., Washoe County Senior Center.

• Jan. 8 Ballroom Dancing, 23:45 p.m., EMNECC, every Tuesday, Jan. 15, 23, 29. Also on Friday, 67:45 p.m. Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25. • Jan. 8 Senior Discovery TV Media Volunteers, Tuesdays, 2 p.m., EMNECC. • Jan. 8 SHIP Medicare Counseling, 101 p.m.,

• Jan. 10 Open Lab, 123 p.m., NRRC, $5. Every Thursday, Jan. 17, 24, 31. • Jan. 10 Seniors Series: Your Time is Now! Sparks Library, 1:30 2:30 p.m., Affordable Senior Housing Stephen Aichroth, Administrator, Nevada Housing Division. (Calendar on page 18)

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 17

CALENDAR

Center locations

Calendar / from page 17 Well Class Series, 23 p.m., SSC. Also Jan. 28.

• Jan. 17 Veterans Service Officer, SVSC, 10noon.

Wednesday, 12:302:30 p.m., NRRC, free.

• Jan. 14, 16, 18 Computer Essentials Made Simple, 9:3011:30 a.m., NRRC, $20.

• Jan. 17 USDA Commodity Food Distribution, 810 a.m., Washoe County Senior Center.

• Jan. 24 Neil Road Book Club, 1011:30 a.m., NRRC, dropin fee.

• Jan. 15 Assistance League Food Pantry, 9 a.m., (come early), Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 10 Catholic Charities Resource Assistance, 10 noon, NRRC, free. • Jan. 11 Blood Pressure Checks, SSC, 111:30 p.m. • Jan. 11 Blood Pressure Checks, WCSS, 911 a.m. • Jan. 11 Tai Chi Class, 910 a.m., every Friday, NRRC, $5. • Jan. 11 Alyssa Stress Management Group, 1011 a.m., Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 12 Reno Dance Club, 2 p.m., NRRC, $5, second and fourth Sunday of the month. Also Jan. 26. • Jan. 14 Blood Pressure Checks, Cold Springs Community Center, 111 p.m. • Jan. 14 RPEN Board Meeting, 12:302 p.m., WCSS. RPEN General Meeting, 13 p.m. • Jan. 14 Seniors Eating

Cold Springs Senior Center: 971-8542 Evelyn Mount Northeast Community Center (EMNCC): 334-2262 Gerlach Senior Center: 1-775-557-2206 Incline Community Center: www.washoecounty.us/ seniorsrv/incline_community center Lazy 5/Spanish Springs: 1-775-328-2786 Neil Road Recreation Center (NRRC): 689-8484 Sparks Senior Center (SSC): 353-3110 Sun Valley Senior Center (SVSC): 673-9417 Teglia’s Paradise Park Activity Center (TPPAC): 356-3176 Washoe County Senior Services (WCSS): 328-2575

• Jan. 15 Washoe County Animal Services Pet Food, 8 10:30 a.m., Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 15 Alyssa Stress Management Group, 912 p.m., SSC. • Jan. 15 Renown Grief Support, 23:30 p.m., SSC. • Jan. 15 Veterans Service Officer, NRRC, 10noon. • Jan. 15 Student Outreach Clinic, UNR, Geriatric and Dermatology. • Jan. 16 Veterans Suicide Prevention, 10noon, SSC. • Jan. 16 Blood Pressure Checks, EMNECC, 12:302:30 p.m. • Jan. 16 Friends on the Go, 111 p.m., SSC. • Jan. 16 Renown Grief Support, 6:158:15 p.m., WCSS.

18 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

• Jan. 17 Senior Center Library, 1:30 2:30 p.m., Transportation – Regional Transportation Commission: Susi Trinidad, RTC; Amy DewittSmith and Mark Tadder, Neighborhood Network; Jackie Gonzalez, Outreach Director for Access to Heathcare Network. • Jan. 18 Stress Management Group, 1011 a.m., WCSS. • Jan, 21 Closed, MLK Day. • Jan. 22 Ostomy Support Group, 5:308:30 p.m., WCSS. • Jan. 22 The Voices, 122 p.m., EMNECC. • Jan. 22 Reno Senior Citizen Advisory Committee, 3:30 p.m., TPPAC. • Jan. 22 & 24 Digital Photo Management, 9:3011:30 a.m., NRRC, $15 lab fee. • Jan. 23 Mobile Harvest Food Bank, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the CARE Chest of Northern NV, fourth

• Jan. 24 Accordion Players, 1011 a.m., WCSS. • Jan. 24 AARP Driver Safety, 12:304:30 p.m., SSC. • Jan. 25 Blood Pressure Checks, SVSC, 10noon. • Jan. 25 Chili Cookoff, 1:303:30 p.m., TPPAC. • Jan. 25 Care Chest of Northern Nevada, 10noon, Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 28 Jeff Wayne Sings, 10:3012:15 p.m., Washoe County Senior Center. • Jan. 30 Veterans Service Officer, Gerlach Senior Center, 91 p.m. • Jan. 30 Feb. 14 2019 RenoTahoe Senior Winter Games, 50 years and older , (775) 6574602, SeniorServices@Reno.gov. • Feb. 5 April 10 AARP TaxAide, 811 a.m., WCSS. • Feb. 5 Learn to Square Dance, 67:30 p.m. TPPAC, $6 per person/weekly. Free lessons, 1:152 p.m.

ECLECTIC OBSERVER Janet Ross

his January 2019 column has a Hidden message; just look for the capital letters in bold to deci pher it.

There is an old cliché, but worth repeating: an Apple a day keeps the doctor away. Not a bad suggestion for beginning the new year. Janet Ross

Another suggestion for this year, in light of all the chaos of the past one, is to cultivate your Patience. It's time to mel low out, get rid of your political frustra tions, eliminate road rage, and let go of your latest medical issue. Are the things that try your patience really that impor tant? Back off … and be happy! It's always a good time to pray for Peace, especially in locations where we have troops defending our freedom. Can you imagine an entire world with out wars? Wouldn't that be the greatest blessing ever? Here's an idea for this year – say “Yes” to something that would normally put a “no” in your mouth. Take a chance on something new and different. Surprise a friend or loved one with an affirmative reaction to one of their requests that you usually deny. In that vein, make an effort to delete the Negative from your actions and vocabulary. Negative people are a downer and we don't need them in our lives. If we are negative ourselves, think of the effect on others. Isn't it time to make room in our lives for Everyone, regardless of culture, race, religion, age, politics – anything that differs from our own “tribe.” Different doesn't have to be something we fear.

So much for being serious, Wear something silly for a day. You'll be surprised at the comments (or dou bletake looks) you get. And, if some one doesn't haul you off to the funny farm, a smile or a laugh is guaran teed. When the days are gray (and they will be in January), find something Yellow to brighten your outlook. If you can't locate some yellow flowers, consider a bowl full of cheery lemons. Good advice (and another cliché): the

Early bird catches the worm. Instead

of snuggling in bed, get up an hour early and use the extra time to do something you've been avoiding. This new year is time to rejoice in just being Alive. Life itself can be such an extraordi nary gift as we age. It's a time to appreciate every precious moment. My last suggestion for 2019, Read a book this month. Buy one from a local bookseller, borrow one from your Library, put one on your ereader. It mat ters less what you choose to read than the fact that you make the time to relax and read. May this year bring you both happi ness and good health!

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 19

ARTS & Entertainment • Jan. 11 & 12 Sheep Dip 55, Eldorado Showroom. • Jan. 12 13 Unexpected Evolution, Reno Phil, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.

• Jan. 27 50th Anniversary of the Reno Philharmonic, presented by Historic Reno Preservation Society, down

town Reno Library, 12:30 1:30 p.m., Engrid Barnett, Ph.D.

• Jan. 16 History of LGBTQ Reno, 5:307 p.m., Northwest Reno Library.

• Feb. 9 10 Classix Series: Timeless Masters, 7:30 p.m., Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.

• Jan. 18 Lewis Black, 8 p.m., Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort. • Jan. 18 20 The King and I, 8 p.m., and mati nee’s. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. • Jan. 19 Kim Russo, psychic medium & intu itive counselor live, Silver Legacy, 8 p.m. • Jan. 23 Nic Sheff, 6:30 p.m., Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, Renown’s Annual Community Speaker series.

• Feb. 23 Toni Braxton,

Feb. 24 Tim McGraw.

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song, all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Greg Proops, Dave Foley, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 2, 8 p.m.

Feb. 15 The Oak Ridge Boys.

• Jan. 26 Brew HaHa, 8 p.m., benefiting Sierra Arts, over 100 brews and live music.

• Jan. 26 Million Dollar Quartet, Silver Legacy, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 2 Whose Live Anyway?, 8 p.m., Pioneer Center for Performing Arts.

• Feb. 17 Hacken Lee 30th Anniversary Concert, Reno Events Center, 8 p.m.

Celebrating 50 Years in Reno, NV This commemorative work tells the story of the first 50 years of the Reno Philharmonic based on inter views with more than 200 people, including conduc tors, orchestra and chorus members. Author Judith F. Simpson also draws on research from newspaper arti cles, photos and old concert programs to tell this fas cinating tale. 50 Years of the Reno Philharmonic is available for purchase at our office, the Nevada Historical Society, and Sundance Bookstores. $25

20 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Featuring Jon Nakamatsu, Piano.

Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 15 The Oak Ridge Boys Shine The Light Tour, Silver Legacy, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 24 Tim McGraw, Reno Events Center, 8 p.m.

• Feb. 15 17 Something Rotten! Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. • Feb. 16 Dierks Bentley Burning Man Tour, Reno Events Center, 7 p.m.

• Feb. 24 Marisela, Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort 7 p.m. • March 1 Gladys Knight, Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort, 9 p.m. • March 8 Dancing With The Stars: Live!, Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra Resort, 8 p.m.

Calendar / from page 20

ART

Through Jan. 27 Anne Brigman: A Visionary in Modern Photography, iconic landscape photographs made in the early 1900s featuring female nudes, John Hawley Olds Lagatta Gallery Nevada Museum of Art. Through Jan. 27 Laid Bare in the Landscape, exhibition assembles photographs, films, and performance docu mentation by women artists who situate the nude female body in outdoor landscapes, Robert Z. Hawkins Gallery, Nevada Museum of Art.

Franc Buck Gallery, Earl and Wanda Casazza Gallery, Nevada Museum of Art.

ART EVENTS • Jan. 10 Guided Tour docent guides you through

the galleries offering insight and history to the artwork on view, 56 pm. Nevada Museum of Art.

• Jan. 12 Hands ON! Second Saturdays, 10 6 p.m., offers month ly free admis sion, hands on art activi ties, story Through Jan. 27 Laid Bare in the Landscape. telling, a Through June 30 Trevor docentguided tour, Nevada Paglen: Orbital Reflector, Art Museum of Art. + Environment Gallery, Nevada Museum of Art. • Jan. 12 Guided Tour Saturday, 12 p.m., a docent Through April 21 After will guide you through the galleries, Nevada Museum of Art. • Jan. 13 Sunday with a Senior, 13 p.m., designed for Talks: January 24, 68 p.m. seniors (ages Smoke Goddess: Judy Chicago on Land Art and the 60+) who Desert, In Conversation with Philipp Kaiser. require some Audubon: Art, Observation, additional assistance, Nevada and Natural Science, Carol Museum of Art.

2019 Reno-Tahoe Senior Games

thletes 50 and older can sign up now for the 2019 RenoTahoe Senior Winter Games, a pro gram dedicated to promot ing and implementing fit ness. The Games start on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 with a free Opening Games Social at Baldini's Casino and conclude on Thursday, February 14, 2019 with the Valentine’s Day Dinner and Dance event at the Eldorado Resort Casino. Registration is available through January 22, by mail; or by January 30, via inper son dropoff or online at Reno.gov/SeniorGames. Competitors can participate in such events as archery, basketball skills, beanbag baseball, bocce ball, bowling, card games, climbing wall, crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing, fitness events, gokart racing, obstacle course, downhill snowboard and ski racing, pickleball, shuffleboard, swimming and more! There will be opportu nities to compete individual ly, with a partner, or as part of a team. Competitors will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals according to gender, age and ability. “Keeping seniors active and engaged in a fun and healthy way is critical to our success as a community,” said Vice Mayor Neoma Jardon, who is also a member of the

Senior Citizens Advisory Committee. “We are fortu nate to be able to offer sen iors the chance to compete with their fellow community members.” The registration fee is $30 per person, plus an addition al $10$20 persport fee. The registration fee includes a Winter Games Tshirt, pin and a ticket to the Valentine’s Day Dinner/Dance and Closing Ceremony. This year the Valentine’s Day Dinner/Dance will be held on Thursday, February 14, from 5:30 p.m to 9 p.m. Additional Dinner/Dance tickets for competitor guests and the public ($30) will be available. For more information, including a schedule of events, visit Reno.gov/SeniorGames or call 7753342366. Prospective participants can also send an email to SeniorServices@Reno.gov to sign up for email updates.

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 21

this ‘n that

by Anne Vargas annevargas3@gmail.com

A little Potpourri (various thoughts on varying stuff)

A new year. New resolutions to declare. And new excuses to justify procrastination. I found this map to be very helpful!

o, what do I procrasti nate about doing? Well, I fer Anne Vargas vently believe in the benefits of exer cise. I collect books on the sub ject. Sometimes I even read them. I also have an vast assortment of items strewn around the house that are intended to help with stretch ing, toning and improving bal ance. Our grandchildren think it’s all here simply for their enjoyment and my spouse repeatedly reminds me that I am supposed to use the stuff and do the exercises. Procrastination!

Obviously, I’m hardly qualified to give advice on this but I do have something interesting to share. While waiting for a concert to begin one evening my hus band and I struck up a conversation with the man seated next to us. He was younger than we are (a lot of people seem to be these days). He told us he is a writer, focusing specifically on the subject of aging. Since that’ s a topic I 22 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

may actually do the exer cise. As soon as I am work my way through that procrastination map.

am now keenly absorbed with I wanted details. “Dynamic Aging”, he told us… ”Read that book; it’s the best one writ ten on the subject!” Of course, I ordered it the next morning to add to my collection with the optimism that the contents would be absorbed by osmosis. Except this one is different; I really did read it. And no, that young man did not write it; the author’s name is Katy Bowman. Her premise is uniquely dif ferent from the countless other books on my shelf, it’s delightfully easy, and rather fun, to read. The author shares her strategy and philosophy with four women (referred to as The Goldeners) who are also featured in the book. They share their thoughts and observations along with their photos. It’s a book I can easily relate to…and who knows, I

By the time you read this, I will be ending a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean with our entire family. A couple of years ago we thought it might be nice to take our children’s children and their parents on a cruise to Alaska to cele brate my husband’s “sig nificant” birthday. Princess Cruise Line offered just what we were looking for; reason ably affordable and it caters to families with delightful activities for virtually every age group. Since 14 people all have busy lives we issued the invitation over a year ahead of time but none of them had ever been on a cruise, didn’t know what to expect and didn’t realize how much fun they would have or how wonderful it would be. So that trip took 15 months of “on again/off again, yes/no/maybe” planning before we had everyone on board. If we could have called the whole thing off without finan cial loss, we might have considered it. This time, everyone signed on the dot ted line in red ink within 24 hours and started to pack. We are celebrating New Year’s and MY “significant” birth day which isn’t going to take place for a while but you never know. Strike while the iron is hot or while calendars are clear.

this ‘n that / from page 22

Random thoughts: I am fond of quotes; here are some of my favorites:

Your life is your story. Write well. Edit often. Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apolo gy you never got. The things we take for grant ed someone else is praying for. The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell. Life is kind of like a party. You invite a lot of people. Some leave early, some stay all night. Some laugh with you, some laugh at you and some show up really late.

But in the end, after the fun, there are a few who stay to help clean up the mess. And most of the time, they aren’t even the ones who made the mess. These people are your true friends in life. They are the only ones who really matter. I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something. Dear Past: Thanks for all the lessons. Dear Future: I’m ready.

Happy New Year!

The Open-Door Café

welcomes anyone who is interested to their monthly meeting. The intent is to provide a place for people living with any type of dementia and their loved ones to have a place to meet, relax, socialize and develop a network of mutual peer support, all within a welcoming environment. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month from 2 until 3:15 at the Lake Mansion, 50 Court Street, on the

corner of Arlington and Court streets, just north of Midtown. The next meeting will be on January 17th.

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 23

BIGGEST little City Harry Spencer

Homage to a Media Man

Harry Spencer

ust as when a bright star fades out in the heavens, one of Reno’s most stellar luminaries passed away recently when Chris McMullen departed the local scene. Chris and his wife Connie were major players in catering to senior issues by virtue of their monthly publication Senior Spectrum, the annual Senior Fest and a host of various senior organiza tions and causes. Connie has vowed to continue all of these activities in Chris’ memory. For me, I was fortunate enough to meet Chris several decades ago. Not long after that, I began writing for this publi cation. During the intervening years, I

24 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

marveled at what a perfect team Chris and Connie were. They worked in tan dem on publications, radio, TV and live appearances. When it came to print endeavors, they worked seamlessly with Chris doing advertising sales and Connie doing the editorial work. Whenever I delivered my column in per son to Chris at his home, he would always invite me in to view his latest remodeling project. He was also proud of the many fine antiques he was able to collect and he dabbled in a score of hobbies. On many occasions we would go outside to discuss repairs on his house and to see how his landscaping projects were progressing.

Every now and then, when I was out and about I would run into the duo as they were participating in the delivery of this publication. Thus, I was able to get a fresh copy from the publishers themselves. Many years ago when I was in a news room during the dead time as all of us were waiting for the damp newspapers to come off the press we would play numerous word games. One of our favorites was to select a person of note and try to identify him by the most appropriate single word. In Chris’ case such a task would be easy for the most impressive word I could

Biggest Little / page 24 think of to identify him by would be “enthusiasm”. That trait was obvious no matter what he was doing. Even to com municating on the telephone. It is no wonder that he was so successful in sales due to his engaging personality and persuasive ways.

A friend always helps shoulder your burdens.

In closing, some years ago I penned a tribute, at this time I would like to dedi cate it to Chris.

A friend remains a friend over long distances—and over many years.

A FRIEND by H. Spencer

hat is a friend?

A friend loves the members of your family as if they were his own. A friend can be critical too, but only in the most supportive way.

A friend is truly someone who is there when you need him.

A friend is someone you choose. A friend is someone who chooses you. A friend shares a bond with you that is sometimes stronger than blood. A friend is the one person who stays at your side when all others turn away. A friend is a damn good thing to have.

That’s a question as old as time itself. A friend is someone who cares about what happens to you A friend is someone who enjoys your company. A friend is someone you can turn to in time of trouble. A friend is not only quick to share—he’s eager to share. A friend never questions your motives—no matter how selfish. A friend is one who springs to your defense—no matter the odds. A friend is someone with whom you can travel comfortably. A friend is someone with whom conversation is open and easy. A friend seems happy to give you more than he receives. A friend never lets others speak ill of you. SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 25

Tinseltown Nick Thomas

Living with Rodney Dangerfield

he Christmas season may be over, but last December held special significance for Joan Dangerfield who married comedian Rodney Dangerfield 25 years ago on December 26. The pair had dated for 10 years fol lowing a chance meeting in 1983 when Rodney strolled passed Joan’s Santa Monica flower shop. “Being a diehard fan, I recognized Rodney immediately,” Joan recalled from her West Hollywood home. “I was 16 when I first saw him on ‘The Tonight Show’ and suddenly there he was, 14 years later, walking towards me, the funniest man in the world. For me, it was love at first sight, the holy grail of encounters. He was fascinating and had those soulful azureblue eyes, the color of the sky on a clear day. I couldn’t look at him without smiling.” The bugeyed, tiefidgeting, comedian who cracked up audiences for decades with his often selfdeprecating ‘no

26 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Rodney and Joan Dangerfield.

respect’ style of rapidfire oneliners began dropping by each morning to watch Joan arrange flowers. Despite their clearly different backgrounds – Joan was raised in a Utah Mormon fam ily – the two hit it off immediately.

“I felt like the luckiest person in the world,” she said. “To have your own personal comedian constantly surprising you, I couldn’t wait to wake up each day.”

Tinseltown / from page 26 Joan remembers Dangerfield working hard at his craft, writing his own stand up material often taking months to per fect a joke. He would dash off to local comedy clubs in the evenings, some times two or three a night, to try out a new joke and experiment with its deliv ery and placement within a routine. Although Dangerfield experienced an unhappy childhood, Joan says he used humor to tackle depression. “If you can lift everyone’s spirits around you, you can feel a bit better too.” Toward the end of their twodecade marriage, Dangerfield’s physical health declined requiring multiple aneurysm, brain and heart surgeries, and long peri ods of recovery with Joan by his side throughout. “He joked that, at his age, all the phone numbers in his little black book were doctors,” she said. “It was certainly true

and brought out my nurturing side. I did every thing I could to comfort him.” Dangerfield died in 2004, age 82, and Joan has since worked to keep her hus band’s memory alive. His website Rodney Dangerfield

(www.rodney.com) has been revamped and the Rodney Dangerfield Institute for the Study of Comedy is now housed at Los Angeles City College and offers classes including standup, improvisa tional comedy, and joke writing. “Rodney’s social media presence is building, and it’s fun to see the reaction from his loyal fans as well as new ones,” she says. “I am also very excited that

Website: Rodney.com.

Paradigm Talent Agency is currently fielding offers for a biopic or documen tary film about Rodney’s remarkable life. I am sure that will deepen his impression on the world.” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and inter views for over 700 magazines and news papers.

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 27

Simply Smart Travel Jeff & Virginia Orenstein

Stockholm and Dalarna, Sweden

f you are looking for a beautiful, prosperous and hospitable European country to visit, you should consider Sweden. This vast nation has a wonder ful mixture of wideopen spaces, beauti ful cities, beaches, rugged seacoasts, mountains, lakes, dense forests and dis tinctive culture. Its people are generally very friendly and most of them speak surprisingly good English. The best place to start any Swedish visit is its capital and largest city, Stockholm. Located adjacent to a scenic Baltic Sea archipelago with nearly 30,000 islands, Stockholm encompasses 14 islands. All them are very close The urbanized islands that comprise Stockholm are close to each other and linked by ferries and bridges. Credit: Jeff Orenstein, Simply Smart Travel

together and eas ily reached by sightseeing boats, buses, ferries and/or more than 50 bridges linking them. Among Stockholm’s high lights are cobble stone streets, museums and beautiful build ings in Gamla Stan, the old town. Also inter esting are the commercial dis trict of Norrmalm, home to the main rail road station, shopping galore at Kungsgatan and the Drottninggatan 28 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

pedestrian shopping avenue which fea tures a range of international chains and local shops and department stores. Not enough? Check out the bohemian restaurants and pubs of Södermalm and the impres sive brick city hall on Kungsholmen with many nearby small restaurants and bars. Once you have enjoyed at least two or three days in Stockholm, it is recom mended that you venture out and see more of this beautiful country. While we intend to return to Sweden and explore more of both the north and south, we chose to visit some of the beautiful countryside of central Sweden and the province of Dalarna on this trip. Central Sweden, composed of the provinces of Dalarna and Varmland, are fairly close to the capital and worthy of extended exploration. We explored Dalarna in depth, all the way to ski country and Norway.

The trendy pedestrianfriendly shopping street of Drottninggatan is one of the mustdo highlights of Stockholm. Great restaurants and shops abound.

If you are looking for the quintessential Sweden, you will find it in Dalarna. The province is famous for its many representations of the red Dala Horse, the region’s picturesque symbol. Dalarna boasts mountains, dense forests, lakes, red cottages, local crafts and charming towns like Mora, Rattvick and Falun. It is also a center of winter sports and hiking and biking, summer festivals with native dress and an historic copper mine that is a UNESCO World Site near Falun. Among its highlights you will enjoy is the beautiful small town of Mora, home to a famous 56 mile crosscounty ski race (and the CykelVasan mountain bike rally in sum mer) between Mora and ski country in Salen. The latter area is home to beautiful vis tas, dense forests, ski resorts and is close to Norway. Southern Sweden is home to the nation’s second and third biggest cities, Gothenburg and Malmö. Both cities are rich is cultural and scenic attractions. As you travel through the region, rather than vast forests and moun

tains, you will see the land scapes made famous by the Wallander TV series, beaches, rugged seacoast, rich rolling farmland, rugged coasts and islands. At Malmo, you can cross the 4.9 mile Öresund Bridge (also the subject of a TV series) to Denmark. It is a gorgeous way to get to and from Copenhagen by car or train. For a much different experi ence, a visit to Northern Sweden and Swedish Lapland await the more adventure some tourist. Highlights include mountains, hotels carved out of ice and a tree hotel, dog sledding, reindeer, fly fishing for salmon and char, the northern lights, ski ing, hiking and nearly 24 hour daylight in the late spring and early summer. Before You Go Check Out: • https://www.visitstock holm.com/ • https://visitsweden.com/ stockholm/ • https://visitsweden.com/ dalarna/ • https://www.visitdalarna. se/en/ • https://www.stockholm pass.com/ (Smart Travel page 30)

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 29

Travel / from page 29

Getting There and Getting Around: Sweden can be reached by highway, air, cruise ship or train. • By air, Stockholm is served internationally by Arlanda Stockholm Airport (ARN),

26.5 miles from the Central Train Station. It is a quick 18 minute trip downtown from the air port via the Arlanda

The Swedish love their Fika ritual, a 4 p.m. break for a sweet and coffee or tea. Here is a typical Fika scene from Mora. Credit: Jeff Orenstein, Simply Smart Travel

Express train. • By car, Sweden has modern and wellmarked roads. Rental cars are plen tiful in Stockholm. • By train, from other

points in Scandinavia and from Denmark, over the Oresund Bridge. Copenhagen to Stockholm is a little over a five hour journey. • By cruise ship, the main terminals are Stadsgarden and Frihamnen, both less than 3.5 miles from Stockholm Central Station. Other ports are 34 miles away and in western

Gothenburg, both connected by frequent trains to Stockholm. This Destination At A Glance Over 50 Advantage: Great shopping, museums and relaxed scenic tours. Mobility Level: Varies depending on where you are and what you want to do. Cities are generally accessible and it is national policy to make all of Sweden accessi ble. See https://sweden.se /society/swedensdisability policy/ When To Go: Summers are beautiful with mild tempera tures and a lot to do. Winters are cold in most of the coun try but popular with those who seek winter sports. Special Travel Interests: The Stockholm Archipelago, museums, the varied Swedish countryside, sum mer cycling and hiking, win ter sports and history.

30 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Jeffrey Orenstein, Ph.D. and Virginia Orenstein are travel writers. Reach them at joren stein@SimplySmartTravel. com .

Solution page 32

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 31

Something Rotten Comes to The Pioneer Center for the Preforming Arts

he completely original new musi cal Something Rotten!, originally directed and choreographed on Broadway by Tony Awardwinner Casey

Something Rotten! National Tour.

Nicholaw (Mean Girls, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), will play the Pioneer Center in Reno, February 15 17, 2019!

Solution

from page 31

32 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

This hilarious new musical comedy tells the story of broth ers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two play wrights stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star Will Shakespeare. When a soothsayer fore tells the next big thing in theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, the Bottom brothers set out to write the world's very first MUSICAL! With the most singing, the most dancing and the most gutbust ing laughs on Broadway, it's

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel.

something wonderful... something for everyone... It's Something Rotten!, "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years" (Time Out New York)

Something Rotten! National Tour. Matthew Janisse, Emily Kristen Morris, Richard Spitaletta. Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel.

Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, includ ing Best Musical, Something Rotten! is “a deliriously entertaining new musical comedy that brings down the house!” (New York Post)

To purchase tickets, call (866) 5536605 or visit www.PioneerCenter.com .

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 33

Ageless Repertory Theater

geless Repertory Theatre is a different form of theatre. Drawing on the actors’ imagi nation and voice, it is a rare opportunity for the audience to enjoy “Readers Theater” or staged reading of a script. A dramatic style in which experience actors perform readings from fully devel oped plays; the reading itself is the performance. A.R.T. is performed on a staged set where costuming is at a mini um and, therefore, not a dis

traction from the story, characters and dramatic presenta tion. “The audience can see how a play and its characters and scenes develop, using their imagina tion to construct the limited sets and costumes.” Every month the troupe of actors present two per formances of an awardwinning play on the Reno Little Theater stage located at 147 E. Pueblo Street, in Reno. “With a minimum of sets and

costumes, the play unfolds as if all those elements are present. It’s such a gift,” explained Sands Hall. A.R.T. has been producing

tunities for experienced actors to explore and per form awardwining plays, performances are usually held on Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 1 p.m.

Readers’ Theater since 2000. Founded to provided oppor

Admission is free, but dona tions are welcome. Upcoming performances include: • Bakersfield Mist by Stephen Sachs January 22 & 25, 1 p.m. • The Country House by Donald Margulies February 19 & 22, 1 p.m. • Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley March 19 & 22, 1 p.m. Ageless Repertory Theatre Performance location: Reno Little Theater 147 E. Pueblo Street Reno, NV Web address: Renolittletheater.org/ARTat RLT

34 / January / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

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SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / January / 35