50 Plus - July 2011 by Gannett Wisconsin Media

50 July 2011 | The magazine for active, mature lifestyles

plus!

Is A Rollover In Your Future?

Financial column by Steve Ford

Things To Do

FEATURE STORY:

Helping Injured Animals 6 For 16 years, Susan and Jerome Theys, both 50, of Cato, have been taking injured, orphaned and sick wildlife, rehabilitating them, and releasing them back to the wild in Manitowoc County.

50 Oral Storytelling Preserves History

Table of Contents . July 2011

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Is A Rollover In Your Future?

SAVY SENIOR

Things To Do

On the Cover:

Helping Injured Animals

Susan and Jerome Theys of Cato rehabilitate injured, orphaned and sick wildlife. Sue Pischke/50 Plus 6

Staff

Pat Pankratz, 50 Plus! Editor 920-686-2138 ppankratz@htrnews.com James Maurer, Advertising Manager 920-684-4433 jmaurer2@manitowoc.gannett.com 50 Plus! is published monthly by the Herald Times Reporter. It also is distributed to select businesses in Manitowoc County.

ADRC: Nursing Home Ombudsman Sought JUDY RANK | for 50 Plus! The Board on Aging and Long Term Care is looking for volunteers who would be interested in serving as an ombudsman to one of the county’s nursing homes. An ombudsman is someone who visits long-term care facilities and listens to — and talks with — people living there. They can empower residents to speak up and also voice concerns for residents who cannot speak for themselves. They act as the “eyes and ears” of the regional ombudsman. Those interested should contact Cindy Freitag, coordinator of the volunteer ombudsman program, at (920) 448-5540. You may also email her at Cynthia.Freitag@wisconsin. gov

Alzheimer’s Survey The State Office on Aging is developing a plan to address Alzheimer’s disease. It is asking citizens for input through a survey, which can be accessed on Manitowoc County’s website. The home page of the website — www. co.manitowoc.wi.us — allows you to enter the survey site under the title of “Alzheimer’s Survey.” Input from the survey will help to expand current resources, make support programs widely available, and identify sources of funding to support the programs.

Keep Your Cool The Wisconsin Emergency Management agency and the National Weather Service are reminding people of the dangers associated with extreme heat and humidity. Don’t wait for thirst, but instead drink water throughout the day. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and stay away from hot, heavy meals. Try to keep living space cool. Cover windows to keep the sun from shining in. If you don’t have an air conditioner, try to find a place such as the library, a store, or senior center that will allow your body to cool off. Basements or ground floors are often cooler than upper floors.

Slow down and decrease exertion. Plan outings for early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light colored clothing. When going outdoors wear a hat or take an umbrella and don’t forget the sunscreen. A cool shower or bath will cool you down quicker than an air conditioner. Applying a cool, wet rag to the neck, head and limbs will also cool you quickly.

Budget Discussion The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) will be hosting an informational session after the 2011-13 budget bill is signed to explain what capping long-term care programs means, how it will affect individuals who need support to stay in their homes, and options a person may explore during this period of time. The Department of Health Services will define a policy for counties to use once the bill is signed. Please watch the newspaper for the announcement of this meeting that will take place in late June or early July.

Town Hall Meeting The ADRC will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, July 26, for individuals receiving long-term care services through Family Care or the IRIS program, and for those who have received information and assistance through the ADRC. This meeting will be an opportunity for individuals to provide feedback on the quality of services they receive through these programs. The feedback will be used to strengthen and improve current services. There will be an afternoon session that will begin at 2 p.m. The evening session will begin at 6 p.m. To register to attend, please contact the ADRC at (920) 683-4180. A happy and safe Fourth of July to everyone! Judy Rank is executive director of the Manitowoc County Aging and Disability Resource Center.

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Is A Rollover In Your Future? Steve Ford is a State Farm agent. Contact him at Steve Ford Insurance and Financial Services, Inc., 939 S. 21st St., Manitowoc. (920) 682-2997.

done without paying taxes if the money goes directly to the new account (known as a “direct rollover”). However, your new employer may not allow a rollover, thus you will need to look at further options.

Have you recently left one employer to begin working for another? Were you covered by an employer sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k)? If so, you may be wondering about the future of your account. In the event of a job change, there are many options available to you regarding your employer sponsored retirement account assets. The options you have will depend on the provisions of your former employer’s plan. Sometimes your money can stay in the plan with your previous employer until you reach a specific age and you then can begin taking withdrawals without a tax penalty.

One choice to consider is rolling the balance of your account to a Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA). With this choice, you are able to control the investment options within the IRA. You can also avoid the need to make a further rollover if you change jobs again. Rolling your 401(k) assets into a Traditional IRA can be costly if not done correctly. If you take a withdrawal, the trustee of your old plan must withhold 20 percent of the money for federal income tax purposes. You have 60 days to roll the distribution to a new qualified retirement vehicle if you do take a withdrawal. The 20 percent withholding will count as a distribution if you do not roll over that amount to an IRA or other qualified plan. A 10 percent tax penalty will usually apply if you are under age 59 1/2 and you don’t roll the entire amount into an IRA or other qualified plan.

Remaining with your old plan may have drawbacks. Sometimes fees are charged to former employees to offset managing the account. A minimum asset balance may also be required. Other times you must take your money out when you terminate employment. You should contact the Human Resources Department or benefits counselor of your former employer to determine your options. If you withdraw plan assets, you may need to find another funding vehicle. Transferring the balance of the assets in your previous employer’s tax-qualified account to a plan sponsored by your new employer may be an option. This can be

In order to avoid the 20 percent federal income tax withholding, a direct rollover should be considered.

The assets of your employer sponsored plan are transferred directly from your former employer’s plan to a Traditional IRA or other qualified plan. You don’t touch the money, and neither does the government. Your assets can grow tax-deferred until you begin withdrawals. To complete a direct rollover, contact an agent to discuss your options. Once you determine where you want the money to go, the IRA custodian can request the money from your employer-sponsored plan in the form of a check or wire transfer. Your current IRA contributions are not affected by a rollover. You may contribute the allowable limit to an IRA even after rolling a substantial amount from your previous plan. With so many choices available, it may be in your best interests to discuss a Traditional IRA rollover with a financial professional. You have some options. Take advantage of one with which you are comfortable.

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50 plus! . July 2011 . 3

Sudoku

word search: National league

solution on page 11

Fill in the blank squares in the grid, making sure that every column and 3-by-3 box includes all digits 1 through 9.

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Looking For Work Dear Savvy Senior: What resources can you recommend to help retirees find a job? With the economy in the tank and my nest egg dwindling, I’ve had to cut back my monthly withdrawals to keep from running out of money. Now I need to find a job to help make ends meet. What can you tell me? ~Looking for work Dear Looking: Unfortunately, the economic downturn has forced many retirees back into the workforce. To help you job hunt, there are a variety of resources available today that cater specifically to older workers. Here are some to try. Whatever your skills or working interest (full-time, part-time, temporary or seasonal) there’s a growing array of online employment networks that can help you connect with companies that are interested in hiring seniors. Some top sites to visit are: RetirementJobs.com: This is the largest and most comprehensive career site for people over age 50. It offers a job search engine that lists more than 30,000 jobs nationwide from companies that are actively seeking older workers. It also provides job-seeking tips and advice, help with resume writing and allows you to post your resume online for companies to find you. Other 50-plus job seeking sites worth a look are seniors4hire.com,

workforce50.com, retiredbrains.com, retireeworkforce.com, wiserworker.com and seniorjobbank.com. AARP: At www.aarp.org/employerteam you can search for a job through AARP’s National Employer Team. This is a group of 39 top-notch national companies that are looking to hire older workers in a wide variety of areas. Enrge.us: For retired government employees, this site (www.enrge. us) matches federal, state and local government workers with private companies seeking to fill contract jobs in all kinds of fields. You post your resume on their site where a large pool of potential employers can review it and contact you if interested. YourEncore.com: This is an online recruitment firm that connects retired scientists, developers and engineers with companies that offer consulting assignments lasting up to one year. Uncle Sam Uncle Sam may also be able to help you get a job through their Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, SCSEP offers lower-income folks, age 55 and older access to training and part time job placements in a wide variety of community service positions such as day care centers, senior centers, governmental

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Jim Miller agencies, schools, hospitals, libraries and landscaping centers. To learn more or locate a program near you visit www. doleta.gov/seniors or call 877-872-5627. Another government resource to tap into is a Career One-Stop center. There are more than 3,000 of these centers located around the country that provide free resources and services to help you explore career options, locate training and find a new job. To find a nearby center, call 877-348-0502 or go to www. servicelocator.org. In addition, some states, communities and local nonprofits may offer their own senior employment programs. To find out what may be available in your area contact the eldercare locator at 800-677-1116.

SSA notes: Retirees who are looking to un-retire need to be aware that working can temporarily reduce your Social Security (see www.ssa.gov/pubs/10069. html) if you are currently collecting retirement benefits and are under full retirement age, and earn more than $14,160 in 2009. Also note that some of your Social Security benefits may be taxable too if your adjusted gross income, nontaxable interest and half of your Social Security benefits reach more than $25,000, or $32,000 for married couples. For more information call the Social Security help line at 800-772-1213. Savvy Senior is researched and written by senior advocate, author and NBC Today show contributor Jim Miller.

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Helping Injured Animals DEB HORN 50 Plus! Correspondent For 16 years, Susan and Jerome Theys, both 50, of Cato, have been taking injured, orphaned and sick wildlife, rehabilitating them, and releasing them back to the wild in Manitowoc County. What started out as volunteering has turned into a 24-hour-a-day labor of love on behalf of Wildlife of Wisconsin (WOW). The nonprofit organization was formed in 1994. The couple have been members since its inception and a mainstay of WOW ever since. Jerome is the organization’s chairman and Susan is the secretary. Susan’s forte is taking care of the animals on a day-to-day basis, while Jerome enjoys giving educational presentations to schools, youth groups, civic and community organizations. He also works at Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant. On a recent day, they have 44 animals on their 24 acres — including 17 baby gray squirrels, four baby red squirrels, six baby raccoons, five baby cottontails, a fledgling robin, a gosling, a rubythroated hummingbird, two adult mourning doves, a quail, a sandpiper, two great horned owls, two red-tailed hawks and a red fox. Spring is their prime season, with “lots of baby squirrels, baby bunnies, baby birds,” said Jerome. They get calls from DNR wardens, police departments, veterinarians, the humane society and Woodland Dunes, as well as the general public.

Initial Assessment When the couple gets a call, the first thing they do is determine if the caller can resolve the situation with their advice. “After doing this for this many years and everything we’ve learned, we can tell them how to put baby bunnies back and mom will still come get them, how to make a nest and put birds up. And then when it’s beyond something they can do to help, we will get the animal from them to take care of it,” said Jerome. Susan noted it’s a myth that if a human

6 . July 2011 . 50 plus!

touches a baby bird, the mother bird won’t come back and take care of it. “The best thing is for the baby to be raised by its mom,” she noted. For the last 12 years, they have been averaging 600 animals a year that they have physically taken care of. Local veterinarians at Two Rivers Veterinary Hospital and Memorial Drive Veterinary Clinic help out if an x-ray needs to be taken or a bone needs to be pinned.

Susan Theys holds a bird being rehabilitated at the couple’s facility. Jerome Theys gets up close and personal with a bird he helped rehabilitate through Wildlife of Wisconsin. Deb Horn/50 Plus

24-Hour Job

“There’s always so much to learn.”

“It’s a sunup to after sundown job, and sometimes middle of the night job,” said Jerome. The baby animals are fed speciesspecific formula that has to be purchased and fed through a syringe at all hours of the day and night.

“They have to be able to feed them and water them while they’re there because we do a soft release, where we put the animals there for 2 to 3 days so they get to see what’s going on, get to hear what’s going on, know their environment before we open the door and let them go,” said Jerome.

So Why Do They Do It?

Licensed

“I do it because if we’re not there to help the animals, who is going to?” asked Susan. “I feel at nighttime when that owl is hit by a car, that’s when they need someone the most.

The Theys’ are licensed by the DNR and they’re also licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in order for them to work with birds. The couple is required to fill out federal and state paperwork and follow their rules.

She pointed out they’re also on the front line to catch a disease outbreak.

“We’ve gotten a raccoon from Manitowoc where someone literally dragged the raccoon behind their truck down Menasha Street. We’ve had seagulls where kids started throwing stones at them, clunking them on the beach. That’s why we need to educate them. That’s a big part of our mission; I think we need to reach people early. If we teach the kids to respect wildlife upfront, maybe we can eliminate some of that,“ said Susan. The Theys don’t treat the animals as pets or get attached to them. Their goal is to provide the needed medical care and then return them to the wild. “Most everything is released within three months,” said Jerome. “The animals know when it’s time to be released. When you start seeing them acting agitated and they want to get going, they’re ready.” Participating landowners have signed contracts listing what animals they will release on their property.

“They come out and verify your cages meet their specifications. They have to be humane,” said Susan. All injured, sick and orphaned wildlife have to go through a licensed rehabilitator. The Theys’ take care of Manitowoc, Calumet and half of Sheboygan County, but occasionally get calls from Door County to help out. Their pager number is (920) 323-5609 and is listed on the DNR website. “Anyone who wants to be a wildlife rehabilitator has to work underneath another licensed one who has an advanced license, which we do,” she noted.

Veterinary professors, who specialize in wildlife medicine, attend the conferences and teach local rehabilitators how to take care of animals. “It’s kind of neat to be a part of that. Rehabilitators strive to be professionals,” said Susan.

“ We saw an epidemic of distemper coming through the foxes and raccoons south of Sheboygan,” Susan said. “Then we were able to determine when it hit Manitowoc. We can be a part of notifying the correct people who need to know this stuff because a lot of times the rehabilitator is the one who is going to get the sick animal in, not the DNR.”

Help Needed WOW currently volunteers.

has

six

active

“Most of the volunteers we have only last 2 or 3 years. I think we burn people out because we need transporters to help get the animals sometimes,” noted Susan.

They usually attend an annual national conference and international conference where they meet with other rehabilitators and find out new information.

The organization is comprised entirely of volunteers and is supported entirely by donations. Their cost for food alone is approximately $5,000 a year. And what they don’t receive in donations comes directly out of the Theys’ pocket, which is thousands of dollars every year.

“There are all kinds of books out there for rehabilitators only, but you have to be licensed to get them,” said Susan.

“We need more volunteers, more money, and pretty much all rehabilitators are that way,” said Jerome.

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Crossword: HEALTHY EATING

solution on page 11

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DOWN ACROSS 1. *Food past its sell-by date 6. Online pop-ups 9. “____ to My Lou” 13. Furiously angry 14. Gift topper 15. Manicurist’s board

16. “Rolling in the Deep” singer 17. Id’s partner 18. Katmandu country 19. *Food _______ 21. *Source of resveratrol 23. Rogue or rascal 24. It comes to mind

1. Lover’s strike 2. Neat 3. Affirm with confidence 4. Jasmine’s kin 5. Dropsies 6. In bed 7. “___ Day Afternoon” (1975) 8. *_____fish, rich in Omega-3 9. Eurasian duck

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