Active Living 50

SENIOR NEWS By Matilda Charles Beware of Ice

e local television weather guy made an announcement recently that was, I think, meant to be upli ing. He said, “And winter is now half over!” Instead, I took it the other way: We still have half of this winter to get through. My main complaint this year is ... ice. It’s sneaky, it’s everywhere, it’s apparently invisible in the right circumstances, and yes, it’s slick. ere I was, hauling a load of groceries out of the back of the car, having picked them up curbside from the store and arriving home a er dark. One of the bags had fallen over and spilled its contents, requiring me to bend over and lean forward at the same time to retrieve the items that had rolled. Unbeknownst to me, my foot was on a piece of ice. I did not fall, but I did twist my leg in a way that legs are not meant to be twisted. Within an hour the pain hit. By Day 3 I was wondering if I’d broken something. Day 4 was a bit better, and I knew I was on the mend ... if only I could better plan my trips up and out of the recliner to fetch something instead of making multiple trips through the house for Kindle, water bottle, TV remote and more. Worse, I suppose, was that the cat was upset that she wasn’t allowed on my lap during those days. She sat, with a hurt expression, across the room from me for four days. I think there are multiple lessons to be learned from my brief foray into pain and incapacity, but the most important one is this: Schedule curbside grocery pickup for daylight hours. Don’t arrive home in the dark in the winter if there’s the slightest chance of ice. It will nd you. (c) 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.

This week’s puzzle answer is elsewhere in this paper. The Crossword Puzzle is provided by Tribune Media Services. Any questions or comments should be made to 1-800-346-8798.

Livingston County Offi ce for the Aging Provides funds to assist the home-delivered meals program and legal services aid for the elderly who choose to remain living independently in their homes. The Livingston County Offi ce for the Aging offers programs and services to individuals ages 60 and over. www.livingstoncounty.us/ 133/Aging-Offi ce-for-the

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Online POLL

As Putin begins moving in on Ukraine, do you believe he will stop at the “pro-Moscow” areas, or will he eventually invade all of the country?

• Putin will stop after these areas. • Putin will invade all of Ukraine.

Poll Ends 03-01-22

Poll Results 02-22-22

As tensions continue to mount between Russia and the Ukraine, many people, including President Biden, who has stated that Russian troops continue to be in a “threatening position.” If the situation between Russia and the Ukraine continue to escalate, what kind of impact will it have on U.S./Russian relations?

33% Severely Damaging 27% Somewhat Damaging 40% Slightly Damaging 0% No Impact

We love hearing from you! Vote and make your voice heard when you visit www.gvpennysaver.com! Search Engine Land, which covers digital advertising technology, reports 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Unfortunately for businesses, Inc. magazine and entrepreneur Andrew Thomas found that a customer who has a negative business experience is highly likely to share that experience by leaving a bad review. On the other hand, someone who has had a positive experience is unlikely to leave a good review. Roughly 10 percent of happy customers say they were pleased by a product or service. Furthermore, Thomas indicates it takes roughly 40 positive customer experiences to undo the damage from a single negative review.

Customer happiness should be the goal of businesses, with the added benefi t of helping to generate more positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. While that is happening, customers can think twice about online reviews.

Speak to product quality, especially when you have a very good experience with an item. Many retailers request feedback via email. Take advantage of this opportunity to o er positive feedback.

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Reviews can make or break a company. Both business owners and customers have a role to play in making online reviews a valuable way to learn about a company.