The Best Times February 2015 by Johnson County

Volume 33 No. 1

February 2015

the

Best Times

INFORMING & SUPPORTING JOHNSON COUNTY’S 60+ ADULTS

A true love story: Couple enjoys 70 years of marriage

Pages 12-13

www.jocogov.org /thebest times services provide help Why worry about Free during current tax season. Page 2 preparing taxes? disease takes toll Why not check Heart among women of all ages. Pages 16-17 out your ticker? can stay close by Why not start a Families reporting the “news.” Page 32 family newspaper?

Johnson County Manager’s Office Johnson County Manager’s Office 111 S. Cherry Street, Suite 3300 Olathe, KS 66061

Publication of Johnson County Government

www.jocogov.org

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Columbia MO Permit No.353

etc.

Free services offer help during tax season VITA location opens in Olathe

ohnson County K-State Research and Extension is partnering with Next Step KC (formerly known as KC Cash) and El Centro to host a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site in the Sunset Drive Office Building, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe. VITA sites provide safe, accessible locations for taxpayers to get assistance in preparing their state and federal income tax returns. There is no charge to have returns completed and e-filed. Returns will be prepared from February 4 to April 15, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from noon – 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Returns are completed on a first-come, first-served basis. Spanish language assistance is available. Interpreting for the deaf may be available, but arrangements must be made several days in advance. The maximum household income for eligibility is $52,000. You will need to bring photo identification, Social Security cards for each member of the household, and your income information (such as W-2’s and 1099’s). Additional documentation needed includes last year’s tax return and a check to show your bank routing number and account number to take advantage of direct deposit for any refunds. Taxpayers will have to provide documentation of health insurance for every family member. 1. This health insurance must meet the Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 2. Proof of MEC may be found on an employee’s W-2 if insurance was obtained through one’s place of employment, or 3. On a Marketplace Form 1095-A, if insurance was purchased through the ACA Marketplace. All VITA tax preparers are trained and certified before completing returns. Preparers are volunteers and receive no compensation for their service. For further information, contact Valeria Edwards at the Extension Office at 913-715-7000 or visit www.johnson.ksu.edu.

How about knitting?

ohnson County residernts can try their yarn at knitting during a Leap List program being planned by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. Beginning knitting is offered at 1 p.m. on Tuesday beginning February 3 at JCPRD’s New Century Fieldhouse, 551 New Century Parkway, near Gardner. Participants are invited to learn the basics and start their first knitting project. The cost for four 60-minute lessons is $31 for Johnson County residents or $35 for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call 913-831-3359.

AARP sites include libraries

ree tax assistance and preparation for taxpayers with low and middle income - with special attention to those ages 60 and older, will be available from AARP Tax-Aide from February 2 through April 15. Residents wanting to use the service do not need to be an AARP member or a retiree. AARP Tax-Aide KS District 27 volunteers, trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, will offer help preparing personal income tax returns – including free e-filing with locations in Johnson, Miami, and Linn counties. Locations include Johnson County’s Lackman Neighborhood Library, 15345 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, which is a new location in 2015, and the Olathe Public Library, 201 East Park. Tax forms are available at Johnson County’s Central Resource Library, 9875 West 87th Street, Overland Park, and the Lackman Library. Tax assistance, however, is only available at the Lackman location. Tax forms also are available on the Internet through the Johnson County Library Home Page at jocolibrary. org. Please no calls about tax forms. Other Johnson County AARP Tax-Aide sites include: Church of the Holy Cross and Temple Congregation B’nai Jehudah, both in Overland Park; Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Lenexa; and Colonial Church, Prairie Village. When using the AARP Tax-Aide service, residents should bring approproiate information, including Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and all dependents claimed; picture identification card such as your driver’s license; copy of previous year’s tax returns; W-2’s and 1099’s; all forms indicating federal income tax paid; and detailed summary of receipts and canceled checks for deductible items - if itemizing. Visit www.kstaxaide.com to find out more about the AARP Tax-Aide program in Kansas – including a list of all Kansas sites that prepare tax returns. AARP Tax-Aide is a program of the AARP Foundation, offered in conjunction with the IRS.

Love in the Afternoon

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

lunch program featuring fine cuisine and exceptional music is being offered twice in early February by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s 50 Plus Depart-

ment. The event is called Love in the Afternoon. All programs begin at noon. The first program will take place on Friday, February 6, at Lenexa Baptist Church, 15320 W. 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa. Another event will take place Tuesday, February 10, at Colonial Presbyterian Church, 9500 Wornall, Kansas City, Mo. The cost for each two-hour program, including lunch and a show, is $15 per ticket, and must be purchased in advance by calling Shawnee Heartland Assisted Living at 913-248-6688.

• February 2015

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Volume 33, No. 2

the editor’s view

February 2015

Love songs over the years

the

Best Times

By Gerald Hay, editor The Best Times

THIS & T HAT The Best Times, a monthly publication of Johnson County Government, is mailed without charge to Johnson County residents who are 60 plus. Subscriptions are available for $15 annually for those who do not qualify to receive it. If you are interested in receiving The Best Times, call 913-715-8930. Mission: The Best Times is a monthly magazine provided for all Johnson County residents age 60 plus, publishing articles that inform, challenge, support, entertain, and persuade. Contributions to support the mission of The Best Times should be made payable to The Best Times and mailed to the address below, or online at www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes.

Publishing of letters from readers, opinion columns, or advertising does not constitute agreement or endorsement by this magazine or Johnson County Government. Interim Director of Public Affairs and Communications: Jody Hanson 913-715-0423 email: jody.hanson@jocogov.org Editor: Gerald Hay, 913-715-0736 email: gerald.hay@jocogov.org Circulation: Janice Suddath 913-715-8930 Advertising Sales: Che’rell Bilquist, 913-715-8920 email: cherell.bilquist@jocogov.org

111 S. Cherry Street, Suite 3300 Olathe, KS 66061 913-715-8930 800-766-3777 TDD DEADLINE FOR EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING COPY IS THE 8TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING PUBLICATION

On the Cover

Ben and Adeline Mammina of Olathe look at their old wedding picture when they were married 70 years ago. Cover story photos by Paul Andrews

ebruary is a month of multiple celebrations – the birthdays of two presidents; Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, the much anticipated winter break as days continually get longer and hopefully warmer, and of course, Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is timeless and ageless. Pink and red hearts, long-stemmed roses and chubby cupids are everywhere loudly reminding us that Valentine’s is all about the love – being in love or looking for love. It is so easy to get caught up in the madness and hype of the day! For me, I am still happy with a small box of chocolates and hand-made valentines from the grandkids. I get to read the cards; they get to eat the chocolates. The chance to spend time together remains priceless. The outpouring of love and recognition we share on Valentine’s Day should be expressed every day, perhaps not with the same intensity (that would be exhausting), but with consistent efforts to affirm, not announce, our feelings towards those we love. Throughout my life, love songs have long captured what was in mind and heart about the ups and downs of being in love as I grew up. I was strictly a listener; not a singa-longer or even a hummer. My love story in music has ranged from the 1955’s “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” by Frankie Lymon to 2011’s “We Found Love” by Rihanna. There were many stops in-between. Who can forget Hank Williams’ warning of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” in 1952 followed by “Bye Bye Love” by the Everly Brothers and “It Only Hurts for a Little While” by the Ames Brothers, both in1957? My secret crush in grade school did not get the message by the Teddy Bears in “To Know Him is to Love Him” in 1958. My junior prom date in 1964 failed to understand the Beatles’ “She Loves You.” And, all my dates, good and even the “Wild Thing” one from the Troggs, had the same result in my senior year: the Righteous Brothers and “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’ ” in 1965. We were reminded about all the “Silly Love Songs” by the Wings, “Lover Rollercoaster” by the Ohio Players, “Love Hang-

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

over” by Diana Ross, Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” all in 1976; and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen in 1980. Sometimes silly, more often serious, love songs reflected the message from Corinthians about faith, hope, and love, reminding us that “the greatest of these is love.” It’s often painful to lose; always great to enjoy and share with the people most dear in life. That’s a good thought to consider, listen, sing, or hum on Valentine’s Day for all ages. Love springs eternal in music and heartfelt memories when listening and playing “Something” by George Harrison (1969), “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston (1982), or “I Just Called to Say I Love You” by Stevie Wonder (1984). Diana Ross and Lionel Richie reminded us about “Endless Love” in 1981 followed by “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News four years later. Another generation of singers - Selena Gomez’s “The Heart Wants What It Wants,” Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” and others - offer songs from the heart. Love songs, past and present, are sonic proof that while musical fads will change with every generation, love – and the songs inspired by it – will never go out of style. Jackie DeShannon’s message 50 years ago still says it all: “What the World Needs Now is Love.”

• February 2015

letters to the editor Unwanted publication

When I got the January 2015 issue of The Best Times, I decided to find out why I am getting this unwanted publication. I was shocked to find that it was published by Johnson County government. I was unaware that Johnson County has so much extra money that it feels it can publish a printed magazine and pay for mailing it to residents who did not request it. At a time when printed magazine publications everywhere are being shut down and replaced by electronic media, why does Johnson County government feel it prudent to use an obsolete mode of communication? Publications, especially “interest” publications, should be the exclusive realm of private enterprise. In the hands of government, the editorial process too easily degenerates into a mechanism for the production of propaganda. And how can ad sales by government ever be ethical? Government and the press must be independent from one another in a free society. David A. Land, Overland Park Editor’s Note. The Best Times has been produced and mailed to Johnson County residents 60 and older since 1982. The publication serves the county’s mission and the Area Agency on Aging’s state mandate to inform older adults about programs, activities, and services that promote their health, dignity, and independence. The county maintains a policy regarding content and advertising (e.g. no political ads, campaign information, etc.) with oversight by the County Manager’s Office. Advertising revenue fully covers the monthly operational (printing/delivery for mailing) costs of The Best Times which is a free publication to its readership. The

magazine also is accessible online. Requests to be removed from or added to the mailing list are handled in a timely manner.

Robbed by tax giveaways

From the Johnson County organization for the aging on page five to the library connection on page 28, the January Best Times includes 12 public agencies that perhaps don’t know they are being robbed by tax giveaways. The Kansas Legislature empowered our city councils to abate property taxes on selected corporations. My own Shawnee Council just lavished 15.4 million dollars on owners of what will be the Landing shopping center. They threw in another $115,000 to build the Landing sewer right through the Bell Road neighborhood of homes. They give away not just their city share of property tax, but also that of the county, the Shawnee-Mission School District (the biggest piece) the Johnson County Community College and other agencies. What’s neat for Shawnee is that it will collect part of the sales tax on every dime spent at the Landing. Those other governmental units will not. Shawnee can gloat: “I give away your tax money, and it makes me rich!” Over the last 50 years countless millions of Johnson County taxpayer dollars have been ladled out like this to wealthy business people. I wish those 12 public agencies listed in The Best Times would begin to fight back. Charles Hammer, Shawnee

Details about submitting a letter to the editor are provided in an ad on page 35.

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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Scan this code with your smartphone to download winter safety tips for seniors!

How about celebrating Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday?

elebrating the birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder, early Kansas Pioneer and author of the beloved “Little House on the Prairie” books, is the purpose of a special event for all ages planned at the Ernie Miller Nature Center in early February. Laura’s Legacy, which is primarily for ages five and older, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 7, at the Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 N. Kansas 7 Highway, Olathe. Participants are invited to dress

like Laura and wear pioneer clothing. There will be a variety of activities for participants to take part in including making rag dolls, experiencing lessons from an 1800’s school, and listening to music from the time period and Laura’s favorite stories of her childhood. Admission for this two-hour event is paid on-site and is $7 per person for Johnson County residents, including adults, or $8 per person for nonresidents. Reservations are required and can be obtained by calling 913-764-7759.

Upsize Your

LIFE Barn Players set to start 60th season

he Barn Players kick off their 2015 60th Anniversary Season with the Broadway musical “Catch Me If You Can,” playing Friday, February 27, through Sunday, March 15. The performance will be presented at the Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission. “Catch Me if You Can,” which is a Kansas City Community Theatre premiere, is rated PG and is directed by Guy Gardner with musical direction by James Levy. The show will play Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 and are available on the theatre website www.thebarnplayers.org. 2015 season Flex Passes are also available at $80 (all six regular season sows for the price of five.

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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Paid for by Old Americans Act funding

Kansas AAAs announce 2015 Public Policy Goals

he 11 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in Kansas, collectively, serve all 105 counties in the state. To meet the needs of Kansans requesting long term services and supports, we advocate for the following: Full funding of the Senior Care Act program. Why the Senior Care Act program makes good sense:

► State funded Senior Care Act services help keep people in their homes. The Senior Care Act provides basic care such as attendant care, homemaker, case management, and respite care. These services are essential if Kansans are to stay in their community and avoid or delay more costly services, such as nursing facility care. ► State funded Senior Care Act services help keep people off of Medicaid (KanCare). Without availability of funding for in-home services, seniors will do without services or enter nursing homes. Within months of entering the nursing home, many seniors spend down their resources and become Medicaid (KanCare) eligible. ► The Senior Care Act program includes a sliding scale fee. A sliding scale fee means Senior Care Act customers pay for a portion of the services that they receive, based on their income. Full funding of the Nutrition program. Adequate nutrition is essential for good health. The AAAs support current nutrition funding levels for seniors and individuals with disabilities. It should be noted that state funds are highly leveraged with funding from federal and local sources and with donations from nutrition participants. Also, hundreds of volunteers provide thousands of hours of service in communities throughout the state. These volunteers help keep nutrition costs in check, despite increasing demand and increasing food and fuel costs.

Legislative Priorities Restore funding of the Older Kansans Employment Program (OKEP) to SFY2011. OKEP provides specialized training, career assessment, jobmatching and job search assistance to Kansans age 55 and older regardless of their income and facilitates the development of job opportunities for older Kansans in private industry. Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC). The 11 Area Agencies on Aging also serve as the statewide Aging and Disability Resource Centers. An ADRC is a trusted and visible place for Kansans of varying ages, disabilities, and income levels to receive essential unbiased information about long-term services and supports (LTSS). ► In September 2012, KDADS contracted for a statewide ADRC. ► The 11 AAAs, working collaboratively, secured the statewide ADRC contract and established the Centers. We have built it... they have come. ► A toll-free call-in number is available: 1-855-200-ADRC (2372). ► Over 25,000 Options Counseling visits have been provided to people of all ages, disabilities, and income levels. ► Over 42,000 functional assessments and reassessments have been conducted for seniors and individuals with disabilities who are seeking or receiving Medicaid (KanCare) waiver services. ► There is more that can be done to support a fully-functioning ADRC for the people of Kansas.

Take winter weather precautions

inter weather can cause many dangerous conditions, including cold temperatures, snow, and ice storms. Take the time to winterize your home with storm windows, weather stripping, and insulation. Winter storm safety tips ● Stay indoors during the storm if possible. ● If you must go outside, dress appropriately. ● Walk carefully on snowy, icy sidewalks and driveways. ● Avoid overexertion, especially when shoveling snow. ● If your heat goes off, close off unused rooms and use blankets to seal off drafts from doors and windows. Dress in layers, and keep your hands and feet warm. If you must travel by car during a storm: ● Take emergency supplies, including thermal blankets and a cell phone. ● Keep your gas tank full. ● Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. ● `If you get stuck, stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety. ● Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Source: The Metropolitan Emergency Managers Committee (includes emergency managers from cities and counties in the Greater Kansas City Region). www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Paid for by Old Americans Act funding

Medicare Advantage disenrollment period continues through Feb. 14

f you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage health plan and are dissatisfied with your plan, an annual “disenrollment” period allows you to switch to Original Medicare and a drug plan through Saturday, Feb. 14. Medicare Advantage plans are health plan options like health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs), approved by Medicare and offered by private companies. Medicare pays a fixed amount for your care every month to the companies offering Medicare Advantage plans, and those companies provide your Medicare health coverage, including your Part B medical benefits, Part A hospital benefits, and sometimes Medicare prescription drug coverage, Part D. A Medicare Advantage plan is not a supplemental health insurance plan, and when you are enrolled in one you do not need supplemental insurance. Not all Medicare Advantage plans work in the same way, so you are encouraged to study a plan’s rules before joining. Original Medicare covers hospice care even if you are in a Medicare Advantage plan. Extra coverage, such as vision, hearing, dental, and health and wellness programs, may be provided by Medicare Advantage plans. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, you would rather not continue with your Medicare Advantage plan, and you want Original (fee-for-service) Medicare, you should also consider joining a Medicare prescription drug plan, because original Medicare does not cover prescription drugs. This can be

done during the Medicare Advantage disenrollment period. The new coverage will begin the first day of the month after the plan receives your completed enrollment form. Note that if you leave your Medicare Advantage plan, federal law usually does not give you the right to buy a Medigap plan. Medigaps are supplemental plans that help you pay for out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare, such as co-insurance and deductibles. For more information on Medigap rules and regulations, contact the Kansas Department of Insurance, 800-432-2484, or the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) program, 913-715-8856. Before making any changes to your Medicare coverage, make sure you know how the changes will affect you. Visit the Medicare Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov/ find-a-plan to find and compare plans. If you want to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare, call 800-633-4227 (TTY 877-486-2048). The staff will remove you from your Medicare Advantage plan and enroll you in Original Medicare. Remember to write the date and time you call, the outcome of the call, and the name of the representative you speak to, so you will have your own personal call record.

De Soto Neighborhood Center De Soto Community Center 32905 W. 84th St. • 913-585-1762 Gardner Neighborhood Center Gardner Community Center 128 E. Park • 913-856-3471 Lenexa Neighborhood Center Lenexa Senior Center 13425 Walnut • 913-888-6141 Merriam/Shawnee Neighborhood Center Merriam Community Center 5701 Merriam Drive • 913-677-2048 Matt Ross Community Center

Seniors receive legal consultation and representation, education, and assistance with civil cases and access to public benefits, including issues such as housing, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, powers-of-attorney, living wills, and consumer advocacy. Services are provided by Kansas Legal Services on a donation basis. To be eligible for legal services, a client must live in Johnson County and be 60 years of age or older. To schedule an appointment with Kansas Legal Services, contact the center you wish to visit. Be sure to provide the name of the client, not the name of the person making the appointment. Funding for Kansas Legal Services for older adults (60+) is provided through the Older Americans Act and private contributions. Clients are not billed for services, but contributions are greatfully accepted. To apply for Kansas Legal Services, call 913-621-0200 or a central intake line at 800-723-6953. Matt Ross Community Center Wednesday, Feb. 18 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 8101 Marty Street, Overland Park 913-642-6410 www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

Join old friends and make new ones by lunching at one of the six SENIOR DINING SITES available in Johnson County. The Nutrition Program of the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, 913-715-8888, serves nutritious meals Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. for those 60 and older, and offers fellowship, recreation, and educational programs. The meals are provided through the Older Americans Act. A suggested donation of $3.00 is requested. To reserve a meal, just call the center of your choice by 10:00 a.m. one day in advance. Menus for meals provided through the Nutrition Program are available at http:// www.jocogoc.org. We hope to see you there soon!

Overland Park Neighborhood Center

Kansas Legal Services

Roeland Park Community Center Thursday, Feb. 12 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 4850 Rosewood, Roeland Park 913-826-3160

Eating is so much more fun with friends!

• February 2015

8101 Marty St. • 913-648-2949 Spring Hill Neighbors’ Place Spring Hill Civic Center 401 N. Madison • 913-592-3180 CHAMPSS Program Senior dining at select Hy-Vee’s 913-715-8894 Home Plate Nutrition Program Seven frozen meals following hospital discharge 913-715-8810

Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Paid for by Old Americans Act funding

Election dates nearing for 2015 Kansas Silver Haired Legislature

ohnson County residents over the age of 60 on or before March 10, 2015, who wish to run to be a member of the Johnson County delegation to the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature may request a packet and file to be a candidate by February 10th. Other important dates include: • February 13, 2015 - SHL candidate/ election information posted on www. jocogov.org/hsd. • February 20, 2015 – Call to request an absentee ballot if needed, on or before February 20th. • March 10, 2015 - SHL election in Johnson County. If more than six peo-

ple file to run for the Johnson County delegation, an election will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sunset Drive Office Building, 11811 S. Sunset in Olathe. To request a packet, an absentee ballot, or for questions about the SHL, call the Area Agency on Aging at 913-7158860 or 913-715-8863. Read more about SHL at www.jocogov.org/hsd.

Would You Give Your KeYs to a stranGer?

Helping older adults to live in the community with independence and dignity. Information & Referral . . . 913-715-8861 Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) . . . . . . . . 913-715-8856 Volunteer Services line . . 913-715-8859 Commission on Aging meetings will be held from 9-10 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month in Room 1070/1075, Sunset Drive Office Building, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe. The meetings are always open to the public. For more information, call 913-715-8860 or 800-766-3777 TDD. AAA programs are funded by the Older Americans Act and state funds through the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Johnson County government, agency matching funds, and individual participant donations. Johnson County government does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services.

To a scammer, your Medicare card is the key to stealing your benefits. Here’s how you can protect against health care fraud: • Don’t give your Medicare number to strangers. • Check medical bills and statements with your personal healthcare journal. • Report errors and suspicious charges to 800-860-5260 or 785-296-8450.

Department for Aging and Disability Services

PROTECT

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MP0087, from the U. S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

Medical Numbers

PREVENT

Scams & Errors

REPORT

Your Concerns

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• February 2015

the extension connection

Why are leaves still hanging on?

By Dennis Patton

id you notice something different about the fall? Did you happen to notice that many of the trees did not drop their leaves? If you did then you are not alone. Our office received a number of inquiries about what’s up with the leaves. Here is what happened. We experienced a marcescent autumn. Marcescence means to wither without falling. As a result of our warm October weather followed by the below normal temperatures of November the trees did not properly form their leaf abscission layer. Okay, I know this is “technical speak” but bear with me. During a normal fall, as the temperatures decrease and the days shorten, the trees develop a layer of cells that allows them to cleanly fall from the tree. This is called the abscission layer. When the development of this layer of cells is interrupted the result is marcescence. Leaves will slowly drop So what will happen to the trees? Nothing. Over the winter months, with wind and moisture, the leaves will slowly drop from the tree. Many of them probably already have. The tree will be bare by spring and ready for new growth. The main concern with marcescence is if we experience a heavy snow or ice event. The leftover leaves act as collectors, and the added weight could cause more limbs to break under the pressure. The other issue with a marcescent fall is that the leaves become a pain in our backside. If you are one of those people that like to tidy up and put everything away for the winter then the leaves will drive you nuts. Leaves will just keep falling over and over until the trees are naked. And, that’s not to mention the leaves that blow in from our pesky neighbors that never rake up their leaves. They must think “nature” will just take care of the problem. Oh wait … you did. The real problem with leaves is they have unintended consequences. Leaves left piled on the lawn over the winter months will cause the turf to die. Leaves block sunlight and suffocate the grass over its long winter sleep. Come spring when the leaves are removed you are left with a dead spot and no really good way to repair it before summer.

Leaves also create issues for our water quality in the local streams and ponds. As leaves blow around the area or get swept into the storm sewers, they end up in the waterways. When they breakdown they release harmful nutrients into the water. Phosphorus and nitrogen are two of the most prevalent and these create the issues with unsightly algae growth. Organic matter vs. water quality Nobody likes pond scum, that green slimy layer of growth on the surface of water. It’s not very eye appealing or welcoming to the neighborhood. Subdivisions spend lots of your money chemically treating the ponds and lakes on their common grounds for algae. This is just a vicious circle. Organic matter, such as leaves, grass clippings and lawn fertilizers, move into our water and we spend money to kill the resulting growth. This cycle repeats itself every year. One easy solution would be to have people be responsible and pick up their leaves. Of course the marcescent fall has made this much more difficult. Raking leaves into the street gutter or allowing them to blow around the neighborhood just makes the problem worse. The same goes for grass clippings in the summer. Everyone should be responsible for keeping fallen leaves, grass clippings, fertilizer, and pesticides off hard surfaces such as walks, drives, and streets. Think of it this way. If it is on a hard surface it will end up in our drinking water. I will not even go there about dog feces. But I think by now you get the message. I guess at some point I might have veered off topic and climbed atop one of my many soapboxes. Wow, how can someone go from explaining why the leaves did not drop as usual to water quality? It just goes to show you that everything in nature is connected. The weather patterns, plant growth, neighborhood vitality, and water quality. They all affect our daily lives, whether we think about it or not. Marcescence, to wither without falling, is such a simple concept. But as you have seen it can mean so much more. Whether you enjoy picking up the leaves or not it really is just another cost of being a responsible homeowner and a good neighbor. Dennis Patton, horticulture agent at Johnson County’s K-State Research and Extension Office, can be reached at 913-715-7000 or dennis.patton@jocogov.org.

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• February 2015

Flu hits elderly, young children the hardest

s flu continues to expand its reach across the United States, it’s hitting the elderly and young children the hardest, including those in Johnson County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza-associated hospitalization rates are highest among adults age 65 and older, followed by children age 0-4. Johnson County’s flu numbers reflect what’s going on nationally. As of January 6, 44 percent of the county’s flu cases, as reported from surveillance in the county, are among children age 0-17 years; 21 percent are adults age 18-49; 9 percent are adults age 50-64; and 27 percent are adults over age 65. Influenza A is responsible for nearly 93 percent of the flu cases in the county. These numbers represent only a sample of the flu cases in Johnson County as healthcare providers are not required to report flu illness in Kansas. Now that flu is widespread in Kansas, Lougene Marsh, director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, says that Johnson County’s oldest and youngest citizens are most at risk for serious complications from influenza, including death. “The elderly and young children, as well as those with chronic medical conditions and weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the strain that is causing most of the hospitalizations and deaths this year,” Marsh said. “Keep an eye on family members, friends and neighbors who may be at risk and encourage them to contact their healthcare provider at the first sign of flu symptoms to see if antiviral medications would be appropriate.” Flu-like symptoms include: fever, cough, muscle/body aches,

sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and fatigue. Antiviral medications are most effective when treatment begins within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms. It can mean the difference between having a milder illness instead of very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay or even death. Marsh stresses that anyone who has not gotten vaccinated yet this season should do so now. This includes people who may already have gotten the flu this season because flu vaccines protect against three or four different viruses and it’s possible that other viruses will circulate later in the season. Flu shots are widely available at retail pharmacies, physicians’ offices, urgent care centers and the Department of Health and Environment’s Olathe (11875 S. Sunset Drive) and Mission (6000 Lamar Avenue) walk-in clinics. Go to www.flu.gov to find a vaccine provider near you. Washing your hands often with soap and water, covering your coughs and sneezes and staying away from people who are sick are other good ways to reduce your chances of getting all sorts of illness, including the flu, adds Marsh. If you do become ill, citizens are advised to stay home from school or work until they are fever-free for 24 hours. More information about influenza, symptoms and prevention tips can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm.

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• February 2015

cover story

A love story spanning 70 years Ben and Adeline Mammina enjoy platinum anniversary

By Gerald Hay

rank Sinatra must have had Ben and Adeline Mammina in mind when he was singing about “Love and Marriage” sixty years ago. When his song first hit the charts in 1955, the Olathe couple had already been wed for a decade. They were childhood bers tended to wed young and friends at 9, engaged in their late remain married through many teens, and have been married for decades – reaching the 70th anni70 years – a rare platinum wedversary is unusual, if only because ding anniversary. mortality intervenes. The best Their lifelong love story estimate is that only 0.01 percent doesn’t have a horse or a carriage, of couples reach that marital but the lyrics about not having milestone. “one without the other” reflect the It helps to marry young, as secret to their long married life. the Mamminas did. He was 19, It was built with a foundation of she was 18. It also helps to have love, togetherness, and tolerance good health, as they both say they - saying sorry when an apology do, and to live a good life and is owed and accepting an apology raise a good family together, as when one is given. they did. The pair said there’s another And, it helps to marry right. important secret to enjoying and Both grew up in Chicago. Ben enduring a long marriage. was handsome, popular, outgo“We took our vows seriousing from an upper middle class ly. For me, it was commitment. family. Adeline was strait-laced, I would never forget that I made stubborn, and feisty. Although that commitment,” 88-year-old her family was poorer than his Adeline Mammina said. (her father died when she was 4), The realization that their she was attractively dressed and commitment has spanned seven always wore flowers or ribbons in decades was a little surprising and her hair. unnerving. Their differences seemed to “It scared me,” Ben Mammicomplement rather than grate on na, 89, said with a laugh, noting each other. They shared the same Ben and Adeline Mammina still hold hands and have the idiom about how time flies values and Sicilian heritage. lived in Olathe since 1996. They were married in 1944. when having fun and enjoying life. He moved into her neighborIt’s not that their life together hood and she was the girl next was always smooth. Even through the difficult and challenging door. He was the new kid on the block at age 9. She was the cute times in life, humor and laughter have been constants and they 8-year-old girl living only four houses away. have always enjoyed each other in good times and bad, richer ‘It was truly love at first sight’ and poorer, in sickness and in health, while loving and cherishing “I once knocked her down in a snow bank, rubbed her face their shared time together year after year, decade after decade. with snow, and then I kissed her,” he said with a laugh. “I then “We just stuck it out,” he said. ran away, and she said ‘I hate you Ben Mammina.’” “Separation was never a thought,” she added. “Never.” The words were short-lived with no lasting grudge. Only 0.01% reach 70th anniversary “Even as a girl, I liked him a lot,” Adeline said with a smile. Few married couples make it to celebrate their platinum “It was truly love at first sight.” anniversary. Of all the married couples in the nation, approxiThey attended the same elementary and high schools, walked mately 39 percent have been married for 25 years, according to together often, went to the movies, and enjoyed the nearby weekdata from the U.S. Census Bureau, which tracks the longevity end carnival, hiding on rides to “sneak kisses.” of marriages only up to the 50th year. Only about 6 percent of While in high school, Adeline decided to pause their relaAmerican couples remain married long enough to celebrate their tionship for two years since his handsome looks attracted other golden anniversaries. Continued to next page Even for the World War II generation – which in high numwww.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

cover story

Marriage spans 70 years for Olathe couple Continued from page 12 teen girls as well. She wanted his full attention, not to share with others. That changed one day in 1943 when he was a senior, she a junior. Ben vividly recalls that moment - what she was wearing, the ribbon in her hair, even the bandage on her knee that day. He was washing his father’s car and spotted her walking with groceries. He offered to help her, carried the sacks, and escorted her home. “She was mortified at first,” he said about the chance encounter when the delay in their romance ended. “It quickly started all over again. It was bound to happen.” They became engaged on Christmas Eve that year without traditional fanfare. No kneeling down. No party. He simply gave her a ring. And, it was a done deal. “There was never an actual proposal,” he said. “We knew it was going to happen – no question about it.” They were married on July 1, 1944. Since then, they have raised three daughters and two sons, and saw their family tree grow with 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The couple moved 27 times over the years. One of their first homes was on a small dairy farm his father purchased in Wisconsin after World War II. His father continued to run the family trucking business in Chicago while the couple tried their hand at farming, living in what Ben described as “a shack” until he remodeled it. She called it “a rat hole.” After five years of farming along with starting a sawmill business and learning to build residential homes on the side, they returned to Chicago seven years later where he took over the family trucking firm, operated a commercial and residential construction business, and even established and operated

a massive overseas shipping container complex. “It was an instant success. It was a money machine,” he said. But the economic crisis of the 1970s, soaring business loan rates, and dealing with a slow-paying foreign market sunk the business. “Business was so good I went broke,” he said. After working and running the trucking business for more than 25 years, Ben sold it and retired by the end of the 1980s. They settled in Florida for the most part, but stayed for a while in Nashville and Atlanta, before deciding to try and nestle down closer to family members, now totaling 36 with in-laws. Most of the sons and daughters lived on the West Coast, but the couple thought California and Washington were too crowded. One son was in Chicago, but they had already lived there. Their youngest daughter, Kathy, and her family were in Kansas. “I said, ‘Kansas?,’” Ben said and laughed. “Never been there, so we looked at it, and liked what we saw.” They moved to Johnson County in 1996 and now live in a quaint home just a few blocks from downtown Olathe. So, how did they keep their love and marriage going for seven decades? Ben grinned. Adeline kind of shrugged. “You don’t give up,” he

said, noting that love requires action, renewal, and reaffirming, and that marriage is often hard work and not to be taken lightly at any age. To him, the picture on an end table in the living room of her as a young woman with dark hair and dressed in perfect attire remains true in his mind and heart.

“She’s as beautiful today as she was then,” he said. While the Mamminas know it’s rare to reach 70 years together, they claim to have no secret for their marriage’s longevity. Yet, body language offers a hint. They still hold hands. “I don’t have a good answer,” he said. “We love each other and respect each other. We try to talk out any problems. And, she gets her way all the time.” “We never go to bed without saying, ‘Good night, I love you,’” his wife said, looking at him. “Right?” He smiled and nodded in agreement. “The truth is I still always get the last word,” he said. “It’s ‘Yes, dear.’”

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• February 2015

saving heart

Why women need to check their ticker

People who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day double their likelihood omen juggle. We juggle family, careers, and every- of heart attack over non-smokers and the longer your smoke, the more likely you are to get heart disease. Plus, when combined with thing in between. other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and Whether we are giving 110 percent at home or being overweight, smoking is a deadly offender. on the job, we are the heart and soul of the opManage Your Liquor eration. We strive to be everything to everyone, but when it Moderate drinking (about one drink per day for women) is found comes to our own health, we may be dropping the ball. to help protect from heart disease, but over Of all the things that could keep us from keeping everyone indulging can cause irregular heart rhythm. And else happy and healthy, heart disease is the major culprit. Acsaving up all your moderate drinks for the cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, end of the week is a no-no. Stick to one glass heart disease is the leading killer of women causing one in of wine each night. three deaths each year. That is one woman every minute. But heart disease doesn’t affect all women the same, Get Heart Happy and the warning signs for men and Studies show that depression, (more likely women differ, too. When compared to occur in women), increases blood to men who have heart attacks, pressure and may alter the heart’s abilwomen typically experience poorer ity to beat properly. Stress is a cardio physical and mental health with culprit too, so increase communication more physical limitations prior to with those close to you and expand their heart attacks than similar-aged your friendship network. A 10-minute men. Women are also more likely than phone call with your best friend puts men to have other conditions linked you in a better mood immediately. with heart disease such as diabetes (Here’s your chance to have that (40 percent vs. 27 percent), obesity glass of wine)! (55 percent vs. 48 percent), and deDon’t Have a Heavy Heart pression (49 percent vs. 24 percent). Remember the two C’s. Watch The good news is that when it your calories and cholesterol. Foods comes to preventing heart disease, we high in fat and calories are more likely can take control. Diagnosis or not, it’s to stick to your ribs, not to mention never too late to make a few changes your heart’s arteries. and start living a heart-healthier life. Weight it Out Besides getting regular checkups from If you carry too much fat, especialyour doctor, there are many risks to ly if your body is apple shaped and the consider. excess pounds hang around your waist, • Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Watch Your Blood Pressure you have more of a risk for heart probwomen, and is more deadly than all Named the silent killer, high blood lems and other health issues. Step on the forms of cancer combined. pressure doesn’t have symptoms, so get it scale and keep your weight in check. • While one in 31 American women checked regularly. If it is a bit out of range, Take Care of your Teeth dies from breast cancer each year, get any needed medication from your Brush and floss. Many people don’t one in three dies of heart disease, doctor, lay off the sodium, and keep your know that keeping gums healthy is good killing approximately one woman numbers in check. every minute. for heart health. If bacteria from gum Get Moving • An estimated 43 million women in disease enters your bloodstream, the bad According to the American Heart the U.S. are affected by heart disstuff can travel to other organs and your Association, women ages 18-55 years old ease. heart could suffer the consequences. are generally less healthy and have a poorer • Ninety percent of women have one So while you are busy juggling quality of life than similar-aged men before or more risk factors for developing the ins and outs of everyone else’s life, suffering a heart attack. heart disease. remember what mom always said, “An There is nothing better than exercise to • Since 1984, more women than men ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cut your risk of getting heart disease. Trihave died each year from heart cure.” Take Care of yourself and your glyceride levels (blood fats linked to heart disease. disease), are lower in those women that exheart will thank you for it. • The symptoms of heart disease can ercise, even moderately. Getting your “huff Note: Some Information for this be different in women and men, and on” also lowers the risk of diabetes, which article was found at goredforwomen. are often misunderstood. in turn can lead to heart disease. Aim to get org, nhlbi.nih.gov and cdc.gov. • Only one in five American women at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Lisa Taranto Butler is triple-certified by the believe that heart disease is her Don’t Light Up American Council on Exercise as a personal greatest health threat. If by some chance you are still sucking trainer, lifestyle, and weight management Source: American Heart Association down nicotine - STOP! Smoking not only coach, and group fitness instructor. She is the owner of FitChix KC in Leawood. reeks, but the side-effects stink as well.

By Lisa Taranto Butler

Fast Facts

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

saving heart

Survivor warns women about heart disease

By Linda Chesney Kaut

eta Rentie just keeps on dancing. When she was a teenager in Kansas City, Rentie went to house parties where she had to sit down and rest between dances. Later, despite shortness of breath and fatigue, she actually took an aerobics class. Now, after years of heart disease, Rentie still goes out to dance. “Most of my life, people didn’t know,” she said of her health problems. Statistics show that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The disease can especially affect African-American women. Rentie, a 65-year-old retiree from Overland Park, has both friends and relatives with heart disease. For example, both of her sisters have slight heart murmurs. For Rentie, a wife and mother, the disease has included having heart failure four or five times. The first time it happened, she was only 15 years old. She spent five months in a hospital. First she had a sore throat. Next it was strep throat and then rheumatic fever. Finally the diagnosis was a leaky valve in her heart. “When you have that from your childhood, you have to be resilient,” Rentie said. “I like to think of myself as the ‘Little Engine That Could.’ You can’t let your life stop. You have to find alternative ways of getting things done and living your life.” One of the places where she has found help is a local chapter of WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. The Overland Park chapter sponsors events at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at various locations. “A couple women I know told me I needed to go,” Rentie said of WomenHeart. “Most of my life I’ve lived this all by myself. I felt very lonely until I joined them.” Research shows one of the problems with treating heart disease is that symptoms are often misunderstood. Rentie has found that to be true. For example, sometimes she was diagnosed as having indigestion. There was the time she was told that nothing was wrong and that night she ended up in an emergency room. And once, when no one knew what was wrong,

February is American Heart Month

Fast Facts

• • • •

•

Teta Rentie

Cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African-American women annually. Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 percent have heart diseases. Only one in five African-American women believes she is personally at risk. Only 52 percent of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Only 36 percent of African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.

Source: American Heart Association

normal lifestyle, but you have to make she underwent a stress test and it turned some changes,” Rentie said, citing things out that she had atrial fibrillation. like exercise and healthy eating. “You “I knew something was wrong. It need to make the changes before you get wasn’t normal. It wasn’t even my norit rather than afterward.” mal.” Things that have helped Rentie cope Seven years ago Rentie had heart with the disease include doing volunteer failure again and she finally had open work, crocheting, and traveling. And she heart surgery. also loves to dance. “People don’t understand heart disFor more information about the ease,” Rentie said. “They either act like Overland Park chapter of WomenHeart, you don’t have it or they think you are visit its website at www.womenheart.org going to fall out any moment and they’re or contact Kristen Seltman, WomenHeart scared to be around you. of Overland Park network coordinator, at “They go from one extreme to the 913-220-1237. other,” she said. “It’s not their fault. I’m not blaming them. It’s just that most peo- Linda Chesney Kaut, a former newspaper reporter, ple don’t get it.” is a freelance writer. She lives in Spring Hill. For example, she pointed out what it’s like to have atrial fibrillation. Maintenance-Free  Two and three bedrooms, two full baths “When you’re  Double-car attached garage with openers Senior Garden Homes  All appliances provided sitting and all of a  All maintenance provided sudden your heart  All living on one level, walk out skips a beat, it’s isobasements available lating,” Rentie said.  1,450 - 1,940 square feet “It’s important to  And so much more… seek out other people who understand.” Give us a call and we’ll send you a She has some Black Hawk Commons complete brochure, or just simply come out advice for anyone A senior retirement community and see for yourself. You’ll be surprised! diagnosed with heart disease. 223rd Street Exit off Highway 169, Spring Hill, Kansas Hwy. 169 south to the 223rd Street exit (left at exit) - behind Price Chopper “You can live with heart disease and 913.592.2860 www.blackhawkdevelopment.com you can live a pretty www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

kitchen table money talk

Why U.S. presidents never carry cash

By Gene Meyer

ometimes even good U.S. presidents handle money badly. Or, they run into stretches of bad luck like the rest of us.

As the President’s Day holiday approaches, many of us tend to assume that one must be wealthy to become president if only because it would be tough to take time off from a 9-to-5 job to campaign. The assumption isn’t entirely wrong. All but nine of our 44 presidents were millionaires when they took office. History shows that few of them were immune to making blunders with their money, however. Here are some of the more notable setbacks a few of our forefathers encountered, according to analysts and editors at Wall Street 24/7, ThinkAdvisor.com, and other financial news services who’ve kept lists over the years. Some of the problems were self-inflicted. Others were pure misfortune. And, as the rest of us sometimes do, our forefathers made some hard choices to overcome their problems. • Thomas Jefferson, our third president in 1801-1809, is estimated to have been the third wealthiest president when he took office. Wall Street 24/7 estimates the peak value of his land, slaves, and other property hit $212 million in 2010 dol-

•

lars. But Jefferson, like most early 19th century presidents, also had to pay staff, household, and travel expenses out of his presidential salary, estimated at $316,000 in today’s dollars. Those expenses, plus some costly loans he took out to finance tobacco production on his estate, and a drop in land values following the Louisiana Purchase, put him nearly $2 million in debt at his death in 1826. Heirs sold the property five years later. • Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president in 18611865, formed financially disastrous business partnerships with two different business owners earlier in his career. One went bankrupt. The other died leaving heavy personal debt that Lincoln chose to assume. Paying those off took years. Lincoln, like Harry Truman nearly a century later, is one of the nine presidents who never became a millionaire. Harry Truman, our 43rd president in 1946-1953, came famously close to bankruptcy in 1922, when a haberdashery he ran with a friend and partner named Eddie Jacobson went belly up. Truman shunned bankruptcy protection that was available, spent years repaying the loans, and even moved in with his inlaws in Independence to save money. Congress began paying ex-presidents a then $25,000 annual pension when Truman left office, to help keep him afloat financially. Continued to next page

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• February 2015

Presidents never carried cash Continued from page 16

Ulysses S. Grant, our 18th president in 1869-1877, failed as an Illinois storekeeper after graduating West Point, re-entered the Army to win the Civil War and later the White House. He and a son then invested more than $2 million each, in today’s dollars, with a Wall Street business partner who stole everything the Grants and other veterans invested. Grant, near death, wrote an autobiography, which Mark Twain turned into a best seller that restored the family’s fortune. • Herbert Hoover, our 31st president in 1929 -1933, is our eighth wealthiest president, with a fortune of about $75 million in today’s dollars. But that caused a flap in 1930 when it was revealed that baseball legend Babe Ruth was asking for an $80,000 a year salary, $5,000 more than Hoover was making. “I know, but I had a better year than Hoover,” the Bambino explained. •

Gene Meyer, a Fairway resident, is a former staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star.

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• February 2015

library connection

Legislative coffees begin February 21 By Ashley Fick

he Kansas Legislative Session is in full swing. Johnson County Library and the League of Women Voters are partnering to present a series of Legislative Coffees featuring Kansas State representatives and senators from Johnson County. Legislators will discuss current events and issues in Topeka, as well as their respective committee work. Ample time is included for questions from constituents. The series is an excellent venue where citizens can meet and mingle with senators and reps. When you attend the Legislative Coffee series you give voice to the issues that affect and matter to you and your community. As a citizen, you should take the time to get involved. Studies repeatedly indicate that Americans are increasingly uninvolved in local / state politics as compared with the national scene. State and local government is, however, more intimately involved in daily life than national government. The state directly impacts the education our children receive, our healthcare options, the roads we drive upon and much more. Citizens must participate in the political process and voice their needs and concerns to ensure the Kansas government is responsive to their wishes and needs. To learn who represents you in the Kansas House and Senate you can map your legislators at openkansas.org. Simply input your address and discover the names, contact information and party affilia-

tions of your elected leaders. You can also visit www. kslegislature.org for detail about your Senators and Representatives. There you can track the status and content of a bill or committee, look up current Kansas statutes and live-stream House and Senate sessions. Project Vote Smart (votesmart.org) also maintains a comprehensive database of contact information and voting records of Federal and State legislators. Library Legislative Coffees will take place from 10 to 11a.m. on the third Saturday of February, March, and April respectively. The Lauffer Civic Engagement Fund generously provides coffee and donuts. Johnson County Library and the League of Women Voters are non-partisan organizations dedicated to educating voters and connecting citizens with their elected representatives. Every Kansas State legislator from Johnson County has been invited to participate. February 21 Rep. Barbara Bollier and Rep. Nancy Lusk Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th Street, Overland Park March 21 Rep. Linda Gallagher, Rep. S. Mike Kiegerl, and Rep. Keith Esau Lackman Library, 15345 W. 87th Street Pkwy, Lenexa April 18 Rep. Stephanie Clayton, Rep. Melissa Rooker, and Senator Pat Pettey Corinth Library, 8100 Mission Road, Prairie Village Ashley Fick is Reference Librarian at Johnson County Library.

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• February 2015

special section

Nursing home vs. in-home care: Weighing options

hen considering nursing home care, family members or trusted advisors can discuss the options as well as the thoughts and feelings of the person needing care and the primary caregiver. Consider these variables: The person needing care. Some people are easy to care for, less anxious or agitated, with fewer physical health issues. They can be content and respond well to a regular program of services and family support in the home. Other people are more difficult or combative, with many physical or mental health issues which make caregiving difficult. The home and financial resources. Is there space to move Mom or Dad into your home? Is the home accessible with few steps or barriers to mobility? Does the family have financial resources to help pay for care or changes needed? Can you hire part-time or live-in care? Personality and coping skills of the caregiver. Caregivers

should be honest about their ability to cope and handle stress. When family members have cognitive changes, or are chronically irrational, are you the kind of caregiver who can accept and deal with the demands? The mental and physical health status of people needing care will change. Caregiving choices require patience and taking one step at a time. Some people feel better to try the least restrictive environment at home first, but often a time comes when you know nursing home care is the best option. If you want to try care at home, options can be accessed through your local Area Agency on Aging. In Johnson County, call 913-715-8861. Or call the nationwide Eldercare Locator line at 1-800-677-1116. Or perhaps respite care for a while at a nursing home will help a family see how that option fits. The decision is not easy. It requires determining what is in the best interests of the person being cared for and the caregivers.

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• February 2015

special section

Planning for nursing home care in Johnson County

re you looking for care for a loved one’s continuing health, safety and well-being? What are your options? Transitions in care take time and adjustment. Take a breath, pace yourself, and follow these steps to plan for transitions to nursing home care in Johnson County. 1) Get input and information from people who can help you make a good decision: family, friends, doctors, social workers, hospital discharge planners, and transition consultants. Transition consultants who help you find long-term care facilities are listed under “Personal Assistance” in the Aging & Accessibility Directory online at http://www. jocogov.org/hsd. 2) Contact the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging’s information line at 913715-8861 to request a CARE assessment

required to consider a person’s need for nursing facility placement versus in-home care and other alternatives. They have a list of homes and other publications about longterm care options. Also, see “Long-Term Care Facilities” and “Caregiving” information in the Aging & Accessibility Directory online at http://www.jocogov.org/hsd. 3) Discuss Advanced Directives and Medicaid application with Kansas Legal Services or an elderlaw attorney. Set up powers-of-attorney for someone to act in your behalf if you get too sick to make your own decisions. Couples may discuss Division of Assets in order to protect the healthier spouse’s income if he or she remains at home. Kansas Legal Services provides advice on a donation basis. Call 913-621-0200. Also see “Legal Services” Continued to next page

Aberdeen Village offers on-site rehabilitative care, bridging the gap between hospital and home. Through the Post-Acute to Home (PATH) program, our team of medical professionals work with your physicians and loved ones to help you live life on your own terms again. The PATH program includes: • Physical, speech and occupational therapies • Cardiac recovery • Orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation • Post-surgical care • IV therapy • Pain management • Extended admission hours To learn how we can help you or someone you know find the right PATH, Just Ask. Together, we’ll find the answers. Call the Marketing Office at 913-599-6100.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

The way you want to live

special section

Planning for nursing home care in Johnson County Continued from page 20 in the Aging & Accessibility Directory online at http://www.jocogov.org/hsd 4) Gather more information from a variety of sources: • Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC) at 1-800-525-1782 provide consumer information on choosing a home, resident rights and care standards. They publish a Consumer’s Guide to Kansas Nursing Homes and Fact Sheets on Individual Nursing Homes (enforcement actions, occupancy, staffing ratios, care provided, etc) for a nominal fee. www.kabc.org • The Regional Ombudsman and a group of volunteer ombudsmen (men and women) visit nursing homes on a regular basis to advocate for resident rights, investi-

gate complaints, and to solve and mediate problems. They can provide results of the latest State inspection, information about a home’s complaint history, and answer questions about resident rights. Call 913-236-9385 or 1-877-662-8362. www.kansasombudsmanksgov.com • The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services is the regulatory agency for Kansas nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult care homes. To report abuse or neglect in a facility call KDADS at 1-800-842-0078. They publish the inspection reports for Kansas facilities. Call 1-800-432-3535 for information about these reports or regulatory issues. www.kdads.ks.gov. Continued to next page

R ehab designed to get you home sooner.

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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

special section

Planning for nursing home care in Johnson County Continued from page 21 • LeadingAge Kansas represents not-for-profit longterm health care, housing, and community service providers in Kansas. They have “Consumer Information” on paying for long-term care. 1-800-264-5242 or 785-2337443 http://www.leadingagekansas.org. • The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services publish detailed information about the past performance of Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes. Call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare. gov Nursing Home Compare. Also see “What Medicare Covers | What Part A Covers | Skilled Nursing Facility Care” at www.medicare.gov. They offer a Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home and a Nursing Home Checklist. • Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) is the Medicaid Office in Johnson County where you apply for financial assistance to cover the cost of nursing home care. Contact the Long Term Care Team (orange team) at 913826-7353 or OPorange@dcf.ks.gov. They are located at 8915 Lenexa Drive in Overland Park on the East side of I-35 between 87th and 95th. For additional assistance, contact Customer Service at 888-369-4777 or see www.dcf.ks.gov • AARP the American Association of

Retired Persons has information on “Health” including user-friendly information on Planning for Long Term Care. www.aarp.org 5) Call, visit, and evaluate a few nursing facilities for the best information: a). Location near family and friends who can visit and advocate for care. b) Availability…numbers of beds, special kinds of care, waiting lists. c) Staffing…skill levels, training, and number of staff. d) Medicaid coverage, beds avail-

able when private funds are used up? Paying for Long-Term Nursing Care Medicare Part A helps cover your medically necessary skilled nursing facility care for limited periods of time after a related three-day hospital stay. Under the Original Medicare Plan, you pay $0 for the first 20 days, a coinsurance payment of $157.50 per day for days 21-100 in 2015, and all costs for each day after that… in each benefit period. For more Medicare information call 1-800-633-4227 or see “What Medicare Costs | Part A Costs | What Part A Covers | Skilled Nursing Facility Care” at www. medicare.gov. Medicaid helps individuals pay for long term ongoing nursing facility care when their income is very low and resources/savings are less than $2,000. For information and an application call the Kansas Dept for Children and Families (DCF) at 913-826-7353. Long-term care insurance may also help pay for your care. For information regarding Medicare, contact SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans) in Johnson County at 913-7158856. Also see Health/Life | Medicare & Long-Term Care at http://www.ksinsurance.org/.

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Honored to be woven into a million life stories over a hundred years. www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

KCCC promotes person-centered values in care

By Sandy Silva

ging is not optional. In fact, there are some real value-adds to having a variety of life experiences, specific skills and a personal sense of values that simply aren’t developed without time and at least a couple uphill treks. Along with that, there is also the realization that all senior adults and their families probably will need support and help as we age. That’s OK. When any of us need a supportive environment, we won’t be willing to settle for a “nursing home” like our grandparents feared and avoided at all costs. What’s more important is that we don’t have to. For several decades people have been hard at work to introduce a “culture change” in these environments. The Kansas Change Coalition (KCCC) has worked to humanize the care that is provided to older adults living in long-term care facilities since the organization was formed in 2004. KCCC is not alone; it is part of a national organization that truly pioneered this humanizing movement beginning in the late 1980s. This all started in the 1970s and 1980s when concerns about the quality of care in nursing homes were emerging. As a result the Institute of Medicine conducted a study in 1986 and issued a report with detailed recommendations to improve the quality of care for residents. These recommendations were enacted in 1987 with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as the Nursing Home Reform Act. Although much of the culture change philosophy was reflected in this legislation, there was still more to be done to implement these requirements. It took a group of progressive providers, consumers, and others interested in the daily life of residents to develop an approach to systematically change the culture and practices in long-term care facilities. Each of them knew they could not do it alone and they began to build grassroots connections that became, in the early 1990s, The Pioneer Network. (www.pioneernetwork.net) KCCC is proud to be part of this national network. The KCCC’s volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of leaders from a variety of agencies and organizations through Kansas. KCCC

embraces the vision of the Pioneer Network and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, both of which support a culture of aging that is life affirming, satisfying, humane, and meaningful. Donna Fox of Sharon Lane Health Services, Shawnee, is secretary of KCCC Board of Directors. Chris Osborn of GERTI (Grow with Evergreen Resources for Transforming Innovation) with the Evergreen Community (formerly the Johnson County Nursing Center) in Olathe also serves on the board. KCCC board members and volunteers now are working to provide education to residents, family members, and friends about what to look for when considering a new home. What do we need to look for to determine if a facility is committed to providing person-centered care? Some examples include an environment where residents wake up, go to bed, eat, and bathe when they choose. Additionally, when a facility focuses on person-centered care, the same staff will take care of the same residents so that they can get to know each other and develop meaningful relationships. That is good common sense and research suggests residents feel more secure, content, and happy. Another hallmark is that management seeks input from residents, families, and staff before making decisions that affect their daily care. The KCCC supports a culture of aging that is life-affirming, satisfying, humane, and meaningful. Culture change can transform a “facility” into home, a “patient” or “resident” into a person, and a “schedule” into a choice. KCCC is continually inspired and renewed by the words of Gandhi, “You must be the change you want in the future.” KCCC believes that as a society the future of aging is ours to create.We must create the change we wish to see. Please join us! For more information, please visit the KCCC website www. kansasculturechange.org. If you would like to schedule a presentation to a civic, business, or faith-based group, please contact Sandra Silva at sandy@sjsilva.com. Sandy Silva is chair of the KCCC.

Travel Show set February 5 in O.P.

here you go for rehab W can make all the difference.

pcoming trips by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District will be showcased during a free Travel Show at 1 p.m. Thursday, February 5, at the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center, 11902 Lowell, Overland Park. Participants will learn about upcoming day trips, regional trips, and extended travel opportunities. They also can meet tour professionals who will answer questions and explain the advantages of traveling with 50 Plus. Call 913-826-3030 to RSVP.

For more information on what sets our postacute rehab therapy apart, call (913) 397-2900.

All faiths or beliefs are welcome.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

inside story

Pickleball becomes a sport for all ages By Joe Henderson

nyone for pickleball? What? You’ve never heard of pickleball? No, pickles aren’t involved. Pickleball is a combination of tennis and badminton played on a court 20-by-44 feet with paddles slightly larger than table tennis paddles and a whiffle ball. It is becoming increasingly popular with Johnson County seniors, women and men. Howard Bodney, 72, Overland Park, a retired lawyer, started playing five years ago. Now he’s playing at least three days a week. “A friend I’ve played tennis with for years told me about it. He had to give up tennis and so he started playing pickleball,” Bodney said. “When I began playing it was a natural transition from tennis for me. I didn’t need lessons. The ball bounces a little differently but it’s like tennis. I like the game. It’s fun, it’s challenging and it’s good exercise. You meet a lot of nice people,” he said. “I haven’t sued any of them and none have ever been on one of my juries so we get along

Left: Tony Cregler, left, and Rich Cavallaro; and right: M.K. Mueller, left, and Anna Staton. fine,” Bodney added with a said. laugh. “You’d be surprised how “Many players buy their many are playing now.” own paddles but we furnish Tami Lickteig, coordinator paddles for anyone who doesn’t of the 50 Plus program at the have one. The cost to play is $2 Matt Ross Community Center, a session. We also offer lessons, Overland Park, said pickleball a two hour session for $7. started there in 2007. Anna Staton, 70, has been “Marilyn Lyons, who was playing a year. in this job before me, started it. “I watched people playing She bought the equipment and and thought that looks like fun got the program going. Now we and a good way to exercise. have about 150 men and women, I took one lesson and started probably 60 percent men, who playing,” she said. “The more I play several times a week Monplayed the more I liked it. I play day through Friday. Most are in four days a week now. I didn’t their 60s and 70s and are retired. play any other game before We have one man in his mid-80s pickleball so it’s my only sport,” who plays regularly,” Lickteig said Staton, who lives in Over-

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land Park. “I’m a newbie,” said M.K. Mueller, also of Overland Park. “I just started playing. I’d been hearing about pickleball from friends so I had to try it. I was having trouble finding winter tennis players. I was ready for a new sport,” she said. “I love pickleball. It’s great exercise and fun and it gets me out of the house.” Tony Cregler, 67, started playing pickleball three years ago. “They told me it was fun and you get to play indoors. That appealed to me so I went for it. It’s addictive. I like it better than tennis,” Cregler said. “I play six days a week, five at Matt Ross and one in Independence. It’s a good sport for people my age.” He lives in Overland Park. “You’re always trying to improve your game. As you get better the game gets faster and more challenging,” said Jerry Hughes, 72. “It can be a tough game. I’ve always been a tennis player but I like pickleball better. There’s less chance of injuring yourself.” He lives in Kansas City. Continued to next page

THE COURT WILL

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• February 2015

Pickleball enjoys popularity Continued from page 24 Rich Cavallaro, 65, plays pickleball three or four times a week during the winter. “I like playing golf in the summer. I used to play racketball but I had a knee replacement a couple of years ago and had to give it up. Pickleball is a good game for me now. I’m still kind of a beginner,” said Cavallaro who lives in Overland Park. “It’s good to learn a new sport, meet new people. I play at Matt Ross and Tomahawk Ridge Center. Nice people are at both places.” Pickleball was “invented” in 1965 by a family living on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. Joel Pritchard thought his children seemed bored and needed a new sports challenge. He gave them table tennis paddles, lowered the net on the badminton court, tossed them a whiffle ball, and made up rules as they went along. The game soon caught on with friends and neighbors and has continued to gain in popularity, especially with seniors. Who coined the name “pickleball?” Rumor has it that the game was named after the family dog that chased the ball when it ran off the court. Not so, said daughter Peggy Pritchard Olson. She said her mother, Joan Pritchard, came up with the name. “The dog didn’t come along until several years later and was named Pickles by my mother.” Saying it was named after the dog probably makes a better story, but as sometimes happen, apparently isn’t true… so the aura of mystery about the game’s name continues.

Left: Cavallaro, and Jerry Hughes, right; and right: Howard Bodney.

Joe Henderson was a federal court reporter with The Kansas City Star for 40 years and is now a freelance writer. He lives in www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

book review

Book traces extinction of passenger pigeon A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction By Joel Greenberg Reviewed by Barbara Watkins

oel Greenberg’s book A Feathered River Across the Sky: the Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction (Bloomsbury, 2014, pbk.) is a somber read. One of its reviewers comments, it is a “story of unremitting, wanton, continental scale destruction.” The passenger pigeon population went from billions to zero in less than 50 years. Martha, the last of this species, died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. This anniversary was Greenberg’s impetus to write the book. He hoped that it would be a “vehicle for informing the public about the bird and the importance that its story has to current conservation issues.” Greenberg is a research associate at the Field Museum in Chicago and the author of two other books. He co-founded the Project Passenger Pigeon Project, which focuses on human-caused extinctions. On the project website, he outlines the central questions that he explores in this book: • How could a bird thriving by the billions become extinct so quickly? • What prompted such a slaughter? • Did anyone foresee the bird’s demise? • Did anyone try to stop the tragedy that was about to occur? • If the killing had stopped, could the passenger pigeon have survived to the present? • What is to be learned from this bird’s extinction? • Are there parallels to the passenger pigeon story going on today? The answers to these questions may never be completely resolved, but Greenberg makes an heroic effort to explore them. The passenger pigeon was a significant part of the “cultural and economic development” of the eastern United States and Canada. It was the continent’s “most abundant bird,” with a likely population of three to five billon when Europeans first arrived in North America. When the passenger pigeons migrated and were foraging, the earth below “would be darkened for hours.” One pigeon flight along the Ohio River in 1813 recorded by John James Audubon “eclipsed the sun for three days.” The largest nesting on record covered 850 square miles and hosted more than 100 million birds. These large congregations of birds (an adult was one and a half times the size of a dove) destroyed trees as thoroughly as a tornado or hurricane. Driven by changing seasons, the pigeons sought forage that would support their large numbers. The abundance of “mast” (a new concept for me – it is the fruit of forest trees like acorns and other nuts) varied from year-to-year but helped determine this large population’s survival or demise. Although the numbers of these birds were amazing, as Greenberg asserts,

“the litany of slaughter dominates the history of this species. People killed them in virtually every way imaginable, and for many reasons. And at times, seemingly for no reason at all.” In addition to shooting and netting, pigeoners used “stool pigeons” (a decoy bird fastened to a stool) to lure the flocks into a net. Many Native American tribes and rural people didn’t shoot nesting adult birds. They did, however, kill the young tasty squabs (fledgling pigeons). The adults were spared so they could breed again. Yet, the “intensity and thoroughness of the slaughter increased with the demographic and technological changes of the 19th century.” The first organized attempts to stop the slaughter were in response to the cruelty of the massacre, not to the fear that pigeons would become extinct. Some sportsmen’s associations fought for legislation to protect wildlife. They knew that game was an important food for rural populations and that birds helped control insect populations. The American Ornithologists’ Union produced a model bird-protection law in 1886 and the National Association of Audubon Societies helped persuade states to enact protective laws. All of these efforts came too late to save the passenger pigeon. Decades after the pigeon’s extinction, one expert on this species, A.E Schorger, asserted, “No better example of eternal hope, so characteristic of man, can be found than the search for a living wild passenger pigeon long after it had ceased to exist.” Barbara Watkins is an avid and accomplished gardener, birder, and director of outdoor excursions with friends. She lives in Lawrence.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

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• February 2015

to your good health

Is a fat heart now a good heart?

By Crystal Futrell

hinking of the heart is easy to do during the month of February. But for a public health educator like myself, it’s hard to think about the heart and not care about its health, especially when heart disease continues to be the number one killer in this country. This is a staggering yet unsurprising fact, given the lifestyle of many Americans. We tend to be a nation that embraces the “all or nothing” approach, which makes the phrase “everything in moderation” sort of perplexing. Many of us can’t relate to what moderation feels like. Couple that with our desire for quick fixes, and it’s no wonder our nation’s collective health is in shambles. More frighteningly, when you pair the “all or nothing” and “quick fix” attitudes together, you create an environment that’s highly susceptible to nutrition trends. Past trends and diets include: Atkins, South Beach, gluten free, paleo, The Zone, raw foods, macrobiotics, and the list goes on. Most of these diets have sprinklings of truth intermixed with a bunch of hype that tends to be very marketable because it plays directly into Americans’ needs for exclusivity and a quick fix. Fat is back But the latest trend has many in the nutrition world on high alert. Fat is back and not just any fat. The historically demonized saturated fat that has long been lauded as the leading villain responsible for the heart disease crisis in our country,

has suddenly found redemption in the medical world. And the new villain du jour is carbs, particularly sugar. So, why has saturated fat been so bad in the past, and why has it been recently redeemed? Well, the second part of this question will need further research. But, to answer the first half, let’s start with a definition. Saturated fats are chains of fat molecules that are completely covered, or saturated, with hydrogen molecules. They tend to be solid at room temperature and also chemically and culinarily stable, meaning they tend to have longer shelf lives than other fats and aren’t as fragile when cooked. Common foods high in saturated fats include: butter, cheese, animal meat, lard, coconuts, and anything that has been hydrogenated, like shortening. For decades, these saturated fats have had a reputation for raising the level of cholesterol in your blood which can then lead to clogged arteries, thus leading to heart disease. Also, foods high in saturated fats tend to be high in calories which can lead to excessive weight gain. Recent studies report that previous research on the effects of saturated fats has produced faulty results, and these studies point to countries like France and the Polynesian Islands where diets tend to be heavy in saturated fats but whose populations have little evidence of heart disease. Looking to these countries as models of healthy saturated Continued to next page

Forum on tax cuts

he League of Women Voters – Johnson County is sponsoring a forum on Saturday, February 7, regarding “Coping with Tax Cuts: Johnson County’s New Normal.” The public event starts at 9 a.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park. Panelists will include Johnson County Manager Hannes Zacharias; Patti Rule, president of the Johnson County Commission on Aging; and Johnson County Librarian Sean Casserley. More information is available by calling 913-9085960 or 913-631-9499. www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Recipe of Month Oatmeal-Flax Pancakes Yield: Six servings (two pancakes) Ground flaxseeds, which are high in omega-3s, give a subtle nutty undertone to these easy-to-fix hot cakes. Make the whole batch and freeze what you don’t eat for latter meals. 1 1/2 cups fat-free or reduced-fat buttermilk 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant) 1 omega-3 rich egg 2 tbsp. flaxseed or canola oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseeds) 3 tbsp. white sugar or brown sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon

Is a fat heart a good heart? Continued from page 27 fat intake is a little misleading, however. France’s cuisine is famous for heavy cream sauces and countless cheese varieties. Their affection for breads and pastries pushes against the latest nutrition villain, carbs and refined sugar, and I don’t think the majority of those baguettes are made with whole grains. Changing health story As for the Polynesians, it seems they’re plenty healthy and unaffected by their heavy intake of saturated fat-laden coconuts, as long as they stay on their side of the Pacific. But once they migrate to America, their health story changes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Census Bureau, heart disease is the second leading cause of death amongst native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders. This leads one to suspect that there’s more than just the French cream and the tropical coconuts that explains why these foreign populations have such great, heart-happy health. Maybe it has

something to do with their moderate, rather than excessive and obsessive, intake of fat? The truth is, fat is good for us. It’s always been good for us. Along with carbohydrates and protein, fat is one of our essential macronutrients. Macronutrients are needed for maintaining health and immune function. Many of us remember not too long ago when this country went on a low-fat/fat-free craze. But it had the opposite effect and our country became more obese as a result. The catch, however, is that this intake of fat needs to be balanced, rather than consumptive, with our other nutritive intake. Only time and more research will tell whether or not this new trend of high-fat will wreak havoc on our health like the low-fat trend did. If only the “everything in moderation” trend could take hold .... Crystal Futrell, Johnson County Extension Agent in Family and Consumer Sciences, can be reached at 913-715-7000 or crystal.futrell@ jocogov.org.

1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. baking powder canola oil (optional) 1. Combine the buttermilk and oats in a small bowl, and let stand 10 minutes so that the oats absorb the liquid. 2. Stir in the egg and the oil. 3. Combine the flour, flaxseed meal, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl, and stir well. 4. Add the oat mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until smooth. 5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake onto a nonstick griddle or skillet brushed lightly with canola oil, and cook over medium to medium-high heat. 6. Do not crowd the pancakes. Turn the pancakes when their tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked (about 2 to 3 minutes). Finish cooking until the second side is brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cooking tip: Sprinkle some finely chopped walnuts into the batter just before cooking to add an extra dose of omega-3s and a more pronounced nut flour.

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• February 2015

a conversation with the chairman

A SALUTE TO

JOHNSON COUNTY’S

VETERANS

50 Plus offers activities to keep healthy, active

in cooperation with Americans Remembered

Merlin Anderson Lenexa Korean War, Navy, quartermaster third Class, Adak Naval Station-Aleutians, navigational communications, served three years.

By Ed Eilert Chairman Board of County Commissioners

t’s February with the arrival of Valentine’s Day. It’s also the annual celebration of American Heart Month with the reminder that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American men and women. Research and medical experts all agree that daily exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers stress, and is a necessary part of healthy aging and staying active. They also advocate that aging is no excuse to give up exercise and that many, if not most, senior adults can benefit from just about any type of exercise as they age, as long as they’re not at risk of injury. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exercise keeps you moving, healthy, and feeling energized, but staying active also benefits your mind, spirit, and body by: •

Keeping you independent and able to take care of yourself at home

•

Helping you stay strong and fit so you can play with grandchildren

•

Helping you sleep better

•

Preventing weight gain and contributing to the loss of extra pounds

•

Reducing the risk of falls and broken bones

•

Improving your self-confidence and feelings of happiness and self-worth

•

Lowering your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and diabetes

•

Keeping your brain and memory functioning well

Since 1971, the 50 Plus Department at the Johnson County Park and Recreation District offers many, many opportunities to help improve overall physical wellness, including heart health, for active adults of all ages. Cardiovascular exercise, such as swimming, walking, water aerobics, hiking, tennis, golf (minus the carts), and

popular pickleball, gets the heart pumping and blood flowing. Balance training and regular stretching, such as pilates, yoga, and Tai chi, keeps muscles stretched, flexible, and limber while working to improve balance in preventing falls or lowering the risk of tripping. Strength training, using elastic resistance bands, light weights or dumbbells, weight machines, or even pieces of furniture or walls at home for resistance, are aimed at strengthening muscles to make everyday chores and activities easier, plus it helps your bones. Cane Fu, Drums Alive, and T’ai Chi Chih are just a few of the newest fitness classes 50 Plus has added to its offerings to keep things fresh and interesting for patrons. Some other non-traditional forms of exercise include beginning ballroom classes and weekly tea dances that feature live bands and tap dance lessons. These programs may help participants forget they are actually exercising! From water exercise, T’ai Chi, low-impact aerobics, yoga, strength training, flexibility training, chair-based exercise, to walking, 50 Plus has many programs for varying fitness levels and abilities. There is an option for everyone. There are three primary 50 Plus Centers with a wide variety of recreational and learning opportunities: •

New Century Fieldhouse, 551 New Century Parkway, near Gardner;

•

Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty Street, Overland Park; and,

•

Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Drive.

The 50 Plus Office is located in the Park and Recreation District’s Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam. The main number is 913-826-3030. Remember any exercise is better than none. Happy Valentine’s Day!

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

29 •

Bob Darling Shawnee Korea, Army, corporal, combat engineer, Served 1952-1954.

Judy Dutra Overland Park Vietnam, Navy, aerial photographer. Served 1963-1966 and at multiple locations in U.S.

Jack Dutra Overland Park Pre-Vietnam, Army, first lieutenant, post maintenance afficer at Presidio, Calif.

Ivan Wicke Olathe Cold War, Marines, VMS 215 serving in Hawaii, 22 years service.

The Best Times features veterans each month. Some vets outside Johnson County are featured when their family members are Johnson County seniors. To suggest a vet’s name, including yours, contact Gary Swanson: call 913-744-8282 or email gswanson@kc.rr. com.

February 2015

“as I see it ...”

Your Chairman

On track with GSP By John Toplikar Commissioner District 6

Chairman Ed Eilert Phone: 913-715-0500 Email Ed.Eilert@jocogov.org

ecently I had a conversation with Brian Pietig, director of Johnson County Public Works, about how technology is being used to save tax dollars. I specifically wanted to know how updated GPS (Global Positioning System) is being used today with our vehicle operations. Brian had this to say about a system now in use in Johnson County Public Works called “Automatic Vehicle Location” or AVL: About 12 years ago Public Works began installing GPS tracking hardware in its vehicles and equipment which allowed us to monitor our vehicle locations by desktop software. In 2013, we moved to the unlimited access and improved abilities of a web based application. Now we are able to eliminate much of the manual data collection that was previously required of our operators of dump trucks, pickup trucks, mowers, excavators, sprayers and motor graders. Better than ever our staff can see Public Works vehicles at work sites, flooded areas, fighting snow and ice and so much more. Foremen with cell card ready laptops, touch pads or smart phones can access the AVL any time to determine the disposition of any of the vehicles tracked. Snow routes are shown on a map in different colors so the dispatcher can tell at a glance which roads a snow plow truck is responsible for. The color of each section of road transitions through three additional colors as it is treated or plowed. For example when a road segment is treated or plowed it turns to a green color, after eight hours it changes to yellow and then after 16 hours changes to red. If at any time the segment is re-treated or plowed the road resets to green and the process will begin again. In-between storm events, the route colors and times may be reset to their default colors. We now can see how fast our drivers are going, where they’ve been, how much salt or sand has been laid down per mile, where they have plowed, the temperature of the ambient air and the road surface temperature. This live data takes storm fighting to

a new level. The dispatcher can put our resources where they are most needed. He can see the weather on our AVL map, read the temperatures from trucks as they travel and know exactly where and when to treat or plow an area. This results in exceptional efficiency. Our drivers go where they are needed, use material more efficiently and we save on fuel. Also displayed for each route is the percentage of completion, and the amount of material used. Future utilization could show how many hours a plow has been in contact with the pavement if we wished and thus give our fleet maintenance staff an idea of shelf life, etc. With the AVL we have an efficient benchmark tool for motor grader routes, right of way mowing, snow and ice treatment, and snow plow routes. We know where we have treated for weeds, sprayed seed head suppressant or dug ditches. Automatic tracking and bread crumbing (drawing a trail) is a big labor saver allowing for increased productivity and less paperwork. We have a “momentary switch” in each vehicle which when pressed plots a flag on our AVL map at that GPS coordinate. This is useful for marking trash needing picked up, barricade placement, brush or flood areas and many other uses. The placed flag has the vehicle number on it. A driver in a vehicle can be sent out to inspect our area of responsibility and quickly flag areas needing work without ever reducing driver awareness or endangering others by trying to write things down while driving. If a maintenance worker is in need of immediate emergency care they have an emergency switch in the vehicle they can throw which sends a message directly to designated individuals. We can quickly assess the situation, dispatch police and ambulance and move our resources to the area. Public Works will continue to use the advances of technology to refine and reshape its work practices to provide the best and most efficient services for Johnson County residents.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Your Commissioners Ron Shaffer 1st District Phone: 913-715-0431 Email Ron.Shaffer@jocogov.org

Jim Allen 2nd District Phone: 913-715-0432 Email Jim.Allen@jocogov.org

Steve Klika 3rd District Phone: 913-715-0433 Email Steve.Klika@jocogov.org

Jason L. Osterhaus 4th District Phone: 913-715-0434 Email Jason.Osterhaus@jocogov.org

Michael Ashcraft 5th District Phone: 913-715-0435 Email

Michael.Ashcraft@jocogov.org

John Toplikar 6th District Phone: 913-715-0436 Email John.Toplikar@jocogov.org

The weekly public business sessions of the Johnson County Board of Commissioners begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays in the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry Street, in downtown Olathe. Live coverage of the meetings is viewable each week over the Internet through the county’s main website at www.jocogov. org.

Finding a cure for torpidity later in life

By Victor Louis Druten

orpid: 1) inactive or sluggish 2) slow, dull; apathetic; lethargic 3) dormant, as a hibernating animal. Uh-oh ... does this adjective seem a little too close to home? What? When did way-too-many seniors start to be identified by this descriptive word? And, is it something that is irreversible ... permanent ... set in stone? We observe the non-torpid people everywhere. Babies non-stop crawling ... early walkers moving from room to room, curiously exploring anything and everything ... elementary youngsters screaming and yelling at recess and running all over the yard ... high school teens constantly eating and 24/7 on the move ... college kids burning the midnight oil and never ever passing up an opportunity to try something new, and young adults working hard, playing hard. I’m not really sure what drives us in the early years to keep going and going, exploring, experimenting, and burning daylight like there is no tomorrow. I’m trying to figure out when/how/ why in later years, our “LivingLife” button got adjusted from fast speed to super slow. Somewhere along the way (and I have to add that this “where” drops in at different locations depending on the individual) we lose a step, notice a drop in energy, discover that our curiosity gene is waning. Dang, to that “torpid” list of hibernating bears, slow crawling sloths, turtles, and snails we can add a mul-

titude of seniors. I’m willing to acknowledge that life takes its toll on a person. I acknowledge that wear and tear on the body can be a hindrance. I understand that six, seven, eight, nine decades of doing “stuff” puts a damper on that curiosity trait. How then can we explain those older folks who are putting themselves out there: traveling, dancing, hiking, playing pickleball, even hitting the gym five days a week? I know a guy who started out as volunteer for KC Blues festivals, then was a docent at the World War I museum, followed up by being a tour guide at the Kauffman Center and now does guides at the Overland Park Arboretum (70 years old). Then there is the 76-year-old lady in our picketball group who plays 12 hours a week. She is the first one there at 9 a.m. and has to be dragged off courts at 1 p.m. Rumor has it that her daughters are considering an intervention concerning her addiction to playing so much. And, I watch two ladies (77 and 84) at my gym on the track six days a week moving so fast you would think they were going to a sale ... and they have these huge smiles on their faces. They also have a lady friend in her mid-60s who has decided now to pursue her dream of writing a children’s book. Though their interests and activities, they have not settled for being old. I don’t think we can rationalize that these anti-torpid souls have been gifted physically, mentally, and emotionally. And, I’m not sure we can criticize these gath-

Family series set at nature center

ering-no-moss GoGetters as just trying to prove that they are not their biological ages. Instead, I’d rather grasp the premise that these vigorous souls get up in the morning and choose their attitudes. They decide that when the sun rises they will not hibernate the day away sitting in a recliner or in front of the TV. They instead choose to embrace those crawling, walking, hustling, playing ... curiosity genes that started their lives. These smile-on-their-faces enthusiasts have realized that life is full of steps and you have to keep moving up ... and then up again. They have found out that once you stop and rest tooooo long at any one level, you will probably end up sitting there for your remaining days. They have chosen not to be indifferent to who and what is going on around them. They refuse to accept boredom in their daily lives. They have refused to hear the fat lady sing and climbed over that proverbial hill and kept going. They have discovered that spontaneity is a main ingredient in feeling younger. Recently saw on national news that pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America ... the FASTEST growing SPORT. And, it is mainly senior citizens who are all over these courts. So, it looks like torpidity is curable. The only question you have to ask is when you are going to come out of hibernation and decide to take your name off of that sloth, turtle, snail list?!? P.S. Yes, boys and girls, you can definitely still take your naps. Victor “Vic” Louis Druten, a retired teacher, lives in Shawnee.

Village Stories: The Activist

unday Family Series programs continue in February at the Johnson County Park and Recreation District’s Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 N. Kansas 7 Highway, Olathe. The programs begin at 2 p.m. and are designed for all ages. Charge is $3 per person; children under two are free. Presentations will include: • Feb. 1 - The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly. • Feb. 8 - Wildlife Who’s Who. • Feb. 15 - Howdy Sheriff! • Feb. 22 - Kansas Rocks! For more information, call 913-764-7759.

Activist, mother, candidate – the chapters in Ruth Shechter’s story have always involved her taking a stand for what is right. When searching for the setting for her next chapters, she found the right fit in The Villas at Village Shalom.

Start a new chapter in your story.

Call 913-266-8407 to schedule a tour and see how Village Shalom can make for the perfect setting. See the rest of Ruth’s story in her mini-documentary video at www.VillageShalom.org/Ruth.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

Extra! Extra! Starting a family newspaper?

By Sunie Levin

f you’re a great-grandparent, you’re old. No argument there. So what, you might say. So let me tell you. There are more great-grandparents now than ever. No mystery there. Life-spans are longer. But what to do with those extra years? I’ll give you a hint. Old doesn’t mean you have to retire from life. Families aren’t what they used to be. They’re scattered, fragmented. And, there are those great-grandparents, moaning and groaning about it. They can do something about it. After all they have the time. Consider great-grandpa Sam. He’s typical. Retired, cantankerous, set in his ways, 87 years old, sharp as a brandnew razor. What’s he doing? Publishing and editing the family newspaper, that’s what. And, what’a family newspaper? You guessed it. I’m going to tell you. A family newspaper is the perfect way to keep a scattered family connected. It takes effort. Here’s how he does it. Big black headlines read David Wins Soccer Trophy, or Jillian Jumps Off High Diving Board. A favorite is Sam’s column, I Remember When. You might think it is a column of gentle reminiscences. It’s not. He digs up all the family dirt. Sam’s memory is encyclopedic. He delights the family, not always those whose names are mentioned. He gets astringent. He tosses in little zingers like “for those of you who forgot, my birthday was July 10th. Next year, if you can’t afford a card, let me know and I’ll send you the money.” He includes jokes and riddles, and even a contest for everyone. With imagination, and caring, and effort, you too can stay close to your grandchildren and all the distant family. A family newspaper is the perfect vehicle, because it draws in every family member.

Sam doesn’t let any of them off the hook – and they all contribute, or they hear from him. So turn on your computer. It is easy to format and you can give it a professional look. “I don’t know how to write ” you exclaim. I’m not asking you to be Tolstoy. Just write a letter asking – no demanding the whole family contribute their news. Check with other family members to find out what the latest accomplishment is of each grandchild. It may not be big news for the New York Times, but Amy Takes Her First Step is a big deal in your own family circle. Congratulate Tommy on his bunt single in the Little League game.Did Megan have a great time at summer sleep away camp? The fact that she came home with head lice merits front page news. You get the idea. Send out a questionnaire to each family member. Ask for hobbies, school activities, clubs, and sports. In short, find out as much as you can. Add a cartoon or picture to your layout. The children can send you drawings and photographs. Get everyone into the act. Have a contest to name the newspaper. Give prizes for original stories or poetry. The more involved everyone becomes, the more worthwhile the project. You can teach a grandchild how to write headlines, sports and movie reviews, even ads. It helps develop creative skills. Perhaps if you have teen-age grandchildren ask for some help. It is a great way to get the older children to participate. Everyone will roll their eyes and complain when you badger than for the material to meet the deadline. They’ll say it’s silly, but watch out if you omit any of their material. The family newsletter draws the family together, keeps it connected, no matter how many miles separated. That’s a very, very good thing. Sunie Levin of Leawood holds degrees in psychology and education, has held workshops around the country, appeared on radio and T.V. and written several grandparenting books. For more information: www.makenewfriendslivelonger.com

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John P. Hastings J.D., M.B.A., C.P.A. 8010 State Line Road, #155 Leawood, KS 66208 913-383-3838

Garden Terrace at Overland Park is the only facility in the area that is 100% dedicated to providing THE BEST care for people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and related memory care needs – and to have a medical Doctor, Dr. Bruce Hodges, on site! The comforts of home in a specialized care setting. Joint Commission Accredited

Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence Experts in dementia care (20 plus years) Rehabilitation department, speech, occupational and physical therapists on staff Four board-certified music therapists, an art therapists and a horticulture specialist Five-star quality of care

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Please call for an appointment.

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015

your February classifieds HAVE YOU READ ABOUT HACKER ATTACKS? AND CYBERCRIME? Our speaker for our February meeting will be from the FBI to discuss CYBERCRIME. If you know more about it, you will be better equipped to protect yourself. SENCOM’S meeting is Friday, February 13th, 1:30 PM, at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave. SENCOM is a non profit for Seniors who use computers, we offer support, classes (paced for seniors) and special group meetings. For a list of classes check our website at www. kcsenior.net or contact Teresa Weaver at 913-620-1240.

Publishing of classified advertising does not constitute agreement or endorsement by this magazine or Johnson County Government.

SERVICES PROVIDED TAX PREPARATION – PLANNING SERVICES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. We specialize in helping seniors pay the least tax and maximize benefits. Do what smart Kansas Citians have been doing for more than 40 years. Call THE TAXMAN, PETER NEWMAN, CPA, host of this area’s most listened to financial tax radio program aired for 27 years on KMBZ 980 AM every Saturday at 1 PM. YES YOU CAN reduce your income taxes. Call (913) 381-4141 and ask for THE BEST TIMES special tax preparation discount. You will love the service, be amazed at the income taxes you can save and, as a tax client you can call seven days a week and we’ll answer your tax and financial questions FREE. (913) 381-4141.

Johnson County Home Service Plumbing Company. Free service call for any plumbing in your home with this ad! Servicing Johnson County for over 50 years. JCHS is a division of Reddi Root’r Systems. Trust earned the old-fashioned way! Angie’s List Super Award winner. Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.jocoplumbing.com or 913-4391700.

House Need a Face Lift? I’m a painter and wallpaper hanger. I also do light construction, hang sheet rock, lay tile and wood work and do electrical and plumbing work. Call Tom Barnekoff at (913) 7225562.

Turning 65 and still working? You have choices when it comes to MEDICARE. Find out which plan is right for you before and after retirement. We compare the options to save you time and research. Call for a no obligation appointment: Susan Joski, licensed, independent broker 913-402-8181 (never a fee and no investment sales!).

Adult painting classes now forming. Have fun while making new friends in a small creative painting environment designed for all skill levels. No prior experience necessary, contact Carole, at 913-825-1307. Visit my website at caroleabla.com.

Larry Laney Construction Co. Specializing in Kitchen / Bathroom Remodeling and Home Renovation. Finish Carpentry, Painting, Electrical, Plumbing, Drywall and Tile . I’m an Honest, Hardworking , Dependable and Very Skilled Licensed Contractor, Insured with References. Call Larry at 913-9633434.

INCOME TAX PREPARATION. Individuals, Partnerships and Corporations. Providing accounting, payroll and quarterly returns. Experience. (913) 579-6345.

WRITING/EDITING SERVICES: Your life story is unique. Your book lies before you. Let me help you write your story for family, friends, and associates. I have a degree in journalism and 30 years of writing experience. Together we can make it happen. I’ve made it happen for others. Contact David W. Swafford 816229-2042 or dwsnarratives@gmail.com. MG Home Repair and Improvement. All around the home repairs. Carpentry, lighting, plumbing, concrete repairs, deck and fence repair, power washing, staining and sealing, interior and exterior painting. Experienced, quality workmanship; senior discounts; free estimates; insured. Call Michael in Shawnee, 913-486-9040. AM/PM Technology DAY/NIGHT PC, Apple and Android Service (including computers, tablets and smart phones.) We come to your home. Same low rates and senior discounts for all services. 913-385-2676. For 19 years we have been the #1 resource for helping seniors in Johnson County to install new PCs, get rid of viruses, resolve e-mail issues, repair equipment, set up wireless networks and handle related issues. To learn more, schedule a visit or ask for free advice, call Joe, Doug or Patrick at 913385-2676. “We speak English.” Swalms Organizing and Downsizing Service. Reduce clutter and enjoy an organized home! Basement, attic, garage, shop, storage rooms—any room organized. Belongings sorted, boxed, and labeled. Items hauled for recycling, items donated, trash bagged. For beforeand-after photos, please see www. swalmsorganizing.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience, insured. Call Tillar: 913-375-9115.

at your service Classified ads must be submitted in writing and with payment by the eighth day of the month for the following month’s issue. The rate is $30 for up to 20 words and $.55 per additional word. (Minimum, $30). To have your business card included in this advertising section, business cards must be submitted by the eighth day of the month for the following month’s issue. To either place a classified ad or insertion of your business card: Email: TheBestTimes@jocogov.org Visit: www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes Call: 913-715-8920

Help From A Friend Helping Older Adults with the Most Common Improvement Maintenance & Repair Services 25% - 50% Less Than Typical Service Providers Yard Work Planting

Lawn Mowing Gutter Cleaning

Aerating Verticutting

House Cleaning Window Cleaning

Weeding Pruning Trimming

Leaf Cleanup Lawn Care Lawn Renovation

Power Raking Seeding Fertilizing

Organizing Junk Removal Moving Help

Shrub Removal Yard Cleanup

Mulch / Edging Topsoil / Sod

Lawn Patching Weed Control

Interior Painting Odd Jobs & More

A+ Rating

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

HelpFromAFriend.com

• February 2015

913-980-8686

your February classifieds SERVICES PROVIDED Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management and transportation to the elderly and disabled in their home, assisted living or skilled nursing facility. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Debbie or Gary. DEAN’S PRO PAINTING: 25 + years experience; insured, fast, clean, reliable, quality work; interior/exterior; residential/ commercial power-washing, wallpaper removal; drywall & plaster repair, faux work; texture matching; crown & trim work; custom colors. References available. Call Dean at 913-322-9089 or 913-944-3769.

HANDYMAN PRO, LLC - Repair, Remodel, Renew. Bathrooms, painting, decks, yard work, sheetrock repair, grab bars, ramp building. Call Tom for free estimate. 913488-7320. Handymanprokc.com.

FOR SALE CEMETERY LOTS: AT MT. MORIAH SOUTH, 3 Lots IN BLOCK 17 AND 1 Lot IN BLOCK 5. Major Discounted Price. Must Sell … 913-338-0851.

Doggie Day Care and Boarding at All Things Dogs KC. Pets are not caged and they stay in a home atmosphere that’s on two acres fenced. Call Kim at 816-7191339.

ITEMS WANTED

Prescription Drug SAVINGS! See www. LSRXCare.org/99622. Patient Advocacy Group helps those qualified to save on name brand drugs. I can help, if you are uninsured, or have Medicare Part D, Obamacare or private insurance. Join us and save! Call Beth at 913-787-5917.

Time flies! Start planning now to get more than you pay for in an affordable, faithfriendly home. Now accepting applications for our waiting list: Olathe Towers and College Way Village. 913-782-6131. Equal Housing Opportunity. All faiths or beliefs welcome.

RESIDENTIAL LIFTS. Buy, sell, trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts, elevators. Call Silver Cross at 913-327-5557.

HOUSING

your February calendar All classes and events require registration unless otherwise indicated.

February 2 Legal Issues. 5:30 – 8 p.m. Alzheimer’s Association Education Center, 3856 W. 75th St. Free. Explore various legal concerns and concerns that arise throughout the course of Alzheimer’s disease. 913-831-3888 Movie Monday: “In and Out” 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Optional lunch for $3 donation at 11:30 a.m. Call 913-888-6141 between 9-10 a.m. 24 hours in advance for lunch reservations.

February 3

Leap List: Beginning Knitting. 1 p.m. New Century. $31. Try your yarn at Knitting and get started on your first knitting project. Cards: Learn to Play Pitch. 1 p.m. New Century. $5/$6.

February 5 Senior Cinema: “And So It Goes” 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Enjoy free popcorn beverage and a movie! 913-477-7100.

February 9

Bridge Tournament. 11 a.m. Matt Ross. $10 Prizes awarded to winning partners. Lunch provided. Partner Required. Register by Feb. 9 at 913-642-6410.

Valentine’s Party. 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Please bring a treat to share. Optional lunch for $3 donation at 11:30 a.m. Call 913-888-6141 between 9-10 a.m. 24 hours in advance for lunch reservations.

Movie Monday: “Something the Lord Made” 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Free. Optional lunch for $3 donation at 11:30 a.m. Call 913-888-6141 between 9-10 a.m. 24 hours in advance for lunch reservations.

50 & Beyond Matinee: My Old Lady (PG). 12:30 p.m. Sylvester Powell. $1.00. Popcorn, coffee and water provided. Preregistration highly recommended.

50 & Beyond Potluck. 12-2 p.m. Sylvester Powell. Register and bring your favorite food dish to share with the group.

February 4

February 16

February 8 *Health Information Clinic/Blood Pressure Check. 10 a.m. - noon. Free. Indian Creek Branch of Olathe Public Library.

Fish Tales. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Uncle Buck’s at Bass Pro, 12051 Bass Pro Drive, Olathe. A reminiscence and discussion for individuals with earlier stage dementia who enjoy the outdoors. Call 913-831-3888 for reservations.

February 11-12 AARP Smart Drive Course. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cedar Lake Village, 15325 S. Lone Elm Rd. $20/$15. Improve your driving skills and reduce auto insurance premiums. Call 913-7809916 for details.

February 12 Bingo: Be My Valentine. 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Irene B French. $3 for 3 cards at door.

February 12-13

Movie Monday: People’s Choice. 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Optional lunch for $3 donation at 11:30 a.m. Call 913-888-6141 between 9-10 a.m. 24 hours in advance for lunch reservations.

AARP Smart Drive Course. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Village Shalom, 5500 W. 123rd Street. $20/$15. Improve driving skills and reduce auto insurance premiums. Call 913-226-8407.

*Health Information Clinic/Blood Pressure Check. 1-3 p.m. Free. Indian Creek Branch of Olathe Public Library.

*Family History Friday. 9 a.m. – noon. Olathe Public Library.

February 13

www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

February 17 *Folk Alliance International Music Showcase. 6:30-10 p.m. Olathe Public Library. Various musical performers. *Needle Arts Circle. 1-2:30 p.m. Olathe Public Library. Bring your projects to work on, share and discuss.

February 18 History in Topeka. 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. departure Sylvester Powell. $35/person. Tour Kansas Capitol Building with all of the renovations. Visit the Brown vs. Board of Education Museum. Lunch at The Burger Stand. Enjoy coffee or hot chocolate at Ice & Olives before returning home. Pickleball Lessons. 9 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. $7/$8 Make reservations at least one week in advance by calling 913-642-6410.

February 20

KC Jazz & Early Civil Rights Movement. 6:309 p.m. Olathe Public Library.

February 21 Legislative Coffee. 10 a.m. Central Resource Library. Free. Transitions. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Alzheimer’s Association Education Center, 3856 W. 75th Street. Free. Call 913-831-3888 for reservations.

• February 2015

your February calendar February 25

February 22 *Hooked on Books Club. 1 p.m. Lenexa Community Center. Bring your own book for discussion, “Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven” by Fannie Flagg. Call 913-477-7100 for information.

February 23 Movie Monday: “Phenomenon” 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Free. Optional lunch for $3 donation at 11:30 a.m. Call 913-888-6141 between 9-10 a.m. 24 hours in advance for lunch reservations.

Bingo: Furry Friends. 1:30 p.m. Tomahawk. 1-2 hour event $5/$6 at door. Includes 12 games and prizes. Call 913- 642-6410 for reservations.

February 26 *Jam Session. 1-2 p.m. Alzheimer’s Association Education Center, 3856 W. 75th St. Free. Jam session for musicians with early stage memory loss and musicians who are caregivers. 913-831-3888.

February 24 50 & Beyond Matinee: St. Vincent (PG). 12:30 p.m. Sylvester Powell. $1.00. Popcorn, coffee and water provided. Preregistration recommended.

FACILITY LOCATIONS BLUE VALLEY REC.: Blue Valley Recreation Activity Center: 6545 W. 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66223; 913-685-6000; www.bluevalleyrec.org.

MILL CREEK: Mill Creek Activity Center, 6518 Vista, Shawnee, KS 66218; 913-826-2950.

CENTRAL RESOURCE LIBRARY: 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212; 913-826-4600 and Press 3 for all Johnson County Library reservations.

NEW CENTURY: New Century Fieldhouse, 551 New Century Parkway, New Century, KS 66031; 913-826-2860.

EXTENSION: Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe, KS 66061; 913-715-7000; www.johnson.ksu.edu/classes.

OLATHE PUBLIC LIBRARY: 201 E. Park St., Olathe, KS 66061; 913-971-6850; to register, 913-971-6888.

INDIAN CREEK: Indian Creek Branch Library, 12990 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66062; 913-971-6888.

PRAIRIE VILLAGE: Prairie Village Community Center, 7720 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208.

IRENE B. FRENCH: Irene B. French Community Center, 5701 Merriam Drive, Merriam, KS 66203; 913-322-5550.

ROELAND PARK: Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Drive, Roeland Park, KS 66205; 913-826-3160.

LENEXA SENIOR CENTER: 13425 Walnut St., Lenexa, KS 66215; 913-477-7100.

SHAWNEE CIVIC CENTRE: 13817 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66216; 913-631-5200.

MAHAFFIE STAGECOACH STOP AND FARM: 1200 Kansas City Road, Olathe, KS 66061; 913-971-5111.

SHAWNEE SAFETY CENTER: SenCom computer lab, lower level, 6535 Quivira Road, Shawnee, KS 66203; 913-631-5200.

MATT ROSS: Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park, KS 66212; 913-642-6410.

SYLVESTER POWELL: Sylvester Powell Community Center, 6200 Martway St., Mission, KS 66202; 913-722-8200.

The Best Times Letters to the Editor Guidelines  Must be 200 words or less to be considered.  Refer to an article that was published in The Best Times within the last three months, and include a viewpoint or opinion on the topic.  Include the writer's name, full address, email address and daytime phone number.  No form letters or copied material will be used.  Anonymous letters are not accepted.  Names and home towns will be printed.  Writers may not have a letter published more often than once every six months.  Letters are subject to editing for length and grammatical errors. Due to space limitations, we cannot publish all letters. We will not publish letters that: have foul language, are potentially libelous or malign a specific person or organization, are disrespectful of anyone’s ethnicity, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation or race, and serve as an endorsement for a product or service.

Ways to Submit a Letter E-mail to thebesttimes@jocogov.org. (Please do not include attachments.), go online at www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes or mail to: The Best Times Letters to the Editor, 111 S. Cherry Street, Suite 3300, Olathe KS 66061 www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• Febuary 2015

Actual Spectrum Residents

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PM Best Times Full Feb 2015 www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •

• February 2015