Volume 32, No. 10
October 2014
the
Best Times
INFORMING & SUPPORTING JOHNSON COUNTY’S 60+ ADULTS
‘Don’t Die for Love’ - domestic abuse survivor Pages 18-19
www.jocogov.org /thebest times
Johnson County Manager’s Office 111 S. Cherry Street, Suite 3300 Olathe, KS 66061
Publication of Johnson County Government
help to work smarter, Autumn leaves: Tips not harder, in fall raking. Pages 10-11 Beauty or beast? guild makes Honoring soldiers Quilting Quilts of Valor for vets. Pages 16 a stitch at a time Health provides Focusing on how Mental training to help others. Page 24-25 to prevent suicide
www.jocogov.org
etc. Whimsical Woods: It’s all bark with nothing scary for all ages
Halloween Dance offers boo-tiful fun
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M
here’s nothing scary about a Halloween special event being offered at the Johnson County Park & Recreation District’s Ernie Miller Park in mid-October. The Whimsical Woods program is for all ages with ages 11 and younger accompanied by a parent or guardian. Participants will enjoy a short trail walk with stations featuring interpreters from the Ernie Miller Nature Center. They will meet the Good Fairy, Forest Friends, and other costumed storybook characters who will delight and entertain audiences of all ages In addition, there will be live animals, stories, songs, and surprises. The program length will be about one and one-half hours. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors. Whimsical Woods is offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, at Ernie Miller Park, 909 N. Kansas-7 Highway, Olathe. The cost is $5 per person, including adults, and is payable on-site. Reservations are required by calling 913764-7759.
usic by the Playboys provides the backdrop for a ghoulish good time at a new Halloween Dance being planned by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. The event will take place on Friday, Oct. 31, at the Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty, Overland Park. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume and best spooky appetizer of desert! Every dancer will receive a treat bag at the door and door prizes will also be awarded. The Halloween Dance begins at 2 p.m. The cost for this two-hour event is $5 per person. For more information or to register, call 913-831-3359 or visit the District’s website at www.jcprd. com.
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(913) 522-7167 MandyDoull@ReeceAndNichols.com • October 2014
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• October 2014
Volume 32, No. 10
the editor’s view
October 2014
Trick or treat!
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 years of age and older. 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 and older, 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 & 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
Darlene Dunn, Overland Park, has written a book “Don’t Die for Love” about surviving years of domestic abuse. She is shown at Safehome. Cover story photos by Sarah Winston
Correction
A September story about Wreaths Across America failed to note that military members with a honorable discharge can also be buried at the “closed” Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery.
E
ach year, as the month of October draws to a close, my thoughts turn not just to Halloween, but to Halloweens long past. Trick-or-treating as a young boy was fun back in the time when one could do it by himself and not be afraid. My earliest costume was that of a tiny devil, complete with curling moustache and pointy goatee as supplied by my mother with a few deft strokes of Maybelline. By grade school, my friends and I (all boys of a certain age growing up together) would go out into the night, dressed in something that resembled a costume to exhort candy from neighbors and residents, who despite our disguises, knew who we were. We worked hard back then to make costumes to celebrate Halloween. Few wore store-bought ones. Most of my early school-aged costumes involved being a cowboy with twin silver cap-popping toy guns on each hip and red cowboy boots. Dad called me his little buckaroo. That changed at age 11 when the art project for my grade school class was to make masks for Halloween. I wanted to be different. My mask would be a oneeyed, one-horned flying purple people eater. Just blame it on Sheb Wooley. A large balloon was carefully covered with stripes of newspaper and paste, and when it hardened, the balloon was popped. An end of a flutophone was used for the horn, knowing the purple people eater wanted to join a rock ‘n roll band. The mask of paper-mache was then painted purple with the one large eye and a small slit to see through to join other students in parading with their Halloween masks throughout the school. A purple towel became a cape for flying purposes. My mask came in second behind Kathy Welte’s Cat in the Hat mask. Too bad, she wasn’t dressed in purple. Would have been a purr-fect snack for my character. In truth, I had a secret crush on her in a time when girls were totally icky. Trick-or-treating was a lot more fun when we became “older” children of 11 or so and could shepherd the younger ones around, and most parents stayed home. In those days, too, it was not unusual to find a Mysterious Person lurking www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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behind the door of a familiar house. The mother of one of my school friends used to dress up in wicked-witch gear and demand that each trick-or-treater shake her cold, clammy hand (she wore a glove that she would immerse in ice water). At a few doors, a riddle had to be answered or a song sung before the treats came out. We knew the homes we planned to visit. We knew which ones would give us good candy (chocolate and full candy bars back in those days; none of this miniature nonsense) and which would give us the cheap stuff (old candy corn). Some gave us homemade cookies (no fear of poison, razors, or pins in them) and some gave us oranges and apples. The most popular stop was Mrs. Bell’s home. She always made popcorn balls! Halloween provided enough candy to keep most trick-or-treaters on a sugar high for weeks. Our tricks weren’t that bad. We would have cakes of soap to write on store windows in town and a few cars. I once added laundry soap to the fountain in the main park. Couldn’t believe how high the suds were the next morning. By the time I reached my teens I had other things on my mind, so my Halloween cavorting was over - for a while. And during that while, Halloween changed and it was not for kids anymore, and a bawdy one at that, with all sorts of adult costumes ranging from sexy to scandalous. As a grandparent, I have watched the progression of Halloween over the years through my grandchildren who changed from being dressed as young princesses and ballerinas to older Living Dead cheerleaders and zombie dancers. Like just about everything else, Halloween ain’t what it used to be. My first hint of this came in the early 1970s, while I was attending the local community college and sharing a small apartment with Don Herd, a defensive lineman. He was a large farm boy from western Kansas who took no guff from anyone on or off the football field. No costume will ever have the impact of Don’s costume at a party filled up with local good old boys and girls dressed for the occasion. He stole the show with his 250 pounds dressed as a baby - wearing nothing but a twin bed sheet diaper. Halloween has never been the same since. P.S. Please share your favorite Halloween story on The Best Times Facebook at www.facebook.com/jocobesttimes.
• October 2014
Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Paid for by Old Americans Act funding
Open enrollment nears for Medicare
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By Gordon L. Davis
f you want to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Drug Plan for 2015, follow these deadlines: • When you are first eligible for Medicare (the seven-month period that begins three months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends three months after the month you turn 65). You may sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without prescription drug coverage) or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. • If you are newly eligible for Medicare because you’re disabled and under 65, you may sign up starting 21 months after you get Social Security benefits. Your Medicare coverage begins 24 months after you get your Social Security disability benefit. Your chance to sign up lasts through the 27th month after you get Social Security. You may sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without prescription drug coverage) or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. • If you are already eligible for Medicare because of a disability, and you turn 65, you may sign up during the 7-month period that starts 3 months before you turn 65, including the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65. (If you sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan during this time, you can drop that plan at any time during the next 12 months and go back to Original Medicare). You may sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, switch from your current Medicare Advantage or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another plan, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan completely. • Between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7. Your coverage will begin on Jan. 1 of 2015, if the plan receives your enrollment request by Dec. 7. • Between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7 if you already have Medicare prescription drug coverage. • Any time, if you qualify for Extra Help (low-income subsidy assistance from Medicare) or if you have both Medicare and Medicaid. Prescription drug coverage Medicare prescription drug coverage is insurance that covers both brand-name and generic prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. It protects people who have very high drug costs or unexpected drug bills. Everyone with Medicare is eligible. If you don’t sign up when you become eligible, you may have to pay a penalty if you sign up later. Medicare urges you to consider joining even if you don’t use many prescription drugs now. That’s because as they age, most people need prescription drugs to stay healthy. Joining now means protection
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from unexpected prescription drug costs in the future. If you have already signed up, it’s a good idea to review your pricing and plan coverage options now, to make sure you are still comfortable with your current provider. Participants in a Medicare Advantage Plan may wish to check on the prescription drug coverage their plan provides to make sure it meets current needs and preferences. How to get coverage You may join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, a Medicare Advantage Plan, or another Medicare plan that offers drug coverage. Whatever plan you choose, Medicare will cover brand-name and generic drugs. You will pay a monthly premium (which varies by plan) and a yearly deductible (the amount you pay for your prescriptions before your plan begins to pay; some drug plans don’t have a deductible). You will also pay part of the cost of your prescriptions, including a copayment or co-insurance. Costs depend on the plan you choose. Some plans offer more coverage and additional drugs for a higher premium. Help may be available If you have limited income and resources and you qualify for Extra Help, you may not have to pay a premium or deductible. To apply or get more information, call Social Security at 800772-1213 (800-325-0778 TTY) or visit www.socialsecurity.gov. Comparing plans and enrolling The Internet (www.medicare.gov) can help you locate plans in this area, compare plans, and narrow your search based on personal preferences. You may even enroll through Medicare’s online enrollment center. Simply click on “Drug Coverage Part D” under “Medicare Benefits” on the first page of the Medicare website. The Johnson County Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) program can advise you regarding options and processes. Just call 913-715-8856. You may also reach a customer service representative with Medicare by calling 800-633-4227 (877-486-2048 TTY). Remember, there is a limited window for changing, adding, or removing the various components of your plan, and after that period ends your options will be locked in for the coming year. October 15 to Dec. 7 is when ALL people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage. Information on 2015 plans will be available beginning in October, 2014. Remember, if you are satisfied that your current plan will meet your needs, no action is required. Gordon L. Davis is an information & assistance specialist with the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, hosts for your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).
What you may do during the enrollment period: Oct. 15–Dec. 7
Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan. Change from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare. Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan.
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•
Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that does not offer drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that does offer drug coverage. Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that does offer drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that does not
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• October 2014
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offer drug coverage. Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. Drop your Medicare prescription drug coverage completely.
Johnson County Area Agency on Aging Paid for by Older Americans Act funding
Eating is so much more fun with friends!
State legislators were hosted by the Johnson County Commission on Aging on Sept. 10 for an information discussion about state issues, advocacy, and other topics of interest to seniors adults. Among those attending were (from left) Dan Goodman, director, Johnson County Area Agency on Aging; Patti Rule, chair, COA; Rep. Melissa Rooker, 25th District; Rep. Stephanie Clayton, 19th District; and Rep. Barbara Bollier, 21st District.
State officials attend session
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By Gordon L. Davis
ohnson County state legislators (and candidates) joined members of the Johnson County Commission on Aging (COA) on Wednesday, Sept. 10 for a legislative breakfast. The meeting was held at the Sunset Drive Office Building in Olathe. The COA session began with a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by informal advocacy discussion from 9 to 10 a.m. Legislators were invited to attend the business meeting of the COA which followed. The meeting provided an opportunity for commission members to talk with legislators and candidates about state issues, advocacy, and other topics of interest to older adults in the county. The session also provided an opportunity for legislators and candidates to 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,
share their viewpoints and perspectives with the COA, exchange thoughts, and dialogue about issues of concern. The gathering assisted COA members in pinpointing the future direction of commission planning. The COA is appointed by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners to provide information, guidance, advice, and support to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging. The commission is liaison to the board concerning the needs of older residents and public services provided to meet those needs. A second legislative breakfast will be held Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Rooms1070/1075 at the Sunset Drive Office Building in Olathe. For information, call 913-715-8860. Gordon L. Davis is an information & assistance specialist with the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, hosts for your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC).
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. www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
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 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! 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 Overland Park Neighborhood Center Matt Ross Community Center 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 Older Americans Act funding
Health Care Compact concerns COA
Kansas on the road to eliminating Medicare? Note: The following represents the collective member viewpoint of the Johnson County Commission on Aging.
K
ansas is the ninth state to sign on with the Health Care Compact Bill, granting these states the right to avoid federal health care regulations. The primary targets are Medicare and Medicaid, the tandem programs providing health benefits for all 65+ persons, disabled, and low income. Currently, Congress will still need to authorize the Compact Bill in the next federal legislative session before it becomes law. The Johnson County Commission on Aging (COA) is the latest advocacy group, in a 10 to 2 vote at their August 2014 meeting, to voice concern over the Kansas State Legislature’s passage and Governor Sam Brownback’s signing of House Bill 2553 Health Care Compact. The group’s concern stems from the fact that the bill would give the state total management control of the Medicare program for Kansas seniors. All federal Medicare and Medicaid health care dollars would come to Kansas in a lump sum. These funds would be spent for health care services per whatever coverage plan(s) the state sets up. Kansas currently has about 450,000 people enrolled in Medicare, while 380,000 people are participants in Medicaid. In his first term, Brownback privatized the $3 billion Medicaid system in Kansas, renaming that system KanCare. Public opinion about the reform remains mixed. It is the opinion of the COA that this proposed change creates a direct threat to the health care benefits of every older Kansan. The real danger is the opportunity that state officials will have to reduce or eliminate current Medicare benefits. This should be a concern for older Kansans, and for those who advocate for them. The bill is now in the House Judiciary Committee, and is referenced as H.J. Res. 110 Granting the Consent of Congress to the Health Care Compact. The COA concerns are as follows:
In Our View
Learn from yesterday Live for today Hope for tomorrow
Albert Einstein
•
How will the state react to tough state budget years, and what effects will budgets cuts have on future senior health care benefits? Will budget cuts lead to health care rationing? How will these funds be protected from being loaned or used for coverage of other state services? • Who will manage senior health care benefits for the state? What is the plan? Will it be managed by the same three managed care organizations (MCO’s) that currently manage KanCare? Does the state, or the three MCO’s, have the internal management structure to make a seamless transition to a state-run Medicare program? Will the administrative costs to operate the program take away funds that were previously used for services under the federal Medicare program? • What expertise does Kansas or health compact officials have that will bring value and quality to this major health care program for seniors and the disabled? • How will the state assure quality coverage for Kansas seniors who migrate to warmer climates during colder months? Can Kansas really guarantee the same provider options and networks outside its borders? Please remember that the concept of Kansas House Bill 2553 Health Care Compact was developed by people outside of Kansas (The Texas Public Policy Foundation working on behalf of the Health Care Compact Alliance), and proposed to Kansas legislators without giving them an option to amend or alter its content. It was passed and supported by a majority of our elected officials without any assurance of continued benefits to the Kansans who will actually be affected. It is the opinion of the COA that now is not the time to make a major change in the responsibility for managing Medicare. This is bad legislation and it is bad for Kansas Medicare recipients. The COA is a voluntary group of persons appointed by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners to provide information, guidance, advice, and support to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging. The group also serves as liaison to the BOCC concerning the needs of older county residents, and services to meet those needs.
Kansas Legal Services
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 gratefully accepted. To apply for Kansas Legal Services, call 913-621-0200 or a central intake line at 800723-6953. Roeland Park Community Center
Matt Ross Community Center
Thursday, Oct. 9 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 4850 Rosewood, Roeland Park 913-826-3160
Wednesday, Oct. 15 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 8101 Marty Street, Overland Park 913-642-6410
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• October 2014
Op-Ed
Kansas Legislature saves Medicare with innovative Obamacare fix
In April, Kansas became the ninth state to pass the Health Care Compact Bill, which, if approved by the U.S. Congress, would allow participating states the ability to opt-out of certain Federal health care laws, most notably the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Missouri became one of the first states to pass the Compact bill, with bipartisan support, under Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon. During debate, prior to passing, it was clear the Kansas Legislature had no intention to include Medicare among the federal programs affected, should the Compact eventually be blessed by Congress. On April 22, 2014, Governor Brownback signed the Health Care Compact into law, prefacing his signing with an accompanying statement that he would never agree to reduce - in any manner - Medicare coverage for Kansans. In early September, the Johnson County Commission on Aging (CoA) first voiced concern over the Health Care Compact. In an attempt to explain the Compact and reassure the CoA that there is neither legislative intent nor any desire for the state to get involved in Medicare, several members of the Johnson County legislative delegation met with CoA. During this meeting, the legislative delegation continued to reiterate the need for Medicare to remain strong for aging Kansans and voiced their determination to work with our Federal delegation to keep it that way. The reality of the Health Care Compact is this: without U.S. Congressional approval, the Health Care Compact never becomes effective. Should the U.S. Congress approve the Health Care Compact, the Kansas Legislature must go through the legislative process of developing a bill, holding committee hearings to assure public input, and have committee and floor votes. However, if the U.S. Congress does not approve the Health Care Compact concept, absolutely nothing will happen. To fund Obamacare and other associated programs, the federal government implemented cuts of $716 billion from Medicare, with most cuts coming from Medicare Advantage plans. Over the next ten years, Kansas faces $4.8 billion in Medicare cuts by the federal government and more than 30,000 Kansas seniors could lose their Medicare Advantage Speaker Ray Merrick Senator Mary Pilcher-Cook Senator Jim Denning Senator Molly Baumgardner Senator Jeff Melcher Senator Greg Smith Senator Julia Lynn Senator Rob Olson
plans due to these federal government cuts. State implementation of health care laws through the Health Care Compact will provide cost savings, which in turn, can be used to fill the gap in Medicare funding which is a near certainty under Obamacare. Through the Health Care Compact, the Legislature would be able to repeal the individual mandate, the employer mandate, and the expensive essential benefit mandate. All of these provisions have made health care more expensive, reduced access to quality care and hampered consumer choice. From an economic standpoint, new insurance companies would come to Kansas to create more competition. The insurers would offer more consumer-driven policies that patients want like H.S.A style plans and plans with limited mandates. With Kansas having the best tort laws and the best health care transparency laws (HB2668) Kansas would be in a competitive position to market the state as a health care tourism site. As a result of these potential changes, favorable tort laws, and cost transparency, out-ofstate businesses will send their employees to Kansas to take advantage of our transparent—and far lower—prices for common procedures. The Health Care Compact can improve Medicaid for eligible Kansans. Since the federal government pays 60% of the cost, Kansas has very little say about how Medicaid is delivered. Additionally, the federal bureaucracy is crushing and expensive. With the Compact, Kansas could receive a block grant for the federal funding part of Medicaid. The savings from eliminating the federal cost could be channeled toward increased patient care and access. Fortunately, there is agreement on this matter! Even Chuck Nigro, COA Legislative Committee Chair, personally thinks a Medicaid block grant would be positive for the Kansas Medicaid program. Under no circumstance do we want to change Medicare or the benefits Kansas seniors enjoy under Medicare. Our only goal is to ensure that Kansans can continue making life-saving healthcare decisions on their own – not by some faraway federal bureaucrat.
Representative Brett Hildabrand Representative Charles Macheers Representative Keith Esau Representative Ron Ryckman Representative Craig McPherson Representative John Rubin Representative Amanda Grosserode Representative Scott Schwab Representative Jerry Lunn
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Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative Representative
• October 2014
Lance Kinzer Erin Davis Willie Dove Marvin Kleeb Bill Sutton Larry Campbell
Spooktacular offers fun for all ages
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ather your family, friends, and pets for a spooktacular morning during a mid-October special event being planned by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. The Halloween Spooktacular, which is for all ages, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct.18, at the Roeland Park Community Center, 4850 Rosewood Dr. The morning’s festivities will include kid’s costume contests, and a pet parade (pet costumes are also encouraged). The whole family will enjoy trick-or-treating in our haunted hallway, taking photos in a Halloween-themed photo booth, and participating in other fun activities. The cost is $3 per child. Preregistration is required by calling 913-831-3359..
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Its reader base includes active aging adults and 60-plus residents, totaling more than 90,000 in Johnson County.
Delivered to 34 drop-off sites in 14 cities throughout Johnson County.
Senior Fest October 23, 9am—1pm Ritz Charles 9000 W. 137th St. Overland Park, KS 66221
Talent to take stage at Follies
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his year’s Senior Follies promises an exciting afternoon of great entertainment. Now in its eighth year, the 2014 Follies will take place beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Jewish Community Center, 5801 W. 115th Street, Overland Park. The event generally lasts about two hours and is free of charge for both audiences and performers. About 20 acts were expected for this year’s show, including singers, dancers, musicians, and comedians. It’s possible there could be space left for additional acts, but anyone interested would need to contact 50 Plus Special Events and Travel Specialist Kari Baesel right away by calling 913-826-3032.
Village Stories: The Artist Wife, mother, artist – Shirley Morantz’s life story is filled with remarkable chapters. Her latest has begun with a worry-free retirement lifestyle 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 Shirley’s story at VillageShalom.org/Shirley
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• October 2014
the extension connection
Fall leaves - beauty and beast
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By Dennis Patton
all is one of the best times in Johnson County. The days are warm and sunny, and the nights are cool and crisp. The fall season is a time of transition between the growing season and the dormancy of winter. That means it is time for the leaves to change from shades of green to hues of yellow, orange, red, and purple. Mid to late October is the peak of fall color. The changing of the leaves means that all good things will come to end and they will slowly one by one drop from the trees onto the lawn. Which means the beauty of fall soon turns to the beastly autumn ritual of picking up the leaves. I will be the first to admit that I am not overly enthusiastic when it comes to the thought of raking leaves. Personally, I don’t care for the repetitive motion of raking or the callouses that develop on my hands. While the exercise would do me good, I like to look for ways to work smarter not harder in picking up the leaves. The best way to accomplish this goal is to let the lawn mower do the bulk of the heavy work. Mulch mowing the leaves is an effective option for getting rid of the fall bounty without raking, bagging, and disposing. You might ask, “How can I mulch mow my leaves to save me time, energy and money?” It is simple as long as a few easy rules of leaf mulch mowing are followed. The key to mowing the leaves back into the lawn is to stay on top of them. In other words, don’t let them pile up on you. This means every time there is a light layer, one to two inches of leaves at most, mow the lawn without the bagging attachment. This thin layer of leaves will be chopped up and returned to the soil to naturally compost. The main drawback of this system is more frequent mowing. Depending on the number and species of trees in your
neighborhood, you might be mowing daily. Research at land grant universities (Cooperative Extension) has determined that as much as a total of eight inches of leaves can be returned to the soil without harming the lawn. The theory is that with the frequent mowing the small chards of leaves will filter between the grass blades into the natural soil layer and decompose over the winter. This decomposition is sped up by proper fall fertilization of the lawn in October and November. How do you know if you have mulched mown the leaves properly? Or that this easier system is working for you, with the no bagging/no mess method? Here is the simple test; if you look at your mowing patterns and the turf is covered with leaves, you either had too thick of a layer to start with, or the lawn cannot tolerate additional particles. On the other hand, if you look at the freshly mown area and you mainly see grass blades then continue to mulch mow the leaves. I realize some of you have too much of nature’s fall bounty and this system may not work for the entire leaf season. If that is the case, then here’s another option that allows the mower to help reduce the volume of leaves to bag. With this method, first remove the bagging attachment. The bagger is designed to quickly suck up the leaves, before they get chopped by the spinning blades. By removing the bag attachment the lawn mower now functions as a mulch mower. When the bagger is removed, the leaves are Continued to next page
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• October 2014
Leaves - beauty and beast of fall Continued from page 10
repeatedly chopped into smaller finer pieces before they fall to the turf. This method will allow you to mow a deeper, two-to-four-inch layer, of leaves covering the lawn. If the layer is so thick it chokes up the mower, well then you may want to get the rake out. Once you have mowed and chopped the leaves without the bagger, return the attachment and mow over the lawn again. By mowing and picking up the second time around you will reduce the volume of leaves by at least half or more. The sucked up finely chopped leaves can be bagged and sent away as part of the curbside recycling program here in the county or used in the landscape as valuable mulch or compost. There you have it — a couple of surefire ways to help you stay ahead of the falling leaves and a way to reduce your labor. But remember, before the fall chores set in, take time to sit back, relax, and enjoy fall’s beauty, as it is certainly a wonderful season to enjoy. 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.
Hayrides roll in autumn
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njoy the crisp autumn air by taking a hayride through Oak Ridge Parklands at Shawnee Mission Park or in Heritage Park. Organized hayrides for groups are available through the Johnson County Park and Recreation District and conclude with a warm campfire where apple cider and marshmallows await! Hayrides are tractor-drawn, last approximately one hour, and are followed by a one hour campfire. The cost is $6.50 per person or a minimum of $75 when there are 12 riders or less. There is a maximum of 25 people per wagon and one adult per 10 children is required. Hayrides are now being scheduled through Nov. 23. Hayrides take place seven days a week during the above timeframe at Oak Ridge, 7460 Ogg Road, Shawnee, and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only at Heritage Park, 16050 Pflumm Road, Olathe. Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance of the date of the hayride. For scheduling, registration, and information, call 913-831-3359. A public hayride will take place on Nov. 2. at Oak Ridge Parklands. It starts at 2:30 p.m. The cost is $6.50 per person for a one-hour ride followed by a one-hour campfire. Preregistration is required. More information also is available by visiting the district's website at www.jcprd.com.
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Quality housing that meets your budget, in a safe, secure setting.
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Turning 65? Over 65 and unhappy with your insurance plan? I have 45 years experience navigating through Medicare & can explain your options. Ray Fushimi CLU 913-945-4112 rfushimi@alliednational.com www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
11
• October 2014
to your good health
Autumn fitness? Fall back to basics! By Lisa Taranto Butler
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utumn is upon us. Oh, how the beauty of the vibrant leaves can take our breath away! And oh, how our aching back can scream at us after an afternoon of raking and bagging! Every year, well-meaning homeowners injure themselves because their minds and muscles aren’t quite prepared for necessary fall tasks. But yard work doesn’t have to be backbreaking. By following a few simple tips, your body will thank you and your yard will reap the rewards. Raking Raking leaves is considered moderate physical activity, similar to a brisk walk, so make sure you are prepared. When raking, make sure to stand with your feet apart with one slightly in front of the other. Try to switch the front foot about every ten minutes. Take a break when needed and stay hydrated both before and after you are finished. Lifting When lifting heavy items, like bags and leaves, make sure to bend from the knees to keep the stress off your back. If you are moving material from one place to another, use a cart or wheel barrow to give your back a break. If something feels too heavy, it probably is, so ask a friend, family member or neighbor to help you with the big stuff. Stay in Your Exercise Routine Gardening and raking leaves is definitely exercise, but it is also pretty modest activity unless you are really pushing yourself. Don’t blow off your normal fitness class or morning walk just because you pulled weeds in your flower beds. Consider the added exercise “gravy” in your normal health routine. But don’t take yard work too lightly, either. The safest and healthiest way to a well-manicured lawn is performed by someone who has been exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet. Just like fitness, you can overdo it in the yard with pulled or sore muscles, fatigue, and overexertion. Prepare ahead of time by incorporating exercise in your daily routine, and yard work won’t feel so overwhelming. Other Yard Safety Tips • Wear the Right Stuff - Just like exercise, yard work calls for specific clothing, so don’t ditch the duds. Choose comfortable, but not too baggy pants and long sleeved
shirts. You want to be able to move freely while keeping protected from the sun and any debris that might irritate your skin. • Block the Sun - Brim hats can help protect your skin from sun damage or sunburn. And yes, cool, fall weather (even clouds) can hide the sun’s penetrating rays. Wear sun block even if the forecast is calling for rain. • Change it Up - Try not to perform the same type of activity for a long period of time. If you are on your knees digging weeds take a break and do something more mobile, like raking or mowing, to keep your muscles active and minimize stress on certain joints. • Tools of the Trade - Lawn work is simpler and faster if you use the correct equipment. Check with your local hardware store or research online for tools that may make your lawn jobs easier. If budget is a concern, ask a family member or neighbor to borrow a certain tool. Some hardware stores allow you to rent equipment for bigger projects. • Give it a Break - Warmer weather requires more breaks for water, but any lawn job requires a few minutes of rest here and there. Don’t wait until you are tired or aching from a sore back before you take a break. Pay attention to signs of heat-related stress such as extremely high body temperature, dizziness, headache, fast pulse, nausea, or confusion. • Look Out! - When it comes to protecting certain parts of your body, the eyes have it! Lawn work requires working with tools that move, saw, and cut very quickly. Wear goggles or another form of eye protection to keep your gazers protected. For some, fall is a favorite time of the year. Yard work and gardening can be a great way to combine the gorgeous outdoors with a little extra exercise. But aim to keep health and safety a priority when you are beautifying your backyard, because in just a few short weeks, you may be shoveling snow in your driveway. Lisa Taranto Butler is triple-certified by the American Council on Exercise as a personal trainer, lifestyle, and weight management coach, and group fitness instructor. She is the owner of FitChix KC in Leawood.
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• October 2014
Advance voting in person begins on Oct. 20
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t’s election time in Johnson County with the start of advance voting in mid-October. The Fall General Elections will decide elected positions at federal, state, county, and other local levels, such as township representatives and special questions. Registration books to vote in the upcoming elections will close on Oct. 14. Advance voting by mail begins Oct. 15. Advance voting in person starts Oct. 20 at four locations. Voting can take place at all locations through Nov. 1 and at the Election Office from 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 3. Locations are:
Leap programs feature archery, guitar playing
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• Election Office, 2101 East Kansas City Road, Olathe • Johnson County Northeast Offices, 6000 Lamar Avenue, Mission • 9800 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park (across the street from Metcalf South Shopping Center) • Great Mall of the Great Plains, 20345 West 151st Street, Olathe Residents wanting to know their polling location can go to www.jocopolo.com and enter their address if they’ve moved since registering. The main website of the Election Office is www. jocoelection.org. The Fall General Elections will take place Tuesday, Nov. 4, with voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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rchery and playing the guitar are skills covered during separate offerings of Leap List programs being planned by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. Beginning archery begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, at district’s TimberRidge Adventure Center, 12300 S. Homestead Lane, Olathe. Participants of all skill levels are invited to learn the basics of outdoor archery and practice their skills using provided equipment and targets. The cost for one 90-minute lessons is $50 for Johnson County residents or $60 for nonresidents. Beginning guitar lessons cover basic chords and hand placement and take place at the Sunset Building, 11811 S. Sunset Dr., Olathe. Two class offerings are planned in October and both begin at 5 p.m. on a Thursday. One class begins on Oct. 2, while another starts on Oct. 30. For either class, the cost for four one-hour lessons is $50 per person for Johnson County residents or $60 for person for nonresidents. For more information or to register, call 913-831-3359. To register online and for updated program listings, visit the district’s website at www.jcprd.com.
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It’s time to find out why retirement living at MISSION SQUARE is so appealing. Discover Johnson County’s best value in retirement living. With access to many area amenities, Mission Square offers a beautiful, maintenance-free community including underground parking, optional dining, utilities, transportation and much more! Join us for our annual Apple Fest, and enjoy apple cider and tasty apple treats. Plus, enter our apple sampling contest for a chance to win one of Mission Square’s fabulous, homemade apple pies.
APPLE FEST AT MISSION SQUARE Wednesday, October 22 1:00 pm
www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
Please RSVP by calling 913-403-8200.
6220 Martway Street • Mission, Kansas 66202 www.mission-square.com
13
• October 2014
kitchen table money talk
Don’t throw tax refund away By Gene Meyer
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h, goody. Some of us are going to face some additional new tax forms next time we file. Watch for them or your next refund check may be docked. Which new forms those are, or if we face them at all, will depend on how we got the health care coverage required for 2014 by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, passed in 2010. “A big part of the law really goes wide this year,” said Jackie Perlman, a principal tax analyst with H&R Block’s Tax Institute in Kansas City. The good news is that few of the potential refund-trimming changes will affect most Johnson County or Kansas seniors. If you are covered by Medicare, or still working and covered by a plan at work, as many of us are, you likely will dodge many of the health plan’s new tax bullets, Perlman said. “Most people will be fine,” she said. But if you or a family member bought coverage through the federal www. healthcare.gov marketplace, a state-sponsored exchange, or didn’t buy coverage required by the law, put on another pot of coffee when you sit down to calculate your taxes. If you fall into this group, you may end up dealing with one of two sets of additional tax calculations. If you bought your coverage through the federal website and also took advantage of federal help paying premiums offered to couples with incomes below $62,950 or families of four below $94,200, – or about four times federal poverty guideline levels for Kansas and Missouri – you will need to reconcile the amount of help you got with the amount for which you actually qualified. The money actually went to your insurance provider, but you must verify the amounts were correct. That’s because the government based the help it offered based on your projected income for 2014 and sometimes real life throws such projections askew. If your income was more than projected, you may have to pay back some of the money or take a smaller tax refund. If your income fell below the projections, you may qualify for a bigger refund. Either way, “look for a new tax document in your mail early next year,” Perlman said. “It will be a Form 1095-A, which you probably haven’t seen before, showing how much the government paid on your behalf.” “Don’t throw it away,” she cautioned. “It’s as important as your
W-2.” W-2 is the wage and income statement that is the starting point for many calculations. Taxpayers without sufficient health coverage required by the law face a different set of new calculations. New penalties kick in for not signing up. “And there is a lot of misinformation around about those,” Perlman said. One of the biggest errors floating around is that the penalty for not buying insurance is only $95 this year. Actually, the potential penalty is $95 or one percent of your entire household income, whichever is more. Both the flat rate and the percentage are scheduled to increase annually in the future. But it already can get pricey, Perlman said. “We calculate that a single taxpayer with $50,000 income and no insurance for the whole year could end up paying $399,” she said. “That is a lot more than $95.” When you wander deeper into the tall grass of the tax code, things become even more complex, said Julie Welch, tax programs director at Meara Welch Browne PC, a Leawood auditing and financial services firm. “Things potentially get really complicated if you changed health plans during the year, or if your household changed if someone got married or one of your dependent children moved out,” Welch said. Worst case, you may end up reconstructing and calculating your health care coverage situation month-by-month for the whole year, she said. “It will be more complicated but still doable,” Welch said. Or it may not be complicated at all. Again, if covered by Medicare, a workplace plan or privately purchased coverage not coming from the government website, you won’t face any of these new calculations. People exempted from the rules because of religious affiliation, a lack of affordable insurance, hardship, or other reasons won’t face them either. Estimates of the actual percentages of taxpayers facing these new challenges remain hard to come by. “But it probably is something like the Earned Income Tax Credit, (offered to low income taxpayers essentially to provide a break on Social Security and payroll taxes)” Welch said. “EITC is complicated, but it affects a lot of people,” she said. Note: See your tax professional or visit the IRS website www.irs. gov/aca to learn more how changes that might affect you. Gene Meyer, a Fairway resident, is a former staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and The Kansas City Star.
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• October 2014
October includes opportunities to enjoy outdoors by ... Walking in Lenexa
Strolling in Legacy Park
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ead to Lenexa to walk at Black Hoof Park as the sun sets during a program being offered in early October by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. The Sunset Walk will take place on Friday, Oct. 10. Participants will take a mile-long walk up to a great overlook along the park’s hard-surface trail. Black Hoof Park has a total of 210 acres, including 35-acre Lake Lenexa and serves functions of flood control while preserving forest, prairie, streamways, and wetlands. After the walk, participants will dine at the Blue Moose Grill. The five-hour outing will depart at 5:30 p.m. from Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam, and is expected to require an easy level of exertion. The cost, including transportation to the walk site, is $24 per person for Johnson County residents or $28 for nonresidents. Dinner costs will be on your own.
eisurely stroll through Lee’s Summit’s Legacy Park during the next Wednesday Walks program offering being presented by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. Legacy Park is a 692-acre facility featuring a 22-acre lake, various sports fields, an amphitheater, and a 4.7-mile trail. The one-mile walk is expected to require an easy level of exertion. The six-hour outing will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 8, and will depart at 9 a.m. from Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam. The cost, including van transportation to the walk site, is $18 per person for Johnson County residents or $20 for nonresidents. Participants should bring a sack lunch for a picnic after the walk, and some money in case the group decides to stop for ice cream. The final Wednesday walk this fall will take place on Nov. 19, when participants will walk trails at Wyandotte Lake. For more information or to register, call (913) 831-3359.
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15
• October 2014
inside story
Quilters honor veterans for valor By Joe Henderson
were honored. “We have more veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, hen Elaine Alexander moved into Tallgrass Creek, moving in. And, of course, we lose some older veterans, too,” Overland Park, in 2007, one of her first endeavors Alexander noted. was to organize a chapter of Quilts of Valor to Jerry Brazil, a Vietnam veteran, and his wife, Ann, a honor war veterans. retired Army nurse, were among those honored at the last “I was a member of the Miami County Quilters Guild ceremony. when we lived in Paola and several of the women there talked “We’re the only husband and wife team here. We both got about Quilts of Valor,” Alexander explained. “I thought it quilts,” he said. sounded like a really fine organization. It gave a new meaning Brazil heads the Veterans Club at Tallgrass. He keeps to quilting.” track of the veterans and the branch of service they served in. “After we moved to Tallgrass, I mentioned it to some There are 51 Army, 24 Air Force, 21 Navy, four Marines, and other quilters. There were 10 one each in the Coast Guard or12 in the group and they and National Guard at the all were enthusiastic. So we present time. They served in started our own chapter,” she WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Persaid. sian Gulf, and peace time. The Quilts of Valor FounAlexander’s family has dation got its start in 2003 been well represented in the when Catherine Roberts, a nation’s wars. Her husband, Blue Star mother living in Don, was in the Air Force Seaford, Delaware, decided during the Korean War. Her to make a quilt to welcome brothers served during WW her son home on his return II and Korea and a grandson from Iraq. is in the Air Force. Her sisHer idea soon caught ters are married to veterans. on and a national effort was “We have some lively launched to award returning family reunions,” she said veterans with a personalized quilt as a reminder of Amer- Elaine Alexander, left, Jean LePage, center, and Nikki McDon- with a laugh. ica’s appreciation and grati- ald pose with a Quilt of Valor. Alexander, like many of tude. As of August 2014, more the women, has been quilting than 105,000 quilts have been awarded to returning servicemuch of her life…as a hobby. men, Alexander said. “Quilts of Valor is more than a hobby for us. It’s for such “Our idea is to honor all war veterans living at Tallgrass a good cause, a very meaningful purpose,” she said. “Anyone with their own quilt bearing their name. We decided to begin can request a quilt for a veteran or a serviceman on active with the 40 World War II veterans here because they were the duty.” oldest,” Alexander said. The quilts, a minimum of 55-by-65 inches, are made by “We didn’t let them know what we were doing until quilts a quilt-topper of quality fabrics and beautifully quilted by a had been completed for each of them. In November, 2010, we longarmer machine. After the quilt is bound and labeled with had our first ceremony and presented them to the veterans. It the veteran’s name, it’s ready for presentation. Some quilts was so rewarding to see how surprised and touched they were. often are on display for several weeks, Alexander said. We have good crowds at the ceremonies.” The group meets the fourth Saturday of each month from Jean LePage, a survivor of the Battle of the Bulge in 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tallgrass, usually attended by 25 or more World War II, was among the first to be honored. quilters. “I sure was surprised when they handed me a quilt with “We sit around a big table on the second floor and quilt,” my name on it. I was a little late getting there and someone she said. said ‘they already called your name.’ So I was just in time,” The Tallgrass group is affiliated with the Quilts of Valhe said. “It’s beautiful. I keep it draped over my bed. I want or Foundation Kansas City Bee which includes other QOV it where everyone can see it. I don’t want it in a box or on a groups in the greater Kansas City area. The regional coordinashelf.” tor is Nikki McDonald. LePage, a native of Leavenworth, was in the Army 39 “Our mission is to cover all service members and veterans months. touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor,” “I went over in November of 1944 and got back in 1945,” McDonald said. he said. For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation Alexander said many of the veterans hang their quilts on a go to www.qovkansas.org or www.govf.org. wall in their apartments. The second ceremony was in 2011 to honor other WW II Joe Henderson was a federal court reporter with The Kansas City Star for 40 years and is now a freelance writer. He lives in Overland Park. and the Korean War veterans. The next year Vietnam veterans
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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
Speaker Bureau offers experts for meetings By Adele Wilcoxen
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o you need a speaker for your church, civic group, or garden club? Johnson County K-State Research and Extension has the speakers you are looking for on just about any topic. The Extension Speakers' Bureau is a great resource for local clubs or groups. Extension agents, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and Master Food Volunteers are university trained, and can present on a wide range of topics such as: • • • •
nuisance wildlife control: Voles, Moles and Deer, Oh My! home insect control: Get the Bugs Out perennial flower gardening, pruning trees and shrubs,
cooking with tea, sleep: want it, need it, how to get it.
Extension has many presentations to meet a group’s needs: from a short 20-minute presentation, to longer formats, if needed. While there are no fees for a volunteer speaker, a donation to Johnson County Extension or the chosen volunteer organization is appreciated. To schedule a speaker, please contact the Extension Office at 913-715-7000. Extension Master Food Volunteer Phyllis Brock, left, talks with two audience members after her presentation on Ten Tips for Healthy Meals. • lawn care, skills, • basic budgeting, • small business and com• wise use of credit, munity development, • food safety and nutrition, • clutter busting, • healthy tips in the kitchen • basic organizational
For more information on the Speakers’ Bureau, go to www.johnson.ksu.edu and click on Speakers Bureau on the left tab. Adele Wilcoxen is public information coordinator for the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Office.
T he help you need when and where you need it.
Are you caring for a loved one and think you might need a break? Cedar Lake Village and Hoeger House are now offering respite services. Let us take care of your loved one for up to 30 days while you take care of yourself. To learn more about how our services may fit your needs, call (913) 780-9916.
All faiths or beliefs are welcome. 14-G1390
www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
17
• October 2014
cover story
Domestic abuse survivor: ‘Don’t By Gerald Hay
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arlene Dunn knows firsthand about domestic violence. She lived it, survived it. Getting to that point wasn’t easy. Her pathway from escaping an abusive relationship of almost two decades to becoming the author of “Don’t Die for Love” begins in her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and ends in Johnson County where she has managed to turn her life around. For the past nine years, Dunn, a mother and a grandmother, has been an employee of the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office which prosecutes cases of domestic violence and annually participates in National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. For most of her life, however, she was trapped in the cycle of abuse, confusing moments of love with prolonged periods of abuse as part of a relationship and marriage. Dunn hopes that her book, covering 161 pages, will give other women living in abuse the courage to seek help. “I want other women to be aware of the signs of abuse and take notice of them. If my story helps to persuade just one woman to get out of a violent domestic situation, then it will be enough,” she said. “It’s better to live alone than to live with fear and abuse.” In her case, that was easier said than done. The change in her life began with her decision to get far away from the abusive relationship. That involved the tough choice to leave her parents and other family members in Louisiana to start a new life in 1999 in Kansas City with her three young sons and the clothing and belongings she could pack into her car. “It took a long while, but I finally realized that I didn’t want to live that way,” she said. The start of a new life some 900 miles from her home state had its own set of struggles. For three months, she and her family stayed at New House, a domestic violence shelter in Kansas City, Mo. After receiving public assistance for four years and working dead-end, low-paying jobs, Dunn was accepted in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program of the Johnson County Department of Human Services. The program, created by Congress in 1990 as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, helps participants like Dunn, move up and out of poverty. Johnson County’s Family Self-Sufficiency is not so much a program as it is a mechanism. Participants must work with Human Services coordinators to develop and carry out a personal action plan, the initial purpose of which is to delineate a path that will allow them to leave public assistance behind. The plan specifies personal goals over a five-year contract period and helps link participants to other support services, which might include financial literacy, child care, transportation, and employment training. A few months ago, she received a Special Achievement Award at both the Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and Southwest Regional NAHRO conferences in recognition of her
Janee Hanzlick, left, Safehome executive director, looks at “Don right, a survivor of domestic violence. outstanding achievements. Dunn began the self-sufficiency program in 2003 and completed her action plan in just three years, including the requirement of full-time employment. Since October 2005, she has been employed as customer service technician and now an accounting technician in the District Attorney’s Office at the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Olathe. Since then, Dunn, who lives in Overland Park, has completed associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting and is working on her MBA degree. Her sons have grown into positive, responsible young adults, also living in Overland Park. The support of family and friends, and her strong faith have become the foundation of her life, which now includes three grandchildren ranging in ages from 2 to 4. According to her, “Don’t Die for Love” began as a romantic book. The project ended up being her personal story of escaping the pitfalls and quicksand of domestic violence. She completed the book in 2007 and revised it in 2010. “Don’t Die for Love” details a tragic love story. In 1983, Dunn met “the apple of her eye” as a teen still in high school. Her suitor was captivating, handsome, charming. “It’s love, I thought to myself. He’s the man for me,” she notes in her book. Continued to next page
www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
cover story
Die for Love’
Safehome: A beacon of hope for victims of domestic abuse
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n’t Die for Love” book written by Darlene Dunn, Continued from page 18 They quickly became a couple and young parents a few years later, and then the abuse began. The cycle, like many domestic violence situations, involved a backdrop of her partner’s excessive drinking and womanizing, his endless pleas to her for another chance, and empty promises to stop his abusive ways. Most of the abuse was verbal and mental. Occasionally, it turned physical. “He slapped me so hard once that I thought he had broken my neck,” Dunn said softy. It was a rocky road of turmoil and forgiveness, leading to their marriage in 1995; finally resulting in regret and divorce in 2002. Two years later, her former husband was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in New Jersey where he remains in prison. That fact is still troubling for her. “That could have been me,” Dunn said. “It’s really tough, but the cycle can be broken. I’m living proof that it can be done. No one should ever die for love.” Note: More information about her book “Don’t Die for Love” is available at www.trafford.com.
ebra Beaver made the domestic violence news long before Ray Rice, former member of the National Football League, did. Her abuse was never recorded, but ended far more tragic. She was a professional woman, attractive and smart, friendly and well liked, married to a professional man. The Overland Park woman was murdered outside her home on Jan. 5, 2012, by her estranged husband, who then killed himself. Debra Beaver would have turned 59 in August. Like many victims of domestic violence, even her closest friends did not know that she had long endured domestic violence. She smiled and revealed little to them about the darkness and sadness in her life. Janee Hanzlick, executive director of Johnson County’s Safehome, says most victims of domestic violence endure a gamut of emotions, often rationalizing staying with their partner and remaining in abusive relationships for many factors: lack of finances, poor self-esteem, children, and even religious and cultural values. And, many, like Debra Beaver, are reluctant to talk about it with friends, co-workers, or even family members because of fear, embarrassment, or shame. Domestic violence spans all social-economic demographics, all ages, and all different types of lifestyles, religions, races, and ethnicities. It affects both the rich and the poor. “There are so many reasons for victims to choose not to leave,” Hanzlick said, adding even affluent households are not immuned. “The more you have, the more difficult it is to leave. That’s because there’s so much more to lose.” In 2013, 172 women and 139 children were sheltered at Safehome, totaling 16,421 “safe nights.” The average stay was 50 days. In 2013, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed 1,640 cases of domestic violence. Two domestic violence homicides occurred last year along with one attempted homicide. Through early September, 1,109 domestic violence cases have been filed. None involved homicides. Each stat, each case represents a real person – a mother or grandmother, children or grandchildren, a friend, co-worker, or perhaps a neighbor. Most victims of domestic violence do not make the TV news or headlines. For the past three decades, Safehome has served as a beacon of hope and safety for victims of domestic violence since opening its first shelter with 15 beds. The victims range from newborns to teens, mothers of all ages, and occasionally women in their 60s and 70s as victims of elder abuse. Continued to next page
Safehome’s domestic violence hotline is 913-262-2868. It operates 24-7.
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• October 2014
Safehome: A beacon of hope for victims of domestic violence
Continued from page 19 A new facility, which opened in 2006, houses 45 women and children. The shelter often is filled to capacity and beyond, but no one is turned away in time of crisis or need. “We will put them wherever we have to,” she said. The facility, however, is more than a shelter. Services at Safehome include: • operating a 24-7 hotline that received 4,256 calls in 2013; • counseling to 1,141 clients (women and children) last year; • spearheading domestic violence advocacy in Johnson County and Miami County courts; • offering on-call support for victims being treated in local hospitals, helping 212 clients in 2013; • assisting 987 clients last year in Johnson County District Court; and, • providing prevention education in the community and schools, serving 20,402 people, including 6,342 students, in 2013. Services also include a Latina Outreach program assisting 355 clients last year. Safehome staff includes six bilingual employees. The domestic violence shelter helped 8,767 victims through its services in 2013. Its services are free and confidential. To Hanzlick’s knowledge, Debra Beaver never sought domestic violence services from Safehome. That fact reflects a sad footnote as Johnson County observes National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. “Domestic violence can happen to anyone,” she said.
Conference on Oct. 2 at JCCC to focus on domestic violence
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Domestic Violence Awareness Conference is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Regnier Center at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park. Community partners include the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, JCCC, Safehome, MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault), and Jana’s Campaign (honoring a 25-year-old law student at the University of Kansas killed in 2008 by her ex-boyfriend). The conference is free and open to the public, including concerned citizens, law enforcement personnel, and organizations interested in domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault issues and resources. No registration is required. More information is available by calling 913-715-3061.
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SH Best Times Half Oct 2014 www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
Mildale Farm schedules annual Fall Fest
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ring the family and spend the day exploring the Mildale Farm property and enjoying a number of activities during the annual free Mildale Farm Fall Fest being planned by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District for Oct. 25. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will give interested parties access to the 158-acre site. Visitors will be directed to park in the large parking lot near Mildale Farm’s main barn. A number of fall-related activities are being planned for the event, all of which will be free to the public. A large pumpkin patch will be situated in front of the main barn. Children 12 and under can pick out a pumpkin. Cider and hot cocoa will be provided in the barn. A tractor-drawn shuttle will take visitors to a fire circle in the south-central portion of the Mildale site, where they can roast marshmallows and enjoy storytelling. A putting green with kid-sized clubs is also available and horse-drawn hayrides are planned. Catch-and-release fishing in any or all of seven ponds within the 158acre area will also be offered during Fall Fest. While district fishing permits have been waived for this event, Kansas residents ages 16 to 74 and nonresidents 16 and older need to have a Kansas state fishing license. Visitors can also explore and pic-
nic on the grounds. Restrooms will be available, but the property’s two homes and other outbuildings will not be open during this event. Rules for the event include: no alcohol is allowed, pets must be on-leash, and vehicles must remain on roadways. Park Police will be on hand to enforce
these as well as the catch-and-release fishing provision. Mildale Farm is located at 35250 W. 199th Street. From the north, take Interstate 35 South to Exit 210. Merge right (west) onto US-56 W toward Gardner/175th Street. Stay on US-56 W for 5 miles. Turn left at 199th Street and precede a quarter-mile ahead Mildale Farm entrance on your left. From the south, take Interstate 35 North to Exit 202. Turn left on Sunflower and proceed about two miles. Turn right on East Fourth in Edgerton and follow it for about three blocks. Turn right on Highway 56 Highway and make a second right on 199th Street. The farm entrance will be about a quarter-mile ahead on the left.
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• October 2014
Look in the sky! It’s a bird, a plane? It’s ‘Yo!’ By Gerald Hay
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ife has often had its ups and downs for Yolanda “Yo” Lenninger, a resident at Silvercrest at Deer Creek Retirement Community, Overland Park. For her recent milestone birthday, she chose to go up in an airplane and come down by parachute. That’s quite a way to celebrate turning 90 in early September. The young-at-heart, healthy, and adventurous nonagenarian said skydiving was never on her bucket list, but it had been long on her things-to-do list in life with lots more to do while she can. “I wanted to jump out of a plane since I was 13,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t think I would ever get to do it.” That changed in mid-September when she and her granddaughter, Kimberly Mangual, Olathe, traveled to Falcon’s Skydiving in Waldron, Missouri; put on goggles and strapped on rigging and harness equipment for a tandem jump; boarded a plane; and hit the silk at 10,000 feet in the cold air. Neither had skydived before. Her granddaughter, with a smaller parachute, landed first; Yo’s chute had a larger canopy, taking it about three minutes longer for her to drift to a landing. The adventure had a perfect September day for a birthday jump, few clouds, and only a light breeze. Lenninger wasn’t afraid, but had concerns about possible windy weather. “I didn’t want to end up in Timbuctoo,” she said with a laugh. “It was a wonderful day. You could see things for miles. It was a good ride.” Lenninger, a resident at Silvercrest for 16 years, had flown on commercial airplanes before and once rode in a biwing plane when she was in her 20s. Following the jump, she admitted to having a few aches and pains from the effects of her adventure, but nothing serious enough to ground her from thinking about skydiving again in the near or distant future. Her decision to take the plunge at 90 surprised some family members and a few residents at the retirement community, who didn’t think she would actually skydive at her age. “Some think I am a nut, but that’s OK,” Lenninger quipped. “I kind of like doing things that are different ... it keeps you young!”
Yolanda “Yo” Lenninger celebrated her 90th birthday by skydiving with her granddaughter Kimberly Mangual.
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• October 2014
Ghost Tour set Oct. 31
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mbark on a Halloween adventure to Excelsior Springs, Mo., and the historic Elms Resort during an Oct. 31day trip being planned by the 50 Plus Department of the Johnson County Park and Recreation District. The Ghost Tour trip will include eerie tales and stories about the famous people who have stayed at - and perhaps never fully left - this famous hotel located north of Kansas City. Participants will enjoy lunch and a Halloween treat at the Ventana Gourmet Grill in downtown Excelsior Springs, before visiting the city’s Hall of Waters and the
Excelsior Springs Museum for more spooky fun. The trip will involve some walking and stairs. To find the trip in the JCPRD’s Activities catalog and online listings, browse first under 50 plus and then under travel. The Ghost Tour will leave at 9 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, from Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam, and return at approximately 5 p.m. The cost is $79 per person and includes lunch. More information is available by calling the district’s Registration Department at 913-831-3359 or visiting its website at www. jcprd.com.
Thursday, Nov. 13 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 9 a.m.-4 p.m. NEW LOCATION!
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9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212
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• October 2014
mental health
Suicide prevention Mental Health offers training to help others By Carol Roeder-Esser
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ith the recent death of Robin Williams the topic of suicide has been in the news. Of course, this is not an issue just for celebrities but it serves as a reminder of how important it is for each one of us to be able to help someone experiencing an emotional crisis. In the last couple of years the number of completed suicides for Johnson County residents has steadily risen. During the time period of 2008 – 2011 the number of Johnson County residents who died by suicide was 57. During that same time period 48 people aged 55 – 64 died by suicide. These statistics make it especially important for each of us to know what to look for and what actions to take. Knowing the risk factors helps you know what to look for. Knowing what you can do to help someone you think is struggling can save lives. One of the best ways to know what to look for and what to do is by taking a Mental Health First Aid class. This class teaches participants a five-step action plan to use to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. It’s very similar to learning first aid or CPR to know what to do when someone is experiencing a physical health crisis. The eight-hour classes are offered on a regular basis by the Johnson County Mental Health Center. There is rarely one cause or reason that leads someone to attempt suicide. However,
How to find a ‘good’ fit in counseling? By Elaine Good
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there are some common risk factors: • Recent death of a loved one • Physical illness • Uncontrollable pain or fear of a prolonged illness • Talking or writing about death, dying and suicide • Threatening to hurt or kill oneself • Social isolation and loneliness • Feeling hopeless The best way to help someone you are concerned about is letting them know you are willing to help them. Let them know they can talk with you about suicide. Asking someone if they are thinking about suicide
or have a plan will not “put the idea in their head” or cause them to think about it. In fact, research shows that asking someone may be the first step in getting them into treatment. This treatment will involve helping them figure out other options for managing the distress and emotional pain they are experiencing. It will also involve developing a Safety Plan for the person. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please contact a mental health professional or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800273 TALK (8255). Carol Roesder-Esser is a mental health program specialist at Johnson County Mental Health.
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• October 2014
eople seek counseling for many reasons: for help in coping with losses, for support in managing changes related to health or independence, or for crisis associated with life changes. Once you’ve decided to see a counselor, the next step is to find someone who is a good “fit” for you. And, since we’re not likely to seek counseling when we’re feeling our best, it can seem like an overwhelming or frustrating process. The following tips might make this easier. Consider what a therapist can and cannot do: A therapist can listen more objectively than your family or friends, give you support, and help you look at your problems from different perspectives. They can help strengthen your ability to cope with life difficulties and develop some of your life-skills (e.g., better problem-solving, more effective communication, etc.) He or she can help you gain insight about your own thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and make changes in the way you feel and function. A therapist cannot un-do hurt feelings or painful experiences. They cannot change the other people in your life, and cannot tell you how to change others. He or she cannot create instantaneous change in you. Ask trusted others for recommendations: Without sharing more than you want Continued to next page
mental health
How to find a ‘good’ fit in counseling? Continued from page 24 to, be open with those you know and trust. Your physician, rabbi, minister, or priest make referrals to other professionals on a regular basis, and can often give you the names of therapists they recommend. A sister, best friend, or neighbor may have suggestions, or may be seeing a therapist who is willing to offer recommendations on your behalf. Call your insurance company: If you plan to use insurance to pay some or most of the cost of counseling, there may be requirements that you see someone who is “in-network.” Ask for a complete list of “in-network” providers, and review this with someone you trust. This may remind them of counselors they’ve heard about or worked with in the past, or they may be willing to ask their physician or therapist to look it over for suggestions. Search online resources: Many practices have websites, and in addition sites like “Psychology Today’s Therapy Finder” (therapists.psychologytoday.com) or “Good Therapy” (goodtherapy.org) verifies the educational and licensing credentials of therapist who request listing through their sites. These generally provide a brief summary of the counselor’s approach and specializations, and sometimes link to their website and/or contact information. Interview potential counselors: You may make brief phone contact, or schedule an initial appointment for your interview. Remember therapists, like physicians, are generally with clients so you may need to leave a message and await a return call. Your initial contact will give you an opportunity to share or summarize your concerns and ask questions. You may want to inquire about how often they see someone with the same or
similar problems. Ask yourself if you are reasonably comfortable with this person. Can you imagine sharing difficult information with them? Do they seem warm, intelligent and knowledgeable? Are they able to respond to your questions in an open and honest manner? Pay attention to the office environment, to how attentive the counselor is to your concerns, and to any interruptions that occur during your meeting (these should be minimal, and for emergencies only). Consider your own feelings, and if something seems unduly uncomfortable make a note of it, even if you don’t understand it. Talk to your therapist about it, and raise any concerns you have. Consider licensure and experience: Kansas requires every psychologist, clinical social worker, or marriage and family therapist be licensed through the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Research to date does not show any substantial difference in long-term outcomes between the professions. It does, however, confirm that generally speaking, the more experienced your therapist is, the better outcome you are likely to have. It also confirms the most effective therapist is one who can build a strong therapeutic relationship with their clients and has highly developed interpersonal skills. Look for warmth, empathy, acceptance, and the ability to help you accurately identify how you are feeling. Remember that personal change takes time, energy and hard work. Good therapy can facilitate your growth and healing. Elaine Good, LSCSW, is a mental health clinician at the Johnson County Mental Health Center.
School marks 60th
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ndian Hills Junior/Middle School, 6400 Mission Road, Prairie Village, is marking its 60th anniversary with a celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10. “Celebrate – 60” will commemorate the school’s anniversary and unveil a special display case. It will list families (and dates) with two or more generations who have attended Indian Hills. The school received a Kansas Governor’s Achievement Award for 2012-2013. Family information for the display can be sent to: Celebrate 60, 5216 West 64th Street, Prairie Village, KS 66208.
R ecovery in mind, body and spirit.
To learn more about our rehab therapy services, call (913) 397-2900.
All faiths or beliefs are welcome.
www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
dollars and sense
Understanding reverse mortgages sold or surrendered to the bank Do they make sense for you? at the end of reverse mortgage. hen you see a popu-
By Valeria Edwards
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lar, trusted spokesperson on TV advertising reverse mortgages, does that prompt you to seriously consider taking out a reverse mortgage? If it does, then their marketing efforts have worked! Before you make this big decision, educate yourself about the types of reverse mortgages available today, and the costs you’ll incur. A reverse mortgage may or may not be the best financial strategy for you. Reverse mortgages are a complex financial product and difficult for consumers to understand, especially when compared to a traditional or “forward” mortgage. The primary purpose of a forward mortgage is to purchase a home. At the beginning of the mortgage, the borrower typically has little equity in the home and makes monthly payments to reduce the balance. When a homeowner lives in a home for many years and pays a traditional mortgage in full, there is no longer a loan balance and the homeowner has substantial equity in the home. If the home is sold before the mortgage is paid in full, the proceeds from the sale of the home are used to pay off the mortgage before the seller receives any proceeds from the sale. By contrast, a “reverse” mortgage provides access to home equity either in a lump sum or through multiple payments over time to the homeowner. Homeowners could choose a combination of the two, as well. While the balance of a traditional mortgage falls with each payment, in a reverse mortgage, the balance actually increases, as money is paid to the homeowner. Although the loan balance grows over time, the borrower does not repay the loan while living in the home. The loan comes due only when the homeowner moves out of the home, sells it, or dies. It’s important to understand that at the end of a reverse mortgage, the borrower owes a substantial amount and the equity has decreased, possibly substantially. Even so, a reverse mortgage holder retains ownership of the home all through the life of the reverse mortgage. As a condition of the mortgage, the homeowner must still pay property taxes, buy homeowner’s insurance, and perform regular maintenance and upkeep on the property. One common misconception is that the house must be
That is not true. If one’s heirs are able to repay the loan with other resources, they may keep the house. Repayment will be the loan balance or 95 percent of the home’s current appraised value, whichever is less, and typically due within three to 12 months. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) from the Federal Housing Administration is the most common reverse mortgage product. To be eligible for a HECM loan, a borrower must be at least 62 years old; use their primary home as collateral; have no outstanding federal debt, such as past due income tax, student loans, or HUD-insured loans; and undergo a financial assessment to determine if adequate resources are available to maintain the home. Potential borrowers are required to receive loan counseling from an approved HECM counselor, who will educate borrowers on the financial implications of a reverse mortgage, both during life and when the borrower moves, sells the home, or dies; alternatives to a HECM; the borrower’s obligations; and costs associated with the reverse mortgage. Costs can include a loan origination fee; expenses for home appraisal, inspection, and title search; annual loan service fees; monthly interest accruing on the loan balance; and mortgage insurance premiums. The cost of a reverse mortgage may be substantial when compared to the total value of the proceeds from the loan. When you see that trusted spokesperson on TV enticing you to take out a reverse mortgage, you also need to consider how long you really want to stay in your current home. Is it safe and comfortable? Will it continue to meet your needs as you age? What other housing options do you have? A reverse mortgage can be attractive because it provides access to home equity to pay for living expenses or home repairs, while retaining the borrower’s right to live in their home. However, reverse mortgages are complex financial products, with significant impacts on the long term financial well-being of borrowers. A reverse mortgage may be right for you, but only after you thoroughly understand the process and investigate all of its ramifications.
Valeria Edwards, family and consumer sciences agent at Johnson County’s K-State Research and Extension Office, can be reached at 913-715-7000 or valeria.edwards@jocogov.org.
Upcoming programs to focus on reserve mortgages
Learn more about reverse mortgages at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10 am at the Indian Creek Branch of the Olathe Public Library, or at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at the Shawnee Branch of the Johnson County Public Library. Valeria Edwards, Johnson County K-State Research and Extension family and consumer sciences agent will discuss the
costs and benefits of utilizing a reverse mortgage. Joining her for the October session is Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, Kansas State University assistant professor/family services and human studies. Register for the October class, call 913-971-6835. To register for the November class, call 913-826-4600.
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• October 2014
To Betty Turmon: It’s a small world afterall By Linda Chesney Kaut
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ittle things are a big part of Betty Turmon’s life. Turmon is a miniaturist whose small-scale pieces are a prominent part of the décor at her longtime home in Overland Park. “I can just sit and get completely lost,” she said of her work on these projects. These tiny objects are something Turmon works on almost every day. “It really is an obsession.” This Kansas native is a retired accountant and a former elementary school teacher who is both a student and teacher in the art of creating miniatures. Turmon is the state representative of the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME), a nonprofit education organization. She also is a member of LOST (Lovers of Small Things), a group she helped start in Overland Park more than 30 years ago. She is a former docent at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, formerly the Toy & Miniature Museum of Kansas City, 5235 Oak Street. The museum is currently closed for renovations and will reopen in early 2015. Her interest in miniatures has taken her to cities like Chicago, New Orleans, and Salt Lake City for annual conventions. A piece from one of those classes is a Victorian farmhouse which Turmon made her own by adding things like a broken flower pot, a dog, and a cat. “In my story, she (the figurine) is a retired school teacher. She’s blaming the dog, but really the cat did it. He broke her flower pot.” Details to the miniature include giving it her grand-
mother’s address. Next, Turmon focused on the area surrounding the house. “I added grass. It didn’t cover in spots. It looked like it hadn’t been cut right, so I
added a lawn mower so the grass would look more realistic.” Turmon has loved arts and crafts for as long as she can remember. “Even when I was real young, I loved tiny things,” Turmon said. One reason may be that as a young child she was given a set of small wooden dishes she could only play with whenever her younger sister took a nap. “I would give anything if I still had that today,” Turmon said, adding that she does still have the pitcher. That sister still has things Turmon made when she was about 10 years old. Those items include tiny pieces of furniture made out of scraps of wood. One of her favorite pieces is a replica of Mimi’s Café.
The finely detailed work took Turmon three months to complete. Another is the Oval Office, part of a class project she embellished by adding items unique to different U.S. presidents. Still another piece features a good witch making candy apples. A pan on the stove has smoke above it. That smoke is made from dryer lint. Everyday items are often part of her projects, she said. A member of her local group once brought something to a meeting and told Turmon, “I bet you can’t do anything with this.” She took it home, transformed it and brought it back to the next meeting.
Linda Chesney Kaut, a former newspaper reporter, is a freelance writer. She lives in Spring Hill.
Come and dance… to the wonderful big band sound of THE MOONLIGHT SERENADE ORCHESTRA! For Booking Info Contact Ron Ernst (913) 522-9745 ronoernst@gmail.com
We perform music from the time of the big bands and swing! Come and dance to the greatest music of the 1930s - 1950s era. Subscribe to our e-mail listing for information on upcoming events at ronoernst@gmail.com. We’ll keep you updated on all future dances and performances and we look forward to seeing you there!
www.moonlightorchestra.com www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014
a conversation with the chairman
A SALUTE TO
JOHNSON COUNTY’S
Senior Fest enjoys past VETERANS beginning 30 years ago in cooperation with Americans Remembered
John David Dunn Leawood World War II, Navy, served on USS Thetis Bay, CVE 90, Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class, Served in Halsey’s fleet with many trips of transporting planes from States to Combat areas and vice-versa.
By Ed Eilert Chairman Board of County Commissioners
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n annual festival for Johnson County’s senior population is now 30 years old. Wait, let’s make that 30 years young! It’s now known as Senior Fest. It has been called Senior Quest and Celebrate Age in the past, but throughout its history, the purpose of the annual event remains unchanged – to traditionally offer an exciting fun day of discovery for senior adults in Johnson County. The 2014 Senior Fest, featuring informational booths, games, and music, will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, October 23, at the Ritz Charles Conference Center, 9000 West 137th Street, Overland Park. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Senior Fest will feature more than 40 exhibitors, including the many aging services of Johnson County government departments/agencies along with local businesses and organizations offering and providing services to the senior population. The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment will be promoting National Food Day through Senior Fest an “Apple Share” program by handing out free apples to 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. encourage eating local, healthy, and sustainable foods. Live entertainment will feature Wally Drone playing Oct. 23 the accordion, the New Horizons Band Trombone EnsemRitz Charles ble, and the Shawnee Mission North Strolling Strings. Activities will also include bingo and drawings for door Overland Park prizes. Additional information is available by calling 913-826-3032. The history of Senior Fest dates back to 1984 when it was called Celebrate Age and began at the Mission Mall. The event name was changed to “Senior Quest” in 2000 and moved to the Shawnee Civic Center and then relocated to the Overland Park Convention Center in 2003 for seven years. During those years, activities for Celebrate Age and Senior Quest were organized by the Johnson County Department of Human Services. Another name change, location, and event coordinator occurred in 2011. Since then, Senior Fest has been spearheaded by the Johnson County Park and Recreation District at the Ritz Charles. Senior Fest highlights local aging resources for one day, but the needs and demands of local aging services and programs span the entire year—with demand increasing as our population continues to age and baby boomers retire. County-supported aging services through the Area Agency on Aging, Human Services Department, and 50 Plus program of the Park and Recreation Department have long provided the nurturing support in addressing the needs and interests of senior adults and in building a strong and lasting safety net to meet aging challenges by helping them to maintain dignity, security, and independence. Our mantra has always been to do all we can as a county to allow our citizens to age in their homes where they are happiest and to keep them active, healthy, and safe. That goal binds us together as a community. Our commitment to the senior community demonstrates the greatest assurance Johnson County will always remain a great place to live, work, raise families, retire, and grow older. The late American journalist and author Ray Stannard Baker, also known by his pen name David Grayson, provided sound advice for all generations. When asked what he considered the best time of life, he answered without pause: “Why, now!” See you at Senior Fest!! www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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Bernie Brownstein Leawood Korea, Army, 304th Signal Bn, 8th Army HQ in Seoul, South Korea, aircraft and engine mechanic. Bruce Greer Shawnee Vietnam, Navy, radioman 2nd Class, Served 19581962. Vernon South Olathe Korean War, Army, served three years in Germany, 110th Infantry Div., PFC in mortar platoon. David Head Olathe WW II, Navy, quartermaster 3rd Class, Philippines, Admiralty Islands, His fathersubmariner in WW I, grandfather-infantry in Spanish-American War, great-grandfather in Civil War with Union, and David’s wife, a civilian survivor of Pearl Harbor attack.
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.
• October 2014
inside story
Tom Wilson: I
Johnson County Library series continues the legacy of poet
By Jim Lullie
t’s never easy to define the essence of a person, and that is certainly the case with Thomas Zvi Wilson, the acclaimed Kansas City poet who passed away in 2012. I sat down with his widow, Jeanie, to try and get a feel for the man and his love of writing. She is soft spoken – a writer and poet in her own right – and speaks glowingly of the man she loved so dearly. Tom retired as a vice president and chief financial officer with Fry Wagner Moving and Storage in 2000. Although his career was in finance, his true passions were writing, painting, and sculpting. Born in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 1931, Tom was raised in the Orthodox Jewish faith and never lost his pride in his heritage. According to Jeanie, as a young man Tom was “very curious and wanted to explore the outside world. He was intense in his beliefs, had the ability to examine and to debate and he wanted to bring a point down to the finest particle.” He served in the Korean War and when he returned took a Gentile name, “Thomas Wilson.” But he always used “Zvi” in his art, poetry and short stories. Tom met Jeanie in a creative writing class taught by Dan Jaffe at UMKC and the couple became lifelong friends with Jaffe. Tom credited Jaffe with having a strong influence on his writing. Tom also studied at the University of Arkansas with Miller Williams, the award-winning poet best remembered as having read at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Jeanie and Tom shared their love for writing together and eventually fell in love and married in 1991. He was a supporter, board member and one-time treasurer of The Writers Place, an organization that he was passionate about. He was remembered as a mentor to many aspiring writers in the area and always made himself available to talk about the craft of writing, even to the extent of neglecting his own work. His career as a sculptor and painter resulted in nine one-man exhibits in New York City, as well as in exhibits
EACH TRIP
for JW I invent longing as if it were new, watch the sky for her plane to fall into my pitted glove. I dream the soles of her feet, the down tracing her lower spine, the way she sings my name in morning’s frost, evening’s fire.
Jeanie Wilson in such galleries as Miami Museum of Modern Art, Peabody Essex Museum, Georgia Museum of Art, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and Rockhurst University. Thomas Zvi and Jeanie Wilson’s poetry archives were donated to the University of Kansas. Stored in a temperature-controlled room at the Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection, “The Wilson Papers” are now accessible to the public. His first book, Deliberate and Accidental Act, was published by UMKC’s BkMk Press in 1996 and was a runner-up for the 1997 Thorpe Menn Award. Together the couple collaborated on a book of poetry, The Door into the Dream, published by Mid-America Press and named one of the one hundred Most Noteworthy Books for 2006 by the Kansas City Star. One of Tom’s favorite poems is titled “Each Trip,” a love poem written to Jeanie expressing his anticipation of her return home after one of her many trips around the country in the course of her career (see below). “He read that poem many times at the end of his reading series presentations,” Jeanie explains. “Thomas was passionate about The Writer’s Place and believed that it served an urban community and it would benefit from having another venue,” Jeanie says. With that thought in mind, he contacted the Johnson County Central Resource Library in Overland Park and convinced them to establish a reading series with The Writer’s Place as co-sponsor in 2001. In 2006 when he could barely speak, he stood at the podium at the reading series and said, “I can’t do it anymore. I could always defeat everything in my www.jocogov.org /thebesttimes •
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life, but I can’t defeat this.” Looking at Jeanie, he said, “Will you do it?” Jeanie lovingly carried on his beloved reading series and re-named it the “Thomas Zvi Wilson Reading Series.” She is the curator of the program. Although Tom suffered from a heart condition, it was a rare form of dementia called primary progressive aphasia that claimed his life in March 2012. The irony of his illness became clear when the disease affected the very motor skills that made up the core of his life’s work: speech, writing, and reading. In the end I learned of a man who questioned everything and yearned to learn more. Thomas Zvi Wilson’s poems often expressed his inner search for truth and understanding of life and even his own religious beliefs. He was a man who eloquently expressed his thoughts in words, which flowed flawlessly from his heart. Currently, Jeanie Wilson,who lives in Shawnee, is working on a manuscript of new and selected poems that focus on Kansas regions. Jim Lullie is a freelance writer who lives in Kearney, Mo. Note: This article originally appeared in the July 10, 2014 issue of Inside The Writers Place.” The website is: http://www.writersplace.org/welcome.
The Thomas Zvi Wilson Poetry Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, Overland Park, takes place at 7 p.m. every third Tuesday except in November and December. Each reading typically features two poets, and podcasts are available on the library website. Readings are free and include light refreshments. The series is curated by Jeanie Wilson.
• October 2014
“as I see it ....”
Your Chairman
Weatherization Program keeps winter cold out
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By Jim Allen Commissioner District 2
ohnson County’s Weatherization Program has many goals. All are designed to not leave eligible households out in the cold of approaching winter. Now in its 20th year, the program helps residents, including low-income individuals and senior adults, save money on their energy costs. Weatherization improves heating efficiency and fuel savings by ensuring your home holds in heat and air conditioning. At no charge, eligible families/individuals receive a comprehensive home assessment which may include repair or replacement of heating systems, insulation, and caulking. Households receiving weatherization service must meet federal poverty income guidelines. If a household contains a member who receives Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits, or utility assistance from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), the household is automatically considered eligible for weatherization services. Before receiving service, applicants are screened for Johnson County residency and income eligibility. Their homes also must undergo an energy audit. Services provided will depend on the program in which applicants are eligible and the outcome of their energy audit. Weatherization efforts may include: • installation of smoke detectors; • reduction of air infiltration by caulking/
weather stripping, and repairs to doors, windows, ceiling, and walls; • ceiling insulation and ventilation; • minor roof repairs; • wall insulation; • basement, floor, and crawl space insulation; • repairs or replacement of air conditioner; and, • replacement or repairs of furnace and gas or electric hot water tank. The Weatherization Program is the nation’s largest residential energy efficiency program and is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and LIEAP funds, totaling $608,000. Kansas Gas Company also provided a $135,439 grant toward Johnson County weatherization efforts. In 2013, the Johnson County Weatherization Program, with LIEAP funding, served 68 Johnson County households with 115 individuals. The average cost of services was $4,225. DOE funding served 19 households (47 individuals) and provided an average of $3,680 in weatherization improvements. Weatherization makes sense, but it’s important in saving cents. Low-income families pay an average of 18 percent of their annual income for energy, compared with five percent for other households. On average, weatherization services save customers $358 annually. The local Weatherization Program is administered through the Human Services Department’s Housing Services Unit with offices at the North-Central Multi-Service Center, 12425 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa. More information is available by calling 913-715-6618.
Chairman Ed Eilert Phone: 913-715-0500 Email Ed.Eilert@jocogov.org
Your Commissioners C. Edward Peterson 1st District Phone: 913-715-0431 Email Ed.Peterson@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. www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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October 2014
book review
What the robin knows: Secrets under wing
What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World
By Jon Young
Reviewed by Barbara Watkins
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obins and their feathered friends have a lot to teach us about life’s perils and possibilities if we allow them to take us under their wings. They are our neighbors, companions, and prospective mentors. Sitting on a bench in my backyard and watching them has expanded my knowledge of birds in these minutes of quiet reflection. Jon Young’s What the Robin Knows (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012) brings together the experiences of indigenous people, research, and his four decades as a birder, tracker, naturalist, and mentor to “lead us toward a deeper connection to the animals and, in the end, a deeper connection to ourselves.” It offers new meaning to the phrase “A little bird told me.” Young has written several books and produced audio and multimedia projects. Although Young has visited many bird sites across the world, he asserts that “the American robin in my yard has much more to teach me as I sit quietly beneath a tree first thing each morning ... this bird is so handy [and] it is one of the most expressive of all birds, vocally and in its body language.” Like many of us in our elder years, most birds – “taking migration out of the equation” – are homebodies. They don’t travel very far. Knowing the behavior of robins and other birds and their accompanying vocalizations, what Young calls “deep bird language,” a discipline used by native peoples around the world, provides answers to many questions. For example, by watching these birds, he can tell if there is a cat or – the birds’ “greatest fear” – an accipiter in the vicinity. “There’s nothing random about birds’ awareness and behavior. They have too much at stake – life and death .... The birds’ language can be loaded with meaning for us as well, if only we pay close enough attention.” Young recommends that we “select a private place among the birds to visit as often as possible.” (For me, my backyard bench.) He calls this a “sit spot.” This is the place – which is accessible on a moment’s notice, and sunrise to midmorning is
the best time – where we are accepted as neighbors. We will learn about what is happening in the bird world, how we can use this new knowledge to observe more wildlife, we can even learn how to better “understand ourselves, and if we wish, make some changes. We can also pass these observational tools on to our children and grandchildren. Because I have significant hearing loss, I have had to learn to rely more on my sense of sight than sound. This adaptation has had some benefits: I now watch more carefully and have become more aware of what I DO hear. As Young asserts, “You will develop new resources with and for your brain.” One of the resources that Young relies on is called the “bird plow,” which he describes and illustrates. The bird plow is “marked by a rush of birds flying up and away in a straight-line trajectory from an approaching threat on the ground.” Birds are often the first creatures to identify and then leave a scene of danger, and they proclaim the alarm for all to see and hear. They are so sophisticated that they can tell the difference, for example, between a “hunting cat and a fat-and-happy cat and respond accordingly.” His emphasis is on understanding birds in their habitat so we can better understand what is happening in the whole habitat. We learn how to “listen to, identify, and interpret five vocalizations: songs, companion calls, territorial aggression (often male to male), adolescent begging, and alarms.” Young especially likes the songbirds’ companion calls, “the sweetest and most calming aspect of my personal bird language experience.” From this book and my subsequent observations I have learned how the various creatures in my backyard rely on each other for information; for example, squirrels “obsessively monitor their feathered neighbors and then obsessively add their own opinions.” Both prey and predator species listen to the birds. What the Robin Knows is a refreshing read for both experienced birders and novices. It asks us to slow down and watch the birds, rather than just adding a new ID for the day to our list and then scurrying on down the path. I’ve never read anything like this before and will use it as a future reference. Barbara Watkins is an avid and accomplished gardener, birder, and director of outdoor excursions with friends. She lives in Lawrence.
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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
Serving Johnson, Leavenworth & Wyandotte counties.
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• October 2014
library connection
Let’s Get Creative at Johnson County Library Wes King, Kansas City actor, will present an original dramatic reading about creative caregiving ohnson County is rich with the arts. Not only are there many art • Nostalgic songs performed by the Four Spare Parts quartet galleries and performance spaces close at hand, we live and work • Magician and puppeteer Harris Deutsch among countless creative visual, musical, dance, and perfor• Dave Sheldon and the KCST Singers & Storytellers will present an mance artists. Johnson County Library has long been involved interactive musical performance with guitar, accordion, harmonica, with promoting these local artists and artistic disciplines. and keyboard As Johnson County • Deb Campbell, founder Library’s new local arts librarian, I’m excited and director of the Kansas about finding new ways to City Senior Theatre, will make the library a place introduce interactive theatre where artists and those games and activities for all who appreciate their work ages and present “The ABCs thrive. For example, most of Improvisation” of our 13 libraries have art • Keeler Women’s Center galleries that feature 2D and Theatre Troupe will sing a 3D work by local artists as unique rendition of the song part of our Art in the Stacks “Respect” program. 4:45 – 5:45 p.m. Art, film and music Internationally reprograms, among other innowned tap dancer Billie terests, held the second SatMahoney, will be interurday of each month across viewed as part of the the Johnson County Library Generation Exchange oral system, are an eclectic way history project. Gregory to spend a few hours of Program on Oct. 23 to feature the Billie Mahoney’s tap dancers. Hines called Mahoney “a your weekend, showcasing legend in tap dance,” and everything from book and she will showcase the skills that brought her to The Tonight Show, The film discussions to musical acts to animal trainer demonstrations. Ed Sullivan Show, and Arthur Godfrey and Friends, among other major Visit www.jocolibrary.org/secondsaturdays to see the lineup of programs for upcoming Second Saturday events. television shows. Mahoney will not only dance but share her significant The Let’s Get Creative program series focuses on the arts in an story. intergenerational way, exploring what it means to age positively and 7 p.m. creatively. The next Let’s Get Creative: Performance in the Stacks proKansas City artist Nika Winn will discuss her exhibit of artwork at gram will take place at the Lackman Neighborhood Library, 15345 W. the Lackman Library with a reception to follow. 87th Street, Lenexa, on Thursday, Oct. 23, beginning at 3:30 p.m. For a full list of upcoming Johnson County Library programming, The free, all-ages program will consist of three parts: visit the Johnson County Library website at www.jocolibrary.org or stop 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. into any of our locations for a print calendar. • Billie Mahoney’s tap dancers will give a rousing tap dance perforBryan Voell is Local Arts Librarian at Johnson County Library. mance
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•
By Bryan Voell
Downsizing, Liquidating, or Just Cashing in Assets? Ron Brown Antiques and Rare Books Can Help With Your Estate Every estate is different and special. We’ve assisted in the sale of millions in rare books, antiques, collectibles, furnishings, vehicles and other assets. Ron is a Certified Appraiser with over 12 years experience purchasing or facilitating estate sales and auctions. Give us a call today and see how we can help with your unique situation.
Rare Books, Fine Pottery and China, Primitives, Figurines, Coins, Jewelry, Old Toys, Militaria, Cameras, Clocks, Sterling Silver and Gold, Fine Art, Photographs, Bottles, Hunting and Fishing Collectibles, Railroadania, Vintage Lighting, Vintage Radios, Fine Pens, Marbles, Movie Memorabilia, Old Medical and Dental, Dolls, Autographs
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• October 2014
your October classifieds Publishing of classified advertising does not constitute agreement or endorsement by this magazine or Johnson County Government.
SERVICES PROVIDED Computer Training For Seniors SenCom (Senior Computer Users Group of KC) is offering three-hour computer workshops sponsored by Shawnee Parks and Recreation.Workshops are hands-on, senior paced, with plenty of help. October offerings include: Oct. 7 Windows 8.1; Oct. 9 Computer Maintenance; Oct.13 Basic Word; Oct. 15 Advance Word; Oct. 21 Basic Internet; Oct. 23 Excel; and Oct. 23 Google’s Other Features. For more information or to register, call 913-631-5200. SenCom, a user’s group for seniors also offers monthly meetings including Q & A sessions and presentations on a topic related to computer use. Our monthly meeting place is the Carmack Room at the Central Library For more information call Teresa at 913206-7017, or visit us on the web at www. kcsenior.net. 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. Complete Residential Services. Electrical, plumbing repairs, interior and exterior painting, driveway sealing and repair, expert textured ceiling or wall repair. Free estimates and references available. Call Rich at 913522-8325. CPR Computing. For all your computer needs. Virus and spyware removal, Windows repair and installation, upgrades, software and hardware training, new PC consultation, and networking. Call Rich Armstrong at 913522-8325. Fast, friendly, and very affordable. 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. 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. Ironing and Alterations. Please call Domi at 913-642-2421.
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 before-and-after photos, please see www.swalmsorganizing.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience, insured. Call Tillar: 913-375-9115. 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 at 816-229-2042 or dwsnarratives@gmail.com. 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. Glen’s Installs and Handyman Service. 25 years as experienced owner/installer. No job too small. Windows, doors, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, electrical and plumbing repairs. Home 913-764-0520; cell phone 816-260-5024. References available. www. glensinstalls.com.
HANDYMAN PRO, LLC - Repair, Remodel, Renew. Bathrooms, painting, decks, yard work, sheetrock repair, grab bars, ramp building. Call Tom for free estimate. 913-4887320. Handymanprokc.com. Best on the Block Interior and Exterior Painting. Licensed and insured. For free estimate, call Troy at 913-424-6346. Lawn mowing, aerification, seeding, fertilizing and landscape. Honest, Reliable and Reasonable. 25 yrs. exp. of golf grounds management. Call KURT @ 816-896-7354. 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 816-719-1339. Johnson County Home Service Plumbing Co. 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 Better Business Bureau. www.jocoplumbing.com or 913-439-1700. Cleaning “Maid Simple.” Residential house cleaning. Reasonable and dependable. Johnson County area. Call Denise Carter. 913-563-5883. Free estimates. Wheelchair Ramps - Sales, Rentals, DIY ramp kits, delivery, and installation. On Angie’s List. Free site analysis and quote for Johnson County residents. Call Chuck 913- 553-1488 or visit www. WheelchairRampKits.com.
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
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www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
913-980-8686
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• October 2014
your October classifieds SERVICES PROVIDED Senior hairstyling; haircuts, perms, color, roller or blow dry styling. located at 5909 Dearborn Dr. Mission, Ks. Between Martway and Johnson Drive. No steps. Front door parking. Call Carol at 913-341-8754. If no answer leave a message. $5 off first visit. 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, John, Doug or Patrick at 913-385-2676. “We speak English.” 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.
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 913-963-3434. Mister Green Landscaping & Lawncare - Family owned and operated. We offer competitive prices with excellent service. We are a one-stop business for your lawn needs. Mowing, Cleanups, Landscaping, Mulch, Tree Trimming & Removal, Irrigation Repairs, New Installations, Drain Solutions, Patios, Retaining Walls, Yard work, Concrete Work and Snow Removal. FREE ESTIMATES, FREE MOWING ask for details. Quick service, 10+ years’ experience, licensed & insured. 913-707-2551. Budget Tree Service, LLC. Trimmed, shaped, or removed. Shrubs shaped or removed. Fence rows cleaned. No job too small. Licensed, insured. 913-593-7386. Free estimates. Budgettreeservicekc.com. Affordable Long-Term Care Insurance. Includes home health care and assisted living. Arvin Pfefer, 913-722-7200 or arvinonline. com.
AVAIL ABLE HOUSING Time flies! Start planning now to get more than you pay for in an affordable, faith-friendly 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.
ITEMS FOR SALE Home for Sale: Better Homes and Gardens - Paul Willey 913-634-5550. 4108 Elledge, Roeland Park, $134,000. Handicapped accessible, separate quarters for caregivers, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, impeccable interior, second kitchen in professionally finished basement. Wheelchair Ramps - Sales, Rentals, DIY ramp kits, delivery, and installation. On Angie’s List. Free site analysis and quote for Johnson County residents. Call Chuck 913- 553-1488 or visIt www. WheelchairRampKits.com.
ITEMS WANTED RESIDENTIAL LIFTS. Buy, sell, trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts, elevators. Call Silver Cross at 913-327-5557.
your October calendar All classes and events require registration unless otherwise indicated by *. Oc tober 1 Latino Writers/Escritores Latinos. 6:30 p.m. Oak Park Library, 9500 Bluejacket, Overland Park. Share poems and stories. Comparta sus poemas y cuentos. Program in Spanish sponsored by Latino Writers Collective. Cooking Party Bingo. 1:30 p.m. Tomahawk Ridge. $5 per person for 12 games. Stews- Cozy Comfort in a Pot. 6:30 p.m. Shawnee Town 1929, 11600 Johnson Drive. $10.
Oc tober 4 & 11
50 & Beyond Potluck. Noon. Sylvester Powell.
AARP Driving Course. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Irene French. $15/$20 (consecutive Saturdays).
Oc tober 4
Fracking, Water, and Our Future. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Program starts at 9 a.m. Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Program will provide important background information on the current state of water resources and the process of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) for oil and gas in Kansas.*
Oc tober 5
Senior Follies. 2 p.m. Jewish Community Center, 5801 West 115th Street, Overland Park. Variety show featuring 50-plus entertainment.
Oc tober 2 Barbershop Harmonizers. 2 p.m. Matt Ross. Sixteen/ two-hour sessions. $15/$17.
Oc tober 6
Pickleball Lessons. 10 a.m. New Century. $7. Senior Cinema – “Philomena.” 12:15 p.m. Lenexa Senior Center. Enjoy free popcorn, beverage and a movie! Downstream Casino Trip to Quapaw, Okla. Depart at 7:45 a.m. from Lenexa Senior Center. Return at 7:30 p.m. $35. Buffet lunch included in the fee. Skillbuilders: Fall & Winter Car Care. 9:45-10 a.m. coffee, meet, greet. 10-11:50 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. Call 913-648-1520 for further information.
Oc tober 3 Mah Jongg for Beginners. 1 p.m. Matt Ross. Five/twohour Classes. $48/$53. 1950’s Murder Mystery: “Ryder High’s Sock Hop.” 5 p.m. Mill Creek Activity Center, 6518 Vista Dr., Shawnee. $31.
Columbus Day Bingo. 1:30 p.m. Johnson County Sunset Office Building, 11811 South Sunset Drive, Olathe. $5 for 12 games. Genealogy 101. 10 a.m. Roeland Park. Two/90-minute classes. $23/$25.
Oc tober 7 The Breast Center at Menorah Medical Center, 5721 West 119th Street, Leawood, kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its Annual PINK Party, beginning at 4 p.m. Call 913- 498-7407 or visit MenorahMedicalCenter.com. Whole Grains: Venturing Beyond Wheat & Rice. 6 p.m. K-State Olathe campus, 22201 Innovation Drive (College Boulevard). $15. Register: www.johnson.ksu.edu. or 913-715-7000. New Horizons Band. 7 p.m. Roeland Park.
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Community Blood Drive. 7 p.m. Sylvester Powell. Tuesday Tunes with Betse Ellis. 6:30 p.m. Olathe Public Library.
Oc tober 8 Birthdays for October at Lenexa Senior Center. Lunch @ 11:30 a.m. ($3 donation); Birthday folks will receive their lunch for free (paid for by Lenexa Nutrition Council). Entertainment by “The Senior Barn Players” featuring the “Old Time Radio Show” @12:15 p.m. Blood Pressure Clinic. 10:30 a.m. Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th Street, Overland Park. Some of My Best Friends Are Black: A Discussion with Tanner Colby. 7 p.m. Central Resource Library.
Oc tober 9-11 Cemetery Tours. 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday. 7-8 p.m. Saturday. Olathe Memorial Cemetery; please park at Northview Elementary School, 905 North Walker. Learn more about early Olathe history by meeting some of the characters resting in the historic cemetery with a 2014 theme of “Veterans.” Visit www.mahaffie. org or call 913-971-5111 for details.
Oc tober 9
Understanding Reverse Mortgages: Do They Make Sense to You? 10 a.m. Indian Creek. Mamma Mia! at the Music Hall. 6 p.m. Depart at 6 p.m. from Sylvester Powell. Show at 7:30 p.m. Return at approximately 10:30 p.m. $75. Price includes transportation and ticket to the show. Lunch Bunch. 11:15 a.m. “Stroud’s” in Overland Park. Cost of your meal, plus $8 per person if transportation is needed. Transportation departs from the Lenexa Senior Center at 10:30 a.m.
• October 2014
your October calendar Up, Up and Away. Trip departs at 9:30 a.m. from Antioch Park, 6501 Antioch Road, Merriam, to visit the TWA Museum with lunch at Garozzo’s Italian Restaurant and an afternoon visit to the World War I museum for a guided tour and interactive displays. $59 includes lunch. Skillbuilders: Understanding Your Grief. 9:45-10 a.m. coffee, meet, greet. 10-11:50 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. Call 913-648-1520 for further information.
Oc tober 10
Pickleball Lessons. 6 p.m. New Century. $7.
Intro to Slow Cooker Cooking. 6:30 p.m. $15. Extension. Getting the Most from Social Security. 6:30 p.m. Extension. Speaker Series: Kansas City’s World War I Monuments and Memorials. 7 p.m. Shawnee Town 1929. Wartime Literature and Music. 1:30 p.m. Matt Ross. Cut the Clutter and Get Organized. 1 p.m. Indian Creek.
Oc tober 15
Dance: Tap Lessons. 5:45 p.m. Mill Creek. $31. Performing Vocal Group: Side by Side. 12:30 p.m. Grace Methodist Church, 11485 Ridgeview Road, Olathe. $12.*
Hands on CPR for Seniors. 9 a.m. Lenexa Senior Center.
28th annual Fall Festival at Shawnee Indian Mission State Historic Site, 3403 West 53rd Street, Fairway. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sponsored by the Kansas Historical Society. Call 816-213-4356 or visit kshs.org/shawnee-indian.
Oc tober 11 & 18
AARP Driving Course. 8 a.m. – noon. Roeland Park. $15/$20 (consecutive Saturdays). 913-236-4343.
Oc tober 11 A Classical Afternoon with the Goldenberg Duo. 2 p.m. Olathe Public Library. Event features violinist Susan Goldenberg and pianist William Goldenberg. Big Creek Opry trip to Pleasant Hill, Mo. Depart at 4:30 p.m. from Lenexa Senior Center. $50. Goldenberg Duo Performance. 11 a.m. Oak Park Library.
Oc tober 13 Fall Prevention. 1:30 p.m. Tomahawk Ridge. An Edible Discussion. 7 p.m. Corinth Library, , 8100 Mission Road, Prairie Village.
Oc tober 14-15 AARP Driving Course. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Matt Ross. $15/$20. 913-642-6410.
Oc tober 14
50 & Beyond Matinee: “The Fault in Our Stars.” 12:30 p.m. Sylvester Powell. $1; free for SPJCC members. Free popcorn, coffee and water are provided during the movie. Fish Tales. 2:30 p.m. Uncle Buck’s at Bass Pro, 12051 Bass Pro Drive, Olathe. A reminiscence-and- discussion group for individuals with earlier stage dementia who enjoy the outdoors and various nature related hobbies and experiences. 913-831-3888.
Cut the Clutter and Get Organized. 2 p.m. Corinth Library.
Adventure Walk: Konza Prairie at Manhattan. Depart at 8 a.m. from Antioch Park. $25.*
Oc tober 23 Jam Session for musicians with early stage memory loss and musicians who are caregivers. 1 p.m. Alzheimer’s Association Education Center. 913-831-3888. Book Party. 2 p.m. Antioch Library, 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Merriam.
Super Saver. 7 p.m. Shawnee Civic Centre. $12.
Oc tober 16 Cash in With Coupons. 10:30 a.m. Shawnee Library, 13811 Johnson Drive. Freezer to Slow Cooker Meals. 6:30 p.m. $15. Extension. Fall Spaghetti Dinner. Doors open at 4 p.m., program begins at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. Roeland Park. $7. Skillbuilders: Home Computer & Mobile Device Care. 9:45-10 a.m. coffee, meet, greet. 10-11:50 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. Call 913-648-1520 for further information.
Oc tober 17
Country Dance Party. 7:30 p.m. Shawnee Civic Centre. $5 (at the door).
Oc tober 18
Skillbuilders: Making Simple Home Repairs. 9:45-10 a.m. coffee, meet, greet. 10-11:50 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. Call 913-648-1520 for further information.
Oc tober 24
Spooky Bingo. 1:30 p.m. Mill Creek. $5 for 12 games.
Oc tober 25
Halloween Party. 5 p.m. New Century. $6. Party is designed for grandparents/pals and grandchildren. Holiday Treasures Craft Fair. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Shawnee Civic Centre.
Oc tober 28 50 & Beyond Matinee: “Ida.” 12:30 p.m. Sylvester Powell. $1; free for SPJCC members. Invasive Plants- What Can I Do? 7 p.m. Shawnee Civic Centre. $9.
Oc tober 29
Annual St. Joseph Ladies Gift & Craft Bazaar. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. McDevitt Hall at St. Joseph Church, 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee. Call 913-972-1786 or e-mail insomniacreations@everestkc.net.
Organize Your Important Papers. 2 p.m. Corinth Library.
Oc tober 30
Organizing Your Important Papers. 1 p.m. Indian Creek.
Transitions, support group for family members who have lost someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. 9:30 a.m. Alzheimer’s Association Education Center, 3856 West 75th Street, Prairie Village. 913-8313888. Come Write In: National Novel Writing Month Kickoff. 2:30 p.m. Central Resource Library.
Oc tober 20
Oc tober 22 Pickleball Lessons. 9 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. $7/$8.
Senior Fest. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Ritz Charles, 9000 West 137th Street, Overland Park. *
Get Financially Prepared: Take Steps Ahead of Disaster. 6:30 p.m. Indian Creek.
Oc tober 11-12
Oc tober 22-23
AARP Driving Course. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sylvester Powell. $15/$20.
Mah Jongg For Beginners. 6 p.m. Roeland Park. Five/ two-hour sessions. $48/$53.
Beginning Line Dance. 2 p.m. Matt Ross. Eight/50minute classes. $56/$62. Turkey 101. 6:30 p.m. Extension. $25. Skillbuilders: Managing Your Money. 9:45-10 a.m. coffee, meet, greet. 10-11:50 a.m. Tomahawk Ridge. Call 913-648-1520 for further information.
Oc tober 31
Mah Jongg Tournament. 2 p.m. Matt Ross. $5. Basic Clogging. 3 p.m. Learn to Clog. 2 p.m. Matt Ross. Eight/50-minute sessions. $47/$52.
FACILITY LOCATIONS BLUE VALLEY REC.: Blue Valley Recreation Activity Center: 6545 W. 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66223; 913-685-6000; www.bluevalleyrec.org.
NEW CENTURY: New Century Fieldhouse, 551 New Century Parkway, New Century, KS 66031; 913-826-2860.
CENTRAL RESOURCE LIBRARY: 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212; 913826-4600 and Press 3 for all Johnson County Library reservations.
OLATHE PUBLIC LIBRARY: 201 E. Park St., Olathe, KS 66061; 913-971-6850; to register, 913-971-6888.
EXTENSION: Johnson County K-State Research and Extension, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe, KS 66061; 913-715-7000; www.johnson.ksu.edu/classes.
PRAIRIE VILLAGE: Prairie Village Community Center, 7720 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS 66208.
INDIAN CREEK: Indian Creek Branch Library, 12990 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66062; 913-971-6888. 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. SHAWNEE CIVIC CENTRE: 13817 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66216; 913-631-5200.
LENEXA SENIOR CENTER: 13425 Walnut St., Lenexa, KS 66215; 913-477-7100.
SHAWNEE SAFETY CENTER: SenCom computer lab, lower level, 6535 Quivira Road, Shawnee, KS 66203; 913-631-5200.
MAHAFFIE STAGECOACH STOP AND FARM: 1200 Kansas City Road, Olathe, KS 66061; 913-971-5111.
SYLVESTER POWELL: Sylvester Powell Community Center, 6200 Martway St., Mission, KS 66202; 913-722-8200.
MATT ROSS: Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St., Overland Park, KS 66212; 913-642-6410.
TOMAHAWK RIDGE: Tomahawk Ridge Community Center, 11902 Lowell Ave., Overland Park, KS 66213; 913-327-6645.
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• October 2014
Actual Spectrum Resident
Life with...
convenience
How nice to know that the details of daily life are taken care of. • 55+ maintenance free • All inclusive lifestyle • Housekeeping, lawn service, and snow removal • Attached garage • Month-to-month lease • Restaurant-style dining • A wide range of amenities and activities
Winter is quickly approaching, let us do the shoveling for you!
913.871.3725
5901 West 107th Street Overland Park, KS 66207 ParkMeadowsSeniorLiving.com
Independent Living | Assisted Living Transitional Memory Care | Memory Care
Sister property in Shawnee
A SPECTRUM RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
PM Best Times Full Oct 2014
www.jocogov.org/thebesttimes •
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• October 2014