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Publisher CLINT SHELTON
Operations Director DARRELL SANDLIN
Executive Editor ERIC FLEISCHAUER
Living 50 Plus Editor
LORI FEW
CATHERINE GODBEY
News Editor FRANKLIN HARRIS
Living 50 Plus Writers
CATHERINE GODBEY • BAYNE HUGHES
DAVID GAMBINO • ERICA SMITH
WES TOMLINSON • JEAN COLE
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JERONIMO NISA • TRISTAN HOLMES
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Poll shows voters age 50+ wil l decide 2024 elections
CFor advertising questions: Baretta Taylor 256-340-2370
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equipment in his Morgan County shop. Photograph by Jeronimo Nisa. Cover design by Stephen Johnson.
andidates who support the issues most important to Americans ages 50-plus can improve their margin significantly in close races this November, according to an AARP poll. The poll, which surveyed likely voters from the 40 most competitive congressional districts, found caregiving to be a pivotal top issue for voters 50+. Americans 50+ are the largest, and perhaps the most crucial, voting bloc.
While the poll shows that voters 50+ say candidates’ stances on Social Security and Medicare are very important factors impacting their vote this year, 70% of these voters want candidates to support policies to help older adults live independently at home as they age. Thirty-eight percent of voters are currently caregivers, a number that doubles when those who have been one in the past or expect to be one in the future are included.
In the 2018 and 2022 mid-term elections, the share of voters 50+ was approximately four times that of voters under 30. In the 2020 presidential election, the share of voters 50+ was nearly three times that of voters under 30. Not only will older voters likely continue to make up a larger share of the electorate this year, AARP’s poll showed that they are also much more motivated to vote compared to potential younger voters.
HOW TO REACH US
Decatur-Morgan
ON THE COVER: Larry Lemmond restores and repairs tractors and farm
From AARP
AND THE BRAIN EXERCISE
How regular routine exercise can affect mental health
By METRO NEWS
It is well documented that physical activity can be beneficial for the body, but what about the effects of exercise on the brain? Exercise enthusiasts will be glad to learn there are some notable ways that physical activity can benefit the brain.
A 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology indicated that much
evidence shows that physical exercise is a strong gene modulator that causes structural and functional changes in the brain that can benefit cognitive functioning and well-being. Exercise also seems to be a protective factor against neurodegeneration.
Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, says there is a lot of science behind exercise boosting memory and
thinking skills. Exercise can encourage production of growth factors, which are chemicals that affect the growth of new blood vessels in the brain and even the number of brain cells and their ability to thrive. Various studies point to exercise causing growth in the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory. The World Health Organization even notes that about two hours of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week can help improve thinking and memory skills.
Another study, led by a team of sports scientists at the University of
Geneva, grouped 350,000 people in the United Kingdom according to genetic variants associated with more or less physical activity. Those who had a genetic proclivity toward being active tended to perform better on a set of cognitive tests. Additional studies have found that more physical activity correlated to better cognitive performance at age 69 among individuals who had been tracked for 30 years.
Although many health professionals agree that exercise is good for the brain, the amount of exercise and where it takes place also may play a role in cognitive health. A 2023 study published in Scientific Reports found that time spent in natural outdoor environments led to increases in cognition similar to those resulting from acute exercises. Researchers found that when exercise and nature are combined, the impact on cognition is magnified.
Researchers have not pinpointed whether one exercise is better than another for improving brain health. Walking is one way to start, as it is accessible for people of all ages and requires little to no equipment. Anyone beginning an exercise regimen should discuss plans with a doctor and speak about their exercise goals.
Positively affecting mood
According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical activity releases chemicals in the brain that positively
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affect mood, thus making exercise a tool anyone can utilize to improve their mental health.
Studies have found that exercise is an effective treatment for depression. A review and analysis, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ in 2024, reviewed 218 unique studies involving more than 14,000 participants. Walking, jogging, yoga and strength training were found to be especially effective at treating depression, which affects about 280 million people worldwide.
In relation to stress, the most common physical signs of stress include difficulty sleeping, sweating and loss of appetite, symptoms that are triggered by a flood of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline released in the body. Those hormones increase blood pressure and heart rate. Exercise can help to alleviate stress, and adults who are highly active have been found to have lower rates of stress than those who live more sedentary lifestyles.
BABY BACK RIBS AND SPICY SOY CHICKEN WINGS
By METRO NEWS
When football season kicks off each year at the end of summer, the exciting action on the gridiron is a cause for celebration among millions of football fans. The food enjoyed during game day provides much to look forward to as well. Few fans will turn down a plate of wings or walk away from a tray of nachos during football season. But fans hosting game watch parties at home can go beyond the norm and offer additional fare that's sure to please a crowd. For instance, the following recipe for Baby Back Ribs with homemade Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce from Will Budiaman's "The Essential Kamado Grill Cookbook" (Rockridge Press) will make sure fans go home with full bellies this football season.
Endorsed by:
BABY BACK RIBS
Serves 4
2 to 2½ pound racks baby back ribs
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup Kansas City-style Barbecue Sauce (see below)
➊ Trim any hanging fat off the ribs. Season with the salt and pepper on both sides. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
➋ Prepare the grill for smoking at 225 F to 275 F.
➌ Place the ribs meat-side up on the grate over the drip pan. Close the lid. If desired, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil after 1 hour 30 minutes or once the bark (crust) is reddish brown.
➍ Turn over the ribs, close the lid, and continue cooking for 1 hour 30 minutes more, or until the ribs pull apart with a gentle tug.
➎ Remove the foil (if using), baste the ribs with the sauce, close the lid and cook meat-side up for 10 more minutes or until the sauce is set. Serve immediately.
Cooking tip: The back of pork ribs is covered with a membrane that some pitmasters say prevents the meat from absorbing the smoke, but this is a myth. Many don't bother removing it and leaving it on helps keep the ribs from falling apart when you move them.
KANSAS CITY-STYLE BARBECUE SAUCE
Makes about 11/2 cups
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons unsulfured blackstrap molasses
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
➊ In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and sugar until smooth.
➋ In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
➌ Add the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds or until golden.
➍ Add the salt, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne. Cook for 10 seconds or until fragrant.
➎ Stir in the ketchup mixture. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 1 minute or until the flavors meld.
➏ Let cool and refrigerate overnight before using to let the flavors develop.
Cooking tip: When making barbecue sauce, it's not necessary to boil the ingredients, only simmer them. Simmering them allows the flavors to meld; boiling them causes the ingredients to separate.
SPICY SOY CHICKEN WINGS
Fans who like their game day grub to have a little kick can try this recipe for Spicy Soy Chicken Wings courtesy of Andrew Schloss's "Cooking Slow: Recipes for Slowing Down and Cooking More" (Chronicle Books).
Makes 4 servings
4 pounds chicken wings, cut into sections at the joints, tapered wing tips trimmed and discarded
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder, preferably habanero
2 garlic cloves, minced
➊ Combine the chicken wing pieces with a generous amount of salt and pepper in a large, zippered plastic bag. Close the bag tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
➋ Preheat the oven to 225 F. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish in a single layer without crowding.
➌ In a small saucepan, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cayenne, chili powder and garlic and heat to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the chicken. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and cook until the chicken is nearly falling off the bone, about 3 hours.
➍ Raise the oven temperature to 450 F and continue baking until the chicken browns and the sauce thickens into a glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Watch carefully near the end of the cooking time to avoid burning. Toss the wings in the sauce to coat and serve.
Variation:
In a slow cooker
Follow the recipe, cooking the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours, instead of a baking dish in the oven. When the wings are cooked through, transfer to a bowl. Simmer the sauce with the lid of the cooker off until it thickens, about 10 minutes longer. Toss the wings in the thickened sauce and serve.
Grandmother’s Mission: Sylvia Miller founded Elijah’s Blanket for NICU families
[COURTESY PHOTO/JODI HYDE PHOTOGRAPHY]
By CATHERINE GODBEY
Living
50 Plus
After hundreds of hours of making slip knots and chains of yarn, Sylvia Miller arrived at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children armed with 30 hand-knitted blankets and hand-written notes. The blankets created by the Elijah’s Blanket volunteers will end up wrapped around the mothers and fathers of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“I think about all the mamas and daddies in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). I think about how the rooms are so cold and how so many of these parents are on a roller coaster ride because they just don’t know what to expect,” Miller said. “These blankets are one small way to show the parents that someone cares about them and has been praying for them and their babies.”
For the 59-year-old Miller, founder of Elijah’s Blanket, the project is personal.
Miller, the grandmother of seven, formed the nonprofit Elijah’s Blanket after the birth of her grandson, Elijah Steffen. On Dec. 2, 2021, Elijah was born at 24 weeks gestation weighing 13 ounces and 11 inches long and suffering from lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.
While nurses and doctors monitored Elijah in the Huntsville Hospital NICU for the first four months of his life and then at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham through August 2023, Miller began hand-knitting blankets.
Every day, after working as a magistrate with the city of Decatur, Miller would grab a skein of yarn, knit and pray.
“Going in the NICU and seeing those parents with those babies and knowing what Kelsey (Elijah’s mother) was going through, taking one step forward to take three steps back, really got to me,” Miller said. “The Lord laid it on my heart to do something for these mamas and daddies.”
In July 2022, Elijah’s Blanket was born. The group adopted the mission: “We can’t erase the emotions and concern, but we can show the love of Jesus Christ and support NICU parents in a tangible way.”
Over the past two years, the outreach organization, which has donated more than 200 blankets to Madison Hospital and Huntsville Hospital, has grown from a one-
woman operation into a core group of eight members.
“Elijah’s Blanket is my baby and it’s growing,” Miller said. “Elijah’s Blanket could not do what it is doing without the amazing ladies that make up the core group.”
Those ladies range from new mothers to grandmothers. Most have been affected by the NICU.
“We have created this little family
In June, Sylvia Miller gifted 30 blankets to families of NICU patients at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. [COURTESY PHOTO]
and share our stories with one another. It’s amazing how God has brought us all together for this one purpose,” Miller said.
Among the faithful blanket makers is Scarlet Bolan.
“I experienced the NICU 12 years ago when my niece Natalie was born. She spent 32 days in the NICU. It is such a sad, yet amazing, place. The parents are on a roller coaster. One
day things are looking good and the next they are bad,” Bolan, 51, said.
Bolan started participating in Elijah’s Blanket a year ago when Miller spoke at Decatur Baptist.
“I knew that I had to get involved,” Bolan said. “I knew that I wanted to be a part of doing anything that would encourage the parents and let them know that someone cares about what they are going through.”
Like many of the volunteers with Elijah’s Blanket, Bolan had no experience hand knitting blankets. From Miller, she learned the basics.
“Now, a year later, I have knitted 40 blankets,” Bolan said.
Miller has led hand-knitting classes at Decatur Baptist, where she attends church, Warehouse Coffee in Hartselle, High Point Market in downtown Decatur, the Priceville Event Center and the First Priority Building in Decatur.
“I see it as a numbers game. The more people I see and can tell about Elijah’s Blanket, the more people who will want to get involved, especially if they have a history with the NICU. People who have been touched by the NICU get what we are doing and want to be part of it,” Miller said.
For the blankets, Miller recommended using Yarn Bee yarn or Bernant Big Blanket yarn. Completing a blanket takes four skeins. Miller gives newcomers a sample blanket for them to examine the size and width of the creation.
“It was my husband’s idea. He said instead of just taking anything they gave me and redoing it myself or not using it at all that they needed an example to go by. It has helped a great deal,” Miller said. “Now, some of the ladies I have taught are teaching others. I am so proud of them.”
Each blanket comes with a handwritten note from the person who knitted the blanket and a QR code that tells the Gospel story. The blankets also contain notes from area children. To spread the message of Elijah and Elijah’s Blanket, Miller visited Decatur Heritage Christian Academy’s fourth grade. She demonstrated how to make the blankets and also asked them to make cards for the recipients. Children from Decatur Baptist also created cards to go with the blankets.
Three recipients of the blankets, including the mother who received the very first Elijah’s Blanket, have reached out to Miller.
“All I ask to know is if it was a boy or a girl and for the first name. Some
Elijah's Blanket has donated more than 200 blankets to Madison Hospital and Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. [COURTESY PHOTO]
choose to tell me more. It is nice to hear from the families who have been touched by the blankets,” Miller said. For more information, visit Elijah’s Blanket on Facebook or elijahsblanket on Instagram.
As for Elijah, he continues to thrive at his home in Eva with his parents, Jon and Kelsey Steffen, and his older sister, Nyla Steffen.
“Elijah is wonderful. He is crawling everywhere and trying to walk. He is able to pull up by himself and walking using the wall. He is only on oxygen at night. We are very proud of him and his development,” Miller said.
Sylvia Miller, not pictured, has led hand-knitting classes at Decatur Baptist, Warehouse Coffee, High Point Market, the Priceville Event Center and the First Priority Building in Decatur. [COURTESY PHOTO]
BEING A GOOD PARENT AND CHILD:
TODAY’S SANDWICH GENERATION UNDER PRESSURE
By NEWS USA
Many adults today are juggling the demands of work, household upkeep, finances and schoolaged children, while also caring for an aging parent. This group, known as the sandwich generation, may feel more like a panini – pressed and grilled between the weight of their caregiving duties. According to a recent survey by Home Instead Inc., 62% of those in the sandwich generation feel they must choose between being a good parent or being a good daughter or son. These pressures are intensified by economic uncertainty and the impact of the pandemic.
“Caregiving can take an emotional, mental and even physical toll on someone, and it can be hard to divide attention and resources to provide the best care to loved ones of different ages,” says Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger, Ph.D., gerontologist and caregiving advocate at Home Instead. “While caregivers may feel they have to do it by themselves, it's best to avoid the superhero mentality and recognize where support is needed.”
Hogan Eichenberger offers five ways to help manage stress and survive the sandwich generation press:
1. Seek support. To help manage the pressure, seek out a group where you can share your experience with others who are in a similar situation and talk through ideas for respite and support. Consider virtual and in-person support groups for caregivers in the sandwich generation or groups geared toward specific conditions such as Alzheimer’s.
2. Prioritize yourself. It’s easy to view your role as a caregiver as your entire identity. In fact, 63% say that caregiving makes it harder to care for themselves. Set aside time to address your mental and physical health. Aim to eat healthy, exercise regularly and get seven to eight hours of sleep.
3. Line up supportive care. Professional care services can offer much-needed respite and ensure your parent or aging loved one is safe while you’re not there. Many professional caregivers trained specifically for elder care can assist with tasks such as bathing and housework. Family members or friends can also provide relief. For example, you might team up with other parents to carpool or line up play dates.
4. Consider delivery services. As a caregiver, it can be challenging to find time for typical errands. Save valuable time by subscribing to delivery services like Instacart for groceries or your local pharmacy for medications.
5. Communicate with your employer. Seventyseven percent of caregivers say they have had to make major or minor changes to their work to meet commitments. Help your manager and co-workers understand the responsibilities in your personal life, and discuss a plan that works for you and the team. Ask about benefits or services your employer offers, such as an Employee Assistance Program.
For more information and practical resources to help, visit: homeinstead.com/sandwichgen.
TRACTORS NEVER PULL UP LAME FOR LARRY
Larry Lemmond works in his home’s shop. [JERONIMO NISA]
By JEAN COLE Living 50 Plus
Whenever Larry Lemmond’s wife asks about his growing collection of antique tractors and engines, he tells her, “Blame your daddy — he got me started.”
He still recalls the day he fell in love with them.
“That was 30-something years ago, but I remember exactly,” said Lemmond, 78.
“There was an antique engine and tractor show about 40 miles from where I live. My daddy-in-law told me about it. He said, ‘Let’s go up there and see it.’ We got up there, and I was hooked on those old engines. I’ve told my wife several times, 'Now don’t you blame me for this.'”
Lemmond has what his friends consider the Midas touch. Give him an old tractor, tractor engine or some
Larry Lemmond’s current project is to bring back to life the rusty six-horse engine of a 1920 cordwood saw. [JERONIMO NISA]
other piece of farm equipment — something assigned to history’s scrap heap — and watch him restore it. One of his current projects is trying to restore a 1920s cordwood saw that looks like its best friend is rust. Experience tells him he can bring it back to life and if you doubt him, he takes it as a challenge.
“One of my favorite things to do is fix things that can’t be fixed,” he said. “I figure it worked at one time, so why can't it be done again?”
Larry and Johnnie Lemmond have been married 48 years. The secret to their marriage is spending time together, he said. The couple do nearly everything together, though they spend time apart on occasion, he said.
“She recently went to Orange Beach with family,” he said. “All the women went, and I stayed home, but for the most part we are together.”
Johnnie isn’t opposed to tractors and engines at all. She often goes along with him when he goes to shows and she has been the secretary/treasurer of the Southland Flywheelers Club antique engine and tractor club. Lemmond is one of the founding members.
THE CLUB
The club is for people interested in antique farm and industrial machinery and related items, according to the website southlandflywheelers.org. Membership is open to anyone interested in the preservation of old agricultural and industrial machinery and the education of the public about them. This includes a wide range of items from engines to tractors and corn grinders to hacksaws. Some members even have steam engines.
Lemmond said the club puts on three shows a year in north Alabama — at the Alabama Jubilee in Decatur at Point Mallard Park on the Saturday before Memorial Day, at the Spring Swap Meet and Show on the third Saturday in March and at the Fall Festival and Harvest Exhibits the fourth Saturday in October. Both the spring and fall shows are at the new Southland Flywheelers Farm in Hartselle.
The Flywheelers club gets its name from flywheel engines, which have two flywheels to keep the momentum going once the engine starts to run, Lemmond said.
He and his wife go to about 20 shows a year, he said. He’s been all over the United States doing that over the
Larry Lemmond gives Wade Stinson a ride in his 1918 Waterloo Boy during the Alabama Jubilee festival at Point Mallard Park. [JERONIMO NISA]
years — Arizona, California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Iowa and Nebraska to name a few.
He is also a member of the International Harvester Collectors, Chapter 23. He’s been in it so long he is one of the first on the roster when it started in Alabama decades ago. There are now 300 members, according to the chapter website.
FARM FAVORITES
Lemmond has all manner of farming equipment, including 30 tractors and one reaper.
“A little bit of everything,” he said. “I have a horse-drawn reaper that I converted to a tractor-pull machine. None of us is young enough to keep up with six mules; we can’t walk that good anymore,” he joked.
He seems too young to have remembered mule-drawn tractor equipment, but he insists.
“Oh, yes, I do remember,” he said. “I used to follow my daddy and he didn’t have a tractor back then. He had a team of Morgan horses. He used them for everything he needed to do in the field from plow to harvest. He farmed 40 acres that way then eventually traded up to a 75-acre farm because our family was growing.”
There were seven kids in his family; he was the eldest. They were raised in the Gum Springs community east of Hartselle.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IS FIX THINGS THAT CAN'T BE FIXED... I FIGURE IT WORKED AT ONE TIME, S O WHY CAN'T IT BE DONE AGAIN?
“I still live there, on the same place,” he said. “I don’t have all of it, but I have part of it. I got 20-something acres at the house, and I got 40 acres over on Highway 36. Got some cows.”
The farmland is used mainly for the Southern Flywheelers Club, he said. He grows various crops, which they use in showing how their restored equipment was once used. He plants cotton, corn, peanuts, sugarcane and broom corn, which is just like sugarcane only it has a head on it that can be cut off and used to make brooms for floor sweeping, he said.
“I just do a little bit of that (farming) to show people in our fall show how we used to grow when I was growing up,” he said. Adding to the mix are some old square stationary hay balers.
“You use a pitchfork to put in the hay and then tie the bales by hand with wire,” he said.
COLLECTIONS
He has his favorites in his large collection.
“My favorite is the old hit-and-miss engine — a one cylinder — they were for pumping oil fields."
He has a square tub Maytag washing machine with a gasoline engine.
“That’s the way they made them,” he said.
He has an impressive collection of yard sticks — 300 or so last time he counted.
He collects 1/16th-scale toy tractors and equipment.
He also has a few pocketknives.
[JERONIMO NISA]
“I don’t really collect them but if I see one I like, I get it; if not, I don’t buy it." He is partial to the 8-to-10-inch scabbard his wife bought him that was made from a railroad spike by a man in South Carolina.
He also likes trains. He built a train that can pull about six people — kids or adults. It all fits in the back of his pickup truck. He used to take it to shows.
Over the years, Lemmond has built a helpful network of friends and co-collectors and repairers of old machinery.
“If I need a part and can’t find it, I reach out to someone else.”
He’s building a 1955 TD-9 crawler/dresser, a type of tractor like a Caterpillar, that is made by International Harvester.
“I needed a diesel injector part and found some parts in New York. A friend of mine up there, he found it,” he said.
Bill Friday, 79, retired rocket scientist and farm machinery restorer, has known Lemmond for decades now and says he is all you’d want in a friend.
“I met him when I retired and brought my old tractor home and started working on it. I got it running and took it to a tractor show in 2005 and that’s where I met Larry,” Friday said. “I always had a huge respect for him, his knowledge and his value system. He’s pretty well selftaught and he understands how things work. If he doesn’t know, he figures it out. He’s done some incredible work in restoring old equipment. I’ve been impressed with him all these years.”
He said Lemmond is the kind of man who knows how to dust himself off and move on. He shared a story about how the Lemmonds have an elevator in their home.
“The cable snapped one day and dropped Larry three floors and he broke his foot,” Friday said. “He rebuilt the elevator, put a new cable in it and got over all of that. Then, he was out mowing with his old tractor and the tractor ran through a deep hole, threw him off and the tractor ran over his shoulder. The mower was aimed right at him, but he rolled out of the way. Now, there was a third thing that happened to him, but I can’t remember it. Anyway, he just gets up and gets over it. He’s pretty amazing and he gets right back to work.”
When the Flywheelers club needed a president, Lemmond stepped up and did it and has been doing it ever since, Friday said.
“If somebody needs help, he’s right there,” he said. “He’s the kind of fella you want as a friend, and I’m proud to have him as one.”
Sherman Roberts, a retired educator from Jasper, has been a “tractor buddy” of Lemmond since the late 1990s.
“I would say that he is very decent, honest, trustworthy and he’s easy-going and doesn’t get upset. If you see him today or next week, he’ll treat you the same. He’s always Larry. Stable. Respectful.”
He said their goal is to try to collect, restore and preserve antique tractors, engines and other equipment used on the farm so future generations will have an understanding of history and the progress to modern equipment.
“I’ve got old mule-drawn equipment — old antique plows and things like that — and Larry’s got a lot of that kind of stuff too but he’s mainly an antique engine man,” said Roberts, who has close to 100 Farmall tractors.
He said he enjoys his friendship with Lemmond because they both have the same interest.
“We just share a love of restoring and showing these antiques that we were able to save from the smelter and preserve them so people can see them,” he said.
If Lemmond ever becomes unable to repair engines and other equipment he decided he will auction it all off.
“When I can’t take care of it anymore, I’ll get rid of it and hopefully spend the money before we die,” he said.
Southland Flywheelers member Bill Friday, right, works to fix his antique tractor’s engine that moves the belts of an 1881 cotton gin. His friend Harley Marsh helps him. [JERONIMO NISA]
Lawn den: & Hydrangeas
Gar
By DR. EDDIE MILES LOUIS SMITH MSU Extension Service
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite plants to use in areas of my landscape that get part shade and full shade. This year, my hydrangeas have really put on a show with their colorful blooms.
One of the most popular and widely grown species, the bigleaf hydrangea, has always fascinated me with its ability to change color based on the soil pH and aluminum availability.
In my garden, I’ve noticed that the flowers turn a lovely blue or purple in soils with low pH. In less acidic
are strong additions to garden areas
soils, or those with a pH above 6, the flowers shift to a vibrant pink. This unique characteristic makes bigleaf hydrangeas a fun addition to my garden, as I can experiment with soil conditions to achieve the flower colors I love.
I recently visited the home of my friends, Dave Overturf and Ginger Wentz, on the Gulf Coast and saw some beautiful hydrangeas in their garden covered with bright, colorful blooms. Their lacecap hydrangeas are a delightful variety of bigleaf hydrangeas. This variety has flat, round flower heads with centers of fertile flowers surrounded by outer rings of sterile flowers.
The structure of these flowers resembles a fancy lace cap or pinwheel, adding intricacy to their garden. These hydrangeas are particularly striking in shaded areas, where their delicate blooms create a captivating focal point.
Another favorite of mine in my friends’ landscape was the Little Lime hydrangea, a popular dwarf variety of the Limelight hydrangea.
Its compact size is perfect for smaller garden areas, borders and containers. Little Lime typically grows to about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, making it more manageable than its larger counterparts.
This panicle hydrangea thrives in full sun to partial shade and produces
Bigleaf hydrangeas can change bloom color based on the soil pH and aluminum availability.
Oakleaf hydrangea is native to Alabama. It produces large, cone-shaped clusters of flowers that start out white and gradually turn pink as they age.
lush, lime-green flowers that gradually turn pink as they mature. This gives a continuous display of color throughout the growing season.
In a shaded corner of Dave and Ginger’s landscape, I spotted an oakleaf hydrangea.
Native to southeastern United States, this plant produces large, cone-shaped clusters of flowers that start out white and gradually turn pink as they age. The flowers bloom from late spring to early summer, offering a long-lasting display of beauty.
The deeply lobed leaves resemble oak leaves, which is where the plant gets its name. In the summer, the leaves are a rich green, turning to shades of red, orange and purple in the fall, adding seasonal interest to the landscape.
Little Lime is a popular dwarf variety of Limelight hydrangea. Its compact size is perfect for smaller garden areas, borders and containers.
By METRO NEWS
The meaning of the term "cozy" varies as it pertains to home decor. For some, cozy may mean intimate spaces with lots of quilts and throws. For others, cozy could indicate bright and airy spaces enhanced by plenty of fresh foliage.
HOW TO MAKE A HOME MORE COZY
The following are some ways to impart a cozy vibe to any living space
Regardless of how they define cozy, homeowners typically want their homes to be inviting and comfortable. With that in mind, the following are some ways to impart a cozy vibe to any living space.
⋆ Make use of a fireplace. Flames lapping wood (or faux wood in the event of gas-powered fireplaces) can put anyone in a tranquil state of
mind. Fireplaces add instant ambiance and make great places for people to congregate and engage in conversation. During warmer months when the fire isn't blazing, decorative candles can be lit to mimic the same feel.
⋆ Add texture in the design. Texture can be anything from a raised pattern on wallpaper to a knotty area rug to a mosaic piece of artwork. A home with texture tends to create cozier impressions than one with all sleek and smooth surfaces.
⋆ Enjoy a soft rug. Although many design experts say hardwood floors or laminate options are easier for allergies and keeping a home clean, a soft rug underfoot can be welcoming. Rather than wall-to-wall carpeting, place area rugs in spots
that can use some cozying up, such as beneath beds and even under the dining table.
⋆ Light candles. The warm, flickering light of candles adds cozy vibes in spades. According to The Spruce and Paula Boston, a visual merchandiser for Festive Lights, candles can be used throughout a home to create an instant atmosphere. Exercise caution with candles and fully extinguish them before retiring for the evening.
⋆ Update bedding for the season. Crisp and light cotton and linen are cozy materials when the weather is warm. But when the temperature starts to dip, flannel or jersey bedding makes a bed that much more inviting, says Real Simple.
⋆ Invest in lots of pillows. Pillows can instantly make a spot cozier, whether it's the living room sofa or an outdoor lounging nook. Look for materials that are durable for the space in which they're being used.
⋆ Think about warm lighting. The transition from incandescent light bulbs to halogen and LED is beneficial from an environmental standpoint. However, LEDs illuminate with a more stark, blue light that can seem clinical in-home spaces. Look for bulbs where the "temperature" can be customized. The more the color spectrum leans toward warm light, the cozier a space will feel. This can be enhanced by putting some lights on dimmer switches and toning down the brightness as needed.
⋆ Install a bookshelf. Even for those who are strict devotees of e-readers, a shelf full of actual books interspersed with some well-placed knickknacks can make a room feel cozier. Books add texture, the feel of hallowed halls and libraries, and visual appeal.
Making a home cozier doesn't have to be complicated. A few easy modifications can improve the interior spaces.
LEADING LADS:
DECATUR MAN DIRECTS NATIONAL CONVENTION REACHING THOUSANDS OF YOUTH
By CATHERINE GODBEY Living 50 Plus
At the age of 10, Blake McAnally delivered his first sermon at his grandfather’s church. He spoke for 45 minutes about the crucifixion.
“That was not a good idea to speak for 45 minutes, but I didn’t know that at the time,” the 61-year-old McAnally, of Decatur, said. “Speaking in front of people is hard for a lot of people. I am very thankful my grandfather made me do it starting from a young age.”
Now, as director of the Lads to Leaders national convention in Nashville, McAnally is taking the lessons learned from his grandfather and passing them on to the younger generations. In the volunteer position, McAnally leads a team that reaches thousands of children and teenagers each year.
The 2024 convention, held Easter weekend, brought in 10,000 attendees to the Opryland Hotel.
“It is amazing to see all of these young people come in and to hear them participate in speeches and leading songs. I’m blown away by the kids.
They are some amazing young people,” McAnally said.
Formed in 1968 at Warner Robins Church of Christ in Georgia, Lads to Leaders, a program associated with churches of Christ, trains young men and women to become Christian leaders in the church and community. The national convention features competitions ranging from debate, speech and song leading to art, Bible bowl and puppet theater.
McAnally’s association with Lads to Leaders began 30 years ago when he served as the local coordinator at his home church, Beltline Church of Christ.
Blake McAnally oversees the national convention Lads to Leaders in Nashville. [JERONIMO NISA]
“I was a deacon at the time and was assigned to oversee the local program. I was in that position for eight years. I didn’t do it by myself; I had a lot of assistance from Sherry Elliott,” said McAnally, who now serves as a shepherd at Beltline Church of Christ.
Hundreds of youth participated in the Beltline Church of Christ’s Lads to Leaders during the eight years McAnally and Elliott led the program.
“The youth in the program when Sherry and I led the program have become a sitting judge, chief of staff for the governor of Tennessee, a doctor, multiple teachers, deacons
SOMEWHERE THERE IS A WHITEBOARD WITH A LIST OF ALL THE POTENTIAL PARTICIPATING CHURCHES WRITTEN ON IT IN RED OR BLACK INK. EITHER THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO LADS OR WE ARE WORKING ON THEM.
in churches, a pharmacist, lawyers and mothers of spectacular children,” McAnally said. “The ability to watch them now, as adults, pouring into their communities and churches is an amazing experience.”
After serving at the local level, McAnally sat on the Lads to Leaders board of directors for 12 years and held the positions of trea-surer, secretary, vice chair and chair.
Fifteen years ago, Philip Hines, who retired as the full-time minister at Hartselle Church of Christ in 2022 and led Lads to Leaders conventions in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and
Arkansas, ushered McAnally into the convention circuit.
“Philip taught me how to be a convention coordinator,” McAnally said.
Due to the program’s size, Lads to Leaders conventions are held at multiple sites – Atlanta; Dallas; Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; Golden, Colorado; Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Altoona, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; and Nashville. Nashville serves as the largest location.
In 2018, after coordinating the Memphis convention for five years, McAnally began overseeing the Nashville site. Organizers tasked him with increasing the convention’s size, which had fallen from 10,000 to 7,200. To reverse the downslide, McAnally worked with the Lads to Leaders’ six paid staff members.
“We focused on bringing in new groups. The staff would put on workshops for churches that might be interested. Somewhere there is a whiteboard with a list of all the potential participating churches written on it in red or black ink. Either they have committed to Lads or we are working on them,” McAnally said.
The strategy worked. In 2020, before the spread of COVID canceled the convention, more than 10,300 people had registered for the program in Nashville.
“The next year, in 2021, we had 3,000 people, but have steadily climbed since then,” McAnally said. “This year, we were up above 10,000 again.”
The attendees represented 200 churches of Christ from Tennessee, Alabama and other neighboring states.
For McAnally, the convention is a family affair. Among the constant volunteers are his wife Patty McAnally, son Patrick McAnally, daughter Cara Elliott, son-in-law Charles Elliott, and Elliott’s parents Chuck and Sherry Elliott.
“Anybody I can get my hands on I will bring,” said McAnally, who is training Charles Elliott to take over the position as convention director in Nashville. “One of the conditions I had of moving from Memphis to Nashville was that I could have my own staff. In Memphis, I was a oneman show. I was the director, master of ceremonies, award presenter, I did everything. In Nashville, I am the CEO with a considerable volunteer staff.”
The 2024 convention marked McAnally’s sixth year as the director in Nashville.
“When I took on that role, I said I would do three years. I’m now in my seventh year. I’m like the collegiate athletes now who are working on their sixth or seventh year of eligibility,” McAnally said with a laugh. “Next year I might hand over the reins to Charles and just serve as director in name only.”
While at the convention, McAnally makes sure to support the youth from Beltline Church of Christ, including his granddaughters. He also takes time to sit in on the Bartimaeus competition.
“The Bartimaeus competition is for our youth with special needs. Let me tell you, that is a special time. There is not a dry eye in the house,” McAnally said.
Blake McAnally, left, with Roy Johnson, executive director of Lads to Leaders, at the Nashville convention. [COURTESY PHOTO]
The awards ceremony also touches McAnally.
“It is always very rewarding to see kids get their names called. They are as excited as anybody at the Alabama and Auburn football game. But it is more special because what they are excited about means so much more than football,” McAnally said.
The convention ends the Saturday before Easter, but many participants opt to stay at the hotel until Easter Sunday.
“Just imagine 7,000 people in the Opryland Hotel’s Delta ballroom celebrating Easter. Some of the exceptional students and song leaders conduct the service. It is fantastic,” McAnally said.
McAnally, a civil engineer and president of Pugh Wright McAnally, who has served on the boards of educational, economic, health care and arts organizations, sees his involvement with Lads to Leaders as one of his most important roles.
Blake McAnally, left, with his daughter Cara Elliott, son-in-law Charles Elliott, and granddaughters at the Nashville convention. [COURTESY PHOTO]
“I have volunteered with a lot of things, but the most important thing I’ve ever been part of is the church. I take to heart the parable of the talents. I believe God gave me the talent to lead people. If I stood on the sidelines and did not do that, I would feel guilty,” McAnally said.
An incident as a fourth grader at Ingram Sowell Elementary School in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, led McAnally to start pursuing leadership roles.
“I was chicken fighting on the monkey bars with a girl. She fell down and hurt herself. The principal called my mom to the school. He said, ‘Blake is a leader. I can’t have him doing this stuff because everyone else will follow.’ Ever since then I’ve felt the burden as a leader to do what is right, to do what is good and to do the best I can,” McAnally said. “I’m not perfect, but I try my best and, in serving others, it brings me great joy.”
Blake McAnally supports youth from Beltline Church of Christ while at the Nashville convention.
[COURTESY PHOTO]
FAQ
ABOUT PETS AND MICROCHIPS
Microchipping is a permanent solution that is ideal for pets
By METRO NEWS
Pet owners generally want to do all they can to safeguard the well-being of their companion animals. This includes taking steps to ensure that pets can be returned safely should they get lost while outdoors.
Utilizing collars with identification information on them is one option, but that does not offer peace of mind if the collar comes loose and falls off. However, microchipping is a permanent solution that is ideal for pets.
WHAT IS A MICROCHIP?
A microchip is a small device that is injected under the pet's skin. It is about the size of a grain of rice. Unlike
collars or tags that can fall off or become illegible, a microchip always contains the data that has your identification. Here are some common questions about microchips and answers collected from PetLink®, HomeAgain, The Humane Society and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
DOES THE MICROCHIP HAVE A BATTERY OR CHARGE?
No, a microchip is simply an electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder. It is activated when a scanner sending out radio waves is passed over the chip, which then transmits the ID number to the scanner. The microchip is known as a transponder. You do not have to worry about replacing batteries or recharging the chip. Typically microchips last for 24 years, well past the average life span of many pets.
IS INSERTION OF THE MICROCHIP PAINFUL?
Veterinarians assert that injecting the microchip is no more painful than a typical vaccination. However, the needle to place the microchip is slightly larger. The procedure can be done during a routine office visit and does not require anesthesia. Some vets will implant the chip during a procedure for spaying or neutering so that the animal will be calm and still under anesthesia.
WHO CAN READ THE CHIP?
Virtually all shelters and veterinarians have scanners that can read microchips. Beginning in 2004, the 134 kHz microchip was introduced with specifications developed by the International Standards Organization (ISO). This frequency is usually considered the global standard for pet microchips and the one that most scanners will read.
WHERE IS THE MICROCHIP PLACED?
Most dogs and cats are microchipped along the dorsal midline, which is just between the shoulder blades. Horses are injected along the left side of the neck, about an inch below the mane. Birds receive the implant in their breast muscles because they have less mass than other animals. These locations make it easier for scanners to find the chips.
CAN A MICROCHIP MIGRATE IN THE BODY?
Usually your pet's subcutaneous tissue will bond to the chip within 24 hours, preventing it from moving. There are rare instances when a chip migrates elsewhere in the body.
HOW CAN I REGISTER MY PET?
The microchip is only effective if it is programmed with the pet's contact information. Microchip registries coordinate with the chip used. You'll simply make an account and link the chip to your name, phone number and other identifying information. It is important to update this data as needed when you move or get a new phone number.
Microchips, when used in conjunction with collars and ID tags, offer the best protection for pets.
Decatur-Morgan
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STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP SENIORS GROW THEIR MONEY
Tips that can help seniors grow their money without exposing them to considerable risk
By METRO NEWS
Investing is often portrayed as something people need not worry about after retirement. The theory that people should avoid risk as they approach and reach retirement age makes sense, as the unknown of investing can expose aging individuals to losses that compromise their ability to live comfortably on fixed incomes.
Though conventional wisdom regarding financial risk and aging still makes sense, the effects of inflation over the last year-plus have highlighted how important it can be for seniors to keep growing their money even after they retire. Fortunately, various strategies can help seniors grow their money without exposing them to considerable risk.
▶ Look into high-yield savings accounts. Interest in savings accounts was once a great way for individuals to grow their money. But interest rates on standard, no-minimumbalance accounts are now so low that the growth in interest is negligible. However, individuals with sizable savings, such as seniors, can explore high-yield savings accounts. Highyield savings accounts offer much higher interest rates than standard accounts. The rules governing eligibility to open such accounts differ between financial institutions, but many mandate that account holders
have high minimum balances, typically in the neighborhood of $250,000. So long as account holders maintain that minimum balance, they can accrue penalty-free interest without exposing their money to the risks of the market.
▶ Consider other exclusive bank accounts. High-yield savings accounts are not the only way seniors' banks may be able to help grow their money without necessarily taking on market-related risk. Products such as Chase Private Client CheckingSM offer exclusive perks, including a dedicated client advisor who can work with seniors as they navigate life changes, including retirement.
▶ Consider low-risk investments. Risk aversion is not the same thing as risk avoidance. It's wise for seniors to be averse to risk, but they can still consider low-risk investments like short-term bonds as
a means to growing their money in retirement. Low-risk investments can be vulnerable to inflation, not unlike money sitting in a savings account. However, certain short-term bonds, such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, are designed to mirror inflation, which makes them an option worthy of consideration for seniors who have been concerned by the ways inflation has affected their financial status in recent years. According to the Department of the Treasury, the principal of a TIPS can go up or down over its term. When the bond reaches maturity, if the principal is higher than the original amount, bond holders get the increased amount. If the principal is lower at maturity, bond holders still get the original amount.
Seniors looking to grow their money after retirement can consider a host of options that can make them less vulnerable to inflation.
Finding Sanctuary:
VISIT AREA CHURCHES FOR GLIMPSES INTO HISTORY
Walk through the doors of the area’s historic churches and get an education into architecture, the Civil War, Civil Rights, religion and more
MORGAN COUNTY
First United Methodist
805 Canal St. N.E., Decatur
Founded in 1827 by 67 white and Black members, First United Methodist Church in Decatur was originally named the Methodist Episcopal Church and sat on the corner of Railroad and Church streets. During the Civil War, the church served as a hospital for Confederate troops and an encampment for Union troops.
In 1854, Black members began meeting separately and formed what would become King’s Memorial United Methodist Church, 702 McCartney St. N.W., which housed Decatur’s first permanent public school for Black children in 1867.
First Missionary Baptist
233 Vine St. N.W., Decatur
Organized by the Rev. Alfred Peters of Moulton and 21 former slaves in 1866, First Missionary Baptist is one of the oldest churches founded by Blacks in Decatur. Over the years, First Missionary served as a haven of safety, a community center, an outpost, a voting registration site and a Civil Rights hub.
The church is one of three churches in Decatur connected to Wallace A. Rayfield. The second licensed Black architect in the United States, Rayfield is best known for designing the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. He also designed Decatur’s Wayman Chapel, 412 Church St. N.W., and the former worship center at King’s Memorial.
Stephenson Chapel
Corner of Oak and Lafayette streets Northwest, Decatur
First Baptist Church in Decatur completed a two-year project to restore the 116-year-old Stephenson Chapel in 2023. Rueben H. Hunt designed the chapel, which was built in 1908, after First Baptist’s original 1839 chapel was burned during the Civil War. First Baptist member Patrick Rasco oversaw the project, which included securing the bell tower, replacing 170 missing ceiling tiles, restoring the organ’s pipes and adding stained glass windows, new pews, a custom-created stencil and custom gold fretwork.
“This place is so loved and revered by the congregation, to help to make sure it’s going to be here for another 100 years is gratifying,” Rasco said.
St. John's Episcopal
Stephenson Chapel
First Missionary Baptist
St. John’s Episcopal
202 Gordon St. S.E., Decatur
Established in 1880 by settlers of New Decatur, the current church, which sits between Gordon and Jackson streets in Southeast Decatur, was built in 1893 for less than $2,000 and features gothic architecture. Originally facing north, the building was physically turned to face west in 1948.
Vintage Faith
411 Sherman St. S.E., Decatur
Built in the 1880s, the building, which now houses Vintage Faith, originally served as the gathering place for the Congressional Church, until 1901, and then Evangelisch Lutherischen St. Paulus Gemeinde Zu New Decatur, or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, until 1968.
In 1951, the structure was lifted and turned 90 degrees west in order to add a basement, according to Ron Fritze, a member of St. Paul’s and a former history professor. St. Paul’s, Decatur’s only Lutheran church, is located on Carridale Street Southwest. Vintage Faith began meeting at the Sherman Street site in 2015.
Hartselle Tabernacle
35 Tabernacle Road S.W., Hartselle
In the late 19th century, homesteaders cut and peeled the cedar posts, which still hold up the Hartselle Tabernacle.
Hartselle Tabernacle
For the past 125 years, thousands of worshippers made the trek, some by car, by foot, by wagon and by horse, to the Tabernacle for the annual Hartselle Camp Meeting.
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Pine Torch Church
Nestled in the Bankhead National Forest, the Pine Torch Church was built in 1850 from hand-hewn poplar logs. The original floor was made of poplar planks and the roof of oak shingles, which were later replaced with tin. The building served as a church and the community’s school. The church, at Lawrence County 70 and 73, is one of Alabama’s four log churches still standing.
Courtland Presbyterian Church
Formed in 1821, Courtland Presbyterian Church is the secondoldest Presbyterian church in north Alabama. After the first meeting house burned in the 1850s and destroyed all but two of the original stainedglass windows, the church rebuilt at its present site at 645 Hamilton St. in Courtland.
Old Town Creek Baptist Church
Considered the oldest Baptist church in Lawrence County, Old Town Creek Baptist, which sits on Lawrence County 460 and 101, catty-corner from the Town Creek cemetery, was established in May 1818, before Alabama became a state.
LIMESTONE COUNTY
Cambridge United
Methodist Church
14004 Cambridge Lane, Athens
Dating back to the early 1800s, Cambridge United Methodist Church hosted temperance rallies in the 1840s and served as a drilling ground for Confederate troops. During the Civil War, Union troops seized the damaged church. The building was restored in 1873. Friendship at Cambridge, an extension of Friendship Church, worships at the historic church.
First Presbyterian
112 South Jefferson St., Athens
Founded in 1829 as Cumberland Presbyterian Church, it is now known as Athens First Presbyterian. During the Civil War, Union soldiers used the church to stable horses and burned the pews as firewood. The new sanctuary on South Jefferson Street, where the congregation still worships, was completed in 1895.
Trinity Congregational United Church of Christ
722 Browns Ferry St., Athens
Built in 1871, Trinity Church in Athens and Trinity School were founded by Mary Frances Wells, who came to the South to tend to the wounded Union soldiers during the Civil War. For decades, the school served as the only place in Limestone County where Black teenagers could attend high school. Both the church and school were targets of attacks and set on fire in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Brick Church
Lauderdale Street in Mooresville
Built in 1839 on land donated by Gov. Thomas Bibb, the Brick Church served as a meeting place for the Cumberland Presbyterian and Methodist congregations in the early 1800s. In 1898, the Methodists bought the church, which also served as a Baptist mission, from the Cumberland Presbyterian congregation. The last worship services at the church took place in the 1960s.
One of the more interesting features of the church is the steeple, which is a large wooden hand pointing to heaven.
The original steeple fell in the early 1990s and was replaced by a handcarved replica in 2005.
Church of Christ
Market Street in Mooresville
Gen. James A. Garfield, who would later become president of the United States, preached at the Church of Christ in Mooresville in 1863 while encamped with the 42nd regiment of the Ohio Volunteers. The white clapboard church was originally built in 1854 as the Disciples of Christ meeting house.
HUNTSVILLE
Temple B’nai Sholom
103 Lincoln St. S.E., Huntsville
Founded in 1876 by 32 families, Temple B’nai Sholom was north Alabama’s first Jewish temple. Dedicated in 1899, the temple was designed by architect R.H. Hunt in the Romanesque Revival style. The temple is the oldest synagogue in the state in continuous use. The temple also is home to the Huntsville Jewish Heritage Center and a Holocaust Torah scroll. On permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London, the Torah came from a town in the Czech Republic during the Holocaust.
St. Bartley Primitive Baptist
3020 Belafonte Ave. N.W., Huntsville
Considered the oldest Black congregation in Alabama, St. Bartley Primitive Baptist, originally called African Huntsville Church, formed in 1808. The original congregation consisted of slaves in north Alabama. The services took place at night so members could worship freely. The church was rebuilt in 1872 after a fire destroyed the building during the Union’s occupation of north Alabama after the Civil War.
More churches:
For more interesting church sites, check out the Hallelujah Trail created by Alabama Mountain Lakes Association, the Amen Trail created by Decatur Morgan Tourism and the Grace Trail created by Athens-Limestone County Tourism.
Brick Church
By METRO NEWS
The picture of a traditional college student is one in his or her late teens or early 20s. However, a deeper look may reveal that college student demographics are more diverse than one might imagine. In fact, senior citizens can rest assured that if they plan to return to the classroom, they're likely to find students around their age.
According to the senior citizen resource Elder Guru, just over 0.3% of university students are over 65. Even though that is a low number in the grand scheme of things, it is an indication that seniors have a presence on college campuses. And that number is expected to rise. Universities are increasing efforts to include seniors as important parts of their student bodies. Here are some things seniors considering going back to school may want to know.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR SENIORS LOOKING TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL
Here are some things seniors considering going back to school may want to know
▶ Incentives are available. Many schools are looking to expand their elder student body populations by making it easier for them to go to school. That means seniors may be able to attend for little to no cost through tuition waivers and discounts. Speak with an admissions officer about your options.
▶ Lay the foundation for a new career. A survey from the Rand Corporation found that 39% of workers age 65 and older who were currently employed had previously retired at some point. Going back to school may provide a foundation for new skills that can make it easier to advance in a second career. Heading back to classes also can help people stay competitive in their current job.
▶ Engage and socialize. Going back to school provides seniors with an opportunity to engage with their peers and younger students. Returning to
school may expose older adults to new experiences, technologies and customs they may otherwise never have enjoyed.
▶ Embrace the excitement of a new environment and its challenges. Heading back to college can be challenging, which is something seniors looking for mental stimulation may enjoy. Senior Finance Advisor reports that heading back to school and lifelong learning has been linked to better health, improved financial situations and even a reduced risk of dementia.
▶ Staying informed. Going back to school can enable seniors to stay technologically informed and learn about movements and other factors that are helping to shape the modern world.
Seniors have many reasons to return to the college classroom, and such a pursuit can pay numerous dividends.
