Encore May 2012

ncore E Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Ferndale Record

A GUIDE TO A FULFILLING SENIOR LIFE IN WHATCOM COUNTY

Lynden woman renews 70-year bonds .................C2 Jansen Art Center attracts seniors...........................C5 WAHA to push advance directives..........................C8 A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden woman keeps alive her late husband’s Doolittle Raiders legacy Mary Jane Radney attends 70th reunion of World War II episode Calvin Bratt Lynden Tribune LYNDEN — What Mary Jane Towler knew in the spring of 1942 is that she was engaged to Douglas V. Radney, an airman in training for a country now at war. An envelope sent from California contained her engagement ring, along with ominous lines from Tennyson’s poem “Crossing the Bar.” What Mary Jane didn’t know was where her man was now. Or if he was even alive.

After six months of her wondering and waiting, the beau of mystery and bravery showed up, safely on American soil and back in Mary Jane’s life. They were married on July 7, 1943, and would spent 50 years together.

That anxious time for Mary Jane Radney — who now lives in Lynden at age 87 — turned out to be Douglas’s participation in one of the most daring and dangerous exploits in American military history, the early World War II bombing run on Tokyo by 80 airmen who have come to be known as “Doolittle’s Raiders.”

Living in Kansas City at the time, Mary Jane found out from the list of names published in her hometown daily newspaper that Douglas was indeed on the Doolittle mission. And that was about all she knew.

Douglas was, in fact, the engineer-gunner of Crew #2 right behind the lead plane commanded by Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle.

“It was a suicide mission, really,” Mary Jane said in an interview at her Bradley Road mobile home court last week.

On April 18, 1942, the men flew 16 B-25 bombers off the deck of the aircraft carrier Hornet — a feat never attempted before or since. Once they had dropped their payload on Japan, they were expected to run out of fuel and somehow crash-land and survive on the enemy-controlled Chinese mainland.

Most of the 80 men survived. Douglas Radney made it across China “by rickshaw or whatever,” Mary Jane said, to India where he caught military flights back to the U.S. Although her husband died in 1994, the connection to the Doolittle Raiders has become a defining piece of Mary Jane’s identity. Last month, she attended the 70-year reunion of the survivors at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Four out of the five surviving airmen were there; one of them, Edward Saylor, is from Puyallup. Mary Jane was the only widow of a survivor present.

Douglas V. Radney, at far right in photo, was the engineer-gunner on Doolittle Raiders Crew #2. — Courtesy photo | MARY JANE RADNEY

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Four of the five Doolittle Raiders survivors were at the Ohio reunion in April. — Courtesy photo | MARY JANE RADNEY

“We’re treated like royalty,” she said. On the trip, as she is each year, Mary Jane was accompanied by friend Sharon Douglas, of Custer, who also knows the life of a military man’s wife.

The reunion this year had a special link to Radney’s Crew #2. The journalist niece of one of the five crew members, bombardier Richard Miller (who was killed later in World War II in North Africa), traveled to China last fall to retrace the first 16 days of the crew

WA_Comp_BW.indd 1

after they had crash-landed their plane in a wheat pad near the coastline.

The crew hid in mountains for three days, trying to find food, before meeting a group of Chinese guerillas who were resisting the Japanese. The pilots were welcomed and given help in the town of Xianxiang. But as the Japanese occupiers began to hunt down the Americans, the guerillas had to help them flee on a route involving fishing boats, pirates, night travel and rugged

Mary Jane Radney sorts through photos and mementos of her April trip to the 70th anniversary Doolittle Raiders reunion in Dayton, Ohio. — Lynden Tribune | CALVIN BRATT mountain passes. Eventually, they arrived at a safe railway station at Quzhou.

At the Dayton reunion, the widow of the guerilla leader was present from China. With her grandson as an interpreter, the woman,

84, and Mary Jane Radney spent many enjoyable hours together. The Lynden woman received a silk scarf and teak box from China

See RADNEY on C4

5/14/12 1:50 PM

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Radney: Extended 'family' has developed among survivors' relatives Continued from C3 as a token of the new friendship.

“I’ve known the whole story. I have the diary that Douglas kept during the 16 days,” Mary Jane said.

The two women could talk about how the airmen somehow miraculously avoided the spears of pirates while hiding beneath nets in the hold of a fishing boat. The Chinese woman could report that the Americans’ names carved on a boulder at Quzhou are still easily recognizable 70 years later.

For the reunion, a traditional Chinese painter created 12 panels that tell the story of the rescue of Doolittle Raiders Crew #2. The last one states that the people of that region “remember with eternal gratitude” the crew that went through “life and death ordeal in strange environments,” and that “the everlasting memory has become the witness of the cooperation between China and the USA during World War II.” Mary Jane Radney is full of her own sidebars of the legacy of the Doolittle Raiders.

Over the years of attending reunions, she has developed an extensive knowledge of the story and deep friendships with the “family” of survivors and their descendants.

“I’m the only surviving widow that attends reunions,” she said.

The 2013 reunion will be held at Eg-

lin Air Force Base in Florida and Mary Jane hopes to be there.

In their 50 years married, the Radneys lived in 17 states, their longest stint being six years at Eglin. They lived in Fairbanks when Alaska was still a territory. They were there when Douglas was called upon to be the first pilot on the DEW (Distant Early Warning) Line project, which set up a new air-raid warning system across the far north of Canada and Alaska in the 1950s.

Although headquarters were in New York City, Douglas’s work of picking out a trail of radar sites was in the frozen tundra.

“He was quite a bush pilot,” Mary Jane said.

She came to the Whatcom County area to be closer to a son who lives in Williams Lake, B.C., and now she thoroughly likes Lynden. A daughter is in Missouri and her oldest son’s family is in California — named Douglas after his father, this son died of cancer in January 2011.

Mary Jane said that even though she will not have any of her family around on Mother’s Day, she puts her trust in God and in that spirit she feels “ready to take the mountain.”

She often looks to a favorite Bible verse that is framed on the wall of her home, Gen. 28:15 in the King James Version, “Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.”

Email Calvin Bratt at editor@lyndentribune.com.

This is one of 12 paintings done by a Chinese artist telling the story of Crew #2’s first 16 days of survival after crash-landing in China. — Courtesy photo | MARY JANE RADNEY

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Jansen Art Center provides enjoyment for seniors as well as young Senior Jam Sessions and senior-focused Zumba classes are envisioned Brent Lindquist Lynden Tribune LYNDEN — It’s no secret that art can take on many forms and many purposes.

Art is also a place of enjoyment for patrons and participants of all ages, including seniors and young people alike.

Three Whatcom County artists recently traveled to Lynden’s new Jansen Art Center for a simple purpose: to discuss a variety of topics related to the art world. Primarily, Michael Davenport, Lance Howell and Sam Moore touched on the importance of art for a community like the greater Whatcom County region, and what a place like the Jansen Art Center might do for people of all ages in the surrounding areas.

Looking at their experiences as artists reveals several undeniable facts about the

See ARTISTS on C6

Michael Davenport stands in the Jansen Art Center near a piece of his artwork. — Lynden Tribune | BRENT LINDQUIST

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Artists: Community artists drawn to center Continued from C5

Lance Howell sits on a bench he built, near the entrance to the Jansen Art Center.

— Lynden Tribune | BRENT LINDQUIST

nature of art itself: It can be diverse, it can be expressive, it can tell stories, and it can do so much more.

“I look at the art center as a gift to Whatcom County,” said Davenport, whose art is on display in the completed renovated building at 321 Front. St. “It’s totally unique and totally unusual. It opens up a portal to experiencing art on many different levels. It remains to be seen what it will end up as, but Heidi sure has some great ideas for how it should be."

That Heidi is Heidi Doornenbal, of Maple Falls, the daughter of Eleanor and Henry Jansen, after whom the art center is named.

Formed in 1995, the Eleanor and Henry Jansen Foundation was endowed by Henry Jansen, a longtime Lynden resident and entrepreneur looking for another way to give back to his community.

A visioning committee was formed in August 2010 to explore ways the foundation could create, teach, share and engage the community in the arts. Local artists gave their input, and the committee’s findings were presented to the foundation in November of the same year.

The following spring, a volunteer founding board of directors was formed, and soon after that the city of Lynden agreed to donate its old City Hall building to be renovated by the Jansen Foundation into an art center to be enjoyed by people from all over the region.

After the foundation completes the

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$2.2 million renovation, it will donate the building to the Jansen Art Center nonprofit.

Now, local and regional artists like Davenport, Howell and Moore have a place to showcase and sell their work to the public.

Davenport moved to the area in the early 1970s along with an influx of artists from California.

“A ton of people from California came up. Potters, painters, poets, everybody imaginable. It was a melting pot of logistic input,” Davenport said.

Doornenbal said the Jansen Art Center is a place for artists like these to showcase their passion.

“It’s focusing on our mission, which is to be a place for artists to create, teach, share and engage the community in an appreciation of the arts so that the community will support the arts,” Doornenbal said.

“Hopefully, it’s like getting a flywheel going.

Once you get it going, it’ll keep running.”

She said the potential for operating the art center as a self-sustaining entity was spurred on by heavy community support and the continuing renovation by the foundation.

“The intent was to create an art center that could be sustaining. If an art center has to pay big rent, they’d fold. Not very many art centers make it for very long. With a small, fixed overhead with no additional expense, it should be self-supporting through the arts and the artists who are willing to

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Can you tell?

Beyond ‘The Number’: Simple ways to save for retirement 401(k) remains one of the most solid investments while working Remember when it was sort of fun to talk about The Number?

The Number refers to the amount of money you’d need to retire comfortably, and it was borrowed from the title of a 2006 book by former Esquire editor Lee Eisenberg. Everywhere you went in those comparatively giddy pre-crash days, it seemed, people were tossing around figures — $1 million, $5 million — and often acting like it’d be a cinch to get there if they just gave up one Grande Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino a week.

Needless to say, times have changed since then.

But unless you like your 1-in-175-million odds of winning Power Ball, the need to soak away as much money as possible — as fast as possible, in the case of aging Baby Boomers —

has only become more imperative.

“One of the best pieces of advice we give clients is to keep it simple,” said Elaine Smith, master tax advisor at H&R Block, the giant tax preparation firm (www.hrblock.com).

How simple? Read on: • Make automatic contributions to 401(k)s.

We now know what can happen if you let market fluctuations spook your use of this convenient savings vehicle.

According to a study

by Fidelity Investments of millions of their accounts, investors who dumped all their allocations in stocks between Oct. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009 (the market crash), and stayed out of stocks through last June 30, 2011 (a big upswing), saw an average increase in account balances of only 2 percent. That compares to an average 50 percent increase for those who rode things out with a continuous allocation strategy that included stocks.

• Don’t squander your raise.

Consulting firm Hay Group says the aver-

age raise last year was 2.8 percent. Say your salary’s $50,000. That’s a $1,400 increase, or $26.92 a week. If you put that money into an IRA, in 10 years it would’ve grown to $3,108, based on an 8 percent average annual return.

“It’s all about delaying immediate rewards on things like your fifth pair of designer jeans,” said Smith.

• Invest your tax refund.

The average refund last year was $2,913. Even the interest rate on savings accounts beats the free loan you essentially gave the government.

• Take advantage of new fee disclosures.

A new law is set to require much more transparency in most 401(k) plans.

But why wait? Financial websites let you compare fund expense ratios, and the difference between an actively managed mutual fund charging 1.75 percent and an index fund charging only 0.07 percent — especially if the former’s performance is sub-par — adds up.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Whatcom County to focus on advance directives Documents are really for anyone over age 18 to plan ahead Tim Newcomb Lynden Tribune WHATCOM — Talking about the end of your life is never an easy discussion.

But the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA) wants the entire community having that discussion and then using advance directive documents to record the decisions.

Under the privately funded (through grants) Advanced Care Planning Project, Julianne Dickelman, project manager, has started a formal effort in Whatcom County that addresses the need for getting “everyone over the age 18 to talk about these things.”

“There has been interest for a significant amount of time that we do a better job with advanced care planning,” she said. “The Whatcom Alliance is providing the container to hold a giant community discussion.”

Rolling out this fall, and based on a program already successful in Wisconsin, WAHA will work to put the discussion of end-of-life direction in front of as many groups as possible. “This is

going to be a multi-mode approach,” Dickelman said. It will involve community presentations, speakers available for community groups, presenting information to faith communities, libraries and colleges and making one-on-one facilitators available. The program will make people aware of the value of an advance directive and offer the resources for follow-through.

The actual documents may differ. And some people may use differing words. Whether a living will, a healthcare directive or a durable power of attorney for healthcare, they all fall under the term advance directives and serve as a legal document that informs your loved ones and/or healthcare provider on how to guide your care when — and only when — you can’t speak for yourself.

Currently, health care providers find that the most common place for these end-of-life discussions happens in the last minutes of life. By moving the conversation into everyday conversations, providers hope future patients can create a clearer picture of their wishes while remaining the driver of those plans.

“Middle-aged folks who aren’t necessarily sick wouldn’t think of having this conversation at this point in life,” Dickelman said. “But you never know when

See DIRECTIVES on C9

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

Artists: Center provides storytelling opportunities through art Continued from C6 support it,” she said.

Howell, an artist whose primary focus is furniture creation, said he is fascinated by the ability of art to tell stories long after the artist finishes a given piece.

“As that time goes on, I become less and less important,” he said. “My art becomes something of its own and it carries beauty and integrity with it. It’s like making a little paper boat that carries beauty and integrity and then pushing it into the ocean of time. If, as an artist, you can create these little bubbles of beauty that just float off into time and into culture, that’s just great.”

The Jansen Art Center has a wide variety of outlets for senior artists and prospective artists to express themselves. The center includes studios for painting, drawing, ceramics, weaving, textile arts, music, dance, glass and jewelry. Workshops and studio art classes are offered.

Upstairs, t4he center features Chamber Hall, which will accommodate performances, recitals and other events. A comfortable piano lounge provides music for listening ears.

Moore said the diverse offerings at the center are in keeping with the spirit of art itself.

“I think diversity is essential to human beings in general, but artists in particular,” he said.

In addition to enjoying pieces from artists like Davenport, Howell and Moore, seniors can enjoy wide variety of activities intended specifically for seniors. These include an upcoming musical “Senior Jam Session” and some senior-focused Zumba classes. Interested patrons can visit JansenArtCenter.org to learn more in the coming weeks and months.

Email Brent Lindquist at reporter@lyndentribune.com.

Directives: "Let your loved ones or your healthcare provider know what you want" Continued from C8 some crazy bicyclist from Bellingham is going to run you over. Suddenly you are in an accident and you can’t speak for yourself.” For this reason, WAHA wants to focus on middle-aged folks for their push.

The goal of the advance directive isn’t so much to prescribe specific medical procedures — really, each medical situation is plenty different anyway — but it serves as a way to “let your loved ones or your healthcare provider know what you want.” Complicating matters even further in Washington is the option for “compassionate choices” paths (also known as assisted suicide). Dickelman points out that an early conversation about an advance directive can take all the guesswork out of some of these tricky situations.

By having a conversation with loved ones and healthcare providers, each person can discuss goals, values and beliefs that will then come into play for future healthcare discussions. “How can we talk now to plan for a future when we may not be able to plan for ourselves?” Dickelman asked. “We need to step that back out of the acute care setting.”

Previously, the volunteer Whatcom End-of-Life Council had been sponsoring this conversation countywide, largely by hosting Five Wishes conferences that helped people create advance directive documents. The council has now folded

into the new WAHA-led program, but the private Five Wishes group will still host monthly workshops. The next workshop is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at St. Luke’s Community Health Education Center, 3333 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham.

For those with questions on the subject, Dickelman said attending a Five Wishes workshop is a great start (more information on that program is available at www.agingwithdignity.org). Also, you can check out the WAHA website at www. whatcomalliance.org or call Dickelman directly at 788-6526.

Email Tim Newcomb at tim@lyndentribune.com.

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Bellingham event aims for youthful perspective to dispel myths of aging ‘Never Too Old To Play’ is Saturday BELLINGHAM — May is Older Americans Month, and the Bellingham Senior Activity Center is observing it by staging an event called “Never Too Old To Play” on Saturday, May 19.

The goal is to promote inter-generational activity while challenging myths of aging and showcasing what the center has to offer, said coordinator Dominic Sickich in an email.

The center is at 315 Halleck St. in Bellingham. The event will be from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Expect a panel discussion on age myths (such as that “seniors cannot participate in physically challenging activities”), breakout activities such as dancing and yoga, and free food.

“We truly hope for this event to be one of the biggest of the year, as we are passionate about the messages and stereotypes that are being portrayed toward our older Americans,” said Sickich, a student at Western Washington University. Western is an event co-sponsor.

For more information, call 733-4030 or visit www.wccoa.org.

Email Calvin Bratt at editor@lyndentribune.com.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Exercise is a big factor in healthy aging Physical activity also helps keep seniors living independently Sixty-year-old Ester Kurz does a lot of things, but taking prescribed medicine isn’t one of them. While most people her age take a pill for one thing or another, Kurz, from Baltimore, self-prescribes exercise for healthy aging.

On a daily basis, Kurz, who will turn 61 in June, goes to Life Time Fitness in Rockville, Md., to enjoy everything from boot camp to yoga. Her favorite day is Monday, when she goes from kickboxing to indoor cycling class to boot camp. “Each year, I seem to up the number and types of routines,” she boasts.

Kurz’s attitude is counter to the majority of her peers. Just 30 percent of people between ages 45 and 64 say they engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 National Interview Survey. As people get older, they move even less: 25 percent are active between the ages 65 and 74 and only 11 percent of those 85 and older say they are active.

That’s a problem because studies indicate there’s a correlation between activity and a lower death rate in older adults.

“Healthy aging is the ability to main-

tain your mental, physical and cellular health,” said Jason Stella, a personal trainer at Life Time Fitness. “The process of aging is inevitable, but the choices you make, good or bad, throughout your lifetime dictate the rate at which you will age and the positive or negative health effects you develop.”

In particular, behaviors that sabotage healthy aging include eating processed foods, taking too many medications, and not controlling stress and inactivity, Stella said.

“I have had almost no injuries and very few aches and pains other than when I push myself too hard,” Kurz said. In addition to staying physically active, Kurz is a lobbyist for a grassroots advocacy organization, a wife and mother of two sons, ages 19 and 21, as well as a volunteer with several organizations.

“A few years ago, I fell down a flight of stairs and, other than a few bruises and scrapes, did very little damage to my body,” Kurz says. “I have to believe exercise had a great deal to do with that.”

Regular exercise and physical activity are critical to helping older adults stay independent as they age. Strengthening bone and joint health to protect mobility is all the motivation most active older adults need to exercise.

Kurz appreciates those benefits, too, but likes the added challenges. In February, she competed in the Life Time Fitness

Alpha Showdown, a national competition that tests the body’s core energy systems: power, strength and endurance. Most competitors were much younger than Kurz. “I did not win,” she said, “but I don’t think I came in last either, which was an achievement.”

Firmly in the second half of her life, Kurz is certain she has never been healthier or felt stronger. Life Time Fitness is part

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of her health aging program, but the facilities, programming and events cater to all ages and abilities, from those new to an exercise routine to those who are emphatic believers in exercise as good medicine, like Kurz.

“Every checkup, my doctor asks me, ‘Still exercising like crazy?’” she says. “And then he adds, ‘keep it up.’”

A GUIDE TO A FULFILLING SENIOR LIFE IN WHATCOM COUNTY Don’t miss these upcoming Encore publications!

July 18th October 24th December 26th To advertise, call 354-4444

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Don’t wait for symptoms Senior programs looking — ask about PAD now lively for summer Symptoms of clogged arteries can be hidden One out of every 20 Americans over age 50 is diagnosed with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). The worst part of this reality is that most people with PAD don’t experience any symptoms.

Peripheral Arterial Disease is a progressive disease commonly called clogged arteries in the legs, poor circulation or a hardening of the arteries.

People have PAD when the arteries in their legs become narrowed or clogged with fatty deposits, or plaque. The buildup of plaque causes the arteries to harden and narrow, which is called atherosclerosis. This reduces blood flow to the legs and feet.

The severity of the disease depends on how early it’s diagnosed as well as pre-existing health issues. PAD’s primary symptom is an intermittent cramping of leg muscles during walks or hikes. For some, the pain may feel more like numbness, weakness or heaviness. Whether or not you have symptoms, having PAD means that you’re at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke and even death.

Many people don’t get tested for PAD because they have no symptoms and never feel a thing. The good news is that proper treatment saves lives. If you’re over 50, talk to your health care provider about getting tested for PAD. The test for PAD is called the “ABI” or ankle-brachial index. It’s a comparison of blood pressure measurements taken at the arms and ankles. It can also assess the severity of the disease.

Despite the presence or lack of symptoms, individuals are their own first line of defense. When face time with actual doctors is limited, it’s helpful to have a list of prepared questions on hand.

The Vascular Disease Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to public awareness and education regarding vascular health, has compiled some questions to ask doctors about PAD: • Does my medical history raise my risk for PAD? • What can I do to reduce my blood sugar level if it’s too high or if I have diabetes?

• What do you recommend to quit smoking?

For more information or to get a free Heart and Sole kit, go to www.vdf.org or 1-866-PADINFO (1-866-723-4636).

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WHATCOM — As the weather gets warmer, the activities at local senior centers are warming up for summer as well.

The Lynden Community Senior Center holds its annual Ladies Tea on Wednesday, May 18, at 2 p.m. Reservations have already been made for more than 120 women, said Cathi LeCocq, center manager.

The Ferndale Senior Activity Center is planning a trip to see the Seattle Mariners play on Wednesday, May 23. Departure is at 9 a.m. and return will be at 7 p.m. Payment of $45 covers a main outfield seat, transportation and escort (you must be able to walk and climb stairs without assistance). For details, call 384-6244.

Also, looking ahead: • The Lynden center hosts its monthly breakfast on the same morning as the Farmers Day Parade June 2. Serving is from 8 to 10:30 a.m., then stay for the parade down Front Street.

• Weather permitting, bocce is again being played at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Bender Fields of Lynden.

Eventually, there will be an all-county tournament there.

• On Friday, May 25, after a patriotic sing-along with Loretta Wright, the Lynden center will close early at 2 p.m. for floor cleaning over the weekend. The closure continues on Memorial Day Monday.

• For those who would like bigger and longer excursions, the Whatcom County Senior Tour Program has much to choose from for summer 2012. The options include: to Ireland Oct. 6-14 (final payment due June 11); trips to Seattle Mariners games June 9, July 25, Aug. 19 and Sept. 9 (payment due a month before); to the Olympic Peninsula and Sol-Duc Hot Springs July 10-12 (July 3); Hot Spots and Vancouver History May 30 (May 17); Leavenworth and “The Sound of Music” performance July 26-27 (June 29); Lake Washington Cruise May 31 (May 17); and B.C. Whistler Village and Cultural Journey June 20 (June 13).

If you are interested in any of these trips, you should pay right away. Call to 733-4030 and hit the # button, then 47015 to pay. Most credit cards are accepted. Or check out www. wccoa.org/tours for more information, including prices.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 16, 2012 | Ferndale Record

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Good hearing is an investment in your grandchildren Seniors shouldn’t skip out of hearing aids because of high cost Grandparents and grandchildren have much to learn from one another, and such valuable relationships should be cultivated.

Oxford University research has shown that “involved” grandparents contribute significantly to better-adjusted grandchildren.

The research suggests that children find unique acceptance in their relationships with grandparents, which benefits them emotionally and mentally. The grandparental bond is built on communication.

In fact, most children studied did not identify distance as an important factor if communication was strong.

Unfortunately, hearing loss is the number-one challenge to communication.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, age and hearing loss are strongly related — 30 percent of seniors from 65 to 74 years old suffer from a hearing disability.

For adults 75 years of age or older, hearing loss jumps to 47 percent.

“It doesn’t take a Ph.D. for my patients to understand the many costs of hearing loss,” said Sreek Cherukuri, a certified ear, nose and throat physician based in Chicago.

Beyond emotional well-being, even

something simple like taking the grandkids to the pool can turn dangerous if grandma can’t hear possible cries for help. Driving puts the children at risk if the grandparents cannot hear oncoming traffic or car horns.

The national institute reports that only one out of every five people who needs a hearing aid actually wears one. This is largely due to the extravagant cost of most hearing aids.

“I found that I saw too many patients with hearing loss going home without a solution because they couldn’t afford hearing aid prices,” Dr. Cherukuri said.

Cherukuri’s response was to develop inexpensive but effective hearing aids.

“With today’s technology, a quality hearing aid shouldn’t cost more than a digital camera or iPod,” Cherukuri said.

MDHearingAid, found at www.mdhearingaid.com, isn’t just a reliable source for affordable hearing aids — it’s also a good source for expert consumer information.

“You should see a physician and get the best hearing aid you can afford. We offer an excellent choice for those who cannot afford a custom hearing aid,” Cherukuri said.

Seniors should enjoy the benefits of their ripe age. This includes plenty of quality time with grandchildren.

Get more info on hearing loss and costefficient alternatives at MDHearingAid. com.

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