February 2015

FEBRUARY 2015

Toronto with a twist

SUPER SPICE: TURMERIC

A superb city with a sweet side trip PAGE 26

PAGE 14

RETIRING AS A COUPLE PAGE 20

REVERSE MORTGAGES

Guy Havelka, 60, of Princeton

PAGE 22

STAR TUTOR

Princeton retiree helps young Minnesota readers PAGE 30

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CONTENTS 30 STAR TUTOR Guy Havelka, our cover star and a retired air-traffic controller from Princeton, has found joy in helping elementary school kids read.

26

Photos by Steve Wewerka / Courtesy of ServeMinnesota

TORONTO WITH A TWIST It’s easy to explore this vibrant, well-managed city without a car.

And it’s only a two-hour flight from the Twin Cities.

GOOD START

GOOD HEALTH

GOOD LIVING

FROM THE EDITOR 6 Find your way to give back.

ASK THE PHARMACIST 14 Turmeric fights cancer, diabetes.

MY TURN 8 Teaching junior high and high school students was an eye-opening challenge.

CAREGIVING 16 Volunteers can help family caregivers on their own or by working with local organizations.

FINANCE 20 Couples retirement 101: Don’t assume you’re on the same page.

MEMORIES 10 Valentine’s Day romance blossoms.

HOUSE CALL 18 Parkinson’s isn’t easy to diagnose until it reaches more advanced stages.

TECHNOLOGY 24 Cheating at digital solitaire is easy, but why would you do it?

WELLNESS 19 Discover the power of massage.

IN THE KITCHEN 25 Slow-cooker taco soup is a snap.

THIS MONTH IN MN HISTORY 12 The St. Paul Winter Carnival was born in 1886 to celebrate the cold.

CAN’T MISS CALENDAR 4

FEBRUARY 2015

37 36

HOUSING 22 Know the important pitfalls of reverse mortgages.

BRAIN TEASERS

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SANDBERG

WILLS, ESTATE PLANNING FEBRUARY 2015 VOLUME 34 / ISSUE 2 PUBLISHERS Janis Hall jhall@mngoodage.com Terry Gahan tgahan@mngoodage.com GENERAL MANAGER Chris Damlo cdamlo@mngoodage.com EDITOR Sarah Dorison 612-436-4385 editor@mngoodage.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

FROM THE EDITOR ////// SARAH DORISON

GIVING BACK I

just came across a fascinating little factoid: “Older Americans who volunteer frequently live longer and report less disability. … In particular, older volunteers report lower mortality rates, lower rates of depression, fewer physical limitations and higher levels of well-being.”

Wow. Right?

That’s according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, which isn’t a typical corporation at all, but a federal agency dedicated to service, including programs such as AmeriCorps and Senior Corps.

So, of course, the group is biased in favor of volunteering.

Still, research in the past decade backs it up. And Minnesota seems to be in on the secret. In 2013, 36 percent of Minnesotans volunteered, ranking the state third in the nation. That’s 1.48 million volunteers, giving 171.3 million hours of service for a contribution of $3.9 billion in labor.

Who’s behind those numbers?

Featured in this issue is an outstanding member of the Minnesota Reading Corps tutoring program, Guy Havelka of Princeton.

The 60-year-old retiree has made a second career out of tutoring. And he’s found a great deal of joy helping elementary school kids achieve reading success: “It’s hard not to get misty-eyed when they get those accomplishments and you know that you helped,” said Havelka, who works 40 hours a week as part of the corps.

Of course, that big of a time commitment isn’t for everyone.

In fact, I believe volunteering isn’t something you can just jump into. It’s a job (an unpaid one), and it’s important to find a calling, something that really plays to your passions, talents and (just as important) your schedule.

How can you get started? Check out volunteermatch.org, where you’ll find countless volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities and beyond.

You’ll find topic areas such as advocacy and human rights, arts and culture, animals, technology, disaster relief, faith, health and medicine, homelessness and housing, and the environment. And many more!

This is important. Because as strong as Minnesota is in the volunteering department, our numbers — though still high — have steadily declined in recent years, according to a recent MPR story.

Mary Quirk, executive director of the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration, told MPR: “A big portion of the quality of life we like to see in Minnesota, it’s being accomplished through volunteers.”

In other words, joining the ranks of the state’s volunteers will not only keep you connected to your community (and your passions), but it will also weave you into the fabric of our state, built on a culture of giving.

Sarah Dorison, Editor

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GOOD START MY TURN ////// DAVE NIMMER

TEACHING STIRS EMPATHY T

eachers have been under the gun and in the glare of public criticism lately in the Twin Cities, especially those who work in inner-city schools where the achievement gaps can be larger and the test scores lower.

“Worst teachers in poorest schools,” trumpeted one headline in the Star Tribune.

I’ve had my issues with the teachers’ union, Education Minnesota, hoping to see more flexibility in teacher licensure and tenure rules.

But I’ve got to say — based on first-hand teaching experiences I had at a junior high school in St. Paul and a senior high in Minneapolis — I’m replacing any antipathy with empathy and sympathy.

I taught journalism for 11 years at the University of St. Thomas to students who paid $1,500 to take the course. It was a piece of cake compared to walking into the junior and senior highs, where, more often than not, I struggled to gain attention, maintain control and sustain interest.

I was in some of the classes just once a week, trying to resurrect a high school newspaper and teach 13-year-olds to produce, shoot and edit broadcast stories.

In the end, I felt like I got my butt kicked.

There was an alphabet of issues and challenges — and I got stuck on the ABCs. ANGRY, UNSMILING

In one of the high school English classes, I recall a couple of big guys sitting in front. They talked loudly, sometimes over the teacher.

Their posture looked to me between a slump and a slouch, kind of draped over the chair.

The attitude I took away from them was, “So, why are you wasting my time?”

I never saw them smile, but I did see other students watching them. They must be the Alpha males, I thought, wondering how I would deal with them five days a week, class after class.

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FEBRUARY 2015

Maybe I was too sensitive. Maybe I was wrong.

Maybe I could have won them over. No maybes about it, they put me off my game.

NO-SHOW SITUATIONS

So did those students who seemed bored, indifferent to what was happening. I recall one in particular, in a high school class specifically designed to put out the school paper.

When my partner and I walked into class the first day, he had his head on the desk. The regular teacher introduced us, explained our reason for being there and told everyone to listen up. The young man never looked up.

And I couldn’t seem to look away from him, which made it tough to teach. I spent so much time worrying about one student, I didn’t play well to the others, who at least showed some interest.

That went on for three or four sessions, with only occasional interludes in his indifference.

The most discouraging experience, however, was in a junior high where I ran into a boy who didn’t come to class. He showed real promise as a video writer

Dymanh Chhoun, born in a refugee camp in Thailand, got a journalism degree and recently started a job as a photographer for WCCO TV News.

You're invited to cool it in Duluth, MN! and producer. He was small, wiry, with an infectious smile. He wrote a script that was crisp, colorful, concise and clear. I told him he was good; he smiled, seemingly proud of himself. Then, I didn’t see him again.

He disappeared from the radar and the regular teacher said that wasn’t uncommon for some of his students, especially those without a stable home — no mealtimes, bedtimes, family times.

SUCCESSES, TOO

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Yet out of this classroom commotion came a couple of unforgettable successes. Ifrah Jimale, who’d been a family goat herder in Somalia, went from her high school class, wearing a burqa and tennis shoes, to get a degree from the University of St. Thomas.

She frequently studied until 2 a.m., rewrote her papers and sought help from classmates. Today she manages real estate property in Atlanta and volunteers for Friends of Refugees, helping immigrants use computers, write resumes and apply for jobs.

Dymanh Chhoun was in that high school class where some others had their heads on their desks. His head was up and so was his hand, usually with a question or comment.

Dymanh, born in a refugee camp in Thailand, went to a junior college for a year and then to the University of Minnesota where he got a journalism degree. Three months ago, he landed a job as a photographer for WCCO TV News.

I might have got my butt kicked, but I also got my ticket punched, by two of the most conscientious and courageous young people I’ll ever meet.

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FEBRUARY 2015

GOOD START MEMORIES ////// CAROL HALL

ROMANTIC ROOTS I The valentine exchange was the first real boygirl activity — other than recess softball — that we’d ever done in school.

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was married on Valentine’s Day. It was a small wedding at the historic Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.

Built in 1902, and formerly St. Paul’s federal courthouse, the building is an example of the Romanesque architecture of that era. With many turrets, gables, cylindrical corner towers and a redtile roof, it resembles a fairytale castle.

My fiancé and I spoke our vows before the marble fireplace of a former judge’s chamber.

An Oriental rug covered the hardwood floor of this elegant room with its carved mahogany and oak woodwork and high ceilings. I wore pink, my attendants, pastel, and my husband’s necktie (regimental stripes) exactly matched the color of my dress.

So I suppose you could say all of this makes me a true romantic — and that would be correct.

FEBRUARY 2015

My husband was as well: He never missed with the long-stemmed red roses and heart-shaped box of chocolates on our anniversary.

But all of that aside, I’d decided on my wedding date when I was very young.

A school event in the sixth grade captured my imagination: To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we 11-year-olds operated a makeshift “post office” in a hallway near our classroom. A “mailbox,” an extra-large cardboard box with a slot cut across the top, was set up to drop off valentines. Each of us, individually, got out of class for a short while to play postmaster, and have the fun of distributing the valentines into a slotted shoebox with each boy or girl’s name on it.

The post office, which we decorated with bright red cutout hearts and lace doilies, seemed to my

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The valentine exchange was the first real boy-girl activity — other than recess softball — that we’d ever done in school. Until then, girls hung with other girls and played paper dolls and read library books, and boys were ruffians that we had nothing to do with.

But things were changing. Puppy love had just begun taking hold. Our girly conversations were gradually mentioning this boy or that who’d been flirting with us.

And with that — and a darling valentine from the one boy I liked — the seeds of romance were planted in my brain. Valentine’s Day was intended as a day to get married like no other day of the year. My nuptials would take place February 14!

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GOOD START THIS MONTH IN MINNESOTA HISTORY

The first St. Paul Winter Carnival in 1886 featured this enormous, elaborate ice palace.

Photos courtesy of The Minnesota Historical Society

MINNESOTA’S FIRST WINTER CARNIVAL I

n Minnesota we love to complain about the weather. It’s part of our DNA. And while it’s OK for us to complain, it’s a different story when someone else is making the jab.

In 1885, a New York reporter wrote that, in winter, St. Paul was, “another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.”

That was too much.

In response, a group of St. Paul

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business leaders organized the first St. Paul Winter Carnival to show that not only was St. Paul habitable in winter, but its residents also fully embraced the season. The celebration opened on Feb. 1, 1886. It included parades, curling, skating, ice polo and the construction of an enormous ice palace set alight with a dramatic fireworks display.

Organizers for the carnival took inspiration from Montreal, which held its first winter festival in 1883. When a smallpox epidemic forced Montreal to cancel its festival in 1886, St. Paul organizers saw an opportunity.

They invited Montreal’s ice palace architect, A.C. Hutchinson, to Minnesota to design the first ice palace in the U.S. From 1937 to 1942, St. Paul city architect, and Minnesota’s first registered African American architect, Clarence “Cap” Wigington, designed the ice palaces. Not all were built due to unseasonably warm weather.

But the grandest ice palace was built in 1992 to coincide with Minnesota’s hosting of the Super Bowl. It was 166 feet tall, used 15 million pounds of ice and cost nearly $2 million dollars. The most recent ice palace was built for the 2004 winter carnival. This year, event organizers plan to construct a royal courtyard.

They also hope to bring back a fullsize ice palace in 2018 (another Super Bowl year for Minnesota).

The winter carnival also includes pageantry. Looking again to Montreal, event organizers adapted their legend of the Ice King and Queen Aurora to create King Boreas and the Queen of the Snows. Organizers also drew on Germanic tradition to create the mischievous Vulcanus Rex, god of fire, and his Krewe, which represent the power of spring to wreak havoc on winter.

Each year, the carnival ends with the dethroning of Boreas by the Vulcan Krewe. Boreas bids farewell to his winter playground, and — along with his brothers, the Four Winds — leaves his realm until the following year.

The Minnesota Historical Society has documented the St. Paul Winter Carnival from its earliest days. This memorabilia exhibit, Winter on the Hill, will be on display at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul through Feb. 1.

The Minnesota Historical Society has documented the winter carnival from its earliest days. Hamp Smith, reference librarian at the Gale Family Library, chuckles a bit when thinking about the society’s collection.

“The carnival reflects the attitude of 19th-century Minnesotans that, since winter could not be avoided, it might as well be enjoyed,” he said.

Items in the collection include posters, photographs, film, buttons, snowshoes, carriage blankets and marching uniforms, including a Hudson Bay uniform worn by Louis Hill alongside a wolverine blanket, all on display through Feb. 1 at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul.

— Minnesota Historical Society Staff

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FEBRUARY 2015

G O O D H E A LT H ASK THE PHARMACIST ////// SUZY COHEN

Turmeric offers powerful medicinal benefits E

very year when the snowy, cold weather arrives, I start to crave warmer, heartier meals like chili, stews and brisket. Juicing kale and celery when it’s 4 degrees outside doesn’t cut it.

So, at this time of year, garlic and curry go in everything I eat.

Today, let’s talk curry. Panang curry, red or green curry, Thai, Indian, it’s all good with me!

Curry sounds like it’s one spice, but it’s actually a blend of spices, and many curry spice mixes contain some turmeric.

Turmeric comes from the ginger family. This yellow-orange spice was first used as a dye until its medicinal properties were uncovered. Research today proves turmeric can help with hundreds of health conditions, making it a healthy and tasty sprinkle for any dish.

SUPPLEMENTS WORK, TOO

You can buy the spice called turmeric by itself if you don’t like curry. Supplements of turmeric are sold everywhere, too.

Curcumin, an antioxidant and potent extract of turmeric, has been shown to prevent or improve age-related cognitive decline, dementia and mood disorders.

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FEBRUARY 2015

Among those, you’ll find “curcumin.”

Curcumin, an antioxidant and potent extract of turmeric, has been shown to prevent or improve age-related cognitive decline, dementia and mood disorders.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial observed 60 adults between the ages of 60 and 85. Within an hour of taking curcumin, adults in the study enjoyed higher attention spans and better memory than those who swallowed the placebo.

After four weeks of curcumin supplements, participants’ memory, mood, alertness and contentedness were considerably better.

ANTI-CANCER

Curcumin is a hot supplement, not spicy hot, but hot in the sense that research is conducted frequently. I found more than 900 published research papers pertaining to curcumin’s anticancer properties.

One of the papers found that curcumin has the ability to make some cancer cells commit suicide. Basically, curcumin programs the cancer cells to die.

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Cancers that are resistant to multiple chemotherapeutic agents seem to still respond to curcumin, according to studies done on mice.

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FEBRUARY 2015

G O O D H E A LT H CAREGIVING ////// CHRISTINA RHEIN Volunteers can support family caregivers just by listening to them talk about their feelings.

Volunteers: Caregivers need you F

amily caregivers play a special role in the lives of older adults. Unlike paid caregivers, they’re motivated by factors other than money — love, a sense of duty, respect for tradition and many other variables.

They’re the spouses, siblings and, often, grown children of older adults. They step in to help family members deal with health challenges and maintain a high quality of life.

It’s not an easy job. In fact, it takes a whole community to care for a family caregiver.

While friends and extended family can often chip in with their time, energy and emotional support to support a family’s primary caregiver, there’s another important component in the support system for family caregivers: Volunteers!

And in the Twin Cities, there are myriad

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opportunities to help those who help their family members.

It’s important work: When caregivers are connected with others for emotional support and information, it can help confirm that they’re doing a good job and help them feel more confident in their role.

Most importantly, it can help them feel that they don’t have to go through their journey alone. In-home respite programs, organized by numerous organizations, rely routinely on volunteers.

Go to volunteermatch.org to find all kinds of volunteering opportunities based on your interests and skills, including caregiver support.

One caregiver program dependent upon volunteers is The Gathering, a respite program

for caregivers in the Twin Cities metro area.

This program offers respite for caregivers several times per month to give them a break from their duties and take time for themselves.

Caregivers’ loved ones spend the day engaged in stimulating activities.

Trained volunteers are paired one-onone with the participants.

Polly Henderson is a lead volunteer at one of The Gathering locations.

She’s a long-distance caregiver for her mother who lives in Denver.

She visits her mother several times per year to give her sister, the primary caregiver, a break. She also provides support to her mother and sister by phone during the week.

“Volunteering with The Gathering helps me make a connection with my mom,” Henderson said. “It is a way I can give back to help other caregivers, and is a window for me to see what my mom is going through.”

Another caring-for-the-caregiver program is called P.S. I Understand.

(P.S. stands for peer support.) This program matches former caregivers with current caregivers.

Former caregivers are specially trained volunteers who call current caregivers once or twice a month to provide emotional support. They understand the caregiving experience.

They’ve been there, too.

Shirl Behles, a volunteer mentor for the program, said: “Now that I am no longer a caregiver, I want to be that someone who can listen to current caregivers. If I, as a mentor, can bring a smile to a tired caregiver, then I have done a good thing.”

Volunteers serve as empathetic listeners and provide an invaluable service to caregivers: They break the caregiver’s isolation.

These programs are just a few of the many ways to help caregivers. Volun-

It is a way I can give back to help other caregivers, and is a window for me to see what my mom is going through.

available & for event e c n a rm perfo rentals

— Polly Henderson

teers can provide support in simpler ways, too.

Just being a helpful neighbor or friend is one example. Caregivers can In the Heart often use help with daily tasks such of the Beast as cooking, cleaning, shopping, yard Puppet and Mask Theatre work, childcare and driving errands, including doctor visits.

Offering performances, residencies and touring shows.

Sometimes family caregivers may since 1973 just want to talk.

Volunteers can lend support by 612.721.2535 · hobt.org listening to caregivers when they need PLEASE DONATE To be an to talk. They can be a confidant for active supporter of In the Heart of the Beast, them to vent feelings such as frustrayou can make a gift online or mail a check to 1500 E. Lake St., Mpls, MN 55407 tion, grief, anger or exhaustion.

Caregiving responsibilities will touch most of us at some point in ourIn the Heart of the Beast MNP 2014 V6 filler.indd 1 8/27/14 11:58 AM lives. As a community, we can prepare and support each other by becoming educated and aware about caregiving and learning about the support and resources available.

Do you know a family caregiver?

Do find yourself wondering how you can help?

Recognize the support you could be as a helpful neighbor or friend, or get involved with a caregiver service provider as a volunteer to help enhance the quality of life for caregivers and their loved ones.

Christina Rhein is a marketing communications specialist with St. Paul-based Lyngblomsten, a ministry of compassionate care and innovative services to older adults. Lyngblomsten is a member of the Metropolitan Caregiver Service Collaborative (caregivercollaborative.org).

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G O O D H E A LT H HOUSE CALL ////// DR. MICHAEL SPILANE

Signs of Parkinson’s D

r. James Parkinson published his Essay on the Shaking Palsy in 1817. Almost 200 years later, the disease that bears his name continues to cause incapacitating functional impairment for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive degenerative disorder of the brain. Onset of symptoms most commonly occurs between ages 55 and 75, but can begin at earlier or later ages. The disease is present in about 1 percent of Americans who are over age 65.

Although the cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, much has been learned about the pathophysiologic abnormalities it produces. It primarily involves nerve cells in small movement-control areas deep inside the brain, leading to a deficiency of the vital neurochemical dopamine.

Nerve cells deprived of dopamine are unable to transmit electrochemical messages. The result is delayed or ineffective communication from the brain to target organs, particularly the muscles.

TRIO OF SYMPTOMS

Parkinson’s disease produces three major symptoms — tremor (shaking), bradykinesia (slowness of movement)

ONLINE Learn more about Parkinson’s disease at the National Parkinson Foundation at parkinson.org.

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and rigidity (stiffness). Tremor is absent in 25 percent of patients, but bradykinesia and rigidity are always present.

The tremor of Parkinson’s disease usually causes less functional impairment than other symptoms, but it can be a source of embarrassment. The shaking is distinctive. It’s a slow and rhythmic, three-per-second movement that’s apparent when the limb is at rest — but diminished or absent with movement. Initially the tremor may involve only one side of the body, but eventually it spreads to both sides.

Bradykinesia refers to the slowness and poverty of movement experienced by all patients with Parkinson’s disease.

It’s the ultimate expression of the brain’s failure to communicate with the muscles. Gait is shuffling, facial expression and gestures are lacking, eye-blink frequency is decreased and the arms don’t swing with walking.

With advanced bradykinesia, gait is paralyzed, swallowing becomes difficult and speech becomes muted and mumbled.

Rigidity adds to the problem of bradykinesia. Movements are stiff as well as slow. Fluidity of movement is lacking and is replaced by hesitancy and even “freezing.”

Muscles are bound-up and unwilling to relax. The body becomes bent at the neck, spine and hips, leading to a stooped posture. The gait is hesitant at its start, followed by short rigid steps that begin slow, but soon quicken to a peculiar running pace. Stopping can be as difficult as starting.

OTHER CHALLENGES

As the disease progresses, more areas of the brain are involved. Depression, dementia and bladder control often become new problems as the brain is further depleted of essential neurochemicals.

Making a diagnosis of Parkinson’s can be difficult even for an experienced physician. The disease is diagnosed by the signs and symptoms it produces, and in its early stages too few signs or symptoms may be present to allow for an accurate diagnosis. Blood tests and X-rays are helpful only to help rule out ailments that may mimic Parkinson’s disease.

Medicinal treatment has improved the lives of those suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Repletion of brain dopamine with drugs such as levodopa often achieves major improvement in functional disability.

But the drugs have considerable side effects and tend to lose their effectiveness as the disease progresses.

Because of the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges presented

by Parkinson’s disease, a physician specializing in neurology should be a part of the treating clinical team. Few primary care physicians possess the depth of knowledge and experience needed to effectively manage patients with this disease.

Dr. Michael Spilane, now retired, spent more than four decades practicing and teaching geriatric medicine in St. Paul. Send comments or questions to drspilane@mngoodage.com.

G O O D H E A LT H

Healing with massage Over-stressed muscles, the pains of aging and even the need to be touched can be addressed by therapeutic hands trained in the art of body work.

BY TA I T T R U S S E L L

Massage is a healing tool that’s been in use for thousands of years in many different cultures. Today, massage therapy is becoming an increasingly popular option for older adults to maintain wellness and improve our quality of life as we age.

As you lie on the massage table under fresh sheets, hushed music draws you into relaxation. You may hear the gentle sound of massage oil being warmed in your therapist’s hands.

The pains of age, the over-stressed muscles, the need to be touched — all await the therapeutic hands.

I’ve been getting massage therapy about once a week for two years now.

It’s helped to ease my essential tremor disorder along with other uncountable benefits.

My massage therapist is also a physical therapist. Her training in both fields has enabled her to give me advice in my balance problems, as well.

Besides increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety, massage has been show to lower your blood pressure, increase circulation, improves recovery from injury, improve sleep better and boost concentration. It can reduce fatigue and give you more energy to handle stressful situations.

Other benefits of receiving regular massage treatments include: • Stimulates the flow of lymph, the body’s natural defense system, against toxins. In breast cancer patients,

massage has been shown to increase the cells that fight cancer.

• Reduces and realigns scar tissue after healing has occurred;

• Increased circulation, allowing the body to pump more oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs;

• Improves range-of-motion and decreases discomfort for patients with lower-back pain;

• Increased circulation of blood and lymph improves the condition of the body’s largest organ, your skin;

• Relieves pain for migraine sufferers, decreasing the need for medication;

• Relaxes and softens injured and overused muscles; • Reduces spasms and cramping; • Increases joint flexibility; • Releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller; • Reduces post-surgery adhesions and edema;

• Provides exercise and stretching for atrophied muscles and reduces shortening of the muscles for those with restricted range of motion; So, you can see why an old man like me would find massage therapy worth the time and money.

Tait Trussell, a frequent contributor to Good Age, has written for The Wall Street Journal, Nation’s Business and Front Page Magazine, among others.

FEBRUARY 2015

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GOOD LIVING FINANCE ////// SKIP JOHNSON

Retiring as a couple 101 L

ike so many things in marriage, retirement works best when it’s both a “we” and a “me” decision. Timing, money management, household chores and many other important choices need to be made, and they should, whenever possible, be made together with the interest of the couple and each individual in mind.

If both spouses work, there’s no rule that says they have to retire at the same time. In fact, there are many good reasons to choose to retire at different times.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The first question to ask is whether you can afford to retire at the same time. The answer can be a complicated one. Among the factors you’ll need to consider are how much you’ve saved, how much you’ll be receiving in other income (pensions, Social Security, etc.), how your expenses will change, how much you want to pass on to heirs and how long you’ll be retired.

The cost of health care should be a major consideration. If one spouse is younger, he or she may not yet qualify for Medicare. Paying out-of-pocket for health insurance can be prohibitively expensive, making health benefits subsidized by an employer an attractive option.

Couples should also consider Social Security.

The age when an individual begins to draw benefits impacts the size of the monthly check.

For a couple, there are many more strategies to consider that can increase the amount you both receive in retirement. A financial professional can help assess all your Social Security options so you can decide what works best for you.

PERSONAL PREFERENCES

Do you really want to retire now? Ask that question the moment the alarm goes off on a Monday morning, and many people will probably answer with a decisive, “Yes.”

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If both spouses work, there’s no rule that says they have to retire at the same time.

In fact, there are many good reasons to choose to retire at different times.

Any other time, answering that question may be more difficult.

For example, if one spouse took time off early in his or her career to raise children, he or she may want to work longer to reach career goals. Or, it may just be that one spouse really enjoys their work and can’t, for now, imagine life without it.

Whatever the reason, each spouse’s willingness to retire should be considered when deciding, as a couple, on timing.

BUDGETING TOGETHER

A 2013 study by Fidelity Investments found that only 28 percent of couples are “completely confident that either partner is prepared to assume responsibility of their joint retirement finances, if necessary.”

That’s a frightening statistic.

I recommend that my clients, whether they’re

still working or retired, create a budget and stick to it. Working together on that budget can help ensure both spouses know where their money is and how it’s being spent. Then, should one spouse become unable to participate in the financial decisions, the other will be able to continue on.

ENJOYING FREEDOM

The good news is that retirement allows you to spend more time together.

But even the most romantic couples need time apart. That’s why social networking is so important. I’m not talking about Facebook and Twitter. I’m talking about real, personal, social interaction.

While one spouse’s primary source of non-family social interaction may have been people they met at or through work, the other may have built a large circle of non-work friends.

Retirement can magnify this difference, leaving one spouse home alone while the other is off having fun.

Encourage each other to independently spend time with friends, join an organization or volunteer. The time you spend apart will give you more to talk about in the time you spend together.

2015

Read Fidelity’s 2013 Couples Retirement Study executive summary — which highlights a disconnect between spouses in retirement decisions and expectations — at tinyurl.com/ fidelity-retire-couples.

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GOOD LIVING HOUSING ////// TERESA AMBORD

Reverse mortgages aren’t for everyone The ideal candidate for a reverse mortgage may be the senior who lives alone, wants some extra income now and does not plan to leave the house to heirs.

I

remember when reverse mortgages first came on the market. They seemed like a wonderful idea, and, for many, they were (and still are).

But just like a diet, this type of mortgage isn’t right for everyone.

Unfortunately, it depends to a large extent on unknowns, like whether the homeowner will end up in a long-term care facility and for how long.

Without a crystal ball, you may be rolling the dice. On the other hand, there are some homeowners for whom a reverse mortgage would be a godsend.

the money doesn’t have to be paid back unless you move, sell the house or pass away.

When the homeowner dies, the survivors are supposed to be offered the option to settle the loan for a percentage of the full amount, according to federal law. In reality, some lenders threaten foreclosure if full payment isn’t made, and often, the threats begin within a few weeks of the homeowner’s passing.

But, as the author of the New York Times article said, some lenders don’t wait even that long, leaving the homeowner’s heirs feeling they’ve been “plunged into a bureaucratic maze as they try to get lenders to provide them with details about how to keep their family home.”

In defense of the lenders, they know that foreclosures take several months, so if it appears there will be a need to foreclose, some mortgage companies begin the process as soon as the homeowner passes away, in order to protect their interest. Of course, that’s little consolation to the heirs.

WHO’S ON THE LOAN?

PITFALLS

I seldom quote the New York Times, but they did do a nice piece highlighting some of the pitfalls of reverse mortgages in 2014.

This type of mortgage provides a stream of income to homeowners who are at least 62, and

How many borrowers are on the loan?

If you enter into a reverse mortgage and then leave, for example, to go into assisted living for more than 12 months, the fate of your home will depend on whose name(s) appear on the mortgage.

When there’s only one borrower and he or she is gone for an extended time, the lender might deem this similar to “moving out,” even if the homeowner intends to return.

That means the house will be sold and anyone who lives with you, including your spouse, will have to leave.

WHAT IS A REVERSE MORTGAGE? In a regular mortgage, a lender gives you a loan to buy a home, and you immediately begin to pay the loan back through monthly payments. In a reverse mortgage, available only to ages 62 and older, the lender loans you money based on the equity you have built up in your home (which you must live in to qualify). The loan money may be paid to you in installments or a lump sum. You typically don’t need to pay anything back as long as you live in your home.

Rather, the loan must be repaid only when you die or move.

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BEFORE YOU DECIDE Talk to a counselor from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development: Call 800-569-4287 or go to tinyurl.com/ hud-counseling to get started. Read more about reverse mortgages on the Minnesota Attorney General’s website, tinyurl.com/ reverse-mort-ag.

If you have heirs who hope to own the house someday, a reverse mortgage is probably not a good idea for you either, unless the heirs have the ability to pay off the loan balance.

The ideal candidate for a reverse mortgage may be the senior who lives alone, wants some extra income now and does not plan to leave the house to heirs.

Just be sure you understand that if you leave for more than 12 months or if you pass away and your survivors can’t or won’t pay the balance on the mortgage with other funds, your house will likely be sold to pay off the reverse mortgage.

Nobody should enter into this type of loan without extreme caution and sound professional guidance.

Most reverse mortgage lenders are upstanding and will do their best to keep you from making a mistake.

But, as in any industry, there are also some predatory and unethical or even illegal lenders.

Bottom line: Sign nothing without consulting a trusted independent advisor.

Teresa Ambord is a former accountant, a longtime freelance writer and a frequent contributor to Good Age. Send comments or questions to editor@mngoodage.com.

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FEBRUARY 2015

GOOD LIVING TECHNOLOGY ////// MR. MODEM

‘How can I cheat at solitaire?’

I’ve heard there’s a way to cheat when playing Solitaire. I hate to ask, but can you shed any light on this?

Q&A

I don’t know why as many people ask about this as they do, particularly since Solitaire (Programs > Games) is a game you play against yourself, but Mr. Modem is here to answer questions, not to judge.

Here’s how to extricate yourself from Solitaire when you need a card, but it’s just not coming your way: If you find yourself in that virtual pickle, hold down the SHIFT + CTRL + ALT keys and click the “draw” stack of cards.

This forces the game to flip the remaining cards individually, as opposed to the traditional three at a time. Do this as many times as it takes to reach the card you need.

You’ll amaze and astound your friends and family with how proficient you are at Solitaire. (Either that, or they’ll know instantly that you’re cheating.)

When I purchased my computer two years ago, I also purchased an extended warranty. It’s time to either renew or extend the warranty. Should I?

Statistically, extended warranties aren’t worth the dollars spent on them. Countless Consumer Reports studies reveal that while extended warranties are very profitable for the companies offering them, the return to consumers is minimal.

I never purchase them myself, but some people feel more comfortable having them, so ultimately it’s a matter of how much value YOU place on the peace of mind (if any) you receive from having such a warranty.

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Historically, the number of claims presented under extended warranties is far fewer than the dollars collected, so paying for repairs as needed, is statistically more cost-effective in the long run.

That being said, there are certainly exceptions and stories of people who purchased a “lemon” product and were able to replace it at no cost because they had an extended warranty.

But for a computer you’ve been using for two years, presumably using it without any major problems, you’ll probably be fine proceeding without an extended warranty at this point. But there are no guarantees.

One of my friends recommended checking for updated drivers by using a free web-based service. I quickly discovered that checking is free. But it costs $29.95 to download any drivers needed.

As long as everything’s working fine, you’re not going to make it run better by doing anything to your computer, so I would leave well enough alone.

If a printer, for example, stopped working at some point, I would go to my printer manufacturer’s website, locate the area where I can check for updated drivers and download them for free. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a site such as Driver Agent (driveragent.com), which is one of the more popular driverchecking sites, but it’s rarely necessary to pay for updated drivers.

My recommendation? Save your money.

Richard Sherman, a nationally syndicated columnist, first ventured onto the Internet in 1988. Learn more at mrmodem.net.

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Each disaster provides a list of potential hazards as well as things you can do before, during and after specific types of disasters. ready.gov/natural-disasters

GOOD LIVING IN THE KITCHEN

TEXT AND PHOTO BY ALEKSANDRA TILL

Slow-cooker taco soup 1 tablespoon oil 2 pounds ground beef 2 cups diced onion 1 cup fresh peppers, seeded and diced

Heat oil in a stockpot or a large saucepan.

Saute the beef, onion and peppers until the beef is browned and the vegetables are tender.

(For mild soup, use bell peppers; for

Add taco seasoning, adobo seasoning, oregano and salt.

a spicier soup, use 1 poblano pepper,

Stir until the seasonings coat the meat and vegetables and are fragrant.

1 jalapeno pepper, 1 green chile.)

2 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning (can substitute 3 cloves of garlic, minced) 1 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup corn (frozen or fresh) 1 cup cubed butternut squash (frozen or fresh) 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes 2 15-ounce cans of dark beans such as black beans, drained and rinsed

Put the beef mixture, corn, squash, tomatoes and water into the slow cooker and stir well. If you are using dried beans, you can add them here. * Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

Add beans just before serving and stir until warmed through.

Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with tortilla chips, avocado, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce and grated cheese. * If you want to use dried beans, you can add them along with the other ingredients to slow cooker in this step. Use 1 cup dried dark beans and 1/2 cup dried white beans, rinsed and drained.

1 15-ounce can of light beans such as pinto beans, drained and rinsed 4 cups water Salt and pepper to taste

Aleksandra Till is the founder-owner of Homegrown Foods, a new meal-planning, prep and delivery service serving the Twin Cities.

Learn more at eatgoodathome.com.

FEBRUARY 2015

25

TRAVEL

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FEBRUARY 2015

Toronto with a

twist

Big, bustling, beautiful and full of culture, Toronto is a must-see city. And don’t forget to make time for a side trip to Niagara Falls.

BY JOHN LIBURDI

T

oronto, Canada — often touted as being just like New York but brilliantly managed by the Swiss — is a great city in its own right.

And for folks looking to check Niagara Falls off their bucket lists, it’s a cool home base for that trip as well.

My wife and I truly enjoyed our combined Toronto and Niagara vacation.

Everyone was so nice to us, and we felt safe and secure everywhere we went.

From the Twin Cities, Toronto is a 15-hour drive through the Great Lakes region — or a two-hour direct flight. Of course, you’ll need a valid passport either way.

However you get to Toronto, stay in the downtown lakeside area and plan to explore on foot: It’s hard to drive or park amongst all the busy construction sites in the city. High-rise condos are being constructed everywhere downtown to accommodate the swelling population — 50 additional residents per day!

It’s also easy to get around Toronto via trolley, on the subway or aboard the big, red, hop-on, hop-off tour buses that continually travel a loop around town.

SEE THE CITY

Toronto has plenty of world-class sites to visit. The CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and the Steam Whistle Brewery are clustered together, along with nearby harbor tour boats.

Visitors can travel to three different levels of the CN Tower — the Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Terrace, the Indoor Lookout Level and the highest level, the SkyPod, at 1,465 feet.

Toronto’s skyline (top left) is punctuated by the 1,800-foot CN Tower. The Hockey Hall of Fame (far left), housed in a former bank, is home to exhibits, memorabilia and the Stanley Cup trophy. It’s easy to get around Toronto on foot, via trolley, on the subway or aboard the big, red, hop-on, hop-off tour buses (left) that continually travel a loop around town.

FEBRUARY 2015

27

The Art Gallery of Ontario is extremely impressive, including its unique Galleria Italia cafe. The old Distillery District is a car-free zone full of industrial character.

Nearby St. Lawrence Market is an expansive indoor food bazaar with many specialty shops that offer lunch fare.

Kensington Market is populated with colorful clothing boutiques and artisan shops.

Eating in Toronto is a treat thanks to a wide variety of ethnic cuisine.

Our strategy: We opted for the hotel’s daily breakfast buffet for a heavy-duty meal in the morning. At lunch, we went for light snacks, followed by sensible suppers in the evening.

Look for clusters of fast-food joints throughout the 19-mile-long PATH,

the world’s largest underground shopping complex (perfect for protecting you from the elements if you visit in winter).

PLAN YOUR TRIP Learn more about Toronto and Niagara Falls at seetorontonow.com and niagara-usa.com.

VENTURE TO THE FALLS

Heading to Niagara Falls? It’s smart to make a tour reservation for a date early in your stay so there’s flexibility to reschedule in the event of foul weather.

Go for an organized tour-bus excursion, preferably one that offers the Sheraton Penthouse lunch buffet. It’s a two-hour trip out to Niagara, but it’s a comfortable ride if your bus is equipped with a lavatory.

Niagara Falls is a breathtaking sight, and getting close to the falls via one of the huge tour boats is a real thrill. If you travel in spring,

summer or fall, you’ll also enjoy many floral panoramas in the surrounding area, mostly created by alumni of a nearby horticulture university.

Niagara was a success for us: I’m pleased to report that, after 47 years of marriage, my wife gave me a big hug instead of a hard shove as we were standing at the top of Niagara Falls.

Perhaps we’ve finally become a perfect pair, just like Toronto and Niagara.

FUN FACTS ABOUT PATH • Toronto’s PATH is the largest underground shopping complex with 19 miles of shopping arcades, according to Guinness World Records.

With 4 million square feet of retail space, it rivals the size of the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping mall in North America.

• More than 50 buildings/office towers are connected through PATH, along with 20 parking garages, six subway stations, two major department stores, eight major hotels and a railway terminal.

• PATH also provides links to some of Toronto’s major tourist and entertainment attractions such as the Hockey Hall of Fame, Roy Thomson Hall, The Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre and the CN Tower.

• More than 1,200 shops and services employ about 5,000 people.

• PATH doesn’t follow the grid patterns of the streets above.

• Each letter in PATH is a different color, each representing a direction.

The P is red and represents south. The orange A directs pedestrians to the west, while the blue T directs them to the north. The H is yellow and points to the east.

• Signage includes a symbol for people with disabilities whenever there’s a flight of stairs ahead.

• Visitors will find more than 125 grade-level access points to the PATH, plus 60 points where pedestrians must decide to turn left or right, or continue straight.

28

Source: City of Toronto FEBRUARY 2015

Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, isn’t far from the stunning CN Tower, another popular tourist destination.

NIAGARA FALLS TRIVIA • Niagara Falls includes three waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.

• Despite myths to the contrary, Niagara Falls doesn’t freeze in the winter.

• During periods of peak flow in the summer and fall, more than 700,000 gallons of water per second pour over the falls.

• Four of the five Great Lakes drain into the Niagara River, (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) before emptying into Lake Ontario. These five Great Lakes make up almost one-fifth of the world’s fresh water supply.

MAKING IT WORK

The best time to visit Toronto is late spring or early fall. However, avoid the International Film Festival in September when hotels are all booked full and room prices are as high as the city’s famous CN Tower.

Speaking of money, Canadian ATMs and merchants accept conventional U.S. credit and debit cards.

That is, it’s not necessary to have one of the new smart-chip type cards that are required in Europe.

Leaving Toronto will be the toughest part of your visit. It’s sad to walk away from a city so rich in culture — especially the stunning architecture!

If you fly into Toronto, you’ll need a prepared response when your taxi

driver asks which of three terminals you’re departing from at the international airport.

Be sure to arrive early, and don’t forget to exchange leftover Canadian dollars for U.S. You’ll actually pass through U.S. Customs and Immigration at the Toronto airport.

Once you’re back in the U.S., you’re free to simply step off the plane, claim your baggage and head for home.

John Liburdi is a freelance writer. His latest book, Italian American Fusion: Italy’s Influence on the Evolution of America, is available at amazon.com.

• Power generation facilities along the Niagara River supply more than one-quarter of all power used in New York state and Ontario.

• 50 to 75 percent of the water flowing along the Niagara River is diverted from going over the falls to hydroelectric power stations.

• The first person to go over the falls in a barrel was 63-year-old schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor.

• One of the oldest surviving U.S. flags is permanently displayed at Fort Niagara. It was captured by the British during the War of 1812.

Source: Niagara USA / Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation FEBRUARY 2015

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tar S R O T TU

Retired FAA air-traffic controller Guy Havelka has found a second calling as a volunteer with the Minnesota Reading Corps program in Princeton.

BY CALI OWINGS

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uy Havelka likes to say he has 800 grandkids.

That’s impossible, of course. But since he started as a reading tutor at South Elementary in Princeton about two years ago, the former airtraffic controller has given one-on-one time to a great many students.

Why would a 60-year-old retiree — after 27 years with the Federal Aviation Administration — trade a leisurely retirement for a full-time service commitment to the Minnesota Reading Corps?

Havelka, who retired in 2008, tried that route at first, actually.

He spent time relaxing, playing cribbage and drinking beer with buddies before he sought something more.

“After four years or so, I thought, ‘You know, really, I’m still pretty young. I should be doing something,’” he said.

One of his three children, a teacher in the St. Paul school district, told him about the program.

Havelka thought it would be an ideal fit since he lives only two houses away from the school.

He applied and started with the Reading Corps, a division of the nationwide AmeriCorps

service program, at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year.

Now Havelka starts his days at the school — usually before 7 a.m. — and stays until 3:30 to do the next day’s prep work.

In a given week, Havelka and other tutors in the program meet with about 18 students oneon-one for 20 minutes each day, doing reading activities proven to bring struggling readers up to grade level.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Havelka believes it’s important for people his age and other retirees to stay busy, especially with service work.

“There’s certainly a need for it in the community — in every community — be it the food shelf, working with a youth group or teen center,

Guy Havelka, who retired in 2008 after 27 years with the Federal Aviation Administration, traded a leisurely retirement lifestyle for a full-time service commitment to the Minnesota Reading Corps about two years ago.

Photo courtesy of ServeMinnesota

FEBRUARY 2015

31

or going to read to people at the elderly home,” he said. “There’s always a need.”

Many Reading Corps members are retirees like Havelka, said Anna Peters, recruitment and outreach manager for the organization. They’re joined by parents, students and future teachers, and other people from all walks of life.

For many younger folks, the reading corps offers a professional-development opportunity or a way to help fill out a resume.

But for retirees, Peters said, it’s more about personal development and building relationships with “dozens of little friends.”

Experience in a classroom isn’t necessary: The Reading Corps looks for people who care about kids and can commit at least a year to the school full- or part-time.

“They may go home exhausted, but they know they have moved the needle a little bit in catching these kids up to their peers in their grade level,” she said.

With more than 1,000 tutors at 700 locations throughout the state — not just in the metro area

— the Minnesota Reading Corps is the largest AmeriCorps tutoring program in It’s hard the country with sites all over not to get Minnesota, Peters said. misty-eyed Corps members work with when they preschoolers through to third get those graders to build literacy skills. accomplishA sister program, Minnements and sota Math Corps, works you know with fourth through eighth that you helped. graders struggling with math, including algebra.

— Guy Havelka Both programs partner with schools to find community-based corps members like Havelka.

Because the time commitment with the corps is often so significant, the program doesn’t consider its tutors “volunteers,” Peters said.

“They could be playing golf. They could be doing a variety of things, but they choose to go into a school every day and work with kids that are behind,” she said.

Minnesota Reading Corps member Julia Khadar tutors a student in the Brooklyn Center School Readiness Preschool.

Photo courtesy of ServeMinnesota

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FEBRUARY 2015

GET INVOLVED Minnesota Reading Corps is a statewide initiative to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade. The corps, which serves age 3 to grade 3, is accepting applications for immediate openings as well as for the 2015-16 school year. minnesotareadingcorps.org Minnesota Math Corps, ServeMinnesota’s newest initiative, is changing outcomes for fourth through eighth graders who are struggling in math. More than 50 percent of participants in the Math Corps program — all of whom had failed their previous year’s math exams — gain enough skills to pass gradelevel assessments. serveminnesota.org Not interested in tutoring? Find an area of volunteering you’re passionate about with a simple search. volunteermatch.org

Tutors who are 55 or older have another advantage: After a full-time year of service, tutors receive a $5,600 education credit that can be transferred to children or grandchildren to pay for college. (Parttime tutors can receive a $2,900 education credit.)

Havelka said he plans to use his credit to help his two granddaughters in the future.

FINDING COMMUNITY

When Havelka walks through the halls of South Elementary, it’s clear he’s well-known to many students. Though he’s not employed by the school, his role extends beyond his Reading Corps duties.

He was on a committee that helped pick a design for the school district’s new elementary school. And when he was challenged to an inflatable obstacle course by one of his students at the end-of-the-year school carnival, he accepted. He even dons a dress and dances across the stage every year for a holiday play teachers and staff perform for students.

“When you hear a whole auditorium full of kids break up into laughter — it doesn’t get a whole lot better than that,” he said.

FEBRUARY 2015

33

Havelka stands out at the school, not just because of his bright red Reading Corps sweater, but also because he’s one of the few adult males in the building besides the school’s principal.

In many ways, the Reading Corps is an extension of Havelka’s work with youth throughout his life as a hockey, baseball and softball coach, youth group leader and volunteer firefighter.

When he moved to Princeton with his family to be one of the first employees at the FAA’s flight service station there, Havelka said getting involved in the community started out as a way to meet people.

Once he started helping out, one opportunity always led to another.

“Sometimes with volunteers you kind of get drafted,” he said.

Though he was always involved in hockey through his children, Havelka said he coached seventh- and eighthgrade boys’ baseball for a few years by accident.

“I went to the parent meeting to sign [my son] up to play baseball … I said I’d be interested in helping. A couple days later there’s a guy dumping all of the equipment in my yard. I said, ‘What’s going on? I said I would help.’ And he said, ‘Well you’re the only one who said anything, so you’re the coach.’”

It ended up being a good year: They lost only one game all season and won the state tournament.

During the first few months of Reading Corps, Havelka said he often wondered what he’d gotten himself into.

Tutors are trained rigorously

Minnesota Reading Corps member Andreal Akwaka tutors a student at the McKnight Early Childhood Family Development Center in Minneapolis.

Photo courtesy of ServeMinnesota

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FEBRUARY 2015

presents the winter 2014

Writing Contest WINNING ENTRY The challenge: write a story (800 words or less) or poem (up to 45 lines) that includes a found phrase or piece of dialogue (wording that is overheard, found on a sign, read in a book, seen in graffiti, etc.).

Judged by Anitra Budd; editor-at-large at Coffee House Press.

M

y car slid right into the back of the Nissan, my lower bumper lining up perfectly with its “Try Jesus” bumper sticker.

“S#*%,” I said.

It wasn’t a hard crash but my SUV pushed the Altima so it nosed two feet through the intersection. The driver got out. He wore a flannel shirt and his round belly poked through the bottom of it like a beach ball under a towel. I could see the ends of thermal underwear sticking out at his wrists.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, stepping from my vehicle and holding up my hands.

“This ice!”

“Saying you’re sorry admits guilt,” the man said. Then he spat into the middle of the road and looked around the back of his car where I’d hit him. There was a small dent, almost like I’d underlined his Jesus sticker.

“I crashed into the back of you. I think that admits guilt, too.” I tried to smile and watched the steam puff from my mouth as I spoke.

He held up a flip phone and snapped a picture of his bumper.

Try Jesus

By Vicki L. Wilson

I looked right and left. No cars. I didn’t expect them: it was before six in the morning on a Sunday in a town with a population of 1,232. The traffic light above us swung slightly in the wind.

All I’d wanted to do was get to the twenty-four-hour mini mart the next town over for some Pop Tarts. For the kids. Because since I’d moved them to this sham of a town, all they could say was, the grocery store doesn’t even have Pop Tarts. And dammit. I was going to find Pop Tarts.

into a little spiral notebook he’d pulled from his back pocket. It was stained black on one side, probably from the chew he kept spitting. “You look better with longer hair,” he said when he closed his notebook.

The man spat again. “You have your license and insurance card?” He put his hands on his hips like he was going to have to block me from trying to run past him.

He shook his head. “Girlie? One thing you ought to learn? The justice system exists for a reason.”

I rubbed my hands together. My mittens were at home. “Sure.” I got my insurance cards from my glove box and pulled my license from my wallet. My picture looked nothing like me now. My hair was long then and I wore makeup. “Do you want to call the police?” I asked. “Or maybe we could just forget the whole thing. I mean, there’s not much—” “Nah. And I don’t want to wait.” He leaned on his trunk while I held up my information and he copied it down

Judge Anitra Budd: Anitra Budd is editor-at-large at Coffee House Press. She has experience editing a wide range of fiction and nonfiction titles, including novels, short story collections, essays, how-to guides, and educational materials. Authors she’s worked with include Kirsten Kaschock, T. Geronimo Johnson, Kate Bernheimer, Ron Padgett, and Christopher Merkner.

“I like it short.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll be in touch about the damage.” He put the notebook back in his pocket. He had to shove a little. His jeans were too small.

“I’m really sorry about this.”

“I’m sorry?” I pulled my hat down farther on my head, waiting for a lecture about rules of the road.

He sighed and headed back to his car.

“You just admitted guilt up and down and all over this accident,” he said over his shoulder. “If you’d thought about it, you coulda blamed the town for not properly taking care of the roads. Or me, for driving without a license. And you coulda gotten out of this. Now, your insurance is going to go up and you’re gonna pay money.” He looked at my used SUV. “Money you don’t have.” He got in his car.

“Wait,” I said, walking up to his driver’s door, slipping on the ice. I looked down. He was right. There was no sand or salt on the road. He started up his engine. “You don’t have a license?”

I looked in his window, as though a driver’s license should be hanging in clear view. His car began to move forward. I stepped back.

“Wait!” This time I yelled. “Stop!”

He stopped and rolled his window down two inches.

“What about Jesus?”

He looked as though I’d just said, “What about the purple dragon that’s sitting in your back seat?”

“Your bumper sticker,” I said, pointing to the rear end of his car. “‘Try Jesus?’

We could maybe forgive…and forget?”

Even I knew hopeless when I heard it.

All this, I thought. For goddamn Pop Tarts.

He laughed again. It was the loud, rattling laugh of twenty-year smoker and a thirty-year drinker. He coughed.

“This ain’t my car. It’s my brother’s.

Don’t worry. I’ll give him your information.” He beeped his horn. “God bless.” When he drove away, the back end of his car fishtailed and he had a taillight out.

Winner Vicki L. Wilson: Vicki L. Wilson is a freelance writer, fiction writer and poet living in upstate New York. She holds a BS in journalism and public relations from Utica College of Syracuse University. Her work has appeared in publications internationally.

Honorable Mentions: “Upon Finding Pluto Is No Longer a Planet” by Cathryn Cofell “This Wall of Words” by Kris Woll

before school starts and then have support from a local coach and other program staff throughout the year, Peters said.

“We know that they have to be trained and supported,” she said. “They are not teachers.”

Havelka was warned that volunteering in the reading program might be challenging given his background in the aviation industry — a very different environment from a classroom. Those same folks, however, said the work would be incredibly rewarding.

And on that point, Havelka said, the kids never disappoint. There’s always a funny story or a new achievement.

“When you see their little eyes light up when they get it … It’s hard not to get misty-eyed when they get those accomplishments and you know that you helped,” Havelka said.

And there are small victories and rewards every day built into the system, too. Students get a sticker for their daily accomplishments. After 20 stickers, Havelka rewards them with trinkets he and his wife, Patricia, have picked up during travels to her

native Peru. There they find bookmarks, toy llamas and hand-crafted doll pencil toppers.

Tutors find the Reading Corps program meaningful — and about a third return for another year of service, Peters said.

Now in his third year with the corps, Havelka said he’s looking for his next opportunity.

AmeriCorps members are limited to four years of service, so he’ll complete this school year and the next before moving on.

But he plans to stick around the school in some way or another.

In addition to the Reading Corps, Havelka is taking on a youth-empowerment program through the United Way this year.

“Once you start doing stuff, you get asked to do more and more,” he said. “And it gets tough to say no. It’s hard to say no when kids are involved.”

Cali Owings is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to Minnesota Good Age.

Minnesota Reading Corps member Karen Vogel-Pearsall tutors a student at Parker Elementary School in Elk River.

Photo courtesy of ServeMinnesota

36

FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARY CAN’T MISS

CALENDAR FEB. 4–MARCH 1

Oliver!

The iconic musical based on Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist, is reimagined by director Peter Rothstein and co-presented by Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust as part of a Broadway Re-Imagined partnership.

When: Feb. 4–March 1 Where: Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis Cost: $24-$52 Info: 800-982-2787 or hennepintheatretrust.org

PHOTO BY HEIDI BOHNENKAMP

ONGOING

Gertrude Stein and a Companion Follow the development of Stein and Alice B. Toklas’ decades-long relationship — and their encounters with such figures as Picasso, Hemingway and Matisse — in this expansive drama by Win Wells.

When: Through March 8 Where: The Jungle Theater, Minneapolis Cost: $25–$43 Info: jungletheater.com or 612-822-7063

ONGOING

Russian-American Artists in Minnesota Two Russian-born Minnesota artists, with formal training in Russian fine arts schools, exhibit their work

together, including watercolors, illustrations and multimedia pieces.

When: Through May 31 Where: The Museum of Russian Art, Minneapolis Cost: Free with museum admission ($9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for ages 14–17, free for ages 13 and younger) Info: tmora.org or 612-821-9045

FEB. 5 AND 19

Thursday Morning Artist Series This popular concert series features some of the best local musicians performing a variety of works by classical composers.

When: 10:30 a.m. Feb. 5 and 19 Where: MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis Cost: $10 Info: thursdaymusical.org or 612-333-0313

FEB. 5

Sketch Night: Grasslands This informal evening invites beginning and expert artists alike to view and draw otherwise unseen specimens from the Bell Museum’s collections.

When: 6:30–8:30 p.m. Feb. 5 Where: Bell Museum, Minneapolis Cost: Free with museum admission ($8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for ages 3 to 17) Info: bellmuseum.umn.edu or 612-626-9660

FEB. 7–MARCH 29

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare’s iconic romantic comedy, full of magic and absurd humor, is reimagined for a modern audience of

FEBRUARY 2015

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FEBRUARY CAN’T MISS

CALENDAR all ages.

When: Feb. 7–March 29 Where: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Cost: $34–$100 Info: guthrietheater.org or 612-377-2224

FEB. 8

Witness: Let Freedom Ring Choral ensemble VocalEssence pairs up with the Grammy-winning group Sounds of Blackness and South High School’s Varsity Choir to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This concert is also a celebration of the 25th year of the Witness initiative, in which VocalEssence performs new and old works by African-American composers.

When: 4–6 p.m. Feb. 8 Where: Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis Cost: $10–$40 Info: vocalessence.org or 612-371-5656

Cost: $165 per couple Info: comozooconservatory.org or 651-487-8250

THROUGH FEB. 15

The Color Purple The acclaimed novel by Alice Walker has been adapted for the stage with a rousing musical score.

When: Through Feb. 15 Where: Park Square Theatre, St. Paul Cost: $50–$70 Info: parksquaretheatre.org or 651-291-7005

FEB. 17

The Power of Poisons Professor Sharon Jansa and graduate student Danielle Drabeck discuss the honey badger, a mammal with a taste for poisonous snakes and a surprising resistance to snake venom, as part of

Café Scientifique, a monthly science and culture happy hour.

When: Doors open at 6 p.m., program begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl, Minneapolis Cost: $5–$12 Info: bellmuseum.umn.edu or 612-626-9660

THROUGH FEB. 22

Julie Buffalohead: Coyote Dreams View a selection of 25 works from the artist’s expansive portfolio. Docentled tours are offered on the evening of Feb. 6, providing a chance to further explore the meanings and references in the works.

When: Through Feb. 22 Where: Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul Cost: FREE Info: mmaa.org or 651-797-2571

FEB. 8

Chris Koza The front man of local band Rogue Valley will perform as part of the New Century Sessions Series.

When: 7 p.m. Feb. 8 Where: New Century Theatre, Minneapolis Cost: $15–$32 Info: hennepintheatretrust.org or 612-455-9501

FEB. 13–15

Enchanted Evening Dine surrounded by the flowers of the conservatory at the Como Zoo, with a candle-lit, gourmet dinner paired with wine and live music.

When: Feb. 13–15 Where: Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, St. Paul

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FEBRUARY 2015

MINNESOTA MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

OPENING FEB. 14

Modern Spirit: The Art of George Morrison Abstraction, landscape and spiritual reflection were all topics explored in this influential artist’s work. More than 80 drawings, prints, painting and sculptures will be on display from public and private collections.

When: Feb. 14–April 26 Where: Minnesota History Center, St. Paul Cost: Free with museum admission ($11 for adults, $9 for seniors and college students, $6 for ages 6 to 17; free for ages 5 and younger) Info: minnesotahistorycenter.org or 651-259-3000

FEB. 21

Camille A. Brown & Dancers Dancers will explore the nuances and difficulties of defining one’s identity as a black female in modern America, blending hip-hop, ballet and traditional African dances.

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 Where: The O’Shaughnessy, St. Paul Cost: $15–$39 Info: theoshaughnessy.com or 651-690-6700

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS

Silver Sneakers Flex Light cardiovascular conditioning with strength training for ages 50 and up will be taught by a certified fitness instructor.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:45 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Where: Southwest Senior Center, Minneapolis Cost: $2 per class (paid on a quarterly basis), no cost for UCARE for Seniors members Info: mschoenberger@voamn. org or 612-822-3194

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS PHOTO BY MATT KARAS

THROUGH FEB. 23

FEB. 26

Tropical Orchid Tree

Story Club Minneapolis

More than 500 orchids and other plants at the Oswald Visitor Center at the arboretum will be meticulously assembled into a 20-foot tree full of rich colors and tropical smells.

When: Through Feb. 23 Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska Cost: Free with arboretum admission ($12 for ages 13 and older); free on Thursdays through March Info: arboretum.umn.edu/orchids. aspx or 952-443-1400

Three audience members, chosen by raffle, will take to the stage along with featured performers to tell short stories in this comedic open-mic night with no judges and no scores.

When: 7 p.m. Feb. 26 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl, Minneapolis Cost: $6–$12 Info: storyclubminneapolis.com

FEB. 24–FEB. 27

Macbeth This short, intense and dark tragedy explores the pitfalls of seeking power through any means, presented by The Acting Company for a limited run.

When: Feb. 24–27 Where: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Cost: $29–$39 Info: guthrietheater.org or 612-377-2224

THROUGH FEB. 28

A Common Thread More than 120 Textile Center members will exhibit their work in a variety of fiber-art methods and forms, including weaving, lace making, basketry and quilting.

When: Through Feb. 28 Where: Textile Center, Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: textilecentermn.org or 612-436-0464

Strengthen and Stretch for Older Adults Strengthen and stretch your muscles with a certified fitness instructor in this class designed for ages 50 and older.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:45 am Where: Southwest Senior Center, Minneapolis Cost: $2 per class (paid on a quarterly basis) Info: mschoenberger@voamn. org or 612-822-3194

SATURDAYS

Calhoun Square Winter Market Minnesota artisans will sell food, health and beauty items, clothing and jewelry.

When: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays through February Where: Calhoun Square, Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: calhounsquare.com or 612-824-1240

FEBRUARY 2015

39

BRAIN TEASERS

SPONSORED BY MINNESOTA COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH ALL HANDS ON DECK Activist Advocate Altruism Change Charity Donation Fundraiser

Goodwill Help Impact Innovate Inspire Invest Mission

Needy Neighborhood Potential Service Support Tutor Volunteer

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1. Florence Nightingale 2. Married people are more likely to volunteer — 31 percent of married people volunteered in 2012– 2013 versus 20 percent of unmarried people. 3. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” 4. Utah Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Corporation for National and Community Service

TRIVIA

ANSWERS

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FEBRUARY 2015

TRIVIA

What will be your legacy?

A HELPING HAND 1. Often referred to as “The Lady of the Lamp,� this woman established the groundwork for modern professional nursing during the Crimean War.

2. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are married people more or less likely to volunteer than unmarried folks?

3. The differences between charity and philanthropy might be illustrated by what proverb concerning a hungry man and fish?

4. Minnesota is consistently ranked among the states with the highest volunteer rates. Can you name the state that holds the top title?

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

CRYTPOGRAM Island, Friend, Upwind

WORD SCRAMBLE

You can get there. We can help.

Visit www.MN529today.com or call Chris McLeod 952-830-3127

CROSSWORD

ANSWERS

SUDOKU

BRAIN TEASERS

SPONSORED BY MINNESOTA COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN

CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Burst into tears 5 Wander off the point 11 Rainy 14 Hodgepodge 15 In the plane’s cabin, say 17 New Year’s __ 18 Pennsylvania borough in today’s news 20 Clinton’s instrument 21 Ambulance VIP 22 ’50s nuclear experiments 23 Founded, on signs 25 Foe 27 Approved, briefly 29 Pop singer Diamond 31 Henry VIII’s sixth wife Catherine 32 Conk out 35 “Make up your mind!”

37 Germany’s __ Republic, 1919-’33 40 Flip-flops 41 What we’ll have of 3-Down, according to folklore, if 18-Across 62-Down sees his 50-Down on 65-Across 43 Puppies

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FEBRUARY 2015

45 Bahamas capital 46 Thick fog metaphor 48 Dirt road groove 49 Amt. on a new car window 53 Venus de __ 54 Mess of hair 56 Employee handing out playbills 57 Stoolie 59 Workshop grippers 63 Word after Iron or Stone 64 Corp. leader 65 February 2, every year 68 Coffee hour vessel 69 Asian language in a region famous for tigers 70 __ vault 71 Letter before tee 72 La Brea discovery 73 Filled with wonder DOWN 1 Girl who lost her sheep 2 Barnard graduate 3 Cold season

4 Bagel go-with 5 Landslide victory 6 Poker pot starter 7 Corp. execs’ degrees 8 Bend before in reverence 9 Lucky Luciano cohort Meyer __ 10 Before, in poetry 11 Cowboy movies 12 Shirking, as taxes 13 LBJ’s home state 16 Salon coloring 19 Speak 24 Sweetie pie 26 Dennis the Menace’s grumpy neighbor 28 Hate 30 Part of UCLA 32 Chinese appetizer 33 “I think ...,” in texts 34 Make, as money 36 Mets’ old stadium 38 Old Montreal baseballer 39 Back 41 Flippered aquarium attractions 42 Sch. with a Spokane campus 43 Typist’s stat.

44 Some young cows 47 Pennsylvania raceway 50 Sundial casting 51 Entertain in style 52 Victimized, with “on” 55 Outlet inserts 56 GI show gp.

58 USSR secret service 60 Santa __: West Coast winds 61 1551, to Caesar 62 Given name of the critter in today’s news 64 Billiards stick 66 NBA official 67 Dean’s list no.

Start with as little as $25.

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Cremation Society of Minnesota

ABOUT CREMATION Q. How does the Cremation Society of Minnesota work?

A. The Cremation Society is notified immediately

at the time of death. The member’s body is taken to the Society’s crematory. It is held until proper medical authorization and a cremation permit is secured. It is then cremated.

Q. What happens to the ashes after cremation?

A. The member’s remains are handled according to their written instructions. They may be picked up by survi-vors or delivered for a fee.

Q. What is the cost for cremation?

A. “Our current cost for our basic direct cremation service is $1,595.00.” It includes removal of the body from the place of death, cremation, filing of necessary papers, and a cardboard container suitable for burial. The charge for non-members, who we also serve, is more.

Q. How do I become a member?

A. Fill out the registration form and mail it to our

near-est location. Enclose a one-time membership fee of$15.00 per person. The fee covers setting up and maintaining records. It is not refundable nor an offset to final service costs. We will register you and send you a wallet-sized membership card, and a certificate of registration.

Q. What are the benefits of prepaying for services?

A. Prepayment provides two benefits – it removes a

stress from survivors and guarantees that services will be performed at today’s cost.

Q. Where can I learn more?

A. You may call or visit any one of our locations, or

visit us at cremationsocietyofmn.com or email us at csminnesota@aol.com

REGISTRATION FORM

Name Address Telephone (

)

INFORMATION REQUIRED ON THE DEATH CERTIFICATE Date of Birth

(will remain confidential)

Place of Birth

Sex ❏ M ❏ F

Race

Hispanic ❏ Yes ❏ No

Father’s Name

Social Security #

Mother’s Name

Marital Status ❏ Married ❏ Never Married ❏ Widowed ❏ Divorced If married, spouse’s full legal name, including maiden Are you a Veteran? ❏ Yes ❏ No

If Yes, enclose a copy of your discharge paper.

AUTHORIZATION FOR CREMATION I, the undersigned, authorize and request the Cremation Society of Minnesota or its assigns to cremate the remains of , and further authorize and request that the following disposition of the cremated remains be made: .

I will indemnify and hold harmless the Cremation Society of Minnesota and the crematory from any claims to the contrary including all liability and claims related to the shipment and storage of the cremated remains.

Signature

Date

Witness Signature

Date

Address Telephone (

)

Email address

NEXT OF KIN – Please list at least one.

Name

Relationship

Address Telephone (

)

PAYMENT PLAN – You are not a member until this form is on file and your registration fee is received.

“Our current cost for our basic direct cremation service is $1,595.00.” ❏ I wish to preregister with the Cremation Society of Minnesota

Registration Fee:

❏ I wish to prepay for my Basic Cremation, I understand my pre-payment will be placed in an insurance policy to be used at time of death ❏ I wish to register at this time but not prepay

$15.00 $

Total Paid: $ GA 02/15

PLEASE MAIL FORM TO THE NEAREST CHAPEL LISTED BELOW

Complete Cremation Services PROFESSIONAL · DIGNIFIED · ECONOMICAL

CremationSocietyOfMN.com