August/September 2009 Pond/Canoe photo by Becky Hart
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Cable guy Phil Karper zips and dips for data
Hydrologic technician Phil Karper muscles his cable basket back across the Missouri River after taking river-current measurements. Starting out, he zooms across the river to get as high up the other end of the curve a possible. [Photo by Craig Larcom]
By Craig & Liz Larcom Phil Karper stands in a small cable car, ready to release the brake and start sliding through the air above the Missouri River, just downstream of Morony Dam, near Great Falls. Down below, melt water races downstream. The hydrologic technician from Helena hollers, “Are you ready?” at the photographer who stands nearby, hoping to catch the action. At the sound of, “Yep,” Karper the cable guy shifts his hand and suddenly the car is zooming down the line across the river, and then slowing as it climbs the other side. From the far side of the river, Karper is ready to begin an hour and a half of measurements for his employer, the U.S. Geological Survey. About 30 percent of the places Karper monitors have a cable car. The rest are measured from bridges, or in the case of small streams, waded. The one at Morony, where he is substituting for a fellow worker this particular day, delivers an especially quick ride across the river. Tramway cable makes the difference. Other sites use wire rope, which, being rougher, doesn’t let the cable car slide so rapidly. Karper remembers when the cable was installed. “We repaired the cable with a wire patch after a bullet hit it, but as soon as there was a safety inspection they replaced it,” he remembers. He wasn’t concerned about the cable’s safety between the damage and the replacement, though. “There was plenty of cable left. That cable’s way thicker and stronger than it needs to be,” he says. For the first half of the work above the river, Karper releases the brake to move to the next stop, typically one of 25 or 30 current measurements that he will make on the way back. When he reaches the bottom of the sagging cable, he has to ratchet himself back up the rest of the way by hand, continuing to stop and take measurements as he goes. “I haven’t worked with anyone who didn’t have enough muscle to do it. It takes some effort though,” he says. His procedure is to take a reading on an outside gage when he arrives on site, then check inside a little house that protects some equipment, to see if the recording gage agrees. A seismograph-like device, it records time versus the depth of the river where the gage’s sensor is set. He checks the batteries, sees that the clock has the right time, and then checks the outside measurement again. Then he jumps into the cable car to measure the river’s flow with a current meter. He also measures depth, to learn what’s going on beneath the surface of the water. “The bottom of the river changes throughout the year,” he points out. To keep the measurements accurate to within five or ten percent, technicians visit many (Continued on page 31)
PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
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Many people worry that wearing a hearing aid will make them seem old, but it’s the untreated symptoms of hearing loss—misunderstanding people, frustration, feelings of isolation, withdrawing from difficult situations—that are more likely to make others think someone is ‘‘old’’. Not only are the Touch hearing aids very small, but they also have many features to assist people with hearing loss manage situations in which following conversations is difficult, such as in restaurants and crowds. As with most hearing aids, they can be programmed to match a person’s pattern of hearing loss. They also turn down background noise and ‘‘listen’’ to the environment and change settings to ensure the best hearing result, without the wearer needing to change programs.
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3
Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication
P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 www.montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net
Correction Required In the June/July 2009 issue, you stated on page 62 that Delores Plumage was the first Native American county commissioner in the nation (since 2002). If you were stating that she is the first Native American woman commissioner, then this article may be correct, however if you were just referring to Native American county commissioners, then I beg to differ with this article. We have had Native American county commissioners in Big Horn County (Hardin) for longer than that. You may want to check this out and correct this statement. R. Stern Hardin ED: The article was in error. It should have reported that Delores Plumage was the first Native American County Commissioner in Blaine County.
Single Payer Is The Best Solution The solution to health-care reform is simple. You go with the plan that is fairest, most efficient, and most cost-effective. You cannot mandate coverage and still have a plan where some people “fall through the cracks” as Senator Baucus during an NPR interview stated would happen with his proposed reform. That type of plan is not fair, it shifts costs, and we all end up paying more. You cannot have a plan where the health-care industry has enough profit to spend 1.4 million dollars a day to lobby Congress. That type of plan is not efficient. Health-care dollars should be used
to provide services and implement prevention programs. That’s how money is saved in the long run. Lobbying and funding political campaigns are not efficient uses of health-care dollars. Finally, you cannot have a plan where healthcare premium dollars pay industry CEOs millions in salary while preventative care costs go to deductible. That type of plan is not cost-effective and it won’t work. If it did, we wouldn’t have the current health-care dilemma. The solution is simple - Single-Payer HealthCare for All. Everyone is covered and the majority would pay a single affordable premium themselves or through their employer. It’s not free but it is fair, efficient, and cost-effective. For more information, please visit www.montanansforsinglepayer.org. Simply put, we can’t afford anything else! Ann Kuntzweiler 300 Lump Gulch Clancy, MT 59634 406-461-4876
Correct Information on Belton Blues Band For your readers’ information, the website listed in the article, “Rocking the Flathead: The Belton Blues Band has changed and is now BeltonBluesBand.com. The rest of the contact information is still correct. Fred Vanhorn Belton Blues Band MSN
The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $8.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.
Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Kathleen McGregor Angie Erskine Becky Hart Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith
Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Artist Distribution Admin/Production Assistant
Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty George Engler Clare Hafferman Sue Hart Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2009
PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Remember when your mother or grandmother always knew what you were up to? How did they know? Where did they get that special intuition? Why were they always right? Our winning Remember When contributor, Clare Hafferman of Kalispell, has given us the answer in her submission Eyes In The Back Of Her Head. Thank you and congratulations to Clare, the winner of our $25 Remember When prize. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days,” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may
be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contributions deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2009 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-761-0305.
Eyes In The Back Of Her Head By Clare Hafferman, Kalispell One of my Grandmothers lived in a two-room apartment in a low-cost resident hotel on Main Street. She would take one or two of my sisters to visit at a time. We had a little table and chairs in the kitchen/dining room area and Grandma had a rocker that faced the one window. She was an easy-going person. She took us to the library and read to us, to picnics, and an occasional movie. We found her easy to mind, but if
we strayed from instructions she told us she had “eyes in the back of her head” so she could see what we were up to. As little kids my older sister and I believed her because Grandma had curly grey hair that she wore in a bun and we were sure there was an extra set of eyes under that bun! This lasted until probably Mom or Dad told us this was just an expression, but it worked for Grandma! MSN
My Hope For Retribution For The Mistakes I Made In My Callow Youth By James Southworth, Billings Back in 1985, the best laid plans of mice and men had gone “awry”. I was looking for a job, times were tough and no one needed a fifty-five-year-old carpenter. Robin Grinstiener hired me for the maintenance and janitor job at the Billings Community Center. Heartfelt thanks to her, as I was getting hungry. I went about my duties at the Community Center fixing and cleaning. One day an old gray haired man with a scraggly beard, hair and clothes, but not dirty, and pretty stoved-up started coming into the Community Center. He was kind of loud talking with a little
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chip on his shoulder. He would watch me from where he sat in the Center and every now and then he would break into a song. He only knew a few lines of any song, but he would do this fairly often. At first I didn’t care much about him and didn’t pay much attention to him, but he had a way about him and people were drawn to him. You could see he liked me and watched me all of the time. He would break into a song, so it wasn’t long before I started having an interest in him. He was in his upper seventies and had a small, real small, apartment on the south side of the tracks of 27th St. As I got to know him, I found out he had no income at all. He had been living by his wits for years, buying and selling junk. He was a gambler and had lived a life of desperation,
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you might say. He said he came from back East somewhere, had been married one time, and had a couple of kids, but he had left that many years ago and had no knowledge of any of them. Whenever he had worked he just blew his wages on a good time. I asked him about Social Security and he said that he could not prove any, as the companies no longer existed or had no record of him. So I told him they had a program for people like him called SSI Social Security. He immediately got mad, and said he had dealt with the government and he didn’t like them. He told me a story that at one time he had gone on SSI and was drawing this benefit, but he being very prideful, did not like it. He told me he had a friend that was a truck driver and he invited him along on a hauling trip to Las Vegas. They were there a few days and old Charley won $5,000 playing poker. When he got home he put the money in the bank. Later he went down to the Social Security office and told the lady in charge that he wanted to buy his credits, so he could qualify for regular Society Security. The lady had been there a long time and said, “You want to buy some credits? Do you have money?” Charley says yes, I have money in the bank, and by the time they got done with him, they took his bank account away from him, and cut him off of SSI for several months. They told him to come back in and they would put him on again. He said he never went back. He was full of rage and fear. This had taken place about five years before I met him. We dealt with the lady from Social Security all of the time at the Center, as they came here to explain the different programs to the senior citizens. I told her about Charley and asked her to look into his file, if there was one. In the meantime I offered to go to the Society Security office with him to re-apply, but he was very firm. He did not want anything to do with them. The Social Security lady was a very good person and checked his files. His story was true and the mean old lady had moved on. I had her start working on Charley in a nice way, and in no time had him eating out of her hands. We went back and got Charley onto Social Security. He received about three-hundred dollars a month and was on easy street. Charley was also semi blind with cataracts in both eyes. He could not read the paper and could hardly see cars on the busy street he had to cross each day to get to the Community Center. He told me he could just make-out the green and red of the street lights. He carried a stick cane and moved slowly. When a car would honk at him he would shout something back or sing a bar of a song. He was a colorful character. I found out there was a program sponsored by the Masonic. If a person was destitute, and a senior citizen, they would qualify for the cataract surgery. Charley fit all of these as he didn’t have anything of value. We applied for the surgery and were accepted. I hauled him to the doctor’s office as many times as it took and hauled him home again. The old coot would never admit to me that the surgery worked. He would say it didn’t work on him and he couldn’t see, but as I was going about
my duties in the Center I would see him reading papers and magazines. As time passed, I moved to the library and didn’t see much of him. He fell one time and had to be moved to a nursing home. I visited him a few times and played music for him and his friends. He died in early 1987. Helping Charley was my way of paying a debt I felt all of my life because of my callow youth. In the fall of 1945 my family came back from California. My dad, brother, and I went to work on the railroad section at Youngs Point. I was fifteen years old and not much good on the job. The only reason I was able to stay was because my dad worked hard enough to carry me, as all of the men were still in the military (WWII). My dad (a crippled World War I veteran), two callow youths, one middleaged man, and one old man worked together. The old man’s name was Titus Mauk. He was one of the first homesteaders in the Youngs Point area and had probably been in the area for fifty years. This old man wasn’t in the best shape, but he worked hard with a pick and shovel. He liked to tell stories and was quite gregarious. In my callousness I took an early dislike for him and would make fun of him. One day he was
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5
PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
telling someone he had the Kaiser’s pipe at home that he had brought with him from the First World War. I made fun of him, laughing and teasing him in such a way that he was telling a falsehood. He got very angry and went home at noon. When he returned, he had a long carved wooden pipe. It was very fancy and obviously of German make. It made quite an impression on me, and I left him alone after that. In a short time we all moved on in life and Titus went back to retirement on his farm. A year or two later he died of old age. In his obituary they told about him being an early resident to the area, a bachelor all his life, drafted into the Army
in the First World War, had been in battles in Europe, and had been awarded a medal for pushing a wheelbarrow full of ammunition across a bridge under heavy German machine gun fire to supply his outfit. He was no liar, a very good honorable man, straight, and hard working all of his life. I had a lot of guilt about how I had treated him and always in my mind I thought that I would have to pay for my youthful callowness. I have felt in some small way that I made up for my treatment of Titus by helping Charley Black. Perhaps, some retribution when the big payout comes. It may help me a little. MSN
Thinking back to the colorful phrases and expressions that our parents and grandparents used, we were sometimes not quite sure what they meant. Our winning contest is from Vady Stratton of Butte whose Old Expressions quiz reminds us of conversations that left us wondering what was actually being discussed. Thank you, Vady. Congratulations to Evadine Lane of Plentywood who submitted the winning answers to the Table Terms quiz that appeared in our June/July 2009 issue. Thank you, Evadine. Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the fea-
tured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! The second $25 prize goes to the person who submits the most correct answers to the featured quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is a tie, the winner is determined by a drawing. Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by September 10, 2009 for our October/November 2009 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle in this issue and on our website www.montanaseniornews. com.
Old Expressions Submitted by Vady Stratton, Butte Below is a list of colorful numbered expressions from days gone by. You need to match the numbered expressions with their lettered meanings. Just jot down numbers 1-15 on a piece of paper, write down the letter of each correct answer, and drop them in the mail to us. Think back to conversations you listened to as a child. Some of these phrases were surely in them. Good luck. 1. Two’s company and three’s a crowd. 2. Hair of the dog that bit you. 3. Crooked as a dog’s hind legs 4. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 5. Don’t judge a book by its cover. 6. Don’t let the cat out of the bag. 7. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 8. Play with fire and get burned. 9. Liar, liar, pants on fire.
10. You can’t unsay a cruel word. 11. The best sermons are lived not preached. 12. Life is simple when you plow around the stump. 13. A stitch in time saves nine. 14. It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. 15. A penny saved is a penny earned. a. Be careful what you do. The consequences can hurt. b. Don’t do things the hard way. c. Being frugal. d. Fewer people is better. e. Keep the secret. f. Doing something properly at first saves time. g. When you speak unkindly the hurt stays. h. Very dishonest.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
i. Make sure your actions match your words. j. Things are not always what they seem. k. Take chances rather than do nothing. l. Drinking again, what you over drank.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7
m. Too old to learn. n. Mocking a prevaricator. o. The Golden Rule. MSN
Answers To “Table Terms” 9. Bowl 10. Silver 11. Spoon 12. Jar 13. Jam or Pickle 14. Bread 15. Pea Soup 16. Milk
1. Pitcher 2. Plate 3. Cloth 4. Salt 5. Fork 6. Tea 7. Crackers 8. Glass
17. Butter 18. Saucer 19. Honey or Sugar 20. Jelly 21. Mush 22. Pie 23. Steak
Summer Clues
24. Carrot 25. Pepper 26. Squash 27. Beet 28. Eggs 29. Brownies 30. Dressing
40 Gentle coastal winds (2 words) 45 Born, in bios 47 Across prefix 48 Children’s building by the sea 49 Uses oars 50 Backboard attachment 51 Annoying insects 52 A ship’s officer
By Miles Mellor
Down
Across 1 6 10 12 14 16 19 20 21
Beach recreation Chasm Gator or lemon? Golfer Michelle “Rocks” America’s Cup activity (2 words) Anita Brookner’s “Hotel du ___” Colorful fish Dot follower
22 24 25 26 29 31 32 33 34 37 38
Forays Waters down Tropical fruit Pristine sea color Note Child’s play? Blues singer, King Salad veggie Enthusiasm Cologne cooler A way to start
Answers To “What Do You Know About Cars” June/July 2008 - Page 7
C E R T I F I A A N S R O L L S T F L U W A M Y R O O X A F D O W N S I S W C F C O N C E P T I E Y O N R U S H N L I V O L K S W G O A M P H B U Y
E D A U R T F J Z E T T A
M I A T A O E O S B O R O T O N O O Y N E O N C I M O G P A U G H R I P T U T P E D S I O E L A N C E M I A G E N K I A B U G E R O N C R E D I T
1 Vacation activity 2 Kids’ treat (2 words) 3 Can 4 Actress, Lupino 5 Chicken parts 7 Dune machines (2 words) 8 Bikinis, maybe 9 Eat chocolate, to some 11 Vicious fish 13 Sponge cake ingredient 15 Diet Pepsi container 17 Santa sound 18 Dove noise 23 Flowering shrub 26 In crowd (3 words) 27 Warmed the bench 28 It may be easily bruised 30 “We’re in this love together” singer, Jarreau 32 Flower display 35 Bring into play 36 Summer court contest 37 Sea eagle 39 Lobster-like 41 Gallery display 42 Lip emollients 43 Lens types 44 Lazy in the kitchen? 46 Almond 49 Girl from Ipanema city 50 Position of the Heisman winner in 2006, abbr. MSN
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MSN
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For more information just mail us this form or call toll-free:1-800-833-8503 Montana Department Public Health HumanServices Services Department of Publicof Health and and Human
PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
“An Accidental Novelist: A Literary Memoir” by Richard S. Wheeler, Sunstone Press; Santa Fe, N.M. 2007 “Great stories are magical,” writes Richard Wheeler in his memoir, An Accidental Novelist. This remembrance of his writing life as well as most of the stories he wrote over the years have a touch of that magic - the magic that changes a wordsmith into a storyteller. Wheeler’s memoir, like his novels is written with a continuing undercurrent of wit and a more obvious presentation of opinion. Therefore, while An Accidental Novelist is obviously Wheeler’s story, it is also the story of the rise and fall of Western genre literature. While it could be considered a self-tribute, as most memoirs tend to be, it is also a tribute to the writers and publishers Wheeler has worked with over the years; so in a way, it is their story as well as his. Wheeler’s friends play a strong supporting role to his main character. “I see my writing career not as some sort of lonely struggle but as a progression through time in which all sorts of people have heartened me,” he writes. Place figures in Wheeler’s memoir as much as it does in his novels - the settings for his life are strong and skillfully developed and explained. The story develops chronologically and thematically while Wheeler’s description of himself and his place in the world and in the writing community vary along the way. This is part of what makes An Accidental Novelist so intriguing and makes Wheeler so human and personable. Perhaps the most intriguing and magical part is that Richard Wheeler had no intention of ever being a novelist. In fact it was the furthest thing from his mind. He dreamed of being a journalist - a pundit to be specific. He had plenty of opinions, wit, and talent. He knew what he wanted and he
set out to achieve it - with some notable success early on. “But a funny thing happened enroute to becoming a great pundit,” he writes. “I kept getting fired.” He moved on and discovered Montana when he was hired by the Billings Gazette. He tried being a straight reporter, but that didn’t quite work. “I walked away from the Billings Gazette knowing a chapter had ended and seeing little future at all.” He tried being an editor of other people’s books. He was as competent at editing as he was at reporting; but, generally through no fault of his own, the jobs inevitably ended. He moved back and forth between the Mountain West and the Midwest and decided he preferred the former, “where my heart always sang and my spirit was at peace.” So when his last editing job ended he headed back west. He turned forty in Arizona with no employment prospects. “It was then, as the spring heat built, that I made a fateful decision,” he writes. “I would write a novel. It was a desperate choice. I had not ever imagined that I would be a novelist…. In fact I thought it was nuts.” For years he had been reading and editing other people’s books so he knew what went into a good novel. However, producing one from scratch himself seemed like a monumental task. But he had to do something. So, he sat down with a yellow legal pad and a pen and began. The result, about 18 months later, was Bushwack, a western novel set in the Billings area. That was the beginning. “My early novels pursued a theme that became standard in my work,” Wheeler writes. “My heroes… were older men…. I sensed there were richer stories in older men and women,” he continues. Although Wheeler writes that he is not much of a businessman, he is very savvy about the writing and publishing business. So the older
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characters were also a conscious marketing strategy; using older characters with whom his older readers could identify. He is also adept at analyzing his own particular talent, strengths, and weaknesses. “I had fathomed that I do best when I come up with something quite different from the run-of-the-mill western.” While Wheeler succeeded as a western writer with unusual characters (older heroes, Jewish heroes), the Midwestern man who had come to love the west and its history found himself growing beyond the bounds of his genre. “I gradually evolved a literary mission…. I wanted to tell the fabulous of the real West rather than just write more novels that imitated… romantic westerns.” The result was Badlands, a story of a Smithsonian expedition in the Dakota badlands. The success of this novel also broadened his readership prompted a series of book tours. “[T]hrough most of the nineties, I worked on my historical novels. I had found the sweet place, the realm where I wanted to work, the place where I could write about the West.... It was worth the grief I endured getting there,” he says. These are also the Wheeler novels that I like the best. Although I’ve enjoyed his Skye’s West series and the Rocky Mountain Company series, and of course the mining camp stories, the historic novels are the ones that stand out when I think of Richard Wheeler. His broadening of the definition of Western writing for himself also opened up the field for others. “Now, as I write in 2006, I utterly agree with Kittredge,” he says. “Anyone who wants to write seriously about the American West needs to get out from under the western.” Although the content of Wheeler’s novels is unique, the covers and sometimes even the publisher imposed titles depicted something different. “They all featured the usual cowboys with guns blazing away.” We have all heard the old saying that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Wheeler explains why the saying is as much real as it is philosophical. The problem with many of the covers on his
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9
books is that Wheeler novels seldom have either cowboys or gunfights - especially the mining series with rat catcher working for a detective agency, a mining geologist, a shy prospector, and a nun. “Economics is part of it,” Wheeler concedes and admits that the practice is pervasive. However, that doesn’t make it any more palatable. “If I’m angry, it is… because what they are doing is wrong…. A deceptive cover betrays the public, betrays the author, and betrays American literature.” So how do you categorize a Richard Wheeler novel? That seems to have been a problem for packagers and bookstores for most of the thirty years that Wheeler has been making his living as a novelist. Neither the man nor his works really fit in a neat pigeon hole. His stories are about the West, but are not cowboy and Indian westerns, they are not ranch stories. His longer historic and biographic novels are not histories because they are fiction, but they don’t fit a ready-made slot that librarians can easily catalog, or booksellers shelve. And that’s what makes his writing so magical. However, it does sometimes make it difficult to find his books in the stores. “But I think it has been worth the… confusion, and I would not go back and write either commercial or literary fiction as they are currently defined,” he insists. I have to agree. Taking the time to find a Wheeler novel in the bookstore is definitely worth the effort. “None of my stories will outlast me,” Wheeler insists. “It’s not they were bad; it’s that they were not timeless and transcending or lyrical.” I disagree, and I suspect many of his faithful readers are with me on this one. Many of his characters and his story lines have touched readers in different ways and his books remain on home bookshelves - perhaps to be read again and again. An Accidental Novelist is a wonderful memoir of a true Montana writer and definitely worth reading even if you have never read a Richard Wheeler novel. Perhaps it will help you decide which Richard Wheeler novel you would like to read first - you’ll find a list of choices at the back of the book. Enjoy! MSN
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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Caring for a Cranky Elder You Don't Really Care For
By Jacqueline Marcell sert tonight.” He would swear a blue streak at me Recently a caregiver named Karen told me she as he shuffled into the shower and I could still hear felt obligated to care for her cranky elderly mother him swearing to himself in there as I prepared his (whom she loved but never really liked), because favorite dinner! You had to laugh. she suspected mild dementia and worried about Like my father, Karen said her mother’s negaleaving her alone. I told her how important it is to tive behavior patterns were deeply ingrained behave her mother evaluated by a dementia special- cause her family enabled her for years to be able ist immediately because with early diagnosis and to behave badly without consequences (very treatment the dementia can be masked/slowed common). We didn’t know to set boundaries with down in most people. my father either, so when he pounded the kitchen By keeping her mom in the early and more table (“Boom”) and yelled obscenities about somecognitively aware stage longer, Karen’s caregiv- thing, instead of telling him we would not tolerate ing journey will be much less that behavior and getting “It was months into my caregiving journey stressful than if she waits up and leaving the room, before I became so stressed out that I just and the dementia and bewe cowered and walked on had to refuse to let anything my father said or haviors get worse. And since eggshells all the time trying did upset me. When I had on this “emotional many people with dementia not to upset him. shield” and I was able just to go with the flow, are greatly helped with an When a person like this everything bounced right off me.” anti-depressant, and bad becomes elderly and their moods are often smoothed out, I suggested she warped personality is compounded with (as I call discuss that with the doctor as well. it) “a dash of dementia,” those ingrained behaviors I loved my own challenging elderly father, but I surface, but now over things that are more illogidid not like him as he was so hard to care for with cal, irrational, and irritating than ever before. It’s his lifelong nasty temper and narrow-mindedness. crazy-making for a family caregiver, as some days He had never used the “F” word his whole life (my their elder acts normal (at the doctor’s for sure), mother would have slapped him silly), but when but then on other days at home when no one is I took care of him and he got mad – suddenly it around… yikes! I wish I had thought to turn on a was every other word to me. I would cry and beg little tape recorder, which would have helped me him to stop berating me, just hating him for treat- get help from the doctors much sooner. ing me so badly. Often caregivers need to be reminded to put I wish I had been able to reach this conscious- their own health first, so they remain healthy to ness sooner, but it was months into my caregiving care for their loved ones. And family and friends journey before I became so stressed out that I just of caregivers coping with difficult elders need to had to refuse to let anything my father said or did make sure the caregiver takes good care, as the upset me. When I had on this “emotional shield” risk to their health is even greater. I was foolish and and I was able just to go with the flow, everything did not take care of myself when I was caring for bounced right off me. my parents – and was stunned when I developed “Yesss, Dad, I know invasive breast cancer. I gave my parents five more I’m a f-ing bitch and years of life in their 80s – and it cost me several whore and I’ve never years of my middle age! done anything to help I also advise caregivers to get into a support you, but if you take a group as soon as they start their caregiving jourshower I’ll make you a ney, as solutions will come from others in similar special dinner and des- situations — and it is comforting to know that your
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
conflicting emotions are normal. Call a senior center, adult day care, or hospital as these often have caregiver support groups, some even targeted to specific illnesses. If you are a caregiver, particularly of a challenging elder who you don’t really like, focus on being proud of stepping up and doing the right thing, even though it is so hard. And always remember - you are teaching your children how they will
probably take care of you someday - so plan for good karma! Jacqueline Marcell is the author of “Elder Rage.” She also hosts the “Coping with Caregiving” radio program www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving; is an international speaker; and a breast cancer survivor who advocates that everyone (especially caregivers) closely monitor their own health. www.ElderRage.com. MSN
Caregiver By Toni Hagener I am a Caregiver. I did not choose to be one, but love, commitment, circumstances, and finances have changed my life and occupation. I once had an exacting vocation. I worked hard to achieve it. I spent many years in school and climbing the corporate ladder. Then suddenly I was thrust, without preparation and little aptitude, into the demanding and consuming role of a Caregiver. In my chosen vocation, I often worked more than a 40 hour week, but I had a coffee break each day, Sundays off, and an occasional holiday. As a Caregiver, I am on duty 24 hours of every day with no coffee breaks, Sundays off, or holidays. I was once a time manager. I chose and excelled at being one. I took pride and pleasure in planning events, packing adventure into each day, and scheduling every minute. Illness does not respect schedules. My careful plans are always awry and I fail at following the experts’ advice. My friends once were many but they live far away. Their lives and interests go on while mine are limited to this place and the needs of my patient. Everybody has troubles. They do not need to hear mine too. As time drags on, people forget. I do not blame them. I was once the same. But oh, how I miss people and the exchange of everyday information about friends and neighbors! This existence (I cannot call it life) is not easy for my patient. Once a physically active, intelligent conversationalist, interested in people, politics, and all phases of life, he is now imprisoned in an out of control mind and body incapable of being understood even when speech is attempted. The incontinence alone must be embarrassing, humiliating, and demoralizing. It is no wonder that my patient has periods of anger, resentment, and depression. Sometimes I see a tear. There must be lucid moments when there are thoughts of the past and better times. There must be questions. I have them too, but there are no answers. I live in a rural area. I did not choose this place, it is my heritage. I left it once but now cannot leave. I live some distance from local stores and local medical facilities. I do not have a handicapequipped vehicle and cannot afford one. For some special treatment my patient requires, I must drive over 100 miles one-way. Preparation and execution of such a trip are exhausting for my patient as well as for me. If the roads and weather are bad, we must eat out, and stay overnight at extra expense and effort. There are few facilities for changing an incontinent person particularly of the opposite sex. Eating out is no pleasure when it is obvious that others are uncomfortable by the necessity of
feeding my patient. I cannot leave my patient for more than a few hours at a time. I rush to pay bills, buy groceries, and tend to the details of everyday life. I am advised to get away, but not advised how to do that. I am told a support group could help. Even if there were one available, who would stay with my patient while I am away? I am not a weight lifter or a wrestler. I never chose to be one, but hardly a day passes without the need to lift or move my patient. That weight is greater than my own. I have sought advice and used it too, but it helps only occasionally. Sometimes I have aches and pains too. I am not a physiotherapist. I never chose to be one, but daily exercise is important for my patient. I have sought help and advice but there are no crash courses for the likes of me and there is no one to mitigate the anger of my patient when the exercise produces pain or discomfort. I am not a dietitian. I never chose to be one, but my patient is on a strict diet and has likes and dislikes! I have a list of menus I try to follow, but each meal is either a cookbook venture or a hurried, dull, repetitive experience. The dietitian I consult says not to tempt my patient with restricted foods but she advises me to eat well to keep up my energy and strength. Just how I can afford the time or energy to do that, she does not explain. I am not an accountant or bookkeeper. I never chose to be one, but to keep up with the bills of doctors, lab work, hospital, clinic, prescriptions, etc., I need an office, filing cabinet, computer, copy machine, hot line, and refresher course on the latest insurance and Medicare changes. I also need a lawyer and magnifier to understand the print! I am not a pharmacist or a nurse. I never chose to be one, but every day I count out pills and administer them as prescribed. I bathe, massage, and clothe my patient, take pulse and blood pressure and provide more intimate care as well. I keep records and reports for the doctors and do my best to follow instructions. I am no longer young. I no longer have the
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11
PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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There are times when I must walk away and strength, endurance, and optimism of youth. The persistent need, the constant pressure, the lack of give vent to my own frustrations. Forgive me for sleep, the worry over finances, and sometimes my those lapses! I have prayed for guidance and sought earthly aid as well. I know there are others own physical pain or illness tense my nerves.
who have it worse. I don=t mean to complain. I love my patient. Please believe I do. But, sometimes, love is not enough. Being a Caregiver is not an easy job! MSN
By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire While Congress is racked with conflict and confusion over its attempts to enact universal healthcare for Americans, the Department of Labor is making specific investments to help seniors. The Department’s Employment & Training Administration just announced a series of investments totaling more than $46 million to counter labor shortages in the healthcare field, including long-term care. That $46 million is small potatoes compared with figures being bandied about on Capitol Hill.
nearly 90 percent of home-health aides leave their jobs during the first two years of work. A shortage of heath professionals also struggles to serve the 17,000 nursing homes and 28,000 assisted living facilities. As the first of the 78 million baby boomers begin reaching 65 in 2011, “they will face a healthcare work force that is too small and woefully unprepared” to meet their needs, the Institute of Medicine reported. The Department of Labor specialists have “listened at sessions conducted by associations representing thousands of healthcare institutions, and considered viewpoints expressed in person by over 300 healthcare leaders.” Solutions that have been adopted as a result of forums “will act as national models through the High Growth Job Training Initiative,” say the specialists. The announced solutions deal with needs in acute care, long-term care, as well as “the unique challenges facing rural areas.” The broad range of challenges in healthcare includes: • Identifying alternative labor pools such as older workers. • Developing alternative training strategies for educating healthcare professionals, such as apprenticeship, distance learning, and accelerated training. • Developing tools and curriculum for enhancing the skills of health professionals for nationwide distribution. • Increasing the numbers of qualified faculty in educational institutions and creating new models for clinical training. • Helping workers in declining industries train for healthcare professions. Two years ago, the Labor Department awarded $3 million in grants to competing applicants to prepare workers for careers in long-term care. “Our aging population is placing great demands on our healthcare system,” then-Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao said. “Long-term care professionals in particular, are in great need and these grants will help... to fill this need and develop promising careers in this field.” “America’s aging population is creating demand for the professional development of highly skilled long-term care providers,” added thenAssistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “Today’s awards... will create a pipeline of workers to meet the needs of the long-term care industry.” MSN
A Little Help Is On The Way To Counter Long-Term Care Staffing Shortages There the Congressional Budget Office stunned lawmakers by assessing the Kennedy version of nationalized healthcare at $1 trillion, and the Finance Committee’s version at $1.6 trillion. But because the Kennedy plan was scored only on provisions of the bill’s first section, the total cost could run to at least $2 trillion, some Capitol Hill staffers are guessing. Older citizens worry that lawmakers will try to cut back the enormous cost of Obama’s universal healthcare idea by rationing, as Britain and other countries in Europe have done. Rationing would greatly reduce or eliminate some healthcare for the very elderly. Kay Paggi, a long-term care coordinator in Dallas, says, “Our system for providing long-term care is broken.” As Congress wrestles with how to provide acute care for 46 million uninsured Americans, she said seniors are calling on Obama to consider the long-term care problem too. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 47.5 million Americans report some sort of disability. A third of these reportedly are aging baby boomers. Many may be candidates for long-term care. The Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration announced in mid-June that for the past nine months it has taken part in forums with healthcare industry leaders, educators, and the public workforce. It said it has sought to “understand and implement industry-identified strategies to confront workforce shortages.” There is an overall shortage of healthcare workers in all areas. The dearth is worse in geriatric care because the pay in that field attracts fewer specialists than in other disciplines. Also there is “higher turnover among direct-care workers – nurse’s aides, home health aides, and personal care aides,” according to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. There are only 7,100 geriatricians in the U.S. - fewer than one for every 2,500 seniors. Turnover among nurse’s aides averages 71 percent a year, and
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13
Hollywood Squares Remembered Submitted by Julie Hollar These questions and hilarious answers are from the days when the Hollywood Squares game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions. Q. Do female frogs croak? A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads underwater long enough. Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be? A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it. Q. True or false, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years. A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes. Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman? A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake. Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older? A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency. Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking? A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget. Q. Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather? A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily. Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls? A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out. Q. When you pat a dog on its head, he will wag his tail. What will a goose do? A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark? Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to? A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people? A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army. Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do? A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth. Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they? A. Charley Weaver: His feet. MSN
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Success and Failure By Dr. Michael R. McGough By personality, he is upbeat. His temperament is calm and jovial. He is a conversationalist who enjoys interpersonal contacts with almost anyone he meets. He is genuine and sincere, yet he can joke and tease with the best of them. He handles himself well in one-on-one situations as well as in small and large groups. He enjoys spending time with people, and he is very comfortable with himself. He seems at ease in any situation. I have long admired him for his optimistic outlook and his general zest for everything he does. There are times when I wish I were more like him. Here is a guy who always seems to know what to do, and almost everything he does he does well. He is a role model for me, and a person I believe is worth emulating. He always says he is blessed, and good luck seems to follow him around. As a middle-aged man, he has developed a unique balance of traits. He is confident, yet never appears arrogant. He is interested in others but does not appear to be nosey. Success follows him, but he never flaunts it. Instead, he shares it. He is a talented man who is willing and usually able to help anyone who calls on him. My impressions of him are based on the successes he appears to enjoy. I have come to know and really admire this guy who always seems to get it right. For a long time I have thought I knew him, but a recent conversation gave me some perspective. We had occasion to take a road trip together, and for five hours, we talked about many things. Comfortable with our friendship, I shared my impressions of him. I even told him that there had been times that I envied his luck and marveled at how
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!GING #OUPLES .EED (ELP WITH #ARE GIVING KINDRA BRAGG By: #OMMUNITY 2ELATIONS #OORDINATOR (IGHGATE 3ENIOR ,IVING 7HEN ) WAS YOUNGER ) RECALL HOW SAD ) FELT OWN SOMATIC COMPLAINTS TO THE WHEN MY FAMILY MOVED MY GRANDMOTHER POINT OF LIVING WITH EXTREMELY TO A NURSING HOME BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER PRECARIOUS HEALTH CONDITIONS COULD NO LONGER CARE FOR HER (E VISITED HER %XTERNAL FACTORS CAN ALSO AFFECT THE CAREGIV DAILY AT THE NURSING HOME ONLY TO HAVE TO ER S HEATH AND WELL BEING INCLUDING SOCIAL GO HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (E HAD CARED FOR ISOLATION AND GIVING UP ACTIVITIES TO STAY HER AT HOME UNTIL MY FAMILY ENCOURAGED HOME AND CARE FOR THEIR SPOUSE HIM TO MOVE HER TO A NURSING HOME BECAUSE THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIS HEATH 4HEY %NRICHED %NVIRONMENT #AN HAD LIVED TOGETHER FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS BUT 3LOW $EMENTIA $ECLINE COULD NOT SHARE THEIR LAST YEARS TOGETHER )N THE CASE OF !LZHEIMER S AND OTHER FORMS BECAUSE OF hAGING v OF DEMENTIA THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT -UCH RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE TO UNDER IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE PERSON AT HOME STAND THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE HEALTH IN THEIR FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS FOR AS LONG AND WELL BEING OF THE WELL SPOUSE THAT CAR AS POSSIBLE 2ESEARCH NOW SHOWS THAT ING FOR A DECLINING SPOUSE TAKES EARLY MEDICATION INTERVENTION AS WELL AS 2EGARDLESS IF THE SPOUSE IS CARING FOR THEIR THE PROPER CARE ENVIRONMENT CAN DRASTICAL LOVED ONE WHO HAS PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL LY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PERSONS NEEDS OR WHETHER THEY ARE CARING FOR A WITH MEMORY DECLINEx THE COMBINATION SPOUSE WHO HAS DEMENTIA THE EFFECTS ON OF PROPER DIET EXERCISE MENTAL AND SOCIAL THE WELL SPOUSE IS DRAMATIC /N AVERAGE STIMULATION CAN HAVE A POWERFUL EFFECT IN THREE QUARTERS OF THE CAREGIVER S DAY IS SLOWING THE RAVAGES OF MEMORY LOSS 7E DEVOTED TO ASSISTANCE WHICH INCREASES AS NOW KNOW THE SOONER A PERSON WITH THE NEEDS INCREASE 4HE BURDEN OF PER !LZHEIMER S DISEASE IS MOVED TO AN FORMING VARIOUS TASKS SUCH AS COOKING
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things always seemed to work for him. He said nothing in reply to my comments, and I thought surely that I had offended him. It was uncomfortably quiet for a time, and I wished I had kept my comments to myself. The awkward silence was broken when he laughed and shook his head. For the next hour, we frankly discussed business ventures that flopped, unsuccessful career moves, relationships that failed, health concerns, periods of financial instability, unfulfilled dreams and aspirations, and routine bothers and concerns that I had never associated with this upbeat and optimistic guy. It was clear that he was not complaining. There was no lamenting in this voice. In fact, he seemed quite comfortable with it all. For a minute, I was taken aback by what he was sharing, and I questioned my impression of him. Maybe I did not want to be like him. Maybe he was not the guy I always thought he was. Then he put it all in perspective. He explained that there were three simple rules for dealing with success, failure, good luck, and bad luck. The first rule was to celebrate every success by enjoying them as the blessings that they are - then move on. Let them serve as life experiences upon which to build. The second rule was to celebrate failures by having the grace to accept them as the blessings that they are and by letting them serve as life experiences upon which to build and from which to learn. My friend then said the third rule - key to making rules one and two work - is to accept the reality that both success and failure are part of life, the difference between them is often very slim, and it is foolish to believe that they can be totally
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#ONTACT (IGHGATE 3ENIOR ,IVING WWW (IGHGATE3ENIOR,IVING COM
(IGHGATE WILL PROVIDE A CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGING NEEDS OF A RESIDENT s ,OVELY 6ILLA DUPLEX HOMES OR APART MENTS FOR THOSE WHO ARE INDEPENDENT AND NEED NO ASSISTANCE OR FOR COUPLES WHO DESIRE TO CONTINUE TO RESIDE TOGETHER BUT NEEDING HELP WITH CAREGIVING OR hDAY CAREv s !SSISTED LIVING FOR THOSE NEEDING HELP WITH ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING INCLUDING ENHANCED CARE FOR THE DECLINING SENIOR NEEDING FULL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT s h%ARLY 3TAGE -EMORY #ARE 0ROGRAMv WHICH WILL GIVE FAMILY PEACE OF MIND KNOWING THAT THEIR LOVED ONE WITH DIMIN ISHED MENTAL AWARENESS WILL RECEIVE LOVING ATTENTION AND REASSURANCE WHILE PROVIDING DIGNITY AND INDEPENDENCE s ! SECURE -EMORY #ARE #OTTAGE WILL PROVIDE LOVING INDIVIDUALIZED CARE IN A SAFE HOMELIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR SENIORS WITH !LZHEIMER S DISEASE OR OTHER FORMS OF DEMENTIA !S OUR POPULATION AGES SENIORS AND THEIR ADULT CHILDREN ARE FACED WITH FINDING QUALITY LIVING CHOICES FOR THEIR LOVED ONES (IGHGATE 3ENIOR ,IVING WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE &OR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL (IGHGATE 3ENIOR ,IVING AT OR STOP BY 7 /AK 3T )N "OZEMAN TO VISIT OUR COMMUNITY
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controlled. I realized I had been right all along. This is a guy who has it together. After our telling chat, my motivation to be more like him is no longer based on the erroneous belief that he always has it right or that everything always goes his way. Instead, I
now know that the grace, optimism, and comfort he enjoys are rooted in his ability to embrace and enjoy both success and failure, his willingness to appreciate them both as the blessing that they are, and his desire constantly to make the most of the opportunities they provide! MSN
Plan a late summer drive over Beartooth Pass By Kim Thielman-Ibes Of the wondrous places in this world, the sixtyfour mile drive along Beartooth Pass - considered one of the most beautiful highways in America - is one of the more notable. Plan to visit this top-ofthe-world gem before snowfall makes passage impossible. Highway 212, a historic and registered scenic byway rises and falls between Red Lodge and Cooke City, whose full-time population is less than that of neighboring mountain goats. You can explore Montana’s backyard beauty and the wonders that nature has fashioned over the last several billion years and still experience the Wild West from the warmth of hospitality-laden inns and lodges. Just be sure to check ahead should an early snow shutter this grand opportunity until next spring. In Red Lodge, you will transition from ranching country into an alpine community, and an overnight here is a grand way to start this tour. The town is on the National Register of Historic Places and is named for the Crow Indian custom of painting tepee lodgings with red earth. Its rich mining history is on display on main street at the Carbon County Museum while local artists, many members of the Beartooth Plein Aire Society, show-off their creations at the Depot Gallery. The historic Pollard Hotel revives a colorful Victorian era while the Rock Creek Lodge is set on 30 acres providing you more room to spread out. For entertainment, consider a unique dinner theater at the Sagebrush Sirens or dine on fine charbroiled steaks while pigs race (Thursday through Sunday evenings) at the Bearcreek Saloon and Steakhouse. An early start over the Beartooth Highway will give you plenty of time for sightseeing, capturing the stunning scenery with your digital camera, and an opportunity to take in one or two hiking trails. Fall is a spectacular time to visit as the many groves of Aspen turn a beautiful golden yellow and the high tundra groundcover cascades into shades of red and green. Beartooth Pass opened on June 14, 1936 and is part of the 900,000-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area. Though it is known for its abundance of wildlife, mountain lakes, and hiking trails, it is also a cornucopia of geologic and ecologic surprises. Granite Peak, at 12,799 feet, is the highest peak in Montana but does not stand alone since the area boasts some twenty peaks over 12,000 feet in elevation. The drive over Beartooth Pass begins on a
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15
curvaceous mountain road and at each turn, the vistas are vast and breathtaking. In just 30 miles, the switchback road climbs 5,000 feet through four distinct ecosystems - desert shrub, grassland, forest, and finally alpine tundra. At the Vista Point Scenic Overlook, some 21 miles west of Red Lodge, follow a short, granite-lined walk where you will be rewarded with a real bird’s eye view of the winding terrain you have just driven and the long jagged valleys that ancient glaciers carved out of stone. Driving further, you will ascend another 1,500 feet over the Beartooth Plateau and onward to the West Summit Overlook. Just below the West Summit is 55 Chevy Curve. Its namesake, an actual old Chevy, is parked over the side of the road at the bottom where winter snows reach 12-15 feet deep. The West Summit is a barren landscape devoid of trees and animals. Permafrost heaves underneath the undulating terrain and turns large rocks outward. Soil develops in the center of these rings and thus protected, plants take up residence. Dropping below this craggy landscape, evergreens begin to grow and Little Bear Creek flows near the highway. It’s here, just before the Top of the World store (a fun spot for ice cream, coffee, and souvenirs) that an innocuous wide spot in the road marks the turnout for one of geologies most famous mysteries, the Grand Unconformity, where ancient rocks straddle the gulf of time. Here, you can stand with one foot on 2.5 billion year old rocks while the other stands atop 550 million year old rocks. The geological history between them has been completely erased. These mysteries along with many other wonders of the Beartooth range are best appreciated by taking a driving tour of the pass with geologist Dr. Kauffman and ecologist Dr. Robertson, two retired Red Lodge based professors who will keep your mind churning and your face smiling. A few miles up the road, Beartooth Lake provides canoeing, fishing, and rest stop opportunities. Perched far above this lake is one of the over twenty-five features labeled “Beartooth”. A spire, the Crow Indians called Na Pet Say or Bear’s Tooth, sticks out above the rounded mountains beyond. It looks like a small knob from this viewpoint and is known as Beartooth Butte. Just ahead is one of the grandest views and a must stop along your scenic route, the Pilot and Index Peaks
Hours Summer: 10-5 Winter: 10-2 Open Everyday Montana s only public wildlife refuge.
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PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Overlook. This vista features a broad Wyoming landscape sweeping across a glacier-carved U-shaped valley, a perfect backdrop for a picnic lunch. Be sure to take one last short hike at Crazy Creek Falls where the Clark Fork River runs down a geological fault. Just eleven miles from Cooke City, your Beartooth Pass experience is about to come to end and another door is about to open. Make a loop out of your excursion or stay the night in Cooke City at any of the fine accommodations, and then venture further to the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park where you will enjoy the plentiful herds of bison, elk, and deer. Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of the famous Yellowstone wolves.
For more information and to schedule your tour, here are some helpful resources: • Beartooth Pass Road Information: 1-888285-4636 • Red Lodge Visitors Center: 1-888-2810625 • Cooke City Chamber of Commerce: 406838-2495 • Geology and Ecology Tour of the Beartooth Highway with Dr. Kauffman and Dr. Robertson. Call Dr. Robertson at 1-406-446-3706 or email him at prob2134@hotmail.com. • Scenic Map of Beartooth Highway: http:// www.byways.org/explore/byways/2281/travel. html. MSN
Watch Golden Eagles at Bridger Bowl
MOSS MANSION HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM
The Bridger Raptor Festival, October 2-4, celebrates the annual migration of Golden Eagles through the Bridger Mountains. The “migration celebration” is fun and educational for all ages and includes live birds, exhibitors, children’s activities, hikes, lectures, and festival style food and entertainment. Bridger Bowl Ski Area, Montana Outdoor Science School, Montana Raptor Conservation Center, and the Gallatin National Forest are sponsors. The celebration is FREE to the public. The Bridger Mountains fall raptor migration is the largest known concentration of migratory Golden Eagles in the U.S., averaging more than 1,500 birds. More than 18 raptor species have been recorded on the Bridger flyway since HawkWatch
International (HWI) began monitoring the flight in 1991. Besides Golden Eagles, common migrants include Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Northern Goshawks, and Rough-legged Hawks. Other species seen annually include the Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, and Peregrine Falcon, with Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks seen in most years. Activity generally peaks during the last 10 days of September and the first 10 days of October. Daily activity varies with the weather, but generally extends from late morning to mid-afternoon. There will be a keynote presentation at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman on October 2 and all other activities will be held October 3-4 at Bridger Bowl, 16 miles north of Bozeman on Highway 86. For more information call 800-223-9609 or visit www.BridgerRaptorFest.org. MSN
You can help protect the Yellowstone ecosystem The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) has been protecting the world’s first national park and the lands that surround it for more than 26 years. The beauty, solitude, spectacular features, and grandeur of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are beyond compare and are truly world treasures. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is the only organization working solely on issues facing the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. With offices in Bozeman, Montana; Cody and Jackson, Wyoming; and Idaho Falls, Idaho, GYC is positioned to make a huge impact on important issues and
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
challenges facing one of the last nearly in-tact temperate ecosystems on Earth. Your gift to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition will ensure Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks are protected, and the iconic species that live here are able to survive. Grizzly bears, black bears, bison, moose, elk, pronghorn, wolves, and native cutthroat trout,
among others, all call Yellowstone home. By supporting the Greater Yellowstone Coalition with a tax-deductible donation or planned gift, you will make a lasting difference for the future of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and the lands that surround them. For more information call 800-775-1834 or visit www.greateryellowstone.org. MSN
Experience the excitement of lifelong learning By Cynthia B. Aten, MD, Chair, MOLLI Council I invite all seniors within reach of this newspaper to share my delight in a three-year-old named MOLLI. MOLLI was born in response to a challenge from the Bernard Osher Foundation to set up an educational program for people 50 and older, and many of us have gotten to know her well. She has been so stimulating to know, well beyond her years, and I would like to introduce you to her. First, her full name: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at The University of Montana, affectionately known as MOLLI. Those of us who have been introduced know many different facets of her personality. I have taken and loved classes such as politics of the Middle East, world cuisine, medicinal plants, the latest in bird research, medical anthropology, memoir writing, piano literature of the Romantic, Classical and Baroque eras, determining one’s spiritual type, the Civil War, staging
to Kill a Mockingbird, “Yes, You Can Draw” (and amazingly, yes, I could!), Islamic Art and Architecture, and I could go on. Suddenly I found myself planning my life around the six-week fall, winter and spring terms, scheduling our visits with our son and his family in Virginia so that I could fit in all of my MOLLI classes. Now I announce upcoming terms in my Nia class, at my calligraphy guild meetings, and all of the other places I volunteer where there are people 50 and older. I encourage friends who for one reason or another are unable to take classes now to join MOLLI anyway, as a sort of insurance that the program will be around when they are ready. And I tell my envious younger friends that nobody will check their birth certificates at the door. Isn’t it time you met MOLLI? She will keep you young! MSN
Your Passport To The National Parks By W.E. Reinka The next time you hop in the car for a drive down the Interstate, do not forget your passport. The Passport to Your National Parks, that is. Talk about bargain souvenirs, some 380 sites administered by the National Park Service (NPS) issue free self-service “passport cancellations” which record the location and date of your visit. The rubber stamp imprints resemble international port of entry stamps. Passports are easy to obtain. You do not even need a birth certificate. Most NPS visitor centers sell the spiral-bound 6 x 3.5 inch passports for $7.95 each. You may also purchase them directly from Eastern National, an organization that supports the national parks. An elaborate loose-leaf binder edition is available for $49.95. Reserves like Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, and Acadia, NPS also oversees historic sites across the 50 states and U.S. Territories. Therefore, history buffs treasure parks passports as much as nature-lovers. For example, Federal Hall at the foot of Wall Street where George Washington took the oath as our first president is one of
a dozen passport cancellation sites in and around New York City. After snapping your photo alongside George’s statue, hop on a subway and head up to 28 East 20th Street for another cancellation at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site. No surprise that visitors to Washington, D.C. will find 17 passport venues. While the cancellation stamps are free, they can only be obtained in person at NPS sites. You cannot send away for them. However, parks aficionados can augment their passports by purchasing sets of stickers (think oversized postage stamps) which may be obtained by mail or at NPS visitor
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centers. Each year NPS issues a new “national” sticker and one sticker for each of its nine geographic regions. Sets from past years remain available for $3.95 per annual sheet. The passport includes separate spaces for cancellations and stickers. Non-NPS sites are getting into the act. Chimney Rock, once a signpost for covered wagons in western Nebraska, falls under the auspices of the Nebraska State Historical Society. So many visitors sought passport cancellations that the Society set up a cancellation station. Likewise, some local Chambers of Commerce in historic areas offer their own stamps. Occasionally NPS locations feature additional imprints to go with the standard round date and location imprint. For example, visitors to Mount Rushmore will find a stamp of the four commemorated presidents besides the standard cancellation. Some sites offer more than one stamp. Low-
ell National Historic Park in Massachusetts that chronicles the coming of the Industrial Revolution to New England mill towns, offers a different stamp at each of its three ranger stations. Gargantuan parks offer separate cancellations for each visitor center. Yellowstone has a special Old Faithful cancellation. Stamps commemorating geographically expansive sites such as the Oregon Trail or Pony Express extend across NPS outposts in several states. At only $7.95 for a lifetime of memories, family members can keep their own individual passports or can share a single collection. Regardless, these free souvenirs are lots of fun. What’s more, net proceeds from passport sales go to the National Parks Service. For further information or to obtain a passport or regional stickers by mail, call Eastern National toll free 877-628-7275 or go to www.eparks.com. MSN
PaPaw Was a Golfer
Lynne Wells Walding I was late for my ten o’clock appointment with the golf pro, when an older gentleman stopped me in the parking lot. Somehow, he knew I was a writer, and he wanted to tell me a story about his PaPaw. Frankly, I was not interested in hearing a long, drawn-out tale about an old man and his golf game. Neither did I have the time. As politely as possible, I told the gentleman that I was late for an appointment, and perhaps we could get together later. I was glad the pro offered me coffee. Otherwise, I could not have stayed awake. I was researching for a piece on golf. But, what was supposed to be an interview about the benefits of the game, turned out to be an oratory
on the subtle changes in the grip, the swing, and the approach that a person must make as they age, in order to maintain a low handicap. Golf magazine stuff. Lots of statistics and very boring. No story here! As I was leaving, I saw out of the corner of my eye, that same fellow who had waylaid me earlier, loping across the lawn toward me. There was no point in trying to hide. He knew I had seen him. And, he was determined to bend my ear. So, I listened to his story. It went like this: “First and foremost, PaPaw was a preacher. Long before the days of televangelists with multimillion dollar homes, he was a country preacher. He would ride his horse-drawn wagon over 20 miles of gravel road, his Lucy by his side, to pour
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his heart out to a congregation that could pay him with nothing more than produce and chickens. MaMaw Lucy played the ancient upright for song services, and taught the young ladies how to be good Christian wives. On weekdays, PaPaw was a farmer. Using the same noble steed that he drove to church on Sundays, to pull the plow; he worked his farm from sunup to sundown. He milked the cows in the predawn light before breakfast, and again before supper. He slopped the pigs, and pampered his prize winning Poland China hogs. Sometimes he had to help MaMaw in the little country store/post office that they ran out of the front of their modest farmhouse. They sold fresh produce, home-canned goods, homemade pies, and bread. They could not afford to hire help because most of their customers paid with IOUs. Saturdays found him delivering groceries around the central Louisiana countryside, his little grandson and namesake, Denton, by his side. PaPaw never had time for sports. Never held anything in his hand but a plowshare, or a Bible. But, the day came when his doctor told him he had to retire. “If you don’t slow down, Dent, you are going to stop. I mean come to a dead stop. Used up! Time for you and Lucy to sell the old farmhouse, and find a place to relax a little.” By this time, his grandson was a preacherman, himself. Living in California, he was following in PaPaw’s footsteps. His legacy. “Come live with us,” Denton said. “I’ll teach you to play golf, PaPaw.” So, they moved to California.
Denton bought him a set of clubs, and taught him how to hold a club and swing it. PaPaw had never had a golf club in his hand before. Denton bought him some golf shirts, shoes, and plaid Bermuda shorts. It was the first time PaPaw’s lily-white, little-bird legs had ever seen the light of day. But, he loved it. Now, PaPaw was a golfer! He played every day that the sun shined. And, most importantly, he played golf with his grandson.” The man paused, and looked at me with tears in his eyes. “You see, if I’d played football, that would have been too rough for PaPaw. Basketball would have been too fast. And, baseball would have been out. His rotator cuff was used up then, just like mine is now. I’ve been athletic all of my life, but I can’t play those games anymore. Golf, on the other hand, has served me from youth, right into old age. Why, I can play with my friends, my family, or even by myself.” He sighed, “PaPaw’s gone now. Went to be with the Lord years ago. But, my kids play. I taught them, myself. I play golf with my kids and grandkids, every chance I get. Won’t be long until I have some of my great-grandkids out here on the links with me. So, if you think your days as an athlete are over… think again. Think golf!” About then, two men walked up, and he introduced me to his son and grandson. I watched them walk to the pro shop together, laughing and talking, and I realized that I had my story! MSN
Golf Jokes Submitted by Carol Ofsthun Golf is a hard game to figure. One day you will go out and slice it and shank it, hit into all the traps, and miss every green. The next day you go out and for no reason at all, you really stink. If your best shots are the practice swing and the “gimme putt,” you might wish to reconsider this game. Golf is like marriage: If you take yourself too seriously it will not work, and both are expensive. The best wood in most amateurs’ bags is the pencil.
David Letterman’s Top Ten Reasons Golf Is Better Than Sex: 10. A below par performance is considered damn good. 9. You can stop in the middle and have a cheeseburger and a couple of beers.
8. It is much easier to find the sweet spot. 7. Foursomes are encouraged. 6. You can still make money doing it as a senior. 5. Three times a day is possible. 4. Your partner does not hire a lawyer if you play with someone else. 3. If you live in Arizona, you can do it almost every day. 2. You do not have to cuddle with your partner when you are finished. And, the number one reason golf is better than sex: When your equipment gets old, you can replace it! MSN
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PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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Are RVs Cost Effective? prices, RV vacations are still the most affordBy Bill Siuru, PhD, PE With spiraling fuel prices, some seniors and able way for a family to travel because of the families are wondering if it might be less expen- big savings on air, hotel, and restaurant costs. sive to fly or drive on their next vacation rather Fuel prices would have to more than double for than travel with their motorhomes or other RV. typical motorhome vacations to become more Others who might be considering purchasing expensive than other forms of travel. For lighttheir first travel trailer or motorhome are asking, weight travel trailers or folding camping trailers, is this the most cost effective way to vacation? In comprising nearly 80 percent of the RV market, the face of global warming and carbon footprints, fuel costs would have to more than triple. For example, a family of four traveling from others want to know if RV vacations are less environmentally friendly than flying or driving, Phoenix to Napa, with their folding camping trailer for 10 days, staying in campgrounds staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association would save 52 percent or nearly $2,400 over (RVIA) sponsored two comprehensive studies by the same trip by car, staying in hotels, and eating in restaurants. By PKF Consulting, an Type C motorhome, international consulting One compared the total cost of RV versus fly/ they would save about firm with expertise in drive/hotel vacations. The other looked at the $1,700, or 37 percent. travel and tourism. One carbon dioxide emissions, a measure of carbon A weeklong vacacompared the total cost footprint, for the two types of vacations. tion towing a travel of RV versus fly/drive/ trailer from Salt Lake hotel vacations. The other looked at the carbon dioxide emissions, City to the Grand Canyon compared to the cost a measure of carbon footprint, for the two types of taking the same trip by airline, renting a car and staying in a hotel would be about $2,650, or of vacations. The first study analyzed the major costs for a 65 percent less expensive. Even a family taking family of four taking eight different types of vaca- a shorter three-day vacation from Pittsburgh to tions of 3, 7, 10, or 14 days to destinations like the Lancaster, Pa, would save $323 or 31 percent Grand Canyon, Cape Cod, and Napa, California. by towing a conventional travel trailer. An ultra-luxury Type A diesel motorhome is In addition to major travel expenses, PKF factored in an estimated cost of RV ownership. RVs even less expensive than flying and staying in a included a folding camping trailer, travel trailer, hotel. Only a family taking a vacation by personal car with a hotel or renting a condominium and and Type C, and Type A motorhomes. The PKF studies considered only the cooking for themselves would spend less than a economics, not the family taking a trip in a Type A motorhome. The same trip lengths and distances as well comparative quality of each vacation. Con- as RVs were analyzed to determine the CO2 venience, flexibility, emissions, that is the carbon footprint of the comfort, and quality various vacations. Using the carbon calculator family time that are methodology developed by Conservation Inbig pluses for travel- ternational, PKF found that RV vacations, in all ing in an RV were not cases, are more environmentally friendly than the typical airline/rental car/hotel vacations. considered. For example, if the family of four was taking The results showed that today RV trips re- a 10-day trip from Minneapolis to Branson, a main the least expen- fly/drive/hotel vacation creates 1.81 more tons sive type of vacation, of carbon emissions than by a car pulling a foldon average 27 to 61 ing camping trailer; 1.35 more tons than an SUV percent less expensive pulling a travel trailer trip; 0.92 more tons than than the other types a Type C motorhome; and 1.26 more tons than of vacations studied. by Type A diesel motorhome. MSN Even with rising fuel
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
By Bill Siuru, PhD, PE, Senior Wire Getting killed by gunfire is not the greatest line of duty danger facing law enforcement officers. The biggest hazards are traffic accidents. In 2008, for the 11th consecutive year, more U.S. law enforcement officers died in traffic-related incidents than were killed by gunfire or any other single cause. The 71 officers who died in traffic incidents last year included 44 killed in automobile crashes, 9 killed in motorcycle crashes and 18 who were struck and killed while outside their police vehicles. As the summer driving and road construction season continues, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) reminds motorists to be on the lookout for law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel working on our roadways and to exercise extreme caution. NLEOMF Chairman and CEO, Craig W. Floyd, cautions, “I encourage everyone to follow the basic tenets of our Drive Safely campaign: slow down, move over when you see emergency vehicles on our roadways, and let our dedicated officers do their jobs and do them safely.” The campaign provides these safe-driving tips to help protect peace officers: • Move over and slow down when you see a police or other emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road. If possible, safely move one additional lane away from the stopped vehicle.
Summer Driving Hazards – Traffic Stops and Cone Zones Forty-six states have Move Over laws, and violators can be ticketed and fined. • Focus on driving - avoid talking on cell phones, eating, hunting for items, or engaging in other distractions while driving. Many locales now ban talking on cell phones or texting while driving. Even a split-second distraction can spell danger for law enforcement, other drivers, and yourself. • Give officers room when you see or hear a police car or other emergency vehicle with its lights and siren activated. Slow down, move to the right and stop if possible. Once the emergency vehicle passes, do not follow the vehicle too closely. • Never drive on roadway shoulder. This is not only illegal but also dangerous. Police and other emergency vehicles often use the shoulder to get to the accidents. • Watch officers’ hands as they direct traffic. Hand signals provide the most clear and straightforward directions to drivers. Also in summer, cone zones multiply as road
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21
construction projects get underway. Construction zones present additional hazards. • Most cone zone collisions occur without warning, even before reaching the orange cones. The biggest cause of injuries and deaths are from rear-end collisions. • Most cone zone crashes result from driving too fast and not paying sufficient attention. Slow down as soon as you realize you’re approaching the cone zone. • Don’t talk on the phone or change radio stations. A quick reaction could save your life. • Be patient, relax, and merge early. Drivers who wait until the last second to merge cut off other drivers, causing a dangerous chain-reaction of sudden braking. Cutting in line is discourteous and has even resulted in road rage incidents. • When merging, look over your shoulder and use your turn signal five seconds before changing lanes – even if you believe there aren’t any cars around you. A vehicle could be hidden in your blind spot. • Don’t tailgate or change lanes frequently to find the best one. It’s more likely to cause a crash than to save you any real time. Besides avoiding accidents, slowing down for cone zones can save you from a heavy fine. In many states, fines are doubled in construction zones. MSN
PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
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With 2009 more than half over, the Internal Revenue Service reminds individual and business taxpayers that many energy-saving steps taken this year may result in bigger tax savings next year. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 contains a number of either new or expanded tax benefits on expenditures to reduce energy use or create new energy sources. The IRS encourages individuals and businesses to explore whether they are eligible for any of the new energy tax provisions. More information on the wide range of energy items is available on the special Recovery section of IRS.gov. For a larger listing of ARRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy-related tax benefits, see Fact Sheet 2009-10. Tax Credits for Home Energy Efficiency Improvements Increase Homeowners can get bigger tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements or installing alternative energy equipment. The IRS also announced homeowners seeking these tax credits can temporarily rely on existing manufacturer certifications or appropriate Energy Star labels for purchasing qualifying products until updated certification guidelines have been announced. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These new, expanded credits encourage homeowners to make improvements that will make their homes more energy efficient,â&#x20AC;? said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People can improve their homes and save money.â&#x20AC;? ARRA provides for a uniform credit of 30 percent of the cost of qualifying improvements up to $1,500, such as adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows, doors, and skylights, and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems. The new law replaces the old law combination available in 2007 of a 10-percent credit for certain property and a credit equal to cost up to a specified amount for other property. The new law also raised the limit on the amount that can be claimed for improvements placed in service during 2009 and 2010 to $1,500, instead of the $500 lifetime limit under the old law. In addition, the new law has increased the energy efficiency standards for building insulation, exterior windows, doors, and skylights, certain central air conditioners, and natural gas, propane or oil water heaters placed in service after February 17, 2009. IRS guidance issued before the enactment of ARRA will be modified to reflect the new energy efficiency standards. In the meantime, homeowners may continue to rely on manufacturersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; certifications that were provided under the old guidance and on Energy Star labels for exterior windows and skylights in determining whether property purchased before June 1, 2009, qualifies for the credit. Manufacturers should not continue to provide certifications for property that fails to meet the new standards. Beginning in 2009, there is no limitation on the credit amount for qualified solar electric property costs, qualified solar water heating property costs, qualified small wind energy property costs, and qualified geothermal heat pump property costs. The limitation on the credit amount for qualified fuel cell property costs remains the same. The IRS issued Notice 2009-41, which explains the effects of this change. MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Who is AERO? Montana’s Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO) was founded during the energy crisis of the 1970s to promote local alternatives to non-renewable energy sources. During the farm crisis of the 1980s AERO also began to address the need to support sustainable farming, and to create a stable localized food system that would protect renewable resources on which agriculture and communities depend. Since the beginning, AERO has supported positive alternatives to the finite, polluting, “business-as-usual” energy economy. Through research, education, policy change, and on-theground organizing, AERO has worked to ensure and demonstrate that renewable alternatives, like solar and wind, are cleaner and more reliable and
will provide more long-term economic growth in rural and urban areas of the state. AERO’s work in sustainable agriculture has successfully paralleled this approach by helping farmers adopt more ecological and organic farming practices that protect and enhance the soil, water, and wildlife habitat, while building resilient, independent localized food. By bringing people together, AERO offers a vehicle for collective action and a sense of common purpose for communities to shape a more sustainable future. AERO is a grassroots membership organization and we welcome your involvement. Join us today! Call 406-443-7272 or visit www. aeromt.org. MSN
Facebook: It is not just for your grandkids anymore By Chérie Newman Five years ago, shortly after I turned 51, I moved 200 miles away from my friends and family. But, of course, we vowed to keep in touch. Don’t we always? At first, I sent cards, letters, and email messages. They all meant to respond, I am sure, but people are busy - I, too. Eventually, I found a few new friends in my new town and communicating with old friends slid to the bottom of my priority list. Then, I signed up for a Facebook account and my social world blossomed. Most of my best friends, old and new, were already there or joined up shortly after I did. I also found a few friends from ancient times - high school. According to Inside Facebook, the fastestgrowing group signing up for Facebook accounts
is women over 55. But why? Because with just a few clicks you can see photos of your grandkids and read short messages about the adventures of your friends and relatives. You can post your photos and tell everyone what you are doing. And, well, it’s fun! Recently, some of my FB Friends - as I call them - and I compiled Top-15 book lists. In less than a week, I had collected a multi-genre reading list that included some of the best books ever written. One friend, a college professor, recently posted an album of photos she took when her students placed a group of teal-colored cats, sculpted in various poses, in different places around the community (think 28 teal cats sitting on a gravel bar looking across the river or lounging in the University president’s office). It was hilarious! And it prompted creative comments from people
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all over the United States. For me, an unexpected benefit of Facebook is that I have better relationships with my colleagues. Now, instead of just saying “Hey” when we pass each other in the hallway, we can actually exchange full meaningful sentences about a Facebook posting. I could go on and on about how Facebook re-connected me with old friends, deepened my relationships, and how I feel closer to my family. But, instead, I’ll encourage you to try it for yourself. Ready? Here’s how it works. Log on to www.facebook.com, type in your name, email address, and birthday. Create a password. Then, you’ll see two wavy, fuzzy words and a prompt to type what you see into a text box (this step ensures that you’re a real person and not a spambot trolling for information). Next, you’ll come to a page that asks if you want to find people in your email address book who are registered with Facebook. You can choose this option or click on “Skip this step” and
do it later, or never. The next page asks you for the name of your high school, college, and company. If you fill in these details, Facebook will find classmates and colleagues for you. However, you always have the option not to be friends with those people, or anyone else. No one can “friend” you unless you invite them and they “approve” you. Conversely, you will not be able to become friends with another person unless they approve you. Even if you think you hate technology, you can do this. Facebook is easy and simple. If you are tech savvy enough to click around the web and send email messages, navigating Facebook will be a cinch. And it’s lots more fun. Facebook is also totally risk-free: If you sign up for an account and then decide you don’t like it, simply de-activate your account by clicking on “settings,” “account settings,” “deactivate.” But my FB Friends and I hope you will stick around for some FB Fun. Chérie Newman writes and produces radio programs. MSN
Food Bank Can Help Do you want to be able to afford healthy, nutritious food? Do you want to help support your community and stimulate your local economy? Then check out SNAP! SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program) designed to help Montanans afford healthy food. New eligibility guidelines and income limits have made it easier than ever before to qualify! Recent changes include: • Higher gross income limits • For many applicants, there is no more asset limit • Monthly benefit amounts have increased (including a higher minimum benefit amount) In addition to helping you afford nutritious food, SNAP participation also helps your lo-
cal economy. When you use SNAP benefits, you bring federal money into your community and support local grocers, farmers, and businesses. Applying is easy! There are several ways to apply for SNAP: • You can apply at any Office of Public Assistance • You can download an application and mail or fax it to any Office of Public Assistance (applications available at http://vhsp.dphhs.mt.gov/publicassistance/index.shtml) • You can call the Office of Public Assistance and ask for a telephone interview • You can have another adult apply on your behalf New SNAP Income Limits (through Sept. 30, 2009)
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Household Size* 1 2 3
Gross Monthly Income $1,604 $2,159 $2,714
Gross Annual Income $19,240 $25,900 $32,560
*Add $555 per month for each additional household member. Applicants also need to meet a Net Income Limit, which is calculated by a caseworker. Applicants can receive several deductions for living expenses (including deductions for medical
What Factors Drive The Choice Of Where We Live By Tait Trussell Like their parents, most baby boomers are deciding to “age in place,” says the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in a new report, even though many – 1.2 million – plan to move to communities designed to meet their specific needs. In a recent column, Dave Barber, the editor of our local newspaper, and a baby boomer 55+, wrote: “In the not-to-distant future, I’ll consider retirement. But where will I go? Southern Michigan to live near our children and grandchildren? Connecticut to live near our other children and grandchildren? “Back to my old home town? While few people remember me there, I’ll probably have to check my probation status before I make that move! H-m-m-m; that said, maybe I should just stay put. I do like it here. “And, after all, I’m not getting any younger.” The NAHB report was based on figures from the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey from 2001 to 2007. The report shows that new homes offered to 55+ buyers and renters grew in size from an average of about 1,800 square feet to about 2,300 during that period. Though it was “likely downsizing for many, since almost no one reported a desire for a large home as a reason to move,” NAHB pointed out. The new data gave us “our first look at specific consumer behaviors and preferences — what they look for in a home, the reasons why they move, the characteristics of the communities they choose — over an extended period of time,” said David Crowe, NAHB’s chief economist. Of the baby boomers who are close to the traditional retirement age of 65, many are not yet planning to retire and are looking for a com-
munity close to their place of employment or that lets them transition into a work-from-home status. The report showed that while most 55+ consumers preferred to stay in their present homes as they age, an increasing number - 3 percent in 2007, compared to 2.2 percent in 2001 - said they will opt for age-restricted communities designed to attract “active adults” with an emphasis on active lifestyle. Some 90 percent of adults of all ages say they have lived in the same state for at least the past five years. Although there is increasing interest expressed in age-restricted housing among mature adults, the number of units being built has dropped with the poor state of the economy. The number of homes in age-qualified active adult communities in 2007 was 1,155,882. The total of all homes of 55+ seniors - owned and rentals - was 103,773,194. Reasons 55+ buyers chose new homes were as follows: • Like room layout/design, 71 percent • Like the size, 40 percent • Financial reasons, 39 percent • Like the view, 34 percent • Like the kitchen, 21 percent • Exterior appearance, 20 percent • Construction quality, 19 percent • Other reasons, 11 percent Reasons for choos-
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25
expenses for seniors or disabled adults) to help them meet the Net Income Limit. Questions? The Montana Food Bank Network can help you fill out an application or answer questions about SNAP. Contact us at (800) 8094752 or snap@mfbn.org. MSN
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ing a particular community: • Like the community design, 64 percent • Close to friends/relatives, 35 percent • Close to leisure activity, 24 percent • Like the housing unit, 17 percent • Close to public service in the community, 11 percent • Close to public transportation, 3 percent New housing compared with previous homes as follows: • New housing unit is better, 61 percent • New neighborhood is better, 44 percent • New housing unit costs more, 29 percent • New neighborhood is worse, 8 percent • Previous residence was owned, 96 percent • Previous residence was single family, 92 percent • Previous residence was a condo or co-op, 8 percent • Previous residence was multifamily, 8 percent Total sales of existing single-family homes for 55+ families were 1,167,565 in 2008. In 2010, it was forecast by the study to be 1,351,987. MSN
Buying and Installing the Right Energy Efficient Products Every ENERGY STAR qualified product is independently certified to perform at levels that meet or exceed energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy. But how do you know which products will work in your climate or how to install them to maximize your energy savings? The following tips will help you buy with confidence and install for efficiency. Purchasing Tips - Shopping for energy efficient products can be a confusing process. For example, there are many different types of windows with various surfaces to either retain heat in your house or keep it from entering your house. What you choose depends on many factors. ENERGY STAR makes it simple! Follow these five steps to ensure the products you buy deliver savings and comfort you’ll enjoy. • Determine your ENERGY STAR Climate Zone. • Find a retailer or manufacturer. Find a manufacturer or retailer of ENERGY STAR qualified products. • Look for the ENERGY STAR label for your climate zone. All ENERGY STAR qualified products must display the ENERGY STAR label. Check the label to make sure the product you are considering qualifies in your area. • Ask for ENERGY STAR when ordering. When you’re ordering in a showroom, make sure to ask for a product that qualifies for ENERGY STAR in your climate zone. • Get a deal. In addition to the long-term energy savings you’ll enjoy, take advantage of financial incentives that lower your initial investment: 1. Many utilities provide financial incentives for purchasing ENERGY STAR qualified products. Look for local rebates and other promotions in your area. 2. Claim up to $1,500 in federal tax credits for installing ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors or skylights or making certain other energy efficiency improvements to your home. Installing for Efficiency - Even the products can perform poorly if not properly installed. For example, windows, doors, and skylights can be drafty if they are poorly installed. Here are a few steps to get the most out the products you buy: • Stick to manufacturer instructions. Some manufacturers will void your warranty if you do not follow manufacturer installation instructions. • Seek out trained professionals. Ask about certification from InstallationMasters, the American Window & Door Institute, or equivalent manufacturer’s certification program. Some warranties require that you use an installer certified by the manufacturer. • Evaluate installers. When hiring a contractor, interview candidates and ask for references. The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Protection Web site offers home improvement advice under Consumer Information; just click “Shopping for Products & Services.” MSN
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27
Immerse Yourself in Helena History on Last Chance Train Tour By Kim Thielman-ibes Helena’s initial rough-hewn log foundations were built thanks to the mid-19th century gold rush, and like many early mining towns, could easily have found itself blown down by strong winds, covered in dust by neglect, and long since forgotten. But, the Queen City of the Rockies has been able to preserve its past while becoming the center of Montana’s cultural and political heritage. There is no better way to get a perfectly grand introduction and overview of Helena’s rich history than on a Last Chance Train Tour operated by Helena Unlimited, whose sole purpose is to promote and maintain Helena’s history. The organization started providing historical tours in 1954 with four trolley cars pulled by a jeep. Since then, they have made small alterations in the tour itself though grander improvements in the manner in which they conduct them. The tours are conducted via two-wheeled tour trains. The little one, they call the traditional train, pulls several trolley’s behind her accommodating up to 48 passengers. The larger train engine, called the Number 55, was built to model the last steam engine to pull over the Continental Divide and like the traditional train, it pulls four open-air climate controlled trolleys behind her. Dressed in black and white-striped engineer coveralls and an engineer hat, the tour guides who also drive the engines, sport names such as Buffalo Brian and have a wry western humor to match. As they chug up and down the hilly side of Last Chance Gulch, they will regale you with
the colorful history of Helena’s most animated and interesting historic points of interest. For Lee and Avone Holmes, who both manage operations and provide the tours themselves along with additional local guides, it is all about the people. “I really see the train as being part of the community. It reflects Helena,” says Lee. “As people get on this train and experience Helena and Montana they get this friendly, excited feeling about our community.” The one-hour tour begins in front of the Montana Historical Society just across the street from the State Capitol on the upper eastside of town. Circling the capital district you’ll gain a sense of how Montana’s various government buildings are organized and learn enough about the capitol’s Greek Renaissance architecture to pencil in a separate tour of its grounds for later that day. The train tour then chugs off past the historic Governor’s Mansion, constructed in 1888, on its way to Last Chance Gulch. The Last Chance tour guides entertain you with historic facts and a few interesting tidbits not often found in the history books - such as when this gold mining town was founded more than 130 years ago, it was infested by snakes. Helena’s rich mining history comes alive as you coast by Reeder’s Alley, where the gulch miners would live during the cold winter months, and discover that these gold diggers mined more than 3.5 billion dollars worth of gold resulting in the largest number of millionaires per capita in the world. These wealthy citizens congregated on the
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PAGE 28 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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west side of town known as the Mansion District. This ern Life Insurance Company. Down from the Johnson may be the most dazzling part of the tour as you roll house, at 502 Harrison Avenue, is the impressive home through block after block of unique 19th century man- of rancher Henry Sieben. Built from bricks made by the Nick Kessler brickyards found just outside Helena, this sions. beautifully crafted home was built “This is my favorite part of in 1898. Much like the capital, this the tour,” Lee says. “It’s in these is one more area where you will homes where the story of Helwant to schedule a return trip. It is ena is told.” This gracious area really no wonder that many people is sprinkled with hitching posts become regulars on the tour - once and brick sidewalks that still is simply not enough. maintain their original herring“The best thing about Helena,” bone patterns. Along Harrison says Avone Holmes “is that the Avenue, you will roll past A.C. interesting sites are close enough Johnson’s French that we can really give people a Romanesque for[Photo by Kim Thielman[Ibes] great overview.” The Last Chance tress-like home, Train Tours run through the middle constructed in 1894 with large blocks of rough granite. of September. For more information about times and Mr. Johnson’s fortune was built in banking cost, please visit hƩp://lctours.com or call toll free at 1and later he helped organize the West- 888-423-1023. Enjoy! MSN
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By Kim Thielman-Ibes The Parrot Confectionary has been a Helena favorite for more than eighty-seven years. Walking into this old-time soda fountain and chocolate shop is like stepping back into the early twentieth century. The small wooden booths and ornate iron-stemmed soda-fountain stools are original to the building as is nearly everything else in the joint. “It hasn’t changed much since I was a kid,” says Dave Deunsing, who until recently owned the Parrot with his brother Stanley. “I’ve been here thirty-one years, and much of what you see has been here since then.” He points to the walls covered with Navajo Indian rugs, adorned with Parrot memorabilia (their mascot and namesake), replica Reinhold Weiss pictures of Native Americans, and the original speaker for a Wurlitzer jukebox. If you can tear yourself away from the display case of homemade chocolates, you will also find a poster print of the Parrot, done by western artist Bob Morgan, illustrating the confectionary as it was in the 1940s - and you will be hard-pressed to see much of a change as you walk into this Montana institution today. “Bob still comes in to order a pineapple milkshake,” says Dave adding with a smile, “Though he’s been kicked out of here a couple of times during his life.” The carved graffiti that Mr. Morgan etched into the bottom of booth number four many years ago, is still there for anyone willing to look for it.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Bill and Alanthe Post started the Parrot Confectionary in 1922. Alanthe, called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Postieâ&#x20AC;? by those who knew her, was the youngest in a large family of boys. Her dream was to start a candy shop and when she and Bill moved to Helena, they soon opened the Parrot. The name, as Postie would say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speaks for itself.â&#x20AC;? A friend of the Posts had a candy store in Great Falls at the time. He taught Bill and Postie how to make handmade ice cream, handmade chocolates, and their beloved chili. The Deunsings remain true to the original recipes and even most of the original equipment that is used to make them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My brother,â&#x20AC;? says Dave, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Learned how to make candy from Bill Post. Our Dad was sick so Stanley came to work here in 1978. Bill used to say that he was the brains and Stanley was the brute strength as Bill couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t physically make the candy.â&#x20AC;? Eventually Stanley passed down the trade secrets to Dave, including a few that their Dad cooked up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It used to drive my dad nuts that my brother and I would go to the store to buy peanut butter cups, so he developed peanut butter fudge,â&#x20AC;? says Dave. This put an end to their covert purchases. Dave and Stanley remained the chief chocolate and candy makers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody makes mistakes when you start making candy,â&#x20AC;? Dave says. He started out learning how to make caramel corn, and from there he progressed to caramels and eventu[Photo by Kim Thielman-Ibes] ally to the hardest piece of candy they make - their Turkish Delight. Dave will tell you that they were at it for more than thirty-one years and they were getting pretty good. After the candy and chocolates are made, most are still only half-ready for the display case out front. First, they go into the magical place called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dipping roomâ&#x20AC;? where Terri Dronen and Theresa Dykstra, the dipping girls, turn an extraordinary piece of candy into an extra, extra, extraordinary Parrot confectionary. The girls sit at a table in a small room set at a temperature of 60-65 degrees, where a small vat of melted chocolate takes up residence between them. With speed and finesse that can only come after many months of experience, they dip each piece of homemade sweets into a puddle of chocolate they have pooled onto a marble slab in front of them. After the candy is dipped, they make a small design atop each piece. Generally, it is a letter of the alphabet to identify what lies beneath each ;\IZ\ _Q\P NZM[P _PWTM chocolate - R is for raspberry, M is for mint, and VI\]ZIT NWWL[ IVL LQ[KW^MZ so on. Of the three dip- I TQ^MTQMZ aW] ping girls, one has been dipping for more than UHDO IRRG thirty years. PDUNHW GHOL â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are about 50 or 60 different pieces +HOHQD $YH Â&#x2021; +HOHQD 07 that we dip,â&#x20AC;? says Terri 23(1 0RQ 6DW 6XQ who has been dipping for four years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cut-out to do this, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cross between a job and an art.â&#x20AC;? It is all about tradition at the Parrot Confectionary, from the manner in which their well-loved chocolates are made to the people who work there and even for their
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very loyal clientele. Luella Bennett, a Helena native has been coming to the Parrot for fifty years. “We had an H-Club then, we’d come in with our sweaters,” says a smiling Bennett one of the Parrot’s many satisfied customers who find themselves once again sitting on one of the original soda fountain stools waiting for their afternoon chocolate fix. And, the Parrot’s new owners are determined to carry on the tradition. After working for a number
of years in Minnesota and Delaware in software and senior housing, Brian and Kelly Ackerman were determined to return to Montana. “Although I grew up in Billings and went to the U of M, I made many visits to the Parrot. We missed Montana so much,” Brian says. They explored the availability of the Parrot, a deal was struck, and their excitement and enthusiasm for the Parrot and being back in Montana are palpable. Also, they love chocolate! MSN
Crimson Bluffs Chapter, Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail Foundation, Resurrects a Forgotten Segment of the Journey
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By Bernice Karnop The Chapter started with 25-30 members and The Lewis and Clark Expedition did not leave the numbers have remained steady, even after the a large footprint on the land. We know where they Bicentennial passed. were because members of the group described “It’s not huge, but they’re good workers and landmarks in their journals of their trek to the Pa- interested, and that was what we were looking cific Ocean. for,” says Troy. His wife, Shirley, is the memberBefore the Crimson Bluffs Chapter of the Lewis ship chair. and Clark Heritage Trail Foundation was orgaThe first project for the Crimson Bluffs Chapter nized, most brochures and guides skipped over started with a note Clark scratched on his original the Corp’s trip through the Townsend Valley. map that had apparently been overlooked for 200 According to years. Clark named the Townsend’s Troy Helislands south of town mick, “It was like Lewis “Yorks 8 Islands” in honor and Clark were at the of his slave. This group Gates of the Mountains of islands that stretches and then they were in for about a mile and a Three Forks.” half down the Missouri Between these spots River is unnamed on lie the Crimson Bluffs, subsequent maps. easily identified from The chapter conCaptain Lewis’ journals. tacted the United States He came through with Board of Geological the canoes a day after Names and submitted Clark walked by on the their application to recliffs. On July 24, 1805, store the name. Their aphe wrote, “…passed a plication was approved remarkable bluff of a as “Yorks Islands” – crimson coloured earth without an 8 because on Starboard intermixed the number of islands with Stratas of black and changes seasonally with brick red slate.” river flow and without an [Photo by Bernice Karnop] The late Stephen apostrophe because, Ambrose, author of the popular Lewis and Clark according to Stoner, “Apostrophes aren’t used for book, Undaunted Courage, laid the groundwork geographical places on maps.” for the Crimson Bluffs Chapter when he spoke in At the same time, the Chapter was concerned Townsend in 1996. about the Crimson Bluffs. “After Ambrose’s program we just collected “The best way to see the Crimson Bluffs is everyone that was interested and decided to char- from the river, early on a July morning as Lewis ter a chapter of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail and his crew did,” says Stoner. Ten years ago, Foundation,” says Troy. The charter was issued however, Lewis’s “remarkable bluff” was on priJuly 24, 1998 - the anniversary of the day the Corps vate land considered a prime spot for a housing passed by Crimson Bluffs in 1805. development. The Chapter felt it was important to preserve it in its natural state and worked tirelessly to get the land into the public domain. The Chapter persevered through several nail-biting meetings, to help the Bureau of Land Management obtain funds to purchase a 50-acre plot around the site, which was adjacent to other BLM land. They dedicated the purchase in July 2002. The top of the bluffs remains much as Clark saw it as he walked there two centuries ago. It provides an awesome view of the valley much different from what you see from the highways on the east side of the river. The bluffs are covered with sparse grass, prickly pear, and yucca. Wildlife and waterfowl are abundant and include deer, antelope, elk, and an occasional black bear. After securing the Crimson Bluffs site, John and Troy wrote an Auto-Tour brochure so visitors can enjoy a meaningful visit on their own. The tour starts at the Forest Service building in Townsend and goes down the west side of the Missouri River. In addition to the Crimson Bluffs
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
and Yorks Islands, it points out camp sites, long vistas, and the place where Clark spotted the fat white horse he could not get close to. The route crosses to the east side of Highway 287 near Toston, and passes what the journals call the Second Gate of the Rocky Mountains, Bold Springs and Lewis’s final camp in Broadwater County. The most recent activity of the Chapter concerns the black garter snake Captain Lewis mentions seeing. He examined and recorded it in detail, and while others since have noted its presence, no one had followed up on it in 200 years. The Crimson Bluffs Chapter brought the snake to the attention of Dr. Grant Hokit, a biology professor at Carroll College in Helena.
“Grant is trying to find out if it is a true subspecie of the garter snake,” says Stoner. Although the Crimson Bluffs Chapter is only ten years old, they have accomplished many worthwhile things that “couldn’t be done.” One of the reasons people have not lost interest in the group is that they are still working to learn more. To learn more abut the Crimson Bluffs area, visit the web site, www.onewest.net/~inmontana/ crimsonbluffs or just search for Crimson Bluffs. If you would like a guided tour, it can be arranged through John Stoner at 406-266-4296. “We’re always interested in anyone who is interested in Lewis and Clark,” he says. MSN
Phil Karper hydrologic technician - continued from front cover of the stations every six weeks. With his measurements in hand, Karper will process the data at the office in Helena, where he spends most of his time. What he and the four other hydrologic technicians in the Helena office determine is known as the stage/discharge relation, a chart for each station that reflects how many cubic feet of water are moving past the site per second (CFS), when the water level is at a particular height. This is the basis of the streamflow data that is posted on the web and used by a variety of agencies and individuals. The data will help dam operators know how much water to release to keep stream flows at proper levels. Floods may be avoided, and flows conserved to deal with droughts. Irrigators use the data to plan, and engineers consult historic records to design a bridge for the right water levels and flows. Other planners will know when waters are high enough to dilute pollutants, and researchers can use the figures in their studies. Water use that has been set by compacts will be appropriately apportioned. Accurate figures help the various users to make efficient use of water. People planning to go fishing and boating can check the figures on the web, too. “We probably have more requests on the Smith River than anything,” guesses Karper. “There’s a station just below the launch.” That makes it easy for floaters to know when there’s enough water for the popular three-day trip. Nationwide there are over 7,500 stations measuring streamflow. The oldest continuously operating one of these is at Fort Benton, Karper says. “That was originally monitored for the steamboats coming up river.” Karper has taken measurements from a bridge
there. Assignments change from time to time, and now he works most often in the Dillon area, measuring flows along rivers such as the Big Hole. Karper did not start out to be hydrologic technician. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology at the University of Montana in 1976, but jobs in wildlife biology were tough to find at the time. A fellow he knew got a job with the U.S. Geological Survey, so when Karper heard about it, he submitted a job interest card. Karper got the job and worked in Denver for a year and a half, measuring stream flows. That was a surprise because he had expected to be doing water quality tests. He had estimated stream flow for a water quality project in the Flathead right after he finished school, but that hadn’t even used a flow meter, he says. When Karper got the chance to transfer to Helena in 1980, he did. Now, 30 years after he joined the U.S. Geological Survey, his next stop is retirement. What will he do? “I’ll do what I do on the weekend, only more of it,” he says with a smile. Readers can check the internet for streamflows at http: // mt. water. usgs. gov/. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 33
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
We are coming to the end of summer. The changing of the leaves and cooler evenings are on their way. It is time to start thinking about sitting around the fireplace with someone special. Send us your letter today and start looking for that new companion. To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That’s up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive responses. Respond to the ads in this issue and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our October/November 2009 issue. There is no charge for this service and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well. Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad, the deadline for the October/November issue is September 10, 2009. Are you tired of single life? I am a DWW that is looking for Mr. Right. I am 5’4”, in my middle 60s, but look much younger. Am a little overweight. Need someone that is honest, caring, humorous, good natured, and loves to communicate. I like cooking, baking, movies, eating out, friends, playing games, walks, holding hands, reading, and traveling. I like to cuddle and enjoy quality time together.
I don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs, and I love animals. So let’s get together and enjoy life. Willing to relocate. Would like to hear from someone compatible, with same traits and who is loyal. I will answer all who correspond. I would appreciate a picture and phone number, please. Reply MSN, Dept. 25601, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a man in my 70s who very much wants to meet a woman who is fun, has a great sense of humor, is fairly trim, and still loves lovemaking. I am very healthy, 5’9”, 180 lbs, do not smoke or drink alcohol. I will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 25602, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WANTED: One good man, prefer Laurel, Bridger, or Red Lodge area. 65 years old and up. Someone who loves animals, outdoor activities, relaxing, and spending time together. Sense of humor a must! Looks not so important but inner colors must shine through! Send me a letter. Reply MSN, Dept. 25603, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, no couch potato at 75. Always have projects in the works so don’t get bored. Go south when temp gets in the 30s and return when temp rises in May. Have been an active dancer, but have no partner now. I have played most card games. Believe everyone should be self-reliant and free to be all they can be without management. I spend very little time cooking so eat sandwiches often which shows on my waste line (250 lbs). Have a comfortable income for my needs. No debts, and I envy no one. Have most any outside toys paid for already. Adjust easily to circumstances. Gave up smoking and drinking in the 70s and 80s. The freezer is kept stocked with game and fish. Have most up-to-date appliances in Arizona and Montana. Still want to travel by camper to Alaska. Do you enjoy camping, scenery, and outdoors? If your curiosity is aroused, reply promptly. Reply MSN, Dept. 25604, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SDFW, lives in Great Falls, prefers someone in area, but able to relocate anywhere. I’m 66 but look much younger. I prefer no jocks or athletes. Please no drinkers, except social. Interests include camping RV style, picnics, plays, art, movies, garage sales, dining out, good old home cooking, baking, and especially quiet times together. I’m friendly, faithful, compassionate, with sense of humor, and real. I’m not rich but am in heart. Looking for someone with same qualities and interests that wants companionship first, then hoping for a long-time relationship. I will respond to all who write and please send a photo and a phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 25605, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. It’s never too late to have fun. SWF in early 70s, looking for companionship, and new experiences. Love the outdoors – picnics, camping, rodeos, and traveling. Also like cards, movies, and dining out or at home. Also like boating and fishing, and short day or weekend trips exploring the back roads of Montana. I like attending concerts and appreciate most all music especially western. In search of a non-smoking, no drugs, fun-loving gentleman in his 70s. Social drinking is OK. Someone to share fun times and hugs with. Reply MSN, Dept. 25606, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
SWF, 60s, N/S, no drugs, fun, fit, romantic, financially secure, and have a love for life and laughter. I enjoy taking walks, dancing, country western music, the outdoors, hiking, traveling, rodeos, and much more. I live in the Flathead Valley. ISO – that special guy, 66+, N/S, financially secure, no baggage, fit, loving, honest, who has a zest for life and some similar interests. Life is more fun with a partner than alone. Your reply is welcomed and I will reply to all. Reply MSN, Dept. 25607, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM. 60s, healthy, good physical shape, nonsmoker, non-drinker, enjoy the outdoors, fishing, etc. Also open to new things. I’m looking for that special lady for a long-term relationship. Age, and looks not important. What’s inside counts. I live in the Red Lodge area, a boots and wrangler type of guy. Will answer all letters. Send phone number and photo please. Reply MSN, Dept. 25608, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single, retired, male, white, 5’6”, 135 lbs, NS, and no drugs. I like the outdoors, camping, fishing, hiking, dancing, eating out, and in on cold days. Social drinker, in good shape, and like to travel. I have a nice home, boat, bicycles, trail bike for two. Easy to get along with, and try to enjoy life, etc. Have good car and will travel to meet for lunch. I will answer all letters. Happy trails and thanks. Reply MSN, Dept. 25609, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I’m a white male in my mid sixties, 5’9”, 195 lbs, brown hair, and brown eyes. I am quite active, like all outdoor activities, and sports. I own my own home and forested land. Life is too short to spend it alone. I would like to meet a non-smoking, no drugs type of gal that has taken care of herself and likes to take walks, camping, exploring, and enjoys nature. I like to travel and enjoy life. I farm a little and have lots of skills. It would be hard for me to
relocate. Drop me a line and a picture would be nice, if you have one. I’ll answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 25610, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Widower, 80-years-old, don’t look or act it. About 5’11”, 210 lbs, blue eyes, average looking. Don’t smoke, enjoy an occasional drink, good health, no medications, and own my home. I like to go to Nevada one or twice each year. Enjoy occasional art and craft shows around Montana spring thru November. Looking for well to do loving lady for companionship, who lives in the Great Falls area. Reply MSN, Dept. 25611, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. White female, 5’2”, 145 lbs, dark eyes, and light hair. I never tell my real age because no one ever believes it, so I’ll say, I’d like to meet someone between 65 and 75 years of age. Someone that likes to dance, dine, sing, is happy, and likes the simple things in life. No smoking please! Will answer your letters promptly or if you wish you may reveal your phone number, so I may call you to set up an appointment. Reply MSN, Dept. 25612, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, age 62, 5’ 11”, 200 lbs, would like to find a good Christian woman in Montana. I live in Bozeman and I have only been in Montana a short time. I like the outdoors, some music, reading, writing, and most movies. I enjoy cooking, travel,
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and seeing new places. I do not smoke or drink and I do attend church. Send me a note, photo, and we will talk about what we are looking for in another person. Reply MSN, Dept. 25613, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Retired, amiable, SWM, seeking a 60 something youthful lady, anti-tobacco, trim not slim, relocatable OK, healthy, (Continued on page 59)
PAGE 36 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Want to Become a Better Blackjack Player? successful player over the long run. By John G. Brokopp, Senior Wire Keeping track of the cards can be mentally taxLive poker rooms and video poker not withing. The minute percentage of master players who standing, blackjack is the only casino game where take it to the max possess brilliant mathematical skillful play counts. With this in mind, it makes absolutely no sense to make a “crap shoot” out of minds and superb powers of concentration. Not it. If you are going to play blackjack, play correctly. everybody (including yours truly) can do it. But The more you know, the better your chances will there are “shortcuts” that can help you become a be of tipping the advantage scale closer in your more skilled player. Stay at the HISTORIC CELEBRITY HOTEL and experience Taking a shortcut means you can no longer favor. the glamour and glitz of Hollywood. See over 70 displays of authentic movie memorabilia from some of Hollywood’s The only reason blackjack is still found in be a passive player. You will have to observe to a largest block buster movies. casinos around the country is because a large certain degree and divide your attention between Located downtown in the center of Deadwood’s historic your own hand and the percentage of people who district. The CELEBRITY HOTEL offers old historic charm If you want to continue your blackjack with luxuriously turn-of-the-century rooms. Come stay at hands of all the other playplay do not take the time Deadwood’s finest . . . education and truly take advantage ers who are at the table to learn all they can about of the game, you must ascend to with you. the game. They are the the next level -keeping some First, let us establish players upon which casino form of mental track of the cards. some foundation. The blackjack thrives. most powerful blackjack Learning and memorizcards for players are the 10-value cards (Kings, ing basic strategy is the first step. If you master it, THE NEWEST GAMES Queens, Jacks, and Tens) and the Aces. There are you will already have an edge over most players. THE HOTTEST SLOTS But, it does not stop there. If you want to continue 20 such cards in a 52-card deck. Collectively, they MORE WINNERS MORE FUN! your blackjack education and truly take advantage constitute 38 percent of the cards. Without them, a of the game, you must ascend to the next level - two-card “Twenty-One” (blackjack) is impossible. SPECIAL ROOM RATES - CALL NOW! Shooting for that 3 to 2 payoff on your bet is a keeping some form of mental track of the cards. HOTEL RESERVATIONS 1-888-399-1886 See us at www.celebritycasinos.com The odds are continually fluctuating during a huge advantage. Since house rules are inflexible and dealers game of blackjack. Basic must stand on 17, 10-value cards can be the strategy does not conanchor for “push” hands of 17 and winning hands sider this. There can be times during the course of 18, 19, and 20. They also can make or break of a “shoe” when the the opportunity players enjoy to split hands and house enjoys a fatter double down. On the other hand, the most powerful cards for edge than the norm. On the contrary, there are the dealer are the fours, fives, and sixes. There also occasions when the are 12 such cards in a 52-card deck. Collectively players as a collective they constitute 23 percent of the cards. They allow group are in a superior dealers to draw to strong hands. Because house Flagg Ranch Resort is centrally located, between Yellowstone National Park, and rules require dealers to “hit” 16, a draw of four or position. Grand Teton National Park, 55 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming. Our mountain five can be devastating for players. It is a mathKnowing when to lodge houses an attractive dining room, pub, gift shop and a convenience store with capitalize on those situa- ematical fact that the fives are the most powerful adjacent gas station. Stay in one of our cozy cabins or at our full-service campground with full RV hookups, pull-through sites and tent sites. Step out your door to hiking, tions by increasing your cards for the dealer. fishing, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and a wide range of other fun activities! It is upon this foundation that you can build wager when it is a “players” game or decreas- your strategy to become a better blackjack player. ing your wager when it Knowing during the middle game of a shoe when is a “house” game can there is an abundance of 10-value cards remainelevate you to a higher ing or an abundance of fours, fives, and sixes can plateau of blackjack play give you a playing advantage of which few people (307) 543-2861 (800) 443-2311 www.flaggranch.com and make you a more at your table will be aware. MSN
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Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Alberta is a fantastic province for stateside residents to visit - with incredible scenery in the Rockies along the Banff-Jasper Highway, and dinosaur fossils and museums in the eastern portion near Drumheller. There is the largest and best-preserved buffalo jump in the world and the second largest national park in the world. There are ties to Idaho and Montana via the early traders like David Thompson who dropped south to build Idaho’s first European building, a trading post on Pend Oreille Lake and another near Thompson Falls. Five of Canada’s thirteen UNESCO World Heritage Sites are found in Alberta. One new attraction is Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park that opened in July 2007. A $28 million Interpretive Center highlights the park. The Park itself encompasses an area used for thousands of years by the Blackfoot people and in particular by the Siksika band of the Blackfoot Nation. The 1877 Treaty was signed here between the Blackfoot and the Canadian and British Governments. This is sacred ground to the First Nations people of Alberta and the Interpretive Center is designed to give the visitor a better understanding and greater appreciation for the Siksika culture. The building incorporates many traditional Blackfoot designs and traditions. It is in the shape of a tipi as if it were placed flat on the ground.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Metal structures emerge from the top much as lodge poles project from a tipi but actually in the form of a horse-pulled travois. Everything is very traditional. The roof has seven of these shapes to represent the seven societies found on this First Nations Reserve. Panels project over the outside entry in the shape of eagle feathers in traditional Blackfoot colors of deep red, blue, and white. Traditional designs continue on the inside. The carpet represents prairie grass and the walls are colored to represent soil layers. The steel structural support is shaped like a bow, continuing upward into the travois form on the outside. Four huge tipis rise from the lowest level – each telling the story of a certain period in the history of the Siksika people. The first is the Creation Tipi and features a woman talking to a young girl with various artifacts around the tipi. Images are projected onto the sides of the tipi in an artful manner to illustrate the conversation taking place. Next is the Survival Tipi where the Indian Act of 1876 and the 1877 Treaty are highlighted. The first document spelled out many of the rules that control the lives of these people and the second was a government plan to control the First Nations people and to promote their assimilation into European culture. The third tipi is the Celebration Tipi, which celebrates the Siksika’s ability to be free to express their culture through dances, singing, and drumming and to be free to travel throughout Canada. The fourth tipi continues to show their histori-
cal progression to the present. Other displays are located throughout the building giving intimate glimpses into Blackfoot h i s t o r y and culture. One display contains many tipi designs, some of which are hundreds of years old. These designs are passed down through the family. Another display contains a model of a Mandan Earth Lodge Village. The Mandans were from the vicinity of North Dakota but spent a short time in this valley in about 1792 and created an earth lodge. It is still something of a mystery as to why they were here but artifacts of their culture have been found: pottery and seeds of corn, squash, and potatoes – items inconsistent with Blackfoot culture at that time. A temporary exhibit allows families to exhibit their own collections. This is changed two or three times a year. Because Blackfoot elders felt education was so important, Blackfoot crossing is a learning center as well as museum and interpretive center for the Siksika people. Many sacred objects are preserved in storage and replicas are made for display. Artifacts held by collectors and museums around the world are slowly being returned. A small cafeteria, gift shop, and auditorium complete the interior structure. A movie explains the culture and tells of the history of this valley where the treaty was signed and where honor was so important to the lives of these people. The Interpretive Center sits on a ridge overlooking the Bow River. Chief Crowfoot, one of the
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37
signers of the Treaty of 1877, is buried nearby, close to one of his favorite camp sites. There is on-sight tipi camping if you want to add another dimension to your visit. First Nations people have been camping at this site for thousands of years. Visitors can also view traditional dances in the performance centre. Prince Charles was involved with early planning when he visited the area in 1977. During that visit he suggested a cultural centre be constructed at this historic site. It took 30 years but Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is now the largest Interpretive Centre owned and operated by the First Nations in all of Canada. Located roughly an hour and a half east of Calgary or two hours north of Lethbridge, Blackfoot Crossing can be a destination in itself or it will fit nicely into a trip to those cities or south-central Alberta. For more information, call 1-888-654-6274 or visit www.blackfootcrossing.ca/. MSN
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PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
Come Visit Where History Comes Alive
Come to Fort Union Trading Post, near Williston, North Dakota, where history comes alive! During your visit, take in a Trade House talk presented by living history interpreters, walk the Bodmer Trail, and explore our museum. Operating from 1828 to 1867, the American Fur Company and tribes on the upper Missouri peacefully co-existed at the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri. Trading partners included the Assiniboine, Crow, Cree, Ojibway, Blackfeet, and Hidatsa. Tribes traded buffalo robes and other furs for trade goods such as beads, guns, cloth, blankets, cookware, and knives. Famous visitors included George Catlin, Karl Bodmer, John James Audubon, and Prince Maximilian.
This partially reconstructed fort became a national historic site in 1966, through efforts by the National Park Service. After archaeological excavations, reconstruction began in 1985 and was completed in 1991. Reconstruction includes the Bourgeois House - our visitor center, the historic flagpole, Indian Trade House, Palisade Walls, and Bastions. Park hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter. Come join us at Fort Union Trading Post where the fee is free. For more information on Fort Union Trading Post call 701-572-9083 or see the parks website www.nps.gov/fous. MSN
More... North Dakota N to T
N – National Park Once you have seen Theodore Roosevelt National Park, you will understand why one of the nicknames for this colorful wonderland is The Grand Canyon of the North. For awesome views of wildlife plus hiking and biking amidst wind-and-rain-carved buttes and badlands, it is hard to beat this 70,000-acre park, which is divided into three distinctly different sections. The South Unit makes a great destination for a leisurely 36-mile loop drive complete with panoramic views, bison herds, prairie dog towns, weasels on the hunt, and wild horses. The North Unit features a 28-mile (round-trip) scenic drive to the Oxbow Overlook, a favorite setting for photographers with a taste for capturing rugged landscapes. At 218 acres, the Elkhorn Ranch Unit is the smallest of the park’s three sections. This remote area was once the location for Theodore’s Roosevelt’s home in the badlands. It provides an ideal opportunity to experience the solitude and beauty Roosevelt sought in Dakota Territory. 701-623-4466, www.nps.gov/thro. O – Overnight stay at the President’s House Guest Inn You will sleep with history when you settle in for the night at the President’s House Guest Inn on Valley City State University’s campus. Built in 1901, this handsome Victorian was once the home of the university’s presidents and families. Now it serves as a unique guest inn with a grand staircase, stained glass windows, and period furnishings. Visitors are welcome to use the kitchen or curl up with a good mystery in the second floor sitting room. 800-532-8641, www.presidentshouse.com.
North Dakota’s #1 Vacation!
SENIORS DAY EVERY TUESDAY! Tuesdays are the perfect day to visit Medora, North Dakota’s #1 Vacation! Each Tuesday through September 1, 2009, anyone ages 55 and older will receive 15% off their Pitchfork Steak Fondue ticket; Medora Musical ticket; 18-hole round of golf at Bully Pulpit; plus lodging at The Bunkhouse, Badlands Motel, or Rough Riders Hotel. Call 1-800-MEDORA-1 (1-800-633-6721) now or visit www.medora.com.
15
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39
P – Papa’s Pumpkin Patch For the past 26 years, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch has been a popular destination for Bismarck-area families and travelers of all generations. This beloved farm turns into a child’s fantasyland from mid-September through October with some 30,000 pumpkins for sale and over 25 activities such as pony and wagon rides and hay bale mazes. Before November rolls around, about 50,000 people will have visited Papa’s to buy pumpkins, savor a slice of pumpkin pie, take photographs, or just enjoy the looks on the kids’ faces as they pull their Red Flyer “shopping wagons” around the open marketplace. Hundreds of community volunteers help bring Papa’s to life every fall by decorating, assembling displays, and building fairy-tale towers to welcome back fans. Since opening, Papa’s has donated a portion of each $1 entrance fee to charitable organizations. To date, they have given some $100,000 back to the community. In addition to the month-long fall fest, Papa’s wintertime Polar Patch features sleigh rides, snow forts, hot apple cider, and other fun outdoor activities. 701-222-1521, www.papaspumpkinpatch.com. Q – Quilted Bean & Mojo Roast You do not have to know anything about log-cabin patterned table runners or folded-star quilt patterns to enjoy Velva’s unique cafe/quilting shop, where the jewel-toned fabrics are as alluring as owner Mardi Schock’s cinnamon rolls. Housed in a renovated century-old building with pressed tin ceilings, the Quilted Bean beckons to everyone with an appreciation for homey cooking and the time-honored craft of quilting. Coffee lovers will want to try one of the Quilted Bean’s lattes, cappuccinos, or espressos made with freshly roasted specialty-grade beans from MoJo Roast in Westhope. And should you get really hooked on those organic Fair Trade beans, you can order them directly from Mojo’s or tour the roasting company - by appointment - and sip all the free coffee you want. 701-338-2850, www.thequiltedbean. com; 701-245-8080, www.mojoroast.com.
WORLD CLASS ENTERTAINMENT
You’re Invited!
R – Regional Cuisine Cited by Gourmet as one of the “100 Best Farm-to-Table restaurants in America,” Bismarck’s Pirogue Grille serves up Midwest food with flair. Chef Stuart Tracy offers subtly flavored dishes such as locally raised lamb with a mint-pesto wine sauce and North Dakota beef partnered by a bourbon-mustard sauce. You will also find walleye and rabbit here as well as roast barley pilafs, sautéed bison medallions, and Wisconsin goat cheese. For dessert, hope your luck holds and they still have some chokecherry-chocolate praline ice cream or North Dakota Honey Tart left. www.piroguegrille. com, 701-223-3770. S – Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway Travelers exploring this lovely 63-mile Scenic Byway can make an afternoon or weekend of touring the winding roadway with stops along the route to take pictures of quaint farmsteads and read the excellent outdoor exhibits. Every few miles along the route, you will find signage that spotlights some aspect of the region’s archaeology, natural resources, or history. Be sure to watch for that rare species, Threshasaurus rex atop hillsides as you meander along. These relics serve as apt reminders of North Dakota’s agricultural heritage. www. byways.org/explore/byways/16406. T – 10 North Main This classy Minot restaurant serves big-city flavors with small-town friendliness. Housed in an artfully renovated downtown building complete with a red pressed-tin ceiling, 10 North Main graciously manages to be both sophisticated and fun. If continental and regional offerings such as elk loin sauced with port, grilled smoked pheasant, and crab cakes drizzled with lemon-basil aioli sound tempting or if you prefer memorable pasta dishes and tasty steak salads, you will find this eatery well worth a detour. 701-837-1010, www.goodfoodnicedrinks. com MSN
to Enjoy
North America’s Largest Scandinavian Festival! Experience the charm of old and new Scandinavia with delicious food, artistic crafts, heritage exhibits, and a generous helping of FUN!
FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS
CLINT BLACK
REBA McENTIRE
Tuesday (Concert Only)
Wednesday & Thursday
Wednesday & Thursday
RAY STEVENS
GEORGE JONES
BJØRO HAALAND
Friday & Saturday
Friday & Saturday
Two Shows Daily
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Høstfest Eve, Tues., Sept. 29
FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS (Concert Only) 7 pm Reserved Seat $48 ––––––––––––––––––––––––
THE OAK RIDGE BOYS
THE PEKING ACROBATS
Two Shows Daily
Two Shows Daily
Wednesday thru Saturday
Sept.30, Oct.1-3,2009 –––––––––––––––––––––––– REBA McENTIRE Wed., 7:30 pm & Thurs., 1 pm Reserved Seat $58 & $65 per show –––––––––––––––––––––––– All Other Shows: Reserved Seat $48 & $55 per show CLINT BLACK Wed., 1 pm & Thurs., 7:30 pm RAY STEVENS Fri., 1 pm & Sat., 7:30 pm GEORGE JONES Fri., 7:30 pm & Sat., 1 pm
ND STATE FAIRGROUNDS
MINOT, ND
WILLIAMS & REE Two Shows Daily
JO ANN CASTLE Two Shows Daily
hostfest.com
Two Shows Daily
ABBA-CADABRA
CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES
Two Shows Daily
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Plus! Many More
Norsk Høstfest P.O. Box 1347 • Minot, ND 58702 701-852-2368 Private Housing: 701-857-0500 Order Tickets Online:
TOM NETHERTON
Great Acts Of Continuous Entertainment
THE RINGLING 5 “NORWEGIAN STUDS OF RHYTHM” Two Shows Daily
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PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
8 Hotels in the heart of the Canadian Rockies
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Kevin Maki is Montana Public Radio's voice of the Bitterroot
a window next to the table, Maki can see across By Chérie Newman Water in the Big Ditch flows out of the Bitterroot the driveway to his grandparents’ house where Mountains and across most of the valley before his brother Neil and his family live. They run the it slices through the Maki family farm a few miles farm. “Everything I have - my education (he has a southeast of Corvallis. Kevin Maki throws a stick for Frank, a stout Australian Shepherd-mix with eerie degree in print journalism and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Montana), white-blue eyes. Frank leaps into the water. - I owe to this farm and Maki laughs. ”He loves to swim and he’s not everything I am to the generations that came even a water dog.” before me,” Maki says. In the bright afternoon sunshine, Maki’s short “I’m very lucky to be a hair appears to be the same color as part of it.” the white button-down shirt But even in this tucked into his wranglers. pastoral setting, the But he’s a youthful 54pressure of turning year-old, agile and sureout one or two feafooted in his faded leather ture stories a week work boots. for MPR feels inFrank scrambles up the tense. bank and drops the stick. He “It’s hard to looks at Maki, waiting. I pan come up with with my digital camera as the that many story stick soars back toward the ideas,” he says. water. (Later I will laugh at an im] an ewm N e That’s part of the reason he’ll age that captured most of Frank’s i er y Ch b o t arrive in places unannounced airborne hind legs.) [Pho and ask people if they’d like to talk. Snow gleams on the Sapphire and Bitterroot mountain ranges towering Usually, people want to tell him their over opposite sides of the valley. Acres of brilliant stories. Gene Mim Mack and Robbie green alfalfa spread up into the foothills. Frank swims downstream, biting at sticks and branches Springs, proprietors of the Stevensville in the current. We follow him, treading a grassy Hotel, certainly didn’t mind an impromptu visit from Kevin Maki. They dropped trail above the ditch. To the north, across a worn-out pasture and a what they were doing, started answerrutted dirt track called Maki Lane - an old wagon ing questions, and gave him a tour of road, really - sits a white, two-story house with a the building. Later that week, their rered roof and red shutters surrounded by a white ward was picket fence, lilac bushes, and huge trees. This “ a w o n is Kevin Maki’s childhood home to which he has derful rareturned and where he now works on his radio dio story” about their stories for Montana Public Radio (MPR). Maki uses what used to be his family’s dining hotel and room as an office. Rows of books run across one them. A n wall and an old computer squats in the middle of a small cloth-covered table. With this computer, he other reaedits audio files of his interviews. After he writes a son Maki script, he records his narration and then combines knocks on the elements into a complete feature story. Finally, he sends the story via the Internet to the MPR newsroom in Missoula. Through
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doors to find stories has to do with his long career in television. For more than eighteen years, Maki worked at Channel 8, MTN, in Missoula and at KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs. Although he started out as a feature reporter for KOAA, Maki soon became a general assignment reporter. And he chose to work weekends, on the crime beat. Covering stories about gangs, murders, and shootings gave him a good background in the human condition. He followed each story to its resolution - from the incident and the arrest to the trial and conviction or acquittal. He got to know the human side of crime victims by finding their family members and listening to them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They wanted to tell their story,â&#x20AC;? Maki explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother me to knock on doors, to find that grieving mother of a gang member and listen to her talk about her son.â&#x20AC;? I ask Maki to tell me about his work in Colorado Springs, to tell me a story about someone heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This one really bothered me,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were called out late one night in February. It was a cold, cold night. A homeless man had fallen into a ditch and was encased in ice. Several police officers tried to thaw him out so they could transport his body in a car, but they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t - it was just too cold. So they propped him up in the back of a pickup and drove off.â&#x20AC;? Maki raises his right arm over his head. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He looked like he was waving to people as he rode through the streets because he was frozen with one arm up.â&#x20AC;? Maki pauses, and looks down. His voice gets softer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were all laughing at him.â&#x20AC;? Later, a friend told Maki that she and her sister knew the man personally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You should know more about him,â&#x20AC;? she said. Maki struggles to control his emotions before finishing the story. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The woman and her sister went to the homeless camp to try to gather the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belongings. There they found evidence that he had been trying to get back to his previous lifeâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? With a wounded look on his face, Maki adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The man was once a planning director for a mid-sized city, but all we saw was a bum.â&#x20AC;? That kind of intense life-experience paired with hard work has garnered much praise and several awards for Kevin Maki. He has been called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Montanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studs Terkel.â&#x20AC;? His awards include a Joe Durso Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism, an E.B Craney Broadcasting Award for noncommercial radio program of the year, and a Best Radio Newswriting award from the Associated Press. Also, a story he produced about sheep shearing in Montana was broadcast over the National Public Radio network. In 1999, Maki returned to the farm and spent four years caring for his mother, who had Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. After she died, he decided to stay home and start a new career - in radio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Change is good,â&#x20AC;? he says, watching Frank shake Big Ditch water from his fur. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Change keeps you young and fresh because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to re-invent yourself.â&#x20AC;? I nod, studying the wide brown water sliding toward Victor, Stevensville, and Florence. I do some quick mental math: 52 radio stories a year times 4 years equals 208, plus 21 months of weekly stories for the Poverty Series (84), and approximately 25 stories (so far) for the Aging in the Country series. That adds up to more than 300 stories. How, I wonder, does he find so many extraordinary people in this narrow, sparsely-populated valley? Frank trots over to us. He sits and points his black nose and two-toned eyes toward Makiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face, waiting. Then suddenly, I understand. It is Makiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to accept people (and swimming dogs that are not water dogs) as they are. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s his ability to listen well and discover human connections. It is Kevin Maki himself who turns ordinary people into extraordinary radio. ChĂŠrie Newman writes and produces radio programs in Missoula. MSN
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43
Bozeman Symphony Schedules Exciting Season Discussing the 2009-2010 concert season, Music Director and Conductor, Matthew Savery praised both the symphony and the local audience: “Our orchestra’s impressive artistic growth allows me to choose from the full range of symphonic repertoire in my programming, which in turn allows for a very wide palette. Of all the cities that I have performed in, none can compare to Bozeman’s enthusiasm, appreciation, and open-minded approach towards symphonic music.” The six season concerts begin September 26 with baritone Stephen Bryant performing operatic arias and Broadway tunes, followed by Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2. The next concert features cellist Amit Peled in Bloch’s Schelomo Hebraic Rhapsody, concluding with The Planets by Holst. Maestro Savery has invited four outstanding MASO Young Artist winners to perform with the Sym-
phonic Choir during the Holiday Festival. Mozart’s music will be highlighted by the Symphony’s Chamber Orchestra in February. Percussionist Joseph Gramley performs Puts’ Marimba Concerto in the March concert that concludes with Dvorak’s New World Symphony. April’s concert features the energetic young violinist Janet Sung performing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, which the orchestra follows with Petrushka by Stravinsky – a dramatic season closing. Special events for the 2009-2010 season include a Symphonic Pops gala concert at the MSU SUB in November, two free family concerts in February, and a stand-alone performance by the Symphonic Choir under the direction of Russell Milburn. Tickets are available through the Symphony office at 406-585-9774 or online at www.bozemansymphony.org. MSN
Bowling Is A Great Way To Have A Ball Together By Connie Daugherty It is all about bowling for Butte’s Delores and Bud Atchison. “It’s an interest we can share, and talk about,” Delores says. With Delores’ 2009 induction into the Montana USBC (United States Bowling Congress) Hall of Fame, she and her husband, Bud became the first Butte couple to be honored in Montana’s Adult Bowling Hall of Fame. They are also both in the Butte Hall of Fame and Bud is in the Youth Hall of Fame. Qualifying for the USBC Hall of Fame is not only about getting the highest score - although both Bud and Delores have had their share of high scoring games. More importantly, it is about giving back, and sharing the joy with others. That is where Bud and Delores stand out. Bud and Delores Atchison’s names are synonymous with bowling in Butte. Bowling is also nearly synonymous with their 40-year marriage. They lived near each other in a small uptown neighborhood, “the first time I said hello to her she was emptying her trash,” recalls Bud. However, it was at the bowling alley where they really became acquainted. “I’ve been bowling for about fifty-five years,”
says Delores. She remembers starting at one of the small Butte bowling alleys, “just for something to do with some friends.” It was in the days when bowling was one of the more popular sports and most of the larger towns had several bowling alleys. Bud started as a pinsetter when he was about fourteen in Black Eagle, near Great Falls. “Us kids went out front before we had to go back and set pins and we’d throw the ball a few times,” he recalls. By the time he moved to Butte about ten years later, bowling was an integral part of his life. So he just naturally gravitated toward a local bowling alley for socializing in the new
(Continued on page 46)
Hilarious comedy, H classic musicals, c a action & adventure.
October 23–25, 28–November 1, 2009
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April 30–May 2, 5–9, 12–16, 2010 SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS (406) 728-PLAY [7529] www.mctinc.org | 200 N Adams St, Missoula
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009 (Continued from page 43) community. It happened
[Photo by Connie Daugherty]
to be the same bowling alley where Delores bowled on a regular women’s league. While the brief exchange over the trash cans did not make a big impression on Delores, she did notice Bud at the bowling alley. “I bowled on the early shift and he bowled on the late shift,” Delores recalls. Although Delores was leaving when Bud was coming, over the next few years they became better acquainted and in March of 1969, they were married. This was also about the time that they both became more involved with the behind the scenes
aspects of bowling. Bud began coaching the junior bowlers. Meanwhile, Delores put her clerical skills to work by volunteering to serve as league secretary. Bud went on to take the appropriate tests and become a certified coach. Every Saturday and often during weekday afternoons you can find Bud at Star Lanes coaching the junior bowlers. As head coach for the High School League, Bud is also an advocate for including bowling as a recognized and sanctioned high school sport. “Not all kids can play football or basketball,” he says. “Anyone can bowl. It gives those other kids some-
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thing to do besides sitting on the couch in front of the TV.” Students can win college scholarships by bowling just as they can by playing football or basketball. Listening to him it is clear that he is passionate about getting recognition for his kids. Delores is just as enthusiastic about the record-keeping aspect of bowling that she has been doing for about 38 years. “I really do look forward to it,” she says. Accuracy and promptness are crucial so Delores is constantly busy during the bowling season. About three years ago, she got a computer program designed for keeping bowling statistics. “I had the experience so I was able to program it on my own even though I’m not particularly computer-wise,” she says. Bud and Delores also served on the Board of Directors at the local (25 years) and state (9 years) level. “On the Butte board I held every job from president, to vice-president,” says Delores. Bud also served on the Youth Board for 14 years. Section Apartments
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“We just like to be involved,” Delores says. They are both still delegates to the State Board. “We also work the state tournaments,” Delores says. State tournaments are fun for the participants - an opportunity to compete and to socialize with others from around the state. However, tournaments are a lot of work for the host city. In their mid-seventies, Bud and Delores are semi-retired, but neither is planning retirement. After working as a baker for 15 years and as a welder for another 15 years, Bud retired. That did not last very long. So he started his own repair business and, of course, continued working at the bowling alley at least a few days a week. Delores’ clerical skills took her from an insurance company to a doctor’s office and finally to NCAT (National Center for Appropriate Technology) 20 years ago. “I wanted to work twenty years,” she says. “But now I’ve decided maybe I’ll work longer - it gives me something to do.” Besides, she Name Accessible Space Parkside Apartments Planet Bronze Art Gallery Sweetwater Retirement Debt Counsel For Seniors Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Bozeman Symphony Society Bridger Bowl Raptor Fest Intermountain Opera Assoc Spokane Coeur d’Alene Opera Aero Greater Yellowstone Coalition Cookies By Design Glacier View Golf Club Madison Meadows Golf Course Pine Meadows Golf Course Village Greens Cascade Audiology Hemp & Cannabis Foundation MDH Foundation Montana Relay Intermountain Heating & A/C Stuart’s House of Vacuums T&R Distributing/Sunheat Our Lady Of The Rockies Crowley Law Firm Morrison & Balukas Law Firm Aspen Village Inn Banff Lodging Company Bigfork Inn Black Hills Lodge Best Western Chateau Rouge Days Inn Flagg Ranch Resort Holiday Inn Calgary South Paradise Lodge & Bungalows Pheasant Hill Inn & Suites Rainbow Ranch Lodge Rimview Inn Rock Creek Resort Super 8 Motel - Deadwood Swan Hill Bed & Breakfast Waterton Lakes Resort American Seating & Mobility Motorcycle Rider Safety Humane Society of Western Montana Lewis & Clark Humane Society Amy Graham Realtor Century 21 - Heritage Havre Montana Realty A Taste Of The City Lucca’s Peking Garden West Perkins - Billings Weebee’s Café Inc Mortgage Solutions A.W.A.R.E. Family Outreach, Inc Family Promise Of Gallatin Valley Family Service Group Destination Planners Karst Stage Norsk Hostfest Williston Visitors Bureau
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has learned from Bud’s example that retirement is not necessarily defined by a cessation of work so she might as well work at a job she enjoys and with people she enjoys. Shortly after Bud started his repair business, he was also hired as a contract worker by NCAT. He does general maintenance work a couple days a week and, “if anything goes wrong they call Bud,” Delores says. When the bowling season ends, Bud is ready for golf. He enjoys golf almost as much as bowling and serves as treasurer for the Silver Bow Golf League. “I golf for frustration,” Bud jokes. He has a collection of logo golf balls that he has picked up around the country when he and Delores traveled to regional and national bowling tournaments. Whether throwing a ball down the lane, or working behind the scenes at Star Lanes or NCAT, this happy, generous couple makes a great team with a perfect 300 game for caring and sharing. MSN
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Got Diabetes? Protect your kidneys! Diabetes can be a total body experience: It affects your eyes, heart, nerves, and kidneys. If you have diabetes, you should work with your doctor to make sure you receive all the screenings you need to keep your diabetes in control and potential complications at a minimum. If someone you care about has diabetes, encourage him or her to do the same. Screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important because diabetes is the leading cause of CKD. Tests that measure your urine protein and blood creatinine levels can detect early CKD. A blood test assessing your glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, can provide the best measure of your kidney function. Make sure you ask for these tests if you have diabetes or are at risk for developing CKD. Conditions like high blood pressure can be extremely damaging to the kidneys, so make sure you get regular screening for it. If you do have high blood pressure and need medication, ask your doctor about angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These blood pressure medications may have a protective effect on your kidneys. Also, be sure to take your medications as prescribed. Chronic kidney disease affects 11 percent of the U.S. population over 65 and rates are rising along with the incidence of diabetes. The best thing you can do to avoid CKD is to work with your healthcare team. Your goal should be to have good control over your blood sugar, blood pressure, and
lipids. Get tested regularly. These preventive measures will go a long way to protecting you from CKD or to slow its progression so you can have many more years of good health. This information is brought to you by Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the Medicare quality improvement organization for MT, WY, HI and AK, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. MSN
Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap! Protect Yourself & Your Family This Summer By Terry Egan, Missoula City-County Health Department As summer heats up, so do all those summertime outdoor activities we love in Montana - music, sports, pools, parks, recreational activities, and more. This means more time in the sun and the need to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s harmful rays. It is time to slip, slop, slap, and wrap! Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses to protect eyes and skin from harmful UV radiation from the sun. Why protect your skin? Prolonged exposure to the sun may trigger a skin cancer known as melanoma. More importantly, research suggests that severe sunburns in childhood can lead to greater risk of the most deadly form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, later in life. According to the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, there are over one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year, outnumbering all other cancers combined. Most of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the U.S. are considered sun-related. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, accounted for about 59,940 cases of skin cancer in 2007 and nearly 80% of the 10,850 deaths due to skin cancer. Each year, these numbers keep rising. The good news? You can protect yourself and your family by following these tips: • Limit time in the sun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest. Take some shade time, but still apply sunscreen because sand,
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concrete, and water can reflect harmful rays. Use it even on cloudy or hazy days. UV rays can penetrate cloud cover. • Slip on a shirt, skirt, sundress, darker colored t-shirt, or loose fitting clothing. Wet clothing offers little sun protection and decreases the effectiveness of sunscreen. Some clothing is available with SPF protection. • Slop on enough sunscreen, about a palm full for an adult, 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Reapply every 2 hours or sooner if washed away by water or perspiration, or wiped away by towel drying. • Slap on a hat with a brim wide enough to cover your face, neck, and ears. These areas are common sites for skin cancer.
• Wrap on sunglasses that block UV rays. The most effective sunglasses fit close to your face or have wraparound frames that block sunlight from all angles. Contact your doctor if you notice any of the following: any change on the skin, especially in the size, shape, or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented spot, any new growth, scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change of appearance of a bump. Skin cancer can be found early with careful observation and treated for the best results. Prevention is key and easy to do following these simple tips! MSN
Your Prostate And Prostate Cancer – The Basics
By Dr. Kate Kennedy, ND “You have prostate cancer” is nothing any man ever wants to hear from his doctor. Yet over 200,000 men received this news in 2008, and 27,360 men lost their lives to this disease. Prostate cancer is now the second most common kind of cancer diagnosed in men in the United States, second only to skin cancer. These facts need further investigation. A man’s prostate gland, part of his reproductive system, sits between the bladder and the rectum. Picture the prostate gland as roughly the size of a walnut. The urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder, passes through the prostate. The purpose of the prostate is to make the part of the seminal fluid that helps transport sperm out of the body during ejaculation. The prostate grows in size as a response to excess testosterone, the primary male hormone. Prostate cancer occurs when malignant cells form in the prostate tissue. Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing and tends to appear later in life. The main risk factor is age. Rarely diagnosed in men under age 45, this cancer becomes more common after about age 65, with the prospect of contracting prostate cancer increasing as a man grows older. Because this cancer tends to grow slowly, many men with cancer of the prostate actually die of other things. The main risk factors for prostate cancer include: • Being age 65 or older • Having a father, brother, or son who has prostate cancer • Being of African-American heritage • Having abnormal-looking cells in the prostate Sometimes a man can have prostate cancer and not experience symptoms. When symptoms arise, they often include urinary problems such as difficulty urinating; difficulty starting or stopping the urine flow; frequent urination, especially at night; a weak urine stream; or painful urination. Other symptoms may include erection problems; blood in the urine; or pain in the low back, hips, or upper thighs. Having some or all of these symptoms does not mean a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or an infection may present the same way. It is important to see a doctor for the proper diagnosis. Yearly prostate checks may begin at age 40 and continue until age 75, but this decision should be made with your doctor based on your risk factors and lifestyle. During your doctor visit, you will receive a physical exam that includes a digital rectal exam to check for lumps or thickening of the prostate. A blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may also be run to check for inflammation of the prostate. If necessary, a biopsy of the prostate may be needed. A small tissue sample taken from the prostate and analyzed in a lab provides a definitive diagnosis of cancer. Treatment options may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or sometimes
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just watchful waiting. Each person with cancer may require a different approach, depending on age, symptoms, overall health, aggressiveness of the cancer, and its stage of development. The outlook for survival depends on early diagnosis, the type of cancer, whether the cancer has spread outside the prostate, and the length of treatment. Some diet and lifestyle factors can now be linked to prostate health. To insure good prostate health at any age, consider incorporating the following approaches: • Maintain a healthy weight - Obesity is a risk factor for prostate cancer and can increase the risk of recurrence. • Exercise - Exercise supports weight loss, improves pelvic circulation, boosts immunity, and lessens fatigue. • Eat a diet low in red meat and dairy products, and high in fruits and
vegetables. Every year we learn more about the connections between diet and health. Sensible eating that incorporates a variety of fresh foods insures that the body has the vitamins and minerals that it needs to stay healthy and fight off disease. Colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, cold-water fish, and adequate hydration all contribute to keeping the body’s immune system working efficiently. Many nutrients and herbal supplements are also showing promise in keeping the body cancerfree. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner who is up-to-date on the latest information. Many men who are diagnosed early and explore all their treatment options can expect to beat this disease. Dr. Kate Kennedy is a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Great Falls. You can reach her at the Great Falls Holistic Health Clinic at 406-727-6680. MSN
Shedding Light on My World
By Laverne H. Bardy, Senior Wire Nine years ago my ophthalmologist told me I had the start of cataracts. He said I needn’t have them removed until they were “ripe.” I hate that word. It conjures up thoughts of Limburger cheese. (Wait until her eyes are soft and smelly before slicing.) Trembling, I asked, “How will I know when it’s time?” “After you run over your first pedestrian,” he answered. Time was on my side. The most I’d done up to that point was terrify a groundhog and put several squirrels on alert. As the years passed, my world appeared to be smeared with Vaseline. I cleaned my glasses every ten minutes, to no avail. Alas, the “grease” was on my eyes. I no longer trusted myself to drive after sundown; actually, I might have chanced it but Mighty Marc kept hiding my keys. Glaring headlights blinded me. I couldn’t read street signs or even overhead highway signs until it was too late and I missed my turnoff. I was at a family gathering when I realized everyone’s face was a blur. I knew then that it was a matter of time before my driving would contribute to the nation’s death toll. Reluctantly, I scheduled an appointment to have my cataracts removed. At the hospital, cataract patients were lined up on gurneys, waiting to be wheeled into the operating room. It was close to my turn when I realized I couldn’t chance going into surgery without peeing one more time. Off I went, hospital gown strategically in place. I was gone five minutes, and when I
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
returned the woman who had been behind me in line, was gone. Within ten minutes she returned and I was wheeled in. I thought the handsome young anesthesiologist was hitting on me when he asked if I enjoyed wine. I said no. Then he asked if I liked beer. I said no again. “What do you drink for fun?” he asked. “I used to like Grasshoppers,” I said, and suddenly realized how that dated me. “Okay. I’m going to give you something that will make you feel like you just drank a Grasshopper.” He was right. Within seconds I had to restrain myself from jumping up and doing the mashed potato. It was over in ten minutes, and I never felt a thing. We left the hospital, went out to eat and did some therapeutic shopping. All the while I sported a rounded piece of hard, clear plastic over the treated eye, to protect it. It was taped to my cheek, forehead and nose. I looked like an injured fly. Anyone who knows me will attest to how incredibly vain I am. I won’t take out garbage without first applying mascara. But, because we were in Manhattan where such oddities are viewed as common place, I wasn’t at all self-conscious.
Before this surgery I had no idea that trees had individual leaves. To me they were huge green lollipops. My world is now crisp, bright, and clear, and because I requested a prescription lens that also corrects my astigmatism, I can see long distances and only need reading glasses. It would be irresponsible not to mention common side effects of cataract surgery that doctors don’t warn you about. Liver spots have popped up all over my face and on the tops of my hands. And, the bags under my eyes might better be described as black steamer trunks. Mighty Marc is trying to convince me that those conditions existed before the surgery but I’m not buying it. I know my face, and those god-awful deformities weren’t there before. My girlfriend had another horrible experience after cataract surgery. She developed the Howdy Doody Syndrome. Deep creases appeared at the corners of her mouth. Her husband also insists the lines were there before surgery. What is it with men and their lies? So, before having cataracts removed you should give thought to whether you want to look great but not be able to see, or have excellent vision but look like hell. It’s your call… just kidding, of course. MSN
The Ride of Her Life While horseback riding, Margo’s animal spooked and threw her. Crushing pain in her neck, shoulders, back, and legs and the inability to move indicated she was seriously injured. Margo’s friends immediately dialed 911. Within minutes, a Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital ambulance responded and checked her vital signs, instantaneously transmitting them to the Emergency Department. The physicians assessed Margo’s condition, and prepared for her arrival. She was stabilized, admitted to Intensive Care, and then moved to a critical patient care room for three weeks. When Margo returned home, Home Health Care provided her with in-home care and physical therapy. After outpatient physical therapy, Margo is fully recovered and has resumed her normal, active lifestyle. In appreciation, Margo wrote, “I don’t know where to begin to thank you for all the care, support, pity, parties, showers, miscellaneous pushing
around in my wheel chair, and too many other small and large favors you did for me during my stay…. Again, thanks to all of you who ‘touched me’ and helped me through my long three weeks. You are truly a team of the best! Fondly, Margo” The Daly Hospital Foundation supports Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in providing people in the Bitterroot Valley like Margo quality, personalized, accessible healthcare. To offer your support or for more information contact the Daly Hospital Foundation, at 1200 Westwood Drive, Hamilton, MT 59840 or 406375-4674. MSN
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The Ultimate Healthy Aging Tips List By Tait Trussell The Alliance for Aging Research has come up with seven “secrets to healthy aging. “I’ve heard that before,” you may say. But consider the prominence of the source in each case. You may want to stick the clipping on your refrigerator as a reminder. 1. “Develop a ‘social portfolio,’” advises Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. and director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities, George Washington University. “A social portfolio is like a financial portfolio in that you need to diversify your assets, have a safety net, and start early. Your assets are the diverse interests and relationships you develop and draw upon over your lifetime. The
safety net is the protection when you develop a healthy range of interests that includes group and individual activities.... The earlier you take these steps the more prepared you’ll be for life as you age.” 2. “Remember what your mother and grandmother told you,” cautions William R. Hazzard, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Senior Adviser, J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging. “Don’t abuse your body, eat well, and exercise. It’s hard work, and people tend to look for easy answers to staying healthy and vigorous. But your efforts will reap considerable benefits. You’ll sharply increase your chance of aging gracefully and taking advantages of opportunities to enjoy the later stages of life.” 3. “Become a knowledgeable healthcare consumer,” says Christine K. Cassel, M.D. Professor and Chairman, the Henry L. Schwartz Department of Geriatrics & Adult Development. The Mount Sinai Medical Center. “Few healthcare providers are trained in geriatrics, so do not assume they have all the answers. Consumers need to ask advice, get second opinions, and be advocates for themselves. In addition, they need to demand that geriatrics is included in medical school curricula. Medical students are trained in acute care hospitals that are not well equipped for geriatric care. Furthermore, most students aren’t exposed to nursing homes and other elderly care facilities.” 4. “Regard yourself as an active, contributing member of society,” advises T. Franklin Williams, M.D., Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of Rochester, and Science Director, American Federation for Aging Research. “Continued social involvement is so important for healthy aging. Certainly, conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis can pose serious challenges. But people should continue to think positively and find alternatives, if necessary, for remaining active. Everyone should stay as involved as possible in their communities, make healthy lifestyle choices, and pursue self-education about new health findings through their local wellness centers.” 5. “Don’t overeat and, if possible include aerobic and resistance training in your exercise routine,” says Richard Weindruch, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics & Gerontology, University of Wisconsin. “A low-calorie, high-nutrient diet should be a top priority. Physicianapproved exercise regimens are also of great importance. Minimize fat accumulation - especially abdominal fat. Become educated about antioxidants and other nutritional supplements.” 6. “What you eat affects how you age,” points out Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., Associate Director and Professor USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University. “It’s never too late to start a proper nutritional program. Eat a reduced fat, high fiber diet. While our need for food energy declines as we age, our need for many vitamins and minerals increases; so it is important to choose fruits, vegetables, and other foods rich in these nutrients but low in fat and simple sugars. The optimal requirement for some nutrients, e.g. calcium and vitamins B12 and D, are difficult to achieve in usual diets for many elderly, so supplementation should be considered.” 7. “Now’s the time to consider ‘Besdine’s Boomers’,” says Richard Besdine, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director, University of Connecticut Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center. • Blood pressure - Get screened at least once a year. • Exercise - Keep mind and body as vigorously active as possible. • Smoking - stop. • Driving - Have a physician evaluate you for risk. • Immunizations - Get a flu shot every year and a pneumococcal vaccine once. • Nutrition - Critical, especially for cardiovascular health. • Environment - Keep home safe with smoke and carbon monoxide
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detectors. • Screen - For cancer regularly; skin should be evaluated by a physician once a year. For women, get mammogram and Pap smear. • Booze - Avoid excess. • Osteoporosis - Take a minimum of 1500 mg. calcium a day. • Oral health - Healthy teeth and good den-
tures are important. • Mobility - Stay active. • Emotional health - Too little attention is paid to stress reduction in old age. • Rx - Do not take outdated medicines. • Social networks - Important for overall emotional health. MSN
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Depriving People of Healthy Sleep By Clete A. Kushida, M.D., Ph.D., RPSGT It is estimated that over 70 million older adults are plagued with sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a debilitating and potentially life-threatening condition. It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of cases of OSA remain undiagnosed since patients are often unaware of the condition and its complications. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized as a cessation in breathing during sleep that may last for 10 seconds or even longer, the result of a collapsed airway that prevents air from getting to the lungs. These apneic events, which can occur as frequently as one to three times per minute, prevent sufferers from obtaining the healthy sleep needed to rest and rejuvenate. Most sufferers do not fully awaken during these episodes; however, they can cause a number of short-term and long-lasting effects. The most common is excessive daytime sleepiness. Many sleep apnea sufferers awaken feeling exhausted, which often translates to a lack of concentration, exacerbating existing conditions such as dementia, and poor daytime performance. For example, you may feel too tired to play with your grandchildren or have trouble staying awake while driving. Clinical research has also linked sleep apnea to several prevalent conditions, including significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type II diabetes, sexual dysfunction, and Alzheimer’s. In fact, a recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that Alzheimer patients who suffer from OSA might experience improvement in some cognitive functioning by treating their OSA. Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea - If you or your bed partner snores loudly or gasps for air while sleeping, it may be a sign of this serious sleep disorder. If you think you may have OSA, you should speak with your doctor, who may recommend spending the night in a sleep lab to be tested. Alternatively, thanks to a long-awaited decision by the government, testing can now take place in the comfort of your own home. Obstructive sleep apnea can usually be treated successfully. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most effective and common treatment method. Treatment with CPAP involves the use of a light, mask-like device that blows pressurized air through the
nasal passages, keeping the airway open and allowing the patient to breathe normally during sleep. Other treatment options include surgery for enlargement of the upper airway space or a dental appliance. Common symptoms of OSA • Excessive daytime sleepiness. OSA sufferers may often fall asleep easily during passive activities and in severe cases while at work, on the phone, or even while driving. • Loud, disruptive snoring or nocturnal pauses in breathing. Snoring usually interferes with the bed partner’s sleep. • Gasping or choking for air during sleep. OSA sufferers might appear to experience an apparent struggle to breathe. • Restless sleep. Body movements often accompany awakening at the end of an apneic episode. • Depression and irritability. OSA sufferers experience noticeable problems while performing daily activities. • Sexual dysfunction. OSA sufferers may experience a lack of sexual desire due to fatigue and even impotence in men. • Feeling of grogginess, dullness, and morning headaches. These additional symptoms are a result of poor quality of sleep. Like many other disorders, knowledge is the best tool with which to manage or prevent obstructive sleep apnea. Knowing the correct precautions, behavioral changes, and treatments is the key to managing this condition. For more information about sleep apnea, start the conversation at your next doctors’ visit. Dr. Clete Kushida is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University Medical Center, Acting Medical Director at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, and Director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research. MSN
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It’s Okay To Be A Sleeper When It Comes To Your Health Provided by Stacey Hildebrandt, Bozeman When it comes to our health, we tend not to think about how sleep affects our bodies. We’ve all moaned to co-workers, friends, and family that we’re tired because we didn’t get enough sleep last night. Just think of the number of times you have used a poor night’s sleep as an excuse for some area in your life where you have underperformed! Have you ever really paid attention to yourself the day after a poor night’s sleep? Did you find yourself having trouble concentrating? Did you notice that your emotions may have been off kilter - something that you would have ignored on a normal day may have produced a strong emotional reaction? Where patience would have been your regular approach, were you impatient and irritable? Did you see yourself giving up on a project early, where normally you would have persevered thru to the finish? Did your energy level drop so you skipped your normal workout or it was less energetic than normal? And did you notice how these symptoms grew worse throughout the day as you became more tired? Getting less sleep than our bodies need will have a significant impact on our quality of life, resulting in many of
the symptoms described above. If it’s only a night or two it’s usually an annoyance that can be remedied by a nap or a good night’s sleep. But cumulative loss of sleep over a longer period of time can be serious, weakening our immune system, thereby lowering our defense against illness, or slowing recovery from illness, injury, or disease. Lack of sleep slows thinking, and negatively impacts emotions, focus, and energy. One study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, found that a single night of sleep in the 4 – 6 hour range resulted in immediate effects on attention, memory, and the speed at which we think. Each subsequent night of sleep deprivation magnifies those effects on our cognitive abilities. The irony is that the participants in the study didn’t seem to recognize how impaired they actually were! One University of Chicago School of Medicine study monitored the bodies of volunteers while their sleep was disturbed. They discovered that when the sleep was restricted to four hours per night for six consecutive nights, the participants were in a pre-diabetic state and ravenously hungry. This latter observation confirms a strong connection between sleep deprivation and weight gain. One theory indicates that the
brain interprets the body’s desire for sleep in much the same way our body desires food. Thus, many people that are tired tend to eat more. In a reader poll, the Better Sleep Council found that there is a solid connection between getting a good night’s sleep and being motivated to exercise the next day. Seventy percent of respondents said that they were more likely to exercise the next day when they got a good night’s sleep. Additionally, consumers getting more sleep (and sleeping on a mattress less than four years old), are far more likely to engage in more vigorous activities like running and aerobics. In short, getting a good night’s sleep is as essential to your health as eating right. If you don’t eat or sleep as you should, you have no foundation on which to build a healthy lifestyle that includes your mental health, your emotional state of being, and your physical well being. In order to feel rejuvenated, upbeat, energized, and alert - eat right and get a good night’s sleep! Mattress Mill is a Bozeman mattress manufacturer specializing in the sale and construction of mattresses that offer ease of maintenance, flexible firmness options, and higher quality components - all designed to help you sleep better!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
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Bicycling is Back By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire When he was 81, Bill Anderson of Yuma, Arizona, peddled his bike 2,000 miles around the perimeter of his state. He did not do it just for the thrill of the accomplishment. He did it to raise money for Yuma’s Crossroads Mission, which provides food, shelter, and clothing for the homeless in the area. And the ride was not even his longest. He previously had bicycled from San Diego to Atlantic Beach, Florida. Another senior biker, Herb Schon, gave himself an unusual 75th birthday present – a 3,900-mile ride on one of his five bikes from sea to shining sea last summer, through days of boiling sun and chilling rain and snow. This treat of endurance on his racing bike took 52 days. Schon tells me, “I may only be one of the expanding number of fogies who have taken up the bicycling sport.” He traveled as part of a tour organized by America by Bicycle, a company based in Atkinson, New Hampshire. “In biking, it’s most important that you get a good piece of equipment that fits you. And wear a bike mirror on your handle bars so you can see what’s approaching from behind,” he advises. Another senior, Catherine McCormick, 81, clad in Lycra, hops on her custom-made racing bike practically every morning. “I could just do it all day - and sometimes I do,” she says with a smile in her voice. The retired schoolteacher lives in Rancho Cordova, California, near the American River Bike Trail. She has competed in several national races. Dr. Wesley Norman, a 79-year old Georgetown University anatomy professor, last year rode a four-day, 180-mile trip along the Great Allegheny Passage between Columbia, Maryland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of many trips he expects to make. “It’s a great way to see the country and take pictures. And it’s great for your anatomy,” he says enthusiastically. Norman’s first long ride was in 2001, run by Senior Cycling, Inc. a Virginia firm, nicknamed “Old Folks on Spokes.” “I was hooked. It’s my Fountain of Youth.” Not long ago, Norman bought a RANS Fusion, a hybrid between a road bike and a recumbent - on which the cyclist is nearly lying on his back while traveling. On his ranch in Crawford, Texas, former President George Bush told reporters as they boarded their bicycles, “This is not a race. This is a chance for me to show you a little slice of heaven.... You know some guys go on their ranch and ride horses, I like to ride my ranch on a mountain bike,” he was quoted as saying. Bush, aged 62 in 2008, “is a shining example of the benefits of an active lifestyle,” comments Chris Carmichael, who coached Lance Armstrong to his multiple Tour de France victories. Cycling is widely accepted as a superb exercise for seniors, and is a sport engaged in worldwide. “It offers aerobic fitness benefits that can help reverse symptoms associated with arthritis, hypertension, and depression, and can also prevent heart disease when coupled with a diet low in fat, salt, and sugar,” says a fact sheet on cycling published by the Department for Planning and Infrastructure in Western Australia. In Mount Dora, Florida, a bicycle festival has been held each October for 34 years. Last year, more than 100 participants were seniors, in the estimate of Cathy Hoechst, president of the town’s Chamber of Commerce. “One biker was 87,” she adds. The Chamber sponsors the event, which draws bikers from all over the south. Some are surprised to find the different routes often cover winding hills, atypical of most of Florida’s terrain. Bicycling removes cars from the road, noise
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from the background, and with no gasoline, oil, or exhaust bicycling does no environmental harm. Portland, Oregon, known as a biking Mecca, offers bicycling programs especially for seniors: a series of three-wheeled bicycle rides, and a class on cycling safety. There are hundreds of paved, car-free paths in the city. Because my grandmother’s name was Daisy, it was natural that my grandfather would serenade her with that old song that began, “Daisy, Daisy,
give me your answer true” and ended with “And you’d look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.” They often rode their bicycle-built-for-two, even in their later years. My great-grandfather, in his late 70s, as a surprise, bought bicycles for every member of the family, including himself. He rode his two-wheeler in downtown Washington, D.C. in an era of more bicycles than automobiles on the streets. MSN
Healthy habits and appropriate treatments help prevent stroke, according to graded, evidencebased recommendations by the American Heart Association and its division, the American Stroke Association. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a major source of disability in the United States. Every year about 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke, resulting in nearly 158,000 Cholesterol checking deaths. From 1993-2003, the stroke death rate in just ten minutes! fell 18.5 percent, but the actual number of stroke Quick, accurate and inexpensive. Immediate test results deaths declined only 0.7 percent, according to and feedback from your certified pharmacy 2006 association statistics. health care professional to help you “Stroke remains a major public health problem. and your doctor manage your health. Its human and economic toll is staggering,” said $30., by appointment Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., chair of the association’s For more information or to talk with our Stroke Council. The estimated direct and indirect pharmacy professionals call us today! cost of stroke in 2006 is $57.9 billion. “Stroke can be prevented and we are learning more about ways of accomplishing that,” said www.eastgatedrug.com Inside Albertsons on East Broadway Goldstein, professor of medicine (neurology) and director of the Duke Center for Cerebrovascular Disease at Duke University Medical Center Experience the Holiday Touch! in Durham, N.C. Modifiable risk factors - In the guidelines, modifiable risk factors are categorized as well documented, less well documented, or potentially modifiable. The guidelines reiterate some well-known prevention measures such as controlling high Discover a lifestyle where laugh out loud fun meets great food and blood pressure, not smoking, avoiding exgood friends! From our delicious chef-prepared meals to our awardposure to secondhand winning activities program, you’ll experience the get up and go kind smoke, being physically active, and treating disof living that Holiday Retirement is known for. Simplify your life and orders that increase the make the most of your retirement at Grizzly Peak! risk of stroke such as atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heartbeat), carotid artery disease,
and heart failure. “Stroke is a life-changing event that not only affects the person who may be disabled, but the entire family and other caregivers as well,” he said, noting that its devastating toll prompted aggressive efforts to educate physicians, other medical personnel, and their patients. What can be done by consumers to reduce the risk of stroke? • Have regular screenings for high blood pressure (at least every two years in adults and more frequently in minorities and the elderly) and control high blood pressure. • Don’t smoke and eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. • Maintain tight control of blood pressure if you have diabetes. If you have diabetes and other risk factors, talk to your physician about taking statins. • Reduce sodium intake (no more than 2.3 grams a day), and increase potassium intake (at least 4.7 grams a day) to lower blood pressure in people with hypertension; eat a diet high in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and low in saturated and total fat. • Lower total cholesterol to acceptable levels. • Lose weight, which can lower blood pressure. • Be physically active (moderate-intensity) for at least 30 minutes a day. Other things that can be done by consumers that will probably reduce stroke risk: • If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for non-pregnant women. • Do not use illicit drugs. • Do not take oral contraceptives if you are a woman who smokes or has a history of blood clots. • Look for signs of sleep-disordered breathing (loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, repeatedly gasping for breath during sleep); see a specialist for further evaluation. For more information on stroke, visit the American Stroke Association website: strokeassociation. org/power. MSN
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Cholesterol Lowering Foods By Jim Miller What you eat can actually play a huge role in lowering your cholesterol, and for many, it may even eliminate the need for cholesterol-lowering medication. Know Your Numbers - As you may already know, your cholesterol level is the amount of fat in your blood. If it is too high, you are at a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Ideally, you want your total cholesterol reading (that includes your LDL and HDL cholesterol) to be below 200, and your “bad” LDL cholesterol below 129 – less if you are at risk for heart disease. If your total level hits between 200 and 239, or your LDL reaches 130 – 159 you are considered borderline high. And if your total is above 240, or your LDL is over 160
you have high cholesterol. On the other hand, a higher number is better when it comes to the “good” HDL cholesterol. Most men range between 40 and 50 HDL, and women range between 50 and 60. Anything below 40 (for men) and 50 (for women) is too low, and anything above 50 (for men) and 60 (for women) is great, because it provides extra protection against heart disease. Cholesterol-Lowering Foods - Lot’s of research over the past few years has shown that certain foods can help lower your LDL cholesterol and/or boost your HDL, including: • Oatmeal and oat bran: Loaded with soluble fiber, oatmeal or oat bran is a great way to start the day and shave five percent off your LDL. Five to 10 grams per day are recommended. Other good sources for soluble fiber are apples, pears, prunes, citrus fruits, kidney and lima beans, barley, psyllium, carrots, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. • Nuts: Studies have also shown that a daily dose of walnuts and almonds can lower your LDL by 10 percent, and raise your HDL by as much as 20 percent. Peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, some pine nuts, and pistachios have also been shown to lower cholesterol. But be careful. Nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than 2 ounces) will do. The best way to add nuts to your diet is to substitute them for foods that are high in saturated fats like cheese and meat. That way you are gaining the benefits of nuts without adding more calories. • Sterols and stanols: These are substances found in plants that help prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream. A recommended dose of two grams per day can help knock 10 percent off your bad cholesterol level. The
best way to get these substances is to consume store-bought foods that are fortified with sterols or stanols including certain orange juices, yogurts, breads, cereals, granola bars, cooking oils, salad dressings, margarine spreads, and more. Check the labels to find products that contain sterols or stanols and watch out for high calories. • Fish: Rich with omega-3 fatty acids, eating fatty fish (mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, salmon, and albacore tuna) a few times a week can help boost your good HDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent, not to mention lower your triglycerides and blood pressure, and reduce inflammation. If you do not like fish, other food sources that provide omega-3s are walnuts, soybeans, flaxseed, and canola oil, or take a fish oil supplement. • Olive oil: Contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your LDL without affecting your HDL. A good way to work olive oil into your diet is to substitute it with butter or other cooking oils, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. About two tablespoons a day are recommended. Other Tips - Additional lifestyle tips that can help lower LDL and raise HDL include reducing the saturated fats (fatty meats, butter, and whole dairy products) and the trans fats (found in store-bought cookies, cakes, crackers, and many fried foods like French fries) you eat; lose excess weight (even 5 to 10 pounds can make a difference); exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes, five days per week); quit smoking; and drink alcohol (no more than one drink per day for women and two for men). Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN
Heart Attack Leading Cause of Death in Women: Memorize These Life-Saving Tips By Tait Trussell It is not breast cancer, or any other cancer that kills the most American women. Coronary heart disease causes a heart attack, the leading cause of death for women. And as women grow older, their risk of heart attack and stroke increase, according to the American Heart Association. A middle-age nurse friend passed along to me this vivid description of her heart attack. She wrote, “Women rarely have the same symptoms men have when experiencing a heart attack. You know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest, and dropping to the floor. “About 10:30 one
night, I was sitting all snuggly and warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story, and actually thinking, ‘Aah, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.’ “A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you’ve been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water. The hurried bite seems to feel like you have swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion. It is most uncomfortable. You realize you should not have gulped it down so fast. “This was my initial sensation. The only trouble was I had not taken a bite of anything since about 5 p.m. “After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my spine. It was probably aorta spasms gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR. “This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. Ah
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ha! Now I stopped puzzling about what was happening. We all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of a MI happening - haven’t we? I said aloud to the cat and myself, ‘Dear God, I think I’m having a heart attack!’ “I lowered the footrest, dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, if this is a heart attack, I should not be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else. On the other hand, if I do not, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer, I may not be able to get up. “I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room, and dialed the paramedics. I told them I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. She said she was sending the paramedics immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and to unbolt it, then lie on the floor where they could see me. “I unlocked the door, then lay down on the floor and lost consciousness. I do not remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me on a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way. “I did awaken briefly and saw the radiologist in
his surgical blues and cap. I nodded off again, not waking until the cardiologist had already threaded the tiny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed two side-by-side stents to hold open my right coronary artery. My heart had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure. “Why have I written all this to you? Because I want you to know what I learned first hand: 1. “Be aware that something very different is happening to your body, not the usual men’s symptoms. Many women commonly mistake an MI for indigestion. Some take Maalox, go to bed, and never wake up. 2. “Call the paramedics. And if you can, take an aspirin. Ladies, time is of the essence. Do not try to drive yourself to the ER. You are a hazard to yourself and others on the road. 3. “Do not call your doctor. He does not know where you live, and if it is at night, you will not reach him anyway. If it’s daytime, his assistant will tell you to call the paramedics. The paramedics have the oxygen that you need ASAP. Your doctor will be notified later. 4. “MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps deadly hormones into your system. The more we know the better chance we have to survive.” MSN
Cupid’s Corner - continued from page 35 no drugs, animal friendly, social drinker OK, easy to look at, outdoor type, non-gambler for a LTR. I am a non-hunter, no tobacco, gambling, drugs, tattoos, pierced body, good eyesight, health conscious, blue eyes, salt/pepper hair, 5’8”, 180 lbs, light social drinker, have rented houses and forested land. I love wild salmon and all ocean fish, swimming, bicycling, friendly sports, hugs, etc. Please send a recent photo if available. Reply MSN, Dept. 25614, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Greetings! S.W.M., mid 60s, 6 ft, young looking, brown hair, and blue eyes. I don’t smoke, do drugs, and drink lightly. I would like the same in a mate. I live in the Billings area and would like to meet a nice, energetic, younger, attractive, mild to wild gal from my area or who would like to relocate, that would like an interesting, busy, lifestyle. I work hard, play hard, and am available to travel mountains and deserts. I like sun and water, Daisy Dukes, and jeans.
I have a big yard, own my home, am semi-retired, and do some construction. I have a garden and yard chores, like to travel country roads, see and do new and old things, like photography, reading Western history, collecting antiques, going to ghost towns, old mining areas, some events, yard sales, and museums. Why not write and send recent picture, and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 25615, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. To the man I would like to meet: I’m an active lady who values family and friends and a spiritual relationship with God. I’d like to get to know a man who feels the same. I am 59 years old, 5’1”, 145#, and have blue eyes and strawberry blond hair. I enjoy walks, the first snowfall of the season, nature, dancing, and bike riding. If this letter interests you, please write and include a photo. Reply MSN, Dept. 25616, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN
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By Bob Campbell Of the many activities I look forward to each summer in Montana is the centuries-old celebration of life, the Native American Pow Wow. Appreciation of the native cultures has been slow in coming since Lewis and Clark first put their footprints in our Missouri river mud. President Jefferson knew that native cultures were here and he asked Lewis and Clark to give each chief a coin that had Jefferson’s profile on the front and on the back a handshake with the words “Peace and Friendship.” From the encounter on the Marias River between Lewis and a group of Blackfeet, to the westward expansion, reservations, and exploitative federal Indian policies, the goodwill sought by President Jefferson has proved difficult to achieve. During the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, two young Indian students from the
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Take Time To Appreciate Montana's Most Spectacular Summer Celebrations Fort Peck Reservation appeared before our Bill of Rights Committee requesting recognition in the new constitution. Delegate Dorothy Eck of Bozeman sat to my right in the Bill of Rights room and she passionately proposed new rights including recognition of our first inhabitants. However, we could not recognize them in the Bill of Rights because we could not say that Native Americans were more equal than Norwegians, Irish, or any other ethnic group in Montana. The students went on to ask the Education and Revenue and Finance committees for recognition, but they were also turned away by them. However, when the Education article was presented for debate on the floor of the convention Dorothy moved to include the following amendment:
“The state recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed in its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity.” Chair of the Education Committee, Rick Champoux, from Kalispell, enthusiastically endorsed the amendment and it passed 83-1. During the next thirty years, the Montana legislature refused to fund Indian education in our public schools until the Montana Supreme Court finally ordered them to fund this constitutional mandate. My own appreciation of Indian celebrations begins at the Kyi-Yo Pow Wow at the University of Montana in Missoula and the Arlee Fourth of July Celebration. Others include Blackfeet North American Indian Days, Crow Fair Celebration, Heart Butte Celebration, Northern Cheyenne Fourth of July Celebration, Red Bottom Celebration, and Rocky Boy’s Annual Pow Wow. For a complete list of all the pow wows in Montana, call Travel Montana toll free at 1-800-847-4868 or visit indiannations.visitmt.com. You can have an extra bit of pride attending these events knowing that Montana is the only state that provides such constitutional recognition as a tribute to our first inhabitants. For 14,000 years, they lived here with clean air and water and an abundance of wildlife. We can all learn lessons about living in harmony with our environment. MSN
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Are You An Indian? Author Unknown Submitted by Julie Hollar How often have you heard or said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m part Indian?â&#x20AC;? If you have, then some Native American elders have something to teach you. A physician from Oregon, who discovered as an adult that he was Indian, tells this very touching story: Some twenty or more years ago while serving the Mono, Chukchanse, and Chownumnee communities in the Sierra Nevada, I was asked to make a house call on a Mono elder. She was 81 years old and had developed pneumonia after falling on frozen snow while bucking up some firewood. I was surprised that she had asked me to come since she had always avoided anything to do with the services provided through the local agencies. However, it seemed that she had decided I might be all right because I had helped her grandson through some difficult times earlier and I had been studying Mono language with the second graders at North Fork School. She greeted me from inside her house with a Manaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hu, directing me into her bedroom with the sound of her voice. She was not willing to go to the hospital as her family had pleaded, but was determined to stay in her own place and wanted me to help her using herbs that she knew and trusted but was too weak to do alone. I had learned to use about a dozen native medicinal plants by that time, but was inexperienced in using herbs in a life or death situation. She eased my fears with her kind eyes and gentle voice. I stayed with her for the next two days, treating her with herbal medicine (and some vitamin C that she agreed to accept). She made it through and we became friends. One evening several years later, she asked me if I knew my elders. I told her that I was half-Canadian and half-Appalachian from Kentucky. I told her that my Appalachian grandfather was raised
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by his Cherokee mother, but nobody had ever talked much about that and I did not want anyone to think that I was pretending to be an Indian. I was uncomfortable saying I was part Indian and never brought it up in normal conversation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What! Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re part Indian?â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wonder, would you point to the part of yourself thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indian. Show me what part you mean.â&#x20AC;? I felt quite foolish and troubled by what she said, so I stammered out something to the effect that I did not understand what she meant. Thankfully, the conversation stopped at that point. I finished bringing in several days worth of firewood for her, finished the yerba santa tea she had made for me, and went home still thinking about her words. Some weeks later, we met in the grocery store in town and she looked down at one of my feet and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wonder if that foot is an Indian foot. Or, maybe it is your left ear. Have you figured it out yet?â&#x20AC;? I laughed out loud blushing and stammering like a little kid. When I got outside after shopping, she was standing beside my pickup, smiling and laughing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;you either are or you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. No such thing as part Indian. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how your heart lives in the worldâ&#x20AC;Ś how you carry yourself. I knew before I asked you. Nobody told me. Now donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let me hear you say you are part Indian anymore.â&#x20AC;? She died last year, but I would like her to know that I have heeded her words. And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to think that what she did for me was a teaching that the old ones tell people like me, because others have told me that a Native American elder also said almost the same thing to them. I know her wisdom helped me to learn who I was that day and her words have echoed in my memory ever since. And, because of her, I am no longer part Indian. MSN
Dance and Romance: A Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tale By Sally Ann Connolly, Senior Wire O body swayed to music, O brightening glance, How can we know the dancer from the dance? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;William Butler Yeats June may be the traditional month for weddings, but in my family, June is the month for dance recitals. When I was a youngster, I spent gorgeous Saturdays and Sundays in June, year after year, in a darkened theater, donning greasepaint along with tons of sequins and taffeta. My daughters followed my lead. Or, I should say, they were directed along the same path. No family weddings during that glorious month, but plenty of recitals. Now their own daughters are tying up their dancing shoes and booking their June weekends. But, I ask, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where are the boys?â&#x20AC;? In dancing schools around the country, males
are few and far between. Little girls in tutus overflow the practice halls and the aisles at recital time, but the only males in attendance seem to be brothers who have been dragged along reluctantly, or fathers who grumble about having to give up a day of sports. Even my own daughters show no inclination to include their sons in this family tradition. My experience, however, has shown that mothers could do their sons a great service by ensuring that rhythm flows through their veins. Although the way to a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart may be through his stomach, the way to a womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart is through her feet. We like to move it. A male with the right moves on the dance floor has a leg up on his rivals when it comes to catching the attention of the distaff side. Women love a dancinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; man! Even a big man with â&#x20AC;&#x153;flat feetâ&#x20AC;? hath charm if he can scoot around
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athleticism, he splashed across the sound stage, the dance floor. Warren Sapp, the 300-pound football great, the embodiment of both dance floor prowess and who almost captured last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dancing with the virility. Then came John Travolta. His feverish disco Starsâ&#x20AC;? championship, won over many hearts. Week dance showed another generation how to liven up after week, he applied himself with an athleteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grit and determination. What he lacked in technical a Saturday night. Even today, his sensuous moves -ONTANA SENIOR NEWS & "& PDF 0expertise, he made up for in showmanship and can be found on almost any dance floor. But when we talk about hot, hot, hot, the man light-footedness. Now, along with his many gridiron who set us afire was Patrick Swayze. He seduced accomplishments, this macho man will be remembered as the cuddly teddy bear with twinkle toes not only Jennifer Grey but also millions of other females with his sinuous steps. Patrick showed us who almost took home a dancing title. Warren is only the latest in a long string of men what George Bernard Shaw had in mind when he who have tugged at our heartstrings by swaying said that dancing is â&#x20AC;&#x153;the vertical expression of a horizontal desire.â&#x20AC;? To this day, the music of Dirty to the music. For decades, Fred Astaire wooed and won Dancing sets my hips swaying. Merely a few bars many a maiden, both onscreen and off, with his sophisticated charm, perfect footwork, and elegant grace. In the 40s and 50s, Gene Kelly showed us that real men can dance. With joyous
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of the music, and, once again, I have the time of my life. Since my heyday, generations of liberated women have found and embraced their own dancing men. For many, Michael Jackson set the standard. Today, as the spotlight moves to performers such as Chris Brown and Usher, juices flow to a different beat - the rhythm of the street and hiphop. However, although the beat may have changed, the Japanese proverb still rings true, â&#x20AC;&#x153;All dancing girls are 19 years old.â&#x20AC;? So, mothers, I offer a piece of advice. Be good to your sons as well as your daughters. Teach them to dance. MSN
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Jacks of All Trades By Joan Riley, Senior Wire When jobs are scarce and investments shrink, what can retirees do to increase their incomes? Well, an excellent example of possibilities came to my attention recently. In fact, this scheme contains so many possibilities it’s overwhelming - and just a part of it may give you enough workable ideas. A special weekly drawing was announced at the local senior center for three hours of free household services by a group called Get ‘er Done. They boast 17 services, but I counted 18 on their flyer and I am sure they would gladly add to those: Deliveries & Errands, Dog training, Elderly check-ins, Furniture repair/refinish, Garage cleaning/organizing, Handyman repairs/painting, Hauling/dump runs, Holiday decorating, Home Sale prep, Housesitting, Housekeeping, In-house computer training, Janitor service, Pet care, Space making, Tutoring, Window washing, and Yard clean up. “With free estimates for individuals, homes, and businesses.” I can think of several services you could add to that list: check writing and balancing, yard sales organizing, party preparation. You would probably want to start out with just a few services that your family/friends could provide, and then gradually add other talented people to your on-call list as you encountered them or as their services were requested. To organize and run a business this diverse obviously needs the talents of a good, efficient organizer and record keeper - and a stable of talented, on-call “independent contractors.” The beauty of this type of business is that it can be as small or as large as you wish and as demand requires. But even confining your services to a few that you could perform yourself might keep you busy. Another service not mentioned, but very useful to many elderly, is shopping or escorted shopping. While a few chain stores such as Safeway now provide delivery services, this is usually only in the larger cities, not smaller towns. You can probably think of more services, too. Or take a survey at the senior center or elsewhere and determine the needs in your community. If you don’t care to head up an enterprise like this, just pick one of the services you are skilled at and announce it at the senior center, post notices on boards, list it on the radio if they carry a free program for sales and wanted items, print flyers. Don’t forget word of mouth is powerful, too. Have business cards printed and distribute them. Readers are invited to submit questions about 55-plus work opportunities. Questions should be emailed to johall_95531@juno.com. Subject: Question. Joan Riley is a California editor, teacher, and writer specializing in senior affairs. MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65
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By Gerald Townsend, Senior Wire Q. My daughter recently lost her husband and has two small Call today for your complimentary consultation. children, one autistic. She received life insurance and also receives Kathy G. Earle survivor benefits from Social Security. Should she consider using Reverse Mortgage Consultant half of the insurance to pay off her mortgage, which consumes half of her monthly income, or invest all of the insurance in CDs to generPhone: 406-543-2642 ate interest income? Cell: 406-240-1695 A. I am very sorry to hear about your daughter’s loss of her husband. kathy.earle@wellsfargo.com Without having all her financial details, I can only make some general observations. I often recommend not paying off a mortgage balance, but Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in your daughter’s situation, I think I would use one-half of the insurance © 2009 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. #65653 7/09-10/09 money and pay off the mortgage, and here’s why: • The mortgage payment is taking one-half of her monthly income, and that is simply too much of income to be devoured by a fixed obligation. • Paying off the mortgage eases the pressure on monthly cash flow, while still leaving one-half of the insurance money available to invest. Since at this point she would be debt-free, she could afford to invest some of the remaining insurance money in more growth-oriented investments, and not be restrained to just very conservative, but low-yielding, CDs. Sterling Market Manager, Katrina Borth • Most likely, your daughter’s income tax bracket is low, and any tax benefit of the mortgage interest deduction is modest. In fact, there may be no benefit from the mortgage interest deduction as your daughter may be getting a standard deduction on her tax return that is higher than her itemized deduction. • There is always a chance if she invests all the insurance money that she will make some poor decisions and end up losing some of the money or raise her standard of living and start consuming the insurance money. This would leave her with the mortgage balance still owed, but a much smaller cash/investment cushion. Sterling now offers an affordable alternative — • Finally, if she is simply investing the insurSterling Medicare Supplement Plan K. ance proceeds in CDs, the interest she will be receiving from the CDs will undoubtedly be lower than the interest rate she is paying on the morts Low Premiums s Choose Any Doctor gage. Let’s assume for a moment that the interest or Specialist rate on the mortgage is 6%. Therefore, by paying s No Copayments off the mortgage, she will effectively be “invest-
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ing” that money at a guaranteed rate of 6%, and I don’t think she will find a 6% CD. Q. I recently invested $8,000 in a corporate bond that pays 6% interest and when it matures in five years I will receive $10,000. How will the $2,000 profit be taxed? A. You bought a bond that had a market discount of $2,000. Bonds trade at discounts or premiums due to changes in marketplace interest rates as well as changes in the credit ratings of the companies. If you bought the bond in a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA, the profit would not be taxed until you took a distribution. If you own this bond in a regular account you
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67
will owe taxes each year on the $600 of interest you receive (6% x $10,000 = $600); but you will not need to report the $2,000 market discount as income until maturity. However, at that time it will be taxed as ordinary interest income, not as capital gain. Gerald A. Townsend, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CFA® is President of Townsend Asset Management Corp (www.assetmgr.com), a registered investment advisory firm. Submit your question to 5120 Bur Oak Circle, Raleigh, NC 27612 or email him at Gerald@AssetMgr. com. MSN R.R. 1 Box 1082 • Box Elder, MT 59521
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Investment tips for 2009 Submitted by Julie Hollar With all the turmoil in the market today, bank collapses, a worldwide recession, and a credit freeze - to describe just part of the problem - it’s likely that there will be a number of mergers as corporations consolidate to increase their market share. For those with any money left, you may want to anticipate the following possible mergers so that you can get in on the ground floor and make some handsome returns. 1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W. R. Grace Co. will merge to become Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace. 2. Polygram Records, Warner Bros., and Zesta Crackers join forces to become Poly, Warner Cracker. 3. 3M will merge with Goodyear to become MMMGood. 4. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining will merge to become ZipAudiDoDa. 5. FedEx is expected to join its competitor UPS to become FedUP. 6. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will become Fairwell Honeychild. 7. Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become PouponPants. 8. Knott’s Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women will become Knott NOW! MSN
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PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 69
Adventure still follows Bozeman’s Phil Cappy Article & Photo By Kim Thielman-Ibes Phil Cappy is a man of action, always has been and it appears he will always be. In his defense, he tells me one sunny June day, “Adventure finds me. Even when I’m not looking for it, it comes to find me.” Phil was born during the depression in 1928, which may account for his strong work ethic, his love affair with the outdoors, and his penchant for engaging in some unexpected and potentially perilous undertakings. “I’ve been an outdoorsman all my life,” says the eighty-oneyear-old Big Sky, Montana Ski Patroller, “I started at an early age thanks to being raised on a ranch.” Phil’s long and varied career has included Cold War operations as a diver and diesel engineer on a submarine in the Navy, flying light aircraft along the battle lines during the Korean War, and helping the Army shuttle people out of Albania. But that is just part of the story. It has also included serendipitous moments such as a working production on the Milton Burl show and on the movie set of Rooster Cogburn. Phil says that Katherine Hepburn was an absolute joy to be around and the rumor of her wearing
Spencer Tracy’s pants during every rehearsal was absolutely true. The Rooster Cogburn movie was filmed in Bend, Oregon, and it did not take Phil long to decide that this once sleepy little town was the place for him. After a couple of years in Bend, Phil found his career take another turn. He had been a skier his whole life and it seemed natural that at the age of forty-nine he would turn his attention back to where it belonged - with the ski patrol. Within a couple of year’s Phil became the medical supervisor for the Mount Bachelor ski patrol, where he stayed for seventeen years before finding his way to the last best place - Montana. In 1995, at the tender age of sixty-seven, Phil signed on with the Big Sky Ski Patrol and has been working there as a pro-patroller ever since. But Phil is not your average person. Just after he moved to Bozeman, Phil received a call from the senior center. “They asked me if I’d be interested in joining and I told them I might consider it in another twenty
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years or so,â&#x20AC;? Phil says with a sly smile that says he is still not ready yet. One of his fellow Big Sky Ski Patrollers ventured to ask him a couple of years ago how much longer he was going to keep ski patrolling. Phil told him to ask again when he turned eighty, but that was last year and no one has had the gumption to ask him again. Phil came late to his career as a ski patroller, and he did not take his first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class, a pro-patroller requirement until he was fifty-one. Though he may have been a late bloomer in the field, as in everything he does, his stick-to-itiveness and love of adventure keep him going back for more. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I like about the medical,â&#x20AC;? says Phil, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely exciting to be on the emergency side. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same thing as the fire department, when that bell rings, no matter how sleepy you are, well, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of it I guess. For some reason, everything Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done in my life has a deadline. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been plenty of scary times but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lived through them.â&#x20AC;? Phil was a volunteer firefighter on the Big Sky Fire Department up until a couple of years ago
when he switched to assisting with Big Sky Search and Rescue, where he still assists today. When I asked him for advice on how he maintains his agile mind, body, and spirit, he willingly gave me a few pointers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I eat well,â&#x20AC;? and with a small laugh Phil continues, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I drink well and of course I work out.â&#x20AC;? Phil works out three times a week with weights in the gym and does a lot of walking at his job as maintenance for Huntley Resorts at Big Sky during the summer. As for winter, it is all about skiing. In the end, Phil says that it all boils down to one thing - getting up in the morning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The main thing is to get up every morning and do something no matter whether you feel like it or not - or youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll become a couch potato. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I keep working,â&#x20AC;? says Phil and after a thoughtful minute adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m winding down now where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got everything done I want to do and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing what I want to do. But I still keep challenging myself and I keep learning new things.â&#x20AC;? Thanks, Phil. MSN
The Latch String Is Out at Art and Eilein Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Place near Lavin By Bernice Karnop Coulee Ranch north of Lavina, to their summer Remember the movie City Slickers - about the range at the Half Moon Ranch in the Big Snowy guys who attack mid-life crises by signing up for Mountains, and back again in the fall. The 30a cattle drive vacation? mile trip gave guests It came out right after Art of all ages a chance to and Eilein Nelson started experience the reality of letting greenhorns join ranch work as well as the their fall and spring cattle joys and camaraderie of drives. working together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The movie came out, Fourteen years after and the cattle drive just they started, the Nelsons booked itself,â&#x20AC;? Art says were forced to give up with a grin. the cattle drives because The Nelsons started they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get insurance. doing cattle drives right It was a tough decision. after the Great Montana â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt like I let the kids [Photo by Bernice Karnop] Centennial Cattle Drive down,â&#x20AC;? Art says. By the kids, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not of 1989. That five-day only talking about the ones whose parents or trip went from Roundup grandparents took them along on the adventure. to Billings. The Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talking about the ones who benefited from the five-day drive moved proceeds of the cattle drive because the Nelsons their cattle from the win- gave a hefty a portion to the Montana Farm Bureau ter range at the Twin Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Youth in Agriculture program.
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Diana Alkire, Executive Secretary for Montana Farm Bureau says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Moon Ranch is located near the top of this island mountain range where Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredible devotion and generosity to Youth in Agriculture is just visitors enjoy priceless mountains-to-prairies vistas and close encounters with deer, elk, bear, and an abundance of smaller critters. Guests may fish awesome.â&#x20AC;? The Farm Bureau uses the interest for such things as scholarships to in private streams and ponds, identify birds, take photos, and enjoy the great national leadership conferences. The principle remains as a lasting legacy. outdoors. The Nelsons have lived the history of the area since it was settled The legacy is not what matters to Art and Eilein. They just want to help by Europeans, so stories, including the capture of the last man hanged in young farmers and ranchers, who need all the help they can get. The Nelsons Montana, keep guests lingering around the campfire. Some of the Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guests are from Montana, but most are from other are concerned that the average age of those working in agriculture today is 58 years. They find it sobering that land is advertised for its scenery, wildlife, states and foreign countries. For most, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely different from anything theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever done. and fishing, not how many animals it will support. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People who are two or three generations from the land donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand They are convinced that everyone needs to know something about agriculture, no matter what they do or where they live. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why, in addition to paying guests, they invite kids to their place for campouts each summer. Montana Farm Bureau Federationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eastern Montana Regional Manager, Mariah Baumann, explains that kids learn a lot, but they have a great time doing it. Town kids, which make up 75 percent of 4-H groups today, join with ranch kids for lessons in plant identification, weed control, machinery identification, and the ABCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of farm safety. The kids set up their own tents, sleep under the stars, eat camp cooking, and sing cowboy songs around the campfire. They ride in a wagon pulled by the Nelsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful Belgium draft horses. They compete in a fishing derby, winning prizes for catching the first fish, the most fish in an hour, and so on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Nelsons just love the idea of kids learning about agriculture,â&#x20AC;? says Mariah. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The look on their faces when all those kids pull up is just so awesome.â&#x20AC;? Art and Eilein donate their time and their guest ranch, and the Wheatland/Golden Valley Farm Bureau kicks in enough so that the youngsters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to pay a thing for the campout. The Nelsons get their reward, even Walk-in Clinic for Acute Injury & Illness, though it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go into their bank account. Occupational Health, Student Sports â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love working with kids. Their smiles are worth & DOT Physicals & Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health millions,â&#x20AC;? says Art. Access to Healthcare When You Need It Art and Eilein enjoy the adults who come to their guest ranch as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They come from places No Appointment Needed Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never go, so we learn as much from them as The doctor is always in attendance they do from us,â&#x20AC;? Art maintains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had more 403 W. Main Street than 600 guests and I could count on one hand the bad experiences.â&#x20AC;? Participating Providers for 406-388-8708 The Half Moon Ranch, about 25 miles southeast Most Insurance Plans 1 Mile N of I-90, 1 Block E of Jackrabbit Lane of Lewistown, was homesteaded by Artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandfather 114 years ago. His dad added the Twin Coulee Ranch out on the prairie to the east, and his son Marcus â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brandâ&#x20AC;? Nelson is the fourth generation on the land. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I take pride in that,â&#x20AC;? says Art, with that pride beaming from his face. Art runs 700 head of yearlings on the place, and Brand has 400 cow/ calf pairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve doubled the livestock, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re barely meeting expenses. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harder for two families to make a living here today then when my Dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and my family did it in the 1960s through the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s,â&#x20AC;? Art admits. Art and Eilein opened the guest ranch to diversify the operation and to share this beautiful spot with others. The Half
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production agriculture anymore,â&#x20AC;? Art says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They spend five or six days with us and leave with a completely different attitude.â&#x20AC;? Half Moon Ranch Adventures offers campouts, covered wagon trips, horseback trail riding, fishing,
cabin rental, and more. It is a great place to take the grandchildren, and to stage such things as family reunions or corporate retreats. Learn more about it by calling Art and Eilein at 406-575-4457 or visit www.hmradventures.com. MSN
Big Timber, The Town With Two Sharps Photos & Article By Jack McNeel At the junction of the Yellowstone and Boulder Rivers, sits the town of Big Timber, named from William Clarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s description of the big trees he encountered here when his half of the Lewis & Clark expedition returned from the Pacific. One would think it is a sleepy, quiet town, and in some ways it is, yet Hollywood movie producers have found it. Such blockbuster movies as A River Runs Through It, and The Horse Whisperer were filmed here. There is also the Grand Hotel, built in 1890, and now on the National Register of Historic Places. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 1978 you could have gotten a room here for 50 cents a night â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth it,â&#x20AC;? says Larry Edwards, who owns the restaurant and bar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is where the cowboys and sheepherders would come Friday and Saturday nights to whoop it up and it was also where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come to die. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d come down to the bar and work on their livers until the undertaker came.â&#x20AC;? Today the hotel has been modernized but retains that old west feel. The rooms are no longer priced in quarters, but it still has the same wonderful bar. Big Timber is also the home to two separate businesses that produce Sharps rifles. The muzzle loading rifles were perhaps best known for their use in the 1800s for killing buffalo and nearly bringing the massive herds to extinction by the turn of the century.
The original Sharps Rifle Company, named C. Christian Sharps, went out of business in 1881. The corporation was dissolved in 1889 so it became common domain and subsequently a number of Sharps companies sprang up. Even so, it is unusual that a town of under 2,000 people should contain two companies producing Sharps rifles - C. Sharps and Shiloh Sharps. John Schoffstall, owner of C. Sharps, explained why two Sharps companies ended up in one town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We started this in 1975 over in Washington State. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been here since 1980. We brought Shiloh out from New York. They were our manufacturer from 1975 to about l986. We moved them here in 1983.â&#x20AC;? Problems developed later with the owner of Shiloh at the time and they decided it was best to go separate ways. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a big romance, but a lousy marriage,â&#x20AC;? says Schoffstall. The owner of Shiloh Sharps at that time eventually sold the business in 1991 to brothers Robert and Kirk Bryan. Today both Shiloh Sharps and C. Sharps produce beautiful muzzle loading guns from small factories located just a block apart. Even though the guns look similar to novice gun buyers, and each produces a high quality product, there are some major differences in method of manufacture.
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Shiloh Sharps - Kirk Bryan led us on a tour of the Shiloh Sharps factory, explaining first that the name came from the Shiloh battlefield of the Civil War. “Everything is made in our shop and the engraving is done by a lady that lives nearby. These rifles aren’t stocked in gun stores so all are sold through here. The waiting period to get a gun is about 22 months right now.” Bryan explained that most guns sold today are relatively lightweight (about nine pounds), the same as the sports hunters would have purchased from the original Sharps Company back in 1873. The buffalo hunters used a much heavier gun to provide more accuracy at longer ranges and to
withstand the high temperatures created as the gun was shot time after time. “When the gun got hot they’d throw it in the snow and use a second gun,” Bryan said. We examined guns weighing 13 and 17 pounds and he has still another that weighs 25 pounds. Shiloh Sharps starts with virgin bars of steel that are melted down and cast in the shop from their own castings. Customers can get whatever type of wood they want for the stocks - black wal-
nut, English walnut, Turkish walnut, etc. The least expensive gun Shiloh Sharps produces is $1,700. They go up to about $18,000 “with platinum, gold, silver, and all that stuff,” Bryan explains. Shiloh produces the Sharps 1863, a percussion rifle, and Sharps 1874, a black powder rifle and in calibers from .30 to .54. C. Sharps - John Schoffstall led us through the C. Sharps factory and told how Old Reliable was the original trademark of the first Sharps Company until it closed. Schoffstall now owns that trademark. Unlike Shiloh Sharps, C. Sharps does not manufacture from castings. “We start with a billet of steel and machine it out,” Schoffstall explains. The C. Sharps factory is a little smaller than Shiloh Sharps’ and the waiting period is less – about 60-90 days from the time an order is placed. At C. Sharps, each gun is individually produced rather than being done in batches. C. Sharps purchases Badger barrels from Wisconsin. “They’re rifled when we buy them. Then we do the chambering, threading, dove tailing, etc.,” adds Schoffstall. C. Sharps markets to the consumer and do little with gun shops. “A few shops will have one or two on the wall, but not a lot,” Schoffstall says. Engraving is also done inshop by one of their employees. C. Sharps manufactures Sharps models 1874, 1875, 1877, and the 1885 Highwall. The least expensive is the Model 1875 that starts at $1,250. The C. Sharps Model 1874 is nearly identical in price to that
Butt dust and fleas – The world through kids’ eyes? Submitted by Julie Hollar What, you ask, is “butt dust”? Read on and you’ll discover the joy in it! These can only be called original and genuine. No adult is this creative! Jack (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked, “Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?” Melanie (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn’t remember any more. Melanie said, “If you don’t remember you just look in the back of your panties. Mine say, “Five to six.” Steven (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night saying, “I love you so much that when you die I’m going to bury you outside my bedroom window.” Brittany (age 4) had an earache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a child-proof cap and she’d have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked, “How does it know it’s me?” Susan (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. “Please don’t give me this juice again,” she said, “It makes my teeth cough.” DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked, “How much do I cost?” MSN
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 73
model produced by Shiloh. Both companies produce a quality product that any gun collector or hunter would be proud to own. John Schoffstall is obviously proud of his C. Sharps company but gracious towards his competitor. “They (Shiloh) have a nice product and have done well and that’s okay with us.” Either way, people interested in this type of firearm know that Big Timber is the place to go. MSN
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You Can Help Homeless Children Most people think of homelessness as a middle-aged man standing on a street corner with a sign asking for help. In reality, the face of homelessness in rural Montana is more likely to be that of a child. In fact, homeless families with children are the fastest growing group of homeless. Who will help the children? In Bozeman and the surrounding area, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley is answering that call. Since 2006, we have helped 80 homeless children and their families to regain independence. Twenty local churches have contributed volunteers, sleeping space, home-cooked meals, and most importantly – hospitality – to families in need. Professional social workers aid each adult to find a job, learn to budget their money, take care of their children and become self-sufficient. This approach of caring volunteers and professional case management has resulted in over 95% of those completing the program finding and keeping a permanent home. Our goal is to end homelessness one family at a time – and it is working! Family Promise of Gallatin Valley needs your support to continue this important work. Please call 406-582-7388 or go to www.familypromisegv. org to find out how you can make a difference. MSN
Nick and Betty Schrauger Hay the Old-Fashioned Way Article & Photo By Kim Thielman-Ibes “It’s not like the old days,” says Betty Schrauger as she readies the harness for Tuck, one of two draft horses that the Schraugers use to mow, rake, and hay their ten-acre property west of Bozeman. “In the old days,” she continues, “you had several teams and in the afternoon you’d harness a fresh team and keep them going.” Nick and Betty Schrauger have always been around and ridden horses but it was not until they participated in the 2001 reenactment of the Bozeman Trail ride that they found an interest in and love for draft horses. “I guess we’ve always been around wagon trains, but we always rode horses,” says Nick, “The real push came during the seven-weeks on the Bozeman Trail.” Though Betty only rode a portion of the trail, both had an opportunity to drive wagons pulled by their friends’ draft horses. This experience prompted them to take some lessons and well, one thing led to another. Within the year, their instructor, Alex Frasier, had found them a pair of draft horses on a trip he had taken to Ohio. “Alex saw them out in a field on an Amish farm, though the fella didn’t want to sell them too bad,” says Betty. “They were young but they had more experience in the field than we did.” Brothers Snip and Tuck, a pair of Standard Bred Percherons, are now an integral part of the Schrauger family. Nick and Betty largely enjoying farm related activities with their horses and wagons. During the spring and with the help of Snip and Tuck, they spread manure, harrow, and mow their fields. “We have a hay wagon, it’s a modern gear on pneumatic tires with a hay bed,” says Nick. “We also have a four-cart which is a two wheeled wagon that can hook implements for farming.” The Schraugers rake, mow, and stack grass the old-fashioned way (they would say they are 100% biofuel) for two or three weeks in the late summer. After they finish with their ten acres, they help a few neighbors with their acreage as well. “It’s an enjoyable way to work with the horses,” says Betty, “We start about eleven o’clock, then we
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009
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take about an hour or hour-and-a-half lunch, and then we end around four or five in the afternoon. We don’t push too hard, it’s recreation for us.” Last year, along with one of their like-minded friends, they used their draft horses to hay more than 36 acres, netting around 38 tons of hay. Betty and Nick also make time to socialize with Snip, Tuck, and their assortment of other wagons - some that Nick has built with the help of their friends. Several times during the summer they will haul out their buggy, harness up the boys, and meet a couple of friends for a daylong or afternoon ride. “It wouldn’t be unusual,” says Betty, “to have someone call up and just say let’s go and that’s a good thing.” After riding horses for so long the Schraugers will tell you that driving a wagon, cart, or buggy is a as comparable as riding a bike is to driving a car. “When you’re riding horses, you have your legs and neck rein to cue the horse,” says Nick, “But when you’re driving horses you just keep your hands straight ahead and pull one rein or the other. You have to learn how the wagon operates and learn what you have to do to go up or down a hill; it’s just different things to think about.” Betty notes that you have to maintain awareness through the lines, and it pays off to pay attention to what Snip and Tuck’s ears are doing as well. The Schrauger’s love for their draft horses has brought them a variety of new adventures. During the school year, local Bozeman schools bring out their fourth graders to learn about their draft horses and their unique style of farming. They also volunteer to hay with their Snip and Tuck at the historic Grant Kohrs Ranch where they stack the hay loosely, the old-fashioned way. The two have certainly not given up on their wagon train days. Since they have had their horses, they have completed several wagon train rides - from Basin to Deer Lodge, one to the Hole in the Wall in Wyoming, and another three-day trip at the Twin Coulee Ranch in the Big Snowy Mountains of central Montana. The two are also very much involved, along with the Grant Kohrs Ranch, in putting on the Academy of Living History during the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Expo that takes place in Deer Lodge each year. For now, Nick and Betty are looking forward to getting out into the fields. MSN
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