Montana Senior News

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Carbon County chronicler, Richard Thayer, is preserving his community’s past by researching its school districts

Using old public school records such as this Clerk’s School District Record, Richard Thayer has been able to add to the understanding of the history of Carbon County. [Photo by Kim Thielman-Ibes]

By Kim Thielman-Ibes Thomas Hogan, a homesteader from Minnesota came west in the late 1800s and chose a plot of ground in Carbon County, Montana to claim, farm, and settle with his family. A man of some means, Hogan set about ensuring that his three children would not live an uneducated life. Around 1887, he built a small log building and brought a teacher, Margaret Gardiner, from back east so his children could start school. This school became known as the Hogan School, the first school in Carbon County - predating Red Lodge’s educational ambitions by three years. This original school building no longer exists nor do most of the stories once held within its mud-chinked walls. And it’s stories like this that geologist and chemist Richard Thayer is working hard to preserve, one Carbon County School at a time. The Hogan School was one of seventy schools founded in the high mountains and fertile valleys of Carbon County during the homestead boom, when schools were built on sections sixteen and thirty-six in each township such that no county resident would have to walk or ride horse more than three miles for school. Redistricting, consolidation, transportation, and density have whittled the number of Carbon County School districts to ten. Much of the county’s school history, along with the original school buildings and the memories of those who attended is quietly disappearing. Richard Thayer is on a quest to insure that each of these original school districts is identified, documented, and remembered. “In my mind the central point of this whole project is the sense of history and community created by studying the schools,” says Thayer. His project started with a book he inherited from his grandfather - a Carbon County school clerk in the 1930s and 1940s. His grandfather would keep a record of the financing of the district and more importantly, the school census conducted every summer. The census would track the number of school age children expected the following fall and determine the amount of money collected from the state to hire teachers and pay school expenses. “I figured out that writing the school history was writing a community history everyone except the Norwegian bachelor farmers was included and even then many of them were on the school boards.” Thayer’s great-grandparents were part of the early twentieth century homesteading boom in Montana, they also settled in Carbon County. Thayer and his many cousins still live on some of the land that his forbearers claimed, (Cont’d on p. 25)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Frank Linderman - Longtime Friend Of Charlie Russell My name is Bob Hatfield. My wife, Sally, is the granddaughter of Frank Bird Linderman, noted Montana author. Your Montana Senior News is here at Meals on Wheels in our senior center, where I am a driver. There are always several articles on interesting Montana people. Sally has been involved in the Linderman legacy since 1972, when her mother passed away. We are working directly with the University of Montana, where much Linderman material is located in the archives of the Mansfield Library. Here in Kalispell, at our Central School Museum, is an outstanding exhibit of Mr. Linderman. On August 21, we attended a dedication of the Linderman cabin, which had been near Sheridan, and is now next to the Robber’s Roost building near Alder. There are two more exhibits: one in Nevada City and one in Virginia City. So, he was not only involved here in Northwestern Montana, but also further south in our Gold Country. To learn more about Mr. Linderman, I refer you to “A True Montana Legend,� by local writer Tricia Goyer, found in the November/December 2004 issue of Flathead Living (pp. 90-94). I hope other readers of the Montana Senior News will take the opportunity to look it up and learn about this notable Montanan. Bob Hatfield Kalispell

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There are some headings that just don’t seem, or look, quite right. One was on page 31 of your October/November issue, “Dating After Death: How I Knew I was Ready� by Jennifer Hawkins. Now, I should confess to having been a proofreader for many years, and maybe you deliberately meant that title; after all, it was recently Halloween. Still, that title did get to me. Visions of telephones in coffins; quite confined internet dating access venues; “getting next to� the next coffin - if the body was attractive, and maybe more of a still composing than a decomposing nature. I think you get the picture. Next time, to avoid confusion to occasionally morbid types like myself, you (Cont’d on pg 4)

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

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PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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 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 Lynn Hencley Rhonda Lee Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith Nann Parrett

Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Artist Distribution Admin/Production Assistant Editorial Assistant

Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty Clare Hafferman Sue Hart Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Jack McNeel Dianna Troyer © 2011

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Letters To The Editor - continued from page 2 might want to re-fashion such a title to read, “Dating After A Death” (etc.), unless, of course, it is an April fool’s joke in late October. In which case it was clever and funny. John F. Early New York City Editor: Oops. We would like to take credit for being clever, but it was an error we just missed. Are You Familiar With The New Power Of Attorney Law? I thought readers of Montana Senior News would be interested in the MSU Extension Power of Attorney MontGuide. A new fact sheet explaining the Power of Attorney (POA) law that was passed by the 2011 Montana Legislature and went into ef-

We have all had a life-altering moment, when some opportunity or event changed the course of our life forever. This issue’s winning Remember When contributor is Sue Hart, whose opportunity to interview a pop vocal group for her high school paper headed her down her career path as a writer. Thank you and congratulations to Ms. Hart for winning 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

fect on October 1 is now available from Montana State University Extension. Co-authors are Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist and Edwin Eck, Professor, School of Law at the University of Montana. The MontGuide is available free on the Web at www.montana.edu/ estateplanning. Scroll down and click on Power of Attorney. Marsha A. Goetting, Ph.D., CFP®, CFCS Professor and Extension Family Economics Specialist Dept. of Agricultural Economics & Economics Montana State University E-mail: goetting@montana.edu 406-994-5695 MSN

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 February/March 2012 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. Visit us online at www.montanaseniornews.com.

Ross Barbour’s Death Brings Back Old Memories By Sue Hart When I heard that Ross Barbour, 82, who founded the original Four Freshmen quartet in 1948 with his brother Don when they were both students at Indiana’s Butler University, died on August 20, I found myself singing, “It’s a Blue World.” (This was very much under my breath as I’m tone deaf, and to have actually sung the words would have driven my office mates first to distraction and then to leaving the vicinity. I’m sure it was annoying enough that I pulled up a Four Freshman playlist on my computer and listened to it for most of the day — while I was getting my work done, of course!) My sorrow wasn’t just because so many of the Four Freshman songs were so popular when I was in my teens, but because I actually got to interview those good-looking young men — the Barbours, their cousin, Bob Flanigan, who died this last

May, and Ken Errick, who’d replaced Hal Kratzel just the year before — when they appeared in Detroit. In 1953, I was a junior in an all-girls high school, where I was on the newspaper staff. I was also addicted to a radio program featuring Robin Seymour, a young Detroit DJ who consistently made the 10 Best American DJs list, year after year. I sometimes visited him in his studio, and, as a result, he very kindly set up interviews for me with visiting musicians from time to time, including the Four Freshmen. At the time, they’d been named Best Vocal Group by “Downbeat Magazine,” an honor they received consistently through the end of the 50s. Meeting and interviewing those four very nice young men who were responsible for any number of the most popular songs of that time — “Graduation Day,” “Moments to Remember,” “There Will Never Be Another You,” “Day by Day” — was not only a memorable event, but a life-altering one as well. I realized that reporters and writers had access to people others could only dream about meeting. Instead of becoming a nurse (an ambition inspired by the Nurse Sue Barton books), I should

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

become a writer. (That this was a wise decision was reinforced two years later when I scraped through my college biology course with a D!) So today, many, many years after my meeting with the Four Freshmen, I’m still writing, thanks, at least in part, to my Moments to Remember with that talented group of singers. Robin Seymour did set up other interviews for me — including one with Louis Armstrong, who was appearing at the state fair. When I knocked on the door of his trailer, he opened it himself, wearing a white shirt and a pair of blue polka-dot boxer shorts. But that’s another story. MSN

Nursery or Cursory… Do Rhymes Change With Time? By Pearl Hoffman - Los Angeles Nursery Rhyme Hey, diddle-diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon. Old nursery rhymes were mostly magic and dreams. We soon learned, however, that all is not diddle-diddle, the cat has no fiddle, and cows can’t jump over the moon. Having reached the age of limited returns, I have written a little ditty (or is it diddy) that tells how it really is far from the nursery door. Cursory Rhyme Hey, doodle-doodle, the memory’s a wet noodle, it can’t hold a thought like it ought. Words spoken, it appears, just fall on deaf ears, and our eyes cannot find what they sought. There are books that we’ve read and things we’ve heard said, about senior days glory and glee. But we weren’t tipped off that we’d be ripped off and lose part of the us that is we. I don’t feel beholden for the years they call “golden,” and I discount the ideas they preach. I have found old age cloying, And as downright annoying As an itch in a place I can’t reach. MSN

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PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Our Financial Disaster - We Have Been Down This Road Before By Bob Campbell My parents were in their twenties when the Great Depression hit with the stock market crash on October 29, 1929. I was constantly reminded of what it was like at the end of each day to have a sinking feeling that things were only going to be worse in the morning. The champagne celebrating inflated paper profits of the roaring twenties turned into a massive hangover throughout the thirties. Banks were closing across the country as depositors rushed to take out as much money as they could before the bank had no more money to return to its customers. The unemployment rate went to twenty five percent and soup kitchens were set up to give a bowl of soup to grateful men unable to support themselves or their families. Survival was the challenge and after the blessing, families at beans and perhaps a glass of milk if you could afford it. My father tried selling encyclopedias door to door and my mother held her job as a salesperson at the J.C. Penney store in Dickinson, North Dakota. The downward financial slide continued until it hit rock bottom when Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in as president on March 4, 1933. He was facing the worst financial disaster in our nation’s history and he

immediately closed all the banks because they had no federal supervision or deposit protection. FDR’s first challenge was to regain the confidence of our demoralized citizens who had lost all faith in federal or state governments. Then he brought together the best minds of the day to suggest what new programs had the best chance of providing necessities and employment growth. He used the best technology of the day - the radio - to reach the people and reassure them. Every Saturday evening he was honest in identifying the problems and told us what he was doing to make things better. These fireside chats provided hope and even Ronald Reagan admired and gave FDR credit for providing a lifeline for his family. Even in my small isolated town of Sidney, it was important to live moderately and obtain the best education possible so it would provide a higher income to raise a family and retire with a comfortable income. Of all the unlikely outcomes, I did exactly that. Now, at seventy, I am watching even a greater loss of money causing another crisis of confidence in our financial institutions and the ability of the Congress and the Montana legislature to earn their pay by passing legislation now to meet this crisis. Now we have corporations buying unlimited anonymous negative political ads to which we are exposed, yet have no way to determine who is running the ad and accountable for the usually misleading and false advertising. Next time someone asks for your vote for their reelection, ask why they were asleep at the switch when you needed them. Whoever is seeking office for the first time or not, ask if they intend to dismantle the social safety net that has served us so well for the last 70 years. MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7

A Story from the Montana Food Bank Network Several times a year, the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) loads its semi with about 10,000 pounds of food and hits the road for its Mobile Food Pantry (MFP). Destination: rural Montana communities with a need for emergency food. This is one way MFBN benefits small communities in Montana. What people do not usually hear about is how the people in those communities affect the staff and volunteers at MFBN. Every staff member and volunteer comes home from these Mobile Food Pantries with a story that has affected them. In one day at an MFP, we hear

A Lasting Arts Legacy for Great Falls This year when you are making your gift list, please consider gifting membership to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. Your loved ones will receive newsletters, reception and workshop/class information as well as the opportunity to participate in a variety of programming offered here at The Square. Your membership gift will help to support the ongoing operations of The Square. Also, please consider making a planned gift to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. We hold as a value that “art is for everyone” and endeavor to live this value daily through lively changing exhibitions of modern, contemporary, and self-taught art; amazing educational classes and workshops; and preserving and cataloging a permanent collection. By making a planned gift to Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, you can help share the joy of art for generations to come and ensure that the beautiful Paris Gibson Square building remains a cherished landmark for Great Falls and North-central Montana. For more information on gift memberships or planned giving, call Kathy Lear, Executive Director at 406-727-8255. MSN

Helping Those With Disabilities Family Outreach, a private non-profit agency, provides home-based education and support services to children, adults, and their families throughout Southwestern Montana who have disabilities or developmental delays. The focus of our Family Education and Support and Supported Living Programs is to teach families and friends how to teach skills to children and adults with special needs. If you would like to help individuals with disabilities please make a charitable donation to help families and adults meet financial and educational needs. Donations can be in the form of monies, educational and developmental toys, books, etc. Donations can be made through the Helena office or on our website. Direct Service Providers and volunteers are hired and supervised by Family Outreach to provide training and support to children or adults with a disability. These positions are open to provide respite, habilitation, companionship, and transportation as needed by our consumers. Family Outreach would like to recognize Mitch Woods for his outstanding dedication and support to all consumers he works with. Mitch was nominated for and chosen as Montana’s Direct Support Professional of 2011 through ANCOR. Congratulations, Mitch. For additional information visit or call one of our offices at 1212 Helena Ave, Helena, 406-444-7370; 619 North Church, Bozeman, 406-587-2477; 641 Sampson, Butte, 406-494-1242; or visit us online at www.familyoutreach. org. MSN

countless stories of hardship, hunger, illness, and layoffs. We have seen grown men cry, a grandmother talk about missing meals so her grandchildren could eat, and watched a child drop his favorite teddy bear so he can get both hands around a jar of peanut butter. These are hard times, and being on a Mobile Food Pantry is standing on the front lines of this hardship. We need the help of our neighbors to continue this work. With every $1 donated, MFBN can provide enough food for eight emergency meals. Do not delay, please visit mfbn.org today or call 1-800-809-4752 to donate. MSN

PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Christmas Books Reviewed by Connie Daugherty I’m a book junkie, I admit it and I stockpile books the way the squirrels around our cabin stockpile pinecones. Bookcases are crammed and there is a stack on the floor of the office, a halffinished book by the bed, another on the Kindle, and a new audio title on my MP3 player. The wonderful thing about writing this column is that I get an opportunity to experience so many books by Montana authors. There are also some fantastic photographers in Montana. For this month’s column I’ll touch on a few of my recent discoveries for anyone’s Christmas gift list. Raptors of the West Captured in Photographs by Kate Davis, Rob Palmer, and Nick Dunlop has some of the most amazing photos I have ever seen. I can’t even imagine how they got some of these shots. Eagles, osprey, owls hawks, hunting, nesting, soaring - 400 photos fill the pages of this fantastic book - arranged by habitat and region where the birds spend their breeding season. Raptors of the West is an absolute treasure for bird lovers everywhere. Donna Shane Hopkins met James Bakke by chance in 1979. From that time, she admired his artistic talent, but it was not until 2005 that she “began to discover the depth of James’ work.” In James R. Bakke Montana Artist: from the Prairie to Whitefish to Glacier National Park, Hopkins helps the rest of us discover and appreciate this talented artist. This 75 page, coffee table book is a wonderful tribute to this clever regional artist. Many of Bakke’s oil paintings began as photographs and the photo is presented side-by-side with the painting - a great way to see Bakke’s photographer’s eye and his artistic rendition. The colors and depth in Bakke’s Montana landscapes provide

x x x x

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a van Gogh style of expansiveness and intensity that perfectly fits the subject matter. His portraits are equally captivating. As Donna Hopkins writes, Bakke’s “art is a true Montana treasure still being uncovered.” Hand Raised: the Barns of Montana by Chere Jiusto, Christine W. Brown, and Tom Ferris is another book of amazing photographs. This trio traveled the state determined to document historic barns. They documented thousands, and have featured 140 of the most outstanding. Jiusto and Brown compiled the stories behind each barn - the families who built them, worked them, and how they are being used today. These stories along with 500 of Ferris’ beautiful photos makes Hand Raised: the Barns of Montana the perfect coffee table delight inspiring discussion and memories for all who see it. Not all Montana photos worth noticing are in coffee table books. The Helena YWCA has compiled a calendar featuring some of Montana’s active seniors. Each month features a different senior on the move. Proceeds from the sale of this Life in Montana calendar go to the Helena YWCA and the Children’s Hunger Fund. What a great gift to give your favorite senior. What is it about a wedding that attracts so much interest? Last spring I was on a cruise ship in the Caribbean when Prince William and Kate Middleton got married. Half the ship watched the wedding on TV. In I Do: A Cultural History of Montana Weddings, Martha Kohl explores past and present marriage traditions. Weddings, she explains “provide an excellent vehicle for looking at the lives of ordinary people… they stand out in… memories.” Kohl has divided I Do into four sections. In “Weddings through the Decades” she documents the wedding experience form the 1860s to 2004 using photos, announcements, and letters. The changes in wedding traditions reflect the changes in Montana from territorial days, to homesteading days, and finally to contemporary times. In “Weddings in a Multicultural Place,” Kohl looks at how the immigrants to Montana affected the wedding culture. She depicts Indian weddings, Black weddings, Chinese weddings, Jewish weddings, weddings of the various European cultures, and even interracial marriages. Khol

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

dedicates one chapter to elopements, and one to chivarees. Each section of I Do is filled with specific stories and therefore a fun and interesting look into Montana history through a specific theme that one way or another affects all of us. Montana Moments: History on the Go by Ellen Baumber and Montana Trivia by Janet Spencer are fun, thoroughly researched books with interesting tidbits about all of Montana. Montana Moments grew out of Baumber’s Helena radio broadcast, “History Half-Notes.� Janet Spencer, who jokingly calls herself the “trivia queen,� has created a real winner in Montana Trivia. Full of common and not-so-common facts about Montana as well as crossword puzzles and word games based on the book’s content, this little paperback is as entertaining as it is informative. Tuck these handy paperbacks into the car or camper next time you head out to travel anywhere in Montana - sharing the treasures in these pages will make the miles fly by for old and young alike. Speaking of the younger set, two fun books for the grandchildren are PuppityPup Gets A Home and Horse Tales both by Mark Nicoulau. PuppityPup is for the preschool to early grade school age - my granddaughters, Jozi & Liberty, enjoy having it read to them. It’s the story of “the cutest little yellow ball of fur� left at the animal shelter and how he eventually finds a home. Horse Tales, a collection of short stories about horses, is meant

more for the middle school age - a fun read for those preteens who like their horses. Another preteen book is Dakota Gold: an Adventure on the Missouri River by John Anderson. Marlo and Rob McKay are brother and sister along the banks of the Missouri River in Fort Benton. “Marlo‌made up her own rules‌ nine years old‌ and as near a tomboy as anyone could set eyes on.â€? Even though Rob is three years older than his sister is he is a bit of a “followerâ€? and “easily talked into things by his adventurous sister that often spell trouble.â€? When they accidently overhear a gang of robbers talking about hiding gold the robbers stole, Marlo decides that the thing to do is to “borrowâ€? the map and retrieve the buried treasure. First, they have to get to the place in the badlands where the gold is buried. But in heading out on this adventure have they bit off more than they can chew? Not only do they have to deal with the river that could swallow them up, but the outlaws are soon on their trail, and then there is the band of Indians that call the White Cliff lands home. Dakota Gold is a true Huck Fin type adventure Montana style and a fun read for the preteens. Pictures and words, fact and fiction, books for adults and children, Montana authors create it all. The books mentioned here and in this column throughout the year, are just a few of the wonderful works by talented Montana folks. Some, like

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

Ivan Doig, James Welch, Stan Lynde and Lorretta Lynde, Richard Wheeler, Stanley Gordon West, Thomas McGuane, and James Lee Burke are well known. Others are less established or less prolific, but not necessarily less talented. To find a Montana book that is right for you or for giving, visit your local bookstore. As for me, I have to go now - my shopping list is complete and our local bookstore is having a pre-holiday sale and a book signing (look for the review sometime in 2012). Happy Holidays and happy reading. MSN

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I Believe In Santa Claus Author Unknown I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid, and I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her after my big sister dropped the bomb. “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered. “Even dummies know that!” My Grandma was not the gushy kind and never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. “No Santa Claus?” she snorted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it! That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.” “Go? Go where, Grandma?” I asked. I hadn’t even finished my second cinnamon bun. Where turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s. I was only eight years old, and though I had often shopped with my mother, I had never shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused and clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew - my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s second grade class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he

Opening Early August

never went out to recess during the winter, and his mother always wrote a note telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough. He didn’t have a coat! I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement - I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood. It looked real warm, and he would like that. “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied shyly. “It’s for Bobby.” The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker’s house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa’s helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going.” I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded on his door, and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally, it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent in Bobby Decker’s bushes, shivering beside my Grandma. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were - ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team! I still have the Bible with the price tag for the coat tucked inside - $19.95. May you always have Love to share, Health to spare and Friends that care... and may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus! MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

Why Pay When You Can Get It Free At The Missoula Public Library? The Missoula Public Library offers tremendous resources at no cost to you. Repeatedly, we have seen what a difference this can make in the lives of people who may be financially disadvantaged. Let me tell you about just of few of the tremendous free resources available to you through the library. We offer free fiction and non-fiction hardbacks, paperbacks, and eBooks. See http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/ebooks. You can access magazines and newspapers free. Music is also free. Music CDs from classical to rock and roll are waiting for you. You can check out movies free and we show free movies each month. Check out our online calendar for showing times.

What else? Learn a foreign language free. See http://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/databases. We also offer a variety of free computer classes and you can even find your family history free through our databases Ancestry. com and HeritageQuest.com. And via our senior residence visits, we deliver materials free on a regular basis! Probably the most important free resource of all? If you cannot find the answers you need, librarians await your question. Call 721-BOOK or e-mail mslaplib@missoula.lib.mt.us. MSN

Do not Miss Livingston’s Yellowstone Gateway Museum The Yellowstone Gateway Museum has undergone a complete makeover including the installation of a heating/cooling system and interior modifications to the building. Now that we can re-exhibit our entire museum, we can better preserve and protect our collections and tell our story with a new and exciting look. The historic North Side School houses a collection of Park County, Yellowstone National Park, and regional history that tell the story of our county and those who made it. The museum’s four main exhibit halls showcase the diverse history of Park County including: the Native American presence since 11,000 years ago in the Native Cultures Room; the coming of Lewis and Clark, the Fur Trade, and early government explorations in the Expeditions Room; how people got around during those years and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad, in the Transportation Room; and the development of the county’s ranches, farms, mines, and towns in The Pioneer Room. We will continue to upgrade our facilities and throughout the year, we will be changing exhibits to tell the endless stories of our heritage. By visiting the museum, becoming a member, or donating, you too can be part of this new era of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum. Visit us at 118 West Chinook St in Livingston, www.livingstonmuseums.org/PCM/, or call 406-222-4184. MSN

efore you take a journey, you always pack a map. Let the Grandview at Benefis be your guide to a successful future.

Give Today To Make All Babies Healthy! Every fall our thoughts turn to giving and how we can each make contributions. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies (HMHB) has a champion in this regard - Mr. Evan Smalley. Years back Evan and his wife set aside a bequest for HMHB. She has since passed on, but Evan is still dedicated to bringing a healthy, safe start to every Montana baby. Evan has informed HMHB that he will match all gifts raised through January 2012 for Safe Sleep cribs (to prevent SIDS) and The Period of ‘PURPLE’ Crying program (a Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention education and training program for the parents of every Montana baby). Evan feels strongly about challenging everyone to give what he or she can. As he noted recently, “You can’t take caring with you.” Through your generous gifts (and Evan’s match), we will assist in welcoming about 12,000 babies to Big Sky Country in 2012. It is wonderful that most families are prepared for a new baby. But, some babies are in jeopardy. Each year several hundred babies are neglected, do not have a safe sleeping situation, and risk being shaken. For over 27 years, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies – Montana has worked with families to keep all babies safe. We hope you join Evan’s challenge and help build a legacy that will live for a very long time. For more information call 406-4498611 or visit www.hmhb-mt.org. MSN

We’re confident that if your plans include us, you’ll enjoy a fabulous lifestyle that’s both fun and fulfilling at Great Falls’ only Continuing Care Retirement Community. Call today to speak with a sales counselor and learn more about all the details of the Grandview lifestyle. A 10% deposit is all it takes to become a member of the Founders Club, the group of residents that will form the heart and soul of the community. Start your journey to a vibrant, exciting future. Call Kathi and start the conversation today.

TheGrandviewatBenefis.org 406-455-5960

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

Classic Christmas and Holiday DVDs By Mark Fee The Christmas and holiday season were once filled with magic and bustling with entertainment for the whole family. But the film industry has devolved. The season of good cheer has become an endurance run of mediocrity and bad taste. Four Christmases (2008) and Christmas with the Kronks (2004) pale in comparison with films like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and A Christmas Story (1983). These classics never seem to age and are still your best bet for Christmas and holiday viewing. I still laugh and cry, whenever I see It’s a Wonderful Life. My wife Nicolette watches White Christmas (1954) with Bing Crosby and Danny

Kaye, every Christmas. In Frank Capra’s classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Jimmy Stewart plays a small town businessman during the Great Depression whose world collapses, but who gets a second chance at life. Clarence, an angel sent from heaven shows Stewart in flashback what may have happened, if he had not married Donna Reed and made other decisions. Stewart decides to face his wife and make the best of difficult circumstances. He and his wife are in for an incredible surprise. Not rated, 4 stars. Edmund Gwenn is brilliant, as a mischievous, endearing Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street

(1947). Natalie Wood plays a youngster who doesn’t believe in Santa. Her parents are played by Maureen O’Hara and John Payne. Gwenn’s performance as Santa is a tour de force. Not rated, 3.5 stars. In White Christmas (1954), Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play two WWII buddies, who reteam after the war and become musical partners. Kaye and Crosby meet Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen and then travel to Vermont and an inn for Christmas. The inn is owned by their former commander (Dean Jagger). Jagger is depressed. The boys stage a winter extravaganza to cheer him up. The film has a few hysterically funny scenes. Not

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rated, 3 stars. In Leo McCarey’s, An Affair to Remember (1957), Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star as two people who fall in love and decide to meet again, at the Empire State Building. But Kerr is hit by an automobile; Grant is a committed bachelor. McCarey, Grant, and Kerr pull out all emotional stops in this tender, endearing film. Not rated, 3 stars. In A Charlie Brown Christmas (MTV, 1965), Charlie Brown is disgusted at how cynical Christmas has become. Lucy wants him to be the director of the Christmas pageant. Charlie agrees but is not prepared for what lies ahead. Snoopy arrives in the nick of time and helps. The film is hilarious and filled with wisdom and good cheer! Rated G, 3.5 stars. In the vastly underrated musical, Scrooge (1970), Albert Finney plays embittered banker, Ebenezer Scrooge. The film is based on Charles Dickens’s classic short story, A Christmas Carol. Scrooge hates everyone, including his nephew and his family. He is visited by the ghost of his former partner and other ghosts on Christmas Eve and is terrified. He becomes a changed man and makes amends to everyone, he has harmed. The film was directed by Ronald Neame (The Poseidon Adventure, 1972) with Albert Finney (Tom Jones, 1963), as Scrooge and songs by Leslie Bricusse. Not rated, 3 stars. In the hilarious, A Christmas Story (1983), Peter Billingsley plays a young boy, who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB rifle for Christmas.

Directed by Bob Clark with a droll, nostalgic eye, the film is priceless. The story takes place in the 1940s. Rated PG, 3 stars. In Christmas Vacation (1989), Chevy Chase hauls a humongous tree home for a “Griswold family Christmas.� The tree is only the beginning of his problems. An outrageously funny, off-the-wall film and must see. Rated PG-13, 3 stars. John Denver’s Montana Christmas Skies (MTV, 1991) is a treasure and was filmed at Ft. Belknap. The film includes members of the Assiniboine Sioux and Gros Ventre and their families. Some of the film was shot in a barn and includes concert footage. Indian children have a blast on a sleigh ride. It’s a delightful film and one of Denver’s best concerts. The film also features George Burns and Clint Black. Not rated, 3.5 stars. In Miracle in the Wilderness (MTV, 1992), Kris Kristofferson plays a retired Army scout, whose wife (Kim Cattrall) and son are kidnapped by a Blackfeet chief. Kristofferson killed the chief’s son. To save her child and husband and bring peace to an explosive situation, Cattrall tells the chief about the birth of Jesus. Some members of the Blackfeet tribe are included in the film. It is an outstanding Western and beautiful Christmas story. Rated PG, 3 stars. There are other Christmas and holiday films worth watching like Home Alone (1990), Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and Elf (2003). But until the next time, have a joyous Christmas and Happy New Year! MSN

Montana According to Jeff Foxworthy Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley If you install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked, you might live in Billings, Montana. If you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them, you might live in Bozeman, Montana. If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you might live in Northern Montana. +$5( 7+( 2< 2) 57 If driving is better in $ SODQQHG JLIW WR the winter because the potholes are filled with 3DULV *LEVRQ 6TXDUH 0XVHXP RI $UW snow, you might live in OHDYHV D OHJDF\ WKDW EHQHÀWV WKH HQWLUH FRPPXQLW\ Whitefish, Montana. IRU JHQHUDWLRQV WR FRPH

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If you know all four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you might live in Three Forks, Montana. If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce, you might live in Libby, Montana. If you were unaware that there is a legal drinking age, you might live in Red Lodge, Montana‌ or anywhere else in Montana. If going down south means Wyoming, you might live in Wolf Point, Montana. If your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole shed, you might live in Lewistown, Montana. If your idea of going out to eat is a tailgate party every Saturday, you definitely live in Montana. MSN

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Great Falls Community Concert Association 2011-2012 Concert Series - Our 82nd Season

A HOME FREE CHRISTMAS Vocal Band Thur.,Dec. 15 , 2011

BOTTOM LINE DUO Thur., Jan. 19, 2012

HOT 8 BRASS BAND Wed., Mar. 21, 2012

REDHEAD EXPRESS Sun., May 6, 2012

All four concerts only $70.00 - Student tickets available - Single show $30.00 Tickets available at the Mansfield Box Office, Great Falls Civic Center (9-4:30 M-F), at 406-455-8514 (9-4:30 M-F) or online at http://ticketing.greatfalls.net

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

The Real First Thanksgiving... And Christmas In St. Augustine, Florida Story by Andrea Gross / Photos by Irv Green No offense to the Pilgrims, but their wellpublicized dinner party in the fall of 1621 was something of a repeat performance. The first Thanksgiving actually took place 56 years earlier and 1,200 miles south of Massachusetts. It’s there, in what is now St. Augustine, Florida, that European settlers first joined with native Indians to say a Mass of Thanksgiving. A few months later, when their families back in Spain were celebrating the Fiesta de Natividad, the Europeans said another Mass, this time celebrating the birth of Christ. Hence, the first New World Christmas. My husband and I are standing at the very spot where the festivities occurred, on the edge of Matanzas Bay at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. “This is where the Spanish conquistadors came ashore, creating the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States,” says our guide. I look at the ground beneath me. It looks very much like the field where my kids used to play soccer. Nevertheless, it is an awesome feeling to be at such a historic site. The Park honors early Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. Legend has it that he was searching for land, treasure, and a fountain whose water bestowed eternal youth on those who drank it. I drink some of the fabled water, but there is no sudden change in either my appearance or energy level. Like de Leon, I give up on the fountain of youth. More interesting is the Archaeological Park’s Timucuan Indian exhibit. A woman outfitted in native dress prepares dinner as she tells us about the people who were here when the Spanish landed. The Indians had lived happily for thousands of years, she explains, but were decimated by new infectious diseases that the Spanish inadvertently brought from Europe. While the Spanish got along well with the natives, pirates were another matter. The most famous raid occurred in 1586 when Sir Francis Drake pillaged the ports of St. Augustine and nearby towns. Drake’s story and that of other rogues is told with dramatic flair at St. Augustine’s newest attraction, the Pirate and Treasure Museum, which houses an extensive collection of pirate memorabilia. Beleaguered by both pirates and British, in 1695 the Spanish completed a large star-shaped fortification called the Castillo de San Marcos. Today the Castillo, which is the oldest masonry fort in North America, is a national monument, replete with ranger talks, museum exhibits, and soldiers who fire cannons during scheduled demonstrations. One boom from the cannon nearly

Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in North America. [Photo by Irv Green]

shatters our eardrums and shows us why, with the exception of a few years in the mid-1700s, the Spanish were able to control St. Augustine

for nearly 200 years. To learn how ordinary Spanish folks lived during this time, we go to St. Augustine’s Old Town, an area that abounds with shops, restaurants, and historic attractions. Our favorite is the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, a living history site where costumed interpreters engage in everyday activities, from cooking and blacksmithing to pottery making and musket firing. Outside the compound, other structures, the so-called Oldest School and Oldest House in America, give other perspectives of daily life during the 1700s. By 1821, Spain had tired of Florida and in a peaceful settlement ceded the land to the United

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Finally, we relax. Drinking from the Fountain States. And that is why, says Dr. Michael Cannon, of Youth did not restore us, but a day in the sun Professor Emeritus of History at the University of most certainly did! Florida, most Americans think the first ThanksgivFor more information, visit www.floridashising took place in Plymouth. “It is the victors who MSN toriccoast.com. write the histories,” he says. While its status as the oldest continuously The holidays in St. Augustine Thanksgiving: Many restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinner, although they do it the Massachusetts way. The First Thanksgiving in St. Augustine most likely consisted of conquistador cocido stew (salted pork and garbanzo beans) plus a Timucuan offering of gator meat. Christmas: Millions of white lights, representing the Spanish tradition of decorating with white candles, turn the city into a place of magic for the holidays (Nov. 19 – Jan. 31). Costumed interpreters show how the Spanish defended their settlement from the British. [Photo by Irv Green]

occupied European town in the United States is what gives the city its fame, St. Augustine has many other attractions. We take a cruise on crystalline waters, shop at boutiques and outlet centers, and even, in a burst of bravery, take a ghostly tour of the Old Jail. And of course, we eat - although since we are staying at the delightful St. Francis Inn, restaurant dining is scarcely necessary. The Inn hosts humungous breakfasts that make lunch an indulgence, plus an afternoon social hour and before-bed dessert that make dinner superfluous. But we don’t let that stop us. How can we pass up a meal to the Columbia Restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Florida? Their famous 1905 salad is big enough for two.

ALL ABOARD

for the trip of a lifetime.

Enjoy the freedom to see landscapes that can only be seen by train while you relax in a comfortable seat with large panoramic windows. Travelers age 62+ receive a 15% discount* For schedules and information call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.

Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. *15% coach discount applies to seniors age 62 and over. Offer not valid on all trains at all times and other restrictions apply. Amtrak and Enjoy the journey are service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

The Pirate Museum, St. Augustine’s newest attraction, has interactive exhibits and an abundance of rogue memorabilia. [Photo by Irv Green] MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

Tips For Traveling With Your Pets Increasingly, when pet owners travel, they’re taking their pet along for the ride. Some say it’s because they consider their pet to be part of the family, while others say it’s because more hotels and motels are adopting pet-friendly policies. Whatever the reason, according to the owner research experts at Subaru of America, traveling with a pet involves more than just loading the animal in the backseat and hitting the road. The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you prepare for safe and smooth car travel with pets: • Keep your pets safe and secure in a well-ventilated crate or carrier, or see your automotive dealer for a divider that safely separates pets and cargo from the passenger area. • Get your pet geared up for a long trip by taking him on a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening time spent in the car. • Start your pet’s travel-feeding schedule with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure and don’t feed your pet in a moving vehicle. • Never leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a warm day, even

with the windows open, a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot. • Bring your pet’s food, bowl, leash, and a favorite toy or pillow - plus a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, and medication. • Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and wears a collar with a tag imprinted with your home address, as well as a temporary travel tag with your cell phone number, destination phone number, and any other relevant contact information. • Don’t allow your pet to ride with his head outside the window. This can subject him to inner ear damage and lung infections, and he could be injured by flying objects. • If traveling across state lines, bring along your pet’s rabies vaccination record, as some states require this proof at certain interstate crossings. • Bring your own drinking water - bottled or tap - since drinking water from an area he’s not used to could result in an upset stomach for your pet. • If you travel frequently with your pet, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, available at auto product retailers. MSN

For Our Lexiphile Friends Who Love Word Play Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley To write with a broken pencil is pointless. When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. The professor discovered that her theory of

earthquakes was on shaky ground. The batteries were given out free of charge. A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail. A will is a dead giveaway. If you don’t pay your exorcist you can get repossessed. With her marriage, she got a new name and

a dress. Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I’ll show you A-flat miner. You are stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under. MSN

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AUGUST 2012 12-17 Branson Christmas 11-20 Great Rivers of the Northwest Flathead Travel Laird Leisure Travel 12-20 Passport to Branson Aug 29 Small Ship Cruising Satrom Travel & Tour Sep 6 Alaska Flathead Travel Nov 29 Twin Cities Holiday Dec 2 Satrom Travel & Tour SEPTEMBER 2012 tba Mystery Tour Nov 29 NYC Theatre Tour Flathead Travel Dec 2 Satrom Travel & Tour Sep 17 New England Fall Foliage Oct 3 Satrom Travel & Tour OCTOBER 2012 tba Eastern Canada Cruise Flathead Travel Oct 28 Branson on a Nov 3 Budget Satrom Travel & Tour NOVEMBER 2012 7-13 Branson Holidaze Satrom Travel & Tour

23-31 Spain - Costa del Sol Flathead Travel APRIL 2012 tba Quilt Barn Trail Missoula Senior Center 12-18 Tulip Fest Laird Leisure Travel 13-19 Washington DC/Cherry Blossom Satrom Travel & Tour Apr 16 Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico May 3 Laird Leisure Travel Apr 28 Spring Trails of the South May 15 Laird Leisure Travel MAY 2012 5-12 St Louis/Nashville/Tennessee Flathead Travel

Arizona with a Slice of New Mexico

Early Feb w/ great attractions & meals featuring 4 nights Scottsdale & 2 nights Tucson

MISSOULA SENIOR CENTER 705 S. Higgins Missoula, MT 59801 406-543-7154

2012 Offerings Georgia & the Golden Isles North by Northwest Roll’n on the River

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

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Larry Seekins laughs but tries not to chortle his way through pickleball games By Dianna Troyer people usually are laughing so hard it’s hard to quit. In his sedentary administrative job years ago, When they get a good or lucky shot past their opLarry Seekins realized his health was deteriorat- ponent, they start snorting and laughing. It’s containg and was unsure what to do about it. “Then I gious,� says Larry, the USA Pickleball Association’s started playing pickleball, Great Plains Regional and it saved my life,� says Ambassador. “So when the 68-year-old Billings they start making these resident, a retired forest noises, I have to say, ‘No engineer who has been chortling allowed,’ which playing the game with usually causes them to the peculiar name since laugh even more.� 1976. Pickleball players “I hate to exercise but have to have a sense of know I need to, so I lie to humor to play a game with myself and say I’m not a name like pickleball. exercising, I’m playing a “But it’s no weirder than game,� says Larry, who names of other sports,� plays pickleball three to Larry says. “What about five days a week, about squash? Think about that two hours at a time, either one. Or badminton? And competing or teaching tennis. There’s no 10 people how to play the inin tennis. They start at creasingly popular game zero. They don’t even that uses a perforated call it zero, they call it plastic baseball, similar love. Then they skip 10 to a wiffle ball, and wood completely and go to 15. or composite paddles on So why not call the game a badminton court. ‘fifteenis?’� On th O the back b k off L Larry’s ’ T T-shirt, hi t h he h had d th the ffollowing ll i Larry, who has been saying printed. Dis-pickle-ball (despicable), term used In Billings, more than to describe a dirty, rotten, ornery, no-good, low-down, teaching pickleball at the 100 people play pickleBillings Family YMCA sneaky, thieving, cattle-rustling play or person in the ball, including nationally since 2002 says, “After game of pickleball. [Photo courtesy of Larry Seekins] ranked players. “We have playing, my body says, ‘Larry, you lied to me! That a lot of really good players who place in the top was exercise. Just for that I am going to hurt you 10 percent of their tournaments. Here, we play a real bad.’ So I take some Tylenol, and thankfully West Coast style of pickleball, with players being I have a poor memory, and 24 hours later I’ve as close to the net as rules allow. It’s the type that forgotten the pain, and go out and do it all over was played when the game was invented in 1965.� again. The game is such a hoot. We laugh the The late Joel Pritchard, a Congressman from whole time we’re playing.� Washington, and his friends invented the game The sound of laughter is heard in pickleball while relaxing on Bainbridge Island. They were games wherever it is played. “When I teach or play, looking for some recreational activity that everyone

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in their families could do together. There was an old badminton court on the property, some old paddles, and a ball, so they developed the game, relying on badminton rules. Joel’s cocker spaniel, Pickles, often chased the ball, so the fledgling game was named after Pickles. “The nice thing about pickleball is you can play it outside, even when it’s windy and rainy, which it is most of the time in the coastal northwest. I’ve played in the rain.� As more and more people began playing, the USA Pickleball Association was established in 1984 as a non-profit organization with a membership, tournaments, and rankings. Since then, the game has spread internationally, and the association estimates that more than 100,000 people play regularly. Pickleball rules were developed, so one side cannot have an advantage. “The ball has to bounce twice after it’s served, once on the opponent’s court and once again on the server’s court. That’s so the server can’t rush the net. Then there’s a no-volley zone 7 feet from the net, so a tall person can’t stay at the net and dominate the game.� Larry reminds his students there are no losers in pickleball. “Even if you don’t win, you always come in at least second; you always get good exercise; and you always play with wonderful people. We have a class just for beginners. Everyone here was a beginner at one point. We never say ‘sorry,’ we just say ‘whoops.’ There’s no limit to how good you can get, either.� The game is exploding in popularity because it is the perfect game for active seniors, Larry says. “The game attracts a lot of former tennis players because it’s easier to play. The court is smaller, so you do not have such a large area to cover. There aren’t as many overhand shots in pickleball as there are in tennis, so it’s easier on your shoulders.� Some retirement communities are built around pickleball. “In Florida, there’s a place called The Villages that has more than 100 pickleball courts for the 40,000 people who live there. At the Huntsman World Senior Games Outdoor Pickleball Tournament in St. George, organizers had to limit registration to 400 players. National tournaments can last a week.� Larry and his wife, April, discovered the game while

living in Kremmling, Colo. “We read about it in the newspaper, bought some paddles, and dinked around with it on local tennis courts. Then we moved to the Black Hills, and I kind of forgot about it. My health was really spiraling downward. When we moved to Hillsboro, Oregon in 1988, I found some people who played and started again,� says Larry. He played to relieve work stress from his biggest project, being the lead engineer in charge of restoring Mount St.

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Helens. After retiring as a deputy forest supervisor on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest north of Portland, he and April moved to Billings in 2002 to be near their children. After getting settled, Larry started playing pickleball again. He bought a home with a pickleball court in the backyard. He says he and his wife bought a very expensive pickleball court, and the house was thrown in free.

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“Playing pickleball helps me stay at my ideal Besides Billings, pickleball is played in Clyde weight and keeps me in great condition. It’s fun, Park, Helena, Polson, and Whitefish. More inexciting, and has a lot of action. It’s easy on the formation about pickleball can be found on the body, addicting, and one heckuva game. It doesn’t internet at usapa.org. MSN get any better than that.”

History Making Seniors Inspire Caregiver Mary Lou Miller their father ran away with the girl he hired to assist By Bernice Karnop Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging advo- them. This was in the 1920s, but this spunky young cate, Mary Lou Miller from Wolf Point, gets her mother did not have time to feel sorry for herself. With the help of her mothinspiration from the people er, she enrolled in secrewho lived through the hardtarial school, finished, and ships of the past century. moved to Montana to work “I don’t think we’ll ever for an attorney. He encoursee that caliber of people aged her to run for Clerk of again,” she laments. Court, a job she kept for In addition to working 40 years! She remarked with these men and womthat she thought voters in en as the Aging CoordinaRoosevelt County would tor for Roosevelt County, never let her retire. she opened an assisted Speaking of hardship, living facility. Helen Clifford’s father died As they talked in the so her mother moved to home-like setting with one Great Falls where she of Mary Lou’s small dogs could be close to her sissnuggling in their laps, ter. A short time later her she saw how these folks sister died and the woman represented the history of married her brother-in-law. Roosevelt County. In fact, In a drunken rage, he murthey created its history. dered her. The children Marvin Brookman, rowere split up and Helen deo contractor, rode for the was placed in an orphanCBC when he was young. age. At five-years-old, she He helped round up thouwas adopted by a family sands, not hundreds, of wild horses each summer Tempted to feel sorry for yourself? The cure, says in Bainville. The adoptive and sent them back east Mary Lou Miller, Wolf Point, is to take someone to father was the first sheriff on the railroad. Marvin the Billings Clinic. As you’re waiting for them, watch of Roosevelt County. He started the first Wild Horse the people coming in. “You don’t have to look very had ridden with Teddy far to find someone you don’t want to trade shoes Roosevelt and had named Stampede in Wolf Point, an with.” [Photo by Bernice Karnop] Roosevelt County. event that is recognized Mary Lou’s family roots also sink deep into worldwide today. Addie Carpenter’s story started in North Dakota Eastern Montana history. Her grandmother came with a blow that might have crushed a lesser indi- to Richland County with her brothers and homevidual. Right after giving steaded in the badlands south of the Missouri birth to her third child, River from Bainville. Mary Lou’s dad bought one of the homesteads and raised his eight children out there. Electricity and telephone were slow to arrive in that corner of the state because there were not enough people to make it worth running the lines. Mary Lou, though much younger, could talk to her older residents

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

about such things as the pump-up gas lanterns, and how a moth would fly into it and break the mantle and leave them in the dark. She also understood the wind chargers that powered the battery they used in the radio. They butchered pigs, cut ice from the Missouri, and sent their cream to the creamery at Williston on “the Goose,” a one-car train that traveled daily between Richey and Williston. When she was 12-years-old she drove to a country school 12 miles from the farm. It is a bit shocking today, but in that accommodating time, the Montana Highway Patrol granted a driving permit to underage youngsters so they could drive themselves to school. They were restricted to country roads and could only drive between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mary Lou did not start out as a health care worker. She attended Eastern Montana College

and taught at a country school north of Wolf Point. She met her husband there and they raised Angus cattle and wheat south of the Missouri. When her children needed to go to school, she moved into Wolf Point. She started doing home healthcare, which led to her becoming the Aging Coordinator for Roosevelt County. She had her assisted living home for 16 years, closing it only last year. She is still on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging. She has learned much from the seniors. Although their lives seem hard by today’s standards, she saw those who were grateful for everything. “They were strong people,” Mary Lou says. “They did whatever they had to do to continue. The alternative is to give up, but instead they did what they had to do.” MSN

Phyllis Romo - 66 Years as a Nurse By Bernice Karnop seems very strict. They could go home that first Phyllis Romo grew up among the mountains Christmas, but after that, they worked holidays just and tall trees of like any other day. They had two weeks Libby, but she off in the summer; otherwise, they were was born on the on the job year round. They also worked prairie at the other around the clock, taking turns on all of end of the state, the shifts. in Wolf Point. Her They spent four hours in the classfamily left Eastern room and four hours on the floor. They Montana in the learned to make beds, give bed baths, bad years of the and prepare nutritious food in the kitch1930s. en. They did Before she everything for graduated from the patients Libby high school, assigned to Phyllis knew she them, includwould like to be a ing mopping home economics their rooms. teacher or a nurse. After six She received a months of $300 scholarship training, each for three years of received her nurses training uniform, a at Sacred Heart white dress School of Nursing starched to in Havre, and that the point it “Kids I delivered are now grandparents,” says tipped the scale. nurse, Phyllis Romo, with a laugh. She has could stand Although today it helped many people in Eastern Montana in her alone, white would not go far, six decades of nursing. It has been her joy and s t o c k i n g s , the $300 provided her passion, and she has not finished yet. Phyl- cap, and white her with tuition, lis still does blood pressure and blood sugar oxfords with a room, and board checks, as well as foot clinics for area patients. one-inch heel. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] for three years. No hair could All she had to pay for were books and personal touch their collar. They expenses. The other girls thought Phyllis was rich because her dad sent her $5 from his paycheck as a postmaster every other week. Phyllis started her training in September 1942 with 14 other young women. Today, their regimen

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could cut their hair short, or wear a hair net. The uniform had long sleeves that had to be rolled up for the bed baths, but a girl must not be seen in the hallways with her sleeves rolled up. First-year students worked with nursing home patients. The next year, they learned everything about the nursery, delivery room, and how to care for surgery patients. The last year of training was on the third floor where surgery was performed. When Phyllis first started school, she was homesick, but she found the cure by being busy and interested in what she was learning. It did not hurt that her aunt wrote to a young Bainville man, Clarence, who worked for the railroad in Havre that first fall and asked if he would like to meet Phyllis. He called and took her to lunch. “They wouldn’t let us get married,” she says. “I would have had to quit nursing, and I didn’t want to quit.” The nursing students were allowed to be out one night a week, either Friday or Saturday, and every other night they were expected to be in their rooms with lights out by 9:30 p.m., unless they were working. Phyllis surprises young people when she says that she and her husband went together for over two years before they were ever out after midnight. When the war started, Clarence enlisted and went to special training. He was assigned to a ship where his duties included decoding and telegraphy. When he was through with his training and was going to be shipped overseas, he came home and asked if they could get married. It was December 1944. “I had to get permission from the Sister Superior,” Phyllis says. The rules said no, but since she would finish her training in May, they said yes. When her mom found out she had fallen in love with a man from Bainville, she said, “I don’t know why she’s marrying a man from that god-forsaken country!” Marriage did not interfere with her nurses training. Five days after the wedding, Clarence went over seas and did not come back until April 1946, nearly two years later. Phyllis laughs.

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“Anyway, it all worked out. We had a good marriage.” While he was gone, Phyllis finished her training, passed her state boards, and began her nursing career in Libby, where her parents were. Clarence had a job with the Great Northern when he returned, and they sent him to Snowden, east of Bainville. The Snowden lift bridge, built in 1913 when the Missouri river was deemed navigable, is between Fairview and Bainville. Vehicles and foot traffic shared the long bridge with the trains. Some say it was so dangerous it was safe, because users were uncommonly careful. Wolf Point’s Mary Lou Miller grew up near Snowden and remembers using the crank phone that hung on the side of the bridge to call Clarence, who would tell them if it was safe to cross the narrow bridge. After Snowden, Clarence became the depot agent in Bainville. He told Phyllis they would just stay a few years, until they got their feet on the ground. Phyllis explains, “We bought a home, we had kids, and we all grew roots.” Phyllis’s mother realized on her first visit to her daughter’s that times had changed, and Bainville wasn’t so bad. Irrigation had worked its miracle on the farmland, and her daughter lived in a nice house with a big yard, flower gardens, and trees. “Then she didn’t feel so bad,” Phyllis says with a laugh. She stayed home with her boys until her last child started school. Then she went to work at the hospital in Culbertson. The 30-mile drive could be challenging in the wintertime. She was late sometimes, but she did not miss any work because of the weather. She quit once because it cost more to drive to Culbertson than she was making. They coaxed her back by giving her a $1.50 raise. It was a busy 24-bed hospital, where they delivered babies, conducted surgery one day a week, and tended to nursing home patients. They did EKG’s and X-rays. They had no ICU, but heart attack patients or preemies were given a private room, a special nurse, and plenty of rest and quiet. It worked well. Phyllis says that 90 percent or more

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

of the patients got well. Today, people around Culbertson must leave town for many of the services that the hospital provided a few decades ago. Now, only a nursing home and acute care are available. Throughout her career, Phyllis worked with 23 different doctors. “I learned something different from each one,” she says. In addition to the on-the-job-training, she earned her nursing degree by correspondence. She served as director of nursing for her last nine years, and retired in 1981. After working for nine more years in a doctor’s

office in Culbertson, Phyllis retired again when the doctor did. After a break, she went back to work, treating people she had grown to love while nursing in the hospital and doctor’s office. Today, she brings a foot clinic and blood pressure and blood sugar checks to seniors in Culbertson, Froid, and Bainville. Phyllis loves her husband and three boys, but Clarence commented once that nursing always took the front burner. She has had her nursing license for 66 years and is still nursing at 88 years old. People in Eastern Montana are delighted that she is. MSN

Richard Thayer - Carbon County Historian - (Continued from front cover) and Thayer also attended the Hogan School. It was this personal connection along with Thayer’s passion and dedication to historical research and genealogy that propelled him into writing his first book, History of the Luther School completed in 2007 after five years of research. “I interview old timers when I can find them, some of them were teachers and they all have stories to tell,” says Thayer. He recalls one of his old neighbors telling him about boys chopping firewood and hauling water from the spring, school lunches freezing if they were not placed in the right location and how most schools were equipped with coal sheds, horse barns and outhouses. “Very few people have an appreciation for what it was to go to a rural one-room school. You can imagine the burden on the teacher who was being paid $1.00 a day,” says Thayer. His grandmother started teaching with a teaching certificate at age sixteen. “She told me it wasn’t unusual for her to teach students older than she. It’s a wonder they learned anything with thirty-some students of varying grades in a single-classroom.” Thayer is currently working on documenting and writing histories for the Hogan, Tony, and Volney Creek schools. He is also documenting the site of all seventy Carbon County school districts and its one hundred school buildings for the Carbon County Historical Society. Thayer has hundreds of photographs and has thus far identified fifty-six of the county’s seventy school districts. “The part I enjoy the most is the photographs, they tell a lot of story you can’t reconstruct otherwise.” Thayer’s natural curiosity keeps him going. He works in Billings but still owns a parcel of his family’s original homestead near the sparsely populated town of Luther. “My time working on this project is very sporadic,” says Thayer, “I get more done in the winter time when the nights are longer and there’s not

as much to do.” Thayer is still a rancher on the weekends and his trips to Carbon County are filled with memories, those of his families and those from families that that can no longer speak them self. If you have any information or photographs from any one of the historic Carbon County School districts, Richard Thayer would really love to talk with you. To contact him, call 406-855-6821. MSN

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Your Home, Your Choice? By Karen Telleen-Lawton In the olden days, elders moved in with the kids and that was that. Later, transient lifestyles and work-styles heralded the era of the “old folks’ home.” Groupliving complexes may have been a necessary phase to the choices facing baby boomers in the next few decades. What do boomers want in senior housing, and will we get it? Many boomers will spend decades in retirement, but what is retirement for us? We perceive this stage differently than did the previous generation. An Associated Press analysis (before the recession) found that most boomers plan to retire around age 63, but two-thirds expect to keep working at least part-time. Some will work to make ends meet, while others will work “to stay busy.” Even if they do not “need” the money, some of them will work to supplement their income to pay for luxuries. In an AARP member poll, over one-third of respondents were curious about what are now dubbed CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities). But what they want is different from what their parents wanted. A Concierge Care Advisors survey in 2010 found that important factors were proximity to current residence, meal choices, and available transportation. Most express interest in some type of wellness or exercise program. We want continuing access to the larger community. We want to remain socially and physically active, but our interests extend beyond “typical” offerings like themed events and arts and crafts. Fortunately, the marketplace seems to be listening. Many CCRCs today operate similarly

to college campuses. Moreover, alternatives to senior communities – hybrids between senior communities and living with the kids – are expanding. According to AARP, the appeal of a CCRC is that entering one is an once-in-a-lifetime choice. The same campus features independent housing as well as assisted living and nursing care, so we can “age in place” without continuing to move to a different facility. Some feature a rich diversity of classes, activities, meals, and health care options. CCRCs’ appeal is the carefree lifestyle and freedom from responsibility. Another up-and-coming option is a “back to the future” idea called ECHO: elder cottage housing opportunity. ECHOs are small, temporary houses installed in a backyard. They are self-contained prefab units of typically 400 to 800 square feet that allow a senior to remain largely independent while still living within earshot of their family. Amazing for their size, ECHO housing usually includes slimmed-down but complete versions of all the home amenities -- a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room. Another concept is the community village being developed in progressive cities around the country. These are not homes at all but community-based membership organizations focused on empowering older adults to live happily, healthfully, and successfully in their own homes as they age. One such experiment is Santa Barbara Village, which they dub a “virtual senior living community.” Area residents become a community by joining the village for shared access to resources, while volunteering for one another. The bottom line is that, just as in the rest of our adult lives, different housing alternatives will appeal to different people. The idea of staying put has a strong appeal; the village concept helps make that a viable alternative. It is also bound to be the least expensive option. ECHOs benefit greatly from the allure of being close to loved ones without being “in their faces.” CCRCs have a wide price spectrum depending on the area of the country and how close it comes to achieving the college campus ideal. Other alternatives are being developed daily. As Concierge Care Advisors discovered in their survey, “today’s consumers are most interested in choices,” and that is what we are getting. MSN

Making Connections With People Through Animals: Cindy Coats and Her Dog, Pizza, A Pet Therapy Team Article & Photo by Gail Jokerst To Cindy Coats, dogs are much like people: some members of the species behave better, have a more tolerant disposition, and express greater affection than others do. And those qualities working in tandem, according to this certified pet therapy volunteer, are not just nice traits. They are necessities for canines to possess if they happen to be dogs that help humans in need through the strong bond each dog shares with its owner. While it could be argued that dogs are not in a position to decide whether they want this unpaid job, that would not be true. Dogs new to pet therapy quickly let their feelings be known to their owners as to their comfort level around wheelchairs, walkers, and strangers who cuddle them. If the dog is a right match for the activity, it will not hesitate - when invited - to jump up on someone’s lap or to instinctively lay its head by the hand of a bedridden person. “It’s extremely fulfilling to work as a team with your animal to bring joy to other people’s lives, but not all dogs can do this. Some are too guarded to make themselves open and vulnerable and to be affectionate with strangers,” explains Cindy, who for the past two years has visited the Montana Veterans’ Home in Columbia Falls with her Husky-mix dog, Pizza. “An animal with the right temperament that can give and accept love helps form a bridge between people. Just the presence of these dogs lets some people relax and opens the door to conversation. It’s wonderful to see residents at the Vets’ Home respond to Pizza,” notes Cindy. “Even the most withdrawn people start to smile and get a twinkle in their eye when

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

they see her or reach out to pet her. They don’t need to say anything, though many will thank me for bringing Pizza when we leave.” Since Cindy and Pizza began their team visits to the Vets’ Home, they have spent time with more than half of the 125 residents, who are either an honorably discharged vet or the spouse of a vet. Since the resident base, which comes from across the nation, fluctuates with people constantly coming and going, Cindy often sees new faces each time she and Pizza visit. According to Renee Lennick, the Volunteer Coordinator at the Montana Veterans’ Home, pet therapy has been a huge success there. She recounts an especially moving time when a petpartner team came to one of the home’s hospice rooms, where the resident had been unresponsive to any communication efforts. The dog seemed to know of the person’s need and rather than wait for the human to initiate contact, the dog laid its head on the bed by the person’s hand. It was an unforgettable moment to all present when the man lifted his hand to pat the dog. “Everyone values these visits because of the happiness they bring. Seeing Pizza reminds the residents of their own pets. It gives them a feeling of home to love up on a dog,” says Renee. “They look forward to these visits. So does the staff.” It seems Pizza looks forward to her days at the Vets’ Home, as well. As soon as she and Cindy reach the front door, Pizza strains at her leash in her eagerness to see her buddies. She barks only once during her entire stay and that is just to announce, “Hey guys, I’m here.” Naturally, those residents who carry doggy treats in their scooters and walkers have won a special place in this pooch’s affections. But when it comes to visits, Pizza gives everyone who wants it an opportunity to spend time with her and her partner. Like the dogs used in pet therapy, handlers also have to possess certain qualities that make them suited to this form of volunteerism. Characteristics such as empathy for others, selfconfidence, a service-oriented attitude, and an ability to deal with rejection are all prerequisites.

“You have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone to benefit someone else and bring a bright spot to their lives,” comments Cindy. “You have to be willing to get into someone else’s perceived space to make things happen.” Considering that Cindy’s mother describes her as a woman who, “could make a friend in a paper bag,” it is understandable why she has engaged in this kind of volunteerism most of her life. A vet herself who retired 11 years ago from the U.S. Army Chemical Corps as a Lieutenant Colonel, Cindy began as a horse therapy volunteer in 1983. Throughout her military service, she volunteered when possible in that capacity wherever she was stationed. From Stuttgart, Germany to West Point to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, she worked with horses - including Arabian stallions - to help handicapped children and adults, as well as stroke victims, experience the joy of horseback riding. When she moved to Montana, Cindy could not bring her horses with her but she could bring Pizza. Practically upon her arrival in the Treasure State, she enrolled in a pet therapy certification program so the twosome could continue her work of connecting with people through animals. Surprisingly, Cindy never brings up her military career when talking with the former soldiers, sailors, aviators, and marines now living at the Vets’ Home. As she says, “The visits aren’t about me and my accomplishments; they’re about the vets. Some residents never leave the building. They don’t have many opportunities to get outside of themselves and interact with different people.” That is why you will notice when she chats with residents, the conversation gravitates towards things such as old family farms, beloved pets, and books people are reading rather than swapping war yarns. The most popular topic of conversation, however, is how Pizza got her name. That question inevitably leads to Cindy repeating a story she has now shared more times than she can count about the evening she drove across town to pick up a pizza for dinner, found an abandoned forlorn-looking puppy, and brought home the puppy instead of the pizza, which she

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forgot all about. Despite her reluctance to bring up her own 20-year military career with the vets she visits, Cindy acknowledges that her time in the service did indeed influence her decision to volunteer with Pizza at the Vets’ Home. “All veterans, at one point in their life, write a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount ‘up to and including my life,’” says Cindy. “This is one small way I have of expressing my thanks to them for that sacrifice.” Visit these websites or call any of these national organizations to learn more about pet therapy: Delta Society (www.deltasociety.org, 425-679-5500), Therapy Dogs Inc., (www.therapydogs.com, 877-843-7364), or Therapy Dogs International (www.tdi-dog.org, 973-252-9800). For more information about volunteer opportunities at the Montana Veterans’ Home, call Renee Lennick at 406-892-3256 Ext. 230. MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Gardening In Winter By Clare Hafferman If your garden chores are completed and you can still raise your arm to pat yourself on the back, contemplating wintertime activities might be next. Should you like to “keep a hand in” growing something through the snowy months, here are a few suggestions, and you will not need a greenhouse to accomplish them. A card table or some other surface near a window, preferably east or west, potting soil, pots and a spray bottle with water for misting will let you garden in while you are looking out. I have two older Victory Garden books, Crockett’s Indoor Garden and Crockett’s Victory Garden with smiling James Crockett on the covers and his well-written advice inside. I learn something every time I read them. Mr. Crockett divided each book into the months of the year and at the beginning of each chapter were plants that could be grown during that month. Good sketches and excellent photographs accompany the text. The author said that he often got requests from people wanting to know where they could buy Alpine strawberry plants. He would tell them to grow their own because these plants come easy from seed. He thought they were superior to June-bearing strawberries. First, they produce a modest yield of small, sweet berries from June into October, they live for years with minimum care, and they do not send out runners. They grow from 8-12 inches tall and can be divided every 3-4 years. You plant the seeds in December to have fruitsize plants in May or June. I ordered the seeds from LeJardin du Gourmet, P.O. Box 75, St Johnsbury Ctr, Vermont 05863-0075. You get a small packet of seeds for 35 cents or a large one for $1 plus postage. As long as you have to pay postage, you might as well order something else. Forty strawberry seeds are available from Pinetree Garden Seeds, P.O. Box 300, Gloucester, Maine 04260. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface of a 6-inch pot filled nearly to the top with potting soil. After lightly covering the seeds, bottom water the pot. Transfer the seedlings to 6-packs when their first true leaves appear, and into 3-inch individual pots when they are 2 inches tall. It should be spring by then, and you can harden them off and plant outside in late May into June. The seeds to use for the next project are the orange, lemon, or

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grapefruit that we eat each winter. All of these are sproutable in a small pot of potting soil that is kept watered. To your question of “Why bother?,” I would tell you I did it just to see if they would come up, and ended with a 5-foot tall grapefruit tree that went home with a scientific grandson. Unfortunately, he forgot to keep it misted and watered so the grapefruit expired, but we had enjoyed seeing it grow. This year I took several grapefruit sprouts to the Farmer’s Market and in selling them at $1 each, I said to a woman who was accompanied by her young son, that I thought these would be an interesting plant to give a science teacher, and she replied, “I am one! We’ll take two!” Soak the grapefruit seeds in warm water overnight. Put 3-4 of them in a small pot of soil or sand and do not let them dry out. When they have sprouted two pairs of leaves, transplant them to their own pot by a sunny window. In our northern climate, they will not grow fruit, but the leaves have a nice citrus smell when you press them. To keep them happy, be sure to mist them occasionally. To give the gift of a houseplant that has pretty flowers, flowers that smell good or just produces attractive leaves, you can use potting soil, rooting powder and cuttings from several easy propagators. Christmas cactus, Hoya plants, African violets and different kinds of begonias all bloom with lovely flowers, and though the Hoya takes a long time to do so, its blooms have a memorable scent and it makes flowers for a long time. Varieties of ivy, philodendron, and wandering Jew plants can be rooted in water if you want an easy way and when you re-pot a jade plant or a Boston fern, you tease little starts from the fern and just pick a leaf off the Jade and re-pot it. I have never been successful in re-producing an avocado from a pit nor a pineapple, where you cut off the spiked stem with some fruit below it, but they are possibilities for patient people. Anyone who gardens is familiar with the winter practice of potting up tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, and amaryllis bulbs for the holiday season. The price of bulbs has escalated, so by the time you find any that are marked down, it is late in the season, and you pay either what they want or go without. The bulbs that smell the best are hyacinths. If I find some on sale, I do not care when they bloom because they are an ample reward both in a colorful flower and in a lovely scent that can fill a room. Was it Eliza Doolittle who said, “You pays your money and you gets your choice?” Probably. That sentence could also serve as a motto for the times, but hopefully with the ideas I have outlined, you can continue gardening with several choices and not much expense. A hobby can be an education if you try something new. MSN

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From Billings to Havre, 2011 Governor’s Conferences a success By Bernice Karnop How refreshing. While many people these days are wringing their hands and feeling hopeless about the future, seniors gathered in Havre and Billings last October to “celebrate the past and change the future.” The Governor’s Advisory Council, Chair Gladys Considine, conference director Brian LaMoure, and many speakers addressed Montana’s serious aging issues with energy, hope, and humor. “Don’t get down,” said Charlie Rehbein, Bureau Chief, Office on AgingSenior and Long Term Care. “We all have creative ability. We can come up with ideas that will improve aging services and enhance people’s lives. We can think of new ways to fund services.” The Governor’s Advisory Council puts on these conferences every year as one way to empower seniors to make informed decisions about their future. For the past three years, they have brought them to two or more areas across our broad state, making it possible for more people to attend. “We are a conduit of information, bringing information to you and bringing back your concerns to the Governor and others in state government,” said Gladys Considine. First of all, celebrate that we are aging. There were 20 centenarians honored in person in Billings and Havre. Their vitality was nothing short of

inspirational. In addition to celebrating our centenarians, Montanans can celebrate the quality of people looking out for us, like Aging Services staff, the legal services team, Area Agencies on Aging, ombudsmen, Silver Haired Legislators, a hoard of wonderful volunteers, and more. All over the country, groups working on aging issues include AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Committee to Preserve Social Security, and Medicare to name just a few. How can we change the future? People need to speak up to retain services in light of the budget cuts. Informed comments and stories make a difference and are heard. We need to speak up for Alzheimer’s research. We need to change our eating habits, exercise, and prepare documents, such as powers of attorney, to control what will happen to us when we cannot speak for ourselves. We need to be deliberate in stopping fraud and exploitation, bullying in our Senior Centers, and we need to learn to deal with our own life threatening stress. Did you miss the conference? Not to worry. You can contact one of Montana’s ten Area Agencies on Aging and they will provide you with all kinds of information. One toll-free number will ring you to your local Area Agency on aging, 1-800-551-3191. They will let you know how you can be part of the solution instead of just worrying about what the future might hold. MSN

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CBS Correspondent Barry Petersen Lends a Compassionate Voice to Alzheimer’s Sufferers By Bernice Karnop Barry Petersen’s Danish grandfather homesteaded in Eastern Montana and Barry graduated from high school in Sidney. Tall and slim, he would have made a good-looking cowboy, but instead he became a journalist. He has traveled farther than his grandfather did coming to America. In fact, his stories have been datelined from virtually every continent. He has made his home in such places as Beijing and Moscow. In September, you saw this CBS Senior Correspondent on the evening news reporting from Libya where he was dodging real bullets near Tripoli. By the first week in October, he was in Billings engaged in another war, where the only bullets were the ones on paper that marked important points he was making. This war is against a disease that has no known cause, no treatment, and no cure: Alzheimer’s. We think of it as something that affects people in their 70s and 80s, but in fact, early onset Alzheimer’s disease claims people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Alzheimer’s is so prevalent that you probably know someone with the disease now. The number is expected to triple by mid-century. Petersen’s passion is fueled by the fact that his once bright and beautiful wife, Jan, has early onset Alzheimer’s. He tells her story in an award-winning piece that you can see at www.barrypetersen.com. You can order Petersen’s book, Jan’s Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s, through the website or at bookstores. Part of the purchase price goes to the Alzheimer’s Association. Petersen supports a revolution in the way Alzheimer’s disease is viewed and ignored. The

National Institutes of Health grant $5 billion to diseases like cancer and heart disease, and although Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death and growing, they give only $450 thousand to Alzheimer’s research. If we do not spend money now we will spend a lot more dealing with the disease as it claims more individuals in the near future. An Alzheimer’s Association motto is, “a reason to hope.” The hope lies in research, and researchers are close to understanding the disease and finding a cure. “We’re one person away from finding a cure,” Petersen says. Joseph Salk, he notes, is responsible for the near eradication of polio. Some of the research is happening here in Montana. The McLaughlin Research Center in Great Falls and neuroscientist Josh Lawrence at the University of Montana, who received a $1.5 million Alzheimer’s Association grant, do significant mouse research. Petersen’s second message is about caregivers. “Alzheimer’s does not want one. It wants two, and in most cases the care-giver dies first,” he says. Caregivers have an “after.” he continues. “Help them survive to that point.” Don’t call and say, what can I do? Call and say I will be over on Tuesday and sit with her/him for two hours so you can go out. Say, I am bringing dinner over. “They need respite, and they don’t even know how badly they need it,” he says. Petersen realizes that his journey through the minefield of care giving is or will be faced by others. He cared for Jan himself, he hired a live-in nurse,

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and he considered giving up his job to care for her. But finally, he realized he needed to put her into assisted living. It was the most painful thing he has ever done. The nurse, who monitored his health as well as Jan’s, told him, “It’s not so much that she’s changed, but you are going down. How are you going to take care of Jan if you are dead?” Part of his healing came from Jan’s philosophy, that life is to be lived, that every day is to be celebrated. Gradually and with the help of friends and family, he believes resuming his own life is what she would want him to do. This does not include ignoring Jan, although it does CBS S Senior i C Correspondent d t and d author th off Jan’s J ’ Story, St Barry Petersen, spoke at the Governor’s Conference include a new relationship. on Aging in Billings. He is shown with Mary Nell He calls them, “a new AmeriWolff, with whom he shares his life, the care of his can family, a family of three.” wife, Jan, and the war against Alzheimer’s disease. These difficult battles will [Photo by Bernice Karnop] increase in the next decades. Our world has changed, making answers that once worked, no longer viable. One change is in communities where people traditionally helped each other in tough times. Sons, daughters, and siblings lived nearby and lent a hand, as did the neighbors. Today, however, families have dispersed and neighbors are aging and need help themselves. Petersen does not pretend to have the answers for other people’s situations, but he has succeeded in being a compassionate voice - and ear - for those who must deal with the questions. MSN

Centenarians Outlive the Odds By Bernice Karnop One hundred years ago, Taft was President. Postage stamps cost 2 cents. New Mexico and Arizona were still waiting for statehood, women could not yet vote, and life expectancy was 50.2 years. So much for expectations. According to the 2010 census, Montana has 285 Centenarians who have lived more than twice their life expectancy. They have seen more dramatic changes in society than any generation before them, and arguably, more than any will see in the future. Twenty-one Centenarians were at the Conferences on Aging, four in Havre and 17 in Billings. They, more than any other thing at the conferences, brought big smiles to the faces of conference attendees. Their vitality is nothing short of inspirational. It was only four years ago, in 2007, that for the first time, the GCA honored Centenarians. Five attended that conference in Helena. The increases underscore the fact that Montana has one of the fastest growing 65 and older populations in the nation and Centenarians are the fastest growing part of that group. As Conference Chair, Gladys Considine reminded us, “Today is the oldest you’ve ever been. It’s also the youngest you’ll ever be.” We sincerely hope that you, our readers, will reach this milestone as well, with the same grace, dignity, and humor as these treasured individuals. MSN

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Ralph Brewington, 85, Billings, was at the Governor’s Conference on Aging for the first time. “You’re never so old you can’t learn something,” he says. Ralph, who is a life-long learner, left the family farm out of Two Dot to join the Army Air Force when he was 17. He wanted to be a pilot, but the war was winding down and they didn’t need more pilots, so he was given the choice of training as a bombardier or a flight engineer. He chose to be a flight

engineer and served with General Eisenhower in the 101st Airborne on a B-29 crew. Ralph was stationed in England and later in Germany. After the war, he was given another choice: be promoted or go home.“My promotion was to get back to Montana,” he says with a laugh. He married, had a family, and ranched for a while at Two Dot and Cascade. Ralph became a mail carrier when a job opened up in Billings. These jobs were strictly

political appointments then, and General Eisenhower was now the President. Ralph’s friend Bob Turner, had been a pilot for Eisenhower in the Army Air Force. He lived at Garniel and when Ralph expressed an interest in the Post Office job, Turner said, “Let me call Ike.” He did and the rest of Ralph’s career was with the Post Office. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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People attending the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Billings received a warm welcome - and a Montana Senior News - at the registration table. These friendly RSVP volunteers are Pat McAllister, Birdie Noyes, and Roxie Blinco. Next to them are Pam Makara, RSVP Program Director for Yellowstone County, and Clayton Croft, Yellowstone County Agency on Aging. Pam introduced the conference as a Healthy By Design Event promoting active living and healthy lifestyles. Throughout the conference, we saw healthier food choices, smaller portions, an emphasis on safety, and the use of fewer paper products. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

When Bernard Myers started teaching in 1935, his yearly salary was $1,080. He laughs, admitting that at that time he could buy three pounds of hamburger for 25 cents and a loaf of fresh bread for a dime, or a nickel if you bought day old bread. The highest teaching salary Bernard received was $14,300. Today he is an active Centenarian at 101 years. A while back Bernard taught Lt. Governor John Bohlinger’s math class at Billings High School and was his track coach. When the Lt. Governor said he thought he was better in track, conference chair, Gladys Considine quipped, “Is that why you are still running?” [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Vivian Pierce, Agnes Beddes, and Georgia Wagenman, who are secretary, co-chair, and treasurer of the Seniors Group in Shepherd, drove to Billings together for one day of the Billings Conference. They did not have any trouble finding things to giggle about, even at the Alzheimer’s Dinner. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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C.A. Buckley, Great Falls is one of the newer members of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging but she is not new to political, community, and volunteer activities. It came naturally, she says because she grew up in a family that was politically involved. The GCA is a good fit. “I like giving people information that helps them,” she says. On her right is Governor’s Conference on Aging Conference Chair, Gladys Considine, who kept the information flowing at the conferences in Havre and Billings [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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Meet the Backroom Boys. They hang out in this room behind the dining room at the Havre Senior Center where they shoot pool and the breeze. Wearing big smiles from left to right are Francis Cartwright, Mike Jennings, Cy Slavy, Jim Stewart, and Mort Goldstein. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Joe and Alma Seidel do not miss a chance to cut a rug. It wasn’t always so, Alma says. When Joe noticed she was having “way too much fun dancing without him,” he let her sign them up together for a dance class through adult education. That was back in the early 1970s. Among other benefits, Alma says his confidence soared and it became easier for him to take on leadership roles in other areas of his life. The Seidels are shown dancing to the Kountry Klassics, who play twice a month at the Senior Center in Havre. Behind the Seidel’s are Colin Campbell and Lynn Heggen. Not shown are music makers, Shirley Campbell and Jim Faber. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

“A community center is invaluable in a small town,” says Leonard Schleder, Shepherd, who is a member of the Yellowstone County Council on Aging and attended his first GCA with his wife and fellow coffee junkie, Jackie. The seniors in Shepherd are still raising money to build a new community center, but just because there is no building, does not mean they do not meet every week. The Feedlot Steak House opens its doors and hearts to 50-80 seniors every week. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

No, Elvis did not attend the GCA in Billings but this fellow in the bejeweled polyester suit sounded a little bit like him, singing, “Wellness blessed my soul, nothing wrong with me. I’m living a life of S-E-R-VI-C-E. My friends say I used to act like a slug. I just shrug. I’m Wellvised up!” “Wellvis,” RN Joey Trawick, brought everyone to their feet in order to raise awareness of the national trends regarding diabetes and i B ti t d one in i obesity in America. By 2025 2025, it iis estimated, three people will develop type-two diabetes. “We have to stop getting worse first,” he said, urging seniors to lead the way by becoming role models for wellness. (Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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Dr. Irene Lohcamp, geriatric doctor with the Billings Clinic, addressed the Billings conference on the clinical aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. It is important to detect the disease early, she said, as current medications can buy some time. It is, however, a terminal disease with which an individual may live 8 to 12 years after diagnosis. Dr. Lohcamp also took time to answer questions and is shown here with Bobbi Roberts, local conference co-organizer, and Monica Trimble from Missoula Community Medical Center. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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Miles City is cowboy country. That is where they hold the World Famous Bucking Horse Sale each spring. These two Roosevelt County Commissioners with their big hats and mustaches were not intentionally advertising for the Sale but they did bring it to mind at the Governor’s Conference on Aging in Havre. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Ruby Owens and Evelyn Havskjold, who is director of Area X Agency on Aging, admired the beautiful gift basket Ruby won in the mini grant raffle in Havre. The raffle gave everyone an opportunity to donate to the fund by either donating items or buying tickets. In fact, the raffles in Billings and Havre netted $500 for the fund and sent some people home with a number of fun items. Ruby’s gift was created and donated by Jesse James Hawley of Harlem who makes and sells gift baskets. This year’s mini-grants provided funding for projects in nine smaller communities in Montana for a total of $8,000. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Mary Russell, Program Specialist for the Area 1 Agency on Aging in Glasgow, was happy to take home one of the cans of Flathead cherries given away as door prizes at the Havre Governor’s Conference on Aging. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

In Havre, the Governor’s Advisory Council members sat with a table of folks to get their ideas and questions. Here Connie Bremner from the GCA, left, is listening to (on the other side of the table) Keith and Genevieve Benson, Ann Azure, and Katie Noel, of Harlem. On the right side of the table is Sherman Ekness, Havre. Linda Kaul, Havre, is behind Connie. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Nine small-town senior centers around the state this year received Mini-Grant awards ranging from $500 to $1,000 for interesting upgrades for their communities. The one pictured is for the Carbon/Stillwater Senior Center in Joliet will help them replace a refrigerator. Pictured are Janet Witt, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Karen Ulrickson, Diane Ketterling, Susan Lewis, and Karen Erdie, who is Area Agency on Aging Director. Other grants went to the Bridger Golden Age Society for an industrial refrigerator, the Swan Valley Senior Center in Condon for a computer, the Geraldine Senior Center for a commercial bread mixer, the Geyser/ Raynesford Senior Center for new countertops and faucets, the Manhattan Senior Center for an air conditioner, the Golden Years Club in Plentywood for exterior paint, and the Musselshell County Seniors in Rounup for a meat slicer. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

“Alzheimer’s is a disease; it’s not normal aging,” states Suzanne Belser, Director of Montana Alzheimer’s Association. Suzanne is on the right with her assistant, Sandra Prophet, on the left. Suzanne worked as an architect for 17 years and became aware of the needs of Alzheimer’s patients as she worked on accessible buildings. She realized that there was little awareness among builders - or anyone else - about Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the sixth leading cause of death. The mission of the Alzheimer’s Association is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research. Its aim is to provide care and support for patients and caregivers and to reduce risks by promoting brain health. Researchers are close to finding a cure. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Neuroscientist Josh Lawrence at the University of Montana, received a $1.5 million Alzheimer’s Association grant. He shared some of his exciting research that helps understand the effect Alzheimer’s disease has on the brain. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

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Help for People Facing Foreclosure By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What kind of help is available to people facing foreclosure? My 76-year-old mother has fallen behind on her house payments and is very concerned about losing her home. Worried Daughter Dear Worried, With more and more Americans carrying mortgage debt into their retirement years, the foreclosure rates among financially strapped people has become a big problem. Here are some things you can do to help your mom. Foreclosure Help - If your mom has fallen behind on her mortgage payments, or if she has already received a letter or phone call about missed payments, your first step is to contact the lender immediately to explain her situation and see if she can work out a payment plan. Be prepared to provide her financial information, such as her monthly income and expenses. You also need to talk to a foreclosure avoidance counselor. Need answers at tax time? These are HUD-approved, trained counThe Montana Department of Revenue can selors that provide free help you. advice and will help you and your mom under▲ Need help deciding which tax form to use? stand the law and her ▲ Need information on how to electronically file options, and organize your tax return? her finances. They can ▲ Wonder if you qualify for the Elderly Homeowner/ also represent her in Renter Credit worth up to $1,000? negotiations with her lender if you need them Call us toll-free today at (866) 859-2254 (in Helena, 444-6900). to. To find a governmentapproved housing counseling agency in your area visit findaforeclosurecounselor.org, or call the Homeownership Preservation Foundation’s HOPE Hotline at 888-995-4673.

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Another helpful resource you should know about, and one your counselor can help you explore, is the Making Home Affordable program. Created in 2009, this program offers struggling homeowners the opportunity to modify or refinance their mortgage to make their monthly payments more affordable. It also includes the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program for those who are interested in a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. To learn more about these programs and their eligibility requirements see makinghomeaffordable.gov. Consider a Reverse Mortgage - If your mom has some equity built up in her house, another option worth considering is a reverse mortgage. This lets people (age 62 and older) borrow money against their home that can be used to eliminate their mortgage payments, and it does not have to be paid back as long as they live there. Reverse mortgages have also gotten better in recent months as many lenders have reduced or waived up-front origination or servicing fees making them a much better deal for borrowers. But, be aware that reverse mortgages are complex and they are not right for everyone. To learn more, or to contact a reverse mortgage counselor visit hud. gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/hecmhome.cfm or call 800-569-4287. Watch For Scams - You and your mom also need to be aware of the many foreclosure and loan modification scams that are out there today. These are con artists that reach out to foreclosure victims via letter, phone call or email, or they may advertise their services on television, radio, or in the newspaper, claiming they can stop your mom’s foreclosure or can negotiate a loan modification for her – if she pays them a fee first. Or, they may try to get her to sign documents for a rescue loan that surrenders the title of her house. Never sign anything or hand over any money unless you run it by your HUD counselor first. You can learn more about foreclosure fraud at loanscamalert.org. Savvy Tip: Make sure your mom is not missing any financial assistance programs. The National Council on Aging’s benefitscheckup. org website contains a database of more than 2,000 federal, state, and local programs that can help people in need. The site will help you locate programs that your mom may be eligible for and will show you how to apply. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

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DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Your Annual Financial To-Do List: 12 Things You Can Do Before and For 2012 By Bill Losey The end of the year is a good time to review your personal finances. What are your financial, business, or life priorities for 2012? Try to specify the goals you want to accomplish. Think about the consistent investing, saving, or budgeting methods you could use to realize them. Also, consider these year-end moves. 1. Think about adjusting or timing your income and tax deductions. If you earn a lot of money and have the option of postponing a portion of the taxable income you will make in 2011 until 2012, this decision can bring you some tax savings. You might also consider accelerating payment of deductible expenses if you are close to the line on itemized deductions - another way to potentially save some bucks. 2. Think about putting more in your 401(k) or 403(b). In 2011, you can contribute up to $16,500 per year to these accounts with a $5,500 catch-up

contribution also allowed if you are age 50 or older. Has your 2011 contribution reached the annual limit? There is still time to put more into your employersponsored retirement plan. The IRS has announced 2012 contribution limits for 401(k) and 403(b) accounts, most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The annual contribution limit for each of these retirement plans will be $17,000 next year; the catch-up contribution again maxes out at $5,500. On a related note, SIMPLE IRA contribution limits will not change next year. Up to $11,500 can be contributed to a SIMPLE IRA in 2012, $14,000 if you are 50 or older. 3. Can you max out your IRA contribution at the start of 2012? If you can do it, do it early - the sooner you make your contribution, the more interest those assets will earn. (If you have not yet made your 2011 IRA contribution, you can still do so through April 17, 2012.) The IRS has decided that IRA contribution limits will not increase next year. In 2012 you will be able to contribute up to $5,000 to a Roth or traditional IRA if you are age 49 or younger, and up to $6,000 if you are age 50 and older (though your MAGI may affect how much you can put into a Roth IRA). The IRS has also boosted the income limits for a tax deduction for traditional IRA contributions. If you participate in a workplace retirement plan in 2012, the MAGI phase-out ranges will be $58,000-68,000 for singles and heads of households and $92,000-112,000 for couples. (In 2011, those phaseout ranges are set $2,000 lower.) If you own an IRA, you aren’t covered by a workplace retirement plan, and you are married and filing jointly, the 2012 phase-out range is $173,000-183,000 based on a couple’s combined MAGI, hiked by $4,000 from 2011. 4. Should you go Roth between now and the end of 2012? While you can no longer divide the income from a Roth IRA conversion across two years of federal tax returns, converting a traditional IRA into a Roth before 2013 may make sense for another reason: federal taxes might be higher in 2013. Congress extended the Bush-era tax cuts through the end of 2012; that sunset may not be delayed any further. Some MAGI phase-out limits affect Roth IRA contributions. These phaseout limits have been adjusted north for 2012. Next year, phase-outs will kick in at $173,000 for joint filers and $110,000 for single filers. (The 2011 phase-outs respectively kick in at $169,000 and $107,000.) Should your MAGI prevent you from contributing to a Roth IRA at all, you still have a chance to contribute to a traditional IRA in 2012 and then roll those IRA assets over into a Roth. Consult a tax or financial professional before you make any IRA moves. You will want see how it may affect your overall financial picture. The tax consequences of a Roth conversion can get sticky if you own multiple traditional IRAs. 5. If you are retired and older than 70½, do not forget an RMD. Retirees over age 70½ must take Required Minimum Distributions from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s by December 31, 2012. Remember that the IRS penalty for failing to take an RMD equals 50% of the RMD amount. If you have turned or will turn 70½ in 2011, you can postpone your first IRA RMD until April 1, 2012. The downside of that is that you will have to take two IRA RMDs next year, both taxable events – you will have to make your 2011 tax year withdrawal by April 1, 2012 and your 2012 tax year withdrawal by December 31, 2012. Plan your RMDs wisely. If you do so, you may end up limiting or avoiding possible taxes on your Social Security income. Some Social Security recipients do not know about the “provisional income” rule – if your modified AGI plus 50% of your Social Security benefits surpasses a certain level, then a portion of your Social Security benefits become taxable. For tax year 2011, Social Security benefits start to be taxed at provisional income levels of $32,000 for joint filers and $25,000 for single filers. 6. Consider the tax impact of any 2011 transactions. Did you sell any real property this year – or do you plan to before the year ends? Did you start a business? Are you thinking about exercising a stock option? Could any large commissions or bonuses come your way before the end of the year? Did

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

you sell an investment that was held outside of a tax-deferred account? Any of these moves might have a big impact on your taxes. 7. You may wish to make a charitable gift before New Year’s Day. Make a charitable contribution this year and you can claim the deduction on your 2011 return. 8. You could make December the “13th month.� Can you make a January mortgage payment in December, or make a lump sum payment on your mortgage balance? If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, a lump sum payment can reduce the home loan amount and the total interest paid on the loan by that much more. In a sense, paying down a debt is almost like getting a risk-free return. 9. Are you marrying next year, or do you know someone who is? The top of 2012 is a good time to review (and possibly change) beneficiaries to your 401(k) or 403(b) account, your IRA, your insurance policy, and other assets. You may want to change beneficiaries in your will. It is also wise to look at your insurance coverage. If your last name is changing, you will need a new Social Security card. Finally, assess your debts and the merits of your existing financial plans. 10. Have you reviewed your withholding sta-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

tus? It may be time for a withholding adjustment if... • You tend to pay a great deal of income tax annually. • You tend to get a big refund each year from the IRS. • You recently married or divorced. • A family member recently passed away. • You have a new job that pays you much more than your old one. • You opened up your own business or started freelancing. 11. Don’t delay – get it done. Talk with a qualified financial or tax professional today, so you can focus on being healthy and wealthy in the New Year. Bill Losey, CFPÂŽ, CSA, America’s Retirement StrategistÂŽ, is a highly sought-after advisor, retirement authority, thought-leader, author, and national TV personality. The former resident retirement expert on CNBC’s “On the Money,â€? Bill has over 20 years experience in the financial services industry and is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, a Certified Senior Advisor and Certified Retirement Coach. For more information, please visit, www. BillLosey.com. MSN

Support a Cause? Leave a Legacy By Teresa Ambord There is no mistaking the fact that Americans are a charitable bunch. In 2010, we gave more than $290 billion, mostly from individual gifts, according to the American Association of Fundraising Counsel. That’s nearly a third of a trillion dollars. Even in our depressed economy, last year 74 percent of us made some kind of charitable donation. Yet only about eight percent do so by “legacy giving.â€? Legacy giving is a gift made by bequest. It can also take more complex forms, such as a trust or it can be part of a life-income arrangement or endowment. • A bequest – also called a legacy - is a directive made in a will to give a certain amount of money or property to a specified beneficiary. A bequest can be structured in various ways. It can be general and unconditional so that the recipient organization gets a predetermined amount. It can also be for an amount that remains after certain events take place (residuary bequest) or it can be an amount that is conditional (contingent bequest). • A trust is an arrangement wherein the legal title to property is held by a trustee, for the benefit of another. • A life income arrangement is when money or property is left to an organization, with the stipulation that income be paid to designated beneficiaries for their lifetimes. Not-for-profits love legacy gifts because this is the least costly way to raise money and it helps them achieve stability and sustainability. From your perspective, it is not only a vehicle for supporting a cause close to your heart, but it is also a way to reduce your taxable estate. Whatever you leave by bequest will not be subject to estate

Thanks to generous contributions, the C.M. Russell Museum has been able to expand exhibitions, acquire new art, and enhance educational programs and events. Financial gifts may qualify for valuable tax credits and savings. Contributions that leave a lasting impression for future generations include: t &TUBUF (JGUT t $IBSJUBCMF 5SVTU "SSBOHFNFOUT t $IBSJUBCMF "OOVJUJFT t -JGF *OTVSBODF BOE 3FUJSFNFOU 1MBOT For more information, contact Jen Whitman, Membership/Development "TTPDJBUF BU FYU PS FNBJM KXIJUNBO!DNSVTTFMM PSH

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or inheritance tax. Those amounts are deducted from your taxable estate, and there is no limit to the amount that can be set aside by bequest. Keep in mind, through 2012, the top estate tax rate is 35 percent for estates exceeding $5 million ($10 million for married couples). So if you are inclined to support a charity for the long-term, a legacy gift is a tax-advantaged way to do this. But I am Not Wealthy Enough to Have an “Estate!” Everyone has an estate of some sort, because an estate is simply a list of what you own. Anyone can designate a charity to be the beneficiary of a checking account or pension account, for the total balance or a specific amount. Just imagine if everyone who is inclined to make charitable gifts during his or her lifetime were to make a legacy gift of even $100 upon the time of death. So how do you go about setting up such a designated gift? If you have a will, contact your attorney or financial advisor to discuss the possibilities. But of course, not everyone has the resources to pay these professionals. If that is your situation, call the charity that you wish to support, and ask to speak to the Planned Giving Director. This person should be able to guide you through the process of ensuring that the funds go where you designate them.

Before sitting down with a professional, make a list of what you own. Do not forget to include your retirement accounts, stocks and bonds, real estate, and other valuable property like expensive jewelry and artwork. Next, decide to which charities you wish to leave money or other assets. Note: Be sure to get the name of the charity exactly right. You may intend your gift to go to the local branch of the Salvation Army, but if you do not specify the location, the gift will likely go to the national headquarters. Also, be aware that there is no shortage of scam artists out there. Some unscrupulous organizations deliberately choose names that are deceptively close to agencies with highly recognizable names – like the American Heart Association or the Red Cross – knowing that some individual donors will mistake them for the real deal, and the poser organization will siphon off donations that were not intended for them. Leaving a legacy gift – in whatever form you choose - is an easy way to help an organization you care about go forward, doing the good work that is meaningful to you. While it might not occur to most people to indulge in legacy gifts, America is a generous nation of individuals who support the causes close to our hearts. This is an easy way to do just that. Before you say no… give the idea some thought. MSN

Winter bestows lifetime memories to Yellowstone visitors By Dianna Troyer Winter is the most wonderful time of year in Yellowstone National Park for Jim Evanoff, the environmental protection specialist for the Park, who at Mammoth Hot Springs. “I’ve worked in Yellowstone for 23 years and look forward to winter.” Every winter, the park seems to bestow a gift upon him in the form of a once-in-a-lifetime experi-

ence, an unforgettable memory. “One year, I was cross country skiing at Old Faithful to celebrate New Year’s Eve, when it went off at 12:01 a.m. Only my wife, selected friends, and myself witnessed the eruption. It was wonderful, incredible timing. I felt like the park was pleased with me, giving me a bonus for the different projects I’ve worked on.” Wintertime visitors can find plenty to do to make their own lifetime memories, Jim says. “There are many activities during winter; they’re just different from what you’d do in summer. You can snowmobile; take a snowcoach tour, crosscountry ski, snowshoe, watch wildlife, or sign up for educational classes.” During the winter season from late December to early March, the 2.2 million-acre park is not crowded. About 94,000 recreational visits are logged during winter, compared to 3.6 million people coming in summer. The attitudes of wintertime visitors, who dress for subzero temperatures, are quite different from those of summertime tourists. “During the winter, no one is in a hurry like they sometimes are in summer, so there’s no atmosphere of hustle and bustle,” he says. “The solitude here during winter and the remoteness attracts a certain kind of person. People who stay overnight in lodging at Old Faithful or Mammoth Hot Springs relax and don’t seem to miss not having a TV or radio. They play board games or cards, read a book, or visit with each other. People who stay a day or two say they wished to have stayed a week.” For many, the park’s appearance in winter is enchanting. On a sunny day, snowflakes form countless prisms, reflecting a rainbow of colors. The hoarfrost builds up on trees around the geothermal features, turning them to crystal sculptures. Bison are dusted with frost. During the past few years, more cross-country skiers have been coming into the park. “We’ve seen an increase in recent years, due to efforts to make snowmobiles clean and quiet, which allow for the co-existence of multiple user groups.” Of all the places in the park, Jim’s favorite is the Lamar Valley in the park’s northeastern corner where wolves were reintroduced in 1995. “I was fortunate to help carry in the first wolves that were released in the park. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for wolves, and winter is when they are the most efficient at what they do.” As temperatures warm, Jim relishes his wintertime memories and cherishes the inevitable shift into spring. “The subtle transitions as seasons change in spring and fall are wonderful to watch,” he says. “Here in the park, you see something to make you feel revived every day.” For information about planning a winter trip, visit http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/winteract.htm. MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

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Vincent and Gladys Galli Find Happiness in Fins, Feathers, and Fur Article & Photo by Bernice Karnop When he was 8 or 9 years old, Vincent Galli, devised his own fishing pole and caught minnows with a willow stick, thread and a bent pin borrowed from his mother’s sewing drawer. He has been hooked on fishing ever since. When he scared up a little money, he bought traps and started a muskrat trap line. He bought a single copy of the Fur, Fish and Game magazine and tracked down the address of a company in St. Louis who paid for furs. From the age of 10 through high school, his muskrat trap line provided his spending money. He invested in more traps and real fishing equipment. By the time he reached age 11, he had enough money to buy a rifle. Massachusetts did not allow one so young to make that purchase so he talked his brother, who was four years older, into doing it for him. His parents were not consulted. When his dad said, “When are you going to take that rifle down from the rafters?” Vin stood there like a deer in headlights. “You can’t shoot pheasants with a .22,” his dad continued, and handed him his 16-gauge shotgun. Vin, who is now an octogenarian living in Great Falls, looks back on an interesting Air Force career and the opportunities it opened to pursue his passion for the outdoors around the world. “I like anything that crawls, swims, or flies,” he admits. “The older you get, there’s hardly a subject you haven’t had some experience on,” he adds. When you share

i h l might i ht thi k your experiences, however, people think you’re feeding them a line. Vin was born in Lawrence, Mass in December 1928. The family later moved to North Andover, Mass, just 25 miles north of Boston, a truth his accent verifies every day. North Andover was the home of the prestigious prep school, Andover Phillips Academy where the likes of George H.W. Bush and Humphrey Bogart went to school. The value of the academy to Vin, however, was that they kept an aviary full of pheasants. The birds regularly escaped on to the public land next to the school and were fair game for the lad. Once when hunting pheasants he scared up a big fox. It was still early in the morning when he came home and proudly swung in to his parent’s bedroom, dead fox in

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DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

hand. His dad, enthusiastically said, “Bring it over here.” His mother from the other side of the bed, said with equal enthusiasm, “Get it out of here!” Hunting and fishing came naturally to Vin. There was no one to teach him so he learned from experience. He traces his Italian linage from Roman Legionnaires so perhaps it is simply in his DNA. Much of his adventuring was solo because his friend’s parents refused to let them take long treks across railroad tracks and streams with him. Although he had no childhood mentors, he never missed any chance to learn. In his 20s, he hunted with an older man, Alexander Mitchell, who he calls “sort of a renegade” and the best shot he had ever met. Their first hunt together, Alexander shot six pheasants. “How is it you didn’t shoot?” he asked. Vin explained that he did not have a chance to get his gun up. “You have to swing up fast,” he said. “He didn’t have to tell me that again,” Vince says. Vin graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a degree in wildlife management and forestry. He surreptitiously popped his gun into the dorm room and fished and hunted whenever he had a chance. Yes, that was against the rules back then. After graduation, Vin and Gladys married and he joined the Air Force. His first assignment was at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Five years at this research and development base was a wonderful start to his career. He met a lot of top engineers and people in the communication field. The Galli’s also saw the birth of three of their four children here. Their next Air Force assignment was in Germany where the hunting was really good. He bought his first 30-06 rifle, which you could not have in Massachusetts. He learned German and the dialects of the Forest Ranger-type men who were great friends and hunting partners. Trophies from this stage of their lives include mounted horns of roe deer and the head of a chamois. Next, they spent a year in Mississippi, where he fished in the Gulf, and then three years in Colorado Springs where Vin shot his first elk. He and Gladi both took up curling when they were sent to North Bay, Ontario, Canada, but Vin’s favorite ice sport was still fishing. Trout Lake, which the locals called “No Trout Lake” because they could not catch fish there, became a favorite challenge. He learned from the men who went under the surface to check the Air Defense Command’s cables, that there were big fish down there. Vin carefully scouted out where he thought the big lake trout would be and started catching them. His largest weighed 30 pounds, but many more were nearly as big. The North Bay Nugget featured photos of Vin and his record-breaking lake trout. His secret, he states, is simple - fish at the right place, at the right time, at the right depth with the right bait. Each trip he counted exactly 164 steps from the shore to his “honey hole” where he would set his line. He was waiting for them when the lunkers cruised into the bay at sunrise looking for breakfast. He ordered bait that was big enough to attract the fish, and he held the bait just far enough down to allow the big trout to rise to get them. Finally, he says, “you don’t just sit there and chat.” From the icy lakes of Ontario, he went unaccompanied to the jungles of Vietnam. By the time he arrived, the American people were fed up with the war. Vin knew our involvement needed to wind down. He led the mission to turn the entire ground

communications over to the South Vietnamese and was able to accomplish that mission in ten months. Following Viet Nam, he was assigned to the Pentagon. While the job was interesting, the area cramped the style of this outdoorsman. When he came up for reassignment, his first choice was Malmstrom. He has often asked why he chose Montana. Back when he was in Colorado Springs, his team flew to Thule Air Force Base in Greenland every six months to inspect the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, a radar system that could provide long-range warning of a ballistic missiles coming out of Russia. On the way back to Colorado Springs, the plane would stop at Malmstrom to refuel. Vin was glued to the window as the C-54 cargo plane circled over the Big Belts, the Little Belts, and the Highwood Mountains. He knew he would like to live in this awesome hunting country. He spent six years at Malmstrom, two as Chief of Maintenance and four years as Director of Logistics at the 24th Air Division. He was responsible for sites in Montana, North Dakota, and Canada. He retired from the Air Force in 1981, having served 28 years, and settled in Great Falls. Three of the Galli’s children attended CMR high school, and all four have settled in the state, although they could make more money elsewhere. Places change and Montana is no exception. Twenty years ago, Vin drove less than 20 miles to hunt and got his limit nearly every time. Now, there is a home where he once had a duck blind. A golf course took over another favorite hunting spot. He figures he has lost 80 percent of his hunting spots, not so much to homes but

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

to outfitters. This fall, he and Gladi drove 400 miles to hunt ducks at a friends place in Eastern Montana. He does not just hunt animals. A cat and dog have the run of the house, and both Galli’s are active in the Bluebird Society. They build boxes and monitor bluebird trails that total more than 150 boxes. Vin speaks about this beautiful creature to schoolchildren in Great Falls and around the state. One of Gladi’s favorite memories is from the children he talked to in Fort Benton. After the presentation, they asked the teacher, “What country is Mr. Galli from?” “I grew up in western Massachusetts, only about 100 miles from Boston,” she teases. “We don’t have any accent.” MSN

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Who doesn’t enjoy a good movie? For this month’s quiz, dig into your celluloid memory and see if you can’t recall Faces in Famous Flicks - the actors who played these engaging characters that kept you glued to your theater seat. Congratulations to Shirley Bertin of Hysham, who submitted the winning answers to the Shoot for the Literary “Canon” quiz that appeared in our October/November 2011 issue. Shirley says that she has read all but three of the books in the quiz - most more than once. Thank you, Shirley. 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 featured 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 January 10, 2012 for our February/March 2012 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.montanaseniornews.com.

Faces in Famous Flicks By MSN Staff Below are 25 famous movie roles along with 25 actors. On a numbered sheet of paper, match each role with the actor who played it, and send it to us. The winner will receive a $25 cash prize. Good luck!

1. Atticus Finch; To Kill a Mockingbird 2. The Monster; Frankenstein 3. Juror # 8; 12 Angry Men 4. Betty Haynes; White Christmas 5. Don Lockwood; Singin’ in the Rain 6. Ann Darrow; King Kong 7. Ned Land; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 8. Luther Billis; South Pacific 9. Prince Feisal; Lawrence of Arabia 10. Scarlett O’Hara; Gone with the Wind 11. Count Dracula; Dracula 12. Ilsa Lund; Casablanca 13. Butch Cassidy; Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid 14. Johnny Gray; The General 15. Dorothy Gale; The Wizard of Oz 16. John Prentice; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 17. Samuel Spade; The Maltese Falcon 18. Major Frank Burns; M.A.S.H. 19. Eliza Doolittle; Continuing Retirement Assisted Living Community and Memory Care My Fair Lady 3710 American Way, Missoula, MT 59808 1001 River Lakes Parkway, Whitefish, MT 59937 20. Danny Ocean; Ocean’s 11 406 273 0101 406 862 6322 21. Lisa Carol FreTheSpringsLiving.com mont; Rear Window

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WILLIAM CHAMBERLIN, MD - GASTROENTEROLOGY St. Vincent Physician Network welcomes William Chamberlin, MD to the medical staff. Dr. Chamberlin received his medical degree from Tufts Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Masters of Science degree from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire. He completed his internship at Montreal General Hospital in Montreal, Canada, and residency in Internal Medicine at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. Dr. Chamberlin has practiced medicine for 36 years and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

22. Jim Stark; Rebel Without a Cause 23. Vince Everett; Jailhouse Rock 24. Blondie; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 25. Rose Sayer; The African Queen A - Paul Newman B - Frank Sinatra C - Fay Wray D - Kirk Douglas E - Katharine Hepburn F - Gregory Peck G - Sidney Poitier H - Rosemary Clooney I - Vivian Leigh J - Elvis Presley K - Robert Duvall L - Ingrid Bergman M - Grace Kelly N - Boris Karloff O - Alec Guinness P - Clint Eastwood Q - Judy Garland R - James Dean S - Ray Walston T - Henry Fonda U - Audrey Hepburn V - Buster Keaton W - Gene Kelly X - Bela Lugosi Y - Humphrey Bogart

MSN

Answers to Shoot for the Literary “Canon” Created by MSN Staff 1. H - Anthony Burgess 2. S - Sylvia Plath 3. M - William Shakespeare 4. R - Charles Dickens 5. C - Walt Whitman 6. W - Oscar Wilde 7. G - Rachel Carson 8. T - Albert Camus 9. Q - Homer 10. X - Alexandre Dumas 11. L - Arthur Miller 12. B - Jane Austen 13. Y - Wilkie Collins 14. V - Sandra Cisneros 15. F - Louisa May Alcott 16. I - Ray Bradbury 17. U - William Golding 18. A - Victor Hugo 19. N - Mary Shelley 20. J - Joseph Heller 21. O - Herman Melville 22. D - Charlotte Bronte 23. P - Harper Lee 24. K - Aldous Huxley 25. E - George Orwell MSN

We did not change as we grew older; we just become more clearly ourselves. -- Lynn Hall

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

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No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. -- Eleanor Roosevelt

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Winterproof Your Vehicle With Household Items By Clare Hafferman Headlights - Just wipe ordinary car wax on your headlights to keep them clear. It contains special water repellents that will prevent that icy slush from accumulating and should last for about six weeks. Windshield Wipers - Take the squeak out of your wipers by wiping them with a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can make badly streaking or squeaking wipers change to near silence and clarity, which is a safety factor for drivers. Icy Windows - To ice-proof your windows, fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water and spritz it on all your windows at night. In the morning, they will be clear of any ice that you would normally scrape.

The acetic acid of the vinegar lowers the melting point of water and prevents it from freezing. Car Doors - To prevent car doors from freezing shut, spritz cooking spray on the rubber seals around the car doors and rub it in with a paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the rubber. Foggy Windows - Spray some ordinary shaving cream on the inside of your windshield and wipe it off with paper towels to fog-proof your windshield. The cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial defoggers. Car Lock - You can de-ice your lock by putting some hand sanitizer gel on your key and inserting the key in the lock. Voila, the problem is solved! MSN

Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. -- William Blake Visit www.montanaseniornews.com for quality Products & Services from these Online Advertisers.

Caregiving

Autumn Springs Assisted Living Cambridge Court Highgate Senior Living The Springs Living Coins CoinsPlus Education Billings Catholic Education Foundation End of Life Hospice of Missoula Entertainment Coeur d’Alene Casino Museum of the Rockies Finance Debt Counsel For Seniors Genealogy Enfield Publishing Health American Heart Association Ozog Eye Clinic Hearing Cascade Audiology Montana Telecommunications Access Home Habitat for Humanity Intermountain Heating & A/C Northwestern Energy Legal Crowley Fleck, PLLP Morrison & Balukas Law Firm Lodging Banff Voyager Inn Best Western Ramkota - Casper Days Inn - Helena Days Inn - Thermopolis Deadwood Gulch Resort Jackson Hole Lodge Pheasant Hill Inn & Suites - Spokane Travelodge - Calgary Mortuary Smith Funeral Chapels Real Estate Havre Hi-Line Realty - Kim Kripps McPartlin Realty Prudential Montana Real Estate Real Estate by Hamwey Remax of Billings Select Realty - Helena Recreation Tour Yellowstone Restaurants Benny’s Bistro Bistro Enzo Peking Gardens West Perkins Retirement Living Cambridge Place Sweetwater Retirement Reverse Mortgages Guild Mortgage Social Services Billings Food Bank Family Service Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Transportation Butte-Silverbow Transit Travel A & B Tours Escape Tours Flathead Travel Service Laird Leisure Travel

www.autumnspringsassistedliving.com www.cambridgecourtassistedliving.com www.highgateseniorliving.com www.thespringsliving.com www.coinsplus.com www.billingscatholicschools.org www.hospiceofmissoula.com www.cdacasino.com www.museumoftherockies.org www.debtcounsel.net www.enfieldpublishingofmt.com www.americanheart.org www.ozogeye.com www.cascadeaudiologymt.com www.montanarelay.mt.gov www.billingshabitat.org www.intermountainheating.com www.northwesternenergy.com www.crowleyfleck.com www.mbtaxlaw.com www.banffvoyagerinn.com www.bwramkota.com www.daysinn.com www.thermopolisdaysinn.com www.deadwoodgulch.com www.jacksonholelodge.com www.pheasanthillinn.net www.travelodge.ca www.smithfuneralchapels.com www.havrehilinerealty.net Phone 406-453-4388 www.thebryanteam.com www.trinawhite.com www.isellbillings.com www.selectrealty.com www.allyellowstone.com www.bennysbistro.com www.bistroenzobillings.com www.pekinggardenswest.com www.perkinsrestaurants.com www.emeritus.com www.sweetwaterretirement.com www.guildmortgage.net/terrymccarthy www.billingsfoodbank.com www.famserv.com www.hmhb-mt.org www.co.silverbow.mt.us www.abtoursonline.com Phone 406-240-8687 www.FlatheadTravel.com www.lairdleisuretravel.com

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 51

Healthy Living Tips: Make Your Life The Best It Can Be By Lisa M. Petsche falls. For example, clear clutter, improve light- social network shrinking (due to relocation or It is natural to be concerned about health is- ing, remove or secure scatter mats, and install retirement, for example), make new connections. sues cropping up as we age. However, with a handrails along stairs. Take a class, volunteer, or join a club. little forethought, we should be able to live active • If you live alone and do not like it, consider Mental self-care and fulfilling lives into our mature years. taking in a boarder, sharing accommodations • Keep a positive attitude about life and aging, This is because numerous risk factors are and associate with people who have a similar with a relative or friend, or moving to a more within our control and can significantly influence outlook. vibrant community. our quality of life. Here are some lifestyle tips Spiritual well-being • Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. that can help preserve your vitality. • Do as much for yourself as possible, to Physical care maintain your independence and self-esteem. • Follow a well-balanced diet that meets • Cultivate a healthy sense of humor. your body’s nutrition and energy needs. If you • Do something you enjoy every day. are overweight or have a health condition that • Exercise your mind: Do word puzzles, play necessitates a special diet, consult a dietician card or board games, read, research subjects of for guidance about meal planning. interest, travel, learn a new skill, take up a new • Get at least seven hours of sleep each hobby, or sign up for an adult education course. night. Practice good sleep habits, including • Set aside daily time for relaxation. refraining from eating and drinking close to • Do not keep problems to yourself - seek bedtime, staying away from caffeinated products support from family after noon, avoiding strenuous activity late in the members, friends, or day, and keeping to a regular schedule of going a counselor. to bed and waking. Social well-being • Get regular medical checkups. Follow doc• Stay connected tor’s orders (for example, monitoring your blood to those who care pressure) and take medications as prescribed. through regular visits, • Avoid or quit smoking (ask your doctor phone calls, Internet about the best way to go about the latter), and chats, or corresponavoid exposure to second-hand smoke. dence. • Avoid alcohol; consume no more than one • If you find your drink per day. • Limit your sun exposure and always use sunscreen when outdoors. A wide-brimmed hat is also a must, as are sunglasses that 5HVSHFW ‡ 5HVWRUH ‡ 5HEXLOG block out 100% of ultraviolet rays. How far would YOU • Increase your level go for quality care? of physical activity. Aim How far would you go when your family for 30-60 minutes of needs . . . moderate activity most, t 2VBMJUZ OVSTJOH DBSF if not all, days of the t 0O TJUF QIZTJDBM PDDVQBUJPOBM week. Popular exercise When you need a place to catch your breath after surgery speech therapy options include walking, or an accident, ask for the rehab that’s the next best thing t 3FTQFDU EJHOJUZ GPS ZPVS GBNJMZ bicycling, swimming, to going straight home: Immanuel Lutheran Communities’ member through all their seasons of life and low-impact aeroRehab to Home. We’ll put you up in a newly renovated 5SBOTQPSUBUJPO QSPWJEFE GPS BMM NFEJDBM bics. Consult with your private room, and then help you get back on your feet with EFOUBM WJTJPO IFBSJOH BQQPJOUNFOUT doctor before beginning any exercise pro&MLIPSO 3FIBC JT )FMFOB T POMZ GFEFSBMMZ the care and kindness Flathead Valley people have turned gram. Choose an activBXBSEFE ÜWF TUBS NFEJDBSF BOE to for generations. So if your doctor tells you you’ll need ity that appeals to you medicaid facility rehab before you can go home, tell your doctor you want and incorporate it into t $PNQBSF VT BU XXX NFEJDBSF HPW Rehab to Home at Immanuel Lutheran Communities. your daily routine; start Located 7 minutes from St. Peter’s slowly and gradually Hospital to the Clancy exit via the increase the duration southhills roundabout and intensity. Find an exercise partner to help 406.933.8311 keep you motivated. 185 Crestline, Kalispell, MT | (406) 752-9622 474 Hwy 282 • Make your home www.ilcorp.org as safe as possible Clancy, Montana to reduce the risk of

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• If applicable, nurture your faith by attending religious services, praying, engaging in spiritual reading, or attending a spiritual retreat. • Do things that provide you with meaning and purpose, such as writing a family history, getting a pet, or helping someone you know. Get involved in your community by volunteering your time and talent. • Do things that center you and bring inner peace, such as meditating, writing in a journal, or spending time in nature.

Financial welfare • Minimize financial stress by setting long-term financial goals, developing and sticking to a budget that will help you achieve them, setting aside money for unexpected expenses, and investing wisely. • Seek advice from a certified financial planner. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. MSN

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By Linda Hightower, RN, ONC A woman falls on her way to the mailbox and lays there until someone walks by to rescue her because she has broken her hip and cannot get up. She goes to the hospital for surgical repair of the hip and dies of complications several days later. This scenario is not as uncommon as we might hope. There are more than 350,000 hip fractures every year due to osteoporosis. Nearly a quarter of these people will die as a result of their fracture. There are more than a million other fractures also due to osteoporosis. Did you know that half of women over the age of fifty will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime? This does not have to happen! Osteoporosis is preventable and treatable. Osteoporosis is a disease that slowly steals

strength from bone, making it break more easily. It occurs more frequently in women than men and more frequently among older people than younger people. Some things we can do to prevent osteoporosis include: • Consuming enough calcium and vitamin D. Calcium is a big part of the material needed to build stronger bones. Most of our bone strength is accumulated during teen years so teens need about 1300 mg of calcium a day. Adults need about 1000 mg a day to maintain bone strength. The most common sources of calcium are dairy products. An eight-ounce glass of milk, whether non-fat or whole milk, contains about 300 mg of calcium. That same glass of milk is also fortified with 200 International Units of vitamin D, which helps the body absorb the calcium. Some other food sources of calcium include cheese, yogurt, and sardines. If your consumption of these foods is very low, you may need to think about adding supplements to your diet. • Exercise is very important as well. Exercise does for bones the same thing it does for muscles - makes them stronger. When we stress our bones with exercise, they respond by building more mass to make themselves stronger. Weight-bearing exercises like walking, running, hiking, dancing, and skiing are best. • Talk to your doctor about osteoporosis. Find out if you are at risk. Some important risk factors include family history of osteoporosis, smoking, and using certain kinds of medications. • Have a DEXA test done. This test is easily done and is relatively inexpensive. It will tell you exactly how much bone mass you have. It will also help your doctor develop a treatment plan for you if one is needed. • Talk to a physical therapist about preventing falls. They can evaluate your balance and give you an exercise program to help improve balance, strength, and endurance. This can help prevent falls that can result in broken bones and other injuries. There is no cure for osteoporosis, but there are medications that will help improve strength so that when a fall does occur, it is less likely to result in a broken bone. Protect your bones; they need to last your lifetime. Linda Hightower, RN, ONC, is the Disease Specific Care Coordinator at Community Medical Center, Missoula. MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 53

Immanuel Lutheran Communities Honored With National Customer Satisfaction Award Immanuel Lutheran Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Kalispell has received the My InnerView “Excellence in Action” Award, recognizing Immanuel’s commitment to quality and superior customer satisfaction. The award was presented to 593 skilled nursing centers out of 5,500 participating facilities that score in the top 10 percent of overall customer satisfaction. Immanuel Lutheran is the only Montana community to earn the award. Residents and family members completed satisfaction surveys during 2010, and 96 percent of Immanuel respondents rated the nursing home as an excellent/good community that they would recommend to others. “We congratulate the Excellence in Action award recipients,” said Amanda Twiss, CEO of My InnerView-OCS. “These skilled nursing facilities deserve recognition for their success. Residents and families thought enough of their care to score

their satisfaction as excellent. This award salutes their dedication to customer satisfaction and highlights the differences they make in the lives of people every day.” “I would like to congratulate the staff at Immanuel as this award demonstrates our mission of enriching lives by providing Christian communities of support and loving care,” states Jeff Evans, Chief Executive Officer of Immanuel Lutheran Communities. “They have demonstrated worldclass performance excellence and an exceptional standard of care to our residents.” Immanuel Lutheran Communities is a not-forprofit organization offering residential living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation services, and skilled nursing care in Kalispell. For more information call 406-752-9622 or visit www.ilcorp. org. MSN

Mediation Can Help Adult Families Resolve Conflicts By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about mediation for resolving family conflicts? My mother has Alzheimer’s disease, and to make matters worse, my three siblings and I have been perpetually arguing about how to handle her care and finances. Would this type of service be helpful to us? Tired of Fighting Dear Tired, If your siblings are willing, elder care mediation may be just what your family needs to help you work through your disagreements. Here is what you should know. Mediation - While mediators have been used for years to help divorcing couples sort out legal and financial disagreements and avoid court

battles, elder care mediation is a relatively new and specialized field designed to help families resolve disputes that are related to aging parents or other elderly relatives. Family disagreements over an ill or elderly parent’s care giving needs, living arrangements, financial decisions, and medical care are some of the many issues that can be handled through the help of an elder care mediator. But do not confuse this with family or group therapy. Mediation is only about decision-making, not feelings and emotions. The job of an elder mediator is to step in as a neutral third party to help ease family tensions, listen to everyone’s concerns, work through disagreements and misunderstandings, and help your family make decisions that are acceptable to everyone.

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PAGE 54 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Good mediators can also assist your family in identifying experts such as estate-planners, geriatric care managers, and health care or financial professionals who can supply important information for family decision-making. Your family also needs to know that the mediation process is completely confidential and voluntary, and can take anywhere from a few hours to several meetings depending on the complexity of your issues. If some family members live far away, a speakerphone or Webcam can be used to bring everyone together. If you are interested in hiring a private elder care mediator, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to more than $400 per hour depending on where you live and whom you choose. Or, you may be able to get help through a nonprofit community mediation service that charges little to nothing. Since there is no formal licensing or national credentialing required for elder mediators, make sure the person you choose has extensive experience with elder issues. Also, be sure you ask for and check references. Most elder

mediators are attorneys, social workers, counselors, or other professionals who are trained in mediation and conflict resolution. To locate an elder mediator, start by calling your area aging agency (call 800-677-1116 or see www.eldercare.gov to get your local number), which may be able to refer you to local resources. Or, try websites like eldercaremediators.com and mediate.com. Both of these sites have directories that will let you search for mediators in your area. You could also use the National Association for Community Mediation website (www.nafcm.org) to search for free or low-cost community-based mediation programs in your area. Savvy Tip - The Center for Social Gerontology (see www.tcsg.org) provides some good information on its website, including an online brochure titled Caring for an Older Person and Facing Difficult Decisions? Consider Mediation. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book. MSN

Church Ladies With Typewriters Are At It Again! Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley They’re back! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters and their wonderful church bulletins. These communications (with all their bloopers) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services. 1. The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals. 2. The sermon this morning is “Jesus Walks on the Water.” The sermon tonight is “Searching for Jesus.” 3. Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. 4. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say, “Hell” to someone who doesn’t care much about you. 5. Don’t let worry kill you off - let the Church help. 6. Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again,” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation. 7. For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs. 8. Next Thursday, there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get. 9. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days. MSN

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 55

Flu and Pneumonia Shots While supplies last…

Recommended Vaccinations This Flu Season The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is actually recommending several vaccinations - one for seasonal flu, one for pneumonia, and depending on your age and living circumstances, a Tdap booster shot for whooping cough. Here is what you should know. Seasonal Flu - The CDC strongly urges a seasonal flu shot, especially for people age 65 and older, because they have the highest risks of developing dangerous complications from the flu. The flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills around 24,000 - 90 percent of whom are older. You also need to know that this year’s seasonal flu vaccine will again protect you against the H1N1 swine flu, all in one shot. People also will have the option this year of getting the high-potency flu vaccine instead of a regular flu shot. This new FDA -approved vaccine (known as the Fluzone High-Dose) will help boost your immune response, which will give you extra protection from influenza. To locate vaccination sites near you, call your county health department or the CDC information line at 800-232-4636 or visit flu.gov. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover your flu vaccination, but if you are not covered, you can purchase one at many retail pharmacy chains for around $25 to $30. (Note: if you are allergic to chicken eggs, have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome, or have had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past, you should not be vaccinated without consulting your doctor first. Or, if you are ill with a fever, you should wait until your symptoms pass.) Pneumonia - The second vaccination the CDC recommends is for pneumococcal pneumonia (the vaccine is called Pneumovax). Pneumonia causes around 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, many of which could be prevented by this vaccine. If you are over age 65 and have not already gotten this shot you should get it now. Also covered under

Medicare Part B, a shot of Pneumovax will provide you protection that will last for up to 10 years, and you can get it on the same day that you get your flu shot. Whooping Cough - Whooping cough, formally known as pertussis, has been on the rise with wide outbreaks in California and various other U.S. locations. That is why the CDC is also recommending all adults, ages 19 through 64 get a one-time dose of the Tdap vaccine (it contains three vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) in place of the Td (tetanus, diphtheria) booster shot. Even if you have had a Td booster within the recommended 10-year mark, you should still get a Tdap shot now for protection against whooping cough. The Tdap vaccine, however, is not recommended for people 65 and older unless you are around infant children, or are living in a community where a whooping cough outbreak occurs. The best move is to talk to your doctor about what is best for your specific situation. Medicare Part B does not cover the Tdap vaccine, but some private health plans and many Medicare Part D prescription drug plans do. Be sure you check yours. If it is not covered, a Tdap booster shot will cost you around $50 to $75. Savvy Tips - In addition to being vaccinated, the CDC reminds everyone that the three best ways to stay healthy during flu season are to wash your hands frequently with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are sick. For more information on the recommended vaccines for older adults, see www.cdc.gov/vaccines. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

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PAGE 56 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Healthy Heroes Inspire Fitness All Year Long The year 2012 will be a memorable one in Helena. A new calendar – Life in Motion - celebrating 12 of Helena’s amazing senior athletes is now available for purchase. The combination of gorgeous images, healthy heroes, and valuable information celebrates Montana at its best. “We are so proud of the calendar and think it will be a great resource for our community,” says Marci Williams, Calendar Chair. “In addition to beautiful photos of our athletes, many of our local community events are listed in the calendar.” Local business owners sponsored the athletes, and their support paid for the printing of the calendar. Seven professional photographers donated their time and creative talents. Accompanying the vibrant photographs are inspiring stories about the athletes and how they create an example of optimal healthy living. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the sale of the calendars is going to support the Helena YWCA and the Children’s Hunger Fund. Community members are invited to support a healthier Helena. To quote Christopher McDougall’s national best seller, Born to Run, “You don’t quit running

because you get old, you get old because you quit running.” According to Dr. Derek Williams, M.D., movement is fundamental to being human, and without movement, you will die. Muscles atrophy, bones soften, and joints freeze up after a very short period of inactivity. The bottom line is move or die. Eat less, eat better, and move more. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you. “Our goal in producing the calendar,” says Marci Williams “is to inspire movement, celebrate seniors, raise money for wonderful and deserving charities, and tell Helenans about community events.” The calendar has already gained international attention. In August, Marci Williams received The Children’s Champion Award from the Children’s Hunger Fund at the USANA International Convention in Salt Lake City. The calendars are available in Helena at Big Sky Board Sports, Broadwater Athletic Club, Frederick’s ATA Martial Arts, Great Harvest Bread Co., Real Food Market and Deli, UrgentCare Plus, and Waterford. For additional information, contact Marci Williams, Calendar Chair, at 406-431-9295, or visit Life in Motion Calendar on Facebook. MSN

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My definition of wellness? Health care that can keep up with us. For generations Community Medical Center has been Missoula’s choice for health care. You can depend on Community Physician Group to provide convenient care for all your wellness needs. We offer comprehensive health care at 14 locations; accepting Medicaid and Medicare, as well as most major insurance providers.

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DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 57

Free Health Screenings By Jim Miller Depending on where you live, there may be a wide range of free or low-cost health screenings available to you. Here is what you should know. Screening Search - Countless organizations, government agencies, and even businesses across the country today provide free or low-cost health screenings. While there’s no one single resource for locating them, your first step should be to call your city, county, or state health department and ask if they are planning or know of any upcoming health fairs or free screening programs. You should also check with your local hospitals, pharmacies, and senior centers as these are where most free screenings are held. National and local health associations may also help you identify disease specific screenings. For example, to search for free/low-cost cancer screenings contact the American Cancer Society (800-227-2345). Or to look for diabetes screenings call your local American Diabetes Association office (call 800-342-2383 to get a local number). In the meantime, here are some national screening programs and services you should know about. Vascular disease: Each September, a program called Legs for Life offers free screenings for peripheral arterial disease, a “hardening of the arteries” condition that indicates an increased risk for heart attack or stroke. Some sites can also test for related diseases like abdominal aortic aneurysm and carotid artery disease. To find a screening site, visit www.legsforlife.org or call 800-488-7284. Another resource that maintains a directory of healthcare facilities offering free/ low-cost vascular screenings is www.vascularweb.org. Also see www.cdc.gov/wisewoman, and www.sistertosister.org to find women-specific cardiovascular screenings in multiple cities. Skin cancer: The American Academy of Der-

matology (888-462-3376; www.aad.org/public/ exams/screenings) offers free screenings done by hundreds of volunteer dermatologists across the U.S.. Free screenings are also offered by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (www.skincancertakesfriends.org; 847-9560900), and the Skin Cancer Foundation (www. skincancer.org; 800-754-6490). Breast and cervical cancer: The CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp; 800-232-4636) provides low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women access to free or lowcost mammograms and Pap tests. Free/low-cost breast cancer screenings are also available at hundreds of hospitals and clinics on National Mammography Day in October. To locate a screening site, visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website at www.nbcam.org and click on “Find a Mammography Center Near You.” Once you locate one, you will need to call to find out if they are offering free screenings, and if so, schedule an appointment. Prostate cancer: During national Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, the third week of September, (www.pcaw.com; 866-477-6788) the Prostate Cancer Educational Council coordinates with hundreds of local sites across the U.S. offering free or low-cost screenings to all men over age 45, or to high risk men (African Americans or those with a family history of the disease) over 40. The National Prostate Cancer Coalition and the Drive Against Prostate Cancer (www.fightprostatecancer.org; 888-245-9455) also offers free screenings on mobile screening units that tour around the country. Kidney disease: The National Kidney Foundation (www.keeponline.org; 800-622-9010) offers free screenings in 48 communities across the country for those at elevated risk – adults with high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history

of kidney disease. They also offer free screenings in at least 20 additional cities on World Kidney Day in March. Memory: If you have concerns about memory loss or have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (866-232-8484; www.nationalmemoryscreening.org) offers free memory screenings across the U.S. on National Memory Screening Day in November. Asthma: In May, the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (www.acaai.org) sponsors free asthma screenings in more than 250 locations nationwide. Depression: National Depression Screening Day (www.mentalhealthscreening.org) in October offers hundreds of free screenings nationwide for depression, anxiety, and other stress disorders. Savvy Tip: For a more in-depth list of free/ low-cost screening programs, including a breakdown of Medicare’s screening services go to www.FreeHealthScreenings.org. Send your 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

New West. Making Medicare Simple For Montanans. New West Medicare Advantage members know we make Medicare simple. Combine that with our exceptional customer service, premiums as low as $16, great benefits and worldwide service, and it’s no wonder our customer base continues to grow. New West is here to stay, offering Montanans the Medicare information and advice you deserve now and into the future. For more information please call 888-873-8044 or TTY 888-290-3658 from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week, including holidays.

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PAGE 58 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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D R S A P W R A O C I V D E E WE’RE THE P O H T R O R U O L A I U T Q Y R O O R F T H E O C I P O E H D C IC CARE S ’ N O I G E R We’re excited to be recognized by Healthgrades for Orthopedic excellence in 2012. This includes 5-STAR RATINGS IN SPINE SURGERY, BACK AND NECK SURGERY (SPINAL FUSION) AND TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT. What does this mean to you? It means that our St. Vincent Healthcare physicians are exceptional in their level of care and this translates to better outcomes for our patients. To learn more about our outstanding services, call (406) 237-7010 or visit www.svh-mt.org.

THE HEALING POWER OF EXCELLENCE

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

Growing New Bones for the Old By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire As we age, many people become candidates for joint replacements or bone fracture repair. But science is making this therapy easier. “Joint diseases account for half of all chronic conditions in people over 65,” according to the Carnegie Mellon Bone Tissue Engineering Center in Pittsburgh. There, a multidisciplinary research team is optimistically looking to lab-grown bones. No matter a person’s age, cells can be collected from their bones and used in new therapies that replace old bone and grow new bone material, according to Dr. George Muschler, vice chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. Dr. Muschler told me that “about 20 percent of our 72 patients with new bone growth are seniors.” The process, which involves drawing cells from existing bone to build a bone tissue replacement, eliminates the pain and dangers involved in customary bone replacement surgery. Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that applies principles of biology and engineering to develop tissue substitutes. These substitutes can restore or improve the function of diseased or damaged tissues, including bone tissue. The need for bone substitutes is especially pressing. Approximately 500,000 surgical procedures that require bone substitutes are performed every year in the United States, according to Carn-

egie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon’s Bone Tissue Engineering Center hosted more than 100 researchers and their breakthrough technology in April at the Mid-West Tissue Engineering Consortium in Pittsburgh. Scientists discussed the latest bone tissue engineering research, including recent clinical therapies to duplicate the complex process of bone healing. Most strategies being explored involve some combination of signaling molecules, cells, and a 3-D matrix or scaffold, according to Jeffrey O. Hollinger, director of the Bone Tissue Engineering Center. Hollinger said his research colleagues are working to map out where the signaling must be placed in the bone scaffold. The idea is for cells to connect to a scaffold, then multiply and transform themselves into normal healthy bone as the scaffold degrades and disappears. Researchers at the conference also demonstrated new bone-making equipment, such as the BioReactor, an instrument created to make bone ligaments. Other projects demonstrated at the consortium include the development of a tiny printer that is mounted onto a patient during surgery. The device will actually print the scaffold and growth elements directly into the patient. When a bone breaks, it goes through several stages of healing. After a new bone is formed, the

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fracture site remodels itself, scientists say, correcting any deformities. This remodeling can take several years. During this period, hundreds of signaling molecules coordinate the healing process, which involves hundreds of thousands of cells. The bone’s ability to heal depends on a person’s age and physical condition. If an older person suffers a hip fracture, healing may be hampered by limited blood flow to the fracture. Physiologist Phil Campbell, a research scientist in Carnegie Mellon’s Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, commented in Carnegie Mellon Magazine that “the longer you can keep moving around, the longer you’re going to live. If you’re stuck in a wheelchair or stuck in bed - if you limit mobility - you start a downward spiral.” Bone is not dead material. Actually, it is a dynamic system based on a process of forming bone, then breaking it down again (resorption). This process maintains skeletal strength while, at the same time, meeting the body’s need for calcium. When our body resorbs bone faster than it can make it, degenerative bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, and bone fractures can occur. At Duke University Medical Center, researchers have found a way to generate bone in mice that is not accompanied by bone breakdown. The researchers say this could open the way to develop-

ment of drugs to fight osteoporosis by intercepting cellular processes that control the formation and breakdown of bones. In March, a Columbia University scientist became the first to grow a complex full size bone from human adult stem cells. Gordana VunjakNovakovic, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, reported that her team grew a temporomandibular joint (TMJ), a jaw bone, from stem cells taken from bone marrow. This is significant because about 25 percent of the population reportedly suffers from TMJ disorders, including people who have cancer, arthritis, and trauma. Current methods of dealing with traumatic injuries to the jaw include taking a bone from the patient’s leg to replace the missing bone. In this case, a scaffold in the shape of the TMJ joint was built from human bone stripped of living cells. Then the scaffold was seeded with bone marrow stem cells and put in a reactor filled with a medium that nourished and stimulated the cells to form bone. The technique is said to be applicable to other bones in the head and neck that are hard to reconstruct. Scores of U.S. biotechnology companies are creating tissue engineering products or technologies, according to Hollinger. MSN

Assistive Listening Devices Can Help People Hear Better By Jim Miller Assistive listening devices (or ALDs) are very useful products that can help hearing-impaired people – with and without hearing aids – hear better! Here is what you should know. Listening Helpers - ALDs are electronic amplifying devices that will let your husband adjust the volume and tone so that he can hear and

understand the television, telephone, or other people speaking. It’s also important to know that these devices work best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, you don’t need a prescription to buy them, and they usually aren’t covered by insurance or Medicare. Here is a breakdown of the different types of ALDs that can help. Telephone Amplifiers - To improve hearing over the telephone there are a number of handset and in-line amplifiers you can add to your regular phone, or you can purchase an amplified telephone. Most amplified phones allow you to adjust THERAPY CENTER at the volume and tone WESTVIEW HEALTH CARE for better clarity and they usually come with extra loud ringers and flashing ring indicators to alert you when

DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012

a call is coming in. Clarity (clarityproducts.com, 800-426-3738) and ClearSounds (clearsounds. com, 888-965-9043) make a nice variety of these products in the $30-$300 range. Harriscomm. com, teltex.com and soundbytes.com are also good sites to shop. Or, see if your state has a specialized telecommunications equipment program (see tedpa.org) that provides free amplified phones. If the amplified products do not do the trick, another option is caption phones. These are telephones that have a built-in screen that will let your husband listen to the caller, as well as read written, word-for-word captions of everything the caller is saying. Go to captel.com (or 800-2339130), and click on your state to learn more. TV Listening Systems - If hearing the television is a problem, a TV listening device will let

your husband increase the volume and adjust the tone to meet his needs, without blasting out you or the rest of the family. The best devices available today are wireless infrared systems that come with a headset. Many of these devices work with radios and stereos too. Or, if your husband would rather not wear a headset, some systems offer a small speaker that can be placed by his chair, and many work with T-coil enabled hearing aids. TV Ears (tvears.com, 888-883-3277) is one of the best products sold today with prices starting at $100. Personal Listening Devices - Depending on your husband’s needs, there are many different types of listening devices on the market, in all price ranges, that can help. For one-on-one and small group conversations, a pocket-sized amplifier that comes with a small microphone and ear

The Fitness Police By Suzanne Handler It is January, my least favorite month of the year. Time for those ridiculous resolutions most of us make and rarely keep. If one of your soonto-be broken promises falls under the heading “get fit now,” it’s no wonder. Every American, from sea to shining sea, knows by now that fitness is important to our physical health, not to mention our self-esteem. The truth is, at least in my small world, if you don’t walk, run, bike, ski, hike, swim, rock climb, play tennis, lift weights, practice yoga, or participate in any number of age-appropriate group activities, then you best beware: the Fitness Police have you in their sights. Should you also have the bad luck to be more than five pounds overweight, your troubles are compounded. Those of us who don’t own a valid gym membership, or a pair of tennis shoes that have pounded the pavement on a city street or at a recreation center, are often made to feel we are somehow less than stellar citizens. Yes, the dreaded Fitness Police are alive and thriving especially so in January. The Fitness Police understand the herd mentality that rises to the fore every January 1. Bloated from an excess of holiday cheer, we are easy prey for the onslaught of advertisements, commercials, and yes, even well-meaning words from those we love who promise a “new you in the New Year.” Feeling overweight and sluggish, it is difficult to ignore the barrage of enticements that urge us to sign on the dotted line for a 12-month gym club membership or enroll in a diet program that guarantees to vanquish those newly acquired pounds in a few scant weeks. When January rolls around, and I mean that both literally and figuratively, many of us are more than eager to hand over our hard-earned dollars for the opportunity to beat our bodies to a pulp or starve ourselves senseless in a valiant effort to get in shape. Unfortunately, by February most of those same gym cards will be languishing in a junk drawer along with used rubber bands, paper clips, and an assortment of other odds and ends. As for the diet, well, suffice it to say that hunger trumps good intentions every time. But by then it is too late: your money and your will power are gone - only the excess pounds remain. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health (2010), 38 of our 50 United States have obesity rates over 25 percent. There is no denying that we are a grossly overweight nation whose inhabitants worship at the shrine of fast and packaged foods. My gripe is that we are hounded from Halloween through News Year’s Eve to buy, prepare, and consume every form of indulgence with reckless abandon. Then, on January 1, those very same magazines, newspaper ads, TV commercials, family, and friends who tempted us with every form of decadence, now expect an abrupt reversal in our behavior. I don’t think so. My advice: If you intend to make a commitment to health and fitness, then do it in slow, thoughtful way. Do not be bullied by

the Fitness Police! On a more personal note, it’s not that I don’t exercise. I do. And it’s not that I don’t watch my calories. Again, I do (about 75.5% of the time). But, if a truth squad were to hold my feet to the flame, I would have to admit that to impress my friends and family, I sometimes embellish the facts regarding the actual amount of time spent at the gym or on my at-home exercise equipment. Also, that the picture of me grunting and gasping after a mere 30 minutes of semi-strenuous activity is not a very attractive one (hence the real reason my workouts are generally in the privacy of my own house). And finally, that I traded in my teeny weenie tennis togs and dance leotards years ago and now work out in comfy sweat clothes from the clearance rack at a local discount store. Age and attitude do have their advantages. For a change of pace, I have decided that this year my resolution is not to make any diet or exercise resolutions at all – to ignore the January hype put forth by the Fitness Police. After decades of failed attempts to honor said promises, I have decided instead to turn my attention to a more realistic endeavor such as cleaning out the ubiquitous cabinet drawer of long-expired gym membership cards and copies of diet program registrations. Doing so will clearly be a much more productive use of my time. MSN

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buds may do. Or, for a wider range of hearing capabilities consider FM listening devices. These are wireless products that can boost hearing in many difficult listening situations including auditoriums and lecture halls. FM devices come with a small microphone and transmitter placed on or by the person speaking, and the listener wears a receiver that may be used with ear buds, earphones, or with T-coil enabled hearing aids when worn with a neck loop. Harriscomm.com and independentliving.com are two good sites for locating these types of products. Alerting Devices - There is also a variety of alerting devices that can help people who have trouble hearing the doorbell, alarm clock, telephone, or smoke detector. These products use flashing lights, special multi-tone ringers, or vibrating devices as a means to alert you. You can find these items at many of the websites previously listed, along with sonicalert.com and silentcall.com for around $50 to $150. MSN

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Tired of being stuck in that old rut? Make a new year’s resolution to stoke new fires for the long, cold winter months! Take a chance, and cozy up to someone who can share the warmth of this holiday season. By responding to one of these ads, you may find the perfect match: someone to hold your hand on winter strolls, to snuggle up with and watch your favorite movies, or to share that first kiss of the New Year. Now is the time to get fresh with a new flame! 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 is 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 next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may bring warmth 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 in the February/March 2012 issue, the deadline is January 10, 2012. SWF, a widow looking for a companion to mid 80s. My interests are traveling, dancing, music, and history. I am a non-smoker and social drinker. I’m friendly, faithful, and open to new experiences. I’m a retired social worker and teacher. I live in Billings. Reply MSN, Dept. 28201, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF, 72 years young. Love music and dancing, but do not like the bar scene – so I am hoping to meet a nice gentleman for a companion. I love gourmet cooking, gardening, fishing, hunting, traveling, or staying at home and cuddling before the fireplace with a good wine. I am 5’9” with blonde hair and blue eyes. I try to work out every day. Grow younger with me, and live longer. Reply

MSN, Dept. 28202, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, Western MT, age 64. Fit, healthy, intelligent, retired, optimistic. Enjoy nature, animals, history, parks, museums, national wildlife refuges, gardening, hot springs, walks, music, rural lifestyle, learning new things, laughter, and fun. Seeking active like-minded lady for friendship and to spend time with. No smoking. Reply MSN, Dept. 28203, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Fifty-year-old DWF, 5’7”, and trim. Minnesotaraised country woman. Looking to find a straightforward country man. I love the outdoors, whether it’s working, horse riding, or enjoying a starry night. I’ve old fashioned morals with a sprinkle of mischief mixed in. I now reside in Eastern Montana, but would be open to relocate if needed. Reply MSN, Dept. 28204, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, 73. Seeking a retired, secure lady in her late 60s to mid-70s from the Billings area. Friend and travel relationship would be excellent. If interested, send picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 28205, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WWF, 5’2”, green eyes, 68. Looking for companionship. Love camping, fishing, yard and garden. A good cook. If you are a country boy, I need a gentle relationship. Pets a plus. Country music, social drinking a plus. Reply MSN, Dept. 28206, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WWM, 67, 6’5”, retired. Likes to hunt, fish, eat out, go on long walks, hold hands, touch, talk, love the right woman. Free to travel the state. Send picture if possible, phone, and details of self. Reply MSN, Dept. 28207, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM seeks very affectionate female companion, 55-75. Looks are unimportant. I live in Great Falls and do not smoke or drink. All replies welcome, and I will answer them all. Please send a picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 28208, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WWM in his mid 80s, NS/ND. No drugs of any kind. I enjoy traveling, dining out, and watching TV. I am looking for a lady companion around the same age to share my home and life’s golden years together. Will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 28209, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WWM, 6’5”, non-drinker/smoker/drugger. Never had children. Retired. I hunt, fish, walk, eat out, like home-cooked meals. A Christian living in Columbus, MT. I like tie-dyed shirts and old rock-nroll. I’m a very passionate person. Please write and send phone number. Include picture if possible. Will answer all responses. Reply MSN, Dept. 28210, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF in Northwest MT looking for a nice man, 64 to 70. Must be easy-going, smart, caring, and financially secure. I like to travel, go to the movies, dine out, and dance. I am 5’7” with brown hair and eyes. Attractive and romantic. I do not smoke or do drugs. I would like to hear from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 28211, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SF, 59 years young, seeking Christian man, 55-70 who is in good health for life mate. I am 5’3” with a few extra pounds, and have long, naturally

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curly hair. NS/ND. Love fishing, camping, picnics, needlework, baking, bowling, motorcycles, and much more. I am very affectionate, spontaneous, and considerate, with a desire to learn more, travel, have someone nice to love and love me back. Nationality is not an issue. I live in the Flatland Valley, but can relocate if we fall in love. I will answer all replies and would appreciate a photo. Maybe an email address? Reply MSN, Dept. 28212, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WANTED: A nice fellow who lives in Billings, or close by. I am a SWF, 80, but look in my 70s. My interests include taking walks, antique shops, dancing, and occasionally eating out for dinner, going to concerts, etc. Social drinking, no drugs or smoking. I’m healthy, own my home, and have traveled extensively. If you are interested, I’d be glad to hear from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 28213, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF, tall, 5’6”, slim, attractive, upbeat, fun loving. Spiritual. Enjoy cooking, camping, walking together, RVing, traveling, and exploring new places. I like art, movies, and reading. Want to meet someone to care for, respect, love, and laugh with for the rest of our lives. ISO a gentleman, 60-70, who is warm, caring, romantic, active, honest, secure, and intelligent. We share the same values, sense of humor, and understanding of differences. I would like to meet my loyal soul mate. Send photo and phone number. Time’s awasting! Let’s make life exciting. Reply MSN, Dept. 28214, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I live in Glasgow and am a WF, 72, 5’3”, nondrinker, no drugs. I am honest and easy-going, looking for someone, 72-75, who is compassionate, kind, and knows how to treat a lady. I would enjoy hearing about you and your family. I am very kind, caring, and sensitive. I have brown eyes and brown/gray hair, and I wear glasses. I enjoy fishing, camping, picnics, crafts, games, animals, gardening, embroidery, and needlework. Please send a picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 28215, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

To all our readers, advertisers, and contributors, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a joyous 2012

SWF, 68, good looking. Would like to meet a special gentleman to be a lifetime partner. If you are from Great Falls and 70+ years young, I would love to hear from you. I could tell you all about me, but you have to see for yourself, so let’s get together and talk. Thank you, until we meet! Reply MSN, Dept. 28216, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

Season’s Greeting from the staff of The Montana Senior News! Jack, Colleen, Kathleen, Sherrie, Rhonda, Dan, Lynn & Nann

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The Wonderland Of Arches By Jack McNeel The red sandstone monoliths of Arches National Park are nearly indescribable to those who have never visited the park. These magnificent formations – spires, arches, massive monoliths, and balanced rocks – tower into the sky. Every bend in the road reveals new scenes and new spectacular rock formations that seem to go on and on and on! Most visitors spend a day or two viewing, exploring, and photographing within the park, often staying in Moab, Utah, about four miles from the park entrance. Those with campers might stay at Devils Garden Campground within b campgrounds. d Y the park or at other nearby You should be aware that overnight facilities often fill up early, so it is advisable to make a room reservation in advance. Moab is a fun town, designed with the traveler in mind, with unique shops and excellent restaurants. We spent the late afternoon and evening getting acquainted with Arches National Park, oohing and aahing as each new vista seemed even more spectacular than the preceding one. We snapped photos continually and returned the next morning at sunrise for that wonderful early morning light. Our car was first in the parking lot for the hike to Delicate Arch. The density of natural stone arches here is greater than anywhere in the world and Delicate Arch is the most photographed. The image of this arch is pictured on Utah’s automobile license plates. The hike to Delicate Arch is unique and listed as strenuous. The round trip is three miles with a 480 ft elevation gain. Initially the trail is well defined, climbing over

ridges and then dropping into swales before the main climb begins. At this point the trail leads up a long, open slickrock section marked with rock cairns. The final stretch is along a rock ledge with a precipitous drop to the left, but once you reach the top and see that amazing view of Delicate Arch, it is all worth it. The view is across a deep stone basin to the Arch on the opposite side. The snow-clad mountains in Colorado are visible beyond the arch, creating stunning views. High winds buffeted us and the air was chilly. As we returned down the long slickrock to the car, the temt iincreased dd ti l perature dramatically. Temperatures within the park often vary by as much as 50 degrees during the day. During summer, use caution if hiking in mid-day as the heat and lack of shade can be overwhelming. High temperatures in July and August average above 96 degrees, sometimes reaching well over 100. Water is an absolute requirement. The elevation of Arches National Park ranges from 4,085 to 5,653 feet throughout its 119 square miles. A 48-mile round trip road leads through the park and numerous hiking trails open up additional vistas for those wanting to see more. Over 2,000 natural stone arches are within its borders and nearly 800,000 people visit annually. Landscape Arch is another you should see and the trail is considerably easier. The round trip is about two miles and relatively level. It starts near Devils Garden Campground. The trail is well graveled and begins in a narrow canyon with red sandstone cliffs towering vertically on either side. Other arches are also visible from this trail but the most magnificent is Landscape. It is very slender and only slightly arched but spans over 300 feet, prompting wonder at how it can remain intact. Huge boulders beneath are evidence of previous pieces breaking free. Wind and water continue slowly to change Arches National Park as it has for eons and

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Landscape Arch will eventually collapse. But, will it be next year or in a thousand years? Colorful names have been given to different areas and features throughout the park, including Fiery Furnace, Parade of Elephants, Tower of Babel, Three Gossips, Eye of the Whale, and many others. Visitors can tour the park in their cars, hike the trails for new and different views, and engage a guide to lead them. The visitor center is a good starting point and features an orientation program

that runs every 30 minutes. However you choose to visit, if you have an opportunity to spend time in Arches National Park, do it! Take your camera. The sandstone formations will amaze you. We also photographed wild flowers, cacti, and cottontail rabbits. There is a variety of plants and animals ranging from deer down to little lizards. You can view the cabin built in 1898 by John Wesley Wolfe near the trail to Delicate Arch. You

Gambling Wisdom For That Gambling Junket By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: Anytime you play a machine that rewards quads, like for instance, four Aces, is the machine programmed to deal fewer fourace hands? Larry F. Many video poker machines, Larry, like Double Bonus Poker and Super Aces, have larger payouts for specific big hands, such as four Aces. To compensate for giving you this bonus, the casino needs to take a little something away, and that means fewer payouts for some smaller hands. There is no need for the casino wizards to rig a machine so you will see fewer Aces, since they can adjust the pay table with lower paybacks on hands such as full houses, flushes, and two pairs. Truth be told, all cards are dealt randomly, but you should actually be getting more concluding hands containing four Aces than you would otherwise get on games without four-Ace jackpots. Why? Because you should be adjusting your strategy and playing for those Aces. For example, suppose you have two pair, Aces and eights. In a game like Super Aces, you would keep the Aces and toss the eights aside. If you had a full house with three Aces and two eights, again, you would break up the full house and hold just the three Aces. Had you been playing Jacks or Better, you would play each of these hands differently. When playing a game that rewards Aces, and playing each hand correctly, you should see those quad Aces more often. Dear Mark: Just for the record: When I win my $300 million Powerball lottery jackpot, I plan on buying a casino and bringing back the deals we used to get in the good old days. Butch B. I’m with you. I say yes to single deck blackjack, 9/6 video poker machines, craps with 100X odds, single zero roulette, and those mouthwatering $3.49 prime rib buffets. The hitch, Butch, is that the odds of Yours Truly showing up at Butch’s Gambling Emporium are one in 195,249,054. Dear Mark: You state that taking Free Odds on a crap game is one of the best bets the casino offers. By doing so, how much will it

improve my chances of winning? Gabe L. As for immediately improving your “chances of winning,” actually, Gabe, none. As for Free Odds lowering the house edge and winning more moolah, well, that is a different story. Suppose, you made a $10 Pass Line bet and the point has been made. By making a Free Odds wager, it won’t instantly increase your chances of winning that singular event, because the odds of winning your Pass Line bet would remain the same whether you made a Free Odds bet or not. The way you make the Free Odds bet an excellent wager is by putting money on them that you were going to bet anyway. For example, instead of betting the $10 on the Pass Line and taking no odds, you can lower the overall house edge considerably by betting $2 on the Pass Line and $10 on the Odds (5x table). By taking odds, Gabe, your expected loss is reduced, which improves your chances of winning some scratch. Whatever amount you want to bet per round, your goal should be to get as much money on Free Odds as possible, and as little as possible on the Pass Line. MSN

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can see rock art near the Wolfe Cabin created by Ute Indians about 300 years ago. Other Native Americans predated the Utes by nearly 10,000 years. Edward Abbey lived here in the 1950s and memorialized his reflections in Desert Solitaire. The history is fascinating and the natural beauty is overwhelming. Visit if you can preferably in spring or fall when daytime highs drop and visits are more comfortable. MSN

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MON TANA

SENIOR LIVING GUIDE

TM

F I F T H

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How You Can Make Choices About Aging By Karen Powers, The Goodman Group

When it comes to knowing you are making the right choices in regards to aging and care, there is a new, more comprehensive way to make your end of life wishes known to your family, physician and other care providers. It is called POLST and stands for Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment. This is a universally recognized document, signed by your physician, that clearly states your personal choices for life extending measures and medical treatments at the end of life. Most people understand the terms and use of advanced directives, but the POLST document goes farther into defining specific wishes. From opting for I.V. fluids and antibiotics to insertion of feeding tubes and artificial respiration and performance of CPR, this document gives people more control over their end of life care and helps caregivers, and health care providers to make the necessary decisions at the critical points in the disease process and end of life. The importance of the POLST document is to have your treatment choices known to your family and health care providers before you are too ill or incapacitated by your medical condition to be able to express your wishes. In many

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conversations with adult children, when trying to make decisions for their elderly parents, one of the biggest stressors is making the right decision for someone else – unsure of what they would have wanted. Please have these conversations with your spouse, children, or power of attorney while you are of sound mind and body. Your physician should be included as they will be able to explain the extent and effect of the various treatments discussed on the POLST document and their signature makes it a binding document. The state of Montana has made it easy to record these wishes by providing an End of Life Registry, where you can file advanced directives. Advanced directive forms are available online at www.endoflife.mt.gov and the POLST document can be obtained through your physician, upon admission into the hospital or admission into a skilled nursing home. You are free to change your mind regarding treatments at any time, and should review your advanced directive decisions periodically as you age or have changes in your condition. As you continue on your life’s journey into aging, comfort in knowing that you are making the right choices includes letting others know what those choices are in the event you cannot speak for yourself.

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