Montana Senior News Dec/Jan 2013

COMPLIMENTARY! TAKE ONE! FREE! Roxy Owner Mike Blakesly Has Brought Hollywood To Forsyth For 33 Years

Owner Mike Blakesley stands beneath the Roxy Theatre’s classic marquee in Forsyth. Maintaining the sign’s 54 neon tubes takes extra effort and expense, but he gets a vibrant, nostalgic look for his trouble. [Photo by Craig Larcom]

By Craig & Liz Larcom Mike Blakesley of Forsyth was a theatre owner waiting to happen. He just didn’t know it.

Start with his passion for movies. Deep? Even after 33 years of running the Roxy Theatre, when Mike and his wife Lynn take a vacation, they often choose to go to the movies.

“Why do you go to a movie when you work in a movie theater?” ask his mystified friends.

But when you relish movies as much as this man does, you do not love the movies any less when you are away from home.

“We like movies! We really like movies,” says Mike. And Lynn nods in agreement. Besides, on vacation you can sit back and enjoy the show without answering the phone or watching the crowd or worrying about whatever.

Movies and Mike go way back. “I was doing movies when I was a kid,” he says.

He messed with the equipment, too. “I was always fascinated with projectors and tape recorders and stuff like that, so my grandpa had a 16mm projector that I used to set up in my room and show movies on it,” he says.

Bit by bit, his skills grew. As a teen, Mike had a buddy whose parents ran the town’s drive-in theater where he learned to run theater projectors. When a friend who worked at the Roxy quit, Mike stepped into the job, earning the princely sum of four dollars a night.

For three years Mike had an inside view of the movie business. So he knew what to do when his boss decided to sell the theater in 1979. He and his brother-in-law Tom Clifford, both projectionists, teamed up and bought the Roxy. But rather than truly stepping into the role of theater owners, the duo proposed to keep the place just long enough to update it and sell it.

As planned, the partners replaced the original carpet, painted the exterior, added sound-absorbing wall coverings, bought a new projector and sound equipment, the works.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the quick profits.

Mike had so much fun bring(Continued on page 39)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 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 Lisa Gebo Rhonda Lee Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith Nann Parrett

Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Production Assistant 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 Š 2012

PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Many of our readers have vivid recollections of World War II, whether as servicemen and servicewomen directly engaged in the conflict or as youngsters here at home feeling the War’s effects in a less violent, but to young minds in a no less tangible way. This issue’s winning contribution reflects those feelings of wanting to help however a child could help here at home far from the battlefields. For our readers from that era, this piece should stimulate some memories of your experiences from that time. Thank you to Pat Solomon of Polson for sharing War Time Memories with our readers. Pat is the winner of our $25 Remember When prize for this issue.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional

or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days,” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included.

Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contributions deemed best by our staff.

The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize.

We look forward to receiving your contributions for our February/March 2013 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.

War Time Memories

By Pat Solomon, Polson Nineteen Forty Three – yes, I can still remember that year, perhaps a banner year in my life.

The world was upside down – our country was involved in two wars. I was living at home with my parents and my grandmother and the main topic of our conversation was the war. Evening times we were in front of Dad’s pride and joy – the Philco radio – to listen to the war news. My brother was probably on his way to Germany and armed with our prayers. His newborn son and wife lived near us. Food and gasoline were rationed and we talked of the day that we knew would come and the war would be over – but when?

I was greatly upset that I was not old enough really to be a part of the war. It seemed everyone had a chance to do something. The radio did say, “Buy a war bond to help our country” so I decided I should make enough money for a bond. Maybe that would be something I could do.

Whitehall was a small town but one thing I could do was to hitch my pony to my cart and drive down alleys and look for bottles that had been thrown away. I could collect these bottles and sell them for one cent each. Any old tires or metal would bring a price too. I made a sign for my cart to advertise rides but no one had any money, so I just had my friends ride with me for free. All of this activity soon caused my pony to have sore hooves.

So I knew I had to save money so Mr. McGlynn,

the local blacksmith, could put shoes on her.

I had a great pony – she was my dearest pal – originally she came from the Alley family who ran Pipestone Hot Springs. I had a cart and a rancher named Bill Pyfer put a harness together for her. I could ride her and did so for many hours and days of enjoyment. If there is a “horse heaven” I can bet she is there, she was great!

Troop trains went by daily filled with young soldiers. These trains stopped for water and to hook on a helper engine to push the main train over the hill between Whitehall and Butte. My mother and I decided to make good sandwiches and sell them to these hungry troops on the train. They sold quickly and soon every kid in town followed the same idea. But the railroad soon put an end to it. That summer the school opened its kitchens to people that wanted to come in and can veggies and fruits and it was a great help. I suspect some of these goodies found their way to our troops and I’ll bet those guys loved that taste from home!

That fall I started Junior High and by October, the local farmers were hurting because they couldn’t find young men or able folks to help with their potato harvest. The school would let kids miss a few weeks if they wanted to help. This seemed like an ideal idea for me so my mother and I went with others down the valley to work in the potato fields and hopefully support the war effort. We worked at the Guy George farm and for the LaBries

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that was south of Whitehall in an area called Waterloo.

Picking potatoes was certainly a good learning tool – what a job! I did not have any idea at all that it would be so hard. We picked by hand and were told by the farmer that we were to pick up every potato we saw – big or small – and these went into our metal baskets, which once filled were dumped into burlap sacks. It would take two or three baskets to fill a gunnysack and after the first two or three hours, I was wondering if this was the job for me?

At first, I thought that the pay of seven cents a sack would soon amount to quite a bit of cash but in time, I decided who wanted to be a millionaire?

Just kidding though… we stayed with the job, but somehow – somewhere – I lost my affection for potatoes. I knew I never, ever wanted to eat one

again no matter how it was cooked or how good it really was.

Now – as I think about those early day harvests, I never dreamt that I could once again be involved in any way with potatoes, but I was more than fortunate in this endeavor. My good husband was a lifetime farmer and grew potatoes all of his life. He knew all about spuds from the inside to the outside of them. I am very glad to say much of the hard work by hand has evolved to using machines, which makes potato farming a lot easier.

To this I can now truthfully say in case you were wondering, that I do like potatoes a lot now – fried, boiled, baked, however they are prepared – I love to eat them. So that is another tale of a lifetime experience and for this I am thankful as I say, “More spuds anyone?” MSN

Celebrate Our National Christmas Trees

By Bernice Karnop While I love the trees of home, the magic turned up a notch when we spent several Christmases in the Nation’s Capitol. Until then I‘d given little thought to the community trees that stood for the whole nation. Like the familiar monuments and buildings in Washington D.C., the trees sparkled taller and grabbed at my heart more than I imagined they would.

The Capitol Christmas Tree – It’s only been since 1970 that the “People’s Tree” that is placed on the West Lawn of the Capitol building, came from one of the nation’s National Forests.

We were in Washington, D.C. in 2008, when the 60 plus foot Capitol Christmas tree came from the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana.

Montana’s turn doesn’t come around very often and we made quite a celebration of the cutting, loading on the flatbed, and trucking it east. The tree toured the state with celebrations in different towns, including ours.

When we next saw the Montana tree, it fluttered all the way to the top with 5,000 ornaments, hand-made by schoolchildren across the state. The theme was, “Sharing Montana’s Treasures,” and we circled the tree reading as many names and schools we could. The National Park Service

sets the tree up each year, adds the lights, and places the ornaments.

Montana also provided the Capitol Christmas tree in 1989, our statehood centennial year. In 2012 the White River National Forest in Colorado will provide the tree. The Speaker of the House hosts the tree lighting ceremony each year.

The National Christmas Tree – This famous tree stands near the White House. We came after dark and joined a festive crowd admiring the twinkling evergreen and listening to the music and entertainment. There was no snow, but a chilly wind made me glad to be wearing a Montana winter coat.

The tradition of the National Christmas Tree started when President Coolidge presided over the first National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House Lawn in 1923.

Only in times of crisis or sorrow has the tree not been lighted. In 1963, the year that President Kennedy was assassinated, we did not light the National Christmas Tree until December 22, after

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

A lot has been said about politics, some of it complimentary, but most of it accurate.

- Eric Idle

the 30-day mourning period.

In 1979, as the nation grieved the 52 American hostages held in Iran, only the top ornament was lit.

Christmas Trees in the White House – Before there was a tree on the White House lawn, trees were part of the Christmas celebration inside the White House. The first one was placed there in 1856 by Franklin Pierce, our 14th President.

Each first family since has enjoyed a tree with the exception of Teddy Roosevelt. He banned the Christmas tree from the White House because of his staunch conservation stand. However, rumor has it that his children smuggled a tree upstairs.

The Nation’s Christmas Tree – “The Nation’s Christmas Tree” is not in Washington, D.C. at all, but is alive in California. This Sequoia tree stands right where it sprouted an estimated 1,650 years ago in Kings Canyon National Park near the city of Sanger. It’s also known as General Grant, and it is 267 feet high and 34 feet across at the base.

That’s 200 feet higher than the one Montana sent to the capitol!

In 1925, they laid the first Christmas wreath at the base of this behemoth and the tradition continues nearly 90 years later. The General Grant was also declared a National Shrine in honor of the men and women in the U.S. Military Services.

Gift Trees from Other Nations – Back in 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia. One ship carried explosives, more than a thousand people were killed, and nine thousand were injured in the blasts that followed. The city of Boston responded with relief supplies and willing hands to help rebuild. In 1971, Nova Scotia began sending Boston a huge Christmas tree in gratitude for the help. Last year was the 40th time

they lit this gift in Boston Common.

Norway expresses its gratitude to England for its friendship during World War II with the gift of a Norwegian Spruce or fir tree each year. You can see this token of its appreciation in Trafalgar Square, London.

An Unusual Christmas Tree – Christmas comes in the summer in New Zealand. When early settlers saw the beautiful red blossoms on a live tree, they called it the Christmas tree.

The Maori natives called it Pohutakawa, which is harder to pronounce.

Some History of the Christmas Tree – The decorative use of evergreen, ever-living, coniferous trees during the dark winter season may be lost in time, but we know they were a popular Christian tradition in Germany as far back as the 16th Century. Queen Victoria’s husband Albert, who was from Germany, introduced a Christmas tree to the celebration in Windsor Castle.

German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States, as well.

Odd Facts and Recycling Tips for Christmas Trees – Christmas trees are edible. Yep. The needles are a good source of vitamin C and the pine nuts or pinecones are nutritious. If you really got into The Hunger Games series, you might try eating your tree. Otherwise, never mind.

Christmas trees are grown commercially in all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska. Almost 60 percent are recycled into such things as sand and soil erosion barriers and fish shelters in ponds.

Artificial trees are mostly imported from overseas and, once discarded, they last for centuries in a landfill. MSN

Political Truisms For 2012

It pays to question your statements!

Now that the election is over… what have we learned?

If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates.– Jay Leno The problem with political jokes is they get elected. – Henry Cate VII We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these State of the Union speeches, there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven. – Will Rogers Politicians are the Questioning a $9 charge on a same all over. They Medicare statement resulted in the promise to build a bridge return of $1.37 million to Medicare! even where there is no You can help stop Medicare waste, river. – Nikita Khrushchev fraud and abuse by reading your When I was a boy, statements. For assistance, call the I was told that anybody Montana SMP nearest you. could become President; I’m beginning to believe it. – Clarence Montana SMP is a statewide program administered by Missoula Aging Services. This ad Darrow was supported, in part, by a grant from the Administration for Community Living, AoA, DHHS. Points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official AoA policy.

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to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. – Author unknown Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnel. – John Quinton Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other. – Oscar Ameringer I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them. – Adlai Stevenson, 1952 campaign speech A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country. – Tex Guinan I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.

– Charles de Gaulle Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. – Doug Larson There ought to be one day – just one – when there is open season on senators. – Will Rogers MSN

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I was fortunate enough to attend the grand opening of the new EdenPURE® factory in North Canton, Ohio. The new plant brought hundreds of new jobs back to Ohio and reversed the common practice of sending Midwest manufacturing jobs to China. Now, EdenPURE® continues to ramp up production for the coming Winter with exciting new models and hundreds of new employees as this Made in America success story continues to grow.

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PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Tired of being stuck in that old rut? Make a new year’s resolution to stoke new fires for those long, cold winter nights! 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 respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, 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. When 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 be 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 lead you down the path of true love!

Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the February/March 2013 issue, the deadline is January 10, 2013.

SWM, 61, looking for a single lady 61-75 who likes to kiss and cuddle. Personality trumps looks in a long-term relationship. I am a non-smoker and non-drinker. Please send a picture and phone number. I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept.

29201, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, 60 years young, 5’3’’, a little extra cuddly, with blue eyes. I love Jesus and His word. I love life and want a solid Christian man, 55-70, and in decent health with lots of get up and go to “shake it with.” I have a lot to offer the right man starting with; integrity, love, kindness, and more. I love the outdoors, crafts, hugs and kisses, sunsets, and so much more. Proverbs 31:10-31 also, read Gal. 6:14-22 and if you are interested please write

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and send a photo. Reply MSN, Dept. 29202, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 6’0”, 178 pounds, responsible, attractive, into fitness, and healthy living, up-beat, and fun loving. Social drinker and a non-smoker. Retired professional. Am heavy into outdoor lifestyle, backpacking, day hiking, canoeing (recently did a 75 mile, 9 day loop canoe trip in British Columbia’s Caribou Mountains) traveling, exploring new places, anything to get into nature. I enjoy oil painting and writing. I watch limited television, preferring to read. Sharing the same values is important, as is communication and compromise. Interested in a serious relationship. My fondest desire is to share life’s adventures with a like-minded person who is emotionally available and stable. Life is short. Missoula, Bitterroot Valley area only unless willing to relocate. If this sounds like you and you are between the ages of 55 and 65 please send photo, phone number and address. Reply MSN, Dept. 29203, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Are there any ladies from south central Montana widowed, in their 70s, retired, and financially secure that do not smoke, do drugs, or drink, and are interested in a new exciting, fun, and loving long term friendship?

Regional guided motor coach travel, country music, and history of great importance. This WWM, age 75, would like to hear from you. Send a picture and phone number and I will do the same.

Reply MSN, Dept. 29204, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WDF. I hope I can find a nice man who lives in Kalispell or somewhere close to it. I do not drive or own a car, so I do a lot of walking. I live right in town so I walk just about everywhere. I don’t drink, do drugs or smoke. I’m 4’ 8” tall, weigh 130, blue eyes, and freckles.

I like to fish, hike, go on picnics, and go on day trips. I like country western music and used to sing it. I like to watch the Yankees play ball. If this sounds interesting, then drop me a line and a picture, and I will write to you. Reply MSN, Dept.

29205, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

WWF, 69, would like to meet that special Christian male. If you live in the Great Falls area and are 69+, let’s meet and see if there is a possibility for a long-term relationship. You won’t know if you don’t take the first step! I am that special lady and you could be my special guy. Life is too short to be alone. Reply MSN, Dept. 29206, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 68, very active. Semi-retired, down to earth, professional with very good sense of humor. Looking for a physically active woman who loves to fish, hunt, and have a good time. I do not smoke and average one glass of wine per day. I am 5’10�, 150, and Scandinavian. Reply MSN, Dept. 29207, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 61, 165 lbs., I am seeking correspondence with a single, Christian lady interested in gardening, nature, country life, and herbal healing.

I am also interested in bible study. Kindness and a good sense of humor are a plus. Reply MSN, Dept. 29208, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Mentally and physically active, semi retired, looking for a lady who is kind, understanding, and will accept me for what I am inside. 55 to 65 years of age who loves to dance.

I am 5’9� slim, brown hair and eyes, and 69-years-young. Looking for a lady that loves to travel and loves the outdoors... that is camping, fishing, or just having fun. Like sports, golfing, bowling, and having a great time. Love to go out on weekends to have a drink or two with friends.

Sense of humor a must. No drugs. I don’t smoke, but smokers are welcome along with your pets, which are also welcome. One who keeps herself thinking and looking young as best she can. I am financially secure for both of us. Location won’t matter so if you’re a lady that’s tired of looking at four walls and a TV send me a note with your phone number and picture. I will do the same, and

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

I will answer all letters if interested. Reply MSN, Dept. 29209, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF looking for a gentleman 75-80 years or so. Someone who is kind, considerate, enjoys dancing, and has a sense of humor. I’m semiretired, healthy, very active, always on the move.

Non-smoker, non-drinker. Billings area. Please send recent photo and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept. 29210, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF seeking a man in Northwest Montana in the age range of 65-75. I would hope to find someone with a sense of humor who likes the simple things like hunting, fishing, going for rides, and enjoying the outdoors. Always have loved the looks of a western type man, but anyone is free to answer... as who knows what we’d have in common. I have been a widow for over 12 years and try very hard to treat everyone as I’d like to be treated.

Please send a photo and your phone number.

Reply MSN, Dept. 29211, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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SWWM seeking correspondence with a lady that would meet with a widowed male who lost his wife six years ago. I own my own home and am in good health but am very lonely. I am hoping to start a new life with a lady that is in a similar position.

Age doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter.

Write to me and ask any questions you would like. Reply MSN, Dept. 29212, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWM, 81, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;9â&#x20AC;?, 215 pounds, non-smoker, nondrinker, non-drugs. Physically and mentally sound.

Prefers marriage but not absolutely necessary.

Enjoy fishing, camping, and bowling. I want to meet a woman who wants to be taken care of and cherished. First time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put this ad in the MSN. Reply MSN, Dept. 29213, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

SWF in search of a friend/companion in his late 70s to early 80s. I am a gentle compassionate person and consider these traits important in a person. I’m about 5’2” or so, medium build, brown eyes, dark blonde hair. My interests are traveling, reading, antique shops, history (all kinds), music from classical to jazz and country. I enjoy evenings at home. Am an animal lover with a small dog and own my home. If interested, must live in Billings or close by. Reply MSN, Dept. 29214, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Well Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you available gentlemen!

If you love the man whose birthday we’re celebrating, as much as I do, we’re already connected. Please be a fairly handsome man, without being a narcissist. Who cares for himself as well as those he loves is important.

I’m a tiny brunette grandma who’s into adven-

tures, fun, gardening and outdoors, art and crafts, yard sales for a treasure on occasion.

Waiting for the Lord to stir the country heart of my “soul mate” to take a chance and write to this music-loving gal. Perhaps we could enjoy growing older together. A photo would be nice. I’m in NW Montana where are you? Reply MSN, Dept.

29215, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWM, 68 years young, 6’5”, 245 lbs. N/S, N/D, N/D. Like garage sales, hunting, fishing, long walks, long drives, and seeing new country. Own home in Stillwater County. Looking for slender, healthy, active lady who wants to have fun and enjoy life. I will travel to meet you. Send picture if possible, phone, likes, dislikes, and wants. Reply MSN, Dept. 29216, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

With Malice Toward None And Faith In Our Future

By Bob Campbell It is with a collective sigh of relief that we have experienced the end of the negative corporate ads that saturated our state media during the past six months. In the end, Montana voters ignored the ads and instead informed themselves about the candidate best able to serve in each office.

We have been subjected to unprecedented millions of dollars of negative and inaccurate information that was the direct result of our nation’s highest court shamefully exceeding its jurisdiction by forbidding Montana from enforcing our centuryold, people-passed corrupt practices act.

The importance of this election for Montana and the nation was evident by the large number

of voters who patiently waited in line to cast their ballots even after the time set for closing the polls.

The citizens’ right to vote is the first cornerstone of our country and its importance was recognized by those conducting our free and open elections.

Those who poured their money into these negative ads believed their own flawed polls would predict their success on election day. They took a few days off before the end of the campaign to work on their acceptance speeches.

When the election results came in they were shocked when they realized that they had lost their costly bet and been denied the privilege to serve in the top two offices in Montana. We the people of Montana could not be bought off even without

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

the protection of our hundred-year-old corrupt practices act.

Prior to the newly elected office holders being sworn in, the first priority is to restore confidence in our political system, which has been shaken by the most costly corporate takeover attempt in our history.

In Congress, we need an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff or what we in Montana would call a buffalo jump.

Legislators in Montana are blessed with an unexpected surplus that should first be considered to restore funds that were cut or programs that

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

were eliminated based on their inaccurate interpretation of the fiscal forecast.

It is time for all Montanans to contact those elected and demand good faith cooperation between the executive and legislative branches. If they do not provide this, the basis of the consent of the governed, they must know that they will be rejected in the next election.

This election determined who would be in office and now your vigilance is needed to remind them to keep their oath of office to improve the quality of our lives. MSN

Ranch Roots Grow a Century Deep in Phillips County For Sally Austin Of Whitewater

By Bernice Karnop The Austin ranch at Whitewater turned 112 years old this year. Old letters indicate just how much grit was required to hang on to a place in Montana in the early days.

In the 1930s a brother working on Fort Peck Dam, wrote to the ranch saying that they were in dire straits.

There was no heat for the shack they were living in, and they had little to eat. The ranch had owed him $10 for some time. Could they pay him?

They could not come up with $10 so instead his sister sent him a quilt and a turkey.

He wrote back thanking her. “We’ll be ok. We’re wrapped in the blanket and eating the turkey.”

Another sister gave up her homestead and moved to Missoula. Her letter says Sally Austin enjoyed this creamy pineapple cake she left her chest of drawers. at the Governor’s Conference on Aging at MSU Could they ship it to her on Northern in Havre. Sally has lived her whole life near Whitewater and is a friend to many folks in the train?

Phillips County. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Freight cost $1.75 and again, they couldn’t pay. She graciously answered, saying, “We can make out.”

Sally Austin, who married into the Austin family in 1954, says that piece of furniture is still at the ranch. Every time she opens it, she sees the woman’s name written in the bottom of one of the drawers and thinks about how scarce money was in those not-so-long ago days.

Sally grew up north of Whitewater, about half a mile from the Canadian border in Phillips County. Her grandparents left Austria in 1914 for America, without money, without jobs, and without the language.

Her grandfather agreed to take care of the animals on the ship in exchange for his passage, but he was so sea sick he couldn’t do it. Sally’s father, who was seven years old at the time, was the only one in two families who didn’t get sick. The little boy trooped down to the bottom of the ship, fed the cows, and cared for the other animals. His only complaint years later, was that the wind snatched his hat away and the ocean swallowed it up.

They were on the ship on June 28, 1914, when World War I was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria. “If they hadn’t been in the ocean, they would never have got out of the country,” reflects Sally.

After two years in Winnipeg the families crossed the prairie by oxen to make their way to Montana. They settled near Greve, north of Whitewater. The little town at that time had a post office, a store, and a hospital – a two-room building where the nurse midwife delivered babies. Sally’s dad bought her metal crib when she moved and Sally and all her siblings slept in it. Later Sally would put five children to bed in it, as well. Today it’s in the museum in Malta.

When she was ready to start school there were no other children in the area so they sent her to stay with an aunt in Saco. After two years the family moved into Whitewater for the winter so she could attend third grade there. From fourth grade through eighth grade there were enough children to open the Plainsview country school.

Plainsview School started April 1 and ended with the Christmas (Continued on page 15)

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PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Christmas Books

By Connie Daugherty Books, books everywhere and never enough time to read. While none of us will probably ever manage to read all the books we want to, we keep on trying. This time of year I especially get lost in my favorite bookstore — particularly in the Montana section. There is just something special about Montana authors — whether it’s the sense of place that pervades so many of the books, the writing styles that touch the mind and heart, or the development of characters who are memorable and familiar— Montana authors are unique and prolific. One of the best things about writing this column is that I can curl up with a book by one of those talented Montana authors and tell my husband and family that I’m working. And it is just as rewarding to discover a new talent as it is to read something by one of my favorite “old” stand-by authors.

While I have to admit that I like reading just about every kind of book, mysteries and history are among my favorites. And Montana writers produce plenty of both. An author who I just recently discovered, Jim Moore of Bozeman, has combined both in his novel, Ride the Jawbone. Set in central Montana in 1902, this murder mystery takes the reader immediately back to the early days of Montana’s statehood. Although the story really is centered on the murder, the historic details about ranch life and the politics of the day add an intriguing layer to the book.

Another new Montana mystery author is Warner B. Bair II, from Deer Lodge. His 2011 novel, The Manse, is the second in his Anonymous Man series and both books have been well received nationally. The books are short and fast-paced so are quick reads with familiar Montana settings and interesting characters. This new writer is definitely one to keep an eye on.

James Lee Burke, a long-time Montana mystery writer, also had another winner published in 2011. In Feast Day for Fools, Burke takes his fans back to Texas for his third Sheriff Hackberry Holland, novel. As with most Burke novels, the characters carry the story — the less-than-perfect hero sheriff, the bad guys, and the folks they meet along the way.

B.J. Daniels brings the Cardwell siblings back together again in Justice at Cardwell Ranch, an October, 2012, Harlequin Intrigue release. Awardwinning journalist turned award-winning mystery writer, B.J. Daniels always delivers a good story.

While there is a guarantee of romance in every Daniels book, the mystery really drives the story and this latest adventure in no exception. The return of Jordan, Stacy, and Clay to Big Sky, Montana can only mean trouble for their sister, Dana — are they back to renew the old battle over ownership of the family ranch? While she cannot help but love her siblings, she does not trust them. And, as usual, they each have their own agenda — an agenda that can either bring this family back together or drive them apart forever.

Sometimes real life stories can hold as much adventure and surprise as fiction. The biography of Miles City’s Elsie Fox is just such a book. Elsie Fox: Portrait of an Activist by Karen Stevenson with Elsie Fox is an amazing tribute to an amazing woman. “I became a political progressive,” Elsie is quoted as having said. “If you are passionate about seeking the truth, being ostracized is part of the package.” Although over the years people may have disagreed with Elsie Fox’s political stance, in the long-run she won the respect of almost everyone she came in contact with because she was honest, passionate, and always seeking the truth — maybe that is what kept her active and involved when she was over 100. “Every day that I get up, I’m interested in life, in politics, in people…

I love life.” Elsie’s love of life and willingness to be always in the fray was what endeared her to even her opponents. And Karen Stevenson’s biography is a great tribute to a great woman.

While Karen Stevenson tells a story of Montana’s political history in biography, Marcia Melton, another first time writer, tells a tale of another female activist in her children’s historic novel, The Boarding House. Forced to leave their home in Butte when their father is killed in a mine accident, young Emmie and Conrad Hynes find themselves in Philipsburg. Set in 1914, The Boarding House provides a child’s perspective on loss, on dangerous mining practices, political intrigue, and the fight for women’s suffrage. A nice children’s story to complement Stevenson’s serious adult biography.

Charlie Russell is probably the most written about Montanan of all time — he was a talented artist; but, according to Jane Lambert, “his cowboy years of 1882-1893 were virtually skipped.” In her extensively researched book, Charlie Russell, the Cowboy Years, edited by Nancy Morrison and Linda Grosskopf, Lambert sets out to explore the details of those generally ignored years. An avid horsewoman, she was first interested in Charlie’s horses and from that the rest of the story just grew.

Although Lambert’s book is about Charlie the cowboy rather than Charlie the artist, she brings a renewed perspective to the artist by focusing first on the cowboy, his friends, and his horses — his models for his future work.

Two books by University of Montana professors that seemingly have nothing in common actually complement each other and are both interesting reference reads. Mammals of Montana by Kerry R. Foresman with some fantastic photos by Alexander Badyaev details the taxonomy, ecology, behavior, and distribution of all 109 mammal species n Montana from the pygmy shrew to the bison. With each explanation, Foresman includes a “scientific discovery” that gives the history of the species in Montana.

In Montana Before History: 11,000 Years of Hunter-Gathers in the Rockies and Plains, Douglas H. MacDonald, another U of M professor, details Montana’s prehistoric times — much of that history includes Montana’s native people’s interaction with the animals that shared this land with them. Both books pay tribute to Montana’s natural environment and

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

and remind readers why this is such a special place.

Pictures and words, fact and fiction, prose and poetry, Montana authors create it all. The books suggested here, and in the book review column throughout the year are just a few of the wonderful works produced by talented Montana folks. Some, like Ivan Doig (who has a new book out that we will discuss in the next issue), Tom McGuane, Mary

Clearman Blew, Richard Wheeler, Loretta Lynde, and Stan Lynde, and others are well known. Others are less established, but not necessarily less talented. To find a Montana book that is right for you or for giving, visit your local bookstore and check out the Montana section. Discover, share, and enjoy! MSN

Remember When School Was Five Miles Through The Snow Each Way Experience school in a whole new way in Charlotte Caldwell’s Visions and Voices: Montana’s One-Room Schoolhouses. Get a one-room schoolhouse education of both yesterday and today from those who experienced what it was like to attend a one-room schoolhouse firsthand.

Charlotte Caldwell traveled across Montana gathering the stories and the oral histories of Montana’s one-room schoolhouses. Collected in Visions and Voices are the stories of those most familiar with these rural treasures. Teachers and students tell of traveling to and from school, recess activities, an average school day, and family life. Mostly they speak of a way of life and a sense of community that is decaying along with these structures.

Schoolhouses across Montana are disappearing in the face of harsh elements and with them a culture and a history. That is why the net profits from the sale of this book will be donated to the Preserve Montana Fund and used to preserve as many of these historic structures as possible before it is too late. The Montana History Foundation manages the PMF as a joint endeavor with the Montana Preservation Alliance to support the preservation of Montana’s rich heritage and secure the future of Montana’s past.

For additional information or if you would like to purchase a book, please call the Montana History Foundation at 406-449-3770 or visit montanahistoryfoundation.org. MSN

So, You Want To Write And Publish A Book?

By Gail Jokerst Publishing a book yourself is much like trekking to a mountain pass – if you are persistent, you will reach your goal by taking one step at a time. I won’t say that self-publishing is a fast or easy endeavor but it is incredibly satisfying when you can finally hold your book in hand and share it with the world.

As a recently published book author, I find people are often curious about the process I went through to create my new cookbook, The Hungry Bear Kitchen: Recipes and Writings. Although my experience was with writing a cookbook, I doubt the approach that authors of other genres take varies much from my path to publication. As newbies at self-publishing, we all have to begin with some key questions to propel our project forward.

A good place to start is by asking yourself: What are my goals with this book? Who is my intended audience? And, how will I market and sell the book?

Whether you are considering penning a memoir or a mystery, you need to be clear about your reasons for wanting to self-publish. Are you embarking on this literary adventure to satisfy a yearning to tell a special story or to capture history that could be lost? Do you want to entertain or inform others, to persuade people to make better decisions about resources, or for some combination of reasons? There is no right answer here, just a clarification for yourself so you know if your investment of time and money is worthwhile.

In my case, the goal was to share a selection

of favorite recipes that I have collected since childhood and to reprint some of my previously published food essays from The Christian Science Monitor. Since I am constantly sending recipes all over the country, I felt this would simplify my life and at the same time preserve those essays in book form. I also wanted to earn money from the project by creating a product I could sell locally and on-line.

Next come the questions of who would be interested in reading your book and why they might want to read it or buy it as a gift for someone else. When you identify your target audience, it is easier to stay on track with your writing so you always keep in mind what will appeal to them. Getting the book into the best possible marketplace will be based in part on figuring out who your intended audience is.

The most successful self-published authors I know are people with “built-in”

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

PAGE 14 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

audiences. Some travel to teach, hold workshops, attend conferences, or make presentations, and bring their books along with them to sell. Others participate in local festivals and fairs where they can rent booth space to display and sell their work. Either way, many have websites and/or social networking connections through Twitter and Facebook to promote their work.

Since I live by Glacier National Park, my intended customer base includes visitors to the Flathead Valley as well as local residents, friends here and around the nation, and neighbors who like to cook. Considering many people deem themselves armchair chefs, I also geared The Hungry Bear Kitchen to have enough story-telling power to satisfy that yen in others without ever having to puree a soup or peel a potato. During the summer, I bake treats for the West Glacier Farmers’ Market, so I knew I had a sales outlet there.

In addition, I planned to offer the book to area gift shops and bookstores and to advertise and sell it through my own web site.

If you have not yet considered the physical format you would like your book to have, it helps to study other books and how they were put together.

Start with some of your favorite titles in the same genre as yours. If you like the looks of those books, identify the features you appreciate most and include them in your volume. Do the bindings and fonts work for you? How about the weight and feel of the covers and pages? Would you want your book to be the same or different? Are the sizes comfortable? Do you like the

graphics? And speaking of graphics, what ideas are you contemplating for cover art and – where applicable – page illustrations?

When you have answers to these questions plus an inkling of how many pages your book will require, you are getting closer to talking with printers about cost estimates. One of the first things you will find out is the larger the quantity you order, the lower the per-book cost. The problem is guesstimating how many books you think you can sell. Provided you have a place to store lots of boxes, consider ordering a large quantity if you have funds available and are not in a hurry to see a return on your dollars. With savings interest rates currently so low, investing in yourself can make sense for aspiring authors willing to work hard at promoting their works.

Another thing you will discover is that pricing can vary widely from printer to printer so it is a good idea to get as many estimates as possible. Start locally where you can speak face to face with people knowledgeable in the business. Then expand to on-line estimates from out-of-state printers. You will have to pay a shipping fee if you place your order with them but the estimate may well be low enough to cover that cost. You won’t know until you investigate.

You can learn more about Gail Jokerst and The Hungry Bear Kitchen: Recipes and Writings at gailjokerst.com .MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

Sally Austin of Whitewater - continued from page 11 program. After that, Sally helped her dad. She graduated from eighth grade at the country school in December. The county superintendent of schools thought it was too long a break from December to September, so she arranged for Sally to sit in on classes in Saco. That was the cold winter of 194950 and she says she didn’t miss working outside that year. Instead she sat in on the classes that interested her and just had a good time.

For her first years of high school she boarded in Whitewater and worked in a store for N.J. Brant.

His daughter-in-law had a hip problem and needed help caring for her two babies. Sally enjoyed helping them and this home-economics teacher taught Sally a lot about cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, and child care.

Sally says she picked Harry Austin, Jr. out when she was a third grader at Whitewater. “Somehow I always knew I would marry him,” she says.

Harry makes no such claim. He noticed Sally when she was about 12, sitting by the stove in the store in Whitewater. She had come in with her dad after gathering poles. “I was dressed a little too warm for him,” she admits. Her fashion accessories included a toasty hat with earflaps and 5-buckle overshoes.

She was one credit short of graduating from high school when they got married in December.

The rest of the winter they rode to school on horses. He went on to the ranch to feed, and then met her at noon for the three mile ride back home.

She had a long coat to keep herself warm, but “Tex” was not a patient horse. “He started off when you put your foot in the stirrup and you better swing on or he went without you,” she says. “I came to town like Batman. I wasn’t too warm but he was fast so it didn’t take long.”

The Austin ranch south of Whitewater was

established in 1899. Two brothers, Jim and Lyman walked 33 miles from Malta, counting their steps so they could record it at the land office. They did an impressive job, very close to the surveys done later.

Ella J. Austin, Harry’s grandmother, was the first married woman to ship a carload of cattle with her own brand on them to Sioux City. The Great Northern had a branch line that ran from Saco to Whitewater, Turner, and Hogeland and back, which shipped out a lot of cattle and wheat and brought in the mail and freight.

Martha Austin, Harry’s mom, was the first married woman to prove up on a homestead. She filed when she was a single teacher at the White Elephant school. Single women could take up a homestead but married women could not. When she married she took her case to an attorney Jim Harrison in Malta. He helped her get her homestead, even traveling to Washington D.C. with it.

Typically, Sally’s life as a ranch wife was very busy. “I was blessed with good health and there was plenty to do,” she says, adding that it wasn’t much different from the way other people lived.

She fed hired men three times a day. One year they ended up with 18 men bucking bales. She fed them in shifts, cooking just about every thing in the freezer and the garden. One man liked the beets so well he ate them for dessert. She laughs because he sent a Christmas card that winter that said, “I think of those beets every time I think of you guys.”

Of the hired men, she says, “I have no idea how many there might have been but most of them were friends for life.” The only other person in her graduating class worked for them for 18 years. “We had a class reunion every day,” she jokes.

Sally was also busy with the five babies. It was 38 years from the time the first one started school

till the last one finished college without a break.

Between parents, children, and hired men, Sally says, “It wasn’t till 1992 that Harry and I ever had a meal by ourselves. It was so funny we giggled all the way through the dinner because there was nobody else at the table.”

Although the children are grown and their daughter and son-in-law take care of much of the ranch business, Sally still has plenty to do. She does the bookkeeping for the ranch and enjoys cooking, reading, and writing. She’s served on the church board and the library board and attends meetings regarding ranch and other interests.

She is a member of the Phillips County Council on Aging and she spends time each week visiting people in the nursing home. She feels a special connection with Alzheimer’s patients who can share stories of the past century even if they don’t remember the present. Because her roots go deep into Philips County, she remembers the people they knew and the events that tested them over the years.

She’s seen many changes herself. Some of them are good, like the advent of electricity to the area in the 1950s and the recent paving of the road to Whitewater after 50 years of trying to get it done.

They survived the challenges of big fires and bad droughts. The coyotes put them out of the sheep business, although they’d raised sheep for 90 years on the place.

The best and most rewarding part of her life is the people. The Austins and her parents were excellent guides and wonderful people, she remembers, and today she relishes the time spent with the older people in Phillips County.

She likes them and they like her. “And that,” she says, “is as good as it gets.” MSN

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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Try These Easy, Colorful Christmas Treats

By Bernice Karnop

Do you remember standing on a chair in your grandma's kitchen and stirring the chocolate chips into a bowl full of dough? Now it's your turn to make memories like this with the little ones in your family. Before you groan about the mess, look at the following recipes. They are easy to make and easy to clean up. The kids will love to eat them and will love to share them with family and friends.

Don't forget to take a few photos for the memory book!

Dipped Cake Mix Cookies Stir together one box of chocolate cake mix, ½-cup oil, and two eggs. Bake in a pan for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. When cool, cut into pieces and remove from pan. And then dip one side of each piece into melted white chocolate and then press gently into crushed candy canes, mint chocolate chips, or festive sprinkles.

Easy Sugar Cookies Sam's Club pre-mixed sugar cookies are very good, very easy, and make a fun cutout cookie. Follow the directions, bake, and cool. Make frosting with butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and dilute with a little milk to make a glaze. Frost the cookies and top with festive sprinkles. The glaze will hold the sprinkles and harden enough not to be sticky.

Pretty Pretzel Candy Set rows of pretzels on a cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with one Rolo candy and set in the oven for 3-4 minutes to soften the Rolo. Pull them out, press one M&M onto the Rolo, and let it cool. These won't last long on the plate!

Curb-Your-Cravings Caramel Popcorn Melt ½ stick of margarine and ½-cup brown sugar in a pan on the top of the stove. Add 10 Kraft marshmallows and stir until they melt.

Pour over one bag of microwave popcorn. Cool and eat your yummy caramel popcorn.

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Bolster and Protect Your Retirement Funds Before the 2012 Clock Runs Out

By Teresa Ambord Time is just about up to take any necessary actions to maximize your retirement savings for 2012 and avoid certain IRS penalties. Here are some reminders of what you must do – depending on your age and investments – and what you may want to do before December 31.

• Are You Considering a Conversion to a Roth IRA? If so, take steps soon to accomplish the conversion for 2012. If the funds are being taken out of one IRA (Traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE) and rolled into a Roth IRA you have 60 days to roll the money into the Roth even if it is completed after the first of the new year. But if you want the conversion to count for 2012, the distribution must occur before December 31 of this year.

Keep in mind, when you convert to a Roth you will pay ordinary income tax on the funds now, as opposed to deferring the taxes into the future. The tax bill can be hefty, so ask your trusted financial advisor to estimate the amount you will owe before you decide.

Why would you want to convert and pay tax now? The answer depends on what you think will happen with your personal tax bracket or with tax rates in general in the future. If you foresee your income rising enough to push you to a higher tax bracket, or if you believe Congress is going to raise taxes after the first of the year, it might be smart to take the tax hit now while rates are still low.

It’s always a good idea to talk such decisions over with your financial advisor for your particular situation. And while you are at it, if you choose to convert to a Roth IRA remind your adviser to deposit the funds as a Roth conversion, not a rollover. This should help ensure the transaction is accurately reported to the IRS. You’re probably gearing up for the holidays and don’t want to think too much about your investments. But don’t wait too long. In the final weeks of the year, financial institutions are swamped with requests for investment changes. To deal with that, many of them set deadlines for making those requests and you may miss your opportunity. While there is time, talk to your adviser to find out what deadlines may apply.

• Are you 70 ½ or older? If so, and you have a Traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRA, you must take annual required minimum distributions (also called RMDs) from your retirement accounts. If you haven’t already done so for 2012, you must do this by December 31 or face an IRS penalty of a whopping 50% of the amount you failed to take. If you are not sure how much your required minimum distribution must be, ask your plan administrator to calculate it for you. In fact, he or she should have done this last January (and every year) and sent you a reminder.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

Exceptions: • If you turned 70½ in 2012, you have until April 1, 2013 to receive your first payment. Just bear in mind that this is generally taxable income. You will still be required to take another payment by the end of 2013, which means that you will have two taxable payments in 2013. This could be enough to push you into a higher tax bracket. Also, if you suspect Congress will raise taxes in 2013, you will be exposing yourself to a much higher tax bill than you would if you took your first distribution in 2012.

• You may also defer receiving payment if you are still working, and if you participate in a qualified plan that allows you to defer receiving payments. In the future, you can avoid having to think about RMDs every year by asking your plan administrator to arrange for automatic distributions.

• Are you the beneficiary of a retirement account? If so, you may also have to take an RMD by December 31 from this account, if it is subject to a life expectancy option. As with other retirement accounts, failure to take the required amounts can result in a hefty 50% penalty.

Depending on when the owner of the account passed away and how the retirement account is The Montana Department of Revenue can help you. structured, you may be able to waive this penalty by switching to what is known as a five-year option. } Need help deciding which tax form to use?

Don’t make this decision without talking it over with your financial advisor to be sure it is the wise move. } Need information on how to electronicall\ ¿le \our tax return?

If there are multiple beneficiaries, you may want } Wonder if you qualify for the Elderly Homeowner/Renter to establish separate accounts for each.

Credit worth up to $1,000 or for Property Tax Assistance?

Otherwise, all beneficiaries will be subject to the same rules, which are based on the life expectancy of the oldest beneficiary. To establish separate acVisit us online at revenue.mt.gov or call us toll-free counts, you must act no later than the end of the year at (866) 859-2254 (in Helena, 444-6900). after the year the owner of the account passed away.

In other words, if the owner of the account passed away in 2011, you must act no later than December 31, 2012.

• Do you need to reduce your taxable estate? As another year ends, the fate of the estate tax is in jeopardy yet again. If you die in 2012 with an estate worth less than $5.12 million, you may escape estate tax altogether.

But depending on what Congress does, if you die in 2013, the exemption may drop to $1 million, plus the tax on the amount over $1 million may jump significantly.

If you plan to reduce your taxable estate, you may want to take advantage of the gifting rules. Currently you can give up to $13,000 each year to as many people as you wish, without incurring a gift tax. If you are married and your spouse splits the gift with you, you can safely give a total of $26,000 to each recipient. The gifting amounts actually improve for 2013, rising to $14,000 and $28,000 respectively.

Again, talk it over with your advisor, but don’t wait too long. The sands in the 2012 hourglass are running out.

When the hourglass is empty, you may have missed some deadlines, or opportunities to protect and therefore bolster your savings, and minimize taxes.

Teresa Ambord is a former accountant and Enrolled Agent with the IRS. Now she writes full time from her home, mostly for business, and about family when the inspiration strikes. MSN

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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Its website at revenue.mt.gov contains helpful Montana income tax information, free electronic filing, downloadable forms and instructions, important updates and filing tips, as well as online payment of current and back-year taxes.

“Electronic filing is a great option,” said revenue director Dan Bucks. “Taxpayers who file their tax return electronically and also request direct deposit are in the best possible situation. That combination can get your refund to you in a week or less.”

Taxpayers can phone the department call center for assistance toll-free at 1-866-859-2254 between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday or dial the local number 406-444-6900.

During income tax season, the department also offers taxpayer assistance at its headquarters in Helena and its local office in Missoula between 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, taxpayers are also invited to visit any of the department’s local offices throughout the state during normal business hours, if they need the most commonly used state tax forms, schedules and instructions. MSN

Taking Care of Mom and Dad: A Labor of Love With Possible Tax Breaks

By Teresa Ambord Taking care of our elderly parents is something that we do, just because we’re family and we love them. But an additional tax break or two wouldn’t hurt. Even if your parent does not live in the same home as you, you may be eligible for some help at tax time.

If you provide your parent with regular financial support, you may be able to take a dependency exemption for him or her. In 2012, that exemption is equal to $3,800.

To qualify, the following must be true: • Your parent does not file a joint tax return for the year.

• He or she must have gross income less than $3,800 in 2012. This does not include the non-taxable portion of Social Security payments.

• You must provide more than half of your parent’s financial support. (See sidebar for details about what is and is not support.)

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it may pay for you to kick in a little extra to push yourself over the halfway point. Keep an itemized list of your support vs. your parent’s support, and attach it to your copy of tax records. For an additional exemption of $3,800, it could be well worth the effort.

What If Your Siblings Also Contribute?

If you and your siblings share the support of a parent, you may be able to set up a “multiple support agreement,” by filing an IRS Form 2120.

This means that although two or more of you contribute to the support of a parent, only one is allowed to take the dependency exemption. You may decide to alternate among the siblings so the others can take the benefit too. Just keep in mind that only siblings who pay more than 10% of the parent’s support can qualify. For the sake of family harmony, also put the agreement in writing.

Do You Pay Medical Expenses for Your Parent?

If you pay for at least half of your parent’s financial support, you may also be able to deduct

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

amounts you pay for his or her unreimbursed medical expenses, by adding them to your own medical expenses. This is generally true even if your parent is not your dependent and does not live in your home.

Of course, it’s seldom a slam-dunk to deduct unreimbursed medical expenses on your return, no matter whom they are for, because they have to exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. And then, only the amount that actually surpasses this hurdle is deductible.

Unreimbursed expenses include your share of health insurance premiums, co-payments for doctor visits and prescription drugs, dental and vision care costs, amounts paid before insurance deductibles are covered, and medical expenses paid for your parent if you provide more than 50 percent of support. You can also include qualified long-term care insurance premiums subject to age-based limits: For individuals 51-60 the maximum amount paid for long-term care insurance that you can treat as a medical expense in 2012 is $1,310. For those 61-70, the maximum is $3,500. For those older than 70, the maximum is $4,370. You can also deduct part of the fees you pay for your parent to enter and reside in a retirement home that provides medical and nursing care. Often that is enough to push you over the threshold.

Hired Help to Care for Your Parent If your parent cannot be left alone while you work (or go to school full-time, or search for work,

or if you are disabled) and you must pay someone to stay with him or her, this cost might qualify as a medical expense. Better still; the money you pay out might get you a credit for dependent care.

Be aware, this does not mean a babysitter. The person must provide nursing-type services, and the amounts you pay must not be reimbursed.

Credits are generally more valuable than deductions, because they are subtracted dollar for dollar from your tax bill while deductions lower the income on which you are taxed. This credit is also possible if you are actively searching for a job, if you are a full-time student, or if you are disabled. The amount depends on your income.

Filing Status Boost If you are a taxpayer who must file your tax return as “single,” your parent may make you eligible to file as “head of household” instead, causing you to owe less taxes. In order to file as head of household you must pay more than half of the costs of maintaining a home for your parent, and your parent must be your dependent (although he or she does not have to live with you). For example, your mother who lives in a retirement home can still qualify you to file as head of household if you meet the other standards.

Your tax preparer should be able to answer any questions you might have about the tax benefits available. Tax breaks or not, we take care of our own. After all, what comes around goes around, and they took care of us from day one.

Assistance provides a little extra cushion so that

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21

we can take care of Mom and Pop more easily.

More About Support, from the IRS Support includes the cost of items like food, medical and dental expenses, a place to live, transportation and furniture. The IRS states that your parent’s funds are not considered support unless they are actually spent for support.

IRS example: Your mother received $2,400 in Social Security benefits and $300 in interest.

She paid $2,000 for lodging and $400 for recreation. She put $300 in a savings account. Even though your mother received a total of $2,700 ($2,400 + $300), she spent only $2,400 ($2,000 + $400) for her own support. If you spent more than $2,400 for her support and no other support was received, you have provided more than half of her support.

What does not count as support?

• Federal, state, and local income taxes paid by persons from their own income.

• Social Security and Medicare taxes paid by persons from their own income.

• Life insurance premiums.

• Funeral expenses.

Teresa Ambord is a former accountant and Enrolled Agent with the IRS. Now she writes full time from her home, mostly for business, and about family when the inspiration strikes. MSN

How to Search for Forgotten Money your Loved Ones Left Behind

By Jim Miller Lost or forgotten money is actually quite common in the U.S. In fact, according National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, nearly $33 billion in unclaimed assets is sitting in state treasuries and other agencies just waiting to be found.

These unclaimed assets are from some 117 million accounts that are inactive or whose owners or their heirs cannot be located. Unclaimed assets can include things like lost or forgotten investments or bank accounts, Social Security payments, utility deposits, tax refunds, life insurance proceeds, stocks, un-cashed dividends and more.

This typically happens because of a change of address (the owner moved), a name change (the owner got married or divorced), or the owner dies and the estate was unaware of the money or the heirs could not be located. By law, companies and financial institutions that can’t find the owner or their next of kin within two to five years must turn the property over to the state where it’s held indefinitely.

Where to Search – It’s very possible that your deceased parents, or you, have some unclaimed assets out there and you don’t even know it. To start your quest, go to missingmoney. com or unclaimed.org, both of which contain records from most state unclaimed property programs.

Check every state in which you or your parents have lived, worked or conducted business. Also search using maiden names and any previous names, as well as middle names and middle initials. Every state can tell you immediately if your parents or you have some unclaimed property, as well as how to go about collecting it. If you don’t have a computer, you can call the state treasurer’s office for assistance.

Look Here Too – Beyond state treasuries, here are some other agencies you should check for lost loot, along with a few resources that can help you search.

• IRS: Each year thousands of refund checks totaling millions of dollars are returned to the IRS by the post office. To look for lost tax refund checks go to IRS. gov and click on “Individuals,” then on “Where’s My Refund,” or call 800-829-1954.

• U.S. Treasury: To find out if there are any savings bonds your parents didn’t claim dating back to 1974, go to treasurydirect.gov and click on “Check Treasury Hunt to see if you own

matured savings bonds.” For older bonds or those still drawing interest, use form 1048 which you can download at www. treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf.

• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.: If you or your parents worked for a company that went out of business or ended its defined benefit pension plan, you may be entitled to some of their benefits. Check at pbgc.gov and click on “Missing Participants Search.”

• The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits: To search for lost 401(k) plans, try unclaimedretirementbenefits.com where plan sponsors, administrators and custodians register missing participants who have unclaimed retirement funds.

• Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.: Search for unclaimed bank accounts at firms that were shut down between 1989 and 1993 go to www2. fdic.gov/funds. State treasuries hold assets from shutdowns after 1993.

• Social Security: To find lost Social Security benefits, including the $255 death benefit, call 800-7721213.

• American Council of Life Insurers: If you think your parents had a life-insurance policy try missingmoney.com, or for more tips go to acli.com and click on “Missing Policy Tips.”

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

PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

The Montana Tech Foundation – Simple Impacts

Planned Giving Is Part Of Your Estate Planning

What we do is simple. We solicit and collect funds and then distribute them according to the donor’s wishes. It is simple, but the impact is profound.

Every day I see the power of giving… in the lives of our students and faculty, and in our academic programs. I’ve talked with students, read their thank-you letters, and have come to appreciate fully how in very real ways our donors make it possible for students to reach their educational goals.

Without private support, some of these students would not be able to attend college at all – and that Montana Tech degree does make a difference. I have seen students graduate, move into careers that offer them wonderful opportunities, establish their own families, and have an impact on their companies and communities. I’m excited about the difference these students will make in the world – in fact, we all depend on it.

Our work is simple, but none of it happens without you. To begin a conversation about the difference you can make, contact Michael Barth, Executive Director of the Montana Tech Foundation, at 406-496-4233 or mbarth@mtech.edu. MSN

By Max Bellamy (EzineArticles.com/196780) Estate planning involves distributing your assets after death to such organizations and people according to your wishes with minimum legal complications and the least tax consequence. And estate planning is not just for the wealthy; nor is it something to be contemplated when you reach the ripe old age of eighty.

Anybody, irrespective of age, with assets and the desire to provide for causes or people after death would be doing a great service by planning one’s estate. And the best time to plan your estate is now when you are still alive and have the requisite mental health to make rational decisions.

An estate plan made during an illness affecting contracting capacity can be challenged, complicating matters for beneficiaries. Remember, death or a debilitating illness affecting your legal capacity to contract might strike you any day; therefore, you should prepare for that eventuality beforehand.

The first step in planning your estate is to take stock of all your material possessions (technically referred to as “estate”), and then determine their value. Typical items comprising the estate include: house(s) and land; bikes, cars, planes and boats; cash-in-hand; savings accounts, pension accounts; certificates of deposits; stocks, bonds, and mutual funds; insurance and annuities; employee benefits; jewelry, furniture, art collections; ownership rights/interests in businesses; and claims against others. Mind you, the list is not exhaustive and your debts and obligations to others are also a part of your estate.

Next, line up the details of your beneficiaries - names of organizations or charities, names of individuals, their addresses, and ages as appropriate.

In addition, you should determine who should be the trustees/guardians in case the beneficiaries are minors at the time of planning the estate. In addition, you must identify an executor of the estate. It would be easy if you line up pre- and post-nuptial agreements, divorce decrees, previous wills, deeds of real estate property, and latest tax returns before you consult a professional estate planner.

Though small estates might be easy to plan, it is advisable to take the help of professional estate planners, including attorneys and CPAs, to explore all the possibilities to reduce tax incidence.

Remember, estate planning is not a one-time affair. Any change in your marital status, death of beneficiaries, a birth of a child, changes in the law, or desire to support different organizations will require a review of the plan. MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

The Fun Way to Pitch Good Money after Bad

By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: Let us say you get on a once in a lifetime winning streak. Will the casino allow you to start betting more than the highest table maximum in the casino? John T. Most, Joe, probably will not, principally because two possible scenarios threaten the casino.

The bloke that comes in and starts doubling his initial $25 wager, wins 15 hands in a row, and walks out a slum dog millionaire, or a player who has too much capital. The latter happened in Las Vegas when the late Australian billionaire, Kerry Packer, beat the MGM out of $26 million, most of it while playing blackjack. The casino finally barred him, not because he was a card counter, but because he was more capitalized than the casino. A lucky streak by some Joe Schmoe or a player with more financial resources than the house can put the casino in jeopardy of a serious whupping. Ah, but there are exceptions to the rule, one of which I just so happened to read about last week.

A gentleman from Hawaii had this dream of home ownership, and he figured the quickest way to raise the needed capital was one spin at the roulette wheel in Las Vegas. He shopped around by calling eight different casinos trying to place the bet, finding that they all said $20,000 was the maximum on a single wager, except one. Binion’s said, bring it on, so with $66,200 riding on “even,” ta-da, winner EIGHT! Terry Caudill, owner of Binion’s and the Four Queens Hotel & Casino, later stated, “We are in the gambling business; this is what we do. I consider these kinds of requests on a case-by-case basis.”

Good for Caudill, great for the player, but let me be very clear – Yours Truly is not advocating this money management technique.

One more thing before I close this out, I mentioned someone who could double up an initial winning wager then streak their way to owning the casino, but far too many players also believe this system, the Martingale system, is foolproof

when losing because you have to win eventually.

The three problems with this money management system are: 1) you do not have an inexhaustible bankroll; 2) the casino owns the bank and sets the rules – like the table limit; and 3) your hourly wage if you win could be something like $0.01.

Allow me to show you the fatal flaw with this form of wagering. You bet $25 and lose, then $50 to recoup that loss. Then $100, $200, $400, $800, $1,600, $3,200, and finally $6,400. You have just invested an extra $12,700 just to get your $25 back.

As for those table limits, on a $25 game, a string of 10 loses in a row, and your next bet would butt up against a 10K table limit, but you have already been wiped out in less than three minutes, so we might as well focus on the positive. Some pit boss will probably let you squeeze a $3.99 steak and eggs breakfast out of him.

Gambling Wisdom of the Day: “A gambler is nothing but a man who makes his living out of hope.” – William Bolitho MSN

Waterton Lakes National Park Knows No Boundaries Article & Photo By Bernice Karnop Waterton Lakes National Park is the smallest of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain Parks, and it is easy to over look because of its larger and more glamorous sisters to the north. However, Waterton is an important jewel in the Crown of the Continent for a number of reasons. The first one is that, together with Glacier National Park in Montana, it is the world’s first International Peace Park.

We spent a few warm and windless days in Waterton in the late fall just before things closed up for the winter. It was a great way to transition into fall after a busy summer.

Waterton, in southwest Alberta, is about an hour drive from Many Glacier on the Chief Mountain International Highway. The border crossing at Chief Mountain is not open in the winter and the hours of operation are shortened in the fall. Fortunately, the folks at the Crandell Mountain Lodge had warned us that the border here closes at 6 p.m. The border crossing times aren’t well signed, and when I mentioned this, the customs official agreed! If you miss the Chief Mountain crossing, drive to the Peigan Crossing and Cardston on Highway 89, and turn west back to Waterton on Canada Highway 5.

Waterton Park Townsite is small enough that it’s possible to leave your vehicle at the motel and walk to the boutiques and restaurants, and along the rocky beach. The year round population is around 100, and the deer

PAGE 24 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

population was about the same as the day we came. While it delights visitors to snap a close up picture of a spotted fawn with its mother, they are a nuisance and can be dangerous. People fence their flowers and shrubs, but deer can hurt dogs and more when they strike out with their sharp hooves. Waterton tries to herd them out but, as far as we could see, with limited success.

Our first stop was the Visitor Center. In addition to getting oriented to the town, you can make the short, steep climb up the Bearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hump. The panoramic views from here are worth the effort.

Across the way from the Bearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hump is the Prince of Wales Hotel, the iconic symbol of Waterton. While the rest of the town was bustling, the Prince of Wales was closed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has the shortest season of anything in Waterton,â&#x20AC;? Keith, a native who works at the Marina, told us.

Cameron Falls, one of the prettiest in the park, tumbles right into town about three blocks from our motel. The water slips down the rocks horizontally as well as vertically, creating a whimsical plaid effect. Adding to our delight, an electric blue Stellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jay flitted around in the branches above the falls.

Trailheads from the bridge at Cameron Falls lead into the timber to Alderson and Carthew Lakes.

You can also walk from Cameron Falls past the sizable townsite campground to other trailheads. In the summer, rangers guide a hike of 3.5 miles through luscious wildflowers to Bertha Falls. Rangers guide the longer International Peace Park hike, which goes for 8 miles along the lakeshore to the Ranger Station at Goat

Haunt. You can ride the boat back for a fee.

Movement of the Lewis Overthrust fault accounts for the sudden plains-to-mountains transition on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. This uplifting and folding is what forced the ancient Precambrian rock over the top of the younger Cretaceous formations creating some fascinating land forms and habitats.

Waterton is the narrowest point on the Rocky Mountain corridor. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one reason for the amazing diversity within its 195 square mile border, not only of the landforms but also of all living things. Waterton claims 60 species of mammals, 24 species of fish, 8 species of reptiles, and 250 species of birds. There are 45 different habitats in Waterton. Watch for them stitched together like a quilt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; grasslands, wetlands, aspen groves, evergreen forests, and alpine tundra, to name a few.

Although hiking is a great way to see the park, Watertonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scenic parkways, (where you drive, not park) take you out to where you can mingle with the wildlife and check out the flowers. The Red Rock Parkway lends the best views of the collision between prairie and mountains. Fall is a good time to watch bugling elk in this madefor-elk habitat. At the end of the 9-mile drive is the Red Rock Canyon where we did the short loop hike to see the deep and colorful rocky canyon. We walked up Blakiston Creek to Blakiston Falls. Small wildlife like squirrels, chipmunks, and mountain chickadee popped in and out like a Snow White movie. A dozen mountain goats posed high on the mountain across from the falls.

Other trails lead into the backcountry from here.

The Akamina Parkway leads to lovely Cameron Lake and several other backcountry trailheads. We drove this toward evening and were surprised by a snowshoe hare sitting in the middle of the road, the first one weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen in the wild.

Waterton Lakes National Park was designated by Canada in 1895. Glacier became a National Park in 1910. Because they adjoined each other and because only man recognizes international borders, Rotary clubs in Montana and Canada generated the idea of an International Peace Park. Governments of Canada and U.S. designated them as such in 1932. Today there are a number of International Peace Parks in the world that preserve the natural lands across borders.

Glacier/Waterton has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This summer they worked toward becoming the first International Dark Sky Preserve in the world. This recognizes the dark skies in the park and aims to change how people value being able to see into the night sky. When visitors experience the darkness they realize it truly is a scenic resource, one that light pollution is quickly destroying. In fact, by 2025, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predicted that there will be no dark skies left in the contiguous United States. Already less than half of the population can see the Milky Way from their backyards.

These are a few reasons for visiting Waterton, but really, the list knows no boundaries. MSN

Salamander Crossings at Waterton Lakes National Park Article & Photo By Bernice Karnop My first response was to laugh. I thought it was a joke. We were driving up to the visitor center in Waterton Lakes National Park where you know enough to watch for deer, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, great herds of elk, or bears.

So why is there a sign warning motorists of a lizard crossing?

The clerk at the hotel groused about its being some make-work foolishness invented by the park service, but when I looked it up, I found quite a dramatic tale.

First, the creatures in Waterton are not lizards but salamanders, specifically long-toed salamanders. They look a lot like lizards but they have thin, moist skin instead of scales.

They have four toes on the front feet, and unlike lizards, they have no claws. They need to be in the water sometimes and on the land sometimes.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably never seen a salamander. They are small, silent, and nocturnal. Only four to seven inches long, salamanders burrow under logs and leaves and crawl under the rocks in the streams. What with all the big exciting wildlife in the Park, no one noticed that the little critters lived in Waterton.

No one noticed them, that is, until they redid the

road. A park employee in the fall of 1991 noticed the problem. He saw salamanders backed up in a mini-traffic jam on the pavement. Cars squashed them without even noticing. The salamanders struggled to get up and over the new steep curbs on their necessary migration to tiny Linnet Lake, which sits near the roadway between Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes.

During the spring migration in 1992, the scenario repeated itself but the word was out. One of Watertonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small residents needed some help. That April, volunteers turned out to manually carry more than 2,000 salamanders across the road!

This discovery led to a two-year study done by Julie Fukumoto of the University of Calgary as part of her Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Degree. She identified several threats to salamanders, including loss of habitat, stocking non-native fish that eat their eggs, salting the roads, and chlorine releases from the hotel.

Park officials, surprised by this sizable population of salamanders, began looking for solutions to help this quiet, unassuming creature who shares the park with the big guys. They installed salamander-friendly curbs and drainage tiles, and they removed the problem curbs. Now that they know why the salamander crosses the road, IN steps have been taken Seasonal / Year Round to protect them from becoming road kill.

So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t laugh when you see the Lizard Crossing sign in Waterton. In fact, )XOO\ IXUQLVKHG PRELOH KRPH UHQWDOV VDOHV LQ D FRPPXQLW\ wherever you go, speak up for those on planet Rentals including lot space: 3 month lease from $1,250 PRQWKO\ Â&#x2021; 1 year lease from $550 monthly earth who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak Olympic Size Pool | Clubhouse with Activities / Billiards | Horseshoe Pits for themselves. MSN

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A Safe Haven For Lost And Homeless Pets Flathead County Animal Shelter is a low-kill pet care and adoption facility with the highest published “Live Release Rate” in Flathead County.

The small staff (six fulltime employees, one part time), handles 90% of the county’s lost, stray, and homeless cats and dogs.

In 2011, the shelter accepted over 1,400 dogs and over 700 cats. More than 96% of these pets were either reunited with their owners or found new homes, as the shelter’s policy on euthanasia

spares all but the critically injured, critically ill, or those with behavior is unsuitable for release.

Adoptable pets are altered, vaccinated, and microchipped.

The county’s budget for the facility allows for proper and humane care of the ever-expanding homeless pet population, but critically needed capital improvements have been relying on the generosity of donors. A building expansion for the housing of cats is currently on hold, and an

eventual increase in the dog-housing section is in the planning stage.

The shelter has seen several modest improvements in the past 3 years, and welcomes the public to please stop by and pay a visit. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday, 12 Noon - 6 PM, Saturday, 11 AM - 4 PM, closed on Sundays, Mondays, and holidays. For more information, please call 406-758-2414 or visit flathead.mt.gov/ animal. MSN

History Worth Celebrating – and Supporting! The Montana Historical Society The Montana Historical Society (MHS) is recognized statewide and nationally as “the place” for Montana history. MHS, since its establishment in 1865, has provided essential historical and cultural services in all areas of public history including research, curatorial, education, historic preservation, and publications.

As the guardian of Montana’s memory, we identify, preserve, and make available the tangible remains of our past. We are advocates for the protection and preservation of Montana history and historical resources.

We make history relevant – by furnishing an enjoyable learning experience for visitors and helping audiences make contemporary connections to Montana’s history in meaningful and personal ways. MHS educational outreach offerings share information, expertise, and programs that touch all

corners of our state and reach many people – school children, educators, history enthusiasts, and beyond.

The Montana Historical Society relies upon a broad network of folks like you that have lived – and love – Montana history to continue our mission to promote an understanding and appreciation of Montana’s cultural heritage – past, present, and future.

Your help is needed to support the work of celebrating Montana’s history! Please become a member of the Montana Historical Society, make a donation, double your contribution with an employer matching-gift, or leave a personal legacy. Please call 406-444-4713 or visit mhs.mt.gov/. We would love to hear from you! MSN

We Have Seen Santa Claus, and He is Us

By Bernice Karnop When Sheila Stone’s dad could no longer climb stairs, he was confined to the house. They needed a ramp but neither she nor they could afford the nearly $4,000 to pay for it. Sheila contacted My Neighbor in Need in Great Falls and today her dad is able to get in and out of the house in his wheelchair.

“I just think it is the best program to hit this country,” Sheila says. “You can put the need out in the public and those who are able can fill it.”

So who helped install a ramp in the house of these senior citizens?

“Santa Claus,” answers Dave Snuggs, founder of My Neighbor in Need, LLC. Dave imagines people in the grocery store, looking at one another and wondering, “Was that the person who helped me? Was that the person I helped?”

If you’ve had a bad day and you think people just don’t care, go to the website, www.myneighborinneed.org. Scroll through more than 550 needs that have been fulfilled by good neighbors in the seven months since they got it up and running.

“It restores your faith in humanity,” Dave says.

Dave’s always had faith in humanity. Back in 2001, he learned that a friend needed help but the friend wouldn’t tell anyone. Dave wished for a way that people could ask in a private, dignified way, and receive help from the community in the same manner.

It took more than a decade to figure it all out, but in March 2012, Dave launched My Neighbor in Need in Great Falls. “I’ve had a lot of ideas in my life, but I have to say God put this idea in my head and never let me forget it,” he says.

He takes little credit for himself.

“It’s a web site,” he “My Neighbor in Need in Great Falls has met more than 550 says. “Without peo- needs in a short seven months. Founder Dave Snuggs is ple caring and filling shown delivering this set of tires this winter.” [Photo courtesy the needs, it just a of Dave Snuggs] web site.”

RSVP and Cascade County Aging Services trained volunteers to use the computers and phones. Individuals or someone acquainted with them call with a request. My Neighbor in Need verifies that it is a need and not a want. It is posted on the My Neighbor in Need website. The Good Deed Doer sees it and writes a check directly to the business providing the service.

Operation costs are underwritten by Montana Farmer’s Union. Other community businesses offer discounts and donate services.

There’s little wiggle room for cheaters. When someone wants gas money to get to a funeral, volunteers ask for the name of the funeral home so they can call and verify the information before help is given.

They’ve had some unusual requests. An older woman lost her faithful feline companion and could not bear to throw it out so she wrapped it in a towel and put it in the back of her trailer. She wept when someone paid $68 to the shelter for cremation just hours after the need was posted.

“It was not about writing a check. It was about filling a need,” Dave says.

“Anyone can write a check.”

Not all needs are met with money. Most needs (Cont’d on page 32)

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

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We Have Seen Santa Claus - continued from page 26 are for things, and most of us have too many things. People ask for furniture and appliances or they need help with yard work, snow shoveling, and simple repairs.

This Santa spirit is not new, according to Dave. It’s what decent people have always done.

Back in 2003, Linda Sentz and others in Teton County started Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at www.neighborshelping.org, with a similar mission. They will collaborate with My Neighbor in Need to expand their services. People around the state are asking Dave to help them set up My Neighbor in Need programs in their towns. St. Vincent DePaul in Wisconsin will have its running soon.

Although the material is copyrighted and owned by Dave, he gives it

away free. He does require five things of people who want to use it. They are listed on the web site and none of them is financial.

“I’m sick and tired of Vets not getting the services they need, seniors being forgotten about, and the working poor not getting help,” he says.

He believes this is best done the old-fashioned way of neighbors meeting one another’s needs.

It is indeed more blessed to give than receive. “You are part of the solution,” says Dave. “Go help someone.”

In Great Falls, visit www.myneighborinneed.org and open the Current Need tab. You can also call 406-453-4357. MSN

Providing Care For Those Most In Need Since 2010, Cascade County has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children entering foster care due to child abuse and neglect. With this increase of children comes a decrease in the number of local foster homes and the availability of space for all of these children at the Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home (GFCRH).

Since 2010, the GFCRH has almost shifted gears and has become more of a long-term avenue, rather than a short-term facility for these children. For the first time ever, the GFCRH is raising children between different grade levels into adoption and for periods of up to a year – sometimes longer.

Our need remains great – and that is providing a safe haven for our community’s less fortunate children. For over 50 years, the GFCRH has provided foster services to our community’s children who have fallen victim to child abuse and neglect.

The need only increases for services and shelter to these children and yet the GFCRH remains the ONLY facility in Great Falls that provides foster services to children from infants to 18.

Supporting the GFCRH is supporting our community – and its children. For more information, call 406-727-4843. MSN

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Billings Native Spent Years in Peru

By Sue Hart Sister Catherine Nichol grew up in Billings, where she attended McKinley, Orchard, and Garfield grade schools before she transferred to the Fratt Catholic School in the fourth grade. Next came Lincoln Junior High and then Billings Senior, followed by a year spent working for the Billings Credit Bureau. As a youngster, she obviously moved around, perhaps setting a pattern for the rest of her life.

She first ventured away from home when she enrolled at St. Mary’s College (now University) in Leaven- [Photo by Kathleen Gilluly] worth, Kansas, which was operated by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL), the same order that staffed the Fratt School and established St. Vincent Hospital in Billings. After her first year at the college, she entered the novitiate – the first step in becoming a nun – and began her life as a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth.

After teaching for several years, Sister Catherine volunteered to go to Peru as a missionary.

She took a crash course in Spanish – six weeks in a Berlitz program –supplemented with listening to Spanish radio programs and conversing with the Spanish-speaking wife of a doctor doing his

residency in an SCL hospital in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

“I also sat in on lessons for Mexican students at a Jesuit seminary,” she says.

And so, in 1968, she headed for Talara, a Standard Oil refining town, only days before the Peruvian military overthrew the government.

Her Life in Peru – While in Peru, the normal long black habit and the black veil worn over a white coif had were replaced by attire more appropriate for the surroundings.

“I wore a little white veil and a modified skirt – about mid-leg in length,” Sister Catherine says. “And slacks to ride the mules.”

She and a fellow sister bought ponchos at a military surplus store to protect them from rain, which was very cold in altitudes of 8-10,000 feet, especially at night – when it was often hard enough to get comfortable in places where there were no, beds, but only tables to sleep on.

The mules were the sisters’ main mode of transportation when they worked in the Andes area of New Chalo, which had 16 parishes. In March of 1970, an earthquake destroyed about every church in the diocese, Sister Catherine

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says.

The bishop for the area would travel to the farflung parishes by way of a jeep driven by a priest whose philosophy of safe driving in the mountains was “We’re okay as long as three wheels are on the road.”

When the sisters arrived at their convent in Chalabo – in March, to beat the muddy season when travel was impossible, they were serenaded by the women of the parish. In the summer, there was no pastor in the neighboring parish, so the sisters performed such services as administering group confessions. A priest or a Bishop would visit once a month, but the rest of the time, three nuns and the laity were responsible for religious observances with a layman delivering a homily.

There were forty or fifty little villages in the area, Sister Catherine says, and their inhabitants were simple, dear people. Often they would have only a few chickens, but they still served the sisters filling breakfasts and other meals.

“They always had coffee,” and Sister Catherine recalls, “breakfasts of boiled potatoes and yucca with an egg on top, and, of course three or four tortillas; they ground their own wheat.”

She recalls the La Nina year of 1983, when the road was washed out for 11 months, the crops were destroyed, and it took eight hours to go to town by mule.

“You did what you had to do,” she says. “You knew it wouldn’t be forever. The chapel was the only gathering place in most villages; we could invite people in for prayers, and we had some film

strips on the life of Jesus, which we could show when we had power.”

After 18 to 20 years in the Andes region, Sister moved to the coast communities, where she saw people living in lean-tos with cardboard walls.

There were also adobe buildings, and the fruit raised on the coast was delicious and inexpensive. Bananas cost a penny; oranges were picked right out of the orchards, and lemons sold for two cents. Soy meal, flour, bulgur, and powdered milk were available.

“The bishops distributed a lot of food supplies,” she says, and Sister coordinated breakfasts in five or six little towns with the help of a local woman and her helpers. “We’d have a soya drink, 100-150 bananas, and pancitos, a Peruvian bun.”

At 7:30 in the evening, there would be prayer groups to lead, and the next day’s breakfast and lunch programs to work on. A typical lunch, she says, might include rice, dried peas, canned fish, oranges, and soya for drinking.

Coming Home – “It was hard to come back,” she says. ”I miss the simplicity and warmth of the Peruvian people.”

But she has found that warmth and welcome among the congregation at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Billings, where the pastor issued the invitation to “come ahead” when she first thought about returning to her hometown. “Feel free to do whatever you can do,” he added.

And who could ignore an invitation like that? MSN

Ronald McDonald House Is A Really Big Mac!

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This year marks a huge milestone for the Ronald McDonald House of Billings serving families for 30 years. Since opening our doors on September 1, 1982, the House has cared for over 14,000 families whose children received treatment at a medical facility in Billings.

We support families who have premature babies, babies born with complications, children who develop a serious illness, or accidents. Families from across Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and those traveling through our state find compassion and hospitality when they walk through our doors.

The Ronald McDonald House of Billings provides a “home-away-from-home” for nearly four T DXUB_^Q\ T 8 _ecU_VVUbc Q`\ QSU hundred families each year so they can stay close by their SXY\ to call home at little or no cost so families can afford the best care for their child. The House allows families to stay together, helping their children heal faster and cope better. Our Ronald McDonald House is one of more than 320 Ronald Houses serving families in 31 countries and regions worldwide.

We have been blessed over these 30 years to keep families together during some very stressful times. Your generosity has helped families focus entirely on their sick child and gave them the hope for tomorrow. For more information or to find how you can help, call 406-256-8006 or visit rmhcmontana.org. MSN

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35

Dr. Randall Gloege: Academic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Utility Outfielderâ&#x20AC;?

Article & Photo By Sue Hart When Dr. Randall Gloege talks about his 26 years teaching in the English, Philosophy, and Environmental Studies Departments at Montana State University Billings, he compares himself to â&#x20AC;&#x153;a utility outfielderâ&#x20AC;? because he has taken on so many different positions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or combined his areas of interest as he did when he taught a philosophy class on environmental ethics.

Gloege says that no matter what type of course he is teaching, he tries not to be a straight academic in the classroom. He also thinks it is important for teachers to let students know that their college experience is not just preparation for a job, but is also meant to expand their knowledge and perspective beyond the notions they have when they arrive on campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I teach them to be skeptical,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Science is built on skepticism.â&#x20AC;?

Gloegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, George, was also a professor on the MSUB campus back when the school was known as Eastern Montana College of Education.

Dr. George Gloege taught in the Science Department, and was the first to teach conservation courses on the campus. He was a well-loved and respected professor, and, Randall says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tried to model myself after him.â&#x20AC;?

Randall Gloege received both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Washington, where he was fortunate enough to study under Theodore Roethke, an important, but troubled poet whose well-respected works brought him a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright grant, the Pulitzer Prize, and two National Book Awards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roethke made me respect the craft of poetry,â&#x20AC;? he says, adding that Roethkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poetry â&#x20AC;&#x153;is very musical.â&#x20AC;?

Gloege also recalls that on the last day of a class with Roethke, he and a fellow student showed up with a sixpack of Bass Ale for the poet. Unfortunately, Roethke never showed up.

After receiving his

Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree, Gloege taught at Pueblo Junior College, where he met and married his wife, Mary Beth, a counselor, who, he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;loves four-legged creatures.â&#x20AC;?

Both Gloeges enjoy the natural world; they had a cabin on Rosebud Lake, but lost in it to a wildfire that destroyed 27 cabins several years ago. Today they have property south of Columbus with space for both Randall and Mary Beth â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and their dogs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to roam although he admits that is not as easy to do as it used to be. To stay fit, however, he exercises three times a week at the St. Vincent Healthcare rehab facility.

When Gloege received his doctorate from Bowling Green University, his dissertation was on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Contemporary British and American Poetry,â&#x20AC;? quite fitting for someone who is himself â&#x20AC;&#x153;a contemporary American poet.â&#x20AC;?

Gloege has been teaching creative writing and writing poetry for many years now, although he says he enjoys creative writing more than teaching it.

Although he has been sharing his poetry and that of other poets and writers online for many years now, at the urging of some of his colleagues and other poets, he has put together a collection

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

of his work in manuscript form.

“The joy is in putting it together,” he says. But maybe, just maybe, this fine poet will finally make his work available to those in the reading public who don’t spend much time in front of a computer screen.

Randall Gloege, like his father, has an ongoing interest in wilderness. He points out that in his

father’s time the emphasis was on conservation while today it is on preservation. That’s why he appreciates and belongs to such organizations as the Center for Biological Diversity and Earth Justice.

And, he says, he is getting to the age now where he can truly appreciate the Henry Fonda line from On Golden Pond, “You don’t get wiser; you just get older.” MSN

The Woman Who Loved Mankind – Honoring family, culture and history

By Kim Thielman-Ibes To know who we are, we must first understand where we’ve come from. As we grow older and time elapses those stories that have made us who we are begin to slip away, our memories fade and these experiences, our history and our culture slowly become but a tumbleweed lost to the wind and forgotten. These stories about us, about our families, no matter how trivial we may think they are, and particularly those about our everyday lives, must be preserved. For it is through these stories that we find the essence of what it means to be a human being.

One such recently published oral history and biography is The Woman Who Loved Mankind. Yet, it doesn’t so much chronicle Lillian Bullshow Hogan’s unremarkable, yet remarkable life over the last century, but rather shares timeless stories illustrating what it means to persevere, to love, to show kindness, and to survive with decency and triumph. Lillian lived nearly a century. She was born in 1905 on the Crow Reservation in southwest Montana and lived most of her life there until she passed away in July of 2003. Through her stories, Lillian imparts a great deal of history about the Crow tribe in Montana and the singular, interesting nuances that make up its culture.

“Though it’s just one woman’s story, it’s a good example of how every Crow woman of her time survived no

Interesting photo shows Mardell Plainfeather with Anne Mansfield. In the photo, on the computer screen, their mothers Lillian Bulls Shows Hogan and Maureen Mansfield, are standing with Lady Bird Johnson and Betty Babcock, during a visit to the Crow Reservation in August of 1964. [Courtesy of Kevin Kooistra]

matter what the challenges were,” says 67-year old oral historian Mardell Hogan Plainfeather, Hogan’s daughter and co-creator of the book.

After meeting many women like her mother, Plainfeather marvels to this day how these women made it through.

Barbara Loeb, retired art historian and faculty emeritus from OSU, friend, and family member, was the instigator and co-creator of the book.

And herein lies the story behind the story, which is nearly as interesting as the book itself.

Plainfeather and her family met Loeb at the Crow Fair in the 1980s. At the time, Loeb was writing her thesis on Crow Indian beadwork and was searching for Plainfeather who worked as the historian for the Little Bighorn Battlefield.

Over the course of time, their work relationship developed into a deep friendship that extended throughout Plainfeather’s family. Eventually, Plainfeather’s mother adopted Loeb into their family as a daughter.

“She just fit in with my family,” says Plainfeather. Plainfeather’s mother gave Loeb her Crow name, one that translates as “respects her clan.”

“My mom said Barbara was raised to respect her clan,” recalls Plainfeather whose Crow name is “working all the time” – which she does. Crow names are sacred and there is always a story behind every name. For Plainfeather, Loeb, and Hogan, their Crow names were perhaps a window into their personal destiny.

The Woman Who Loved Mankind is both

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

the name of the book and from her daughter’s perspective, Hogan’s Crow name.

“Barbara and I talked about it a long time,” says Plainfeather. From what her mother told her, her actual Crow name was “she loves the men” and, well, she was married four times. However, more important than her marital status was what she achieved over her lifetime. “I never knew we were poor because my mom never let us know – we were never hungry, never cold and I’m forever grateful to her for that,” says Plainfeather.

Through these years, Hogan would gather the little she had and sell it so she could send the money to St. Judes for even more unfortunate souls in Africa. She would make dresses for her neighbors that didn’t have them, and she would help those that didn’t have help.

Plainfeather and Loeb really believed that her mother’s Crow name meant “the woman who loved mankind.” It was Hogan’s exemplary life and her captivating way with words that struck a

Here’s a story we just have to share…

After spending days in the hospital with lifethreatening injuries, a young woman arrived at YWCA Billings Gateway House domestic violence shelter with her children and nothing else.

She stayed for many weeks while she healed and made plans to move from the area. We supplied food, clothing, transportation, communications, and above all, SAFETY. Thanks to your generosity, the YWCA provides safety each year for hundreds of women fleeing domestic violence. Your donations provide safety for many others as well…

Safety for children in the YWCA Child Center. Because their kids are protected and cared for, parents can work to support their families.

Your donations provide 30,000 nutritious meals each year and school readiness for every child in the program.

Safety for developmentally disabled adults.

Through YWCA’s Supported Living program, they are able to live independently and manage their finances, medical appointments, food shopping, and meal preparation.

Safety for unemployed adults. Through the YWCA Employment & Training program hundreds receive help learning new skills and finding jobs.

Your support gives many people a fresh new start and makes a difference as YWCA Billings saves and changes lives. Call Jane McCracken, YWCA Development Director for information, at 406-252-6303 today. MSN

cord with Loeb.

“Lillian was a striking storyteller,” says Loeb.

“She had a very interesting life and over time I got this idea.” By this time, Loeb had known the family for nearly fifteen years. Hogan took awhile to think about the idea and finally somewhere around the mid-1990s they sat down to tape her stories. “I thought it would take 3 years. That was my vision,” remembers Loeb.

From start to finish, the book took nearly 20 years. “This book just stole my heart,” says Loeb.

“When we started this book, Lillian’s stories really moved me, they were beautifully constructed and I’m still thoroughly in love with these stories.”

As an oral historian and daughter, Plainfeather’s most rewarding part of the book is insuring that her mother’s stories will be there for generations to come. “I would encourage everybody to record any story from anyone that they might hear – it needs to be done. It needs to be preserved!” MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37

PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Blind Woman Takes Confident Strides

By Craig and Liz Larcom from side to side. “It’s kind of like having blinders One August morning in 2008, Lauri Ann Stoos on,” she explains. stood before the mirror. But as she began to apply Eventually she realized she could not continue her makeup, the day took a turn for the worse. her 33-year career much longer. With a move from “I noticed I was having trouble seeing out of my Helena to Miles City in the works, she began to left eye,” the Miles City woman recalls. “I closed think about another career that would work better my eye to put makeup on one side and I couldn’t with her ever-changing eyes. see my face at all in the mirror. It was just a blur.

So she turned to the Montana Independent LivNo detail at all!” Nervous, she phoned her doctor ing Project for assistance about a year ago. “I really immediately. didn’t have any idea of Four years later, the kind of support or edthe 52-year-old woman ucation that was availknows she got clobbered able to me,” she says.

by Eales Disease, a rare Directed to even more autoimmune disorder. To sources of assistance, save her central vision, she soon developed a doctors lasered out her network of help, includperipheral vision. As if ing Vocational Rehathat were not enough, bilitation, Blind and Low early-onset cataracts and Vision Services, and open-angle glaucoma Montana Association for joined the attack on her the Blind, which runs an eyes. annual four-week Sum“So I kind of have mer Orientation Prosome challenges,” says gram. Stoos describes Living with low vision can be tough but a variety of devic- summer orientation as Stoos. es can help. Lauri Ann Stoos of Miles City adjusts a pair Then she brightens. of specialty glasses tailored for a particular use, in this “a huge learning experi“The laser is just so in- case, watching television. [Photo by Craig & Liz Larcom] ence for me.” She adds credible, what they do with a chuckle, “It really with that anymore. The technology they have opened my eyes.” now to do those kinds of things is so outstanding!”

“When I went to the summer program I was Which goes to show that this former hairdresser like, ‘Humph, I have to walk with a cane and I don’t may be legally blind, but she still sees plenty to be want to do that. Everywhere I go. Oh, it’s going to grateful for. be such a pain! The whole month!’

At first, Stoos says ruefully, “I was in denial “It was really something that I wasn’t looking about the whole thing.” forward to at all. But wow, it’s such a sense of “I’m not that bad,” she would tell herself as freedom once you embrace it,” she marvels. “It’s she drove cautiously and continued to work as a just a tool to help you be mobile, get around, be hairdresser in her one-woman salon. In her familiar outside.” spaces at work and at home she got around all Stoos worked one-on-one with instructor right.

Melanie Bush for that part of the program. When On the other hand, “I ran into things a lot. I Bush politely asked her if she wanted to work with tripped,” she admits. sleep shades, Stoos vacillated, but she decided Imagine looking to try it. Someday she could be totally blind, after at the world through a all. And although students rarely choose the sleep straw covered over with shades option, Stoos was glad she did. “It really a piece of cellophane helped me. Even though I have limited vision, I and you have a picture use my vision a lot. The sleep shades made my of Stoos’s vision today. other senses more intense,” she says. She could She sees about five hear better, feel more with the touch of her cane, degrees up and down in and even smell better. the center of her field of Back in Miles City, Stoos walks along at a clip vision and ten degrees now, enjoying her surroundings instead of peering at the ground.

The training, part of orientation and mobility, also prepares Stoos for the service dog she hopes to get. A dog can keep her from obstacles, but she must be able to direct the dog to her destination.

Te c h n o l o g y

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

abounded at summer orientation. Students could learn how to operate all sorts of assistive items.

Special glasses allow those with low vision to maximize their eyesight at television-viewing distance, computers can read text aloud, and the Montana Talking Book Library offers recordings of books.

“It’s sweet because I haven’t been able to read for four years. I love to read!” says Stoos.

Stoos tried magnifiers galore, including one known as a Pebble, which she uses at the grocery store. If she cannot view information comfortably through it, she can reach up, snap a picture, and then lower her device to a useful level.

Cooking classes featured tools like a contrasting cutting board that allows Stoos to get active in the kitchen again. She can use the black side of the cutting board when she wants to cut onions, and the white side for chopping chocolate. Of course she puts on her finger guard first.

“I couldn’t have had a vision loss at a better

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

time because of the technology that’s available to me. And I’m still young enough that I’m able to get out and go and walk and do,” Stoos says.

But best of all, the students met each other.

Ages 23 to 93, they cheered each other on as they attempted new skills. Stoos particularly noted the completely blind students in the group. “They looked just fine and happy, and they were excited about their future. Wow!” she says.

You could say Stoos came away with a new vision. Sure she misses the handiness of driving herself. Asking for a ride comes hard.

“This is all so difficult because you feel like you want to continue to do all the things that you’ve always done.” Stoos reflects.

But her husband Todd and daughter Celena form a supportive family, and her faith gets her through the rough spots.

“I don’t have to be bummed,” she says.” I can have a life!” MSN

You Can Help the University of Montana Improve The World The University of Montana Foundation’s mission is to ensure UM’s excellence, access, and affordability through a public/private funding partnership. We rely on the generous and committed alumni and friends who invest in The University of Montana.

Our visionary philanthropists have touched everything on campus today. We are grateful to those who are helping higher education improve our world. Because of private support, UM students, professors, and staff can stay focused in an environment of excellence. And gift planning plays an important role in the continuation of their vital work.

The Office of Gift Planning has the ability to provide a full array of gift planning options. We are licensed to provide annuities, will act as trustee of charitable remainder trusts, and can assist you in several lifetime gifts such as real estate, personal property, and securities. We can accept gifts through your estate as a beneficiary of your will or living trust as well as being named a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy.

To learn more about supporting The University of Montana through a planned gift, please contact Paul Hood, Director of Gift Planning, at 800-4432593 or email GiftPlanningUMF@mso.umt.edu.

Visit our website at www.supportum.org/plannedgiving. MSN

There are many who talk on from ignorance rather than from knowledge, and who find the former an inexhaustible fund of conversation.

- William Hazlitt

Mike Blakesly Has Brought Hollywood To Forsyth - continued from page 1 nights a week that they ditched the plan to sell the spiffed up theater. Eventually he became sole owner.

Mike has left his fingerprints all over the Roxy for more than three decades now and it shows. Forsyth may be a town of 1,900 people, but an amazing 375 patrons show up for the movies during an average week. The slogan “Eastern Montana’s best little movie theatre” rings true.

Just as he did at the outset, he keeps the place not only maintained, but up to date. Other theater owners with single screens may wonder if they will survive the expensive change to digital movies, but Mike put in digital cinema and Dolby 3-D projection equipment in 2010. In earlier years he replaced the screen and swapped the swamp

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PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

cooler for air conditioning. The list goes on, culminating perhaps with the installation of 194 cushy chairs, a definite upgrade over the original 500 chairs.

But customers remark most about the sound.

“When I was a teenager into adulthood, I worked (and still work) at the Carquest store, and they had a stereo department, so I was kind of a sound nut.

So one of my big things was to get really good sound, and I totally strive for it,” says Mike.

“I think the biggest mistake that a lot of small places make is they’re afraid to charge what movies should sell for. Then they don’t have any money to do any remodeling. Our prices are not real high, but they’re high enough to where we can afford to make improvements,” he says.

Good policies attract people, too. Mike shows trailers but not commercials before the show, sells only fresh popcorn, and keeps the wayward from using their phones while the movie plays. “But I

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think the biggest thing that draws people in is, we have the movies that they want to see. They know they can count on this place to give them a good experience,” he says.

Popular shows that go well in the rest of the country generally play well here. “Or if it’s got a horse or it takes place in Montana,” adds Lynn.

Few horses roamed Main Street when Anthony Wolke and Frank Faust built the Roxy in 1930.

Talkies were sweeping the country then, and the partners, who ran a silent theater in a storefront two doors down, decided to build a bigger theater to capitalize on the trend.

They chose the Spanish-themed exterior that looks pretty much the same today. Aware of the theater’s 80-years-plus of history, Mike goes to considerable lengths to keep its nostalgic feel.

“When I first started to work here it had this really old, still-original carpet. It had all kinds of swirly patterns, flowers, that kind of thing,” Mike says. So when he carpeted the theater for his second time, he went for the historic look.

“It was kind of fun. We must have looked at 50 kinds of carpet and this carpet we have here was the first one I looked at. When I started looking at samples I was kind of surprised that there were a lot of different oddball designs, but the one that was really old-fashioned was the one that stuck in my mind.”

Similarly, the neon marquee gleams with old vibe today, all 54 tubes of it. But when Mike and Clifford bought the place, only the red “Roxy” on either side worked. Refurbished in 1992, the biggest challenge was figuring out which colors to use. Nobody in town could remember what colors it used to have, so Mike decided on primary colors.

He does not let history get in the way of a movie experience, though. The concession stand will stay, even if customers had to wait until 1940 before they could nibble on popcorn. Incredibly, owners added no other snacks and did not provide drinks until 1953, when the concession stand went in.

Thirty-three years and two screens after he became co-owner of the Roxy, Mike still delights in owning a theater. For one thing, it means he and Lynn can attend the annual convention to get jazzed about the new movies. “Lynn works for a bank, so she goes to the occasional banking convention. She tells me about how much more fun my conventions are. No comparison!” he laughs.

And running the show in Forsyth hasn’t lost its charm either.

“I kind of look at it as, we’re throwing a party every night and we’ll see who comes,” says Mike. MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 41

PAGE 42 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Do you need help performing day-to-day activities, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to turn?

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Home For The Holidays â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tips For Festive Visits With Those In A Care Facility

By Lisa M. Petsche How do you include, in seasonal celebrations, a relative who has entered a nursing home? The following suggestions can make the holidays meaningful while keeping stress manageable for the whole family.

Set realistic expectations and be prepared to modify traditions.

Now serving the Include your relative in preparations to the best of his ability. Contributing Missoula, MT Addus HealthCare has provided in even small ways â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as signing cards or helping to select gifts from community! a catalog â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will make him feel valued and create a feeling of partnership. comprehensive in-home services since 1979. Community based, we coordinate Reminisce about past holidays to help your relative get into the spirit with physicians, insurers, case managers, of the season. Share special memories, bring in photo albums or favorite and families to develop individualized, music, read aloud a favorite holiday story, or watch home movies or a clascost-effective, preventative treatment Other Locations sic holiday film. plans focused on effective care and Plan ahead and space out activities as much as possible, scheduling patient education. Our services include: 415 W. 9th Street quiet days in between eventful ones.

Libby, MT 59923 When you visit at a nursing or retirement homes, give staff at least a Â&#x2021; Bathing (406) 293-9706 dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notice when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to ensure your relative is up and ready for a Â&#x2021; Dressing special visit or other event.

264 N. Main St #203 Â&#x2021; Meal Preparation Visit when you are not rushed for time.

Kalispell, MT 59901 Â&#x2021; Medication Assistance Bring children or grandchildren with you. (Ensure adult supervision at (406) 257-3621 Â&#x2021; Transportation all times for youngsters.)

Decorate your relativeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room using window clings, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artwork, Â&#x2021; Assistance with Exercise garland, or a miniature Christmas tree. Â&#x2021; Laundry Bring in greeting cards received to share with your relative, and leave Â&#x2021; Housekeeping Kathy some with him.

Since 2007 Bring homemade treats and take-out coffee or a thermal carafe of tea, Nataliya Call us to discuss your home care Since 2003 and enjoy a holiday snack together. Consider supplying enough sweets for needs, and cost-effective services your relative to share with roommates or staff if he wishes. Do check with to live more independently in the nursing staff regarding dietary restrictions before you bring in anything. comfort of your home.

Review the activities calendar to learn about scheduled holiday events â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as bazaars and visiting choirs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and attend some of them with your Donetta relative.

Since 2008 Jonell Thomas Since 2008 Since 2008 Offer to accompany family members planning a first-time visit, to ease their anxiety.

Join your relative for dinner. Most facilities offer a midday meal with all the traditional holiday trimmings, and sell tickets to relatives and friends who would like to join residents. Another option is to hold a celebration in the family dining room or other private space thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available for booking; inquire about catering service.

Before deciding to bring your relative home for a visit, determine his environmental needs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; adA unique community that allows dressing accessibility and safety issues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as well people to age in place featuring: as his care needs for the time you have in mind.

Memory Care in a Secure Environment Run ideas by staff to see if they have concerns RN Supervision or suggestions. Even overnight visits may be The transition to assisted living can be a feasible with assistance from family, friends, or a diďŹ&#x192;cult decision to make. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it nice to privately contracted personal support worker. know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s someone who cares...

If feasible, take your relative home for an afternoon so he can participate in (if able) holiday t 4PVUI SE 4USFFU -JWJOHTUPO preparations such as baking, decorating, or giftwrapping.

If your home isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accessible, take your relative out to the mall for gift shopping and lunch. Book accessible Â&#x2021; +RPH +HDOWK transportation if necessary. If he can get in and out of a car, take him out one Â&#x2021; +RVSLFH evening for a holiday light tour.

Ensure any destination is accessÂ&#x2021; +RPH 0HGLFDO (TXLSPHQW ible, including its washroom facilities. If family membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t accessÂ&#x2021; ,QIXVLRQ 7KHUDS\ ible, choose a restaurant or banquet hall ACHC that meets everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Â&#x2021; +RPH &RPPXQLW\ %DVHG 6HUYLFHV ACCREDITED Book accessible transportation well in advance, since use peaks during the holidays. Consider celebrating with your QDWLRQDOO\ DFFUHGLWHG KRPH relative on a day other than December KHDOWK FDUH RUJDQL]DWLRQ :H &R IRXQGHG E\ 6W 3DWULFN +RVSLWDO DQG 25 to increase the likelihood that the &RPPXQLW\ 0HGLFDO &HQWHU service will be able to accommodate him.

KDYH EHHQ EULQJLQJ KHDOWK FDUH Give staff plenty of notice of the date KRPH WR SDWLHQWV DQG WKHLU and pickup and estimated return times saintpatrick.org IDPLOLHV LQ :HVWHUQ 0RQWDQD for your relative. This allows them sufficient time to make adjustments with food services and preparations with the pharmacy, as well as to obtain a temporary leave of absence (TLA) order from >:DD@F=2 Â&#x201D; %!' (#) ))%) A@=D@? Â&#x201D; %!' ))$ )%"# the doctor. www.partnersinhomecare.org #')( AR]^Vc De DeV 3 " "%eY 2gV H Prepare relatives and friends who

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Frontier ASSISTED LIVING

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

haven’t seen your relative in a while for any changes in his appearance, abilities or behavior.

Ensure your relative has appropriate clothing on hand, as well as warm outerwear. Let staff know what you would like him to wear for an event if he’s unable to communicate this.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

Take along any necessary medical equipment, supplies, and medications.

Videotape or photograph events your relative is not able to attend.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in elder care issues. MSN

Stay Alert For Warning Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease In addition to a new dessert recipe or family vacation photos, bring an important gift home this holiday season and become educated about the warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Visiting with relatives over the holidays may raise questions about the physical and cognitive health of family members. Although some change in cognitive ability can occur with age, serious memory problems are not a part of normal aging.

Recognizing the difference between normal aging and more serious problems can help you identify when it may be time for your relative to see a doctor.

The Alzheimer’s Association sees a rise in calls during and after the holiday season when people return home from visiting friends and family whom they may not see frequently. The Alzheimer’s Association encourages calls from anyone having questions about the state of an aging family member or friend. Anyone can experience any of the warning signs below in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor for further evaluation.

Alzheimer’s Association Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure.

4. Confusion with time or place.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

6. New problems with words either speaking or writing.

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

8. Decreased or poor judgment.

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.

10. Changes in mood and personality.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services. Please call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 toll-free helpline at 800-272-3900. Experts are available to assist people concerned with their own cognitive health as well as those concerned about the cognitive health of family members or friends.

The mission of the Alzheimer’s Association is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. For information about how you can help, visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900. MSN

Aging has enough difficulties.

Getting the care you need shouldn’t be one of them.

Highgate Senior Living offers full care for all, no matter what your age or ailment. Our team of compassionate professionals can handle almost anything, including complex medical issues and post-acute hospital care. In fact, we specialize in services normally provided in skilled nursing, such as diabetic care and oxygen management, injectable medications, wound care, feeding tubes, catheter monitoring, two-person transfers, and hospice. Just call any of our three Assisted Living/Memory Care communities in Montana, and we’ll make sure your move into Highgate is one of the easiest things in your life right now.

Highgate at Billings 406-651-4833

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PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Transportation Service Expands Services to Montana Veterans

By Bernice Karnop Anyone who sees a doctor in a different town knows how challenging it can be to find transportation to appointments if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have access to a private vehicle. For people in wheelchairs itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even harder.

David Thunstrom, Mobility Manager for the Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) program in Montana is helping to change that for Montana Veterans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A large number of Veterans were not receiving care because they could not provide their own transportation,â&#x20AC;? said Thunstrom. A Butte man who is a quadriplegic hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been out of his house for six months. The VTS picked him up and brought him to Fort Harrison for his medical appointment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a huge deal for him,â&#x20AC;? says Thunstrom.

The Veteranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Administration on the national

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level set up the Access to Care for Veterans program so they could get to their medical appointments.

Thunstrom began working on the program in Montana more than a year ago. Right now, they have five vehicles and will have five more very soon. They will pick up and transport Veterans to their medical appointments from anywhere in the state.

The five vans, which all have wheelchair lifts, are located in Billings, Browning, Butte, Missoula and two in Helena. As we go to press, Thunstrom expects to have 13 vehicles. Since the first run in February 2012, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to every corner of the state â&#x20AC;&#x153;from Kalispell to Crow Agency to Sheridan,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are getting people access to care who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even have care if it hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been for us picking them up,â&#x20AC;? he says.

The Veterans Transportation Service coordinates with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to provide transportation, but they are two entirely different entities. The DAV is unable to transport individuals who need assistance but refers individuals who need the extra help to VTS. Veterans may schedule transportation to and from medical appointments by calling transportation coordinator, Amanda Hopkins at 406-4476270. Be sure to call as soon as the appointment is made in order to get on the schedule. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you are covering 140,000 square miles you may have to turn people away because of limited resources,â&#x20AC;? says Thunstrom. MSN

Public Transportation for All: Try it. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll like it.

By Bernice Karnop While you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find public transportation beside every sage bush in Montana, you might be surprised at how much is available. The best way to connect with this information, according to Audrey Allums, Transit Section Supervisor, Montana Department of Transportation, is to visit http://www. mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/public_trans.shtml. This site lists passenger trains, planes, busses, and vans.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be glad to know that there are 40 transit agencies across the state that will give you a ride to shop, get your medications, visit friends, or take a vacation. They include the city busses in Great Falls, Billings, and Missoula, but also more than three dozen rural providers. To find one in your area click on the nearest town and find the contact information. Your Area Agency on Aging may also help.

Most local public transportation providers who offer rides to the public also have complementary vehicles that transport people with disabilities.

Allums wants people to know that the busses are there for them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is this fear, especially if they are going from a smaller community to a bigger community like Billings, that they will miss their bus. But once they ride it the first time they get more and more comfortable riding it all the time,â&#x20AC;? she says.

Bus drivers across the state are friendly, helpful, and will answer all your questions. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t distract them while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re driving, but they are there for you. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Try it. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll like it,â&#x20AC;? Allums says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once you do it a few times itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll become second nature.â&#x20AC;? MSN

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 45

You can bring perspective and value to Christmas celebrations

By Lisa M. Petsche More than ever in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast-paced world, older family members, who have many Christmases under their belt and usually have some time to spare can be instrumental in making the season more meaningful and enjoyable for younger generations and their offspring.

Given their early life experiences and the wisdom that comes with age, they are well-positioned, for example, to take a leadership role in taming Christmas commercialism â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a concern shared by many of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and modeling environmental stewardship.

Elders are also the key to traditions, passing them along and perhaps developing new ones.

Traditions help solidify a family, giving it a unique identity that provides each member with feelings of belonging and security.

Read on for some ways to enhance your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration of the season and create lasting memories.

Addressing stress â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Prepare extra batches of holiday treats and share them.

Offer to babysit so parents can go shopping, or invite the grandkids over for an afternoon or evening so their parents can wrap gifts without interruption.

Check the newspaper for special events suitable for families, such as choral shows, pageants and open skating sessions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially those that are free or low-cost. Pass on details, or offer to take the grandkids to one of them.

Gift giving â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Resist the urge to go overboard with gift giving. Limit the number and magnitude of gifts you give, and ensure equity.

Suggest a new tradition of drawing names, giving family presents in lieu of individual gifts or buying only for the children.

Run ideas by the parents before purchasing gifts for your grandchildren or grand nieces and nephews. Ask for suggestions to ensure your se-

lections are age appropriate and compatible with individual needs and preferences, as well as the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values. In this regard, avoid products that are trendy, disposable, have limited use, require batteries, or do not appear durable. Also, seek out gifts that promote good values.

Consider alternatives to the usual store-bought items. These include: homemade food or handcrafted items; gifts of time, involving a service like babysitting or a talent such as hairstyling or photography; gifts of experience that allow the recipient to try something new, like a sport, musical instrument, lessons, or an offer to teach a skill you possess, such as sewing or woodworking; gifts the whole family can enjoy together â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, museum passes, a board game, or a large jigsaw puzzle; and charitable donations in honor of loved ones. Let others know you would welcome these types of gifts.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure what to give, choose a gift certificate from the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite place to shop or dine or a large department store or bookstore.

For wrapping, choose reusable gift bags and boxes, or get creative and make the wrapping part of the gift â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for example, a scarf or photo storage box. Leave oversized gifts unwrapped, hide them and provide clues on where to find them.

Enlist your grandchildrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help in making gift tags from old Christmas cards.

Planning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Be sensitive to family membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; competing obligations in terms of work schedules and holiday plans with in-laws. Do not make assumptions about availability or insist on certain dates, times, or locations for family events, but rather negotiate plans that work for everyone.

Be prepared to modify or forego traditions that are no longer practical (for example, a late night gathering). Recognize, too, that young parents may wish to start some family traditions of their own.

Consider starting a new tradition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perhaps a tree decorating party at your home or a festive

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sing-along (obtain songbooks and easy-to-use musical instruments such as tambourines and maracas).

Quality time and fostering connections – Take your grandchildren on a special outing – for example, a holiday light tour, attending a church bazaar, shopping for a special gift for their parents or purchasing gifts to donate to a toy drive.

Invite the grandkids over for decorating or to watch a classic holiday movie.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Attend grandchildren’s school Christmas pageants or holiday recitals.

Share family recipes for special dishes or sweets. Invite members over for a hands-on cooking or baking demonstration.

Share your recollections of childhood Christmases, including family customs, memorable gifts, and touching or humorous moments.

With a little planning and creativity, you will be able to instill or perpetuate those holiday values that will help your grandchildren recall their Christmas adventures fondly for years to come.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in inter-generational issues. MSN

Camp Husky Caregiving Success A Testimony To Senior Volunteers Article & Photo By Roberta K. Ray In Three Forks, everyone knows the greeter at Seiler’s hardware store, Luci, a sweet-natured German shepherd. In Bozeman, a grieving widow receives comfort from Mia, an 80-pound white German shepherd.

“Mia came into my life at the perfect time. She is a sweetheart, and I love her to pieces,” says Denise Fett.

In Butte, Faye Taylor, a 90-year-old music teacher and violinist, enjoys the companionship of Bucky, a 120-pound husky/ shepherd. In Joliet Dr. Linda Johnson adopted Tess # 70, an older German shepherd with a deformed foot who “turned out to be the best dog I ever had and great with the grandkids.”

In Anaconda, Les and Loveta Frank enjoy a very active life since retiring. And accompanying them nearly everywhere is Tippy, a 90-pound husky/shepherd.

“We travel more than most people and take Tippy with us; he even goes to weddings.” Tippy loves to talk to people, and he can say “momma.”

In Missoula, Patrick and Shelly Merkt enjoy retirement and the companionship of Finn, “a sweet, intelligent, and very affectionate 95 pound husky/shepherd who seems to understand every word we say.”

In Ovando, Duane & Jewelie Hoxworth named their “super sweet” German shepherd puppy Mylie because “she reminded us of the goofy but loveable cartoon character Wylie coyote.”

But there was nothing Looney Tunes about

Mylie when at only nine months of age she saved her owners from an attack by a mountain lion nearly twice her size. “We shudder to think what would have happened to us if we had not adopted Mylie,” says Duane.

These are just a few of the people from Glendive to Dillon and Seely Lake to West Yellowstone who adopted dogs from the Camp Husky rescue that started on October 2008 when Butte police arrested a Colorado man at the Rocker truck stop and seized a bus and trailer with 108 sick and malnourished Siberian husky and German shepherd dogs, half of them pregnant females.

For the next six months, volunteers did the hard work of caring for the dogs and raised money to cover their expenses. Starting with Donald Frost, who was responsible for initiating the rescue, seniors played an essential role in the rescue, volunteered the most hours, and adopted many of the dogs.

Shortly after Dr. Tony and Kay Konecny embarked on retirement they discussed volunteering, and Kay recalls saying she wanted to do something to help animals. Little did the couple know that the opportunity would soon come their way. From the first week, they worked afternoon shifts every weekday.

Bill Weaverly came out of retirement and postponed necessary surgery so that he and his wife, Laura, could volunteer daily. This couple recalls feeling “overwhelmed by the immensity of

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

the challenge. The number of dogs, the noise, the smell, and working in winter in a building without heat made the task seem almost hopeless, and yet, everyone persevered, making it a great experience. We formed lasting relationships.”

Laura recalls being impressed by another retiree, Susan Madison, “who worked three days a week for the entire six month period, carrying heavy buckets, mopping out dog kennels, walking dogs, and whatever else was needed.”

It is difficult to exaggerate the challenge facing these volunteers. Kay Konecny recalls how frightened the dogs were when volunteers started walking and socializing them.

“Tony and I tried to walk two large shepherds, but they were shaking with fear. After walking just a few feet, they both dropped to the ground and refused to go further. We sat on the cold cement, petting and comforting them for at least a half hour.

After a few weeks these same dogs greeted us with wagging tails and happy anticipation of their daily walk.”

By February 2009, most of the dogs had been adopted but there were still about sixty dogs and funds were exhausted. Retirees Monte and Merlina Moore deserve primary credit for keeping Camp Husky operating for the next two month and enabling us to find homes for all the dogs. I was just

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

one of the many volunteers inspired by this couple’s hard work, generosity, and compassion.

But what I did not know was that Monte was showing up at 7 A.M. at least six days a week while recovering from a heart attack! “Yes, the work was exhausting,” says Monte, “but the need was so great and the plight of the dogs was heart wrenching. We were encouraged by the way folks from all walks of life worked together and became one big family.”

To see photographs of Camp Husky dogs from all over Montana and Seattle to North Carolina visit our Facebook page: camp husky butte Montana 2008. MSN

Caring In Cold Times Take Extra Precautions During Extreme Winter Weather

By Lisa M. Petsche Due to cold temperatures, snow and ice, and the prevalence of viruses, winter poses extra health and safety risks. The following are numerous ways to minimize the risk of problems for a relative in your care.

Health Tips – If you have not already done so, arrange for your relative to get a flu shot. Those over 65 years of age, especially if they have chronic illnesses, are at high risk for complications from influenza, which is a leading cause of death among adults in that age group.

Ensure your relative takes in plenty of fluids, as the dryness caused by heating systems can lead to dehydration.

Serve foods rich in vitamin C, to help ward off viruses and infections. Serve warm foods and beverages to raise body temperature.

Limit intake of alcohol, as it is dehydrating and speeds up loss of body heat.

Stock up on non-perishable foods and bottled water, and refill prescriptions at least a week before they run out.

Ensure the indoor temperature remains above 65 F, ideally no lower than 68 F. Hypothermia is a risk even indoors, due to the decreased circulation that tends to accompany aging, as well as to inactivity, illness, and some medications.

Ask your relative’s doctor or pharmacist to review his or her medications and advise if any of

them affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature.

Ensure your relative dresses warmly and in loose-fitting layers. Don’t forget warm footwear, too. Slippers should offer adequate support, fit well, and have a skid-resistant sole.

Provide your relative with several layers of warm bedding. Flannel sheets are ideal.

Keep throws in the living room and bedroom, for easy access to extra warmth on drafty days and nights.

Prepare for a power outage by creating a kit containing candles, proper candleholders, matches, flashlights or a battery-powered lamp, a battery-operated radio, fresh batteries, blankets, bottled water, and non-perishable food. Store it in an accessible place.

Indoor Safety – Buy rechargeable flashlights that plug into the wall and automatically turn on when the power goes out.

Ensure heat registers and vents are not obstructed.

Exercise caution with space heaters, which can pose a significant fire hazard. Keep them several feet away from walls and combustible objects, as well as out of traffic areas.

Place candles where they won’t be knocked over, and away from lampshades, curtains, and other flammable materials.

Ensure any fires – from a fireplace or burning candles – are extinguished before you go out or

Handling Family Tension During The Holidays

By Lisa M. Petsche The holiday season is a hectic time for many people, due to the preparations and festivities.

Staying sane, not to mention enjoying this time of the year, is even more of a challenge for those who don’t get along well with their extended family.

Every family has dysfunction, of course, because none of its members is perfect. However, some families are prone to more interpersonal tension than others, due to diverse personalities, circumstances, values, or lifestyles among members.

Read on for some tips on how to cope with the

almost inevitable stress inherent when relatives get together for the holidays.

In Advance – Make it a point to practice selfcare at this time of the year to keep stress down.

Eat healthy foods, make time for exercise, and get adequate sleep.

Allow plenty of time to get ready for a family event, so you are relaxed and feel your best. Put on favorite music during your preparations.

Give yourself a pep talk. Remind yourself that a given event constitutes a mere blip in time, and that you are up to the challenge of gracefully handling a few hours with anyone. If necessary, pretend you

retire to bed.

Remain indoors during storms and extreme cold. Take into account not only the thermometer temperature but also the wind-chill factor.

Outdoor Safety – When you venture out, ensure your relative has a warm coat, scarf, gloves or mittens, and a hat. If he or she is weight bearing, a pair of boots with good treads is necessary. You, too, should have non-skid boots, in case you need to provide hands-on assistance.

If your relative uses a cane, buy an ice pick that fits onto the end of it and folds up when not in use.

These are available at home healthcare stores.

Keep walkways clear of snow and ice. If you have health problems or a large property, purchase a snow blower, or hire a young neighbor or a snow removal service.

Keep your car well maintained and the fuel tank at least half-full. Ensure the following emergency supplies are on board: a flashlight with extra batteries, emergency flares, blankets, hats and mittens, and non-perishable snacks. A cell phone also comes in handy, to summon help quickly if needed; do make sure it’s charged before you head out. An automobile club membership is another good idea.

Check the local weather report before heading out on the road. Avoid going out if a storm warning has been issued.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in inter-generational issues. MSN

PAGE 48 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

have a role in a play and of course must stay in character.

Conjure up compassion for family members who emanate negativity – manifested in self-absorption, pessimism, defensiveness, self-criticism, destructive criticism of others, sarcasm, distrust, blame, jealousy, bitterness, self-pity, resistance to change, helplessness or passivity – bearing in mind that they are unhappy individuals. Try to feel pity rather than anger towards them.

Set realistic expectations about family members’ behavior. The narcissist, non-stop talker, or chronic complainer is not going to change. Plan to avoid them if possible (easier to do in a large group), otherwise try to limit the amount of time you spend with them to keep your frustration level down.

If you are particularly anxious about a gathering, invite a good friend along for support. Or plan to stick with an easygoing relative during the event.

Plan to make your visit brief - and arrange another commitment. At least you will have put in an appearance. Plan something to look forward to afterwards – for example, a stop at your favorite cafe, watching a favorite holiday movie, or being pampered at a spa the next morning.

During a gathering: do’s and don’ts – Avoid consuming alcohol; otherwise, limit yourself to one or two drinks. Loss of inhibition can cause you to say and do things you may regret.

Practice good listening skills: pay attention, don’t interrupt, and ask openended questions. Be conscious of your non-verbal language, keeping your posture open (avoid crossing your arms), making eye contact, and nodding periodically to show acknowledgement. This will help to ensure you come across in a positive manner.

Show common courtesy towards everyone, regardless of how you may feel about some of them. When you can’t manage any more politeness towards a particular individual, find a reason to excuse yourself and move on.

Give people the benefit of the doubt when you wonder if they are being sarcastic or condescending. Use humor to defuse tension. Just don’t make jokes at anyone’s expense.

Count to ten before responding when someone says or does something that gets your back up. The holidays are not the time for confrontation. Foster

peace by refusing to take the bait when someone tries to one-up you or goad you into an argument.

When interacting with people who tend to annoy you, adopt a “stupid and cheerful” demeanor – signature advice from syndicated radio host and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Joy Browne.

Stay away from contentious topics and change the subject if others raise them. Do be sensitive to relatives’ circumstances during conversation. For example, don’t gush about expensive gifts you’ve received in the presence of someone who is known to be experiencing financial difficulties.

Don’t participate in gossip or put-downs of others, and don’t bring up past mistakes or other unpleasant occurrences. Do engage in reminiscing about pleasant times; there likely have been some, if you look back long and hard enough.

Engage relatives positively by inquiring about something meaningful to them, such as their children or grandchildren, their work, a hobby or a recent vacation.

Breathe deeply if you find yourself getting stressed. If that doesn’t calm you, excuse yourself and head to the restroom or step outside for some fresh air, to compose yourself.

Parting thoughts – If you keep in mind that you can’t change anyone’s behavior except your own, and that it’s always within your power to be civil and, yes, even kind, you will make it through family events, perhaps even better than you anticipated.

Ultimately no one can make you feel bad. You are in control of your feelings, so take the responsibility for having a good time despite what others may say or do.

If things don’t go well in spite of your best efforts to be congenial, consider planning a vacation over the holidays next year, so you can have a guilt-free break from family functions – and other sources of seasonal stress - and thoroughly enjoy yourself.

Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in inter-generational issues. MSN

Diamonds Are Forever Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley A couple was Christmas shopping at the mall on Christmas Eve and the mall was packed. As the wife walked through the mall she was surprised to look up and see her husband was nowhere around. She was quite upset because they had a lot to do. Because she was so worried, she called him on her cell phone to ask him where he was.

In a calm voice, the husband said, “Honey, you remember the jewelry store we went into about 5 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we could not afford and I told you that I would get it for you one day?”

The wife choked up, started to cry, and said, “Yes Dear, I remember that jewelry store.”

He said, “Well, I’m in the bar right next to it.” MSN

Oh A Hunting We Will Go Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley It is Saturday morning as Jake, an avid hunter, wakes up raring to go bag the first deer of the season. He walks down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise, he finds his wife, Alice, sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage.

Jake asks her, “What are you up to?”

Alice smiles, “I’m going hunting with you!”

Jake, though he has many reservations about this, reluctantly decides to take her along.

Three hours later they arrive at a game preserve just outside of San Marcos, Texas.

Jake sets his lovely wife safely up in the tree stand and tells her, “If you see a deer, take careful aim on it, and I’ll come running back as soon as I hear the shot.”

Jake walks away with a smile on his face knowing that Alice could not bag an elephant much less a deer.

Not 10 minutes pass when he is startled as he hears a volley of gunshots. Quickly, Jake starts running back and as he gets closer to her stand, he hears Alice screaming, “Get away from my deer!”

Confused and frightened, Jake races faster towards his screaming wife. Again he hears her yell, “Get away from my deer!” followed by another volley of gunfire!

Now within sight of where he had left his wife, Jake is surprised to see a Texas game warden with his hands high in the air.

The game warden, obviously distraught, yells, “Okay, lady! You can have your deer! Just let me get my saddle off it!” MSN

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49

A Toast to the Keys Story by Andrea Gross; www.andreagross.com Photos by Irv Green; www.irvgreen.com I immediately learn three things on our visit to Key West.

First, the ambience is seductive. As Jimmy Buffet sang in his hit song Margaritaville, all you want to do is sit on a porch swing and strum on a sixstring.

Second, the weather is glorious most of the year. The average temperature is 78º; the coldest ever recorded is a balmy 41º and the warmest — reached on only a few occasions more than 30 years ago — is 100º.

And third, getting there is half the fun. The 128-mile Overseas Highway, which leads from the Florida mainland to Key West, links the numerous keys [small islands] by means of 42 bridges. In 2009, it was named an “All American Road,” an honor that puts it in the top tier of national scenic byways.

We stop at the Kona Kai Resort, which has one of the few ethnobotanic gardens in the United States. During a 90-minute tour of the small, densely packed plot of land, we learn about the relationship between people and plants and gather enough fascinating facts to amuse our friends for a year.

For example, we see a moss that was responsible for the first automobile recall. It seems the moss, which was used as seat stuffing in the early Model T’s, was laden with chiggers, leading to a massive outbreak of itchy rears.

But the first part of the road near Key Largo is mostly lined with shops offering a variety of water-based activities, restaurants featuring fish and key lime pie, and gift stores hawking sandals and seashells.

It is not until an hour and a-half later, when we start across the Seven Mile Bridge that the road seems to open and…. Oh my, we feel like we are driving on water! To the right is the Gulf of Mexico. To the left is the Atlantic Ocean. In the distance there are small keys of green, but the overwhelming color is blue — the soft blue of the sky and the teal blue of the water.

It is evening when we reach Key West, which is not only the end of the Overseas Highway but also the end of U.S. Highway 1, the approximately 2,500-mile long interstate that begins in Maine at the U.S.-Canadian border.

There is a multitude of signs to commemorate this fact, as well as a big buoy to mark the town’s status as the southernmost city in the United States.

Down on the waterfront the Sunset Celebration is in full swing. Performers are walking on tightropes, telling stories, doing dances, and juggling torches. Juried craftspeople are selling everything from handmade scarves to palm-tree paintings. And hundreds of people are watching schooners, catamarans, glass bottom boats, and sailboats return to the pier, backed by the fading light. Here, I realize, is what differentiates Key West from the rest of the world. In most places, a carnival like this would be an annual event;

in Key West, it happens every night, weather permitting, which it usually is!

The festive feel persists on Duval Street. Many people are shopping, intrigued by the mix of high-end crafts, mid-range souvenirs, and fine Cuban cigars. But most are simply ambling and listening to the music that blares from the restaurants and bars.

The next morning, hoping to catch some inspiration, we tour Key West’s literary haunts. This is the place where Tennessee Williams wrote his first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire, Robert Frost wrote The Gift Outright, and Ernest Hemingway wrote parts of Death in the Afternoon, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Williams’ and Frost’s former homes are closed to the public, but we go into Hemingway’s, where we’re greeted by many of the 44 cats that roam the property, all direct descendants or close relatives of a cat given to Hemingway during his ten-year stay on the island. A guide regales us with tales of Hemingway’s escapades, some of which involved writing, many of which involved fishing, drinking, and romancing.

Equally fascinating is the old naval residence that served as a White House for Harry Truman, who spent 175 days of his presidency in Key West. Truman’s writings were of another sort. They included memos that dealt with the use of nuclear weapons and post-World War II reconstruction as well as love letters to Bess.

We end our stay in Key West at a decadent dessert lounge named “Better than Sex.” Sitting in a lounge so dimly lit that patrons are given flashlights to see the menu and sipping cabernet from a glass rimmed in chocolate, we feel as if we’re miles away — not only from the mainland, but from reality itself.

For more information visit www.fla-keys. com. MSN

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The Power of Pets on Human Health

By Susan Frances Bonner, R.N. A year ago, my husband and I buried our fourteen-year-old female retriever-chow mix under a grove of aspen and fir trees on our twenty acres. She went to sleep in the soft grass with both of us at her side. There could not have been a more peaceful and beautiful way to leave this planet. In the days and weeks after her death, when I could finally remember her and the mourning had somewhat diminished, I started to realize how powerful her influence was on my life and those around me.

As a home health nurse in rural North Florida and Fairbanks, Alaska, I frequently took my dog on home visits. I will never forget the first time a wheelchair bound patient who had refused to leave her house, asked to be wheeled out to my truck to see my dog. Something connected, and after that, she started running errands in town with her caregivers at least once a week.

That was the first time I had witnessed with my own eyes the therapeutic power animals could have on our lives. My dog was always a welcome addition to my home visits and all she had to do was to sit in my truck and wag her tail.

Therapy animals and their beneficial power have been well documented. In 900 B.C., Homer wrote about the Greek god of healing, Asclepius whose healing power was extended through animals, including sacred dogs. In the ninth century, therapeutic animals were used in Gheel, Belgium, where care for farm animals is still an important part of an assisted living program designed for people with disabilities.

During World War I, American Red Cross nurses brought dogs to the Armed Forces Convalescent Center to be companions for military patients. In the 1940s, during World War II, the Army Air Corps hospital

working with the Red Cross, permitted patients recovering from war injuries to work at the hospital’s farm in order to keep their minds off war.

Pet/animal therapy has also been practiced in rural communities as well. When I worked as an evening RN supervisor at Montana Developmental Center in rural Southwestern Montana, I learned that they used to use donkeys, sheep, and even calves as therapy animals for their mentally disabled population during the early 1900s.

Another example of therapy pets is Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program that improves children’s reading and communication skills by children reading to an animal.

But not just any animal. R.E.A.D. companions are registered therapy animals who volunteer with their owner/handlers as a team, going to schools, libraries, and many other settings as reading companions for children.

Of course, pets can be beneficial in many contexts, including, hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement centers, mental health facilities, and senior centers.

Some general requirements for a pet to become a therapy dog might include: • Being old enough – usually at least one year of age • Being good around other dogs • Listening to their handlers • Allowing strangers to touch them all over

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

• Not jumping on people when interacting • Walking on a leash without pulling • Not minding strange noises and smells • Being calm for petting • Not being afraid of people’s walking unsteadily • Being current on all vaccines required by the local laws • Having a negative fecal test every 12 months

• Being clean and well groomed Any dog of any breed or mix of breeds with these qualifications is a good candidate to be a therapy dog.

Doctor’s offices and outpatient clinics/surgical centers could benefit from the “power of the pet” as well by providing a “doggie day care” area. Just imagine how much stress relief patients would experience if they knew that they

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do not have to find someone to watch their pet just to go to their clinic appointment or have a procedure done. Imagine how a child would feel, usually afraid about seeing the doctor or having that test, knowing that “Fluffy” will be waiting for them with love and kisses.

Sue Bonner is the author of Opening A Registered Nurses Eyes; A life Altering Journey Across North America. MSN

The Geothermal Alternative To Traditional Heating And Cooling Technology (NAPSI) – Homeowners looking to reduce their utility bills are beginning to explore moreefficient alternatives—like solar panels and geothermal systems—to traditional technology to heat and cool their homes.

Although solar panels are primarily used to generate electricity, homeowners have begun to expand the functionality of solar energy to heat and cool their homes as well. However, the success of solar panels depends on the climate and the location of the home.

Homeowners living in the Southwest, which generally gets up to 300 days of sunshine a year, would benefit more from solar panels than residents of the Northeast, where it’s only sunny about 50 percent of the time.

Western Geothermal, on the Montana’s other hand, relies on Only 55+ temperatures beneath Community the ground’s surface,

which remain constant all year long, regardless of the location. A geothermal system consists of pipes that reach beneath the frost line. To warm the home, the system utilizes a compressor to pull the heat from underground and circulates it through the home as either forced air or hot water for radiant heat. The process is reversed when the home needs to be cooled: The compressor removes heat from inside the home and transfers it back to the pipes. The remaining cool air is circulated throughout the home.

Homeowners should also consider costs of the two systems. Solar systems produce a limited amount of energy per square foot and take up a considerable amount of space. In addition, accommodating the heating and cooling needs in a home requires a large number of costly solar panels, while just one geothermal heat pump can effectively cool and heat an entire home.

Finally, most geothermal manufacturers offer hot water equipment that can provide hot water to the home. These systems can heat water at three to five times the efficiency of traditional gas or electric heaters, and unlike solar solutions, provide hot water 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Many geothermal units are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit and may qualify

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

for utility and state rebates. Meanwhile, states are beginning to acknowledge that geothermal systems offer as much benefit through energy conservation as wind and solar provide through clean generation. The state of Maryland, for example, recently enacted legislation making it the

first state in the nation to allow utilities to claim renewable energy credits for the installation of geothermal heat pumps.

To find a geothermal system that fits your needs, contact your local heating and cooling specialist or visit www.waterfurnace.com. MSN

GMOs And Your Diet

By Clare Hafferman At the end of one year and the beginning of another, the news about agri-business and the effects on the foods we eat, is not encouraging.

You have probably read newspaper accounts of why the linings of cans might not be good for your health, and more doom and gloom on the grocery aisles was revealed in a recent article in The Week magazine.

The article outlined California’s Proposition 37, which would require any food containing genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) be clearly labeled. Both sides have advanced fiercely on the battleground of ATell me what=s in what I eat,@ versus AForget it, you don=t need to know, and it won=t hurt you, anyway.@ Most of the eating population in America could not tell you what GMO stands for or how it is used in agricultural practices. Compared to the latest cell phones or something found on Facebook, this information doesn’t rise to an appreciable level of attention. It does, however affect all of us.

If they vote for the labeling, some of our country’s well-known shelf items, from Corn Flakes to Coca-Cola, chickens to chili, would have to be marked as “partially produced with genetic engineering.” America’s food companies have fought similar measures in other states, winning there by pressuring state legislators to forgive them their sins and overlook their ability to keep on committing them in the future.

This time the tune will be sung by the Sunshine State voters and it took a million signatures to put it on the ballot. One nutritionist who helped gather those names did so because she felt that informed consumers should be able to decide what they want to buy.

Genetically engineered means that a plant or an animal has been genetically altered, usually by adding a gene from another plant or animal, to give it traits that wouldn’t occur naturally.

It is estimated that 70% of all processed food in America contains ingredients from crops that have been altered in a lab to make them hardier, more resistant to disease and pests, and even more alarming, more tolerant of herbicides. This

latter property has elevated concern because to achieve tolerance, the seeds were sometimes soaked in the herbicide before being planted, or the plant was spliced with a gene to make it more resistant to being sprayed with the herbicide used to kill weeds.

Not only has our food been altered, but for some time scientists concerned with the numbers of butterflies and moths, and the beekeepers seeking reasons for colony hive collapse have blamed the use of herbicides. Should a bee seeking pollen in rows of soybeans, corn, or canola plants, or a butterfly’s eggs that have turned into caterpillars who try to eat the plant, a sick bee results and the caterpillar dies.

To combat alarm over these practices, the food producers say that this labeling law would be useless, non-scientific, and require them to raise prices even more than the inflated ones we already wince about.

These producers also claim that farmers must achieve bigger yields necessary to feed escalating populations around the world. Opponents refute that by saying pure greed has stimulated major companies such as Monsanto and its major competitor, Dow Agro Sciences, to push GMOs simply as a bottom line achievement. Opponents suggest that overpopulated countries address overpopulation as a first issue and then encourage group gardens in neighborhoods, using seeds that are not submitted to GMO treatment.

Monsanto introduced what it termed Roundup Ready seeds in the late 1990s and farmers quickly stepped up to buy them. 88 percent of all corn and 94 percent of all soybeans are grown from seed

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 57

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modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. This means the ground can be sprayed with Roundup to kill the weeds, but it will not hurt the plants, which have already been inoculated with the herbicide.

Has this become a repeat of penicillin, which

initially defeated diseases until the germs just got stronger? In a similar manner, the weeds have just gotten tougher and taller, so the task has become fighting pigweed on steroids. Some of these Roundup super weeds took root on at least 13 million acres of farmland and last year caused an estimated $1.9 billion in damages. Now both Monsanto and Dow are trying to get approval for another line of seeds that will be resistant to the potent 2,4-D. Some countries have already considered the questions and problems associated with GMOs. France refused to accept shipments of wheat

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raised this way. A precautionary principle was the basis for GMO labeling in Australia, Brazil, China, Russia, and the European Union. As a result, in Europe GMO ingredients now show up in only 5 per cent of their food.

If any of this is new information or alarming from any angle, one solution would be to grow more of your own vegetables with seeds that are not GMOs. If space is a problem, a garden box or a wine barrel could work.

I can only urge you to pay attention to this issue so that you can take the action that will best protect your family. MSN

By Ted Ingram (EzineArticles.com/7320968) If you have a property sale coming up then you need to focus on getting the best price possible. The better your home sale goes the more capital you have to work with and the more options become available to you in terms of future investment. It’s crucial that you work closely with a real estate agent, but knowing a few marketing strategies and having an idea of what you want to do is a good way to give direction for your sale.

Creating interest is one of the most important things that you can do for you home sale. Attract buyers and encourage the very best offers with these sale and marketing strategies.

Sale by Auction – One of the most successful and popular ways to sell, an auction can create interest in almost any climate.

Advertising online, through signage and in property magazines encourages many potential buyers to show up. Giving at least a fortnight to a month before the date will create some urgency

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without rushing the sale so much to put people off.

You set the reserve price with your real estate agent and promote your auction day to potential buyers. No minimum price is posted to encourage as big a turnout as possible. The finality of an auction sale also tends to be a major draw for interested parties.

Because of the competitive nature of an auction sale, you’re going to see the best offers come out of the woodwork.

Sale by Tender – Similar to an auction, the strategy behind a sale by tender is that you encourage competition among interested buyers.

Purchasers submit an offer before the closing date of the tender without knowing what other offers have been put forward. The idea is that every buyer puts his/her best foot forward first and you get the choice of only the very best offers.

One of the biggest pluses with a tender sale is that you retain confidentiality that you would otherwise lose with a public auction. This can mean better offers when the buyers don’t know who else might be interested.

Move forward with your home sale and create new opportunities in real estate. Get the best offer for your property sale by choosing a marketing strategy that’s right for you. Talk to your real estate company about what will be best in the current property climate and what will be best for your home. MSN

Is There A Difference Between The Words Complete And Finished At a recent linguistic conference held in London, England, and attended by some of the best linguists in the world, the final challenge was to express the difference (where some say there is no difference) between the words complete and finished.

What do you think is the difference?

The most astute answer was the following: “When you marry the right woman, you are... complete. But, when you marry the wrong woman… you are finished.

And when the right woman catches you with the wrong woman, you are completely finished!” MSN

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 59

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Beartooth Recreational Trails: Red Lodge Cross-country Skiing by Moonlight Article & Photo By Kim Thielman-Ibes When the month of December rolls around Red Lodge, the crisp winter air crackles with excitement. Sure, it’s the holidays. But it’s the snow and the recreational opportunities that come with it that truly energizes these hearty Montanans. While Red Lodge is well known for its downhill skiing at the Red Lodge Mountain Resort, it has a growing following for its Nordic Center located on Aspen Ridge Ranch just 2 miles west of town.

Set at the base of the Beartooths, the Red Lodge Nordic Center’s 13-kilometer trail system weaves in and out of established aspen groves providing shelter for windy days and a magical feeling during the Nordic Center’s moonlight ski excursions. When the first full moon rises in December, you can count on a buzz of activity out on the trails. This year, the center’s first moonlight cross-country ski event is scheduled for Saturday, December 29 from 6-8 p.m.

– though weather cooperating, you might find it tough to call it quits until much later in the evening.

Participants are met with a glowing campfire to cuddle up around, treats to treasure, and favorite warming beverages to share between jaunts around the groomed tracks. One compelling reason to stick around the campfire is the forest service talk, which can cover a variety of topics on the Beartooth area.

“Last winter they spoke Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act about the old conservation camps of the depression era, and sometimes they talk about the trails in the area,” says longtime participant and chief groomer, Bob Johnson.

The moonlight ski is a monthly winter event, taking place on each full moon during DecemI was born and raised on the ber, January, February, Rocky Mountain Front and I and weather permitting, want it to stay the way it is.

March. For Grant BarThe Heritage Act will keep this nard, the President of land special for generations the Beartooth Recreof Crarys that come after me. ational Trails Association It's my family's homeland (BRTA), the organization security bill. in charge of running the Nordic Center, the thrill – Dusty Crary, rancher

It’s time to bring Montanans together again.

“

”

of skiing by moonlight teeters between the possibility of getting lost, or too cold, and the pure fun of being in the brisk air at night participating in a favorite winter sport.

The all-volunteer Beartooth Recreational Trails Association has run the Red Lodge Nordic Center since the spring of 2002.

Local Glen Snow, a certified Nordic instructor, initially ran the Nordic Center on the Red Lodge Golf Course. In 1991, he sold it to a family that moved the operation to its current location on the Aspen Ridge Ranch. Never known to be a huge money making operation, the Nordic Center was taken over by a group of outdoor recreationists in 2002 – the nucleus of the Beartooth Recreational Trails Association. Red Lodge is famous for its volunteers that run nearly 60 volunteer organizations in a community of only 2500 people.

“Originally we weren’t sure about funding and ran on a pretty shoestring budget,” says President Grant Barnard. Today the organization relies heavily on its successful fundraisers – everything from selling sumptuous Krispy Kreme donuts and garden manure in the spring, to their annual fall ski swap and mid-winter backcountry film program.

Though their facilities consist of a lean-to shelter, port-a-potties, and a plowed parking lot, thanks to their fundraising and a FWP grant, they’ve been able to add to their grooming equipment making for some of the finest trails in existence.

“When you’re grooming trails it almost becomes a fanatic thing,” says Barnard. “People have really come to appreciate that and expect quality groomed trails because of it.” When the snow is good, BRTA also grooms a 10-mile out and back track on the West Fork Road. Unlike the Aspen Ridge Ranch track and skate groomers, dogs are allowed on the West Fork Road.

The association is busy year round – in the winter, it’s all about the Nordic ski center, but in warmer seasons, they’re busy working on and promoting non-motorized trail systems in and around the Beartooth front.

For more information on the BRTA’s moonlight skis or about the Red Lodge Nordic Center, check out their web site at beartoothtrails.org. BRTA also hosts adult ski clinics and children’s ski lessons.

Be sure to double-check the dates for the monthly moonlight skis and don’t forget the ski wax. MSN

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Rescuing wildlife from the Yellowstone Ecosystem

By Kim Thielman-Ibes Photo Courtesy Yellowstone Wildlife Center Though pink elephants have never flown in Red Lodge, there was a time when a bison really did drive around in a convertible. Appropriately, his name was Speedy. Speedy lost his bison mom when he was born. Thankfully a Red Lodge woman adopted him years ago and would pack him up and place him in the back seat of her convertible.

“Speedy grew up completely imprinted on this woman,” says Ellie Marion, Executive Director of the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (YWS). When Speedy’s mom passed away, he was given a Spirit Ceremony upon moving into the sanctuary, where he still lives to this day. “He’s quite lovely and the friendliest bison you could imagine,” adds Marion.

Speedy, the friendly bison, is just one of 75 rescued animals that live within the nine-acre YWS, and each one has a unique personality and story.

As you stroll through the sanctuary’s wildlife habit, you’ll meet Harry the talking Magpie who grew up with Ted Turner. Harry fell out of his nest and fortunately Turner rescued him. He lived with Turner for over a year, even managing to be photographed on Mikhail Gorbachev’s shoulder.

When you visit Harry, he will speak and if you talk a bit of magpie-English, he’d be happy to carry on a conversation.

Then, there’s 18-year-old Emily, the elk. She’s a bit of a prankster pick pocket, and if you get close enough she might just steal your hat. You’ll also see rescued mountain lions, bobcats, black bears, and wolves, along with Bell and Byron – two red foxes that really are the best of friends. These are just a few of the animals at the sanctuary.

“You can get within 3 feet of the animals,” notes Marion, the closest viewing distance allowed by regulation. Most of these animals have imprinted themselves on humans and would never make it back in their natural ecosystems. Given their human loving personalities, the sanctuary is built so visitors can get closer to the bears, mountain lions, and lynx than in a zoo or in the wild.

These rescued Yellowstone animals are certainly the main attraction and are a delight to visit, but the sanctuary is also for those who love gardens.

“The gardens were started 12 years ago, and though they’re snow-covered right now, they are the loveliest gardens you could imagine,” says Marion.

The YWS sits upon a hill on the north side of Red Lodge. Its gardens are scattered throughout the sanctuary, lining the walking paths as they wind their way around the animals’ habitats, culminating in a large garden by the gift shop.

Many of the gardens were grown as memorials and all of the vegetation and labor is done by the many volunteers at the sanctuary. The non-profit YWS opened its doors over 21 years ago. Prior to May of 2012 it was known as the Beartooth Nature Center. Its recent name change was made to better reflect the purpose of their organization, rescuing animals from Yellowstone Park.

“Nearly 100% of our rescued animals come from the Yellowstone ecosystem,” says Marion.

Their mission is not only to care for animals that are unable to be returned to the wild within the Yellowstone ecosystem, but to educate the public about protecting and conserving wildlife and their habitats. The animals that you’ll see at the sanctuary were either injured or orphaned and would not have survived in the wild. They would not have survived. The sanctuary believes wholeheartedly in the FWP motto of “if you care, leave them there.”

“We’re honored to have these animals, like Emily, but they should be in the wild,” says Marion.

Unfortunately, the sanctuary animals have been around humans too long to make it back in their native habitats. Fortunately, they found their way to the sanctuary not to thrive and teach us about their cousins that still reside in their native habitats.

The YWS has a wonderful adoption program to help care for these animals. As an adoptive parent, you’ll receive a picture and a booklet telling your animal’s story while helping to provide for its care at the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is open year-round with winter visiting hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information, visit yellowstonewildlifesanctuary.com. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 61

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Where Are They Now – Pam Grier?

There are two things to aim at in life: first to get what you want and, after that to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.

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By Marshall J. Kaplan She was sassy. She was hip. She was tough.

She was known for her afro and for her attitude. Today, actress Pam Grier no longer has the afro, but she does have attitude – a very positive one!

Pam Grier was born on May 26, 1949 in WinstonSalem, North Carolina. Her mother was a nurse, and her father was a mechanic in the United States Air Force. Pam also had three siblings. Due to her father’s job, the family moved around and eventually settled in Denver, Colorado.

It was here that Pam got involved in numerous stage plays at high school.

Pam worked in various local plays and modeled to make enough money to move to Los Angeles. In 1967, Pam arrived in Hollywood where she got a job as the receptionist for the B-movie company, AIP (American International Pictures). It was here that she was discovered by director Jack Hill who cast her in his prisonthemed films, The Big Doll House (1971) and The Big Bird Cage (1972).

Pam was now under contract to AIP and continued to make a name for herself as a bold, assertive, tough woman. The first female action star in 1970s blaxploitation films such as Coffy (1973), Black Mama, White Mama (1973),

Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973) and the classic, Foxy Brown (1974). Pam feels that her motivation in playing “the baddest chick in town” was driven from her extremely emotional experience of being raped as a child.

As the 1980s began, Pam found herself making guest appearances on television shows and films – most notably 1981’s Fort Apache, the Bronx. It took another fifteen years to reach the pinnacle of her career.

In 1997, director and filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino created a film just for Pam, titled, Jackie Brown. The film was homage to the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Pam received numerous awards and accolades for her title role, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Pam has had another resurgence in her career, appearing on the critically acclaimed TV series, The L Word.

With her amazing career, came some amazing relationships with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Pryor, and Freddie Prinze. What is even more amazing is that this tough, female action star currently resides in Franktown, Colorado on her ranchette, where she raises horses and teaches handicapped children how to ride. In 2010, she wrote her memoir, Foxy – My Life in Three Acts. MSN

Classic DVDs – James Bond

By Mark Fee The 23rd James Bond film Skyfall celebrates the Ian Fleming series’ 50th anniversary in a franchise that has grossed $5 billion worldwide. It is also the first of the 007 adventures to be shown in IMAX format.

I was 15 when my Dad took me to see my first Bond film, Goldfinger (1964). With few exceptions, the films continue to thrill audiences. Casino Royale (1967) was a rare misfire; an inexplicably dreadful spoof. The film had three directors, including John Houston, who should have known better. The film was a whopper of epic proportions. The film’s saving grace was Herb Alpert’s polished; animated sound track Most of the Bond films are scintillating entertainment. Sean Con-

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nery (1964-71; Never Say Never Again, 1984) is still my favorite Bond.

His performances in Goldfinger (1964), You Only Live Twice (1967), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) are superb. His Bond is ruthless and heroic; menacing and coolly seductive. Other actors have tried to take Connery’s place with varying degrees of success, including the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig (2006-present). Craig’s Bond is reminiscent of early Connery.

Connery’s Bond and John Barry’s throbbing soundtracks were one of a kind. Audiences were spell bound. Roger Moore (1973-85) was too dry for me. He acted bored at times; some of his performances were wooden.

Timothy Dalton (1987-89) was a Shakespearean actor. His Bond was less brutal; more sensitive. Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002) brought Bond back to the screen with a vengeance in Goldeneye (1995). He was a good Bond.

The Bond women are as diverse, as they are fascinating. Sultry Honor Blackman played the inimitable Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. Jill St John, who is a very intelligent, astute woman, was Bond’s match, as Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, another extremely intelligent woman, Dianna Rigg, played Tracy, the only woman Bond married. Rigg was also sensational in TV’s The Avengers (196568) On this 50th anniversary, if you are thinking of re-watching (or you have missed) some of these classics, I have listed below some of my favorite 007 movies that I think are out of this world entertainment.

In From Russia with Love (1963), Sean Connery, as Bond is sent to Istanbul to steal a code translation device from the Russians. It may be a trap. Lovely Daniela Bianchi is enlisted by the Russians to seduce Bond.

Lotte Lenya plays Bianchi’s sadistic trainer, Rosa Klebb. Bond beats hired assassin, Robert Shaw in a sensational fight. Rated PG; 3.5 stars.

In Goldfinger (1964), Connery is back as Bond and has to stop a mad gold financier from robbing Ft. Knox. Gert Frobe is deliciously ruthless as Goldfinger. Goldfinger’s car is painted gold. Honor Blackman plays Goldfinger’s flight pilot and partner, Pussy Galore. Pussy is also the director of an all girl flight team. John Barry’s Academy Award winning soundtrack is rivetingly intense. Rated PG; four stars.

Bond (Connery) is buried at sea in You Only Live Twice (1967). He isn’t dead, though. The mock funeral is a ruse. The British government wants to find out, who stole an American space capsule. Bond is sent to Tokyo to contact the head of Japanese Secret Service, Tiger Tanaka. Tanaka has been alerted to covert activities on a nearby island. Bond joins forces with Tanaka to fight arch enemy Blofeld. Blofeld is played with malicious glee by Donald Pleasance. The film is awash in stunning photography and spectacular fights. Rated PG; 3.5 stars.

In Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Bond (Connery) is sent to crack a diamond smuggling operation. He trails the operation to Las Vegas, where he encounters his arch nemesis, Blofeld (Charles Gray), once again. Blofeld uses the mafia to throw Bond off and sexy Jill St. John, as Tiffany Case.

Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz’s screenplay is sharp and edgy; laced with biting sarcasm. Rated PG; 3.5 stars.

Roger Moore took over as Bond in the opulent and fantastic, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Moore plays a more urbane and sophisticated Bond.

Bond investigates the disappearance of British and Russian submarines.

The subs have nuclear armament The KGB enlists Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) to help Bond. Bond and Anya track the subs to the undersea world of power mad, Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens). One of Stromberg’s henchmen, JAWS has teeth made of steel. Rated PG; 3.5 stars.

Timothy Dalton plays Bond in The Living Daylights (1987). The series dried up with A View to a Kill (1985). Moore was disinterested; the script was static. Dalton gave the series a much needed face lift. His Bond is ruthless, cunning and sensitive. Bond helps a Russian general defect. The general is captured, again. Bond travels to Afghanistan and encounters a despicable arms dealer. He also falls for lovely Maryam d’ Abo. The film is filled with non stop action; a throwback to older Bond films. Rated PG; three stars.

I urge you to set aside a weekend for a James Bond view-a-thon. You will enjoy some of the best adventure movies ever made. MSN

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DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

The Growth Of Orthopedics

By John Dorr, M.D. When I started practicing Orthopedic Surgery in 1975, it was not uncommon to have patients with femur fractures in traction in a 6-bed ward for a month or so. For most athletes, a torn ACL was a career ending injury. Back fusions required prolonged post-operative immobilization. What we could do in those days now seems hopelessly primitive: few arthritic joints could be replaced and fractures were usually treated in cumbersome casts. Bed rest and limited activity were encouraged, and braces were like those used by Forrest Gump.

When my fellow residents and I finished our training, we felt we were at the cutting-edge of orthopedics. Looking back, I now know, we had only hazy notions of how bones, joints, and muscles worked as a unit.

Orthopedics (from the Greek roots, “straight” and “child”) started as a branch of general surgery that focused on treating childhood deformities and has evolved into the treatment of the entire musculo-skeletal system. When I finished my residency, I was able to handle most orthopedic problems. Since then, the field has exploded. To deliver state-of-the-art medicine, one needs to be broadly trained and capable in the whole field but also able to concentrate on a limited area. Thus, we have fellowship-trained subspecialists in joint replacement, sports medicine, back surgery, hand surgery, foot surgery, pediatric orthopedics, and now even a traumatologist. Because of our desire to provide better and better care, our group has evolved from doing general orthopedics to being the regional leader in sub-specialty care.

Orthopedics, like the rest of medicine has become much more scientific and evidence based. When I started, we relied on the experience of older, more experienced colleagues for treatment recommendations. These ideas were at best anecdotal. Now nearly all that we do has been rigorously studied with great credence given to prospective, double-blind studies, and metaanalyses. Computers enable us to track how our patients do and enable us to compare our results with others. Ongoing studies in the lab provide a better understanding of basic physiology and how the body responds to different treatments.

Evidence-based science has affected just about everything orthopedic surgeons do. Our basic understanding of the musculo-skeletal system has grown rapidly. Multiple studies have shown how fractures best heal, the longevity of implants, the economic benefits of early surgery, the biomechanics of running and throwing, and much more. Arthroscopy has let us see how

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65

joints actually work and how lesions interfere with function. Our ability to care to many more patients than we could when I started practicing. Even diagnose problems has been advanced by MRIs, CT scans, 3D reconstrucwith all the changes over the last four decades, orthopedics remains at its tions, bone scans, and even in-office ultrasound. Joint implants and fracture core, learning about patients and their problems and deciding how best to fixation devices now undergo prolonged testing in the laboratory before being help them. In the future, I hope that the tremendous advances that have used on patients. There are ongoing studies on methods and materials to been made in the care of patients with musculo-skeletal problems will be improve fracture healing, cartilage regeneration, and possible use of stem available to everyone and that patients become more involved in deciding cells for spinal cord injuries. their care and maintaining their own health. MSN Perhaps the most dramatic advances have been in the area of surgery.

From a few simple plates and screws that looked like they could have come High-quality orthopedic surgery from a hardware store, we now have a complex array of devices that let us fix fractures, replace joints, and correct deformities. Arthroscopy has let us do more accurate ligament reconstructions and tendon repairs on an outpatient basis. Along with more sophisticated devices we have a better You don’t have to travel far to understanding of surgical anatomy (allowing for minimally invasive surgery) get quality care when you’re and of the importance of ligament balance to allow for early motion. suffering from a sports injury or For the fixation of fractures, we now have plates designed for specific need a total joint replacement. bones. Femur fractures are fixed with rods that can be put down the center Michael Righetti has over 20 of the bone and fixed with cross screws so patients can go home a few days years of experience and is a after surgery – compared to a month or more when I started practicing. board-certified orthopedic Severe pelvic and extremity injuries can be stabilized by pins placed in surgeon. Providence St. Joseph the bones and then supported by an external fixator. We have implants that Medical Center has exactly allow the replacement of arthritic hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, what Western Montanans and wrists. The design of these implants, the materials used, and the ability need, right here – to customize them for the patient’s anatomy means they are now lasting close to home in Polson. decades.

In the spine, screws that can be put in the vertebral body and held with Joel Mohler, RN; Michael Righetti, MD; Cody Brown, PA-C small plates allow for secure correction and fixation of deformities so patients can be rapidly mobilized rather than spending months in a cast. Artificial Six 13th Avenue East, Polson, 406-883-5680, saintjoes.org discs show promise in saving other levels in the back and neck. Rods and plates have been created that can lengthen with the growing child or take advantage of temporary growth arrest.

For those previously career-ending ACL injuries, arthroscopic reconstruction now lets over 90% of athletes return to cutting sports like soccer and football. Elbow reconstructions, unknown 30 years ago, let pitchers return to the starting rotation. Arthroscopy allows for the repair of rotator cuff tears that were irreparable in the days of open surgery.

We have become more sophisticated in planning for surgery. Computers allow for more accurate templating (choice and size of implant). ComputTHERAPY CENTER at ers also help us in surgery to put in more anatomically correct and properly WESTVIEW HEALTH CARE aligned total knees. Robotic surgical systems are being developed but they are still in their infancy. Patients are spending much less time in the hospital.

In part, this is due to the advances of arthroscopy and outpatient surgery but even patients with total joints and fractures are leaving sooner due to better pain management, more solid fixation of fractures, and a team approach to mobilization. The days of month long hospital stays are but a dim memory.

As well as advances in surgery, there have been many advances in non-operative treatment.

Many orthopedic problems do not need surgical treatment. Appropriate stretching, strengthening, and posture may alleviate much neck and back discomfort. Anti-inflammatories have been found to be useful for their analgesic properties. Medicines have been developed to combat osteoporosis.

Bone graft substitutes, proteins to stimulate bone growth, and stem cells are being tested in treating fractures that will not heal.

In the world of athletics, the importance of sport-specific conditioning in preventing injuries has been recognized. The heavy braces of the polio days have been replaced by sleek ones made of composite materials. There are pre-made Your health – our commitment to you, from day one. splints for most sports injuries. Prostheses for amputations are much lighter and now incorporate computers that allow for much more energy efficient usage. It has become evident that routine fitness promotes general health, may protect joints, and decreases the risk of fractures.

Not all advances have been good. The latest treatment isn’t always Dizziness wasn’t planned for my workout this morning. the best, and some procedures can have severe Glad I talked to Community’s Nurse on Call. complications. There are Now, anytime you’re faced with a troubling medical symptom, we’ll put you in the fast lane to easing your mind. problems that can’t be Community Medical Center’s new 24-7 Nurse on Call telephone service will give you the answers you need to give you fixed and treatment is peace of mind. Call us. Our registered nurses will help determine if your symptoms require emergency care or whether then best directed at they’re issues that can be handled by your primary care provider tomorrow. We are your local, trusted resource to helping patients cope check symptoms fast, without having to look elsewhere. Call us at 406-327-4770. with what they have. DeFor the level of care you need, when you need it, of course it’s Community. spite these caveats the bottom line is that we can communitymed.org Community Medical Center is an independent, local, non-profit hospital. now provide much better

in your hometown

PAGE 66 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

Find True Love At The Humane Society Are you looking for a four footed friend you can call your own? Come visit the Lewis & Clark Humane Society, in Helena on Custer Avenue just behind Costco. We have lots of cuddly cats and darling dogs who would make a great “forever friend.”

All our animals come vaccinated, microchipped, spayed/neutered with a bag of food, rabies shot, ID tag, and a voucher for a free vet visit. These animals need love and care and are patiently waiting for that special someone – perhaps you – to come and take them home.

This holiday season we are offering reduced adoption fees through December 24. Please consider sharing your home and your caring with

a homeless or abandoned animal by coming to the Lewis & Clark Humane Society and adopting a dog or a cat. We have adoption counselors on staff who will help you pick the perfect pet for your lifestyle and home.

And please remember the shelter in your year-end giving. We rely on animal lovers to help us meet the needs of these wonderful animals who are in a shelter not by choice. Also available: membership in our Legacy Society, a group of donors who have arranged for their commitment to animals to extend past their lifetime in the form of estate giving. Please call us at 406-442-1660 for more information. MSN

All About Glaucoma and Glaucoma Treatment

By Kathryn Dawson Glaucoma is a serious condition of the eye that if left untreated can lead to loss of fibers in the optic nerve. Once the optic nerve has been damaged in this way then peripheral vision can be affected severely. If there is no treatment at all then the central vision of the eye can become affected too. Eventually it can lead to partial or complete blindness.

There is treatment available for this illness however… a very successful treatment that can stop it in its tracks. Unfortunately, any sight that has been lost due to glaucoma cannot be restored; however, it can be prevented from getting any worse. Laser eye treatment has helped millions of people keep their sight by preventing any more damage occurring to the optic nerve.

Glaucoma is caused by the build up of pressure in the eye. It develops over considerable time but can eventually cause blurred vision or double vision. Even loss of sight is common. If you know that you or someone in your family has glaucoma

then you should seek medical attention from an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

There are two types of glaucoma. Open angle glaucoma is the most common type that develops and it is because the drainage canals in the eyes become blocked. This prevents fluid in the eye from circulating and flowing and this leads to a build up of pressure.

There is also a condition called closed angle glaucoma although this is rarer. This occurs because there is not enough space between the iris and the cornea, which is where the fluid in the eye needs to flow. This can lead to more serious symptoms including pain, blurriness, nausea, and red eyes. Symptoms of this type of glaucoma can come on very quickly due to a severe amount of eye pressure. This is most common in people over 70 and is more common in longsighted people who generally have smaller eyes and more chance of blockages.

It may be possible to prevent glaucoma from getting any worse with a course of eye drops. That

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

is why it is so important that you consult with an eye doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes the eye drops do not help sufficiently however, and when this happens it may be necessary to undergo surgery. During the surgery, the blockage will be cleared so that the fluid can flow freely. The surgery is performed under anesthetic, and the recovery period is very short.

Laser eye surgery for glaucoma can be carried out without the patient needing to stay overnight in hospital. After the procedure, there may be some time when the patient needs to rest so the anesthetic can wear off but otherwise they can go home. For a few days, it is important that the eyes

rest, which means no reading, watching television, or using bright lights around the house. The eyes need to be kept clean too so they stay free from infection. There may be one or two check ups required over the coming weeks and months so the consulting surgeon can check that the eyes are recovering exactly as they should be.

If you suspect you may have glaucoma or someone in your family does then you should book an appointment with an eye surgeon as soon as possible. They can carry out an assessment and prescribe the most appropriate course of action. For more information, contact your eye doctor. MSN

Why Baby Boomers Should Get Tested for Hepatitis C

By Jim Miller If you are a baby boomer, getting tested for hepatitis C would be a wise decision because boomers are five times more likely to have this virus than other generations, and most people that have it do not realize it. Those that are infected are at very high risk of eventually developing liver cancer, cirrhosis, or other fatal liver diseases.

Here is what else you should know.

CDC Recommendations – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that all Americans born from 1945 through 1965 get a hepatitis C test. The reason is baby boomers account for 75 percent of the 3 million or so hepatitis C cases in the U.S., even though they make up only 27 percent of the total population.

Most hepatitis C infections occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, before there were tests to detect them and before the nation’s blood supply was routinely screened for the virus.

Hepatitis C is transmitted only through blood, so anyone who received either a blood transfusion or an organ transplant prior to 1992 is at increased risk. So are health-care workers exposed to blood, and people who injected drugs through shared needles. The virus can also be spread through microscopic amounts of infected blood that could occur during sex, from sharing a razor or toothbrush, or getting a tattoo or body piercing at an unsterile shop.

But the biggest part of the problem is the symptomless nature of this disease. Most people that have hepatitis C do not have any symptoms until their liver becomes severely damaged. It can actually take 30 years for people to show any signs of the virus, but by then, it may be too late to

treat. But if it’s detected in time, new treatments are now available that can cure it.

Testing and Treatment – If you’re between ages 47 and 67, or have one of the previously listed risk factors, you should see your primary care doctor for a basic blood test to determine whether you have ever been infected with hepatitis C. This is a relatively inexpensive test and typically covered by health insurance under routine medical care. If you’re not covered, the test will run $30 to $35.

If the test is negative, no further tests are needed. But, if the test is positive, you will need another test called HCV RNA, which will show whether the virus is still active. This test runs between $100 and $250 if you are not covered by insurance.

If you test positive, you have chronic hepatitis C and will need to talk to your doctor about treatment options. If you are infected, but have no liver damage, your doctor should monitor your liver at your annual physical.

The main treatments for chronic hepatitis C today are new antiviral medications that have a 75 percent cure rate. Your doctor may recommend a combination of these medications, which are typically taken over a

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67

PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

24-to-48 week period. But, be aware that the side effects can be grueling and may cause extreme fatigue, fever, headaches, and muscle aches.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine currently available to prevent hepatitis C, although studies are under way to develop one.

Savvy tips: For more information about testing and treatment for hepatitis C, along with a quick, online quiz you can take to determine

your risks, see the CDC’s website at cdc.gov/ knowmorehepatitis. You can also get information over the phone by calling the national toll-free HELP-4-HEP helpline at 877-435-7443.

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

Ask Dr. Marion – Opening Yourself To New Situations

By Marion Somers, PhD My father is 84 and doing very well, but I just don’t know where to start as a caregiver. If you had only one story to tell about your experiences with the elderly, what would it be? Frieda in California, 46 Thanks for asking, Frieda. It’s too difficult to pick out just one story, so I’ll tell the first one that comes to mind. As a professional Geriatric Care Manager for the last three decades, I have come across many unique situations that you just can’t make up. One particular circumstance involved an elderly woman I’ll call Susanna.

She came into my life 16 years ago as a frail but independent 74-year-old woman who needed a Geriatric Care Manager to help her maintain her quality of life. Sadly, she didn’t have any other relatives who could serve in that role. We quickly hit it off, and after she got to know me well and trust was established, she revealed some charm-

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ing, intimate stories of her life. Susanna was depressed and feeling adrift because Norma, her friend of 22 years, had died recently. Susanna told me how their friendship had begun with a strange peculiarity.

Norma had suffered with the physical anomaly of having feet that were different sizes. When she was a child, Norma’s mother would buy her shoes in the larger size and then stuff the smaller foot’s shoe with newspaper or cloth. Norma was acutely aware of this situation, especially in the gym or in swim class. She went on to have an ordinary professional life and a successful career, but when she wanted to buy shoes, she had to buy two pairs, one size eight and one size 9, so that she could be comfortable.

Finally, one day Norma realized that there might be some other woman in the world who had the same problem, but on opposite feet. So she put an ad in the local newspaper, more as a lark than anything else. Susanna was shocked when she saw the ad, and she quickly responded. They met days later, and a fast friendship was formed.

It turned out they had similar interests, like going to the theater and the movies, especially to see comedies. Susanna and Norma even became traveling companions. They were also both single and labeled “spinsters.” And they were each proud that they had enjoyed successful professional lives in place of a family life.

Most importantly, what had been cause for embarrassment was now a source of great fun.

Shopping for shoes became a thrilling activity.

They’d hunt everywhere for two pairs of shoes that they both liked and could buy in the two correct sizes. Then they’d each take home the shoes that were right for them. Susanna said it was like gambling because they were beating the odds every time they could find and agree on the right two pairs of the same style shoe. They quickly became the family that neither of them had ever enjoyed.

Susanna and Norma’s warm and supportive friendship came about in a strange way, didn’t it? One never knows how having something in common with someone could lead to life’s great rewards. What might be your sore point could be a way to relate to someone else, so don’t be afraid to open yourself up to meeting new people.

Even if you feel alone, there could be someone out there that fits you perfectly.

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Marion Somers, PhD, is the author of Elder Care Made Easier and has advice to help caregivers everywhere through her book, web site, iPhone over 40 years of experience as a geriatric care manager, caregiver, speaker, apps (Elder 411/911), cross-country speaking tours, and more. Visit www. and expert in all things elder care. She offers practical tools, solutions, and DrMarion.com for more information. MSN

Helping Your Hearing

By Fred Cicetti, Senior Wire Q. I am 67 and have always had very good hearing. Lately, I have noticed that I cannot pick up some things my granddaughter says. Is this significant?

About one in three Americans over 60 suffers from loss of hearing, which can range from the inability to hear certain voices to deafness.

There are two basic categories of hearing loss. One is caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This type of hearing loss is permanent.

The second kind occurs when sound cannot reach the inner ear. This can be repaired medically or surgically.

Presbycusis, one form of hearing loss, occurs with age. Presbycusis can be caused by changes in the inner ear, auditory nerve, middle ear, or outer ear. Some of its causes are aging, exposure to loud noise, heredity, head injury, infection, illness, certain prescription drugs, and circulation problems such as high blood pressure. It seems to be inherited.

Tinnitus, also common in older people, is the ringing, hissing, or roaring sound in the ears frequently caused by exposure to loud noise or certain medicines. Tinnitus is a symptom that can come with any type of hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be caused by â&#x20AC;&#x153;ototoxicâ&#x20AC;? medicines that damage the inner ear. Some antibiotics are ototoxic. Aspirin can also cause temporary problems. If you are having a hearing problem, ask your doctor about any medications you are taking.

Loud noise contributes to presbycusis and tinnitus. Noise has damaged the hearing of about 10 million Americans, many of them baby boomers who listened to hard rock with the volume turned up as high as possible.

Hearing problems that are ignored or untreated can get worse. If you have a hearing problem, see your doctor. Hearing aids, special training, medication, and surgery are options.

Your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a physician who specializes in problems of the ear. Or you may be referred to an audiologist â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a professional who can identify and measure hearing loss. An audiologist can help you determine if you need a hearing aid.

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Some telephones work with hearing aids to make sounds louder and remove background noise. And some auditoriums, movie theaters, and other public places are equipped with special

systems that send sounds directly to your ears.

Alerts such as doorbells, smoke detectors, and alarm clocks can give you a signal that you can see or a vibration that you can feel. For example,

a flashing light can let you know someone is at the door or on the phone.

If you would like to ask a question, please email fred@healthygeezer.com MSN

Hypothermia

By Susan Frances Bonner, R.N. Hypothermia is an acute condition whose signs and symptoms are not known to the average person. Hypothermia occurs slowly over time, does not target a specific age group or gender. It does not care how healthy you are or where you live. It can strike in any weather condition or climate. And because it can be life threatening, knowing how it occurs and how to combat it is vitally important to you and your loved ones.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, resulting in a body temperature below 95 F (35 C). Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C).

When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system, and other organs cannot work correctly. Left untreated, hypothermia eventually leads to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system and to death.

Signs and symptoms include uncontrolled shivering, slow or unclear speech, stumbling while walking, confusion, and feeling very tired. The victim may not know what is happening to them, may not ask for help, and may die.

Most people equate hypothermia with cold climates only, but that is far from the truth. Any time there is a loss of body heat for extended periods of time hypothermia can occur. Conditions that make people vulnerable include inadequate clothing while being exposed to cold temperatures, wet clothing while being exposed to wind, or improper shelter.

Some contributing factors include alcohol/substance use, homelessness, and living in a cold environment. Hypothermia can also accompany major trauma. Any factor that disrupts the body’s heat balance will leave one more

vulnerable to hypothermia if the situation presents itself.

Every year we read newspaper articles about some unfortunate person found in a snowdrift after attempting to hike from their broken-down car, or while walking home in frigid weather.

If you were to discover such a person, what should you do? How do we treat it? Very carefully, because any extreme change in temperature can cause heart problems.

If the person is found outdoors, quickly but very gently move the victim to a dry place protected from the wind. Remove all wet clothing, replace it with dry clothing, and wrap them in dry blankets.

Depending on the circumstances, heat stones in a fire or heat water and fill a hot water bottle(s) and wrap with blankets or towels. Put the warm stones/ hot water next to the chest, back, and groin of the victim, where we lose body heat quickly. It will also allow the body temperature to rise at a moderate but efficient rate. Seek medical attention as quickly as possible.

In a medical facility, re-warming might involve the use of intravenous warmed fluids, irrigation of body cavities with warmed fluids (the thorax, peritoneal, stomach, or bladder), use of warm humidified inhaled air, or use of a heart-lung machine.

Whatever circumstances the person with hypothermia presents, we must have the knowledge and tools to deal with this acute and life threatening condition. We must be able to treat it quickly and efficiently in order to slow the process down long enough for the person to receive medical attention.

After all, you may be the only person who can keep the victim alive. MSN

Let’s Dance for Fitness and Fun

By Sally Ann Connolly As I finished spreading the remnants of three yards of mulch on a glorious May Day, I thought, “I’d really rather be dancing.”

“Be patient,” I replied inwardly. “The next Zumba session starts on Tuesday.” And what fun we have in that Zumba Gold class. Twice a week, approximately 40 women and 3 men twist and turn to the music with so much enthusiasm that we give little thought to the increased flexibility, strength,

and muscle endurance we are building. Not to mention the increased bone mass, improved cardiovascular health, and sense of well-being.

In fact, 3-1/2 years after my breast cancer diagnosis, two surgeries, and course of radiation, I have never felt better. With no restrictions on my physical activity, I have energy to spare. My blood pressure is under control. My weight is normal for my age. And with steady balance, I put my shoes on while standing (albeit with the support of a bureau or wall). Best of all, after

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an absence of more than 60 years, I have brought back the joy of movement through dance. Zumba, I have found, is a most enjoyable way to exercise.

Others have discovered its appeal as well. USA Today reports that Zumba has become one of the top 10 fitness activities. More than 12 million people in 125 countries are breaking a sweat to the merengue, salsa, flamenco, tango, and cumbia.

Because Zumba, like all dance, combines art with athleticism, I consider Zumba dancing a sport.

As in any sport, proper equipment helps prevent injury, so I have carefully selected my footwear. My choice: aerobic dance sneakers that provide support, stability, cushioning, and traction.

Dancing next to me in class is an 83-year-old lady. She is an inspiration to us all. Promptly at the end of class, she rushes off with her friend to drive to a community 16 miles away where she attends a line dancing class.

Researchers are finding that in addition to physical benefits, staying active can promote cognitive health. Writing in Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2008), Hillman, Erickson, and Kramer say, “An emerging body of multidisciplinary literature has documented the beneficial influence of physical activity engendered through aerobic exercise on selective aspects of brain function.

Human and non-human animal studies have shown that aerobic exercise can improve a number of aspects of cognition and performance.”

Research, in fact, shows that exercise can help prevent dementia. In 2003, a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at the leisure-time and physical activities of 469 subjects older than 75 who were living in a community. Researchers found that reading, playing board games, and playing musical instruments helped reduce dementia and that of all the physical activities studied, the one most clearly associated with reduced dementia was dancing.

The four UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have set forth physical activity guidelines for different age groups. For those 65 and over, they recommend 2-1/2 hours of moderate to vigorous exercise each week, with some kind of physical activity each day. My Zumba sessions last 45 minutes. On non-class days, I try to meet the guidelines by getting in 30 minutes of brisk walking or dancing to my own mix tape. My favorite upbeat tunes, I find, keep me moving with a smile on my face.

Smiles, and a little surprise, might be what we see on the faces of spectators at our community’s July Fourth celebration. My Zumba class is planning a flash mob performance in the town square. Stay tuned.

With the benefit of only common sense and a lifetime of observation, my father used to say, “If you rest, you rust.” I am delighted that my children are encouraging their own youngsters to get active, with t-ball, softball, soccer, karate, hip-hop, and competitive dance. Good habits start young, but we can all be taught new tricks. So, for physical and cognitive health and for fun, I say, “Let’s dance.”

Sally Ann Connolly, a retired school counselor and author of three books, puts a spotlight on health, education, and lifestyle issues. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 71

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There are many big facts in the world! And then there are the little ones, the insignificant ones, the ones we call trivia. Our staff assembled the trivia quiz for this issue searching high and low for as much minutiae as space allows. We hope you have fun and learn a few unimportant facts along the way!

Because we did not have a winning entry from a reader, the prize for submitting the featured quiz to appear in the February/March 2013 issue will be a $50 cash prize.

Also congratulations to our $25 winner Joseph Fiala of Billings who submitted the winning answers to the Do You Remember These? quiz that appeared in our October/November 2012 issue. Thank you, Joseph.

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 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, 2013 for our February/March 2013 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.montanaseniornews.com.

How Well Do You Know Your Minutiae?

Created by MSN Staff Below are 15 trivia questions that should test your knowledge in many different subjects.

Feel free to use the encyclopedia, dictionary, and Internet as you research the answers. Just jot down your answers on a numbered piece of paper and drop it in the mail to us. You may win the $25 cash prize.

1. According to the 2010 census, what is the largest U.S. city in population (within its city limits) beginning with the letters SAN? 2. What two common parts of the human body continue to grow throughout our lifetimes?

3. What is the name of the chemical element that is one of the lightest metals known? It is used in nuclear reactions, batteries, and as a medicine for the treatment of manic-depressive psychosis.

4. These two men are brothers, from a very musical family. One is a preeminent jazz trumpeter and artistic director of jazz programming for New York’s Lincoln Center. The other is a saxophonist, actor, and orchestra director. What are their full names?

5. The word “zero” indicating “something empty” comes from what language?

6. What is the name for the type of Japanese verse form having three lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables?

7. What is the reciprocal of the sum of the

reciprocals of 2 and 3?

8. What is the name of the German folk tale where, two children are abandoned in a forest by their father and stepmother, are lured into captivity by a witch, and the sister is forced to do household chores, while her brother is destined to be eaten?

9. In 1963, Shirley MacLaine did it. In 1978, Brooke Shields did it. And in 1983, Rebecca De Mornay did it. What did they do? They played the roles of hookers in films. What were the film’s titles?

10. Which four stringed instruments make up a string quartet?

11. Identify the two types of electrical current.

12. Elvis Presley’s double-sided hit Hound Dog / Don’t Be Cruel was #1 on the charts for 11 weeks in 1956. This longevity record was broken in 1992 when a Whitney Houston song, written

by Dolly Parton, stayed at #1 for 14 weeks. What is the title?

13. Which Kennedy was assassinated just 5 years after JFK? 14. The father of Queen Elizabeth II was King of Britain from 1936 until 1952. What was his name?

15. It is considered the bestselling novel of all time. 30 million copies have been sold of this 1966 novel of sex, violence, and drugs. Name the book and the female author. MSN

Answers to Do You Remember These?

Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley

1. A silver bullet 2. Ed Sullivan 3. Route 66 4. To protect the innocent 5. The Lion Sleeps Tonight 6. Limbo

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Are You Ready For Some Football?

64. Rajaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife 65. Major time period 67. Water nymph 69. Beginning of illness 70. ENTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first concern?

71. Ownership document 72. Jolieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other half 73. *Conference of last 6 college champs 74. *Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;_____ Curtainâ&#x20AC;?

Down

Across 1. Writer _____ Asimov 6. *Quality of a football lineman 9. Shakespeare, e.g.

13. Stallionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cry 14. University of Rhode Island 15. Used in printing 16. Gymnast Comaneci 17. Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tasseled hat 18. Unlace 19. FEMA help, e.g.

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37. *NCAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial ____-team playoff 39. Academy in Annapolis 40. Welt 41. Yesteryears 43. *1977 football flick, â&#x20AC;&#x153;____ Toughâ&#x20AC;?

44. Type of acid 46. Manufactured 47. â&#x20AC;&#x153;____ and properâ&#x20AC;?

48. Pollute 50. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ____ Showâ&#x20AC;? (1976-1980) 52. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Owner of a Lonely Heartâ&#x20AC;? band 53. Film shot 55. Dog command 57. *Tideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s color 61. Not very far

1. Overnight lodging 2. Make very hot and dry 3. ____-de-camp 4. *Quality of a good player 5. *Moves with each first down 6. It makes a car shine 7. Wrath 8. Most famous gremlin 9. Capital of West Germany, 19491989 10. Unfavorable prefix 11. Seabiscuit control 12. Small amount of residue 15. Go to NPR, e.g.

20. Enlighten 22. Suitable 24. Quality of a good soldier

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 77

25. Muslim ruler, respectfully 26. What scapegoat is given 27. Shorter than California 29. Used for weaving 31. *Tacklerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breath?

32. Each and all 33. Chinese silk plant 34. Takes off weight 36. *Nevada Wolf Packâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home 38. Do over 42. Touch is one of these 45. Starting time 49. One from Laos 51. *Brother of #21 Across is a leader of this team 54. Genuflecting joints 56. Loyalty to the loyal, e.g.

57. Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s output 58. Alternate spelling of #64 Across 59. In or of the present month 60. Athletic event 61. Narcotics agent 62. Evander Holyfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ear mark 63. *Ivy Leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bulldogs 66. Charlotte of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Facts of Lifeâ&#x20AC;? fame 68. Ctrl+Alt+ MSN

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Why women take so long

By Bill Hall My wife and I were touring an art museum when we discovered that art wasn’t the most remarkable aspect of the building. The most memorable part of the building was the restrooms.

We were in a Spanish museum when we both needed a bathroom and weo learn that the Spanish people have that same need from time to time.

So I went to el baño por hombres and she headed for el baño por mujeres.

It was half an hour before I saw her again. Though we were in an otherwise modern and well-organized collection of art, it had the classic failure of public amenities for females from an earlier era – not enough stalls for women by comparison with the ample number of porcelain facilities routinely provided for men.

Oh sure, some men will insist the whole thing is the fault of women. They require a seating arrangement in every instance whereas males mostly have standing room only. And we don’t spend a lot of time fussing in the mirror with our hopeless faces.

It’s as if the management chose to punish women for making the mistake of being born in a mode that requires longer restroom use. Thus, a public washroom for men will serve far more customers in a given time than a restroom of the same size for women.

That day in Spain, I finally found my wife still standing in a long line of women who had been supplied with only a precious few spaces. They had hardly any facilities at all. It was almost uncanny.

But that was not the most remarkable aspect of the museum’s neglect of females. The institution in question is the Queen Sofia Museum in Madrid. It is named after the current queen of Spain. And you would think that a queen of all people would understand a shortage of thrones.

The museum is the home of what many regard as Pablo Picasso’s most dramatic painting, a huge canvass representing the bombing of the city of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. One part of the scene shows a woman, her face contorted, screaming as bombs rain down on the townspeople.

Appropriately enough, women approaching that biffy line in which my wife waited had similar expressions on their faces as they realized they were in for another unreasonable wait in a building designed by another thoughtless male architect ignorant or ignoring of female needs.

I suppose I sympathize with women in this matter because I was one of those kids who had a father who never seemed to need a bathroom while driving and consequently would rarely stop the car long enough for children with less control. The most frustrating days of my childhood involved enduring the sight of bathrooms flashing by as Ironbladder Hall – not feeling our pain – raced on down the road.

Architects in recent years have done better by women in providing for

them in new public buildings, including sports stadiums and theaters – partly because there are far more females in the building design profession today.

And any male colleague who doesn’t want his blueprints mangled wouldn’t dare deny the needs of women.

However, my wife – my queen – reminds me that airports are still among the worst offenders in allowing the female restrooms to be overwhelmed by customers. She’s right, of course. As a male, I hardly ever have to wait for a turn. But she hardly ever avoids standing in line. We don’t have enough thrones in this country either.

When we drive south a couple hundred miles to visit family, you had better believe that, at our age, we know where the rest stops are. And most are designed to serve women well. However, there is one truck stop/convenience store that we have to depend on that has a men’s room with two positions and a women’s room with one – plus of course, a line of women waiting their turn.

However, if a woman, looking panicky, complains, they point her toward two movable outhouses out back in the parking lot.

Maybe airports should try that. No waiting in line, ladies. Just use the portable units out on the tarmac.

Someday the airports will do better. Someday they will add a huge restroom for females in the center of the complex. And when they do, they should name it after Queen Sofia.

Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

New Hampshire Deserves Putin

By Bill Hall I feel like a voracious eater who is finally full up to here.

Like an alcoholic who suddenly believes there is too much booze in our lives.

Like a frisky person who is exhausted from so many women throwing themselves at him.

I feel like what I am – a political junky who finally feels overdosed on his drug of choice – politics. Though I have loved politics throughout my sordid life, I reached the end of America’s longest election this fall crying softly, longing for sanity, and pathetically repeating, “Enough! Enough! Enough!”

I also like football but I wouldn’t want to watch a nine-hour game.

I write these sadder-but-wiser words two days before the election, not knowing whether my hero or yours has won. I mention that in case my hero lost and you think I am just another sour loser unhappy because the election didn’t go his way.

What I want is shorter presidential campaigns – much shorter campaigns.

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 79

To that end, the first thing we should do is to inform Iowa and New Hampshire that we are asking – no not asking, demanding – that they leave our country. Their self-indulgent exaggeration of their importance is the prime cause of endless elections and we want them out of here.

We should ship Iowa and New Hampshire to Vladimir Putin’s Russia where it is normal for a small, willful faction of the nation to decide everything for the rest of the population.

Iowa and its first caucus in the land, plus New Hampshire and its first primary election, have appointed themselves the most important voters of all, gradually moving their say in the matter earlier and earlier. That moves the start of the presidential election process earlier and earlier, thereby lengthening the agony of democracy gone wild.

Wikipedia, the blessed source of all knowledge in the universe, notes, “Since 1977, New Hampshire has fought hard to keep its timing as the first primary. State law requires that its primary must be the first in the nation,” State law? Do you believe that? One pompous little state informs the nation as a whole that its people alone shall be the deciders.

And then, that state constantly moves the primary earlier and earlier to exercise its imaginary divine right to be first. Iowa, running a truncated primary gets away with preceding New Hampshire’s voting by keeping its decision small, inept and calling it a caucus rather than a primary.

Between the two of them, they and they alone do the original sorting of presidential candidates for the rest of the nation, eliminating several contenders in both parties before the people in the other 48 states get a vote.

It’s a selfish practice on at least two counts: First, they decide much of the outcome long before most of us get to take part. Second, they keep moving their voting to earlier dates, which drags out the election to longer and more ludicrous lengths.

This year, New Hampshire had the characteristic gall to start the presidential voting on Jan. 10, giving us the terrible gift of an election that begins officially, and at full throttle, 10 months before the finish line. And of course that gets the frantic candidates started a year and a half or more before the final tally in November of an election year.

Compare that with Canadian federal elections that usually run a little over a month. There is a reason for that: Canadians are sane!

Haven’t we finally had enough?

There is a remedy, in addition to shipping New Hampshire and Iowa to Putin’s Russia. The Constitution should be amended to require that no caucus or primary can begin any sooner than May 1 of the election year.

But what, you ask, about states’ rights?

No state has the right to decide unilaterally for the all the other states which presidential candidates should be sorted out early and which should be sent to the finals. Only someone like Putin would agree to something as democratically degrading as that. MSN

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