Idaho Senior Independent Feb/Mar 2009

February ice photo

by Becky Hart

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Clowns dispense healing doses of humor at Boise area hospitals

By Dianna Troyer In the hushed hospital hallway with its subdued neutral décor, Wild Card, Shortcake, and Bubbalee look out of place in their colorful clown outfits, their fiery wigs, and brightly painted faces.

Yet they are in the perfect place, exactly where they belong. As caring hospital clowns, these vibrant volunteers have dedicated themselves to dispensing a weekly dose of humor to help hospital patients feel better and improve

their healing at St. Luke’s and St. Alphonsus in Boise. The clowns visit the hospitals on alternate weeks and not only briefly distract patients from their illness; they keep the hospitals’ care staffs and themselves smiling, too.

On this particular morning, Wild Card (Doris Allison, 88), Shortcake (Shirley Moss, 73) and Bubbalee (Vikki McQueen, 57) are at St. Alphonsus meeting at the office of Volunteer Coordinator Cathy Reckmeyer.

“They certainly can’t sneak in,” says Cathy with a laugh. “Patients are amazed, pleased, and surprised to see clowns in a hospital. You certainly don’t expect to meet a clown here. Patients love the time they spend with them. The staff loves seeing them, too, beDoris “Wild Card” Allison (left), Shirley “Shortcake” Moss (center), and Vicki “Bubbalee” McQueen (right), are favorite visitors with patients at Boise area hospitals.

Being a volunteer clown is rewarding work requiring clown training and interpersonal skills [Photo provided by Smile Aide]

cause it provides a positive break in their day.”

The retirees keep clowning around in hospitals not only for the sake of patients but for themselves, too.

“It’s gratifying to make people smile and to brighten their day,” Shirley says. “It makes you feel good.”

Doris, Shirley, and Vikki are board members of Smile Aide, a Boise-based group of volunteer caring clowns founded in 1999 as the humor-in-the-hospital movement began to gain momentum. Smile Aide has a core of about eight members who clown actively. In addition to regular hospital visits, Smile Aide clowns also participate in special events the hospitals sponsor throughout the year.

After their meeting, the Clowns’ rounds start in St. Alphonsus’ intensive care unit with hospital Chaplin Ben Chon, who plays guitar.

“We sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and ‘Home on the Range,’ songs that most people can relate to,” Vikki says.

“Sometimes a patient is unresponsive until we start singing,” Doris says. “Then we might see them tap their fingers in time with the music or see their lips move a tiny bit to sing along. It just brings tears to (Continued on page 20)

PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Idaho Senior Independent A Barrett-Whitman Publication P.O. Box 3341 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3341 208-318-0310 • Toll Free: 1-866-360-5683 Fax: 406-761-8358 www.idahoseniorindependent.com email: idahoseniorind@bresnan.net The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Barrett-Whitman Co., 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Idaho.

The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve Idaho’s mature population 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 Idaho Senior Independent 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 Julie Crittendon Nora Rankin Becky Hart Sherrie Smith

Office Manager Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Artist Admin/Production Assistant

Contributing Writers Natalie Bartley Connie Daugherty Holly Endersby Clare Hafferman Cate Huisman Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Jack McNeel Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2009

Spring is just around the corner and it’s almost time for spring sports. Remember those cool spring days? And what a difference one special teacher can make in our lives. Weiser’s Miss Bernice Wishart was such a teacher. It was her perseverance that gave her students the wonderful experience of participating in their first track meet.

Thanks goes to Margaret Koester of Boise for her winning Remember When contribution “The Track Meet.” Thank you, Margaret for helping us remember those good old school days.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections or contributions describing fic-

tional or non-fictional events from some time in the past. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poems, essays, etc. Photos may be included.

Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent features the contribution(s) 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 April/May 2009 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net, or call 1-866-3605683 or 208-318-0310.

By Margaret Koester, Boise Our one room school, Enterprise, was on Manns Creek in District #18. In 1936 there were 17 kids in the whole school and not all of the grades were filled.

A track meet was scheduled for all of the country schools in Washington County, and we are entering the competition.

We had a new teacher that year, Bernice Wishart, who was very good in sports, and she was going to teach us about the different events, like the 100 yard dash, pole vault, high and low hurdles, high jump, broad jump, and relay racing. We had the relay race pretty well figured out!

Miss Wishart talked to the people at Weiser High School and they lent us the pole for pole vaulting and the hurdles, which were very ingenious as they had hinges so you could fold them up and make high hurdles out of them. Borrowing her fathers’ pick-up truck and three of the bigger boys, she went into Weiser and picked up the equipment.

We were busy cleaning up the school yard, filling all of the holes where we played marbles, and raking and smoothing the ground where the hurdles are to be set. Even the little kids got into the act as they piled all of the trash. The teacher promised we would have a big bonfire and roast wienies and marshmallows on the Friday before the track meet. Mmmm!

There wasn’t enough room in the yard for the 100 yard dash, so Miss Wishart marked off 100 yards in the main road, then tied a white dish towel onto the handle of a broom to stop the traffic while

the kids were practicing.

It wasn’t too dangerous because we probably didn’t have one car an hour go down that road!

Esta Webbs’ father had a little saw mill and he brought a wagon load of sawdust for the pole vault pit and the broad and high jump.

Miss Wishart selected the students for the contest. Of course the boys were eager to do all of the sports. Miss Wishart thought the girls could do these things as well, except the pole vault, which was strictly for boys in those days.

To compete, you had to be at least twelveyears-old and there were about eight of us that decided to participate.

There were three girls; Ethelyn Jones for the 100 yard dash and low hurdles; Pauline Lewis ran the low hurdles; and I decided to do the broad jump and low hurdles.

The five boys were: Glenn Stout, high jump and high hurdles; Orville Green, 100 yard dash and long jump; Estus Webb, pole vault and broad jump; Lyle Webb, 100 yard dash; and Delmar Jones, 100 yard dash and high jump.

None of us had ever done any of these sports so we had a lot to learn. We had just six weeks before the meet. We didn’t do much school work, we just practiced.

Miss Wishart had two brothers who had been active in sports at Weiser High School. Brother Blaine had been quarterback for the Weiser Wolverines. Robert was a star pole vaulter. They fixed the pole vault pit and helped teach us all we needed to know about track.

Next we had to have the proper gear. Shorts were required. The track meet was going to be held in the middle of April, but Easter wasn’t until the last Sunday of April, and my mother wouldn’t let me take off my long underwear until after Easter. Besides I didn’t have any shorts and we didn’t have the money to buy The rest of the kids had the same problem.

I don’t know where Miss Wishart got the shorts, but they must have come from the college track team, because she had enough for all of us! For such a motley crew, we really looked sharp!

My only problem (Continued on page 25)

The Track Meet

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Winter is drawing to a close. Spring will be here before we know it and new life will begin all around us. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone with whom to enjoy all life’s new beginnings?

To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply mail your message, address, phone number, and/or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address will be forwarded to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive responses.

Respond to the ads in this issue and also sit down now and prepare your ad for our April/May 2009 issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well. Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad, the deadline for the April/May 2009 issue is March 10, 2009.

I am a non-smoking, SWM, 61, that is optimistic, humorous, retired, and financially secure. I enjoy travel, hot springs, fishing, bird watching, botany, camping, geography, history, bicycling, swimming, reading, and romantic evenings. Seeking friendship with a like-minded lady. Reply ISI, Dept. 4601, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Here I am, a blue-eyed, blonde, WCF, searching for a NSWCM to enjoy life with. Life is too short to be alone with nothing to do. Someone 68-75, happy, caring, non-judgemental, with integrity. Is that you? Let’s mix our qualities and see what happens. Hope to hear from you. Reply ISI, Dept.

4602, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 73, widower, would like to correspond with anyone who likes to discuss politics and other subjects related to our country! Not limited to any subject matter. Reply ISI, Dept. 4603, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Mature, financially secure, well-educated male, semi-retired, widower with a great sense of humor. N/S N/DD but that does not mean that I have not indulged years ago. I am not a game player and believe in honesty.

Am seeking a mature, educated, woman of intellect, wit, and humor who also enjoys travel, animals, and outside activities in addition to

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3

fireside activities and continued education for whatever it will bring in the future.

I will try to respond to all queries, however an enclosed recent photo will assure a reply. I reside in the Lewiston area, but can travel. Reply ISI, Dept.

4604, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

W/C/M, 70, 5’ 8”, 170 lbs, Christian is looking for honest, healthy, compatible lady. Someone 65-70, likes outdoor country life, horses, music, dancing, and home TLC. No D/D/S. Willing to re-locate. Please reply with address, phone number, and recent picture. Reply ISI, Dept. 4605, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI

PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Many of the lives of America’s greatest generation were significantly influenced by World War II. Whatever your connection, memory, or knowledge, we hope our featured quiz “World War II Trivia, will challenge you. Thank you and congratulations to Peggy Parks of Challis. You are the winner of this month’s $25 prize for providing the best quiz.

We did not have a winner to the “Christmas History” quiz in our December 2008/January 2009 issue. Therefore, the person submitting the winning answers to “World War II Trivia” will win $50.

Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry selected by our staff as the

featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Turn your creativity loose and send us some good, interesting puzzles!

The second $25 prize goes to the person who submits the winning answers to the featured quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is more than one correct entry, the winner is determined by a drawing.

Please mail your entries to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403 by March 10, 2009 for our April/May 2009 edition.

Remember to work the crossword puzzle in this issue and on our website www.idahoseniorindependent.com.

World War II Trivia Submitted by Peggy Parks, Challis Here is a little challenge for you World War II trivia buffs. See how many of these you can answer. If you need a little help, take this with you to morning coffee and utilize the combined knowledge of your group. Drop your answers in the mail to us and you may be the $50 winner.

1. Were was the meeting at which Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin discussed the war?

2. Who was of the symbol of the working woman in the U.S. during the war?

3. What was of the alliance among Germany, Japan, and Italy called?

4. What were German submarines called?

5. What was the code name for the D-Day invasion?

6. What was the name of the effort to build the atomic bomb?

7. What two Asian countries were already at war before the beginning of World War II? 8. What was the longest battle of World War II? 9. Where was the first Nazi concentration camp?

10. What was the last major battle of

World War II? 11. What was the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

12. What country lost the most lives in World War II? 13. In 1936, Germany hosted the Olympic Games in Berlin where Hitler wanted to prove the superiority of pure Aryans. What African American athlete won 4 gold medals?

14. How many warplanes did Japan launch against the U.S. fleet in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941?

15. General Douglas MacArthur famously proclaimed, “I shall return.” What country was he referring to?

16. What battle was the first clear Allied victory over Japan in World War II? 17. The Pearl Harbor attack began on Dec. 7, 1941 at what time (Hawaii time)?

18. The U.S. Army Air Corps was able to get a few P-36 Hawks and P-40 Warhawks into the air.

How many sorties were flown?

19. What Hollywood actor flew a B-17 on 25 missions over Europe for the 445th Bombardment Group and was also the actor who flew in the movie “For Yanks and a Jerk?”

20. What baseball player hit .406 in the majors and became a marine fighter pilot? ISI

Answers to "Christmas History"

1. Bishop Nicholas of Myra 2. December 6 3. On Epiphany Eve, Jan. 5 4. St. Francis of Asissi 5. Germany 6. In Judea 7. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh 8. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, while visiting his son in a Civil War hospital

9. Clement Moore 10. Sleipner 11. Jultomte 12. Greece 13. He discovered mice had gnawed at the old church organ and it could not be played for midnight Mass.

14. O Christmas tree, of course 15. Gene Autrey 16. Irving Berlin 17. Twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four hens a-setting, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Teasing Your Taste Buds

By Myles Mellor

41. French brandy 46. Wine drunk as an aperitif 47. You should mind yours, with P’s 48. Fancy finger food 50. Fine dined (2 words) 52. Seafood delicacy 54. Customer address 55. Ship initials 56. Minerals and massage locale 57. Fashionable 58. ___tasse, coffee amount in formal dining 60. Island, abbr.

62. Cristal is an example of this type of champagne 63. White ones are best!

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 5

29. Dessert wine 31. Proper way to drink wine 34. Wire service 35. When to use utensils that are on the outermost position of your plate 36. Spanish wine punch 37. Melt (2 words) 40. B&B’s 42. Old English, abbr.

43. Foie ___, duck liver delicacy 44. Tokyo airport, abbr.

45. Yes votes 46. Bout of eating or spending indulgence 47. The eggs from this bird are considered a delicacy 49. Helper 51. Photo ___ 53. Working 55. Be at the table 59. You, in Paris 61. Florida is in the __ of the US ISI

Down

Across 1. The most expensive type of caviar in the world 4. Tender beer fed beef 8. Mojito maker 10. You want to go out in it?

11. Maine meat 13. Goes with turfs?

14. Record company 15. Moral strength, in Confuciansim 16. The “I” factor 18. On the rocks 21. Audio-visual, abbr.

23. “___ Good ___ it Gets” 24. Range Rover, for one 26. French “burnt creme” part 28. Meal making necessity, with time 30. Have a good meal 32. Gourmet Lady of chocolate?

33. Lettuce amount 36. Ritz ___ Car, most expensive cocktail in the world 38. Mathematical ratio 39. Copy 40. The ___ girl (most popular)

1. Sparkling peach cocktail 2. ___ation, aka cocktail 3. It might be pearly?

4. Diamond amount, for short 5. The world is yours?

6. Johnny Walker’s top notch color 7. Ever, poetically 8. Dessert flavoring 9. Citrus brunch beverage 10. Respectful address in India 12. Kiwi walk-alike 17. Baby babble, when repeated 19. Special sense 20. German major, in music 21. World’s oldest alcoholic beverage 22. Cotoletta meat 25. Side dish perhaps, for short 26. Highly enriched French bread 27. French for summer

Answers To “Travel The World” December 2008/January 2009 - Page 27

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PAGE 6 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Bad Boys In The Garden

By Clare Hafferman If you are a beginning gardener or an old hand at the game, there may be a few cards in the deck that you have not thought of. We are dealing here with seeds or plants that should never be planted, but are still advertised, sold, or are readily available for digging out in the wild. They are similar to that Old Maid card. You do not need it!

And who better to warn you than I, because I have given home ground to quite a few of these invaders, ignorant of their hidden propensities.

The first and probably the most irritating to me is the practice of selling seeds of wild white yarrow (Achillea millefolium). The seeds are usually listed

in a mix of wildflower seeds or sold separately in otherwise legitimate seeds. Yarrow is an ancient plant, known for its ability to heal wounds and sometimes used as a herbal tea, but the point of irritation is that if you want wild white yarrow there are pastures full of it, and abandoned lots where it springs up freely. Gardeners who plant it will soon have an invasive spreader and even a yarrow lawn where they do not want it. Since this plant has been hybridized into bright shades of yellow (Gold Plate is one example), several kinds of pink and paprika colored blossoms that are drought proof and not as spreading as the original white variety, try them instead.

Second on this watch list is ajuga, a blueflowered, low-growing, ground hugger. If you want a persistent plant to cover the ground that at least has a blossom, this is it. But if you plant it and then change your mind, ajuga can be like that cousin that visits around the family, shows up when you least expect him, and overstays his welcome. My husband bought starts of this and another shrub we eventually called “The Mystery Tree� because it soon loomed far above shrub size without one decent attribute besides shade, produced shredding bark, and had red berries no bird would eat. Both the “shrub� and the ajuga came from a Heat up to 1000 sq. ft. for pennies a day with an energy saving nursery that was going out of business. I can see why.

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PORTABLE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 110 VOLT Â&#x2021; 7KHUPRVWDW FRQWUROOHG I decided I did not ega Â&#x2021; 2YHU \HDUV DQG +XQGUHGV RI Save M your want a border of ajuga WKRXVDQGV RI VDWLVILHG FXVWRPHUV $$$ on g Bill and began pulling it out. Â&#x2021; :LOO QRW UHGXFH KXPLGLW\ RU R[\JHQ Heatin Â&#x2021; /LIHWLPH DLU ILOWHU Nineteen years later, I Â&#x2021; )8// <($5 %803(5 72 %803(5 still occasionally find one )$&725< :$55$17< of the relatives gamely Â&#x2021; &DQQRW VWDUW D ILUH Â&#x2021; 6DIH IRU FKLOGUHQ DQG SHWV growing on. If a hybrid Â&#x2021; (QHUJ\ HIILFLHQW VDIH VRIW FRPIRUWDEOH KHDOWK\ KHDW rose that smells good Â&#x2021; 8VHV HOHFWULFLW\ QRW JDV RU RLO

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when the roses bloomed in June, he remembered walking down the track to go swimming on a warm summer day and the flowers sweet smell intermingled with the creosote odor from the railroad ties.

I lived to rue the day. Having read nothing about the properties of wild roses and only remembering them as a hedge in the ditch, I soon knew its other proclivity, to sucker on forever. The bush sends out tendrils that soon grow roots that let another thorny little rose rear its head. If you let them grow tall enough to flower, you will eventually have that hedge. Believe me; do not ever plant wild roses unless you envision them as a barrier the cows cannot get through.

What else will they sell you if you do not read between the lines? From flowers to landscape material, one piece of advice would be to read the tag that is attached to any shrub. Juniper is a good example since this purple-berried plant comes in heights from regular tree down to low-growing ground cover types. Look at the labels, and if you are hiring someone to landscape your yard, ask how big or small the bushes will be.

One common addition to many yards is different kinds of barberries. Extremely thorny but with attractive red berries and crimson leaves, it is a bright spot of color and sometimes advertised as attractive to birds. I planted it for both color and the birds, but I have only seen one flock of whitecrowned sparrows fly through the thorns to have lunch. If you are going to plant this shrub, be sure you do not plant it close to the house as I did. Any house painting, window washing, or repair work done among barberries is guaranteed to leave punctures. Put this shrub far a field.

Being careful where you plant things would apply to a wild hollyhock if you want it in a wildflower setting. This is an easy care, drought-proof plant that has lovely lavender flowers and is attractive to swallowtail butterflies. It is a beautiful sight to see those black and yellow wings attached to a lavender flower. Just remember to plant the hollyhock in a place where you do not mind if it moves on, because it will and once it puts down roots - and more roots - it takes a stout teenager equipped with a pickax to dig it out.

There are ordinary flowers that re-seed and spread, but they are easily dug out or you can deadhead the blossoms when they are through blooming. The little purple violets that thread through lawns and many varieties of columbine that spread through borders are two good examples. Just nip them in the bud, if you do not want a whole mass.

I hope that as you go forth to garden, I will have saved you from some of the mistakes I have committed through ignorance. Or, maybe it is like raising kids. You tell yourself you will not make the errors you thought your parents made with you, but you just make different ones. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that the way it goes? ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

A Window on Energy Savings

By Patricia M Johnson, Senior Wire We talk about spring and winter maintenance, repair tips, and check lists. But rarely do we talk about the energy saved on window maintenance.

There are wood, metal, and vinyl windows, different types of glass, argon gas, and krypton gas with insulated sashes and frames. There are patio room windows, bow, bay, or garden windows, fully welded, vinyl double hung, and replacement windows. Do not forget the skylight window! There are more, but too numerous to mention in a short time. Are you confused as most of us are? So let’s discuss some general types of windows and how to save energy with different styles of glass.

Glass block has maintained its status of highfashion material over the last two decades. It was popular in the ‘50s and used everywhere from restaurants to schools to malls – and in homes.

It is durable, and the fact that it is almost maintenance-free, appeals to today’s buyer. It is nearly scratch-free and immune to moisture and dirt. Most of these glass blocks are 3-4 inches thick, making them nearly as strong as masonry. There are a variety of patterns, colors, textures, and sizes to fill your desire.

Combining a solid wood or steel front door with sidelights made of glass block keeps the entryway light and will provide the security you need.

Glass blocks show transparency in different ways, depending on the surface. They are gridded, ribbed, waffled, dimpled, wavy, stippled, spiraled, or fluted. Each can distort the view and still allow light to enter. There will be no energy lost with glass blocks.

Windows can account for 40 percent of heating and cooling costs! Choose wisely. Look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star rating on the label. Make sure your choice has a good warranty. Any warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it, so deal with one that has a history of good customer service.

The National Fenestration Rating Council is a nonprofit group that developed a window-energy rating system based on product performance.

Some of the qualities of a good window include welded seams, low-emissivity solar-protective coatings, inert gases between panes, good weather stripping, and glass spacers.

When surveyed by contractors, the most fa-

Intensive Care In a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, patients always died in the same bed, on Sunday morning, at about 11 am, regardless of their medical condition.

This puzzled the doctors and some even thought it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths occurred at the same time - 11am on a Sunday - so a worldwide team of experts assembled to investigate the cause of the incidents.

The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11 am, all of the doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward hoping to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books, and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits.

Just when the clock struck 11, Pookie Johnson, the part-time Sunday janitor, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so he could use the vacuum cleaner. ISI

vored national brands are Andersen, Certainteed, Marvin, Pella, Peachtree, and Simonton. When replacing or adding new windows, match or at least complement what you have now. Ask professional advice on all your window needs.

Renters or people who need to find a fast fix to cut some cooling energy costs should check out year-round window films having a low-e (emissivity) coating. The darker films tend to absorb more of the sun’s rays. This heats the glass and much of the heat flows back outdoors. Films that look clear may not be low-emissivity, just highly reflective, which gives a mirrored appearance. Yearround low-e window film has a slightly reflective appearance. Window films can be a do-it-yourself project.

Whichever way you choose to go, there are many options, so do your research and look forward to many years of energy savings.

The following websites offer consumer information on buying and installing new and replacement windows: • Center for Sustainable Building Research: www.csbr.umn.edu • Efficient Windows Collaborative: www.efficientwindows.org • Energy Star Windows Program: www.energystar.gov • National Fenestration Rating Council: www. nfrc.org • National Renewable Energy Lab: www.nrel. gov • Pittsburgh Corning Glass Blocks: www.pittsburghcorning.com • Bekaert Window Film: www.solargard. com •CP Window Films: www.cpfilms. com • Film Technologies: www.filmtechnologies.com • View International: www.pvifilm. com. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 7

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Tapping into the Equity in Your Home.

Pros and Cons of the most popular methods. taxes, insurance, and maintenance A Home Equity Loan is a fixed loan or a line of credit (HELOC) against the equity in your home that is repaid with monthly payments. Nationwide this is the most common way for all homeowners to get cash from their equity. Typically, up to 80% of the value of a home can be borrowed.

On a $250,000 home, that could mean up to $200,000.

Advantages: â&#x20AC;˘ You get to stay in your home and retain ownership â&#x20AC;˘ You take advantage of appreciation when market values start to increase again â&#x20AC;˘ You may have a tax deduction due to paying interest on the loan â&#x20AC;˘ The costs are generally low â&#x20AC;˘ With a HELOC, you control the amount owing by virtue of the draws against the loan Disadvantages: â&#x20AC;˘ You need sufficient income and credit to qualify for the loan â&#x20AC;˘ Your monthly expenses will increase with the new monthly loan payment â&#x20AC;˘ Homeowner responsible for paying taxes, insurance, and maintenance â&#x20AC;˘ Maintenance costs may increase â&#x20AC;˘ Value of your estate will be reduced by the amount owing â&#x20AC;˘ If payments cannot be made, you risk losing your home to foreclosure A Reverse Mortgage is a loan against the equity in your home that is not due until you die, sell, or permanently move out of your home. What makes these loans different from a home equity loan is that a reverse mortgage requires no monthly payments. The amount due will be repaid when the house is sold or your estate settles the loan. These are special loans for homeowners over the age of 62. How much of the equity can be accessed depends on several factors, including age. For instance, a 70-year-old homeowner with a home valued at $250,000 could access about $120,000 to $140,000 depending on where you live.

Advantages: â&#x20AC;˘ You get to stay in your home and retain ownership â&#x20AC;˘ You take advantage

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By Terry McCarthy According to the Survey of Consumer Finance, 50 percent of the net wealth of most U.S. households is in home equity. Equity is the difference between what you owe on your home and the value of your home.

Although real estate values have decreased recently they are relatively in better shape in our part of the nation. This has largely preserved the equity of homeowners of all ages.

With the cost of living rising faster than Social Security increases, it is no wonder that people are looking at ways to tap into their equity for additional retirement funds. Downsizing, home equity loans, and a reverse mortgage are all ways to get cash, but they all work differently. Each option has its pros and cons. It is important to have as much information as possible to help you decide the best course of action for you.

Downsizing involves selling your current home and buying a smaller home. Let us assume that your home is valued at $250,000, with no mortgage, and you are going to downsize to another home for $150,000. After the costs of selling, buying, and moving, you might have approximately $80,000 that you could use to supplement your retirement income.

Advantages: â&#x20AC;˘ Access to cash without increasing debt â&#x20AC;˘ Smaller home may have lower maintenance costs â&#x20AC;˘ Equity in smaller home can be tapped with a Home Equity Loan or a Reverse Mortgage Disadvantages: â&#x20AC;˘ Emotional attachment to your current home and neighborhood. You may not want to leave your home. â&#x20AC;˘ There are costs involved in moving, both real and emotional. The stress of the sale, purchase, and move is often more than people are prepared for. â&#x20AC;˘ Homeowner responsible for paying

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PAGE 8 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

tate will be reduced by the amount owing • Interest accumulates on the amount you borrow so mortgages grows The HUD insured HECM Reverse Mortgage has been available since 1990. That first year there were 157 loans completed nationwide. During the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, 107,558 of these loans were completed, a 41% increase over 2006. This rate of growth is expected to continue

into the future.

Home equity is considered a viable source of additional retirement funds. It is important that you have information on all your options so you will have the tools to make the best decision for your own personal situation. Be sure you seek professional advice when making important financial decisions. ISI

Dump Your House? Don’t Do It!

By Patricia M. Johnson It has been one year now and we are still in the process of selling our house. Nothing is moving. We are not alone, as you will see for sale signs up and down almost every street.

Recently I watched a television broadcast where it was suggested that sellers should “dump the house” for a fast sale. That’s right, get rid of your house whether you are in a hurry to move or whether or not you are concerned over timing. I sent the show a letter that was not very sweet. I am sure the National Association of Realtors would not be pleased if their Realtors went around advising this. The NAR is a wonderful, professional group that stands by honor. If your Realtor is not a member of this group, he or she should be to indicate good business ethics.

Ethical realtors are concerned with the seller and working hard to make a sale at the best possible price.

Remember, you are in control. You the consumer must always be in control over the selling of your house. I believe a house needs to be clean and orderly, with repairs where necessary.

Changes some advisers suggest could be an advantage, but to be told your house can’t sell unless you spend $5,000 to $40,000 worth of updates is a completely different story.

A brilliant technology expert, Michael Russer, teaches real estate clients how to target consumers using new technology. He explains the use of the Internet and the importance of this virtual assistant. He stresses that Realtors should make marketing about the customers, not themselves.

My husband and I have been through the buying and selling process before. But this is a different era and very stressful if you need to sell in a hurry. We are hanging in there. Yes, we can afford to lower our price somewhat, but can we pick up the difference in a new 55-plus community home? That is our goal - to move to a secure, gated community for seniors. We’ve found the right one and are simply waiting.

Like buyers and sellers, builders are going through rough times too. We are fortunate to be patient and will not be pressured. Our only problem is that those young potential buyers cannot sell their home, nor are they able to obtain a mortgage. The time will come - soon we all hope.

But even if you’re desperate to sell for whatever reasons, don’t be talked into sinking $10,000, $20,000, or even $50,000 into a house

on renovations that you’re not sure will add to its value. Don’t be afraid to live in your home.

Remember, most buyers will want to decorate and/or remodel to suit their taste. I know sellers who put in expensive granite counter tops in their kitchen – then added beautiful glass backsplashes. The potential buyer didn’t like the color, therefore decided not to buy the house.

You can always offer an allowance to potential buyers so they can choose their own colors and materials.

Enough said. Check out designers, renovation experts, and Realtors with the organizations to which they should belong. Check with your Better Business Bureau. And go ahead, Google them to get further information. I do, with fascinating, helpful, and often money-saving results.

Patricia M. Johnson is retired interior designer and author of three books and many magazine articles on housing, real estate, design, and gardening. She can be emailed at pmjeditor@ aol.com. ISI

Word Play If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, then doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed? ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 9

PAGE 10 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

San Juan Islands beckon in winter Article & Photo By Craig & Liz Larcom In Washington’s San Juan Islands, the resident killer whales have ventured away for the winter following the salmon, and kayaks wait idly for spring. Throw in the mere 75 miles from Seattle’s legendary rains, and the islands look like a bottom-of-the-barrel choice for a winter escape.

But do not cross them off your list too quickly.

Instead, imagine yourself in Anacortes planted on the deck of an iconic white and green Washington State Ferry with a stiff breeze in your face and an unobstructed view of magnificent, evergreen-clad islands. Smell the salt-air tang and sense the engine’s vibrations under your feet while you ponder your sightseeing options.

No one can promise that it will not rain, but you are a savvy traveler who knows that the San Juans sit in a rain shadow of the Olympics. In fact, they are part of the driest sector of western Washington.

More weather surprises - No one can promise that it will not rain, but here is the amazing situation in the San Juans. Annual rainfall changes from 19 to 45 inches over a distance

of just 15 miles. In the driest places, such as the southern parts of San Juan Island, the plant community resembles Eastern Washington’s. Look around and you will find prickly pear cactus and Rocky Mountain junipers. On the other hand, you can travel to Mount Constitution on Orcas Island and find a moist forest draped in moss.

“It’s not like it’s going to rain all day. It just doesn’t happen here,” emphasizes Robin Jacobson, public relations manager of the San Juan Islands Visitor Bureau.

San Juan Island - The state ferries stop at four of the 172 named islands that make up the archipelago, actually an undersea mountain range poking through the ocean’s surface. Each island has a different flavor.

San Juan Island, the most populous, offers many sightseeing possibilities. The ferry lands at Friday Harbor, with its assortment of restaurants, shops, and galleries, almost all of which remain open in winter. Prowl the harbor. Then visit the Whale Museum to feel small beside a whale skeleton, the Arctic Raven Gallery for native artwork, or Pelindaba Downtown to see how many items people make from the locally grown lavender.

As throughout the San Juan Islands, lodging leans towards bed-and-breakfast inns to an unusual degree.

San Juan Historical Park tells the story of the Pig War, an altercation between the British and Americans when ownership of the San Juans was not yet settled. Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany mediated the finale, ending the “war” with only one fatality, the pig.

Lime Kiln Point State Park is the nation’s only

dedicated whale-watching park and features Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Currents speed past the rugged coast here, where visitors can watch the bulbs and leaves of the kelp forest sway in the water.

Although orcas are gone, Steller’s sea lions stay all winter, sometimes parking themselves on the rocks offshore at places like San Juan County Park.

Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, harlequin ducks, and black oystercatchers are among the featured feathered species on San Juan Island.

Westcott Bay Sculpture Park is another worthwhile stop. Over a hundred sculptures of every description spread across 19 acres, making for a pleasant walk on mown paths that pass through varied habitats.

Island hopping - Horseshoe-shaped Orcas Island, the largest and hilliest of the islands, offers boutiques, galleries, and eateries in Eastsound. Lodging is scattered, and includes Rosario Resort and Spa. The Moran Mansion at the resort does not involve lodging, but it houses a dining room, museum, and boutique.

Orcas Island also contains 5,000-acre Moran State Park, which takes in Mount Constitution and more. Hike or drive to the top, which has an elevation of 2,400 feet.

As on the rest of the islands, bicycling is popular. It is best to call ahead if you are planning to rent a bike in the islands in the winter. The ferry also stops at two smaller islands, Shaw and Lopez. Lopez, a favorite of bicyclists because of its relatively flat terrain, has many places to stop along the saltwater, as well as Lopez Village and B & B Lodging. Smaller Shaw makes a good day trip by bike or car with its undeveloped, agricultural feel.

If you get a little winter-weary over the next few months, do not overlook the San Juan Islands when you think of warmer places to head for a break. And do not be surprised if you choose to stand in the wind on the ferry’s return trip, soaking in the vista one last time.

For further information visit www.guidetosanjuans.com or phone 888-468-3701. Ferry information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries or phone 206-464-6400. Expect ferries to be full on big family holidays in winter. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

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New advanced portable heater can cut your heating bill up to 50% Heats a large room in minutes with even heat wall to wall and floor to ceiling Does not get hot, cannot start a fire and will not reduce humidity or oxygen

By John Whitehead, Media Services

A new advanced quartz infrared portable heater, the EdenPURE ® GEN3, can cut your heating bills by up to 50%.

You have probably heard about the remarkable EdenPURE® as heard on Paul Harvey News and on television features across the nation.

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A major cause of residential fires in the United States is portable heaters. But the EdenPURE ® cannot cause a fire.

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The EdenPURE® will also make you healthier. That is because, unlike other heating sources, it will not reduce humidity or oxygen in the room.

Typical heating sources reduce humidity which dries out your sinuses, makes you more susceptible to disease and makes your skin dry. With other heating sources, you'll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.

The advanced space-age EdenPURE ® Quartz Infrared Portable Heater also heats the room evenly, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling. Other heating sources heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated high in the room and to the center of the room. And, as you know, portable heaters only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EdenPURE®, the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.

Unlike other heating sources, the EdenPURE® cannot put poisonous carbon monoxide into a room or any type of fumes or any type of harmful radiation.

For more details on the amazing EdenPURE® GEN3 Quartz Infrared Portable Heater, here is my interview with Julius Toth, Director of Product Development for BioTech Research®.

Q. What is the origin of this amazing heating element in the EdenPURE®?

A. This advanced heating element was discovered accidentally by a man named John Jones. He had a large old farmhouse that was impossible to heat. Jones had a coal furnace in his basement. Jones placed a sheet of cured copper near the furnace to store it. Cured copper is a type of copper that goes through an extensive heating process to give it special properties.

After the fire went out in the coal furnace, Jones noticed that the sheet of copper was heating his entire basement evenly, even though the furnace was no longer putting out heat. He also was amazed as to how long the heat stayed in the copper and continued to warm the room.

Jones was so taken back by this that he started to experiment. He formed a company to develop a heating source

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How it works:

CUTAWAY VIEW

Heats floor to the same temperature as ceiling.

3. The heat from the copper tubing rides the humidity in the room and provides moist, soft heat ceiling to floor, wall to wall without reducing oxygen or humidity.

1. Electricity ignites powerful quartz infrared lamp.

2. The quartz infrared lamp without combustion gently warms the patented cured copper tubes.

out of this cured copper. But Jones had a number of children and he did not want a heating source that would cause a fire or create other hazardous situations like creating carbon monoxide or radiation. He also did not want his children to get burned.

To make a long story short, through a great deal of research and development, Jones developed a heating source that utilized commercial infrared quartz tubes.

Q. What advantages does infrared quartz tube heating source have over other heating source products?

A. John Jones designed his heating source around the three most important consumer benefits: economy, comfort, and safety. The final development of this infrared quartz heat source cannot be matched by any other heating system in the world.

In the EdenPURE® system, electricity is used to generate infrared light which, in turn, creates a very safe heat. Infrared is the safest form of heat because it does not create carbon monoxide or harmful radiation. And, most importantly, infrared heat does not reach a burning temperature.

After a great deal of research and development, very efficient infrared heat chambers were developed that utilize three unique patented solid copper heat exchangers in one EdenPURE® heater. Over 5 years of research, development and real life field testing stand behind this heat

source. It has now worked in residential and commercial applications worldwide for over 25 years.

Q. Why is it that this quartz infrared heating source uses less energy to create heat than other sources?

A. Actually, there is more than one reason. One of the primary reasons is that heat at combustion level, which is what all other heat sources use, causes the heat to instantly rise to the ceiling. Therefore, the heat is not evenly distributed, causing a very inefficient and uncomfortable heat source.

The EdenPURE ® GEN3 Quartz Infrared Portable Heater does not use burning heat. Once the heat exchanger absorbs the infrared heat, it exhales the heat into the living area which is carried by the existing humidity in the air. This causes the heat to travel rapidly and evenly throughout a room.

In actual studies, photos using infrared lighting demonstrated that the heat was almost perfectly even from floor-toceiling and wall-to-wall. The EdenPURE ® Quartz Infrared efficiency is based on the distribution of energized air, not on just fan movement. This heat is coined as "soft heat" due to how comfortable it is.

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A. Heat sources that are above the burning level have many unhealthy side effects.

One of these is that it creates dry, irritating indoor air. It al-

so burns a great deal of oxygen in the air. If you remember, when you sit in front of a fireplace or a portable heater or close to a heat source, you will remember yawning. This is because you are not getting enough oxygen.

This dry irritating heat and lack of oxygen dries out sinuses and mucus in the throat, and makes people susceptible to disease. The lack of oxygen causes fatigue.

Also, many combustible heat sources produce carbon monoxide, static cling, and some produce radiation.

Q. So you're saying that children or pets can come up to this unit and touch it and not be harmed?

A. That is absolutely correct. As a matter of fact, pets are actually drawn to this heat because it is a natural source of heat, just like the sun heats the earth. Animals are much more instinctive than humans.

This heat not only heats the air, but it also heats the objects in the room. It is a perfectly balanced heat.

Q. How can a person cut their heating bill by up to 50% with the EdenPURE®?

A. First, the EdenPURE® uses less energy to create heat than other sources, but that is just part of why it will cut a person’s heating bill. The EdenPURE® will heat a room in minutes. Therefore, you can turn the heat down in your house to as low as 50 degrees, but the room you are occupying, which has the EdenPURE®, will be warm and comfortable. The EdenPURE ® is portable. When you move to another room, it will quickly heat that room also. This can drastically cut heating bills, in some instances, by up to 50%.

Q. I also understand that the EdenPURE ® produces clean fresh air without furnace filters. How can it do that?

A. A furnace generates a lot of dust due to the combustion. By lowering the furnace temperature, you are using your furnace less and therefore reducing the requirement for the furnace filters. Also, when there's no combustion, there are no harmful fumes.

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A. It absolutely is. The

EdenPURE ® has zero clearance, which means you can push it up against the wall or furniture without risk of fire.

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The EdenPURE ® GEN3 comes in 2 models. GEN3 Model 500 heats a room up to 300 square feet and GEN3 Model 1000 heats a room up to 1,000 square feet.

End of interview.

Readers who wish can obtain the EdenPURE® Quartz Infrared Portable Heater at a $75 discount if they order in the next 10 days. Please see the Special Readers Discount Coupon on this page. For those readers ordering after 10 days from the date of this publication, we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price.

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Check below which model and number you want: ■ GEN3 Model 500, number _____ ■ GEN3 Model 1000, number _____ • To order by phone, call TOLL FREE 1-800-588-5608 Ext. EPH8057. Place your order by using your credit card. Operators are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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BioTech Research Dept. EPH8057 7800 Whipple Ave. N.W. Canton, OH 44767

PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Protecting Your Good Name And Avoiding Identity Theft

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Your life can change by simply turning your back at the wrong moment. Suddenly, something’s gone – your purse, your wallet, credit cards, checkbook. What had started as a quick errand or day at the park becomes a nightmare.

“I searched the store, the parking lot, and my car over and over,” says one victim. “I even turned my house upside down even though I knew that I had my wallet in the check-out line.”

It turned out that the wallet was stolen by a store clerk in an orchestrated maneuver involving a ring of crooks. They were after an identity.

Identity theft is a serious crime that costs billions to consumers and businesses every year.

And, more than a third of identity theft still occurs when a purse or wallet is stolen in a public place such as a store, theatre, or amusement park.

Thieves may also help themselves to credit card offers and tax information from your own mailbox or garbage can. A name and address are all a thief needs to assume your identity: they may simply file a “change of address form” in your name and have all your mail sent to another location.

Seniors are generally not more susceptible to this kind of crime than any other age group, however it can be more complicated to put a stop to the cycle when more assets are involved. If thieves find a Social Security card along with credit cards, a driver’s license, and checkbook, they can do a lot of damage. New checking accounts can be established in banks you may never have heard of – in other states or even other countries. Cars and houses can be purchased with your credit.

Crimes may even be committed, putting your good name on a criminal record. The thieves can sell and resell your identity.

Victims of identity theft should first look close to home. According to the Better Business Bureau, 90% of all data compromise takes place

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through traditional channels. Less than 10% of identity fraud occurs through the internet. Almost half of all identity thieves are someone known to the victim.

If you are a victim, call the police. This is a serious crime, and you must have a record of your report to prove your credibility to creditors.

The good news is that you are not helpless.

There are many methods to protect yourself, but it’s important to start with the basics.

• keep your purse zipped up • don’t carry your wallet in your back pocket • never leave your bag unattended • keep your papers locked in a safe place • don’t give anyone your PIN numbers • shred papers in a cross cut shredder • be aware of your surroundings at an ATM • keep personal information off the Internet • don’t carry your Social Security Card with you - keep it in a safe place • don’t carry your checkbook or credit cards unless you know you need them.

Your bank should be an active partner in helping detect and mitigate identity theft. There are also independent services that will help you monitor your credit to detect fraud, and do the paperwork involved should an incident occur.

Chances are good that identity theft will end up costing you very little except time, effort, and worry.

However, chances are even better that you will be a victim at some point in your life, if you do not take precautions. It is 2009, so resolve to protect your good name with knowledge and resources – because some damage can never be undone.

For more information on Identity Theft, see www.intermountainbank.com, www.magicvalleybank.com, www.bbb.org/idtheft, or www.theidentitytheftexperts.com. Your local Intermountain Community Bank and Magic Valley Bank branches offer free security education. ISI

Safe Harbor

By Brett Ballantyne, SET Financial, Boise In these troubled times, do you wonder if there is a safe harbor - a place to keep your retirement savings secure? Have you become anxious as you watch your retirement savings dwindle even further?

Maybe you sense something needs to be done, but you are not sure what to do! Do you feel caught between wanting to sell your securities to protect your savings from further loss or to hold on with the hope that the market will turn. Or maybe you are to the point where you just want to cover your eyes and pray things will work out? These are all very real and valid emotions.

In truth, your safe harbor has more to do with you and what your current financial situation is. How much money do you have saved up? How much income do you need? What rate of return do you need to provide adequate income? How risk-tolerant are you? Is there retirement income available for the surviving spouse should a death occur? Answering these questions and more will provide important guidance as to what your safe harbor really is.

When was the last time you and your financial advisor discussed these important questions? Were you given a range of investment options to

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

choose from that could meet your needs, or were you simply told, “Be patient, this bear market will end and things will get better.”

Unfortunately, to the retired investor, this answer does little to ease your mind as you watch your retirement savings dwindle. You know very well that at this stage in life there is simply not enough time to recover if you lose what you have now! Sometimes “buy and hold” is the right thing to do, but sometimes it’s not!

If you are not sure whether to stay in the market or to get out of the market ask yourself, “Can I afford to lose this year what I lost last year?” If not,

then you should strongly consider repositioning your assets to avoid further losses!

You may ask, “What would happen if the market suddenly recovers?” This is a very good question! You see, no one can predict what the market is going to do for sure, but when you really think about it, there are only two mistakes you can make. First, you can get out of the market and then it immediately recovers. This causes you to miss some up side gain for a short period. Second, you can stay in the market and it continues to fall.

Which mistake would

New Tax Law Extends Donations from IRAs Submitted by David Proctor, Idaho Foodbank On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which includes an extension of the IRA Charitable Rollover (Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008, H.R. 1424). The extension will allow individuals 70 and older to donate tax-free up to $100,000 from their IRAs to charities. The provision expires in December 2009.

Here are some questions and answers about possibilities: 1. What is The IRA Charitable Rollover provision of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424)? It is an extension of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which allows up to $100,000 of tax-free distributions per year from IRAs for charitable purposes. The extension is retroactive to distributions made during both 2008 and 2009 tax years.

2. Can I make a charitable donation with any of my retirement plans? No. Under H.R. 1424, you may only make a charitable distribution from a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. Distributions from simple IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, as well as other retirement plans do not qualify. However, some of the non-eligible plans may allow you the opportunity to rollover those plans into an IRA qualified plan.

3. Can anyone make a charitable donation from their IRA qualified plan? No. You must be at least 70½ years old by the date of the contribution to charity. This should not be confused with the rule that requires plan participants to begin receiving the required minimum distribution in the same year that they reach age 70½.

4. How do I make a charitable donation from my IRA qualified plan?

You must ask your IRA plan administrator to transfer funds directly to the charity of your choice. Check with your administrator or tax advisor.

5. Can I direct my IRA donation to a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, or a donor-advised fund? No. None of these charitable arrangements qualifies under this new law.

6. Will I qualify for a charitable deduction by making an IRA donation from my qualified plan to the charity of my choice? No. You do not receive a tax deduction, but those funds are transferred to the charity of your choice free from taxes.

7. What are the advantages of making an IRA donation from my qualified plan to the charity of my choice? The advantages will vary by donor. In general, this new law allows individuals who are 70½ or older to make tax-free gifts to the charities of their choice using funds that would otherwise be subject to tax under mandatory withdrawal rules. Consult your advisor to determine what is best for you. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

you rather make?

Your financial advisor should be able and willing to offer both guaranteed products as well as security investments.

The key to finding your safe harbor begins with understanding your goals, exploring your options, and then taking the appropriate action.

Please contact your financial advisor to help you preserve and increase your wealth. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

Where Are They Now - Jonathan Winters

By Marshall J. Kaplan The legendary comedian known for his outrageous characters may be retired but it is definitely not a quiet retirement. After all, he is Jonathan Winters!

Jonathan Winters was born on November 11, 1925 in Bellbrook, Ohio. His mother was Alice Kilgore – a radio personality at the time. After Jonathan’s mother left her alcoholic husband, mother and seven-year-old son moved away where Jonathan attended Military Academy. After graduation, he enlisted in the Marines, serving in the South Pacific during WWII. Upon returning home, he studied cartooning and then began developing comedy routines. After winning a local talent contest, he appeared on local radio.

Winters’ strength was odd, funny characters.

With his zany comedic characters, Winters became a comedy club and television guest favorite. Best known is his character, Maude Frickert – a sweet old lady with an acid tongue. Winters was a favorite of both Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. Carson never knew what Winters’ character would appear on the show, so he simply interviewed the character in the guest seat to learn more about him.

With the success of television and clubs, Winters began recording comedy albums. His ten albums earned him a Grammy Award. Winters also appeared in motion pictures – most favorite with fans is It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Co-stars recall Winters becoming a multitude of characters as he waited for his scenes in his trailer.

In each decade of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Winters had his own com-

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edy shows. However, he received his greatest exposure as Mork’s son, Mearth, on Mork and Mindy (1981).

As a side note, Twilight Zone fans recall a dramatic Jonathan Winters starring in the 1961 episode, A Game of Pool. Winters’ range of characters made him a favorite with television advertisers as he peddled their wares on air in a variety of hilarious personalities.

Over the past ten years, Winters has taken it easy.

He once had a nervous breakdown in 1959 where he was hospitalized for eight months. In recent years, he has come to learn that he suffers from manic depression and he is currently working on his autobiography that addresses this.

That being said, the man of a thousand characters resides in Santa Barbara, California where he is usually

visited by his biggest fan, Robin Williams, or he can be seen having fun at local antique markets. They say that winter may be only one season, but this Winters is definitely all seasons rolled into one! ISI

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Rolling with Ron

By Natalie Bartley Photos Courtesy Ron Myers Motorcycles, rafts, skis, and snowshoes are but a few of Ron Myers’ modes of transportation.

Currently a resident of Garden City, 61-yearold Ron found his way to the region while serving in the United States Air Force.

Born in Crescent City, California, and then raised on family ranches in Placerville and Tuolumne, California, Ron gained valuable animal handling and artisan skills during his youth. Working with angora goats, cattle, and hogs was part of his childhood duties.

As he came of age, the military draft was in effect, so Ron joined the Air Force to avoid the randomness of draft assignments. He spent 23 years full-time with the Air Force, serving in Vietnam, North Carolina, England, and at Mountain Home. During his military stint, Ron worked with aircraft weapons as a munitions loader, then later as a shop and flight line aircraft mechanic.

When he reached the age of 43, Ron retired and settled into the home he owned in Boise, 60 miles from the Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Never one to remain idle, Ron completed his Bachelors of Science in Geology at Boise State University. That degree was shortly followed by work as a teaching assistant instructing geographical information software at Boise State University while studying for a Masters in Geology.

Currently Ron supplements his interests by doing repair work for friends and neighbors.

He says, “I love to help people and be helpful.” Building fence, fixing plumbing, sodding yards, and woodworking are a few recent projects.

Perhaps due to his childhood work with animals, pets are a part

of his life. While serving in England, Ron and his Old English sheepdog progressed through the dog show circuit in England, Wales, and Scotland. He trained and showed Heidi in the arenas, making it to the English Nationals.

Ron is now the proud owner of an 18pound Shih-Tzu named Miss Prissy. “She is my absolute whitewater buddy,” says Ron. “At three months old, she went down the wild Snake River whitewater in Hells Canyon. She has learned to read the water by its sound and gets into her doggie carrier for the rapids.” Miss Prissy in a wetsuit and life jacket is well prepared for the cold river water. A bird and a cat round out the Myer’s household menagerie.

Ron and his wife, Bronwyn, met at a whitewater canoe clinic in Boise in 2000. When Ron hurt his finger, “She insisted on taking me to her car and putting a band-aid on it. We’ve been together ever since,” says Ron. Several years ago, Ron purchased a Harley Davidson Road King touring motorcycle. Although Ron had owned at least eight other motorcycles over the years, the Harley topped his first one by far. In high school, he rode to school on a 50 cc Honda. “Now I am into a 1650 cc and it is much more powerful, comfy, and safer. With the better ride I can ride longer,” he says.

During the autumn of 2004, he toured on his motorcycle through California and Oregon for two weeks. Then he toured for more than three weeks to the Four Corners area of the Southwest including a loop to the Northwest and Montana.

Visiting Arizona held special significance for Ron. It was a journey for his ancestors. He spent time on the Hopi Indian Reservation in north central Arizona, looking for his Dad’s old friend.

He visited the site where his grandfather lived when sent by the government to build a school, and to serve as the first teacher and principal on the reservation.

While there, Ron watched Kachina dances performed by the Hopi people and learned more about the religious significance of Kachina dolls.

In addition to carving Native American flutes, Ron follows his Dad’s example by carving Kachina dolls. “He was quite the Indian aficionado,” Ron says. Ron donates his handmade crafts to charities for fundraisers and takes custom orders.

After leaving the reservation, Ron traveled to Pagosa Springs, Colorado in order to scatter the last of his Father’s ashes. Ron rode his Harley to his Father’s favorite fishing spot at the end of a long dirt road. When his Father had died six years earlier, Ron experienced a medical emergency that prohibited his meeting with his family at the fishing site to spread his Father’s remains.

Completing this journey was a significant

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

event for Ron. In addition to extended road trips on his Harley, Ron enjoys multi-day whitewater rafting trips, day trips in his inflatable kayak, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, skate skiing, bicycling, photography, and helping neighbors. Ron has boated whitewater rivers during his two trips to

Costa Rica. In 2005, he finished Master Gardener certification offered through the University of Idaho’s Extension Service. He specializes in lawns and landscaping.

For the next few months, Ron and a friend are off on a new adventure buying distressed starter homes in California, remodeling them

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 17

while living in them, and then selling them. Of course, the Harley is along with him so that he can get on the road when he has time off.

Ron’s philosophy of life is well stated on his bumper sticker, “Live life to the fullest, and be as kind as you can to those around you.” That is a good thought for all of us. ISI

A Dogged Obsession: Cedarwoods Gun Dogs

Photo & Article By Holly Endersby There is a fine line between passion and obsession and Bob Farris, the number one breeder of Pudelpointers, realizes that as he seeks perfection in his breeding program. For the uninitiated, Pudelpointers are a versatile hunting dog breed equally adept on waterfowl or upland game birds.

But Bob says there’s much more to these dogs than their hunting prowess: it’s their personality.

“There’s simply no other dog like them,” he declares. “They absolutely demand attention. They maintain perfect eye contact with you and if you don’t pet them they will nudge your hand with their head and if that doesn’t work they will put a paw on your thigh. These are not dogs to be put in a kennel and left there.”

In fact, Bob says the most important part of a Pudelpointer’s training is its socialization with humans. The retired Boise toxicologist who worked for decades at St. Alphonsus Hospital, has a cadre of friends devoted to the breed who take puppies from each litter to become members of the human family.

“These dogs are family companions first, then they become exceptional gun dogs,” Bob claims.

“You will break a Pudelpointer’s heart if they can’t be with their human family.”

The German Baron Von Zedlitz established Pudelpointers as a breed in the 1800s. He started with 90 pointers and seven poodles and his goal was to breed the best possible bird dog. While some believe Von Zedlitz used standard poodles, Bob thinks the breed is descended from the Barbet, ancestors of the Wasser (Water) Poodle and a cross with a Spanish or English Pointer. Standard poodles of the 1800s gave the Pudelpointer (pudel is the Germanic spelling of poodle) its proclivity for human attachment, obedience, love of water, and retrieving ability. The pointer side of the equation added hunting skills, including a fine nose for game. In Germany, the Pudelpointer is well known as a superior gun dog.

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A Hunter at Heart - Born and raised in Enterprise, Oregon, Bob has always been passionate about hunting for both big game and birds. The walls in his Boise home attest to a Grand Slam of North American sheep, and photos abound on his website of big bucks, bull elk, and days spent afield hunting birds over a good dog.

“I’ve hunted my entire life,” he states. “I average about 80 days hunting each year.”

People who hunted with Bob recognized early on what a talented trainer he was. Soon, they were bringing him pups to train. But it was the arrival of his first Pudelpointer that changed his life. Until then, he’d hunted with English and Llewellyn setters for chukar and pheasant.

“A guy brought me a Pudelpointer to train and I simply had never hunted over a better dog,” he recalls. “If I was hunting upland birds near a river and a crippled bird hit the water I knew that dog would find it.”

A dog that retrieves equally well on land and water is versatile, indeed. And Pudelpointers also “lock-up” on a bird like a pointer. Those who hunt know without a good dog a lot of birds are lost.

But there are few breeds that can take a hunter from the steep hills of Idaho where chukar live to the marshy edges of lakes for mallards or the snowy fields around Boise for geese.

It took Bob three years to find his first female Pudelpointers.

“In the early 1970s I finally found two of them in Canada. I started getting involved in field trials with them and began participating in North A m e r i c a n Ve r s a t i l e Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) testing as well,” Bob says.

Today, Bob is a cer-

tified NAVHDA judge in the United States and Canada.

NAVHDA Testing and Breeding for Excellence - Bob explains that competing in a NAVHDA trial is a lot like golf. For placement, a dog competes against the score set on a specific course, not against other dogs. The tests are extensive and cover all aspects of dry land bird hunting, waterfowl hunting, and retrieving. The premier mark is a Prize 1 at each level. Dogs who are “finished” take the Utility Test, the upper level test for fully trained gun dogs.

PAGE 18 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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Above that is the Invitational Test, which measures advanced skills in champion dogs who have received a Prize 1 in Utility Testing. Based on thirty years of research by Milan Novak, Bob decided he would breed only those dogs that have scored 105 or more on the Natural Ability Test, the first NAVHDA assessment given to dogs up to 18 months old. Novak’s research says only those dogs will consistently produce litters with top scores as well.

“Over a hundred dogs tested from our kennel in the last five years earned an average score of 107,” Bob says. “And 60 percent of those dogs received a Prize 1 rating.”

In addition, 32 dogs have been NAVHDA tested at the Utility level with thirteen earning a Prize 1. According to Bob, the current four Versatile Champion Pudelpointers in North America are all by Cedarwoods stud dogs.

Bob’s current top dog, Cedarwoods First Offensive (aka Tukr), leads all versatile hunting dog sires in NAVHDA progeny tested. But more than that, Tukr is a fine companion for Bob and a dog he truly enjoys hunting over.

“At seven, Tukr, still hits the water like a freight train,” Bob says. “And he still out-performs any other dog.”

Tukr owes his ability, Bob says, to an exceptional female he had in the 1990s, Cedarwoods Calendar Girl (aka Callie).

“Callie was a remarkable dog who bred remarkably, too. She gave us seven litters of exceptional puppies. When she was twelve she still looked like a fit three year old.”

Bob says when Callie was born his daughter, who had just gotten married, agreed to take Callie home to socialize her.

“That’s the last time I had any control over Callie,” he laughs. “She was my daughter’s dog from then on.”

Bob says even when compared to other affectionate Pudelpointers Callie was special.

“She had an ‘I love you’ personality.”

Pudelpointers, the breeder notes, grow up and learn behaviors that make their master’s happy. But Callie’s devotion to her humans went far beyond anything Bob had seen before.

“When I got one of her puppies back to train, I thought, my gosh, this is the best dog I have ever had.”

Top dog Tukr has Callie as his grandmother on one side of his breeding and she shows up as his great-grandmother on the other.

“He’s a line-bred Calendar Girl stud,” Bob explains.

Like the scientist he was for over thirty years, Bob places great store in genetics to guide his breeding program. He uses a software program to compare the compatibility of male and female dogs for breeding.

“You plug in the male and female you are considering and you can look closely at what is called the coefficient of relationships, which is the influence the progenitors may have on this proposed breeding.”

Bob’s been breeding Pudelpointers since 1975 and, he says, careful attention to genetics has allowed him to continually improve his dogs.

“Today, I would never breed the dogs I did in the 1970s. By doing careful selective breeding over the years we have included extensive genetic diversity to produce the very best dog possible. This is the way breeding should be done.”

And Bob claims once a person gets a Pudelpointer, all other breeds fall by the wayside.

“I don’t think I have ever sold a Pudelpointer to anyone who has ever owned another breed after that. It’s the personality that hooks them time and time again. These dogs are exceptionally loyal and are always trying to suck some affection out of you. Why would you even risk owning any other breed?”

Spoken like a true perfectionist.

For more information on these remarkable dogs, as well as terrific photos, visit Bob’s website www.cedarwoodsgundogs.com. ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Old rail tracks have a new life as Treasure Valley Urban Trails Story and photo by Natalie Bartley Rails to trails are becoming more important and increasingly available as population growth continues in the Treasure Valley. As part of a nationwide movement, over 10,000 miles of public trails have been created by converting abandoned railroad corridors into multi-use public recreational trails. Idaho has a bountiful selection of urban, rural, and remote rails trails.

The cities of Kuna and Nampa offer citizens and visitors brief trails for escaping and spending time with nature.

Easily accessed in town, trails provide a chance for communing with nature, getting exercise, and enjoying activities like wildlife viewing.

After a jaunt on a trail, you can conveniently visit a restaurant for a quick bite to eat.

Kuna, pronounced Q-nuh, is a small rural town of over 14,000 people. Kuna is home to the Indian Creek Greenbelt, a trail-by-rails, and is a restful place to partake in the variety of recreational activities that are available year-round.

Visitors and residents enjoy walking, biking, fishing, picnicking, bird watching, and even BMX riding in the new bike park along the paved portion of the trail. An active railway is on the other side of the creek, lending atmosphere and the rails trails designation. During the irrigation season spring through late summer, it is the place to head to enjoy the sparkling Indian Creek.

SuzAnn Ramos, administrative assistant for the Kuna Chamber of Commerce says, “There are people on the trail all the time, people walk it every day.” She estimates an average of 30 to 40 trail users daily in the winter.

“It’s usually clear of snow. It is part of the Parks and Recreation Department and they keep it cleaned up,” she adds.

A convenient starting point is at the parking lot located at the Indian Creek Greenbelt Park, next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center.

The trailhead has handicapped accessibility to the Greenbelt and heated bathrooms.

Indian Creek Greenbelt consists of paved asphalt for a little over 0.5 mile, which changes to a dirt and lava rock trail as it continues beside the school. If you proceed for about 0.3 mile, you leave the dirt trail and hit a street bike path that detours you for approximately 0.3 mile through a residential area and back onto a dirt trail. Another 0.3 mile takes you to the end of the trail beside a small basalt rock canyon of Indian Creek near a residential area. To get back to the starting point, turn around, and return along the 1.4-mile route you have just traveled.

The trail runs close to restaurants, so it is an easy detour to places like the Peregrine Steak House, located right along the greenbelt. Other trailside options include a Pizza Hut, plus a number of eateries in town off the trail.

Also, stop at the Kuna Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center to visit the Birds of Prey interpretive center and pick up a scenic highway map, the raptor identification guide, and other brochures to get you started on points of interest around Kuna.

To get to Indian Creek Greenbelt from Meridian or exit 44 off Interstate 84, take State Route 69 south for 8.0 miles then turn right onto Kuna Road, which becomes East Avalon Avenue. Follow it to Swan Falls Road where the trailhead starts next to the Kuna Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center in the Indian Creek Greenbelt Park.

For more info call the Kuna Chamber of Commerce at 208-922-9254 or visit www.kunachamber. com.

When visiting Nampa, try the Nampa to Stoddard Trail. This wheelchair accessible, paved multi-use rails-to-trails conversion trail is 2.0 miles long. Bicycling, walking, incline skating, and even horseback riding are possible. Start at the paved parking lot across the street from Maple Wood Park near the Greenhurst School.

When the railroad closed the rails in this area, the city agreed to take it over as a trail. Original plans were to continue the trail to Melba, but the landowners along the rails declined.

From the trailhead at Maple Wood Park the smooth paved trail heads north 0.5 mile to East Iowa Avenue, passing through a grass and tree studded corridor between homes. The City of Nampa Forestry Department planted trees in 2004. There are interpretive signs describing the Purple Catalpa, Australian pine, and other trees in the area.

The 1.5 miles of paved trail on the southern segment crosses the Maple Wood neighborhood park and then runs by homes and on to open fields, giving a rural flavor to the trail, ending at a closed trestle past Locust Lane. A section of this segment beyond the park is temporarily closed for a construction project.

To get to the Nampa to Stoddard Trail, head on I-84 west to Idaho Center, take Exit #38. Turn left on Garity Road, go 1.3 miles, and turn left on Kings Road. Go 1.8 miles and cross over Amity Road, where Kings Road changes to Southside Blvd. Travel 1.0 mile and turn right onto East Greenhurst. Go 0.4 mile to the trailhead on the right across from Maple Wood Park.

For additional information call Nampa Parks Department at 208-468-5890 or visit www.nampaparksandrecreation.org.

Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based writer and co-author of the new Pacific Northwest Rails Trails guidebook, being published by Falcon Guides, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press, available in print autumn 2008. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 19

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Clowns dispense healing - continued from cover your eyes and makes your heart thump to have a patient respond. Being a hospital clown is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. It’s wonderful to make someone smile or to hear parents say they had forgotten their child could smile until we came.

You just have to experience it.”

The three friends became acquainted while enrolled in a hospital clown class they had read about in the newspaper. Although all had wanted to be hospital clowns, they came from different occupations. Doris was a retired bank manager; Shirley retired from U S WEST; and Vikki had retired from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Doris has clowned since 2000, Vikki since 2004, and Shirley since 2005. Now, they help each other teach the class. While they laugh easily and do not take themselves too seriously, they do take their clowning and its time commitment seriously.

“It takes a long time to train,” Vikki says. “We took a 30-hour class, then had to apprentice for 30 to 40 hours until we were ready to visit patients on our own. The entire process took about a year.”

Researchers have documented the curative power of comedy in bolstering the immune system.

For example, laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, improves muscle flexion, raises levels of infection-fighting cells and diseasefighting proteins, and triggers release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, according to studies conducted by Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California.

In class, clown students are encouraged to pick their clown name and personality.

“We aren’t the white-faced serious clowns,” Vikki explains. “We’re Auguste clowns, each with our own distinct persona.”

Doris makes her Wild Card costumes. She wears a red wig and usually a dress with a flowery skirt or a jumper. Her stockings are yellow or red.

In winter, she wears red shoes and a black hat with ribbons. In summer, she wears black shoes and a yellow straw hat with flowers. For makeup, she whitens around her eyes, then paints on tiny black crow’s feet, a cupid bow mouth, a flower nose, and two red circles on her cheeks.

Shirley, as Shortcake, wears shorts or coveralls made of fabric showing Strawberry Shortcake. She picks either a pink or purple blouse, has long purple stockings with pink at the top, tennis shoes with hearts on them, a red wig with a green hat, a red clown nose, and white eyes and mouth outlined in black.

Vikki says Bubbalee likes to wear a red-and-

white jumpsuit. She has long blue eyelashes, white around her eyes and mouth, rosy cheeks, and a red nose. Bubbalee always twists a few pigtails into her curly tangerine-colored wig before she clips a big plastic mouse into the back of it.

After intensive care, the three clowns head for the cancer and cardiology units.

“Not everyone is up for a visit from us,” Vikki says. “We usually spend about five minutes with a patient, depending on how they’re feeling. We’re sensitive to their moods and how they’re responding to us.”

In the rehabilitation unit, they have what Doris calls “a hallelujah moment.” A man who had been hospitalized several months was learning to walk again, and they cheered his first steps.

It usually takes the trio about four hours to make their rounds. After making the rounds, Vikki admits clowning, while gratifying, is also tiring.

“You’re always on stage, assessing situations and how people are responding to you. When I get home, I usually take a nap.”

There is more than one group of caring clowns in the Treasure Valley. Four members of Idaho Gem Jesters visit patients every Wednesday at Mercy Medical Center in Nampa.

“The staff is so happy we’re there regularly, from the CEO down to the janitor,” says Caryn Strate, a 65-year-old retired teacher who has been clowning as Ruthie for 10 years. She is joined weekly by Sparkle (Bert Westmark), Penny (Penny Koloen), and Forgetful (Janet McCoy). “We’re there to help souls.”

If you want to become a caring clown or start a clown unit at your local hospital, Doris and Vikki offer advice.

“It’s not for everyone,” Doris says. “You have to love people, have some stamina, not mind illness, and be empathetic.”

Vikki suggests contacting the volunteer coordinator at your hospital to see if the administration is open to starting a caring clown program.

“Then get some training or apprentice yourself under an existing hospital clown program,” Vikki says. “The University of Wisconsin offers a clown camp.”

Shohana “Shobi” Schwebke, editor and publisher of The Hospital Clown Newsletter, travels worldwide teaching caring clown seminars.

“Often, seniors make great clowns,” Shobi says, “because their life knowledge helps them deal with what they come in contact with. It’s a lot more than doing jokes.”

To learn more about humor therapy, sources include: • Shobi at www.hospitalclown.com, 510-4201511; • Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, www.aath.org, 888-747-2284; • Jest for the Health of It, 831-475-8436, www. jesthealth.com; • HUMOR Project Inc., which has awarded grants to hospitals to tap the power of humor, www. humorproject.com, 518-587-8770. ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Maintain Your Mouth, Strengthen Your Health

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that someone in the United States dies every hour from oral cancer.

It is a fact that dental care can save your life.

Seniors should be particularly aware of dental dangers because older people are often most susceptible.

A research study by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) found that diseased gums released much higher levels of bacterial pro-inflammatory components into the bloodstream of patients with severe periodontal disease compared to healthy patients.

Early detection of oral cancer is possible with something called VELscope. It uses light to detect oral cancers - flourescent light that supposedly hones in on tissues that glow when abnormal cells appear.

Because the condition of your mouth mirrors the condition of your body as a whole, your dentist may be the first healthcare provider to spot signs of a health problem.

The lips, tongue, gums, salivary glands, and oral tissue all can warn of general health troubles.

“Studies have shown that people with severe periodontal disease, an inflammation of the gums that affects an estimated 200 million Americans, are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those without gum infection,” says the Michigan Dental Association.

Dry mouth is a problem common among seniors. Dry mouth (xerostomia) can cause extensive dental problems. It is the reduced flow of saliva. You need enough saliva in your mouth to wash away food particles and reduce plaque by neutralizing the acids that plaque produces.

Gingivitis, gum disease, and tooth decay often occur if dry mouth is not treated. Problems linked to dry mouth include hoarseness, sore throat, swallowing problems, and dry nasal passages. If you suffer from dry mouth, talk to your dentist about it. One simple saliva substitute is sugar-free candy.

Tooth erosion is a problem for older citizens.

It is the wearing away of tooth enamel by acids.

Speaking of acids, soft drinks can cause extensive damage to your teeth. Root beer is the safest soft drink. And you may be pleased to know that red wine is good for your teeth. Researchers from Quebec City Laval University found in a study that a component in red wine should help to prevent and reduce periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease that results in bone loss.

If you wear dentures, as some older people do, About.com, advises brushing your dentures with a soft-bristled brush daily. The same goes for your gums and tongue. To avoid breakage when handling your dentures, hold them over a soft towel or a sink of water.

Dentures can become warped if they dry out or are put in hot water. When you are not wearing them, dentures should always be kept in water or a solution recommended by your dentist.

N.S. Burbank, M.D. • C.J. Fatz, M.D. • K.C. Hewel, M.D. C.E. Ley, M.D. • A.J. Martinez, M.D. • K.P. McKlendin, M.D. B.J. McNamee, M.D. • A.E. Michalson, M.D. L.S. Michalson, M.D. • D.E. Moody, M.D. R.L. Opp, M.D. • T.F. Reichel, M.D. • R.S. Thornton, M.D. Diplomats of the American Board of Radiology 700 Ironwood Drive, Suite 110 Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 208.666.3200 • Fax 208.666.3217

1300 E. Mullan Post Falls, ID 83854 208.777.1305 • Fax 208.777.1313

kootenaihealth.org/imaging

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Keep your dentures out of reach of children and especially dogs. You know how dogs will chew on anything.

Tooth sensitivity is a common problem for millions of people, dentists say. Tooth sensitivity means suffering pain or discomfort from cold air or cold drinks. Sensitive teeth can be treated, however.

Dental problems never seem to fall into the “fun” category. But they can be prevented easily by regular brushing, flossing, eating, and drinking properly. Slack off the soft drinks, and have regular checkups from your dentist.

Periodontal diseases are serious bacterial infections that destroy the attachment fibers and the supporting bone that holds your teeth in your mouth. When this happens, gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets that fill with plaque and even more infection, the AAP explains.

If you inflict bad breath on others, you are not alone. Bad breath (halitosis) is also embarrassing. About 85% of people with bad breath have a dental condition. Gum disease, cavities, dry mouth, and bacteria on the tongue are some of the problems that can cause bad breath - along with garlic.

Using a mouthwash or chewing gum to cover bad breath only masks the problem, when a dental problem is likely the source of bad breath. Smoking is another source of offensive breath.

If you are interested in dentals implants, small titanium posts are surgically placed into the bone to secure a foundation for artificial teeth. Implants usually take two surgical procedures within a few months’ time. But some dentists now are able to do implants in a onehour office visit. ISI

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Colorectal Cancer Symptoms And Diagnostic Tools

By National Institutes of Health Most cancers in their early, most treatable stages do not cause any symptoms. That is why it is important to have regular tests to check for cancer even when you might not notice anything wrong.

When colorectal cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. But, as the cancer grows, it can cause changes that people should watch for. Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer include: • a change in the frequency of bowel movements • diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely • either bright red or very dark blood in the stool • stools that are narrower than usual • general abdominal discomfort such as frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or

cramps • weight loss with no known reason • constant tiredness • vomiting These symptoms may be caused by colorectal cancer or by other conditions. It is important to check with a doctor if you have symptoms because only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Do not wait to feel pain. Early cancer usually does not cause pain.

Lower your risk factors where possible. Colon cancer can be prevented if polyps that lead to the cancer are detected and removed. If colon cancer is found in its early stages, it is up to 90 percent curable.

Beginning at age 50, the following tools are all used for early detection. They can help identify pre-cancerous conditions. If you are younger than 50 and one of your first-degree relatives has had colon cancer, you should consult with your

doctor.

Tools used for early detection: • A fecal occult blood test, or FOBT, is a test used to check for hidden blood in the stool. Sometimes cancers or polyps can bleed, and FOBT can detect small amounts of bleeding.

• A sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the rectum and lower colon -- or sigmoid colon - using a lighted instrument called a sigmoidoscope.

• A colonoscopy is an examination of the rectum and entire colon using a lighted instrument called a colonoscope.

• A double contrast barium enema, or DCBE, is a series of x-rays of the colon and rectum. The patient is given an enema with a solution that contains barium, a substance that outlines the colon and rectum on the x-rays.

• A digital rectal exam, or DRE, is an exam in which the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for abnormal areas. ISI

Kidney Transplants: Buy, Sell, Old, Young – Questions and Concerns Abound

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire In America today, at least 350,000 people, including those now on dialysis, are anxiously hoping for kidney transplants. Many of them are seniors.

Meanwhile, medical researchers have found that age alone should not prevent older adults from having a kidney transplant or even from being an organ donor. That is the judgment of researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Their discovery could help relieve the serious

shortage of organs for transplant.

The waiting list, however, is expected to continue growing, according to the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

While the number of patients with end-stage renal (kidney) disease (ESRD) in the U.S. has increased, the supply of kidneys for transplantation has not kept pace with demand. So writes Benjamin E. Hippen, M.D., a transplant nephrologist at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He also is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and the Transplant Network Ethics Committee.

A key reason, Dr. Hippen points out, is that in the U.S. “the sup-

ply of kidneys for transplantation is kept artificially low by a prohibition on the sale of human organs.”

Permitting the sale of one individual’s kidney to another suffering from kidney failure would relieve the shortage considerably, he maintains.

A portion of the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 prohibits the sale of organs. Dr. Hippen argues that U.S. transplant centers and organ procurement organizations “should be permitted to experiment with how to implement a system for organ vending.”

About half of the people on the waiting list for kidney transplants are age 50 or older.

Robert Stratta, M.D., director of Transplantation Services at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, deplored the critical shortage of kidneys available from deceased donors - a number that has remained at 5-8,000 for the last 15 years. He said, “Some physicians have ethical concerns that providing elderly patients with scarce donated

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

kidneys may not represent a worthwhile investment.”

But Dr. Stratta and his research colleagues found, “You can no longer make the argument that transplanting a kidney into an older recipient is a wasted organ.” By using newer methods to match the kidney with the recipient, the ages of the donors and recipients did not affect either patient survival or the lasting potential of the transplanted kidney, their study determined.

In the past, kidneys were matched exclusively by blood and tissue type. Newer approaches to matching have come about for allocating higherrisk kidneys that were once considered unsuitable for transplants and were discarded. These included kidneys from deceased donors over age 60 or those over age 50 with health conditions, such as high blood pressure.

Using kidneys from these donors, called expanded criteria donors (ECDs), lets more patients benefit from transplantation. Wake Forest Baptist has doubled its number of transplants using ECD kidneys. Survival rates for transplanted kidneys were 86 percent in the Wake Forest group, whose mean age was 65, compared with 87 percent in a younger group with transplants.

“We are matching based on weight, age, and kidney function,” Stratta said. “Even organs donated after cardiac death, which had been taboo in the past, can be suitable in some cases.”

Kidney dialysis was developed in the 1960s in the U.S. as a form of renal replacement therapy to cleanse the blood of toxins through a machine that replaces the work the kidneys normally do.

Dialysis became the first fully funded Medicare health benefit. A diagnosis of ESRD qualified patients for this entitlement. But many of the people on dialysis are dying while waiting for a transplant from a deceased donor.

Some 341,000 patients suffering from ESRD

were on dialysis in 2005, Dr. Hippen said. And the number is expected to grow to as many as 500,000 by 2010.

In addition to lives lost, the cost of ESRD entitlement grew to $21 billion in 2005, nearly seven percent of the entire Medicare budget.

“Transplantation confers a significant quality and quantity of life for nearly every category of patient with ESRD,” said Dr. Hippen. The survival rate is about twice as long after transplantation as for a person on dialysis.

Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) have served “the same function for procuring and distributing organs from deceased donors.

So, the responsibility for procuring and distributing living organ venders can reasonably be assigned to OPOs,” Dr. Hippen said. There are 58 such organizations in this country.

Living donors are typically identified and evaluated by individual transplant centers for medical and surgical evaluation.

As for selling organs, Dr. Hippen pointed out that a successful vendor market could probably “reduce government expenditures significantly,” compared to the current restrictive system. ISI

Listen Up, Boomers. Have You Heard This?

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire Listen up, baby boomers. That is, if you can.

A comprehensive study of young seniors - ages 41 to 60, but skewed toward the 51 to 60 age group - found a prevalence of hearing loss among this group.

Prince Market Research did the survey with a random sample of 458 individuals. It was sponsored by the Ear Foundation, a national non-profit organization aimed at helping the public and the medical profession through research related to hearing loss.

The study wanted to find out how these seniors’ lives were affected by hearing loss.

About half of the baby boomers (53%) said they had at least a “mild” hearing loss. But 18% of those who said they did not have a hearing loss acknowledged that sometimes or frequently they found themselves in situations where people are not speaking loudly enough or clearly enough or where the television is not loud enough or clear enough.

In the study, men were “significantly more likely” to report a hearing loss than were women (62% to 38%).

Only 26% of those with a hearing loss had had their hearing loss formally diagnosed by a medical professional, and 37% had not even had their hearing tested.

Even among those with severe hearing loss, only 42% wore hearing aids.

Most of those who did not wear a hearing aid even though a hearing professional recommended they wear one said cost and lack of insurance coverage were the main reasons they did not wear one.

More than half (57%) of these young seniors with cell phones said they had trouble hearing on their cell phone. Those having trouble hearing on their cell phones cite a variety of reasons. Thirty percent said the problem is their hearing. Twentythree percent said the problem mostly was with their network.

Those interviewed who were age 56-60 assessed the incidence of hearing loss as: rarely 19%; sometimes 59%; and frequently 30%.

As for degree of hearing loss: 67% of those 56-60 said the loss was mild; 25% said it was moderate; 9% said it was severe.

When asked what kinds of products potentially would be helpful, 78% of all participants said hear-

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

ing aids; 78% also said amplified telephones; while 32% said a personal sound amplifier.

Those 56-60 were aware of hearing aids, but only 5% were aware of amplified phones. Twentynine percent said they were aware of phones that light up when they ring.

As for TV sound amplifying devices, 53% were unaware of them.

Almost two thirds of the participants in the survey had had their hearing tested. Only 8% of those 51-55 and 56-60 had been fitted for a hearing aid.

In the same age groups, 8% wore hearing aids.

Only 1% of women did so.

Eleven percent in the oldest group said they use an amplified telephone. Twelve percent of the 46-50 age group use an amplified phone.

Some 11-15% of the baby boomers have changed personal habits or routines in some way because of their hearing.

Overall, 26% said they have been diagnosed with a hearing loss by a medical professional.

More than half (54%) of those who were diagnosed with a hearing loss got this diagnosis within

the past five years.

Just 9% of the respondents said their doctor or another hearing professional has recommended that they wear hearing aids. Fewer than one fourth that have been told they should wear hearing aids actually are wearing them. Another 30% said they wear a hearing aid sometimes.

A third of those who have been told they should be wearing a hearing aid, but choose not to, said it is because of the cost.

Some 79% of the folks studied said they have a cell phone, but 57% of them said they sometimes have trouble hearing on their cell phone. A large majority of those with a cell phone use a regular cell phone rather than a hands-free speakerphone or a wire headset.

More than 40% said their hearing loss affects their home life somewhat (39%) or quite a bit (2%). Nearly two-thirds (65%) said they have trouble hearing TV. Some 12% even said they sometimes or often avoid going to church because of difficulty hearing. About the same proportion avoids travel. ISI

Provided by the American Heart Association It has been common knowledge that heart disease was the leading cause of death for men in the United States since the 1950s. In school, we all learned how plaque slowly builds up on the coronary arteries of the heart and that it eventually leads to sudden, sharp chest pain, which is usually accompanied with arm or shoulder pain and with labored breathing, “like an elephant is on my chest.” Although heart disease was always thought of as a “man’s disease,” it is also the leading cause of death in women in the United States.

Heart disease and stroke are health threats to women of all ethnic backgrounds, but only a small percentage realizes it. Consider these facts: • Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women over age 25. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability.

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including stroke, claims the lives of nearly twice as many women as do all forms of cancer.

• CVD claims more lives than the next four most common causes of death combined.

• One in 2.6 women dies of heart disease, stroke, and other CV

diseases, compared with one in 30 from breast cancer.

• Thirty-eight percent of women die within one year after an initial heart attack, compared with 25 percent of men. In part, this is because women have heart attacks at older ages than men do.

• Within six years after a recognized heart attack: 35 percent of women will have another heart attack, 11 percent will have a stroke, 46 percent will be disabled with heart failure, and 6 percent will experience sudden cardiac death.

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills over 480,000 women a year, about one per minute.

• Heart disease rates in post-menopausal women are two to three times higher than in premenopausal women of the same age.

• Despite these sobering statistics, only 13 percent of women view heart disease as a health threat, even though it’s women’s No. 1 killer.

The first step to overcome this major health risk facing women is increasing awareness. The great news about cardiovascular disease is that it is very preventable by following a healthy lifestyle.

The major risk factors for experiencing a heart attack or stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight or obese, an inactive lifestyle, smoking, or having a family history of heart disease. Each of these risk factors can be reduced by taking charge of your health. The steps are really easy and can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, committing to eating one serving of fruit or vegetable with each meal and snack, or working with a physician and dietitian to control your high blood pressure.

The Montana Cardiovascular Health Pro-

Heart Disease is not just a man's disease anymore

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

gram encourages everyone to quit smoking, choose healthy foods and beverages, and be active each day by getting 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity like brisk walking. It is also important to lose excess weight and know your family history. Take the first step by visiting the Go Red Heart Checkup at www.goredforwomen.org. Then schedule an appointment with your doctor to understand your risk. See the Doctor Visit checklist online.

Signs And Symptoms of Heart Attack The next hurdle is to inform women about the

signs and symptoms so that they can recognize it if they or someone close to them is having a life-threatening heart attack. Heart attack warning signs include: • Chest Discomfort, uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back; • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body, this could be felt in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach; • Shortness of breath, which may occur with or

Snoring can be a sign of dangerous sleep apnea Daron L. Scherr, M.D. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder caused by repeated blockage of the airway at the base of the tongue while sleeping. These repeated obstructions cause episodes of low oxygen, high carbon dioxide, and significant sleep fragmentation. This sleep fragmentation causes activation of the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system, a dramatic increase in stress hormones, dysfunction of the lining of blood vessels, increased blood clotting, and increased inflammation throughout the body. Finally, those pathological processes lead to an increase in blood pressure, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac death.

About one out of every five Americans has obstructive sleep apnea with the risk factors being high blood pressure, diabetes, excessive sleepiness, snoring, obesity, strokes, and heart disease.

It is also estimated that more than half the people over the age of 65 have obstructive sleep apnea.

Diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep apnea has become much easier with the advent of home and in-lab sleep studies and improved therapies such as: • Obstructive sleep apnea surgeries (tonsil-

lectomy, adenoidectomy, soft palate surgery, radiofrequency ablation of the tongue), etc; • Improved dental/oral appliances that hold the bottom jaw and tongue forward, opening the airway; and • CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which is a device that uses air pressure to hold the airway open while you sleep.

Treating obstructive sleep apnea has been shown to improve high blood pressure, diabetes, insulin resistance, excessive sleepiness, heart attacks, strokes, and congestive heart failure.

If you or someone who knows you believes that you are snoring or may have sleep apnea, be sure to consult your healthcare provider who can refer you for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Daron L. Scherr, M.D. is a Board Certified Sleep Specialist and Director of The Sleep Institute, Idaho Falls, which is accredited by The American Academy of Sleep Medicine. ISI

The Track Meet - continued from page 2 was I was still wearing my long underwear. Miss Wishart helped roll up the legs!

Finally it was Saturday, April 23, 1936. The County Track Meet was being held at the Weiser High School football field. The County Superintendent of Schools Mrs. Agnes Muir organized the meet and got several of the high school students to help. There was a big crowd on that sunny, cool day.

Several events took place at the same time, so we had made sure we were in the right place for each event. Since my name started with a B, I was at the top of the list and would jump first. Boy was I nervous!

I got in line, I ran, and jumped as far as I could. I fell forward and landed in a shower of sawdust. I got out of there as fast as I could.

The timing was perfect for me and there was just enough time to make it to the track to run the hurdles. There were four girls running. Part way through the race my foot caught the top of a hurdle and I fell flat! That was the end of that! I was okay except for the skinned elbow and hurt feelings.

There was quite a wait before the results of the broad jump were announced, but finally they had the list and got the contestants together and read the winners.

They called my name and said I was in first place! Wow! I had jumped 14 feet! I was presented with a blue ribbon and was so proud! That was my very first time of winning anything. I had that blue ribbon for years!

The eight of us from Enterprise brought home ten ribbons, from first prize to fourth. Miss Wishart was happy and we were looking forward to next year! ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 25

without chest discomfort; • Other signs may include a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

It is important for women and men to keep in mind that many women heart attack survivors describe very subtle symptoms that lasted for 1-3 weeks before they were diagnosed as having a heart attack.

Take charge of your health and learn about the heart disease risk factors and know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack - the life you save could be your own or that of a loved one. ISI

PAGE 26 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

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By Connie Daugherty In The Shadow of Rebellion by Gladys Smith, Llumina Press, Coral Springs, FL; 2008 The year is 1916 and Maggie O’Shea Rigby is sitting by her husband’s hospital bed in Wallace, Idaho. He is in a coma from which he may or may not awaken. “All because of the mine. I sometimes resented the way it had possessed our lives. Resented all the calamities it had visited upon us…. It was man’s ambition that drove him to bore into the mountains beyond the realm of safety.” And it was woman’s fate to deal with the consequences.

Gladys Smith’s most recent book, In The Shadow of Rebellion is set in the Coeur d’Alene mining area of Idaho at the beginning of the 20th century.

It was a turbulent and historic time and Gladys

Smith packs the pages of the story with events that shaped the future of Idaho - statehood, the politics of the union and suffragette movements, forest fires and floods, poverty and prosperity, and at the center of it all, mining. The richness of historic detail shows the amount of research that must have gone into this work. Although there is a courtship, love, and marriage, this is not a historic romance. It is a story of a man and a woman following their individual passions at an exciting time in history.

“Memories had a habit of meandering their way into the present.” It is those meandering memories - collective memories of the Idaho panhandle - that make up the story that is In the Shadow of Rebellion. It is the story of mining told through the

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eyes of a woman, with an attempt to understand the unfathomable prospector’s fever. What is it about finding that treasure in the earth that drives the men who mine?

The story starts with a mine accident. The time is 1889, the place Williamsboro, Pennsylvania, coal mining country. Maggie O’Shea hates everything about mining. At age 20, her only goal in life is to get as far away from the dangerous underground tunnels as possible. To that end, she is studying journalism at the Pennsylvania Women’s College on scholarship. The accident changed everything.

Maggie’s father is alive, but unable to work. There is no choice; she has to go to work to help support the family. Her father arranges a job for her - teaching school in the silver/lead mining area of Idaho territory at a small town called Bixbee.

Bixbee was everything Maggie expected, and worse. She hated it at first sight. But her innate sense of adventure took over and she could not help but be excited. She “was about to attempt a daring thing among strangers.” Several of those strangers quickly turned to friends. Hank and Della, the owners of the boarding house where Maggie lives take her under their wing immediately. Then Maggie met Dan Rigby. “He was different from men who’d shown an interest in me in the past.”

But, “Dan thrived on mining, everything I deplored.”

Through Dan, Maggie met Clyde, the son of the local mine owner, and his sister Nora. “I discovered a friend in… Nora, a first-year teacher… facing challenges like my own.”

And there definitely are challenges. From the start, the older boys seem determined to make her life miserable. Then she finds herself taking on the leading women of the community when she allows the crippled son of a local prostitute to attend the school. And in the middle of it all, there is Dan. Dan is not only a mineworker; he is a prospector, determined to have his own mine. When he is not working the stopes he is out prospecting in the hills or pestering Maggie who is determined not to fall in love with him because he is everything she has been running from since childhood.

Meanwhile, the miners are beginning to organize. Encouraged by other miners around the country, they are forming unions, demanding higher wages, and safer working conditions. Maggie cannot help but sympathize with them. Operators, who have their own problems and have to answer to eastern owners and stockholders resist. They form the Mine Operators Association. Conditions are ripe for a battle.

“Union problems didn’t seem to stunt business growth in the district…. Mines gouged over four-and-a-half million dollars worth of ore from the hills each year making the Coeur d’Alenes the most vigorous lead and silver producing region in the nation.”

Then the price of silver dropped. The country was in a depression. Miners were expected to do more work for less money. Arbitration gave way to the strike of 1892 and as the strike wore on, frustration led to violence. Maggie, who supplemented her teacher’s salary by writing for the local newspaper, and Dan, who supports the miners cause but not their methods, were caught in the middle.

Dan flees to Canada to save his life.

“Before my eyes, men were killing one another over jobs. It seemed the whole lot of them had gone mad, and I was witness to the lunacy.” The governor calls in government troops to control the

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

situation. But the damage is done. “Even without further exchange of bullets, the battle had changed the course of life in the canyon…. The world had come tumbling down around my shoulders, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

Two years later, Dan is back and wants to get married. This time Maggie knows she cannot resist, even if he is a miner.

For the next twenty years, their lives were entwined, not only with each other, but with the changes that take place in their world. Together they succeed, fail, and try again. Together they “climbed the heights and descended into the valleys…. [S]hared the bitter and the sweet, often walking the razor’s edge between hope and despair.” Together they fought social injustice and each other. Together they celebrated their business successes and mourned the loss of their child.

Using these two unlikely characters, Gladys Smith tells the history of this corner of Northern Idaho from 1889 to 1916 with an emotional perspective that makes it all come alive. She puts them in the middle of the actual events and then forces it to play out through their efforts. Her presentation of both sides of the union issue is especially well done. In the Shadow of Rebellion is definitely worth reading for anyone who has ever wanted to experience the emotion and excitement of the early days of mining in Idaho.

Gladys Smith taught in rural schools for 31 years before becoming a writer. Her Idaho based novels, River of Our Return and Deliverance Valley won the coveted Willa Cather Literary Award. ISI

Burma Shave

Submitted by Julie Hollar Many younger people today have never seen any of the Burma Shave signs. For those of us who have, here is a nostalgic trip to the 1930s, ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s when most highway fence posts were graced with a clever series of Burma Shave signs – a time before interstate highways when there were only two-lane roads.

Cautious rider to her reckless dear, “Let’s have less bull, and a little more steer. Burma Shave Speed was high; weather was not; tires were thin; x marks the spot.

Burma Shave The midnight ride of Paul for beer led to a warmer hemisphere. Burma Shave Around the curve lickety-split, beautiful car, wasn’t it? Burma Shave No matter the price; no matter how new - the best safety device in the car is you. Burma Shave A guy who drives a car wide open is not thinkin’, he’s just hopin’. Burma Shave At intersections, look each way. A harp sounds nice, but it’s hard to play.

Burma Shave ISI

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Go Fish - It's Just Like When Your Were A Kid

By Patrick M. Kennedy, Senior Wire When warm weather comes, some folks opt to sit around and play cards while others don’t. Some may want to learn how to get wet and catch fish and become involved in all the rituals and debasing situations it puts them in.

Why do it? It has been said, half the fun of fishing is just relaxing outside on or near the water. Of course, the other half is maybe catching a fish.

If there were a third half of the fun and an encouraging reason to do it, it would probably be a great opportunity to join friends in telling fish stories. Anyhow, what’s the difference between being laid back in a lounge chair in front of the boob tube or laid back somewhere pleasant with a line in the water? It’s worth an examination.

For starters, don’t be put off by tackle shops full of incomprehensible equipment or the misgivings that you can handle all the baiting, casting, and hook removal with the proper gear. A tackle box the size of a Buick filled with magic objects is not needed, but will come when you start to suspect the fish are smarter than you.

A simple rod, reel, line, hook, bobber, some worms, and a six-pack will suffice to go fishing. You know, just like when you were a kid and dipped a hook and line

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dangling from a broom handle into the local creek.

It’s easier than it looks. Probably the best approach is to stop the time machine, become a kid again, and make it your whole new world.

Then you must consider there is fishing, and there is fishing. So what method will you use, for what kind of fish, and where? These are important questions to deal with. It looks so easy on TV. There’s the guy wading in the middle of a river snapping his rod and line and fly across the water like a graceful painter; the Huckleberry-Finn-type kid seated on the end of a pier with his line just hanging down while he’s eating his sandwich; a well-tanned and macho chap positioned at the rear of a large craft with his line splitting the ocean in the boat’s wake; and the cool cat leaning back in a small boat in the middle of a lake or bay with his line following any current that occurs.

This is where geography and economics factor into your fishy decisions: Salt water or freshwater?

How far do you want to travel? Is this a once-inwhile hobby or are you building an alter-ego?

Do you want to fish every other weekend, 100 days a year, or every day? What kind of fish do you like to eat? Do you even like to eat fish? Are crappies worth the trip? Can your freezer hold a marlin? Are there enough catfish recipes in the world? Will others in your household put up with the live butter worms or smelly bait you’re storing for future use?

If the mystery and seduction of the oldest woman in the world, Mother Nature, doesn’t drag you to the old fishing-hole wonderland, then the poetic and vibrant names of the lures, spoons, and flies may do it: twitchin’ rap, deep tail dancer, skitter pop and skitter walk, glass fat, pearl redhead, buck-a-boo, tiger tubes, flirty girty, black gnat, and so on. These are names that will stick to you like a fishhook caught in your collar.

Then there is the pole. There are long poles that must be strong enough to pull in the big ones.

They’re made of split cane, high-modulus graphite, fiber carbon, titanium, fiberglass, and materials so light you don’t even know it’s there. Reels come in styles for casting, fly fishing, trolling, saltwater, and pulling your truck out of a ditch.

You don’t even want to get into the names and descriptions of the fish in the world without first having an acute dedication to this project.

Of course, what would fishing be without a few secret tips and techniques? For that, you must turn to a handful of experts, and they can be found everywhere and under any rock while looking for worms. Ask any of your friends, they will know.

Special techniques must be learned, like tying the fisherman’s knot. How to bait a hook is an important thing to learn. They say, once you get past the slime and wriggling, the tricky part of baiting a hook is getting the worm to stay on. Good luck!

Knowing how to cast might be necessary.

Everyone casts a bit differently so don’t be too concerned about form. An over-the-shoulder cast is traditional, but a sidearm cast keeps the menacing hook farther from your face and the seat of your pants. The point of any cast is to get your bait where you want it – near the hungry fish.

The last and most basic question that must be answered and implemented before this new venture and the thrill of the first catch is, “How much do you want to spend on a rod and reel, on a boat, or boat and trailer? Nothing is cheap except that broom handle and the fish tales. ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

What’s Up with Parkways and Byways? Are They RV-friendly?

By Bernice Beard, Senior Wire As RVers travel and read maps, they notice routes designated as national parkways or scenic byways and may wonder about these special titles.

Here is what they are about.

National parkways provide scenic views in a landscaped, two-lane passageway, free of billboards, high speed limits, and heavy commercial traffic. A parkway includes the road plus land paralleling it, and it connects sites of cultural, historic, and recreational interest.

In 1938, the National Park Service said that a parkway differed from usual roadways in at least eight ways: 1. It is set aside for noncommercial, recreational use.

2. It seeks to avoid unsightly buildings and other roadside facilities that mar ordinary highways.

3. It requires a wider right-of-way with an insulating strip of parkland between it and adjacent private property.

4. It eliminates frontage and access rights and preserves natural scenery.

5. It preferably bypasses towns and avoids congestion.

6. It aims to make accessible the best scenery being traversed.

7. It eliminates major grade crossings.

8. It has entrance and exit points spaced at distant intervals to reduce interruptions to the main traffic flow.

According to Mark Hartsoe, of Park Roads and Parkways of the National Park Service, six national parkways are administered by the U.S. National Park Service: • Blue Ridge Parkway. This 469-mile roadway follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina. It offers hiking, photography opportunities, historical and cultural demonstrations, and ranger-guided walks and evening programs. RVers should know that the parkway has 26 arched tunnels. To plan your visit, go to www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/index.htm, or call 1-828-271-4779.

• Natchez Trace National Parkway. This 444mile road follows the historic route used by Native Americans and early settlers between Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee. It offers camping, biking, ranger-led programs, and historic exhibits. It is RV-friendly with pull-offs offering either pull-through or circular drive access. Information at www.nps.gov/natr/planyourvisit/index.htm.

• George Washington Memorial National Parkway. This roadway connects historic sites from Mount Vernon to the Great Falls of the Potomac. It links parks that provide education and recreational opportunities, such as the Clara Barton National Historic Site and Glen Echo Park. The parkway is narrow and winding, and rush-hour traffic occurs on weekdays. To plan your visit, go to http://www. nps.gov/gwmp/planyourvisit/index.htm.

• John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.

This parkway runs the length of Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming. It offers historic sites, mountain climbing, fishing, boat-

ing, and guided walks. For a trip planner, go to http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/trip.htm. For campgrounds, go to http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm.

• Suitland Parkway. This parkway begins at the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in the District of Columbia and runs 9.35 miles to Maryland Route 4 at Andrews Air Force Base. It is a limited-access scenic roadway used by travelers heading to Washington, D.C. from the east. It provides habitat for native and migratory birds. See www.nps.gov/ archive/nace/suitlandparkway.htm.

• Baltimore-Washington Parkway. This 29-mile scenic highway, also known as Route 295, connects Baltimore, Maryland with Washington, D.C. Adjacent is the Greenbelt Park campground, www. nps.gov/gree. For more information, see www.nps. gov/bawa/planyourvisit/index.htm.

Where parkways are planned, landscaped roadways, byways are side roads not regularly used by people or traffic. The term America’s Byways include 99 National Scenic Byways, 27 All-American Roads, and 18 multi-state Byways, a total of 144 in 44 states. Byways designations begin as grassroots applications and successfully negotiate the Federal Highway Administration’s program requirement that the roads must offer a truly exceptional experience as follows: • A National Scenic Byway must possess at least one of six intrinsic qualities (historic, cultural, natural, scenic, recreational, archaeological) and

be of regional significance.

• An All-American Road must possess multiple intrinsic qualities of national significance and contain one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere. The road must also be considered a “destination unto itself” (the primary destination for a trip) and must provide an exceptional travel experience.

For a complete list of byways, go to http://www. byways.org/explore.

Both parkways and byways can be destinations in themselves when RVers plan to visit historic museums, hiking trails, and archaeological digs, view natural phenomena along these roads, or participate in activities nearby.

Bernice Beard is the author of the At Your Own Pace series of RVing books, including 301 Ways to Make RV Travel Safer, Easier, and More Fun. For information and tips that make life on the road more carefree, visit www.rvatyourownpace.com. ISI

PAGE 32 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

With a stronger U.S.dollar, affordable skiing

By Kim Thielman-Ibes With snow falling, it is time to dust off the skis, put some gas in the car, and break out the map - we are Alberta bound. Just to the north are some of the best powder, slopes, and family-friendly areas around. This Alberta, Canada ski area roundup will provide you with several northern ski destinations, that have been kept on the Q.T. for too long, yet, all are accessible via a short drive over the border or flight to Calgary.

Castle Mountain is called the “best kept secret in the west.” Just north of Waterton Lakes National Park, its short lift lines, wide-open slopes, and 70 runs suit most Idahoans just fine. The dry, light snow that falls throughout the Canadian Rockies makes this area a nirvana for those who love powder and with 350 inches of snowfall annually, they have powder! The big news at Castle is their new mountain, Mount Haig, which added nine new runs for intermediate and beginning skiers and access to new powder terrain for advanced skiers.

Six lifts access 2,800 feet of vertical - a wow factor noticed by Warren Miller who featured the area in his new film Off the Grid. Lift tickets are easy on your pocket running $42 for seniors (65+). You will want to call ahead as most lodging is through privately owned condos. The CastleMountain Ski Lodge is slope side and offers ten hotel and several hostel rooms. Nightlife is low key and centered on family and friends. Contact www. skicastle.ca or 403-627-5101.

Pass Powderkeg lies a few miles due north of Castle at Crowsnest Pass and offers 15 runs and 1,200 vertical feet serviced by three lifts. The area provides a terrain park, lodge, snowmobile access to the backcountry, a number of groomed crosscountry ski areas, and a luge run. Day passes are downright cheap at $23 for seniors. Located an hour and a half west of Lethbridge, Pass Powderkeg is a haven for history buffs (its Wild West past includes rum running and coal mining) and lovers of art. Lodging choices include a number of historic hotels and cozy bed and breakfasts. For other accommodation choices, check out www.crowsnestaccommodations.ca and www.passpowderkeg.ca or call 403-562-8334.

Fernie is actually in British Columbia, but it needed to be added as it is in the triangle with Castle, Pass Powderkeg, and Whitefish Mountain.

Another historic mining town with a number of accommodations to choose, the ski area rises three miles from town and you can see its ski bowls from Main Street. Great glade and chute skiing with 348 inches of snow annually, seniors (65+) ski for $59.95 daily and there are lots of great activities like dog-sledding, cowboy dinners, and snowshoeing. Noted as one of the top ten resorts in North America, Fernie boasts 112 runs on 2,500 acres offering 2,800 vertical feet accessed by ten lifts.

Fernie’s longest run is three miles long, and there are a number of ski-in ski-out lodging choices including the Wolf’s Den and the Lizard Creek Lodge.

Contact www.skifernie.com or 250-423-4655.

Hidden Valley Ski Resort is located in Cypress Hills Provincial Park near Elkwater, Alberta.

This may be the smallest ski area - 15 runs, 4 lifts, and 656 vertical feet - but it is a great beginner’s getaway with a very relaxed, fun atmosphere. The area has great facilities including a day lodge, rental shop, ski and snowboard school, and a snowboard park. Affordable and fun, their daily lift pass will only set you back $31 for 55 and over.

With a variety of lodging choices, the Elkwater Lake Lodge and Spa is located just five minutes from the ski area, boasting an indoor aquatic center, spa, and dining. It is pet friendly and affordable.

The Medicine Hat Lodge sports the largest water park in southeastern Alberta and is about an hour away from Hidden Valley Ski Resort. Contact www. skihiddenvalley.net or 403-893-3961.

Lake Louise is the largest and most scenic resort in North America. With an impressive 3,200 vertical feet, this area receives half the snow (180 inches) of Castle Mountain but makes up for it with Canada’s largest snowmaking system covering its 4,200 skiable acres. Choose from 139 trails and 9 lifts. You might want to take a snack for their longest run, which is an impressive five miles long. Lake Louise considers 25% of their mountain beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% advanced or expert, and they kindly have a green run available down every chair lift. Lake Louise is a pricier option but what an experience! For ticket prices and more information, visit www.skilouise.com or call 403-522-3555.

With favorable gas prices and the discounted Canadian dollar, it is time to start planning this year’s Canadian ski get-a-way, eh!

For more information, visit www.skialbertalive. com/SkiHills.cfm. ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Helping Your Parents Accept a Caregiver!

By Jacqueline Marcell, Senior Wire When I took care of my aging parents, I went through nearly 40 caregivers the first year. However, most were only there for about ten minutes as my father would be so nasty they would run out of the house or he would throw them out. After many trials and tears, I gained some insights into the complexities of the situation that I want to share to avoid your learning the hard way!

First, keep in mind that change can be frightening for your parents and their fear of the unknown can be greater than you might expect. It is important to seek the support of your parents’ physician(s) in advising your parents of the need for a caregiver. Ask the physician for a prescription as it may help persuade them.

Meet with the representative of an agency that supplies all levels of caregivers, and arrange to have them meet with you and your parents at the house to discuss the many options available and the ways in which a caregiver could make your parents’ lives easier, safer, and more secure. Assure your parents that you will work with the caregiver to make sure things are done properly and to your parents’ satisfaction.

Hire from an Agency or Privately? A caregiver hired from an agency is more expensive but presumably, they will be bonded, have had a background check, are supervised, and subject to standards of performance from an accredited caregiving organization. Although less expensive, hiring an individual is more time consuming, requires ongoing supervision, and can leave you without backup should the private caregiver get ill or need time off. In either case, be sure to request and verify membership in state or national home care organizations, references, background checks, and bonding.

Regarding background checks and drug screenings, request written verification as to exactly what background checks have been done on the caregivers you are considering. Be sure to ask: • Is the background check local, statewide, and nationwide?

• What types of crimes have been searched and does the review include both felonies and misdemeanors?

• How many years back have been checked?

If an agency will not put this information in writing for you proceed with caution, perhaps they have not done background checks.

To investigate applicants on your own, be sure to request a social security number on your application so you can review public records on real estate, court proceedings, Social Security, DMV, and taxes.

Ask the applicant to provide a photograph and fingerprints as part of the application process. This can be enough to scare off some with a criminal record.

Know what qualities you seek in the caregiver. Before you begin interviewing caregivers, involve your parents in the process by together making a list of required qualities you both want in their caregiver. Include responsibilities necessary now, and those your parents will need as their

health declines. Review the list with other family members and friends to make sure you have not missed anything and to apprise others of what is expected of the caregiver.

Do not waste time interviewing caregivers in person who did not meet your minimum requirements over the phone, which might include: • Will they clean up vomit, poop, and change diapers if necessary?

• Do they have a valid driver’s license and current insurance card you can copy?

• Will they give you their Social Security number so you can pay taxes properly?

• How far away do they live?

• Do they have adequate eldercare experience?

• Will they give you checkable references?

Do they speak, read, and write your language at a reasonable level?

• Have they ever been arrested and/or convicted?

• Will they sign a waiver to have a complete background check run on them?

If the applicant seems hesitant or refuses to provide the information you require over the phone, then save yourself the time of interviewing in-person.

References Are Essential. Always ask for numerous references from prospective caregivers. If you are using an agency, ask to speak to some families who are using their caregivers now, to get a clear picture of how the agency is managed.

Find out if the applicant has been punctual, reliable, what duties they have performed and are capable of doing, and what problems have occurred. Talk to previous employers, co-workers, landlords, neighbors, relatives, and friends.

In addition, by visiting the applicant in their own home, you will see the level of cleanliness and organization you can expect in your loved one’s home.

Do not forget to block all 976 and international calls on your parents’ phone. If your

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PAGE 34 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

parents have long-term care insurance, confirm that the agency will accept direct payment from the LTC company. Always lock up valuables to remove temptation from those who come into the home.

Once the caregiving begins, the client will probably make unreasonable demands. Therefore, the written list will assure the caregiver of their real responsibilities. Should your parents complain about the caregiver, do not defend him or her. Explain that you will find the underlying cause of the problem - and do so. If the complaints are well founded, report to the agency or take appropriate action on your own. If the complaints are superficial, talk to your parents, and strengthen your caregiver’s resiliency on how to handle the problem.

Nanny-cams can assist. You can also install a nanny-cam so you can see for yourself what is happening in your loved one’s home. Make sure the caregiver knows the camera(s) are there, somewhere, as it is far better to deter abuse from happening than to see your parents abused by a vengeful caregiver after-the-fact. There are many

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

systems available these days and they are easily researchable online. Some install a 90-degree camera lens in a lamp, clock radio, smoke detector, tissue box, phone, or just about anywhere.

The job is difficult. You may be surprised at the amount of work required in caring for your parents. Toileting, diapering, bathing, brushing and flossing teeth, shaving, fixing hair, soaking feet, applying ointments, moisturizers and makeup, cleaning wax out of ears, trimming nails, dressing, shopping, cooking, serving, feeding, administering medications, housekeeping, laundry, running errands, answering phone calls, keeping medical and dental appointments, providing social interaction, chauffeuring, monitoring medical devices — and also providing emotional support!

With a challenging parent, recognize too that you are expecting your caregiver to be a psychologist in the trenches, asking them to tolerate behavior from a person who may be uncooperative, nasty, manipulative, and even physically combative. If dementia exists, be sure your caregiver

understands how intermittent it can be and how to cope with illogical and irrational behavior. Realize that even mild dementia can cause unfounded complaints that may cause the caregiver significant stress, yet your parent may forget about it the next day.

Be sensitive to the stress and needs of your caregiver. Give praise often, overlook minor mistakes, and allow for a learning curve. Assuming that you have the proper power of attorney, make it clear to everyone that your parents do not have the authority to fire the caregiver. If this is not clear, you will likely have more than one caregiver not show up as scheduled because your parents have fired him or her.

It will not take long for you to understand that a good caregiver is worth their weight in gold!

Jacqueline Marcell wrote “Elder Rage,” a Bookof-the-Month Club selection. She also hosts the “Coping with Caregiving” radio show, and speaks internationally on Alzheimer’s, Caregiving and Eldercare. www.ElderRage.com. ISI

Nursing Home Ratings and Patient’s Rights – Here’s Where to Find Them

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire Medicare is now rating nursing homes with a five-star system so you can compare among those in your community to determine which facility is best for your loved one.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the first nursing home comparison back in 1998. Demand is obviously great for such

comparative information. Some 1.3 million people per month click on the Web to see how nursing homes compare.

The new system gives each of America’s 1,600 certified Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes a star rating, with five stars being the best.

The whole concept, of course, is to give families and patients an assessment of quality, thus making meaningful distinctions between high performing and lesser performing nursing homes.

More than three million Americans annually seek out the services that nursing homes provide. The new five-star rating system now gives a composite view of the quality and safety information currently on Nursing Home Compare at www.medicare.gov.

Before you get started in your search for a nursing home, you and your family member may have other long-term care choices such as home care or assisted living depending on your

needs and resources.

These are steps you can follow, when searching for the right home for you: 1. To find nursing homes in your area, search by name of the home, city, county, state, or zip code.

2. Compare the quality of the nursing home you’re considering using the five-star quality ratings, health inspection results, nursing home staff data, quality measures, and fire safety inspection results.

3. Make sure you visit the nursing homes you are considering or have someone visit for you.

4. Choose the nursing home that best meets your needs. Talk with your doctor or other healthcare provider, your family, friends, or the appropriate state agency.

The website suggests some 50 questions to ask of administrators, staff, and residents. For example: • Does the home have a licensed physician on staff?

• Does it have an arrangement with nearby hospitals for emergencies?

• Is it located close enough for family or friends to visit regularly?

Nursing Home Compare’s new rating system will give an incentive to nursing homes to strive to earn a five-star rating.

The Compare system summarizes information into overall rating, health inspections, quality measures, and staffing. It includes the three most recent inspections, all complaint inspections during the prior three years, and the number and scope of any deficiencies and their severity. Quality measures also are based on the assessment by residents of the home.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Staffing data are based on number of hours of care on average provided to each resident each day. The qualifications of the nursing staff - registered nurse, or nursing assistant - also are weighed.

Through its consumer information websites, CMS offers more information on the quality, patient satisfaction, and cost of care. The new Compare Website follows the agency’s first nationwide identification of chronically underperforming nursing homes. Facilities in the “Special Focus Facility” initiative are under special scrutiny and undergo twice as many inspections as other homes.

CMS announced that, in the future, it plans to work with other health-care providers and consum-

ers to make similar rating systems available for hospitals, home health agencies, and end-stage renal disease facilities.

In 2007, CMS also initiated a star rating system for health and prescription drug plans. These are available to Medicare beneficiaries.

Did you know that nursing home residents have rights under the law? Nursing homes have to give new residents a copy of this bill of rights. Some of them include: • The right to be treated with dignity and respect.

• The right to be informed in writing about services and fees before you enter a home.

• The right to manage your own money or

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 35

choose someone else to do this.

• The right to privacy, and to keep and use your personal belongings as long as it does not interfere with the rights, health, or safety of others.

• The right to be informed about your medical condition, medications, and to see your own doctor.

You also have the right to refuse medications.

• The right to choose your schedule for going to sleep or getting up, if it does not interfere with others.

• The right to an environment that maximizes your comfort and provides you with assistance to be as independent as possible. ISI

Beating Winter Blues: Don't Forget To Pamper Yourself

By Lisa M. Petsche The snow and ice, subzero temperatures and limited daylight of winter keep many people indoors and at home more often than they would like. The result for some is a case of the winter blues. Here are some tips for getting past them.

Find little things that cheer you • Treat yourself to new flannel pajamas, a polar fleece robe, or a cozy, comfortable pair of slippers.

• Keep throws draped over chairs and across the foot of your bed for easy access on chilly days and nights. These come in many fabrics, colors, and prints, doubling as attractive home accents.

• Invest in a quality set of flannel sheets.

• Soak in a hot, fragrant bath.

• Stock up on gourmet coffee, tea, and hot chocolate mix. And don’t forget spices for hot apple cider - a perfect treat for long, wintry nights.

• Order take-out food for a change of cuisine.

Try something festive and colorful.

Warm and brighten your décor • Evaluate your lighting and change it where necessary, using higher wattage bulbs.

• Try using warm, rich colors, such as burgundy and gold, for cushion covers, tablecloths, place mats, a mantel scarf, and so on. Brass accessories are also a winter favorite because they reflect light.

• Add texture with warm fabrics like velour, chenille, and fleece - the softer, the better. And for even more texture, try a bowl of pinecones or potpourri, embossed candles, or a grapevine wreath.

• Keep blinds and curtains open during daylight hours, and close them after dark.

• Bring a bit of nature into your home: nurture some plants or buy fresh flowers.

Keep busy

• Accomplishment brings satisfaction and a sense of renewal. Try new things or tackle longpostponed projects.

• Try some new recipes.

• Borrow or buy movies, music CDs, and reading material, or reacquaint yourself with old favorites you have on hand.

• Work on some challenging jigsaw puzzles or word puzzles.

• Start a new hobby, such as sketching or scrap booking, or revive an old pastime.

• Peruse gardening magazines and catalogs and plan this year’s garden.

• Get a bird feeder and seed, a pair of binoculars, and a bird watching guide.

• Organize your collection of photos, music, or movies.

• Do some de-cluttering around your home.

• Donate unwanted items to a local charity.

• Rearrange the furniture in one or more rooms, or swap furnishings among rooms.

• Do something nice for someone. It will take your mind off your own situation.

• Make an extra effort to look after your health.

Get adequate rest, eat nutritious foods, and exercise regularly. Just remember to start slowly if you’re out of shape.

This is a long list of ideas, but it will keep you

occupied. You do not have to do them all, but try a few and see if you do not feel a little better.

Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in health and seniors’ issues. ISI

PAGE 36 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

John Larson – A Lewiston Volunteer Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Volunteering and the enjoyment it produces from helping others seem to come naturally to John Larson.

John is in the process of retiring from his business, partly to spend more time with family and also to spend more time volunteering. It is not that he does not already volunteer – John volunteers a lot. But this will open up more time to contribute to his community.

During 2004 and 2005, John headed up the North Idaho Senior Games, which were held in Lewiston. His term as president coincided with the 10th anniversary of these games.

“We made up a special logo, T-shirts, and a commemorative medal for the 10-year celebration,” he says.

The efforts were obviously successful as they had a record number of entrants. “We usually run from 75-100 participants but that year we had 150 participants. People kind of jumped on it because it was the 10-year anniversary.”

John gives much credit to having a good committee and lots of help from various groups, which included the Agency on Aging, Parks and Recreation Department, North Health District, and the Chamber of Commerce. “It was really a nice community activity in 2005,” he adds.

You can learn more about the North Idaho Senior Games by going to their website at www. northidahoseniorgames. com. The Games are held during one week in June of each year and they require many hours of volunteer effort to put together. Anyone 50 and older can participate in the games. John explains. “Age brackets are broken down into fiveyear increments, so you only compete for medals against people within five years of your age. And although everyone competes at the same time, for the purpose of awarding medals, we divide the athletes into their respective age groups – in both men’s and women’s divisions.”

John has also been competing in various events for nine years. “I made senior games a participant kind of deal rather than trying to excel in any one sport. I found that it is enjoyable just to get involved. The people are really cool to be with, just friendly, neat people. So I do a little bit of everything. I have shot skeet, done track and field, both running and participating in throwing events. I have also done horseshoes, putting, and golf. It’s a fun week!”

John competed in high school track and went to the Idaho state championships two years in a row. He also competed when he was a student at

Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho).

At 62, John finds track events more of a challenge. “I was a high jumper if you can believe it. I can’t even get over three feet now,” he says laughing. “At the Senior Games a few years ago, we had the high jump event. That was quite an experience.

I ran up to the bar like I was 16 years old again.

As soon as I jumped, my body said, ‘You ain’t 16 anymore, kid.’ It was a real revelation for me,” he adds with a chuckle.

It was during his time at Ricks College that John met Dixie and they married. They continued their education at the University of Oregon before returning to his hometown of Lewiston and opening Northwest Engraving Service. They have owned and operated that business for 35 years, recently with the help of a son and daughter.

“We’re turning it over to the kids. My son, Mike, has pretty much taken over the business and Dixie and I are kind of stepping out.”

“I’m also volunteering as a helper in genealogical work now. It has been fun to work at the family history center of the LDS Church here in the Orchards. I volunteer there once a week. People come in and have questions about their families or ancestors and I’m there to assist them find those people.”

John also volunteers at a call center associated with an LDS genealogy website. “I’m on the telephone to help them work through genealogical programs on the internet. I’m online and they’re doing the same at home. We talk on the telephone or talk on our computers back and forth. It’s a neat way to help people all around the country with their genealogy research.”

“I find that tremendously enjoyable,” John explains. “It’s so much fun to see people say, ‘Oh my goodness is that where I’m from - is that where my roots are?’ It’s really cool.”

John will be essentially retired before the next senior games roll around in June. So is he going to compete this year? “I’ll compete if we’re in town.

Dixie and I have volunteered for another project, which may start in June.

“We plan on serving as camp hosts for an LDS Church recreation property - Darby Campground down near Driggs. It’s a girl’s camp and Boy Scout camp facility. During the summer there will be 1520 different groups coming in for a week each.

They will have 10-15 teenagers in each group – girls one week, then boys the next week. We’ll likely be there from the end of May until the latter part of August coordinating activities and attendance of those groups and kind of taking care of the campground - just volunteering.”

John Larson is looking forward to retirement.

“Dixie is a great support. It’s great to look forward to being able to be together a little more in our retirement. We raised seven children together and have lots of grandkids. It’s just fun, being at this stage of our lives. There’s a lot of fun left in life!” ISI

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Grace Henderson is still adventuring at 86 Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Vacations of whitewater rafting, kayaking, and hiking are common – unless you are talking of women in their 80s. Grace Henderson is one of those people defying the odds and, at 86, looking forward to another white-water trip this coming summer.

Grace moved to Lewiston about four years ago and then moved up to Moscow last summer. But let’s first go back to her earlier years.

Life began for Grace in the little New Jersey town of Tenafly. Jobs were scarce when she reached working age, so she took a job as a private secretary with an oil firm at the tip of Manhattan in New York.

“The Statue of Liberty was framed in my office window,” she says. “It was great!” She worked there for six or seven years during the ‘40s including the end of World War II. “We watched ships coming and going into New York Harbor.

Troop ships were coming back after the war. The ships in the harbor would have their whistles blowing and fireboats would have their hoses going up in the air to welcome the troops back, so that was pretty exciting.”

She and her husband moved up and down the east coast in subsequent years - Virginia, Baltimore, and back to New Jersey where she cared for an elderly aunt. Grace’s husband passed away in 1968, and she moved to Lake Almanor in northern California. “It was a well kept secret - very small but known for its great fishing and hunting.”

During those years she traveled by motor home with her sister and her second husband, spending winters in Arizona and taking trips into Mexico. One particular trip to the Yucatan stands out. “It was something I always wanted to do, to see the pyramids down there. I thought it was so extraordinary that the pyramids were so similar to the pyramids and construction in Egypt. It was a lifelong dream of mine and I got to go.”

When her husband died about four years ago, Grace’s two sons decided it was time for Mom to move closer to one of them. One lived near Chicago, the other in Lewiston where he works for Potlatch Corporation. “Guess which I chose?” she says with a laugh. “Liking small towns, naturally I chose Idaho.”

Elderhostel had also been a big part of Grace’s life. Many folks 55 or older are familiar with Elderhostel, a not-for-profit organization that provides interesting educational opportunities around the world. Grace has enrolled in twenty-three Elderhostel classes so far and plans on more.

Her first trip after moving to Lewiston was to Jerome in southern Idaho. From this base, the class made several hikes, the first to Craters of the Moon.

“That was another place I always wanted to go to,” Grace says. “It was very interesting.” Another hike took the group to the Sawtooth Mountains near Sun Valley.

The third part of the class was to hike into the City of Rocks. “We stayed in a monastery. I’d been to monasteries in California, the old Spanish ones. I thought ‘Oh boy, this could be kind of rugged living’ because the Spanish ones were pretty rough. When we pulled up, I said to myself, ‘This can’t be it.’ It was a beautiful modern building. The monastery was great. The fathers at the monastery were so nice and accommodating and they hiked right along with us.”

“Elderhostel is a wonderful organization and I have had so many wonderful experiences. You can do things with people your age and they tell you if an activity is going to be strenuous. They are rated so you can pick out what you feel you can do,” Grace explains.

White-water rafting on the Middle Fork of the Salmon might sound strenuous, and it probably is, but Grace picked that as her next Elderhostel experience. “We camped on the beaches every night in our own little tents. We had to load our own luggage so everything was cut down to a minimum.

I purposely got the smallest tent I could find and now I know why they call them pup tents. I had a dog house one time that was much larger than my tent!” she says laughing.

“We had to pick out soft spots on the beaches to pitch our tents. None of my friends in Lewiston were interested in going.

They were all afraid of the water and said, ‘No, not me, count me out!’ So, I went by myself. That’s one thing about Elderhostel, you never feel like you’re alone.”

Grace did some kayaking on that trip and perhaps that helped her decide on the next summer’s expedition - a sixday kayaking trip on the Colorado River and Lake Mead.

“We didn’t camp on that one. We stayed at a quaint bed and breakfast in Chloride, Arizona,” she relates. “We kayaked every day. They provided the kayaks (not the inflatable kind) and took us to wherever we could get into the river or lake.” Grace was the oldest in a group of twelve, but paddled a solo kayak (for one person).

“People always ask me in their Christmas letters, ‘What adventure are you planning next year?’ My adventure last summer was moving from Lewiston to Moscow,” she says with a laugh.

“In recent years, I’ve thought there has to be some kind of a complex

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to live where active people can be active with people our own age and yet, when we reach the point where we can’t be so active and need assistance, it would be available to us without being too disruptive. I found this place in Moscow called

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2009

Fairview Village. It’s part of the Good Samaritan Society of the Lutheran Church.”

“It’s working out beautifully. I’ve been very happy. I live in a twin-house like a duplex but not all lined up one next to another. It’s on a Culdesac and I have a nice view from my windows. People can move from a twin-house into an apartment in the same complex. You can go right on up as you age and need more care.”

So what about next summer? “I watched a program on television the other night on the same trip I took rafting on the Middle Fork. Theirs wasn’t Elderhostel but otherwise it was the same. I sat there and could hardly contain myself - I wanted to do it again so badly,” she laughs. “I’ve been looking at different trips, but in the back of my mind maybe another whitewater one because I really did enjoy that, even if I was the oldest in the group.”

Grace Henderson also keeps busy with volun-

teer work in a quilting group that makes comforters. “We don’t quilt them, we tie them. We make everything from lap robes to give to nursing homes to those for police and fire departments to carry in their cars. If a child is in a traumatic situation they get a quilt to cuddle. If a family is burned out of their home they get single bed quilts for the children or double bed for adults. We gave away 500 last year.”

To accomplish that number, a group meets twice a week from 9 am until 3 pm. “We bring our lunch and take time out to chit-chat around the table. It’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing.”

She has also knitted “umpteen hats” for operation warm-up, part of the program to provide youngsters with warm coats plus a handmade hat, scarf, and mittens. “It’s a very satisfying kind of volunteer work,” Grace concludes. ISI

Leroy Seth Is Still Competing Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Athletics are part of many boys’ dreams as they grow up but few are still competing in such strenuous sports as basketball or track and field when they pass the 70-year mark. Leroy Seth is one exception, competing regularly and carrying on a physically active life.

Leroy grew up near Spalding on the Nez Perce Reservation. He laughs when he describes the same old story many tell their children and grandchildren. “I used to have to walk a mile or two down a hill with rocks and gravel and sometimes in snow or mud to get to school in Spalding.” It was there that he began honing his basketball skills.

“The way we trained, my buddies and I, we used to shoot tennis balls into a little homemade basket made out of a clothes hanger. My buddy happened to be a fisherman who went to Celilo every year with his dad. He knew how to make nets so when we’d find an abandoned building we’d have nets on either end and have some good games. We could make swishers with those tennis balls. We’d play till it got dark. We didn’t have comforts of gyms and all the things they have nowadays.”

It must have worked because as a senior in the class of 1956, Leroy’s became the first state champion basketball team from Lapwai.

He started college at Washington State. He had not been given a basketball scholarship so he walked-on, earning a spot and beating out guys who were on scholarship. But then he says, “I flunked out.

I didn’t know how to study.”

Leroy then enrolled at Lewis & Clark State College in Lewiston, learned how to study, and played on the N.W. Regional Championship

Team and was on the track team. His exploits in track caught the attention of the coach at Eastern Washington.

“He said he’d give me everything - give me the world if I’d go to Eastern, so I transferred up there.

I got to be his work horse. I did four or five events.

Field events were my strongest - hurdles, high jump, broad jump, and javelin.” Leroy was good enough to go to the small college national finals two years in a row and took a third in the high jump when he beat Ralph Boston who was to go on and make his mark in the Olympics.

The combination of high jumping and broad jumping gave Leroy abilities few basketball players possess. “I think I made a basket (taking off from the free throw line and dunking the ball) from the free throw line before Michael Jordan.”

Leroy graduated, returned to the reservation, and served on the tribal council for two and a half years until an opportunity came to return to college at the University of Montana where he eventually received a master’s degree in Indian Art and Anthropology.

Leroy still does some art. “I can knock out a sketch or paint something when I have to. I’m one of those guys who won’t do something unless someone needs something or if I need to put on a show.” He describes his work as “cubism, sort of surreal and futuristic things.”

His career was not what he expected with his college background – “either painting or digging up the ground.” Leroy started in education, working in Washington D.C. a year in the Title IV program involving Indian education throughout the country.

He then returned to the northwest, serving as Native American counselor for the State Community College system in Washington. He moved from there into health education for the Nez Perce tribe where he worked for 21 years.

“After that I resigned for a week and the tribe asked if I’d be a patient advocate so I did that for another 11 years. That was rewarding. I helped a lot of people and felt good about it, especially older people.”

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Somewhere in between, he also served with the army paratroopers during the Cuban crisis. “I was lucky not to get shipped out but we were ready to go to Cuba. I wasn’t worried about the guns and shells. I was more worried about those little snakes that can kill you,” he laughs.

Leroy says he is quasi-retired and, “I’m still available for consulting work and to do speaking engagements. I talk about physical fitness and

nutrition and also do workshops on stress reduction. One of the most powerful points involves the cultural side of life, speaking of the wheel of life.”

Retirement doesn’t involve retiring from physical activities. He has continued to play basketball throughout the years. “I’ve been to quite a few tournaments in Indian ball and been an all-star maybe 20 times in five different states and MVP three times,” he says.

Today, Leroy says, “I’m not as fast. I don’t jump as high. But it’s still fun to get out there and kind of mix it up a little. There’s an old timers league. It’s the only one I can compete in any more. Even the 50-year-olds are getting too fast for me.”

There are enough in Leroy’s age range to field a couple of teams. “We go to different tournaments in different states.” That could include Washington, Oregon, Montana, or Idaho.

“It’s just the idea of getting out there, male bonding, knocking each other around, and all that.

That’s fun,” he laughs.

“If I’m lucky I’ll get to play in four or five tournaments. We even have Indian veteran basketball tournaments. Sometimes they’re all-Indian, sometimes they’re open to everyone.”

Leroy also participates in various fun runs ranging from 3-7.5 miles.

“When I was younger I’d run them all the way, go for the record and practically kill myself.

Now I’m going to enjoy it. I take my time and yet have a time that’s not too embarrassing. I do

Presidents Day: Washington and Lincoln Trivia After leaving the White House, George Washington badly needed money and opened a distillery at his plantation.

In his first year, he sold over eleven thousand gallons of whiskey, earning a profit of $7,500.

By S. Scott Clarkson, Senior Wire The Bible on which George Washington took the oath of office was used at his funeral and has been used to inaugurate four other presidents - Warren Harding, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, and George Bush.

Sr. George W. Bush was going to use it but because of bad weather had to use another Bible.

After leaving the White House, George Washington badly needed money and opened a distillery at his plantation. In his first year, he sold over eleven thousand gallons of whiskey, earning a profit of $7,500. The former president was amazed at how much demand there was for his product.

Indians killed Abraham Lincoln’s grandfather, also named Abraham Lincoln, while he was planting corn.

As a young boy, Abraham Lincoln had the chore of taking corn to the local mill. Running late one day and wanting to make it home before dark, Lincoln began to whip the horse that was pulling the mill. The angry horse kicked Lincoln in the head causing him to pass out and bleed profusely.

The mill owner at first thought he was dead. Lincoln was unconscious until the next day and was not able to speak for several hours after he awoke. Some speculate this is what caused Lincoln’s lifelong problem with depression.

Abraham Lincoln was very poor as a boy and at the time he first married. When his father-in-law visited the newly weds, he was saddened by their meager living conditions. When he got home, he arranged to send them $120 a year to help them.

Abraham Lincoln started the practice of having members of the media always accompany him. Lincoln arranged a special railway car for the press corps to follow him when he first was elected president. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 39

about a 13-minute mile now but that’s not too bad for 7½ miles.” And for being 71 years old).

He also participates most years in the senior games in Lewiston, usually entering five events.

This year Leroy tore a leg muscle forcing him out of the 100 meters and broad jump. “All I ended up doing was throwing the discus, the shotput, and the javelin. I got a third in the shot and won the javelin so ended up with two medals.”

Leroy was raised in a traditional Nez Perce family, much of the time with his grandparents. He started dancing at powwows when he was three.

“I’ll be dancing till they put me in the ground. To me it’s a way of life. If I couldn’t dance I don’t know what I’d do. I was down in California for three powwows last year and placed in all three, winning about $2,200.”

This will be a stressful year for Leroy. His son, 43, passed away from cancer in November. The loss of a child is particularly painful for anyone. Out of respect for his son, Leroy will do no dancing this year. “But I’ll be doing some fun runs, playing some hoops, and whatever else there is to do.”

“I hope I can keep an active life going because I’ve told people if I stop I’ll probably dry up like the Tin Man in Wizard of Oz,” Leroy says smiling. ISI

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