Idaho Senior Independent Aug/Sep 2009

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Sue And Don Helander Help Sandpoint Stay Healthy

By Cate Huisman Sue and Don Helander create a picture of good health as they pose in front of the pool at Sandpoint West Athletic Club (SWAC), the business they’ve managed for 18 years. Their lifestyle sets a good example, and it’s a rare day that club members don’t encounter either or both

of them working out, teaching a class, or giving players tips on their racquetball, handball, or squash games.

The Helanders wandered into the exercise business indirectly through their fondness for court sports. Don played handball in college at Colorado State University and continued to play in Alaska, where he went to work on the pipeline. There he got into promoting handball, eventually running a tournament or two for the club where he played. Sue grew up in California and went to Alaska looking for adventure; what she found was Don, and she started playing racquetball and handball too. It’s no surprise that court sports are big at SWAC. When they tired of the long Alaskan winters and all-to-brief summers, the couple hopped the ferry back south and drove

around the northwest looking for a desirable place to live - a town that was still small and that had all four seasons. Like so many others, they date their arrival in Sandpoint to that first extraordinary view as they drove across the Long Bridge. “We camped at Samowen Park for ten incredible days and said, “This is going to be our home,” explains Sue. Within a few years, they’d bought a lot in town that came with five years’ worth of free membership at SWAC, which was then just under construction. With four courts for racquetball, handball, and squash, it seemed like a good fit. They’d also opened a new business, the Mountain Spa hot tub company that sold pool chemicals and comparable items. “Our little company and Sandpoint West opened the same week,” notes Don, “They were one of my first sales calls.”

Thereafter, one thing led to another. The Helanders sold Mountain Spa in 1991, and then Don was asked to be general manager of SWAC. The position drew on his experience owning a business, playing court sports, and managing tournaments. Sue’s involvement increased too. First she taught (Continued on page 23)

PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

What a difference caring makes…

Submitted by Jim Meade As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.

However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy, and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.

At Mrs. Thompson’s school, she was required to review each child’s past records and she put off Teddy’s until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners.... He is a joy to be around.”

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.

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.”

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and was ashamed of her attitude toward Teddy.

She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except Teddy. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.

Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.”

After the children left, Mrs. Thompson cried.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy was one of the best students in the class and, despite having said she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her favorites.

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best

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teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the high honors.

He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his best and favorite teacher. Now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. The story does not end there. There was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Thompson whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

Dr. Teddy Stoddard treats patients at the Stoddard Cancer Wing at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Reviewed By Connie Daugherty Idaho Gold Fever by Jon Sharpe, New American Library, New York; 2009 “The Trailsman they began to call him all across the West: searcher, scout, hunter, the man who could see where others only looked, his skills for hire but not his soul… Skye Fargo… who could take the wildness of a land… and make it his own.” Fargo is not exactly a likeable or admirable hero, but he is competent and dependable.

The Trailsman series by Jon Sharpe might not be considered exceptional literature in the traditional sense; but it is definitely classic literature. Western style fiction is a literature style all its own that has been popular since the West was settled. Stories of trappers and mountain men; ranchers and Native Americans; prospectors and wagon trains of settlers - stories like what we, here in the west, heard from our grandparents. It is this classic Western style that Jon Sharpe uses to create his Trailsman series. Idaho Gold Fever is the most recent of the Trailsman series to be set it Idaho.

The writing style is crisp and fast paced, the story line familiar yet not completely predictable.

This is genre sort of reading that is perfect light reading for a summer afternoon alongside a creek or mountain lake.

Idaho Gold Fever is set in Idaho territory in 1860 where “the only thing more dangerous than the Nez Perce Indians [is] gold.” But the wagon train that Skye Fargo has been secretly following for over a week is not made up of prospectors. They are obviously just another group of farmers looking for fertile land to call their own. “Quite often, Fargo used his skills scouting for the army. At other times he hired out for whoever struck his interest. At the moment he was shadowing the wagon train to… find out what happened to a missing family.”

The wagon train does not seem to hold any information about the missing family - they are not a part of the group, a seemingly meek, naïve bunch of farmers. The wagon train Fargo is following are typical Eastern folk who have left behind their comfortable homes intending to create a new and hopefully better sort of comfort in the western Idaho territory. They are not in search of adventure and they are quickly filling up the spaces in Fargo’s open land. He does not like seeing the settlers come any more than the Nez Perce do, but he acknowledges that the change is inevitable.

Finally, Fargo decides it is time to make himself known to the wagon train and its leaders; rough men he distrusts on sight. “The farmers weren’t sheep. They were puppies. Puppies

were friendly and innocent and eager to make new friends…. And bound to get their throats slit if they didn’t realize the frontier wasn’t Ohio and puppies didn’t last long.”

But like most people, Fargo finds himself drawn to the puppies - as gruff, tough, and independent as he is, he has a soft spot for the innocent and helpless. And although the farmers have hired a seemingly knowledgeable guide, Victor Gore, there is something about the slick, friendly man and his roughneck employees that Fargo just does not trust. He is not thrilled about more people moving into Idaho territory, but he really does not want to see them hurt.

Therefore, Fargo accepts an invitation from the group’s leader, Lester Winston, to join them at least as far as their destination – the Payette River Valley. Maybe along the way he can talk them into continuing on to Oregon.

It seems that maybe the farmers are not quite as naïve as they seem, and although they have hired Gore and continue to follow his guidance, they are not inclined to place total trust in him and seem to recognize Fargo’s skills and are eager to have him along. Meanwhile Fargo manages to entertain himself with the company of Winston’s pretty daughter.

Along the way, they encounter less-thanfriendly Indians and Fargo finds himself having to deal with more and more conflicts with Gore and his roughneck crew. “The first attempt on Fargo’s life took place several days later, late in the afternoon.” He is obviously concerned about the Nez Perce who have been making it clear that they reluctantly tolerate the white men passing through their territory, but they are much less accepting of those folks who move into stay.

However, it quickly becomes clear whoever was after Fargo was not Nez Perce.

“Indians didn’t ride shod horses.” Obviously one of Gore’s men is after him, but who and why?

There is definitely more going on with them than meets the eye. Their purpose has nothing to do with guiding the farmers safely to their destination.

But Fargo is having a difficult time figur-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3

ing out what they are really up to. Therefore, he sticks with the group even after they arrive at the Payette River Valley.

“Fargo mostly hunted…. From morning until twilight he roved the surrounding mountains.”

It is during one of these hunting trips that he stumbles on the secret that Gore and his men have been hiding. Gold.

Then, as Fargo had expected, “…all hell broke loose.” Now it is anybody’s guess as to who is more dangerous - the Nez Perce or the white men infected with gold fever. And who will survive it all?

After the smoke clears and it is all over, “Fargo promptly sought out the nearest watering hole. He had a lot of forgetting to do.” Until the next time and the next Trailsman adventure that is.

Jon Sharpe and the Trailsman series provide readers with a glance into the past, a taste of history, and adventure reminiscent of the old western TV shows so popular in the 1960s. ISI

PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 5

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Let’s take a few minutes and go back in time.

You may need to visit with your morning coffee group or possibly a sibling to answer some of these questions. Go back in time and remember.

Thank you and congratulations to Julie Hollar, the winner of this month’s $25 prize for providing the best quiz, How Times Have Changed.

The winning correct answers to the Can You Match These Names? trivia quiz that appeared in our June/July 2009 edition were submitted by

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Iona Myers of Nampa who wins the $25 prize.

Congratulations, Iona!

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

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submits the most correct answers to the featured quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is a tie, the winner is determined by a drawing.

Please mail your entries to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403

by September 10, 2009 for our October/November 2009 edition.

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

How Times Have Changed Submitted by Julie Hollar As time marches on and the world changes in the name of progress, it is easy to forget how things once were. The following questions will take you back a few years when we did things differently.

Take a few moments to spark your memory and then jot down your answers on a piece of paper and mail or email them to us.

1. In the 1940s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located? a. On the floor shift knob; b. On the floorboard, to the left of the clutch; c. Next to the horn.

2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it. For what was it used? a. To capture lightning bugs; b. To sprinkle clothes before ironing; c. As a large saltshaker.

3. Why was the home delivery of milk a problem in northern winters? a. Cows got cold and would not produce milk; b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled; c. Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors, and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top.

4. What was the popular chewing gum named for a game of chance? a. Blackjack; b.

Gin; c. Craps.

5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when stockings were not available due to rationing during WW II? a. Suntan; b.

Leg painting; c. Wearing slacks.

6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you could not tell whether it was coming or going? a. Studebaker; b. Nash Metro; c. Tucker.

7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid? a. Strips of dried peanut butter; b. Chocolate licorice bars; c. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

8. How was Butch wax used? a. To stiffen a flattop haircut so it stood up; b. To make floors shiny and to prevent scuffing; c. On the wheels of roller skates to prevent rust.

9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes? a. With clamps, tightened by a skate key;

b. Woven straps that crossed the foot; c. Long pieces of twine.

10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision? a. Consider all the facts; b. Ask Mom; c. Eeny-meeny-miney-mo.

PAGE 6 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

11. What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s? a. Smallpox; b. AIDS; c.

Polio.

12. “I’ll be down to get you in a ________, Honey.” a. SUV; b. Taxi; c. Streetcar.

13. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy’s pony? a. Old Blue; b. Paint; c. Macaroni.

14. What was a Duck-and-Cover Drill? a. Part of the game of hide and seek; b. What you did when your Mom called you in to do chores; c. Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in a nuclear attack drill.

15. What was the name of the Indian Princess

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

on the Howdy Doody show? a. Princess Summerfallwinterspring; b. Princess Sacagawea; c.

Princess Moonshadow.

16. What did all the savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school? a. Sniff the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high; b. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window; c. Wrote another pupil’s name on the top, to avoid their failure.

17. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases? a. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted

like bubble gum; b. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items; c. They were given to the kids to be used as stickon tattoos.

18. “Praise the Lord, and pass the _________ ...” a. Meatballs; b. Dames; c. Ammunition.

19. What was the name of the singing group that made the song Cabdriver a hit? a. The Ink Spots; b. The Supremes; c. The Esquires.

20. Who left his heart in San Francisco? a.

Tony Bennett; b. Xavier Cugat; c. George Gershwin. ISI

Answers To “Can You Match These Names?”

1. D Irving Berlin was Israel Baline 2. F Ginger Rogers was Virginia Katherine McMath 3. A Gene Wilder was Jerry Silverman 4. E Vivien Leigh was Vivien Mary Hartley 5. C Frankie Laine was Frank Lo Vecchio 6. B Hedda Hopper was Edda Fury 7. G Ben Kingsley was Krishna Benji 8. H Joan Rivers was Joan Molinsky

Summer Clues

By Miles Mellor

9. I Harry Morgan was Henry Brataburg 10. J Audrey Hepburn was Edda von Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston 11. K Kitty Carlisle was Catherine Conn 12. M Tonto was Jay Silverheels 13. O Vic Damone was Vito Farinola 14. L Tony Bennett was Anthony Benedetto 15. N George Burns was Nathan Bierbaum

16. Q Harry Houdini was Erich Weiss 17. S Mamie Van Doren was Joan Olander 18. T Tony Randall was Leonard Rosenberg 19. R Martha Raye was Margaret O’Reed 20. W Nicolas Cage was Nicolas Coppola 21. P Mitzi Gaynor was Francesca von Gerber 22. U George Montgomery was George Letz 23. V Ray Milland was Reginald Truscott-Jones

Across 1 6 10 12 14 16 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 29 31 32 33 34 37 38 40 45 47 48 49 50 51 52

Beach recreation Chasm Gator or lemon?

Golfer Michelle “Rocks” America’s Cup activity (2 words) Anita Brookner’s “Hotel du ___” Colorful fish Dot follower Forays Waters down Tropical fruit Pristine sea color Note Child’s play?

Blues singer, King Salad veggie Enthusiasm Cologne cooler A way to start Gentle coastal winds (2 words) Born, in bios Across prefix Children’s building by the sea Uses oars Backboard attachment Annoying insects A ship’s officer

1

Vacation activity

Down

2 Kids’ treat (2 words) 3 Can 4 Actress, Lupino 5 Chicken parts 7 Dune machines (2 words) 8 Bikinis, maybe 9 Eat chocolate, to some 11 Vicious fish 13 Sponge cake ingredient 15 Diet Pepsi container 17 Santa sound 18 Dove noise 23 Flowering shrub 26 In crowd (3 words) 27 Warmed the bench 28 It may be easily bruised 30 “We’re in this love together” singer, Jarreau 32 Flower display 35 Bring into play 36 Summer court contest 37 Sea eagle 39 Lobster-like 41 Gallery display 42 Lip emollients 43 Lens types 44 Lazy in the kitchen?

46 Almond 49 Girl from Ipanema city 50 Position of the Heisman winner in 2006, abbr. ISI

Answers To “What Do You Know About Cars” June/July 2008 - Page 4

C E R T I F I A A N S R O L L S T F L U W A M Y R O O X A F D O W N S I S W C F C O N C E P T I E Y O N R U S H N L I V O L K S W G O A M P H B U Y

E D A U R T F J Z E T T A

M I A T A O E O S B O R O T O N O O Y N E O N C I M O G P A U G H R I P T U T P E D S I O E L A N C E M I A G E N K I A B U G E R O N C R E D I T

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

We are coming to the end of summer. The changing of the leaves and cooler evenings are on their way. It is time to start thinking about sitting around the fireplace with someone special.

Send us your letter today and start looking for that new companion.

To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply 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 October/ November 2009 issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well. Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad, the deadline for the October/November 2009 issue is September 10, 2009.

I am a man in my 70s who very much wants to meet a woman who is fun, has a great sense of humor, is fairly trim, and still loves lovemaking.

I am very healthy, 5’9”, 180 lbs, do not smoke or drink alcohol. I will answer all letters. Reply ISI, Dept. 5301, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am easy going, like to take walks, travel, eat out, and go to live shows. I am 5’10”, SWM, a little overweight, mostly retired, 65 years old, going gray, and don’t care. I live in southeast Idaho. I am looking for a friend, companion and possibly more, also someone to travel with. Will answer all letters. Reply ISI, Dept. 5302, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Looking for that special gentleman, 70s, nonsmoker, who takes pride in his personal appearance and his home, has well-developed sense of humor, responsible and financially secure, loves nature, good food, good friends, and music. Looking for a best friend and lover.

I am a widowed white woman, also financially secure. I enjoy many things from yard sales to concerts, cooking, gardening, home and away.

I am 5’ tall, not overweight, no grey hair, like

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 7

to dress like a lady sometimes, but there are a few pairs of jeans on the shelf. Please write and send your phone number. Perhaps we can arrange a coffee date. Reply ISI, Dept. 5303, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Tall lady, B/B, seeking romantic gentleman, interested in the arts, conservation, birding, gardening, and sports while skipping down the road of life together. 65+ and NS/ND. Reply ISI, Dept.

5304, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Looking for my soul mate.

I am 69 years young, 5’4”, and 140 lbs. I like fishing, camping, small trips around the beautiful northwest, enjoy the home life, cooking, flower beds, etc. My soul mate should like some of the things I do but doesn’t have to like them all. He doesn’t smoke, but a couple of drinks are good.

Hope he can B-B-Q because men do it best. I live in Caldwell, Idaho. So someone within twenty-five miles would be great. Hope my soul mate is now reading this. Reply ISI, Dept. 5305, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI

PAGE 8 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

The Wonderland Of Arches Article & Photo By Jack McNeel The red sandstone monoliths of Arches National Park are nearly indescribable to those who have never visited the park.

These magnificent formations – spires, arches, massive monoliths, and balanced rocks – tower into the sky. Every bend in the road reveals new scenes and new spectacular rock formations that seem to go on and on and on!

Most visitors spend a day or two viewing, exploring, and photographing within the park, often staying in Moab, Utah, about four miles from the park entrance. Those with campers might stay at Devils Garden Campground within the park or at other nearby campgrounds. You should be aware that overnight facilities often fill up early, so it is advisable to make a room reservation in advance. Moab is a fun town, designed with the traveler in mind, with unique shops and excellent restaurants.

We spent the late afternoon and evening getting acquainted with Arches National Park, oohing and aahing as each new vista seemed even more spectacular than the preceding one. We snapped photos continually and returned the next morning at sunrise for that wonderful early morning light.

Our car was first in the parking lot for the hike to Delicate Arch. The density of natural stone arches here is greater than anywhere in the world and Delicate Arch is the most photographed. The image of this arch is pictured on Utah’s automobile license plates.

The hike to Delicate Arch is unique and listed as strenuous. The round trip is three miles with a 480 ft elevation gain. Initially the trail is well defined, climbing over ridges and then dropping into swales before the main climb begins. At this point the trail leads up a long, open slickrock section marked with rock cairns. The final stretch is along a rock ledge with a precipitous drop to the left, but once you reach the top and see that amazing view of Delicate Arch, it is all worth it.

The view is across a deep stone basin to the Arch on the opposite side. The snow-clad mountains in Colorado are visible beyond the arch, creating stunning views. High winds buffeted us and the air was chilly. As we returned down the long slickrock to the car, the temperature increased dramatically.

Temperatures within the park often vary by as much as 50 degrees during the day. During summer, use caution if hiking in mid-day as the heat and lack of shade can be overwhelming. High temperatures in July and August average above 96 degrees, sometimes reaching well over 100.

Water is an absolute requirement.

The elevation of Arches National Park ranges from 4,085 to 5,653 feet throughout its 119 square miles. A 48-mile round trip road leads through the park and numerous hiking trails open up additional vistas for those wanting to see more. Over 2,000 natural stone arches are within its borders and nearly 800,000 people visit annually.

Landscape Arch is another you should see and the trail is considerably easier. The round trip is about two miles and relatively level. It starts near Devils Garden Campground. The trail is well graveled and begins in a narrow canyon with red sandstone cliffs towering vertically on either side.

Other arches are also visible from this trail but the most magnificent is Landscape. It is very slender and only slightly arched but spans over 300 feet, prompting wonder at how it can remain intact. Huge boulders beneath are evidence of previous pieces breaking free. Wind and water continue slowly to change Arches National Park as it has for eons and Landscape Arch will eventually collapse. But, will it be next year or in a thousand years?

Colorful names have been given to different areas and features throughout the park, including Fiery Furnace, Parade of Elephants, Tower of Babel, Three Gossips, Eye of the Whale, and many others. Visitors can tour the park in their cars, hike the trails for new and different views, and engage a guide to lead them. The visitor center is a good starting point and features an orientation program that runs every 30 minutes.

However you choose to visit, if you have an opportunity to spend time in Arches National Park, do it! Take your camera. The sandstone formations will amaze you. We also photographed wild flowers, cacti, and cottontail rabbits. There is a variety of plants and animals ranging from deer down to little lizards.

You can view the cabin built in 1898 by John Wesley Wolfe near the trail to Delicate Arch. You can see rock art near the Wolfe Cabin created

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

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 9

Banff and the Icefields Parkway

By Jack McNeel Every bend in the highway brings spectacular views, peak after snow-capped peak reaching into the heavens, incredible blue lakes against azure skies, each vista seemingly more grandiose than the last. The possibility of seeing wildlife exists every mile of this nearly 200-mile drive from Banff to Jasper along the Icefields Parkway. It has been called “the most spectacular drive in the world.”

The town of Banff is designed for tourism and visitors flock here from around the world. Listen to the conversations in a restaurant and you will likely hear several tongues. From spring through fall, the streets are crowded with shoppers all day and into the evening. Yet it is a quiet crowd, mostly shoppers and diners who frequent the variety of stores and restaurants. Many quality motels dot the town.

Some come to hike, others to photograph scenery and wildlife, still others to enjoy the shops, museums, and galleries, or perhaps to ride the gondola that takes you to 7,500 feet during the eightminute ride.

The Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum is a great place to view old cultural items of the tribes that utilized buffalo and particularly those of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Many of the displays utilize life-sized mannequins of First Nations people to display their regalia and cultural history.

The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies features modern art in one section and the history of several early families that helped shape the region in another section. Or, you may want to visit Banff Upper Hot Springs, or rent a canoe and cruise the Bow River that runs through town.

Elk and deer are commonly seen in and around town while bighorn sheep frequent the slopes a short 10-minute drive above town. Wildlife enthusiasts and photographers can go crazy.

The route from Lake Louise to Jasper features the Icefield Parkway and scenery that must be seen to be realized. It is an easy, one-day drive if you stay on Hwy 93, but take your time if you can.

There are beautiful lodges, scenic hikes, and that ever-present chance of seeing deer, elk, sheep, and maybe even bear and moose.

Locals often take the Bow Valley highway from Banff, a route less traveled but equally beautiful that allows a stop to hike the trail along Johnston Canyon. Seven falls crash into the creek, the trail is well maintained, and you can hike as far as you want. Photo opportunities abound among the trees crowding the icy-green waters of the glacier-fed creek, where heavy moss grows from the trees and atop the rocks and golden-mantled ground squirrels perch along the trail as you pass.

The Baker Creek Chalets are a pleasant and quiet get-away north of Johnston Creek with modern log cabins along the creek and an intimate bistro for dining.

This byway rejoins Hwy 93 near Lake Louise, which offers accommodations, great hikes, and a 14-minute gondola ride to 6,800 feet where grizzlies often browse on the hillsides as you pass overhead and Lake Louise is visible in the distance.

Moraine Lake Lodge is one of a number of scenic “off the main road” lodges available towards Jasper. It is hard to imagine a more spectacular setting with ten high peaks soaring over the lake, a grand log and stone lodge and a dining room featuring an amazing menu. Individual cabins face the lake. The cabins are beautifully furnished complete with fireplaces.

The main attraction of this entire area from Banff to Jasper is stunning scenery. It must be seen to be understood and appreciated. Words simply cannot do it justice.

Banff National Park is the birthplace of Canada’s National Park System. This Park, along with Jasper National Park, is part of four adjacent parks that together have been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canada has thirteen World Heritage Sites, five of which are in Alberta. The area is that special.

Half an hour north of Lake Louise is Bow Lake and just north of that is Peyto Lake.

Jimmy Simpson came upon Bow Lake in 1898 and described it as the most beautiful thing [Photo by Jack McNeel] he had seen in Canada, vowing to return one day and “build a shack here.” He did just that and in 1950, Jimmy Jr. built Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, a hotel with 25 guest rooms and a dining room, still with Jimmy’s “most beautiful thing he’d seen in Canada” view of Bow Lake and the mountains behind.

The parking lot at Bow Summit is 6,849 feet.

A short hike leads to a view of Peyto Lake with beautiful displays of alpine flowers in July and August.

Saskatchewan Crossing lies just north where three rivers join. One is the Howse River, which is the route that David Thompson used in 1807 to cross the Rockies and eventually to travel southward into what is now Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Highway 11 now traces that route to the east.

Highway 93 continues north and soon enters Jasper National Park. Eight major glaciers, all part of the Columbia Icefields are visible from the highway. The Icefields cover nearly 325 square kilometers, one of the largest accumulations of ice south of the Arctic Circle. Tours can be taken aboard mammoth busses on a five kilometer round trip to the center of the Athabasca Glacier while a guide talks of the history and features of the 400-year-old ice.

Jasper is just another hour’s drive. The scenery remains spectacular and wildlife sightings are still a possibility at any moment.

Jasper is comparable to Banff, with many

activities and accommodations for visitors. There are hot springs, fishing, boat rentals, and hikes. A tram will take you to 8,500 feet where a restaurant awaits.

The Banff to Jasper route will fill you with awe, fill your camera with spectacular scenery and wildlife, and the towns on either end will provide all the creature comforts you need. ISI

PAGE 10 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

That Old Love Apple los, and tobacco, and by the time Cortez conquered Mexico and the Aztecs, cultivation was well known. Technically speaking the tomato is a fruit because it forms from the flower of the plant, just like apples, oranges, raspberries, and any number of fruits that we eat. But because we can begin the day with a glass of tomato juice and have dinner later with a tossed salad and a bowl of tomato soup, most eaters regard it as a vegetable.

There are as many varieties of this popular garden product as there are seeds in a giant beefsteak. The first South American samples did not resemble today’s smooth beauties. They were usually irregularly pleated or had ribbed segments and if you see some heirloom types, that ribbing still exists in tomatoes named yellow ruffled, Gezahnte, a novelty tomato used for stuffing, another stuffer, called Zapotec, and a cherry red number simply called Ugly.

Not only are the plants themselves capable of forming different shapes and sizes, they can be grown beside long wooden stakes with their vines tied to the stakes, in wire cylinders made of concrete reinforcing mesh, in metal cages, in large terra-cotta pots and inside plastic tubes with the tubes filled with water that gathers the sun’s heat, or in the latest container, a plastic sleeve that grows the tomato upside down.

A gardener can select from among many types of tomatoes. There are main crop or standard tomatoes, early tomatoes, cool-summer tomatoes, hybrid tomatoes, yellow or yellow-orange, green, striped, small fruited, large fruited, and the kind getting attention lately, open-pollinated.

Open-pollinated is supposed to mean you can save seeds from an heirloom or nonHeat up to 1000 sq. ft. for pennies a day with an energy saving hybrid tomato, replant these seeds, and get ENERGY EFFICIENT: Operates on less than a Mr. Coffee per day. the same tomato every PORTABLE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 110 VOLT Â&#x2021; 7KHUPRVWDW FRQWUROOHG time. There is some a eg Â&#x2021; 2YHU \HDUV DQG +XQGUHGV RI Save M your confusion as to what n WKRXVDQGV RI VDWLVILHG FXVWRPHUV $$$ o g Bill n i t Â&#x2021; :LOO QRW UHGXFH KXPLGLW\ RU R[\JHQ a e H an heirloom tomato is, Â&#x2021; /LIHWLPH DLU ILOWHU and the definition is Â&#x2021; )8// <($5 %803(5 72 %803(5

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The tomato we know began as a wild plant in South America, and then, domesticated, played an important part in the ongoing development of Mexican foods. It belongs to the Solanciceae family that includes peppers, potatoes, tomatil-

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broad. The green zebra was touted as being an heirloom, but Tom Wagner, the man who put the seeds together to create this striped, tasty edition, laughingly admitted to being a ten-year-old kid on a Kansas farm with a Grandfather who encouraged him in 1946.

Some plants can actually qualify as heirlooms if the seeds had been saved and handed down to family members. When some of these varieties disappeared, Kent and Diane Whealy created Seed Savers Exchange in 1975 using a tomato called German pink that came from Dianeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bavarian relatives. Seed Savers is still an important source for plants that are not being offered in mass catalogues and valuable also for maintaining old-fashioned stock. In exploring different types of tomatoes for colder climates, collectors brought back seeds from eastern European countries, including the black-hued tomatoes, some of which are rated excellent for taste.

If you just want to shuffle off to Buffalo without too much time or trouble, visit your local nursery next spring and pick up early girl or better boy and whatever cherry tomato is offered, knowing you have done your patriotic duty. But go beyond that effort and you might try C.R. Lawnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top ten tomatoes. C.R. founded Fedco Seeds 25 years ago in Maine and he listed the following favorites: Brandywine, Aunt Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s German Green, Sungold, Cherokee Purple, Cosmonaut Volkov, Pineapple, Black Krim, Lillianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yellow Heirloom, Orange Banana, and the last one named for a famous author, the Mark Twain tomato.

Tomato Growers Supply Company, P.O. Box 2237, Fort Meyers, FL 33902, and Totally Tomatoes, 334 West Strand St., Randolph, WI 53956 are two seed catalogues for both hybrid and heirloom types, and I would suggest ordering with friends because you get 30 seeds for $2.25 per package, so split up the seeds and share the cost.

There are two excellent books, available through Inter-Library loan that will add to your knowledge. The Tomato Festival Cookbook

by Lawrence Davis-Hollander gives advice on selecting the best heirlooms and how to grow them, recipes from top chefs and food writers, historical tomato information and a long list of seed suppliers, some with available catalogues, others with online information.

The second opus is a huge, beautifully

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

photographed edition by Amy Goldman and photographer Victor Schrager, titled The Heirloom Tomato - from Garden to Table. This volume gives you everything you need to know about the 200 tomatoes that are included. What makes this publication unique, besides the photographs of sizes, shapes and colors perfectly transcribed to paper, are the ratings the author gives to each tomato. She lists the size and shape of the fruit,

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

the color, the flavor, best uses, and the origin of the plant.

Also useful are her descriptions of some tomatoes she would not recommend. She wrote “fair to nondescript” for one, “tasteless” for another, and if the flavor is too acidic or poor, she says so. She saves you money from trying those. Conversely, if it is a winner, the description notes that.

Both authors offer good sensible advice on growing your own, and they take you through staking, pruning, watering, and possible diseases and pests. Once the harvest is in, there are plenty of good recipes.

With all this information, next year’s catalogues cannot arrive too soon. Maybe it is not an aphrodisiac, but it cannot be denied, we do love tomatoes! ISI

Tips For Traveling With Your Pets

Increasingly, when pet owners travel, they’re taking their pet along for the ride.

Some say it’s because they consider their pet to be part of the family, while others say it’s because more hotels and motels are adopting pet-friendly policies.

Whatever the reason, according to the owner research experts at Subaru of America, traveling with a pet involves more than just loading the animal in the backseat and hitting the road. The ASPCA offers the following tips to help you prepare for safe and smooth car travel with pets: • Keep your pets safe and secure in a wellventilated crate or carrier, or see your automotive dealer for a divider that safely separates pets and cargo from the passenger area.

• Get your pet geared up for a long trip by tak-

ing him on a series of short drives first, gradually lengthening time spent in the car.

• Start your pet’s travel-feeding schedule with a light meal three to four hours prior to departure and don’t feed your pet in a moving vehicle.

• Never leave your animal alone in a parked vehicle. On a warm day, even with the windows open, a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot.

• Bring your pet’s food, bowl, leash, and a favorite toy or pillow - plus a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, and medication.

• Make sure your pet has a microchip for identification and wears a collar with a tag imprinted with your home address, as well as a temporary travel tag with your cell phone number, destination

phone number, and any other relevant contact information.

• Don’t allow your pet to ride with his head outside the window. This can subject him to inner ear damage and lung infections, and he could be injured by flying objects.

• If traveling across state lines, bring along your pet’s rabies vaccination record, as some states require this proof at certain interstate crossings.

• Bring your own drinking water - bottled or tap - since drinking water from an area he’s not used to could result in an upset stomach for your pet.

• If you travel frequently with your pet, you may want to invest in rubberized floor liners and waterproof seat covers, available at auto product retailers. ISI

Facebook: It is not just for your grandkids anymore

By Chérie Newman Five years ago, shortly after I turned 51, I moved 200 miles away from my friends and family.

But, of course, we vowed to keep in touch. Don’t we always?

At first, I sent cards, letters, and email messages. They all meant to respond, I am sure, but people are busy - I, too. Eventually, I found a few new friends in my new town and communicating with old friends slid to the bottom of my priority list.

Then, I signed up for a Facebook account and my social world blossomed. Most of my best friends, old and new, were already there or joined up shortly after I did. I also found a few friends from ancient times - high school.

According to Inside Facebook, the fastestgrowing group signing up for Facebook accounts is women over 55. But why?

Because with just a few clicks you can see photos of your grandkids and read short messages about the adventures of your friends and relatives.

You can post your photos and tell everyone what you are doing. And, well, it’s fun!

Recently, some of my FB Friends - as I call them - and I compiled Top-15 book lists. In less than a week, I had collected a multi-genre reading list that included some of the best books ever written. One friend, a college professor, recently posted an album of photos she took when her students placed a group of teal-colored cats, sculpted in various poses, in different places around the community (think 28 teal cats sitting on a gravel bar looking across the river or lounging in the University president’s office). It was hilarious! And it

prompted creative comments from people all over the United States.

For me, an unexpected benefit of Facebook is that I have better relationships with my colleagues. Now, instead of just saying “Hey” when we pass each other in the hallway, we can actually exchange full meaningful sentences about a Facebook posting.

I could go on and on about how Facebook reconnected me with old friends, deepened my relationships, and how I feel closer to my family. But, instead, I’ll encourage you to try it for yourself.

Ready? Here’s how it works.

Log on to www.facebook.com, type in your

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PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

name, email address, and birthday. Create a password. Then, you’ll see two wavy, fuzzy words and a prompt to type what you see into a text box (this step ensures that you’re a real person and not a spambot trolling for information).

Next, you’ll come to a page that asks if you want to find people in your email address book who are registered with Facebook. You can choose this option or click on “Skip this step” and do it later, or never. The next page asks you for the name of your high school, college, and company.

If you fill in these details, Facebook will find classmates and colleagues for you.

However, you always have the option not to be friends with those people, or anyone else. No one can “friend” you unless you invite them and they “approve” you. Conversely, you will not be able to become friends with another person unless they approve you.

Even if you think you hate technology, you can do this. Facebook is easy and simple. If you are tech savvy enough to click around the web and send email messages, navigating Facebook will be a cinch. And it’s lots more fun.

Facebook is also totally risk-free: If you sign up for an account and then decide you don’t like it, simply de-activate your account by clicking on “settings,” “account settings,” “deactivate.”

But my FB Friends and I hope you will stick around for some FB Fun. Chérie Newman writes and produces radio programs. ISI

Taking Energy-Saving Steps This Year Can Result in Tax Savings Next Year With 2009 more than half over, the Internal Revenue Service reminds individual and business taxpayers that many energy-saving steps taken this year may result in bigger tax savings next year.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 contains a number of either new or expanded tax benefits on expenditures to reduce energy use or create new energy sources.

The IRS encourages individuals and businesses to explore whether they are eligible for any of the new energy tax provisions. More information on the wide range of energy items is available on the special Recovery section of IRS.gov. For a larger listing of ARRA’s energy-related tax benefits, see Fact Sheet 2009-10.

Tax Credits for Home Energy Efficiency Improvements Increase Homeowners can get bigger tax credits for making energy efficiency improvements or installing alternative energy equipment.

The IRS also announced homeowners seeking these tax credits can temporarily rely on existing manufacturer certifications or appropriate Energy Star labels for purchasing qualifying products until updated certification guidelines have been announced.

“These new, expanded credits encourage homeowners to make improvements that will make their homes more energy efficient,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “People can improve their homes and save money over the long run.”

ARRA provides for a uniform credit of 30 percent of the cost of qualifying improvements up to $1,500, such as adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows, doors, and skylights, and energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems. The new law replaces the old law combination available in 2007 of a 10-percent credit for certain property and a credit equal to cost up to a specified amount for other property.

The new law also raised the limit on the amount that can be claimed for improvements placed in service during 2009 and 2010 to $1,500, instead of the $500 lifetime limit under the old law.

In addition, the new law has increased the energy efficiency standards for building insulation, exterior windows, doors, and skylights, certain central air conditioners, and natural gas, propane or oil water heaters placed in service after February 17, 2009.

IRS guidance issued before the enactment of ARRA will be modified to reflect the new energy efficiency standards. In the meantime, homeowners may continue to rely on manufacturers’ certifications that were provided under the old guidance and on Energy Star labels for exterior windows and skylights in determining whether property purchased before June 1, 2009, qualifies for the credit. Manufacturers should not continue to provide certifications for property that fails to meet the new standards.

Beginning in 2009, there is no limitation on the credit amount for qualified solar electric property costs, qualified solar water heating property costs, qualified small wind energy property costs, and qualified geothermal heat pump property costs. The limitation on the credit amount for qualified fuel cell property costs remains the same. The IRS issued Notice 200941, which explains the effects of this change. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

Geothermal Heat Pumps Really are Green With all the hyperbole surrounding the word “Green” in the current lexicon of American politics and pop-culture, it is important to understand the balance between cost and benefit. Whether in the conservation context of global warming and endangered species, or the development context of increased drilling for fossil fuels and large, low-mileage vehicles, rarely are the true costs of such endeavors transparently analyzed, considered, and published to promote informed decision making. Further compounding good decision-making is the lack of understanding of the nature of nature that causes unforeseen consequences.

Despite the difficulty of knowing every factor that affects a particular course of action, I believe that we should limit environmental impact and energy use while maximizing efficiency and saving the other “Green” - money. What if there was a way to heat and cool your home that would minimize the energy used?

What if you could heat your home in winter using solar energy stored in the earth’s surface

and could remove heat from your home and put it back into the ground in the summer? What if this system could be installed on a standard city lot? What if the system could operate at efficiencies of 300% or more? What if you were able to save 50%, 60%, or more on your annual energy bills? What if you could get 30% of the cost of this system back in the form of a federal tax credit? What if your electric utility provider would pay for up to $3,300 of the cost to install a system like this?

What I am talking about is a geothermal heat pump (GHP). These devices have been in use since the late 1940s and use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature. While we may experience seasonal temperature extremes - scorching summer heat and near zero winter cold - a few feet below the earth’s surface the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature around 50oF (7oC). Like a cave, this ground temperature is warmer than the air above it dur-

Where Can You Find Those Discounts?

By Jim Miller One of the great perks of growing older in the U.S. is the many discounts that are still available to seniors. While the recession has caused many companies to cut back or eliminate their discount programs, there are still plenty of good deals out there. Here are some tips to help you find them.

Just Ask - The first thing to know is that not all businesses advertise it, but many give senior discounts just for the asking. You also need to know that some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, while others start at 55, 60, 62, or 65.

Web Search - The single best resource for finding senior discounts is SeniorDiscounts.com that lists more than 150,000 businesses offering breaks on a wide variety of products and services like airlines, car rentals, travel, recreation, local transportation, shopping, restaurants, hotels, state and national parks, medical services, pharmacies, and museums. For an $8 annual fee, you can find discounts by the city, state, or zip code, or by the category you are interested in. Or for $13, you can find and get discounts through their members-only club, and receive a printed copy of their SeniorDiscounts Guide to boot. Also check out SeasonedSpender.com and Bargains4seniors. com, two less established sites that let you search for discounts and deals free.

Join a Club - The one you are probably most familiar with is AARP (www.aarp.org; 888-6872277), which offers its members (age 50 and older) a wide variety of discounts through affiliated businesses. Other groups you may not be familiar with such as The Seniors Coalition (www.senior.

org), provides discounts to its more than 4 million members – you can join at any age for $13.50. Also consider AAA (www.aaa.com), and NARFE. Travel Discounts - If you are interested in discounted travel there are loads of options, most of which can be found at Seniordiscounts.com.

Here are some of the best deals you should know about.

• Hotels: The Hyatt (www.hyatt.com; 888-5911234) offers the biggest – up to 50 percent off to seniors, age 62 and older.

• Transportation: The only domestic airline that still gives discounts to seniors today is Southwest (www.southwest.com; 800-435-9792) for passengers age 65 and up. For train travel, Amtrak offers a 15 percent discount to coach travelers age 62 and older (www.amtrak.com; 800-872-7245).

• Car rentals: Most car rental companies offer discounts to seniors, especially to club members like AARP and AAA. • National Parks: One of the best travel deals available is the “America The Beautiful – Senior Pass” (www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm). This is a lifetime pass that will let you and anyone in your car into national parks, forests, recreation areas, and monument grounds.

Savvy Tip: Another resource is Joan Heilman’s book “Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re Over 50,” (McGraw-Hill; $16.95). ISI

ing the winter and cooler than the air above in the summer. The GHP takes advantage of this by exchanging heat with the earth through a ground heat exchanger.

Ground source or (geothermal) heat pumps are available right now, and they operate with the advantages described above. They can save you money, and with the current tax credits and other incentives, they have never been more affordable.

There are very few sure things in our new green society. If you want a way to reduce your energy use and have a positive long-term environmental impact, this one solution is available, affordable, and predictable.

You can help save the earth and save some money at the same time.

Dan Williams, LEED, Accredited Professional Member American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers.

Project Manager RDI Heating and Cooling, Hayden. ISI

PAGE 14 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

By Joan Riley These days when we watch our 401(k)s virtually disappear, our retirement pensions become shaky, the part-time job market for retirees shrink, and prices continue to rise, most of us are trying to economize.

I recently received a wonderful newsletter authored by a retired couple who usually recite their travel adventures. But this time they traveled around their own community and collected

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Penny Wise Equals Savings

a comprehensive list of little economies, based a free $5 player’s card) at the local casino, the upon the old “pennies saved, pennies earned” Tuesday special lunch at the senior center, the adage.

Saturday morning breakfast at the bowling alIt is something you could easily emulate in ley, etc. your own community. Even Wal-Mart has caught Then see how many “refreshments served” that spirit in some of its ads, telling you how book signings, art shows, chamber mixers, much you could save in a year by replacing one etc. you can find to attend every month where restaurant meal each week with one at home you can broaden your horizons and make new composed of their products. friends at the same time, while satisfying your Scrutinize your buying habits and see what coffee and cookie cravings? else adds up to real money in A very important section of the course of a year.

You may be surprised to learn your list should be devoted to Where to start? that a business you have “extra plate” prices. Some resIf you are a coffee lover, patronized for years offers a taurants do not charge extra for that is easy. How often do you senior discount, but you have two to share a meal. Others often just never asked for it. stop for a fancy coffee each day charge from $1 to as much as or each week? Write it down $3.50 for that second plate, and - it will surprise you when multiplied for a year. some will not allow a couple to share.

Awesome, isn’t it? Is it really worth it? Now, Discounts are offered at a surprising variety price and list coffee at all the eateries in town, of stores ranging from carpeting to hardware, starting with the ones that give complimentary but they are almost never offered unless you coffee or a drink with ask for them. You may be surprised to learn food purchased; then that a business you have patronized for years list the lowest prices offers a senior discount, but you have just never in town for a single asked for it. coffee. Next, consider After scrutinizing your list, you may find snacks such as do- things to give up because of the yearly cost and nuts, potato chips, and you will have a handy guide to check when you other spur-of-the-mo- plan to make a purchase. You may also want ment purchases you to share the results of your investigation with often make. friends and neighbors.

Follow that with Readers are invited to submit questions a list of special meal about 55-plus work opportunities. Questions deals, such as a $3.99 should be emailed to Joan Riley at johall_ Thursday lunch (plus 95531@juno.com. Subject: Question.

Joan Riley is a California editor, teacher, and writer specializing in senior affairs. ISI

3113 S 25th N • Idaho Falls • 208-525-1355

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

Invest or Pay off Mortgage? When It Might Make Sense to Do Both

By Gerald Townsend, Senior Wire Q. My daughter recently lost her husband and has two small children, one autistic. She received life insurance and also receives survivor benefits from Social Security. Should she consider using half of the insurance to pay off her mortgage, which consumes half of her monthly income, or invest all of the insurance in CDs to generate interest income?

A. I am very sorry to hear about your daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss of her husband. Without having all her financial details, I can only make some general observations. I often recommend not paying off a mortgage balance, but in your daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s situation, I think I would use one-half of the insurance money and pay off the mortgage, and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why: â&#x20AC;˘ The mortgage payment is taking one-half of her monthly income, and that is simply too much of income to be devoured by a fixed obligation. â&#x20AC;˘ Paying off the mortgage eases the pressure on monthly cash flow, while still leaving one-half of the insurance money available to invest. Since at this point she would be debt-free, she could afford to invest some of the remaining insurance money in more growth-oriented investments, and not be restrained to just very conservative, but low-yielding, CDs. â&#x20AC;˘ Most likely, your daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income tax bracket is low, and any tax benefit of the mortgage interest deduction is modest. In fact, there may be no benefit from the mortgage interest deduction as your daughter may be getting a standard deduction on her tax return that is higher than her itemized deduction. â&#x20AC;˘ There is always a chance if she invests all the insurance money that she will make some poor decisions and end up losing some of the money or raise her standard of living and start consuming the insurance money. This would

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leave her with the mortgage balance still owed, but a much smaller cash/investment cushion. â&#x20AC;˘ Finally, if she is simply investing the insurance proceeds in CDs, the interest she will be receiving from the CDs will undoubtedly be lower than the interest rate she is paying on the mortgage. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assume for a moment that the interest rate on the mortgage is 6%. Therefore, by paying off the mortgage, she will effectively be â&#x20AC;&#x153;investingâ&#x20AC;? that money at a guaranteed rate of 6%, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think she will find a 6% CD. Q. I recently invested $8,000 in a corporate bond that pays 6% interest and when it matures in five years I will receive $10,000. How will the $2,000 profit be taxed?

A. You bought a bond that had a market discount of $2,000. Bonds trade at discounts or premiums due to changes in marketplace interest rates as well as changes in the credit ratings of the companies. If you bought the bond in a taxdeferred account, such as an IRA, the profit would not be taxed until you took a distribution. If you own this bond in a regular account you will owe taxes each year on the $600 of interest you receive (6% x $10,000 = $600); but you will not need to report the $2,000 market discount as income until maturity.

However, at that time it will be taxed as ordinary interest income, not as capital gain.

Gerald A. Townsend, CPA/PFS, CFPÂŽ, CFAÂŽ is President of Townsend Asset Management Corp (www.assetmgr.com), a registered investment advisory firm. Submit your question to 5120 Bur Oak Circle, Raleigh, NC 27612 or email him at Gerald@AssetMgr.com. ISI

PAGE 16 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

This is one of the stories you hear at a family reunion where generations of stories are told. When a situation presented itself our parents made decisions they thought best and used what resources they had for the good of the family. Our winning Remember When submission reminds us of our agricultural heritage and all the rodeos that are taking place this time of year.

Thanks go to Margaret Koester of Boise for her contribution, Two Horses.

Thank you, Margaret for taking us back to imagine one of the toughest broncos around. Margaret wins this month’s $25 prize.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections or contributions describing fictional 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 October/November

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Two Horses Submitted by Margaret Koester, Boise One morning the phone rang and when Daddy answered it, Mr. Sholosky, owner of a big apple orchard on Sunnyside about five miles from us, asked Daddy if he would be interested in the wild horses that were wreaking havoc in his orchard. Daddy said he’d see what he could do. He saddled up Ol’ Red, took a couple of halters and rope, and rode on down to Sholosky’s.

About three hours later, here came Daddy trailing two horses. One was a small, black mare and the other a big, old roan.

Daddy thought the little mare would make a nice saddle horse for my sister Ethel. The old roan, he would team up with Mag, one of his best workhorses.

When Mary and I got home from school the next day, Daddy was sitting with his foot up on the oven door. He had tried to harness the old roan.

His old hind-leg shot out and kicked Daddy, harness and all right through the side of the barn. My mother who was feeding the chickens, heard Daddy yell and saw him lying by the barn. She ran to him. He was okay, but before she helped him up, he wanted Mama to check on the old roan. When she peeked in the barn, he was just standing there with his hind-leg cocked, slowly blinking his eyes!

Daddy couldn’t do chores for a few days, so my brother who worked for a big cattleman up the road came down, fixed the side of the barn, turned the old roan out to pasture, and tried to convince Daddy to leave that horse alone, ‘cause he was CRAZY! He was a droopy eyed, loose-lipped, faded out old roan. But, try to saddle him and he turned into a wild-eyed, fire breathing, sun-fishing, son-of-a-gun bronco! My dad named him, Sharky. I don’t know why.

One day, Daddy was approached by one of the Rodeo Commissioners, George Mendenhall our neighbor, to let them use Sharky in the BroncoBusting Contest. Someone had told him about that crazy horse we had. He offered daddy five dollars.

Daddy said, “Yeah, he has destroyed more than that tearing up harnesses.”

They came with a big stock truck and being careful not to touch his back loaded him. My sister and I watched them leave. We were sad. Sharky had become our friend, no matter what he’d done.

Then it was rodeo day and the loudspeakers blared, “Ladies and Gentleman, out of chute number five, Idaho’s number one bronco rider, Don (Maxie) Maddox, riding Sharky, the meanest bronco to ever be saddled.”

The timekeeper shot the gun and the cowboys pulled the gate latch. But before the gate was completely open, old Sharky was on his hind legs with his front hooves reaching for the sky. As soon as he was free of the gate, he came down stiff-legged jarring Maxie, whose hat went sailing. Sharky started whirling, Maxie was hanging onto the reins and suddenly the cinch broke and the saddle went one way and Maxie the other. The crowd went wild, and the cowboys came out to try to catch the crazed animal to keep him from trampling Maxie, who was lying in a heap and not moving.

The clowns rushed over with the stretcher to rescue him.

Daddy, Mommy, my sister Mary, and I were in the stands, and as soon as Daddy saw what had happened he was on his way to the corral, hoping

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

to calm Sharky and get him out of there.

I will never forget Sharky, but he is just half of the story.

The small black mare that Ethel named Lady came to a bad end. When Ethel rode home from

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 17

school one day, the neighbor boys opened the gate for her and as she went through they hit Lady on the rump. She started to run away, Ethel fell off, and Lady ran into the side of the hay stack where she hit a hay knife that was sticking out. They are

very sharp and when Lady hit it, it cut her stomach.

Daddy put her in the barn and tried to bandage her, but she bled to death no matter what Daddy did.

We were very sad to lose Lady like that. ISI

Sun Valley Jazz Fest soothes the soul

By Dianna Troyer To cure emotional doldrums or queasiness from the nation’s recession, Carol Loehr prescribes a jazz festival, specifically the 20th Annual Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree Oct. 14-18 in central Idaho’s famed resort town.

“It’s five days that are good for your soul,” says Carol, director of the acclaimed festival that attracts the nation’s preeminent jazz musicians.

“People walk around smiling. The only problem people have is trying to decide what performances to attend, because there are so many to choose from. But that’s a happy problem. There’s so much going on, you can’t see everything.”

This year, 200 musicians in 35 different groups will give 300 performances in 11 venues from 9:30 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. Free shuttle buses transport fans to the venues, where new shows are scheduled every 90 minutes.

“It’s a time to tap toes, swing dance, and reminisce about nostalgic music,” says Carol, who expects about 5,000 jazz fans to attend and celebrate the heyday of jazz from the 1900s to the 1950s. “We have such a diverse range of music and so many genres including gypsy jazz, traditional jazz, big band swing; music that is quiet or loud and exciting.”

Top performers this year include Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs, Titan Hot 7 with Bob Draga and Jeff Barnhart, Cornet Chop Suey, the Midiri Brothers, Tom Rigney and Flambeau, and Forever Plaid. Groups range from trios, to quartets, octets, and big bands.

“We have 40 special performances that either feature greats or feature each individual jazz instrument,” she says.

Free dance lessons and amateur dance contests with prizes are offered, too. For those who plan to attend the festival for the first time Carol advises, “Get plenty of rest before you come and bring your dancing shoes. Our audiences are mostly retirees, but we’re attracting younger musicians and fans, too, because we invite high school and college jazz bands.”

Carol inherited the position of festival director from her parents, Barbara and the late Tom Hazzard, who started the annual event to bring together jazz musicians and an appreciative audience in a scenic mountainous setting.

“I’ve been part of the management team since it started,” Carol says, “but when my dad was diagnosed with melanoma, he asked if I’d like to run it along with my husband, Jeff. It’s an honor to continue my dad’s jazz legacy.”

Organizing the show is a tremendous full-time endeavor. Sometimes, Carol admits she feels like the performers on the Ed Sullivan Show who could spin plates on the tops of rods without dropping

Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs are among the top performers at the Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree Oct. 14-18.

[Photo by Dianna Troyer]

them and make it look easy.

“We had to quit our jobs to do this, but it’s

worked out fine. I was a teacher, and Jeff was a towboat operator on the Columbia River,” says Carol from her home in Battleground, Washington, during a telephone interview. “We live in Sun Valley for the month of October.”

Each year, Carol provides evaluation forms to help with planning the next festival. Of the 1,200 evaluations submitted at last year’s festival, only two were negative.

“Most were glowing, and it made me smile that so many people commented on how seamlessly the festival flowed,” she says. “We have 200 volunteers who help make it all run smoothly, and no one sees the behind-the-scenes stress to make it all come together every year.”

Admission to the events varies, ranging from free for children 13 and younger, to $40 for a Sunday adult day pass, and up to $115 for an adult, five-day, all-events pass.

For more information, visit www.sunvalleyjazz. com or call 1-877-478-5277. ISI

visit the idaho botanical garden to view a riot of

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Open Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Weekends 10 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Members enjoy free admission and discounts on classes, events and Garden Store purchases. Check our website for more information!

2355 N. Penitentiary Rd., Boise, ID 83712 • 208.343.8649 www.idahobotancialgarden.org

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4/17/08 10:20:58 AM

PAGE 18 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Travel on the Weiser River Trail-Idaho's longest rail trail

Story and photos By Natalie Bartley Nationally there are over 11,000 miles of public rail trails, primarily non-motorized. Presently there are over 21 rail corridors converted to recreational trails in Idaho, creating a pleasing mix of short and long urban and rural trails.

The Weiser River Trail, at 85.7 continuous miles, is the longest nonmotorized rail trail in Idaho. Shirley Atteberry, of Cambridge, is president of The Friends of the Weiser River Trail, a non-profit volunteer group that developed and has maintained the trail since its creation in 1996. “The most notable thing we have seen along the trail is increased use. People are having a marvelous experience and passing on the word,” says Shirley.

A Diversified Trail Between 1895 and 1995, these western Idaho rails moved timber, livestock, passengers, and farming supplies through alpine settings, ranches, basalt canyons, and riparian zones. Now, bicyclists, walkers, horseback riders, and nature lovers can enjoy this pleasant scenery year-round. The trail is predominately gravel and dirt, so a mountain bike is recommended. Short paved segments in the towns of Weiser, Cambridge, and Council are suitable for roller blading or jogging with a baby stroller.

To monitor your progress trail miles are marked by old metal rail pegs. In the spring and summer fields of Arrowleaf Balsam Root wildflowers contrast with the light green hillsides. Red-winged blackbirds, magpies, kestrels, and swallows are common along the trail, which runs along the sparkling Weiser River. Crosscountry skiers use the upper reaches of the trail in the winter.

Weiser, Midvale, and Cambridge form the southern portion of the Weiser River Trail.

Cambridge, Council, and Rubicon, near New Meadows, form the northern reach of the trail.

During March and April, consider using the 31-mile segment that runs from Weiser to Midvale. A number of access points in and

near Weiser enable use of short segments of the trail, allowing time for enjoying Weiser’s historical buildings and amenities. The further you start away from Weiser, the more open the landscape is.

North of Weiser is Midvale, which was known as the wool capital of the United States in the 1900s. Presently there is a grocery store with a public phone, and a park with an outdoor swimming pool. From Midvale, it is 31 miles of trail south to Weiser, or eight miles of isolated trail north along the Weiser River into Cambridge.

Many stretches of the trail are isolated so carry drinking water, snacks, and perhaps a cell phone.

There is limited shade on the path from Weiser to Midvale, so use sunscreen and protective clothing. Consider traveling in the spring and autumn or early mornings before it gets hot during the summer.

The northern 45-mile section of the trail clears later in the spring and is a pleasant alpine environment in the Payette National Forest. Camp at the Evergreen Forest Service campground next to the trail, or at the nearby Lost Valley Reservoir.

If you prefer to experience the trail with a group, the Friends of the Weiser River Trail sponsors two separate weekend events to increase awareness of the trail and raise funds for trail improvements and maintenance. The organization has about 650 members and the trail events help grow the membership count.

2010 Fourth Annual Weiser River Trail Bike Ride - This unique opportunity enables mountain bikers to get their bicycles transported to the trailheads, cover lots of the trail, eat a catered lunch, and finish at their personal vehicles.

Three recreational trail rides are offered. Usually there is a 45-mile ride, a 25-mile ride, and a 10mile to 12-mile family ride. An approximately $35 registration fee for each of the three rides includes the shuttle, catered lunch, and t-shirt. Alternatively, join the Friends of the Weiser River Trail for $25 per year and receive a discounted registration fee. The bicycle ride attracted about 100 cyclists in 2009.

The 2010 event may be a two-day ride and be held in conjunction with Cambridge’s annual Hells Canyon Days during the first weekend in June. Call 888-698-7245 for additional information.

2010 Weiser River Trail Wagon Train - The ninth annual Weiser River Wagon Train weekend is planned for May 2010. Traditional-style wagons propelled by real horsepower, and riders on horses accompanying the wagons, make their way along the trail that runs from Weiser to near New Meadows.

Three overnight camping sites are set up for

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

the group. Trucks haul feed for horses and camping gear for wagon drivers and horse riders. Six seats are typically available in the two trucks that travel by highway to meet the wagon train and are reserved for participants with health or age concerns that might limit their ability to do the ride or wagon drive. The 2009 $150 entry fee included six meals, camping gear, transport, and t-shirt. About 55 people joined the 2009 wagon train.

Volunteers are the Backbone - Generous volunteers supply the care needed for refurbishing, maintaining, and improving the successful Weiser River Trail. Help is always appreciated and there

are a number of ways to be involved.

Each year the Friends of the Weiser River hold Spring Cleanups when volunteers patrol the asphalt segments in and near the towns along the trail. Picking up litter and sweeping the trail are part of the volunteers’ duties and water and light snacks are provided. It is easy to combine a halfday of volunteering with exploring the Weiser River Trail. Also during the spring, volunteers prepare the trail by removing downed trees, packing and smoothing the trail surface with a roller, and clearing rockslides from the trail with a backhoe.

Watch for upcoming annual events and vol-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 19

unteer days, or enjoy the trail on your own. For current trail conditions and other information, call and visit: • Friends of the Weiser River Trail, 888-6987245, www.weiserrivertrail.org • Trail Shuttles - Colonial Motel in Weiser, 208549-0150, www.colonialmotel.us Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based writer and author of the newly released guidebook Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest-Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, published by Falcon Guides, an imprint of the Globe Pequot Press. ISI

Tips for a Trip’s End

By Bernice Beard, Senior Wire What RVers do when arriving home from a trip, long or short, depends on the time of day or night, their energy level and their priorities. Whatever the circumstances, here are some tips for unloading the RV. A helpful principle is to focus on the twin goals of leaving the RV ready for the next trip of the season and putting away trip items inside the house.

On the Road - During the last day of your trip begin the process of unpacking the RV, perhaps in the morning before you leave the campground or at a rest stop along the way. You may prefer to wait until you get home and complete the entire unloading process at that time. Some RVers take several days to unpack after they return. RVing gives you many choices.

• Vacuum the floors, clean the sinks, and make the bed, changing the sheets if necessary.

• Gather items going into the house – calendar, medicines, laundry, printed materials, and personal items such as cosmetics and shaving gear. Leave clothes in the wardrobes until you arrive home.

• Unless you have a sewer connection for your RV at home or know of one that is available to you locally, dump the gray and black water holding tanks at the camping facility right before you leave or at the interstate rest area nearest the end of your trip.

• Refuel locally before arriving home. A full tank of gasoline or diesel fuel will prevent condensation. When condensed water mixes with the fuel in a partially empty tank, it can cause engine problems.

• Don’t hurry! One person may gather items in the RV and another may take them into the house.

All can help put away items inside the house.

• Once home, call significant people to let them know you arrived home safely. Check the mailbox for any accumulated mail.

• Check the water level in the batteries, and then hook the RV to shore power (electricity) to keep the batteries charged.

• Turn off the RV refrigerator and freezer.

Place all cold foods into containers, take them into the house and refrigerate or freeze them immediately.

• Leave open the RV refrigerator and freezer doors to prevent mildew.

• If you have hookups where you park the RV at home, you can hook up to electricity and keep

the RV’s refrigerator and freezer running until you unload them.

• Starting at one point in the RV and moving to the next, remove from the upper and lower cupboards any items that need to go into the house; put them into bags or boxes to transport them into the house.

• Take the clothes hanging in the RV wardrobes directly to their home closets.

• Close the blinds and draperies to protect the RV’s interior from sun damage.

• Turn off the RV’s main propane valve if you have not already done so. (This main valve should be turned off when traveling as a precaution to avoid a fire.)

• After a final look around each RV area for items to unload, close and lock the RV door.

• Since the idea is to not only unload but to prepare the RV for the next outing, when you launder towels and sheets for the RV, set them aside and take them to the RV. Unloading usually takes about an hour. It’s work, but it’s part of the package of RVing.

Even as you go about your RV-related activities at the end of your trip, you talk about things that happened and what you will do differently next time.

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 additional information and tips that make life on the road more carefree, visit www. rvatyourownpace. com. ISI

www.idahoseniorindependent.com

PAGE 20 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

Lynne Wells Walding I was late for my ten o’clock appointment with the golf pro, when an older gentleman stopped me in the parking lot. Somehow, he knew I was a writer, and he wanted to tell me a story about his PaPaw. Frankly, I was not interested in hearing a long, drawn-out tale about an old man and his golf game. Neither did I have the time. As politely as possible, I told the gentleman that I was late for an appointment, and perhaps we could get together later.

I was glad the pro offered me coffee. Otherwise, I could not have stayed awake.

I was researching for a piece on golf. But, what was supposed to be an interview about the benefits of the game, turned out to be an oratory on the subtle changes in the grip, the swing, and the approach that a person must make as they age, in order to maintain a low handicap. Golf magazine stuff. Lots of statistics and very boring. No story here!

As I was leaving, I saw out of the corner of my eye, that same

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

PaPaw Was a Golfer

fellow who had waylaid me earlier, loping across the lawn toward me. There was no point in trying to hide. He knew I had seen him. And, he was determined to bend my ear.

So, I listened to his story. It went like this: “First and foremost, PaPaw was a preacher.

Long before the days of televangelists with multimillion dollar homes, he was a country preacher.

He would ride his horse-drawn wagon over 20 miles of gravel road, his Lucy by his side, to pour his heart out to a congregation that could pay him with nothing more than produce and chickens.

MaMaw Lucy played the ancient upright for song services, and taught the young ladies how to be good Christian wives.

On weekdays, PaPaw was a farmer. Using the same noble steed that he drove to church on Sundays, to pull the plow; he worked his farm from sunup to sundown. He milked the cows in the predawn light before breakfast, and again before supper. He slopped the pigs, and pampered his prize winning Poland China hogs.

Sometimes he had to help MaMaw in the little country store/post office that they ran out of the front of their modest farmhouse. They sold fresh produce, home-canned goods, homemade pies, and bread. They could not afford to hire help because most of their customers paid with IOUs. Saturdays found him delivering groceries around the central Louisiana countryside, his little grandson and namesake, Denton, by his side.

PaPaw never had time for sports. Never held anything in his hand but a plowshare, or a Bible.

But, the day came when his doctor told him he had to retire.

“If you don’t slow

down, Dent, you are going to stop. I mean come to a dead stop. Used up! Time for you and Lucy to sell the old farmhouse, and find a place to relax a little.”

By this time, his grandson was a preacherman, himself. Living in California, he was following in PaPaw’s footsteps. His legacy.

“Come live with us,” Denton said. “I’ll teach you to play golf, PaPaw.” So, they moved to California.

Denton bought him a set of clubs, and taught him how to hold a club and swing it. PaPaw had never had a golf club in his hand before.

Denton bought him some golf shirts, shoes, and plaid Bermuda shorts. It was the first time PaPaw’s lily-white, little-bird legs had ever seen the light of day. But, he loved it.

Now, PaPaw was a golfer! He played every day that the sun shined. And, most importantly, he played golf with his grandson.”

The man paused, and looked at me with tears in his eyes.

“You see, if I’d played football, that would have been too rough for PaPaw. Basketball would have been too fast. And, baseball would have been out.

His rotator cuff was used up then, just like mine is now. I’ve been athletic all of my life, but I can’t play those games anymore. Golf, on the other hand, has served me from youth, right into old age. Why, I can play with my friends, my family, or even by myself.”

He sighed, “PaPaw’s gone now. Went to be with the Lord years ago. But, my kids play. I taught them, myself. I play golf with my kids and grandkids, every chance I get. Won’t be long until I have some of my great-grandkids out here on the links with me. So, if you think your days as an athlete are over… think again.

Think golf!”

About then, two men walked up, and he introduced me to his son and grandson.

I watched them walk to the pro shop together, laughing and talking, and I realized that I had my story! ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Dann Hall Is Conserving a Panhandle Heritage Photo & Article By Cate Huisman Dann Hall is a man with a past - the Sandpoint past preserved in a collection of photos that document the area and a way of life that’s either long gone or fast fading. But, it is his heritage. The plates and negatives were made by his father, Ross Hall, an early photographer well known in the inland northwest for his evocative images of people and scenes in the panhandle during the first half of the last century.

Dann himself printed his first photograph at the tender age of two. But before he could appreciate his father’s legacy, he had to get away from home and create his own past. His father wanted him to take over the business, “but he was ready to retire when I was 16, and I had things to do,” Dann explains.

Dann’s initial effort didn’t last too long or go too far. He headed south to Oakland, California, where he got a job with the Granny Goose potato chip company.

“They hired me because I was from Idaho and they figured I ought to know something about potatoes.”

That lasted until a forklift he’d left unattended headed down a slight incline “and planted one fork in each of the side doors” of his boss’s Lincoln Continental. “It was such a perfect strike they assumed I must have lost my mind and done it all on purpose,” Dann recalls. “I decided it was time to go back to Idaho and go to college.”

At the university in Moscow, Dann managed to hang on until his junior year, but then the wanderlust got to him again. This time he was gone well over a decade ski-bumming in Austria and Colorado, enrolling in university in Italy to study art and language (he traveled all the time), and smoke-jumping in Alaska.

On several occasions Dann seemed to come back to photography working stints at the Sun Valley Art Center and for Eastman Kodak in Spokane.

He even was in the photography department during a tour in the National Guard.

“I was always able to speak the language of photography if I got in a pinch and needed a job, and although I wasn’t sure that was my direction, it seemed to interest me the most,” he remembers.

Finally Dann ended up in southern California and considered it home.

“I had become so distant from my childhood that I never thought I would be attached to Sandpoint again for the rest of my life,” he explains.

But on a Thanksgiving visit back to the panhandle he got his foot stuck in the metaphorical door, he married a hometown girl and came back to where he started.

Still, although Dann was back home, he wasn’t quite back to the past that was awaiting him. It took him a while to realize that “all of my travels and experience kind of led up to what’s my little niche in life.” He meant his father’s collection.

Dann thinks of himself now as a “rimmigrant” or re-immigrant.

“I kind of had to re-immigrate myself into my memories of where I had been, because I was a different person for my experiences.”

The photos had something to do with that.

“This negative collection gives people who immigrate here a sense of history,” Dann explains.

“The more I started to acquaint myself - for the first time really - with Dad’s collection. . . the more strikingly I realized what an incredible heritage we really had here.”

Although many negatives and glass plates were lost in Sandpoint’s famous flood of 1948, Dann guesses that 40,000 to 60,000 remain. They catch the essence of ranchers, fisherman, and loggers at work; of the few Indians that remained at midcentury as they held their annual gathering at the lake; and of early skiers at Schweitzer and boaters on Lake Pend Oreille; as well as moments in the history of the quintessential small town.

The best seller is a shot of First Avenue in snow that reminds people so much of the famous Jimmy Stewart movie that the print has been titled It’s A Wonderful Life.

“It sells everywhere,” Dann says.

The vast majority of the photos in the historic collection are in black and white, and Dann says, “It’s very easy to make a black and white photograph ugly, but much more difficult to make a black and white photograph beautiful. You have to have more of the artistic elements in place—weighting, composition, balance.”

Dann sells both his father’s vintage prints and prints he has made himself from the same plates.

He says his father’s are more faithful to reality, while Dann’s prints offer another interpretation of that artistic balance.

At first, Dann was reluctant to embrace the digital revolution that has overtaken photography in the last decade.

“It is really useful for historical negatives,” he notes. “You can clean them up. I resisted leaving silver behind for the digital world,” he continues. “I was nervous about it and intimidated by it. But once I got into it, I just totally embraced it. It gave me a second wind.”

This is evident in a poster he designed for Sandpoint’s summer music festival. Dann combined one of his photographs and one of his dad’s photograph’s with one of his own drawings. He’d planned to add color by hand, but found he could be more accurate with colors using Photoshop.

“It let me get closer to what I had in my imagination.”

Anyone with an internet connection can now view the fruits of the father’s and son’s labors at Dann’s new website, http://www.rosshallcollection.com. Be prepared to step back in time, thanks to the efforts of a home-grown rimmigrant who is marrying the technology of the future with the images of the past. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 21

PAGE 22 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Resurrecting the Sandpoint Streetcar

By Cate Huisman Sandpoint, a town of 7,000 souls proud of their handsome century-old buildings and quintessential small town look, appears to be so fond of its history that some folks are considering repeating it. Its new Comprehensive Plan includes a goal to “facilitate multimodal transportation options,” and at the farther edges of consideration is a streetcar.

If Sandpoint were to build one, it would replicate one that ran almost exactly 100 years ago.

The Sandpoint and Interurban Railway Company formed on March 10, 1909, to address the perception that there were two transportation seasons - the muddy one and the dusty one. Before the streetcar came to town, a horse drawn bus connected the two railroad lines that still run through town.

Shortly before the streetcar service began, an article in the Northern Idaho News described how the horses that drew this bus startled at some sound and took off without their driver, something they apparently did with a certain amount of regularity.

“The mud was the deepest it has been for some time past,” noted the reporter, and the animals “took to their heels and strung their passengers along the road in the mud for some distance.”

No wonder a streetcar seemed like a pleasing alternative. But getting it installed wasn’t easy, as this called for an ordinance, and that required the cooperation of the city council, which was not a smoothly functioning body at the time.

“Two Council Factions Become Belligerent” was a headline in the News that September.

“Selection of Smith Causes a Walkout of the Opposition Crowd.

Action of Mayor Causes Turmoil.”

Election of New Alderman Declared Illegal - Tangle Delays Public Matters.

Such a delayed public matter was the

streetcar, whose proposal had been “pigeonholed… ever since it was introduced,” complained its promoters’ lawyer, F. M. Molyneux. “I have made repeated efforts to get that body to act, but without avail.

“There is a necessity for a street car line right now and that necessity is increasing every day,” Molyneux went on.

There was

concern that the outlying burgs of Ponderay and Kootenai would beat out Sandpoint if the line were not installed immediately.

“Unless transportation facilities between here and Ponderay are established, another town will soon be established there to the detriment of the business men and real estate owners of this city.

The smelter will soon start up, employing a large number of men, and if they cannot get to Sandpoint without walking over a long road that is covered with dust part of the time and filled with mud at other times, they will all establish their families there.”

Finally a line from one rail depot to the other with a spur line turning north to the suburbs was approved to run along Main Street, one of the first streets mapped in Sandpoint. The irritable council added several specific requirements to the venture before it passed the ordinance.

According to the News, “It is demanded that all shops and works shall be built within the territorial limits of the city of Sandpoint” and that “free transportation shall be furnished to city officials and firemen when on duty.” Notably, the council also required that the entire length of the line be paved, and the paving was to extend for two feet on either side of the rails.

By August of 1909, the News reported, “It won’t be many days longer until you will hear the ‘ding, ding’ of the gong on the street cars and the conductor sing out ‘fare, please,’” noting also that “They

are strictly up-to-date cars and will be a credit to any city.” Initial service between the depots began in September of that year, and it was expanded to include the spur line in November when a bridge across Sand Creek was complete.

Alas, the money-losing line folded in 1917 as personal cars took over the landscape in Sandpoint as they were across the nation. Main Street, no longer a main thoroughfare, has become an odd adjunct to a grid that was later overlaid at an uncomfortable angle. Its best legacy to the community is the triangular Farmin Park in the middle of downtown (a result of the odd angle at which Main Street crosses the grid), providing a home for Sandpoint’s twice-weekly farmers market.

Meanwhile, Sandpoint continues to have an occasionally cantankerous city council that continues to address loss of business to outlying towns. The debate continues over transportation, although now the concern is insufficient parking for cars in Sandpoint and too much traffic in general.

Could a streetcar be the answer? “It’s our understanding that most of the right of way for the streetcar system is still on the city books,” notes Matt Janssen of Vapor Locomotive Company in Sandpoint. The old line went out to the mills in Ponderay and Kootenai, not so far from where big box stores are the destination for many Sandpoint shoppers today. It also went quite close to the Park-n-Ride lot for Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

With streetcar service to the lot, skiers and riders could catch the resort’s shuttle up to the mountain and not have to drive on sometimes dicey winter roads.

Janssen points out that the historic streetcar had the advantage of being powered by locally produced electricity generated by cordwood. A modern streetcar could be similarly powered with locally produced biomass fuel that is “very energydense and easy to store and handle, and also burns exceptionally clean.”

For such a reason, “I think it’s the kind of transportation that people could feel good about using” says city councilman John Reuter. “At this stage it’s just an idea. I think it’s the kind of thing that can enhance Sandpoint, but I don’t think we’re going to see it tomorrow.”

The author is grateful to the Bonner County Historical Society and particularly to Will Valentine for access to his excellently organized research about the streetcar of Sandpoint’s past. ISI

The Truth About Penguins Submitted by Julie Hollar Did you ever wonder why you never see dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica? Did you ever wonder where they go? Wonder no more.

It is known that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird that lives an extremely ordered and complex life. Penguins have a very strong community bond, and they are very committed to their family and will mate for life.

Penguins also maintain a form of compassionate contact with their offspring throughout their lives. If a penguin is found dead, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice and snow using their vestigial wings and beaks until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the freshly dug grave and sing, “Freeze a jolly good fellow….” ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 23

Sue And Don Helander Help Sandpoint - continued from cover page classes, and then she got more involved behind the desk and in the office. In 1997, the couple bought the business, and in 2002 they bought the building and the land that it sat on.

In the 24 years since they were first members of the club, the Helanders have learned a lot about exercise habits - both theirs and those of others.

“More often than not, people are creatures of habit,” says Don. “People will do the Stairmaster every day. Then, once you’re past your mid-40s, you kinda notice things, like ooh - where did that come from?” says Sue of the unwelcome aches that occasionally follow repetitive exercise.

“So being adaptable and open to doing more yoga and stretching” become important. And it’s a good idea not to do the same exercise every day, Don explains. “We encourage cross-training. We’re always pushing or leading people into that with our programs.”

Indeed, Sue and Don are always cooking up something new at SWAC. The club offers over 40 different classes each week, and the offerings change often. Several are based on dance. Sue notes that lately “we’ve seen a resurgence of NIA, non impact aerobics, very fluid movements done to music.”

“Group cycling has been a stayer,” adds Don. “It’s good regardless of your conditioning level. You can have someone training for the Ironman triathlon on one bike, and right next to them you have somebody who’s basically just walked into the class. You can participate at whatever intensity level you want.”

The club has held contests to see which team could lose the most weight and given prizes for members who accumulated the most points doing the most different activities. Court sports have remained important, and the club occasionally organizes “socials” to help players meet one another. Ski conditioning is popular in the fall and swim training in the summer.

Just as they have encouraged club members to try different approaches to their workouts, Sue and Don’s own exercise habits have evolved over the years, and they follow their own advice.

“I’ve become more diversified,” says Don of his exercise routine. He still loves court sports, but he started swimming in part to ease tendonitis in his elbow. A self-confessed “total non-swimmer” at the age of 49, he’d always wondered how people could complete Sandpoint’s annual 1.75-mile Long Bridge Swim. Now he’s done it himself several times.

Sue continues to enjoy running and is one of those fortunate few who can do it into her fifties without knee pain.

“One of my favorite runs was the relay run from Spokane to Sandpoint.

It was really a hoot,” she says of the 24-hour, 190-mile event, during which each team member ran three five-mile legs. She mixes it up with mountain biking, which she likes “because it simulates a nice hike but you can go a

little faster.”

The club’s business success reflects the Helanders’ own success at staying healthy, and Don quotes a figure that tells the story, “If club success is measured in attrition vs. retention, the industry standard is something like 60% retention, and we have long-term stability at 80%. We hope that a lot of it has to do that we have a club and an environment that is meeting people’s needs.”

That’s certainly part of it, but there are several other contributing factors.

In addition to setting examples as healthy individuals, Sue and Don seem to know everybody’s name (pretty impressive for a club with 1,000 members) and often greet the sweating denizens personally. The club is actively involved in the community as well, providing the high school swim team with a place to practice, hosting a summer adventure camp for kids in conjunction with local agencies, and offering membership deals to school athletes who need a place to stay in shape for their sports.

All in all, the Helanders’ nearly quarter-century involvement with Sandpoint West Athletic Club has been a boom both to them and to the community.

“It’s an ‘up’ business,” Don says. “People come because they want to be here. They feel better because of their involvement with the club.” ISI

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PAGE 24 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Maddie Johnson says you have to live each day Photo & Article By Jack McNeel Madeline Johnson, much better known as Maddie, is a true Kellogg native. She was born here, graduated from high school here, taught in the Kellogg school system for 35 years, and she remains here in retirement. It will amount to 80 years of residency when her birthday arrives on October 25.

“My brother and I, we ran all over these hills, these leaded hills,” Maddie recalls.

Her active lifestyle and workout schedule sounds more like an active teenager than someone in her eighth decade. Perhaps it is a reflection of her teaching physical education for 25 years plus coaching volleyball and track. The first 15 years she also taught home economics but it is the physical education aspects that come through when she talks.

“I do at least one hike or bike trip every day, in fact I went on a sixmile hike today clear to the top of a mountain. A former student is building a beautiful big home up there so I hiked up to see it. I did a 50-mile bike trip a week ago. I was so happy to get these trails (Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes) because I used to ride the roads all the time and that’s pretty dangerous.”

“I also do weights every day. I do upper body one day and lower body the next day and then I lay off one day. I have free weights I use

at home. After teaching PE all those years, I just don’t care to go to a gym. I’d just as soon be outdoors as much as I can. The reason I lift weights is for arthritis. They say it keeps your joints flexible.

I have it but I don’t let it bother me.”

Oh, she also plays a little golf. “But I’m not very good,” she says laughing.

Maddie also does a lot of vegetable and flower gardening and mows her own lawn.

“I plant all the vegetables I need to make borscht. I make borscht and then freeze it. My mom was from Russia and that’s a Russian dish that I grew up on,” she adds laughing.

Maddie used to do a lot of running but after breaking an ankle, she has pretty much given that up. “I’m lucky after all those years of running to still have both my own knees. I decided I’d slow down on the running and do more walking and hiking.”

Maddie ran the Bloomsday race in Spokane for 20-some years.

“I ran Bloomsday when I turned 70. I trained because I wanted to take first in my age group. I am competitive because I coached. I had a sinus infection that day and took something for it and I was dehydrated. I passed out at the finish line – and I got second.”

She also participated in the Senior World Games in St. George when she turned 60. The bike race was over a hilly course with competitors from all over including a Japanese team with their own trainers. “I ran the 10K run and did a 40 or 50 mile bike race. My son had told me, ‘Mom, don’t go down there and embarrass us.’” There was certainly no embarrassment, as she took first in each event. “I’m proud of that,” she comments.

“I was going to do it again this year but they hold these in early October and I won’t be 80 ‘til the 25th. Maybe next year.”

Cancer has played a big role in Maddie’s life.

She lost her husband to cancer 25 years ago about the time he was planning for retirement. One of her sons also lost his life to cancer five years ago at 53 and her mother died of the disease when she was 99. That is probably why she has participated in

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Relay for Life walks. “The first time I did it I walked all night. I may do it again this year – but not all night,” she laughs.

One might think that winter would be a time for taking life easy when hiking and biking are not an option, but not for Maddie. “I downhill and cross country ski. I cross country ski on the weekends when the resorts are busy. During the week I ski at least once a week.” She skis at both Lookout and Silver Mountain resorts and this year Lookout gave her a lifetime season pass because she is nearing 80.

“You’ve got to live each day and enjoy as much as you can,” she advises.

Despite her dedication to physical activities, Maddie Johnson also finds time for many other community projects. She is a very active member of the Pinehurst Lions Club, whose projects range from community breakfasts to car shows, bike races, Pinehurst Days festivities, and holiday functions.

“Oh heavens, we do all kinds of things,” she laughs. “It’s totally a community program. We also give scholarships,” she says and she presently serves on that committee. “We do a lot of work.

I’m involved with just about every bit of it.”

Maddie is also on the board of the Youth Accountability Board, which Maddie helped get

started more than 25 years ago.

“It’s for kids who get into trouble for the first time,” she explains. “Instead of going to court and paying those expenses they can come to the Youth Accountability Board and we hold a hearing for them. They have to admit they were guilty. Based on what they got in trouble for we give them community work. They have to write a letter of apology and a letter explaining how they would feel if that happened to them. They may have stolen something, destroyed property, gotten into a fight, or done drugs. Drugs are a big one. Once they fulfill their obligations, the records are shredded so they won’t have a criminal record. A lot of parents are really thankful for it.”

Maddie is also involved with Mothers of PreSchool Children (MOPS).

“The mothers get together and do crafts and different things and we take care of the kids. We have anywhere from 25 to 40 little ones – preschoolers. We do that once a month and it’s open to anyone even though the Lutheran Church sponsors it.

“I’m busy but that’s my philosophy. If you want to enjoy life and live a healthy life, you’ve got to be involved and be busy. Keep active.”

Maddie certainly lives her philosophy. ISI

Larry Jennings - Mr. Outdoor Volunteer

By Jack McNeel The owner of the Enaville Resort, Joe Peak, is extremely knowledgeable about activities throughout the Silver Valley and calls Larry Jennings, “Mr. Outdoor Volunteer” because of his involvement in recreational activities throughout the area.

Larry is a native of the valley, born and raised here, and graduated from Kellogg High School. His dad was employed at Bunker Hill Smelter and his mother was secretary at the YMCA. He went on to receive a degree in business education at the University of Idaho.

Larry began his working career with F.W. Woolworth Company in Seattle and worked at five of its stores in Washington and California until they went out of business. Then it was on to Montgomery Ward in 1993, always in retail store management.

However, in 1999 a heart attack and quadruple by-pass surgery took him out of the work force and brought him back to the Silver Valley.

“I was unable to return to work so I became active in outdoor recreational pursuits because that was what I loved so much,” Larry relates.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game runs a volunteer reservists program where citizens are trained and donate their time to assist the Department in various activities. Larry signed on in 2000 and remains active to this day.

“Every year I’m one of the people that work the check station at Enaville,” he says. “I’m involved with any projects where the Department needs help. We build bird boxes and I’ve sold a lot of those. Anytime there’s an opportunity like a local event, I try to have birdhouses there. I like to support that program as much as I can.” Those, and numerous other activities, earned him “Panhandle

Region Reservist-of-the-Year” for 2008.

Larry serves on the Board of Directors and is treasurer for the Shoshone County Sportsmen’s Association. This organization dates back nearly a century and Larry has been active with them since he returned to the area. The Association owns the Hale Fish Hatchery (and 88 surrounding acres) at Mullan, which serves as a distribution point for stocking local lakes in cooperation with the Department of Fish and Game. It also serves in the “gleaning program” administered by the Department but heavily assisted by the Sportsmen’s Association.

Larry explains, “We have coolers and a complete meat processing facility in the hatchery.

We will pick up animals, especially elk and moose that are killed by automobiles along the highways, and take them to the hatchery for processing. Last year we processed over 5,000 pounds of meat for local food banks.

That’s a real plus for the Silver Valley and falls in line with things we’re trying to do.”

The 88 acres is now going to be partially developed to aid snowmobilers, ATV riders, and bicyclists. “We just received a grant from

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 25

PAGE 26 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

RAC, the Resources Advisory Committee, administered by the U.S. Forest Service, in the amount of $40,000. The Sportsmen’s Association will put in a parking lot, restrooms, a trailhead, and bicycle racks right above the hatchery on Lighthouse Park.

We’ll start right after Labor Day,” Larry comments.

Shoshone County will also assist with the actual movement of dirt and materials on the site.

This project will provide the various user groups with a place to park trailers before heading off in different directions into the mountains. A trail passes nearby that connects the end of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes at Mullan with the top of Lookout Pass where the Hiawatha Trail commences, so bicyclists will find this location convenient for accessing either of those two trails.

Larry further explained that plans are in the mill for developing a nature trail at this site to provide educational experiences for the youth of the valley.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Another of Larry’s volunteer projects is with the Shoshone County Public Shooting Range. This organization is only about three years old and Larry serves as secretary and treasurer. The range is located in Government Gulch and first opened in September of 2006. It is set up for use by archers as well as for pistols and rifles. He explained that rifles can shoot at 500 yards and that can even be extended to 1000 yards for special occasions.

Hunter education classes can also use the range and it is open to all shooters free of charge. “It’s a great facility,” he comments. “The land is leased from the State for $1 a year. The county installed the initial berm and our organization has made improvements like a public restroom.”

The year after it opened, Larry applied for a grant from the National Rifle Association and received $6,000 for some erosion control. Last year he received another grant from the NRA and got $3,300 for additional berms that will be installed

later this year.

“Three weeks ago we put on a tannerite shoot at the shooting range. This is a substance similar to dynamite that gives off a vapor smoke and a noise when you hit it with a high-powered rifle bullet. Two weeks ago, we had a youth shoot in cooperation with the National Turkey Federation.

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We had 20 kids show up and provided them with rifles, shotguns, and bows so they could try all three. It was a lot of fun and they learned a lot, which was important to us.”

Larry is also on the Board of Directors for the High Mountain ATV Association in Wallace. “We do a lot of organized rides and put on a big jamboree in July. That’s fun and sort of ties in with my hunting and fishing,” he comments.

This is a man who obviously relishes volunteering and working with outdoor related organizations.

Larry says, “I really enjoy wildlife and promoting and preserving the sports.”

But outdoor events are not the end of his volunteering. Larry also is treasurer for the Kingston/ Pinehurst Lions Club and serves as chair of White Cane Days, is on the concession committee, and helps with eyeglass collection for the vision and hearing part of that program. “We just started a new program to collect cell phones from people that don’t use them any longer. They are they sent off to be refurbished and then disbursed to women’s’ shelters. The cell phone collection is my baby,” he laughs.

Volunteer work is nearly a full-time job for Larry Jennings. ISI

There Is More Than One Way To Interpret The News Submitted by Julie Hollar Mike, a handsome guy, walked into a sports bar around 9:58 pm. He sat down next to a blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 10 pm news came on, and the news crew was covering the story of a man on the ledge of a large building who was threatening to jump.

The blonde looked at Mike and said, “Do you think he’ll jump?”

Mike said, “You know, I bet he’ll jump.”

The blonde replied, “Well, I bet he won’t.”

Mike placed a $20 bill on the bar and said, “You’re on!”

Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy on the ledge did a swan dive off the building, falling to his death. The blonde was very upset, but willingly handed her $20 to Mike, saying, “Fair’s fair. Here’s your money.”

Mike replied, “I can’t take your money... I saw this earlier on the 5 pm news, so I knew he would jump.”

The blonde replied, “I did too... but I didn’t think he’d do it again.”

Mike took the money. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Caregiver

By Toni Hagener I am a Caregiver. I did not choose to be one, but love, commitment, circumstances, and finances have changed my life and occupation. I once had an exacting vocation. I worked hard to achieve it.

I spent many years in school and climbing the corporate ladder. Then suddenly I was thrust, without preparation and little aptitude, into the demanding and consuming role of a Caregiver.

In my chosen vocation, I often worked more than a 40 hour week, but I had a coffee break each day, Sundays off, and an occasional holiday. As a Caregiver, I am on duty 24 hours of every day with no coffee breaks, Sundays off, or holidays.

I was once a time manager. I chose and excelled at being one. I took pride and pleasure in planning events, packing adventure into each day, and scheduling every minute. Illness does not respect schedules. My careful plans are always awry and I fail at following the expertsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; advice.

My friends once were many but they live far away. Their lives and interests go on while mine are limited to this place and the needs of my patient. Everybody has troubles. They do not need to hear mine too. As time drags on, people forget.

I do not blame them. I was once the same. But oh, how I miss people and the exchange of everyday information about friends and neighbors!

This existence (I cannot call it life) is not easy for my patient. Once a physically active, intelligent conversationalist, interested in people, politics, and all phases of life, he is now imprisoned in an out of control mind and body incapable of being understood even when speech is attempted.

The incontinence alone must be embarrassing, humiliating, and demoralizing. It is no wonder that my patient has periods of anger, resentment, and depression. Sometimes I see a tear. There must be lucid moments when there are thoughts of the past and better times. There must be questions. I have them too, but there are no answers.

I live in a rural area. I did not choose this place, it is my heritage. I left it once but now cannot leave. I live some distance from local stores and local medical facilities. I do not have a handicap-equipped vehicle and cannot afford one. For some special treatment my patient requires, I must drive over 100 miles one-way. Preparation and execution of such a trip are exhausting for my patient as well as for me. If the roads and weather are bad, we must eat out, and stay overnight at extra expense and effort. There are few facilities for changing an incontinent person particularly of the opposite sex. Eating out is no pleasure when it is obvious that others are uncomfortable by the necessity of feeding my patient.

I cannot leave my patient for more than a few hours at a time. I rush to pay bills, buy groceries, and tend to the details of everyday life. I am advised to get away, but not advised how to do that. I am told a support group could help. Even if there were one available, who would stay with my patient while I am away?

I am not a weight lifter or a wrestler. I never chose to be one, but hardly a day passes without the need to lift or move my patient. That weight is greater than my own. I have sought advice and used it too, but it helps only occasionally. Sometimes I have aches and pains too.

I am not a physio-

therapist. I never chose to be one, but daily exercise is important for my patient. I have sought help and advice but there are no crash courses for the likes of me and there is no one to mitigate the anger of my patient when the exercise produces pain or discomfort.

I am not a dietitian. I never chose to be one, but my patient is on a strict diet and has likes and dislikes! I have a list of menus I try to follow, but each meal is either a cookbook venture or a hurried, dull, repetitive experience. The dietitian I consult says not to tempt my patient with restricted foods but she advises me to eat well to keep up my energy and strength. Just how I can afford the time or energy to do that, she does not explain.

I am not an accountant or bookkeeper. I never chose to be one, but to keep up with the bills of doctors, lab work, hospital, clinic, prescriptions, etc., I need an office, filing cabinet, computer, copy machine, hot line, and refresher course on the latest insurance and Medicare changes. I also need a lawyer and magnifier to understand the print!

I am not a pharmacist or a nurse. I never chose to be one, but every day I count out pills and administer them as prescribed. I bathe, massage, and clothe my patient, take pulse and blood pressure and provide more intimate care as well.

I keep records and reports for the doctors and do my best to follow instructions.

I am no longer young. I no longer have the strength, endurance, and optimism of youth. The persistent need, the constant pressure, the lack of sleep, the worry over finances, and sometimes my own physical pain or illness tense my nerves.

There are times when I must walk away and give vent to my own frustrations. Forgive me for those lapses! I have prayed for guidance and sought earthly aid as well. I know there are others who have it worse. I don=t mean to complain. I love my patient. Please believe I do. But, sometimes, love is not enough.

Being a Caregiver is not an easy job! ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 27

PAGE 28 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Relinquishing Primary Care

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By Lisa M. Petsche When a person moves into a long-term care home, both the patient and their caregiver can find the transition difficult.

Caregivers lose a companion and the rhythm of their days changes significantly. They must schedule visits in order to spend time with their relative.

Transportation may pose challenges, especially if they don’t drive.

Feelings about the situation may include sadness, anxiety, anger, and guilt. Caregivers may wonder if they made the right decision. They may worry about their relative’s ability to adjust. They may also worry about how well he or she is being cared for. And they may wonder what role they now play in their relative’s day to day life.

If you find yourself in this position, read on for some suggestions.

Relating with care providers - It’s important to perceive and position yourself as an integral part of your relative’s healthcare team. Here are some ways to go about this: • Share as much as possible about your relative’s routines, likes and dislikes, and any tips that can help make care provision easier.

• Educate yourself about the roles of the various healthcare professionals, and ask about their goals and plans for your relative. You may need to adjust your expectations or negotiate changes to the care plan.

• Let staff know how involved you wish to be in terms of hands-on care, and discuss what is possible. Facility policies may prohibit you from doing certain things, such as using mechanical lifters.

• Get to know the staff, in order to develop a partnership of trust and mutual sharing. Show your appreciation if you are pleased with their care.

• Think twice before you criticize. Some family members initially find fault with virtually everything professional caregivers do, in an effort (often subconscious) to assert that no one can take care of their relative as well as they can. This makes it hard to establish constructive relationships.

• Address a concern directly with the relevant

care provider. Express it as calmly as possible, and in a timely fashion. Involve the person’s supervisor only if the issue doesn’t get resolved.

Relating with your loved one - Be prepared that your relative may have many complaints initially. If a concern seems legitimate, discuss it with staff and do some advocating if necessary.

Otherwise, provide a listening ear, allowing your relative to vent. Be attuned to underlying feelings and empathize with them. Discourage him from dwelling on the negative.

If your relative asks you to take him home, gently but firmly reinforce that he needs more care than you can provide. Reassure him you’ll be returning soon. If he shares a room, inquire about private areas for visiting.

Develop a regular pattern of visiting so your relative knows when to expect you and can anticipate your next visit. Telephone between visits if you can’t get in as often as you would like.

When you visit, bring something, such as a newspaper, flowers from your garden, or a favorite food.

Re-create routines from home, such as playing cards, watching a favorite TV program together, or sharing a meal.

Show interest in your relative’s daily activities.

Join him for some special recreational events.

Keep your relative up-to-date on news about friends and relatives, and continue to involve him in family decision-making.

Plan activities outside of the facility - Go for a walk around the neighborhood or to a nearby park, or take a drive. If your relative uses a wheelchair, register him with the local accessible transportation service. Then you can take him shopping or to community events.

Continue to include your relative in family celebrations. If members’ homes aren’t accessible, choose a restaurant that is, or ask staff to help you plan a gathering onsite. If feasible, arrange for your relative to come home for a few hours.

Keep in mind that just because you are no longer the 24-hour caregiver does not lessen the importance of your role. With that heavy responsibility lifted, you can focus your energy on meeting your relative’s emotional and spiritual needs and enjoying your time together.

Final thoughts - Spend time with friends and relatives who support the move to long-term care.

Family members of other residents as well as staff, especially the social worker, are also valuable sources of support. Initially you may need lots of reassurance that this was a good decision. Be patient and give yourself and your relative plenty of time to adjust.

Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Caring for a Cranky Elder You Don't Really Care For

thing, instead of telling him we would not tolerate

By Jacqueline Marcell Recently a caregiver named Karen told me she that behavior and getting up and leaving the room, felt obligated to care for her cranky elderly mother we cowered and walked on eggshells all the time (whom she loved but never really liked), because trying not to upset him.

When a person like this becomes elderly and she suspected mild dementia and worried about leaving her alone. I told her how important it is to their warped personality is compounded with (as have her mother evaluated by a dementia special- I call it) “a dash of dementia,” those ingrained ist immediately because with early diagnosis and behaviors surface, but now over things that are treatment the dementia can be masked/slowed more illogical, irrational, and irritating than ever before. It’s crazy-making for a family caregiver, as down in most people.

By keeping her mom in the early and more some days their elder acts normal (at the doctor’s cognitively aware stage longer, Karen’s caregiv- for sure), but then on other days at home when no one is around… yikes! I ing journey will be much “It was months into my caregiving journey wish I had thought to turn on less stressful than if she before I became so stressed out that I just waits and the dementia and had to refuse to let anything my father said or a little tape recorder, which behaviors get worse. And did upset me. When I had on this “emotional would have helped me get since many people with shield” and I was able just to go with the flow, help from the doctors much sooner. dementia are greatly helped everything bounced right off me.”

Often caregivers need with an anti-depressant, and bad moods are often smoothed out, I suggested to be reminded to put their own health first, so they remain healthy to care for their loved ones. And she discuss that with the doctor as well.

I loved my own challenging elderly father, but I family and friends of caregivers coping with difficult did not like him as he was so hard to care for with elders need to make sure the caregiver takes good his lifelong nasty temper and narrow-mindedness. care, as the risk to their health is even greater. I He had never used the “F” word his whole life (my was foolish and did not take care of myself when mother would have slapped him silly), but when I was caring for my parents – and was stunned I took care of him and he got mad – suddenly it when I developed invasive breast cancer. I gave was every other word to me. I would cry and beg my parents five more years of life in their 80s – and him to stop berating me, just hating him for treat- it cost me several years of my middle age!

I also advise caregivers to get into a support ing me so badly.

I wish I had been able to reach this conscious- group as soon as they start their caregiving journess sooner, but it was months into my caregiving ney, as solutions will come from others in similar journey before I became so stressed out that I just situations — and it is comforting to know that your had to refuse to let anything my father said or did conflicting emotions are normal. Call a senior cenupset me. When I had on this “emotional shield” ter, adult day care, or hospital as these often have and I was able just to go with the flow, everything caregiver support groups, some even targeted to specific illnesses. bounced right off me.

If you are a caregiver, particularly of a challeng“Yesss, Dad, I know I’m a f-ing bitch and whore and I’ve never done anything to help you, but if you ing elder who you don’t really like, focus on being take a shower I’ll make you a special dinner and proud of stepping up and doing the right thing, dessert tonight.” He would swear a blue streak at even though it is so hard. And always remember me as he shuffled into the shower and I could still - you are teaching your children how they will hear him swearing to himself in there as I prepared probably take care of you someday - so plan for good karma! his favorite dinner! You had to laugh.

Jacqueline Marcell is the author of “Elder Like my father, Karen said her mother’s negative behavior patterns were deeply ingrained be- Rage.” She also hosts the “Coping with Caregivcause her family enabled her for years to be able ing” radio program www.wsRadio.com/Copingto behave badly without consequences (very WithCaregiving; is an international speaker; and common). We didn’t know to set boundaries with a breast cancer survivor who advocates that evmy father either, so when he pounded the kitchen eryone (especially caregivers) closely monitor their table (“Boom”) and yelled obscenities about some-

Little Help Is On The Way To Counter Long-Term Care Staffing Shortages

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire While Congress is racked with conflict and confusion over its attempts to enact universal healthcare for Americans, the Department of Labor is making specific investments to help seniors.

The Department’s Employment & Training Administration just announced a series of investments totaling more than $46 million to counter labor shortages in the healthcare field, including long-term care.

That $46 million is small potatoes compared with figures being bandied about on Capitol Hill. There the Congressional Budget Office stunned lawmakers by assessing the Kennedy version of nationalized healthcare at $1 trillion, and the Finance Committee’s version at $1.6 trillion.

But because the Kennedy plan was scored only on provisions of the bill’s first section, the total cost could run to at least $2 trillion, some Capitol Hill staffers are guessing.

Older citizens worry

that lawmakers will try to cut back the enormous cost of Obama’s universal healthcare idea by rationing, as Britain and other countries in Europe have done. Rationing would greatly reduce or eliminate some healthcare for the very elderly.

Kay Paggi, a long-term care coordinator in Dallas, says, “Our system for providing long-term care is broken.”

As Congress wrestles with how to provide acute care for 46 million uninsured Americans, she

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 29

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

said seniors are calling on Obama to consider the long-term care problem too.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 47.5 million Americans report some sort of disability. A third of these reportedly are aging baby boomers. Many may be candidates for long-term care.

The Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration announced in mid-June that for the past nine months it has taken part in forums with healthcare industry leaders, educators, and the public workforce. It said it has sought to “understand and implement industry-identified strategies to confront workforce shortages.”

There is an overall shortage of healthcare workers in all areas. The dearth is worse in geriatric care because the pay in that field attracts fewer specialists than in other disciplines. Also there is “higher turnover among direct-care workers – nurse’s aides, home health aides, and personal care aides,” according to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine.

There are only 7,100 geriatricians in the U.S. - fewer than one for every 2,500 seniors. Turnover among nurse’s aides averages 71 percent a year, and nearly 90 percent of home-health aides leave their jobs during the first two years of work. A shortage of heath professionals also struggles to serve the 17,000 nursing homes and 28,000 assisted living facilities.

As the first of the 78 million baby boomers begin reaching 65 in 2011, “they will face a healthcare work force that is too small and woefully unpre-

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pared” to meet their needs, the Institute of Medicine reported.

The Department of Labor specialists have “listened at sessions conducted by associations representing thousands of healthcare institutions, and considered viewpoints expressed in person by over 300 healthcare leaders.”

Solutions that have been adopted as a result of forums “will act as national models through the High Growth Job Training Initiative,” say the specialists.

The announced solutions deal with needs in acute care, long-term care, as well as “the unique challenges facing rural areas.”

The broad range of challenges in healthcare includes: • Identifying alternative labor pools such as older workers.

• Developing alternative training strategies for educating healthcare professionals, such as apprenticeship, distance learning, and accelerated training.

• Developing tools and curriculum for enhancing the skills of health professionals for nationwide distribution.

• Increasing the numbers of qualified faculty in educational institutions and creating new models for clinical training.

• Helping workers in declining industries train for healthcare professions.

Two years ago, the Labor Department awarded $3 million in grants to competing applicants to prepare workers for careers in long-term care.

“Our aging population is placing great demands on our healthcare system,” then-Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao said. “Long-term care professionals in particular, are in great need and these grants will help... to fill this need and develop promising careers in this field.”

“America’s aging population is creating demand for the professional development of highly skilled long-term care providers,” added then-Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco.

“Today’s awards... will create a pipeline of workers to meet the needs of the long-term care industry.” ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

The Ultimate Healthy Aging Tips List

By Tait Trussell The Alliance for Aging Research has come up with seven “secrets to healthy aging.

“I’ve heard that before,” you may say. But consider the prominence of the source in each case. You may want to stick the clipping on your refrigerator as a reminder.

1. “Develop a ‘social portfolio,’” advises Gene D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D. and director of the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities, George Washington University.

“A social portfolio is like a financial portfolio in that you need to diversify your assets, have a safety net, and start early. Your assets are the diverse interests and relationships you develop and draw upon over your lifetime. The safety net is the protection when you develop a healthy range of interests that includes group and individual activities.... The earlier you take these steps the more prepared you’ll be for life as you age.”

2. “Remember what your mother and grandmother told you,” cautions William R. Hazzard, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Senior Adviser, J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging.

“Don’t abuse your body, eat well, and exercise. It’s hard work, and people tend to look for easy answers to staying healthy and vigorous.

But your efforts will reap considerable benefits. You’ll sharply increase your chance of aging gracefully and taking advantages of opportunities to enjoy the later stages of life.”

3. “Become a knowledgeable healthcare consumer,” says Christine K. Cassel, M.D. Professor and Chairman, the Henry L. Schwartz Department of Geriatrics & Adult Development. The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

“Few healthcare providers are trained in geriatrics, so do not assume they have all the answers. Consumers need to ask advice, get second opinions, and be advocates for themselves. In addition, they need to demand that geriatrics is included in medical school curricula. Medical students are trained in acute care hospitals that are not well equipped for geriatric care. Furthermore, most students aren’t exposed to nursing homes and other elderly care facilities.”

4. “Regard yourself as an active, contributing member of society,” advises T. Franklin Williams, M.D., Professor of Medicine Emeritus, University of Rochester, and Science Director, American Federation for Aging Research.

“Continued social involvement is so important for healthy aging.

Certainly, conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis can pose serious challenges. But people should continue to think positively and find alternatives, if necessary, for remaining active. Everyone should stay as involved as possible in their communities, make healthy lifestyle choices, and pursue self-education about new health findings through their local wellness centers.”

5. “Don’t overeat and, if possible include aerobic and resistance training in your exercise routine,” says Richard Weindruch, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics & Gerontology, University of Wisconsin.

“A low-calorie, highnutrient diet should be a top priority. Physi-

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cian-approved exercise regimens are also of great importance. Minimize fat accumulation - especially abdominal fat. Become educated about antioxidants and other nutritional supplements.”

6. “What you eat affects how you age,” points out Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., F.A.C.N., Associate Director and Professor USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University.

“It’s never too late to start a proper nutritional program. Eat a reduced fat, high fiber diet. While our need for food energy declines as we age, our need for many vitamins and minerals increases; so it is important to choose fruits, vegetables,

PAGE 32 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

and other foods rich in these nutrients but low in fat and simple sugars. The optimal requirement for some nutrients, e.g. calcium and vitamins B12 and D, are difficult to achieve in usual diets for many elderly, so supplementation should be considered.”

7. “Now’s the time to consider ‘Besdine’s Boomers’,” says Richard Besdine, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Director, University of Connecticut Center on Aging, University of Connecticut Health Center.

• Blood pressure - Get screened at least once a year.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

• Exercise - Keep mind and body as vigorously active as possible.

• Smoking - stop.

• Driving - Have a physician evaluate you for risk.

• Immunizations - Get a flu shot every year and a pneumococcal vaccine once.

• Nutrition - Critical, especially for cardiovascular health.

• Environment - Keep home safe with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

• Screen - For cancer regularly; skin should be evaluated by a physician once a year. For

women, get mammogram and Pap smear.

• Booze - Avoid excess.

• Osteoporosis - Take a minimum of 1500 mg. calcium a day.

• Oral health - Healthy teeth and good dentures are important.

• Mobility - Stay active.

• Emotional health - Too little attention is paid to stress reduction in old age.

• Rx - Do not take outdated medicines.

• Social networks - Important for overall emotional health. ISI

Your Prostate And Prostate Cancer – The Basics

By Dr. Kate Kennedy, ND “You have prostate cancer” is nothing any man ever wants to hear from his doctor. Yet over 200,000 men received this news in 2008, and 27,360 men lost their lives to this disease. Prostate cancer is now the second most common kind of cancer diagnosed in men in the United States, second only to skin cancer. These facts

need further investigation.

A man’s prostate gland, part of his reproductive system, sits between the bladder and the rectum. Picture the prostate gland as roughly the size of a walnut. The urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder, passes through the prostate. The purpose of the prostate is to make the part of the seminal fluid that helps

transport sperm out of the body during ejaculation. The prostate grows in size as a response to excess testosterone, the primary male hormone.

Prostate cancer occurs when malignant cells form in the prostate tissue. Prostate cancer is usually slow-growing and tends to appear later in life. The main risk factor is age. Rarely

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

diagnosed in men under age 45, this cancer becomes more common after about age 65, with the prospect of contracting prostate cancer increasing as a man grows older. Because this cancer tends to grow slowly, many men with cancer of the prostate actually die of other things.

The main risk factors for prostate cancer include: • Being age 65 or older • Having a father, brother, or son who has prostate cancer • Being of African-American heritage • Having abnormal-looking cells in the prostate Sometimes a man can have prostate cancer and not experience symptoms. When symptoms arise, they often include urinary problems such as difficulty urinating; difficulty starting or stopping the urine flow; frequent urination, especially at night; a weak urine stream; or painful urination. Other symptoms may include erection problems; blood in the urine; or pain in the low back, hips, or upper thighs.

Having some or all of these symptoms does not mean a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or an infection may present the same way. It is important to see a doctor for the proper diagnosis. Yearly prostate checks may begin at age 40 and continue until age 75, but this decision should be made with your doctor based on your risk factors and lifestyle.

During your doctor visit, you will receive a physical exam that includes a digital rectal exam to check for lumps or thickening of the prostate.

A blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) may also be run to check for inflammation of the prostate. If necessary, a biopsy of the prostate may be needed. A small tissue sample taken

from the prostate and analyzed in a lab provides a definitive diagnosis of cancer.

Treatment options may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or sometimes just watchful waiting. Each person with cancer may require a different approach, depending on age, symptoms, overall health, aggressiveness of the cancer, and its stage of development. The outlook for survival depends on early diagnosis, the type of cancer, whether the cancer has spread outside the prostate, and the length of treatment.

Some diet and lifestyle factors can now be linked to prostate health. To insure good prostate health at any age, consider incorporating the following approaches: • Maintain a healthy weight - Obesity is a risk factor for prostate cancer and can increase the risk of recurrence.

• Exercise - Exercise supports weight loss, improves pelvic circulation, boosts immunity, and lessens fatigue.

• Eat a diet low in red meat and dairy products, and high in fruits and vegetables.

Every year we learn more about the connections between diet and health. Sensible eating that incorporates a variety of fresh foods insures that the body has the vitamins and minerals that it needs to stay healthy and fight off disease. Colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, cold-water fish, and adequate hydration all contribute to keeping the body’s immune system working efficiently.

Many nutrients and herbal supplements are also showing promise in keeping the body cancer-free. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner who is up-to-date on the latest information. Many men who are diagnosed early and explore all their treatment options can expect to beat this disease. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 33

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PAGE 34 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Safety Tips For Dealing With Hot Weather Hot weather is more likely to cause health problems in older adults than in younger ones. About 200 Americans die of health problems caused by high heat and humidity every year. And, most of them are 50 or older.

Thanks to some of the physical changes that happen as we age, older adults cannot cool down as well as younger ones. Just as important, older people may not feel hot when the temperature is dangerously high. They are also less likely to feel thirsty, even when they are almost dehydrated, which means that their bodies have lost dangerous amounts of water.

Heart disease, diabetes, and some other diseases that are common among older adults can make it even more likely that they will have problems when it is hot. So can certain drugs, including water pills, allergy and sinus medications, and drugs for depression and nerve problems.

Staying Safe When It is Hot Outside - Temperatures do not have to be that high to cause health problems in older adults. Temperatures in the low 90s can be very dangerous for older people.

Because older adults may not feel hot, even when it is dangerously warm, they and the people who care for them should check the temperature often during the summer. When temperatures hit 90 degrees, caregivers should check on older adults, and older people: • Should turn on the air conditioner or go where it’s air-conditioned – a shopping mall, grocery store, senior center, movie theatre, museum, or library, for example. Fans are not enough.

• Shouldn’t walk long distances, lift heavy objects, or do other strenuous things.

• Should drink lots of water and other clear drinks that do not contain

alcohol or caffeine, which can dry you out. Remember, if your urine is a light yellow color, you are drinking enough water. If it is darker yellow, you need to drink more.

• Should take cool showers, baths, or sponge baths.

• Should wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. Clothes made of lightweight cotton are a good choice.

• Should wear hats.

• Should stay out of the sun.

How to Spot and Treat Health Problems Caused by Heat - It’s important to recognize when hot weather is making you sick, and to get help. Here is a list of health problems caused by heat, and what you need to know about them: • Dehydration is a potentially deadly loss of water in your body.

Warning signs include weakness, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness, confusion, and passing out. If you suspect dehydration, call your doctor or 911. Meanwhile, drink plenty of water and, if possible, sports drinks such as Gatorade, which contain important salts called “electrolytes” that your body loses when you’re dehydrated.

• Heat stroke is a very dangerous rise in your body temperature that can be deadly, too. Warning signs include a body temperature of 103 or higher; red, hot, and dry skin; a fast pulse; headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, confusion, and passing out. If you suspect heat stroke, call 911 immediately. Move to a cool, shady place, take off or loosen heavy clothes, and drink water or drinks such as Gatorade. If possible, douse yourself with cool water, or use cold, wet compresses to help lower your body temperature.

• Heat exhaustion is an illness caused by too much heat and dehydration. Warning signs include heavy sweating or no sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, paleness, cold or clammy skin, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, and fainting. If you suspect heat exhaustion, immediately move to a cool, shady place, and drink plenty of cool fluids, such as water, or drinks such as Gatorade. If you do not feel better fast, call 911.

• Heat syncope is fainting caused by high temperatures with warning signs that include dizziness or fainting. If you suspect heat syncope, lie down, put your feet up, and drink plenty of water and cool fluids such as Gatorade.

Being conscious of the risks of warm weather will help make this a safer summer season for everyone, regardless of age. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Shedding Light on My World

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 35

Before this surgery I had no idea that trees fore the surgery but I’m not buying it. I know my

By Laverne H. Bardy, Senior Wire had individual leaves. To me they were huge face, and those god-awful deformities weren’t Nine years ago my ophthalmologist told me I had the start of cataracts. He said I needn’t green lollipops. My world is now crisp, bright, there before. have them removed until they were “ripe.” I hate and clear, and because I requested a prescription My girlfriend had another horrible experilens that also corrects my astigmatism, I can see that word. It conjures up thoughts of Limburger ence after cataract surgery. She developed the cheese. (Wait until her eyes are soft and Howdy Doody Syndrome. Deep creases "It was over in ten minutes, and I never felt a thing. smelly before slicing.) appeared at the corners of her mouth. Her We left the hospital, went out to eat and did some therapeutic Trembling, I asked, “How will I know husband also insists the lines were there shopping. All the while I sported a rounded piece of hard, when it’s time?” before surgery. What is it with men and clear plastic over the treated eye, to protect it. It was taped “After you run over your first pedestheir lies? to my cheek, forehead and nose. I looked like an injured fly." trian,” he answered.

So, before having cataracts removed Time was on my side. The most I’d you should give thought to whether you done up to that point was terrify a groundwant to look great but not be able to see, long distances and only need reading glasses. or have excellent vision but look like hell. It’s your hog and put several squirrels on alert.

It would be irresponsible not to mention call… just kidding, of course. ISI As the years passed, my world appeared to be smeared with Vaseline. I cleaned my glasses common side effects every ten minutes, to no avail. Alas, the “grease” of cataract surgery that doctors don’t warn was on my eyes.

I no longer trusted myself to drive after sun- you about. Liver spots down; actually, I might have chanced it but Mighty have popped up all Marc kept hiding my keys. Glaring headlights over my face and on blinded me. I couldn’t read street signs or even the tops of my hands. overhead highway signs until it was too late and And, the bags under my eyes might better I missed my turnoff.

I was at a family gathering when I realized be described as black everyone’s face was a blur. I knew then that it steamer trunks. Mighty was a matter of time before my driving would Marc is trying to convince me that those contribute to the nation’s death toll.

Reluctantly, I scheduled an appointment to conditions existed behave my cataracts removed.

At the hospital, cataract patients were lined up on gurneys, waiting to be wheeled into the operating room. It was close to my turn when I realized I couldn’t chance going into surgery without peeing one more time. Off I went, hospital gown strategically in place. I was gone five minutes, and when I returned the woman who had been behind me in line, was gone. Within ten minutes she returned and I was wheeled in.

I thought the handsome young anesthesiologist was hitting on me when he asked if I enjoyed wine. I said no. Then he asked if I liked beer. I said no again. “What do you drink for fun?” he asked.

“I used to like Grasshoppers,” I said, and suddenly realized how that dated me.

“Okay. I’m going to give you something that will make you feel like you just drank a Grasshopper.”

He was right. Within seconds I had to restrain myself from jumping up and doing the mashed potato.

It was over in ten minutes, and I never felt a thing. We left the hospital, went out to eat and did some therapeutic shopping. All the while I sported a rounded piece of hard, clear plastic over the treated eye, to protect it. It was taped to my cheek, forehead and nose. I looked like an injured fly.

Anyone who knows me will attest to how incredibly vain I am. I won’t take out garbage without first applying mascara. But, because we were in Manhattan where such oddities are viewed as common place, I wasn’t at all self-conscious.

PAGE 36 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

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By Clete A. Kushida, M.D., Ph.D., RPSGT testing can now take place in the comfort of It is estimated that over 70 million older your own home. adults are plagued with sleep disorders, such Obstructive sleep apnea can usually be as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a debilitat- treated successfully. Continuous Positive Airing and potentially life-threatening condition. way Pressure (CPAP) is the most effective and It is estimated that as many as 90 percent of common treatment method. Treatment with cases of OSA remain undiagnosed since pa- CPAP involves the use of a light, mask-like tients are often unaware of the condition and device that blows pressurized air through the its complications. nasal passages, keeping the airway open and Obstructive allowing the paClinical research has also linked sleep apnea to sleep apnea is tient to breathe several prevalent conditions, including significantly characterized as normally durincreased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, a cessation in ing sleep. Other type II diabetes, sexual dysfunction, and Alzheimer's. breathing during treatment options sleep that may include surgery last for 10 seconds or even longer, the result of for enlargement of the upper airway space or a collapsed airway that prevents air from getting a dental appliance. to the lungs. These apneic events, which can Common symptoms of OSA occur as frequently as one to three times per • Excessive daytime sleepiness. OSA sufferminute, prevent sufferers from obtaining the ers may often fall asleep easily during passive healthy sleep needed to rest and rejuvenate. activities and in severe cases while at work, on Most sufferers do not fully awaken during these the phone, or even while driving. episodes; however, they can cause a number • Loud, disruptive snoring or nocturnal of short-term and long-lasting effects. pauses in breathing. Snoring usually interferes The most common is excessive daytime with the bed partner’s sleep. sleepiness. Many sleep apnea sufferers awak• Gasping or choking for air during sleep. en feeling exhausted, which often translates to OSA sufferers might appear to experience an a lack of concentration, exacerbating existing apparent struggle to breathe. conditions such as dementia, and poor daytime • Restless sleep. Body movements often performance, compromising quality of life. For accompany awakening at the end of an apneic example, you may feel too tired to play with your episode. grandchildren or have trouble staying awake • Depression and irritability. OSA sufferers while driving. experience noticeable problems while performClinical research has also linked sleep ap- ing daily activities. nea to several prevalent conditions, including • Sexual dysfunction. OSA sufferers may significantly increased risk of cardiovascular experience a lack of sexual desire due to fatigue disease, stroke, type II diabetes, sexual dys- and even impotence in men. function, and Alzheimer’s. In fact, a recent • Feeling of grogginess, dullness, and mornstudy published in the Journal of the American ing headaches. These additional symptoms are Geriatrics Society found that Alzheimer patients a result of poor quality of sleep. who suffer from OSA might experience improveLike many other disorders, knowledge is the ment in some cognitive functioning by treating best tool with which to manage or prevent obtheir OSA. structive sleep apnea. Knowing the correct preTreating Obstructive Sleep Apnea - If cautions, behavioral changes, and treatments is you or your bed partner snores loudly or gasps the key to managing this condition, ensuring the for air while sleeping, it may be a sign of this healthy sleep needed for a productive life. serious sleep disorder. If you think you may For more information about sleep apnea, have OSA, you should speak with your doctor, start the conversation at your next doctors’ who may recommend spending the night in a visit. sleep lab to be tested. Alternatively, thanks to Dr. Clete Kushida is an Associate Professor a long-awaited decision by the government, in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University Medical Center, Acting Medical Director at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, and Director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 37

The world through kids’ eyes?

Submitted by Julie Hollar These can only be called original and genuine. No adult is this creative!

Jack (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked, “Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?”

Melanie (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn’t remember any more. Melanie said, “If you don’t remember you just look in the back of your panties. Mine say, “Five to six.”

Steven (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom good night saying, “I love you so much that when you die I’m going to bury you outside my bedroom window.”

Brittany (age 4) had an earache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom explained it was a child-proof cap and she’d have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked, “How does it know it’s me?”

Susan (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. “Please don’t give me this juice again,” she said, “It makes my teeth cough.” ISI

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PAGE 38 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Beloved dog trainer honored for community service

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Photo & Article By Dianna Troyer Virginia Hansen holds a treat above a dog’s nose, then slowly moves it back and over his head and says, “Sit.” As the dog tries to reach the treat with his mouth, he naturally moves backward and sits on his haunches.

“See how easy that is,” she says, as she drops a morsel in his mouth as a reward.

For 37 years and for countless canines she has helped train, the 80-year-old Burley resident has been southern Idaho’s “dog whisperer,” although her humility keeps her from acknowledging that.

Since 1984, Virginia has been teaching popular dog obedience classes twice a year for the College of Southern Idaho’s community education program. From 1972 to 1988, she devoted countless hours of her life to teaching kids and canines in her Wonder Dogs 4-H Club.

She chuckles at the rising popularity of “dog whisperer” type shows on television. “It seems like a lot of flash and showmanship,” Virginia says. “At the end of the shows, they always invite people and their dogs to participate. I suspect only the most successful are actually shown.”

As a 4-H leader, Virginia welcomed all dogs, even mutts and mongrels, to her club and taught kids how to show those dogs at fairs and American Kennel Club fun matches. She was recently recognized for her kindness and canine contributions to the community.

In late February, Virginia received the Friend of 4-H Award at a 4-H recognition banquet in Burley. She was commended for her 16 years of leadership with the Wonder Dogs and for the club’s building

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the Burley Animal Shelter, which is still in use.

According to the banquet program, “Virginia did a great job developing teen leaders within her club, teaching them to help the younger members. She was great at teaching leadership skills that members could use later in life.”

When Virginia and co-leader Helen Hanzel took their club to tour the local animal shelter, they decided to improve it for a community service project. It turned out to be a complete building project that included laying plumbing to bring water and sewer to the site. They raised $3,000, sometimes a quarter at a time with bake sales, garage sales, and raffles.

“We arranged and obtained thousands more in donated materials and labor,” she says. “It took us three years, from 1972 to 1975. Where the office is now, used to be the entire shelter.

There are still photos on the wall of our kids who worked on the project. We researched and drew working plans for the facility. All that was utilized of the original structure was the shell of it for the office. It comprises about 20 percent of the finished area. We leaders built the cabinets from kits, painted the interior, and oversaw construction. City employees installed the sewer and water. We added six runs and bought crates to keep the animals in.”

Due to the declining health of her late husband, Robert, and greater demands on her time to care for him, Virginia withdrew from the 4-H club but continued teaching obedience classes for CSI. The 4-H program also praised Virginia as “a great leader who continues to give back to the community.”

The 10-week obedience classes Virginia still teaches are scheduled in September and March with an agility class in summer, depending on students’ interest.

In the past, she often brought her late cockers, Holly Ann and Dee Dee, to class to demonstrate how well trained dogs behave. She has not replaced them since they died several years ago.

“I was afraid another dog might outlive me,” she says. “I wouldn’t want it to think I had aban-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

doned it.”

Virginia, who trained her first dog in 1966, often tells students about her experiences while competing in dog shows. She teaches basic commands such as come, sit, stay, lie down, and heel. Timing is crucial in training, she emphasizes. Positive behavior must be praised immediately and negative behavior corrected immediately. Sometimes, owners unknowingly and accidentally train the wrong behavior.

For example, if a dog has to be disciplined, do not call it to you then smack it, because then the dog will associate being hit with coming when called and won’t want to come. The best correction is the one the dog associates with its own action.

Virginia offers advice on picking a puppy.

Wad up a paper towel and toss it to see if the puppy brings it to you to play with or takes it to a corner to play alone.

“You probably want the puppy that wants to include you in play.”

If a puppy won’t let you roll it over on its back, or squirms when you do, it’s likely the alpha or lead dog of a pack, and it may be more difficult and time-consuming to train it to comply with an owner’s wishes.

Virginia says she is glad dog-training philosophies have evolved. Years ago, some trainers thought a puppy was too young to learn and waited to teach anything until they were “through their puppyhood.”

“You can have so much influence during their early developmental stages,” she says.

Virginia insists she does not have dog training secrets, other than consistency and kindness. She also insists she is not necessarily special, but others disagree.

“Did she tell you she teaches Spanish, too?” says Ali Sanchez, a nurse at Parke View Care and Rehabilitation Center in Burley, where Virginia was living temporarily while recovering from foot surgery.

In addition to dog training, Virginia teaches Spanish classes for CSI’s continuing education

program.

“She has such a good heart,” Ali says. “She’s always helping other residents. She wrote Christmas letters for those who were unable to do so.

She helps others with arts and crafts projects.

She had a picnic with fried chicken and potato salad in the solarium for a resident who couldn’t get out. We’d like to keep her, but she’ll be back home soon.”

Virginia not only teaches classes, she has been a student, too. In 2006, when she was 78, she earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts with a 3.8 grade point average.

“I hadn’t opened a math book for 53 years,” she says. “The computer and math classes were the toughies.”

She also has taken classes in welding and medical terminology.

While those classes are memorable, she says her most unforgettable classes have been the time she spent working with her own dogs, who “taught me all about training.”

There was Bodle (meaning a Scottish coin worth two cents) “who was so sweet and only wanted to please.” Next came Tempo, “a hardheaded little cocker that I fought with my whole life.” Then came Davey, “who was a little slow in learning and was a little too independent in the show ring.” More recently, she had Holly Ann and Dee Dee, “who were wonderful companions and made qualifying scores in both American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club shows.”

Because Bodle was not registered, she could not be shown for a degree. In American Kennel Club obedience classes, Tempo earned his companion dog (CD) title, while Davey had CD and companion dog excellent (CDX) titles and was near to getting his utility dog (UD) title when an internal cancer caused his premature death.

“A trained dog is such an enjoyable companion,” Virginia says. “A person who has trained a pet won’t be satisfied with a totally untrained one later. Whether in a class or on their own, subsequent dogs seem to get trained by their owners.

It makes a happier relationship for both.” ISI

Sun fuels up Gale Ward's electric truck, helps power his house

By Dianna Troyer Every time Gale Ward parks his brown 1979 Ford Courier pickup truck outside his garage on a sunny southern Idaho day, it is being fueled up.

“How else can you gas up for free?” says the Conner Creek resident about his electric-solar powered truck that is completely weaned from gasoline.

Under the hood, instead of a gasoline engine, the truck has an electric motor, which is powered by batteries in the bed of the truck. The batteries are charged up by solar panels that line the sides and top of the pickup truck bed.

“We drive to Malta and back and can go about 50 miles an hour,” says Gale. “It’s about 16 miles roundtrip.”

Gale is uncertain how long the truck can travel before the

charge diminishes completely, but the vehicle has never stranded him. Recently, he added a 6-horsepower gasoline engine that runs two 37-amp alternators, but he has not needed it as a backup source of power.

Besides building an electric-solar powered truck, Gale’s diverse interests have inspired him to restore antique cars, to repair and play fiddles, and to install wind and solar systems for supplemental electricity for his house.

(Continued on page 41)

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 39

PAGE 40 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 41

Gale Wards uses sun as fuel - continued from page 39 “I have so many different hobbies,” says Gale, 77, who worked as a mechanic before retiring from the Idaho Highways Department in 1991.

Gale’s wife, Fay, says when she first met him six years ago, she asked him what he did.

“He told me he was a putterbutt,” she says, smiling. “And he is. He has a lot of different interests.”

Gale estimates he spent two years, working intermittently, to build and perfect the electricsolar powered truck.

“First, I took everything out that had to do with a gasoline engine,” he says, “and, of course, I left in the transmission and brakes.”

Gale pops the hood and shows the car’s main components: a 120-volt direct current electric motor, a controller, a contactor, and a dash pod.

“Let me show you how it drives,” he says.

As he slides into the driver’s seat, he points to a panel of voltmeters on the dashboard and flips up switches under each dial. In the dial, a thin red needle surges and rests in a 12 to 16 volt range, showing each battery is charged.

He turns the key, a contactor clicks, and the motor turns over, making no more noise than a sewing machine.

As he presses the accelerator, the truck cruises along the lane beside his house. He passes a shed where his gasoline-powered vehicles await him, when he does not mind filling up the gas tank.

“I restored a 1921 Model T Ford, a 1929 Model A, a 1939 Ford pickup, a 1965 Ford pickup, and a 1966 Chevrolet,” he says.

Most of the time, he drives his 1965 pickup or Chevrolet.

“I’ve driven the 1965 Ford pickup since 1975 and the 1966 Chevrolet about 20 years. My wife has a new Malibu, and I’m just the chauffeur,” he says, laughing.

The truck is not his only solar project. Back at his garage, several solar panels absorb the sunrays, and the blades of windmills towering over his home turn in the breeze.

“I have a possible 2,350 watts from the wind mills, and 2,260 watts from the solar panels,” says Gale who began installing alternative energy sources at his house in 1982 to provide him security in case the electricity went out during a storm. “I’ve always liked working with electrical devices. All our water is heated with solar power and a wood stove, too.”

Those energy sources supplement the electricity he receives from the Raft River Rural Electric Cooperative, which he relies on during long periods of cloudy days or days when the wind does not blow very strongly. In his garage is an electric panel, so he can switch from the electric co-op’s power to solar and wind power.

“The sun is such a powerful energy source,” he says, walking toward an 8-foot by 9-foot rack of solar panels.

Adjacent to the panels, a door leads down to a basement. Electrical power from the panels flows through wires to a series of batteries. The batteries are connected to a 4,000-watt inverter, which converts the power to a 120-volt current

[Photo by Diane Troyer]

suitable for home use and a 240-volt current through a transformer to run his water pump.

Gale is as fascinated with music as he is with solar and wind power. Adjacent to his garage is his music shop, where he repairs, tunes, and plays fiddles.

“I didn’t start playing until I was 40,” he says. “I went to a fiddle show and heard Manny Shaw play. I was so enthused, I decided to learn to play. Fiddle music just makes you feel good.”

In 2002, Gale’s fiddle playing led him to Fay, who plays honky-tonk piano, guitar, and accordion. They met when Gale and other musicians played for residents at rest homes in Burley. Fay, who retired after teaching elementary and junior high school for 29 years, happened to be there visiting a

resident.

“I saw her sitting there tapping her feet to the music,” Gale recalls. “I asked my partner to keep on playing and went over to her and asked if she knew how to do a waltz called Put Your Little Foot, or the Varsouvianna.”

“You bet I can,” she recalls telling him. “I had won several dance contests at Y-Dell Dance Hall in Burley.”

Gale soon learned Fay could dance and loved music as much as he did.

“I haven’t taken piano lessons,” she says. “I play by ear. My dad and his brothers all played musical instruments, so it came to me naturally.

In school, when a teacher needed someone to play piano, she always came and got me.”

For several years, Gale and Fay and musician friends continued playing at rest homes.

“A couple of years ago, some of our musician friends ended up becoming residents at rest homes,” Gale says, “so we quit playing at those places.”

He and Fay still perform for family reunions and other events and most of all for themselves at home. At her piano, Fay has a list of more than 150 songs she has memorized. They play a couple of their favorite songs. As Fay’s fingers glide along, Gale’s hands blur on the fiddle, and their smiles broaden as the music carries them

PAGE 42 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

“I’d like to take a four-wheeler and make it along.

During a break between songs, Fay says, “He electric, so we can use it here on our place,” he says. “I think that would be fun.” also plays mandolin and harmonica.”

Gale says he has shared his experiences When Gale is not playing fiddle in his spare and ideas about alternative energy sources for time, he is thinking about his next project.

vehicles and homes with friends and others who have heard about him through word-of-mouth.

“Considering higher energy costs, people are becoming more and more interested in this,” he says. ISI

Thomason twins share dressage enthusiasm in Magic Valley

By Dianna Troyer In Idaho, where reining and roping rule in equestrian sports, Magic Valley residents Kathleen and Marleen Thomason, 59-year-old identical twins, have helped establish for the past two decades another equestrian sport: dressage, a riding and training method used for centuries in Europe.

Dressage, which has grown in popularity in Idaho, has been called the ballet or gymnastics of equine sports and is the development of a horse’s muscular system using specific, progressive training techniques.

Since Kathleen and Marlene moved to Idaho from California in 1973, the energetic, enthusiastic twins have not only helped establish dressage in southern Idaho, they have won numerous statewide riding awards. They also have watched dressage grow from nonexistence to Olympic status.

“Before we moved here, we had a dressage mentor where we were born and raised in San Diego who introduced us to the sport,” recalls Kathleen, whose parents, poodle groomers, relocated to southern Idaho for a more relaxed pace of life in the West. “When we moved here, we rode with the hunter/jumper girls for several years.”

They started families and shelved dressage for more than a decade until Ernst Herrmann, a European instructor, moved to Boise and began giving dressage clinics statewide.

“We took lessons with Ernst, and we’ve been hooked ever since,” Kathleen said.

“For me, the appeal of dressage is that it’s a series of progressive logical techniques to develop a horse’s muscular system.”

Riders apply certain subtle aids with legs, hands, and seat at a certain time to get

the horse to walk, trot, and canter and execute progressively more complex movements in an elegant and powerful manner. At shows, riders and horses are judged and scored on how they navigate a series of movements in an arena. A horse advances from training level to the highest level of dressage called Grand Prix, which is seen at the Olympics.

The Thomasons have shared their enthusiasm for dressage in the Magic Valley, where Kathleen lives in Jerome and Marleen lives in Twin Falls. “Kathleen [Photo by Dianne Troyer] has made her place a hub for dressage,” says Jeanette Baker, manager of the Magic Valley Dressage Show. “They have hosted recognized shows and clinics. They’re humble, willing to share their expertise, and are so supportive of anyone who is interested in dressage. They’ve made such a huge difference in promoting the sport in our area.”

Statewide, Kathleen attributes the establishment of dressage not only to Ernst’s lessons, but also to Sun Valley residents Parry and Peggy Thomas and Barbara Cominio because they purchased talented dressage horses and brought in Olympic-caliber trainers, who gave lessons.

“They gave dressage in Idaho such a huge boost,” Kathleen says.

In recent years, the support that Parry and Peggy Thomas have given to dressage has brought an Olympic spotlight to the state. The Thomases’ trainer and rider, Debbie McDonald, rode their Hanoverian chestnut mare Brentina successfully in many international competitions from 1999 to 2006.

In 1999, Debbie and Brentina won individual and team gold medals at the Pan American Games. In 2003, they became the first U.S. pair to ever be the World Cup Final champions.

In 2004, they were on the bronze medal U.S. Olympic dressage team in Athens. Debbie and Brentina have since retired from competition, and the two even have entries in Wikipedia under their names.

Parry and Peggy also brought internationally renowned riders and trainers to Idaho. “We’ve had the privilege of taking lessons with Hilda

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Gurney and Stefan Peters who have competed in the Olympics,” Kathleen says.

For riders of all levels, dressage is appealing, too, Kathleen says, because it is rewarding to train an animal and develop a relationship with it, so it responds appropriately. The Thomasons also train border collies.

“A lot of women who ride dressage also train dogs for competition,” Kathleen says. “We love training animals.”

Dressage training not only makes a horse stronger, it also keeps a rider fit and in shape, Kathleen points out. It can be a lifetime sport, and riders can be equally competitive whether 17 or 70.

“We’re 59, and training dressage horses makes us feel great,” Kathleen says. “Riding keeps you fit and young.”

Dressage also keeps the mind nimble, because it requires a great deal of concentration.

Riders must anticipate the upcoming movements and memorize the more complex tests at the higher levels of dressage.

“Most people don’t realize how much yearround dedication it takes to ride and train a dressage horse,” Kathleen says. “I have some people who only want to ride with me once a week, and I have to tell them they need to come back when they are at a point in their lives when they can devote more time to this. Riding once a week is like going to the gym once a week and expecting to develop muscles and grow stronger. To ride dressage and have your horse progress, you need to ride at least four times a week.”

Kathleen and her husband, Danny, who trains cutting horses, have an indoor arena at their farm in Jerome, so they can train horses year-round. “I realize I’m fortunate and have an advantage to be able to ride no matter what the weather is like.”

Kathleen says she is fortunate, too, to go to shows with her sister. They swap training tips with each other, or one might notice something about the horse’s movements at a certain gait the other didn’t.

“Sometimes, people mistakenly assume that because we’re twins, we’re competitive with each other, but that’s not the case at all,” Kathleen says. “If one of us wins, it’s equally satisfying for the other one, too.”

They are both thrilled at the progression of Marleen’s horse, Amaretto, a patient and willing dark bay 9-year-old Rhinelander gelding.

In 2008, based on test scores at the conclu-

Butt dust and fleas – The world through kids’ eyes?

Submitted by Julie Hollar What, you ask, is “butt dust”?

Read on and you’ll discover the joy in it! These can only be called original and genuine. No adult is this creative!

Marc (age 4) was engrossed watching a young couple hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad, “Why is he whispering in her mouth?”

Tammy (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, “Why doesn’t your skin fit your face?”

James (age 4) was listening to a Bible story.

His dad read, “The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt.” Concerned, James asked, “What happened to the flea?”

Finally there is the Sermon I think this Mom will never forget. “Dear Lord,” the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. “Without you, we are but dust...” and he would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening closely leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice, “Mom, what is butt dust?” ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 43

sion of the dressage show season, Marleen and Amaretto were named the Idaho Dressage and Eventing Association’s Second Level Adult Amateur Champions. In 2007 and 2008, Marleen was named the association’s Rider of the Year at second level and above.

Marleen puts her accomplishments in perspective. “It’s not about winning, but the score you get, because the score indicates where you are at with your training,” she says. “It’s about the progressive development of the horse. You train and improve, but it’s not necessarily about winning. Dressage is about being in harmony with your horse.”

Kathleen’s horse, an eager gray 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding named Under ParDG, nicknamed Bogey in reference to golfing, is competing at first level.

“Training a dressage horse is a work in progress,” Kathleen says, “and Bogey is progressing nicely.”

Nearly three decades after the Thomasons took those first lessons with Ernst, dressage has grown in popularity. Eventually, the Idaho Dressage and Eventing Association was formed, and today the 150-member organization registers more than two dozen shows from spring to fall.

Kathleen and Marleen train their dressage horses after they get off work at Sterling Dental Inc., a dental laboratory in Twin Falls that Marleen owns. They not only ride together, they work together. “We make crowns and bridges,” Kathleen says, grinning.

When this year’s show season ends, the sisters have no idea if they will win awards or not. The riding recognition isn’t what motivates them, however. No matter what, they will continue training their dressage horses.

Kathleen laughs at a motto for seasoned riders and horses that she and her sister plan to adhere to for the rest of their lives - “Motion is Lotion.” ISI

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t SunBridge, we see more than the needs of our residents. We see the person behind the needs. A loving mother, a dear friend, a real person. We offer 24-hour supervision, rehabilitation therapies, nutritious meals, numerous activities and social opportunities, all under the caring attention of skilled professionals who treat your loved one with kindness, dignity and respect.

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PAGE 44 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Nighttime skies fascinate Magic Valley stargazer

By Dianna Troyer Hours pass like minutes for Frank Allard, when he looks through his telescope into a cloudless nighttime sky, reading the stars and planets as if they were a bestselling book. The constellations are characters with fascinating mythological origins. The unfathomable vastness of the cosmos remains an unsolved mystery.

“Orion the hunter is a marvelous constellation,” says the 74-year-old Magic Valley resident, who has been intrigued with astronomy since his youth. “There’s a red supergiant star in his shoulder spelled Betelgeuse and pronounced Beetle Juice, and the star in Orion’s foot is a blue supergiant called Rigel. Three stars form his belt from which a sword hangs, and the middle star in the sword is a bright beautiful nebula where stars are forming.”

With one of his two telescopes, Frank sees fascinating celestial details and shares them with others, when he brings his telescopes to star gazing parties sponsored by the Magic Valley Astronomical Society.

“We even have a telescope with a specially designed eyepiece for people in a wheelchair,” he says.

The society and the Herrett Center for Arts and Sciences on the College of Southern Idaho campus in Twin Falls co-host a public star party on the second Saturday of each month, weather permitting, in the Centennial Observatory. The Faulkner Planetarium at the center is the largest planetarium theater in Idaho, and one of the best equipped in the northwestern U.S. The theater seats 144 under a 50-foot dome.

One of the astronomical society’s summer highlights for the public is a star party at Pomerelle Ski Area on Aug. 15 near Albion. A ski lift takes star gazers to the top of the mountain, where no light pollution exists, making it easier to see stars. The society welcomes the public to the star parties, and participants do not have to be members of the astronomical society.

Don’t miss the August 15th Star Party!

This year, the Magic Valley society members, along with other astronomy buffs worldwide, are celebrating the International Year of Astronomy in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies, and Kepler’s publication of “Astronomia Nova.”

Frank, like astronomers before him, has been captivated with the stars since his youth.

“When I was in high school, my dad gave me a homemade telescope,” Frank recalls. “I set it up behind the house and could see Jupiter’s four moons. I could watch them move. It was rather fascinating.”

His interest in astronomy was shelved while he studied at the University of Southern California and after graduation joined the U.S. Navy.

“I was assigned to a destroyer and saw the world from a ship for years. I didn’t have any time for astronomy when I was in the Navy. In 1976, when I finished my tour, we moved to Twin Falls, because my wife, June, was from the area. I eventually retired as a probation officer for Twin Falls County. I had more time and joined the astronomy club. We have about 24 members.”

Star gazing is an enthralling pastime yearround, Frank says, because stars and planets are visible in different locations depending on changing seasons. He has numerous star maps and a current star calendar for reference.

“There is always something new to look at,” he says. “You can see some terrific things with the naked eye or a pair of binoculars. Some stars are blue or gold or red. You can tell that it’s morning on the moon by doing some calculations and watching the sunlight move across a crater, creating a shadow.”

To learn what you are looking at in the night skies, Sky and Telescope summarizes weekly celestial events on its website at http://www. skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/. Information about the Magic Valley Astronomical Society may be found at www.mvastro.org. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 45

PAGE 46 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

What Factors Drive The Choice Of Where We Live

By Tait Trussell the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey increasing interest expressed in age-restricted Like their parents, most baby boomers are from 2001 to 2007. The report shows that new housing among mature adults, the number of deciding to “age in place,” says the National homes offered to 55+ buyers and renters grew units being built has dropped with the poor state Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in a new in size from an average of about 1,800 square of the economy. report, even though many – 1.2 million – plan feet to about 2,300 during that period. Though The number of homes in age-qualified active to move to communities designed to meet their it was “likely downsizing for many, since almost adult communities in 2007 was 1,155,882. The specific needs. no one reported a desire for a large home as a total of all homes of 55+ seniors - owned and In a recent column, Dave Barber, the editor reason to move,” NAHB pointed out. rentals - was 103,773,194. of our local newspaper, and a baby Reasons 55+ buyers chose new The report showed that while most 55+ consumers preferred to stay in homes were as follows: boomer 55+, wrote: “In the not-to-distant future, I’ll their present homes as they age, an increasing number — 3 percent in • Like room layout/design, 71 consider retirement. But where will I 2007, compared to 2.2 percent in 2001— said they will percent go? Southern Michigan to live near opt for age-restricted communities designed to • Like the size, 40 percent our children and grandchildren? Conattract “active adults” with an emphasis • Financial reasons, 39 percent necticut to live near our other children • Like the view, 34 percent on active lifestyle. and grandchildren?

• Like the kitchen, 21 percent “Back to my old home town? While • Exterior appearance, 20 perfew people remember me there, I’ll probably The new data gave us “our first look at cent have to check my probation status before I make specific consumer behaviors and preferences • Construction quality, 19 percent that move! H-m-m-m; that said, maybe I should — what they look for in a home, the reasons • Other reasons, 11 percent just stay put. I do like it here. why they move, the characteristics of the comReasons for choosing a particular commu“And, after all, I’m not getting any young- munities they choose — over an extended pe- nity: er.” riod of time,” said David Crowe, NAHB’s chief • Like the community design, 64 percent The NAHB report was based on figures from economist.

• Close to friends/relatives, 35 percent Of the baby boomers who are close to the • Close to leisure activity, 24 percent traditional retirement age of 65, many are not • Like the housing unit, 17 percent yet planning to retire and are looking for a com• Close to public service in the community, munity close to their place of employment or 11 percent that lets them transition into a work-from-home • Close to public transportation, 3 percent status.

New housing compared with previous homes The report showed that while most 55+ con- as follows: sumers preferred to stay in their present homes • New housing unit is better, 61 percent as they age, an increasing number - 3 percent • New neighborhood is better, 44 percent in 2007, compared to 2.2 percent in 2001 • New housing unit costs more, 29 percent said they will opt for • New neighborhood is worse, 8 percent age-restricted com• Previous residence was owned, 96 permunities designed to cent attract “active adults” • Previous residence was single family, 92 with an emphasis on percent active lifestyle.

• Previous residence was a condo or co-op, Some 90 percent 8 percent of adults of all ages • Previous residence was multifamily, 8 say they have lived percent in the same state for Total sales of existing single-family homes for at least the past five 55+ families were 1,167,565 in 2008. In 2010, it years. was forecast by the study to be 1,351,987. ISI Although there is

55+ Communities - A Celebration of Life for Most!

By Patricia M. Johnson, Senior Wire Celebrating life is the lifestyle the nation’s home builders offer those over age 55. You may have toured many, hoping to find the perfect match.

Here’s what I’ve found.

Location is essential to creating your dream environment. The majority of buyers need convenient access to transportation, shopping, culture, community amenities, places of worship, and social opportunities. If you are a golfer you will want a home adjoining or near to scenic links.

Talking with several residents at these 55+ communities, I found some that said, “Of course, the amenities are only valuable if you have time to enjoy them.”

Others said, “With exterior maintenance such as snow removal and lawn care managed by the homeowners association, you’re free to do more things.”

Some have swimming pools and clubhouses. There are scenic jogging trails at many. One lady in her 70s said, “I didn’t jog when I was younger,

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

and I’m not about to jog now.” But you can use the jogging trails to walk your dogs. Most communities expect your pet to be active too, as pets are definitely family members that are expected to move in with the residents.

Let’s Get Started - I suggest making many research visits to help you collect enough data for that important decision. I took along a writing tablet, pens, a 25-foot tape measure, a camera, highlighter pen, small cassette tape recorder, and a pocket accordion folder.

The folder is to file all the material you’ll receive at these model home visits. You’ll be so glad you have it. You’ll receive floor plans, but you may want to measure certain nooks and crannies. Use the tape recorder to mention items of interest to you and your family. If you know one bedroom will not house a family member’s bedroom set, mention that. If the kitchen does not have enough cabinets, record that. Be sure to mention what style of house, name, and site you are viewing.

It is a wise decision to view the surrounding area. Before entering the sales office, drive around and look at the homes. Have they been

kept up? If there is a clubhouse, go into it and talk to any residents willing to talk. Ask questions. Do they really like it here? Are the houses too close together for your liking? Where are the garbage cans? Was there a security car cruising or a guard at the gate?

Now, you are ready to enter the sales office.

Generally, you will receive a brochure and other information, perhaps floor plans of the models.

Visit each model. Most well-designed communities now have a standard product model where you will be able to see the “standard” grade of cabinets, flooring, counter tops, appliances, and lighting fixtures. Remember that there are options or upgrades. Find out if the lot size is standard or a premium lot. Premium lots are usually corners, those facing the golf club or lake, and may be a little larger.

Try to tour with your spouse or whoever will be sharing in this venture. If you go separately, you both may miss something very important.

Pay attention to the quality of the workmanship, but understand that thousands of people have tracked through these lovely homes before you.

You may also find that the model you are view-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 47

ing may not fit on another lot and will have to be reversed to fit. So if you want a garage on the right as you see it now, you’ll need a site location that can house it. While you are still there, you may want to go back to the model(s) you like and take photos. File the photo in your expanding file after you print it out. The drawing of the house on the brochure may not look the same.

Go back several times to each house and review your notes each time. Trust me - you will not remember details after reviewing perhaps 10-15 communities and 100 homes. It does not hurt to record driving directions either!

Now that you have survived your first, fifth, or tenth visit in search of your new home... rest up because they keep building more and more!

Patricia Johnson is a retired interior designer who sought her own 55+ community. She has been helping others ease the chore of moving for many years. Her research and development work in the field of design and real estate have resulted in two books for the government on the ABCs of buying housing, and two on barrier-free design for those with special challenges. E-mail pmjeditor@aol.com. ISI

Hollywood Squares Remembered Submitted by Julie Hollar These questions and hilarious answers are from the days when the Hollywood Squares game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions.

Q. Do female frogs croak?

A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads underwater long enough.

Q. If you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?

A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or false, a pea can last as long as

5,000 years.

A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You’ve been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?

A. Don Knotts: That’s what’s been keeping me awake.

Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?

A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?

A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more grow-

ing old question Peter, and I’ll give you a gesture you’ll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell’s Angels wear leather?

A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?

A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head, he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?

A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?

A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark. ISI

PAGE 48 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2009

Tips For A

Healthy Mouth

“I didn’t know I had gum disease because it never hurt.”

Gum disease is often painless until the advanced stages. Early signs of gum disease can include bleeding when brushing or flossing, red, swollen gums, bad breath, or an itchy feeling in the gums. To prevent or control gum disease, it’s important to brush and floss every day, and to get regular, professional cleanings.

“I go to a physician for my diabetes, but didn’t know I should see a dentist too.”

Keeping your mouth healthy can help keep your body healthy too. People with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease, and untreated gum disease may make controlling blood sugar levels more difficult. Research is also turning up possible links between gum disease and heart disease, arthritis, and pneumonia. Be sure to make your dentist part of your healthcare team.

“My medicine makes my mouth dry, and that can worsen my gum disease and risk for cavities.”

Saliva reduces the acid in your mouth and washes away food debris. If you have a dry mouth, drink water often and avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, and sugary drinks. Choose only alcohol-free mouth rinses, and use mints or gum that contains xylitol. If your mouth still feels dry, ask your dentist or physician about saliva aids.

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This good dental health message brought to you by Delta Dental of Idaho’s Community Outreach program.

Going beyond benefits to help all Idahoans enjoy good dental health.