Fall Rainbow Photo by Dianna Troyer
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Tim McCall Dives For Adventure And Inspires Student Sue Loughlin
Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Tim McCall owns a dive shop, teaches scuba diving, and explores under the water in North Idaho and beyond. From a life owning a body shop in California, Tim and his wife took off in 1991for a couple of months to enjoy the wilderness. “I fell in love with Coeur d’Alene after three days. My wife said that’s really cool because I am too.” They’ve been here ever since. Tim eventually got into a tow truck business, and through scuba diving became well acquainted with Tom, of Tom’s Diving, and they talked casually of Tim’s buying the business. Then one day in 2004 when Tom
and Tim were driving to Sandpoint towing a Chevy for restoration it happened. “He started talking on the way up, and before we got back to Coeur d’Alene I owned a dive shop.” Tom had owned it for 24 years and had steady clients so Tim decided to keep the name for a year. “In February this year it’s been 10 years – and it’s still called Tom’s Diving,” Tim says with a laugh. Asked about diving in northern Idaho waters, Tim is enthusiastic. “Coeur d’Alene has been here over 100 years. There’s a lot of stuff on the bottom – old steam ships and things that really interest me. In that area under the boardwalk, there are at least nine big boats that I know of. There’s a Hudson and a Packard lying underneath there too. That area is 90 to 100 feet deep.” Tim started mapping exact coordinates of some of the wrecked boats, and he thought he was doing well until a man came in his shop and asked how Tim was doing with his mapping. The man said, “When you get over 60 let me know. That’s what I’ve got.” Tim laughs and says the man never told him where they all were. Tim has an old slot machine on display that came from Coeur d’Alene Lake. Over 40 were recovered years ago and a few still remain on the bottom, but are not worth recovering. According to Tim, these were likely dumped by a passenger boat many years ago. On the lawn in front of his home, Tim also has an old buckboard that he found on the north end in about 84 feet of water. He says that wood can last almost indefinitely, because “that mud and water are very preserving.” (Continued on page 28)
PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3
Vote for REBECCA ARNOLD November 4th
Children in Need!
I am learning about a very kind people, those on the Sioux-Pine Ridge reservation. They go without food and have so little. For a parent to thank you for a notebook or a child to thank you for a pencil or a small package of vegetable seeds is moving. Yes, we did fight, but as brothers together in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. With Medals of Honor and Purple Hearts, they gave their lives for us, yet we have forgotten them. When you have no hope, the alcohol and drug dealers step in and take what little you have. On the Pine Ridge, the death rate is so high. Please take time to go see, meet, and help these people. Sally Heward Ovid ED: Thank you for including information about The American Indian Education Foundation. It is a program of National Relief Charities collecting school supplies through its program, Backpacks and Basics. The goal is to provide notebooks, crayons, rulers, pens, pencils, etc. Send a $26 contribution today to Sioux Nation Relief Fund, PO Box 6040, Albert Lea, MN 56007-9841, and a backpack will be filled and provided to a child in need.
Sharing with a Pen Pal
I enjoy the articles in the Idaho Senior Independent, and the Contest Corner, although some quizzes are hard. I have been sending this paper to my pen pal Ann Jefferyes and her husband Mick. In the many years I have corresponded with her, they both have enjoyed this paper and find it very interesting with good advice. They are both 68 and will have been married 47 years in October. They live in Harold Wood, Romford, England, so I am glad they find your paper interesting, even if it has to go 6,000 miles away! I enjoy it too! Page 27 of the August/September issue was interesting because of the historical articles. Thanks a million. Bonita Daniel Plummer
Thank You
I came upon your paper in a doctor’s office, brought it home, enjoyed the articles, and decided to subscribe. Your articles resonate with me much more than the rag published locally. I just want to thank you for interesting articles and people I can relate to. I turn 79 next week and am presently limited to most activity due to a broken bone in my foot and having to wear (lug) a heavy boot. I sort of resemble Chester from Gunsmoke of years past. Ordinarily I would be at the city pool this AM, but was forbidden for six more weeks... a bit of a setback. So thank you in advance for my enjoyment and anticipation of the coming paper. P.S. No online for me, just string and tin can. Fran Kittridge Twin Falls ISI
The Candidate
By Pearl Hoffman, Los Angeles The candidate was in the parlor, practicing his elocution. His aides were in the counting house, tallying each contribution. His writer was in his office, writing brilliant speeches. Along came the media, to ensure those speeches reach us.
The candidate spoke with fervor, vowing to do or die. Four and twenty promises, baked in humble pie. But when the pie was opened, and its contents scrutinized, to our chagrin, we found it had been, politically fertilized. ISI
“Rebecca has distinguished herself as an attorney and as an Ada County Highway District Commissioner by her perspicacity, integrity and commitment to efficient services.”
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“I gladly endorse Rebecca Arnold as a candidate for Judge in Idaho’s 4th Judicial District. Rebecca is an outstanding person that is thoughtful, reliable and respected by her peers. Additionally, Rebecca has demonstrated through her time as ACHD Commissioner to be a pragmatic decision maker that understands facts and circumstances before passing judgment. Rebecca understands the needs and demands in serving in both the public and private sector. It is this well rounded background which makes her an ideal candidate for the judicial position.”
• 15 years in private practice, including
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With diversified experience, Rebecca Arnold is the most qualified candidate to fill the upcoming vacancy in the 4th Judicial District. WEB TEL EMAIL
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Paid for by Rebecca Arnold for 4th District Judge Committee, Winston Moore, Treasurer
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PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
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 E-mail: idahoseniorind@bresnan.net The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Barrett-Whitman, 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Idaho. The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve Idaho’s mature population of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles, and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Idaho Senior Independent is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.
Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Office Manager Lisa Gebo Production Supervisor/Sales Joanne Bernard Advertising Sales Jonathan Rimmel Graphic Designer Sherrie Smith Admin/Production Assistant
Contributing Writers Natalie Bartley Connie Daugherty Holly Endersby Clare Hafferman Cate Huisman Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Jack McNeel Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2014
Our readers have many decades of military service to our great nation – the oldest from WWII to the youngest in their 50s who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have made sacrifices beyond the understanding of those without their experiences and for that, we must all be grateful. Honor Flight Network (honorflight.org) provides free trips for veterans to Washington, D.C. as an honor for all their sacrifices – so that they can visit and reflect at their memorials. Priority goes to senior veterans – World War II survivors – along with other veterans who may be terminally ill. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an estimated 640 WWII veterans die each day, so the time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is short. This issue’s Remember When selection is by Cal Price, a WWII veteran from Montpelier
who relates the story of his recent Honor Flight. Thank you, Cal for sharing your experience. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent features the contribution deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry will receive a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our December 2014/January 2015 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net; or call 1-866-360-5683 or 208-318-0310. Visit us online at idahoseniorindependent.com.
Honor Flight, Washington D.C. By Cal Price, Montpelier I recently returned to Mesquite from the most wonderful experience of a lifetime. As a World War II veteran, I have had the pleasure and the honor of participating in the Nevada Honor Flight program, Washington D.C. We visited all those magnificent sites and memorials – World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Iwo Jima, Arlington, and the Unknown Soldier. I received 10,000 hugs and I cried a bucket full of tears. Wonderful… Before flying home to Vegas, we lounged in a beautiful Holiday Inn in Baltimore, continuing with banquets and entertainment, a piano virtuoso by a veteran B-1 pilot who did a remarkable impersonation of Ray Charles. I sang You Are My Sunshine with him. After most had retired to their rooms, I encountered a man, young enough to be my son, dressed in shorts and a red t-shirt. He greeted me with a smile and we struck up a conversation. He asked, “Are you a pilot?” “Yes, I was in War II.” I said. “What did you fly?” he asked. “I wanted to drive one of Uncle’s P-51s but I spent most of my time in the AT-6 Texan, training cadets,” I an-
swered as I briefly told my story. “I flew the F-16,” he answered quietly. “Oh, you were one of those damn kids who learned to fly Uncle Sam’s planes playing, like you were pulling knobs on a gum ball machine, toying in the safe little cockpit of a Link Trainer. I had to start my flying in real airplanes. Did you ever eject from a Link Trainer?” I asked. “No but I ejected over Iraq after I was hit by a ground fired missile,” he added. “Thank God you survived,” I replied, taken aback and with my eyes tearing up. “I survived, but I’ll never fly again. I lost an eye,” he explained. Our conversation continued for more than an hour in an exchange of pleasant good humor. He escorted me to the gift shop, selected a nice gift I could take home to my sweet wife, and then he placed a fancy USAF cap on my head. When I saw him in the lobby the next morning, someone identified him as a Brigadier General serving with the State Department in the Pentagon. The evening before, I had been treating him like my kid, teasing him about his pilot training… chatting with him for hours. He came across the lobby, still dressed as he had been – shorts and red t-shirt and gave me a big hug. Oh, what memories! What beautiful memories – the Southwest flights both ways, clowning with our captain, 10,000 cheers and hugs in Las Vegas, all of the pictures – and a bucketful of tears. I thank you, all of you, who made this wonderful experience possible. ISI
Remembrance
Three friends from the local congregation were asked, “When you’re in your casket, and friends and congregation members are mourning over you, what would you like them to say?” Artie said, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful husband, a fine spiritual leader, and a great family man.” Eugene commented, “I would like them to say I was a wonderful teacher and servant of God who made a huge difference in people’s lives.” Al said, “I’d like them to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’” ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
By Connie Daugherty Rugged Mercy: A Country Doctor in Idaho’s Sun Valley by Robert Wright, Washington State University Press; Pullman, Washington; 2013 “No one called him Doc anymore. To them he was just Mr. Wright, an old man…. They were good to him, but in a way that wasn’t quite real… the way people do with the elderly.” In 1969, Robert Henry Harrison Thornton Hix John Brown Wright – Doc for short – was just another old man in a wheelchair sitting alone in a nursing home waiting for someone to come. But like most old men and women sitting in wheelchairs in nursing homes, there was more to him than anyone suspected. He had a story. In Rugged Mercy, Doc Wright’s grandson, Robert Wright tells that story of a country doctor in the days when Idaho’s Wood River Valley was wide open and the practice of medicine was as much instinct as it was training. When house calls were made by buggy, dogsled, or Studebaker and the doctor performed surgery, set broken bones, tended influenza patients in sheep wagons and delivered babies – sometimes all in the same day. This well-written, cleverly styled memoir/biography reads like a family-saga novel, but conveys a history of Wood River Valley back when mining was king and farms and sheep ranches dotted the landscape. Each chapter – written sometimes in first person, sometimes in third – tells a different piece of the Wright family’s history from the 1890s to the 1970s and along with it the history of their little corner of Idaho. It is a story of deliberate dedication to family and community. “It’s not just my story. It’s not just my grandfather’s story,” says Wright. “It’s everyone’s story, every grandfather’s, every grandmother’s story.” By listening to and recording family stories, collecting oral histories, and researching personal correspondence and news articles of the early 1900s, Robert Wright has pieced together an intriguing collage that is part family memory, part territorial history, and completely enjoyable reading. “Young Robert was shaking inside, but his hands did what they were supposed to do. And upon his face was a frightened wonderment… When the two children walked out of that tiny log home with the doctor at mid-morning, things were different.” The year was 1894, the place was Hailey, Idaho and neither the 13-year-old Wright boy with six middle names, nor his playmate, Dottie Beamer had any idea what life held in store for them. They just knew they had been allowed to take part in something special – the healing of a human body. True the “doctor” they had assisted in the surgery
was more salesman and entertainer than he was a physician, but “the future Dr. Robert Henry Wright learned something.” By 1908, Robert Henry Wright had completed medical school and was back in Hailey, Idaho with his young bride, Dottie, ready to begin his life as Dr. Wright – Doc. “Bob had a gift for healing, particularly when it came to children. He was continually traveling back east to the Mayo Clinic… to Chicago’s Cook County Hospital… experience combined with his mastery of anatomy, gave him a reputation no other doctor could match.” Doc Wright quickly established himself as the doctor to turn to during a difficult childbirth. He made his reputation in his practice, in a sheep wagon during a snowstorm. “A touch from the doctor’s lips… the Breath of Elisha… discounted by most… hocus pocus according to modern medicine. But high in the mountains of Idaho – a miracle.” A crying newborn! Doc Wright also understood the importance of treating the whole person – of treating with empathy as well as with medicine. He was known to read a story or recite a poem to a child he was about to operate on, he “preferred not to operate on a frightened patient. He believed in the mind’s power to heal. Unproven. Unseen. Yet he believed.” And more often than not, it worked. He closed on an appendectomy performed in the kitchen of a farmhouse and miles from town then rushed home to deliver his first child. He treated political leaders, sheepherders, prostitutes, and Shoshone Indians all the same. And they all respected him. When he was called away from a Christmas dance in 1912, Dottie determined not to be left behind on Christmas Eve, went along. In a remote sheepherder’s cabin, they worked together just as they had as children with as much wonderment, but with a lifetime of experience. “There were times when the miracles of an old country doctor were due as much to creativity and ingenuity as they were to the advancement of medicine. Sometimes… invented procedures before they’d been developed by the profession.” There, in the remote mountains of Idaho, in a rough Basque sheepherder’s cabin, Doc Wright performed a crude tracheotomy and saved a life. For payment, he received a sack of potatoes. For the next several decades, Doc Wright attended to the sick and the injured, as he “guided new lives into the world… with skill and precision.” In the most difficult emergency, “he was the doctor you wanted.” He went fishing when he could and raised a family in a happy loving home. He saw
Fall is in the air! Have you ever been on a hayride, or wandered lost in a corn maze? How about a haunted house or even bobbing for apples? Isn’t it about time to find someone to share these cool evenings and crisp mornings? There is a virtual cornucopia of activities and special outings this time of year, from harvest to Halloween and Thanksgiving to wrap it all up. What a great time for making new friends and finding a fall romance. To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. When you respond to 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 submit your correct address plainly printed, so you can
promptly receive replies. Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love! Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the December 2014/ January 2015 issue, the deadline is November 7, 2014. SWF Seeks kind, clean, teddy bear type, approx 6’ and 65-75. I live in the North Idaho area above Coeur d’Alene. I like to take short trips, fish, garden, listen to music, and just enjoy quiet evenings at home watching the sunset. I am a non-smoker, non-drinker, and no drugs. Please send a photo and I will answer all replies. Reply ISI, Dept. 10401, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.
IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 5
changes – both good and bad – come to his north Idaho home. He saw mines close and towns literally disappear. He was there a stranger who came to town looking to “find a place to build a fancy European hotel for rich folks,” and watched as that dream became a famous ski resort that changed to look and feel of the valley forever. He embraced life – the joys and the sorrows – and passed along a bit of himself to his family and those around him. He watched his son develop as a renowned artist with a studio in the same old building where Doc had his office. He watched his grandson and namesake grow up and shared not only his memories, but also his dreams with him. That grandson is Robert Wright the author of Rugged Mercy, a tribute to Doctor Robert Henry Harrison Thornton Hix John Brown Wright, “the doctor who never lost a patient.” Like many of those who settled Idaho and laid a foundation for what was to follow, “no road bears his name; there are no schools or hospitals named after him.” His legacy is in the lives he saved and the lives he touched. Rugged Mercy is a touching memoir and history of life in the early 1900s in what is now Idaho’s Sun Valley area – a story worth telling and a book worth reading. ISI
PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
WWF former Californian now loving Idaho, seeks nice Christian man, non-smoker, non-drinker. Please send photo and phone number. Reply ISI, Dept. 10402, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.
and hope you are. NS-ND-ND. Love music and singing. Thank you for reading about me… now it’s your turn. Reply ISI, Dept. 10403, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.
Good hearted, SWF, 72 with a good sense of humor looking for a gentle man 70-80 with a love for life who wants to share the future as friends and companions initially through letters and calls. I enjoy nice evenings out or relaxing at home, short trips, swimming, dancing, camping, fishing, cooking, etc. I’m 5’4” pleasingly plump and like to go without my shoes at times. I’m financially secure
WWM seeks small-town or ranch lady who misses companionship with a man who has graduated from the school of hard knocks. I have had an interesting career as a USFS smoke jumper and helped save our giant redwoods. I also helped save many antique vehicles for the Harrah’s Collection of Reno. I played football at the University of Oregon.
I’ve written two history books and enjoy the articles in the Idaho Senior Independent. I use oxygen so can understand if you happen to be disabled. Please reply with a photo and letter. Reply ISI, Dept. 10404, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single man wants to meet single woman in 40s or 50s for dating and possible relationship. I enjoy feminine companionship and can drive to where you are located. Please write and send photo. Reply ISI, Dept. 10405, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI
Donna Aten and friends put love in every blanket they sew By Dianna Troyer Photos Provided by Project Linus Several coincidences convinced Donna Aten of her calling to comfort kids with homemade blankets. “Some friends and I were taking sewing classes and started brainstorming about how we could use our skills to help the community,” recalls the 79-year-old Boise resident. “Within a week, I happened to read about Project Linus in two different magazines, so I called the national office.” In February 1988, Donna started the first chapter of Project Linus in Idaho. The national volunteer non-profit organization has a two-fold mission. It provides lovingly created blankets, Afghans, or quilts to children and teens who are seriously ill or traumatized and need comfort. It also offers a rewarding service opportunity for community groups. “At our first meeting, we had five volunteers,” recalls the Project Linus coordinator. “Now, we have up to 25 volunteers at each Make a Blanket Day. Many more volunteers make blankets
at home or with their church, quilt guild, youth group, or other organizations. We all put love into whatever we make.” The first year, the chapter donated 91 blankets to local hospitals. Now, volunteers donate 1,500 to 2,500 blankets every year. Members meet at least monthly, sometimes twice a month to maintain a stockpile of blankets. “Since we started, 28,460 children have received a warm blanket hug from our local chapter,” says Donna. “All blankets stay here in the Treasure Valley except if there is a national disaster. We’ve sent blankets to victims affected by Hurricane Katrina, tornadoes in the Midwest, and the earthquakes in Haiti and in Japan.” Besides Treasure Valley hospitals, the blankets are regularly distributed to three summer camps: Camp Rainbow Gold for pediatric cancer patients; Camp Hodia Shooting Stars for diabetic children; and Royal Family Kids Camp for kids in foster care who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Other recipients are Operation Warm Heart at Mountain Home Air Force Base and Children at Risk Evaluation Services (CARES). Parents whose children received the blankets have sent thank you notes to Donna. “Sometimes, I need a box of Kleenex nearby when I read them. You can’t imagine how comforting a soft blanket can be to children in frightening situations. It makes them feel loved, hugged, and safe.”
A 28-month-old was told he could not bring his tattered Linus blanket to day care anymore because it was so worn. Volunteers stitched on a new backing and fluffed it up with new batting. A new Linus label was also sewn on. “He was originally given the blanket when he was six months old and couldn’t part with it,” recalls Donna. Another unforgettable story involved a 13-year-old girl who was jumping off a bridge into a river while swimming with friends. She accidentally hit the bridge’s concrete pylon. “She nearly ripped her ankle completely off,” her mother wrote to Donna. “At St. Al’s in Boise, she received one of your blankets, and she wouldn’t let go of it. In three weeks, she had 11 surgeries to save (Continued on page 10)
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7
’Tis the season to tailgate for Pat Mac Article & Photos By Dianna Troyer Crisp sunny autumn afternoons summon Pat “Mac” McAllister to Boise State University’s football stadium hours before the game where he sets up his culinary tailgate extravaganza. With his grill and Dutch oven, the BSU alum often whips up blue or orange foods, a nod to the Broncos’ team colors and their quirky football field with the famed blue turf. “Dutch oven roasted blue potatoes usually stand on their own by color, but I’ve been known to throw on my award-winning chili to annoy my seat mates during the game,” says Pat, 49, who has combined cooking, camping, and stand-up comedy into a successful career. “I’ll never retire, although I’ve got plenty of gray hair now to make some people suggest it to me. Why should I? I finally realize that when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Traveling the country making people laugh while cooking is not work until the dishes need to be done.” When Pat is on the road for work and misses a Broncos’ home game, “I go through withdrawals. When I’m home, sometimes I’ll do a cooking class outside the stadium while a friend is texting me play-by-play on my phone,” says the Boise native. Pat’s path to his unusual career took a traditional route with all his previous work preparing him for his present job. As a teen, he helped his dad, Michael, cook and tend bar at the family business, a bar and restaurant named O’Michael’s Pub & Grill. “I grew up watching him make people laugh and knew that I wanted to be just like him. He was my inspiration because everyone needs to smile to make it through the day.” Pat later worked as a stand-up comic, in hospitality with DoubleTree by Hilton and in management for Albertson’s. In 2005, he and a comedian friend, Mike “The Big Cheese” Faverman decided to combine their three passions and to make DVDs about cooking, camping, and comedy. They went to campgrounds and tailgate gatherings to cook gourmet
meals for total strangers who became cast members and a live audience for Pat and Mike as they bantered about cooking tips and shared recipes. They share their comic culinary adventures at www.ultimatecampcooking.com “Food and laughter bring everyone together,” says Pat. “That’s why the party always ends up in the kitchen. I bet if peace summits would be conducted using this method, we wouldn’t have so many wars.” Wanting to share the collaborative concepts they learned from working together in outdoor kitchens, the duo recently designed a new corporate team-building exercise using an Iron Chef style competition. “It’s an unusual way for employees to experience team work. When we hear laughter, we know people are learning.” In Boise, Pat often feels compelled to pay it forward by volunteering to work with adults who have disabilities. “They teach me about life and how to deal with struggles without complaining, which really puts life in perspective for me.” Pat’s wife, Karen Gillette, is a special education teacher. “She inspires me with her creativity, humor, patience, and kindness. We’re happily married and love traveling together.” For Pat, living in Boise is ideal. “I’ve experienced almost every city in
America after being on the road more than 25 years, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. There is no traffic to speak of, the crime rate is low, and it still has that small town hospitality. My childhood here made me who I am, working with my dad and spending summers in the mountains camping with my family and friends. My dad died in 1998, but he’d be laughing with me, knowing what I’m doing these days.” ISI
The Hibbs Heed The Call To Volunteer At The Idaho Botanical Garden
Article & Photo By Dianna Troyer After her bookkeeping duties are done at the Idaho Botanical Garden, Lois Hibbs cannot resist a stroll in one special place – the Meditation Garden. “No matter how many times I’ve been there, I never tire of it. It’s so tranquil, and I always feel renewed,” says the longtime volunteer at the 33-acre garden on Old Penitentiary Road in Boise. Until 1973, the grounds provided food and nursery stock for the penitentiary staff and inmates. After the prison closed, the area was unused until botanist Christopher Davidson established the botanical garden in 1984 as a private, non-profit corporation with a board of directors. He envisioned the garden as a place to enhance the quality of life for people of all ages through plant collections, education programs, and entertainment, cultural, and community events. Sharing the vision to cultivate, educate, and celebrate, Lois and her husband, Bob, have been volunteering for nearly two decades at the garden. “We both love to garden and had one while raising our six kids,” says Lois. “I grew flowers, and Bob took care of the vegetables. When my mom went into assisted living in 1996, I had more time and thought I’d see if they needed a little help at the botanical garden.” When she started, Lois took admissions, tracked attendance, and helped with the education program. She still is an assistant bookkeeper and works with the education programs. In 1998, Bob, began volunteering.
PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
“They call me Mr. Fix-It,” says Bob, 91, who taught dairy manufacturing at the University of Idaho and chemistry at Boise State University before retiring. “I’ve put in appliances and done miscellaneous repairs. We do a lot of the behind-the-scenes activities of maintenance, special event participation, manning tables, serving cookies and cocoa at Garden Aglow, mailings, and the bookkeeping.” Lois said it is hard to believe that some people in Boise are unaware of the botanical garden. “There are so many different gardens and activities here,” she says. On 15 cultivated acres, volunteers and staff tend to gardens with diverse themes: vegetables, native Idaho plants, herbs, roses, summer succulents, and xeriscape plants. In the Lewis and Clark Garden, plants are grown that the explorers collected on their expedition between Great Falls, Montana and The Dalles, Oregon. The garden has 125 of the 145 plant species listed in the explorers’ journals. Another area is designed to resemble an English garden. Another garden is for children. One of the Hibbs’ favorite events is the Fall Harvest Festival on Oct. 4-5 from noon to 6 p.m. Activities include live music, hayrides, kids’ games, and scarecrow displays. A farmers market will offer fresh produce, Idaho crafts, fall brews, wine, and fresh cider. Because the garden is run as a private corporation and receives no government funding, the staff relies on fund-raising events such as the festival, donations, memberships, and site rental to pay for daily operations. After the Hibbs are done at the garden, they tend the plants in their greenhouse at home.
“Nothing tastes better than fresh vegetables in the fall, especially tomatoes,” says Bob. “Whatever tomatoes we can’t eat or give away, we boil on the stove to reduce them, and then we freeze them. In winter, Lois makes wonderful soups and meatloaf with our tomatoes.” Bob’s other favorite vegetables are butternut squash and zucchini. Lois grates and freezes the surplus zucchini in bags. “In the winter, whenever I feel like eating fresh zucchini bread, I just grab a bag and bake a loaf.” Throughout winter, her greenhouse looks like summer inside with colorful geraniums. “I have Chinese red, deep red, rose, violet, variegated pink, white, pink, you name it,” she says. “They’re a great flower because they’re lovely year-round and like to be left alone. In the winter, I still putter with them in the greenhouse and do cuttings, so they will propagate. That’s how I get my gardening fix until I can get out in the yard again in spring.” Having spent nearly two decades at the botanical garden, Lois says the staff and volunteers have become like family. “It’s a joy to be part of the team,” she says. “Everyone works well together. We look forward to being there in all seasons because so many different events are scheduled. One of our favorite things to do at Christmas is to go up the hill in the evening and look at the lights in the garden and the city and to feel we are a part of it all. Our children also enjoy the garden and have all volunteered at events when they’re in town, keeping the family tradition going.” ISI
Boise Birder Relies On Ear For His Lengthy List By Dianna Troyer Listening carefully, Larry Arnold tunes into simultaneous chirps, trills, and tweets while hiking a juniper-covered hillside near Pocatello. He translates the melodious notes into separate birds: Green-tailed Towhee, Brewer’s Sparrow, Dusky Flycatcher, Mountain Bluebird, Juniper Titmouse, and more. “The Brewer’s Sparrow is amazing. It hardly comes up for air when it’s singing and just keeps going,” says the 64 year-old Boise resident during a recent trek to eastern Idaho. “Because there’s juniper habitat around here, you can find the Juniper Titmouse. We don’t have juniper near Boise.” A serious birder for more than 15 years, Larry jots down the names of birds he has heard on a pocket-sized paper tablet. Once back home, he records them on www.e-bird.org, a website the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society started in 2002 for bird watchers. By the end of August, Larry had the longest Idaho year list of birders on the website: 281 species. For his life list, he had 296 species in Idaho. Many of his most memorable birds “were new species for me in Idaho. Some were found and reported by other birders, and I simply looked for them at specific locations and got lucky.” Those birds included a Harlequin Duck, Neotropic Cormorant, American Bittern, Whimbrel, Short-billed Dowitcher, Pileated Woodpecker, Boreal Owl, and a Northern Hawk Owl – breeding. “Isn’t birding great?” says Larry, laughing. “You gasp for air and sweat out toxins, rip your pants climbing through barbed-wire fences, and sometimes sprain an ankle in an unseen hole. It is a great excuse to get up at 3:30 a.m. and drive 150 miles or more. Seriously, though what could be more exhilarating than waking up with the birds?” Described by his
daughter as a bird nerd, Larry recognizes most songs he hears. But if a song is unfamiliar, he will often listen to a recording on his iPod as a quick refresher because many songsters such as flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and grosbeaks are only in Idaho a few months of the year. Larry learned to recognize bird songs while conducting surveys for the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory. “My hands were always full of equipment like a GPS, range-finder, emergency radio, stop-watch for point counts, binoculars, and a clipboard with forms for recording vegetation and wildlife,” he recalls. “I was doing linear transects that were about three miles long, and I could only spend ten minutes at each spot. Every 250 meters, I had to stop and assess the habitat, which included overstory, shrub layer, and ground cover.” He knew what birds should be there during breeding season, whether in grassland, sage, pinion-juniper, ponderosa, aspen, mixed conifer, or tunAn avid birdwatcher, Larry Arnold has compiled a lengthy dra in Colorado. list of birds he has seen and heard in Idaho. [Photo by “Because there Dianna Troyer] wasn’t much time to look around with binoculars, I learned to recognize birds by their songs and call-notes. That was the only way transects could be completed between dawn and 10 a.m., the required timeframe.” In his quest to hear and see a variety of birds, Larry travels extensively throughout Idaho. In late spring, a weeklong trek throughout eastern Idaho yielded sightings of Short-eared Owls and American Bitterns at Market Lake north of Idaho Falls; Common Loons at Twin Lakes near Preston; Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets at Oxford Slough near Downey; and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, and Plumbeous Vireos near Pocatello. Larry’s wife, Missy, often accompanies him, jotting down abbreviations of birds such as MOBL for Mountain Bluebird, SPTO for Spotted Towhee, and CAHU for Calliope Hummingbird. “We’ve made several trips to Idaho Falls this year, 290 miles one-way from our home in Boise.” His fascination for birds began when Missy put out hummingbird feeders about 25 years ago. “They’re exciting and entertaining to watch, so full of energy,” he says. “My interest grew from there. Idaho is great because we have four species of hummingbirds that breed here: Calliope, Broad-tailed, Rufous, and Black-chinned. Larry descends from a juniper-covered ridge into an aspen grove with a trickling creek.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
“Listen to that. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is one of our smallest birds, but is one of the loudest.” Nearby, four Red-naped Sapsuckers are feuding over territory. “You never know what you’ll see.” Larry has watched birds worldwide due to his jobs in Alaska, throughout the continental U.S., and Europe. After earning a degree in
anthropology from Idaho State University and a biochemistry degree from The University of Idaho, he worked for five different federal agencies for almost three decades. In 2002, he retired from the U.S. Department of Energy in Grand Junction, Colo., where he provided federal oversight of an onsite contractor laboratory and of cleanup operations at uranium milling and tailings sites in Colorado, Florida,
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9
Arizona, and Utah. For vacations, Larry has chosen countries rich in hummingbird species. His favorite regions are Central and South America. “I’ve been south of the U.S. border more than 20 times,” he says. “I’ve seen more than 2,200 species of birds, including 195 species of hummingbirds. But, wherever you live, you can find birds, and it’s a perfect hobby in retirement.” ISI
Sue Boydstun’s Koi thrive in her water gardens By Dianna Troyer Whenever Sue Boydstun steps out her back door onto the deck, she senses she is being watched. A benevolent not malevolent creature faithfully tracks her movements. “Big Mama is always the first to come up to see what I’m up to,” says the Boise resident of her 42-year-old Koi, an ornamental breed of fish treasured in Asian culture for its grace, hardiness, and color variations in aquatic gardens. Big Mama, Sue’s oldest Koi, is just over 20 inches long. Sue’s longest Koi stretches to 26 inches. “She’s never aggressive with the food like some others,” says Sue, as she tosses pellets to the deep orange-and-red fish covered with faint black freckles. “People don’t think Koi have personalities, but they do. Some like to eat at the bottom, others at the top. Some are more passive than aggressive. Some are friendly and eat out of my hand, while others are aloof.” During 40 years of teaching public school, Sue often turned to her Koi to help her relax after work. “Sometimes, I would start feeding them, and before I knew it an hour and a half would have passed,” says Sue, 67, who taught elementary school physical education. “I still lose track of time out here.” Her home is a popular spot for picnics. “My yard always seems to get volunteered for gatherings of all sorts. In summer, the ponds become another living space at my house.” A past president of the Idaho Water Garden and Koi Society (www. iwgks.org), Sue is a member of the society’s executive board. The organization has about 50 members in the Treasure Valley. Sue has 35 Koi swimming in three backyard ponds. Off the back deck is a 750-gallon pond, the first one she installed. The largest water garden has a 12,000-gallon capacity and is the focal point of her backyard. She also has a 400-gallon tank to quarantine and treat sick fish. “You start with just one pond, and before you know it, you have this,” says Sue. People often ask Sue to advise them about setting up a pond and maintaining their fishes’ health. A certified Koi health adviser, she also is affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Koi Association, the Association of Koi Clubs of America, and the Koi Organization International. Since retiring in 2012, Sue has been teaching with the Boise School District’s Community Education program classes about ponds and koi, sharing the insights she has gained from experience and taking courses during the past four decades. Her next $30 class begins in mid-October and lasts
three sessions. “People mistakenly think water gardens and Koi are a hobby for rich people, but that’s not the case,” says Sue. “For the same price as a weekend in Jackpot, you could have a water garden and some Koi.” She estimates it costs about $750 for a filter, pump, and a 400-gallon tank, in her case a round livestock trough from a farm store. When a tank is well maintained, the Koi live a lengthy life. “In a domestic garden pond, they can live more than 100 years,” she says. “You can read growth rings on their scales. The oldest Koi on record was over 200 years old and lived in Japan. Her name was Hanoko.” The life expectancy of Koi in the Boise area has been cut short sometimes due to predators. “Around here, sometimes we have raccoons, herons, or osprey that like our Koi for a meal,” she says. “Having water in your yard does attract other wildlife. I have the ducks, the frogs, and in the winter deer. The quail like to drink out of the biological filter.” Sue was first smitten with Koi as a child. “My parents have a photo of me completely enthralled with feeding the Koi at the Japanese garden in the Golden Gate Park,” says Sue, who grew up in the Bay Area, where she became acquainted with Asian culture. “My maternal grandparents lived in San Francisco before the 1900s, so I grew up with an appreciation of aquatic gardens.” After settling in Boise, she began exploring the possibility of having her own water garden. For her, it was therapeutic and a way to meet other people with similar interests. “In retirement, the Koi have continued to be a way to widen my social circle and to develop friendships,” she says. “Whatever your interests are, you can find a club that promotes it. It’s really good for people to do that as they age.” Sue also exhibits her Koi at shows. “It becomes addictive for people like me who have a competitive streak.” Sue forewarns people who plan to install a Koi pond. “They have a tendency to grow.” ISI
Rich Cesler Dedicates Himself To Interring Forgotten Veterans By Dianna Troyer Rich Cesler had been working only two weeks as director of the new 76-acre Idaho State Veterans Cemetery in Boise when he discovered a heartrending issue. “I was in a meeting in 2005, introducing myself and my goals for the new cemetery when a woman asked what I planned to do about the cremated remains of veterans that were abandoned in funeral homes,” recalls Rich, a Vietnam vet. “I had no idea that had happened.” Out of curiosity, he stopped by a funeral home after the meeting and asked if there were unclaimed veterans’ cremains. “They had six,” he recalls. “I was flabbergasted. They had been on the shelves for more than 16 years. It wasn’t right. These veterans had served our country and deserved to have a dignified funeral. The military is like family. You never leave someone behind, and these cremains had been left for unknown reasons. I had to do something about it.” After contacting funeral homes, coroner and medical examiner offices, he located the remains of 20 veterans and one spouse. Among those were Army
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
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staff Sergeant Richard Trueman and his wife, Martha, whose remains were found in plastic cremation containers in an abandoned storage unit in Meridian after it had been auctioned.
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“All his military documentation was there, too,” recalls Rich. “Richard had been awarded two purple hearts in Korea and served in Vietnam, too. He was a forgotten hero.” In 2006, Rich formed an alliance with Fred Salanti, a disabled Vietnam vet and retired major in Oregon, and the non-profit Missing in America Project (MIAP) began. Its mission is to locate, identify, and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans. Rich helped write legislation in Idaho allowing funeral home directors to release veterans’ unclaimed cremains to vet service organizations such as MIAP when no family exists or is able to claim the remains. Since then, 33 states have passed similar legislation. In a long overdue ceremony on Nov. 9, 2006, Rich organized a military funeral honors service for the Truemans and 20 other veterans at the new veterans cemetery in Boise. They were interred in granite-covered niches in a special columbarium wall with honors that included a Blackhawk helicopter flyover, rifle salute, the folding and presentation of flags for all five service branches, and playing of Taps. Rich wondered why so many cremains were unclaimed. He was told funeral home directors often kept the remains, hoping a family member would eventually retrieve them. “For every 1,000 veterans, there are 1,000 different circumstances and stories,” says Rich. In some cases, veterans had lost touch with family because they were homeless when they died and were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries. Sometimes, family members just do not get around to retrieving the remains or have died. Some family members do not value the cremains because they believe the soul and spirit are gone, and only ashes are left. Some veterans told family members before they died that they did not want a funeral. With the new Idaho State Veterans Cemetery established, Rich was hired to establish and open the new Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake in 2007. In Washington, Rich also found abandoned veterans’ cremains. Under his guidance, remains of more than 67 vets and two spouses were recovered after languishing on shelves for years. They were interred at the new cemetery. “It’s not often in your life that you’re given a chance to start an organization like MIAP and to do something on a national level that touches so many people’s lives,” says Rich. With his new job commitments, Rich was unable to devote his full attention and time to MIAP and handed the reins to Fred. “Fred as MIAP’s executive director has taken it to a national level,” says Rich. During the past eight years nationwide, MIAP volunteers have visited more than 1,600 funeral homes, identified more than 2,300 veterans’ cremains, and interred more than 2,100, according to www.miap.us. Some cremains dated back to the Civil War. In hindsight, Rich sees how his previous careers prepared him to establish and manage two new veterans’ cemeteries and to start MIAP. “All my jobs certainly gave me an unusual skill set and taught me how to work with people when they’re stressed.” After Vietnam, he sold insurance, worked in law enforcement for several years, and for 18 years was a customer service supervisor for Delta Airlines handling air freight. After retiring from Delta, he was an Idaho State Veterans Services Officer in Boise. In 2012, Rich retired from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs as the State Cemetery Director and returned to Boise, where he became the State Commander of the Department of Idaho – Veterans of Foreign Wars. One of the VFW national priorities is MIAP. Still active with MIAP, Rich, 67, specializes in helping legislators write laws allowing unclaimed vets’ cremains to be released for interment and military funeral honors. “MIAP is the voice for those who have none and is dedicated to remembering our forgotten heroes. One of my goals is to have an active MIAP chapter in every state. We’re almost there. We still need chapters in North Dakota and Hawaii.” ISI
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continued from page 6 her foot, and her blanket was with her through it all. Her blanket is beautiful, and it brings so much comfort to her.” A caseworker who volunteers with Project Linus recalled another story. “A scared 12-year-old boy had to be interviewed after disclosure of sexual abuse. It hurt him to talk about what had happened to him, but he was comforted with one of the chapter’s quilts made of material with a frog pattern. He was wrapped up in his ‘froggie’ quilt during the interview because he said it made him feel safe.” The caseworker says the blankets are much more than utilitarian objects. “They are an amazing act of love that continues to wrap these vulnerable ones in love.” To learn more about Project Linus, Donna may be contacted at 208250-2119 or donna@linusidaho.org. Financial or fabric donations are also accepted. The group’s website is www.linusidaho.org. ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Waterton Park Front Displays its Biodiversity By Bernice Karnop The abrupt transition where the Rocky Mountains and the prairies collide creates some startling scenery and forms an uncommon area of biodiversity that will knock the socks off anyone who stops to learn about the amazing way nature works. Admittedly, in a time of technological wonders, one may question whether natural wonders can compete. The answer is, “Yes, they can!” One place that illustrates the interaction between wind and weather, soil and plants, and wildlife and cattle ranching, is Waterton Park Front. In 1997, Nature Conservancy of Canada began to preserve the special place that borders Waterton Lakes National Park in Southern Alberta. Today it is one of the largest, and arguably one of the most important, private land conservation initiatives in Canadian history. The project involves more than 50 properties protecting more than 32,000 acres. It’s important as part of the wildlife movement corridor known as the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Region, but it’s value goes far beyond that. On the Rocky Mountain Front different ecosystems fit like puzzle pieces into a relatively small area. At Waterton Park Front, the pieces include
wetlands, lakes, rivers, prairie grasslands, aspen parkland, montane, and sub-alpine forests. As a result, one can find an impressive number and variety of animals and plants. It is critical habitat for large mammals like grizzly and black bear, cougar, wolf, moose, elk, and deer. They coexist here with cattle ranching in this working environment. A plethora of birds including the trumpeter swan, a crazy array of wildflowers, amphibians like the Columbia spotted frogs, and a host of other surprises, also fit in to the picture. Nature Conservancy Canada protects this bio diverse area and interprets it for the public at the Weston Family Conservation Centre and on the Waterton Springs Interpretive Trail. Both are at the Waterton Springs Campground on the east side of Highway 6, north of Waterton Lakes National Park. The Weston Family Conservation Centre is adjacent to the campground office in the main campground building. The Waterton Springs Interpretive Trailhead is located at the east end of the campground. The Weston Family Conservation Centre captures the interest of grandchildren with such interactive displays as comparing your arm span with the wingspan of local birds, learning about and creating one’s own cattle brand, and much more. Youngsters borrow a backpack here to take along the Waterton Springs Interpretive Trail. The contents of the backpack encourage bird watching, animal tracking, and nature art. Even little grandchildren can hike the Waterton Springs Interpretive Trail. It is a little more than half a mile long, and there’s no need to rush. Brochures at the trailhead – one for adults and one for youth – help readers understand the cultural and ecologi-
cal history of the area. Small signs along the way point out interesting features. Visitors can take a guided hike on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from late May through August and even bring the family dog if it is kept on a leash. Near the Waterton Springs Interpretive Trail they have added a Conservation Cache, part of the geocache game played by adults and youngsters around the world. Grandparents with a GPS will want to search for the hidden box and add their reflections on conservation topics. Kids can add their thoughts as well. The Weston Family Conservation Centre is free, and open every day from 8 to 8, starting in late May and continuing through mid-October. The trail is open year-round; however, the access road is not maintained in the winter. According to its web site, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has completed more than 200 projects that protect more than 185,000 acres of this province’s most ecologically and significant land and water. Since 1962, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has protected more than 2.6 million acres across the country, in partnership with other conservation groups, First Nations, non-profit organizations, and governments. For more information or to donate, visit www.natureconservancy.ca. Take time to stop at the Waterton Park Front and see for yourself how nature balances the diversity of life in this fragile environment. ISI
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
A Steamy Getaway Awaits in Thermopolis, Wyoming By Bernice Karnop Nothing beats Yellowstone National Park for colorful geysers, but you must stay out of the hot pools or you’ll be in hot water with the Park Rangers. For a chance to dip more than a finger into naturally occurring hot springs, drive three hours south of Yellowstone’s East Gate to Thermopolis, Wyoming. Anyone who wants to find a steamy place to vacation, will find it at Thermopolis. From the Greek, Thermopolis means hot city, fitting for this place where the world’s largest hot springs bubbles up from deep in the earth. Some scientist believe that it shares its underground source with the hot springs of Yellowstone. The 1,000-acre Hot Springs State Park is a lovely place, featuring the gigantic turquois and green spring and pastel terraces. Broad lawns, picnic benches, and boardwalks make it a restful stop, even if you don’t take to the waters. It’s located in Hot Springs County in the foothills of the Owl Creek Mountains, just 85 miles south of another great stop, Cody. The springs flow from the ground at 127 degrees into cooling ponds. Guests soak or swim in indoor or outdoor pools where temperatures stay around 104 degrees. The therapeutic mineral baths accommodate people with physical challenges. Many people fortify their health by drinking the water, in which they’ve identified some 27 different minerals. The waters aren’t just for therapy, however.
Active water playgrounds include waterslides and Jacuzzi’s. Bring the grandchildren and they will spend many busy, happy hours in the water as well. The 3.5 million gallons of water that flow from the springs every day finally make their way into the Bighorn River. A swinging bridge allows pedestrians to stroll over the Bighorn River and hiking trails make great recreation in the cooler days of fall. Golfers enjoy mountain vistas at the 9-hole golf course. An abundance of campgrounds, motels, and other accommodations make Thermopolis an easy place to stay, however one chooses to travel. Dry opportunities in Thermopolis include a voyeuristic peek at previous inhabitants of the area. Long ago giant creatures with long teeth and small brains thrived in this area. They’ve been extinct for many years so they aren’t hurt by gawkers who want to spy on them. This activity is done from the distance of a few million years, as most sensible people find the fossilized bones they left behind terrifying enough. With a little imagination grandparents and grandchildren alike can add flesh and animation to the more than 30 mounted skeletons of fossilized dinosaurs housed at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. They can even go out to the dig site and see the bones still in the ground. It is instructive to watch how the bones are carefully extracted and taken back to the lab. With a bit of planning, would-be archeologists may even take part in a dig.
For area history, visit the Hot Springs County Historical Museum or one may dip into pre-history at the Legend Rocks Petroglyph site, which is 21 miles northwest of Thermopolis. Hundreds of images on rock panels give visitors a look into another culture from years ago. Closer to our time, the Outlaw Trail Ride takes people to the Hole in the Wall outlaw hideout to witness a bit of the wild west. Thermopolis sits on the north end of the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway, located on the Wind River Indian Reservation. This uncommonly beautiful canyon features the river on one side of the road and 2,500-ft. rock cliffs on the other. Signage informs travelers of the exposed geology layered in the black and pink cliffs. Watch for wildlife, specifically big horn sheep, which were transplanted into the area in the 1990s. Those who want to fish these waters must get a reservation permit. The river exits the north end of the canyon and confuses visitors by changing its name. The Wedding of the Waters marks the place where the Wind River suddenly becomes the Big Horn River. Why? In a less contentious time, it was a compromise that kept everyone relatively happy. Lewis and Clark named the river the Big Horn River. The Crow Nation called it the Wind River. They identified a particular spot, named it The Wedding of the Waters, and poof, the Wind River becomes the Big Horn River. ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13
Welcome to Leavenworth – Washington’s Bavarian Village By Bernice Karnop Oktoberfest should be celebrated in a Bavarian village snuggled into a mountain valley. There should be beer gardens, German bands, and guys in lederhosen dancing with gals in crisp dirndl dresses. Yes, one can go to Munich, but why, when all this can be found much closer to home in the little town of Leavenworth, Washington. Leavenworth is 22 miles north of Wenatchee on U.S. Highway 2. Seattle is another 118 miles to the west. The alpine setting in the Cascade Mountains lies in the upper reaches of the Wenatchee River valley. Leavenworth is 1,166 feet above sea level but the surrounding Cascade Mountains rise to as high as 8,000 feet. No one can miss Leavenworth. It looks like a bit of Germany dropped out of the sky. This is no accident. In the 1960s, it was a dying logging town not worth a traveler’s blink. There were individuals unwilling to let it fade away and with an amazing community effort, pulled the town up by its bootstraps. They reworked their lovely mountain town into one that resembles a village in the Alps with features such as pointed rooflines, painted murals, scrollwork, and balconies. Today it is a destination where more than a million visitors stop every season of the year. Of course they needed more than a look. They made Leavenworth into a center for art, music, and theater. They opened dozens of specialty shops
and boutiques to attract customers with woodwork, cuckoo clocks, music boxes, chocolates, and so much more. They brought in restaurants, a brew pub, coffee shops, and a tea cottage full of tea pots. The town hosts dozens of festivals. Next September will be the 20th annual Quilt Show where the whole town is decked out with antique quilts, new quilts, quilted clothing, table runners, wall hangings, and more. The Autumn Leaf Festival, first held in 1964, continues to be a favorite. This event includes a parade with floats and bands, a craft bazaar, a spaghetti feed, and a Mozart concert. Leavenworth celebrates May Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and the 4th of July. They hold weekend events that highlight accordions, harps, salmon, birding, and biking. A quick check of the website will tell travelers which weekend will be most fun for them. The Christmas market, Christkindlmarkt, opens the weekend after Thanksgiving. People not only come to fill their Santa list, they also come to fill themselves with traditional and ethnic foods like bratwurst and roasted chestnuts. Leavenworth’s Christmas Lighting Festival brings busloads of people to see thousands of twinkling lights outlining the pointy rooflines and decorating the evergreens. The sounds, scents, and tastes of Christmas lure visitors from everywhere, including such celebrities as St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, and Father Christmas.
January folks come for the Bavarian Ice Fest. One of the unusual competitions is smooshing. Teams of four race down the street with all of their feet strapped to a pair of eight foot boards. Outdoor recreation includes nearly any winter activity one can think of – Nordic skiing, downhill skiing, snow cat rides, snowshoe treks, skating, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, and dogsled races. Spending a night or several in one of the lovely lodges, motels, or bed and breakfast inns adds to the experience. Nothing beats a steamy beverage, sipped on a balcony overlooking the twinkling lights of the mountain village. The only thing you don’t want to do at Leavenworth is drive through without stopping. ISI
PAGE 14 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Why Diabetic Shoes Are Important By Linda Roberts, CO, CFm Your doctor has prescribed diabetic shoes and you say to yourself, “Why do I need special shoes? I know I have diabetes, but what is so special about diabetic shoes?” In 1993, Congress passed the Therapeutic Shoe Bill and amended Medicare statutes to provide partial reimbursement for extra depth shoes and accommodative inserts for qualifying Medicare beneficiaries. At that time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had estimated that approximately 86,000 lower-limb amputations would occur annually due to diabetes, and experts agreed that wearing appropriate, properly fitted footwear might diminish the possibility of amputation. Diabetes as it progresses can affect all systems in your body. One common effect of diabetes is foot complications due to poor cir-
culation. Poor circulation is one of the causes of neuropathy in diabetics, a loss of feeling or protective sensation in the extremities that often presents in the lower extremities. Foot complications such as blisters, calluses, or sores can result from the shear forces (friction) created from improperly fitted or inappropriately styled shoes. If not given proper care, these complications can become serious. Because of poor circulation, antibodies in the bloodstream may not be reaching the problem area adequately, thereby inhibiting healing. Wearing properly fitted extra depth shoes with an accommodative insert that achieves total contact with the bottom of the foot can help protect the foot from these shear forces. Shoes that are appropriate for the diabetic foot are also known as extra depth shoes. Some of the largest differences between regular shoes
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and diabetic shoes are that diabetic shoes are deeper top to bottom and rounder in the toe box than regular shoes. Diabetic shoes are generally lighter weight than comparably styled regular shoes, and manufacturers strive to create an interior of the shoe that will not irritate sensitive feet. When a patient is fitted with diabetic shoes, the medical professional will usually provide what is called an accommodative insert or orthotic. These are typically manufactured over a mold of the patient’s foot and then fitted into the shoe and to the patient’s foot. This orthotic provides the total contact for the bottom of the foot that is so important in reducing shear forces. It not only provides support for the foot, it also will accommodate (hence the name) areas of the foot that are particularly sensitive. The extra depth in diabetic shoes provides room for the total contact accommodative inserts. Circulatory issues causing foot problems may not affect all diabetics or may not create problems until the disease has progressed significantly, however, since this is such a common issue, proper foot care and wearing appropriate footwear are important for all diabetics. Diabetic shoes are available in many styles and colors – dressy or casual. While these are not high fashion shoes and may not be considered exactly stylish by many, advances in design and construction have created attractive and protective footwear for most lifestyles. Linda Roberts is a Certified Orthotist and Mastectomy Fitter. ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15
Why Does Breast Cancer Spread? By Alex White Breast cancer can spread to any part of your body through the blood and lymphatic system. The metastasis of breast cancer cells is what makes the disease very dangerous. Metastasis means the cancer cells have traveled from the place of origin, i.e. the breast, to other parts of the body. When the cancer cells travel from the breast to the underarm lymph nodes, it is still considered an early stage of breast cancer and it has a high potential to be completely cured. With surgery and treatment there is a very high chance that all the disease can be completely eradicated from the body. When the cancer cells travel beyond the lymph nodes to other distant parts of the body, the patient is said to have distant metastasis. The bones, lungs, and liver are the most commonly affected places in the body to which breast Cancer cells spread. Though treatment is available for breast cancer and for metastatic
breast cancer, once the cancer has traveled beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodules, it can no longer be totally cured. Scientists have discovered a molecule that could be the main reason behind the spreading of breast cancer cells to different parts of the body. The molecule known as Brk is found in almost 60% of breast cancers and they accelerate the growth of the tumor cells, encouraging metastasis to other parts of the body. The study was conducted on breast cancer patients who had extremely poor responses to the treatments. The Brk molecule was found in very high concentrations in these patients, which means that not only does it cause the cancer to grow more aggressively; it also encourages its rapid spread to other parts of the body. Another crucial finding of the study was that tumor cells died when the Brk molecule was inhibited, but the cancer cells re-emerged when the molecule was introduced again. This points to a significant level of involvement that the Brk
Are You Living With Lung Disease? You Are Not Alone! In the U.S. alone, over 26 million adults have a chronic lung disease such as COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, or lung cancer. Because these chronic conditions do not have a cure, learning to manage lung disease is important. Better Breathers Clubs help by providing patientfocused, community-based educational opportunities and support. The American Lung Association’s Better Breathers Clubs offer a welcoming venue for people with COPD or another chronic lung disease who often feel alone and isolated. Together,
members learn the skills that help them manage their condition and improve their quality of life. Monthly meetings also provide the opportunity to share tips and resources with others who have lung disease. Better Breathers Clubs are a free resource to anyone with chronic lung disease and their family members, friends, and caregivers. To find a club near you go to lungidaho.org or contact Kera Goold, Lung Health Manager, at kgoold@lungmtpacific.org or at 208-345-2209. ISI
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molecule has in encouraging the breast cancer cells to survive, grow, and spread. Scientists are currently studying how exactly the Brk molecule promotes the growth of breast cancer cells so that they can develop ways to prevent that from happening. The findings are quote encouraging and shed new light on the age-old battle against cancer. ISI
PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Without A Leg To Stand On – A Personal Chronicle of Bilateral Knee Replacement By A. Burke The moment of reckoning with my worn-out knees occurred several Thanksgivings ago when I rose from the table after dinner and both knees buckled – no, I hadn’t eaten that much. With the cartilage long gone, weight-bearing surfaces were bone-on-bone. Steroid injections no longer helped, and my knees collapsed more often when descending the stairs in my split-level house making a serious fall just a step away. Also, my orthopedist was nearing retirement, and I wanted him to fix my knees. The time had come for replacements. During an office visit, I half-jokingly asked him, “Do I get a discount if you replace both at the same time?” Then our talk turned serious. Out of the 250+ replacements he performs each year, more than ten percent are bilateral, although the national rate is closer to six percent. He said recent studies showed bilateral (both knees) and single knee replacements share similar long-term success rates and recovery times. Risks with
bilateral surgery are a higher danger of blood clots and cardiac complications, but a lower risk of infection than undergoing two separate operations. Replacing one knee at a time means two surgeries performed a number of months apart, resulting in essentially double the full recovery time, while bilateral replacement, although initially more difficult, significantly shortens total recovery – perhaps as much as a year. “Because you’re in relatively good health and motivated,” the doc said, “I’ll do it.” One anesthetic, one hospital stay, a year or less out of my life instead of two? That sounded good to me, so I decided to go for it. Evidently, my insurance company agreed – of course, they want to save money. Normally, the hospital stay is one to three days after surgery. However, because my home had so many stairs, the insurer approved a twenty-seven-day stay in a residential care facility. Obviously, bilateral replacement
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saved them a bundle if they were willing to spring for that cost. Not exactly a BOGO deal, but close. When I told people, they invariably exclaimed, “Both? At the same time? You’re brave.” But their eyes said, “You’re nuts!” “What about the pain?” my friends and family asked. “How will you get around with no good leg to stand on?” Knee replacement veterans I talked with affirmed that after the first 7-10 days, pain was not a significant problem. Many even reported immediate relief from agony they had endured for years. F o r t u n a t e l y, modern surgical medicine has reversed its oncebarbaric stance on pain – no literal biting of the bullet a la John Wayne. Nowadays, experts agree that uncontrolled pain impedes healing, mobility, and recovery time – so narcotics are given as needed. The day after surgery, I was up with painkillers on board and shuffling behind a walker experiencing discomfort but not pain. Additionally, I spent three hours a day per knee hooked up to a continuous passive motion machine that gradually bent and straightened my new joints and prevented stiffness. But about that pain. Four days out of surgery, I felt good enough to skip the drugs and jauntily pushed my walker down the hall to the first serious physical therapy session. Big mistake. Twelve long hours later, the pain finally decreased to bearable. I learned my lesson the hard way – do not omit five milligrams of prevention! As the nurses explained, it is much easier to prevent pain than get it back under control once
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
it’s raging. How right they were. From then on, I faithfully took a pill one hour before each PT session. Depending on the person, the effects of the drugs can vary widely. While miraculous, they can hamper concentration, coordination, and memory. Also, some effects can persist for a time after stopping the meds, and the general anesthesia hangover can linger. Be conservative about when you get behind the wheel following surgery and make sure your judgment and reflexes are very close to normal. In retrospect, I probably should have waited longer before getting back behind the wheel. Another side effect for me was disrupted appetite. Only homemade chicken soup tasted good. I lived on it for weeks and dropped a few pounds – one positive side effect! And get out the Metamucil – the pain meds can prompt constipation. Physical therapy – words that can strike fear in the heart with good reason. It’s painful, but necessary. I was warned by a friend to keep up exercises. After replacement of his first knee, he slacked off and never regained full range of motion. The second time, he stuck with the program and achieved much better results. I’m following his advice. At the gym whiling away hours on the stationary bike, I’ve met a new circle of bionic friends. Curiously, it seems women are more likely to undergo bilateral replacements while men generally do one knee at a time. Men usually say, “Women are tougher and braver.” They’re too tactful to say, “And crazier.” Also, many surgeons will only perform single replacements. At six months out of surgery, I easily walk four miles a day. My knees no longer give out when I descend stairs. But I’m impatient with slow progress in range of motion. At times, pain returns, and during those moments, I wonder that the people who thought I was nuts were right. Knowing what I know now, would I still choose bilateral knee replacement? Yes. Mostly I’m grateful I don’t have to face a second surgery nor second round of PT. Would I recommend bilateral knee replacement? Yes, with reservations. One needs to be healthy, physically active, and motivated with a high level of determination and discipline. The drugs work very well, but pain can still be an issue. Most importantly, your recovery is up to you – not the surgeon or medical staff. Although this adventure proved harder than I expected, over the long haul I am glad my rickety old parts were replaced with shiny new ones. This article is based on the author’s personal experience and is not intended as medical advice. Coincidentally, the editor also recently had bilateral knee replacement, and his experience is also reflected in the article. Only you and your physician determine whether single or bilateral knee replacement is appropriate for you. In either case, chicken soup is always appropriate. Tips Before Surgery • Lose weight. Each pound reduces four pounds of pressure on knee joints. In the three months before surgery, I lost twenty pounds... of pressure. That sound better than, uh, five pounds, doesn’t it? • Exercise, exercise, exercise! Walk. Ride a bike. Swim. Do yoga. Any activity that strengthens leg muscles, especially quadriceps and hamstrings, will help support those new knees, speed healing, and get you back to regular activities. • Eat healthy, high-protein, iron-rich foods like red meat, fish, beans, cereals, pasta, and leafy green veggies like spinach. Building up your blood prepares your body for the insult of surgery, as medics term it. Stock the freezer
with homemade chicken soup for when you come home. On a queasy tummy, when you’re in pain, nothing tastes better. • Don’t be discouraged – there may be setbacks, fatigue, low energy, etc. but these will pass with work and positive thinking. A Private Moment in the Privy Far and away the most frequent and challenging post-surgical exercise I performed was getting on and off the commode. Modern hospitals and rehab facilities are built to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards of seventeen to nineteen inches from floor to toilet seat. But what happens when you go home? Your own bathroom likely features a model only fourteen to sixteen inches high. Believe me, on tender new knees, those few inches feel like yards. Help comes in elevated toilet seats on extended legs or risers that fit over your existing fixture. Different configurations are available from medical supply houses. Make this #1 on your to-do list even before your surgery. Depending on the layout of your bathroom, you may be able to pull yourself up using the bathroom counter or a walker. Another useful tool can be adjustable hiking sticks to relieve pressure on your knees as you rise from the commode. If remodeling your home, consider installing high-rise toilets. Grab bars, handrails, ramps, and other handicapped adaptations to your residence can be deductible from your taxes. Out of Pocket and Worth Every Penny My insurance declined to cover computeraided surgical navigation and massage therapy, both of which proved to be wise investments. Computer-aided navigation helps to position precisely the prosthetic device and avoids the surgeon’s reliance on experience only for correct alignment, thus avoiding knees that work, but not at their maximum efficiency. Computer-aided navigation also reduces blood loss and the need for transfusions, a possible complication when drilling into the femur. While signing consent forms, I asked how much extra computer navigation cost. The answer: $312. I couldn’t sign fast enough – would I pay a lousy $300 out-ofpocket to avoid the dangers of a blood transfusion? You bet! As computeraided navigation becomes more common, I hope insurance companies will spring for the small cost in return for large savings in complications. Although massage is gaining acceptance, it is still considered “alternative therapy” – a euphemism for reimbursement denied. Though nurses packed my knees in ice like frozen salmon right after surgery, swelling remained a problem. I called a massage therapist. After an hour of her ministrations, fifteen pounds of fluid dropped overnight.
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17
Swelling in my knees reduced by a measurable four inches each. With puffiness gone, they bent more easily. My anklebones reappeared as if by magic. Pain receded to mere discomfort. One desperate evening, I had to call the masseuse for an emergency session after a failed attempt to lift me off an exercise machine with the seat set too low. I was thrown off balance, and pain seared through my legs as my scream echoed in the rafters. Almost instantly, both knees blew up like footballs. Again, the massage therapist performed near-miracles in pain reduction and swelling. The following day, I was able to walk again… giving a wide berth to that low-rider machine. Without that dear, gentle masseuse, my progress would have been slower and more painful. Air travel after joint replacement My prostheses of cobalt, chrome, and titanium set off alarms in the metal detectors at my small hometown airport, so I routinely endure the wand, pat-downs, and suspicious looks from other passengers. Yet whole body scanners at larger airports don’t blink at my new knees, and guards wave me through without a second glance. So, be prepared to spend extra time in security just in case your artificial joints cause a fuss. The silver lining can be early boarding along with people with infants and those “needing a little extra time.” How sweet it is! ISI
PAGE 18 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Preserve the Harvest for Winter Meals and Holiday Gifts By Melinda Myers The cucumbers have filled the vegetable drawer, you’ve run out of cabbage recipes, and your family is refusing to eat one more BLT. Or maybe you just couldn’t resist that special deal on a bushel of tomatoes, potatoes, or apples at the farmer’s market. So what is a gardener or shopper to do with all that produce? Since properly stored vegetables will hold their flavor and nutritional value longer than those left in a plastic bag or set on the sunny kitchen counter, consider preserving some for the long winter ahead using one of several methods. Storage orchard racks and slatted crates placed in a cool dark location have long been used to store squash, onions, and potatoes. The stackable nature or drawers provide ample storage space, so fruits and vegetables do not touch. Keeping stored fruit separated prevents rot from spreading from one fruit to the next. Plus, the slatted sides allow airflow to extend storage longevity. Those in colder climates can store their carrots and parsnips right in the garden. Once the soil gets a bit crunchy, cover them with straw or evergreen boughs for easier digging in winter. Then dig as needed or harvest during the first winter thaw. If this isn’t possible or not your style, try out a root vegetable storage bin. The root crops are layered in sand or sawdust and placed in a cool dark location. Just remove and use as needed. No snow shoveling needed. Drying is one of the oldest food preservation techniques. Most of us have grabbed a few bundles of herbs to hang and dry. Expand your drying
endeavors to include fruits and vegetables. The goal is quickly to remove moisture without cooking the food. You can make your own dehydrator or purchase one. Research has shown that blanching vegetables and fruit before drying helps destroy harmful bacteria. Blanching involves a steam or boiling water bath followed by a cold-water bath. Timing varies with the fruit or vegetable you are preparing. Another ancient food preservation technique, fermentation, is experiencing a comeback. Cultures around the world have fermented fruits and
vegetables for thousands of years. Unique flavors, storage options, and health benefits have many gardeners revisiting this tradition. Fermenting cucumbers into pickles, cabbage into sauerkraut, and berries into preserves are just a few options. The ingredients can be as simple as water, salt, and
spices. All you need is a vessel, vegetables and fermenting culture. You can jump-start your efforts with a fermentation crock kit (gardeners.com) that includes the crock, cover, and weights to make sure your veggies stay safely submerged in water. Or quickly lock in the flavor and nutrition of your fruits and vegetables with freezing. You’ll need airtight containers or bags that are durable, don’t leak and won’t become brittle in cold temperatures. Some produce does not freeze well and others may need to be blanched before they are packed in the freezer bag or container. But frozen items can easily be retrieved from the freezer and included in your winter meals. Canning is a bit more involved, but can be lots of fun. This process preserves the food and keeps it safe by preventing the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeast, and mold. The sealed jars keep the flavor in and bad microorganisms out. So gather your produce, jars, pressure cooker, canner, and friends to create tomato sauce, salsa, jams, and jellies to enjoy or give as gifts. Whatever method you choose, do a bit of research before you start. You’ll have greater success and a lot more fun. The National Center for Home Food Preservation website, http://nchfp.uga.edu, provides all the basic information for storage and food preservation. Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author, & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips. ISI
Classic DVDs: John Wayne
By Mark Fee I have always had a sneaky affection for John Wayne. I did not care for his politics in the sixties and seventies, but as I grew older and matured, I came to respect them and recognize their value. He was a patriot and stood by his beliefs. I’m glad he did. He was a tall man, very imposing, and he was a professional, as tough as some of the characters he played. His film legacy includes some of the best films ever made. The Westerns he made with John Ford are mythic. They have endured with a sweeping, somewhat romantic vision of the American West. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) was one of his and Wayne’s best films. The film was shot in black and white and generally ignored when it was released. It was an odd film for Wayne in that he plays a lesser role to Jimmy Stewart who plays a lawyer who comes out West and encounters the viscous Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Wayne kills Valance. The public believes Stewart killed Valance. Stewart becomes a Senator; Wayne fades into the distance. It is a haunting, melancholic achievement. Wayne’s performance in The Searchers (1956) had the most impact on me as a young man and later, as film critic. Wayne plays a bitter Confederate veteran, who returns to his brother’s home on the staked plains of Texas. The Comanche attack his brother’s homestead. Wayne and Ward Bond, as a
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Texas Ranger/minister pursue the Indians. Jeffrey Hunter plays Wayne’s half-breed nephew. The film is a shatteringly intense masterwork. Not all of his Wayne’s films were great. Some like the unbelievably ludicrous Howard Hawks epic, The Conqueror (1956) were shallow and wretched. Wayne was an unthinkable choice to play Genghis Khan. The Legend of the Lost (1957) was almost as bad. Voluptuous Sophia Loren was the film’s saving grace. Wayne’s vision of the Vietnam War, The Green Berets (1967) was a potboiler with an abysmal screenplay. Two of Wayne’s last films, Cahill U.S. Marshall (1973) and McQ (1974) were mediocre. His last film, Don Siegel’s The Shootist (1976) was almost an elegy. Wayne died not long after the film was completed. I have listed some of my favorite John Wayne films. I never tire of viewing them. You cannot say that about most actors’ films. Wayne was unique, and his presence is missed in film, today. In Hondo ((1953) Wayne plays a rough cavalry scout, who inadvertently becomes involved with a woman and her son. The woman (Geraldine Page) is on friendly terms with the Apache and oblivious
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19
to signs of war. She and her son are well liked by the Apache chief, Vittorio. Her husband is away buying horses. Wayne takes her and her son under his care. They narrowly escape the Apache. An extremely well made Western. NR; 3½ stars. In Rio Bravo (1959), Wayne plays Sheriff John Chance. He enlists the town drunk, (Dean Martin), an elderly jail keeper (Walter Brennan), and young gunslinger (Ricky Nelson) to hold off a local rancher and his men. Chance has the rancher’s brother in jail. Angie Dickinson plays a woman gambler, who is asked to leave town. Chance falls for the lady. Dean Martin is a former deputy, who Wayne and Brennan rehabilitate the hard way. Superb Western. NR; 3½ stars. William Holden plays a reluctant surgeon, who teams up with Wayne in John Ford’s classic Civil War adventure, The Horse Soldiers (1959). Based on a true story, Wayne leads Union troops deep into Confederate territory to eliminate a rebel supply base. Holden doesn’t agree with Wayne’s medical treatment of his men, and they develop a somewhat humorous, combative relationship. NR; 3 stars.
Wayne plays a Texas Ranger in Michael Curtiz’s boisterous The Comancheros (1961). He is sent to extradite gambler Stuart Whitman. Whitman accidentally becomes a Ranger when the Comanche attack a friendly homestead used by the Rangers. White men known as Comancheros ride and trade with the Indians. Lee Marvin has a small but funny and violent role, as a trader. Elmer Bernstein’s film score is rousing and unforgettable. Outstanding, generally ignored Western. NR; 3½ stars. In Big Jake (1971), Wayne plays a legendary rancher, who abandoned his family. He is enlisted by his former wife Maureen O’Hara to track ruthless killer, Richard Boone and his men. Boone has stolen Wayne’s grandson and is holding him for ransom. As Wayne’s former wife, O’Hara is majestic – filled with mirth and gall. Wayne has never been better as the stubborn, brutally efficient Big Jake. A violent, but wonderful Western and very funny. Rated PG; 3 stars. There will never be another John Wayne. So until the next time, grab some popcorn and enjoy these great Wayne classics. ISI
How to Choose a Home Stair Lift By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, My wife is having an increasingly difficult time going up and down the stairs in our house. We are interested in purchasing a stair lift, but aren’t sure what to get or where to look. Can you help us? Need a Lift Dear Need, A good home stair lift is a wonderful solution for people with mobility issues who have trouble with steps. A stair lift will carry your wife up and down the stairs in a safe seated position, giving her easy access to the second story or basement level of your home. But with so many options available, how do you choose one that best meets your needs and budget. Here are a few shopping tips along with some good companies that offer them. Types of Lifts. There are two basic types of stair lifts sold today: straight and curved. The type you need will depend upon the design of your staircase. A straight stair lift is one that travels in a straight line up a flight of stairs uninterrupted by landings, bends, or curves and costs between $3,000 and $5,000 installed. Curved lifts, however, are much more elaborate and will go around corners, bends, and changes in direction. Curved lifts are also much more expensive typically running between $10,000 and $15,000 or more depending on the complexity of the installation. Also available through certain companies are weatherproof lifts for outdoor steps, and standing stair lifts (called perch lifts) for those who have trouble bending their knees. You also need to know that all stair lifts mount to the stair treads, not to the wall, so they are very sturdy and can be installed in almost any home. If your wife is a large person, you may need to get her a heavy-duty lift with a wider seat and bigger lifting capacity – all companies offer them. Or, if she’s tall, find out about raising the seat height during installation. Most stair lifts available today also have seats, armrests, and footplates that fold up out of the way, plus swivel seats that make getting into and out of the chair easier. They also come with standard safety features like seatbelts, braking systems, footrest sensors, push-button or rocker-switch controls located on the armrest for easy operation, and “call send” controls that allow you to call or
send the unit to the other end of the stairs. Make sure the lift you choose has all these features. Depending on the company, you may also have the option of choosing between an electric (AC) and a battery powered (DC) stair lift. Battery powered units charge at the base station (some recharge anywhere on the track) are quieter, smoother, and better than electric lifts, and will work even if there’s a power failure in the home. Where to Shop. While there are many companies that make, sell and install stair lifts, the most respected in the industry are Bruno (bruno.com, 866-345-7537) and Stannah (stannahstairlifts. com, 800-877-8247), followed by Harmar (harmar. com, 800-833-0478) and Sterling (handicare.com, 866-276-5438). Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover stair lifts, but many states offer Medicaid waivers that will pay for lifts to those that qualify, and the VA offers cash grants to veterans with disabilities for home safety improvements. To save some money, you may want to consider purchasing a used or refurbished model. Or, if you need a stair lift for only a short period, consider renting one. Most companies offer these options, and many offer financing programs too. To get started, contact some stair lift companies who will put you in touch with a dealer in your area. All dealers provide free in-home assess-
ments and estimates, and can help you choose an appropriate lift. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the Today Show and author of The Savvy Senior book. ISI
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Aging in Place Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Family Features) – Most people prefer to stay in their home or apartment for as long as possible. The best way to make this a reality is to plan to make the amenities in your home as safe and accessible as possible. Home Modifications Living at home longer may mean renovating a home to make it more accessible. This can include such things as installing ramps to bypass stairs, building a bedroom on the main floor, placing grab bars in the shower, changing the height of kitchen countertops, or making a bathroom safer and more accessible. The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modifications is a good resource for those looking to make such modifications. Go to the center’s website at www. homemods.org and click on the link to the “Safety Checklist and Assessment Instrument.”
Getting Help Keeping a house running smoothly requires a lot of hard work. If you are no longer able to keep up with the demands, you may need to hire someone to do laundry, buy groceries, run errands, clean the house, or perform repairs. There are a number of services that can be brought in to assist. You can hire someone, such as a personal care aide or home health aide, to help you out a few hours a day or around the clock. Transportation Declining health often causes a decline in independence and mobility. Many older people lose the ability to drive or simply feel uncomfortable behind the wheel at night. Investigate transportation options in your area so you can maintain an active social life, get medical care, and shop for necessities. Finding new ways to get around, even after you are no longer driving, may allow you to stay engaged and active. ISI
Where Are They Now – Robert Conrad?
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By Marshall J. Kaplan The one time television tough guy, has been retired for ten years, but may, just may be returning to the big screen in the next year. Robert Conrad was born Conrad Robert Falkowski on March 1, 1935 in Chicago to Polish parents. His mother was fifteen years old when she gave birth to Robert and named him after her father. He contributed to the household income by driving a milk truck and singing in Chicago cabarets. An up-and-coming actor and friend, Nick Adams, convinced Conrad to head to Hollywood. It was actually Nick who helped Robert get his first role – a bit part in the 1958 B-movie, Juvenile Jungle. After a handful of smaller film roles at Warner Brothers, Conrad took advantage of the studio’s recording division – seeing that he had sung in Chicago. Conrad released a variety of recordings during the late 1950s and early 1960s with moderate success. He finally achieved success on television when he was cast as Detective Tom Lopaka on the weekly adventure series Hawaiian Eye. With its exotic locale and sexy Connie Stevens, the show was a hit, lasting for four seasons (1959-1963) and 134 episodes. After the show ended, Conrad, found it was difficult to get work. Like many other actors during this period, he too found himself heading off to Europe to appear in Spanish films, He also toured a Western Montana’s Only nightclub act in Australia 55+ Community and Mexico. During this time, Conrad was married to Joan Kenlay. The couple had five children. Upon returning to the U.S., Conrad was given the role he is best known for, Secret Service Agent James T. West on The Wild, Wild West. The show was a huge hit due to the show’s twist – a sort of James Bond on horseback. Set during the administration of President Grant, the series followed Secret Service Agents James West and Artemus Gor-
don (played by Ross Martin) as they solved crimes and protected the President. Conrad was earning $5,000 a week during the show’s four-year (19651969) run. After West, Conrad appeared on a few failed television shows and guest appearances. It was almost 10 years later, when he had his third stroke of TV luck playing WWII fighter ace, Pappy Boyington in Black Sheep Squadron (1976-1978). “James West was one of my favorites. But I embraced the roles in my three television series with equal enthusiasm. When I was doing Hawaiian Eye, I learned to surf in Hawaii and I learned about Hawaiian culture. When I did The Wild Wild West, I learned to do stunts and ended up doing all my own stunts which I enjoyed. And when I did Black Sheep Squadron, I learned to fly and became a pilot. And subsequently every role I had I tried to be as close to what I was portraying as possible.” After Squadron ended, Conrad became widely known for his Eveready battery commercials, where he prompts the viewer to knock a battery off his shoulder saying, “Come on, I dare ya!” To this day, it seems Conrad is remembered more for this commercial than for all of his other television roles. In 1977 Conrad and his wife divorced. He then married LaVelda Fann in 1983. The couple had three children and was divorced in 2010. Conrad has continued to appear on television specials or short-lived series. His most prominent role since Squadron was as G. Gordon Liddy in the 1982 made-for-TV movie of the same name. On March 31, 2003, while on Hwy 4 in the California Sierra foothills, Conrad drove his Jaguar over the center median and slammed into a Subaru driven by 26-year-old Kevin Burnett. Both men suffered serious injuries. Tried on felony charges, Conrad pleaded no contest and was convicted of drunk driving. He was sentenced to six months of house confinement, alcohol counseling, and five years probation. A civil suit filed by Burnett was settled the following year for an undisclosed amount. In 2005, Burnett died at age 28 from perforated ulcers, which his family attributed to his difficult recovery from the crash. Conrad currently lives in Bear Valley, California where he works with a volunteer rescue organization and hosts a weekly radio talk show on CRN Digital Talk Radio. ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21
Ex-Burglar Reveals What Makes Your Home a Good Target By Teresa Ambord this when you travel and leave your electronics in your An air conditioner in a window is On a recent episode of 20/20, reporters interhotel room. viewed a reformed home burglar, to find out what thief bait. Not because he wants the • Front door access. Believe it or not, the most makes a home a good target. They took him on a common entry point for burglars is the front door. Don’t AC, but because he knows it can ride through a neighborhood and asked him to spot rely on your neighbors to notice. Not to suggest your easily be pushed inside or pulled neighbors aren’t reliable, but they are busy living their the security mistakes homeowners make and what he saw them doing right. How does your house match own lives. It’s very common for a burglar to just walk outside, leaving him an open up? window and access to get inside. up and knock on a door to see if anyone is home. As Here are some of the key points he made. long as he doesn’t act suspicious, he may be able to let • Security systems. A sign on a lawn or home himself into your backyard without drawing suspicion. stating the home has a security system really does help, said 20/20. After • Hiding place for valuables. Rarely used valuables should be in a safe all the thief values his freedom and wants to be reasonably sure he can get deposit box. But for those items you keep at home, thieves go right to the in and out. typical hiding places for cash and jewelry, such as the dresser drawer in the However, he added a warning: many homeowners who have paid for master bedroom. Instead, put your valuables in an unlikely container in an security systems fail to turn them on when they leave the home. They forget. unlikely place, for example, a shoebox stored in your child’s closet. They think they’ll only be gone a short while, so what’s the harm? But the Don’t Make it Easy for Burglars to Target Your Home. Besides the average home burglary takes ten minutes. A determined thief can get in and front door, common entry points for home burglaries are first floor windows, out while you run to the corner for milk. the back door, and the garage. One way to help secure entries that include • “Beware of dog” signs. These are surprisingly effective. Of course, if glass is by installing glass-break sensors. With wireless technology, sensors you really don’t have a dog, a thief who suspects that may be the case may detect the sound and feel of window glass breaking and set off an alarm that spend time watching the home to find out. This wasn’t mentioned on the could send burglars running. show, but there is also anecdotal evidence that if a thief sees a large dog If you don’t have deadbolts already, they are an essential part of home dish or a heavy dog toy, or a large pair of men’s boots on the porch or in the security. Plus, having deadbolts at entry points may qualify you for a discount yard, he might think twice and decide your house isn’t worth the risk. on your homeowner insurance. • Cover. Privacy for you = cover for thieves. Many houses provide natural Don’t forget outdoor lighting, like motion-sensing floodlights, and solarattractions for burglars because bushes, hedges and some trees create an powered pathway lights. Both of these are inexpensive and may not require obstructed view that gives a thief cover where he can get in and out of your special installation. Some motion sensing lights can simply be plugged in. home unseen. If necessary, he can also sit unnoticed while he picks your Forget hiding a key outside. You may think your hiding place is clever, locks. but remember, for some thieves this is a full-time occupation, so if any place • Window air conditioners. An air conditioner in a window is thief bait. you can think to hide a key, they can think to find it. Better to leave a key Not because he wants the AC, but because he knows it can easily be pushed with a trusted neighbor. ISI inside or pulled outside, leaving him an open window and access to get inside. • Home repair equipment. You may have an ongoing project in your backyard that requires the use of a ladder. By leaving the ladder accessible, you’re giving thieves a way to gain entry to second floor windows, which are less likely to be locked. • Electronics. A home burglar will look for electronic devices that have chargers with them. If the charger is not there, he may opt not to take a device, even if it is expensive. It’s just not worth the hassle and cost to replace the charger, and the value of the item without the charger is substantially lower, according to 20/20. So store your chargers elsewhere. Remember
PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Another Take on Home Sweet Home By Billy and Akaisha Kaderli Housing, and the cost of it, is the biggest conundrums to face when creating your personal retirement dream. You could be asking yourself questions such as the following: Should we keep our home and all the corresponding expenses? Maybe we need to downsize so we can afford retirement. Do I want to relocate somewhere different all together; a place with bet-
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ter weather and lower cost of services? How about if we travel part time, or not own a home at all and rent instead? The good news is that no matter where you are in the assessment of your needs both financially and emotionally on this topic, there are solutions that will fit. Look below at some of our viable suggestions for the retirement housing challenge. Keeping your home – If you want to mix travel opportunities with keeping your permanent residence, you could do a home exchange with other homeowners around the world. This is a win-win situation, as you will be saving money on lodging while on vacation, and your own home will be taken care of while you are away. Neither party in the exchange has to worry about their own plants, pets, or other maintenance requirements during their stay. If keeping your home is a priority in the retirement equation, but finances are a consideration, some people are choosing to rent out a room, a
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section of their home, or a cottage on their property on a more-or-less permanent basis. This works especially well if your home town has appealing tourist options like a winery, professional sports, museums, mountains to climb, or a beach. In this way, you could host a tourist and charge for their lodging, or take on a roommate. Downsizing – If downsizing suits you better, how does one go about it? Do you want to downsize and live in the same town or state? Would you rather find states or countries with better costs of living, better weather, and friendlier tax policies? Maybe you like the urban style, living right in the city with restaurants, gyms, and shopping all within walking distance. Find information here on Income Tax Friendly States (govspot.com/know/incometax.htm) , ‘Worry-Free’ Housing (retireearlylifestyle.com/a_a_ communities.htm), or the 100-best-places-to-retire (topretirements.com/blog/great-towns/100-bestplaces-to-retire-for-2013.html/). Travel Is for Me – If you are one of those who would like to make up for lost time and travel through your later years, you don’t have to give up luxury. There are countless house sitting (retireearlylifestyle.com/trustedhousesitters.htm) opportunities where you could care for a home for weeks or months at a time. Or hit the road in an RV or live on a boat! The Perpetual Question – No matter what you choose to do today, time accumulates, and life moves on. One day you might find yourself in need of assisted living or long-term care. This is the housing consideration years down the road. You could choose to age in place, join communities that provide for progressive care or move to a different, more affordable country (retireearlylifestyle.com/ continuing_care.htm) as this need presses. Wherever you find yourself with this perpetual question of housing, look at this housing options page (retireearlylifestyle.com/housing.htm) for a variety of choices that may fit your situation. Billy and Akaisha Kaderli are retirement experts and internationally published authors on topics of finance and world travel. They wrote the popular books, The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement and Your Retirement Dream IS Possible. ISI
It’s Football Season Submitted by Jim Meade Bubba went to Alabama on a football scholarship. He was a good running back, but a poor student. At graduation day, Bubba didn’t have enough credits. But he was a great football star and the students held a rally and demanded the dean give him a diploma anyway. They were so insistent that the dean agreed if Bubba could answer one question correctly, he would give him a diploma. The one question test was held in the auditorium and the students packed the place. It was standing room only. The dean was on the stage and told Bubba to come up. The dean had the diploma in his hand and said, “Bubba, if you can answer this question correctly I’ll give you your diploma.” Bubba said he was ready and the dean asked him the question. “Bubba,” he said, “How much is three times seven?” Bubba looked up at the ceiling and then down at his shoes, just pondering the question. The students began chanting, “Graduate him anyway! Graduate him anyway!” Then Bubba held up his hand and the auditorium became silent. Bubba said, “I think I know the answer. Three times seven is twenty-one.” A hush fell over the auditorium... and then the Alabama students began another chant. “Give him another chance!” ISI
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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Dennis Hamann Attracts Tractors Article & Photo By Cate Huisman On the Sunday morning before the Bonner County Fair, Dennis Hamann is up early to get his antique tractors ready for exhibition. “I usually take two or three tractors, and I’ll be taking my Model A truck.” This year, he’s bringing all Allis-Chalmers machines – The Model G “Grasshopper” is already loaded on the 1932 Ford AA truck; two friends are cleaning the D14 and filling it with gas; and a third is bringing the WD-45 down from the ”toy shed” above Dennis’s workshop. Dennis cannot quite put his finger on exactly how many tractors he has, or how he got them all.
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“I always bought used stuff, repaired used stuff... got it to run,” he explains. “They just kept coming – once people find out you’re doing it, you get calls.” One time he drove with a friend up north of Priest Lake to look at a piece of equipment the friend was thinking of buying. “There was an old tractor sitting in the shed. Got to looking at it, and well, I wound up buying it.” Then Dennis’s nephew found a 1934 McCormick Deering Model 14. “When we picked it up, it had ropes around the back tires to hold them on.” And someone gave him a little gray Gibson. “It came in boxes, all tore apart,” he relates with a smile. To be called an antique, a tractor must be at least 50 years old, at least in Dennis’s opinion. But even though all his toys are old, they look brand new. “All of these were taken down to the last bolt, nut, and all sandblasted and repainted,” he explains, showing a visitor an album of before-andafter photos. His crowded shop is perfectly set up to do this work. “That curtain there, I can let that down and set my sandblaster in there to sandblast the big parts, and then I clean it all out and use it as a paint booth.” Tractors tend to run certain colors depending on who made them. The Allis-Chalmers are bright orange; the Gibson is gray; Farmalls “were yellow until about 1940; after that they changed to red.” The McCormick Deering is red, and the Ford 8N Dennis used during the 27 years he ran cattle on this ranch outside of Sandpoint near Kootenai Bay is red and gray.
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When Dennis bought the 8N, he also bought “all the original equipment that came with it. You can find these tractors sitting all over the country, but you can’t find the attachments. They just disappeared over the years.” Dennis not only has them all, they all work. He’s got a sickle mower, a scythe, a side-delivery rake, 2-bottom plow, a six-foot tandem disk, and even a posthole digger. An unusual tool is hooked to the back of the D14 as it heads for the fair – a grain drill, which digs a hole, drops a kernel of grain in it, and then fills the hole as a drag chain runs over it. A smaller hopper and series of tubes attached to the same machine are used to plant grass seed. What’s unusual about this one is it’s run by a gear mounted on the tractor tire. In addition to the tractors and tools, Dennis has a couple of other vehicles that look brand new as well. A 1930 Model A Deluxe Ford coupe and a bright red 1915 Model T Ford sit in the midst of his workshop. “I sorta strayed on the color,” he says of the Model T, remembering Henry Ford’s maxim that customers could buy cars in any color, “as long as it’s black.” But the shiny red car looked festive recently when he used it to deliver his niece and her father during her wedding on the land below his house. To share the wealth, Dennis is a member of the Panhandle Antique Tractor and Engine Club. There are around 60 people in the club of which probably 50 of them don’t own tractors, but like to reminisce, talk, and help. Occasionally club members get together to put their vehicles through their paces. “We try to plow once a year, and we like to get
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
10 acres or more, just because of the amount of tractors that show up and parking. People have antique plows that they bring too, and we disced this year after we plowed.” But it isn’t all work. On “play days” they conduct the tractor equivalent of barrel races, drive the tractors in circles, compete to find out who can drive the slowest, and run blindfolded driving contests, where the driver is blindfolded and a brave rider behind him tells him which way to steer. Perhaps you are wondering about the word
“engine” in the club’s name. “They don’t usually go together; it just happened,” Dennis explains, and yes, he has quite a collection of engines, although again he is not sure how many. These include several Maytag engines that were once farm standbys, and a 1902 single-cylinder Gould water pump. He had asked a friend to be on the lookout for such “onelungers,” and “one fall he showed up and he had three of them. He sold me all three for the price of one, but it took all three to get one to run.”
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25
Dennis plans to donate the whole collection to the Bonner County Historical Society as soon as a new building is completed on recently donated land, although that’s probably still a few years off. ”Everything you see here goes to the museum,” he says – not just the tractors, but also the tools, trucks, cars, and engines as well. And what will he do with his newly empty workshop after that? “Have a dance,” Dennis says with a smile. ISI
A Strong Voice for Equality Article & Photo By Jack McNeel “I have lots of interest in culture and human rights. I’ve experienced it and it’s been interesting,” says Coeur d’Alene resident JoAnn Harvey. And indeed, JoAnn had been deeply involved in human rights issues for many years – in fact, since childhood. She is a founding member of the Human Rights Education Institute (HREI), a sister organization to Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations (KCTFHR). JoAnn was born on a ranch near Waha Lake in Webb, Idaho, southeast of Lewiston. Her mother was a Nez Perce tribal member and her father was of mixed heritage but referred to himself as Mexican. Although she saw discrimination directed at her father, it also directly affected JoAnn. “I did things for the tribe like being in regalia on floats and went to Joseph, Oregon representing the tribe but I wasn’t totally accepted because of my dad. I could not get a Native American scholarship because of my dad. “When I grew up I knew I was different – that my family was different. I didn’t notice it much in elementary grades but by the start of junior high it was very apparent but I didn’t understand discrimination very well. It’s been with me all my life.” JoAnn is not one to let such things hold her back. She learned to speak the Nez Perce language from her mother and grandmother. She also speaks Spanish and some French. She took language classes in school and summer vacations often took her family to Mexico. JoAnn graduated from Lapwai High School and talks of strong role models at the school who helped her understand she was okay and that she could handle any racial bias. Three white people were very important to helping her understand, the school superintendent, her third grade teacher, and a journalism teacher. “They really made a difference for me,” she explains. College began at Idaho State University but the cultural change did not fit and continued for a while at Eastern Washington University. She left before graduating and worked for Northwest Airlines in Washington, D.C. as a reservations agent. JoAnn married, had four youngsters, graduated from Eastern Washington University with a teach-
ing degree, and then earned a master’s degree from Gonzaga in organizational leadership. JoAnn has always been an outdoor person – a hunter, angler, and very physically active. She worked as the physical director at the Y in Coeur d’Alene and then opened a fitness center that she ran for six years. Then she realized that as a single woman with four youngsters she needed consistent work with health and retirement benefits. “That’s when teaching looked good,” she adds. After a year at the local Catholic school where she taught and coached the girls track team, she began teaching for the Coeur d’Alene school district. Idaho did not have kindergartens in schools at that time, and JoAnn wanted her child to have that opportunity. An old house on the Dalton Gardens school site was not being used, and the principal agreed to let JoAnn start a kindergarten class. It was successful, and JoAnn taught for six years, working with first grade teachers to prepare the kindergarteners to enter first grade. She continued to teach PE and health after those early years teaching kindergarten. The organizational leadership skills JoAnn learned at Gonzaga have helped her in working
with different people. “I was the only minority in most things I have done.” And she has done a lot! Since the 1980s, JoAnn has been a member of the board of the KCTFHR, which combined with the HREI are her passions she exclaims. And no matter the weather, for the last 20 years she has staffed the Kootenai County Fair booth for the two groups.
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“I love doing the booth at the fair. We don’t get into confrontation. Everybody’s entitled to his or her own opinion but this is one way to be visible to the public. That’s why the booth is so important.” JoAnn has also served on various national human rights committees plus training groups for
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
the National Education Association (NEA). She has chaired the American Indian/Alaskan Caucus twice for the NEA and has served on the board of directors for NEA. “That’s pretty much my background,” she says. “Coeur d’Alene is really changing. Now we have all kinds of ethnicity here but in many groups I’m still the only minority. A lot of people in this community do not understand they are biased. It was a white community for so long and now we have every ethnicity. A lot of people would rather see it the way it was. It is changing, and people need to evolve with it. “I’ve had a lot of experiences and not all have been subtle. You can choose to let them affect you or you learn to live with it. The fact is that the person that’s discriminating against someone else has the problem, not me.
“I feel competent in myself because I’ve gone to college and have interacted with people across the U.S. and other countries. The best thing I know to do something about it is by serving on these committees and doing what I can to educate other people.” JoAnn finds her energy through her work and her love of the outdoors, whether it is working on her three acre property or hunting way back in the hills. JoAnn Harvey is a strong woman, highly respected, well spoken, and dedicated to promoting equality and human rights. Her past has given her a direct look at biases and discrimination and her leadership in human rights issues is outstanding. With her work, a fishing rod or hunting rifle, and plenty of time to be outdoors, she is happy – a true Idaho woman. ISI
Allan Bopp, Chimney Sweep Article & Photo By Cate Huisman Wood smoke is a distinctive smell on a winter walk in Sandpoint. Numerous city residents and more in the outlying areas heat with wood – an abundant fuel in north Idaho. And with wood heat comes the need for a chimney sweep and a periodic chimney cleaning. For 37 years, Allan Bopp has been helping families stay warm and safe by providing that service. Allan is a study in black and white – mostly chimney sweep black – in black cargo pants and a black long-sleeved shirt. But, instead of the traditional chimney sweep’s black top hat, he wears a dark-colored Scotchman Peaks Wilderness baseball cap. The white is in his snowy beard and white ponytail plus half of a pair of
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mismatched knit work gloves (one white, the other blue), and sneakers that probably were once white. A silver dollar belt buckle and gold earring add a modicum of bling to the ensemble. Allan didn’t dream of going into this line of work while he was growing up in St. Louis. He intended to be a high school teacher, but he “got waylaid by the sixties” as he puts it. After two years of alternative service as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, he found various types of seasonal work: logging, planting trees, painting houses. He lived in a wood-heated home and learned to clean his own chimney. And then he cleaned his sister-in-law’s chimney, then friends’ chimneys, and soon he was putting ads in the paper offering to clean chimneys. “It was a part time, seasonal business initially,” he says, but eventually he found he could sweep chimneys full time and make a reasonable living. He invested in a Sears shop vac and a couple of brushes, and Bald Eagle Chimney Sweep was born. He chose the name “mostly because I just like bald eagles.”
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
Those whose image of a chimney sweep calls to mind the roof-dancing, soot-covered denizens of the Disney move Mary Poppins will find Allan’s methods less romantic but also much cleaner. He prepares for a job by first laying out drop cloths around the woodstove or fireplace, along with a set of flexible four-foot rods, a power drill, and his “spinning mechanism” – zip ties attached to a stainless steel hub. A second trip from his truck is required to bring in his industrial vacuum. Equipped with triple filters, the vacuum will inhale the dust, ash, and cinders he loosens from the inside of the chimney. “The vacuum cost twice as much as my first car did,” Allan remarks, remembering the ‘56 Chevrolet Bel Air coupe he bought in 1965 for $600. Next, he pulls the woodstove away from the chimney, making room to pull the stovepipe out of the wall. He attaches one end of a rod to his spinning mechanism, and then attaches the other end to the power drill. He guides the mechanism and vacuum hose into the chimney through the stovepipe hole and seals off the space around them with duct tape. Allan uses the rotation of the drill to feed the mechanism up the chimney while the vacuum sucks up the debris loosened by the spinning zip ties. When the rod has been fed almost all the way into the chimney and the drill is close to the stovepipe hole, he detaches the drill, attaches another rod to the first one, attaches the drill to the second rod, and fires up the power again. “A combination of these rods works for up to about a 25-foot chimney,” Allan says. Sometimes he finds more than soot and cinders in a chimney. “It’s not unusual to find bats stuck to the side,” he says, and yellow jackets and hornets often nest on chimney caps. The oddest animal he’s found was a wood duck, folded neatly into a six-by-ten-inch square masonry chimney. Smaller birds are not uncommon – mud swallows often choose to build their nests where a chimney opens out into a fireplace – and this can be a significant problem, since it’s against federal law to disturb nests of migratory species. When this happens, Allan backs off. “I tell people to leave them there, because it’s usually one of the swallow species that likes to do that, and call me about the middle of September. Since they’re migratory species, by mid September
they’ve usually gone where they’re going to go for winter.” Then he returns, cleans the chimney, and puts a cap on the top of it to prevent the birds from coming back. Nearly four decades in this line of work have taken their toll on Allan. Back when he used to work from the roof, constantly working the brushes up and down led to “chicken wing” issues. “If I had to get up on every single roof, my career would not extend too much further, just because it’s hard on my neck and shoulders.” But Allan rarely finds it necessary to go up on the
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27
four chimneys five days a week. “But I don’t want to just disappear and leave my customers, who are my friends. It would be weird not to see everybody every year.” So he takes several months off yearly, going south in the fall like many Sandpoint snowbirds – although not as far. He and his wife have a home near Ashland, Oregon, where they spend winters with their three dachshunds, Mozart, Melody, and Jewel. Allan likes being able to hike through the winters in southern Oregon; there is little snow where he lives, and Jewel likes to hike with him. When spring comes, like other migratory species, he returns north, there to help the northern species prepare for the winter that will inevitably return. ISI
roof any more. For several years, he’s used the drill, and now he works primarily from inside the Northern Idaho advanced Care Hospital house. Even so, at 67, he’s thinking of retiring “eventually.” “I’m not taking any new customers, but I’m still busier than I’d like to be,” he says. He’s cut back to three chimneys four days a week from YOUR CHOICE for advanced long-term ACUTE care. Our compassionate and highly-
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A Horse Trainer and a Little Red Mule
Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Ed and Ruth Burdick have spent their lives training horses for major horse tracks around the country, but this intriguing story is really about a little red mule named Czar. As Ruth explains, “If we hadn’t taken Czar we wouldn’t be here now. That mule totally changed our lives.” Ed came from Chicago to California when he was about eight and soon became interested in horseracing. By the age of 19 he knew what he wanted to do his whole life. “I wanted to be a trainer.” He’s done that due to some lucky breaks. “Everybody needs breaks. There are many great horsemen out there, much better than I am, but they just didn’t get the breaks to be around the best horses in the world. You need a little luck and you need a little help. I’ve been lucky we’ve had both.” The first man Ed worked for was the leading trainer in the world and he spent three years with him. He went on with other top trainers as well and
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PAGE 28 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
by the time he was 21 he already had his trainer’s license. “That’s the only job I ever did in my whole life.” Ed and Ruth had their own horse training business in California and both were trainers. Ed would occasionally be asked to go elsewhere to work for someone else including Frank Stronach, the largest breeder in Canada and ranked among the top three in the world. He worked with Golden Eagle Farms, one of the largest in California. Another was D. Wayne Lucas, the leading trainer in the nation several times and one who had the leading money winner many years. Through that connection Ed and Ruth had a lot of doors opened, and horses sent to them to train. They went to the Kentucky Derby with Lucas with a horse named Hard Tacks. “I’ve been pretty lucky getting around really good horses,” Ed comments. Ed and Ruth’s unique relationship with the little red mule, Czar, started at a mule race in Fresno, California.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
“We went to the races and the mules were all good in the gate, but when the race started about half bucked off their riders. I’m thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, who would want to train these stupid things?’ That was our introduction.”
The following spring Ed got a phone call from a Post Falls friend, Don Jacklin. Don asked Ed if he had room for a couple more runners. “We were full and I told him we really didn’t have the room. Now Don is a nice man and we talked for about 10 minutes and then he said, ‘I think Czar, with you, can be a world champion.’ I’m thinking it’s a quarter horse but what an odd name for a horse – Czar. Secondly, if a guy from Idaho thinks he has a world champion – he’s been out in the tater field too long,” Ed recounts. “But oh my gosh, he’s nice. And he has another one called Geisha Girl and I’m thinking what bad names. Then Jacklin mentions ‘mule’. I stop him and say, ‘Mr. Jacklin, did you say mules? I don’t do mules.’” Ed recalled the race he saw the year before and didn’t want any part of it. But Don Jacklin is a good businessman and Ed was convinced by him to try these mules. Then he has to tell Ruth that they will be training two mules. “That didn’t go over (Continued on page 30)
Tim McCall Dives - continued from cover “There’s a bay on the east side that has probably a ’23 or ’24 T-bucket” (Model T Ford) that’s pretty neat,” Tim adds, although the car plus a Packard and a Hudson, are badly rusted. “You can put your finger right through the side of them. There’s not much left.” Then there are the small items, probably from early residents’ trash tossed from docks. “The glass bottles are still preserved,” Tim says, and he has a collection of them. “I’ve found guns, knives, old coins, and tokens. I also do underwater recovery as well. Every once in a while someone will steal a car and run it off Higgins Point. The Sheriff’s office will have us bring it back up to the surface so they can do their investigation.” Tim also uses an underwater metal detector to locate lost items for people. “I wasn’t able to find one ring or a partial set of dentures that a guy lost in the river, but everything else I’ve found so far.” Lake Pend Oreille is a very deep lake and Tim takes his deep scuba classes there to train and says there are many interesting things to see. “The marinas are kind of like a dump. Bayview has been a marina forever and everything you can imagine is sitting on the bottom. A lot of the bays have old history too.” In addition to teaching and certifying scuba students, Tim schedules at least one decent sized trip each year such as a trip to Mexico earlier this
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year to dive with 24 of his former students. One of those students was Sue Loughlin, who along with her husband, Dan, and son, Shawn, was certified last summer but had not yet taken the advanced scuba class. So Tim took them off to the side, “and we did our own thing while the group was doing theirs,” Tim explains. It was an exciting trip for Sue! “Before we went, we dived around here four or five times just to get comfortable. This was our first big trip. I went in a little leery. I didn’t want to go deep and had all the fears of going deep, the night dives, and the wreck dives. Three things I said I’m not going to do. Of course I did all three of them and loved it. I did 13 dives in a week. The night dive was my favorite; it was just so exciting. It was a good group and that’s nice when you have so many with many things in common. “My favorite part is that the fish think you’re one of them. When I dive down from snorkeling they all scatter, but when you’re down there breathing with them, they come right up to your face, look at you, and swim along with you. It’s awesome!” They had barely returned home and Sue’s husband was already planning their next trip. “I really want to go to Fiji and we’ve talked of going to Puerto Rico. We plan on doing at least one big trip every year for scuba diving.” Sue says. Perhaps it’s a personality type that brings them to scuba, but both Tim and Sue have other interests as well. Tim has recently made his first solo sky dive after a couple of previous tandem sky dives. He also plans to spend some time this summer prospecting for gold – not in the traditional way, but with a wetsuit and pan under water. “Maybe it’s just a mid-life crisis,” Tim says with a laugh. Sue has lots and many hobbies she says. “Strange hobbies for women I guess.” “I’d wanted a welder for three years and finally Santa brought it. I’ve been welding like crazy on all kinds of fun stuff.” The largest item is a sculpture stand with a winch to crank up and lock. “There was a lot of mechanical planning.” She also works with old mufflers and car parts to create yard art. “I’ve been a wood worker for a long time.” That includes furniture, wood floors, staircases, etc. Sue is a stay-at-home mom and needed extra money for her painting classes, so she ended up cutting wood for three years for seven different classes. She also attends a sculpting class every week where a model comes in. Her favorite piece is of a little basset hound puppy. The first of her bronze pieces, an elk that stands about two feet high, is at the foundry now. Whether it’s diving – from sky to underwater, or creative arts Tim McCall and Sue Loughlin are interesting people. And Tim expresses an interesting take on diving when he adds, “Only a small handful get to do what we love. I love everything about it. One of the shirts I have pretty well sums it up. It says ‘Same Planet, Different World.’” ISI
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(Continued from page 28) very good,” he recalls with a laugh. The two mules arrived at their stable in California and the next morning, very early, Ed and Ruth went to the barn. It was still dark and they heard a little funny noise. Ruth wondered if the noise was a mule. “We flipped on the lights and this mule has his little head out and with his mule friend they’re looking down the shed row. They don’t know us from anybody. They were just there to greet us. They were happy to see us. That made Ruth a little happier.” And so began the love affair that continues to this day between man and mule. Mules don’t run against horses but Czar was one of the best mules for years and years. When his half brother started beating him they switched Czar to another form of competition called O-Mok-See. This includes about 28 different types of events, speed events like barrel racing and pole bending. “It’s really big now,” Ed explains. “They are things you can do to have fun on horseback.” Or in the case of Czar, on mule back. Mules can compete against horses but seldom do very well. Czar is
the exception. “Out of 100,000 horses that do this you see the top 400-500 at the nationals. They don’t come to get beat. I’m the only one in history that ever brought a mule. The first time was the year before last. I did 10 singles events and 5 team events. In the singles events he was 10th or better 5 times. I went again this year and he placed 5 times again in the top 10. A couple of guys rode by and said, ‘I can’t believe I got beat by that mule.’” Officials at nationals called him “The Little Red Rocket.” Don Jacklin still owns Czar and keeps him at Rathdrum with some other mules. Ed Burdick rides him nearly every day. Mules are long lived and often reach 40. Czar is now 23 so the love affair will likely continue many more years. Winters bring a switch in activities. Ed loves to ski and while living in California he became a certified ski instructor, and he now teaches at Silver Mountain near Kellogg during the ski season. “I used to teach everybody, but most of the time now I teach adaptive people, which can include a person with missing limb(s) or who is blind
HONORING OUR VE Novem
From Connection With He By Carole Webb Slater I don’t remember my father’s voice. He died when I was seven years old. I knew about him from glossy black and white photographs and family stories, but I didn’t “know” him until my mother died 30 years later. Then I heard the voice of my father and felt his presence. It started with my mother’s plain, bulky, wooden cedar trunk that had been in the background of my memory for as long as I could remember. This trunk was not an accessible piece of furniture but was kept in the back of closets and out of the way. I knew intuitively the chest was meant for me and sensed it held an important connection to my mother’s life and to mine. When I opened the chest, I soon realized it was filled with Mom’s memories. There was her 1941 East High School annual, an autograph book filled with names and verses from old friends, hand-stitched towels, bronzed baby shoes, cloth soldier dolls that belonged to my brothers, and Mary Ann, my favorite doll. At the bottom of the chest, I found three cardboard shoeboxes tied with ribbons and filled with letters to Evelyn Groves/ Webb, postmarked in the 1940s. They were love letters from my father that my mother had kept safely concealed through eight moves and for over three decades. His words of love followed my mother throughout her adult life and now his words would fill the void in my heart. Dana “Cobby” Webb’s journey began in 1942 when he traded in his college football uniform to join the Army Air Corps. He was 19 years old and one of many young men who postponed their lives to fight for the United States and free world during World War II. Cobby loved speed, and with determination and drive, he became a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot at 21, flying escort and strafing missions
over France and Germany during the latter months of the war in Europe. It seemed fitting that Cobby would also take a chance with Evelyn, a young woman he met in Nashville at a USO dance. After dating a few times, Cobby was transferred to an air base in Florida and this brief romance should have ended. In those days, public phones were available on the base if you had change in your pocket and were willing to wait with other cadets in long lines for brief conversations. Weekend visits were an option but not easily accomplished. Cobby had a flying schedule that relied on good weather and that meant his weekends might be spent in the air. A visit to Florida was also costly and would require that Evelyn travel on a train for two days, one way, and that seemed unlikely after dating Cobby such a short time. But Cobby had fallen in love and was determined to make Evelyn his wife, so these two young people shared stories, personal values, and feelings about life, war, and each other through words expressed on paper. They got to know each other through their letters. If there were questions that required an answer, Evelyn or Cobby would have to be patient and wait a week or two for a reply when the next letter was delivered. Their communication was deliberate and heartfelt. Through their correspondence, they developed a love for one another that connected their hearts together. Over the next year, they saw each other twice and on her last visit, while waiting on the platform for the Nashville-bound train to take her home, Cobby convinced Evelyn to marry him and they eloped that night. For me, finding my father’s voice through these letters connected my heart to his. His deep devotion and love for my mother made my heart swell. I could feel his smiles, delight in his stories, share his family values, and be profoundly grateful to know my father through his written words. I did not want the letters to end. It was a beautiful love story. My father’s letters stayed in my closet for over 20 years, read only by my family and a few close friends. I realized several years ago that Cobby’s story was an important one to be shared. We live in a world filled with perpetual wars and destruction, easy access to overwhelming amounts of
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
or autistic, has Down Syndrome, or is a paraplegic, for example. I really, really love it. This year we’re hoping we can fire up a wounded warriors program for people who served our country to come up, have a little fun, and realize they can do this stuff.” Ed likes to work with the autistic and explains the need to earn their trust. He finds that blind people seem more appreciative than some of the others are. “It’s so much fun to teach them.” Ed says and explains that he chose to be “blind” for one of the qualification exams by skiing blindfolded. “I didn’t know if I was up or down or going way too fast. It really scared me.” But it gave him an appreciation for what a blind person experiences. Ed and Ruth live a balanced life between mules and skiing. Ed finds time to work part time as a marshal at a golf club near their home in a region he calls “beautiful country.” But it’s a little red mule that brought them to north Idaho – a mule that many people say is the best of the best! ISI
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Two Pastors Submitted by Keith Moyer, Superior Ollie was the pastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church, and Pastor Sven was the minister of the Swedish Covenant Church across the road. One day they were on the side of the road in front of their churches pounding a sign into the ground, which read, “Da end iss near! Turn yerself arount now bafor it’s too late!” As a car sped past them, the driver leaned out his window and yelled, “Leave me alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!” Then from the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash. Reverend Ole turned to Pastor Sven and asked, “Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say, ‘Bridge out?’” ISI
ETERANS mber 11 & Always
m The Heart: A Daughter’s er Veteran Father’s Voice From The Past information, family values that are struggling to stay centered, and extreme political ideology that threatens to divide the United States into multiple pieces of varying shades of blue and red. Looking back at life during World War II reminds us all of our history and the value of connecting our past with our future. Although World War II was a time of horror, loss, and terrible turmoil, it was also a time when love, respect, responsibility, duty, helping one another, honor, and patriotism were important values lived out daily. Somehow, in the worst of times, our country and its people managed to do the impossible. Americans at home did without, grew their own “victory gardens” to feed their families, led volunteer drives in their communities, helped and supported their neighbors, supported their gov-
ernment, and transformed businesses overnight into factories focused on building military ships, planes, tanks, and equipment needed in a war that had to be won. It was a time when Americans were bound together by a common purpose and lived in the “united” states of America. To recall those shared
values that made our country great just might make a difference as we look forward to the future and its many challenges. Letters from the Heart 1943-1946, is available through your favorite bookstore. For further information visit www.p-51lettersfromtheheart.com. ISI
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Hospice - Are You Kidding Me? By Sherry E Showalter, Ph.D. We have all heard the stories before, and we may have said the same thing in our own homes, “I don’t want to go to hospice, or please don’t make me go to hospice.” The word hospice still has that mysterious and scary ring to it. It signifies to many “a place” to go and die. This misconception, that Hospice is a place resonates for many. We desperately need to continue our efforts to do a better job of educating our communities and physicians. I pray that this article will help! Hospice is NOT a place... it is a concept of care. It is not about giving up and dying, but it is about living life fully, right up until that moment that a person dies. Hospice care is for those with a diagnosis of a terminal or life threatening illness. Hospice provides end-of-life care to meet the physical-emotional-spiritual needs of patients and those who love them. There are many hospice programs across the country with fabulous in-patient facilities to allow patients an alternative to hospitals, or to staying at home. These in-patient facilities provide symptom management and/or a place to be when death nears if that is what is desired. Most people would prefer to die at home, but when that is not feasible, or desired, there may well be a hospice facility or hospital unit that provides the care. Hospice respects the individual choices of those they serve and strives to honor those choices. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was one of the first pioneers in the hospice movement and many programs began because of her work. She is also the first
person to define the stages of grief and grieving that we know today. Dame Cicely Saunders an Anglican Nurse, physician, and writer, is probably best known in her work in the early hospice movement in England; making sure that people were comfortable during the last days of their lives. She will forever be known by her quote, “care of the body means nothing without care of the soul.” She emphasized the role of palliative medicine for those who were dying, and the importance of dignity and quality of life. Hospice was and continues to be a concept of care. Hospice provides a means of enhancing care to the patient to ensure they receive the best pain management possible, along with comprehensive physical and emotional support. Getting hospice involved “sooner rather than later” means maximizing benefit to the patient and those who love him or her. Being cared for by hospice allows a team of professional caregivers to provide much needed services. Freeing the patient and their loved ones to “ be” and not have to “do.” You can be the patient, the family member, the friend. You can trust hospice to “do.” Hospice care is available to anyone who has a terminal/life threatening illness regardless of ability to pay. Thus, Hospice care is affordable, and includes medications, durable medical equipment, and supplies when these services are not covered by Medicare or other insurance. Many hospice patients live well beyond that magical six-month certification period that you have heard about. These survivors can be re-certified. Hospice care continues as long as is necessary. Hospice is about living well. Remember that great book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. Well don’t sweat this, just breathe. Let your hospice team deal with those details. Hospice care is provided where YOU call home, that’s the beautiful part of “concept of care.” You are in control of this most important journey; it is about you and your life. Hospice is committed to work with you on making it what you want and need it to be. Maintaining hope for a cure in the face of uncertainty and a time when you have been told that your disease is incurable is devastating. Trying to wrap your thoughts around what to do, how to choose, whether to give up, give in, or choose hospice may all seem like too many things even to think about to be sure. It just may be that choosing hospice is one of your easiest steps along the many choices you will find yourself making. They might be able to help with the many choices you face down the road and the many questions that loom large on your wheel of life once you feel safe enough to trust them. One thing is certain, hope never dies; it may change from hoping for a cure to hoping for the opportunity to live each moment fully until that moment when death comes peacefully. But hope... it is always there, and it is there for you to choose. I wish you enough and I wish you peace. Spread the word as to what hospice truly is... It is about life. Perhaps you will be able to help someone choose hospice now that you know. Walk in beauty. Sherry E Showalter, Ph.D., LCSW is author of Healing Heartaches, Stories of Loss and Life and has worked 25+ years in the hospice world. Article Source: EzineArticles.com/3107522 ISI
Don’t Fall On Hard Times... or Floors! Falls can have a huge impact on a person’s life, physically, financially, and emotionally. The number of falls continues to rise and remains the leading cause of injury death among older adults. But, with fall prevention month soon approaching, it is important to know that falls can be prevented. Certain interventions, lifestyle modifications, and fall prevention programs like Stepping On, can greatly reduce the chance of injuries. A proactive approach has not only shown to reduce the number of falls, but also promote independence and a greater overall quality of life. Here are some ways to protect yourself and loved ones. Begin an exercise program – Exercise is one of the best ways to prevent falls and will help you gain muscle strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility. There are many great options for exercise, and you can choose one best suited for you! From walking to yoga, swimming to tai chi, there are likely classes or instructors in your local community to
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
help you get moving. Not only will exercise make you physically stronger and aid in preventing falls, but other benefits including greater cardiovascular health, motor function, cognitive ability, and overall emotional well-being are reasons alone to make a change. Check first with your healthcare provider to choose the right program for you. Take caution with medications – Take an active role in managing your medications. Physical changes in your body as well as taking a large number of medications can have side effects that may make you more prone to a fall. Take time to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your medications, drug interactions, and possible side effects. Check your vision – Poor vision can make it difficult to get around easily. Make sure to have your vision checked yearly to ensure you are
wearing the right prescription glasses or contact lenses. Keep your home safe – About half of all falls happen within the home. It is important to remove or change potential fall hazards. • Remove certain objects that can cause tripping: clothes, shoes, books, and throw rugs – especially near stairs or in traffic areas. • Improve the lighting in your home, and hang lightweight curtains to reduce glare. • Use non-slip mats on shower floors. • Have handrails on both side of stairs and grab bars installed near your shower and toilet. • Keep items often used within reach, and avoid using step stools. • Always wear shoes (inside and out of the house) and avoid going barefoot or wearing slippers. The nationwide fall prevention program
called Stepping On helps our older population reduce the possibility of falls by teaching appropriate exercises and educating people on various preventative measures. The goal of this program is not only to reduce the risk of a fall, but also to reduce the fear of a possible fall and thereby reduce social isolation and inactivity. To learn if your community has a Stepping On program visit www.steppingon.com. ISI
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Structured Physical Activity Program Can Help Maintain Mobility In Vulnerable Older People A carefully structured, moderate physical activity program can reduce risk of losing the ability to walk without assistance, perhaps the single most important factor in whether vulnerable older people can maintain their independence, a study has found. Older people who lose their mobility have higher rates of disease, disability, and death. A substantial body of research has shown the benefits of regular physical activity for a variety of populations and health conditions. But none has identified a specific intervention to prevent mobility disability. In this large clinical study, researchers found that a regular, balanced, and moderate physical activity program followed for an average of 2.6 years reduced the risk of major mobility disability by 18 percent in an elderly, vulnerable population. Participants receiving the intervention were better able to maintain their ability to walk without assistance for 400 meters, or about a quarter of a mile, the primary measure of the study. Results of the large clinical trial, conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and Jacksonville, and colleagues at seven other clinics across the country, were published online on May 27, 2014, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers were supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. “We are gratified by these findings,” said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the NIA, which was the primary sponsor of the trial. “They show that participating in a specific, balanced program of aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training activities can have substantial positive benefits for reducing risk of mobility disability. These are actionable results that can be applied today to make a difference for many frail older people and their families.”
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35
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The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) trial included 1,635 sedentary men and women aged 70-89 at risk of disability, who were randomly assigned to a program of structured, moderate-intensity physical activity or to a health education program focused on topics related to successful aging. The diverse participants were recruited from urban, suburban, and rural communities. Participation in the study averaged 2.6 years. The physical activity group of 818 people gradually worked up to the goal of 150 minutes of weekly activity, including 30 minutes of brisk walking, 10 minutes of lower extremity strength training, 10
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
minutes of balance training, and large muscle flexibility exercises. Their programs took place at a clinic twice a week and at home three or four times a week. The 817 people in the comparison group participated in weekly health education workshops for the first 26 weeks, followed by monthly sessions thereafter. They also performed 5 to 10 minutes of upper body stretching and flexibility exercises in each session. Participants in both groups were assessed every six months at clinic visits. Adherence to the program was measured by attendance at sessions and by questionnaires in which participants recorded the number of hours per week that they were physically active. In addition, participants’ activity was recorded for one week during each year of the trial through an accelerometer, a small belt device that measures physical activity. “At the beginning of this trial, all the participants were at high risk for mobility disability,” said Evan Hadley, M.D., director of the NIA Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology. “At the start, they were able to walk about a quarter of a mile without a cane, walker, or help of another person. But they did have sedentary lifestyles and low scores on some standard physical tests that measure risk for disability. The study shows it is never too late for exercise to have a positive effect for a significant portion of frail older people.” Principal investigator Pahor noted that par-
ticipants attended more sessions and stayed in the study longer than anticipated. He also noted that people in the intervention group were very enthusiastic about the exercise program. “When we finished the exercise program at our site, the people were so disappointed that the classes were over,” he said. “We know that many of them are continuing to exercise and we are so pleased that they have kept up with this.” In 2011, NIA launched Go4Life®, a national exercise and physical activity campaign, based on previously demonstrated benefits of exercise for healthy community-dwelling adults age 50 and older. The LIFE study adds to that evidence with findings that older people vulnerable to disability can also be included among those who could reap rewards from regular physical activity. Go4Life® emphasizes endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises. For additional information, go to www.nia.nih.gov/go4life. Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. ISI
What is Memory Care? By Mark M. Havens Wedgewood Terrace, Lewiston When an older person with cognitive impairment can no longer live on his or her own or with family members – even with the assistance of at-home care workers – it is time to explore the living options at residential care facilities. It is important to understand the similarities and differences between a memory care facility and an assisted living facility. First, there is no special state or federal license for “memory care” facilities. Memory care is a term used by the senior housing industry for facilities
designed to address the special needs of those with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias or memory impairments. A facility may specialize exclusively in memory care or memory care may be provided in a portion (designated building(s), wing(s), or area(s)) of a larger residential facility. It should provide similar services as an assisted living facility plus special services addressing the effects of various dementias. Comprehensive facilities should manage all forms and stages of dementia, while others might specialize in Alzheimer’s disease or brain trauma, for example, or specialize only in certain stages of a disease. For illustration purposes, this article is written in the context of Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Secured Facilities Most memory care services exist behind locked doors, whether it is the entire facility or just the portion dedicated to memory care. Visi-
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tors and staff in such “secured facilities” must be buzzed in or use a key or code to gain admission. This locked security is to address wandering behavior common in later stage Alzheimer’s patients where they may become disoriented in their surroundings and seek escape to a place known or unknown. Since not everyone with memory impairments requires a secure facility, a variety of wearable alarm systems and tracking devices is available to monitor and assist those who may become geographically disoriented. Building Design A specialized memory care facility should include ample areas for walking and exploration for residents whose wandering tendencies keep them on their feet frequently. These walking areas may be indoors, outdoors, and may include hallways, large rooms, or circular paths. Safety when walking is always paramount. Residents may live in private or semi-private rooms depending on the needs and safety of the individual and other residents. Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias react differently to various visual and auditory stimuli. Some seek sensory stimulation, while others are confused and disoriented by too much noise or visual clutter. Because Alzheimer’s patients often lose depth perception, peripheral vision, and color distinction, a good memory care facility considers these factors in the design and decoration of their memory care spaces and in the conduct of daily activities such as eating, exercising, and various therapies. Activities At any senior care facility, there are the activities of daily living (ADLs, such as sleeping, eating, dressing, bathing, toileting), and there are the activities done for therapy and enjoyment. The staff at a memory care facility should be well versed in the stages of Alzheimer’s disease and the symptoms of other dementias and
cognitive impairments. As these diseases progress, patients may forget the steps involved in multi-step activities (such as dressing), and fine motor skills may diminish until eating and other activities require assistance. Sleep disturbances and other problematic behaviors will increase as the disease advances. “Sundowning” is the increased agitation that may develop in Alzheimer’s sufferers in the late afternoon and early evenings. Patients may not be able to sleep through the night, arising multiple times to explore their surroundings. A memory care facility must have round-the-clock trained staff to deal with these behaviors. With most dementias, their progression is inevitable and with Alzheimer’s certainly fatal. People cannot be cognitively rehabilitated through therapy. Therapies at a memory care facility are to bring pleasure and enjoyment to the patient and to maintain and utilize as much remaining brainpower as possible. In a group or individually, memory care specialists may challenge people in early stage cognitive impairment with puzzles, games, and language activities to help preserve verbal and mathematical functions. Reminiscence therapy helps people access older memories when new experiences are no longer stored and remembered. A standard routine of daily activities is very important for those with Alzheimer’s, and deviations should be infrequent. Variety is not therapeutic for these patients. Even in the later stages of Alzheimer’s, music, singing, and dance stimulate the brain’s earliest memories in areas less affected by the disease. The emotional centers of the brain remain even when new memories can no longer be formed, which is why memory care facilities strive to keep residents feeling happy, safe, and content. Staffing A memory care facility should have a staff-
Living Well With Parkinson’s Disease By Lisa M. Petsche Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive disorder involving damage to nerve cells in the brain that control muscle movement. According to the National Parkinson Foundation, 1.5 million Americans currently have the disease and approximately 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Incidence increases with age and the majority of cases develop after age 60. The main symptoms of PD are shaking (known as tremors), slow movements, rigidity (due to muscle stiffness), and balance problems. Other symptoms may include low energy, loss of coordination, loss of facial expression, difficulty initiating or continuing movement (freezing), stooped posture, a shuffling walk, decreased speech volume, and depression. Early symptoms are subtle and may be overlooked. Diagnosis follows a thorough examination by a neurologist, who may order tests to rule out other conditions with similar features. Although symptoms and rate of progression vary among individuals, usually PD advances slowly and patients can lead active lives for many years. While no cure exists, medications are available that alleviate the symptoms. In cases where medication does not work, surgery may be considered. Lifestyle modifications are an important part of any treatment plan.
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to-resident ratio somewhat higher than a regular assisted living community – which partly explains the higher cost of memory care – to provide round-the-clock supervision, interventional activities, and for the added assistance needed for eating, teeth brushing, personal care, etc. The staff should be specially trained to care for the cognitively impaired and should demonstrate good humor, empathy, and an immense compassion. They should understand the medications that may slow Alzheimer’s progression as well as the standard medications used by many older persons. A great memory care facility will recognize that Alzheimer’s is disease that affects the lives of the patient’s family and provide care, support, and education during the inevitable course of this disease. For the patient and the family, a memory care residential facility may be the optimal environment. Once the safety, health, and therapeutic requirements of their loved one are met, the family will find that their interactive hours are enriched – free from worry and stress. When facing the serious challenges that accompany dementia, many families find that a facility providing memory care is the right choice. Mark M. Havens is a former chapter director for the Alzheimer’s Association and is currently the Director of Community Relations for Wedgewood Terrace in Lewiston, Idaho, a nonprofit assisted living facility with a memory care wing. ISI
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Upon diagnosis of a degenerative condition such as PD, patients typically experience shock or disbelief. Subsequent emotions may include anger, fear, anxiety, and sadness. Once they accept the reality of the disease, they can focus on taking control of their situation as much as possible. If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, here are ways to empower yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Mental well-being Learn as much as possible about PD and its management, and educate family and friends. Be receptive to learning new ways of doing things. Concentrate on what you can rather than cannot do. Recall past life challenges and how you overcame them, to remind yourself of your resilience. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Learn to live in the moment and enjoy life’s many simple pleasures.
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Find role models such as celebrities or other people who are living well with PD, from whom you can draw inspiration. Emotional self-care Allow yourself plenty of time to adjust to your illness and the changes it necessitates. Recognize that your family and friends will also need time to adjust. Let them know how you wish to be treated, and keep the lines of communication open. Find an outlet for expressing your thoughts and feelings. Consider attending a support group. Accept that how you feel and what you can do may vary from day to day, and be flexible about plans and expectations. Stay connected to people who care. If your social network is limited, develop new connections through volunteering, taking an adult education course, or joining a club or group. Seek help from your family doctor or a counselor if you continually feel sad, angry, or overwhelmed. Depression is highly treatable. Spiritual well-being Set aside quiet time each day, to nurture your spirituality and help keep you grounded. Do things that provide you with meaning and purpose, such as writing a family history or helping someone. If applicable, turn to your religious faith for comfort and strength. Practical tips for daily living Because PD is incurable, the goal, from a medical perspective, is to achieve the highest possible level of functioning and prevent or minimize complications. The following are some strategies that can help. Find a neurologist whom you respect and trust.
Follow the management plan prescribed by health professionals, which might include medication, diet changes, exercise, rest, adaptive aids, lifestyle changes, stress management techniques, and regular medical check-ups. Let them know right away if the plan is no longer working. Join an exercise class for people with PD. To locate one in your area, call the American Parkinson Disease Association at 1-800-223-2732 or go online to www.apdaparkinson.org. Use a cane or walker when recommended, to minimize the risk of falls. If mobility issues prevent you from getting around in the community, rent or buy a scooter or wheelchair. Set up a record-keeping system to organize your health information. Ready-made products can be found in office supply stores and bookstores. Do as much for yourself as possible. Set priorities, simplify tasks, and learn to settle for less than perfection. Find substitutes for enjoyable activities you can no longer engage in. Just do not overdo it. Make your home as safe as possible – for example, remove scatter mats and install handrails along stairs. Arrange for an occupational therapist to perform a home assessment, to identify hazards and recommend ways to carry out daily activities more easily and safely. If your home’s accessibility is inadequate, renovate or move before a crisis develops. Accept offers of help and ask for assistance as needed. Research services in your community that can help you now or in the future. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in health and senior issues. ISI
Plan Now and Stay Home Longer By Bernice Karnop Sometimes it creeps up on you, and other times it happens suddenly. You’re doing fine living at home and then you’re not. You might think you have no choice but to move into a care center or in with a family member. If you plan, you might be able to remain independent longer. Most homes are built as if those living in them will remain young and able bodied forever. You can look for ways to make your home more user friendly. If you already feel your limitations, check out the inhome care services in your area. You may be surprised at how many choices you have. First consider prevention According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, falls are the number one cause of home injury. Prevention is always better than cure, so remove hazards that commonly cause falls. First, get rid of those area rugs, the cause of
accidents every day. You can’t get rid of electric cords but you can keep your feet from get tangled in them by making sure they’re out of pathways and confined to where they belong. Installing grab bars, especially around the toilet, the shower, or tub, can prevent serious falls. Are you afraid it will make your nice home look like a hospital? Builders can make the changes blend in beautifully with bars in decorator colors. Doors should be widened so a walker or wheelchair can pass. It’s helpful to invest in a walk in tub or shower, and while major alterations may be expensive, they are a value compared to the cost of a care facility. If your vision is fading, make your steps a contrasting color from the area around it. You’ll see the edges of your countertops better if they are a different color from the top. Brighter lights will help you see better. If you struggle with hearing loss, increase the volume on the telephone and doorbell. Strobe lights can be added to a smoke alarm. Arthritis sufferers can find many common utensils specially designed for ease of use in your kitchen or garage. If you have deep cupboards, install a lazy Susan. Replace doorknobs with lever handles. Discover in-home care choices When the time comes that you need more than a remodel can provide, you still have options. Look in the yellow pages for Home Health Care listings for companies whose services may allow you to remain independent. Denise Krueger is owner of a Home Instead
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Senior Care, an international network of independently owned and operated franchises that provide non-medical home care. Home care services typically provide shortterm care for individuals who are recovering from such things as surgery, a broken hip, or a stroke. They also provide long-term care and even end of life care. Non-medical assistance includes such things as companionship, socialization, housekeeping, meal preparation, medical reminders, transportation, laundry, linen changes, and personal and incontinence care. Before sending a caregiver, a home care service should make an individualized care plan outlining the services to be provided and the time it will take to accomplish them. The service will insure communication among the caregiver, the family, and the client so that the care plan is always current. The goal should be assisting the individual
rather than taking over for them. For example, encouraging the client to work alongside the caregiver when making dinner if possible. “We want them to be mobile and to have a feeling of control. We are there to provide a helping hand, not take away their independence,” Denise says. If the client can’t help out, they encourage them to be in the same room so they can be company while the task is being completed. Not all of their clients are in their home. Some are in independent living facilities and others in assisted living residences. Supplemental care allows the person to stay put rather than having to move to a higher level of care. This would be appropriate if the facility gives baths twice a week but the individual wants to have one every day. Using an established service is safer than hiring a caregiver on your own. Home Instead, for example, does a stringent nationwide criminal background check, driving record check, and they
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require at least six references for potential employees, according to Denise. From multiple interviews, they hire only about five percent of applicants. Employees receive state-of-the art training before starting on the job, and they have ongoing training each month. All caregivers are insured, bonded, and covered by workers compensation insurance. The organization handles the payroll, taxes, and more. Cost for in-home care varies according to the number of hours and the service you require. Denise Krueger says an estimate is around $21 an hour. Consider Caregiving as a second career Seniors who have completed their primary career but want to use their lifetime experience helping others may consider caregiving as a rewarding part time job. “Compassion is the number one thing we are looking for, and you can’t teach compassion,” Denise says. ISI
A Tree Of Many Fruits Is Here By Bill Hall I saw a recent video of a single tree with a couple dozen different kinds of fruit growing on it. It reminded me of my family and of millions of other modern families around the world. Family trees have become trees of many variations. But eventually they will be heading toward a single color – not black, not white – not anything but tan. In another century or so, we will all look alike. That’s going to make hating people for their color rather pointless. And I welcome this development. I’ve always looked stunning in tan. The orchard tree of many fruits is known as a fruit salad tree. Several kinds of fruit grow on shoots grafted to a single trunk. Mind you, there are limits on the extent of the fruit selection. You can grow oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit all on the same tree. Or you can grow half a dozen different varieties of oranges all on one tree. Similarly, you can grow peaches, apricots, and plums on the same tree or you can grow several different varieties of peaches on the tree. But you can’t grow a peach and an orange on the same tree. That would be similar to one mother giving birth to a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and also to a member of the House of Representatives. We are in a world today in which scientists play with cells and cell parts, striving one day soon for things like skunks that smell like raspberries as
well as a time when a cure is found for Parkinson’s disease. Sharon and I have grown fruit trees. We still have an old apricot tree and a plum tree, but we have backed off in recent years from the excessive production of most fruit trees. The good news is that fruit trees produce bushels of fruit. The bad news is that they do that all at once. Either you have no fruit on the tree or you have 700 pounds that must be eaten in about three weeks before it goes bad. Of course, you can share with neighbors. And you will be blessed if you drop a few bushels at your community food bank. But when it comes to a few hours teetering on a ladder in your late 70s like me, some of the pride of raising your own food loses its charm. Massive amounts of fruit remind me of trout anglers who love the fishing more than the fish. The fish stack up in the family freezer. And at some point it makes no sense to continue fishing until something is done about the troutsicles in the freezer – perhaps going door to door in the neighborhood, offering the ghastly freezer-burned fish to appalled neighbors. The multi-fruit trees, as they are called, will help you cope with a bumper crop of peaches. If you get a tree that has four kinds of grafted peach limbs, you have the option of peaches that ripen at different times, spreading the harvesting and the eating over a longer period.
Grins and Snickers
Submitted by Julie Brantley Grocery Fast Lane I was in the six-item express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the checkout line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, “So which six items would you like to buy?” Reservations For What? Because they had no reservations at a busy restaurant, my elderly neighbor and his wife were told there would be a 45-minute wait for a table. “Young man, we’re both 90-years-old,” the husband said. “We may not have 45 minutes.” They were seated immediately. Who Made These Rules? The reason Politicians try so hard to be reelected is that they would “hate” to have to make a living under the laws they have just passed. She Is On Her Own All eyes were on the radiant bride as her father escorted her down the aisle. They reached the altar and the waiting groom. The bride kissed her father and placed something in his hand. The guests in the front pews responded with ripples of laughter. Even the priest smiled broadly. As her father gave her away in marriage, the bride had given him back his credit card. ISI
But what a metaphor you have for a modern family if you have a tree that grows mixed fruit. Today’s family trees eventually reach the point in this era where they have marriages and children of all kinds, just like fruit trees do. But all humans are capable of producing offspring with each other. It’s not like peaches and lemons. We are 100 percent compatible when we find human partners of multiple hues, even including Neanderthals. Humans exceed fruit trees. Even Republicans and Democrats have been known to produce kids together. And just as a person might take pride in a fruit tree of many shapes and colors and flavors, a person can take pride and pleasure in a family where kids of many colors and styles and abilities give you the honor of calling you grandma or grandpa. Eventually humans of all kinds will finish this great coming together in their natural reproductive urges. It has been going on for generations. And now that frisky process is speeding toward everybody becoming tan. I remember a time when the faces at our family table were all white. Today, a couple generations later, my family is a rainbow of old and young faces. And our family tree has been grafted with such a sweet selection of human variation. Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone. net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. ISI
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Giving that goes beyond a lifetime We’ve all heard that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. What we might not think about is how we can ensure our legacy continues, even after our death. Here are some charitable planned giving options to consider as you reflect on the legacy you wish to leave. • Bequests: You can name your favorite charity as a beneficiary in your will; gifts can be for a specific amount or for a percentage of your estate.
• Gift annuities: With a charitable gift annuity, you receive a lifetime income, while providing a future gift to a charity. • Life insurance policies: You can designate a charity as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, or transfer ownership of the policy to the charity. • IRAs and pension funds: You can make your favorite charity the beneficiary of your individual retirement account or other retirement savings plan.
With careful planning, you can help ensure the future of your favorite charitable organizations. Many of these options can result in considerable immediate and long-term tax savings on your estate. For more information about charitable planned giving, consult your financial adviser. To learn about giving opportunities through the Good Samaritan Society, call us toll-free at 1-877774-2746. ISI
Do You Have Unclaimed Property Just Waiting For Your Call? Currently, the Idaho State Treasurer holds unclaimed property accounts valued at more than $120 million. Unclaimed Property comes from financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies, and other business entities after there has been no documented transaction or contact with the owner for a statutorily defined period – generally five years. By law, once these funds are deemed abandoned, they are turned over to the state. The Idaho State Treasury serves as custodian and guarantees that this money will be held forever for the rightful owner or the owner’s heirs. It is our mission to reunite unclaimed property with the rightful owner and
you may be one of the Idahoans who is owed money from the fund. There is never a charge to search the database, file and track a claim, or receive your assets. It is your money, and we want you to get it back! Idahoans can search the Treasurer’s database for their Unclaimed Property 24/7 online. Begin your search today by visiting Idaho’s Unclaimed Property website at www.sto.idaho.gov/unclaimedproperty. Please do not hesitate to call our office toll-free at 877-388-2942 if you have questions. It is never too late to make a claim, and we are committed to ensuring hardworking Idahoans do not lose a penny. ISI
With Fall Comes the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
Fall is here and Medicare beneficiaries are finding their mailboxes fuller than usual. Why you wonder? It signals the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), the time when Medicare beneficiaries can review changes to their Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part
D) plans for the coming year and decide if they want to stay with the current plan or find a plan that better meets their needs. AEP runs October 15 through December 7 of each year and changes made during the AEP will take effect January 1 of the following year.
What is in the mail for Medicare beneficiaries? You can expect to receive the following as the Annual Enrollment Period nears • Medicare and You 2015 The official U.S. government Medicare Handbook is mailed to each household with at least one Medicare beneficiary unless the household has opted to receive the handbook electronically. You should receive the handbook by the first week in October. The Medicare and You 2015 handbook describes changes in Medicare taking effect in 2015, describes Medicare coverage and other coverage options, and provides a list of health and prescription drug plans available to you. The electronic version, available at www.Medicare.gov does not have health and drug plan listings. • Your current plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) The ANOC is required by Medicare and describes changes between your current plan and the 2015 version of the plan. Medicare rules require that current beneficiaries receive the ANOC by September 30. The ANOC gives information about changes in premium, coverage rules, formularies (the lists of drugs a plan covers), and any other changes in coverage for the 2015 plan year – January 1 through December 31, 2015. This allows a beneficiary to compare his/her current plan with other 2015 plans to determine if it is best to continue with this plan or to move to another plan that may cost less and/or offer better coverage for 2015. • Non-renewal notifications This is a notice from a plan to a current beneficiary that the plan will not be offered for 2015, and it must be received by October 2, 2014. This is important because unless a beneficiary is aware that their plan will not be offered in the following year, he or she may not know that coverage will end December 31. By the time they learn that coverage has ended, it may be too late to select a plan for 2015. People whose plans end December 31 will have 63 days past that date to enroll in a new plan. However, many people do not receive
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services within the first 63 days of the year and may not find out that their plan has ended. • Advertising from plans who want you to buy their products What can beneficiaries do during the AEP? First, it is essential to know what is going to happen with your current plan next year. Will it still be offered where you live; will the premium change; and will there be changes in coverage or copay-
ments? To be aware of these changes, review the ANOC carefully. Next, compare your current plan with other plans being offered in your area for 2015. Speak with your insurance agent, the Senior Health Insurance Benefit Advisors (SHIBA) program of the Idaho Department of Insurance by visiting www. doi.idaho.gov/shiba/shibahealth.aspx or calling: 1-800-247-4422 (Boise); 1-800-488-5725 (Coeur
Financially Unwinding Decades Of Marriage
Divorce after long marriage is on the rise. A study from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research shows the divorce rate among adults 50 and older doubled from 1990 to 2010. Experts say the reasons for divorce later in life are the same as any other time – lack of communication and support, disagreements about money, and simply growing apart. What is not as well known is the financial impact of divorce after a long marriage. Securian Financial Group recently conducted a survey of 546 people who divorced after 10 years or more of marriage. The summary of results, Grown Apart: The financial impact of divorce after a long marriage, shows the length of a marriage can have an impact on post-divorce finances. Retirement benefits Spousal retirement benefits loomed large in the hindsight of those who took the Securian survey. Going into the divorce, nearly one-third (31 percent) say they did not claim a share of their spouse’s retirement benefits and were not aware they could. One-fourth say that after the divorce they wish they had known more about how to divide correctly the benefits and one-fifth (21 percent) wished they had made sure they would receive survivor benefits. “Couples who divorce after many years of marriage should be well-informed about their spouses’ retirement plans and their rights to a share of that income after the divorce,” said Michelle Hall, market research manager, Securian Financial Group. “A financial advisor who is well-versed in the options under Social Security and qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s could be a big help when establishing separate streams of income after a long marriage.” The house The length of the marriage may help determine who gets the residence: The longer the marriage, the less likely they will want to keep the house. The people in the Securian survey who were married 20 years or more were more likely (20
percent) to buy out the other’s half of the home than those married 10-19 years (14 percent). They are also less likely to agree that the ex-spouse should get the residence in the settlement: Only 13 percent of those married 20 years or more agreed to let the spouse have the house compared to nearly one-fifth (19 percent) of those married 10-19 years. The financial advisor The length of the marriage may also have an impact on whether the financial advisor is retained after the divorce. Among those married 10-19 years, half of those who worked with an advisor during the marriage kept the advisor. But three-fourths (76 percent) of those married 20 years or more dropped their advisors after the divorce. Additional findings • Those married 1019 years are more likely to say their finances are better after the divorce – 36 percent compared to 24 percent of those married 20 years or more. • Forty-three percent of those married 10-19 years feel they are better off now financially than their exes compared to 36 percent of those married 20 years or more. • Among those with annual household incomes below $40,000, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) were married 20 years or more compared to about half (52 percent) of those married 10-19 years. ISI
How Do Court Reporters Keep Straight Faces? Submitted by Jim Meade These are from Disorder in the Courts, a compilation of things people actually said in court as published by court reporters who, remarkably, retained their composure. Attorney: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? Witness: He said, “Where am I, Cathy?” Attorney: And why did that upset you? Witness: My name is Susan!
Attorney: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? Witness: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
Attorney: Are you sexually active? Witness: No, I just lie there.
Attorney: What is your date of birth? Witness: July 18. Attorney: What year? Witness: Every year.
Attorney: How old is your son, the one living with you? Witness: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which. Attorney: How long has he lived with you? Witness: Forty-five years. ISI
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d’Alene); 1-800-488-5764 (Pocatello); or 1-800488-5731 (Twin Falls). You can also visit the Medicare Plan Finder at www.Medicare.gov/finda-plan/questions/home.aspx to compare plans and determine what plans are available in your area. Remember, that with careful planning and review, you will be able to retain or select a plan that best suits you particular needs. ISI
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With all the information available to us on 24hour cable news, to say nothing of the Internet, and network television, it seems a bit old-fashioned to sit down with a book and read rather than have information and entertainment fed to us. But that is what we do – we read more books, newspapers, and magazines than any other age group. Our featured quiz, which requires matching authors with book titles, was submitted by Jean Carr, Twin Falls, who is the winner of the $25 prize for best quiz submitted. Congratulations, Jean! Thanks to the many readers who submitted answers to the Word Search quiz that appeared
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in the August/September issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. Despite a couple of unforeseen quirks in the puzzle, most of you were not deterred and managed to figure them out. Our three $30 winners for the Word Search quiz in the August/ September issue are Furla Burke (Idaho Falls), Carolyn Parker (Caldwell), and Verna Sonnentag (Fernwood). Congratulations to you all! Except for special contests, we award a $25 cash prize to the person who submits the winning answers to the featured quiz in each issue. Where there is more than one correct entry, the winner is determined by drawing.
Who Wrote What?
Submitted by Jean Carr, Twin Falls How well read are you? Here is a simple but challenging quiz to test your literary knowledge. To submit, number your paper 1-25 and place the letter
Book
1. Last of the Mohicans 2. Call of the Wild 3. Tom Sawyer 4. Treasure Island 5. Little Women 6. Tale of Two Cities 7. Black Beauty 8. Robinson Crusoe 9. Jane Eyre 10. The Maltese Falcon
11. Gone with the Wind 12. Anne of Green Gables 13. The Old Man and the Sea 14. Peter Pan 15. Frankenstein 16. Pride and Prejudice 17. Les Miserables 18. Three Musketeers 19. The Moonstone 20. To Kill a Mockingbird 21. The Odyssey
Answers to Find the Words & Win
Page Numbers of Advertisers’ Ads Advertiser
1. Alarmco, Inc 2. And Books Too 3. The Big Eddy Resort 4. Boise Gun Company 5. Boyer Jewelry 6. Brookside Landing 7. Coffelt Funeral 8. Denture Clinic 9. Dig Line, Inc 10. Evergreen Sandpoint 11. Golden Girls Manor 12. Highland Hollow 13. Hi-Tide / Ebb-Tide 14. Home Guard Siding 15. Liberty Square 16. Overhead Door 17. Oxarc 18. Quail Ridge 19. Ranch Club Golf Course 20. Rhino Linings of Pocatello 21. Roastere Specialty Coffee 22. Scotch Pines Golf 23. Silverstone Inn & Suites 24. Sprag Pole 25. Sunset Taxi 26. Twin Lakes Realty 27. Valley Golf Cars 28. Waffles n More
Page
43 5 18 26 7 18 29 22 Or 34 30 40 17 33 10 23 21 18 Or 28 28 40 33 27 33 39 12 33 30 32 17 17 ISI
We will also award a $25 cash prize to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle for the next issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, challenging, and interesting puzzles! Please mail your entries to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net by November 7, 2014. Remember to work the crossword puzzle on our website idahoseniorindependent.com.
of the corresponding author next to the number of the book that the author wrote. Good luck, and what a wonderful book list for your fall reading and to share with the grandkids.
22. War and Peace 23. Dracula 24. Lord of the Flies 25. All the Kings Men
Author
A. Charlotte Bronte B. Margaret Mitchell C. Mark Twain D. Alexandre Dumas E. Robert Louis Stevenson
F. Harper Lee G. Dashiell Hammett H. Louisa May Alcott I. Ernest Hemmingway J. Homer K. Jack London L. William Golding M. Charles Dickens N. Robert Penn Warren O. Leo Tolstoy
P. James Fenimore Cooper Q. Daniel Defoe R. Mary Shelly S. Anna Sewell T. Wilkie Collins U. Braham Stoker V. Victor Hugo W. J. M. Barrie X. L . M. Montgomery Y. Jane Austin ISI
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
ACROSS
1. PayPal money 6. “La” precursor 9. Japanese restaurant staple 13. Spasm of pain 14. Romanian money 15. Where one reaction is oxidation and reverse is reduction 16. Portend a good or bad outcome 17. Ash container 18. Anoint 19. *Clyde’s crime partner 21. Ubiquitous protein 23. *Do it to create a tunnel like John Henry 24. Discarded cards in cribbage 25. Diminish 28. Jessica of “Dark Angel” 30. Last in octad 35. “Frog and ____ Are Friends” 37. Used to row 39. “And Then _____ Were None” 40. *Paul Bunyan did it to his axe? 41. Double-reed instruments 43. Enthusiasm 44. Montezuma, e.g. 46. Eurozone money 47. Arabic for commander
MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43
48. Nervous system component 50. First king of Israelites 52. *Br’er Rabbit is more this than Br’er Fox 53. Sommelier’s domain 55. Additionally 57. Drag one’s feet 61. *Halloween prowlers 64. Collectible in a cabinet 65. Court 67. Brownish gray 69. Resembling wings 70. “To ___ is human ...” 71. Encourage 72. *Br’er rabbit fought with a sticky one of these 73. Levi’s competitor 74. What the defense does?
DOWN
1. Pilot’s announcement, acr. 2. Fish of the carp family 3. Mythological ship 4. “The hills are alive with the _____ of music...” 5. Lifting injury 6. Swerve 7. “___ the land of the free ...” 8. _____eclipse 9. Waiter’s handout 10. Footnote word
11. Musical composition for one, pl. 12. Friends of #29 Down 15. *Br’er trickster 20. Icy hut 22. Rest in state 24. Paint the town red 25. *Revolutionary Allen 26. Drunkard’s downfall 27. African language 29. *Blue Ox 31. Clarified butter 32. Steers 33. Hiker’s path 34. *Steel-driving man 36. Hunted ruminant 38. Evening in Italy 42. *Where “Uncle Remus” tales took place 45. *Pecos Bill, e.g. 49. Goose egg 51. Plunderer 54. Handrail post 56. “August: _____ County” 57. Healing sign 58. Maui dance 59. Kuwaiti, e.g. 60. Boggy 61. *Blood’s partner in Halloween tales 62. Yanks 63. Dalmatian mark 66. Bonanza find 68. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy ISI
Big, Bigger, Biggest Submitted by Keith Moyer, Superior The guy from Texas was bragging about how large his cattle ranch was, saying, “It takes all day to ride out to the west fence, two days to reach the south fence, another day to get to my east fence, and two more days to get home.” The Idahoan, chewing calmly on a piece of straw, drawled, “Yeah, I had a horse like that once.” ISI
ATTENTION
INL WORKERS
FORMER
TO HELP E R E H E R ’ E W g • Home Health Aide
Nursin Medication Supportgram • n o ti ra a p re P l ro Mea Family Caregiver P • t en sm es ss A Safety Education and more
posure, you may ™ lated to work ex re ss ne ill c ni ro ch Pa rt ne rs is an If you suffer from edical benefits. N uc le ar C are st m tment of Labor. qualify for no co r the U.S. Depar de un er id ov pr al approved medic
Do you have this caedrdica? l care!
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Call for a FREE day. n to nurse consultatio
u!
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Toll-free:
888.525.5111 Call to RECEIVE YOUR in P Commemorative
PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014
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AFB-171 Senior Independent October
Take the Ultimate Compatibility Quiz to see if Affinity is a perfect fit for you. Y
N
When it’s really, really cold outside, I would like somebody else to pay the utility bills.
Fall is a great time to move!
Y
N
I would enjoy having 30,000 square feet of extra living space for swimming, partying and playing games.
Rent Includes • Utilities, WiFi & Cable TV
Y
N
I would love having my own private pub to enjoy festivities, food, fun and friendship.
Y
N
My favorite activity is hoarding for the coming famine.
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