MSN April May 2016 by Montana Senior News

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Risky Ginger Makes it all Work in Butte

Active and involved are the best adjectives for Butte’s Melissa McGregor, but you should ad tough, tenacious, and a terror on the roller derby rink. [Photo provided by Melissa McGregor]

By Connie Daugherty Five days a week she is Melissa McGregor, oncology supervising nurse at St. James Cancer Center in Butte. “I actually love being in a hospital,” she says. “I love being a caretaker.” But when she isn’t being a caretaker – of people or of animals – she is Risky Ginger, blocker and “fresh meat” trainer for the Butte Copper City Queens roller derby team. At fifty-four she is the oldest “bouting” (team competition) skater in the Montana Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). “I just need to be a part of this because it’s amazing,” she says. There are about ten WFTDA teams throughout the state. Two years ago when she was fifty-two she saw the notice that a roller derby team was forming in Butte. She decided to give it a try. “I love that it’s so retro,” Melissa says. “I’d always wanted to be an athlete.” Melissa spent most of her adult life being physically active; she was a marathon runner, an exerdance instructor, and Pink Gloves boxing trainer. She still works out at Cross Fit every day. Although she had never been involved in a team sport, she thought, “Why can’t I be an athlete at my age – I know I’m incredibly driven and I’m disciplined. What more could it take?” Looking back she confesses to fleeting second thoughts when she showed up and there were 42 other women, all of whom were younger – some twenty years younger than she. She admits that it was hard, that it took her three months to pass her basic skills test, and that she is sometimes “really tired,” after a practice or a bout. But Melissa McGregor was never one to back away from a challenge. When she was thirty-six, and a single mother who knew she needed to make more money to raise her daughter, she quit her TV broadcasting job and went back to college to be a nurse. “I felt a kind of calling for it,” she says. While the creative, energetic side of her would never totally abandon theater, she had also admired nurses since she was hospitalized at thirteen. “I just thought they were so awesome.” She respected these special caretakers and longed to be part of what they do. So she drove back and forth to Carroll College to earn a second college degree – very different from her U of M degree in Radio & TV Broadcasting and Theater. And she has not regretted a minute of it. During her sixteen years at St. James hospital she has worked in the ER and in ICU among other places, but oncology is “the most positive place I’ve ever worked as a nurse,” she insists. “My patients… become these amazing positive people.” Each day she works with people who, while fighting, know that they will probably not get better. She not only cares for them, she admires and respects them. “I’ve learned a lot about life from my patients,” she says, the enthusiasm and admiration obvious in her voice. “When I come to work I don’t have a bad day,” she says. “My patients are having a bad day.” (Continued on page 46)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

APRIL/MAY 2016

V OTING IS A RIGHT WE ALL SHARE In Montana, having a disability is not a barrier to exercising your right to vote. If you’re a person with a disability, the State of Montana offers a variety of ways to vote independently and privately.

Personal Ads

Thanks a lot Montana Senior News for letting your readers run personal ads at no charge. Please write an article of encouragement to those afraid to do so; and how you remain anonymous until you choose to contact a person. There are a lot of lonely widows and widowers out here hoping to meet someone at church or at the local coffee shop. And yes, you have to be careful. On the other hand, being alone after years of marriage is tough and can be depressing if one goes there. MaryJane Decker Whitefish

Recent Ruling Denies Patients Medical Marijuana Access

Electronic Ballot Request System

AutoMARK Specialized Voting Machine

With this brand new system, Montanans with disabilities can apply online to receive a ballot electronically, allowing them to vote from the comfort of their home using their own computer adapted software. The ballot can then be printed and returned by mail or in person to the county election office anytime during the absentee voting period and must be received by the election office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Every polling place in Montana has at least one specialized voting machine called an AutoMARK. The AutoMARK is a ballot-marking system that provides privacy and accessibility to voters who are blind, vision impaired, or have a condition that makes it difficult or impossible to mark a ballot in the usual way.

To learn more about the variety of options available, call 888-884-VOTE (8683) or visit CountYourVote.org. This message brought to you by Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch.

IN MONTANA, YOUR VOTE COUNTS

I am the founder and CEO of Lionheart Caregiving, one of Bozeman’s city licensed, state approved medical cannabis providers. In light of the recent Supreme Court decision to remove the injunctions on SB423, many people who use medical cannabis in Montana are afraid, but it is important to remain confident in our ability to persevere. I have decided to remain positive in the face of this unconstitutional, unfair, and systematic attack on vulnerable members of our community. I started Lionheart Caregiving in 2007. Following the law change in 2011, I lost all my patients. They were sent a letter from the state saying I was no longer their caregiver. I had to close five stores, lay off most of my employees, destroy product; I lost valuable time and infrastructure. One of my patients, who was also a dear friend, was denied safe access during that period in 2011. She went back on her prescription pain medication, and in just a few days, she died from an overdose, a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol. The thought ran through my head, would she still be alive if the law had remained intact? I decided that I had a moral and civic duty to keep my doors open and to rebuild. (Continued on page 5)

Montana doctor satisfied that aid in dying is authorized in Montana

“

Do no harm means honoring wishes.

”

– Dr. Jim McCreedy Doctor Jim McCreedy practiced medicine in Montana for 36 years. He Great Falls, MT always believed in listening to his patients and honoring their wishes, particularly at end of life. Dr. McCreedy testified at the legislature in Helena that physician aid in dying is an essential end-of-life option, along with hospice and palliative care for terminally ill adults. In fact, McCreedy has made sure he has a physician who will honor his end-of-life wishes and offer him every available option. The Montana Supreme Court’s Baxter ruling ensures Montanans can exercise their freedom through to the very end of life because it affirms and authorizes aid in dying as an option for adults who are terminally ill. Some groups want to undo the Baxter ruling and take away our right to die on our own terms. If you support death with dignity, help in the fight to protect your end-of-life options. Please fill out and return the petition below.

Ask Your Doctor To Support Death With Dignity Yes! I support end-of-life options. Name: Mailing Address: Phone:

Email: Mail completed petitions to PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624.

PO Box 1348 Helena, MT 59624 800 247 7421

APRIL/MAY 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

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PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

APRIL/MAY 2016

It’s still a little chilly, but as the weather is changing, it can be easy to daydream about those lazy summer days coming soon. Remember as kids when all we had to do was to think of something fun, exciting, and perhaps even dangerous – although nothing then seemed dangerous… at first glance. Of course as kids we did not have the wisdom then that years of experiences have given us now. The Unmanned Rocket describes a summer activity dreamed up by kids – probably many of us have done something similar – that carries all of the fun, excitement… and yes danger so characteristic of idle summer days. Thank you to Larry Roland of Missoula for this contribution that will surely bring back some old summertime memories. Remember When contains our readers’ per-

sonal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News features the contribution(s) deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our June/July 2016 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@ bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-7610305. Also visit us online at montanaseniornews. com.

The Unmanned Rocket By Larry Roland, Missoula My aunt paid her kids – our cousins – for work performed on the farm. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to induce them to help with the chores. This income made it possible for them to buy unbudgeted items they particularly wanted – like watermelons in the summer, cowboy boots, and bicycles. Cousin Gloria had bought a girl’s bike, of

Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Kathleen McGregor Lisa Gebo Jonathan Rimmel Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith

Production Supervisor Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Production Assistant Graphic Designer Distribution Admin/Production Assistant

course, and since it was easy to dismount quickly, it was just the vehicle for a contest designed by our creative cousins. You see, the road that passed in front of the farm came down at a nice slope, leveled off by the house and remained so a ways past the barn before going uphill a little, and then dropping off again. The competition required the rider to speed down the slope pumping the pedals as fast as possible and then jump off the two-wheeler on the flat section while directing it along the lane unaccompanied. Whoever made the bike travel the farthest before it careened into the ditch reigned as winner. Usually, traffic was not a problem since travel in this area was light – mostly local residents with few sightseers. With the road pretty much to themselves, our cousins spent many summer days competing for distance. The dirt became smooth, hard-packed, and was almost as good as riding on pavement. Impressive distances were achieved, but of course, everybody thought they could do better, so they would recover the bike, ride up to the starting point, and whiz down the hill to set a record no one could surpass. Once, after attaining significant velocity, one of the cousins had just disembarked from the hurtling bicycle while my cousins and I stood strung along the edge of the yard watching to see how far it would go this time. Then… an automobile climbed into view on the far side of the barn! However long it may have taken the driver to comprehend the situation – a riderless bicycle rocketing down the road straight at him with an audience of eleven kids lined up along the road – I would wager it was outside of his customary experience! For our part, we stood frozen in place, staring as the situation unfolded. The car did not brake, swerve, or take any evasive action. It was like an impromptu game with which we were not yet familiar – chicken! At the last moment, the bicycle veered into the barrow pit, and we kids collectively sighed in great relief. The auto passed as the oblivious driver examined us curiously and then disappeared up the hill. We retrieved the bike, turned our attention to other pursuits, and somehow it never occurred to us to mention the incident to our 406-542-1344 • 877-542-1344 mothers. www.gcmonument.com 1035 Ronan St, Missoula I do not believe the distance record was challenged again! MSN LOCA LLY OWNED & OPER ATED FA MILY BU S IN E S S

Lifes L ifesmemories in stone

APRIL/MAY 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

Letters To The Editor - contiuned from page 2 Because of Judge Reynolds’ decision, the loyalty and support of my patients, the hard work of my staff, and the love of my family, I became the largest provider in Montana with approximately 800 patients. All of these patients still rely on me to provide them with the quality, consistency, and compassion that they deserve. So many people could suffer greatly without access to this alternative medicine. Not only are my patients affected, but also my 47 employees and their families. These people could be out of a job. Last quarter alone my business paid approximately $170,000 in state fees and taxes. My business also has to pay federal taxes and is not allowed to deduct expenses like normal businesses due to tax code280-e, so I pay a higher tax rate than normal businesses. So here we are again, faced with a new challenge. How can I keep my doors open, my patient’s plants alive and well, secure the valuable genetics that I have acquired, stay compliant with state law, and continue to provide this medicine to qualified patients? If I can only have three patients then whom do I chose? Does someone with multiple sclerosis trump someone with glaucoma? Does someone with chronic pain trump someone with a seizure disorder? How can I decide who deserves my uninterrupted service? This new ruling continues to make no sense at all. We need to implement a reasonable structure and plan during this transition. Under this new ruling we should be allowed to continue care and professional assistance to all patients that have been registered with the Montana State DPHHS/ MMP program. It is the right thing to do! All of these individuals put their identities on the line, submitted to background checks, and paid expensive fees to doctors and the state of Montana to receive a state legal medical cannabis card. Thousands followed the required legal protocol in order to have a provider to treat them with legal medical cannabis. It is outrageous that citizens have had their rights recalled by a few people in a room in Helena. In 2004, 62% of the voting public chose cannabis as a viable alternative medicine. I speculate that even more people would vote the same way today and suggest that we put it to the vote one more time. We need regulations that allow for safe access to medical cannabis for all patients under this new ruling. I call upon all concerned citizens to work together to form a regulatory framework instead of supporting de-facto prohibition! Where there is a will; there is a way. Let freedom reign! Christopher L Fanuzzi Bozeman MSN

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PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

APRIL/MAY 2016

second-guess everybody including himself…he didn’t trust anyone except Griff Wooden.” Ben and Griff were just two of the medical students in the 2002 class at Chicago General Mercy Hospital. “Ever since Brian Festoon was big enough to walk, he wanted to be a neurosurgeon.” Sam Sleason Jr. was not stupid, but he struggled and eventually flunked out. Stetson Ball also struggled in medical school but managed to get through with Griff’s help. Robert Moffitt, wanted to be a doctor for all the right reasons, but “Like his classmates, Robert was completely transfixed by Griff Wooden...despite his insight regarding Griff, Robert often got sucked into Griff’s antics.” Griff manages to manipulate and maneuver his way through medical school, however “upon graduation, all of Griff Wooden’s classmates got a medical license, a residency, and a fellowship appointment. Griff didn’t get any of them.” He was smart – probably the smartest in the class. He was also good at manipulating and deceiving, but along the way he had crossed paths with someone who saw through him and who had power. So Griff ends up in Kenya by chance. And by chance he comes across native medical practices that change everything. It is also in Kenya that he meets Du Kenyetta and connects with Bonton Pharmaceuticals and Dr Ollaffson. Just when Griff thought his life was over everything is going his way again. He has stumbled upon a miracle treatment for heart attack patients. A few months later he is back in the United States and on his way to fame and fortune if his plan works the way he wants. He starts by contacting all his old medical school classmates. AlONTANA ISTORY OVERS ways a convincing salesman, Griff soon has all io the old gang on board AudAlso CD ilable with his grand experiAva ment. But things never go quite as expected when Griff Wooden is involved. Patients are dying, people are asking questions, threatening to EACH, ORDER BY MAIL sue the hospital and the SHIPPING INCLUDED Books by Kalispell Author, Grace Larson doctors – specifically Griff Wooden.

Not with My Brain, You Don’t by Richard D. Tenney; iUniverse, Inc. Bloomington, IN, 2013 Reviewed by Connie Daugherty “If Griff got the antidote in some subversive or clandestine way…Griff had stepped way over the line.” From the very beginning Richard Tenney sets the reader up for an intriguing ride in his most recent book, Not with My Brain, You Don’t. Even the title is a bit of misdirection. For the most part the story is about cardiac disease and the process of finding a treatment for heart attack victims, not about the brain at all – or so it would seem. Richard Tenney takes us inside the world of medicine, medical research, and the partnership with pharmaceutical companies where the potential for greed and corruption abound, a perfect setting for contradictions and suspense. While Not with My Brain is definitely a mystery with plenty of unexpected twists, it is also a bit of satire. The sometimes corny, sometimes symbolic names of the characters actually add a subtle layer to the story allowing the author to imply – and the reader to infer – a definite message – while at the same time allowing some comic relief in the handling of a serious subject. Tenney’s descriptions are welldone and his writing clean and crisp, but it is his character development that carries the story. “Griff [Wooden] was fueled by an endless inner feeling of excitement and perpetual rush…he was smart, extremely motivated, and expected to offer insightful and innovative ideas.” He was also manipulative and psychopathic. “Ben Priestly wanted to be a doctor…his insecurity commanded him to

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“All the lawyers wore expensive suits; none of the doctors did. The doctors were always tired; the lawyers always fresh. The lawyers wore cologne; the doctors didn’t. The doctors exercised and ate correctly; the lawyers didn’t. Both drove BMWs.” Lawyers and doctors are not always friends, but they are often codependent. This is one of

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7

those times. One of those lawyers was determined to prove Griff is a fraud, determined to take away everything he has worked for. Diamond Coolcut, Griff’s lawyer has a plan – a plan that is so outrageous that it just might work. Griff also has his own plan. If both plans work Griff just might not lose anything.

Not with My Brain, You Don’t is Richard Tenney’s second medical thriller and is a finalist in the 2015 Chanticleer Murder and Mayhem Writing Contest. Tenney, an internist, draws from his personal medical and research experience. He lives with his family in Bozeman where he enjoys fishing, reading, traveling, and training horses. MSN

- - - Out Of The Mouths Of Babes... - - 1. A little boy was lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women’s locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, “What’s the matter haven’t you ever seen a little boy before? 2. My four-year-old son Zachary came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he’d dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, “We better throw this one out too then, ’cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago.” 3. On the first day of school, a first grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, “The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents.” 4. A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup to come out of the jar. During her struggle, the phone rang so she asked her four- year old daughter to answer the phone. “It’s the minister, Mommy,” the child said to her mother. Then into the phone

she added, “Mommy can’t come to the phone to talk to you right now. She’s hitting the bottle.” 5. While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about six years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, “Are you a cop?” “Yes,” I answered and continued writing the report. “My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?” “Yes, that’s right,” I told her. “Well, then,” she said as she extended her foot toward me, “would you please tie my shoe?” 6. It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. “Is that a dog you got back there?” he asked. “It sure is,” I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally, he said,

“What’d he do?” 8. A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, “Daddy, you shouldn’t wear that suit.” “And why not, darling?” “You know that it always gives you a headache next morning.” MSN

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The National Park Service – with 22,000 employees and more than 220,000 volunteers – turns 100 years old in 2016. National Park Week is April 16-24, a president-proclaimed celebration of our national heritage. In 2015, more than 300 million recreation visits were made to our National Parks. The centennial will kick off a second century of stewardship of America’s national parks and engaging communities through recreation, conservation, and historic preservation programs. This month’s quiz was submitted by Gary Bores to test your knowledge of America’s greatest treasures, our National Parks. Thank you and congratulations to Gary, winner of the special $50 cash prize. Thank you to all who participated in our Famous Relatives of Famous People quiz in the February/March 2016 issue. The winner of the $25 prize for submitting the correct answers is Rhonda Fisher of Billings. Congratulations, Rhonda! Thank you also to the many people who tracked down the baker’s dozen Easter eggs that we hid throughout the February/March 2016 issue. The winner drawn from the many correct answers submitted is Ralph Sutich of Lewistown. Thank you, Ralph! Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the winning answers to the featured quiz from the previous issue. The second prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for this issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by May 7, 2016 for our June/July 2016 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website at montanaseniornews.com.

National Parks Trivia – Celebrating Our Nation’s Treasures

Submitted by Gary Bores This month’s quiz was created to focus your attention on our national parks, to test what you might already know, and to stimulate you to research the facts you don’t know in order to complete the quiz. Below are 25 numbered clues related to particular national parks. Match the lettered name of the park to the numbered clue and send them to us. Mail or email is fine. You may win the $25 cash prize. Good luck! 1. 1928 Bill proposing this park originally used another name to avoid a negative impression. 2. Great White Throne stands out. 3. Hiding place for the Seminole. 4. A 16-year-old ranch hand was first thoroughly to explore this park’s complex maze.

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5. The Bluegrass State. 6. Roosevelt elk roam here. 7. America’s most visited national park. 8. The Colorado River runs through it. 9. Going-to-the-Sun road runs across it. 10. America’s first national park. 11. Includes an arch named for an outlaw. 12. This park’s name means “House of the Sun.” 13. Bike one way, ride scenic railway back. 14. Smallest national park by area. 15. Benjamin Franklin fought to include area T as part of U.S. in a certain treaty. 16. Eminent domain secured land for this park. 17. First park to preserve works of man. 18. Javelinas inhabit this park. 19. “Cowboy of the Dakotas” considered nation’s conservation leader.

The Roaring 1920s

ACROSS 1. Incited 6. Presidents’ Day month 9. Pig trough stuff 13. The Stars and Stripes Forever composer

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

20. America’s first sunrise seen here. 21. French trappers named this park after part of female anatomy. 22. Basque sheepherders used area in 1800s and 1900s. 23. El Capitan is located here. 24. Sacred site of Klamath people. 25. Its name means “The High One.” A. Denali B. Grand Canyon C. Hot Springs D. Yosemite E. Mesa Verde F. Everglades G. Haleakala H. Mammoth Cave I. Acadia 14. *Happy Days Are Here Again, ____ Reisman and His Orchestra 15. *Josephine Baker’s turf 16. Blood fluid 17. Will Ferrell’s Christmas character 18. Conical dwelling 19. *First Winter Olympics country 21. *Female pioneer 23. Uh-huh 24. Classic sci-fi video game 25. Boxer’s punch 28. Hoodwink 30. Noble gas 34. Exclamation of sorrow 36. Lord’s servant 38. Muslim ruler honorific 40. Central Time ____ 41. North Pole workforce 43. Dwarf buffalo 44. Some sorority girls 46. South American monkey 47. Like gum after Novocain hot 48. Poisonous plant 50. Fill beyond full 52. Epitome of easiness 53. Satellite TV provider 55. Final, abbr. 57. *Black day 61. *Lindbergh’s ____ of St. Louis

Over 60?

J. Isle Royale K. Glacier L. Great Basin M. Carlsbad Caverns N. Theodore Roosevelt O. Cuyahoga Valley P. Great Smoky Mountain Q. Big Bend R. Badlands S. Capitol Reef T. Shenandoah U. Olympic V. Grand Teton W. Zion X. Crater Lake Y. Yellowstone Y. Denali MSN

64. “Round up the ____ suspects!” 65. Major network 67. Healer 69. Capital of Switzerland 70. India’s smallest state 71. In an unfriendly manner 72. Greek god of love 73. It often goes with “flow” 74. Magnetic field strength unit DOWN 1. Sixth sense 2. Subject of A Good Walk Spoiled 3. ____ gum, food additive 4. Literary composition 5. *F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and the ____ 6. What refugees do 7. Snakelike fish 8. Very successful 9. Take one of these at a time 10. Nordic native 11. Curved molding 12. Jurist 15. Pollen producer 20. Malaria to Bill Gates, e.g. 22. Salmon on a bagel 24. Ascetic Muslim monk 25. *____ Age 26. Healing plants 27. Swahili or Zulu 29. Fox’ coat

31. Indian restaurant staple 32. Come clean 33. One of the Judds 35. Clothes line 37. Cheese on Peloponnese 39. *Iconic baseball player 42. Abdominal exercise 45. Equestrian’s seat 49. Foreign intelligence service 51. Provoke 54. Irish playwright John Millington ____ 56. Cease-fire 57. Toothpaste holder 58. Consumer 59. Eurozone money 60. “Without,” in French 61. Striker’s foe 62. Part of eye 63. Be a snitch 66. *Hairstyle 68. Shag rug MSN

Contest Answers On Page 15

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If you are over 60 and your monthly income is less than $1287, or $1736 for a couple, you are eligible for the Senior Nutrition Program. Come see us today! We can help with the forms and you can take your first monthly box of food home with you. Commodities provided include: juice, dry milk, shelf-stable milk, cold cereal/oatmeal, canned fruit and vegetables, cheese, chili or beef stew, peanut butter, rice and pasta. If you pick up your box at the Food Bank, you will get a bigger variety of food items, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and bread as available.

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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

Spring! It’s finally that glorious season we call spring! Flowers clothed in vibrant colors, their fragrance so fresh and welcoming. Birds’ melodies float on the wind as they gather twigs and fiber for their nests. Bees busily buzz between flowers gathering the beginning of the year’s sweet nectar. This is clearly the season of life... and love. Everything is so full of life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to share all of this with someone special... but where can you find him or her? One good start would be to send in your personal ad for publication or to reply to one listed below. Just pick up your pen or dust off your keyboard, start writing, and who knows what surprises await. To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including the address, phone number, and/or email address that you provide 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

APRIL/MAY 2016

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! You may submit your responses to personal ads appearing in the Montana Senior News at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the June/ July 2016 issue, the deadline is May 7, 2016. SWM seeking Great Falls-area lady, 50-80 to be my live-in companion. I am 65 years old and do not smoke or drink. Looks are unimportant. Please send phone number and I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 32401, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I want you because I need you to bait the hook, to catch the Frisbee, and to read the road map. I’ve been too independent and it’s more fun to do things together. My schedule is flexible and I have a variety of interests, mostly in central Montana. I need you because I want an active, intelligent buddy to enjoy the next chapter. Are you available? Love to hear from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 32402, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. WWM 72 years young. The body says 72 years but my mind says 45. Full beard, 6’ 4”, and 200lbs. I’m a clean freak! My house is clean and so am I! I

do like to treat a lady like a lady. I will open doors, pull out chairs; hold your hand as we walk down the street. I like 50s and 60s rock ‘n roll. I like almost all foods, fishing, camping out, long drives, going to the hot springs, taking pictures, and enjoying a fine lady’s companionship. I really enjoy going to yard sales, auctions, watching rodeos, NASCAR, football. I am seeking a non-smoking, romantic lady who enjoys companionship and hugging and kissing as a relationship develops. Seeking someone who lives within a 100 miles of Billings. Please write with description of yourself, picture, phone, likes/dislikes, etc. I will call you! Reply MSN, Dept. 32403, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SM 65, 5’9”, 175lbs. I live at the base of the Beartooth Mountains in south central Montana. Looking for an active woman around my age. Hobbies are reading, hiking, yoga, kayaking, gardening, working in my wood shop, and trips to unknown spots. And of course good music and conversation while having a cocktail or two. Please send pictures, cards, and letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 32404, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF 5’5”, mid 60s, not slim, intelligent, attractive, opinionated, outspoken, trustworthy, faithful, affectionate, tenderhearted, born again, spirit-filled Christian. Own home in Hamilton, so not relocatable. Enjoy singing, dancing, camping, picnics, art, music (worship, classical, rock, some country), 12-step meetings, church, laughing, healthy open communication, chivalry, TV, walks, movies, plays, board games, and pinochle. ISO slim to med built relocatable conservative Christian who truly loves Jesus and isn’t into drinking, drugs, gambling, pornography, or drama. Honesty is imperative. Need not be gorgeous or rich (income desirable) and height, age, and race aren’t important. Being in a 12-step program, responsible, non-smoking, romantic, and having a great sense of humor impresses me more. I’m not into computers, iPhones, texting, etc . but do have (Cont’d on pg 12)

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PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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(Continued from page 10) a landline. If you’d like a best friend with the possibility of becoming Christ-centered life mates, please send me a photo and address with a descriptive letter. God bless you until then. Reply MSN, Dept. 32405, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. DWF, 60 years young, seeking male companionship late 50s early 60s. I love to travel, meet new people, and I love the outdoors, boating, camping, etc., dinners, and movies. A great sense of humor is a must. I love adventure and doing new things. Must be financially independent, easy going, and lighthearted. If this sounds like you, I would love to hear from you. Reply MSN, Dept. 32406, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Hey there Montana gentlemen, there are so many of you who have lost a wife for a partner and are not happy being alone. Sharing our “golden years” should be fun, active, and happy. If you place an ad in this column, there is nothing to be fearful or standoffish about. People write to the paper (not to you). It is your choice from then on. You should stop being reluctant about it and step out in faith to maybe find a great lady friend to share our beautiful Montana summers with. Someone to enjoy life with you. Don’t be like that. Happy spring and happy trails to you. Reply MSN, Dept. 32407, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

Times Are Changing Faster Than We Thought Possible By Bob Campbell There was a time in Montana when families gathered at the dinner table and discussed the news of the day with spirited debates over local, state, and international events. Today the internet has changed everything. Everyone has a cell phone to check their favorite sites many times a day. The amount of information available is far more than anyone had in the times when we made many decisions that shaped the course of our lives. In one of its worst decisions, the United States Supreme Court invalidated state bans on corporations and billionaires making unlimited contributions to influence the election of candidates who will repay them by lowering their taxes – this is the 1%!

APRIL/MAY 2016

This year’s election is the most important in your lifetime. We will elect a new president, our only member of Congress, three Montana State Supreme Court justices, our Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Secretary of State. These are the people that you will entrust to protect, defend, and support all of your constitutional rights for the next four years. And this comes in very polarized times of often outrageous rhetoric contrary to our democracy and constitution. Once one person’s or group’s constitutional rights are restricted, the door is open to the restriction of your rights too! Our birthright is equal justice for all.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

The most destructive problem facing us is the rapid and potentially catastrophic warming of our planet earth caused by human activity – a fact according to 97% of all climate scientists. And, with resulting drought and fresh water depletion while populations increase in hard hit regions, the potential for even more political unrest in the world is high. This is all the more reason to be actively engaged in this election cycle. Voters who do not think this is important enough to study the issues and question candidates seeking votes could best be described as ostriches – heads in the sand and no water there either! MSN

God’s Own Drunk Submitted by Julie Hollar A man and his wife were awakened at 3 a.m. by a loud pounding on the door. The man got up and went to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, asked for a push. “Not a chance,” said the husband, “It is 3:00 in the morning!” He slammed the door and returned to bed. “Who was that?” asked his wife. “Just some drunken guy asking for a push,” he answered. “Did you help him?” she asked. “No, I did not, it is 3:00 in the morning, and it is pouring rain out there!”

“Well, you have a short memory,” replied his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself! God loves drunken people too.” The man did as he was told, got dressed, and went out into the pounding rain. He called out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?” “Yes,” came back the answer. “Do you still need a push?” replied the husband. “Yes, please!” came the reply from the dark. “Where are you?” asked the husband. “Over here – on the swing set,” replied the drunk. MSN HELENA AREA TRANSIT SERVICE M–F Except Holidays

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

Answers - continued from page 8 Answers to At a Distance: Famous Relatives of Famous People Created by MSN Staff 14. D – Katharine 1. Q – Sarah Palin Hepburn 2. L – Jamie Lee Curtis 15. M – Prince Albert II 3. S – Dick Cheney 4. W – Kate Middleton 16. O – Melanie Griffith 17. E – Franklin D. 5. F – Goldie Hawn Roosevelt 6. B – Norah Jones 18. Y – Abraham Lincoln 7. A – Carrie Fisher 19. J – David Eisenhower 8. I – Ingrid Bergman 20. K – Shirley McClaine 9. U – Martin Sheen 10. C – Angelina Jolie 21. G – Judy Garland 22. X – Jerry Lee Lewis 11. P – George Bush 12. H – Johnny Carson 23. V – Crystal Gale 13. T – Hillary Clinton 24. R – Albert Schweitzer 25. N – Miguel Ferrer MSN

Answers to Gather the Hidden Eggs 1. 4 2. 11 3. 18 4. 24 5. 31 6. 37 7. 45

8. 53 9. 62 10. 65 11. 69 12. 72 13. 74 MSN

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Quilting in the Country more than a hobby; it’s a lifestyle that helps define By Bernice Karnop Jane Quinn sees the world differently. A friend us as a person and a creative person.” As she sends inonce said he likes traveling with vitations to her 50th her because, “I love seeing the wedding annivercountry we are so familiar with sary party and barn through your eyes.” dance, she realizes Jane is life-long, internationally that quilting has done recognized quilter, designer, and much more for her teacher. Quilters from all over the than putting fabric world stop at her store south of pieces together. It’s Bozeman, Quilting in the Country. also stitched together This cozy bunkhouse on one of special friends who Gallatin Valley’s historic ranches would never have met was named one of the ten best outside of quilting. quilt stores in America in 1998. Her She made her original patterns appear in quilting first quilt when she magazines and two of her designs was 19. After her first were chosen for 200 Designs from year of college, her Today’s Best Designers in 2012. aunt asked what she Patchwork Place, a major craft was going to do for book publisher, featured her in a the summer. She had book they called Quilting in the a job, but that wasn’t Country. what was meant. All these years of piecing various fabrics into beautiful art have Jane Quinn, owner of Quilting in the Country, Her aunt wanted to made her who she is. “You train Bozeman, re-envisions landscape and history know what kind of yourself into quilt patterns. For example, a Lewis and Clark project she’d do to quilt retreat theme included a quilt showing all the t o s e e plants from Great Falls to Three Forks mentioned keep her hands and t h i n g s in the journals. [Photo courtesy of Jane Quinn] mind busy when she wasn’t working. Todifferently,” Jane says. “I am gether they planned and made a four-patch quilt always looking for a quilt using scraps from previous 4-H projects. Jane learned to work with fabrics and needles pattern in something I see something in the from her grandmother, who had her sewing simple landscape that gives me things before she started kindergarten. When summer and that first quilt were finished, a new idea, or I notice how colors in nature go her aunt gave her an embroidery kit to work on at college. This cross work piece became a quilt, together.” On the Quilting in but she didn’t finish it until after she was married. the Country web site Then she was so pleased that she hung it on the Jane writes, “Quilting is clothesline behind the stack houses they lived in, so the neighbors could see it. Jane grew up in Iowa, but her husband’s job at Montana Veterinarian Diagnostic Lab brought them to Montana. The day they arrived the temperature was 40 below zero without wind chill. She thought he’d to come to his senses and go

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

“

THANKFULLY, PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE REMAINS A HOMICIDE IN MONTANA

”

Our 2015 Montana Legislature rejected for the third time an Oregon model bill, Senate Bill (SB) 202, which would have legalized non-voluntary euthanasia and trample individual’s rights. Montana Disability Rights advocates describe (SB) 202 as a blunt instrument. Once people learn how poorly the bills are written to allow abuse, they are not in favor of such a dangerous public policy. By Oregon and Washington law, all family members are not required to be contacted. A single heir is allowed to initiate and execute the lethal process without a witness, thus eviscerating intended safeguards. Everyone involved in the lethal process gets immediate immunity. A witness is not required to confirm the dose was self-administered, so if someone struggled and changed his or her mind who would ever know? In addition, these laws prohibit investigations or public inquiries leaving no recourse for surviving family members who were not contacted. Does that sound like good public policy to you? This is a very dangerous public policy that allows the exploitation of elders and people with disabilities of all ages. However, it serves the health insurance corporations very well. Thankfully our legislators read the bills. Thank them for their careful and responsible legislative action that keeps us safe. To learn how these bills are written and deceptively promoted, book a speaker for your small group. Contact Bradley@MTAAS.org. Thank you all for your generous support.

SAY NO TO ASSISTED SUICIDE IN MONTANA! Send in this form to recieve more information or to volunteer and help fight against assisted suicide. Name: Address: Phone: Email: Montanans Against Assisted Suicide 610 North 1st St., Suite 5-285 Hamilton, MT 59840 406-531-0937

Donations Appreciated!

Bradley D. Williams - President bradley@MTAAS.org www.MTAAS.org

PAGE 18 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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back to the Midwest, but after a few months they were able to spend time outdoors. She remembers fishing on Bracket Creek watching her daughter play with the rocks in the creek and she thought, “I really like this place.” Now she says, “We just love it here.” In the 1970s, quilting seemed a dead art, tired recognizable designs from women’s magazines. Only a few people made quilts with scraps to keep warm. Patchworks, Montana’s first quilt store, opened in 1976 in Bozeman around the bicentennial in 1976. The owners took advantage of a revival in traditional crafts due to the celebration, but they worried that people would lose interest in quilting again. Jane worked for them one day a week. People haven’t lost interest as traditional quilting became modern quilting. People started playing with the traditional patterns. For example, Jane combined the Farmers Wife and Corn and Beans to make something entirely different, the Family Reunion. Jane estimates she has published 150 different patterns over the past 50 years. Jane describes modern quilting as more spare with more background showing. The quilters also changed. The Quilters Guild of the Northern Rockies included 500 women from nearby states and provinces. In her early 30s at the time, Jane was constantly asked about her age. She and other young women broke the stereotype of older women quilting. “It’s a mistake to put off quilting for retirement,” Jane says. “I think you need to get started. I don’t know if it happens at that stage of the game.” Quilting in the Country sort of just happened. Jane taught classes downtown, and then taught them in her home. Food naturally paired with quilt patterns so when students learned to piece a pineapple quilt block, she served them pineapple upside down cake. People requested recipes and she finally gave in and published a soup cookbook. Then she did a salads book, a desserts book, and finally a cookie book. More than recipes, they are personalized with Jane’s notes, writings, and pieces from her collection of wisdom quotes. Jane ordered tools her students needed for individual projects. They remodeled the bunkhouse and opened it as Quilting in the Country. They had quilt shows that drew thousands of people from across the country. Jane’s favorite thing about quilting may be the joy of giving quilts. When her children were little, they would see her working on a quilt and say, “Who are you making that for?” They assumed that the quilt would not stay in their home. “It’s the gift of giving it and then the gift of knowing it’s appreciated and special to the receiver,” Jane says. Today quilt stores pepper Montana, in the cities, in tiny towns, and even in places where there is no town. There’s always something new happening. She recently taught a class on making Barn Quilts, an old piece of Americana. These have nothing to do with fabric or sewing, but hark back to when

APRIL/MAY 2016

advertisers painted signs on barns. Instead of ads, people paint quilt squares on boards and hang them on the building. Jane says her life is rich and blessed. She had no idea where quilting would take her when she

started out, and she still doesn’t know where it will take her from here. To learn more about Quilting in the Country’s classes, retreats, shows, and products, visit quiltinginthecountry.com. MSN

Low Maintenance Vegetable Gardening for a Bountiful Harvest By Melinda Myers Increase your harvest without increasing the size of your garden or workload. All you need is a bit of intensive planting, along with some low maintenance techniques. Invest some time upfront to prepare the garden soil. This will save you time throughout the growing season. Add several inches of organic matter and a slow release fertilizer into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil. The organic matter improves drainage in clay soils and increases moisture retention in sandy soils. The slow release fertilizer feeds the plants for several months, reducing the number of applications needed. You’ll have healthier plants that are better able to fend off pests and compete with weeds. Match the plants with the right growing conditions. Tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables that produce fruit need full sun. Leafy crops like lettuce are more tolerant of shade. Check plant tags and seed packets for planting details or download a free gardening app, like Homegrown With Bonnie Plants, for plant information, maintenance tips, weather reports, and more. Plant seeds and transplants in blocks with fewer pathways. Give each plant enough room to grow to its full size. Your rows will be closer together with just enough paths for weeding, watering, and harvesting. You will be growing more plants and pulling fewer weeds with this strategy. Interplant to maximize your planting space further. Plant short-season vegetables like lettuce and radishes in between properly spaced longerseason vegetables like broccoli and tomatoes. By the time the longer-season plants start filling the space, the shorter season plantings will be ready to harvest. You’ll be pulling radishes or cutting lettuce instead of weeds. You’ll harvest two crops from one row. Plant successive crops throughout the growing season. Plant cool weather vegetables like

“There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” – Mahatma Gandhi

spinach, radishes, and lettuce in spring. Once these are harvested, replace with warm weather vegetables like beans, tomatoes, or cucumbers. Finish off the season by filling any voids with a fall crop of cool weather vegetables. Go vertical to save space, reduce disease, and make harvesting easier. Growing vine crops on supports lifts the fruit off the ground and increases the amount of light and airflow the plants receive, reducing the risk of disease. Plus, you’ll do less bending when it’s time to harvest. Mulch the garden with pine straw/evergreen needles, shredded leaves, or other organic matter. These materials suppress the weeds, conserve moisture, and add organic matter to the soil as they decompose. You’ll have fewer weeds to pull and not have to water as often. Save time and water with the help of soaker hoses or drip irrigation. These systems apply the water directly to the soil where it is needed. Less water is lost to over spray, evaporation, and runoff. They also reduce the risk and spread of disease by preventing water from settling on the leaves. Try a few or all of these strategies this season for an abundant harvest without a lot of extra work. Melinda Myers has 30+ years of gardening experience has written over 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Are There Valuable Antiques Hidden In Your Closets?

By Teresa Ambord Most every household has stuff that it could do without. Even if spring cleaning is not on your mind, you may be feeling the need more to clear out some space and maybe replenish your wallet. Why not try turning some of that stuff into extra cash? Instead of just wondering how, take action. Once you have dug into your closets and garage

and have items to sell, here are some ideas. 1. Garage or yard sale. For maximum impact, combine with neighbors to have a bigger sale that will attract more attention. Most communities have ways that you can advertise such sales free, in the newspaper and possibly on a local radio station. Neighborhood signs are good, but don’t make the common mistake of wasting your effort with signs that are not easily readable from the street. Sturdy, weatherproof, easy-to-read signs are a must. Overall, garage or yard sales are a very efficient and cost-effective way to sell your stuff. 2. Classified ads. Larger newspapers work, but community newspapers reach a more targeted market. If there is a senior center in your town or professional organizations, find out if they have a newsletter that takes ads. Some newspapers have both print and online editions, giving you more for your money. Online editions often allow you more space. 3. Online ads. You may be able to post your ads free online, on sites like Craigslist, or ToolzDo. com. ToolzDo requires users to enter a profile, so transactions are not anonymous. You can target your ad to a certain group by finding a bulletin board or message board that takes free or low cost ads. For example, if you want to sell your son’s old trombone, go online and type in a musical instruments for sale, bulletin board. 4. Consignment stores. Consignment stores will usually net you more money for good quality items than you can get by selling them at a garage or yard sale. The beauty of a consignment store is that they do all the work for you, in exchange for a commission. Just be sure to find out the commission rate (some stores charge as much as 60 percent), and other terms. For instance, how long the store will keep your item before it discounts it. You will also need a realistic idea of what the item is worth in terms of resale value. 5. Online auctions. The great thing about online auctions like eBay is that they reach out to global audiences. And, they are set up to provide bidding tools and payments tools. If your attic is full of collectibles that you are tired of collecting, eBay might be the answer. eBay provides a tutorial so you can open an account and learn how to

use the system. It’s important to add at least one picture of the item. If you do not have a lot to sell, you may not want to bother with setting up an account. In that case, you may want to check with eBay’s Trading Assistant Directory, which is like an online consignment store. Just like a regular consignment store, the seller takes a commission for handling the auctions for you. 6. Traditional auctions. Do you have high-dollar items like antiques? Artwork? If so, you may want to have them appraised and contact an auction house to allow it to handle the sale for you. Many have online services that you can contact. Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide can be accessed online at kovels.com. Also try online appraisal sites like instappraisal.com and auctionwally.com. 7. Second hand and antique stores. Shops that resell items, like used bookstores, music stores, or sporting good stores (like Play it Again Sports) may buy your stuff directly from you rather than dealing with consignment. 8. Pawn shops. At a pawnshop, you’re actually getting a temporary loan, and your item is collateral. You get cash, then the shop owner holds your item for a specified period (depending on the state where the pawnshop is, it could be 30 days, up to six months). During that period, you could buy back the item with interest. If you simply want to sell your stuff, that isn’t an issue. How Will You Safely Receive Payments for Online Sales? PayPal serves as an intermediary between sellers and buyers to facilitate payment without allowing either side access to the other’s bank or credit information. You can sign up for a free account to send and receive payment, with only a very small fee when transactions occur. Insiders provide this advice: do not ship items until you have been fully paid for the merchandise. While PayPal has been reliable, some unscrupulous buyers have been known to file false claims that the goods were not received, causing PayPal to charge the accounts of the sellers. What About Shipping and Handling? If the item you are selling must be shipped, be sure to consider that in the price you are setting. Obviously fragile items will require extra care and therefore

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extra expense, so make sure that the price you ask includes adequate margin to cover the shipping and handling fees or a separate amount for adequate shipping and handling. Don’t forget eBay fees and PayPal fees and anything else that may be required. Shoppers are often drawn to items that are listed with free or low-cost shipping. If you can, calculate the cost to ship and include it in your total price or minimum bid.

Are you planning to sell and ship to overseas destinations? Take the time to find out if the items you sell are legal to ship into the country where the purchaser lives. What is legal in the United States may be illegal in Japan or some other destination – or vice versa. Teresa Ambord, Senior Wire national correspondent can be reached at ambertrees@charter. net. MSN

By Geno Lawrenzi, Jr. If you are one of the few people on planet Earth who has never been owned by a cat, I feel sorry for you. Admittedly, I have not always been a fan of cats. Growing up in a wooded area 20 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I was much more interested in dogs than cats. My grandmother was terrified of cats. Being from the “Old Country” – she was born on the Russian border – she was superstitious of anything feline and was afraid if she had one in the house it would attack her like a vampire while she was sleeping and drink her blood. Seriously. Our neighbors were coal miners and steel mill workers. They looked at cats as creatures of the night that would prey on young pheasants, rabbits, and quail eggs. This did not set well with families living on a coal miner’s salary. I remember many family and neighborhood feasts that would add a spicy dish of rabbit stew or pheasant under glass to our evening meal. It wasn’t until I began dating Grace, a flight attendant who owned six cats that I learned to appreciate this exquisite purring creature that has long mystified mankind. I still love watching a cat cleaning itself meticulously with its rough tongue or one that lets me rub its tummy while it is stretched languidly on its back. If people trusted like that, we would have a better world and there would be no wars. Grace lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and flew for Delta Airlines. She was a native of Warsaw, Poland, – blond, beautiful, and brilliant enough to qualify as an astronaut. Instead she chose to emigrate to America and became an airline stewardess.

I met her while flying back to oversee the family at my father’s funeral. She saw me sitting alone, nursing my grief, and comforted me with a steady supply of glasses of wine. When I disembarked from my plane at Pittsburgh International Airport, I was feeling no pain and had her phone number. After I returned to Naples, Florida, where I lived and worked as associate editor of a magazine, we began dating. Grace was very special, and I didn’t mind the long scenic drive across the Everglades as I followed Alligator Alley on Friday nights after work. It was worth it to spend the weekend with Grace and her cats. In her charming Polish accent, Grace introduced me to all six of them. Her favorite was Blackie. Cuddling the beautiful black cat, she stroked it, eliciting purrs that indicated its pleasure. “This is Blackie,” she said. “He has cancer. The veterinarian said it would cost $500 for an operation. I told him to go ahead. The operation is next Tuesday. Please pray for my cat.” Blackie survived the operation. Grace kept the cats in self-cleaning cages while she was on her flights to San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta, Honolulu, and other exotic destinations. Her apartment was always immaculate and had a delicious smell because of the scented candles she left burning while she was gone.

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I developed affection for all of her cats, and it wasn’t just because of my attraction to Grace. Each cat had a unique personality. They would not come up to you like a dog and fawn for your attention. A cat was much more independent. You had to earn a cat’s respect before it would even think about trusting you. But once that trust was won, it was a forever friendship. Grace eventually was transferred to San Francisco, ending our relationship. Today I still have a great admiration for cats. My daughter, Rossana, for example, has three cats – a big grey, a cat with mottled colors of black, white, and brown, and a small black cat that loves toying with bugs, pieces of string, garter snakes, or anything that moves. Although I love all three cats, my favorite is the grey. It has this habit of leaping into my lap when I am sitting down and licking the crook of my arm with its rough tongue. It does this continuously, probably because of the salt. It is a very pleasant

experience, and I never tire of it. Judy, a member of our church who teaches our Sunday morning Bible class, came by for a visit the other day. She was impressed when she saw the cats and our Siberian husky, Sadie, playing in the living room. “That’s amazing,” she said. “Three cats and a big black dog. Don’t they fight?” “They love each other,” said Rossana. “Sadie is very protective of them.” I smiled and picked up the grey. “We may own the dog,” I said, stroking the grey, “but the cats own us.” Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author, and ghostwriter who lives in Springfield, Missouri with his daughter, three grandchildren, three cats, two laying hens, and dog. Contact him at email address is laurenzigeno@gmail.com. MSN

Selling Your Home And Moving Into Rental Property During a Landlord’s Market By Teresa Ambord When it is time to downsize, you may consider renting an apartment or condominium as your future housing. Various economic forces have produced a tight rental market, so you may have little choice but to find a rental. If it has been awhile since you rented, you might be surprised to learn it’s much harder than it used to be. Landlords can

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afford to be choosy and they can charge higher rents. And getting a long-term lease or even a lease for more than a year at a time may be a thing of the past. When you do find a place you’d like to be, don’t sign anything without knowing exactly what is in the agreement. Here’s some advice culled from a variety of sources. • Does the lease include an option to renew? If so, is there a clause that escalates the rent in subsequent years? Assuming there is a rent escalation clause, how is the increase calculated? This is important because it allows you to anticipate to some extent what your added cost will be. It could be based on the cost of living, on a percentage of the first-year

APRIL/MAY 2016

rent, or it could be a fixed dollar amount. Mike Akerly, a real estate broker in New York told brickunderground.com, “the important thing is to understand what the escalation is going to be in dollar terms.” • What, if any, grace period is there to pay the rent in case you miss the deadline? Know what the penalty will be if you are late. Akerly also warns renters to be aware of when the lease term is up and when they need to renew if they intend to stay. “The tighter the rental market, the more important it is to renew on a timely basis.” Also know what kind of notice is required if you need to break the lease. • Do you have the right insurance? Be aware, said Akerly, that your landlord’s insurance is… your landlord’s insurance, not yours. If water or fire damage your property, like furniture, clothes, electronics, etc., you will wish you had renter insurance. Also, if something happens, like you accidentally let the bathtub overflow and the water damages the property of a neighbor in an adjoining apartment, you’ll wish you had a personal umbrella policy to pay for their loss. • What is the procedure when a repair is needed? Find out when and how to contact repair and maintenance people. Also, although landlords generally pay when new appliances are needed, that’s not always true. Better to find out and know what you are dealing with. • Are you permitted to make improvements or alterations? If so, be sure to get the agreement in writing. Otherwise if you paint a room hot pink and you didn’t have written permission, you’ll likely have to return the apartment to its original condition. • When it’s time for you to leave, when will your security deposit be returned? Some landlords will include in a lease that the security deposit will be returned “within a reasonable period of time.” Don’t leave that to chance, or your landlord may drag his feet. Ask to get in writing how many days after the apartment passes final inspection before you can expect your deposit back. • What, if any, furnishings are included in the lease? The lease should contain a list of all included furniture and a confirmation that those items are indeed there, and their condition if there is anything questionable. • What is the condition of the apartment and any outside space that is yours to use? Examine the premises, and document anything unusual. For example, is there excessive wear on a bedroom carpet? I once moved into an apartment where the previous tenant had spilled hot wax on a bedroom carpet, creating a large, irreparable stain in a remote corner. The landlord was so friendly and welcoming that I did not call it to her attention. I assumed she’d seen it, but that was a mistake. When I moved out she claimed I’d done it and I had to fight for my security deposit. If I’d taken a picture of the stain upon moving in, or I’m a senior too, if I’d asked to do a moveso I speak your language. in checklist with her, that Allow me to help you with wouldn’t have happened. your real estate needs. • What is your reTONY CROTEAU, Broker sponsibility at the end Office 406.758.4747 or Cell 406.261.6234 tonycroteau.com • tcroteau@tonycroteau.com of the lease? Your lease 685 Sunset Blvd. Kalispell may include a requirement that you allow the apartment to be shown to prospective tenants

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before you move out. Be sure to look over the exact terms, like whether you’ll need to be available for open houses, who can have access, etc. • What if you cannot fulfill the lease time? Know before you move in if you are permitted to sublease the apartment, and if so, do you have to have written permission first? MSN

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Montana’s Battlefields Beckon This Summer

By Bernice Karnop As much as I would like to rewrite the story of Native people and Europeans in America, I understand that this history cannot be changed. But since we can’t change it, we should at least learn more about it. One good way to increase our understanding is by visiting Montana’s major Indian war battlefields for a glimpse at how these battles affected the history of our country and the westward expansion. The following are the top four battlegrounds in Montana. If you can’t visit, find the sites on the web by just typing in the name, or better yet, take a trip to your local library and read a book on the battles.

The most well-known and visited battle site to out-of-staters is the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Crow Agency, about 60 miles southeast of Billings. To see an exciting reenactment of this battle that shocked the nation, watch the reenactment on the anniversary of the battle, June 25, 1876. Although neither Custer nor any of the 210 men of his 7th Cavalry survived to tell their stories, much has been written and said about the encounter with the combined Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The excellent Visitor Center and signage on the battlefield help visitors see what historians think happened there

PAGE 26 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

120 years ago. Rosebud Battlefield State Park near Busby marks an encounter between the U.S. Army and the same combined forces of Sioux and Cheyenne that Custer battled. This battle happened just about a week before Custerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. This is the least-known and least-visited of the battle sites. The troops, sent to force the Native people onto reservations, included General George Crook, coming from Fort Fetterman in Wyoming. On June 17, 1776, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse found his troops at Rosebud Creek. After the battle, Crookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men buried their casualties, and headed back to Fort Fetterman for supplies and

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reinforcements. If he had continued on to meet up with Custer, the story might have ended differently. Rosebud Battlefield State Park is notable because it looks very much like it did to the combatants 140 years ago. A bonus to the military history, visitors may just enjoy the beauty of these rolling hills, listen to the birds, and identify the prairie wildflowers. This is a state park rather than a national site like the others. It has picnicking, hiking trails, and signage. Visit stateparks.mt.gov/ rosebud-battlefield for further information. The Big Hole National Battlefield is in a picturesque mountain valley near Wisdom, about 80 miles south of Butte. The Big

Hole Battlefield is part of the Nez Perce National Historic Park, an unusual entity that includes 38 sites scattered across Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Montana. The Nez Perce War, like the previous two battles, was caused by the U.S. demand that the Native people report to a reservation and the pushback by freedom-loving Tribes who resisted. The Big Hole marks a battle between

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Chief Joseph’s Nez Perce fleeing families, and the federal forces. Although the Nez Perce won the August 9, 1877 Battle of the Big Hole, it set them on a legendary failed flight to Canada. Visitor Center and trail signage, and beautiful scenery add value to any visit. The Bearpaw Battlefield National Historic Park, 15 miles south of Chinook, marks the site of the end of the Nez Perce War. Just “40 miles from freedom,” at the Canadian border, General Nelson Miles captured, not an army, but a nation of 800 people who were

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cold and hungry after months of running and hiding, and after several days of battle. “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever,” said Chief Joseph in his surrender on October 5, 1877. Visitors to the Bearpaw Battlefield find picnic facilities, a walking trail, and signage. The Visitor Center in Chinook at 501 Indiana Street gives details of the battle. Call for more information 406-357-2590. MSN

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Article & Photo By Kim Ibes “Chin,” says Nancy Tanner, professional dog whisperer, trainer, and owner of Paws and People. I quizzically look up at her. Tanner had been eyeing me out of the corner of her eye, while working with another duo of dog and owner. My attempt to pet Finn’s beautiful furry head was repeatedly, though skillfully sabotaged by this newly minted one-year-old Stabyhoun’s wily, artful dodging. “Chin,” Tanner repeats, adding, “If you come under their chin they’ll take that, but if you go over their head dogs will shy away from you.” I do as instructed and voila, a new friendship is born. As an intruder on her Friday morning “rally free” dog and people, sport and obedience training class, I wonder what else I might learn today. Seventy-two-year-old Mickey Maynard then gives Finn a quick nod and they’re off to their next training station. I follow, as I’m captivated by both their agility and the sweet symbiotic relationship between Maynard and Finn. “My vet recommended this breed because I wanted to do agility with him,” notes Maynard. She’s been working with Tanner for more than five years, previously with her golden retriever, Tazzie. Today, Tazzie is working with Maynard’s capable tenyear-old granddaughter who is visiting from Alaska. Maynard works Finn up onto a colorful round box, then down and around, and finally onward, making

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the paces through Tanner’s colorful and expansive 2,000-square-foot training facility located just north of Bozeman under the beautiful foothills of the snow-covered Bridger Mountains. Multitudes of training stations are spread throughout the gym, each busy with individual pet and owner concentrating on the task. Large, hand-written cue cards accompany each station, some say “figure eight x2” or “left paw lift” and “walking weave.” A couple of stations in front of Maynard, Liz Kinnaman coaches Trixie, a petit, 7-month-old Havanese, up onto a square black box. Kinnaman’s been bringing Trixie to Tanner’s facility since she was an 11-week-old puppy. “She’s going to be a therapy dog so she needs to have manners and be comfortable around people,” explains Kinnaman. “I haven’t had a puppy for 16 years,” she says. “I’d forgotten a lot of things that puppies do. Nancy is great at helping me understand which behaviors to correct and which ones she’ll outgrow.” Tanner works the room. As she visits each team, the dogs light up and hup to, excited and happy to have her individual attention. She parcels out tips and directions, gently nudging every dog and their person, helping them to learn how effectively and caringly to work together both in the gym and at home. At the end of this 4-week session, these handler/dog teams will have covered 39 specific freestyle exercises. It’s a fun way to learn trust and obedience, and have a darn good

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time with your pooch. “Nancy brings spark and motivation to do and try things totally outside the box,” says Siri, the youngster of the weekly group, as she moves Ella, her 1½-year-old border collie golden mix through her freestyle exercises. “She’s really flexible in her teaching and really works with the dogs’ individual styles.” After an hour and a half of hard work, the big dogs go outside to an enclosed playground to play, while the smaller dogs have the run of the training center – and run and play they do! “At this level, work equals fun, so we keep everyone’s emotions up and the dogs super happy,” says Tanner. “In these advanced classes, the dogs work through a lot of complex behavioral chains, so we do a little of this and a little of that.” Tanner notes that pressing a dog too hard can shut them down. Tanner, 51, opened the door to Paws and People in 2003. “I wanted to compete with my dogs,” says Tanner. “As a result, I got heavily invested in canine agility training.” But competition and agility training is just the tip of Tanner’s canine iceberg. Certified as a professional dog trainer, she’s become an internationally known dog trainer and speaker. “I’m a certified professional trainer and have certificates working in applied behavioral analysis, wilderness medical first aid for canines, and I’m continually doing more and more,” she explains. From Tanner’s perspective, she’s not just working

with her dogs; she’s also working with people. “If you don’t give people the information then they can’t work effectively with their dogs at home,” notes Tanner. Tanner is also an AKC S.T.A.R. puppy evaluator, and for her and Paws and People, this is where it all starts – putting puppy and owner on the right paw, so to speak. Considering that many dogs are given to shelters between the ages of 9-11 months – as Tanner would say, during their flaky, difficult development stage, an initial investment in puppy training is all the more important. Beyond puppy, adolescent, and specialty classes such as this one, rally free, Tanner also teaches individual and private classes, and travels across America teaching various seminars to dog clubs. As an outgrowth of one of these specialtytraining classes, Relaxing your Reactive Rover, a class initiated to help dogs that have suffered trauma and developed human and animal trust problems, Tanner developed a line of essential oil therapy for dogs and their owners. “I started learning more about dogs’ olfactory system and learned that 70% of all their information comes through the nose,” says Tanner. Starting with this, Tanner, an avid gardener, produced several non-toxic, chemical free, gardenbased products that calm canines down. In 2003, she opened a new business called The Scent Project. “You can’t work with an uptight dog,” Tanner adds. In her free time, she writes an award winning

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

canine blog dispensing invaluable advice, and sharing insightful observations on how we can all be better people for our animals. In an ode to one of her beloved dogs, Tanner writes on her website, “…[dogs are] the best teachers we will ever have.” For more information on Nancy Tanner and Paws and People, visit pawsandpeople.com, nancytanner.com, or facebook.com/pawsandpeople. MSN

Doug Chabot Adventurer, Pioneer, Samaritan Article & Photo By Kim Ibes No one is more surprised over the course of Doug Chabot’s life than his mother – or perhaps Chabot himself. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, neither Chabot nor his family knew anything about ice, snow, rocks, skiing, or climbing, let alone the dangers and adventures he would have, and still has, in Montana and Central Asia. “There was no reference,” says Chabot, a respected outdoorsman, climber, guide, and Director of Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNAC). “When I was pursuing this, I was freaking out the family because we didn’t know anyone who had done this before.” Chabot laughs in a timbre that conveys both delight and surprise, “It’s worked out great,” he heartily exclaims. Since then, Chabot has earned the respect and friendship of renowned mountain climbers such as Conrad Anker, co-founded a non-profit that has educated over 2000 Afghanistan girls, pioneered a number of new climbing routes in Pakistan, taught avalanche classes in Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and saved countless lives forecasting avalanches in southwest Montana. An adventurer at heart, upon graduating high school Chabot struck out for the mountains of central Arizona, a southwest climbing destination and the campus of a small liberal arts college in Prescott. Chabot instantly fell in love with the outdoors, majoring in Wilderness Leadership with 15 other mountain explorers. Looking for increasingly challenging opportunities, an inspiring ethos that he continues to live by today, Chabot hired on with American Alpine Institute, guiding climbers to Mount McKinley in Alaska (North America’s highest peak) and the Cascade Mountains in northwest Washington.

Chabot went on to guide for Exum Guides and School of Mountaineering in the Grand Teton’s of Wyoming. It was Chabot’s desire to learn how to ski that brought him to Bozeman. “I had skied, but I wasn’t very good,” recalls Chabot, who ended up working as a Bridger Bowl ski patroller for 8 years in the nineties. But snow was not the only allure that Bozeman presented, “I wanted to live somewhere with 4 seasons, that had both rock and ice climbing – Bozeman was kind of on the map for those kinds of things,” he says. Chabot established a seasonal life; working as a climbing guide in the summers, ski patrolling for Bridger Mountain in the winter. “I had a lot of experience that all came together to give me a strong enough resume to apply for a forecasting job at the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center (GNAC).” he explains. Highgate Senior Living offers full care for all, no matter what The avalanche your age or ailment. Our team of compassionate professionals forecasting classes can handle almost anything, including complex medical issues he’d taken for his Wiland post-acute hospital care. In fact, we specialize in services derness Leadership

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degree, coupled with his avalanche experience at Bridger Bowl, and his avid climbing and backcountry background gave him a rare, foot-inthe-door in 1995 for the avalanche forecasting position. “Bridger Bowl has such a long history of snow science and avalanche research with MSU,” notes Chabot. “It’s quite a legacy, starting after WWII with the 10th Mountain Division.” For Chabot, it was a great place to learn about the science of snow. One of three avalanche forecasters, Chabot eventually worked his way to Director for GNAC. Given the center’s trim staff of three and the broad area that the center covers, including the Bridger, Madison, and Gallatin Ranges, including Lionhead located just outside West Yellowstone, along with Cook City, Chabot still works in the field several days a week. “We cover these spots because they’re really representative of what’s happening and these are

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the places skiers and snowmobilers want to go in southwest Montana,” notes Chabot. There’s no reliable way to measure the level of severity of potential avalanche danger except by going into the field and digging into the snow. So, two to three days a week, Chabot gleefully partners up with a volunteer, and heads up into the mountains to dig snow pits to analyze the snow’s quality. As director, fifty-oneyear-old Chabot gets to steer the ship and while there’s been advancement in snow science, the real changes are in how this important information is communicated to the public. “When I first started we faxed our reports to all the local business and interested parties,” recalls Chabot. Today, they’re moving beyond the web to smart phone apps, creating 2-minute video updates of their fieldwork for nearly instant viewing. “You’ll talk to a mom that doesn’t even ski and she’ll be talking about the snow’s depth

hoar layer that she saw on our advisory,” says Chabot, marveling about how they’ve been able to raise public avalanche awareness. Chabot still relishes his seasonal lifestyle. He works for GNAC in Bozeman during avalanche season (October through April) and volunteers with Gallatin County Search and Rescue. During spring and summer, he parcels his time between guiding private climbing clients in Europe, endeavoring one new personal climbing expedition in Central Asia, and checking up on the teachers and students in the remote region of northern Pakistan sponsored through his non-profit, The Iqra Fund. Iqra means, “to read” in Arabic. It turns out; his mother had nothing to worry about. For more information on snow conditions in Gallatin County, visit mtavalanche.com. MSN

A Conversation with Russell Milburn – For the love of music Article & Photo By Kim Ibes “There’s a certain power in your own singing,” says Russell Milburn, director for Bozeman’s Chord Rustler’s and choir director for Bozeman’s First Presbyterian Church. “But when you have a group of singers it’s so much bigger and it’s a lot of fun too.” Milburn started as a singer; it was his passion, his love, and remains so, but today he has found that helping others find their voice is equally fulfilling. For Milburn, muKALISPELL • BELGRADE • HELENA sic is more than words, Drywall • Roofing • Steel Studs Sound Abatement it’s the feeling those preAcoustical Ceilings cious words evoke when enveloped in song. “When you hear Featuring: someone that’s really connecting with what they’re singing, they can ENERGY STAR® sing the wrong notes, Cool Roof Technology they can sing off key, Reduces your roof’s but it doesn’t matter if temperature by as much as 20% in the summer they mean every syl•Lifetime limited transferable lable they sing,” he says, warranty residential adding, “Think Willie Nelson or Bob Dillon, 91 Oregon St. • Belgrade they meant every word.” 406-388-2990 Whether he’s diM-F 7:30am-5pm recting the First Presnw-drywall.com

byterian Church choir whose volunteer members are generally 50+ or the Bozeman Chord Rustlers, an all male a cappella group with a similar demographic, Milburn draws upon his childhood experiences growing up on the N Bar ranch just outside Grass Range to draw out that intention, that deep emotional connection between singer and listener. Sometimes he uses a simple rote method, using his well-tuned and much experienced voice to sing a phrase and asking his charge(s) to sing it back to him, mimicking what they’ve heard him sing. But when he really needs to bring out the best of his choir, he uses stories well rooted in his Big Sky country background. “Our church choir was singing In the Bleak Midwinter, a poem by Robert Frost that’s been set to music,” recalls Milburn. “It reminded me of going out with my dad every so often, maybe at 10 or 11 at night to help him with the calving. Sometimes it would be -20 and the sky would be black, really black, with that bitter, bitter cold – ice crystals just hanging in the air, and the backs of the cattle steaming. Beyond the shine of the barnyard light there was nothing; that’s the image that comes to mind.” When Milburn can feel the hair on the back of his neck, he knows he and his choir have it just right. “I always tend toward trying to find ways to get people to use what they have inside to harness that energy, and you get a whole different sound when you can do that,” he adds. During his senior year in high school, Milburn auditioned for Up With People, a travelling international music group. Three months after graduation he was in Tucson, Arizona learning the show, singing and playing saxophone in the band, and travelling all over the U.S., Canada, and western Europe. “That was really the clincher for me to stick with music,” recalls Milburn. “It’s taken me places

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I’d never thought I’d go.” After 2 years studying vocal performance at MSU, Milburn returned to Europe and resumed his studies. He graduated from the Lemmens Institute of Music and Drama in Leuven, Belgium with a master’s of vocal performance and a music teaching certification. During his eight years in Belgium, he sang tenor for the famed Flemish Radio Choir. Its members sang and played a variety of music ranging from classical to modern choral music (much of this written by new composers) all of which was broadcast weekly. During this time, he also sang with Capella Brugensis, a group that performed mostly baroque and classical pieces, and a Gregorian chant group that performed mostly medieval music. “I gained a lot of experience during my time in Brussels singing baroque, renaissance, and modern so ingrained in the cultures of Belgium, France, Italy, and Germany. Music has created

connections for me with people in a way that other communication falls short. For me, music has always been really powerful.” With this classically steeped background, Milburn began directing the Bozeman Symphony’s Symphonic Choir in 2003. He was there for three years, and then for two years he directed Bozeman’s Intermountain Opera chorus. In 2007, he started directing the choir at the First Presbyterian Church along with giving voice and theory lessons. In 2014, Milburn was asked to direct the Chord Rustlers. “It’s because they’re so different from classical music,” explains Milburn, his face lighting up at the evolution and prospects of the group. “We all think of the old barbershop style, you know the hats and cane, and there is that side, but there’s a lot of new music that’s more post-harmony and jazz style. To hear it you wouldn’t think barbershop.”

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Milburn tells of Tolstoy’s having a love hate relationship with music. “He loved it because to him it was all powerful, yet he hated it for holding him hostage and taking him places he was sometimes not prepared to go,” Milburn reflects. “Yeah, music has always been a big part of who I am.” For more information on Russell Milburn, the choir at the First Presbyterian Church or the Chord Rustlers visit fpcbozeman.org or chordrustlers. org. MSN

Mr. President

By Mike McGough On the afternoon of April 30, 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. Everyone on hand at Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan congratulated him, but no one knew what to call him. There was no precedent, and the Constitution did not designate a title. After much debate, Washington settled on the simple title, “Mr. President.” This unpretentious yet distinguished moniker is one of many enduring contributions Washington made to the American presidency. Although the presidents have shared the title, “Mr. President,” and several have shared surnames, their given names have been as unique as the men who have held the office, and several presidents even changed their given names. The first to make a name change was Grant who changed his name from Hiram Ulysses Grant to Ulysses Simpson Grant. Grover Cleveland dropped his given first name, Stephen. Thomas Woodrow Wilson dropped the name Thomas, and Calvin Coolidge dropped his given first name, John. President Eisenhower inverted his given first and middle names to become Dwight David Eisenhower. Because of a divorce and a fatal car accident, two presidents changed their given names. The

38th president was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in 1913. His mother divorced his father shortly after his birth and remarried in 1916. Leslie’s name was informally changed to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. shortly after his mother’s marriage to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Sr. The younger Ford formally changed his name in 1935 when he was 22. William Jefferson Blythe, Jr. died in a car accident in 1946 months before his son William Jefferson Blythe, III was born. Young William’s mother married Roger Clinton in 1950, and in time, William changed his name to William Jefferson Clinton. The most common presidential first name is James (Madison, Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield, and Carter). John (Adams, Quincy Adams, Tyler, and Kennedy) and William (Henry Harrison, McKinley, Taft, and Clinton) each have four. George is third with three (Washington and both of the Bushes). Harry Truman was the only president with a middle initial but no middle name. John Quincy Adams was the first president to have a middle name, and George Herbert Walker Bush is the only president to have four names. Presidents with the longest last names were Washington and Eisenhower. MSN

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PAGE 32 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Flat-Picking with Mike Gurzi and the Story Mansion String Jam

#4 5TH ST S. | GREAT FALLS 406-315-1747 WED–SAT | 7:30AM–4PM OR UNTIL SOLD OUT!

Article & Photo By Kim Ibes Clouds part just as the sun sets high over Bozeman’s historic Story Mansion. Its legend and somewhat controversial buildings are prominently positioned in this once popular cow town, such that they cover a city block on the corner of South Wilson and College Streets. A beautiful, orange glow casts its long winter shadow over the mansion’s snow-covered, but manicured grounds. The murmur of a small crowd arises from inside but it is overpowered by the cacophony of fiddles, guitars, upright bass, mandolin, and autoharp. It’s Wednesday night, and Mike Gurzi is busy greeting newcomers, along with new and old friends, as they file into the mansion’s great room. Veterans of this Wednesday night Pickin’ in the Park acoustic string jam, sponsored by Bozeman’s Parks and Recreation department, and co-hosted by Mike Gurzi and Shawna Lockhart, file in, grab a folding chair, and settle into the growing circle of musicians. As they begin tuning their favored stringed instrument, the sound begins to come together, a fiddle player’s rough edged instrument begins to play Little Beggerman, the others follow his lead, and thus begins tonight’s bluegrass jam. Spectators participate with a tap of their toe, or by cutting a rug in the ample foyer. Gurzi, an accomplished flat-picker, teacher, and devotee to all things guitar, bluegrass, and gypsy jazz, will eventually take his place in the circle, but right now, he’s giving me a beginner’s guide to bluegrass jammin’. “The bluegrass repertoire was really born in the fiddle community,” says Gurzi. “In the Appalachian mountains, many of the songs came over from Ireland and were passed on from generation to generation.” Gurzi talks about how bluegrass lends itself to these types of formal, and informal musical sessions – most call jams, due to its acoustic driven instruments, its folksy people driven music, and because it’s just plain and simple fun. “Anybody can pick it up and just sort of play it. From a beginning perspective, or jam perspective, I hate to say it, but it’s not technically difficult,” says Gurzi with a grin, adding, “Sure to get really good it takes years, but to jam you just need to know the song and a few basic chords.” Sure enough, the internet is full of lists indicating the top 20, even the top 100 songs, that anyone needs to know in order to join into tonight’s bluegrass jam. For fifty-eight-yearold Gurzi, music – though not a full-time endeavor until his recent retire-

ment – has always been his passion. He played in elementary and high school bands, but it wasn’t until he joined the service, right out of high school, that he started formalizing his study of the guitar. “And I haven’t stopped playing for 40 years,” says a delighted Gurzi, fresh off making Williamson County, his acoustic bluegrass recorded tune, number one on the Montana Acoustic N1M music charts. Gurzi was fortunate enough to have a number of legendary teachers and encounters while learning the guitar. His earliest influences include Clarence White of the Kentucky Colonels (and also the Byrds), Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys (the father of bluegrass), and Steve Kaufman (the only three-time winner of the National FlatPicking Championship). Gurzi has attended Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camp for about 15 years. “Steve brings in all these headliner type bluegrass folks to be instructors, you take a class during the day and jam at night,” says Gurzi, going on to explain that on this level, there’s a certain etiquette in jammin’. “Initially, I’m just going to hang back and quietly play along, and if you’re pretty good, somebody might bend an ear and invite you in. If you’re not able to keep up or don’t know the repertoire, you’ll probably just be in the wings listening and learning.” Gurzi has two acoustic guitars, two electric, a classic guitar, and his most favorite right now, his mustache guitar – the one he uses when he plays in a local gypsy jazz band called Montana Manouche. “It’s that hot club swing sound, you know,” says Gurzi mimicking the sound while strumming his guitar, “It was the music of WW2, when all the big bands were the rage. I wish they still were,” laments Gurzi. Like many of the bands Gurzi has been a part of, he made the connection through music and jams, much like the one going on tonight. “It’s about making that connection with the community so people have a place to play,” he says. “Bluegrass sort of lends itself to that.” Though, at the Story Mansion String Jam, you might also hear a little Americana, the blues, and even a little western swing once in awhile. Between jammin’ and playing in Montana Manouche, Gurzi also teaches guitar through two monthly workshops, and is working with his cohost Shawna Lockhart, and Bozeman Parks and Recreation, to put together a Pickin’ in the Park Concert Series. “Our first concert this spring will be April 19, an evening of gypsy jazz with award winning violinist Tim Kliphuis and hot club guitarist Sam Miltich,” says Gurzi, noting the following monthly concerts

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 33

will be an eclectic grouping including western swing, jazz, and (of course) bluegrass. “So that’s what it’s all about,” Mike Gurzi concludes. “Making music accessible, and fun, where people can come and experience that atmosphere of playing music and forging new friendships.”

For more information visit mikegurzi.com, facebook.com/StoryMansionJam, montanamanouche. com, and bozeman.net/Departments/Park-RecCemetery/Recreation/News/String-Jam-part-ofthe-Pickin-in-the-Park-Series. MSN

Montana Club

By Mark Fee Hollywood’s love affair with the backwoods, good ol’ boy whiskey runners, corrupt cops, and women in short shorts, reaches an all time low in The Dukes of Hazard film version of the 1980s TV hit. A crowd pleaser in the 80s, Dukes was all, “Hee Haw!” and, “So What!” – an unfathomable hit that made The Beverly Hillbillies look like a neo classic. The Hillbillies was an acquired taste; Dukes of Hazard was slickly done but numbingly repetitive. The film version of the Hillbillies had its moments, but The Dukes of Hazard stinks; it’s trash, a sloppily put together, humorless, corrosive abyss of extremely poor writing and acting. It feels like a Grade B makeover with Jessica Simpson thrown in for distraction. It’s not a movie; it’s a root canal. Hollywood has always been fascinated with the Ozarks and Southern fried humor. But the Ma and Pa Kettle film series of the late 1940s and mid 1950s looks like inspired genius compared to The Dukes. The Real McCoys followed Ma and Pa and was a TV hit from the 1960s with Walter Brennan. The Beverly Hillbillies, which followed the McCoys, was ludicrously funny, in spite of itself or possibly because of itself. But scriptwriters of the period used their imagination. There were exceptions though, like Li’l Abner (1959), the comic strip that became a musical and Kissin’ Cousin (1964), an Elvis Presley lulu with Elvis singing to a hound dog. John Boorman directed the classic adventure film, Deliverance (1972), which took a group of men from the suburbs lead by Jon Voight and Burt

Reynolds into the Georgia backcountry for an assumed leisurely vacation. But the men are forced to maneuver a perilous river, as backwoodsmen stalk them. Reynolds followed Deliverance with a sleeper action film called White Lightening (1973) about bootlegging and then in 1977 hit the jack pot with the mega blockbuster, Smokey and the Bandit, a rambunctious good ol’ boy action comedy with Sally Fields and Jackie Gleason. Bandit was such a monster hit that numerous imitations followed, none able to duplicate the film’s success. Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy (1978), an ode to good ol’ boys and truck drivers was the only one with imagination. Peckinpah’s tongue-in-cheek humor and slow motion violence made up for the lack of a coherent story, Kris Kristofferson’s nonchalant acting, and Ali McGraw’s nostrils The Dukes of Hazard continued Bandit’s success on TV with a derivative, monotonous series. The film version is easily one of the worst films of all time. Luke and Bo Duke (Johnny Knoxville and Sean William Scott) hustle moonshine around Hazard County and trash the countryside. Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Cainely) attempts to corral the Dukes; Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds) wants to use Hazard County for strip mining. If the film doesn’t put you to sleep, you slept too much the night before. It’s an insipid dog. Do not waste your time. PG-13. MSN

Dukes of Hazard Low Brow Among Southern Films

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The 14th annual Montana Early Music Festival features the Montana premiere of Historically Informed Performances (HIP) of J.S. Bach’s iconic Mass in B minor, described both as the culmination of Bach’s musical work and the epitome of the choral art. The 17-member chamber orchestra will play “period” instruments – Baroque oboes, bassoons and traversi (flutes), natural horn and trumpets, and gut strings – either actual 18th-century instruments or modern replicas. Players come from such early music hotspots as Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis, New York, Denver, and more. This first Montana period-instrument performance of a major work will be presented in four

Montana cities: Thursday, April 14 at Holy Rosary in Bozeman (7:30 PM); Friday, April 15 at Immaculate Conception in Butte (7:30 PM); Saturday, April 16 at St. Francis Xavier in Missoula (7:30 PM); and Sunday, April 17 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Helena (4 PM). Artistic Director Kerry Krebill will conduct the six vocal soloists, chamber orchestra, and singers of Musikanten Montana in this sublime work from the great German master. Seating is general admission; tickets will be available at the door, as well as at outlets in each city. Please call 406-442-6825 or visit musikanrtenmt.org for more information. MSN

You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you. If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s. – Joseph Campbell

APRIL/MAY 2016

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 35

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River of Bats Wows Austin Visitors

By Liz Larcom Few wildlife spectacles happen in downtown America. But in Austin, Texas, hundreds of humans gather each evening to gaze on the largest urban bat colony in the world, as the Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from their daytime roost. Within half an hour of sunset, the million and a half winged creatures begin to stream from their colony, eventually spreading across the countryside where they will voraciously dine on 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects before dawn. Visitors and residents have plenty of opportunity to stand agog looking at Austin’s bats. Migration from central Mexico brings them north in late March, and they don’t begin to scatter from their nursery until well into September. Center of attention for the bats, and therefore the humans, is the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, ten blocks from the state capitol building. Apparently the spaces underneath look like the perfect place to raise a bat family, because the female bats pile in, roosting in densities of 400 to 500 bats per square foot. (Males roost in smaller colonies elsewhere.) Not that the Texas highway department intended to welcome bats when it rehabilitated the

MOTORCOACH TOURS Quilt Fest June 8–11

Shopping! Fun! Friendship! Educational!

Oh Canada–My Canada! July 5–9

Featuring the highlights of Regina & Winnipeg

Mackinaw Island & Niagara Falls Sept 13–24

The perfect mix for an early fall escape!

Rivers & Rails of the Northwest Oct 1–11

Montana pick up points included in this tour More tours & details available online or by following us on Facebook

2016

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bridge in 1980. No, they just happened to create a multitude of bat-perfect crevices as a byproduct of adding elements such as expansion and contraction joints. Nevertheless, the bats knew prime real estate when they echolocated it, and within three years the population skyrocketed to the impressive numbers it hosts now. While the humans gather above, the pregnant female bats beneath the bridge progress through the colony’s annual birthing cycle. At each step of the way, the female will fuel herself and the “pup”

Traveling Easier, Safer By Bobbie Green Packing Tips One bottle of baby oil plays multiple roles. On cotton balls it is a great makeup remover. Put in bath water as a skin moistener/body lotion. If longer trips will require washing your clothes, do not forget to pack a pillow case or large bag to carry your clothes to and from the laundry. I include a pod of all-color bleach and dryer sheets. I always pack an extra, small, folding suitcase/ bag, just in case my shopping bug bites and I find an offer I can’t refuse. Everyone knows to pack socks inside shoes, but ladies, do you remember those change of purses? I find they are good for nylons, hair ornaments, jewelry, and any small items needing extra protection. Use only TSA-approved locks on your checked bags. If your bag is selected for random screening, agents will not have to cut the lock to get inside.

The world awaits. (You don’t.) Next time you travel, hop on one of our fast, daily flights to Billings Logan International for easy connections to wherever you’re going. And enjoy the ride.

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she will bear by catching insects such as moths, beetles, and flying ants on the wing. By the time she delivers her single pup in early June, the pup’s weight will amount to a third of its mother’s. In human proportions, bearing such a big pup would be the equivalent of a 120-pound mother bearing a 40-pound baby. At this point, the bat mother must add nursing her pup to her daily schedule, both before and after her nightlong foraging excursion. Amazingly, by the time she weans the youngster in August, of bats for more distance, light permitting, but they will have heavy traffic behind them, and may need to stake out a space near the middle an hour before the bats depart. Those who go to the Bat Observation Center will find a grassy slope to stand or sit on, with a good view of the bats, though the trees at the edge of Lady Bird Lake will block the view of the stream as it moves farther to the east. Getting beyond these cheaper choices, visitors could also choose from Viator’s evening Segway tours, an hour afloat with Capital Cruises or Lonestar Riverboat Cruises, or a kayaking trip from Live Love Paddle. Whew! When it comes to an over-the-top batty evening, no city can compete with Austin. MSN

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Rolled clothes really do have fewer wrinkles. When cruising, pack one small bag with nightwear, toothbrush, travel papers, and one change of clothes for pre- or post-hotel stay. That way you will not have to carry or open your major large bag. When traveling abroad, do not forget to pack extra copies of your travel documents, passport and I.D. Things will go easier if your wallet or purse is stolen with the originals in them or you can’t get phone service if that’s where you stored copies. Do not forget plug adaptors for foreign outlets; and suction wall hooks are a must for ship cabins, small rooms, and showers. Health and Safety Tips Travel insurance. Accidents seem to happen while on vacation. Check with your health insurance policy to see if you are covered while traveling. Medicare only covers the U.S. and its territories, as do some insurance companies. While in a foreign country, getting home to the U.S. can

APRIL/MAY 2016

be costly, and timeliness may be important. Getting an airlift home may not be possible without insurance. If you are not covered by other insurance, you will need to purchase travel insurance. Take all your medication in the correct labeled prescription bottle. A letterhead letter from your doctor listing the generic names of your meds

would be useful should you have to get a new prescription filled because of loss or damage. Carry a list of your life-threatening allergies. If going to a foreign country, list your travel plans with the U.S. embassy in that country. Enroll online at step.state.gov/step. Enrolling will enable the embassy to keep you informed of natural di-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37

sasters, civil unrest, or family emergencies. If you are informed you need to evacuate the country, the cost incurred is yours to pay. If the embassy has to arrange for evacuation, it will be to the nearest safe place, not necessarily to your home. MSN

Plan a Vacation to Remember... Call your Travel Agent Today! LAIRD LEISURE TRAVEL 1601 2nd Ave N #100A Great Falls, MT 59405 406-761-9700 866-967-9700

APRIL 2016 6–7 Beauty & The Beast Missoula Senior Center 6–17 Rhine River Cruise Satrom Travel & Tour 17–25 Cuba Cruise Satrom Travel & Tour 4/18- Highway 101 5/2 Laird Leisure Travel 4/29- Western National Parks 5/11 Laird Leisure Travel MAY 2016 6–23 Spring Trails of the South Laird Leisure Travel 7 “Newsies” the Musical Big Sky Travel 7–8 “Newsies” the Musical Escape Tours 16–23 Canadian Rockies plus Victoria Laird Leisure Travel 22–24 Coeur d’Alene Casino Big Sky Travel JUNE 2016 3–15 Highway 101 & the Grand Tetons A&B Tours 7–17 Brazil including Amazon River Cruise Satrom Travel & Tour 8–11 Quilt Fest A&B Tours

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OCTOBER 2016 1–11 Rivers & Rails of the Northwest A & B Tours

8/27- Alaska Land & Sea 9/6 Satrom Travel & Tour

JULY 2016 5–9 Oh Canada—My Canada! A&B Tours 6–26 Alaska Laird Leisure Travel

SEPTEMBER 2016 4–6 Coeur d’Alene Big Sky Travel

3–14 Best of Maritimes Lair Leisure Travel

7–21 Historic East Laird Leisure Travel

8–10 Coeur d’Alene Big Sky Travel

4–12 Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Laird Leisure Travel

13–24 Mackinaw Island & Niagra Falls A&B Tours

15–18 Calgary Stampede Laird Leisure Travel 18–31 Alaska Land & Sea Journey Satrom Travel & Tour AUGUST 2016 3–7 Folklorama, Winnipeg Satrom Travel & Tour 7–26 Cruisin America’s Great Lakes Laird Leisure Travel

20–24 New York City Theatre Satrom Travel & Tour

16–26 Blue Danube River Cruise Satrom Travel & Tour

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9/22- New England Fall Foliage 10/10 Satrom Travel & Tour 9/23- New England / Canada Cruise 10/1 Satrom Travel & Tour 9/23- Charming New England 10/2 Laird Leisure Travel

9–19 Railroads of the Colorado Rockies Laird Leisure Travel

10/30- Coeur d’Alene 11/1 Big Sky Travel

9/29-12 Night Mediterranean Cruise 10/12 Satrom Travel & Tour

17–27 Martin Luther Reformation Tour Satrom Travel & Tour

Join one of our memorable hallmark tours . . .

escorted from Billings . . . NEW ENGLAND FALL FOLIAGE Sept. 22 - Oct. 10 A popular Satrom tour for over 35 years! Highlights include The Amish Experience, New York City, Broadway Show, 9/11 Memorial Museum & Plaza, JFK Library, Union Oyster House, Boston City Tour, Quincy Market, Acadia National Park, Lobster Dinner, Cog Railway, Maple Sugar Factory, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Two-Nations River Cruise, Boldt Castle, Niagara Falls, Mackinac Island and much more!

NEW YORK CITY THEATRE Dec. 1 - 5

5 days at a four-day price! Our traditional Christmas tour to the Big Apple includes a Broadway musical, the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” “The Nutcracker Ballet” at Lincoln Center, 9/11 Memorial, city tour, opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and more!

Oct. 20 - 24

Our fall NYC tour will include similar touring, the Broadway shows “Beautiful” and “Wicked” and much more! Travel with our experienced escorts . . . we’ve been taking groups to NYC for more than three decades!

BRANSON HOLIDAZE Nov. 6 - 11 with Joe Satrom

Visit the beautiful Ozark country in Missouri and enjoy wonderful entertainment from the Moses Show, Daniel O’Donnell and historic museums!

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6–11 Branson Holidaze Satrom Travel & Tour 6–14 American Queen River Cruise Big Sky Travel 6–15 9 Day Cruise up Mississippi Big Sky Travel DECEMBER 2016 1–5 New York City Theatre Satrom Travel & Tour MSN

SAIL AWAY WITH SATROM! ALASKA LAND + SEA July. 18-31 Hosted by Joe Satrom On Holland America’s ms Zaandam

Joe has been to Alaska many times and calls it one of the world’s Great Places! Join him to see the highlights of our 49th state!

ALASKA LAND + SEA Aug. 27-Sept. 6 Hosted by Gloria Little & Tammy Rhode Alaska Travel on the Star Princess!

BLUE DANUBE RIVER CRUISE Sept. 16-26 Hosted by Andy & Patti Peterson

Enjoy pleasant temperatures on this delightful cruise to five countries, including two days in Prague.

NEW ENGLAND/CANADA CRUISESept. 23-Oct. 1 Hosted by Joe Satrom on the Regal Princess

Pre-night in NYC included; then sail to Boston, Newport, Bar Harbor, St. John and Halifax!

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE Sept. 29-Oct 12 On Holland’s brand new ms Koningsdam! Hosted by former US Senator from ND, Byron Dorgan Fabulous ports including Rome, Athens, Naples (Pompei/Capri)!

Since 1978

PAGE 38 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Finding a Letter from Mom By Saralee Perel On February 22, 1985, my mother wrote me a letter, which I have not read until today. On that cold February night, Mom came into my room, patiently waited until I was off the telephone, and then handed the neatly folded letter to me. Knowing how emotional I’d be, she said, “I know you won’t talk about my death, so I wrote this.” Little did she know I would be too frightened to open her letter for thirty-one years. We started to hug, but stopped ourselves. We weren’t getting along. We never did. Mom quietly left me alone in my room. We never referred to her death again. I’ve been on a cleaning kick this winter. While going through my bottom bureau drawer, I came across the letter. Remembering so vividly what it was about, I nearly threw it out. But I didn’t. “Dear Saralee,” she wrote. “Regarding the inevitable, I would like a proper funeral at Levinson’s Funeral Home.” Thank God, I had arranged that. The funeral room had enough seats for hundreds. Yet, there were only a dozen or so people there. My mother had lost friends because she was hard to get along with. Her family had stopped talking to her. How sad to still “see” that giant room with only a few people in the first row. After her pathetic funeral, where the rabbi went on and on about how great her life was, we all gathered in my parents’ home. I’ll never understand why people were laughing and seemingly having a good time – all the while eating fancy

catered hors d’oeuvres and drinking whiskey out of sparkling crystal glasses. At the “party,” everyone had a small piece of torn black cloth pinned to their clothing. This symbolized that our hearts were torn. It seemed unfitting, given the festive mood. Mother wrote, “Request Ner Israel Rabbinical College to say perpetual Kaddish for me.” She wanted to be remembered with this yearly candle and a prayer. So little to ask for. It’s such a damned shame I hadn’t read her letter. At the end, she wrote, “I love you dearly” and signed it, “Mom.” She had never said those words to me, nor I to her. I created such heartache for my mother. There were times when I had the gall to stop talking to her. Yet, underneath my mother’s and my relationship of anguish, I believe there was gracious, enduring love. I held her letter to my heart before I looked up the words of Kaddish and silently said them to myself. “May there be abundant peace from heaven and life upon us and upon all Israel.” I lit a small candle. At least on this day, someone will have remembered my mother. Then I carefully put the letter back in my bureau drawer, where it will remain for the rest of my life. Amen. Nationally syndicated award-winning columnist, Saralee Perel, can be reached at sperel@ saraleeperel.com or at SaraleePerel.com. MSN

Remember The Power Of Working Together Submitted by Julie Brantley There was a farmer who grew excellent corn, and every year he won the first-place award for growing the best. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked. “Why sir,” said the farmer, “Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn

and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.” So is with our lives. Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. Call it power of collectivity. Call it a principle of success. Call it a law of life. The fact is none of us truly wins, until we all win! MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

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Volunteer Opportunities Available! Since 1975 Mission Mountain Enterprises, Inc. (MME), a private, non-profit corporation in Lake County, has worked to provide high quality, community-based services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. At MME, we are committed to: • Empowering people to grow and succeed. • Providing an unmatched reputation for professional and personal care. • Balancing the rights and dignity of people with disabilities with their health and safety. • Developing communities that fully include all people as members. • Creating a workplace that recognizes performance, participation, and personal initiative. MME seeks volunteers at our day programs or group homes in Polson or Ronan, with various chores perfect for students, church groups, and active retirees.

Our group homes in Ronan and Polson would love to be adopted by a church or community group where your members could: • Read or facilitate games or group activities • Play music or organize singing • Provide treats and decorate for holidays • Assist with gardening chores MME operates thrift stores employing 34 people with disabilities. Nifty Thrifty (Polson) and Twice But Nice (Ronan) welcome all donations, which can be delivered to both stores, or dropped at boxes at Super One and Eagle Bank in Polson, and Harvest Foods in Ronan. For pickup of larger items, call 406-676-2727 (Ronan) or 406-8833443 (Polson). For additional information and to learn how you can help, visit mmeempowerspeople.org or call 406-676-2563. MSN

Many people in Great Falls and beyond remember fondly the Sisters of the Ursuline Order who taught at the Ursuline Academy. These “mothers” are the Ursuline legacy that animates our retreat center, preschool, chapel, and museum today. In their treasured memory, we invite you to join us for the 20th annual Mother’s Day Brunch at the Ursuline Center on May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our acclaimed chefs will serve sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, pancakes, country potatoes, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, rolls, and delicious salads. Our decadent dessert buffet will feature a wide variety of desserts including mini cheesecakes, red velvet cupcakes, truffles, and

Norwegian rosettes. As in years past, docents will lead tours on the half hour. In the chapel, you will catch a glimpse of heaven in Mother Raphael Schweda’s murals. Vern and Debbie Cichosz will sing uplifting, spiritual music. The Great Falls Camera Club will display its work in the Gold Room, and our gift shop will be open. As you mingle with family, friends, alumni, and preschoolers, we hope you will recall the virtues of our storied past and believe in the possibilities for our future in Great Falls. For additional information, visit ursulinecentre.com, call us at 406-452-8585, or stop by 2300 Central Avenue in Great Falls. MSN

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Spring By Neil Wyrick Yes, March may roar on it’s way in, but we know what it brings – spring itself and the hints of the vigor in all the rising growth. After the hard, cold, winter months, relaxing comes so easily. Indeed, I remember all those days in college when on the sloping hill behind our dormitory we would lie facing the warmth of the spring sun and think of studying while doing little of it. Early spring really cannot make up its mind. Walk from the sun into the shade and the shadows are cool enough to remind you that not that long ago you were still encased in sweaters and coats – and depending on the day may still be. I have not had to share this greening time with leftover slush for quite a while, Miami-based as I am, but I remember my childhood days and how areas that got little sun held on to winter long after spring flowers had begun to bloom. We even had spring snow fights when the temperature was already hovering in the 50s or higher. Actually, the next day it might indeed have gotten cold enough to have a final winter hiccup. I watched a snail today so content with his snail’s pace, and thought how he, in a sense, is a symbol for this time of year.

Spring gives a rebirth to a belief in miracles. All that brown turning bright green and all of the colors of the rainbow bursting forth from the ground. The red of a rose, the yellow of a daffodil, or a purple grape hyacinth. I love to see nature’s artistry mingle color and shape, a reworking of the landscape from last year. That is what spring sets in motion, the originality of spreading growth. And what the planting of seeds can do to one’s spirit – all that hope in a future harvest. I wonder, are there fewer speeding tickets given out in late May and early June? Does this mellowing month affect even this? Anyone who does not walk through more than one garden in the spring may be suffering a deprivation. And so, as I sit here before my computer looking out at the gifts of spring, I realize how truly wonderful it is, this yearly promise of beauty that always reveals its truth. The seasons playing out their roles so steadily with plenty of variety to appreciate in each its wonder. So dear reader, when you finish this article, go out and enjoy the season because that is what life is all about. MSN

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Out Of The Mouths Of Babes – These Children Have Much To Say About Mothers

Submitted by Julie Hollar Is anything about your mom perfect? 1. Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the dentist. 2. Her casserole recipes. But we hate them. 3. Just her children. What would it take to make your mom perfect? 1. On the inside, she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery. 2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d dye it, maybe blue. If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that. 2. I’d make my mom smarter – then she would know my sister did it and not me. What’s the difference between moms and grandmas? 1. About 30 years. 2. You can always count on grandmothers for candy. Sometimes moms don’t even have bread on them. Describe the world’s greatest mom? 1. She would be able to make broccoli taste like ice cream. 2. The greatest mom in the world wouldn’t make me kiss my aunts. MSN

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Rock Solid Fun with Sapphires Article & Photo By Connie Daugherty Retirement is “having fun in research,” says Butte’s Dick Berg. He retired from the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG) in 2013 but he is still in his lab or in the field every day because he wants to be there. “I worked for others all my life, now I don’t need to.” Now Dick works on projects that interest him – like the Montana sapphire studies he began several years ago. He works with researchers at the Gemological Institute of America as well as his colleagues at the MBMG and other geologists around the state. He still researches, he still publishes papers, and he still gets out in the field. “But when it gets hot on a summer afternoon, I sit down, or I quit for the day,” he says. Or he goes home, sits by the fire, and visits with his wife over a glass of wine and about things other than work. Still, his eyes sparkle and there is an excitement in his voice when he talks about his work as he explains historic geological formations on a map or sets up a microscope for me to discover the unique intricacies of different tiny sapphires. Growing up in the Chicago area, Dick Berg had always been interested in science – mostly biology. And when he headed off for college in Wisconsin he planned to study biology, but the class he wanted to get into was full.

“Take geology you might like it,” he recalls being told. So he did and he was hooked. He credits the professor – whom he still stays in touch with – for his transformation. Whatever the reason, he went on to get his masters and then a PhD in geology. Dick taught for a couple years at a college at SUNY College in Plattsburg, New York. He recalls that it was fun, but he never saw himself as a professor. He is a more hands-on, out-in-the-field sort of guy. So when he heard about an opening at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in Butte he decided to apply. “I had never been to Montana,” he says. In 1966, he moved to Butte and began a career as an Industrial Minerals Geologist. For forty-six years, he studied, explored, researched, created several geologic maps, and published dozens of papers and articles about talc, clay, chlorite, and barite – “boring things that people make money on.” Though, he is humble about his work, it was anything but boring. Like all geological exploration, it was intriguing and enjoyable as well as being useful and productive. He found a job that fit. Dick worked with big international companies and small individual prospectors. “It’s a humbling experience – the work I’ve done with small prospectors over the years,” he says. Every one of those honest, hardworking prospectors earned his respect and often his friendship. He was also curator of the Mineral Museum on the Montana Tech campus where he was in charge of purchasing and displaying all sorts of minerals from around the world. He served as acting division chief for the Geology and Mineral Resources Division more than once. But mostly he managed to, “avoid administrative duties in favor of field work.”

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Dick traveled all over the state – east and west, north and south – studying mines and potential mine sites, looking for indications of mineral deposits. He stayed in remote cabins with his family and introduced his children to the natural wonders surrounding them. He camped in a tent by himself for weeks at a time. He even traded jobs with a geologist in southern Illinois for a year where he spent time exploring Tripoli deposits. “It was a marvelous year,” he recalls. “It was like being a graduate student again.” He went to Japan more than once. Through all his years of traveling the state and the world, he met with academics and landowners, prospectors and other geologists. “I will remember the individuals long after I forget the geology,” he says. However, it’s the geology that brings the excitement to Dick’s voice, the light to his eyes. And even though he loves the field and laboratory work, he also understands the importance of publishing. “If you do it, publish it so others can build on it – that’s the way I was brought up here,” he says. He admits that there is also something exciting about sharing his work with other people, seeing how they build on what he has begun, or exchanging completely new ideas, “that’s the way it is in science,” he says. It was during one of those sharing events – presenting a paper at a conference – that his current research with western Montana sapphires came to life. “The fun things in giving talks are sometimes the questions that set you thinking,” he says. He was talking about industrial minerals

and sapphire deposits when a colleague asked him a question – a question he couldn’t answer. His thinking about the question led to wondering, which led to exploration, which led to more exploration, which led to a hypothesis, which led to discovery... but also more questions. Dick would be the first to admit that he doesn’t have all the answers, but he is always looking. He recalls the day years ago when he was writing a paper. It was hot evening in August and he decided to get outside for some fresh air. “As I was walking around campus, I had a bright idea.” He rushed back to his office to see if the idea made sense, and it did! “That’s the fun of science,” he says with the excitement reflecting in his voice and his eyes. Explaining his current work with Montana sapphires, Dick talks about his personal discovery process. “You have multiple working hypotheses… ideas about how things form. As you go along you discard some of these.” For each hypothesis that is discarded another one is developed. “Last May I wrote out hypothesis twenty,” he says. This summer as Dick Berg heads out into the field again, he might come up with another hypothesis, or he might discover something that supports hypothesis fifteen, eighteen, or even last year’s number twenty. The reason this quiet and unassuming 78-year-old geologist keeps exploring in the field, working with the geochemistry of sapphires in conjunction with people around the country, and of course publishing papers even after retirement is simple, “its fun and it satisfies my scientific curiosity.” MSN

In Burt Todd’s Time By Connie Daugherty (Photo courtesy of Micah Gjeltema) “It isn’t the same as in my grandfather’s time,” says Burt Todd, Montana Tech Petroleum Engineering professor known for his pirate jokes and peddling or walking to work each day. He is also the big Norwegian who inspires Tech students and faculty to jump through a hole in the ice at Georgetown Lake in February as part of the annual Polar Plunge that supports Special Olympics. He set a world age-group weight lifting record, and occasionally serves as a lay minister. Burt acknowledges that his homesteading grandfather probably would not have made a career and lifestyle change in his fifties – it was not a stage of life when one would start over. But that is exactly what Burt did. He was fifty-one when he left a well-paid job in the petroleum industry and moved to Montana with his wife, Debbie. “It was time,” he says. He had always planned to return someday, and then someday arrived. He was at a stage in his life when he was ready for a change and wondering which path to take. One day he got on the Montana Tech website to check out the women’s basketball score – he niece was playing. “I fat-fingered it and just happened to hit the jobs page,” he recalls. Curious he scrolled through the list. Along with ads for custodians and administrative assistants, there was one for a Petroleum Engineering Professor. “I could to (Cont’d on page 77)

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Risky Ginger – Continued from front cover

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Her natural upbeat attitude and boundless energy as well as the important lesson of living every moment to the fullest that she learns from each oncology patient keep her going full steam. It is also what inspires her dedication to her sport and to her roller derby team. She trains and participates in bouts – seventeen – whenever and wherever she can which includes playing on other teams around the state and participating in Roller Con, the world Roller Derby Convention in Las Vegas. “I always learn something,” she says. And for Melissa, learning and growing are important aspects of the sport. Roller Derby requires as much mental strength as it does physical strength. “It is a very strategic game,” Melissa explains, and that is especially true for the blockers. “My job is two-fold; to block the other team’s jammer from getting past my hips, and to help my jammer to get through their blockers – you play offense and defense at the same time.” All the while skating within the lines of a prescribed track, hitting, and getting hit. Like other team sports, “Derby is so humbling; there are no egos in derby,” Melissa emphasizes. Being the best means being the best for the team, not being the star. This was a bit of a challenge for a competitive woman like Melissa who was often the star. She worked with the Missoula Montana repertory theater and acted and sang in several Mother Lode theater productions in Butte, often in the starring role. “Theater was my obsession,” she says. Although she is not doing as much theater anymore, she did take part in special stage readings of Irish plays in the Butte Art Chateau. “I had never done anything like that and it was lots of fun.”

Fun for this high energy woman also includes being the ambassador at the Silver Dollar Bar, the dog friendly bar she and her husband own as well as occasionally singing with his band. She is also busy rescuing stray animals – and making sure they get spayed or neutered. “I’m the crazy cat lady of my neighborhood,” Melissa says with a laugh. She participates in the Copper City Queens volunteer activities as much as possible. “Giving back is important,” she says whether that means helping to care of her elderly mother, or volunteering in the community she loves. While Melissa has a variety of interests in a myriad of areas, she says, “Derby stole my heart.” For her being a part of the derby is more than just skating and competing, it’s about sharing and connecting. “I love being the fresh meat (beginner skaters) coach,” she says, teaching beginners to skate and learn required derby skills. Melissa is part of the committee that decides when a skater is ready to participate in a bout. “It’s about staying as safe as possible,” she says emphasizing the importance of safety in this competitive contact sport. And, “I get to build relationships with the new people coming in.” Melissa enjoys meeting interesting people. Being part of the Butte Copper Queens and WFTDA provides plenty of opportunities to meet people – especially other strong women. As Risky Ginger says, “I especially love the community and sisterhood roller derby builds. It doesn’t discriminate – size, age, whether you are an athlete, whether you’re a geek… whatever you are you’re accepted in derby.” MSN

At Granite County Medical Center We Care About You Located on Scenic Hwy 1 surrounded by beautiful mountains, pristine streams, and an untouched quiet valley, you will find Philipsburg’s Granite County Medical Center serving area medical needs as it has for more than six decades. These include long-term care for up to 25 residents, clinical services, 24/7 emergency care, physi-

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cal therapy, and dental services. We are proud to give ultimate care to all our residents and patients. Exciting for our residents is our outstanding activity department’s recent purchase of a new passenger van. Last year residents visited Tizer Gardens near Helena, Caras Park in Missoula, and the Whitehall Museum. Luncheon at the exclusive Ranch at Rock Creek and attend-

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ing a circus and Philipsburg’s Yule Night Lighted Parade were also popular activities. Residents have plenty to do with daily bingo, ongoing crafts, and community volunteers who share music, read books, and help with summer gardening in the courtyard. We celebrate birthdays and holidays with special meals, treats, and deco-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

rations – providing a fun, safe, comfortable, and stimulating place for those lucky enough to stay at Granite County Medical Center. Even for a little while, its home. To learn more about how we can take care of you or your loved one, visit gcmedcenter.org or call 406-859-3271. MSN

Play With Ghosts In The Philipsburg Area! dance floor. The town had eighteen saloons, a roller rink, school, four churches, several banks, a water system, named streets, and a number of fine homes. It had a hospital and five doctors to serve upwards of 3,000 residents, who worked this dangerous enterprise. There was no cemetery, not because no one died, but because the rocky ground was too hard to dig – unless they were digging for silver! The average silver output from the mine ran between $250,000 and $475,000 per month. Between 1885 and 1892, $20 million worth of silver and gold was reportedly taken out of the Granite mines. With the repeal of the Sherman Act in 1893, the price of silver took a nosedive, and within 24 hours, residents were seen streaming down the mountain like rats from the sinking ship. Since it takes more than a day to explore Philipsburg and its environs, plan on an overnight stay and take in a live show at the restored Opera House Theatre. While it’s the oldest theater in Montana, the Opera House Theatre Company is the youngest theater company in the state. Today, visitors to the Philipsburg and the Flint Creek valley are more likely to treasure the history and scenery above ground than the minerals National Park Service Department of the Interior in the rocks. Treasure seekers in Granite County will enjoy highlights that include fishing in Open year-round. Georgetown Lake, skiing Grant-Kohrs Ranch commemorates the open range Free admission. at Discovery Basin, hikcattle industry - the days when cattle ranged freely ing in the Pintler Wilderover millions of acres of unfenced, public land. ness, and driving to scenic spots like Skalkaho Ranger programs and hands-onchildren’s activities Falls. You will treasure are offered daily. Visit our website for more details your photos, memories, about our events scheduled throughout the year. and leave behind your www.nps.gov/grko tracks and perhaps of a piece of your heart. And, April 16 - Junior Ranger Day April 30 - Wellness Walk although no ghosts are July 2 - Historic Mowing promised, you might lisJuly 7 - Cattle Branding ten for strange laughter July 16, 28, & Aug 11 - Haying with Horses in the rafters of the Opera Aug 25 - National Park Service Birthday Celebration House or weeping in the Oct 16 - Pumpkin Sunday Dec 4 - Holiday Open House walls of the jail. MSN

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By Bernice Karnop The term ghost town was apparently coined to describe the mining towns in the American west that sprang up like mushrooms, briefly prospered, then were totally abandoned when the mines played out. Owners in some cases walked away without even taking their pots and pans. Any Montana settler in the 1860s knew that beneath the scenery in Montana, lay loads of silver, gold, and gemstones for the taking. One didn’t have to be rich or educated. All he needed to do was stake a claim and start digging. Think of it as an early form of buying a Montana Millionaire lottery ticket. Montana was slow to preserve its ghost towns, so most artifacts have been removed, leaving rock piles of rejected overburden. The town’s stories are remembered in books and museums. Curious souls still wander the former towns, imagining tales buried deep in the mine tailings and dust. Philipsburg is surrounded by ghost towns – twenty of them within a twenty-mile radius of town! However, Philipsburg itself is very much alive, retaining its vigor by capitalizing on its iconic Victorian buildings and its fun shopping opportunities. It’s been a National Historic District since 1983, and is a great place to drive or stroll around town to look at the old houses and buildings. Some, like the old jail, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Granite County Museum and Cultural Center is remodeled from the redbrick Courtney Hotel. Founded in 1991, it houses well-done historic exhibits and photographs, which help viewers understand what life was like in this once-busy town, and what was fashionable here in the late 1800s. The Granite County Museum in Philipsburg sports a Ghost Town Hall of Fame photo exhibit. Here one can put faces to towns that once boomed with a strange mixture of cultured and nefarious interaction. Ghost towns of Granite County include Southern Cross, Princeton, Black Pine, New Chicago, Red Lion, Rumsey, Kirkville, Garnet, and Henderson Gulch. It also has the Granite Mountain Mining exhibit, a hard-rock mining display that provides an authentic look into the workplace of thousands of Montana men in the past. It include a life-like and life-sized mural at the entrance, painted from historic photos of the Horton Mine, and a village with a miner’s cabin reconstructed from one that used to stand nearby. The assay office is also built from centuryold wood, reclaimed from another local building. People look through the windows and see the steps an assayer used to determine the value of the ore. In the village’s bank, one may see coins that were found under the floor of an old cabin, and silver ingots taken from this area. The walk-in mine shaft, built by men who had worked in the mines, gives guests an idea of what it was like to be a miner. One may glimpse, by the light of a flickering candle, a vein of oar. Tools, like hand steel and sledge hammers that were used before drilling machines, emphasize just how hard these men worked. Surface equipment on display includes a mine hoist with bell signals, and oar cars. A collection of dozens of mine lights shows ones powered with candles, carbide, and batteries. Beyond the museum, those with 4-wheel drives and a desire to visit an actual ghost town may go to Granite, just four miles out of Philipsburg. Granite, Montana’s Silver Queen, is one of the more prosperous and better-preserved towns. It had a two-story Miner’s Union Hall with an auditorium for shows, a pool parlor, and a large

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By Bernice Karnop From Highway 14 west of Brookings, South Dakota, motorists see the wide prairie, small lakes, and a scattering of little towns. One is DeSmet, named for the Belgian-born Jesuit priest Pierre Jean DeSmet, whose role in western history is legendary. DeSmet, however, draws its fame from another person, a small woman with a most unlikely literary career, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wilder started recording her family’s pioneer experiences that became the Little House book series, when she was in her mid-60s. She bought a stack of Fifty Fifty Big Chief school tablets and started writing in pencil. Her original book, Pioneer Girl, was written for adults. Though but not published in her lifetime, it was the basis for her Little House books for children, of which there would be nine. The Little House books were a surprise hit when published during the Depression in the 1930s and 1940s and have continued to captivate generations of boys and girls ever since. I became aware of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society Museum and Ingalls Family Homestead Living History Farm in DeSmet, when my granddaughter Laurel Hunt and her As Laura Ingalls Wilder says, “Remember well and bear in friend Karissa Tranchita mind, a constant friend is hard to find.” Friends Karissa visited. The book’s vivid Tranchita and Laurel Hunt get a Laura Ingalls Wilder descriptions put readers view of the world from the back of a covered wagon at into the story, and the liv- the Wilder Homestead in DeSmet, South Dakota [Photo ing history experiences by Bernice Karnop] not only delighted the girls, but also gave them a whole new level of understanding what pioneer life was like. The development of the Wilder homestead into a living history farm began in the early 1990s. Today visitors see over 100 acres of native prairie grasses, period buildings, and child-friendly, touchable exhibits that allow youngsters to try their hands with activities they read about in the books. For three weekends in the summer, hundreds come for the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant, an outdoor theater production based on By the Shores of Silver Lake. Laurel and Karissa were surprised the sod house walls were rock-hard and that even on a bright fall day, the house was dark inside. In connection with Laura’s sister Mary’s blindness, they learned how Braille letters are formed and read with the fingers. Using dried peas to make the raised bumps of Braille, they created their own Braille message. They twisted twine into a jump rope, fashioned their own corn cob dolls like the one Laura played with, and scrubbed clothes on a washboard in a galvanized tub, outdoors. They got up close to the horses and were delighted with the friendly kittens. The girls climbed into a covered wagon for a bumpy ride to the school house where they donned pinafores and bonnets (boys get straw hats) and sat with children of various ages in two-person desks as Laura would have done. The girls wrote on slates and listened to a history lesson similar to one in Laura’s day given by a real teacher. DeSmet has a number of original structures from the books including the actual house Pa built in 1887 and the railroad surveyor’s house where the family lived during the long winter. The original Loftus store, mentioned in several of the books, is filled with artifacts from the past. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society Museum in DeSmet has more than 2,000 original Ingalls family artifacts. Silver Lake, a pothole formed by melting glaciers, lies just east of DeSmet, and is the site of the railroad camp in the books. A concrete walking trail gives visitor a chance to stretch their legs and perhaps scare up some local wildlife. The DeSmet cemetery southwest of town is on top of a hill overlooking the city, the homestead, and the “big slough”. Here visitors will find the graves of Charles, Caroline, Mary, Carrie, and Grace Ingalls, and of the infant son of Laura and Almanzo Wilder. DeSmet is a grand place to take grandchildren, but adults find plenty to interest them as well. Two new books about Wilder, Laura Ingalls Wilder: a Writer’s Life by Pamela Smith Hill in 2007; and Wilder’s original manuscript, Pioneer Girl, annotated and edited by Hill in 2014, have generated some controversy. Critics say Wilder shaded the reality of her pioneer life because she didn’t

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include some of the harder parts of their lives and incidents not appropriate for children. Wilder did alter facts and sequences to make a better story with good characters and plot lines, but there was no controversy at the time. Daughter Rose Wilder Lane, an acclaimed writer of her day, and who edited the works, said “modifying events to make a stronger book is not fact, but it is perfectly true.” Wilder herself said, “All I have told is true but it is not the whole truth.” Laura Ingalls Wilder: a Writer’s Life is an enjoyable peek into the experiences and relationships that made up her life and how her writing evolved. Pioneer Girl is a beautiful book filled with hundreds of black and white photos of people and places Wilder wrote about. More than half of it is footnotes, and the footnotes appear alongside the text, making them easy to access. DeSmet is only one Laura Ingalls Wilder historic site. In fact, one can drive coast to coast visiting Wilder sites. There’s one in Malone, New York, Almanzo’s home, where Farmer Boy is set, and one in Pomona California, home of the original Little Town on the Prairie manuscript in the Laura Ingalls

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Wilder Room of the Pomona Library. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum at Mansfield, Missouri, is a major site as the place where Laura and Almanzo lived most of their lives, and where the Little House books were written. Other sites include Pepin, Wisconsin, setting of Little House in the Big Woods; Independence Kansas, setting of Little House on the Prairie; and Walnut Grove, Minnesota, setting of On the Banks of Plum Creek and where the Little House on the Prairie television series was filmed. Smaller sites include a Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum at Burr Oak, Iowa, where Laura and her family lived, but about which she never wrote; in Spring Valley, Minnesota and in Westville, Florida, where the Wilders lived; and in Cuba, New York, where Wilder’s father, Charles, such a huge character in the books, was born. DeSmet, South Dakota, is the setting of the last five books of the series, By the Shores of Silver Sake, the Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and the First Four Years. MSN

Do They Only Ask These Questions In Canada? Submitted by Julie Hollar Following are questions asked by Banff Park Tourists in Alberta, Canada. And yes, these are actual questions that were heard by Parks Canada staff at information kiosks. 1. How do the elk know they’re supposed to cross at the “Elk Crossing” signs? 2. At what elevation does an elk become a moose? 3. Tourist: “How do you pronounce ‘E l k’?” Park Information Staff: “’Elk’” Tourist: “Oh.” 4. Are the bears with collars tame? 5. Is there anywhere I can see the bears pose? 6. Is it okay to keep an open bag of bacon on the picnic table, or should I store it in my tent? 7. Where can I find Alpine Flamingos? 8. I saw an animal on the way to Banff today – could you tell me what it was? 9. Are there birds in Canada? 10. Did I miss the turnoff for Canada? 11. Where does Alberta end and Canada begin? 12. Do you have a map of the State of Jasper? 13. Is this the part of Canada that speaks French, or is that Saskatchewan? 14. If I go to B.C., do I have to go through Ontario? 15. Which is the way to the Columbia Ricefields? 16. How far is Banff from Canada? 17. What’s the best way to see Canada in a day? 18. Do they search you at the B.C. border? 19. When we enter B.C., do we have to convert our money to British pounds?

20. Where can I buy a raccoon hat? All Canadians own one, don’t they? 21. Are there phones in Banff? 22. So it’s eight kilometers away... is that in miles? 23. We’re on the decibel system you know. 24. Where can I get my husband really, REALLY, lost? 25. Is that two kilometers by foot or by car? 26. Don’t you Canadians know anything? MSN

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Finding the Missouri in North Dakota By Bernice Karnop They wrote songs about crossing the wide Missouri a century ago, but today that river in North Dakota is considerably wider. One look at a North Dakota map shows the Missouri flowing in from Montana and immediately ballooning into the huge Lake Sakakawea, behind Garrison Dam. That lake extends eastward to the middle of the state where the Missouri flows south and then blossoms out again into man-made Lake Oahe that stretches into South Dakota. Of the 350 free-flowing river miles Lewis and Clark traveled through North Dakota, only 70 have not been flooded. In those 70 miles visitors will find many scenic views, archaeological and historical sites, and other points of interest. North Dakota reminds people of the explorers by numbering the highways for the years of their travel, 1804 on the east side and 1806 on the west.

Several of these sites are clustered near Washburn, where travelers can leave ND Highway 83 at the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center on the north edge of the city. The Center presents an overview of the entire Lewis and Clark Trail, interpretation of Native American life and agriculture, and a display of the historic and beautiful artwork of Karl Bodmer, who painted the Plains Indians as they were before being overrun with white settlers. Two miles west of the Interpretive Center is the reconstructed Fort Mandan, where the Corps of Discovery spent the particularly brutal winter of 1804-05. ND Highway 200-A goes from Washburn to Hensler and the nearby 6.000-acre Cross Ranch State Park consisting of mixed-grass prairie and Missouri River floodplain cottonwoods. Managed by the Nature Conservancy, it boasts nature trails, its own bison herd, a visitor center, and offers camping, cabin and canoe rentals.

Further west on 200A sits Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here are remains of a large earth-lodge village, a cemetery, and two fur trading posts with interpretive signs telling about the fur trade on the Missouri River from 1822 to 1865, and about Mandan and Arikara life. The Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site is located north of Stanton on 200A. Exhibits, nature trails, village remains, and a reconstructed earth lodge tell about the busy Hidatsa Indian villages here in the 16th and 17th centuries. In these villages, which are said to have had a population of 3,000 to 5,000 people, Lewis and Clark found Sakakawea and her husband, Charbonneau, and hired their services for the trip west. Here visitors see the remains of earth-lodge dwellings in remarkably good condition, cache pits, fortification ditches, and travois trails. The historic site also has a visitor center, a furnished earth lodge, and 14 miles of self-guided trails. Also on the west side of the river is Smith Grove where visitors can stroll among some of the largest recorded cottonwoods in North Dakota. Another more ancient earth-lodge village is on the east side of the Missouri, on ND Highway 1804. The Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site rests on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, providing some grand scenery, including views of the Square Buttes, a feature that marked the traditional boundary between Mandan and Hidatsa territory. Up to 2,000 people resided at the Double Ditch village from 1500-1780, but the village lay in ruins when Lewis and Clark passed here in 1804. It is considered by many as one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the Northern Plains. The name comes from two clearly

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discernible fortification ditches. Driving south to Mandan and Bismarck, stop at Chief Looking’s Village Overlook in northwest Bismarck. It was occupied in the 1500s by Mandan Indians and is located on a hill overlooking the Missouri. Take the opportunity to cruise the Missouri aboard a paddle wheeler replica called the Lewis and Clark Riverboat. Daily excursion or charter cruises are available at the Port of Bismarck on North River Road from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The mile stretch of River Road south of Chief Looking’s village includes several interesting stops. Steamboat Warehouse Historic Interpretive Marker, Steamboat Park, and Keelboat Park bring to light the steamboat trade that was so important for a period of time. Here is a partial reconstruction of the steamboat, Missouri River, a replica of Lewis and Clark’s keelboat, and eagle sculptures by United Tribes Technical College students. The Dakota Zoo is the next stop on the banks of the Missouri. Grandchildren love to visit the more than 500 animals from 125 different species. They can get a close up look at native species, including prairie dogs, mountain lions, and bison. Exotic animals like snow leopards, Bengal tigers and cottontop tamarins will also capture their imaginations. On the west side of the river, eight miles south of Mandan, on Highway 1806, lies Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, where travelers can camp, picnic, hike trails, and listen to living history presentations. Among the reconstructed buildings at the old fort is the off-regulation house that George Armstrong Custer had built for his wife, Libby. In the northwest corner of the park find the partially reconstructed Fort McKeen, an infantry post, and military cemetery. Also on the grounds is On-A-Slant Indian Village. About 30 miles south of Mandan on Highway 1806 is Huff Indian Village State Historic Site. This prehistoric site was occupied around A.D. 1450. No reconstruction has been done but visitors can view ruins of rectangular lodges and a large bastioned fortification ditch. In that same area is Fort Rice State Historic Site. This is also undeveloped, but offers interpretive signs that point out outlines of the structures and tell about the once important Fort. It was built in 1865 by General Alfred H. Sully as a field base during his 1864 expedition and operated until 1878. In Bismarck, history buffs will enjoy touring the 19-story, art-deco style North Dakota State Capitol that towers over the prairie and the city. Tours are offered on the hour weekdays in the summer. The Victorian-style North Dakota Governor’s Mansion State Historic Site offers daily tours, too. The North Dakota Heritage Center museum on the North Dakota capitol grounds presents dinosaurs, native people, fur traders, pioneers, and homesteaders. It also houses the State Archives, the Historical Research Library and the State Historical Society of North Dakota offices. When visiting North Dakota, enjoy the fishing, boating, and water sports available on Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe. But also take time to notice the stretch of unaltered river and the never-ending history that flows between its banks. MSN

Navajo Woman

Submitted by Jim Meade Sally was driving home from one of her business trips in northern Arizona when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road. As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride. After a bit of small talk while resuming the journey, the Navajo woman noticed a brown bag on the seat next to Sally. “What’s in the bag?” asked the Navajo woman. Sally looked down at the brown bag and said, “It’s a bottle of wine. I got it for my husband.” The Navajo woman was silent for a minute, and then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder said, “Good trade.” MSN

I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicans. - Charles de Gaulle

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 53

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By Bernice Karnop In observance of Nursing Home Week, May 8 to 14, 2016 nursing facilities across Montana will be sponsoring events meant to encourage residents, families, and others to engage with their loved ones, family members, or neighbors. In fact, everyone can get set to enjoy the week as the American Health Care Association (AHCA) has designated it as the week to celebrate with the theme of It’s a Small World, with a Big Heart. Families, friends, businesses, and the public are encouraged to recognize and appreciate during National Nursing Home Week the million Americans who need assistance with daily living needs. This week is set aside to remember not only residents and rehab patients, but also their families, care providers, and staff. One special way that the Big Heart theme may be implemented is by letting family and guests know the importance of touch. Hugs and kisses, hand holding, shoulder rubs, and a foot massage can feel like a party to an individual in a nursing home. Bring cookies, flowers, or other tokens of appreciation during National Nursing Home Week – or any time of year. A simple visit may be just the Big Heart a resident needs. Those things that brighten the day for the resident brighten the day for caregivers as well. National Nursing Home Week is an annual observance sponsored nationally by the American Health Care Association, based in Washington, D.C. For more information on National Nursing Home Week, visit nnhw.org. MSN

APRIL/MAY 2016

Celebrate Older Americans Month By Bernice Karnop When Older Americans Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. About a third of older Americans lived in poverty, and there were few programs to meet their needs. In April of that year, President John F. Kennedy, with the advice of the National Council of Senior Citizens, designated May as Senior Citizen’s Month. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter revised the name to Older Americans Month. The Montana Senior News joins in celebrating Older Americans Month this May. The theme of this year’s celebration is Blaze A Trail. We have a front row seat to appreciate the many ways in which older adults bring inspiration and continuity to the fabric of Montana communities. Their shared histories, diverse experiences, and wealth

of knowledge make our state what it is today. We also celebrate all the advances that help older Americans live longer, healthier, and more engaged lives. Older Idahoans are out and about, giving back and making a difference in their communities across the state. They mentor leaders of tomorrow and take time to volunteer in schools. They connect with others by delivering meals, helping with home repair, assisting with shopping, and offering companionship and care. Join us in celebrating Older Americans Month by not only recognizing those who have gone beyond the call of duty, but also by contacting your local Area Agency on Aging to find out how you can be part of this amazing volunteer force. Opportunities are so diverse, we are sure there is a perfect place for you! MSN

Learning To Live Alone After Loss: A Challenge And An Opportunity By Lisa M. Petsche When a loved one dies, many mature adults face the challenge of learning to live alone – often for the first time. For those who have been part of a couple, this is a particularly big adjustment. Loneliness may be profound and difficult to overcome. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some suggestions that can help. Be Kind To Yourself Give yourself permission to feel all of the emotions that surface, including resentment and frustration. Recognize that there will be good days and bad days, and be extra good to yourself on the bad days. Try not to dwell on the past – it only fosters self-pity and keeps you from moving forward. Prepare a list of things to do on the bad days. Include small indulgences to give you a lift, as well as tasks or projects that will give you a sense of satisfaction (for example, decluttering various areas of your home). Look after your physical health. Eat nutritious meals, and get adequate rest and exercise regularly. In addition to safeguarding your overall health, these measures will also help to ward off depression. Take things one day at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed. Plan your days so you don’t have too much free time on your hands. If you don’t like coming home to silence, leave the television or radio on when you go out. Nurture Your Spirit Write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a journal, chronicling your journey of self-discovery and growth. Nurture your spirit by doing things that bring

inner peace, such as meditating, praying, practicing yoga, reading something uplifting, listening to soothing music, or spending time in nature. If consistent with your lifestyle, getting a cat or dog can provide companionship and affection and give you a sense of purpose. A dog also offers a measure of security and ensures that you’ll get out of the house. And while walking the dog, you might meet new friends. Get Busy Get out of the house every day, and to combat isolation, join a dinner club, fitness center, or exercise class. Sign up for an adult education course or lessons that interest you – for example, gourmet cooking, pottery, or modern jazz. Be sure to check out any available programs at the local senior or recreation center as well as those offered by educational institutions. Learning something new is energizing and boosts your self-confidence. And you might make new friends in the process. Get involved in your community by volunteering for a neighborhood association, a charitable or environmental cause, an animal shelter, or a political campaign. Cultivate some solitary pastimes by taking up crossword puzzles, woodworking, gardening, writing, or sketching. Learn to enjoy your own company and learn that it’s possible to be alone without feeling lonely. Reach Out Take the initiative in calling friends and relatives to talk or get together. Instead of waiting for invitations,

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extend them. Do nice things for others, especially those who are also going through a difficult time. This takes your mind off your own situation, boosts your selfesteem, and strengthens relationships. Find at least one person you can talk to openly who will listen and understand, such as a close friend, spiritual leader, or mental health worker. Join a bereavement support group. If it’s hard to get out or you prefer anonymity, try an online forum instead. If feelings of isolation persist, you might take in a boarder, share accommodations with a relative or friend, relocate to a condominium or apartment in a senior living community or, if your health is frail, move into a retirement home. But don’t make such a major decision hastily – give yourself time.

If you were a caregiver through your loved one’s illness and put your personal life on hold, now is the time to invest in yourself by resuming former interests and pursuing new ones. Don’t forget to nurture neglected relationships as well as expand your social network. Whether or not the death was anticipated, the reality of being on your own may initially seem overwhelming and perhaps frightening. But with time, patience, and trust in your resilience, you will successfully adapt to your new circumstances. You may even end up growing in ways you never imagined. Lisa M. Petsche is a social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior health matters. MSN

Aging Expets Gather In April Montana Gerontology Society’s (MGS) will hold its 34th Annual Conference, The Personal Side of Aging April 14-15, 2016 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Lane, Billings. Many areas of aging including physical, medical, emotional, psychosocial, and financial will interest professionals in the aging network (healthcare providers, social workers, senior service organizations) as well as seniors, babyboomers, and retirees. Two exciting keynote speakers have been engaged for the conference.

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Vicki Schmall, PhD, is Executive Director and Gerontology & Training Specialist with Aging Concerns in West Linn, Oregon. She is also Professor Emeritus of Oregon State University where she worked for nearly 25 years as the Director of the OSU Program on Gerontology and the Gerontology Specialist in the OSU Extension Service. Dr. Schmall developed many aging- and family caregiver-related training programs and educational materials. David Trowel, MPH, is nationally and internationally known for his writing and teaching in the fields of Alzheimer’s disease and long-term care. He has co-authored five influential books including The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care. He is a past Executive Board member of the American Public Health Association and past member of the National Alzheimer’s Association Ethics Advisory Board. A variety of general sessions and breakout sessions include: Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias; Caregiving Issues; Parkinson’s Disease; Palliative Care; Elder Abuse & Scams; Fall Prevention/Home Safety; Planning for Power of Attorney; Trusts, & Wills; Guardianship & Conservatorship; Senior Hunger; Respite Care; LGBT Elder Issues; 7 Steps to Long Term Care Planning; VA Benefits; Update on the Alzheimer’s/ Dementia State Plan; and many more. In a session promoted to the business community, David Troxel present Alzheimer’s Disease is Everyone’s Business, which will address the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias on the US health care system and employers. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.6 million employees provide elder care and many struggle to balance the demands of work with their needs to support their family member. The estimated economic impact of over $36 billion to U.S. business results from employees’ needing to come in late, leave early, take a leave of absence, go from working full time to part time, etc. Troxel will follow his presentation with a Q&A session co-sponsored by Billings’ MorningStar Senior Living, SYNERGY Home Care, and the Alzheimer’s Association. It will be hosted at MorningStar Senior Living, 4001 Bell Ave. A seven-hour pre-conference workshop developed by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP) will be held on Wednesday, April 13 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. Experienced healthcare, social services,

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and long-term care workers can apply for certification as a Certified Dementia Practitioner®. For more information, visit nccdp.org/cdp.htm. MGS is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting advances in the field of aging, professional development, as well as public education and advocacy. There are over 150 MGS Members – professionals, the public, and students. For detailed conference information, registration form, or membership application, visit montanagerontology.org, email info@montanagerontology. org, or call Jan Smith, Conference Co-Chair, at 406-647-7955 (cell). MSN

Ten Common Signs Of Caregiver Stress Provided by the Alzheimer’s Association 1. Denial about the disease and its effect on the person who has been diagnosed. I know Mom is going to get better. 2. Anger at the person with Alzheimer’s or frustration that he or she can’t do the things they used to be able to do. He knows how to get dressed – he’s just being stubborn. 3. Social withdrawal from friends and activities that used to make you feel good. I don’t care about visiting with the neighbors anymore. 4. Anxiety about the future and facing another day. What happens when he needs more care than I can provide? 5. Depression that breaks your spirit and affects your ability to cope. I just don’t care anymore. 6. Exhaustion that makes it nearly impossible to complete necessary daily tasks. I’m too tired for this. 7. Sleeplessness caused by a never-ending list of concerns. What if she wanders out of the house or falls and hurts herself? 8. Irritability that leads to moodiness and triggers negative responses and actions. Leave me alone! 9. Lack of concentration that makes it difficult to perform familiar tasks. I was so busy I forgot my appointment. 10. Health problems that begin to take a mental and physical toll. I can’t remember the last time I felt good. Support is available all day, every day, and we’re in communities across the country. If you experience any of these signs, contact our 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 (TTY: 866-403-3073) or visit alz.org/care. The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center provides reliable information and easy access to resources, including: • Alzheimer’s Navigator® – Assess your needs and create customized action plans of information and support. • Community Resource Finder – Find local resources. • ALZConnected® – Connect with other caregivers who can relate to your situation. • Care Team Calendar – Organize family and friends who want to help with caregiving. • Visit alz.org/findus for more information.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 57

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s disease 1

Memory loss that disrupts daily life

Challenges in planning or solving problems

Difficulty completing familiar tasks

Confusion with time or place

Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships

New problems with words in speaking or writing

Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

Decreased or poor judgment

Withdrawal from work or social activities

Changes in mood and personality

If you or anyone you know experiences any of these warning signs, please see a doctor. For more information, call 800.272.3900 or visit alz.org/10signs.

Ten Ways To Manage Stress And Be A Healthier Caregiver

Are you so overwhelmed by taking care of someone else that you have neglected your own physical, mental, and emotional well-being? If you find yourself not taking care of your own needs, you may be putting your health at risk. 1. Find time for yourself. Consider taking advantage of respite care so you can spend time doing something you enjoy. Respite care gives caregivers a temporary rest from caregiving, while the person with Alzheimer’s disease continues to receive care in a safe environment. Visit alz.org/care to learn more. 2. Know what community resources are available. Contact the Alzheimer’s Association or use our online Community Resource Finder (alz. org/CRF) to find dementia care resources in your area. Adult day programs, in-home assistance, companions, and meal delivery are just some of the

Hidden Meadow Memory Care The Perfect Choice. A family searching for a loving, secure, nurturing environment for their loved one with Alzheimer’s or related dementias will be greatly encouraged after visiting Hidden Meadow Memory Care. The small home-like environment is ÿ lled with love and respect. We love to pamper our residents. Our high staff to resident ratio, ensures great care. Nursing staff on duty include licensed nurses and assistants specialized in caring for residents with memory loss. Third party nursing services such as Physical Therapy and Hospice are also available if needed. Everyone works together to ensure the highest excellence in care. Our lovely facility is located between Columbia Falls and Whiteÿ sh, just off Hwy, 40 on

12 beautiful acres! The property resembles a true Montana picture with mountains, meadows, and deer! Families and residents enjoy a newly built “healing garden.” Including: a covered pavilion, ”owers, benches, hummingbird feeders, water fountain, and bird bath to entice charming bird visitors! Hidden Meadow Memory Care is locally owned and operated by Patricia Zinke R.N. and husband, Ed. Patricia Zinke would like to extend an invitation to anyone caring for a loved one with memory loss to visit us. She would be happy to give a tour and listen about the needs of your loved one. Please call her at (406) 253-6782 to arrange a tour. Hidden Meadow Memory Care truly is the perfect choice.

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services that can help you manage daily tasks. 3. Become an educated caregiver. As the disease progresses, new caregiving skills may be necessary. The Association offers programs to help you better understand and cope with common

behavioral and personality changes that may occur. Visit the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center at alz.org/care to learn more and access care-training resources, including free online workshops. 4. Get help and find support. Seek the support of family, friends, and people who can relate to your situation. Use our online Care Team Calendar (alz.org/carecalendar) to organize family and friends who want to help. Our 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900), ALZConnected® online social networking community (alzconnected.org), and local support groups (alz.org/findus) are all good sources for finding comfort and reassurance. 5. Take care of yourself. Try to eat well, exercise, and get plenty of rest. Making sure that you are healthy can help you be a better caregiver. 6. Manage your level of stress. Stress can cause physical problems (blurred vision, stomach irritation, high blood pressure) and changes in So live confident—in a place of behavior (irritability, lack light, love & wellness of concentration, change in appetite). Note your COTTAGES INDEPENDENT & ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE symptoms and discuss 24/7 Concierge l Licensed Nurse Every Day l All Utilities Included with a doctor, as needTheatre, Bistro, Game Room l Restaurant-style Dining l Personal Transportation ed. Try to find relaxation Weekly Housekeeping l Kitchen Features in All Suites techniques that work for you. See our Beautiful New Models 7. Accept changes As Large as 1,144 Square Feet l One & Two Bath as they occur. People Call Today for a Tour & Complimentary Meal with Alzheimer’s disease MorningStarSeniorLiving.com change over time and so do their needs. They may require care beyond what 4001 Bell Avenue Billings MT l MorningStarSeniorLiving.com

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you can provide on your own. Becoming aware of community resources – from home care services to residential care – can make the transition easier. So will the support and assistance of those around you. 8. Make legal and financial plans. Putting legal and financial plans in place after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is important so that the person with the disease can participate. Having plans can provide comfort to the entire family. Many documents, including advance directives, can be prepared without the help of an attorney. However, if you are unsure about how to complete legal documents or make financial plans, you may want to seek assistance from an attorney specializing in elder law and/or a financial advisor who is familiar with elder or long-term care planning. 9. Know you’re doing your best. Remember that the care you provide makes a difference and that you are doing the best you can. You may feel guilty because you can’t do more, but individual care needs change as Alzheimer’s progresses. You can’t promise how care will be delivered, but you can make sure that the person with the disease is well cared for and safe. 10. Visit your doctor regularly. Take time to get regular checkups, and be aware of what your body is telling you. Pay attention to any exhaustion, stress, sleeplessness, or changes in appetite or behavior. Ignoring symptoms can cause your physical and mental health to decline. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. MSN

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Does your bathroom need a makeover? Go beyond functional and stylish updates and consider upgrades that add an element of safety, too. A few affordable, small updates can dramatically affect your bathroom’s level of safety while still providing a look you will love. Leave a little light on – Low lighting levels can reduce visibility and be a major contributor to trips, bumps, and bruises. Adding nightlights is a quick and easy way to light bathrooms (and hallways) safely and to increase safety around the house at night – especially for those midnight trips. Another idea is to install illuminated light switches for easy visibility in a dark room. These small steps can make a big impact when it comes to preventing trips and falls during the night. Have a seat – Navigating around the shower can be a slippery undertaking, especially for women who often perform a balancing act while shaving. That’s likely why women are 72 percent more likely to be injured in the bath or shower than men, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One way to add both safety and comfort to the shower space is by incorporating a bath or shower chair. A fold-down shower seat with a wall mount that folds up out of the way is an ideal solution. Add a handheld shower to increase functionality while seated and help prevent falls in the bath. Cool it down – Accidental burns from water are more common than you think. When tap water reaches 140 degrees, it can cause a third degree burn in just five seconds, and according to the Burn Foundation, 500,000 scald burns occur in the U.S. annually. Prevent accidental scalding at the source by setting the water heater at a maximum of 120 degrees. After you have set the new temperature, be sure to update your showers with pressurebalancing valves that maintain water temperature to eliminate “shower shock,” which is the sudden fluctuation in temperature that can cause burns. Style you can hold on to – Maneuvering in and out of the bathtub safely is one of the most challenging, and potentially dangerous, bathroom activities according to research. And to make mat-

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ters worse while supporting their movement, many people rely on items not designed to support body weight, such as towel bars, built-in soap dishes and shower doors. Make sure you are using dedicated grab bars or grab bars integrated with three essential bath accessories – paper holders, shelves, and towel bars. This is a great way to add extra stability, and they hold necessary items like shampoo and conditioner, keeping them within easy reach. Keep these tips top of mind as you update your bath to help ensure everyone has an enjoyable – but more importantly – safe experience in the bathroom. MSN

Submitted by John Early, New York City One day, a very gentle Texas lady was driving across a high bridge in Austin. As she neared the top of the bridge, she noticed a young man fixin’ to jump. (Fixin’ in Texas means getting ready to do something) She stopped her car, rolled down the window, and said, “Please don’t jump! Think of your dear mother and father.” He replied, “My mom and dad are both dead; I’m going to jump.” She said, “Well, think of your sweet wife and precious children.” He replied, “I’m not married, and I don’t have any kids.” She said, “Well, then you just remember the Alamo.” He replied, “What’s the Alamo?” She replied, “Well, bless your heart! You just go ahead and jump. You’re holding up traffic!” MSN

Podiatrist’s Five Secrets To Happier Feet During Seasonal Heat After hiding our feet in heavy socks and boots all winter long, we can now enjoy sandal season! Podiatrist Dr. Lauren Kishman, Akron General Orthopedics (Akron, Ohio), knows the most common foot complaints and lets you in on some secrets endure the heat of approaching summer. Five secrets to healthy feet: • Sweaty, smelly feet? Use antiperspirant – yes, on your feet. “Your feet have sweat glands. As your feet sweat, proteins are released which bacteria are able to feed on causing odor,” says Dr. Kishman. “It can be worse in the summer because of moisture and physical activity.” Change out your socks often and try a clear, roll-on antiperspirant on the bottom of your feet. If an over-the-counter antiperspirant does not work, there are prescription-strength antiperspirants to try – see your podiatrist. • Avoid fungus – wear sandals around the pool. “Fungus is easy to pick up in the summer, especially around moist environments like pools or hot tubs, so make sure to keep your feet covered there,” says Dr. Kishman. If you have athlete’s foot, overthe-counter antifungal medications are generally successful. Nail fungus, though, is typically more difficult to treat and often will require prescription medication to recover completely. • Don’t leave nail polish on all summer. “The chemicals and dyes in nail polish can discolor or crack nails. People often mistake this for a fungal infection,” says Dr. Kishman. “Don’t leave polish on for extended periods of time – remove after about two weeks and give your toes a break before reapplying.” Look for polishes with fewer chemicals or even try anti-fungal polishes. If you are not sure if it is fungus, see a podiatrist. Getting a pedicure? Dr. Kishman cautions to make sure the salon where you go sterilizes its equipment. • Apply sunscreen all over your feet. “Skin cancer can affect the feet, so if there are any suspicious or dark spots on your feet – on your skin or underneath the nails – see a doctor to get them checked,” says Dr. Kishman. If you have cracking or dry skin, lotions with urea or ammonium lactate in them can help. • Ditch the flip-flops – wear supportive shoes. “In the summer we often trade supportive foot gear for flip-flop-type sandals. This predisposes the foot to more stress through the arch, heel, and ball of the foot, which can lead to fractures and heel pain,” says Dr. Kishman. Look for thicker soles and arch support – avoid very thin or very flexible. A good way to check the shoe is to see if you can bend it in half – if you can, look for something sturdier. Also, sandals with more straps tend to be more helpful – you won’t have to grip with your toes as much so there is less stress on your tendons. MSN

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Celebrating Through Volunteerism By Gini Cunningham Volunteering is an awesomely rewarding avenue for sharing wisdom and building personal strength. Having taught for many years, upon retirement I sought new ways to extend my talents while helping others. Volunteering met my calling and has become a wonderful answer to filling and fulfilling my time. There are so many people in need or projects at hand. There are a few tips, however, to ensure that your volunteer hours are well spent and provide empowerment to you as well as to those you serve. Consider your priorities. Do you prefer pets to people, the impoverished over those who just need a lift, or children compared to adults? Teaching literacy is a fantastic opportunity to assist another person, but you have to decide whether kindergarten is the ideal setting where you can work one-on-one supervising a young reader or whether you prefer adults. Perhaps you want to help those who dropped out of school, entered prison instead of the work force, or are second language learners. If people drive you to distraction with whines and barks but dogs thrill your inner being as you wash them into glossy coats, walk them through the park, or help with pet adoption, you know which option is best for you. Next, think about the people with whom you will be working. Does your direct supervisor respect you, your intelligence, and your abilities or does she or he view you as a workhorse for projects that no one else wants to do? Do those with whom you are working share values and conditions in common? That does not mean 100% lock-step agreement, but rather individuals who will work as a team, share insight and ideas, and value your input as well. When the team sits together to create a vision with clear goals and objectives with everyone working at personal capacity, the project or program is certain to excel, offering many internal benefits to you and external benefits to others. Does the volunteer work you are considering offer flexibility? After all, you probably did not retire from your profession to volunteer full-time. There are other luxuries in life to enjoy like your family, children and grandchildren, travel, and adventure. You will want to avoid being so bogged down in someone else’s work that your personal autonomy disappears. Whip out your calendar, examine days where

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you are at liberty to offer time to others, sketch out the hours in the day that you can volunteer, and mark down other responsibilities including personal time for yourself. Now you have a better picture of just how much “free” time you have and where you can best serve. Finally, you are working as a volunteer, which may include paying for your own travel, purchasing supplies from your own pocket, and even donating money to the cause. Can you afford to do this? Do you need to set some parameters? Will your money be well spent in helping others while providing personal satisfaction? Also, consider that your supervisor may be in a paid position while you toil for nothing but internal rewards. How do you feel about this? Mutual respect is important; your sense of value is of the essence. Volunteering is a terrific opportunity to meet, greet, travel, explore, and learn. You may be surprised at your capacity to help others, whether animals, people, or distant faces and places. While you did not sign up to volunteer to become richer in the monetary sense, you should gain assets filled through your wisdom, ideas, instincts, and abilities. Above all, at the end of the day, even through worry and frustration, you need to feel accomplishment. You need to be ready to jump up in celebration! EzineArticles.com/9178016. MSN

Have A Wonderful Scalia And Me

By Bill Hall I regret to inform you that I caught myself agreeing with the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia the other day. I began to differ from many of you, my regular readers. I realize that makes me look a bit like an ingrate, but I will not fib and tell you that you are always right. In truth, some of you go overboard in obsessively digesting the pathetic trivia of your fellow fanatics on Facebook. Suffice it to say, despite my frequent disagreements with Scalia, I have recently run across one of the most fascinating things he ever said, and I admit my agreement with what he observed. Read on. “I don’t know,” he said, “why anyone would like to be ‘friended’ on the network. I mean, what kind of narcissistic society is it that people want to put out there – ‘This is my life and this is what I did yesterday?’ I mean… good grief. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?” Yes, your honor, that does strike me as strange – every time I peek in on Facebook and discover still another day’s overload of petty, boring concerns from people I know. I immediately recognize relatives and friends who beat useless information to an empty pulp. I am worried about people who spend so much time comparing new shades of fingernail polish, reporting another fanny tattoo, or announcing that their stomach rash seems to be clearing up. And frankly, sometimes I get to wondering why fully grown Facebook friends read so many comic books. Scalia is right. Most people who live on Facebook could live a larger life. Some of this daily drivel comes to me from well-intentioned but giddy friends. They have sloppy language habits, such as an inability to use any adjective except “awesome.” Worst of all, they have the boorish habit of constantly telling me and everybody else “Have

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a wonderful day,” like it or not. I don’t like it. Constant wonderful days can be exhausting, especially when I am lost in thought, savoring a latte, or hoping to take a nap. I prefer something less grandiose than a “wonderful” day. I don’t like being ordered to have over-the-top emotions by some goofy do-gooder. Could we have a recess from these incessant demands to have a nice day? Try something more subtle like saying, “Have a great nap, old timer” or “Brush your wonderful teeth, all three of them”? I have no doubt that Justice Scalia would agree with me. Surely when he died recently, he didn’t want to hear, “Have a nice day.” He could finally have a chance to relax and tell all those lawyers crowded into his life to stop driving him crazy by begging him to have a wonderful day. Is there no surcease? And now, being of a like mind, I assure you that a justice like Scalia is not going to be sitting around wasting life (or his death) by seeking tips on how to wash his socks, choose the “right” color of lipstick, or stupidly ask friends to help decide whether to name the new puppy Binky. Spare Scalia... and me from constant visits to Facebook. Death is unpleasant enough as it is without learning there is a Facebook in heaven, On the other hand, come to think of it, I do remember something my mother used to do years ago that was not unlike today’s email and Facebook gossip. She was constantly out in the back yard, chatting and laughing across the garden gate with a neighbor. Come to think of it, the men of those years and of today have also had their pleasure of trading quips and fishing lies, sitting around drinking coffee or beer, just enjoying each other’s company. The people of my childhood did friendship that same way. Today, such neighbors and friends go well beyond the garden gate or the coffee klatch. They share their pleasure and their troubles with each other killing time on Facebook, the new garden gate. Justice Scalia and I have wondered why so many people waste so much time in their lives on Facebook. Is it possible that Scalia and I may have been a little slow to figure out why people we know seem to be enjoying each other? If Scalia and I run into each other in the hereafter, I assure you, I will be the first to shout in his direction, “Have a wonderful eternity.” Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

A beautiful woman looking at her image in the mirror may very well believe the image is herself. An ugly woman knows it is not. - Simone Weil

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Dying Without a Will Marsha A. Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist Did you know that seven out of ten Americans die without writing a will? Are you one of those seven? If you nodded your head yes, you need to know that upon death, your property will be distributed to your heirs according to the intestacy statutes in the state where you live. Believe it or not, 85 percent of Montanans who have participated in our MSU estate planning programs indicated state law would not distribute property in the way they would like. The following are three of the many examples I share during my estate planning presentations to illustrate why Montana’s intestacy statutes may not be best solution for individual family circumstances. Example A: John and Mary had three married children. One son and a daughter passed away years ago. John and Mary recently died because of a car accident. Because John and Mary did not have a written will, their property was distributed under Montana law. The illustration below shows how the property was distributed by a provision in Montana law called right of representation. Grandchild A receives 1/3 because that is the share her dad would have received if he had lived. Grandchildren D, E and F receive 1/9 each. They equally split the 1/3 their mother would have received had she lived. Grandchildren B and C receive nothing because their Dad received 1/3. Family and friends who knew John and Mary say they had talked about leaving their property equally to all their grandchildren. Their verbal wishes could not be honored. Example B: Gail has an estate valued at $600,000 that is in her name only. Gail is married to Fred. They have two children together. Fred also has a daughter from a prior marriage. Below is an illustration of how property is distributed if Gail dies without a will. Under the Montana intestacy statutes, Fred receives $150,000 plus half of the balance of $450,000 ($225,000) for a total of $375,000 ($150,000 + $225,000). Gail’s two children share the remaining balance of the estate ($225,000). Each child receives $112,500. Fred’s daughter does not receive any of the estate. Gail feels her children are set financially and do not need the money. She wants to assure Fred has the funds to support himself for the rest of his life. Gail needs to write a will to accomplish her goals. Example C: Ron has two children from a previous marriage. Ron has all the property in his name only with a value of $600,000. Below is an illustration of what happens if Ron dies without a will. Under the Montana intestacy statutes, his present wife, Donna, receives first the $100,000 and half of the balance of $500,000 ($250,000) for a total of $350,000 ($100,000 + $250,000). Ron’s two children split the remaining half of the balance of the estate ($250,000). Each child receives $125,000. Ron has shared with his coffee buddies that his estate-planning goal is to leave the house to his wife and the land to his children. Ron needs to write a will so his wishes can be followed. Do you know how your property would be distributed under Montana law? Go to this MSU Extension website (or a CD for those who don’t have Internet access) to find out. www.montana.edu/dyingwithoutawill. Whether you are married with kids, married without kids, single and so on, you can simply click “yes” or “no” to a variety of questions. Once you have answered all the questions, the program illustrates where your property passes. While the 39 illustrations in the Web and CD site describe “typical” family situations, if you discover that your family situation is not illustrated, you can send me an email asking for more information. For people who have “slow” or no Internet service, an interactive CD with the same information as the website is available at no charge by contacting me by email at goetting@montana.edu. If you want to share this information with family members without computer access, copies of a fact sheet, Dying 4 YEARS Without a Will, is also available from your MSU County Extension office or ordered from, PO. Box 172800, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717. The MontGuide is also available at msuextension.org/publications/ FamilyFinancialManagement/MT198908HR.pdf.

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Baird’s Steffen Cautions Taxpayers To Be Alert To Identity Theft Risk Tax time is a good time to take a step back and evaluate your finances – to rebalance your portfolio, to take a look at your financial plan and make sure you are saving enough, and if you’re older than 50, to increase your contributions to IRAs and retirement accounts. Also, with tax identify theft on the rise, it’s also a good time to take stock of whether you’re doing everything you can to protect your personal information from criminals. According to Baird’s Director of Financial Planning Tim Steffen, CPA/ PFS, CFP®, CPWA®, all taxpayers need to be aware of the risk of tax identity

theft and steps they can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim. Here’s an example of how it works: A criminal who has your or your spouse’s Social Security number files a fraudulent tax return in your name. In 2014, the IRS said they prevented more than $15 billion in fraud. One can assume that they also paid out billions in fraudulent returns. “We hear from clients who have had a false tax return filed in their name and the implications of becoming a victim are onerous,” Steffen said. Like any case of identity theft, it can take time to resolve the matter and may result in an extended wait for a refund if one is due. In addition to reporting the theft to law enforcement, victims will need to report it to credit reporting bureaus, and will be at increased risk for other security breaches such as bank or credit card account fraud. Steffen recommends taxpayers take steps to reduce the risk of tax return fraud: • File returns early if you can. “Even if you owe money, it makes sense to file a return before someone else can file one in your name,” Steffen said. • Protect personal information. Steffen recommends protecting your personal information at all costs. Do not leave personal information on your desk at work or at home, and take care to shred paper records before disposing of them. Do not carry your Social Security card or other documents that include your Social Security number. Use strong passwords and vary the passwords you do use for different portals. Be alert to Internet fraud and don’t click on links in emails if there’s any chance it’s not from a trustworthy source. • Limit sharing personal identification information in person or online. Specifically, don’t give out your Social Security number unless it’s absolutely necessary. • Be skeptical of anyone calling about your tax return. The IRS never makes a first contact with a taxpayer by phone. Suspicious calls should be reported to the IRS. • Choose a tax preparer wisely. Tax preparers are increasingly vulnerable, so make sure the one you choose has appropriate data protection measures in place. “If you do become a victim, it’s important to act quickly to notify the IRS and complete the required documentation,” Steffen said. Victims of tax identity theft are required to complete IRS Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit. They are then assigned an Identify Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) for future tax filing purposes and the IRS commits to monitoring their accounts. For more information, the IRS has published a Taxpayer Guide to Tax Identify Theft. For more tax and financial planning tips and insights, follow Tim Steffen on Twitter @TimSteffenCPA, and for other information visit rwbaird.com. MSN

How to Avoid Medicare Mistakes When You’re Still Working

Dear Savvy Senior, Should I enroll in Medicare at age 65 if I’m still working and have coverage through my employer? Almost 65 Dear Almost, The rules for enrolling in Medicare can be very confusing with all the different choices available today. But when you postpone retirement past age 65, as many people are doing, it becomes even more complicated. Here’s what you should know. First, the basics. Remember that original Medicare has two parts: Part A, which provides hospital coverage and is free for most people. And Part B, which covers doctor’s bills, lab tests and outpatient care. Part B also has a monthly premium of $104.90 in 2016 (though it’s higher for individuals earning $85,000 or more a year). If you are receiving Social Security, you will be

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enrolled automatically in parts A and B when you turn 65. If you aren’t yet receiving Social Security, you will have to apply, which you can do online at SSA.gov/medicare, over the phone at 800-7721213 or through your local Social Security office. If you plan to continue working past the age of 65 and have health insurance from your job, your first step is to ask your benefits manager or human resources department how your employer insurance works with Medicare. In most cases, you should at least take Medicare Part A because it’s free. But to decide whether to take Part B or not will depend on the size of your employer. Small employer: If your current employer (or spouse’s employer if it’s providing your coverage) has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare will be your primary insurer and you should enroll in Medicare Part B during your initial enrollment period. This is a seven-month period that includes the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday. If you miss the seven-month sign-up window, you’ll have to wait until the next general enrollment period, which runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 with benefits beginning the following July 1. You’ll also incur a 10 percent penalty for each year you wait beyond your initial enrollment period, which will be tacked on to your monthly Part B premium. Large employer: If your employer has 20 or

more employees, your employer’s group health plan will be your primary insurer as long as you (or your spouse if the coverage is from his/her employer) remain an active employee. If this is the case, you don’t need to enroll in Part B when you turn 65 if you’re satisfied with the coverage you are getting through your job. But if you do decide to enroll in Medicare, it will supplement your employer insurance by paying secondary on all of your claims. Once your employment (or group health coverage) ends, you will then have eight months to sign up for Part B without a penalty. This is known as the Special Enrollment Period. Drug coverage – You also need to verify your prescription drug coverage. Call your benefits manager or insurance company to find out if your employer’s prescription drug coverage is considered “creditable.” (Creditable prescription drug coverage is one that is considered to be as good as or better than the Medicare prescription drug benefit.) If it is, you don’t need to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. If it isn’t, you should purchase a plan (see medicare.gov/ find-a-plan) during your initial enrollment period or you’ll incur a premium penalty (1 percent of the average national premium for every month you don’t have coverage) if you enroll later. For additional help, visit Medicare.gov or

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contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at Shiptacenter.org. The Medicare Rights Center also offers a free helpline at 800-333-4114. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of The Savvy Senior book. MSN

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How to Calculate Your Retirement Number By Jim Miller Calculating an approximate number of how much you’ll need to save for a comfortable retirement is actually pretty easy, and doesn’t take long to do. It’s a simple, three-step process that includes estimating your future living expenses, tallying up your retirement income, and calculating the difference. There is a host of online calculators that can help you with this too. Living Expenses The first step is the most difficult – estimating your living expenses when you retire. If you want a quick ballpark estimate, figure around 75 to 85 percent of your current gross income. That’s what most people find they need to maintain their current lifestyle in retirement. If you want a more precise estimate, track your current living expenses on a worksheet and deduct any costs you expect to go away or decline when you retire, and add whatever new ones you anticipate. Costs you can scratch off your list include work-related expenses like commuting or lunches out, as well as the amount you’re socking away for retirement. You may also be able to deduct your mortgage if you expect to have it paid off by retirement, and your kid’s college expenses. Your income taxes should also be less. On the other hand, some costs will probably go up when you retire, like health care, and depending on your interests, you may spend a lot more on travel, golf, or other hobbies. And, if you’re going to be retired for 20 or 30 years, you need to factor in the big budget items like a roof, furnace, or car. Tally Income Step two is to calculate your retirement income. If you and/or your wife contribute to Social Security, go to ssa.gov/myaccount to get your personalized statement that estimates what your retirement benefits will be at age 62, full retirement age, and when you turn 70. In addition to Social Security, if you or your wife has a traditional pension plan from an employer, find out from the administrator how much you are likely to get when you retire. And, figure in any other income from other sources you expect to have, such as rental properties, part-time work, etc. Calculate the Difference The final step is to do the calculations. Subtract your annual living expenses from your annual retirement income. If your income alone can cover your bills, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to tap your savings, including your 401(k) plans, IRAs, or other investments to make up the difference. So, let’s say for example you need around $55,000 a year to meet your living expenses and pay taxes, and you and your wife expect to

receive $30,000 a year from Social Security and other income. That leaves a $25,000 shortfall that you’ll need to pull from your nest egg each year ($55,000 – $30,000 = $25,000). Then, depending on what age you want to retire, you need to multiply your shortfall by at least 25 if you want to retire at 60, 20 to retire at 65, and 17 to retire at 70 – or in this case that would equate to $625,000, $500,000, and $425,000, respectively. Why 25, 20, and 17? Because that would allow you to pull 4 percent a year from your savings, which is a safe withdrawal strategy that in most cases will let your money last as long as you do. If you need some help, there’s a bevy of free online calculators to assist you, like the ones offered by T. Rowe Price (troweprice.com/retirement) or Financial Mentor (financialmentor.com/ calculator). Also, consult your financial advisor. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book. MSN

Great news! You can invest your IRA distributions to support great programs—and reduce your taxes Taxpayers 70½ and older have a wonderful opportunity to support the Benefis Foundation and other charitable organizations now that Congress has made the IRA Charitable Rollover permanent! Charitable gifts of any amount up to $100,000 may be made from your IRA each year. The best news is that these gifts count toward your Required Minimum Distribution and are not subject to income taxes. The benefit is available even if you don't itemize your federal tax returns. The charitable distribution must be sent directly from the IRA administrator to the charity. Ask your IRA administrator how this option works or contact us at the Benefis Foundation. You choose how you want your gifts put to use through the dozens of vital funds and healthcare programs the Foundation supports. Please contact your financial advisor or Marilyn Parker Certified Specialist in Planned Giving Benefis Health System Foundation 406-455-5836 or marilynparker@benefis.org

PAGE 66 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

ANACONDA

Mike King 118 Cherry Anaconda, MT 59711 406-563-2991

APRIL/MAY 2016

BOZEMAN

DILLON

KALISPELL

Dan Rust 1805 W Dickerson Bldg 2, Suite 1 Bozeman, MT 59715 406-587-8287

Ted Ori 24 South Idaho Dillon, MT 59725 406-683-2472

Sandra Goode - Long 491 N Main Kalispell, MT 59901 406-257-7714

George Andrikopoulos 2500 Grand Ave, Suite M Billings, MT 59102 406-651-0610

Jeff Weedin 1351 Stoneridge Dr Ste A Bozeman, MT 59718 406-586-4900

GREAT FALLS

Pam Hansen Alfred 2817 10th Ave South Great Falls, MT 59405 406-453-6010

LIVINGSTON

Sarah Skofield 125 E Callender St Livingston, MT 59047 406-222-1000

Tim Friez Friez Insurance Agency, Inc. 513 Hilltop Rd Ste1 Billings, MT 59105 406-248-2507

BUTTE

Gary T. Fosse 222 15th Street S Great Falls, MT 59405 406-452-6446

MISSOULA

BILLINGS

Brian Nearpass 751 S 24th St W Billings, MT 59102 406-248-2193

Jim Lynch 600 Dewey Boulevard Butte, MT 59701 406-494-3300 15 West Legion Whitehall, MT 59759 406-287-3907

DEER LODGE

Karen Flynn 712 Main Deer Lodge, MT 59722 406-846-1111

Greg Franczyk 17 2nd St S Great Falls, MT 59401 406-770-3040 Aaron Hamilton 1900 4th St NE Great Falls, MT 59404 406-761-7601

Riley McGiboney 3420 S. Reserve St. Ste C Missoula MT 59801 406-541-3621

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67

The Rut Run: 50K, 28K, VK, and 11K – Gear up for the toughest mountain race in Montana (or elsewhere for that matter!) Article & Photo By Kim Ibes Big Sky Resort’s rugged winter terrain, highlighted by the 11,166 foot summit of Lone Peak and its highly exposed saw tooth ridges and rock glaciers, is well known for its world-class skiing, however, once the snow is gone and this dead volcano’s igneous rock is exposed to summer’s radiant rays, the mountain opens itself up to one of the most technically challenging trail-running races in the United States. Already a legend, yet only in its 4th year, The Rut is an internationally acclaimed mountain race and running festival, drawing tough, ski-mountaineering locals and elite long-distance trail-runners alike. Over 1,500 racers descend on Big Sky during The Rut, many travelling from Europe, others from just down the hill in Big Sky’s Meadow Village. Scheduled over the long, Labor Day weekend, this three-day event kicks off on Friday, September 2, 2016 with a ‘VK’ – Vertical K, race to the sky. Some 200 crazed participants are charged with running 3-miles, essentially straight up to the top of Lone Peak. Gaining over 3,600-feet from the base of Big Sky to the top of the tram, runners vie for pole position before ascending a ridge known lovingly as Bone Crusher because it only gets worse from there. As the VK competitors progress uphill, the ridge narrows, and its spiny, hazardladen scree field provides, besides beautiful views, a harrowing experience for the uninitiated, given its high-exposure and unpredictable nature. While exciting, it’s certainly not an event for the faint of heart. Many of the competitors are competing in the Skyrunner World Series, as such, these endurance super humans also known as gluttons for punishment, will run the Vertical K on day one, the 28K on day two, and the 50K on day three – though they do politely bow out of the 11K, only because it’s run on the same day as their 50K. The 475 racers competing in The Rut’s 28-kilometer (17.6 miles) preview all the technical and steep sections that some will also be running the following day in the 50K. The course traverses extreme terrain, especially the exposed, lengthy, and tenuous trail high along Headwaters Ridge – with views westward into Ennis and beyond. After a technically challenging descent, they must then tackle Bone Crusher and Alto Ridge – two high-altitude ridgelines that take competitors to the top of the tram. This 28K includes over 7,800 feet of vertical climbing for what the website calls a “really good, hard, and painful time.” Finally, on Sunday, the third and final day of this mountain running festival, the crazed will run the 50K (31 miles, 625 participants), and the sane will tackle the 11K (6.8 miles, 625 participants). Those hearty souls in the 50K

Friday | April 22, 2016 | 5:15-7:15 pm

Yellowstone Art Museum Call: 252-3610 Visit: billingssymphony.org

Midori in Recital Friday | April 22, 2016 | 7:30 PM | Alberta Bair Theater 256-6052 | albertabairtheater.org

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will start in the wee hours of the morning, most sporting headlamps, some wearing water packs, and a few carrying hiking poles. The starter, typically decked out in camouflage gear, will blow an elk bugle to begin the multiple wave start. Racers will follow a course that takes them up and down Big Sky’s single-track bike trail, over dirt roads, and up those bearish technical ridges overviewed in the VK and 28K. These folks will both gain and lose 10,500 feet in elevation, racing much of the time above tree line. It racks up to be one of the toughest races in the states – skinned knees, bloody elbows, and bruised egos are all part of the pain. The fastest finisher in 2015, an elite Italian runner, ran the 50K in 5 hours, 16 minutes and 58 seconds – an average of 10:13 minutes per mile over this technical terrain – crazy fast. The last recorded finisher came in at 12 hours and 6 minutes, a 23:26 minutes pace. Anyone and everyone who ran the 50K, regardless of their race pace, are trail-running heroes. Trail runners in the 11K start at the same base

elevation – 7,534 feet, as the other races, and will climb a total of 2,100 feet during their run. This course tops out at the summit of Andesite Mountain (elevation 8,800 feet) and takes runners up the mountain’s Coolridge Trail along single track snaking through subalpine fir to the backside of the Andesite Mountain. Eventually, runners shoot straight up a ski run called Shady Chute to the summit before winding down some steep single track back to the finish. A nice, though tough, but not impossible initiation to trail-running at Big Sky. Two of Montana’s own elite runners from Missoula, Mike Wolfe and Mike Foote, dreamed up the Rut. Big Sky’s extreme terrain mimicked the long-distance, technical mountains they have both raced in Europe – with one exception, altitude. Big Sky’s technical features are made especially daunting when altitude is added to the mix – one good reason for calling it “skyrunning.” Whether you want to engage in the Rut or just spend the weekend in Big Sky enjoying the energy and excitement, more information is available at runtherut.com. MSN

In Every Corner of Montana There is Something Fun to See and Do With spring just beginning and summer on the horizon there are plenty events coming up to keep you busy and entertained. Here is a sampling of fun things that may pique your interests, and with a little searching on the web, you can fill in the gaps. To start, we would suggest readers contact visitmt.com; visitbillings.com; discoverkalispell. com; glaciermt.com; visitbigskymt.com; centralmontana.com; virginiacity.com; southeastmontana. com; southwestmt.com; and visityellowstonecountry.com. These are just a few of the regional and community resources that you can consult in order to make this a most memorable spring and summer 2016! Many of the events listed run on multiple days, but we have listed just the first day of the event. Please call the listed phone number or visit the website for more details. Start Date Event Phone Web Address Apr 1-24 Livingston Blue Slipper Theatre – Rumors Apr 1–> Billings YAM – Falcon’s Eye Nature Photos Apr 1–> Clancy Frederic Remington – Dramatic Exhibit Apr 7 Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 22 Apr 22 Apr 22

NEW! WESTERN ART EXHIBIT The Jefferson County Museum

Located at 9 Main Street, Clancy in the Old Elementary School Building which was built in 1898.

Dramatic Moments:

Frederic Remington’s Early Engravings, 1882-1893 Thru May 15, 2016

Lee Silliman, exhibit owner, speaks about his exhibit’s 37 vintage engravings which helped launch Remington’s career Saturday, April 22 at 7pm Admission Free, Donations Accepted

Open Fri-Sat 1-5pm

For Info, Speakers & Special Tours 406-933-5528 | 406-439-8031 11 miles S of Helena between Montana City & Jefferson City

sites.google.com/site/jeffersoncountymuseum

Billings Child Abuse Aware Pinwheel Planting Bozeman Montana Early Music Festival Butte Montana Early Music Festival Anaconda Copper Village Arts Wine Tasting Deer Lodge Grant-Kohrs Ranch – Jr Ranger Day Missoula Montana Early Music Festival Helena Montana Early Music Festival Billings Billings Symphony – Midori in Recital Billings Billings Symphony – Rhapsody in Blue Clancy Frederic Remington Engravings Talk

Apr 27 Helena Apr 28 Polson

Banff Film Festival Miracle of America - Home Defense

Apr 28 Whitefish Apr 29 Havre

DakhaBrakha Concert Sweetgrass Society Pow Wow

Apr 30 Butte Butte Symphony – A Night in Vienna Apr 30 Deer Lodge Grant-Kohrs Ranch – Wellness Walk Apr 30 Great Falls GF Symphony-Brahm’s Symphony #1 May 6-21Billings Studio Theatre – Desperate Measures May 7–>Kalispell Farmer’s Market runs thru Oct 15 May 8 Great Falls Ursuline Centre Mother’s Day Brunch May 21 Kalispell Armed Forces Day Gala Banquet May 25 Livingston Ira Wolf Music Performance May 31 Livingston 1916 Park County; Tom L. Roberts Art Jun 1– Medicine Hat Mavericks Baseball Season Starts Jun 3 Medicine Hat Spectrum Arts & Music Festival Jun 7–> Bozeman Bogert Farmers’ Market runs –> 9/27 Jun 4-5 Malta First State Bank Car Show/Dino Days

406-222-7720 blueslipper.com 406-256-6804 artmuseum.org 406-933-5528 sites.google.com/site/ Jeffersoncountymuseum 406-252-9799 familytreecenterbillings.org 406-442-6825 musikantenmt.org 406-442-6825 musikantenmt.org 406-563-2422 coppervillageartcenter.com 406-846-2070 nps.gov/grko 406-442-6825 musikantenmt.org 406-442-6825 musikantenmt.org 406-256-6052 billingssymphony.org 406-252-3610 billingssymphony.org 406-933-5528 sites.google.com/site/ Jefferson countymuseum 406-443-5360 thebasecamp.com 406-883-6804 miracleofamerica museum.org 406-862-5371 whitefishtheatreco.org 406-265-3526 msun.edu/stvorgs/sgs/ powwow.aspx 406-723-5590 buttesymphony.org 406-846-2070 nps.gov/grko 406-455-8514 gfsymphony.org 406-248-1141 billingsstudiotheatre.com 406-881-4078 kalispellfarmersmarket.org 406-452-8585 ursulinecentre.com 406-756-7304 veteransfoodpantry.org 406-222-5222 livingstoncenter.org 406-222-4184 yellowstonegatewaymuseum. org 403-527-6422 tourismmedicinehat.com 403-527-6422 tourismmedicinehat.com 406-539-0216 bogertfarmersmarket.org 406-654-1776 maltachamber.com

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Great Falls Helena Fort Union Pryor

Pet-A-Palooza MT Senior Olympics Summer Games Fort Union Rendezvous Song of Dawn Priests: Crow History

406-454-2276 406-586-5543 701-572-9083 406-252-1289

Jun 17 Great Falls Lewis & Clark Festival Jun 18 Virginia Cit Brothel Days Jun 21 Medicine Hat Jazz Festival Jun 24 Fort Benton Summer Celebration Jun 24 Garryowen Custer Battlefield Re-enactment Jun 24 Hardin Little Big Horn Days Jun 24 Scobey Pioneer Days & Dirty Shame Show Jul 1-3 Deer Lodge Montana’s Big Sky Draft Horse Expo Jul 1–> Martinsdale Bair Art Museum – Native Art Project Jul 1 Medicine Hat Canada Day Festival Jul 2 Deer Lodge Grant-Kohrs Ranch – Historic Mowing Jul 3–> Hope, ID Music Lake Pend Oreille – Sundays Jul 5–> Livingston Bob Scriver Bronze Display Jul 7 Deer Lodge Grant-Kohrs Ranch – Cattle Branding Jul 7-9 Wolf Point Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede Jul 7-9 Fort Peck MT Governor’s Cup Walleye Tourney Jul 16–Deer Lodge Grant-Kohrs Ranch-Haying w/ Horses Jul 23 Livingston Redhead Express – Fair Kickoff Jul 27 Glasgow NE Montana Fair, Concert, Rodeo Jul 27 Medicine Hat Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Jul 29 Libby Kootenai River Rodeo Aug3-6 Sidney Richland County Fair & Rodeo Aug12–>Livingston Plein Air Exhibit Sep3-5 Malta Milk River Wagon Train & Drag Races Sep9-10 Libby Libby Nordicfest Heritage Festival Sep24 Culbertson NE Montana Threshing Bee Sep28 Minot, ND NorskHostFest

406-727-8733 406-843-5700 403-527-6422 406-622-5316 406-638-2000 406-665-1672 406-487-2061 406-490-1305 406-572-3314 403-527-6422 406-846-2070 208-264-5251 406-222-5222 406-846-2070 406-653-2012 406-228-2222 406-846-2070 406-222-4185 406-228-2222 403-527-6422 406-293-4167 406-433-1916 406-222-5222 406-654-1776 406-293-4167 406-787-5271 701-852-2368

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greatfallsmt.net/animalshelter montanaseniorolympics.org nps.gov/fous stateparks.mt.gov/chiefplenty-coups/ lewisandclarkfoundation.org baleofhaysaloon.com tourismmedicinehat.com fortbentonmuseums.com custermuseum.org hardinchamber.com scobeymt.com drafthorseexpo.com bairfamilymuseum.org tourismmedicinehat.com nps.gov/grk beyondhoperesort.com livingstoncenter.org nps.gov/grko wolfpointchamber.com glasgowchamber.net nps.gov/grko parkcounty.org glasgowchamber.net tourismmedicinehat.com sidneymt.com livingstoncenter.org maltachamber.com libbynordicfest.org culbertsonmt.com hostfest.com MSN

The Red Rock Review Peeks into the Valley’s Past By Bernice Karnop When you think of railroad towns, chances are Lima is not the first to cross your mind. Yet it was here that the narrow gauge track of the Utah and Northern Railway became the first to spike into Montana Territory. In 1880, steam engines from Pocatello huffed and puffed over the Continental Divide and headed north to Butte. This was only the second narrow gauge railroad to be constructed in the United States. The rails, which were three feet apart, were replaced with standard gauge in 1887, and the railroad became the

Oregon Short Line. It usually took two engines to power over Monida Pass – Monida being a word created with the first three letters of the adjacent states. At Lima, they changed crews, engineers, and brakemen, before steaming on into Silver Bow, which is next to Butte. The bustling town of Lima had 700 people, a roundhouse, and repair shop. Five years ago, some Lima citizens decided to revive the story of its early citizens in a twicemonthly paper called the Red Rock Review: News and Features by and about the People Under the

The Falcon’s Eye: Nature Photographs by Michael Sample

On view at the YAM March 24–August 21, 2016 TITLE SPONSOR: David Orser and Ossie Abrams

Experience History

Yellowstone Gateway Museum Exhibits Family Activities Research Center Gift Shop New Exhibit: Wilsall to Wonderland: Trails, Roads, & Rails Summer Hours:

7 days/week, 10-5 Winter Hours:

Thurs.-Sat., 10-5

This summer: 1916 in Park County Tom L. Roberts Paintings Outdoor Exhibits

118 W. Chinook St., Livingston, 222-4184 ~ www.yellowstonegatewaymuseum.org

401 North 27th Street, Billings, MT 59101 www.artmuseum.org • 406-256-6804

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Lima Peaks. It reports current school news, meetings, and events, but it’s the stories from the past that draw its readers. The rich history of the Red Rock Valley, which runs from Monida and the Centennial Valley down the Red Rock River to Clark Canyon Dam, is worth saving. “It’s been a lot of fun,” says Editor David Olson, who is also the mayor of Lima. The paper is available free in local business and they mail out 140 papers all over the U.S. Damaris Hoadley, 88, who writes many of the historical pieces, adds, “The Red Rock Review is such a popular paper because everyone wants to connect with their home town.” Damaris has lived in Lima since her railroader father moved the family to town 75 years ago. Her husband of 69 years, Lewis, 90, also a railroader, has lived there all of his life. Damaris’ interest in the stories goes back as early as 1955, when she started visiting older people, and she still has the dated notes about her conversations.

Lima shares the stories of people and events of the past as well as current happenings in the Red Rock Review. One of the volunteers who makes this happen is David Olson, Editor and Lima mayor. [Photo courtesy of David Olson and the Red Rock Review]

One such source was Bonnie Merrell, a lifetime resident who lived to be 102. In one story, Bonnie described a wagon trip from Monida to Yellowstone Park through the Centennial Valley. Damaris has made the 100-mile trip by car, but finds the idea of taking it by wagon a bit daunting. “I love history but I’m not much of a pioneer,” she admits. Bonnie’s daughter, Joyce Merrell remembers her mom’s cheering herself up when she faced the challenges of aging. She remembered that widows a generation earlier had to bring in coal for the stove while she just turned up the thermostat. They cleaned and filled the gas lamps while she just flipped a switch. They packed their water in, while she just turned on the faucet. As Joyce says, “These older folks can tell us their stories if we just get to them before they are gone.” Henry Thompson, who came to Lima in 1883, gets credit for naming the town. Originally, it was Spring Hill as a nod to the wonderful spring water that still supplies the town. But Montana already had a Spring Hill near Bozeman, so Thompson suggested they use the name of his hometown in Wisconsin, and it became Lima. Thompson built several structures in town including the Peat Hotel for Mr. Peat – a sickly man. When Peat died, his grieving widow, Alecia, was determined to take Peat’s corpse back to Iowa for burial, and Thompson kindly offered to accompany her so she wouldn’t have to make the difficult trip alone.

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“On the trip, Thompson and Mrs. Peat got real friendly,” Damaris says. “In Ogden they decided to celebrate a little. The baggage man with custody of Peat’s corpse finally had to track them down and tell them they had to get this body on its way.” Thompson and Mrs. Peat eventually married. He bought a ranch and became one of the wealthier ranchers in the area. Damaris helped write a history of the area, spending eight months scanning 5,500 newspaper microfilms from 1880-1940. She then matched obituaries with the headstones at the cemetery. Brigham Young University has since copied Demaris’ scrapbook on this cemetery project. The Red Rock Review tells about disasters like the fire in 1926 that burned three businesses and strange tales from the wild and lonesome Centennial Valley, where lawbreakers could get away with crimes from moonshining to murder. Kari Olson – a remarkable cook according to David Olson who has been married to her for 57 years – does the popular column Kari’s Recipe Rack. Recipes come from two decades of feeding folks at the Lima café. A rich source of area history lies in the multigeneration family ranches and in historic ranches

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like the Matador. Richard Gosman writes ag and livestock articles. Other contributors to the Red Rock Review include Jack Hutchenson and Cheri Pulley, and the paper welcomes contributions from readers. Lima is perched at 6,200 feet just north of the Continental Divide along I-15. Today, the Union Pacific trains pass through town without stopping. And although it’s still an active community – more than 200 attended the school reunion this summer – Damaris declares that it gets more difficult to live in Lima as one ages. Even with great EMTs and ambulance care, the nearest medical community is 50 miles away in Dillon, and there are few jobs for young people. “It’s becoming more for hunting and summer people,” Demaris says. The Red Rock Review is published by the journalism department at University of Montana Western in Dillon. When someone reads a story, it primes the pump and reminds readers of their own stories, and sometimes they respond with stories of their own. “Every time we get a note my ego scale goes way up,” says Damaris with a smile. MSN

Exceptional Exhibits Coming To Bair Family Art Museum The Charles M. Bair Family Art Museum sits adjacent to the late 19th century Bair family house along the Upper Musselshell River just north of the majestic Crazy Mountains in Martinsdale and features the family’s Native American collection, paintings by Charles M. Russell and Joseph Henry Sharp, Edward S. Curtis photogravures, and European and American paintings. The Bair Family House Museum features a unique collection of European and American antiques and English silver and porcelain. From July 1 through October 31, the Special Projects Gallery will feature a selection from the MSU Billings’ Barstow Collection of rarely seen Crow and Gros Ventre Indian Ledger Drawings

by Medicine Crow, Deaf Bull, Spotted Buffalo, and others. Complementing this exhibit will be photogravures by Curtis of Crow Indian tribal members and images from their daily lives as recorded in the early 1900s. Explore the art museum, stroll the grounds, tour the Bair family home, and enjoy the display of historic photographs and ranching memorabilia. Picnic in the courtyard, and find your own treasures in the gift shop featuring books by Montana authors and about the American West and its history. Open Friday of Memorial Day weekend through October 31, visit bairfamilymuseum.org or call 406572-3314 for hours and more information. MSN

There are always people who think they have a hilarious height joke you haven’t heard before. - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

14th Annual Montana Early Music Festival Montana Premiere of Historically Informed Performances

J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor

Festival Chamber Orchestra & Musikanten Montana Kerry Krebill Krebill, conductor

Amanda Balestrieri, soprano, soprano Marjorie Bunday, mezzosoprano, Anne Kania Kania, contralto, Robert Petillo, tenor, Robert W. Tudor Tudor, baritone, Bobb Robinson, baritone

April 14–17, 2016 Friday, April 15, 7:30 p pm • Immaculate Conception, Butte Saturday, April 16, 7:30 pm p • St. Francis Xavier, Missoula Sunday, April 17, 4 pm • Plymouth Congregational Church, Helena

Information & tickets: 406-442-6825 • www.musikantenmt.org

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Race For The Cure® Dedicated To Saving Lives And Ending Breast Cancer Forever! Komen Idaho and Komen Montana have joined forces to become Komen Idaho Montana! Although the Affiliate has a large service area, your fundraising dollars still make a local impact. Seventy-five percent of the funds raised by Komen Idaho Montana stay local to provide mammograms, diagnostic services, patient assistance, and breast health education programs to uninsured and underserved women and men in Idaho and Montana. Twentyfive percent is invested in global breast cancer research to better diagnose, treat, and ultimately find the cures for breast cancer. To see how your dollars are being used lo-

cally visit komenidahomontana.org/grants/currentidaho-montana-grants. To date Komen Idaho Montana has raised more than $6.9 million in the fight against breast cancer. We need your help to keep this work going – Let’s Race for the Cure! Join us in Boise on May 7 and in Helena on May 14 as we honor survivors, remember those we have lost, and raise money to find the cures. You can be a part of these phenomenal events by visiting komenidahomontana.org or calling 877665-9088 today and registering for the Race for the Cure®. MSN

Montana Senior Olympics (MSO) On Track For Helena, June 16-18

RACE FOR FUTU RES 75% of funds raised by Susan G. Komen Idaho Montana STAY LOCAL to provide mammograms, diagnostics, patient assistance and breast health education programs to uninsured women and men in Idaho and Montana. 25% is invested in global breast cancer research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately find the cures for breast cancer. We need your help to keep this going...Let's Race for the Cure!

IDAHO MONTANA AFFILIATE Race with us! 05.14.2016 State Capitol Grounds, Helena Register: komenidahomontana.org

By Bernice Karnop Bob Wade, Montana Outstanding Senior Athlete, signed up to compete in the Montana Senior Olympics last year. Then just before the event, he crashed his bike and ended up with a fractured hip. The Bozeman man wasn’t allowed to walk for 12 weeks. That took care of his summer, but not his determination. He expects to be back swimming, biking, and running in Helena this June. The Montana Outstanding Senior Athlete award goes to someone who has overcome significant challenges to remain active and competitive. Bob is still in rehab, works out regularly, and downhill skied this winter. Having had knee replacement surgery, Bob admits, “I’m slowly becoming the bionic man.” He’s starting to compete in shorter fun runs and is getting out on his bike as the weather warms. And, of course, he swims, which imposes less impact on the body than other sports. Bob loves competition. In high school in upstate New York he competed in football, basketball, and track, and in college he was a runner.

He taught public school in Guam for 25 years and coached soccer and track. He learned about the MSO when he moved to Bozeman in 1999. Bob met Kay Newman, long time MSO leader, at a runner’s club, and she

Senior Athlete Bob Wade, a former coach, knows how much work it takes to host an event such as the Montana Senior Olympics. “Putting on an event is a show by itself,” he says. Volunteers are needed and appreciated. [Photo courtesy of Bob Wade]

invited him to participate. It was easy because the games were in Bozeman that year. He takes advantage of the opportunity to visit different venues in Montana and of networking with the locals to discover the best places to eat and the most

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interesting sites to visit. The person Bob likes to beat is himself. “I want to do better than the last time,” he says. Competition inspires people to put a little more effort into their workouts and it makes the workouts more fun. Physically, the increased activity helps prevent falls through improved flexibility, balance, and muscle tone. And, the benefits don’t stop there. Socially, it’s an opportunity to make new friends, maintain social connections, and interact with other people thus reducing stress and improving emotional well-being. The Montana Senior Olympics offers an opportunity for men and women over 50 to compete in more than a dozen different events including archery, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, horseshoes, racquetball, road race, swimming, tennis, table tennis, pickle ball, and track and field. Pickle ball was added last year, and it brought more entrants than any sport in the game’s history. Athletes compete with their peers in five-year age bracket. Participants can pick up packets, meet old friends, and attend the athlete recognition banquet on Friday night at the Senior Olympics Headquarters in the Radisson Colonial Hotel. Last year’s 22 athletes who attended the National Senior Games in Minneapolis will be recognized. MSO is a qualifying event for the National Senior games held every other year – next in Birmingham, Alabama in 2017. So, readers, put a little more muscle into your

Butte’s Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel May Open by This Fall By Bernice Karnop In 1896, Butte opened Montana’s first and only amusement park, called the Columbia Gardens. Families, children, teenagers, and adults flocked to the park to be thrilled by the wooden roller coaster, the miniature biplanes, and the painted horses on the carousel. They picnicked on the grass, zipped down slides, and pumped up high in the swings. They enjoyed the beautiful flower gardens and made memories. Teens and adults danced to big name bands on the spacious dance floor. Columbia Gardens closed in 1973 and, a few months later, burned to the ground. People grieved the castle-like structures and rides, but felt especially bad about all the painted carousel horses, which blew away with the ash. However, the Spirit of Columbia Gardens was not so easily consumed. Its place in the hearts of Butte’s citizens has remained long after the smoke cleared. Today, the spirit lives in a group dedicated to bringing back a carousel for Butte in the Spirit of Columbia Gardens. The current president of the Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel Association is Butte restaurant owner, Jim Ayers, 58. “The idea started with Columbia Gardens,” he says. “It was such a special place.” He was a Butte kid who played there and a teen when it closed and burned. He never quite gave it up. As an adult, he searched out smaller amusement parks, like Idaho’s Silverwood, and Salt Lake City’s Lagoon. “I rode every wooden roller coaster I could find,” he says. When a Butte man, Chuck Kaprich, started building the Carousel for Missoula, Jim thought seriously about commuting from Butte to help set it up as a volunteer. That didn’t turn out to be practical, but when a group of Butte citizens met to create a working carousel, Jim wasted no time. Their desire to “reclaim, restore, and preserve an important part of local history” became his mission as well. The Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel Association was established in 1996 – 100 years after Columbia Gardens opened in 1896 as a gift of mining mogul, W.A. Clark. Folks in Butte were excited about the project and started sponsoring and designing horses right away. There was never any doubt they’d accomplish it. “It took a lot longer than anyone anticipated,” says Jim, “but we said we would do it and that was all there was to it. There wasn’t any maybe – ever.”

workout, whether it’s swimming, biking, or playing ping pong. Then travel to Helena and have some fun at the Montana Senior Olympics. For additional information, visit montanaseniorolympics.org or call Kay Newman at 406-

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586-5543. There is no online registration and no same-day registration. Forms may be downloaded and mailed, or clipped from the Montana Senior News. Watch for new information as it becomes available. MSN

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Today 31 of the 32 horses are complete. Four more alternate horses, which will be displayed, but will only be placed on the carousel if a horse needs to be removed for repairs, are nearly finished. The final horse is sponsored by Bernie Smith, the lead carver who is in charge of the carving room. He said from the beginning that his would be the last horse carved. Jim loves the detailed features on the horses and the stories they tell about the people they honor. He can’t choose a favorite but is anxious to see which ones become favorites with riders. Today the carousel horses wait in the Butte Plaza Mall for the building to be ready and the music to begin. Other parts of the carousel are stored in the Mall and in garages around town. Floor segments, sweeps, rounding boards, mirror panes and the 4x4 beams, are

MISSOULA | (406) 721-3333

WWW.MOUNTAINLINE.COM

The Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel will be ready for riders as soon as the building in Butte is completed and the pieces are installed. [Photo courtesy of Larry Hoffman]

all painted and ready. They have a new band organ and the original band organ, which was donated to them. Jim expects the Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel to be ready for riders this fall. One of the Organization’s biggest challenges was finding a place for the carousal. Several prospective sites fell through before last April, when they signed a lease with the city to put it in Stodden Park, in the Flats. The $1,500,000 building will include a concessions area, gift shop, party area, and an education center. Older Butte citizens realize that Columbia Gardens may have little meaning to children, because they have no memories of it. The education center tells about the original Columbia Gardens, as well as about the history of mining in Butte. The goal is to give youngsters ownership of the carousel and help them understand the reason behind it. “It’s not just another carousel,” declares Jim. The carousel is owned by the city of Butte, or as Jim says, the people of Butte, and is run by the Spirit of Columbia Gardens Carousel Association. They expect it to be self-sustaining. Some people ask him what other attractions from the old Columbia Gardens they’ll build next, but Jim demurs. “Let’s get this one done first,” he says. Jim appreciates the carousel groups from all over that have given advice, answered questions, and offered encouragement. Donations and volunteers are welcome and needed – for construction now and to fill other slots when they open. More information on how you can help or learn more about the carousel is available at buttecarousel. com or by calling 406-404-7775. MSN

Is a PHEV for You? By Bill Siuru Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, are a current hot topic in the automotive world with virtually every major automaker offering, or planning to offer them. This includes the Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Ford CMAX Energi and Fusion Energi, Cadillac ELR, Mercedes-Benz C350e, BMW 330e, Volvo XC90 T8, Chrysler Pacifica, and several more.

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The PHEV combines the best of the regular hybrid electric vehicle and pure electric vehicle. Unlike the regular hybrid, where the battery is charged by the gasoline engine and regenerative braking, the PHEV’s battery can also be charged by plugging into an external electric power source, just like an electric car. It still uses the engine and regen braking for charging. Therefore, PHEVs can be used for substantial emissions-free urban driving as well as for long distance travel. Many regular hybrids can also travel on only electricity, but only for a couple of miles. PHEVs can travel 20 to 40 miles on electricity. For this reason, the Chevrolet Volt and BMW i3 are called extended range electric vehicles, or EREVs. They can eliminate the range anxiety experienced by some drivers of pure electric vehicles. PHEVs do require larger, heavier, and more expensive batteries. PHEV capability can add several thousands of dollars to the sticker price. For example, Ford’s Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi use a 7.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that allows up to 21 miles in electric-only mode before the gasoline engine kicks in. This compares to the 1.4 kilowatt-hour battery in Ford hybrids without plug-in capability. A battery’s kilowatt-hour capacity is an indicator of the miles a PHEV can travel in electric-only mode, much like the gallons of gasoline in a regular car’s tank indicates its range. Using “smart” electronics, the PHEV can run in the electric-only mode when it is most advantageous. In many PHEVs, the driver can choose when to operate in the all-electric mode for example, at the end of the trip to an urban area where zero emissions vehicles are mandated. Some PHEVs like those from BMW and Mercedes-Benz go a step further with charging electronics linked

with the navigation system. Now information on the route, speed limits, and traffic congestion can be used to determine the optimum part of the trip to charge the battery. The BMW i8 can even detect a traffic jam so it can negotiate it on electric power alone saving fuel and without any emissions. Like EVs and hybrids, there are tax incentives for PHEVs making them more cost competitive with gasoline ones. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 calls for up to $7500 in credit for qualifying PHEVs. To qualify, the PHEV must have a battery capacity of over 5 kilowatt-hours. Some states add further incentives. Calculating the fuel economy of PHEVs is more complicated because of their different operating modes – all-electric with no fuel used, combined electric and gasoline with some fuel used and gasoline-only with more fuel used. Thus, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Environmental Protection Agency have established two fuel economy labels for PHEVs. One is for series hybrids, where the engine only charges the battery and powers the electric motor driving the wheels, and extended range electric vehicles with all-electric and gasoline-only operating modes. Once retired, you usually only drive short distances under 20 miles. Just think of seldom, or maybe never, pumping gasoline in the rain or cold weather, let alone paying for it. PHEVs

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come with a charger that you can plug into a 120 volt charger in your garage, though it does takes more time to charge. If you have 240 volts, like for a dryer, charging can be quicker. Batteries also charge as you drive on the gasoline engine. As more PHEVs and electric vehicles are on the roads, expect to see many more public charging stations in parking lots, malls, restaurants, apartments, etc. The California Zero Emissions Program mandates that most automakers sell a certain number of ZEVs (EVs, PHEVs, and Fuel Cell Vehicles). This could mean as many as 15.4% by 2025. The California ZEV regulations have been adopted by Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The intention is to drive down cost through volume production. Though not mentioned, it could cause automakers to provide financial incentives to move ZEVs including PHEVs so they can continue to sell regular vehicles in these states. Expect to see PHEVs when you go out to buy a vehicle, so be prepared to consider one as an option. PHEVs are a multipurpose vehicle that can serve like a golf cart now used in many retirement communities and still be used for that long trip to see the grandchildren. Finally, by driving a PHEV, you are helping the environment. MSN

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Mo’ Better Golf

By Ernie Witham I was invited recently to give a presentation to the Palm Springs Writers Guild on the fine art of humor writing. I had 45 minutes to teach them everything I know, which was about 43 minutes more than I would probably need. That’s what led me to think about golf. The first time I tried golf I thought it was ridiculous – and dangerous! But it turned out over the years to be a good source of material. So I figured I could whip out a few golf metaphors – the ones where no one actually got run over by my cart. That led me to wonder whether I needed a lesson. “Yes! Oh yeah! Please!” Never ask the other members of your regular foursome a question like that. I checked to see if they have any golf courses in the California desert. I don’t know if you know this or not, but they have hundreds of them! The first explorers of the Coachella Valley (Palmer and Nicklaus?) must have found every grassy spot available and run around sticking flags in them. They already had sand traps. It was a natural... Maybe that’s what I needed – a more natural swing. “ Ye s ! O h y e a h ! Please!” I looked up Natural Golf online. Only apparently they don’t call it natural golf anymore. Someone must have figured out that was an oxymoron. Now they call it Single Plane Swing

Technology. Sounded complicated, but I called a guy named Mike. “I teach the Moe Norman approach.” “Wow! That’s great. He was always my favorite of the Three Stooges.” “That’s Moe Howard.” “Oh yeah.” I was a bit disappointed because I figured I could master something the Stooges did. I already know the chin shuck and the eye poke. It was a comfortable 95 degrees when I arrived at the College of the Desert. College of the Desert? I grabbed my clubs and headed for the practice range. “Hi, I’m Mike,” Mike said. “I understand you’d like to have a more repeatable swing.” “Yes! Oh yeah! Please!” “Where are those voices coming from?” “Just some guys I’ve borrowed a few thousand golf balls from and occasionally hit with my tee shot when they were standing too close – behind me. Ignore them, Mike.” “Okay, well, let’s see you hit a little chip shot with your sand wedge.” I took my usual stance, gripped the club, and took a nice smooth short back swing and a clean follow-through. “Fore!” Mike yelled. People all down the line on the practice range ducked. “Wow, that’s highly unusual,” I said. “I hope so.” “Usually I pull those chips to the left.” Several golfers to my left grabbed their clubs and headed for the parking lot. Mike was now wearing a hard hat. He pushed it back on his head. “Let’s start with your grip. Does the club ever fly out of your hands with that grip?” “Yeah, but only every other time or so.” Mike changed my grip to a much stronger left hand, weaker right. I chipped again. It went kind of straight. “Wow!” Three ominous voices said in unison. “Now let’s change your club position at impact.” I hit another chip. It went even straighter. “Wow!” Three voices said in unison again. “Now let’s work on your shoulder turn – or lack thereof.” Fast-forward an hour. People were back on the range. Mike had taken off his hard hat, and I was hitting my wedge straight. It was great – except I probably wouldn’t have any more humorous golf adventures to tell anyone about. I decided to hit a few drives before I left for my talk. “Fore!” Mile yelled. People dove for cover again. “Maybe I’ll take another lesson next time I come to the desert, Mike.” “Yes! Oh yeah! Please!” Mike gave me his card. “Please take those voices with you,” he said. MSN

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Butte’s Burt Todd – Continued from page 45 that,” he thought. It was at least worth applying. When he got the offer, he really didn’t have to think much whether to accept. Things just fell into place as though it was meant to be. “It’s interesting how life is just a big circle connecting back on itself,” he says. Back home to Montana, back to the teaching that he loved, back to “leveraging the stuff I know and have learned and putting it in capable hands.” Passing it on much like his family did for him. One of five children, Burt was born and raised on a farm/ranch that he describes as a “diversified starvation type of thing” in Judith Basin County. Although he remembers his childhood as a good time, he knew early on that he was not cut out to follow in his father’s footsteps. “I just didn’t get it,” he says, “I wasn’t smart about it.” But he did get school. “You find out if you’re good at something by accident,” he says. So he worked hard at being a good student and played on the Denton high school basketball team. A basketball scholarship first brought him to Butte and Montana Tech. The main engineering courses offered then were mining and petroleum. “I’m claustrophobic,” he says explaining why he chose petroleum. Once he started taking classes however, he “started to feel the lure of buried treasure.” He also saw a similarity between agriculture – the life he’d grown up with – and the petroleum industry. “It’s a gamble,” he says. “You risk it all… sometimes you make it great and sometimes you get beat up.” He felt the familiarity, understood the idea of a calculated risk. “You shade the risk in your favor by doing your job well.” He did, working his way through school, graduating, and getting a job when the petroleum industry was booming. Life was good. “But, I woke up one day at twenty-five-yearsof-age after working a couple of years and decided I wanted to have some fun… do something I’d always thought about doing.” That something was to tour the west on a bicycle. “I quit a good job in the middle of a boom,” he recalls, confident that he could easily get back into the booming industry after his hiatus.

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During that time in Oklahoma, he was active in the local Methodist church, and became a bit of a “scripture nerd.” “Everyone as an adult is trying to get over the religion that they absorbed as children and make sense of it for their own lives,” he says. Burt’s journey to rediscover his faith led to his becoming a lay speaker and part time pastor for two rural churches, an experience he still cherishes. The daily devotional discipline and the joy of sharing Bible study with others is something he continues in Butte. During his time working for Phillips 66, he stumbled into weight lifting – an activity he hadn’t done since his early college days. Then he was sent to a weeklong training. “I was forty-years-old,” as Burt recalls sitting in all day sessions and wanting physical activity to decompress. “I went down to the gym and started pushing weight around… one thing led to another and I started moving some really big weights – four to five hundred pounds.” He was hooked but he didn’t start competing

until he left the corporate world and moved back to Montana. Soon he was winning meets and setting records. For a while, he held the world age group record for the 100% Raw Power Lifting Federation. He still holds the state record. Starting over again after fifty – or perhaps it was more coming back to the beginning – has been a worthwhile and positive time for Burt Todd. “I’d been making rich guys in Texas richer for a long time and that was fine, but I got to where I wanted to invest in people rather than in oil,” he says. “This lets me invest in people through oil, and it’s a great thing to do at this stage of my life.” With an intimate understanding of the up and down of Montana agriculture, feeling the impact of the 1980s oil industry boom and bust, and being a part of the industry’s revitalization, Burt brings a unique perspective to his teaching and research. Back in Montana as he approaches sixty, Burt Todd is right where he should be at just the right time. MSN

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It was an exciting adventure covering about 4,000 miles from Montana to Canada and the west coast and finally to Phoenix in six months with each day bringing its own surprise. “It was a great ride,” he says. Meanwhile, the oil industry hit a bust and there was no job for Burt. “The only thing I was able to talk myself into was an adjunct professorship at Montana Tech,” Burt relates. The agreement was that he would get his masters degree in order to be eligible for a full time position. “I talked myself into a job I was nowhere qualified for, and in the process discovered the thing I love, which is teaching.” Burt taught, finished his master’s degree, and then earned a Ph.D. in chemical and petroleum engineering. He was ready to return to teaching, but there were no jobs available. So, he found himself living in Oklahoma and working in the petroleum industry where he wrote industry software for the next eighteen years.

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Give Yourself The Gift Of Time

By Lisa M. Petsche People who care for loved ones with frail health typically have a multitude of responsibilities. These include chauffeuring, shopping, running errands, paying bills, coordinating medical and other appointments, yard work, home maintenance and housekeeping, preparing meals, managing medication, and assisting with personal care. There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done, let alone spend time with other important people in their life and tend to their own needs. If you are a caregiver, the best gift you can receive is the gift of time: time to attend to your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs in order to keep the inherent stress of caregiving manageable. Consider personal time a need rather than a luxury and resolve to make it an ongoing gift to yourself. Don’t wait to get started; now is the time! And never hesitate to engage professional services such as a couselor or therapist when the stress is overwhelming. Read on for suggestions on how to free up some of your time and energy for self-care. Timesaving Tips – Here are some timesaving ideas you can use throughout the year. • Curb perfectionism. Not everything needs to be done to a high standard – take housework and yard maintenance, for example. Set a time limit for chores if necessary. • Establish and stick to priorities, so you don’t waste time or energy on unimportant things. • Accept offers of help and ask other family members to share the load. Be specific about what you need. • Pay for help if you can afford it – for example, a dog walker, housecleaning service, grounds keeping service, repairperson, or accountant. • Get a portable phone so you can multitask while conversing, and an answering machine to screen calls. • Hire a professional organizer if you’re overwhelmed by paper or clutter. • Get a computer if you don’t have one. Internet access can help you stay connected to loved ones. You can also connect with other

caregivers through Internet message boards and chat rooms. Housekeeping And Meal Preparation • Concentrate cleaning and tidying efforts on the rooms that are used the most. • Collect recipes for one-dish meals, such as casseroles, stews, stir fries, and main course salads. • Cook double batches of recipes and freeze half for later use. • Keep a supply of heat-and-serve entrees in the freezer. • Buy convenience foods that reduce preparation time: packaged salads, shredded cheese, frozen mixed vegetables, and boneless chicken breasts, for example. • Order takeout periodically, but make healthy choices. Financial Management • Arrange with the bank for direct deposit of pension and other checks and automatic withdrawal of regular bills. • If you have a computer, sign up for online banking so you can pay bills, transfer money, and check balances from home. Shopping And Errands • Shop by mail order whenever possible. • Take advantage of stores and other services that offer home delivery – for example, grocery stores, drug stores, and dry cleaners. • Research mobile services in your area, such as hairdressing, dog grooming, car washing and detailing, and automobile servicing and repair. • Consolidate errands and avoid peak times of the day, week, and month when visiting stores, banks, government offices, and other establishments. Care For Your Relative Investigate available community respite services, such as friendly visiting, adult day care programs and residential facilities that offer short-term care. Also look into volunteer driver programs and accessible transportation services that can free you up from chauffeuring duties. Information on these and other resources can be obtained from the local office on aging. If finances permit, hire a companion or personal support worker for your relative so you can regularly get out to a club, a class, or some other leisure activity. Let loved ones know that a gift certificate to a home care agency or an IOU for respite care would be welcome for the holidays or other special occasions. With a little thought and planning, you can take some steps that will reduce your stress and help you enjoy your life too. MSN

Aging is an extraordinary process whereby you become the person that you always should have been. - David Bowie

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- - - An Antidote to the COBRA Trap - - By Janet Trautwein Medicare has strict rules for enrollment. Most people are automatically signed up for Medicare Part A, the portion of the program that covers hospital care, when they turn 65, as long as they’re collecting Social Security. Enrollment in Medicare Parts B and D – which cover physician services and prescription drugs, respectively – can be delayed if a person is still actively at work and covered by an employer-sponsored plan related to their employment. However, the enrollment process for those who delay can be confusing – and can lead to costly mistakes. Below are several examples of people who were forced to reckon with just those kinds of mistakes. • One is a 67-year-old schoolteacher who held off on enrolling in Medicare Part B to ensure that his younger, ailing wife could keep the health coverage they’d enjoyed for years. • Another is a cancer survivor who, having met her deductible under her employer-sponsored plan, wanted to complete her chemotherapy regimen before switching to Medicare. • Finally, there’s the widow who found herself uninsured for months after not moving quickly enough to sign up for Medicare Parts B and D in the wake of her husband’s death. These people all delayed enrollment in Medicare Parts B and D to stay on their employer-sponsored insurance under the terms of a federal law called COBRA, which permits people to extend their health benefits after leaving a job by paying the premiums themselves. Unfortunately, all three ended up facing significant financial penalties and delays in securing Part B coverage. That’s unfair and has to change. The number of people subject to this COBRA trap is growing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, seniors have surpassed the young and middle-aged workers as the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. They now account for over 16 percent of U.S. workers – up from 12.1 percent in 1990. For workers with employer-sponsored plans, it may make sense to delay Medicare enrollment in Parts B and D to avoid paying premiums for coverage they don’t yet need. Others may defer enrollment so that a younger spouse can stay on an employer-sponsored plan. Medicare allows delayed enrollment without penalty so long as the worker is covered through their employer. However, once they retire and their coverage ends, they have an eight-month window – called a special enrollment period – to enroll in Medicare Parts B and D without incurring fines. Missing the eight-month window can trigger penalties of up to 10 percent

New Cause Discovered for Arterial Stiffness, a Contributor to Cardiovascular Disease Increased vascular stiffness has been identified as an important part of hypertension in aging adults. Previous studies of aortic stiffness have focused on changes in structural proteins that alter the properties of vascular walls causing them to become rigid. Now, a research team led by scientists at the University of Missouri has determined that smooth muscle cells that line the interior of vascular walls are a major contributing factor to vascular stiffness, one of the major causes of hypertension. Researchers believe that results from their study could help provide new possibilities for drug treatments for the disease in aging patients. “Arterial and vascular stiffness occurs through the normal process of biological aging and is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes,” said Gerald Meininger, director of the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center and a professor of medical pharmacology and physiology in the School of Medicine at MU. “As we age, the aorta, which normally acts as a shock absorber dampening the pulse associated with each heartbeat, tightens and becomes rigid, causing a host of problems including high blood pressure, increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events, and even death.” In the United States, the risk of developing hypertension due to aging is greater than 90 percent in both men and women. Recent studies have identified several mechanisms for arterial stiffness in humans. Research has focused on the structural

per year of lateness and increase premiums for the rest of their lives. They could even have to go without insurance while they wait for the next sign-up period. Medicare does not recognize COBRA as the type of “creditable coverage” (coverage as good as or better than Medicare) that allows a worker to delay Medicare enrollment. So a person who continues his or her workplace coverage through COBRA begins racking up late enrollment penalties almost immediately. That makes little sense. The only difference between employer-sponsored coverage and that obtained through COBRA is who is paying the premium – the employer or the former employee. Medicare’s reasons for limiting enrollment periods to two or three months a year and imposing late penalties helps discourage patients from waiting to sign up for coverage until they’re sick and need care. But people using COBRA are not looking to pull one over on the system. They’re still paying premiums on the plans they were covered by through their employers. At most, they made an honest mistake – one for which they’ll pay for the rest of their lives. And it’s a mistake that will grow more common as people work later in life – unless Congress dismantles this COBRA trap. Janet Trautwein is CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters. MSN

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matrix proteins, or non-living components that compose the outer walls of blood vessels, as well as endothelial cells which line the inner portion of the vascular walls. Meininger and his team focused on a new potential source – smooth muscle cells that are a major component of the “middle” of the blood vessel wall. Teaming with researchers at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute for Technology, Meininger and his group isolated aortic cells from normal and hypertensive rat models in both young and aged animals. Then, using atomic force microscopy, an advanced microscope that incorporates a tiny probe that can interact with single cells and molecules, the team measured the compression force of the needle against the specimen and how the tip adhered to or “stuck” to smooth muscle cells. “We found that hypertension increased both vascular smooth cell stiffness and adhesion or stickiness, and that these changes were aug-

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mented by aging,” Meininger said. “Our results are adding to our understanding and taking studies in a different direction. Although all cells are contributing to arterial stiffness, it’s important to identify the order in which they’re adding to the problem. Identifying smooth muscle cells as a contributor can help identify possible preventatives and potential drugs to counteract and reverse the disease and keep vessels healthier as we age.” The early-stage results of this research are promising. If additional studies are successful within the next few years, MU officials will request

authority from the federal government to begin human drug development (this is commonly referred to as the “investigative new drug” status). After this status has been granted, researchers may conduct human clinical trials with the hope of developing new treatments for arterial stiffness and resulting hypertension. Meininger’s research was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (Grant: P01HL095486) and was published in Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association. MSN

Shrinking Leg Syndrome Explained Millions of Americans suffer from “shrinking leg syndrome” and its most common symptom, shopping for pants with a shorter inseam. Shrinking leg syndrome is easily explained. Sixty-nine percent of Americans are overweight or obese. For a fit person, the natural waist is around the level of the belly button. However, most Americans are not fit. They compensate for their expanding bellies by wearing their pants under their gut. The average American man compensates for his bloated belly by wearing his pants lower on the hips leading to a shorter inseam as his belly grows. The phenomenon is widespread. Although the average American man has a 40” waist and the average American woman has a 37.5” waist, the most common size pants sold have a 34” waist. A lot of pants are being worn below the belly. Although “shrinking leg syndrome” sounds cute, it is a major health issue. Scientists say

the most dangerous fat is belly fat. Abdominal obesity increases your chances of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, and dementia. However, shrinking leg syndrome can be reversed. Tim Covell, author of The Simply Fit Diet acknowledges that he suffered from shrinking leg syndrome. “I don’t know if I was in denial or just not very bright,” Covell says, “but I could not figure out why pants that formerly fit began dragging the ground and I was shopping for a 29” inseam.” But Covell figured it out and by losing weight returned to the pants size he wore in college. He explains how in his book, The Simply Fit Diet, which is available free at thesimplyfitdiet.com. Diet and exercise can reverse shrinking leg syndrome and lower the risk of major health issues. More at thesimplyfitdiet.com. MSN

Nutrient Slowed Cancer Cell Growth In Early-Stage Breast Cancer By David Stauth One of the first clinical studies to look at the effect of sulforaphane on breast tissues of women diagnosed with breast cancer showed that this compound was well tolerated and slowed the growth of cancer cells, especially at early stages. Sulforaphane is a compound found in broccoli and many other cruciferous vegetables, and it has long shown evidence of value in cancer prevention, researchers say. This research suggests it may ultimately play a role in slowing cancer growth as well – along with other proven approaches such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The findings have been published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research by scientists from Oregon State University and the Oregon Health

& Science University. “Our original goal was to determine if sulforaphane supplements would be well tolerated and might alter some of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in cancer,” said Emily Ho, a professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences. “We were surprised to see a decrease in markers of cell growth, which means these compounds may help slow cancer cell growth,” said Ho, a co-author on the study. “This is very encouraging. Dietary approaches have traditionally been thought to be limited to cancer prevention, but this demonstrated it could help slow the growth of existing tumors.” When better understood and studied, it’s pos-

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sible that sulforaphane or other dietary compounds may be added to traditional approaches to cancer therapy, whether to prevent cancer, slow its progression, treat it or stop its recurrence, said Ho, who is also the endowed director of the Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health, and a principal investigator with OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute. This research was done with 54 women with abnormal mammograms who were scheduled for a breast biopsy and were studied in a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. They received either a placebo or supplements that provided sulforaphane. The amount of sulforaphane

they received would equate to about one cup of broccoli sprouts per day, if eaten as a food. A number of studies in the past have found that women with a high intake of cruciferous vegetables – such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, or kale – have a decreased risk of breast cancer. Research has also shown that sulforaphane, which is found at the highest levels in such foods, can modulate breast cancer risk at several stages of carcinogenesis and through different mechanisms. In particular, sulforaphane appears to inhibit histone deacetylases, or HDACs, which in turn enhances the expression of tumor suppressor genes that are often silenced in cancer cells. In fact, the

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intake of sulforaphane in this study did reduce HDAC activity, as well as cancer cell growth. Additional studies are needed to evaluate dose responses, work with larger populations, and examine the responses of other relevant molecular targets to either foods or supplements containing sulforaphane, researchers said. Some other studies have also suggested that different types of broccoli extract preparations may be more bioavailable for uses of this type. This research was supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. MSN

Free Resource Available For Vision Loss Sufferers The frisky lady walked with some trepidation as she moved down the dimly lit hallway toward the Bozeman Low Vision Center. Her macular degeneration made the fluorescent lighting a bothersome glare and the office signs barely readable. She found the office door and peeked in. “Am I at the right place?” she asked. “Come on in,” replied a chorus of friendly volunteers. She was in awe as she beheld a brightly lit showroom with a myriad of lamps, CCTVs, magnifiers, games, watches, clocks, and health aids. “I hope this outfit can help me,” she stammered. “The doctors told me I could no longer drive and I can’t see to read a book or my mail.” After a vision screening check, one of the volunteers gave her several brochures on state services, an application for the Talking Book Library, and a current catalog of aids and appliances. They showed her many different magnifiers and several CCTVs. One was perfect for what she needed.

“We recommend you register with the state Talking Book Library, use one of these hand-held magnifiers, and see if you can get this particular model CCTV,” said the cheerful volunteer. “This is wonderful!” she said. “How much do I owe you?” “Absolutely nothing,” said the smiling person behind the desk. “Our motto is come and try before you buy. If you find something you like, we will tell you where you can purchase it, but we do not sell anything. That allows us to remain neutral and recommend devices that you found useful by trying them out. This is a public service project of the Bozeman Chapter of the Montana Association for the Blind. We have been in existence for about 8 years and have helped about 370 people.” “Oh, my! I am so thankful. I will help you spread the word!” she explained. The hall seemed brighter and the signs clearer as she left know-

Artificial Sweeteners – Good for You? By Dr. Holly Carling The answer to that question is a resounding NO! Whether it’s aspartame (NutraSweet™, Equal™, Spoonfuls) or sucralose (Splenda™), you are poisoning your body with these chemicals. Let’s discuss aspartame first. The FDA has cataloged over 79 different side effects of aspartame. Symptoms include memory loss, migraines, other headaches, blurred vision, blindness, dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a long list of many more. Seizures are so common that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a memorandum telling pilots not to consume aspartame prior to a flight! Forty percent of aspartame is aspartic acid, which kills cells in the brain and nervous system (neural cells) – as an excitotoxin, it over stimulates the cells to death. Ten percent of aspartame is methanol (a.k.a. wood alcohol, a deadly poison). In the body, methanol breaks down into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. The recommended consumption limit is 7.8mg/day. A one-liter beverage contains an average of 56 mg of methanol – too much! The last 50% of aspartame is phenylalanine. The high levels of phenylalanine depress serotonin levels in the brain causing severe depression, mood swings, violent rages, and schizophrenia. Now for sucralose – the supposedly “natural” artificial sweetener. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sucralose is produced by chlorinating sugar (sucrose). This involves chemically changing the structure of the sugar molecules by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups. Some chlorinated molecules serve as the basis for pesticides such as DDT and

ing she would get the equipment that would work for her. The Bozeman Low Vision Center has one or two showings a month and will open by appointment. The appointment number is 406 5567103. MSN

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accumulate in body fat. Signs and symptoms associated with sucralose use include shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage to a vital immune system gland), enlarged liver and kidneys, atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus, increased cecal weight (part of lower bowel), reduced growth rate, decreased red blood cell count, hyperplasia of pelvis, extension of the pregnancy period, aborted pregnancy, decreased fetal body weights and placental weights, and diarrhea. A compound chemically related to sucrose, 6-chloro-deoxyglucose, is known to have anti-fertility and neurotoxic effects. Sucralose contributes to lessened control of diabetes and it contributes to weight gain by increasing the appetite and cravings for sugar. Sucralose contributes to serious chronic immunological or neurological disorders. For more information, visit the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center at holisticmed.com/splenda/. The bottom line is that artificial sweeteners are not good substitutes for sugar. Saccharin, acesulfame, aspartame, and sucralose have all demonstrated carcinogenic (cancer-causing) effects. Your body doesn’t know how to process these chemicals and the destructive effects on the body can be

profound. It would be better to use processed sugar (with all of its problems) than an artificial sweetener. At least your body knows what to do with it! Better alternatives are raw honey, molasses, pure maple syrup, or green leaf stevia. Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist, and Master Herbologist with over three decades of experience. Visit vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about upcoming health classes, and read other informative articles. MSN

Hearing Health Part Of Healthy Aging

As people age, it is natural to be more proactive about health. The multitude of recommended screenings and tests linked with aging milestones simplify making healthy aging a priority. However, for the majority, hearing health is too frequently left out of proactive health planning. For the 37.5 million American adults who report some trouble hearing, there is no time like the present to make hearing health a priority. Here are five tips to focus your attention on your hearing health: 1. Have your hearing checked. Annual hearing screenings should be as common as annual vision exams. Getting your hearing checked on a regular basis can help uncover early signs of hearing loss and identify possible treatment solutions. 2. Protect your hearing. Being proactive about hearing loss starts with adequately protecting your hearing in loud or noisy settings, such as concerts or on in a noisy workplace. 3. Speak up for a loved one. If you have a loved one who demonstrates signs of hearing loss, it is important to voice concern and encourage your loved one to have a hearing test and get more information. 4. Be mindful of others with hearing loss. Being sensitive to a friend’s or loved one’s hearing loss can make communication easier. If someone has hearing loss, make a point to speak slowly and face the individual so he or she can better understand you. 5. Remember your hearing changes over time. Sounds that were crisp and clear years ago may not be anymore. This is particularly true of high frequency hearing loss, which is why it is important to regularly monitor hearing for changes and learn about different treatment solutions. “Many of our older recipients, who either treated their hearing loss later in life or determined You may qualify for free assistive telephone equipment through the their hearing aids were no longer enough, were Montana Telecommunications Access Program! able to get back sounds they didn’t even know they were missing,” said Patti Trautwein, Au.D., a vice president at Cochlear Americas. “Treating hearing The Montana Telecommuniloss can improve an individual’s quality of life, as Equipment available through they are more likely to take part in social activities cations Access Program MTAP includes: and feel less depressed or sad when they’re able (MTAP) provides FREE assistive • Amplified telephones to hear adequately.” telephone equipment to • Captioned telephones If hearing loss is discovered, early treatment those who qualify, making it may not only result in improved hearing outcomes, • Loud bell ringers TTYs easier to use the phone to but may also help individuals reengage in their • Artificial Larynxes do business or keep in touch lives and with their friends and family. • And much, much more! with family and friends. Cochlear implants are electronic devices that bypass damaged hair cells in the inner ear, or cochlea, and stimulate the hearing nerve directly and are a proven medical option for adults with Return form to: MTAP Yes, I want to learn more about MTAP! moderate-to-profound hearing loss in both ears. P. O. Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604 According to the National Institute on DeafName: ____________________________________ Address: __________________________________ ness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 58,000 adults and 38,000 children City: ______________________________________ State: _____________ Zip Code: _______________ have received cochlear implants in the United Phone: _____________________________________ States. Nearly two million Americans could be candidates for cochlear implant technology, but only 5 percent of patients who can benefit have been treated. For additional information visit coFor more information just mail us this form or call toll-free 1-800-833-8503 chlear.com. MSN

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