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A Season of Hope and Renewal – Wildwood Nursery’s San Schwalbe contemplates next year’s garden

By Kim Thielman-Ibes During these last precious days of summer, as we’re greeted by morning’s crisp, biting chill, San Schwalbe of Wildwood Nursery is happily tending to her end-of-summer duties at Wildwood Nursery in Big Sky: taking inventory of plants that will be wintered over; discussing last minute landscaping plans with clients; preparing her greenhouses with

fall color; and for the inevitable end of our short growing season. Yet, as we head into the dormant season in this land we fondly call ‘next year country’, Schwalbe herself is budding with a renewed sense of life. Diagnosed with breast cancer early 2012, going through a double mastectomy, reconstruction and as she calls it, “all the craziness,” of commuting between the Comprehensive Breast Center of Arizona and Big Sky while trying to open her business, Schwalbe is more than a survivor she’s a life force to be reckoned with. “She’s a fighter and probably one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known,” says her fiancé who runs the landscape maintenance side of Schwalbe’s company. “When we first got the news we thought it was going to be a minor deal, and thought it would be no problem to get through this and still get the business open for the season.” Schwalbe approached her initial diagnosis the way she’s

always approached challenges in her life. “I didn’t pretend to know everything about it, but I was going to find someone who did,” she says, “I run my company like this, I partner with people who are experts in the field.” With family members cheering Schwalbe, she looked into second, third, and fourth opinions on her initial diagnosis. Her non-invasive lumpectomy, a relatively simple procedure morphed into a fullscale double mastectomy. “My doctor in Phoenix opted for an MRI, which was the only way to find it. I feel really blessed, this woman saved my life.” Not that there ever could be a good time for this sort of thing, truly the timing could not have been worse for Schwalbe and Wildwood Nursery. The nursery and landscape business in Big Sky is a seasonal one and for the last thirty-two years, she’s been open from May through September each season. Her early spring diagnosis, subsequent surgery, and recovery period threatened to wipe out an entire year’s worth of business. “It was a challenging summer,” she says with the sun on her face and a smile in her voice. “My livelihood for the year and then being diagnosed with this craziness. I have an amazing staff.” As Schwalbe’s business begins its transition into fall and prepares to close for the coming winter months, Schwalbe (Continued on page 45)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Montana Senior News A Barrett-Whitman Publication

P.O. Box 3363 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3363 406-761-0305 or 800-672-8477 FAX 406-761-8358 montanaseniornews.com email: montsrnews@bresnan.net The Montana Senior News is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October and December at 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Montana. The mail subscription rate is $8.00 per year (6 issues). The Montana Senior News is written to serve the reading interests of mature Montanans of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. All copy appearing in the Montana Senior News is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

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

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

Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty Clare Hafferman Sue Hart Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Jack McNeel Dianna Troyer © 2013

Cat Joke Evokes Feelings I hope the short piece How to Wash a Cat is a joke. Given that some people might actually take it seriously, please do not print things like that because some people will probably try it. Roger Stang Missoula Your latest issue was most enjoyed. The article How to Wash a Cat hit me so off guard. I was laughing ‘til the tears came. So funny! Had cats for many years – so know them well and the visual still gives me smiles. An Avid Reader of Montana Senior News At best printing the piece on How to Wash a Cat is in poor taste; at the reality check level, printing How to Wash a Cat is extremely cruel to animals. Some toilets have power flush tanks. Some toilets have large siphons. No animal should be treated to the cruelty of being washed in a toilet. I expect better selections from your editorial staff. Respect life should include animals, not just seniors. Joyce Utroske Union Mills, IN

Compliments To Montana Senior News Thank you so much for your recent $25.00 prize check. Love your contests. Keep them coming. Also, your publication keeps getting better all the time. A wonderful resource for seniors and their families seeking living facilities, health options, etc. across the entire state. Kudos to you all! Pierre Petrace Columbia Falls

Travel Book Available I have written and published a book entitled We Were There But Where? This book covers over 50 years of my family’s traveling. It details the history of the places visited, and covers interesting ways of getting to these places. The book has thus far attracted the interests of senior citizens. It can be purchased from Author House, Barnes & Noble, and at Hastings bookstores. I have a few copies available at this time, so if any readers would like a copy, please email me at am01blessing@bresnan.net. Arlene Blessing Great Falls MSN

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

On The Lighter Side In August By Bob Campbell People around the world dream of coming to Montana each summer to enjoy our great outdoors, have fun in our clean fresh water, and escape the confinements of civilization. They can enjoy hiking in our pristine canyons or just enjoy the open spaces and the unique attractions that each area of the state has for them to enjoy. From dinosaur digs to historical sites there is far more than a person can explore in a lifetime. Humor always makes each day brighter so here are some of my favorite observations from the late George Carlin. He won the Mark Twain Award a few years ago but died just weeks before the event could honor him. My favorites: • How come wrong numbers are never busy? • Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? • Why do we sing Take Me Out To The Ball Game when we are already there? • If space is a vacuum, who changes the bag? • If you jog backwards, will you gain weight? • How do we get out of a non-stop flight? • Why is it that night falls but day breaks? • Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons? • Did Noah keep his bees in archives? • Are part-time bandleaders semi-conductors? • How do you write zero in Roman numerals? • If swimming is good for your shape, then why do whales look the way they do? • Do you think that when they asked George Washington for identification he just whipped out a quarter? • Regarding daylight savings time – why are they saving it and where do they keep it? I hope these put a smile on your face and that you have a wonderful rest of the summer! MSN

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Who knows how they came to be, but they are everywhere, and they cover every topic imaginable! What are we talking about? Observances... you know those day, week, or month quasi-celebrations/events that are designed to focus our attention on a particular cause, disease, group, event, etc. so that we will support, recognize, buy, or donate to the idea that the observance represents. For example World Leprosy Day, National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week, Artichoke and Asparagus Month, Happy Mew Year for Cats Day, No Name Calling Week, and Cervical Cancer Screening Month to name just of few of the thousands. They can be local, national, or even worldwide. Some are created by Presidential proclamation typically to honor or commemorate a public issue or social cause, ethnic group, historic event, or noted individual. Others are created by national health organizations, historical or cultural organizations, and many are simply marketing tools created by trade or professional organizations. Since there are not many days that are not observances of something, our staff thought they should form the basis for this month’s contest. This month only for our Can You Find These Observances quiz, we will award three prizes –

one each for $100, $75, and $50 to the first three readers with correct answers drawn from the submitted answers. Thank you to all who participated in our State Mottos Quiz in the June/July issue. The winner selected from the answers submitted is John Bortz of Billings. Congratulations to John, winner of our $25 cash prize! Because this issue’s Can You Find These Observances? quiz came from our staff, the $25 prize for submitting the winning quiz in the October/ November issue will be doubled to $50. Two cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles! Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by September 20, 2013 for our October/November 2013 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website montanaseniornews.com.

Can You Find These Observances? Created by Montana Senior News Staff Are you ready to win $100, $75, or $50? Did you know that there are more than 600 observances that occur during the months of August and September? We did not until we started looking, and we are betting that there are many more! Some are serious, some humorous, and some plainly ridiculous. What we have done, with the cooperation of our advertisers, is add an observance within the borders of some of the ads appearing in this issue. In fact, more than 100 ads in this paper have an observance on them. They are scattered throughout the paper in no particular pattern, and your job is to find them. Only observances that appear within the border of an ad are correct answers. Therefore, you cannot

use the observances mentioned by way of introduction or explanation that appear on this page or on any other page of the paper. Again, only observances that appear within the border of an ad in this paper are correct answers. What we require is that you find any 50 of the 100+ ads that have an observance on them. Then, on a numbered piece of paper, write down three things: • the page number on which each ad appears; • the name of the advertiser (Acme Travel Agency for example); • the observance that appears on the ad i.e. Healthy Weight Week. Mail or email (montsrnews@bresnan.net) your answers to us by September 20, 2013. By a drawing from the entries submitted, we will award three cash prizes to the first three correct entries, one each of $100, $75, and $50. What are you waiting for... it’s time to start scouring the paper to find the ads with the observances! MSN

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61. *A Bond man ACROSS 65. Flowing tresses 1. Half of the Odd Couple 6. “___, the Beloved Countryâ€? 66. Genetic stuff 68. Handy 9. Greek portico 69. Express a thought 13. Just outside a fairway 70. H+, e.g. 14. Thou, today 71. *Ed Sullivan Show 15. Sound units vetriloquist, _____ Wences 16. Covered with hair 72. Post-deductions amount 17. 2, on a telephone dial 73. Armageddon 18. Moonshine 74. Muse of love poetry 19. *He drove Miss Daisy DOWN 21. *Played TV doc before 1. “Carmina Buranaâ€? becoming movie star composer, developed 23. Water snake system for teaching music 24. Nightcrawler to kids 25. Michigan’s “___ Fiveâ€? 2. Lemon quality 28. Kind of jerk 3. “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Meâ€? 30. King Tut’s and Napoleon’s band The ____ hangouts, e.g. 4. Come to terms 34. Paella pot 5. Nursery poems 36. *Without Tijuana Brass, 6. Greenish blue this Alpert appeared in 7. *Sam Seaborn on “The “The Ten CommandWest Wingâ€? mentsâ€? 8. New Mexico’s state flower 38. Civil rights org. 9. Begone! 40. Sound of pride 10. Roger Rabbit, e.g. 41. Breastplate 11. One third of thrice 43. Smoothie berry 12. Light grey 44. Ionic and Corinthian 15. Quantum of light predecessor 20. #46 Across said, “_____, 46. *He was a dead man Mr. Handâ€? walking 22. Ignited 47. Lose coat 48. Phobias 50. A personal view 52. Court divider 53. “Once ___ a time...â€? t 1BZPò FYJTUJOH .PSUHBHF 55. Baseball stat 57. Of the essence t $POTPMJEBUF $SFEJU $BSE EFCU t $PWFS )FBMUI $BSF $PTUT t .FFU %BJMZ BOE .POUIMZ FYQFOTFT t 3FNPEFM PS SFQBJS ZPVS IPNF

24. Enter uninvited, 2 words 25. *Indiana 26. Reserved 27. Harsh noise 29. Profound 31. “Yes, ___� 32. *He was rebellious and footloose 33. Found on a map 35. “Mi chiamano Mimi,� e.g. 37. Tough spot 39. *He stole from Louise and spent seven years in Tibet 42. Contemptuous look 45. *He had Zellweger a ‘’Hello� 49. Kind of resort 51. Excite 54. “An _____ but a goodie� 56. Daisylike bloom 57. Hurry up 58. Bright yellow flower, ___ seed, known for its oil 59. U in I.C.U. 60. *Rapper 50 ____, acted with De Niro and Pacino in “Righteous Kill� 61. Boston or Chicago, e.g. 62. Columbus’ vessel 63. Loads 64. “I, Claudius� role 67. Negation of a word MSN

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Answers To State Mottos Quiz 8. Florida: b. In God we trust 9. Wyoming: a. Equal Rights 10. Rhode Island: c. Hope 11. New York: b. Ever upward 12. New Hampshire: c. Live Free or Die 13. Mississippi: a. By valor and arms 14. Montana: b. Gold and silver 15. Washington: c. By and by MSN

Submitted by Mike Vanni, Fairfax, CA 1. Alabama : c. We dare defend our rights 2. Alaska: a. North to the future 3. Arizona: a. God enriches 4. California: b. I have found it 5. Arkansas: c. The people rule 6. Colorado: a. Nothing without the Deity 7. Delaware: a. Liberty and Independence

Color Blind: The Forgotten Team That Broke Baseball’s Color Line many circumstances. Extremely unhappy in Pittsburgh and feeling underpaid and underappreciated, Paige’s performance on the field had suffered. In his final season at Pittsburgh, Paige was responsible for more losses than wins, and players were hitting his pitches at will. The lucrative offer from the West came at the perfect time for Paige. The man that made the offer to Paige, Neil Churchill, was the manager and owner of the Bismarck semipro baseball team. If he wasn’t trying to manage his baseball team to a victory, he was trying to win at a game of poker at the local gambling hall or trying to close a deal at his car dealership. His desire to win was second to none, and Neil Churchill needed a dominant pitcher. The competition among semipro baseball teams in North Dakota was fierce. Local and regional rivalries were built to the point that the owners were bringing in talent from all over the nation to compete. Churchill thought that if he brought in Paige, his team would reap the benefits of his pitching and win more games... and he was right! When Paige arrived ´ $ 1RYHO 3ODFHÂľ in Bismarck, he was surprised to learn that he was going to be playing with white players. He 1RUWK ,GDKR ´$ 1RYHO 3ODFHÂľ had never experienced 0(0%(5 'LOORQ 07 $PHULFDQ %RRN this before. For the first 6HOOHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ GLOORQERRNVWRUH FRP time, “those guysâ€? were

By Tom Dunkel; Atlantic Monthly; 345 pp; $25 Reviewed by Wyatt Larson Leroy “Satchel� Paige was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. At 6’3� tall, Paige towered over the batters who faced him and developed a reputation as a power pitcher early in his career, which led him to play professionally in the Negro League. Always looking for an opportunity to make more money and while playing for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, Paige received an offer he could not refuse – $300 to $400 a month plus the signing bonus of a used Chrysler to play baseball in an unexpected place, Bismarck, North Dakota. Tom Dunkel follows Paige and the Bismarck squad through its ups and downs, and the first National Semi-Pro Tournament in Wichita, Kansas in his new book Color Blind: The Forgotten Team That Broke Baseball’s Color Line. The acquisition of Paige was the culmination of

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on his team. Although Paige was not the first African American on the Bismarck team, he quickly became the first non-white star on the team. His reputation as a hard throwing right-hander preceded him, and the crowds flocked to the ballpark to watch Paige dominate his competition. After his first year, the team from Bismarck finished in first place. After his first season, Paige took part in professional barnstorming tours all across the country playing against some of the best white ballplayers not playing in the major leagues. In California, Paige pitched against a young Joe DiMaggio, whom Paige struck out. Paige spent the 1934 season in the Negro League, but returned to Bismarck in 1935. By this time, the Bismarck baseball team had turned into a powerhouse, and former rivals could no longer provide adequate competition for the Bismarck nine. Owner Churchill noticed the drop in competition through plunging ticket sales. Trains that used to carry cars full of passengers to opposing cities were no longer scheduled. Local interest in the team had plummeted. Churchill looked to national tournaments in order to provide enough revenue to pay his team. Churchill took his team to Wichita to play against the best semipro teams from around the United States. The Bismarck team faced tough competition from every opponent, but Paige was up to the task. He pitched well throughout the tournament, and Bismarck became the champion. After the 1935 season, Paige never returned to North Dakota. He played all over the Western hemisphere, from Puerto Rico to California and Mexico and the Dominican Republic. He finally got his chance to play major league baseball with the Cleveland Indians in 1948. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971, Paige will be remembered as one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the game. An owner’s desire for elite pitching brought the great pitcher to the Northern Great Plains, and only the desire for more fame and riches could pull Paige from the rolling hills of North Dakota. As Paige said of the Bismarck squad, “That was the best team I ever saw. The best players I ever played with. But who ever heard of them?” Dunkel has written an entertaining and must-read book for anyone interested in the history of baseball. MSN

Plant a Seed… Read! In September 2009, United Way of Hill County (UWHC) became the champion for the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which provides free, age appropriate books for preschool children from birth to age five. Since that time, over 250 children have participated in the program with 24 graduates. This community impact education program was developed to unite agencies within the Havre/Hill County area to enhance literacy growth, to raise the awareness of reading aloud to preschool children to better prepare them in school, and to promote the enjoyment of reading as a family event. UWHC Board of Directors believes the best way to ensure reading success for all students is to invest during the preschool years. With support from community members, service organizations, and grants, we hope to increase the number of children receiving books. As it is said, “It takes a village to raise a child.” UWHC believes that through community partnerships, workshops, and training for parents, preschool teachers, childcare providers, and volunteers,

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

our Plant A Seed reading program will improve literacy and encourage reading throughout our area. For a $30 donation, you can adopt a reader

who will receive 12 books for a year. Send your donations to Plant a Seed/UWHC, PO Box 1131, Havre, MT 59501 or phone 406-262-3082. MSN

Yes, it’s still summer and the leaves will stay green until the season changes and they paint the countryside with beautiful fall colors. As the evenings get chilly and the mornings bring a coating of frost, what better time to warm your heart in the company of a new friend or companion who may become a special someone to bring into your life. Take time today to write a personal ad or reply to one of the personal ads on these pages. To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. When you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please be sure you submit your correct address plainly printed, so you can promptly receive responses. Respond to the ads in this issue, and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love! Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the October/November 2013 issue, the deadline is September 10, 2013. SWM – Highly educated retired professional – gentleman, 81, 5’6-1/2”, 157 lbs, never smoked, light drinker (wine only). I am in good health, physically active, and a homeowner. I enjoy the music of the Broadway plays, MGM musicals, and even some classical music, and opera. I would like to do some traveling around the USA and Canada. I am a military veteran and traveled while in the military. I am a Protestant church member and attend regularly. I also enjoy eating out at various restaurants. I am interested in a woman with similar interests – age in the 70s approximately. Billings area please. Reply MSN, Dept. 29601, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWM, 69 years young, 6’5” tall, 250 lbs, brown eyes, S/P, beard, and mustache. I don’t drink, drug, smoke, or gamble. Own my home in Columbus, Montana and have no interest to relocate. I’m a clean person and keep a clean house and looking for same. I enjoy the great outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, garage sales, going to the hot springs, rodeos, long walks, long drives, taking pictures, and just enjoying life and a warm women. I like old rock n’ roll music, tie-dyed shirts, and wildlife shirts. I’m in good health and act younger then I am. I’m a compassionate, warm, loving, caring, generous person who can treat a lady well. I’m looking for a slender lady who knows how to fish and handle a boat, and likes some of the things I like. If you are interested, send recent photo, phone number, and interests. May the sun always shine warm on your face, and the wind always blow at your back! Reply MSN, Dept. 29602, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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WWM seeks a retired, secure lady in her 70s from Billings area for friendship. I do not smoke, drink, or use drugs. I am interested in travel, country music, and spending quality time at home. Please send a letter with a picture and phone number and I will do the same. Reply MSN, Dept. 29603, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. DWF 4’8” tall, 130 lbs, gray hair, freckles. I’m looking for a live in companion. I like to fish, camp, hike and go on day trips. I also like to go on picnics and take long walks. I like country western music and used to sing it with my brother. I like thrift shops, yard sales, rummage sales. I do like to dance, but only the slow ones. I make rag dolls and collect old jewelry and Barbie dolls. I have two dogs – spoiled rotten. Also, own my home in town but might have to sell it someday as its getting too much for me. I hope to hear from everyone. Please send a picture and I will answer all. Reply MSN, Dept. 29604, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

Looking for N/D, N/S Christian man who doesn’t abuse drugs or gamble. He must live in the Hamilton area or be willing to move here. My home is paid for and I have three sons and their families nearby. The only thing missing is you. You need not be gorgeous or rich, but you must truly love Jesus and have some income. I prefer slim to medium build, but height, age, and race don’t matter. It’s more important that you’re honest, affectionate, generous, dependable, kind, and still open doors for ladies, etc. Singing, playing guitar, and working a 12-step recovery program would all get you a gold star. I’m a disabled hairstylist with chronic pain. I have to sleep late, but nothing life threatening, and I live a happy, busy life. I’m a SWF, early 60s, not slim, but attractive, intelligent, multi-talented, fun, opinionated, honest, faithful, romantic, tenderhearted, and with high morals. I enjoy singing, dancing, church, classic rock, picnics, art, camping, movies, plays, bowling, shooting pool, family, friends, TV, eating out, and playing cards and board games. If you’re tired of being alone and are ready for a Christ centered relationship starting as friends, please include address and a photo with your letter. Reply MSN, Dept. 29605, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

quiet, romantic, active, 67-years-old, and retired. I enjoy walks with my dog, eating out, resale shops, and landscaping. Should you be a female who shares similar interests, write me. I live in Kalispell. Reply MSN, Dept. 29608, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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I am a 69-year-old male who likes movies, concerts, camping, and walks. I am short (5’7” tall), blonde, and blue eyes. I wear glasses. I don’t drink or smoke. I am looking for a nice lady between 50 to 68 years old who enjoys the above and also enjoys going to church and has liberal religious and political views. I prefer someone within 50 to 100 miles of Libby, Montana. Send me your phone number, a picture, and your address. I will respond to all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 29609, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Tina Harboway, Peg Dotson, Sue Johnson

DWM, 57 looking for long board surf’n Grandma 50-57. I’m an awesome Grandpa who enjoys cooking, biking, outdoors, etc. If interested send replies along with phone. Reply MSN, Dept. 29606, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWF seeking white, Native American, or Hispanic man that loves God first and is as gentle, warm, sensitive as the Holy Spirit. Must be able to be a grandpa and know how to carve turkey. Must need a companion who is warm, loving, affectionate, caring and a homemaker. Must love togetherness. Must need a woman even though her beauty has faded. Is loyal, warm, and passionate about homemaking and life, traditions, and values. Seeking lasting meaningful relationship. I’m mildly handicapped. I love the outdoors, fishing, camping, boating, cooking, canning, and freezing. I’ve even gone hunting. Age has slowed me a lot. (Continued on page 13)

SWW Classy Christian lady would like to meet a gentleman in his 70s. I enjoy movies, concerts, and walking. I will respond to all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 29607, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a SWM, 5’11” tall, full head of gray/white hair and medium build. I am not lonely ever, am

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SM, 48, seeks professional gals, from 18 to older women. I like to take long walks and enjoy nature and the simple things. If you like to cuddle then maybe we can meet. Write and send phone numbers. I will answer all replies. Reply MSN, Dept. 29610, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

Personals - continued from page 11 Come, glorify the lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I am 5’8”, sixty-seven, whose last name sounds like I am Santa Clause’s wife – But I’m just shaped like her. But it’s not from my cookies I bake. Seeking lasting serious partner to finish our

life to the fullest, not ALONE! Reply MSN, Dept. 29611, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWM, 60s, fit, non-smoker/drinker. I’m quiet, kind of shy, honest, and romantic. Looking for that

4 Paws Rescue Believes that God placed us here to be good caretakers of His creatures Adopt from a rescue/shelter and have a loving faithful companion for life. 4 Paws Rescue is a volunteer non-profit organization. Our Board is made up of volunteers. Our organization does not have an actual shelter. Three of our Board members and one part-time volunteer provide foster homes for all the pets. We serve Madison and Jefferson Counties, but take pets from surrounding areas. We have three foster homes in Jefferson County and one in Madison County. We accept members and volunteers. All volunteers will be screened prior to helping us with pets. We survive on donations, members and our own limited finances. Recently we picked up a dog from Madison County with 140 porcupine quills in his left face. He is doing fine and has been adopted. We had one cat rescued with squamous cell carcinoma that could not be saved, and one with an infected abscess, which we doctored and healed. We have a savings account with Rocky Mountain Bank of Whitehall for our land and shelter fund. Our pets are on four websites: PetFinder.com; Adopt-a-Pet.com; montanapets.org; and 4pawsrescuemt.org and on our Facebook page. For more information, please contact us at 406-439-1405. MSN

special person. Looks or age not important. So guys and gals let’s get together. Phone number please. Reply MSN, Dept. 29612, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

At Camp Mak-A-Dream, Cancer Unites Them, It Doesn’t Define Them

This year marks Camp Mak-A-Dream’s 19th season of offering cost-free, medically supervised weeklong programs for children, teens, young adults, and families affected by cancer. Since opening its doors in Gold Creek, Montana in 1995, Camp has welcomed more than 5,000 individuals not only from Montana, but also from across the United States, and as far away as Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chili, Italy, and Jordan. The goal of Camp Mak-A-Dream is to bring cancer patients together in a safe supportive environment, with others who know their struggles, share their fears, and understand what it means to have cancer. It also provides an opportunity to make new friends, build self-confidence and self-esteem, have fun, and experience a week of being “normal.” Camp activities include swimming, arts and crafts, a camp-out, horseback riding, a challenge ropes course, rafting, a dance, and carnival night. Plus, during sessions for teens, young adults, and adults, there are educational workshops, speakers, and group discussions to provide participants with skills to take home with them that can help them live more fully with and beyond their disease. You can help make dreams come true today! For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.campdream.org or call 406-549-5987. MSN

Don’t Miss AERO’s Annual Meeting In October Alternative Energy Resource Organization (AERO) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to solutions that promote resource conservation and local economic vitality. AERO nurtures individual and community selfreliance through programs that support sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and environmental quality. AERO’s members share a commitment to facing the challenges brought by change. By bringing people together, AERO offers a vehicle for collective action and a sense of common purpose for citizens within their communities to shape a more sustainable future. AERO’s programs are grounded in the conviction that communities are the best place to create the kind of change we envision. We believe, and our programs reflect, that the best way to effect change is by empowering

people in their own communities to work toward sustainable solutions. AERO’s 39th Annual Meeting is set for October 25-27, 2013, at the Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton. Keynote Speakers include: Wenonah Hauter from Food & Water Watch and author of Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America; and Gwen Lachelt, Founder & former Director, Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project and current County Commissioner for La Plata County, Colorado. Other meeting features include Food and Energy Roundtable Discussions, Auctions, Workshops, and Folk School Sessions. Members are eligible for discounted registration. For more information on AERO’s work and how you can become a member, call 406-443-7272, email cwallace@aeromt.org, or visit www.aeromt. org. MSN

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There are vast differences in the degrees of illegal. The 11 million people who have migrated to this country in recent decades without permission are almost all some version of my Danish great grandparents, neither of whom was lawless scum

or even undesirable as a new neighbor. (However, they were Danes, and I am compelled to admit that Danes are the sort of people who eat pickled herring. I have tasted pickled

herring. If that is not illegal, it should be.) Bill Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

1950s version of an E-Mail Author Unknown Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot, Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot. There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me, For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born, Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn. We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn, We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn. We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince, And Eddie Fisher married Liz , and no one’s seen him since. We danced to ‘Little Darlin,’ and sang to ‘Stagger Lee’ And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me, Me. Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many, And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney. And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me, Me.

We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice, And when they made a movie, they never made it twice. We didn’t have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three, Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me, Me. Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp, And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp. We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T, And Oprah couldn’t talk yet, in the Land That Made Me, Me. We had our share of heroes, we never thought they’d go, At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe. For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be, And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me, Me. We’d never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead, And Airplanes weren’t named Jefferson , and Zeppelins were not Led. And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees, Madonna was Mary in the Land That Made Me, Me. We’d never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars, And babies might be bottle-fed, but they were not grown in jars. And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and ‘gay’ meant fancy-free, And dorms were never co-ed in the Land That Made Me, Me. We hadn’t seen enough of jets to talk about the lag, And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag. And hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea, And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me, Me. Buicks came with portholes, and sideshows came with freaks, And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks. And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee, And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me, Me. We had no Crest with fluoride, We had no Hill Street Blues, We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea Or prime-time ads for those dysfunctions in the Land That Made Me, Me. There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill, And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill. And middle-aged was 35 and old was fifty-three, And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me, Me. But all things have a season, or so we’ve heard them say, And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A. They send us invitations to join AARP, We’ve come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me, Me. So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans, And wonder why they’re using smaller print in magazines. And we tell our children’s children of the way it used to be, Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me, Me. MSN

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

Potatoes and pickled herring By Bill Hall Since their beginnings, countries like the United States and Canada have been populated in large part by families with a fierce desire to fight for a better lot in life. Consequently, such nations are comprised in large measure of the kind of people who had the get up and go to get up and go. This nation is a product of people who were not content to lie down and die in their original country when their survival and that of their children was at stake. With few exceptions, if you are not an immigrant, somebody back there near the trunk of your family tree was, whether or not you fully realize where people like you came from. Some of the children of earlier immigrants now dwell harshly on the crime of today’s immigrants who left hunger and hopelessness behind to go find America. And technically today, that is a crime. I thought of that the other day when South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham was campaigning for re-election on a platform of finding a way to avoid throwing 11 million immigrants out of this heavenly haven of the dispossessed. The senator was traveling his state shaking hands and kissing babies (which is better than kissing hands and shaking babies). The New York Times reports that Graham met some resistance to the notion that coming to America is an admirable course for get-up-and-go families. A constituent of Graham’s, who seemed ignorant of how he came to be born here, urged the senator to carry a message to other members of Congress: “Make ‘em understand the word ‘illegal,’” the guy said. In other words, some immigrants are breaking the law against “illegal” entry into this country today. But in the diverse meanings of words, there is hard-core illegal and then there are other kinds of illegal. The only difference between those families today and my great grandparents – who kindly brought my genes to this shore from Denmark – is that excessive immigration had not yet been declared a crime when my great grandparents arrived. The same is true of my Irish genes that came here a century and a half ago because the potato famine forced my ancestors to choose between being among the million Irish who stayed home and starved and the million Irish who came to America. I am grateful they brought part of one of my favorite people – me – to this country. (How ironic that my Irish genes survived the potato famine but ended up inside me in Idaho, the potato state, where my only challenge is keeping my weight down from eating too many of those tasty tubers.) It was not against the law when my genes arrived for hungry families to invade America. However, I have no doubt, if it had been against the law to come to America, that both my Irish and my Danish genes would have sneaked in here anyway. That is just the kind of criminal type we Danish/ Irish people are when our kids are hungry. As crimes go, moving to a survivable place without the permission of a government is a small infraction in the whole scheme of illegality. It’s in the same ballpark as stealing bread for a starving child. It’s like a rolling stop at a stop sign in the middle of the night with no traffic in sight. Coming to America is not murder or bank robbery or wife beating. Some crimes are vastly different from other crimes. The killing of a beloved elderly mate shrieking with cancer pain is not the same degree of wrong as murdering a stranger for his wallet. And some crimes are not crimes at all in other circumstances. The difference between a prison term and a medal of honor is whether you are bravely risking your life while fighting for your country or killing like an animal without reason or remorse. And the difference between love and rape is permission.

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

42, The Jackie Robinson Story Although Robinson was a very strong individual, he was not immune to the racism. Playing against the Philadelphia Phillies was the same as going into any ballpark on the road; Robinson faced scores of people who did not want him playing the “white” game of baseball. The most vocal member of the opposition to Robinson was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies who stood outside the dugout yelling at Robinson whenever he was at bat. Unable to concentrate on the pitcher, Robinson couldn’t get a hit as the pressure from the Phillies’ manager got to him. After his final failure and fed up with the constant racism he faced, Robinson lost his composure and retreated to the hallway between the dugout and the clubhouse. Alone in the hallway and unable to confront the Phillies’ manager in person, Robinson relieved his frustrations on the brick wall by pulverizing two wooden bats. Robinson openly wondered how horrible the racism and racists would become and if he would have the strength to persevere. In his moment of self-doubt, Rickey rushed to his side. “Jackie,” Rickey said, “you are not doing this for you. You are doing this for the people who believe in you and for the people whose dream it is to be like you.” Robinson understood that his mission was larger than being the first African American athlete to play major league baseball. His mission was to be an ambassador to the game of baseball for the next generation. As the season progressed and Robinson became more popular, Robinson faced less and less racism. Because of his play on the field, fans began to forget that he was black athlete, and

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Reviewed by Wyatt Larson The Brooklyn Dodgers finished the 1946 season in second place behind the St. Louis Cardinals and missed a World Series opportunity. Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey knew he needed better players to win the National League pennant the following year. The solution to Rickey’s problem came from an unexpected source – he purchased Jackie Robinson’s contract from the Montreal Royals and made him the first African American to play major league baseball, thus ending sixty years of segregation in professional baseball. The recent film, 42, the Jackie Robinson Story, explores Jackie Robinson’s (played by Chadwick Boseman) struggle to break the color line in major league baseball and how the hardnosed, but compassionate Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford) made Robinson’s transition to the major leagues possible, despite the racist backlash against Robinson from opposing teams and teammates alike. Rickey had been looking for the perfect candidate to break Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Satchel Paige was too old. Roy Campanella wasn’t fast enough. Rickey wanted someone young and daring, a player with his best days ahead of him and in Jackie Robinson, Rickey found the perfect amalgamation of talent, intellect, and perseverance. Growing up in California, Robinson faced little racism in his youth. He played with and against whites and nonwhites in every sport. Earning a scholarship to UCLA, Robinson lettered in four sports and tuned his leadership abilities as one of the best athletes in the school’s history. After graduating, Robinson was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army and served in World War II. His leadership abilities made him Rickey’s prime choice to break the color barrier. Robinson’s experience as an athlete and officer gave him the perfect balance of determination and pride that Rickey sought. Rickey knew that Robinson would encounter racists and racism at every stop on the road, but recognized that Robinson could not respond with frustration and anger. Rickey wanted someone who could find motivation in the ugly racist slurs, someone smart enough and strong enough to turn the other cheek. And Robinson was that man. The racism came quickly at Robinson’s first spring training from his own teammates. The veterans on the ballclub signed a petition demanding that Robinson be dropped from the team. Robinson and all nonwhites had no place in major league baseball, they argued. When Rickey learned of the petition, he called the petitioning players into his office and told them if they did not want to play with Robinson, they would be traded or released.

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Tid Bits Of Montana Trivia By Bernice Karnop

Age doesn’t make a lot of difference to Montana women. Sacaja-

wea was only 15 when she and her infant son joined the Lewis and Clark expedition to trek across Montana in 1805. Jeannette Rankin was almost 90 when she joined the March in Washington to protest the Vietnam War in 1968.

B

efore entertaining his audience, Montana folk singer Bruce Anfinson is known for leading them on a wagon ride and feeding them dinner in a tipi.

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ld timers told a story of two Irishmen who visited the smelter operation in Anaconda around 1918. One, after looking down at that fiery mass said, “Jimmy, if a man was to fall in there and was scooped out and thrown into hell, he would freeze to death in a minute.”

B

utte miners called the underground rocks that collapsed without warning Duggans, but the word had nothing to do with digging. Duggans was a funeral parlor in Butte.

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n June 8, 1917, a carbide lamp accidentally started a fire in the Speculator Mine in Butte, killing 168 men. Many of their charred bodies were found piled against a cement bulkhead. State law at the time required metal bulkheads which could be opened but the law was never enforced in Butte. This and other safety issues were not addressed after the fire, either.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

they started to realize that he was a great baseball player. As his popularity grew, so did his admirers. When the Dodgers next played in Philadelphia, Robinson received a message from the Phillies’ manager. Instead of being laced with racial slurs, it was an invitation for a press photo shoot of the two men. The Phillies’ manager now wanted to be seen as a supporter of Robinson – a striking change of opinion in just a few short weeks. Robinson won the Rookie of the Year award in 1947, became a World Champion in 1955 when the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in seven games at the World Series, and was elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1962. Robinson’s success at that time would likely not have been possible without Branch Rickey. ZZZ &522.('75((&2))((AN'&A.(6 FoP

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Rickey and Robinson were a perfect combination of personalities and skills coming together at the right time. Rickey acted as the rails to Robinson’s train, and his commitment to Robinson made the desegregation of major league baseball possible. Robinson’s play on the field made him a baseball champion and his contribution to society can only be measured by the far-reaching success of African American athletes who have played and excelled in professional sports for the last seven decades. If you enjoy baseball and great American personalities, you will find 42, The Jackie Robinson Story entertaining and enlightening. Now available on DVD and Blu-ray. MSN

Great Falls Community Concert Association Announces 2013-2014 Season The Great Falls Community Concert Association proudly presents its 84th annual season of outstanding entertainment. Six shows are included in the series for the unbelievably low cost of $70 for adults, $35 for students, and $15 for each student ticket purchased with an adult ticket. Tickets are available at the Mansfield Box Office in the Great Falls Civic Center Convention Center, at 406-455-8514 or online at ticketing.greatfallsmt. net. Individual concert tickets are available for $30. This entertainment package is the best value in town. The season opens on Thursday, September 19, when you can grab your surfboards and head to the beach with the Unexpected Surfer Boys. Featuring classic hits of the Beach Boys, this rollicking show follows four hilarious guys at a bachelor party they will never forget. The groom may be getting married, but his three kooky friends plan to have Fun, Fun, Fun, before the big day. This

fully staged show features the timeless harmonies of the Beach Boys and high-octane choreography, all performed by this veteran Broadway roster. This same group appeared on our stage two years ago and performed the music of Frankie Valle. The show was a huge success. The Abrams Brothers are featured in our second show on Tuesday, October 29. The Abrams Brothers, John, James, and Cousin Elijah, skillfully combine the music of their roots with their own distinct sound. It is a combination of bluegrass, country, and folk-rock that has had the Canadian festival circuit up in arms over their potential, and the rest are catching on! The brothers are fourth-generation musicians (guitar, violin, bass) with musical roots reaching back to their great-grandparents. Wednesday, February 19, 2014, features the famous Sons of the Pioneers. They are the world’s best-known and best-loved Cowboy ensemble. For over 75 years, the Sons of the Pioneers have been proud to perform the music of the American west celebrating its people, its culture, its awesome landscape, and the American Cowboy. Many of the songs they originally introduced have become forever entwined into the fabric of the west, such as Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Cool Water and Ghost Riders in the Sky,. Every song in their program is a familiar western favorite. Thank You for the Music on Thursday, March 6, 2014 is an exciting and dynamic tribute to the Swedish pop super-group Abba. Powerful harmonies, high-energy dance, and the unforgettable hits of Abba make this musical

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

tribute one not to be missed. Join them as they turn back time and re-live the moments of our past… moments when we heard each one of Abba’s truly timeless hits. Audiobody is a show like none other on Saturday, April 12, 2014; Audiobody is a synthesis of music, comedy, and technology. Their performance is an electronic journey into an unknown realm of seriously spectacular entertainment. They have been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, The Early Show, and Late Show with David Letterman. The final concert of the season, Mack Bailey of the Limeliters, is on Sunday, May 18, 2014. You can tell a lot about singer/songwriter Mack Bailey by the musical company he keeps. Mack has been hailed as “the next great singer in folk music” by no less an authority than Glenn Yarbrough, the original tenor in the world-renowned folk trio, The Limeliters, with whom Mack now performs. Mack is also a principal member of the reunited 60s group, The Hard Travelers. He has a rich history of major concert appearances and has opened for or shared the stage with stars in-

cluding Randy Travis, Alabama, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gil, and The Oak Ridge Boys, among many others. A special concert, not included in the season package, features The Singing Sons of Beaches, on Saturday, November 16, 2013. The Singing Sons of Beaches is an entertaining vocal trio with acoustic guitars that present a musical-comedy show full of good conversation, original, general, and political comedy songs, and beautiful harmonies. These three Montana men have entertained together publicly for over ten years. With songs about its people and its cities, it has become a favorite Montana entertaining group. Unlimited tickets for this performance are available for only $10 with the purchase of a season ticket. Tickets to just this show, without purchasing the season, are $30. Further information about tickets contact the Mansfield Box Office at 406-455-8514. Additional information about each show and links to websites or YouTube, is available online at www.gfcca.org. MSN

Bigfork Museum Of Art And History Presents Pitchfork Fundraiser Have you ever thought about what a cow in the field might be thinking? Have you ever had your steak cooked on a pitchfork and done to perfection? Have you ever wondered how a potter makes a bowl? Well, you can find out the answers to all these questions on August 16 when the Bigfork Museum of Art & History hosts the first annual Pitchfork Fundraiser at Brookies Cookies, 191 Mill Street, nestled next to the Swan River in Bigfork. The day will kick-off with free clay artist demonstrations from 10 am to 8 pm. The demonstrations will feature Raku firing and pottery throwing in front of Brookies. The Divine Bovines will perform their hilarious renditions of songs about cow life set to classic

tunes. For example Bags a’ Bobbin set to Rockin Robin. Back Roads of Montana from Montana PBS will be on hand to record the Divine Bovines for an upcoming segment. Do not miss the Pitchfork Fondue meal that will include a fried pickle, sirloin with peppercorn sauce, chicken breast with béarnaise sauce, cheesy mashed potatoes, salad, veggies, roll, and brownies. A no host bar will serve refreshments. Tickets are limited and available at Bigfork Museum Gift Shop, Riecke’s Bayside Gallery, or by phone at 406-837-6927. For a chance to hear the Divine Bovines go to bigforkevents.com or bigforkmuseum.org. Don’t miss this day of clay flinging, fun, and food! MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21

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Classic DVDs: The Worst of All Time By Mark Fee In the James Garner film Marlowe (1969), Garner plays private detective Phillip Marlowe. Garner is shoved into a waiting car by a member of the mafia. He looks at the thug and says sarcastically, “Does your mother know what you do for a living?� Many film directors and screenwriters deserve the same response. They are the ones who make the worst films of all time, inexorably bad movies. They’re like 3D movies. The mistakes are so bad; they leap at you from the screen. The scripts are wretched and the director doesn’t know what he’s doing. Each film has something terribly wrong with it. Congo (1994) is a perfect example. When I saw Congo (1994), I was perfectly healthy. When I walked out of the film, I felt like I had the flu and I didn’t have a fever. I kept thinking about the cost of the film and that it was probably going to make money. One of the scenes has a family of apes gathered around a campfire. They stare across the campfire at another group of obviously manufactured Hollywood apes. They look like they’re saying to one another, “Paramount is paying them for this? They’re not even family! We’ll sue them.� The film made money. I have no idea why. Car 54 Where Are You (1994) went down like a migraine. The film was embarrassing – an insult to the brain. Michael Cimino’s notably incompetent Heaven’s Gate (1981) was a strain on the eyes and the brain. Clouds billowed, dust swirled. and actors were on the screen for a while and then vanished. None of the film made sense. Elizabeth Taylor was cast in the The Flintstones (1994). Elizabeth Taylor? It was like casting Richard Burton in George of the Jungle (1997). Both films were meant to be funny. They were by default. Hollywood has given us many great films. But the film industry has also released some of the most outlandish and laughably inept films ever made. I’ve listed some of the worst. In Inspector Clouseau (1968), Alan Arkin plays the role Peter Sellers made famous. Arkin took over for Sellers. Sellers’ presence is terribly missing. The script is monotonous. Bud Yorkin’s direction is tedious. Arkin is irritating. If you feel like screaming at the film, you’re not alone. Rated G. One star. Frank Tashlin’s Private Navy of Sgt. O’Farrell (1968) is a disaster. It’s one of Tashlin and Bob Hope’s worst films. Hope plays O’Farrell. O’Farrell tries to bring beer and women to men stuck on an island in WWII. But the script is sophomoric.

I almost gagged. Phyllis Diller is wretched. Gina Lollobrigida is luscious in a dream sequence and livens up the film for a few minutes. The rest of the film is a brain sore. Hope’s next film and last (Cancel My Reservation (1972), was even worse. Rated G; ½ star. The normally competent Edward Dymytrk’s direction of Anzio (1968) is schizophrenic. He turns WWII’s bloodiest battle into unconscionable bore. His direction is lead weight and all over the place. Robert Mitchum and Peter Falk, Robert Ryan and Arthur Kennedy look confused, befuddled. Not rated; ½ star. In The Deadly Trackers (1973), Richard Harris plays a marshal, who wants revenge on some cutthroats for killing his family. Sounds like a western with dramatic potential. The film has none. The violence is repulsive; the acting moronic. Harris overacts. The film begins in slow motion and never gets unstuck. Rated R; No stars. In Frebbie and the Bean (1974), James Caan and Alan Arkin play two cops who can’t stand each other and have to work together. It was supposed to be a buddy cop comedy; something like Dirty Harry meets the Marx Brothers. It isn’t. The film is nauseating and shallow. It’s like eating an egg salad sandwich drenched in oatmeal. Caan and Arkin constantly yell at each other. Yuk. Rated R; 1/2star. In the Charles Bronson epic, White Buffalo (1977), Bronson plays Wild Bill Hickok. Hickok is tormented by visions of a humongous, legendary bison. Hickok and Crazy Horse (Will Sampson) chase the beast. I’ll never forget the buffalo. It was the ugliest, most god-awful creature ever developed for the screen. John Barry’s ponderous soundtrack adds insult to injury. The script was asinine. I couldn’t believe J Lee Thompson (Guns of Navarone, 1961) directed the monolithic turkey. Rated PG; One star. Merl Haggard narrates William Fraker’s ambitious but dreadful, Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) Haggard’s narration was one among many mistakes. Clinton Spilsbury as the Lone Ranger was another. Spilsbury couldn’t read his lines and had to be dubbed. John Barry’s soundtrack is gratingly obnoxious. The film is an embarrassment to western movie buffs. Rated PG; ½ star. If nothing else watching bad movies helps you appreciate the best and gives you a sense of humor. Until the next time, have a great summer and keep watching classic DVD’s. MSN

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

A Taste of What’s Brewing in Montana By Bernice Karnop “One way to buy local is to start with your beer,â€? says Evan Bowser, owner of Bowser Brewing Company in Great Falls. It used to be that most every one drank Montana-made brews like Great Falls Select, Kessler, or Highlander beer. There were breweries in cities all over the state. Then these breweries were bought out by really big breweries that spent their really big advertising bucks touting the beers “everyoneâ€? should like. Well, today the idea of drinking what the whole world drinks is no longer so fashionable. Beer drinkers are starting to take issue with the big box product and starting to take pride in dinking something local. In the last couple decades, nearly 40 microbreweries have popped up across Montana – everywhere between Wibaux and Whitefish. As the taste for local brews grows in popularity with both locals and visitors, it is likely that the numbers of microbreweries will keep growing. Montana themes are strong in the brewery names, in the names of the beers they make, and the dĂŠcor in their taprooms. Montana Brewing Company claims the whole state, but other brewing companies fill in the map: Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Glacier, Flathead Lake, Madison River, Missouri Breaks, Lone Mountain, and Front Brewing Companies, for example. They sell funky Montananamed beers like Rusty Wire Pale, Dancing Trout, Coyote Ugly IPA – the list goes on and on, but you get the picture. One can find an amazing number of styles of beers in the taprooms across Montana. Categories are determined by such things as color, flavor, strength, ingredients, production method, and origin. Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide is an entire book explaining different beer styles. Montana breweries add an amazing palate of flavors including coffee, fruit and jalapenos. Great Falls’ Bowser Brewing Company opened December 23, 2011, more than four decades after Great Falls Select closed in 1968. In contrast to the big companies that keep their beer mainstream to attract many customers, Bowser caters to specific tastes. One of their best sellers is Jalapeno Hefeweizen. “Not everyone likes it but the ones that do, that’s all they drink,â€? says Evan. “Not everybody likes our IPA’s, but the ones that do, that’s all they drink.â€? While the beers cater to specific tastes, the taproom doesn’t cater to a specific clientele. The Bowser Brewing Company on 10th Avenue South

has an inter-generational, small town atmosphere. Evan is real proud to say that college kids mix easily with the older crowd who come in to see Great Falls Select and other memorabilia. Construction workers rub shoulders with the lawyers and other professionals who drop by. Most of their beers are sold out of the taproom and Evan isn’t anxious to expand. “I focus on quality. That’s what’s important to me right now,� he says. Bowser Brewing takes suggestions on social media for new things to try. They made 38 different styles of beer in the first year and they have 16 varieties on tap for their guests. Those big numbers have grabbed attention from out of state media. Bowser credits his grandma for his insatiable bent to try something new. “Every Christmas grandma would buy different weird stuff that we’d never had before and she made us try it,� he says. It got to be a habit. Now they’ll try almost anything. If they brew up something people don’t like, they simply do not brew it again. Brewing started as a family project for the Bowsers. Things got a little slow in the winter on the ranch out of Winifred, so when his dad received a home-brewing kit for Father’s day, they filled their down time making beer which they enjoyed drinking all summer long. While each of the micro-breweries around the state has its own personality and values, they hold some things in common. Their beer is made chiefly from quality Montana malt barley and hops, and they promote the growth of their fresh Montana made products. The Montana Brewers Association, which represents the growing community of small breweries operating throughout the state, boasts about “the increasing value and economic impact of the emerging brewing community.� So remember to buy locally and Montana – and start with your beer. MSN

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Reading and Eating... Yummm By Clare Hafferman When I was in the business of selling books, there was one category I especially enjoyed. Those of us who liked to read all kinds of literature but wouldn’t turn down the job of cozying up to four burners and an oven called it the “Reading Cookbook Section.” If you are both a reader and a baker or a cook of any kind, you have probably discovered some of these in your travels. A few that I have enjoyed and believe are worth noting include: • Cafe Beaujolais by Margaret Fox (written when she operated a unique cafe in Mendicino, California) • The Texas Chuckwagon Cook Book (history along with the bacon and beans,) • The Victory Garden Cookbook (anything grows that can be cooked) • The Butte Cookbook (ethnic abilities with pots and pans on the historic hill) • From Roberta’s Kitchen (a beautifully printed edition I picked up at a used book sale-all devoted to one famous woman who used her abilities for Hailey, Idaho) • Alaska Magazine’s Cabin Cookbook (I ate moose meat and blueber-

ries for two years of my life and I like to read recipes from that country) • Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, because she filled this book with the flavor of Florida foods and how to duplicate them. Last year I discovered another gem in my local library titled American Pie-Slices of Life (And Pie) from America’s Back Roads, written by Pascale Le Draoulec. A name like that demands an explanation, which is that the author is the daughter of two faithfully French immigrants who landed in California, and their offspring, who earned her living as a restaurant critic and a reporter. To pen this tribute to pastry Pascale is offered a new job in New York, and when she laid out a map of the United States, rather than choose a direct route, decided she needed some sort of thread to pull her along. Ruminating on this idea, she decided to use her designated three weeks time to get there by searching out small towns, looking for pie bakers and stories about “pies with character and characters who love pie.” After all, what’s more American than a piece of apple (or several other kinds) of pie? It actually took two trips to accomplish this, but for the first leg of the journey, she asked her friend Kris to come along and share driving chores in the 240 Volvo, nicknamed “Betty.” Betty sported (Cont’d on page 73)

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25

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What You Need To Know About Medicare In Time For Open Enrollment 2013 – Part II By Brian Bailey Bailey Insurance Services, Kalispell What is a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan? A Medicare Advantage plan is also known as Medicare Part C and is an alternative to original fee-for-service Medicare. MA plans are sponsored by Medicare, which pays private insurance companies to provide health services to beneficiaries who enroll in these plans. In order to join an MA plan, beneficiaries must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B and must continue to pay the Part B premium. There are no age requirements to enroll in a MA plan. When joining a MA plan, beneficiaries still have Medicare and retain the full rights and protections entitled to all beneficiaries. Beneficiaries receive all Medicare-covered benefits through the private MA plan they elect. Some MA plans offer Medicare prescription drug coverage (these are known as MA-PD plans), but other plans do not (these are known as MA-only plans). If a beneficiary joins a MA-only plan, he or she may choose to select a separate Medicare Part D prescription coverage. Why would I select a Medicare Advantage Plan? • Premium Savings. A Medicare Advantage Plan’s premium costs can be anywhere from $0 to $120 per month, however the most popular Medicare Advantage Plans in the state of Montana have a monthly premium cost of $17-$75 (which includes prescription coverage (Part D). • You understand your potential financial risk. Medicare Advantage plans are required to limit your out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare Part A and B eligible services to no more than $6,700 annually (MA plans can have a lower out of pocket limit) whereas Original Medicare places no limit on what a Medicare beneficiary’s exposure may be. This can become particularly alarming if a claimant were to have to utilize expensive Part B medications (primarily injectable medications administered in an office setting) which include chemotherapy, rheumatoid arthritis, and dialysis medications. Not only could a Medicare eligible patient have to pay 20% of the cost of each expen-

sive medication, but generally these medications are taken relatively frequently over a long period of time. By selecting a Medicare Advantage plan, you receive a clearly defined level of protection that Original Medicare does not provide. • You have a higher tolerance for accepting risk and/or are healthy. Purchasing any insurance coverage requires not only that you examine your coverage and its costs, but that you predict the future. While you cannot predict the future, you must evaluate the reason(s) you purchase insurance. Are you better off paying $1,250+ a year in premiums to an insurance carrier for Medicare Supplement Plan F coverage that you may not utilize, yet have peace of mind of knowing your out of pocket costs (if any) will be limited if something unexpected were to happen. Or are you better off saving $1,000+ in annual premiums by selecting a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription coverage with the understanding that the worst-case scenario may cost you $3,400-$6,700 in maximum out of pocket costs for that calendar year if something unexpected were to happen. There is no right or wrong answer. • You are under the age of 65. Currently there is not a Medicare Supplement insurance carrier that provides coverage to Montanans under the age of 65. In this case, I would highly recommend the purchase of a Medicare Advantage Plan. Not only does a Medicare Advantage plan define your risk more sufficiently than Original Medicare but also Medicare Advantage Plans have prescription coverage and additional benefits (gym membership, dental, vision) that you may otherwise not receive. • I am just becoming eligible for Medicare due to turning 65. If you are just turning 65 and are in reasonable health, you can try a Medicare Advantage Plan (and potentially save monthly premiums) for up to 12 months from your Part A effective date while retaining your guaranteed issue right (no medical underwriting) to elect a Medicare Supplement plan. This is defined as a trial right, which allows you to try a Medicare Advantage Plan but preserves your opportunity to switch to original Medicare during the initial 12-month period if you

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do not like the Medicare Advantage Plan coverage or find it better to pay for a Medicare Supplement Plan if a major medical issue were to arise. If things go well during that 12 month period you will need to decide if you have the risk tolerance to continue the Medicare Advantage Plan or whether you should transition under guaranteed issue to a Medicare Supplement Plan.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when enrolling in Medicare insurance coverage and they are not easily understood. It is important to consult with your health insurance agent, a representative from the Social Security Administration, and an expert from your local aging services office, as well as family members in order to make the best decision for your circumstances. MSN

Beyond Basic Medicare: Understanding Medicare Supplemental Coverage By Ron Pollack Executive Director, Families USA Although Medicare provides vital health insurance for about 50 million seniors and people with disabilities, most people with Medicare have some form of additional coverage. Why is this coverage so important? And what are your options for getting this coverage? Let’s take a look. Q: What gaps does Medicare have? A: Medicare provides very important basic health insurance. However, it has gaps in the services it covers and in what beneficiaries have to pay out of pocket. Medicare has limited or no coverage for vision, hearing, dental, and long-term care. In terms of what beneficiaries have to pay, in addition to premiums, they often have large deductibles. And many services, like doctor visits and lab tests, come with substantial co-insurance (often 20 percent). Finally, unlike most other health insurance, Medicare does not have lifetime or annual out-of-pocket limits. Q: How do people supplement Medicare? A: Because of these major gaps,

most people with Medicare have some kind of supplemental coverage. About one-third of beneficiaries have supplemental coverage from a former employer, but this coverage is becoming less common. People who can’t get job-based supplemental coverage have other options: Those with very low incomes and assets can get help through their state Medicaid programs (see below). Otherwise, private Medicare supplemental insurance (often called “Medigap”) or a private Medicare Advantage plan can help. But these options may be expensive, and they have other limitations. About 12 percent of people with Medicare do not have any supplemental coverage and are at risk of facing high out-of-pocket costs. Q: What are Medigap plans? A: Private insurance companies sell Medigap plans, but these plans have to follow state and federal rules. Medigap plans come in several standard varieties, which helps consumers compare plans. They cover some of Medicare’s cost sharing (for example, deductibles and co-insurance), but they do not pay for services that Medicare does not cover. Medigap plans are popular because they rarely change from year to year, and they allow you to see any health care provider who accepts Medicare. But Medigap plans can have high premiums that increase annually, and policyholders usually must also buy separate Part D prescription drug plans. If you currently have a Medigap plan, think twice before dropping it for some other coverage – you may not be able to get it back later. Q: What are Medicare Advantage plans? A: Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurance companies that contract with Medicare to provide the full range of Medicare benefits. Most include Part D prescription drug coverage, and some offer supplemental benefits and have out-of-pocket limits. Medicare Advantage plans have grown more popular in recent years, but they have important drawbacks. In general, they limit which doctors and hospitals you can use, and plans decide what services they will approve. Plans can leave a market, forcing people to change their coverage. Beneficiaries can join, switch, or leave their Medicare Advantage plans only during Medicare’s open enrollment period each fall. Q: What if I can’t afford supplemental coverage? A: You may be eligible for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program in your state, or for the Part D Extra Help program through Social Security. Q: How can I get more information? A: Anyone with Medicare can get help from a local counselor through his or her State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You can call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for a referral to your local SHIP or go to this website and click on your state: www.familiesusa.org/resources/ program-locator. Q: Should I expect changes to Medicare rules in the future? A: No immediate changes are planned for Medicare supplemental coverage. But private plans can change their offerings each year. There’s also a chance that, in the next few years, Congress may make changes to Medicare, Medigap, and other supplemental coverage. So, as always, it is good to stay informed. MSN

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40 years of marriage... Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley A married couple in their early 60s was celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny beautiful fairy appeared on their table. She said to the couple, “For being such an exemplary married couple and for loving each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.” The wife answered, “Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.”

The fairy waved her magic wand and poof… two tickets for the Queen Mary II appeared in her hands. The husband thought for a moment and then said, “Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I’m sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than I am.” The wife and the fairy were deeply disappointed… but a wish is a wish. So the fairy waved her magic wand and poof… the husband became 92-years-old. The moral of this story: Men who are ungrateful should remember fairies are female. MSN

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The 20th annual Flathead Valley Jazz Society’s Glacier Jazz Stampede will be held October 3-6, 2013, in Kalispell at the Red Lion Hotel and the Eagles Club. The festival promotes traditional jazz and Dixieland, America’s original musical art form and also presents other styles of jazz including Swing ‘n’ Jazz, Cool Jazz (contemporary), Ragtime & Stride Piano, Big Band/Society Orchestra, Eclectic Jazz, and Gospel Jazz. More than 25 bands from across the United States and Canada will be performing at the festival beginning with an opening party on Thursday, October 3, at the Eagles Club Ballroom – perhaps the best dance floor in town! Under the festival’s general format, bands perform one-hour sets at four or five venues simultaneously with a 15-minute break between sets. The Eagles Club and Red Lion Ballroom are one block apart, so it’s just a short walk to hear your favorite bands perform and to cut the rug. Free dance lessons are offered on Friday and Saturday by local dance instructors, and the Hot Jazz Dancers from Vancouver, BC will give demonstrations of dance styles from the hot jazz era of the 1920s. For more information, visit glacierjazzstampede.com or call 406-862-3814. Call 406-892-2115 for all-event tickets. Purchase day tickets at festival headquarters in the Red Lion during the Jazz Stampede weekend. MSN

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Out Of The Mouths Of Babes… Submitted by Julie Hollar The next time you take an oceanography course, you will be totally prepared, because these kids have just about got it figured out. Read on! “If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don’t have ocean all round you, you are incontinent.” – Mike, age 4 “Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She’s not my friend anymore.” – Kylie, age 6 “Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers.” – Christopher, age 7 MSN

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My Old Friends By Clare Hafferman “Don’t you think for people like us, who garden in a Zone 4 with a three-month summer, that the real reason we do it, is we want to ripen tomatoes off the vine?” I have asked this question to my gardening friends and acquaintances, and their answers were always the same, “Definitely! You bet!” “Yes!” With that assumption, let me tell you about some of my old tomato friends – the ones who stayed with me through nippy springs and sometimes-dry July and August days. Who set their flowers early so they could end the season with those red globes we prized. They did their best even when covered with an old sheet for protection. If you also asked most of the back yard vegetable fans what common tomato do they favor, at least half would choose Early Girl, described as “America=s best -known 57-day hybrid” and advertised as a producer of 4-6 ounce bight red, meaty fruits. Oddly, nobody ever mentioned a wonderful tomato taste. Early seemed to be the goal. There are other varieties that come close to that Early Girl deadline, but some later bearing plants list their maturation from 70 all the way to 79 days. As for the Heirloom types, it takes them even longer. Start with Brandywine, an old Amish variety, renowned for flavor and size and using up 90 to 100 days to bring home the bacon or at least the tomato that will go with the bacon. Cherokee Purple wants 80 to 90 days, Giant Oxheart 80-95 days, Mortgage Lifter 75-85 days, and Mr. Stripey will do the job in 8o days to ripen a 9 oz. to 2-lb. wonder – orange and mottled color outside, but the usual red inside. You are probably familiar with all these players in the game, especially if you have read down the list of the Totally Tomatoes catalog featuring page after page of sizes, colors, and production rates for this favorite summer fruit. Since I am an amateur and learned about

growing tomatoes through trial and error, let me tell you about the ones I’ve grown, some descriptions, and a few tips. For several years, I have grown Marmande, a tomato originally from France with seed sold by Le Jardin Du Gourmet. A sample packet costs 40 cents, a large packet sells for $1.05, so you can experiment for a small price. Marmande is a medium size tomato with a good taste and reliable every summer I’ve raised it. My other choices have included in other years, Green Zebra (no better tomato for fried green tomatoes,) Sweet Million, a productive, sweet cherry type, and Sungold, a bite-sized taste treat with the very essence of tomato. This year I started Stupice, from Poland, where they probably have short summers like we do. This tomato has potato type leaves, sets fruit before anything else, keeps producing all summer long, and tastes good. When I started these seeds in March, they came right up and looked like they meant business. From seeds a friend gave me, I started Cherokee Purple and Mr. Stripey, both Heirlooms that she had raised. She said the Mr. Stripey tomatoes were good keepers and lasted all fall in a cool upstairs room after she gathered them. I grew Cherokee Purple last year. The color wasn’t appealing, but the taste was fine and I intend to try them again. I bought Bush Goliath and Beefsteak seeds for the relative who said

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I gave him too many Cherry tomatoes wanted something bigger. This was a case of biting the hand that feeds you, but since he volunteered to supply my dirt with fertilizer…. I also started two other cool-climate favorites, Polar Gem and Sub-Arctic from seeds that I had saved. I have seen elaborate instructions for saving seeds, but my simple method works. Just scoop out some seeds, put them in a small shrimp cocktail glass, add water, let them sit on the kitchen window ledge for two or three days, then pick out the seeds, and put them in an envelope or a small plastic sack. Here are some other tips. When you plant your tomatoes, put a tablespoon or two of Epsom salts dug in around each bush and water it in. This treatment adds minerals we don=t always have in clay soils. If you have also dug compost into the dirt around the plant, you have added calcium from eggshells. You can get a concentrated dose if you mix eggshells and water in your blender, whirl them up, and pour this slurry around the tomato plants. I also add a dose of fish fertilizer at intervals during the growing season. My garden space is small so my plants don=t get the recommended three-foot space between, but caged up, they seem to fight it out. You can even talk to them if that=s in your repertoire. Otherwise, it=s like raising kids – you’ve done your best! Just stand back and hope to clap at the end of a good performance this month. MSN

How to Choose a Home Stair Lift By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, My wife is having an increasingly difficult time going up and down the stairs in our house. We are interested in purchasing a stair lift, but aren’t sure what to get or where to look. Can you help us? Need a Lift

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Dear Need, A good home stair lift is a wonderful solution for people with mobility issues who have trouble with steps. A stair lift will carry your wife up and down the stairs in a safe seated position, giving her easy access to the second story or basement level of your home. But with so many options available, how do you choose one that best meets your needs and budget? Here are a few shopping tips along with some good companies that offer them. Types of Lifts. There are two basic types of stair lifts sold today: straight and curved. The type you need will depend upon the design of your staircase. A straight stair lift is one that travels in a straight line up a flight of stairs uninterrupted by

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landings, bends, or curves and costs between $3,000 and $5,000 installed. Curved lifts, however, are much more elaborate and will go around corners, bends, and changes in direction. Curved lifts are also much more expensive typically running between $10,000 and $15,000 or more depending on the complexity of the installation. Also available through certain companies are weatherproof lifts for outdoor steps, and standing stair lifts (called perch lifts) for those who have trouble bending their knees. You also need to know that all stair lifts mount to the stair treads, not to the wall, so they are very sturdy and can be installed in almost any home. If your wife is a large person, you may need to get her a heavy-duty lift with a wider seat and bigger lifting capacity – all companies offer them. Or, if she’s tall, find out about raising the seat height during installation. Most stair lifts available today also have seats, armrests, and footplates that fold up out of the way, plus swivel seats that make getting into and out of the chair easier. They also come with standard safety features like seatbelts, braking systems, footrest sensors, push-button or rocker-switch controls located on the armrest for easy operation, and “call send” controls that allow you to call or send the unit to the other end of the stairs. Make sure the lift you choose has all these features. Depending on the company, you may also have the option of choosing between an electric

(AC) and a battery powered (DC) stair lift. Battery powered units charge at the base station (some recharge anywhere on the track) are quieter, smoother, and better than electric lifts, and will work even if there’s a power failure in the home. Where to Shop. While there are many companies that make, sell and install stair lifts, the most respected in the industry are Bruno (bruno. com, 866-345-7537) and Stannah (stannahstairlifts.com, 800-877-8247), followed by Harmar (harmar.com, 800-833-0478) and Sterling (handicare.com, 866-276-5438). Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover stair lifts, but many states offer Medicaid waivers that will pay for lifts to those that qualify, and the VA offers cash grants to veterans with disabilities for home safety improvements. To save some money, you may want to consider purchasing a used or refurbished model. Or, if you need a stair lift for only a short period, consider renting one. Most companies offer these options, and many offer financing programs too. To get started, contact some stair lift companies who will put you in touch with a dealer in your area. All dealers provide free in-home assessments and estimates, and can help you choose an appropriate lift. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31

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Dear Worried: Your parents are invested in a form of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). In your case, the trusts are small (few investors and few properties), closed (not likely traded on an exchange) investments in loans (rather than outright ownership). Investors hold real estate and mortgages for a couple of reasons. For example, retirees and others see the rental payments as stable income. Second, they reason that no matter what happens to stocks and bonds, the real property is tangible, so the value will “always” be above zero. On the surface, then, the investment is not necessarily “fishy.” Nevertheless, I see several potential red flags with this relationship. First, most advisors will tell you that keeping tabs on any particular “alternative” investment (such as trust deeds) should be considered a part-time job if your holdings are greater than five or possibly 10% of your portfolio. Perhaps your parents are retired real estate professionals or mortgage brokers and they stay active in the field. Then a 10% allocation or even a bit more might be reasonable. The defaulted properties are obvious red flags. 2009 was a particularly difficult year for real estate, but the fact that he is able to convince them to keep adding to their holdings despite the fact that these properties have still not sold or generated income means he is very convincing. One major downside of real estate is that it is highly illiquid. Defaulted properties have turned them into landlords with all sorts of potential costs from maintenance to updating to the necessity of insuring against disasters. These properties are generating no income but are generating costs, which may not be totally recouped when the property is finally sold.

For the real estate trusts, there are a couple of figures that are imperative in analyzing particular investments. One is the loan-to-value ratio. This tells what percent of the value of the property is being funded. Most professionals won’t accept a ratio of more than 65% of the property value. In addition, if any of the loans are not First Trust Deeds, there are other parties ahead of your parents’ batch of lenders. You would want to know these facts for each of the investments. Besides my questions about the investments, I have concerns about their advisor. Perhaps this guy has a well thought-out and viable succession plan. At the age of 75 and flying his own private plane, his investors should be made well aware of this plan and to whom they can direct questions in case of an emergency. Furthermore, they should check out his record with the SEC at this website. If he has even a minor mark against him, they should ask him to discuss it frankly, and they should listen carefully to his explanation. Finally, the fact that he continues to soft sell more real estate investments and further reduces whatever diversification they have makes me uncomfortable. If they have so much money that they rightfully can have little fear of running out, and neither can be said to be cognitively impaired, then I suppose they have the right to spend their money the way they want. But if they depend on their portfolio to generate income for their support, then you are right to be concerned. Karen Telleen-Lawton serves seniors and preseniors as the Principal of Decisive Path Fee-Only Financial Advisory in Santa Barbara, California (http://www.DecisivePath.com). You can reach her with your financial planning questions at ktl@ DecisivePath.com MSN

Simplified Computer Software That Can Help Seniors Get Online By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any computer software that is easy to use that I can download on an old computer that I have? I would like to set my grandmother up with a system for email and Internet access, but I do not want to spend a lot of money. Cheap and Easy

Dear Cheap, There are actually a number of companies and services today that offer simplified computer software designed specifically for people who have little or no computer experience. These software packages can transform most Microsoft Windows personal computers (PCs) – some work with Macs and tablets too – into a

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much simpler computer experience that provides easy access to most functions, like sending and receiving email, browsing the Internet, making video calls, looking at photos, playing games, and more. Here are some top options to check out. Free Software – Since it is completely free, a good place to start is at Eldy, an Italian nonprofit organization that provides simplified computer software in 25 different languages, including English. Available to download at www.eldy.eu, this software works on PCs that use Windows and Linux systems, Macs, and Android tablets. Once installed, Eldy converts the computer’s desktop into a simple six-button menu that has large text, color contrast, and simplified instructions (no confusing icons) that makes it easy to see, understand, and operate. The six-button menu puts the user one-click-ofthe-mouse away from simplified versions of email, the Web, Skype for video calls, chat groups, a simple word processing program, and more. It is also worth noting that Eldy software works on touch-screen computers, too, and they offer online tech-support. Fee-Based Services – If, however, you do not mind spending a little money, there are also a number of companies that offer software similar to Eldy, but provide a few extra enticing features. One of the best deals is offered through SeeYouLink (seeyoulink.com), which has a three-month free trial and charges only $4.95 per month after that. SeeYouLink’s web-based software will transform any mouse-operated or touch-screen Windows-based PC, into a simplified big-button operating system with large fonts and color contrasts. This will give anyone easy access to a host of functions that she can select from, like email, Web browsing, video calling, brain-fitness games, movies, Facebook, a calendar that sends reminders, and much more. This service also provides a “remote access� feature that will give you and other family members the ability to access your grandmother’s computer system from literally any computer anywhere in

the world, so you can help her set things up, show her websites, schedule appointments, or guide her through any other questions or problems she might have. And, when you or your grandmother needs help, SeeYouLink offers free tech support, both online and over the phone. In addition to SeeYouLink, some other companies worth looking at, which offer similar services, include InTouchLink (intouchlink.com), which can be used on a PC, Mac, or iPad and costs $13.75 per month or $150 per year. Another company, Pointer Ware (pointerware.com), works on Windows PCs and costs a one-time fee of $149, or you can subscribe monthly for $8 per month. BigScreenLive (bigscreenlive.com) also operates on Windows PCs and runs $9.95 per month for an annual membership. User-Friendly Computers – If you find that you would rather purchase your grandmother a new computer that is designed for seniors and is ready to go right out of the box, you have options here too. Two of the most popular are the Telikin (telikin.com, 800-2303881), which costs between $699 and $999 – this same computer is sold as the “WOW� computer through firstSTREET – and MyGait (mygait.com, 866-4694248), which runs $799 or $899, plus a $20 monthly service fee. 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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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Ex-Burglar Reveals What Makes Your Home a Good Target

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By Teresa Ambord On a recent episode of 20/20, reporters interviewed a reformed home burglar, to find out what makes a home a good target. They took him on a ride through a neighborhood and asked him to spot the security mistakes homeowners make and what he saw them doing right. How does your house match up? Here are some of the key points he made. • Security systems. A sign on a lawn or home stating the home has a security system really does help, said 20/20. After all the thief values his freedom and wants to be reasonably sure he can get in and out. However, he added a warning: many homeowners who have paid for security systems fail to turn them on when they leave the home. They forget. They think they’ll only be gone a short while, so what’s the harm? But the average home burglary takes ten minutes. A determined thief can get in and out while you run to the corner for milk. • “Beware of dog” signs. These are surprisingly effective. Of course, if you really don’t have a dog, a thief who suspects that may be the case may spend time watching the home to find out. This wasn’t mentioned on the show, but there is also anecdotal evidence that if a thief sees a large dog dish or a heavy dog toy, or a large pair of men’s boots on the porch or in the yard, he might think twice and decide your house isn’t worth the risk. • Cover. Privacy for you = cover for thieves. Many houses provide natural attractions for burglars because bushes, hedges and some trees create an obstructed view that gives a thief cover where he can get in and out of your home unseen. If necessary, he can also sit unnoticed while he picks your locks. • Window air conditioners. An air conditioner in a window is thief bait. Not because he wants the AC, but because he knows it can easily be pushed inside or pulled outside, leaving him an open window and access to get inside. • Home repair equipment. You may have an ongoing project in your backyard that requires the use of a ladder. By leaving the ladder accessible, you’re giving thieves a way to gain entry to second floor windows, which are less likely to be locked. • Electronics. A home burglar will look for electronic devices that have chargers with them. If the charger is not there, he may opt not to take a device, even if it is expensive. It’s just not worth the hassle and cost to replace the charger, and the value of the item without the charger is substantially lower, according to 20/20. So store your chargers elsewhere. Remember this when you travel and leave your electronics in your hotel room. • Front door access. Believe it or not, the most common entry point for burglars is the front door. Don’t rely on your neighbors to notice. Not to suggest your neighbors aren’t reliable, but they are busy living their own lives. It’s very common for a burglar to just walk (Continued on page 37)

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

A fearless girl now schools men By Bill Hall One day when I was six years old, a 13-yearold girl took me by the hand, walked me into a public library and told me I could read any of the hundreds of books on the shelves. And I could read them for free. That girl was Lois, my sister. She has been gone for some years now. But I think of her each time books and libraries are in the news. I thought of her recently as the huge new town library opened and I happily walked through the door with my inner six-year-old. I thought about my sister again a few days later while watching a speech on television by one of the strongest and most influential teen-age girls you will ever witness. Most of you are aware of that fairly famous 16-year-old girl named Malala Yousafzai who was shot last year for the crime of female reading. In her recent speech at the United Nations, she fired up her movement to advocate for the many children in the world who have been denied the opportunity to learn how to read. She spoke especially on behalf of girls who have been specifically forbidden to read by the strange, male bullies of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Taliban who shot her. Malala bluntly told her story: “…the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. “The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage was born. I am the same Malala… I am here to speak

for the right of education for every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. “I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from Mohamed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha…” (You can find the video of her entire speech on YouTube under “BBC News - Malala Yousafzai.”) What a vicious and clumsy mistake the Taliban has made. They not only motivated Malala to greater passion for her cause but they massively magnified her international influence. And if that were not enough, now that the global spotlight has reached her, it turns out that she was born to lead a cause. That teen-age girl from Pakistan stood there on international television with millions watching and spoke with a passion and a dramatic grasp of language and gestures that are normally found among a historical handful of much older orators. She is a new Gandhi, a new King, a new Mandela. The Taliban has shot itself in the foot, and then some. And Malala knows it. She said, “let us wage a glorious struggle (Cont’d on page 37)

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What Makes Home Good Target cont’d from pg 34 up and knock on a door to see if anyone is home. As long as he doesn’t act suspicious, he may be able to let himself into your backyard without drawing suspicion. • Hiding place for valuables. Rarely used valuables should be in a safe deposit box. But for those items you keep at home, thieves go right to the typical hiding places for cash and jewelry, such as the dresser drawer in the master bedroom. Instead, put your valuables in an unlikely container in an unlikely place, for example, a shoebox stored in your child’s closet. Don’t Make it Easy for Burglars to Target Your Home. Besides the front door, common entry points for home burglaries are first floor windows, the back door, and the garage. One way to help secure entries that include glass is by installing glass-break sensors. With wireless technology, sensors detect the sound and feel of window glass breaking and set off an alarm that could send burglars running. If you don’t have deadbolts already, they are an essential part of home security. Plus, having deadbolts at entry points may qualify you for a discount on your homeowner insurance. Don’t forget outdoor lighting, like motionsensing floodlights, and solar-powered pathway lights. Both of these are inexpensive and may not require special installation. Some motion sensing lights can simply be plugged into a wall socket. Forget hiding a key outside. You may think your hiding place is clever, but remember, for some thieves this is a full-time occupation, so if any place you can think to hide a key, they can think to find it. Better to leave a key with a trusted neighbor. MSN

Fearless Girl Now Schools Men continued from page 35 against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism. Let us pick up our books and our pens; they are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” Nobody ever kept my sister from learning to read – partly because the men of this society wanted our sisters and our daughters to have books. But my sister’s role in handing me the world of books makes me wonder all the more about what kind of men would shoot girls, especially for the imaginary sin of reading. The women and girls I know love books so much. Giving books only to men and taking them away from women is like giving flowers, poetry, and babies only to men and shooting little girls who differ with that decision. It reminds me once again that even some peaceful religions, who wish their girls and women well, have underestimated the worth of women. Many Christian, Muslim, and Jewish congregations overlook the fact that, on the whole, women are even more religious and nurturing than men. Doesn’t that make them especially well qualified to join men in the leadership positions from which those religions still bar them? My sister Lois was my leader in the land of books. I wish she had lived to see how a brave girl can lead ignorant men out of the darkness Bill Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 37

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As Montana developed in the early 20th century, towns grew up around natural resources and the companies that were working the resource. Many became company towns, erected for the workers by the company and essentially run by the company for the workers. This month’s Remember When selection takes us back to the 1950s and Bonner just outside Missoula and very much a company town centered on lumber. Thank you to Patty Friedrich

of Missoula for sharing Growing Up in Bonner. Patty is the winner of our $25 Remember When prize for this issue. Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days,” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may be included. Each issue of the Montana Senior News fea-

tures the contributions deemed best by our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize. We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2013 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800-672-8477 or 406-761-0305. Visit us online at www.montanaseniornews.com.

Growing Up In Bonner By Patty Ryan Friedrich, Missoula I lived my whole childhood in Bonner with my sisters, Donna and Brenda. My Grandfather Albert and my Father Robert Dean Barta worked there for the Anaconda Lumber Company, when I was born in 1949. I remember my Father, in the cold winter, walking in the back door with his clothes frozen solid on him and barely moving. He would thaw out in front of the wood stove, change his clothes, and go back to work. The Anaconda Lumber Company would take their D-Cat, plow us a sleigh-riding hill every winter, and keep it cleared. They would use the old fire truck to fill up the ice skating pond with water. Champion International also continued to do this after I grew up and left Bonner. They always made

sure we had plenty of firewood, and so did Earl Fuller, to make sure we all stayed warm. On the weekends, Earl and Ada Fuller would have movie nights for us in their back shed with popcorn, Kool-aid, and treats. They would give horse and sleigh rides all around Bonner. George’s Cafe would open early every morning for the train crews, and if George and family were not there, the train crews would have their own key. If any of us kids helped after the baseball games and basketball games, we would get our food free and keep our own tips. George’s would always make sure the jukebox was turned up loud and give out free coins for the music. Bill Disbrow’s store in Milltown let families charge their groceries until payday, and so did

Frank Anderson in Piltzville. He also made sure my sister and I got free candy. If my Father said he was going to Frank’s we’d beat him to the car. And no one has ever been able to make Bill’s potato sausage. The Anaconda Lumber Company and Champion International made sure we had a library, at first next to George’s Cafe and then the post office. Carla Corbin was our librarian, and we spent allot of time reading. I have a lot of fond memories of Bonner, beautiful families, and friends, and I do give a lot of credit to the Anaconda Lumber Company and Champion International for all they did for us children growing up there. MSN

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects. - Herman Melville

Aging has enough difficulties. Getting the care you need shouldn’t be one of them. Highgate Senior Living offers full care for all, no matter what your age or ailment. Our team of compassionate professionals can handle almost anything, including complex medical issues and post-acute hospital care. In fact, we specialize in services normally provided in skilled nursing, such as diabetic care and oxygen management, injectable medications, wound care, feeding tubes, catheter monitoring, two-person transfers, and hospice. Just call any of our three Assisted Living/Memory Care communities in Montana, and we’ll make sure your move into Highgate is one of the easiest things in your life right now. Highgate at Billings 406-651-4833

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

Saving The Past By Clare Hafferman If you have recently purchased a sympathy card, played a CD on your boom box or a music tape in your older truck or car, then Bob Dylan’s song, The Times They Are A-Changin’ might seem appropriate. A sympathy card is now almost obsolete. Your sorrow at someone’s passing is delivered by a touch of the button on your computer, and the music most Americans listen to is heard on an electronic device. Our Mother’s solicitation to write thank-you notes will probably suffer the same fate. In the case of music we have enjoyed in the past, there might be a bell ringing for you. It is the same bell that was on the train that knocked Border’s bookstores off the track and they did not hear it coming, either. When Borders recently announced they were closing their doors, it meant approximately 11,000 American workers would lose their jobs. Many of their customers were astounded by the news. How could such an innovative company, praised for its combination of books, music, stationery, related gifts, and coffee shop atmosphere, suddenly vanish with no light at the end of the tunnel? The train that hit them was technology advancing. A library director in my family told me that her library stopped purchasing music CDs some time ago, but that Borders continued to feature them in their stores and as it turned out, to their detriment. When I asked where she got her music selections, she said she subscribed to a service that charges 99 cents per tune and what she buys goes on her iPod. Another friend of mine who owns a viable independent book store and keeps not only the current best sellers but regional biking, hiking, fishing and camping volumes, a wonderful chil-

dren’s section, and artistic greeting cards, told me she understood that Borders preferred to put their stores near the big traffic producers, Wal-Mart and Target, but in the move to stay close, often paid exorbitant rental costs for that real estate. If there is a lesson to be learned by music lovers who do not fancy or want all the technical aspects of today’s electronic gear, here is a piece of advice. One company in America is aware of that and it is Crosley. They sell a combination record player with AM/FM radio and separate slots for CDs and for tapes. Target featured them recently at a price of $119. If your local library has already divested its shelves of records, CDs, and tapes, your next move is to call or stop by second-hand stores or thrift shops. These items also show up sometimes at yard sales. If you want something specific, try running an ad in the want ads. Relatives emptying a house might also have what you are looking for. Play like Sherlock and take Dr. Watson along. Should looking for outdated music seem archaic, you have not been watching the American Pickers program on television. They recently found an RCA wind-up phonograph with the logo of the little dog “listening to his Master’s voice,” and in this case, it was worth $400. The buyer said the stack of usable records that came with the phonograph was what made it valuable to him. “You just can’t find these anymore,” he said. So, if you take all this into account and before you can’t find the original Big Rock Candy Mountain, where “the little streams of alcohol come trickling down the rocks,” or one of my favorites from the rock and roll period, Because, by the Dave Clark Five, get in gear and start looking! MSN

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PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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PAGE 42 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Making a Difference with Gallatin Heart Rescue – One Heart Beat At A Time

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Article & Photo By Kim Thielman-Ibes Kevin Lauer often jokes that when he retires he’ll be able to volunteer more. This, coming from a man who has spent nearly 30 years volunteering – for fire departments, churches, and faith based non-profits like ROC Wheels that deliver wheelchairs to children around the world. Most recently, Kevin has been the force behind the creation of Gallatin Heart Rescue, a community based organization dedicated to teaching every person in Montana and beyond the simple and powerful skill of CPR. Lauer is one of those rare individuals dedicated to community service. His most recent project – Gallatin Heart Rescue, is essentially the culmination of all he has learned from years of service and work. In a year, Gallatin Heart Rescue has taught thousands of Montanans the simple, life saving technique of CPR. In this short time, the survivability from sudden cardiac arrest in Gallatin County has risen from 6% to 17%. Consider that Seattle, Washington, the gold standard for survivability in the U.S., stands at 27% – and they’ve been working on it for 40 years. “Gallatin County has learned so much because of what we’ve started doing,� says Lauer. “There’s no reason why every person should not know how to do basic CPR.� And that’s exactly what Lauer hopes to accomplish through Gallatin Heart Rescue. “I call it a legal pyramid scheme, I teach five people and they each teach five people and it grows exponentially,� he adds with his ever-ready smile. The classes Gallatin Heart Rescue teaches are

free, short (about 45 minutes), fun, and they get right to the point. “To teach a class you need only to attend one, that’s how simple it is,� says Lauer, eager to recruit everyone on his mission to save lives. The program Lauer has put together is so easy to grasp he’s set up several “sidewalk CPR� events to teach people on the fly. The course doesn’t have any tests and though it doesn’t come with formal certification, Lauer notes, “I’ve never saved a life by throwing my CPR certification card at them.� It all boils down to one thing, maintaining chest compressions to the tune of the Bee Gee’s well known aptlynamed tune Staying Alive. “One hundred beats a minute,� notes Lauer. Its simplicity nearly belies its importance. For every one-minute delay in CPR in a sudden cardiac arrest event, there is a 10-15% decrease in survivability. Through Lauer’s non-stop dedication, this non-profit, all-volunteer organization’s CPR program has grown beyond Gallatin County, which already includes hundreds of volunteer teachers, with outreach throughout the state of Montana. It has also been picked up by 10 other states around the nation thus far. When Lauer started the program he funded it himself, purchasing needed supplies like the mannequins used for practice in class. After presenting the program to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, AMR (American Medical Response ambulance service), and local fire and police agencies, it didn’t take long for the value of the program to become

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self-evident and with that came grants to help grow Gallatin Heart Rescue. He’s since received the Star of Life award through AMR and, thankfully, there appears to be no stopping him and the success of Gallatin Heart Rescue. There’s essentially just one thing you really need to know about Kevin Lauer: When Lauer commits to a project, he doesn’t just stick a toe in the water, he jumps in with both feet and is willing to tow the boat behind him no matter what the distance or the difficulty, without thought to personal sacrifice, but simply, with a steely doggedness and determination to get the job done. Perhaps it was his early childhood dream of either becoming a firefighter or a cowboy (he accomplished both by the way) that gave him core values: preserving life and property, promoting public safety, hard work, loyalty, and faithfulness. Lauer moved from Wyoming to Montana in 2001 to manage the livestock and the construction for a guest ranch that unfortunately never got off the ground. Undaunted, he found work in ranching and construction. Soon after, he found Gallatin Valley such an agreeable place to be, he settled in Bozeman. That same year he joined the 78-year-old volunteer rural fire department of Gallatin Gateway working his way up to Assistant Fire Chief. It was through this fire department that Lauer was pushed into becoming an EMT (emergency medical technician) and thus began his work and dedication to emergency medical services. For the past three years, Lauer has been a full time EMT with American Medical Response (AMR) in Bozeman. “A lot of people ask me how I keep doing this for free. We started this without any expectations, without financial gain,� says Lauer. For him, his

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

million-dollar payback is the people that Gallatin Heart Rescue program has saved. To take a class from Gallatin Heart Rescue or information on teaching a class, please visit www. gallatinheartrescue.com (Montana) or www.spokaneheartrescue.com (Spokane, Washington) for their class schedule and contact information. MSN

Find Everything At Bogert Farmers’ Market Food, art, culture; the things that enrich life and all great reasons to meet at the Bogert Farmers’ Market! Whether in search of fresh produce, a handmade wedding gift or a delicious dinner out, it can be found at your local market. Enjoy live music while you shop, dine, socialize, and meet the local farmers and artists who bring vibrancy to your community. The Bogert Farmer’s Market promotes a healthy community every Tuesday evening from 5-8 pm all summer long. Come on down and support everything local. Life is a Garden... Dig it! Bogert Farmers’ Market is located in Beautiful Bogert Park, South Church Avenue, Bozeman. Visit us at www.bogertfarmersmarket.org. MSN

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PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

When Peter Norlander Calls Birds, They Answer

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Article & Photo By Craig & Liz Larcom You could call Peter Norlander a copycat. Or more precisely, a copybird. His habits did not come to light until a cool morning in June some years ago, when the birders at a Montana Audubon festival gathered round a field trip leader. As they scanned the area near Choteau for birds, a song sounded from the grasslands. “That’s a vesper sparrow,” the leader said. While the rest of the birders looked around for the small, brown bird, Norlander, attending his first bird festival, absentmindedly whistled the song. “There it goes again!” said the leader. Jolted back to reality, Norlander confessed that he rendered that last song, not the sparrow. To his surprise, the leader responded by inviting him to compete at the bird calling contest that afternoon. Norlander had never heard of such a contest. “But I had no fear of making a fool of myself and so I said, ‘Sure!’ says Norlander with a grin. When his turn came, he whistled the call of the black-capped chickadee. He followed it with a mountain chickadee, with its raspier, doubletime call. Then he threw in a touch of whimsy by performing a “blues chickadee,” a chickadee call the way a blues musician might improvise it. The judges declared the Livingston man the winner. But people aren’t the only ones who think Norlander sings like a bird. Sometimes the birds do,

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too. It didn’t take Norlander long to realize that when he imitated a chickadee call, the birds called back. Chickadees and other birds naturally investigate any upstarts that arrive in the immediate area during breeding season. “And if you can whistle a bird’s song, you’re a challenge in your neighborhood,” he says. Hearing the birds answer him amused Norlander, but after he became practiced at it, he wondered how much he could change the song, and still get the bird to sing back. “So sometimes I tweaked the call a little bit, bluesing it or swinging it,” he says. He learned that “once they home in on your call, they just follow it as you adjust it. They’re hardwired that way.” These days Norlander limits his bird calling to occasions that have a particular purpose, not wanting to interrupt the birds at a time when they should be busy feeding their youngsters or carrying on some other activity. So when a group of birders goes out in the field, he might whistle a bird song to help them. “Sometimes it can be hard to hear an individual song if too many birds are singing at once. The ruby-crowned kinglet, it’s loud and sometimes it’s incessant,” says Norlander of one frequent songster that drowns out the others. “So I might go through the birds they’re hearing, one by one, to help people learn.” And if someone has trouble hearing the difference between two similar songs, Norlander points out the distinction and then performs the two songs one after the other, to make the comparison easier. For example, robins and black-headed grosbeaks sing similar songs. “Both start the same, but the black-headed grosbeak goes faster and is not really as musical,” he says. He learns these small differences by listening carefully to a bird’s song over and over, and by studying bird recordings. One morning while visiting in Billings, his ears picked up the song of a red-eyed vireo. “I thought, ‘Huh. That doesn’t sound quite right.’ I got out my binoculars and looked and it’s not a red-eyed vireo, it’s a Philadelphia vireo. Farthest it comes west is about Billings,” he says. That made it a new song for Norlander. He looked up the Philadelphia vireo’s song and learned the distinction. Five minutes later when a red-eyed vireo broadcast its song from a cottonwood, Norlander confidently nailed the identification. Come winter, Norlander leads members of the Sacajawea Audubon Society into the Bridger Mountains to listen in the moonlight for owls. Cup-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

ping his hands as he stands in the snow, he mimics the hoots of the big owl species and the toots of the little ones. Often they respond from a distance. Norlander began calling the birds in his neighborhood about twenty years ago. With a love of music and an ear for the nuances of sound, it just seemed like a natural thing to do. But the roots of his hobby extend to much earlier times in his life. He learned to whistle at the age of three. Also he heard a tonal language from the outset, because he grew up in Thailand. “The words might sound the same, but they have different meanings depending on tone and how people say it,� he says. “That might have helped to develop my ability to hear so well.� However it came about, Norlander can whistle an impressive repertoire of bird songs, and he continues to use his skills to compete in contests whenever he can. His favorite performance so far was a few

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 45

years ago when he created a fugue which he performed single-handedly at a Montana Audubon bird festival. To play the alternating part, he used a stuffed toy bird that plays a chickadee song. “That was a blast!� he says. He also performed this same counterpoint fugue at a music festival later. “I love music. I listen to jazz, some rock and roll. I listen to a lot of classical music and also some of big band,� says Norlander, who does telephone and data cabling at work. His wife loves music, too. Of course bird music has a special place in his heart. “It just enriches one’s life, to be able to go outside and hear who is in the neighborhood. They’re friends of mine that are out singing,� he says. People who enjoy birds often call their recreation bird watching, but in Norlander’s case, you might just as well call it bird hearing. MSN

Wildwood Nursery’s San Schwalbe – Continued from front cover herself is finally beginning to discover a sense of health and normalcy within her life. “Now it’s the big switch, the big annual push is over so it’s kind of nice,� she says with a renewed spirit of appreciation and love for family and her life’s work. In her 32 years as a horticulturalist, Schwalbe has found she is much like the native landscape that she stocks: put a plant (or a person) where it likes to be and it will just thrive. The strong reputation Schwalbe had forged in the valley along with her near lifelong friendships provided the safety line she needed to keep her business and livelihood a going concern. Schwalbe is a stellar representation of the saying, “No (wo)man is an island.� Her success with Wildwood Nursery and Landscaping and her ability to meet her health scare with breast cancer head on have not been lone treks. Schwalbe would be the first to tell you that the super delegation of family, friends, and business associates that she’s surrounded herself with has been and continues to be the strong foundation from which she’s been successful as a businessperson and as a cancer survivor. Today, Schwalbe looks pointedly and excitedly into the future. Her experience with breast cancer, still fresh, still healing, still top of mind has added a depth and dimension to her life she would not have had without the ordeal. Throughout her life, she has taken adversity and turned it into opportunity. Like Wildwood Nursery, Schwalbe has come a long ways in the thirty-plus years she’s grown in Big Sky. Her appreciation for life, both plant and her own, has pushed her to discover new ways to expand her horizons. Her love for the outdoors and Big Sky has pushed her to look at horticulture in a new way. “I feel like I’m contributing,� she says. As the growing season at Big Sky comes to a close, San Schwalbe is just getting started – preparing herself for a new life come next spring in Montana’s Next Year Country. MSN

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Feel The Music Soar With The Bozeman Symphony & Symphonic Choir The Bozeman Symphony Society presents a repertoire of symphonic and choral music performed for the benefit of individuals, students, and musicians residing in south-central Montana. Established in 1968, the Society supports the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir. Under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Matthew Savery, the Symphony provides a wide variety of orchestral programming throughout our six concert weekends. It supports Far Afield, a highly accessible community outreach program, donates thousands of dollars’ worth of tickets to local nonprofits, and awards scholarships to promising young musicians. To expand music appreciation and increase access to performances, the Symphony presents a free concert for 4th grade students, two free family

concerts, a free Festival of the Fourth concert for our community, and offers affordable RUSH tickets. The Symphony also employs nearly one hundred people. The Bozeman Symphony and Symphonic Choir, whose history is marked by artistic excellence, have established themselves as significant icons in Montana. Your purchase of a Season Ticket package offers up to a 40% savings over individual ticket prices. Join us for our exciting new season! For more information, please contact the Bozeman Symphony office at 406-585-9774 or visit our website at www.bozemansymphony.org. MSN

It May Seem Hopeless But Family Promise Can Help... Recently a 20-year-old single mother, Molly, called Family Promise and asked for our help. She was living in a car and it was getting cold outside. There was nowhere to go for her and her 10-monthold son, Ben. Molly had started doing drugs with her mother at age 14. When Molly found out she was pregnant she stopped doing all drugs and wanted to become healthy for her baby. Scared to death, she decided to try Family Promise. After being in the program, Molly wrote, “Within three days of joining the program I got a job… I started therapeutic counseling, and attending a parenting support group. I started saving my money and learned many tactics to help me manage my budget.” Molly and Ben stayed in Family Promise for 90 days. Volunteers from area churches provided meals. Churches opened their doors to provide shelter. Family Promise helped Molly secure a job, an apartment, and childcare for her son. Think of all the other homeless young families out there not knowing where to turn. With your help who knows what wonderful possibilities exist! Please remember Family Promise of Gallatin Valley in your planned giving. For more information, call 406-582-7388 or visit familypromisegv.org. MSN

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PAGE 46 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Big Sky Resort: A Television Commentator’s Dream

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By Bernice Karnop Many Montana Senior News readers remember the excitement when NBC news commentator Chet Huntley announced that he would build a ski resort in Gallatin Canyon. That was in the early 1970s and, back then, Montana was viewed as a frigid backwater state by those people from the east who even knew where it was. (Things have changed, haven’t they?) Even if television viewers didn’t know where Montana was, they did know the face and voice of Chet Huntley, one-half of the Huntley-Brinkley NBC News. And Huntley knew Montana. He was born in Cardwell in 1911, and grew up in whistle stops across the state where his dad’s job as a railroad telegrapher for the Northern Pacific Railroad dropped them. Towns in the Huntley’s bio include Saco, Willow Creek, Logan, Big Timber, Norris, Whitehall, and Three Forks. He graduated from high school in Whitehall and attended Montana State College, now Montana State University, in Bozeman. For more of his story, read his autobiography, The Generous Years. In the late 1960s, Huntley, backed by the Chrysler Realty Company, purchased what is now Big Sky Mountain and Meadow Village located in the Spanish Peaks area of the Gallatin National Forest under the 11,166-foot Lone Mountain. Bozeman is 40 miles north on Highway 191, and West Yellowstone is about 50 miles south. The Soldier’s Chapel beautifully framed the peak for many years before the ski area 6151 Shady Rest St. Manhattan (Churchill) was developed. Cozy independent apartments. Huntley retired Remodeled assisted from NBC in 1970, living couples rooms. built a home on the Assisted living single occupant rooms. outskirts of Bozeman A NEW transportation van! and began overseeShady and peaceful court yard. Lovely dining room where the residents enjoy their home cooked meals and coffee times. Variety of activities listed on our activity calendar. Phone: Pho one: 406.282.7233 A quiet and peaceful Email: Em mail: crh@littleappletech.com crh h@littleappletech.com environment!

ing the development of Big Sky Resort. Big Sky opened for skiing in December 1973, forty years ago this December. It was one of Montana’s first alpine ski areas. Before the snow melted that spring, Huntley died of lung cancer at age 62. He was honored with a monument at Soldier’s Chapel. The ski area thrived. Boyne USA Resorts purchased Big Sky Resort in 1976 and continues to expand and improve it today. The web site claims world-class skiing on 5,512 acres across three interconnected mountains, and the resort offers other winter activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, ice-skating, and more. Today it’s a year-round resort including summer recreation featuring the Gallatin River where visitors may fish, raft, and watch wildlife while enjoying the stunning scenery. Big Sky has an 18-hole par-72 golf course as well as hiking, biking, camping, and tennis. Gondola rides to the top give visitors a bird’s eye view of the landscape below. In the summer people can tour the Historic Crail Ranch, open weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Although there are more condos and conference centers than cows and sheep now, the 960-acre ranch and the original buildings stand as an example of homestead architecture in the Gallatin. The Crails built the one and one-half story house in 1905 using hand-hewn logs and rough-sawn lumber from their own sawmill. The Crail’s first house is a 12’ by 16’ log cabin that they built with round logs and simpler V-notching. The Crail Ranch Trail gives hikers a chance to walk through the sheep and cattle operation that thrived in the canyon for half a century. Of course, history buffs know that Big Sky was not the first tourist destination in the beautiful Gallatin River Canyon. It wasn’t even the first ski area. Peter Karst began Karst’s Kamp, a dude ranching and tourist business, in 1901. He could accommodate 100 guests in his 25 cabins near today’s Big Sky. In 1937 he installed a rope tow, pioneering recreational skiing in Montana. Today Big Sky is a world famous destination. The community of Big Sky claims 1,400 residents, more than two dozen restaurants, and 40 shops. A variety of seasonal shows, concerts, and events of every kind draw guests all year. Chet Huntley would be proud if he could see the Big Sky Resort that he started 40 years ago. MSN

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Tid Bits Of Montana Trivia By Bernice Karnop

Raindrops that fall only a few feet apart up on Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park end up flowing across the continent in different directions. Some travel east down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. Others go west to the Columbia and on to the Pacific Ocean. Still others flow into Hudson Bay.

M

ontana was the first state to set up roadside historical markers in 1935. Writer Bob Fletcher told Montana’s story in a lighthearted, humorous way and people loved it. They hand-routed the words onto thick wooden boards that hung from cross beams set in fieldstone bases so they could swing in the Montana wind. Today Montana has more than 200 historical markers along our highways and more than 100 of the signs were written by Fletcher.

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uilt in 1879, Fort Assiniboine near Havre was a western fort unlike any other. This cavalry offensive post was the largest military fort west of the Mississippi before its closure in 1911. It had 104 buildings and could house 500 soldiers and their families.

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id Curry’s first crime was to shoot and kill Pike Landusky in front of Jew Jake’s saloon in 1894. In 1903, he, Butch Cassidy, and the Sundance Kid held up the Great Northern passenger train near Malta. MSN

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Kriss Douglass Nurtures The Butte Environment Article & Photo By Connie Daugherty By the 1970s, Butte citizens and health agency personnel were increasingly concerned over the toxic effects of arsenic and heavy metals on the environment and human health. In 1984 the Upper Clark Fork River, with Butte at the headwaters, was designated America’s largest Superfund site. That same year, Kriss Douglass moved to Butte with her husband, Rick, who took a position as a biology professor at Montana Tech. The program was in its infancy and Kriss was a young mother with a school-age son, but destiny would eventually bring the program and the plant ecologist together. Kriss grew up near Salt Lake City and lived what she calls an “idyllicâ€? childhood shared with one sister, two brothers, and a neighborhood of other kids to play with. “We gardened and had cows and chickens and eggs‌ we’d play in the irrigation ditches.â€? Lots of time outside, lots of active play in an open environment that developed, for Kriss, into a lifelong passion for, and love of, everything outside. Kriss earned a BS degree in botany and a MS degree in environmental microbiology, but her “interest was always plant ecology.â€? After college she followed her husband from one place to another at the same time developing her own skills and natural talents.

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“I’ve been very lucky,â€? she says. I have never really looked for, or been interviewed for, a job. I just knocked on doors said this is what I can do; can I work for you?â€? Whether it was her willingness, her positive and friendly personality, or her range of skills, that got her the jobs, it’s hard to say, but she did always find something. And each position added to her experience and her knowledge. At a tent camp near Edmonton, Alberta she worked with the “soils crewâ€? of a group of scientists doing ecological studies for a consortium of oil companies. After about three summers, “I got sick of it,â€? she says. Back in Bozeman, Kriss started working for the Montana State University where she “did a bunch of odd jobs‌ a fisheries summer, worked in th l llab.â€? b â€? Th the clay Then she got a chance to work on an interagency grizzly bear study out of MSU where she interacted with federal and state agencies – Fish Wildlife and Parks, the Park Service, and the Forest Service. She was back in the field doing vegetation mapping. And although the work was not easy, she loved it. “They’d give us a list of locations and we’d hike in off trails‌ find any evidence of where the bears were and do vegetation mapping‌. Just doing botany all summer with other botanists in Yellowstone was wonderful,â€? she says. In the winters she

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

would go back to studying soils in the clay lab at MSU. When they moved to Butte, the contacts Kriss had made during her work at MSU paid off. “The biologist‌came knocking on my door and said, ‘I need a botanist to do some vegetation work on the game range, do you want to come to work for Fish Wildlife and Parks?â€? That was in 1984 and she worked with the agency until 2005. Although her main focus was vegetation studies, Kriss ended up doing a variety of things. She worked in the check stations in the fall – the hunters are a fabulous bunch of people.â€? In the spring, summer, and winter she flew game surveys. “Which was just fabulous,â€? she says even though she gets very air sick. In 1992 came Superfund court rulings about natural resource damages and how the settlement was to be allocated. As she attended meetings she came to realize that “the emphasis was on keeping the waterways clean. While the streams and the Clark Fork River were being restored to a pre-mining level, the uplands – lots and fields in uptown Butte – were cleaned up, “just to keep the sediment out of the creek; it really wasn’t to improve the environment‌ which is where we live.â€? The more the superfund work progressed, the more this bothered Kriss. She dreamed of restoration to the point of “ecological function,â€? for the remediated capped uplands of the Butte hill. Grass is nice, “everybody loves it, and they should,â€? Kriss says. She likes the grass too, but she wants something more. She wants diversity. She wants “a “sustainable system including... the bugs and the birds, the butterflies and the worms and the microbes in the soil.â€? Then one late spring day she saw a helicopter flying low over Big Butte – the mountain not far from her home on the west side of town. They were spraying the vegetation on the hill. “At that moment, I was completely outraged,â€? she recalls. With others who shared her concern she approached the city/county and managed to get the Big Butte hill into public hands. In accomplishing that she had added one more skill to her knowledge base and experience. She was still determined to restore the uplands in the same way the streams had been restored. Eventually she got the opportunity when she was asked how it could be done. “I think we could

revegetate them with native plants,� she said. “We can do this,� she insists. That was the beginning of what has become a passion for Kriss and several years of dedicated, determined work in obtaining both personal and financial support as she writes grants and supervises students who work in the greenhouse on the Montana Tech campus. Finally it is starting to pay off. Things are coming together; native plants are being cultivated, nurtured, and planted at demonstration sites on the Butte hill. “It’s really pretty neat,� Kriss says. Montana Tech and the other involved agencies have pitched in to help simply because they believe in the project and they believe in it because Kriss Douglass believes in it. When Kriss isn’t busy nurturing native flowers and shrubs or raising money for her project, she is training for her next triathlon or bike competition. She started strength training shortly after she retired in 2005 just to get in shape. Although Kriss had been a runner for several years and had always worked hard outdoors with her job, she had never done much weight training. Her trainer said she had to add some variety to her workout routine. So she started swimming. Her health continued to improve. That’s when her trainer suggested she consider doing a triathlon. Kriss decided to give it a try. So when she was 62 she competed in her first triathlon. Since then she has done ten more. Butte’s Kriss Douglass continues to nurture herself and her environment, she continues to radiate enthusiasm and excitement about each day and what the future will bring. She is building her dreams and taking everyone around her along for the ride. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 51

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The Greening of Butte Football Article & Photo By Connie Daugherty There is plenty of green in Butte. There is Irish green, there is Montana Tech green, and there is Coach (Bob) Green. Butte has always claimed unique and memorable personalities who touched the hearts and lives of the community, each in a special way. Marcus Daly, Luigi Jerenic, Evel Knievel, and Montana Tech’s long time football coach, Bob Green. For 24 years, Coach Green’s name was synonymous with Montana Tech football. Along the way, he and his wife, Pam, became an integral part of the Butte community. Even people who don’t follow the college football team recognize and respond to the booming voice and boundless energy of Coach Green. Strangers on the street greet him, with, “Hi coach.” He always responds with a friendly greeting and smile. Although Bob retired as Montana Tech’s head coach in 2011, most people in Butte still call him “coach.” And he’s still in the game, still one of the first on campus every morning. Today he works as a development officer for the Montana Tech Foundation. Bob grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, the oldest of three brothers, and even as a kid loved to play sports. “We would just be out in the street playing basketball, or football,” he says. It was all about the game, the being together with other guys, and challenging himself and others. After high school, he enlisted in the Marines. “The Viet Nam War was going on then,” he recalls and he joined the military like lots of others. He has a picture on his desk of some of the guys he served with and is

proud of his time as a Marine. But after serving in Viet Nam, he knew he didn’t want to be career military. When he got out of the Marines, he moved back to Nebraska for college and “just gravitated” to football coaching. Bob Green is small as far as football coaches go but his personality and his influence are huge. Although he is built more like a jockey than a football player, he played defensive back at the University of Nebraska-Kearney for four years. He started in several games, but, “I never was an outstanding athlete,” he insists. However, even as a student, it was obvious to everyone that he would be an outstanding coach. He began working as an assistant coach during his senior year and stayed on for a year after he graduated. But he was married with a family and knew he needed to move on. For the next several years he was “an itinerate football coach.” He worked as head coach at two high schools, Minatare Nebraska and Broken Arrow Nebraska. He worked as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado in Greeley and then spent five years as an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State University. With each move, he was learning, honing his skills, and making friends – always making friends. “I had a great time everywhere I’d go,” he says. “Every place I was I liked – it was a good place. He remembers the names of the teams he coached, and the teams he played against. He remembers the students he coached, the people he worked with, and the friends he made. He credits much of his success to Pam and their 42-year marriage. “There are two kinds of wives in college football coaching,” he says. “There are great wives and exwives.” It’s just the nature of the business. “Pam is the greatest.” Bob recalls being on the road as an assistant coach when he was informed that the head coach and all the staff had been fired. He had to find another job. Meanwhile Pam took care of selling the house, packing up all their belongings, organizing the kids (they have 3). She looked for a new house in the new place and arranged for the next move. “College coaching is a funny business in that there’s no logical progression,” he says. “You don’t really move from point A to point B. You just move. And eventually, if you’re lucky, you settle down.” In 1987 the Green’s move brought them to

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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Butte and Montana Tech. Bob started what would be 24-year career as head football coach at Montana Tech. Pam continued to be the center of the family while developing her own career. During that time, Bob led his teams to three Frontier Conference Championships and reached the NAIA post-season five times including the 1996 National Championship runner-up. He was named Frontier Conference Coach of the year six times and was inducted in the Butte Sports Hall of Fame. Coach Green led Montana Tech’s teams to more wins than any other coach in the history of the school. “We were lucky to end up doing some things that hadn’t been done before,� he says. He is also quick to emphasize that it was a team effort. “It was never, never all me,� he declares. Still all of that success comes from a lot a dedication, a lot of commitment, and a lot of cooperation. “Football is the ultimate team sport,� Coach Green insists. “Every man, every time, all day� is the motto he sent his players onto the field with. And if there isn’t total cooperation, total buy-in from

everyone then‌ well, it just doesn’t work. For 24 years, Bob Green led by example putting in 12-15 hour days seven days a week as he prepared for games, coached the team, prepared some more, reviewed the game, and prepared some more. Sundays, especially after Saturday games would start about 6 am with a review of the tapes, then “time out for church,â€? and back to the gym for the weekly meeting with the players. Always the same – win or lose. “That routine, that stability was important,â€? he says. Because he expected his students to be in the gym working out, he was there also. Because he expected them to be at every practice, he was there also. “Coaching isn’t like other jobs,â€? he says. That game is going to happen no matter what so you had better be there and you had better be at your best. “You never hear of a game being postponed because the coach is sick,â€? he says. So he never called in sick – still doesn’t. During his tenure, Bob Green coached 15 All-American football players and hundreds of successful leaders in business and industry. His student-athletes developed a strong work ethic because they watched him work. They developed a sense of commitment because he was committed to them. They developed the ability to work together because he worked with them. They learned how to lead because he encouraged each of them to be a leader. They learned how to succeed because, win or lose, he always succeeded. When he was ready for something different, Bob Green retired as the Orediggers’ coach in

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2011. However, he did not retire from Montana Tech or from coaching, he just changed his focus. Today he works with the Montana Tech Foundation and is one of its most successful fundraisers. “I’m recognizable,� he says, downplaying his influence. There are dozens of Bob Green U-Tube sites, focusing on his well-known “Greenisms� – unique catch phrases or pearls of wisdom that he has pronounced over the years. There is a Bob Green “app� for the iPhone and a Bob Green alarm. He is recognizable because he recognizes others. He is constantly building relationships, having sincere conversations, creating teams wherever he goes. Bob also has become a popular business and industry motivational speaker, though he’s not sure he likes that term – coaching is better suited to what he does. He is constantly being called upon to give “company talks, corporation talks, Tech talks.� Talks are more storytelling sessions with some “Greenisms� thrown in. Although he is still on the road a lot and still the first person on campus most mornings, he is not always the last to leave these days. He sometimes spends a weekend at home, “I even mowed the lawn,� he says. He continues to serve on the church council. He now has time to take hikes with Pam, play golf with his son Danny, visit with daughters Katie and Abby, and his seven grandchildren. New turf was recently installed on the Montana Tech football field with “Bob Green Field� stitched on the sides. As with the other Butte icons, Coach Bob Green has created a place in the hearts and lives of everyone in the community. MSN

The World Museum of Mining‌ We Invite You to Live the Story The World Museum of Mining was founded in 1963 when the close of Butte’s mining heyday was less than two decades away. In the end, Butte experienced a century of hard rock mining and earned the reputation of being home to one of the world’s most productive copper mines of all time. The museum exists to preserve the enduring history of Butte and the legacy of its rich mining and cultural heritage. The World Museum of Mining is one of the few museums in the world located on an actual mine yard – the Orphan Girl Mine. With fifty exhibit buildings, countless artifacts, and sixty-six primary exhibits in the mine yard, visitors can spend a couple of hours to an entire day lost in the unfolding story. By walking the streets of Hell Roarin’ Gulch and venturing to the depths of the Orphan Girl Mine on an Underground Mine Tour, you can almost see the miners’ blackened faces and hear their exhausted sighs at the conclusion of the workday. The museum is open daily April – October from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Underground Mine Tours are offered daily at 10:30, 12:30, and 3:00. Museum hours and Underground Tour times subject to change after Labor Day. For more information visit World Museum of Mining, 155 Museum Way, Butte MT 59701, phone 406-723-7211, or visit miningmuseum.org. MSN

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

Butte Food Bank Brings It To The Table The Butte Emergency Food Bank wants to ensure “that no one in our community experiences the fear and pain of hunger.” As a result, we have served thousands of people in the last decade, but the number served has increased steadily to over 32,000 people served during 2012. We need your help! We have expanded our focus on the seniors and children of Butte. After-school programs for the Legion Oasis and the Silver Bow Homes facilities provide a healthy snack for hungry kids after school to help them focus on homework. Our Back Pack Program was started in Sep-

tember and we were able to provide over 200 backpacks each weekend. We have also committed to providing the backpacks to children receiving the lunches through the summer feeding program. Our Community Luncheon program is now serving over 80 individuals who are hungry two days per week. This provides lunch to a large variety of individuals who are just plan hungry. We are very fortunate to have over 115 volunteers and believe that they are our lifeline, but we need your help too! Give us a call today at 406-782-6230 to volunteer or to donate. MSN

The Anaconda Foundation was established to promote, facilitate, and direct philanthropic and financial support for Community Hospital and Nursing Home of Anaconda as it strives to meet the community’s health care needs. Contributions are tax deductible as legally allowed and provide funds for services, construction, equipment, and programs essential to the hospital, hospice program, and nursing home’s growth and development. Contributions may be made in memory of deceased individuals, to honor a birthday, anni-

versary, promotion, or simply to say thank you or thinking of you in a very lasting way. Contributions may be designated for Community Nursing Home, the Community Nursing Home Activity Fund, Anaconda Pintler Hospice, Health Education Scholarship Fund, Care-A-Van Transportation Services, the Endowment, or “where needed most.” To donate, please visit our website at www. communityhospitalofanaconda.org, phone Meg Hickey-Boynton at 406-563-8540, or email mhickey@chofa.net. MSN

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Divine Bovines’ Judy Williams pays humorous tribute to Montana’s ranching life and the cows that make it all possible Article & Photo By Kim Thielman-Ibes While cows typically take center stage on a ranch where cowboys and cowgirls spend their days feeding, roping, branding, cutting, and calving, it’s usually the troubled rancher and beloved horse or their two-timing gal that are revered in song. From Patsy Cline to Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Dolly Parton, country western singers hum, warble, and trill about their lives on and off the range with nary a whisper about the underappreciated cow that, at the very heart of the matter,

truly instigated cowboy culture. “Cowboys without cows,” says singer and songwriter Judy Williams, “would just be boys.” With this thought in mind, Williams croons exclusively about her cherished and udderly divine, bovines. Her lyrics are devoted to the not-so-simple life of this unsung hero of the range; while her melodies are taken from well-known country hits resulting in humorous, toe-tapping parodies that one can’t help but listen to with a smile on the lips and a song in the heart.

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Johnny Cash’s I Walk the Line begat Williams’ coworiginal, I Walk in Twine. To the tune of King of the Road, Williams wrote King of the Load. “I just kind of emphasize with the mother cows and wonder that they’re thinking,� says Williams. Under her stage name, Divine Bovines, Williams has written over 40 bovine songs, recorded four CDs, and performed at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Music Rendezvous in Lewistown and in Pincher Creek, Alberta. Williams is not only the singer and songwriter, she also records Carla Ahern (left) and Judy Williams (right) make a wonderful and markets (what she calls team. [Photo by Kim Thielman-Ibes] her ‘cattle log’) Divine Bovines mances, they provide props for the audience. “We music from her home base – a ranch in Montana’s ask them to put the cow ears on to become part of Crow Creek Valley. our performance, sometimes they’ll hesitate, but Whether or not you’re familiar with the ranching I tell them if they wear them they’ll have more fun life, Williams’ heartfelt cow songs and straight- and it works,� says Williams. “It’s the silliest thing forward cow philosophy are worth the time and but it makes people laugh hysterically.� While her energy to seek out. Yet, it’s her live performances kids think she’s nuts, her granddaughter looks where Divine Bovines forward to growing up to be an udderly divine cow. really shine. “I have a Williams finds inspiration on the range where friend, Carla Ahern, who she and her family tend to a friendly herd of Black agreed to do cow things Angus Cross scattered across the high pastures of and perform with me,� their central Montana ranch. During the long winter relates a smiling Wil- months, with its short days and long cold nights, liams. “We dress like a Williams composes and records in her basement. cow with three-inch eye- She plays the bass, rhythm guitar, and keyboard, lashes, cow ears, and an recording her cow-ditties on a multi-track recorder. udderly divine apron.� She sells her cow CDs, cow ears, and entire cow During their perfor- outfit from her website. Like her music, her cow ears have generated their share of laughter and surprisingly a sense of community. “I had a woman from Lewistown who took them back to New York for her daughter; she wore them to her state fair. When her mother became ill she wore them to the hospital and made her laugh,� says Williams,

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who was contacted by the daughter and told never to quit because she brings too much joy to others. Her CDs and ears have been shipped in bulk as far away as Australia and, to her surprise, sold at a high-end gallery in Bigfork, Montana. Divine Bovines began as a lark in 2005. Performing since she was a child, growing up in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, Williams later went on to sing in a variety of country western bands in Coeur d’Alene, Washington, and later in Helena. After marrying a rancher outside of Townsend, she became involved with the Broadwater County Cattleman’s Association and wrote a few cow parody tunes for their luncheon. “It was just a whim, it was funny, and it related to

cows,” says Williams. “I didn’t know I’d continue doing this for years.” While Williams loves writing and singing about her favorite animal, it’s the ranching life that both inspires her and brings her greatest joy. “We have a good ranch and take good care of our cows. We take them to the hills and gather them up in the spring and it’s just a grand life. It’s wonderful to watch a cow have a calf and have that calf get up and know what to do without intervention, to see nature take its course.” For more information about Divine Bovines, their CDs, or performance schedule visit the Divine Bovines’ website at www.divinebovines.com. MSN

Lewis and Clark Caverns and Nearby State Parks By Bernice Karnop The Treasure State’s treasures are often sold in bushels, barrels, carats. Other earthen treasures, however, are not for sale. One of these treasures is Lewis and Clark Caverns, 19 miles west of Three Forks on Montana Hwy 2. From the outside, one can scarcely imagine that beneath the ordinary looking sagebrushcovered hills are huge stone rooms and a labyrinth of tunnels. Unusual pink, amber, and white stone decorations in a variety of shapes and sizes create a fantasyland that will delight visiting grandchildren of all ages. The 2,735-acre Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park includes a Visitor Center, shaded picnic areas, a campground, and nature trails. Campers may headquarter here and visit a trio of lesser-known state parks within a few miles: Headwaters State Park, Parker Homestead State Park, and Madison Buffalo Jump State Park. The campground is also just moments away from fishing, birding, canoeing, and kayaking. Lewis and Clark Caverns – First water carved the vast underground rooms and narrow passages in the Madison limestone. Then ground water seeped through layers of limestone into the cave depositing minerals that formed shapely columns of massive stalactites and stalagmites from the ceiling and floor of the cavern. This patient process took eons slowly to build the huge columns, and they continue to form even now. Thin, curtain-like sheets of stone formed as water trickled along the wall. Other formations look like long strips of ribbon, beautiful cataracts, bubbles in a pot, or scary figures in the shadows. More than 100 years after Lewis and Clark left their moccasin tracks along the Jefferson River near here, President Theodore Roosevelt named the caverns for them. The pair never saw the caves, but visitors following their trail can imagine that they would have welcomed a few hours in this naturally air conditioned place after a blistering day on the river. Native people were aware of the caverns, but were not likely to have explored them considering their limited artificial light. No natural light pen-

etrates its 326 foot depth. The Corps of Discovery would have faced the same challenge. Later spelunkers whose lights failed, spent terrifying hours in the disorienting darkness trying to find their way out. Although President Roosevelt designated Lewis and Clark Caverns a National Monument in 1908, it remained officially closed to the public for the next three decades because the federal government failed to fund its development. In 1937, the state requested control and it became our first state park. The Civilian Conservation Corps built a road, constructed a trail through the caverns, and installed lights. On May 4, 1941, the caverns opened to the public. Today guided tours of Lewis and Clark Caverns run on the half-hour starting at 9 a.m. The twohour tour costs only $10 for ages 12+ and $5 for youngsters from 6 to 12 years old. The guided tour is about two miles long. Visitors should be fit enough to walk, stoop, and bend. Missouri Headwaters State Park – Captain William Clark arrived at the three forks of the Missouri River July 25, 1805. Nearly two hundred years later, the place where the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers flow together looks a lot like it did back then. Lewis and Clark buffs may camp where the Corps of Discovery camped, near the town of Three Forks. The area is a National Historic Landmark and part of the Missouri Headwaters State Park. Activities include picnicking, camping and hiking, fishing and floating. Madison Buffalo Jump State Park – Madison Buffalo Jump State Park preserves this Native American supermarket in its natural state, as it looked hundreds of years ago. You won’t find a visitor center but there are (Cont’d on pg 73)

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Driving You Buggy: Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta, Canada Article & Photo By Bernice Karnop “This hobby can drive you buggy!” That is what Don Remington liked to say. He was the restorer of horse-drawn carriages on whose personal collection the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta, is based. We do not want to drive anyone buggy, but we would like to put a bee in your bonnet about this outstanding Provincial Museum just 25 miles from Glacier National Park in Montana. A lovely tree-lined drive from the main street of Cardston draws you into the Carriage Age, ending in a drop-off circle in front of a huge building, coach

house, and barn that hold the largest collection of horse-drawn conveyances in North America. But it is more than a collection. The well-interpreted history explained here provides a peek into the everyday life of families before the age of the horseless carriage, before the automobile. The original builders of these conveyances inspire Jeremy Masterson who works in the restoration shop at the museum. He feels a deep respect, bordering on awe, at their skill as he works to reproduce what woodworkers and blacksmiths did 100-200 years ago. “We build some really nice stuff today that is

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advanced compared to the horse drawn vehicles, but we shouldn’t underestimate or undervalue the skills and craftsmanship of these gentlemen,” he says. Jeremy spent about 40 years of his life woodworking and restoring things, but confesses, “I have an awful lot to learn yet,” Jeremy points out a maroon and black landau coach in the shop that was built in London, England at least 130 years ago. The metalwork in the hub was done by a skilled blacksmith using his forge and hammer in a matter of hours or several days. It would be nearly impossible to reproduce his work today. Using modern methods and tools,

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it takes weeks worth of effort and a great deal of money to come close. The restoration shop is one area of the museum that’s always open 362 days a year. The restoration staff is there Monday through Friday. They love to tell visitors about the formation of tires, the internal workings of hubs, the woodwork, and all the other techniques involved with making the vehicles. Many people find that stopping here is a highlight of their visit. The shop does little with the museum’s collection, but they have a backlog of work to do for individuals, other museums, and private companies. They use original material, original techniques, and original parts, to create a usable vehicle that is nearly identical to what the original craftsman intended. The learning curve requires constant reading, practice, and mutual sharing of information. The restorers here have the advantage of the collection itself

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for reference. They can access the expertise of the curator and manager, and they enjoy a well-equipped shop. Restorers also thank the Amish community. Because they still use horsedrawn vehicles, there are businesses that still make and stock repair parts. “It would be more difficult and much more expensive without them,� Jeremy admits. One example is the extruded rubber for tires. It comes with holes for the wires that run through it by which they are attached to the steel or iron rim. Jeremy showed us how he shrinks the metal rim over the wooden wheel, binding the wooden parts together. Using the old techniques, he wraps the rubber around the steel rim and secures it with the heavy wire. The rubber squeezes over the joint and comes together without a crack. The addition of rubber on the metal rim was a pivotal moment in the industry and was used first on Queen Victoria’s carriage. Her ride was not made less jarring, but it was considerably quieter as she rolled over the cobblestone streets of London. The greater value was that it protected the metal rim, giving the wheel a robust, durable wearing surface. Tens of thousands of patents were granted to the carriage making industry during the Victorian age. Jeremy points out a hub-boring machine in

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his shop that was patented in 1886, which allowed manufacturers to mass produce hubs. They simply clamped the hub into the machine and in a matter of minutes, it reamed out the shaped interior hole to fit the metal boxing that goes in. Before that, it had to be carved out by hand. Such inventions gave factories the ability to turn out hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the course of a year instead of tens of vehicles. Much of the terminology we use in the auto industry today, including tires, spokes and fifth wheel, started with the horse-drawn carriage. The fifth wheel referred to the pivoting area that allows the front wheel to turn under the vehicle. Jeremy sees the evolution of the trade as part of our personal culture. “It is part of our heritage. We should respect these skills like we do classical art,� he says. Backing up their commitment to preserve these skills, the Remington Carriage Museum plans to hold workshops to teach interested individuals particular skills in carriage restoration next summer. They may offer longer internships if there is an interest. Some of Jeremy’s favorite horse drawn vehicles in the Remington collection include the whimsical sleighs and cutters with shapely curves and beautiful accents. He also likes the pair of elaborately constructed two-wheeled gigs from Holland. These feature hand-painted rural scenes of blue on white, a familiar style to those who know Delftware Dutch china. “Vehicles have changed,� Jeremy says, “but the people using them haven’t changed. People have the same wants and needs, and they have the ability to design, build, and find ways to meet their needs. They just go about it differently today.� MSN

What Love means to a 4-8 year old... Submitted by Julie Hollar A group of professional people posed the question, “What does love mean?� to a group of 4-8 year-olds. The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. Read on. When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love. – Rebecca, 8 When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth. – Billy, 4 Love is when a girl puts on perfume, a boy puts on shaving cologne, and they go out and smell each other. – Karl, 5 Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs. – Chrissy, 6 Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired. – Terri, 4 Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay. – Danny, 7 MSN

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Great Falls Gold Rush: Montana Senior Olympics, June 20- 23, 2013

Joseph and Kathy Zombor, from Edmonton, Alberta, brought a distinct international flair to the Montana Senior Olympics. Unlike other contestants from Canada, the Zombors were born in Hungry and immigrated to Canada together. They had a sporting goods store in Edmonton and enjoy competing not only here, but also at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. In the photo, Kathy catches her breath, after nailing some very good long jumps. They both competed in table tennis and other field events. Joseph says he’s a cyclist, but after having hip replacement surgery, “something it keeps jumping out of place,” so he didn’t bike this year. Kathy admits to a second reason they come to the Montana Senior Olympics; “We’re just excited to see Great Falls.” At last year’s Senior Olympics they focused on finding the waterfalls that give Great Falls its name and visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. This year they were delighted with other attractions, including Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Charles Widdicombe, Missoula, puts his full concentration into throwing the shot put on the Great Falls High School field. His initial throws were good, but he pushed himself to do better. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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Elaine Osborn, Great Falls, played horseshoes in the back yard with the family when her children were growing up. When she saw horseshoes listed for the Montana Senior Olympics, she began practicing. She was the only woman in the singles, and there was only one other woman in doubles, so she competed against the guys and did very well. Playing with the guys comes naturally to this gal who attended grade school in a country school in Kansas. The whole school played baseball together whenever the weather permitted. Each spring they competed in county-wide track meets. She remained active as an adult, playing softball until she stopped to help her youngsters with Little League. “You put yourself on hold and help with whatever your kids are doing when they come along,” she says. That season of life passed and last year she considered trying the Montana Senior Olympic but chickened out. This year she was determined to sign up and did table tennis, softball throw, and horseshoes. Next year she’ll add racquet ball and has already found someone to practice with. “The Montana Senior Olympics was a fun time... everything we did,” she says. “Everyone was very nice.” Playing with the guys is ok, but it would be MONTANA’S MUSEUM is located in the Montana Historical Society good to see more Montana women athletes next across the street from the State Capitol in Helena. Exhibits include year. [Photo by Bernice Karnop] MHS, 1982.21.05

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Montana Homeland featuring 11,000 years of history, the world-class Mackay Gallery of Charles M. Russell Art, and Neither Empty Nor Unknown: Montana at the Time of Lewis & Clark. Kids will love the museum’s interactive children’s area, and all will enjoy shopping at the Museum Store. Also ask about tours of the Original Governor’s Mansion. Visit Us!

Ledger art, Gros Ventre warrior, 1883. From current exhibit, .

Dave Seabury 83, from Three Forks, pulled a muscle in the long jump, his first event at the Montana Senior Olympics. He still had two more jumping events and a 50 meter dash to go. “I didn’t want to give up just because I had a little sore leg,” he says, so he went ahead and competed in the other events. He didn’t do as well as he hoped, but he’s glad he came. “I think it is about the friendliest group of people I have ever been associated with. Everybody was so cheerful and helpful, just a wonderful bunch of

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

people,� he says. Dave has been associated with a lot of people. He was born in Brooklyn and spent much of his working life overseas. He always knew he wanted to retire to Montana because he loved the hunting, the fishing, and the great outdoors. Dave found out about the Montana Senior

Olympics two years ago when he was looking on the internet for exercises. He wishes he’d discovered it sooner. The competition motivated him to build a sand pit in his back yard to practice jumping, and he jogs with his dogs around the Three Forks pond. “I’m not competitive, but I have to keep in shape,� he says. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

Gayle Harris, Fairfield, began competing more than 20 years ago when a friend from Bozeman announced that she was going to run a Marathon. “If she can do it, I can do it,� Gayle remembers thinking. There weren’t many girls’ sports available when she was in high school, but Gayle discovered that she enjoys the competition. For one thing, it motivates her to get out and train. Before the Montana Senior Olympics in June, she biked 12–14 miles twice a week. She won gold in her age group for the 20K bicycle race and silver in the 5K run. It’s a worthy goal just to participate, according to Gayle. She’s done five marathons, three triathlons, and participates in fun runs and other competitions. The most grueling event she’s done was not a race, but the annual Park-2-Park bicycle ride. This ride benefits CASA of Montana, a nonprofit network of 15 local CASA programs. Court Appointed Special Advocates are volunteers that speak for almost 1,200 children in Montana who are in the court abuse and neglect system, and Gayle served as a guardian ad litem for them. Traveling from Glacier to Yellowstone, bikers ride from 60 to 100 miles every day for five days. In spite of the pain, Gayle was delighted with the people she met, how well organized it was, and that it supported a worthy cause. Gayle, a ranch wife with four grown children, says it’s worth taking time to stay active for her own benefit. She is also pleased to help raise money for worthwhile community projects. One of the best outcomes, however, is encouraging others to get started. After the Senior Olympics her daughter emailed her, “I am so proud of you. You have inspired me.� With that, her participation came full circle. “If my mom can do it, I can do it!� [Photo by Bernice Karnop] MSN

Transmissions – More Gears Are Better By Bill Siuru Remember when cars came with three-speed manual transmissions and automatics had only two or three gear ratios? Back then if you wanted maximum fuel economy, you opted for “three on a tree,� a three-speed manual with the gear selector attached to the steering column. Automatic transmissions, often called “slush boxes� because of their poorer efficiency, did make driving easier, but got noticeably fewer miles per gallon. How things have changed. Today, five-speed manuals are the norm and some high performance cars have six speeds. Automatics have at least four – or as many as ten – speeds. Eight-speeds are already available in several BMW, Audi, Lexus, and Chrysler models. A nine-speed could first be used in an upcoming Chrysler model. Hyundai is now developing a tenspeed automatic. Along with advanced engines and slick aerodynamics, high-tech transmissions are also playing a big role in achieving better fuel economy. Engines produce the greatest horsepower and torque while consuming the least amount of fuel when running in a relatively narrow engine speed range – that is rpm (revolutions-per-minute). Having more gear ratios in a transmission results

in a greater ability to operate an engine within this optimum, narrow speed range. That is why big trucks have up to 18-speed transmissions. How much does adding more gear ratios increase mpgs? Transmission manufacturer ZF says an eight-speed automatic transmission can improve fuel economy 21 to 24 percent over a three-speed automatic. This is in addition to mpg increases resulting from improvements in engine design. An eight-speed provides an 11-percent saving compared to a six-speed transmission and 14-percent versus a five-speed. Five- and sixspeed transmissions are

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common in today’s cars, SUVs, and light trucks. Gone are the days that when you wanted the most mpgs, you ordered a manual transmission. Today, EPA highway and city mileage ratings for many vehicles are identical whether equipped with an automatic or manual transmission. Automatics can even do better in many instances. Computerized, electronically controlled transmissions can shift through the gears more effectively than all but the most accomplished driver shifts and do it with imperceptible gear changes. Besides achieving better fuel economy, engines do not have to work as hard so they will last longer and require less maintenance because there is less stress and wear. When engines run at lower rpms at high cruising speeds, they are quieter. Could we see ever more gear ratios in transmissions? Some experts say we may be reaching a

point of diminishing returns because internal friction and energy losses can cancel out improvements made in efficiency. However, cars, especially hybrids, are already using continuously variable transmissions, or CVTs, that have essentially an infinite number of gear ratios. These really are the modern version of the shiftless transmission used in the Cushman motor scooter you might have owned as a kid. Because of current torque transmission limits, the use of CVTs has been limited pretty much to vehicles with relatively low power engines. Finally, electric vehicles can get by quite nicely with a single-speed transmission. This is because electric motors produce the same constant peak torque from zero to maximum rpm. This also gives EVs outstanding low speed acceleration. MSN

Historic Preservation Board to Offer Tour Take an August tour of the historic sites in the Gallatin Gateway area! The Historic Preservation Board of Gallatin County (HPBGC) will be offering its second Historic Tour and this year’s focus is on the Gateway Area south of Bozeman on Saturday, August 24, 2013 from 12–4 pm. The docent led tours of the sites listed below are $10 each (under 12, free). Tickets will be available for purchase in August at the Pioneer Museum in Bozeman and at the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce and the Gallatin County Courthouse, Commissioner’s Office during operating hours. Tickets can be purchased at each site the day of the tour. The sites for the tour include: The Gallatin Gateway Inn (outside displays); The Gallatin

Gateway School; The Little Bear School House Museum; The Salesville Cemetery; Stacy’s Bar ( which was once a bank); The Damian Gabriel Homestead, A log trapper cabin; and the Pine Butte Schoolhouse on Norris Road. The HPBGC is the principal resource to the Gallatin County Commission and its citizens for stewardship of historic places in Gallatin County. Its mission is to help preserve the heritage by recognizing, promoting, and publicizing historic districts, sites, and structures. They are to ensure the public awareness toward and preservation of the county’s historic heritage. For more information, please contact the Historic Preservation Board of Gallatin County at 406-388-2395. MSN

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Fix Your Golf Slice And Avoid Miss-Hits By Roberta Barrow The colloquial term for a golf slice is banana ball because when an amateur player performs this shot, usually, the ball curves like the curved shape of a banana fruit. For right-handed amateur golfers, it is usually started towards the target’s left and then dramatically bends toward the right. The reverse occurs for those who are left handed. This slice is seldom intentional except by experienced golfers, so it results in many bad shots. Thus, if you are a beginner in golf, you want to know how to fix a slice in order to make the best out of your games. Start With The Right Stance – Many things can contribute to a slice, but it is critical that you begin by aligning your body with the target. The left shoulder should be aimed exactly at the target to avoid a slice. Be Aware Of Your Grip – Prior to taking a swing, look down first on the club grip. You will know you are properly gripping your club if you can see clearly 2-3 knuckles on your hand. Small adjustments can be done to the left hand and your grip. It is essential to practice swinging after every adjustment so you can be sure the correction will have the desired effect. Balance In Your Grip – To correct/avoid a slice, you should focus on the amount of pressure in your grip. Too loose or too tight of a grip is a problem that can produce a slice. Gripping tightly will restrict release on impact while a loose grip can only make the ball fly off the course you intend. Turn The Hips – Slicing to the right is

caused by an incomplete hip turn through the swing. The face of your club should squarely hit the ball or it will not fly correctly. If your hips do not turn properly, you are also more likely to slice the ball. As with all training, there is no substitute for time spent on the practice tee and driving range. Do Not Over-swing – Concentrate also on the speed of your swing if you want to fix a slice. You may think that by swinging fast, you can hit the ball and make it fly farther. Yet, this will only result to your hands getting ahead of the clubface, which will open and produce a slice. By swinging more slowly, you can minimize the opening of the clubface. Know Where Your Head Is – A perfect swing requires the right positioning of your head. It needs to remain down until you have completed your swing. Do not be tempted to lift it too soon when you have made impact because this will only compromise your shot. Lifting the head just to see where your ball goes will help cause your shots to slice. Examine Your Shoulder – When you strike the ball and notice your right shoulder move inappropriately and perhaps contact your chin, this will

make your head rise and again produce a slice. The right shoulder must remain in the proper position as you swing. Golf is not an easy game and a frequent slice can be very frustrating, but by concentrating on these various factors and practicing diligently, you can make it an infrequent shot. MSN

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Add Some “Homemade Happiness� to National Assisted Living Week, September 8-14, 2013 By Bernice Karnop The theme of this year’s National Assisted Living Week, September 8-14, 2013, Homemade Happiness, may seem inappropriate when describing an assisted living setting. After all, a person left their home to live there. However, a growing number of individuals find that they are happy to let go of the increasingly demanding responsibilities of home. Assisted living provides them a group of friends, lively staff, creative programs, security, and more. Families, who in our changing society must meet the demands of their own professions and responsibilities, are free to come and simply enjoy their loved one rather than providing rides or fixing things. Families and friends also become part of the homemade happiness at an Assisted Living residence. The American Health Care Association (AHCA), a non-profit federation of health care organizations that give daily care to around a million Americans who are elderly or disabled, established National Assisted Living week in 1995. This designation gives families, individuals, businesses, and the public an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the professionals who care for America’s seniors, veterans, and others who need assistance

with daily living needs. Quality care and quality of life for individuals who require services in a Long Term Care setting doesn’t just happen. The AHCA advocates for this vulnerable population on the national, state, and local level. It provides education, information, and tools to enhance care. The people who help turn the residence into a home include all the staff, from management to those who clean the rooms, cook meals, fix and repair things, plan activities, shampoo hair, and more. Watch for opportunities to express your appreciation and celebrate those who care for older Americans during National Assisted Living Week. Acquaint yourself with the Assisted Living homes in your area and do what you can to contribute to the “homemade happiness� they provide. Bring cookies, flowers, and other tokens of appreciation. The best way to bring a ray of sunshine to those who care for others is to visit the individuals they care for. The caregiver’s day is brightened when they see their client’s joy when they have an opportunity to visit with an old friend or loved relative. This year set aside some time to add your bit of homemade happiness to National Assisted Living week in your hometown. MSN

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Answering the Call - Local Program Helps Family Caregivers Prepare for Senior Emergencies It is the midnight call that can strike terror in the hearts of so many family caregivers. “Mom has suffered a stroke,” or “Dad accidentally overdosed on his medications.” Home Instead Senior Care® network has unveiled a new resource for those adult children who live in fear of getting “the call” that tells them their senior loved one is in trouble. Research reveals that many grown children do not know all they should about their older adults’ medical histories. That is why Home Instead Senior Care has worked with Humana Points of Caregiving® to develop resources to help families be prepared. The Caring for Your Parents: Senior Emergency KitSM, an information management tool, can help family caregivers keep important information at their fingertips such as their senior’s doctors,

pharmacy, insurance company, medications and dosage details, as well as allergies. For more information, go to www.SeniorEmergencyKit.com or call Bozeman Home Instead Senior Care office at 406-922-5060. A survey of future family caregivers conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care network indicates a lack of knowledge including the fact that less than half say they know about their parents’ medical histories in case of an emergency. “We’ve seen the turmoil that such an emergency creates and we’ve also witnessed how much smoother it can go when families are prepared,” said Tony Marchi, owner Bozeman Home Instead Senior Care. “This resource will provide family caregivers with the tools they need to be ready for the unexpected.” MSN

Losing Friends By Marion Somers, PhD My 86-year-old mother-in-law has lost a number of friends over the past few years to their either moving in with relatives or passing on. Now she is losing one of her oldest and dearest friends who also was her next-door neighbor. They have depended on each other for various things like dinner or a cup of tea or picking up each other’s mail while one was out of town. She sounds so down I’m not sure what to say to her. She is strong and will survive, but it is very sad. Do you have any suggestions? Pat in Georgia, 59. Losing friends or relatives is a trying time for all of us, and especially for those who are older. There is always a period of grieving and remembering. We cannot replace those who are lost to us. But I try to show my clients to be grateful for the blessings and joys these people have given them, and to be buoyed by their friendship. No matter what age we may be, we are in control of making the most of our lives. Your motherin-law needs to make the maximum effort so she can go forward in her life. Sometimes people reach out to us, but usually we have to attempt to make new friends or acquaintances in order to build new relationships. It can be very empowering and exciting to renew ties with

family members, or to reach out to our religious organizations or clubs or social venues. This all takes time and effort, but it’s usually well worth it. Having new people in our lives can be very rewarding. We all seek companionship and the comfort of knowing someone cares. Sometimes the simple gesture of volunteering our time and talents, the act of giving, comes with its own rewards. When we stop thinking so much about ourselves, our grief and loss can be healed. Dr. Marion (Marion Somers, PhD) is the author of Elder Care Made Easier and has over 40 years of experience as a geriatric care manager, caregiver, speaker, and expert in all things elder care. Visit www. DrMarion.com for more information. MSN

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Home Care Can Enhance Quality Of Life – Nursing Agencies Offer An Array Of Services By Lisa M. Petsche Family members may take on a variety of responsibilities to keep a chronically ill, disabled, or aging relative at home. But despite their best efforts, there may come a time when outside help is advisable, if not imperative. Many circumstances can precipitate the need for home care on a short-term or long-term basis. For instance, the care receiver may need extra help while recovering from a serious illness, injury or surgery, or they may have a medical condition that gradually erodes their independence. Conversely, it may be the caregiver who becomes acutely ill or has an accident or surgery and requires a period of convalescence. Caregivers may also find themselves burning out – experiencing significant psychological distress or physical ailments – due to the ongoing demands involved in their role, especially if they are trying to do everything alone and overlooking their own needs. When lay people hear the term “home care,” assistance with personal care activities readily comes to mind. What some don’t realize is that home healthcare agencies provide many types of medical and non-medical nursing support. Read on to learn about the variety of services that typically is available. Personal Care – Assisting with hygiene and grooming activities, including mouth care, nail and hair care, bathing, dressing, shaving, and applying moisturizer and cosmetics. Other types of help include giving medication reminders, checking weight and vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and body temperature), and encouraging activity and rest as appropriate to the person’s condition and goals of care. Toileting – Assisting the client to the bathroom or onto a bedside commode, assisting with the use of a urinal or bedpan, providing incontinence care and emptying a catheter or colostomy bag.

Nutrition – Preparing appropriate types and textures of meals and snacks, assisting with feeding, monitoring nutritional intake and encouraging or limiting fluids as per physician recommendations. Mobility – Assisting with walking or transferring between bed and chair, repositioning someone confined to bed and assisting with home exercises recommended by a physical therapist or physician. Home Support Services – Assisting with routine household chores such as making the bed, changing linens, doing laundry, maintaining kitchen and bathroom cleanliness, washing dishes, dusting and vacuuming, watering plants, picking up mail, taking out garbage and assisting with pets. Companionship – Taking the client for a walk, taking them out on errands, accompanying them to medical appointments, escorting them on leisure outings (for example, to a concert) and engaging them in leisure activities at home for stimulation and enjoyment (for example, playing board games). Transportation for outings may or may not be provided by the hired caregiver. In the latter case, the person can make appropriate arrangements for a taxi or accessible transportation service. Specialized services – For situations that require expertise beyond the clinical scope of a certified nursing assistant (CNA), registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) can be arranged as appropriate to coordinate complex needs, manage medications, and assist with injections, tube feeding, wound care, and other needs requiring skilled assessment and treatment. Home healthcare agencies may have specialized programs addressing particular needs or diagnoses, such as diabetes care, respiratory care, and palliative (end of life) care. Specially trained caregivers work closely with clinical nurses, not only preventing problems as much as possible,

©2012 Alzheimers Association, All Rights Reserved

PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

Butte t 4FQU t Father Sheehan Park Great Falls t 4FQU t Gibson Park Missoula t 4FQU t Fort Missoula near the Iris Garden Bozeman t 4FQU t Lindley Park Billings t 4FQU t Zoo Montana Eureka t 4FQU t Indian Springs Golf Course Flathead Valley t 4FQU t Kidsports Track in Kalispell FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT SUZANNE BELSER AT 406.252.3053 | alz.org/montana

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Local Families Advised to Monitor Risk for Stroke For families with aging loved ones, very few serious health risks present the same level of concern as an unexpected stroke. In the U.S., someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and more than 75 percent of these incidents occur in people over the age of 65. Fortunately, fewer than 20 percent of all strokes are fatal – but unfortunately, most stroke survivors suffer some lingering health effects that affect long-term quality of life. Senior Helpers, a leading national and local in-home provider that cares for stroke survivors every day, is spreading awareness about strokes among aging Americans. Although strokes can strike without warning, Senior Helpers is encouraging families to talk to their aging parents and grandparents about some simple changes that can help reduce the risk. “Stroke can sometimes be a scary topic that people don’t want to talk or even think about, but it’s important for concerned family members to realize that stroke is the leading cause of longterm disability in the United States, and the risks go up drastically with age,” said Peter Ross, CEO of Senior Helpers. “After a close family member suffers a stroke, there is a high likelihood that they will require more help and more attention to live

their daily life.” Facts about Stroke: • Strokes are the sudden damage or loss of a section of brain cells caused by restricted flow of oxygen to the brain, usually due to hardened arteries or blood clots. • Stroke is the leading cause of disability and third leading cause of death across the country (Alliance for Aging Research). • Almost 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year, and more than 185,000 of these are recurrent attacks (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). • The chances of having a stroke doubles each decade after turning 55 (Alliance for Aging Research). • 75% of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65 (American Stroke Association). • 90% of all stroke victims suffer lingering, longterm effects (University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey). The latest research from the American Stroke Association shows that women tend to be at slightly greater risk of suffering a fatal stroke than men. Also, people living in the Southeast are more

at-risk than individuals in most other regions are. There are a number of factors that increase the risk of stroke, including age, family history, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, and any medical history involving previous episodes or symptoms of stroke. However, some basic and simple lifestyle changes can reduce the overall risk for millions of aging Americans. Stroke Prevention Tips: • Exercise regularly to reduce blood pressure • Avoid high fat and cholesterol foods on a regular basis • For those with or at risk of diabetes, keep blood sugar levels under control • Reduce sodium in daily diet • Quit smoking immediately Warning Signs of Stroke: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion or trouble speaking and understanding • Sudden trouble seeing out of one eye • Sudden trouble walking or loss of balance • Sudden, severe headaches without cause MSN

Medicare scams: How to protect yourself By Ross Blair, Senior Vice President, eHealthMedicare.com The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period only lasts about eight weeks each year, but Medicare beneficiaries are the target of phone scams and identity theft all year long. Each year reports of scam phone calls are reported nationwide, which is why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with these scams and how you can protect yourself. Common Scams: Fraudulent callers typically make up stories to try to obtain your personal information, like your name, Social Security number, or your Medicare or credit card numbers. Your new card is in the mail: A common scam is for someone to call and tell you that your new Medicare card has been mailed out to you and then ask for your checking account number so Medicare can deposit funds

directly into your checking account. Your card number has been updated: Other phone calls will ask you to verify your Medicare number (which is also your social security number) so that you can be issued an “updated” Medicare card. Paying for medical supplies: Another variation of these scams if for the caller to say Medicare is ready to pay for medical supplies and then request your social security number for confirmation. Regardless of the scenario, the goal is usually the same: accessing your bank account or stealing your identity. The fraudulent callers aren’t always easy to identify, especially since they often already have some basic information, including, for example, your first and last name and mailing address. Some reports suggest these callers are very empathetic and knowledgeable, which makes them appear credible. In other cases, the callers report-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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edly speak in heavy, foreign accents, and broken English, making them slightly easier to spot. As the Fall Open Enrollment nears, you may increasingly receive information about new Medicare products. Unfortunately, Medicare scams also tend to increase during Fall Open Enrollment. Here are some important things to know to protect yourself and your bank account: Medicare generally won’t call you. In the rare instance where they might call, they will never request sensitive information. It’s important to remember that Medicare will never call or come to your home uninvited to sell Medicare products. Social Security representatives may call Medicare beneficiaries if they need more information to process their applications for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs. Again, this is rare. If a phone call is needed, you’ll receive an official letter to arrange a telephone interview. You will be asked to confirm the date of your telephone

interview by returning an acknowledgement form to Social Security. Medicare cards don’t expire, and you should keep them safe. Never carry your Medicare card in your wallet. Instead, keep it in a safe and secure spot that you’ll remember. If you must carry your Medicare card, make a copy and black out all but the last four digits with a marker. Medicare cards do not expire so be wary of someone saying they need to send you a new one. If you lose your card, contact Medicare directly to report the missing card. If you ever question the validity of a phone call, say you’d like to call them back and then ask for the direct number. This will usually prompt them to hang up. Guard your personal information and contact Medicare if you have questions. A good rule of thumb is not to give out potentially sensitive information over the Internet, on the phone, or to unsolicited strangers. However, if you join a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan over the

phone, you may be asked to give this information to the plan. You may also be asked for this information if you use the Medicare Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. Only give personal information when needed to doctors, other health care providers, and plans approved by Medicare, and to people in the community who work with Medicare, like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or Social Security. Additionally, you may always contact the customer service number on the back of your Medicare card if you have any questions or concerns. If you think you may have provided personal information to a fraudulent caller, or if you have been the victim of identity theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission’s ID Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338. By taking the time to learn about potential scams and how to address concerns, you can protect your identity and your nest egg. MSN

Short Jokes To Put A Smile On Your Face Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley A man is in the bathroom and his wife shouts, “Did you find the shampoo?� He answers, “Yes, but I’m not sure what to do... it’s for dry hair, and I’ve just wet mine.� A man goes to the vet with his goldfish. “I think it’s got epilepsy,� he tells the vet. The vet takes a look and says, “It seems calm enough to me.� The man says, “Wait, I haven’t taken it out of the bowl yet.� A man spies a letter lying on his doormat, and on the envelope it says, “DO NOT BEND.� He spends the next 2 hours trying to figure out how to pick it up. A man shouts frantically into the phone, “My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!�

“Is this her first child?� asks the Doctor. “No!� he shouts, “This is her husband!� A man was driving home, drunk as a skunk. Suddenly he has to swerve to avoid a tree, then another, then another. A cop car pulls him over, so he tells the cop about all the trees in the road. The officer replies, “That’s your air freshener swinging on your mirror.� A man’s dog goes missing and the man is frantic. His wife says, “Why don’t you put an ad in the paper?� The man does, but two weeks later, the dog is still missing. “What did you put in the paper?� his wife asks. “Here boy!� he replies. A man is in jail. The guard looks in his cell and sees him hanging by his feet. “Just WHAT are you doing?� he asks. “Hanging myself,� the man replies. “The rope should be around your neck,� says the guard. “I tried that,� the inmate replies, “but then I couldn’t breathe.� MSN

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Reading and Eating... - continued from page 24 a rolling pin adhered to the front and back of the car and a vanity plate proclaiming IBRK4PIE. A cable car operator in San Francisco told the two searchers that there weren’t any renowned pie bakers in the Golden Gate area. “Pie is too pedestrian here,” he told them. To find one he knew about they would have to back track to begin with a roadside diner named Duarte’s Tavern and try the special olalieberry pie. “The berries come off the bushes right by the diner,” he said. Determined to get their directions from people who recommended “off the beaten path for pie,” they turned south and found olalieberries, a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry, to have a distinctive lovely flavor. Ron Duarte, pleased that his pie was such a discovery, volunteered his late Mother Emma’s recipe, still used for the 15 to 30 pies made daily. Departing Duarte’s, the duo headed east toward Nevada on Highway 50. Once in Austin, a desert home for three hundred people, the Sheriff’s dispatcher straightforwardly said, “There are no good pies in Austin. No good pie at all.”

When they reached Veyo, Utah at the bottom of the Beehive state, they were rewarded with a pie case at an RV park that contained Banana Cream, Lemon Meringue, and Coconut Cream, created by a 79-year old baker named Evaline, who had gone home for the night. They found her later and thanked her for the luscious slices they had eaten. Evaline said, “Yes, I am the pie lady around here.” Her secret was in the touch. “I’ve given out my recipes, ounce for ounce, to lots of people and they tell me it never turns out as good.” With their appetites and forks at the ready, the tasters barreled across the map to try Lemon Pecan, Buttermilk, Butterscotch, Apple-Plum, Rhubarb Cream, Cherry pie in Michigan, and Huckleberry in Montana. If a travelogue featuring pie interests you, find this book at your library or bookstore and then buy some 5x7 cards. A little work with the rolling pin and you might become the local “Pie Lady,” or “Pastry Chef,” who is always asked to dinner if they bring dessert. MSN

Arts help build and utilize critical thinking skills Enjoying our fourteenth year, the Livingston Center for Art and Culture provides a venue for classes, workshops, lectures, and gallery exhibits. Beginning August 10, we will be hosting our fifth annual weeklong Plein Air on the Yellowstone, Paint-Out in Park County. Twenty-five artists from Montana and beyond will arrive with their blank canvases, ready to enjoy the challenge of capturing a moment in time as the light and atmosphere change. The week’s activities include a Quick Draw at the Farmer’s Market and end with the Wet Paintings Exhibit, judged by Bozeman artist Susan Blackwood. A reception will be held on Friday, August 16 from 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Next up the Center will be displaying Horse Drawn from August 20 through September 14. Reception during the Art Walk on August 23 is 5:30–8:00 p.m. Curator Betsey Hurd is a selfdescribed “horsey girl” and paints from what she knows and loves. Included in this show will be Frances Carlson, pastel and charcoal artist from Sun River, and Shelle Lindholm, encaustic artist from the Kalispell area. Volunteer opportunities abound for Montana’s seniors. To learn more contact us at 406-222-5222 or www.livingstoncenter.org or visit us at 119 S. Main St., Livingston. MSN

Lewis and Clark Caverns and Parks - continued from page 57 trails and interpretive signs which tell how prehistoric people tricked bison over the cliffs and how thoroughly they used the animal for their needs. The Madison Buffalo Jump is not just filled with echoes from the past. Look for horned lark, magpies, golden eagles, cliff swallows, and more. Keep an eye on the ground, too, as rattlesnake, hang out here as well. To get to the Madison Buffalo Jump State Park take the Logan exit off I-90 and drive seven miles

on a gravel road up the Madison River valley. Parker Homestead State Park – Montana’s smallest State Park preserves a sod-roofed, tworoom log cabin built in 1901. The log shanty beneath the cottonwoods gives visitors a peek into how homesteaders lived 100 years ago. The park is undeveloped. The Parker Homestead is eight miles west of Three Forks on Montana 2. MSN

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but also identifying symptoms of potential concern before a crisis develops. Common red flags include changes in appetite, weight, energy level, mood or mental status, shortness of breath, swelling, fever, and chest congestion. Early identification and treatment of complications reduces the need for potentially traumatic trips to the hospital emergency department. This helps to maximize the quality of life of both the care receiver and caregiver – the ultimate goal when seeking professional support. Agency nursing services are available on an hourly basis (a minimum number of hours per visit may be required) or a shift basis. Help can be provided around the clock, as when a family caregiver is temporarily unavailable or at the end of life when a person with significant care needs wishes to die at home. The financial cost of home care is often a

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concern for caregivers. However, there may be publicly subsidized services available within the community. The local office on aging is a good source of information. Employer benefits, veterans’ benefits, long-term care insurance, or other resources may also cover some or all of the cost of needed services. It’s worth investigating, and many home healthcare agencies will assist with this. Caregivers may also wish to explore whether other family members are able and willing to contribute to the cost of hiring help. If needs become extensive, your relative’s or your income decreases, or savings being drawn upon to finance private-pay care run out, it’s time to start looking into residential care options. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. MSN

Making Sure Older Traveling Parents Are Safe By Marion Somers, PhD I suggest you help them prepare for any worst case scenarios so you can feel more at ease. My experience has been that once you have all of the bases covered, things usually go very smoothly. Before your parents go on a trip, take the following precautions: • Visit the doctor with your parents to be sure that they are healthy enough to take the trip. Never go against their doctor’s orders. • Have your parents’ legal papers in order. I am talking specifically about their wills, healthcare proxies, durable power of attorney, and DNR. They all need to be in order in case something happens. • Gather all of your parents’ prescriptions (including eyeglasses) and photocopy them so they can be taken on the trip in case they need to be refilled. Also, if they have allergies, include that. • Be sure they travel with their medications on them at all times. Do not put them in the suitcase in case of theft or loss. • Type out a short list of their key contacts including: two next of kin and other family members,

lawyer, primary doctor(s), dentist, rabbi/priest. • If your parents wear medical bracelets or medical necklaces, be sure all information is up to date including medicine, allergies, doctors’ numbers, e-mail addresses, and cell phone numbers. The same goes for key family members’ numbers. • If they require any extra attention such as a wheelchair, raised toilets, increased safety features, or special meals, call ahead and alert the airline and/or hotel. • Photocopy other important documents such as a passport, credit cards, and driver’s license in the event of theft or loss. This can save time if replacements are needed. Dr. Marion is the author of Elder Care Made Easier and has over 40 years of experience as a geriatric care manager, caregiver, speaker, and expert in all things elder care. She offers tools, solutions, and advice to help caregivers everywhere through her book, web site, iPhone apps (Elder 411/911), cross-country speaking tours, and more. Visit www.DrMarion.com for information. MSN

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A tomato is the fruit of peace By Bill Hall I have discovered a tomato that reminds me of a book about World War II. People my age and older have been haunted all our lives by the Second World War. Thus we are astonished at how unimaginably different relations are between the United States and Japan today. The start of that war is unusually sharp in my mind because the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is the first memory of my life. And now, in later years, the Japanese have repeatedly invaded my thoughts in pleasant ways. Warm events keep bringing me into contact with Japan, though I have never been there. The connection began with a Sunday dinner on December 7, 1941. Our family was at the home of fellow farmers when a bulletin came on the radio. I was 4½ years old so I don’t remember the words. I remember only that my parents were so visibly distressed that we immediately headed home, without eating dinner. From that day forward the war would involve me personally on a daily basis. The war involved everyone on a daily basis, young and old, civilian and soldier – not like the wars of today that the politicians have made relatively painless for the populace, a foolish move if we are to sort out the unnecessary wars from the truly desperate ones.

Today’s wars are fought almost entirely by members of the military and their families. The rest of us concern ourselves mostly with selfish things, things like pushing politically for cuts in our taxes – and paying no new taxes for our expensive wars. That book I recently read, Goodbye Darkness, is about World War II, about combat troops fighting in the Pacific and dying by the thousands every day. The author is William Manchester (who died at 82 in 2004), an American marine who was in the thick of those savage island battles. He was seriously wounded but survived to come home and write amazing biographies on Winston Churchill and Gen. Douglas McArthur. He has said of the two leaders, “Actors who have tried to play Churchill and MacArthur have failed abysmally because each of those men was a great actor playing himself.” For those who went through that war, there is no erasing the memory of its brutality. But another, astonishing Japan has emerged as the decades have rolled by. A civilized new Japan has developed, a nation now made up largely of people born since the war ended. After the savagery of a previous generation, the Americans and Japanese have found friendship today, a development that was unimaginable 65 years ago. Things changed rather quickly as the bleeding stopped. I was a young

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

reporter when I had dinner one night back in the 1960s with the Japanese pilot who flew the lead plane in the attack on Pearl Harbor. He had become a Christian minister and was flying around our country trying to save souls. Not many years thereafter, I met and married my wife, a woman in charge of teaching English to international students, including many Japanese. They were good-natured kids and mostly oblivious, so far as I could tell, to the errors of their great grandparents. Today, I find myself rooting for and admiring Ichiro Suzuki, the Japanese all-star right fielder playing for the noble Seattle Mariners. One night, our family attended a Mariners game where a family from Japan with a small boy sat next to us in the right-field seats. Ichiro drove in the winning run, and that small Japanese boy high-fived me. He was about the age I was when that Pearl Harbor bulletin ruined a Sunday dinner. And now, almost as a symbol of humanity’s

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 75

better nature, I have discovered a great Japanese tomato. Each spring for years now, I have planted the gold standard, Early Girl, an almost perfect blend of sweet and sour. Each year, I also plant other varieties. But they never equal Early Girl – until last summer. A local nursery sold me a momotaro, a medium-sized, dark pink Japanese tomato that is a tad tastier than an Early Girl. It’s hard for a tomato gardener to hate a country that can do that. Somewhere deep in the bones of human beings there remains a hope that we can one day learn to resist our periodic lethal binges. Therefore, because the people of Japan and of America have proven the potential for constant peace, some power has now awarded them a great tomato. There are few honors more gratifying, healthy, or delicious than that. Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone. net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

From Stem Cells to New Teeth By Tait Trussell Astonishingly, a fourth of all Americans over 65 have lost all of their original teeth. A promising discovery, however, may make you smile: Researchers from the College of Dental Medicine at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida have developed methods to enable stem cell growth to generate real replacement teeth. The NSU researchers’ approach is to extract stem cells from oral tissue, such as inside a tooth itself, or from bone marrow. Once harvested, the cells are mounted to a polymer scaffold in the shape of the desired tooth. The polymer is the same material used in absorbable sutures, so the scaffold eventually dissolves. Teeth can be grown separately and then inserted into a patient’s mouth or the stem cells can be grown within the mouth reaching a full-sized tooth within a few months. To date, teeth have been regenerated in monkeys and mice. Clinical trials with humans are under way. It is still uncertain whether teeth created in this manner can be nourished by blood and will have full and natural sensations. Growing new teeth presents a challenge, according to Dr. Peter Murray and his colleagues who developed the tooth-growing process. The stem cells must be stimulated to grow the proper balance of hard tissue, dentin (the major part of the tooth beneath the enamel), and the enamel. Dr. Murray is said to believe that if it can be proven that re-growth of teeth is safe and effective these teeth will be widely accepted in the U. S. Interest from fellow dentists is evident in the fact that his presentation Regenerative Endodontic Procedures sold out at the American Dental Association conference in Las Vegas recently.

The promise held by dental stem cell therapy has led to the rise of tooth banks. Stem cell therapies already are being used to repair bone damage and even organs. Research progress, however, is still sometimes suspect because of the politics surrounding embryonic stem cell research. Look at some statistics on tooth loss: seven out of ten adults age 35 to 45 have lost at least one tooth and about 20 million people – those over 65 – have lost all their permanent teeth. High sugar diets have increased the prevalence of periodontal disease. You can see that the market for tooth replacement is a big mouthful, so to speak. Having a full set of teeth is increasingly important as an aging population seeks to continue to live an active lifestyle. The growth of social media also has led to people’s faces being plastered all over Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. So how your teeth look is more important than ever, especially with more high quality cameras built into these mobile devices. Some people who feel the need to replace a missing tooth or teeth invest in implants. How dental implant surgery is performed depends on the type of implant and the condition of your

This new stabilization system is an alternative to expensive, invasive, implant procedures and is made in the U.S.A

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jawbone. But all dental implant surgery occurs in stages and can involve several procedures. The major benefit of implants is solid support for your new teeth – a process that requires the bone to heal tightly around the implant. Because this healing requires time, the process can take many months. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root. It is inserted into the jaw to hold artificial teeth in place. It is typically made out of titanium, which is compatible with the jawbone. The direct fusing of bone and an implant is called osseo integration, which is a special characteristic of titanium. When a tooth is lost, some bone that helped support the tooth is also lost. Dental implants help stabilize the jaw, preventing future bone loss and maintaining the jawbone’s shape. Implants are a convenient alternative to dentures because they never have to be taken out and they feel much more natural and comfortable. They are better than traditional bridges and crowns because they aren’t just cemented in place. When mounted to implants, bridges and

dentures won’t shift or slip in your mouth, which can make talking and eating easier and worry-free. This also avoids other common problems such as gagging, poor alignment, and sore spots. Implants aren’t cheap. The cost depends on a number of things including what dentist or surgeon you go to, the type of implant and procedure, how many and which teeth you need replaced, how many implants are required to support these teeth, how much insurance coverage you have, and your geographical location. Once you get an examination and talk with your dentist, he or she will be able to provide you with an estimate. A single tooth implant typically costs $1,000 to $3,000. If additional procedures such as bone grafts, extractions, and extensive imaging and/or modeling are required though, the price can easily rise to $5,000 to $10,000. Your dentist will be able to give you an idea of what costs you are looking at after a preliminary examination. All of which shows the importance of stem cells used to grow new teeth. MSN

Get Increased Access to Health and Wellness Classes with Silver&Fit® Program works to promote healthy living through free gym memberships Staying active is an important step in preventing and reducing medical costs. Increasingly health clubs, fitness centers, and gyms are adding additional classes that cater to the senior demographic. These classes include chair aerobics, various exercise classes, and the popular Zumba Gold. The addition of the Silver&Fit® Exercise and Healthy Aging Program to insurance plans such as New West’s Medicare Supplement plans makes gym membership more attractive. The Silver&Fit® Exercise and Healthy Aging Program features fitness facility memberships and home exercise programs. Benefits of the Silver&Fit® Program include: • Memberships at one of more than 11,000 participating fitness clubs and exercise facilities nationwide, including over 90 in Montana. • Members who prefer to work out at home receive a home exercise kit that may focus on strength and exercise, walking, aqua aerobics, Pilates, yoga, tai chi, dance, or stress management. Many gyms across Montana are seeing an increase in senior membership. “We offer seven senior-focused classes a week,” said Billings YMCA Health & Wellness Director Mistie Mims. “Right now we are at an all-time high for senior memberships; I think the Silver&Fit® program plays a part in this since it provides free memberships.”

As the medical field continues to shift from a treatment focus to a more preventive focus, expect to see more of these types of programs. “We are continually strengthening our commitment to help our members stay healthy, and are proud to add the Silver&Fit ® program to our Medicare Supplement plans,” said Leon Lamoreaux, CEO of New West Medicare, a Montana not-for-profit, provider sponsored health plan offering Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement policies. The benefits of the Silver&Fit ® program go beyond just a gym membership. “These classes don’t just benefit seniors physically but also psychologically. They are some of the most engaged members, it’s as much about being social as it is physical.” said Greg Hall, owner of Gold’s Gym in Great Falls. Tammy Grosenick, Operations Manager at the Peak Health and Wellness Center in Great Falls, says, “The Peak offers Fit & Be Fit classes, low impact aerobics, and arthritis focused classes in our warm pool. About 50% of our senior membership with The Silver&Fit® program included in their insurance is here because of the program, they otherwise would not have even thought to join. Our senior members really thrive in this environment. They have the time to get to know everyone and are our most social population.” To learn more about the Silver&Fit ® program contact your local fitness facility or visit newwestmedicare.com/home/featuredprograms/silver-fit. MSN

Short Jokes To Put A Smile On Your Face Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley An Italian tourist asks a man, “Why do scuba divers always fall backwards off their boats?” To which the man replies, “If they fell forward, they’d still be in the boat.” Two men find three grenades, and they decide to take them to a police station. One asks, “What if one explodes before we get there?” The other says, “We’ll lie and say we only found two.” MSN

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 77

My Triathlon with Prostate Cancer: Diagnosis, Discovery, and Treatment By Pat Purcell, MBA and Former Cancer Patient I remember the phone call that would change my life forever. In 2011, while at a charity golf tournament, I received a call from my doctor telling me I had prostate cancer. Those three simple words, “Pat, it’s cancer� ignited a cycle of fear, uncertainty, doubt — what am I going to do next? The good news was that my cancer was in the early stages and still contained within my prostate. The unanswered question was where to go from there. My doctor encouraged me to investigate a number of different treatment options. He said, “There’s really not just one answer that I can give you.� Instead, he recommended consulting several different physicians. I often think of my journey with cancer as a triathlon made up of three demanding pursuits, each challenging in its own right: diagnosis, discovery, and treatment. As I began my journey and started talking with various oncology experts, I knew that for me, my quality of life after treatment was a top priority. I wanted to live a full life for the next 30 or 40 years so I chose proton therapy. Sadly, I am not the only man that will have to face this challenge. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men. But there’s now a new hope in the fight against prostate cancer – a next-generation treatment called proton therapy that’s now regionally available for Idaho cancer patients. As a former proton therapy patient, I experienced the benefits of this less toxic form of radiation first-hand. I considered a wide range of treatment options from radical prostatectomy to watchful waiting. Ultimately, I determined that proton therapy was the best choice for my active lifestyle. The fact that I experienced minimal side effects during treatment and no impact to my quality of life post-treatment, confirmed that choosing proton therapy was among the best decisions of my life. During my 9-week proton therapy experience, I worked full-time from a virtual office close to the center where I received my radiation treatment. My colleagues set up a web conference protocol where I’d meet with them every morning by web cam and conduct my regular one-on-one meetings as well. The radiation took a little bit out of me, and I probably did not have the same energy level that I normally would have had. Nonetheless, I ran every morning and found myself biking, swimming, and lifting weights at the local health center. In fact, during my course of treatment, I competed in the Fearless San Diego Triathlon a few hours from the medical center. Mentally, this cancer journey is a big deal — you come to grips with your own mortality, and what’s also important is that the people around you come to grips with that, too. They get strength from the strength that you have. One of the things that has

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changed since I returned is my perspective on things — on what’s important, and giving back, and helping other patients who are going through this process. So what are protons and how do they work? Only available in 11 U.S. cities, proton therapy, like traditional radiotherapy, attacks tumors with powerful doses of radiation. But unlike traditional radiotherapy, proton therapy allows doctors to precisely target tumors and avoid exposing healthy tissue to excess radiation. Sparing healthy tissue can reduce many of the short- and long-term side effects associated with radiation therapy. When researching whether proton therapy was right for me, I discovered a number of long-term benefits from reducing the amount of radiation that hits healthy tissue. For example, traditional radiation to the bladder and surrounding areas can cause incontinence for some patients. However, because of the precision of protons, physicians can limit the radiation delivered to this area and reduce a patient’s risk of incontinence. Proton therapy also significantly reduces a patient’s risk of erectile dysfunction and rectal bleeding, two other common side effects of prostate cancer treatment. Patient access to proton therapy is growing too. In March, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy, A ProCure Center, opened the first proton therapy center in the Pacific Northwest, making proton therapy accessible for residents in Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Hawaii. My advice to prospective patients is quite simple: know your PSA level and know your treatment options. While the treatment of prostate cancer should be tailored to each individual’s needs, patients should consult their oncologist to evaluate all their options and decide the best treatment modality for their specific case. To find out more about proton therapy and hear additional stories from survivors visit www.SCCAProtonTherapy.com. MSN

Respiratory Infections have no seasons By Susan Frances Bonner RN BSN One of the three lifesaving techniques taught to save someone who has stopped breathing is to open the airway so oxygen can fill the lungs and be circulated to the heart and brain. Oxygen is essential to our survival! There are many ways that our breathing can be impaired – disease, disability, and accident to name a few. With older people, flu is one of the most potentially serious illnesses that affect breathing. Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are as usual as the common cold, which can be acquired without regard to climate, time of year, age, gender, or race. It is highly contagious and can linger briefly or for long periods, and become acute and lead to pneumonia. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are usually caused by one of more than 200 viruses and are rarely serious. They include the common Week ness e r a ce Aw 15-21 Balan ptember Se

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cold, tonsillitis, sore throat, sinusitis, laryngitis, and croup. RTIs can spread when tiny droplets of fluid containing a pathogenic organism are launched into the air from sneezing, coughing, or speaking. Infections can be spread through direct and indirect contact as when you touch your nose or eyes before touching someone else. Respiratory tract infections are usually caused by one of over 200 viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Streptococci usually infect the upper respiratory system, and bordetella pertussis usually infects the lower respiratory system. These are two of the kinds of bugs that can affect the lungs. Your medical professional must test you so that the appropriate medication can be prescribed. Since bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics and viral infections usually cannot, it behooves us to know what we have and why. From upper and lower respiratory tract infections you can expect some of these classic symptoms: fever, cough, malaise, ear ache, sneezing, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and a runny stuffy nose. Of course, you can have a few of the symptoms or none at all depending on the type of organism and your overall health. People that are more at risk of lung infections than others include children, the elderly, smokers, people with compromised immune systems, people who have chronic lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, and travelers. Treatment for the common cold and respiratory infections are age old – chicken soup for the common cold and leeches on the chest to suck out the evil causing the sickness. My mother would rub Vicks VapoRub on my chest when I got a cough accompanied by a steaming shower. There may be some validity to these home remedies, but for most types of respiratory infections, the best treatment is to drink plenty of liquids, get some rest the first few days, and wait for symptoms to resolve. Most colds last seven to ten days. If, in the middle of a cold, you suddenly feel much worse and develop a fever and cough up green/brownish mucus, it could mean that the cold has become a bacterial infection and may require different treatment. If you have to seek medical attention, you can expect tests of your mucous membranes, as well as blood work to determine what you may have acquired. Then your doctor may prescribe decongestants, antihistamines, analgesics, mucolytics, antitussives, or antibiotics. There are some natural alternatives such as elderberry, which may reduce the duration of flu-like illnesses by up to four days. Tamiflu and Relenza reduce the duration of symptoms by one day. Honey, has recently shown to be as effective as dextromethorphan for treating cough in children. Other alternative treatments are inhalation of warm humidified air (infused with mint if you like), warm compresses on the nose or throat, and yes, sitting in a steam room with Vicks on your chest. All of these methods have one thing in common – to clear the lungs of extra fluid and mucous. Again, do your research to see what is most practical for you and your lifestyle. Prevention of this common and prolific condition is very easy; it’s called basic hygiene and cleanliness. You should wash your hands regularly and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Home as well as office surfaces should be kept clean if there are infected people around.0 Consider wearing a mask if you are already infected. You probably have seen pictures of the Japanese population wearing them during the bird flu epidemic and wondered how effective it was. Believe it or not, that was the best option to deal with an airborne infection that was rampant and widespread. Remember, we can prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, and hopefully I have given you some tools – because we all need air! MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 79

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Understanding Cataracts A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision. The lens is a clear part of the eye that helps to focus light, or an image, on the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In a normal eye, light passes through the transparent lens to the retina. Once it reaches the retina, light is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. A cataract can occur in either or both eyes. It cannot spread from one eye to the other. Cataracts and Aging – Most cataracts are related to aging. Cataracts are very common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. Age-related cataracts develop in two ways. • Clumps of protein reduce the sharpness of the image reaching the retina. • The clear lens slowly changes to a yellowish/ brownish color, adding a brownish tint to vision. Protein Clumpings Cloud the Lens – The lens consists mostly of water and protein. When the protein clumps up, it clouds the lens and reduces the light that reaches the retina. The clouding may become severe enough to cause blurred vision. Most age-related cataracts develop from protein clumpings. When a cataract is small, the cloudiness affects only a small part of the lens. You may not notice any changes in your vision. Cataracts tend to grow slowly, so vision gets worse gradually. Over time, the cloudy area in the lens may get larger, and the cataract may increase in size. Seeing may become more difficult. Your vision may get duller or blurrier. Discoloration of the Lens – Cataracts cause the lens to change to a yellowish/brownish color. As the clear lens slowly colors with age, your vision gradually may acquire a brownish shade. At first, the amount of tinting may be small and may not cause a vision problem. Over time, increased tinting may make it more difficult to read and perform other routine activities. This gradual change in the amount of tinting does not affect the sharpness of the image transmitted to the retina. If you have advanced lens discoloration, you may not be able to identify blues and purples. You may be wearing what you believe to be a pair of black socks, only to find out from friends that you are wearing purple socks. Risk Factors – The risk of cataract increases

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as you get older. Other risk factors for cataract include: • Certain diseases like diabetes • Personal behavior like smoking or alcohol use • Environmental factors such as prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. Common Symptoms – The most common symptoms of a cataract are: • Cloudy or blurry vision and poor night vision • Glare - headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright or a halo may appear around lights • Double vision or multiple images in one eye • Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses. Tests for Cataract – Cataract is detected through a comprehensive eye exam that includes a visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, and tonometry. • The visual acuity test is an eye chart test that measures how well you see at various distances. • In the dilated eye exam, drops are placed in your eyes to widen, or dilate, the pupils. Your eye care professional uses a special magnifying lens to examine your retina and optic nerve for signs of damage and other eye problems. • In tonometry, an instrument measures the pressure inside the eye. Numbing drops may be applied to your eye for this test. Dealing with Symptoms – The symptoms of early cataract may be improved with new eyeglasses, brighter lighting, anti-glare sunglasses, or magnifying lenses. If these measures do not help, surgery is the only effective treatment. Surgery involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing it with an artificial lens. A cataract needs to be removed only when vision loss interferes with your everyday activities, such as driving, reading, or watching TV. You and your eye care professional can make this decision together. Is Surgery Right For You? – Once you understand the benefits and risks of surgery, you can make an informed decision about whether cataract surgery is right for you. In most cases, delaying cataract surgery will not cause long-term damage to your eye or make the surgery more difficult. You do not have to rush into surgery. There are two types of cataract surgery, phacoemulsification and extracapsular surgery. Your doctor can explain the differences and help determine which is better for you. After the natural lens has been removed, it usually is replaced by an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens, or IOL. An IOL is a clear, plastic lens that requires no care and becomes a permanent part of your eye. Cataract removal is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. It also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward. MSN

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People Turning to Both Hard and Soft Martial Arts for Health and Self-Defense By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire There are both “soft” and “hard” martial arts. A church pastor in his 60s is learning the “kick and smash” of tae kwon do. That is not “soft.” Yoga and tai chi are soft. They are practiced by many people to improve their health and wellbeing and to help prevent falls, rather than for self-defense. Tai Chi can enhance balance, strengthen knees and ankles, and delay frailty of aging. A study at Emery University School of Medicine, for example, ran a 15-week program that it said cut the risk of falling by 47 percent. (Falls cost the country about $12 billion a year.) Researchers at Ohio State University have shown that women who practice hatha yoga (a common type) can recover from stress and may be subject to less cardiovascular disease, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. But what are known as the hard martial arts, such as karate and judo, seem to be gaining popularity among older people too. These hard martial arts typically have been for young dudes who are fit enough to leap through the air with a foot to the chin of an opponent skilled enough to earn a black belt. Some seniors now are turning from soft to hard. Take 63-year-old Ron Roe. He did not let age keep him from earning a black belt in tae kwon do. The semi-retired home-health care worker in Aurora, Colorado, in nine years has earned the rank of third-degree black belt. It is said that only one out of every thousand martial arts students, young or not so young, has advanced to this stage of self-defense proficiency. The so-called hard martial arts include karate, kung fu, judo, and aikido as well as tae kwon do. Gary Hernandez in Zephyrhills, Florida, has been providing martial arts and self-defense seminars using what he calls the RDT system (Realistic Defense Tactics). He has a 57-year-old learning tai kwon do, as well as a pastor of a local church in

his 60s also learning tae kwon do; it is one of the popular martial arts. Hernandez says one of its distinctive traits is its emphasis on kicks. The name “tae” translates to “kick and smash with the foot,” Hernandez told me he has three 60-year-olds in his “cane masters” class where they are taught to use their canes as defense weapons. “The cane can go anywhere you go. It is a legal self-defense tool or weapon.” He and his staff work with people “with special needs of all ages and handicaps, even older people in wheelchairs.” His RDT system is “for men and women of all ages and sizes.” There are no high kicks. “The person uses their hands, fingers, elbows, feet, knees, and anything else they have with them as a weapon. For example keys, knife, stick, comb, belt, shoes, anything. You not only learn how to hit someone but also where to hit them. This is Realistic Defense Tactics,” he explained. “A martial art can be defined as a system of techniques – physical and mental exercises – as self defense, both armed and unarmed,” Hernandez pointed out. “Some fighting styles emphasize weaponless techniques. Others put the emphasis on striking.”

Hernandez even offers knife-fighting techniques. “Students learn knife fighting that concentrates on in-close fighting against open hand attacks. We work on fighting drills with knife-to-knife attacks. “Today, the martial arts are practiced for health and fitness, sport, and spiritual benefits as well as self-defense - and for all ages,” Hernandez says. A retired plumber, Mark Copeland, 54, is being trained in a modified form of tae kwon do. Several weeks after having both hips replaced in 2008, Copeland says he ran across martial arts while searching for a new form of exercise. He said he had to use a cane to walk into Hernandez’s school. Now he has a green belt, halfway to black-belt status. I can get around without a cane,” he said. A 64-year-old Denver lawyer, Robert McKenna, reportedly said his tae kwon do exertions have resulted in a broken nose and some cracked ribs over the years. But he is still working out. Curious martial arts seniors are advised by the U.S. Martial Arts Association to visit more than one school before deciding to make a commitment. Contracts are typically for one year and reportedly are in the $75/month range. MSN

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Hip Replacements:How To Avoid Potential Pitfalls By Linda Grayling Age is the most common risk factor associated with osteoarthritis, due to the gradual wear-and-tear damage our joints take over years. And osteoarthritis pain is the most common reason for needing a hip replacement. The majority of those undergoing hip replacement surgeries are seniors. Other risk factors for hip replacement include family history, previous injury to the joint, congenital defect, obesity, and repetitive highimpact activity. Most people who undergo hip replacement surgery can expect a favorable outcome of restored function and reduced hip pain. However, as with all surgery, there are risks. Blood Clots and Infections: These are most common during the first few weeks of recovery, and can be life threatening. Blood clots in the legs will present with pain or swelling, skin that is warm to the touch, and coughing or chest pain that gets worse as you take a breath. Infections in the blood stream or at the incision site will present with symptoms like fever, pain, shaking and chills, redness, and swelling of the incision or liquid discharge from the incision. Avoid blood clots by following your doctor’s instructions, which may include prescription blood thinners, compression hose, and exercises like ankle rotations to increase blood flow. Avoid the need for revision surgery by alerting your doctor at the first sign of an infection. Most minor infections can be treated with antibiotics, which your doctor may prescribe preemptively after surgery. Dislocation: You are at the greatest risk of dislocation, where the ball dislodges from the socket, during the first 6-8 weeks of recovery when the muscles surrounding the hip are not fully supporting the new joint. Avoid painful dislocation by working with a physical therapist to strengthen the muscles supporting the hip and increasing your range of motion. Remove rugs or rearrange furniture to avoid obstacles that may cause a fall. Defective Implants: Flawed metal-on-metal hip implants were manufactured by Stryker Orthopaedics and DePuy Orthopaedics and used in hip replacement surgeries worldwide. When the metal components rub together, they release metal particles into the bloodstream and surrounding tissues, which can cause metal poisoning. Although the defective models have been recalled, many patients were affected and are pursuing legal action. Avoid these serious complications by working with your surgeon to select an implant that is comprised of more than one material, not all metal. Instead, choose one made of plastic, ceramic, and metal. If you received Stryker’s Rejuvenate or ABG II model or DePuy’s ASR system, your blood should be monitored for toxic levels of metal. Long Term: The life of a hip implant ranges from 10-20 years, depending on the implant. Over time, with resumed hip function, the artificial hip is subject to wear and tear and revision surgery becomes necessary when the implant’s components wear out. Avoid the need for revision surgery any sooner than necessary. Obesity, high-impact activities, and poor alignment of the implant contribute to a shorter implant lifespan. Linda Grayling is a writer for drugwatch.com. She enjoys keeping up with the latest news in the medical field. MSN

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Aurora Borealis blooms in Alaskan heavens Article and photos by Natalie Bartley at the warm and cozy Chena Hot Springs Resort It’s time to head north to Alaska this autumn or camp at the awe-inspiring Denali National Park through next spring for sensational aurora borealis and Preserve. shows. The upcoming months during 2013 and Though spring is a superior time to view the 2014 are predicted as sensational years for view- northern lights because the skies are more likely to ing these colorful night sky displays. be clear, August and September are good alternaAlso known as the northern lights, the aurora tives with warmer weather and colorful vegetation borealis is the result of charged particles from the adding visual variety to your daytime experiences. sun colliding with atoms in the upper atmosphere The University of Alaska at Fairbanks provides an in the region of the aurora forecast on north and south poles. its website. The last We mere mortals see two weeks of August the results as colorand the first three ful curtains or bands weeks of September of light. Green, blue, are mentioned as purple, and red colors good autumn timesswirl and twirl and on lots for witnessing the dark canvas of the northern lights above night sky. Fairbanks. For residents in Maximize your the Pacific Northwest, viewing by heading that means a trip to to an unlighted hilltop Fairbanks should be located away from on travelers’ bucket trees and other veglists because the area etation. Trees may is a famous location add interest to your to view the northern During their off-season from pulling sleds over snow, the dogs photographs, in exlights. Thanks to the pull carts with visitors onboard at Chena Hot Springs Resorts change for interfering Fairbanks International near Fairbanks Alaska. with the full sensation Airport and the Alaska of an open sky filled Railroad, this town of 32,000 residents is easily ac- with the aurora. Time your viewing for an eve with cessible compared to remote locations in northern no moonlight, or limited moonlight, by checking the Alaska and Canada. Northern lights chasers can lunar calendar. Since the best viewing time tends to quickly escape the city lights and enjoy clear views be late evening and early morning, it will also likely of the night sky a short distance out of town. Select be cold, so dress warmly. Bring your patience along a site from a variety of outdoorsy places. Kick back too. The intensity of the auroras varies from night-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

to-night and throughout each night. Sometimes clouds drift by, blocking the view. If staying at a lodge or hotel offering aurora wakeup calls, arrange for the front desk to notify you when the northern lights appear. In the meantime, relax in your room and catch up on your beauty sleep. For folks looking for a blend of relaxation and adventure along with aurora borealis viewing, check Chena Hot Springs Resort. Located about 60 miles northeast from Fairbanks via a paved road, this year-round resort offers a variety of accommodations ranging from lodge rooms and yurts to RV and tent campsites. For northern lights viewing, the resort provides an aurorium for your comfort. Nestle into this wooden building on a ridge and sip hot chocolate. Large windows allow views of the heavens from the comfort of this heated aurorium, a short hike uphill from the resort. During the day, while you wait for the emerging night skies to strut their stuff, pedal a mountain bike, ride a horse, or hike on the resort’s trails. Dog sled rides are offered year-round. In the spring, summer, and early fall the dog teams pull a cart instead of the traditional snow sled used in the winter months. It’s good exercise for the athletic dogs and provides a taste of dog sledding for the visitors. Don’t miss the onsite Aurora Ice Museum where you can order an apple martini, “appletini,� served in glass carved from ice. Visitors don the provided coats and hang out in the ice museum, enjoying the carefully carved ice sculptures and perhaps taking a lesson in sculpturing. If you become chilled during your stay, slip into the heated waters of the outdoor Rock Lake near the lodge or warm up in the indoor pool and hot tubs. During your visit to the area, add an excursion into Denali National Park and Preserve, located 122 miles southwest of Fairbanks. At the minimum, allow a day for a guided bus tour. The longest tour goes deep into the park and takes 11 hours. Shorter trips are offered and you can do-it-yourself using public transportation within the park. Study the park website for details on the various options. Some of the bus tours stop as early as mid-September. Camping is available in the park or book accommodations at one of the various lodges, cabins, hotels, and hostels outside of the park boundaries. If you miss viewing the northern lights, don’t worry. You can still feel the

Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque is world’s largest By Jack McNeel Can you imagine hundreds of hot air balloons rising into the sky within minutes of each other? It is possible if you visit Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta in early October where since 1972 they have hosted the largest balloon rally in the world each year and have been doing this since 1972. It is not just the number of balloons that impress visitors, but the incredible colors, designs, and shapes. Yes, the traditional hot air balloon is essentially teardrop in shape but there is a whole other group of special shape balloons that reflect and ingenious variety. You might see a balloon shaped like a comic book character such as Woody Woodpecker, Dumbo the Elephant, Felix the Cat, Dino the Dinosaur, or Tweety Bird. Or, it might be an animal. One balloon was huge and shaped like a cow. There were balloons with a monkey face or zebra head. Another was Noah’s Ark and it contained a whole collection of animals peering over the rim. Another massive balloon was shaped like a Wells Fargo stagecoach and an equally large balloon was a stork carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket in its beak. Even Elvis Presley was present this year for the first time. The idea of this fiesta began back in 1971 when the largest balloon rally in the world was in England and had just 14 balloons. Albuquerque decided it could do better but bad weather caused some cancellations and only 13 balloon pilots showed up. From that point, it was nothing but up until 2001 when

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wonder and amazement of the lights May through September in downtown Fairbanks at the Lacey Street Theatre in the Ice Museum nightly. Set to music, photographer LeRoy Zimmerman casts a panoramic northern lights photo-symphony upon a large screen. Titled The Crown of Light–The Aurora Experience, the show is sure to please the senses and provide a taste of the aurora borealis. Whatever your plans are for Fairbanks in the next few years, remember to maximize your trip by including northern lights viewing. The following websites can provide you with more information: • Aurora Forecast: gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast • Fairbanks info: explorefairbanks.com/ • Chena Hot Springs Resort: chenahotsprings.com/ • Denali National Park tour and camping info: nps.gov/dena/index.htm • Lacey Street Theatre Ice Museum: explorefairbanks.com/listings/detail/274/photosymphony-productions Natalie Bartley is a Boise-based author of the mobile app travel guide Boise’s Best Outdoor Adventures available at http://sutromedia.com/boise and the trail guidebooks Best Easy Day Hikes Boise and Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest available at amazon.com and at your local outdoor retailer or bookstore and at nataliebartleyoutdoor.com. MSN

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they hit a record high of 1,019 balloons. But that decoration. Publicity is extensive and there is no much was just too much even for Albuquerque. doubt that the Balloon Fiesta is in town. The town was expanding and space was getting The balloon grounds a few miles north of town more limited for landing the balloons once they feature a massive concession area where you can lifted off so a limit was imposed of 750 balloons. purchase many types of food, a vast selection of City expansion continsouvenirs, clothing, and ued and in 2009 the limit jewelry. was reduced to the curEach morning, long rent 600. This past Octobefore sunrise, a dawn ber there were 553 pilots patrol show is held. and about 600 balloons When the gas flames during the October 6-14 that inflate the balloons event that drew upwards are lit, the balloons take of 800,000 visitors. It’s on the appearance of big! massive light bulbs. Light Myia (Hackett) Danley bulbs of every color light is one of the pilots. She up the night. As the balflies by the name Miss loons rise and the gas Myia and was born in flame is increased, the Coeur d’Alene and raised lights come back on, only in Spokane although she to go black when the gas now lives in Colorado. It’s is turned off. It’s impresher 11th year in balloonsive! ing and third year as a Several evenings, pilot. That first flight was as the sun sets and the at Deer Park, Washingskies go dark, a similar ton, just outside of Sposhow takes place with kane and she later flew balloons going from lightin various small events ed, spectacular displays, in eastern Washington. to near total darkness, This was her first time to on and off like flipping a fly at Albuquerque and This special shaped balloon is easily iden- light switch. she was excited for the tified as a photographer. [Photo by Jackie On other evenings opportunity. “It’s all about McNeel] the special-shaped balpeople and sharing balloons hold center court. loons,” she says. Some are huge and some are a more normal size, In Old Town Albuquerque, signs welcome but all are unique. There’s an insect of some sort, balloonists and toy balloons are for sale or for an ice cream cone, the head of an elephant with a long trunk, clowns, even a balloon shaped like a shopping bag and others that defy description. But it’s fun and the crowds are enthusiastic. Spectators can take seats on benches along the side of the launching field, watch as they walk among the concessionaires, and even wander among the balloons, talking with pilots and crews. If you have a camera, you can shoot to your heart’s content as balloons lying flat on the ground fill up into massive balloons and then rise high into the air. Watching the early morning, pre-dawn activities means getting up very early. Parking areas are sufficient for the crowds and police and volunteers guide viewers but the sheer volume of cars can slow traffic. There is bus service from some hotels making it easier to get to the site. Fireworks displays (AfterGlow Fireworks Show) are part of the day’s event at the conclusion of events on most evenings. Keep the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in mind for 2013 or put it on your bucket list. It is a show unlike any other in the world and only when you are present can you get the full impact of 600 balloons, the pageantry, and the color. It is special! MSN

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