Montana Senior News Dec 10/Jan 11

December 2010/January 2011 Vol 27 No 2

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Marge Eliason Has Lived A Life of Compassion for Others

Marge Eliason has not just lived in Billings for 56 years, she has helped create some of the important programs in the community, and she continues to enrich her hometown through a variety of current activities. [Photo by Michael Gilluly]

By Sue Hart Marge Eliason did not have the easiest or most comfortable time in her growing-up years, which may explain her lifelong passion for improving the lot of other children and their parents.

During the Depression, many families struggled to stay fed and housed, and the Eliason family, mother, father, and one-year-old Marge, was no exception.

“We were living in a Glacier Park campground.” she says. “Then Dave Yegen (of the Billings Yegens) offered my father a job managing a pool hall Yegen owned in Browning. There was a two room apartment above the pool hall, and that was our home for several years.”

It was not the quietest or most ideal of homes for a young girl. “The poker and other card games would go on until two or three in the morning,” she recalls, and her “playground” was often limited to the staircase between the first and second floors of the establishment.

Eventually, Yegen asked Marge’s father to manage his ten-unit motel, also in Browning, which included a house/motel office. “For the first time, I had a bedroom of my own, “she recalls. “I was nine years old.”

Attending high school in Browning brought a new set of challenges into her life. “Some of the other girls were really mean,” she says. “They’d punch and kick me.”

And then, in her sophomore year, she started “running with the wild kids,” a choice that caused her parents to transfer her to Holy Names Academy in Spokane. She was thirteen when he left Browning.

“My parents put me on the train, and I was met in Spokane by two nuns,” she says. “One of them gave me a nickel and told me to call for a taxi. I’d never seen a pay phone before!”

After high school, she enrolled at St. Catherine’s College in St. Paul, Minn. With her characteristic good humor, she remarks, “Those two years probably saved my life. If I hadn’t have been there, I probably would have followed the first yahoo who came down the street.”

Instead, she graduated with a two-year certificate to teach kindergarten classes, and went on to the then Montana State University in Missoula (now U of M) and received a degree in Health and Physical Education in 1951, one of a record-setting graduating class of 400. (Missoula had no (Continued on page 25)

PAGE 2 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 3

Your Life. Your Death.

Your Choice.

My father fought to win the right to die with dignity; now, I’m fighting to keep it.

Bob Baxter and daughter Roberta

My father, Bob Baxter, filed the case that brought Montanans the choice to end a drawn-out death from terminal illness with medication prescribed by a physician.

My father was a typical Montanan: a proud, independent, patriotic ex-Marine. He liked to hunt and fish. He was a freedom-loving truck driver. His whole life he wanted to do things the right way.

When he found out he had terminal cancer, he wanted his doctor to help make sure he had a peaceful and dignified death. He wanted his doctor to aid in his dying. But that choice wasn’t available. That’s why he brought the lawsuit that made death with dignity legal in Montana.

Dad’s suffering and death were much more painful and difficult than they had to be.

My dad never got the right to decide for himself how much suffering to endure before he died.

He died the same day the court ruled in his favor.

Now, Montanans do have the right to legal aid in dying. But some people believe politicians and government should prevent patients like my father from being allowed to die. They vow to get the legislature to reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling next January.

I’m fighting to keep this choice in place, the one my Dad should have had. I believe, like my Dad did, that people suffering the pain and anguish of a prolonged terminal illness should be allowed to decide how their life ends, with the support of family and loved ones and the aid of their physician. Won’t you join me?

Please stand with Roberta and Compassion & Choices in protecting the Montana Supreme Court ruling that respects your personal end-of-life decisions.

Protect your right to die with dignity.

Join the Compassion & Choices Action Network.

Yes, I support my right to end-of-life choice!

Call Compassion & Choices at 1(800) 247-7421

Name: ___________________________________________________

Visit www.CompassionAndChoices.org/Baxter

Phone: ___________________________________________________

Or clip out and mail this coupon:

Email: ___________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

F You may use my name in letting elected lawmakers know of my support.

Mail to Compassion & Choices of Montana, P.O. Box 1348, Helena, Montana 59624 061 'HF -DQ

PAGE 4 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Remington Funeral Chapel Funeral planning is a difficult process involving emotional stress, financial decision making and uncertainty. y Without tion some guidance, the options and information lanning surrounding funerals and arrangement planning can seem overwhelming at an already bout ut complicated time. For more informationn abo about pre-arrangements. Call REMINGTON FUNERAL CHAPEL at 672-0099 or 628-2135 remingtonletcherfuneralservices.com

Billings Youth Orchestra This holiday season Billings’ most promising young musicians will play a superb assortment of classical symphonic music to delight your ears and inspire the music lover in you and your family.

Join the Billings Youth Orchestras at the Alberta Bair Theater on December 11 at 7:30 pm! Tickets are $10, $8 for children 15 and younger. We’ll see you there!

Karen Stears Billings

What Are We Thinking?

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 www.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 Rhonda Lee Peter Thornburg Sherrie Smith Shannon Stigall

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

Contributing Writers Bob Campbell Connie Daugherty George Engler Clare Hafferman Sue Hart Kim Thielman-Ibes Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2010

Now that the Republicans have taken over the U.S. House of Representatives, I am puzzled.

Is this because they did such a wonderful job of getting into pointless, expensive foreign wars and handed us the worst recession in 75 years? Can somebody please explain politics to me?

Mike Thomas Helena

Hospice Care Widely Available When faced with a terminal illness, fear takes on many forms. Some patients fear the loss of control they will have over their own lives while the fear of dying alone and in pain compels others to simply give up on their precious last days.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

- Winston Churchill

Hospice treats the person instead of the disease, focuses on the patient and family together instead of just the individual, and emphasizes the quality of life instead of its duration. Hospice care allows terminally ill patients and their families to experience the end of life together in the comfort and security of home or a home-like setting.

Many people do not realize that Medicare and the Medicaid programs of 48 states and the District of Columbia cover hospice services; and most private insurance and managed care plans offer a hospice benefit. A person is eligible for hospice once he or she is certified by a physician as having a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less with normal disease progression.

In November, Frontier Hospice in Kalispell joined more than 3,100 hospice providers throughout the United States to celebrate National Hospice Month and recognize the specialized care that hospice professionals and volunteers offer to patients and their families.

More information about hospice in the United States is available from the National Association of Home Care & Hospice in Washington, DC, at www.nahc.org.

Marilyn Olson Community Educator Frontier Hospice, Kalispell MSN

The holiday season is well-known as a time of love and generosity. What better time to open your heart and share your love with a special someone?

Write your own ad or answer one of the ones below, and who knows what will happen? The holidays have a magic all their own!

To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message and address, phone number, or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011 We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/ or email address to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive responses.

Respond to the ads in this issue and also sit down now and prepare your own ad to run in our February/March 2011 issue. There is no charge for this service and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well.

Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the February/March 2011 issue, the deadline is January 10, 2011.

Emeritus Senior Living Everyone agrees that the “golden years” should be a time of relaxation, comfort, security, and independence. Now is the time to embrace the luxury and comfort you’ve earned throughout the years.

Retirement living can give you the opportunity to relax and enjoy your time while we take care of the housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and meals. Now you can truly relax and enjoy your freedom and independence.

Single man seeks live-in female companion, age 60-70. Looks unimportant.

I do not smoke or drink. All replies are welcome and I will answer them all! Reply MSN, Dept. 27201, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, based in Billings, former teacher and social worker, is looking for a man in his 80s who is interested in the following things: dancing, music, sports, all things historical, reading, and travel in the US and overseas. My health is excellent. I am about 5’2” and medium build, with brown eyes and light brown hair. I look forward to hearing from you - I’ll answer and exchange photos. Reply MSN, Dept. 27202, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Widow, 71, would like to meet an honest, loving, caring man in his 70s to early 80s. I like to cook, stay at home, go out to lunch or dinner, cuddle, watch movies, and travel. I live in Great Falls, but enjoy staying in the SW in winter (TX, NM, and AZ). I want to be friends first and go from there to talking on the phone, having lunch or dinner, and going for walks. Reply MSN, Dept. 27203, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am an active, fun-loving, 6’4”, 240 lb, white male with a great sense of humor. I enjoy country music, hunting, fishing, camping, woodcutting, mountain walks, and a few beers every now and then. I do not smoke or use drugs. I hand-built a small log cabin in the western MT mountains and would love to share its beauty with a loyal companion. Please send letter and photo - I will answer all! Reply MSN, Dept. 27204, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am a widowed lady, 69 years old, average weight.

No drinking, smoking, or drugs. I am looking for a good, Christian gentleman age 69 or older. I want to be friends with the possibility of a relationship later. I am independent, strong-willed, and a good listener.

I work calling Bingo at the Miles City Eagles Center, and I enjoy movies, reading, and taking walks. If you are interested, send a note and picture. I will do the same in return. Reply MSN, Dept. 27205, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Male, single, early 60s, educated and retired, 6’2”, 235 lbs. I have a house and farm in eastern MT, but I live in Sidney. No smoking or drinking. I enjoy the outdoors, dining out, traveling, movies, TV, drives, and living the simpler life with my two dogs. I would like to find a nice, honest, loving lady for friendship, conversation, and romance. I can travel the state. Photo and phone number appreciated. Reply MSN, Dept. 27206, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, athletic, 6’3”, 235 lbs, 56 years old. I live in Billings and love to go to comedy acts. Just having fun is very important! I also enjoy movies, going to dinner, and music. A quiet night with home cooking, a bottle of wine, and candles burning is perfect! Reply MSN, Dept. 27207, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

(Continued on page 12)

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 5

Our Family is Committed to Yours.

Enjoy your retirement years.

(888) 695-8813 1104 Sixth Ave. N., Great Falls R www.Emeritus.com

PAGE 6 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 7

PAGE 8 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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My Evening with Tony Bennett

By Saralee Perel When I recently saw Tony Bennett perform to a sold-out crowd on Cape Cod where I live, I was so entranced that I felt he was conveying his words only to me. And in fact, two hours later, that was precisely what he would be doing.

I One month earlier, my husband, Bob, who knows am crazy about Tony Bennett, surprised me with tickets to the show.

But I was worried. For the past seven years since my spinal cord injury, I have not been able to function after 5 p.m. when the intact remainder of my cord is exhausted from trying to do the work of a whole spinal cord. We call it “crash time.”

“Sweetheart,” I said to Bob. “You know I can’t walk or talk at night.”

“Yes you can. I will help you walk. And when you have trouble finding words, I will find them for you.”

He held me as I looked so discouraged. “I thought you might want to try since it is Tony Bennett. But either we can leave early or we don’t have to go at all. It’s okay.”

I called the theater to inquire about the kinds of seats, steps, ramps, and how long the show would last. I was just about to ask their cancellation policy when I looked at the tickets in my hand - Cape Cod Melody Tent Presents An Evening With Tony Bennett - and silently declared, “If I don’t try to push through my crash time barrier now, I never will.”

Then I came up with a cockamamie idea; finding a way to actually meet Tony Bennett.

After 22 calls, someone mentioned a guy I used to know long ago, named Dick - a friend of Tony’s. I called him in Washington, D.C., and he remembered me.

Feeling terribly shy, I forced myself to say, “Um, I hear you know Tony Bennett.”

“We talk nearly every other day.”

After I explained my physical situation, crash time, and our going to Tony’s concert, Dick said, “How can I help you?”

I told him about my crazy idea of meeting my idol, of overcoming the physical challenge, and how inspiring that would be for me. Then I told him I wanted to share that inspiration with others trying to break through their barriers.

Dick explained, “Tony’s not just a singer and a painter. He’s a humanitarian. I’ll see what I can do. I’m coming to the Cape for his concert and would enjoy seeing you and Bob again.”

I emailed Dick a few relevant columns so that he and Tony could get a sense of what I meant by breaking through barriers, and he forwarded them to Tony and explained my story.

Then Dick told me that Tony remarked about my courage and would love to meet me.

Holy guacamole!

Then my lunatic persona took over. I wrote a sentence to introduce myself - in case I went blank, which was better than just staring at him mutely with my mouth open - “I’ve always loved your voice and your music.”

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 9

I put it in my purse along with 287 breath mints. But I knew I would forget Our Best...For Less...In a Day about my note and instead sound like Tarzan. “You sing good.� And poke him in the chest saying, “Me like.�

BASIC DENTURES (SET).....$295 And what would I wear? Every piece of clothing I have worn since the BASIC CROWN (UNIT).......$425 60s was strewn around the house and eventually Bob stopped looking up and kept reading the paper when I’d say, “How does this look?�

8IJUFOJOH t $MFBOJOH t 'BNJMZ %FOUJTUSZ To everything, he just mumbled, “Fine.� $IFDL 6QT t 'JMMJOHT t %JHJUBM 9 3BZT Delta Dental Insurance & Over 200 Others Accepted In frustration, when I finally modeled nothing but bare skin and my CareCreditŽ 'JOBODJOH "WBJMBCMF brother’s tiny yarmulke, Bob said, “Fine.�

I asked, “Isn’t the hat a bit much?�

DENTAL CENTERS He looked up, did not notice I was naked, and added, “Tony’s Italian.

You’re Jewish. They act the same. Wear the yarmulke.�

Dr. Hildreth & Associates 2 Locations: I asked friends what I should say to Tony Bennett, and everyone was MID-AMERICA DENTAL & HEARING CENTER-HWY. sooooo helpful.

1050 W. Hayward Drive t Mt. Vernon, MO 65712 One gal said, “If he asks what song you’d like to hear, say his famous 1-800- 354-1905 ballad She Wore an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.�

MID-AMERICA DENTAL & HEARING CENTER-LOOP My friend, musicologist Bill O’Neill, was even more helpful. “If he asks if 558 Mt. Vernon Blvd. t Mt. Vernon, MO 65712 you’d like his autograph, say, ‘Sure. Please sign it ‘To Saralee - that’s S-A1-800-372-4554 R-A-L-E-E. With love, Frank Sinatra.’� www.midamericadental.com When Bob and I arrived at the theater, Dick was there to greet us, and Dr. Hildreth & Associates are Missouri licensed General Dentists. They are not told us our meeting would take place after the show, in the green room. licensed in Missouri as specialists in the advertised dental specialty of Prosthetics.

Using my cane and Bob’s arm for balance, I managed to get down an incline to our seats. People around me knew I was struggling and were so kind. I was shaking, wobbly, and clearly, I could barely move. When Tony’s songs received standing ovations, I stood too.

Several women helped me up and then steadied me.

Afterward, Dick brought us inside the green room where we saw Ted Kennedy, Jr. and his mother, Joan Kennedy. When Tony walked in, my body temperature skyrocketed. The first thing I said to the first Kennedy I ever met? While fanning my face with my scarf I panted, “Hot flash! Got any ice?�

It was like a slow-motion movie scene as I watched Dick bring Tony Bennett to meet me. Bob put his arm around my shoulder to show his love and support and then softly whispered in my ear, “Take a breath mint!�

I handed Tony a gift bag filled with treasures from our home - two tiny hand-painted plates of Cape Cod scenes, a framed old postcard of a local lighthouse, and two little books.

He thanked me tenderly, and then he faced me.

No, he was not ready to have our pictures taken yet. We talked. He was aware of my triumphant moment.

All my anxiety was gone. I felt peace and said, “I’m going to write about this moment and share it (SS PUJS\ZP]L TVU[O [V TVU[O YLU[ with the world. Because you wanted to meet me, you have helped me help myself. And by doing that, (YV\UK [OL JSVJR SP]L PU THUHNLYZ you will hopefully be helping other people break ;OYLL JOLM WYLWHYLK TLHSZ KHPS` through barriers they never thought they could.�

Those words were not written down. They came 3PML LUYPJOPUN WYVNYHTZ HUK HJ[P]P[PLZ from my heart. I believe we made history on that 7L[Z ^HYTS` ^LSJVTLK one beautiful night, when a scared disabled woman ,_JS\ZP]L [YH]LS WYVNYHT pushed beyond “impossible� limits and made it.

Award-winning columnist/novelist, Saralee *VTWSPTLU[HY` ZO\[[SL ZLY]PJL Perel, can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel. :V T\JO TVYL com or via her website: www.saraleeperel.com. Â? /(9=,:; 4(5(.,4,5; :<) 33* She welcomes friends on Facebook. MSN

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Fasten Your Seat Belts, The Legislature Is Back In Action

By Bob Campbell The good news is that the general election is over and we are finally past the most negative campaigning that ever occurred in Montana. So many negative attack ads inundated our media as to certainly discourage any decent person from engaging in such a flawed process.

The bad news is that the many newcomers to the legislature have never had any experience in working with billions of dollars under a complex set of rules. Sixty days after being elected, they take their oath and hit the Capitol running... and meeting the scores of lobbyists paid to influence their votes. Such is the consequence of the term limits law that applies to our Montana legislators.

This election Montana reflected the national consensus by voting a 68-32 Republican majority in the state house and a (Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 11)

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PAGE 10 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Books To Consider This Holiday Season

By Connie Daugherty Usually this time of year I write a little about a lot of books - books by Montana authors that I do not have the opportunity to review individually in the column throughout the year. This year I also want to touch on not only what I enjoy reading, but the evolution in how I have come to enjoy reading.

First, I am an admittedly incurable bibliophile.

Books have always been an important part of my

life, while I generally consider technology a necessary evil. At best, computers and such are useful tools, at the worst an enemy sent to make my life miserable. Then I discovered a way to combine books and technology.

I started listening to audio books - at first in my car or on my home CD player then on my MP3 player. I love it because I can listen while I am driving, walking, cleaning house, or raking leaves. I generally “read” an audio book while I

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am doing something else and a print book when I can sit down for a few minutes. I realize that audio books are not a new phenomenon; people have been listening while driving for several years. Now you can even download audio books through your local library to your computer or portable listening device (MP3, IPod).

This summer I finally gave in and tried reading on a Kindle. And to my surprise, I love it. I love the fact that it has a built in dictionary; I love that I can change the font size; I love that I can take notes that transfer directly to my computer. I also love that I can travel with an entire library - literally hundreds of books - on something that is about the size of an average comic book.

I will admit that at first, it seemed odd to be reading on the screen, and it took me a bit longer to get involved in the book; but once the story got going, I discovered that a well-written book is a well-written book no matter what the medium. My Kindle has a cover so it is like holding a book. I can rock a sleeping grandchild and click through the pages with the thumb of my free hand. I can change from a children’s book to an adult book without putting the baby down.

Now as I think about winter travel - about heading south in an RV or on a cruise - and about packing and space restrictions, I am even more sold on the Kindle. I can tuck a dozen books into the inside pocket of my backpack. I can slip a CD into the player and listen to another book as we drive down the road.

No, I am not ready to give up print. There is always that ever-present print book on my bedside table, but the Kindle technology has brought some flexibility to my reading.

Over the past few months, I have had Butte books on my bedside table. This past year was definitely a Butte history year with three books published about Butte and all by great Montana writers.

Zena Beth McGlashan, a Butte freelance writer and editor, published a non-fiction history, Buried in Butte, based on her research into Butte cemeteries and the funeral industry. She says, “Thousands of people lived and died in this rugged old Mining City,” but she quickly discovered that she could not write about their deaths without telling at least a little bit about their lives.

Although the theme of Buried in Butte is the

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

funeral business, Zena Beth’s stories deal with all aspects of life in Butte, often focusing on the less well-known people and their stories. “Butte’s cemeteries and their monuments, from the humble little wooden headboard to the grand granite work of art, can inspire us to reach back through time to imagine the pain of loss, the successes and failures of men and women as they built a city, the courage of immigrants, lives lost to accident, disaster, war, disease,” writes Zena Beth. As one of the most complete histories of Butte ever written, Buried in Butte reminds us that the Butte of today was built upon, and is still connected to, the Butte of the past - a town with a story that just has to be told.

Ivan Doig, best known for his stories about central Montana ranch life, published Work Song, a novel dealing with the labor movement and the mines in Butte. “There are moments in a lifetime when you can taste history as it is happening.

When the flavor of time, from one hour to the next somehow is not quite the same as any day before,” writes Ivan Doig in Work Song.

In Work Song, Morrie Morgan - “all right, Morgan Llewellyn” - the itinerant teacher and main character in Doig’s Whistling Season, finds himself in Butte at one of those moments. “The Richest Hill on Earth and I - and, if my hope was right, its riches - were about to become acquainted.”

Morrie’s life is enriched, but not in any way he expected when he stepped off the train. It is enriched by people like Griff and Hoop, Russian Famine and Mike McGlashan (no relation the Zena Beth), Grace and Samuel S. Sandison, and by his former student Barbara. It is also enriched by experiences - experiences that find him using his “damnedest brainbox ever created” to help his new friends.

During that “intense summer of 1919… the miners of Butte and the mining corporation cooked up strategies against each other.” And Morrie finds himself in the middle of it all. In typical Doig style, history comes alive with surprises at every turn of the page. “Even when they are closed, some books do not shut up,” Morrie muses as he explores the exceptionally rich collection of the Butte Public Library. Doig’s Work Song is one of those books.

Stan Lynde, who generally writes about cowboys and bad guys, set his most recent Merlin Fanshaw mystery in Butte. To Kill a Copper King depicts Butte at an earlier time in its history, a time when organized labor had a different meaning.

“The miners reminded me of cowpunchers I knew,” Merlin Fanshaw decides. “Men who were proud of their skills, loyal to their companions and the outfit they worked for.”

It is that loyalty that brings U. S. Deputy Marshall Fanshaw to Butte City to investigate an unsubstantiated rumor that someone is about to assassinate Marcus Daly, one of the Copper Kings.

It is Merlin’s duty to find out if the rumor is true and if so, who is planning the mischief.

“O’Dhoul’s story… of a stranger hiring an assassin inside a Helena church was a wild one.”

But Butte City was a wild place. “Buildings of every shape and size staggered up a rocky slope crowned by steel head frames… dusty rutted roads… smoke and fire poured from smokestacks at the mills.”

Life in Butte was hard, but there was also something else in Butte City in 1888 - an atmosphere of opportunity. Opportunity for what and for whom is the question and Merlin is determined to answer. His search takes him behind the scenes of Butte society. His rank and knowledge earn him an invitation to a “‘black tie” evening at Marcus Daly’s home.

His attitude and connection to the O’Dhoul family result in a guided tour of the underground workings of the Mountain Con. While Merlin is hobnobbing with the rich and famous, wandering through the maze of an underground mine, and looking up an old friend in Venus Alley, he is gathering the facts that eventually lead him to the unexpected would-be assassin. What had begun as a duty becomes personal when a random beggar is mistaken for Merlin and killed because, “It should matter to

Bob Campbell - Fasten Your Seat Belts - Continued from page 9 28-22 Republican majority in the state senate. To put this into perspective, the number of Democrats elected to both chambers was fourteen less than the number of Republicans elected to the house alone. Importantly, the Republican majorities will dictate all committee assignments, resulting in comfortable Republican majorities with the power to kill in committee every bill introduced by the Democrats.

The Joker, of course, is the lone Democrat Governor Brian Schweitzer who can veto every piece of legislation reaching his desk. He can display diplomacy or resort to past partisanship that could paralyze the entire process.

Seven years ago, the Governor succeeded in promoting the Brian Schweitzer-John Bohlinger team hoping it would result in a new era of bipartisan cooperation. Clearly, this has not occurred and the Governor now faces a Republican landscape in the legislature and the Public Service Commission.

The timing of this recession could not have been worse for Montana. Two years ago, the value of our securities and expected income should have provided a surplus of $400 million dollars. Within months, the wheels started to fall off when the federal financial system collapsed resulting in a sharp decrease in the value of our investments and our state revenue.

In other times, when unexpected financial circumstances occurred between sessions, Montana governors would call a special session, and with a negotiated agreement make the adjustments to suit the circumstances. This option was not even discussed and instead a forced cut in all programs and a false statement of our actual budget shortfalls was argued between the Executive and Legislative branches.

The stage is set for the 90-day 62nd session of the Montana Legislature beginning January 3, 2011.

Because we will all feel the impact of what the Legislature does, it is important to express your views you watch the clash of ideas and egos unfolding in our open and televised state government process.

Phone Bob Campbell at 406-543-5276 or email him at bobcampmt1@juno.com. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 11

someone when a man dies.”

Buried in Butte reads like a collection of short stories - entertaining and informative - and makes it clear that it does matter when someone dies.

Work Song and To Kill a Copper King include so much actual history that it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction - especially when the same tales are tucked in Buried in Butte.

All three well-researched books give readers a wonderful insight into life in Butte during its mining heyday and beyond, emphasizing that it is the people, not the minerals of Butte that make it the “Richest Hill on Earth.” And all reveal Montana history in other corners of our state, because a Butte book is inherently a Montana book.

Like a set, they complement each other... one book is good, two is better, but by reading all three you can follow Butte’s history from 1888 through the labor movement days to the present.

And you can select which medium to use. MSN

Eddie Jones 2,25 x 6?????>

11/12/10,

Twilite Center 207 Smelter Ave NE Ste 6 Great Falls, MT 59404 406-727-3731

1201 10th Ave S Ste 101 Great Falls, MT 59405 406-453-1414

PAGE 12 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Personals - Continued from page 5 I am a sincere, good-looking gentleman in my late 60s. Among other things, I can offer financial security along with a willingness to share, honesty, a pleasant personality, and a sense of humor. I am not into playing games or using the other person.

If you think we could be interested in one another, tell me something about yourself. Reply MSN, Dept. 27208, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Female, 64 years old, 5’1”, with short, dark blond hair and average weight. I am a non-smoker, non-drinker and am looking for a gentleman, 6570, who is a good person, honest, and a believer in Jesus Christ. I would like to be friends first with a possible relationship later. I am retired, independent, and strong-willed. I like to cook, watch movies, go to concerts, take walks, crochet, sew, and do needlework. I will consider relocation. If interested, write me! Reply MSN, Dept. 27209, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Male in his early 80s. No smoking, drinking, or drugs of any kind. I enjoy traveling, dining out, fishing, and watching TV. I am looking for a lady companion in her late 70s to mid 80s to share a life together. Will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 27210, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

DWF seeks live-in male companion 60 to 70. I am in my 70s and live alone in a 3 bedroom house in Columbia Falls. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. I like to fish, hike, go on day trips, and shop rummage sales and thrift shops. I am a stay-at-home person most of the time. I do a lot of walking since I live in town and don’t drive. Drop me a line and picture if you are interested! Reply MSN, Dept.

27211, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 64-years-old, would enjoy meeting a nice gal to hang out with.

Someone between 55 and 75, who likes to take walks and long rides, maybe to Yellowstone, etc. Nonsmoker, non-drinker. I am retiring and would like a new friend. Please send a photo with reply. Reply MSN, Dept.

27212, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I’m a retired teacher and have been rambling around MT the last several years enjoying what’s left of the “last best place.” Other than rodeo and NASCAR, I enjoy most other “guy stuff.” I’m not into yakkers, born-agains, or baggage carriers, but if you are 60ish, pleasant, active, and independent, why not invest a stamp?

It could shorten the winter for both of us! Reply MSN, Dept. 27213, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Dr. John Sillery

FORT HARRISON VA Dr. Hassan Massouh Dr. Dennis Palmer Dr. Randy Sibbitt 406-447-7606

SWM, 63, fit, financially secure, attractive, active, and looking for the same. Write me to get my number - it’s more fun to talk than write. I can explain a lot more good news. A match will work! Reply MSN, Dept.

27214, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Divorced, white male, late 70s, south central MT area, seeks slim lady that likes playing cards, quiet home life, TV, dining out occasionally, closeness, and cuddling. Photo and phone number appreciated. Reply MSN, Dept. 27215, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 13

SWF, 5’2”, 135 lbs. Being retired, I would like to meet a retired male companion with “old values” who actively enjoys Montana’s beautiful outdoors, nature, and animals. Someone who likes to travel, but also appreciates a cozy home, music, and dancing. I live in SW MT near Belgrade. If you are interested, I would appreciate a letter and a photo. Reply MSN, Dept. 27216, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Single, country lady, brown eyes, tall, slim, & attractive - seeking romantic, happy, love life. I am spiritual with a sense of humor and like cooking, traveling, camping (being outdoors), and long talks and walks together. Looking for a soul mate gentleman who is warm, caring, active, honest, secure, spontaneous, funloving, intelligent, and a non-smoker. No drugs. Reply MSN, Dept.

27217, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Tall (6’4”), slim, 60-year-old man with brown hair and pleasant features would like to correspond with lady who shares my enjoyment of gardening, walking, & hiking. I am a quiet person who likes cats. Reply MSN, Dept.

27218, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

The Real Santa Claus

By Clare Hafferman All of us need a little magic in our lives. If you think your life has missed the magic, think about the following. Doesn’t the birth of a welcome baby have a touch of magic?

Or the nervous excitement you feel when someone you love tells you they felt the same? How about succeeding against the odds when you do not think you have a chance?

Upon reflection if you think there might be something to this, let me tell you about my introduction to that magic wand that brushes us all and has us believing, “This is no ordinary event.”

My introduction to magic happened in the 1930s and the magic I felt lasted from when I was six until I was nine. My family lived in a two-story, stucco house in Bozeman and it was the Christmas season, snowy and cold. We children were encased in long underwear, long brown stockings held up with garters, shrugged into sweaters, corduroy pants or skirts, caps, mittens and coats, and then turned out to meet the elements on our way to school. As one brother-in-law recalled, “The reason we thought the snow drifts were so high was that we were so short.”

Unless you are in your 70s, it is hard to imagine the difference between the celebration of Christmas then, and what begins in the aisles now at Halloween. The Depression resulted in a sense of making-do, thrift, and hoping for better times.

Re-cycling did not have a name, but everyone did it. Most of the Dads had a job, but an occasional bum off the railroad would come to our back door, asking for work and a meal, so we knew how lucky we were.

The times seemed simpler, and the Christmas emphasis was religious. But, if I am honest, greed was not unknown in our childish souls. We scanned the catalogues and visited the dime store, but our requests were modest. There were no Game Boys, DVDs, Barbies, T-shirts with favorite team logos, $100+ basketball shoes, and certainly no vacation in Hawaii for the whole family. We asked, and if we received something from the world of toys, we felt lucky.

But Christmas was a special occasion, a light in the dark winter and the sense of anticipation was palpable. At my school, we gathered in the auditorium on the last day of school before Christmas vacation where we witnessed a play relating to the season, sang the songs we had been practicing and then received a sack of hard candy and cheap chocolates. We let out a whoop of joy, and counted the vacation days, knowing that Santa would soon be visiting, and we all hoped we could be good kids until then.

My parents, God bless their conspiratorial, generous hearts, along with our two widowed Grandmothers who liked a little drama, didn’t whisper a word about what they knew would take place on December 24.

On that evening, there was an air of expectation. We gathered in the living room, waiting for Santa. Right on time we heard the jingling of sleigh bells, and whoever (Continued on page 15)

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MON TANA

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 15

Real Santa Clause- Continued from page 13 got to open the door - I usually crowded to the front - would see this redsuited, white-bearded gentleman with a long tasseled hat. He also had a big belt of sleigh bells slung over one shoulder, a burlap sack draped over his back, and we could hear him say, “Ho, ho, ho!” when we greeted him.

Santa would ask all of us if we had truly been good and upon hearing the affirmative, would distribute the gifts. When Santa asked the Grandmothers if they had been good girls, that usually got a chuckle.

I remember specifically the year he gave me a Betsy-Wetsy doll, because she occupied a lot of my time with a bottle of water and a small cloth diaper.

If we failed to realize how lucky we were, my Mother would remind us of the orange-in-the-stocking routine of her childhood.

For these three years of my childhood, I looked forward eagerly to everything about Christmas, the good food, the tinsel and ornaments decked out on the fresh-smelling tree, and especially the appearance of that jolly, round gentleman. As time marched on, I stubbornly resisted my classmates’ beliefs that Santa might not be real. At my house, he was real to this true believer.

Then in the third grade, the Weekly Reader told all of us that Santa might have to use a plane to deliver the goods. The weather had been truly inclement and he thought he might not be able to guide those eight tiny reindeer through the swirling clouds and fog.

True to form, I heard the bells and eagerly met him at the door, excited as usual.

“Santa,” I blurted, “where did you park the plane?”

He looked at me, befuddled, and replied, “What airplane? I’ve got the reindeer and the sleigh up the street where I always leave them.”

Not one to question a grown-up, especially one who might be giving me a gift, I let it pass, but the acorn of doubt soon grew into an oak, and when I went from that year into the next, I let my belief in the gift giver fade into reality.

Then fast forward to when I was 18 and my Mother and I were downtown to do some Christmas shopping. It was snowy and cold when we were passing Langhor’s Floral Shop, and I could see approaching us a not too tall gentleman wearing a nice looking overcoat and a hat.

He passed us, tipped the hat to my Mother, and said, “Hello.”

In Montana, assisted suicide is not legal, but the door has been opened by the Being familiar with my parents’ friends and Montana Supreme Court. Unfortunately, in its decision the Court overlooked acquaintances but not (Cont’d on page 27)

Support Safe Care.

Protect vulnerable seniors.

No doctor prescribed suicide.

our state’s serious problems with elder abuse and senior suicides. Legalizing doctor prescribed suicide might pressure the elderly to choose death simply to avoid being a burden. It could leave the door open to financial coercion or the abuse of vulnerable seniors and people with disabili es. As the pressure to cut health care costs increases, might doctor prescribed death become a means to save money?

To keep our communi es free from assisted suicide, Montanans are uni ng ‐ neighbors and friends, physicians and nurses, rela ves and co‐workers. We believe doctor prescribed suicide is not the answer. Rather, excellent health care and old‐fashioned neighborly concern is the key. Will you join us?

Help protect seniors with Montanans United for Safe and Effec ve Care.

Doctor prescribed suicide is not the answer. Good care is.

For more informa on: www.montanansunited.org / (406) 461‐1668 / contact@montanansunited.org _________________________________________________________________ I oppose assisted suicide, and I support safe and effec ve care.

Name ____________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Phone ___________________________________________________________ Email ____________________________________________________________ CHECK HERE to allow your name to be used in le ng lawmakers know you oppose assisted suicide in Montana.

Mail to: Montanans United for Safe and Effec ve Care, P.O. Box 1229, Helena, MT 59624

Montanans United for Safe and Effec ve Care is a Nonprofit Corpora on

PAGE 16 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Area “Barbie” Sculptor Still Making Art in Billings

By Sue Hart successful life.

Frederick Clayton Jackson laughs when he When Jackson was attending the Garfield says that he feels like a “kept man.”

Grade School, he had the good fortune of having Especially when he explains that the woman Archie Elliot as a teacher. Elliot introduced him who has provided him with not only a lovely to the sculpting process through class projects home full of art and other that involved making treasures, but also a very paper Mache figures. comfortable lifestyle is Jackson’s mother was none other than Barbie, so taken with her son’s the Mattel favorite of little work that she caregirls worldwide. fully stored his early Jackson grew up in creations in their baseBillings with an artistic ment. mother who worked at “Unfortunately,” he the Hart Albin Department explains with a laugh, Store’s cosmetics counter “the mice ate them.” and an athletic father, who Another early inplayed baseball for the fluence on Jackson Billings Ramblers and othwas Fred Miller, who, er teams after attending with his wife Marie, Rocky Mountain College, founded the Pioneer where he played football.

Playhouse Theater in The elder Jackson’s “real Billings. At that time, job” was with the Billings Miller, who later headPost Office. ed the theater program He obviously inherited at then Eastern Monskills and talents from both tana College, taught parents. His mother’s arat Billings Senior High tistic talents are obvious School where Jackson not only in her own work, Jackson in his wax studio with creations. [Photo by Mic- graduated in 1957. displayed in Jackson’s chael Gilluly] Jackson spent six living room, but in his summers with the Pioown portraits of friends and their children. He neer Playhouse, doing everything from working began painting only recently, even though when on sets to acting, singing, and dancing. For four he started college he had planned to become an sessions, he was fortunate enough to attend artist. Unfortunately for him at the time, his first Perry-Mansfield, a theater and dance camp with art instructor discouraged him from following that an international reputation where, he says, “the dream. In some ways, however, she may have whole work ethic is taught.” All of which prepared done him a favor, for by shutting down one avenue, him for a nine-month stint with the American she set him on a path to develop other talents, Shakespeare Festival company as a dancer. He such as his flair for dramatics, thus pushing him was hired by an ASF scout “from across the couninto career lines that led to a very satisfying and ter in Bloomingdale’s,” where he was working at

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

the time. A fellow performer from that experience encouraged him to try film work in Italy.

He spent two years there, snagging roles in both Italian and American-made films. People in the movie industry there were quite surprised, he says, that “a hick from the sticks knew so much about acting.” Jackson credits Miller for his versatility on stage or screen. “If I said I couldn’t do something, Fred always said, ‘If you’re going to be in theater, you can’t say I can’t do that, ‘” he recalls.

So he learned to do everything, including building sets, doing make-up, and making costumes. “Summer stock actors often had to do their own make-up and provide their own costumes,” he says, displaying a colorful patchwork jacket he made using fabrics from some of his early costumes.

After his time in Italy, however, Jackson decided to leave the theater and “do art.”

Finding an “Ideal” Job - Back in New York, Jackson landed a job as a sculptor with Ideal, Steuben, and Royal Doulton. In 1993, he was hired by Mattel, and during his 13 years there, he had what he calls “a great job.”

In addition to serving on the company’s Hopscotch Hill Design Committee for the American Girl line, he sculpted the heads and bodies for the Barbie Basics Model 06 and Collector 001 dolls. In addition, he sculpted such “portrait dolls” as Cher and the Elizabeth Taylor Auction doll, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having raised the most money paid at auction for a doll. (Demi Moore paid $25,000 for it, which went to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation.)

The Elizabeth Taylor doll has had several “lives,” being recast as the Elizabeth Taylor Cleopatra, Father of the Bride, and White Diamonds dolls.

He does not always create “beautiful” works, however. One of his latest projects was sculpting John Travolta as Edna in the movie Hair Spray.

While with Mattel, he sculpted a Minnie Mouse, which was licensed to Avon. And he sculpted Mattel’s Teen Trends and Hopscotch Hill dolls. In addition, he did the drawings and “roughouts” in clay for the Mattel American

Girl dolls and put the joints in that particular line of very popular dolls.

It takes about 65 steps to create Barbie - or any other doll, he explains, and much of that work has to be done by hand. “Doing a doll is ten times harder for him than doing a bronze,” he says.

“There can’t be any flaws anywhere on a doll; it has to meld. There can’t be any sharp edges.

Producing the head, body, and hands takes ten times longer than any other process in creating a doll.”

Creating bronzes - another of his artistic undertakings - is a much more “forgiving” process than doll making, he adds. “There can be some rough spots on a bronze,” he says. “The finish doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.”

Just polishing the head to produce that flawless Barbie complexion takes a lot of time - and a toll on the sculptor’s hand. Jackson holds out his own hand to show the misshapen fingers caused by years of patient polishing. And then when the head is perfectly polished, the sculptor has to “carve a routing, the channel that defines the hairline on the head.”

He also explains that a Barbie has rather “extreme proportions, so that when she’s dressed, she looks normal. For example, she has to have a long neck to allow ‘layered’ dressing, such as coats and scarves.”

But all that effort has been well worth it, he says, looking around his beautiful four-level home, which includes a studio for his portrait painting and bronze work on the lower level and a wax studio on the upper level, where he could still work on dolls, if he wished. Currently, however, Jackson is concentrating on his fine art projects.

For one thing, “My art’s in millions of homes,” he says.

And, after all, Barbie paid for his home. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

PAGE 18 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

You Can Help Stop Hunger In Montana!

The Montana Food Bank Network provides a unique opportunity for individuals to make a profound difference in the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Many seniors choose to leave a legacy of food security for children, because it is not okay that 92,000 of our Montanan kids live at or below the Federal poverty level. Many of them will go to bed hungry tonight. We simply need to end childhood hunger in Montana.

We need your help! Our mission is to end hunger in Montana by partnering with nearly 200 agencies across the state. Through food acquisition and distribution, education, and

advocacy, we provide food – a basic human need - to the most vulnerable among us.

We provide semi trucks full of food to support the local emergency feeding programs all across the state, from Wibaux to DeBorgia, the Hi-Line to Yellowstone and up to 90% of the food some partners distribute.

To satisfy the increasing need, we cover over 10,000 highway miles every month and have distributed over 8 million pounds of food so far in 2010, up from 4.4 million pounds in 2008.

Please join with thousands of individuals, foundations, and corporations to end hunger in Montana and remember every dollar provides enough food for eight meals! For more information contact us at 406-721-3825 or visit www.mfbn. org. MSN

Marie Halone: The Julia Child of Billings

HOLIDAY

SHOPPING? Stay with us and enjoy our Holiday Breakfast Deal.

By Sue Hart Chances are, if you were a woman or young lady - or a lucky man - living in Billings from 1969 to 1980, you had the wonderful culinary delight of lunching at the Level Three Tearoom, owned and operated by Marie Halone.

Halone, who was invited to open her tearoom in the Stapleton Building by Senia Hart (of the Hart Albin Dept. Store Harts), recently recalled her eleven years on Level Three in a Billings best-seller Level Three and Me. It took her five years to complete her book of memories, menus, and recipes from the popular downtown luncheon spot - mostly because she felt the project was turning into an embarrassment.

“It was just me, me, me,” she explains. ”One time, I just threw the manuscript away - put it in the wastebasket.”

Fortunately, she had second thoughts, salvaged the discarded pages, and continued writing the book that family, friends, and former customers had been urging her to write for years.

Marie Halone, who ran the Level Three TeaLevel Three and Me not only room in the Stapleton Building for many years, shares Halone’s adventures in recently published a book about her advenmanaging her tearoom, cooking for tures there and at other times and places in her life. [Photo by Michael Gilluly] it, and carrying all the supplies to the third floor in a tiny, rickety, elevator, but also includes memories of Marie during her tearoom years written by former patrons of the tearoom, friends, and students in her highly popular cooking classes. And the bonus for those who had been waiting for decades to get them, the book includes recipes for many of her most popular dishes.

Today, at 94, Halone still speaks enthusiastically about her years at the Tearoom, and of the many friends she made among her customers. And she still delights in cooking for her friends, having “teas” at her home, and lending a hand at a friend’s catering kitchen.

Level Three an Me made its debut last year at the Yellowstone Art Museum, a most appropriate venue, because Marie had catered many a fundraising event for that organization through the years.

“I thought maybe a hundred people would come,” she says. “We just hoped we’d sell some books and have a good time.”

A hundred people did come, and then a hun-

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

dred more, and then . . . you get the picture. The spacious museum was so packed that some late arrivals were turned away.

The crowd was huge, and so were the book sales. Her publisher had 1,000 books on hand.

They sold out in two hours.

“My publisher almost dropped to the floor,” she says. “And to think that if it hadn’t been for all the constant encouragement, the constant heckling, as I called it, I would never have written it.”

The continuing response to the books clearly delights her. “Susan Thomas, of Thomas’ Books in downtown Billings has received calls from all over the country from people who want to buy a book or books from her and have her send them,” she says.

But it also continues to surprise her. “How could a kid from Thermopolis, Wyoming, have all this attention?” she asks. “It wouldn’t happen again in a hundred years. It humbled me right to my knees.”

These days, when she isn’t “keeping busy” with bridge, or preparing meals for friends, she has time to sit and chat in her lovely living room which reflects her love of flowers through the floral upholstery of the couch and a matching chair, the floral paintings on the wall, and - always - the fresh flowers.

And she has much to share with visitors, including reminiscing about her time in France in 1978 at La Varsenne Ecole de Cuisine, where she studied

before launching her own very popular cooking classes in her home. “I thought I’d better find out how people went about teaching cooking before I tried to do it,” she explains.

Recently, she spoke about her mother’s cooking and canning expertise, which no doubt inspired Halone’s own creativity in the kitchen.

“My mother was a single mother with four children to feed and clothe,” she says. “She’d can two lugs of peaches at a time. She’d peel the peaches and make peach butter from them. She canned other fruits and vegetables, too.

“We grew horseradish in the back yard, and my brothers had to grind it. It was so strong that they had to tie kerchiefs over their eyes and noses!

“And we had a root cellar where we packed vegetables in sand for the winter, things like carrots and parsnips . . . and sauerkraut and dill pickles in big crocks. When we’d get home from school, we’d fish out pickles for a snack. They were so crisp!

“Mother never had any milk except buttermilk in the house; she made everything with buttermilk.

We all loved her buttermilk cake; she baked it in a square pan, so we called it her ‘flat’ cake.”

But whether she is speaking about the distant past or recalling some recent event that she enjoyed with some of her “dear, sweet friends,” Marie Halone sums her life up the same way: “No one is as blessed as I am in this world. I appreciate everyone and everything in my life.” MSN

Montana Rescue Mission: More Than Just A Shelter Did you know that you can help a homeless mother and child take the first steps toward a new life and at the same time take advantage of the tax benefits that Uncle Sam has provided? Planned giving to an organization like the Montana Rescue Mission can accomplish both goals. It is an opportunity to support causes you care about in a significant way at year-end.

There are many ways to make such gifts. You can remember the Mission in your will, setup a gift annuity that provides future income for the Mission while giving you current income and a significant tax deduction, or you can give a gift of appreciated stocks or life insurance. All of these options will help the Montana Rescue Mission continue

Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.

Thomas G.Huxley

to reach out to the most vulnerable people in our community.

As with all such giving opportunities, we advise you to consult your financial planning advisors before making these arrangements. If you would like further information about these giving opportunities please call Gary Drake at 406-259-3800 or email to gdrake@180com.net and we would be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Your gifts help us to be “More than just a shelter.” MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 19

PAGE 20 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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R e g i s t e r e d R e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f a n d s e c u r i t i e s o ff e r e d t h r o u g h Q u e s t a r C a p i t a l C o r p o r a t i o n ( Q C C ) M e m b e r F I N R A / S I P C . A d v i s o r y s e r v i c e s o ff e r e d t h r o u g h Q u e s t a r A s s e t M a n a g e m e n t ( Q A M ) .

A R e g i s t e r e d I n v e s t m e n t A d v i s o r. T h u r s t o n F i n a n c i a l G r o u p i s i n d e p e n d e n t o f Q C C a n d Q A M .

By Sue Hart H.C, Habein, Jr., M.D., better known as “Pete,” has been retired from his medical practice for over 20 years.

But he has not slowed down a bit.

When he’s not working in his beautiful yard and tending his roses, or away hunting or fishing, he’s sitting at his computer working on his latest passion, genealogy, or traveling with his wife, Jeanne, to mid-western communities, historical societies, libraries, court houses, and cemeteries looking for clues to his family’s past.

Dr. Habein grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, where his father was a member of the staff of the Mayo Clinic.

“I was exposed to a lot of doctors there,” he recalls. “They, along with my dad, became my heroes. My father took me with him sometimes when he made Dr. H. C. “Pete” Habein, Jr. practiced medicine in Billings hospital rounds or to for 30 years. He currently spends his time sprucing up medical meetings. The his beautiful yard, hunting, fishing, and pursuing a new passion - genealogy. [Photo by Michael Gilluly] doctors I met there seemed really to enjoy what they were doing. Sometimes I didn’t really know what they were talking about, but I always found the conversations interesting.”

Dr. Habein was in the army during World War II and attended Dartmouth College and Medical School in the accelerated, all year round program in effect at that time. The medical school at Dartmouth then was a two-year (basic science) school and “We needed to transfer to another school for the two clinical years,” he says. “I finished at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.”

After an internship and a four-year fellowship in general surgery at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Habein was drafted during the Korean War and spent two years in the U.S. Air Force. He says, “I owed the government some time since they had paid for some of my medical education.”

Dr. Habein served two years at the 7100th U.S. Air Force Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he met his wife, Jeanne MacGillivray, who was a lieutenant in the Air Force and a nurse. Their first son was born in Germany, and they have been married for over fifty years.

When they returned to the states, Dr. Habein spent two more years at the Mayo Clinic in a thoracic surgery fellowship. In 1958, the Habeins moved to Billings to go into practice with Drs. Raymond Benson and A.J. Marchello (Bino).

“It was a good, very busy practice,” he says, with a laugh. “The pay wasn’t so good, but the job was very good.”

Dr. Habein retired after 30 years. He spent a little time in a Bureau of Indian Affairs Hospital in Arizona and several months in a hospital in Tanzania which was staffed by several Dutch physicians and an American physician. Dr. Habein says, “I did a lot of surgery in that very primitive hospital. It was a most interesting experience.”

Dr. Habein says his father had also been interested in genealogy. He had visited Germany several times, but failed to find the Habein name.

He thought the spelling may have been changed during immigration.

The younger Habein also had some interest in genealogy, and after he retired had time to learn how to be a genealogist.

Dr. Habein says he is sorry his father was not alive when a woman in an LDS (Mormon) Church Family History Center found his grandfather’s name, Wilhelm Habein, on a microfilm from a Lutheran Church in a small Prussian village. The microfilm has the birth records of Wilhelm Habein and his wife. The 1860 U.S. Federal Census shows the Habein family (spelled Harbine) living on a farm in Palatine Township, Cook County, Illinois.

The Chicago fire of 1871 destroyed many

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Cook County records, and some German Evangelical Church fires in that area may also have destroyed records. However, there are manifests of many emigrant ships now available on the internet. Dr. Habein found the ships the Habeins and other ancestors came to America on.

He learned there were many others from Schale, the village where his Habein ancestors were born, who immigrated to the same area of Illinois where his family originally settled. He has had a lot of help from some of the descendants of those people, including Dr. David Koss, a retired Professor of Religion who grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and has researched and knows the genealogy of many of those early immigrants.

“Dr. Koss has sent me more genealogic material of my great grandmother Habein dating

back to the 1860s than I will ever be able to sort out and organize,” he says.

During his research, Dr. Habein learned that he had three great-great grandfathers who fought in the militia in the defense of New Ulm, Minnesota, during the Sioux Indian Uprising in 1862. One of them, Ulrich Lipp, born in Wurttemberg, Germany, volunteered to ride a horse to Mankato to warn the settlers along the way of the danger and get help for New Ulm. He had his hat shot off but was uninjured.

That story, and the discovery of Hatten, Alsace, as the village of origin of Dr. Habein’s mother’s great grandfather Christian Schmitt, are recorded in articles Dr. Habein wrote for the German Genealogic Society Journal.

When Dr. Habein began his research, he

Christmas in the Magic City

By Kim Thielman-Ibes The holiday season is the perfect time to spirit away a few hours or perhaps a few days to Montana’s magical city of Billings where Christmas lights abound throughout the city. One good way to view them is to take the Montana Fun Adventures Spirits of Christmas Past Tour through Billings’ historic downtown district and Christmas Wreath Lane where you will be treated to stories of Billings holiday seasons long past. Visit www.montanafunadventures.com or call 1-888-618-4386.

The largest light display is at ZooMontana during its muchloved 12 nights of Zoo Lights. This annual experience occurs from 6-9 p.m. on December 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, and 23-25. ZooMontana guests take a 1.5-mile drive through the zoo’s service roads to view a fantasy of lights designed by local community sponsors.

“It’s the largest drive-through Christmas light celebration around,” says Dan Lundquist, Director of Marketing and Development for ZooMontana, “It’s a fun and very cool family outing.”

An impressively lit Christmas arch welcomes visitors to the park followed by more than forty wonderful displays with Christmas images and pictures throughout the drive. “This year we’ll also have a ten- to fifteen-person sleigh pulled by horses to ride through the Christmas display,” adds Lundquist. ZooMontana charges $10 per carload to drive through the display and $20 per ticket for the sleigh ride. Be sure to bring your camera, family, and friends! Visit www.zoomontana.org or call 406-652-8100.

At the Holiday Tours of the Moss Mansion, view the mansion’s original furnishings dressed in full holiday regalia for this festive season. Sixteen Christmas trees, one for each room of the mansion, are decorated to the theme “Christmas Around the World” and are the highlight of the tour.

Community organizations such as the Audubon Education Center, Beartooth Nature Center, and Rimrock Opera decorate the trees.

“How they interpret the tree is up to them,” says Joyce Mayer, Executive Director of the Moss Mansion, which was built in 1901 from area sandstone and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “We really look at the tree decoration as a gift from the community to us. They go over the top with their decorations and they’re really beautiful.” What’s exciting for Mayer is to see the same people visit year after year, first with their children and later with their grandchildren.

The guided Moss Mansion Holiday Tours run Tuesday through Friday at 1, 2, and 3 p.m. and on the hour on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.mossmansion.com or call 406256-5100.

The Western Heritage Center celebrates Montana’s legacy

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“had to learn how to use a computer as well as how to learn how to be a genealogist.”

For those interested in their family roots and histories he adds, “The internet is essential now because of all the genealogy organizations and web sites, but be careful; some of the material found there is wrong.”

He finds the time-consuming searches “pretty interesting” and was pleased to share some material with a granddaughter, Emma, who sent him an e-mail to get some genealogy data for a school assignment.

“One of the many interesting aspects of genealogy,” he says, “is that one becomes aware of the many hardships and hard work your ancestors endured, and the courage and fortitude they must have needed.” MSN

PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

with its extensive collection of Native American and early homestead settler history. Season’s Greetings from the Collections of the Western Heritage Center, a visual program set to holiday music provides a glimpse into the historic nature of Billings during Christmas, pokes a bit of fun, and provides perspective on holiday greeting cards. The program is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16 from noon-1 p.m. as part of the High Noon Lecture Series guided by Kevin KooistraManning, Community Historian of the Western Heritage Center.

“It’s a highlight of collections that don’t make it out often,” says Lisa Olmsted, Business Manager for the center, “It’s an opportunity to show the holiday oriented part of our collection and after it’s over you’ll love Christmas.” Visit www.ywhc.org or call 406-256-6809.

After you have taken down the tree and all of its trimming’s, take time to visit Red Lodge and its annual Winter Carnival, February 25-26. Break out your parka and head up to Red Lodge Mountain to enjoy the festivities including the hilarious Card-

board Classic parade and ski race. Some locals prepare months in ahead for this event, creating a skiable craft out of cardboard. Later, enjoy the afternoon on the slopes with food, music, and a torchlight parade. Visit http://www.redlodgemountain.com/.

For more events visit www.billings365.com and www.visitbillings.com. MSN

Visit Prehistoric Plains Indian Art at Bear Gulch Pictographs

By Bernice Karnop Specialists protect most art with controlled lighting and humidity, while guards usually lock it in vaults. However, the largest prehistoric Plains Indian Rock Art collection in the world stands exposed to the sun, rain, wind, and snow, enduring for centuries temperatures ranging from 100+ degrees to less than -40 degrees.

These ancient images are at Bear Gulch near Forest Grove on the Central Montana ranch owned

by Macie Ahlgren’s family since 1919. Brick and black colored pictographs stand out against the limestone shale and visitors who step closer can easily see the petroglyphs etched in, on, and around them.

Homesteaders penciled in their names and the dates they visited in the 1880s and early 1900s as well. They lacked understanding of the rarity of the

art, Macie realizes, and although she has learned to accept the century old graffiti, she is determined that it will not happen again.

“If rock art is vandalized there is no way to repair it. It is totally ruined,” she says.

Her goal when she returned to the ranch in 1989 was to protect the site. She was also taking care of her parents and the ranch and working another job. When the task became overwhelming and she felt like giving up this dream, friends encouraged her, saying that it would fall into place.

It has.

“I think I’m doing a pretty good job of preserving it while letting the public come and view it,” she says. Others agree. The Montana Archeological Society gave her its conservation award and the Oregon Archeological Society gave her its President’s Award.

In 2005, archeologists did a full recording of the site. A majority of the funding through the Oregon Archeological Society came from Jean Auel, writer of the Earth’s Children novels. Beginning with Clan of the Cave Bear, Auel’s six books were set in Europe during the Ice Age. Auel researched prehistoric sites in Europe when she was younger and studied the skills and habits of prehistoric people, giving her a particular interest in this art.

The recording was done by 25 individuals who spent all day every day for two weeks document-

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ing from 5-6,000 images in a half-mile stretch. The images are side by side and on top of each other.

The majority of the figures are warriors bearing shields variously decorated with red or black crosses, spokes, stripes, and more. Some figures hold large shields with just a portion of their heads and feet showing.

Other shields are smaller with portions of the leg showing. Some warriors hold clubs but others have bows. The bow indicates that these specific images were made after 500 A.D. when the bow was introduced. The lack of horses and guns Macie Ahlgren calls this warrior at Bear Gulch Pictoindicates that the art pre- graphs â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bad Hair Dayâ&#x20AC;? because of his unique hairdo. dates the coming of the Visitors see thousands of shield warriors and other images painted and etched into the cliffs at Bear Gulch horse, around 1730.

There are no battle by native groups over the span of many years. [Photo scenes or hunting scenes by Bernice Karnop] and few animals. Some have speculated that it is a vision quest site or a documentary site. One of the rare images for Montana rock art is a birthing scene with the inclusion of a turtle, commonly included in birthing scenes in ancient rock art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bear Gulch pictographs and petroglyphs were made over many years by different cultural groups,â&#x20AC;? say archeologists Mavis Greer, Ph.D. and John Greer, Ph.D. in a paper presented to the Montana Archaeological Society in 2002. Carbon dated charcoal shows the oldest images to be in the 300 to 400 A.D. range.

In 2007, an archeological dig of a fire pit in the Gulch turned up bison vertebra and other bones. Macie says it is unlikely any of the groups used the gulch for a long-term encampment, since spring-fed Bear Creek freezes over and the 150-foot deep canyon in the foothills of the Little Snowy Mountains lies at an elevation is 4,200 feet, is six miles long, and fills with snow.

About 600 visitors came last season, including archeologists, family reunions, high school and home school students, and a group of bird watchers from Missoula. Next year visitors will have even more to anticipate. By Christmas, Macie says a CD with pictures of nearly everything at the site will be available through their web site. In the spring of 2011, a book about the Bear Gulch Pictographs, for which she wrote the introduction, will be ready.

Her son is preparing a virtual tour for the website at www.beargulch.net.

Also in the spring of 2011, they plan to open a visitor center with a gift shop, museum, and meeting place. In addition to the rock art, it will include the history of the ranch and fossils found there. A paleontologist from New Jersey who has been coming to the ranch for a couple of decades, has unearthed around 5,000 specimens of more than 200 species. Macie showed us a perfect fish fossil, the reverse of which is now in the Smithsonian.

The Bear Gulch Pictographs are between Lewistown and Grass Range on the Forest Grove Road. They are accessible only through the ranch and

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

only with a guide. Come prepared for the half-mile hike into the gulch and for half a mile of trails around the cliff art.

Tours leave at 10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday mornings from June 1 through September 1. Macie explains the site and images so it is enjoyable for amateurs as well as professionals. â&#x20AC;?Morning is the best time for viewing the site because the lighting gets bad and it gets very hot in the summer,â&#x20AC;? she explains.

The poplar grove at the bottom of the limestone cliffs makes a great picnic spot. Bring your own lunch, or ask about Macieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s barbeques. Ask about making arrangements if you want to come at a different time, have physical challenges, or are coming as a group.

Fees are $15 for adults or a family rate of $40 for four adults. Children visit free. Call ahead to make arrangements and get directions. Check the website www.beargulch.net for special events.

For more information call Macie Ahlgren at 406-428-2439 or 406-3362835, or call Ray Vodica at 406-428-2185. MSN

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We offer the longest-running and most comprehensive cardiovascular care program in our region, and provide personalized care for each patient through the following services: Outpatient Cardiology Care and diagnostic services Electrophysiology care for heart rhythm disorders from the only fellowship-trained heart rhythm disorder subspecialists in our area State-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab for cardiovascular interventions and electrophysiology procedures Cardiovascular Surgery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Since 1972, our cardiac surgeons have completed more than 10,000 open heart cases Heart Failure Clinic to provide education and assistance in managing heart failure Cardiac Rehab to aid recovery from heart-related procedures LifeFit exercise and education program focused on heart disease prevention Telemedicine appointments available in many local communities Convenient appointments are available with our cardiovascular care team.

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Recent media headlines have been full of bad news about our economy. However, if you look around a little bit you will see some very positive things happening in Montana. One of those is how Montanans help Energy Share, whose main purpose is to help Montanans who are facing energy emergencies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last heating season Energy Share helped 2,355 families in Montana, 276 of which were seniors,â&#x20AC;? said Rachel Haberman, Executive Director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would not be able to do nearly as much if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for the generosity of all Montanans.â&#x20AC;?

One-hundred percent of these tax-deductible gifts is used for families in need in the area from which the donation is made. It is truly a matter of neighbors helping neighbors.

Energy Share provides one-time emergency bill assistance. In addition, Energy Share runs a refrigerator replacement program for eligible seniors and disabled folks who own their homes; a furnace and water heater safety and efficiency program for customers of Energy West and Montana-Dakota Utilities; and a weatherization program for Energy West customers.

For more information on how to apply or on how to help, call Energy Share at 406-442-4900 or 1-888-779-7589, or log onto www.energysharemt.com. MSN

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Marge Eliason Has Compassion - continued from cover Education program at that time; would-be teachers attended one of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Normal Schools.)

There were a number of changes taking place in her life at this time. The Korean War was underway. She was engaged. Her father had purchased a ranch, which he soon learned he was not cut out for - but her mother was, and the family moved to its new home. And, in the fall of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;51, Marge started her teaching career in Lewistown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had one class of 32 kindergartners in the morning, and another 32 in the afternoon,â&#x20AC;? she says. She taught there for one year, and married in August of 1953.

The Eliasons spent one year in Iowa, where her husband was teaching, then he took a job at Billings Senior High School, and the young family moved back to Montana.

Many busy years followed. Eliason and her husband raised their four children, faithfully followed the Senior High Broncs teams, and attended other school-related activities. Eliason also taught in private kindergartens.

Eliason worked for a time at the Career Center, the vocational education arm of the Billings School System, where she taught in the Child Services area, teaching young people how to work with small children.

At the same time, she became aware of a growing problem in the area: increasing numbers of teenage mothers, many of whom were dropping out of school to care for their children.

Eliason and a number of her equally concerned friends began what would be a long struggle to establish the Young Families Program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It took us seven years of going to service clubs and the like to get the School Board to buy into the program,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But in the fall of 1984, we had a classroom, five young mothers, and five babies, and the program was underway.â&#x20AC;?

The Young Families Program now provides daycare for 32 babies, thus allowing their mothers to complete their high school programs. The program is housed in three large mobile units, and last year all 14 of the high school seniors in the program graduated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Teen pregnancy is not going away,â&#x20AC;? Eliason says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a great need for this program.

Those young mothers also need family support to make it.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so important to get these young mothers schooling,â&#x20AC;? she adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They need to learn parenting skills and how to plan for the future. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of difference between junior or senior girls and 8th or 9th grade graders, too,â&#x20AC;? she points out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the fathers stay involved,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;?Especially the older ones.â&#x20AC;?

When the Montana Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prison opened in Billings, the League of Women Voters conducted a study that showed a large number of inmates came from low-income families, and many of the women who had children lacked parenting skills.

Once again, Marge Eliason and a group of like-minded friends saw a challenge and accepted it. A Parenting Program for inmates was designed and put into operation, although, she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the first Parenting Program arrived in a cardboard box which I carried in and out. We met in the cafeteria.

Then the prison population just exploded.â&#x20AC;?

Eliason and her friend Linda Cladis collaborated on a Human Services Grant, which made it possible for the program to have module of its own on the prison campus.

Now a widow for 18 years, Eliason stays busy with a number of projects and programs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really like people,â&#x20AC;? she says, which probably explains why she says that her hobby is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Volunteerism.â&#x20AC;?

She is currently involved with the league of Women Voters, serves on the board of the Billings RSVP program, and is a CASA volunteer because she â&#x20AC;&#x153;likes working with little kids.â&#x20AC;? She loves to read and is involved with the Gold Advantage Book Club.

She and several single friends in town go out for dinner frequently, and she also belongs to a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group at Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

And she has 16 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, with whom, she says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I keep up as much as I can.â&#x20AC;? MSN

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

There is nothing quite as magical as Christmas through the eyes of a young child. Snowflakes become shimmering diamonds and a simple Christmas play takes on the significance of an award-winning performance. One can feel the excitement and anticipation filling the air.

Our winning Remember When contributor is Elsie Pankowski of Great Falls, whose recollection Christmas At Pearl School captures the magic of her childhood Christmas performances at a oneroom schoolhouse. Thank you and congratulations to Elsie, the winner of our $25 Remember When prize.

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 features 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 February/March 2011 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800-6728477 or 406-761-0305. Visit us online at www.

MontanaSeniorNews.com.

Christmas At Pearl School

By Elsie Pankowski, Great Falls Pearl School stood on a small knoll at the corner of a western North Dakota school section. A graveled township road passed on the south and wheat fields surrounded the rest of the yard. As a first grader, the school’s one main room seemed huge, but when I came back to visit as an adult, it had shrunk considerably.

Each year our one teacher taught all eight grades and filled Pearl School with festive activities before Christmas. An elaborate program was always scheduled, and we started to plan and practice after Thanksgiving. We rehearsed carols during music class and designed and assembled tree decorations and cards during art class. For days, we rummaged through our homes for just the right prop or costume, and our mothers knew they would have to contribute white sheets for stage curtains. All dug out the bluing and sent their whitest because it would be hung side by side with the best housekeeper’s in the district.

As the program came together and I learned my lines, I repeated them (and everyone else’s) to my patient mother. This went on night after night while she cooked or we washed and dried dishes, until there must have been no surprise left when the actual event came about.

Day after day, we sang songs like Jolly Old St. Nicholas accompanied by hands cupped behind

Join

ears during “lean your ear this way” and index fingers warning in unison to “don’t you tell a single soul what I’m going to say.” Silent Night, Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World, and We Three Kings of Orient were old standbys. I remember singing Star of the East with my cousin Rose and being thrilled because the audience seemed to appreciate our performance.

We must have sung the carols a cappella because I don’t remember a piano or any other instrument around, except Tonettes, the simple flute-like instruments that most little country schools had back then.

Finally, on the last night before school vacation, the event took place. Depending on the amount of snow that covered the two miles of trail, my dad either warmed the car or hitched the team to a covered sleigh. The night usually loomed clear and cold. Our boots squeaked in the snow as we loaded up, and millions of sparkles filled the sky.

We arrived at the school where big windows cast light and warmth across the playground. Parents greeted parents, and we children went behind the curtains to giggle and prepare the set.

We always put on a play and a couple of skits, as well as our musical numbers. There were usually less than ten of us, so we sometimes had to portray more than one part in the same play.

I remember being a stiff-backed toy soldier and a leaping jack-in-thebox. Once, the teacher dressed my cousin Joe, who was a handsome fair-haired child, in her suit and feathered hat and applied makeup.

He made a most beautiful lady. His mother sat in the front row with tears in her eyes. After a long string of sons, she had lost a baby girl a couple of months before.

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Our parents should have received Oscars for the best audience of the year. We always felt as if we had performed superbly. Then the candles clipped to the Christmas tree were lit, and we passed out gifts to the child whose name we each had drawn. We ate potluck, the parents chattered

together, and too soon it was time to leave.

As my father drove, I cuddled between him and my mother, and we relived the high points of the evening. Then, one of us began a Christmas carol, and we sang our way over the hills toward home. MSN

Real Santa Clause- continued from page 15 recognizing him, I asked, “Who was that?”

My mother smiled rather mysteriously I thought, and replied, “That’s the real Santa Claus.”

I looked to see him disappear in the crowd of shoppers. “So what’s his real name?” I knew I was big enough to ask.

She leaned toward me, smiled again, and said, “He’s Mr. Good.”

He certainly was, I thought. And magic, besides!

Addendum: My mother told me later that Mr. Good and his wife had no children and he enjoyed playing Santa Claus, so my parents (and I assume others) would give him the gifts intended for their families and he would deliver them. She also told

me he was a professor in the Engineering Department at the college.

By the time I thought of writing this story, my parents were both gone. I wrote to the alumni office and received a letter that said all records of his department had been damaged. However, there was a picture from a yearbook of Engineering Department faculty. It included a picture of “Santa” who, out of costume, had a kind, friendly face reflected in his photo.

And really, what more did I need to know? He brought a little magic, with the aid of my parents, to the Christmas season, so that even now, I remember it most fondly. MSN

Give To Education - An Investment In Tomorrow As we end another year, this is the time we think most of others. A familiar saying reminds us it is better to give than to receive. As 2010 winds to a close, take time to make sure you have given to yourself by giving to others.

Remember, these remaining weeks give you a final opportunity to balance your income and giving for the 2010 tax year. Even if this year’s income is less than last year, you may still want to offset your income with a tax-deductible contribution.

With all the ups and downs of the stock market and the other economic news in 2010, perhaps you

have waited to make your charitable contributions.

Now is the time. A gift at year-end counts as much as a donation at any other time of the year. When giving to nonprofit organizations, such as MSUNorthern Foundation, you receive an income tax deduction that reduces your tax bill.

Beyond that, your gift goes a long way toward helping others. This holiday season, take a moment to consider gifts you would like to make, and then make them happen. For more information, contact the MSU-Northern Foundation at 406-2653711 or www.msun.edu/foundation. MSN

It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27

PAGE 28 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

It Is Time For Medicare Open Enrollment Medicare’s Fall Open Enrollment Period lasts through December 31, just as it has in years past.

But this year, Medicare consumers need to be aware of changes taking place in 2011 in order to make the best-informed decision during Fall Open Enrollment for Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or Part D. The Medicare Rights Center has compiled a list of upcoming changes and issues of interest to Medicare consumers.

Changes in Coverage in 2011 • During the coverage gap (also known as the “doughnut hole”), there will be a 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs and a 7 percent discount for generics. See Part D pg 30 following.

• Medicare coverage of preventive services will improve. Original Medicare will now cover annual wellness visits, for which there will be no out-of-pocket costs. There will be no cost sharing for people with Original Medicare for other preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. (While Medicare private health plans [Medicare Advantage plans] are not required to provide annual wellness visits and covered preventive services without cost sharing, most plans do.

Enrollment Periods During the Fall Open Enrollment Period, people with Medicare have the right to change their Medicare health and drug coverage options without restriction. They can make as many changes as they need, and the last change they make before December 31 will take effect on January 1, 2011.

Beginning in 2011, there will be a Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP), which will run from January 1 through February 14. The Open Enrollment Period, which ran from January 1

through March 31 in past years, no longer exists.

During the MADP: • People who are unhappy with their Medicare Advantage (MA) plan are allowed to switch to Original Medicare, and may add Medicare prescription drug coverage even if their MA plan did not include drug coverage.

• Unlike in past years, people in MA plans CANNOT change to another MA plan.

• People with Original Medicare CANNOT make any changes.

Many people who have Original Medicare also purchase a supplemental plan (a “Medigap” plan) designed to fill in the gaps in Medicare coverage. If you become unhappy with your MA plan, or during the MADP want to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage, you may consider Original Medicare with a Medigap as an alternative option - but you may not have the right to purchase a Medigap in your state. The rules and consumer protections for Medigaps vary from state to state. Some consumers may have access to Medigaps, but may not be protected from higher premiums and coverage exclusions.

Before making your final choice during Fall Open Enrollment, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to find out if you will have the right to purchase a Medigap in your state, what options you have, and what consumer protections your state provides.

What’s New - Medicare Private Health (Medicare Advantage) Plans?

• The Medicare private health plan marketplace has been streamlined, and consumers shopping for plans will now see meaningful differences among plans offered by the same company. Plans from the same company that offer nearly identi-

Simplify your Medicare with New West Sometimes all we need is a trusted advisor. When it comes to Medicare, New West is that advisor. We remove the confusion of Medicare with straightforward information and exceptional customer service, making it easier to choose the plan that’s right for you.

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Get solid Medicare advice at a local neighborhood meeting.

We welcome you to attend any of our local meetings to ask questions and receive more information about New West Medicare PPO plans.

A salesperson will be present with information and applications. For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings or for more information, call 888-873-8044 or TTY 888-290-3658. We’re available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week including holidays.

New West Medicare Advantage Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans are offered by New West Health Services, a health plan with a Medicare Contract. Anyone entitled to Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B can apply. Enrollees must continue to pay their Medicare Part B monthly premium. Cost sharing and the monthly plan premium apply. You must live in the service area to enroll. The benefit information provided here is a brief summary, not a comprehensive description.

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cal benefits have been consolidated to help simplify the choices available to consumers. People who were in a plan that was consolidated with other plan(s) will automatically be enrolled in a plan from the same company that has benefits most like the ones they had.

• Medicare consumers who enroll in a Medicare private health plan (Medicare Advantage plan) will be protected from high out-of-pocket costs by the following new cost protections: 1. Mandatory Maximum Out-of-Pocket (MOOP) Limit. Beginning in 2011, all Medicare private health plans will be required to have a maximum outof-pocket limit. The mandatory MOOP limit will vary according to the type of plan. MA plans may also voluntarily impose a lower MOOP. Consumers who need expensive treatments and services will now be protected from exorbitant out-of-pocket costs.

2. Cost protections for some medical services and items that people in poor health are more likely to require. In addition to the protection provided by MOOP, Medicare consumers in Medicare private health plans will no longer be charged more for certain services than they would be had they been in Original Medicare. Services protected by this new rule include chemotherapy drugs and durable medical equipment.

Did You Know? - • People whose plans have been consolidated with others are automatically enrolled into another plan, but they have the right to choose and enroll in a different plan. They have until December 31 to choose a plan. People will find out which plan they have been automatically enrolled into in their Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which they should have received by October 31.

• Plans that are terminated no longer participate in Medicare. People whose plans have been terminated are entitled to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), and have until January 31 to choose a new plan. If they do not do so, they will automatically be enrolled in Original Medicare, not in another Medicare private health plan. Note, however, that if they were in an MA plan with prescription drug coverage and choose Original Medicare or allow themselves to be automatically enrolled in Original Medicare, they must also choose a stand-alone drug plan or else they may lose drug coverage.

• While all Medicare private health plans will be required to have MOOP limits in 2011, they have the discretion to structure payments for many services. It is important for consumers to examine a plan’s cost-sharing charges for services they commonly use.

Even if you are happy with your current plan, you should review all of your options, including Original Medicare and a Medigap. Medicare private health plans change their costs and benefits every year, and every year, there are plans that decide to drop out of the Medicare program. The consolidation of plans this year, and the new MOOP requirement and cost protections will most likely lead to more changes than in past years.

Read your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which you should have received by October 31. It will list the changes in your plan, such as the premium and copays, and will compare the benefits in 2011 with those in 2010.

If you are considering a Medicare private health plan, make sure you understand how it works. Take the time to ask questions, such as: Will I be able to use my doctors or other providers I want to see? Are they in the plan’s network and are they taking new patients who have this plan? Which specialists, hospitals, home health agencies, and skilled nursing facilities are in the

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

PAGE 30 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

are in the plan’s network? How much will it cost to see my primary care physician? A specialist?

What’s New for Part D Plans?

• 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs, 7 percent discount for generics for people who are in the coverage gap (doughnut hole). These discounts will greatly reduce the out-of-pocket costs for Medicare consumers who are in the doughnut hole in 2011, and the consumer’s share of costs will continue to decrease, until the doughnut hole is closed completely in 2020.

• The Medicare private drug plan marketplace has been streamlined, and consumers shopping for plans will now see meaningful differences among plans offered by the same company. People who were in a plan that was consolidated with other plan(s) will be automatically enrolled in a plan from the same company that has benefits most like the ones they had.

• Beginning in 2011, individuals with incomes over $85,000 ($170,000 for couples) will pay a higher premium for Part D. • People whose plans have been terminated are entitled to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), and have until January 31 to choose a new plan. If they do not do so, they will lose drug coverage. Every year, there are plans that are terminated.

Even if you are happy with your current plan, you should review all of your options, because plans change their costs and benefits every year. Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) listed the changes in your plan, such as changes in the premium, copays, formulary, tiers, and restrictions, and will compare the benefits in 2011 with those in 2010. It is very important that you read your ANOC and consider all of your options, since many plans make changes such as coverage restrictions, quantity limits, prior authorization, and step therapy (requiring you to try another drug before the plan will cover the prescribed drug), and your current plan may not be your best choice for 2011.

If you use Medicare.gov’s online Plan Finder tool to select the best plan for your needs, call the plan and confirm the information you have gathered with a plan representative before you enroll. Keep a record of your conversation with the plan representative. This will protect you if you discover that the information on which you based your decision to enroll in a plan was inaccurate.

The Medicare Rights Center recommends enrolling in a plan by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) rather than the plan itself. Also visit www. medicare.gov/find-a-plan or www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp/.

You can find your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at www.shiptalk.org or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227). The Medicare Rights Center’s Toll-Free Consumer Hotline: 1-800-333-4114 (Monday through Friday, 9 am - 5 pm Eastern Time). MSN 107348NY

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Call us toll-free today at (866) 859-2254 (in Helena, 444-6900).

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 31

Camp Mak-A-Dream: Land of Hopes and Dreams This year marked Camp Mak-A-Dream’s 15th anniversary 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 over 5,000 individuals not only from Montana, but from across the United States, and even as far away as Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chili.

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 who 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.

Also 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.

For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.campdream.org or call 406-5495987. MSN

Helping Those With Disabilities Flathead Industries provides employment opportunities as well as residential support for adults with developmental disabilities. Our three most popular worksites are our three thrift stores.

Stumptown Thrift is located on Baker Street in downtown Whitefish and specializes in upscale donated clothing, sportswear, and affordable antiques.

Glacier Thrift on Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls features a large house wares department, as well as donated clothing and an amazing book section.

Our Flagship is the “city block long” Kalispell Thrift Store located at the junction of the two longest two lane highways in America; Highway 93, and U.S. 2. Kal Thrift has it all and every day is a new shopping adventure, with treasures you cannot find anywhere else.

When Flathead Valley residents donate entire estates, Flathead Industries is able to pass on to the public works of art, rare china, or unique furniture at prices that anyone can afford. All our stores are famous for customer

service skills so when you find yourself Skiing on Big Mountain, visiting the Park, or playing on Flathead Lake, do not miss the opportunity to visit one of our stores. It’s like panning for gold, except in this case you will always find treasure!

For more information, call 406-755-7656, 800-757-1204, or visit www. flatheadindustries.org/. MSN

Montana Gaelic Cultural Society Since 1977, the Montana Gaelic Cultural Society (MGCS) has been promoting Gaelic culture by sponsoring classes in the Irish language, Irish dance classes, music and drama presentations, and ten years of the An Rí Rá Montana Irish Festival.

The Society continues developing such programs, increasing membership and support so that access to the Irish and Gaelic culture is provided to all Montana communities. MGCS works to establish connections and strong communication with all Montana organizations interested in promoting and establishing programs in Gaelic culture.

The Montana Gaelic Cultural Society has been involved in the promotion of Irish language instruction at the University level since 2001. Courses have been offered in Missoula, Butte, and Helena under an arrangement between U of M and MGCS. Because of strong community response, this effort has resulted in the Irish Studies program at the University of Montana in Missoula. In addition, there are several non-credit study groups meeting on a regular basis, and Irish immersion programs are held several times a year.

If you are interested in any aspect of these activities, have experience that may help in any way, or if you would just like to make a donation, please contact MGCS at www.mtgaelic.org or P.O. Box 7264, Missoula, MT 59807. MSN

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Big Deal about Living Trusts?

By Jonathan J. David Dear Jonathan: Why does everyone make such a big deal about living trusts? When my father died last year, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a will or a trust and yet everything went to my mother without probate. So to me it sounds like living trusts are over-hyped.

What do you have to say?

Jonathan Says: Living trusts are an important part of the estate planning package for many people. It is true that in some cases a living trust is not called for or even recommended, but by and large, most people can benefit by having a living trust, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think they are over-hyped.

In the case of your parents, since you indicated there was no probate at your fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, I can only assume that all of your parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assets were held by them jointly, and as a result, those assets would automatically be titled in your motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name without the interference of probate, and regardless of whether your father had a will or a trust. This is because jointly titled assets between spouses automatically pass to the surviving spouse regardless of what a will or trust might say.

When your mother dies, however, all of her assets that are titled in her name alone will have to go through probate. Further, if she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a last will and testament, then upon the completion of probate, those assets will pass to her heirs (whether she likes it or not) pursuant to state law.

A living trust is simply an arrangement between the grantor or creator of the trust and the trustee, who is the person who manages the trust property on behalf of the beneficiary(ies) of the trust. The grantor is typically the sole trustee and the sole beneficiary during his or her lifetime. A living trust provides many benefits, some of which include: â&#x20AC;˘ Avoidance of probate. Any assets that are owned by the trust at the time of the grantorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death will not need to be probated. Any assets that are outside the trust and titled in the grantorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name alone at death will need to go through probate. â&#x20AC;˘ Avoidance of ancillary probate. If the grantor owns real estate in a state other than the state where the grantor resided at the time of death, then that property in the other state will need to be probated in that state. If that property was instead owned by the grantorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living trust, then probate in that other state would be avoided.

â&#x20AC;˘ A living trust is a private document. Probate is a matter of public record and as a result is not private. â&#x20AC;˘ Management of assets. If there is no trust, then once probate is completed, the probated assets are required to be distributed to the beneficiaries, or, in the case of minor children, i.e., under age 18, to a conservator on their behalf until they reach the age of 18, at which time they receive their respective shares.

In many instances, an 18-year-old child is not mature enough to receive an inheritance at that age. In fact, getting large sums of money at that age could end up being disastrous for the child. A living trust allows the assets, if the grantor so chooses, to be retained in trust on behalf of a beneficiary or beneficiaries until such time as they are ready to receive those assets. As such, a living trust could provide that a beneficiaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share of the trust assets is to be managed on that beneficiaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s behalf until he or she reaches a certain age or ages, i.e., 25, 30 and 35, at which time the trustee is directed to make required distributions to the beneficiary. In the meantime, the trust assets being held for the beneficiary are used for his or her benefit, i.e., health, living, and education expenses.

The advantage to having the trustee manage assets on behalf of a beneficiary is that the beneficiary enjoys the benefits of those assets, but does not have control so he or she cannot waste the inheritance on frivolous things. The trustee can also be directed to manage assets on behalf of other beneficiaries, even adults, if they are poor managers of money, have health problems, or for a variety of other reasons.

Those are just a few of the benefits the living trust can provide under the right circumstances. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what your circumstances are, but I would recommend that you have your mother see an estate planning attorney to determine whether a living trust makes sense based on her circumstances.

The information contained in this column is not to be construed as legal advice or legal representation and should not be relied upon as such. Further, the information provided is not state specific and certain laws and customary practices will vary from state to state. If legal advice or legal representation is desired, please consult with an attorney in your locale. MSN

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tax And Accountant Time

By Jim Miller For anyone seeking tax help, the resources available are numerous. As with all financial decisions, it is important to get assistance from an accounting professional.

The Internal Revenue Service, AARP, and several websites offer assistance to the befuddled. Here are the different ways you can get help and where to go to find it.

Phone Help - You can get fast answers to your basic tax questions by simply calling the IRS helpline. To speak to a representative call 800-829-1040 between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during tax season in your local time zone, Monday through Friday.

When you call, be sure you write down the repâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ID number, the date and time you called, and the answers. That way, if you get audited due to incorrect advice by the IRS rep, you can avoid penalties.

Other helpful IRS numbers to note are 800-829-4933 for business tax questions; 800-829-4477 that provides recorded messages on about 150 different tax topics, and lets you

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check the status of your tax refund; and 800-829-3676 where you can order free federal tax forms and publications.

Web Help - The IRS website is another option that offers mountains of tax information, and believe it or not, it is userfriendly. At www.irs.gov you can free-file (if your adjusted gross income was $56,000 or less in 2009), download or order tax forms and publications, learn about tax law changes, and look up answers to your tax questions through the Search tab or at their Tax Topics, Frequently Asked Questions and Tax Trails sections.

AARP also provides online tax assistance (www.aarp.org/ money/taxaide) and a place where you can ask your federal tax questions for free. It usually takes about a week to get an answer. Check the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FAQs first to see if your questions have already been answered.

Tax-prep sites like H&R Block (www.hrblock.com) and Jackson Hewitt (www.jacksonhewitt.com) provides tax tips and calculators on their websites along with Intuit (the makers of TurboTax), which also offers a community forum where other participants can answer your questions. Go to Turbotax.intuit. com and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Live Communityâ&#x20AC;? in the box on the right. You will need to register before posting a question.

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Another resource where you can post tax questions and get answers is the Usenet group misc.taxes.moderated. Go to www.asktax.org/ googroups.html and click on “Google Groups” to get there. You will need to register to post. TaxMama.com is another site that provides information and may answer your tax questions for free.

Face-to-Face - If you cannot get your questions answered over the phone or Web, you can get one-on-one help by visiting your IRS walkin Taxpayer Assistance Center. To locate your nearby center, visit www.irs.gov/localcontacts or call 800-829-1040. You do not need to make an appointment, but it sure cannot hurt to call ahead to find out when the person best able to answer your questions will be available.

Ta x P r e p a r a t i o n - I f y o u n e e d even more help visit your accountant.

Also, the IRS sponsors two programs – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) – that can prepare your income tax returns for you, if you qualify. These services are available in thousands of communi-

ties nationwide.

The VITA Program primarily offers tax help to low to moderate-income (generally, $42,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns, while the TCE program provides free tax help to people age 60 and older. Call 800-906-9887 to find a VITA or TCE site near you. Also check with AARP, the largest TCE participant providing free tax preparation and counseling services at more than 7,000 sites nationwide – and you do not have to be a member to get help. To locate an AARP Tax-Aide site near you call 888-227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/money/taxaide.

Savvy Note: For answers to Montana state income tax questions, visit http://mt.gov/revenue/ forindividuals/taxassistanceandeducation.asp or call 1-866-859-2254.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

Leaving Your Legacy for Glacier The creation of Glacier as a National Park was only the beginning. It will take both public and private support to preserve this precious place!

Leaving your legacy for Glacier is a wonderful way to leave a lasting gift to the park.

Planned gifts allow you to donate for Glacier in the future when it may not be practical today.

These contributions are important in helping plan for tomorrow.

Bequests by will are the simplest form of planned giving and may be included in a new or revised will. Bequests may be designated to a specific project or program, or may be unrestricted.

A specific bequest states a specific amount or a

specific asset. A residuary bequest names GNPF as the recipient of all or a percentage of the remainder of an estate after specific bequests have been filled. A contingent bequest takes effect only if all primary beneficiaries named in the will are predeceased. A testamentary trust designates part or all of an estate be left in a trust with either income or principal to be paid out.

For more information on other ways to support Glacier and the tax deductions allowed for various types of gifts, please contact Jane Ratzlaff at the Glacier National Park Fund at 406-892-3250 or email jane@glacierfund.org. MSN

If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.

- George Bernard Shaw

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Pryor Mountains Wild Mustangs

By Kim Thielman-Ibes Though only forty miles due south of Billings, the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range may as well be at the end of the earth. An intersection among the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, the Custer National Forest, and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the range is primarily in Montana, but the main entrance and visitor’s center are located just east of Lovell, Wyoming.

Reaching the wild horse range appears at the outset to almost be as complex as the Pryor Mountains’ diverse ecological history and as difficult as understanding the complicated management issues. But at the end of the day it’s all pretty simple; these mysteriously rugged, wild horses have what we often crave for ourselves - the freedom to run unbridled, unencumbered, and into the wild blue yonder that we call Montana - which makes it all worth the effort.

The Pryor Mountain wild mustangs are believed to be the genetic ancestors of the Spanish Mustang, considered the best horses in Spain.

The Spanish spent centuries perfecting their mustangs through crossbreeding the Andalusian, North African Barb, Jennet, and the native Spanish Sorraia horse. History notes that the first

of these hearty horses arrived in South America with the Spanish conquistadors in the late 1400s.

By the 1600s Native Americans began amassing these horses, distributing them northward across the western plains and transforming their way of life. It is believed by many that the wild mustangs progressed into Crow/Cheyenne country and the Pryor Mountains in the mid-1700s where they became omnipresent across the plains, blackening the prairies until the mid-1800s. By the 1920s, due to slaughter, castration, and crossbreeding they faced near extinction.

A forest service ranger in the Pryor’s, Charles Williamson said of the wild mustangs during this time, “…thousands of homesteader’s horses had been turned loose and became wild, and it was no more than right that they should go, but this little band was not of this class. They were, and are, the genuine little Spanish horses and there are about 70 head. They did not take forage form the deer, since deer and horses seldom eat the same thing.

Still the government wanted to get rid of these wild horses. Therefore, I resigned from the service in 1929 and have never been sorry for it.”

The wild mustangs are smaller, barely 14 hands high, with short strong backs, pronounced withers and large expressive eyes and were often looked down upon and called scrub ponies by the cavalry.

But these horses were uniquely suited for the rough life of the early Americas. It is said that the Indian pony could journey faster and farther with less provisions then the larger, grain fed horses ridden by the cavalry. These mustangs became a legend across the west, carrying the American spirit and frontier forward. They are the original wild horse in America and are known today as “The Horse with a Heritage.”

Glacier National Park Fund

Leave Your Legacy to Benefit Glacier! ___ Send me info on how I can leave my legacy to benefit Glacier. ___ I have already included the Fund in my estate planning. ________________________________________________________ Name

________________________________________________________ Street

________________________________________________________ City

State

ZIP

________________________________________________________ Phone

E-mail

Mail to: Glacier National Park Fund PO Box 2749 Columbia Falls, MT 59912 406-892-3250 - www.glaciernationalparkfund.org

“...Montana’s most entertaining museum...”

—Lonely Planet 406.994.2251 museumoftherockies.org

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

During the 1960s, a local group of Montana and Wyoming ranchers along with members of nearby communities worked to save the wild horses of the Pryor’s. It was not until 1968 that the Secretary of the Interior set aside 31,000 acres of the 120,000 acres available in the Pryor Mountains as a range to protect this peculiar ancestor of the Spanish Mustang. It has since been expanded to 44,000 acres. The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range became the first designated public wild horse range in America. Today the range is home to around 150 wild mustangs. Currently the oldest mare in the herd is 22-years-old, named Beauty, and the oldest stallion is a 20-year-old named Two Boots. In the 1990s, genetic testing was initiated and determined that the horses’ traits are indeed consistent with their Spanish ancestors.

The tribes learned much from the early Spanish conquistadores and became known themselves for their selective breeding skills. While the Spaniards preferred and bred for solid color mustangs, the tribes favored a colorful variety. The Pryor Mountain Mustangs are indicative of their native upbringing. They come in a large variety of colors including Gullo (Spanish word referring to a slatelike color of a crane), red and apricot, Bay (dark

coats with red highlights), black, chestnut and sorrel, palomino and buckskin. Primitive markings on their coat, including a stripe running down their back, zebra stripes on their legs and spider webbing on their face are present on many of the Pryor’s wild mustangs, reflective of their Spanish heritage.

The Pryor Mountain wild mustangs range in bands from two to three up to fifteen head. You will typically see a stallion with its mares and colts. In the summer, they run in the higher elevations of the rough, rugged, and juniper-carpeted Pryor’s, and during the winter, they move to the foothills and lowlands. The range is open year round and is magnificent not only for its wild mustangs but for its landscapes. Highway 37, the only paved road in the range, parallels Bighorn Canyon and its sheer cliffs dropping more than 1000 feet into the water below. With bighorn sheep roaming its steep canyon walls and wild mustangs gracing its plains, you will wonder why you have not visited many times before.

For more information, visit www.pryormustangs.org or phone 307-548-9453. MSN

Procrastination – Don’t Let It Spoil Your RV Living

By Bernice Beard Most RVing people don’t think consciously about procrastination – that tempting, comforting act of putting off a task. It’s only when a tire blows or keys are lost that we think about how we delayed checking the tread or should have put the keys in their normal place.

It’s especially tempting for retired RVers to put off doing things. After all, aren’t retirement and RVing about the freedom to do what you want and go where you want when you want? Yet, as in home life, such freedom also brings responsibility.

Since ancient times, writings have shown procrastination as a challenging part of human nature. Writers have deplored it; religions have denounced it; scientists have studied it. Almost everyone procrastinates occasionally, and for some it’s frequently and problematic. To be fair, today we have more tasks and deadlines than in ancient times.

Causes of Procrastination - While some procrastinators may have a mental health problem, such as depression, that can be treated with medicine and/or therapy, for most of us, procrastination is a self-controllable behavior.

Causes of procrastination include enticing distractions, fear of failure or even success, an unrealistic assessment of the time needed or available and the notion that you have to be in the right mood to do something. Also low self-esteem, stress, anxiety, and lack of confidence contribute

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ALL ABOARD

for the trip of a lifetime.

Enjoy the freedom to see landscapes that can only be seen by train while you relax in a comfortable seat with large panoramic windows.

Travelers age 62+ receive a 15% discount* For schedules and information call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com.

Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change without notice. *15% coach discount applies to seniors age 62 and over. Offer not valid on all trains at all times and other restrictions apply. Amtrak and Enjoy the journey are service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

to deferring tasks. Procrastinators may not know how to do a chore or fail to realize that each day brings its own tasks, pushing delayed ones behind.

How Procrastination May Affect RVers - Sly as it is, procrastination can affect RVers’ journeys. It may lead to: • Friction between travelers when one RVer puts off loading items, causing a delay in plans.

• Getting lost when the navigator delays looking at a map.

• An untidy living area when RVers pile one item on top of another.

• Lost items when the owner delays putting them away.

• Wasted time when one looks for misplaced items.

• Engine breakdown and costly repairs when maintenance is delayed.

• Blown tires when RVers don’t get around to checking the tread and air pressure.

• Poor visibility when RVers don’t feel like cleaning the windshield.

Procrastination eventually leads to feeling overwhelmed and to a kind of depression. Your energy lags and you wonder why you don’t have the motivation you used to have.

How RVers Overcome Procrastination Here are some tips for RVers of any age to overcome procrastination: • Winterize before the weather turns cold and blustery.

• Talk yourself into a job by changing your attitude toward it. Think of it in a positive way instead of something you have to do.

• Let your mind decide rather than your feelings. Recognize your feelings, but move ahead with your mental decision. Plan steps to complete the project.

Then take one small step at a time, even when you feel fear or doubt.

• Don’t be lazy – push yourself. Just thinking about putting off a task makes it easier to delay. That’s when we have to push ourselves to take at least one small step toward completing the work.

• List on a calendar the items that you think should be done that day, and then prioritize items in their order of importance. Check off completed items, and go to the next one.

• Turn off the TV when doing a project that requires concentration, such as reading a manual on using the RV’s microwave.

• Do the hardest or least liked tasks first.

Benefits of Overcoming Procrastination Finishing a task gives us a sense of accomplishment. It lifts our morale.

High morale brings inspiration and motivation. New tasks are less burdensome because we’re not also carrying the baggage of a lot of undone items.

In summary, to overcome procrastination, 1. decide by thinking, not feeling; 2. plan steps to take to complete a project; 3. do one small step; and 4. push yourself even when you don’t feel like doing the task.

In short, the antidote for procrastination is acMSN tion.

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Turn Down That Noise Now So You Can Hear Later

By Suzanne Handler, Senior Wire Attention all parents, grandparents, and thoughtful adults: the following is a cautionary tale.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is 100% preventable. Yet, according to audiologist Dr. Barbara Jenkins, one-third of people in the United States who have a hearing disability fall into this category.

My interest in this particular health issue hits close to home. Accompanying my 70-plus significant other to his first appointment with an audiologist, I was surprised when she handed us a catalogue with page after page of hearing aids from which to choose. I had thought all such devices were manufactured in skin tones, but I could not have been more wrong. Along with the humdrum, flesh-colored models from which he eventually made his choice, an array of bold colors and psychedelic designs were also available for the more adventurous. When I asked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who in their right mind would choose hot pink hearing aids to stick behind their ears?â&#x20AC;? I received an earful, to say the least.

The number of youth who have been diagnosed with NIHL, and who now need or soon will need hearing aids, is on the rise worldwide. Why is this happening? The simple answer is that some companies continue to manufacture digital music players with the capacity to produce volume at damaging levels, and youth - disregarding healthrelated issues - neglect to use caution where noise is involved. As with drinking or texting while driv-

ing, listening to loud music for hours on end is a prescription for disaster.

I learned that when the delicate hair cells that move and transmit sound are continually bombarded by loud noise, these cells - known as cilia - eventually die. Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when there are more dead cilia then live ones. Keeping in mind that this type of loss is preventable, I began to think about how potentially dangerous noise pollution really is, especially for teens and young adults who, in many cases, intuitively understand the danger of excessive noise, but choose to ignore it.

There are two types of noise-induced hearing loss: that which occurs following a one-time event such as an explosion or blast (i.e. gunfire, bomb, or firecracker) and that resulting from exposure to loud noise over an extended period of time - think rock concert, dance club, or listening to an MP3 player at the highest volume possible every day for hours. Even the seemingly more mundane - but just as potentially dangerous - culprits such as workplace related noise, hair dryers, lawn mowers, automobiles, motorcycles, power tools, radios, and television sets can damage the ability to hear if the noise is too loud.

In September 2009, the governing body of the European Union announced that it intends to enact legislation that would make it illegal for listening devices such as MP3 players to exceed 80 decibels.

To put this in perspective, normal conversation

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registers around 60 decibels, the sound of traffic on a busy metropolitan city street registers between 80-90 decibels, a rock concert registers between 115-120 decibels, and a jet liner taking off registers sound anywhere from 120-150 decibels depending on the type of equipment. Although it would seem difficult to enforce, I say kudos to the EU - at least it is a start. Soon, American manufacturers of digital listening devices (several currently have the capacity to reach 115 decibels depending on the model and the speaker system used) will be forced to modify their products if they wish to market them across the pond (source: World Boxx).

The United States would do well to follow suit.

My life partner served in the U.S. Army in the mid-1950s. With zero protection from the deafening sound of 90 mm anti-aircraft artillery and quad 50-caliber machine guns roaring in his ears, irreparable damage was done.

When his military service was over, his plan was to begin his college education. After being given a

compulsory hearing test by the university, he was informed that he had a profound hearing loss. The school recommended he register for a lip-reading class to improve his chances for academic success, but at the tender age of 20, he allowed pride and embarrassment to stand in the way.

Because of this disability, the road has not always been an easy one for him. I have watched him struggle in conversations when more than two people are speaking and I understand his reluctance to be in social situations where chitchat is expected or rapt attention required. He has lived his life with a noise-induced hearing deficit that could never be surgically or medically restored.

It was been suggested that just turning down the volume on an MP3 player, radio, or television two clicks, or buying and using inexpensive earplugs (I have resorted to wads of Kleenex or cotton balls on various occasions) from the drugstore to muffle sound at a sporting event, concert, or party, will help to preserve the delicate nerves and structures of the ear. And when all else fails or is forgotten, just give your hard-working ears a frequent rest – walk away from the noise for five minutes. Encourage your children and grandchildren to do the same.

The next time a car pulls up near mine and the radio or CD player is blaring so loud I can feel the beat in my solar plexus two lanes away, I know I will think about those psychedelic hearing aids and the probability that the driver will, one day in the future, be diagnosed with a noise-induced hearing loss for which there is no cure. Hearing is a precious gift and one well worth preserving. Spread the word. MSN

Dancing Your Self to a Healthier Heart

By Ed Susman, Senior Wire Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to waltz your way to good health?

In fact, Italian researchers said that by getting patients diagnosed with heart failure to engage in traditional dancing such as waltz they appear to improve health and quality of life at least as well as people who do treadmill exercise.

Researchers, led by Dr. Romualdo Belardinelli, director of the cardiac rehabilitation unit at Lancisi Heart Institute, Ancona, Italy, enrolled 110 patients with stable but advanced chronic heart failure.

The patients - mainly men with an average age of 59 - were randomly assigned to two groups.

One group of 44 patients took to the treadmill and cycling equipment three times week for eight weeks. The other group of 44 patients went dancing - in a program that alternated slow dancing for five minutes followed by a fast waltz for three minutes over a 21-minute period.

They also met three times a week. The other 22 patients acted as a control group.

Dr. Belardinelli said he “chose waltz because it is a universal dance, which means that the findings can be generalized to other countries.” He said, however, that other dances might be just as effective.

“Dancing should be considered an alternative to traditional cardiac rehabilitation for patients with heart failure,” he said.

Both exercise training and dance classes were conducted at the hospital, and heart rate was monitored during the sessions. Cardiopulmonary parameters were assessed at baseline and after

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

the eight-week program.

The researchers found that heart rate during exercise training was 110 beats per minute while the dancers’ hearts beat about 113 times per minute. The difference was not significant.

The cardiac function and anaerobic threshold improvements were about the same in the dancers and traditional exercisers, but their performances were statistically superior to that of the control patients.

“As might be expected, the real difference between the two groups was in quality-of-life scores,” Dr. Belardinelli said. The scores were assessed using the Minnesota Heart Failure Living Questionnaire - the patients who were getting their workouts

on the dance floor scored significantly better than the patients who were working in the gym.

The dancers scored an average of 58 at baseline but lowered that score to 41 at the end of the trial. A lower score indicates an improved quality of life. The gym group lowered their score from 58 to 48.

Dr. Nieca Goldberg, chief of women’s cardiac care at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said the results are important because it is difficult to get patients to complete cardiac rehabilitation faithfully, so a program that patients consider “fun and enjoyable is likely to make rehabilitation more palatable.” MSN

Make Exercise Work for You

By Fred Cicetti, Senior Wire Q. I’ve been told I should exercise more, but I am afraid that at my age (73) I might damage something. Am I safer as a couch potato?

All the current scientific evidence shows that you should exercise, even though many older people think it could harm them. Study after study demonstrates that people hurt their health a lot more by being sedentary.

If you are inactive, you deteriorate. Physical activity can help restore your capacity. Older adults, regardless of age or condition, will benefit from increasing physical activity to a moderate level.

Warning: If you want to begin a new exercise program, you should consult your physician and request a list of exercises that are best for your age and physical condition.

Four types of exercise are important for your health. These are exercises for strength, balance, stretching, and endurance.

Strength exercises build muscle and raise your metabolism. Doing these exercises will help to keep your weight down.

Balance exercises help prevent falls and, therefore, will keep you

from breaking yourself and losing your independence. Each year, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips; many of them are the result of falls.

Stretching exercises give you more freedom of movement. And endurance exercises raise your pulse and breathing.

Here are 10 tips to make any exercise program safe: 1. Don’t hold your breath during strength exercises. This could affect your blood pressure.

2. When lifting weights, use smooth, steady movements. Breathe out as you lift or push a weight, and breathe in as you relax.

3. Avoid jerking or thrusting movements.

4. Avoid locking the joints of your arms and

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legs into a strained position.

5. Some soreness and slight fatigue are normal after muscle-building exercises. Exhaustion, sore joints, and painful muscle pulls are not normal.

6. Always warm up before stretching exercises.

7. Stretching should never cause pain, especially joint pain.

8. Never bounce into a stretch; make slow steady movements instead.

9. To prevent injuries, use safety equipment such as helmets for biking.

10. You should be able to talk during endurance exercises.

Measuring your progress can motivate you.

Test yourself before starting to exercise to get a baseline score. Test and record your scores each

month. The following are some tests you can use, if your doctor approves.

For endurance, see how far you can walk in exactly six minutes. For lower-body strength, time yourself as you walk up a flight of stairs as fast as you can safely. For upper-body strength, record how much weight you lift and how many times you lift that weight. For balance, time yourself as you stand on one foot, without support, for as long as possible. Have someone stand near you in case you lose your balance. Repeat the test while standing on the other foot.

Remember, above all, exercise should make you feel better.

If you have a question, please write to fred@ healthygeezer.com MSN

Organ Donation Myths and Facts

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire Some 97,501 Americans needed an organ transplant (as of October 2009). Many patients never will receive the organ they vitally need.

Michele Goodwin, visiting professor of law at the University of Chicago School of Law, predicts that more than 7,000 of these patients who anxiously wait for the miracle of a new organ will die.

Thousands more will be crossed off the list of organ recipients because they are too old or too weak.

On average, 18 die per day.

Last year, 28,930 organ transplants were made. Live donors - 6,729 of them - volunteered their gift of a vital body part so another may live.

The balance of the transplants came from people who had died and had already designated that their body parts could be used when they were gone.

It is against the law to pay a donor for his or her organs. So, time runs out for thousands of ailing patients because no organ is available. It is a felony for you to sell one of your kidneys or even an important vein.

It is also against the law to pay a donor’s family for the costs of a transplant from a dead relative’s body.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

in Richmond, Virginia, manages the country’s only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

It was created by Congress in 1984 as a non-profit, scientific, and educational organization. It collects information about every transplant that occurs in the United States.

UNOS facilitates organ matching and placement matters. And it brings together doctors, transplant recipients, and donor families to develop transplant policies.

There is obviously a serious organ shortage in our country. Complicating this is the raft of misconceptions about donations. Here are some of the major myths and the facts: • Myth: You are too old to be a donor. Fact: People of all ages and medical conditions should consider that they are possible donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs or tissues could be donated.

• Myth: If emergency room doctors know that you are waiting for an organ donation, they will not work as hard to save you. Fact: When you come to a hospital, the normal priority is to save your life.

• Myth: When waiting for a transplant, your financial or celebrity status is as important as

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

your medical status. Fact: What really counts is the severity of your illness, time spent waiting, blood type, and other medical information.

• Myth: Having “organ donor” on your driver license or carrying a donor card is all you need to become a donor. Fact: While these designations are legal documents, organ and tissue donations are usually discussed with family members to make sure your family understands these are your current wishes. Some states have additional requirements.

• Myth: Only hearts, livers, and kidneys can be transplanted. Fact: Needed organs also include pancreas, lungs, liver, and intestines.

Eyes, skin, bones, heart valves, and tendons also can be donated.

• Myth: A history of illness means your organs or tissues are unfit for donation. Fact: Medical professionals will review your medical history to see whether you can be a donor. Recent advances in transplantation have broadened the number of people who can be donors.

• Myth: If you agree to donate your organs, your family will be charged for the cost in-

volved. Fact: There is no cost for organ or tissue donation to the donor’s family or estate.

• Myth: Your religion prohibits organ donation. Fact: All major religions approve of organ and tissue donations and consider it an act of charity.

• Myth: There is real danger of being heavily anesthetized and waking up to find you had one or both kidneys removed. Fact: This wild tale has been widely circulated on the Internet. There is no evidence of this occurring in the U. S. Suppose that the United Network for Organ Sharing took the position that starting next year, no human organ will be available for transplantation into people who are not registered organ donors themselves.

Such a position would cause a rush of people to register as organ donors. People who did not register would know that they would be dropped to the back of the recipient waiting list if they ever needed an organ transplant.

People would probably register in such large numbers that the organ shortage would shrink quickly. Quite simply, thousands of lives would be saved every year if everyone would sign up. MSN

You Need Your Flu Vaccinations And More!

By Jim Miller Most people think that vaccinations are just for kids, but adults, especially seniors, need their shots too. Here is what you should know.

Roll Up Your Sleeve - Outside of eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking, and routine health screenings, the best way to prevent illness and stay healthy as you age is to keep up with your vaccinations. But, far too few people are taking advantage of these important vaccines – usually because either they are not aware of them, they are afraid to get them, or they do not have the funds to pay for them. Here is a list of the different vaccines and how they work with Medicare.

• Flu (influenza) vaccine: This is the one vaccination people are good about getting – 69 percent get an annual shot. While it is recommended that almost everyone should get a flu shot every fall, it

Flu and Pneumonia Shots While supplies last… t

clinical pharmacists

t Walk-ins are welcome t Shots are available 9am-8pm, M-F 10:30am-3:30pm, weekends t Medicaid / Medicare accepted

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Your Vaccination Center

is especially important for those aged 65 and older because they are at high risk for complications.

Medicare Part B pays for flu shots but if you are not covered, there are plenty of places that offer them free. To locate a vaccination site, call your county health department or the CDC information line at 800-232-4636, or visit www.flucliniclocator.org starting in September. (Note: people who are allergic to eggs, latex, who have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome, or who’ve had a severe reaction to a flu shot in the past should not get a flu shot without consulting their doctor first. And, people who are ill with a fever should wait to be vaccinated until their symptoms pass.)

• Pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine: Pneumonia causes around 60,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, many of which could be prevented by this vaccine. Everyone age 65 or older should get

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this one-time vaccination, and for those covered under Medicare Part B, it is free.

• Shingles vaccine: Recommended for everyone age 60 and older. So far, only about 2 percent of seniors have received this vaccine since it became available in 2006. Shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash that affects more than a million Americans each year. While this vaccine isn’t perfect, it does cut your risk of getting it in half, and if you do get it, you will have a much milder case. Medicare pays for this vaccine only if you have a Part D prescription drug plan. If you aren’t covered, you can expect to pay between $150 and $250 for the shot.

• Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: The CDC recommends a combined tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine for all adults aged 64 or younger whose last tetanusdiphtheria booster shot was at least 10 years ago.

Whooping cough, the CDC warns, is making a comeback in older people because childhood vaccinations (if you had one) have worn off. However,

if you are 65 or older, get a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster shot instead of the 3-in-1 Tdap vaccine.

Neither vaccine is covered by Medicare, but typically costs under $75.

Savvy Tips: Other vaccinations may be recommended depending on where you live, your health, lifestyle, and if you plan to travel internationally. To learn more about vaccines for adults and to identify which ones you need, visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines – click on “For Specific Groups of People,” and take their adult quiz. The Mayo Clinic also offers a list of vaccines on its website www.mayoclinic. com/health/vaccines/ID00016 that explains what you should get and when you should get it. As always, be sure to talk to your doctor about your findings.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

The last uncle here on earth

By Bill Hall My last uncle on earth died the other day.

My last aunt on earth died a few months before.

Suddenly, no more uncles. No more aunts.

The aunts and uncles in a kid’s life tend to be overshadowed by parents and grandparents.

But in many ways, aunts and uncles are more credible observers and advisers than chronically hysterical parents or those candy-pushing spoilers of children, the grandparents.

I was born with two parents, four aunts, and eight uncles. When the first one of your parents dies, and then the other one, the blow is doubly hard. You lose your last parent and become an orphan on the same day. But at least a person has some aunts and uncles left over as worthy stand-ins.

Until now. Until this moment, there was always someone else up there in the generation ahead who understood and echoed the attitudes that once came from parents.

Uncles and aunts perch among the wise old birds in the family tree somewhere off to one side.

Parents and the grandparents get most of the blame or glory for how a child turns out. But the parents, who dote on a child at first, eventually find themselves in the unenviable role of becoming the enforcer of alleged family norms. It is a natural struggle – children straining at the bit to do what they please at 14 and parents wanting them to wait until they are at least 30 to grow up. (Sadly, some kids oblige, never quite growing up at all. Beware of what you wish for.)

Grandparents are the supreme court, a

court customarily biased in favor of the grandchildren and often a bit too anxious to be forgiving of brats. “Sure he robbed a bank, but it was only a little bank.”

Uncles and aunts are mostly upstaged by all that. And most of them are reluctant to blurt out advice to nephews and nieces. Aunts and uncles are often among the best of us at minding their own business.

They sit on the sidelines, silently proud or disappointed. But when they do have something to say, they have third-party credibility with kids that is lacking in strict parents and pushover grandparents.

Best of all, some uncles and aunts without children of their own inflate the family supply of love for nieces and nephews.

If nothing else, aunts and uncles are useful for instructive comparisons: “You did such a good job cleaning your room that you remind me of your Aunt Marie.”

“If you don’t watch out, Mister Night Owl, you’re going to end up like your Uncle Dexter.”

Every family is well served by an Uncle Dexter, a crazy uncle. Somebody has to go wild if for no other reason than to provide parents with a scary living illustration of what happens to bad boys and girls.

Most of all, every child needs heroes. And I do not just mean in the military, though three of my uncles were in World War II. One of them, Uncle Jim – my last uncle on earth who died last week at 91 – was a dog soldier. He walked behind a tank through large parts of France, Belgium, and Germany and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.

But aunts and uncles are heroes and heroines in other ways as well. Mine were almost all noncrazy uncles and aunts. They survived a stifling depression, a dust bowl, times of hunger and

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considerable despair. But they were solid citizens and as tough as they come in the face of adversity. They were honest and lawful. They saved for household needs far more than they borrowed for them. And they had a work ethic that gave their nieces and nephews no excuse to shirk.

Uncle Jim, the last to leave us, was among the best. He never preached. He never scolded.

He never commanded. He was a dry, poker-faced family humorist who could sneak an object lesson into a wisecrack.

And now he is gone. They are all gone.

We are suddenly sitting alone at the top of the family pecking order, robbed by death of all our leaders. So whom do we call if we have a question about a family ailment or a family horse thief or a

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 43

family triumph from back before we were born?

The silence is deafening.

So where do we go from here?

Everybody move up a step. And try not to look so lonely. The nieces and nephews are watching.

Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone. net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

Happy Holidays from the staff of the Montana Senior News!!

PAGE 44 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

The View From The Other Side Of The Counter Reviewed by Clare Hafferman I read a book recently that had something to say about retirement. Retirement is something we all think about when we wade into our fifties, but this book is written about a segment of the population that seldom considers it. And they may not be the group of people you would think of first.

Counter Culture is written and wonderfully photographed by Candacy S. Taylor and was published last year by Cornell University Press.

Since 2001, the author (and often her mother as her assistant) traveled more than 26,000 miles throughout the U.S. to interview older career waitresses who work in coffee shops, diners, and restaurants. These women, in their 60s through late 70s, are still working without a thought of retiring.

Because she had been a waitress herself and knew the job’s physical toll - the throbbing legs, and aching feet and arms - the author wondered about the customers, wages and tips, bosses, and benefits that could keep someone working in this occupation for over 40 years, which many of these women did.

For background research, Taylor read Waitress - America’s Unsung Heroine, by Elder & Rolens; Nickel And Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America, by Barbara Ehrenreich; and Dishing It Out, by Greta Foff Paules.

Armed with a digital camera, mini-disc recorder, scanner, map, the author hit the road.

To find the “lifers” she wanted to talk to, Taylor spoke to local patrons of diners, coffee shops, and cafes wherever she went. Taylor would then call owners or managers and ask to interview the best waitress who fit the mold she described. She zig-zagged from San Francisco to New Jersey, stopping in places like Sparks, Nevada; Erlanger, Kentucky; and Worcester, Massachusetts.

She anticipated meeting women who felt overworked and under appreciated, but on the contrary most loved their jobs. Given the opportunity, many would not change their line of work.

They stayed because it paid in more than one way.

Through her interviews, the author became convinced that a career waitress does more than just balance plates on her arm, call in orders, and walk fast. If she stays long enough in one place, she eventually becomes a psychiatrist, friend, or grandmother to her patrons from every walk of life. More than one of these women mentioned that they had served up to four generations of the same family. You cannot do that without knowing a lot about the man who just asked for eggs over easy.

The physical side of the job keeps these waitresses in shape, and those pictured in this book look good for their age. The memorization required to know who is drinking or eating what keeps the “little grey cells” rotating, and the tips are the pay-off. Quick waitresses can make two to three times more money than slower ones because they serve more customers in a shift.

As one veteran of 38 years said, “I love the challenge (of a really chaotic day) and I enjoy the competition. If you see me in action, you’ll see - I’m the best!”

Financially speaking, not all waitresses earn a good living. The ones who do are the ones who have a large, regular clientele who tip better than the average customer. And waitresses who serve both tourists and regulars say there is a noted difference in tips, especially in places that only cater to tourists.

Southern Nevada is reputed to be paradise for wages because the culinary union is powerful enough to offer a living wage along with health and retirement benefits. To compete, non-union restaurants have to offer similar benefits.

Some of the interviewees were single mothers; they stayed with the job and worked harder since they were often the only breadwinner. And, because they worked hard physically, they were not inclined to throw their money to the wind.

Most of these veterans said they had a financially secure life. The skills they learned organizing their time to serve 30 people for lunch were applied to keeping track of the money and the bills.

Most of the women in this book began working at a young age, some from 13 and up. For many, there were not too many other options if your parents were on the poor side. Rivers Coleman from Greenwood Mississippi, who is 81 and does not look it, grew up picking cotton.

Fifty years ago, Coleman got a job at the Crystal Grill and worked the breakfast shift there for 25 years. She used to work seven days a week and never really took time off. Her latest challenge was to learn the computerized system for tickets.

She said that at 80 learning the new program was a headache, but the younger girls helped straighten her out.

Annie King, 69, began working when she was thirteen. A waitress for 56 years, King admitted that she tried other work, but did not like to sit. Her attitude was typical of the women interviewed.

Most of us have other lives besides work, even if we enjoy all or part of our jobs. These waitresses admit that they would be bored if they were home for any length of time. Their job is their life. One woman recounted that her boss was joking with her about her age - she told him not to worry about it because if she was in a wheelchair she could still get around the tables.

Counter Culture is available in book stores or through inter-library loan. MSN

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Our goa goal at Caslen Living Centers is to help seniors nior orss maintain o m in mai their quality of life. We respect their he right ght to g t p privacy, acy c dignity and personal choice.

The Affordable Care Act: A Good Deal for You â&#x20AC;&#x201C; And Everyone Else

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Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA It is high time to talk about what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act really does.

The new law does not cut Medicareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guaranteed benefits; it improves them. Before the law was passed, those with Medicare prescription drug coverage faced a growing gap (the â&#x20AC;&#x153;doughnut holeâ&#x20AC;?) that left them vulnerable to thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket drug costs. This year, people in the doughnut hole received a $250 rebate toward the costs of their drugs. Starting in 2011, the gap will gradually close, saving people money and helping them get the drugs they need.

Preventive care is also improved. In 2011, all Medicare deductibles and co-insurance are eliminated for preventive services like mammograms and colorectal screenings. And for the first time, Medicare will begin covering a free annual physical. These changes will make sure Medicare does more to keep people healthy, as well as covering them when they are sick.

Other important changes will help our aging - and ailing - grandparents. States have new options to help people get care in their homes rather than being forced to move to a nursing home as their health declines. The new law also increases federal funding for adult protective services, which serves those who are abused, neglected, or exploited. And it boosts support for state Long-Term

Care Ombudsman programs, which look out for the rights of nursing home residents and their families.

So, how are these improvements paid for? People with incomes over $200,000 a year ($250,000 a year for couples) will pay more in Medicare payroll taxes. And yes, Medicare spending will grow more slowly in some areas over the next 10 years than it otherwise would have. But Medicare will still grow nearly 6 percent a year. The law makes carefully targeted changes to reduce wasteful services - like doctors ordering the same test twice. It provides more resources to go after fraud and abuse - like beneficiaries receiving wheelchairs that they never ordered and do not need. These sensible changes help keep Medicare fiscally sound for an additional 12 years, until 2029.

What about Medicare Advantage? These private plans were supposed to provide care more efficiently and at higher quality than the original Medicare program. But in fact, they have cost hundreds of billions of dollars more than original Medicare - costs paid by taxpayers and Medicare beneficiaries, including the three out of four who do not participate in the program.

Moreover, the plans have shown no consistent improvements in quality. Over the next few years, the excess payments to these plans will gradually be ratcheted down - with bonus payments for those that provide high-quality care. Putting these plans

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

on a level playing field with the original Medicare program is a good and fair thing to do.

Of course, the new law does not just help older people. By requiring insurance companies to allow young adults to remain on their parents insurance until they are 26, it enables your grandchild to go to college or start a new job without fear of going uninsured. Prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to people based on age, gen-

der, or health status ensures that your daughter is not denied health insurance because she was diagnosed with diabetes. And cracking down on insurance company abuses ensures that no one loses coverage when it is needed most. The Affordable Care Act is not perfect - no law ever is.

But it is the most significant improvement in health security in our nation’s history.

Undoing the law would be a tragic mistake! MSN

Respite Care - Just What the Doctor Ordered

By David J. Caesar Respite Care can be provided by companies that provide in-home care and can be provided on a regular basis, lasting from a few hours to overnight. This popular respite choice enables individuals to remain in their own environments and can be invaluable for family members who function as caregivers.

Many assisted living communities also offer respite care in the form of temporary stays at their facilities. “This can ease people into the idea of living in an Assisted Living Community or Residential Care Home for the Elderly,” says Mary Weathers, who is a Registered Nurse and Franchise Owner with Always Best Care Senior Services in Flagler County, Florida. “The usual pathway is to come in for a short stay, and ultimately, if they like it, move them into a more long-term stay,” says Weathers.

Many of the communities that Always Best Care Senior Services work with make it a point to promote the fact that they offer respite stays.

Unfortunately, there are still concerns regarding support for respite care, especially as it pertains to caring for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

Families that care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s may struggle to get sufficient respite care. This can lead to a decline in the caregiver’s health and wellbeing and as a result, the person with Alzheimer’s disease may not be cared for adequately.

If you are caring for a loved one, it is important to take precautions and take care of yourself so that you can continue to provide care for your loved one. Finding respite care can be a necessity.

Important steps to take include joining a support group, getting adequate sleep, eating nutritious meals, and exercising daily. This will help maintain your energy level and ability to respond to crises.

It is crucial for caregivers to take a break periodically. All of these things will help ensure that the person acting as the caregiver does not end up being the person needing care. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 47

PAGE 48 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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Ali Davidson has a reality check that is about as difficult to read as it is to talk about.

“If you’re an adult, and your parents are still alive and in decent health, it’s likely that you’ll have to take charge of their care at some point before they pass away,” said Davidson, a life coach and former owner of a home care agency who has authored the book It’s Between You and Me (www.itsbetweenyouandme.com). “Invariably, most adult children do what they can to avoid the conversation with their parents about how they will handle that moment when it is apparent they are no longer able to care for themselves. Yes, it seems like it can be awkward and embarrassing, but it’s also necessary if you intend to lovingly and intelligently care for them as they get older.”

Caregiving is a reality for many adult children today. More than 50 years ago, caregiving was not as necessary because the average life expectancy was barely 62. Today, the prevailing state of medical technology and care has advanced that life expectancy to 78, meaning that the likelihood of needing extra care in those later years is far more likely than even 20 years ago.

Davidson’s message to children is simple - it is far better to power through the initial awkwardness of that conversation in order to achieve a greater piece of mind, for children and their parents.

“Despite our denial, tomorrow always

comes,” she added. “But what your tomorrow will look like and feel like will depend on how ready you are to embrace it.

Caring for elderly parents can be very difficult for the adult child, especially when a crisis is what typically creates the need for a conversation about senior care. My hope is that people will begin to think preventively when it comes to anticipating that need, and creating a manageable plan to account for that moment.”

The key parts of the equation for a successful discussion of eldercare with parents resides in each party’s recognizing the other’s primary needs.

“Your parents need to know that they can maintain control over what happens to them even when they need extra care,” she said.

“Children can use this conversation as a way of giving their parents the opportunity to design their lives through the aging years, when they are healthy, and not clouded by the heightened emotions of a critical medical crisis that necessitates immediate action. Children can also express their need for peace of mind for when that time comes. The main benefit of having the conversation now, rather than later, is that children and parents can work out a plan cooperatively that addresses everyone’s needs, so that if a trigger event happens, families can act fast to protect the ones they love in the manner that their loved ones have chosen.” MSN

How to Have the Hardest Conversation Of Your Life

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 49

Home Safety Monitors for People Who Live Alone

By Jim Miller The product and service youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re inquiring about is known as a personal emergency response system or PERS. But with so many on the market, it can be a bit confusing figuring out which system is best for your parent. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you should know.

Senior Life Line - Each year, one-third of seniors in the U.S. suffer a fall, often with serious consequences. Add in the fact that 11 million Americans age 65 and older live alone and we have a serious problem on our hands. The solution is a PERS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is essentially a wireless hotline to help.

This home-based emergency alert service will connect your mother to a 24-hour call center with the push of a button. The transmitter (SOS button) is typically worn as a neck pendent, wristband, or belt clip. When pushed, it sends a signal to a receiver console thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connected to the home telephone (they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work with cell phones). When your mom pushes the button, the dispatcher evaluates her situation, and will notify you, a relative, a caregiver, or 911, as needed. With most PERS set-ups, your mom can talk with the dispatcher from anywhere in the house through the systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s receiver, which works like a speakerphone.

While a PERS can be a wonderful home device, it does have its drawbacks. Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wear their SOS button regularly, and if they do have it on and fall, they still have to be alert enough actually to hit the button.

Where to Look - With all the different PERSs available today, the Internet is the best place to start your search. PERSs are available through national companies (such as www.lifelinesys.com, www.rescuealert.com, www.lifefone.com, and www. lifestation.com) as well as local or regional providers. Local providers are usually run by hospitals or social service agencies. A typical Internet search will bring up only the national companies. Adding a town, county, or state to your search will help you find local or regional options. Also, check with your Area Aging Agency (call 800-677-1116 to get your local number). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth checking out both local

and national providers because features, pricing, and quality will vary.

Options and Costs - In most cases, PERS equipment (receiver console and SOS button) is rented, but some companies offer the option to buy.

Costs, too, will vary, but you can expect to pay a small set-up or activation fee along with a monthly service/monitoring fee, usually around $1 per day.

Most companies give discounts for longer-term agreements, but be careful of contracts that lock you in. Some services may even offer discounted pricing options for lower-income seniors.

And some companies may provide extra services such as check-in calls, wake-up calls, and medication reminders for an additional cost. When choosing a service, pay attention to the small print and always ask for a detailed price quote. Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cover PERSs. Home Monitoring - If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a more thorough service, check out home monitoring systems. These services combine the PERS with motion detectors (not cameras), placed in key areas of your momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home, that will let you know (via phone or email) if something out of the ordinary is happening. For example, if she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get out of bed at her usual time, or went to the bathroom and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave, this could indicate an emergency. The great thing about this type of system is it requires no input from your mother, and you can check in on her anytime through their password-protected website.

These monitoring systems are more expensive than a PERS and are not covered by insurance. Visit QuietCare (www.quietcare.com; 877-822-2468), Healthsense (www.healthsense.com; 800-5761779), and GrandCare (www.grandcare.com; 262338-6147).

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Savvy Seniorâ&#x20AC;? book. MSN

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Complete Proverbs A first- grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class.

She presented each child with the first half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the second half. It is hard to believe that these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don’t change horses... until they stop running.

2. Strike while the... bug is close.

3. It is always darkest before... Daylight Savings Time.

4. Never underestimate the power of... ter-

mites.

5. You can lead a horse to water but... how?

6. Don’t bite the hand that... looks dirty.

7. No news is... impossible.

8. A miss is as good as a... Mister.

9. You cannot teach an old dog new... math.

10. If you lie down with dogs... you will stink in the morning.

11. Love all, trust... me.

12. The pen is mightier than the... pigs.

13. An idle mind is... the best way to relax.

14. Where there is smoke there is... pollution.

15. Happy the bride who... gets all the presents.

16. A penny saved is... not much.

17. Two’s company, three’s... the Musketeers.

18. Don’t put off until tomorrow what... you put on to go to bed.

19. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and... you have to blow your nose.

20. There are none so blind as... Stevie Wonder.

21. Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded.

22. If at first you don’t succeed... get new batteries.

23. You get out of something only what you... see in the picture on the box.

24. When the blind lead the blind... get out of the way. MSN

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 57

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Downsizing In Later Life – Making The Move To A Smaller Home

By Lynn Pribus First it’s a little apartment, next a “starter” home, and then a house big enough for children.

Eventually, for any number of reasons, it is time for smaller quarters, but knowing what to buy is not always easy.

“It’s crossing a threshold,” says Sue Ronnenkamp, author of a guidebook called Living Transitions: A Step-by-Step Guide for a Later Life Move. “It’s letting go and preparing for a different phase of life.”

That “letting go” often involves reducing possessions. While we routinely acquire and dispose of items from strollers to golf carts, it is a different matter in later life for a number of not-alwaysrecognized reasons.

It is Hard to Part with Things It is easy to dispose of some things, but not others because of an emotional impact. “The starting point of the emotional impact,” says David J. Ekerdt, PhD, director of the Gerontology Center at the University of Kansas, is ‘Why have we kept this?’”

Some things, he notes, are functional or give us pleasure. Others represent memories. The big platter recalls Mom’s presiding over the Thanksgiving turkey with all the family there. Dad’s old film camera represents wonderful trips to faraway places. Parting with these things is like giving away pieces of our selves.

In addition, many people feel a moral responsibility to their family archives, preserving old photos, medals, diaries, citizenship papers, and similar memorabilia.

Getting Started Begin early, urges Linda Hetzer, co-author with Janet Hulstrand of Moving On; A Practical Guide to Downsizing the Family Home. “When it’s time to do it, it’s almost too late to start and most people have no clue of the enormity of the project.”

She advises starting with things that do not have an emotional impact. “One kitchen drawer is a good thing to go through. Clear off a shelf next and soon you’ll find yourself building momentum.”

Another excellent tactic is to give to-beinherited items - a special teapot or certain painting - when you can still see people enjoy them.

Even if you will not move soon, consider the future. If you are replacing furniture, for instance, consider how it might fit in your new home.

Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.

- Groucho Marx

When the Time Comes to Move After gifting friends and family members with family treasures, the next step is usually selling things. Some people find it painful to see strangers handling and haggling over their belongings while others enjoy meeting the individuals who are “adopting” items. Hold a garage sale, or engage a professional for larger items. There are also on-line auctions such as eBay and you may find a local business that deals with eBay for you.

Many people enjoy donating items to charities. (Intuit markets a useful software program that keeps track of donations of both cash and items, providing IRS-accepted values for everything from books to belt buckles.)

Throwing things away can be the hardest of all. In fact, Professor Ekerdt reports that many people give things to their children, knowing they will be discarded.

Tough decisions need to be made, but Professor Ekerdt says, “Right down the line, all the people I’ve talked to are really happy they were able to complete the process.” While they miss some things, he adds, they are pleased with an easier way of life.

“Lightening your load is freeing,” affirms Cheryl Perlitz, a Chicago woman who once surveyed about 1,000 people who lived to be 100. “By far the most common trait,” she reports, “was their ability to go through change with an optimistic attitude.”

She admits that moving is a difficult threshold to cross. “For a while you are between two doors – the door that was and the one that will be – but you can find a whole world of possibility.”

Resources There is a wealth of information on downsizing including how to get things appraised, pointers on selling, where to donate, and more. These books include useful checklists and each is worth reading.

Living Transitions: A Step-by-step Guide for a Later Life Move, by Sue Ronnenkamp. www. livingtransitions.com MSN

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PAGE 58 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Making It Pay

By Clare Hafferman Considering the number of hours you have invested in gardening - along the border, behind the wheelbarrow, in the raspberry patch, or down among the weeds - have you thought about making those efforts pay off?

I am referring here to legal tender - to that picture of George, Abe, or Tom on a bill that might encourage you - because it is not too difficult to find extra income from your gardening adventures.

Many of your fellow horticulturists have eyed their turf and decided that tomatoes are the way to go.

The prevailing reason for this is that times are tough and extra cash is welcome. Second, people are gardening because they want to know where their food is coming from. Eating local and buying from Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Markets has become as popular as knowing the latest celebrity gossip.

With several seed catalogues, a computer, and the library for reference, and by paying attention to what sells at the Saturday stalls, you can decide what you should produce to gain a financial return from your sweat equity. It is especially easy since you do not need much to get started; how little or how much you invest will be up to you.

Think about what resources you already have. Do you have a raspberry patch or fruit trees? A juniper or other conifers that could be clipped for wreaths or seasonal decorations?

If you have ever given away fruit, jam, jelly, or homemade applesauce, given a good year, you might have enough for both your generosity and some cash in the bank.

Think about what you know. If you can make any kind of pickles, relish, jam, jelly, salsa, chutney, special sauce, or dried fruit or vegetables, contact your County Extension agent, local service clubs, or a nearby college. Outline lectures you could de-

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liver on those subjects and suggest they hire you.

Home-grown herbs could also be a source of income. You can either sell surplus herb plants in the spring or cut the herbs later. Put a rubber band around a bunch of cut herbs and keep them cool in a plastic sack over ice in a cooler. Grow the common ones that most cooks use: parsley, basil, thyme, mint, tarragon, lemon balm (good in salmon loaf and lemonade), chives, and sage.

Pass out free cards with recipes. This takes time to produce, but increases interest in what you sell.

If you proceed down that garden path to the perennial border, you want to divide and conquer get the shovel and act like a Roman. An overgrown iris clump can give you between three to five dollars per division, and daylilies that spread their fans too far are good candidates for equal reduction.

Delphiniums are supposed to be a yardstick apart.

Could you say that for yours? Get the shovel. If you divide the iris in the fall and sell it, the tubers will have a chance to settle in. Daylilies and delphiniums can be dug in either fall or spring.

If your border has given you bouquets for the house, your office, or your church, other people might pay for a sampling. At the market, I saw a bucket with a variety of flowers and a sign, $1.00 per stalk. Usually, you can buy clear glass vases for a dollar at any thrift store. Pick your bouquets early in the morning, cut the stems to fit the vase, and put a little 7-Up in the water.

Native or hybrid plants that can be dried, such as yellow or pink yarrow, black-eyed Susan, ornamental grasses, penstomen seed stalks, or poppy seed heads (especially the ornamental poppies), can be combined and sold in the fall.

You might consider saving space for big sunflowers, pumpkins, and gourds, because all of these are good sellers once the season slows to a golden stop. There are magazine articles and books that detail how to carve and paint gourds.

After all the years you indulged your floriculture interests or increased your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumption of homegrown vegetables and fruit, it may not have occurred to you that with the surplus and your ingenuity, this could be a little nest egg. Sit on that long enough and it may hatch into one of your long-time goals. Look at that! It is beginning to crack! MSN

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 59

Energy Programs That Can Help People Save

By Jim Miller Thanks to a big financial boost from Uncle Sam, there’s never been a better time to upgrade your home to make it more energy efficient. These programs can help you save energy and money.

Weatherization Assistance - Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) received a whopping $5 billion – more than 20 times the normal yearly budget – to help income-eligible people reduce their energy costs by increasing the energy efficiency of their homes.

Around 30 million U.S. households are currently eligible for the WAP, which provides a variety of completely free weatherization improvements to home owners and renters who qualify. These services are done by local agencies and typically include things like installing insulation, weather-stripping, and caulking around doors and windows, and tuning and repairing heating and cooling systems.

To be eligible, your income needs to be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In 2009, that corresponds to an annual income of $21,660 for an individual or $29,140 for a family of two (it’s higher in Alaska and Hawaii). The federal guidelines allow states to give priority to people over 60, people with disabilities, and families with children. Final eligibility is determined at the local level.

If you qualify, an energy audit is scheduled to see how much energy your home uses, and to determine the weatherization improvements it needs to make it more energy-efficient. To learn more or apply, visit www.weatherization.energy. gov or call the EERE information center (877-337-3463) who will put you in touch with your state weatherization office.

Energy Tax Credits - If you don’t qualify for the WAP, you can still save some money through Uncle Sam’s expanded tax credits – also made possible by the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. As an incentive to make your home more energy efficient, in 2009 and 2010

you can now cut your tax bill by 30 percent up to $1,500, on a variety of home improvement projects like installing energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation, water heaters, cooling systems and more. See www.energystar.gov/ taxcredits for details. And, by the end of the year, there will also be rebates to those who buy ENERGY STAR certified high efficiency appliances.

Energy Assistance - In addition to the WAP and tax credits, another program that can help many people cut their home heating and cooling costs is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This is a federal program that also got a funding boost this fiscal year. Income qualifications for LIHEAP will vary by state.

You should also know that in addition to LIHEAP, some utility companies offer discounts to people in need, and there are various charitable organizations that provide utility assistance, too. To learn more or find out what’s available in your area, visit www.energynear.org, a Web portal that provides a breakdown of LIHEAP, utility, and charitable energy programs in each state, as well as qualification details, how to apply and who to contact for more information. If you don’t have Internet access, call the National Energy Assistance Referral project at 866-674-6327.

Savvy Tips: For energy savings tips the Department of Energy offers a handy booklet called Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home. To get a free copy, call 877-337-3463 or visit www. eere.energy.gov/library. Also see www.dsireusa.org, a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote energy efficiency.

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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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Where Are They Now: Adam West

By Marshall J. Kaplan POW! Batman captures the Joker!

BAM! The villainous Penguin has been caught!

CRASH! The Catwoman’s henchmen are clobbered!

Shhh... in the quiet ski community of Ketchum, Idaho lives Batman - or shall we say, a much more restful and reserved Adam West? The actor best known for his portrayal of television’s Batman was born September 19, 1929 in Walla Walla, Washington. After an early marriage, West moved to Hawaii where he worked as a television performer and producer for four years. Eventually, his acting drive steered him to Hollywood.

After arriving in 1957, West spent the next nine years appearing in about half a dozen films and dozens of television guest appearances. His only acting recognition during this period was his role of Detective Sgt. Steven Nelson on The Detectives.

In 1965, West won the role of Captain Quick in

a television commercial. With his tights and comic strip-like dialogue, producer William Dozier spotted him and cast him as the most famous caped crusader.

In the fall of 1966, Batman aired. West starred as millionaire, Bruce Wayne, who, along with cousin, Dick Grayson (played by Burt Ward), fought crime as their alter egos, Batman and Robin. The show was a live action comic strip. It was zany, comic, full of action, and most of all, special guest stars who played the villains. Overnight, West was a sensation! By 1967, there was a Batman feature film, however, in 1968 the frenzy wore off and the series ended - along with future acting offers.

West realized he had been typecast as Batman. Acting roles were few, if any. He then headed to Europe for a few years.

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Adam made small guest appearances in both film and television. In 1986, he packed his bags and moved his family to Ketchum, Idaho where he loves to ski, fly fish, and keep busy.

“I also love to sleep! I have to sleep because I am so busy. Actually, I am busy sleeping!”

That does not mean you still will not see him acting the small screen. In the past few years, he has finally accepted himself as a television icon, and has made appearances on such shows as The Simpsons and Mad TV - always poking fun at his alter ego. More recently, Adam has become a regular on the hit animated series, Family Guy, playing what else - Mayor Adam West!

West would have loved to appear in one of the current Batman movies only if both the television Batman and the movie’s Batman could meet each other on screen.

Holy idea! MSN

If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play at it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf.

- Bob Hope

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Definitely more fun than feedingg the cows!

Homogeneity makes for healthy milk but anemic friendships. We need relationships that cross culturally imposed lines to enlarge our hearts and expand our vistas.

- Dan Schmidt

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 61

PAGE 62 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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Thanks to overwhelming community support, the Hamilton Playhouse has new seats, carpet, and paint. These gifts of giving and working together on this project have made us even stronger as a community! In addition to our regular season, we have expanded our youth theater school to fall, spring, and summer programs, each with an original workshop production. We have also inaugurated some exciting new community events: the 1st Annual Renaissance Faire and our Costume and Vintage Sale.

Unfortunately, performing arts organizations cannot survive on ticket revenues alone and the Hamilton Players is no exception.

We rely on the community and its continuing generosity to help keep us alive. Donations to our general fund are critical to keep us open, now more than ever, so please remember us in your end-of-year, tax-deductible giving.

To donate to the Hamilton Players so that we can continue to provide quality entertainment and a creative outlet for the community, please contact us at 406-375-9050 or visit www.hamiltonplayers.com and click on donations. MSN

Toys for Tots and Tips for Grandparents

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By Jim Miller With more than 300,000 toys and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products on the market, the process of finding the right toys or games for your grandkids can be challenging. Here are some tips that can help.

Toy Selecting - To help narrow your search and ensure you buy the right toys there are three basic things you need to keep in mind: Your grandchildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s age, interests, and skill level. While this may seem like a no-brainer, many toy-buying grandparents, especially those who are not around their grandkids on a regular basis, tend to forget.

Looking for toy/gift ideas? The best place to browse is online at toy stores sites like Etoys. com, Toysrus.com, and Kbtoys.com. These sites are organized so you can search by age, gender, toy category, price range, new items, and even best sellers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; much easier than walking into a toy store and sorting through their massive display of inventory. Another great resource is The Toy Insider (www.thetoyinsider.com) which is a panel of toy experts that offers their list of top 20 ageappropriate toys and gifts for the holidays.

After you find a few toys you like, you can check their safety at Toyinfo.org, where you can see the list of toys that have been recalled. Some other good resources you need to visit are Toyportfolio.com, Toytips.com, and Drtoy.com. These are sites that actually test and evaluate new toys and games, check their durability, ease of use, safety, sensibility, and value, and offer unbiased reviews and ratings based on their findings.

Fun for All - If you are in the market for toys that you and your grandkids can play with together, the Toy Industry Association has a resource you need to check out. At www.playisforever.com (click on Intergenerational Play) you can find dozens of suggested toys and games that promote intergenerational play.

In the meantime, some good categories to focus on are arts and crafts, learning and building, and puzzles and games. Toys that facilitate these types of activities are not only fun to do together,

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

but can greatly benefit your grandchild both mentally and socially. Here are some examples to get you started: • Arts and crafts: There are literally hundreds of products and kits that offer painting, drawing, coloring, jewelry making, clay molding, and more that can promote your grandchild’s creativity not to mention they are fun, simple, and affordable.

• Puzzles and games: Putting a puzzle together or playing a game (board games, card games, educational games, and even backyard games) is a fun way to get your grandkids thinking and problem solving – which is good for you too.

• Learning and building: There are books you can read together; Lego’s, blocks, and model cars you can build together; science, magic, and invention kits you can work on together; and easy-bake snacks you can bake together. All great ways to spend fun and productive time together.

• Electronics: For school-age kids and beyond, the Nintendo Wii (wii.com) gets top marks for intergenerational play – especially the Wii Sports and Wii Music games. These are fun interactive games that will get you both up and moving. For younger kids, a karaoke system can be fun for the whole family.

Savvy Tip: For grandparents that do not live near their grandchildren, a great way to connect during the holidays and beyond is through a Web service called MyGrandchild.com. A savvy new site that for $5 (or $95 per year) allows you to read interactive books, play games, and do activities with your grandchild in real time from anywhere in the world.

Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

Easy Conversions Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Here is a list of conversions to help you make the transition from one unit of measurement to another.

1. The ratio of an igloo’s circumference to its diameter is Eskimo pi.

2. Two-thousand pounds of Chinese soup is won ton.

3. One-millionth of a mouthwash is one microscope.

4. The time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement is one bananosecond.

5. The weight an evangelist carries with God is equal to one billigram.

6. The time it takes to sail 220 yards at one nautical mile per hour is a knotfurlong.

7. Sixteen and one-half feet in the Twilight Zone is one Rod Serling.

8. Half of a large intestine is equal to one semicolon.

9. One million aches are one megahurtz.

10. The basic unit of laryngitis is one hoarsepower.

11. The shortest distance between two jokes is a straight line.

12. 453.6 graham crackers are equal to one pound cake.

13. One million-million microphones are equal to one megaphone.

14. Two million bicycles are equal to two megacycles.

15. 365.25 days are equal to one unicycle.

16. Two thousand mockingbirds are two kilomockingbirds.

17. Fifty-two cards are equal to one decacard.

18. One kilogram of falling figs is one fig Newton. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 63

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PAGE 64 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Start Your Own Business

By Patrick M. Kennedy, Senior Wire The senior population is growing like zucchini summer squash in your backyard garden. It could double in the next couple or three decades. Money is tight, and jobs for the 65+ demographic are hard to come by. But that demographic area is also a growing market for special and necessary items.

Our lifestyles change and our needs are different. Maybe we want to move to smaller or larger housing, or warmer weather; maybe those healthy bodies and the usual physical activities are changing; maybe our financial picture has drastically changed, for either the better or worse. Maybe we want to travel, have the money, but do not know how to go about it and be secure as well as have fun. Or maybe we just want to eat better to live longer.

You cannot be a worker, but maybe you can be the boss and top dog by starting your own business. All these trends mean an opportunity for knowledgeable entrepreneurs who want to start a business serving this growing and mostly well-to-do market. It does not have to be a full-size and elaborate industry - it can just be a one-person or one-family operation working from home in a spare room or garage. In your work-life existence, you may have toiled at a job and learned a lot about something special that you can pass along as a service or product.

There are a couple of different approaches to this potential incomeenhancer. You can start your own business from scratch, or you can purchase an existing business or franchise. The latter option sounds simpler, but it may be more costly and you will want to be sure what you are buying.

Why is someone selling a profitable business? Think about it, and check the facts before you put out your hard-earned retirement funds. Speak to other people, examine the books, watch the operation for a while, and do not sign the papers until you are sure because you can always say “no” before that.

Starting your own business sounds overwhelming, but it may be the best path. You must do some things. You must write a business plan. You have to examine your own books, determine a budget, check your knowledge bank, decide what you know and do the best, decide what and how you can sell this knowledge, and start taking notes about the do’s and don’ts.

Maybe you worked at a travel agency; this could be an easy transition for you. You know how, what, and where to go for good price, and you probably sound knowledgeable. Maybe you worked as a secretary for an important executive and had to type all his or her letters. You must have gained a lot of business knowledge doing that. If not, you still know how to type, structure, produce, or maybe just edit, such letters. There may be many small business people who need that service but cannot afford a full-time employee. You can get a group of steady clients who will depend on you and pay for this service. And if you decide to start a cleaning service or any kind of service, you will need a tight schedule.

This is where the Internet and e-mail come in handy. Learn about these things. Many services and information can be provided from your computer.

You must learn about marketing and advertising, your local taxes and licenses, shipping if you have a product to sell, cash, or credit cards. You will need a good name for the business, and in these days, you will need a web page. This is not as hard as it seems because there are many sites out there that will provide the connection as well as the tools to build your own.

Okay, now that you have thought about it, start your own business. MSN

Oxymorons Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley 1. Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?

3. If a word were misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?

4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?

5. Why do we say something is out of whack?

What is whack?

6. Why do “slow down” and “slow up” mean the same thing?

7. Why do “fat chance” and “slim chance” mean the same thing?

8. Why do tugboats push their barges?

9. Why do we sing “Take me out to the ball game” when we are already there? MSN

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 65

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 67

PAGE 68 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Useful Blackjack Tips That Will Help You Make a Profit

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By Adrian Radulescu Blackjack is an extremely popular game and for good reasons. First, it is extremely easy to play.

Then, since it is based on skill, you are the one that influences the outcome of the game. With the aid of basic blackjack strategy, you can lower the house edge to about 1%. No other casino game offers such a low house edge.

I have taken the time to put together a few blackjack tips that you should keep in mind whenever you play blackjack online or in a land based casino. The order in which these blackjack tips are presented is of no importance. What is important is for you to read and understand them and improve your gambling skills.

Learn the rules of the game. There are countless online gambling sites that present all the blackjack rules in a comprehensive and detailed manner. You cannot possibly expect to be a good blackjack player if you do not know the rules. At least learn the basic rules that apply to all blackjack variations. In case you were wondering, there are several types of blackjack games: blackjack switch, multi-hand blackjack, Atlantic City blackjack, double exposure blackjack, European blackjack,

high limit blackjack, Spanish blackjack, and so on.

If you know the basic blackjack rules, you should notice the rule variations easily.

The true goal of playing casino blackjack is to beat the dealer. Forget that nonsense about getting a 21. You do not have to keep hitting until you get a 21. Just hit until you have a card total that is good enough to beat the dealer. If you get a natural blackjack, congratulations. But not even that will guarantee that you will win. If the dealer also has a natural blackjack, the game will be pushed. But you could very well win with a card total of 14 if the dealer busts.

Do not play with your gut - use a basic strategy card instead. The best way to increase your chances of winning is to use basic strategy.

Sometimes you will get a gut feeling that you should hit even if the basic strategy card advises you to stand. What you probably do not know is that playing by gut feeling alone gives the house an edge of 6%. But when you use basic strategy the house edge is reduced to 1%. So keep one on you at all times and consult it if necessary.

Proper money management. First you should sit down, take a calculator and figure out how much

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

money you can afford to spend at the blackjack table. Budget your money carefully and never spend more than you can afford to lose. If you have spent all the money that you had set up for a blackjack session then walk away. Do not dip into other funds in hopes that you will win. Winning is never a guarantee, even if you lower the house edge to a minimum. Playing smart is the best option.

Always tip the dealer. Casino dealers are not unionized and are not paid very well. They do

not care if you win or lose. It is not as if they are playing with their own money. Do not annoy the dealer as they can make it harder for you to win.

Always remember to tip.

Hopefully the blackjack tips presented above will improve your game. Remember that blackjack is a game if skill and that the outcome of the game is in your hands. Your skill determines if you will walk away with a profit or if you will lose.

Being a bit lucky never hurts either. MSN

Discount Travel Tips for Retirees

By Jim Miller 888-591-1234) offers the biggest hotel discounts Everybody loves a bargain but in today’s tight – up to 50 percent off to seniors age 62 and older. economy, senior discount travel deals that have Cruising - If you’re interested in taking a cruise, real value are getting harder to find. Here are some there are lots of bargains available regardless of tips to help you find the best deals. age. To find them use cruisecompete.com (800Senior Discounts? When it comes to senior 797-4635), which can give you the lowest prices for travel bargains, an important point to keep in mind the dates and ports you specify. In addition, some is that the “senior discount” may not always be cruise lines offer senior discounts on select cruises the best deal. Hotels, airlines and cruise lines, to passengers 55 and older. The best way to find for example, offer advanced bookings along with these is to contact a travel agent (see cruising. special deals and promotions from time to time that org to find an agent who specializes in cruises), or may be a lower rate than what the senior discount check with a few cruise brokers like vacationstogo. is. Always ask about the lowest possible rate and com (800-338-4962), cruise411.com (899-553the best deal available. With that said, here’s a 7090), or ecruises.com (800-223-6868). breakdown of the different senior travel discounts National Parks - One of the best travel deals that are available today and where you can find available is the “America The Beautiful – Senior them.

Pass” (www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm). This is a AARP discounts - If you’re a member of lifetime pass that will let you and anyone in your AARP, various travel discounts are available on car into national parks, forests, recreation areas hotels, rental cars, cruises and vacation packages. and monument grounds. It’s available to those 62 To find them, see aarp.org/travel or expedia-aarp. or older, and you can get it at one of the federal com, or call 800-675-4318. recreation sites for a one-time fee of $10, and it Airlines - Southwest (southwest.com, 800- never expires.

435-9792) has the best senior fare program, ofEntertainment - In most cities, seniors over fering discounts on walk-up fares to passengers 60 qualify for reduced admission to theaters, mu65 and older. American (aa.com, 800-433-7300), seums, and other attractions. Be sure you ask!

Continental (continental.com, 800-523-3273), and Savvy Tips - For an $8 annual fee, you can U.S. Airways (usairways.com, 800-428-4322) also find thousands of discounts at seniordiscounts. offer limited senior fares to passengers 65-plus to com. Or go to Amazon.com and order a copy of selected destinations. the 2009 – 2010 book, Unbelievably Good Deals Train discounts - Amtrak (www.amtrak.com, and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t 800-872-7245), the nationwide rail network, pro- Get Unless You’re Over vides a 15 percent discount to coach travelers 50 (McGraw-Hill). age 62 and older. And a 10 percent discount to Send your questions passengers 60 and older on cross-border services to Savvy Senior, P.O. operated jointly by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada. Box 5443, Norman, OK Bus travel - Greyhound (greyhound.com, 73070, or visit www.sav800-231-2222), the largest provider of intercity vysenior.org. Jim Miller bus transportation, offers a 5 percent discount is a regular contributor on unrestricted fares to seniors over 62. Peter to the NBC Today Show Pan (peterpanbus.com, 800-343-9999), which and author of The Savvy serves the Northeast region of the U.S., offers the Senior. MSN same deal. Trailways (trailways.com, 800776-7581), a privately owned bus company also provides senior discounts but they vary by location. And, most local bus lines and public transportation offer discounted senior passes.

Every Wednesday Car rentals - Most with Jim Fishwild car rental companies playing 6:00 til 9:00 offer 5 to 25 percent discounts to customers Cozy up around the fireplace who belong to 50-andall winter long. older organizations like AARP. Good discounts are also available to Everyday!

Bring AAA (aaa.com) memthe kids!

Join us from 3pm-6pm We’re a kid frie bers. To shop around nd establisment ly for the best rental car deals use travel aggreNine ales gator sites like orbitz. com or kayak.com. brewed on site Hotels - Most hoStop In ~ Relax ~ Enjoy tels in the U.S. offer senior discounts usually Open 7 days a week from 11:00 am ranging from 10 to 30.

208-343-6820 Age eligibility will vary 2455 Harrison Hollow Ln. by hotel, usually startBoise ing at age 50, 55, 60 or (On the way to Bogus Basin ski resort) 62. Hyatt (hyatt.com, fff WXVW[P]SbW^[[^f R^\

Live Music

Happy Hour

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MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 69

PAGE 70 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by testing your knowledge of Christmas culture and traditions? This month’s quiz, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Quiz-mas, created by our staff, gives you a chance to do just that.

Congratulations to Carol Van Keuren of Billings, who submitted the winning answers to the Another Side of America’s Presidents quiz that appeared in our October/November 2010 issue. Thank you, Carol.

Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Montana Senior News. One prize goes to the person who submits the 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!

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

Please mail your entries to the Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to montsrnews@bresnan.net by January 10, 2011 for our February/March 2011 edition.

Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.montanaseniornews.com.

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Quiz-mas Created by MSN Staff 1. What Christmas Ballet is the most famous of all?

A. Rudolph’s Surprise B. The Nutcracker C. Mr. and Mrs. Claus D. Frosty Goes to New York 2. Where was Mommy kissing Santa Claus?

A. On the Corner B. In the Bedroom C. Under the Mistletoe D. In a Dark Alley 3. Who wrote the song “Here Comes Santa Claus?”

A. Michael Jackson

B. Gene Autry C. Persy Douglas D. Leroy Jones 4. What does Alvin want for Christmas?

A. An iPod B. A Bottle of Rum C. A Hula Hoop D. A New Car 5. What should little children leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve? A. Cookies and Milk B. A Bottle of Wine C. Chewing Gum D. Cheddar Cheese 6. What is Frosty the Snowman’s nose made of?

A. A Carrot B. A Potato C. A Button D. A Rock 7. Who is Ebenezer?

A. The Milk Man B. The 23rd President C. The Scrooge D. Mrs. Claus’ Secret Friend 8. What color is the Grinch?

A. Green B. Blue C. White D. Black 9. Which reindeer’s name starts with a “B?” A. Bart B. Burt C. Bodog D. Blitzen

A GREAT FAMILY GIFT! A 3 month membership to ExplorationWorks is only

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Membership includes admission benefits to over 300 museums and science centers throughout the U.S and much more. Order today! Come in or call 406-457-1800.

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995 Carousel Way, Helena, www.explorationworks.org

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 71

9. Politician 10. Seahawk, fish hawk or fish eagle 12. __ Eliot (poet’s initials) 15. Five-toed pachyderm is an ___phant 16. Coat, in an animal 21. Salad type 23. Alphabet starters 26. Manner 28. Capricorn, or Nubian 30. Uglobe’s Pet Dinosaur robot’s name 31. Plant eating pet, such as a bunny 32. Kitten or puppy in the pet world 33. Parisian summer 35. One’s parents, grandparents, greatgrandparents 36. Cleopatra’s cat, perhaps 41. Adept 43. “Dogwear” Down 1. Fluffy dog, and one of the most intel- 45. A cat coat pattern that consists of two or more colors in a striped pattern ligent 46. Second hand 2. To use a horse as transport 3. The quality of the Shepadoodle or 47. Leggy Llama, for short 51. Laugh sound Goldendoodle’s fur 52. Roman 4 4. One who solicits the help of others 54. Eastbound, for short 5. This elephant is Dumbo (abbr.)

55. Good grades in exams 7. Young goat 56. Promotional effort MSN 8. Replica 40. Victorian was a fashion ___ 42. Yogi or Booboo 44. She has nine lives according to legend 46. The first steps of kittens and puppies 48. When kitty is ___, it’s time to see the vet 49. Doggie babies 50. To grow stronger 53. Turbo ___: Croc makers 54. Who needs to take responsibility for the animals 55. Horse from “Sahara” 57. What a mother did for her young 58. Harry Potter’s pet 59. Ancestral continental home to cat

Across

24. With kittens - these are usually blue 25. Cat breed with points 27. Which came first the chicken or the ___?

29. A bow of respect 30. Pet name, perhaps 34. Bearded, Grey, Harp, or Hooded 36. Golden bird 37. Templeton of “Charlotte’s Web” 38. Actress, ___Margaret 39. Grand Touring (auto), for short

1. Small parrot 6. A husky’s companion, perhaps 11. Mosquito protection 13. Mischievous children 14. _____ Sheep dog (2 wds) 17. ___ Vinci Code?

18. A large deer, Bambi’s cousin 19. Tag for the collar 20. Temperature control, for short 22. Needlefish

Answers to Explore Physics from Oct/Nov 2010 page 74 1

Q

11

U

13

O

2

U

3

A

R

I

S

M

N

I

O

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N

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41

A

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45

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E

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20

R

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54

I

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Z

T

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37

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I

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55

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58

T

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E

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33

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39

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N

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56

M

10

28

53

U

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44

S

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A

15

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B

T 52

R

I 32

U

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9

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38

A

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17

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47

L I

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31

43

B

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46

8

21 23

26

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C

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D

36

A

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27

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14

S 51

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7

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25

6

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5

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12

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40

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Answers To “Another Side Of America’s Presidents”

By Sylvia Bull 1. R - William Howard Taft 2. J - George Washington 3. A - Abraham Lincoln 4. O - John Quincy Adams 5. H - Franklin Pierce 6. S - Theodore Roosevelt 7. D - Harry Truman 8. M - Ronald Reagan 9. K - Rutherford B. Hayes 10. P - James Madison

11. E - James A. Garfield 12. T - Gerald Ford 13. F - Warren G. Harding 14. B - Zachary Taylor 15. N - Andrew Jackson 16. G - Thomas Jefferson 17. L - Jimmy Carter 18. C - James Tyler 19. Q - Millard Fillmore 20. I - George W. Bush

PAGE 72 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

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