Montana Senior News Feb/Mar 2011 by Montana Senior News

February/March 2011 Vol 27 No 3 Goose photo by Rhonda Lee

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Vacationers Without Guidebooks: Steve Sheriff and Christine Brick

Photo by B. James Jokerst By Gail Jokerst Some people dream about vacations where they can sip margaritas from a cruise liner’s deck chair or bask in St. Tropez sunshine. But not Missoula’s Steve Sheriff and Christine Brick. While they also enjoy spending vacation time outdoors, these adventurous souls prefer to get involved with Mother Nature actively rather than passively. Just give this husband and wife some backcountry to explore, a mountain to climb, or a remote sea to kayak and their gear will be packed before you

can say Mount Kilimanjaro. “We’ve had tremendous adventures. They’ve all been good, though my favorite trips are big wilderness trips in Canada to places with glaciated peaks rising from cedars and deep dark forests,” says Chris. “We’ll spend five to six weeks bushwhacking through dense forest breaking our own trail to reach alpine meadows, glaciers, and moraines. You don’t find places like that anymore in South America or Europe.” “It takes lots of planning to do one of these vacations but I don’t want to follow a guidebook or trail,” adds Steve. “We have to gauge the rock types and figure out the hazards. We have to pack all our food and estimate how many calories per day we’ll need. When you’re out there you’re constantly thinking and I enjoy the intellectual engagement.” Considering Steve and Chris’ pursuits have led them to climb granite walls rising out of Arctic seas and kayak through mazes of ice, some people might think they could find safer recreation. But neither one be-

lieves exploring the natural world is harmful to their health, provided they are adequately prepared. “Everything you do is dangerous. It’s just a question of what level of risk you’re willing to accept. At some level there’s always some risk but that’s not what we’re looking for,” explains Steve. “We do it for the physical and mental challenge. You look at the weather situation and constantly assess to keep the risk acceptable. Problem solving away from civilization is rewarding. Without that, engagement in life things would get stale. It’s a risk to get in a car. Life is risky. If you shy away from every little what-if scenario you don’t get much out of life.” Ever since Steve was a kid growing up in Seattle, he enjoyed roaming outdoors. Although no one in his family shared his enthusiasm for roving the countryside that never deterred him. “I’m a child of the 50s. I grew up playing outside. I wasn’t into organized sports but I liked to take long walks and go beachcombing,” says Steve. “Later in high school, I realized I liked climbing, hiking, and being out in the mountains, too.” Chris also considers herself a childhood explorer. Whether wandering solo or with her brothers, she always felt at home outdoors. “I was a curious kid and loved drawing maps of the woods. I was interested in the animals we saw and tried to identify (Continued on page 47)

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Thanks For The Quiz Thank you so much for the $25 prize check. I enjoyed your quiz very much – it brought back a lot of memories. I love your publication! I am recently retired (as of September), so all your statewide senior news is timely and valuable. Have a wonderful season! Thanks again! Pierre Petrau Columbia Falls

Montana Pioneers The Montana Senior News August/September issue published a letter from Patricia Salomon of Polson, MT. She was discussing the Youngs who built the Potosi Resort near Pony, MT. My husband’s great-aunt was Laura (Fisher) Young, wife of Wm. H. Young, Jr. They were married in Virginia City in 1905. Laura died in 1984, just short of her 100th birthday. I have been able to contact Pat Salomon, and we can now share our genealogy information. Thank you. Dorothy M. Crowell Vancouver, Washington

Ad Slogans Bring Memories I received the second copy of the Senior News and thank you so much for sending them to me. I am going to make photocopies of the pages with the advertising slogans so I can share them. They did bring back memories! I am 84 years old and the slogans were popular 60 or more years ago – so it’s just great to have the slogan AND the answer to share. I sure do appreciate your help this time! Grace Mosdal Broadview

End-of-life Choices Are Our Choices The Montana Supreme Court has said that my end-of-life choices are between me and my doctor. My wife and I strongly support this decision and the proposed legislation allowing us to be able to talk to our doctor about all our choices: treatment options, comfort care, and aid in dying. It is also our opinion that this utmost of per-

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Support Safe Care. Protect vulnerable seniors. No doctor prescribed suicide. In Montana, assisted suicide is not legal, but the door has been opened by the Montana Supreme Court. Unfortunately, in its decision the Court overlooked 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

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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 Ashley Drain

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sonal decisions is not the business of government to deny and I/we will exercise this very important right – if necessary – regardless of the political consequences. On a very personal note: both of my parents suffered from terminal diseases and their inability to dictate their final days was very sad and cruel. Anyone who has shared this experience of having one’s parents suffer needlessly and against their desires will understand what I’m saying and why I’m saying it. Peter Rosten & Susan Latimer Darby Too bad there are always people who insist on trying to lead other people’s lives for them. Now, even worse, State Senator Hinkle is trying to force on all of us needless and prolonged suffering when we are old, tired, and terminally ill. He has introduced his bill to deny us our end-of-life choices. He wants to overturn the considered wisdom of the Montana Supreme Court that each of us has the right to make our own end-of-life choice while consulting privately with our own doctor. I’ve lived a long happy life, and am still happily living it. But Senator Hinkle is destroying my peace of mind. I do not fear death, but I very much fear the suffering that comes to many of us when we are terminally ill. My biggest fear now is that Senator Hinkle could succeed in his ill-advised (and uninformed) view that he needs to interfere with what should be my - and your - private decision. If Senator Hinkle would only study how well end of life is handled in Oregon and Washington, he would see that his compulsion is beside the point of elder abuse. There has been no increase in elder abuse in either state despite their larger populations. He should know that safeguards and guidelines work effectively there, and will work here. Folks, let your legislator know that YOUR right to make your own decisions when you are terminally ill should be up to YOU - not to the government via Senator Hinkle’s gratuitous interference. Mary B. Vant Hull Bozeman Republican, Constitutionalist, Libertarian, Tea party patriot Senator Hinkle is off to Helena

with his basket of corrections and additions to Montana law and government. Most are amusing and harmless, all are sadly lacking in research or value. Really? Spear hunting? Tax breaks for ammunition manufactures so the anti-Obama crowd can hoard more bullets and drive up the price for us sportsmen? Criminals keeping their guns, except the one they committed their crimes with? This is funny stuff, aiming to please a small percentage of his constituents. Sadly, Hinkle’s same lack of research and compassion has led him to introduce legislation against “aid in dying.” He fears that families will commit elder abuse; I presume to get the patients’ money. Those are odd family values and it’s even sadder that Hinkle fears families as much as he fears his government. It is disingenuous to present himself as a small government conservative politician while trying to insert government into the most private affairs of citizens. I have cancer and my doctors and I are working really hard to keep me alive. Odds are though, that I will eventually lose that battle. I resent Senator Hinkle’s effort at reserving a seat at my deathbed for the government! It is not him or his vision of government that I want to be concerned with when my life is ending. I am sure most right thinking people agree that this is something best left to “we the people” and our loved ones. R. Wade Nelson Thompson Falls

God Should Decide Death I find it offensive that you are promoting assisted suicide in your publication. Is it not enough that we as a culture are drowning in a sea of blood brought on by our acceptance of the so called “right to choose?” To choose the death of the unborn for whatever reason. Now we promote the termination of life as an option. I am about to start my 85th year on this earth. Almighty God put me here and He will take me when He is ready. I thank my mother who was 18 at the time of my arrival; I thank her for not considering me inconvenient, as so many members of the culture of death do these days. She allowed me to live my life, which has resulted in a loving family of my own. I can only hope and pray that some doctor

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trying to play God does not find the opportunity to hasten my departure. I do not seek to remain here on earth through prolonged artificial means, but I do not seek to be deprived of the life God has ordained for me. Will I suffer? Perhaps. Did our Lord suffer on the cross? You bet he did! Are you and I any better than He who died for us? Donald S Maxwell Saint Marie I can’t believe that seniors are so blind, so naive, or so ignorant of facts as to support Physician-assisted suicide. Life is short enough and goes by rather swiftly, why hurry and bring an untimely end? Pain is no fun, but it can be alleviated without canceling life altogether. I have visited seniors who spent weeks and months, even years homebound, some are in much pain, yet they are the most joyful people one wants to meet. They appreciate the gift of life knowing how fragile it is and how fast it can end. Have we forgotten how a dictator can use such laws to decide who lives and who does not according to his whim? We need to give back to the youngest among us (the unborn) their right to Life - at least 3,000 die daily through abortion. We do not need to add to the holocaust with more legal murders. I would like to be able to go to a doctor without fear for my life. Life is precious and beautiful; doctors are not God to decide who lives and who does not. No to physician assisted suicide. Denise Maxwell Saint Marie I have noted with interest the ads you have included in the past few issues of your paper that have to do with physician-assisted suicide (PAS). This is a very important issue, and I’d like to express my thoughts. My own parents are elderly and in very poor health. Their dignity, as far as I am concerned, comes from the fact that they are human beings. All human beings have dignity regardless of age, medical condition, or ability to live independently – simply because they are human beings. Those who are so ill or incapacitated that they must depend on help of others deserve the care they receive because of their dignity. We are responsible for helping them know their dignity by our attitude and helpfulness. It is a sad commentary on the self-focus in our modern society that some people think they have to consider suicide because they either can’t be sure anyone will help them in their need, or be-

cause they won’t tolerate being helped by others. Also, in regard to my own parents, I shudder when I think how easily they could be taken advantage of by a medical professional or a family member or an insurance company that would convince them that they should end their lives and relieve the financial and personal burden on their caretakers and/or the healthcare system. Then, instead of my parents choosing to live until their lives naturally end, they would feel the pressure of the outlook and value system of someone else making the choice that they should die sooner rather than later. Assisted suicide does involve choice, yes, but not necessarily the choice of the elderly or the ill. The potential of assisted suicide to do more harm than good is too great. I hope our state legislature clarifies and strengthens the law to make assisted suicide illegal in Montana. Barbara Nevala Belt MSN

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The Red Corner: the Rise and Fall of Communism in Northeastern Montana by Verlaine Stoner McDonald; Montana Historical Society Press, 2010 Reviewed by Connie Daugherty In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution ended the Romanov rule in Russia and ushered in a new era that would lead to the rise of the Communist Party in much of Eastern Europe, but Eastern Montana? In Plentywood, “a quiet hamlet… sparsely populated by farmers… hardly the typical launching pad for a radical, left-wing political movement?” Verlaine McDonald’s new book, The Red Corner, discovers a mostly ignored piece of Montana history - the growth of Communism in Sheridan County. The book is an historical study, based on McDonald’s dissertation, and inspired by her personal family involvement with the movements of the 1920s. Red Corner is well documented and researched using archived articles from local newspapers of the time. It is an intriguing account of “a political movement that made Sheridan County unique among farming communities of the 1920s and 1930s.” It is also an unintended tribute to the importance of local newspapers as a means of preserving history. In her introduction, McDonald invokes a bit of her own excitement about the study as she explains, “Three decades before Senator Joseph McCarthy… radicals in Sheridan County had… created a community where “Reds” occupied every elected office in the county and had sent a covert Communist to Helena as their state senator for two terms.” In chapter one, she reviews the homesteading years and reminds readers that, “men and women who built the… communities of northeastern Montana arrived on the plains with more than what was packed in their immigrant cars. They also came with their ethnic and religious traditions, their experience of farming… and their… expectations about homesteading.” This combination of experience and expectations, McDonald suggests, contributed to making these particular immigrants, “unusually receptive to some of the political narratives,” presented by the Communist Party later. In chapters two and three, she discusses the challenge of farming on Montana’s northeastern

plains and contrasts the agrarian myth with the reality of successful farming in this dry-land area. In chapter four, she explores the development of radicalism in the western mining districts of Montana and how the growth of the Industrial Worker of the World (IWW) movement led to the growth of socialist ideas in the eastern farming communities. “The Nonpartisan League was organized in 1915,” writes McDonald. Not really so nonpartisan, the members of the league were savvy socialists who understood how important a label could be. “And so it began that in 1918 the ‘old time Socialists’ of Sheridan County, along with… Charles Taylor undertook the task of promoting the Nonpartisan League agenda in northeast Montana.” They used newspapers like the newly established Producers News and appealed to farmers through organizations. “In particular, Nonpartisan League organizers capitalized on the promotional value of social gatherings, community events, and oratories by speakers who had regional… political reputations.” A bond was subtly formed between the struggling and isolated farmers of Sheridan County, Charles Taylor, editor of Producers News, and the Nonpartisan League. By 1922, “the radicals had been rewarded… with astonishing political gains.” The Farmer-Labor Party was the next step. In chapter seven, McDonald details the growth of the Farmer-Labor Party throughout the Midwest as well as in Sheridan County. The organization captured the attention of the FBI, not only because of its suspected ties to the Communist Party, but also, particularly in Sheridan County, because of its not-so-subtle support of bootlegging during Prohibition. In chapter eight, the conflict with the bootlegging comes to a head in a media-induced class warfare confrontation. A “them against us atmosphere” made the county ripe for organization by the Communist Party with Charles Taylor at the center of the action all the way. “The Producers News was coming out of the closet,” McDonald writes in chapter nine. The editorials mourning Lenin’s death and other opinion articles left no doubt that Taylor was a dedicated Communist. “Thanks in part to the efforts of the Producers News; the Farmer-Labor Party enjoyed a landmark outing in the 1924 election.” There was no longer any question, the Communist Party was alive and well in Sheridan County. However, “even as the Producers News was becoming more openly associated with the Communist Party, it was also characterized by openness to other organizations fighting on behalf of the farmer.” Organizations like the Western Progressive Farmers gained a foothold alongside the already established FarmerLabor Party. It was still more about the support of the farmers than the support of the Communist dogma. Chapter ten covers 1926-1928 when a political battle of the newspapers pits ideologies and neighbors against each other. An unusual robbery at the county courthouse in 1926 plays

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a role in the election of 1928. The Scoby Sentinel, the Daniels County Leader, the Sheridan County Farmer, the Plentywood Herald, and of course the Producers News all battled it out as each editor supported or denigrated one candidate or another and earned Plentywood the title of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Little Moscow.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheridan County had attracted the attention of the Communist leaders in New York City and the Soviet Union,â&#x20AC;? in much the same way that the labor movement in Butte attracted the attention of eastern industrial cities. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;roaring twentiesâ&#x20AC;? gave way to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dirty thirtiesâ&#x20AC;? as drought dried up the already dry land and struggling farmers began to lose their homes. The formation of the United Farmers League with the Producers News as its national publication provided another link to the national Communist Party. This was a decision that seemed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;seal the fate of the radical movement in northeastern Montana.â&#x20AC;? Meanwhile national and worldwide Communist organizations were making changes of their own. Farming collectives and the famous â&#x20AC;&#x153;five-year-planâ&#x20AC;? were being established. It was ordered that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Communists distance themselves from non-revolutionary groupsâ&#x20AC;Ś such as the Western Progressive Farmers.â&#x20AC;? Those in Sheridan County still dedicated to the party organized Young Pioneer groups and a Young Communist School in order to teach their children the basics of Communism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The private became public, generating a notoriety that would linger for decadesâ&#x20AC;Ś radicals suffered guilt by association.â&#x20AC;? However, times changed and so did the attitudes of Sheridan County farmers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For years to come in Sheridan County, the Communist period would be only a memory, rarely discussed in public.â&#x20AC;? That is until Verlaine Stoner McDonald discovered some old newspapers in the family barn. The Red Corner was the result of that chance discovery. Verlaine Stoner McDonald grew up on the Sheridan county farm homesteaded by her greatgrandparents. She is currently a professor of English, theater, and speech communication at Berea College in Kentucky. MSN

A rich pitcher wins freedom By Bill Hall Some people just do not know how to enjoy money â&#x20AC;&#x201C; baseball players for instance. But not all baseball players. There are exceptions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cliff Lee, for instance. He knows the true value of being a millionaire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; freedom! A personal pile of money can buy something far more fun and valuable than cars and houses and jewelry. Late last year, Cliff Lee, one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, left $30 million on the table and passed up a chance to play for more money with the New York (all bow down) Yankees or the Texas Rangers. Instead, he signed with his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies for far less. But before you burst into tears, he is not exactly destitute. He snubbed the Yankees and the Rangers and settled for $120 million simply because he likes Philadelphia better than Texas or New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of money,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you hit a certain point, enoughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a matter of where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re comfortable, where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re happy, where your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most comfortableâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? Exactly. The other two teams would have made him what the late William F. Buckley called â&#x20AC;&#x153;redundantly wealthy.â&#x20AC;? But if your family is fixed for life, what does it matter that you could have earned more to go play in some place you do not like? Most young sports stars donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand that. They are like farmers. You ask some farmers how much land they want and they will answer, â&#x20AC;&#x153;More!â&#x20AC;? But occasionally you encounter someone like Cliff Lee with a brain that is even stronger than his arm. He has a sane understanding of the best uses of wealth, including most especially the freedom to live where you please. It is not that way in the ordinary world of the underpaid and the unemployed. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make much difference where you want to live if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a job in the old hometown while there is a job available in another town you have never liked. You pretty much gotta go there. Or if you have six kids and a $30,000 job and somebody offers you a $50,000 job in some hot, God-forsaken place, you may not have the economic freedom to say no to that offer. Most young baseball millionaires, egged on by an agent who gets a percentage of the action, seem to think there is an entry in the record books for the best-paid baseball player in history. Not so. If there were ever to be a bizarre entry like that in the record books, perhaps it should go

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on the same page that lists the druggist who taught home run hitters to use performance-enhancing drugs – the all-time, all-star baseball chemist. I sit here at the computer looking at a picture of Cliff Lee on the day he walked away from a pile of money to go play ball in the City of Brotherly Love. He has a huge smile on his face, a baseball version of the cat that ate the canary. He is back in a city that deserves him. The people of Philadelphia should be even more proud of that picture than they are of that pitcher. It says flattering things about both Philadelphia and Cliff Lee. Lee could teach lessons in sanity to the business community where $200-million-per-year CEOs care more about the bragging rights of redundant wealth than about looking after the corporate family by taking less and leaving more for the stockholders and employees. Cliff Lee left $30 million on the table and gave his wife and children the best place to live. That is more than mere money. That is a fortune in family love. Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack; All dressed in black, black, black… Say, say oh playmate, come out and play with me… Who can’t remember at least one or two of the nursery rhymes and made-up ditties of childhood? They carry memories of summer days, the school playground, and the carefree joy of days gone by. Our winning Remember When contributor is Pearl Hoffman of Los Angeles, California, who shares the sing-song rhymes of her youth in The Music Of My Childhood. Thank you and congratulations to Pearl, 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 April/May 2011 issue. Mail your correspondence to Montana Senior News, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403; email to montsrnews@bresnan.net; or call 1-800672-8477 or 406-761-0305. Visit us online at www.MontanaSeniorNews. com. MSN

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The Music Of My Childhood By Pearl Hoffman, Los Angeles, California In my early years, I lived with my parents in an apartment in a middle-class Chicago neighborhood. There was no park or playground where my friends and I could play, but we happily “made do.” Boys played in the alleyways or empty lots, and their games always involved a lot of running, shouting, and sweating. Girls played “girly games” on the sidewalk in front of the buildings in which they lived - silly-sounding activity by today’s expectations, but perfectly understandable to us then. Although our parents were ever-present in our daily lives, in our young and personal world of play we were autonomous. Our parents did not coach, organize, or participate in our activities. Adults had their own interests. Children behaved like children, and we would not have had it any other way. The games my friends and I played were subject to the preference of the one who brought the needed equipment – the chalk to mark the sidewalk for hopscotch, a length of clothesline for skipping rope, or wax-paper wrapped cookies, sent by someone’s mother to share with friends. And, always, there was the singsong poetry that played such a vital role in our games. There were counting verses for skipping rope: Cinderella, dressed in yeller, went upstairs to kiss her feller. How many kisses did she get? One… two…

three… four… And for bouncing balls and “crossing over:” Mother, mother, I feel sick. Send for the doctor, quick, quick, quick. Doctor, Doctor, will I die? Yes, my dear, and so will I. How many carriages will I have? One… two… three… four… There was a poetic rhythm for choosing sides: Buster Brown, turn around. Buster Brown, touch the ground. Buster Brown, tie your shoe. Buster Brown, I choose Y.O.U. And special rhymes for teasing: I see London, I see France, I see Mary’s underpants. There were mystical incantations: Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home. Your house is on fire, your children will burn. And rules governing the legality of possession: Finders keepers, losers weepers. There were naughty verses: Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice. Pull down your pants and slide on the ice. And defiant ones: I should worry, I should care, I should marry a millionaire. I should worry if he should die, I should marry another guy. In my mind, I can still hear the singsong music – the priceless poetry of childhood. I hope to hold that memory, right up to the day the Big Boss in the sky calls, “icka backa soda cracker, icka backa boo, icka backa soda cracker, out goes you!” MSN

To My Newfound Valentine By Saralee Perel It was Thursday, June 10, 1976, the evening of my first lecture on “Life After Divorce.” It was a day like any other day - a day in a lifetime of days that gives no clues. What if I had known even a little of what to expect? He was seated in the front row of the lecture hall, wearing work boots and jeans. I could see, even from behind my podium, that his sea-blue denim shirt matched the color of his dazzling eyes. I put on my glasses, ostensibly to see my notes, but I was able to sneak a quick look to see the blue-eyed fellow’s nametag. It read, “Bob.” After the lecture. We were in the hallway. Bob asked if he could walk me to my car. “But I don’t even know you,” I said. “How do I know you’re not a mugger just pretending you want to protect me and then in the parking lot, you grab me and steal my purse and my wedding ring?” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and his legs in a posture I would see for many years to come. Then he laughed and said, “That

whole ridiculous scenario was just so I’d look at your hand and see you’re not married.” “Oh yeah?” I said as I started walking while hiding my smile because he was right. He caught up with me. “I’m not married either.” “I know that. You’re attending my lectures on divorce for heaven’s sake.” “That’s quite a presumption. I could be on my second marriage and not want to make the same mistakes,” he replied. I tried unsuccessfully to resist looking at his left hand, and he said, “I already told you I’m not married.” “You’re arrogant,” I said. “I’m arrogant?” he retorted.

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love. - Christopher Morely

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;At least we agree on something,â&#x20AC;? I said. I did let him walk me to my car - because I really wanted him to. One year later, he became my husband. Thirty-three years later, we still have our song. It was played at our weddingâ&#x20AC;Ś Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be loving you, Always; With a love thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true, Always. We danced to it at every anniversary, until our twenty-fifth. Suddenly, the music in our love stopped as abruptly as I suffered a spinal cord injury. Bob became my caregiver. I felt like a burden, but did not tell him. Bob was overwhelmed, but did not tell me. We cried by ourselves. If only we had cried together, we could have grieved and started to heal. No longer best friends, the words to Always seemed meaningless. I should have known what we needed. And that was to talk with each other rather than keeping our feelings inside. Instead, we believed it would be too hurtful to share our heartbreaking thoughts. We both put on an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m fine,â&#x20AC;? faĂ§ade, but it was just a veneer to hide our shattered inner worlds. Then one day, a wonderful thing happened: I fell. While trying to get myself up, I started crying. Bob came quickly to help me. And suddenly he began crying too. That was the day we finally cried together - tears of love, tears of healing. On a recent Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, Bob said to me, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to stay home today because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a surprise coming.â&#x20AC;? He kept looking out the front window, anxiously waiting for heavenknows-what. I knew it was going to be something other than flowers or candy because he would not have been so nervous. Finally, there was a knock at our door. I opened it to find four gentlemen who greeted me by name, gave me a beautiful red rose, and marched right into our living room where they asked us to have a seat on our couch. They stood in a group in front of us and in magnificent barbershop harmony, sang Always. I was overwhelmed with tears. Bob had secretly arranged for this singing Valentine. With my loving husband plus some of the fellows helping me, I was able to stand while we had our picture taken. When I was a kid at summer camp and we jumped on the trampoline, we always had a â&#x20AC;&#x153;safety.â&#x20AC;? That was someone who was there to watch over us to keep us from harm. And so, when Bob or I need one another, in so many ways that we now do, we are always each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safetyâ&#x20AC;Ś Not just for an hour, Not just for a day, Not just for a year, But always... Award-winning columnist, Saralee Perel, welcomes emails at sperel@ saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.saraleeperel.com. MSN

Eagle Mount A Dream Becomes Reality In 1982, General Robert C. Mathis and his wife, Greta, retired from a 34-year career in the Air Force to bring a family dream to reality. They had long imagined a place where people of all ages with disabilities could experience and share what an able-bodied person might take for granted. They came to southwestern Montana and established the I Am Third Foundation (based on Matthew chapter 22) to build Eagle Mount. Today, Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, and Helena all have independent Eagle Mount organizations. Although independent of each other, we all share a common purpose - to create unparalleled therapeutic recreational opportunities for people of all ages and disabilities - giving everyone a chance to explore activities and take on new adventures based on their abilities, not their disabilities. Through Eagle Mount, people with special needs are challenged to achieve the previously unthinkable. All Eagle Mount programs are safe, fun, bring out the best in each participant, and of exceptional quality. If you would like to find out more about Eagle Mount and how you could be involved, please contact: Eagle Mount â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bozeman at 406-586-1781 or www.eaglemount.org; Eagle Mount â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Billings at 406-245-5422 or www.eaglemount.us; or Eagle Mount â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Great Falls at 406-454-1449 or www.eaglemount.net. MSN

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A year from now you may wish you had started today. - Karen Lamb

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

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Watching Legislation Being Made Is Not For The Faint Of Heart By Bob Campbell No one can deny that the pain inflicted upon Montana citizens because of the unanticipated recession was not eased by Democrats who refused to call a special session to address the budget. The voters resolutely elected a strong majority of Republicans who now control both houses of the legislature and the Public Service Commission. Although our Constitution is a national model for citizen participation and open government, it is not perfect. First, our Constitution provides for biennial legislative sessions and anticipates special sessions when a budget crisis occurs between the regular sessions. Second, through term limits, the Constitution prohibits voters from returning experienced legislators who are better trained to represent their constituents. Nearly one-third of the legislators meeting in Helena have never served in the legislature and three had never been in the capitol building much less observed what was going on there. Being elected on anti-government slogans, they now find themselves serving on committees with two thousand bill requests on subjects about which they have little expertise. Add to that the fact that they must operate under a complex and very detailed set of rules and the new legislators are caught like deer in the headlights - facing a five-billion dollar budget of interconnected state and federal money. More than one new legislator has described the experience as trying to drink water out of a fire hose. Our fiscal house is on fire yet inexperienced legislators making important decisions are influenced daily by well-paid lobbyists and corporate contributors. Those elected to the legislature were elected to serve the needs of all Montanans, which includes those for whom a cut in medical services is least affordable. These are life and death decisions where each vote can cause pain, suffering, and even death to those whose funds are eliminated by decisions not based on fact, but based on a lack of knowledge and information, bias, and undue influence from corporate interests. The Montana Constitution requires a state budget where expenditures do not exceed projected revenues. However, Montana legislators do not have a mandate to cut all medical, educational, social service, and corrections programs. What legislators must do is examine and prioritize the funding of necessities for our lives. That is their duty, and we have to let them know when their proposals violate their oath of office and the trust the electorate placed in them. Government is not the problem! Bad government is the problem and it takes effective officeholders to know the difference. What we need in Helena, and do not yet see, is leadership that is honest and works for the best interests of Montanans - that has the integrity to set aside partisan politics to fulfill the promise of our unique system to address the problems that we face in a way that is fair, compassionate, and addresses the needs of all. The partisan rhetoric will be long forgotten and the newspaper headlines will simply gather dust in the basement of the Historical Society while Montana moves forward. If you believe the actions of this legislature will not affect you and your family, then ignore the process at your peril. If you want to be part of the process, you can leave a telephone message for up to five legislators by calling 1-406-444-4800 or you can reach them on line at www.leg.mt.gov. Please feel free to call me at 406-543-5276 or 406-531-9880. MSN

Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news, which follows its own rules. - Douglas Adams

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Election season is behind us, but there is still plenty about politics in the news. How much have you learned this year about American government? This month’s quiz, submitted by Frank Vejtasa of Circle, will test your knowledge of America’s presidents by looking at some surprising trivia. Thank you, Frank! How much presidential trivia do you know? Congratulations to Delores Burrese of Thompson Falls, who submitted the winning answers to the It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Quiz-mas quiz that appeared in our December 2010/January 2011 issue. Thank you, Delores. 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 March 10, 2011 for our April/May 2011 edition. Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.montanaseniornews.com.

U.S. Presidents Quiz – Some Funny, Some Surprising, And Some In-Between Submitted by Frank W. Vejtasa, Circle Below are 14 funny and surprising facts about American Presidents. On a numbered sheet of paper, write the letter of the president that you think goes with each numbered fact and e-mail or drop them in the mail to us. The winner will receive a $25 cash prize. Good luck! 1. Last president to serve in the Civil War. 2. Last president to wear a beard. 3. President who was dismissed from the Army because of his drinking habits. 4. Smallest president. 5. This president was a boxer & wrestler in college. 6. As a young man, this president announced baseball from a radio booth. 7. This president was engaged at 27 to the wealthy Carolyn Coleman.

8. As a young man, this president shot a man in a duel. 9. This president wrote a movie script called Old Ironsides. 10. President known for his courtly manners and expensive clothes. 11. This former president was shot in the chest and survived. 12. President with the most children. 13. President taught to read and write by his wife. 14. Only president who never spent his salary on himself. A. James Buchanan B. Theodore Roosevelt C. Benjamin Harrison D. William H. Taft E. Herbert Hoover F. William McKinley G. Chester A. Arthur H. Ronald Reagan I. Andrew Jackson J. Andrew Johnson K. Franklin D. Roosevelt L. Ulysses S. Grant M. John Tyler N. James Madison MSN

Answers to It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Quiz-mas By MSN Staff 1. B. The Nutcracker 2. C. Under the Mistletoe 3. B. Gene Autry 4. C. A Hula Hoop 5. A. Cookies and Milk 6. C. A Button 7. C. The Scrooge

8. A. Green 9. D. Blitzen 10. C. Roger 11. C. Jacob Marley 12. A. The Grinch 13. D. Cranberry sauce 14. C. Indian Ocean 15. B. North America MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 17

singer, first name 21 Aragorn’s love in “The Lord of the Rings” 23 Armand Hammer Art Museum is here 24 Ego’s pals 25 Well-kept secret, for some 26 “__ of a Woman” movie 28 Forever Valentine’s Day gift 31 Hospital show 33 “What was ___ think?” (2 words) 34 Haul 35 “Hearts in Atlantis” actor, Hopkins 39 Long for 40 Date 41 Award 43 Sweet Valentine’s Day gift 45 MJ’s sweetheart, in film 47 Boldly 49 Diamond or heart, e.g. 50 Average name 52 “Casablanca” pianist 53 Actress who plays Spiderman’s love 54 Coyly

Across 1 “____ believing in just one mind” Phil Collins (2 words) 5 Rose holders 9 “I ___ you” Bob Dylan 10 Dream for the future (3

words) 14 Main squeeze 16 Toni Morrison’s “___ Baby” 18 Girl’s name in Hawaii that means “beautiful” 19 “Come Away with Me”

Down 1 2 3 wives” 4 name)

Katie’s beau Yellow ribbon location? (2 words) Longoria of “Desperate House-

5 Kilmer of “At First Sight” 6 Any day now 7 Time for love messages (3 words) 8 Celebs’ cute daughter 11 Cheyenne locale 12 Bering, e.g.: abbr. 13 Romantic island 15 “Bambi” character 17 Boat races 19 What an Eskimo kisses with 20 Will Smith romance movie 21 Oakland baseball players 22 Lost fish 27 Film about racism and tolerance that won an Oscar in 2006 29 Juan starter 30 Gotten to fall in love with, in a way (2 words) 32 Nicole Kidman’s character’s lover in “Cold Mountain” 36 Keanu Reeves role 37 Sherlock Holmes, for short 38 To this day 42 Take off 43 Celebration items? 44 Gazed amorously 46 Keats’ creations 48 Bottom line 51 Hot MSN

International Bollywood star (last

Stretch Your Mind at Lifelong Learning Institute The MSU - Great Falls Lifelong Learning Institute is a membership-based program focused on the Golden Triangle mature adult community. It offers noncredit lectures, short courses, and special events for mature adults who have a zest for learning. The Institute offers you membership in a unique learning community with a focus on adults aged 50 and better. Classes offered have no stress, no tests, no grades, no degree requirements, and few prerequisites. As a member, you will enjoy these benefits: • Meeting new friends with similar interests • Discounted course fees on most Outreach classes starting summer 2011

• Free lectures • Input on future class topics • Opportunity to participate in a book club • Information from partner organizations for upcoming events The institute will offer winter/spring and summer/fall memberships. Membership for a full year is $50.00. Upcoming classes will include emailing, Facebook, yoga, keyboarding, making a walking stick, and a hiking. The kick-off for MSU-Great Falls Lifelong Learning Institute will be held Friday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. in Heritage Hall, 2100 16th Av S., Great Falls. A guest speaker and an explanation of the program will be followed by a wine and cheese reception. For more information, call 406-4543217. MSN

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Chinese Exercises Refresh, Enhance Eyesight By Tu Riya, Senior Wire While traveling in China 30 years ago, I watched people doing painstaking, intricate work in dimly lit factories. I noticed that few wore glasses. When I asked how that was possible, the translator shared their secret. These exercises refresh tired eyes and strengthen muscles to alleviate the need to wear glasses. You start by quieting. Close your eyes and be sure to slowly count out each of the movements to yourself as you go through the following 8 steps: â&#x20AC;˘ Gently move a curved, hooked finger (each side) across your forehead (tip at brow, knuckle toward hairline), dipping down to the side of your eye 8 times. â&#x20AC;˘ Place 2 fingertips on each side of the face beside the outer eye (hollow space) and circle it clockwise 8 times. Then circle those fingertips 8 times counter-clockwise. â&#x20AC;˘ Place a curved, hooked finger under each eye and gently move it upward 8 times. â&#x20AC;˘ Place a curved, hooked finger over each eye brow and gently move it downward 8 times. â&#x20AC;˘ Place 2 fingertips beside your nostrils. At that outer spot, circle clockwise with your fingertips 8 times. Then repeat counter-clockwise 8 times. â&#x20AC;˘ Place 2 fingers at the apples of your cheeks and circle clockwise 8 times, then 8 times in the opposite direction. â&#x20AC;˘ Gently move 2 fingertips across your eyeballs 8 times. â&#x20AC;˘ Stick the knuckle of your finger in the corner of each eye and massage that socket 8 times in one direction and 8 times in the other. Keep your eyes closed for a minute.

Another technique uses an acupressure point - with your palm open and your thumb up, notice a ridge of skin between your thumb and a top plateau that runs flat up to your forefinger. Take the thumb of your opposite hand and place it over this fold of skin on top, like a tent. Roll the thumb further over the side - you will locate a point about a thumbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distance in. Meet your thumb with the forefinger and press together. You have the point if you feel a wincing pain like when the dentist is drilling a tooth. Stimulate this point on each hand several times a day to improve your eyesight. Here is another exercise to relieve eyestrain: cup your hands and gently press the palms over your eye sockets, without touching the eyes or eyelids themselves. Your fingers should be pointing out and upwards, towards your hairline. Now press your palms evenly inward, creating a uniform pressure all around the skull and muscles that enclose your eyes. Done correctly, it will feel as if you are wearing deep-sea diving goggles. As you press, â&#x20AC;&#x153;lookâ&#x20AC;? to the left. It will be dark, of course, but you can feel the eye muscles at work. Now â&#x20AC;&#x153;lookâ&#x20AC;? to the right. Continue to press, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;lookâ&#x20AC;? up, then down. Repeat all four motions. Then repeat twice more. Now easily remove your hands, slowly open your eyes, and wait a minute. Although I have no plans to take up intricate sewing or painting, I am often at the computer and experience eye strain. All of these suggested exercises are quick and instantly satisfying. Although I must wear glasses in order to see, after using this technique I seem more relaxed, refreshed, focused, and ready to resume work. MSN

Dear Betty Medicare Testing It seems like every time I read the paper or a magazine, someone is suggesting some important medical test I need. I have never been too fond of doctor visits, and I am not rich either, so I am not exactly up to speed on taking care of my health that way. Soon, I am going to be eligible for Medicare, and someone told me that with Medicare I would not need to worry about paying for preventive health tests anymore. Is that true? - Close to 65

Dear Close, You may not even have to wait for Medicare to get some of those tests. Under the new Affordable Care Act, if you have a new health insurance plan or policy that began after September 22 of last year, your plan has to provide certain preventive services regardless of whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve met your deductible, and t Comprehensive Care you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be charged copayt 0VUQBUJFOU "4$ t -"4*, ments or coinsurance either. t -BTFS 4VSHFSZ Covered services include the important ones you have likely t &ZFMJE 4VSHFSZ been reading about, such as t (MBVDPNB colorectal cancer screening, t .BDVMBS %FHFOFSBUJPO mammograms, flu shots, and t CPSOFBM 5SBOTQMBOUT other immunizations, as well as t %JBCFUFT blood pressure and cholesterol t 3FUJOBM 1SPCMFNT checks for at-risk individuals. A complete list is at healthcare. t /P 4UJUDI $BUBSBDU gov (choose learn About Pre t 1SF 1PTU 0Q $BSF vention and then Learn Moreâ&#x20AC;Ś t CP .BOBHFE $BSF in the yellow box). t $POUBDU -FOT $BSF Of course many group plans t 0QUJDBM %FQBSUNFOU were â&#x20AC;&#x153;grandfatheredâ&#x20AC;? and are exempt from the new rules. t 1IZTJDJBOT 3FGFSSBMT Just the same, many of these plans already offer coverage for preventive services. It certainly cannot hurt to inquire. As far as traditional, or original, Medicare is concerned,

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

your friend is right about coverage (cost sharing in Medicare Advantage plans might be different, so if you choose to enroll in one of these, be sure to check). Original Medicare, of course, has always covered many preventive services, but deductibles and co-pays (20 percent) usually applied. Since January 1, 2011 many of these services will be completely covered (no co-pays or deductibles) and will cost you nothing if your health care provider accepts assignment - meaning he or she will accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. Medicare and You 2011 (at medicare.gov) offers a list of covered preventive services for the coming year and gives parameters (age, frequency, etc.) for eligibility and beneficiary cost, if any. Services offered at no cost include mammograms, colonoscopies, and at-risk screenings for diabetes, bone mass measurement, and HIV. (Note some screenings are free while the office visit requires cost sharing.) Two no-cost services on the 2011 list will be of special interest to you. The first is the Welcome to Medicare physical exam, offered during your first year of Medicare coverage. It is a great way to take stock of your health and learn which preventive services are recommended for you. The second is the annual wellness visit, which allows you to check back every year for further monitoring. By the way, if you have to wait much before your Medicare begins, consider getting a jumpstart on your preventive health plan right now with a flu shot. Some community health clinics charge on a sliding scale, so you could get a bargain. But check with your employer or current plan, if you have one. Your flu shot just might be covered. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth asking. The Dear Betty column is sponsored by Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Montana. Please mail your questions to Betty at Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, 3404 Cooney Drive, Helena MT 59602 or email them to dearbetty@mpqhf.org. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 21

Hey, Buddy? Can You Spare A Kidney? By Dick Seelmeyer, Senior Wire Across the United States today, there are a number of people facing death or severely restricted lifestyles because of organ failure. They are part of a growing community of people that need new or regenerated organs immediately in order to survive. Their lives could be put back on a normal path if doctors had available organs for transplant. But, in the United States as is true around the world, the reality is simply that there are not enough volunteered organs to go around, and far too many people go to their graves without ever thinking about making provisions for organ donations, leaving those who are currently suffering without adequately working organs toward slow and often, painful deaths, or at the very least, restricted lifestyles. No one ever gets too old to donate an organ. An 80-year-old donated kidney will keep a young man in good shape until he dies of old age. Medical researchers have been working for a long time to be able to create fresh organs from the stem cells of the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own body. Scientists say they are close to success, but the reality for

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those needing new organs right now is that close is not good enough. For them, the old-fashioned way of getting a donated organ from a person who has recently passed away, or in the case of kidneys, from a person willing to donate one. The things that can be donated by one person to another are limited. The list would include organs like the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, intestine, and skin. Humans can also transplant tissues that include bones, tendons, corneas, heart valves, veins, and arms. In reality, most transplants involve kidneys, because kidneys can so easily go bad for a number of reasons in humans. The doctors who specialize in the field go to great lengths to determine if donor and recipient tissues are likely to be compatible for transplant, however there is never a guarantee that the body receiving the transplanted organ will accept it. If a donated organ is rejected by the body, the only remaining option for the patient is to undergo a tissue regeneration process and hope that it works. The federal government reports that while it is true that more organ transplants are being made today than ever before, due to the rapid increase in total population as well as an aging population

PAGE 22 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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the number of organs available for transplant is minuscule in relation to the need. What could change things in a heartbeat would be if people of all ages across the nation would go

to www.organdonor.gov and volunteer to allow their organs to improve some other person’s life in case of their death. It is that simple! MSN

My Gym By Martin Jaeger I have two families. One includes my wife, kids, and dozens of delightful relatives. My other family is the people at the gym - a place where people pay money to get pain. I see them every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning. My family at the gym is a microcosm of the world focused on health. My gym is for serious participants - definitely not a gathering place for yuppies - it is for folks in search of a light morning workout - euphemistically called Low Impact Aerobics - blended with large amounts of schmoozing. I try to maintain my worn body but it responds unpredictably to my nerve impulses. I also enjoy people watching from my perch on the treadmill. Once a super market, the gym is a vast box with white tile floors, mirrors on the wall, without any fixtures except the ceiling fluorescent lighting. It contains a hundred pieces of equipment whose names invoke images of instruments of torture: Chest Press, Rotary Torso, Pec Dec, Leg Curls, Hip Abductor, Leg Extension, and Star Trac treadmills. I always say, “Hello” to Laura, the owner. She wears red tights on her curvaceous body, large sunglasses with a ladybug design, and looks like she never needs to use any of the equipment. Then I head for a row of eight Star Trac treadmills, eager to start my routine. If I can, I choose the one closest to the window with a view of the parking lot. Watching people walk by is like gazing at tropical fish in a tank - mesmerizing and colorful. I set the counter for a modest 1.2 m.p.h. Although it might seem slow, it is fast enough for me. At 75, I’m not trying to set any speed records. Some of the younger members run at unimaginable speeds, ricochet-

ing into the air, their feet rarely touching the ground. And they do this while reading a magazine and listening to music through their earpieces. I am having a hard time just maintaining my balance and not falling off. It’s hard to do two things at once. Look at Joe on the Stairmaster, engrossed in reading the newspaper - it has to be the stock market. When he looks up, I’ll wave to him. He’ll come over later and we’ll talk about his back problem. Chef Antoine has his usual crowd. He comes to the gym wearing an apron and white chef’s cap, where he is constantly barraged with questions about cooking. “How much ‘poivre’ do you use in steak poivre?” “Shall I use red wine or white?” I don’t like to be too close to Chef Antoine - I get too hungry. I see Karl fighting the shoulder press and wave to him. I met him when he walked next to me on the treadmill discussing our urinary problems. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a young man lifting weights. Maybe he is still in school or beginning a career. Perhaps he is married or it’s his day off. Speculating is a big part of my gym experience. Hey, there’s Todd. He uses a personal trainer. When I started at the gym, I hired a trainer named “Doc” to help me develop an exercise program. I said I wanted to develop a muscular look. “At your age, your goal is lifting your arms and not falling down,” he replied. That’s when I stopped using Doc. “Hi,” Craig says, displaying a smile in a frownfilled face. He is having injections in his knee that don’t seem to be helping. At 9:45 a.m., the senior van arrives, and people with walkers, canes, and wheelchairs amble in. Ten minutes later, the senior aerobic class is called to order and the music starts, with its loud, big beat, guaranteed to keep them awake. The floor seems to quake. “It’s time for fun,” Melinda, the petite, tireless instructor yells while jumping up and down, her long black hair flying in rhythm, and the people, some barely able to move their fingers, trying to bend this way and that. “Left side up, right side down,” she belts out

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

drowning their sighs and groans. In the center of the gym, a few young kids in their forties are hopping up and down like jack in the boxes. After my last rotation on the Rotary Torso, I gather myself together and head toward the door, wobbly, as if getting out of the ring after a 15 round championship bout. I am ready to go home, rest and have my reward - a glass of no fat milk and a sugarless oatmeal cookie. After what I did to my body today, I need to get on its good side. MSN

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 23

-EDICAL -ARIJUANA 0ERMITS

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Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is Building for Future Generations! Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon has been serving patients with the best-quality medical care since Martin Barrett Hospital opened in 1923. Now, Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is building a brand-new facility on a ten acre site just south of the current hospital campus. Construction is underway and the estimated completion date is March 2012. The new facility will be a place where our highly skilled physicians will be able to provide even better care to patients. Our compassionate nurses will be far more able to offer patients personalized and highly skilled attention in the new facility. The new Barrett Hospital will help define the current and future quality of life in our community and in surrounding communities. The new hospital will enhance the tremendous quality of healthcare that is currently offered at Barrett Hospital & HealthCare. The new facility will allow for the most modern and state-of-the-art medical technology available today. Next time you are in Dillon and near the current campus, stop out to the new site and look at the construction in progress. Thank you for your ongoing support of Barrett Hospital & HealthCare. For additional information, please call us at 406-683-6737 or visit www.barretthospital.org. MSN

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Here Is What You Should Know About Medical Savings Accounts If you do not need to see your savings instantaneously, Here is a suggestion: open a Montana Medical Savings Account (MSA). This little-known strategy will not make your medications or your appointments any less expensive, but at the end of the year you will end up with a smaller state tax bill (or larger refund). That extra income could be a resource for dealing with your medical costs. All resident taxpayers in Montana are eligible for this plan, which allows you to deposit up to $3,000 a year. (A married couple can deposit up to $6,000, but each must have a separate account). You then use the money in the account to write checks for out-of-pocket medical expenses. For the Montana MSA, these are the same as those allowed on your U.S. taxes as itemized deductions: medicines, dental and vision expenses, hearing aids, and other medical expenses not paid for by your insurance, such as co-pays or deductibles. If you have eligible dependents, you can use your

account to pay for their non-covered expenses, too. At the end of the calendar year, you will deduct the money you put into the account from your Montana taxable income. This can result in real savings. Remember, for tax purposes, it is the amount you deposited in the MSA that is deducted, not the amount you withdrew during the year. Montana MSAs are usually self-administered, which means you open the account, use it strictly for medical expenses, and do your own recordkeeping. So you will need to do some planning. If you find yourself needing money and withdraw it from your MSA for non-medical purposes, you will incur a ten percent penalty. There are a few exceptions, the most common being withdrawal of funds on the last business day in December (when the money will be taxed as ordinary income). Of course, many people just leave their money in and use it for future expenses. The important thing to

remember is that in each tax year you can only deduct the amount of money deposited during that year. It is easy to open an MSA. Ask about one at your bank or credit union. Some institutions charge fees for withdrawals; others do not charge fees if you keep a minimum balance. Some provide free checking (and checks!) for MSAs to those older than 50. You can name a payable-on-death beneficiary for the account as well. Remember to specify that it is the Montana Medical Savings Account you want. Some people confuse MSAs with federal health savings accounts (HSAs) or the flex spending accounts frequently offered by employers. To get detailed information on the Montana Medical Savings Account, see the fact sheet available from Montana State University Extension at www.msuextension.org (type â&#x20AC;&#x153;medical savings accountâ&#x20AC;? in the search box).

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 25

Immanuel Lutheran Communities Prepares for Construction Immanuel Lutheran Communities is embarking on an ambitious expansion project that will relocate transitional rehabilitation therapy to a freestanding state-of-the-art rehabilitation center and add 14 new apartments at its Buffalo Hill Terrace community. “We have been part of Kalispell for more than 50 years, and these projects are meeting a growing need for senior housing and services, while reaffirming our commitment to the area’s older adults,” said Pastor Kathleen Larson Phillips, Immanuel Lutheran Communities interim CEO. “The rehabilitation center in particular raises the bar in our service offerings for seniors, not only for our residents but for the community-at-large.” The project, funded by $14 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds, will have a 16-bed rehabilitation center, a new commons area for Buffalo Hill Terrace Assisted Living, plus six new assisted living apartments and eight new independent living apartments at Buffalo Hills Terrace. Preparations for construction are underway and the completion of the project is expected in early 2012. “There was a great deal of planning involved in developing the rehabili-

tation center, which incorporates some of the latest tools and equipment,” said Glen Sargent, Director of Rehabilitation. “We already have top-notch therapists and a caregiving staff. Now we will have the most up-to-date therapy equipment available to match their talent.” For more information, contact Immanuel Lutheran Communities at 406-752-9622 or visit www.ilcorp.org. MSN

Colonoscopy - Getting a Good Result In The End By Karen Telleen-Lawton, Senior Wire Fair is fair. Babyhood has immunizations, adolescence has its often selfinflicted bodily traumas, and the 30- and even 40-somethings face everything from diapers to late nights waiting up for teenagers. The over-50 crowd has a lot going for it, but one of them is not colonoscopies. I remember mine like a 2-color video. I was watching the screen, a journey through a curved, ridged tunnel that was pleasingly un-topographic. The doctor explained what was going on in a low, soothing tone, and eventually I slipped out of consciousness, awakening to the sound of my husband’s voice coming to take me home. All in all, a pretty uneventful event, which is why my experience with my friend Jane was poignant. The other day I picked her up to drive her to her appointment. She was practically in tears over how her preparation night had gone. I didn’t say at the time, but she looked like we used to look when we’d been awaiting an errant teen. “Oh my gosh! You were right about the prep diet,” she sobbed. We had shared a spaghetti dinner with them the previous night. I was surprised that she was allowed to eat anything. I thought I remembered from my procedure that the strict eating regimen started a couple of days ahead. She had assured me she was fine. “I just can’t eat raw vegetables and

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PAGE 26 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

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fruits,” she’d told me. “Then starting at midnight I can’t eat solid food, and nothing tomorrow except clear liquids. I read the instructions three times to make sure,” she added. I figured she had a different doctor with different instructions, so I hadn’t pressed it, and we finished the conversation by reviewing when I’d pick her up. Now she explained her dilemma. “I reread the instructions before bed last night, and realized I’d misinterpreted the time periods they were talking about. By that time it was too late to cancel without a fee, so I figured I might as well drink the laxative on schedule in hopes they could do a sigmoidoscopy, which is what I did last time.” The sigmoidoscopy is similar to a colonoscopy, but examines only up to the furthest segment of the colon, called the sigmoid. A colonoscopy examines the entire large bowel. The sigmoidoscopy is a little quicker and a little easier, and a successful screening grants you a five-year pass before you have to repeat. A failed test screening puts you back in line for the full colonoscopy, which can be good for up to 10 years if you’re clear. Jane barely slept, feeling torn about her decision. She jolted awake with her 4:45 a.m. alarm to drink the magic potion. It did its magic on both ends, and she spent the early morning mostly in the bathroom. She was still in her pajamas a few hours later when the doorbell rang. She and her husband were having the inside of their home repainted, and the young painter had arrived. She found herself trying to stay out of sight and out of hearing distance of the painter. He was working in another part of the house, but she still felt embarrassed using the bathroom frequently. As soon as she could, Jane phoned the doctor’s office to explain her dilemma. They weren’t happy about it, but agreed to go ahead with the procedure. The results were good, and she was awarded a five-year pass. We used to have to suffer in silence about these procedures, but Katie Couric made them trendy. She raised awareness for routine colonoscopies a few years ago when her husband Jay Monahan died from colon cancer at age 42. Katie came out swinging for the simple procedure; she even had the guts to have her colonoscopy televised in March of 2000, to help the rest of us get past the yuk factor. You can watch Katie’s colonoscopy on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=15JsYSZIT-Q. More importantly, nationwide colon checks jumped 20% after her experience, a phenomenon that’s now known in the scientific literature as the Katie Couric effect. Her sights are set on reducing new cases of colon and rectal cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates will be more than 140,000 in 2011. We all know preventative medicine is what health, especially senior health, is all about. Jane is relieved to have put this behind her, and won’t be confused next time. Funny thing is, she’s a PhD. MSN

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Meth - Not Even Once! Imagine your grandchild hearing this… “I thought you were going to die because your heart stopped twice.” These were the words of a 15-year-old to her friend who almost died from a binge on Meth - a highly addictive drug that had a grip on Montana teens five years ago. Today, thanks in large part to the prevention efforts of the Montana Meth Project, teen Meth use is down 63 percent since the program began in 2005. Nationally and in Montana, the Project has been recognized for its success. Its ads have received multiple national advertising industry awards. The prestigious business publication

Barron’s cited the Meth Project as the world’s third most-effective philanthropy in its December 4, 2010 cover story, The 25 Best Givers, commending the project for its role in reducing teen Meth use in multiple states. And the Montana Association of Addiction Professionals honored the Montana Meth Project as Montana’s Prevention Program of the Year in 2010. Thousands of teens have embraced the Montana Meth Project by participating in outreach events like the March Against Meth, Black Saturday, and Paint the State art competitions, which keep the project’s important prevention message in front of teens. Learn more at www.montanameth.org. MSN

There is no cure for birth and death, save to enjoy the interval. - George Santayana

Get Protection With Shingles Vaccine By Jim Miller The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 60 and older should get a shingles vaccination. Here is what you should know. Pesky Virus - Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful and itching skin rash that affects more than a million Americans each year. It is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox (varicella-zoster). What happens is the chickenpox virus that most people get as kids, never leaves the body. It retreats into the nerve cells near the spinal cord where it lies dormant, with the possibility of re-emerging decades later in the form of shingles. In the U.S., one out of every three people will develop shingles during their lifetime. While anyone who has had chickenpox can get shingles, it most commonly occurs in people over age 50, and the risk increases with age. In fact, about half of those who reach 85 will have suffered a bout of shingles. Those with a weakened immune system are also vulnerable. Nasty Rash - Shingles is a nasty rash and more! Early signs include pain, itching, or tingling before a blistering rash appears several days later, and can last up to four weeks. The rash typically occurs on one side of the body, often as a band of blisters that extends from the middle of your back around to the breastbone. It can also appear above an eye or on the side of the face or neck. In addition to the rash, more than one-third who get shingles go on to develop serious complications such as post-herpetic neuralgia, a severe nerve pain that can last for months or even years. If it occurs on the face, it can affect vision and hearing, or cause brain inflammation. And according to a recent study, shingles can also raise the risk of stroke by around 30 percent in those who get it. Get Vaccinated - The only vaccine for shingles, Zostavax, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and has proven to be very effective. While it is not foolproof, Zostavax will prevent shingles in half the people who get the shot, and if you do get it you will get a much milder case.

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 27

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Everyone, age 60 and older that has had the chickenpox, including those that are not sure they have had it, should get vaccinated. Even if you have already had shingles, you still need the vaccination because reoccurring cases are possible. The only people, ages 60 and older, who should not be vaccinated are those who are allergic to gelatin or neomycin, have a weakened immune system, or take high doses of steroids. You also need to know that the shingles vaccination is covered by most insurance plans including Medicare, but only if you have a Part D prescription drug plan. If you are not covered you can expect to pay between $150 and $300 for the one-time shot. For more information or to locate a vaccine provider in your area, talk to your doctor, visit Zostavax.com, or call 800672-6372. Also note that if you are uninsured and cannot afford this vaccine, Merck, the maker of Zostavax, offers a vaccine assistance program that provides the shot free of charge. Call 800-293-3881 or see merck.com/ merckhelps/vaccines for details. If You Get Shingles - While there is no cure for shingles, it is usually treated with antiviral medications that can help speed up the healing process and reduce the pain, severity, and potential complications of the attack. Acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), or valacyclovir (Valtrex) are commonly prescribed. Your doctor will decide which of these medicines might work best for you, but you will need to act quickly because these medicines work best if you start taking them within the first 72 hours after you get the rash. It is also important to note that no one can catch shingles from you, but they can catch chickenpox if they have not already had chickenpox or had the chickenpox vaccine – but only by direct contact with the rash. So if you have shingles, stay away from babies and kids who have not had the chickenpox and pregnant women. MSN

Prevent a Second Heart Attack - 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease Each year, roughly 1.5 million Americans have a heart attack - and most of them survive. But research shows that just one year after their diagnosis, the vast majority of these heart attack survivors fail to adhere to the dietary changes that could prevent a second heart attack. After losing her father to his second heart attack and fearing that her husband Sam, whose heart attack at age 51 made her look very closely at what could be done to make a difference in his life, Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, was inspired to write Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease. “I want to teach Sam and the 13 million other American heart attack survivors how to live long, happy, and healthy lives - and to teach them how to prevent that second lethal attack and even reverse the actual disease process,” Brill says. Brill, a leading diet, nutrition and fitness expert, offers a successful, straightforward, eightpoint program in her newest book. Her simple, easy-to-follow lifestyle plan can reduce the risk of a second heart attack by up to 70 percent. Inspired by the heart-healthy, time-proven Mediterranean diet, Brill’s approach is simple: incorporate eight key food groups - like olive oil, oatmeal, leafy greens, even red wine, and dark chocolate - into your daily diet, and get moderate exercise each day. Do the following sound like a restrictive, tasteless plan? Among the more than 50 recipes, enjoy: • Oatmeal, Walnut, and Flaxseed Pancakes • Whole-Grain Pizza with Arugula, Eggplant, and Caramelized Onions • Shallow-Poached Salmon with Fennel and Saffron • Shrimp with Artichoke-Garlic Sauce • Flourless Dark Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

These and the other recipes in the book feature the eight foods that are the core of the plan. Backed by cutting-edge research, Brill explains why each food is so important to cardiovascular wellness, and gives creative tips on how to get a daily dose of each one. Packed with every tool someone needs - including daily checklists, nutrition information, a complete two-week eating plan, and dozens of mouth-watering recipes to suit every meal, taste, and budget - the delicious and foolproof program ensures that heart attack survivors and their loved ones will be satisfied, rather than deprived, as they eat their way to better heart health. With the reassuring and accessible voice of a trusted health profes-

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 29

sional, Prevent a Second Heart Attack gives heart attack survivors the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to make simple - but lifechanging - diet and lifestyle modifications to reverse their disease and live long, full, heart-healthy lives. Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, is a leading diet, nutrition, and fitness author and guest nutrition and health expert on national television. She specializes in cardiovascular disease prevention. Her first book, Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks - Without Prescription Drugs has been widely endorsed. Dr. Brill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. MSN

Medicareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prevention Just Got Better By Jim Miller It is true! Since Jan. 1, 2011, as part of the new health care reform law, everyone with Original Medicare has access to many important preventive health services, and most of them they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost you a cent. No Cost Sharing - Over the years, Medicare has covered a number of preventive health screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies with varying levels of cost sharing (deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments). Cost sharing for preventive services typically means that you, the beneficiary, pay 20 percent of the cost of the service (Medicare picks up the other 80 percent), after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve met your $155 Part B deductible. Now Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for most preventive services, including annual wellness visits that are being added to the program to help keep you healthy. Here is a breakdown of the preventive services that Medicare is offering that are completely free. Wellness Visits - In addition to the one-time Welcome to Medicare physical (which new beneficiaries can get but only within their first year of enrollment in Part B), free annual wellness visits with your physician are now available. These visits are to develop and maintain an ongoing personalized prevention plan for improving your health. Each exam will include body and blood pressure measurements, a review of your medical history including any medications you are taking and care you may be receiving from other health care providers, an assessment of your cognitive condition, and establish an appropriate screening schedule for the next five to 10 years. Health Screenings - In addition to the wellness visits, here is a list of the free health screenings and vaccinations Medicare is offering its beneficiaries in 2011, along with the eligibility requirements. â&#x20AC;˘ Breast cancer screening: Yearly mammograms for women age 40 and older with Medicare. â&#x20AC;˘ Colorectal cancer screening: This includes the flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy for all beneficiaries age 50 or older. â&#x20AC;˘ Cervical cancer screening: Pap smear and pelvic exams are available every two years, or once a year for those at high risk. â&#x20AC;˘ Cardiovascular screenings: Free blood test to check cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels every five years for all Medicare recipients. â&#x20AC;˘ Diabetes: Twice a year screening for those at risk. â&#x20AC;˘ Medical nutrition therapy: Available to help people manage diabetes or kidney disease. â&#x20AC;˘ Prostate cancer screening: A digital rectal exam and PSA blood test is available to all male beneficiaries age 50+. You pay nothing for the PSA test, but you will have to pay 20 percent for the doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit. â&#x20AC;˘ Bone mass measurements: This osteoporosis test is available every two years to those at risk, or more often if medically necessary. â&#x20AC;˘ Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening: To check for bulging blood vessels and available to men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. â&#x20AC;˘ HIV screening: Available to those who are at increased risk or who ask for the test. â&#x20AC;˘ Vaccinations: An annual flu shot, pneumococcal pneumonia, and the hepatitis B vaccines are all free to all beneficiaries. For more details on Medicareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preventive services and their eligibility requirements, see your â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medicare & You 2011â&#x20AC;? booklet that you received in the mail in October. Also read it online at medicare.gov. Medicare Advantage - If you have Medicare Advantage, the health care reform law did not require these plans to provide free preventive services. Check your plan to find out your specific coverage. MSN

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Five Minutes Tim McCall always kept things in perspective. Good or bad, happy or sad, his outlook was essentially positive. As a senior associate and mentor, Tim was a solid role model for those who worked with and for him. He was a rather open person, and his professional peers shared in parts of his personal life, from which it was evident that he had the same sense of perspective there as well. Over the years, Tim became a trusted and respect colleague and a close friend who was easily admired. People were impressed with how he kept it together and managed such a positive attitude. He had a very simple concept of success and failure that served him well. Among his many interests and talents, Tim wanted to be a published writer. He had a novel he had been writing for years, which he had mentioned a few times, and once he shared a chapter with some folks in the office. After he had the novel where he wanted it, he sent it out to publishers. He opted not to go through an agent, so the process was slower and a bit more complicated for him. Finally, his persistence paid off. Tim shared his good news and it was obvious that he was both happy and proud. He shared it at lunch, and he got a round of congratulations and the comments as to whether he would remember his friends when it became a Hollywood blockbuster movie! Interestingly, in a matter of minutes, they were on to other topics, and Tim never mentioned it again, until the book was released three months later. There were a few copies that folks in the of-

fice took turns reading over the next month or so, and other than that, he made no more of it. The office that Tim managed was a regional headquarters and its decisions directly affected 32 field offices. A recent policy decision regarding retirement protocols was a rather significant departure from previous policy, but it was necessary to trim expenses in a sluggish economy. Retirement protocols had to be tightened or several entry-level positions were going to be cut. Tim opted to tighten the protocols to save jobs. As you can imagine, there was a firestorm of reaction, and Tim was at the very center of it. Things went rough for him, some long-term professional friendships were shaken, and there were direct shots taken at his loyalty. Despite the unpleasant consequences of his decision, Tim rolled with it and seemed to go right on with life. He was not dismissive or unconcerned with the implications of his actions, but at the same time, he maintained his usual sense of perspective. When asked how he maintained his steadyas-she-goes demeanor, Tim explained with little hesitation. He had learned that life was going to provide a rich mixture of successes and failures. Overreacting to either one would negatively alter oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of life and the part we play in it. Tim concluded by saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I learned long ago, that successes are generally worth about five minutes of celebrating, and failures are generally worth about five minutes of angst. I try to give each of them just about that much time and then go about the business of moving on!â&#x20AC;? MSN

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All Real Estate Is Local… Even In Montana! By Diane Beck Missoula Organization of Realtors 2010 is behind us and we are looking forward into 2011. We are familiar with national news housing prices plummeting and foreclosure rates soaring. Fortunately in most of Montana, we have come through the crisis without daunting foreclosure rates and falling home values in places like Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Michigan. The lesson is to remember that markets across the country and even within a state can be very different. The Flathead and Gallatin Valleys have been hardest hit in terms of value, and although Missoula’s values have remained relatively steady (median sales price is still around $200,000), we have been significantly affected by the drop in number of sales. Values of homes in the higher price ranges have had the highest percentage of decline, but that is dependent on location with each neighborhood having a different story to tell. Missoula had 830 residential sales in 2010, down 9% from 2009 and down 42% from the 2006 high of 1443. The fact that our housing prices have not dropped as dramatically as other parts of the nation is good for homeowners. However, that means that affordability for potential buyers has not increased as much as it has in other parts of

the nation. Nevertheless, assuming income levels from 2009 are still accurate, a four-person household has 101% of the income they need to afford a median priced home. The affordability index has not been at that level since 2003! Even with the modest decreases in housing prices, opportunities for homeownership are available to those that thought it a pipe dream just a few short years ago. What does the future hold? Many economists estimate a slow recovery with the general housing market not moving any faster. But remember, the market is local. For sellers, your neighborhood or the price range can dramatically affect how quickly it sells. For buyers, neighborhood and price range will be the determining factors of affordability in 2011. Wherever you are in our beautiful Montana and whether you are a buyer or a seller, contact your local real estate agent and access our incredible resources. You can find out almost anything you want within seconds and just a few mouse clicks neighborhood specific information, maps, videos, stories, or more. If Missoula is your market, visit www.FrontPorchMissoula.com to see how the Missoula Organization of Realtors can help you. MSN

Ready to buy another home? Here are some tips on getting a mortgage today (NAPSI) If you are planning to buy a home or refinance the one you own, prepare yourself for the challenges of getting a mortgage today. These days, more than one in every three homebuyers who apply for a mortgage fail to get one, many because they do not meet new, tough lending standards. In 2006 and 2007, lax lending standards enabled hundreds of thousands of borrowers to qualify for loans they could not afford, causing them to lose their homes and their lenders to lose billions of dollars. Now the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. New rules on income and debt make getting a mortgage harder today. In addition to a good credit score, your house payment should not exceed approximately 36 percent of your income before taxes. Furthermore, your monthly payment plus your minimum monthly revolving and installment debt should be less than 42 percent of your gross monthly income. Finally, you may need to document virtually every aspect of your financial picture: income, employment, assets, debt, and obligations such as alimony and child payments. Here is some advice from Sue Stewart, a mortgage expert from MortgageMatch.com, a new website designed to find and apply for the right loan. 1. Take Charge of Your Credit. Your credit scores and credit history are more important to lenders than ever. Check out your credit history at each of the credit-rating services: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Go over them carefully and take steps to correct errors. 2. Know How Much You Can Afford Before You Shop. Do not let yourself fall in love with a house you cannot afford. With today’s online mortgage tools, you can find out what you can afford in terms of down payment, closing costs, and monthly costs that include principal, interest, taxes and insurance. Decide what your limit is and stick to it. 3. Get Your Documents in Order. Do not wait until you have put a contract on a house to get organized. It may take you some time to get all your documentation in hand. Find out from your lender or your real estate agent what you will need and be ready to submit everything with your application. The good news about buying a home or refinancing these days is that interest rates are at historic lows. To take advantage of the “buyers’ market,” make it easy for your lender to approve the financing. MSN

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Preserving A World Heritage Food: Mary Hensley And The Cordillera Heirloom Rice Project whose families had tended this land for generaBy Gail Jokerst In Nevil Shute’s beloved fictional story, A tions. The culture, sustenance, and livelihood of Town Like Alice, a British woman returns to the the Kalinga and Ifugao tribes depended on cultivating their unique rice, which is Malaysian village where she grown nowhere else in the spent the last days of WWII so world but on these ancient she could build a well for the mountain terraces. village women. She wanted As it turns out, the resisto ease the women’s worktance put up by hundreds of load and thank the people persistent people from the for allowing her to live and affected villages stopped the work alongside them during dam from being built. They a dangerous time. were able to continue growFast-forward 60 years ing their rice, which Mary ate and you’ll find another story at every meal supplemented - this one true - about a Monwith beans, greens, or slivtana woman returning to help ers of pork and chicken. a remote third-world village While some foreigners may where she once volunteered have tired of a steady rice with the Peace Corps. Like diet, Mary thrived on it. She Nevil Shute’s heroine, Jean found the unusual red, pink, Paget, Mary Hensley also and purple hues along with found herself overseas in a [Photo by B. James Jokerst] the sturdy texture and nutty rice-growing village when she was caught in the middle of a war. In Mary’s flavor of the large grains appealing and could not case, though, it was wait to eat it. After returning stateside, Mary embarked on not a world war but a civil war over a proposed several different careers including social work, hydroelectric dam in the travel agency work, and organic farming. During Cordillera Mountains of those decades, she often reminisced with her felthe Philippines. If built, low Peace Corps volunteers about the Philippines the dam would have and the taste of the heirloom rice they had come flooded the rice terraces to love. “Remember the rice?” they would ask each belonging to the indigother. “That was the best thing we had to eat.” enous people she was Mary had always expected to return to the assisting. It did not take this Philippines - someday. But it took a life-altering Choteau native long to incident to convince her to go back sooner rather realize that destroying than later. “In 1996, I was involved in a head-on collision. the hand-hewn terraces would end a centuries- The front end of my car was lost but I was fine. It old way of life for the was a wakeup call for me,” says Mary. “I realized subsistence farmers I wanted to return to the Philippines and do some-

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thing significant for the villagers. I just wasn’t sure what.” Five years later after learning about the abandonment of the rice terraces, this soft-spoken woman had figured out what she wanted to do. “The farmers could no longer make a living and were leaving for economic opportunities elsewhere. They were giving up on growing their rice, which was the center of who these people are. I didn’t have any business background to be of help,” says Mary. “But I knew I wanted to start a small-business initiative with the farmers.” To acquire the needed skills, she enrolled at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont to study social entrepreneurship. Initially in her course work, Mary contemplated a business model based on local handicrafts. She eventually discounted that idea as it did not seem viable considering the international competition. As Mary weighed other options, her memories kept flashing back to the wonderful varieties of rice she had eaten and an intriguing concept began taking shape. “After doing a feasibility study and business plan I realized that growing rice for export had the most possibility of being a sustainable and profitable project for everyone,” notes Mary. “I recognized there was an opportunity to bring their rice to the world because, by then, rice had become a gourmet item. Rice awareness was coming into our culture and I felt there could be a convergence if I could work out the logistics to import the rice. I thought I could make it a high-value product for the farmers so they could earn a living.” Her aim was to create a business in the Philippines that would make money without relying on outside funds for support. Although the follow-through seemed daunting, Mary persisted in designing a business that would eventually be owned and operated by the farmers. “You try to find any resource that will help and do things out of your own scope,” says Mary. “You put aside your own limitations and go for the goal. Nothing happens without going out on a limb.” In 2002, Mary at last returned to her village of Uma to gauge how its 100 inhabitants felt about a business project featuring their heirloom rice. “Although skeptical, the villagers were overwhelmingly interested. They had never sold their rice before but were willing to try. It was a leap of faith for them,” recalls Mary. “I think they were open to the idea because I was known to them.” The plan Mary evolved consisted of a threepronged effort. In the Philippines, she helped form a legal non-profit organization to conduct workshops for the region’s rice farmers to learn the skills for producing a quality product. The non-profit also helps farmers obtain more technical assistance from the government as well as acquire processing machines. In addition, it aids the farmers in organizing themselves into farmer cooperatives and village associations, which consolidate their harvests thereby amassing enough volume for commercial sale. The third part of the plan, marketing and selling the rice, is Mary’s bailiwick. She established a Fair Trade company in America, Eighth Wonder, to accomplish this nationally and internationally. The business is located in Ulm, where she shares processing and warehouse space at Timeless Seeds. Together with the farmers, Mary chose seven types of rice to import under the Eighth Wonder label. Based on taste and eye appeal, the list includes four staple varieties for savory dishes and three sticky varieties typically used in dessert recipes. All are flavorful and aromatic and will not break down or become starchy. They cook in 2025 minutes, which is about half the time it takes

to cook brown rice. Mary imports the rice annually in 25-kilogram bags (about 50 lbs.), which are placed in a shipping container, ocean-freighted from Manila to Seattle, then trucked to Ulm arriving in late fall. Over the past five years, each shipment has ranged from eight to 17 metric tons (2,200 lbs.). Today, you will find Eighth Wonder rice carried by an increasing number of stores in the West, New England, and Canada. In Montana, it is available through the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center (Missoula), 2J’s Fresh Market (Great Falls), the Real Food Store (Helena), and Global Village (Billings). It also can be purchased through Eighth Wonder’s web site, www.heirloomrice.com where you can learn more about the Cordillera Rice Project and its accomplishments. Although still in its early stages, the project has already shown signs of success. The farmers have earned money to help their children stay in high school and attend college, which the older generation hopes will eventually break the cycle of poverty in which they have lived. And in continuing to farm their ancestral terraces, the villagers are preserving their centuries-old traditions along with some of the world’s best-tasting rice. For more information call 406-866-3340 or email heirloomrice@hotmail.com. Suman with Heirloom Tinawon Rice This traditional Filipino dessert has a delicate subtle flavor without being overly sweet. It is reminiscent of rice pudding but not as rich. 1-cup Eighth Wonder Sticky Rice ½-cup Eighth Wonder Tinawon Rice 2¼-cups water pinch of salt 2/3-cup canned coconut milk ½-cup brown sugar ½-teaspoon vanilla Combine sticky rice and regular rice. Vigorously rinse 2-3 times in cold water then drain. In a rice cooker or saucepan, put the rinsed rice, water, and salt. Cook according to rice cooker directions or on low heat for 20-25 minutes in a saucepan that is partially covered. Meanwhile pour coconut milk into another saucepan or wok and bring to a boil. Add brown sugar and stir constantly until the mixture reduces by half volume. Add vanilla. When the rice finishes cooking, stir it well then blend it into the coconut milk mixture. Spread the rice evenly in a wok or return it to the rice cooker and cook it until the rice absorbs more liquid and starts to dry out. You can also do this last step in a large saucepan. Serve warm. MSN

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Mobile Safety Solutions for People on the Go By Jim Miller There are several new emergency help products like Lifeline on the market that give people the flexibility to call for help both inside and outside the home. Here is what you should know. Help Devices - For years, emergency help buttons (also known as personal emergency response systems or PERS) like the Philips Lifeline, Life Alert, and others have been popular home safety products. By pushing a button on a pendant, a person can call a 24-hour help service anytime they need it. But these devices have one major shortcoming. They only work in and around the house. If you are in a distant location and need help, you are out of luck – until recently. Today, several new products and services can help people no matter where they are. One such product is MobileHelp (mobilehelpnow.com, 800-800-1710), which provides many of the same features as a traditional home based emergency help button, but it also has a separate mobile device that can be used to summon help anywhere you go. To call for help, you would simply push a button, and a few seconds later an operator from MobileHelp is on the line to assist. The other great aspect about this device is that it also contains GPS technology that can locate you wherever you are, which is critical in emergencies. The cost for MobileHelp is $40 per month, or $35 per month if paid a year in advance. Another more sophisticated option is ActiveCare’s Personal Assistance Link (activecare.com, 877-219-6628), which provides mobile one-button connection to their 24-hour call center to help with a variety of needs, like calling for emergency services, notifying family, coordinating roadside assistance, providing directions, and much more. This

device also comes with fall detection software that can automatically call for help without pressing the button, GPS locating technology, and it functions like a simplified cell phone so you can make calls. And, for people with dementia, the ActiveCare service lets you set up a virtual zone area that provides notification if the person wanders outside it. This service starts at $59 a month. Also worth a look is the new LifeTrac MobileProtector from SecuraTrac (securatrac.com, 888-973-2872) that provides GPS technology, fall detection software, virtual border alerts, and can operate as a cell phone. And coming in late 2011, a new device from Lifecomm which you can preview at lifecomm.com. GPS Cell Phones - Another way to help stay safe when out and about is a cell phone with a built-in GPS tracking chip – many of today’s phones have them. Contact your cell phone provider to find out if your phone has it or if it can be added. With a GPS-enabled cell phone you can install free tracking software on it (at sites like buddyway.com, glympse.com or google.com/latitude) so you can know a person’s whereabouts via your computer or cell phone. Or, if you are a Sprint, Verizon Wireless, AT&T, or Alltel customer, they all offer family locator services for a fee. If your mom does not have a cell phone, consider the AccuTracking (accutracking.com) “starter kit” that comes with a GPS Boost Mobile prepaid phone for $99, plus $16.50 for monthly service fees. 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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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Donated Wheelchairs Help People Thrive By Tamara Kittelson-Aldred Do you know anyone who has a wheelchair stashed in a basement or garage gathering dust? That chair could bring new life to a person who badly needs it! We at Eleanore’s Project are seeking wheelchairs that are available for donation. Eleanore’s Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation named in memory of our daughter that provides mobility and other adaptive equipment for children with disabilities, promotes alternative communication methods, and provides support and education for families and communities. We also focus on bringing mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, canes,

and walkers to children in resource-limited areas of the world. Any kind of wheelchair, large or small, is welcome. The inmates at the South Dakota State Penitentiary wheelchair workshop do a great job of bringing used equipment back to life. We can offer a tax donation receipt for equipment donated to Eleanore’s Project, and 100 percent of all taxdeductable monetary donations go to direct services for children with disabilities and their families. Please contact me at 406-370-3689 or 406370-4717 or e-mail eleanoresproject@gmail.com if you can offer any equipment for this cause! MSN

How to Save on Long-Term Care Insurance By Jim Miller The biggest factor that keeps millions of Americans from purchasing long-term care (LTC) insurance is the high price tag. Depending on your age, you and your wife could be looking at $8,000 a year (if not more) to purchase a comprehensive policy that covers nursing home care, assisted living and in-home care. Fortunately, there are ways to save and still get adequate coverage. Here are several cost-cutting tips you should know. Buy Young - One of the most basic ways a person can lower their LTC insurance premiums is by purchasing a policy at a younger age. For example, a policy that costs a 55-year-old $2,000 a year in premiums could costs a 65-year-old more than $3,000. Health is another fact that can affect costs. While good health can lower your monthly payments, having a preexisting medical condition can increase your costs, or you may not be able to get insurance at all. Check Your Employer - Some employers offer LTC insurance as an employee benefit that is often 5-10% less expensive that buying a policy on your own. Or, if you or your wife is a current or retired Federal employee, you can get affordable coverage through the Federal LTC Insurance Program (www.ltcfeds.com). Tweak the Policy - The cost of LTC insurance depends greatly on the policy’s provisions. Here are some simple ways to trim your premiums: • Reduce the benefit period: A policy that covers you for two or three years, versus an unlimited benefit, meets the needs for most people and can cut your premiums in half. • Lower the daily benefit: You can get a policy that pays $100, $150, $200 per day, or more, but the higher the benefit, the higher your premium. To figure out how much coverage to get, check out the nursing home prices in the area you plan to be. Then figure out how much of the bill you could shoulder yourself, and choose a benefit that makes up the difference. • Extend the waiting period: Most policies have waiting periods (30, 60, 90 days, or more) that require you to pay out-of-pocket before the policy kicks in. The longer you wait the lower your premium. • Get cheaper inflation protection: Choosing a

policy that offers inflation protection linked to the consumer price index is about 20 to 40 percent cheaper than standard policies that use a 5 percent compound inflation factor. Get State Help - Many states today have a LTC partnership program that can help you save. Under these programs, if you buy a LTC policy approved by your state Medicaid agency, you can protect an amount of assets from Medicaid equal to the benefits that your policy pays out. How does it work? Let’s say you buy a policy that provides $200,000 in benefits (multiply your daily benefit by your benefit period). If you use up all the benefits but still need care, you can shield $200,000 of your assets and still have Medicaid pay your remaining nursing home bills. With this program, you can choose a shorter benefit period, which will lower your premiums. Contact your state insurance department to see if your state offers a program or see www.dehpg.net/ltcpartnership. Add a Supplement - Another option to consider is Uncle Sam’s soon-to-be-established LTC program known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act – see healthcare.gov. Starting in 2013, this program will allow workers to set aside money from their paychecks for five years, in order to receive a cash benefit of at least $50 a day to help pay for LTC services when needed. While CLASS will not cover all your LTC costs, it can work as a nice supplement to a LTC policy allowing you to lower

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your daily benefit and reduce your premiums. Savvy Tips: For more information, visit www. longtermcare.gov. And for assistance in finding and choosing a policy, get a LTC insurance specialist who works with a variety of companies to help. See www.aaltci.org to locate one. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. MSN

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Caregivers, Here’s How To Thrive In The New Year By Lisa M. Petsche Informal caregivers provide practical assistance and enhance the quality of life for older people who might otherwise require placement in a long-term care facility. Typically, they are spouses or adult children, many are seniors themselves. Their role involves physical, psychological, emotional, and financial demands. It is a heavy load, exacerbated by the limited availability of community support services. A common phenomenon is caregiver burnout, due to the physical toll and emotional strain of caring for an ill relative. If you are a caregiver, consider these strategies for not only surviving, but also thriving during the year ahead. Reduce your stress - Learn as much as possible about your relative’s illness and its management, and educate family and friends to help them understand. Knowing what to expect and how to deal with challenges can go a long way to reduce anxiety and foster a sense of control. Accept realities you cannot change and focus instead on those you can influence. Pick your battles; do not make a major issue out of every concern. Use positive self-talk. Emphasize phrases such as “I can,” “I will” and “I choose.” Practice relaxation techniques, starting with deep breathing. Nurture your spirit. Do things that bring inner peace, such as meditating, praying, reading something uplifting, journaling, or listening to soothing music. Create a relaxation room or corner in your home - a tranquil spot you can retreat to in order to rejuvenate. Develop a calming ritual to help you unwind at the end of the day. Avoid watching the news before going to bed. Make healthy lifestyle choices: eat nutritious meals, get adequate rest, exercise, and see your primary physician regularly. Seek ways to streamline your life. Set priorities and do not waste time or energy on unimportant things. Simplify necessary tasks, letting go of the need for perfection. If finances permit, hire a housecleaning service or a personal support worker or companion for your relative, to free up some of your time and energy. Be flexible about plans and expectations. Take things one day at a time.

Minimize contact with negative people. Do not keep problems to yourself - seek support from family members, friends or a counselor. Join a community caregiver support group (some offer concurrent care), or an online (Internet) group if it is hard to get out. Accept offers of help. Ask other family members to share the load. Be specific about the kind of help you need. Also find out about services in your community that may be of help now or in the future. Find out about funding sources that may assist with the cost of prescription medication, medical equipment, transportation to appointments, home health services, and community programs. (Consult the non-profit association related to your relative’s disease.) Take advantage of respite services in your community, such as day-care programs and facilities that offer temporary residential care. (Inquire at your local office on aging.) Increase your joy - Stay connected to people who care, through visits, phone calls, e-mail or letters. Cultivate a healthy sense of humor. Read the comics, watch a TV sitcom now and then, or rent funny movies. Do not take yourself or others too seriously. Do something you enjoy every day, perhaps calling a friend, savoring a cup of tea, reading the newspaper, or engaging in a hobby (revive a former pastime or try something new). Make it a priority, even if all you can manage is 15 minutes at a time. Put together a pamper kit of items that give you a lift – for example, a favorite magazine or CD, scented candles, fragrant shower gel or body lotion, a face mask, foot balm, nail polish, or gourmet coffee or tea – and delve into it when you find your spirits drooping (or better yet, on a regular, preventive basis). Bring a bit of nature into your home: get a plant to nurture or buy fresh flowers every month. Do something nice for someone who is going through a difficult time. It will bring joy to both of you. Create little things to look forward to: a visit with a friend, calling a long-distance loved one, watching a favorite movie, ordering takeout food, buying a book you have been wanting to read, or getting something new to wear. Plan a special outing with or without your

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relative - to a restaurant or perhaps a cultural or sporting event. Focus on the good things in your life, such as supportive relationships, and seek beauty and tranquility through appreciation of art and nature. Learn to live in the moment, enjoying life’s simpler pleasures.

If you think looking out for your own needs is selfish, remember that you can only take good care of your relative if you take good care of yourself. Lisa M. Petsche is a clinical social worker and freelance writer specializing in adult care issues. MSN

By Lisa M. Petsche Research has shown that healthy relationships help maintain physical, mental, and emotional well-being, not only enhancing quality of life but also contributing to longevity. As people age, however, their social network typically diminishes due to retirement, relocation, and friends moving away or passing on. Preoccupation with health issues or caring for an aging relative may also cause relationships to slide, resulting in social isolation. This separation from others can foster loneliness and precipitate depression. Despite life’s changes, it is important to nurture existing relationships and forge new ones – vital sources of pleasure, validation, and practical support. Here are some ideas for how to go about this. Get Busy - Get out around people every day. To combat isolation, join a dinner club, fitness center, or bowling league. Or head to an indoor mall that has a morning walking program. Sign up for an adult education course or lessons that interest you. Be sure to check out available programs at the local senior center or recreation center, as well as those offered by educational institutions. Learning something new will energize you and boost your self-confidence, and you will make new friends in the process. Get involved in your community. Volunteer for a charitable or environmental cause, animal shelter, political campaign, or church ministry. Attend school, workplace, and other types of reunions whenever opportunities arise. Better yet, offer to help organize such an event. You can rekindle some old friendships. Reach Out - Take the initiative and invite friends over. Do not wait for them to call or drop in. Some ideas for activities: Try out a new recipe, watch a movie, work on a challenging jigsaw puzzle, or play card or board games. Organize a weekly coffee time among your friends (at a centrally located coffee shop or rotating in participants’ homes) or a monthly lunch

or dinner date (for example, the first Friday of every month). Keep in touch with out-of-area loved ones though phone calls (find a good long-distance savings plan), letters, e-mail, or instant online

Staying Connected Is Good For Your Health Some Tips To Nurture Relationships And Foster New Ones

messaging. If it is hard to get out or you are shy, meet new people with similar interests through internet social networking sites aimed at seniors. Get to know neighbors. An evening stroll is one way to do this. Another is to volunteer for a neighborhood association or condo board. Do nice things for others, especially those who are going through a difficult time. This takes your mind off your own situation, boosts your selfesteem, and strengthens relationships. If you are recently widowed, join a support group to connect with others who understand what you are going through. Information on relevant groups can be obtained from the local community information service or office on aging. If it is hard to get out or you prefer anonymity, internet message boards, chat rooms, and discussion forums are some alternatives. Further Tips - Get a pet. Cats and dogs provide companionship and affection and give you a sense of purpose. A dog also ensures you will get out of the house. While walking it, you can meet new friends. If you do not have grandchildren or they live far away, find out from your local office on aging if there is an Adopt-a-Grandparent program. Cultivate some solitary pastimes. Hobbies not only enable you to enjoy your own company but also give you something to talk about in social situations. If you live alone and do not like it, consider taking in a boarder, sharing accommodations with a relative or friend, or moving to a senior living community. Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. MSN

If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have time to do something about it. - Anthony D’Angelo

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A young man learns what is most important in life from an old friend Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley It had been some time since Bob had seen the old gentleman. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Bob moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Bob had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.â&#x20AC;? Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bob, did you hear me?â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so long since I thought of him. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,â&#x20AC;? Bob said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget you. Every time I saw him heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ask how you were doing. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d reminisce about the many days you spent over â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;his side of the fenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as he put it,â&#x20AC;? Mom told him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I loved that old house he lived in,â&#x20AC;? Bob said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know, Bob, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence in your life,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one who taught me carpentry,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be in this business if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there for the funeral,â&#x20AC;? Bob said. As busy as he was, he kept his word. Bob

caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belserâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Bob and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Bob paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Bob stopped suddenly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong, Bob?â&#x20AC;? his Mom asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The box is gone,â&#x20AC;? he said â&#x20AC;&#x153;What box?â&#x20AC;? his Mom asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever tell me was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the thing I value most,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Bob said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Bob remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never know what was so valuable to him,â&#x20AC;? Bob said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.â&#x20AC;? It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Bob discovered a note in his mailbox. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three

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days,â&#x20AC;? the note read. Early the next day Bob retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Harold Belserâ&#x20AC;? it read. Bob took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands shook as he read the note inside. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Bob Bennett. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the thing I valued most in my life.â&#x20AC;? A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Bob carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bob, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The thing he valued most was... my time.â&#x20AC;? Bob held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why?â&#x20AC;? Janet, his assistant asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I need some time to spend with my son,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, by the way Janet, thanks for your time!â&#x20AC;? Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away. MSN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

MONTANA SENIOR NEWS PAGE 39

Boomers’ Inheritances – What They Might or Might Not Expect By Tait Trussell While the financial situations of baby boomers have been rocky at best in these recent times of recession - drop in housing values, and government deficits and debt - their future appears brighter, according to a new study by Boston College Center for Retirement Research. The study has a “wow factor” in that it found that boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) will inherit $8.4 trillion in 2009 figures. In fact, boomers have already received about $2.4 trillion. This breaks down to $64,000 per person left as an inheritance. Some will get less; some more. If you are in the boomer category, that does not automatically make most of you a millionaire. But an average of $64,000 is a tidy sum. And the relatively few wealthiest boomers will get an inheritance averaging $1.5 million. At the poorer end, boomers whose folks were not so well off still will receive an average of $27,000, which may be enough to pay cash for a new, inexpensive car. Total household wealth of Americans of all ages (in 2007 figures) stacked up to a hefty $65.9 trillion. This makes boomers’ inheritance a sizeable chunk of the country’s total wealth. In addition, the study says that the boomers have received, or will get, a substantial sum while their generous parents are still alive. This will add to the total assets transferred. The figure will go from $8.4 to a hulking $11.6 trillion. Not all boomers can expect a juicy inheritance, of course. In fact, about a third will not be left any assets from their folks. Sandra Timmerman, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, which commissioned the Boston College study, said, in caution, “Regardless

of the anticipated amount, any prospective inheritance is uncertain. Parents or grandparents who expect to leave a bequest may revise their plans based on fluctuations in asset values. Wealth may be consumed by medical and long-term care costs, or simply by virtue of long life. In short, boomer households should not count on an anticipated inheritance and forego the need for increased financial planning and retirement saving.” That should be apparent to all but greedy goofs licking their lips and planning spending sprees in expectation of a free load from the old folks. Also a warning from Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research a Boston College, “Policymakers should recognize that inheritances are not the silver bullet to achieve retirement security. They should be developing policies and programs to boost Americans’ savings and promote longer work lives. “The matter of inheritance,” she added, “should be a means to generate family discussions about estate planning.” While not everyone is comfortable engaging in this subject, it makes sense to do so - often with the help of a financial adviser who knows estate law. The data for the study were analyzed from the Survey of Consumer Finances, a triennial survey that samples wealthy households. Latest data was available for 2007. Because of the bad economy since 2007, some decisions regarding inheritance may be lower. But in past recessions, the decisions regarding inheritance did not change substantially. Some of the other findings in the study: • Most boomers will get their inheritance - if there is one - late in their middle age, at the death of their surviving parent. The overwhelming majority of inheritances come from parents and goes to

their children - about two-thirds of the inheritances and 74 percent of the money. Only 6 percent got inherited money before they were age 50. Grandparents are the next most common source of dollars. The age of most boomers now being what it is, few of them have living grandparents. But most have at least one living parent. • Only 17 percent of boomers had received an inheritance by 2007, according to the study. But two-thirds eventually will get one. About half or more of all households will receive some bequest. • Households with considerable wealth tend to receive bigger inheritances in dollar terms. But these represent a small share of their total wealth - 22 percent for those in the top 10 percent. This compares to 64 percent for those in the second-to bottom tenth. Inheritances from highest to lowest averaged $335,000 and $8,000. • Considering past inheritances, the median amount boomers have received by 2007 (adjusted for inflation) is about the same as that received by the preceding 1927 to 1945 birth group at the same ages. So things really have not changed that much in the deep feeling of most parents to want to leave something to their children when they die. MSN

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PAGE 40 MONTANA SENIOR NEWS

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

Newest Credit Card Scam – Read Those Receipts Right There, Right Away! By Tait Trussell Nobody wants to carry around a large roll of bills - too much chance of losing your money or getting robbed. That is one reason credit cards were invented. And why so many people now use them. A report several years ago said that those over age 65 increased their credit card debt by 89 percent in a decade. One man reported

that after putting two kids through college and graduate school and paying medical bills for his bedridden wife, he had debt that had spiraled to $180,000. “Everything I could, I charged,” he admitted regretfully. He may never pay off the debt. But that is a very unusual case. Most older people using credit cards are instinctively conservative about money matters and pay off their credit card bills soon after they arrive in the mail. I do, or I am afraid I will put the bill aside and forget about it. An old college friend wrote me recently about a credit card scam he ran into. He warned, “Check your receipt slip before leaving any cashier’s station where you are signing your credit card bill.” Most people just crumple up their customer copy after signing bill. My old friend wrote me he had bought over $150 worth at a store using his credit card. “I glanced at my receipt as the cashier was handing me my bags. I saw on the slip: ‘cash-back of $40.’ I told her I did not request a cash back and to delete it. “She said she couldn’t delete it. So, I told her to call her supervisor. The supervisor came in a few minutes. He said I would have to take it. I said, ‘No. Taking the $40 would be a cash advance against my Discover card and I wasn’t paying interest on a cash advance!’ I told them if they could not delete the $40 cash back, then they would have to delete the whole order. “The supervisor had the cashier delete the whole order and re-scan everything.” The same thing happened a couple of weeks later to the same friend. He said he looked at

the slips before he signed. There was an entry for $20 in cash back. “At that point I told the cashier and she deleted it. The cashier said the electronic pad must be defective. Yeah, right. Obviously the cashier knew the electronic pad was not defective because she never offered me the $20. “Can you imagine how many people went through before and after me and at the end of her shift how much money she pocketed?” My friend said he had asked a few acquaintances regarding similar experiences. One acquaintance said that she had been in another store recently where the cashier had hurried her along and did not immediately give her a credit card receipt. She asked for a receipt and the annoyed clerk did give her the receipt, but the acquaintance did not look at the receipt until she got home. It showed that she had asked for $20 back, which she had not. She called the store, but the store said after investigating it, that they did not see the cashier pocket the money, so there was nothing they could do about it. The acquaintance called a friend at her bank. She was told that this is a new scam. A crooked cashier will key in that you asked for cash back. Then he or she will either pocket the cash or hand it to a friend nearby. When using your credit card make sure to look at your receipt and that it accurately reflects the transaction. Older people might make good targets because we are polite and don’t like to hold up a line of people or bother with looking at the fine print on the credit card receipts. But we certainly should. MSN

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Do You Need To File a Tax Return This Year? By Jim Miller According to the Tax Policy Center, more than half of all Americans age 65 and older will not have to file income tax returns this year mainly because their incomes are under the IRS filing requirements. Here is a breakdown of the 2010 filing requirements along with a few other tax tips you should know.

Filing Requirements - If your gross income is below the IRS filing limits, you probably do not have to file a federal tax return. Gross income includes all the income you receive that is not exempt from tax, not including Social Security benefits, unless you are married and filing separately. You probably do not have to file this year if: • You are single and your 2010 gross income was less than $9,350 ($10,750 if you are 65 or older). • You are married filing jointly and your gross income was under $18,700. If you or your spouse is 65 or older, the limit increases to $19,800. And if you are both over 65, your income must be under $20,900 to not file. • You are head of household and your gross income was below $12,050 ($13,450 if age 65 or older). • You are married filing separately and your income was less than $3,650. • You are a qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child and your gross income was less than $15,050 ($16,150 if age 65 or older). Required Filing - You also need to be aware that there are some special financial situations that require you to file a tax return, even if your gross income falls below the IRS filing requirement. For example, if you had net earnings from self-employment in 2010 of $400 or more, or if you owe any special taxes to the IRS such as alternative minimum tax or IRA tax penalties, you will probably need to file.

To figure this out, the IRS offers a page on its Web site called Do You Need to File a Federal Income Tax Return? that includes a list of financial situations and a series of questions that will help you determine if you’re required to file, or if you should file (if you’re due a refund). You can access this page at www.doyouneedtofile.info, or you can get help over the phone by calling the IRS helpline at 800-829-1040. Check Your State - Even if you are not required to file a federal tax return this year, it does not necessarily mean you are also excused from filing state income taxes. Check on that with your state tax agency before concluding you are entirely in the clear. For links to state and local tax agencies see taxadmin.org – click on “Links.” Tax Prep Help - If you do need to file a tax return, contact an accountant or you can get help through the IRS sponsored Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). This program provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low income taxpayers age 60 and older. Call 800829-1040 to locate a service near you. Also check with AARP, a participant in the TCE program that provides free tax preparation at more than 7,000 sites nationwide. To locate an AARP Tax-Aide site call 888-227-7669 or visit www.aarp.org/money/ taxaide. Send your 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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The Greek Pastry Shop #1 Gyro: A Yummy Missoula Tradition For Over Thirty Years Article and Photo by Gail Jokerst It is a good thing for Missoulians that Greeks take their food seriously. Otherwise, The Greek Pastry Shop/#1 Gyro would never have opened its doors. And that means Garden City residents would not have been among the first people of the West to discover the pleasure of eating foods with names that sounded as foreign as their flavors. Foods such as gyros, spanakopita, baklava, and souvlaki. Today, those words are as familiar as huckleberry pie and chickenfried steak to Montanans who crave Mediterranean fare. But thirty years ago, they were hardly household words in the Treasure State, unless the household happened to consist of people claiming a Hellenic heritage. The story of The Greek Pastry Shop/#1 Gyro, (pronounced yeer-oh) which is one and the same business, harks back to the early 1970s. That is when a food-loving émigré from Greece, Elias Demonakos, realized he would rather earn his living by making and selling Greek pastries on University of Montana street corners than by farming in Hamilton. “My uncle thought, ‘There’s got to be an easier way to make money,’ so he turned to what he loved best, Greek food,” says Maria Tsakarestos, who has worked in this landmark restaurant most of her life and carries on her uncle’s baking legacy. Elias’ sidewalk offerings developed a following among students, professors, and foodies for two reasons: they were kind to customers’ wallets and most importantly, the exotic flavors tasted wonderful to Big Sky palates. His menu consisted of sweet and savory pastries made with flaky phylo dough. Using family recipes, Elias prepared traditional Greek fare such as spanakopita (spinach-feta cheese pie) and baklava (a

cinnamon-scented dessert layered with chopped walnuts and drenched in a honey sauce), which could be devoured on the run. Sales proved so encouraging, he decided to open a restaurant where he could expand his repertoire to include a new sandwich on the culinary scene that had garnered national interest - the gyro. For the uninitiated, gyros contain pieces of spicy rotisserie-cooked meat bundled together in warm pita (pocket) bread along with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. A generous dollop of tangy garlic-cucumber yogurt sauce adds the finishing touch. The meat is sliced from manufactured cones of pre-seasoned minced beef and lamb that have been pressed together. As the cones roast vertically, they revolve around a heating element, which explains how the sandwich received its name. In Greek, gyro means “spin.” Although it resembles a roast on a spit, the gyro cone is - in theory - closer to a MacDonald’s hamburger than a slow-cooked leg of lamb. Because the sandwiches could be prepared quickly once the meat was cooked, gyros were deemed fast food. Seemingly overnight, they found a niche with thrifty diners craving a taste sensation beyond quarter pounders. “There were no gyros in Missoula back

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in the seventies. There probably weren’t any in Montana. So my uncle went to Chicago’s Greektown, where the gyro cones were manufactured, to learn more about them and to see if he could bring the gyro to Missoula,” says Maria. “He bought a house on South 5th West, lived in the back, and put the restaurant in front. The restaurant has never moved and never will. Nothing has changed since then. We still use the same menu and recipes.” Today, the Greek Pastry Shop/#1 Gyro is as much a family affair as when Elias started the business. Maria’s daughter, Demetra, and her son-in-law, Eftychios, now own and manage the eatery. Maria does the baking along with her mother, Voula. Everyone else in the family pitches in, too. After school gets out, Demetra and Eftychios’s 17-year-old son, John, deftly takes orders and operates the cash register while his aunt, Christina, fixes sandwiches and salads alongside Demetra and Eftychios. Maria’s husband, Stavros, handles the behind-the-scenes prep work. Despite having spent her life in the restaurant business, Demetra still finds things that surprise her - such as the degree of her customers’ loyalty. “In the summer, the door doesn’t close. People will wait 20 minutes in line to place their order and then tell me, ‘It’s worth it. No problem.’ Some customers come every day for lunch,” notes Demetra. “It makes you feel good, like you’re doing something right. I grew up hearing the words, ‘If you’re going to have a successful business, cook as if you were presenting the food to your family.’ And that’s what we continue to do.” What hasn’t surprised Demetra is the consistent popularity of gyros and baklava and the business’s expansion into catering. Regulars request pans of spanakopita to feed company or dozens of kourabiethes (Greek

sugar cookies) to celebrate Christmas. One woman even orders ingredients so she can assemble gyros at home for family gatherings or take them with her as a nostalgic taste of Missoula when she visits her children. Customers who frequent The Greek Pastry Shop/#1 Gyro will tell you they feel like part of a big extended family when eating there. Teeming with tempting aromas and filled with people of all ages, the cozy restaurant reminds you of sitting at the kitchen table of a favorite aunt or grandma, who also happens to be a fabulous cook. As might be expected, when members of the same family work side by side at a fast pace, conversations can become intense at times. “We talk with our hands and yell at each other but never take criticism personally. This business may be hectic but it’s also fun,” says Demetra, who sees the restaurant as an extension of her home kitchen. “It’s a family place. Everyone knows us we’ve been here so long. Some of our clientele have been eating here for 30 years and now they bring their kids.” Even customers who do not personally know members of the family are acquainted with their faces. Recently, Eftychios was driving in an unfamiliar part of town searching for a business to repair a motor part. As he lowered his window to ask for directions, the person he stopped recognized him instantly. Coincidentally, the man was eating one of Eftychios’s gyros. “He waved it in the air,” recalls Eftychios, “and said, ‘Good gyro, man.’ Then he gave me directions.” Like most Greek males, Eftychios adores the cuisine of his native country and takes pride in sharing its delights with others. “Greek men love to enjoy life, be happy, and have a good time. That is why they go into the restaurant business. They love food and love to eat. It is just like sex, the same kind of pleasure. But it has to be good food,” he adds with a smile, “not just any food.” The Greek Pastry Shop/#1 Gyro, 520 South 5th West, is open weekdays from 11:00 to 8:00 and Saturdays from 11:00 to 5:00. For more information, call 406-543-6843. MSN

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Marietta Pfister Has A Heart As Big As A River

By Gail Jokerst (BHCC) into the picture to act as the sponsoring To look at Marietta Pfister, you would not peg organization. It consists of concerned locals, who this Bonner great-grandmother as an activist. But were willing to spearhead the campaign to spruce whenever Marietta starts talking about keeping up 15 miles of the Blackfoot. the Blackfoot River litter-free, you sense the steel When the various parties met to plan the first behind her words, see the resolve in her eyes, and cleanup in 2004, it became clear that aside from know this woman could galshore-walkers, volunteers vanize an army of volunteers. on and in the water would People just cannot seem to also be needed to retrieve tell her “no.” trash. Fortunately when A former swimming inD-Day arrived, singles and structor, Marietta describes couples of all ages as well herself as someone who, as family groups stepped “needs to be near water.” That forward to assist. On that explains in part why in 1987 Saturday in July, 81 particishe and husband, Robert, pants collected over 2,200 chose a secluded peaceful bottles and aluminum cans tract of land along the shores before tucking into a free of the Blackfoot to build their barbecue lunch. house. The Pfisters were as Since then, Marietta’s drawn to the elk, moose, and campaign has attracted an eagles that shared this lovely average of 142 participants setting as they were to the annually including snorkelrelaxing channel of water flowers and scuba divers, rafing by the place that was to ters and kayakers, waders become their home-site. and walkers. This diverse As many Montanans know, coalition has retrieved an the Blackfoot has historical, impressive mountain of cultural, and recreational sigtrash - 15,760 aluminum [Photo by B. James Jokerst] nificance to this state. Captain cans and 2,588 bottles Meriwether Lewis came up the top the roster followed by some 800 lost shoes, Blackfoot eight miles from Travelers’ Rest with part sunglasses, inner tubes, of the Corps of Discovery on his return trip from the and hats plus an occaWest coast. About a century later, the Blackfoot sional discarded car batserved as the water transport system for logs cut in tery and television set. the Potomac Valley that were floated downstream Incidentally, one good to the mill at Bonner. And in the 1930s, the Blackthing does result from foot was the setting for Norman Maclean’s famous those nasty cans: they novella, A River Runs Through It. get recycled. The money “This is a beautiful river and I like to keep it obtained, which averthat way. But when I began to notice inner tubers ages $60-$100 annually, throwing their empty cans in the water, it made me goes to the Potomacangry,” recalls Marietta, who had no qualms about Greenough Volunteer scolding offenders and telling them to pick up their Fire Department. trash. As more and more people swam, floated, From the start, Mariand fished the Blackfoot, Marietta witnessed the etta has been grateful for lingering evidence of their passage amassing at the important role both an alarming rate. FWP and the BLM have “I called Helena to check with the Environplayed in the cleanup. mental Protection Agency asking them what to do “FWP provides about getting rid of the trash,” remembers Marietta. maps, porta-potties, At that time, in 2003, she was finding 20 beer and large plastic garbage pop cans per weekend as she watched the litter bags, as well as rafts pile-up in real time. “They suggested I contact Monand oarsmen, who know tana Fish Wildlife & Parks (FWP). People there the river. The University were sympathetic and encouraged me to start a of Montana and the BLM grass roots effort. Then I discovered the Bureau have also contributed of Land Management (BLM) also wanted to help. rafts. They got involved because they manage a lot of land adjacent to the river and work closely with FWP to help manage the recreation corridor.” Since these two government agencies could not donate money to private individuals, Marietta brought the nonprofit Blackfoot Home and Community Club

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The BLM has helped in other ways, too,” adds Marietta. “They pay for the barbecue lunch and contribute the mesh bags available to people who float the river. Since the bags are free, that encourages people to take one along with them and keeps them conscious of why the bags are there.” Currently the mesh bags are found at 48 locations around Missoula such as tire, sporting goods, and grocery stores. They can be filled with beverages and attached to anything that floats downstream to keep the cans cold. Afterwards, the bags serve as receptacles for the empties rather than the river. “People need to realize they have to pick up after themselves. The BHCC hopes that through this river cleanup people will become more aware of the use and abuse of the river,” states Marietta. “We want them to realize what a wonderful resource we have in it, not only fisheries but recreation and wildlife, too.” By all accounts, the Blackfoot Cleanup Day has been so successful it has become a model for other Montana communities. “Regular river users are mostly the ones who want to do something about the river and come to clean. But after our third year of doing this, we noticed people from other areas in the state were participating to learn about the organization and how to bring something similar to their communities,” says Marietta. “We’ve become a poster child of cooperation for government agencies and serve as an example of an effective collaboration of community efforts.” Aside from the reward of seeing the Blackfoot

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looking tidier, Marietta said other benefits have resulted. “People on the river are more polite,” she has observed. “There isn’t as much rowdy behavior as there used to be.” It seems fitting that Marietta, who was a professional educator, has discovered creative ways to involve children and teenagers in her campaign. She has recruited wood shop teachers at Hellgate High School to get students to build new stands to hold the mesh bags. And she has contacted Girl and Boy Scout troops willing to help string those bags. In addition, she has inspired Potomac students between second and eighth grades to take part in an art contest with the winning entries used to advertise each year’s cleanup. “We want to educate students to realize the importance of taking care of our world. More than just picking up trash,” explains Marietta, “it’s changing the mind set of people. We want to instill a sense of stewardship in people starting with kids. After all, Cleanup Day is not just about this one day. It’s about the education of people to keep this world beautiful.” Anyone interested in assisting with this year’s cleanup has only to appear at Johnsrud Park in Bonner, along the Blackfoot and register on the fourth Saturday of July. Rafters and scuba divers should be there by 8 a.m.; everyone else should arrive by 9 a.m. Besides a free lunch, participants are given a map, a section of the river to monitor, and an opportunity to make new friends. Not a bad deal for volunteers or the Blackfoot River. For more information, call 406-244-5442. MSN

Vacationers Without Guidebooks - continued from cover them. When I found a new plant, I’d try to figure out if it was edible. The book, Stalking The Wild Asparagus, fascinated me for a long time.” Not surprisingly, both ended up becoming geologists. A professor in the University of Montana’s Geosciences Department, Steve specializes in geophysics, which he teaches part-time. Researching relics and ruins buried under the surface of the earth, which melds his interest in geophysics with archaeology, takes up the rest of his week. Chris works for the Clark Fork Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Clark Fork River Basin. As its science director, she has focused on Superfund related issues such as permanent cleanup of mining impacted areas within the watershed.

The couple met in 1984 when Steve was a new professor at the university, Chris was a graduate student, and both were training for a marathon. One of their first dates was a 35-mile run around Glacier National Park’s Apgar Range to prepare for the race. The outing also gave them an opportunity to watch for eagles, which at one time flocked by the hundreds to the park’s McDonald Creek to feed on spawning salmon. “Everybody was jawboning about the eagles back then. We saw dozens of them,” recalls

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Steve. “It was cool.” Afterwards, when the couple wanted less strenuous dates, they mountain biked trails and dirt roads for six-to-eight hour stretches. “I think I was more tired after the bike rides on our ‘rest dates’ than I was on our running dates,” laughs Steve. Although they often vacation together, Steve and Chris also have taken separate trips accompanied by friends who share their passion for the outdoors. In 2003, Chris flew overseas to participate in an annual weeklong event popular with Europeans - cross-country skiing from the Russian border to the Swedish border. “It wasn’t a race and sounded like fun. Four friends came with me and we slept in everything from old schoolhouses heated with wood to nice hotels with furnaces. Wherever we went there was a sauna,” recollects Chris, who appreciated the relaxing dry heat after covering 60-70 kilometers (about 37–43 miles) daily. “At 46, I was one of the younger ones and I couldn’t keep up with the rest, who were much older. It was exhausting but fun.” Another time, Steve and Chris headed to Baffin Island for separate vacations. Steve climbed rock walls with colleagues in spectacular fjord country. Chris kayaked with friends on a wildlife tour eventually spotting polar bears, three species of whales, and Arctic foxes. “From one Eskimo village to the next we

never saw anyone and there were 200 miles between villages,” says Chris. “I like northern places and that certainly was northern.” Closer to home, they both make time to crosscountry ski up the Rattlesnake Recreational Corridor. Tackling that 16-mile loop on weekdays, they typically see more wildlife than people. Bicycling remains another favorite activity, whether they are pedaling around nearby hills and valleys or on extended routes for charity drives. “A couple of summers ago we did a 130-mile bike ride around the Pioneers in one day to support Camp Mak-A-Dream. Between us, we raised $1,000. Finding these kinds of events keeps me going,” says Chris. “They’re for good causes and give me something to look forward to. And since they aren’t competitive, they’re fun. There’s lots of camaraderie.” Although they have toned down their outdoor pursuits since that early Glacier Park running date, Steve and Chris are by no means ready to stop pushing their limits and encourage others to stay active. “As you get older, the level of things you do changes. Now I get to do easier things. Even though we’re adapting, it’s still rewarding. Whatever stage of life you’re at, remember to do more. If you don’t, you’re hosed,” says Steve. “Stand up and put your socks on. My mom always said, ‘It’s better now than it’s going to be.’ I’ll wait to go fishing when I get old.” MSN

A Reader’s Paradise: The Book Exchange By Gail Jokerst When Mark Twain wrote, “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” he could just as aptly have been referring to the demise of hand-held books as to his own life. In this era of audio and eBooks, blogs and sound bites, words on paper might seem passé. However, according to Rebecca “Becky” Haddad, who co-owns and manages The Book Exchange in Missoula, bibliophiles need not fear. The future of paperbacks and hardcovers looks promising, indeed - at least in the Garden City. “Missoula is a town of readers. We have a very literate populace. A lot of professionals, writers, and artists, who could live anywhere, choose to live in Missoula because it’s such a beautiful place and they tend to be readers,” explains Becky, who stocks everything from toddlers’ board books, to dictionaries, cookbooks, fiction, and non-fiction titles. “People of every age need something to read and that’s why we’ve developed into a familyoriented store.” A lifelong reader herself, Becky started The Book Exchange in 1979, two years after she and her husband, Nabil, moved here so he could teach psychology at the University of Montana. Although Becky initially took a job at the Missoula Public Library, before long she began thinking about opening her own bookstore.

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Prior to relocating in the West, she had worked who has watched the business blossom from as an acquisitions librarian at the University of a 1,200-square-foot to an 11,000-square-foot Oklahoma, where she purchased and processed enterprise. Along the way, she has amassed an scholarly books. Whenever she found time to pur- inventory of more than 175,000 books along with a sue recreational reading, Becky headed not to the well-deserved reputation as one of the best places stacks of academia but to a local used bookstore in the state to find the works of Montana authors. that had become a favorite haunt. “People notice the number of fabulous Mon“They sold trade-ins at half price and gave tana writers - past and present - that we have in you a quarter of the original the store and look for price in trade credit so you them: James Lee Burke, could trade paperbacks for Dorothy Johnson, Rick other used paperbacks,” Bass, and Jamie Harrecalls Becky, whose literrison. Plus, we listen ary tastes lean towards to what our customers settings that are not here are asking for. That has and now. “I prefer historihelped us create a discal works, science fiction, tinctive blend of books and foreign authors,” she based on our clientele,” clarifies, “that lets me essays Becky. “We can cape everyday existence customize to our market, into someone else’s life in which is an advantage another time and place.” independent bookstores Since she had found have over the chains.” the book-swap idea so As an example, appealing, Becky decided Becky points to Tears to base her business on of Darkness, a book the same premise. Though about the Bataan Death she eventually took the March. This bestseller concept one step further contains illustrations by expanding into selling drawn by a Montanan, new books from publish- [Photo by B. James Jokerst] Ben Steele, who ening house remainders. By listed during WWII and purchasing large numbers of top-quality books at took part in the infamous trek. After Steele gave reduced costs, she could pass along the savings a collection of his Bataan Death March drawings to her customers. and paintings to the University of Montana, Tears From the beginning, The Book Exchange was a of Darkness created a swell of interest within the family-run operation. Becky’s in-laws have always Missoula community. Not surprisingly, The Book been silent partners, helping to finance the start- Exchange placed and sold a large order for the up. Her husband, Nabil, has built bookcases and books that they prominently displayed along with an displays and currently helps however he is needed article from The Missoulian about Steele’s donation and his teaching schedule permits. In addition, the to the University. couple’s two sons, Rami and Ian, also work in the Like other bookstore owners, Becky also ocstore. casionally brings in authors for book signings. The “We’ve grown with Missoula,” explains Becky, best turnout she ever (Continued on page 55)

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Asaph Adonai, the Liberace of Missoula By Bernice Karnop with a common last name, he was mixed up with A man walks into a supermarket to purchase others when he went to establish credit or other toilet paper. A woman with flour on her apron critical things. asks him to sit down and “Names are just play a tune on a piano names, but I had to stored temporarily in the come up with a name establishment. that was so different It sounds like a joke, that people would but it’s not. The punch know it was me,” he line is that Asaph Adoinsists. He searched nai played September through the Bible and 26, at the Patty Creek discovered the name Market in Missoula, Asaph, a musician and the shoppers and credited with writing management loved it. several of the Psalms. They invited him back “It was just perfect,” he and now neither he nor says. the piano is considered Asaph has been temporary. You’ll find in Montana 14 years him most days in the and in Missoula nearbakery aisle, serving ly three years. Misup Liberace-style amsoulians who have biance, complete with not seen him at the one of his trade-mark keyboard in the sucandelabra. permarket can enjoy The 52-year old his music at Finn and California native likes Porter Restaurant in playing in the off-beat [Photo courtesy of Asaph Adonai] the Double Tree Edgevenue. “Being a musiwater Hotel or perhaps cian I have done things at the Country Club. most people don’t get to do,” he says. KPAX television news did a story on the suHe decided to be a professional musician permarket gig and someone sent a copy to the when he was playing trumpet in the high school Ellen DeGeneres show. Who knows? Montanans band. He later studied at the San Francisco might see the supermarket musician next on Conservatory and under “Bumps” Blackwell, Little national television. Richard’s manager. “God seems to work things out,” he says with Over the years he’s a smile that lights up the room. performed in ordinary Asaph recently produced a CD titled Lean venues like hotels, art on Me Jeannie Marie. The music, played in the galleries, at church wed- Billings Hotel lobby on a Steinway concert grand dings, and with bands in piano from MSU-Billings, includes a combination Las Vegas. He played for of classic, popular music, and hymns. Asaph says local children’s television people will like the selection of songs played in and played with the Sal- a classical style. vation Army band for 12 “I play everything from Burt Bacharach to years. Because people Beethoven,” he says. were more generous to “You have to have the right people in your a man playing Christ- life when you are doing things of this caliber,” he mas songs on the trum- says, and he’s proud to acknowledge them on pet than those ringing the CD wrapper. He admits he could not have bells at Salvation Army’s done it without the help of Margie Steffes who Christmas Holiday red designed the cover that includes beautiful photos kettle, he was nominated of Missoula as well as pictures of Asaph and the for a Jefferson Award for piano, Jamie Sowre, and others. community service. “I am fortunate to have the right people in my In 2005, he spent life,” Asaph humbly admits. “These are people three days playing in who would smile if I make the national scene.” the Montana State CapiYou can pick up a copy of Lean on Me Jeannie tol rotunda during the Marie at Morganroth Music in Missoula or order legislative session and it by writing Asaph Adonai, 707 Southwest Highas had the privilege of gins Avenue, #107, Missoula, MT 59803. Cost meeting Governor Sch- of the CD is $15, which includes postage and weitzer. handling. His email address is asaphadonai@ Asaph started life yahoo.com. MSN as Charlie. Combined

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Classic DVDs For Your Entertainment Pleasure By Mark Fee As a film critic for many years, I have become increasingly disillusioned with the flood of bad films from Hollywood. Many, including action, comedy, and other genres, lack character and script development, while many remakes like the recent Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) and Steve Martin’s Pink Panther films (2006, 2009) are inept. By contrast, the 1959 Journey to the Center of the Earth with James Mason, Pat Boone, and Arlene Dahl was sensational with astonishing special effects, a sinister soundtrack, and great acting. The earlier film was nominated for three Oscars, while the recent remake required 3D glasses, felt like a roller coaster ride of cheap special effects, and didn’t even have a villain. The Pink Panther films directed by Blake Edwards with Peter Sellers (1964-1981) were howlingly funny and included Henry Mancini’s unforgettable music. The Steve Martin films pale by comparison. There are many great films from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s available on DVD and worth picking up at your local video store. Since humor is healthy, rent the following four comedies - they will have you doubled over in laughter. I dare you to frown! Double dare! The remake of The In Laws (2003) with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks was strained and pretentious. But the original (1979) with Alan Arkin and Peter Falk is priceless and side-splittingly funny. Falk plays a mysterious government agent whose son is about to marry Arkin’s daughter. Arkin is a successful New York dentist and distrusts Falk, who visits Arkin’s office and asks Arkin for help with a small job. Arkin is almost killed helping Falk. Falk kidnaps Arkin and flies him to an island off South America for another strange mission. Will they make it back in time for the marriage? This movie proves that laughter is indeed the best medicine, with both Arkin and Falk devastatingly funny. Rated PG with three stars. In The Party (1968) Peter Sellers plays an incompetent Indian (India) actor who is mistakenly invited to a party given in honor of the producer who fired him. The party is hilarious from beginning to end. The actor is not used to Western culture or habits and makes numerous mistakes, but the guests are amused and tolerate his blunders, which go from bad to worse, including stumbling into the producer’s bathroom and discovering toilet paper, which he has never seen before. Blake Edwards (The Great Race, 1964) directs with a deft hand, and Sellers is even funnier than he was in A Shot in the Dark (1964). NR (Not rated) with 3.5 stars. In Eight on the Lam (1967), Bob Hope plays a banker, who is mistakenly accused of embezzlement after he finds money outside a grocery store. Bob is a single parent who needs the money for a family vacation. Phyllis Diller, as the family cook, is convinced Hope stole the money. Jonathan Winters, Diller’s boyfriend and the local sheriff, wants to nab him. In one very funny scene, Diller accidentally gives Bob, the family dog’s dinner. The dog growls, and while Hope keeps a straight face, you will not. Eight on the Lam is a sleeper - one of Hope’s last truly funny films. Shirley Eaton (Goldfinger, 1964) is Bob’s love interest and so is the stunning Jill St. John (Tony Rome, 1967) NR (Not rated) with three stars. In The Fortune Cookie (1966), Jack Lemmon is filming a Cleveland Browns game when he is bowled over by a Browns star and suffers a concussion. His brother in law (Walter Matthau) is an unscrupulous lawyer and sees the possibility for big money. Lemon is outraged at the scheme, but Matthau uses Lemon’s ex-wife, with whom Lemon is still in love, to convince Lemon he has Lemon’s best interests at heart. This was Lemon and Matthau’s first film together and is a classic and extremely funny movie - even more hilarious than The Odd Couple (1968). Rated PG with 3.5 stars. Yes, it is true. There is not a frown in the bunch! MSN

Happy Valentine’s Day February 14th

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Where Are They Now? – Richard Kiel By Marshall J. Kaplan The menacing character actor best known for his role as the James Bond villain, “Jaws” is still menacing in height, but don’t let that scare you, as he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet! Richard Kiel was born on September 13, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. After reaching his tremendous height of 7’ 2”, Richard headed out to Hollywood to see what heights he could reach. A smart move on his part, as acting roles proved to be abundant. Richard made his acting debut in the 1960 on the television Western Laramie. Then came his film debut in the 1962 cult film, Eegah! Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Kiel appeared on almost every television show. His most famous television appearance was the lead in The Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man. His most famous film role during this period was as one of the prisoner football players in the 1974 Burt Reynolds hit The Longest Yard. In 1977, Kiel was cast as The Incredible Hulk - starring in both the original two, made-for-TV movies. However, after filming, the producers felt that the Hulk should be more muscular and buff, rather than tall. Kiel was then re-cast by Lou Ferrigno. Kiel has no regrets about this decision, “Lou getting the role and me losing it was great

for both of us. I went on to be cast as Jaws in the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and earned international fame. It really worked out for both of us.” Kiel was now a huge star (pardon the pun). He recreated the role of Jaws in another James Bond film, Moonraker (1979) – again starring opposite Roger Moore. In 1992, Kiel suffered a head injury in a car accident, which affected his equilibrium. Today, he gets around with the use of a cane and scooter. A new generation of fans found Richard through his role as Mr. Larson in the Adam Sandler golf film, Happy Gilmore. Today, after so many years as a supporting player, Kiel has been cast as the lead in a sci-fi trilogy of films, “I love this character. There is something really secretive about him!” Upon meeting this on-screen menacing character, one quickly realizes that Richard Kiel is one of the sweetest and most eloquent men you could ever know. Kiel’s words of wisdom? “To be loved is important. But to love is equally important in life especially when combined with taking action to do something for someone and making their life better.” Richard Kiel is definitely walking tall! MSN

Riding into History By Susan Carlbom WANTED: Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. One hundred eighty-three men answered ads like this one from an 1860s California newspaper soliciting riders for the Pony Express. Most were in their 20s; the youngest was 11, the oldest in his mid 40s. Not many were orphans. They usually weighed around 120 pounds. April 3 marks the anniversary of the short-lived (April 3, 1860, to late October 1861), financially disastrous endeavor known as the Pony Express. The founders, William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William Waddell, were already partners in the Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, one of the largest freighting companies in the west. Their main purpose in the venture was to provide the fastest mail delivery between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. In addition, they hoped to draw public attention to the central route in the hope of gaining the million-dollar government mail contract. Other routes were the water route from New York to San Francisco and across Panama by pack mule and the Southern or Butterfield route from St. Louis and Memphis

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to El Paso to Los Angeles to San Francisco. The logistics involved were monumental. Preparation began in late 1859. The 2,000-mile route was to connect St. Joseph and Sacramento via the present day states of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado (NE corner), Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. Departures were scheduled once a week from April 3 to mid-June 1860, then twice a week from mid-June to late October 1861. Departures were from both the east and the west. There were approximately 165 stations and 400 horses. Riders got a fresh horse every 1015 miles. New riders took over every 75 to 100 miles. Horses traveled an average of 10 miles per hour. Riders were paid $100 per month. The cost of the mail was $5 per ½ ounce at the beginning, and by the end of the Pony Express, the price had dropped to $1 per ½ ounce. Johnny Fry was the first westbound rider from St. Joseph. Billy Hamilton was the first eastbound rider from Sacramento. “Pony Bob” Haslam who rode 370 miles due to a lack of riders achieved the longest ride. Keep in mind what these young fellows faced. The terrain was remote and infested with hostiles. For instance, the Paiute Indians who lived in present day Nevada and Utah were mad about the white settlers killing all the antelope on their land so they started raiding the Pony Express stations. Sixteen people were killed, including one of the riders. Because of this, operations were suspended for three weeks. It cost the company $75,000 to get the horses up and running again. Financially, the owners spent $700,000 on

the Pony Express and had a $200,000 deficit. They failed to get the million-dollar mail contract because of political pressures and the outbreak of the Civil War. On the positive side, they did improve communication between east and west and proved that the central route could be traveled all winter. Their efforts supported the route for the transcontinental railroad and kept the communication open to California at the beginning of the Civil War. As with many jobs today, the Pony Express bit the dust because of advanced technology. The telegraph established instant communication between the East and West on October 24, 1861, and the Pony Express closed operations two days later. Even though its time in history was brief, the Pony Express captured the hearts and the imagination of people all over the world. Among the colorful riders was 15-year-old William “Wild Bill” Cody who went on to fame with his Wild West Show. Branded into our collective minds is the image of the lone rider racing across the desolate plains on horseback. Suggested reading: • Benson, Joseph: The Traveler’s Guide to Pony Express, Helena, Montana: Falcon Press, 1995 • Beggs, W.S. and Nathan, M.C.: the Pony Express, Collector’s Handbook no. 15, New York: Theodore E. Steinway Memorial Publication Fund, 1962 • Dunlop, Richard: Great Trails of the West, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1971 MSN

When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house someday. - Congolese Proverb

A Reader’s Paradise: The Book Exchange (Continued from page 49) had for a signing came about in an unusual yet appropriate way considering her market. A customer had traded in a copy of one of paleontologist Jack Horner’s books that happened to bear an inscription penned by the author to his parents. When it was brought to Becky’s attention by an alert employee, she contacted Dr. Horner to ask if he wanted the book returned. He did. So she mailed it to him as a gift and soon afterwards, he contacted her offering to do a signing. With lines stretching out the door and scores of customers waiting for their own personal inscriptions, it was the best author-event the store has ever held. By studying the history of her sales, paying attention to customer requests, and catering to their eclectic tastes, Becky knew instinctively that her clientele would adore getting to meet the famous scientist. She has learned not only what Montanans like to read but also which authors will never fade into the literary sunset. Here are her takes on several famous storytellers: Contemporary authors such as Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts, and James Patterson provide the store’s “bread-and-butter sales,” according to Becky. But they are by no means the only mega-stars. “Louis L’Amour is the mainstay of all westerns, now and forever. Like Agatha Christie, he is a perennial seller. They’re both authors that will never go out of style, out of demand, or go unread,” says Becky. “When people bring in used paperbacks, we go through them carefully and only take books to resell that are in good condition. But for these two authors, or other high-demand authors, we don’t need to be quite as picky.” Other top-sellers from the past include Jane Austen, of whom Becky says, “We can hardly keep her in stock” and Charles Dickens, “who always sells well, especially at Christmastime.” Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald continue to be popular with those readers

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who prefer a sparse writing style. “They expressed ideas in their most basic forms, honing down the language to get straight to the truth,” remarks Becky. “They brought you into their stories without making readers conscious of them drawing attention to themselves as writers.” In describing what makes a small business successful, Becky says the formula remains the same no matter what is for sale. She would encourage anyone who is considering opening a new business to ask the following questions: • “How convenient is it? People’s time is limited so your store must be easy to get to with plenty of parking.” • “Is what you have to sell of the best possible quality? Quality trumps price anytime, though merchandise must be priced right. People will pay more for better quality so you have to get the best.” • “Are you displaying things so people can find what they need? Are the shelves neat, clean, and organized?” • “Is your staff well-trained and customer-friendly? Can they make recommendations and help people find what they want? Happy customers will promote your business by word of mouth. That’s the best advertising ever.” For more information, call 406-728-6342 or visit www.booksmontana. com. MSN

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Bigots laugh if y’all drawl By Bill Hall We socially twitchy human beings tend to judge other people not only by the color of their skin but also by the weird accent of their voice. I know a man who speaks upper-crust English in an accent similar to England’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair. But he is a man of ordinary interests, no smarter than most of us. However, his accent makes some people think the guy is a genius. We rarely experience that accent around here. And when we hear it on television, it is often some brainy British politician or philosopher. So we equate that accent with smart people, regardless of whether they are intelligent or not. On the other hand, former Presidents Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush - two men with down-home Texas accents - sound like uneducated hicks to my bigoted ear. But sounding like a hick and being one, y’all, is not the same. Bush the younger may have been a bit slow in comparison with other presidents, but he had more education than I and most other people have. In fact, Bush is a Yale history graduate with an MBA from Harvard. Mind you, I will not quibble with those who say he diminished his potential with a lot of lazy partying as a young man. And you may well doubt his world judgment. But a truly stupid person could not get through those two schools, no matter how much clout Daddy had. Speaking of Daddy, George Bush the elder, originally from New England, a place where the accents fall softly on the ears of people like me. To western ears, Daddy sounded like a classy, well-educated man, whereas Junior - through no fault of his own - sounds like an untutored Texan. So did Lyndon Johnson - so much so that he was known as Colonel Cornpone. He was a well-read and educated former classroom teacher, but he sounded like a backwoodsman to people outside Texas. During the Vietnam War, he appeared on television and said, “Ah come before yew with a heavy hort.” He also came before us with a heavy Texas accent. I do not know how I sound to a Texan, but there is no fairness in people’s perceptions of accents. I think maybe people around here sound like Walter Cronkite, the iconic CBS anchor whose Midwestern speech pattern has been beatified by network television. But bigotry against pronunciation is puzzling. John Kennedy may have butchered Standard English words (Cuba becomes Cuber and America becomes Americker), but there was something about his delivery that made him sound like a deep thinker. His resonant, slightly Irish-sounding accent charmed people more than his accomplishments may deserve. But Kennedy’s pronunciation was as far from the national norm as that of Johnson and the younger Bush. Yet Kennedy’s words sounded classy, while the two Texans caused laughter. What makes an innocent Texas y’all-drawl fall so crudely on the ear, while a Massachusetts pronunciation-bungler like Kennedy seems so lyrical? What makes a rapper boring to someone my age and an opera singer boring to someone much younger? What makes the dark meat of a turkey so tasty to me and white meat so tasty to you (besides your being wrong and my being right)? Actually, we westerners are not totally free of pronunciation glitches. I remember a Boise High School class in which the teacher drilled me and other Idaho natives, making us practice the sentence “I just forget” instead of our customary “I jist firgit.” Yes, it is true. I used to be Colonel Cornpone - back before that teacher turned me into Walter Cronkite. Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone.net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. MSN

Yellowstone Park Foundation offers Unique Gift for Valentine’s Day In 1995, Yellowstone National Park made the first deliberate attempt to return a top-level carnivore to a large ecosystem. The wolf had come home to Yellowstone. In honor of the 15th anniversary of the return of the wolf, the Yellowstone Park Foundation is offering a very special opportunity for you to make a symbolic adoption of a Yellowstone wolf. The adoption of a Yellowstone wolf will benefit Yellowstone’s spectacular native wildlife. With each adoption donation, you will help the Yellowstone Park Foundation support critical wildlife conservation and ecosystem research programs that contribute to a bright future for wolves, bears, and other native species in Yellowstone. This loveable wolf makes a perfect gift, and will put a smile on someone’s face. If you wish, they will even send the package directly to your gift recipient, along with a personalized “Adoption Certificate.” Each recipient will also receive a fact sheet along with the plush, 12” wolf. As the Yellowstone’s official fundraising partner, the Yellowstone Park Foundation works in cooperation with the National Park Service to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources and the visitor experience of Yellowstone National Park. Learn more at www.ypf.org. MSN

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This Trivia Will Make You Smarter Submitted by Julie Hollar Brantley 1. Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs? 2. Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters, and half dollars have notches, while pennies and nickels do not? 3. Why do men’s clothes have buttons on the right while women’s clothes have buttons on the left? 4. Why do Xs at the end of a letter signify kisses? 5. Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called “passing the buck?” 6. Why are people in the public eye said to be in the limelight? 7. Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use “mayday” as their call for help? 1. Answer: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called “pygg.” When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as “pygg banks.” When an English potter misunderstood the word,

he made a bank that resembled a pig. 2. Answer: The U.S. Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters, and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels are not notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave. 3. Answer: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid’s right! Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. And that is where women’s buttons have remained since. 4. Answer: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents

were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous. 5. Answer: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility, he would “pass the buck” to the next player. 6. Answer: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage lighting by burning a cylinder of lime, which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, performers on stage “in the limelight” were seen by the audience to be the center of attention. 7. Answer: This comes from the French word m’aidez - meaning, “help me” - and is pronounced “mayday.” MSN

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Fairbanks and Beyond: Exploring the Far North Photo and article by Holly Endersby As our Alaska Airlines flight slipped below the clouds, the vibrant city of Fairbanks lay like a last outpost in the vast boreal forest surrounding it. Located in the Tanna River Valley, water surrounds Fairbanks. From the Minto Flats State Game Refuge on its western flank littered with thousands of tiny lakes and ponds, the Teklanika and Nenana Rivers to the southwest which feed into the larger Tanna and the Chena and Little Chena Rivers on the city’s eastern flank, water is a constant in the valley… and so are the famous Alaskan mosquitoes, gnats, and biting flies. But to those who know, fall, winter, and early spring are a great time to visit Fairbanks, enjoy the outdoors, take part in a rich array of cultural activities, and escape those nasty winged insects as well. Our recent visit took place in mid-August when the insects were still around but if we had waited just a few weeks, early frosts would have rid us of the pests. But our plans were to enjoy the Arctic tundra north of Fairbanks, so weather, river levels, and hunting opportunity dictated our timeline. We would raft two wild rivers and hunt caribou by boat on the Arctic plain before returning to Fairbanks. Traveling by pickup truck ten hours north along the haul rode to Prudhoe Bay we moved

through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the Gates of the Arctic National Preserve and out onto the Arctic plain through Atigun Pass, a low point in the stark Brooks Mountain Range. Used to the timber-clad slopes of mountains in Idaho and Montana, the Brooks Range Mountains appeared to us as the bare bones of the planet, lying naked and brawny under the midnight sun. Just beyond Atigun Pass, the Atigun River passes close to the haul road so we pulled onto a gravel parking area and bivouacked for the night near the giant pipeline, a constant companion on the Dalton Highway. Laden with glacial silt, the Atigun looked like the dregs of a cold triple shot latte. Due to record rains, the usually low river was running high and the thought of entering that torrent on the prow of a cataraft encased in chest waders and my trusty LL Bean PacLight fishing jacket proved daunting. The last thing I wanted was to take a dunking in those grey waters. But since my husband, Scott, would be the one on the oars, in the name of marital harmony, I choked down my dismay and reminded myself that I was the one who championed this trip with friends. “It’ll be the trip of a lifetime,” I remember declaring. Now I was just hoping to survive the adventure! Before crawling into our sleeping bags, we pumped each of the rafts and inflatable kayaks full of air, ready for an early morning launch. After a sleepless night alongside the highway with a steady stream of enormous trucks, we woke and stumbled to a small pot of boiling water and instant coffee drunk from the back of a pickup bed. Properly caffeinated, we carried gear down to the river’s edge and began lashing on the mountain of dry bags and boxes containing tents, tarps, sleeping bags, personal gear,

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011

food, game bags, rifles, and bows needed for our party of twelve. Finally, around ten, we launched into the roiling river with more than a little trepidation on my part. Passing quickly under the pipeline spanning the Atigun, we left any vestiges of civilization behind. Fortunately, the weather god smiled on us that first day and we moved along in sunshine, something we would not see for another five days. However, the river was highly technical, littered with barely submerged boulders and holes just waiting to suck the unwary into trouble, so the oarsmen on the rafts had little time to enjoy the scenery. We stopped for a “lunch” break around 4:00 pm and part of our group went off to view a waterfall gushing from a hole in the side of a lowlying mountain ridge, while the rest of us basked in the sun like turtles. Shoving off again, we were nearing the confluence of the Atigun and the much larger Sagavanirktok River, called The Sag by locals. Forewarned of gnarly rapids ahead, we beached our boats, unloaded gear, portaged the crafts around the rapids, reloaded, and launched once again, easily absorbing two hours of daylight in the process. The final set of Atigun rapids was just a mile above The Sag, and after scouting them, we decided our two most experienced oarsmen could take the rafts down safely while the rest of us cheered them on. Upon entering The Sag, the volume and width of the swirling grey water increased tremendously. Now, we were completely out of the mountains and well onto the Arctic plain, with undulating land and steep ridges lining the river. Finally, around 10:00 p.m., tired from battling a raging river, we found a suitable place to camp on a gravel bar with enough willow shrubs to offer shelter from the incessant Arctic wind. By midnight, boats were unloaded and secured, tiny backpack tents were up, and we were enjoying a hot meal. The next four days were tough but rewarding, with steady light rain and a river that rose three feet due to heavy storms in the mountains. Hiking across tundra and bogs is always a challenge. The tussocks that rise like foot-size pods wobble each time you step on them and often each footfall produces a frenzied abandonment The all new

2011 Winnebago Tour

of that tiny piece of dirt by numerous mice and shrews. In between the tussocks, tiny rivulets of water glisten from melting permafrost, a constant reminder of the icy stranglehold winter places on this land. This time of year, dwarf blueberry plants are loaded with ripe fruit, and whenever we shrugged off our heavy packs, we would sit on the soft smooshy mounds and graze on nearby blueberries, ending up with indigo fingers and tongues. The morning I shot a bull caribou brought more rain, a plague of biting black flies and slogging through muddy bogs. After seeing two bulls on a ridge about a mile away, my husband and I began a stalk made difficult by the lack of trees or shrubs for cover. Finally, we shed our packs and crawled on our bellies to a slight rise. Within moments, the larger bull appeared above us and we were lucky to be able to contribute fresh meat to the evening’s communal meal. Increasingly high river levels, torrential rain, and hundreds of pounds of fresh meat and antlers to stow on our inflatable boats complicated our departure from camp the next morning. The stretch of river we would run that day on our way to the take-out 50 miles from where we put in was even worse than the boney Atigun. As wave after wave pummeled me in the face as it broke over the front of the cataraft, I realized what a long, wet day this would be. My husband, meanwhile, was rowing with all his might as the 800 pounds of baggage made the cataraft lumber along with very little room for error as we navigated between the worst of the boulders and holes. By 4 p.m., we were thoroughly soaked, cold, and hungry so we tied our boats at a rocky ledge just inches above the river and devoured some grab-and-go food to give us energy to tackle the last long stretch of Class IV rapids. It was a huge relief to arrive at the boat ramp at 7 p.m. that night. After unloading gear, deflating boats, repacking everything into pickups, and changing into dry clothes, we began the long ride back to Fairbanks, stopping at midnight in Cold Foot, an outpost for pipeline and highway workers, for dinner. We pulled into Fairbanks at 7 a.m., with all of us heading to bed to sleep like the dead… fitting relief for our tired bodies. MSN

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Spring is on its way, with all its beauty and new life. How about taking a chance on something new in your life this year? Respond to one of these ads or submit your own to see if this spring will bring you new beauty, life, and love! 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. 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 April/May 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 April/May 2011 issue, the deadline is March 10, 2011. I am a retired, 73 year old, WWM from Billings. No drugs, smoking, or drinking. I am looking for a retired, independent, secure lady in her late 60s or early 70s who likes to travel on motor coach tours. Interest in history, museums, country music, and home time a plus. If you are interested in a friendship and travel relationship, please send picture and phone number. Reply MSN, Dept.

27301, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Male in his 80s, non-smoker, non-drinker. No 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 who will share my home and a life together. I will answer all letters. Reply MSN, Dept. 27302, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Is there a healthy, active, tall, eastern MT gentleman with a good sense of humor and good old traits out there? No drugs or smoking. Must be financially secure, mid 70s to 80 years young. Would you like to meet an energetic, active, mid 70s country lady who is kind, classy, and young for her age? I like romance, walks, cooking, travel, and some sports. Please send a picture; I will answer with one. Reply MSN, Dept. 27303, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am seeking a well-groomed gentleman who can dance up a storm! I need a dance partner who is polite and well-spoken with a sense of humor. No smokers, but social drinkers are okay. For now I am only looking for a dance partner, although a romantic relationship could develop later. Please send a full-length photo with your reply and I will do the same on request. I wish you health and happiness in the coming year! Reply MSN, Dept. 27304, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single, white male, 5’10”, 185 lbs, is looking for a 45-55 year old country woman who loves the outdoors and fishing. I enjoy country music, hunting, fishing, camping, and gardening. I am very active and do not smoke or do drugs, but I do like a cold beer. I’m looking for someone in NW Montana for a romantic, loving relationship. Reply MSN, Dept. 27305, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Single man seeks live-in female companion age 55-70. I live in Great Falls. Looks unimport-

ant. I do not smoke or drink. All replies welcome and I will answer them all. Reply MSN, Dept. 27306, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. It is my wish to once more be held by a tall man who knows himself and what he really needs and wants in a companion, who can express himself, and who has a desire to be loved. I like hiking, riding bikes, and boating. I love to laugh, have picnics, listen to music, watch movies, and read. I also enjoy serving others, God, and my country. I make great oatmeal cookies! I am a 64 year old, white female, 125 lbs. I look good for my age and would like to correspond with someone who knows how to love deeply, is responsible, and has a faithful heart. Reply MSN, Dept. 27307, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I live in the Bitterroot Valley, on the family farm for 70 years. I am 78 years young and widowed. I love to travel and slow dance. Financially secure, technologically dumb. Down to earth and not overly fancy. Just an average person with common interests. Not likely to change location - just seeking friendship. Reply MSN, Dept. 27308, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Active male, mid 70s. Looking for active lady friend who likes camping, dogs, ATV riding. No games – let’s talk. Reply MSN, Dept. 27309, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. Widowed female, 54, 5’10”, non-smoker, non-drinker, no drugs, no children. I am honest and energetic with a positive attitude. I love to dance, garden, landscape, travel, ride ATVs, and dine out. I like adventures and challenges. My miniature schnauzer is the center of my life. I would like to meet a gentleman who gives and accepts TLC, dances, and enjoys sharing everyday duties. Should be honest, positive, enthusiastic, spontaneous, with common sense. Non smoker-drinker. I live near Great Falls and am originally from Fairview. Please send photo and address. Reply MSN, Dept. 27310, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF looking to meet an honest, caring man to be a live-in companion. I have a 3-bedroom house in Columbia Falls. I don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I like to fish, hike, and go on day trips. I don’t have a car, so I do a lot of walking. If you want to know more, drop me a line and picture and I will answer! Reply MSN, Dept. 27311, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I want to make you happy. I am an attractive, 69-year-old man who is financially secure and very kind, sensitive, and caring. I am easy-going and a good listener. If you think we can bring out the best in each other, I invite you to respond. Reply MSN, Dept. 27312, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a trim, good-looking woman in my 60s. I enjoy anything from a day of hiking or snowshoeing in the mountains to an evening of dining and the theater. Seeking a gentleman who is educated, active, and NOT totally into himself. But someone who is willing to share interests, thoughts, ideas, and dreams. Someone who is compassionate, kind, and knows how to treat a lady. I would enjoy hearing about you. Please respond with a photo. No smoking or drugs, please. Reply MSN, Dept. 27313, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. SWF, slim, attractive, brown hair and eyes, active and healthy. I am upbeat and like cooking,

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traveling, hiking, camping, fishing, all outdoor activities, and doing new things. I am looking for a true companion; someone I can respect, care for, and laugh with. I’d like to meet an intelligent, loving, open-hearted gentleman who knows how to love a woman. Age isn’t important if you’ve learned from the past and still keep an open mind. Will consider relocating. No drugs or smoking; occasional drinking okay. Reply MSN, Dept. 27314, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

years young, who enjoys everything – and I mean absolutely everything! 6’, 150 lbs, and mostly vegetarian. I love animals, trees, rocks – you name it! Life is so beautiful; I have inner peace. I am a Catholic, and spirituality is my life’s resume. I would like to meet a like-minded lady, preferably a widow, who is in my age range. I don’t smoke and only drink occasionally. I love all God’s creatures, sight-seeing, woodworking, young people, and especially the elderly who have so much to share. I don’t know where this will go, but I will answer any replies. I own my house, and the two cats who live with me own me. The Butte-Anaconda area is where my footprints are found. Reply MSN, Dept. 27318, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

WWF, classy Christian lady, would like to meet a Christian, non-smoking, non-drinking gentleman in his 70s. I enjoy a simple life of spending time outdoors, and going to movies and concerts. If you are interested, I would appreciate a letter. Reply MSN, Dept. 27315, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. DWM, 72, born-again, spirit-filled, Jesus-first conservative. 5’5,” 167 lbs, muscular Vietnam veteran. I have black hair and blue eyes. I exercise one hour per day. I was delivered from smoking and drinking, and I don’t do drugs. I like animals, southern gospel music, Tex/Mex food, and I love the Lord. All responses will be answered. Reply MSN, Dept. 27316, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Do you have a zest for life? Do you have the time, desire, physical well-being, and freedom to pursue it? If you answered “yes” to these questions, please read on. I am a spiritual SWM, 62, 5’9”, 175 lbs, retired, in good physical condition. My interests include reading, walking, music, dancing, boating, motorcycling, camping, and traveling. I seek a woman, 45-65, with similar interests, values, and qualities for companionship, fun, and perhaps more. One of my favorite life philosophies is “use it or lose it.” If you feel the same way, please contact me! Reply MSN, Dept. 27319, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. MSN

SWF is hoping to find a single male to share my life. Home is in NW Montana, but I am able to relocate. I enjoy a variety of activities, especially reading. I am active and in good health. If you are looking for someone optimistic, out-going, and good-natured, I hope you will contact me. Hoping to hear from you! Reply MSN, Dept. 27317, c/o Montana Senior News, Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403. I am a WWM, 65

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Is There a Job Waiting for You, Baby Boomer? By Tait Trussell More jobs than people to fill them. What a thought. It is hard to imagine when nearly 15 million Americans are unemployed, close to 10 percent of the workforce. But by 2018, there may well be a shortage of people to take the jobs that need filling. That is the forecast of a noted labor economist, Barry Bluestone, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northwestern University. The Bureau of Labor statistics (BLS) backs up this prediction with lots of specifics. Opportunities will appear to be wide open for qualified baby boomers and those older. If these job openings are not filled, Bluestone says the loss in national output could cost the economy as much as $3 trillion over the five-year span following 2018. Bluestone’s analysis builds on a 2008 study showing that most people expect to work longer than previous generations and that half of those who are age 44 to 70 want so-called “encore” careers that combine meaningful work with social impact as well as income. Americans over 55 have the experience and skills to attack serious problems and close critical labor gaps in various fields, including health, education, and energy needs. The BLS points out that the U.S. civilian, noninstitutional population over age 16 is expected to increase by 25.1 million from 2008 to 2018. That projected growth rate, however, is less than the growth rate of the previous two decades. As baby boomers continue to age, the 55 and older folks will increase more than any other age group. Other younger age groups will grow less or even

Americans over 55 have the experience and skills to attack serious problems and close critical labor gaps in various fields, including health, education, and energy needs. shrink. “The civilian labor force is projected to reach 166.9 million by 2018, an increase of only 8.2 percent. The “primary working-age group, those between 25 and 54” is seen as declining, while workers aged 55 and older will “leap from 18.1 percent to 23.9 percent of the labor force....” The BLS says, very optimistically, that total employment will rise by 10 percent and more than 15 million jobs will be added by 2018. The shift from goods-producing to service-providing industries will continue. “Employment in management, scientific, and technical consulting services is anticipated to expand at a staggering 83 percent, making up about 31 percent of the job growth in this sector.” Government employment will also expand. It now is the largest employer in the country. Professional and related occupations are “expected to be the fastest growing major occupational group... and is projected to add the most new jobs - about 5.2 million,” according to the BLS forecast to 2018. Employment in “life, physical, and social service occupations is projected to increase by almost twice the average for all other occupations across the economy,” says BLS.

“Of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the economy, half are related to health care,” with “biomedical engineers...the fastest growing occupation in the economy.” But because of its size, it is projected to add only 11,600 jobs. Of the 20 fastest growing occupations, 12 need an associate or higher education degree. Only three of the 20 fastest growing occupations - home-health aides, personal and homecare aides, and computer software application engineers - are also projected to be among the 20 occupations with the largest numerical increases in employment. Ten of the 20 occupations with the largest numbers of new jobs earned less than the national median wage in 2008. Job openings occur from either employment demand or replacement needs. Replacement needs, according to the BLS, are estimated to account for 67 percent of the approximately 51 million job openings between 2009 and 2018. Therefore, even occupations expected to experience declines in employment “may offer many job openings.” For example, although office jobs and work in farming, fishing, and forestry are expected to decline, altogether, they are projected to create 9.7 million job openings. With Federal subsidies and improved technology, there is also a likelihood of increased green jobs in fields ranging from solar panel installations to wind turbine production to weatherizing homes. The most important thing to young seniors is that demographic facts assure that many jobs will be opening in future years. MSN

Mastering The Art Of Zen: Genki Takabayashi Roshi By Gail Jokerst We have all heard about the movie stars and television personalities who now make their homes in Montana. But relatively few people realize a celebrity of a different status lives among us. His name is Genki Takabayashi Roshi and he is an internationally known Zen teacher from Japan. Considering that Genki Takabayashi Roshi’s name means high pine forest in Japanese, it seems especially appropriate that he would move to western Montana after decades of teaching others this ancient religion. To this man of few words but many admirers it was like coming home. For over 20 years, Genki Roshi taught Zen Buddhism in the Seattle area, where he founded a Zen center and introduced Zen to a new generation. Initially, he was invited to America by a University of Washington fine arts professor to lead a large student group after the professor had met Genki Roshi at a retreat in Japan. Several months later, the professor finally convinced Genki Roshi to come to Washington, where he ended up staying and marrying an American, Leslie Gannon, who had been seeking a teacher of Zen. After Genki Roshi retired in 1995, the couple moved to Montana where Genki Roshi wanted to bring “good health and good Zen practice” to the people of this state. He and Leslie originally settled

in Ronan but later relocated to Victor. As people with an interest in Japanese culture heard about him, Genki Roshi found himself featured on Montana television and the subject of several newspaper articles. [Photo by B. James Jokerst] Although he initiated the application process for U.S. citizenship while living in Seattle, he did not finalize it until his move to the Treasure State. When meeting with his citizenship examiner to complete the application process, Genki Roshi was asked why he wanted to live in this part of America. His reply was succinct and not unexpected by those who know him. “The Zen wind pushed me here because it’s beautiful here,” was his response. At that point, the examiner picked up his stamp and okayed the paperwork. Like many major religions, Buddhism has a variety of sects. Genki Roshi and Leslie practice the Rinzai school of Zen, which has deep meditation and concentration on the moment at its core. A highly simplified explanation would describe adherents as seeking inner spiritual enlightenment, not through the reading of words or scriptures but through contemplation. “Teaching people to sit still and do nothing physically is a big part of Zen,” explains Leslie. “Students need to learn to mentally look inside

themselves and ask if they are a part of things or trying to control them. It’s looking at your own nature. A sort of mind watching where you accept and live with what you see. When practiced correctly, the human mind will express peacefulness, quietness, and compassion.” Originally from a Japanese mountain village of just 18 houses, Genki Roshi was an 11-year-old orphan when his grandfather rode him on a bicycle to a Zen Buddhist temple and left him there. He lived at the temple ten years where he learned one of Zen’s basic tenets - the importance of mental discipline - as he performed his cleaning and cooking tasks, studied calligraphy, and attended school. Later, Genki Roshi moved on to another temple in Kyoto, Daitokuji, where he apprenticed as a monk and where he spent the next 35 years becoming a teacher of Zen Buddhism. The monastery’s simple lifestyle plus the monks’ dependence on charity to survive engrained character traits such as humility, trust, compassion, and generosity in the apprentice. It was also while he lived at Daitokuji that Genki Roshi developed an interest in tea ceremony pottery and spent his summers traveling around Japan to learn the art of firing clay. As Leslie points out, it is impossible to separate Zen art from the practice of this Eastern religion. “Zen is being at one with what you do, without any distractions. You’re living in the now without thinking about it,” Leslie explains. “You are what you are and that is what you will put on paper or canvas. You can’t escape what you are. The unsure will create timidity; the egotistical will create aggression.” While Westerners can see the influence of Zen in such things as simple-but-elegant floral arrangements and minimalist landscape gardening, calligraphy remains one of the best-known expressions of Zen art. The training, discipline, and control that adherents strive to master in their lives are considered necessary to capture the essence of a thought or form. In Zen calligraphy, each stroke of the ink-laden brush on paper remains as it is put down. Whether you are talking about Zen calligraphy, pottery, or painting, you don’t correct what you’ve done. Everything remains exactly as it was when started because Zen celebrates spontaneity

Kids in church Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Three-year-old Reese recites the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen.” A little boy was overheard praying, “‘Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.” After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, “That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.” One particular four-year-old prayed, “And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.” A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.” A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin (5) and Ryan (3). The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “‘If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’ Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!” A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. “Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked. “He died and went to Heaven,” the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, “Did God throw him back down?” MSN

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and simplicity. “To practice Zen art, you need to be free inside. It takes years of practice because you can’t fix anything,” comments Leslie. “You don’t go back. It’s art of the moment. You capture the moment that will never come back. It didn’t exist before and it won’t exist again.” Genki Roshi’s calligraphy and his hand-formed tea ceremony pottery fired in a wood kiln have long been popular with his students and followers of Zen familiar with his teaching. And he continues

to sell them today to Zen enthusiasts as well as art collectors. “The things I do, the things I see - my Zen life is not special,” says Genki Roshi. “But understood correctly, this is special. And what is special? Just now - this moment is very, very special because it is the Zen way.” To learn more about Genki Takabayashi Roshi’s artwork e-mail moonart@montana.com or write to Leslie Gannon at 211 Sweathouse Creek Road, Victor, MT 59875. MSN

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Protect the rights of terminally ill Montanans Preserve choice for seniors, Prevent elder abuse Steve Johnson, Helena brain cancer patient “I think I should have something to say about my ending. End-of-life medical choices are private. It’s only compassionate to let me make the choice about how much suffering to endure, based on my own values and beliefs.” - Steve Johnson

Many terminally-ill Montanans suffer as their disease takes their lives. The Montana Supreme Court has decided that terminally ill Montanans have the right to aid in dying from their doctor. Opponents of this most personal and private right believe politicians and government should decide how you could be allowed to die. They have already announced a bill to take it away. That would deny dying patients the comfort and peace of mind authorized by the Montana Supreme Court. Physician aid in dying provides comfort, peace of mind and prevents suffering. Nothing is more abusive to elders than forcing them to suffer the ravages of a terminal illness against their wishes, and denying them a peaceful death. Study after study of the Oregon experience with aid in dying has found no evidence of abuse of anyone, including seniors.

That’s why the American Public Health Association, the nation’s largest and oldest public health association, dedicated to protecting the public health and that of seniors, supports the choice for aid in dying. Your right to self-determination is precious, hard won, and in jeopardy. Add your name to those protecting terminal Montanans’ right to physician aid in dying.

Join the Compassion & Choices Action Network. Call Compassion & Choices at 1(800) 247-7421 Visit www.CompassionAndChoices.org/Steve Or clip out and mail this coupon:

Yes, I support Steve Johnson’s and my own-right to end-of-life choice! Name: ______________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________ 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

www.CompassionAndChoices.org/Steve

1(800) 247-7421

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