A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
August 2014 VOL. 39 • NO. 8
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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New Horizons The artist in the mill In 1998, Omaha artist Linda Meigs (pictured) and her husband, John, purchased the historic Florence Mill. Today the mill – built in 1847 – is a museum, art gallery, and studio. Leo Adam Biga tells the story. See page 10.
Grandparents Men and women like Pamela Bell (pictured) who are raising their grandchildren are encouraged to attend the Grandparents as Parents Conference on Thursday, Sept. 18. See page 5.
Nebraska pride
Men and women like Pamela Bell (pictured) who are raising their grandchildren are encouraged to attend Betty Sheaff, age 92, the Grandparents as has an extensive Parents Conference on collection Thursday, Sept. of 18. hand-painted china See page 5.
place settings that highlight historical scenes throughout Nebraska. See page 17.
Volunteering can benefit you, your community By Jen Vogt With such a busy life, it can be difficult to imagine making time to volunteer on a regular basis. However, volunteering can benefit you, your family, and your community. Finding the right volunteer opportunity can help you meet new people, make new friends, learn new skills, and interact with the community. We often hear about the benefits of volunteering, but volunteering is often a twoway street for those who choose to commit some of their time to giving to others. Some volunteer benefits include: • Improve your social life. One of the best ways to make new friends or strengthen an existing friendship is to bond over a shared experience or interest. Volunteering is often a great way to meet new people in your neighborhood or if you’re new to the area. For individuals who have a difficult time meeting new people or who are naturally shy, volunteering can help you branch out and strengthen your social skills. • Improve your mental and physical health. Volunteering can be a great selfconfidence booster. People tend to feel good about themselves when they’re giving to others. Volunteering can reduce instances of depression because there’s often a social component to volunteering. Isolation plays a large role in depression, especially in older adults. Volunteering can also be great for physical health because it helps keep the volunteer active. In fact, studies have shown lower mortality rates in older adults who volunteer. • Improve and share your career skills. Just because you aren’t being paid for the work you’re doing while volunteering doesn’t mean you can’t learn new skills. Your volunteer experiences could translate into your career, or could help if you’re looking for a new career. Similarly, com-
munity organizations can benefit from the skills you already bring to the table such as teamwork, communications, or marketing. Now that you’ve seen some of the reasons why volunteering isn’t just good for the community, but good for you, you might be wondering how you can get started volunteering. Below are a few questions to ask yourself that will help you find the right volunteer opportunity: • What do you want to get from a volunteer experience? Some answers might include trying something new, working for a cause that’s important to me, meeting new people, learning more about a potential career, and so on. • How much time can you commit? • How much responsibility are you ready to take on? • What skills and experiences do you have that would benefit a community organization? • What causes are important to you? The key to a successful volunteer experience is finding the right match for you. Answering the questions above can help narrow down your search to a few organizations that might be a good match. Keep an open mind about finding the right organization for your preferences. Visiting the organization, getting a sense of their volunteer program, and talking with staff and other volunteers might also help you decide if it’s the right fit for your situation. Remember you’re donating your time when volunteering, which is an extremely valuable gift. Make the most of it by communicating your goals, understanding expectations, and being willing to make a change if the experience isn’t the best fit for you. Most importantly, have fun. The best volunteer experiences benefit both the volunteer and the organization. (Vogt is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. of Omaha.)
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Keep the delicious summer recipes coming! Farmers’ markets are overflowing with goodies including fruits and veggies to cook up some healthy summer recipes. Enjoy the abundance of the season with these cookbooks. The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book Edited by The Picayune (Andrews McMeel, $40) This facsimile edition of the 1901 cookbook is a treasure trove of rich cooking tradition from local cooks and housekeepers. From Da Capo Press: Just Tell Me What To Eat! By Timothy S. Harlan ($15) This six week weight loss plan from “Dr.Gourmet.” Your Rx for what, why, and how to eat. A day-by-day plan with recipes, graphs, guidelines, and variations. The Mayo Clinic Guide To Stress-free Living By Amit Sood ($19.99) Reach your personal goals in 2014 by conquering stress from this stress management and resiliency expert. “Actionable steps to cultivate emotional and mental strength, find greater fulfillment and nurture a kind disposition.” Ani’s Raw Food Asia By Ani Phyo ($22.50) This chef/author shares 130 raw recipes from her Korean roots with step-by-step instructions. Arame, nori, daikon, and helpful essarys. Juice It! By Robin Asbell (Chronicle, $18.95) Use a juicer or blender and add more colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet. More than 60 recipes including Purple Haze, Sleepy Salad Red Relief, and this sweet and tangy drink with a little spice:
Red Rush
(Makes about 2 cups) 1 large beet 3 red Swiss chard leaves 1 small red chile, seeded 2 large plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled Pinch of salt (optional) Juice the beet, chard, chile, and tomatoes in that order. Run the pulp through again to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour the mixture into a serving glass. Taste and add a little salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
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BBB warns consumers victimized by storm damage to be on the lookout for unscrupulous contractors
Make a donation to help support the
“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”
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amage to homes and property created by tornados and severe hailstorms can bring out the best in people, as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, the aftermath of a weather-related crisis can also bring out contractors who take advantage of those already victimized. The Better Business Bureau is warning both businesses and residents affected by storms to beware of storm chasers who are out-of-town contractors soliciting business. “These firms typically set up temporary shops in the area to capture construction work caused by the storm’s damage. Sometimes they canvass the area with flyers or go from door to door offering their services,” said the BBB’s local President and CEO Jim Hegarty. While some of these contractors may offer a low price and fast repairs, they may not stand behind their work or have the proper licensure. The BBB offers the following tips for storm victims: • Get the company’s complete name, address, and phone number. Be skeptical of any vague or hesitant answers or no offers of contracts, brochures, or anything in writing. Beware of high-pressure sales tactics. A reputable company will be happy to let you check them out first. • Make sure your contractor has all the appropriate permits for the work they’re doing and verify the company has liability and worker’s comp insurance. If a contractor cannot provide proof, beware. If possible, verify the insurance is active by contacting the contractor’s insurance company directly. • If it’s an out-of-town or out-of-state company, ask how any warranty issues or
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problems will be addressed after the work is done and the company is gone. • Ask for references from previous jobs and check them out before signing the contract. • Before work starts, have a signed, written contract including start and completion dates, exact costs, specific work to be done, and warranty information. Read any fine print carefully and understand all the terms before signing. • Get at least three or four quotes from contractors and insist payments be made to the company, not an individual. • If you have damage, check with your homeowners’ insurance to have an adjuster sent to determine if and how much they’ll cover to repair or replace damaged property. • Be highly suspicious of a contractor that asks you to pay for the entire job upfront. He may take your money and never return. Disaster victims should never feel forced to make a hasty decision or to choose an unknown contractor. Start with trust by visiting bbb.org or by calling your BBB’s office at 800-649-6814 to get business reviews or lists of BBB accredited repair firms.
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August 2014
today!
Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list. I would like to start receiving the New Horizons at home. My address is below. NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP
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New Horizons New Horizons is the official publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distributed free to people over age 60 in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Washington, and Cass counties. Those living outside the five-county region may subscribe for $5 annually. Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431. Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076. E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@nebraska.gov Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. However, complaints about advertisers will be reviewed and, if warranted, their advertising discontinued. Display and insert advertising rates available on request. Open rates are commissionable, with discounts for extended runs. Circulation is 20,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.
Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Warren, Sarpy County, vice-chairperson; Jerry Kruse, Washington County, secretary; Gary Osborn, Dodge County, & Jim Peterson, Cass County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.
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Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.
Motorcoach Arrow Rock, Clydesdales, & Dinner Train. August 8 - 10. $489. Shop and explore in a Missouri village that is a National Historic Landmark, enjoy dinner together followed by “Lend Me a Tenor” at the historic Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater, tour the ranch where the Budweiser Clydesdales are raised, enjoy a four-course dinner on the Columbia Star dinner train, tour The Candy Factory, enjoy lunch and wine tasting at Les Bourgeois Vineyards, and tour the World War I Museum in Kansas City. Nebraska Junk Jaunt…with a Twist. September 26 – 27. $265. ($245 before 7/26/14). Join us for this garage sale extravaganza, but with a new route and a new motel. This is truly a fun adventure, whatever you’re hunting for! Branson Christmas with Daniel O’Donnell. November 10 – 13. $749. ($709 before 8/10/14). Besides Daniel O’Donnell, enjoy “Jonah” at the Sight & Sound Theater, a backstage tour of Sight & Sound, Patsy Cline Remembered, The Brett Family Show with lunch, The Rankin Brothers, and #1 Hits of the 60s. “Christmas Belles” at the Lofte. December 7. $99. ($89 before 10/7/14). Come along to witness a church Christmas program spin hilariously out of control in this Southern comedy ........followed by a delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. Kansas City Christmas. December 10 - 11. $TBD. Includes the lunch buffet and “Shear Madness” at the New Theater (with Jamie Farr from “Mash”), the Webster House Holiday luncheon, a stop at the Strawberry Hill Povitica Bakery, and more.
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In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. Reflections of Italy ...................................................... 10 days from $2149 Shades of Ireland ........................................................ 10 days from $1799 Alaska Discovery with Cruise .................................... 13 days from $3031 Australia ....................................................................... 21 days from $4899 New York City ................................................................ 5 days from $1749 Hawaiian Adventure .................................................... 10 days from $2999 Canadian Rockies by Train.......................................... .9 days from $3099 Discover Switzerland .................................................. 10 days from $2049 African Safari ............................................................... 14 days from $3849 Rose Bowl Parade......................................................... 5 days from $1449 The Galapagos Islands ............................................... 10 days from $4359 Rhine River Cruise ........................................................ 9 days from $2599 Discover Scotland ....................................................... 10 days from $1849 Tropical Costa Rica ....................................................... 9 days from $1349 Discover Panama .......................................................... 9 days from $1699 San Antonio ................................................................... 5 days from $1149 Exploring Greece......................................................... 15 days from $2549 Complete South Pacific .............................................. 27 days from $6399 South Africa ................................................................. 13 days from $2499 British Landscapes ..................................................... 10 days from $2199 Flavors of Thailand........................................................ 4 days from $1549 Nova Scotia ................................................................. 11 days from $2949 Spain’s Classics .......................................................... 11 days from $2099 Beijing China ................................................................... 9 days from $899 Colors of New England ................................................. 8 days from $2299 Heritage of America .................................................... 10 days from $2199 Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
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ometimes, not knowing the truth about something of immediate importance can create some of the most intense stress, says former chronic pain sufferer Janet Komanchuk. “For the families of victims who’ve been missing for years or decades – identifying the body of their loved one, for example, can bring closure. For me, being diagnosed with fibromyalgia was also a relief – it meant that I had a name for my chronic pain,” says Komanchuk, whose pain was so intense over a period of several years she had to retire as a schoolteacher. “My diagnosis meant I wasn’t crazy, that the pain wasn’t ‘all in my head,’ as some had suggested. It meant that my flu-like symptoms, accompanied by intense waves of pain, finally had form and dimension. I understood I was just one of many suffering with chronic pain that at last had a name.” Fibromyalgia syndrome is a complex, chronic condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue. It often includes sleep disturbances, impaired memory and concentration, depression, and other debilitating symptoms. The syndrome is one of the most common chronic pain disorders, affecting nearly one in every 60 Americans. “When medical leave, morphine patches, codeine, and a myriad of pharmaceuticals brought no relief, I tried a different approach in combination with medical treatment,” says Komanchuk who has since enjoyed more than 13 years of pain-free and prescription-free living after finding an alternative healing therapy that works for her. She now works as an educational writer and public relations assistant with Joy of Healing, the alternative healing modality that she says brought about her remission. “Through the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about dealing with the psychological trauma of illness.” Komanchuk shares these tips to keep in mind for those suffering from an indeterminate condition. • Trust in yourself. “At times, the pain was so intense that I was certain my flesh was tearing away from my bones,” says Komanchuk, who was just like the more than
100 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain, which costs nearly $600 billion annually in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine. Despite her unmistakable pain, the critical doubt from others as to what she was experiencing was disheartening, at times causing her to doubt herself. “Trust in yourself, for you know what you’re feeling,” she says. “Don’t fall victim to the judgment and criticism of others who doubt your illness and the limitations it places on you or your activities.” • Don’t quit. Despite the immense scope of chronic pain, very little is spent on research to find better ways to manage pain. Komanchuk was faced with the prospect of spending the rest of her life in a nursing home. “Yes, the pain was excruciating, debilitating, and fatiguing, yet I still felt as though my life had the potential for vitality,” she says. “The idea of going to a nursing home – reasonable for some – felt like a kind of death to me.” Convinced there was hope for her in overcoming fibromyalgia, she persisted in her search for wellness answers. • Seriously consider alternatives. Komanchuk was able to achieve what she thought was impossible – not just temporary relief, but permanent, lasting mindbody-spirit wellness. She had been to orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, rheumatologists, and psychologists, underwent MRIs, and took all manner of medications for her unbearable pain. In a narrow sense, it would seem as though she exhausted her options until she looked beyond traditional Western medicine. Alternative treatment guided her to recognize the layers of stress throughout her life that she believes were a primary driver of her chronic pain. “Every day, I am filled with gratitude for the fact that I am free of the torment from fibromyalgia that had plagued me throughout my life,” Komanchuk says. “I just wish I could give others a piece of the relief that I’ve found. All I can say is keep your eyes open, keep the hope alive, and don’t give up.”
Volunteer opportunities available through ENOA
Laughlin in August (by air). August 27 – 30. $249. Looking for an inexpensive getaway? Spend four days and three nights in a resort hotel on the banks of the Colorado River including non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada
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Fighting the daily battle with fibromyalgia
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he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, Ombudsman Advocate Program, and Senior Medicare Patrol Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several background and reference checks. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and
August 2014
supplemental accident insurance. Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently. Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life.
Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week. The Senior Medicare Patrol program helps Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect, and prevent health care fraud. These volunteers, who are enrolled through an application and screening process, are not compensated monetarily for their time, For more information, please call 402-444-6536.
‘Grandparents as Parents Conference’ set for Sept. 18
Mic Mahoney and his wife, Dorothy, are bringing up their 7-year-old grandson who has special needs. By Jeff Reinhardt
respectively. Child Protective Services took Celia and Josiah away from their chemically dependent mother shortamela Bell’s 35-year-old ly after their births. Within days, daughter has had a series of Perez brought each of the infants health issues during the last into her home. “The first time I held several years. Raising her two sons – Jayden, age 10, and Brendyn, age Celia, I was hooked,” she said. Later, CPS placed Quentin with 5 – was difficult for Bell’s daughAnna after removing him from his ter, particularly after she became alcoholic mother’s home. partially paralyzed following two While all three of these children strokes. take medications as a result of havRealizing her daughter needed ing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity some assistance with the youngsters, Bell, age 58, has taken a more Disorder, each is doing relatively well, according to Perez. “Celia is active role in her grandsons’ lives. more outgoing and Josiah talks a lot “She’s a good mom and I wanted more.” to make sure Jayden and Brendyn Although cleaning up and keepwere OK,” Bell said. “I’ve become ing up with them can be difficult, the other parent.” Anna said the little things her Pamela said the hardest part of grandkids do for her in return make sharing the child-rearing responsibilities with her daughter is agreeing it all worthwhile. “They call me on how to handle certain situations. ‘Nana.’” Perez takes great pride know“She sees things a little differing she’s helping to provide a good ently than I do,” Bell said. “I’m life for Quentin, Celia, and Josiah. old school and don’t always feel “Especially when I think about what the need for clarification when I’m their lives might have been.” disciplining my grandsons.” Helping to raise two young males n 2007, Mic and Dorothy Mais an unique challenge for Bell. “I honey’s daughter gave birth to have to tell them ‘why’ all the time. a special needs child. Within a I also want them to get into sports year, it was obvious to authorities but I don’t want them to get hurt.” the young lady didn’t have the cogFor Pamela, the most satisfying nitive ability to raise her son. part of being a grandparent is hugChild Protective Services knew ging and kissing Jayden and Brenthe Mahoneys were deeply involved dyn after something positive like in their grandson’s life and suggestgetting good grades in school has ed they bring him into their home. happened to them. “He had vision problems, he “I pray that I’m making a differdidn’t smile, and he couldn’t ence in their lives,” she said. crawl,” Mic Mahoney said. “He’s nna Perez, age 70, said rais- our grandson, he needed help, and we were there for him.” ing her three grandchildren In the last few years, the youngrequires hours and hours of ster has had spinal chord surgery, hard work, but in return, she reseveral procedures for his vision, ceives a lot of love from Quentin, Celia, and Josiah, ages 14, 7, and 6, and was fitted for leg braces. DeNew Horizons Editor
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Anna Perez is raising Josiah, age 6 (left) and Celia, age 7. A third grandchild, Quentin, age 14, is also under Perez’s care. spite this series of health issues and the challenges they’ve created, Mic, age 64, and his 59-year-old wife, have never waivered in their commitment. “You see this little boy and just love him and you know he has this love for you,” Mic said. “We ask ourselves if we’re doing the best we can?” The Mahoneys are proud of the progress their grandson has made. “He loves to read and sometimes he wants to go the library twice a week,” Mic said. “He smiles a lot more and he’s not the same kid in so many ways.” nowing they needed some help with their grandchildren, Bell, Perez, and the Mahoneys enrolled in the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Grandparent Resource Center. The GRC – which works with 50 grandparents and more than 80 grandchildren – provides a variety of services for men and women age 55 and older who are raising their grandkids. Those include support group meetings, assistance with transportation to the meetings, telephone support, referrals to additional services, and access to other ENOA programs. Persons enrolled in the GRC can explore and develop strategies designed to build and sustain relationships among the parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and other family members, according to Janet Miller who coordinates the project for ENOA. “The program is designed to strengthen and support grandparents so they can provide safe and secure homes for the grandchildren in their care,” she said. For Bell, attending the monthly support group meetings allows her
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to meet and share stories with other families living a similar lifestyle. “I’m learning how to handle certain situations better and I’m now able to put my life into perspective,” she said. Perez said meeting the other Grandparent Resource Center participants makes her realize she’s not alone. “You get a lot of knowledge and hope from the meetings.” Mic Mahoney said being part of the GRC makes him and Dorothy feel like they’re part of a unique club filled with people who have a lot of love in their hearts.
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n Thursday, Sept. 18, Bell, Perez, and the Mahoneys plan to attend the inaugural Grandparents as Parents Conference, a program provided by the GRC in partnership with the Nebraska Children’s Home Society’s Children and Family Center, Right Turn, Behaven Kids, the Kim Foundation, and Comper Care & Rehab, Inc. The free 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. conference – which is aimed at grandparents of all ages raising their grandchildren in their homes – will be held at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 510 N. 93rd St. Topics will include Understanding the Attachment Challenged Child, Jailhouse Rock: Dealing with Problem Behaviors, and Am I Willing and Able to Do This? Lunch, featuring humorist Mary Maxwell as the guest speaker, will be provided. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 10. To register, or for more information about the GRC and the Grandparents as Parents Conference, please contact Miller at 402-9968444 or jlmiller809@gmail.com.
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Dora Bingel Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Aug. 4, 11, 18, & 25: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • Aug. 5, 12, 19, & 26: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m. • Aug. 6: Holy Communion. • Aug. 20: Music from the Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. The cost for the Regeneration lunch is $3. • Aug. 20: Visit by nurse Susan. Call 402-392-1818 for an appointment • Aug. 22: Hard of Hearing Support Group @ 10:30 a.m. • Aug. 27: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have an August birthday. A nutritious lunch is served on Tuesdays and Fridays. A fancier lunch is available on Wednesdays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 for Regeneration. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesdays: Free matinee @ 12:30 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m., Tai Chi @ 11:15 a.m., Bible study @ 12:30 p.m., and Bingo @ 12:30 p.m. Friday: Joy Club Devotions @ 9:30 a.m., Bible study @ 12:30 p.m., and Bingo @ 12:30 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.
Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Friday, Aug. 22: Music by Denelle and I @10:45. • Movies the first and third Monday of each month @ noon. • Wii games the second and fourth Wednesday of each month @ noon. A trip to the Holy Family Shrine on Interstate 80 is being scheduled. Call Susan for more details. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club (join and get a free t-shirt), Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), quilting (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), card games, and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). For meal reservations and more information, please call Susan at 402-546-1270.
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate
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August 2014 calendar of events 2 Family Fun Carnival Strategic Air and Space Museum 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $6 and $12 402-944-3100 Saturdays at Stinson Concert The 402 Aksarben Village 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616 Vibes at Village Pointe Avaricious 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 8 Nebraska Balloon and Wine Festival Also Aug. 9 South of 204th & Q streets Friday 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday 3 to 11 p.m. $5 to $15 402-346-8003 9 Saturdays at Stinson Concert John Doe Aksarben Village 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616 Vibes at Village Pointe The 402 Band 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773
Q — Should I put my child’s name on my home title? A — Let’s look at the pros and cons of this. Pro — It will avoid the need for probate on your home. Con — You would make a gift of a share of the property, and your child would become an owner (joint tenancy). Your child and his/her spouse would have to sign if you ever wished to borrow against your home or sell it. If you ever need Medicaid, you would be subject to a penalty period. Your child would also have to pay capital gain tax on the difference between your original cost and the value at the time of your death. You can avoid these negative factors by use of TOD Deed or a simple trust. We can help with that, so please call. Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call!
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NEW CASSEL
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16 Back to School Bash Henry Doorly Zoo 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free for Zoo members or regular paid admission for non Zoo members 402-733-8401 Maha Music Festival Noon to midnight Aksarben Village $50 402-496-1616 Vibes at Village Pointe eNVy 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 21 End of Summer Concert Series Through Sept. 25 Midtown Crossing 6:30 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-934-9275 23 Saturdays at Stinson Concert The Confidentials Aksarben Village 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616 Vibes at Village Pointe Personics 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 30 Saturdays at Stinson Concert Taxi Driver Aksarben Village 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616
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August 2014
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Tips to avoid identity theft
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ccording to the Bureau of Justice, an estimated 16.6 million people experienced at least one incident of identity theft in 2012. Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. It is a serious crime that can wreak havoc with your finances, credit history, and reputation – and it can take time, money, and patience to resolve. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises there are many steps consumers can take to minimize their risk of being an identity theft victim. For example, consumers should closely guard their Social Security number and shred charge receipts, copies of credit applications, and other sensitive documents. Consumers also should review their credit card reports regularly and be aware of telltale signs to detect their identity may have been
stolen. If you have been the victim of identity theft, take these steps immediately: • Place an initial fraud alert: Contact one of the three nationwide credit
theft report involves these three steps: Submit a complaint about the theft to the FTC. Filing the complaint will involve writing the details of the identity theft. Print a copy of the report.
reporting companies that keep records of your credit history and ask them to put an initial fraud alert on your credit report. • Order a copy of your credit report: After you place an initial fraud alert, the credit reporting company will explain your rights and how you can get a copy of your credit report. • Create an identity theft report: Creating an identity
This report will serve as an identity theft affidavit. File a police report with local law enforcement about the identity theft, and get a copy of the police report or the report number. The affidavit and police report will serve as your identity theft report. (Sgt. Payne – who supervises the Crime Prevention Unit – has been an OPD officer for 20 years.)
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Two new topics in 2014
Submissions for ‘Poetry Across the Generations’ contest sponsored by UNO, Omaha schools, library due Sept. 26
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ubmissions are due by Friday, Sept. 26 for the sixth annual Intergenerational Poetry Contest, Poetry Across the Generations, sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Omaha Public Schools, and the Omaha Public Library. Poets are divided into two separate contests: One for students in grades seven through 12, and the other for men and women age 50 and older. In 2014, the poets will
SCORE workshop on tap for Aug. 6, 7
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ew and prospective small business owners are invited to the Greater Omaha SCORE Entrepreneur workshop on Aug. 6 and 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. each evening. The sessions will be held at the Small Business Administration’s office, 10675 Bedford Ave. The cost is $50 per person. Registration is available online at score@ scoreomaha.org or by calling 402-221-3606.
have two new topics. They are being asked to write a poem about how the world views and treats older people and another poem about how the world views and treats teenagers. First prize in both contests is $100. Second and third prizes in both contests are $50 and $25, respectively. Seven honorable mention poets will each receive $10. An additional $100 prize will be awarded in the age 50 and older category for poems that fit the “traditional, classic, and rhyming style.” The Dale Wolf family is contributing this prize money in honor of their deceased loved one who was a longtime poet. The winning poets can collect their prizes on Sunday, Oct. 19 at a poetry recognition reception from 1 to 4 p.m. at UNO’s Milo Bail Student Center. The event will feature poetry readings, refreshments, and a poetry slam. Poets age 50 and older can submit their poems to Cindy Waldo, VP Sigma Phi Omega, Department of Gerontology, CB 211, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, Neb. 68182-0202. They can also be sent online to www.omahapoetsplacenet. Teen poets may submit their poems to the Omaha Public Library, Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch, Att: Karen Berry, 2100 Reading Plz., Elkhorn, Neb. 68022 or online to www.omahapoetsplace.net.
1989 Huntingtin – 28 x 44 2 bed 2 bath $30,000
Lot # 312 – 3 bed 2 bath $21,000
Elder Access Line available statewide Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing. The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity. For more information, log on the Internet to http://www.legalaidofnebraska.com/EAL.
August 2014
Lot # 213 – 1978 Skyline – 14 x 70 2 bed 1 bath $6,500
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Alzheimer’s support groups available in Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy counties The Alzheimer’s Association Midlands Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. These support groups offer valuable space and educational opportunities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia to engage and learn. Please call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301, ext. 205 for more information. DODGE COUNTY
• OMAHA
• FREMONT Last Wednesday of month @ 2 p.m. Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St.
Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Pathways 5755 Sorensen Pkwy.
Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St.
First Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St. Third Saturday 10:30 a.m. to noon Younger Onset Support Group For persons age 65 or younger and a loved one Methodist Hospital 8303 Dodge St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m. Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr. • ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m. Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr. • OMAHA Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave. Men’s Group Third Wednesday @ 11:30 a.m. Alzheimer’s Association office 1941 S. 42nd St. Third Tuesday @ 6:30 p.m. Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St. Third Wednesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle Home 6809 N. 68th Plz. First and third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site.
First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Early Stage Support Group For persons age 65+ caregiver Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED • RALSTON Second Monday @ 9:30 a.m. Ralston Senior Center 7301 Q St. SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St. Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South
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Doctor’s book examines the benefits of strength training for older adults
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f you want good health, a long life, and to feel your best well into old age, the most important thing you can do may be strength training, says Dr. Brett Osborn, author of Get Serious, A Neurosurgeon’s Guide to Optimal Health and Fitness. “Our ability to fight off disease resides in our muscles,” Dr. Osborn says. “The greatest thing you can do for your body is to build muscle.” He cites a large, longterm study of nearly 9,000 men ages 20 to 80. After nearly 19 years, the still living men were those with the most muscular strength. Muscle is all protein – “nothing but good for you,” Dr. Osborn says. Fat, however, is an endocrine organ, meaning it releases hormones and other chemicals. When a person has excess fat, he or she also has a disrupted flow of excess biochemicals that can increase insulin resistance and boost risk factors for stroke and high blood pressure, among other problems. “Increased cytokines, an immune system chemical, for example, are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Osborn says. “You’re only as old as your arteries.” Strength training has health benefits for everyone, he adds, no matter their size. “Some fat is visceral fat – it’s stored around the organs and it’s even more dangerous than the fat you can see,” he says. “People who look thin may actually be carrying around a lot of visceral fat.” So, what’s the workout Dr. Osborn recommends? “Back to basics,” he says.
Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home—knowing that you can get help if you ever need it. In a fall or emergency, every second counts. Lifeline by Immanuel with AutoAlert is a medical alert pendent that can automatically call for help, even if you can’t push your button. Getting you connected to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449.
www.immanuellifeline.com
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“These five exercises are the pillars of a solid training regime.” • The squat is a full-body exercise. It’s the basic movement around which all training should be centered. Heavy squats generate a robust hormonal response as numerous muscular structures are traumatized during the movement (even your biceps). Standing erect with a heavy load on your back and then repeatedly squatting down will stress your body inordinately – in a good way – forcing it to grow more muscle. • The overhead press primarily activates the shoulders, arm extenders, and chest. Lower body musculature is also activated as it counters the downward force of the dumbbell supported by the trainee. From the planted feet into the hands, force is transmitted through the skeletal system, stabilized by numerous muscular structures, most importantly the lower back. • The deadlift centers on the hamstrings, buttocks, lumbar extensors, and quadriceps, essentially the large muscles of your backside and the front of your thighs. As power is transferred from the lower body into the bar through the upper body conduit, upper back muscles are also stressed, contrasting with the squat, which is supported by the hands. Deadlifts are considered by some to be the most complete training exercise. • The bench press mostly targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s the most popular among weightlifters, and it’s very simple. Trainees push the barbell off the lower chest until the arms are straight. This motion stresses not only the entire upper body, but also the lower body, which serves a stabilizing function. This provides a big hormonal response and plenty of bang for your buck. • The pull-up/chin-up stress upper body musculature into the body. A pull-up is done when hands gripping over the bar; a chin-up is where hands are gripping under the bar. Nine out of 10 people can’t do this exercise because they haven’t put in the effort. It’s also been called a “man’s exercise, which is nonsense,” Dr. Osborn says. There are no gender-specific exercises. Women, too, should aspire to enjoy the health benefits entailed with this pillar. “There are no secrets to a strong and healthier body; hard work is required for the body that will remain vital and strong at any age,” Dr. Osborn says. “Always practice proper form and safety. Otherwise, the result will be the opposite of your goal, an injury.” As always, check with your health care provider before beginning any exercise routine.
Keep those medications away from kids to avoid accidental poisoning Today’s grandparents are much healthier and are living much longer than their parents. Much of this is due to the availability of today’s medications. Chronic pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes can be treated with more effective medications today; however, they can be toxic to children. Accidental poisonings from medicine cause more emergency room visits for young children each year than car accidents. Every minute of every day a poison center receives a call about a potential medication poisoning for a child less than 5 years of age. One preventable reason may be grandparents store their medications within reach of their grandchildren. Tens of thousands of times a year a young child goes to the emergency room for a medication poisoning and 38 percent of the time the child got into a grandparent’s medication. According to a study, nearly one in four grandparents told researchers they store their medications within reach of children or in easy-to-open containers. Grandparents were four times more likely to report leaving medications within easy reach of children than parents. Older adults use more medications than any other age group in the United States. This group compris-
es 13 percent of the population but accounts for 34 percent of all prescription use. The medications older adults take often consist of dangerous prescription medications where even one pill could kill a small child. Last year the Nebraska Regional Poison Center received over 1,000 calls from panicked grandparents after their grandchild took one or more of their medications. Here are some tips to help keep your grandchildren safe: • Don’t keep medications on nightstands, kitchen tables, or counters. Keep them locked up and out of sight. • Children often imitate adults so take your medications when the grandchildren aren’t watching. • Use child resistant caps when possible. There is no such thing as childproof containers. • Keep track of your medications and remember older grandchildren may be looking for prescription medications to abuse. • Get unused, unwanted, and expired medications out of the house. The poison center can help you with that. • Have the number to the poison center (1-800-2221222) programmed into your phone or in a prominent place for easy access. The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
AARP offering driving course AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults. By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonAARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule: Saturday, August 9 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St. Call 402-398-9568 to register Wednesday, August 27 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Midlands Community Hospital 11111 S. 84th St. Papillion Call 800-253-4368 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to register
Sarpy County Museum
Computer classes are available during fall
An exhibit titled, A History of Crime and Punishment in Sarpy County will be on display at the Sarpy County Museum – 2402 Clay St. in Bellevue – from Sept. 2 through Nov. 1. Visitors will learn more about moonshiners in Bellevue, escaped convicts in Gretna, and horse thieves in Papillion as they view photographs, police-related items, and more. “We are excited to have the Sarpy County Sheriff’s office partnering with us on this exhibit,” said Ben Justman, the museum’s executive director. The exhibit will also include a series of special presentations including: • Sunday, Sept. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m.: Cops and Robbers, a guided tour through Bellevue Cemetery that will feature judges, law enforcement officials, and a few colorful law breakers. • Saturday, Sept. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.: Deputy Lloyd Schoolfield will tell stories about the early days of the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department and provide information on changes in law enforcement equipment. • Saturday, Sept. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.: Cold Cases of Sarpy County. • Saturday, Oct. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m.: Talk on the history of the Sarpy County Attorney’s office. Some of the festivities will include refreshments, so visitors are encouraged to RSVP by calling 402-292-1880. While admission to the Sarpy County Museum is free, donations are always welcome.
Computer classes for men and women age 50 and older are being offered this fall through the AARP Information Center and the Kids Can Community Center. The nine-hour classes, which are taught over three days, run from Sept. 3 through Nov. 7. The cost is $20 and participants don’t need to be an AARP member. Students will learn a variety of computer skills. To register or for more information, please call 402-398-9568.
We need your
! t r o p sup
I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.
ENOA
Auditions for men’s chorus set for Aug. 7 Open auditions for the Pathfinder Chorus will be held on Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at Elkhorn South High School on 204th Street just south of Pacific Street. Calling itself Nebraska’s “premiere a cappella chorus,” the Pathfinder Chorus features more than 100 men of all ages. For more information, please send an e-mail to pr@pathfinderchorus.org.
Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us. These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.
$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults. Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning. Please ma il with thisyofour donation rm to: Eas
tern Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef Name:_____________________________________
City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________
August 2014
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f Reinha 4223 C rdt Omaha, enter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
) 444-665
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Meigs brings art, history, ag together at the Florence Mill is dedicated to her late son, Connor Meigs, who followed her path to become an artist. He was a sophomore at her alma mater, the University of Kansas, when killed in a 2004 automobile accident. Linda was already six years into the Florence Mill project when Connor died and since then she’s only thrown herself more into the project. An outdoor farmer’s market happens Sundays on the grounds which she leases from the Nebraska Department of Roads. Linda also hosts a variety of special events at the mill.
To the thousands of men and women who visit the historic Florence Mill each year, Linda Meigs is known as the ‘Mill Lady.’ By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer
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rtist, history buff, and preservationist Linda Meigs didn’t set out to be the “Mill Lady,” but that’s what she’s known as in reference to Omaha’s historic Florence Mill, 9012 N. 30th St. It’s appropriate, too, because ever since saving this landmark from likely demolition it’s been her baby. The wood structure dates back to the 1840s and boasts direct ties to the Great Mormon westward migration and to the Church of Latter Day Saints leader Brigham Young. After near continuous use as a flour and lumber mill the building was abandoned in the 1970s and 1980s. Sitting vacant, the interior was exposed to the elements from a damaged roof and broken windows. Vandals
released stored grain from the chutes. Heaps of matted oats and dried pigeon and rodent droppings covered the floors. Linda and her husband, John Meigs, acquired the Florence Mill in 1998 when no one else wanted the structure. They purchased the-then wreck for $63,000. Much more money than that has gone into its cleanup, repair, and restoration. The mill’s become her magnificent obsession and all-consuming art project. Meigs, 64, operates the site as a historical museum. Photographs, interpretive text panels, tools, implements, letters, and posters tell the story of the mill and its people. Because Linda’s retained the historical character of the building including the original timber, the Florence Mill also speaks for itself. The ArtLoft Gallery she created on the second floor
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his full-fledged cultural attraction began as a cockeyed dream that nearly everyone but her architect husband, John, tried talking Meigs out of pursuing. It’s turned into a life’s work endeavor that’s preserved history, created a new community space, and spurred tourism in one of Omaha’s oldest sections. Her efforts have earned recognition from several quarters. She’s the mill’s owner, caretaker, curator, and everything else. “I’m doing everything here the executive director of any historical society does, only they have paid staff,” she says. “I’m the executive director, docent, historian, janitor, public relations person, events programmer, (and) grant writer. It just goes on and on.” Linda could have added market master. She “runs the show” at the Florence Farmers Market on Sundays in her gaudy market hat. Those roles are in addition to being a wife, mother, and rental property ownermanager. The Florence Mill though requires most of her
Active Living
Without a paid staff, Linda does everything required of a historical society’s executive director. attention. “I’m the unpaid slave of the mill,” Meigs says. She’s glad to be in service to it, saying, “This is my gift to the city – to keep it open to the public. I’ve always been interested in preservation. My husband, John, too. He worked on the restoration of the Orpheum Theatre and Union Station. We have a 100-year-old apartment building, the West Farnam, at 3817 Dewey Ave. “I was an officer with Landmarks Inc. It makes me sick when we tear our history down and go to Europe for history. The mill is wonderful history. The building is really an encyclopedia of the grain industry. It has an unique niche as the only building in this region that bridges the eras of the overland pioneer trails and territorial settlement. I get a lot of visitors from outside Omaha, really from all across the country, who retrace the Mormon
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and Gold Rush trails.” This intersection with history would probably have been razed if not for her passion and perseverance. The Florence Mill’s been endangered several times, first by the people who built it, the Mormon pioneers, when they left their winter quarters settlement to journey west to Utah. Brigham Young himself supervised the mill’s construction. But after serving its purpose for that caravan of faithful, the mill was left to the Indians and nature. Scottish émigré Alexander Hunter was on his way to the California Gold Rush when he saw an opportunity to rescue the mill. He rebuilt it, and an employee, Jacob Weber, later bought the building. The Mill remained in the Weber family for more than a century, thus it’s often called the Weber Mill and Elevator. A 1930s flood nearly --Please turn to page 11.
Converting an obsolete grain depository into a cultural site --Continued from page 10. claimed the Florence Mill. The threat of future floods motivated Jacob’s grandson, Lyman Weber, to move the building, intact, to higher ground. In 1964 the Webers sold out to Ernie and Ruthie Harpster. Interstate 680 construction in the 1970s was slated to run right through the property before Ernie Harpster secured historic status for the site, which necessitated the Interstate being re-routed. Meigs first learned of the mill when Harpster put it up for sale in 1997. Despite its awful condition Linda saw potential where others saw ruin. “My role was to have it make a career change from an obsolete mill and grain elevator into a cultural site. And it took me years to figure out what its theme was, and it was just in the last year or two I recognized the obvious – it connects agriculture, history, and art. I never would have thought I’d be able to choreograph my life so that those very separate things would come together in anything as good as this building. It’s like they all tied together in this serendipity project. “I feel I was the right person at the right time for this to steer it in a different direction – in an attraction direction.” Indeed, it’s unlikely anyone else possessed the necessary skills and interests, plus will and vision, to take on the mill and repurpose its role.
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he oldest of three siblings, Meigs is the only daughter of Francis and Pauline Sorensen. Her parents grew up on north-central Nebraska farms. Linda spent her early childhood in the Dundee neighborhood where she and John have resided since 1975, before the Sorensens moved to Omaha’s Sunset Hills. Though she grew up in the city, Meigs gained an appreciation for agriculture visiting her maternal grandparents’ farm. “My mother’s family farm was my second home. We went out there weekends and holidays. In fact. I’ve used it for my artwork quite a bit,” says the veteran visual artist who’s shown at the Artists Cooperative and Anderson O’Brien galleries. In contrast to this bucolic idyll was her “Edgar Allan
Poe childhood.” Her mother sang at funerals and Linda accompanied her to the dark Victorian gothic mansions where these somber services were held. Linda would sit on a red velvet settee outside the viewing room and wait for her mom to finish Danny Boy, In the Garden, and The Lord’s Prayer. Meigs traces her love of old buildings to those times. Linda’s talent for art asserted itself early. She drew and colored on any paper she could lay her hands on, filling reams of notebooks with her Childcraft bookinspired designs, “I won a Walt Disney coloring contest before kindergarten. I got free tickets to Westward Ho the Wagons at the Dundee Theater. That was the payoff. In grade school I got a scholarship to an art class at the Joslyn Art Museum. The teachers were always reinforcing about my artwork.” Westside High School art teachers Ken Heimbuch and Diane (Hansen) Murphy were particularly “encouraging.” “I still keep in touch with them and they come to my art shows here at the mill. We have a nice relationship.” Meigs’ talent netted a scholarship to the University of Kansas art camp, but her parents couldn’t afford to send her. Heartbroken, she still fixed her sights on studying art in college. She started at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before switching to KU. “I went to UNL my first year but I wasn’t very happy there. The art department wasn’t as large then as it is now. (Landscape painter) Keith Jacobshagen was a graduate student at the time and he encouraged me to check out KU, where he’d gotten his bachelor’s degree.” The state university in Lawrence proved a good fit. “It turned out my husband was down there. It all came together. I loved the campus. You’re on a hill and you can see the horizon from three directions. Aesthetically, it’s very beautiful.” Linda’s insurance adjustor father and homemaker mother never opposed their daughter from pursuing art. “My parents were very accepting, they knew I had a gift in that area and were encouraging. They were proud of me – even to the day I
Photographs, interpretive text panels, tools, implements, letters, and posters tell the story of the Florence Mill and its people. graduated with a totally useless BFA in printmaking. My folks never pressured me about how I was going to make a living. I never worried about it because I always felt, and I raised my kids this way, that if you’re a creative person you could figure out what to do.” She and John made a go of it after marrying in 1975. He worked as an architect for Leo A. Daly before going into the building supplies business. She worked in a design studio before going off on her own as a
freelance illustrator. She’s taught art at the Joslyn and Metropolitan Community College and more recently with WhyArts? Meigs kept her hand in art in other ways, too. “I was the cultural arts chair of Washington Elementary School for nine years. I invented a theme every year. The first one was Artists in Our Midst and every month I brought in a different artist. Whether they did pottery, silkscreen, or painting, there was an artist in residence in the
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hallway demonstrating their work. I leaned on my artist friends for that to make this program for the school. “One year we did a history theme and we had an all-school quilting bee. Each class designed a different block for this school quilt that won two blue ribbons at the Douglas County Fair. All of that was practice for events at the mill. I learned how to be an event producer.” Her and John’s appreciation for history developed --Please turn to page 12.
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Contact Saint Joseph Tower Assisted Living Community to learn more.
www.StJosephTower.com 22O5 S. 1Oth St.
August 2014
Omaha, NE 681O8
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Newspaper article led Linda to her magnificent obsession --Continued from page 11. into a hobby of driving around to admire houses and buildings in the older parts of town. When they had four kids in six years, including twins, the Meigs developed an extra income stream by buying older residential properties and renting them out. That led to Linda’ day job as “a landlady.” Then in 1997 Meigs saw an Omaha World-Herald article that changed her life. Headlined History for Sale, it detailed the mill’s colorful past. Having come to the end of its commercial life, the Florence Mill was for sale. “When I read the article I had a sinking premonition it (the mill) would be my job,” Linda says with a laugh. When she and John toured the mill for the first time it marked her initial visit to Florence. The building was a mess. “It was boarded up and pitch black inside. We used flashlights to see. It had 2,000 pounds of fermented grain in a bin. Another 12,000 pounds were on the floor. We shuffled through piles of grain, dirt, dead animals, and pigeon poop. It was stinky, dark, scary, and unhealthy in there. “Another couple went through. The woman was Mormon and wanted to do a restaurant there. She asked me, ‘Are you interested in it?’ And I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know, it’s pretty rough.’ And I said, ‘Are you interested in it?’ And she said, ‘Oh, no, it’s too far gone for me.’” It wasn’t too far gone for Linda, though. Not by a long shot. “I thought, I can do this. It was a commitment, sure, but I thought this was a gem. I wasn’t afraid. I was used to working with old buildings. I didn’t know why there weren’t hundreds of people that wanted to buy an 1800s building.” Still, it was a huge decision. After weeks hemming and hawing about the building’s potential she received a surprise. “On Valentine’s Day my husband came home with a loaf of my favorite bread. I set it out on the
During the spring of 1998, this group of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints missionaries and volunteers helped Meigs begin to clean out and restore the Florence Mill. counter, and he said, ‘Well, aren’t you going to open it?’ So I opened it and underneath the bread was a purchase agreement that said if I wanted to do this he would stand with me. That was lovely.” If Linda hadn’t gone through with it, she says, the Florence Mill probably would have been bulldozed. “It was falling on its own. There were letters to the editor asking why doesn’t somebody tear that ruin of a building down and others saying it needed to be fixed up. So there were two sides – there always is in preservation. There are those who think it’s served its purpose, and so let it go. Then there are those who say it’s a link to our past and heritage that should be salvaged, and I’m in that camp. “The writer David Bristow may have best captured its magic when he said, ‘I feel like I’m standing inside of a tree with the rings of history around me.’ I love that – I think it’s such a perfect metaphor for this building. From the outside you don’t know what to expect from this industrial-looking building but the inside is very lovely and soulful.” For Meigs, the Florence Mill is a living history lesson.
“The wood in here tells a story if you know where to look.” She says the original hand-hewn timbers felled and erected by the Mormons are intact, as are the timbers Alexander Hunter used in the rebuilding effort. The circular marks from Hunter’s saw are visible in the timbers. There are vintage signs, pay stubs, and time cards about. Getting things up to code meant addressing a myriad of problems; from fixing huge holes in the roof to replacing rotted windows to draining fetid water in the basement she called “a stinky swimming pool” to removing seven tons of gunk. “It was a big project,” Meigs says. Her first order of business was cleaning all the walls and floors and open surfaces. “I scrubbed the entire building with trisodium phosphate and a brush.” Next was repairing the leaking roof. Linda got a pleasant surprise when she discovered all those strewn oats acted as a sealant that protected the wood floors. “So the bane of the building was its blessing,” she says. The building today “is a lot more solid than it was,” Linda says thanks to the new roof, siding, windows, and insulation. “We did the restoration on the outside to preserve the inside because it’s the inside of this building that’s historical. It’s just the opposite of most restoration projects, where they’ll keep the facade and gut the inside. We didn’t want to do that because it would ruin the building.”
I In November 1998, the Florence Mill’s roof was replaced.
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t wasn’t long before Meigs got a sense the Florence Mill just might be the attraction she thought it could become. “That first summer I was in here cleaning I had a thousand visitors and it wasn’t even open. Actually the mill told me through all those visitors that it needed to be open as a historical site. I had very vague ideas what to do with it. It’s an odd building functionally. As an artist I thought there would be a good gallery space here. “I decided to open it up to the
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public as a museum.” Meigs may have come to Florence as an outsider but she soon established herself as a good neighbor dedicated to building the community and boosting economic development. “It bothered me the historic sites of Florence were closed most of the summer, the mill included, except for the Mormon Trails Center,” she says. “Kiwanis was keeping the historic depot and bank open on summer Sundays. I got a grant from the Mammel Foundation to staff those sites every day during the summer. It was a three-year grant and we kept them open with paid staff from Kiwanis clubs. It was a lovely relationship of improving Omaha.” When the grant ended the depot and bank went back to being open a few select days but Meigs decided to keep the mill open on a regular basis. “Because I could do it; I’m donating my time,” she says. The mill’s open seasonally, May through October. It goes in hibernation for the winter as it’s without heat and indoor restrooms. Although still a newcomer to Florence, Linda’s become one of its biggest champions and feels it’s often overlooked considering its rich history. “This is an unknown part of town. I call it the forgotten fringe. When I got the mill and I started doing the research I realized the depth of the history here and I got involved in the neighborhood.” She chaired the group called Florence Futures that developed the master redevelopment plan for the Florence neighborhood. When the Mormon Winter Quarters Temple opened, Meigs organized a Lunch in Historic Florence event that gave visitors to the Temple a button for a discounted lunch at area restaurants. “It was the first time the community had done a project with the Temple,” she says, adding the promotion won a state tourism award. Much sweat equity and money went into getting the Florence Mill into its present restored state. “It’s taken 17 years to do what we’ve done. It’s not been overnight.” With no paid admission, the trickle of income from vendor rentals and gift shop sales isn’t nearly enough to keep the mill open and maintained. Meigs depends on grants and donations. She and John also “pitch in money to keep this afloat.” She estimates more than $300,000 has been invested in the building thus far from various sources. “I have a Friends of the Mill group and people kindly donate to that. It fluctuates from year to year but the funds from that do not cover the operating costs.” Some major donors have come through for pricy projects such as automatic barn doors. The Peter Kiewit Foundation and the Lozier --Please turn to page 13.
Florence Mill’s art gallery memorializes Connor Meigs --Continued from page 12. Corporation helped fund their purchase and installation. “A Questers group won a grant from the statewide Questers to replace the basement windows. It’s not like that happens all the time but there’s enough that it helps. When the need arises, good things happen, (and) angels appear.”
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inda’s proud of how she converted the mill’s loft into a rustic art gallery bathed in natural light. “I put some things up there early on. The first show was a show of my farm photographs with fiber art by Dorothy Tuma.” The space didn’t become a fullfledged gallery though until her son, Connor’s, death. “Loss is hard. Losing a child is pretty unacceptable because it’s out of the order of things. He died from injuries in a car accident on Christmas Eve of 2004. He was 19.” Connor was an award-winning editorial cartoonist with the Omaha Central High Register and the Daily Kansan newspapers. He was home for the holidays, driving with his twin brother, Doug, when the collision happened near the south side of Elmwood Park. “We were over at John’s parents’ house waiting for Doug and Connor to come over to play board games with us,” Linda says. “The roads turned to black ice. Both boys suffered injuries and lost consciousness. “Doug came out of it and Connor did not.” There was a huge outpouring of support, including $10,000 in memorial gifts to the Florence Mill. Linda also wanted to do something to commemorate Connor’s love for art. “It was actually in the wilderness of British Columbia that the idea came to me to give an art award in his memory,” Meigs explains. “I had promised Connor a show at the gallery when he graduated. I decided to give one young person a year what I promised to give Connor.” The Connor Meigs Art Award is a merit award to help launch a young artist’s career. It includes a monthlong solo exhibit, mentoring, artist’s reception, lodging, and a $1,000 honorarium. Because Connor was an organ donor his mother knew he helped give life to others and he would live on through the recipients. “I wrote a letter to the families of the transplant patients who received his organs about what kind of a young man he was. I wrote that he was a hockey player and an awardwinning artist. It had been six months since his passing and I had not heard any response.” Linda had been waiting for a letter but she got a personal visit instead. “We were here working at the mill on a Sunday cleaning pigeon poop when a couple drove up in a
car with outstate license plates. The woman got out and said, ‘We’d like to see Connor’s work.’ I said, ‘How did you know there was an exhibit?’ She looked down and after a pause she looked up to say, ‘I have Connor’s liver.’” There had been a recent article about the Florence Mill’s renovation and Connor’s show. Maggie Steele of Norfolk, Neb. contacted the Nebraska Organ Donors Society saying she wanted to meet Connor’s family. She was told protocol requires a recipient correspond a year with the family before a meeting is set. Meigs says Steele persisted until the organization finally gave in and said, “Follow your heart.” “Maggie and her husband, Phil, stop by to visit the mill nearly every summer,” Meigs says. “Though I wrote a letter to all the organ recipients, Maggie was the only one we heard from. We are grateful to have heard from her.” Historically, the mill’s always been a landmark for travelers, whether on foot, wagon, or motor vehicle, and it remains a magnet for all kinds of visitors and events. “Its still a natural meeting place,” Meigs says. “It’s right next to the Interstate, it’s very easy access, and it’s on the way to the airport.” Warren Buffett’s been there. The grounds have accommodated campers following the Mormon Trail. The mill was the site for a Great Plains Theatre Conference program in May that drew hundreds. Each fall it’s part of the North Omaha Pottery Tour. The gallery hosts several exhibits annually. The farmers market features dozens of vendors on Sundays from June through September. Meigs says the Mill gets 8,000 to 10,000 visitors each summer and the farmer’s market, begun in 2009, is a major draw. It’s an eclectic scene where you can listen to live bluegrass music and get a massage. Children can ride ponies and pet alpacas. Linda sometimes joins the circle jam of fiddle and dulcimer musicians to play the washboard. The laid-back vibe is largely attributed to Meigs. “I get a lot of thank you’s and gratitude from some people for saving this building but it’s blessed me back. I’ve met so many wonderful friends in this part of town. It’s enriched my life.” Two measures of how much her efforts are appreciated happened this summer. She went with her family on a Bucket List trip to British Columbia and artist friends ran the mill in her absence. “I almost wept when people stepped forward to say, ‘I’ll help.’” Folks in Florence organized a Thank You for the Mill party. “What a nice thing for people to do,” she says. “It’s nice to be appreciated.” She says fellow creative folks “always understand the building itself is my art project – it is the creation, it is an art and history installation.” Meigs feels she’s part of a long
This is what the space now occupied by the Florence Mill’s second floor art gallery looked like when Linda and John Meigs bought the building in 1998 for $63,000. lineage of people who have been entrusted with the Florence Mill. “All of the owners of the building have honored that pioneer heritage and have had a role to play in the building’s preservation.” Linda doesn’t have a succession plan for handing-off the Florence Mill when she retires or dies. She says the Douglas County Historical Society or the Nebraska State Historical Society may be possibilities. She thinks the Mormon Church might be interested. Meigs isn’t giving it up anytime soon, though. Besides, she’s be-
come so identified with it that she and the mill are synonymous. “People want me to be here. When they come here and I’m not here they’re disappointed. I guess my personality’s ingrained in this thing. I’m the ‘Mill Lady.’” It may not be exactly what she had in mind as a young artist. Nevertheless, Meigs says, “It’s my dream.” For more on Florence Mill hours and activities visit the website www.theflorencemill.org. Read more of Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com.
Although Linda had never been in Florence before scouting the mill for a possible purchase, she’s become an active member of the area’s business and social community.
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Bellevue Community Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Bellevue Senior Community Center – 109 W. 22nd Ave. – this month for: • Aug. 4: Talk by Margaret Schaefer from Legal Aid of Nebraska @ 11 a.m. • Aug. 7: Dinner with chicken Parmesan, potato wedges, Italian vegetables, a lettuce salad, and watermelon @ 6 p.m. • Aug. 8: We’ll have a book swap all day in honor of Booklovers Day (Aug. 9). • Aug. 14: Dinner with a hot turkey sandwich, California blend vegetables, tropical fruit, and sherbet @ 6 p.m. • Aug. 15: The Kiwanis Club will host a lasagna lunch at noon. Entertainment by Johnny Ray Gomez @ 10:45 a.m. • Aug. 18: Home safety presentation @ 11 a.m. • Aug. 21: Dinner with pizza, a tossed salad, peaches, and a Jell-O parfait @ 6 p.m. • Aug. 22: Rockin’ ’50s party from 10 a.m. to noon. • Aug. 26: Presentation on security awareness by Officer Craig Welch from the Bellevue Police Department @ 12:30 p.m. • Aug. 28: Red Cross blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. • Aug. 28: Dinner with taco salad, chips, fruit salad, and a brownie sundae @ 6 p.m. The Bellevue Senior Community Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8 am to 8 p.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for lunch. A $4 contribution is suggested for the evening meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. We offer chair volleyball on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. We have a Maj Jong group that plays Mondays at 11 a.m. On Tuesdays and Fridays, a Tai Chi class is offered at 2 p.m. A 50 cents contribution is suggested for the class. Ellen Shank (AKA the vegetable lady) will be at the center Tuesdays around 10 a.m. to sell fresh vegetables. Get your walking shoes ready for the Sarpy County Alzheimer’s Disease Walk on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Papillion-LaVista South High School. Walkers, volunteers, and people willing to make purple scarves to sell as a fundraiser are needed. Mark your calendars for the annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser at the Lied Center on Oct. 24. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for persons under age 12. The food will be served from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Music by Michael Lyon begins at 5 p.m. For meal reservations or more information, call Regan or Cheryl @ 402-293-3041.
Gift from Alzheimer’s group in Fremont to help UNMC recruit clinical participants A $25,000 gift from the Fremont Area Alzheimer’s Committee will strengthen the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s efforts to successfully recruit individuals to participate in national clinical trials that focus on new drug treatments to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression. UNMC, which is in the beginning stages of launching three new Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials in Nebraska, will join sites from across the United States to complete these studies. The Fremont Area Alzheimer’s Committee’s gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation supports the efforts of the research staff at UNMC to initiate these studies, including recruitment of participants. The gift also supports UNMC’s development of a registry of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as healthy aging individuals who are interested in research. This registry will be a vital resource to help recruit patients for future Alzheimer’s disease clinical studies and studies focused on aging and brain health. Support for Alzheimer’s research at UNMC is a priority of the University of Nebraska Foundation’s Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities that ends Dec. 31. Daniel Murman, M.D. will lead the three clinical trials at UNMC and start the registry. He is a professor in the UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences and the director of the Memory Disorders & Behavioral Neurology Program. “The Fremont Area Alzheimer group’s support is critical to helping UNMC get these clinical trials off the ground and will facilitate future Alzheimer’s disease research focused on finding effective disease modifying therapies,” Dr. Murman said. “While the NIH and pharmaceutical companies are providing support for the national studies and for participants once they are involved, private funding, such as this gift, benefits us by funding start-up and recruitment activities. This enhances UNMC’s ability to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for Alzheimer’s disease research now and in the future.” Dr. Murman praised the Fremont Area Alzheimer’s Committee and the Fremont community for its extraordinary support in moving the promising research forward. “Too many individuals suffer from the devastation of Alzheimer’s,” he said. “Our hope, through these efforts, is to lessen its impact on patients and families.” For more information about participating in the Alzheimer’s clinical trials at UNMC, please call 402-552-6233.
Blue Barn Theater The 2014-15 production schedule at the Blue Barn Theatre – 614 S. 11th St. – has been announced. This will be the final season of shows at the theatre that will move to 10th and Pacific streets in 2015-16. • Oct. 2 to 25: American Buffalo. • Nov. 28 to Dec. 21: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some).
• Jan. 8 to 10: Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. • Feb. 19 to March 14: Bad Jews. • May 7 to June 7: Our Town. Season tickets, which are now on sale, are $85 for adults and $70 for persons age 65 and older. For more information, please call 402-345-1576.
Volunteers Assisting Seniors
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olunteers Assisting Seniors, a local nonprofit organization, needs retired professionals for its Court Auditor and Medicare Counseling programs. Volunteer court auditors will review annual reports submitted by guardians and conservators and report discrepancies to the court. VAS’ volunteer Medicare counselors work with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program to offer free counseling and assistance for people that receive Medicare benefits. The Medicare volunteer counselors are required to take a training class on Sept. 5 and 12 before working with the Medicare beneficiaries. For more information, please call VAS at 402-444-6617.
Around the clock consultations offered
UNMC involved in study to create web-based model of dementia care
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he University of Nebraska Medical said Bruce Miller, M.D., director of the Center and the University of Califor- Memory and Aging Center at UCSF. “Typinia San Francisco have been awarded cally, these people have a hard time getting a $10 million grant from the federal Centers through to anyone in the medical system.” for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation to Researchers hope to create a virtual care create a new web-based model of demensystem that is supportive enough to protect tia care. It will provide around the clock the mental and physical health of caregivconsultations for patients and their families, ers who tend to neglect their own needs. If online education, and, for some patients, caregivers learn to cope better, patients may remote monitoring with smart phones and be able to remain at home longer before home sensors. moving into assisted living. The Dementia Care Ecosystem won’t replace clinicians, but rather bring educaast year, according to the Alzheimtional resources developed over the past er’s Association, about 15.5 million decade by UCSF’s Memory and Aging people in the United States were Center to patients and their families, while caring for friends and family members with enabling clinicians to monitor their patients dementia. Nearly 60 percent said the work from afar. was highly stressful and more than a third Dr. Steve Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., associreported symptoms of depression. ate professor of geriatrics at UNMC and Some patients in the study will use smart co-investigator of the grant, said the projphones and electronic wristbands to record ect has the potential to give patients with activity levels, count the number of steps Alzheimer’s disease, their families and care they take, and measure how far they range partners, advice and expertise no matter from home. A small number will have where they live or their income. sensors placed inside their homes to detect “We hope to show that by providing com- behavior changes that could signal the onset prehensive, personally tailored services, we of a health problem like being up all night, can keep everyone healthier, happier, and staying in bed all day, or going to the bathdecrease time spent in hospitals,” said Dr. room more times than usual. Bonasera, who did his fellowship at UCSF. The system also will monitor the drugs “I think the interventions in this trial will that patients take and flag high risk and keep people with dementia at home longer, inappropriate medications that can send and at the same time lower family and care- patients with certain forms of dementia to giver stress.” the emergency room. Beginning this fall, 2,100 patients, all Initial projections are that the improved diagnosed with varying stages of demencaregiver support, more continuous access tia, will be enrolled through San Francisco to medical help, and medication manageGeneral Hospital and Trauma Center, the ment will reduce emergency room visits UCSF Medical Center, the UCSF clinics, by a half, cut hospitalizations by almost a the Chinatown Clinics, as well as UNMC third, and delay the move into a nursing of NASMM (National and other organizations in Nebraska serving Member home by six months. This is projected to Association of Seniorover Movethe three years of the older adults. save $4.3 million Each patient will have a navigator who grant. Managers) will check in by telephone or with a per(UNMC’s Public Relations Department sonal visit as well as be monitored through provided this information.) an Internet dashboard. Navigators will be people without a formal medical degree Hoarding study who will be supervised closely by nurses, social workers, and pharmacists with experResearchers at the University of Netise in dementia care. braska at Omaha are looking for pairs of The navigators will triage calls, making individuals who are willing to participate sure patients see nurses and doctors when in a joint one-time interview. One of necessary and helping with other things that these men or women needs to have difdon’t require medical expertise such as a ficulty with excessive clutter. The other hazardous situation in the home that could individual must be the first person’s cause the patient to fall. Meanwhile, paclose family member or friend. tients and their families will be able to get There is no monetary compensation training online to help make financial plans for persons participating in this research and work through tough medical decisions study. before their loved ones have reached a crisis For more information, please call Jenstage. nifer Baker at 402-554-2921 or send an “Our ecosystem will have wisdom and e-mail to jabaker@unomaha.edu. experience continuously piped in every day to caregivers who are overwhelmed,”
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Dance at Legion Post #1
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ou’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.
Six-week series of financial programs scheduled for Sept. 9 though Oct. 14
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ou’re invited to attend a free six-week series of programs titled Find Peace of Mind by Organizing Your Financial Life. The programs will be held on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 at 1055 N. 115th St., Suite 200. The series will be offered Sept. 9 through Oct. 14. Here’s the schedule: • Week 1: Alzheimer’s Disease: The Road to a Diagnosis… and Beyond with Terry Johnson, a caregiver for his wife and an adjunct professor at Grace University. • Week 2: Legal Documents: What if Something Happens to Me? with Niel Nielsen from the Carlson Burnett Law Firm. • Week 3: Protecting your Assets: What to do When the Forecast Calls for Rain with representatives from Financial Visions, LLC. • Week 4: Family Dynamics: Expectations and Realities with journalist and caregiver Chris Christen. • Week 5: Community Resources: Industry Bestsellers with Michaela Williams from Care Consultants for the Aging. • Week 6: Your Plan B: A Reality Check for Caregivers with Cathy Wyatt, CSA from Financial Visions, LLC. For more information, please call 402-661-9611.
MovingOn Whether moving to a new home, apartment, retirement community, or out of state like Bill and Mary; Katie Wray “MovingOn” will sort, pack, and Owner-Operator arrange to move your belongings. As a senior, or a child of a senior, life is busy and handling a household liquidation or estate sale can be overwhelming and confusing. “MovingOn” decreases stress as it acts as your on-site advocate by taking care of all the details. Bill & Mary
Our services include: • Plan, schedule, and coordinate the move. • Arrange for utilities, cable, and mail delivery changes.
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Call today for a free estimate!
Computer classes on Mondays
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ou’re encouraged to enroll in basic computer skills classes at the Heartland Workforce Solutions American Job Center, 5752 Ames Ave. The courses are held Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants will receive hands on training and learn how to use a personal computer, how to search the Internet, and learn Microsoft programs. For more information, please call Barbara Thomas at 402-451-1066, ext. 35.
August 2014
402-651-2711 movingon@cox.net www.movingonomaha.com
“ Love should be a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven.” Bertrand Russe
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Fremont Friendship Center events
Advice for avoiding heat-related problems
You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field) this month for the following: • Aug. 1: We’ll host the traveling pitch tournament @ 9:30 a.m. If you’re playing cards, please have your snack here by 9 a.m. • Aug. 6: Music by pianist Wally @ 10:30 a.m. • Aug. 13: Dance to the music of Johnny Ray Gomez @ 10:30 a.m. We’ll celebrate the August birthdays @ 11:30 a.m. • Aug. 14: Let Laurie know if you’d like to join the Adaptive Recreation group for cosmic bowling. • Aug. 20: Dance to the music of Wayne Miller @ 10:30 a.m. • Aug. 26: A movie and popcorn with Larry @ 10:30 a.m. • Aug. 27: Enjoy music by Al Knoell @ 10:30 a.m. • Aug. 27: Toenail clinic for $10. Call Laurie at 402727-2815 for an appointment. • Aug. 29: Wear your red to our 10:30 a.m. tailgate party to kick off the Huskers’ football season. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. Other free activities include exercising, card games, billiards, and access to a computer lab. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.
The Douglas County Health Department is asking everyone to take it easy during extremely warm temperatures. “The heat and humidity make for potentially deadly conditions,” said DCHD Health Director Dr. Adi Pour. Some ideas to help you avoid heat-related problems include: • Never leave a person or an animal in a closed, parked vehicle during hot weather. • Drink plenty of fluids before you get thirsty, and avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine. Water is the best drink to keep you cool. • Take advantage of air conditioning as much as possible. • Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. • Outdoor activities should be limited to the cooler morning and evening hours. Athletes participating in outdoor activities need special attention. • Those age 65 or older and children are more at risk of being impacted by the heat and humidity. You can help by checking on these individuals during the day. • A sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher should be used when outside. “Heat is on average, by far, the biggest weather killer in the United States,” Dr. Pour said. “Please take the proper precautions.”
Corrigan Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. this month for: • Tuesdays in August: Ellen’s Produce Market from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. Fresh veggies and fruit from her Nebraska City garden. Cash or produce vouchers only. • Wednesdays: Art & Social class @ 9:30 a.m. in the crafts room. Bring and work on any art project (and your own supplies). Share ideas and lots of laughs. • Monday, Aug. 4: Cooking Matters food demonstration @ 11 a.m. A local chef will prepare a food item and then offer samples. The noon lunch features a baked chicken breast with orange and cranberry sauce or a deli choice. Bingo follows lunch. • Monday, Aug. 18: Hawaiian Beach Party and Bingo. Wear your Hawaiian shirts and sandals. Beach ball blast and costume contest @ 10 a.m. Door prizes, island music by Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers, and lunch featuring herbed pork or a deli crabmeat macaroni salad. Bingo follows lunch. • Thursday, Aug. 21: Lazy, Daisy, Crazy Days of Summer Dinner and Mega Bingo. The special noon lunch menu is a chicken breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, a tossed salad, a dinner roll, and strawberry shortcake. Mega bingo will follow lunch. Win part of the $75 pot. The suggested lunch donation is $3.50. The reservation deadline is noon on Fri., Aug. 15. • Monday, Aug. 21: August birthday party and Bingo. Music by Charlie Glasgow from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. The noon lunch menu features a hot or a cold selection. • Thursday, Aug. 28: Dog Days of Summer featuring lunch, Bingo, dog trivia, and ice cream floats. Lunch features a BBQ rib patty on a bun. New players are welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow. Join us for Tai Chi, a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
S e l l Yo u r H o u s e “As Is,” At a Fair Price, On the Date of Your Choice !!!! • We use private funds so we can close fast. • You don’t have to do any repairs. • Move when you want. • Leave any or all of your stuff. • No Commissions or Fees. We pay Closing Costs. Call Today for a Free Report: (402)-291-5005 or www.7DaysCash.com The Sierra Group LLC / We are a Professional Home Buying Company BBB Member Member of The Sierra Group LLC is a licensed real estate agent
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Attorneys at Law
www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
402-397-3801
Delivering quality legal services since 1957.
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How do you support and provide the best care for dying patients and their families? Although vital components of patient care, these poignant questions are rarely answered with conviction in the health care industry. In the new second edition of her book, To Comfort Always: A Nurse’s Guide to End-ofLife Care, Linda Norlander MS, BSN, RN, helps nurses navigate end-of-life care and communication by serving as a skilled clinician, advocate, and guide. “All nurses experience death either professionally or personally, so all nurses should have a basic knowledge of how to care for dying patients,” Norlander said. Published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, this newly revised version provides readers with additional tools and resources along with expanded content on chronic illness, dementia, care planning,
clinical management, ethics, suffering, and grief to empower nurses to serve as an advocate for both the patient and their family. Norlander is an awardwinning author and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow with more than 30 years of experience in nursing. She believes the concept of presence is critical both when caring for patients and when educating nurses about patient care. She has committed her work to providing better care to patients at the end of their lives; inspired by the poorly managed medical care she experienced when her mother was ill. “Our population is aging and experiencing more long-term chronic illnesses, including dementia,” Norlander said. “These will all be eventually fatal, and we need to be able to care for these patients in a compassionate and holistic way.” The book is available for $34.95 from online booksellers.
Retired federal employees meet monthly
William E. Seidler Jr.
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Nurse writes book about end-of-life care
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The National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-333-6460. The National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-392-0624.
Cass County’s Betty Sheaff proud of her state, place settings, quilts
On Sept. 23, 1869, construction began on U. Hall, the first building on the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln.
A quilting group at Good Shepherd Methodist Church in Fremont has made a quilt with a Bible theme for each of Betty Sheaff’s (pictured) eight grandkids.
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etty Sheaff, age 92, and her late husband, Roy, truly love Nebraska. To celebrate that pride and as a way to decorate their Lincoln home, in 1963 the Sheaffs commissioned Minden, Neb. artists Velma Fairchild and her daughter, Donna Galahan, to paint 10 china place settings each showcasing a different historic site in Nebraska. The place settings feature a bread and butter plate emblazoned with the Nebraska state seal, a dinner plate, a cup, a saucer, a salad plate, and a soup bowl. Fairchild and Galahan painted the china when they had downtime while working at their Minden grocery store. Once the painting – which took more than a year to complete – was finished the pieces were shipped 10 miles away to a
lady who fired (heated) the items in an oven. The Nebraska historic sites which have been captured on the place settings are the first State Capitol, Daniel Freeman’s homestead, a Nebraska sod house, a grist mill on the Niobrara River, the Old U. Hall on the University of Nebraska campus, Fairview (William Jennings Bryan’s home), Arbor Lodge, the old Haymarket Square, the Union Pacific Railroad, and Chimney Rock with a Pony Express rider. The collection also has a pickle dish showing the first Methodist church in Lancaster County, a pickle dish featuring the Sower that sits atop the State Capitol, a round platter with the Nebraska State Capitol, a vegetable bowl displaying a wagon train, and a covered dish with an outline of Nebraska’s 93
Designed by Bertram Goodhue, the Nebraska State Capitol was completed in 1932 at a cost of less than $10 million.
counties. The words: “Honor to pioneers who broke the sod that men to come might live,” are inscribed on the covered dish. Betty said each design was based on a black and white photograph at the Nebraska State Historical Society in Lincoln. Over the years, the Sheaffs’ place settings and the other hand-painted pieces – which were used during several family meals – have been displayed at many locations in Nebraska including Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lincoln. Sheaff is pleased other Nebraskans have had an opportunity to see and enjoy her china. “It’s a matter of sharing and serving,” she said.
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etty, who was a licensed mortician from 1941 to 1975 in California and Nebraska, and Roy, an attorney and judge, were married for 62 years before Roy’s death in 2009. The Sheaffs have a son, John, an attorney and judge who died in 2000 and a daughter, Joleen Hilgenfeld, who teaches school in Table Rock, Neb. Now a resident of South Bend,
Neb., Betty has eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. As a way to honor her grandkids, Sheaff asked members of a quilting group at Good Shepherd Methodist Church in Fremont to make a quilt with a Bible theme for each of her grandchildren.
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he fourth of five daughters born to Floyd and Florence Umberger, Betty Umberger Sheaff was raised in Lincoln. Her family operated the Umberger Sheaff Mortuary in the capital city as well as mortuaries in Hallam and Waverly, Neb. More recently, Betty has been an integral part of the activities at First United Methodist Church in Louisville, Neb. for more than 30 years. She attends the Wednesday morning Bible study class at the church. “Her Bible is one you know has been used,” Pastor Bob Wynn said. “She’s like the matriarch of our congregation,” he continued. “The kids give her hugs and sometimes sit on her lap during services.” While Betty Sheaff and her family have always loved Nebraska, it’s obvious the people of her home state return that affection to her.
A Pony Express rider near Chimney Rock which rises nearly 300 feet above the North Platte Valley in Morrill County.
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Alzheimer’s conference scheduled for Aug. 22.
See the ad on page 3
New Horizons Club membership roll rises $25 Barbara Maus Rudolph Chloupek Connie Kudlacek John Gahan Glenn Chapp $15 James & Wanda Ronni
$5 Lorraine Chambers Lonnie McIntosh Janet Nestander William Osborne Audrey Cotton Dorothy Allison Beverly Betts Mary Ann Matteson
$10 Jean Granlund
$1 Lee Kulper Reflects donations received through July 25, 2014.
The Alzheimer’s Association is offering a dementia safety conference on Friday, Aug. 22 from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza Convention Center, 3321 S. 72nd St. The event is designed for caregivers for a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia as well as health care professionals and students. Topics will include driving, wandering, and fall prevention. For more information, please call 402-502-4301.
Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, call 402-721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments. • Alegent Creighton Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers to help in several areas. • The Omaha Children’s Museum needs volunteers for its train ride program. • Rebuilding Together wants volunteers to work on home projects. • The Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties. • Partnerships in Aging wants volunteers to help at the Grandparents as Parents conference on Sept. 18. • Together, Inc. wants a volunteer intake assistant. • Mount View Elementary School is looking for a TeamMates mentor. The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Fremont Friendship Center wants volunteers to facilitate classes. • The Danish American Archive Library is looking for volunteers to help with its archives. • The American Red Cross needs volunteers.
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Theatre organ show scheduled for Aug. 3
Omahan, brother write about their childhood
You’re invited to attend the River City Theatre Organ Society’s presentation of A Sentimental Musical Journey on Sunday, Aug. 17. The 3 p.m. concert will be held at the Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. The festivities will include Jonas Nordwall accompanying a Laurel and Hardy film on the Rose’s mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ. Johnny Ray Gomez and Johnny Ray Gomez Jr. will be the special musical guests that afternoon. Pre-paid general admission tickets are $15 by mail through Aug. 7. Checks should be sent to: RCTOS, 2864 Katelyn Cir., Lincoln, Neb. 68516. Tickets will also be available at the door on Aug. 17 for $20. For more information, please call Jerry Pawlak at 402-421-1356.
maha resident Barbara Combs Lewellen and her brother, Dr. J.C Combs, have written a book featuring stories from their days growing up in Clearmont, Mo. Titled Clearmont: Life in a Small Town in the 1940s and Early ’50s, the 97-page trade paperback chronicles the Combs’ life as they were being raised in a time of simplicity, unique beauty, and memorable life lessons. “We know that over time they (the stories) have probably become embellished a bit, but they are still true to the times,” the authors wrote in the book’s prologue. For more information on Clearmont: Life in a Small Town in the 1940s and Early 50s, please contact Barbara Combs Lewellen at 402-630-8691.
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Legal services for older Nebraskans topic of NET2 program on Aug. 14 and 17 A 30-minute program titled Safe, Secure, Seniors: Legal Services to Protect Older Nebraskans will be televised twice this month on NET2. Nebraska’s State Unit on Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care produced the show that features four panelists discussing Consumer Protection, Guardianship and Conservatorship, and Advance Directives. The panelists are Margaret Schaefer, Legal Aid of Nebraska; Debora Denny, Nebraska State Court Administrator’s Office; Judge Susan Bazis, Douglas County Court; and Mary Wilson, Buford Law Offices. Mark Feit of the Alzheimer’s Association moderates the panel. Broadcast dates and times on NET2 are Aug. 14 @ 8:30 p.m. and Aug. 17 @ 2:30 p.m. The program is also posted online at www.netnebraska.org.
Smoke detector installation
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he Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department is available to install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside area residences. To have a free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector installed inside your home, send your name, address, and telephone number to: Omaha Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests 10245 Weisman Dr. Omaha, NE 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.
Omaha Computer Users Group You’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group, an organization dedicated to helping people age 50 and older learn more about their computers. The organization’s 50 members meet the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Abrahams Library, 5011 N. 90th St. Annual dues to OCUG, which has existed for 15 years, are $25. Members will have access to updated laptop computers with Microsoft Office 2010, the Microsoft 8 operating system, a Power Point projector, and a printer. For more information, please call OCUG’s president Phill Sherbon at 402333-6529.
CLASSIFIEDS
Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad
HOUSECLEANING
Large or small jobs.
Reliable and thorough. Many references.
POOL TABLES
REFESH CLEANING SERVICES JUDY: 402-885-8731
Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables. We pay CASH for slate pool tables.
Tree Trimming Beat the falling flakes! Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured. Senior discount.
Buying or selling? Use the NH Classifieds Call 402-444-4148 or 402-444-6654 to place your ad.
402-894-9206 REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.
Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225
PAID THRO July 2014
• Remodeling & Home Improvement
Senior Citizens (62+)
• Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms
Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses.
• Painting Interior & Exterior
Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882
• Handyman Services • Senior Discounts
Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300
• Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured
Managed by Kimball Management., Inc.
Quality Professional Service
Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart
Better Business Bureau Member
402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0
31 years of legal experience
We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.
• Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 440 Regency Parkway Drive • Suite 139 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 Cdorwartjd@aol.com
Enoa Aging August 2014
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Report offers advice to help men avoid environmental health risks A recently released report, Men’s Health: What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You by the non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) concludes environ-
The
mental exposures may have major negative impacts on men’s health and outlines ways guys can avoid some of the major risks. “Most men understand
smart lifestyle choices such as exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking make a big difference in staying healthy,” says EWG researcher and
Color Vibe 5k is coming to Omaha on September 6th
and we don’t want you to miss out on any of the fun! A portion of our proceeds will also be donated to the
Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging!
For more information go to thecolorvibe.com/omaha.php
report author Paul Pestano. “However, what many men might not know is research in the last few decades has shown environmental exposures may contribute to major diseases and health concerns that especially affect men including heart disease, prostate cancer, and infertility.” He adds toxic substances in drinking water, food, food packaging, and personal care products have all been linked to serious health problems that affect millions of men. According to the EWG, men’s heart disease risks are exacerbated by exposure to mercury in certain seafood, Teflon chemicals in non-stick cookware, and bisphenol-A in hard plastic containers and canned foods. Additionally, arsenic and lead in drinking water supplies is a contributing factor in elevated heart dis-
Your home.Your care.Your pace.
Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways can help you continue living there for as long as possible. Our program provides a comprehensive system of health care. The model of service is PACE: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. Our program includes primary, acute and long-term health care as well as day therapeutic and recreational services and transportation. Services are provided in the home, in the community and at our PACE Center. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.
5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152 | www.immanuelpathways.org PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.
ease risks for men. Meanwhile, certain agricultural pesticides common on fruits and vegetables as well as polychlorinated biphenyls that build up in meat and dairy products have been associated with prostate cancer. Exposures to lead, pesticides, and chemicals in personal care products contribute to low sperm counts, infertility, and other reproductive issues. EWG also underscores the importance of limiting sun exposure, as men face a higher risk of developing melanoma than women. “While genetics can predetermine certain health outcomes, there are a number of ways men can dramatically reduce their potentially harmful environmental exposures,” Pestano says. Some tips include: • Investing in a water filter system specifically designed to reduce exposure to lead, arsenic, and other drinking water contaminants. • Avoiding canned foods and plastic containers with the recycling code #7 to limit BPA exposure. • Using personal care products that don’t contain phthalates, parabens, or other potential contaminants. • Choosing conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that have the fewest pesticide residues and buying the organic versions of certain types of produce that otherwise rely heavily on chemicals. • Using proper sun cover and getting regular skin checks with a dermatologist to reduce melanoma risks. (EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E The Environmental Magazine.)
Do you have a loved one in a nursing home? Do you have a loved one who will soon be going into a nursing home? Before you send another check to the nursing home, visit nebraskamedicaidplanning.com or call Chartered Advisor for Senior Living, Mark Guilliatt. Not affiliated with any government agency.
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14301 First National Bank Parkway Suite 100 • Omaha, NE 68154
630 North D Street Fremont, NE 68025
1-800-886-8673
402-727-4845
New Horizons
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August 2014