A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
February 2013 VOL. 38 • NO. 2
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
(Journal)ist Leo Adam Biga profiles Bob Hoig, founder of the Midlands Business Journal (1975) and the Lincoln Business Journal (1996). Hoig has lived a colorful life as a newspaper man and as the pilot of his Cessna aircraft. The story begins on page 10.
SINGERS
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Laura Jean O’Connor directs the Papillion Senior Singers. These Sarpy County performers are booked through March. See page 3.
Sherie Garner, with her dog, Tango, has created an art medium known as classical realism. Learn more about her career. See page 16.
Heartland Family Service Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Family Service Senior Center, 2101 S. 42nd St. for the following: • Feb. 7, 14, & 21: WhyArts class with Jacqueline @ 10 a.m. (2/14) and 10:30 a.m. (2/7 & 2/21). • Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party sponsored by the Heartland Family Service Guild. • Feb 20: Birthday party with entertainment by Johnny Ray Gomez @ 10:45 a.m. • Feb. 22: Blood sugar checks by a nurse @ 10 a.m. • Feb. 22: Trip to the Shrine Circus @ 1 p.m. • Feb. 28: Movie (TBA). A nurse visits Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Karen @ 402-453-8487 for an appointment. The center will be closed on Feb. 18 for the Presidents’ Day celebration. The Heartland Family Service Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is normally served at noon. A $3 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend. Transportation is available within specific boundaries for 50 cents each way. Regular activities include Tai Chi classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday @ 10:15 a.m. For meal reservations or more information, please call Karen at 402-552-7480 of the front desk at 402-553-5300.
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New Horizons
6 Blues at the Crossroads 2 Muddy and the Wolf 7:30 p.m. Holland Performing Arts Center $25 to $55 402-345-0606
19 The Chieftains with Paddy Mahoney Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $25 to $60 402-345-0606
Dames at Sea Through Feb. 10 Lied Education Center @ Creighton University Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $15 & $18 402-280-2636
22 Donny McCaslin Group 1200 CLUB Live at the Holland Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. $25 (subject to change) 402-345-0606
Drumline Live Orpheum Theater 7:30 p.m. $15 to $55 402-345-0606
ife Is What You Make It... L Make It Great, Be Extraordinary at Saint Joseph Tower!
• Licensed nurse staff and certified staff on duty 24 hours a day
9 Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power Through May 5 Durham Museum $5 & $8 402-444-5071
7 48 Annual Omaha Home & Garden Expo 15th Annual Lawn, Flower, & Patio Show Through Feb. 10 Century Link Center Omaha 402-341-1500
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• Outstanding activities program
2 Omaha Symphony James Bond & Beyond 8 p.m. Holland Performing Arts Center $20 to $65 402-342-3560
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February 2013 events calendar
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Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience Through Feb. 10 Holland Performing Arts Center Thursday & Friday @ 7 & 9:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday @ 2 & 7 p.m. $48 to $55 402-345-0606 8 Evil Dead the Musical Through March 17 Omaha Community Playhouse 402-553-0800 9 Omaha Symphony John Pizzarelli Also Feb. 10 Holland Performing Arts Center Saturday @ 8 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $15 to $75 402-342-3560
February 2013
The Magic Flute Opera Omaha 409 S. 16th St. Also Feb. 24 Friday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $19 to $79 402-345-0606 23 We Want the Vote: Women’s Suffrage on the Great Plains Through May 26 Durham Museum $4 & $8 402-444-5071 25 UNO Art Majors’ Juried Exhibition Through March 28 Weber Fine Arts Building @ UNO FREE 402-554-2796 28 Spring Dance Through March 3 Lied Education Center for the Arts @ Creighton University Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $15 & $18 402-280-1447
Papio singers combine fun, music
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Members of the Papillion Senior Singers on hand for a recent rehearsal were (front row, from left): Elaine Biggie, Joanne Dahir, Rosie Bartling, and Rajaena Appleby. Back row, from left: Dean Schechinger, Duane Schechinger, Floyd Hermanson, Herbert Cooley, and Laura Jean O’Connor. Members not present were Carolyn Schoepf, Edith Fisher, Frances Anderson, Pat Cooley, Norma Dineen, Mel Hewett, and John Fry.
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aura Jean O’Connor believes older people and music go together like ice cream and pie, so in 2004 she and some other folks at the Papillion Senior Center started the Papillion Senior Singers with five female and three male vocalists. Today, the musical ensemble performs most Tuesday afternoons at area retirement communities, nursing facilities, and for church groups, said O’Connor who doubles as the Papillion Senior Center’s manager and the singing group’s director. “We’ve also performed at funerals and weddings,” she added. No matter the venue, fun is the prevailing attitude among the vocalists, their accompanist, and the director. During a recent rehearsal, the women wore poodle skirts while the men were dressed as Elvis Presley. O’Connor said the Papillion Senior SingHorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 2/4/10 8:00 AM ers’ members – who range in age from 64
to 90 – entertain audiences with a variety of different shows with themes including the Roaring ‘20s, Comedy Hour, the Nifty ‘50s, Hawaiian, Elvis Presley, Old Time Gospel, Rootin’ Tootin’ Western, Irish, Vaudeville, Winter/Christmas, Gay ‘90s, and USA Road Trip. Each 45-minute show features the singers’ rendition of This Land is Your Land, Old Glory, Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance, and the crowd-pleasing God Bless America. O’Connor said the patriotic shows are dedicated to the military veterans in the audience and their families who are introduced and recognized by their service branch. She said the singers enjoy performing in part because they’re so appreciated by their peers in the audience. After every performance the ensemble filters through the crowd and speak with their “fans.” Page 1 Please turn to page 18.
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www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
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February 2012
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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 5-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, Barc Wade, & Lois Friedman Fremont Delivery.........................Dick Longstein 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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Multiple meds can cause dry eyes Ophthalmologists at the Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute caution the use of multiple common medications could cause dry eye disease (DED). An article recently published in the Journal of Ophthalmology looks at the similarities between dry eye and dry mouth and attributes these conditions in part to the effects caused by using five or more prescription or over the counter drugs, otherwise known as polypharmacy. “Dry Eye Disease has not been widely studied, but for people who have the condition, it really affects their quality of life,” said Frederick Fraunfelder, M.D., an ophthalmologist at the Casey Eye Institute and senior author of the article. “There is the potential that medications are affecting or aggravating the occurrence of dry eye in many people.” According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, out of the top 100 best selling drugs in the United States in 2009, it’s possible that 22 drugs could cause dry eye and dry mouth and another 34 could cause only dry mouth. Therefore, 56 percent of these drugs could possibly cause dry eye because both the eyes and mouth are hydrated by nearly identical nervous systems. However, patients with dry mouth generally have straightforward complaints, said Fraunfelder; their mouth feels dry and they need increased fluids when they eat. But DED may actually start with increased tearing and can also include burning, itching, foreign body (or sandy) feeling, mucus discharge, or blurred vision, which makes it harder to diagnose and treat. The medications that likely cause or aggravate DED range from antipsychotics, antihistamines, antidepressants, and antiviral treatments to common over-the-counter painkillers and multivitamins. Additionally, topical medications such as agents used to
treat glaucoma, eye drops meant to treat allergies or viruses or any optical solutions containing preservatives can greatly increase the occurrence of DED. William Mathers, M.D., an ophthalmologist at the Casey Eye Institute has been studying dry eye for 27 years. He explained when medications are used together potential side affects are compounded. “Dry eye doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s a reflection of a complicated system,” said Mathers. “Everyone who gets older has less tear, but if you alter your nervous system significantly through polypharmacy, you could set yourself up for inflammation, which is the ultimate cause of dry eye.” Polypharmacy poses problems because many medications can interact with each other in ways that are difficult to predict and this trend becomes increasingly complex as additional medications are added. Mathers explained dry eye usually affects people between the ages of 40 to 60. But people outside of that age range can be affected as well. He recommends patients talk with their doctors about diet and behavior changes that can replace discretionary medications and naturally lower inflammation in the body. Fraunfelder, who started the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side Effects (NRDIOSE), an online registry that records medications’ side affects on the eyes, recommends patients let their doctors know if any of their medications are causing dry mouth, as this may indicated that the medication could be causing or aggravating their dry eye. He also recommends that patients experiencing dry eye ask their doctors to look up their medications on the NRDIOSE. The aggravating drug might then be substituted by another or given at a time when its peak drying effect occurs during sleep.
New Open Ear Hearing Aids now professionally fit in one hour!
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Recipes for Valentine’s love, lovers Love is in the air, a time for love & lovers! You’ll love these cookbooks filled with all that is sweet and delicious. Cake Love In the Morning By Warren Brown (Abrams, $24.95) Recipes for muffins, scones, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, and everything breakfast from this Washington D. C. bakery owner who traded tortes for tarts. We Love Madeleines By Miss Madeleine (Chronicle, $17.95) This shell-shaped French classic cookie is the basis of 40 sweet and savory recipes from bakers around the world. So Sweet! Edited By Sur La Table (Andrews McMeel, $15) Fifty fabulously sweet, salty, chocolaty, fruity, or nutty recipes from the award-winning Sur La Table. Blissful Bites By Peter Veldsman (H&R, $33.95) Three-hundred nibbles and more recipes for anytime of the night or day with menus, lovely photographs, and stepby-step instructions from this South African food guru. Cakes to Celebrate Love & Life By C. Maritz & M. Guy ( Struik, $23.95) Grab your apron and enjoy these recipes from this Cape Town brother and sister duo. Luscious photos! The Apple Lover’s Cookbook By Amy Traverso (W.W. Norton, $29.95) History, stories, a variety guide, and apple magic. These sweet and savory recipes in this encyclopedia of apples have step-by-step directions and photographs. The Sugar Cube By Kir Jensen (Chronicle, $24.95) Fifty sweet and savory recipes from this tiny pink Portland food truck. Whip up this super easy indulgence. Chocolate Panini Makes 1 serving
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Brush one side of each bread slice liberally with olive oil. Arrange the chocolate (or spread the Nutella) evenly on the nonoiled side of one of the slices. Top with the other slice, oiled-side up. If you have a Panini press, grill the sandwich until golden brown on both sides and the chocolate has melted (a minute or two.) If you don’t have a Panini press, heat a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add two teaspoons of oil and the sandwich. Weight the sandwich with a heavy cast-iron skillet or a heat-safe plate topped with canned goods or a kettle full of water. Go ahead and get creative; the goal is to flatten the sucker! Cook until golden brown and the chocolate has begun to melt (about one minute.) Turn and repeat on the other side, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Remove the sandwich from the heat and let cool a minute. Then drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with fleu de sel, and cut crosswise into triangles.
Retired fed employees meet at Omaha eatery
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Two ½-inch-thick slices Brioche bread or other white bread High-quality, fruity, extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling One ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate or two to three tablespoons Nutella Fleur de Sel for sprinkling
New Horizons
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February 2013
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.
Improvements in materials, techniques are leading to better outcomes for knee replacement patients
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nee replacement surgery has come a long way since it was first performed in 1968. More than 600,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Improvements in materials and advances in surgical techniques have led to better outcomes for patients: faster recovery, improved function, and greater longevity. The majority of knee replacements are performed on people over age 60 but improved surgical results have induced many younger people to have the procedure sooner rather than later to reduce discomfort and enable active lives as they age. “As new surgical procedures have been developed and refined, one that is sometimes offered as an alternative to total knee replacement is partial knee replacement,” says Dr. Joel Buchalter of Somers Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Group. “Partial knee replacement may be possible when damage is limited to just one part of the knee but it isn’t the best option in most cases and it’s important to understand the limitations, especially for younger patients.” The knee, the largest joint in the body, acts as a hinge to provide motion where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint, protected in the front by the kneecap (patella). The joint surfaces where these three bones touch are covered with cartilage, a smooth substance that cushions the bones and enables them to move easily. As a result of injury or the wear and tear of aging, the cartilage can soften and wear away, allowing the bones to rub against each other and causing osteoarthritis, the most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability.
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study published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that nearly half (46 percent) of American adults and 2/3 of obese adults will develop painful knee osteoarthritis at some point. When the surface of the
joint is worn away, walking and daily activities become difficult. Conservative measures such as weight loss, anti-inflammatory medication, braces, orthotics, steroid injections, and physical therapy are generally tried and may be effective. In many cases, however, non-surgical treatment fails to correct functional limitations and relieve progressive pain, leading people to consider knee replacement. “In knee replacement surgery, we remove damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of the knee joint and replace it with a man-made surface of metal and plastic,” says Dr. Buchalter. “Resurfacing the damaged and worn surfaces of the knee can relieve pain and help the patient resume normal activities. “Some patients whose knee damage is confined to just one part of the knee may be candidates for a partial knee replacement. But there are very few patients for whom a partial replacement will produce a better long-term outcome than a total knee replacement.” The knee joint can be thought of as having three parts, or compartments: the front, the inside, and the outside. Most patients’ arthritis involves more than one compartment and their only option is total knee replacement. But if all the damage is to a single compartment, a partial or “unicompartmental” replacement may be feasible.
A partial replacement removes only the damaged area of cartilage, requiring a smaller incision and enabling a faster recovery than with a total knee replacement. The disadvantages of partial knee replacement are that pain relief is less predictable and, most importantly, that the replacement may be less durable and further surgery may be needed. The most frequent cause of additional surgery is the development or progression of arthritis in the remaining parts of the knee, which necessitates conversion to a total knee replacement, a surgical procedure that is more complex than an initial total replacement. In addition to having damage limited to only one part of the knee, candidates for partial knee replacement are generally elderly, slender, and relatively sedentary. Further, patients with significant knee stiffness or ligament damage are not good candidates. “There are few patients that match the optimal profile for partial knee replacement,” says Dr. Buchalter. “And even in those that are eligible, the possibility of arthritis progressing in other parts of the knee raises the potential for future additional surgery. Most patients will have higher probability of a long-term successful outcome with total knee replacement, a proven procedure that has brought longlasting relief to millions of people.”
February 2013
Corrigan Senior Center events calendar You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. this month for: • Feb. 4: Groundhog Day celebration, lunch, and bingo. Lunch includes country fried steak or a turkey and cheese sandwich. Creighton U. pharmacy students will present a program on medication adherence @ 11:30 a.m. • Feb. 11: Mardi Gras and February birthdays’ celebration. Vocalist Joyce Torchia from the Merrymakers performs @ 11 a.m. The lunch menu is a chicken pot pie, a biscuit, and fruit, or a chef’s salad. Bingo and door prizes will be available. Wear your Mardi Gras apparel and we’ll hand out the beads. • Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party including bingo, games, prizes, and a lunch featuring roast beef or a crab salad. • Feb. 21: Sweetheart Dinner Dance with music by Red Raven and the coronation of our king and queen. The lunch menu is pork roast, red skinned potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, a tossed salad, and a wheat roll. The reservation deadline is Feb. 15. • Feb. 25: Presentation by Jana of Does & Divas Dairy of Iowa on operating a goat and sheep farm @ 11 a.m. The center will be closed Feb. 18 for Presidents’ Day. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3 donation is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. We offer chair volleyball, card games, bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun! For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
Millard Senior Center events calendar You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Wednesday, Feb. 13: Sewing dresses for little girls in Africa and making shorts for little boys in Africa from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Stick around for lunch @ 11:30 a.m. • Wednesday, March 6: Easter basket weaving from 9 to 11:30 a.m. There is a 10-person limit for this program. Participants will need to pay $5 for the materials. Call Susan Sunderman at 402-546-1270 to sign up. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3 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 Tai Chi (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for $1), chair volleyball, card games, quilting class (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), and bingo. Walking club participants – who will receive a free tshirt when joining – are encouraged to set goals for themselves. Those meeting their goals will receive another free t-shirt and homemade cookies. Participants are encouraged to walk in the Montclair Community Center gym weekdays beginning at 8 a.m. A knitting class for beginners will be offered Fridays at 11 a.m. The materials and knitting needles will be provided. For meal reservations and more information, please call Susan Sunderman at 402-546-1270.
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Persons of all ages should drink plenty of water to fight off dehydration By Carol McNulty Most people lose about two liters of their body’s water weight every day, but this doesn’t mean everyone has to drink two liters of water every day to replace it. The standard guideline of eight to 10 glasses of water a day puts the amount of water people need into perspective, but individuals may actually require more or less. The common sense way to determine how much water is actually needed is to simply attention to thirst and drink water whenever thirsty. Drinking glasses of water is not the only way that water can be consumed. According to nutrition educator Cindy Brison, water is obtained from a variety of sources. For example, lettuce is 98 percent water and other vegetables and fruits contain sizable amounts of water. Foods heavy in fat and oils contain the least amount of water. Some good sources of water for children are fruit juice or popsicles. These products also are high in sugar and should not be overused. However, do not rely on only one source of water, such as drinking
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only soda or milk. Include some glasses of water in the diet. The consequence of not obtaining an adequate amount of water is dehydration. Brison says dehydration often occurs when people are exposed to extreme temperatures or are not paying attention to the body’s need. In the hot weather months, high temperatures lead to frequent perspiration that requires one cup to three cups of water every hour. To have a source of water available at all times, carry a water bottle during hot weather activities. The first sign of dehydration is increased thirst. Symptoms of a two percent to five percent loss of the body’s water weight are dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, headache, and decreased physical performance. At a six percent loss, body temperature increases, breathing becomes labored during physical activity, and the pulse rate increases. At an eight percent loss, dizziness is experienced. At a 10 percent to 11 percent loss, muscle spasms occur and mental alertness is decreased. Brison says drinking fluids usually is sufficient for treating moderate dehydration. Have frequent,
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small amounts of fluids to replace lost fluids. If the condition does not improve, a doctor’s care may be needed. The mechanism that signals thirst is not as reliable in children and older adults due to immaturity or aging. If they are flushed or seem tired, ask them if they drank any water. To help determine if children are dehydrated, look for symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration that include dry mouth, few or no tears when crying, or no urination for six to eight hours. In an infant, dehydration can be signaled by fewer than six wet dia-
pers per day and a sunken soft spot on the head. For severe dehydration, look for dry, wrinkled, or doughy skin, inactivity or decreased alertness, sunken eyes, no urination for several hours, muscle cramps, and deep, rapid breathing. Another way to determine severe dehydration is to test for decreased skin turgor. Pull skin up for a few seconds and let it go. If skin doesn’t return to its original state quickly, there could be severe dehydration. (McNulty is an educator with the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Office in Douglas and Sarpy counties.)
Caregiver retreat scheduled for April 24, 25 Persons caring for a loved one with special needs who sometimes feel overwhelmed or stressed by their caregiving duties are invited to attend the Nebraska Respite Network 2013 Caregiver Retreat. The retreat will be held Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday, April 25 at the Mahoney State Park Lodge near Ashland, Neb. Activities will include motivational speakers, massage therapy, art and music therapy, and opportunities for caregiver support and collaboration. The cost is $90 dollars. Lodging costs are also the responsibility of the registrants. For more information and to learn more about a limited number of scholarships available for family caregivers, please contact Elizabeth Chentland at (402) 996-8444 or echentland@gmail.com.
February 2013
Be aware of the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease By Jen Vogt
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s our loved ones age, we might notice some changes in their personalities or the way they behave. They may forget the day of the week, repeat a story, or need help with a routine task such as balancing a checkbook. Are these just signs of getting older? Or could they be indicators of a more serious concern such as Alzheimer’s disease?
early treatment. • Daily life is interrupted by memory loss. Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common signs of early Alzheimer’s disease. Other signs may include forgetting important dates, having to be reminded of information over and over, or relying on someone to help them remember information they were once able to remember on their own. • Planning or problem solving becomes difficult.
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease allows for the best opportunities for treatment, support, and planning for the future. There are some typical changes that occur with aging that can be confused with the signs of early Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these might include forgetting the day of the week but remembering it later, making a minor error while balancing a checkbook or following a recipe, needing help to understand new or unfamiliar tasks, misplacing things from time to time, or becoming irritable when a normal routine is disrupted. Knowing what is typical of aging and what’s not a sign of Alzheimer’s can ease your fears as your loved one gets older. There are also several early indicators that a person is developing Alzheimer’s disease. Looking carefully for these signs can help you encourage your loved one to visit a physician and seek
It may take your loved one more time to make a decision than it used to. Tasks such as following a recipe or working with numbers may cause trouble. • Time or place is confused. Individuals may have a difficult time remembering how they got to a place. They may also be confused about the time of year, or even lose track of the passage of time. • Speaking or formulating words becomes difficult. Following or joining a conversation may present a problem for individuals with Alzheimer’s. They may forget how to continue a conversation once it has started. They may also have issues with vocabulary and use the wrong word for a common item. • Interest is lost in work or social activities. Because
A Caring Community Called HOME!
of the changes they are experiencing, a person with Alzheimer’s may distance themselves from social situations, work, or favorite hobbies. • Items are lost and steps cannot be retraced. Common items are often put away in strange places. Individuals may not be able to remember where they put them, or retrace their steps to find a lost item. They may accuse others of stea ing these items. • Mood and personality may change. With all the changes happening to an individual facing Alzheimer’s disease, it’s easy to understand why they may become confused, anxious, irritable, fearful, or suspicious. One, several, or all of these signs could indicate your loved one may be suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The best course of action is to visit a physician as soon as possible. Keep specific notes of the types of behavior you’re observing in your loved one and talk with a physician about them. Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease allows for the best opportunities for treatment, support, and planning for the future. (Vogt is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. of Omaha.)
Do
49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com
you
T
he Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers a variety of programs and services including: • Specialized telecommunications equipment such as a free amplified telephone and ring signaling devices. • An assistive devices loan program. • Presentations about the concerns of the deaf and hard of hearing. • Sign language classes. For more information, please call Beth Ellsworth at 402-595-2774 or (toll free) 800-545-6244, or send an email to beth.ellsworth@nebraska.gov.
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The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about: • • • • • • • • • • •
Bath aides Care management Chore services Community education Durable medical equipment Emergency food pantry Emergency response systems ENOA facts and figures ENOA Library ENOA senior centers Grandparent Resource Center
February 2013
24 hours a day, • Homemakers 7 days a week! • Information & assistance telephone lines • Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha • Legal services • Meals on Wheels • Medicaid Waiver • New Horizons • Nutrition counseling
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Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Senior employment Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities
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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.
2013 Motorcoach Buddy Holly at the New Theater. July 6. TBD. Take a Saturday trip to Kansas City and rock in your seat to the Golden Oldies in the “Buddy Holly Story” while you enjoy a wonderful lunch buffet at the New Theater. Nebraska Junk Jaunt. September 27-28. TBD. Come along on our fifth annual “Junk Jaunt” covering more than 220 miles in central Nebraska. Participating towns have city-wide garage, yard, and bake sales. Two full days of treasure hunting! Daniel O’Donnell in Branson. November 4-7. TBD. Save the dates! Check back soon for the full line-up (including the Daniel O’Donnell Show) and another great Christmas get-away to Branson. In partnership with Collette Vacations (Let us help you find a Collette Vacation to your special destination when YOU want to go. Collette offers trips to numerous destinations both within the United States and throughout the world. Each trip is offered on many different dates throughout the year. Call us for further information.)
Discover Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria. September 11 – 20, 2013. Fly to the beautiful countryside of Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria with four-night stays in two cities: Bern, Switzerland and Innsbruck, Austria. With your Collette Vacations tour guide, you’ll explore the city of Bern, travel the shores of Lake Geneva to the medieval Chateau de Chillon. Enjoy a panoramic train ride through the Swiss Alps to an Alpine ski resort. Visit Lucerne, the “Swiss Paradise on the Lake.” In Salzburg see the Mirabell Gardens (from the “Sound of Music”) and Mozart’s birthplace, visit Oberammergau, see a Tyrolean folklore show, and dine in a 1,200-year-old restaurant owned by Monks. Early booking saves $250 per person. Call for more information.) Laughlin
Laughlin in March (by air). March 28 - 31. $300. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, three nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Register early…these winter trips fill up fast! Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our 2013 trip schedule.
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New Horizons
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ersons with disabilities and their families often need to work with a variety of community and state agencies in order to get the services and support they need. In Nebraska, there’s a program to help answer questions that are encountered along the way and to help find the appropriate resources. The Hotline for Disability Services provides information and referral services to Nebraskans who have questions or concerns related to a disability. This includes information about services available in a certain area, transportation, special parking permits, and legal rights. Questions may be answered by telephone or e-mail and other information may be obtained by accessing the Hotline’s website.
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he Hotline for Disability Services website provides general agency and program information regarding services for persons with disabilities. The site may be searched by entering an agency name or by selecting a category, service, county, city, age, or disability. Examples of categories to choose from include: accessibility, advocacy and support, employment, financial, housing/residential, etc. Information regarding each agency includes a description of their services, as well as information on how to contact them. Interested individuals may call the Hotline toll-free at 800-742-7594. Questions for the Hotline may also be sent by e-mail to shari.bahensky@ nebraska.gov. The website for the Hotline can be accessed at: www.cap.ne.gov. Click on “Search the Hotline for Disability Services.”
Assistive technology information is available
O
lder adults may notice gradual changes in their hearing, memory, vision, and mobility that could create the need for assistive technology. Some of these older men and women may need a cane, a scooter, a listening device,
or a lighted magnifier. One way to learn more about obtaining assistive technology equipment is by logging on to at4all.com, a free online service that lists and can help you find these devices in Nebraska. The service can help consumers:
• Borrow and try the equipment before buying. • Buy used and/or free equipment. • List items they want to share or sell. For more information, please call Assistive Technology Partnerships at (toll free) 1-888-806-6287.
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Call (402) 393-2277/ 900 North 90th Street
Our new address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
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To help families understand what hospice is and how it can improve the quality of life, the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association created the Hospice lets me be… awareness campaign. “Hospice is the process of helping patients live well during the final phase of life,” Dr. Lisa Mansur explains within the campaign video. “They are not so much afraid of dying. They are afraid of suffering and they want a plan of care,” she adds. “Our studies show many people have a misconception of what hospice is and they don’t know how to find or access hospice services,” says NHPCA Executive Director Heath Boddy. “This multi-media awareness campaign uses a variety of elements that can be found online at www.hospiceletsmebe.org to help people begin the conversation about end-of-life care. Additionally, Boddy said the awareness campaign was created to encourage patients and their families to tell their stories about hospice care and how it benefits or has benefited their lives. These stories of real Nebraskans sharing their hospice experiences are at the core of the campaign. In the campaign video, a hospice patient named Helen shares her story about turning to hospice care after frequent trips to the hospital. While at first, she thought hospice was a “death sentence,” she now feels it has increased her quality of life. Hospice allows her to stay home to do the things she loves. The video also shares the story of Fred, whose estranged father received hospice care. Thanks to hospice, Fred was able to reconnect with his father months before he died. Additional tools and resources including other stories from hospice patients, hospice provider information, and tools to help you start the conversation, can be found at www.hospiceletsmebe.org. (The Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association provided this information.)
Hotline for Disability Services can answer questions, make referrals
Omaha, NE 68114 / www.newcassel.org Sponsored by the School Sisters of Saint Francis
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February 2013
RSVP 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. 229. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • Mount View Elementary School wants a TeamMates mentor. • Alegent Health Bergan Mercy Hospital needs volunteers for its information desks and as patient and family escorts. • Boys Town wants volunteer mentors and a volunteer office assistant. • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • The Ronald McDonald House Charities needs volunteers for general duties.
• The Heartland Council New Outlook Pioneers wants volunteers to help with its Hug a Bear Project. • The Omaha Children’s Museum wants a volunteer member check-in assistant. • The Douglas County Historical Society is looking for volunteer to greet visitors and to serve refreshments. • The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments. • The Omaha Police Department needs volunteers for general duties. • Together Inc. is looking for an intake assistant. The following have volunteer opportunities in Dodge and Washington counties: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Programs needs volunteer drivers. • The Fremont Friendship Center needs help with its Tuesday Supper Club. • The Fremont Area Medical Center is looking for volunteers for its information desk on weekends and to help out evenings at the A.J. Merrick Manor. • The Danish American Archive and Library in Blair needs volunteers for a variety of assignments.
Resource information The 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human services. By dialing 211, consumers can access information about: • Human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, etc. • Physical and mental health resources. • Employment support. • Support for older Americans and persons with a disability. • Volunteer opportunities and donations. The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at (www.ne211.org).
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate
Ask A Lawyer: Q — In addition to avoiding probate, what are some benefits of a trust? A — Gifts to minors can be held in the trust until they are ready to inherit, without court supervision. A trust provides you with more privacy than a will, and is difficult to challenge. A trust can prevent unintentionally disinheriting a child, which can happen in a blended family, even with a will. You can make provision for beneficiaries with special needs, or choose for professional management of your trust if you become disabled. The benefits of a trust are for everyone, not just for “rich people.” Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call!
AARP Legal Service Network • No Charge For Initial Consultation
7602 Pacific Street, Ste 200 • (402) 391-2400 http://whitmorelaw.com
The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
Alzheimer’s disease support groups The Midlands Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Disease Association offers a variety of free support groups in eastern Nebraska. To view a complete list of these support groups, log on the Internet to www.alz.org/midlands. The chapter is also recruiting volunteers to serve as support group facilitators. For more information on these opportunities, please call Betty K. Chin at 402-502-4301. To advertise in New Horizons, please call Mitch at 402-444-4148 or Jeff at 402-444-6654.
February 2013
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Curiosity led Bob Hoig to a long career in journalism
Before starting the MBJ, Hoig’s resume included the New York Daily News, the Miami News, and the Omaha World-Herald. By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer
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ob Hoig – publisher of the Midlands Business Journal (MBJ) in Omaha – has often wondered how his life might have turned out had his curiosity not gotten the better of him one fateful day in 1957. Hoig was a young man then who had recently arrived in New York City after years pining to go to the “Big Apple.” He was born in rural Kansas and grew up in Pueblo and Colorado Springs, Colo. but he sensed he was meant for bigger things. “I just had wanted to be there. It was a city that always intrigued me. It had a mystique. I fancied myself a poet at the time. My reading preferences in literature have always tended toward writers who had a lot to say about New York City. That would include F. Scott Fitzgerald, John O’Hara – who was a real favorite of mine – and Ernest Hemingway.” Hoig actually met the iconic Hemingway in an old German bar in New York. Rich in words but poor in dollars, Hoig’s Gotham City sojourn was beginning to seem more folly than destiny at that time. Then something happened that changed the course of his life. “I was out of work, I didn't have a lot of money, and I was walking down 42nd Street, just past 3rd Avenue, towards 2nd (Avenue), (the) East River, and the United Nations Building, when my peripheral vision caught the lobby of a building. Inside the lobby was a giant
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globe of the Earth, roughly eight or 10 feet high, revolving around. I was just interested, so I walked in. I didn't know what was going on there. “There were a lot of brass gauges like you might think of as nautical or aeronautical. There was a guard by the elevator and I said, ‘What building is this?’ He said, ‘Why, it’s the New York Daily News.’ Well, I needed a job and so I just asked, ‘Are they hiring?’ He said, ‘It beats me, why don’t you go up and talk to personnel?’ So I did that and the next thing I knew I’d been hired, with no particular qualifications, as a copy boy.” That mere chance encounter turned into a career 56 years old and counting. Hoig was a reporter for the Miami News, United Press International, and the Omaha WorldHerald, and the managing editor of the Omaha Sun Newspapers and the Douglas County Gazette before founding the MBJ. He still can’t get over how his life in the Fourth Estate began in such an off-handed way. “I had very little college, one year at the University of Colorado before I dropped out, and I had no particular reference to journalism at all.” Bob briefly worked in accounting and sold shoes in the basement of a department store. But he was restless for something more adventurous, so he struck out for New York. He was nearly flat broke when he got on with the big city newspaper despite a lack of experience. Hoig was 24, clueless about the world he was about to enter, but soon found himself in a “rich stew” of people and places that spurred
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Hoig with his Cessna SkyLane aircraft at Eppley Airfield. Bob got his pilot’s license in 2000 and bought the plane in 2003. him on. All these years later he recalls the job of Daily News copy boy as being “a supreme experience,” adding, “The main thing that made it a great experience is that it offered many avenues toward advancing in the trade of journalism.”
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eing in the newspaper game in New York City put one right in the mix of things in the most exciting metropolis in the world. And if one showed a spark of initiative and promise, as Hoig did, opportunities availed themselves. “That set me up for everything that came after. I was ambitious and ambitious people in New York are always rewarded. I was just ready to do anything. I guess I displayed a little bit of panache in the way I approached things and I was soon made assistant head copy boy. I know that's not much of a title, but it opened doors. It meant I handed out the other copy boys’ assignments, which gave me the pick of the best for myself. That included going to Yankee Stadium and sitting in the press box just above the dugout when legends like Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, and Mickey Mantle were trouping out to the plate and back. “It was not totally glorious because after two innings I had to take the photographer’s film and get out of the stadium, race to the subway, and rush the photos back to the Daily News office in time to make the Bulldog edition,” Hoig says. Bob’s entree into the Who’s Who of New York sports figures didn't end there.
February 2013
“That experience had parallels in every sport,” he says. “I was on the sidelines for the New York Giants’ games on Sunday when Kyle Rote, Roosevelt Grier, Frank Gifford, and other legends of Giants football were playing. I got to charge up and down the sidelines with the photographer (until the end of the first quarter when Hoig had to high-tail it back to the office with the film). “I got to go to the races at Belmont. Once again, that same drill – after the Daily Double I had to rush the film back to the office.” It was a fertile training ground, especially for anyone with aspirations. “That was a great way to get into it and build up a little bit of knowledge and sophistication to life in Manhattan,” Hoig says. “The main way it helped (me) breaking into the newspaper business as a writer was that I got to work on Sunday features. What it amounted to was working with some of the legends of New York City journalism and having the benefit of them critiquing my work and being a little bit patient with me. “They weren’t totally patient with the copy boys if they showed no spunk, but if you did they would work with you. And I got to have bylines in the paper as a result.” For a journalist, getting a byline is like having their name appearing on a theater marquee. It’s their chance to puff out their chest and bask in the spotlight. Hoig took full advantage of the opportunity. “There was a lot of glory in that kind of byline, for this reason: the stories appeared in the zoned edi--Please turn to page 11.
Future publisher got start as a newsroom copy boy --Continued from page 10. tions of the Sunday edition and for instance my work would appear in the Manhattan-Bronx section. There was also a (section for) Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, (and) so forth. “The good thing about that was those sections wrapped around the whole newspaper, so on Sunday if you were lucky enough to get a front page byline in the ManhattanBronx section, your name was staring up from every New York newsstand. So you can bet that any girlfriend I was wining and dining at the time I made sure we walked past that Sunday stand and I'd say, 'Oh look…'"
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he ethos of the times found Hoig following the newspaper pack to the bars, where drinking and swapping stories through the night was routine. He positively subscribes to the sentiment that if you can make it in New York City you can make it anywhere. “Yeah, it’s true because it tees you up. For one thing you’re used to some of the more dire circumstances. A lot of them required you to have your wits about you and to sort of be as much as actor as a reporter.” Working at the Daily News offered other advantages, too. “The News was a totally Irish dominated newspaper. It was quite a place to be in my day by the way, because some of the absolute legends of the New York scene were actually there then. For instance, Ed Sullivan still had a desk. He was just breaking into television. He’d been a columnist for years. If I had a tip I would try to feed it to his column. “Paul Gallico was not only a top
sports editor he was famous around the desk for getting knocked out by Jack Dempsey (as part of a story). He was also a great short story writer who won the O’Henry Award. Harry Nichols was a big-time city editor. A tough, no-nonsense kind of guy. He was a legend.” Hoig also got his feet wet in live TV. “The News not long before had started a television station, WPIX, which was also in the building, and I got the chance to write the most basic kind of copy for the news scripts – death, weather, anything very routine. That opened the door to some other sophistications that the average kid working in Grand Island or Kearney wouldn't find at the introductory level.” Bob was only in New York about two years when he left for Nebraska where he had family. He’d spent time visiting relatives in the state as a youth. “The Hoigs got out here about 1895 around Beatrice and Wymore. My dad had deep roots with the old Cooper Foundation theaters,” Hoig says. “I returned to Lincoln, on the advice of one of the ‘lobster’ city editors of the New York Daily News. That’s the editor who comes on at midnight and works until 8 in the morning. He became a friend of mine.” Bob was itching to do crime reporting but as a copy boy it would have taken him longer than he cared to wait before he got his opportunity to cover that beat. “My friend felt I had enough talent that I needed to get out and get right into the mainstream of what I was interested in, which was crime writing. Now you could go that route with the Daily News but they rarely if ever hired from the outside and you had to work up from a copy
A rural Kansas native, Bob Hoig spent only one year in college before embarking on a life with the Fourth Estate.
Hoig has logged 1,700 hours behind the controls of his airplane. boy through junior assistant and that kind of thing. The waiting period could be fantastic. For instance, Jimmy Cannon, who’s a legend in sportswriting, was a copy boy for seven years on the Daily News. The man who at the time was the travel editor had been a copy boy for 13 years. “There were all kinds of names in New York City who had followed that route. This editor thought I would benefit by getting out and getting a job. It worked out that I did get a chance to work in Lincoln covering police and fire in the period when Charles Starkweather had been brought to trial and was being executed. At the time it was the Lincoln Journal-Star, but I worked for the Journal, which was the afternoon paper.” Hoig wound up in Omaha, first on the United Press International desk and then as an Omaha WorldHerald newsroom staffer, but not by way of Lincoln as you might expect, rather by way of Miami and Chicago of all places. His wanderlust called again. “That was kind of a circuitous route,” he notes. “After I cut my teeth on police reporting, doing a lot of it in Lincoln, I felt the same lure to Miami that I did to New York. I went to Miami and after being rejected at the Miami Herald by the then-assistant managing editor, Harold “Al” Neuharth, who went on found USA Today, I wound up working for in my opinion the greatest newspaper in all of Florida and the South at the time as a young crime reporter, the old Miami News. It was a real blood and guts paper. It was edited again by a legend in newspapering down there. “It was a great place to be, and right off the bat they assigned me to the sheriff's office. So many good stories would come out of there.” Organized crime was well entrenched in the city as was rampant police corruption, and one assignment required him to go up to a known Mafia family head and ask, “How do you feel about your son being shotgunned to death?” Bob recalls.
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“When you’re in a crazy situation like that you got to just quick think and get out.”
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oig enjoyed being in the thick of the action of a cosmopolitan city built on tourism and graft. It was a vital place and time where the news never quit. “I had a chance to really move along there,” he says. “I cultivated a friend who was probably my closest colleague on the Miami News. He was an old-timer who had worked on the war desk during World War II in New York for United Press. I loved the job at the Miami News but I didn't like Florida and neither did my then-wife. At that time she was my new wife. We didn’t like the heat, so we decided to go north. “When Bill Tucker, this friend of mine, heard we were going north he said, ‘Well, I hate to see you leave but as long as you’re going I’ll give you a reference to the man who's the division news manager for United Press International in Chicago.’ I interviewed with him, I was hired and I had (incidentally) some Nebraska roots. They just happened to send me to Omaha.” UPI was still a player among wire services in the 1960s. “We were totally rivals with the Associated Press,” Bob says. “We had more radio and TV clients in Nebraska than AP did. AP was ahead of us in newspapers. But we shared all the biggies, like we were both in the World-Herald (and) the Lincoln Journal-Star. Their editors played that very cleverly because they would pit us against each other in a competitive way.” Hoig’s highlight with UPI came with a bit of newspaper bravado. “I was sitting in the United Press Bureau one night in the mid-‘60s when a report came in about a shooting in Big Springs, (Neb.). An armed robber had come in the bank, lined up four people on the floor, and shot them. Three of them died and one of them survived. So this gunman was on the loose and nobody knows who it was. --Please turn to page 12.
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Hoig combined sales, writing, editing skills to start ‘MBJ’ --Continued from page 11. “We got a tip authorities were searching for a Kansas farm boy, Duane Earl Pope. We found out his father had been cruel to him. Duane had recently graduated from McPherson College where he was a football star. I thought, who could issue an appeal I could write that would lead Duane to surrender. His father? No. His coach? Maybe. His college president? Yeah,” Bob says. “When Pope finally was captured they learned he’d heard that appeal in a hotel room in Las Vegas. He made arrangements to fly back and surrender to the FBI in Kansas City. That was the biggest coup I ever staged and I think there is a classic role in journalism for that sort of thing.”
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oig left the Omaha Bureau of UPI after roughly seven years to join the World-Herald. “I had what seemed like a much better offer at that time from the WorldHerald to become a crime and corruption reporter. That was 1969. “The biggest story I covered up to that point was a banking scandal in Sheldon, Iowa. A spinster named Bernice Geiger was the trusted bookkeeper for the local bank owned by her aging parents and she had embezzled $2 million. So I went up there and every day just as I was getting ready to leave, something major developed in the story. All of a sudden reporters from Time, Newsweek, the New York papers, and all over the country came flooding in to cover this story. “It had so many angles that you could write a book about it. It had such human interest, including a possible love angle. A young con man came in and there was suspicion that he helped her spend the money. It turned out she blew the money on the Chicago Commodities Exchange, which is a weird place for a spinster to blow money.” In 1971, Bob was the WorldHerald’s nominee for a Pulitzer Prize for a series he did about serial sexualpaths that led to a state law being changed to tighten lax security procedures at the then-Nebraska State Hospital. To get the story Hoig says he went down to Lincoln and asked a lot of questions. “That story was precipitated by a particularly bad actor who was an inmate down there. Staff just let inmates like him wander the grounds. There was no particular supervision and this guy every now and then would just wander off and do his thing. What got him caught is he wandered off to Omaha, where he raped a couple of women, and so that set in motion the Herald’s interest in it.” Hoig remained with the Omaha World-Herald until 1972. His path to launching the Midlands Business Journal actually began at the end of a brief turn he took as editor of the Douglas County Gazette.
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“By that time I’d had my fill of crime and corruption and looking under every rock to expose something sinister or wrong or some crime,” he says. “I didn’t want to do that anymore.” An item in a World-Herald column mentioned Hoig was leaving the Gazette. “That morning my phone was ringing at a quarter to eight and it was the owner of Rapid Printing, the late Zane Randall, saying, ‘If you’re out of work, come and talk to me.’
the MBJ at the start but as time went on the enigmatic Randall wanted out. “Zane was the kind of guy who would just take a chance on anything and he backed newspapers and mailing operations that failed. He had a lot of failures out there with little probes into different aspects of journalism. Of course, he (eventually) sold (Rapid Printing) to the Omaha World-Herald for a reputed seven or eight million bucks, so when he scored, he scored big. His inclination to back anything is what
from that routine and that’s one way to keep your hands on your business and know what’s going on.”
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eeting unforgettable characters and public figures has also come with the territory. A bigger-than-life politico Hoig had occasion to know was the late South Omaha kingpin Gene Mahoney. Hoig recalls a memorable encounter. “I was walking on South 13th Street when Mahoney in this old beater of a car pulls up and says, ‘Hop in.’ So I got in and asked, ‘Where we going?’ He said, ‘We’re going on the Polish sausage run.’ “He had his car loaded with Polish sausage and other things and good old politician Mahoney was swinging by everybody in South Omaha that he’d found out was either sick, laid off, or injured. He was just a master politician that way,” Hoig continues. “He was such a powerbroker. I think I’m the last guy to know how great he was.” Once, when Omaha Federation of Labor AFL-CIO president Terry Moore launched into a favorite theme about Mahoney being “all washed up” Hoig set the record straight. “I said, Terry, think about it, where is Mahoney right now? His best friend has just been elected to the U.S. Senate (Ed Zorinsky). His handpicked apparatchik is in the legislature, Bernice Labedz. She's keeping him totally informed about During 2012, Hoig and his daughter, Andrea, were honored as everything. He’s got a job that has Faces on the Barroom Floor at the Omaha Press Club. more perks and power than any Andrea is the publisher of Metro Magazine. job in the state as (Nebraska State) “So I did and he hired me as helped me out in the long run. Games and Parks commissioner. general manager of a bunch of “But we were about a year into He can airplane people out to any suburban shoppers he either owned the MBJ when several relatives he lodge, so as a position to collect or printed. I talked Zane into letting had working for him told him to IOUs you can’t beat that. Plus, he’s me take a shot at founding a busiget out of it,” Hoig says. “I tried to got a say in a certain amount of ness newspaper with somewhat of a point out to him that we were in the projects that get built.” unique concept.” process of being successful and for Hoig, who closely follows Few people thought a business our humble niche in the community politics and doesn’t exactly pull journal could work, Hoig says. we were being very successful. The punches when critiquing politicians, “This came in the face of many ad sales were almost good enough admired Mahoney’s savvy when it prophecies of doom from people to meet the goals and the subscripcame to patronage and influence. like Jim Ivey at the World-Herald, tion sales were renewing at a fan“As a former legislator and so it wasn’t an assured thing. But tastic 90 percent rate. That usually someone who’d been across politiwhat I wanted to do was produce doesn’t happen. cal parties – he switched back and a product that would localize and “Based on all that I said to him, forth from Democrat to Republican bring close to the community stories ‘Look ahead one more year and this to Democrat again – he could talk to of businesses and with a particular thing is going to be doing really anyone. He was a master at doling angle of success stories. well.’ I couldn’t talk him out of it, out favors. He’d get together with “I’ve always been a good salesand he said, ‘No, we’re closing it Peter Kiewit and Walter Scott on man and I think I’m a good enough down. I said, ‘Well, how about you what were their desires and what writer and editor that I had the two name a figure and if I can possibly needed to be done and all of a sudcomponents you need to start a meet it I’ll sign a note and pay it den things got built.” successful paper, and that’s why I off? That’s the way that one went.” Hoig has anecdotes about many thought it would be successful. Thirty-eight years later the MBJ of the big names he’s met, including “It was something nobody was is still going strong. Hoig attributes corporate tycoons like construction doing at the time and that’s what its enduring success to his nose for magnate Peter Kiewit and Mutual of I staked my guess it could be sucnews, his business sense, and his Omaha’s V.J. Skutt, then presidencessful. Zane was backing me in a numbers crunching ability. tial candidate Richard Nixon, thensense. He didn’t put any money into “I can spot stories or I can cook vice president Lyndon Johnson, not it but he printed the paper for us and them up,” Bob says. to mention the Nebraska politicians he let us use his composing room, “I know accounting and I keep whose wrath he’s earned. typesetting, and so forth. So it was a the books, and so every day I know Bob’s life is as full as any of relatively painless way to try some- what my cash position is to the theirs. He toiled for others the first thing that worked.” penny. Every month I reconcile the third of his career before striking Hoig and Randall drew up a con- bank statements and I do my general out on his own and becoming a tract to be half-and-half partners of ledger entries. I’ve never graduated --Please turn to page 13.
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February 2013
Octogenarian stays active flying, swimming, playing tennis --Continued from page 12. successful entrepreneur. Besides the MBJ, he publishes the Lincoln Business Journal and the Omaha Book of Lists. MBJ was the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s 2002 Golden Spike Award honoree. He’s been recognized by the Omaha Chamber (2004) and the Omaha Kiwanis Club (2006) as Entrepreneur of the Year. “As a unit success our biggest success is our 40 Under 40 program with the Chamber. That, of course, isn’t a paper but it’s a yearly program we started in 2002 during the depths of another bubble recession, and it made its way through. It’s forged on identifying and honoring 40 professional businessmen and women under age 40.”
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oig’s is the father of three adult children. Long divorced, he’s well into a marriage with an old friend, Martha, who’s every bit as bit as active as he is. Bob’s a veteran tennis player and swimmer. He used to ski. Since taking up skiing late in life, Martha’s become quite the devotee and continues to enjoy the sport despite some mishaps on the slopes. She’s also an artist with her own downtown studio. Bob says Martha’s streaks of “daring-do” and whimsy have led her to stand on her head atop the Olympic Tower in New York City and to ride a motorcycle with him. She’s also his faithful flying companion in Hoig’s Cessna. Bob took up flying a decade ago and it’s his main hobby today. He’s not conceding anything to age as he continues coming to the office every day and living it up away from the office. “I like the idea of having the balance. The work, the great relationship with my wife, the flying, and the writing. I’m really starting to ramp up my own fiction writing.” At 80, he still works out a few days a week at the gym. Hoig’s boundless curiosity invariably leads him to some new passion he takes up with vigor. Once he hit upon flying it’s become his main fascination and outlet. “Almost every decade of my life I’ve turned a corner into something that fascinates me,” he says. “When I was 68, my son and I were in my den playing flight simulator and I was like, ‘This is really interesting and fun, I think I’ll take a (flying) lesson.’ “So I went out to get a lesson and just from the first landing of feeling like a big bird, sailing slowly, slowly, now a little faster, and then, whoosh. It just captivated me and that’s all I could think about for a year other than my work.” He got his private pilot’s license in 2000 and purchased his own Cessna SkyLane in 2003. Bob earned his instrument rating in 2005. He’s logged 1,700 hours in the air behind the controls. He’s proud of his blue and white
Hoig and his wife, Martha, enjoy flying their Cessna to vacation destinations like New York City and the Florida Keys. He says flying keeps him thinking. Cessna he personally selected from the plant. “It’s a beauty. It’s a good one for traveling, and my wife and I travel a lot. Any vacation, we fly. That has really kept my spirits and kept me thinking.” He and Martha love seeing the sights. “We do travel an awful lot. The most routine trip we make is every year we fly the plane to New York and go to the U.S. Open tennis tournament. That’s in late August (and) early September. Of late we’ve taken to flying into New England or to upstate New York. “In 2011 I flew it up to a place called Plattsburgh, N.Y. just across the lake from Burlington, Vt. It’s way up there. That was good. “A couple times a year we flew it up to a place called Rosemary Beach in the Florida Panhandle. Three years ago I flew it all the way down into the Florida Keys, beyond Key Largo. I’ve flown it a lot to my hometown of Colorado Springs.” Hoig has the chops to fly into airports large and small. “I really made it my business to learn GPS and that has helped us fly into big airports and feel comfortable doing it in rain, in clouds, and so on.” Between changeable weather systems and heavy air traffic, he says, “You have to keep your wits about you.” Sometimes he and Martha light out on a whim.
“We’ve gotten up on a Saturday morning with no idea of what we’re going to do that day and one of us will say, ‘Hey, it’s a nice day, why don’t we go to Kansas City? So you jump into the plane and you’re in Kansas City for lunch.”
peer entrepreneur and publisher, Hoig says, gives him great satisfaction. “She’s done a terrific job with the magazine that I told her in the beginning, ‘Just forget it, it won't go,’ so she proved me wrong on that.” It’s sometimes hard for him to reconcile the rebellious girl who worked for him with the mature woman who is a colleague today. “When she was a teenager we just didn’t mix at all. We didn't get along. In the course of maybe working around me a little bit and getting into journalism, it turns out of my three children she’s more like the apple that fell closest to the tree. She seems to have an instinctive ability in journalism for some of the things I think are very important. She’s unusually good at detail. She gets along very well with people and unlike me she has a very kind heart. She just empathizes with everybody and for the niche that she’s in, that’s really the way to be anyway, but she is like that.” Bob and Andrea Hoig are very different people though. “She is liberal where I’m conservative,” he says. “She doesn’t even read my editorials.” But his admiration for her is complete. “I’m very proud of what she’s accomplished, She’s come so far from where I thought.” Last fall, father and daughter were honored as Faces on the Barroom Floor at the Omaha Press Club. Over time he’s learned some lessons from her, too, such as giving up control. “I was the typical entrepreneur in feeling that if I didn’t do it, it couldn’t be done right. Everything really important I felt I had to do myself. It’s hard enough to grow a really small business like ours
“I was the typical entrepreneur in feeling that if I didn’t do it, it couldn’t be done right. Everything really important I felt I had to do myself.” The couple also travels to Europe with great regularity. They never do tours. Instead they simply “follow the wind,” Bob says. Martha, who is a breast cancer survivor, has also been a key cog in Bob’s publishing empire as vicepresident in charge of marketing. His sister, Cindy, is vice-president of advertising. And his daughter, Andrea, once worked for him as well before branching off on her own. Much to Hoig’s surprise and delight Andrea’s followed his footsteps. She began working for Bob as a photographer, and in 1996, she purchased a fledgling publication Hoig started, Metro Monthly. She’s since transformed it into Metro Magazine, whose niche is covering the area’s philanthropic scene. Seeing Andrea blossom into a
February 2013
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without giving it total attention, and I probably lost a lot of good people over the years by not turning enough over to them. “But as I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten better at delegating responsibility. I’ve started to turn more over to our editor and to our advertising director and that’s been good.” As Bob has taken more time out for himself, his wife, his family, and his passions, he’s found his later years to be the best of his life. He’s far from retired though. “There’s a saying I heard long ago that work ennobles a person and I find this work very ennobling because it keeps me alive, it keeps me involved, and it keeps me thinking. It also keeps people employed.” (Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress. com.)
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Please see the ad on page 3
NH Club gains new members $25 Susan Theis Vicki Buttery $15 Elaine Burger $10 Marsha Botos Tony Kuntz $5 Frances Crafton Wilma McCormick Reflects donations received through January 25, 2013.
Participants needed for a COPD Research Study IRB # 024-09-FB A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of 50mg Tetomilast administered as oral tablets in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease associated with emphysema. (Protocol 197-08-250) Do you have emphysema or think you may have emphysema? The University of Nebraska Medical Center is conducting a clinical trial of an experimental medication for people with emphysema. Participants must be 40 to 75 years of age and be a current or former smoker. You will receive medical testing and medication at no cost to you, and will be reimbursed for your time. If you are interested in participating in this study for people with emphysema, call Sandy at 402-559-6365 or email her at stalbott@unmc.edu.
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As 2013 gets underway, vow to get into shape mentally, physically
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s many people resolve to shape up their bodies, there’s added incentive to follow through. Doing so can also boost mental fitness, potentially delaying the onset of dementia. With the number of new cases of Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. projected to increase by 130 percent in 2030 compared to 2000, getting in shape should be an important motivator to make your good intentions a reality, says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, director of brain health for Emeritus Senior Living and clinical neuropsychologist and adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Research cited in the NIHsupported journal Health and Social Work shows learning and other measures can foster new neurons and new neural connections even into one’s golden years. “Knowing that brain fitness practices have the potential to delay dementia’s onset, I encourage everyone to begin the New Year by making brain fitness part of their lives,” Nussbaum said. Starting an exercise program is a key first step. “Walking daily, dancing, and other forms of aerobic activity help blood flow to the brain,” Nussbaum said. Adopting a healthy diet is also important. Nussbaum recommends cutting down on processed foods in favor of those that nourish the brain. “Fruits and vegetables are beneficial for cognitive health,” he said. “So are foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, such as certain fish and nuts, and antioxidants, which are foods containing vitamins A, C or E.” In addition to physical fitness, Nussbaum says three other practices can have a positive impact on your brain: • Socialization: Make an effort to connect and spend time with other people, in person rather than virtually. Research shows that isolation and loneliness increase the risk of developing dementia. • Mental stimulation: The phrase “use it or lose it” applies to the brain, which craves stimulation and challenges. Engage in mental activities that aren’t initially easy for you, whether it’s learning a new language, taking up Scrabble, or another pastime you haven’t tried before. Doing so will stimulate the cortex and build brain reserve. • Spirituality: Research suggests stress, which has been shown to adversely affect animal brains, is also detrimental for those of humans. It’s important to slow down and take the time to engage in spirituality in the way that’s most comfortable for you, whether its through daily prayer and regular formal worship or by meditating and reflecting. “The statistics about Alzheimer’s disease are alarming and they demonstrate how crucial it is to adopt a brain fitness program,” Nussbaum said. “As 2013 begins, please resolve to incorporate brain health into your daily life. Besides knowing you are engaging in an important practice with lifelong benefits, I think you will find you truly enjoy it.” More information on brain health, including a survey and activities, are available at www.emeritis.com/new-yearsbrain-health.
February 2013
Reducing caregiver stress An article in AARP the Magazine provided these six ways for caregivers to relieve their stress. • Make the freezer your friend: Caregivers usually know what to eat; they just don’t have time to cook healthier meals. Try batch cooking, which lets you freeze individual portions you can eat during the week. • Mix in meditation: Twelve minutes of daily meditation can dramatically improve the mental health of caregivers, report University of California at Los Angeles researchers. In that study, 65 percent of family caregivers who practiced a chanting yogic meditation called Kirtan Kriya every day for eight weeks saw a 50 percent improvement on a depression-rating scale. • Stockpile healthy snacks: Nutritious foods you can grab on the run help keep blood sugar levels on an even keel and energy levels from flagging. Don’t consume the typical granola bars that are high in sugar, and opt instead for “real food” with hunger-busting protein. • Slow down: Whether it’s heating up food for dinner or helping someone in the bathroom, the advice is the same: Don’t rush. It sounds obvious, but when you’re stressed and distracted, you’re more prone to having accidents. • Volunteer: You’re already doing so much to help your family member. But helping out in a different way in a different setting, can be gratifying and therapeutic. Plus, volunteers live longer than non-volunteers, a University of Michigan study found last year. • Improve your sleep habits: Disrupted sleep saps your energy. Adopt good sleep habits like a dark room or fewer distractions in the bedroom for more restful sleep.
‘Script Your Future’ campaign designed to create awareness of medication adherence for chronic conditions such as hypertension By Katie Schoeneck & Nina Hull
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ave you ever been told you have high blood pressure, or does someone you know have high blood pressure? If so, you’re not alone. One in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is diagnosed when your blood pressure reading rises above a set goal rate. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms and you may feel normal. With high blood pressure, however, you’re at risk for other health conditions including stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. This is why it’s important to have your blood pressure checked routinely by your doctor or at a local pharmacy. You can also monitor your blood pressure at home. Checking your blood pressure at home will allow you to be aware of your numbers. You can record your home blood pressure readings and then take them to your doctor’s office to discuss the results. When your blood pressure is higher than 120/80
mmHg, you should consider changes in your lifestyle or medications to control your hypertension.
When lifestyle changes can no longer control your hypertension or your blood pressure reading is too high,
Take this month to focus on your medication and see how your blood pressure is doing.
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ifestyle changes include exercising, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, and avoiding tobacco. Exercise can include any physical activity such as walking, gardening, dancing, swimming, and lifting light weights. It’s recommended you get at least 150 minutes of exercise during the week. A healthy diet includes plenty of servings of fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to be aware of sodium (or salt) intake. High amounts of salt are found in prepackaged foods especially canned soups and cured meats (salami, bacon, and beef jerky). You also need to limit the amount of table salt you add to your food. A healthy weight can be maintained by exercise and a healthy diet.
your doctor may prescribe a medication to lower your blood pressure. There are a variety of medications that treat the condition. The doctor will choose which medication is best for you. You may require two or more medications to adequately control your blood pressure. Once you begin taking your medication it becomes essential you take the medication as prescribed by your doctor. Some ways to remember to take your medication each day are using a pill box, taking it at the same time every day, or keeping a checklist or calendar. Taking your medications as prescribed should positively affect your blood pressure. Once your blood pressure is at your goal rate, it’s still important to continue to take your medication and maintain your healthy lifestyle. You shouldn’t stop taking your medication without first speaking with your doctor.
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Nina Hull (seated) and Katie Schoeneck check Wanda Henseler’s blood pressure.
f you have questions about hypertension, your medications, or ways to remember to take your medication every day, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. The Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions is participating in the Script Your Future campaign throughout February to raise awareness about the importance of medication adherence especially for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure. Remember you’re an important part of the healthcare team. Take this month to focus on your medication and see how your blood pressure is doing. If you have questions or concerns about your medications or medical conditions, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. (Schoeneck and Hull are 2013 PharmD. candidates at Creighton University.)
February 2013
Humorist available for presentations
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irk Estee believes laughter is the best medicine, and to that end the Omaha humorist is available to provide 35 to 40-minute comedic presentations tailored to a variety of audiences of all ages. These audiences can include, but are not limited to independent and assisted living center residents, support groups, parent and grandparent organizations, employee groups, and educators. Estee said his presentations are similar to those provided by Will Rogers and Mark Twain. “The philosophy of live, love, laugh, and be happy, can continue to play an integral and supportive role as we journey through life,” he added. For more information, please contact Estee at 402-6160460 or kirkestee@gmail.com.
Volunteers needed The 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 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.
Fremont Friendship Center events You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W 16th St., this month for the following: • Feb. 6: Presentation on Heart Health @ 10 a.m. • Feb. 7: Health talk by ENOA’s Kay Snelling. • Feb. 13: Music by Terri Orr @ 10:30 a.m. • Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day coronation followed by singer Joe Taylor @ 10:30 a.m. • Feb. 20: Dance to the music of Wayne Miller. • Feb. 21: Free health screenings (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and vital signs) from 10 to 11 a.m. • Feb. 27: Music by the Link Duo @ 10:30 a.m. The center will be closed on Feb. 18 for Presidents’ Day. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (according to schedule); and Friday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served @ 11:30 a.m. There is a $3 suggested donation for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. A Tuesday supper club meal is served @ 5:30 p.m. The center also offers exercising, card games, billiards, and a computer lab. For meal reservations or more information, please call Laurie Harms @ 402-727-2815.
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Omaha artist has created her own style
Call 402-399-0777 for details
Diabetes management class scheduled for Feb. 18 to 21
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he Diabetes Education Center of the Midlands is sponsoring a diabetes management class from Monday, Feb. 18 through Thursday, Feb. 21. Class times are 1 to 5 p.m. on the first day and 2 to 5 p.m. on the final three days. This four-session class will be held at the DECM’s 2910 S. 84th St. location (the east end of the Frederick Square Shopping Center). The Diabetes Education Center of the Midlands is a nationally recognized non-profit education and treatment center dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for diabetic individuals and their families. Contact the Diabetes Education Center of the Midlands today at 402-399-0777 or www.diabetes-education. com to reserve your spot in this February class.
Dora Bingle Senior Center events You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Feb. 4, 11, 18, & 25: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • Feb. 5, 12, 19, & 26: Grief Support Group meeting @ 10 a.m. • Feb. 20: Regeneration lunch with music by Pam Torchia @ noon. The cost is $3. • Feb. 21: Red Hat Club meeting @ noon. • Feb. 22: Hard of Hearing Support Group meeting @ 10:30 a.m. • Feb. 27: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a February birthday! The center will be closed Feb. 21 for Presidents Day. A nutritious lunch is served on Tuesday and Friday. A fancier lunch is offered on Wednesday. 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: • Tuesday: Free matinee movie @ 12:30 p.m. • Wednesdays: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m. Tai Chi class @ 11:15 a.m., and Bible study @ 1 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.
Immanuel Affordable Communities
During an art career which has spanned more than 60 years, Sherie Garner has sold 20 of her beautiful paintings and sketchings.
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hen she was barely old enough to know the difference between red, green, yellow, and blue, Sherie Naviaux (now Garner) received her first box of crayons from her parents. By the time she enrolled at Omaha’s St. Peter’s Elementary School, Garner knew she was blessed with artistic talent. “I’ve always been able to see an image in my head and then put that image on paper or canvas accurately,” she said during a recent interview in her west Omaha apartment that doubles as an art studio. Garner, who lists her age as somewhere
Immanuel Communities offers beautiful affordable independent apartment homes for seniors who are on a fixed income.
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Call today to schedule a personal visit.
Income guidelines apply
Immanuel Courtyard 6757 Newport Avenue Omaha, NE 68152 402-829-2912
Assisted Living at Immanuel Courtyard 6759 Newport Avenue Omaha, NE 68152 402-829-2990
Affilated with the Nebraska Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Trinity Courtyard 620 West Lincoln Street Papillion, NE 68046 402-614-1900
www.immanuelcommunities.com
New Horizons
between 60 and 70, had her first art showing as a seventh-grader at St. Peter’s School. Sherie attended Omaha Central High School where she honed her painting and sketching skills under the watchful eye of art teacher Zenaide Luhr. “She (Luhr) encouraged me to submit my work to the University of Chicago’s Art Institute, but I knew my parents couldn’t afford to send me there, so I never did (send the portfolio),” Garner recalled. Following graduation from Central High, Sherie attended a technical school where she trained to become a secretary. “I wanted to make my own way,” she said. After working “all over the planet” for more than 40 years in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Detroit, Garner returned to Omaha where she continues to enjoy the city’s “higher quality of life.” ven while working as a secretary, Garner continued to paint with watercolors and oils and sketch using a wide variety of pencils, pens, and inks. Now that she’s retired, Sherie is able to focus her attention full time on art, showing and selling her work, and teaching the craft to aspiring artists. Garner’s apartment – which she shares with her dog, Tango – is filled with an array of watercolor and oil landscape scenes and portraits of animals and humans. At various times, her work has been displayed at local coffeehouses, restaurants, and libraries. Sherie’s been commissioned eight or nine times to create a painting or portrait of the buyer’s cat, dog, horse, or loved one. --Please turn to page 17.
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Sherie works at a drawing table in her west Omaha apartment.
February 2013
Artist Sherie Garner...
Two examples of Garner’s artistic skills. --Continued from page 16. Finished product reactions have ranged from “wide-eyed smiles to tears of joy,” she said. While creating a piece of art for a buyer fills Garner with joy, she also enjoys the challenges involved. If the client doesn’t provide a high-quality reference photo Sherie can use to make the image “pop,” Garner said she’ll refuse the commission. “I have a reputation to hold up,” she added. To be as accurate as possible, all of Garner’s paintings and sketches – 20 of which she’s sold – are created copying photos she’s found or had provided by the buyer. A typical piece takes five to 15 hours to produce. A beautiful oil landscape of a mountain scene that hangs in her home called Meltdown, however, took Garner three months to complete.
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n late February or early March, Garner will teach a five-week long (Sundays from 2:30 to
5 p.m.) class for students ages 12 and older titled, Explore This! Mixed Media in her classical realism style. This method combines pencil drawings with ink and paint to create a classical look. “The work is done with high attention to detail.” Sherie said. For more information on Explore This! Mixed Media, contact Garner at 402-5926622 or gr8ideas@fiber.net.
Programs aimed at older nature lovers
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he Fontenelle Nature Association’s SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program offers activities for older adults the second Tuesday of each month at the Fontenelle Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd North. The programs, held from 9:45 to 11 a.m., feature an indoor program, an optional nature walk, and refreshments. The cost is $6 per person each month.
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or more information, call Catherine at 402-7313140, ext. 1019. Here are February through May programs: • Feb. 12: Exploring Nature with the Corps of Discovery. • March 12: Cranes on the Move. • April 9: Native Plants for Wildlife. • May 14: Flooding Impacts on Riverside & Community Forests.
Dark comedy at Blue Barn Theatre Feb. 21 to March 16
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artin McDonagh’s A Behanding in Spokane will be on stage Feb. 21 through March 16 at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S. 11th St. Backwoods American sociopath Carmichael has been hunting for his severed left hand for 27 years. He encounters dimwits, Toby and Marylin, in this darkly comical work. Their relationship exposes the graphic, gritty details of American life.
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how times for A Behanding in Spokane are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays, March 3 and 10. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors and groups of 10 or more. For tickets or more information, please call 402-345-1576.
We need your
Garner will teach an art class in late February or early March. Call 402-592-6622 for more information.
ENOA’s SeniorHelp
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s SeniorHelp Program has a variety of volunteer opportunities available for persons of all ages that provide services to help older adults in ways that support dignity and independence in their daily lives. For more information, please call Karen Kelly at 402561-2238 or send an e-mail to karen.kelly@nebraska.gov. • Companionship: Volunteers are needed to visit clients in the Omaha and Bellevue areas. • Transportation: Drivers are being asked to take older adults grocery shopping, to medical appointments as needed, etc. in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties. • Handyman/Home maintenance: Volunteers are needed to provide home repairs in Omaha and the surrounding areas. • Household assistance: Volunteers are being recruited to provide housekeeping, sorting and/or organizing, do laundry, and to help carry groceries from the car into the home for older adults in the Omaha and Bellevue areas. • Meals delivery: Drivers are needed to deliver midday meals in zip codes 68114 and 68144. • Snow removal: Volunteers are needed to remove snow in the Omaha and Bellevue areas. • Yard work: Volunteers are being recruited to rake leaves, clean gutters, and clean flowerbeds in several areas.
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I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.
ENOA
Wellness programs set for each month
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ou’re invited to attend a series of free EngAge Wellness presentations to be held the third Tuesday of each month during 2013 at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, 38th Avenue and Leavenworth Street.
To learn more, please call 402-552-7210. The programs – which will feature a speaker every month – run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Topics will include downsizing (February and March), the Affordable Care Act (April), community resources (May), finances (June), legal documents (July), longterm care (August), home care and Medicare (September), Medicare (October), funeral pre-planning (November), and a holiday wrap (December). For more information, please call 402-552-7210.
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 tax deductible 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. Name:_____________________________________
Please ma donationil your tax deducti with this fo ble rm to: Easter
n Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________
February 2013
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f Reinha 4223 C rdt Omaha, enter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
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Ice skating
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he public ice skating rink on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus remains open through March 1. The rink is located east of 42nd Street between Emile Street and Dewey Avenue on the north side of the Sorrell Center. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. The rink is closed on Mondays. Admission is $7 with skate rental and $5 without skate rental (cash or credit cards only). For more information, please call 402-559-0697.
Lewy Body Dementia support group meeting scheduled for Feb. 19 The Metro Omaha Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) Support Group will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. at the Millard branch of the Omaha Public Library, 13214 Westwood Ln. Elizabeth Chentland from the Nebraska Respite Network will be the featured guest speaker. LBD is a group of progressive brain diseases that are the second leading cause of degenerative dementia among older adults, affecting more than 1.3 million American families. For more information on LBD, log on to www.lbda. org/go/awareness. For more on the support group, please log on to annt88@cox.net or call Ann Taylor at 402-452-3952.
ENOA’s SeniorHelp, Chore Program are available to provide snow removal
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he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging has two programs available that remove snow from the driveways and sidewalks of older adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington
counties. The agency’s SeniorHelp Volunteer Program provides this service for persons age 60 and older that are physically unable to remove snow and have no other options available for snow removal. Volunteers are pre-screened before being matched with clients. ENOA’s Chore Program uses paid providers to remove snow for persons age 60 and older that are physically unable to perform these duties. Individuals using this service will be sent a contribution request based on their income. For more information, please call the SeniorHelp program at 402-444-6536.
For singers, Tuesday means rehearsal, performance...
One of the Papillion Senior Singers’ shows includes some Elvis Presley hits. --Continued from page 3. “We’re not professional singers, we’re professional entertainers,” she said. O’Connor said the Papillion Senior Singers need two more male vocalists to join in the fun. Call Laura Jean at 402-597-2059 for more information. “The only requirement is that they have to like to sing,” she said. In addition to the weekly shows, the ensemble rehearses for an hour Tuesday mornings at the senior center, 1001 Limerick Rd. Anyone wishing to book the group for a performance can call O’Connor or Rajaena
Appleby at 402-597-2059. A minimal charge is requested to cover “gas money” for the group’s bus. “We worked at youth soccer games in Papillion for five years to pay for the bus,” O’Connor said. The Papillion Senior Singers are: Rosie Bartling, Carolyn Schoepf, Edith Fisher, Elaine Biggie, Joanne Dahir, Frances Anderson, Pat Cooley, Norma Dineen, Floyd Hermanson, Herbert Cooley, Mel Hewett, Dean Schechinger, Duane Schechinger, John Fry, accompanist Rajaena Appleby, and director Laura Jean O’Connor.
Participants needed for a COPD Research Study IRB # 397-11 A clinical outcomes study to compare the effect of Fluticasone Furoate/Vilanterol Inhalation Powder 100/25-mcg with placebo on survival in subjects with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a history of or an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. (Protocol HZC113782) Do you have COPD and a history of cardiovascular disease? The University of Nebraska Medical Center is conducting a clinical trial of an investigational medication for people with emphysema. The study drug is a new drug that combines a long-acting beta-agonist with corticosteroid in a single inhaler. Individuals may qualify if they: • Have a diagnosis of moderate COPD. • Have a history or risk of heart disease. • Are between 40 and 80 years of age. • Are a current or former smoker. Study participants may receive an investigational study drug, study-related medical and study procedures at no charge. Please call Sandy Talbott at 402-559-6365 or email her at stalbott@unmc.edu if you are interested in participating in this study.
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Accompanist Rajaena Appleby taught music to junior and senior high school students in Cambridge, Crete, and Broken Bow, Neb. for seven years.
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February 2013
ENOA menu February 2012 Friday, Feb. 1 Liver & Onions
Friday, Feb. 15 Crunchy Pollock
Monday, Feb. 4 Country Fried Steak
Monday, Feb 18 CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Tuesday, Feb. 5 Garlic Rosemary Chicken Quarter Wednesday, Feb. 6 Chili Dog Thursday, Feb. 7 Italian Pork Loin Friday Feb. 8 Western Baked Beef Monday, Feb. 11 Chicken Pot Pie Tuesday, Feb. 12 Pepper Beef Patty Wednesday, Feb. 13 (Ash Wednesday) Tuna Macaroni & Cheese Thursday, Feb. 14 Roast Beef
Tuesday, Feb. 19 Open Face Hot Turkey Sandwich Wednesday, Feb. 20 Soft Shell Beef Taco Thursday, Feb. 21 Pork Dijon Friday, Feb. 22 Tuna & Noodle Casserole Monday, Feb. 25 Beef Italiano Tuesday, Feb. 26 Cheeseburger Wednesday, Feb. 27 Apple Glazed Pork Thursday, Feb 28 Beef Stew
OFD can install free smoke, carbon monoxide detectors The Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department is available to install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside the residences of area homeowners. 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.
One in four Americans will develop foot complications due to diabetes. Properly fitted shoes are essential for reducing these risks. Wear Diabetic Shoes To Prevent Foot Complications! Medicare may reimburse for 1 pair of diabetic shoes and 3 pairs of shoe inserts per calendar year if qualifying conditions are met. Diabetes Supply Center accepts assignment – we’ll bill Medicare and supplemental insurance for you!
Many styles available!
Diabetes-Supply.com
CLASSIFIEDS POOL TABLES Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables. We pay CASH for slate pool tables.
Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225
Tree Trimming Beat the falling flakes! Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured. Senior discount.
Laughter is the best medicine Enjoy a genuine “down home humorist” style of comedy tailored for a variety of audiences. For more information, call
402-894-9206
PAID THROUGH TOP CASH PAID March 2013 402-616-0460
Film series continues Feb. 12 Omaha World Adventurers begins the second half of its 2012-13 travel, adventure, and documentary series when world guide and filmmaker Stan Walsh presents Escape Rome to Oberammergau. The film will be presented Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the 20 Grand Cinema, 14304 W. Maple Rd. The German village of Oberammergau is the destination of thousands of pilgrims who visit to view The Passion Play. The show, which depicts the final days of Jesus, has been performed in Oberammergau each decade since 1633. Armchair travelers will
also enjoy this journey through Assisi, Florence, Pisa, Venice, Lucerne, and Munich. Tickets, which are $12, are available at the door. For more information, please call RJ Enterprises at (toll free) 866-385-3824.
Best & honest prices paid for: Old jewelry, furniture, glassware, Hummels, knick-knacks, old hats & purses, dolls, old toys, quilts, linens, buttons, pottery, etc. Also buying estates & partial estates. Call Bev at 402-339-2856
Please support New Horizons advertisers!
Integrity Builders Free estimates & inspections • Roofs • Windows • Siding • Gutters
Storm damage specialist
Call Colin @ 402-510-7360
Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses. Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882
Filmmaker Stan Walsh
Nails 2Go
Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Managed by Kimball Management., Inc.
Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad LEND A HAND Non-Medical Home Care Services Provide chore, light housekeeping, & respite care services. CNA Certified & Medication Aide. Please call for more information. 402-686-6200
Lamplighter II
Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking. 93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921
OLD STUFF WANTED (before 1975) Postcards, photos, drapes, lamps, 1950s and before fabrics, clothes, lady’s hats, & men’s ties, pictures, pottery, glass, jewelry, toys, fountain pens, furniture, etc. Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389
REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.
BBB Honor Roll member
Senior Citizens (62+)
• Remodeling & Home Improvement • Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms
deFreese Manor
Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,050 (1 person) or $28,600 (two persons)
• Painting Interior & Exterior • Handyman Services • Senior Discounts • Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured Quality Professional Service
2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622
We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.
NH2/13
Better Business Bureau Member
402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0
Mobile Nail Care & Non-Medical Home Health Services Licensed Nail Tech/AVON-Rep For more information
Call Cindy at 402-850-1649 pcrupp6@gmail.com • www.youravon.com/cindyrupp
Enoa Aging February 2013
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ENOA, its clients overwhelmed by the outpouring of gifts from the community The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging wishes to thank the businesses, churches, schools, organizations, and individuals listed below for their generosity during the 2012 Christmas season. These community partners adopted hundreds of ENOA clients, participants in the agency’s Grandparent Resource Center, and dozens of other older adults in the area and purchased a variety of gifts for them.
Thank you!
• Elizabeth Alicea • Sandra Bernhagen/Sarpy County TIPS #1 • Blue Barn Theatre • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints • Covenant Presbyterian Church • Derek, Brenda, & Brooke • ENOA staff members • Abby Garreans • Nicole Gillespie/Creighton University • Lincoln Financial Group • Lindsay Gortemaker • Heidi • Home Instead Senior Care • Home Instead Senior Care (corporate office) • Hy-Vee • Immanuel Heritage Center • Cindy Kirstine • Kathy Kirstine • Lorey Kirstine • Laurie Massa/Creighton University • Mutual of Omaha’s Direct to Consumers Division • Nebraska Heartland Coaches • University of Notre Dame Alumni Club of Omaha • Omaha State Bank • Outdoors Unlimited • Karen Paschal/Creighton University • PhysMed, Inc. Home Health Care • Chris & Kelly Richardson and family • St. Gerald’s Catholic Church • St. Gerald’s Women’s Community Project Group • St. Philip Neri Catholic Church • Scheels • Willowdale Elementary School • Xerox
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