June 2014 nh by Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

June 2014 VOL. 39 • NO. 6

ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389

New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Special delivery As a way to learn more about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and its programs and services, four representatives from United States Sen. Deb Fischer’s Omaha office met with ENOA staff members recently. Arlis Smidt (center), who coordinates the agency’s Meals on Wheels program, is seen here with (from left): Chase Kratochvil, Dusty Vaughan, Vicki Kramer, and Tiffany Settles. See page 20.

Fashionable Sue McLain, AKA “Yesterday’s Lady,” made a presentation titled, A Century of Fashion recently at the Camelot Friendship Center. McLain was sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. See page 6.

Justice served Dr. Sam Walker is an emeritus professor of criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Active in the Civil Rights movement, Walker is also the owner of more than 9,000 Jazz, R & B, and folk music LPs. Leo Adam Biga tells Dr. Walker’s story. See page 10.

Return homestead exemption applications by June 30

pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application. The 2014 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2014. A homestead exemption provides property tax relief by exempting all or part of the homestead’s valuation from taxation. The state of Nebraska reimburses the counties and other government subdivisions for the lost tax revenue. To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2014, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2014, and fall within the income guidelines shown below. Certain homeowners who have a disability and totally-disabled war veterans and their widow(er)s may also be eligible for this annual tax break. When determining household income, applicants must include Social Security

and Railroad Retirement benefits plus any income for which they receive a Form 1099. The homestead exemption amount is based on the homeowner’s marital status and income level (see below). Maximum exemptions are based on the average assessed value for residential property in each Nebraska county. The Douglas County Assessor’s office (1819 Farnam St.) is sending volunteers into the community to help older adults complete the application form. The volunteers will be located at sites throughout the county. A list of these locations will be included with your application. Assistance is also available by calling the Volunteers Assisting Seniors at 402444-6617. Douglas County residents can also have their homestead exemption questions answered by calling 402-597-6659. Here are the telephone numbers for the assessor’s offices in the counties served by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging: Douglas: 402-444-7060; Sarpy: 402593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3916; Cass: 402-296-9310; and Washington: 402426-6800.

Household income table Over age 65 married income

Over age 65 single income

Exemption %

0 - $31,600 $31,601 - $33,300 $33,301 - $35,000 $35,001 - $36,700 $36,701 - $38,400 $38,401 - $40,100 $40,101 - $41,800 $41,801 - $43,500 $43,501 - $45,200 $45,201 - $46,900 $46, 901 and over

0 to $26,900 $26,901 - $28,300 $28,301 - $29,700 $29,701 - $31,100 $31,101 - $32,500 $32,501 - $33,900 $33,901 - $35,300 $35,301 - $36,700 $36,701 - $38,100 $38,101 - $39,500 $39,501 and over

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Tips for keeping safe while enjoying the great outdoors

W this summer.

hile most people like to relax during the warmer months of the year, criminals are never on vacation, so take a little time to protect yourself while you’re out and about

arm weather can be a great time to get out into the fresh air and get some exercise, visit a park, or just take a walk around the block. The Omaha Police Department wants you to be safe while you’re enjoying the summer weather by following these simple personal safety reminders: • Walk with a companion, whenever possible. • Be confident and walk with a purpose. • Plan your route and stay alert to your surroundings. • Walk facing traffic to see approaching cars. • Leave your purse at home and never exhibit or flash large sums of cash or other valuables. • If possible, take a piece of identification with you and tuck it into a pocket. • If you must walk at night, choose the busiest, well-lit streets. • Avoid dark places, short cuts, alleys, thick trees, thick shrubs, and sparsely traveled areas. • Be wary of strangers who approach you attempting to start odd conversations. • If you have a cell phone, carry it with you. While it may not be a substitute for being with a companion, it’s a tool that will allow you to call for assistance if something should happen. • Always know your location in case you need to call the police. For additional tips on personal safety and other crime prevention initiatives, visit our website at www.opd.ci.omaha.ne.us or contact our Neighborhood Services Unit at 402-444-5772. (Sgt. Payne – who supervises the Omaha Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit – has been an OPD officer for 20 years.)

Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home—knowing that you can get help if you ever need it. In a fall or emergency, every second counts. Lifeline by Immanuel with AutoAlert is a medical alert pendent that can automatically call for help, even if you can’t push your button. Getting you connected to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449.

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New Horizons

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June 2014

Become a water-wise gardener

Make a donation to help support the

“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”

By Melinda Myers

o matter where you live, being a water-wise gardener makes environmental and economic sense. And it’s really easier than you think. Here are a few easy and affordable ways to conserve water while growing a beautiful garden. Grow plants suited to your climate, and this includes the average rainfall for your area. Select drought tolerant plants, that once established, require less ongoing care. Consider native plants like coneflower, yucca, and penstemon as well as native and non-invasive ornamental grasses. Be sure to group moisture-loving plants together and near a source of water. You’ll save time and water by concentrating your efforts on fewer plants. Move containers to the shade or provide additional shade during hot dry weather to reduce the plant’s water needs. Use organic nitrogen fertilizers like Milorganite (milorganite.com). This slow release fertilizer encourages slow steady growth that requires less water. Plus, it will not burn plants during hot dry weather. It simply stays in the soil until the growing conditions, moisture, and temperature are right for the plants. Install a rain barrel or two to capture rain for watering in-ground and container gardens. Or place a rain barrel near your garden and collect

b u l C s n o z i r New Ho

Join the

Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 rain directly from the sky. Use this water to supplement your garden’s moisture needs during a drought. Decorate or mask the barrels with vines, decorative fencing, containers, or nearby plantings. And check with your local municipality as several states and communities have banned rain harvesting on private property. Use soaker hoses and drip irrigation to save water by applying the water directly to the soil where it’s needed. Consider connecting your rain barrel to a soaker hose in a nearby garden. Just open the spigot and allow gravity to slowly empty the water throughout the day. Check to make sure water is evenly distributed throughout the garden. Always water thoroughly and less frequently to encourage deep drought tolerant roots. Add a layer of organic mulch like shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or herbicide-free grass clippings to conserve moisture and keep roots cool. As these break down they add organic matter to the soil improving the water holding ability of sandy and rocky soils. Allow lawns to go dormant during droughts. Apply ¼ inch of water every three to four weeks during extended droughts. This keeps the crown of the plant alive while the grass remains dormant. Do not apply weed killers and minimize foot and equipment traffic on dormant lawns. Incorporate one or more of these techniques to your garden care this season. You’ll conserve water while creating healthier and more attractive gardens. (Myers is a gardening expert, TV/radio host, author, and columnist.)

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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.

• Full house remodel • Kitchen remodel • Bathroom remodel • Drywall • Painting • Flooring • Siding • Gutters • Roofing • Concrete flatwork • Steps • Driveways • Sidewalks & steps • Decks • Patio • Room additions • Replacement windows & doors

Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Warren, Sarpy County, vice-chairperson; Jerry Kruse, Washington County, secretary; Gary Osborn, Dodge County, & Jim Peterson, Cass County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.

June 2014

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New Horizons

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Tourism Commission program features prizes, 80 attractions

he Nebraska Tourism Commission kicked off its 2014 Nebraska Passport Program recently at Lincoln’s Children’s Zoo. The zoo is one of the 80 stops included with the program this year. The 2014 Passport will feature 80 attractions on 10 themed tours including Sips and Suds, Patchwork Passion, Rare Finds, Home Grown Nebraska, Fork in the Road, Hit the Snooze, Without Walls, Stars and Stripes, How We Move, and Can’t Get Enough. The Passport Program encourages travelers to explore Nebraska, collect stamps from participating attractions, and earn great prizes. Travelers have through Sept. 30 to visit attractions and redeem their stamps for prizes. For each completed tour, participants win a Nebraska Passport t-shirt. Travelers also can receive 20 $1 Nebraska Lottery Scratch coupons (for 20 stamps), a digital picture frame (for 40 stamps) and a Pebble Smartwatch (for all 80 stamps). A grand-prize drawing for a 60” plasma TV will be held in October. This year, an additional drawing for 300 $1 Nebraska Lottery Scratch tickets will be held for all participants age 19 and older who turn in passports with at least one stamp. Passports will be available at participating stops. More information about the program can be found at nebraskapassport.com. Also new this year, participants can download and participate in the program via a mobile application that’s free and downloadable from the Apple App Store and the Google App Store.

Omaha Computer Users Group

Farmers’ Market coupons available during June at ENOA’s senior centers

ou’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers. Anyone can join OCUG regardless of their computer skills. The organization’s 50 members meet the fourth Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Benson Library, 6015 Binney St. Annual dues to OCUG, which has existed for 15 years, are $25.

lder Nebraskans meeting income and age guidelines are eligible to receive $48 in coupons that can be exchanged for fresh produce sold at Nebraska’s Farmers’ Market stands. The Nebraska Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program – administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ State Unit on Aging – provides fresh, nutritious, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The program also helps increase consumption of the state’s produce. To be eligible to receive the coupons, applicants must show proof of age and income level. Coupon recipients must be age 60 or older and have an annual income less than $21,590 for a single person or less than $29,101 annually for a couple.

embers will have access to updated laptop computers with Microsoft Office 2010, the Microsoft 8 operating system, a Power Point projector, and a printer. Each month, OCUG meetings address members’ questions and teach new techniques. For more information, please call OCUG’s president Phill Sherbon at 402333-6529.

he produce coupons will be distributed during June at ENOA senior centers. Recipients will be given 16 coupons worth $3 each that can be used through Oct. 31, 2014. Only one set of coupons will be issued per household. Because the program’s appropriations are limited, not everyone requesting coupons will receive them. More information is available at any of the ENOA senior centers. A complete list of these facilities can be found online at enoa.org. Click on the ENOA Programs and then the Meals on Wheels/Senior Centers link.

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Examples of Services: • Provide a complimentary in-home assessment to determine your transitional needs. • Plan, schedule, and coordinate all aspects of the move. • Prepare a floor plan. • Organize, sort, pack, and unpack household contents. • Prepare change of address for mail delivery. • Coordinate transfer of utilities, phone, and cable service. • Disconnect and reconnect electronics. • Unpack and settle your new home including hang the shower curtain, make the beds, and hang the pictures; making your new home feel familiar. • Coordinate shipment of special heirlooms to family members. • Coordinate a profitable dispersal of remaining household items through estate sale, auction, consignment, and/or donation.

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New Horizons

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We understand the anxiety and the challenges, and we will personally see you through the entire move process; from the first phone call until the last picture is hung. There is hard work to be done and well will be with you every step of the way.

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To learn more, contact

June 2014

402-445-0996

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Widowed Person’s Group meets monthly The Widowed Person’s Group of Omaha hosts a dinner the first Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at the Longhorn Steakhouse, 7425 W. Dodge Rd. For more information, please call Grace at 402426-9690.

Volunteer opportunities 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.

Rose Theater The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St., will host 10 productions during its 201415 season: • Sept. 5 to 21 The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites • Oct. 3 to 19 The Cat in the Hat • Nov. 1 to 16 A Wrinkle in Time • Dec. 5 to 28 A Christmas Story: The Musical • Jan. 10 to 31 Balloonacy • Jan. 23 to Feb. 8 Buffalo Bill’s Cowboy Band • Feb. 20 to March 8 Zen Ties • March 20 to April 4 The Reluctant Dragon • April 24 to May 10 Charlotte’s Web • June 5 to 21 Mary Poppins

For tickets or more information, please call 402-345 4849.

Computer classes Beginning computer classes for persons age 50 and older are available at AARP’s Information Center, 1941 S. 42nd St. and at the Kids Can Community Center, 4860 Q St. through June. The three-day, nine-hour course, which costs $15, covers a variety of topics including computer terms, how to format and type documents, navigating through Microsoft Windows 7, filing and organizing documents, backing up data, inserting clipart and photos into documents, using spell check, cutting and pasting, deleting unwanted files, and surfing the Internet. For more information and to register, please call 402398-9568.

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.

Retired federal employees meet at Omaha eatery

he 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-

Lot # 273 2 bed 2 bath $9,000

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.

Free Jazz on the Green concerts scheduled for July 10 to Aug. 14

Lot # 281 2 bed 1 bath $11,000

maha Performing Arts will present its Jazz on the Green concert series at Midtown Crossing this summer. The free outdoor concert series will run six consecutive Thursdays from July 10 to Aug. 14 at Turner Park in the heart of Midtown Crossing. Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. on the permanent stage of The Pavilion at Turner Park. The lawn is open at 5 p.m. every Thursday, except for July 17 when it opens after the United States Navy Parachute Team lands at Turner Park at 5:45 p.m. A new addition to Jazz on the Green in 2014 will be free dance lessons before two of the performances. Omaha Ballroom, under the direction of Elizabeth Edwards, will offer free dance lessons prior to the performances on July 24 (salsa dancing) and Aug. 7 (swing dance). Lessons will begin at 6:45 p.m. and last 30 minutes. For more information, please call 402-345-0202.

June 2014

Lot # 312 3 bed 2 bath $23,000

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AARP offering driving course AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults. By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonAARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule: Saturday, June 14 1 to 5 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St. Call 402-398-9568 to register

Friday, June 20 • Noon to 4 p.m. Metro Community College South Omaha campus Class ID #: AUAV-004N-71 Call 402-457-5231 to register

Fashion focus of Camelot Friendship Center presentation

ohs, ahs, head nods of approval, and smiles filled the room at the Camelot Friendship Center – 9270 Cady Ave. – recently during a captivating, fashionable presentation by Beatrice, Neb. resident Sue McLain. McLain brought part of her 2,000-piece collection of vintage clothing from the 1870s through the 1970s to the northwest Omaha facility to entertain and educate the nutrition site participants. Her program, A Century of Fashion was sponsored by Humanities Nebraska, an organization that provides culturally enriching programs throughout the state. McLain, who has been adding to her stylish collection since 1985, said the goal of the program is to share her love for vintage clothing by helping people understand that fashions from the past are historical artifacts that should be treasured.

s she spoke to the appreciative intergenerational audience about a particular decade of fashion, McLain pulled an elegant gown or a hat popular in those years from a coat rack. She then moved around the room displaying the Millard Senior Center events items, adding commentary and answering You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Mont- questions. clair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: Dresses from the 1870s were bell shaped • June 2 & 16: Movie Monday at noon. On June 2 we’ll and often weighed as much as 25 pounds. serve Rocky Road ice cream. “It could take a lady up to 45 minutes to get • June 3: Annual picnic at Chalco Hills Recreation Area. dressed,” McLain said. The bus leaves the center at 9:30 a.m. Lunch is a hot dog, Sue then held up a long, brown dress from baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, an oatmeal cookie, the 1880s that in addition to being beautiful and milk. Please bring a snack to share. If weather requires, was also practical. “These dresses weren’t we’ll move inside to the Montclair Community Center. washed. They were aired out and brushed • June 11 & 25: Wii Wednesday @ noon. off,” McLain said. “That’s why they’ve • June 25: We’ll be sewing blankets for children in the lasted so long.” Linus Project. Skirts that were shorter in the front arThe Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. rived in the United States during the 1890s. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3 donation (free on The “Gibson Girl” look became popular your birthday) is suggested for the meal. Reservations are that decade, and some women began weardue by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to ing neckties. “A lot of men didn’t like that,” enjoy. Sue said as she held up a white shirt and a Center activities include a walking club, Tai Chi class black necktie. (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for a $1 sugThe beginning of the 20th Century brought gested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays big hats to America and dresses that brought @ 10 a.m.), quilting (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), card games, and an “S-shape” to women’s figures. Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). World War I broke out in 1914. McLain For meal reservations, please call Susan at 402-546-1270. said dresses became plainer then and women gave up their corsets as part of the home front war effort. Fashions in the “Roaring 20s” made exposing a woman’s arms and legs popular in the United States, Sue said as she held up a or are you new to Medicare? dress from that era. Laughter spread across the room as McLain also placed a flapper Do you need HELP understanding hat on a nearby audience member. your MEDICARE OPTIONS? In 1929, America was devastated by the Friday, June 27 • 9:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Metro Community College • 829 N. 204th St. Class ID #: AUAV-004N-72 Call 402-457-5231 to register

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New Horizons

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June 2014

Susan McLain displays an 1880s dress during her recent presentation at the Camelot Friendship Center. Stock Market crash. During the ensuing Great Depression, the nation’s movie houses were filled, and styles were influenced by screen legends like Jean Harlow. In response to WWII, designers in the United States during the 1940s began making clothes for Rosie the Riveter, according to McClain. “American ladies knew how to work but they also knew how to dress up,” she added. Poodle skirts for teenagers and dresses like those worn by Lucille Ball on TV became popular in the 1950s. McLain began her commentary on fashion in the 1960s by holding up a pink dress and matching pillbox hat often associated with First Lady Jackie Kennedy. The 1970s brought miniskirts, pantsuits, and polyester dresses to the United States. Sue shared an example of each of these styles with audience members many of whom hung on her every word. The presentation concluded with an enthusiastic and educational question and answer session. McLain can be reached at 402-223-5121 or at yesterdayslady@windstream.net. For more information about activities at the Camelot Friendship Center, please call Amy Bench at 402-444-3091.

Luncheon honors 73 Foster Grandparents, program’s stations, advisory council, donors The Foster Grandparent Program’s annual recognition event was held last month at the D.C. Centre. The festivities honored 73 Foster Grandparents, the FGP’s volunteer stations, the Foster Grandparent Program Advisory Council, and 39 area individuals and businesses that purchased $100 or more of holiday poinsettias during the FGP’s annual fundraiser. The money raised during the November sale is used to pay for the recognition event.

The FGP is sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and administered nationally by the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. Foster Grandparents work with children who need extra attention in schools, Head Start programs, preelementary school child care programs, facilities that focus on mental health issues, substance abuse programs, domestic violence shelters,

and hospitals. Luncheon highlights included a performance by the ACE Puppets, a keynote address by Julie Nash from the Corporation for National and Community Service, and a delicious meal. Among the 73 Foster Grandparents that were honored were three volunteers that have been in the program for 15 years or more. They are: Louise Neal, 15 years; Rosetta Herron, 17 years; and Gloria Gordon, 22 years.

Louise Neal 15 years

Rosetta Herron 17 years

Gloria Gordon 22 years

Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol, a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services program that works to educate and empower older adults to help prevent health care fraud offers 10 tips to help you avoid Medicare scams. • Don’t provide your Medicare number to anyone except your trusted health care provider. • Ask friends and neighbors to pick up your mail while you’re away from home. • Shred important documents before throwing them away. • Read Medicare summary notices carefully looking for possible mistakes. • Use a calendar or health care journal to record information from doctor visits. • Compare your calendar or health care journal with your Medicare summary notices. • Count your prescription pills. If the total is less than expected, go back and tell the pharmacist. • Medicare Part D plans change annually. • Don’t speak to anyone claiming to be a Medicare representative about Medicare. • Medicare loses billions of dollars each year. It’s up to you to help fight fraud. If you believe you may be a victim of Medicare fraud, please call the Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol at 800942-7830.

Senior Companion Program honors 57 volunteers at annual recognition event

he Senior Companion Program’s annual recognition event was held last month at the D.C. Centre. The festivities honored 57 Senior Companions, the SCP’s volunteer stations, the Senior Companion Program Advisory Council, and 39 area individuals and businesses that purchased $100 or more of holiday poinsettias during the SCP’s annual fundraiser. The money raised during the No-

Josie Chapman 13 years

vember sale is used to pay for the recognition event. The SCP is sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and administered nationally by the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps.

enior Companions are trained to help older adults who are lonely or isolated, physically or mentally disabled, or living

Caroline Earnest 15 years

with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Luncheon highlights included music by Kim Eames from the Merrymakers and a delicious meal. Among the 57 Senior Companions that were honored last month were three volunteers that have been in the program for 13 years or more. They were: Josie Chapman, 13 years; Caroline Earnest, 15 years; and Florence Matthews, 15 years.

Florence Matthews 15 years

June 2014

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Donate items through Omaha Sertoma Club

Corrigan Senior Center events

The Omaha Sertoma Club encourages area residents to collect used and unwanted clothing, shoes, hats, caps, belts, purses, bedding, and towels by cleaning out their closets and other places these things are stored. The items should be placed in bags, then taken to and placed inside the donation bin at the Westside Community Center near 108th and Grover streets. These tax-deductible donations will be recycled and sent to people overseas. By helping with this effort, the Sertoma Club will receive funds for its programs that help people with hearing impairments. For more information, call 402-218-1299 or log on to www.sertoma.org.

You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. this month for: • Monday, June 9: Father’s Day Week kick-off with music by Joe Taylor from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. Bingo will follow lunch. • Friday, June 13: Father’s Day lunch. Join us for a special roast beef lunch, woodcarving demonstrations, and pinochle. • Monday, June 16: Bingo and a birthday party featuring music by Des Moines’ Max Wellman @ 11 a.m. His performance is sponsored by the Merrymakers and Lin & Mike Simmonds.

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• Thursday, June 19: Welcome Summer Dinner & Mega Bingo. The noon lunch features tasty BBQ chicken. Stay for Bingo and win cash prizes. The reservation deadline is noon on Friday June 13. • Thursday, June 26: Plant Your Container Pot Day @ 11 a.m. Bring a clay or ceramic pot (or pots). We’ll supply the seeds and soil. Stay for lunch and Bingo. • Monday, June 30: Summer Celebration! Wear your favorite summer hats, clothes, and accessories for fun and win prizes for the most creative, the most colorful, and the most “Hollywood” (cool sunglasses). Stay for lunch and Bingo. New players are welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow. Join us for Tai Chi – a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.

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Economist: Will Social Security be there for you?

espite the fact almost every working adult (and teenager) pays into Social Security, and millions of us count on it for at least part – if not all – of our retirement income, there’s a lot Americans who don’t know about their public financial safety net. “Do you know how much money comes out of your paycheck each week to go into the Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund?” asks Allen Smith, professor emeritus of economics at Eastern Illinois University and author of Social Security: Will It Be There For You? It’s important for Americans to learn about the Social Security system long before they’re thinking about retiring, Smith says. “Public outcry has been effective in provoking the Social Security Administration to correct wrongs in the past,” he says. “For example, recently, when it became known that Social Security was seizing tax refunds from the children of deceased beneficiaries it claims were overpaid more than a decade ago, the public howled. The administration announced an immediate halt to the practice on April 14.” It will take just such a massive public outcry to get the government to repay its $2.7 trillion debt to Social Security, according to Smith. Smith, who taught economics for 30 years and has focused his research and writing on government finance and Social Security for the past 15, shares three surprising facts Americans should know: • The more money you make in earnings, the less you get back. People who earn less in their working

life get more money back in Social Security retirement benefits when you view the annual benefit as a percentage of their highest annual salary. “A person born in 1960 who’s earning $107,000 a year now could receive about $29,230 a year if they retire at age 67 – assuming they had a steadily increasing income since age 18,” Smith says. “That’s 27 percent of their current salary. “A person the same age earning $40,000 a year today can expect about $16,460, which is 41 percent of their current salary.” Furthermore, since benefits are calculated only on a maximum average salary of $106,800, the person who earned $500,000 receives the same benefit as the person who earned $106,800. • Reports indicate the $2.7 trillion trust fund established for baby boomers’ retirement is gone. In 1983, the Reagan administration approved amendments to generate a Social Security surplus that would help pay benefits for thousands of baby boomers who began retiring in 2011. The changes included accelerating Social Security payroll tax increases; allowing a portion of benefits to be taxed; and delaying cost-of-living adjustments from June to December. “Those changes generated $2.7 trillion in surplus, which is supposed to be in the Social Security Trust Fund,” Smith says. “But there’s been abundant evidence over the past two decades that no money was being put into the Trust Fund. Based on my research, what’s sitting there is nonmarketable government IOUs. • Many people would benefit from hitting their retirement fund first and delaying collecting Social Security. Waiting until you’re 70 to tap into your Social Security retirement benefits can make you eligible for a much fatter check – up to 8 percent more a year. That’s a big payoff. “Many people want to delay drawing income from their retirement fund, but if doing that allows you to wait until you’re 70 to take Social Security, the payoff is tremendous,” Smith says. “Wait at least until you’re eligible for the full amount, if possible,” Smith says. “That’s age 66 if you were born 1943 to 54, and age 67 if you were born in 1960 and later. If you’re in the older group, retiring at 62 cuts your benefits by a quarter; for the younger group it’s nearly a third,” he added.

Elder Access Line Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing. The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity. For more information, log on the Internet to http:// www.legalaidofnebraska.com/EAL.

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New Horizons Club gains new members $20 Elaine Zink $15 Gloria and Robert Olson Dale Freyer $10 Thomas Matteson John Gahan Marlene Hintz $5 Ed Wolfe Marglee Whitley Rae Selman Reflects donations received through May 23, 2014.

Fontenelle Tours

Omaha/Council Bluffs

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Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.

Motorcoach Mahoney Melodrama & Dinner. August 3. $99. ($89 before 6/3/14.) Enjoy a Sunday afternoon melodrama (throw popcorn at the villain) followed by dinner at the Mahoney Grille. Arrow Rock, Clydesdales, & Dinner Train. August 8 - 10. $489. Shop and explore in a Missouri village that is a National Historic Landmark. Enjoy dinner together followed by “Lend Me a Tenor” at the historic Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater. Tour the ranch where the Budweiser Clydesdales are raised, enjoy a four-course dinner on the Columbia Star dinner train, tour The Candy Factory, enjoy lunch and wine tasting at Les Bourgeois Vineyards, and tour the World War I Museum in Kansas City. (Only a few seats left.) Iowa State Fair. August 13. $99. ($89 before 6/13/14.) Come along to one of the best state fairs in the country. Enjoy mouth-watering food, free entertainment, grandstand concerts, and plenty of blue-ribbon competition. We will also arrange for (we’ll pick it up, have it on the bus, and return it) rental of a scooter for the day. Nebraska Junk Jaunt…with a Twist. September 26 – 27. $265. ($245 before 7/26/14). Join us for this garage sale extravaganza, but with a new route and a new motel. This is truly a fun adventure, whatever you’re hunting for! “Wrong Window!” at the Lofte. October 19. $99. ($89 before 8/19/14). Spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon enjoying this crazy farce that pays tribute to the Master of Horror, Alfred Hitchcock........followed by a delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. Branson Christmas with Daniel O’Donnell. November 10 – 13. $749. ($709 before 8/10/14). Besides Daniel O’Donnell, enjoy “Jonah” at the Sight & Sound Theater, a backstage tour of Sight & Sound, Patsy Cline Remembered, The Brett Family Show with lunch, The Rankin Brothers, and #1 Hits of the 60s. “Christmas Belles” at the Lofte. December 7. $99. ($89 before 10/7/14). Come along to witness a church Christmas program spin hilariously out of control in this Southern comedy ........followed by a delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. Reflections of Italy ...................................................... 10 days from $2149 Shades of Ireland ........................................................ 10 days from $1799 Alaska Discovery with Cruise .................................... 13 days from $3031 Australia ....................................................................... 21 days from $4899 New York City ................................................................ 5 days from $1749 Hawaiian Adventure .................................................... 10 days from $2999 Canadian Rockies by Train.......................................... .9 days from $3099 Discover Switzerland .................................................. 10 days from $2049 African Safari ............................................................... 14 days from $3849 Rose Bowl Parade......................................................... 5 days from $1449 The Galapagos Islands ............................................... 10 days from $4359 Rhine River Cruise ........................................................ 9 days from $2599 Discover Scotland ....................................................... 10 days from $1849 Tropical Costa Rica ....................................................... 9 days from $1349 Discover Panama .......................................................... 9 days from $1699 San Antonio ................................................................... 5 days from $1149 Exploring Greece......................................................... 15 days from $2549 Complete South Pacific .............................................. 27 days from $6399 South Africa ................................................................. 13 days from $2499 British Landscapes ..................................................... 10 days from $2199 Flavors of Thailand........................................................ 4 days from $1549 Nova Scotia ................................................................. 11 days from $2949 Spain’s Classics .......................................................... 11 days from $2099 Beijing China ................................................................... 9 days from $899 Colors of New England ................................................. 8 days from $2299 Heritage of America .................................................... 10 days from $2199 Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

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Champion of justice Walker calls things as he sees them

Dr. Sam Walker joined the UNO faculty after receiving his Ph.D. in American history from Ohio State University in 1973. By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer

ou could do worse than label University of Nebraska at Omaha professor emeritus of criminal justice Dr. Samuel Walker a dyed-inthe-wool progressive liberal. He certainly doesn’t conceal his humanist-libertarian leanings in authoring books, published articles, and blog posts that reflect a deep

regard for individual rights and sharp criticism for their abridgment. He’s especially sensitive when government and police exceed their authority to infringe upon personal freedoms. Sam’s authored a history of the American Civil Liberties Union. His most recent book examines the checkered civil liberties track records of some United States presidents. Walker has also written

several books on policing. His main specialization is police accountability and best practices, which makes him much in demand as a public speaker, courtroom expert witness, and media source. A Los Angeles Times reporter recently interviewed Sam for his take on the Albuquerque, N.M. police department’s high incidence of officer-involved shootings, including a homeless man shot to death in March. “I did a 1997 report on Albuquerque. They were shooting too many people. It has not changed. There’s a huge uproar over it,” Walker says. “In this latest case there’s video of their shooting a homeless guy (who reportedly threatened the police with knives) in the park. Officers approached this thing like a military operation and they were too quick to pull the trigger,” he adds.

married, have been together since 1981. They celebrated their 30th anniversary in Paris. These days the couple shares a Dundee neighborhood home. Though now officially retired, Walker still goes to his office every day and stays current with the latest criminal justice research, often updating his books for new editions. He’s often called away to consult with cities and police departments on a variety of topics. He served as the “remedies expert” in a much publicized New York City civil trial last year centering around the police department’s controversial stop and frisk policy. Allegations of widespread abuse – stops disproportionally targeting people of color – resulted in

apartheid ruled – one fully condoned by government and brutally enforced by police at times. “There was a whole series of shocks – the kind of things that just turned your world upside down. The white community was the threat; the black community was your haven. I was taught differently. The police were not there to serve and protect you, they were a threat. There was also the shock of realizing our government was not there to protect people trying to exercise their right to vote,” Walker says. His decision to leave his comfortable middle class life to try and educate and register voters in a hostile environment ran true to his own belief of doing the right

fter earning his Ph.D. in American history from Ohio State University in 1973, Walker, an Ohio native, came to work at UNO. He met his life partner, Mary Ann Lamanna – a UNO professor emeritus of sociology – in a campus lunchroom. The couple, which’ve never

Walker on the stairway in the Dundee area home he shares with Mary Ann Lamanna, a UNO professor emeritus of sociology.

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New Horizons

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June 2014

a lengthy courtroom case. Federal district judge Shira Scheindlin found NYPD engaged in unconstitutional actions in violation of the Fourth and 14th Amendments. In her decision, she quoted Walker’s testimony about what went wrong and what reforms were needed. Dr. Walker’s work is far more than an exercise in academic interest. It’s a deeply personal expression of beliefs and values formed by crucial events of the 1960s. The most momentous of these saw him serve as a Freedom Summer volunteer in the heart of the Jim Crow south at the height of the civil rights movement while a University of Michigan student. Spending time in Mississippi awakened Walker to an alternate world where an oppressive regime of

thing ran afoul of his father’s bigotry. Raised in Cleveland Heights, Walker grew up in a conservative 1950s household that didn’t brook progressivism. “Quite the reverse. My father was from Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute. He had all the worst of a southern Presbyterian military education background. Deeply prejudiced. Made no bones about it. Hated everybody, Catholics especially. Very anti-Semitic. Later in life I’ve labeled him an equal opportunity bigot. “My mother was from an old Philadelphia Quaker family. It was a mismatch, though they never divorced. She was very quiet. It was very much a ‘50s marriage. You didn’t challenge the patriarch. I was the one in --Please turn to page 11.

Sam’s rebellious nature grew at his family’s dinner table --Continued from page 10. my family who did.” Walker has always indulged a natural curiosity, a streak of rebelliousness, and a keen sense of social justice. Even as a boy he read a lot, asked questions, and sought out what was on the other side of the fence. As Sam likes to say, he not only delivered newspapers as a kid, “I read them.” Books, too. “I was very knowledgeable about public affairs by high school, much more so than any of my friends. I could actually challenge my father at a dinner table discussion if he’d say something ridiculous. Well, he just couldn’t handle that, so we had conflict very much early on.” Dr. Walker also went against his parents’ wishes by embracing rock ’n’ roll, whose name was coined by the legendary disc jockey Alan Freed. The DJ first made a name for himself in Akron and then in Cleveland. In the late 1940s the owner of the Cleveland music store Record Rendezvous made Freed aware white kids were buying up records by black R & B artists. Walker became one of those kids as a result of Freed playing R & B records on the air and hosting concerts featuring these performers. Freed also appeared in several popular rock ’n’ roll movies and hosted his own national radio and television shows. His promotion contributed to rock’s explosion in the mainstream. As soon as Walker got exposed to this cultural sea change, he was hooked. “I’m very proud to have been there at the creation of rock ’n’ roll. My first album was Big Joe Turner on At-

Dr. Walker takes great pride in his extensive collection of political posters. lantic Records. Of course, I just had to hear Little Richard. I loved it.”

ike most American cities, Cleveland was segregated when

Walker came of age. In order to see the black music artists he lionized meant

going to the other side of town. “We were told by our parents you didn’t go down over the hill to 105th Street – the center of the black community – because it was dangerous. Well, we went anyway to hear Fats Domino at the 105th Street Theatre. We didn’t tell our parents,” Walker says. Then there was the 1958 Easter Sunday concert he caught featuring Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis headlining a Freed tour. “My mother was horrified. I think my generation was the first for whom popular cultural idols – in music and baseball – were African Americans.” In addition to following black recording artists Walker cheered Cleveland Indians star outfielder Larry Doby (who broke the color --Please turn to page 12.

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June 2014

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A life guided by lessons learned during civil rights movement --Continued from page 11. barrier in the American League) and Jim Brown the star running back for the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns. More than anything, Sam was responding to a spirit of protest as black and white voices raised a clarion call for equal rights. “Civil rights was in the air. It was what was happening certainly by 1960 when I went to college. The sit-ins and freedom rides. My big passion was for public interest. The institutionalized racism in the south struck us as being ludicrous. “Now it involved a fair amount of conflict to go to Mississippi in the summer of ‘64 but what I learned early on at the most important point in my life is that you have to follow your instincts. If there is something you think is right or something you feel you should do and all sorts of people are telling you no, then you have to do it. “That has been very invaluable to me and I do not regret any of those choices. That’s what I learned and it guides me even today.” Walker never planned on being a Freedom Summer volunteer. He just happened to see an announcement in the student newspaper. “It’s a fascinating story of how so much of our lives are matters of chance,” he says. “It was a Sunday evening and I didn’t want to study, I wanted to go to a movie. I was looking in the paper and there was no movie. Instead, I saw this notice that Bob Moses (Robert Parris Moses) was to speak on the Mississippi Summer Project. It sounded interesting. Moses was a legend in his own time. He really was the guiding spirit of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.” Walker attended the March 1964 presentation and was spellbound by the charismatic and persuasive Moses who also led the Council of Federated Organizations that organized the Freedom Summer effort. “If you heard him speak for 10 to 15 minutes you were in, that was it, it was over. He was that eloquent. He was African-American, northern, Harvard-educated, and he could speak in terms that white college students could relate to. It was just our language, our way of thinking. “So it was really just a matter of chance. If there had been a good movie that night my life would have been different.” Walker applied to join the caravan of mostly white northern college students enlisted to carry the torch of freedom in the deep south. Applicants went to Oberlin (Ohio) College to be screened. “They didn’t want any adventure seekers. We had to come up with $500 in reserve as bail money in case we got arrested. I had that, so I was accepted.” Sam says his father “was absolutely furious” with Walker’s decision, adding, “We had fallen out the year before and so this was no surprise.” Meanwhile, he says his

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Sam Walker (far left) on a porch in 1964 visiting a poor family living in a Gulfport, Miss. shack. mother “was quietly supportive.” Walker joined hundreds of other students for a one-week orientation at Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio. “The training was very intense,” he recalls. He learned about the very real risks involved. As northerners intruding into a situation white Mississippians considered a sovereign state rights issue, the students were considered troublemakers, even enemies. Most whites there held deep resentment and contempt for outsiders attempting to interfere with their way of life and order of things. “Intellectually we knew the danger, that was explained to us, and we had ample opportunity to bail out. There were some people who were accepted who apparently did not show up. I’m not sure I could have lived with myself if I chickened out.” In June 1964 Walker and three others set out in a station wagon belonging to one of his eastern compatriots. “It had New York plates and of course that was a red flag we were outside agitators. We went down through Alabama and then crossed over (into Mississippi). I have a vivid recollection of crossing the line into Mississippi that morning on this clear, soon-to-be hot June day. I was assigned to Gulfport, next door to Biloxi. Gulfport was the ‘safest’ area in the state. Not far from New Orleans. Tourism. There’s an U.S. Air Force Base down there. So they were accustomed to having outsiders.” Nothing Walker witnessed surprised him but seeing the strict segregation and the incredible poverty first-hand did take him aback. Volunteers stayed with host black families in humble shanties. The men in the family he boarded with worked as longshoremen. There were separate white and black locals of the International Longshoremen’s Association and having a union voice gave the black work-

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ers some protections many other blacks lacked. Walker variously went out alone or paired up with another volunteer. “We would go up these unpaved roads to these shacks and try to convince people they should register to vote. Only 7 percent of potentially eligible African Americans were registered. I was going door to door talking to people and looking them in the eye and seeing the fear. They would say, ‘Yes sir, yes ma’am,’ and it was plenty evident they weren’t going to make any effort. They knew we could leave and they knew they were going to be there stuck with the consequences. “It gave me a sense more than anything else of the human price of segregation and all the terror that supported it.” Walker says. While the stated objective was not achieved, the initiative helped break some of the isolation blacks experienced in that totalitarian state. “The goal was voter registration and we registered almost no one. It wasn’t until the Voter Rights Act a year later that any progress was made. But we had to do it. The major accomplishment was we established our right to be there. It changed the political-legal climate of Mississippi,” Dr. Walker says. Temporary Freedom Schools were formed, convened in black churches, homes, even outdoors, as resources to teach literacy, basic math, black history, and constitutional rights to youths and adults alike. Walker personally witnessed no violence and never encountered any direct threat. “I don’t remember being scared at any point,” he recalls. The one glint of intimidation he encountered came while going door to door when a white man in a pickup truck began cruising up and down the road. On another occasion, he says, “We did get some people to go down to the courthouse and march and some people were arrested.”

June 2014

The danger was real though. Within days of Walker’s arrival three young civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Mickey Schwerner went missing. Goodman had been in one of Sam’s training sessions. The worst was feared and later confirmed: murder. “When we heard the news three people were missing it came as no surprise and we knew they were dead even though they didn’t find the bodies until 44 days later.” Walker says. “We just knew.” The terror campaign went far beyond Mississippi. Residents throughout the south were beaten and dozens of black homes, churches, and businesses were burned. As disturbing as this was it didn’t give Sam any second thoughts. “You couldn’t retreat in the face of death. They were not going to chase us out even at the cost of murder. We were there and we were going to stay and finish this.” Walker was committed enough that he returned to Mississippi early the next year and stayed through much of 1966. The experience was foundational to setting the course of his life’s work. “Absolutely, totally, and completely. We began to see things through the prism of race.” His activism resumed upon returning to Ann Arbor, Mich. where he participated in civil rights fundraisers and protests. He actively opposed the war in Vietnam. The military draft was in full swing to feed the war machine. He’d been classified 1-Y for medical reasons. “On April 3, 1968 I turned in my draft card as part of a mass rally in Boston. Hundreds also did that day in Boston, and I think it was thousands across the country. The cards were all sent to the Justice Department. And that is how I acquired my FBI file.” Like many activists, Walker accepts his FBI file as a badge of honor for fighting the good fight in the tumultuous ‘60s.

y training, Sam’s an expert in ethnic violence of the 19th century. He thought he had an urban studies job lined up at UNO in 1973 in the newly formed College of Public Affairs and Community Service only to discover the position had disbanded. Then someone told him the university had received a big criminal justice grant. Walker talked with the school’s then criminal justice dean Vince Webb, who hired him. “I got a job and the job became a career and I never looked back. Pure chance.” Walker says his urban history expertise translated well to examining the urban racial violence of the 20th century. “Once in policing my focus gravitated to police community relations. – this wasn’t too many years after the riots – and from there to citizen review of police and then to what I now define my field as --Please turn to page 13.

UNO prof remains busy writing, enjoying films, music --Continued from page 12. police accountability. Walker says policing has come a long way.

one.” Sam wrote The Color of Justice with two colleagues. “It was really the first decent textbook on race,

“Now it involved a fair amount of conflict to go to Mississippi in the summer of ‘64 but what I learned early on at the most important point in my life is that you have to follow your instincts.” “The world of policing has changed. There’s been some genuine improvement. The composition of police forces is very different in terms of African-Americans, Latinos, and women. Police thinking in the better departments is much more responsive to their local communities. “The reform impulse has really come from the community, from the ground up, from people complaining about incidents, people lobbying city councils and mayors. Lawsuits, even if they don’t succeed, raise the issue and create a sense there’s a problem that needs correcting. At various points along the way the better police chiefs say, ‘Yeah, we have a problem here.’” Walker says the control of deadly force is a good example. “I’ve learned much more about how police departments work internally in terms of holding their officers accountable,” he says. That’s my expertise.” You need clear policies of all the critical incidents – deadly force, use of physical force, domestic violence, and high-speed pursuits. And then the training has to be very clear as to what those policies are. The supervision is really the critical thing. Everybody knows on the street supervision is where it’s at. A sergeant (who is) over eight to 10 officers – that’s the heart and soul right there. When there’s some incident a sergeant has to say, “I don’t like the way you handled that, I don’t want to see it again.’” Dr. Walker says police reform efforts should include public forums where all the players can express their views. City governments, community groups, and police departments can draw on the best practices for policy guidance.

ethnicity, and criminal justice.” He says his book In Defense of American Civil Liberties is “probably the best thing I’ve done.” It took him five years. “I learned so much from it just about the history of this country. I knew some of the tent poles of major controversies – the

Japanese American internment, the Pentagon Papers, Watergate – but it was a very rewarding experience and I still get inquiries from people based on it 24 years later.” His new book Presidents and Civil Liberties reveals some surprises and contradictions in the records of Oval Officer holders. With his national reputation, Dr. Walker could have moved long ago to a bigger university but he says, “Being involved in the community is very much a part of my life and so that’s a reason for staying.” His involvement includes spending much of his free time seeing movies at the downtown art cinema Film Streams, where he annually curates a repertory series. Then there’s the extensive collection of vinyl records, album cover art, sheet music, and political posters he’s accumulated. An exhibition of Sam’s jazz album covers by illustrator David

Stone Martin showed at UNO, which also hosted a display of Walker’s political posters. Sam’s a devoted fan of jazz, R & B, and folk music. Duke Ellington is a favorite. He and Mary Ann are also known to drop everything to go see Bruce Springsteen in concert. Though the UNO and Omaha he came to 40 years ago are “much transformed,” he’d like to see their leaders strive for higher standards. As the events in Mississippi 50 years ago are never far from Walker’s mind and inform so much of who he is and what he does, he’s proud to relive them. He attended a 30th anniversary of Freedom Summer in Jackson and a 40th anniversary of the orientation in Oxford, Ohio. In June Sam will return to Jackson for the 50th anniversary of when freedom rang. (Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress. com.)

he second edition of Walker’s book The New World of Police Accountability came out in December. “I had to redo the whole thing, so much had changed in just a few years and my understanding of things had changed. It’s an exciting challenge to stay current.” He says his book The Police in America has been the best selling textbook on policing since it came in 1983. “I did a textbook on the police because there wasn’t a decent

While Walker had opportunities to leave UNO for a larger university, he says being involved in the community is very much a part of his life and a reason for staying in Omaha.

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RSVP’s annual luncheon honors 120 vols Entertainment by singer Joe Taylor from the Merrymakers, lunch, recognition of its volunteer stations, and honoring 120 volunteers were among the highlights of the annual Retired and Senior Volunteer Program luncheon held last month at the GermanAmerican Society. RSVP is sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and administered nationally by the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. Its volunteers are stationed at a variety of sites in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties including hospitals, libraries, and schools. Among the volunteers honored last month were three women and one man who provided more than 800 hours of service to RSVP during the last year. They were: Ana Ochoa (975 hours), John Niemoth (1,032 hours), Romanita Fields (1,369 hours), and Janice Newhouse (1,724 hours). Two other volunteers saluted at the May luncheon were Fred Lagergren (15 years of service) and Carl Vleck (nine years of service). Lagergren and Vleck are among a group of 11 veterans from American Legion Post 331 that serve at local military funerals. Their duties include 21 gun salutes,

Fred Lagergren (left) and Carl Vleck were honored last month at the RSVP’s annual luncheon. blowing a bugle, and folding and presenting the flag wrapped around the casket to the deceased’s next of kin. Lagergren and Vleck are also RSVP volunteers at the VA Medical Center.

Alzheimer’s programs begin July 12

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You’re invited to attend a free six-week series of programs titled Alzheimer’s Disease: The Bridge to Acceptance. The programs will be held on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 at 1055 N. 115th St., Suite 200. The series will be offered July 12 through Aug. 16 and Sept. 20 through Oct. 25. Here’s the schedule: • Week 1: Alzheimer’s Disease: The Road to a Diagnosis… and Beyond with caregiver Terry Johnson. • Week 2: Legal Documents: What if Something Happens to Me? with Niel Nielsen from the Carlson Burnett Law Firm. • Week 3: Protecting your Assets: What to do When the Forecast Calls for Rain with representatives from Financial Visions, LLC. • Week 4: Family Dynamics: Expectations and Realities with journalist and caregiver Chris Christen. • Week 5: Community Resources: Industry Bestsellers with Michaela Williams from Care Consultants for the Aging. • Week 6: Your Plan B: A Reality Check for Caregivers with Cathy Wyatt, CSA from Financial Visions, LLC. For more information, please call 402-661-9611.

Brush Up Nebraska forms available through Wells Fargo Bank, 211

RSVP

lder homeowners and homeowners with a permanent disability that meet income guidelines are encouraged to apply to have their homes painted by volunteers at no cost to the homeowner as part of the 26th annual Brush Up Nebraska. To be eligible, the homeowner must live in Douglas or Sarpy County, be age 60 or older or permanently disabled, live in a single family home in which they own or are buying, and who have a monthly income of $2,546 for one person, $2,913 for two persons, $3,275 for three persons, or $3,637 for four persons. Application forms are available at area Wells Fargo Bank locations or by calling 211. Applications must be return by June 13. The homes will be painted on Saturday, Aug. 16. For more information, please call 402-965-9169.

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program

Fremont Friendship Center events You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field) this month for the following: • June 2, 9, 16, & 30: A new free computer class from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Reservations are required. • June 3: Farmers Market coupon sign up @ 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Bring your driver’s license. (See story on page 4.) • June 4: News with Nye at 10 a.m. and pianist Wally @ 10:30 a.m. • June 5: Farmers Market coupon sign up @ 9:30 a.m. Bring your driver’s license. (See story on page 4.) • June 10: Black Jack back @ 10:30 a.m. • June 11: Music with Wayne Miller at 10:30 a.m. and the June birthday lunch. • June 16: Play Price is Right @ 11 a.m. • June 17: Hamburgers @ 5:30 p.m. The cost is $3 plus a side dish. Reservations are required. Entertainment by Joan the Roper following dinner. • June 18: The JRS Trio returns at 10:30 a.m. • June 23: The trip to Onawa Casino leaves at 10 a.m. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. Other free activities include exercising, card games, billiards, and access to a computer lab. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.

Maplewood Estates

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Call: 12801 Spaulding Plaza www.maplewoodestatesonline.com Omaha, NE 68164

Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • Good 360 is looking for respite volunteers to process donations and sort items. • The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments. • Alegent Creighton Health Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers for its gift

shop, flower shop, and other areas. • The Omaha Children’s Museum needs volunteers for its train ride program. • The Omaha Home for Boys wants volunteer mentors. The following has a volunteer opportunity in Dodge County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Fremont Friendship Program wants volunteers to serve on its board, to fundraise, and assist with other activities. • The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with special projects and other assignments.

Health fair June 21 You’re invited to attend a free community health fair on Saturday, June 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Walnut Grove, 4901 S 153rd St. The event will feature free health screenings, raffles, door prizes, and refreshments. For more information, please call 402-932-0703.

We need your

! t r o p p su

I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.

ENOA

440 Regency Parkway Drive • Suite 139 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 Cdorwartjd@aol.com

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.

Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us. These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.

$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults. Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning.

31 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation

OFD can install free smoke, carbon monoxide detectors

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June 2014

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4223 Ce f Reinhardt Omaha, nter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402

New Horizons

) 444-665

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Page 15

Kearney poet Kay Golden wins first Dale Wolf Memorial award

ay Golden, age 58, began writing poetry as a young girl. Her love for the genre escalated when she took a creative writing class at the University of Nebraska-Kearney from Donovan Welch, an award-winning poet. Decades later, Golden was selected recently as a winner in the 2014 Poetry Across the Generations contest sponsored jointly by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Omaha Public Library, and the Omaha Public Schools. The competition featured separate contests for poets in grades 7 through 12 and poets age 50 and older. Participants wrote two poems each: one about life as a teenager and another about life as a person age 60 or older. Golden is the first recipient of the Dale Wolf Memorial award. Wolf, a local poet, Kay Golden died in 2013 at age 97. This prize recognizes poets who write “traditional, classic, rhyming” poems. Kay lives in Kearney, Neb. with her husband of 36 years, Richard, a retired sound engineer. The couple has two children, Molly, a writer who lives in Rapid City, S.D. and son, John, who works in the Hollywood film production industry. When not creating poetry these days, among other things, Golden is writing the life story of T.V. Golden, her great-grandfather who opened the Golden Hotel in O’Neill, Neb. in 1913. Poetry is a unique style of self-expression for Golden. “If writing was a family, poetry would be the introspective member,” she said. A good poet has an appreciation for language, is patient, and has the ability to look at the world and world events in an introspective way; while a good poem provides vivid pictures and images for its reader, Kay added. One of Golden’s Across the Generations entries is titled, Moving to the Home. The poem (see below) – that took a week to write – tells the story of Richard’s aunt who moved into a Holdrege, Neb. nursing home. “I felt a great deal of empathy for her,” Golden said. While Kay had confidence in her Across the Generations submissions, she was pleasantly surprised when learning she’d won the Dale Wolf Memorial award. As far as what she’ll do with the $100 prize, Kay has a few ideas. “I’ll probably buy more paper and ink.”

Writing poems made Aileen feel better when dealing with son’s death, husband’s illness

ileen Johnston, age 86, is a perfect example of someone who takes it one day at a time. On March 13, Jim, her 56-year-old son, was killed when struck by an automobile while bicycling in western Douglas County. Two weeks later, Aileen’s husband, John, died after a long battle with cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Following Jim’s death and while caring for John in their west Omaha home, Aileen sometimes wrote limericks and poetry on her computer. She’s not sure why, but writing made her feel better during those difficult days. Johnston submitted two of her recently written poems in the 2014 Poetry Across the Generations contest sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Omaha Public Library, and the Omaha Public Schools. The contest had separate categories for poets in grades 7 through 12 and those age 50 and older. Participants were asked to write a poem about life as a teenager and another poem about life as a person age 60 and older. Much to her surprise and delight, Aileen – who taught vocal music in Aileen Johnston the Papillion School District for 17 years – took first prize in the poets over age 50 category. Johnston, the mother of five sons, the grandmother of 12, and the greatgrandmother of four, is an avid reader who has written a family history, a few short stories, and limericks for family birthday and Christmas cards for years. The poems she submitted for the contest, however, are the first work she’s had published. One of Aileen’s award-winning poems (see below) chronicled her life growing up on a farm in western Nebraska. While not certain what she’ll do with the $100 first prize, Johnston said it’s likely she’ll buy ink cartridges for her printer. Aileen encouraged other older poets to submit their work to future Poetry Across the Generations competitions. “If nothing else, writing poems helps you think about your past and your future,” she said.

Moving to the Home It must have given like a wall consumed with moisture, The vein imploding on its mold of memories. You sank into your Barcalounger – mauve with crocheted arms – Struck dumb with seepage. Your perennials sprang again that spring in spite of everything, MRIs, EKGs, IVs, CTs, RNs. Creating matter of feeling, Transforming urine and blood into the pigments of God, Shaming every manmade yellow and red against the tulip standard. But it was time to go, And you crept backward down the stairs into your basement with its two deep freezers, And Christmas entombed in lidded boxes. You rooted among the dead bulbs for your baby Jesuses, And the angels from the Pamida store, And you put stickers on their heads, Yellow for one dollar, red for two, While ghosts sagged on your clothesline pitying you.

Seeing the entrails of your worldly goods Strewn over the carpet.

We treasure our memories of old. There are more tales that we could unfold. We’ll talk another time. Remembering the good old line, “Our life has been one of pure gold.”

Your hair a dandelion gone to seed, Your thoughts scattering, Your heart hemorrhaging, Your eyes full of snow. You had no children of your own. Someone will plant you now In the fallow light of an unknowable window.

New Horizons

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Country school was a mile to get there. We walked through the snow and the weather. We loved our small school. We followed the rule Of learning and playing together.

Our weekends meant going to town. We shopped and looked all around! We worshipped on Sundays, Then had family fun days, And all sang with raucous sound.

You sat in your apron embroidered with stains, Worrying the broken lip of an old cup.

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It was fun being raised on a farm. The hayloft was cozy and warm. The kittens would play And romp in the hay, And harvest came, part of the “norm.”

We learned to drive while still young. To help dad transport tools was fun. We gardened and canned, And weeded the land, And always had time in the sun.

Your nieces came down from the ranch, Women with chicken stuck in their teeth, And meridian lines on their faces, Women rendered by the soil of time. They ransacked every cupboard and drawer, Mining for silver.

Page 16

Memories when young

June 2014

Get outdoors and enjoy the benefits summer offers By Jen Vogt

fter a long winter and a rainy spring, most of us are looking forward to enjoying the warm rays of the summer sun. The sights, sounds, and smells of summer approaching are enough to bring back memories of days spent trying to catch the biggest fish, mowing the lawn, or taking a family road trip. As a person ages, they make think these traditional summer activities are a part of days past. The truth is, getting a breath of fresh air after being cooped up in the house can be of great benefit to older adults and their caregivers. The main advantage of heading outside to enjoy the summer weather is being able to soak up some sunlight. Even if it’s just for a short time, the sunlight will generate Vitamin D, which is necessary for the brain, bones, and muscle functions. Another key benefit is the opportunity for socialization while outside. A short stroll or even sitting on the front porch can bring about opportunities to pet a neighbor’s new puppy, talk with a friend, or watch a grandchild ride his bike down the block. While there may be some additional challenges to heading outdoors that weren’t there in younger days, the benefits of summer activities make the extra time and effort worthwhile. Here are a few suggestions for fun summer outings: • Catch a sporting event. Whether it’s a grandchild’s game or a professional event, find an opportunity to head to the ballgame. • Cast a line. Anyone can land the catch of the day,

even if they’re wheelchair bound and fish from the pier. • Take a dip. For some, it may be a toe in the water. Others may be able to participate in a low-impact activity such as water aerobics. • Stroll around. Take short walks in your neighborhood or a park. Start slowly until you build your stamina. • Watch the birds. If you’re a bird lover, feeding the birds in your yard can give you the motivation to get up and around every

day. • Have a picnic. Eating outdoors can be a treat, and you can enjoy the buzz of activity in the park or on the playground during your meal.

• Celebrate the holidays. From concerts on Memorial Day to fireworks on the Fourth of July, there are all sorts of community activities in which to participate. As always, make sure to protect yourself if you plan to be outdoors for long periods of time by wearing sunscreen and protective clothing. Make sure to stay well hydrated, too. With just a little bit of planning, anyone regardless of age or interest can enjoy the beautiful summer weather. (Vogt is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. in Omaha.)

AARP Chapter 5253 offering free program on Alzheimer’s disease The Mid-City chapter of AARP 5253 invites you to attend a free session on Alzheimer’s disease in the African-American Community on Saturday, July 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Malcolm X Foundation, 3448 Evans St. Vivian Ewing from the Midlands chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will be the featured speaker. The event is open to AARP members and nonmembers. For more information, call Mary Hill at 402-457-5169.

Genealogy seminar slated for June 28 All Things German, a special interest group of the Omaha Genealogical Society, is presenting a summer seminar on June 28 at Nebraska Methodist College, 720 N. 87th St. The speaker will be Gail Blankeneau on Researching Parish Records. The cost of the seminar, which includes lunch, is $15 for Omaha Genealogical Society members and $20 for non-members. For more information, please call 402-241-5453.

June 2014

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New Horizons

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Page 17

Heartland Family Service Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Family Service Senior Center, 2101 S. 42nd St. for the following: • June 6: Nail painting, games, Wii teams@ 9 a.m. • June 9: Farmers’ Market coupons @ 9 a.m. Center doors open @ 8 a.m. Numbers given out at 8:30 a.m. • June 10: Doing crafts and making cookies with the Lutheran youth from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. • June 11: Bingo @ 10:30 a.m. Birthday party with music by the Merrymakers Charlie Glasgow @ 12:30 p.m. • June 13: Bring your family for a Fathers Day Brunch. Reservations are due June 11. • June 24: Trip to the zoo. No lunch at the center. Sandwich at the zoo from ENOA. Zoo admission is free but there will be a charge (based on the number of riders) for the bus ride. Assistance with wheelchairs is available. • June 26: Peggy King from Sen. Deb Fischer’s office will answer your Social Security questions @ 11 a.m. 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 free Tai Chi classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday @ 10:15 a.m., and a nurse visit Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 402-553-5300 for an appointment. For meal reservations or more information, please call Karen at 402-552-7480 or the front desk at 402-553-5300.

S e l l Yo u r H o u s e “As Is,” At a Fair Price, On the Date of Your Choice !!!! • We use private funds so we can close fast. • You don’t have to do any repairs. • Move when you want. • Leave any or all of your stuff. • No Commissions or Fees. We pay Closing Costs. Call Today for a Free Report: (402)-291-5005 or www.7DaysCash.com The Sierra Group LLC / We are a Professional Home Buying Company BBB Member Member of The Sierra Group LLC is a licensed real estate agent

Blue Barn Theatre is site for ‘33 Variations’ Moises Kaufman’s 33 Variations will be on stage through June 8 at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S 11th St. The show tells the story of a mother coming to terms with her daughter and a composer coming to terms with his genius. Show times for 33 Variations are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for persons age 65 and older. For reservations or more information, please call 402345-1576.

AARP Information Center AARP is recruiting older men and women to serve as volunteers at its Nebraska Information Center, 1941 S. 42nd St. (Center Mall). Volunteers can choose the days and hours they wish to volunteer at the center that is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call AARP Nebraska at 402-398-9568.

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New Horizons

13 Bridge Beats Ben Poole Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 11 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640

5 Swingin’ at Sumtur Fabulous ‘50s 5 to 6:15 p.m. Sumtur Ampitheater (11691 S 108th St.) FREE 402-597-2041

14 College World Series Through June 25 TD Ameritrade Ballpark 402-554-4404

6 Fourth Annual Village Pointe Wine Festival Also June 7 Friday 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday 3 to 9 p.m. $50 402-991-9463 Andre Watts Plays The Emperors Concerts 8 p.m. Omaha Symphony $27 to $80 402-345-0606 Bridge Beats eNVy Acoustic Trio Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 11 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640 Omaha Beer Fest Also June 7 Aksarben Village Friday 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday 1 to 6 p.m. $35 402-850-6776 Omaha Summer Arts Festival Through June 8 Gene Leahy Mall FREE Vibes at Village Pointe The Confidentials 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 7 Peter Max: A Retrospective: 1960 to 2014 Also June 8 Gallery 72 (1806 Vinton St.) Saturday 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. FREE 866-900-6699

Yellowstone and the West: The Chromolithographs of Thomas Moran Through Sept. 7 Joslyn Art Museum 402-342-3500

• Activities and Home Cooked Meals provided

•

1 Kids at the Kastle Summer Kick Off at Joslyn Castle 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5 402-595-2199

Vibes at Village Pointe D*Funk 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773

• Secure, cozy, home-like environment

Page 18

June 2014 events calendar

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June 2014

12 Swingin’ at Sumtur Country Rock 5 to 6:15 p.m. Sumtur Ampitheater (11691 S 108th St.) FREE 402-597-2041

14 Saturdays @ Stinson Concert Finest Hour 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616 Vibes at Village Pointe McKenzie River Band 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 15 Vintage Market Sundays At Joslyn Castle 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5 402-595-2199 18 City of Papillion Farmers Market Papillion City Park 5 to 8 p.m. FREE 402-597-2073 19 Swingin’ at Sumtur Variety All Stars 5 to 6:15 p.m. Sumtur Ampitheater (11691 S 108th St.) FREE 402-597-2041 21 Saturdays @ Stinson Concert Eckophonics 7 to 10 p.m. FREE 402-496-1616 Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Elmwood Park 1 to 6 p.m. FREE 402-234-2417 Vibes at Village Pointe Johnny Reef & The Shipwrecks 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773 27 Bank of the West Celebrates America Memorial Park www.bankofthewest.com Bridge Beats LeGrand & Company Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 11 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640 Vibes at Village Pointe High Heel 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. FREE 402-505-9773

ENOA menu for June 2014 20 Pork with supreme sauce

2 Parmesan chicken

11 Salisbury beef

3 Beef stew

12 BBQ rib patty

4 Glazed turkey ham

13 Roast beef

5 Italian macaroni & beef

16 Crunchy Pollock

25 Soft shell beef taco

17 Meatballs & spaghetti sauce

26 Turkey breast with gravy

18 BBQ chicken breast

27 Tuna noodle casserole

19 Liver & onions

30 Italian style pork

6 Pork Dijon 9 Chilaquiles casserole 10 Oven fried chicken breast

Bellevue Senior Center events calendar for June 2014

ou’re invited to visit the Bellevue Senior Community Center – 109 W. 22nd Ave. – this month for: • June 5: The menu for the 6 p.m. meal is a soft shell beef taco, refried beans, Mexican corn, and cinnamon apples. • June 6: Weather briefing from MSgt. James Ferguson from the AFN Weather Agency @ 11 a.m. • June 9: Peggy King from Sen. Deb Fischer’s office will be at the center @ 11 a.m. to discuss Social Security issues that affect older adults. • June 11: Methodist Nursing College students will provide free blood pressure checks and blood sugar level tests from 9 to 11 a.m. • June 12: The menu for the 6 p.m. meal is macaroni and cheese, spinach, carrot and raisin salad, and a Jell-O parfait. • June 16: Speaker on understanding your medications @ 11 a.m. • June 19: The menu for the 6 p.m. meal is fried chicken, ranch potatoes, cucumber and tomato salad, and watermelon. • June 23: Monthly Alzheimer’s disease support group meeting @ 7 p.m. • June 26: Monthly foot clinic from 1 to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 402-392-1818. There is a $5 co-pay for these services. • June 26: The menu for the 6 p.m. meal is a hot roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and cherries in the snow. The Bellevue Senior Community Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. A $3 contribution is suggested for the midday meal and a $4 contribution for the evening meal for persons age 60 and older and $7 for those less than age 60. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. We offer chair volleyball on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. A Maj Jong group plays Monday at 11 a.m. Tai Chi is offered Tuesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help out in the kitchen on Tuesdays, to drive our new bus, and to call Bingo on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. For meal reservations or to learn more about volunteering, please call Regan or Cheryl @ 402-293-3041.

23 Meatloaf 24 Pork loin

Working with multiple insurance companies, we are able to provide you with the finest Medicare Supplement coverage at the lowest rates possible. We can provide you with Long-term Care, Acute Care, Final Expense, and Funeral Trust coverage. We also offer Dental and Vision policies with immediate coverage benefits, as well as Hearing and Disability Major Medical. In addition, at National Senior Insurance, we have Guaranteed Universal Life (with cash accumulation benefits), Whole Life, and Term Life Insurance coverage for persons up to age 100 and beyond. Not sure what to do? Don’t wait. Call today to arrange for your personal and confidential appointment.

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Agent for National Senior Insurance Mobile direct line: 402-679-0586 Office: 402-403-3054 Fax: 402-972-8410 Cheryl@nationalseniorinsurance.com

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New Horizons

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Page 19

Legislature broadens homestead exemption income eligibility

or thousands of older Nebraskans, property tax relief is on the way. The Nebraska Legislature approved a measure this year broadening the income eligibility for the homestead exemption program.

Members of Sen. Deb Fischer’s Omaha office visit ENOA to deliver meals, learn more about its programs, services

lder adults on two Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging Meals on Wheels routes received a special surprise with their meal on a cool, rainy morning last month. In addition to a menu that featured beef stew, a tossed salad, a biscuit with margarine, cinnamon applesauce, and a carton of milk, the meals were delivered by four staff members from United States Sen. Deb Fischer’s Omaha office.

The bill is expected to bring $4.6 million in homestead exemptions to older Nebraskans. LB 986 is estimated to extend property tax relief to an additional 20,000 homeowners age 65 and older and increases the amount of relief for an additional 10,000 people. The bill is expected to bring $4.6 million in homestead exemptions to older Nebraskans. Single homeowners with a household income up to $39,500 and married homeowners with an income up to $46,900 now qualify for at least a partial homestead exemption. See page 2 for more information. Since medical expenses can be deducted from household income, many older Nebraskans will qualify at even higher total incomes. The change in law applies to homestead exemptions filed this year and in future years. The deadline to file is June 30. For more information and application forms, contact your county assessor’s office. If you’ve already filed this year, you don’t need to file a new application.

“We were impressed by the meals program and how much it helps the older adults it serves.” State Director Dusty Vaughan, Constituent Services Representative Outreach Coordinator Tiffany Settles, Nebraska Scheduler Vicki Kramer, and Staff Assistant Chase Kratochvil helped deliver meals in the Aksarben and 52nd and Q streets areas.

aughan said each month members of Sen. Fischer’s Omaha staff contribute an hour or two of volunteer service in the area. In addition to the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, other local agencies that have benefitted from the effort include the Open Door Mission, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, and the Omaha Food Bank. He said delivering meals

Bob Cole, dock supervisor for ENOA’s Meals on Wheels program (left) with (from left): Chase Kratochvil and Dusty Vaughan from United States Sen. Deb Fischer’s Omaha office. Kratochvil and Vaughan helped deliver meals recently to older adults in midtown Omaha. also gave him, Settles, Kramer, and Kratochvil an opportunity to learn more about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and the programs and services it offers to men and women age 60 and older in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. “I think it’s important for us to experience these service projects first hand and to talk with the people involved,” Vaughan said. “We were impressed by the meals program and how much it helps the older

adults it serves.” He said he, Settles, Kramer, and Kratochvil were amazed at the number, range, and scope of programs and services ENOA provides.

he four Omaha office staff members have submitted a report to Sen. Fischer about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, according to Vaughan. “It was a great experience to learn more about ENOA and how valuable it is to Sen.

Fischer’s constituents.” “I’m pleased we had an opportunity to meet with four members of Sen. Fischer’s Omaha staff and educate them about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and our role in the community,” said ENOA’s Executive Director Dennis Loose. Older Nebraskans who have questions and concerns about issues such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are encouraged to call Sen. Fischer’s Omaha office at 402-391-3411.

Do you have a loved one in a nursing home? Do you have a loved one who will soon be going into a nursing home? Before you send another check to the nursing home, visit nebraskamedicaidplanning.com or call Chartered Advisor for Senior Living, Mark Guilliatt. Not affiliated with any government agency.

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14301 First National Bank Parkway Suite 100 • Omaha, NE 68154

630 North D Street Fremont, NE 68025

1-800-886-8673

402-727-4845

New Horizons

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June 2014