May 2014 nh pages by Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

May 2014 VOL. 39 • NO. 5

ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431

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

New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

A game of numbers Dr. Ernie Goss is the Jack MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University whose economic reports are aired by 75 to 100 radio stations each month. Nick Schinker profiles this nationally-acclaimed economist. See page 10.

War stories Nebraskan Rick Schuit has written a book titled, The Unbreakable Red Arrow, which chronicles his father’s WWII days in New Guinea. See page 15.

What’s inside Homestead exemption deadline coming .............................3 May calendar of events ......................................................4 Hoarding focus of May 21 presentation .............................5 Are you sitting too much? ..................................................5 Consider juicing when you’re hungry, thirsty .....................6 ‘Read it & eat’ .....................................................................7 What’s causing those headaches? ....................................12 Here’s your lawn mowing guide........................................14 First column from the OPD’s Sgt. Erin Payne ...................16 CFL bulbs are a bright idea ..............................................17 Omaha Performing Arts’ 2014-15 schedule......................19

Please see the ad on page 3

New Horizons Club membership roll rises $25 Pat Loontjer Carole Yanovich

$10 Donna Blankenship Vera Park

Reflects donations received through April 25, 2014.

New Horizons

Thursday, May 22 BBQ chicken breast

Friday, May 2 Italian mushroom & beef

Tuesday, May 13 Crunchy Pollock

Friday, May 23 Pork loin

Wednesday, May 14 Roast beef

Monday, May 26 CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY

Wednesday, May 7 Meatballs and spaghetti sauce

$5 Sally Randall Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Ziemba

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Monday, May 12 Sloppy Joes

Tuesday, May 6 BBQ rib patty

$8 Harvey Wagner

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Thursday, May 1 Glazed turkey ham

Monday, May 5 Beef with mushroom gravy

$20 Stan and Mary Peterson

402-408-1990 •

ENOA menu for May 2014

Friday, May 16 Salisbury steak

Tuesday, May 27 Italian style pork

Thursday, May 8 Oven friend chicken breast

Monday, May 19 Meatloaf

Wednesday, May 28 Garlic rosemary chicken quarter

Tuesday, May 20 Soft shell beef taco

Thursday, May 29 Cheeseburger

Friday, May 9 Turkey breast with gravy

Wednesday, May 21 Turkey breast with gravy

Friday, May 30 Swedish meatballs

50th & Dodge •

Thursday, May 15 Pork with supreme sauce

May 2014

• w w w. k o h l l s . c o m

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

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Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list. I would like to start receiving the New Horizons at home. My address is below. NAME

Exemption % ADDRESS

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

AgeWell and Immanuel Village Celebrates Senior Health and Fitness Day Come and bring a friend! Great Wellness Booths FREE Health Screenings FREE Audiology Screening

Door Prizes FREE Massage Therapy And much more!

CITY/STATE/ZIP

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$50

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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.

Thursday, May 29, 2014 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM 6803 North 68th Plaza

Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman

AgeWell is designed specifically for adults 55 and older

For More Information Call 402-829-3200

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.

www.immanuelagewell.com

6801 N. 67th Plaza, Suite 100

Omaha, NE 68152

May 2014

The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.

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Dora Bingel Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • May 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, & 30: Ceramics @ 9 a.m. • May 5, 12, 19, & 26: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • May 6, 13, 20, & 27: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m. • May 7: Holy Communion. • May 21: Music by Charlie Glasgow from the Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. The Regeneration lunch is $3. • May 21: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is $10. • May 23: Hard of Hearing Support Group @10:30 a.m. • May 28: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a May birthday. A nutritious lunch is served on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals, other than $3 for Regeneration. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesdays: Tai Chi @ 11 a.m., free matinee @ 12:30 p.m., and quilting group @ 1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m., Bingo @ 1 p.m., and Bible study @ 1 p.m. Friday: Joy Club Devotions @ 9:30 a.m,; Bible study @ 1 p.m., and Bingo @ 1 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.

May 2014 events calendar 2 Zoe Keating Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. $30 plus fees 402-345-0606 3 Rockbrook Village Spring Fever Craft Show 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. FREE 402-390-0890 9 Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto Also May 10 Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. $27 to $80 plus fees 402-345-0606 Race Through June 8 Omaha Community Playhouse Thursday through Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. 402-553-0800

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May 2014

10 Rossini’s La Cenerentola The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Film Streams (1340 Webster St.) $10, $20, & $24 402-933-0259 30 Young Frankenstein Through June 29 Omaha Community Playhouse Thursday through Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. 402-553-0800 31 Helicopter Day & Indoor Air Show Strategic Air & Space Museum (Interstate 80 @ Exit 426) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6, $11, & $12 402-944-3100

Millard Senior Center

Too much sitting may increase disability risk

itting too much, sometimes called sitting disease, may increase the risk of disability in people over age 60, a new study suggests. Adults in this age group spend an average of twothirds of their waking time being sedentary. That’s roughly nine hours a day, the research shows. Every additional hour adults over age 60 spend sitting increases by 50 percent their risk of being disabled for the activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and walking, says the study’s lead author Dorothy Dunlop, a professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Too many people “have very low levels of activity,” she says. The health problems associated with sitting disease are mounting. Research has linked too much sitting to an increased risk of heart failure; type 2 diabetes, and death from cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It may also affect mood and creativity. One study showed if most people spent fewer than three hours a day sitting, it would add two years to the average life expectancy in the United States. Dunlop and colleagues reviewed data on more than 2,200 people, age 60 and older that participated in the government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants wore accelerometers (motion sensors) during their waking hours for one week during the three-year survey period. The sensors measured the time the older adult spent being sedentary, doing light physical activity such as pushing a grocery cart, doing a moderately vigorous physical activity such as brisk walking, or vigorous physical activity such as running.

Among the findings released recently in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health: • 6.2 percent of participants met the government’s physical activity guidelines which advise adults to get at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, such as brisk walking, or 1¼ hours of a vigorous-intensity activity, such as jogging or swimming laps, or a combination of the two types. • 3.6 percent reported having disabilities in the activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, walking, etc.). • The odds of a person being disabled were almost 50 percent greater for each hour spent in sedentary behavior, Dunlop says. This was true after researchers controlled for physical activity, obesity, socioeconomic status, and other health factors. Each additional hour of sedentary time doubles the risk of being disabled, the study finds. Take two women that are 65 years old who spend the same amount of time doing exercise and have the same health profile. If one was sedentary for 12 hours a day, her chance of being disabled is about 6 percent, Dunlop says. If another person with exactly the same health profile spent 13 hours a day being sedentary, her chance of being disabled was 9 percent.

his study doesn’t prove cause and effect, she says. It could be that disabled people are more sedentary, but there are good reasons to believe being sedentary could lead to disability, Dunlop says. “Older adults should be as physically active as possible,” she says. “We know that moderate physical activity such as brisk walking, is good for your health, and being sedentary is bad for your health. People should find opportunities to replace some of their sitting time with light activity. It’s a low-cost strategy to good health.” This study is “further evidence that simply getting off the couch has great health benefits,” says Tim Church, a physician and director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. “The only known prescription for maximizing quality of life as we age is the prescription of physical activity.” This research is “heavy hitting” because it’s “telling us that being sedentary is debilitating when one is elderly,” says James Levine, co-director of Obesity Solutions at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and at Arizona State University. He did some of the first research on sitting disease but was not involved in this study. “This is the first time that has been well illustrated,” he adds. Levine says if you’ve been sitting for an hour, you’ve been sitting too long. He recommends getting up and moving around for 10 minutes of every hour. Dunlop offers these suggestions for replacing some sitting time with light activity: • If you’re watching TV, get up and walk around the house when a commercial comes on. • When you’re working in front of a computer, get up and walk around every hour. • When you go to grocery store or mall, park in a space that’s far away. • When you get up to have glass of water or for a meal, walk around the house or office. • Take the stairs instead of the elevator, if you’re able.

Hoarding disorders topic of May 21 talk

he Sarpy/Cass Department of Health is among the sponsors of a May 21 talk titled, Understanding Hoarding Disorder. The 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. presentation will be held in the Ogram Suite at Midlands Hospital, 11111 S. 84th St. Christiana Bratiotis, Ph.D., LCSW, an assistant professor in the Grace Ab-

bott School of Social Work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will be the featured presenter. Bratiotis’ talk will discuss hoarding’s mental health diagnostic criteria, prevalence, demographics, and the status of research on hoarding; characterize the nature and course of hoarding disorder, recognizing the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional components of

hoarding and the role of first responders in assessing the problem; and understanding individuals who hoard and the community level of intervention and treatment approaches. While there is no fee to attend the program, preregistration is required. To pre-register, please e-mail Carol Feelhaver at feelhaver@tconl.com by Friday, May 16.

May 2014

You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • May 5 & 19: Movie Monday @ noon includes free popcorn. Call 402-546-1270 to find out which movie will be playing that day. • May 7 & 21: Wii Wednesday @ noon with free popcorn. • May 14: We’ll be making dresses @ 9 a.m. for the little girls in Africa. This will be our final session for dressmaking until September. • May 23: Older Americans Month Bingo. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3 donation (free on your birthday) is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club (join and get a free t-shirt), Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), quilting (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), card games, and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). For meal reservations and more information, please call Susan at 402-546-1270.

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Corrigan Senior Center

A look at the benefits of juicing

You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. this month for: • May 5: Mother’s Day Week Kick-off party @ 11 a.m. with music by the Offuttaires. Dress up with your favorite hats, accessories, and jewelry. Lunch is roast beef with mushroom gravy or an egg salad sandwich (deli choice). Bingo follows the show. • May 12: Dough Therapy Program @ 11 a.m. Carol Niemann will demonstrate how to make delicious dough that can be used for many different baked goods. Samples to taste! Stay for a sloppy Joes or a chef salad (deli choice) noon lunch and Bingo. • May 15: Roast Beef Dinner & Mega Bingo. Enjoy a delicious noon lunch and your chance to win big cash prizes during Bingo. The noon lunch menu is roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, California blend veggies, a tossed lettuce salad, a wheat roll, and strawberry shortcake. The reservation deadline is noon on Friday, May 9. • May 16: Get help filing your Homestead Exemption application from 10 a.m. to noon. Stay for a noon Salisbury beef or southwest chicken salad (deli choice) lunch and Bingo. • May 19: Music by Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. Stay for a tasty meatloaf or chef salad (deli choice) noon lunch and Bingo. Snacks and homemade baked goods are welcome. • May 22: Music Therapy by Rebecca @ 11 a.m. A delicious BBQ chicken breast or tuna macaroni (deli choice) noon lunch and Bingo will follow. 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. We offer chair volleyball Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m., Tai Chi on Tuesday and Thursday @ 10 a.m., card games, Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and more. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.

Bellevue Community Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Bellevue Senior Community Center – 109 W. 22nd Ave. – this month for: • May 1: Chief Deputy Election Commissioner Deb Davis will be here from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to help you fill out early voting applications or to help you register to vote. • May 1: The 6 p.m. dinner features meatloaf. • May 5: A talk on medication management at 11 a.m. • May 8: Have coffee with a cop and the Sarpy County Sheriff from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Stick around for Bingo Bucks at 10:30 a.m. and a delicious lunch at noon. • May 8: The 6 p.m. dinner includes a lasagna roll. • May 9: Mother’s Day party with music by Houston Solution at 11 a.m. Bring in a new or gently used purse and swap it for a new (to you) purse at 10 a.m. • May 12: A talk on healthy cooking for one by ENOA’s Michaela Howard at 11 a.m. • May 15: Make a book wreath with ENOA’s Yvette Martin at 1 p.m. Sign up by May 9. • May 15: The 6 p.m. meal features fried chicken. • May 21: A 1 p.m. demonstration on adding color to your deck. • May 22: Pokeno bucks at 10:30 a.m. • May 22: Health fair from 1 to 3 p.m. Get your blood pressure checked, speak to a dietician, watch a mini Tai Chi demonstration, and much more. • May 22: The 6 p.m. dinner features pizza. • May 29: The 6 p.m. dinner includes a hot dog on bun. 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 lunch meal and a $4 contribution is suggested for the evening meal for anyone age 60 and older and $7 for those under age 60. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. We offer chair volleyball (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday @ 10:30 a.m.) A Maj Jong group plays Thursdays at 1 p.m. Tai Chi with Courtney is held Fridays at 1 p.m. For meal reservations or more information, please call Regan at 402-293-3041.

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By Dr. Michael T. Murray

ne of the most common questions people have about juicing is, “Why juice?” After all, the fruit juice we can buy in bottles, cartons, and cans has impressive vitamin and mineral content according to the nutritional information printed right on the label. Why bother with juicing fresh fruits at home? Drinking freshly extracted juice is super healthy, even healthier than the storebought juices. Oh, and by the way, it also tastes better! Let’s look at some advantages of homemade fresh fruit juice. • Raw fruit juice increases our energy. If you think about it, the body actually converts the foods we eat into juice so it can be absorbed. So juicing it before you consume it saves the body energy, resulting in increased energy levels. • Juicing delivers more soluble fiber, faster than whole fruits. Whole fruits are great to eat because they have lots of insoluble fiber that helps with digestion. But as a complement to the fresh fruits and vegetables we need to eat daily, freshly juiced fruit is packed with soluble fiber. That’s the kind of fiber that’s been shown to lower cholesterol. • Juicing helps with digestion and absorption of nutrients. Juice is easier for our bodies to digest than whole fruit, and thus allows for quick absorption of high-quality nutrients. • Raw fruit juice has more nutrition than store-bought counterparts. Fresh juice contains greater nutritional values like vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional compounds such as enzymes and flavonoids than its canned or bottled counterparts, which have been cooked (pasteurized) to keep them on the shelves longer. Cooking can cause the loss of up to 97 percent of water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins and C), and up to 40 percent of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). • Homemade juice has increased antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer properties. A study comparing commercial apple juice

with freshly juiced apples found fresh, raw juice had more antiviral compounds than the store-bought versions. Another study found fresh, raw apple juice and berry juice (especially raspberries and blackberries) has more ellagic acid, a potent anticancer and antioxidant compound that’s stripped from juice when it’s been processed.

• Juicing helps to rid the body of toxins. Fresh fruits contain ample glutathione, a small protein composed of three amino acids, manufactured in our cells, which aid in the detoxification of heavy metals such as lead, as well as the elimination of pesticides and solvents. Processed fruit juices do not. To derive the greatest benefit from our foods, we should consume them in their freshest forms. • Fresh juice can help with weight loss. Raw food juicing is a phenomenal way to reach the goal of ingesting 60 percent of total calories from raw foods. Diets containing a high percentage (up to 60 percent of calories) of uncooked foods are associated with significant weight loss and lowering of blood pressure in overweight individuals. For a delicious, nutritious fruit juice, put two whole apples, sliced in quarters, and a half-cup each of raspberries and blackberries through a juicer. Drink it up right away for a blast of energy and nutrients. (Murray is a one of the world’s top authorities on natural medicine. An educator, lecturer, researcher, and health food industry consultant, he’s the author of more than 30 books.)

Regular screenings for colorectal cancer encouraged Screening for colorectal cancer based on age alone may contribute to both underuse and overuse of the tests among older patients, according to a study by investigators at the University of Michigan and the Veterans Affairs Center for Clinical Management Research. The VA, the nation’s largest integrated health system, Medicare, and many private insurers use quality measures to encourage screening among 50 to 75-year-olds. But the use of simple age cut-offs in these quality measures may contribute to what researchers found was underuse of screening in healthy, older people and overuse in unhealthy, older people. An unhealthy 75-year-old – whose life expectancy is estimated at less than five years – was significantly

May 2014

more likely to undergo a screening than a 76-year-old who’s in good health. “The way quality measures are defined has important implications for how care is delivered,” says lead study author Sameer Saini, M.D., a research scientist at VA-CCMR and assistant professor of internal medicine at the U-M Health System. “By focusing on age alone we’re not screening everyone who’s likely to benefit and some people who are not likely to benefit are being screened unnecessarily. “If quality measures focused on age and health status, rather than age alone, we’d have better outcomes,” he adds. In older patients, life expectancy varies considerably according to health status. For instance, a 74-yearold man who is in excellent

health has a life expectancy of almost 15 years. The study suggests the upper age cut-off could unintentionally discourage screening for these healthy, older individuals, leading them to miss out on the colorectal screenings known to prevent cancer. CRC screening tests include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood testing. “Future patient-centered quality measures should focus on clinical benefit rather than age to ensure that patients who are likely to benefit from a screening receive it, regardless of age, and those who are likely to incur harm are spared unnecessary and costly care,” says senior study author Eve Kerr, M.D., M.P.H., director of VA-CCMR and professor of internal medicine at the U-M Health System.

Omaha Fire Department

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.

Wednesday dancing You’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.

Eating the right veggies can improve heart health, lower cholesterol, BP By Tammy Lakatos Shames & Elysse Lakatos

ating the right veggies can improve heart health by lowering high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well as the inflammation of the arteries. A heart healthy diet includes five servings of veggies each day that include: • Potassium to counterbalance sodium. Good sources are crimini mushrooms, spinach, and Swiss chard. • Antioxidants to protect the heart and keep implementation at bay. Most veggies are a good source. • B Vitamins to help lower homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that may promote fatty deposits in blood cells. Leafy greens are high in vitamin B. • Fiber to lower cholesterol levels. Good sources are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery, carrots, cucumbers, beans, dry peas, artichokes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and turnips. • Garlic lowers triglycerides and total cholesterol by 5 to 15 percent. Garlic’s biggest asset, however, is its unique set of sulfur-containing compounds that protect blood cells and vessels from inflammatory and oxidative stress. (Lakatos Shames and Lakatos are twin sisters and nationally recognized registered dietitians and personal trainers.)

Resource information is available 24 hours a day with 211 network The 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human services. By dialing 211, consumers can access information about: • Human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, etc. • Physical and mental health resources. • Support for older Americans and persons with a disability. • Employment. • Support for children and families. • Volunteer opportunities and donations. The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at www.ne211.org.

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Go for a walk, read a book

Spring’s the time to take charge of your health By Jen Vogt

any of us made resolutions in January to improve our physical health. After a long, cold winter now is a good time to take stock of your progress toward these goals. Whether you’re reflecting on your own habits or those of your older parents, there’s no bad time to make plans for your physical health well into the future. Use this checklist as a starting point for taking charge of your physical well being this spring:

• Get your cholesterol checked every year. The more you learn about your cholesterol, the more likely you are to make the best food and lifestyle choices to meet your personal goals. • Eat the colors of the rainbow. Spring and summer are the perfect times to buy fresh fruits and veggies and share them with the whole family. Eating fresh produce helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. • Get heart healthy. You can take charge of your heart health through proper

Nebraska SMP working to prevent health care fraud

Fontenelle Tours Omaha/Council Bluffs: 712-366-9596

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

Daniel O’Donnell in Sioux City. June 1. $149. GREAT SEATS to see Daniel at the Orpheum in Sioux City. Very limited space remains! 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. (Call by May 1.) Arrow Rock, Clydesdales, & Dinner Train. August 8 - 10. $489. ($459 before 5/22/14). 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. (This trip has turned out to be popular so only a few seats remain!) 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.

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.

Your home.Your care.Your pace.

“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 New York City. May 15 - 19, 2014. Five days. Two Broadway shows, Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Harbor Cruise, and Ellis Island. Stay at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in the heart of New York, six blocks from Central Park! Northern National Parks. July 15 - 22, 2014. Eight Days. Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful, Grand Teton National Park, Park City. Four-night stay at the Snow King Lodge in Jackson, Wy. Reflections of Italy. Sept 10 - 19, 2014. 10 Days. Rome, Coliseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, Como, Lugano, Switzerland. Spectacular South Africa. November 10 - 22, 2014. 13 Days. Enjoy springtime in South Africa including Johannesburg, Soweto, Kruger National Park, a Safari Game Drive, a lagoon cruise in the Knysna Featherbed National Reserve, an Ostrich Farm Visit, Cape Winelands, Cape Town, Table Mountain, traditional African dining, and more. A trip of a lifetime!

Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways’ goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible. Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, adult day services, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.

Train Train enthusiasts! Board a 1950s era passenger train for a trip of a lifetime. You will enjoy fine service, meals and beverages from a professional and courteous staff. You will ride in comfort and sleep in your private room which will be yours for the entire trip. No hassles of checking into hotels as the trip continues. Trips being offered are: Glacier National Park (June 15 to 23). The Pine Tree Limited to Portland, Maine (September 16 to 28). Call us for more details! 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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Protect yourself against the West Nile Virus • Be especially careful at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. • Use mosquito repellent containing DEET. • Remove standing water. • Fix windows and door screens. • Clean rain gutters.

5755 Sorensen Parkway Omaha, NE 68152 www.immanuelpathways.org PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.

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nutrition, exercise, stress management, and weight management. • Get moving for better physical and mental well being. With the cold winter weather having passed us by, there’s no excuse to sit inside. Take a walk and enjoy the beautiful flowers that are blooming, or try a low-impact exercise routine such as yoga. • Maintain an active social life. Isolation can lead to depression and anxiety in older adults. Maintaining strong relationships with family and friends can lower your risk of physical and mental ailments and help you stay mentally and physical active. • Keep your brain fit and healthy. Activities such as reading, crossword puzzles, or playing a musical instrument can keep your brain in good shape and help ward off dementia. Finding an activity you enjoy doing that also stimulates your mind keeps your efforts from feeling like a chore. Getting a good night’s sleep can also help protect against dementia. • Talk to your doctor about your risk for common types of cancer. For many types of cancer, early detection and treatment can boost your chances of survival. Think of getting older as an opportunity – a chance to focus on what is really important to you. With a positive mindset and a commitment to taking charge of your health, you can look forward to becoming happier and healthier as you age. (Vogt is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. in Omaha.)

May 2014

This message is brought to you by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Fill the fiber gap by eating breakfast cereal Despite all the talk today about nutrition, the majority of adults are still lacking important nutrients in their diets. A key example is fiber. Convenient, nutritious options such as ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, can help fill the fiber gap and provide other important nutrients at the same time. Less than one in 10 Americans get the recommended amount of fiber in their diets. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service, Americans’ average intake of dietary fiber is low – only 15 grams per day. This compares to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that women need 25 grams per day and men should get 38 grams of fiber per day. Recent research shows part of the reason for this fiber gap is because most people think they’re already eating the recommended amount of fiber. In fact, 56 percent of Americans think they’re getting enough fiber in their diet when, in reality, less than 10 percent are meeting the recommendations. Studies also show fiber may be beneficial in reducing the risk of many lifestylerelated diseases and has been associated with maintaining a healthy weight and digestive system. Fortunately, you can easily increase fiber intake and take advantage of these health benefits by starting your day with a fiberfull ready-to-eat breakfast cereal.

Research from the USDA shows food companies are making positive changes to enhance the nutrition profile of readyto-eat cereals. According to the study, fiber in breakfast cereals from major manufacturers increased 32 percent, while sugar and sodium decreased 10 percent and 14 percent, respectively, between 2005 and 2011. “A 32 percent increase in fiber is a great way to help people fill their fiber gap,” said Lisa Sanders, Ph.D., a registered dietitian who is the director global nutrition and scientific affairs at Kellogg Company. To get the best fiber boost, look for cereals that are a good or excellent source of fiber (three or five grams, respectively). Generally, most of us think of bran cereals, shredded wheat, and wheat flake cereals. But many of our favorites have more fiber than you think. Kellogg, for example, offers more ready-to-eat cereals that are a good source of fiber and include eight grams of whole grains than any other U.S. food company. In addition to ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, round out your daily diet with other fiber-rich foods such as beans, nuts (especially almonds, pecans, and walnuts), berries, and crunchy vegetables. Nuts and berries are also a great addition for breakfast cereal to pack an even bigger morning fiber punch. (Family Features provided this information.)

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Lot # 114 2 bed 1 bath $14,500

Heartland Family Service Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Family Service Senior Center, 2101 S. 42nd St. for the following: • May 1: Make May Day baskets. • May 9: Mothers Day brunch @ 10 a.m. Bring your children and grandchildren. Men are also welcome. • May 12: Darrel Draper’s presentation on J. Sterling Morton @ 1 p.m. Transportation will be provided. • May 20: Red Hat Society meeting @ Cracker Barrel. • May 21: Volunteer luncheon at the German

American Society. • May 26: Closed for Memorial Day. • May 30: Birthday party with Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers entertaining. 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.

May 2014

Lot # 312 3 bed 2 bath $23,000

Brand New 2013 Champion Home is here at Maplewood Estates

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Dr. Goss has risen from humble beginnings to economics expert By Nick Schinker Contributing Writer

isten to Ernie Goss, Ph.D., speak for a few minutes and you can sense the renowned economist and Creighton University professor has a story that begins somewhere in the deep South. What you don’t sense is that the man whose economic and business expertise is cited each month by more than 100 newspapers and on nearly as many radio stations grew up without so much as a dime in his pocket. “We were dirt poor,” Dr. Goss recalls. “We were always hungry. My father was a carpenter and building contractor. He’d build a house, we’d live in it for a time, and he’d sell it for whatever he could get. By the time I was 18 we had lived in 19 houses. I remember moving and I didn’t know if I’d be back to the same school the next day. “My parents were good people; don’t get me wrong. But you’ve heard about helicopter parents? The kind who hover over their kids all the time? My parents were freerange parents. “I lived on the other side. I know how tough it is. I’m not asking for sympathy or special treatment; I never have. Because I think there are advantages to growing up poor. It makes you tougher. “I think it made me tough.” That quality comes in handy today, especially when his opinions about government policies accompany his economic and business index reports. “I am proud to provide consistent economic advice and counsel,” he says. “People in the marketplace say it serves a purpose. When you take on regular reporting like this, make a commitment to telling the truth you can’t wilt under pressure. “I get some nasty phone calls and letters when people disagree with my reports. When I’m neutral, I’m OK, but I get into some real hot water when I start taking policy positions.” That’s when he draws on his in-

A Georgia native, Dr. Ernie Goss earned his bachelor’s degree in math and accounting from the University of South Florida, an MBA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, and his doctorate in economics from the University of Tennessee. ner toughness, a quality that, like his accent, can trace its roots back to a little town in Georgia.

loyd Goss was the son of a sharecropper and iron ore miner. He made a meager living as a carpenter, electronics technician, and television repairman back in the days when TVs got repaired instead of replaced. He married Lenna (Haney), who stayed at home to raise four sons. The eldest was Ernest P. Goss. “We lived in Emerson, a little town that had about 500 people,” Dr. Goss recalls. “Now it’s part of metro Atlanta, but it was considered remote back then.” He attended Emerson Elementary School through the eighth grade, then Cass High School, 12 miles across Bartow County. He played summer league baseball and basket-

ball in high school. He got jobs first as a paperboy, then working construction in the summer. “I learned to make my own money because we never had any,” he says. “And I’d loan money to friends, some of whom happened to be gamblers. I’d charge them interest. I didn’t make much that way, but it helped.” It was the 1960s, a turbulent time for the United States. Race riots. Unrest on college campuses. Vietnam. Desegregation. The military draft. “These were the years of the draft lottery,” Dr. Goss says. “I joined the Navy, studied electronics, and became an air crewman. You know those planes out looking for that missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370? Those are the same kinds of planes I flew on, except we were looking for Soviet submarines and

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(402) 392-0767 Page 10

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trawlers. “We’d fly to the Bahamas to debrief, fly through the Bermuda Triangle, and up to Canada. I had pretty good duty for a hayseed from Georgia. “I wasn’t nerdy but I knew enough to get as much math and science as I could get. I knew it would come in handy somewhere, somehow. That’s probably why I got selected for air training school.” After serving in the Navy, Goss returned to a civilian life that was far less grateful to its veterans than today. “You never wore your uniform. If you wore your uniform and walked onto a commercial flight, let’s just say you were not treated well.” He earned his bachelor’s degree in math and accounting from the University of South Florida, his --Please turn to page 11.

Goss: Omaha happy making the products others consume, enjoy --Continued from page 10. MBA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, and his doctorate in economics from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Goss’ resume includes stints at Maryville College (1979 to ’81), the University of Alabama in Huntsville (1983 to ’87), Salisbury State University (1987 to ’89), and the University of Southern Mississippi (1989 to 1992) before joining the faculty at Creighton University in 1992. Throughout that time, he never admitted one aspect of his background. “Whenever they’d ask if I had been in the military, I never said yes,” he recalls. “Especially in academics, ex-military people were being discriminated against. They would always want to ask, ‘Why didn’t you run to Canada?’”

It’s that inner toughness. Ernie Goss has never run from a challenge.

r. Goss’ story includes a touch of irony for someone who studied accounting and economics. “Every time I got a degree,” he says, “I wound up graduating during a recession.” After earning his MBA in 1975, he started his own accounting firm in Atlanta – and continued his job search at the same time. “That’s when I came across a teaching position at a community college in Tennessee (Motlow College),” Dr. Goss says. “I never dreamed, even considered teaching. I was there two years and I knew this was really what I wanted to do.” Academia was vastly removed from the business and military

worlds he had experienced. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is incredible.’ I never thought you could have this kind of autonomy. Most academics don’t understand how good they have it.” He also worked as faculty research fellow at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), statistically finding and predicting equipment failures. While at NASA, a close friend read about a job opening at Creighton University in the economics department. Goss thought it would be the perfect position. “The only other person I felt was more qualified than me was Robert Nakosteen,” Dr. Goss says. “He and I had worked at Tennessee together.” Sure enough, Dr. Nakosteen also applied. “Creighton narrowed it to three

of us. Bob was the top person, and I was second. He got the offer and accepted, and I went back to NASA.” Until Dr. Nakosteen and his wife visited Omaha. “She wouldn’t do it,” Dr. Goss says. “She wouldn’t move to Omaha. “I had come here and I loved this city. It’s a city that doesn’t have this foo-foo phoniness of trying to be something it’s not. It doesn’t try to be a little Seattle or little New York. Omaha has always been happy with what it is, a city that gets up in the morning, goes to work, and comes home at night.” The economist in Dr. Goss admires Omaha over much larger cities that seem to have lost their direction. “They’re on the fringes of the economy. They don’t produce; they’re the overhead. Omaha is perfectly happy producing the products that others consume and enjoy. Omaha actually does and makes things, and I really like that.”

Before joining the Creighton University faculty in 1992, Dr. Goss taught at Motlow College, Maryville College, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Salisbury State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.

t Creighton, Dr. Goss serves as the MacAllister Chair and Professor of Economics. He also is Director of the Goss Institute in Denver, Colo. And he was a visiting scholar with the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in 2003 to ’04. “While I was in Washington, they always asked, ‘How can you stand living in Omaha?’ I said, ‘You call what you do living? You commute an hour and a half to work every day. You get pushed around on the subway. That’s not living. You’re a drone. I’m living.’ “I couldn’t wait to get back to Omaha.” At Creighton, Dr. Goss says, “I can do my own research. I can do what I think is important. The CBO is an oppressive, restrictive environment. I could not speak to reporters. I could not give interviews. If I was stopped on the street by a reporter and asked the color of the sky, I was under orders not to say it was blue. No comment, that’s what they told me to answer.” Dr. Goss wasted no time taking full advantage of his newfound voice at Creighton. He produces a --Please turn to page 12.

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.

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

630 North D Street Fremont, NE 68025

1-800-886-8673

402-727-4845

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Key to headache prevention is to find out what’s triggering them Headaches are the third most prevalent reason women ages 18 to 44 go to emergency rooms. They are also the fifth-leading cause of emergency room visits among all Americans, according to a 2013 National Institutes of Health report, which calls headaches a major public health problem. “The key to preventing headaches is, of course, to figure out what’s triggering them,” says Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a neurologist, mind-body physician, and an expert in Mindful Living. “While migraine and stress headaches can both be triggered by stress, migraines have many other possible triggers that vary from one individual to the next.” Dr. Mushtaq has counseled thousands of headache sufferers and recently launched a six-week online seminar, Heal Your Headaches. She guides participants through ruling out various triggers and shares traditional and holistic treatment options, among other information. “It’s so important to educate people who suffer from headaches, especially migraines. There are many misconceptions about them,” Mushtaq says. “I’ve had patients tell me they don’t have migraines because their headache isn’t accompanied by vomiting. Or they’ve been told they just have a low threshold for pain, even that they have no willpower.” Mushtaq advises patients to begin ruling out possible triggers. “Start eliminating common food triggers from your diet, such as wine, chocolate, and gluten, and if the headaches become less frequent or go away altogether, slowly add each item back,” she says. “It may quickly become apparent what’s triggering your headaches.” If not, she shares other possible triggers people are not aware of: • Are you getting enough sleep? Migraines can be triggered by sleep deprivation. A lack of sleep can actually lead to structural changes in the proteins of the brain that make the trigeminal nerve more sensitive to pain. The trigeminal nerve supplies sensation to the face, head, and meninges – the membranes surrounding the brain – and it’s the nerve pathway that’s the foundation of the where migraine headaches start. When we’re stressed, our sleep gets disturbed, and headaches are often one of the first signs. Creating a routine at night to reduce stress prior to bedtime is a key. If you can’t sleep because of headache pain, talk to your doctor about the temporary use of sleep-aid medications. Also, avoid caffeine after 12 p.m. • Are you drinking enough water? If you start feeling pressure or a dull headache at work, especially in the afternoon, it may be you’re not drinking enough water during the day. Dehydration can cause fatigue, loss of focus, and mid-day stress, which can trigger headaches, including migraines. Be sure to drink water throughout the day. While these tips may help you gain control over your headaches, remember – anyone who has recurring headaches should see a physician, Mushtaq says.

Goss: Bailouts bad for the economy --Continued from page 11. monthly business conditions index for the nine-state MidAmerican region and the three-state Mountain region. He and Bill McQuillan, CEO of City National Bank, initiated a survey of bank CEOs in rural portions of 10 states. Results from the three surveys are cited each month in publications that have included The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, The Christian Science Monitor, Business Week, Forbes, The Economist, and the Chicago Sun Times. Each month, between 75 and 100 radio stations carry his Regional Economic Report. Goss has published more than 80 research studies focusing primarily on economic forecasting and on the statistical analysis of business and economic data. His book, Changing Attitudes toward Economic Reform during the Yeltsin Era was published by Praeger Press in 2003 and his book Governing Fortune: Casino Gambling in America was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2007. Dr. Goss is editor of Economic Trends, a newsletter distributed monthly to 11,000 digital subscribers. He is the past president of the Omaha Association of Business Economics and the National Purchasing Management AssociationNebraska. He also recently served on the Board of Directors of Mosaic, Inc. “Many people think that I would have less academic and intellectual freedom at Creighton than at a state school,” Dr. Goss says, “but that simply isn’t true. At a state school, you can’t come out for tax reduction proposals or against government spending increases.” Thirty-five years after stepping to the front of

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the classroom, he still loves teaching. “Economics and teaching go together,” he says. “I can’t do one without the other.” Dr. Goss believes in giving back to the university and the students. “My wife, Jackie, and I recently established an endowed scholarship in economics because it is important to us to contribute to the intellectual life of this institution. We know that our gift will live on and continue to benefit students for as long as Creighton is around.” He and Jackie will celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary in December. They have two grown children, Melanie and Jennifer.

onsidering the rigors of working on three or four feasibility studies and other economics research projects at one time, and the demands of teaching, a perfect day for Dr. Goss might be surprising. “There’s nothing I love better than sitting in front of a computer working on a research project,” he says. “I know it sounds crazy, and we love going to a good restaurant, a museum, or a movie, but I really love taking an entire day and working on nothing but a research project.” As far as the US economy, it too needs work – but not as much as you might imagine. And certainly not with government leading the way, Dr. Goss says. “There are those who say the good times are behind us but it’s the wrong message – and it’s wrong,” he says. “This nation has huge upside potential. We can come back with good economic policies, but right now we’re not getCreighton University ting them.” professsor Dr. Ernie Goss. Regarding Congress and the Administration having the answers, Dr. Goss says, “Never have we done so much to achieve so little. “My father was a man of his hands. He was a carpenter. He could draw and paint. I’m the opposite. If I start working on something at our house, the more I work on it, the worse it gets. “That’s what I see today with politicians. They keep trying to fix things and they keep mucking them up. The best thing they could do is quit – quit mucking it up.” For example, Dr. Goss was and remains opposed to government bailouts, such as those benefitting General Motors. “They’re bad for the economy, bad for the taxpayer, and they send the wrong message. What about when GM is shown to be making faulty cars? Now, thanks to the bailout, what is the government’s liability for those failures?” Dr. Goss could go on – and in his economic reports, he will. He is confident the numbers he crunches tell a story that goes beyond rhetoric and emotion. And when people disagree with him, he’ll listen and stand his ground. Because the kid from small-town Georgia has never run from a challenge.

Dental tips you can try at home By Angie Stone

ore and more people are going without dental insurance nowadays. Even those that are insured may hold back on their dental care if they’re worried about extra out-of-pocket costs. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates more of an effort must be made at home to ensure proper oral care, especially when we can’t get a professional cleaning as often as we should. Here are some in-home dental tips you can follow: • Incorporate xylitol into your diet. Chewing gum or eating mints sweetened with xylitol – such as Spry gum and mints – is especially important after meals or snacking. When exposed to as little as 15 grams of xylitol a day, the bacteria in the mouth lose their ability to stick to the teeth and form plaque. Studies have proven when combined with a regular dental hygiene routine, regular use of xylitol gums, mints, and candy can reduce dental cavities by as much as 80 percent. • Utilize functional foods. Certain foods are thought to have a potentially positive effect on health beyond basic nutrition. When it comes to oral health, cranberry juice may be the key to preventing cavities. A team led by an oral biologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center has discovered the same traits that make cranberry juice a powerful weapon against bladder infections may also have the potential to protect teeth against cavities, making it difficult for the bacteria that causes cavities to cling to tooth surfaces. There’s also evidence cranberry juice disrupts the formation of glucan, the building block of plaque. • Clean between the teeth. While brushing your teeth every day is an integral part of maintaining good oral health, cleaning the spaces between teeth is even more important. Flossing can reach places that a toothbrush can’t such as between the teeth and under the gums. The American Dental Association suggests flossing before you brush your teeth also helps make brushing more effective with less plaque caught between your teeth. The fluoride in toothpaste will also be able to reach more parts of the mouth. (Stone is a lead xylitol educator in the north central region and the founder of HyLife, LLC.)

RSVP Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 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 volun-

teer 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 various other assignments.

Papio Mayor Black honors supporters of Papillion Senior Activities Center

May is Older Americans Month

lder Americans have made countless contributions and sacrifices to ensure a better life for future generations. Since 1963, communities across the country have shown their gratitude by celebrating Older Americans Month each May. This celebration recognizes older Americans for their contributions and demonstrates our nation’s commitment to helping them stay healthy and active. This year’s theme for Older Americans Month is Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow. The theme focuses on injury prevention and safety to encourage older adults to protect themselves and remain active and independent for as long as possible. Unintentional injuries to this population result in at least 6 million medically treated injuries and more than 30,000 deaths every

year. With an emphasis on safety during Older Americans Month, we encourage older adults to learn about how they can avoid the leading causes of injury, like falls. While the ENOA senior centers provide services, support, and resources to older adults year-round, Older Americans Month offers an opportunity for us to provide specialized information and services on injury prevention. This information will help older adults take control of their safety and live longer, healthier lives. Throughout May, ENOA senior centers will offer a variety of safety-oriented activities and provide tips on how to avoid the leading causes of injury. To learn more about Older Americans Month and how you can participate, please call 402-444-6513.

Papillion Mayor David Black (front row, center) was among those honoring a group of volunteers, individuals, organizations, and businesses that have supported activities at the Papillion Senior Activity Center. The list includes: Margaret Adams, Fran Anderson, Harriett Anderson, Rick Anderson, Russ Anderson, Larry Appleby, Rajaena Appleby, Barb Ashby, Bob Ashby, Neil Babbet, Clyde Baker, Vivian Barry, Rosie Bartling, Elaine Biggie, Noriko Billings, Don Blair, Linda Carlentine, Rich Carstensen, John Cox, Sue Cox, Beulah Dahlgren, Joanne Dahir, Norma Dineen, Margaret Evans, Yo Folkano, Linda Gale, Susan Hedrick, Floyd Hermanson, Mel Hewitt, Pamela Hillhouse, Jill Howe, Edie Huddleston, Kim Johnston, Rebecca Johnston, Sandy Kelcher, Vicki Kemp, Steve Kemp, Knights of Columbus (Jeff Davis & Curtis Range), Tom Lucas, Jim Mathison, Laura Mathison, Ken Melhus, Nebraska State Historical Society (Debbie Allard, Shirley Ertz, & Ann Saarelo), Dorothy Nelson, Maureen Nichols, Mary Noonan, Open Door Mission (Candace Gregory), Pam Osthus, Papillion Manor, Project Harmony (Amy Chisholm), Evelyn Reed, Coni Rogers, Bob Ross, Norm Ruiz, Dean Schechinger, Duane Schechinger, Julie Schram, Mary Kay Selden, Marion Skelley, Stan Smith, Sons of Norway (Geir Rosoy), Doretha Spier, Mike Spier, Joyce Trout, Well-Life, and Tom Wilde.

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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, May 10 Noon to 4 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St. Call 402-398-9568 to register

Wednesday, May 14 Noon to 4 p.m. Bloomfield Forum 9804 Nicholas St. Call 402-390-9991 to register

Wednesday, May 21 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Midlands Hospital 1111 S 84th St. (Papillion) Call 402-253-4368 to register

Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 31 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 440 Regency Parkway Drive • Suite 139 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 Cdorwartjd@aol.com

Health screenings, foot care available in Cass, Sarpy counties

he Sarpy/Cass Department of Health & Wellness is offering low-cost diabetic foot care and basic healthcare screenings for residents of Sarpy and Cass counties. For $5, individuals can receive a blood pressure check, weight screening, diabetic foot care, toenail trimming, and health information from a registered nurse. Here’s the clinic schedule: • Bellevue Senior Center: Fourth Thursday, 1 to 3 p.m. • Eagle Senior Center: Second Tuesday, 10 a.m. to noon. • Louisville Senior Center: First Wednesday, 10 a.m. to noon. • Papillion Senior Center: Third Wednesday, 10 a.m. to noon. • Plattsmouth Community Center: Third Monday, 9 to 11 a.m. • The Sarpy/Cass Department of Health & Wellness: Third Friday, 8 to 10 a.m. To make an appointment, please call Nicole Evans at 402-339-4334, ext. 209.

The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.

Don’t be fooled by lawn care myths The lawn is the backdrop to the home and essential to curb appeal. While keeping a healthy lawn may seem straightforward (mow, water, fertilize, etc.), don’t be fooled by some common lawn care myths. • All grass is created equal. Grass and their seeds come in many different varieties, all with various maintenance, climate, and mower requirements. While some varieties require more sunlight, others may be prone to certain diseases. The type of grass and scope of land you need to mow will determine how powerful a lawn mower you’ll need. Large lawns with thicker, tougher grass will require a mower with higher horsepower and bigger, taller wheels. Varieties of grass that have thinner blades and slower growth, or a small backyard space, can be maintained easily with a lower horsepower machine. Riding mowers like the John Deere 100 Series come in a variety of models to fit different needs. • The shorter I cut the grass, the less often I need to mow. For the best quality turf, only remove one-third of the grass blade with each mow. Shorter clippings break down more easily, allowing some of the natural nitrogen to return to the soil. If you cut too much at one time, the long clippings can cause stress on the grass, inhibiting healthy growth. • Bagging grass clippings is best. Although bagging grass clippings is a common practice, mulching is much more beneficial to your lawn. Mulching returns essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, back to the soil. As noted above, removing only a small amount of the grass blade each time you mow produces shorter clippings that can decompose more quickly and discourages the development of fungal diseases. If you do decide to bag, be sure to compost your clippings and reuse on site. Look for a lawn tractor, like the John Deere X300 Select Series, which comes with a mulching feature on the mowing deck, to help return the clippings to the soil. • Focus on the green. While grass is what we see and tend to, the soil is the most essential component for a healthy growth year-round. Soil supplies the roots with necessary nutrients, which in turn yield a beautiful lawn. Consider taking a soil sample to your local university extension program or landscape supplier for soil analysis. This will help determine the best type of fertilizer to use throughout the year. • Keep a consistent mowing pattern. It’s easy to fall into a mowing routine, but frequently cutting grass in the same direction can mat down the turf and inhibit growth. By varying the mowing pattern, you will reduce strain on the turf and encourage a healthier, more beautiful lawn. • You’re off duty in the winter. Many people think grass “dies” off in the winter so you can take a break from lawn care. Winter, however, is the best time to care for your equipment. Complete mower maintenance such as adding fuel stabilizer, blade sharpening, and replacing missing or damaged parts will help keep your mower prepped and ready each spring. Aside from practicing the proper mowing techniques, having the right equipment is one of the most important factors in maintaining a green and vibrant lawn. The proper type and size for your lawn and lifestyle will help you mow more efficiently so you can spend more time enjoying and less time maintaining your lawn. (Family Features provided this information.

Shred your documents on May 17 AARP Nebraska and Shred-It will host a free shredding day on Saturday, May 17 at The Center Mall, 42nd and Center streets. People can help themselves avoid becoming victims of identity theft by shredding sensitive documents with personal information such as cancelled checks, credit card offers, old bank and financial statements, and medical bills.

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The drive-through shredding session will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the east end of the top level of The Center Mall’s parking lot. People should enter the parking lot at 41st & Center streets. State-of-the-art mobile shredders will be set up on site and unloading assistance will be provided. For more information, please call 402-398-9568.

Father’s life, stories live on in son’s new book

Are you TURNING age 65

“Dad, you’re someone to look up to no matter how tall I’ve grown.”

or are you new to Medicare?

hile the original author of that quote is unknown, it’s obvious those sentiments are deeply felt by Rick Schuit, a 67-year-old Norfolk, Neb. area real estate agent and author of the book, The Unbreakable Red Arrow which was released in April. “My Dad was the most amazing guy I’ve ever met,” Schuit said during a recent interview. “I wanted everyone to know about him and his life.” The Unbreakable Red Arrow is the story of Schuit’s father, Rick Sr., a Little Chute, Wis. native and a member of the United States Army’s 32nd Red Arrow Division during World War II. The 158-page book chronicles the elder Schuit’s early years growing up in “America’s Dairyland,” his 1940 entry into the military, and dozens of stories about Rick Sr. and five of his closest Army buddies. “The book narrates their lives, their escapades, and the battles they fought in New Guinea during WWII,” reads a note on the back cover of The Unbreakable Red Arrow. “It tells us of the conditions they endured as well as the people they crossed, and how these (events and individuals) affected their lives.” The Unbreakable Red Arrow is published by Xlibris, a Bloomington, Ind. based self-publishing, printing, and distribution service that gets its name from the Latin term, ex libris, which means “from the library of.” The book is dedicated to Andrina – Schuit’s wife of 30 years – and their sons Christian, Patrick, and James. “They’re a very important part of my life,” Rick said.

rior to The Unbreakable Red Arrow, Schuit’s only other professional writing experience was penning a few hunting and fishing articles for a Canadian outdoor sports magazine. In December 2013, Rick began writing the book using his family’s living room computer. “I was at it steady for three months,” he recalled. “I’d be up to 2 or 3 in the morning writing.” He said the title for his book came from the German army’s inability to penetrate or “break” the wall put up

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Rick Schuit often worked until 2 or 3 a.m. writing his book, The Unbreakable Red Arrow. by the 32 Red Arrow Division and its troops that came from Wisconsin and Michigan. Schuit – who served in the United States Navy from 1968 to 1971 – narrates the first several pages of the book. From the time he began his WWII training in Australia in 1942, through the end of the division’s battles in the Pacific Theater, The Unbreakable Red Arrow is told from his father’s perspective. “He could tell his stories better than anyone,” Schuit said. Although not born until 1946, Rick said frequently hearing the “amazing” Member war of NASMM (National stories his Dad Association and of Senior Move the five men Schuit Managers) referred to as “his uncles” at picnics and other reunions made him feel like Kim Shulters 4.14.indd he was on the battlend field with the 32 Red Arrow Division. An avid hunter and fisherman, Schuit fondly recalled hearing his Dad also tell these stories while father and son fished on lakes in Ontario and Wisconsin. Rick Schuit, Sr. – who owned the Minocqua Glass Company in Minocqua, Wis. – died of cancer in 1978 at age 60. Schuit is pleased with the response he’s received from men and women who have read his book. “They all said they liked it,” he added proudly. The Unbreakable Red Arrow is available in hard cover or trade paperback from Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. Barnes and Noble also sells its Kindle version. nd

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“ Love should be a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven.” Bertrand Russe

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Widowed Person’s Group meets monthly

he 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 402-426-9690.

Healthy aging event set for May 22

he observance of May as Older Americans Month honors older adults by among other things, providing information to help them stay healthy and active. In celebration of this annual event, the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health & Wellness is sponsoring a healthy aging event on Thursday, May 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Bellevue Senior Center, 109 W. 22nd Ave. Older men and women interested in learning more about healthy aging, medication safety, nutrition, and fitness are welcome to attend. The event will feature a number of activities and health screenings designed to reduce falls, medication errors, chronic illness, and injuries in older Americans. “Leading causes of illness and injury such as improper medication use, falls, and chronic illness greatly reduce the quality of life for older adults,” said Senior CARE Program Coordinator for the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health and Wellness Nicole Evans. There is a $5 fee for the foot care clinics, however, the event and all other event services are provided at no cost to participants. Space is limited for the diabetes screening and foot care clinic. To register for these screening services, please call 402-339-4334 ext. 209 or e-mail nevans@sarpy.com by May 16.

Omaha Computer Users Group You’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 his or her 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. Members 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 402-333-6529.

Omaha Gives! is a 24 hour online fundraising event led by the Omaha Community Foundation to bring the community together to support local nonprofits through online fundraising. It is a community-wide event to show off Omaha’s spirit of giving, raise awareness about local nonprofits, and celebrate the collective effort it takes to make this city great. Anyone can participate and any amount makes a difference. The 24-hour donation period will be

May 21st from midnight to midnight. All gifts will be processed online through the Omaha Community Foundation via: omahagives24.org.

Through this day of giving, please support these two programs which offer services for older adults through the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging:

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May 2014

Keep doors locked

OPD offers tips for avoiding personal property thefts around your home

ow that the weather is warming up, people are eager to open up their houses and get outside and enjoy spring. For many this means gardening, lawn care, and other home maintenance projects. But as the temperatures increase, so do personal property thefts. Items such as ladders, gardening tools, lawnmowers, and other home improvement tools are easily left outside or not locked up properly.

An ounce of prevention By Sgt. Erin Payne Omaha Police Department The Omaha Police Department encourages you to lock up your personal property in your garage or shed; it doesn’t take long for someone to ride or drive by and quickly take your property. An open garage door or shed can also be inviting. Keep them closed even when you’re at home. Additionally, the Omaha Police Department says to keep doors locked at all times. If you are working in the back yard, keep your front door and garage door closed and locked; and lock your back door when you are in the front yard. Always lock your doors when you leave home, even if you only plan to be gone for a few minutes. The Omaha Police Department encourages people to get involved in the community. Start or join a Neighborhood Watch. Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective crime prevention programs in the country; bringing neighborhoods together to work with the police and to make communities safer. For information on Neighborhood Watches in your area, contact the Omaha Police Neighborhood Services Unit at 402-444-5772. The Omaha Police Department’s website address is www.opd.ci.omaha.ne.us. (Sgt. Payne – who supervises the Omaha Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit – has been an OPD officer for 20 years.)

Vols needed for AARP’s info 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 402-398-9568.

Book offers advice on funeral planning George W. Clarke and Dennis M. Lowery have collaborated on a book titled, Nobody Wants to Talk About It: An Enlightened Guide to Planning a Funeral or Other Tribute. The 121-page trade paperback focuses on the importance of funeral planning and how it can make things easier for survivors during a stressful, confusing time. Clarke is the former executive director of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, the world’s largest and oldest association of independently owned funeral homes.

“Planning in advance can significantly increase one’s sense of retaining some control, which helps to reduce the anxiety and vulnerability many people feel,” he said. Nobody Wants to Talk About It: An Enlightened Guide to Planning a Funeral or Other Tribute is a practical guide which includes tips on starting funeral planning with family members and loved ones, how to select a funeral home, consumer rights, and expected costs. The book is available on amazon.com.

Farmer’s Market produce coupons

Consider using compact fluorescent lightbulbs

s of Jan. 1, 40 and 60-watt incandescent light bulbs are no longer manufactured in the U.S. as part of efficiency standards signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. Previously, the government regulations phased out 70 and 100-watt bulbs over the last few years, but this ban will be much more widely felt since 40 and 60-watt bulbs are more frequently used in homes. So far, the ban has gone fairly unnoticed, since stores still have incandescent bulbs in stock. Once incandescent stock sells out in stores, consumers will have to choose between more energy-efficient options, including halogen, LED, and CFL bulbs. There has been a lot of debate over CFL bulbs, and many consumers are wary of the higher price tag, efficiency benefits, and presence of mercury. There’s also the issue the quality of the light with CFL bulbs tends to be brighter, and many consumers experience an increase in headaches with fluorescent lighting. Fortunately, the technology has come a long way in a short period of time, and CFL bulbs are now sold in a warm tone version, not just the standard bright light. A CFL bulb also turn on a lot faster than before, so you don’t necessarily have to stand in a dark room for 20 seconds while the bulb turns on. While the price tag for CFL bulbs may be slightly higher than incandescent bulbs, the lifespan of a 15watt CFL bulb is between 8,500 hours; versus a 60watt incandescent that averages around 1,000 lifetime hours. You’ll be putting more money into the initial purchase of CFL bulbs, but replacing incandescent bulbs more frequently ends up being more expensive over time. The average lifespan energy consumption of a CFL is around one-fourth the consumption of incandescent. Unlike CFLs, incandescent light bulbs produce light by heating the metal filament inside the bulb. When electricity passes through the filament, its temperature rises to 2,300 degrees Celcius, with the heat causing the filament to glow white-hot and emit light. Only 5 to 10 percent of that electricity is transformed into visible light. In

other words, incandescent bulbs don’t convert heat to light very efficiently, and much of the energy is wasted. CFLs are made of glass tubes filled with gas and a small amount of mercury. They produce light when the mercury molecules are excited by electricity running between two electrodes in the base of the bulb. Mercury emits ultraviolet light, which in turn excites the tubes phosphor coating, leading it to emit visible light. A study in 2012 published in the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology shows CFL bulbs are best used behind protective glass covers, or behind lampshades. Long-term exposure to naked CFL bulbs may cause skin damage similar to damage from ultraviolet radiation. There has been concern over the environmental impact of mercury in CFL production. Around 50 percent of the energy produced in the U.S. is generated by coal-fired power plants. When coal is burned, the mercury naturally contained in the coal releases into the air. Using energy-efficient CFL bulbs reduces demand for power, which in turn reduces the amount of coal burned by power plants and the amount of mercury emitted when coal is burned. So while mercury may be present inside a CFL bulb, incandescent bulbs result in more emissions at the power plant, which is a more harmful consequence to overall air quality. Each CFL bulb contains about five milligrams of mercury. If a CFL bulb breaks, it’s important to take safety precautions when handling a broken bulb, but keep in mind that not all the mercury in the bulb dissipates when a bulb breaks. As long as a child does not ingest any liquid that may come out of the bulb, they will not be exposed to toxic levels of mercury. Researchers have noted that it would take weeks for a child to be exposed to mercury vapor, which would mean a broken bulb would need to be left in a room for over a week. Provided you clean up the bulb promptly, and protect yourself by using rubber gloves (which are recommended for cleaning up incandescent bulbs as well to prevent cuts), there is no risk of mercury exposure. The Environmental Protection Agency outlines very specific requirements for disposing of CFL bulbs, since dumping them in landfills is harmful for the environment (http:// www2.epa.gov/cfl). When a CFL stops working the easiest and safest way to dispose of it is to put it in a plastic bag and bring it to your local home improvement store, where they’ll recycle it for you at no cost. (E-The Environmental Magazine provided this information.)

Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. this month for the following: • May 7: Talk by Mary from Nye Square @ 10 a.m. followed by music from pianist Wally. • May 12: Yoga demonstration @ 10 a.m. • May 13: Activity meeting @ 10 a.m. • May 14: Music by the Link Duo @ 10:30 a.m. followed by a birthday party. • May 20: First day to bring your clean and lightly used items for the May 22 and 23 garage sale. • May 21: Music by Jim Rathbun @ 10:30 a.m. • May 22: Garage sale from 3 to 7 p.m. • May 23: Garage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • May 27: Movie from Larry @ 10:15 a.m. and Popcorn Day. • May 28: Board meeting @ 9:30 a.m. followed by music from Bill Niederhiser @ 10:30 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.

May 2014

During June 2014, the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging will again be offering coupons that can be exchanged for fresh produce through the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program. Recipients must be 60 years of age or older and have an annual income of less than $21,590 for a single-person household and less than $29,101 for a two-person household. Only one set of coupons will be allowed per household. The coupons are expected to be available for distribution in early June. More information should be available through your ENOA senior center at the end of May. For a complete list of ENOA senior centers, please visit our website at enoa.org. For more information, see the June New Horizons.

Retired fed employees meet at Omaha eatery The National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-333-6460. The National Association of Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-392-0624.

Sponsors needed for volunteer luncheon The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, which is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Services, needs sponsors for its annual recognition luncheon on May 21. RSVP’s 700 volunteers – age 55 and older – contribute more than 111,000 hours annually at museums, schools, food pantries, police departments, and other sites in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. On May 21, a noon luncheon to honor these men and women will be held at the German American Hall, 3717 S. 120th St. Businesses, organizations, and individuals from throughout the community are being asked to contribute $200 each to offset program expenses. Sponsors will be recognized at the luncheon by having their names announced by the event’s master of ceremonies as well as listed in a program and on a table card. Sponsors, who don’t advertise in New Horizons, are eligible

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to receive a free eighth-page ad in the ENOA publication (a $170 value). For more information on becoming a $200 RSVP recognition luncheon sponsor, please call Pat Tanner at 402-444-6536.

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Center for Housing Policy report indicates home, community-based services are cost-effective ways to meet Boomers’ health care needs As the Baby Boom generation ages, the number of older Americans will double by 2050, with nearly 19 million of those adults age 85 or older. While the needs of this older population continue to grow and change, the current paradigm of care – institutional settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities – is an inflexible and expensive way of caring for older adults with physical limitations or chronic health conditions. According to a new report, Aging in Every Place: Supportive Service Programs for High and Low Density Populations, home and community-based services like those offered by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, are a cost-effective strategy that can solve this challenge by helping older adults maintain their quality of life as they age in their homes, whether those homes are in cities, suburbs, or rural America. Aging in Every Place – released recently by the Center for Housing Policy, the research division of the National Housing Confer-

ence – profiles several programs in communities across the U.S. that serve older adults. The report finds three elements that are essential to success: the program development is guided by the preferences of older adults, programs evolve to serve a wide range of needs, and programs are built on partnerships with service providers and community stakeholders. The research finds programs that support “aging in place,” as opposed to aging in institutional settings, can succeed in rural, suburban, and urban communities by tailoring program elements to address the unique needs of older adults in various communities. Home and communitybased supportive service programs offer many types of assistance, often including case management, medical services, social activities, and personal care assistance which address difficulties completing essential tasks like eating, bathing, dressing, and walking. “Caring for older adults

‘Outsmarting Investment Fraud’ A comprehensive campaign by the FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) Investor Education Foundation is underway to curb investment fraud targeting older investors in eastern Nebraska and across the country. In partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, AARP Nebraska and the Omaha Public Library will host an Outsmarting Investment Fraud session on May 28. Experts from the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the AARP Foundation will conduct the session. The free program will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 pm. at the Millard Branch Library, 13214 Westwood Ln. Space is limited. To RSVP by May 19, please call 1-877-926-8300. Lunch will be provided at no charge, with registration being held from 11:45 a.m. to noon. Participants will learn the simple steps they can take to protect their hard-earned nest egg and about the persuasion tactics commonly used by fraudsters.

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in their homes, instead of in institutional settings, is far less expensive and satisfies the desire of most older adults to remain in their homes as they age,” explained research associate and report co-author Janet Viveiros. “Many older adults move into nursing homes if they begin to have difficulty completing basic tasks on their own, like bathing or eating. Home and community-based supportive services can help frail older adults care for themselves in their own homes and achieve better health outcomes than if they moved to a nursing home or assisted living facility,” she said. The characteristics of the community an individual lives in influences the kinds of barriers older adults with physical limitations face when aging in place. Effective home and communitybased supportive service programs offer a wide array of services that specifically deal with these community features. Supportive services facilitate housing stability and overall wellbeing for aging renters and homeowners. Effective models need to be brought to scale to ensure older adults can remain in their homes even if they experience frailty. “The rising number of older adults will bring increasing demands for onsite supportive services at affordable housing developments as well as integrated in the community. This report shows models exist to accommodate these needs in every type of community,” said Maya Brennan, a senior research associate with the Center for Housing Policy.

May 2014

Economist: SS Trust Fund filled by non-marketable government IOUs

or many baby boomers, it’s comforting to believe that part of the 12.4 percent Social Security payroll tax they (or they and their employer) have been paying is going into a $2.7 trillion Social Security Trust Fund designed specifically to ensure the tidal wave of boomers now retiring will be assured their benefits. For those already on Social Security, the taxes they pay on a portion of their benefits have also been earmarked for the fund since 1983. Economist, author, and former professor Allen W. Smith, however, says there is no trust fund – and a number of elected officials, including former President George W. Bush, have acknowledged that. “To make a long story very short, we are supposed to have $2.7 trillion in Social Security surplus, all earmarked for the baby boomers’ retirement due to money generated by amendments approved in 1983,” says Smith, who has researched the topic for 15 years and is author of several books, including The Looting of Social Security and Ronald Reagan and the Great Social Security Heist. “But there’s no money in the fund.” Where did it go? Four administrations, from Reagan to George W. Bush, spent it on myriad of non-Social Security efforts. “Obama didn’t have a chance to use it – it was gone,” Smith says. The 1983 amendments approved under Reagan generated revenue by accelerating Social Security payroll tax increases, allowing a portion of benefits to be taxed, and delaying cost-of-living adjustments from June to December. According to the Social Security Administration website: “The surpluses are invested in (and the trust fund holds) special-issue Treasury bonds.” But what’s actually sitting in the Trust Fund is non-marketable government IOUs, which are worthless, Smith says. The fact has been publicly acknowledged by a 2009 Social Security trustees report from Sen. Tom Coburn and President George W. Bush, who in 2005 said, “There is no trust fund, just IOUs that I saw firsthand. Future generations will pay – pay for either in higher taxes or reduced benefits or cuts to other critical government programs.” Recently, Speaker of the House John Boehner offered a sobering statement on ABC’s This Week. “Ten thousand baby boomers like me (are) retiring every single day – 70,000 this week; 3.5 million this year. And, it’s not like there’s money in Social Security or Medicare. The government, over the last 30 years, has spent it all.” Smith examines what needs to happen starting today. • Get the secret out. The total cost of paying full benefits in 2010 exceeded Social Security tax revenue by $49 billion, and the gap between revenue and costs will become larger in the coming years. “On Sept. 27, 2000, I appeared on CNN Today to discuss my book, The Alleged Budget Surplus, Social Security, and Voodoo Economics,” Smith said. “The host did not take me seriously and asked me if I was ‘a voice crying in the wilderness.’ I’d quickly realized he was right, with the exception of multiple statements by politicians and officials.” • Get the AARP, NCPSSM, and the media involved. The only way the government was able to pay full benefits in 2010 was to borrow billions of dollars from China, among other creditors. The public is repeatedly being told by government officials and leaders from the AARP and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare that the trust fund has enough money to pay full benefits until 2033. “I have tried engaging the leaders of these organizations with my research, but my attempts have been unsuccessful,” Smith said. • Get the baby boomers engaged in protesting once again. Boomers are no strangers to taking to the streets to express their outrage. “However, I’m beginning to think it’s going to take missed checks before the public raises their voices,” Smith says. “Unfortunately, you just don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” (Smith has a B.S. degree in education from Ball State University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Indiana University.)

Omaha Performing Arts announces its 2014-15 season of entertainment

maha Performing Arts’ 2014-15 season includes a Christmas show with the Radio City Rockettes, a celebration of Billie Holiday’s 100th birthday, and performances by the legendary folk singer Arlo Guthrie and jazz great David Sanborn. Season highlights are: Oct. 22: Phantom of the Opera in partnership with the River City Theatre Organ Society; Oct. 24 to 26: Blue Man Group; Oct. 30: Writer and humorist David Sedaris; Nov. 13 to 30: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Starring the Rockettes; Dec. 3: Christmas with the King’s Sisters; Dec. 19 to 21: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; Jan. 27 to Feb. 1: Camelot; Feb. 6: Comedian Sinbad; Feb 19: Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Feb. 19: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet; March 3 to 8: Pippin; March 6: Food Network chef Robert Irvine; March 11: Cherish the Ladies; March 18: Compagnie Kafig; March 25 to 29: Motown the Musical; April 23: Pilobolus Dance Theatre; April 24 to 26: Mamma Mia!; May 12 to 17: Once; and July 17 to 20 Comedian Lisa Lampanelli. The Family Series begins Jan. 23 with the theatrical production of the PBS television series Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy’s Big Adventure. John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean will be presented Feb. 20, and on April 29 audience members will enjoy the Golden Dragon Acrobats from China. Saxophonist and six-time Grammy winner David Sanborn kicks off the Jazz Series on Feb. 15. Vocalist and songwriter Cassandra Wilson will help celebrate Billie Holiday’s 100th birthday with a special show on March 7. The Jazz shows conclude May 7 with a performance by New Orleans trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Omaha Performing Arts’ Showcase Series highlights football great Terry Bradshaw in Terry Bradshaw: America’s Favorite Dumb Blonde: A Life in Four Squares on Nov. 20. See the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback sing, tell stories and jokes. Entertainers from American Idol and Dancing with the Stars team up to present Ballroom With a Twist Jan. 21. The Holland Performing Arts Center will be the site for the March 19 show by the Texas Tenors and an Omaha appearance by Arlo Guthrie on April 28. In 2015, the National Geographic Live Series is: • Feb. 10: Extreme Planet with Carsten Peter. • March 10: Ocean Soul with photojournalist Brian Skerry. • April 7: Pink Boots and a Machete with wildlife expert Mireya Mayor. The popular 1200 Club Series features Jose James, Jan. 15; Hot Sardines, Feb. 17; Randy Brecker, Feb. 27; Omaha native Tierney Sutton, March 27; Black Vioin, April 12; and Rock Legends with Billy McGuigan on May 15. “I’m especially enthusiastic about the 2014-15 season. It’s going to be an extraordinary year for Omaha Performing Arts,” said Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts. “With landmark productions and an incredible array of artists and ensembles, the 2014-15 season is one you simply must attend.” Season tickets are available now, and single show tickets will be on sale later. For ticket information, please log on to omahaperformingarts.org/seasontickets or call 402-345-0606 or (toll-free) 866-434-8587.

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

AARP computer classes available through June Beginning computer classes for persons age 50 and older are available at AARP’s Information Center, 1941 S. 42nd St. and 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.

A Caring Community Called HOME! Independent & Assisted Living

• No Entrance Fee • Medicaid Waiver Approved • All Utilities & Housekeeping Included • Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments

49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com

CLASSIFIEDS A+ Heartland Concrete Const.

Driveways, garage floors, sidewalks, retaining walls. patio specialists. Insured/references. 13 year BBB Member

(before 1975)

402-894-9206

For sale

Condo Location – Central Elmwood Tower 801 S. 52nd Street Includes garage. Very nice.

FOR SALE

REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC. • Remodeling & Home Improvement • Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms

Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables. We pay CASH for slate pool tables.

Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225

Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured. Senior discount.

Military, political, toys, jewelry, fountain pens, pottery, kitchen ware, postcards, photos, books, and other old paper, old clothes, garden stuff, tools, old household, etc. Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

Invacare Pronto M51 battery-powered wheelchair with an 18 x 18 rehab seat. Retailed new in 2006 for $4,500. Runs well and is in real good condition. Asking $500 or best offer. Contact 402-616-0460.

POOL TABLES

Tree Trimming Beat the bursting buds!

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OLD STUFF WANTED

Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad

Lamplighter II

Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking.

PAID THRO TOP CASH PAID March 2013 93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921

Best & honest prices paid for: Old jewelry, furniture, glassware, Hummels, knick-knacks, old hats & purses, dolls, old toys, quilts, linens, buttons, pottery, etc. Also buying estates & partial estates. Call Bev at 402-339-2856

402-398-0546 or 402-345-8325 Call evenings.

deFreese Manor

Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,550 (1 person) or $29,200 (two persons) 2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622

• Painting Interior & Exterior

Senior Citizens (62+)

Senior Citizens (62+) Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses. Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882 Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Managed by Kimball Management., Inc. We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses. Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882 Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Managed by Kimball Management., Inc. We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

• Handyman Services • Senior Discounts • Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured Quality Professional Service

ENOA Aging

Better Business Bureau Member

402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0

May 2014

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New Horizons

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Elder Access Line

egal 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.

• Quality living at an affordable price • Licensed nurse and certified staff on duty 24 hours a day • Located in scenic downtown Omaha

Study: Young adults with high blood pressure, glucose levels have significantly worse cognitive function in middle age Young adults with such cardiac risk factors as high blood pressure and elevated glucose levels have significantly worse cognitive function in middle age, according to a new study by dementia researchers at the University of California San Francisco. The findings bolster the view that diseases like Alzheimer’s develop over

• Medication administration and daily living assistance • 10 spacious floor plans with large closets • Numerous educational, social, spiritual and wellness programs

Contact Saint Joseph Tower Assisted Living Community to learn more.

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Omaha, NE 68108

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an individual’s lifespan and may be set in motion early in life. They offer hope young adults may be able to lower their risk of developing dementia through diet and exercise or taking medications. “These cardiovascular risk factors are all quite modifiable,” said the study’s senior author Kristine Yaffe, MD, a professor in the departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF. “We already know reducing these risk factors in midlife can decrease the risk of dementia in old age,” continued Yaffe, who is also Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry and Director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. “If it turns out the damage begins before middle age, we may need to expand our focus and work on reducing heart disease risks in earlier stages of life.” The study, published recently in Circulation, examined data from more than 3,300 18 to 30-yearolds in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which began enrolling thousands of participants nationwide in 1985 to understand how heart disease develops in black and white adults. Cardiac risk factors were measured every two to five years for 25 years, at which point those in the study underwent tests to measure their executive function, cognitive processing speed,

Your home.Your care.Your pace.

and verbal memory. Those individuals whose blood pressure and glucose readings exceeded recommended levels during the 25-year study performed worse on all three tests, while high cholesterol was associated only with poor verbal memory. The authors cited a number of mechanisms by which elevated blood pressure and glucose could diminish cognition in middle age, such as by reducing blood supply to the brain, causing changes in brain structure, and increasing inflammation and oxidative stress, which can damage neurons. Another possibility is these risk factors may interfere with the clearance of amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Since cognitive function wasn’t measured at the beginning of the study, the authors could not estimate the cognitive change caused by these risk factors. (The University of California San Francisco provided this information.)

Nature program The Fontenelle Nature Association’s SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program offers activities for older adults the second Tuesday of each month at the Fontenelle Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. North. The programs, held from 9:45 to 11 a.m., feature an indoor program, an optional nature walk, and refreshments. The cost is $6 per person. For more information, please call Catherine Kuper at 402-731-3140, ext. 1019. • May 20 (special date): Fontenelle Forest educator and geologist Debra Beck on Nebraska geology. The programs resume in September.

Eclectic book review Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways’ goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible. Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, adult day services, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.

5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152 | www.immanuelpathways.org PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.

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May 2014

The Eclectic Book Review Club continues its series of book reviews at noon on Tuesday, May 20 at the Omaha Field Club, 3915 Pacific St. Omaha South High School principal Cara Riggs’ book, Hope in Urban Schools: Love Stories will be discussed. The cost for the review and lunch is $13. For reservations – which must be made by May 12 – call Rita Price at 402-553-3147.