A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
November 2015 VOL. 40 • NO. 11
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
New Horizons
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
Crossing Bridges
Father Kenneth Vavrina with Mother Teresa, the Roman Catholic nun and missionary. A Nebraska native, Father Vavrina has worked with lepers in Yemen, overseen relief efforts in Italy after an earthquake, regenerated the agricultural sectors in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, and was active in the United States during the civil rights movement. Today, Father Ken is retired and living at the St. John Vianney Residence in Omaha. Leo Adam Biga examines Father Vavrina’s remarkable life beginning on page 10.
Thelma Thelma Domingo, age 97, is the manager of the Weeping Water Senior Center. See page 3.
Papio landmark Roger Kubicek has operated Double K Feed, Inc. in downtown Papillion since 1980. See page 20.
Corrigan Senior Center November 2015 events calendar You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • Nov. 4 & 25: Anita’s Holiday Art & Social class @ 10:30 a.m. Create easy, fun crafts with us. Most supplies are furnished. Nov. 4: Thanksgiving theme wreath. Nov. 25: Fall felt leaf wreath. Call today to sign up as class size is limited. • Nov. 6: Movie Day @ 10 a.m. Watch a movie on the big screen. We’ll make the popcorn. The noon lunch is Hungarian goulash or a turkey & cheese wrap. • Nov. 9: Birthday party with music by Joe Taylor from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. Celebrate the November birthdays and enjoy turkey ham & white beans or a tuna macaroni salad (deli) lunch. • Nov. 16: The Piano Lady Dorothy Applebee from Lincoln @ 11am. Wear a fun hat today. Stay for crunchy Pollock or turkey club salad for lunch and Bingo following the meal. • Nov. 18: Game Day @ 10:30 a.m. Challenge your friends to your favorite board games. Stay for lunch
and a ceramics class. • Nov. 19: Turkey dinner & Tim Javorsky’s Veterans Tribute Show @ 11 a.m. Lunch features roast turkey & dressing, whipped sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, a tossed salad, a wheat roll, and pumpkin pie. Mega Bingo with $75 in cash prizes after lunch. The reservations deadline is Friday, Nov. 13. • Nov. 23: Talk on “Good Grief” by Jayne Gundrum from the VNA @ 11 a.m. Stay for a noon lunch and Bingo following the presentation. • Nov. 25: Corrigan Family Thanksgiving Dinner. Join us at noon for a special turkey lunch with all the fixings and a pumpkin pie dessert. Bingo will follow lunch. • Nov. 30: Talk from the VNA on “How to Get Better Sleep” @ 11a.m. Stay for a noon lunch and Bingo after the presentation. The reservation deadline is Nov. 25. The center will be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and on Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. Everyone, including new players, is welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow. Join us for Tai Chi – a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
Start
your
shopping
early this year
while supporting two valuable programs in your community! The 22nd Annual Foster Grandparent Program’s and Senior Companion Program’s
Poinsettia Sale
n is form, and the th te le p m o c e s Plea a check mail it back with nt Program ) re a p d n ra G r te s o F (made out to the to:
ia Sale t t e s n i o P P FGP/SC eet r t S r e t n e C 4223 68105 Omaha, NE . 246 t x e , 6 3 5 6 4 44 ov braska.g
@ne mary.parker
Page 2
•
New Horizons
•
November 2015
Volunteer Tax-Aide program counselors are needed in Douglas, Sarpy counties Volunteers are being recruited for the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program that provides free income tax counseling for low to middle income taxpayers with special attention given to those age 60 and older. While the AARP Foundation is sponsoring the effort, no one is turned away because of his or her income or age. The Tax-Aide program has seven sites where tax counseling is available in Douglas County and three sites in Sarpy County. Tax-Aide volunteers in the Omaha area completed more than 6,000 federal and Nebraska tax returns in 2015, the vast majority of which were e-filed. Because of attrition, the addition of new sites, and the increasing number of individuals served, the local program needs more volunteers; especially tax preparers who work directly with taxpayers to complete individual tax returns. No prior experience is necessary, and AARP membership is not required.
Training for new volunteers begins in December. Training includes instruction in tax laws, completion of tax forms, and use of the software needed to complete a return. AARP and the IRS provide all materials. For more information, go to aarp.org/taxaide. Email your questions to omaha.taxaide@gmail.com or call 402-398-9568.
Toiletries requested for Project Wee Care
Y
ou’re encouraged to support Project Wee Care by donating toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, deodorant, soap, and shampoo for local families in need through Tuesday, Nov. 10. The toiletries can be dropped off in a bin at the concierge desk at the Walnut Grove Resort Lifestyle Community, 4901 S. 153rd St. For more information, please call Walnut Grove at 402-861-1611.
Domingo: Everyone in town is my friend
Make a donation to help support the
“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”
b u l C s n o z i r New Ho
Join the
today!
Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list.
Center Manager Thelma Domingo (front row, second from right) with the volunteers at the Weeping Water Senior Center. Front row, from left: Edith Dockweiler, Rosalie Conger, and Diane Wade. Back row, from left: Jim Cross, Luther Gunnels, Ray Frew, and Ruth Vogt.
T
helma Domingo, age 97, sits behind a desk with a glass of lemonade at her side just inside the front door at the Weeping Water Senior Center. “Hi Jim,” she says to a gentleman who comes to the facility to enjoy a midday meal on an October Friday. “Did you get any frost this morning?” Domingo smiles and carries on a brief conversation with each of the 24 guests as they arrive, and then writes down their name on a sheet of paper. If it seems like Thelma is popular in this Cass County town of 1,000-plus residents, it’s because she is. “I think everyone in town is my friend unless they don’t know me,” she says. Domingo has managed the facility since the late 1970s, and has no plans to retire any time soon thanks in part to the help she receives from a group of volunteers that includes Rosalie Conger, Jim Cross, Edith Dockweiler, Ray Frew, Luther Gunnels, Ruth Vogt, and Diane Wade. “I’m going to work as long as I can,” Domingo says proudly. “I’ve still got all my senses.” A Weeping Water resident since age 5, Thelma’s employment resume includes stints as a teacher, postal carrier, emergency medical technician, and restaurant owner.
“It’s been 55 years since I ate a bowl of chili as good as you made,” says Ed Bergmann, recalling the days between 1957 and 1968 when Thelma owned and operated Domingo’s Inn in Weeping Water. “Someone came to me with more money than sense, so I sold the place to him,” Domingo says.
T
helma and Eugene – her husband for 65 years who died in 2004 – have six daughters, 15 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren. Domingo who lives independently in her 10-room house and still drives, stays busy when not running the senior center. She’s been involved in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls for more than 50 years. Thelma attends services each Sunday at the First Congregation Church and collects money at the steak dinners the church sponsors on Wednesday nights. Thelma says her role at the senior center is simple. “I smile at the people and I keep the books.” Hallie Mills, a regular at the center, says Domingo is being modest and adds Thelma’s importance in the community can be summed up in five words. “She is Miss Weeping Water.”
Get a jump on winter! Join your neighbors who have put the winter blues behind.
Leave the raking & shoveling to us. Your job? Enjoying your freedom!
Harrison Heights is a friend filled community with lots of planned events & activities.
We invite you to stop in for a tour of our beautiful 1 & 2 bedroom suites!
Hurry before the snow flies!
Harrison Heights Senior Village calamar.com CALAMAR
A 55+ Calamar community
7544 Gertrude Street • LaVista, NE 68128
402-933-8080
November 2015
I would like to start receiving the New Horizons at home. My address is below. NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP
$5
$25
$10
$50
$15
Other _______
New Horizons New Horizons is the official publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distributed free to people over age 60 in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Washington, and Cass counties. Those living outside the 5-county region may subscribe for $5 annually. Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431. Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076. E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@nebraska.gov Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. However, complaints about advertisers will be reviewed and, if warranted, their advertising discontinued. Display and insert advertising rates available on request. Open rates are commissionable, with discounts for extended runs. Circulation is 20,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.
Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Gary Osborn, Dodge County secretary; Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County; & Lisa Kramer, Washington County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.
•
New Horizons
•
Page 3
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: Wednesday, Nov. 11 @ 9:30 a.m. CHI Midlands Hospital 11111 S. 84th St. 800-253-4368 to register
Saturday, Nov. 14 @ Noon AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St #220 402-398-9568 to register
Saturday, Nov. 21 @ 9 a.m. Walnut Grove Retirement Community 4901 S. 153rd St. 402-861-1611
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 Branson Christmas. November 9 – 12. $729. Enjoy SIX–The Knudsen Brothers, Dixie Stampede, Shoji Tabuchi, Pierce Arrow, Dublin’s Irish Tenors with the Celtic Ladies, Mickey Gilley, and the Trail of Lights, as well as Landry’s Seafood House. “Chances R” Dinner in York. November 15. $69 before 11/1/15. ($75 after 11/1/15). Come along and enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal at this famous restaurant in York and a chance to win some prizes! One lucky person will win a beautiful Fall arrangement. “Dear Santa” at the Lofte. December 13. $99. This play is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen—from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief—and disbelief….followed by another delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville.
Laughlin (There are currently no Laughlin trips available out of Omaha. Check with us for updates on these very reasonably priced charter flights to Laughlin, Nevada. They typically sell out fast.)
In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. More destinations available! Classic Danube. 11 days from $3349. Features a seven-night Danube River Cruise visiting Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich, and Passau in Germany, Wachau Valley, Emmersdorf, and Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, and Budapest in Hungary. Reflections of Italy. 10 days from $2449. Visit a land rich in history, culture, art, and romance including Rome, the Colosseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, and Milan. Extend your trip in Turin. Irish Splendor. Eight days from $1699. Return to times gone by as you experience fabulous accommodations, stunning scenery, and sumptuous food visiting Dublin, the Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle, and Tullamore Whiskey Distillery. Extend your trip in Dublin.
November 2015 events calendar 5 Shaping Sound: Dance Reimagined Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. 402-345-0606 Autumn Festival: An Arts and Crafts Affair Through Nov. 8 Ralston Arena $7 & $8 402-331-2889
22 Handel’s Messiah Holland Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. $10 to $85 402-345-0606
6 Omaha Symphony Dvorak’s Stabat Mater Also Nov. 7 Holland Performing Arts Center $19 to $85 402-346-0606
Omaha Symphony Mozart’s Prague Symphony Joslyn Art Museum 2 p.m. $33 402-345-0606
11 Veterans Day Luncheon Strategic Air & Space Museum 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free for active service members $11 & $12 402-944-3100
26 Holiday Lights Festival Lighting Ceremony 6 p.m. Gene Leahy Mall FREE 402-345-5401
12 Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk Holland Performing Arts Center 7 p.m. 402-345-0606
Holiday Lights Festival Making Spirits Bright Holland Performing Arts Center 7 p.m. FREE 402-345-5401
13 Ramsey Lewis Electric Band With Philip Bailey Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. 402-345-0606 Comedy Night at the Henry Doorly Zoo 6:30 to 9 p.m. $50 402-738-2038
Nebraska Wind Symphony: People and Places Strauss Performing Arts Center @ UNO 3 p.m. $5 & $10 402-216-0325
Yesterday and Today Beatles Tribute Show Through Dec. 31 Omaha Community Playhouse $36, $50, & $75 402-553-0800
Brian Seitzer Orchestra Orpheum Theater 7 p.m. 402-345-0606
28 Omaha Symphony Star Trek Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $19 to $85 402-345-0606
Go West! Art of the American Frontier Through April 17, 2016 Joslyn Art Museum $10 402-342-3300 19 Vienna Boys Choir Christmas in Vienna Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. 402-345-0606
VOTES WANTED
Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule.
VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90
Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
• Please vote today to address hunger.
New Horizons
•
Christmas at Union Station Through Jan. 4, 2016 1 to 5 p.m. $6, $7, & $9 402-444-5071 Little Nelly’s Naughty Noel Through Dec. 20 Blue Barn Theatre $25 & $30 402-345-1576
www.lightthebridge.org
•
27 Tree Lighting Ceremony Durham Museum 4 to 7 p.m. $6, $7, & $9 402-444-5071
15 Omaha Symphony Handel’s Messiah Holland Performing Arts Center 2 p.m. $10 to $85 402-345-0606
Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise. 13 days from $3069. Featuring a seven-night Princess Cruise, you will visit Anchorage, Mt. McKinley, and Denali National Park. Ride a luxury domed railcar to Whittier to board the Princess ship, cruise past the Hubbard Glacier, through Glacier Bay, to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, through the Inside Passage, and into Vancouver, then fly home from Seattle.
Page 4
20 A Christmas Carol Through December 23 Omaha Community Playhouse 402-553-0800
PLEASE GO TO
100% non-profit addressing hunger
November 2015
29 Ballet Nebraska Nutcracker Holiday Tea Party 3902 Davenport St. 2 p.m. $25 & $35 402-541-6946
Home for the Holidays: A Recipe for Peace The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EngAge Wellness program and The Art of Aging are co-sponsoring a free program on Tuesday, Nov. 17. The 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. presentation titled, Home for the Holidays: A Recipe for Peace with Diane Hendricks from UNMC, will be held at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, 38th Avenue and Leavenworth Street. To register or for more information, please call 402-5527210 or log on the Internet to www.artofaginginc.com.
Study shows dog owners love pets that are like them
W
e’ve all heard the old cliché that people look like their dogs, but would you be surprised to find out people and their dogs tend to socialize, eat, and learn new skills in very similar ways, too? According to the Natural Balance Canine Personality Study – a survey of 1,015 U.S. dog owners conducted by Natural Balance Pet Foods in conjunction with Learndipity Data Insights – Americans love dogs that are often just like them. • People choose dogs that act like them. An estimated 66 percent of extroverted people have extroverted dogs and there’s a 65 percent chance an introverted dog will have an introverted human owner. If you’re a choosy eater, your dog is three times more likely to be one, as well. If you identify as a lifelong learner, there’s a 72 percent chance your dog will be good at learning new tricks. • Dogs display complex emotions, just like humans. Dog personalities are highly nuanced and they experience many emotions that are all too familiar to humans. If you’re hurt or late coming home, 90 percent of dog owners believe their dog is worried about them. Nearly 80 percent of dog owners say dogs can feel embarrassment, while 93 percent are certain they’ve seen their dog smile. • Dogs strongly influence the emotions of their owners. According to 79 percent of dog owners, their dogs consciously and actively attempt to comfort them. Fifty-five percent report their dog looks at them with loving eyes that communicate deep emotion. Fifty-two percent say their dog is able to accurately sense when they’re feeling sad. (Natural Balance provided this information.)
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate
Ask A Lawyer: Q — What rights does my “significant other” have at my death?
A — Your unmarried partner will not have any rights in your property at the time of your death other than rights you confer. Without a will, your children if any and siblings have priority over your “significant other” to inherit your assets and to the right to be named executor of your estate. We advise unmarried couples to hold assets in joint tenancy or designate their partner as POD beneficiary to provide for them in case of an unexpected death. We also recommend unmarried partners name each other as power of attorney agent in both financial and health care instruments.
Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home — knowing that you can call for help if you ever need it. One push of your Lifeline button connects you to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449. Free activation this month.
Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call! AARP Legal Service Network • No Charge For Initial Consultation
7602 Pacific Street, Ste 200 • (402) 391-2400
www.immanuellifeline.com
http://whitmorelaw.com
VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 5
Volunteers unite for Founder’s Day Service Project
Dora Bingel Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Nov. 2: Book Club. • Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • Nov. 3, 10, 17, & 24: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m. • Nov. 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, & 27: Ceramics @ 9 a.m. • Nov. 4: Holy Communion served. • Nov. 11: Michael Lyons from the Merrymakers sings @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. • Nov. 18: Foot Care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon. • Nov. 20: Hard of Hearing Support Group @ 10:30 a.m. • Nov. 25: Birthday Party Luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a November birthday. • Nov. 26: Red Hats meeting @ 11 a.m. Lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 on Merrymakers Day. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Free matinee movie and quilting. Wednesday: Devotions, Tai Chi, Bible study, and Bingo. Friday: Joy Club and Bingo @ 1 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.
Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • Nov. 3: Talk on grief, depression, and the holidays @ 10:15 a.m. • Nov. 4: News with Nye @ 10 a.m. followed by pianist Wally. • Nov. 10: Veterans Day salute @ 10 a.m. • Nov. 12: Talk by Sister Rita @ 10 a.m. on Gratitude is an Attitude. • Nov. 16: Blood pressure checks @ 11 a.m. • Nov. 18: Music by Al Knoell @ 10:30 a.m. • Nov. 19: Fast Bingo at 9:45 a.m. followed by music with Joe Taylor. • Nov. 25: Music by The Links @ 10:30 a.m. The Fremont Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its annual craft show fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Christensen Field @ 1 p.m. Admission is $1. The center will be closed on Nov. 11, 26, and 27. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For reservations and more information, call 402-727-2815.
Photo by Michelle Woitzel
Volunteers from Dial Retirement Communities installed a ramp during the Founder’s Day Service Project. They are (from left): Michael Bowles, Heath Yarges, Kelly Lewis, and Reed Davis.
T
he Good Samaritan Society – Millard in conjunction with the Eastern Nebraska Office of Aging, Omaha Electric Service, and Dial Retirement Communities recently added improved lighting and installed grab bars, raised toilet seats,
shower chairs, and other equipment to help prevent falls in the homes of 10 area older adults. About 30 volunteers helped out with the work that was done in conjunction with the Good Samaritan Society’s Founder’s Day Service Project, according
Report: Social Security is more important than ever in providing retirement benefits for older Americans
Joint Economic Committee Ranking Democrat Carolyn Maloney recently issued a report hailing the Social Security program – which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year - as more essential than ever in providing retirement security to millions of Americans. With volatile economic conditions, stagnant wages, and the near extinction of traditional pensions, the earned benefits provided by Social Security account for the majority of the income for two-thirds of all retirees. “The traditional forms of retirement security – including employer-sponsored plans Heartland Intergeneration Center and personal savings –are being eroded by large shifts in the economy,” Maloney said. You’re invited to visit the Heartland Intergeneration “Where the labor market once was defined Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: by lifelong manufacturing jobs with retire • Nov 2: Presentation on nutrition by Michaela Howard ment pensions, it is now shifting toward from ENOA. mobile and short-term careers with retire • Nov 6 & 20: Blood pressure checks by Methodist Col- ment plans based on volatile stock holdings. lege nursing students. “As traditional paths to retirement secu• Nov 9: Acrylics painting with WhyArts. rity continue to disappear, Social Security • Nov. 10: Thanksgiving crafts. will be an even more crucial source of cer• Nov 13: Visit by Creighton Prep students. tainty to retirees in the future.” • Nov 13: T’ai Chi presentation and a field trip to Council Today, Social Security serves 60 million Bluffs with Karen. Americans—or one-fifth of the population. • Nov 18: Birthday party with music by Joe Taylor from About 70 percent are retirees who paid into the Merrymakers. the program over the course of their work• Nov 19: The movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. ing lives. About 30 percent are either the The facility will be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day surviving spouses and children of deceased and on Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. beneficiaries or those unable to work due to The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch disability and injury. is normally served at noon. A $3.50 donation is suggested According to the JEC report, Social Secufor the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day rity provides economic security for Ameriprior to the lunch you wish to attend. cans at all income levels and particularly for Transportation is available within select neighborhoods women: for 50 cents each way. • Half of all American families near Regular activities include Bingo, crafts, and Tai Chi retirement have less than $12,000 in formal classes (Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:15 a.m.). retirement savings. For meal reservations or more information, please call • Almost two-thirds of all retirees – ap402-553-5300. proximately 18 million older adults – de-
Page 6
•
New Horizons
•
to Joanne Carlberg, director of resident and community relations for the Good Samaritan Society-Millard. The Millard site joined Good Samaritan Society locations nationwide that organized similar service projects to mark the organization’s 93rd anniversary.
November 2015
pend on their earned Social Security payments for a majority of their income. This includes almost 30 percent of older men and women who count on these payments for 90 percent or more of their income. • Without Social Security, an additional one-third of all older Americans – 14.7 million people – would live in poverty. • Social Security keeps 35.1 percent of older women out of poverty, compared to 30.5 percent of older men. Because women generally live longer than men, their lifetime earnings are generally lower than men’s and older women are less likely than men to have worked at jobs that provided defined benefit pension plans. The fundamental structure of Social Security has proven immensely durable over the decades, according to the report, withstanding substantial demographic and economic shifts, thanks to the active stewardship of policymakers. Overall participation in retirement savings programs among workers ages 35 to 64 – whether a defined benefit pension, a 401(k)-style defined contribution account, or an individual retirement account – has declined since the onset of the Great Recession in 2007. Nearly 60 percent of families in the bottom half of the income distribution now lack any formal investment in their retirement whatsoever. Although retirees are becoming a larger portion of the total American population, the cost of Social Security is projected to grow only slightly and at a rate expected to stabilize. Payments to retirees will soon begin to exceed revenues from current workers, but the resulting gap between payments to retirees and revenues from workers is projected to stop growing in 2037 and remain stable for the next half-century.
Alzheimer’s support groups The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Cass, Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. These support groups offer valuable space and educational opportunities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia to engage and learn. Call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 for more information. CASS COUNTY • PLATTSMOUTH Second Tuesday @ 6 p.m. First Lutheran Church 1025 Ave. D DODGE COUNTY • FREMONT Last Wednesday @ 2 p.m. Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m. Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr. • ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m. Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr. • OMAHA Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Country House 5030 S. 155th St. Adult day services provided. Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave. Third Wednesday @ 3 p.m. Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St.
First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site. • OMAHA Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St. First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Early Stage Support Group Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m. Caring for Your Parents Call Teri @ 402-393-0434 for location SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St. Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South
Counselor, author visits senior centers Grief counselor Joy Johnson, who is also the author of The BOOB Girls: The Burned Out Old Broads at Table 12, recently visited several Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging senior cen-
ters to talk about the beauty of aging, how to find humor in getting older, and her book series. The visits were sponsored by Comfort Keepers of Omaha.
Medicare open enrollment sites available through Dec. 7 During the open enrollment period (through Dec. 7), Medicare beneficiaries have the option to review and change their Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage plans. Each year, plans can change premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Medications that were covered in 2015 may not be covered in 2016. Doctors that may have been in-network on a Medicare Advantage plan this year may not be next year. Medicare’s open enrollment gives you the ability to review your coverage and switch to another plan if there’s one that offers better coverage or pricing. Volunteers Assisting Seniors (VAS) serves as the Nebraska Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)
regional office in the Omaha area, providing free, unbiased information to Medicare beneficiaries. During November and early December, VAS will be scheduling appointments throughout eastern Nebraska for a drug plan or an Advantage plan review during Medicare’s open enrollment period. At these appointments, Medicare beneficiaries can sit down with a trained counselor for assistance evaluating their Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage options for next year. Assistance is also available outside the Omaha area by calling the SHIIP’s tollfree hotline at 800-234-7119. Here’s a list of VAS’ Medicare enrollment events that are available by appointment only.
Monday, Nov. 2 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St. #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Monday, Nov. 16 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Tuesday, Nov. 3 Arlington Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-478-4774
Wednesday, Nov. 18 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Wednesday, Nov. 4 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Wednesday, Nov. 18 Washington County Extension Office 597 Grant St. #200 Blair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-426-9455 Thursday, Nov. 19 Washington County Extension Office 597 Grant St. #200 Blair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-426-9455
Friday, Nov. 6 Metro Comm. College 9110 Giles Rd. LaVista 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Saturday, Nov. 7 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-444-6617 Tuesday, Nov. 10 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Friday, Nov. 13 Goodwill 4805 N. 72nd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Friday, Nov. 20 Metro Comm. College 204th Street & West Dodge Road Elkhorn 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Saturday, Nov. 21 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-444-6617
Monday, Nov. 23 Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home 12505 S. 40th St. Bellevue 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Tuesday, Nov. 24 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Nov. 30 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Tuesday, Dec. 1 Arlington Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-478-4774 Friday, Dec. 4 Goodwill 4805 N. 72nd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Dec. 7 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Acappella concert on Nov. 14 at Papillion-LaVista High School
T
he Acappella Omaha Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is presenting its 2015 fall show, Out of This World Harmony: Good for What’s Alien You on Saturday, Nov. 14. The 7 p.m. show will be held at Papillion-LaVista High School, 84th Street and Centennial Road. The performance will include the Acappella Omaha Chorus, Rocktavo – an acappella chorus from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – and three Acappella Omaha Chorus quartets. Tickets are $10 for children under age 12 and $15 for adults. For more information, please call 402-932-0155.
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 7
Call FTC if you suspect a health care card scam
Legal Aid offers free telephone access line
ou see an ad on TV about a new law that requires you to get a new health care card. Maybe you get a telephone call offering big discounts on health insurance. Or maybe someone says they’re from the government and she needs your Medicare number to issue you a new card. Scammers follow the headlines. When it’s Medicare open enrollment season or when healthcare is in the news, scammers go to work writing a new script. Their goal is to get your Social Security number, financial information, or insurance number. Take a minute to think before you talk or act. Do you really have to get a new healthcare card? Is the discounted insurance a good deal? Is that “government official” really from the government? This answer to all these questions is probably no. Here’s what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests you do in this circumstance:
Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing. The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity. For more information, log on the Internet to http:// www.legalaidofnebraska. com/EAL.
Y
• Before you share your information, call Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE), do some research, and check with someone you trust to find out the real story. • Pass this information on to a friend. You probably saw through these bogus requests, but chances are someone you know could use a friendly reminder about these types of scams.
I
f you spot a scam, please report it to the FTC by calling 1-877-382-4357 or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY). You can report the scam online at ftc.gov/complaint. Your complaint can help protect you and other people. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify the imposters and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money. (The FTC provided this information.)
Volunteer opportunities
T
he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, and Ombudsman Advocate Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several background and reference checks. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and supplemental accident insurance. Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently. Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life. Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week. For more information, please call 402-444-6536.
Page 8
•
New Horizons
•
November 2015
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Getting you ready for the holidays It’s time to begin preparing for the holidays with these sweet and savory delights from cookbooks filled with cheer and great ideas. Back In the Day Bakery By Cheryl & Griffith Day (Artisan, $24.95) From this Savannah, Ga. bakery and hangout, the Days share more than 100 of their favorite, top-selling from scratch recipes from Beginning of a Great Day biscuits and more to Make it For a Rainy Day make-ahead treats. Colorful photographs and graphics in this feel good cookbook. From Chronicle Books: Lollipop Love By Anita Chu ($18.95) History and instructions for sugar, caramel, and chocolate lollipops. Layer, color, swirl, and mold fun for all ages and for every occasion. All that and pictures, too. Ciao Biscotti By Domenica Marchetti ($18.95) Forty sweet and savory recipes for this Italian twicebaked cookie. Includes suggestions for what to dunk and drink from coffee to vin santo. Buon Appetito.
Millard Senior Center
Hearing loss group to meet on Nov. 10
You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Nov. 3: Treat Day. • Nov. 6 & 20: Free blood pressure checks by Methodist College nursing students from 9 to 11 a.m. • Nov. 10: Veterans Day celebration featuring Montclair Elementary School students @ 9:30 a.m. • Nov. 13: Talk by representatives from the WaggWorks Kayak Group @ 9:30 a.m. • Nov. 17: Music by Denell and I at noon. • Nov. 18: P.A.W.S. • Nov. 30: Crafts with Sherri. Sign up so we have enough supplies. The center will be closed on Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club @ 8 a.m. (join and get a free t-shirt), quilting day (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.), Mahjongg on Wednesdays @ 1 p.m., Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays @ 10:30 a.m. for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), card games @ 9 a.m., and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). On Fridays from 9 to 10:15 a.m., come learn how to play Pickleball. For meal reservations and more information, please call 402-546-1270.
The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will next meet on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. Participants are asked to enter the church on the Happy Hollow Blvd. side. The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meeting will feature social time and a speaker. For more information, contact Beth Ellsworth at ellsworth.beth@cox.net or Verla at 402-558-6449. VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.
Cookie Craft By Valerie Peterson & Janice Fryer (Story, $12.95) More than 150 recipes with instructions, insider tips, and techniques for edible cookie arts and craft projects for every festive occasion. The Big Book of Easy Baking with Refrigerated Dough From the Pillsbury Kitchen (Houghton Mifflin, $35) Bake and make magic with more than 200 recipes using refrigerated doughs for sweet and savory treats from appetizers to desserts with Bake-Off contest winners included. Recipes range from easy to decadent to gluten-free. Best of Bridge Holiday Classics (Robert Rose, $29.95) The Canadian Bridge Ladies’ latest cookbook with their signature “simple recipes with gourmet results” for all of your holiday entertaining needs from casual brunch to festive buffets and elegant dinners. More than 200 recipes for special occasions. Make this great “giftable recipe:
Spiced Pecans (Makes 2 cups)
2 cups pecan halves 1 1/2 Tbsp butter 1 Tsp salt 2 Tsp soy sauce 1/4 Tsp hot pepper sauce Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place pecans on a baking sheet, melt butter, and add remaining ingredients. Pour over pecans. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir and toss during cooking time. Cool and dig in.
Omaha Computer Users Group
Y
ou’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers. Anyone can join OCUG regardless of his or her computer skills.
The organization’s 50 members meet the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th St. Annual dues to OCUG, which has existed for 15 years, are $25. For more information, please call OCUG’s president Phill Sherbon at 402333-6529.
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 9
Father Kenneth Vavrina has lived a life serving others
Born in Bruno and raised in Clarkson, Neb., Father Ken Vavrina says he heard the call to the priesthood while driving a truck at age 18. By Leo Adam Biga
my friend,” declares Vavrina, who’s lived and worked in some of the world’s poor(EDITOR’s NOTE: est places and most trying Biga’s New Horizons profile circumstances. of Father Kenneth Vavrina It’s no accident he ended contains excerpts and photos up going abroad as a misfrom the recently-published sionary because from childbook Vavrina and Biga col- hood he burned with curioslaborated on titled Crossing ity about what’s on the other Bridges: A Priest’s Upliftside of things – hills, horiing Life Among the Downzons, fences, and bridges. trodden.) Father Vavrina’s life’s been all about crossing bridges, etired Roman Catho- both the literal and figuralic priest Father Ken- tive kind. Thus, the title neth Vavrina, 80, has of his new book, Crossing never made an enemy in his Bridges: A Priest’s Upliftepic travels serving people ing Life Among the Downand opposing injustice. trodden, his personal chron“I have never met a icle of repeatedly venturing stranger. Everyone I meet is across borders ministering Contributing Writer
R
to people. Father Ken’s willingness to go where people are in need, whether near or far, and no matter how unfamiliar or forbidding the location, has been his life’s recurring theme. For most of his 50-plus years as a priest he’s helped underserved populations, some in outstate Nebraska, some in Omaha, and for a long time in developing nations overseas. Whether pastoring in a parish or doing missionary work in the field, Father Vavrina’s never looked back, only forward, led by his insistent conscience, open heart, and boy-like sense of wanderlust. That conscience has at times put him at odds with his religious superiors in the Omaha Catholic Archdiocese on those occasions when he’s publicly disagreed with Church positions on social issues. Father Ken’s tendency to speak his mind and to criticize the Catholic hierarchy he’s sworn to obey has led to official reprimands and suspensions. But no one questions his dedication to the priesthood. Always putting his faith in action, Vavrina shepherds people wherever he lays his head. He lived five years in a mud hut minus indoor plumbing and electricity tending to lepers in Yemen. He became well acquainted with the slums of Calcutta, India while working there. He spent nights in the African bush escorting supplies. He spent two nights in a trench under fire.
The archdiocesan priest served Native Americans on reservations and AfricanAmericans in Omaha’s poorest neighborhoods. He befriended members of the American Indian Movement, the Black Panthers, and other various activists, organizers, elected officials, and civic leaders. Father Vavrina’s work abroad put him on intimate terms with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Roman Catholic religious sister and missionary who is now in line for sainthood. It also made him a friend of convenience of the deposed Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, now imprisoned for war crimes. As a Catholic Relief Services (CRS) program director Father Ken served earthquake victims in Italy, the poorest of the poor in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as well as refugees of civil war in Liberia. He found himself in some tight spots and compromising positions along the way. He ran supplies to embattled activists during the Siege at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. He was arrested and jailed in Yemen before being expelled from the country. He faced-off with trigger-happy rebels leading supply missions via truck, train, and ship in Liberia, and dealt with warlords who had no respect for human life. If his book has a message it’s that anyone can make a difference, whether right at home or halfway around the globe, if you’re intentional and humble enough to let go
Your home. Your care. Your pace.
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, 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
Page 10
•
New Horizons
•
November 2015
E
ven though he’s retired and no longer puts himself in harm’s way, Father Vavrina remains quite active. He comforts and anoints the sick, he administers communion, he celebrates Mass, and he volunteers at Omaha’s St. Benedict the Moor Church, 2423 Grant St. Occasional bouts of the malaria he picked up overseas are reminders of his years abroad. So is the frozen shoulder he inherited after a botched surgery in Mexico. His shaved head is also an emblem from extended stays in hot climates, where to keep cool he took to the buzz cuts he maintains to this day. Then there’s Vavrina’s simple, vegan diet that mirrors the way he ate in Third World nations. This tough old goat recently survived a bout with cancer. A malignant tumor in his bladder was surgically removed and after recouping in the hospital, he returned home. The cancer’s not reappeared but Father Ken has battled a postoperative bladder infection and gout. Ask him how he’s doing and he might volunteer, “I’m not getting around too well these days,” but he usually leaves it at, “I’m OK.” Father Vavirna lives at the John Vianney Residence for retired clergy and lay older adults in Omaha. He’s spryer than many residents. It’s safe to say he’s visited places they’ve never ventured.
B 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.
and let God. “There is nothing remarkable about me, yet I have been blessed to lead a most fulfilling life. The nature of my work has taken me to some fascinating places around the world and introduced me to the full spectrum of humanity, good and bad. “Stripping away the encumbrances of things and titles is truly liberating because then it is just you and the person beside you or in front of you. There is nothing more to hide behind. That is when two human hearts truly connect.” --From Crossing Bridges
orn in Bruno and raised in Clarkson, Neb., both Czech communities in Nebraska’s Bohemian Alps, Father Vavrina and his older brother, Ron, were raised by their public school teacher--Please turn to page 11.
Winnebago, Macy reservations were first stops for Father Ken --Continued from page 10. mother after their father died in an accident when the boys were 9 and 4, respectively. The brothers and their mother moved in with their paternal grandparents and an uncle, Joe, who owned a local farm implement business and a car dealership. The uncle took the family on road trip vacations. Once, on the way back from California by way of the American southwest, Vavrina engaged in an exchange with his mother that profoundly influenced him. “I remember my mom telling me, ‘On the other side of that bridge is Mexico.’ Right then and there I vowed, ‘One day I’m going to cross that bridge.’ “I never crossed that particular bridge but I did cross a lot of bridges to a lot of different lifestyles, countries, and cultures and it was a great blessing. You learn so much in working with people who are different.” One key lesson he learned is that despite our many differences, we’re all the same. Even though Father Ken grew up around very little diversity, he was taught to accept all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. He feels that lesson helped him acclimate to foreign cultures and to living and working with people of color whose ways differed from his. As a fatherless child of the Great Depression and with rationing on due to the Second World War, Vavrina knew something about hardship but it was mostly a good life. Growing up, he went hunting and fishing with his uncle, whose shop he worked in. He played organized basketball and baseball for an early mentor, coach Milo Blecha. “All in all, I had a wonderful childhood in Clarkson,” Vavrina says. “It was a simple life. The Church was dominant. There was a Catholic church and a Presbyterian church. Father Clement Kubesh was the pastor at Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church. When he was not saying Mass, Father Kubesh always had a cigar in his mouth. I served Mass as an altar boy. Little did I imagine that he would counsel me when I embarked on studying for the priesthood.” All through high school Father Ken dated the same girl. His family wasn’t particularly religious and he never entertained the possi-
bility of the priesthood until he felt the calling at age 18. Out of nowhere, he says, the thought, really more like an admonition, formed in his head. “I was driving a pickup truck on a Saturday morning about four miles east of Clarkson, when something happened that is still crystal clear to me. I distinctly heard a voice say, ‘Why don’t you go to the seminary?’ Just like that, out of the blue. I thought, this is crazy. “Was it God’s voice? “Being a priest is a calling, and I guess maybe it was the call that I felt then and there. If you want to give it a name or try to explain it, then God called me to serve at that moment. He planted the seed of that idea in my head, and He placed the spark of that desire in my heart.” --From Crossing Bridges
T
he very idea threw Vavrina for a loop. After all, he had prospects. He expected to marry his sweetheart and either go into the family business or study law at Creighton University. The priesthood didn’t jibe with any of that. Father Ken says when he told Father Kubesh about what happened the priest’s first reaction was, “Huh?” For a long time Vavrina didn’t tell anyone else about the calling, but when it became evident it wasn’t some passing fancy, he let his friends and family know. No one, not even himself, could be sure at that point how serious his conviction was, which is why he only pledged to give it one year at Conception Seminary College in northwest Missouri. He told his uncle, “I’ll give it a shot.” And so he did. One year turned into two, two years turned into three, and so on, and though his studies were demanding, Vavrina found he enjoyed academics. He finished up at St. Paul Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. and was ordained in 1962.
F
ather Vavrina’s introduction to new cultures began with his first assignment as associate pastor at the Winnebago and Macy reservations in far northern Nebraska. Vavrina was struck by the people’s warmth and sincerity and by the disproportionate num-
bers living in poverty and afflicted with alcoholism. He disapproved of efforts by the Church to try and strip the children of their Native American ways, even sending kids off to live with white families in the summer. His next assignment brought him to Sacred Heart parish in predominantly black northeast Omaha. He arrived at the height of racial tension during the late 1960s civil rights struggle. Father Ken served on an inner city ministerial team that tried getting a handle on African-American issues. When riots erupted he was there on the street trying to calm a volatile situation. The more he learned about the inequalities facing that community, the more sympathetic he became to both the civil rights and the Black Power movements, so much so, he says, people took to calling him “the blackest cat in the alley.” Father Vavrina was an ally of Nebraska State Sen. Ernie Chambers, activist Charles Washington, and Omaha Star newspaper publisher Mildred Brown. Father Ken befriended Black Panthers David Rice and Ed Poindexter (Mondo we Langa), both convicted in the 1970 homemade bomb death of Omaha
Photo courtesy of Concierge Marketing
Father Ken first met Mother Teresa in Italy where she asked him to go to Yemen to work with lepers. police officer Larry Minard. The two men have always maintained their innocence. Vavrina welcomed changes ushered in by Vatican II to make the Church more accessible. He criticized what he saw as its ultraconservative and misguided
stands on social issues. For example, he opposed official Catholic positions excluding divorced and gay Catholics, forbidding priests from marrying, and barring women from being ordained. He began a long tradition of --Please turn to page 12.
Providing peace of mind and security while enhancing independence and quality of life at home. PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS* Push a button on a pendant worn on your wrist or around your neck and get connected to someone who can summon help for you in case of a fall or an emergency 24/7. * Telephone landline and electrical outlet are required.
NO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS MediGUARD USA also offers home monitoring services and other customized products.
402-891-9700 www.mediguardusa.com Locally owned
A subsidiary of American Electronics • 4760 S 135th Street • Omaha, NE 68137
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 11
Vavrina involved in 1973 violent siege at Wounded Knee because the violence had started up again and had actually escalated. When the siege finally ended that spring, there were many arrests and a whole slew of charges filed against the protesters.” --From Crossing Bridges
B
After spending 15 years as an Archdiocesan priest, Father Vavrina spent the next 19 years performing missionary work overseas. --Continued from page 12. writing letters to newspaper editors to express his views. He’s never stopped advocating for these things. Father Vavrina next served at north downtown Omaha’s Holy Family parish, where his good friend, kindred spirit, and fellow “troublemaker” Father Jack McCaslin pastored. McCaslin spouted progressive views from the pulpit and became a peace activist protesting the militaryindustrial complex, which resulted in him being arrested many times. The two liberal priests were a good fit for Holy Family’s openminded congregation. Then, in 1973, Vavrina’s life intersected with history. Lorelei Decora, an enrolled member of the Winnebago tribe, Thunder Bird Clan, called to ask him to deliver medical supplies to her and fellow American Indian Movement activists at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. A group of Indians agitating for change occupied the town. Authorities surrounded them. The siege carried huge symbolic implications given its location was the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. Father Ken knew Decora when she was precocious child. Now she was a militant teen prevailing on him to ride into an armed standoff. Father Vavrina never hesitated. He and a friend Joe Yellow Thunder, an Oglala Sioux, rounded up
Page 12
•
supplies from doctors at St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha. They drove to the siege and Father Vavrina talked his way inside past encamped U.S. marshals. He met with American Indian Movement leader and cofounder Dennis Banks, whom he knew from before. “Then I saw Lorelei and I looked her in the eye and asked, ‘What are you doing here?’ She said with great conviction, ‘I came to die.’ They really thought they would all be killed. They were fully committed. “On his walkie-talkie Banks reached the authorities and told them, ‘Let this guy (Vavrina) stay here. He’s objective. He’ll let you know what’s going on.’ The authorities went along. That’s how I came to spend two nights at the compound. We bivouacked in a ravine where the Indians had carved out trenches. We used straw and blankets over our coats, plus body heat, to keep warm at night. It was not much below freezing, and there was little snow on the ground, which made the camp bearable. “At night the shooting would commence…the tracers going overhead, the Indians huddled for cover, and several of the occupiers sick with cold and flu symptoms. “Once back home, Joe and I attempted to make a second medicine supply run up there. We drove all the way to the rim but were turned back by the marshals
New Horizons
•
y the late 1970s Vavrina was serving a northeast Nebraska parish and feeling restless. He’d given his all to combatting racism and advocating for equal rights but was disappointed more transformational change didn’t occur. He saw many priests abandon their vows and the Church regress into conservatism after the promise of Vatican II reforms. More than anything though, Father Ken felt too removed from the world of want. It bothered him he’d never really put himself on the line by giving up things for a greater good or surrendering his ego to a life of servitude. “I felt I was out of the mainstream, away from the action. Plus, I knew the civil rights movement was not going to reach what I thought it could achieve. So I decided I was going overseas. I wanted to be where I could do the greatest good. I always felt drawn to the missions. I just felt a need to experience voluntary poverty and to become nothing in a foreign land. “An experience in Thailand changed the whole trajectory of my missions plan. I was walking the streets of Bangkok on the edge of downtown. Then I made a wrong turn and suddenly found myself in the slums of Bangkok. Everywhere I looked was human want and suffering at a scale I was unprepared for. “I was shocked and appalled by the conditions people lived in. I realized there were slums all over the world and these people needed help. What was I doing about it? The experience really hit me in the face and marked an abrupt change in my thinking. I looked at my relative affluence and comfortable existence, and I suddenly saw the hypocrisy in my life. I resolved then and there, I was going to change, and I was going to move away from the privilege I enjoy, and I would work with the poor.” --From Crossing Bridges A reinforcing influence was Mother Teresa, whom
November 2015
Vavrina admired for leaving behind her own privilege and possessions to tend to the poor, sick, and dying. He resolved to offer himself in service to her work. The nun, he says, “was a great inspiration.” Nothing could shake his conviction to go follow a radically different path and calling. His going away had nothing to do with escaping the past but everything to do with following a new course and passion. By that time Father Ken had already worked 15 years in the Archdiocese and “loved every minute of it.” He was finishing up a master’s degree in counseling at Creighton University. “Everything was good. No nagging doubts. But I just felt compelled to do more,” he says. Father Vavrina asked and received permission from the Archdiocese to work overseas for one year and that single year, he describes, turned into 19 “incredible years helping the poorest of the poor.” He no sooner found Mother Teresa in Italy than she asked him to go to Yemen, an Arab country in southwest Asia, to work with residents of the leper village City of Light. “I simply replied, ‘Sure,’” Vavrina notes in his book. In Yemen he witnessed the fear and superstition that’s caused lepers to be treated as outcasts everywhere. In that community he worked alongside Missionaries of Charity as well as lepers. “My primary job was to scrape dead skin off patients using a knife or blade. It was done very crudely. Lepers, whether they are active or negative cases, have a problem of rotting skin. That putrid skin has to be removed for the affected area to heal and to prevent infection. I would then clean the skin. “I would also keep track of the lepers and where they were with their treatment and the medicines they needed.” --From Crossing Bridges
F
ather Ken embraced the Spartan lifestyle and shopping at the local souk. He found time to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. He also saw harsh things. An alleged rapist was stoned to death and the body displayed at the gate of the market. Girls were compelled to enter arranged
marriages, forbidden from getting an education or job, and generally treated as property. Yemen is also where he contracted malaria and endured the first sweats and fevers that accompany it. Yet, Vavrina says, Yemen was the place he found the most contentment. Then, without warning, his world turned upside down when he found himself the target of Yemeni authorities. They took him in for seemingly routine questioning that turned into several nights of pointed interrogation. He was released, but under house arrest, only to be detained again, this time in an overcrowded communal jail cell. Father Ken was incarcerated nearly two weeks before the U.S. embassy arranged his release. No formal charges were brought against him. The police insinuated proselytizing, which he flatly denied, though he sensed they actually suspected him of spying. They couldn’t believe a healthy, middle-aged American male would choose to work with lepers. His release was conditional on him immediately leaving the country. The expulsion hurt his soul. “Being kicked out of the country, and for nothing mind you, other than blind suspicion, was not the way I imagined myself departing. I was disappointed. I truly believe that if I had been left to do my work in peace, I would still be there because I enjoyed every minute of working with the lepers. “There is so much need in a place like Yemen, and while I could help only a few people, I did help them. It was taxing but fulfilling work.” --From Crossing Bridges
F
ather Vavrina traveled to Italy, where Catholic Relief Services hired him to manage a program rebuilding an earthquake ravaged area. Then CRS sent him to supervise aid programs in India. After nine months in Cochin he was transferred to Calcutta. Everywhere Father Ken set foot, hunger prevailed, with millions barely getting by on a bare subsistence level. Life was a daily survival test. Besides supplying food, the programs taught farmers better agricultural practices and enlisted women in the --Please turn to page 13.
Father Ken initially overwhelmed by the poverty in Calcutta --Continued from page 12. micro loan program Grameen Bank. In all, Vavrina directed $38 million in aid annually. The generous spirit of people to share what little they have with others impressed him. Seeing so many precariously straddle life and death, with many mothers and children not making it, opened his eyes. So did the sheer scale of want there. “I will never forget my first night in Calcutta. I said to the driver, ‘What are in these sacks we keep passing by?’ ‘Those are people.’ Hundreds upon thousands of people made their beds and homes alongside the road. It was a scale of homelessness I could not fathom. That was my introduction to Calcutta. “I was scared of Calcutta. Of the push and pull and crunch of the staggering numbers of people. Of the absurd overcrowding in the neighborhoods and streets. Of the overwhelming, mindnumbing, heartbreaking, (and) soul-hurting poverty. That mass of needy humanity makes for a powerful, sobering, jarring reality that assault all the senses. “Only God knows the true size of the population. I often say to religious and lay people alike, ‘Go to Calcutta and walk the streets for six days and it will change your life forever.’ Walk the streets there for one day and even one hour, and it will change you. I know it did me.” --From Crossing Bridges
Photo courtesy of Concierge Marketing
‘The Sea Friend’ – which carried supplies for refugees in the port city of Greenville, Liberia in 1994 – was damaged. Father Vavrina and others worked frantically unloading the supplies as the ship sank.
to providing comfort care to the sick and dying. “I disagreed with Mother and I told her so. I knew the value of development work. Our CRS programs in India were proof of its effectiveness. She listened to me; not necessarily agreeing with me at all, and then went right ahead and did her own thing anyway. “I cried the day I left Calcutta in 1991. I loved Calcutta. Mother Teresa had tears in her eyes as well. We had become very good friends. She was the real deal…hands on…not afraid to get her hands dirty.” Years later Father Vavrina read with dismay and sadness how Mother Teresa experienced the Dark Night of the Soul – suffering an inconsolable crisis of faith. “I knew her well and yet I never detected any indication, any sign that she was burdened with this internal ather Vavrina was struggle. Not once in all the reunited in Calcutta time I spent with her did she with Mother Teresa. betray a hint of this. She “I spent a lot of time seemed in all outward apworking with Mother. pearances to be quite happy Whenever she had a problem she would come into the and jovial. “However, I did know office. If there was a natural that she was very intense disaster where her Sisters about her faith and her worked we would always work. In her mind and heart help with food or whatever she was never able to do they needed.” enough. She never felt she Father Ken witnessed did enough to please God, people’s adoration of and so there was this conMother Teresa wherever she went. There was enough stant, gnawing void she felt mutual respect between this that she could never fully fill or reconcile.” American priest and Macedonian nun that they could ven all these years speak candidly and laugh later, Father Vavrina freely in each other’s comsays his experience in pany. India is never far from his He criticized her refusal to let her Sisters do the type thoughts. CRS next sent him to of development work his Liberia, Africa, where a programs did. He disapsimmering civil war boiled proved of how tough she was with her Sisters, whom over. His job was getting supplies to people who had she demanded live in povfled their villages. That erty and restrict themselves
F
E
meant dealing with the most powerful rebel warlord, Charles Taylor, whose forces controlled key roads and regions. The program Vavrina operated there dispersed $42 million in aid each year, most of it in food and medicine. As in India, goods arrived by ship in port for storage in warehouses before being trucked to destinations inside the country. Father Ken often rode in the front truck of convoys that passed through rebeloccupied territories where boys brandishing automatic weapons manned checkpoints. There were many tense confrontations. On three occasions Father Vavrina got Taylor to release a freight train to carry supplies to a large refugee contingent in dire need of food and medicine in the jungle. Taylor provided a general and soldiers for safe passage but Father Ken went along on the first run to ensure the supplies reached their intended recipients. Everywhere Vavrina ran aid overseas he contended with corruption to one extent or another. Loss through pilfering and paying out bribes to get goods through were part of the price or tax for conducting commerce. Though Father Ken hated it, he dealt with the devil in the person of Taylor in order to get done what needed doing. Grim reminders of the carnage that Taylor inflamed and instigated were never lost on Vavrina and on at least once occasion it hit close to home. “Not for a moment did I ever forget who I was really talking to. I never forgot that he was a ruthless dictator. He was a pathological
November 2015
liar, too. He could look you dead in the eye and tell you an out-and-out untruth, and I swear he was convinced he was telling the truth. A real paranoid egomaniac. But in war you cannot always choose your friends. “Hundreds of thousands of innocent people died in Liberia during those civil wars. There were many atrocities. One in particular touched me personally. On Oct. 20, 1992, five American nuns, all of whom I knew and considered friends, were killed. I had visited them at their convent two days before this tragedy. May they rest in peace.” --From Crossing Bridges
V
avrina’s most treacherous undertaking involved a cargo ship, The Sea Friend, he commissioned to offload supplies in the port at Greenville. Only rebels arrived there first. To make matters worse the ship sprung a leak coming into dock. Thus, it became a test of nerves and a race against time to see if the supplies could be salvaged from falling prey to the sea and/or the clutches of rebels. When all seemed lost and the life of Father Vavrina and his companions became endangered, a helicopter answered their distress call and rescued them from the ugly situation. His work in Liberia was left unfinished by the country’s growing instability and by his more frequent malaria attacks, which forced Father Ken back home to the United States. At the request of CRS he settled in New York City doing speaking and fundraising up and down the East Coast. Then he went to work for the Catholic Medical Mis-
•
sion Board who sent him to Cuba to safeguard millions of dollars in medical supplies for clinics in an era when America’s Cuban embargo was still officially in effect. During his Cuban visit Vavrina met then-Archbishop of Havana, Jamie Ortega, now a Cardinal. Father Ken supported then and applauds now America normalizing relations with Cuba. He also appreciates the progressive stances Pope Francis has taken in extending a more welcoming hand by the Church to divorced and gay Catholics and in encouraging the Church to be more intentional about serving the poor and disenfranchised. The pope’s call for clergy to be good pastors and shepherds who work directly with people in need is what Vavrina did and continues doing. “This is exactly what the Holy Father is saying. They need to get out of the office and stop doing just administration and reach out to people who are being neglected. A shepherd reaches out to the lost sheep. Jesus talks about that all the time,” Father Vavrina says. As soon as Father Ken ended his missionary work overseas he intended coming back to work in Omaha’s inner city but he kept getting sidetracked. Then he got assigned to serve two rural Nebraska parishes. Finally, he got the call to pastor St. Richard’s in north Omaha, where he was sent to heal a congregation traumatized by the pedophile conviction of their former pastor, Father Dan Herek. “Those wounds did not heal overnight. I knew going in I would be inheriting a parish still feeling raw and upset by the scandal,” Vavrina says. “Initially my role was to help people deal with the anger and frustration and confusion they felt. Those strong emotions were shared by adults and youths alike.” During his time at St. Richard’s Father Ken immersed himself in the social action group, Omaha Together One Community. Facing declining church membership and school enrollment, the Omaha Archdiocese decided to close St. Richard’s in 2009, whereupon Vavrina was assigned the parish he’d long wanted to serve – St. Benedict the Moor. As the Omaha area’s historic African-American --Please turn to page 14.
New Horizons
•
Page 13
Film series will show viewers Vavrina hopes his life, book will inspire others from page 13. ‘The Lure of Alaska’ on Nov. 2 --Continued Catholic parish, St. Bene-
T
he Omaha World Adventurers 2015-16 film series continues as it brings former Johnson Space Center documentary film producer Dale Johnson to Omaha on Monday, Nov. 2. Johnson will present his new film The Lure of Alaska at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Village Pointe Theaters, 304 N. 174th St. In Alaska sizable chunks of the natural world have escaped human influence. It’s a place men come to test themselves against the land, the weather, and themselves. They see grizzlies fishing for salmon and they compete with wildlife for the best places to live. Anchorage’s 300,000 residents account for more than half the state’s total population. Its 22 hours of summer sunlight produce some amazing crops like a head of cabbage weighing 127 pounds. While Denali National Park is the “crown jewel” of Alaska’s park system, it’s not the state’s largest. WrangelSaint Elias (13.2 million acres) is the largest park in the United States. It contains the abandoned Kennecott Copper Mine which flourished at the end of the 1800s. Alaska is a gigantic land that perpetuates an aura of mystic in the psyche of the young and old alike. Tickets to The Lure of Alaska can be purchased at the door for $15, cash or check. Bring in the ad on page 17, and receive your ticket for $10. For more information, call Ralph at 1-866-385-3824.
Y
Walnut Grove theater series
ou’re invited to attend the free theater series of programs at the Walnut Grove Resort
Lifestyle Community, 4901 S. 153rd St. Here’s the schedule: • Nov. 3: Music by Bill Ritchie @ 1 p.m. • Nov. 11: Patriotic celebration with Christine Coulson @ 3 p.m. • Nov. 17: Panel of retirement planning and relocation experts @ 1 p.m. • Nov. 24: Western Hoedown with Pam Kragt @ 1 p.m. For more information, please call 402-861-1611.
VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.
dict’s has been a refuge to black Catholics for generations. Father Ken led an effort to restore the parish’s adjacent outdoors recreation complex, the Bryant Center, which has become a community anchor for youth sports and educational activities in a high needs neighborhood. He also initiated an adopta-family program to assist single mothers and their children. Several parishes ended up participating. Poverty and unemployment have long plagued sections of northeast Omaha. Those problems have been compounded by disproportionately high teenage pregnancy, school dropout, incarceration, and gun violence rates. Vavrina saw too many young people being lost to the streets through drugs, gangs, or prostitution. Many of these ills played out within a block or two of the rectory he lived in and the church where he said Mass. He’s encouraged by new initiatives to support young people and to revitalize the area. Wherever Father Ken pastored he forged close relationships. “One of the benefits of being a pastor is that the parish adopts you as one of their own, and the people there become like a family to you,” he says. At St. Ben’s that sense of family was especially strong, so much so that when Father Ken announced one Sunday at Mass that the Archbishop was compelling
PARKSIDE SMOKE FREE
Independent apartment living for persons age 55+ • Spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes • Elevator • Washer/dryer in every apartment • Garage included in rent • Beautifully landscaped grounds • Within walking distance of Ralston Park
PARKSIDE
• Emergency alarm system • 24-hour emergency maintenance • Controlled access entry • Community areas on every floor • Microwave • Icemaker • Window blinds furnished
Call today to view your new home in the park!
7775 Park Drive • Ralston, Nebraska
402-339-9080
Page 14
•
New Horizons
•
November 2015
Father Ken Vavrina’s book, ‘Crossing Bridges: A Priest’s Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden’, can be ordered at www.upliftingpublishing.com him to retire, there was a hue and cry from parishioners. Father Vavrina implored his flock not to make too big a fuss and they mostly complied. No, he wasn’t ready to retire, but he obeyed and stepped aside. Retirement gave him time to reflect on his life for the book he ended up publishing through his own Uplifting Publishing and Concierge Marketing Publishing Services in Omaha. “I’ve had a wonderful life, oh my,” he says.
Now that his wonderful life has been distilled into a book, Vavrina hopes his journey is instructive and perhaps inspiring to others. “I wrote the book hoping it was going to encourage people to cross bridges and to reach out to people who otherwise they would not reach out to. That’s exactly what Pope Francis is talking about.” Besides, he says, crossing bridges can be the source of much joy. The life story his book lays out is evidence of it. “That story just says how great a life I have had,” he says. “It is my prayer that the travels and experiences I describe in these pages serve as guideposts to help you navigate your own wanderings and crossings. “A bridge of some sort is always before you. Never be afraid to open your heart and speak your mind. We are all called to be witnesses. We are all called to testify. To make the crossing, all that is required is a willing and trusting spirit. Go ahead; make your way over to the other side. God is with you every step of the way. Take His hand and follow. Many riches await.” Order Father Kenneth Vavrina’s book at www.upliftingpublishing.com. (Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.)
Everything you need to know about enhancing or changing your nose
Some tips for fixing up your bathroom
A
bathroom can and should be Half a million people seek consultation to change or enmuch more than hance something about their nose each year, but there’s still a utilitarian space likely a lot you don’t know about this popular facial plastic in the home. In the best surgery procedure. circumstances, it will be a Your nose is not immune to the effects of aging. With place to gather your wits for advancing age, the tip of the nose droops due to the downthe day ahead and a refuge ward pull of gravity. where you can unwind be“By the time a person reaches the age of 50 or 60, the fore bed. nose’s skin will lose its elasticity and the soft tissue unBut building a better bathderneath will be stretching and weakening,” says Stephen room is necessary before S. Park, MD, president of the America Academy of Facial you can truly relax in this Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). “Some skin starts drooping around the tip of the nose and space. To create the perfect at-home oasis, consider that might appear as a ‘bump.’” these ideas. A rhinoplasty does more than • Coordinate your bathimprove your profile; it can also room: If you’ve ever rereverse the signs of aging on placed an appliance or your nose. fixture in your bathroom If your septum – the bone by necessity, you may have and cartilage that divide the unintentionally created nasal cavity of the nose in half an uncoordinated look. If – is significantly off center or you’re tired of being mis“deviated,” you may experience matched, particularly in a breathing difficulty and have space where you seek serenprobably been told that you ity, consider upgrading all snore. your fixtures at once within “A nose job can address a deviated septum, which can one suite collection. Such put an end to snoring and other breathing issues,” says Edcoordination can provide win Williams, MD, president-elect of the AAFPRS. Rhinoplasty is as old as time, almost literally, fortunately a striking combination of style and performance. the techniques have evolved. An Indian doctor in 600 BC Suite collections are easy performed the first recorded “nose job.” In those days, the ways to create a unified doctor would cut skin from either the cheek or forehead, look. Suites include the twist the skin over a leaf of the appropriate size, and sew essential toilets, sinks, and it on place. Two polished wooden tubes would be inserted bathtubs, and in some cases, into the nostrils to keep the air passage open during healwhirlpools or air massage ing. “Today’s procedures are much more sophisticated,” says tubs; and are also customizable for variables like Russell Ries, MD, GVP for Public and Regulatory Affairs size and optional fixtures. of the AAFPRS. “We use 3D imaging to guide surgery to What’s more, this route minimize bleeding and swelling and can achieve very premakes good financial sense, cise, sculpted and natural-looking results,” says Dr. Ries. as a suite collection offers “Most people report little or no pain after nasal surgery, less hassle and better value and any discomfort is easily controlled with mild pain over a la carte purchases. medication.” • Windows with no views: Today African Americans, Asians, and other nonWhat’s the point of beauCaucasian individuals seek rhinoplasty to enhance ethnic tiful expansive windows features, not obscure them, says Dr. Park. when you only plan to cover While it’s common for people to hear about a nose job and assume it’s about someone trying to “fix” their appear- them up with boring blinds ance, often rhinoplasty is reconstructive, says Dr. Williams. or shades? To solve the age“Today, we actually can address functional and cosmetic old bathroom conundrum of needing natural light but issues in the same surgery,” he says. “Even individuals who come in to fix a broken nose or breathing problem still wanting solitude and privacy, think differently about desire an improved cosmetic appearance, and those who your windows. Decorative seek cosmetic work likely also require some functional or privacy windows make breathing improvement too.” for an ideal solution, with Noses all fall into 14 basic types, ranging from the adornments and finishes that Greek nose (straight) to the hawk nose (sharp and downward hooking). Most common is the “fleshy nose” which is keep away prying eyes To match a privacy wide in appearance, according to a study in the May 2011 window to your interior issue of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. design needs, consider those “This type of classification or generalization can help us options from brands that illustrate what is possible to fix with rhinoplasty,” says Dr. offer vinyl-framed windows Park. with silk-screened design The AAFPRS urges consumers to select a board-certistyles inspired by a range fied surgeon that specializes in plastic surgery of the face, head and neck. Research surgeons and procedural informa- of architectural schools of thought. tion via trusted online sources at www.aafprs.org.
Health fair Nov. 12 at Florence Senior Center
Y
ou’re invited to attend a health fair on Thursday, Nov. 12 at the Florence Senior Center, 2920 Bondesson St. The 1 to 3 p.m. health fair is sponsored by the Florence Senior Center, the Florence branch of the Omaha Public Library, and the Florence Community Center. For more information, please call Kathy at 402-4446333.
• Icing on the cake: Decorative millwork can offer your bathroom elegance and luxury. Remember, bathrooms are humid, so look for moisture-resistant polyurethane molding and accent pieces. Here are some quick do-it-yourself ideas that can be completed in an hour or two when using pieces that are preprimed and ready for installation. • Install a set of pilasters on both sides of your shower stall and a door crosshead overhead. • Surround mirrors with lightweight polyurethane moldings. Paint, faux finish or stain the moldings to complement the bathroom. • Install a small wall niche in a focal point of the room to display a flower arrangement or artwork. • Add distinction to the room with crown moldings. • Give cabinets and shelving dimension and visual appeal with brackets or corbels. There’s no place like home. And within your home, there’s no place like the bathroom. Give this important room your full attention when making home upgrades.
Smoke, carbon monoxide detectors The Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department is available to install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside the residences of area homeowners. To have a free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector installed inside your home, send your name, address, and telephone number to: Omaha Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests 10245 Weisman Dr. Omaha, NE 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.
A Caring Community Called HOME! Independent & Assisted Living
• No Entrance Fee • Medicaid Waiver Approved • All Utilities & Housekeeping Included • Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments
VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.
November 2015
49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com
•
New Horizons
•
Page 15
Camelot Friendship Center
Caregivers need to make time for themselves
You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • Nov. 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, & 24: Tai Chi @ 10:15 a.m. • Nov. 4: Crafts @ 10:15 a.m. • Nov. 5 & 19: Visit by Methodist College nurses @ 10:30 a.m. • Nov. 10: Music by Woody from the Merrymakers @ 11:45 a.m. • Nov. 12: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. • Nov. 13: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • Nov. 18: Birthday Bash • Nov. 19: Jackpot Bingo • Nov. 20: Line dancing @ 12:15 p.m. • Nov. 23: Chair volleyball @ 10:15 a.m. The center will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and on Thursday, Nov. 26 and Friday, Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving. Other activities include Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, candy making, and scrapbooking. The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. For reservations or more information, please call Amy at 402-444-5972.
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 volunteer drivers. • The Douglas County Civic Center/Hall of Justice wants volunteers to host tours. • Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for
volunteers to help in several areas. • Catholic Charities Christ Child Center North wants volunteers to help older adults with crafts, outings, and other activities. • The Livingston Plaza Apartments need a volunteer teacher. • HELP Adult Services is looking for volunteers to serve as family care companions and for other duties. The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with its archives. • The American Red Cross (Dodge County chapter) is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties. • The Low Income Ministry (Fremont) needs volunteers for its pantry and its clothing center and to deliver food boxes.
The New Horizons is published each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 33 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 6790 Grover Street • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68106 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com
Page 16
•
New Horizons
•
R
espite – the chance to take a breather or the opportunity to reenergize – is as important as any other item on a caregiver’s to do list. People think of respite as a luxury, but considering caregivers’ increased risk for health issues from chronic stress, those risks can be costly. For a caregiver, respite is the key to their well being. Respite protects their health, strengthens family relationships, prevents burnout and, allows loved ones to stay at home up to three times longer. No wonder respite is one of the most frequently requested support services for family caregivers. • R is for rest and relaxation. Everyone needs a little “R and R” – especially family caregivers. Relaxing is the best way to return refreshed and able to handle a caregiver’s many responsibilities. • E is for energize. Caregiving is often round-the-clock 24/7. Respite isn’t simply “getting a few hours off.” It’s necessary to help caregivers reenergize, reduce stress, and provide care for a loved one. • S is for sleep. Caregivers who have sleep problems should address their insom-
nia before it takes a toll on their health. • P is for that programs that can help caregivers. Respite – which can be in the home or out of the home – can be hard to find but it is available. • I is for imagination. Caregivers need to let their mind run free by reading a book or seeing a movie. Refreshing their minds can make them better caregivers. • T is for take five, or better yet, take 10. Caregivers shouldn’t feel guilty when they take a break. • E is for exhale. A simple breath in and then a long exhale out can help caregivers focus, increase their vitality, reduce stress, and lift their mood.
D
uring November, which is National Family Caregivers Month, remember that respite is care for caregivers. If you’re a family caregiver interested in respite care services in Nebraska, contact Ellen Bennett with Partnerships in Caregiving and the Nebraska Respite Network. She can be reach at 402-996-8444 or edbenne@gmail.com.
Advice for avoiding road rage
O
ften it’s frightening. Sometimes it’s deadly. Road rage – where flaring tempers mix with two-ton machines – continues to be a problem on America’s highways, leading to accidents, assaults, and occasionally, even murder. It’s a perplexing problem in part because it can happen at any time and anywhere roads and vehicles are involved, yet specific statistics on its frequency are hard to come by. All that aside, there are solutions that can at least reduce the number of roadrage incidents. People who are easily angered by slower drivers, detours, and other traffic disruptions can be taught to be more aware of their responses and to modify them to reduce accident risks, according to research published this year by the Society for Risk Analysis. That let’s-calm-down approach is applauded by Scott Morofsky, author of the books The Daily Breath: Transform Your Life One Breath at a Time and Wellativity: In-Powering Wellness Through Communication. “Sometimes there’s this tendency to throw on the brakes when someone is tailgating us, or use an obscene gesture at an aggressive driver,” says Morofsky, who developed the concept of Wellativity, which helps people address any behavior that inhibits wellness. “But when you encounter
November 2015
an aggressive driver, you don’t want to engage them or do anything to further agitate them.” What are some of our behaviors that can aggravate other drivers? The top culprit is drivers who are texting, according to a 2015 Road Rage Report by Expedia.com. Those texting drivers upset 26 percent of us. Other offenders, in descending order, are tailgaters, leftlane hogs, slow drivers, and drivers that are multi-tasking.
O
f course, those examples represent situations that can raise your ire after you’re behind the wheel. Often, the foundation for fury on the highway was laid before you got into the car. Maybe you had an argument with someone earlier. Maybe you’re stressed because you’re running late for an appointment. “Probably all of us at some time have been angry and someone wisely told us to take a deep breath,” Morofsky says. “That’s actually good advice because breathing and taking in oxygen plays an important role in every area of our health and well being.” Morofsky offers these tips for heading off your own road rage or avoiding the rage of others: • Don’t turn that ignition. If you’re feeling stressed and anxious before you even start your trip, then the time to calm down is now, not after you’re on the highway. Get a grip before you start the car, Morofsky says. Take that deep breath you always heard would work. You might even try counting from one to 10, inhaling on one, exhaling on two, up to 10 and back to one again. “You want to be relaxed before you head out,” he says. • Stop right there. If you’re already driving, and you feel your anger is starting to impact your judgment, pull over for a few moments. “Breathe and ask yourself, is my problem important enough to risk lives?” he says. “Taking a few conscious breaths could prevent a catastrophe.” • Don’t react or retaliate. You can’t control those other drivers, but you can control how you react to them. If someone is tailgating you, flipped you off, or is just infuriating you with bad driving habits, ignore them, Morofsky says. Engaging in some sort of road-rage argument will further raise your blood pressure, and could prove dangerous in some circumstances. This is just one more opportunity to take that deep breath, he says.
Lighting, privacy are things to consider when installing new doors in your home
F
or homeowners who enjoy spending time outside, the doorway is an important architectural element that blends style and function to connect indoor and outdoor spaces. Many factors influence which type of door makes the most sense for your home. Available wall space and layout of the space inside and out dictate whether a single or double door fits best. Considerations such as lighting and privacy influence details such as the number of window panes for your home, while personal style and décor preferences help identify the choice between sliding and French style doors. Beyond the main door structure, many homeowners are exploring new options when it comes to complementary screen doors that make the most of indoor-outdoor spaces and create optimal airflow. Traditional options like swinging or sliding screens are being replaced by a new popular alternative: retractable screen doors. As their name suggests, retractable screen doors roll back into their housing when not in use – much like a window shade turned on its side. “A retractable screen door is the perfect solution for allowing fresh air into the home,” says Randy Brown, retail channel marketing manager for ODL, Inc., a leading manufacturer of retractable screen doors. “It keeps bugs out when the screen is in use, and when the screen isn’t needed, it retracts into the frame housing so it’s hidden from view. It’s there when you need it and out of sight when you don’t.” A practical alternative to traditional screen doors, retractable screen doors also allow homeowners to avoid the banging, slamming, and in-the-way hassles associated with a traditional hinged screen door. For homeowners who like to entertain, leaving the screen retracted allows the party to spill naturally onto a festive deck or patio. When shopping for a retractable screen door, look for models that offer outer face-mount installation on brick mold. This allows you to enjoy a full opening for fresh air circulation as well as an unobstructed view to the outdoors. Without intrusive housing or tracks associated with in-jamb retractable screen doors, these models provide the added benefit of a full pass-through space. Installing a retractable screen door is surprisingly simple, especially if you choose a product designed with the DIY homeowner in mind, such as the Brisa Retractable Screen Door by ODL. For most standard-size doors, no metal cutting is required, and only a power driver tool is needed to install Brisa’s five components in about 30 minutes. Hassle-free Brisa retractable screen doors are offered in a variety of heights (standard, short, tall), colors (white, bronze, and sandstone), and applications (single door, French/double door, sliding door) for flexibility to fit the majority of homes. Its symmetrical design and neutral material selections align with the brick or wood molding of a home’s architecture, and with durable painted surfaces and rust-free aluminum, the housing and track require no maintenance. Brisa is also covered by a limited lifetime warranty. For more information and a where-to-buy locater, visit www.odl.com/FreshAir.
UNMC working to connect caregivers with experts in Alzheimer’s, dementia
T
he responsibility of caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia can be overwhelming physically, mentally, and financially. In 2015, it’s estimated there are 33,000 Nebraskans with the diseases. This number is projected to increase by 21 percent in 2025 to 40,000. “There are Nebraska family members who care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia who are going at it alone with little or no resources or training,” said Steve Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of geriatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He said UNMC is involved in a study that will provide the opportunity for caregivers to be networked with advice, expertise, and resources from some of the world’s top specialists in Alzheimer’s and dementia. “Some caregivers are really stressed out. We will find out what needs they have, teach them what to expect, and put together a plan on how to work with their health providers,” Dr. Bonasera said. He is the co-investigator of a $10 million grant with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to bring respite to caregivers. Awarded by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, the grant created a family-centered model that provides around-the-clock online education and consultation for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. While the program uses phone and web-based tools, some patients will use remote monitoring with smart phones and home sensors. The study will compare the current standard of care model for caregivers in a
control group to the new version to determine if the new model improves the quality of life of both patients and caregivers. The hope is the interventions will keep people with dementia at home longer and at the same time lower family and caregiver stress.
T
he model, called Dementia Care Ecosystem, won’t replace clinicians, but rather deliver to patients and their families, educational resources developed over the past decade by UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center and UNMC physicians. This will help clinicians monitor their patients. Each patient will be monitored and have a navigator who will check in with the caregiver by telephone or with a personal visit. The navigators are supported by nurses, social workers, and pharmacists with expertise in dementia care. The navigators will triage calls, making sure patients see nurses and doctors when necessary, and help with other things that don’t require medical expertise such as a hazardous situation in the home that could cause the patient to fall. In addition, resources are available to help families make financial plans and work through tough medical decisions before their loved ones have reached a crisis stage. Researchers hope to create a virtual care system that’s supportive enough to protect the mental and physical health of caregivers who tend to neglect their own needs. If caregivers learn to cope better, patients may be able to remain at home longer before moving into assisted living. Some patients in the study will use smart phones and electronic wristbands to record activity levels, count the number of steps they take, and measure how far they range from home. The system will also monitor the drugs patients take and flag high risk and inappropriate medications that can send patients with certain forms of dementia to the emergency room. Initial projections are the improved caregiver support and more continuous access to medical help and medication management will reduce emergency room visits by a half, cut hospitalizations by almost a third, and delay the move into a nursing home by six months. For information about the study, contact Jackie Whittington at (402) 559-6117 or jwhittin@unmc.edu. (UNMC’s Public Relations Department provided this information.)
Second Unitarian Church program
Y
ou’re invited to join the Retirees’ Group at Second Unitarian Church – 3012 S. 119th St. – for a presentation on Fort Atkinson’s history on Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 1 to 2 p.m. Established in 1820 near Fort Calhoun, Neb., Fort Atkinson was the United States’ first military post west of the Missouri River. Fort Atkinson Superintendent John Slader will present a video and discuss the fort’s history and its role today. For more information, please call Gary Emenitove at 402-334-0537, ext. 114.
Maplewood Estates Lifestyle • Community • Convenience • Family Values
Move-in Specials Get 6 months of FREE lot rent for moving a single wide home Amenities include: into the park, or $3,500 for • Playground • Off street parking doublewide for moving expenses. • Clubhouse • Pool • RV’s welcome Call for more information.
402.493.6000
Call: 12801 Spaulding Plaza www.maplewoodestatesonline.com Omaha, NE 68164
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 17
Local walk for Alzheimer’s raises $108,000
Photo by Mark Kresl/Midwest Geriatrics
Hundreds of participants gathered at Turner Park on Sept. 27 for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Similar activities were held across the country. On Sunday, Sept. 27 hundreds of Omahaarea residents participated in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Turner Park. The walk, which is held each year at more than 600 sites around the country, is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. In Nebraska, Walk to End Alzheimer’s activities were held in 14 communities across the state.
The 2015 event raised $108,000 in taxdeductible donations in Omaha. To honor those who could not attend the Omaha event because of Alzheimer’s, purple balloons were released into the air. Blue, yellow, purple, and orange flowers symbolic flowers were also featured throughout the park. For more information, please call the Alzheimer’s Association Midlands Chapter at 402-502-4301.
Free programs at Walnut Grove
Tips from the FTC
E
veryone pays all kinds of bills. Some of the charges are higher than you think they should be. Sometimes, unexpected charges appear on your bill, or perhaps you see a fee for a service you don’t recall ordering or receiving. Are you paying more than you should? You are your own best advocate. How often does a company figure out that you’ve overpaid and then refund your money? It could happen, but you’re more likely to get money back if you spot the error and point it out to the company. It means keeping track of what you normally pay and what the charges are for. You can also ask for a better deal. Call to see if there’s a promotion you qualify for and how long the promotion is in effect. Ask the business if they can lower your interest rate. They might say no, but if you don’t ask you won’t receive any discount. Here’s what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends if you believe you’re paying too much: • Read every statement every time. Does something look wrong or unfamiliar? Call the company and ask questions. If you don’t like the response, ask for a supervisor. Keep written records of your calls. • Pass this information on to a friend. Not paying more than you need to for an item might come easily to you, but you probably know someone who could use some friendly encouragement with these matters. If you spot a scam, please report it to the FTC by calling 1-877-382-4357 or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY). You can report the scam online at ftc.gov/complaint. Your complaint can help protect you and other people. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify the imposters and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money. (The FTC provided this information.)
Nebraska SMP working to help control Medicare fraud
Y
ou’re invited to attend a free program featuring a guest speaker in November and December inside the theater at the Walnut Grove Adult Living Community, 4901 S. 153rd St. • Tuesday, Nov. 10: Swallowed by A Snake: Everyone Grieves with Joy Johnson from the Centering Corporation and Ted E. Bear Hollow. • Tuesday, Dec. 8: The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Family with Cathy Wyatt from the Art of Aging. Both programs begin at 1 p.m. To RSVP or for more information, please call 402861-1611.
Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), 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.
Join us during our
Open House on Wednesday, November 4 from 12 to 2 p.m. or Tuesday, November 10 from 12 to 2 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.
% 0 10e Free!
for fantastic leasing specials!
Smok
Sertoma Club
Other Open Houses will be held during November. Call us for more information. calamar.com/elkhorn
Page 18
• 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 800-942-7830.
•
3535 Piney Creek Drive, Elkhorn, NE (Just east of 204th & West Maple Road)
Come learn about our new 55+ apartment community while enjoying a meal on us! Please RSVP to
New Horizons
•
402-502-7565
November 2015
Members of the Omaha Sertoma Club encourage area residents to collect used and unwanted clothing, shoes, hats, caps, belts, purses, bedding, and towels by cleaning out their closets and other places these items are stored. The items can then be placed in bags and taken to and placed inside the donation bin at the Westside Community Center near 108th and Grover streets. These tax-deductible donations will be recycled and sent to people overseas.
Please see the ad on page 3
New Horizons Club membership roll rises $10 Sue Gustafson A-1 Helping Hands Janet McGaughey $5 Sally Randall Emma Jean Duncan
Alzheimer’s caregiver class set for Nov. 19
Support group for widows, widowers
he Alzheimer’s Association is sponsoring a free caregiver education session on Thursday, Nov. 19. The 5:30 to 7 p.m. program – Holiday Tips for the Caregiver – will be held in the boardroom at the Visiting Nurse Association, 12565 W. Center Rd. Walk-ins are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 or echentland@alz.org.
THEOS, a group for older widows and widowers, meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. The organization offers weekend activities, Wednesday night dinners, and pinochle twice a month. For more information, please call 402-399-0759, 402-393-3052, or 402393-8931.
T
CLASSIFIEDS Lamplighter II
Reflects donations received through October 23, 2015.
Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking.
Karaoke, Christmas programs at Florence AARP Chapter 2269
Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables. We pay CASH for slate pool tables.
The Florence AARP Chapter 2269 meets each month at the Olive Crest Methodist Church, 7180 N. 60th St. (one mile north of Sorensen Parkway.) The meetings begin at noon with a lunch that costs $7 per person each month. Here’s the schedule of
programs for the rest of 2015: • Nov. 16: DJ music and karaoke with Jonathan Kellerk. • Dec. 14: Christmas music program. For more information, please contact Ruth Kruse at ruthkruse@cox.net.
Eclectic Book Review season ending The Eclectic Book Review Club’s 66th season concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the Omaha Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. Author Alex Kava will review her book Silent Creed. A noon lunch will be followed by the 12:30 review. The cost is $13. For reservations, which must be made by Monday, Nov. 16, please call Rita at 402-553-3147.
Dancing Wednesdays You’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.
VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO
www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,798 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.
NEED A BREAK? Are you caring for a loved one with special needs such as a developmental or physical disability or a chronic health concern? Could you use a break to relax, go to church, go grocery shopping, visit a friend, or see a movie?
93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921
POOL TABLES
Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225
NARFE meetings The National Active and 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 402-292-1156. The National Active and 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 402-342-4351. Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad
HOUSE CLEANING
Chaplain Royal Non-denominational minister for funerals, weddings, and baptisms. 402-575-7006 InclusiveLife.org
EVERYONE Deserves a Clean House!
REFRESH CLEANING SERVICES JUDY: 402-885-8731
OLD STUFF WANTED (before 1975)
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
Support NH advertisers
GET RID OF IT! Haul away, garage, basement, rental clean out…
Johansen Brothers Call Frank
402-312-4000 In-home Caregiver 30 years experience. Overnights available. Personal care. Meds. Non-smoker. Good cook. Laundry & housekeeping. Great companion. Good references.
TOP CASH PAID Best & honest prices paid for: Nice old vintage and costume jewelry, old watches, vintage toys, Fenton glassware, old postcards, advertising items, military items, pottery, and antique buttons. Also buying estates & partial estates. Call Bev at 402-339-2856
REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.
Call Stan at 402-572-1744
• Remodeling & Home Improvement
Senior Citizens (62+)
• Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms
Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses.
deFreese Manor
Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,500 (1 person) or $29,150 (two persons) 2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622
• Painting Interior & Exterior
Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882
• Handyman Services • Senior Discounts
Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300
• Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured
Managed by Kimball Management., Inc.
Quality Professional Service Better Business Bureau Member
402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0
We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.
ENOA Aging
Call us at 402-996-8444
to learn more about respite care (short-term relief).
Partnerships in Caregiving, Inc.
Covering the Eastern Region of the Lifespan Respite Network
November 2015
•
New Horizons
•
Page 19
Kubicek: Treat people right and they’ll treat you right By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor
O
n a beautiful October morning, Roger Kubicek arrives at work in downtown Papillion around 3:30. He steps inside his store, turns on a few lights, and walks across the red and white checkerboard floor, slaloming his way through a network of aisles. Another 14-hour workday begins for Kubicek at Double K Feed, Inc. “I get to work this early so I can get things organized,” the 65-year-old says. “There are so many things to do.” That “to do” list includes filling orders, unpacking bags of feed and other inventory, stocking shelves, and on some days, helping drivers unload semi-trucks filled with a variety of items including bags of feed for horses, pigs, cattle, sheep, birds, squirrels, dogs, cats, etc. At 7 a.m., Roger unlocks the door for his customers and a four-person staff that includes Gaye, his wife for 43 years. The Kubiceks – who live in Gretna – have three children and 10 grandchildren. “When you walk into the store you gain an appreciation for a small business owner who is making a difference,” says long-time Double K customer Dr. Julie Masters. “People living on farms and acreages rely on
Roger keeps a large supply of feed on hand for a variety of animals including horses, pigs, cats, and dogs. the feed store to ensure their animals are well fed, they have an assortment of feed for the wildlife visiting their feeders, and they can pick up grass seed and fertilizer for their lawn.”
R
oger and his brother, Gary, started Double K, Inc. in 1977. Gary ran an agricultural feed store in Hickman, Neb. while Roger operated a grain
Kubicek has seen Papillion’s population increase dramatically since he and his wife, Gaye, brought Double K Feed, Inc. to Sarpy County in 1980.
Page 20
•
New Horizons
•
elevator in nearby Panama, Neb. In 1980, Gary wanted to get out of the business, so Roger and Gaye relocated Double K to Papillion. Thirty-five years ago, Sarpy County was filled with family farms, so 90 percent of Double K’s business then was selling agriculturalrelated products and feed for farm animals. By 2015, however, many of the local farmers were retired and their land had been converted into housing and commercial real estate developments. According to United States Census figures, Papillion has grown from 6,400 residents in 1980 to more than 24,000 today. Kubicek saw the rural to urban population shift coming and converted his business to meet the needs of a rapidly growing suburban clientele. “We had to do that to survive,” says Roger, sporting a light blue shirt with the words Double K Feed on one line and Roger on the line below in red. Today 90 percent of Double K’s sales are feed for small animals, lawn maintenance products, and specialty items like birdhouses, animal traps, and animal cages. While the flow of business at Double K remains steady, at times Kubicek longs for the days when Sarpy County was more rural. “It’s not so easy any more to go out into
November 2015
the country to see horses,” he says adjusting a cap with the words Purina Chow, Double K Feed, Papillion, NE above the bill. Kubicek credits David Black – Papillion’s mayor since 2009 – as a man whose hard work, policies, and planning are major reasons for the city’s growth. “David Black is as fine a person as I’ve ever met,” Roger says. “He’s always kept the businessman in mind.”
D
ouble K is much more than a feed store. Kubicek says it’s also a place his customers can come in, have a cup of coffee, talk University of Nebraska football, and discuss religion and politics. “Some of my customers are the best friends I’ve got,” he adds. “Double K is a gathering place for people in the community,” Dr. Masters says. “As Papillion and Sarpy County grow, this is one of the few remaining features of what had been a largely rural area. “For those people looking to attend an auction or sell equipment, they can look on the bulletin board Roger keeps up to date,” she continues. “Double K is one of the last remaining remnants of days gone by.” ubicek says the key to running a successful business is good service. “We can do a lot
K
more for our customers than just sell them a product. You treat people right and they’ll treat you right.” Roger has a unique way to thank his customers. He grows tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers in front of and on the sides of the 50 by 90 foot Double K building, and then gives the produce away. “That’s what we do for landscaping,” he says. “The beauty of Double K is the service,” Dr. Masters says. “I appreciate Roger, Gaye, Frank, Gary, and Harold. They make an effort to know your name, carry out your purchase, and offer you a few tomatoes.”
A
t age 65, Kubicek isn’t sure how much longer he’ll keep working 75 hours a week, a commitment he believes is necessary to keep Double K viable. When Roger does retire, he wants to build a house in a rural area where he and his family can hunt mushrooms, turkeys, and deer. “There’s a sadness in thinking this mainstay of rural America may come to an end one day soon,” Dr. Masters says. “Going into a box store where you’re just another customer will not be the same.” While hard work and loyal customers have been important, Roger says the key to Double K’s success over the last 35 years is simple. “We’ve been blessed.”