Zest 50+ Living

Zest

MAY 2016

For 50+ living

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ON AIR

Minnesota Senior Games seeks more volunteers Meeker Memorial Hospital remodels its Center for Senior Behavioral Health Follow these tips before selling your home

Tim Bergstrom achieves a broadcasting milestone, airing his 5,000th ‘Newsmaker’ radio show

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS MAY

Music in May “Music in May” will include live country music by Dave Stottrup at 2 p.m. May 15 at the Litchfield Opera House, 136 N. Marshall Ave. Cost is $5 and includes dessert and beverage.

Paws on Parade The annual Paws on Parade Benefit Pet Walk for the Heart of Minnesota Animal Shelter will be May 21 at McLeod County Fairgrounds Commercial Building in Hutchinson. People can come with or without a pet to this free, family friendly event. Pledge forms are available at the shelter, located on the fairgrounds, or online at www.heartofminnesota.org.

Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the walk starts at 10 a.m. People can pay a $5 fee to be eligible for door prizes.

Other events include raffles, silent auction, coloring contest, vendor booths, and a Minnesota Canine

concerts on Thursday evenings.

Concerts run from 6 to 8 p.m., starting June 2 and continuing through Aug. 11. Bring your own chair. There is no band Aug. 4.

Search, Rescue & Tracking demonstration. For information, call the shelter at 320-234-9699.

Memorial Day Memorial Day events, services and parades will take place in a number of local towns the last weekend of May to commemorate Memorial Day, May 30. Check your local newspaper, VFW, American Legion or school for details.

Hutchinson Music in the Park Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism hosts Music in the Park, a free summer concert series on Monday evenings in Library Square Park. A local nonprofit social host will sell food, and Historic Hutch sells popcorn and drinks. Bring your own chair.

JUNE Silver Lake Music in the Park There will be Music in the Park in Silver Lake every Thursday evening starting June 30 and continuing through Aug. 4. A meal is available at 6 p.m., with music from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free prizes will be awarded.

Bring your own chair.

Litchfield Concerts in the Park The bandshell in Litchfield’s Central Park will be the site for free

Area festivals Summer festivals, fairs and celebrations begin in June, including: ◆ Manannah Daze, June 4. ◆ Hutchinson Water Carnival, June 13-19. ◆ Glencoe Days Celebration, June 23-25. ◆ Eden Valley’s Valley Daze, June 23-26.

Celebrate the joy of You. Making your funeral arrangements in advance is a celebration of you. Your funeral will be exactly as you planned. No matter who you are, or how old you are, it’s never too early to plan ahead.

If you would like more information on planning ahead, please give Erin Riebe a call at (320) 693-8151.

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Zest For 50+ living

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CONTENTS

story: 8 Cover Tim Bergstrom, news director at KLFD radio in Litchfield, airs his 5,000th Newsmaker show

MAY 2016 Vol. 7 No. 3 PUBLISHED BY Litchfield Independent Review P.O. Box 307, Litchfield, MN 55355 320-693-3266 Hutchinson Leader 170 Shady Ridge Road NW, Suite 100 Hutchinson, MN 55350 320-587-5000 PUBLISHER Brent Schacherer schacherer@hutchinsonleader.com 320-234-4143

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In the news: Nation marks 5 Older Americans Month in May

NEWS Juliana Thill, editor thill@independentreview.net 320-593-4808 Litchfield office 320-234-4172 Hutchinson office ADVERTISING Kevin True, advertising director true@hutchinsonleader.com 320-234-4141 Sales representatives Paul Becker • 320-234-4147 becker@hutchinsonleader.com Colleen Piechowski • 320-234-4146 piechowski@hutchinsonleader.com Joy Schmitz • 320-234-4140 schmitz@hutchinsonleader.com Dawn Maleska • 320-593-4803 maleska@independentreview.net Greg McManus • 320-593-4802 mcmanus@independentreview.net SUBSCRIPTION OR ADDRESS CHANGE Michelle Magnuson • 320-234-4142 magnuson@hutchinsonleader.com PRINTED BY Crow River Press 170 Shady Ridge Road NW Hutchinson, MN 55350 Zest is published monthly by the Litchfield Independent Review and Hutchinson Leader newspapers. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.

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In the news: Meeker Memorial Hospital almost finished 6 with remodeling its Center for Senior Behavioral Health, which serves primarily people with dementia

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In the news: Minnesota Senior Games seeks volunteers

12 Money matters: Selling a home requires planning 13 Medicare: An Explanation of Benefits is not a bill for services 14 Recipes: Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing, and Awesome Apple Butter Breakfast Cake are delicious options

MAY 2016 | ZEST

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A WARM WELCOME

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im Bergstrom is as close to a living radio legend in Litchfield as they come.

KLFD radio listeners have counted on Bergstrom to deliver the local news — including meeting coverage from city council, county board, and school board meetings — and present his “Newsmaker” show. For the past 20 years, listeners have tuned their radio to 1410-AM at 8:20 a.m. to listen to his broadcasts, as he interviews guests about a variety of topics. He has racked up an impressive 5,000 shows at the age of 52. He’s a local boy, who has kept the focus of his shows local, to promote the good things going on in the area. Read more about Bergstrom, who is our cover story this month.

Spring has arrived, and April showers brought May flowers into bloom. May is a month of fresh beginnings.

Perennials blossom again, blazing a trail of bright color.

May also is when we celebrate Older American’s Month, acknowledging the perennial contributions of older adults to our nation. The 2016 Older Americans Month theme is Blaze a Trail. The Administration for Community Living will use this opportunity to raise awareness about issues facing older adults, and to recognize older Americans for their contributions to the nation. Read some interesting facts about older Americans on the facing page.

Also in the magazine, we have a story about a $1.5 mil-

lion remodeling project at Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield that involves updating its Center Senior Behavioral Health. The center helps older adults who are dealing with dementia.

May also is when we celebrate Mother’s Day and May Day. Did you have any children drop off a little basket of treats at your door on May 1 for May Day? As a child, and even Juliana Thill now as a parent, I love May Day. My Editor mother helped me and my sisters fill homemade baskets with treats, and now I do the same with my children. It was, and still is, a day filled with smiles and laughter, bringing joy to others with a simple gift.

Another gift people can give is the gift of their time.

West Elementary School in Hutchinson needs volunteers to listen to first-graders as they read. What a boost to the child’s confidence to have an adult give them positive feedback; and seeing those kids smile just warms your heart.

Finally, to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, godmothers and others who are like a mother to others, Happy Mother’s Day!

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IN THE NEWS

Nation celebrates older Americans

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hen President Kennedy established Senior Citizens Month in 1963, about 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. In 1980, President Carter’s proclamation changed the name to Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older. By 2014, there were more than 46 million Americans who were 65 or older. The U.S. Census Bureau compiled facts about older Americans:

98 million

53,364

Projected population of people 65 and older in 2060. People in this age group would comprise nearly one in four U.S. residents at that time.

The number of people age 100 and older counted by the 2010 Census.

57.6 percent Percentage of people 65 and older who were married in 2015.

9 million Estimated number of people 65 and older who were veterans of the U.S. armed forces in 2014.

24.4 percent

Percentage of people 65 and older in 2015 who were widowed.

79 percent Percentage of householders 65 and older who owned their homes in 2015.

71 percent Percentage of those 65 and older who lived in homes with computers in 2013. And 62.4 percent accessed the internet through high-speed internet connection.

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Cataracts - A clouding of the eye’s lens which alters how light focuses in the eye.

Macular Degeneration - Leading cause of blindness in older Americans that causes the central part of your vision to become blurry or wavy and could cause a blind spot in the center of your vision.

Pterygium - A growth that starts on the white part of the eye that can spread and involve the cornea and cause vision loss.

Corneal Sunburn - Very painful and may cause a temporary loss of vision.

Skin Cancer - May develop on or around the eyelids.

Protect your eyes this summer from the sun by wearing proper eye protection and hats to block UV lights. Make sure your sunglasses filter out 100% of the UV rays, reduce glare, and do not distort color.

At Regional Eye Center, we provide high quality eye exams to check for all of these eye health issues.

Our optical center has a wide selection of prescription and non-prescription sunglasses.

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IN THE NEWS

Hospital remodels Center for Senior Behavioral Health Workers near completion of renovations to wing at Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield

An artist’s rendering of Meeker Memorial Hospital’s remodel of the Center for Senior Behavioral Health shows the updated nurses’ station and common area.

By Martha Lueders CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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reating a more welcoming environment at Meeker Memorial Hospital’s Center for Senior Behavioral Health is a top priority for the project’s architect, Paul DeVetter.

“When I came into the unit the first thing I noticed was that there was no sense of place,” DeVetter said.

The unit had been a long hallway devoid of any large, open areas. Near the patients’ bedrooms was a small room for activities, with the nurses’ station nearby in another room.

Five months later, the $1.56 million remodeling project is near completion, with an open house planned for early

June at the hospital in Litchfield.

The new wing, designed primarily for dementia patients, will have a large common area, where a dining room and sitting space will be installed.

Nearby is the nurses’ station, where nurses will be able to see patients in the common area and down the hall where patient bedrooms are located.

The common area will allow dementia patients to move around, which is

helpful for their treatment, Anne McKinley, behavior health nurse manager, said.

This month, crews will add the finishing touches to the hospital wing.

Windows will be installed, walls painted, floors tiled and furniture moved in by the end of May. Martha Lueders is a staff writer at the Litchfield Independent Review

Senior Games kick off in May Minnesota athletic competition, which takes place in St. Cloud, seeks volunteers to help. Organization also can try to match players to teams.

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he Minnesota Senior Games are looking for energetic, dedicated volunteers to help during the athletic competition May 19-22 in St. Cloud.

Each volunteer shift will run three to four hours. Positions include athlete check in, scorekeeping, staff assistant, and hospitality. Each volunteer will receive a T-shirt, and volunteers who sign up for two or more shifts will be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card. People can sign up to volunteer at www.mnseniorgames.com or send an email to rsvp.msg@ci.stcloud.mn.us Minnesota Senior Games is an athletic competition for people age 50 and older. If people are looking for a team to play on, they should send an email to registration@gran-

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itecountry.com to get on a player pick-up list.

In the email, include the following information to be placed on the list: name, gender, age group, team sport, positions, phone number and email. Your contact information will be shared with other people looking for players/teams. Be prepared to be contacted by someone other than the Minnesota Senior Games with player/team needs.

People who are looking for players for their team, email registration@granitecountry.com to see if there is someone that could be added to your team. In the email, indicate what type of player needed: gender, age group, team sport, position, captain name, captain phone number, and captain email.

There is no guarantee that people can get matched up with a player/team.

Information and updates is available on the MN Senior State Games Facebook page.

People can interact with others who have participated, write on the page to ask question or leave a comment, write a review for the games or browse through pictures.

Find more information • On the website: www.mnsenior games.com • On Facebook: www.facebook.com/ MN-Senior-StateGames

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IN THE NEWS

West Elementary in Hutchinson seeks senior citizens to listen to kids read

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est Elementary School in Hutchinson seeks older adults to volunteer with the school’s Senior Listeners program.

“To become involved all you need to be willing to do is listen to first-graders who are excited about reading,” said Lisa Rasmussen, a West Elementary first-grade teacher, who helps organize the school’s Senior Listeners program.

Volunteers in the program visit West Elementary during designated Fridays and help a pair of students read.

Kids are paired up by reading level before they head to the school’s lunch room, where they find a volunteer to listen or help if necessary.

“The kids enjoy reading out loud to them,” she said.

In recent weeks the volunteer roster has been a little smaller than usual, and the school is looking for more people to help May 6, May 13 and May 27. For more information about the program or its schedule, call Rasmussen at West Elementary at 320-587-4470.

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PHOTOS BY BRENT SCHACHERER

KLFD radio’s news director Tim Bergstrom talks with Litchfield School District Superintendent Dan Frazier during a “Newsmaker” program in mid-April. Bergstrom celebrated his 5,000 “Newsmaker” episode on April 29.

Bergstrom reaches a broadcasting benchmark KLFD’s news director Tim Bergstrom airs his 5,000th ‘Newsmaker’ radio show after 20 years in the business 8

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im Bergstrom enjoys a good chat. And after two decades on the air at KLFD radio in Litchfield, the 52-year-old Grove City native has had his share of chats.

Five thousand of them.

And counting.

Bergstrom’s “Newsmaker” interview program hit the 5,000-show milestone on April 29.

That’s about 250 shows every year for the past 20 years.

“I don’t think I’ll make 10,000,” Bergstrom joked recently while enjoying an By Brent Schacherer afternoon cup of coffee just PUBLISHER across main street from the KLFD studios which have played such a major role in his life. “I’d be 72 years old if I tried to get to 10,000.”

When he started the program in 1996, Bergstrom had no illusions of grandeur. Still doesn’t, in fact.

“It’s not like I’m trying to do great things,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just really to help get the word out for groups, to give them a little publicity.”

The 10-minute “Newsmaker” show begins at 8:20

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COVER STORY I thought that rather than be the type of person digging for dirt, I’d like to be the type that instructs and tells the good things.

a.m. Monday through Friday, with Bergstrom interviewing people who often have a local event coming up, or a local cause to support and want to share the information with listeners.

It’s Bergstrom’s low-key approach that has made “Newsmaker” the popular show it is with guests and listeners. He has an ability to put guests at ease and his radio voice and interview style is enjoyed by listeners.

He doesn’t seek out high-profile guests. To the contrary, Bergstrom said, he’s had plenty of requests from guests with significant public profiles to be on the show, and he has politely declined because they’re not from Meeker County.

Similarly, where other talk-show hosts have found their niche with controversial or risqué subjects, Bergstrom has done his best to avoid that route.

“I could talk about real heavy issues, but that’s not what I want this to be,” he said. “I want real people talking.”

Many of those real people are folks Bergstrom knows as a result of spending most of his life in the region.

Though he describes himself as a shy kid while growing up on a farm near Grove City, Bergstrom said he always had an interest in radio and television. He dreamed of being on the air, doing the work of those he listened to and watched.

But that goal kind of went by the wayside as he graduated from Grove City High School and went on to St. Cloud State University, where he earned a marketing degree. Instead of broadcasting, Bergstrom was pursing a career in business after college.

While working a couple of less-thanfulfilling jobs after college, he continued to think about his real career goal.

Then, one day, a co-worker at a St. Cloud department store, who had heard him talking about his broadcasting idea, told Bergstrom about the

TIM BERGSTROM, news director at KLFD radio

Tim Bergstrom grew up in Grove City and dreamed of a career in broadcasting. He earned a marketing degree at St. Cloud State University. A few years later, he returned to school for broadcasting and eventually found his way back to Meeker County as news director at KLFD. television and radio school in Austin, Minnesota. “(Working retail sales) was getting old,” Bergstrom said. “I thought, ‘You know, I’m going to pursue my dream.’”

By 1993, he was attending Austin Technical College and learning the broadcasting trade.

A year later, he returned to Grove City to help his mother, Bette, “wrap things up” after the death of his father.

While there, he learned about an internship at KWLM in Willmar and got the job.

Though he hoped the internship might turn into a full-time job, Bergstrom said, it didn’t seem like the station managers were thinking the same thing when the “internship” extended for about a year with no discussion of it becoming a full-time job.

In the meantime, Bergstrom took a weekend job at KLFD in Litchfield.

And, when the KWLM management decided to hire someone else for an

open on-air position, at almost the same time, Bob Greenhow and Steve Neighbors, owners of KLFD at the time, offered him their open news director position, Bergstrom made the jump.

That was Jan. 1, 1996. A few weeks later, Neighbors strolled into Bergstrom’s office at KLFD and pitched the idea for “Newsmaker.”

“He said, ‘We have this idea for doing this show every morning, and we have a sponsor,’” Bergstrom recalled.

The first “Newsmaker” guest was Mary Neu, then a volunteer coordinator for Augustana Homes. That set the tone for what the show would be during the next 20 years — local people talking about local organizations or programs.

Early on, Bergstrom said, he made many calls to prospective “Newsmaker” guests to ensure he had the calendar filled. It doesn’t take nearly

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COVER STORY

that much effort these days because people often are calling him asking to be on the show. “(The calendar) usually fills up three or four weeks in advance now,” he said.

“Sometimes I’ve had more than one person on.”

He says all of this so matter-of-factly that it would be easy to lose sight of the accomplishment. Bergstrom’s “Newsmaker” show went on the air the same year: President Clinton was campaigning for a second term in the White House. Dolly the sheep was the first successfully cloned mammal. And Toshiba had launched the first DVD player.

Oh, and the show’s original — and only — sponsor the past 20 years was known by another name. Lutheran Brotherhood agents in Litchfield were the sponsors Neighbors found for “Newsmaker” in 1996. Lutheran Brotherhood merged with Aid Association for Lutherans in 2002 to become Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and now are known as Thrivent Financial.

Thrivent Financial, with its local office, and local agents and programs, fit the “Newsmaker” focus, and thus it seemed fitting to Bergstrom to make those agents his guests for his 5,000th show.

Bergstrom didn’t need the risqué or controversial.

“I thought that rather than be the type of person digging for dirt, I’d like to be the type that instructs and tells the good things,” Bergstrom told the Litchfield Independent Review back in 2000, as he prepared to air his 1,000th “Newsmaker.”

And so he has.

As news director for the station, Bergstrom’s duties go far beyond that 10-minute “Newsmaker” time slot, of course. He is a fixture at Litchfield City Council and School Board meetings, Meeker County Board meetings and a host of other meetings and events, so he can report on them for the radio station.

He’s also responsible for the daily newscasts at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., noon and 5 p.m., as well as an hour in the studio live from 9 to 10 a.m. each day.

His professional life often blurs with his personal life. There have been many instances in which Bergstrom shows up as the KLFD “news guy” cov-

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Siblings Juli Johnson and Tim Bergstrom read an excerpt from one of the books published by The Litchfield Area Writers Group. Both Johnson and Bergstrom have been members of the group since 1991.

FILE PHOTO

ering an event or organization, only to be drafted as a member of the organization.

Community involvement Litchfield’s Peanut Butter and Milk committee, which plans and executes the cultural exchange between Litchfield and Hartford, Alabama, is one example of that. He originally reported on the exchange, which sends a group of Meeker County residents to Alabama every November, and brings an Alabama group to Meeker County each February. He now heads publicity for the committee, and he’s traveled to Alabama three times, as well as played an integral role in the weeklong programming for the Alabamans’ February visit to Minnesota.

As for mixing business and pleasure, Bergstrom sees no way around it sometimes. More importantly, he believes there shouldn’t be a way around it.

“In a small town, I think you almost need to be part of some of these things,” he said. “You need to live it.”

Other “living it” experiences include bicycling throughout the Upper Midwest each summer with a group of local people, and being a member of the Litchfield Area Writers Group.

Bergstrom also participates in a Bible study at First Baptist Church in Grove City, for which he is researching congregation history in preparation for the church’s 150th anniversary this summer.

Litchfield Area Writers Group, which meets monthly under the guidance of Litchfield authors Joe and Nancy Paddock, has published a book of their meeting-inspired work each year around the holidays since 1996.

Initially, Bergstrom’s mother, Bette, was invited into the group, and soon he and his sister, Julianne Johnson, both writers at heart, were extended similar invitations.

Bergstrom enjoys the friendships fostered in the tight-knit group, and he appreciates the creative outlet. “(Writing) is sort of therapy,” he said. “If you have something on your mind, you sit down at the keyboard and just go to town. I’ve worked out some things doing that. A lot of times, I’ll write humorous things, but it’s good to work out some of the sad times in your life, too.”

The writers group, like all of the other activities in which he’s involved, give Bergstrom a richer experience — and strong community connections — from which to draw in his news gathering and “Newsmaker” duties.

And though typically low-key when asked about staying in the same job for 20 years, Bergstrom seems quite pleased with his career on the radio.

“The news is different every day. It’s a fun atmosphere to be in,” he said, then added with a chuckle, “Maybe I’m crazy? I don’t know. What else are you going to do?” ■

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MONEY MATTERS

Selling a home requires planning Review finances, research whether improvements will pay off at sale time

A

s the economy improves, today’s sellers face a different environment than they did before the housing market stumbled in 2006.

Today’s housing market features new procedures and standards, not the least of which are continuing borrowing hurdles for prospective buyers. If you are thinking about a home sale in the coming months, it pays to do a thorough overview of your personal finances and local real estate environment before you put up the “for sale” sign.

Here are some general issues to consider: ◆ Make sure you’re not underwater. You may want to buy a new home, but can you afford to sell? The term “underwater” refers to the amount of money a seller owes on a house in excess of final sales proceeds. If what you owe on the home — including all selling costs due at closing — exceeds the agreed-upon sale price, then you will have to pay the difference out of pocket. If you’re not in a situation where you absolutely have to sell now, you might want to wait until your financial circumstances and the real estate market improve. ◆ Evaluate your finances. Before you sell, make sure you are ready to buy or rent. Making sure all three of your credit reports (www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action) are accurate is an important part of that process. ◆ Consider “for sale by owner” vs. “for sale by broker.” “For Sale

by Owner” signs were a common sight in many neighborhoods during the housing crisis. Shrunken home values convinced many sellers to sell their property themselves rather than pay

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Consider what a licensed real estate broker could accomplish in your specific situation. Many experienced brokers have market knowledge and negotiating skills that could potentially get a better price for your property than a For Sale By Owner.

Nathaniel Sillin Director of Visa’s financial education program

5 to 6 percent of profit in broker commission. However, consider what a licensed real estate broker could accomplish in your specific situation.

Many experienced brokers have market knowledge and negotiating skills that could potentially get a better price for your property. Deciding which route to take shouldn’t be an overnight decision. Check leading FSBO and broker sites and talk with knowledgeable friends, attorneys and real estate professionals to learn as much as you can. ◆ Think twice before spending on improvements. Not every home construction project pays off at sale

time. Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report tracks pricing and cost recovery for leading remodeling projects. Before fixing up a bathroom, kitchen or any other area of your home, research whether the work will pay for itself at sale. For many sellers, it might be advantageous to hire a licensed home inspector to identify any structural, mechanical or major appliance repair issues that could delay or compromise a sale. ◆ Don’t forget moving costs.

According to the American Moving and Storage Association, a leading industry trade group, the average professional interstate move of 1,220 miles costs an average of $5,630; in state, the average moving cost is $1,170. After all the costs involved in selling a home, don’t forget how much it costs to relocate.

Bottom line: Selling your home requires planning. Before putting it on the market, get solid, qualified advice on how to sell smart in a stillrecovering housing market.

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MEDICARE

Explanation of Benefits summarizes services received; it is not a bill Dear Marci, My Medicare Advantage Plan sent me a notice called an Explanation of Benefits. What is this notice, and how do I make sense of it?

— Louis Dear Louis, An Explanation of Benefits is a notice that your Medicare Advantage Plan typically sends you after you receive health care services or items. EOBs are usually mailed once per month and might be available online. An EOB is not a bill; it is a summary of services or items you received.

Each plan formats its EOB differently, but in general your EOB should tell you: ◆ How much your provider billed the plan. ◆ How much your plan will pay. This amount may be different from the amount your provider billed. This is because plans have negotiated rates with providers that work with the plan, and the plan will only pay up to its approved amount for services. ◆ How much you might owe. This column might be called “patient responsibility.” As noted, the EOB is not a bill. It simply is informing you of the amount you might owe. Your provider will send you a bill for the services you received. You might be responsible for a bill, if you owe a co-payment or co-insurance, have not yet reached your deductible, or if your service was denied coverage.

If your EOB shows that your plan did not approve payment or coverage for a service you received, you can appeal. Look for footnotes on the EOB that explain why the service was denied. This will be useful in writing your appeal. An appeal is when you ask your health insurance plan to reconsider its decision to deny coverage of a service or item you received. There should be instructions about how to appeal included on the last page of your EOB, and you will need to start your appeal within 60 days of the date of the notice. If possible, ask your provider to help with the appeal by including relevant medical records and a letter of support.

EOBs contain important information about your appeal rights and the services you received. You should read these notices carefully and contact your plan and provider if you have any questions, or if you see services listed that you don’t recognize.

— Marci

Are you aware of your benefits?

Federal and State Benefits May Include: • Medical Care • Compensation • Burial Benefits • Pension • State Dental and • Dependent’s and Survivor’s Benefits Optical Care *Benefits subject to approval the Department of Veterans Affairs We offer rides to VA medical appts at the

Minneapolis (even days) and St. Cloud (odd days) VA Medical Centers.

To schedule a ride call 320-693-5445

Don Dufner

Veterans Service Officer

320-693-5445

Please call Don or Linda Meeker County Family Services Bldg.

114 N. Holcombe Ave. Suite 120 Litchfield, MN 55355

“Dear Marci” is a service of the Medicare Rights Center, the largest independent source of Medicare information and assistance in the United States. For more information, call the center’s toll-free helpline at 800-333-4114.

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FOOD & FUN Greek Pasta Salad with Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2 cup plain Greek nonfat yogurt 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Garlic Powder 1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Dill Weed 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Oregano, Mediterranean 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Sicilian Sea Salt 8 ounces pasta, such as cellentani or gemelli 2 cups broccoli florets 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing, place cucumber, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, dill, oregano and sea salt in blender container; cover.

Blend on high speed until smooth.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the pasta salad, cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli during last 1 minute of cooking.

Rinse under cold water; drain well.

Place cooked pasta, broccoli, tomatoes and onions in large bowl. Add Cucumber Yogurt Dressing; toss gently to coat. Top with olives and feta cheese. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

SOURCE: WWW.CULINARY.NET/ MCCORMICK & CO.

Crossword puzzle Across 1. Butterfly, e.g.

7. Lively intelligence 13. Sisterly 14. Sea cows 16. Lead 17.Arms on a shirt 18. Golden Triangle country 19.“Snowy” bird 21. Revenuers 22.Afflict 23. Carbonium, e.g.

24.“The Catcher in the ___” 25. Become unhinged 27. ___-key children 29. ___-friendly 30. Inquisition target 32. Heartfelt 34.“The Joy Luck Club” author 35. Good, in the ‘hood 36. Disperse 40. Smoothness 44. Pay (up) 45. Cache 47.Abbr. after many a general’s name 48.A pint, maybe 49.Wasting time away 50. Kind of shot 51. Cakewalk 53.“Amen!”

14

ZEST | MAY 2016

Crossword puzzle answer on Page 15 55.All-inclusive 56. Bronze age archaeological site 58. It goes around the world 60. Feeling 61. Restarts 62.A, B or C 63. Just out

Down 1. Glacier debris 2. Small area between things 3.Therapists for health (short) 4.“___ we having fun yet?”

5. Earned 6. Melancholy

7. Core 8. Bank deposit 9. Grand ___ (“Evangeline” setting) 10.Atoll protector 11. 2, to 1/2 12. Decorates 60’s-style 13. Ostentation 15. Declare 20. Decay 26. Minor 27. Like composition paper 28.Addiction 29.Anesthetized 31. Sylvester, to Tweety 33.Amscrayed 36. Small electric discharge 37. Silver eagle wearer 38. Buttercup family member 39. One who edits 40. Deep siren used by ships 41. Southwestern Asia group 42.Teacher and _____ 43. Garden tools 46. Hard throw, in baseball 52.“Check this out!”

53.Automatic 54. Certain surgeon’s “patient” 55. Clean by rubbing 57. Convened 59. Fiddle stick

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FOOD & FUN

Corkboard

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May is a marvelous month, whether you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, or the fishing opener

CLOCK REPAIR IR AT

QUALITY CLOCK REPA REASONABLE RATES

GREG HEATH

E 602 S ARMSTRONG AV 55 553 MN LITCHFIELD, HOME-320-693-7476 CELL-320-221-4579

Awesome Apple Butter Breakfast Cake 2 1/4 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick) 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 cups Musselman's Apple Butter Topping: 1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut 1/3 cup pecans, chopped 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted In bowl, stir together baking mix, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, egg and 2 tablespoons of melted SOURCE: WWW.CULINARY.NET/ butter. Pour two-thirds MUSSELMAN'S APPLE BUTTER of batter into 8-by-8-by2-inch glass baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with apple butter. Drop remaining batter by spoonful on top. Combine coconut, pecans, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons butter.

Sprinkle on top of cake. Bake at 350°F for approximately one hour, until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Answer to Crossword Puzzle published on Page 14

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MAY 2016 | ZEST

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