Happenings for Seniors

Collections

North Hills Community Outreach collects safety items for seniors. For details, visit nhco.org or call Cathy, (412) 307-0069 x3313.

Health & Wellness

Free Services for Seniors through North Hills Community Outreach. Help with rides to medical appts., grocery stores, yard work. Call Cathy at (412) 307-0069 ext. 3313 or Kerry at (412) 449-0151 to schedule an inhome registration visit. Healthy Start Café, 8:45 a.m., every Mon & Thurs, St. John Lutheran Church of Highland, 311 Cumberland Rd. Presented by Lutheran SeniorLife & St. John Lutheran Church of Highland. Call (412) 364-1606 or (412) 307-1797. North Hill Community Outreach provides Safety Checks for Seniors. Interested seniors who reside in northern Allegheny County should email Cathy at clpschirer@ nhco.org or call (412) 307-0069 x3313. Pennsylvania consumers are encouraged to sign up for a text alert system through his Bureau of Consumer Protection to raise their awareness on how to avoid becoming a scam victim. For info, visit https://www. attorneygeneral.gov/consumer-alerts/

Meals on Wheels

Aspinwall Meals on Wheels provides home cooked, home delivered meals to the elderly, homebound and disabled. Services Blawnox, Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg, and O’Hara. Call (412) 820-8350. McKnight Meals on Wheels provides home delivered meals to the elderly, homebound and disabled. Services Ross Twp., Berkeley Hills, Swan Acres, McCandless, Shaler & Hampton Townships. Call (412) 487-4088. North Country Meal on Wheels provides home delivered meals to the elderly, homebound & disabled. Services Marshall, Pine, Richland, Bradford Woods, Franklin Park, parts of McCandless, West Deer, Cranberry, Adams, Seven Fields, Mars & Valencia. Call (724) 935-1877.

Medical

North Hills Community Outreach offers free medication safety screenings for seniors liv

ing in northern Allegheny County, north of the city of Pittsburgh. For details contact, Cathy at (412) 307-0069, ext. 3313.

Spiritual

2nd Act, ages 55+, 10 a.m.-noon, 2nd Thur. thru May 14, Wexford, lobby, Orchard Hill. Fosters spiritual growth thru music, inspirational speakers & outreach projects. For info, visit orchardhillchurch.com.

Senior Facilities

UPMC Senior Communities offers independent living & personal care. For details, call 1-800-324-5523.

Bereavement Support Group (for Widows/ Widowers over 50), 1-2:30 p.m., 2nd & 4th Wed., St. Sebastian, Haber Hall. To register, call (412) 366-1300. Home Instead Senior Care® has a program to help families in Northwest Allegheny County manage the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Free training is available at HelpForAlzheimersFamilies.com. Paramount Senior Living at Cranberry Alzheimer’s Affiliated Support Group meets 2 p.m., the last Friday. Contact Pam, at (724) 779-5020.

Tax Prep

Senior Meetings

Cranberry Township 55+ Club meets at 1 p.m., the 2nd Tues., of the month in the Cranberry Municipal Center. The club features activities, social events and local trips. For info, call Bill at (724) 776-1933. Friends and Fun 55+ Singles meet at 7 p.m., every 1st Friday, at St. Ferdinand’s, Rochester Rd., Cranberry Twp., Oldenski Hall, Upper Room. Call (724) 816-2159. Friendship Groups for Visually Impaired, Men’s Group meets every Weds. 1-3:15 p.m., Knitting & Crocheting Circle meets every Weds., 1-3:15 p.m., Monthly Meeting 2nd Thurs. from 1:15-3:15 p.m., The Lunch Bunch meets 4th Thurs. from 11 a.m.- 1:30 p.m., The Talking Book Club meets 1st Mon., 1-2:30 p.m., at Berkeley Hills Lutheran Church, Sangree Rd., Ross. Call (724) 444-0064. Primetimers, noon, first Thurs of the month, Christ Church Grove Farm, Ohio Twp. Call (412) 741-4900 or visit http://www.ccgf.org.

Social Groups

Amazing Singles, for singles in the Pittsburgh region, visit, http://www.amazingsingles.com/pittsburgh.html. AUP Club, have fun & meet new people with the Association of University People/AUP. We are looking for single, 4-year college graduates over 50 to join us for monthly dinners, meet at various social spots, gatherings and Scrabble. For info, call (412) 734-8445 or visit us at www.aupsinglespittsburgh.org. Catholic Alumni Club of Pittsburgh, has dances, retreats and plays various sports and other great events. Visit their website http://www.cacpittsburgh.org/. Visit Pittsburgh Events & Festivals lists upcoming events for singles, kids, and married folks. It enlightens Pittsburghers on dining, shopping and recreational events. Go to http:// www.visitpittsburgh.com/events-festivals.

Support Groups

AARP & Northland Library tax prep for seniors & low-income residents, 9 a.m.- noon, Tues & Thurs., Feb. 4-Apr. 14, at Northland Library. NO Walk-ins! Call State Senator Lindsey Williams’ office to schedule your appt (412) 364-0469.

Trips

St. Alexis Over 50 Club Trip: Seneca Niagara Three Casino Trip, Mar. 25-27, $285 PP DBL Occup; $420, PP Single Occup. For details, call Dave at (412) 366-3789.

Volunteer Opportunities

Hope Hospice is looking for volunteers to visit Hospice patients. Call (412) 367-3685. Lighthouse Foundation is looking for volunteers to help in the food pantry for prep and packing, distribution, & greeters. For details, contact Lee Ann at (724)586-5554. Neighborly Gnomes assist seniors with disabilities with yard tasks. Visit NeedsbyNeighborhood.org. North Hills Community Outreach needs volunteer dispatchers for their senior shuttles. For info, contact Kerry at kkmulhern@ nhco.org or (412) 449-0151. North Hills Community Outreach urgently needs volunteers in the upper Route 28 corridor to help seniors. Visit http://nhco. org/volunteer-opportunities/volunteer-helpseniors/. For details, call Kerry, (412) 449- 0151 or kkmulhern@nhco.org. Pittsburgh OASIS Intergenerational Tutor Program is seeking volunteers (50+) to tutor in Pittsburgh Public, Wilkinsburg and Woodland Hills School Districts in grade K-4. Trainings held at 411 Seventh Ave., Suite 525 (Duquesne Light Building) downtown Pittsburgh. Training, materials & clearances are provided. For info or to register, call 412) 393-7648 or email jdspehar@oasisnet.org. Ursuline Services’ Checks and Balances program assists those who have difficulty with financial affairs. Register at (412) 224-4700 x113 or ktobin@ursulinesupport.org.

Military LEAP By Paula Green

Folks all over the country cheered with elation on January 1, as we not only welcomed in a New Year but also a new decade. As a bonus, this year, we celebrate the special event that only occurs every four years – Leap Day.

The origin of Leap Day is traced back to the days of Julius Caesar when the ancients were transitioning from the Roman to the Julian calendar. They determined that a solar year was 365.25 days. They felt that by adding one calendar day every four years it would balance the annual quarter day. While that could be considered a reasonably accurate calculation for their time, an actual solar year is approximately 365.242 days. Whatever the mathematics may be, it is fun to take a “leap” every four years.

In the military, the term LEAP appears quite frequently. It has several different meanings and connotations. In honor of Leap Day, we’re going to look at a few of those.

The Air Force term LEAP stands for Language Enabled Airman Program. LEAP is designed and managed by the Air Force Culture and Language Center (AFCLC) to sustain, enhance and utilize the existing language skills and talents of Airmen. The goal of LEAP is to develop a core group of generalpurpose force (GPF) Airmen across specialties and careers, possessing the capability to communicate in one or more foreign languages.

Another military LEAP meaning is Leadership Effectiveness Attribute Profile. The leader’s attributes are the inner or personal qualities that constitute effective leadership. They may include characteristics such as vision, values, character, motives, habits, traits, competencies, style, behaviors and skills.

In the Army – LEAP stands for Logistics Efficiencies to increase Army Power. Logistics is the transfer of personnel and material from one location to another. It also incorporates the maintenance of that material. Another thing that LEAP stands for is Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile. It is a lightweight miniaturized kinetic kill vehicle designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere. LEAP also can be therapeutic as in Lowcountry Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. LEAP brings horses and experienced, highly trained therapists together to assist those who are experiencing behavioral, emotional or psychological challenges such as PTSD. One such LEAP facility is located in Wadmalaw, South Carolina. Details can be found at http://www.leapinsc.org/ horseshelpinghumanity. Another equestrian therapy dwelling that assists military personnel deal with trauma is in Odessa, Florida. It is called Quantum Leap-Farm. They strive to help participants overcome physical and emotional barriers through their equine-assisted therapeutic programs. For more info, visit https://www.quantumleapfarm.org/about/mission/. n

Second in Command: Vice Presidential Trivia By Paula Green

February 17 is Presidents Day. It’s a time to honor the men who have served as president of the United States. One question comes to mind: What do we know about the second in command? This month we’re going to enlighten you on vicepresidential facts.

There have been 48 U.S. vice presidents. Fourteen of them eventually became president. Nine ascended to the presidency due to the death of the president, either by assassination or illness. Five others were elected president after finishing their vice-presidential terms. From 1788 to 1800, the presidential candidate who received the second most Electoral College votes was declared the vice president. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, changed the method that determines how the vice president is chosen.

In 1949, the term “Veep” for vice president was coined during Vice President Alben Barkley’s term. He served under Harry Truman and was the oldest VP at age 71. The youngest was John Breckinridge, who began serving at the age of 36 – just one year above the office’s age of eligibility.

William King, the 13th vice president, developed a tubercular cough soon after the election. He traveled to Havana, Cuba, with the hope that the warmer climate would help. Too ill to take the oath in Washington, D.C., in 1853, King became the only vice president to assume office while outside America. After being vice president for merely three weeks, he died in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. King was also the only vice president who was not married.

President James Madison had terrible luck with vice presidents; two of them died on the job. His first vice president, George Clinton, died suddenly in 1812, and then Madison’s next VP, Elbridge Gerry, died after less than two years in office.

A few VPs can brag about naming rights. Dallas, Texas, is named after George Dallas, vice president under James K. Polk. Breckinridge, Colorado, is named after John C. Breckinridge, vice president for James Buchanan. Fairbanks, Alaska, takes its name from Vice President Charles Fairbanks, who served under President Theodore Roosevelt.

The vice president lives on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO). The white, 19th Century house is located at One Observatory Circle in Washington, D.C. Current VP, Mike Pence, resides there along with his wife, Karen.

Now that we’ve educated you on vice-presidential facts, we must now leap into this “Veep” query. Get set to put on your thinking cap, because it’s time to get a little trivial... 1. This vice president shot and killed the secretary of the treasury. 2. The presidential theme is Hail to the Chief; what is the VP’s song? 3. Three former VPs, Lyndon Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin and Charles Dawes, were born on this date in August. 4. During the 1865 Presidential Inauguration, this VP-elect was drunk and slurred his words during his speech. 5. Until 1977, vice presidents were on their own for housing. He became the first to live in an official vice-presidential residence. 6. What are the term limits for the vice president of the United States? 7. This gentleman served as vice president, then president, but he wasn’t elected to either post. 8. Vice President Elbridge Gerry had this term named after him, which means to manipulate the boundaries. 9. One of the VP’s job duties is - he presides over what? 10. In 1832, John Calhoun became the first VP to resign; he became the second in 1973. 11. This former VP also served as president. At one point, he was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 12. How many VPs have won the Nobel Peace Prize? 13. He left the office of vice president in 1961 but wasn’t inaugurated as president until 1969. 14. Which VP served as the 32nd President and took over as president in 1945, when the standing president passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage? 15. If the president is ill (or under sedation), the vice president assumes presidential duties according to which amendment?

Sources: https://www.ranker.com/list/vice-presidents-who-became-president/ mike-rothschild, https://www.etymonline.com/word/veep, https://www.cbc.ca/ news/world/10-things-to-know-about-u-s-vice-presidents-1.1206684, https://www. ranker.com/list/vice-president-of-the-united-states-trivia-facts/mel-judson. www. funtrivia.com, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-vice-presidents-residence-office/

Answers: 1. Aaron Burr (killed Alexander Hamilton) 2. Hail Columbia 3. August 27 4. Andrew Johnson 5. Walter Mondale 6. none 7. Gerald Ford 8. gerrymandering 9. The Senate 10. Spiro Agnew 11. George H.W. Bush 12. three (Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Dawes & Al Gore) 13. Richard Nixon 14. Harry Truman 15. The 25th Amendment