Chester County 50plus Senior News August 2015

Chester County Edition

August 2015

Vol. 12 No. 8

Raising Furry Friends and Helpful Aids

By Rebecca Hanlon An ad in the newspaper jumped out at Susan Tyson one day 12 years ago as the large print declared: “Puppy raisers wanted.”

Having grown up around animals all her life, Tyson thought the task seemed interesting, if not a little fun.

“Who can resist a puppy?” she asked.

Becoming a puppy raiser meant more than cuddling with adorable balls of fur.

Instead, the Susquehanna Service Dogs, part of Keystone Human Services, was looking for volunteers to train, foster, and invest in the animals that would later serve people all over the East Coast.

These service dogs give people with disabilities increased ability to live full and independent lives in their community.

More than a decade after reading the ad, Tyson has raised 10 dogs and is working on No. 11.

It’s a calling that has kept the now 62-year-old woman active, engaged, and connected.

As a puppy raiser, Tyson receives a carefully bred puppy at just 8 weeks old.

She raises it for about 18 months, participating in numerous training classes and making sure the puppy follows some strict rules at home. That means no begging for table scraps.

The end result, she said, is not a pet, but an aid to people who need the full-time assistance of a service dog.

Tyson doesn’t stop at raising the puppies. She also helps birth new litters

please see FURRY FRIENDS page 16 Volunteer “puppy raiser” Susan Tyson has raised more than 10 service dogs in the last 12 years.

Inside:

The Uniquely Gorgeous Gorge page 2

Special Section: Memories of V-J Day page 9

Traveltizers

Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

The Uniquely Gorgeous Gorge

By Andrea Gross

I

’m standing on a narrow footbridge, surrounded by moss-laden trees and listening to the rumbling sounds of Oregon’s Multnomah Falls.

Looking up, I peer through the mist to see more than a thousand gallons of water per second cascading down the 620foot falls that many consider to be the most beautiful spot in the entire 80-mile Columbia River Gorge.

Officially the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, which parallels the river from The Dalles in the east to the outskirts of Portland in the west, the gorge consists of 292,500 acres in southern Washington and northern Oregon.

It’s possible to speed through it in an afternoon—a quick look here, a photo stop there—but it’s better to explore it more leisurely, whether cruising on a paddlewheeler like those that plied the Columbia River 150 years ago or by driving along the aptly named Historic

Booneville Lock and Dam spans the Columbia to connect Oregon and Washington.

Multnomah Falls is one of the highest year-round waterfalls in the United States.

By most counts, Mount Hood is the most climbed mountain in the United States.

Columbia River Highway.

From either vantage point, water or road, the views are magnificent—4,000foot-tall cliffs, towering mountains, abundant vegetation, and more waterfalls

than in any similarly sized area of North America. Why, there are more than 70 waterfalls just on the Oregon side of the river.

My husband and I stand on the bridge

and consider our options. Do we want to see more waterfalls? If so, we have our choice of at least 10 trails that will lead us through forests dotted with falls.

Or do we want breathtaking views, in which case we can undertake the 7-mile trek to the top of Larch Mountain?

A woman at the visitor center suggests we drive.

“That way you can see the views, hike around the mountaintop, and drive back down,” she says.

This strikes us as a brilliant solution and is exactly what we do. It’s a clear day and, as the song goes, we can see forever.

There, across the river, are the two highest mountains in Washington, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams.

Here, on this side of the river, we can see Oregon’s two tallest peaks, Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson, as well as Mount St. Helens, which is easily recognizable because it has no peak at all.

St. Helens quite literally blew its stack

please see GORGE page 5

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Art & Antiques by Dr. Lori

Toys that Inspire Art & Fashion Lori Verderame

L

ast year, the following toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong Museum located in Rochester, N.Y.: soap bubbles, little green army men, and the Rubik’s cube.

The Strong Museum has one of the largest collection of toys, board games, dolls, and video and electronic games worldwide.

To date, 56 toys have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, which was established in 1998. Some of the other interesting inductees into the Toy Hall of Fame include the rubber duck, the stick (yes!), the cardboard box, the game of chess, Hot Wheels toy cars, the dollhouse, Star Wars action figures, and dominoes.

Anyone can nominate a toy to

Resource Directory

the National Toy Hall of Fame. Final selections are made on the advice of a panel of judges made up of historians, educators, and others in the field of play.

This prompted me to consider how vintage toys are repurposed into new and true art forms. I found some pretty interesting collaborative efforts, mainly in the areas of craft, fashion, art, and jewelry design.

Crayola crayon and colored-pencil necklaces are the result of a designer using a pre-fab necklace, rope, or chain link to string through a group of pre-drilled crayons or pencils to make a colorful necklace.

Colored pencils can also be chopped up and strung in the manner of small-scale beads to make bracelets, necklaces, etc.

please see TOYS page 17

This Resource Directory recognizes advertisers who have made an extended commitment to your health and well-being.

Disasters

American Red Cross Greater Brandywine (610) 692-1200

American Cancer Society (800) 227-2345 American Heart Association (610) 940-9540

Chester County Emergency Services (610) 344-5000

Arthritis Foundation (215) 665-9200

Salvation Army Coatesville (610) 384-2954

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (800) 232-4636

Salvation Army West Chester (610) 696-8746

Coatesville VA Medical Center (610) 383-7711

Emergency Numbers

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233

Central PA Poison Center (800) 521-6110

National Osteoporosis Foundation (800) 223-9994

Office of Aging (610) 344-6350/(800) 692-1100

PACE (800) 225-7223

Financial Services Glendale Mortgage (610) 853-6500 Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-3676 US Financial 800-595-1925, Ext. 2122 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Chester County (800) 720-8221 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (800) 272-3900 www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Housing Assistance Community Impact Legal Services (610) 380-7111 Housing Authority of Chester County (610) 436-9200 Housing Authority of Phoenixville (610) 933-8801 Legal Services Lawyer Referral Service (610) 429-1500 Legal Aid of Southeastern PA (610) 436-4510 Medical Equipment & Supplies Medical Supply (800) 777-6647

Senior Healthlink (610) 431-1852

Physicians Gateway Medical Associates Locations in Coatesville, Downingtown, Lionville, and West Chester (610) 423-8181 Real Estate Hostetter Realty Kim Mann (717) 380-7459 Keller-Williams Real Estate Kelly Steyn (215) 646-2900 Senior Centers Coatesville (610) 383-6900 Downingtown (610) 269-3939

Nutrition

Social Security Administration (800) 772-1213

Meals on Wheels Chester County Inc. (610) 430-8500

Great Valley (610) 889-2121

Southeastern PA Medical Institute (610) 446-0662

Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center (800) 366-3997

Kennett Square (610) 444-4819

Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Housing Eastwood Village Homes, LLC 102 Summers Drive, Lancaster (717) 397-3138

Office of Aging Chester County Department of Aging Services (610) 344-6350 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Oxford (610) 932-5244 Phoenixville (610) 935-1515 Wayne (610) 688-6246 West Chester (610) 431-4242

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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August 2015

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Is This Thing On?

Choose a Safe and Memorable Password

Corporate Office:

3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL Vice President and Managing Editor Christianne Rupp Editor, 50plus Publications Megan Joyce Editorial Intern Pete Wisniewski

ART DEPARTMENT

Abby Stokes

A

s promised last month, here are tips on how to choose safe and memorable pass-

words.

It’s easier than you think with a system. Be aware that 90 percent of passwords can be broken in 20 minutes or less because we choose public information or simple patterns like 123456.

Four Rules for a Secure Password:

Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artists Janys Cuffe Lauren McNallen

1. At least eight characters long

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executives Angie McComsey Jacoby Amy Kieffer Ranee Shaub Miller Account Representatives Christina Cardamone Robin Gamby Jennifer Schmalhofer Sales & Event Coordinator Eileen Culp Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Mariah Hammacher

CIRCULATION

Project Coordinator Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

2. Combination of letters and numbers

4. Avoid public information (no birthdates, family names) Write the password down before you type it, so there’s no chance of making a mistake.

To make sure you don’t misinterpret your own handwriting in the future:

Member of

• Slash zeros (Ø) so you don’t mistake them for the letter O • Add a hook and a platform on the number one (1) vs. the letter L

50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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August 2015

My theory is you only need one core password to build all passwords off of so you can remember it. The password should be memorable for you but not easily guessed. Here are some sample passwords that, when translated, anyone can remember: gr8ShØeS = great shoes Dont4g3t = don’t forget sKØØbsdiK = kids books (backwards)

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Take your core password—gr8ShØeS—and choose the first two letters of the website you’re visiting and add them in some way to your password. Here are some examples: AskAbbyStokes.com = asgr8ShØeS I’ve added the first two letters of the website as the first two letters of its password. facebook.com = gr8ShØeSfa Or I could add the first two letters of the website to the end of the password. usps.gov = gur8ShØesS Or I could embed the first two letters into the password—second from the beginning and second from the end.

3. At least one capital letter

• Underline the capital letter (s vs. S)

Awards

I’m not suggesting you use the above, but let them inspire you.

What is it that you love to do, buy, or eat? Use gr8 as a suffix to that thing. Use 4 for the word “for.” Flip a 3 to replace an E. Use zero (Ø) for the letter O. No matter how speedy a typist you are, type the password one finger at a time to be sure you get it right.

You can use one password for all of your email addresses. If one email account gets compromised, you’ll change them all.

There should be one password for

banking and banking alone to make your banking password the most secure.

And then, there should be one core password for all other websites—a core password that will be easy for you to remember but slightly different for every website.

Let’s work with the password gr8ShØeS. That is our core password and will be used for all email addresses. For banking, we want something relating to gr8ShØeS, but not the same. How about HighH33ls? It meets the four rules.

Now onto the password for everything else. Website addresses don’t change: www.AskAbbyStokes.com will always be www.AskAbbyStokes.com, www.facebook.com will always be www.facebook.com, and www.usps.gov will always be www.usps.gov. So, let’s work with that.

Got it? So you only have to remember the core password and whatever your “trick” is. And your trick can be much more complex than the samples above. Write down one sample for yourself so you don’t forget.

OK. Our last hurdle.

How to tackle changing all your passwords?

Don’t think about changing all your passwords at once. You’ll never start if it seems too hard to finish.

First, change your email passwords and your banking password. Then, whenever you naturally visit the rest of the websites with a password, change it. Roll it out at your convenience … at least you’re getting it done.

Now you have no excuses. Go forth and make your cyber life more secure.

Abby Stokes, author of “Is This Thing On?” A Friendly Guide to Everything Digital for Newbies, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming and its companion website, AskAbbyStokes.com, is the Johnny Appleseed of Technology, singlehandedly helping more than 300,000 people cross the digital divide.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

GORGE from page 2 in the spring of 1980 when a massive eruption sent 1,300 feet of mountaintop into the valley below. More than 200 square miles of vegetation were scorched, turning once-lush forest into a barren moonscape.

Today, thanks to extensive salvage and recovery efforts, green again covers the hills.

While all of these mountains are active volcanoes, it’s been 150 years since Mount Hood erupted, and the U.S. Geological Survey says an explosion is not imminent.

Thus reassured, we cross our fingers and rent a rowboat so we can enjoy one of the mountain’s fish-filled lakes. We return in late afternoon, wet, sunburned, and without a single fish.

To see fish we go to Bonneville Lock and Dam, a complex that includes a fish hatchery and fish ladder as well as a spillway dam, powerhouse, and navigation lock.

Taken together, the center improves navigation along the Columbia, provides electricity to the Northwest, and supports a fish-production program that helps maintain the population of fish that would have otherwise been reduced by the construction of the dam.

Mount St. Helens has undergone an extensive program of reforestation.

Today, cruise companies operate paddleboats reminiscent of those that were used on the Columbia 150 years ago.

The Columbia River Gorge has been deemed a National Scenic Area.

Oregon is among the top five wine-producing states in the U.S.

But Mount Hood does more than provide recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. It also creates a protected environment for agriculture, blocking much of the rain that would otherwise destroy the fruits that make the

nearby area one of Oregon’s most fertile regions.

We stop in The Dalles, which is a major producer of the Royal Anne Cherries that are transformed into maraschinos. Try as we might, we can’t

find a sweet shop that will make us an old-fashioned sundae topped with a bright-red, decadently sweet cherry.

Therefore, we head over to the tasting room of Barnard Griffin Winery. There is more than one way to enjoy the fruits of the gorge’s agricultural region!

We intersperse our outdoor activities with visits to the numerous museums and interpretative centers that line the gorge.

We learn about gorge geology and step inside a mock volcano at the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, see Indian artifacts and a raptor show at the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center, learn about Oregon Trail pioneers at the Wasco County Historical Museum, and visit a Lewis and Clark outpost at Fort Clatsop.

We had come to the gorge because we’d heard it was beautiful, and it is. But we left having learned that it offers much more than a place to ogle and hike. It’s a place where we could glimpse the geologic forces and historic events that have made the Northwest what it is today.

That’s a lot to accomplish in only 80 miles.

For more information: www.travel oregon.com, www.americancruiselines.com Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.andreagross.com).

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CCRC

CCRCs offer a tiered approach to the aging process, accommodating residents’ unique and often changing needs.

Healthy adults entering a CRCC are able to live independently in a home, apartment, or condominium of their own within the community. When assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can move into personal care, assisted living, rehabilitation, or nursing care facilities. Some CCRCs have designated dementia areas within the community. These units address the progressing needs of people who have any form of dementia.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities

With a wealth of available resources, these communities give older adults the option to live in one location for the duration of their lives, with much of their future care already figured out — which equals both comfort and peace of mind.

Bethany Village

Calvary Fellowship Homes

Chapel Pointe at Carlisle

Cross Keys Village The Brethren Home Community

Green Ridge Village

Homeland Center

Homestead Village

The Middletown Home

325 Wesley Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Stephanie Lightfoot Director of Sales & Marketing (717) 766-0279 www.bethanyvillage.org

502 Elizabeth Drive Lancaster, PA 17601 Marlene Morris Marketing Director (717) 393-0711 www.calvaryhomes.org

2990 Carlisle Pike New Oxford, PA 17350 Amy Beste Senior Retirement Counselor (717) 624-5350 a.beste@crosskeysvillage.org www.crosskeysvillage.org

770 South Hanover Street Carlisle, PA 17013 Linda Amsley Director of Marketing/Admissions (717) 249-1363 info@ChapelPointe.org www.ChapelPointe.org

210 Big Spring Road Newville, PA 17241 Shelly Northcott Sales Director (717) 776-8237 snorthcott@psl.org www.greenridgevillage.org

1901 North Fifth Street Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 Barry S. Ramper II, N.H.A. President/CEO (717) 221-7902 www.homelandcenter.org

999 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown, PA 17057 Andrea Henney Director of Residential Services (717) 944-3351 www.MiddletownHome.org

Enhanced Senior Living 1800 Marietta Avenue P.O. Box 3227 Lancaster, PA 17604-3227 Susan L. Doyle Director of Marketing (717) 397-4831 ext. 158 www.homesteadvillage.org

St. Anne’s Retirement Community

Serving from the Heart in the Spirit of Friendship, Love, and Truth

Willow Valley Communities

3952 Columbia Avenue West Hempfield Township, PA 17512 Christina Gallagher Marketing Liaison (717) 285-5443 cgallagher@stannesrc.org www.StAnnesRC.org

600 Willow Valley Square Lancaster, PA 17602 Kristin Hambleton Director of Sales (717) 464-6800 (800) 770-5445 www.willowvalleycommunities.org

Pleasant View Retirement Community

544 North Penryn Road Manheim, PA 17545 Amanda Hall Sales & Marketing Manager (717) 664-6207 ahall@pleasantviewrc.org www.pleasantviewrc.org

Woodcrest Villa Mennonite Home Communities 2001 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 Connie Buckwalter Director of Marketing (717) 390-4126 www.woodcrestvilla.org

The CCRC Communities listed are sponsoring this message. This is not an all-inclusive list.

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August 2015

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Salute to a Veteran

A Salute to Our Veterans of the Final Battles of WWII Robert D. Wilcox

D

uring World War II, many thousands of our local men fought in the largest conflict the world has ever seen.

Bloody battles in that war raged across the globe until the Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945 … and when news of Japan’s surrender broke on Aug. 15, celebrations broke out in the streets. The formal Japanese surrender ceremony followed on Sept. 2 in Tokyo.

The war saw more than 60 million fatalities, with countless more wounded. Many military men from Central Pennsylvania fought the final battles that brought that tragic war to an end.

In honor of this month’s 70th anniversary of V-J Day, read on to learn how a few of those men remember the last days of World War II: Eston White fought in North Africa,

V-J Day parade at Colombo, Ceylon, Southeast Asia.

A P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft.

Sicily, the first wave ashore at Normandy on D-Day, and across Germany to the river Elbe. There, Gen. Eisenhower ordered the American forces to halt, to permit the Soviet army to “catch up.” It was then that Major White’s commanding officer called him in.

“White,” he said, “get a Jeep, an interpreter, a white flag, and go accept the

surrender of 220,000 German troops.”

White saluted smartly and did what he was told, accepting the German commanding general’s surrender of his 220,000 troops.

When he got back and reported in, his C.O. said, “Ike says no way are we going to take 220,000 prisoners. Half of them are going to have to go to the Soviets.”

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FREE PARKING!

And that’s what happened.

Todd Reboul was aboard the USS Bismark Sea, an escort aircraft carrier that was attacked at dusk by kamikazes off Iwo Jima. One kamikaze flew straight into one of the ship’s main ammo magazines, turning the aft of the ship into a raging furnace.

When the order to abandon ship came, men were scrambling down lines to the water so madly that one tore off Reboul’s Mae West life preserver while clawing his way over him. So Reboul found himself in the water by himself after dark, in the rain, with no way to keep afloat.

Remembering that the preserver had been attached to a whistle he had used to communicate during the roar of battle, he felt in his pocket … and found the

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7

SALUTE from page 7 whistle was still there.

That permitted him to reel in the Mae West, inflate it, and keep his head above water until a destroyer’s whale boat miraculously found him in the dark and hauled him aboard.

He had beaten all odds … barely.

Dick Scott was flying his 13th mission in P-38s out of England and was over Holland when he saw his wingman dive down into the clouds with a German plane in hot pursuit. So he peeled off and followed them into the clouds to be of whatever help he could be.

He never did see either plane, and the visibility was so bad that, when he pulled out of his dive, he clipped a power transmission tower, tearing off most of his left wing. That brought the plane to a fiery crash.

Somehow, he managed to scramble out in time. Tossing his chute and Mae West into the flames, he legged it away as fast as he could.

A little boy who was watching the crash took him home. And the underground hid him for months before the Germans found him and sent him to Stalag Luft III, which was immortalized later in the Steve McQueen movie.

Aerial view of Peleliu.

USS Twiggs.

Norm Zimmerman was a Marine who stormed the beach at Peleliu in the Pacific. He and two other Marines manned an amphibious tank. Its tracks were ideal for clawing over the everpresent reefs.

With shells falling all around them, he and his crew plowed through a sea of dead bodies to make more than 20 trips hauling supplies to shore and wounded men back to the supply ship. The reefs had then torn up the treads on their tank so badly that they needed to drive to the repair station.

That’s when a Japanese shell hit them squarely, the explosion tearing off the legs

and part of the arms of the man standing beside him and blowing Zimmerman back in the tank, with a badly mangled arm.

A field hospital and then a hospital ship provided the care that saved his arm, but that was the end of the war for him.

Don Witmer was a torpedoman second class aboard the destroyer USS Twiggs at Okinawa.

At dusk a Japanese plane dropped an aerial torpedo that hit between the No. 1 and No. 2 main battery magazines.

Witmer heard a huge roar and was knocked flat.

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When he regained his senses, he heard screams and yells all around him. His right leg was firmly entangled in the debris. As he managed to free himself, he found that the leg was broken.

A seaman first class spotted him and helped him get aft. He got Witmer a life preserver and got him down to the main deck, where the water was even with the deck. Witmer realized he had to put space between him and the burning ship, so he paddled away as best he could.

Soon there were several huge blasts from the Twigg, after which the ship gave a great heave and slipped beneath the waves. Later a whaleboat miraculously spotted him in the blackness and picked him up.

Few veterans from those days are still with us, and every day we lose more.

Many of the veterans of those World War II years have told their stories in one form or another.

We can best honor those priceless memories by never forgetting the acts of great courage that those servicemen so willingly made for their country.

Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber in Europe in World War II.

Your Trusted Senior Real Estate Specialist   Your goal is my #1 priority!

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This Aug. 14, the nation commemorates the 70th anniversary of V-J Day: Aug. 14, 1945. So we asked: Do you remember the day World War II ended?

And, to our delight, more than 40 veterans and civilians from across Central Pennsylvania—and even beyond—responded!

Thank you for sharing the memories, images, sounds, and feelings that still burn brightly in your minds, with special gratitude reserved for those who served and are still serving.

I was 13 years old and dining with my family at an Atlantic City restaurant when the end of World War II was announced. Everyone cried and hugged each other to the accompanying odor of burned food.

Then to the boardwalk!

During the war all the fine hotels of Atlantic City were used as hospitals, housing our wounded heroes.

Our veterans spilled from the buildings as one onto the boardwalk, hobbling on their walkers and crutches, cheering, crying, and laughing hysterically.

They hugged and kissed each other and anyone else

within reach.

As we watched and joined in the celebration, it became more intense. My father whisked his family away and we headed home to Philadelphia. ­ – Antoinette Clemens, Exton

I remember it very well. I lived in Washington, Pa., a town of about 25,000, southwest of Pittsburgh. I was 7 years old.

After the news came, many residents drove through the center of town with toilet paper streamers hanging out of the windows. It was an evening of great jubilation. – Bill Montgomery, Coatesville

I was working on the boardwalk in Wildwood, N.J. I was 13 years old. The celebration was crazy. The older guys and girls decided to go to Atlantic City, N.J. On the boardwalk was a veterans hospital named T. England, and it was full of wounded GIs. Some were severely wounded, but still they went outside and celebrated with everyone else. It was very sobering at the moment seeing this!

– Bud Ryan, West Chester

The day World War II ended I was visiting my aunt, who lived in a second-floor apartment.

We were listening to the radio (no TV) when the announcement was made that World War II was over.

Bells started ringing, horns blowing, and my aunt was leaning out the window rejoicing in the celebration because this meant my uncle would be coming home along with thousands of others.

– Clarice Bowman, Devault

I was born Aug. 6, 1938. I lived with my family in Spring City, Pa. My friend lived a block away and I was at her home on Aug. 14, 1945, when it was broadcast on the radio that World War II had ended.

When I tried to walk home it was scary because I could not cross the street. The streets were jammed with cars filled with people celebrating. In the ’40s, there weren’t many cars. Seeing the streets filled with them was quite a spectacle and very exciting. – Ethel Jefferis (on right), Phoenixville

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I was back from Europe and on leave in my hometown of Providence, R.I., when we got the news that the Japanese had surrendered unconditionally.

I hopped into my dad’s car and headed downtown to see what was happening. It was simply a madhouse. Traffic was so thick that nobody could move. Drivers were laying on their horns, and everybody was waving flags and yelling themselves hoarse.

Unlike any war before or since, everybody had been touched by that war. Millions of people had served in the military. Others had stepped up to produce the planes, tanks, munitions, and other weapons of war.

And every person had known the strict rationing of life’s essentials. We

all owned a piece of the war.

So the hysteria that greeted the news of the surrender was entirely understandable. Everybody simply let himself go in delirious recognition of the end of the war that had so seriously touched us all.

For most people, it was the single most important time of pure celebration that they would ever know in their lifetimes. And we wildly made the most of it. – Col. Robert Wilcox, Lancaster

I lived in a small coal-mining town in western Pennsylvania. I was 14 years old, a freshman in high school.

The whole town celebrated for several days. There was dancing in the streets. Returning GIs were treated like kings. Free beer flowed for all! – Ed Lezzer, Newville

On Aug. 14, 1945, I would have been 14 years old because I was born May 20, 1931, in Carlisle, Pa. I would have been selling the town newspaper, The Sentinel, on the square in Carlisle because the paper was printed in a building right in back of the old Cumberland County Courthouse in the alley. That building was taken down, I do not know when, to make a parking lot for the building on West High Street.

I sold the paper to people coming to celebrate the end of the war. It was called “Extra, extra, read all about it.” And the square got very crowded with people. I do not remember how much we sold them for, but when I sold out, I’d just go down the street or alley and get more papers. I remember the square got very crowded. I think I sold from the moment I was on the square. – Edwin R. Garman, Carlisle What seems like years ago, I was enjoying a week in the mountains, attending church camp. I was about 15 years old.

We were so elated when the news came over the loud speaker, “The war is over.” We were celebrating, when I noticed a young man with tears streaming down his face. When questioned he said his brother had been killed in Iwo Jima.

I realized that yes, we could celebrate, but others like my friend would always remember what could have been when those they love would have came home. – Gladys Taylor, Mechanicsburg

I was 22 years old and had just come back to the U.S. in May 1945 after spending 28 months overseas. I was on my way home when President Roosevelt died.

I toured the Pacific, spending time in New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands), Guam, and Iwo Jima. Once home, I was stationed at the Marine Corps Barracks at the Navy Supply Depot in New Cumberland, preparing to go back to serve more time.

When the announcement was made that the war was over, I was in Harrisburg on liberty. The bar closed immediately and we rushed to the liquor store to purchase whiskey to consume in the square as we joined in the celebrations in the street. It was a happy victory party for all!

I finished serving my time in Mechanicsburg until my discharge in February 1946. The picture is from my wedding in January 1946.

– James Moran, Camp Hill continued

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I remember my uncle, Charles, returning from a hospital in Utah (I think) after being wounded in one of the last invasions in the war.

His one leg was wounded and he had crutches and was uniformed. He seemed glad to be home and lived into his 70s.

He always had a limp and worked in a family grocery store in East Mauch Chunk, Pa., where he worked with my father and grandfather for many years. – Jean Adele, Camp Hill

V-J Day found us in our hometown of Johnsonburg, Elk County, Pa. The war was over and people were dancing in the streets; whistles blowing and church bells ringing and I thought oh, how wonderful it all was.

After all, August 14, 1945, was my ninth birthday and the whole town was celebrating! Who could ask for a nicer birthday — at any age? – Mary E. Calhoun, Camp Hill

My father was stationed in Baltimore, Md., and I was 16 years old and was visiting my grandmother in New Jersey, outside of New York City, during August 1945.

When the news came of V-J Day, my grandmother said, “Peggy, we are going to New York City.” We took the bus and on Aug. 14, 1945, I was among the thousands in Times Square celebrating V-J Day. I tell this story to anyone who will listen as it was one of the highlights of my life. – Peggy Burch Saliunas, New Cumberland

Left:William Brode Right: Robert Brode

I was 18 years old on KP on August 14, 1945 (one day only) in FT. Bragg, N.C. There was no celebration because we were in the midst of 17-week artillery training.

I was glad the war was over and invasion of Japan was not necessary. At the end of basic training in November, all 35-year-old draftees were discharged.

I and other 18-year-old draftees were offered occupation duty in Germany on Japan or stateside service for about 18 months.

– Robert Brode, Mechanicsburg

I was 11 years old when V-J Day finally arrived.

With my dad I would stay up late each night and listen to how the Allies were progressing. Two of my uncles were lost at Guadalcanal during 1942.

My good friend, Rodney, was taken out of school and became a Marine gunner on the aircraft carrier Wasp. I had been in correspondence with Rodney during the war.

Although the war was declared over Aug. 14, kamikazes continued to attack our Navy’s ships.

Rodney was instrumental in helping shoot down those last planes.

I celebrated V-J Day with a large cowbell on the porch of our Lancaster home.

Others were shooting off fireworks; all Lancaster churches were ringing their bells.

I rang my bell as if it were the Liberty Bell and thanked God that all those American heroes like Rodney would be coming home to their friends and families.

– Charles E. (Bud) Brill, Hershey

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I was 21 years of age. I was so happy the war was over, but if it could have just ended a little sooner.

You see my brother, John Richard Little, was killed March 19, 1945, on the aircraft carrier Franklin and his birthday would have been August 1, 1945.

I still miss him to this day — he was my best friend. He would have been 23 years old. – Betty J. Miller. Harrisburg

I was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps. I was a 22-year-old bombardier in the Fifth Air Force, 43rd Bomb Group, 14th Squadron. I had 40+ missions over enemy territory and was stationed on le Shima, a small island on the west coast of Okinawa.

On Aug. 9, 1945, we had a mission to Kyushu, on Japan’s east coast. We were told to fly at 16,000 feet and circle.

Suddenly, we felt a shot and saw the mushroom cloud at our altitude. Being low on fuel, we returned to Okie and were told the second atomic bomb had been dropped on Nagasaki.

The Japanese peace contingent were to land on le Shima in three Betty bombers painted white over the camouflage and would be taken to Manila in two C-54s to make the final plans for the final signing on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. All available troops were lined up along the strip and armed at attention. – William S. Etter, Mechanicsburg On Aug. 14, 1945, I was in training with the Coast Guard in Brooklyn, N.Y. I had to wait to join the Coast Guard till I was 20 years old on June 8, 1945.

While I was in training, World War II was over. I was happy and relieved that World War II was finally over. My beloved cousin was in the Air Force and died when his airplane exploded in mid-air, his body never recovered.

On Aug. 14, 1945, I took the subway into New York City. It was chaos there, heavily crowded with people everywhere celebrating.

When my training was over, I was stationed in Washington, D.C. After World War II, the female members of the Coast Guard were slowly discharged. I was discharged in May 1946 and returned home to Harrisburg, Pa. – Dolores (Smith) Branca, Harrisburg When the long-awaited news was finally broadcast, [my husband] Harold was outside our apartment, working on his car.

When he heard the news, he smiled and quietly continued working, undisturbed by the increasing din about him.

He never revealed whether he was completely stunned that the war—which had claimed six years of duty from his life—was actually over, whether he was paying a silent tribute to his many service friends who had not lived to see this day, or whether he had advance knowledge of the announcement.

Outside our apartment, we could see a steady stream of traffic.

Rationing was temporarily forgotten and any car which possessed four wheels and a drop of gas was in the parade.

Horns honked, radios blared, and occupants sang, yelled, and laughed. Some persons rode on the running boards of the careening automobiles.

Rolls of toilet paper streamed from the radiator caps, windows, and taillights of hundreds of the cars.

Later in the evening we met with neighbors. The four of us toasted for the last time, “To the end of the war!” – Marguerite German, Middletown and Camp Hill • Excerpt from her memoir, Washington Station • Submitted by her daughter, Carolyn Bausinger, Willow Street When the war ended, I was stationed at field hospital No. 14 on the island of Samar in the Philippine Isle. I was 19 at that time (I enlisted at 17).

When the news reached us at the hospital there was a lot of celebrating. I had one thought: “How soon would I return to the USA and to my hometown of New Cumberland?” After 15 months in the Pacific, I was ready. I was discharged May 16, 1946, in Bainbridge, Md. Then in June 1951, I was recalled to active duty and served 17 months with the 3rd marine division at Camp Pendleton California. It was all my privilege! I would love to do it again.

– Robert Miller, Carlisle

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I was 10 years old at a softball game in Harrisburg. The big announcement came, and bats were thrown in the air with people cheering, some crying.

Next, I was allowed to go with a playmate’s family to downtown Harrisburg. My father said, “I want you to always remember this day!”

Crowds of people were hugging strangers; there were people hanging out of open bus windows, touching and even kissing people outside.

My young mind could not fully understand it all—but I could feel. I now knew what love of country means. Thank you, Daddy, for allowing me to learn this lesson! – Doris Strickler, Newville I was 6 years old and lived with my grandparents and mother at 144 S. Franklin St. in Red Lion. My dad was in the Army stationed in San Antonio, Texas.

When we received word that the war was over, my grandma gave me a set of sleigh bells to shake. I was so excited that the war was over and my dad would be coming home soon that I raced down to West Broadway, dragging the bells behind me.

When I got there, everyone was out in the street celebrating by blowing horns and ringing bells. This memory vividly remains with me even to this day! – David Reichard, Red Lion On Aug. 14, 1945, I was a miffed 11-year-old confined to my room at 545 S. Main St. All my friends were on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., celebrating the end of the war.

It was a sore throat, an earache, or fever—I don’t remember—that compelled my mother to make me stay home.

It was at Franklin Street School that I repeated my father’s comment about the war to Miss Baumann, our fifth-grade teacher, that the Japanese had caught us “with our pants down.” – Bob Singer, Wilkes-Barre I was 14 years old living in New Jersey. We had just sat down to celebrate my mother’s birthday.

Suddenly, fire engines and alarms were going off. When we realized what was happening, my three older sisters and two older cousins and I went to get a train ride to New York City.

When we got there, we were amidst the excitement at Times Square, kissing and hugging everybody! It was so exciting for a girl to experience!

We practically stayed up all night. – Toni Javitt King, York I was 14 years old living in D.C. when the war ended. I’ll always remember that day.

That evening, D.C. went crazy. Everyone was dancing in the streets banging on pots and pans, cheering, drinking. At my age I thought the world was nuts.

I never saw anything like this in my life, so this will remain with me forever.

– Charles Tippett, Lancaster The day World War II ended on Aug. 14, 1945, is one of my earliest memories.

I was 5 years old at the time. I lived on a farm near Reinholds with my parents and siblings. We all heard church bells ringing and sirens blowing at Reinholds. Our parents told us our country was celebrating the end of the war. – Eugene Martin, Denver I was 11 years old at that time. Bud Lively had a produce business on Fifth Street in Columbia.

One of his employees loaded about 20 of us kids in the produce truck and ran us around Columbia and Marietta and Mountville in celebration of the war being over.

– Leon E. Drescher, Mount Joy On V-J Day, I was in Luzon, the northern Philippine area taken over following victory in Manila.

I had recently turned 23 years old and the war’s end brought joy to all of us who felt the possibility of a land invasion of Japan taken away. – Edward C. Fechter, Millersville

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Fort Meade, Md.; 20 years old. I went to Baltimore on Aug. 14, 1945, hoping the war would end.

I went to a burlesque show. After the second dance, the lights came on. The show was over because the war was over. We went outside and the strippers came out wearing just a G-string and carrying a bottle of whisky. Great night.

– Jack L. Blickenderfer, Lancaster The night of Aug. 14, 1945, is still vivid in my mind. The fear was intense! I can still take you to see the exact spot where I was standing — in the middle of the street in front of the fire station on North Duke Street in Lancaster.

Our family went to the city and joined all the folks standing, cheering, and singing in the streets. Church bells were ringing! Sirens were screaming! We were packed shoulderto-shoulder from one sidewalk to another.

I was 9 years old, so I did not quite make the shoulder-to-shoulder part. One moment I was enjoying all the excitement standing beside my parents … and the next moment I could find not one person I knew. I was afraid I would never see them again, nor find my way home. But I did!

So the fear dissolved and the joy of victory returned. How unfortunate the current generations have neither experienced nor understood such a sense of victory.

– George V. Alexander, Quarryville Aug. 12 until 19, my family was on vacation in Cumberland County. We were at a cabin named “Brownwood” on State Road 3003, between Hunters Run and Pine Grove Furnace, and a short walk to Fuller’s Lake.

On the 14th of August, a man drove down the road blowing his horn and hollering something. My father was close to the road and the man stopped and spoke to my dad. He then came to the porch and told the family that the war was over. We turned on the radio, banged pans, and danced around too.

Later we went to Fuller’s Lake for a bonfire that was made by POWs. A truck brought a piano and we sang patriotic songs and some hymns. We remained until our vacation ended.

That day has always been important because of those family and friends we knew would be coming home. Today I still spend time going to Michaux Forest, frequenting Laurel Lake mostly.

Enclosed you’ll find a copy of a picture at Brownwood. I was 10 years old.

– Thomas B. Gibbs, Columbia I was a 20-year-old senior at the US Naval Academy on V-J Day. I was at the academy, not on cruise or on leave.

All the midshipmen rushed gleefully to the front of Bancroft Hall, the living quarters. There, in a corner of the yard, was an ancient bell, donated years earlier by the Japanese navy to our academy. The midshipmen began ringing the bell, beating on it with all their might, to show we were the victors.

We also were delighted that we would not be facing warfare on graduation the next June. – Thomas R. Teply, Lancaster I was 12 years old, watching a baseball game between and Navy team and a pickup team from our town of Highspire. It was being played at the Memorial Field.

Early evening, a screen door slammed and the lady living there, Mrs. Albert, shouted, “The war is over!” The game ended and the players, who were old enough, headed for the Highspire Hotel. Living only two blocks away, I headed home, and the fire sound was blowing.

I got home and my dad got my mother, sister, and I into the car and we went to Market Square in Harrisburg. Dad boosted me to the top of a light pole. Perched there, my line of sight was both ways on Market and Second streets. I could see nothing but a sea of humanity.

I’m 82 years old, and it’s a memory I’ll never forget. –Wayne E. Shank, Highspire continued

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In August 1945, I was a 20-year-old Navy petty officer, stationed on the island of Samar in the Philippines and recently detached from extensive World War II carrier duty aboard the Bataan (CVL-29) and Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher’s Task Force 58 and a participant in major battles in the South Pacific.

V-J Day was filled with both joy and sadness for me. Joy, for it meant that at least a million Japanese and U.S. military lives would be spared, including my own!

Sadness, because I was not one of the thousands of U.S. sailors, marines, and soldiers heading home. Young, unmarried, and 12,500 miles from home, I was at the mercy of the military’s point system for discharge.

To add to my despair, I saw a copy of Life Magazine’s Picture of the Week with a full-page photo of my ship, the Bataan, going through the Panama Canal en route to New York. – Wayne Von Stetten, Lancaster On Aug. 14, 1945, I went to Times Square along with a bunch of buddies from Brooklyn. It was an overwhelming gathering of American humanity, which encompassed almost every square inch of the square and surrounding streets. Jubilation was memorable, to say the least.

I was 16 years old. Within a year I was a soldier and soon on the way to Tokyo, where I served as an MP with the Occupation Forces. That was all quite a ways back, but the memories, as an old song put it, “linger on.” – Sig Arnesen, Lebanon I had just returned from Europe, where I survived the Battle of the Bulge as a combat infantry mortarman. I endured months of bitter cold, snow-covered ground, living in a foxhole for three months, in the same clothes for four months, all the while being shot at with artillery, mortar and machine gun fire, and a hospital stay for 30 days with hepatitis.

While on a 30-day leave at my parents’ vacation home in Wildwood, N.J., walking on the boardwalk, suddenly a voice came over the PA system declaring the Japanese surrender and the end of World War II. What a happy day that was.

I was 20 years old and preparing to be sent to invade Japan. What a relief knowing I would not have to go. – Sgt. John Rowe, Myerstown I was 8 years old. My uncle, my mother’s brother, was in the Air Force in Europe. The neighbor’s son had enlisted in the Navy and was in the war zone.

Dad was a local volunteer who went around at night, during “blackouts,” checking on all lights out, so enemy planes couldn’t see us. Mom had to feed a baby, so she had us put towels at the window to keep the light from being seen.

One night there was a knock at the window, and she was told, “Enemy planes can see your light,” so we sat in the dark.

One day, mother called my brother and me to the front yard in Rexmont to listen to the church bells ringing — everybody was outside. In Lebanon, church bells were ringing and the Bethlehem Steel whistle was on continuous mode. The “war was over.” – Jean E. Heisey, Quentin I was 5 years old, living at 548 Anchor St. in Philadelphia with my parents. On Aug. 14, I heard some shouting and horns blowing, and the sound only increased.

My mother went to our front porch to see what was going on and came back into the house crying. She explained that the war was finally over.

Then she said, “We prayed many times for this to happen, and now we must thank the Lord that the war is finished.”

So Mother and I sat on the sofa, holding hands, tears in our eyes, and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving to God. I remember that day as being a very happy day. – Lois E. Wilson, Annville

I have vivid memories of Aug. 14, 1945, the day World War II ended. I was 10 years old and lived in the village of Kleinfeltersville.

My two older sisters went to a victory parade in Lebanon. My two best girlfriends, who were also sisters, were away at camp. Their father and I went to the church and rang the church bell.

Since I had three brothers in the military, our family was delighted the war was over and they would be coming home safe and sound. – Ruth Krall, Schaefferstown

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I was 18 years old and in boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. When we heard the news, we knew there would be no Japan invasion.

We ended up in MP companies and guarded Navy bases. In 13 months we were discharged. I had to serve in the Army Reserves for five years and was activated again in the Korean conflict. – Fred Hosler, Dover

It was Aug. 15, 1945, on Okinawa when our company commander ordered the infantry squad in which I was first scout into the hills to look for some MPs who never came back from a souvenir hunt.

Unfortunately, the thousands of Japanese soldiers ensconced in the hills didn’t know the war was over. I did come upon a cave opening. I noticed freshly opened cans of rice. (Before motioning to the rest of the squad to come up, the thought of being the last soldier killed in World War II crossed my mind.)

We all assembled in front of the cave and our Sgt. Orey Caldwell from Biloxi, Miss., a multi-combat veteran, told us to line up and each of us tossed a phosphorus grenade into the cave.

He said, “No [expletive] S.O.B. is coming out of there alive.” Just then, two black cats came dashing out through the smoke! We all laughed and went back to camp.

– Guido R. Schiavi, Wilmington, Del.

I was 8 years old and we lived on a farm just outside Oxford in Chester County.

We were sitting outside when the church bells started ringing and the fire sirens went off. We were close enough to town to hear people shouting. We didn’t know what it was about until my dad went inside and turned on the radio.

I didn’t fully understand, but I’ll always remember how happy my parents and granddad were and the smiles on their faces. – Hazel Emenheiser, Dallastown

Mary was one of eight children. Six of the siblings were in World War II at the same time.

She enlisted at St. Louis, Mo., in the Women’s Army Corp. After training, she was sent to Paris, France, where she worked at the Army Headquarters until discharged as a staff sergeant.

She was one of 13 WAC discharged at Camp Philip Morris, France, where she stayed on as a civil service worker.

She was later transferred to Frankfurt, Germany, for several months.

When V-J Day came, everyone celebrated, but they didn’t forget the ones still fighting whose lives were in danger.

Everyone was so happy yet sad that so many had lost their lives or were wounded.

Mary was 27 at the time and returned to the U.S. It was a blessing that all six of her siblings returned safely. – Mary Brubaker, York • Submitted by Carol Miller, York

I was still serving in the RAF in England, waiting for discharge. Everyone on the base celebrated along with the rest of the world!

My husband, with the 8th Air Force, was back in the United States preparing to fly to the Pacific, but orders were canceled.

We were married March 31, 1945. We had a happy life, two children and wed 66 years until Chet passed away Dec. 4, 2011.

– Olive Vreeland, York

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Calendar of Events

Chester County

Support Groups Aug. 4, 2 p.m.

Grief Support Group Phoenixville Senior Center 153 Church St., Phoenixville (610) 327-7216

Aug. 4 and 18, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Bereavement Support Group Main Line Unitarian Church 816 S. Valley Forge Road, Devon (610) 585-6604 phoenixbereavement@yahoo.com Nondenominational; all are welcome.

Aug. 4 and 18, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Bereavement Support Group Brandywine Hospital Conference Room 2N 201 Reeceville Road, Coatesville (610) 998-1700, ext. 226 Aug. 5, 6 p.m.

Memory Loss and Dementia Support Group Sunrise Assisted Living of Paoli 324 W. Lancaster Ave., Malvern (610) 251-9994 Aug. 10 and 24, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Caregiver Support Group Adult Care of Chester County 201 Sharp Lane, Exton (610) 363-8044

Community Programs

Free and open to the public

Aug. 11, 7 p.m.

Hearing Loss Support Group Christ Community Church 1190 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester (610) 444-445 www.hearinglosschesco.com Aug. 11 and 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Bereavement Support Group Jennersville Hospital Conference Room B 1015 W. Baltimore Pike, West Grove (610) 998-1700, ext. 226 Aug. 12, 1:30 p.m.

Family Caregiver Support Group Sarah Care 425 Technology Drive, Suite 200, Malvern (610) 251-0801 Aug. 18, 6 p.m.

Family Caregiver Support Group Sunrise of Westtown 501 Skiles Blvd., West Chester (610) 399-4464 Aug. 26, 6 p.m.

Living with Cancer Support Group Paoli Hospital Cancer Center 255 W. Lancaster Ave., Paoli (484) 565-1253 Free and open to the public

Aug. 1 and 15, 5 to 10 p.m.

Bingo Night Marine Corps League Detachment 430 Chestnut St., Downingtown (610) 429-8174

Aug. 27, 2 to 6 p.m.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Open House Widener University – Exton Campus 825 Springdale Drive, Exton (484) 713-0088

Aug. 4, 11:30 a.m.

West Chester University Retirees Luncheon For restaurant location, please email darsie@verizon.net

Aug. 30, 3 to 5 p.m.

Ice Cream Fest Grove United Methodist Church 490 W. Boot Road, West Chester (610) 363-2141

Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Compassionate Friends Valley Forge Chapter Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 132 E. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia www.tcfvalleyforge.org

Senior Center Activities

Coatesville Area Senior Center – (610) 383-6900 22 N. Fifth Ave., Coatesville – www.coatesvilleseniorcenter.org Downingtown Senior Center – (610) 269-3939 983 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown – http://home.ccil.org/~dasc Great Valley Senior Center – (610) 889-2121 47 Church Road, Malvern Aug. 5, 1 p.m. – Koffee Klatch Aug. 12, 11 a.m. – Senior Living Visit: Lima Estates Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m. – History Book Club Kennett Area Senior Center – (610) 444-4819 427 S. Walnut St., Kennett Square – www.kennettseniorcenter.org Oxford Senior Center – (610) 932-5244 12 E. Locust St., Oxford – www.oxfordseniors.org Phoenixville Area Senior Center – (610) 935-1515 153 Church St., Phoenixville – www.phoenixvilleseniorcenter.org West Chester Area Senior Center – (610) 431-4242 530 E. Union St., West Chester – www.wcseniors.org Just a snippet of what you may be missing … please call or visit their website for more information.

Library Programs Downingtown Library 330 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown, (610) 269-2741 Aug. 11, 6:30 p.m. – Film Forum Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. – D owningtown Library Writers Group Aug. 27, 6:30 p.m. – Reading the Classics If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

Chester County Parks and Recreation www.chesco.org/ccparks Aug. 1, 8 to 9:15 p.m. – Sunset Wagon Ride & Campfire, Hibernia County Park Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – 87th Annual Chester County Old Fiddlers’ Picnic, Hibernia County Park Aug. 22, 8 to 9:30 p.m. – Songs of Insects, Warwick County Park www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

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Savvy Senior

Handy Aids for Achy Hands Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, What products can you recommend for seniors with hand arthritis? I really struggle with anything that requires gripping and turning, which makes most activities difficult.

– Gripless Joan

Dear Joan, There are literally hundreds of different arthritis aids and other products on the market today that can help people with arthritic hands and carpal tunnel syndrome.

To find out which devices can best benefit you, a good place to start is to ask your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist, who can test the strength and functionality of your hands and recommend appropriate aids.

With that said, here’s a rundown of some helpful products for different needs.

Kitchen aids: Activities like gripping

cooking utensils, cutting and chopping, opening jars and cans, and moving around heavy pots and pans can make preparing a meal much more difficult when you have hand arthritis.

Some products that can help are Oxo Good Grips, which makes dozens of soft, large-handle cooking, baking, and cleaning utensils that are easier to grip.

And for cutting and chopping, the Dexter DuoGlide and Ergo Chef knives are excellent ergonomically designed options.

For opening jars, the wall-mounted or under-counter-mounted Zim Jar Opener is a top manual opener. It has a V-shaped grip that holds the lid as you twist the jar with both hands.

Some other good options are the Hamilton Beach Open Ease Automatic Jar Opener and a nifty tool called the JarPop that pops the seal on jars so lids can be removed easier.

For opening cans, an electric can opener is the best option. West Bend and Hamilton Beach make some of the best.

And if you’re interested in arthritisfriendly pots and pans, look for lightweight cookware that has two handles. These are much easier to lift and move around.

Household helpers: Turning doorknobs, key locks, twist-handles on kitchen or bathroom faucets, and twiston lamp switches can also be difficult.

To help, there are doorknob lever adapters, key turners, lamp switch enlargers, and lever handles for faucets that provide leverage for easier turning.

Personal care: Squeezing a shampoo bottle or a tube of toothpaste or gripping a bar of soap, a toothbrush handle, or even a piece of dental floss can make grooming a challenge.

Solutions include a wall-mounted soap, shampoo, and toothpaste dispenser, which provides easy access to suds. And for brushing and flossing, there are wide-handled, electric toothbrushes and flossers that vibrate or spin to do the cleaning for you.

Easier dressing: Fastening buttons, pulling zippers, and tying shoelaces can also present problems. To help with these chores, there are buttonhooks and zipper pulls, as well as elastic shoelaces, which transform lace-ups into slip-ons.

Reading, writing, and computing: Holding and turning the pages of a book, hand writing, and using a computer mouse can also stress arthritic hands.

For readers, an eReader like a Kindle or Nook is recommended because they’re lightweight and easier to hold than

      If your organization or business offers a product or service relevant to seniors, the disabled, caregivers, or their families, you should be included in the Chester County Resource Directory for the Caregiver, Aging, and Disabled!

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• Online e-dition for anywhere, anytime access • Complementary print edition — no additional charge • Links consumer with the appropriate information and resources • Supports local agencies and promotes efficient coordination of services • 400+ informative listings (FREE expanded listing with display ad) • 8,000 free copies distributed throughout the county, including government offices, doctors’ offices,  S, and wherever   is distributed

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regular books. For writing, there’s the softrubber Pencil Grip that fits on pencils and pens and ergonomic-shaped pens like the Pen Again that reduce hand fatigue.

And for easier computing, the 3M Ergonomic Mouse and Contour Roller Mouse can eliminate hand and wrist stress.

Hobby helpers: There are dozens of arthritis aids for hobbies too. For example, there are automatic card shufflers and cardholders for card players.

If you like to paint, knit, or crochet, there are ergonomic paintbrushes and

oversized knitting needles and crochet hooks that are easier to hold.

And for sewing, quilting, or crafting, there are tools like Fiskars Self-Opening Easy Action Scissors that spring open for easier cutting.

For a rundown of additional products and where you can purchase them, visit my online article at www.achyhandaids.org.

Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior Book. www.savvysenior.org

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Deadline Extended The deadline to apply for the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been extended to Dec. 31. Eligible participants can receive a rebate based on their rent or property taxes paid in 2014.

The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 years or older and those 18 years or older with disabilities. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.

A new provision this year aims to help homeowners and renters whose income is over these limits solely because of a Social Security cost-of-living increase

and who received a rebate last year.

Homeowners with income up to $36,129, excluding half of Social Security, are encouraged to apply for a rebate for claim year 2014. Any renter who collected Social Security and had annual income last year—discounting half of Social Security—up to $15,484 is also encouraged to apply.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available by contacting the Pennsylvania Revenue Department at (888) 222-9190. Help with completing the forms is available by appointment at the Office of Aging, (717) 2997979; your state legislator’s office; or Community Action Program offices.

November 13, 2015 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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They served us — now let us serve them!

Reserve your space today!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families.

The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

2 events — 1 location

The Year in Music As   celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we hope you’ll enjoy a monthly peek back at the world in 1995!

This month, the notable music events of 1995: • Designed by architect I.M. Pei, the 150,000-square-foot Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opens in Cleveland.

• Tejano singer Selena is shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, her former personal assistant and former fan club president, who had recently been fired for embezzling money from the fan club.

• Michael Jackson released his first double-album, HIStory, which became the bestselling multiple-album of all time.

• The Grateful Dead performs its final show with Jerry Garcia at Soldier Field in Chicago. Garcia would die Aug. 9 of a heart attack at age 53.

• The Beatles release their first new single in more than 20 years, “Free As a Bird.”

• Jimmy Page narrowly escapes being stabbed by a man who rushes the stage with a knife during a performance in Michigan.

• Ed Rosenblatt replaces David Geffen as chairman and CEO of Geffen Records.

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits & Services Community Services Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available To become a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact your account representative, call (717) 285-1350, or email info@onlinepub.com

www.veteransexpo.com 50plus SeniorNews u

August 2015

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FURRY FRIENDS from page 1 and is known as one of the organization’s “midwoofers.” After assisting with the team of midwoofers at the kennel, she also raises the litter of pups at her home for their first seven weeks.

Someone also has to help take care of the puppies until they can be separated and placed in homes, and Tyson has provided that nurturing to 10 litters.

When it comes to being a puppy raiser, Tyson helps keep an eye on the dog’s temperament.

“Just like people, they each have things that make them tick,” she said. “We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and so do the dogs.”

It helps that the animals Susquehanna Service Dogs uses are bred specifically to be service dogs, Tyson said, but a lot can be revealed as a dog matures and grows.

A guide dog, commonly used to assist the blind, doesn’t necessarily make a good service dog, Tyson said. While a guide dog takes charge, giving someone the OK to cross the street safely, a service dog often waits calmly until it’s needed.

Service dogs are trained to specifically meet a variety of needs. Some service dogs assist those who can’t hear by being alert to certain noises. Others help someone pick up items or complete household

tasks. Balance dogs assist with balance, and some dogs can be trained to support individuals with psychiatric disorders, children and adults with autism, and military veterans with PTSD. During the 18 months that the dogs are in Tyson’s care, she watches to see which strengths each dog might have to best suit the needs of a future partner.

In some cases, a dog’s personality might not fit the call of service, and it is “discharged” from the program. Most of the discharged dogs go on to get other jobs, such as becoming bomb dogs for government agencies.

While the dogs are in Tyson’s care, they become like children, she said. The dogs are with her all the time at home and out in public, while she shops or runs errands.

The commitment is one that demands a lot of her time, but she doesn’t mind.

When it comes time to find the service dog’s partner, an applicant must go through a matching process.

“No one is just handed the dog and told ‘good luck,’” she said. “These dogs can, depending on your needs and lifestyle, become closer than a spouse.”

When the matching process is complete, the dog and new partner go through a two-and-a-half-week training

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Want to Become a Volunteer Puppy Raiser?

Starting late summer 2015, Susquehanna Service Dogs will have several litters of puppies seeking their very own personal “puppy raiser”—someone to welcome an 8-week-old Labrador retriever puppy into their home for 16 months.

Puppy raisers are required to snuggle often, provide lots of exercise, be diligent in housebreaking, play special games daily, provide lots of car rides, and, if possible, take their puppy to work, the grocery store, and church.

Puppy raiser families come in many sizes: singles, married couples, working or retired, those with children, and those who may or may not already have their own pets.

Those interested are urged to call Rebecca Lamb, puppy coordinator, at (717) 599-5920 or fill out the puppy raiser form on the SSD website at www.keystonehumanservices.org/susquehanna-service-dogs. program followed by a brunch where the puppy raiser meets their puppy’s new partner and can see the results of their training and care of the puppy.

The connection, however, doesn’t have to end there.

Tyson can rattle off the statuses of several of the puppies she raised. One went to live with a child with autism.

Another works in a school. One now breeds new service dogs. Another serves as a bomb dog in Morocco.

Sometimes, puppy raisers get to stay connected to the dog through its new partner’s updates on Facebook or through Christmas cards. It usually depends on how open the partner wants to be after the placement, Tyson said.

Even if Tyson doesn’t hear from the new family, Susquehanna Service Dogs checks in on the animals about once a year, so she knows they are doing well.

While it can be tough to say goodbye to the animals, Tyson said, she finds

the reward to be worth the little bit of heartache she might face. Some of the puppy raisers get so excited to be part of the program that it gets a little competitive. Everyone wants his or her dogs to be successful, she said.

At times when letting go is a challenge, Tyson thinks of the good she’s doing.

Tyson believes she is helping people who need it most by providing them a companion and service aid in one furry, loveable dog.

“I’ve learned tons about dogs and their behavior, which I find interesting,” Tyson said. “Plus, there is a whole world of people who have become my friends and acquaintances.”

Through the hard work and countless hours of training, Tyson said, she’s found satisfaction and enjoyment in her time as a SSD volunteer. It’s a combination of helping others and learning something new that has kept it interesting for her— and the cuddly companions help, too.

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Nostalgia Road

Postwar

Winner!

Liliana D., 17 mos.

Dick Dedrick

I

t’s been called the happiest five years in America’s history: 1945 to 1950.

The Postwar Years.

They were good years for me. I had played army many times. Had a helmet liner and wooden rifle. I loved those war movies. But for some reason it never occurred to me to get to know any of the war veterans returning to my hometown.

Oh, I knew who they were. Mr. Greenlee joined his dad at the Rexall drug store. He was good about letting us kids take an hour to sip down a 5-cent root beer float, or spend another hour on the floor, reading comic books.

But I was oblivious to the fact that he had made it through the Normandy Invasion and Battle of the Bulge and came home with an artificial leg. I thought he just had a slight limp.

Barney Freeman was our night marshal and part-time lifeguard at the pool. He always seemed like an OK guy. I heard later he’d had a pretty bad drinking problem. Could have had something to do with his being a POW for three years.

I do know this: Those war heroes— some buck privates, some captains—came home with a lot of new hopes and dreams.

Some took advantage of the GI Bill, became doctors and teachers and lawyers.

Others just came home, got a job, and raised a family. Maybe joined the Lions Club and sang in the church choir. Or coached Little League. Some got rich.

Some didn’t.

Just everyday people, known today as the Greatest Generation.

Visit NostalgiaRoad.com

TOYS from page 3 Another unusual toy-inspired work of art is the Lego toys that have been made into high-fashion, ultra-pricey couture and jewelry pieces.

For instance, the Chanel clutch purse ranges in price from $9,900 to $11,000 each. These Chanel purses are true works of art, hence the price tag. The purses come in bright colors just like original Lego building blocks and feature geometric shapes.

Since their introduction, the Chanel Lego purse has been seen in the hand of some of today’s trendy celeb-fashionistas: Rihanna, Jennifer Biel, Dakota Fanning, and Kim Kardashian West.

Purses are not the only Lego-inspired artwork out there.

The Smithsonian Institution’s annual Craft2Wear event featured jewelry using Lego blocks. Actual Lego blocks are strung together into necklaces, earrings, and bracelets by several designers the world over. Some are enhanced with sterling silver or set with precious stones and gold leaf.

If you are a gamer, then consider keeping your spare change in or spending your spare change on a PlayStation wallet.

Inspired by Sony’s bestselling videogame console introduced in 1994, the PlayStation wallet is modeled after the look of the original PlayStation, and, like some of their games, the wallet is hand held. www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

Thanks to all who participated!

To view all of the entries, please visit: www.facebook.com/50plusSeniorNews or 50plusSeniorNewsPA.com/cutest-grandkids-contest Brought to you by: 50plusExpoPA.com

Beanie Baby purses, featuring stuffed animals turned pocketbooks, still focus on the famous Ty tag and animals with clever names like Beary Bag (bear) and Hutch Clutch (rabbit).

And, lastly, in the world of high fashion, shoes are at the forefront of today’s trends.

There is no playing around when it comes to a woman’s shoe closet. I have a pretty serious shoe collection myself.

And, toys have inspired some pretty innovative high heels, like the Erector Set shoes designed by Jimmy Choo. Just as Erector Sets prompted children to build miniature skyscrapers, you will be soaring from your ankles to your toes in these urban-inspired Choo shoes.

Lastly, Anna Wintour’s book titled Manolo Blahnik Drawings highlights the designs of Manolo Blahnik. You can see the wit and whimsy—some of it coming from toys—in the luscious designs of his “just can’t live without” shoe creations.

Who knows … maybe during 2016 Fashion Week, we will see the introduction of Rubik’s cube knee-high boots, little green army-men earrings, and soap-bubble wand barrettes and hair bands.

Celebrity Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and former museum director, Dr. Lori hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide. Dr. Lori is the star appraiser on Discovery channel. Visit www.DrLoriV.com/Events, www.Facebook.com/ DoctorLori, or call (888) 431-1010.

50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

 This month’s smiles belong to Anne Rice of West Chester and Melody and Brian St. Clair, Bernardsville, N.J. Rice babysat the St. Clairs’ twins from 3 weeks old to first grade.

Send us your favorite smile—your children, grandchildren, friends, even your “smiling” pet!—and it could be  ’ next Smile of the Month!

You can submit your photos either digitally to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or by mail to:

  Smile of the Month • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Please include the following information:

Your name ____________________________________________________________ Your town of residence ____________________________________________________ Names(s) of those in photo _________________________________________________ Their town(s) of residence __________________________________________________ Their relationship to you (e.g., daughter, brother, grandson) __________________________________ Digital photos must be at least 4x6'' with a resolution of 300 dpi. No professional photos, please. Please include a SASE if you would like to have your photo returned.

50plus SeniorNews u

August 2015

17

Hair Club for Sons

By Bill Levine “What’s wrong with your hair? It’s all sticking up,” my nonagenarian dad impolitely inquires from his living-room recliner, this non-sequitur interrupting a conversation on the Red Sox and the number of my bar mitzvah guests still living.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I say, stretching the truth a little, since actually my bald

spot is approaching tonsure size with the accompanying comb-over promoting unruly wisps. Having hair gone wild has caused me to devalue Hair Club for Men jokes.

Dad then throws down a timely but overly parental gauntlet, “I’ll pay for you to go to one of those hair places.”

My father’s offer goes from enticing to uncomfortable in 8.2 seconds. First, I am embarrassed to admit that I am

still not immune to paternal disapproval over my appearance, as I thought I had surmounted this angst 40 years ago when I told my dad that dumping on my bright-orange corduroy bell bottoms was “so Nixonian.”

Secondly, I am angry that Dad had broken the unwritten rule of parenting offspring over 60: Don’t make them dredge up soggy memories of being your 14-year-old again, as clearly, if I look in

the mirror now, I fear I will see pimples and not wrinkles.

“No, Dad, thanks, but I’ll pass on the hair offer. My hair is not that big of a deal to me.”

But it occurred to me that, mild as it may be, this was the first time we had experienced a follicle fallout.

Decades earlier, this fact had made me a rare noncombatant among my male boomer cohorts, who bravely defended

                  

    

                    

   

    

                     

  

 

 

      





18

August 2015

        

      



          

        

  

 



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

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



50plus SeniorNews u

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

their hippie-commie, girlishly long tresses in the key generational battle that defined the Age of Aquarius: the struggle over hair.

Back then, hair was supreme; otherwise, the boomer Broadway anthem would be entitled Nehru Jackets and not Hair.

Indeed, with regard to hair, it was consistently all quiet on my youthful home front. As a young kid, my dad ensured that my stylings would not be cutting-edge by taking me to a threechair shop with a barber pole outside where the word “salon” was never mentioned and the reading material was yesterday’s newspaper.

My barber Charlie’s stylistic range was from whiffle top to extra whiffle top. Really, though, that was OK with me as there were no Mohawks or Justin Bieber ’dos to ask for, and even if I had a slight inkling for a Dennis the Menace floppy cut, Charlie would have said, “Dennis who? ” Moving along with my hair history, my bar mitzvah album shows me at the bimah with two other boys to men, all of us with short haircuts. There was no pre-bar-mitzvah whining on my part for a Beatle mop-top.

A recent perusal of my college

yearbook shows that I graduated near the bottom of my class in counterculture hair length, with my graduation picture one of the few male shots where ears can be clearly delineated.

We were a short-haired family. My sister’s tresses were only average length; our dog, Ginger, was a wired-haired terrier; and no one ever called our living-room rug “plush.”

A few days after refusing my dad’s hair-restoration offer, I’m in my stylist’s chair for the monthly salvage job on my pate, commonly called a trim. His precise snipping is taking too long, mostly because hiding a bald spot the size of a crater is a difficult salon trick.

The results will look good for a day or so, and then I recede back into a slightly disheveled look. The prospect of one good hair day every month makes me start to think that my old man’s restoration offer is not triggered by his unease that in this 10th decade he has more hair than me but is actually just based on pure parental concern.

But then I think that this is my Aquarian moment. I will not trust anyone over 90. No, Dad, my generation has every right in the world to look aging, bald, and unattractive.

I start to feel pretty groovy.

Take the Worry out of Retirement with a Reverse Mortgage!

A reverse mortgage can HELP you: • Reduce financial stress by supplementing your monthly income.

• Remodel your home so you can live there longer.

• Buy a new home.

• Pay off an existing mortgage.

• Pay off credit card debt.

• Donate more to your church or charity.

• Enjoy more time vacationing with family and friends.

• Enhance your wellbeing with long-term healthcare.

Contact Me Now! Bob Hansen

Helping Seniors Use Their Home to Stay at Home.

NMLS#175814

Mobile: 610-247-1400 Office: 800-595-1925 Ext. 2122 BobHansen@usfinancial.com

107 South Church Street West Chester, PA 19382 NMLS#151435

www.usFinancial.com

Please visit www.RevMortgageInfo.com and receive a free copy of my book The FACTS about Reverse Mortgages Without the Hype Information is subject to change without notice. This is not an offer for extension of credit or a commitment to lend.

Experience the convenience of one-floor living.

4 lots available ... going fast!

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Open House Sunday, August 9th 1 to 3 p.m.

• Spec home and pre-owned homes available to inspect •

Directions: Rt. 30E – Greenfield Road exit, Right onto Greenfield Road to Fallon Drive.

Right onto Fallon Drive; follow signs to Sales Center.

Eastwood Village Homes LLC 102 Summers Drive Lancaster, PA 17601

717-397-3138

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       

      

                         

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 

                  www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

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           August 2015

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Home. Cooked.

GOODNESS. The taste of togetherness.

The Happy Family Banquet 2 (5 oz.) Filet Mignons 2 (5 oz.) Top Sirloins 4 (3 oz.) Polynesian Pork Chops 4 (4 � ⁄� oz.) Chicken Fried Steaks 15 oz. pkg. All-Beef Meatballs 4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers 4 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks 16 oz. pkg. Omaha Steakhouse® Fries 4 Caramel Apple Tartlets 46524VKN

Reg. $227.00 | Now

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1-800-743-7961 ask for 46524VKN | www.OmahaSteaks.com/sp63 Limit 2 pkgs. at this price. Your 4 free burgers will be sent to each shipping address that includes The Happy Family Banquet 46524. Limit of 1 free box of 4 (4 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers per shipment. Standard S&H will be added per address. Not valid with other offers. Expires 11/30/15. ©2015 OCG | 506B120 | Omaha Steaks, Inc.

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August 2015

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